The view really was lovely. Large oak trees stood tall and full, their leaves swaying in the gentle breeze. Wild flowers peppered the landscape sprinkling the area with a myriad of colors. A rabbit ran out of a bush, standing on it's hind legs, while scrunching his nose repeatedly in an adorable way. Sakura could have sat in this particular clearing all day just taking in the beauty of nature around her.
Had it not been for the annoying, often loud, company surrounding her.
Naruto sat near Sasuke ranting on about something – no one even bothered listening to him at this point. Since they left the Allied Base that morning, he'd been talking non-stop in his excitement. Sai sat near them on a fallen log painting some abstract picture while occasionally making some remark that would set Naruto off. Kakashi and Itachi sat on the outskirts of the haphazard circle trying to ignore everyone, and succeeding quite well.
Sakura pulled out her small notepad she kept in her medic pack and tried to ignore them as well. She tried to go over all the various poisons she'd created anti-dotes for back in the base but her gaze would invariably wander to Sasuke and Itachi every few minutes.
In Sasuke's case, she was still worried about what he would do on this return trip home. His chakra had not been sealed, he was not placed in shackles, and his sword was once again slipped into a belt at his waist. There was nothing to hinder him should he decide to attack anyone or run away. Kakashi noticed the wary way she glanced at him when they first began their journey and tried to ease her fears by explaining Tsunade is the one who gave the orders to not restrain him. With Itachi still present she felt he wouldn't try anything. This was also a good way to judge how he would act around his old comrades.
While she understood the reasons behind it, and to be honest she knew had he been restrained he probably would have been ridiculously angry and difficult to deal with, she couldn't help but feel nervous. With the strength, speed, and intelligence Sasuke possessed at least three of them could be dead before someone stopped him. Thus far, he'd not done anything to give her a basis for those fears. He still remained aloof and detached from the group but he wasn't hostile towards any of them either.
Her gaze slid to Itachi as she continued to think about the Uchihas. No opportunity had presented itself yet for her to speak with him in private. He'd given no indication of what he planned to do once in Konoha and her curiousness was overwhelming. No one would be allowed to know he was there except for a select group of people. There wasn't any extensive research on the jutsu that brought him back to this world so she wasn't sure how his body would hold up over time. Most of all, with Sasuke returning to the village he gave his life to protect, what could possibly be tying his soul to the living plane?
Sakura gave up the pretense of looking over her medical notes and packed the book away. She stood and slowly stretched her body, relishing in the comfortable way her joints and muscles slid against one another. Kakashi grinned at her over the rim of his Icha Icha novel so she made her way over to him.
"How are you Sakura?" he asked as she stood by his seated form.
"Fine Kaka-sensei, thank you."
A wry grin appeared on his masked face. "Still haven't gotten the art of lying down yet huh?"
"I'm sorry?"
He nodded his head towards Naruto and Sasuke as he answered. "You've been watching Sasuke frequently since we left the base, and not in the way I was expecting either."
One slender pink eyebrow raised at his words. "And exactly how did you expect me to be looking at him sensei?"
He chuckled lightly, both in humor and nervousness, "Come now Sakura, you know how I meant. Instead of that expression you've been watching him like your expecting him to attack someone. While I completely understand your reasons for that, shouldn't you give him credit for coming back to Konoha willingly?"
"I haven't attacked him have I?" she stated as she crossed her arms defiantly.
He watched her for a moment more before returning his gaze to his book. "It isn't your nature to be unforgiving Sakura."
She clenched her jaw tight to stop the scathing response poised on her tongue and stomped away. While it pissed her off, he was still her sensei and she shouldn't scream at him in the middle of a group of comrades; especially about a personal matter. Why did she have to be so forgiving when Sasuke hadn't shown a single shred of remorse for everything he's done? What did Kakashi expect? For her to be fawning over Sasuke like she used to? To bat her eyes at him while prattling on about useless things hoping to catch his attention?
Obviously he did or he wouldn't have said that to her.
She couldn't believe he'd make a remark like that. Had he not noticed she'd grown up in the past few years? Those actions would be ones the old, weak Sakura would do for Sasuke's attention. Now she was stronger, more confident about herself and her abilities so she had no need to demean herself like that. Even holding a civil conversation with Sasuke would take more effort than she was willing to spend right now. Naruto seemed to be doing fine on his own anyway. After everything she'd said, screamed rather, over the past few days not speaking to the last Uchiha was a rather wonderful idea.
"Let's head back out." Kakashi's voice called from behind her.
She waited for him and Sai to take point as they had been, before jumping nimbly into the thicket of trees and continuing their journey back to Konoha. Sasuke and Naruto soon passed her to fall in the middle of their group while Itachi was beside her. Hours passed in relative silence as the group went forth. The only sounds were the thunk of their feet on the branches and Naruto's occasional comment to Sasuke, which was either ignored or a vague "hn" was replied.
The trees began thinning out as they passed a rocky terrain and every so often Sakura would get a fleeting glance of the ANBU that surrounded them. While she wasn't sure of the number of ANBU escorting them, she had at least been made aware of their presence before leaving. Their orders were to observe the groups interactions and, of course, Sasuke's behavior. They were not to interact with the traveling party at all unless a situation came up that deemed it necessary to interfere. Sakura thought she'd be used to ANBU's presence by now, considering her long training and work history with the hokage. But the knowledge that perhaps a dozen or more of Konoha's strongest shinobi were watching their every move seemed to make her hyper aware of their presence.
Night time came soon enough, for which Sakura was grateful. Running through the forest from sunup to sundown was enough to wear on any shinobi's body. Sasuke and Sai seemed to feel no weariness from their journey which only served to fuel the irritation she felt.
"I'm so hungry!" Naruto whined as he collapsed near the fire. "What I wouldn't give for a bowl of Ichiraku's ramen right now."
"Well you've got a few days left before you'll have that again." Kakashi said as he tossed an apple to the jinchuriki. "Satisfy yourself with that for now."
Naruto shot a disgruntled look towards his sensei but began eating the apple anyway.
"It truly is amazing how you've gone this long without eating ramen." Sai commented.
"I know! I'm gonna eat ramen until I can't move anymore when I get back home."
"Gluttony is a sin dick-less." Sai said while he unrolled his sleeping mat.
"So is being a rude bastard!" Naruto shot back.
"No it isn't."
"Just shut up Sai." Naruto grumbled and rolled over until he was presenting his back to the former ROOT member.
"Have I offended you in some way?" Sai asked. Sakura knew he wasn't concerned for Naruto's feelings exactly, he was simply curious how his words would be interpreted. He filed away every piece of knowledge he gained from his interactions with people to better himself in social situations.
"Just ignore him for now Sai. He's simply tired and hungry therefore he's easily irritable." Sakura said.
"Is Ichiraku's still standing?" Itachi asked. "From what I've been informed every building was leveled during Pain's attack."
"Well, it was destroyed but I helped some of the carpenters rebuild it before we left the village." Naruto replied.
"You mean it was one of the first things you helped rebuild." Kakashi added.
"Hey! You've gotta think about your priorities."
"Indeed."
Sakura rolled her eyes at Naruto's childlike tendencies but couldn't stifle her giggle at the tiny smirk that developed on Itachi's face. More surprising was when Itachi met her gaze she actually saw the mirth lingering in his eyes.
Uchiha Itachi was still a mystery to her. What she was taught about him in Konoha was he was a merciless killer. A man who had slaughtered his entire family and led Sasuke down a path of self-destruction in order to gain the power to kill him. There wasn't much information available about his work before he killed his family. Most of the documents containing his missions were sealed and stored under the highly classified section of the store room.
This Itachi she was beginning to know was an enigma to her. While he still acted very withdrawn from everyone and his hooded eyes could still give her chills at times, he seemed more...friendly than she would have imagined. He didn't engage in the conversations around him but she could see that he was paying attention to everything said. Just as right now, he would occasionally smirk at the comments made. She had even seen Sai and Naruto ask his opinion on a matter they were discussing (albeit hesitantly on their part) and he politely answered them. Perhaps the most surprising thing was the way he acted around her.
True, he'd reprimanded her before when she and Sasuke were arguing. Of course, reprimanding might be a very light term to use considering how rough he'd pulled her hair back; but beyond that, he'd been polite and honest with her. The other members of their traveling party kept their distance from the former Akatsuki member. Perhaps they weren't doing it on purpose, but on some level they were still wary of him and gave him his distance. Sakura found herself, oddly, not afraid of Itachi. While she still respected the power he held, even in death, every move he'd made since rescuing her had her becoming more at ease in his presence.
Itachi would walk near her as they made their way through the trees. The conversation was sparse but that was more of an ingrained habit of shinobi. She felt almost comfortable traveling beside him. There was no pressure on her to be sociable to him as he seemed to like the silence almost as much as she could remember Sasuke did. Good thing too; there wasn't much she could think of to talk to him about that wouldn't bring up things better left unsaid. However, she was curious as to why he didn't travel with Sasuke. That question was answered shortly after they began their journey.
Naruto came up to walk beside her as they left the base, hoping to speak with her about the time she spent as Madara's captive. Sakura deflected most of the questions and instead turned the conversation towards him. Naruto was happy to oblige her curiosity and began a long rant about his training with Bee. She did listen to him but took the opportunity to watch the others as they moved.
Sasuke walked beside Itachi yet neither talked. And while Itachi's face remained almost blank, Sasuke's emotions leaked through his stoic facade. His eyes would narrow while his jaw clenched with the tension rolling through him. Regardless of the fact that Sasuke felt Itachi was owed justice for his lot in life, his brother was the one who slaughtered his family; that was not a fact easily forgotten. Soon, Naruto jogged to Sasuke's side and began his usual happy chatter concerning his best friend's return to the village. For once, Sasuke seemed to appreciate the presence of the jinchuriki and while he didn't speak much in response to Naruto's words, he turned his head more in his direction and drifted closer to him. After a while of Naruto and Sasuke speeding up their pace as Itachi's stayed the same, a large enough distance developed between the brothers that Sakura felt the need to move to Itachi's side. His countenance remained the same but she could see the traces of regret lingering in his gaze.
A few times during the day, Sasuke would drift back to Itachi's side; mostly when he became irritated in some way by Naruto. Few words were passed between the two but the time he spent around Itachi did seem to increase little by little.
Sakura watched from her bed roll as Itachi stood and walked to the edge of the clearing. Even though ANBU members surrounded them and would keep watch, Itachi took up a position near the group to guard them as everyone slept. She noticed his eyes landed on Sasuke several times, yet his emotions were guarded from her. She wondered what he was thinking, watching his younger brother lay only feet from the comrades he abandoned years ago, as she drifted off to sleep.
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Though he was loathe to admit it, Sasuke began to agree with Naruto several days into their journey back to Konoha. He was ready to reach the village.
He had been single minded in his pursuit of Itachi. Traveling for days, sometimes weeks on end never bothered him during that time, even with Karin and Suigetsu's endless bitching. Now, after only a few days of travel, he was ready to see the borders of the home he left behind. He longed for a bed, a hot meal, and most importantly, space from the people he was traveling with.
Naruto's incessant chattering had him itching to run a chidori through him. When the replacement, Sai they said his name was, would look at him with that blank, probing stare of his he longed to bash the man's face in. Sasuke was still having twinges of anger course through him when he was close to his brother. As much as he had longed to avenge Itachi, he couldn't stop the images of his parents lifeless bodies flashing through his mind when he spoke to him for too long. And Sakura...
Her attitude was irritating him most of all. She didn't speak to him, she didn't even come near him, yet he could feel her gaze land on him from time to time. Unlike the past when her eyes were alight with joy every time she was near him, now they were cold, assessing, and filled with mistrust when she gazed at him. He should be glad she was leaving him alone but her cold nature towards him was grating on his nerves.
So far the only member of the group that wasn't pissing him off was Kakashi. Not surprising really; even in his youth Kakashi only mildly irritated him with his porn reading and perverseness. The man had always been a talented shinobi who was well versed in reading a situation accurately. Kakashi had not tried to engage him in useless conversation nor had he watched him with mistrusting eyes, as if waiting for him to snap and kill everyone around. Considering the heavy treat he gave him when they first met up he was surprised by his almost accepting behavior.
More surprising to him was his want to reach Konoha. While the prospect of solitude and a bed was a big part of it, he found himself not unwilling to walk through the gates again. He knew he would have to deal with the hokage bitch that currently ruled the village as well as the sanctimonious attitudes from the ignorant shinobi, but the overwhelming hatred he held for the village was lessening. Whether that was Itachi's influence or the information fed to him by Naruto he wasn't certain. All he knew was he was ready for an end...and a new start.
Everything he'd set out to do when he left Konoha had been accomplished. Though he wished he had been informed of Itachi's true reason for murdering the clan, the fact remained that his brother had still killed them with his own hands. Trying to think about what he might have done had he actually known was useless at this point. It was done and over; nothing could take back his actions. And from Itachi's own mouth during one of their many conversations he did not desire a different ending to his life. Once again his brother had written the path of his life – right down to the moment he'd taken Itachi's life.
It irritated him. No, it angered him almost as much as the council of Konoha had. Itachi had set him up and played his part like a true actor, even right down to the very last breath he'd taken. Sasuke never had a say in any of it. He had been manipulated by nearly everyone his whole life and he was ready to be free of that. Free to make his own decisions, free to choose the path he would walk, whether that be one involving his past or something new and different.
Sasuke dropped from the trees behind Kakashi as they neared a small town in their path. The shinobi around him walked slowly into the outskirts of the town but it was obvious no one was around. The vending booths lining the streets were empty, all the doors and windows were shut on every building in the area, and there was no sign of anyone around.
"Man," Naruto whined "I was hoping to get a decent meal here."
"Unfortunately it doesn't look like anyone has returned to this town yet." Kakashi said as he continued to stroll down the street. "Although, it has only been a week since the end of the war. Depending on how far they fled during the evacuation it could be a while before they're back."
The shinobi trudged further down the street, now with slumped shoulders as the idea for a good meal and bed were gone. Sakura felt Itachi stiffen slightly beside her and she searched the area for whatever caused him to go on alert. Unfortunately, nothing seemed out of sorts to her.
"Kakashi." Itachi called.
"Aa. I saw."
Everyone stilled and awaited the threat to materialize. Sakura searched but could detect no other chakras besides theirs in the area. No sounds were heard save for the gentle whipping of the wind around them.
"Well will someone tell me what's going on 'cause I don't see anything." Naruto finally said.
Sakura rolled her eyes at Naruto's words but kept silent. Finally, she saw a curtain in the window of what appeared to be an inn move. One pale finger could be seen drawing the curtain back to allow the occupant to see out. It was too far away for her to make out any of the features of the person. Before she could draw a kunai the curtain fell back into place and the door opened. An elderly woman walked out onto the porch of the inn with a hesitant smile on her face.
"Sakura-chan? Is that you?"
Everyone turned to watch Sakura's reaction to the recognition by this unknown woman. Sakura walked slowly towards the spry looking older woman. It had been a few years but she could remember the color of the woman's friendly hazel eyes and her long salt and pepper hair.
"Fujiwara-san?"
The elderly woman's face split into a large smile as she walked out to meet the pink haired girl and embrace her. "Oh goodness, I wasn't sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me but when you got closer I could clearly see your beautiful hair." The woman pulled back and held Sakura at arm's length while she examined her. "My you've grown even more beautiful my dear."
"Thank you." Sakura said, still shocked at the sight of the woman. "Fujiwara-san, what on earth are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off hiding with the rest of your villagers?"
The woman laughed at that. "Heavens no. I'm too old for running around the country side to avoid some war. There could have been someone who needed a place to stay! What would they do if I wasn't here?"
"But Fujiwara-san..."
"And besides," she interrupted, "I had faith that you guys would win. Especially when I heard all the nations were working together." she patted Sakura on the cheek and stepped around her to face the shinobi still behind them. "Hello everyone. My name is Fujiwara Manami and this is my inn. Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable; you all must be tired."
"Thanks obaasan." Naruto said as he walked past everyone and into the inn.
"Naruto." Sakura growled at the back of her retreating friend.
Fujiwara simply laughed at the pair before grabbing Sakura's arm. "Come on in Sakura-chan. You can use the onsen first."
"You have an onsen?" the healer asked with a new light to her eyes.
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Sakura sighed in total relaxation as she leaned her head back against the smooth rock surface surrounding the onsen. Fujiwara-san did indeed have an onsen in her inn. Sakura was glad to learn the inn had actually been built around it so it was enclosed by sturdy wooden walls.
A small part of her was feeling bad for the trouble Fujiwara-san was going through for their sake; but the larger part was enjoying the warm waters of the bath and the delicious smell of the nabe cooking.
Fujiwara-san was just as friendly as she remembered her being. Sakura met her over two years ago while she was traveling to Suna to retrieve some medical documents Tsunade asked to borrow. Fujiwara-san and her husband were resting at a tea house Sakura happened to stop at. They began talking and before Sakura knew it, nearly two hours had passed in the elderly couples company. She was an easy woman to talk to. Before Sakura left them, she offered to help her husband with the harsh cough he had. Her healing chakra helped clear the fluid from his lungs but she noticed it came from a failing heart. Unfortunately, his condition seemed to be untreatable. When her eyes met Fujiwara-san's, the older woman smiled sadly. It was obvious she knew her husband only had a limited time left on this earth.
Sakura learned today that her husband passed only two months after that. They had been traveling that day to see their children and some old friends since he knew as well his time was running out. Fujiwara-san told this story to the shinobi resting in her inn with a large smile on her face. Though she mourned her husband's passing, it had been a peaceful one and she was grateful to Sakura for easing his pain if only for a little while.
She insisted the shinobi stay the night in the inn and rest themselves before they continued on their journey home. Sakura offered to help with the cooking but Fujiwara-san ushered her to the door of the onsen and insisted she rest.
As the soothing heat of the water permeated her tired muscles she was hard pressed to feel bad about letting the woman do the work on her own. The silence of the room was almost as comforting as the bath was. There was no bickering going on around her, no tension to be felt among her peers, just – nothing; and right then that was exactly what she wanted.
"Even though you're bathing you should still be alert to your surroundings."
Sakura gasped and sat up quickly, covering her naked chest with her arms. Itachi stood off to her side, smirking slightly at her reaction to his presence.
"What are you doing in here?" she hissed.
"I've felt your gaze on me for days now. It seems you want to discuss something with me."
"Don't you think it could have waited until I'm dressed?" she asked heatedly.
He sat on a large rock nearby. "Considering the company surrounding us I think this is the best time for privacy."
Sakura slipped down into the water until she was submerged to her chin. Her hands still covered her breasts and she crossed her legs to hide herself from his gaze. "Itachi-san...seriously. I'm uncomfortable with this."
He sighed as he regarded her. "Sakura-san, you do remember I'm dead right? Should I even have that inclination I don't know whether it would be physically possible or not."
She blushed as the meaning of his words registered in her mind. "Still..." she began hesitantly.
"You're acting childish again."
"I am not!" she cried indignantly. Unfortunately, her quick temper provoked her to stand in outrage, momentarily forgetting her nudity. Itachi's gaze dropped from her eyes and she saw his eyebrow raise. As he did this her lack of clothing registered in her mind and she dropped quickly back into the water, this time turning her back to him. She felt the blush cover her entire body as embarrassment flooded her mind.
"You did that on purpose." she muttered.
To her surprise he chuckled lightly. She looked over her shoulder at him, eyebrows creased in displeasure.
"You are an amusing woman Haruno Sakura."
She glared at him for only a moment more before a smile began to pull her lips up. Embarrassing as it was, she couldn't deny the situation was funny.
"If you promise to stay over there I suppose we can talk."
"You have my word." he replied.
"Okay then. There is something I want to discuss with you." She began as she eased herself closer to the side of the onsen near him.
"Go ahead." Itachi replied nonchalantly from his perch on the rock.
Sakura settled herself against the onsen wall, effectively hiding her body from him but allowing her to face him while she spoke. "This may be difficult to talk about but I hope you will try to answer me."
He merely raised his eyebrows at her words.
"Well, I've been wondering what you're gonna do. I mean...Chiyo-baa-san's spirit was able to rest as well as Sai's brother. I thought with Sasuke going back to Konoha that you would..." her sentence trailed off but he understood anyway.
"You wonder why I haven't found peace with Sasuke's return to Konoha?"
"Well...yeah."
"While I am pleased with my ototo's decision to return to our home village it is but a single step on the path I wish him to take."
Sakura was confused by his words. "You're still gonna try and lead him in another direction? I'm sorry for saying this Itachi-san but don't you think you've controlled his life enough as it is?"
Itachi's brows raised at her question but instead of the anger she expected to see his face showed amusement. "Perhaps Sakura-san, but I have no wish to see him continue on that course."
"I realize that Itachi-san but..."
"While I am not sure how long this body will last I do hope I will be given an opportunity to correct some wrongs I was forced to make during my life."
Sakura understood his concerns. There wasn't much known about the Edo Tensei jutsu besides it's obvious properties of resurrecting the dead. They had made incredible head way in gaining knowledge about it during the war but there was nothing written anywhere about long term repercussions of a dead soul walking the living plane. She still didn't know what his soul was waiting for but perhaps he didn't know himself. One thing was for certain in her mind, it had to do with Sasuke.
"You understand you'll have to remain hidden within the village." she said.
"Of course. I would expect nothing else."
"Okay then." she said with a small smile gracing her features. "Thank you for speaking with me Itachi-san."
He rose gracefully. "Enjoy the rest of your bath." he said with a smirk as he exited the bath house. Without the cloak surrounding him she could see the way his lean body moved effortlessly, the movements almost cat like in appearance. She watched the door close once again and made sure to scan her surroundings before uncovering herself and moving away from the onsen wall.
Itachi may not be a pervert but she had no intentions of bathing openly for his eyes or anyone else's.
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Sakura hung her clothes up to dry on the rack before securing the sash of the yukata Fujiwara-san provided her. She wasn't entirely comfortable walking around the nothing-but-male members of her team in nothing but a yukata but her clothes had needed the washing. It also wasn't like she hadn't been in more revealing outfits around most of them. However, those times had been out of necessity or perhaps once or twice she'd been in a bathing suit around Naruto. Wearing a yukata gave her an altogether different feeling that made her a bit anxious to be around so many men dressed that way.
When she exited the bath house she was met with similar glares from each man in the room. She didn't understand why they were upset. Had she really taken that long in the onsen? Even her easy going sensei was glaring at her with his single exposed eye. She began shifting nervously where she stood until she couldn't take the silence any longer.
"What is everyone's problem?" she demanded.
Naruto finally stood with his arms crossed over his chest and walked closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Tell me why we caught Itachi leaving the bath house while you were in there Sakura-chan."
Sakura couldn't help but laugh at what he was suggesting. Apparently that was the wrong thing to do as she saw both Naruto and Kakashi's back stiffen. They couldn't possibly think...
There was an angry undercurrent buzzing around the room that couldn't be denied. Sakura looked helplessly to Itachi who continued to regard the other shinobi with a blank stare. He obviously wasn't going to be any help.
"Oh come on Naruto! We were just talking."
"In the onsen? Where you were bathing?" he asked incredulously.
"You can't be serious." Sakura said; her own anger igniting at the disbelief showing in her comrades eyes.
"We're just asking Sakura." Kakashi said. "Now I understand you're a grown woman but there's a time and pla..."
"You even think about finishing that sentence sensei and I promise you'll find your beloved books scattered in pieces around the fire country." he gulped at her threat. She threw her hands up and stomped from the room. "Stupid men...stupid Uchihas...I give up on the lot of you."
The men watched her angry figure as she walked away. Kakashi seemed to tighten his grip on the Icha Icha book in his hands while Naruto dropped back to his seat, an odd cross between fear and a pout developing on his face.
Sasuke simply leaned back against the wall while he watched the spectacle unfold around him. He wasn't sure whether he was amused or irritated at the ridiculous display he witnessed.
He was, however, curious as to what his brother and Sakura had to talk about that was so important it had to be done in such a private setting.
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A/N:
onsen – hot springs
Just another big thank you to everyone reading and reviewing this story! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!