.
Cinq|Five
"Sakura?"
The pinkette smiled softly; she adjusted the cloth bag over her shoulder as she did so. "Hana," she greeted as she came to a stop, arm still hooked through Itachi's. They were a good many paces from the visitor door; the compound operated as a veterinary clinic, as well as, an animal nursery for breeding, so, there was more than one way in. It didn't do well to have patients constantly going through the main gate and walking the long distance around to the other side.
The brunette smiled at her as she wiped her hands with a towel. She looked a little grimy; the loose fitting shirt she donned was soaked. "You'll have to forgive my appearance. I was giving the trio a bath."
"Did you win?" Sakura joked lightly.
Hana smiled and placed her hands on her hips. "I didn't lose, but, I'm not certain I could call it a win on my part either." Her dark depths trailed over to Itachi, pausing briefly before returning to Sakura. "I doubt you're here to listen to my great bath battle however."
"I'm afraid not."
"What can I help you with?"
"I would like to start paperwork for Itachi-san to obtain a nin guide dog."
Hana didn't look surprised at all. She gave a brief nod. "No problem. Why don't you follow me into my office and have a seat until I can get cleaned up?"
Sakura glanced over at Itachi before directing him towards the door right after Hana. He was so quiet it was often hard to imagine what he was thinking. "Are you alright?"
He looked in her direction as she stopped in front of the door. "Yes," he replied. "Why would you think otherwise?"
"I'm just making sure you're comfortable with everything that's going on so far."
"I'll let you know if I'm not, Sakura."
She blinked; it was hard to suppress the brief surprise that crested across her features at the full informal use of her name on his part. Eventually, she smiled. "Alright, Itachi," she murmured before moving through the door, adjusting so they both fit through.
"Have a seat," Hana said as she motioned to the two chairs in front of the desk. "I'll be back in a moment." She left through the side door without much else.
Sakura led him towards one of the chairs. Once he got a hold of it she sat down.
Without much else to say she let her eyes wander around Hana's office. It was neither large nor small; the walls were a faint blue, giving the atmosphere a calming effect. There was a book shelf and a few shelves behind the desk; all aforementioned furniture pieces were covered in books about the vet nin's profession. Some were stacks of scrolls.
She actually wondered how it managed to be so clean; Sakura's office tended to look as if a file cabinet had exploded. Her house wasn't much better, but, her room was much worse. Ultimately, it wasn't her fault; it was just hard to find time to clean when there so much work to do at Tsunade's behest.
"Thanks for waiting," the voice called back from behind and to her right; a click echoed, indicating a door had been shut.
Green hues watched as the kunoichi smoothed out the wrinkles of her lab shirt with a high collar and came around the desk. She took a seat quickly and scooted her chair forward. Sakura watched as she opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a file. Two slips of paper were pulled out and Sakura recognized them to be forms of some sort.
"You're actually in luck today, Uchiha-san. We've had the dogs out for a run."
"Oh?" Sakura asked.
Hana nodded and she began marking things down on the first sheet of paper with a pen. "After we're done here we can take Uchiha-san out and start. With any luck, he can walk out here this evening with a new companion."
"Luck?" Itachi echoed the question.
Hana stopped writing a looked up at Itachi. "You're not familiar with the process of how a nin animal comes into the partnership of his a human, are you?"
"I am not." He was not afraid to admit this fact.
"That's alright; not a lot of people are outside of the clan, and what few shinobi who choose to work with a nin animal are. Sakura," she said as she turned to the pinkette.
"Yes?"
She slid the paperwork and the pen across the desk. "I'm sure as his caregiver you can fill this paperwork out, right?"
"Aside from a few personal questions I may not know off hand, yes."
"Good. Then it'll cut our time in half while I explain how this all works to Uchiha-san." She turned back to him. Her forearms we replaced on the desk as she interlaced her fingers together. "In the case of our clan, the nin animal is chosen for the shinobi partner before they are born. It's not so much a matter of the shinobi's choice, but, of the nature of things. The clan member will approach several pregnant females and allow their chakra to interact with her unborn pups until a connection is made. It's not until after they're born that they meet.
"The process is a little different for someone like you Uchiha-san. You need an able and ready partner now; someone who is trained to see to your needs and whom with you will work effectively. Am I making sense so far?"
"Perfectly," he replied, attention apt.
She nodded. "When we are done here we'll go out to the run area and you will be taken into the center where you will sit, on the ground, so the dogs can take a look at you. Hopefully, after a while, one will choose you; they'll let you know this by trying to have their chakra interact with your own. If you allow them to, a connection can be made. Once that's done you must remain in the presence of the dog for a full twenty-four hour period so that their chakra can completely fuse with your own." She leaned forward a bit more, eyes growing serious even though she knew he could not see her. Her voice dropped to a serious note as she spoke next, "I cannot stress to you enough the importance of that dog not going more than, perhaps, several feet away from you in this timeframe. Do you understand me, Uchiha-san?"
"Yes…"
"If you do, it may not only break the connection, but, may severely crush the dog's trust in you as his partner."
"And after that period?"
"You are free to let him or her go as she pleases, if you so choose. But, you must remember one thing," she explained further, "This dog will not be your pet. They are your partner as much as anyone else was or will be on a team with you. They are a person and they will be depending you as much as you will be on them. Some people don't always understand this. Do you?"
"I do."
"Good," she said, satisfied. She glanced over at Sakura. "How are you doing?"
Sakura lifted the pen up and turned her jade green gaze to Hana's darker one. "Done. Surprisingly, I remembered what I needed to from his medical file."
"Alright, well then, let's get going."
…
There were at least fifty dogs, Sakura surmised. All of them were barking, talking and speaking a string of unrecognizable gibberish all at once. It's not that she couldn't understand them; it was hard to distinguish one word or sentence in all the noise.
"Right there's good, Sakura!" Hana called behind her at the gate. "Just let him sit down there and the dogs will do the rest!" she hollered.
Sakura looked over at Itachi; she didn't release him yet.
"I'll be fine. Go."
"Alright," she said, nodding before she released him. She took a step back, not moving until he sat down and his legs crossed in front of him meditation-style. Once he looked relaxed, his hands on his knees, Sakura turned back towards the gate and began walking. She stepped through as Hana held it open for her.
"He'll do alright," the Inuzuka female informed her as she moved to lean into the gate; her forearms rested along the top two by four.
Sakura joined her, mirroring her position on her right. "I'm not worried."
Hana smiled at her before turning her gaze back to Itachi.
Sakura watched as the dogs wove around him, poking at him, sniffing him; their mouths moved, indicating they were saying something she couldn't hear. They were all so different and came in varying shades, shapes and sizes. "Akamaru doesn't talk…" she murmured idly.
Hana shrugged. "Some have a knack for it and others don't. It doesn't really matter so long as both partners can understand each other. Most of these guys do; it's counterproductive if you have someone who's both blind and deaf or mute."
"Makes sense," Sakura concurred, pulling her arm up and placing her cheek in her palm. She smiled after the pass of another quiet moment. "You didn't have them out for a run, did you?"
"What makes you say that?"
Green hues turned towards Hana. "They're rather rambunctious for a group of dogs who've been out for a while."
Hana smirked, half smiling with a lazy demeanor. "You caught me."
"So what's the special treatment for?"
"You did right by my brother not too long ago; you watched out for him, and ensured nothing bad happened to him."
Sakura's eyes narrowed.
Hana looked over at her. "I wasn't happy about his decision to join, but, I suppose almost anybody wouldn't be in my position; I'm not my mother." The statement wasn't made to insult her; it was just a fact. Hana and Tsume were two entirely different people, and, anyone would agree Hana was by far the more calm and level headed of the two. Sakura knew her mother had been ok with Kiba's choice; she hadn't known how Hana felt.
"I think all considering, this is least I can do for you, Sakura."
She frowned. "He was on my squad; I was just doing my job."
Hana placed a hand on her shoulder and drew in close to her with a knowing smile. "Good shinobi say that, Sakura." And then she let her go and stepped back into her former position.
Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but, stopped short at the narrowed expression on Hana's face. "What?" She followed her gaze towards Itachi. She blinked. He was on his back with a rather impressive beast of a wolf-looking dog pressing him down with frontal paws.
"Rai!" Hana called out to the man about twenty yards from her walking along the fence line with a shovel.
The scruffy-looking man in a jumpsuit jerked his head up and caught Hana's gaze. "What?" he called back, cupping his hand over his mouth.
"What the hell is Noin doing in there?"
The guy name Rai glanced over into the run and scratched the back of his head. He looked back at Hana. "You didn't tell me someone was coming by to see the dogs! I wouldn't have let her out if I knew!"
Hana released an agitated growl, grimacing as she turned away from the worker and back to Itachi. Her hands gripped the fence, lips still twisted into a partial frown that showed her fangs. The red slash marks on her face only seemed to enhance the expression of displeasure.
"What's wrong?" Sakura asked, brow knit as she too frowned.
Hana sighed. "It's not a big deal… I guess." She turned to her, leaning into the gate with her left side, arm propped on the top. "Noin is retired."
"Ok…"
"She had a female partner for a long time; the girl wasn't an Inuzuka. She died protecting Noin. Normally, when that happens, the dog goes to the shinobi's family unless there's some conflict of interest or if they can't take on the dog. But, in Noin's case… her partner didn't have a family; she was an orphan and had always been one. Noin was her family." Hana's lips turned more sad than upset as they had been before as she glanced over at Itachi and the dog. "We tried placing her with a new partner, but, she didn't go for it. And well… most shinobi weren't interested in her anyway…"
"Why?" Sakura asked, brow knitting further. Now she was curious.
"Noin's got a bad back leg. Believe me when I say it doesn't stop her from being the best she can be… but, when it comes to shinobi…"
"…They want the best; I get it." Sakura looked back at the scene before her. "How'd her leg get messed up?"
"During the fight with the enemy nin when her partner died," she replied. "We've since tried placing her with someone as a guide dog, but, she's grown accustomed to so much rejection she just doesn't give a damn anymore. It doesn't exactly help that she's twenty either."
"Twenty?" Sakura couldn't help the surprise in her voice, nor could she stop her wide eyes from turning back to Hana.
"It's not very old for a nin dog. They live longer, as we do, because of the active use of chakra. The average lifespan of a non-partnered nin dog is about fifty to sixty years. With a human partner that doubles and meets the age of their human companion. It's not entirely uncommon for a nin dog to die shortly after their companion does given a situation where the shinobi lives… say… a hundred and twenty years."
Sakura found herself boggled by the information that animals could live so long; it made sense though, given how old Tsunade was. Without much else, she turned back to watch Itachi. "Do you think she'll partner with him?"
"It'd be nice if she did, wouldn't it?"
…
"He's got a funny aura about him, don't he?"
"Dark."
"He's not so bad looking."
"Scary, if you ask me."
"Nah, he's not scary; just formidable."
"Uchiha's are like that, ya know."
"I've never met one."
"That's cause you're still a pup, Dango. Most of 'em died a while back."
"He's got funny looking eyes."
"He'd blind, Sid. Dumbass, that's why he's here."
"Don't call me that."
"When you say stupid things…"
They were all different voices; some of them gruff, some of them old, some of them young, and some of them soft. He stiffed the first time a snout bumped him from behind; his body jerked when yet another brushed up against his side. At one point he felt a tuff of small fur in his lap, seeking attention. He'd directed his head downward, unsure of what to do until the small mass pushed its head under his hand.
A smile tugged at his lips, but, evaporated as a cold nose poked at his ear and then his neck. Hot breath expelled across his partially bare shoulder. He had to stop himself from completely lifting his hand and pushing the dog away from him. In this time frame the mutt in his lap had gotten up and perched its paws on his chest. He could sense from their body movement that their tail was wagging excitedly.
"Micah, get down. He doesn't want to smell your breath," another voice said.
"I just wanted to see his eyes. They say Uchihas got these red eyes."
He heard a snort and then the little imp in his lap got down, scampering off somewhere.
There was more bumping, smelling, prodding, rubbing and those insisting he pet them over and over again. The actions did not bother him; rather, he was a little fascinated by all the conversation spilling around him, as well as, the commotion they were making over him. He'd never owned a pet; his father hadn't seen it as much of an advantage when he was younger. These dogs weren't pets… but, the whole process was interesting to someone like him nonetheless.
"Hey, Noin," he heard a familiar voice say, the one that had told the dog Micah to get off of him. "You actually taking some interest this time?"
There was nothing after that; however, he was vaguely aware of the other dogs backing away from him, dislodging themselves from his grasp and all but disappearing from his close proximity—accept for one.
His lids lowered, his eyes narrowing as he turned his head in the direction of the presence he felt in front of him. Judging by the faint smell of the dog… and his own keen awareness… they were maybe… six inches in distance from him.
"Hello, Uchiha." The voice that greeted him was… smooth, soft and deep. It was that of a female, unlike many of the other voices had been around him.
"Hello," he murmured back. He heard her moving, sensing her sudden closeness. His head turned towards his left as soft, thick fur ran across his arm. Then it came across his back. The erratic bursts of breath through her mouth and nose alerted him of her coming around to his right, sniffing him.
"A little damaged aren't we, Uchiha?" he heard.
A single brow rose as he placed his eyes in direction of her voice.
"Tell me, why are you here? What is it you are hoping to gain by receiving a guide nin?"
She was in front of him again, but, much closer; her breath fanned across his face. Despite the urge he felt to pull back and away from her, he did not. "Independence," he responded, voice even. He wasn't sure what she was fishing for, but, it was an honest answer.
"Have you ever had an animal partner?"
"No."
"Hm," he heard her mutter.
"Being a bit overbearing, aren't ya, Noin?" another dog snickered.
She growled, low and long in their direction. "Don't cross me, Fitz."
Another snicker.
She'd turned back to him; he could tell by the direction of her breathing. "You don't smell like a team player. You're not use to depending others."
He hesitated, just barely considering his next words. "You don't strike me as the sort either." It was in the moment after that sentence passed his lips he found himself on his back; a sharp rock cut into his spine as paws pressed into his pectoral. Her mouth was much closer to his face this time, aggressive heat expelling forth. His first reaction had been to shove her off, but, he'd reminded himself this was not the place to get defensive no matter how badly his body cried out he do something.
It wasn't often he had to force himself to being at another's mercy; lately, he had to more of that than he liked.
"I lost my partner of seventeen years three years ago, Uchiha. Don't bother trying to read me, or, what I am.
"When you find yourself aching as you watch the one you love more than anything in this life fade from existence," she spat, "their soul siphoning out of their eyes as you lie helpless to do nothing else… then you can pretend to understand what partnership means…"
"What do you want from me?" he finally asked as her words washed over him.
She stiffened and her breath jumped, pausing and flocculating its consistent movement across his skin. "Why I should come to depend on you, Uchiha?
"I've asked other men the same question; those brats fresh from the Academy… even some ANBU who get a wild hair up their ass to own a nin dog…" He was a little surprised by her chuckle, dark as it was. "Problem is… none of them want damage goods.
"Maybe that's why you intrigue me, Uchiha. You're a little bit broken too… in more than your eyes…
"Why would you want to depend on me…?"
He found himself wondering how she was damaged, aside from the obvious trauma in losing her partner. At that moment though, his careful mind began to work around her words; his heart jumped to action, talking against well-formed logic.
"Why wouldn't I?"
He felt the bite of her claws in his chest rather suddenly and swiftly. Her snout was dangerously close to his ear as she spoke next. "Most shinobi don't want a lame legged partner," she bit off.
He stilled; it was like being hit with a cold bucket of water. Damaged goods, helpless, lame legged… Rejection. It washed over him, filling his mind, his heart, with a vague sense of familiar feelings. He closed his eyes and found himself…
…laughing.
Her surprise was evident in way she shifted above him.
"I'm blind," was all he said, not quite able to stop the smile that curled across his features. "I will be blind for the rest of my life," he said next, unafraid of what finally voicing it really meant.
He could feel her eyes boring into him.
"I think he's really lost it."
"Shut up, Fitz," he heard her snap without moving her head in the direction of the sarcastic dog.
She was analyzing him, he could tell. He could sense from her that same quiet he always took on himself when he was thinking something over, revealing nothing. His body suddenly jerked on its own, surprising him as he felt something warm… Her chakra.
And then her careful laughter came. "We're both just two broken tools, aren't we, Uchiha?"
He didn't respond, but, the smile remained as he allowed his chakra to mix with hers, chaining together and locking in some wholly new way he'd never experienced before.
It was much later he was walking back towards the two women, the binding complete.
"How do you feel?"
"Better," he replied to Hana, reveling in the fact that for the first time in his life he could walk on his own outdoors without holding onto someone, even if it was at the linked direction of the dog beside him.
"Good," her voice sounded cheerful. "Take good care of Noin. She was one of Kuromaru's. My mother's partner would be most displeased if you did badly by his pup."
"Understood," he murmured.
Noin snorted. "You should be directing that order to me, Hana-sama."
"Be nice, Noin," the vet replied playfully with a smile.
Noin rolled her eyes.
"I'll have a bag of feed delivered to your house, Uchiha-san," Hana offered. "Let me know when you need more so we can set up a regular delivery date.
"Oh, and, you can feed her table scraps… just not all the time."
He nodded.
Sakura, as they spoke, knelt down on front of the dog. She offered her hand carefully and smiled when the fluffy, black and white wolfish female placed her head under her hand. "You're very pretty… and soft. But, what type of dog are you, hm?" She narrowed her green hues on Noin's icen ones; they were strikingly beautiful now that she had a chance to finally see her up close.
"A husky variant," Noin replied, looking to be raising a brow at Sakura.
"Regular chakra use over the generations tends to make them bigger," Hana offered as she caught the conversation below her. "Noin comes from a long line of nin dogs."
"Makes sense," Sakura replied, smiling again. She stood up and faced Itachi. "Ready to head home? It's nearing seven and we still haven't eaten dinner."
He nodded once in her direction and turned back to Hana. "Thank you."
"No problem, Uchiha. Don't be stranger. Well," she said with a grin, "I guess you won't be now, considering we're the only vet that specializes in nin animals in Konoha, right?"
"Of course," he responded.
"Bye, Hana. Let's go," Sakura said, suddenly very close to him, looping her arm through his.
He opened his mouth to tell her it was no longer necessary, but… something stilled him, and, nudged him to remain as they were… linked, until they made it home and she consciously extracted herself from his arm.
He would think about it later.
…
It wasn't quite hot enough yet to really kick her pours into gear, trailing a liquid sheen down the center of her back; which, was likely the one reason she enjoyed mornings during the summer so much, and, why she got up earlier than she really had to.
Boot-sandal clad feet beat softly into the dirt path as hands were dug into her pink apron pockets in a relaxed manner. A soft breeze flew past suddenly, upsetting her cotton candy strands and tousling her chin-length bangs. Unconsciously, she reached up and brushed her hand through it, noting it had gotten longer in her absent thoughts. She supposed it wasn't so bad, coming just past her shoulders; it's not like she had a real reason to keep it one length or another anymore. Sasuke's opinion on the matter certainly didn't bother her. Although, she would like to know, now that she was thinking on it, if that whole long hair thing had really just been a rumor concocted by a gathering of cackling preadolescent hens.
She smiled at the idea as she put her free hand back into her pocket.
He'd never seemed to mind her hair when they'd been together… the month and a half the relationship lasted anyway.
She shook her head, removing her mind from those thoughts as the white washed walls of the Hyuuga compound came into view. She had other things to do today besides think about her past pitfalls.
"Sakura," she heard to her right as she passed through the open gate.
She smiled brightly. "Tenten." The older woman clapped her on the back in a friendly manner.
"What brings you here?"
"I need a word with your fiancé. He around?"
"Neji?" she gave her a crooked smile. "What? Did he do something wrong? He didn't miss an appointment at the hospital, did he?"
Sakura shook her head, smiling. "No, he's actually good about that. I just need to ask him about some techniques."
The weapon's mistress tapped her chin and pondered.
At twenty-three Tenten was really someone Sakura could admire, if not look up to a little. Alongside Neji, she'd almost single-handedly taken on the Hyuuga elders and helped bring about the banishment of the separation of the branch and main house, as well as, the archaic practice of branding the branch members. The pinkette had no doubt that had to do with the fact that she one day planned on giving birth to Neji's children; Sakura couldn't see herself going quietly on the matter of burning imprisoning marks into her kid's heads either. And really, when it came to women being their own person, kunoichi especially, she and Tenten most firmly saw eye to eye.
Kindred spirits, if nothing else.
"You know, normally he's practicing here in the open front dojo," she finally replied, locking chocolate browns on emerald greens. "But, I think today he may have gone to one further in the back. Have you been there before?"
Sakura shook her head. "No, I don't think I have."
"I'll take you then; come on." She placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her in the direction of the well worn path behind her; it was the way she'd just come.
"When's the wedding?" Sakura asked, deciding to make small talk. It wasn't often she saw the brunette anyhow; not since she started spending so much of her time at the compound in between what missions she had with her team.
Tenten reached up, pushing an oddly thin and overgrown branch out of their way. She was careful not to catch her white, slightly belled robe sleeve on the thorny limb. "We haven't set one yet; mostly because we still haven't decided where we're going to have it.
"His uncle keeps hinting we have it here; I'm not really feeling that. Don't get wrong, it's pretty in the compound, but, I want something more personal to me and Neji. Also, I don't want our outside guests to feel out of place."
"I get that," she replied. "It's pretty, but, I don't think I'd want to get married where I'm going to be living for the rest of my life."
Tenten snorted. "Yeah, well, I'm not fond of that idea either."
"Living here? Isn't that part of the deal?"
"Eventually," she agreed. "But, I want us to have our own peace for a while. I want to be away from this mess until the elders croak," she muttered without an ounce of remorse. "I'm silently praying when Hinata and he take dual control of the clan the oppressive air that seems to cling to this place siphons itself out.
"I mean, I get we'll have to move in at some point; especially when we decide to have kids, ya know? But, I'd like to have him to myself for at year or two. He needs to have a place to come home to that doesn't make him feel like he's being suffocated under duty and expectations."
Sakura shook her head, once again noting to herself how amazing the brunette was. "I don't think I could handle all this the way you do."
"You will one day if you marry into a clan."
Sakura chuckled. "If I marry. I may end up an old bachelorette like Kakashi; well, in his case it's bachelor…" she added offhandedly, even if it went without saying.
"If that's your prerogative. You certainly wouldn't be the first kunoichi to go that route.
"It's just too bad things didn't pan out with Sasuke, huh?"
Sakura shrugged; at this point it didn't really sting anymore. That ache had turned into something dull, only feeling numb when someone decided to rub over it with cautious digits. Tenten wasn't tentative, thankfully; she just said what was on her mind. No eggshells; for that she was grateful, as there were none to worry about stepping on anymore.
"I guess we just didn't meet on the same level like you and Neji do, huh?"
"I don't see why not. You're both a lot alike these days."
In some ways, yes; in others… She let her inner voice travel on. "Maybe. We just decided we made better friends," she allowed the partial lie to slip free, guiltless.
The brunette let it go. "Ah here we are," she murmured as they stepped through the archway leading out onto the large, stone, outdoor dojo. It overlooked an expressive and expansive garden several levels down; grey stairs to either side a good forty feet from where she stood.
Sakura's eyes trailed over towards Neji running through a series of exercises and Tenten pointed him out.
"He's worked up a fine sweat," the weapon mistress commented softly, smiling knowingly as she took in his bare upper form. "Neji!" she called, stepping out toward him.
Sakura followed.
He jerked in his movement, cool opaque hues blinking in Tenten's direction; they shifted towards Sakura as he straightened out of his stance and smiled. "Sakura."
The pinkette smiled back, stopping in front of him. "Morning, Hyuuga."
He reached behind him and pulled out the small hand towel that had been hanging from the waistband of his loose pants. The soft material drew over his face, soaking up moisture that dared to sting his eyes. "You don't come by often," he noted.
"She came to see you," Tenten offered.
At this he raised a brow. "Oh?"
"I need to ask you about techniques, if that's alright."
"Having trouble with that flash jutsu again?"
She shook her head, grinning. "Oh no. That one worked out remarkably well the last time I used it on Sasuke."
"Good to hear," he replied with a play smirk as he slapped the towel over his left shoulder.
"I'm heading out, Neji. Hinata wanted to have the morning with me for some shopping, but, I'll be back for lunch."
He nodded as she came over. The brief kiss she gave him provided and ample curl of his lips, but, not nearly enough to be Naruto-like. "Alright, love."
Sakura watched her retreating back as she left through the same archway they'd come in at.
"What is it you need my help on again?"
She smiled brightly, turning her face to him. "Chakra expulsion. I've got a theory and I need your help since your clan appears to specialize in that. Up for some fun?"
His laughter was deep and more like a chuckle. "I would say Shikamaru was better suited for you puzzle picking, but, sure.
"Hit me, Haruno."
…
A breeze shifted by, unusual and a welcome reprieve from the heat that likely all of Konoha was suffering from and avoiding by placating themselves indoors. He tilted his head upward, lips pursing across a quizzical expression. His mind was elsewhere, but vaguely acknowledging the weather at the same time.
The long pajama pants that hung about his legs, hems dropping about in a pool around his heels, felt stuffy; some parts of the material stuck to his skin from the ever present sweat. His bare chest met with almost no discontent; what moisture lingered in faint trails alleviated some level of the temperature in combination with the forgiving breeze.
He reached up, giving a sigh as his eyes half shut and he combed a hand through his unbound strands. Each movement caused the chair to squeak slightly under him; he barely heard it and went on enjoying his position on the back porch, where the heat was much less than inside.
Yesterday was a whirlwind of events; first, he'd left the house, something he hadn't done in months; second, he now found himself in possession—correction—in a partnership with Noin; and thirdly… he'd run into his brother for the first time in at least six months. The first two experiences weren't bad, but, they left him with usual feelings; he shrugged that off to his routine being disturbed. He generally felt a sense of unwarranted foreboding whenever that happened. And for someone who'd been going about the same daily routine of tolerating intolerable caregivers while at the same time trying to dislodge them from his presence, the past few days as a whole had been very foreboding, but, not unwelcome.
It wasn't all that surprising that Sakura had been in a relationship with his little brother; he'd known numerous things about team seven in the past because it had been his prerogative to keep an eye out for Sasuke. What had been a little surprising was that she wasn't anymore. From what intelligence he'd always gathered she'd always been enamored with Sasuke, determined to do anything for him, and, it was hard to imagine that sense of devotion had wavered so easily in the pass of a month and a half. But then, she was a lot older now… a lot… there wasn't a word. He didn't have anything to compare it to because he hadn't known her years ago. It wasn't that hard to imagine she'd changed however; every description of her he'd been given, as brief as they were, painted a picture to him that Sakura had been like a lovesick puppy trailing after his brother. To think the woman he was interacted with now had been anything like that… he couldn't fathom it.
Was she still in love with Sasuke? He hadn't missed the way she'd narrowly changed the subject yesterday when Naruto had made his friendly comments. It wasn't his business to know though; it had nothing to do with him, so, he had no reason to go digging for information (even if he could).
His mind redirected his thoughts, refocusing on his brother.
He couldn't help the ache that had burned the moment Sakura gave her small warning, offering them an out. He wasn't going to run though, not from Sasuke; he'd silently given that vow six months ago when all of his delicate plans had unraveled, telling himself he would be there when his younger brother was ready to come talk to him. He wasn't going to push anything. As time had passed on he'd considered going to him… but then, what would he say, really? What did anyone say after everything that had been amassed between the two of them?
He'd once tried to write them down, the words that wouldn't come; it was for his own benefit if nothing else, even if he never planned to send the letter to Sasuke. It went without saying the process of trying to do so without eyesight was more than enough to aggravate someone less patient. But, he was patient, despite how six long months of darkness has twisted his exterior into something else. And yet… no words came. What he'd tried to scribble down… was pathetic even as he memorized them with each ink stroke in his own mind, visualizing the words and trying them out on his tongue.
How did one apologize… for something so… irreprehensible? How did you even begin to explain your actions? How did one ask for forgiveness for something they'd never really forgiven themselves about?
"You're brooding again, Itachi," he heard the muffled tone of Noin relaxing next to him on the porch. He could tell by her voice she hadn't bothered to sit up and look at him; he imagined her eyes were closed and she comfortably feigned dozing.
He sighed.
"When does Sakura get here?"
"Soon," he murmured.
"It's almost ten… Have you eaten breakfast?"
He frowned. "Yes."
He could hear her moving around; probably sitting up. She yawned, squeak of a noise echoing on the air. "Right then…"
"She told me last night she wouldn't be here until almost lunch; she had something to do and left me an omelette to heat in the microwave. Satisfied?"
"I didn't say I wasn't."
He resisted the urge to snort and placed his cheek on his knuckles, elbow on the arm of the wicker chair. He could hear the dog next to him stretching, her nails scraping against the wooden floorboards; there was a distinct pop (likely in her back) and a groan of satisfaction. He didn't jump when she rubbed her nose under his freely dangling right hand. Unconsciously, he rubbed her behind her ears and she moved where she wanted him to rub.
"It's hot today," she observed. "Aren't you uncomfortable in sweat pants?"
"Only slightly."
"No shorts?"
His lips almost twitched into a frown as he tried to imagine what he would look like, almost as pale as snow, in shorts. "...No."
"Masochist," she mumbled.
This time he did smile rather lazily. It faded as he felt a surge of chakra not too far away. The distinct click-slam of the front door to his home echoed through the open screened windows. Noin jerked out from under his hand.
"Sakura's here."
"It would appear so."
"Itachi?" The sound of her voice lingered from within; he heard her footpads as she came towards the back door. It creaked open and he turned his head in her direction.
"Ah, there you are," she said, smile in her voice as she came closer to him. She moved past him, he could feel it. The legs of a chair clattered along the floor. He shifted back once he realized she was placing herself in front of him; the chair creaked, indicating she'd sat down. The direction of her voice proved this as she spoke. "How was breakfast? Did you have trouble with the microwave?"
He shook his head. "I followed your instruction from the night before."
She chuckled lightly. "Good, I was a little worried you'd burn it."
He didn't comment, but, he did find his lips twitching into something akin to a smile.
"You're far better looking when you do that."
He blinked.
She laughed then and he found it lyrical, even if it was at his expense (and he was sure it was). It wasn't at all unlike that morning when he'd nearly cut her throat to shreds, or, when he'd given her an unusual opening to tease him about what he was going to wear out. Her humor was candid… and took a little talent not to miss. It was all the things she didn't say that made it funny, he supposed. He realized then it'd been so long since he'd wanted to laugh, to smile. It wasn't in his nature to be so hateful… at heart… For years he'd had to go beyond that; for the last six months… it was difficult not to be bitter. It wasn't just being blind, although that didn't help.
He wasn't supposed to be here.
It wasn't hard to let his mind travel back to his brother, his ruined plans, his life as it stood now. All the things he wanted gone in the blink of a moment because someone had magically found a way to fix him, bleeding and barely breathing on an operating table stained with his own blood.
He closed his eyes. In the same instant they snapped open and a fierce pain pierced his hand. He inhaled sharply, teeth grinding together as his jaw flexed; he snatched his hand up reflexively.
"You're brooding again," Noin offered innocently, as if that were a tangible excuse to bite his hand.
"I think you're going to be more trouble than your worth," he found himself saying uncharacteristically, sarcastically.
"Well, quit being a stick in the mud and maybe I won't be."
He could well imagine Sakura with her hand over her mouth, eyes bright as she tried to stifle a laugh; he knew she was because he heard something that sounded like a laugh, as least a stifled one.
"So," she finally said across from him, "Are you hungry?"
"I ate two hours ago. I'm fine."
"Then I'll make you lunch at noon. Is that alright?"
He nodded, flexing his hand to draw away the lingering pain.
"Alright, well, did you get a chance to look over any of those books I left you? I realize I didn't have time to really go over them with you, but, I do think I told you where they were.
"I did, didn't I?" she asked quizzically.
He nodded again. "You did. I skimmed them over and started one last night before bed."
"Wonderful." He heard her hands clap together. "I'm made sure to get a few of the ones I got for you in a regular copy. If you don't mind, we can read them together and talk about them. Unless you're adverse to discussing books.
"I usually have Sai to do that with. Naruto and Sasuke aren't particularly fond of reading," she admitted with a smile in her voice again.
He took a moment to think before he responded to her request. He easily found there was nothing unpleasant at possibly discussing books with Sakura, and, it would certainly give him something else to do; he liked talking to her, he realized in the same moment. "That would be fine," he replied.
"Well, then I guess I just have one more question for you."
A single brow quirked up questioningly. "And what is that?"
She was suddenly a little closer, but not close enough to make him uncomfortable. "Well, I've been thinking… When was the last time you trained? Put your body through a good workout, or, perhaps had the opportunity to fight someone?"
He processed the information slowly, trying to figure out what she was getting at. When no real answer presented itself, he replied honestly, "I usually take an hour out every morning before you arrive to work through a series of drills. Beyond that…" he trailed off, lingering images in his mind resurfacing, "…six months ago." He knew she would need little more of an explanation than that.
"Alright… well," she began hesitantly, "what would you say to maybe giving it a more strenuous try?"
"How so?" His eyes narrowed reflexively in her direction.
"I was at the Hyuuga compound this morning, speaking with Neji," she answered directly. "That's why I've been gone for a few hours. I came to him with a theory I wanted to try in combination with the chakra expulsion his clan is famous for when they use the Hakkeshō Kaiten."
Itachi was familiar—vaguely—with the technique. "That's the jutsu that requires the user to spin very rapidly as they send chakra out from their body forcefully."
"Right," she agreed. "I wasn't so much interested in that, but the fact that the Hyuuga can send chakra out from their bodies when using it; not just one part at one time, all parts at the same time. Not very many shinobi have a need to send so much chakra out from all chakra points on the body like the Hyuuga do so offensively.
"Thus, why I went to speak with Neji."
"…Alright."
"We worked for a few hours, trying out a few things. It would have taken a lot longer if we had to start from nothing. The good news is, because it wasn't that hard for Neji and I, I'm almost positive it will only take a few attempts to grasp and execute.
"Are you interested?"
"What is it?"
He heard her take a deep inhale, as if she were preparing herself… or… excited? Was she?
"The user sends chakra out from all points on their body, but not offensively like the Hyuuga do," she explained. "The chakra they send outward hits anything with chakra and it bounces back to the user. When it does, it gives the user a visualization of the area around him, within a reasonable distance.
"Basically put, chakra sonar." She paused, perhaps trying to gauge his reaction. "Anyway, you can't really use this in the field without being detected, but, you can use it in direct combat, or, for training. It doesn't require a lot of chakra all the time. However, you do send a good amount out in a short burst. You just have to watch your timing and the number of bursts; if you're careful you can you it quite a few times in a fight very effectively as with any of your other senses."
There wasn't an expression he found acceptable in response to her revelation. The very idea that he might be able to see… something, somehow, tugged at a very vulnerable part of him. "It works?" he asked softly.
"It does."
"What do I have to do?"
She took his hand, tugging on him; he allowed her to as he stood up. He allowed her to lead him down the stairs and out into the back yard, not quite processing her hand in his. He could vaguely acknowledge Noin's footpads in the grass not far behind him, following.
"Alright, here's good," he heard her say, releasing his hand.
"I'll be over here," he heard Noin say some few feet away.
"No worries," Sakura replied. "Ok," she started, voice redirected toward him and close; there was maybe… six inches between them, maybe eight.
There was a slow and careful warmth on his upper abdomen; he realized it was her hand, flattened.
"When was the last time you used chakra? Well," she began, obviously clarifying, "when was the last time you used chakra to execute a jutsu of B rank or higher?"
"Months," he replied almost numbly. It shouldn't bother him, truthfully; however, it did.
He didn't like bloodshed, war, death… the smells… the sounds. In the mix of it all, he would have been content to never have to lift another sword, kunai, anything with an ability to do real harm.
But he hadn't become a shinobi to hurt people; he'd become one to protect people.
Regardless of what his father had wanted, regardless of being pressured—forced—into ANBU, he had always wanted to be the type of man who chose his own destiny; he had in the end, no matter what had been ordered of him.
The thoughts trailed off and he let them hang.
Sakura's voice was soft in his ear. "Consider this then… You might not get it the first time. Don't beat yourself up if you don't; alright, Itachi?"
He nodded slowly.
Her hand pressed a little firmly and he resisted the urge to jump, realizing he still wasn't wearing a shirt and that was her bare hand just between the area of his stomach and his lungs.
"First, you need to focus your chakra here, where it starts. Concentrate on the direction it turns and visualize it in your mind; imagine it increasing its speed and allow that action to exist.
"Second, see that chakra pulling to every pour along your skin; see it as it brims on the edge of the millions of chakra point exits. This is the hardest part; you have excellent chakra control, Itachi; much like myself, but… again don't get discouraged. You're focusing on a lot of areas at once.
"The third part will come once you execute these steps." She pulled her hand away and stepped back. "Start when you think you're ready. And don't forget to take your time."
He took a shallow breath as he closed his eyes unnecessarily; at the same time both hands were brought up and clasped together and formed the focusing sign of ram. His visualized his chakra, turning, pooling, generating in his core; he did as he had been instructed, imagining it twisting faster… spiraling… He could feel it within; the life energy burned, boiling brighter and more rapidly.
"That's good, Itachi," he barely heard Sakura say. "Keep going."
Focusing on so many chakra points at once was not as easy as he imagined it might have been; he'd never had to before. That combined with how long it had been since he'd used chakra so actively…
His brow knit even as his face remained impassive.
Focus.
Chakra spun through his system, pouring into the complex and tiny veins that were smaller than his blood vessels. They sunk beyond his muscle fiber, the layers of skin and hung just on the edge.
He exhaled.
"Hold it there," she instructed quickly.
He did, even as he sought to release it or break that complex multitasked hold that cross sectioned his focus in varying directions over his body. He could see nothing but where the blue-green energy existed and hear nothing but her voice when she chose to speak.
The next time she spoke it was to tell him a series of five hand signs; she repeated them with emphasis and told him that when he was ready, to do them and release the technique.
"The hand signs are there to help; eventually, with practice, you won't need them anymore, knowing you."
Her acknowledgement of his abilities were unexpected, but, not unwanted. The thought was fleeting and he almost lost focus. Once regained, he slowly brought his hands through the signs. At this, the chakra brimmed, rippled and…
…expelled.
He vaguely heard her whisper, "Perfect."
Within what he imagined was a mere second, time exploded slowly. A frozen moment expanded around him, encompassing and touching. There was no color aside from the predictable blue-green; he didn't care.
His throat caught; his heart jumped; his breath stopped.
He could… see.
Trees, a forest beyond his back yard, flowers, the detailed imprinted vein-work on leaves, the in-ground lines of natural bark, a beetle paused half crawl, Noin mid-perking her ears up as she lifted her head…
…Sakura.
There was a growing smile in the image stuck in his mind; her hand was lifting, stilled as if she'd been drawing it up to her face or her chest. He couldn't see the distinction between her pupils, her irises and her eyes as a whole; her lashes were longer than he recalled, her hair as well. The erratic strands were a choppy pixie-like mess rolling over her shoulders. It suited her.
She was tall, much taller than the last time he'd been able to set real eyes on her. The clothes were same, though; it was just as he'd imagined them, but now with clearer details. It wasn't a skirt, but a medic apron; there were tights underneath; boots that ran knee high. A headband held her hair back somewhat… A Konoha headband.
"Itachi?"
Her voice was much closer, but she hadn't moved; he had. His hands were on her face. His thumbs pressed into her cheeks in the next moment, the pads of his fingers under her jaw; she was warm.
Calloused thumbs swept down, tracing her image in his mind again. Her eyes shut as he continued, running careful digits over the edges of her lashes, down her nose, across her forehead… along her bottom lip. The contours, the shape of her features, reappeared in his mind. He could see feminine ridge of her brow, the fullness of her lips, the curl of her lashes, and the angular simplicity of her face… all of it.
The lack of color was meaningless; it didn't matter that it only lasted for a freeze framed moment in time, only to exist in his memory; it didn't matter that he had to execute a technique to do so every time; it didn't even matter that it was brief and half hazed in detail.
He could see.
He could see.
"Thank you," he found himself saying as he held her face, so utterly wrapped up in the processes of his thoughts and what it all meant. There weren't words to really explain how he felt, the level of appreciation that existed in just those two words. This one moment meant more to him than anything else anyone had tried to do for him in the last six months… the last ten years of his life.
Even so, they felt… pathetic on his tongue; and yet, nothing else came, nothing else felt plausible.
Her felt a warmth around his wrists; it settled, soft a gripping. Her hands.
"You're welcome, Itachi."
AN :: This took me… three… four days to write? If it feels broken that's because I had a lot of ground I wanted to cover. There were some things in this chapter that were supposed to be split into two chapters; and yet, it felt right to me putting it all in one chapter. I suppose with this story the chapters are more like episodes of a short series rather than novel chapters.
As usual, if you feel up to letting me know what you think, thanks.
As for the dog, I got a lot of responses about what type of nin dog people guessed he would end up with; many of them were funny, candid and cute. Very few of them forced me to do a google search, and, at least three people (if I recall right) mentioned a Chihuahua in jest. When I posted last chapter I knew it would be a Husky; I own a Husky mix and I love her dearly. They're wonderful dogs. Naturally, in a real world setting, not so great for seeing-eye. But, this is Naruto and they're not normal dogs; thus, it works. The idea to make her one of Tsume's nin dog's pups was an afterthought that felt right to me; I think she has the attitude that works.
I really would like to have your opinions about the end there and Itachi's reaction. I really try to show more than tell, but, in this instance it was a little difficult for me with so much plaguing his mind.
Reviews are appreciated, but not required.
—Blade