5,000 Cherry Blossoms
Prologue
A/N DISCLAIMER NARUTO DOES NOT BELONG TO ME THE SHOW AND MANGA AND ALL OF ITS ENTITLEMENTS ARE PROPERTY OF MASASHI KISHIMOTO AND ASSOCIATIVE COMPANIES
My Curse Killswitch Engage
Itachi lay, beaten and dying, in a heap against the cold stone floor. His clothes had been ripped to shreds; he lay in rags, with the remains of what was on
him covered in blood. He sighed as his younger brother made his way over to him, gripping his katana fused with chakra loosely at his side. Itachi then looked past his brother, at the girl he loved, and he thought of how much they would never do together. But nonetheless, he was happy for her; she knew nothing of her own love for him, so she would not have to suffer the heartache that came along with his death.
She was kneeling on a futon in the corner, observing the fight with an aloof indifference. Itachi smiled, knowing that she had no memory whatsoever of who he was and how she had felt for him. Sasuke had trained her to be unaffected by the sight of massacre and blood.
But Itachi's smile faded as his eyes once again were laid on Sasuke, who had a satisfied grin covering his face. He let out a triumphant grunt of amusement as he raised his katana for one final blow. Itachi closed his eyes, content that the last thing he had seen was the woman he loved. He took his final breath and braced himself for death, glad that he had been able to love someone during his lifetime.
Sakura beheld the grim sight, but frowned as something triggered in the back of her mind. Her heart was telling her to run to the beaten man that she knew nothing of, and help him; but her head was telling her to obey her master's orders and remain where she sat. But the overwhelming feeling to get up and move, as Sasuke drew closer and closer to this man, became too strong. The urge became irrepressible; she didn't know how to stop it.
So her body, seemingly of its own will, stood and sprinted over towards her master and his brother, and she screamed as Sasuke brought the sword down in one, fluid motion.
She appeared in between the two in an inconceivable instant, ripping the sword with a wicked force straight from Sasuke's hands. She then proceeded, within a matter of less than a second, to run the sword through Sasuke's back and her own chest.
Her eyes widened with pain.
She gasped as the long blade thrust into her skin, spewing blood as it exited through her back. She then stared into the onyx eyes that she finally recognized once again.
A single tear rolled down her cheek as images from long ago flashed before her eyes.
---
His hands again came down to the crevice between Sakura's legs. She moaned as his hand brushed almost everything during its journey to her core. Once it had reached its destination, Sakura felt two of his fingers enter her slowly, and she moaned longer and louder. She was breathing heavily as he built up a quicker pace, causing her to throw her head back in longing.
When Itachi slowly slid his fingers out of her, Sakura shuddered, her limbs scattered with chills. She struggled, but he had drained her of a great deal of energy. She felt him slide the nightgown even further up, until it was resting on her handcuffed wrists.
---
Sakura knew that Itachi was waiting until he could no longer sense their chakras before he made any noise or movement. And when chakra could no longer be sensed, Sakura knew Itachi would speak. She closed her eyes, waiting for a few moments, but no words ever came. Sakura looked up at the eldest remaining Uchiha and expected to be met with the deadly sharingan eyes that so many fear, but she found that Itachi was no longer in the kitchen. She heard a soft thud on the wall behind her and turned to look, seeing a kunai sticking out of the wall seemingly where her head should be. And a second later she saw some of her hair drifting to the floor and felt her cheek burst open, spurting blood everywhere. She drew a shaky breath, knowing full well that it was only luck that had kept her alive.
---
Sakura all but sank through the bed and into the floor at his words. In truth Sakura was a virgin, having slept with no one, saving herself for when she found Sasuke. But that would all go to hell now, and somehow Sakura felt as if she deserved it.
So she did not object to her punishment, allowing Itachi's hands to roam freely over her stomach and around her back, unsnapping her bra. She herself actually slid the bundle of lace off of her body, surprising him entirely.
---
Sakura slowly snaked her arms around Itachi's neck as she brought one leg up, and she winked at Kisame playfully before she loosened the tie that held back Itachi's hair. It fell around her face, blocking Kisame from view. She giggled as Itachi ran his hand down her bent leg, but inside she felt as if she would never truly laugh again. Deidara was the second love she had lost in four years; she knew now that she would not leave the compound in search for Sasuke, but she would stay here and learn to tolerate Itachi, just to prevent her heart from dying again. And she knew that she would never be the same when Itachi whispered faintly in her ear.
---
She was still wrapped around Sasori, who had buried his face in her shoulder. This put her in a very awkward position. She was holding one broken soul close while staring up at the face of a man who didn't even have a soul to break, and the only thing she could do to conserve the little dignity he hadn't taken away from her was stare at him with equal contempt.
But she felt as if that little dignity was scraped away when that man took her face in his hands and brought it up to his, smothering her in a quiet kiss. She could do nothing; she did not want Sasori to know that she was kissing Itachi and hugging him at the same time. But she did not want to kiss Itachi; she had never been in such a preposterous situation before. So she chose what her heart told her not to but her head said would be the most reasonable decision. She continued to kiss Itachi.
After what seemed like forever, Itachi pulled away from Sakura's face, smirking arrogantly. She glared at him as he brought his mouth down to her ear.
---
She brought her hand up to meet his, covering it. This spoke so much more than words. It was her way of saying that she has given up. She was telling him with that one touch that she was okay. That she could finally love him.
---
He had reached his limit, and so had Sakura. He finally pulled out of her, causing her to groan at the top of her voice. He fell on top of her, and she held him close, welcoming his warm body on her own. Their ragged breathing was the only noise that now filled the room. And there they lay, both falling asleep right after the other.
---
He was about to raise his head and his fists, but she caught both of his arms in hers and ripped them out of his shoulders as hard as she could. The blood spurted all over her face and clothes, and he screamed. She threw his arms onto the table, and then kicked him hard in the neck.
…but worst of all…
She laughed crazily at the sound of his neck cracking under her shin. She had lost control. She was laughing so loudly that it called the attention of Kisame, Hidan and Sasori, who were all the way on the other end of the compound. As a matter of fact, it was more of an amused shriek than a laugh.
…he thinks he can touch me.
She walked slowly over to Sasuke's lifeless body before her, and her laughing stopped. She picked him up by his hair, and saw the rest of his body turn in the air, as it was no longer held straight by his neck. His face was splattered with blood as well, and she licked it off, wanting to see her former love's face once again before he was gone forever.
Then she kissed him, holding his cold body close, and threw it to the floor, causing more blood to spew out of his wounds and onto the floor and her legs. She took a kunai out of her leg wrap that she always wore, and removed her shirt and bra. She then found where her heart was in her chest, and she pointed the end of the small knife at it.
---
Itachi sank further into the wood of the table, burying his face in his hands. Sakura tried to put her hand on his shoulder, but he brushed it away. He looked down at her with hurt in his eyes. Sakura gasped slightly. It was the first time she had seen Itachi show true, sincere emotion before, other than lust. She quickly averted her eyes from his face, the sight too much for her to take. She turned to Deidara, who smiled weakly at her. She smiled back, even weaker, and found her voice.
---
She was yelling, and she snarled the last few words. She didn't know how they could be so selfish. She threw a chair into the wall, causing the wood to shatter and the wall to crack, exposing the dim light of outside. It had begun to rain, and the thunder drowned out the sound of the chair crashing into the wall. She glared at Itachi fiercely, then turned to Deidara, who fell out of his chair at her gaze. She picked up the table, causing Itachi to fall, as he was sitting on it, and merely tossed it out of the way. She walked through the newly cleared pathway, and exited, stomping violently the entire way.
---
She walked in to find the room dark, lit only with the dim light from the rainy outside. Itachi was leaning against the wall, staring out of the window, similar to how Sakura had been only a few minutes before. When she entered, he made no comment.
She made her way cautiously over to the window, putting her hand gingerly on Itachi's arm. He did not seem to notice her touch. She decided, since she was not pinned against the wall, floor, or bed by this time, that it was alright, so she wrapped her arms around him. She smiled, although very surprised, when he returned her gesture, pulling her close with his own arm.
"Itachi-kun…"
She looked up at the man she loved, wondering if he would ever be the same. He looked down at her as well, though his eyes still had traces of hurt and sadness in them. He heart sunk to see it. She stood on her tip-toes and kissed him gingerly, and he returned it anxiously, as though he wasn't sure how she still felt for him. He took her in both of his arms, and they leaned against the window. He brushed his fingers up her arm, making his way to the strap of her tank top that she wore. He slid it down, along with the other one, exposing her chest completely…
---
Sakura opened her eyes, a solitary tear rolling down her cheek.
So he is still alive…
She had sensed his too-familiar chakra as he had approached their window. She had been quite fearful, not knowing what he would do, but he did nothing except stand, and for that, she was relieved.
And then he had left in a hurry. When she had not sensed his chakra any longer, she opened her eyes and stared at the place where he had been. Her heart grew heavy with the weight of knowing that the Sasuke she had killed had been someone else, probably another one of Orochimaru's subordinates.
So she got up, as quietly as she could, and grabbed a traveling cloak, throwing just a few things in a small bag.
He will not win. I will kill him.
And with that, she left a note on the dresser and left, not knowing if she would live to return.
---
"Itachi…kun…"
And for the last time, dark onyx clashed with sparkling green, then it was finished.