Come on, Sakura! Get a grip! So, you'll have to tell Sasuke-kun that his brother never wants to see him for the rest of his life. You'll figure out a way to soften the blow…right?

She huffed a small, incredulous laugh and shook her head when Kakashi looked sidelong at her. She couldn't imagine what his reaction would be if she'd let out the hysterical giggle she'd tamped down. What she really wanted to do was groan in defeat and bang her head against the wall, but that would definitely make Kakashi question her sanity.

Why did things have to be so hard for Sasuke? And why did she have to be the one to deliver more bad news?

Sakura recalled their mutual glaring after this afternoon's spar—she didn't think Sasuke would be very receptive to any placating gesture on her part. Anger, longing, and embarrassment jumbled in her head as she remembered how close he'd been, how her lips tingled, how gently he ran his fingers through her hair.

He had to know how she felt about him—she screamed it at his retreating back years ago. To toy with her like that, treating her feelings so callously…maybe he didn't deserve any kindness from her.

Her heart was too soft for him, though, and soon sympathetic thoughts were swelling as she tried to think of how she would approach this dreadful topic. She rubbed her forehead worriedly, composing and recomposing conversation starters.

A hand on her back abruptly ended these thoughts. Sakura turned and saw the comforting squint of her sensei.

"Sakura, why don't you take a break? Maybe go downstairs and get us some tea?" suggested Kakashi as he gently pushed her toward the open elevator—she could use some time away from Itachi.

Sakura exhaled as the doors closed on Kakashi waving. Today had been a real emotional roller coaster. She groaned with the weight of the day's events, kneading the kinks out of her neck.

The doors opened and she nodded at the ANBU guards. Her boots clacked across the sparkling lobby floor as Sakura thought how much lighter she felt away from Itachi's oppressive presence. Buying tea didn't take nearly enough time—she still hadn't shaken the anxiety lingering in her stomach. Way too soon, she found herself feet away from the guarded elevator.

"Sakura?"

She thought she recognized the voice, but for some reason she couldn't place it until the vivid red hair made it perfectly clear—but why did Karin sound so different?

"Um, I was wondering if you had a minute." Karin was glancing between Sakura and the floor, wringing her hands. It was then that she understood why Karin seemed so different—she wasn't screaming or cooing over Sasuke.

"Karin?"

"I know we didn't get off to the best start…but I thought, maybe, we could talk? We're both kunoichi." Tears were welling in Karin's eyes. "We gotta stick together, right?"

"What do you want?" Sakura's voice was laced with suspicion and little patience.

The tears leaked from behind Karin's glasses as her fingers twisted and squeezed together. "I haven't been feeling very well. I-I don't really know what could be wrong." Karin hung her head and Sakura felt the medic in her overpower her extreme distaste for the woman. She wrestled with her decision, but decided that she could use a few more minutes away from Itachi.

With a sigh that seemed to come up from her toes, she said, "Come on," as she nudged Karin down the hall. "There's bound to be an empty exam room here. Let's have a look."

Karin's face turned up to hers with a beaming smile. "Y-you'd do that…for me?"

As much as she didn't want to, Sakura found herself smiling. "Sure. We kunoichi gotta stick together, right?"

"Right!" Karin said with a slight waver as she followed down the hall, into a room, and onto an examination table.

Sakura placed the two cups of tea on the counter and reached for her otoscope. Turning on the light, she moved Karin's hair aside to look in her ears. "Tell me what the problem is."

"My stomach hasn't been right for a while now. It's been hard to get myself to eat anything."

"Any vomiting?" Sakura checked her pupils.

"No. And I can't seem to get rid of these headaches. I guess the headaches are what's making me so tired, too."

"Have you eaten anything strange recently? Anything out of the ordinary? From a restaurant or a friend's house?"

"Um, no. Nothing unusual."

"Any allergies?"

"Nope. Nothing."

Sakura hung up her scope. Opening a drawer and pulling out a test kit, she ripped open the alcohol swab and asked Karin to hold out her arm. With practiced ease, she inserted the syringe and removed a small vial of blood. Karin rolled down her sleeve with a look of unease as Sakura labeled her sample and dropped it in the chute that lead to the lab.

"Lay down. Let's see what's going on."

Concentrating her chakra—she was still a little woozy from healing Itachi—Sakura ran her hands slowly over Karin. "How long have you been feeling this way?"

"Um," Karin hummed as she thought. "A couple of weeks? Close to a month, maybe?"

"Your lungs are clear. I don't see any heart abnormalities. Everything seems to be—"

A gentle murmur escaped Sakura's lips as her hands floated over Karin's abdomen. With a concerned look, Karin made to sit up, saying, "What is it?"

Sakura gently pressed her shoulder back to the table. Moving both hands over Karin's stomach, she looked at her fellow-kunoichi and smiled. "Now, nothing is certain until more tests are done, but I feel more than reasonably safe in telling you—Karin, you're pregnant."

Sitting up quickly, Karin squealed, "Are you sure?"

"Like I said, reasonably," Sakura confirmed. "Congra—"

"Oh, this is so wonderful! Sasuke-kun is going to be so happy!"

"S-Sasuke?"

"Of course. It's always been his dream to restore his clan." Karin sighed dreamily, her hands clasped under her chin in delight.

Try as she might, Sakura couldn't bring herself to close her mouth. Karin looked at her questioningly. "I'm sorry. Didn't you know?"

Sakura shook her head mutely, mouth still gaping.

"Sasuke-kun and I have been together for a while now. I'm really surprised he didn't tell you. You did say you were friends, didn't you?" Karin gave her a look of playful suspicion. "That silly boy! He'd been eying me up for years—since he first came to Orochimaru-sama, in fact." Karin laughed loudly. "When he told me he needed me, I didn't think he meant it that way!"

Sakura felt as if she'd been punched in the gut. Sasuke with Karin? Sasuke choosing Karin? The way he'd looked at Sakura—had it all been wishful thinking on her part?

She remembered Karin wrapped around Sasuke's arm so often during their mission—she didn't recall him pushing her off once. Why hadn't she seen the signs? She chastised herself—she did see the signs. She'd argued with herself daily on that mission about what their relationship might be. Apparently, she just didn't want to see the truth because she'd explained it all away in her head. She felt herself sinking—deep, clawing despair swallowing her whole.

Arms were suddenly wrapped around her as Karin whispered in her ear, "Sakura, you really are a good friend. Thanks so much." She released Sakura from the embrace. "I can't wait to tell Sasuke-kun!" Squealing, she flailed her hand in farewell and ran out of the room, leaving Sakura to numbly make her way back to the elevator.

As the elevator doors slid closed, Sakura collapsed against the far wall, thoughts of Karin and her baby—Sasuke's baby—crashing in her head. She angrily scolded herself when her eyes burned and her breathing hitched. Keep it together, Sakura, you stupid, stupid weakling! Angry at everything and taking it out on herself, she punched the button for the top floor repeatedly in a desperate attempt to make it go faster.

What had she been thinking, hoping for more than just friendship from Sasuke? He would never look at her that way. Karin had been gifted from birth—Sasuke surely considered that when he sought to repopulate the Uchiha clan. What could she possibly offer him?

Thoughts of the Uchiha clan raced in her head as the elevator doors slid open, leading her to Itachi. Her lower lip trembled as she thought about Itachi's revelation. Her responsibility as Sasuke's teammate demanded that she tell him. But how could she look him in the eye now?

Tears were already brimming as Sakura quickly ran for the solitude of her office. How would she tell Sasuke about Itachi when just the thought of being near him caused her heart to split?

She knew he was devastated when she told him what Itachi revealed at Madara's—that he would not speak about his mission. To tell him that his brother declined to ever be near Sasuke, to ever look at Sasuke, to ever speak about anything…how was she supposed to tell him that?

Lost in her misery, Sakura closed the office door behind her, sliding down to the floor until her head hit her knees. It was finally safe to vent her despair, so she allowed herself to sob freely. A flash of anger burned through her sorrow as she thought of how the warm kiss she longed for today from Sasuke would be given to Karin. Her anger was quickly overwhelmed by anguish as she moaned and wept harder. And now a child? She keened, rocking back and forth, as her heart shattered.

Drowning in her sadness, Sakura didn't notice the two hands that gripped her shoulders until she felt herself rising from the floor. She opened her eyes in alarm. Her thoughts were slow to catch up and she just managed to stutter, "S-Sasuke-kun?" before her face was pushed into the soft fabric of his shirt. Being held tightly against him forced all of her grief back to the surface and, much as she tried to suppress it, her breathing shuddered and tears poured out.

Sakura gripped the back of his shirt in her fists and held him as closely as she could while sobs wracked her body. His arms slid around her tighter.

"Sakura." She felt more than heard her name rumble through his chest. New tears leaked from her eyes. "Sakura," he rumbled again. "I'm sorry."

Shock hit her like a Chidori. He was sorry? Sorry for what exactly? Sorry for breaking her heart? Sorry for giving another woman everything she'd ever wanted? Sakura's confusion dulled her pain momentarily and a new thought leaped into her head.

She had to tell Sasuke about Itachi.

Her mind immediately came up with a thousand reasons why now was not the time, but she knew she was just being cowardly. Sasuke deserved to know what Itachi said. Her pain was making her selfish, she thought. Sakura pressed her cheek against his chest, feeling the hard muscle beneath his shirt as she thought that she would be a good teammate to Sasuke—if nothing else.

She inhaled his scent deeply, smothering the desire to cry again as she caught a faint whiff of Karin's perfume. She wanted to pretend that none of what occurred today really happened. She wanted to stay wrapped up in him forever. After he called her name again and tried to angle his face toward hers, she knew it was time to let go.

In one motion, she broke from his arms and turned away, wiping her eyes with the heel of her hand like a child. "I must look like a mess," she sniffed. Grabbing a handful of tissues, she dabbed at her eyes and nose. Sighing, she slumped down in the same chair where two days before she sat laughing with Sasuke over ramen.

"Sakura, what's going on? Just…tell me," he demanded softly as he crouched beside her chair. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. Renegade tears were still sliding down her cheeks.

When Sasuke's hand reached out to her, she barked out, "Your brother." Just as she'd hoped, he recoiled. She couldn't bear to have him touch her now—she couldn't bear to think that he'd touched Karin the same way.

Now that she'd started to tell him, she knew she'd have to finish. She released a sad, quivering breath, feeling like a weight was pressing down on her chest. "Your brother woke up a short while ago."

Sakura felt his chakra fluctuate and saw his hands flex. She wished more than anything that she didn't have to say these next words. Gripping her tissue tightly and squeezing her eyes shut, she pushed them out of her mouth as quickly as possible.

"He said he never wanted to come back to Konoha. He wished I'd left him to die. Itachi has nothing to say to you and—" She swallowed with difficulty. "He doesn't want to see you…ever."

She flinched as his chakra flailed, unrestrained, around him. He jumped back as if she'd slapped him. Sakura leaped to her feet, wanting to tell him that she was only the messenger, but when she looked in his eyes, terror froze her. She saw a Sasuke she hoped she'd never see again—one with frightening, hate-warped features. Her vision clouded and her consciousness slipped away as she imagined a phantom grip cutting off her breath.

The enormous burst of chakra had Kakashi running toward Sakura's office before he even recognized its signature. Throwing his shoulder against the door, he slid across the smooth tile, stopping short of the roiling energy.

"Sasuke," he said smoothly, by way of greeting. He quickly scanned the unconscious Sakura, who was loosely draped over Sasuke's outstretched arms. Kakashi smirked—as furious as he was, Sasuke couldn't help but come to her aid.

"So," he said, conspicuously raking his gaze over Sakura before flicking his eye to meet Sasuke's. "I see you've heard about Itachi."

Sasuke glowered at him, a scowl etched deeply in his face. "I'm going in there right now. He will talk to me," he bit out between tightly clenched teeth. "He owes me that much."

"She didn't get to tell you about the seals then?"

"I don't care what seals he has! I need answers!"

Kakashi knew where this road would lead and he was concerned that Sasuke's grip on Sakura was bordering on bruising. He'd have to turn this conversation in a different direction.

"Sasuke, I know Madara told you he was telling the truth when he talked about Itachi's mission, but—"

"But nothing! You think I care what the circumstances were? He murdered our whole family!" Sasuke's eyes were bright with fury and his face was flushed with anger.

"I'm not going to pretend I have the answers." Kakashi spoke evenly and quietly, hoping to quell Sasuke's out of control wrath. "There's only one man who can tell you why Itachi did what he did and that's Itachi."

"And that's why—"

"But what I do know is what it was like to live during the Third Ninja War," interrupted Kakashi. "That war changed the way your brother looked at the world."

Sasuke scowled at being cut off and scoffed contemptuously at Kakashi's lecture as he shifted Sakura in his arms.

"When your brother and I were younger, Sasuke, we never knew a world without war. The friends we lost were…irreplaceable." His throat closing up with emotion, Kakashi shook his head to free himself of disturbing memories. "The peace that came afterward gave us a new way to look at life—one that we never wanted to lose."

"Save your speeches, Kakashi," Sasuke spat, his scorn showing in the red glint of his eyes. "I didn't need them as a genin, and I don't need them now."

Kakashi folded his arms and leaned casually against the office wall, plowing ahead as if Sasuke hadn't said a word. "Itachi understood how fragile our peaceful world was. When your father approached him with the idea of an Uchiha uprising, Itachi was afraid we'd lose the happiness that so much had been sacrificed for."

Kakashi could see that, despite himself, Sasuke was intrigued by talk of his family—his eyes softened to their natural black and his chakra began to even out.

"Your brother did what he felt he had to do to make sure our world didn't slip into that hellish mess again." Kakashi sighed. "I'm sure it was an excruciating decision to make. So, who could fault Itachi for wanting to hold on to one, small part of the world he knew—his precious, little brother."

"If he cared so much, then why…" Sasuke growled before he stopped—his head drooping in a vaguely child-like sulk as he continued softly, "why did he leave me alone?"

Kakashi's heart tugged—he knew what it felt like to stand in Sasuke's shoes. He'd endured the pain of loneliness as well. "Sasuke, we've all suffered." He cleared his throat and said, "You and I aren't the lucky ones, that's for sure, but we aren't the worst off. We still have friends we hold close."

Quickly glancing at Sasuke's hands, Kakashi was pleased to see his hold on Sakura had become gentle, so he decided to take a more direct approach. "You understand that your brother can't talk to you right now, right?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Explain," he commanded as he repositioned Sakura's limp body, her head now lolling against his shoulder.

"He's restrained by a binding seal that compelled him to complete his mission. If he didn't, he'd die a very slow and painful death. Sasuke, leaving you alive has left his mission incomplete."

Sasuke inhaled sharply as he clutched at Sakura.

"All he wanted was for you to have an honorable life, living in the village he fought so hard to protect. He wanted you to have friends you could count on. He wanted you to be a Leaf shinobi."

"Why is it always about his wishes? What about me? Besides, he's wrong," snarled a defiant Sasuke. "I don't need anyone!"

Kakashi pointedly turned his gaze down to the girl Sasuke held. "Oh, really? You don't need anyone?"

Sasuke's head snapped down to see that he'd slowly drawn Sakura closer to him. Her wilted body was pressed against his chest, her face burrowed deeply into his high collar.

Being his sensei, Kakashi knew exactly what Sasuke's reaction to this proximity would be. Just as expected, Sasuke's head jerked up, cheeks blazing. He took a half-hearted step toward his teacher, but Kakashi turned quickly on his heel, deftly avoiding his attempt to hand off Sakura.

Pausing in the doorway, Kakashi swiveled his head back to face his student. "Just remember, Sasuke…it's never wrong to hold close the people who are precious to you."

Sasuke's face burned as Sakura chose that moment to sigh contentedly and nuzzle deeper into his shirt. Pulling out his worn copy of Icha Icha as he left, Kakashi chuckled to himself, knowing that two of his students would soon learn a lesson about a very different kind of teamwork.

"I don't think I ever got my tea."

Finding the couch in the corner of Sakura's office, Sasuke laid her down. As soon as he released her knees and shoulders, he felt a firm grip on the front of his shirt. Surprised by a sudden yank, Sasuke had to throw his hands out to either side of Sakura's head to stop himself from smashing into her. She groaned sleepily and rubbed her cheek against his neck, snuggling into his shirt again.

For a second, he contemplated how wonderfully cool and soft her cheek felt against him—before she hummed, a gentle sigh blowing into his ear. Goosebumps rose across Sasuke's neck and arms, a sensation that was strangely electrifying. Thinking that today was fraught with too many ups and downs, he nervously wrapped his hands around Sakura's and pried them off his shirt then flopped into a chair.

Sasuke raked his hands through his hair and huffed in exasperation as he forced himself to think about Kakashi's words. He logically understood the circumstances surrounding his brother's mission. His brain told him that an unthinkable choice was presented to Itachi and he had to make a decision. But in Sasuke's heart was a scared, angry seven-year-old who wanted his mom and dad back—who missed his big brother. He didn't want to have to rationalize Itachi's actions. He just wanted everything to go back to the way it was before—when he was happy.

He slumped in the chair, tipping his head back to gaze at the ceiling. He tried to remember the last time he felt completely happy—and couldn't. Sasuke knew he had moments that approached happiness, but they always seemed to be accompanied by some kind of dark cloud.

Sakura shifted and murmured in her sleep, drawing Sasuke's eyes back to her.

Happiness...

His lips curved into a small smile as he remembered the night when a tearful thirteen-year-old screamed out her love for him. He could still recall the strange feeling of lightness those words produced in him—how it made him feel like his insides had been replaced by air.

A shadow passed over his face as his lips pulled into a frown—that was also the night he left his friends behind to pursue Itachi.

Sasuke's expression further darkened as he thought how close he was to knowing the answers to questions that kept him awake at night. So many times, he imagined himself in Itachi's situation and wondered what he would do. Knowing the alternative was widespread war, he believed he would make the same choice as his brother—with one exception. He would not leave his older brother to wander, plagued by a lack of resolution as he had left Sasuke.

He would not leave him alone.

To know now that all along he'd been loved by Itachi—that Itachi had done everything because he loved him so much—made him think of all the years he'd wasted hating and chasing Itachi.

Sasuke's head thumped against the back of the chair as he found himself staring at the blank ceiling again. Why didn't Itachi just tell him how he felt—tell him the truth—instead of driving him toward hatred? Didn't his brother realize how painful it was to grow up unloved? If only he knew that at least his brother loved him, maybe his life would've been different.

"Sas'ke?" Sakura mumbled, restlessly twisting.

Sasuke's hand reached out, knuckles rubbing against her cheek. She sighed and settled back into sleep. The reality of what he'd just done broke over him as he was shaken out of his hazy thoughts. He looked at his hand, turning it over and examining it as if it belonged to someone else.

When had caring for Sakura become…second nature? Looking at the girl sleeping peacefully, Sasuke lingered over the gentle arch of her pink brows and the almost invisible spray of freckles across the bridge of her nose. His hand reached out, itching to touch her again, but he froze—his fingertips just grazing her cheekbone—as a startling thought filled him with a familiar airy lightness.

He had always been loved. He was never alone.

Despite mountains of schoolwork and a Twizzler hangover, Unicorn Paige has edited this chapter until it shines like the sun. Paige is the bestest of the best!

I don't think you know how much I love to read your reviews. Smiling until my face hurts is a good indicator of joy, right? Well, that's what all of you guys do to me...and I can't thank you enough for it.