The voicemail message on Itachi's phone was short, but he listened to it twice just to make sure he had heard it correctly. Apparently, his parents just wanted to inform him that they were too heart-broken to ever return to the family home and were putting it up for sale. Professional movers had been hired to pack up the housewares and place them in storage. The Uchihas advised their remaining son to find a new place to live within the week.
As if his world hadn't crashed down enough in the past month, Itachi felt a wave of despair crash over him at this news. He still hadn't been able to enter Sasuke's room, but at times, it had been comforting for him to sit in the familiar spaces of the only home he had ever lived in. It was the setting of most of the good memories he had of Sasuke, and now he would have to leave it all behind.
Itachi felt the urge to escape and walked briskly out into the night air. The sky was clear and the stars twinkled above him in a comforting sort of way, as if to help him see that the universe held infinite possibilities for him. Itachi allowed himself to grieve for the life he had lost as he walked up the empty streets of his neighborhood and into the city. "Nothing stays the same," he thought as he reached the top of a hillside and looked at the view below him. He sat on the curb for a long while and thought of the past, present and future.
X – X - X – X - X – X - X – X – X
It was with newfound determination that Itachi entered Sakura's room the next morning. In the midst of his crisis the night before, he had come up with a plan.
Over the past few weeks, Itachi had visited Sakura daily and helped her complete her physical therapy exercises as well as brighten her days with little surprises- a bouquet of columbines (after a consultation with Tsunade on hypoallergenic flowers), a cute panda plushy, ice cream treats, and adventure books. He tried to spend as much time as possible with Sakura in order to better understand her treatment and medications.
Sakura was grateful to have him with her. She thought of him as a guardian angel, because his presence affected her like no other. The hospital staff was thankful for Itachi too, as he was able to persuade Sakura to cooperate with her therapy and take her medications when no one else could. And as a result, Sakura was getting stronger. She was able to walk for 30 minutes now. Her respiration levels were good, her blood work results were encouraging, and she was showing no signs of organ rejection. Tsunade was thrilled at her progress and was making preparations to release her from hospital care in the near future.
So, Sakura looked happy as Itachi turned the corner into her room until she noticed the furrows in his forehead and the set line of his lips.
"What's wrong?" she asked anxiously.
His face softened as her looked down at her concerned expression. "It's nothing, Petals," he answered with a wink trying to lighten the mood. "Are you happy to see me?"
"Of course, but you've got me worried. Itachi, what is it?"
He held out his hand and she interlaced her fingers with his.
"I want to ask you something. Did Tsunade tell you that she is going to send you home next week?"
"Yes, but I'm a little nervous about going, to be honest."
"Well that's what I want to talk to you about. Sa-ku-ra, you have become my reason for waking up each day. I need to be with you, even after you leave this place. So, what I want to know is, will you let me?"
Sakura could hardly breathe; her heart was overflowing. This man, this angel who had seemingly sprung from her dreams needed her and wanted to stay with her!
"Itachi," her voice broke and she reached for him. He cradled her in his arms and held her close. He stroked her hair as her tears cascaded down his neck.
"Now, now, Petals," he hushed. "There's no need to cry,"
even though a few tears of joy fell from his eyes too.
X – X - X – X - X – X - X – X – X
Once Itachi had filled Tsunade in on his plan, he got the keys to Sakura's apartment and got to work. He only had a few days to renovate the space. In fact, he found it necessary to purchase the apartments above and below Sakura's place in order to make room for all his improvements.
While he still managed to make time to visit Sakura each day, she felt a sense of uncertainty because his stops were increasingly short. By the 3rd day, her uncertainty had grown into frustration and by the 6th day, her frustration had developed into full-blown fury.
"Why does he even bother to come, if he's not going to stay more than 5 minutes?" she fumed to herself. "Reason for waking up, my ass!" She got through her pulmonary and physical therapy on her own that day, and wondered if she would have to continue on alone.