It's 12:50am and I am not tired. At all.

Anyway, got excited and finished this early and decided you guys could have it early.

Also, thanks to all of you who voted! I got so many reviews (though I cheated a lil bit by asking you to vote) and it made me all fuzzy and warm inside. ShiSaku won out with 12 votes (across AO3 and ), with ItaSaku getting 7 and SasuSaku getting 1 (D:). So, that's the order I'll write them in then. I changed the name of the ShiSaku story, but the overarching plot stays the same.

A few of you suggested I do an ItaSakuShi and BOI I WISH. I ain't that talented tho and I would probably end up focusing very heavily on one character over the other and it just wouldn't be fair.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Please enjoy.

Dark Horse

Chapter 16 – Dark Horse

The next morning, Shisui wakes alone.

He had tried to stay awake with Sakura, but given his still weak state, it was too much for him and he had fallen back to sleep not long after their conversation. He regrets it, but only a little.

Itachi is still sleeping, but there is a new cloth on his forehead and a glass of water on the table beside his bed.

Shisui lies in the warm bed for a few moments before deciding he can't stand to be stuck in another small room again. So he sits up, swings his legs over the side of the bed.

He feels lighter, the aches in his muscles gone, and strength returned to his hands and legs. He wonders if Sakura had healed him again.

Even with the newfound strength in his legs, he is still weak and wobbly, and it takes him a frustratingly long time to get up. But he does. And he walks across the room, unaided, for the first time in years.

It tastes like triumph.

The little house is quiet. Itachi sleeps, skin flush with health now, but there are still deep circles under his eyes, stress still in the lines of his forehead and mouth.

Shisui touches Itachi's arm, just briefly, just to reassure him that this isn't a dream.

The door to the tiny room creaks open and he turns, looks up. There is a beautiful blonde woman standing in the doorframe. Her hair frames her face the same way Sakura's does and she has the same mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

The lilac diamond on her forehead gleams in the light.

This must be Sakura's mother.

"Thought I heard someone stumbling around up here." The blonde woman says before he can say anything. She beckons to him abruptly. "Get dressed and leave your poor cousin alone."

Shisui looks around, sees that he's missed the neatly folded shirt and jacket on the end of his bed. The woman huffs.

"And hurry up, you're too skinny." She says shortly before she leaves the room, closing the door with a firm click.

Shisui snorts. Sakura's mother indeed. He looks at Itachi again, and then moves away to dress himself. Itachi looked peaceful and Shisui doesn't want to ruin that, not again. Not yet.

As he pulls on his clothes, he feels every rib and the hollow dip above his hip bones. Despite it, he isn't hungry. He knows though, that he has to eat and imagines Sakura's scolding reminders to eat slowly.

The house is silent when he emerges from the room. There is a hallway to his right, closed doors lining it, and stairs to his left. He has to clutch the banister much more tightly than he would have liked to, but he makes it down eventually.

The blonde woman is standing in the kitchen, hands moving quickly over a bowl. She turns to see him come in and flaps a hand at the roughly hewn seats around the table. He takes one, wondering if she had the same short temper as Sakura. From what he knows of her, she does.

"You look awful." She says bluntly, shoving the bowl into his hands. There is a mixture of berries and mushy oats in it, drowned in milk. "That's all you're getting. I am not having another idiot vomiting on me."

Shisui has to suppress a smile at that. "Thank you…?"

"Tsunade."

Shisui nearly drops the bowl in shock. When he regains his wits, he scrambles to lower his head in deference.

She scoffs. "Stop that, you look ridiculous." She snaps. "Don't bow to me, boy. I don't care for all that stupidity."

He clutches the bowl, confused and a little awed by the woman standing in front of him. One of the legendary Sannin, the immortal goddess of healing and wine. He is very aware now of her true power.

Tsunade fills a clay cup with water. "I suppose Sakura never told you." She says. "The resemblance is uncanny, no?" She says as she leans against the counter, watching him with sharp eyes and a mysterious smile.

Shisui can't help but agree. "I feel a bit stupid for not noticing it."

"Bah, she's not my biological daughter." She tells him, eyes sharp and amused. "Neither of my children are."

Shisui blinks. "I don't… Then why does she look like you?"

She seems flattered by that. "Her mother was my cousin. I took Sakura in after they… Gaara too."

"Then they're siblings?"

"Not by blood." The Slug Princess sighs. "I'm not doing a very good job at explaining this, am I? I may not have borne them, but they are mine." She says, and there is the faintest defensiveness to her voice.

Shisui doesn't say anything about that, clutching his bowl of oats.

She gestures at them impatiently. "Eat. My daughter will fuss if she gets home and I've starved you to death." She flaps her hand at him. "Eat, eat. You and that poor cousin of yours are far too skinny."

There is a strange sort of maternal care to her. Harsh and abrupt but caring all the same. Shisui smiles into his bowl, picks up the spoon and takes a careful bite.

It is mushy and a bit cold, but after nothing for so long, it tastes like heaven.

"Slowly!" She scolds when he tries to shove another bite in his mouth immediately. "You'll make yourself sick. There's more than enough to go around."

Shisui takes slower bites. They sit in silence for a few moments, his spoon clanking against the bowl as he eats, his movements slow. The oats taste lovely, but he is careful to pace himself. Soon enough, he finds that he is full, and the bowl isn't even half empty yet.

"Hm." Tsunade murmurs, leaning over the table to look into his bowl. "I thought so. You have a long recovery ahead of you… Both of you." Her expression darkens, her eyes sympathetic and frustrated all at the same time. "Bastard."

Shisui pushes the bowl away. "Where are the others?" He asks, avoiding the subject of Madara altogether. He doesn't know when he'll be able to face it, but now, sitting in a sunny kitchen with the birds singing outside, is not the time.

"Sakura is out with that idiot of a future king." Tsunade says. "He can't be trusted- the last time we sent him out for food he spent the entire purse on Ramen!"

Shisui can't help a smile. That sounds exactly like something Naruto would do.

She gives him a long look, face unreadable. And then she smiles.

It looks very much like Sakura's.

"You'll do well." She says.

Shisui waits for her to threaten him. He had heard the threats that Kakashi's antics had garnered, knows that families are protective of their children. He imagines that an immortal will be no different.

But she doesn't, only sips her drink quietly.

"I thought… You… I'm an Uchiha-"

She looks at him over the rim of her cup. "And?"

"Well I just…"

"I told you that I would be the judge of who you are, Uchiha Shisui." The legendary Sannin says. She hums, dumping her water in the sink. "My daughter trusts you, was willing to face down a monster for you and that, to me, means more than any name you might bear."

Shisui wonders if this is where Sakura got her strange sense of morals from.

She smiles at him again. "You were distraught over my daughter's wings – not many men would remember a promise made three years ago. You'll do well." And then she brushes past him, a hand brushing over his shoulder briefly.

He sits there, a strange feeling blooming in his chest. He doesn't quite understand it but it feels almost like coming home.

He hears her pause. "Your cousin is outside, brooding, I presume."

There is an expectation there and Shisui understands what she is telling him to do. She walks away, up the stairs and Shisui looks out the front window. Sasuke is sitting under a tree, staring at his hands, dark cloak thrown over one shoulder.

He looks pitifully small there.

It takes him longer than he would like to hobble outside, but he makes it eventually. Sasuke watches him walk across the grass but doesn't get up to help. Shisui appreciates it. He dislikes being so weak. Having Sasuke coddle him would only make it worse.

He eases down next to Sasuke and for a long while, neither of them say anything. It is a warm day and Shisui basks in the dappled sunlight. He likes this. It is very peaceful, almost reminiscent of their days as children.

Finally, Sasuke shifts. "I have something of yours." He says lowly, reaching for his hip.

Shisui looks down as Sasuke holds out a very familiar black and gold sheath. The hilt of his beloved dagger glints in the sunlight, lovingly polished, the leather of the sheath soft and oiled recently. He takes it gently.

Sasuke isn't looking at him, but at the ground, expression anguished. "Sakura took care of it, while you were… Away." He says, voice strained and tight.

Shisui can hear the difficulty Sasuke is having with the words. He doesn't say anything. Sasuke just needs a little time.

"She gave it to me… That night." Sasuke says. He shakes his head, long hair falling over his eyes. "I was going to strangle him. I wanted to hurt him so badly for what he did. To Itachi, to you, to Sakura, to all of us."

Sasuke's fist clenches on his knee, and he tosses his head back, so he is looking at the sky. His jaw is taut, but Shisui waits.

"If you hadn't reminded me of who… Of who we are, I might have done it." Sasuke admits. "It was cleaner, kinder than he deserved. But I'm not him."

Shisui puts a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, dagger forgotten in his lap. "You did good, Sasuke."

His cousin smiles, almost like he did when he was a little brat, running around with a snot nose and too big clothes. "Idiot."

The rest of the day passes quickly.

When Sakura returns from her excursion with Kakashi, Naruto and the owner of the house, a smiling man called Yamato, she ushers Shisui back upstairs with a glower.

"You can't be traipsing all around in your condition!" She says, poking him in the arm. "You need to rest."

Itachi is still sleeping when she chases him into the small bedroom. Shisui checks Itachi's breathing, still scarcely believing that his cousin will live. Sakura lets him have that and then unceremoniously stuffs him back under the covers.

"Stay." She commands.

He won't admit it, but he is tired. He is weak from his years in captivity and even the short walk to the garden had taken the wind out of him. It is frustrating to be so weak, to have to be doted on like a child.

Sakura touches his forehead. "I'll get you something to eat." She bits her lip. "And then I have to ask you something."

She spins away, hurrying from the room without another word. Shisui blinks and then leans against the pillows at his back. He thinks he knows what she will ask him.

He stares at the ceiling, thinking hard about the capital, Naruto, Sasuke, the Kingdom and his place in it. He had always been a General, a strong leader but it was never by choice and it wasn't something he enjoyed, sending men to die on faraway fields, under unfamiliar skies.

He can hear Naruto whining from here, smiles absentmindedly as he thinks.

The Capital has been his home since he was a child.

But too much has happened in the city walls, too much blood spilled and too many memories tainted by red eyes and cruel hands.

The door creaks open and he looks down from the ceiling, sees Sakura holding a tray. The smell of hearty, thick meat stew makes his mouth water and he can see the heavy bread from here. He smiles at her and knows what his answer will be.

"You won't stay?" Itachi asks again.

Shisui shrugs. They both know the answer to that. Naruto had good advisors in Itachi and Kakashi, and a loyal captain in Sasuke. Shisui has no energy left for fighting or politics in court, and he feels lost, looking at the familiar streets and faces.

No, a change of pace would be good for him.

Itachi smiles quietly, still leaning heavily on the cane Sakura and Tsunade had fashioned one day. His cousin will never fully recover from Madara, lungs far too weak for battle now, but Shisui thinks that Itachi doesn't mind. "I didn't think so." He murmurs.

Shisui grips his shoulder. Behind him, he can hear Sasuke and Naruto saying their goodbyes to Sakura. It is significantly louder and tearier than Itachi and Shisui's goodbye, with Naruto wailing about monsters and bandits. "You can always come with us."

Itachi looks wistful. "I'm needed here."

Looking up at the ruined castle behind them, slowly being repaired by the craftsmen of the capital, Shisui knows that to be partially true. "Not forever."

"No." Itachi agrees, following his gaze. "Not forever."

They fall silent, standing shoulder to shoulder. The capital is recovering, slowly but surely and Shisui is sure it will be as if nothing ever happened in a few months. With Naruto at the helm and the spirit slowly returning to the people, he doesn't doubt that the kingdom will flourish.

Finally, by unspoken agreement, they turn away from the capital. Kuro is waiting, nosing impatiently at the dappled grey mare beside him, reigns held fast by Kakashi.

Itachi is slower than he used to be, but then, so is Shisui. He doesn't think he will ever be as strong as he once was, but there are no more wars for him to fight in.

And truthfully, it is a relief.

He is sick of fighting and planning and plots.

Sakura mounts her horse, Marrella, with an easy swing of her leg. She settles on the docile animal, patting her neck. She smiles at Shisui, eyes gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

It has been months since Madara had finally died, but they have been kind to her. She has lost the hard edge to her mouth, the cold light in her eyes and the gauntness in her cheeks. Her hair is short again, like the day he met her, and her smile happy.

There will always be a slight darkness to her eyes, but she hides it well.

"Hurry up, slow poke!" She goads, voice excited.

Shisui thinks she has grown antsy, locked up in the walls of the city. She often told him how she wanted to run and play, and show him all the things in her forest, all the way in the West.

"You'd best hurry, or else she might steal your horse." Itachi teases.

Shisui pokes his younger cousin in the arm. "If you didn't have that cane…" He warns.

Itachi pushes him away with a jerk of his chin. "Go, before Sasuke ties you both up and refuses to let you leave."

Shisui can mount Kuro by himself again and his loyal steed prances, already excited to run.

Naruto is saying something to Sakura, while Sasuke holds her mount steady, mouth thin and eyes downturned to the ground. Beside Kuro, Kakashi watches quietly.

"They'll try and visit at every opportunity." The silver haired man tells him.

"I know."

Kakashi pats his leg. "Stay safe." He says, "Both of you."

"Perverts!"

"Ow!"

Shisui can't help but snort at the future king and his youngest cousin rubbing their heads pathetically and Sakura shaking out her hand in disgust. She glowers at them and snatches the reigns up, pulling the grey mare in a tight circle and trotting over to Shisui, Kakashi and Itachi.

"Idiots." She tells them primly.

"That hurt!" Naruto wails.

Kakashi sighs. "Lord help us all."

Sakura smiles fondly at the two men and then looks at Shisui, eyes bright with anticipation. "Are you ready to go?"

Shisui glances back at the capital, one last time. He knows he might have to come back one day, but for now, he is more than ready to leave. "Yes, I think so."

They say one last goodbye to the foursome of men seeing them off and then, begin their week long trek back to Sakura's forest.

The morning passes quickly, Sakura talking animatedly as she points out plants and flowers her mother had taught her to use as medicine. It confuses Shisui mostly and he can't often follow her line of thought, but it is nice, listening to her chatter.

They stop for lunch on the banks of the Nanako river and Sakura splashes around happily, pants hiked above her knees. The sight of her bare skin, wet with water is enough to distract Shisui long enough for Kuro to steal his apple.

He wrestles with his horse for a moment before Kuro tosses his head and Shisui's apple is lost to the dirt.

He sighs, and Sakura just laughs at him.

They don't spend long at the river bank, resuming their trek Westward as the sun wheels overhead. As they walk, Sakura guides Marrella closer. The horse is walking herself, only adjusting course when Sakura presses her knees against her sides. Meanwhile, Sakura's hands are busy at work, braiding the grey mare's mane into an intricate web of delicate braids and plaits.

There are no flowers this time, but Shisui watches her hands anyway. They are agile and quick, splitting the hair and winding so quickly it is hard to track.

"It's pretty." He says.

She gives him a narrow eyed look. "Marrella is not a war horse." She tells him. "She's a lady."

Shisui shrugs at her and they fall into a companionable silence. Sakura hums as she finishes the braid, letting it fall onto Marrella's neck with a gentle thump. Shisui admires the work, it looks lovely, and far more noticeable of the grey mane of Marrella than on Kuro's.

Sakura looks at him, mischief dancing in her eyes.

Shisui opens his mouth-

- and then, quick as a flash, she leans over and with one quick, deft movement, swipes his dagger from his belt. Marella prances a little from the strange movement and Sakura giggles, urging her forward with her knees.

Shisui puts a hand on his belt, narrowing his eyes. "That's mine." He tells her.

Sakura spins the dagger in her hand, eyes mischievous as she turns her mount in a mocking circle in front of him. "You can have it back later." She says, "Run, Marella, run!" She cries, and her horse does just that, lunging forward on powerful hind legs and tail snapping in the wind as she thunders across the open plain.

"Sakura!" He cries.

Kuro dances under him, snorting and desperately excited to chase. Shisui lets him go, urging him forward with a whispered encouragement and the strong black stallion raced after Sakura and her horse, long legs eating up the distance between them quickly.

Sakura's laughter catches the wind, delighted and joyful as they run.

Aw, so sweet.

ADORABLE.

I was going to have it end with Sakura and Shisui back in her forest, being visited by Itachi, but then I thought I liked this draft better. It leaves it open for interpretation. I might revisit it, like add a fluff scene but for now, I'm happy with how it stands.

Thank you to everyone who came back to read every time I uploaded and a big thanks to every person who reviewed! They all mean a lot and I'm glad so many of you enjoyed my story. It has some pacing issues, I know, but you all stuck it out and I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed this last chapter and that it was floooofy enough for you.

Let me know what you think!

The next story might take a bit - since I'm having trouble wrangling all the plot points into place, but it will be here and it will have teh sexy-tiems (which I will have to post only on AO3 since sexually explicit content is against guidelines), teh bloods, Sakura turning people on by punching things and Orochimaru being a creeper.

One last thing - Marrella. Just google it. It's not gross, I just think its cool af.