Hey all! I wanted to thank you all for such a quick pickup for this story! I wasn't expecting these kinds of numbers so fast! Yay! Thank you!

Anywho, on with the show!

Disclaimer- Please refer to chapter 6 of Painting Sakura for details

Chapter 3

Sakura sat down hard on the chair, refusing to open her eyes. "It may be hard to tell what's going on around you if you won't look." Sakura smiled softly, shaking her head.

"I've trained with Kakashi and Sasuke, if you don't mind I'd prefer to stay safe." Diedera chucked knowingly and Sakura frowned, standing and walking out, feeling her way to the kitchen. "Sorry, I really need some tea."

She filled the teapot, placing it on the stove and was surprised to hear Itachi walk in behind her. "We really have nothing to fight about. Since the Akatsuki we've behaved ourselves."

"You broke in here and attacked me." She sighed but stopped.

"Sasuke feels bad. He found out about what Danzo did to you. Your status was changed to honorable death. They've removed any listing of you being a missing nin." She heard a sigh from behind her as she held her head down. "You were dead. How are you not dead?"

She turned, instincts taking over and looked him in the eye, gasping at the sight before her. His eyes seemed so familiar, but were terrifying to her. His face seemed so tired, as if he'd given up, so unlike his brother.

Her head took back over and she looked down, surprised at her reaction to actually seeing him. "I'm a master of genjutsu. Did you really not think that it could work on multiple people at once?" His voice was dark, dangerous and she turned back to the kettle, finding her tea to place in the strainer.

"I hope you like green." She was ashamed of the fear in her voice. He'd deceived everyone. They thought he was dead, he'd been mourned so strongly by Sasuke, but here he was.

Her bones seemed to heat up, her skin still frozen at the feeling of his eyes on her back.

"It's fine. Thank you." He turned and left the room.

The feeling of release was so great her knees buckled and she nearly fell, gasping for air. She felt a sudden weight lift from her chest.

She was able to compose herself before the tea was done. She walked out, three cups and the pot on a tray and she sat down on the chair across from the two and set out the cups, pouring each cup before taking her own. She was surprised to find Diedera shaking his head. "Take mine."

She knew he was worried about her poisoning the tea, but in her panic she hadn't even thought of it. She placed her cup down and grabbed his, chugging the whole cup at once. She stared and looked at the tea for a second before she walked to her desk, grabbing out one of the habits that were passed down from Tsunade.

She took the bottle of sake and unscrewed the lid, forgoing warming or cups she just started taking down the bottle.

She was surprised to find a hand on hers about halfway through the bottle and her eyes looked up at the one holding her hand, seeing his eyes narrowed. "That's not necessary." She frowned, pulling the bottle back. "It's the one thing that I still have." Her words were showing her giving up, she knew it, but she didn't care. She took the bottle back to her lips, taking down the rest. She walked back out to the kitchen, grabbing another bottle from the pantry and sighed.

About two thirds food, about one third sake. She heard the footfalls behind her and stilled, afraid that if it was Itachi she'd suddenly forget what she was doing.

"Wow, you can drink, can't you, yeah." She turned, looking at Diedera, who's grin suddenly held little fear. She shoved the bottle in her hands to his and turned back to the pantry grabbing another for herself. "There's one thing about me you don't know." She tore the cap off the bottle, taking a few swigs, surprising Diedera.

She plopped down in the chair, looking as Diedera grabbed his tea cup and filled it with the new liquid. "Want some?" He held the bottle out to Itachi, who sighed and took it, drinking down his tea quickly before filling it.

"You said there was something about you I didn't know. What was that?" Diedera asked after drinking the shot.

"My sensei." Itachi halted halfway through his drink.

"Who is that?" His voice was suddenly worried. She looked just at his mouth, refusing again to look him in the eye.

"Tsunade."

Itachi's lip twitched lightly as he put the cup down. "Was anything here poisoned?" Sakura laughed, her fears chasing away. "I know her reputation. If you poisoned something, you already have the antidote somewhere around."

"It's not poisoned." She grinned. "I wasn't quite thinking that far ahead when I found out who you were. Apparently there's a little about her you haven't heard." Itachi's eyes widened lightly, waiting for an answer to her cryptic words.

"She can out-drink anyone. There's a lot of things she's taught me."

"Anyone, huh?" Diedera grinned, wondering how much till this little girl dropped.

Itachi smelled the sake before finishing the drink.

"It's not poisoned. It may be a little stronger than you're used to, though." She grinned, leaning back in the chair, feeling warmth fill her cheeks.

"So, what now?" Sakura asked, her head lulling back, feeling suddenly calm around the terrible forces in the room.

"Well, we're not leaving. You took over our base." Diedera frowned. "I was one of the ones who helped take over this base three years ago, right after Danzo's death. Tsunade knows I'm here, so I'm not leaving."

"That only leaves one option." Itachi spoke, looking between the two others. Sakura looked down at his mouth, frowning. "This isn't right." Her voice was soft, the fear seeping back into her.

"Sakura, you're close to Sasuke. If you know why I was ready to die back then, then you should understand that you're not going to be harmed by me, and if Diedera tries anything, I'll kill him." Sakura closed her eyes, looking back at the ceiling. "This isn't right."

Itachi sighed, standing and started walking around the room to the back hall when Sakura heard his panting coming from the door way. She looked over, seeing him gripping his side, barely holding himself up. "Oi, are you alright?"

He slid down the wall, pulling his hand back and Sakura noticed blood.

She was instantly sent into med nin mode and walked over, laying him down and lifted his shirt. "Ah, uh, I did that, didn't I?" She asked, seeing the bleeding wound and Itachi breathed out. "I wasn't expecting a ninja."

She sighed and lifted her hands, feeling out the wound with chakra. "Diedera, go get me some water." Diedera looked at her confused for a moment, then seeing what was happening he nodded. "If you two wanted to be alone you should-"

"He's bleeding out. I need two large bowls, one of water, the other empty."

Diedera sighed. "Why the water if he's bleeding?"

"My weapons are all poisoned. Since it was a kunai, he'll start feeling the paralysis soon, heart palpitations in about six hours, but he may not last that long. The first poison is an anticoagulant. He'll not stop bleeding till it's out." Itachi hissed as her hands ran across the wound.

"Why are you saving me?" Itachi laid back, his eyes facing the ceiling and Sakura looked up, seeing his eyes not facing her.

"I owe it to Sasuke." Itachi chuckled lightly before he was hit with more pain, causing him to grit his teeth. "You speak of him so personally. No honorifics."

"I've loved him since I was six. I'd do anything for him. The fact that I'm here is proof of that." Itachi looked down at her, frowning.

"You love him?" Sakura looked up at him, shaking her head. "Stop talking and moving. This is going to hurt... I'll try and kill the pain a bit." She reached down, feeling around the wound, her chakra invading him, confusing the signals from the nerves. "This should numb the area." She looked up, seeing his eyes widen, his pulse speeding up, his breaths shallowing. She felt his neck, finding the jugular for a pulse and found it.

It wasn't irregular, so she shrugged it off as Diedera placed the two bowls beside her. She looked up at him and nodded.

He sat on the chair she'd been in and watched for the first hour, losing interest shortly after that time was up.

She felt her energy drain, but couldn't stop. She had a feeling somewhere that she really needed to save him, that something had happened that was just at the edge of her memory.

The sun was up before she was finished. She gasped, slumping over him as the last stitch was placed, the last of her energy spent. He sat up and frowned. "You've overdid it."

"I can't lose a patient. It's against my policy." She smiled, quickly losing to the blur in her eyes, falling fast asleep.

She woke around four, feeling an ache in her head and hands. She frowned as she sat up, looking before remembering the night before. "What an odd dream..."

She walked out to the bathroom and was surprised to find many of the things out of place. She frowned before headed out, a kunai in hand. She reached the kitchen to find Diedera cooking, looking over at her and sighed. "Put that away. You don't need it, yeah." She stared for a while, shocked beyond comprehension. "It wasn't a dream?"

"More like a dream come true. You're such a pretty thing, now you have us as your body guards to beat off the guys. Not like Itachi would let anyone touch you." He mumbled the last part. "Not many girls would be unhappy with two guys as good looking as us watching them, yeah." Sakura stood, sliding the kunai into her holster and sighed. In this case, she needed to check on Itachi.

She wandered out to the living room, knowing she'd find him on the couch. He was asleep so she tried to be quiet and careful not to wake him. She softly lifted the blanket before lifting his shirt.

She was surprised to find a sudden burst of light then to feel the air stuck in her lungs. She felt the pain rush through her, feeling like her lungs were about to burst. She reached up, grabbing his arm and shook her head, It was a second later that he released her, falling to the floor, gasping for air. "Sakura-chan?"

"I just Gasp came to check your gasp side!" She panted as he slid back to the couch. "Gomen-nassai. I'm not used to that." She nodded and turned, looking into his face. He looked so tired...

She returned to his side, lifting the shirt, flinching when his arm moved and she looked up, seeing the sigh that escaped him at the subconscious action. She looked at the area, happy that there was no sign of infection. "Alright, it looks like it's healing well, but you need to stay here for a few days, just rest. I'll take care of you." She looked up, seeing the look of surprise on his face. "Does it hurt at all?"

"I was stabbed." He spoke softly, but the brunt hit her. "I'll help with that." Her hands lifted to his side, forcing her chakra into him, noting again the sudden raise in his heart beats and respiration. She reached up, feeling his pulse, again, steady. She stood, wondering about this.

"Is there anything you need?"

She noticed him shake his head, looking still slightly pained. She walked out to the kitchen and sighed. "Does Itachi have a heart condition?" She asked and Diedera shook his head. "He was gravely ill before he died, but he's better. He should be fine, except for the pincushion effect, yeah." Diedera smiled, stirring random things in the wok.

Sakura frowned, turning back to the living room before sighing. She needed to go change.

She took a quick shower, changing into a hakama and haori, noting that it was laundry day.

She headed out, wondering what the odd but wonderful smelling stuff was that Diedera was shoveling onto the plates. She noted that he'd made some for her as well.

It was disturbing to her. Itachi was as of now the most feared person in her life, Diedera, though, wasn't far behind. He was lewd and seemed to keep eying her inappropriately, which Itachi seemed to keep glaring at him for.

She took the first bite, afraid as it hit her tongue, but surprised as she ate. It was really REALLY good.

"What is this?" She nearly melted into the chair, before remembering her company. Diedera grinned as he took in another bite, nodding. "It's a little something I developed in the stone country." Sakura looked at him surprised.

He seemed so proud of this ability.

After eating she took care of the dishes before checking on Itachi one last time before headed out. "There's a patient I have to take care of."

"Maybe I should go with you." Diedera stood and walked by the door.

"No." Itachi sat up and looked at him, eyes narrowed. "I'll go."

"You're still injured. Lay down." She pointed, for a second forgetting who she was talking to. She was surprised to find he'd done as she'd said. She turned to Diedera. "I'll be back in two hours. You stay here, you make sure to take care of him. If he's stood up for anything beyond going to the bathroom, there will be hell to pay." She looked at him with the most fierce expression she could find and was relieved when he rolled his eyes, headed back to the chair. "Hai, hai." He sat and smiled, looking over at her. "Two hours. If you're not back, I'll go looking for you." Sakura nodded. "That's fine. I'll be about three miles down the street." She pointed, showing direction. Diedera nodded, sighing.

Sakura turned, walking down the walkway before running down the street.

The house she reached was thrilled to see her after hearing she wouldn't be by till the next day. There was a little girl there, she'd fallen ill a few days back and needed to be checked.

She'd fallen farther ill than Sakura had imagined and set to work with the herbs she kept on her. She sighed after a while and turned to her parents. "I was wrong. She wasn't just sick. There's a small puncture on her foot. She's been poisoned by something."

"Poisoned?!" The father yelped, as her mother reached out, smacking him in the back of the head. "She stepped on that senbon you brought home!"

"Do you still have it?" Sakura turned to her and she nodded, running to retrieve it from the bedroom.

"According to the man that he bought it from the poison is made from Bella Noche? Bella Danna?"

"Bella Donna." Sakura nodded, already really knowing. "I need water. I need about three cups of water and a large bowl. And the name and location of this merchant." Sakura gritted her teeth.

Due to the fact that not too much of the poison had really gotten in her and the poison wasn't very potent Sakura had gotten most of it out when the father heard a knock at the door.

"Oi, is the doctor here?"

"I'm... Busy." She called out to him, pulling the water through the girl's pores. She dumped it into the bowl and looked over at the mother. "One or two more goes should finish it. She'll need food and water, she should regain her consciousness after this next go." She reached to the bowl of water and looked up, pushing the water in through her nose and into her head.

Sure enough, after about fifteen minutes the water was withdrawn and splashed down into the bucket.

"That's it." Sakura stood, wavering. She smiled as the girls eyes opened, seeing her. "Sakura-sensei, why are you here?" Sakura smiled at her before tumbling down forwards, Surprised when Diedera was there, catching her. "I thought you went back."

"You said two hours." She shook her head and looked at the parents who were caring for their little girl, getting her food and such in a jubilant frenzy.

Diedera didn't miss her quiet smile, the almost sad look in her eye. "I'll be back in a few days to check up." She spoke to the mother, who turned to her, grasping her hand. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" She grinned as she took off, tearing to the kitchen.

Diedera helped her most of the way home, her arm over his neck. "Looks like you like your work." He looked over at her, seeing her eyes unfocused. "Oi, Sakura-chan, are you okay?"

"That takes a lot out of me. After all the work I had to do on Itachi-san yesterday..." Her head fell limp and Diedera raised his hand across her chest, catching her before she fell to the ground.

"You took good care of him. Rest well, sweety."

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