A/N: Please don't kill me, but here it is, finally updated! hides in Ryuichi bunny costume to escape scary mobbers
Chapter 11: Uchiha Itachi
Loud noises indicating gunfire went off inside of the Konoha ANBU building, though it wasn't wild or rapid. It was careful and precise; deliberate to shooting something exactly the way the person wanted it to be shot. The shooter was an excellent marksman, and the rising difficulty level in the HoloZone was complete evidence to that claim. Hinata took another shot, sending a hole through the head of a holographic version of a vampire. She slid to the side and shot another one without even looking as she continued on, taking down another virtual opponent.
"Level 9 complete! New high score!" Ino's voice called over the intercom, cheering loudly. It was completely automated, and Shikamaru had just decided to use the blonde's voice for his voiceovers. The girl was overly chipper almost all of the time, so it made sense. Hinata huffed in exertion and holstered her gun, walking out of the chamber and grabbing a towel on her way out to mop up her damp forehead. She had been training hard ever since Itachi had been spotted, and wanted to be a good partner and strong fighter so she didn't hold Naruto back. Though despite her improvements, her father didn't seem the least bit interested in it at all, and that thought hurt.
She sat on a bench and sighed, drinking from a cold bottle of water. Unexpectedly, her cell phone rang, and a number she knew all too well flashed on her caller ID. "Hello, Father," she answered, curious as to why he wanted to contact her now. Perhaps he wanted her to come home again, to aid with some of the affairs she'd have to take care of in a year or two when she became a more experienced Seeker. Though recently... Hanabi, her younger sister, had been performing those tasks for her, and her father had been training the younger girl the way he used to train Hinata before deeming her a lost cause.
"Hinata, I have some very imperative news to tell you," her father told her with a cold voice, making her wince slightly. She would never get used to the way her father talked to her, she believed. She sat down and pushed a small chunk of blue hair out of her face, listening to the voice on the speaker. "I want you to meet me in two months' time to talk to the Hyuuga elders about your placement as the successor to the Hyuuga family, understand?"
Holding back a sigh, Hinata replied, "Yes, Father." He hung up after, not even bothering with a simple goodbye, and she tucked her cell phone away in her pocket, glacing to the door. It had opened without her even realizing it, and she looked up to see Ino standing in the doorway, a grim expression on her face. Standing up she walked over to her, giving her a tight hug. "How are they?" she asked in a soft voice, biting her lip.
The blonde replied, tucking a stray piece her ponytail had missed behind her ear, "Kakashi-san is pretty messed up, and I don't know what else to do until Sakura gets here to fix him up. As for Shika, he's a little better. I was able to stitch the wounds in his back just fine." Hinata saw the worry in her blue eyes as she mentioned the genius, and she sighed, walking out of the room with her as she headed for the locker room to take a shower. It had been a tough day of practice for her, today. Now with the extra burden of their injuried teammates, her father's planning, and Naruto's long absence, she didn't know how much more she could take on top of that.
Hinata took a deep breath and glanced out the window, her pearl eyes watching the shadows fall outside. They rested to a spot just below the overhang on the building, where the shadows seemed to be darker then everywhere else. She blinked, but it didn't change. Was she imagining things? Before she could think to question it, a pair of headlights pulled up in front of the headquarters, and three very familiar figures leapt from the car. "Naruto-kun!" she cheered happily, her hand against the windowpane.
...:oOo:...
Sakura felt uncomfortable the entire way home, shooting glances to the now darker Sasuke. Just the mention of his brother seemed to put the Uchiha in a sour mood, and now the prospect of killing him made him almost capricious with sadistic excitement. It scared her to no end, and made her want to take him away and never let him back. He couldn't be this way, not after all of the change he's gone through, becoming the Sasuke that she was so used to being with. Why did something have to come up, to alter him so much again, back to the way he used to be before she was able to bring the true Sasuke to the surface?
Naruto watched her in concern, wanting to say something to her but feeling unable to. He didn't know what he could say to quell her fears about Sasuke, because he couldn't even think of something to crush his own. All he knew was that Sasuke would try and fight his older brother, and from what he's heard about Itachi, his best friend didn't stand even the slightest chance with him. He clenched his fist and wondered if he'd be able to protect Sakura at a time like that.
When the plane landed the three of them left quickly, Naruto and Sakura jumping in behind Sasuke in the car he had left their the first time around, watching him speed down the street, to ask Kakashi what happened with Itachi and see if Shikamaru was doing all right. They got to the front parking lot and all jumped out of the car, thought ss they approached the building, Sakura felt a chill race down her spine and reach out through her veins, making her stop in her tracks and shudder violently. "Sakura-chan, is everything all right?" Naruto asked worriedly, stopping to glance back at her. Sasuke paused for a moment, watching her nod, and then hurried on, his concern barely fleeting as he entered the building. "What happened?" he questioned when they followed him in.
She glanced up at him and replied, "It felt like... someone was watching us. It was... so cold Naruto, I don't know how to describe it." Sakura shook her head and the three ran up the stairs, nearly knocking Hinata over as she hurried down to meet them. Sasuke glanced to her for a moment.
"Where's Itachi?" he demanded, making her eyes widen in shock at the icy venom in his tone at the mere mention of his older brother's name.
She replied softly, intimidated, "N-Not here, Sasuke..." He ran a hand through his hair and slumped against a wall, aggravated beyond all measure. Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata watched his anger and bitterness deflate slightly, and the Hyuuga girl mentioned to them, "Follow m-me, I'll sh-show you to Kakashi-san and Sh-Shikamaru." Naruto followed and Sakura tugged Sasuke along, giving him a smile as they headed for the infirmary to go see their injured teammates.
Ino greeted them at the door, hugging Sakura firmly as she pointed out Kakashi and Shikamaru. "Oh my god," Sakura breathed, the silver haired man's mutilated body almost too much for her to bear. Quickly she tore from the group and picked up her medical supplies, gloves pulled on and operating on the man faster than they could all blink. Sasuke sat down beside her as she worked, his hand on her shoulder giving her support. Her eyes were glassy, stitching and prodding at the unconscious Kakshi with fervor, knowing that his life rested in her hands now. Blood spilled to the floor, and Naruto had to help Hinata out as her face turned an interesting shade of green. "Don't die," the pink haired girl sobbed repeatedly as she continued. "Please don't die!"
The Uchiha rubbed her back for a moment before standing up and pacing around the room, his feelings clashing inside of him. Ino glanced between the two of them as understanding coated her expression, wanting to mess with Sakura about it, but deciding to do it later. Now would never be a good time for anything like that. After twenty minutes of baited breath and tears, the medic stood up, caked in blood, and collapsed into Sasuke's arms, crying and laughing at the same time. "Sakura?" he asked in surprise, helping her into a chair and kneeling next to her.
"He's going to be okay," she cried, smiling and sobbing and shaking as she hugged the black haired boy around the neck. "He's gonna be okay!!" She kissed him smack on the lips and he smiled slightly, his brother momentarily pushed from his mind as the medic rejoiced. Naruto and Hinata entered a moment later, watching Sakura carry on like a madwoman and smiled, glad that their leader was going to be fine.
"Let's get home guys," Naruto advised, waving his hand and laughing. "I think we've all had a pretty rough day! Plus, I'm about to die from jet lag..." They nodded and made sure the two were comfortable, Ino opting to stay and watch over the patients, as Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, and Sakura headed outside to go to their respective houses. When they were outside, Sakura felt that shiver again and glanced back at a place where the shadows were darker than they should have been. She froze, her eyes wide and staring at two pinpoints of vermillion standing out in the darkness. Sasuke stopped in his tracks and glanced back to her, sincerely worried this time around.
"Sakura?" he inquired quizzically, furrowing his brow slightly. "What's wrong?"
She turned back to look at him, fear filling her green irises. "Itachi."
The two spots of red vanished with that name and Sasuke blocked Sakura from view as the vampire from the shadows moved out, a black and red cloak adorning him. His companion had sickly skin, almost bluish in color, and small malevolent eyes. "Would you look at that," latter laughed, tapping a large sword on his back. "Just who we were looking for!"
Sasuke tensed and glared at his older brother, though the Uchiha merely ignored him and turned his crimson gaze to the two behind him. Hinata grasped onto Naruto's arm, biting her lip and the boy narrowed his eyes. "Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata, yes I believe you're right Kisame." Shock adorned his features as Sasuke watched his two friends, speechless. His brother... his brother wasn't looking for him?!
"I don't think so Itachi," the raven haired boy exclaimed, his hand on his sword's hilt and his eyes narrowed. "I'm going to be the one to fight you!"
"Sasuke-kun, don't!" Sakura cried as he rushed at him, pulling the metal blade out of its sheath and swinging it at the vampire. Itachi didn't even seem to notice the murderous boy, simply evading the attack and pulling his own weapon out, heading for the jinchuuriki and his partner. That made the Uchiha furious as he headed from behind, the metal inches from his brother's head, but he was suddenly flung to the side, his sword landing at Sakura's feet. She let out a scream as he crashed into a nearby lamppost, cracking it in half and causing the light to flicker rapidly and die. "Sasuke-kun!" She felt so helpless; Sasuke, the strongest person she knew, was getting beaten within an inch of his life.
Itachi finally turned his attentions to his little brother, walking to the faltering boy as he struggled to get up, his arms shaking under his weight. "I'm going to kill you," he growled, spitting blood out and wiping his face. He flung a punch at his head, quite weaponless and unable to do much of anything else. His fist was caught in Itachi's stark white hand, and he screamed almost inhumanly as something snapped loudly, his wrist now limp as the vampire dropped him to the cement.
"Maybe some other time, foolish little brother," he replied nonchalantly, facing Naruto and Hinata now. "We have more important business to take care of." Kisame nodded in agreement. The blond pushed the Hyuuga girl behind him, preparing to fight but not knowing how well he'd hold up against someone like Uchiha Itachi, who beat Sasuke down so easily and quickly without even trying.
Sakura knelt down by Sasuke, tears in her eyes, as he didn't move after she begged him to wake up. "Don't leave me Sasuke-kun, please!" she cried, shaking him, avoiding his broken wrist. Itachi pulled his sword out, and prepared to take down the two teenagers before him.
"Now, now, now," a voice said sternly, as if berating little children. "Why can't we all just play nice, hm?" Those present glanced towards the tone. Naruto, expecting some sort of magnificent savoir to be standing there prepared to rescue them, felt his jaw drop as he pointed an accusing finger at the man.
He shouted, "It's the pervy Health teacher, Jiraiya-sensei!" Shock filtered across Sakura and Hinata's faces as they watched the white haired man cross his arms and lean against a tree, his face completely and atypically serious now. The two girls glanced at each other for a moment, wondering what on earth was going on. Itachi watched Jiraiya uninterestedly, putting his sword away and glancing to Kisame.
Jiraiya stated, walking past Sakura and Sasuke while cracking his knuckles, "I see! You're not afraid to beat up on kids, but when someone who can kick your ass actually comes around, you decide to retreat. You're quite the playground bully, Itachi."
"They know each other?" Sakura called, watching her friends shrugging, just as confused as she was. The man pulled a large tarp from his back, rolling it out in front of him and pulling a set of large guns from inside, some that none of them have even seen before. Perplexed, they watched as he aimed one at each Kisame and Itachi, his expression completely blasé. What on earth is going on?!! she wanted to ask, but was too afraid to break the silence that had overcome their group.
The elder Uchiha was about to reply with something, but a shaky voice managed to say, "Stop it... this is... my fight!" Sakura glanced to her lap only to see Sasuke leaning himself up on his good hand as he watched his older brother, blood trailing down his chin from the corner of his mouth and making small pools around his body as he relocated himself slightly. He shakily pulled himself to his feet, almost falling on multiple occastions but refusing Sakura's help in any way.
"Stop, Sasuke-kun, you're going to get killed!" Sakura whimpered, biting on her thumb and looking up at the back of his head from her seat on the ground, tears in her eyes.
Jiraiya watched silently as he dragged himself forward, managing a slow run as he attempted to hit his brother once more with his good fist, though the man just barely moved to the side, shaking his head. Sasuke tried again, but Itachi just gripped him around the throat and thrust him into a tree, holding him there with his grip tight around his neck. "Foolish brother," Itachi belittled, tossing the younger Uchiha aside and followed his body as it rolled along the stone pathway to the right of the sidewalk. "You don't know when to give up. You're weak, and you'll never be able to defeat me." Sasuke tried to get up once more, but his brother's foot collided with his ribs and he was sent flying farther away, landing on the ground in a heap of blood and pain, and he moved no more. Itachi glanced from Jiraiya to Hinata and Naruto, then nodded at Kisame, knowing that they would have to do this another time. The two of the Akatsuki clan turned on heel and sped off into the night, leaving the four Seekers and their Health teacher to work things out for themselves now. Sakura leapt up and hurried to Sasuke, turning him over and wiping the blood from his chin as her tears drizzled his face.
He looked so pale and helpless, she didn't know what to do about it. She could fix his physical wounds, but this utter defeat would have powerful psychological damage to Sasuke's pride and sense of self in general. He couldn't beat Itachi, he couldn't even scratch him. What would he do from there?
"What the hell are you doing here, Jiraiya-sensei?" Naruto demanded from the man, his arms crossed. Hinata, still in shock, fell straight to her knees as she placed a hand on her heart, glad she got out of that alive, somehow. Naruto awaited an anwer from the man as did Sakura, wondering how he knew Itachi as well as being to get there in the nick of time, miraculously.
The man scratched the back of his head nervously and said, "Let's go back inside, and then we'll discuss all of that, okay?" Curiously, Hinata and Naruto followed their teacher inside as he carried Sasuke in his arms, the pink haired girl watching his face in worry and pain, wondering if he would be okay. Ino glanced up from her magazine in confusion as they entered back into the infirmary, then in shock when she spotted the wounded Sasuke dangling in her Health teacher's grip.
"Put him here," Sakura ordered the white haired man as she got ready to treat him and he obeyed, laying Sasuke on a harshly white medical bed. She set quickly to work, unable to perform any type of surgery right away, just setting his wrist and bandaging any cuts he got from getting thrown into the lightpole and down the pavement. There was silence as she stitched, and she realized that she should be getting used to fixing up her loved ones, seeing them bleeding and broken by now. Yet, to her, she knew she'd never become accustomed, never able to guard her heart against having to feel the pain of watching her friends and family become maimed and brutalized. Though she found some comfort in knowing that she was the one able to put them back together again.
"Now tell us, pervert," Naruto insisted, pounding his fist into the wall, causing Hinata to jump slighlty. "How the hell did you know what was going on? Who Itachi was? Everything!" Ino blinked and then her eyes widened, making the correlation between Sasuke's injuries and Itachi.
He sighed and scratched his cheek, looking off to the side. This was not a conversation he wanted to be having right now. "Kakashi wanted me to keep an eye on you guys if anything happened to him..." Eyes widened and heads were turned in shock, even the blood covered Sakura managed to tear her attention away from Sasuke to stare at the man. "Truth is kids, I'm a blood sucker hunter too, a Seeker, just like you guys. Why do you think I was so relaxed about your stupid homework?"
Naruto's jaw dropped as Hinata let out an "oh" of understanding, though Ino leapt up and accused, "That's not true, you liar! You docked me points on my project even though I was up every night that week being a Seeker!" He blinked and tapped his chin, then nodded; you could almost see the light bulb go off in his head.
"That's because I don't like you Ino!" he told her cheerfully, and she glared at him, punching him in the nose and storming to the other side of the room to see if Sakura needed any help with Sasuke. He mopped up the blood from his nose with a nearby white washcloth and turned to Naruto and Hinata, asking them tiredly, "Any other questions?" They glanced to each other and shook their heads, but then Hinata nodded quickly.
"H-How did you kn-know... Itachi?" Naruto nodded in agreement and Ino and Sakura glanced up at him, curiosity written all over their faces.
He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, replying, "That's a story for another day. Why don't you all go to bed, and I might tell ya tomorrow, okay?" Sighing they reluctantly agreed, though Sakura and Ino told them they wree going to stay in the hospital to keep an eye on Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Sasuke. They needed to be watched constantly for any signs of getting better or waking up... or getting worse, though they tried not to linger on the possibility too much.
The night seemed to go quickly for them as they fell asleep, though the next morning Naruto made an infuriating discovery. "I'M GOING TO KILL THAT PERVY TEACHER!!!" he screamed when he saw that he had made off without telling them about Itachi.
...:oOo:...
Sakura sighed and glanced out of the window. It had been three days since Sasuke had fallen unconscious, and though Kakashi and Shikamaru were up and about, he hadn't even shown any signs of waking up yet. She had already performed the surgery on his wrist, and though his bodily injuries seemed to be getting better, he just wouldn't snap out of the coma he was in.
Ino was worried. Sakura hadn't budged an inch since Sasuke had been admitted to the infirmary, and she was probably starving herself! She hadn't eaten, slept, moved or anything, and the blonde didn't know what to do anymore about the problem. She knew she was worried about Sasuke, but he wouldn't get any better by her self-torture this way, it just wasn't healthy. The blue eyed girl sat in the hallway at the headquarters, a stack of homework in her backpack that Lee had dropped off for them since they had been absent for two days, but no incentive to do it. Footsteps headed down towards her, and she glanced up to see Neji and Tenten walking her way, both of them out of breath from running here from school, just being told the news by Shikamaru, who called them on their cell phones.
"I'm so sorry we couldn't be here," Tenten apologized, hugging Ino and running a hand through her bangs, pushing them out of her face. "We had no idea this was going to on, no one called us at all..." Neji nodded and sighed, his white eyes resting on the door to the hospital, wondering if Sasuke was well yet. The girl flopped down next to Ino to catch her breath, taking a bottle of water out of her backpack and chugging it all down as if she was going to die. Neji sat cross-legged across the hall from the two girls, his eyes closed as he rested the back of his head against the wall. "How are they doing?"
She replied, "Sasuke hasn't woken up yet, but Shikamaru and Kakashi-san are doing pretty well."
"And Sakura?"
"Nearly killing herself from the worry and lack of food or sleep..." The three of them let out a heavy sigh, silence encasing them as they waited for something, anything to happen.
Tenten mentioned, almost as if to break the silence and start a conversation, "Jiraiya-sensei had a substitute today, do you think that means anything, Ino?" The blonde shrugged, to tired to even care. It probably did mean something, but right now, all Ino wanted to do was sit here with her friends and bask in the silence. Though her wish was shortly broken when the door slammed open to the infirmary. They all turned their gazes towards the noise and saw Sakura standing there, tears in her eyes and her entire body shaking. They all leapt up, Tenten calling, "What's wrong, Sakura?"
"He's..." she whispered, "he's..." They all waited with baited breath, fearing for the worst. "He's just woken up!" They were all silent for a moment, then the two girls cheered and hugged each other, and Neji let a small smirk spread across his lips, glad that his teammate was all right, even if he didn't like him very much. "You can see him in a moment, I just have to make sure everything's fine first." That was perfectly all right with them, as long as they knew that Sasuke was awake.
Sakura closed the door behind her and smiled back at the black eyed boy as he glanced around alertly, as if trying to find something. "Are you feeling all right, Sasuke-kun? How's your arm?" His eyes rested on her for a moment, the alertness gone as he slumped back into his pillow, his eyes closed again. When he didn't respond she sighed, picking up the glass of water sitting next to him and holding it out for him to drink some of. He must be thirsty, even if he was hooked up to an IV. "Have some of this okay?" she told him, a smile on her face.
He turned to her with a glare and knocked the glass out of her hand, letting it shatter with a loud crash on the tile ground, causing her eyes to widen. "Go away," he told her in a low voice, his good hand clutching the sheets and his face contorted with the pain of failure and humiliation. "Just get away from me." Sakura felt her, but set her face in a determined expression; she was his doctor and she'd be damned if he was going to tell her what to do.
"No thank you, Uchiha," she told him coldly, almost returning back to the days when they hated each other's guts, though they were long gone now, she knew she had to keep him in line as her patient. "I'm the one taking care of you, so you're going to do as I say, understood?"
"Sakura?" she heard Ino call through the door. "I heard a crash, is everything okay?"
She responded, "Yeah, I just dropped something..." Sasuke watched her for a moment before turning his face away, not in the mood for caring right now. Sakura kept her emerald eyed gaze on him, trying to decipher his behavior. "If it's any consolation, Sasuke-kun," she told him quietly, capturing him attention for a moment as she fidgeted with her medical coat. "I thought you were brave..."
He was silent for a moment, and then he replied, "Well, it's not Sakura. Bravery doesn't make me strong! Itachi beat me without even trying. I'm weak, just a pathetic weakling!" She furrowed her brow as he rested his face in his hand, letting a deep sigh shudder through his muscular frame. Sitting before him on the bed, she rested her forehead against his shoulder and shook her head. He watched her move, her punk hair draped delicately over her shoulder and onto his pale blue hospital gown, each strand glimmering in the light of the room.
"That's not true, Sasuke-kun," she told him with a smile he wouldn't see. But he could hear it in her voice, in the way she spoke to him with such kindness and caring about him. "You're so strong, beyond anything that I could ever imagine. You've saved me before... and Itachi isn't a scale to base your strength on Sasuke-kun! You're powerful beyond what you think of yourself! In fact," she glanced up to him with a blush, making him slightly confused, "if it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't be here right now, you know?" He sighed and glanced down to their hands where Sakura had placed hers on top if his, squeezing his fingers lightly.
"I..." he started, looking at her for a moment. "I can't be sure Sakura. He beat me so easily." He lifted up his broken wrist and shook his head, letting his hair fall into his face and mask his expression from her, as she tried to see what he was thinking. "Was all I ever worked for... was it all for nothing? Am I just as weak as I was when I was eight years old, when he killed everyone I loved?" Sakura could feel the pain and despair in his voice, making her heart drop down into her shoes.
"No!" she cried, trying to talk some sense into him. "That's not true, not true at all Sasuke-kun! You're not weak, stop saying you are!" He didn't respond, just watched her with those wretched, beautiful onyx eyes of his, making her own feelings twist into hurt and anxiousness.
She didn't know what to do anymore.
She just didn't know.
How could she keep up with him if he wouldn't even talk to her?
...:oOo:...
It had been an entire month since Sasuke left the hospital, and in that time she hadn't even seen him. Where had he gone after he left? Was he at home, or was he somewhere, training to become stronger? Tenten and Naruto told her that he hadn't come to school, and Hinata and Kakashi said he hadn't been to the HQ either. Sakura curled up into a ball on top of her bedsheets, wanting desperately too know. She was so confused with her feelings about Sasuke and for Sasuke, about what to do and what was right. Did either of them deserve this pain? Glancing to the nightstand by her bed, she saw a picture of Sasuke she had taken a few days before they left with Gaara for Suna, and printed out to sit by her bedside. He had been reluctant about the photo, but gave in eventually to her begging. She bit her lip and muttered, "Damn it."
Standing up, she realized she was in her thinner nightgown and the weather outside wasn't exactly warm, but she didn't want to waste any time changing. The cherry haired girl decided to go to Sasuke's house to see if he was there... Please God let him be there. She pulled on a pair of shoes and grabbed her purse, heading out of her house and into her car. He didn't live far, but she didn't want to walk, it would take too slow. The ignition started up after two tries, and she pulled out of her driveway and headed down the street almost double the legal speed. She didn't care, really. Speeding wasn't new to her, and she'd never gotten caught, so why stop now? It took her less than five minutes to get to his house, and when she did she hopped out of her car and ran up his driveway to his front door. "Uchiha Sasuke!" she called through the wood, beating on it as hard as she could, "I know you're in there, and you'd better open up before I tear down this door and beat you with it!" There was no answer, but she continued anyway, pounding and pounding until her fist began to turn red and throb.
"Fuck..." she heard an annoyed voice grumble inside, and she sighed with relief as Sasuke opened the door, standing before her wearing a black pair of shorts and black shirt, looking both exasperated and grateful at the same time. "What do you want Sakura?" he asked with a harsh voice, though he didn't look like he wanted to be quite as mean as he was. Sakura could see it in the way his eyes glanced to the side, almost in shame for being so rude and worrying her so much. It made her smile, because she knew he still cared about her as much as she cared about him. Though she wished, sometimes, that he would open up to her, just a little bit more.
Sakura replied, putting those thoughts from her head so she could just talk to him normally and find out what was going on recently with his abnormal appearance, "I just wanted to see... if you were all right Sasuke-kun. I mean, I haven't seen you in a month! What have you been up to? Why haven't you called me or anything?" The chilly March weather made her shudder in her thing nightgown and he sighed, taking her by the hand and pulling her into the house. She put her purse down on the table that they sat at and smiled at him. He was about to reply, but something caught his eye, making him furrow his brow.
"What's this?" Sasuke asked, reaching into her purse and pulling out an envelope with his name on it, noting it wasn't her handwriting and curious as to why she had it in the first place if it was for him, not her. Sakura stared at it for a moment before she remembered, her mouth agape. That was the message Kabuto had given her, to give to Sasuke! She wanted to tell him no, not to touch that filthy thing, to just throw it away, but her mouth didn't work, and he began to open it, each tear in the flap making her more and more anxious. He pulled the paper inside from the envelope, and his eyes narrowed after a few seconds reading it. He glared up at Sakura. "Why didn't you give me this Sakura?" he demanded, thrusting it in her direction.
"I didn't want you to leave to go to that Orochimaru!" she retorted loudly, shaking her head. "I knew that if I gave it to you now, after you saw Itachi, you would be set on leaving! I don't want you to leave!" He watched her for a moment and then ran a hand through his hair. He took her forcefully by the arm and dragged her to the door, shoving her out, much to her shock.
Sasuke whispered, "Go away Sakura." Her eyes widened as he slammed the door shut and locked it, causing her to once more pound on it, yelling at him to let her in over and over. He ignored her, opening his e-mail account and sending an e-mail as the letter instructed. When you're ready to come Sasuke, just send an e-mail to the address below. I'll make sure that one of my minions comes to pick you up the moment it arrives. We want you here as much as you know you want to be here, Sasuke. I'll make you strong. He typed into the message box, "I'm ready," and send it to this Orochimaru figure, knowing that with someone like that training him... he'd be able to defeat Itachi for sure. He ran past the loud knocking of Sakura on the door again, heading up his stairs and to his room. He grabbed a duffle bag from his closet and threw random clothes into it, though when he turned to his dresser something caught his eye.
It was them.
His team.
A photograph of them all, sitting on his dresser, right before his eyes. Himself, Ino, Shikamaru, Tenten, Neji, Naruto, Hinata, Kakashi...
.He shook his head and put the frame on its front, not wanting to see it anymore. He was leaving them behind, so it didn't matter anyway, did it... He headed back down his stairs, listening but not hearing the obvious sound of Sakura's presence at his door. "Good... she doesn't need to be here," he mumbled to himself, twisting the doorknob and glancing outside.
A shock of pink hair met his eyes as he spotted the girl sitting on his porch, her back facing him. She head the door and turned around, looking up at him with sorrow in her eyes, obviously seeing exactly what she was going to see when he came back out. "I knew it," she whispered, watching the bag on his shoulder sadly. "You're going to leave... aren't you?" He sighed and, letting her into his house once more and closing the front door, turned to the nightgown-clad girl. He could see the worry in her eyes as he walked over to her shaking frame, leaving a gap between them. "Please don't leave, Sasuke-kun. I need you here, with me..."
He told her, trying to ignore the squirming feeling in his stomach, "Sakura, I'm sorry, but I have to go. I can't kill Itachi yet, I'm not strong enough." She grabbed her shirt where her heart was and glared at the ground miserably, tears dripping down her cheeks. He hugged her tightly and she buried her face in his shoulder as he pleaded quietly, "Don't cry, please." It made him want to do anything he could to make her feel better, to be able to tell her that everything was going to be okay, that she didn't have to worry about a thing or cry her eyes out ever again for his sake. He wanted to do anything to be able to have that happen. Even stay.
"Why," she implored, shaking her head, "why do you have to be trained by Orochimaru? You can get stronger with us, here in Konoha!" He let her go and took a step back, needing to get away from her. If he didn't, he might change his mind and stay there, forget his revenge and everything he worked for to be with the woman standing in front of him. "If you do have to go, take me with you, I can help you out! I'll do anything to stay with you, even if I have to follow you down this crooked path you've chosen. If you can't give up being an avenger, then as leat let me follow along with you." Her voice cracked by the end of it, and her expression was desperate.
He sighed and glanced to the gournd. "I'm sorry Sakura. This is something... I have to do along. I can't take you with me." She grabbed his wrist as he turned away and stopped him from moving any farther away from her. She couldn't stand to witness him go, to watch him walk out that door one final time and not come back in again. Sakura wouldn't be able to bear seeing him leave her forever.
She choked back a sob, her face inches from his, fully prepared to say anything to make him stay... even... something she had been bottling inside for months now. "But...! I love you, Sasuke-kun! And... I know it's selfish of me, but I need you to stay with me! Please!! I don't know what... I don't know what I'll do without you!" His eyes widend in shock, and he watched the tears pour despondantly down her cheeks. She... she loves me... Suddenly overwhelmed by his emotions for the cherry headed medic in front of him, he abruptly took her face in his hands and he pressed his lips to hers. The Uchiha intertwined his hand in her long pink tresses to deepen the kiss, and she stared at his closed eyes for a moment in shock before shutting her own.
Sasuke had kissed her once before, while in Wind Country, but... but nothing like this. She felt a blush ride across her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around his neck, tugging his face closer to hers by tangling her fingers in his spiky, raven locks. Sliding his tongue into her mouth, he massaged it against her own, and took the incentive by pushing her back through the door into his badroom, and she allowed him. "Sasuke-kun," she whispered against his lips. "Don't leave, I need you..."
"I know Sakura," his tenor voice replied huskily, "I need you too..." She moaned at his touch, wanting more, and he pressed her down onto his queen-sized bed with him, taking her lips in his own again, the black bag on his shoulder falling to the floor at his feet.
...:oOo:...
The first light of dawn shone through the window of his room, and Sasuke's eyelids fluttered open. Strange warmth emanated from on top of his upper body, and he was confused for a moment until he turned his head. Sakura was lying on his chest, her body feeling almost puzzle perfect against him. He watched her breath blowing pieces of pink hair away from her face, and her pale skin illuminated in the untimely sunbeams. He rubbed circles on the porcelain skin of her bareback, and she smiled contentedly in her sleep, and he sighed, knowing what he had to do. He slid out from under her and pulled the sheet up to her chin, tucking her in.
Sasuke slowly got dressed, trying to keep quiet so as not to awaken the sleeping woman. He slipped his sandals on over his feet, and ran a comb through his onyx colored hair. "I'm sorry Sakura," he whispered to her sleeping form, curled up under the covers of his bed. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips and she stirred slightly, but only yawned and shifted tighter under the sheets. "I have to do this. Itachi will never be brought to justice otherwise..." He left an envelope on his pillow for her to read in the morning when she awoke; explaining apologizing, taking in the burst of tears he was too guilty to see and comfort himself. he knocked a few stray strands of pink hair from her face and watched her for a moment as she slept.
Is this what I really want?
He could just forget, leave it all behind and stay with Sakura, the woman he loved with all of his heart. Disregard his revenge, and remain with his friends. Just leave it completely in the past. But the image stained into his mind when he was eight resurfaced; the image of his parents dead on the floor of this very house. And he realized that he had to avenge them, as well as the rest of his family that had been murdered by his older brother. The meeting with Uchiha Itachi had triggered an even stronger sense of needed to be powerful, and his night with Sakura made him understand that he had to protect her, Naruto, and the rest of the Seekers. He couldn't let what happened to his old family happen to his new one. He had to keep them safe. "Aishiteru, Sakura," he told her gently and pulled her previoulsy discarded bag onto his back with fresh determination. "And thank you for everything."
Outside, a single vampire awaited him. He wore round glasses, behind which sat cold, calculating black eyes, covered slightly with silver hair. "Sorry for not meeting you last night," Sasuke apologized, more out of feeling like he should rather than putting any meaning behind his words. "I got caught up." Kabuto nodded and beckoned the traitor to follow him. He nodded, glancing once more at his house where he knew Sakura would wake and wonder why she was all alone. And it shattered his slightly healed heart into a million pieces. But, he thought it best to destroy his emotions now, rather than have to deal with them later. After all, he was one of the bad guys now.