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To Duel With Fate	By : Mihkail Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female > Itachi/Sakura Views: 4869 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, and I do not profit from this fanfic.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Four days had passed. Four long, sluggish, and exhausting days. They usually flew by for her, but ever since that night, things had changed. When she wasn't patching up patients, studying, training, or catching a wink of sleep, there were only two topics that ever crossed her mind—tormented, rather. Itachi and Sasuke. Topics that were draining the life out of her, and making her already busy days almost more than she could bare. Itachi wasn't awake yet. Each hour that passed without a stir from him made her increasingly nervous and worried. He was healing well, but it seemed the trauma he was put through did a number on him. Four days, though. Four days of sleep was a long time, especially for someone like him. Or was she expecting too much? He was a talented shinobi, but he was human, after all. He had been through more than she could ever imagine.
And Sasuke, gah... Sakura actually missed the days where she was the one searching for him, waiting for him. Right now, she was doing her damnedest to stay out of sight. Pretty hard when she regularly works in the hospital he frequents with his family. She didn't know what to say to him yet. More than anything, she was hoping he would forget about everything, and things would go back to normal soon...but she just couldn't bring herself to face him. The thought of him questioning her yukata put all the wrong kind of butterflies in her stomach. Maybe he would never bring it up. Maybe he didn't care, or maybe he was too clueless to put the pieces together. But what if he did bring it up? It sounded like such a small issue, but it was causing her such a huge problem.
"Stupid..." Came the mutter under her breath, with quick, soft steps ushering her down the clean hall. The events of that night played in her head over and over again, like a broken record that was slowly driving her mad. She barely batted an eye after Tsunade had grilled her, when she could have potentially lost her job, and her valued position as their Godaime's apprentice, and yet she couldn't let go of her anxiety over Sasuke and that damn yukata. There were a million other things in the world more important than that, more productive than that, that she could be spending her brain-power on. She knew that...but she just couldn't let it go. It held her heart in a vice and squeezed it a little more every time she thought about it. If she hadn't felt so much guilt, it wouldn't be a problem in the first place, but it was slowly eating away at her.
"It's not the end of the world... Stop acting like an insecure little kid. You have much better things to worry about." She continued chiding herself as she moved. Trying to give herself some peace of mind, and still failing. The regrettable fact of the matter was that she was never going to feel any peace, until she did face Sasuke again. Either the topic would come up, and they would get it out of the way, or he would choose to never speak of it, and everything would fine. Deep down, she knew that, too.
"But you still avoid him." Whispering as she stared miserably at the time-clock. Her day was over. For once, she worked an early shift. The sun was lingering high in the sky, and she had the rest of day to herself. It was a nice change. Too bad she found it impossible to enjoy right now.
As she started down the hall that would lead her to the warm afternoon breeze, and the endless possibilities presented with it, she found herself slowing down. Heavy eyes cast a gloomy stare into the floor at her feet, and she stopped. Eight hours ago, Itachi was still asleep. Maybe she should check again... Nah. Nothing had changed. She should just wait for the news to reach her. Eventually it would.
A few more paces down the hall, and she stopped again with a sigh. It wasn't going to quit nagging at her. She had to at least poke her head in the room before she left. No harm in checking. She just wouldn't get her hopes up this time, unlike all the others before. A watched pot never boils, as they say, but she couldn't help it. Or...er...he wasn't a pot of water...but...mmm whatever. Same thing. Things just always seem to happen after you stop expecting them to, neh?
Reaching his door, her pulse quickened a little as her fingers touched the handle. The lights were off inside. She knew what that meant. Or, she thought she knew. Hey, maybe he was up, but none of the nurses had checked on him in a while, so that's why it was dark. The door opened slowly, shining a sliver of light onto the occupied bed as she peaked inside. It was cool and quiet, with only the soft hums and beeps of equipment keeping him healthy, and healing at a steady rate. Opening the door wider, she slipped into the room and crept up to the bed. With eyes just as heavy as before, she looked down at the peaceful, sleeping face below. Just as she feared, unfortunately. Well...at least he didn't need an oxygen mask anymore, but there was a nasogastric feeding tube running through his nose and down into his stomach. Little else you could do when you had no idea when a patient was going to wake up again.
"You can't sleep forever." She mumbled sadly as she watched him. Then it occurred to her. What would she do if he was awake? What would she say to him? 'Hi'? 'Remember me'? No, really... What did she actually have to say? A pang of embarrassment hit her. She felt silly. Chances are, if he were to open his eyes right now and look up at her, she would be at a complete loss for words. Realistically speaking, they had met once, and only once. That day had...well...it had been a very, very strange day. In all honesty, she still didn't know how to feel about what happened between them. It might help if she knew what he felt, but...a self-doubting and pessimistic part of her believed he didn't really feel anything. What if he didn't even remember at all?
"Oh thank goodness, Sakura!"
She jumped and spun around, startled at the sudden loud voice behind her. One of the nurse assistants was standing in the doorway with a face that was almost as tired and distraught as her own. Sakura stared at her a moment, confused. "Uhm...yeah?"
"You can bathe him! I just went to grab some towels, here!" A look of shock and dread clashed with the assistant as the stack of soft cloth was shoved into her hands. Sakura blinked and sputtered furiously. "...W-What? WHAT! No, I can't—"
"Pleeaase, Sakura? We've had two call-offs today and my patient next door is refusing to eat again and I haven't taken a break and I have to fish my other patient's dentures out of the toilet—"
"I don't even work in—no, he's not my patient! I can't! I just clocked out anyway—"
"PLEASE? You're in here almost every day! He's your friend, right? He hasn't had a bath in three days! He's not even awake, come on..." The girl pleaded with her desperately, and the look in her eyes caused Sakura to sigh in an incredibly uncomfortable defeat. It was unprofessional of her, without a doubt, but she could sympathize. She'd been in her shoes several times before. Understaffed with too many patients to care for, and unable to give everyone the attention they deserved, and needed.
"But... I..." Sakura whimpered pitifully, shoulders slumping. She felt guilty trying to argue with the girl, but she really shouldn't be the one to substitute her tasks for a number of reasons. Morally...it was probably the right thing to do, though. The wince on her face and tone of her voice was more than enough for the assistant to press on, and she pointed to the sink next to his bed. "I already got the soap and basin. Thank you so much, I owe you one!" With that, she skittered out of the room and closed the door behind her before her superior could come to her senses and outright refuse.
Sakure stood in the blanket of darkness, staring into space as a light tingle went down her spine. Cautiously, she glanced over her shoulder at Itachi. Oh man... What if his family showed up in the middle of this? Considering the kind of luck she was having lately, that wasn't out of the question.
Exhaling loudly, Sakura turned and moved in front of the sink to stare down in reluctance at the supplies left out, as if they were something much more revolting than they actually were. Glancing again to the sleeping Uchiha a few feet away, she swallowed with difficulty.
"I can't do this... I shouldn't be doing this..." She murmured nervously to herself, only for a stubborn and intrusive thought to retaliate with, Why not? You've already seen him naked.
Closing her eyes and furrowing her brows, she groaned and leaned forward to thump her elbows onto the counter and grip her fingers into her hair. Three days was a long time to go without a bath, even for someone that wasn't doing anything but lying in bed. And he was unconscious, after all. No one was around.
Her hands rubbed back down over her face, and she peaked through her fingers. "...Fine..."
This would be quick. In and out. Then she could go on with her day like it never happened, and no one would speak of it! No one would know! Right? Too bad the door didn't have a lock.
"It's just a bath." She muttered encouragingly, and twisted the faucet handle a little harder than she meant to. Filling the basin, she spared some more fleeting glances at Itachi, her heart fluttering in distress. The water filled faster than she wanted it to, offering her little time to procrastinate. Leaving it to steam on a rolling tray, with a small wash cloth floating inside, she moved to the bed and pulled the blankets down carefully to settle over his hips. The plain shirt he wore unsnapped easily at the back of his neck and down his shoulders, and she wadded up the thin, oversized garment and tossed it aside.
The chest tubes were long gone, but a layer of splinted bandages was patched around almost the entire length of his torso, covering the multiple stitches and helping to cushion his mending ribs and sternum. A pinch of sadness found her, despite knowing he was only getting better with each day that passed. It bothered her to see him in this state. She would probably never know him as well as Sasuke or Shisui did, but she regarded him on the level of Kakashi. To see someone so formidable lying in a hospital bed, battered and helpless, was very discomforting.
She removed the splint and peeled off the padding beneath, revealing the blotchy, discolored skin below that would take many more days to return to its normal hue as the bruises faded. Cleaning him was going to take longer than she originally thought, now that she got a good look at him. She hadn't taken into account the types of injuries he had. She would have to be careful moving him around, but at least there were no open wounds to deal with now. Her eyes passed from the myriad of healing tissue to the peaceful face above. Much less beat up than the rest of him, though not unscathed. He seemed so content, somehow. Angelic even, as he laid there in the aftermath of death and destruction he escaped days ago. His skin was paler now. Almost as pale as Sasuke's. And his long hair so dark...
Sakura reeled herself back into focus. She couldn't get distracted by these things. She needed to just do her job, and get out...even if this wasn't technically her job. A nervous glanced met the closed door behind her, and she snorted through her nose. "You better not open." Worst case scenario, Sasuke would come barging in without warning, while she was in the process of pulling down his unconscious brother's pants. Yeah, that would fare well, wouldn't it? And it was such a ghastly notion, that she refused to entertain it for more than fleeting second. Too horrible. It couldn't happen. It wouldn't. As long as she kept telling herself that, hopefully it would hold true.
Making quick work of the rest of the bandages on his arms, a glance over him convinced her that he wouldn't need their protection for much longer. Just as well, it would be better for his skin if they weren't there longer than need-be. The pile of towels was laid out under each arm, and rolled up along his bare sides to keep the mattress from getting wet as she tended to his front. The best way to bathe someone that was confined to a bed, unfortunately. The lower half of his body would require the same care, but she was postponing that for now. The thought of undressing him completely made it difficult for her to swallow, and she wanted to avoid it as long as possible. It had to be done, though. Embarrassing as it was, it was a necessary part of keeping your patient healthy.
"And he's not even my patient." She grumbled to herself as she pulled the tray over to the bed, wrung out the soapy cloth, and began cleaning him gently, though thoroughly. This was her karma. She claimed him as her responsibility the moment he was wheeled into the hospital, and then stayed with him in his room for the rest of the night. Of course this would happen to her now. It would be worth it in the end, though. His life was much more important than her comfort level.
As she moved up his arms one at a time, and started down his chest, a light blush colored her cheeks. Even now, with the state he was in, it was impossible to inspect him from an entirely medical standpoint. Mildly infuriating, even with no one around to witness her personal struggle. Flashes of inappropriate thoughts disrupted her attention, while she tried so hard to evade them, and her gaze narrowed in wavering concentration. He wasn't a a very big guy. Taller than her, sure, but not someone you would expect to be impressively strong or intimidating, just by appearances alone. The evidence to the contrary was there, nonetheless. Her fingers found plenty of it with every stroke as the wet cloth slipped over lean, toned muscles without an ounce of fat.
To keep herself on track, she chose to stare at the healing wounds as she moved down his stomach, lower and lower, occasionally dipping the cloth back in the hot water. He had nice abs too...she could even see individual dips between each—
A loud sigh puffed through her nose, and she forced her eyes closed for a moment. "This is ridiculous. You can't seriously sit here and ogle an unconscious man's body. It's wrong!" Hissing to herself, her eyes snapped open once more, and she leaned down closer to him. Like a determined artist strategically placing each painted stroke on an easel Nothing would get in her way. Not the warmth that radiated off him, nor the steady rise and fall of his breaths, nor the...whoa. He had V muscles. The diagonal lines angling down his pelvis and disappearing below the blanket. When did he get those? Were they always there? Good gravy, those were s—
"Haaaaah!" Sakura wailed in frustration, straightening her back as her face flew up and away from his hips. Keeping pure thoughts was much easier said than done, and her expression was quickly wrinkling into a scowl. The good news was, she was done washing his torso. No more pesky—delicious—muscles to distract her. But...was that really the good news?
Her attention flickered down to the edge of the blanket that covered his hips and legs, and she grew still. Did...did she really have to do that? Couldn't someone else do it? Someone that didn't know him personally? Someone that had never...
A wave of heat traveled under her collar as those inappropriate thoughts returned. Memories that felt like they had only happened yesterday. Salty skin, dripping with sweat. Soft lips claiming hers, and fluttering down her neck. Being lifted from a hard tatami mat and thrust against a wall. There was no use... This wasn't going to stop. She couldn't control her own thoughts anymore. She needed to hurry up and get the hell out of there.
"Fast. Don't even look. Just move." Whispering into the dark—wait, why had she never turned the light on? Gah, it didn't matter now!—she pulled the blankets down to the foot of the bed, and forced herself to hastily untie the drawstrings to his pants, and pull them down and off as well. Left to flop quietly onto the cold floor, so she could place the rest of the towels under his legs, all while refusing to look down. There he was, stark naked in all his glory, and she was staring at the wall above his head, petrified while a hand blindly searched the hot water for the cloth she had dumped back into the basin. A second or two of floundering around and she found it, squeezed it, and started at the top of his hip, where the contour of that sinful pelvic muscle teased her, to work down his thigh. The texture changed suddenly, and Sakura's face dropped. Instantly realizing she forgot to remove the rest of the bandages. Great.
Don't look at it... Don't look at it... Her gaze averted to the patches of white taped to his legs in various places, trying so hard to behave and not wander where it shouldn't. Although, it was mandatory to clean that too, but there was no way... She couldn't. Really though, that's where she drew the line. One of the nurse assistants would have to do it later. Of all the things—
And then it happened. She dropped her guard for a second, and her rebellious gaze shifted of its own accord to the dark patch between his legs, and the flaccid member resting against it. Harmless, docile, sleeping like the rest of him, and yet it sent a showering of sparks inside her that made her belly feel strange and warm, and her legs twitch involuntarily.
"Kami, I'm a pervert!" She whined pathetically, defeated. Feeling more than a little sick at her inability to remain professional, she was truly fed up. This never happened. She was never the pervert. That was Naruto's job, or Jiraiya's job. Not Sakura's!
Her hands moved at an even quicker pace then, wanting nothing more than to be done with his legs so she could roll him onto his side and take care of his back. The worst part was almost over, and no one had burst into the room! Everything was going to be ok.
With a light splash, the cloth was dropped into the basin once more. She could start drying him off now. Taking another towel from the dwindling stack on the counter, she patted down his arms and chest, keeping her vision unfocused purposely as she moved. Paying attention to nothing but the soft towel in her hands that soaked up whatever moisture had yet to evaporate. When she passed down his hips, an abrupt jerk about startled her out of her own skin, and caused her to freeze. Vision sharpening, she stared down at the crumpled mound of white that had paused directly over his lap, concealing the object beneath that made her blush so furiously, and then trailed fearfully up the length of his chest to his face. Just as before, he was resting peacefully. Features devoid of emotion, eyes closed. But he had moved...definitely moved... A simple muscle twitch, perhaps. Those weren't that uncommon. Especially when you were working around those areas.
After a pause, she cleared her throat and proceeded down his legs, waiting to see if it would happen again. Patting him down a bit more slowly now, from his thighs to his feet.
Nothing.
Sighing softly in relief, she set the towel aside, and leaned over him to retrieve the others she laid out beneath and against him. And that's when she felt something brush up her hip and along her stomach as she reached across. Sakura yelped in surprise, a sharp chill darting along her spine at the feathery sensation. Jumping back from the bed, she stared wide-eyed at the hand that hovered curiously in the air in front of her, as if searching for something.
He...he was moving?
Her mouth hung open in awe, but it quickly melted into panic Was he waking up? He couldn't wake up now! Why not fifteen minutes ago? Or fifteen minutes later?! Not now!
"Itachi...?" The name fell meekly from her as she watched his serene face for any sign of recognition. His eyes were still closed, but after a second of lying motionless, the hovering hand whipped to the side and sent the basin flying off the tray in a loud clatter as water splashed all over the sink and cabinets. Sakura jumped again, and rushed forward as she saw him snatch at the feeding tube that was secured to his face.
"Itachi, no!" Her small frame descended on his arm and clutched to it with a death grip before he could rip the tube out of his nose. Then, his eyes flew open and locked onto her. Black pits that shrouded his true thoughts and intentions as he seemed to stare through her. She stared right back in shock, losing her voice for a second as they merely watched one another at first. The arm she had latched onto would toss her off easily not a moment later, however. Stumbling backwards, she was more confused than ever. The bed creaked and shifted as he pushed himself up, despite the injuries he suffered, as if he could feel no pain. His hand moved again with swift determination, this time aiming clumsily for an IV in his arm as his eyes scanned with a ghostly vacancy his own bare body.
Sakura lurched onto him again, aiming to pin him down to the bed to keep him still. He was disoriented. This was typical for patients rousing from a coma, or some other severe injury that knocked them out for a while. They would wake up in the hospital and have no idea where they were, or what was going on, and act irrationally. It had taken a second for her to come to her senses, but she remembered now. She had to stop him from inflicting any damage to himself, which was far too easy to do in his condition.
"Stop, Itachi! You're in the hospital! Everything is—" A disgusting and painful gurgle finished her sentence as she suddenly lost the ability to speak, or even breathe, for that matter. The moment she had landed on him, his fingers clamped down on her throat with a swiftness she hadn't anticipated. The room spun, and a rush of air passed her before a hard, wooden floor slammed into her back. He crashed down on top of her, pulling an array of towels and loose bedsheets with him. One of the IV's snapped out of an arm. A blind panic filled her as her brain struggled to decided, within a split second, how she was going to defend herself without a counterattack. He was out of his mind. She was deprived of oxygen, and distinctly felt the cartilage in her neck shifting. He was a hell of a lot stronger and faster than she thought he would be, but she was still afraid of hurting him. And if she did, there was a healthy possibility that she would only anger him, and he would end up putting her in a hospital bed. Like poking a grizzly bear with a stick, it was only going to get your face ripped off that much sooner. Wounded or not, he was still more skilled than she, and one badass Uchiha at that.
The only trace of emotion he conveyed was a faint confusion and agitation, but it was starting to scare her. Naked and physically pinning her to the floor under his weight, tangled in all sorts of fabric, he was staring down at her as if he had no idea who she was. Thick pulse beating through her cheeks, she was more than blushing now, and it had nothing to do with petty embarassment. The circulation to her head was almost cut off completely, and tiny, erratic sparkles of light were already dancing in the corners of her vision. One hand gripped into his wrist, and her instincts quickly took the reigns before she could waste any more time thinking. A chakra-filled palm struck his gut, purposely below the worst of the damage he'd been inflicted with. Not violent enough to do any serious harm, but she was desperate for air, and unable the call for help. The remote to page the nurse's station for assistance was far out of her reach, as well. If she was lucky, someone would hear the ruckus they were causing, but they didn't have very much time to spare if things got...er, further out of hand.
He doubled over her from the blow, grunting more in surprise than pain as she knocked the wind out of him. Just as the flashing lights tripled, and began to obscure her image of him, she felt his hand release her neck. Gasping loudly, she sucked in as much air as her lungs could carry. Blessed, beautiful air. In that moment, it was better than rolling in a field of puppies and flowers, or stuffing her face with chocolate covered strawberries. Oh Kami, there could never be enough air! She coughed and choked, a fierce pounding taking over her skull from the sudden change in blood pressure.
"Itachi, it's ME! Sakura!" She had only enough time to look up into the new eyes that met her as he leaned back, now patterned that dangerous red and black no enemy ever wanted to be the target of, before something rock-hard smashed into the side of her head, and she knew nothing but darkness.
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To Duel With Fate