Thanks for all the lovely reviews my dear readers.
I am sorry for the late update as my laptop was not working but now it's repaired. Although the updates won't be that regular as my new semester starts next Monday, but I will try to update atleast once in a week.
Also to the reviewers who are complaining about how Sakura seems childish now, personally I don't think she has changed. Just because she likes to banter with Sasuke or have a little fun or become embarrassed doesn't mean that. She is still the same mature woman. But I appreciate your concern.
Anyways, this chapter contains some angst and a lot of drama so be prepared.
/
Itachi Uchiha coughed slowly as he tried to grab the glass of water from the bedside table with shaking hands. He could barely lift it as the nurse came to his aid and assisted him in drinking it. He hated it. He hated the fact that he has become so weak and helpless. He hated that he was going to die in few months. He hated that he won't be able to spend any more time with his little brother or mother or father. When he has learned about his rare disease six years ago, he have left his home to find a cure to it. The local doctors have given up quickly so he had no other choice left.
He couldn't afford to tell his family members about it as he didn't want to cause them any trouble. He consulted some of the renewed doctors of the world but nobody could do a thing about his rare illness. The only option they have was to continue supplying him blood at regular intervals. He could also feel his body getting too weak with the passing time. So, he did the only thing possible. He left his home as he didn't want to become a burden on his family. He didn't want his mother or father to spend their old age taking care of him. He didn't want Sasuke to compromise with his life and spend his teenage days looking after or worrying about his elder brother. Itachi knew that he wasn't fit enough to be crowned as the next CEO of Uchiha corps, so he quit.
The easiest path was to make them hate him. He could live the remaining years of his life bearing their hatred but he never wanted to see them mourn over his health or his dead body.
He sighed as he realized his time have come. With a bittersweet smile he reminiscences all the happy times spent in past. Although his doctor Tsunade Senju has vowed to find a cure, he doubted it. He have also made her promise him that she won't disclose about his condition to anyone. His last dying wish was seeing his brother's face one last time but he knew it was next to possible.
With a sharp inhale of breath he settled down on the hospital bed. He could hear the faint sound of blood dripping in the tube attached to his hand. Itachi didn't remember when he dozed off but he was interrupted by a loud slamming voice. He barely had the time to open his drowsy eyes as he spotted a familiar face standing near the hem of the door. His eyes drew wide with disbelief as he took in the form of his younger brother. For a moment, he thought that he was dreaming as surely it cannot be true. But the faint voice of his shoes clicking on the tiled floor and the sharp pain that seared through his spine when he tried to got up was enough to make him realise that it was not a dream. It was reality. Sasuke was real. Myriad of emotions flashed through the young Uchiha's face as he took in the bony form of his brother. His skeletal arms peeked through the green hospital gown and his face seemed ghastly. His sockets were practically popping out as he gazed back at him. His heart constricted painfully against his chest as he slumped down on Itachi's bed. His brother looked ashamed as he averted his eyes to the window.
"Wh..Why?"
Sasuke asked in a trembling voice, whether it was from anger or anguish, he didn't know. He wanted to yell at him. He wanted to throw things around. But he have lost all the energy the moment he saw his brother. He was going to die. He was going to leave him, just like that.
"I never wanted you all to bear this burden."
Even in that state,Itachi's voice still held authority and strong prowess as Sasuke gritted his teeth.
"BURDEN? DID YOU THINK OF ME AS A BURDEN WHEN YOU BABYSAT HELPLESS LITTLE ME ALL THE TIME? DID MOM THINK OF YOU AS A FUCKING BURDEN WHEN SHE CARRIED YOU FOR A NINE MONTHS? ANSWER ME YOU..YOU!"
His voice wavered as Sasuke didn't know he was in tears until he felt something wet roll down his cheek. He never cried. The last time he probably cried was when he was still a toddler. Itachi's face mirrored the sorrow on Sasuke's as he held out his hand slowly to call him. Sasuke hesitatingly shifted near him as Itachi poked him on his forehead.
"I am sorry Sasuke."
Sasuke crumbled apart as he encircled his arms around Itachis' and cried silent tears. Itachi's eyes were also filled as he ruffled his dear brother's hairs. At least, his last wish was fulfilled.
"Don't leave me Itachi. I wo..won't let you die!"
Sasuke whispered as he tightened his grip on his back. Itachi was reminded of the time when he was young and got hurt while playing. Sasuke always ran in his arms and clung to his brother for warmth.
"I will always be there with you Sasuke. Always."
/
Sakura almost broke the test tube as she tried to warm it up in the hot water. She fumbled with the cloth as she took it out and placed it into the holder. There were over hundreds of books sprawled over her table and she has spent last 32 hours reading them. Tsunade and everyone at the hospital requested her to rest but sleep was the farthest thing from her mind. There has got to be a solution to Itachi's sickness. She knew that even Tsunade was unsuccessful but that didn't falter her determination. She still remembers Sasuke's face when he learnt this harsh truth. It seemed as if his world had stopped when he fell to his knees and remained numb for a long time. At that moment Sakura asked herself if it was the right thing to do, but she didn't want to spend the rest of her life with the guilt of never telling him about his brother's condition. She knew that Tsunade have kept it in wraps. How the hell that thing got mixed with other files, they would never know but it was for the best. If she hadn't found it out, Itachi would have died without anyone ever knowing it. Or they might discover it when it was too late.
Sakura cursed as the needle stung her skin before she squeezed it into the bottle. She knew that she still have one and a half semester before she finally graduates but she have already started practicing some advanced stuff beforehand. She has gone through Itachi's report and the replies and studies of other doctors on him, but to no avail. But she won't give up. Not so easily.
With that she set to work as she first used her own blood to conduct the test.
/
Sasuke watched quietly as his mother gently massaged Itachi's forehead as he rested in deep slumber. It has been over two week since everyone knew of his state. As expected, Mikoto had the worse reaction of them all as she became unconscious for over a day. After that, they have all never left Itachi's side and had him transfer to Tokyo Hospital. His father was a reserved man but Sasuke even saw him shed tears in the secluded corner, when he though that no one was watching. He knew his father had taken the heavy weight of guilt over him as he was the one who disowned his son. But nothing could be done except praying now.
Itachi was losing time. Rapidly he might add. He only wished someone could actually come up with something before it was late. He knew that Sakura was also trying her best, spending hours and hours at the medical lab. He have to practically get her drugged and drag her back to her home when she collapsed from fatigue the other day. Although he appreciated what she was doing, he didn't want another one of his dear person to become ill.
He got up then as he walked aimlessly out of the cabin. He needed some fresh air. He was just rounding the corner when he paused in front of an office. It was assigned for the nurses as he got in search of Sakura. He spotted her soon enough, writing something on a piece of paper with wrinkled eyebrows. He slowly approached her as she raised her head to look at him.
"Hi."
She answered shortly as he grabbed a nearby chair and settled beside her. She have gone back to her work after this short greeting as he eyed her.
"Have you eaten something?"
"Yes.."
"When?"
"Umm..morning ."
"Sakura."
He started in a warning tone as she sighed and finally spared him a glance.
"I am okay Sasuke. Believe me. "
"I will be right back."
He got up and Sakura had a fair idea of where he was going as after few minutes, he returned with some cheese burgers and French fries. He took a small bite as he extended it towards her mouth while she gulped it slowly. There was no use arguing with him and frankly speaking she didn't have much energy to do that too.
She broke off a half of the bun and raised it towards him as he ate it from her before a small smile spread across her face. Soon enough thy both fed each other and the food was finished in couple of minutes as clearly neither of them have eaten much.
Sasuke took her hands in his as he rubbed circles over the smooth skin.
"It is my onetime request to you."
She looked confused as he spoke in a broken tone.
"Please..Save him."
She bit her lip and tried to hold back her emotions but failed when she saw the lost look in his eyes. She knew how much he adored and worshiped Itachi. And seeing Sasuke suffer like that was the last thing she ever wanted. She nodded as she cradled his head closer to her chest and placed a soft kiss over his raven hairs.
Something triggered her memory right then as she pushed him away after a moment and he stared curiously at her bewildered face.
"Why didn't I think of this before?"
She murmured as Sasuke was all the more confused by her peculiar behavior when she rummaged through the stack of files. She pulled one with the yellow cover and turned its page quickly in pursuit of something.
"Think about what?"
"The key to save your brother. Is you Sasuke!"
./
"I am still not sure about it Sakura. We already thought of the bone marrow transplantation but his body is too weak to risk a major operation at this stage."
"Then why didn't you do it before? When he was still in better shape?"
"This is because the transfusion takes a lot of time and there is a high possibility, his organs will relapse as his body loses the blood fifty percent faster than the normal chemo patient. He would most likely die in the midst of procedure."
"I know that. But, what if we do it in stages. You know one step at a time. "
"That is not possible. The whole procedure has to be done in a single go."
Sakura just squatted back on the chair as Tsunade folded her hands. This was the only option. They have to device a method to divide his operating time.
/
A week flew by quickly as Itachi was still not showing any sign of recovery. On the contrary he have gone in a mild comatose stage and would only regain consciousness for few hour before falling asleep again. His body was giving up. Everyone knew that. Although Sasuke was confirmed match according to HLA type, they couldn't do anything.
Sasuke sat on the bench emotionlessly as he stared off in space. He could see many of their family friends and distant relatives gathered there. Mikoto had her head placed on Kushina's shoulder as she sobbed slowly. His father was sitting on the lone bench as some of his uncle tried to console the stoic Uchiha. Sasuke didn't want to interact with any of his friends as they kept nagging him and didn't leave him alone especially Naruto.
There was a faint sound of hurried steps as they spotted one of the nurse rush towards the rest room while everyone turned their head at the intruder.
"Sakura Haruno has done it. She finally found a method to perform the transplant!"
/
Sasuke drank some of the juice as he laid back on the bed. Mere hours ago, his stem cells were extracted for harvesting. He felt weak as Sakura sat by his side. She gave him a proud smile and kissed his knuckles lovingly.
"You were great Sasuke. Rest now. We are going to save him."
Sasuke didn't know anything about medical terminology and such as so he could only understand that Sakura have designed a syringed equipment, with help from some engineers of course which would keep transfusing his body within span of hours and was painless as such. She have first suggested to do the autologous transplant to cancel off all the stray cells and reduce the infection immunity before using Sasuke's.
This was a risky game but it worked in the end and they managed to inject his body completely with donor cells over the span of a month.
Now all their hopes were placed on the engraftment which would take about a month to succeed.
Itachi was monitored in UWMC as the doctors kept a close eye on him 24*7.
It was a week after that Sasuke was visiting his comatose brother when he saw a blur in front before he was engulfed tightly in someone's arms. It took few seconds for him to realise that it was Sakura as she held onto him tightly..
"Oh Sasuke! It worked. He is growing new cells."
He just then realized the weight which was lifted off him as he slowly began to tumble on his knee, bringing Sakura with him. It was the first time Sakura genuinely saw him cry as she wiped off his face and he mumbled thank you to her.
It took another two weeks before Itachi opened his eyes finally and the news broke out like a wild fire and the whole hospital was filled with joy at his miraculous recovery.
Itachi never thought that he would see the daylight again but when his mother clung him tightly to herself he knew that he was back. He was given another chance to be with everyone and he won't waste it. Itachi have never cried this heavily before.
He has to stay another month in the hospital before he was finally discharged. Tsunade warned them that the full recovery will take around a year but he was good to leave and they would keep a close eye on him all the time.
Sakura have never felt so proud of herself as she did now when Sasuke's mother hugged her and thanked her a million times or when his father gave her the most gentle smile and thanks he was capable of. He even proclaimed that her parents would be the most proud in world at this. And she have become friends with Itachi on close terms as he renounced her as his new sister and called her his messiah.
The word spread by quickly in her college as she was honored by the Principal and President of their University. Her parents were specially invited as they were indeed proud of their little girl as she cried tears of joy with them.
She has finally given something big to someone and for the first time she felt that she had a significant role to play in this world.
When Sasuke saw her taking her reward on the stage with the brightest smile ever, he knew that she truly was a light in his life. Their meeting was definitely fated. She was in his destiny and he was never letting her go. Because Sasuke Uchiha was unconditionally and immensely in love with her.
/
So there was a lot of drama here but it was a breaking point for something big. It led to an emotional turnmoil in Sasuke's feelings for Sakura. And as I already said that things are going to get rough. This was just a closure to why Itachi stayed away.
More to come..
Please read and review.
~Sora