The Vow of Flowers

Prologue: "Till Human Voices Wake Us, And We Drown"

'I have seen them riding seaward on the waves

Combing the white hair of the waves blown back

When the wind blows the water white and black.

We have lingered in the chambers of the sea

By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown

Till human voices wake us, and we drown.'


Her ears ring before they can say a word.

A sharp pain flashes across her temples, down her neck and seizes in her shoulders and neck.

Sakura presses her eyes closed, as light suddenly becomes too bright. She squeezes them with her fingers and thumb and hisses at the sudden oversensitivity. Her lower back tightens as tension returns and the entirely of her frame goes stiff from an onset migraine.

The weight of words unsaid force her to lean into the doorframe. Konoha's top medic resists the urge to scream and bites her lower lip instead.

"Haruno-san" it's Dog who speaks first, voice muffled beneath the white Anbu mask and the white noise clouding her hearing. "Your presence is required at the hospital."

Sakura hears his words in a drowning haze, knowing without having to fully listen. It's just past midnight and this many Anbu only come to her at this time for one reason.

The moment her eyes landed on the young bright-eyed interning resident, she knew. She knew he was going to say that, knows who they are calling her about. Nevermind the fact that she's standing in a bathrobe and towel. Forget that they barged in on her mid shower. Sakura can care less about all of those things. Worse has happened in her medical career.

Please. Not now.

Pathetic thoughts conjurn in this moment between painful spasms against her temples. Sakura pulls her bathrobe tighter, huching her shoulders as she shivers. It's the only thing she do to keep her knees from buckling under the weight of exhaustion. Stress from an encounter that hasn't even happened yet sparks a migraine that very much makes her feel like she needs to puke. The medical jounin inwardly groans and turns to lean her back against the door.

"Do you need time, Haruno-san?" Dog continues.

I don't want to go at all!

She mentally screams and rubs her fingers over her eyes. Of course she can't say that. She is Konoah's best hope in Tsunade's absence. More than that, she's a grown adult and should conduct herself as such, especially because one of her interns is here watching. Sakura chances as glance at Honoka, the brown haired, blued-eyed civilian who's too nice for her own good. It was upon seeing her that Sakura felt her insides turn on itself and her brain started to throb in her skull. Honoka herself was a joy to be around and to teach but her patient was...less so. Since the young intern is here and not at the hospital, than that means something happened….something big enough that they need Sakura to step in. Had it been any other patient, Sakura would have jumped at the chance. This patient, however, made her want to vomit, run and punch something all at the same time.

I can't deal with him now.

She mentally laments. Yet the oath she took as a doctor negates her conflicting emotions. Sakura bites the inside of her cheek. Her hand falls and she gestures without making eye contact with anyone in particular

"What...what exactly is the problem?" her voice is unbelievably small and tired but it's something.

It's effort to keep her breath even but Sakura fights her growing apprehension. Honoka, the young civilian intern that incited this reaction takes a calculated step forward.

"He woke up!" Honoka exclaims, nearly bouncing on her toes as her blue eyes dance with excitement. "I went in to change the bedsheets since it's gotten a bit colder and when I opened the door, he was looking at me! Uchiha-san is alive. Isn't that great?"

It should be great.

Sakura should be pleased to know her top patient has made some progress. Had it been anyone else, she would have burst into a wide grin of pure joy, pleased that she'd succeeded in saving yet another.

But it's sudden and choking the way her body almost recoils at the name. Sakura grimaces and clenches her abs to stop her stomach from lurching. But it's not enough. The jounin bites her tongue and takes a step back towards the bathroom.

"I'll be out in a minute," she says in a rush then quickly closes the door in time for them to miss her dry heave.

Sakura's chest burns as the thought of death flashes instantly in her mind. She slaps a hand over her mouth and stumbles towards the skin. Her free hand clumsily jerks the water on to cover her gasping.

The very thought of him makes her physically and mentally sick. Four months is a long time but not long enough for Sakura to be okay with the only Uchiha left in this world. He is the person she's tried hard not to see or thinking about because of his role in the demise of the rest, of the one that mattered the most to her.

Green eyes glisten with overdue tears. Even as her chest flutters and tenses at the the imagine of Sasuke's dying form slumping against his brother's shoulders. Tremors force her over the sink and Sakura gags into the bowl.

Oh god, I'm gonna puke.

"Haruno-san?"

It's Honoka. A soft knock at the door follows then a question. "Are you okay?"

Sakura gripes the porcelain sink to white knuckles until her teeth stop grinding against each other and her nausea settles enough for her breathe. It takes all of her power to shake off her anxiety and panic. There are people out there waiting for her.

"Just a minute!" Sakura calls and exhales.

For several seconds she gazes into the bowl of her sink. Letting her pulse relax, allowing her body to calm itself down, to preserve what little scrap of dignity she has. She is a shinobi, afterall. Grieving or not, angry or not, she has a job and her job is waiting right outside the door.

Without looking in the mirror, Sakura pulls away from the sink. Wringing her hands, she walks towards the door, reaching for the door.

'It's going to be okay.' She reassures herself. 'In and out, that's it. I can't run from him forever.'

Bare feet stay rooted to the floor. Green eyes drift down towards the cool beige tiles laid diagonally in her bathroom. She waits as her eyes moisten then cloud over as feelings culminate into bearable misery. Biting her bottom lip, the young woman allows herself a moment to be human, to feel, to regret and to be angry.

Running from her duty is not an option. But she grants herself this small mercy.

I just need a minute. She assures herself, scrubs a hand through her hair and reply the moments in time that lead to here.

For a long time Sakura stayed in denial, not wanting to believe her friend, teammate and hopeful lover was capable of such hatred. Sasuke told her over and over and over again, that she could never understand how deep his hatred went, how strong his thirst for revenge was. Sakura was foolish enough to think that if she loved him hard enough, she could save him.

She couldn't.

There was only one person that could reduce the deranged Uchiha to ashes. One person capable of bring an end to Sasuke's manic quest to rule all of the shinobi nations.

It's been four months. The war is over thanks to her and Tsunade and Orochimaru's plan to stop him, stop Sasuke. For all the Sanin's efforts and hardwork, it was Sakura who practically pieced humanity's last hope back together. Resurrecting Itachi Uchiha was her greatest achievement. It was the first time a victory rested almost solely on her ability to heal.

And yet, it was the first time a victory tasted so bitter and heartbreaking.

But it was necessary.

Sakura knows this but her heart and mind cannot rid itself of the imagine of Itachi sucking the life from her beloved.

She presses her eyes closed as the metal door handle folds against her strength, dimpling in places where her fingers dig in.

'That's enough. Check on him now, cry later.'

She tries, really tries to distance her personal thoughts about Itachi Uchiha the murder from Itachi Uchiha the patient and savior of humanity. Regardless of what she thinks of him and how he contributed to Sasuke going down that path, he is still a patient in her hospital. She is still a medic. He needs her.

Shifting perspectives ease her fears. Sakura shakes her head against the pounding in her ears and sighs.

"Haruno-san?" Honoka calls once more, voice laced with confusion and worry.

Stealing her nervous, the jounin cleans her face and opens the door, looking for her intern.

"When did he wake up?" Sakura clears the lump in her throat then steps out into the hall.

If any notice her disheveled appearance, they do not comment, much to her liking. Honoka takes up the question instead and dogs Sakura's steps as she explains.

"He just woke up and there's no other doctor tending him tonight."

"Just as in right now?" Sakura questions and stalks into her bedroom.

Honoka answers, "Yes, not ten minutes ago. I told the Anbu I needed to get you right away so they carried me here."

That news makes her frown for an entirely different reason. Sakura pauses rummaging through her dresser to place a hand on her hip.

Itachi is the only patient that has specially assigned nurses and medics looking after him. One of them is her, the other is Ino, who is supposed to be his head medic tonight so Sakura can take a break. So why the hell is Honoka asking her to check on Ino's patient?

'I shouldn't even be dealing with this right!'

Annoyance grips her for a different reason. Sakura glares and jerks her head in Honoka's direction.

"Where's Ino?" she demands, " She's the lead on the Uchiha case tonight."

Honoka fidgets under Sakura's hardened gaze. "Erm, Yamanaka-san was called away by the Hokage about two hours ago. She told us that she'd be gone for awhile and if anything were to change in Uchiha-san's condition, to find you."

"How freaking convenient...that pig!" Sakura grits out before she can help it. Honoka flinches. Sakura sighs. "Sorry. It's just...tonight was my night off. I didn't know…"

"Sorry, Haruno-san." The girl whimpers.

"No, no, it's ok. It's not your fault, Honoka." Sakura soothes, "Wait here. I'll be dressed in ten minutes."

Honoka complies, closing the door quickly behind her as she leaves Sakura to dress.

By the time they reach the hospital, Sakura's checked herself enough not to panic. Her shoulder are still tense and her apprehension manifests itself in a pointed frown.

The Anbu escort her and her intern to the special entrance reserved for such cases as Itachi. The hospital is lightly staffed and, as far as she can see, no one looks twice at the two Anbu flanking her and Honoka.

They take the back stairs to the second floor, then ride a sealed elevator up to the top. Though the village is currently on the mend, the hospital still holds some of its necessary protections.

Sakura steps off the elevator first and is immediately stopped by two Hyuuga Anbu. She offers no resistance as they check her, using the time to clear her mind.

"Haruno-san," one of the Anbu greet her pleasantly.

Sakura extends the same nodding courtesy as she turns her attention to Honoka.

"Here's his file," the intern explains. "I've updated everything as best I could. I've checked his vitals and asked light questions to get him to comply but he won't speak."

The news makes Sakura's brow creases. "Does he have motor function?"

"Yes, but slow."

'That could be bad. He's going to need some rehabilitation after this. Strange for such a short time...'

"Visual reflexes?" she questions absently while glossing through the notes and check boxes on each page of the clipboard.

Honoka shakes her head, "I didn't do a thorough check. I figured you'd know what to look for better than me but his eyes followed my every move."

"No delays?"

"Not as far as I could tell."

Sakura looks up from her clipboard and rephrases the question, "Honoka, would you say that he was looking at you or through you?"

Blue eyes cross slightly and Honoka hums. "Erm, a bit of both at times. He definitely saw me but sometimes he looked distant…"

The answer doesn't help considering Sasuke was notorious for daydreaming in the middle of a conversation.

That can mean anything from indifference to blindness.

"Alright," Sakura concludes and tucks the clipboard under her arm. "Thanks, Honoka. Go on your break now. I'll come find you once I'm done."

She directs the last statement to the guards, "Don't let anyone else up until I come out. Send word to the Hokage that blackbird is awake and stable."

All orders are taken and acted on immediately, leaving her with nothing to do but go inside.

Swallowing her anxiety, Sakura slides open the door to Itachi's room, keeping her gaze and body pointedly against him.

The first thing she notices is the very apparent and biting chill in the air. Honoka is right in saying it is cold here. Outside it's the last few days of autumn, with winter not too far away. Itachi's room must get the wind through cracks in the room. She shivers and lingers near the door, then pulls the clipboard from under her arm to give her eyes something to do.

Itachi's heart monitor goes out of sync. The beeping speeds but and her chest tightens. It's only a few seconds, she notes, but enough for the spike in pulse to raise her suspicions. Professional curiosity makes her look up. Her eyes barely make it to the foot of the bed before every hair on the back of her neck prickles. Her heart jumps hard in her chest as the sudden and weighting feeling of eyes on her keeps her rooted to her spot. Her panic from earlier returns and she tries not to swoon. It takes all of her strength to keep her body from shaking. Sakura squeezes the paper in her hand and pulls the clipboard closer to her chest to steady herself.

'Calm down,' she chants mentally, 'He can't do you anything.'

Licking her lips, Sakura waits until her pulse is under control. They are not in the battlefield. She is not in danger, yet the image of Sasuke's terrified expression as Itachi delivered the final blow will not go away.

'Stop It! That man wasn't Sasuke anymore…'

It takes everything for her to inhale deeply and exhale the memory away.

'Focus.'

Green eyes travel across the expanse of the room at its occupant. There, half sitting up in a small bed, with an IV in his arm, several tubes stuck in places, Itachi watches her with half lidded eyes.

Her entire body tenses at the sheer intensity of his gaze. The elongated tear ducts only sharper his stare, with eyes so black and sunked and deep. Sakura can't quite read it at her vantage but there is something there, and that something borders menacing.

Her first instincts are to run. Bravery forgotten, Sakura wants to be as far away from this man as possible. Not only just because he's watching her but the memories of a battle to fresh for her heart to take comes in waves. The valley, the rain, Kakashi restraining her against running down to help Sasuke after he collapsed in the mud. More than the fear for her life, the pain of grief threatens to be her undoing.

Sakura's brain skirts through images and ideas, bouncing between a death scene and medical questions. She tries to force her thoughts on the latter and sorts through her mental dysfunction to find one rational thought.

Honoka said visual function is fine but maybe he just...can't see me.

As crazy a notion that is, it's enough to make her brain pause. When they found him dead, Sasuke took his eyes. Although she and her mentor worked hard to restore them, there is always a chance something went wrong.

Overuse of the Sharingan leads to blindness. But he's got three sets of eyes in there, something unheard of. Maybe the effects are more negative than we thought?

Familiar things always bring comfort and she quickly takes hold of the small scrap. Sakura, clinging to the theory until her fingers loosen on the clipboard, muses and chews her lower lip.

Maybe he's on the verge of blindness. I hope not. Kakashi may give some executive order for me to fix it…

The idea is enough to make her cringe. Being around him for this long is too draining and the mere thought of coming in here gave her a migraine.

Anything beyond this and I'd go insane.

She clears her throat in the absence of conversation, noting just long she's stood there staring at him staring at her. The heart monitor beeps steadily to fill the silence. Itachi has his pulse under control but the beats are harsher than normal, indicating some sort of unease.

Speculation will only leave me in dark. The medic reasons and tucks her hair behind her ear.

Plus I can't just stand here staring at him.

"Uchiha-san," her voice cracks horribly and she flush. "Ahem, Uchiha-san. Welcome back to the world of the living. I'm your attending physician tonight. Your aid, Honoka-san, is on break at the moment."

Her legs move on their own. Sakura allows a mask of professionalism to hide her dislike of the patient before her. As she makes her way towards him, Itachi's eyes jerk with her every step. He watches her closely until she's near his side. He never turns his head but his eyes look obliquely at her before turning forward again.

The gesture is enough for Sakura's tensed shoulders to relax and ease into the distant persona of medic. She takes a moment to really look at him, noting that he's lost quite a bit of weight since he's been in the hospital. His skin is more pale and clammy looking.

Body temperature is normal, if I remember.

The rest comes automatic as she sets about gathering equipment need to check what she feels is the most immediate concern. Sakura walks to a low counter and grabs several tools from a nearby drawer, including a ophthalmoscope for his eyes. Taking a rolling table, she lays out all she has in order of necessity then grabs some eye drops from a nearby cupboard.

"Uchiha-san," Sakura's tone borders mechanic as she recites courtesies from memory. "I'm going to asks you some questions. Try to answer them as best as you can. If you can't answer any of the questions, do not force it."

She removes tips from plastic casings, fitting it to the exam equipment then fits her hands into a pair of latex gloves.

"Do you know where you are?" she questions and adjusts the overhead light to get a better view of his face without blinding him.

Itachi takes a moment. Keen greens eye watch for any sign of distress as he appears to think. Years in the medical field and years with Sasuke have taught her to look underneath the stoic expression of an Uchiha. Itachi holds still, not even a noticeable raise or fall in his chest, for nearly a minute. For anyone else, it can be seen as a mental struggle to sort information but Sakura knows that he's not struggling with the location but some other thing amongst the million that seem to cloud the minds of people from his clan.

Finally barely, he nods without eye contact.

She quickly proceeds to the next question in a series of standard ones with such a patient.

"Do you know how you got here?"

Immediately his heart rate jumps. Sakura looks to the monitor at the sudden increase in blood pressure. But just like earlier, the older shinobi manages to pull himself back into control.

I'll take that as a yes. Sakura reasons

It's a reaction and sufices enough for her that he has not forgotten his battle with Sasuke. Her eyes narrow a fraction but she quickly stuffs the resentful thought away and reaches for the eye drops.

Sakura takes a step towards him, keeping her movements visible to him at all times.

"Tilt your head back, please."

Itachi's eyes drift back to her. Sakura looks placidly down at him though her pulse is near erratic.

Stop looking at me. Stop looking at me. Stop looking at me.

He doesn't.

Itachi does however ease back against the pillow. Black eyes watch her critically in silence as she places one hand just above his eye lid. The Uchiha doesn't flinch as she administers the medicine. Sakura tries to ignore it, tries to hide how unnerved she is by his attention and staring without so much as blinking.

"Close your eyes please," she instructs and moves away from him quickly when he does so.

It's a small moment of privacy but enough for Sakura allow herself to physically cringe, ball her fist and release it before grabbing the ophthalmoscope. A shiver runs down her spine and she resists the urge to do anything drastic.

Doctor first.

She reminds herself. Exhaling, the young woman walks the few steps back to the bed. Immediately Itachi opens his eyes. Without giving him a moment, she shines light from the ophthalmoscope directly into his eyes. Itachi's eyes take on a charcoal grey color when the his pupils dilate. By contrast, his pupils are much darker and that, for some reason, makes Sakura feel a bit more at ease, knowing she's not looking a deep black void of a soulless man.

Everything looks fine so far. I'll do a more thorough exam later.

Satisfied, Sakura pulls back and in doing so accidentally brushes his arm as she moves. She jerks away quickly, the sensation leaving her skin burning and face warm.

"Sorry," the medic says quickly. Itachi doesn't respond and Sakura refocuses on her question. "Do you know who I am?"

"Hn," it is the first noise Itachi makes. It's rough, like gravel underfoot but audible.

She nods and mentally catalogues his answers. Sakura removes the stethoscope from her neck and leans over him once more.

"I'm going to check your lungs," Sakura says to him. "Can you sit up on your own or do you need me to help you?"

A few seconds pass before Itachi's arms twitch into motion. Sakura gives him room as he moves slowly to a more upright position away from the pillow. When he settles, she presses a stethoscope to the upper right side of his back and focus on her task.

"Inhale for me, please." she asks.

Itachi obeys and takes a deep breathe. There's a mild rattling sound that draws her brows together. Sakura moves the stethoscope down a little. "Again."

He complies throughout the ordeal, wordlessly, deep breathes at every command. She listens with expert ears at the rattling in his organ. The noise seems worse in his left lung than in his right. Noise in general is not good, especially since discovering he has an illness that she hasn't had the chance to properly diagnose. Given the circumstances surrounding his 'resurrection', any little thing is a cause for concern.

They go through the motions in silence, much to her gratitude. Sakura checks his chest as well as his stomach until she's satisfied. Pulling away from him with a thoughtful exhale, she charts her findings along with the answers to the general questions. She can't rule out anything at this point. Who knows how long he actually has to live.

She bites the inside of her cheek, confused at his symptoms and whether they should be any cause for concern. Immediately, she suspects some kind of pneumonia. His clogged lungs attest to as much but the reason behind the immune response is still a puzzling mystery. Even more so because he's been in a hospital bed for four months with no way of coming into contact with viruses or bacteria.

Maybe the change in temperature aggravated something…

She grabs pen from her coat's pocket and starts to write, matching common symptoms to see if she can map a diagnosis. So engrossed in her own thoughts, she starts when Itachi speaks at length.

"I am alive," his voice is almost a whisper and whiny with disuse but loud enough and deep enough to give her goosebumps.

He keeps his gaze ahead, hands resting at his side.

Sakura looks down at him, the tightness in her chest from earlier returns with a vengeance. Her eye twitches at the almost nonchalant way he speaks the obvious.

Yes, he is alive, at the expense of the brother he claimed to love.

She blinks then curtly nods.

"Yeah," she says trying for an air of detachment, then goes back to work.

"You are here, again." Itachi continues, suddenly feeling talkative.

Her grip on the pen tightens but Sakura flips through papers and writes more notes, keeping her eyes on her work.

"I'm your medic, Uchiha-san, that's my job."

Itachi makes a noncommittal sound and inclines his head. Silent settles around them once more, much to her comfort. It's easier to be his doctor when she isn't reminded that these are the hands that took Sasuke's life.

Sakura sits the clipboard down and goes to check his IV fluid dangling from his bedside, trying to stay distracted. Being in this room, being near him reminds her so much of Sasuke that her fingers fidget a little as she adjusts the bag. His dark hair and even darker eyes, the distant and disinterested way he looks is almost too much.

"Sakura,"

The whisper startles her. Clumsily she misses the hook for the IV bag and juggles it precariously in her hands less it falls to the floor.

"Crap!" she hisses as she hastily manages to clench it to her chest.

"What" Sakura demands, and glares at Itachi.

There's a slight frown tugging at his lips and his eyes harden towards the door. On instinct she looks at it, thinking someone may be coming in. She watches it a few seconds and looks back at him to see if he's looked elsewhere.

Itachi keeps his gaze straight ahead, silent. She can feel herself growing annoyed with him stopping her only to just stare off in the distance at nothing.

Her temper pushes towards the surface. She turns to face him, placing her hands and the IV bag on her hips. "Did you have something you ne-"

Before she can finish, Itachi tightens his grip on the sheets just as the heart monitor beeps in warning of a cardiac emergency.

"Itachi? Itachi!" Sakura exclaims.

Her eyes widen slightly as she watches the charted spike in heart rate. Tossing the IV at the foot of bed, Sakura moves quickly and places a hand on his chest. Small tremors rock his shoulders. His erratic heartbeat is so sudden that she's unsure where to focus her attention at the moment. Immediately her hands glow green and she presses them over his heart, trying to find the problem.

"Itachi?" Sakura calls, hoping for some type of response.

The Uchiha clenches his jaws and bares his teeth as the tremors travel down through his legs.

It takes a few seconds for her to realize he's partially paralyzed and the jerks are all involuntary.

There's nothing blocking the arteries and blood flow is there just way too fast! A panic attack, maybe? Of all the things to have right now!'

She grabs him by the chin and forces his face in her direction to check for any signs of something more serious.

"Breath, Uchiha." Sakura demands, trying to stop whatever is causing this odd reaction. There is no way he's having a heart attack. Honoka would have spotted the signs earlier. Would the breathing exercises have triggered something so adverse?

It's more like a seizure but his eyes aren't shift and there's no foaming at the mouth. By all accounts she shouldn't have been able to speak if that were the case.

The only thing she can rightly deduce is that he's hyper reacting to something and needs to calm down.

Like right now.

"Deep breathes," she instructs and tries to get him to lay down. "Open your mouth."

She expects immediate compliance but Itachi did almost the exact opposite, turning his glare on her, daring almost with a hint of confused malice. She can swear the air in the room drops several degrees as a cool fear snakes up her spine. The monitor's beeps turn frantic and faster as they hold eye contact.

Itachi is not listening, not exactly. He's fighting his body's response, trying to will it to do something else. The suppressed tremor gives her that much. But his eyes, hard and deep and black keeps her from doing more to aid him. Sakura wants to look away at anything but Itachi's eyes will not let her. He holds her there with a gaze so cold, so strong her knees weaken. She is almost sure that, if not for the fact that he cannot use his Sharingan, he would have used it in that moment.

'Wait!'

It clicks then.

Sakura narrows her eyes at him as his body's distress becomes more clear. His skin starts to glisten with sweat, most likely cold sweats, she thinks. When his lips start to tint, Sakura annoyingly growls.

"Itachi, you need to stop, right now."

The warning goes unheeded. Growing frustrated, she contemplates just knocking him out. But there were risks to that at this point. He could go back into a coma and not come out this time.

She pauses on that thought.

No not now, brain!

She chides herself, and charges chakra to her hands then place them on his temples.

"This is gonna hurt, Itachi, but it's better than suffocating." Sakura warns then forces her own chakra into his temples to temporary shock the nerves around his eyes.

There's a beat before the tremors turn more spastic. The Uchiha hisses between clenched teeth as his body spasms and jerks.

Then his eyes roll.

"Don't you dare!" Sakura yells and hits him hard in the back to get air back into his lungs and, hopefully oxygen to his brain less he has a full on seizure.

Itachi's lip twitches then he lurches before a harsh, unforgiving coughing fit takes him. Immediately, she slaps her hand over his mouth, just as the bloody mucus in his lungs spurts out between her fingers. It's perhaps one of the most reckless and unsanitary thing she's done as a medic but the way Itachi's weight leans into her palm, she doubts he can lift his own hands to catch his blood. She places a hand to his back as the coughing continues to wreck him. One hand is quickly becoming too small as the blood drips into the sheets. Sakura's not as concerned with this as she is his heart rate. It seems he's stopped trying to use his Sharingan, because the beeping slows.

But that clearly hasn't helped his lungs.

She keeps her gaze away, looking at the wall behind them grumbling to herself while the man before her tries to catch his breath. The episode lasts less than a minute but it takes a few moments for the Uchiha to stop shaking and leaning into sympathy she would have for a patient in this situation is lost for him.

Itachi's labored breath struggles to get under control. Sakura jerks her hand away when he moves then forces him into the pillow before stalking over to the biohazard bin to dispose of her soiled gloves. More than her fear and frustration, her angry fuels her actions as she walks towards the sink.

Half expecting him to have passed out by now, his voice only serves to irritate her further. "Sakura," Itachi calls then coughs more.

She pointedly ignores him, glaring into the sink as she adamantly scrubs her hands with soap.

"Sakura," he repeats between deep exhales.

Warning bells should have gone off, but her temper overrides all of that. Her brow twitch in impatience, her temper struggles as her thoughts bounce between different ways to give him a good beating for being so reckless. She washes her hands raw then reaches for one of the wrapped plastic cups on the counter. They keep bottled water in a cupboard above the sink, she grabs one then yanks off the plastic wrapping on the cup. If not for the IV in his arm and feeding tub lodged in his side, she would have hit him. But Itachi isn't Naruto. Had the blond pulled what happened moments ago, the last thing she'd offer him was fresh water.

"You shouldn't be talking right now." she flippantly orders, carrying both cup and bottle to Itachi's bedside. "Drink it."

Itachi furrows his brows and juts his chin at her, refusing. The medical ninja licks her lips to keep from splintering the plastic at his defiance.

"Fine," Sakura chides, "Don't drink it. But I am not offering my hand if you choke again."

She slams it on the nightstand by his bedside and moves away, going back towards the sink.

"Saku-"

The pinkette cuts him off, agitated at his stupid Uchiha stubbornness for doing something so thoughtless. "As your medic I'm telling you to be quiet, Uchiha."

"Why?"

Sakura whirls around and scowls.

"Because you have blood and mucus in your lungs and all over my sheets. You just woke up from a coma. A coma, Uchiha. Do you know what that means? Muscles like your vocal chords are weak from disuse. You are weak and malnourished and the only reason you're able to do anything is because you've been liquid fed vitamins."

Sakura waves her hands angry at him and gestures at his hunched form. " So while you're trying to jump start into normalcy as if you've been asleep, your body is going into shock wondering what the hell it is you think it's capable of after doing absolutely nothing for the past four months."

Before he can retort she turns away, slamming cupboard doors in her wake. She snatches paper towels and dries her hands before reaching above the sink to put on more latex gloves.

"By the way, that stunt you just pulled was stupid." she adds as she snaps her left glove in place and grumbles the latter part to herself. "Four months in a freaking coma and you try to use chakra. Idiot."

"Why can I not?" Itachi asks hostilely.

She looks down her nose at him. "It's called a chakra seal. It keeps your chakra at a low state."

Itachi shakes his head and levels an accusatory look her way. "My eyes."

"Are you serious?" Sakura counters. "Did everything I just say go over your head? You're in a hospital, Itachi! Under surveillance by at least four Anbu mind you, and you're asking me about your dojutsu now?"

Itachi doesn't so much as flinch at her outburst and sets his features. "You will answer my questions."

Sakura meets his glare with stubbornness of her own. "You're not exactly in positions to make demands."

"You are my medic, are you not?"

"That has nothing to do wit-"

"My eyes," Itachi cuts her off. "I cannot feel the chakra at all. Tell me why."

Sakura blinks at the coldness with which he regards her. For a moment she stops her rant as the weight of Itachi discontentment settles in the room.

Anger falters in way of nerves.

She swallows but holds her ground. "You had...I performed a surgery on your eyes while you were in coma."

"Explain."

The storm in Itachi's scowl turns more violent and Sakura fights not to flinch as she does as he asks.

"It's a temporary surgery that closes the chakra pathway to your eyes so you can't access your dojutsu. It was a safety measure, ordered by the Hokage to go along with the chakra seals. Since we know the Sharingan can be triggered by emotions, he thought it best for you not to have access to it...given the situation."

Itachi blinks. "The situation?"

Sakura finds her will again and snarkily replies, "Yes. Because, as far as everyone knows, you're Konoha's number one family killing missing-nin."

Her condescending response is met with silence. However, Itachi's eyes are no less accusing. They stare at each other across the expanse of the hospital room. The medic in her notes his hostile response and, suddenly, it occurs to her that maybe...maybe he doesn't remember.

She shifts her weight then ask in a slightly softer tone, "Do you know what the situation is? Do you remember what hap-"

"You healed me." he interjects. "The Hokage gave me an order. I completed the mission. Now I am here with you, again."

His words are empty of feeling. Of sorrow. Of remorse. But no less accusatory towards her, as if she's done some great wrong against him.

It only serves to make her angrier. "Yes, again. Which, by the way, you're welcome for me saving your life twice."

"A necessary task to complete your orders. Surely if not for the Hokage commissioning you, you would have chosen an alternative."

Sakura bristles and counters, "I made that as a medic oath to my patients, not the Hokage. My job is to save lives, whether I am told to or not. Whether I like the person or not is irrelevant."

Itachi hums and narrows his eyes, "Then you chose to resurrect me both time?"

"No," Sakura quickly replies.

"Then you would have chosen another if the mission did not dictate otherwise."

Sakura's stomach turns sour at the truth of his words and the callousness with which he speaks them. "So that's it, huh? He was just another mission on your list?"

Itachi looks away from her, towards the door. "Was it your mission to leave me defenseless?"

Sakura smacks her teeth. "I'm acting on orders."

"As was I."

"Don't change the subject!" Sakura yells then bites her tongue.

Itachi's eyes glance at her and then away. At length, he closes his eyes and replies. "Sasuke was a threat to the village. Nothing more could be done."

"He was…!" Sakura catches herself and forces down the lump in her throat and heart, "Nevermind."

She bites her cheek and, not caring about winning this little standoff, walks towards the cabinet in the corner of the room. She can feel his eyes on her, though she wishes he would not stare. Whether he's glaring or just watching, she can't say. It doesn't matter, because now more than even she just wants to leave.

I swear to God I'm gonna kill you when I see you, Ino.

She takes a medium blue bowl from the top shelf and tucks it under her arms. Under the first shelf a folded table is tucked against the wall. She makes quick work of getting it out and assembling it to its upright position so she can sit the bowl on top.

"I'm going to clear the blood from your lungs so I'm going to need you to sit back." Sakura informs in a gentler voice, sensing his unpleasant mood.

Itachi, surprisingly, lays down without hesitation as she wheels the bowl over to him. Sakura keeps her gaze on his chest and sets to work with pulling the blood from his lungs. She focuses all of her energy and all of her emotions into the task. When she chances a glance at his face, Itachi's eyes were closed. Knowing this makes it even easier to focus on removing the liquid. The procedure is timely but not hard. Thankfully, she doesn't have too much where she has to stand there all night.

Once the last drop is removed, she makes a note to have Honoka administer a round of antibiotics. Sakura also collects a sample of the blood and mucus for further testing. After taking a swab of his salvia, Sakura quickly leaves the room with no desire to go back.

"Busy morning''

Sakura startles for the second time that night. "Jeez, Kakashi-sensei, don't sneak up on me like that."

"Standing in the hallway hardly counts as 'sneaking'. There are more subtle ways to do it than this."

The medic smacks her teeth and moves around him to get away from the door.

"It's too early for any of this, "Sakura reasons and shifts the saliva sample and clipboard to one hand. "Did you get my message?"

"Yes," Kakashi drawls and rocks on his heels, "I heard blackbird was awake but no one warned me about his fiery medic."

Sakura rolls her eyes at his comment and looks elsewhere. "I'm tired and a little cranky so say what you have to say so I can bring these samples to the lab."

"Do that first, then come back." Kakashi instructs and the change of his tone cause her to look his way.

His grey eye looks both lazy and steady at her, all traces of playfulness gone.

This time warning bells do go off and she cautiously ask,

"Why?"

Kakashi's eye drifts up as he eases hands into his pocket. "Come back here when you're done. I have a mission for you."

"For me?"

"For both of you." Kakashi clarifies.

The words register slow, the implication of the Hokage's command come after.

Sakura closes her eyes and purses her lips to keep everything from spilling out at once.

There's a proverb she knows that comes to mind:

"If you save a life you become responsible for it."

Words have never rung truer until now. Whatever the mission, Sakura knows it will tie her Itachi in some way, shape or form.

One inhale.

Then another.

She bottles her emotions, seals them tight, then turns on her heels toward the elevator. With one word she quietly accepts the unwelcome hand fate so cruelly dealt her.

"Ok."


A/N:

Finally! After months and months of waiting, I've started the 'sequel' to Allusion's Illusion In A Love Song, though things are a bit out of order!

This Prologue happens before Allusion's and everything hereafter will start where Allusion's leaves off. At the very least, for those of you unfamiliar with the story, this gives you enough context for every chapter that follows. The next chapter begins four years after this moment (one year after Allusion's).

If you want to know how things play out for them in between the time skip, pop over to the Allusion's and read those two chapters. I know this sounds confusing and out of order but it'll all make sense next chapter, I promise! I just had to this beauty sitting and I didn't want to make it it's own story.

Anyways, enough of me rambling. Please tell me what you think! I always look forward to hearing from you all! Be on the lookout for the next chapter!

Word Count: 7,480

Musical Inspiration: 'I'll Keep You Safe'-Sagun (feat. Shiloh), 'And then, It Swallowed Me'- Nohidea x Killedmyself, 'Broken'- Seether (feat. Amy Lee)

-CeCe ^^