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The Sixty-Seventh Hour: Trust

"Are you insane?" she shrieked. "You know he's up to no good, and you still want to help him?"

She had stood up in the midst of her anger, so he had to look up to her as he spoke. "I trust you, Sakura."

His eyes begged her to comply. They were different from before when the only thing his eyes did was force her into submission, but she was too furious to notice that.

"Trust me to what? Perform the operation successfully?"

"I'm leaving everything to you," he continued.

There was something in his tone that implied great knowledge, knowledge that she had yet to understand, but it seemed to calm her down. The confidence in his voice convinced her that he knew what she was going to do would be right, that he would be okay with her ultimate decision.

What her decision would be though…at this moment, she still does not know.

The sun continued to set.

The Sixty-Eighth Hour: Life

"Can't you just tell me?" she pleaded.

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me what it is you want me to do!"

"I have already told you. I want you to give my sharingan to Sasuke," he stated simply.

"But you know I can't do that!"

"I'm not forcing you to do what I ask. I am giving you the decision, but I want you to know that you have the ability to do it." His quick retort caught her off track.

"I…why can't you do it?"

He sighed exhaustedly, brushing his hair back. "I'm dying, Sakura. I barely have a second to live after this genjutsu."

"I don't see the point."

"Listen, Sakura. My sharingan…they have been with me most of my life. They have provided me with so much power, so many opportunities…they let me meet you."

Her heart skipped a beat and although she had been angry at him just a short moment ago, she now found herself blushing.

"They're my life."

"Then isn't that more of a reason not to hand this power over to Sasuke?" she argued, forcing down his love for him at the moment.

She knew she was being a child, and she knew she wasn't making any sense, but she didn't want to do it. She didn't want to put something that belonged to Itachi, into Sasuke. It just wasn't right. It was like replacing Itachi with Sasuke, and she hated it.

The stars had come out, and with it, the brilliant glow of the moon.

The Sixty-Ninth Hour: Embrace

Sakura shivered against the chilly breeze that blew pass. Without a word, Itachi slipped behind her, successfully engulfing her with his cloak.

"You didn't have to do this, you know."

He didn't reply.

"You didn't have to force a wind like that. I would have naturally cuddled closer to you," she pouted.

A smirk played on his lips. "I have always wanted to do this with you though." He kissed her lightly on the ear.

"What? Bear the cold weather together under your dress?"

"It's a cloak."

"Not my point."

"And not mine either. What I meant was, I have always wanted to…embrace you like this, and bringing that breeze in was the fastest way."

"How kind of you," she commented sarcastically. Then, solemnly, "You believe in me, right?"

He hugged her tighter. "It is what I have been telling you for a while now."

"Then I'll try to handle it…the whole sharingan business," she whispered, leaning her head onto his chest.

He watched her for a moment, thinking that her actions were very endearing, before closing his eyes and laying his chin on top of her head.

"I know you will."

The Seventieth Hour: Topic

"My little brother aside, I want to talk about you," he murmured by her ear.

"Well sucks for you, 'cause I want to talk about us."

He chuckled lightly, the vibrations transmitting from his chest to her upper back.

"Then let us talk about both." The negotiation was very Itachi-like of him, and she almost wanted to cry.

But she doesn't want to ruin the moment (or his dress) with tears.

"Remember the beginning?" she started. "You were torturing me with your perverted and kinky ways." She laughed as she reminisced. It was ironic, because she should have been shivering from the pain of the memory, but the only thought in her mind was how different those times had been and how much their relationship had evolved from that point.

"I was only doing what you wanted me to do." He knows that he loves her the most right now, when she is being teasing and playful with him. It is these precious little moments with him that he wants her to take with her through life, not the bitter feeling of his impending death.

"You wanted to do it too," she countered.

"Only because you are too enticing for me not to." He nipped at her ear to prove his point. "Enticing and sweet."

She giggled with mirth.

"Hey, did you know?" she started.

"Know what?"

"I love you."

The sun was departing from the minutes of the day and the moon was slowly rising to the peak of the sky.

The sky grew darker.

The Seventy-First Hour: Just

"I apologize. I could not hear that very well. Could you please repeat that?"

"Jerk."

He laughed. She did not.

"I won't ever say that again, not to you…or anyone else."

That line caught his attention, and he began to glare venomously at her. "Take that back."

She was startled by his sudden shift in tone. "I'm just telling the truth."

"I do not want to hear you say such a thing." His eyes flashed dangerously. "I do not expect you to forget about me, but I want you to find someone else. No, you need to find someone else. You have to be happy."

"So you're telling me to love two people at the same time?" she inquired with disbelief.

"That is not what I'm saying, Sakura. You know that."

She broke out of his grasps. "Then what are you saying?"

He sighed. "I do not want our last hours to be spent arguing over this matter."

"If you don't answer my question any time soon, I'm afraid it will be." She crossed her arms and stood her ground, glaring at him fiercely.

He examined her for a moment then stood up himself. He returned her harsh glare with one of his own. "I'm telling you that it's okay to move on, to stop loving me…just…"

"Just what?"

"Just…remember me."

The night has arrived.

The Seventy-Second Hour

With the darkness that now surrounded them, his expression had darkened as well. At his crestfallen face, she felt the need to hold his hands. Without thinking much, she grabbed them and when they flinched a little, surprised at the abrupt contact, she held them even tighter.

She sees it now. It was a lonely feeling, departing this world without a single person knowing his true intentions, knowing that beneath it all, he was a good man. He didn't seem like the type to care about people's perceptions of him, and maybe that's true, but it can't be denied that Itachi is human. And humans harbour emotions like loneliness no matter how hard they try to hide it.

Itachi was human like that too.

"I understand." And she really did. She hoped it was evident in her eyes, in her voice, and in the signals she was delivering through their connected hands.

It seemed to have worked, because he smiled with all his heart at her. It was breathtaking.

"Thank you."

With those words, she had a sudden motivation to act. She had a mission to accomplish, one that didn't exactly pay anything, at least not real money. No, perhaps the only reward is the satisfaction of helping a man lost in his ambitions, lost in his kindness to protect his only brother.

"I believe in these hands." He pulled them towards his face, placing each palm on a cheek. "I believe in what miracles you can create with them. I will always believe in you."

With his next breath, he spoke his last words. "I leave my life and my brother to you."