Chapter 15 – How Is That Even Possible?

It was late at night as she walked down the streets and even though centuries had gone by, the lighting of the streets was just as bad as it had always been. Well, perhaps that was an exaggeration, because it wasn't as bad. It just wasn't great. It certainly made travelling for women during the night, dangerous.

Usually, women would not leave their homes after a certain time. That was only married women, or betrothed women, however. What about the ladies of the evening? They were out late every night and so far, she'd already come across seventeen of them lurking around the street corners, leaning provocatively against the walls. There wasn't an ounce of desire or arousal on the women who were picked up by lonely men. In fact, there was only acceptance and pain.

Women without families, or perhaps even widows who were in need of extra money to support their families, had no choice but to prostitute themselves. In this century, jobs were not available for women. They were supposed to stay at home and be good wives, supposed to raise their man's children while he went to work and made a living for them. And if they didn't earn enough? Then that was too bad. The women of this century weren't even educated. They were like broodmares.

Gritting her teeth, the blonde tugged her cloak tighter around her body. She couldn't wait to enter the next century and if things hadn't changed by then for women, then she would make damn sure that it did.

Strange things had been happening lately and she was here to investigate them. There'd been reports of several murders and every single one of them were linked. She just knew it. No signs of breaking and entering. No signs of a struggle. Ladies of the evening were being found, naked and dead in their beds, with all blood drained from their bodies.

Damn it. It was times like these that she hated being one of the 'original' vampires.

In return for eternal youth, for immortality, both she and her partner had made a deal. What was that deal? That they were to keep all others of their kind, in line. It was obvious that the one she was tracking, was not one of her own creations, nor her partner's. This one was most likely another 'original' that the man who changed her failed to warn herself and her partner about.

"Damned Jiraiya," she muttered under her breath. "Stupid bet."

The price of losing their most recent bet was that she had had to travel all the way back to Konoha to investigate the wayward vampire. It was imperative that they kept their kind a secret, that all vampire stories remained just that: stories. Humans could not know of their existence.

For quite a while, she'd been avoiding the ever–growing village. Not even a while, actually. More like centuries, possibly even a millennia. It was simply too difficult to be in the village after she had been betrayed so viciously, after losing the person she cared for, more than her own life.

Nawaki.

Pausing for a moment, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Even after all this time the pain was still intense. It still felt as though it was suffocating her.

Her baby brother had been so adorable. Recalling the image of him like it was only yesterday that she'd last seen him, she continued on her path, smiling to herself fondly at the memory of him. Chubby, blushing cheeks, stunning mud–brown eyes and a smile that could light up an entire room. What was there not to love about Nawaki? At just twelve years of age, he had been growing into a fine man, into a fine warrior.

Back then, all male members of the family became warriors. It was completely unheard of for women to do so. Like in this century, they were to remain indoors as wives and nothing more.

However, Nawaki hadn't seen her like that. He'd seen her as his kick–ass, annoying older sister, the one who taught him everything she knew. Despite women not being warriors, they were from a major clan, were the grandchildren of the very first leader of Konoha. Their grandfather, Senju Hashirama, had thought it important that his granddaughter was taught, at the very least, self defence and after their grandfather died, after their parents died, it was up to herself to protect Nawaki and raise him like she would her own.

But all of that had changed when he turned twelve years old.

She should have known that having her brother going out to the front lines was a disaster waiting to happen, but considering the two men he left with, she had stayed quiet and wished her brother well. Every night, every damned night, she'd pray for his safe return, had prayed that her baby brother returned to her.

Three weeks later and she was identifying what was left of his body.

It was safe to say that that broke her in ways that there was no return. "There's no hope in helping her," the villagers had whispered behind her back. And just when they thought she couldn't do any more to earn their disapproval, she began training to become a warrior, putting many of the men to shame as she defeated them like they were nothing. Her trick? Imagining that they were ones who killed her brother. That pushed her into becoming her absolute best, but also her absolute worst.

The two men who were on Nawaki's team supported her and it was during the harsh training, during the grieving process, that she became the lover of none other than Jiraiya. The very same man she always tore down, the very same man who could annoy her with just a simple look. But… What could she say? He was there for her, and feeling her pain just as much. After teaching Nawaki everything she knew, he was sent to Jiraiya to learn even more. The two had become friends, much to her disliking, but at the same time, she was glad it was Jiraiya that Nawaki learned under, and not some brute who would turn him into a sexist pig. Despite his womanising ways, Jiraiya could be a gentlemen and he respected women enough to never underestimate them. Hell, if they remained human, she probably would have even settled down with him.

She was placed onto Jiraiya's team, the very same team her brother had been a member of. And when sent out, she was completely unforgiving on the battlefield, tearing into her enemies without a second thought.

But then she discovered something one day that shook her entire world.

Her baby brother died while on the front lines, but it was not by an enemy's hand. It wasn't even friendly fire, because the damage caused to his tiny, tiny body was anything but friendly. It was savagery. There'd barely been anything left!

Jiraiya had tried to stop her, had tried to calm her down, but she'd been in a fit of rage upon discovering what she had. It had been with pure hatred and rage that she lashed out at their third teammate.

Orochimaru.

Upper lip curling and fists shaking with anger, she didn't notice how her footsteps were growing louder and easier to keep track of, how she was no longer alone.

That… That man had murdered her little brother. He had used him for practice. Practice for what? His dark magic. While finding out that Orochimaru was a witch, that he was studying dark magic, she discovered something that shattered her world. The man she'd come to know and trust as her teammate (and perhaps even friend), had used her brother and tortured him just so that he could become a more powerful witch.

It was during that battle against Orochimaru that Tsunade was changed, that Jiraiya was also changed. He'd stuck by her side the entire battle, even though it pained him to fight against the man who was like his best friend. Like her, he'd found out at the same time just what really happened to Nawaki, however, he was stuck in denial. He didn't want to believe it.

Seeing Orochimaru cutting into Tsunade's lungs had shoved him right out of that denial.

Since then, whenever they crossed paths with Orochimaru, another battle ensued. Each growing more deadly over the decades, over the centuries. And still, even after all this time, after all their efforts and growths in strength, the snake–like man stayed one step ahead due to being protected by his dark magic.

It was a three–way deadlock. Every single damned time they clashed.

And that was when she heard the cocking of a gun, causing Tsunade's eyes to narrow dangerously as she spun around.

The man standing a few feet away from her was nothing special. Tall, but too slim to balance out the height and his hair was unwashed, just like his tanned skin. It made her relish the travelling life, because even though there weren't many baths, there were rivers and lakes that were just as good for cleaning in.

"Lady of the evening, I see. I'm getting sick of seeing your whore faces everywhere I go."

Lady of the evening? Her fists clenched tightly. How dare–

Suddenly, a hand appeared at the side of the man's head, gripping it tightly before it was being slammed into the wall beside him.

She watched in stunned silence as another tall figure appeared, but it was obvious that this new man was a warrior.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, looking her over quickly for any harm. "He didn't harm you, did he?"

She shook her head, unable to form a single word. How was it possible that this man managed to creep by without her even noticing? Granted, she hadn't noticed the previous man, either – at least, not until the last moment. She was too lost in her thoughts. This was why she avoided Konoha. It brought everything back.

"It isn't safe for a woman to be travelling so late, I'm afraid. Some men just can't help themselves and think it's okay to take advantage." He sighed. "What is your name?"

Finally finding her voice, she murmured, "Tsunade."

"Tsunade, huh?" The man gave her a gentle smile and stepped forward, holding out his hand. "My name's Katō Dan. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Slowly, she held out her hand, accepting his, though wasn't prepared for what happened next when a breeze blew in their direction, smacking his scent right into her.

His warmth.

His blood.

It sung to her like a human's never had before, making her throat burn like she'd gone months without hunting, making her body heat up dramatically.

"Is something wrong?" Dan asked, tilting his head to the side. "Are you going into shock? It's not unheard of, after such a thing has happened."

It took everything within herself not to move closer, to not fit her body against his and sink her teeth into his neck. Clearly he got the wrong idea about what had been about to happen with the now unconscious man, but that didn't matter. All Tsunade could do, was inhale his beautiful, beautiful scent. It was intoxicating.

"I…"

"Come," he said comfortingly, slipping off his jacket and settling it over her cloak. "I know the perfect cure for shock."

"What happened next?" Sakura asked softly, her dead heart melting.

Tsunade huffed with amusement, raising an eyebrow. "What do you think happened? He may have been a gentleman, but even he couldn't deny the temptation."

"Oh," she breathed quietly, eyes dropping to the floor. "I see."

"The morning after," she told them quietly, "I found myself wanting to give him everything I had. A month or two down the line and I foolishly told him what I was, despite the fact we must keep it a secret from humans, and I suppose that's where things began to go wrong."

From his seat on the chair, Jiraiya sighed, glancing around the cabin. "Due to it being difficult for Tsunade to stay in Konoha, after she told Dan the story of Nawaki, he brought her here, to his family's cabin. However, I guess I had a hand in messing things up for them." He sighed once more, refusing to look at Tsunade. "After not hearing anything from her, I decided to track Tsunade down, unsure as to how powerful the wayward vampire actually was." Shaking his head, he accepted the sake cup pushed over to him and downed it in one gulp, enjoying the different kind of burning of his throat. "I should never have doubted that, while falling in love, Tsunade would not stray from her mission. While Dan worked, she hunted and tracked down the other vampire. However…"

When he trailed off and Sakura glanced up at Tsunade, she found that the blonde looked torn. It was a new emotion to see on her. Actually, Sakura would even go as far as to say that it looked more like heartbreak on her Shishou's features. "What happened?"

"When I tracked down the renegade, when I was confronting him, I was surprised when hunters exploded onto the scene. I suppose I took too long with finding the guy, because back then, hunters weren't anything too special. They're much more deadly and powerful now."

Sakura closed her eyes at the pain that doubled within Tsunade.

"Turns out Dan was a hunter," she whispered to them quietly, leaning back in her seat. Her honey brown eyes looked distant as she stared at the far wall, lost in her memories. "His team demanded that he killed me, that I had to be the vampire's concubine and therefore, dangerous. He refused."

Instead, Dan had taken her back to their cabin, back to the place where they had shared themselves with each other. Obviously, he'd demanded answers from her, wanting to know why she'd been involved with a, in his own words, 'bloodsucking demon'.

Quietly, so very quietly, she whispered in return, "It's because I am a 'bloodsucking demon'."

It pained her greatly that he had looked so very sick, that he'd paled so dramatically that it looked as though he was about to faint.

However, surprising her like he always had, Dan had started to rush around the cabin, shoving everything he could find into whatever bags he had.

"We'll leave," he told her quickly, pulling Tsunade to her feet. "Now. Just the two of us. We'll leave Konoha, I'll forsake being a hunter and you could forsake–"

"If I forsake being what I am, I'll starve," Tsunade whispered, pulling her hands free of his. "And you will be high on the hunters' hit list. I refuse–"

"I don't care about myself," at his muttered words, at the angry look on his face, she faltered. "I'll do whatever it takes to make you safe, Tsunade. And you can feed on me. Drink my blood. Just please, don't hurt innocent people."

That was when she began to feel something she hadn't in a while. Fresh heartbreak. The feeling of tears threatening to fill her eyes, even though they wouldn't. Instead a tearless sob clawed its way up her throat and no matter how hard Dan tried to comfort her, the pain wouldn't lessen.

"That's where Jiraiya entered," she murmured quietly. "He was angry at me, of course, for telling Dan everything but after a while he understood."

"I saw you together," he answered simply with a shrug. "Like I said earlier, Tsunade. You allowed yourself to fall in love. I wouldn't stand in the way of that, not after all the pain you went through after Nawaki's death."

Of course, she already knew that. And so from there, Jiraiya had protected them both, had aided them in making their escape from Konoha, but much too soon, their pasts caught up with them. Well, her past had.

Orochimaru.

"It was during a battle against Orochimaru that Dan died," Jiraiya told them, knowing that Tsunade wouldn't be able to do so. "We sensed in the pits of our stomachs that he was close, our gut instincts leading us straight to him. Stupidly, we left Dan unguarded and unprepared for the possibility of Orochimaru's lackeys lurking around." The heavy look in his eyes told Sakura that not a day went by that he didn't regret his mistake. "Even though he took a few beginners out, there were too many for him, each new battle becoming more powerful."

"Beginners?"

"In witchcraft," Itachi stated quietly for her. "As a hunter, Dan–san would have been able to go up against common, beginner witches, but as Jiraiya–sama said, every time one battle ended, a stronger opponent attacked. Unlike vampires, witches have a limited amount of chakra. However, so do humans."

"I…" Tsunade gritted her teeth, raw pain on her features as she clutched at her chest. "I felt him die. In my heart. My own may no longer beat, but I could tell when I lost him and by the time I arrived, I was…"

Too late.

Seeing such a powerful woman breaking down in front of them was…

It was terrifying.

"Everything in my body became numb. Everything except for this pain." She gripped the shirt over her heart tightly. "This pain that's never let up for a single second since his death."

She hated being so weak, hated seeming so dependent, so needy. But the truth was, was that she'd gone a long time without Dan, her mate. Being separated from him was like slowly being burned alive.

Sakura bit her lip for a moment and glanced up at Itachi, hoping more than anything that she'd never have to experience the same, agonising pain. A second later and her eyes drifted back to Tsunade's. "I can try. Your… Your spirit. When you talk about Dan, it flashes with silver–blue even more so than usual. If I can lock onto his colour, I can search for him."

"But what will you bring his spirit back to?" Itachi questioned smoothly. "Surely, over time, Katō Dan's body has decomposed. It has been over a century, after all."

Eyes glancing away from Tsunade's pained features, Jiraiya looked to the couple with a surprisingly guarded look. "Like I stated earlier: Tsunade has waited a long time for somebody with a gift such as Sakura's. Do you really think this cabin is the only thing I kept preserved for her?"

Apples green eyes widened.

After hearing that they'd been lovers, that he'd taken care of Tsunade during the loss of her younger brother (and also the loss of Dan), Sakura had known that Jiraiya cared for the blonde more than he let on. But to preserve the body of her deceased lover, waiting for the extremely slim chance of somebody with a gift such as her own to come along? That was just… It was unconditional love. Even though Tsunade was in love with another, Jiraiya continued to love her and stand by her.

But why?

He gave a small smirk, folding his arms over his chest and closing his eyes. "What can I say? Tsunade's one hell of a woman."

"And… Dan–san's body…?"

The smirk slipped away as Tsunade's pain spiked so very clearly. "Will need a little work, obviously, but is nowhere near as bad as it could have been."

"How did you manage to preserve his body?" the Uchiha asked.

"I injected my venom into every artery within his body. Took a long time, but 'perfection' eventually happened thanks to a certain medic's help." Sakura's eyes went straight to Tsunade's, but Jiraiya shook his head. "Nohara Rin."

So that was their connection?

No, it went deeper than that, clearly.

"Those kids owe me for a lot of things and whenever I need their assistance, I summon them and give them a couple of orders here and there." He shrugged. "Helping me circulate my venom around Dan's body just so happened to be one of those orders, just like watching over that brat Naruto was another."

"Speaking of Naruto…" Sakura frowned. "I can't sense him. Or Sasuke. Are they out?"

Jiraiya nodded once. "Hunting."

Ah. That explained why she couldn't sense them. They were literally in the middle of nowhere, so no doubt the two had to travel quite a few miles to come across any humans.

"Speaking of hunting." Tsunade forced herself to be more composed, eyebrows knitting together to fight for her blank mask. "Have you hunted already, Sakura?"

"They were a little busy, Tsunade." Jiraiya chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Speaking of which… You still owe me."

She waved him off dismissively, a reluctant smile on her red painted lips. "I'm sure you'll find some way of making it interesting. You always do."

He grinned.

"Dan–san's body is the body of a vampire's, but since his spirit is gone, there's nothing living within it," Sakura murmured to Sasuke and Naruto as they all sat together in the shade of a large tree.

When they returned the night before, fresh from their hunt, it had been to a heavy, solemn atmosphere, one that immediately demanded their attention. Had it not been for the previous emotions that they were only faintly able to pick up from Tsunade and Jiraiya the night before, the two men would have left it alone, would have respected the others' privacy. However, since they had picked up on the raw, painful emotions and since Sakura was just as emotional as the other two had surprisingly been, Sasuke and Naruto had questioned her the moment the other three were away.

For a moment, there was silence as Naruto leaned back on his hands. "So… Kind of like an empty home?"

She shrugged. "I suppose so."

"And you really think you could bring him back?"

"I can try." Sakura finally opened her eyes and glanced at the two men sat on either side of her. "Her brother, Nawaki… I don't think reviving him is possible, since there won't be a body to put his spirit into, not to mention the fact that I don't know what his spirit looks like. Dan–san, however… I know I have a good eighty percent chance of successfully bringing him back to her."

"That's great and all," Sasuke drawled and stared up at the blindingly blue sky, "but what about Dan?"

Naruto frowned and sat up. "What?"

"He was a hunter, right? And Tsunade told you last night that he asked her not to harm the innocent. Clearly he was against our way of living." Shrugging, he added, "He might hate you all for bringing him back into a life of being a vampire, damning him to our way of living for eternity."

"But…"

When Naruto trailed off, Sakura spoke up, her frown obvious not just on her features, but also in her voice. "But he'll be with Tsunade–shishou. They loved each other so much, Sasuke! Surely he'd be grateful if I give him a hell of a lot more time with her?"

"And if he's not?" he retorted coolly, dark eyes slowly drifting from the sky, to hers. "What if he can't control his thirst, therefore becoming the monster he never wanted to be? There had to have been a reason why Tsunade didn't change him in the first place."

She shook her head quickly, refusing to take notice of Sasuke's questions, no matter how right they seemed to be. "I'm bringing him back whether you agree with it or not. Even Itachi agrees with me on this. Tsunade–shishou deserves this chance at happiness."

A pause. And then, so very quietly, Naruto asked, "What about Ero–Sennin?"

Another pause.

Sakura sighed, understanding clearly what he was asking. "This was all Jiraiya–sama's idea, Naruto," she told him softly. "Even though it's obvious he loves Tsunade–shishou, he'd give anything to see her happy, even if it costs him his own happiness. That's why he preserved Dan's body in the first place. For an opportunity like this." Running a hand through her hair, she sighed again. "He just wants her to finally be happy, especially after all the things O–"

When she cut herself off, Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Orochimaru. You can say his name."

"Sorry." She smiled sheepishly. "After everything Orochimaru has done, after he took her little brother away, and then after his lackeys took Dan–san away too, don't you think she deserves this? Jiraiya–sama seems to think so."

"You're missing the point."

"No, I'm not!" Sakura said irritably at Sasuke's words. "Don't you get it, Sasuke? Dan–san gave up being a hunter for Tsunade–sama! He went against everything his family taught him, everything he believed in, for her, so that he could be with her. I get that you probably don't fully understand that kind of love, but I do. If I had to, I'd give up whatever I have to for your brother! That's what love is. It's about sacrifice and loving even the ugly parts of a person. It's–"

He shook his head with annoyance. "You wouldn't have to give anything up for him. He wouldn't let you do that." Silence for a moment. "I know what it is to give everything up for somebody, Sakura. Don't treat me like I'm a child."

"You…?"

Even Naruto looked shocked.

"Not that kind of love, trust me." He sighed with annoyance, reluctant to share such information. "When I was told about Itachi's illness, I gave up a lot of things – or as much as he allowed me to after figuring out what I was doing. I stopped going out with friends. I stopped my education. I stopped training to become a warrior. I stopped being a child. Everything I did up until our change, was for him. Everything centred around Itachi. So don't go spewing this bullshit about not understanding sacrifice or love. He's my brother. While I don't care for him in the way you do, or in the way Tsunade cares for Dan, it's still love. It's still sacrifice."

"Sasuke…" Sakura sighed when he looked away from her, a vicious glower on his features. "I'm sorry."

He rolled his dark eyes.

"Oi…" They both looked to Naruto, taking in his saddened, contemplative expression. He looked troubled, or like he couldn't understand something. "Could you guys… Could you maybe tell me more? About love, I mean?"

Sakura opened her mouth, a frown on her features, before Sasuke caught her eye and shook his head. And it was then that she remembered Naruto's story. He'd been locked away for his entire human life, not truly experiencing bonds until Itachi dragged Sasuke along with him one day to introduce the pair. Even then, that was not the type of love she and Sasuke had been discussing. Whilst it was brotherly love, it was not entirely the same. How did she know? Well, would Naruto ask if he didn't know already?

When his troubled expression remained, Sakura reached out and took one of his hands, giving him a small smile. "Love's hard to explain. While I was still human, I thought that love was complicated, indescribable emotions. Becoming a vampire made it… so much more so."

His frown deepened. "How?"

"Well…" Now, it was Sakura who appeared thoughtful. "Growing up, there was this boy in all of my classes: Sai. Kind of looked like you, Sasuke, now that I'm thinking about it." He grunted, silently telling her to get on with it. "Anyway, I thought I loved him. Every time I saw him, I always blushed and got nervous, to the point where it was difficult simply being in the same room as him. He brought out an entirely different side of me without even trying and I couldn't explain a single thought that went through my head. Everything centred around him."

Uncertainly, Naruto nodded. "And what happened? Did you go out with him?"

"No." She smiled softly. "It turned out that he was in love with Ino. She loved him, too, actually."

This time, it was Sasuke who spoke up, his own frown in place, although it looked more like a scowl. "And she just took him without thinking of you?"

"No, no." Part of her was angry that they'd think so lowly of her deceased best friend, but that only lasted momentarily. They had never and would never get to know her. They didn't know just how selfless and caring Yamanaka Ino could be. "She kept rejecting him until I one day told her to be with him, even though I believed I was in love with him." Just as Naruto opened his mouth, about to argue, she cut him off. "That's what love is, Naruto. It's sacrifice. I gave up the guy I loved because I knew great things would come of Sai and Ino's relationship. I loved them both so much and wanted them to be happy."

"And were they?"

She nodded, a warm smile on her face. "They were perfect for each other. But one day, about a year later, Sai had to move away for some unknown reason. It upset… No, it devastated Ino. It broke her heart. For him, however, she tried to get over it and be happy. A few months later and the fire happened." Sakura closed her eyes, already feeling them stinging with tears. "Sai came to her funeral after I called him to tell him the news. Nobody else thought to tell him or invite him to the funeral. He was… devastated. The last time I saw him, the last I heard from him, he joined the military."

Naruto fell backwards onto the grass, eyes fixed onto the blue sky high above them. Every now and then a bird flew over them and part of him wondered what the other two would do if one of those birds happened to shit on them. It was a random thought, but pretty much everything that went through his mind was random. "What about you, Sasuke? I know you've been with women over the years, but did you ever… I don't know. Did you ever fall in love?"

Slowly, Sakura's eyes opened, staring at Sasuke's surprisingly relaxed features. It was like he'd gone back in time and that thought was only solidified at the look in his eyes. He was remembering something. Or someone.

"…Once."

"Once?"

The Uchiha nodded. "There was a woman back before I was changed."

Naruto's eyes never left the sky. "What happened?"

"Orochimaru happened," he grunted. "He attacked me not long after I was changed and after such a change, it's important that the mind is protected. Itachi's told you this before, Sakura. I'm sure Jiraiya's told you too, Naruto. Or at least hinted at it." The two nodded slowly, listening intently. "My mind was – is beyond repair. Some days I'm here with you all, others I'm stuck in an alternative universe, in a different life. Everyone around me is dead and all their deaths are at the hands of Itachi." He closed his eyes, willing the images that always haunted him, away. It was the first time in a long time that he'd willingly spoken about what Orochimaru had cast on him. "I distanced myself from her, tried to sever the bond between us."

Shaking his head, Sasuke's eyes went back up to the sky, trying to ignore the look of sadness on Sakura's features. It shouldn't have surprised him, because apparently, she was capable of feeling another's emotions because of their spirit. "She noticed the change in me and after one of our nights together, demanded to know what happened. I… couldn't tell her. We have to keep what we are a secret." His dark eyebrows knitted together. "She got angry. Cried. Told me that she hated what I was becoming, hated whoever had changed me and taken me away from her."

When a hand took his, holding it softly, it was safe to say that Sasuke was stunned. Again, he didn't know why. Sakura was empathetic. It made him uncomfortable, having her touching him, but it was nice, he supposed. She radiated comfort. "I ended things with her that night. I couldn't make her into what I am. I refused to. She deserved to live a natural life, to have the large family she always dreamed of having. What could I offer her, huh? I'm not human. My mind is constantly torn between living peacefully, or shredding everything within reach to pieces. I can just about control my thirst. I–"

He cut himself off and gritted his teeth, refusing to continue with his weakness.

Slowly, Naruto sat up, his eyes moving away from the sky and to Sasuke's. "And that's the sacrifice part of love, right? You'd do anything to give them a better chance of living, of having happiness."

Silence for a moment. "…Yeah."

"So what happened to her?" the blond asked. "Did she get that happiness?"

Surprising them completely, a small smile pulled at Sasuke's lips and his eyes once more held a faraway expression. "A lot of it. She got married and had three children, and those three children went onto having their own children. And when she passed away due to old age, she was surrounded by her family and everyone she loved." A pause. "Everyone."

"You were there?" Sakura gasped. "Didn't that blow your cover?"

He shook his head. "It was a moment of weakness, but… I had to see her one last time before she left." A pause. Eyebrows knitting together. "Maybe it was wrong… But having me there seemed to comfort her. Just before she died, she whispered my name and smiled, like it was only yesterday that we were together."

She believed that he had come to take her to heaven, that she would finally be with the love of her life.

Sakura's dead heart melted.

Who would have thought that Uchiha Sasuke could be romantic?

Itachi breathed deeply, inhaling the intoxicating scent of his mate.

She was such a beautiful little creature and her beauty only increased with the interaction he'd caught the end of between herself and Sasuke. It was wrong to listen in, to eavesdrop (especially after telling Sasuke and Naruto that it was impolite), but Itachi had been curious. That curiosity only grew when the woman Sasuke had briefly mentioned, was brought up.

So his little brother had been in love?

It was a shame he'd never had the opportunity to meet her. She had to be something impressive to manage to capture Sasuke's heart in such a way, making him put her before himself. In the past, there had only been one other person Sasuke put before himself and that was Itachi. Instead of doing the selfish thing and turning the woman, claiming her as his mate and spending eternity with her, Sasuke had thought of her dreams and what she wanted out of life. Happiness, to be surrounded by a family and those that she loved.

But the strangest part about it was that Sasuke didn't seem bitter or sad by his choices. He'd made peace with them.

That was what love was, Itachi decided, pulling Sakura's body closer to his own in a protective embrace.

Love changed a person. He should know.

Haruno Sakura had changed him in so many ways, so much so that it was terrifying.

She had so much control over him and Itachi knew that she didn't even realise.

At the faintest of flinches, he loosened his hold, gazing down at her and assessing her sleeping features. No, it didn't seem to be his embrace that was disturbing her and going off of the emotions she was experiencing, Itachi could tell that she was having a nightmare. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to take them away other than be there for when she woke up.

Speaking of sleep… Itachi sighed and pressed his cheek to the top of her head. It had been months since he last slept, but it made him incredibly uneasy falling asleep. It was foolish, really. If he slept, he slept for days and was more or less dead to the world (effectively terrifying his mother on more than one occasion). However, that was only because he went so long without sleeping before finally giving in. Since he was much older than the woman laying in his arms, he didn't need as much sleep as she did, but it would be important that he got a few hours at least every two weeks.

It had been four months since he last slept a full night.

He was dreading falling asleep, as it wouldn't be until at least noon when he awoke. Thankfully, Sakura knew that he would be unreachable during his slumber and that she wasn't to worry. It had happened the first time he'd fallen asleep with her and when she woke in a panic, unable to wake him, Mikoto had calmed her down and explained that it was exhaustion, and that she wasn't to worry.

It sounded ridiculous, he was aware of that. Going for so long without sleep and in the end, when he did sleep, he slept like he was dead, would most likely push people to getting more hours in so that it didn't happen. Not him. Itachi didn't like falling asleep.

For most of his human life, he'd been confined to a bed. All he'd been capable of doing was reading, writing and sleeping (and when he started to lose his sight, he couldn't even read or write). Most of his teenage years had been spent sleeping. Itachi was sick of sleeping, so stayed awake as long as he could to admire everything. Sure, he was still confined to a bed, but not in the same way. Why? Because of Sakura. She was the reason why he didn't mind staying in bed every few nights.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Itachi breathed deeply, focusing on those in the cabin. Tsunade and Jiraiya were away, searching for near–dead humans for Sakura to work on. Naruto had drifted off somewhere (whilst it was important to keep track of him, with Jiraiya and Tsunade only in the next town, it didn't matter nearly as much) and Sasuke was downstairs, fully awake and most likely training, if the way his chakra was fluctuating meant anything.

It was safe for him to sleep, Itachi decided. Since Sasuke was always highly aware of his surroundings, he'd be able to sense Itachi sleeping and would know to be more alert than usual. It was down to his brother to protect both himself, Sakura and Itachi until either the latter woke up, or the others returned.

With that thought he allowed sleep to take him.

It was like nobody could hear her screaming.

"Stop it!" she cried desperately, lunging forward but easily being knocked aside like she was nothing. "Leave them alone!"

He wouldn't stop.

He wouldn't have mercy on them.

A sob clawed its way up Sakura's throat as she shakily pulled herself to her feet, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. It was dirty, covered in ash and dirt and who knows what else, however, she cared very little for her appearance at that moment in time. She didn't care about the agonising aches of missing half of her hand, or her other arm. Hell, Sakura couldn't even feel the hole in her stomach because the pain was so great.

Why?

Because he had them.

He had her parents.

"I'll give you anything you want!" she screamed hysterically as yet another snake rammed into her father's face, earning a yell of pain. "Just make them stop!"

"Anything?"

Slowly, while she nodded, the snakes backed away from her parents, Kizashi breathing a sigh of relief as he turned straight to his wife, assessing her wounds and making sure they weren't serious. He didn't care for his own, just as long as Mebuki was safe.

Sakura took a hesitant step forward, her features pleading. "Anything."

"You will find me in Oto, Sakura–chan," the man hissed with a horrible, sly smirk and she felt a shiver of fear run down her spine when he suddenly began to circle her parents. "Just know that this is not only a dream. I have your parents in the real world, too. They're so desperate to see you."

This wasn't only a dream? Fear gripped at her heart. "Please–"

"You said you would give anything to protect them," he continued in that nasty hiss. "Prove that to me by coming alone. I will know if you bring Uchiha Itachi with you."

"Why me?" She couldn't help but sob, terrified for her parents. What must they be going through at this moment in time, out in the real world? "Why them?"

"You…" His smirk widened and his long, disgusting tongue slipped out and licked his lips. "Fascinate me." A pause the length of a heartbeat and he was suddenly in front of her, leaning uncomfortably closer and breathing in her scent. "Come to me, Sakura–chan."

She woke with a jolt, panting harshly and not even a second later, tears were streaming down her cheeks before she could even stop them.

Her parents.

"I–Itachi…" Sakura cried, quickly turning from her side to face him, shaking him firmly. Upon realising he was asleep, however, she grew more panicked. "Itachi, please wake up! He's in my head!"

Nothing.

A sob shook the bed along with herself.

She was alone.

It had to be by herself that she saved her parents and with this realisation, Sakura remembered what that awful man said to her in her nightmare.

"You said you would give anything to protect them," he continued in that nasty hiss. "Prove that to me by coming alone. I will know if you bring Uchiha Itachi with you."

She had to go alone.

Her body was shaking as she pulled out of Itachi's tight embrace and the shaking only grew worse as she got out of bed and made her way over to the dresser, trying and failing to make herself stop crying. It took getting dressed and slipping on her boots to calm herself and even then, Sakura had that strange, hiccuping sensation.

She could do this. For her parents.

Going over to the bed, Sakura felt the need to start crying all over again at the sight of Itachi. He looked so at peace, so relaxed… She didn't want to leave him. But she had to, didn't she? She leaned over him and pressed her lips to his forehead, a single tear dripping onto his face.

"I love you, 'tachi," she whispered brokenly. "And I'm so sorry."

It was then that a cold, harsh voice spoke up, making Sakura whip around and fall into a protective stance in front of her slumbering mate, only to meet the deadly eyes of Uchiha Sasuke.

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

He said not to bring Uchiha Itachi…

He didn't say anything about Uchiha Sasuke.

"S–Sasuke…" She swallowed hard, taking a hesitant step forward. When Sasuke's Sharingan activated, glaring viciously at her, Sakura raised her hands. "I'm not–"

"Betraying my brother? Then explain what the hell you're sorry for and why you're leaving."

"H–He's got them," Sakura whispered desperately. How could he think she was betraying Itachi? She owed her life to him! "My parents. Orochimaru has my parents! Please, help me, Sasuke!"

A/N - Dun, dun, duuuuuuun.

Cliffhanger.

Do any of you watch Tokyo Ghoul? Safe to say I cried like a bitch at that season finale. And my favourite character is definitely Juuzou!

Edited on: 02/09/2016

P.S Juuzou is still my fave