AN: Hey guys! It's been a while. Sorry, I've been busy with school work and other stuffs. However, I give you a pretty long chapter in return? Yeah, that make you happy, yeah?

So I'm not sure how much I love this chapter. It's kind of half-transitional-half-important-shit-that-you-nee d-to-read. It just jumps around a lot, I guess, and I hope it's not too choppy for you. I'm trying to get to the good stuff.

Enjoy.

Review. I love the long comments that really talk about what you like/don't like. If you don't send them, I can't get better. Right?!

I love you all!

Nothing but the Truth

Chapter 13: Wax Before a Fire

He could not forget the touch of her arms around his neck, impatiently felt as it had been at the time; but now the recollection of her clinging defence of him, seemed to thrill him through and through,-to melt away every resolution, all power of self-control, as if it were wax before a fire.

-Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Eyes closed, senses stretched, looking for something – Aha! There he was; he had traveled quickly from the northern to the southwestern portion of the training ground, but she had not expected him to be so far from her. Silently, she slunk through the dense trees that populated the training underground. Jade eyes darted around nervously, trying to pinpoint any floating explosives that could be creeping in the trees.

How do they even get trees to grow underground anyway? She thought to herself in a moment of distraction. This was a mistake, though, as she lost her pinpoint in Deidara's exact location. Dammit. She hissed to herself as she closed her eyes and expanded her senses once again. However, she would never get the chance to find him because at that second she felt the clay bird.

Her legs reacted instinctually and in a chakra infused jump, she just managed to avoid the blast that would have been right by her left arm. She landed in a tree a few meters away and observed the damage. It had been a small blast as they had agreed to keep the sparring light and non-lethal this morning since they would be leaving for another base in a few hours.

The last thing they needed was for one of them to be hurt or out of chakra because Kisame had said the journey would be a two-day walk to the port city on the eastern border. From there, they would take a passenger barge to Whirlpool Country where the base was hidden. Overall, the journey was said to take at least a week so they couldn't afford to be injured or exhausted. At least, that's what Kisame had said when he'd ordered them to be careful this morning before Sakura and Deidara had begun their spar.

Silently breathing, Sakura concentrated. That could have just been a trap Deidara had set in order to gain her location. So she jumped from her perch in another direction so that he wouldn't find her there. Expanding her senses, she realized she could feel Deidara now at the site where the explosion had occurred. It was a trap.

Doubling back, she found him examining the site carefully, looking at the damage the blast had done. Sakura noted the sadistic gleam in his eye at the 'art' he had created and rolled her eyes. But this was her chance to attack, and she was going to take advantage of it. With bated breath, she fell to the floor with kunai in hand. Silently, she began to make her way to where Deidara was still looking for her.

All he heard was the light swoosh of her kunai – he had just enough time to duck and fling himself around towards her. Sakura was prepared for him though as his clay birds flew towards her with equal speed and ferocity that she had unleashed her kunai. Sakura didn't realize they were chakra-sensitive birds, and although she flew out of the way in time, the birds spun back and were flying at her back.

A rain of senbon ejected themselves from Sakura's hands as she countered each clay bird. With tiny explosions, they set off one by one. Knowing that close-quarter combat was hardly Deidara's forte, Sakura rushed towards him in a blinding speed. Her right hand (which felt oddly light due to their 'no chakra laden punches' rule) swung at his face as he jumped backwards to dodge it.

The corners of his mouth hitched up as he clapped his hands together and twenty or so tiny clay balls fell in her face. The bastards going to erupt them in front of both of us! She thought to herself as she rolled out of the way, giving up the offensive position to Deidara. He was throwing more clay birds at her. Her hands formed the seals before she could even think about what she was doing and her palms began to tickle. Quickly, a small ball of lightning was forming between her fingers, and she launched it at one of the birds. Then another, and another, and she heard Deidara swear.

"Dammit, woman! That one almost got me! What are you thinking using an A-rank technique in the middle of a spar?" he yelled as he jumped to hide behind a tree.

As the last bird blew with a small explosion, Sakura laughed. "That's an S-rank technique," she quipped. It really was – it was an alteration of Kakashi's chidori. Since Sakura could never muster the chakra and brute strength needed for that technique, she found a way around it by creating a mass of smaller chidori-like lightning bombs that implemented her chakra control but didn't strain her body too much.

"Beside the point, yeah!" Deidara hissed as he wound back around the tree, glaring at her through his one visible eye as the other was hiding behind his scope. "We agreed to keep this light!"

"You tried to blow me up! Don't think I didn't sense the chakra behind those birds, you idiot! A few of those could have incapacitated me!" Sakura retorted vehemently.

"Fine, let's take things up a notch. How about that, yeah," Deidara spewed back, his own temper quickly losing check of itself.

"Fine!" Sakura roared as her hand reared back and punched the ground, this time laden and brimming with chakra.

Sakura smirked. Deidara blinked.

He managed to jump just in time from the ten foot deep fissure that ran its way towards him quickly. However, Sakura wasn't finished. Another series of hand seals later and two giant earthen hands erupted from the final point of her crevice and lunged at Deidara. Silently, Sakura thanked all of her time with Yamato learning wood and earth release jutsu. It seemed to be quite the surprise to Deidara.

Curses spewing loudly from his mouth, Deidara flung himself back into the trees and ran to get away from her, needing time to make his bombs. Sakura wasn't going to allow that to happen, though, and she chased after him, infusing chakra into her legs to make herself faster than him. Banking around a corner, Sakura lost sight of the man. She stopped, closed her eyes, and tried to feel his presence once again.

Deidara smirked. Sakura blinked.

BANG!

Itachi sat straight up in bed at the explosion and the subsequent shutter of the furniture in his room. Giving a quick glance at his clock, he realized it was early – early enough to where no one should be awake yet. As he jumped up to dress himself, he pushed his senses out, expecting there to be enemy ninja around the hideout, but was relieved to find no one there.

Then what had that shutter and explosion been? The answer came a moment later when he heard Kisame growl, "Deidara!" in an angry tone just down the hall. Itachi surmised Kisame was standing right outside of the room that led to the basement training grounds. Deidara had let off an explosion downstairs – it wasn't an attack. Grumbling profanities in his head, Itachi went back and collapsed on his bed in order to get another hour of sleep before too straight days of travel.

He hadn't slept well at all as his mind spent most of the night churning about a certain kunoichi that had kissed him right before he retired for the evening. The sense of conflict that had rose within him returned in one fowl swoop as he settled back into his covers. He found the kunoichi's actions to be unexpected but not unwelcomed, and addictive. Slowly, over the past few months, as he grew accustomed to her presence, he realized what a comfort she had become.

He allowed her to work on his eyes – possibly his most proud possession (if they could be called that). She was someone who he was sharing his darkest secrets with, and she didn't reject him or blame him for the horrible things he had done in his past. When had she managed to weasel her way in like this? When had she become such a permanent fixture next to him, falling in step beside to him? When had he begun to care for her?

All he knew was that this was getting dangerous.

That brought up the other question – what was she thinking? She was a Konoha kunoichi, and although she now knew the truth of the Uchiha massacre, he was still a traitor to her home. Her acts could be seen as treacherous and she could be punished for them. Last night, though, she didn't seem to care. Perhaps that was his fault as well. He had told her that she overthought things too much, and she had listened to what her body told her to do instead of her mind. Now he needed to take his own advice and stop overthinking their current predicament.

Why? Because Itachi knew there was no right answer. No matter what, something was going to go wrong with this. It had to. Either she would abandon Konoha and join the Akatsuki, but resent him and the Akatsuki for the rest of their lives. Or she would return to her home, leaving her and possibly Itachi emotionally scarred. If he kept thinking about it, it would just make matters more complicated.

A noise made Itachi inwardly startle. He no longer had to stop his own internal musings, as loud curses emanating from the hallway were doing it for him. It was Kisame, and he was angry. "Dammit, Deidara, you could have killed her!"

Her? There was only one 'her' they could be referring to, and apparently something had happened to Sakura. Kisame wouldn't sound so upset otherwise. Quickly pulling himself out of bed, Itachi smoothed over his bed-wrinkled clothes as he was preparing to go see what the commotion about Sakura was about. He was sure she wasn't fatally harmed, or Deidara would surely be receiving much more than a scolding from Kisame at the moment.

"It was an accident, yeah! She tried to engulf me into the earth!" Itachi heard Deidara call.

"Go get Itachi. He needs to heal her," Kisame growled. They were now standing outside of Sakura's room, he deduced. This was soon confirmed as he heard her door click open and swiftly slammed shut.

Grumbling to himself, Deidara had sauntered down the hall to Itachi's room, and rapped on the door lightly a few times. Itachi didn't respond and waited for Deidara to enter himself. Tentatively, the door opened, to reveal a haggard looking blond-nin, but he didn't look Itachi in the eye. It was as if he could sense the piercing Sharingan coming from where Itachi stood. "Sakura needs you, yeah," he muttered.

Itachi's hand was around his throat and he was propped uncomfortably against the wall in less time than Deidara could register. "What. Did. You. Do?" Itachi murmured darkly, staring into Deidara's cerulean eyes. However, he was inwardly cursing himself. He should never show so much emotion towards a person about Sakura. Deidara, especially, would use his…feelings…for Sakura against him, even though it would most likely be in a teasing manner.

Deidara gripped Itachi's wrists in a confining way, ready to disperse the emergency bombing clay he always kept in his hands. "Nothing, yeah, we were just sparring, and it got a little out of hand. She's mostly burned."

Itachi narrowed his eyes imperceptivity but allowed Deidara to fall ungracefully as he stepped back. "Is she conscious?"

Deidara smirked. "Don't worry, your little girlfriend was dazed but awake when I left her with Kisame."

"Hm," Itachi replied almost silently as he glided from the room, allowing an amused Deidara to follow behind him. Entering Sakura's room, he quickly noted they were not there, but the bathroom door was open and the light was on.

A loud an annoyed voice filtered into the bedroom. "I'm fine! I can heal it later!" Sakura groaned unconvincingly.

"C'mon sweetheart," Kisame rebuffed, "You can't travel like this. Itachi will be in here in a minute to take care of you."

Itachi heard it – Kisame's tone was filled with so much insinuation that any other man would blush. In fact, Deidara was blushing and snickering audibly behind Itachi. Said Uchiha turned and glared at Deidara, telling him 'you go no further.' Itachi swept into the bathroom to find Sakura sitting on the edge of the bathtub, holding her mangled shirt up to stay decent with Kisame lounging on the toilet, looking rather pleased with himself.

Sakura was bright red behind the grime that littered her face from the spar. Other than the tint of her cheeks, Itachi could make out several dangerous burns marking her neck, back, and ribs. Sakura wouldn't be able to heal them herself, and Itachi knew that because she couldn't reach where some of the burns were. Instead of holding eye contact with a very embarrassed and frustrated kunoichi, Itachi turned back to look at Deidara. When he looked, he really fixed a glare so intense that it made Deidara bow out of the room in order to preserve his life.

"Go," Itachi ordered to Kisame, in no mood to argue. Kisame scoffed teasingly, but snickered as he jumped from the toilet seat to leave the room.

Click. The door to the bathroom was closed. Click. The door to the bedroom was closed. Click. The door to the bedroom was locked. For an Akatsuki, Kisame was hardly subtle.

Now, Itachi's focus was on one badly burned pink-haired-kunoichi, who was gazing unabashedly at Itachi's lips. Suddenly, he softened a bit as he was now remembering the kiss in full detail. Clearly, that's what she was doing as well; for when Itachi inclined his head to greet her and break her concentration, Sakura's face turned an even deeper shade of red.

"You don't have to do this," Sakura half-whispered, not looking him in the eye. He squatted in front of her and placed his index finger under her chin, turning her face up to his so obsidian eyes met with jade.

"Turn around," he ordered gently. Sakura blushed again, but did as he told her so her feet were hanging limply in the tub, her arms still securely attached to her front so that what remained of her shirt wouldn't fall.

Itachi noted the damage quietly to himself, and resolutely decided he would punish Deidara handily for this. The entire left portion of her upper back and shoulder were charred, burnt, and sticky. Inwardly cringing, he realized it wasn't too different of a wound than what she had suffered in order to be brought in the first place. Standing up, he walked to the counter in order to get the necessary supplies. He pulled out a wash cloth and a towel, and silently handed the latter to Sakura, who looked up at him confused. "I will most likely have to cut off your shirt," he intoned thoughtfully as he filled the sink with water and poured disinfectant soup into it.

Once again, to his eternal amusement, Sakura was blushing. Possibly one of the strongest kunoichi in the world and not even nineteen, and three minutes with him had turned her into an adolescent female with raging hormones. Male satisfaction coursed unashamedly through him.

Sakura bound the towel tightly to her chest with her arms at Itachi sat down behind her, placing the wash cloth tentatively to her back. "I'll need to clean the wound before I heal it. There are pieces of your shirt burned into your skin." Sakura merely nodded knowingly.

She winced. His touch was soft, yet firm against her as he slowly scraped the wash cloth against her skin. Her skin tightened and ached from the treatment. She was a shinobi and she could handle pain, but holy hell this hurt. Silently, she decided that his proximity wasn't affecting her. No, the fact that she could feel his calloused, tender fingers against her sensitive skin and his light breath against her neck wasn't bothering her at all.

Really, she must be so attractive right now. Burns gorging her entire back, a sheen layer of sweat, dust, and grime settled against her skin, and hair mussed and falling in odd places. He must be so turned on right now. She allowed herself a dark, mirthless chuckle.

"This is an odd time to laugh."

Sakura stiffened automatically, not realizing she had laughed out loud. "Sorry, just thinking," she replied lamely, trying to get him to drop the subject.

"About?" he inquired, his breath still tickling the back of her neck as he meticulously picked the shards of fabric from her skin, kunai taking on the pieces that were too melted to be removed by fingers. She audibly gasped as he dug out a particularly deep piece, and he almost felt like apologizing, but he stopped himself from doing so. He was wanted an answer to his question.

Sakura recoiled, but not from the pain. She knew his Sharingan was activated for the task of healing her back, and it could see though lies. Therefore, she decided, there was no point in lying. "You."

"Hm."

First, she waited for him to say something more, but it became quickly apparent that he wasn't going to elaborate. Deciding he was probably taking his time to formulate a perfect, concise response, she just relaxed a little as she heard him place the wash cloth in the sink. Apparently he was done disinfecting the wound and removing the pieces of her shirt.

Without asking if it he was comfortable with the notion, and not really caring even if he wasn't comfortable, she pulled what was left of her bra and shirt from under the town and threw them unceremoniously into the garbage bin between the bathtub and the counter, so she was merely wearing her black shorts, red skirt, and flimsy white towel bound to her chest. Now, nothing separated them but this thin, small, white towel, and Sakura felt her chest, torso, and neck get unflinchingly warm. But this time, it wasn't embarrassment.

An inwardly amused Itachi placed his hands lightly over Sakura's back, and she shivered. Yes, visibly shivered, and the ends of his lips tilted up at his effect on her. Slowly, he melded healing chakra into his hands and pushed it into the wounds, removing the burns and knitting her skin tissues to create new, pink skin. Only a light pink scar remained over the areas he touched. Since he only had very basic medical training, he knew she would probably go over most of this again in order to heal herself completely. Right now he needed to get her well enough to travel, and she had already wasted enough chakra on her spar with Deidara. She still had plenty, but if they ran into any enemies (not that Sakura would really be fighting in any battles they may have anyway, he told himself); she would need her remaining chakra.

Sighing at the feeling of her back being healed, Sakura allowed her posture to relax as a warm feeling enveloped her. The first time Itachi had healed her, she had barely been conscious, but she remembered enjoying the feeling. She reveled in being taken care of for once, instead of taking care of others. Not that she would give up her job as a medic, ever, since her job was satisfying and gratifying in so many ways, but sometimes it was nice to have someone take care of you.

Working his hands up her back and around her neck, Itachi deemed his work acceptable, and pulled his hands from her lightly. She didn't seem to notice as she stayed in her slightly hunched position for a moment longer. Assessing her, he knew her eyes were closed and her breathing was even and deep, but she was not asleep. A trance-like state had overtaken her while he'd been working on her back. Smirking to himself, he lightly traced a finger along her hip and along the side of her ribcage, very close to the sensual curve of her breast, and along her back.

That was enough – she shuddered and whipped herself around to face him – not noticing that she had placed a leg on either side of his, as he had been kneeling for the procedure he had just enacted on her back. Bright red tinted her cheeks and her eyebrows were furrowed in an attempted to be angry, but Itachi could see her body was much to affected for that to be the case. She was adorable, he decided, in the most affectionate way possible.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. Well it was more of a moan, but he knew she meant for it to sound angry.

"Waking you up," he mused, raising an eyebrow at her. "You seemed…distracted."

Sakura's face smoothed, but her face stayed an 'adorable' shade of pink, and Itachi found himself giving into his wishes again – only something that was characteristic for the normally cold and calculating Uchiha when he was around a certain kunoichi. He hooked his hands behind her knees and pulled her down off the edge of the tub, as she let out an 'umph' in shock, so she was straddling his upper thighs.

"Do you want to know a secret?" he whispered into her ear as he leaned his head up. The tremors in her spine were palpable and she sighed as his warm breath tickled her ear. Tentatively, she nodded her head in affirmation, waiting for him to continue. "I've been thinking about you too."

Sakura gasped in surprise at his admission, but more so at the fact that he was now leaving well-placed, experienced butterfly kisses under her ear, and travelling down to jaw. Slowly, tantalizingly and achingly slow, he made his way around her jaw so he placed a final kiss just below her lips. Sakura was stunned into paralysis, her eyes wide yet hazy with want and desire. She groaned when she realized he was denying her lips.

Smirking into the skin of her jaw, he laid his kisses further south so he was now sucking gently on her pulse. Of its own volition, her head moved back to give him further access to her neck. Open mouthed kisses littered down her neck as her hands left their secure hold on the towel – the only think keeping her from being exposed – and wrapped around his neck firmly, arching her body against him. Either to her prowess as a kunoichi or by some form of dumb luck, she suspected the latter; the towel never slipped and would now cover her if she stayed pressed against him. This idea didn't bother her one bit, though. However, her actions did give her ears the gratifying sound of a guttural growl escape from Itachi.

His hand fisted itself in her hair as he pulled her face down to his, and unceremoniously crashed her lips into his with a distinct ferocity. There was no time for her to think, no time for her to deny, no time for her to play hard to get – she couldn't tease him; he would not allow it. His tongue slipped into her mouth the second their lips met in an all dominating kiss of epic proportions.

Although it was passionate and feverish, Sakura could feel the amount of control and determined movements Itachi put into the kiss, and she couldn't say what, but something disappointed her for a moment. Perhaps it was because she wanted to know what Itachi was like without that mask of emotionlessness that he always held in place. Sure, he had shown a few cracks in the surface, but this was merely the exterior of Uchiha Itachi, and her entire being ached to delve deeper into him.

Right now, though, was not the time. Right now, a very precarious right hand of Uchiha Itachi was tracing circled on her hip while the other stayed fisted in her hair, keeping her head in place for this lip-bruising kiss. She mewled into his mouth and arched into him further, wanting to be closer to him as if her rock-solid grip around his neck wasn't enough. Her hands bent as she unfastened his hair tie subconsciously and she ran her hands through his silken raven locks.

Sakura had been kissed before, multiple times, and by four (or five, depending on how you look at it) different men.

Her first kiss had been Naruto when she was fifteen. It was a game of seven-minutes-of-heaven and they had been each other's first. Not to say it was unpleasant in any way, shape, or form, but it was new and exhilarating. After, though, they quickly realized how wrong they were for each other and how they're more like brother and sister than they would ever be lovers.

The second, she didn't count. It was Kabuto, it was forced, and it had been during her time in Orochimaru's lair. She didn't like to think about it.

Third was Neji. Oh, Neji. Rushing into Orochimaru's lair and rescuing her before they had even been in love. She had reprimanded him unashamedly, and insisted she didn't need a rescuer. In turn, he had insisted that she did need him, and he used his knowledge of chakra pathways and the human body to immobilize her legs, so he carried her home from Sound to Konoha (the entire way). That had been the beginning to a very loving, intense, but not-meant-to-be relationship.

He was so romantic and loving and kissed her in the most devoted way possible. Of course, he had been her first…ahem…and he had kissed her with fervor and passion during their interludes. But that was nothing like what was currently happening to her. Now, though, was not the time to be thinking about her former fiancé, as she was mashed against Uchiha Itachi and it would just be disrespectful (as if thinking about all of your former kisses while involved in the most intense make-out sessions of your entire life).

The fourth (or third, if you discount Kabuto) was Idate Morino of all people. Sakura had run into him on her first mission post-Neji and to say that he was her rebound would be an understatement. They had found themselves secluded in a teahouse in the Land of Snow, and had spent most of the time drinking sake and making out. Idate was a good kisser, but their exchanges never took it to the level that her relationship with Neji had, and for that, she was grateful. They had parted ways, agreeing they had to 'do this again sometime' and she hadn't seen him sinse. Not that it had been that long – maybe three or four months since she'd seen him.

Now, number five (four, she reminded herself), had pushed his legs from their kneeling position and twisted them around as he pressed Sakura's newly-healed back to the cold tiled floors of the bathroom. He finally broke their kiss as his hands left her hair to lay affectionately above her head as he hovered over her. He seemed to be going in for another kiss when he suddenly stilled, stiffened, and pulled himself off of her in a swift movement so he was sitting on the edge of the tub now, Sakura lying on the ground, staring at him.

"Kisame," he growled in answer to her silent question, and she let out a small shriek. Clasping her hands around her towel – which had miraculously stayed in place during their entire interlude – she jumped up and stalked into her room in order to dress herself.

"You two decent?" Kisame called, with another audible snicker, into the door. Sakura was pulling over another shirt just as the two unceremoniously barged into her room, hoping to see something they shouldn't.

Tobi was behind them. "You shouldn't spy on Itachi-san and Sakura-san. Sakura-san will be angry and hit you!"

"Thanks for reminding me, Tobi," she hissed as she pushed chakra into her fists, sauntering with a dangerous gleam in her eye towards the two Akatsuki in front of her.

X

The next few days seemed to go by in a blur. If there was time to think about what had happened between her and Itachi, Sakura didn't use it. They were running for the coast, hard and fast, in order to make it to the barge on time. The trip had taken a few days and there had been little-to-no time to rest, eat, or sleep. They just ran, silently. Normally, one would assume that this would be the perfect time to think. However, with the jungles in Lightning Country as dense as they were, any shinobi would have to focus on where they were putting their hands in feet, especially shinobi who were running faster than anyone could even imagine.

This didn't mean that Sakura never got alone time with Itachi. Kisame found it interesting that suddenly she would be the one to offer to go get fish for the group, and Itachi would go 'scout for enemy nin' at the same time, and come back at the same time, looking ruffled and out of breath. Yes, they managed to escape the group for light conversations and brief kisses. Neither of which were good enough to quench the insatiable thirst for each other that seemed to drive both of them to near madness since the morning in the bathroom.

Now, though, they had reached the barge (which could be described more as a wooden version of a cruise ship), and were settling into their rooms nicely. Itachi, Sakura, and Deidara all henged themselves and procured the tickets, and then snuck Kisame and Tobi (who would look different no matter what) into their suite.

Yes, suite. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fully stocked kitchen and living room – it was a suite.

They would be on the boat for about a week, so Itachi and Kisame dispatched themselves to their room in order to unpack. Not ten minutes into placing his items in their drawers, Sakura knocked on the door lightly into the room.

"Itachi, Kisame," she greeted. Itachi nodded his head, and Kisame gave a gruff greeting. At first, Kisame intended to stand up and leave the two alone, but Sakura halted him. "I actually have something I would like to talk with you two about."

"Aa," Itachi replied, inclining his head at the chair on the opposite side of the room. Sakura smiled meekly and sat down, facing both of them.

"I think this would be a good time to heal your heart and lungs, Itachi," she stated firmly.

Itachi was surprised, but hid it well. Kisame didn't. His eyes bulged. "On a cruise ship, kid, of all things?"

"We'll put a chakra seal on the suite so no one can sense it. The surgery will take three to four days, by my calculations, and Itachi will have to be sedated for most of it, if not all of it. There are no other shinobi on the barge, and we are less likely to be ambushed on open water," Sakura replied carefully, keeping her eyes trained on Itachi.

Said Uchiha was thinking very deeply. She hadn't said anything about him being unconscious, and he didn't like the idea at all. However, she seemed to know what he was thinking. "Usually the surgery takes longer, but I'm me and I'm better than 'usually'. It's invasive, medic-nin wise, and sedating you will be the only way to finish the procedure. I need to be able to have your heart beat at an absolute minimum to keep you alive. This way, Kisame, Deidara, and Tobi are all here to take care of me."

"You?" Kisame asked.

Sakura turned her gaze to him thoughtfully. "Yes. During this time I will only sleep for two hour time periods between healing sessions. You'll need to bring me food and whatever supplies I need. To say that I won't be able to function outside of this procedure will be an understatement," Sakura bit her lip as she forced the next words out. "I'll be relying and trusting in you completely."

Sakura was in what she and Ino had dubbed 'medic-mode' and the seriousness of her voice was not to be taken lightly. Kisame nodded and stood up, leaving her and Itachi. "Very well," Itachi said, agreeing to the procedure.

Slowly, Sakura stood and walked over to him where he was sitting on his bed and pulled his head into her shoulder, wrapping her arms tightly around him, as if comforting him. Perhaps she had seen something in his eyes. The flash of uncertainty that he had managed to stifle, or the pained expression at thinking of his condition – it had always been his plan to die, and when his plans faltered, it unnerved him. "It's going to be okay. When I'm done…you'll be able to live."

That, he decided, was perhaps what worried him the most.

X

The next four days, to Sakura, were all one long blur. Itachi had left the room to 'shower one last time' and had come back to a bit of a surprise. Sakura had rearranged the room to look like a hospital room. Two end-tables had been pushed together and now sat between two beds that were only a few inches apart. She explained that after each session, she would be so exhausted that she wouldn't be able to walk, so it was best to have the beds close.

It unnerved Itachi at how she kept talking about how exhausted she would be, but he never questioned her. This was no longer the ill-tempered, sweet, hostile, adorable Sakura he had grown to know over the past three months. This was medic-Sakura and he knew better than to question her or doubt her. She had healed his eyes back to perfection, after all.

Sakura took a nap, and when she awoke, announced it was time for the procedure to begin. As he eased himself into the bed, Itachi received one last kiss from Sakura – not missing a snickering, hiding, Kisame behind them – and was quickly unconscious.

Sakura, on the other hand, was confident in her abilities. She could and would heal him. Tirelessly, she worked her heart, hands, and body out. Stitching muscle, reforming tissue, and removing infection – it took its toll.

Time had no meaning. She worked until her body couldn't anymore, and then she worked a little more. When her muscles and chakra simply refused to budge, she would push a little harder, and then she'd collapse on her bed in a heap and sleep. Like clockwork, one hour and forty-five minutes later, she would wake up from her deep slumber as if an alarm sounded in her head, telling her that her chakra stores had been replenished enough to continue. Deidara, Tobi, but mostly Kisame, would bring her a plate of food. She would wolf it down and then continue.

It had taken longer than she had thought – four and a half days, but it was done, and it was done well. All of his previous ailments had cleared his lungs and she had fixed the damaged muscle in his heart. He would live. Well, he wouldn't die because of his heart condition, anyway. Sakura subconsciously knew she couldn't stop him from dying other ways, but she knew she had stopped this.

For the first time in four days, she pulled herself from the bed and stomped to the bathroom in order to shower. She had left the bed once or twice a day to use the facilities and brush her teeth, but never more than that. Now, though, she needed a shower. Four days of sweat and grease had compiled over her entire body and all she wanted to do was clean herself and sleep.

The shower was quick and she unceremoniously dumped shampoo into her hair. As it rinsed, she soaped herself up and then conditioned. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough. Brushing her teeth for good measure, she climbed back into her bed, staring at the peaceful face of Itachi Uchiha. As she drifted, she knew it was worth it.

Waking up from being comatose for five days was not pleasant. The first thing he realized was that his body was stiff and sore. Then, he sniffed a bit and realized that the pungent odor in the room was him after not showering for five days. It was dark, he noted, and everyone would probably be asleep. The sounds of even, deep breathing caught his attention, and he turned to a very gaunt looking kunoichi, who had lost consciousness the second her head hit the pillow. He knew this because her covers weren't drawn and her legs were still dangling a bit off the bed.

As he tested his muscles, he knew the only way to rid the stiffness would be to move and to take a warm shower. Pulling himself up, ignoring his protesting body, he took his first deep breath in…his first deep breath…in years. It had been so long since a deep breath wouldn't leave his body shaking with rasping breaths. His two fingers went to his wrist instantly, and he felt his heartbeat. It was still slow from the sedative, but it was even. His heartbeat didn't jump in the way it used to. That's when he realized it.

The surgery had worked. A sudden feeling of elation filled him, quickly to be replaced with uncertainty. Where did this leave all of his plans? First, his eyes were healed to perfection, and now his heart is intact. He was given every chance to live now, and wouldn't he be foolish if he didn't take it; just as foolish as his little brother had been when he ran to Orochimaru for power, leaving all those who loved him behind.

Putting his internal thoughts to a halt, he stood slowly as not to overexert. First order of business – get Sakura into bed. He picked up the slumbering kunoichi lightly – slightly surprised that his stench didn't wake her – and tucked her into the bed. He noted her damp hair, and realized the surgery must have only been completed a few hours ago if she showered right after. She must be exhausted. Next, he made his way silently to the bathroom and brushed his teeth, taking his own quick shower, and pulling on a pair of ninja pants.

He was warm, and chose to forego a shirt. As he entered the room, the thought of lying in the bed where he had previously been comatose irked him. Exhaustion had hit him suddenly, and he surmised that it was possible he wasn't supposed to be awake yet.

He supposed he could go use the spare bed that was in Sakura's…Kisame's room…but he didn't want Sakura to wake and he not be present. Surely, she would lose her temper if he did such a thing from worry – not that she'd ever admit she was worried. Most likely, she would cross her arms at the thought and say 'I have faith in my abilities. I knew you were fine'. Therefore, he concluded, there was only one option.

Slipping into bed next to Sakura, he pulled the blankets around them and placed his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him, and fell into one of the most satisfying slumbers of his life.

Waking up next to her, several hours later, was equally as pleasant. First, he felt her eyelashes skitter across his chest, and this roused him. Her squeak of shock came next as she realized whose arms she was in. Then, as if his male-satisfaction wasn't already at its peak, she nuzzled into him and gripped his back, pulling them together.

"Morning," he whispered into her ear.

She yelped in shock and pulled back to look at him. "You're awake?"

"No," he replied. He was being sarcastic, despite the impassive tone, and she knew it.

"Jerk," she whispered. "How're you feeling?"

Itachi sucked in a deep breath and blew it on her ear. She giggled and turned towards him to block the invading air. "Amazing," he replied genuinely.

Sakura blushed at the sincerity of his tone, but she didn't have time to think about it because now…oh Gods he was kissing her again. And he was doing it in that way that made her mind melt and haze. Then he was on top of her, pinning her arms above her head and trailing open mouthed kisses down her throat, and she moaned lightly…she couldn't help it…though the smirk from him that she felt under her neck was enough to make her want to stop.

"You're not…" she panted and moaned again as he nipped the flesh of her collar bone, "…supposed to overexert yourself…"

"I've been in bed for five days. I've been without you for five days," he mumbled into her neck as he sucked, bit, and then licked to sooth her creamy skin there. "I need to make it up sometime."

"Itachi…"she breathed out, but the medic in her head was screaming that this wasn't right. Then, something else was screaming in her head.

From behind her mental barrier.

It had started as a hum, but now it was getting louder. She didn't recognize the sensation, but she knew what it meant. "Stop," she commanded and blessed herself when it was forceful. He pulled back to stare at her. Just to be safe, she asked, "You're not trying to break my mental barrier right now, are you?"

He shook his head, furrowing his brows slightly. Sakura jerked from underneath him suddenly and was running around the room frantically.

"What's so important that she needs to do this to talk to me?" Sakura asked to herself. She was healing the love marks that covered her neck now, to Itachi's annoyance, and was cleaning up the room the best she could.

"Sakura," Itachi intoned.

Sakura merely turned to him, her face pale, and the lines under her eyes outlining her exhaustion. "Oh, god, Itachi put on a shirt, dammit!" she cried as she threw a clean shirt in his direction. Her sudden change in persona shocked him, so he stared at her through Sharingan eyes, but he saw to presence of inner-Sakura there. Could there be some other personality down there? He acquiesced, though, and pulled the black shirt over his head.

It was just in time, too, because suddenly Sakura's body went rigid and she focused on a spot on the center of the room. First, there was merely a wisp of wind, and then a large ball of green light appeared in the middle of the room.

It looked like the astro-projections they used in the Akatsuki. However, this was quickly forming into something much more human. He could discern blonde hair, long, a curved female figure, a stubborn look, and a word that said something slightly comical stitched to the back of her green overcoat. That's when he realized he was now in the presence of the Fifth Hokage.

Sakura bowed, "Tsunade-sama."

AN: In return for your wonderful patience, I gave you much ItachiXSakura action. Please review.

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