Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Loose Ends	By : antilogicgirl Category: Naruto AU/AR > General Views: 1143 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor. No monetary gain is had from the writing of this fiction.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
A/N: OOOOkay. Now. This might have some people getting all huffy, and yelling "OOC!" (insert rioting villagers with pitchforks and torches) but darn it, everyone's got a heart, and for crying out loud, I love giving Itachi one. Oh. And he's on Vicodin, to which I'm pretty sure he may be allergic, since it has such strong effects on his...personality. Anyway, in this chapter, we have two new characters. Shikamaru, and our favorite fair-haired boy, Uzumaki Naruto. He's not a stupid-head in this fic, so you guys are going to have to get over that, too. He just has no social skills. Fun stuff for this chapter! Cheetos and Lo Mein, Bunny Slippers, an extremely ticked-off Genma, and my eternal sympathy for Uchiha Itachi.
And this chapter is brought to you courtesy of the following songs: Yellowcard (How I Go), Eisley (I Wasn't Prepared), Flyleaf (Fully Alive), and Radiohead (Exit Music For a Film).
Warnings:

FL--foul language!
Legal Stuffiness: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor.
Please note that there's something wrong with the upload and edit engine. The separator bar is non-functional at this juncture, and hopefully will be working later so I can repost it.
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Chapter 3: Downward Spiral
When he watched his partner eat, he felt sick. For someone who had just made detective at the tender age of twenty-two, the kid still ate like he was in college. At the moment, Uzumaki Naruto was munching on chicken lo mein and Cheetos. The alternate slurps and crunches made Iruka want to get away from him. “Naruto, can you please try to eat normal food? All you eat is noodles. Lo mein, ramen, spaghetti. Try a sandwich. And do you have to eat Cheetos in the car?”
The younger man turned eyes that exuded innocence on him. After swallowing a mouthful of cheesy goodness, he said, “Cut it out, Iruka. I eat what I like, and you eat what you like. Now. Why are we here?” They looked at the eight-story building. It was an apartment building.
“Once you get your face out of day-old Chinese food and MSG, I’ll tell you.” Finally, Iruka had found the one thing that the kid would actually put down the noodles for. Work. In spite of his disgusting eating habits, Naruto was an excellent cop, with unparalleled instincts. He sullenly closed the box and stuffed it and the bag of chips into the glove box. Iruka made a mental note to be sure he took it out. “We’re going to see someone about the sword murder case. Now, I don’t want you to be rude, Naruto. She’s helping us out.”
If it were possible, those blue eyes got even larger. One day, Iruka would find out exactly how he made himself look non-threatening when he was anything but. The two of them got out of the car, Naruto brushing Cheeto flakes from his tie, and Iruka wondering why he bothered. It was orange, anyhow. “But I’m never rude, Iruka. You’re the one who can’t control your temper.” The older man only snorted. They rode the elevator all the way up to the top, and knocked on the door of the woman they were going to see.
Loud grunts were heard from within, and Naruto looked at Iruka questioningly, who only shrugged. Then, a sharp cry came through the door. Naruto didn’t even stop to think about what that might mean, apparently. The blonde also didn’t stop to announce his presence. He simply took one step back, drew his weapon, and kicked the door in. Iruka drew his pistol as well, just to be safe. The sight before them was not anything that Iruka had expected. Naruto blinked in surprise, as well.
Haruno Sakura was dressed in a pair of long, baggy black athletic shorts and a pink sports bra, as well as protective wrappings for her feet and hands. She was standing next to a heavy bag, which swung back and forth, and was looking at the blonde man who had broken her door down. Her voice was rather sharp when she said, “I expect that the department will pay to have that fixed, detective Umino. And am I correct in supposing that this walking battering-ram is your partner?”
Naruto swallowed audibly as she crossed the room, her feet making slapping noises on the floor. He could, apparently, not think of anything to say other than, “Uzumaki Naruto.” After sticking out his hand for her to shake, he scratched his head sheepishly with the other. “Sorry about the door.”
Nodding a little, she said, taking the offered hand, “Haruno Sakura. Please make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be out in a few minutes. I expected you a little later.” With that, she walked into the back of the apartment. The two men sat on the couch, and looked around.
Naruto’s eyes darted everywhere. “This place looks familiar.” Iruka raised an eyebrow. “What? I…hey! I know. I was looking over the unsolved cases for things that might fit into any of the hit profiles we’ve got, and I found a case that involved this apartment. About…a year and a half ago, the younger son of Uchiha Fugaku was murdered. In this apartment, with his girlfriend—I mean, his fiancé—sleeping next to him.”
“And you remember the photos?”
Naruto just nodded, that dumb-as-dirt look all over his face. Iruka would never understand him. He could play dumb all he wanted, but the kid was brilliant. His memory was quite good for things he was interested in, which included anything having to do with his job, as well as food, and action movies. Iruka also suspected that women were factored in there somewhere, thought he had no concrete proof, as of yet.
--
Naruto waited, rather impatiently, on the arm of the couch. He didn’t want to sit still in here. But he knew that it would be rude, especially after breaking in the door, to go exploring. The dojo area was very interesting. He wondered what would interest a girl like her in martial arts. When he had burst into the room, she was delivering a swift jab of her knee to the heavy-bag. It was no surprise, from the force of the kick, that there was duct tape on the bag in several spots. He smiled. Naruto had to admire a girl that could possibly kick his ass, and when she emerged from the back of the apartment, he admired her even more.
She was wearing a light blue t-shirt and a pair black house-pants, slung low on her slender hips, as well as (to his everlasting delight) a set of fluffy white bunny slippers. Iruka spoke up, next to him. “We apologize for interrupting, Miss Haruno.”
Naruto looked embarrassed, but smiled in spite of it when he looked at her feet. “Yeah. And I’m really sorry about the door.”
She snorted. “Hey, don’t worry about it. You guys want anything to drink?”
Iruka asked for green tea, while Naruto frowned, thinking for a moment. “Do you have any regular tea? Not the Japanese stuff?” That seemed to amuse Sakura, for which he was glad. She was very pretty when she smiled. That didn’t stop his incessant babbling, though. “I mean…not that I don’t like green tea, but…that is, my parents are Japanese, and they sort of adopted me, and well…I’m from England, really, so…”
Sakura stifled a laugh. “How about Earl Grey, then?”
Once again awkward, Naruto said, “Sure. Thanks.” Sakura disappeared into the kitchen, and he smacked himself on the forehead with his notebook. Iruka laughed at his lack of social grace. “Shut up, Iruka!” Naruto hissed, wishing he could smack his head with the door he’d broken instead.
In a low, but very amused voice, Iruka said, “You are, as always, completely inept when it comes to women.”
This caused the younger detective to snort lightly. “Like you’re much better.” Iruka just smiled, albeit in a strained sort of way. Any time Naruto brought up women, he brought up the fact that Iruka’s marriage had ended in a sudden and violent court battle a year earlier. Luckily, that was not the case this time. Just as Sakura was coming into the room, Naruto mouthed: bite me at Iruka. His smile widened and became more genuine, then he stuck out his tongue at Naruto, who waited until Sakura’s back was turned to make a rude gesture at his partner.
“So,” Sakura said as she spread out the pictures on the glass top of the coffee table, bringing their attention back to the matter at hand, “The sword is Spanish, as I said before.” Pointing to the many curvilinear bits of metal forming the hand-guard, she said, “Your killer is right-handed.” Naruto nodded. Since the sword was designed to protect the back of the hand and made to be held in a certain way, one could easily tell for which hand the sword was created. “If it were another type, such as a cup-hilted rapier, it could be used by an individual who was left-handed, as well. The swept style of the hand guard is only meant for a right-handed man, though. This type of sword is extremely valuable.”
“Just look at all of the ornamentation. Scrollwork, inlay, a carved bone handle, not to mention the jewels…This would have had some kind of record of sale. Did you have any luck when you contacted Barcelona, Detective?” Iruka looked rather uncomfortable. “What?”
Naruto sighed. “He didn’t call them. His Spanish is limited to ordering gorditas at Taco Bell. I did speak to one of the head honchos over there. After I faxed over images of the sword, he claimed not to have recognized it.” Shaking his head, he expressed his disbelief. “Something like this doesn’t just sit in somebody’s attic until they find it, and decide to off some poor schmuck. There’s gotta be a way to trace it.”
“Unfortunately,” Sakura said, “there is one way that it would be able to remain unknown. If it were in a private collection, such as being a family heirloom, or something stolen or otherwise illegally obtained, it may not even have been insured.” Sakura’s words made Naruto’s heart sink. He took a sip of his tea, frowning around the white china rim. Her voice was filled with disappointment when she next spoke. “I’m truly sorry that I can’t be of more use to you.” He looked at her slippers, the little floppy bunny ears bouncing up and down as she twitched her feet. Was she nervous or something?
Iruka suddenly stood. “Well, I suppose that’ll be all for now, then. If you find anything new, give us a call.” Naruto stared at him dumbly. “Come on, kid. We’re going to chase the wild goose.” The younger man stood, and set down his teacup.
“Thank you very much for the tea, Miss Haruno. Please, call us if you need anything.” Smiling his very best smile, he turned to leave. “And don’t worry about waiting for the department to fix the door.” Digging through his coat pocket, he found a stack of business cards. “Just call me. There’s my work and mobile numbers. I’ll either pay for it, or fix it myself. My way of making up for being over-eager.” Sakura took the card with a smile, though she did not meet his eyes, and seemed to be trying not to laugh.
The two men saw themselves out, then walked to the elevator. Iruka turned to Naruto as the doors closed. “Smooth, kid.”
Shrugging, Naruto smiled. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
--
Sakura stared at the card in her hand. On it was a generic policeman’s badge, and Naruto’s contact information. Her mouth drew up into a smile. “And they say chivalry is dead…” She walked to the kitchen, and used a magnet to hold it to the refrigerator door, right next to Iruka’s card. Her father would absolutely want to kill her if he found out that she was even speaking to the police in a civil manner, let alone helping them. But Sakura couldn’t keep her smile from widening when she thought of how the young blonde detective had grinned at her like a mischievous little boy.
He seemed like a very nice man. Both he and his partner did. Naruto seemed to be nothing short of a charmer, while that Iruka was content to watch the younger man and laugh. Shifting her bunny-slippered feet, she thought hard. What would Sasuke have thought of these people? She was decently certain that he would have gotten along with Iruka, since the older man was rather quiet, and had a pleasant disposition. But Naruto? No, she didn’t think that they would have been very friendly.
When she entered the living room to retrieve the teacups, she found that Itachi had let himself in. It wasn’t difficult, since the door was not functioning any longer. He was looking decidedly…mellow. “Afternoon,” he said, offering a small wave with his uninjured arm. “You had company?” She nodded, and continued to clear up the aftermath of the small party’s refreshment. He was silent for a moment, but then said, “I like your feet.” His finger pointed at her bunny slippers.
Grinning in spite of herself, she said, “Thank you. Why don’t you sit down?” He did, plopping down on the couch. She wondered what was up. Itachi never ‘plopped’. “How many of those pills did you take?” Maybe he had taken more than he was supposed to?
“Just one. Why?” He blinked owlishly at her, and Sakura giggled just a bit.
“You’re a little loopy, Itachi.” Shaking her head, she shuffled into the kitchen, then called back to him, “So what is the occasion for this visit?” The man poked his head into the kitchen a moment later.
“Dad won’t let me touch the accounts. He said he doesn’t want me screwing them up. Can you imagine? Me, screwing up the books! And just when the family is going legit? Never.” Sakura started. The Uchiha family? Going…legit? Her surprise showed on her face, it seemed. “Oh. Um…did I forget to mention it to you? Well, I feel a little a little awkward now. Anyway, he’s been thinking of doing this for a long time. It was Sasuke’s idea.” Nodding, Sakura put the kettle on for tea. Sasuke hadn’t wanted anything to do with the long history of crime that his family had. In that, Sakura was precisely the same. The Haruno family was, unfortunately, one of the most ruthless crime families in the country since her father took control. Before that, they were pretty laid-back for mobsters.
“Okay. So your family’s going to go corporate, I suppose. That can’t be what you’re here for, since you apparently weren’t intending to tell me. Were you just bored or something?” The man simply nodded, hoisting himself up onto the counter in the corner, right next to the toaster. She sighed. “Itachi, I have things to do.”
He looked confused, and stared at her feet with a goofy grin. “You’re going out in your bunny-feet?”
“No, you dope. I’m doing internet research today on something. I suppose you could say it’s a favor for a couple of really nice guys.” Now he was curious. Itachi cocked his head to one side, looking far too much like his younger brother. “You can’t tell anyone about it, okay?” He nodded. She figured it was safe to tell him, since his family was going to be quitting the whole crime scene, and since he did not speak to her family at all anymore. Once she explained the situation with the rapier, he nodded.
“Did you train today?” The change of subject caught her off guard, but she answered in the affirmative. “Good. I’m going to take a nap now.” He jumped down from the counter and shuffled off to the back of the apartment.
It took less than a minute and thirty seconds (during which Sakura stood frozen to the spot, still holding the teacups) for the tall, dark haired man to stalk back into the kitchen. Sakura winced. “Haruno Sakura.” There was a very dark tone to his voice, and he seemed to have sobered considerably. “Your bed smells suspiciously like alcohol.” After a short pause, during which he steadied himself, he said, “And sex.”
“And?” She said, tone sharp, looking him straight in the eyes.
“And…I’m not trying to act like I’m your father, but I seem to remember you promising that you wouldn’t drink.”
“I had a bad day.”
“So, you went out and got drunk, then brought someone home with you?” His voice was deadly calm, which set off alarms in her mind.
“Apparently, yes. I don’t remember any of it.” Her voice remained composed through the entire exchange, though Itachi was approaching the point of being livid. “Itachi, I was not intending to get wasted and sleep with every man in the place. And it isn’t as though I never met the guy.”
“Who is he?” Sakura didn’t like Itachi’s tone of voice. He sounded angry. It was so rare for him to even be annoyed that his anger was truly frightening. What was he so mad about? Not like she was the first—nor would she be the last—to have a one-night stand with someone she barely knew.
“Why do you need to know, Itachi?” She wasn’t sure at all why she asked that, but the question seemed to throw him for a loop. After a long moment, he gripped the edge of the doorway, and spoke seriously, yet calmly.
“Please, just tell me, Sakura. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“It’s one of my boss’s associates. His name is Kakashi.”
Stray bits of hair fell over Itachi’s face as he leaned his head on the doorframe. His voice came out as a bare whisper. “Sakura, please be careful. I really don’t want you to hurt yourself.” There was an odd hitch in his voice, which confused her. He sounded like he was about…to…cry. Blinking, she set down the cups in the sink, then walked over to where he was standing. When she stood in front of him, she found that there were faint, moist trails leading down from his eyes to the line of his jaw.
“Itachi, are you—“
He gave a small, sudden cough, and then scrubbed at his face with the back of his hand. Sakura bit her lip. He didn’t look at her, but kept staring off over her right shoulder. “I…” he started, though his voice sounded as if he’d swallowed tacks. Clearing his throat, he began again. “I know that it’s wrong…I shouldn’t have let it happen. But when Sasuke died, Sakura, I let myself think much more of you. I…” The far off look on his face broke suddenly, and it almost seemed as if he was crumbling in on himself. “S-Sorry. I can’t…” Turning more quickly than she thought possible, Itachi swept out of her kitchen, and back through the living room before she could stop him, and was gone.
What just happened? He had been about to say something important. And there was this little voice in the back of her mind that told her she really did something to hurt him. Sakura found herself sliding to the floor, her vision blurring. Why did she always have to fuck everything up so badly? The last thing she ever wanted was to hurt anyone. Especially not Itachi. He was always so understanding…so kind. He was the only person she could really turn to when she needed to talk. Sakura’s arms encircled her knees, hugging them to her chest, and she buried her face in the soft black material of her pants.
Why was everything so out of control? Why?
Words from much earlier that day came back to her, and she felt herself mumbling them aloud. “God…give me the ability to deal with those things I can…the strength to bear those I can’t…and the wisdom…to know the difference.” For the first time in years, she found the need to actually talk to God. She felt very lost, indeed. Was there any other way in which her day could go wrong? All she was missing was being mugged. That would make her day complete.
Finally, after what had to be twenty minutes of sitting on her kitchen floor, Sakura hauled herself to her feet. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she went to her bedroom and changed into street clothes. She had to go and see Itachi. There was no way that she was going to let him run away from her. That was something that Sasuke would have done. He had always ignored his problems, turned a blind eye to anything that had gone wrong in his life. But Itachi had always faced them. Sakura would be damned if she would let her best friend, and Sasuke’s only brother, close himself off the way she used to watch the other do. It was a painful thing to watch, but she knew that it was worse for the person internalizing all that pain.
As she stepped into the elevator to go down to the ground floor, she set a look of grim determination over her features. She would not let him run away.
--
Naruto sat in the car, waiting for Iruka to come out of the corner store. The man had this strange fondness for Fruit Stripe Gum, and he needed his fix. The young blonde detective shook his head, and looked idly into the rear-view mirror. Against the cool grays and blacks of the cityscape, he saw a flash of color. His head whipped around, following the blur. It was pink. When his eyes trained on it, he saw that it was Haruno Sakura. She was running. A black pea coat flapped around her, as did a long red scarf. Beneath the coat, he saw a dark green sweater, and she wore blue jeans and black sneakers. She looked as if she were upset.
Glancing at the store, he gnawed at his lip for a moment, then growled at his own stupidity. He just knew this was a bad idea. But, that had never stopped him before. Exiting the car, he locked it. Iruka had keys. Naruto had his mobile with him, so if the older detective needed, he could call him. With one last look at the store, he ran after Sakura.
The woman was fast. She flew down the sidewalk, across the street, and down an alleyway. He soon found himself in a quieter street that was lined with early 1920’s townhouses. Sakura ran full speed for another block-and-a-half, then skidded to a stop on an icy patch in front of one of these buildings, which was constructed of dark red brick, and had a copper roof. He slowed his pace, and hung back about half a block, noting the address. His eyes narrowed as she pounded on the door, that look of distress still drawing her features tight on her face. The portal opened, and she pushed her way inside.
--
“Genma…now, can’t we talk about this?” Kakashi held up his hands in front of him, but it did no good. Shiranui Genma was quite angry with him, and he just happened to be the one holding a weapon, and not Kakashi. At the moment, the hit man was backed against the wall of the back office in The Rusty Dagger.
“I think you’ve said quite enough, Kakashi.” Genma flicked his wrist, and the blade of the antique katana he held came far too close to Kakashi’s neck. “So…what is it that you think we could talk about? The fact that you come barging in here, unannounced, and start raving about my choice of employees? Or maybe the fact that you fucked her? Hell, maybe you want to talk about how you don’t want to die?” That vein started pulsing in Genma’s temple. It took every ounce of self-control in Kakashi’s arsenal to keep himself from licking his lips nervously.
“But Genma…we were both drunk. She doesn’t even remember it.”
All expression left the man’s face. Oh, holy hell. Kakashi swallowed audibly. The sharp edge of the blade was now touching his skin, and he thought he felt something warm running down his neck. “Hatake Kakashi, I’m only going to say this once. Are you listening?” The lack of any emotion on Genma’s face, as well as in his voice worried Kakashi. When he did not answer, the man holding the sword to his throat spit out his ever-present toothpick. “I said, are you listening to me, Kakashi?”
“Y-Yes. I hear you loud and clear.”
“Good. Like I said. Only once. Here it is: stay the hell away from her.” Kakashi’s eyebrows drew down, confusion painting his face. “I don’t need to justify myself to you, do I?” Kakashi’s eyes widened at the sudden anger in the other man’s voice. The blade pressed to his flesh, and he felt it slicing into him. Every muscle in his body froze. Including his heart. When he finally realized that Genma would probably kill him if he didn’t make some kind of answer, he shook his head, indicating that no excuse was necessary. Kakashi’s compliance was rewarded with the blade being removed.
He watched in horrified fascination as Genma stepped back, and gave the sword one downward swipe, effectively flinging his blood from the blade. The soft sound of the sword being sheathed filled the air, and then the sword was placed back on its wall stand. Kakashi found something white flying at his face. He caught it. A handkerchief. “Go clean that up. The first aid kit’s under the sink in the bathroom.” Genma said quietly, still facing the wall, his back to Kakashi. Not needing to be told twice, Kakashi walked stiffly from the office. His heart was beating so fast he thought he might pass out. What the hell? He’d never been so scared in his life.
His assertion from earlier in the day came back to haunt him. Yeah. The worst day of his life. All that was left was for somebody to run over him as he walked across the street. Then, it would be the perfect end to a perfectly shitty day.
--
“Mr. Uchiha, a young lady is here to see you.” The bored voice of Itachi’s only servant said. The man was younger than himself. Something like twenty years old, perhaps. Itachi looked up from his book. He hadn’t really been reading it. Unfocused eyes had been staring at the same page for nearly an hour. Now, he looked at Shikamaru, who was standing next to the door, waiting for permission to usher in the aforementioned guest.
“Who?” Was Itachi’s faint response.
A slim—and highly sarcastic—brow rose. “The only one that has been to visit in the past year, sir.” Itachi flinched. Why was she here? He felt suddenly deflated. Sakura was standing on the other side of the door. “Should I say you’re ill, sir?” Itachi, from his seat near the fireplace, heard a very annoyed sound come from the other side of the door, just before it was thrown open without any thought for who might be standing in front of it. The butler’s right left shoulder was violently shoved forward by the motion of the door, and he almost fell flat on his face.
Sakura apologized to him in short order, then hustled him out of the room. Itachi simply watched her, his face a mask of slightly horrified wonder. Then, she turned around, leaning on the door, apparently trying to make sure that Shikamaru did not interrupt whatever she had planned to do or say.
“Sakura, what are you doing here?”
Huffing loudly, she crossed her arms over her chest. “You…you’re being a coward.”
He might have been a little hazy from the drugs, still. Itachi wasn’t sure he heard her correctly. “Excuse me?”
Sakura repeated herself, enunciating her words carefully. “You are being a coward, Itachi. Don’t run away from me like that.” What could he say to that? For a moment, he wished he had the energy to be affronted. But he didn’t. Somewhere within himself, he knew she was telling the truth. His face was just as impassive as it nearly always was, though. Her eyes watched him, hawk-like. That piercing gaze unnerved him, and he looked away. Watching the flames, he concentrated on them, letting their elemental nature calm him slightly. Then he heard Sakura’s footsteps as she crossed the room toward him.
Itachi could see her from the corner of his eye. She had knelt next to the arm of his chair. When he felt her hand cover his where it rested on his book, his eyes closed, trying to block out the sensation, and the feelings it caused. It did nothing to quell his conflicting thoughts. Pulling his hand away, he whispered, “Sakura, please…don’t…” still not looking in her direction.
“Damn it, Itachi, look at me!” Her voice rose to a near-shout.
When he finally turned to see her, Itachi found that he could not look away. She was kneeling there, glaring green fire at him, those flames being snuffed at the same time by tears in her eyes. “What’s wrong? Itachi, talk to me.” Her voice broke, and came out hoarse, “Did I do something wrong? You’re angry with me, aren’t you?” He smiled faintly. Should he tell the truth? Did he even know what the truth was? Sakura’s eyes searched his face, just as his did hers, and for a long moment, neither of them spoke.
The silence was broken by nothing more than the crackling of maple logs in the fire. It was painful to look at her. He didn’t want to be doing this. The last thing he wanted at the moment was to admit to what he was feeling. It wasn’t right. It was…well, it was less than honorable. “I…” he shut his eyes. If he didn’t look at her, he thought this might go a little easier. “Yes.”
“W-what?” She said, sniffling. Itachi’s brow furrowed. He really didn’t want to look at her now. He never could stand to watch her cry.
“Yes, Sakura. I am angry.” He took a deep breath, steadying himself. “I’m angry that you let yourself be put in a situation like that. It’s something that makes me feel…like I can’t protect you.”
He could hear her shifting slightly before she said, “I can take care of myself, you know that.”
“I know, Sakura. If you couldn’t, I wouldn’t have broken bones and dislocated joints because of you. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m pretty sure you know that.” When he finally opened his eyes, he saw her looking down at the floor. “Sakura, you need to be careful. I don’t want you hurting yourself. If you do what you did last night, it will hurt you more, emotionally, than anything else.” She nodded, and he was sure she realized what kind of hurt he was meaning.
“But…what were you saying before? You said something about Sasuke, and I didn’t really understand. What did you mean? What were you going to say?” That was the one question that he did not want to answer. He had hoped that he could get around it. Itachi had even said a small prayer. Now, he was faced with the question, and he hesitated again. She was not going to back off until she got an answer.
Sighing, he said, finally, “You know that father asked me to look out for you?” She nodded. “He was worried. We all were. I suppose that I worried a little too much. After a while, I think I started feeling a bit too protective of you.”
“Itachi—“
He held up a hand, silencing her. Now that he had started, he needed to finish. The words were pressing to be let out. “I thought, for a while, that maybe I had just started thinking of you as a little sister. Sort of…as a substitute for Sasuke. But that isn’t quite right. What I feel for you is not right. It isn’t at all proper, Sakura. Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you?” Her eyes had grown wide. She was staring at him, eyes glazed, as if she had never seen him before. “Sakura?” He leaned toward her, bringing his face down to her eye-level. “Sakura, are you alright?”
Sakura mumbled, “F-fine. I’m fine…” Itachi winced. The ‘f-word’. Never a good sign.
His fingers reached out, brushing away a rosy strand of hair from her cheek. That contact seemed to stir her from whatever thoughts she was immersed in, and she looked up at him, startled, with a slight blush heating her face. His heart beat faster, and his eyes strayed to her lips. They were only slightly parted, as if she were on point of saying something. Against his better judgment, he leaned forward just a bit more, his lips ghosting over hers, so lightly that he could barely feel them.
Sakura’s eyes widened in alarm. He could hear her breath catch. Something made him pull away; it was probably his over-developed sense of honor. Standing suddenly, he said, “I apologize.” He looked out of the window, unable to stand the expression of wide-eyed amazement on her face. “I should not have done that. I’m sorry.”
If he thought that he was standing stiffly before, then he could have given trees a good run for their proverbial money when he felt Sakura’s arms wrap around his waist, her face pressing into his chest. His heart felt as if it were going to jump out of his chest. That less than honorable feeling was back. Why did life have to be so complicated? All he wanted was to put his arms around her and hold her. But there was still that old voice, saying that it wasn’t right. She was still that one thing he could never have. It was the only way he could be sure that Sasuke wouldn’t be angry with him, wherever he was.
Itachi tried to pry her off of him, but she just held him tighter. “It’s okay,” she said softly, and looked up at him, her chin resting on his chest. “There’s nothing wrong with it, Itachi.” He blinked down at her. What was she saying? “No one can help the way they feel.”
His jaw set stubbornly. “But I have to.”
“Why?”
One word escaped his lips before he finally shoved her away, “Sasuke.” When he found the strength to finally look at her again, he saw her crying. Again. Twice he’d made her cry today. Damn it. He hated seeing her tears. A sudden, hot feeling formed in the pit of his stomach, and he found that he was slightly dizzy with it. It was fear, mixed with an ache that would not be ignored. Something in him broke then, and he moved forward, pulling Sakura into a tight embrace, heedless of his injured arm. The force of the emotion rising in him was such that he could not stop it. Sakura looked up at him, smiling. For a moment, that smile lit up the whole world. He felt like if he tried, he would be able to fly.
“Sakura…” He said, but couldn’t think of what he meant to say. All he saw was her smiling face, and her voice echoed in his ears, telling him that it was all right. She told him that there was nothing wrong with the way he felt. Could he dare to believe? Sakura certainly could never return his feelings…but maybe, just for a moment…he could fool himself. Lowering his face to hers, he breathed in the smell of her, the sweet scent of lemon and ginger. Itachi’s eyes slid closed as he felt her lips, warm against his, in a chaste kiss. It felt as if he were dying. And he didn’t care. For all he did care, he could die right then, and he would be happy. After a moment, he pulled away from her, resting his forehead on hers. “I love you…”
Her hands found his face, holding him there. Their small, firm warmth made him feel the reality of the situation. “Itachi, open your eyes.” He did, and he saw her eyes, mere inches away from his own, so that they seemed to fill his vision. “Itachi, you know I love you. But—“
Suddenly, he felt ill. He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. “Don’t, Sakura, please.” Turning away from her, he went to the table against the wall, pouring himself a glass of water. “I know. Again, I apologize.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Her voice drifted across the room just as he took a sip from the glass. When he heard this, he was suddenly angry. Setting the glass down hard on the table, he turned back to her.
“Yes I do.” He moved to stand before her again. “I feel that I do, Sakura. You’re much more to me than a sister, a student. That’s not right. Damn it,” He took hold of her shoulders, “I’m not supposed to want you!” Sakura’s eyes went wide, and he saw pain in them. He hurt her. Again. Why could he do nothing right? He could feel things spiraling out of control. All of his carefully laid barriers were crashing down around him, and all he had to hold onto was something that he couldn’t keep.
Sakura’s mouth hung open, and she merely stared at him. Then, he let her go. “Get out.”
“What?” She asked, half-breathless.
“I said, get out, Sakura.” His hand rose, pointing to the door. “I can’t be around you right now.” Eyes closing to block out the painful image of her face, Itachi kept his voice tightly controlled. “I can’t be sure that I’ll be able to restrain myself.” He felt like he stood there for too long, waiting for her to move. It had surely been an entire minute. When he did hear her shifting position, it was to move toward him. Sakura’s arms were around his waist again before he could stop her, and she squeezed so hard he thought she might give him another broken rib.
“Sasuke wouldn’t be angry with you,” was all she said before letting go and leaving the room. When he opened his eyes, he found that he was gripping the mantle piece, his nails digging into the dark walnut carvings. What he wouldn’t give for that to be true.
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A/N: Grrrr. I hate the editing engine. The lack of separation bar is getting on my nerves. Please, take a moment to review. This chapter was emotionally draining to write, so I would love it if you gave me some happy-time to read constructive criticism!
Love! to everyone.
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