Chapter Two

He ran smoothly along the roofs of the Houses of Konoha with the image in his mind of his wedding to Sakura if he survived the task ahead of him. They weren't good to have right now, he couldn't be distracted from his mission like last time when he saved his brother, Sasuke from Orochimaru, and Sakura had insisted on coming. She got injured and Itachi had suddenly felt what it was like to feel fear for another person's life. He had saved her and Sasuke, but his heart was to be forever affected when he was faced with the possibility of losing her to Orochimaru's handy-work. He banished those thoughts from his mind and set it to his task at hand, to find Orochimaru, and kill him. He had failed last time he met Orochimaru because he was too focused on other things. But now reunited with Konoha, and almost a husband to a resident of Konoha, and also almost a father, the new Hokage, Naruto, who was still a child at heart Itachi thought, a smile playing at his lips, had told him not to fail, and to keep Sakura safe. And Itachi had every intention of completing both orders. Sakura was safe for now, and he hoped for everything he held dear that he would kill Orochimaru.

He landed lightly on the path that led out of Konoha. He looked back one last time and thought of all the people he was leaving, maybe never to see them again. Sakura and her swelling belly seemed to dominate his thoughts. It would have been so easy for him just to run back and fall into her arms and to forget all his troubles. But he knew that if he didn't get rid of the main source of his fears, Orochimaru, Sakura and the child wouldn't be safe for very long. His fears would hunt him down as they always have, and they would at first torment him, then destroy anything that gave him shelter or love, then eventually after he begged for death, they would drown him.

He turned around and with great will power turned all his thoughts onto Orochimaru and finding him. He had gotten some tips from Sasuke about weak points in Orochimaru but Itachi still had to be careful. This was one mission were he couldn't let himself think he was invincible. This time he couldn't throw caution in the wind. This time he had to watch his back.

He braced his foot onto a rock and pushed off throwing himself at a nearby tree. He jumped off from the base of the tree and landed on the branches of the tree opposite it. Then he made his way away from Konoha jumping from tree to tree, branch to branch.

Sakura looked out the window for about two hours after Itachi had left. Until she heard a knock at her front door. She ran to the door thinking it would be Itachi, until she remembered he never bothered to use the door when it concerned her. She opened the door cautiously to find Sasuke looking at her, with sadness in his eyes.

"Sasuke-kun? What's wrong?" She asked warily.

"Sakura, is Itachi gone yet?" He asked

"Yes." She answered, wondering why he was here and asking about his brother. "Why are you here Sasuke?" She asked

"Can I come in?" Sasuke asked hopefully.

"No, you know you can't Sasuke." She said unsteadily

"Sakura please." He begged, it looked like he was almost ready to get onto his knees and grovel if he had to.

"No! Sasuke you've already tried this and last time Itachi almost killed you. You know coming here is a death wish for you." She said starting to close the door. Sasuke didn't stop her. He just said;

"I wasn't here for you."

Sakura stopped and opened the door once again looking right into his eyes. Confusion came into her eyes as she saw that his eyes were glazed in pain. Just then she saw the blood dripping down his right arm.

"What happened?"