Well here is chapter 3 of Never Alone. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto. Not I. As I always ask, Read, Enjoy, Review.
This had to be some form of irony. Sakura looking into the eyes of Itachi. Sasuke resembled his brother so much. Her heart nearly exploded with a new wave of despair. Her bloody nose felt bad, and she brought her hands to her face. Like everyday at the hospital she used the healing palm jutsu to heal the wound. She found it all ironic.
His coal black eyes looked through her for a moment.
"Sorry Itachi-san," Sakura apologized. "I...got distracted." She gave him a halfhearted feeble smile. A breeze rustled the leaves in the trees. Her hair blew back and her jade eyes were very visible to him.
"Nearly all of Sasuke's fan girls came to his funeral," he said. "You were absent."
Sakura flinched slightly at his comment. "I-I didn't know. I only found out last night."
"How did you manage that?" his voice was something that she wished didn't sound so cruel. His black eyes peered into hers.
"I-" Sakura began.
"Sakura!" Rock Lee had burst through the foliage and onto the small path where the two stood. His face was slightly pink and little drops of sweat poured down his face. In that short time Lee had managed to workout well. His eyes were soft and round when he looked at Sakura but when he turned to Itachi his eyes were narrower. He seemed angrier. "You shouldn't be near him Sakura!"
"What?" Sakura was baffled by Lee's outburst. Like he was withholding information behind his statement. "Lee it's okay-"
"No!" Lee shouted. "It's his fault Sasuke is dead Sakura."
Sakura tuned to face Itachi. She was about to ask him if it was true when she saw the indifferent look in his eyes. Something about it looked off on his face. Sakura couldn't believe it, that he would take it this way. Not knowing what to say she stood frozen in place. Her eyes trailed to the trees and the falling leaves. They would change color soon.
"There is somewhere I must be," Itachi left. He practically vanished before their eyes. Nothing but the silence was there to remind them of his presence.
"Lee," Sakura said. She didn't look at him, she focused her eyes on the leaves blowing in the wind. To him Sakura looked both strong and weak. Her expression was one of strength but she seemed shaky everywhere else. "Where you there on that mission?"
"Well of course not Sakura," he nearly laughed at the idea. "But-"
"Then how did you come by that?" Sakura's voice faded into the wind. "How did you hear it? How can you trust that that is what is true? What if your wrong?"
When she asked the last question she turned to face Lee. She walked passed him and her arm brushed lightly against his as she broke into a fast walk away from this path. She left him alone to question what he had heard. What everyone had heard.
Hours Later
Sakura managed to train all day. Her head ached with a dull headache. She rubbed her temples trying to send a little push of chakra to clear the dull aching. It worked. She felt like every muscle was on fire. Her legs and arms felt like noodles. She managed barely to walk home. It was dark out, it had been dark for awhile now.
She walked up the stairs to her apartment door and pulled the keys out. Lee had left Sakura alone the rest of her training period. She trained harder than she remember training. It felt good to release the pent up energy she had. Now it was out and she felt so vunerable.
She could vaguely detect a presence in her apartment. She couldn't tell who it was though. She opened the door and walked in. the living room was how she left it. She walked to the hallway. She passed the kitchen and went to look in her bedroom. She pulled out a kunai and before she opened the door she heard a voice that sounded familiar.
"Sakura what's the kunai for?" Kakashi's voice drifted in from behind her.
Sakura jumped out of her skin and flung the kunai straight at him. Lucky for him Kakashi caught the kunai before it hit him in the face as she had targeted. "Kakashi-sensei! What are you doing in my apartment?"
He held out the kunai for her and she took it, "Tsunade asked me to check up on you. She told me she'd heard from Shizune that you were training with Lee. How long have you been training Sakura?"
Sakura stared at the one lazy eyes that everyone saw. His eye showed the concern that she could feel in his voice.
"Sakura?"
"Uh... I was there since early this morning," she pushed past Kakashi and found her way to the kitchen for a glass of water. There were pans and cooking utensils that were dirty. On her kitchen table there was a plate of food. "Did you make food?"
Kakashi stood behind her, "Well I figured you'd be out for a long time and not eat much so I made food, yes. I had two plates but I ate mine already."
"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura sat down to try hi cooking. He brought a ice cold glass of water to her in a moment and sat down. He watched as she wolfed down every grain of rice and every morsel of the meat.
"Hungry much?" he chuckled lightly.
Sakura chewed the food and her face was redder.
"Sakura can I ask you something?"
Sakura nodded in response, due to the fact that she was still chewing the food.
"Why is the Hokage so worried about you?" his eye watched as she swallowed the last of her food and she didn't make eye contact.
"It was good Kakashi-sensei," Sakura smiled weakly.
"Sakura I'm not your sensei anymore," he replied. "You didn't answer my question Sakura."
"You knew Kakashi-sensei," she looked at her empty plate.
"Knew what?"
"About Sasuke," she fought the tears. His silence only made it worse. He didn't know that I just found out. "Why is it that everyone knew before I did? You would think with my line of work I would have heard something!"
Tears were rolling down her cheek, her hands covered her face. She had fought this for awhile now. It upset her. She hit the table with her fist and it broke under her strength. She didn't stop crying. She stood up and held onto the plate. She was about to throw it when a hand held her wrist.
Sakura turned around to hit Kakashi for stopping her but he pulled her into a hug. The anger that had moments ago boiled her blood died down and turned to despair once again. She collapsed into the hug and clung onto his shirt. She wept for a good long time.
Kakashi hadn't said a word. He didn't know how to comfort her. Her just held onto her as she let everything out. Occasionally he would smooth her hair down. When she had stopped he realized she had fallen asleep. He took that as a sign to put her to bed.
He carried her sleeping body to her bedroom. He didn't change her, he knew if he did she would murder him. He did take her shoes off for her and cover the blanket up to her chin. When he left her room there was a tear that had escaped her sleeping eyes and fallen to the pillow.
"Kakashi," Tsunade's voice greeted him.
"You summoned me?" he asked.
"Yes," she closed her eyes for a second and asked Shizune to pour a cup of saki for Kakashi and herself. "Kakashi, I have something for you to do."
"A mission?" he asked, curious.
"Sort of," Tsunade sipped the saki and a sigh of relief was let out from her lips. "Sakura is very upset about something, would you be able to take care of her for awhile? I fear she won't take good care of herself for a bit. I ordered her to leave the hospital for awhile. I have the feeling that when she trains she'll push herself to hard and exhaust herself and forget to eat or something. Just make sure she's okay. Stay as long as you think she needs you."
"Yes Hokage," he nodded and turned to leave.
"Kakashi, one last thing," he turned at her words.
"Yes?"
"Thank you," Tsunade smiled. "Sakura is almost like a daughter to me. Take good care of her."
"Yes Hokage," Kakashi left her alone with his cup of untouched saki. Tsunade promptly grabbed it and downed the cup. She laughed when Shizune made a sound of disapproval.
Thanks for reading everyone. I hope you liked it, and please review. I love to hear your thoughts about my stories.
