Dark Truths Undiscovered

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. Nor do I own the songs used within.


It did tire him out Deidara admitted later that night. They had landed on a tiny, miserable outcropping of snow covered rock in the sea. They huddled together as they considered how far away from the ships they might be. Deidara was convinced that they had already reached the island, “Without Itachi, it will be hard to find yeah.”

Sakura had considered that, but she refused to give up. “Well, it’s an isolated island correct? No one goes there, it’s why it was selected as the resting place for the scroll.”

Her companion nodded, “That’s true, we can just look for any smaller vessels heading out to it or anchored around it hmm.”

Sakura leaned her back against his, looking up at the dark winter sky, “An easy thing from the sky” she murmured, “But your chakra is not limitless. Let me replenish it.”

He stiffened against her, glancing over his shoulder, “There is no need” he assured her.

She reached back, shifting her body to catch him in a neat headlock. It had always worked on Naruto as children.

“Stop being a baby.” she snapped as she reached to remove the metallic scope from over his eye. She had often wondered what lay beneath it. A scar, a deformity? But there was none of those things, only a clear teal colored eye staring back at her in some surprise.

“You’re a brutish kind of girl yeah.” he groused.

She chuckled and settled her palm against his broad chest, “Relax” she told him. “I’m a professional.”.

The blonde shinobi relaxed in her grip but continued to scowl, “Makes a man wonder at what hmm?”

She blinked and met his eyes, “What is that supposed to mean?” she demanded.

Deidara flinched, “Well to be honest, you are easy on the eyes and hard on the body yeah” he quipped.

She scowled, then broke into soft peals of laughter.

Deidara winked, “Guess you’d have to be to deal with the Uchiha hmm?”

Sakura considered that, “Itachi isn’t that bad” she told him, “Difficult to read at first and oftentimes infuriating, but he isn’t a bad person. Not really.” Her tone had become soft, tinged with sadness.

Deidara felt her hands skim over him rhythmically, her chakra refreshing him. “You are sad about him hmm?” he asked quietly.

She looked away, “All these years I have hated him, feared him, because of what I was told. Now I see that he is something more and that something is precious to me. I just wish…I wish I could help him.. Somehow.” she admitted wistfully.

Deidara lifted his hand to trace the backs of his fingers across her cheek and smiled gently, “I think you have Sakura. Because now you know the truth. It is a measure of closure with the home he once knew. If even a small bit yeah.”

She blinked feeling the prick of tears in her eyes and pulled her hands away, “Thanks Deidara” she told him, “That should hold you for a while. We should get some sleep before dawn.”

He nodded and they huddled closer together in the small niche they had found in the stone, it blocked much of the wind. They would live through the night, though they might not be very comfortable.

Feeling her shiver slightly, Deidara wrapped his arms around her. She muttered a thank you against his chest and he smirked. His eyes lifted to the sky then, and he wondered if Itachi might really kill him for bringing her out here.

He might threaten it, but Deidara figured he’d have his hands full with Sakura for at least a while.

~

Itachi set foot on the island, taking a moment to adjust to the steady firmness beneath him rather than the toss and roll of the small boat. He wanted to find the scroll quickly and head back to the slightly larger island not far from here. They didn’t have much but they at least had an inn.

His dark eyes scanned the treeline before him. The reports said it was located near the center of the island, considering that this chunk of rock was less than two day’s run across, he doubted it would take him much time to find it.

Beside him Sasori sniffed, “It’s boring here” he said.

Itachi said nothing merely walked forward, intent on achieving his goal. The sooner it was found, the sooner he could return. He didn’t look back, Sasori would follow. He broke into a run.

Hours later, the sun was setting and Itachi had reached the center of the island. A small stone cairn sat in a small opening. This, he assumed, was the scroll’s position. Dark nailed hands moved the stone away to reveal a weathered box and within it, the frayed layers of silk wrapping the scroll against the elements.

“I have it” he called to Sasori.

The master of puppets was staring off behind them, “Good, because we aren’t alone.” he replied.

Itachi had felt the chakra of others a few miles back but he didn’t really care. Not yet anyway.

He looked back to the puppeteer and murmured a name into the wind, “Sasuke”. He turned prepared to meet him head on when he arrived. However another flood of Chakra drew his attention and he nearly cursed. The Kyuubi. So, the soon to be Rokudaime had come at last.

~

The three leaf ninja rushed through the trees, Kyuubi urging Naruto on faster.

'He is there kit, the Uchiha. I don’t smell our cheery blossom, but there could be other reasons for that. There is another here. The younger Uchiha as well.'

At this the blonde man tensed. He was here. Sasuke. The friend he’d failed, the teammate he’d lost. Here now, with Sakura and Itachi.

“This isn’t going to be pretty.” he muttered under his breath.

Too much too soon, he worried. The after affect of Sasuke fleeing Konoha had been years in repairing themselves. Most hadn’t in fact, they just weren’t mentioned ever. No one could deny however, the deep dark ache of his absence.

How would Sakura react to this?

If Itachi killed him? If he did?

They had never discussed her once feelings for Sasuke, but had gone on from there without looking back, Building a future on what they had then, not what had once been. He wanted to kick himself for not crossing this bridge sooner, a part of him had never given up on bringing the lost Uchiha back, but what would that mean to the way things were?

It wouldn’t mean anything he told himself. Sakura was a grown woman now not some confused little girl and she loved him. The reemergence of Sasuke would not change that. She would simply welcome him back as Naruto himself would and together they would help him readjust to life after Sound.

Running as fast he could he rushed towards the spot he felt the Uchiha chakra from. Shino and Shika at his back. They exchanged glances when he called to them,

“We have both Uchihas. Stay alert.”

No, this wasn’t going to be pretty in the least.

~

“Sasuke-sama! There!” a Sound ninja called out, his hand gesturing towards the demolished cairn. To something that Sasuke was already aware of. Itachi and Sasori. Behind them the tall puppet of the Kazekage loomed.

Sasuke felt his blood boil as he gazed across the distance at his sibling. The man who had made him a monster, the man who had, in one night of horrific bloodshed, ripped everything from him.

He would have his vengeance now and take the scroll. He could put things together after this was done. There was no way, he could lose to Itachi now. No way.

A look around told him that Sakura was not here, “Take five men and find her” he ordered, not taking his eyes from the field before him, “And Kimimaru. No significant injuries or you die. Understand?”

He didn’t bother to look as the Sound nin bowed and swiftly vanished from his side. It would be done, just as he had said. He made no idle threats nor promises. The word of the Storm of Sound. Smiling a dark and malevolent smile, he leapt forward, bounding over the frozen field.

The elder Uchiha stood emotionless and passive, while the puppeteer’s eyes sparkled. Watching as Sasuke and his men advanced. From what he could tell, his younger brother was now of near equal height and was slightly heavier. If only just. Apparently Sasuke had not wasted any time. He moved with a confidence he had long ago lacked.

“Twenty Sound ninjas against two” Sasori murmured, “Hardly fair.” Behind him the puppet shifted, preparing to strike on command. The cold wind ruffled the hair atop Sasori’s head, causing his cloak to snap and swirl around him.

Itachi grunted, “So go easy on them.” He tucked the scroll carefully into his robes and waited, tossing his wide hat to the side.

~

Naruto arrived just moments later, but he was arrived in time to see the battle begin. The kazekage puppet was wreaking havoc on the Sound ninja, Sasori’s skills far too great for the majority of them. The two Uchihas faced off, as though the snowy landscape around them was not being town apart my vicious combat.

Naruto blinked, where the hell was Sakura? Kyuubi confirmed that she was not in the area. For whatever reason, Itachi had left her behind. He cursed softly under his breath.

'Perhaps kit, he was concerned for her safety' Kyuubi offered.

Naruto didn’t want to think along gray lines like that, it was easier when things were black and white. But no one knew better than he, that such things rarely of ever happened.

One of the Sound ninjas had belched out a huge amount of some noxious liquid and Sasuke faster than thought had ignited it.

Blowing massive fireballs across the frozen expanse. The kazekage puppet caught and crackled. It’s bulk shielding the two Akatsuki from the killing flames.

Sasori cursed, “He was my favorite .”

Itachi focused his chakra, making it cold and solid. A trick he had learned from his leader.

It seeped into the snow, causing it to lift and swirl like a mini blizzard and then it launched itself at the attackers. Like a wall of ice it bore down on them, crushing and mangling, a horrific sight to be sure. The screams of the injured and dying filled the air.

Fire and ice clashed, chakra crackled. Shouts and screams became the symphony of warfare. The skies overhead darkened with ominous clouds as though even the heavens couldn’t bear to watch. Thunder roared around them, lightening crackling, dancing across the treetops.

~

High above, in the lashing hail, Sakura squinted to see what was going on. No doubt they had found Itachi and he wasn’t alone. The destruction below was breathtaking, and she trembled when she saw it. Deidara felt her grip on him tighten and glared down at the island madness.

Great plumes of smoke were being blown away towards them and the great bird dipped to avoid them as best as Deidara could control it. The intensity of the winds was growing and he knew that the skies would not be safe for long.

“We have to go down there and help!” Sakura cried over the maelstrom.

Her pink hair whipped around her face to tangle with his. Her green eyes swung downward again finding the center of the chaos. Two dark heads facing off. “There they are!”

She flung out her arm and Deidara grimaced.

“We can’t get between them now yeah” he yelled back, “We’d be killed. We can only help Sasori now, he’s surrounded hmm!”.

She nodded, “Aren’t you a genius?” she hollered, “Can’t you use your art?”

The blonde smiled, “Hold onto me tightly Sakura” he commanded, “I am going to show you the true meaning of art.”

The bird dipped wildly, drawing close as the blonde before her put his hands together. In a moment of quiet she heard his words, “Art is… a bang!”

Explosions rocked the scene below, great chunks of snowy earth being flung high as he placed sent his explosives hurtling towards Sasori. Taking out every one between them that he could reach. The sound ninja pulled back, eyes turning to the sky in question.

Sasori merely raised his hand in mock salute before pressing his hands together in complex seals to engage his enemy once more.

From the corner of his eye, Itachi caught sight of the large bird, the flashes of gold and pink hair.

He was going to kill them. ‘They can’t even follow the simplest of instructions’ he groused inwardly.

Before him, Sasuke smirked, “So that is where you had hidden her”.

Itachi shifted, “Your opponent is me Sasuke” he reminded him in that cold voice, “Though you have gotten stronger since we last met.. This match will end as it always has. You will lose.”

His air of confidence had always irritated the younger into rash action.

This time however, it was to be different.

Sasuke grunted, “Believe that” he said, “All the way to the seven hells I am going to send you to. And when it’s my time, I’ll meet you there and kick your ass all over again.”

Itachi lifted one brow in amusement, “Such brave words for someone who is only well known for running away. Even from little girls.”

The barb hit deeply but Sasuke reined in his temper, “I’ve stopped running” he assured his brother, “And when I am done with you… she’s mine. She’ll give me the sons I need to rebuild what you took from me.”

His dark eyes were filled with malice as he said this.

Itachi lifted his chin, “I think the fox might say otherwise.”

Sasuke didn’t even have time to turn before a loud voice reached his ears.

A voice that even after so many years was unmistakable, “Sasuke-teme!”.

The younger Uchiha ground his teeth, and crouched low, slamming his palm the ground. The earth heaved and rose, effectively blocking the Konoha ninja.

He lifted angry red eyes to equally brilliant ones, “I kill you first” he said. And then they leapt at each other.

Naruto pounded against the earthen barrier, hearing the sounds of battle from beyond. Shino and Shika were engaged with Sound ninja. He had to get in there, he had to kill Itachi for taking Sakura and he had to beat the hell out of Sasuke.

~

Kimimaru stared at the large bird hovering not far above. The blonde man kept lending his aid to the front. The girl was with him. Bracing himself, placed his hands on his chest and inhaled deeply taking in the wet air and the swirling snow.

When he released his breath a missile of ice shot upwards towards the clay monster.

Deidara saw it too late and grabbed Sakura, “Hold on yeah!” he shouted as they lurched and then began the rapid descent.

Deidara knew that if they hit the ground, they’d be killed. Holding onto the clay bird was the best chance they had, staying with it, gliding in to a safe distance to jump.

It was a good plan anyway. Another missile made certain that he could not control the rate in which they fell. He tried to form another, but it seemed his chakra had been greatly diminished. He curled himself around Sakura, clever eyes looking for a better chance for them.

~

Naruto looked up as he heard a shrill scream. A woman’s scream. His blue eyes went wide as he saw the lump of clay and two human bodies hurtle towards the earth at breakneck speeds. One of those graced with a shock of pink hair.

“Shit!”.

It seemed that he wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Sasori’s voice split the air, “Itachi! It’s Sakura!”

Both Uchiha broke from each other, winded and bleeding to look upwards in horror.

Itachi glanced back at the puppeteer, “Use your strings!’ he commanded, “make a net and catch them!”

Sasori hadn’t tried such a thing before but now was not the time to ponder it. He focused his chakra and formed a net.

“It will be painful net” he grumbled.

Itachi heard the chirping of birds and glanced back at Sasuke to see the Chidori. No, it wasn’t. It danced along the blade of his sword.

“This is the chidori nagashi” his brother offered, “It is the means of your destruction!”

He lashed out swiftly and Itachi dodged quickly. Not quickly enough, the burning blade caught his side and he twisted from it, forcing his own chakra to combat.

He growled, his eyes closing and snapping open again “Mangekyo sharingan!”

Sasuke was confident but he was no fool, he shut his eyes swiftly and leapt away.

He could not be caught in that deadly gaze, not at this point.

He rushed headlong into the forest where Sakura had fallen. Itachi was bleeding and panting, holding his side.

He was going to die today, Sasuke was certain, it didn’t have to be this very moment. It made him feel good to know that he could kill Itachi at his leisure.

~

Deidara saw the glowing threads of chakra rushing up to meet them and groaned. Those were strings, puppet strings he was certain of it. Curling himself more tightly around Sakura he was determined to take the brunt of the injury from this rescue.

They hit at full speed, the strings digging deep, cutting into tender flesh, but they held. The ground no longer rushing up at them. Deidara forced himself to grab the newly woven net and hold on tightly to prevent them from bouncing elsewhere.

The sting in his palms told him that he wouldn’t be using his hands for several days at least. He prayed this didn’t cost him a finger or two. The landing had knocked the air from him, and he peeked at Sakura to find that she had not gone unmarked in the process.

Cuts covered her arms and legs where he hadn’t been able to shield her, and the bruising pain he felt in his chest was now explained.

She’d knocked herself out on him.

Other than that she seemed to be only slightly wounded. The burning sting throughout his body told him he hadn’t been so fortunate, still he’d accomplished his goal to keep her safe. He knew he’d broken a few ribs from the painful hitch in his side whenever he tried to breathe.

Pain wracked his body and he slowly released the chakra strings, his fingers barely obeying him, he couldn’t quite bring himself to look at them just yet. Not when he felt the approach of someone else. He tried to lift himself up on his elbow but the weight was far too great for his left shoulder.

‘Dislocated’ he thought grimly, ‘Left leg feels broken too’.

This just wouldn’t do. Settling Sakura back against the wires carefully, he reached into his pouch, his palm finding a lump of clay. Several small spiders appeared in his palm a moment later. He commanded them to scurry in the direction from which danger was approaching and wait.

When the visitor got close enough, they’d get a nice surprise. Turning back to Sakura, he made it his knees, forced himself enough to sling her over her his good shoulder and rolled from the net.

He hit the ground hard, biting back a curse as fire shot up his leg. “Broken for sure” he groused, squinting through the pain.

He stumbled some distance away and lay her against the fat bole of a tree, out of danger. He shook his head at the bruise forming at the side of her face.

“Hard headed yeah” he murmured to her, pulling her cloak tighter around her against the cold. Then he straightened as best he could and turned to face his opponent, as several small explosions sounded. Too bad he hadn’t been able to use his camera to control them better.

~

Sasuke dodged the small spiders, hurling shuriken at them. They merely slowed his pursuit. He leapt over the ground, into the tree branches, moving with the speed he had gained in Sound. His ears attuned to the smallest sound. They were quite good at hiding from him, the chakra signatures all but invisible.

However, the blonde was wounded and Sasuke knew they could not run far. He could smell blood in the air and knew he was close enough now. He slowed to a walk and stepped into Deidara’s line of sight.

“Akatsuki” he said in a venomous voice.

Deidara lifted a golden brow and smirked, “Little Uchiha yeah” he replied.

Sasuke’s scowl darkened and his black eyes scanned the area, catching sight of Sakura behind the man. “You don’t have to die here” he told the robed man.

Deirdara’s eyes crinkled as he smiled, reminding Sasuke momentarily of Kakashi, “Neither do you hmm? You can always walk away like a good little boy.”

His baiting had the desired result, Sasuke leapt for him. A series of swift kicks and punches that the explosives master was hard pressed to dodge. His condition making it very hard to fight against the angry storm of Sound. He found himself wishing to hell that Sakura would wake up and punch the ground to knock the ass off balance. But no… she just had to be contrary.

Women yeah.

He took a thundering kick to the ribs and the pain was so sharp he nearly went down. Black spots swam before his vision but he clawed his way back from the brink. Reaching into his pouch he once again produced a clay creation. This one a large bear infused with his dwindling chakra.

Sasuke dodged it easily until it managed to grab hold of him. Grappling for his freedom he knew it was only a matter of time before he was dragged a safe distance away and the thing detonated. He turned brilliant red eyes to the manipulator of the beast and smirked. By reading Deidara’s moves, he was also able to read the bear’s.

Seconds later, the clay bear was nothing more than a shapeless lump on the white ground.

Sasuke stepped forward, his eyes swirling madly. “Game over.” he murmured to the exhausted Akatsuki. He lunged forward and to the left feinting to the right at the last minute and delivered his long favored lion combo to the blonde.

He finished it off with a kunai to the chest.

Deidara slumped forward in the snow, the ground beneath stained with his blood. The world spu and tilted as he watched through hazy eyes as Sasuke stepped over him neatly and approached Sakura’s position.

“W… wake up woman” he whispered painfully, “Wake up yeah.”

Then the world went dark and he supposed he might never wake again, too bad because there were so many things left to create.

~

Sasuke knelt over Sakura’s form, taking in the changes that so many years had wrought. For a moment he mused that perhaps he should have taken her with him. But no. In the those early years he was far to single minded when it came to what he wanted to do. A trait that Orochimaru had chided him for time and time again.

His red eyes swept over her, taking inventory of her injuries. Kimimaru had indeed made certain that he had her, but the plan had been foolhardy and she might have been killed. A dead woman had no purpose, nor did one that was hurt badly.

He’d have Kabuto check her thoroughly. If she couldn’t conceive, he’d return her to where he found her. The elements. To do as they pleased.

Or so he told himself. But deep down he was forced to admit that even with out that use, a woman as lovely as Sakura had become had others.

He smirked at the thought of her writhing beneath him.

Leaning closer, he cupped her cheek. What a foolish boy he had been. Sling her over his shoulder, he rose to his full height, intent on handing her over to his men to be taken away from this place while he finished his brother.

The flood of dark chakra into the area made him pause and look over his shoulder. He sighed, some things just wouldn’t wait he supposed. Itachi stood some short distance away, his arm covered with blood, but his eyes were bright and snapping with anger.

“Release her Sasuke” he said.

The younger Uchiha felt a familiar chill race down his spine and growled softly, “I think not.”.

Itachi shook his head, pushing his hair from his face against the force of the wind. “You can leave here alone and alive...otherwise… make the choice Sasuke.”

~

Naruto could smell them. He could also smell blood and a small amount of it was hers. Kyuubi pressed for caution, two sharingan were trouble indeed. He broke into through the trees in his haste, nearly tripping over the body sprawled before him. He blinked as he came to an abrupt halt. The blonde that had fallen. He didn’t look good.

Behind him he heard Shino’s insects buzzing around.

“Go get Shino, bring him here, this man needs help.” he told them. The small swarm vanished and he hurried onward. “Be ok Sakura. Please be ok.”

~

Sakura had once again been placed a safe distance away and once more the two siblings faced each other. Itachi could feel his blood dripping heavily and sighed softly. He needed to finish this quickly. He couldn’t afford to take another hit from that chidori nagashi. It could very well be his last and time was short enough already.

He let Sasuke close enough to land several blows on him and feigned weakness, kneeling in the snow to draw him in. Like a monkey to a glimmering object, Sasuke came closer. He was cautious, his blade at the ready, not yet crackling with chidori, but Itachi knew that could change in the space of a heartbeat.

“Who’s weak now?” Sasuke asked glaring down at him, “I shall avenge our clan.” He lifted the sword high overhead and it came down in a swift arc. His intent to lop Itachi’s head from his shoulders. At the last moment, Itachi moved and looked up at his brother.

The mangekyou sharingan spinning.

Sasuke’s eyes widened as he realized what had just happened, but it was too late. Already the world around him was shifting colors. He’d lost to his brother. Again. He’d failed.

In his head he heard his brother’s voice, “You are strong Sasuke and you do not lack hatred any longer” he assured him, “Now you simply lack the patience that age brings. Seventy two hours of pain, begin now.”

Sakura woke to a heart wrenching scream and she bolted upwards despite her body’s protests. She saw Sasuke sink to the ground and was on her feet in a moment, rushing to the spot. He seemed relatively unharmed, then Itachi turned to face her and she saw his eyes.

“No!” she screamed out, reaching to cover them, “You mustn’t use it!” She felt Itachi’s arms slip around her as he crumpled to his knees. The pain in his head blinding. They sank to their knees in the snow.

"Stop Itachi" she whispered, "Its killing you!"

~

Naruto tensed when he heard the scream, breaking into the clearing as he heard Sakura’s frantic voice ring out. The sight that met his eyes made him snarl in rage. Itachi was all but on Sakura and her eyes were wide and shining with tears one hand buried in his dark hair, one clapped over his eyes. Sasuke was face down in the snow some feet away.

“Get away from her you bastard!” he shouted leaping forward, his hand glowing with the rasengan.

Itachi lifted his head, tensed for battle and slumped slightly.

Sakura slipped between them, throwing her hands up, “Naruto don’t!” her voice was shrill and frightened.

He felt his chakra dissipate and he nearly collided with her at his high rate of speed. She turned from him, easing Itachi down onto the ground.

“Don’t use it Itachi. Damn it close your eyes!” she snapped at the Uchiha. Naruto was dumbstruck.

“What the hell is going on Sakura?” he demanded, his arms thrown wide in question, “I’m trying to save you here!”

She sliced the hem of her robe, tying it securely around Itachi’s head despite his muttered protests. "Damn it Itachi, shut up"

She glanced back at Naruto, “I don’t need to be saved” she told him matter-of-factly.

Blue eyes swept over the bruise on her temple and cheek. Head injury, explained it.

“I beg to differ” he pointed out, “You are currently coddling a murdering s-class criminal.”

He stepped closer to draw her away and she shook his arm off, “And he would never hurt me!” she snapped.

Once more blue eyes grew impossibly wide, “What?”

A deep sinking dread spread through his stomach.

Not the most intelligent of things to say but in his defense he was quite shocked.

“I’m here to take you home” he said slowly as though talking to the very slow and simple minded person, or a severly injured and confused one. She glared at him and he held his hands up in a show of surrender, “It’s ok now Sakura-chan.”

Sakura sighed, lifting Itachi’s head into her lap, placing her palms over his makeshift bandage,

“It’s not that easy Naruto” she sighed, “We need to talk, about a lot of things.” Her chakra flowed over the material and a moment later, she felt Itachi relax some. “This is a temporary fix mister” she told him, “We need to treat you properly when we get a chance.”

Naruto felt his heart constrict. What the hell had happened while she was gone? What did they have to talk about? Whenever women said that, it was never a good thing. Or so he’d come to understand. He didn’t like the way she was touching Itachi either.

That just made his stomach hurt in a way that bad milk never could.

Itachi’s voice reached him, “Get Sasuke” he said quietly as Sakura helped him to his feet.

“What asshole?” Naruto snapped and then flinched under Sakura’s angry glare.

Itachi merely smirked, “Careful fox” he quipped, “This is likely the best chance you have at taking Sasuke back. I have the scroll to remove the curse mark.”

Sakura cocked her head at Naruto, “Hurry up will you?” she asked heatedly, “I am worried about the freak with mouths on his hands!”

Naruto blinked, “The blonde guy? Shino is taking care of him. Come on Sakura, lets get everyone back to the boat we can sort it all out there.”

She nodded, then smiled at him. “I missed you” she said then.

A golden brow arched into his hairline and he glowered, “Really? Cause I didn’t see it.” But his voice lacked venom only worry.

She shook her head with a smile, “I’ll make sure you do later. I just have to get the wounded fixed up first.”

Beside her Itachi groaned, “It’s times like these I wish I was deaf instead.”

She arched a brow, “Say something?”.

He shook his head, “Better get me back to treat me, can’t harm a patient you know.” His voice was very quiet.

Naruto shook his head and bit back a smirk, who would have thought that Uchiha Itachi was a smart ass?

He hefted Sasuke over his shoulder and groaned, “Damn! What do they eat in Sound?”

Sakura looked over her shoulder and winked, “Babies.” She chuckled as Naruto nearly dropped their long absent teammate, “It’s a joke Naruto…. Gees. Come on.”

He shook his head, “Sick Sakura, you are so sick. You know that? What the hell do you have to be so chipper about right now?”

She shrugged and readjusted Itachi at her shoulder, his feet kept moving, “I have you and I have Sasuke again. It’s kind of nostalgic, but at least your not babbling that ‘teme’ and ‘dobe’ stuff at each other these days.”

But in her heart she was afraid, afraid of what would happen when Sasuke woke. If he woke. She was terrified of Naruto taking Itachi back to Konoha.

But she was also afraid that he would think of her differently for wanting to prevent that. Time was suddenly not her friend.