Chapter Eleven
Sakura watched Sasuke. He was quiet. Even by his standards, he was more withdrawn than usual. His eyes downcast as he continued to pull at the dead grass beneath them.
Beside her, Naruto was just as silent. An unexpected feat for the normally loud, bubbling blond. He too stared at their friend, waiting for him to speak. Waiting for him to tell them what it was that had him so angry, so upset he couldn't even find his voice.
It felt as if an enternity passed before Sasuke finally said, "They're blaming the Uchiha."
Predictably, Naruto's mouth moved before his brain did. "For the attack in the village? It was a civilian that was targeted. What motive could the Uchiha possibly have to kill a civilian? What proof do they have? I should march straight into Tsunade-ba-chan's office and-!"
"Naruto, shut up," Sakura snapped, smacking him on the back of the head with enough force to silence him. She then turned to Sasuke. "Maybe it's not as bad as we think."
"It is that bad, Sakura," Sasuke retorted, his eyes briefly flickering up to hers.
His tone was sharper than the blade she had given him for his birthday, but she didn't flinch. It wasn't the first time she had been on the receiving end of it. She had long ago become accustomed to the prickliness that came with having an Uchiha for a teammate.
"Just...tell me what happened," Sakura prodded gently.
Sasuke didn't immediately answer. Just continued to tear apart the blades of grass he had ripped out of the ground. Then he opened his mouth, "A few days ago, there was an argument in town between one of my clan members and a civilian. I don't know the whole story, but I heard it got pretty ugly. My father was briefed on the situation, and had been told that everything had been dealt with…"
"But?" Sakura pressed softly when he trailed off.
"But," Sasuke continued, "yesterday morning we got word that the civilian had been found in his home. Dead. The village elders convened a meeting with the Hokage and are ordering that the Uchiha clan...that my clan be given restricted privileges outside our compound."
Sakura's eyes widened. Beside her, even Naruto seemed at a loss for words. "What?" he asked.
"They can't just do that," Sakura shook her head. "It's a violation of your basic rights-."
"They've already drafted an order," Sasuke said. "All that's left is for the Hokage to sign it."
"She won't," Sakura argued.
Naruto nodded. "Sakura's right. Baa-chan isn't like that. She won't do it. I...I'll talk to her. I'll make sure it doesn't pass."
"Naruto, you can't," Sakura told him, even though the words pained her. "It's not your place to get involved-."
"Of course, it's our place!" he returned. There was an underlying anger etched into his face she couldn't recall seeing before. "Sasuke is our teammate. This decision will affect all of us. Besides, there's no proof that the Uchiha are responsible."
He had a good point. Sakura turned back to Sasuke just as he pulled up another clump of grass. "How did the civilian die anyway?" she asked.
Her dark-haired teammate didn't look at her as he ripped at the frail, dried turf. As if revealing the information would make the situation worse. And it did. "Poison."
Sakura's heart dropped into her stomach. She didn't have to ask to know which poison he meant. "The elders can't think the Uchiha are behind this attack," she said. "I mean, Itachi was the first person attacked."
"They think he made it up," Sasuke said. He threw the dirty, grassy clump over his shoulder before he reached for another cluster to pick at. "That it was just a ruse to get the spotlight off the Uchiha Clan."
"That's ridiculous," Sakura snapped. "I treated Itachi myself. I was the one who worked on him in the OR. Do they think I falsified his file?"
Sasuke just shot her a look. "It isn't you they think altered the file, Sakura."
She nearly gaped. Shocked that the elders would even consider such a thing. Itachi's mastery of the Sharingan was widely known and respected. But to even consider that he was capable of using it against the very village he called home...
"That's absolutely absurd," Sakura said, anger quickly filling in where her bewilderment had been. "Itachi wasn't even in the village."
"It doesn't mean that he couldn't have ordered it," Sasuke said simply.
She stared at her teammate, wondering how he could be so indifferent. His clan, his family, his brother was being accused of treason. Like they were all criminals. It made her furious. She wanted to punch the elders in their stupid faces, wrap her hands around their thin necks until they took all their accusations back.
Then she took a closer look.
Fury was etched into the edges of his face. His mouth was set in a grim line, his dark eyes like molten lava. His obsession with the dead grass was not so much something to fidget with, but something to keep his hands busy. So he wouldn't do something he might regret. Sakura had likely never seen her teammate more livid.
She couldn't even pretend to understand what must be going through his mind. For his entire clan to be accused of turning against the very village they had sworn to protect. Again.
None of them were old enough to remember the last time the village had turned against the Uchiha Clan. The Kyuubi attack had had been the day of Naruto's birth. Sakura had only been a few months old then, as had Sasuke. But the nasty stares and whispered words echoed through the market stalls for years afterwards. Sasuke could still remember being a toddler not understanding their hostility as his mother led him by the hand. Even now, he still hated town.
"What more can they possibly do to us?"
Sasuke's whisper was still echoing in Sakura's head when she arrived at the hospital some time later. Shizune was in the lab peering through a microscope, the documents Sakura had collected in Grass spread out over one of the desks.
The dark-haired medic glanced up upon her entrance. "Hey," she said. "I haven't seen you much since you came back. I figured you'd be itching to work on this with me."
"Yeah, sorry," Sakura apologized as she leaned back against another table, her arms crossed loosely. "I got stuck doing an autopsy last night. I didn't get out until late."
Shizune's expression immediately sombered. "On Izumi? Genma told me you found her."
The younger woman nodded. Thinking about Izumi only made the whole situation with the Uchiha Clan that much worse. They were being hit on two different fronts at the same time. It was wholly unfair.
"I need to go get her labs and report back to Tsunade-shishou, but I wanted to stop in and see how things were doing here. Anything help?" Sakura asked, changing the subject.
If Shizune noticed, she didn't comment. Instead, she glanced at the foreign papers. "They more than helped. These notes...they explain everything. Which is both good...and very, very bad."
"How so?" Sakura asked curiously.
"According to the notes in this journal, Common Sand Viper venom was used as the base for this poison," the older woman explained, pointing at the open book. "Chiyo used this venom similarly in the Second Shinobi World War. It was a brutal poison. We lost a lot of ninja to it before Lady Tsunade created an antitoxin."
A heavy lumped settled in the pit of Sakura's stomach. "You don't think Sand is responsible for the attacks…"
"I don't think so," Shizune quickly shook her head. "We've been at peace with them for years now, following Gaara's appointment as Kazekage. And the last I heard, the Common Sand Viper was nearly extinct. More likely someone did a lot of digging through Chiyo's research and took the effort to hunt down the last few snakes left in the wild to make a similar poison."
"They recreated a toxin we struggled with in the past," Sakura said thoughtfully. "That's smart."
Shizune nodded her agreement. "The good news is I can make an antidote. With these notes and Lady Tsunade's input from the war, I'm mostly familiar with how the venom attacks the body. I think I can have an effective cure within the next few days. Possibly sooner. Which leaves us with one last problem."
"How do we distribute it out to everyone?" Sakura said for her.
Shizune nodded somberly.
Their conversation stopped short there. The lab fell silent. Only the whirring of the machines hummed softly in the background as each woman became immersed in their own thought.
Konoha was a large village. One of the largest out of the five nations. There were thousands of shinobi and then civilians on top of that. They would have to mass produce an antidote and then ship it out to everyone. All before the attack happened. Which, if Sakura's instincts and suspicions were correct, was not far away. The death of that civilian felt more like a final test to her than a ploy to isolate the Uchiha Clan. Even if that's what had become of it.
If, or rather when, the war did come, Izumi's death would only be the first. And so many more would follow if Sakura and Shizune couldn't effectively deliver the antidote to everyone. They would have to be smart and fast. And stealthy.
A thought began to form in Sakura's head. "I have an idea…" she said slowly. "But it's highly unethical. And we'll need to Hokage's written consent to do it."
Shizune gazed at her curiously. "Oh?"
Straightening from the table, Sakura grabbed a chair and angled it towards the older woman. Then she launched right in.
##
When Sakura slipped out of the Hokage's office, she didn't know if she felt better or worse than when she had gone in. Izumi's autopsy report had been delivered and the pink-haired medic's request had been approved. Surprisingly.
To be honest, Sakura hadn't expected the Hokage to support her plan. It was so against the oath she had taken as a medic, so incredibly deceitful that had half been hoping Tsunade would say no. It only made the Hokage's seal feel that much heavier.
With a deep sigh, Sakura tucked the scroll away. She dragged her feet as she stepped away from Tsunade's office. It was already late, but if this crazy, radical idea of hers was going to work she needed to get started on it immediately. Only she couldn't bring herself to hurry back to the hospital.
There was so much research to do, then lab work and experiments after that. The hospital was going to be her home for at least the next few days, possibly longer. It was fortunate Shizune was there to help.
Rubbing the back of her neck, Sakura headed down the hall towards the main staircase. Thoughts of what lay ahead occupied her mind, but they vanished hastily as a door ahead of her slammed open. She drew to an abrupt halt.
"You might consider this next course of action very carefully. The Uchiha won't forgive so easily a second time." Then Uchiha Fugaku swept into the hall.
He nearly walked straight into Sakura. Stopping just short of bumping into her. Standing this close, there was no mistaking the indignation and resentment in his tone. It reflected in his face too. The Uchiha Head peered down at her, his eyes narrowing a fraction as if determining how much she had overheard. Deciding what he would do next.
Sakura chose to move first. She bowed respectfully. "Uchiha-sama."
He was still watching her when she straightened. His face still hard and full of distrust and irritation. Then without a word, he walked past her, never once looking back.
Sakura watched him leave. Only returning her attention back towards the doorway when she heard more footsteps. Her heart nearly stopped when she recognized Itachi.
He was much harder to read than his father. His face a perfect mask. He regarded her as he too stopped in the hall but said nothing as the remaining occupants slipped out of the room. Sakura tried to keep her own face neutral as Homura, Danzo and Koharu shuffled out. All three village elders cast a purposeful glance at them before they padded away in the opposite direction the Uchiha Head had left, their heads low and their voices an indistinguishable whisper.
It suddenly dawned on Sakura she had just overheard the end of a very heated, political debate. Something that could likely change the dynamics of the village. Something she had no business hearing. She already knew more about this conflict than she should.
Itachi was still watching her when Sakura turned back to him. Her stomach both burst into butterflies and twisted in knots at the same time. An odd feeling. "Sorry," she nearly stammered. Because what else was she supposed to say after seeing that?
To her surprise, Itachi shook his head minutely. "Do not take offence to my father. He is currently in a tough position."
Sakura nodded slowly, not entirely sure how to respond.
This was the first time she had seen Itachi since their mission. She had tried so hard not to think about how he had kissed her in that little hotel room out in the middle of Fire Country, but with him right here, standing so close she could faintly smell his rich, masculine scent it all came rushing back.
Her entire body warmed. She wondered if he was remembering it too. How his mouth had moved feverishly against hers, how his fingers had dug into hair, how it had all been so perfect and yet not enough...
Until she saw the shadows under his eyes and the exhaustion lingering in his dark, dark irises. The Uchiha Heir suddenly looked years older. Sakura promptly felt foolish. Of course he had more pressing matters on his mind right now. Their kiss had to be the last thing he was concerned about with all that was going on.
Sakura racked her mind for something else to say. "How are you feeling?"
"Good, thank you," he said, his voice just a little flatter than she was used to. But her question seemed to lighten his grim expression fractionally and her own nerves settled at that little but familiar smile. "You are here late. Are you still working?"
"Yeah," she sighed. The scroll in her pocket was like a lead weight. "I was hoping to at least get one day off after returning from the mission, but right now, it seems impossible with the village being…"
"In utter chaos?"
Sakura almost snorted. "Yes, that's a good way of putting it."
Itachi shared her smile, that single look taking years off his suddenly aged face. She caught herself staring a moment too late.
"Anyway," she said, glancing away quickly, "I wanted to apologize about the mission."
"What for?" Itachi asked, cocking his head.
When Sakura looked back at him, genuine confusion was lining his face. She blinked at that. Hadn't she done like a dozen things wrong? "For one, going in the first place. Then there's the insulting you in front of the Hokage part, the separating from the group part..." she listed.
Itachi laughed out his nose softly. "Well I cannot entirely fault you for the last one," he said. "You did not know any better. I should have taken into consideration you are not black ops trained."
"Well, sorry anyway," she apologized, his easy dismissal settling the unrest that had been lingering since their return to the village.
Itachi just shot her another small smile. One that told her all was well. It did that thing to her insides that made her feel happy and nervous all at once. Like how it had felt on their travel back to Konoha when she remembered how his mouth felt against hers and how she worried if it had just been the heat of the moment.
"Can I ask you something?" Sakura asked. As soon as the question was out of her mouth, she regretted it. It seemed so trivial considering everything else that was going on.
"You want to know why I kissed you."
Sakura averted her eyes, her cheeks suddenly flushed as if embarrassed by her own question. The look was utterly adorable and Itachi suddenly had the urge to kiss her again. Instead, he reached out and tucked a loose hair behind her ear. Her cheeks darkened further.
"Because I wanted to," he told her simply.
She shook her head. "But why?"
"Have you really not figured it out?" Itachi asked not unkindly. When the furrow between Sakura's brows only deepened, he answered with a soft chuckle, "Because I am attracted to you."
Sakura blinked. "You are?" she asked, almost skeptically.
Her modesty was incredibly charming, that she honestly didn't understand what it was about herself that drew him in. It made her that much more enticing.
"I am," Itachi said honestly. "You should not be so surprised. We have been working closely for months now, and it has given me much time to get to know you. You have become more than just my brother's teammate or the annoying medic who blackmailed me into getting treatment."
Sakura felt her face warm at that. How could she forget that's how this entire arrangement started?
"So that's all it takes, huh?" she teased with a soft smile. "A little bossing around and a promise to save your life?"
He smirked. "Well not only. You are intelligent and strong and have a need to help others, even at great personal risk that I greatly respect as well. Your reputation cannot hold a candle to who you truly are. That is what I am drawn to. And given the opportunity, I would kiss you again."
Sakura suddenly found herself too flustered to for a reply. His sincerity struck her down to her soul. It was all so similar to how it felt when he had kissed her, with all his barely restrained emotion rolling just beneath the surface. Only this time, it was wide in the open. All in plain view for her to see. He thought she was all these things when she just...herself. It seemed unreal. But he was still watching her in that way…
It suddenly occurred to Sakura that she had seen that look on his face before. The night of Sasuke's birthday party in the gardens under that tree. He had been silently expressing his feelings and she had walked away. And then requested a mission out to hostile territory. Oh, she was so blind.
Sakura took a purposeful step towards him until they were standing toe-to-toe, his unique scent washing over her and filling her senses. She wanted so badly to tilt her face up and kiss him but she didn't quite share his confidence, even after his bold confession.
Instead, she looked up at him, her emerald eyes meeting his fathomless, obsidian gaze. "You have an opportunity now."
There was no mistaking her meaning, but Itachi didn't immediately react. He cast a quick glance down the hall, visually confirming what his chakra already told him. They were alone. When he looked back at her, he was smirking. "So I do."
Then he sealed his mouth to hers.
This time there was no shock or surprise holding her back. Sakura kissed him wholeheartedly, her fingers twisting into the front of his shirt to support herself. Which was unnecessary since Itachi was anchoring her securely against him with one arm around her waist, the other hand twisted firmly into her hair.
Without all the stress and the concern and the guarded anger directed at each other, their desires were less frantic, less demanding than before but no less passionate. She took her time getting accustomed to him on this new level, enjoying the firmness of his muscles under her hands and taking pleasure in how confidently he kissed her while not being overly dominant.
When he swept his tongue across her lower lip, she opened her mouth willingly, a soft sound of pleasure echoing low in her throat. Sakura would have been perfectly happy just making out with him in the middle of the hall, but Itachi had other ideas.
Without breaking their kiss, he pulled her backwards with him. They stumbled against a doorway, Itachi's back hitting the door frame and giving him enough room to maneuver her around until he could push her further inside the door. They stopped when the back of Sakura's thighs bumped into something solid. She hooked an arm around his neck, her other hand reaching back to steady herself on what she realized was a desk, as their mouths continued to move together, never once breaking apart.
This kiss was so much better than their first, Sakura decided.
There was something so sexy about feeling him wrap himself around her. All sharp, masculine edges against her soft, petite curves. The way his lips moved against her, his long fingers grasping her jaw and angling her head just so, made her head spin and her blood warm. She couldn't resist pulling him closer until he was pressed flush against her, all but caging her against the table.
They probably would have kept going had the pad of footsteps not reached Itachi's ears. It broke through his senses and abruptly reminded him exactly where they were. He froze against Sakura, his arms tightening around her to keep her still as he masked his chakra. Automatically she did the same.
It was likely nothing would become of it if they were caught, but given the current political climate within the village, Itachi didn't want to risk Sakura getting tangled up in the issues of his clan. And so, they remained motionless. Itachi's mouth only a fraction of an inch away from hers, their breath intermingling as their eyes met in the semi-darkness.
A few seconds later, a shadow passed the open doorway before fading further down the hall. Only once they could no longer hear the footsteps did Itachi relax again.
Sakura loosened the arm she had around his neck but he didn't immediately step away from her. Instead, he bent his head again, pressing his mouth to hers in a lingering but chaste kiss. When he pulled away, there was a smile on her face that he couldn't help but return.
Itachi helped her straighten from the desk after that. He held her hand until they slipped out of the room but remained close by as they left the tower, their arms brushing with every step.
"Are you heading back to the hospital?" Itachi asked.
Sakura released a long breath. "Yeah, I am. It's going to be busy the next couple of days, but hopefully we'll get some answers. For both to village and your clan."
They slowed to a stop when they reached the part in their paths. Itachi turned to face her fully, his face more open than she could remember. Or perhaps she really was getting better at reading him.
"I feel as if I will never be done thanking you," he murmured.
Sakura smiled at that, still somewhat giddy over what had just happened. "You don't need to thank me," she said. Then her smile widened. "But if you ever do get another opportunity, you know where to find me."
Itachi's smirk was downright devilish before they went their separate ways.
Sakura was still smiling secretly to herself when she entered the hospital. She went straight to her office and found it like a warzone. Documents and papers and notes were scattered over the desk and the floor and the couch. The bookcase had been blown apart with half the research and textbooks normally lining the shelves pulled out and splayed half-opened.
In the center of the organized chaos stood Shizune. Her back was to the door, but she turned towards Sakura when she entered.
"How's everything going? You make any progress yet-"
Sakura stilled as she recognized the little, black notebook in Shizune's hand. The one she had tucked inside the bookcase so long ago she had nearly forgotten it was there. Shizune's eyes were wide and full of concern when Sakura looked up at her again.
"I can explain-"
Shizune only shook her head. "Why did you not tell me Itachi is sick?"
##
Itachi melted in with the shadows. He waited until after the sun had set but the moon still hung low along the horizon before he crept out of the Uchiha compound. The alleys between buildings hid his physical presence, allowing him to easily slip between patrols and those lingering out after dark.
There was only a single light on in the Hokage's office. Just enough to let him know that their leader was still there and still awake.
Tsunade was facing the window when Itachi slipped inside soundlessly. Her eyes flickered to him briefly as he closed the window behind him before they settled back on the glowing city just beyond. Some minutes passed like that. With her chin resting in her upturned hand and Itachi standing motionlessly, waiting for her heavy thoughts to pass.
"The Village Elders are adamant on subjugating the Uchiha. They want to restrict everyone to the compound," she eventually said, her voice no higher than a low rumble.
Itachi gazed past her. For the first time that he could ever remember, her desk was empty. Say for one, small stack of papers directly behind her chair. The top page held the council's signatures.
"And what will your decision be?" he asked quietly.
Tsunade looked at him then. Faint surprise shining behind her eyes. "You aren't going to convince me to shred their order?"
"There are multiple factors that weigh upon this decision. Many I do know, some I do not," he told her, carefully keeping his own thoughts from his voice. "You are first and foremost my Hokage. I trust that you hold the best interests of the village and my clan at heart with whichever choice you make."
She studied him for a long moment, a frown pulling the corners of her mouth downwards. "You are far too loyal for your own damn good, Uchiha."
But there was an unspoken compliment in her tone. Itachi hid his smile.
"Now then," Tsunade continued, sitting up in her chair. "I assume you're here to report your findings for the other mission I gave you."
He straightened, giving the Hokage his full attention. "Yes. I went to the home of the Fire Daimyo as you requested."
"He's dead," she said for him.
Itachi nodded once.
However, the Hokage only pursed her lips thoughtfully. Like she had been expecting this very outcome. Itachi couldn't say he was too terribly surprised either. He had arrived at the same conclusion himself some time ago.
"Someone is trying very hard to take Konoha down from the inside," Tsunade said. "With the Fire Daimyo out of the way, all decision making about leadership would need to be made within the village itself."
Itachi hummed his agreement. "In the meantime, a civil war would be the perfect distraction to take the village down or overthrow it."
"And what better distraction than pitting the military force against black ops," she added.
Her gaze fell back to the lights of the city, their glow reflecting in her eyes. She thought for a long while. So long that Itachi thought she might not speak again.
Then her attention flickered back to him. "Tell your father I want the military out in full force. I won't allow this village to crumbling so easily."
"Of course," Itachi said with a deep bow.
The movement hid his face, allowing him a brief moment to be relieved, to silently express his gratitude towards the woman he called his leader. The lonely document on her desk would remain without the Hokage's signature.
When he straightened, his thoughts were withdrawn once more. "With respect, Lady Tsunade," Itachi began carefully, "I request that you tighten your guard as well."
A smile spread across her red lips. "I appreciate your concerns, Uchiha, but I can handle myself. Besides, I need you out in the village. I need you to be my eyes."
She then stood slowly, silently paced to the window and stared out upon the resting city. As if she were watching the coming storm over the horizon. Dark and ominous with no other choice but to wait for it to strike.
"You know the protocol should anything happen to me?" she asked quietly.
The mere thought made Itachi's blood turn to ice. But he nodded nonetheless. "Yes, Hokage-sama."
"Good. Even if it takes my last breath, I will not allow this village to fall."
to be continued...
So many complaints about the ItaSaku kiss. Did y'all really think I'd leave you hangin'?