The Darkest Secrets

Chapter 2: The Moments We Bleed For

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: I feel like I will forever be apologizing for my late updates…. Sorry! Things have been a little crazy here. The final semester of nursing school is now in full swing (resulting in one very exhausted, cranky insomniac), and my Grandfather died just last week, so I honestly just haven't felt up to writing. But life goes on, and so does this story (I pinky swear, I'm going to finish this thing). So, enough of my excuses… on with the story!

P.S. This chapter may be a bit crackish. But I love team 7 crack. They're just more fun to write that way. Also thank you to crimson dragonX, Twisted Musalih, and Sanban for the reviews! They make me smile.

Sakura strolled down the streets of Konoha, absentmindedly taking in the sounds of laughter and birdsong. The sun was bright in the cloudless azure sky. It was that perfect sort of weather where it wasn't too cold, and not hot enough to make you sweat. Konoha's citizens were out in full force, and picnic blankets dotted the grassy hillsides.

And then, suddenly, a head of yellow hair, as bright as the sun, popped into her field of vision; at the same time her poor ears were assaulted with a loud, exuberant voice. "Sakura-chaaaaaaaaan!" Naruto yelled, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "I thought you would never come out of that smelly hospital. Did Itachi-nii* finally kick you out?" She looked up in shock at his teasing grin, a mock pout forming on her face. "Am I really that predictable? I need to find a new hiding spot." Naruto's expression shifted into a goofy, squinty-eyed glare. "Don't you dare Sakura-chan. Then you'd be just as bad as Kakashi-the-hermit-sensei."

"Mah… Naruto, that was mean." A voice drawled from the roof above them. The pair stopped and looked up, spotting their lazy former sensei lounging on the roof of the local bookstore, Icha Icha in hand. "I don't hide. You just aren't smart enough to find me," he teased, his one eye curving into a happy arch. Naruto's eye twitched. He stared at his sensei for several seconds.

Sakura could feel the explosion building up… any second now….

"Listen, you old pervert!" he yelled, one hand on his hip, the other pointing at the copy ninja.

….. Silence.

"You can't think of a come-back, can you?" Kakashi deadpanned.

"Whatever," Naruto grumbled, leaning against the outside of the bookstore. Well, that was the end of that. Best to take advantage of the quiet while it lasted. "So, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei… I'm headed to the Uchiha's place for dinner. Are you coming? We haven't done a team dinner in so long, so it might be nice." Naruto suddenly perked up, like a dog who was about to go for a walk. "Really? Awesome! I haven't had Mikoto-san's food in forever! And I can tell Fugaku-san all about the new team jutsu me and the bastard are working on! We figured you could confuse the enemy with one of those crazy punches, right? And then while you distract them, me and Sasuke will come in with this super cool move…." She tuned out his babbling and looked up at Kakashi, an eyebrow raised in question.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan. I'm shipping out with Tenzou in a couple hours. We'll be in wind country for a couple weeks." Sakura wanted to laugh at his kicked-puppy expression. Kakashi hated missing out on free food. Cheapskate. Naruto did laugh. "Hah! More for me!" And with that, he sauntered off in the direction of the Uchiha clan compound. With a short good-bye wave, Sakura turned and followed him.

Upon arriving at the Uchiha manor, they discovered a half-asleep Sasuke, lounging on the porch in the sun, a bowl of half-eaten tomatoes by his head. Sakura thought he looked too comfortable. So did Naruto. And so they commenced their favorite pastime, 'make the Sasu-chan cranky.' Sakura sat by his head, poking his cheek as she picked up the bowl of tomatoes and waved it in his face. "Sasuke, you're going to ruin your appetite. How can you grow up to be all big and strong if you don't leave enough room for Mommy's yummy cooking?" She teased, still poking his face. He grumbled incoherently and rolled over.

Naruto bounced up to the porch and looked at Sasuke thoughtfully for a second, before licking his finger, and then inserting it into Sasuke's ear. Sakura cringed. 'How very unsanitary.' Sasuke shot up into a sitting position, glaring from behind his rumpled bangs. "What the hell do you want." He spat, his irritated glare shifting from the gleeful blonde, to the too-innocent looking pinkette, and back again. "Nap-time ended when we were five, Sasuke," Sakura chided playfully.

A faint scraping noise on the roof distracted the three, which was shortly followed by a person dropping to the porch's wooden planks with a 'thunk.'

Itachi stood up, apparently having just returned from his extra little meeting with the Hokage. He raised an eyebrow at the strange sight before him. It appeared as though his precious little brother was being tormented by his teammates. Again. The three of them were formidable Jounin on the battlefield, each a genius in their own way. Off the battle field, however… when the three of them got together, they behaved like immature Genin.

"Aniki, make them stop." Sasuke whined. With a faintly amused snort, Itachi sat down on the porch, back resting against the wall.

They sat there for at least an hour, catching up on the last few days they had been apart. Sasuke quietly inquired about his brother's patrol mission, and the four of them spent several minutes contemplating the strange shinobi Anbu squad one encountered. Itachi went uncharacteristically silent after a while, seemingly deep in thought, a subtle worried look in his eyes. Sakura was the only one who noticed.

Eventually, a grinning Mikoto stepped out onto the porch, informing the four of them that dinner was ready. She gave each of them a brief hug before ushering them inside. Fugaku was just coming down the stairs, and he smiled warmly at the younger shinobi, exposing the slight wrinkles by his eyes.

It had taken some time, but Itachi had finally gotten used to the drastic change in his father. Itachi almost wondered sometimes if his father was ever under the effects of Kotoamatsukami after all. The major shift in his demeanor was that of someone who had a close brush with their own mortality, and at times he looked upon his eldest son with remorse and a calm sort of acceptance. Fugaku was a changed man. He more openly expressed his love for his wife and sons, and stopped pushing Sasuke to be like his brother. Where he might have looked down on the other members of team seven before, he now welcomed them with open arms.

"I see Naruto has come along, but where is Kakashi? Is he running late again?" Fugaku asked, his lips twitching in amusement. Sakura relayed to him Kakashi's reasons for skipping dinner. "I see," he responded, disappointment coloring his tone. Kakashi was widely accepted among the Uchiha as an honorary member. Obito had found him worthy enough to bequeath his sharingan to, and as far as the clan head was concerned, that made him one of them.

It probably also helped that Fugaku had been impressed by Kakashi's talent far before he had even acquired Obito's sharingan. When Itachi was entering the Anbu Black Ops, Fugaku had even gone out of his way and pulled some strings to ensure Itachi's placement on the copy ninja's squad. Not because of his borrowed sharingan, but for his elite skill.

The four younger shinobi filed through the kitchen, picking up platters of food on their way through and assisting Mikoto with setting the table. Fugaku made the tea and brought it out, and they all sat at the large table in the adjoined dining room. Fugaku sat on one end of the table, his sons on either side of him. Naruto sat next to Sasuke, and Sakura sat next to Itachi, while Mikoto made herself comfortable on the end opposite Fugaku. For a few minutes, it was silent in the room, with the exception of chopsticks scarping against the plates.

Of course with Naruto, that never lasted long. "Mm thi iss rell goo miko sah mah" He said around a mouthful of food. Sakura kicked him under the table, and he swallowed his food with a gulp, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Fugaku looked vaguely disgusted. "S-sorry!" he said quickly. "I was trying to say that this is really good. You've outdone yourself again. Thank you for having us over." Fugaku relaxed, satisfied with the apology. While the clan head had loosened up on many levels, he still demanded a certain amount of poise, and impeccable manners. Unfortunately, it was something that Sakura and Sasuke had failed to beat into their knucklehead teammate.

Embarrassed, Sasuke attempted to divert attention from the incident by discussing the logistics of their new "team 7 jutsu." Fugaku, interested in any sort of addition to his son's shinobi prowess, listened intently, occasionally giving his input.

Sakura ignored the conversation. They would explain her part in the "team jutsu" once they got the logistics figured out. Those pig-headed boys always did what they wanted anyways. It was why Sakura had gone to train with Tsunade when the slug Sanin became Hokage. Of course, she frequently enjoyed her training sessions with Itachi as well. He had once scolded his little brother for ignoring his female teammate, and had then taken her under his wing, training her when he had the time. They were a good match. Because of Sakura's affinity for genjutsu, Itachi found that he had a lot to teach her, and that she picked it up quickly.

Mikoto soon commanded Sakura's attention, asking if she had been eating okay, and did she really stay at the hospital's lab all week like Itachi said? Sakura turned ever so slightly to glare at Itachi, who tried to ignore her and eat his food. She pinched the sensitive skin right above his elbow, and he flinched ever so slightly. Mikoto pretended not to notice, but secretly smiled to herself when she knew they weren't looking. Mikoto loved Sakura as a daughter, and was pleased with the friendship between the young medic and her sons. Of course, she wouldn't mind if she were to date one of them. Perhaps Itachi. Yes, that would do. Her son had been so withdrawn, until the pink haired girl came into his life. He smiled more now….

Mikoto interrupted their silent bickering. "Sakura-chan, I insist that you stay here tonight. You need a good night's rest, and I refuse to let you out if my sight until I am certain you've been taken care of." Then, turning to her son, she said "Keep an eye on her, Itachi. Make sure she's comfortable, and be a gentleman." Sakura and Itachi simultaneously blushed. "H-hai Kaa-san*."

After dinner, Naruto and Sakura helped the Uchiha's clean up. They each split the clean-up tasks, Naruto and Sasuke competing to see who could wash the most dishes in the least amount of time, while Mikoto and Fugaku dried them and put them away. Sakura and Itachi put away leftovers and wiped down the table. They finished their cleaning before the rest of the family, so they headed to the porch for a game of shogi before bed.

They were silent for a little while, and the soft 'clack' of the game pieces landing on the board was the only sound besides the creatures of the night. The two of them were lost in their thoughts, Itachi mulling over whatever had been bothering him, while Sakura contemplated the best way to tease it out of him. Itachi was never very forthcoming with information.

Finally, she decided to go with the straightforward approach. "Something is bothering you," she said matter-of-factly, moving her knight to take one of his pawns. He blinked at her, as if surprised he had been caught. "Why would you say that?" He replied, dropping the bishop that he had stolen from her earlier onto his side of the board.

"Because you're acting strangely Itachi. You've been distracted," she replied, moving her lance forward to take one of his silver generals, almost as if to prove a point. "You never make shogi this easy. And you've been quiet, even for you. You seemed worried when I left you at the Hokage's office, and suspicious when I told you the results of the poison analysis."

He paused before answering, moving her captured bishop to take out the lance she had just moved. "That was cheap," she muttered under her breath. He smiled, then responded to her earlier inquiry. "I'm just concerned that the leak is even bigger than you suggested. The shinobi that ran from us used a body disposal jutsu on themselves – that's an Anbu level jutsu, and is used to hide secrets from enemies. I believe that they're working under someone else, who is pulling the strings." She nodded in acceptance, though the suspicion was still clear on her face.

He wasn't necessarily lying to her, but what he told her was a mere sliver of the truth. What he was truly concerned about was an issue that's roots ran deep into the nightmares of his past. Deep into secrets that he would take to his grave.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Those secrets were eating him alive.

Itachi tossed restlessly in his sleep, eyes moving rapidly behind his eyelids, breath coming in heavy pants. Sweat beaded on his brow, and he grunted and flinched at some unknown threat.

He could see it, could see the blood splattering the walls, the voices of the innocent crying in agony and betrayal as his blade came down, again, and again, and again. Blood spatter stained his face and hands, and clung in his hair. And Itachi stood among the piles of dead, unfeeling, a shell. He had killed every human emotion in his heart to get the job done. He was merely a machine with a pulse, a monster capable of such terrible things. And even after their deaths, their voices would follow him, would mock him from the recesses of his barren soul.

And then, a raspy voice taunted from the shadows. "I'm going to take them from you, Itachi. Every person you dare to love, I will crush beneath my feet. You won't be able to save them. I'm going to take them all, and leave you with the pain of your failure."

"Nngh!" Itachi tossed even more fitfully than before, hands curling into fists around his sheets. "No. Leave them alone. Hurt me instead. They don't even know… they don't know! I won't tell them, I promise…."

And then he shot straight up in bed, chest heaving and eyes flitting about the room. A tapping noise from the window is what had woken him. He turned, forcing himself to calm down, and invited the white-masked Anbu agent inside, before standing up to gather his gear.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

On the other side of the wall, Sakura lay awake in the Uchiha family's guest room, listening to the unintelligible murmurs and rustling coming from Itachi's room. She knew he was having a nightmare. He had them frequently. Sometimes, he would wake from them and go to the roof, afraid to go back to sleep. On those nights, she would join him. And sometimes, he would lay back on the roof tiles beside her, close his eyes and tell her quietly about what had been bothering him. Other times he simply sat beside her, taking in her supportive presence.

She knew there was far more bothering him than the half-hearted excuse he gave her over shogi. Itachi may be able to fool anybody else, but not her. And she was determined to find out what was going on. Perhaps tonight, when he went to the roof after his nightmare, he would be more open to her.

But it wasn't to be. She felt the approach of another shinobi at Itachi's window, and heard murmurs of whispered conversation. Then shuffling noises, the opening of drawers as he hastily dressed and armed himself. She lie awake, waiting. A soft knock came at the door, and he cracked her bedroom door open. "Sakura?" He whispered. She sat up, and he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

"I'm headed out. Anbu mission. I'll probably be gone for about a week."

She nodded, indicating that she understood. "Be careful Itachi. Whatever has been bothering you, don't let it distract you." He sighed. So she was still determined to learn his secret. Sakura could be so painfully stubborn sometimes. Really, he was only trying to protect her. He knew well what would happen once she found out, and he wasn't about to take risks. "Well… I'll see you when I get back," he replied, deciding to disregard her comment.

And then he was gone, the breeze from the open window the only sign that he had been there in the first place.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! I found the info for how to play shogi on wikipedia, if anyone is interested. And yes, I realize Fugaku is way OOC, but I like him that way (It is a fanfiction after all. He can be whatever I want him to be). Please review and let me know how you liked it!

-nii - brother

Kaa-san – Mother

Music inspiration/playlist for this chapter: Hollywood Died – Yellowcard, Lights and Sounds – Yellowcard, Not Your Fault – Awolnation, Howl – Beware of Darkness, It Ends Tonight – The All-American Rejects, Nightmare – Avenged Sevenfold.