Chapter Six
Itachi sat looking in the direction he had come from wondering if Sakura was safe and if Kakashi had told her about why Itachi was really taking on this mission. He knew it would hurt her, not why it would, but it would. Also he wondered if Kakashi would tell Naruto, or Sasuke. Itachi suddenly shuddered with fear remembering the time he had walked in on Sasuke and Sakura about to kiss. Itachi was so filed with rage that he had slammed his little brother up against a wall shouting at Sakura. He would never forget the guilt, and pain in her eyes. She had explained what had happened, though he believed her he still mistrusted his brother. In fact he no longer called Sasuke his little brother. Just Sasuke. Apparently Sasuke had told Sakura that Itachi had run off with another girl, someone more "suited" to Itachi's taste. Sakura had been heart broken and Sasuke had comforted her. To well. For he had almost won her heart again. That was until Itachi decided to see Sakura to try a sooth out a fight they had had earlier that day.
Itachi sighed and slowly stood up. He turned around, so his back was facing the way to Konoha, and leaping back up into the trees he jumped from branch to branch making his way closer to where he last knew Orochimaru was hiding. Forcing fear out of his mind.
Sakura looked out the window trying to absorb what Naruto and Kakashi had just said. Itachi was putting his life in danger just to protect her. Not for revenge, but because he loved her so much. She felt like she was going to be sick again.
How could he?
You know very well how
Well so do you!
Calm down Sakura. Remember we're not even out of the first trimester yet
I know. I have to be careful
"Sakura-chan, are you all right?" Naruto asked worriedly.
Sakura shook her head and pressed two fingers to her mouth continuing to stare out the window. She didn't even notice Kakashi come up behind her until he touched her shoulder. She suddenly let out a loud sob and Kakashi pulled her around gently embracing her in a comforting hug. He just held her and let her cry on his shoulder. Naruto also placed a hand on her shoulder. After she had drenched Kakashi shoulder she turned round and buried her face into Naruto's shoulder, and like Kakashi he just let her cry.
I thought you weren't going to cry anymore Sakura
Oh, shut up, Inner! You're crying too!
All four shoulders and dry red eyes later, Sakura stopped crying. "Sorry Naruto, Kakashi. I didn't mean to cry so much."
The two men just looked at her and smiled weakly. Hinata was going to ask Naruto a lot of question about his tear stained robes and Kakashi was in the free as his novels, well, they didn't speak to him. At least not verbally.
"It's alright Sakura. Don't worry about it. You have every right to cry. Plus I heard all women in their first trimester are moody." Naruto said.
Sakura smiled weakly and then said to the men that she needed to be alone to gather her thoughts. They understood and took their leave. Outside they look at eachother with concern in their eyes, or really in Naruto's eyes and Kakashi eye.
"Do you think she'll be alright?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto shook his head slowly. "No. I want as many med-ninja as we can spare to keep a 24 hour watch on Sakura. Itachi wants us to keep her safe, and by god we will. And get Tusande to check in on Sakura every hour. At least till the first trimester of her pregnancy is over."
Kakashi nodded and went off in search of Tusande. He knew it would be difficult to get med-nins to look out for Sakura, as most of them were still in training or to busy help the wounded from Orochimaru's last attack on Konoha. But they would try. He knew they would. The important thing was to keep the future wife of their maybe saviour safe. Right no that was all they could do for Itachi and Sakura.
Coming to the entrance of the last known whereabouts of Orochimaru, Itachi almost cried in anger to find he was no longer there.
"Well Itachi you can't really expect him to stay in one place. Especially when he needs to find another body puppet, and soon." He said to himself ruefully. "Too bad. I'd really hoped he'd be here." Itachi looked around him and started to walk further into the cave. Hoping he'd find something that would lead him to where Orochimaru had relocated to.
Itachi tripped over something, not that he usually tripped over things. It was a trunk, locked and small. Itachi looked wearily at it and finally decided that he would open it but not in here. He tried to pick it up, but found out that it was heavier than he thought it would be. So Itachi started to drag and even tried to push the trunk. He managed to get it to the entrance of the cave before e had to stop to get a breather. "I remember a time Itachi when you could have done this without a sweat. God you sure let yourself go in the last five years. Should've trained more with the other jounin." Itachi sighed and sat next to the trunk. Though as soon as he let himself relax Sakura came into his mind. Itachi's teeth clenched and instantly tried to think of something else. "Come on old boy you can't keep doing this. Until this is done you have to stop thinking about her."
Itachi sighed again. 'This is not going to be easy Itachi,' he thought.