Labyrinthine – an Itachi & Sakura story
By: F.M. Wrights

CHAPTER XXVIII

She dropped into the grass, exhausted. Beside her, Hinata collapsed, burying her face in her hands as she attempted to catch her breath. "Come now!" Lee called. "The Springtime of Youth waits for no-one!"

"I'm afraid it's going to have to wait for me, Lee-san," Sakura groaned, drawing a light chuckle from Hinata. She made a face as she brushed a sweat-slickened strand of hair from her forehead, squinting up to the sky to make out what time it was.

Lee squatted down and sighed. "Well, we've made excellent progress," he perked up and glanced at Hinata. "Haven't we, Hinata-san?"

"Yes, Lee-san," Hinata spoke up, lifting a shaking hand into a Nice Guy pose. Lee immediately reciprocated with a wide grin.

"You've both made great progress," he said, brimming with enthusiasm. "Hinata-san, your speed and precision is improving with every passing day." He made a fist, a small blush forming on his cheeks. "And Sakura-san, I can't believe you've been able to open the—"

"Lee!" Tenten called from a distance with a frantic wave. Lee's team mate stood on the other side of the river. "Hurry, we're going to be late!"

Hinata turned in a quick movement, making a bow to Neji, who looked surprised even from this distance. He cocked his head in confusion and gave Lee a long look. Lee sprang to his feet and said a hasty goodbye, charging off to where the rest of his team waited.

"I always think training sessions with Lee-san are going to be less intense than they end up being," Sakura heaved, sitting up straight. She frowned at a spot where her skin had peeled off. Holding a hand over the wound, Sakura healed it and brushed at the dried blood that crusted her skin. She stood to her feet and held out a hand for Hinata.

"I feel like I am always three steps behind," Hinata said with a self-deprecating smile, tucking her hair behind her ear. "But I feel like I am improving."

"You are," Sakura declared. "You've become stronger and faster, not to mention the fact that you're combining Juuken with Goken style taijutsu. From what Lee-san told us, isn't that unheard of? It's natural to struggle with something new—I did when studying Mokuton."

"Right," Hinata said, flexing her fists. "You're right." She looked up, a determined glint in her eyes. "You're right, Sakura-san," she repeated. "Can we try again?"

She didn't have the heart to tell Hinata their training session floored her—Lee was an exceptionally dedicated shinobi and had an overabundance of energy which he enjoyed sharing during training. In combination with Hinata's perilous attacks and her experimentation with new Mokuton abilities, these practice rounds took more out of her than her simple sparring sessions with Naruto. "Sure," she caved, grateful that she had the next day off. "One spar, taijutsu only."

Hinata nodded, pulling her hair back into a messy bun, and stepped into her Juuken form. Taking a deep breath, Sakura rolled her shoulders and crouched, nodding at Hinata to make the first move.

Sakura leapt as Hinata sprinted toward her, dodging the first attack. The next attack wasn't a Juuken move. Deeming it safe to be within striking distance, Sakura blocked it and collected chakra in her palm. In an instant, the veins near Hinata's eyes puffed up as she recognized the danger and jumped from Sakura. Her palm hit the ground, splitting it with a dangerous rumble.

The next moment, Hinata appeared to her left, blue chakra layered over her fists like twin faces of lions. Sakura cursed, bounding backwards as she expertly avoided all of Hinata's attacks. Digging her fingers into the soil, Sakura tore a clump of ground loose and hurtled it with all her might into Hinata's direction. The Hyuuga stood her ground, molded chakra to her fingertips and smashed through the dirt with an almighty roar.

Taking advantage of the moment, Sakura sprang through the remains of the earth, slamming her feet into the ground near where Hinata was standing, bringing her off-balance. Sakura took a deep breath, channeling an enormous force of chakra through her body to her brain. Her speed enhanced, Sakura dashed for Hinata, slapping one of Hinata's hands out of the way and swept Hinata's legs from under her.

The Hyuuga hit the ground with a thud and rolled out of dodge as Sakura brought her foot down again. Hinata crouched down and wiped at a line of blood that trickled from a cut on her forehead.

'She's going to try to heal that cut,' Sakura realized. 'She has to. If she gets it in her eye, it'll be the end. Which means I need to end this soon.' Sakura braced and waited for the telltale green chakra to appear in Hinata's fingers.

"Sakura-san," Hinata called out.

"Hm?" Sakura replied, never taking her eyes off Hinata's palms.

"I'm out of chakra."

There was a moment of silence before both women laughed. Sakura dusted herself off and walked over, healing the wound on Hinata's face. "Are you hurt?"

"No," Hinata said, wiping at the last bit of blood on her forehead. "I was just hoping to do mor—" Hinata trailed off, staring at something over her shoulder. Following her line of sight, Sakura glanced and found Naruto standing where Team Gai was earlier, his arm raised in a hesitant wave.

"Naruto!" she called in greeting, turning to Hinata. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I can't avoid him forever," Hinata said, voice tinged with nervousness.

"Sakura-chan, Hinata!" Naruto leapt over the river in the best impression of Gamabunta she had ever seen, and rushed toward them. "That was amazing!" He looked her over from top to bottom and then leaned to his side to beam at Hinata. "You've grown strong, Hinata!"

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," Hinata spoke, a slight tremor in her voice.

"In the neighborhood?" Sakura asked.

"Training with Sasuke," Naruto said, pointing toward the training fields with his thumb. "On my way to Ichiraku now—Iruka-sensei is treating me today."

"How is training going?" she questioned as she stripped herself of her gloves. Though they had made little progress, Sasuke had insisted on continuing their training sessions together in order to find ways to control the Nine Tails. Apart from knocking Naruto out cold, they had found very few other options.

Naruto made a face. "Don't ask."

"That bad?"

"Worse." He scowled. "He's been in a hell of a nasty mood for days now."

"Is Sasuke-kun alright?" Hinata inquired.

"I think he broke things off with that civilian girl," Naruto said. "Every time I tease him about it, he bites my head off and stops pulling his punches." He grinned. "Great way to rile him up though."

She scrubbed her face with her palm. "It'll always amaze me that the two of you won't just talk."

"We talk," Naruto said, though his defensive tone spoke volumes. Sakura couldn't help but smile a little at him—from the way he knew about Sasuke's love life and the way Sasuke was well informed about the situation with Hinata, she had long since deducted that both boys took to speaking to each other about matters other than ninjutsu.

"I know," Sakura said, patting Naruto on the head. "I'll see you for team practice on Wednesday, right?"

"Training ground nine at 8 o'clock. I've gotten Kakashi-sensei to come join us!"

"Our reputable and notoriously lazy Hokage?" Sakura grinned at Hinata, who struggled to keep a smile off her lips. "Yes, that sounds like Kakashi."

The grin fell from Naruto's face. "He's not coming."

"Nope," Sakura laughed. "Or maybe he will, three hours late as usual."

Naruto mumbled a curse, ducking out of range as Sakura moved to hit him and skipped back a few steps. "Sorry Sakura-chan! Good to see you, Hinata!" With that, he sprinted away.

"Sasuke-kun was dating someone?" Hinata asked as they gathered their gear.

"Only on Mondays," Sakura remarked, mind on something else. It wasn't until Hinata ceased packing her things that she looked up, finding the Hyuuga confused. "Oh, it wasn't anything serious, from what I understood."

Hinata sat down on her haunches and observed her for the longest time, chewing on her bottom lip. "You know, don't you, Sakura-san?"

"About?"

"That Sasuke-kun loves you."

Sakura was quiet. "You know, I used to think I was observant and smart. But everyone is onto these things before I am and I'm seriously beginning to think there is something wrong with me."

Hinata smiled. "There isn't."

"When did you find out?"

"A few years now."

"It has not been a few years."

"It has," Hinata assured her. "Does he…"

"No," Sakura sat down in the grass.

"But you're—"

"Yes."

"Does Itachi—"

"No." Her voice sounded tiny.

"Oh."

"At least, I don't think so."

Hinata nodded.

They sat in silence, sunlight washing over the both of them.

"You should tell him. Sasuke-kun, I mean," Hinata whispered. As Sakura lifted her gaze, incredulous, Hinata continued: "If you don't tell him and he finds out… It'll be that much worse, won't it? I don't know what happened between the two of them, but it seems that way to me."

'His older brother killed their entire clan on Konoha's orders, and I can't stay away from him because I'm madly in love with him and being away from him hurts,' Sakura thought.

"If I tell him, Sasuke will never forgive me."

Hinata was dying to know why not; after months of weekly training sessions, Sakura had gotten to the point where she could read her with ease. But the Uchiha clan secret was one that she needed to keep, just like the rest of Team Seven kept their silence.

"It isn't sustainable, Sakura-san, nor is it fair."

The truth, uttered in those few words, cut her deeper than she ever imagined possible.

It wasn't fair.

And it wasn't sustainable.

She couldn't spend her life like this, hiding her joy and happiness from one of the most important people in her life because she was terrified he would hate her for it. They couldn't meet each other at Sazae for tempura, or Yanagi-an for dango, like Itachi had planned for their first date. They weren't able to have sparring sessions in the forest, or work out new Mokuton skills together, or even stroll through the village together.

Instead, they were forced to live their lives inside the four walls that confined them, knowing that their newfound happiness would turn hollow the second they stepped out.

She wasn't sure whether it was the deep understanding in Hinata's pearly eyes, or whether reality hit her for the first time since she confessed to Itachi, but there was no stopping the tears. Her blood pounded in her ears, heart thudding painfully as her vision disfigured. 'Shaking hands, tingling feet, heart palpitations,' her rational side listed even as she began hyperventilating. 'I'm having a panic attack.'

In a daze, Sakura watched as Hinata scrambled up and ran toward her. Sakura slumped back into the grass, remembering Tsunade's lessons as she cupped her hands over her mouth and forced herself to breathe slower, closing her eyes to stop the painful stinging in her eyes. Hinata stroked through her hair, whispering words of encouragement even as she cried her eyes out, breathing returning to normal.

On the day after she made love to Itachi for the first time, she had watched him during the walk home and envisioned her life with him. She daydreamt of how she would spend the night at his house and teach him how to bake eggs in the morning, or how they would pore over a Mokuton scroll together and used their combined smarts to recreate techniques long gone. She would read a book on the couch with Itachi when Sasuke returned home on Tuesdays, only to tease him with whoever he was dating at the moment. She had envisioned a million of little moments of happiness in her head, only for them to burst apart like bubbles not hours later.

Because they all contained Team Seven in order for them to be complete.

Sasuke watching Itachi cook those eggs for the first time and eating them at that marble kitchen counter, Naruto wow-ing over her Mokuton prowess, Kakashi recommending her the books she would read and Sasuke accepting her as part of the family.

But thinking of those moments now filled her with a desperate sorrow. The closer she felt to Itachi, the further she felt from Sasuke, and her heart was tearing itself right through the middle in a feeble effort to keep both of them in her life. "I'm okay," Sakura spoke, voice hoarse as she moved her hands away. She opened her eyes to find Hinata hovering over her. "I'm okay," she repeated.

Hinata nodded and scooted away to give her space. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

"No," Sakura said, wiping at her tears. "You're right. It's unfair and untenable. I just feel so paralyzed, because no matter what I do, I will lose one of them."

"They are brothers," Hinata spoke. "Even if one of them becomes a wall the other needs to overcome, even if one of them might resent the other for all he has, there is a lot of love there too. And there is no other love like the love for a sibling," she smiled. "I know."

"What should I do?" Sakura asked.

"I can't tell you," Hinata replied, cautious. "I don't know the full story, and even if I did, I don't think I can recommend you to do anything but follow your heart."

Sakura heaved a sigh and stood, feeling devoid of all energy. She wobbled to the river and splashed some icy water on her face, accepting the apple Hinata offered her. "Thank you, Hinata."

"You're welcome, Sakura-sensei."

Itachi sensed something was different the moment he opened his front door.

Hand still on the knob, he pushed open the door and peered inside, shinobi honed instincts telling him to be careful. He stepped inside, allowing the door to shut behind him with a soft click. The apartment looked undisturbed, floors clean and living room empty. The only sign of intrusion was the open window on the other side of the apartment, one of the curtains billowing in the wind.

Without taking his shoes off, he stepped into the hallway and peered into kitchen.

"Took you a while," Sasuke said, voice steady but quiet, dark eyes observing him.

For the first time in his life, Uchiha Itachi was at an utter loss of words. He stood in the hallway, uncertain whether to laugh or to cry as he watched Sasuke bring a steaming cup of tea to his lips. "I wasn't expecting you," he spoke eventually, forcing himself to walk past Sasuke to make a cup of tea for himself, hyper-alert of every tiny movement Sasuke made in his seat.

"The house looks empty."

"I am seldomly here."

"Hm," Sasuke replied, taking another sip just as Itachi poured hot water over the tea leaves. He stepped around the counter and sat down, assessing his younger brother. There were a few bruises scattered over his arms, his hair in mild disarray, a hint of sweat about him.

They sat across from each other in silence, both brothers observing the other as they sought for words. "Why are you here?" Itachi asked, breaking the silence at long last.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Isn't this still my home?"

That surprised him. "It is."

His younger brother drank from the cup and looked around the kitchen. For the first time since Sasuke's birth, Itachi was unable to read his brother's face. "I need answers."

Itachi nodded, folding his fingers around his cup.

"Why did you accept?"

There was little question in his mind as to what Sasuke referred to. He closed his eyes, transported back in time within a second, to a moment frozen in time where he stood before Danzou as he was faced with his impossible options. How often had he wondered since that day whether there had been another option? Those final weeks before the massacre felt like a film reel that he picked up on the slower moments in his life, reliving them over and over before placing it back into the far corner of his mind, forgotten until the next time.

His first instinct was to balk at the question, to stand from his seat and walk away, to pretend it wasn't asked. There was one person he had tried fervently to keep from the truth and now he was forced to look him in the eye and answer a question that would potentially seal their relationship. "I was given the option between standing with the clan and dying along with them, or fight for Konoha and save one person."

"You said so in the Hokage's office. Why?"

He blinked, not comprehending.

"Why did you make that decision? Why was one life—my life—so much more important than those of the clan?" Sasuke asked, voice quiet. He didn't miss the way the corner of Sasuke's mouth twitched, or the way he looked away. Contrary to what Itachi had assumed, Sasuke wasn't there to start a fight. He was here only to talk.

He couldn't help but feel a twinge of hope at that.

"I was with mother when you were born and welcomed you into this world together with her," Itachi said, eyes darting back and forth between Sasuke's. "I held you in my arms when the Nine Tails attacked and swore to keep you safe… Your life to me means more than my own. That is why."

Sasuke remained silent, frowning at the murky depths of his tea. "And Shisui-san?"

"Shisui was working with me to find a way to end the coup d'état before it could begin," Itachi said. "We planned on using his technique to manipulate the clan elders to back off and create more time. When Danzou found out, he stole Shisui's eye."

Sasuke's head shot up at that, eyes wide. "Why?"

"Danzou was the kind of man that held extreme views; the kind of man that refused to think in greys, only saw black and white. It is what made him effective in his ways. Where the Third often opted to leave things to fizzle out, Danzou would pour oil on the fire and act accordingly. To him, the Uchiha clan was a threat to a village, and it needed to be removed entirely. When he found out about our plan, he put a stop to our plan and gained an immense power for himself."

Sasuke balled his fists on the counter. "Danzou?"

"Dead. It seems he was attacked on one of his rare visits out the village."

His younger brother looked at him, inspecting him with keen interest as he considered the implication in Itachi's words. He understood—Itachi could see. Sasuke contemplated for a while longer, before standing from his seat. He placed his cup in the sink and circled around the kitchen counter without uttering another word.

"Sasuke."

He stopped in his tracks.

Itachi turned to him.

"You don't ever have to forgive me. But know what no matter what you decide to do from now on… I will love you forever."

He didn't miss the soft, shuddering breath Sasuke released, or the way he turned to glance over his shoulder before a gust of wind and a rush of leaves took him from the apartment, leaving Itachi alone.

Sakura heard her front door close, followed by the soft thud of Itachi's shoes hitting the floor. She listened to his footsteps getting closer and closer and lifted her head as her bedroom door opened. "Did I wake you?" his deep voice sounded from the bedroom door.

She smiled at his silhouette. "No. I couldn't sleep."

He closed the door behind him. She watched him slip his fingers under his shirt and pull it over his head, before pushing his pants down his hips. "You're late today," she continued as he unwrapped the bandages around his ankles and slid beneath the covers. Itachi leaned over her to give her a soft kiss.

"I had an unexpected visitor," he said, brushing her hair from her eyes.

"Who?"

"Sasuke."

Her jaw dropped as Itachi lay down on his side, stroking her hip. "He was at the apartment when I returned to shower and pick up some fresh clothes."

"Are you okay?" Sakura queried, suppressing the hint of panic in her voice.

Itachi let out a soft sound of amusement. "I'm fine. It was a brief talk."

"What about?" she prodded.

"The Massacre," Itachi said, his lashes tickling her palm as she stroked his forehead. "He had some questions."

Sakura scooted closer to him, balancing herself on her elbows as she narrowed her eyes in an attempt to better gauge the look on his face. From what little she could see, his attention was on her ceiling, one arm propped under his head. "Anything specific?"

"My choices. What happened to Shisui. Danzou."

She didn't speak. Though Itachi had left Shimura Danzou's fate up to her imagination, a little digging revealed to her Danzou had been killed in the Iron Country on his way to a summit. They never caught whoever did it, and the perpetrator had left no clues. She had a good idea as to what had taken place, and she was sure the rest of Team Seven and Tsunade did too.

"Was he angry?" she probed.

"He was calm," Itachi said, voice soft. "Vulnerable."

"That's a rare sight."

"Hm."

Her heart thundered in her chest as she swallowed at the lump forming in her throat. "Itachi…" she breathed in deep. "We need to tell him." She hated how her voice sounded so shaky, inhaled again to steady herself and continued: "Team Seven is my family, and Sasuke is part of that. I don't want to hide from them. Even if he hates me after we tell him…"

In the deep dark, she saw Itachi focus on her as he weighed her words, his hand coming up to stroke her back in slow circles. Eventually, he nodded. "He won't."

"You say that like you're so sure."

"I am. He is my little brother, after all."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, enveloping him in a tight hug. She lay still for a moment, listening to the powerful beat of his heart as she brushed through the soft hair on his chest.

"Do you think he will forgive you?" Sakura whispered.

"I don't know," Itachi said after a silence that seemed to stretch out until forever. Though he said nothing more, Sakura didn't miss the way those three words sounded like a hopeful prayer.

The shrill beeping of her alarm clock startled her awake.

"Sorry," she groaned at Itachi, reaching over him to slam her hand on the snooze button. He cracked open an eye at her, turning his cheek to her with a smile as she rubbed her cheek against his. "Morning."

"Good morning," he said, voice laced with sleep. She hid her smile behind a curtain of hair, observing the way his hair fanned out over his pillow, or the inexplicably cute way he yawned, eyes scrunched shut as he stretched out his limbs. She molded her body against his, draping her arm over his waist.

"Sleep well?" she asked.

"Better than I have in a while," Itachi replied, stroking her hand. He lifted his head to check the alarm and turned around, allowing her to snuggle into his embrace. She smiled as he pressed a kiss against the crown of her head. "You?"

"I'm happy we made the decision," she murmured against the skin of his chest, inhaling his scent. "It feels like a weight has been lifted from my chest."

"Good."

She withdrew just enough to see his face. "Are you okay with this?"

The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile. "I don't want to hide."

Giddiness filled her heart at the sound of his words, a silly grin playing on her face as she regarded him. She smoothed her hands over his bare chest, letting out a soft sigh of contentment as he leaned forward and slanted his mouth over hers in a lazy kiss. "Me neither," she replied, giving him another peck. "I need to get ready for the morning session in the hospital."

"Hm," Itachi said, rolling her to her back for another toe-curling kiss. She giggled in his embrace, tilting her head upward to give him better reach as he trailed kisses down her neck, holding him by his shoulders.

"Time," she said breathily, biting her lip as he pressed a kiss against her collarbone.

He allowed her to slip away from him and got up from the bed, popping his joints as he stretched again, giving her an unabashed view of his naked body and his strong back. She tore her eyes from his perfectly shaped ass just as he reached for the pair of black knit pants and hurried into the bathroom.

By the time she stepped out again, Itachi had wrapped his ankles and wrists, rifling through the shelf she had cleared for him for fresh pants and a shirt. She shuffled past him, finding her own uniform and pretended she didn't notice Itachi couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Are you coming over tonight?" Sakura asked while making her way to the front door. Itachi trailed behind her, busying himself with his white vest, the material hugging his chest and shoulders. It was rare for her to see him in ANBU uniform; most of the time he would return to his house to change clothes there. She hadn't missed the fact that he had been spending less and less time at his apartment.

"If you don't mind," Itachi said, clipping the front sides shut. He flashed a soft smile that turned her insides into goo.

She reached for him and took his hand into hers. "I want to be with you," Sakura said, ignoring the way her cheeks warmed. She stole a glance at him to see his reaction, her breath stilling in her lungs.

The look in his eyes made her heart clench, her hand twitching around his. It was tender, heated, and carried an emotion she was almost afraid to identity. Around them, the world almost seemed to still, the sounds from the outside world dampened until it was just the two of them, standing in the entryway to her tiny apartment.

She wasn't sure what exactly she had expected from this moment. It wasn't the roses and moonshine she had always expected it to be, neither was it a moment of passion like she had begun to expect in her adult years. It felt quiet and calm, and she felt oddly centered in the sudden realization that she felt secure.

It wasn't just the decision they had made; there was so much more they needed to discuss regarding the how and when… but it was the fact that Itachi watched her with that look of his, and she knew beyond the shadow of the doubt that even if she didn't ask, he would always come to her home at the end of the day. That he had chosen her and she had chosen him.

In that very moment, Sakura was sure of the fact that Itachi loved her. He hadn't said the words to her yet, but there was no need. Itachi loved her. She felt as though the breath was knocked from her lungs, an almost unbearable happiness washing over her as he tilted his head almost in question before the same understanding bled into his dark gaze.

Unable to breathe, Sakura shyly averted her gaze and reached for the door, opening it.

Behind it stood Sasuke, his hand held high as if on the verge of knocking.

There was one second in time—one glorious second in which Sasuke hadn't realized who stood right behind her. A moment in which his smile hadn't yet faded, in which his teeth weren't gritted, in which his eyes hadn't changed from the warmest midnight blue to the coolest of steel.

The second passed before she knew it.

Before she opened her mouth, Sasuke brusquely interrupted her, the frost in his voice sending shivers down her spine. "The man in the orange mask has been located near Konoha. Report to Kakashi immediately."

A/N: Promise this is the last of the slower chapters (as you've probably gathered from this cliffhanger).

Three chapters and an epilogue until the end.