Bitter Sweet

A/N: Sorry guys for taking so long to update but I wasn't sure of what to write. Writer's Block hit me like a ton of bricks. I was also banging my head against the wall (literally and figuratively) over the last chapter. I wasn't sure if I should have killed Sakura off. But in the end I decided that it was best. Thank you: Evee9109, Souka105, Sayuri Hayabusa, Oo, Kitsukami, Dragonsecret, Shinku no tamashi, Ulquiorralover144, yuchi1994, mizz-kitty-15, Destiny1027, , Yahtzey and ChicFreakSistaFierce for reviewing! There might be a love triangle (or square or pentagon...well you get the idea) going on but I haven't decided that yet.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Naruto. If I did, Sasuke and Sakura would be together with black haired and green eyed Uchiha babies and Ichigo would realize that he cares about Orihime. And Ulquiorra would still be alive.

Chapter 3

Of course you don't die. Nobody dies. Death doesn't exist. You only reach a new level of vision, a new realm of consciousness, a new unknown world.
– Henry Miller

Sakura's POV

Waking up in the Soul Society felt a lot like waking up in Konoha. The only difference is that I was dead. For some reason, I didn't feel sad by that realization. I felt oddly at peace. I couldn't understand why though. I guess death worked in strange and mysterious ways and I really didn't want to sit around and ponder over the inner workings of death and the afterlife.

I woke up in a small meadow surrounded by flowers. At first I had thought that perhaps everything had been all a dream but I knew it wasn't. I looked around at my surroundings and saw a small village nearby. Strange, I thought as I made my way over to the village.

The village reminded me a lot of Konoha; I saw markets, shops and homes all around. The villagers were going about their daily business, acting as if nothing had changed when they died. There were many children running around and that saddened me more to know that they were as dead as I was. They had died before they even had the chance to live.

I sighed as I made my way around the village hoping to at least find a familiar face. Perhaps that man, Ichigo was somewhere around here. I had so many questions in my head that it was hard to concentrate. I walked along looking around the village, not really paying any attention to where I was walking. I ran into someone causing me to fall to the ground.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to run into you." I said as I got up from the ground brushing dirt of the hospital gown I was wearing when I died. I really needed something better to wear. I looked up to see who it was that I ran into. My eyes widened in surprise. Out of all the people I could have run into, why did it have to be him?

"Hello, Sakura" He said solemnly. He looked equally shocked to see me here. I guess he hadn't expected that I would be here either. I snapped out of my shock and glared at him. He was the last person I'd expected to find here. I mean, when he'd been alive, he had caused so much pain and suffering. So why the hell was he here?

"Itachi." I scowled. "What are you doing here? I thought that you'd be in hell, where you belong." I said, hatred seeping through every word.

He smirked and looked at me with amusement. "Is that what you thought? Well, as you can clearly see, I am not in hell. I guess I am not as wicked as everyone had thought. Although, I am surprised to see you here, Haruno. Why are you here?"

"I'm dead, isn't that obvious?" I replied sarcastically.

"I know that. I was just wondering how you died?" He asked seriously, all traces of amusement gone from his face. He looked exactly how he did the last time I had encountered him when we were rescuing the Kazekage from the clutches of Akatsuki. Although it hadn't really been him but a body double. A puppet of sorts that he'd manipulated to look like him to distract my team the One-tailed Shukaku from the Kazekage was extracted from Gaara. "Was it..." He stopped mid-sentence. Although I knew what he was going to say. He wanted to know if it was Sasuke who killed me.

I shook my head. "It wasn't Sasuke, if that's what you're wondering." I didn't know why I was even talking to him, reassuring him that his brother did not have his hands stained with my blood. Why did he care anyway? "I was attacked by a monster while I was in the cemetery. I died on the operating table in the hospital. At least that's what I believe. I saw my body there. And that man told me what happened to me."

"A hollow attacked you? In Konoha?" Itachi questioned. I simply nodded. "And that man you mentioned, what was his name? Did he tell you?"

"Yeah, his name is Ichigo Kurosaki. He said he was a Substitute Soul Reaper." I said looking away, and then I noticed what he was wearing. He was dressed in all black "He was wearing the same thing you are."

Itachi nodded. "Of course he was. This is what Soul Reapers wear. It distinguishes us from everyone else here in the Soul Society. Only those with high levels of spirit pressure are capable of becoming Soul Reapers."

"Spirit Pressure?" I asked. I had no idea what he was saying.

"That's the equivalent of Chakra here?" he answered.

I pondered in silence for a moment, then all of the sudden I felt dizzy and almost fell to the ground. I hadn't realized that I was exhausted and hungry. Itachi caught me in his arms before I hit the ground. "You're tired and hungry, I presume." He says. "Here, let me help you. I'll take you somewhere where you can rest and have something to eat.

I nod my head. My eyes felt heavy and my body was weak. As much as I hated him, he was the only one I knew here. I had no choice but to trust him. I tried to protest as he lifted me and carried me but I couldn't move. Last thing I remember was feeling the warmth of his body before everything went black.

I woke up sometime later by the sound of a voice whispering as I swirled in and out of consciousness. When I managed to open my eyes, I saw a woman staring down at me with a gentle smile. She had long raven black hair braided in the front and blue eyes.

"You're finally awake, Sakura. I'm glad." She said in a sweet, kind voice.

"Where am I? Who are you?" I asked. I tried to get up into a sitting position. She helped me. That smile never leaving her lips. "How do you know my name?"

"My name is Retsu Unohana, captain of the 4th Division. You're currently in the 4th Division barracks in the Seireitei. Itachi Uchiha brought you here after you collapsed from fatigue. He told me who you are." the woman replied.

"Where is he? Where is Itachi?" I asked.

"I sent him to bring you something to eat. You must be hungry." Unohana said. "I assume you died recently."

"Yes, it was just today or yesterday. I really don't know, actually. Everything is so confusing that I really don't know what's what." I said. "There are so many things I wanted to do but now I won't be able to." I felt tears forming in my eyes but I fought them back. "Sorry, I know I shouldn't be lamenting what happened. I thought I was strong enough to handle this reality but I guess I'm not."

"You don't need to apologize for anything, Sakura. And you don't have to put on a brave face. Cry. It's best if you cry then bottle your emotions inside yourself." Unohana said smiling gently. With that, I broke down. Tears fell down my eyes. My heart ached although I wasn't crying from weakness or pain. I guessed that part of me was resigned to the cold truth but my heart yearned for other things.

I missed my life as it was. I missed my friends and I could only imagine what they might be sad because I was gone, especially Naruto. He lost his team, his family. First, Sasuke left us for the power that Orochimaru offered. And now he'd lost me. Team 7 was now permanently destroyed. I didn't want Naruto to suffer anymore. He had already suffered enough and he at least deserved some happiness. I hoped that Hinata would give him that. I knew that she was the only one who could heal his heart.

All while I cried, Unohana remained by my side. When the tears finally stopped, she handed me a handkerchief. I took it and whispered my thanks. For some reason, Unohana reminded me of shishou, Tsunade.

"Captain Unohana, I've brought food for Sakura." Itachi said. He stood by the door holding a tray of food. He looked at me for a second as he set the tray next to me. "Eat something, Sakura." He said in a serious tone.

"Well now that you're here, Itachi, I need you to watch her. Make sure she eats. I'll come by later to check up on her, but right now I have to head to the 8th division barracks. Apparently Captain Kyoraku got himself sick drunk." Unohana said with a sigh. "That man never learns."

With that she gets up and leaves shaking her head at the stupidity of the 8th Division captain. Itachi watches her leave. I look down at the tray of food. There is miso ramen, rice, sushi, water, orange juice and dango. "Am I supposed to eat this?" I said.

"Yes, you should. At least eat as much as you can. I swear it's not poisoned." He added as I glared at him. I didn't trust him but I was too hungry to say anything. I ate everything on the tray and then set it aside. I didn't look at Itachi at all. I just wanted to pretend that he wasn't here.

"You know it's rude to ignore someone." Itachi said in a smug tone. I glared at him.

"Well, I don't like talking to murderers." I snapped.

"Ah, you hurt me, Sakura." He said. "I guess I deserve your hatred, after all I did when I lived. I guess it's too late now to repent."

"You bet it is. And you shouldn't apologize to me. Tell that to Sasuke or Naruto. They are the ones that have to forgive you. Not me." I said.

"I think I apologized to Sasuke already. I let him kill me, didn't I?" he said looking away. "I guess it was the least I could do for him. After all I did to him."

"You let Sasuke kill you?" I asked. I hadn't known this. I thought that Sasuke had defeated Sasuke not that Itachi had allowed Sasuke to kill him.

"Yes, I did. I was dying anyway from some disease. I would have died sooner or later, so I just let Sasuke kill me to sate his thirst for revenge. I know it does not atone for my sins but…But I had to do it." He replied. He turned to look at me and I saw pain and suffering reflected in his eyes. I wondered why he looked like that as if what he'd done in life haunted him. And I knew that there was more to the Uchiha massacre than what was known.

"Itachi, what really happened that night. The night of the Uchiha massacre?"