Thank You For Loving Me

Chapter Two

"If you're going through hell, keep going,"

Suddenly she found her hands going all the way to his face and then, just as she was about to start to heal, something had stopped her.

She gasped in horror as his hand grabbed her arm, stopping the green chakra immediately.

"Don't. Touch. Me."

--

Sakura gasped in surprise as she felt his cold fingers around her wrist. She immediately yanked her arm away and ended up falling on the floor in a clumsy way. The kunoichi stood up right away, fearing that he would attack her but nothing happened. Itachi Uchiha remained on the bed; his eyes were still closed giving the impression that he was still unconscious.

Biting her lower lip, she slowly approached his bed. This time she was fully aware that the Uchiha was awake and he was clearly sentient of her presence. A part of her kept telling her to turn around and leave. She was after all healing the enemy besides she didn't have permission to be there. The other part of her told her not to be frightened, that if he wished to harm her, he would have done it already.

Sighing, she focused on her chakra and returned her attention on his burned chest. Her brows wrinkled as no emotion seemed to cross the Uchiha's peaceful features. She was quite surprised that he wasn't twisting in pain like any other normal person would be at that very moment.

He didn't know how lucky he was to be alive. If she had waited any other minute, he wouldn't be probably lying on the hospital bed.

A few minutes passed and she didn't notice that he was looking at her. Itachi could see her brows wrinkle as she grew deep in thought. He wondered what she was thinking. Were his wounds that bad? He needed to play along for a while.

"How bad is it?" he asked in a monotonous tone. Sakura head shot up, her green eyes stared back at dark ones. She flinched at how they looked so alike. It was as almost as if she was staring at Sasuke, himself.

"You'll live," Sakura reply was short and simple. She could see a hint of annoyance on his face. He had been expecting an elaborated answer.

"Hn,"

"Sakura?" the pink haired kunoichi turned around, her eyes widened as she noticed Tsunade-sama standing on the door looking quite surprised to see her apprentice healing the enemy.

"Tsunade-sama!" Sakura exclaimed surprised, "I... decided to come check-"

"How is he?" Tsunade asked in a neutral tone and Sakura allowed herself to relax.

"He's doing well. He will be fully recovered by tomorrow," Tsunade nodded at the news and looked at the Uchiha that looked straight back at her.

Sakura stood in the middle observing. Itachi looked peaceful as ever, his dark eyes were analyzing the Hokage. Tsunade seemed to be doing the very same. However, instead of a peaceful look she had a stern and a determinate one.

"Uchiha Itachi," Tsunade spoke calmly.

"Hn," the Uchiha answered quietly and nodded slowly.

"You are a missing-nin, a traitor, a member of the Akatsuki organization, not only you have murdered innocent people but your whole clan," Sakura could have sworn that she had seen a small smirk on the Uchiha's face.

"Why don't you go straight to the point, Hokage," Sakura gasped at the way he pronounced Hokage. It was filled with scorn. She almost expected a furious Tsunade screaming obscenities while ripping the Uchiha's limbs apart.

Tsunade, for Sakura's dismay smiled.

"Who is it? The orange masked Akatsuki member?"

"Hmpf…" Itachi closed his eyes and Sakura took that as the end of the conversation. Tsunade sighed and controlled herself not to strangle the Uchiha.

"Why did he take Sasuke?" Sakura asked quietly.

Suddenly, Itachi sat on his bed abruptly ignoring the pain crossing his chest. He stared at the pink haired kunoichi with a furious expression. Her emerald eyes met crimson. Tsunade had adopted a defensive posture.

"What did you just say?" Itachi demanded angrily, "You didn't bring Sasuke back?"

Sakura lips parted in shock. Itachi didn't know? Why was he so angry?

"No, they were too late," Tsunade answered eyeing the Uchiha with sudden interest.

Itachi groaned and tried to stand up, "Incompetents," he mumbled.

"You need to rest," Sakura said alarmed, "You shouldn't-"

"Who is it? Tell us!" Tsunade demanded now fiercely, all her good patience had vanished.

"Uchiha Madara," Sakura heard Tsunade gasp.

"W-what?" Tsunade repeated incredulous.

"We need to find my brother, as soon as possible,"

"He won't tell us anything more," Tsunade said quite infuriated that the Uchiha would not provide them with more information.

Kakashi looked quite apprehensively as he contemplated the latest news. Uchiha Madara… that couldn't be. It just couldn't. But then again, lately a lot of impossible things just kept happening. What had intrigued Kakashi the most was the eagerness of Itachi to help them to retrieve his younger brother. He had been almost killed and yet he was willing to go with them to find Sasuke.

At first he thought it could be a trap or a trick. It would be a good plan in which he could easily capture Naruto or even escape.

"I guess we just have to wait," Kakashi said sighing.

"No, no waiting," Tsunade replied as she looked at the copy ninja, "He said that he would have to leave as fast as possible…"

"What? Is he even in conditions to travel long distances?" the copy ninja asked quite surprised.

"Haii… thanks to Sakura he is," she murmured quietly, "apparently she has been doing some extraordinary hours in order to get the Uchiha to heal faster,"

Kakashi nodded quietly, "Alright, just let me know if something new comes up,"

Tsunade sighed as Kakashi stood up from the red-cushioned chair and made his way to the door.

"Kakashi…" The copy-nin turned around and arched a curious eyebrow, "You should go see him and talk with him. Perhaps you'll be able to see through his real intentions,"

Kakashi nodded and left pondering on Tsunade words. Somehow he doubted he could have a hint of Itachi Uchiha real intentions. Somehow he had a bad feeling about this whole thing.

Sakura sat quietly in the hospital cafeteria; she had a small mug of tea and was reading an interesting book on how to save chakra on a different channel then the chakra points. It was a topic that had been intriguing her.

She was sure if that she was able to do something of the sorts it would only benefit her skills. She knew that Tsunade could do something close to it. That she always stored a part of her chakra to slow her from aging. She needed to do more research and probably question Tsunade about it.

Sighing she took a sip of her tea and almost spat it out as she noticed the older Uchiha sit down at her table. She could see that the older Uchiha was wearing dark blue pants and t-shirt and that he had left his famous coat in the room. It was after all a wise choice. People would not react well to see a tall handsome man wearing the vestments that people had grown to fear.

He wore a blank expression as he looked down at the book she was reading then he looked at her.

Sakura slowly put the cup down and stared back at him.

"I need a favor," Itachi said quietly, almost in a whisper.

The pink-haired kunoichi stared back at him in shock. Was Itachi Uchiha asking her for a favor? Well that was something new.

Itachi looked patiently as the kunoichi stared at him with a look of incredulity stamped on her young features. He had been convincing himself all night and morning to actually approach her. Now that he done it, he was almost regretting it.

"Okay," Sakura managed to say as she stared at his dark orbs.

Itachi sighed and looked intently at her, "I need help… with my eyes,"

Sakura nodded slowly as she repeated his words in her head again and again. She knew he had a problem with his eyes but she had no idea that it was this seriously, or he wouldn't be sitting across her, talking about it.

"R-right… I-"

Itachi could feel she was reluctantly in attending to his request.

"I cannot bring Sasuke back without healing my eyes properly," he smiled a small secret smile that Sakura could not even detect in his face. He had dropped the bait and it was only a matter of seconds until she fell for it.

The pink-haired kunoichi blinked a few times as she stared deeply into his dark eyes. At the very moment that green met black, Sakura found herself captivated by the mystery that spoke through his haunting dark eyes. She felt like she was prying into a dark well filled with the darkest secrets.

Itachi could see right through her. He could sense that she was an intelligent kunoichi, but that her blinding bond with Sasuke that she still held to dearly was going to win.

"You'll give me your word... promise... swear ... t-that you'll bring him b-back," Sakura whispered scared that anyone else could be listening to their conversation.

"I you have my word, kunoichi," Sakura bit her lip nervously as she watched as he rose from his seat and slowly walked away.

She couldn't help but to feel a strange feeling on her stomach, and she couldn't quite ignore the screaming and protesting that her inner self kept doing either. Sakura knew that she had put herself in a predicament.

The two shinobi stood in opposite corners and glared at each other. The air was so thick that one would die if they stood any longer in the same room for the air was filled with the most deadly tension ever.

"Hn," the Uchiha smirked at the silver-haired shinobi. He remembered and he was sure that the copy-nin remembered it as well. Their last encounter hadn't been this peaceful.

"Well?" Kakashi asked as he was starting to feel quite annoyed with the way the Uchiha was smirking at him.

"I don't have the time to play around with a bunch of aspiring children," said Itachi as he crossed his arms around his chest.

"I understand that time is crucial, but if it is as you say, it would be for the best if they're prepared to fight against sharigan," said Kakashi, his voice was low and impatient.

Itachi stared at the copy-nin. He knew that the silver-haired was right. He alone would not be able to retrieve his brother, but associating with his kind would only delay him. He knew that the kyuubi boy was only going to slow him down. He was after all useless.

The pink-haired kunoichi would aid him with his sight but that was about it. What else could she do? Cry and scream?

"Hn, Alright," Kakashi eyebrow arched in surprise, "They better be fast learners, we've got a week,"

"Very well,"

Sakura walked through the empty streets of Konoha. She was sure that everyone else was already asleep. She smiled as she remembered the head nurse shooing her away, that she too needed to sleep.

Only if she could do that…

She didn't have a good night of sleep for far too long, and the latest events weren't helping either. The guilt kept coming, she had healed his brother. The one he swore to kill, his life… purpose.

Every night, when she finally fell asleep, she could see him. There weren't any particularly circumstances. Just his face, his silhouette, so stunning that she almost always woke up appalled.

Sasuke… She frowned as she said his name in her head.

She hated it, she found it extremely annoying. Not only he was bothering her when she wasn't sleeping, he was now stalking her into her dreams. It was her private sanctuary where she felt safe from the world.

"Sakura-chan?"

"Oh… Naruto, didn't see you there," Sakura replied with a small smile.

Naruto offered his own wide grin, "What were you thinking about?" he asked almost blushing and Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Nothing," she answered quickly and forced a smile.

This was why Sakura loved Naruto so much. She knew he was not the smarted person in the world but he could read people better than anyone else. Her forced smile wasn't missed by the blonde and she knew that as soon as his blue eyes beam faltered.

"Naruto…" she started hesitantly and he looked at her expectantly.

"You can tell me anything, Sakura-chan,"

Sakura ran to him and embraced him tightly. Naruto looked surprised at the pink-kunoichi. She buried her face in his chest feeling his pleasant warmth. All her emotions were getting the best of her.

"I… I can't stand it anymore…" she told him quietly as she tried to fight back the tears.

She had promised that she wouldn't cry. She wouldn't cry ever again.

"I miss him… I miss him so much!" Naruto looked taken back. They haven't talked about Sasuke since that day… the day they weren't able to bring him back.

"I… k-know," he whispered, "I know, I miss him too,"

"What if… what if he'll hate me when he gets back?" Naruto startling blue eyes widened and he pulled her back gently so that he could have a look at her face. Her shy emerald eyes stared back at him.

"What you're talking about? Sasuke won't hate you," Naruto told her determinately, "He's our friend…"

Sakura shook her head slowly, her lips parted in surprise as she felt hot tears fall down her face.

Damn it! I promised… she thought feeling rather disappointed and disgusted with herself.

"B-but I healed him! I healed his brother!" Sakura said as she trembled in Naruto's arms.

"S-Sakura-chan… he won't hate you… I p-promise you,"

Sakura was glad that she had left her emotions out. She had been after all holding them back for a long time now. She sighed as her thoughts drifted back to her broken promise.

"I guess some promises just cannot be kept…" she told herself as she kept walking towards her apartment.

Suddenly, she stopped as her eyes spotted a dark silhouette jump between the roofs. She recognized him immediately. Uchiha Itachi.

Her emerald eyes narrowed in suspicious and panic quickly took over her. He was going to run away!

Anger quickly flashed in her green orbs as she ran quietly behind him. She wouldn't be easy on him. He was still after all in a weak condition.

Sakura had been following him for a few minutes. He seemed to be jumping around looking for something. She just couldn't see what he was looking after. Then realization hit her as she noticed where he was heading. The Uchiha house. Sasuke house.

Her steps faltered as she saw him jump to the little uncared garden. There was weed everywhere and the house walls that were once white were dirty, the windows were filled with dust.

Itachi stared at what once he called home. His eyes were fixed on the door knob; his crimson eyes stared at it in disgust. It had been long years since he had been here, and he kept no good memories of his last stay.

Sakura stared at the tall man as he stood still merely staring at the house. She wondered why on earth he was there. Did he enjoy reliving the atrocities that he committed?

She watched in pure astonishment as the older Uchiha fell on his knees, his hands clutching to the wild grass as if he was in some kind of pain. She brought a hand to cover her mouth as a loud cry left the Uchiha mouth.

Then as quickly as he had fallen on his knees he stood up and turned around. Sakura heart stopped right there at that very moment as she stared at his deadly bloodied eyes.

She tried not to breathe or to blink. Maybe he couldn't see her, but who was she kidding? The furious and murder-like expression that adorned his features deceived no one. He had seen her alright.

Itachi couldn't believe that she had the nerves to follow him. Then again he was the only one to blame, he had been careless. Growling inside, he tried to calm himself. Then sighing deeply and feeling his muscles relax, he walked towards her.

Sakura heart beat returned and this time it was beating so fast that she was almost sure that she was going to wake up the entire village.

"Hn… follow me again… and I'll kill you," Sakura gasped at the sound of his threatening voice.

She turned around and watched as he kept walking away. Only one thought crossed her mind. What the hell had happened just now?

Then as she was able to move her legs again, Sakura too turned to leave.

As she fell asleep that night she could only hope that Itachi's promise was one that could be kept.

Thank you for reading so far.

I hope everyone was still in character.