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beewolfwrites · 2 years ago

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Olive Branch: Chapter Nine - Her Trusted Partner

(Itasaku, Successful Coup AU) You can find the previous chapters on my masterlist at the top of my account page.

I really need to make myself an update schedule :')

Hope you enjoy the chapter!

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Sakura almost had a heart attack when she turned to see Itachi leaning against the doorframe of her kitchen. The bowl of miso soup she was holding slipped through her fingers, and would have shattered against the tile floor had she not come to her senses and caught it just in time. Aside from a few splatters that flew from the bowl, her soup was saved. Mostly.

‘That was your fault,’ she hissed. Grabbing a cloth from the countertop, she crouched down and mopped at the spilled soup.

‘I have a mission for us.’

She scrubbed the tiles furiously. ‘Tell your father that we don't need anymore herbs. The hospital has more than enough to last us for the next month, provided we don't have an epidemic anytime soon.’

‘It's an infiltration mission in Kirigakure.’

Her head snapped up. Itachi was smiling wryly. No. She couldn't have possibly heard that right. An infiltration mission? It had to be a mistake. Fugaku would never send her on a field mission. Even the missions pertaining outbreaks in rural villages were usually given to other medics deemed less likely to conspire behind his back with one of the legendary sannin. Itachi's words swam around in her head until something clicked.

‘Us? You're not just an escort?’

‘I’ve requested your presence as my partner,’ he said. ‘We'll be working together.’

Without thinking, she leapt up and threw her arms around him.

I can’t believe it! A mission.

But it wasn’t just any mission. One where she was a partner. An equal. For once, she wasn't going to be closely monitored or chaperoned out of distrust. How could she even begin to repay him for something this incredible?

Homemade dango it is!

As her initial excitement wore off, she gradually became aware that Itachi was stiff as concrete beneath her arms. Mortification swept over her as she realised that she had probably jumped the gun somewhere. Even if she knew him better than she ever had before, she didn’t really know where she stood with him. And relationships aside, it was obvious that Itachi wasn’t exactly a touchy-feely guy.

Mortified down to her bones, Sakura had started to release him when she suddenly felt his hand on the small of her back. It was a simple gesture. One that suggested he was trying to diffuse the strangeness of the situation, even if it didn't really help. She appreciated it nonetheless.

‘You're welcome, Sakura,’ he said. When she backed away from him, he added, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the gates. Pack enough for an indefinite amount of time, and make sure to include civilian clothing. You're going to need it.’

She nodded, trying not to squeal in excitement. ‘I'll be there.’

He inclined his head, and with a single hand sign, his body split, disintegrating into a swirl of glossy crows that arched their wings and disappeared through the window. When the last crow had flown, the kitchen was silent.

Finally alone, Sakura performed a small victory dance, twirling in the middle of her kitchen. But her good news was wasted on an empty kitchen — she needed to share it with everyone. Grinning and humming, she grabbed a sweater and headed out to track down her team.

This time, the ramen was on her.

_______________________________

‘I'm surprised. Naruto is usually the first one here,’ Sakura mused, nursing her bottle of sake.

On either side of her, Kakashi and Sasuke hummed in agreement. The booth was warm and the scent of ramen was hot and salty and oh so tempting. But it wouldn't be fair to start eating without Naruto. Sasuke and Kakashi had opted for water to start with, whereas Sakura had been in the mood for something a little stronger. She sipped her sake to dampen her hunger.

‘Give him time,’ Kakashi said. ‘I’m sure he'll have a good reason.’

‘I know, I know. I just…’

‘You just what?’ Kakashi prompted.

She thought it over, wondering whether or not she should spill the good news already. She wanted to wait until the team was all together, but then again, it wouldn't matter too much if she told Kakashi and Sasuke first, would it?

‘What is it, Sakura?’ Sasuke asked, and Sakura knew that she wouldn’t be able to stop herself.

‘I was going to wait until Naruto arrived, but I might as well tell you both,’ she said, ‘I called you all here because I have a mission. And it's not herb picking again.’ A glimmer of intrigue flashed across their features as she whispered excitedly, ‘I can't tell you much, but it's an infiltration mission.’

Kakashi looked pleasantly surprised, yet proud that she was finally getting some field action again. On the other hand, Sasuke's face betrayed a myriad of emotions. He took a careful sip of his water.

‘My father never gives you missions like that,’ he said. ‘How did you manage to convince him?’

‘I didn't. Your majestic unicorn of a brother did.’

‘My my,’ Kakashi murmured. ‘Itachi-san, hm?’

‘Nii-san did? He really requested you for a mission?’

‘Yep!’ Sakura happily swayed on her stool. ‘For whatever reason, he requires my skills.’

Sasuke was quieter than expected. He seemed to be carefully mulling over this new information, as though he couldn’t quite believe it. And with sudden realisation, Sakura remembered that Sasuke had been in her apartment when Itachi had sent her flowers. Thankfully, he had yet to bring up the bouquet of narcissus, but he was probably suspicious, or at least confused by their relationship.

After a long pause, Sasuke muttered, ‘I guess even he can see that you're being wasted in a herb garden.’

‘Hey, don't hate on the herbs Sasuke-kun. They save more lives than you'd think.’

Sakura was proud that she was finally getting back into the action again. Even though it took Itachi to convince his father, this was a huge step up. If she performed well, there was a chance Fugaku would start trusting her with important missions again.

‘Before you both leave I'll have to thank him for giving you a chance,’ Sasuke said, then lowered his voice. ‘But Sakura, just be aware. Aniki is very serious. He made Anbu captain at thirteen. He's pretty calculating, and missions with him aren't like missions with Team Seven. He's ruthless and he'll do whatever it takes to complete the mission.’

‘It's true,’ Kakashi added. ‘I’ve worked with Itachi-san in the past. He has his own rules, and he always has a reason for everything he does. So if he gives you an instruction, just do it. Don't challenge him.’

‘Okaay, point taken,’ Sakura said. ‘Though if anything, he sounds like a pretty dependable mission partner.’

Sasuke let out a noise of frustration. His fingers clenched around his glass of water. ’Just don't let it get to you if he seems cold. I’ve heard jounin and Anbu complain about him being a strict captain, but he’s like that to everybody. Even me, sometimes.’

Sakura scowled and downed a cup of sake in one go. It seemed more like they were putting a damper on her good news rather than being pleased that she was finally back on the mission rota. What did they think she would expect? Fun and games? It was irritating, and dare she say it, patronising.

Maybe they're just concerned about my wellbeing. But still…

Beside her, Sasuke sighed. All of his earlier tension seemed to have melted away and now he was gazing into the distance. Sometimes, Sakura wondered if there was more to his relationship with Itachi than he let on.

The shadows of Danzo’s sly grin flashed through her memory.

Of course there’s more… but Sasuke would never know.

‘This mission will be good for you,’ he said. ‘It's been too long since you were allowed to do something like this. And if my brother gets too arrogant, just tell him that you know about the blanket he keeps in back of his wardrobe.’

‘A blanket?’

Sasuke’s mouth curled into a devious smile. ‘Our aunt knitted it for him when he was a child and he used to fall asleep holding it. It's been over twenty years and he's still got it.’

Sakura stifled a giggle as she downed the last of her sake straight from the bottle. ‘Oh I’m definitely keeping that in my arsenal.’

Itachi Uchiha… killer of the Sandaime, the Hokage’s Right-Hand-Man, Genjutsu extraordinaire, master of the Sharingan, and lover of soft blankets.

No! The mental image just seemed so wrong.

Regardless of his softer, dango-loving and cafe-hopping side, Itachi was terrifying to most. Despite knowing him through Sasuke, Sakura had always been wary of Itachi whenever she saw him in the streets.

One time, roughly a year before the coup took place, she had been chased across the Academy yard by a group of girls who were throwing pieces of leftover food from lunch. They laughed and teased Sakura endlessly as she sprinted through the gates with clumps of rice speckled all over her forehead and in her hair.

She had rounded the corner of the street, only to slam straight into someone. Her knees buckled, and she would have fallen to the ground if not for the hand clasped around her arm. When she opened her eyes, a breathless scream tore through her. His eyes were bright red, bloody and piercing, and his black hair cast twisted shadows across his face. His hand released her arm, only to loom inches from her face, and out of sheer terror Sakura scrambled to her feet and set off home, weeping every step of the way.

At the time, she had been scared out of her wits by the strange crimson-eyed boy who looked faintly like the vampires she read about in books. But in retrospect, Itachi had likely been on his way to collect Sasuke from the Academy. And he hadn’t reached out to strangle her or drink her blood, but to brush the rice from her hair.

Now, as she signalled for another bottle of sake, Sakura thought back on the incident with fondness.

It’s funny how things turn out—

‘Oi, get off me! I'm only going to Ichiraku ramen! What's the big idea?!’

Naruto?

Sakura leapt off her stool, out of the booth and into the street. Behind her, Kakashi and Sasuke did the same, and she felt the tense surge of their chakra signatures as a patrol officer appeared, dragging a writhing Naruto toward them by his jacket collar.

‘You bastard! Let go of me!’

Naruto kicked at the officer who deftly avoided his blows as though they were dealt by a small child throwing a tantrum. At the sight of Team Seven, the officer hurled Naruto toward them. Sakura and Kakashi kneeled to catch him as he skidded across the dirt.

Sakura's eyes zeroed in on the number of gashes and bruises decorating Naruto's shins and hands. His left cheek was already swollen and red. ‘What's going on?’

Kakashi's eye narrowed. ‘Explain yourself.’

The officer coldly looked between them. ‘Your monkey over there was at the gates of the Hyuuga compound attempting to engage the guards in battle.’

Kakashi stepped forward, but a yell from Naruto cut him off before he could respond. ‘Yeah, because your bastard friends were bothering Hinata-chan!’

The officer flashed his Sharingan at Naruto, who stood his ground and met the officer's gaze squarely. ‘My “bastard friends”, your superior officers, are merely doing their job. It is not your place to interfere.’

Ignoring Naruto's demands to turn around and fight him, the officer’s eyes roamed over Sakura. He muttered something under his breath, quietly as so not to draw attention, but loud enough that their trained ears heard it clear as day.

‘Traitor.'

Sakura's fists curled, her nails embedding into her palms. Naruto's jaw tightened. He opened his mouth to hurl an insult, when Kakashi spoke in a low and dangerous tone.

‘You're going to have to leave.’

‘You're asking me to leave?’

‘I am.’

‘And if I don’t?’

‘If you don’t,’ Kakashi said quietly, ‘I will force you. And if that happens, you're going to wish you'd chosen to walk away of your own volition.’

The officer's mouth tilted into a sneer. ‘What are you going to do, use your Sharingan on me?’

Kakashi's remaining eye widened briefly, then closed with barely restrained fury. Sakura’s heart skipped a beat at the cruelty of such a comment.

How dare he! How dare he bring that up!

Sakura’s patience shattered at the officer’s smug expression. Deep down, she knew that no matter the ramifications of her actions tonight, it wouldn't matter. She wouldn't care, because at least she'd have stuck one up for Kakashi. Her fist shot out, electric blue and charged with chakra, toward the officer's chin. But before it could make contact, a hand clamped down on her wrist.

‘Etsuji.’

Calm and collected, Sasuke spoke with an air that demanded authority. He looked at Sakura, and she instantly knew that he was asking her to stand down and trust in him. She nodded and he released her wrist.

The officer bowed stiffly. ‘Yes, Sasuke-sama?’

‘You will leave quietly, and you're going to forget that this incident ever happened,’ Sasuke told him. ‘And if you don't, you can forget all about that promotion you've been pestering my father for.’

With a flicker of annoyance, the officer bowed once more. This time, the gesture was exaggerated and satirical. Sasuke's lips thinned at the action, but he said nothing.

‘Very well,’ the officer said. ‘Have a good evening, Sasuke-sama.’

Without a backward glance, the officer left Team Seven standing outside Ichiraku. At first nobody moved or spoke, their evening tainted by the events that had just occurred, and by the prying eyes and whispers that now swept along the street.

It was Sasuke who finally muttered, ‘I'll speak to my father. He's not getting that promotion either way.’

__________________________________

Itachi knew she wouldn't be late.

The streets were desolate at this time of morning, partially due to the fact that the sun had not yet risen, but also because the curfew was still active for another hour yet. Anyone without a pass or mission slip would be stopped and questioned.

He was waiting by the gate, prepared and ready to depart. Above him, atop of the village walls, the last stretch of the night patrol was watching him idly. Well, some were watching. Others had likely fallen asleep on the job.

His father hadn’t given him the mission scroll — this was far too risky should somebody get their hands on it — but he had every last detail committed to memory. Not that there was much to memorise. The mission itself was self-explanatory. Get into Kirigakure, find out what they can about the Mizukage's plans toward Konoha and the mysterious seal they found on the Kiri nin's tongue, then get out. Fast.

There was a sharp intake of breath from one of the guards above. Itachi looked up.

And there she was.

She was dressed inconspicuously in black shinobi gear, her pack strapped to her back, expression determined yet hesitant. She glanced up at the officers on the village walls, her hand tightly clutching a scrap of paper — her mission slip.

He understood her trepidation. She was expecting to be stopped at any moment, apprehended perhaps, or even dragged to the Hokage’s office. And so, Itachi stepped forward to greet her.

‘Sakura.’

Something flickered in her expression. Relief. Did his presence truly bring her such comfort? The thought disturbed him somewhat, but Itachi pushed it aside for now. With a nod, he gestured to the shinobi at mission register who jotted down their names and time of departure.

Then silently, they disappeared into the foliage.

#itasaku #itasaku fanfiction #itachi x sakura

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beewolfwrites · 2 years ago

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Olive Branch: Chapter Eight - Family

(Itasaku, Successful Coup AU) You can find the previous chapters on my masterlist at the top of my account page.

I have another chapter here. I'm trying to be better with updates :)

I hope you enjoy it <3

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Leaving Sakura wrapped up in bedsheets and sleeping soundly, Itachi wandered through her apartment. Out of courtesy, he switched off the lamps in the living room and straightened the cushions on her couch. It was surreal that one day, he would marry this woman. All he knew of her was what his baby brother had told him. But within the last week, he felt that Sakura had become less of an acquaintance and more of… what?

A friend? Not quite. She is something different entirely.

He couldn't place it. His budding relationship with Sakura was unlike his relationships with Shisui or Izumi. It couldn't be put into words because it was ever changing. One minute she was merely an acquaintance, and the next, she had stepped into his memories.

He had never imagined marrying anybody other than Izumi, even though he knew that marriage was expected of him. Although he had initially approached Sakura with business in mind rather than pleasure, standing in her apartment, he found himself wanting to learn more about this woman.

For the most part, her apartment was neglected. Dishes had been left in the sink and the surfaces needed dusting. A lot of dusting. Itachi picked up a framed photograph and wiped away the layer of dust coating the glass. It was a picture of a woman with brown hair twisted into a tight bun. She was cradling a young girl on her knee, and they were both dressed in traditional kimono. Itachi recognised Sakura instantly by her hair and large green eyes. The woman, however, looked very different.

Her mother?

It was unusual that such treasured photographs were covered in dust. But judging by the meticulously placed ornaments and the tidy stack of books on the coffee table, Sakura was not a messy person by nature. The state of her home could be explained by her lack of free time. Sasuke had often complained that Sakura was being worked into the ground.

Itachi understood this well; his own surroundings suffered whenever he was away on missions. It wasn't unusual for him to return home to find a thin coat of dust over his bed. However, it was extremely unlikely that Sakura had been on a mission recently. After her tutelage with Tsunade was discovered, Sakura’s missions were capped. The only missions she received now were usually medical in nature, and should she leave the village, she would be accompanied by a trusted member of Anbu. Even in these cases, Sakura's missions were usually of little import. His father didn't trust her with anything high-ranking.

It's a shame that her abilities have not been put to better use.

As Itachi silently explored her home, he wondered how much it truly bothered her. He had yet to see her complain about being tied to the village, but she probably hid her frustration from her friends. They were already frustrated enough about the situation. In fact, Itachi distinctly remembered one evening in which Sasuke returned home fuming and had refused to eat with their father present. As far as Itachi recalled, Sasuke had not spoken to Fugaku for the two months following, and the tension between the two sparked all sorts of rumours within the Uchiha clan.

Foolish little brother… Father is too far gone to see sense.

Itachi thought he'd seen every room in Sakura’s apartment when he noticed a door in the corner of the living room. It was hidden in the shadows, and at first, he assumed that it was merely a cupboard. The door was no taller than four feet, and both the door and handle was painted white to blend into the wall. It was only when he picked up on the sharp scent of incense that he decided to investigate.

He had an inkling of what was behind the door, and he knew he should walk away out of respect for Sakura's privacy. But some strange part of him felt that she owed him a glimpse into her own past. She had borne witness to some of his most personal memories, and was it so selfish that she should return the favour?

He took the handle and opened it.

His suspicions were correct, and he felt a weight tug at his chest.

The shrine was small but well decorated. Half-melted candles were arranged around two photographs. The resemblance Sakura shared with each was incredible — her mother's eyes and mouth, and her father's nose and cheekbones. The two pictures were copies of the regulatory photographs that all villagers are requested to have taken as part of their official paperwork. Itachi had a distinctly uncomfortable feeling that any other photographs had been destroyed in the coup. That could only mean…

That other woman, she must be an aunt.

In front of the photographs, Sakura had set up an assortment of objects, including a single wedding ring, a piece of a broken teacup, a hairbrush entangled with blonde hair, and a charred notebook.

At this point, Itachi knew that he had overstepped a boundary. He closed the cupboard door, and without a backward glance, left through the open window.

______________________________________

‘What do you mean my shift is covered?’

Sakura was barely lucid, clutching the phone with one hand as she pulled on her vest with the other. After sleeping through her alarm — and waking up with a splitting headache half an hour later than usual — she had called the hospital in a panic to explain that she would be running late. However, it looked as though she needn’t have bothered. There was a rustle on the other line as Tajima Ikue, the hospital receptionist, filtered through sheets of paper.

‘We received a message this morning stating that Haruno-Sensei is to have today off,’ Ikue replied smoothly. ‘I don't know the specifics of who sent the order, but I’m looking at the rota right now and Hiroshi-sensei is covering your shift instead.’

Sakura had an inkling as to who had organised this, and she made a mental note to treat him to some premium dango as a thank you gift.

‘I see. Thanks for letting me know, Ikue-san,’ Sakura said.

‘You're welcome,’ Ikue replied, ‘I'll see you tomorrow, Haruno-sensei.’

Putting the phone down, Sakura crawled back into her bed with relief. She rubbed at her temple, idly sending chakra to soothe her headache. Itachi’s Tsukuyomi had taken its toll on her. If Sakura hadn't been a medic, the after effects would probably have been far worse. And yet, she felt as though she were suspended underwater. The pain above her temple had been reduced to a dull throb, and her joints and muscles were weak and sore.

But this wasn't going to stop her from making the best of her time off. Yes, Itachi had given her this day to rest. However, it was because of her work that she barely had time to spend with her teammates. There was no need to spar or train with them; she was just happy to enjoy their company for a while.

And so, later that morning, Sakura left her apartment and located the familiar warmth of Kakashi's chakra. She found him on the very bridge that had served as their meeting spot as genin. His nose was buried in a copy of Make out Tactics, and he showed no acknowledgement of her presence.

‘Well this is surprising,’ he said at last, glancing her way as she leant against the railings beside him. ‘Aren't you usually at the hospital by now?’

‘Not today,’ she grinned. ‘I've been given a day off.’

His eye crinkled. ‘I'm glad. You're always overworked. A breather will be good for you.’ With one glance at her clothes, he added, ‘I'm guessing you're not here to train.’

‘I'm kind of supposed to be resting today.’

‘Oh? What happened this time?’

She laughed nervously. ‘Just overuse of chakra again,’ she lied. ‘You know me.’

Kakashi hummed in mock disapproval, although Sakura could sense the genuine concern under his facade. ‘What use is a medic who collapses from exhaustion?’

She brushed him off with a gentle smile. ‘You worry about me too much Kakashi-sensei. I can handle myself.’

‘I'm sure you can Sakura, but that doesn't change the fact that—‘ He paused, then sighed. ‘Naruto and Sasuke have sensed your chakra. They'll be here soon.’

Within less than a minute, Naruto and Sasuke appeared in the distance. Sakura almost giggled at the sight of them strolling casually, as though she hadn't sensed their chakra signatures racing through the village only seconds prior.

‘Sakura-chan!’ Naruto waved.

Sasuke followed close behind, smiling faintly in amusement.

‘Shocked to see me?’ she teased.

Naruto sheepishly scratched the back of his head. ‘Sort of. When I saw you with Kakashi-sensei just now, I thought you were a ghost.’

Sakura lightly slapped him across the head, causing Sasuke to smirk. ‘You saw me a couple of days ago. We even ate ramen together. How could you forget?’

‘You know what the idiot's like,’ Sasuke said. ‘He can't even remember what he had for breakfast this morning.’

‘Oi!’ Naruto shook his fist. ‘You bet your ass I can remember. It was cup ramen, curry flavour too!’

Sakura wrinkled her nose. ‘Ramen for breakfast?’

‘Yep, you should try it some time Sakura-chan. It tastes way better in the morning.’

Sasuke shrugged, nonchalant. ‘I don't know why you're so surprised, Sakura.’

He's not wrong. What else did I expect?

‘I know, I shouldn't be so surprised.’ She turned to Naruto. ‘You realise you're a walking heart-attack waiting to happen, right? You’ll be the first ninja to die from excess sodium.’

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, however the moment was lost as Kakashi tucked his book back into his pouch and clapped his hands.

‘Well then,’ Kakashi said, smiling beneath his mask. ‘It's great to have the entire team here, especially since I know how hard it is for you to get away from the hospital, Sakura. Obviously, since you mentioned that you're supposed to be resting, you won't be training with us today—‘

‘Hold on,’ Naruto cut in. ‘How come Sakura-chan is resting?’

His large blue eyes were fixated on her with worry, whereas Sasuke eyed her knowingly.

‘You've exhausted your chakra again.’

She sighed deeply. Heaven knows she hated lying to her teammates. ‘Kind of. That's why I've been given the day off. I have to rest up before going back to work tomorrow.’

Naruto sulked, pouting like a toddler. ‘It's not fair. What do you even do that takes so much time anyway?’

Sakura wished she was better at lying. A moment’s hesitation could easily give her away. Her work creating antidotes to airborne poisons was confidential, and no matter how much she trusted her team with all her heart, she was under a strict oath not to speak about her current projects. If word escaped that Konoha had developed antidotes to suspected airborne poisons, enemy villages would keep adapting their poisons, rendering Sakura's hard work useless.

And so, unable to speak the truth, Sakura settled for a slightly curved version of it.

‘I heal people,’ she said. ‘You know that already, Naruto. What else do medics do?’

Although Naruto seemed to be placated with her answer, she was painfully aware that Kakashi was eyeing her stonily. Perhaps he knew what her work truly entailed. Even if he did, he would never talk about it. That was just the kind of man Kakashi was.

‘If that's the case,’ Naruto exclaimed, ‘then when I become Hokage, you'll never have to work this hard again Sakura-chan. At least not enough to drain your chakra.’

At this, Sakura's heart sank. Despite her agreement with Itachi, she knew that it would be a long time before Naruto would even be considered a viable candidate for the title. There were just too many hurdles. The biggest being that the political wrongs of the village needed to be set right.

‘Hn. The Hokage title is reserved for the Uchiha, Idiot.’

And just like that, the air seemed thinner.

Sakura bit her tongue to keep from saying anything. Sasuke was surprisingly unlike the rest of his clan; he was unaffected by the Curse of Hatred that was rumoured to run in his family. But there would always be a bridge that Sasuke failed to cross regarding the brutal reality of his clan.

Sakura recalled Itachi's memories vividly. The Uchiha children had taken shelter beneath the Naka Shrine, blind and deaf to the chaos above. It hadn't taken much effort to convince a group of children that their clan was superior to others. Sasuke had never stumbled across the charred remains of bodies. He had never ran barefoot through the streets as buildings burned around him. He had never experienced the horrors that stripped Naruto of his independence, Kakashi of his Sharingan, and Sakura of her parents.

She was grateful when Kakashi swiftly began the morning training. Whilst his expression was concealed behind his mask, Sakura knew that he had also felt the unmistakable tension in the air.

________________________________________

Itachi knocked on the door to his father's office, however it wasn’t truly necessary. Fugaku recognised his son's chakra signature instantly.

‘Come in, Itachi.’

Itachi stepped inside and bowed stiffly. His father did not look up. ’You requested my presence.’

‘I did, yes.’

Fugaku rooted through his desk drawer before pulling out a mission scroll. He pushed it across the desk, where Itachi took it and lazily surveyed its contents.

‘An infiltration mission.’

‘There has been an increase in the number of Kiri nin found along the border,’ Fugaku explained. ‘A team of Anbu ran into a group of them recently. They claimed that they were on a mission escorting a client, but we had a sensory-type amongst our squad, and there was no client seen or sensed in the area. I'm sure you’ve already read the reports.’

Itachi nodded. He had read over the details several times, perplexed by the situation. The Kiri nin had simply stated that they were on an escort mission, refusing to speak further. Any finer details were confidential and Konoha Anbu had no right to demand such information from another hidden village.

‘Normally, I would avoid sending you on a mission like this,’ Fugaku continued, folding his arms. ‘You are one of my strongest shinobi, and you are also my son and heir. If the Mizukage is indeed sending agents to potentially infiltrate Konoha, I would prefer to keep my strongest men here, should worst come to worst.’

It did not escape Itachi's notice that in his father's list of importance, Itachi's strength as a ninja took higher priority than their blood relation. But he said nothing on the matter.

‘There are very few people I trust with this mission,’ Fugaku said. ‘The villagers of Kirigakure have been suspicious of strangers for a long time, especially considering their bloody history. In order to complete this mission successfully, I need two ninja with high stealth and the ability to extract information without drawing attention.’

Itachi raised an eyebrow. ‘Surely there are Anbu operatives more suited to the job?’

‘The Anbu are needed here,’ Fugaku insisted. ‘They are to guard the village walls. I have said this already, Itachi.’ His voice lowered to a murmur, and Itachi could no longer be sure whether Fugaku was talking to his son, or to himself. ‘Naturally, Yamanaka Inoichi would be perfect for something like this. His information gathering abilities are some of the finest I've seen. But I want this mission to be carried out by loyal shinobi I can trust.’

There was an unmistakable venom behind those words. Itachi hadn't forgotten the incident many years ago in which the Yamanaka, Nara and Akimichi clans united to strike a rebellion, the result of which had included several further losses, including Yamanaka Inoichi's arm. From that point on, a curfew and lockdown on all inter-clan mingling was ensued as a means of preventing further conspiracy. The trio of clans had made a formidable enemy, and had it not been for an agent collecting information from the inside, the Uchiha clan would have fallen easily.

Information is the most valuable weapon of all.

‘There’s another matter to consider,’ Fugaku said, snapping Itachi out of his thoughts. ‘I would also like your recommendation for a suitable partner on this mission.’

Whilst the mission could technically be achieved by one ninja working solo, two nin working together maximised the volume of information gathered, while still being inconspicuous enough not to rouse attention. From the moment Itachi laid eyes on the mission slip, he knew that this was an opportunity he couldn’t let slide.

‘I have someone in mind,’ he replied. ‘I have reason to believe that Haruno Sakura would be an asset on this mission.’

Fugaku's expression instantly darkened.

‘As you know,’ Itachi said, ‘her chakra control is flawless. She would be able to conceal her kunoichi background without error. And should the mission fail, the combination of her medical skills and field strength would boost our chances of us both returning in one piece.’

Fugaku looked far from impressed. If anything, his lip curled in disgust. ‘As I said, I want somebody I can trust.’

‘You trust me,’ Itachi interjected. ‘And I can assure you that I’d keep watch over her at all times.’

His father was practically seething at the suggestion of Sakura on such an important mission. But after a moment's thought, Fugaku gave Itachi a reluctant nod.

‘I don't like this, but I trust your judgement, Itachi. Do not let me down.’

With that, Itachi bowed and left the office. As far as he knew, Sakura's last mission had involved gathering medicinal herbs from a rural village at the border between Fire and Wind country. Whilst it would have been a peaceful mission, he suspected that deep down Sakura missed taking on something high-ranked. She was sure to be thrilled about their mission together, and the simple thought of Sakura's excitement left Itachi smiling.

__________________________________________

It hadn’t taken long for a Team Seven training session to turn into an all-out brawl between Sasuke and Naruto over who could punch holes in the most trees. Sakura would have happily put them both in their place, if not for her “chakra exhaustion”, and wisely chose to stay well away from the destruction.

She had left them bickering over their scores, slipping away from the training grounds without either of them noticing. As much as she wished to stay and kick some sense into her idiotic teammates, Sakura had something else in mind. She wanted to pay Ino a visit. A proper visit this time. She had several hours before curfew, and she knew that the pig would be dying to gossip and chat freely without the clock ticking over their heads.

The two shinobi guarding the gates of the Yamanaka compound were different than last time. In fact, Sakura recognised one of them as Uchiha Tomoharu – a chunin only a couple of years younger than her and innocently swept up in his clan’s powerful grip. She had once saved after a botched mission. His team had carried him into the hospital, his leg slashed in several places and clearly septic. If not for Sakura’s team working on him all through the night, Tomoharu wouldn't have made it. Although Sakura had always made it clear that his teammates were the real heroes, Tomoharu never failed to show his gratitude towards her.

As she approached the gates, Tomoharu flashed her a boyish grin.

‘The gods must be rewarding me,’ he said. ‘It's been a long day and I didn't think I would be lucky enough to run into you, Sakura-sensei.’

She smiled automatically. Tomoharu was just like that; the warmth he radiated as a person made it impossible to place him alongside his relatives. In fact, now that Sakura thought about it, there was something about Tomoharu’s sunny nature that struck her as familiar.

He’s so much like Shisui…

Her heart ached at the memory of Shisui’s fate.

‘Believe me,’ she said, ‘if anyone’s lucky here, it’s me. How have you been Tomoharu-kun?’

‘Sama.’ The other guard's steely voice cut through. He was glaring at Sakura. ‘You may refer to him as “Uchiha-sama” and nothing less.’

Tomoharu shifted uncomfortably, looking at his prickly partner with uncertainty. It was clear that he wanted to stand up for her, but didn’t want to make things worse. Sakura, however, was used to the Uchiha ruining her day. It felt so backwards, being forced to call Tomoharu by a name that he didn’t like. But it was the world they lived in.

‘I guess we'll have to catch up some other day,’ Tomoharu muttered. This time, his smile was forced.

‘I suppose so,’ she said. ‘Perhaps when you’re not on duty.’

He nodded, and his mannerisms shifted, taking on an air of formality. ‘In that case, you may proceed, Sakura-sensei.’

Sakura bowed and walked through the web of chakra. It was strange watching Tomoharu's personality warp as he embraced his role as a guard. It was also so, so wrong. He was twenty. A chunin. He should have been out, having the time of his life on missions, not stuck on guard duty.

At least he actually reached his twentieth birthday. Shisui and Izumi weren't so lucky.

The thought weighed heavily on her mind as she strolled past rows of houses. Things hadn't changed at all. Whether it was Shisui, Itachi, Izumi, Tomoharu or even herself, children had always been forced to grow up a little too fast.

Don't think about it. It's your day off.

The voice in the back of her mind was right. This day was a gift. Dwelling on the cruel realities of life would only bring her sadness.

She ploughed on through the Yamanaka district until she came to Ino's door. Unfortunately, it was Ino's mother who answered, inspecting Sakura shrewdly before explaining that Ino was out training. Sakura thanked her, and hoping not to drag out the tension any further, headed in the direction of the Yamanaka training fields.

There was something about the training fields that soothed Sakura. While the main area had been cleared of any wilderness for ease, the grounds themselves were situated in a large meadow. Around the perimeter, the grass was sweet with wildflowers — flowers that many years ago, Sakura and Ino had strung together to make necklaces and fairy crowns.

‘Pig!’ Sakura called. Shin-deep in wavy grass and buttercups, she peered through the foliage. ‘It's me! I heard you were out here!’

Somewhere in the trees there was a snap of twigs, and Seconds later, a purple blur hopped down from a branch. Ino looked exhausted, her hair sticking to her face and her clothes brushed with soil.

‘Hey Forehead.’ Ino predictably cornered her in a tight hug. ‘It’s funny, I was just thinking of taking a breather.’

The two sat down against the trunk of a large oak. Ino sipped at a water bottle and with one wrist, wiped the sweat from her forehead. Sakura closed her eyes and leant her head back against the bark. The afternoon sun warmed the exposed skin of her arms and legs, and Sakura could have easily fallen asleep right then and there.

‘So Itachi, huh?’

Oh no…

Sakura tensed, cracking her eyes open just enough to see Ino's sneaky smile.

‘What about him?’ She asked, trying to brush off her nerves. ‘You know you can’t just go around calling him by his first name, what if somebody heard you? Plus, it’s rude.’

Ino hissed, and flicked Sakura’s upper arm. ’Don't play dumb with me, Forehead. I saw you together.’

’You saw us?’

‘Of course I did. You were out eating dango with that fine hunk of man meat.’

Sakura's stomach churned. The last time they spoke, she hadn’t mentioned anything about Itachi that could give his identity away. Likewise, Ino wasn’t as stupid as she sometimes acted. She could put two and two together. But more importantly, had she overheard their conversation at the dango shop? How much did she know?

There’s no way I can get Ino involved in this, Sakura thought, trying not to grimace.

‘So Forehead,’ Ino said. ‘Care to explain what you were doing dining out with the Hokage's right-hand man?’

Sakura could only hope that Ino would drop the subject. Who was she kidding? Of course Ino wouldn’t drop it.

‘It was nothing. He was asking about a project I'm working on at the moment, you know, at the hospital.’

‘Yeah, sure he was,’ Ino snorted. ‘Don't lie to me, Sakura. I know you. Other people probably can't tell, but whenever you're talking about work you go all rigid and professional… kind of like a cardboard cut-out. Anyway, I know you weren't talking about work. You were way too relaxed for that.’

‘It really was nothing, Ino.’

��Sakura I told you not to lie to me.’ Ino sat up on her knees, facing Sakura fully until it became impossible to ignore her. Her voice was barely above a whisper. ‘Last time, you said someone was asking you to choose between yourself and the greater good or whatever it was.’

Sakura opened her mouth to tell her that back then she had been speaking hypothetically, but Ino raised a finger to cut her off.

‘Sakura, tell me straight. Is Uchiha Itachi blackmailing you or something?’

‘What? No!’

‘Then why the hell is he asking you such weird stuff about the greater good? Be honest with me. I don’t trust him, he’s one of them.’

Sakura's heart fluttered nervously. She was aching to confide in somebody; all of these secrets about Konoha’s past left her feeling like an unexploded mine. But she couldn't drag Ino into this. It was far too political. The fewer people knew about Itachi's plan to usurp his father right from under his feet, the better.

‘I… I can’t, Ino-pig,’ she answered. ‘I just can't risk it.’

I can’t risk anything happening to you.

Sakura thought Ino would be mad, irritated that Sakura could harbour so many unshed secrets. But much to Sakura's relief, her best friend just gave her a weary smile.

‘Sure, Forehead. I understand. But whatever you've gotten yourself into, if it becomes too much to deal with, you can always let me in.’

Ino… Thank you.

At times like these, Ino was the sister Sakura never had. It wasn't that she didn't trust Ino. But rather, she felt that if she spoke about it out loud – without Itachi's reassuring presence – the information would somehow be leaked and he would lose his advantage against his father. If word got out that Itachi was working against his clan, he would be stripped of all power, no longer in line for the position of Hokage.

The butterflies in Sakura's chest had begun to ebb away, and with a tired smile, she slid down the tree trunk and rested her head against her best friend’s shoulder.

‘What would I do without you, Ino?’

‘Oh, you’d be hopeless without me, obviously,’ Ino scoffed. ‘But if that damn Uchiha causes any problems, just let me know and I'll pulverise him. It doesn’t matter how attractive he is.’

Sakura laughed dryly. ’That’s Sasuke-kun’s brother, you know. Stop making things weird.’

‘You can’t deny it. Even if he’s the enemy, he’s got the face of Adonis.’ Ino paused, humming pleasantly. ‘Not to mention that beautiful body.’

Sakura elbowed her in the ribs. ‘Stop! I don’t want to think about him that way.’

‘Too late, you’re already thinking about him.’

‘Shut up, Pig!’

There was still time before curfew, so for now, she could enjoy the quiet of the meadow. The sweetness of flowers lingered in the air, and above the canopy, swallows flocked in lines. With her head resting against Ino’s shoulder, the two simply enjoying the silence of the other’s company, Sakura realised that her headache had finally subsided. But more than that, she finally understood why she wished to stand by Itachi’s side.

I want to fight for this moment right here. I want to fight for my family.

#itasaku #itasaku fanfiction #itachi x sakura

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beewolfwrites · 2 years ago

Text

Olive Branch: Chapter Seven - Revival

(Itasaku, Successful Coup AU) You can find the previous chapters on my masterlist at the top of my account page.

I'm sorry for the delay in any updates! Here is the next chapter, with more of Itachi's role in the coup :)

_________________________________

Itachi deflects a current of kunai and senbon as he sprints across Konoha’s rooftops. Around him, the village is in disarray. Houses are swathed in flames, if not already burned to the ground, and the streets run red with bodies and carnage. Amidst the destruction, civilians are scrabbling for shelter, covering their mouths and noses to avoid breathing in smoke and smut from the rubble.

As Itachi leaps across burning houses, the roofs begin to crumble beneath his feet, forcing him to rely on chakra to keep from falling through. At the edge of his vision he notices a cluster of paper bombs pasted to the side of a brick wall, and several metres away, a boy – merely a toddler – is crouching on the ground, red-faced and wailing.

Itachi makes a dive, grabs the boy and jumps seconds before the paper bombs detonate. White hot flames sear Itachi's back and shoulders as he lands safely in a small side street. He sets the boy on the ground, intending to calm his screams, but as Itachi pulls away, his chest clenches.

A exquisite red burn stretches down from the boy's chin to his collarbone. It glistens, wet with blood and blisters, and Itachi feels the weight of his failure. Despite having shielded the boy by taking the brunt of the explosion himself, it still hadn't been enough.

The boy continues to shriek in hysteria, and Itachi squats down beside him. It was becoming difficult to ignore the flare and agony of his own burns, but it was even harder to look at the boy without wincing at the sight.

‘What is your name?’

This has no effect. Itachi feels himself getting desperate. ‘What about your mother?’

The boy hiccups, tears leaving tracks in the soot on his cheeks. He slurs out a hoarse, ‘Mama!'

Itachi doesn’t want to know what happened to this boy's mother. Either way, it can’t be good. Instead, he takes the boy’s pudgy hand in his own.

'Come on,’ he says, ‘I’ll protect you.’

The boy wraps his arms around Itachi's neck, burying his face in his shirt. The extra weight causes a sharp prickling sensation to run down his burnt shoulders. But he's used to repressing pain, and so, supporting the child with one hand, Itachi continues to jump across the rooftops. Before he finds his father, he needs to make sure this boy gets to the evacuation shelters.

As he darts between shinobi and flying weapons, Itachi sets his eyes on a family of three running in the direction of the Hokage Mountain – more specifically, the bunkers situated inside.

Itachi jumps in front of the group, blocking their path. Immediately, the daughter of the family pushes her parents behind her and raises a kunai in defence. Itachi notes from her uniform that she is a chuunin. Her mother and father stare at him in horror, whilst their daughter cleverly averts her eyes to his feet.

‘Don’t look him in the eyes!’ She instructs them, clutching her kunai with determination.

He has to admit, he’s impressed by her proactivity.

He raises his free hand in indication of peace as he lowers the boy to the ground. The boy is reluctant to release Itachi's shirt, but with some encouragement, he toddles toward the family. The mother scoops the boy up in her arms and scrutinizes his burns.

‘I need you to protect this child,’ Itachi tells them. ‘Take him with you to the evacuation bunkers. Unfortunately, I don't know where his mother is.’

The mother and father only gaze at him in response, bewildered and terrified. Meanwhile, their chuunin daughter, having surmised that he was not a threat, glances up from his feet and boldly meets his Sharingan. She nods in affirmation.

‘With my life,’ she says simply.

And with that, Itachi is gone. He leaves them to usher the toddler to safety, and although he knows deep down that he should have taken the boy directly to the bunkers, he had seen the chunnin's eyes. The fire in her eyes cast him straight back to the attack of the Nine-Tails, when he had clutched Sasuke so tightly. So long as she was still breathing, she wouldn't let any harm come to the boy.

Itachi continues to slink through the shadows until he finally senses the dark, disturbed chakra of his father, heading in the direction of Third Hokage, who is positioned at the very top of the Hokage Mountain. From the Third Hokage's chakra, Itachi can tell that he is in the midst of a very complicated sealing jutsu — one that Itachi has read about before in books. The Third Hokage is sending his chakra out in waves, each wave slowing the movements of the Uchiha, eventually exhausting them. Even Itachi can feel the subtle effect on his own body, his chakra becoming gradually less responsive over time.

Several familiar chakra signatures thrum in a protective circle around the Hokage. Anbu. Ready to pounce on anyone who dares to attack.

Their efforts are useless, however.

Fugaku’s dangerous chakra is fast approaching the Hokage Mountain, and whilst the Anbu are strong, there was a reason why his father had been nicknamed 'Fugaku of the Wicked Eye' during the Third Great Shinobi War.

Itachi clenches his jaw. A fight with his father would be less than ideal. If he can avoid it, he will. But he also made a promise to Shisui. His muscles tense, ready to sprint across the village and put a stop to this madness. But then he pauses, and all at once, he senses it.

A chakra signature. It flickers, almost snuffed out.

Izumi.

Itachi bolts in the opposite direction toward Izumi's chakra. It's close. Close enough that he may still be able to reach his father in time too. It's a risk to put his father aside temporarily for her sake. But he has already lost Shisui, and he can’t bear the thought of losing another of his precious people.

He lands in a back alley, where Izumi is cornered down below, crumpled in on herself, a Konoha shinobi standing over her ready to deliver the final blow.

‘You may be a kid,’ she shinobi sneers, ‘but your whole goddamn clan is trouble. I won't show any mercy.’

Izumi wheezes, clutching her side. ’Please.’

‘My sister was killed by the Nine-Tails. Do you really think begging will work?’

The shinobi draws a senbon, aiming it at Izumi's exposed collar where her carotid artery lay just beneath her skin.

Itachi moves without thinking. With a flick of his wrist, he deals a blow to the shinobi's neck, knocking him unconscious before he can launch the senbon. The shinobi tumbles to the ground, and Itachi kicks his body away before dropping to his knees before Izumi.

Curled like a foetus, her ninja vest is dark with blood. Her hand — slick with red — rests against her lower stomach, pressing down weakly. Itachi carefully inspects the area of her body that she's guarding so desperately. Beneath her fingers, her skin has been torn. In fact, Izumi’s limp hand is the only thing keeping her organs from spilling.

Itachi fumbles around in his weapons pouch, reaching for the small first aid kit inside. His fingers won’t cooperate as he unravels a roll of bandage, beginning to wrap it around Izumi's midsection. Too late, he remembers that the first aid kit is meant for minor scrapes only, and the rolls of bandages are too small in size and too few in number.

He needs more bandages. He needs more now.

‘Itachi-kun.’

Something trickles down Izumi’s cheek, pooling in the hollow of her throat. At that moment, Itachi finally realises that he is crying. She's barely awake, eyes slit open and voice sleepy, but there’s an unmistakable relief in her eyes. With the back of his hand, he wipes the tears from his face, smearing some of Izumi's blood on his cheek in the process.

‘Izumi.’ He takes her chin, forcing her to keep her eyes on him. ‘I'm going to find a medic. Just stay awake. If you shut your eyes you’ll—‘

‘Itachi-kun.'

She smiles and Itachi no longer holds back his tears. One lands on her lip, trickling into her mouth.

‘I can taste them,’ she says, ‘your feelings for me.’

Itachi's body convulses as he sobs silently. And at that moment, he doesn’t know what to say to her. He doesn’t know how he fix this.

‘People always saw us as a couple,’ she mumbles, her voice strained. ‘They said we would probably marry. I've always wondered if you were uncomfortable with that. I was worried you were being forced into spending your life with me just because of what everyone expected. But it's okay. I understand now.’

Itachi's eyes burn as he activates his Mangekyou. Holding Izumi's gaze, he shows her how things should have happened if not for their cursed family tree.

He shows her how they would have grown up, climbing the ranks of the ninja world and dreaming of peace together. The two of them in their mid twenties, sitting on the edge of the Uchiha dock as Itachi pulls a ring from his pocket and asks her the question on his mind.

The image of Izumi, beautiful as a lily in a wedding kimono as he takes her hand in his own. Their wedding night, and the feeling of being impossibly close to one another.

Sitting side by side on the veranda of their home, Izumi's stomach swollen with a prawny little thing that won't stop kicking. Itachi reciting his favourite poems to their unborn child, much to Izumi’s distaste.

The birth of their first child, their daughter, who screams and kicks as she announces to the world that she has finally arrived. Their second child, a son, with his father's hair and his mother's dry humour. Itachi and Izumi walking their children to the Academy as the seasons pass.

Itachi eventually retiring from being a shinobi, preferring instead to find happiness in growing vegetables and welcoming his children home from missions.

Growing old together. Itachi looking forward to meeting his grandchildren, and Izumi who has taken up jam-making, but finds the most fun in forcing her husband to test her trial batches. He doesn't mind, despite his frequent jokes about being used as a guinea pig.

Eventually passing away in their sleep, one after the other.

By the time Itachi pulls them both from the genjutsu, Izumi's eyes have already begun to darken. The reality is a far cry from the perfect vision they both just witnessed. Izumi dies at the age of thirteen, in the midst of a civil war, crumpled up in an alley, and bleeding out on a bed of damp newspaper and rubble.

A minute. Perhaps longer.

Itachi doesn’t know how long he has remained by her side, only that he cannot bring himself to move. In spite of the surrounding noise, he can't see beyond the limp body in his arms. Slowly, he wills himself to set her down.

It takes a long moment for him to regain control over his limbs, to push through the numbness that holds him in an unrelenting grip. Somewhere in this hollow void, he decides to rearrange her body in a more dignified position. And only then does Itachi allow himself one last look.

He would like to stay longer, to protect her dignity from the battles around them. But he can't afford to waste time. He has to move before it's too late.

Reluctantly, he tears himself away from the scene and races across the village, senses honed completely on his father's chakra signature. Although his chakra is drained from his Tsukuyomi, he feels a certain fire in his veins. A need to protect, to bring this godforsaken coup to an end.

Shisui… Izumi… He can’t bear to lose another person.

So far, most of the Anbu guards' chakra signatures have been cut completely. Some are grasping at life by a thread. This can only mean one thing — that his father has taken them out. From what he can tell, his father and the Third Hokage are facing one another, unmoving. This is no surprise. Sarutobi Hiruzen is not a violent man. Itachi knows that the Third will do his best to quell Fugaku's rage before resorting to any violence.

Itachi only hopes that he can make it in time.

As he begins to climb up the Hokage Mountain, the sounds of clashing metal grow louder. He runs faster. Faster than he ever thought he could. The Hokage's attempts to reason with words can’t have lasted long. Nearing the top, Itachi hears their familiar voices. Names of jutsu, grunts of pain, growls of anger.

Then finally, two figures at the top of the mountain come into view. His father and the Sarutobi Hiruzen are circling one another. They seem to be talking about the Nine-Tails attack, about the lack of trust, about how the village council could have found a way to give the Uchiha a more central role but decided to shun them instead. The Third Hokage is clutching an antique chokuto, looking more weary than ever before.

‘We can settle this Fugaku-san. The Uchiha will be incorporated into the decisions of the village, and we can move your district closer. There will be no punishment of treason. All I ask is that you call off this attack.’

Fugaku’s fingers begin to form a seal. It’s so subtle, so quick, that Itachi wouldn’t have noticed if not for the Sharingan.

‘It's interesting,’ Fugaku murmurs. ‘You said the same things years ago. And so did the Second.’

Fugaku makes to release a whirlwind of fire.

‘Father!’

Itachi locks eyes with Fugaku, and for once, he no longer recognises his father under the miasma of hatred. Can a man so corrupted be reasoned with? Itachi had no choice but to try.

‘Father, this is madness. Stop the attacks.’

Fugaku’s expression darkens. ‘I see you’ve chosen your side.’

Itachi shakes his head, unable to shake off his growing frustration at the blind ignorance of his clan.

‘This isn't about choosing sides,’ he pleads. ’This is about the fact that there are families, children, dying down there. Not just civilians, but Uchiha too.’

Suddenly, Hiruzen's chakra flashes. There is a glint of metal as Itachi's Sharingan struggles to keep up. But when it does, his heart jumps. The Third Hokage has taken advantage of the distraction, standing poised with his chokuto raised, ready to strike Fugaku through the chest. But what disturbs Itachi the most is the fact that his father is simply standing there, having barely noticed the Third’s attack.

And everything builds up. The death of his genin team many years before, Shisui's suicide, the agony of Danzo's impossible mission, the motherless boy, Izumi's death.

His body moves on its own.

He flash steps in front of his father, ready to take the blow himself or at least deflect it. Itachi is almost out of chakra, his body floating and disconnected, yet still moving all the same.

But when the blow comes, it does not hit.

The Third Hokage doubles over, blood spilling over the gravel ground. He collapses on his knees, eyes rolling back. The chokuto protrudes through his chest, a red stain darkening his uniform. His body twitches, then stills.

Itachi looks down at his hands where he can still feel the hilt’s shadow. A wave of disgust washes over him as he realises that Sarutobi Hiruzen is dead.

He cannot turn. He can barely even breathe. But somehow, he hears his father’s voice from several meters away.

‘I knew you had it in you. You’re my son and an Uchiha after all.’

Immediately it dawns on Itachi that he has been fooled. His bonds with his family and the emotion at the thought of losing his father had overridden his ability to realise that Fugaku was in no real danger.

‘Genjutsu,’ Itachi breathes, recognising with newfound clarity the sheer power of his father's Sharingan.

Itachi has no recollection of his father setting up the illusion. The execution was seamless, and there was no distinguishing fantasy from reality. Had Fugaku set it up the moment Itachi appeared, or perhaps sometime before? Had his father sensed his arrival and carefully laid out this genjutsu? What was real and what was simply illusion? The lack of control over his own mind has left Itachi deeply disturbed. Even his memory can no longer be trusted.

And his father… he really is Fugaku of the Wicked Eye.

Itachi cannot feel his legs. He doesn't know where he should go from here. What happens now? Where does this end?

Fugaku strides over to the Third’s body, placing a foot on Hiruzen's lifeless chest as leverage as he pulls the chokuto free. Paying Itachi no attention, he stands at the edge of the mountain face.

‘Come,’ he orders, and jumps.

Itachi doesn't know what to do. He has always prided himself on his ability to plan and calculate his decisions. But right now, he is at a loss. And yet, his legs betray him. They move at their own accord, following after his father as he jumps from the edge and makes his way down towards the village.

His father is waiting for him on the roof of the Hokage Tower. Or at least, what remains of the roof.

Fugaku gazes at Itachi proudly, and with two fingers in his mouth, sends out a shrill whistle. Within seconds, heads turn to Fugaku and Itachi. Konoha shinobi drop to their knees, some crying out as they lay eyes on the ancient sword in Fugaku’s hand, others go still with shock. Fugaku raises the bloodied chokuto above his head.

‘This is our revival!’

____________________________

When Sakura regained consciousness, she was overcome with the faint scent of laundry and pine. It was pleasant, but so unfamiliar. Upon opening her eyes, she was met with the sight of Itachi's form hovering over her. Her first instinct was to bolt upright, before a hand on her shoulder pushed her back down.

‘Be careful, Sakura. The tsukuyomi can cause dizziness.'

Glancing around, she found that she was lying on her living room floor, her head and shoulders resting in Itachi’s lap. She was safe. She knew as much. But her heart wouldn’t stop racing as the vision of the Third Hokage's death glowed fresh in her mind.

The Third Hokage…

She shoved him backwards, dizzily crawling away into the corner of the room as she clutched her aching head, wishing that she hadn’t witnessed such a vile scene. The Third. Itachi had killed him. It wasn’t his fault, he was manipulated by his father, but still…

‘Sakura, you’re alright.’

‘It’s not alright.’ She shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes. The whole room was spinning, her eyes unable to focus. ‘None of this is alright.’

Itachi made no move to approach her. But he was looking at her with caution. ‘You wanted me to show you the truth.’

‘I know, I know. It’s just…’ Her tears flowed freely now. ‘I always knew that you were the one who killed him. Everyone knows it was you. Sasuke used to talk about it like he was proud, but I didn’t realise— I can’t believe your father would… And the Third, how could he allow Danzo to do something like that? The whole situation is so…’

‘Complicated?’ Itachi offered.

She swallowed. ‘Yeah. It’s complicated.’

That’s putting it mildly.

The way he was looking at her made her a little uncomfortable. There was a mixture of pity and remorse in his eyes, as though he regretted ever showing her his past. The last thing she wanted was his pity. Especially since he was far more pitiful than she would ever be. The things he’d done, the things he’d witnessed — the real Uchiha Itachi was far more complex than she could have imagined him to be.

He was an Uchiha, but he was a victim too.

Bracing a hand against the wall, she slowly clambered to her feet. The air stirred, and he was suddenly behind her, helping her up onto the couch.

'You don't have to do that,’ she said nervously, wiping away any leftover tears. ‘It’s bad enough I was using you as a pillow.’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘You lost consciousness and I caught you. Would you rather I let you fall to the floor?’

‘You don't have to be sassy about it.’

‘I believe this is the first time I've been called sassy,’ he mused.

‘Oh believe me, you can be really sassy at times, Itachi. I'm surprised nobody else has brought it up.’

Itachi didn't seem to justify this with an answer. He simply leaned against the arm of the couch opposite her, arms folded across his chest. Sakura was grateful for his silence. She didn’t have the energy to hold up a full conversation. She was sitting cross legged on the floor. Her head was pounding and she felt nauseous, not just because of the lingering effects of the Tsukuyomi, but also at what she had witnessed. The streets stained red with blood, the crack of Shisui's body hitting the rocks, the Third Hokage’s gurgled last breaths.

And Izumi too…

She recalled the moment of the girl's death with mixed feelings. In the world of Itachi’s genjutsu, Sakura had felt the full extent of his anguish and his desire to remain in the vision he had so extensively crafted for Izumi. Looking at him now, there was a stark difference between the Itachi of the past and the Itachi standing before her. He was so guarded as a person, it seemed invasive to have bourn witness to his memories, thoughts and emotions. But at the same time, she held nothing but respect for this man who, after having lost almost everything, was still fighting for his dream of peace seventeen years later.

A sudden thought struck her.

‘What happened to Danzo?’

Itachi gave a minimal shrug. ‘He vanished. I didn’t see him again after receiving my orders. It’s speculated that he fled the village along with Root and the other elders.’

She didn’t want to ask, but she had to. ‘And Izumi?’

‘What about her?’

‘You said there was someone,’ Sakura said. ‘That was her, wasn't it?’

‘Yes.’

‘Didn't it bother you that she was willing to kill for the sake of the Coup? She was against the village, and in your memories you said that your clan was afflicted by a family curse. I mean… well, she was technically the enemy—‘

‘You're wrong.’

Itachi's voice was sharp as a glacier, and Sakura’s heart skipped a beat. Over the last few days, she had almost forgotten about Itachi's dreadful reputation. No matter what he had done for the village in the past, it didn’t change what he was capable of. If he wanted to, he could snap her neck right now in this living room. Her death would be so swift, she wouldn’t even have time to scream.

‘Izumi was easily influenced,’ he said. ‘She was led astray by my father and the clan, that much is true. But at no point was she an enemy.'

She felt like a reprimanded child. The cold distance in Itachi's tone quashed any desire she had to argue with him. It was clear that he would defend Izumi endlessly, no matter what she said. It wasn't that Sakura thought that the girl was evil. From what she had seen, Izumi was dear to him. But this was all Sakura knew about her. As far as she was concerned, Izumi was an active participant in the coup. She was out in the village with an arsenal of weapons, prepared to kill for the sake of the very revolution that destroyed Sakura’s family. And for that reason, Sakura refused to feel sorry for her.

‘You loved her.’

You loved her in spite of her actions.

He hesitated, before replying, ‘I loved her as deeply as a thirteen year old boy knows how to love.’

Sakura didn't know why she felt the need to ask, but the question seemed to be pressing on her mind. ‘Were you in love with her?’

To her surprise, Itachi didn't regard her question with distain. Instead, he shrugged as a wry smile danced over his lips.

‘It is impossible to know. Like I said, I was thirteen. To what extent can a thirteen year old truly experience romantic love?’

With a flash of embarrassment, Sakura’s mind was cast back to her days of 'loving' Sasuke. It had started when she was eight years old, and they had finally returned to the academy after the building’s reconstruction was finished and the political climate had settled. In the midst of her loneliness and grief, she had been confused by her feelings for Sasuke. He was an Uchiha, and she had hated his very guts. Yet her eyes had been drawn to his every move, following him across the room. Eventually, her feelings flourished over the years. Now, looking back, her 'love' for Sasuke consisted largely of worshipping the ground he walked on and plastering every inch of her bedroom walls with photographs of him. In retrospect, her ‘love' had been nothing more than infatuation. However, she firmly believed that under the right circumstances, those feelings would have developed into a more genuine love.

Perhaps if Sasuke's father hadn't been responsible for the death of her parents, she would have allowed herself to pursue those feelings.

‘You’re tired,’ Itachi said, breaking her out of her reverie.

Sakura suddenly realised that her head was lolling back on the couch cushion, her eyes threatening to close. In truth, she wasn’t tired at all. Closing her eyes simply kept the nausea at bay.

‘I should leave and let you rest.’ Itachi began to walk towards the door. ‘We can continue our discussion another day.’

‘Not yet!’ Sakura exclaimed, forcing herself to sit upright. ‘I want to ask you about Shisui.’

‘Another time, perhaps.’

‘No,’ she insisted. ‘I want to know now.’

There was a beat of silence. Itachi's face betrayed nothing as he made his way back to the couch, sitting opposite her with his elbows braced against his knees.

‘What was the technique that he had? The Kotoamekami?’

‘The Kotoamatsukami,’ Itachi corrected her. ‘It’s a technique that allows the user to influence the thoughts of an individual. So it could either cause the person to think repeatedly about a certain subject, or it could cause them to lose interest altogether. It’s a technique that is unique to Shisui alone.’

Is?

‘You’re taking about it like it still exists.’

Itachi nodded, explaining, ‘As I'm sure you remember, Shisui gifted his remaining eye to me. Even though he’s no longer here, his eye is still intact.’

Everything clicked into place. ‘So it can still be used?’

‘I used the Kotoamatsukami several years ago in an attempt to sway my father. But every technique has a drawback. It’s unfortunate, but the Kotoamatsukami can only be used once every decade, and even then, it can only be used on one individual at a time.’

‘Ahh… I’m guessing it didn’t work.’

‘I’m afraid not,’ Itachi said. ‘My father went through a phase of wanting to take down some of the restrictions around the village, but the Uchiha elders stepped in and claimed that he was unwell and unfit to make decisions on behalf of the village.’

Any shred of hope suddenly disappeared, and Sakura understood why Itachi hadn’t felt that the technique was worth mentioning before now.

Fugaku must have become corrupted again, even with the Kotoamatsukami. How can such a powerful jutsu be so limited?

‘If possible,’ Itachi added, ‘I would like to keep the Kotoamatsukami as a last resort. Perhaps for the future.’

‘I agree,’ Sakura said. ‘It's a powerful technique, but in a twisted way I get why Danzo was so hesitant about it.’ At this, Itachi's eyes flickered to hers. ‘Even if we tried using it again, we could only use it on your father. It wouldn’t have any effect on the rest of the clan.’

‘That is why if I can avoid having to rely on it, I will.’

With a sigh, he stood. In the shadows of her living room, Itachi looked impossibly tall, even though he was actually very average height-wise. It was evident that he wished to leave, and intending on showing him to the door, Sakura got to her feet. However, as she did, the room tilted.

In a heartbeat, there he was again. His hand was on her lower back, steadying her as she clung to his arm for support.

‘I told you. You shouldn't move so hastily,' Itachi chided, paying no attention to the furious blush on Sakura's cheeks as he scooped her up. ‘If anything, you should know the side effects of the Tsukuyomi better than anyone. If you can, avoid overworking tomorrow. Or better yet, request the day off.’

Sakura was too lightheaded to protest as he carried her to the bedroom. She was struggling to keep her eyes open and didn't bother resisting as he set her down on the bed, pulling the covers around her. Her mind was already lost to the world when he spoke his parting words.

‘Rest now, Sakura.’

#itasaku #itachi x sakura #itasaku fanfiction

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beewolfwrites · 2 years ago

Text

Olive Branch - Chapter Six: The Past

(Itasaku, Successful Coup AU) You can find the previous chapters on my masterlist at the top of my account page.

Another chapter! Both this chapter and the next focus on the past through flashbacks, and how the coup came to happen. I know some of the flashbacks are existing scenes from the series, but they will become more original at the end of this chapter and in the next one.

Thank you all so much for reading :)

___________________________

The bedroom was lit only by the waning moon and two candles on the bedside table. Sakura was sitting on the edge of her bed, bare toes against the carpet. She shivered in the evening breeze from the open window, unconsciously picking at the raw skin of her cuticles. All day, she had felt fine. Confident, even. But as the afternoon fell into evening, a dull sense of dread wedged its way into her heart.

It's just Itachi.

She glanced at the window, knowing that he would appear soon.

He's not going to do anything to hurt me.

Even so, the thought of that technique made her skin crawl. Her body hadn’t forgotten how it felt, all those years ago in that pitch black chamber. She had been blinded by darkness, the only guiding light a pair of vibrant red eyes that had easily pulled her into their depths.

A part of her screamed that she was tempting the devil, that Itachi was a member of the clan that slaughtered her parents, that tortured her, and that she had no business getting involved in a plan like this, let alone allowing Itachi to use his genjutsu on her. However, another part genuinely wanted to believe that not all Uchiha were corrupted. Sasuke was her friend, regardless of his family. And so far, Itachi had never given her any indication that he would harm her.

Come on Sakura, don’t give in to fear…

Standing, she walked over to the door. The hallway was cold — colder than it should have been. Upon entering the living room, she drew a sharp breath.

He was already here.

His silhouette lurked in the corner, slim and unmoving, his eyes glowing crimson. For a fraction of a second, Sakura was still trapped in that chamber, caught in the spell of those eyes and unable to look away even as her pounding heart urged her to run away.

But then he stepped forward and turned on a lamp. The light slanted across his features, leaving one half of his face cast in an orange glow, the other masked in shadows. His expression was blank.

Sakura swallowed, taking a steady breath. ‘You're earlier than I thought you'd be.’

‘I made sure to finish sooner than usual.’ A pause. ‘Sakura, do you always sit around in the dark?’

She shrugged, feeling slightly more at ease with the small talk between them. ’It’s a waste to keep lights on when I'm not in a room.’

‘I see.’ He paused again, and she could feel his eyes carefully examining her. ’Are you sure that this is what you want?’

‘I'm sure,’ she said.

He didn't reply. Before she could so much as blink, she saw three swirling tomoes morph into three jagged spikes. Her heart jumped and she stumbled backwards.

Calm down Sakura, he's not going to hurt you…

As the room melted into a blurred trance of colours, she vaguely registered a hand supporting the back of her head and a calm voice reminding her that she was safe. But this was quickly forgotten as she was sucked into a world of red, orange and black.

__________________________

A hot summer wind blows across Itachi's neck as he crouches, clad in full Anbu gear, on the roof of a weapons shop. He watches the scene below with caution. Two men are wrestling on the ground aiming drunken blows at one another. From their attire, he knows that they are civilians. With two hard punches, a tooth skids across the dust.

‘Please, someone!’

A civilian woman waves her arms amidst the crowd around her. Itachi recognises her as the owner of the weapons shop.

‘Police! Anybody!’

Itachi considers intervening, but three familiar chakra signatures are fast approaching, and unlike Itachi, these signatures belong to police officers. Within seconds his father appears on the scene, flanked by two clansmen. They push through the crowd, Fugaku waving the audience away whilst the other two officers grab the shoulders of the fighting men and drag them apart.

One is handcuffed almost immediately. But as an officer places the cuffs around the other man's wrists, he shrugs himself free and swings his fist in a wide arc. It misses, naturally.

‘Goddamn Uchiha!’ He yells. ‘Get the hell out of here!’

The officer catches his wrist and twists it. With his other hand, he grabs the man's jaw, holding his face inches away from his own.

‘Say that again,’ the officer hisses. His Sharingan burns. ‘I dare you. Say it.’

Despite being cuffed, constrained, and face to face with the infamous Sharingan, the civilian man scoffs through a bloodied mouth and a broken nose.

‘Don't give me that shit. You can stop acting so self-righteous. We all know who was responsible for the Nine-Tails attack.’

The officer looks as though he is about to throw the man to the ground, but then Fugaku turns, his own Sharingan activated.

‘Take him to the cells.’ Fugaku's voice is cold and quiet. ‘Now.’

Dragged away by the officer, the man grins, displaying a set of glistening red teeth and gums.

‘Touched a nerve, have I? I believe in karma, you know. You'll get what you're due one day.’

Whispers flutter through the crowd of civilians. Even from his perch on the rooftop above, Itachi is able to catch the gist of their hushed tones.

‘… Acting innocent.'

'Their clan district wasn't damaged nearly half as much as the rest of the village...'

‘Who do they think they are?'

'I guess the Second Hokage was right all along…'

______________________________

In one of inner chambers of the Hokage Tower, Itachi kneels on a tatami mat. His head is bowed out of respect for the four elderly figures sitting on the platform before him.

’It will not work, Hiruzen,’ Danzo comments flippantly. He eyes Itachi. ‘This technique cannot guarantee that the coup will be stopped. Even if it did work and Uchiha Fugaku was held under its influence, who is to say that this would sway the opinions of the other clansmen.’

Itachi grits his teeth. He knows perfectly well the distrust that Danzo harbours for the Uchiha clan. ‘If I may speak, Hokage-sama?’

The Third Hokage nods. ‘Please go ahead.’

‘My father holds a high level of influence over the clan,’ Itachi explains. ‘If he were to gradually stop his plans for the coup, I believe everybody else will eventually follow. If I may make a suggestion, a way to calm the Uchiha would be to provide the clan with a position of power in the village. A place on the council, for example. Or perhaps an equivalent.’

Koharu's outrage instantly fills the room.

‘Members of the Uchiha on the council? I will not hear of it,’ she snaps. ‘It is far too much of a risk. We already know we cannot trust them, otherwise we wouldn't be in this situation.’

‘The Uchiha clan has been a longstanding—‘

‘Hiruzen, please! Do not entertain such a ridiculous idea. The Uchiha clan needs to be dealt with forcefully—’

‘Enough, Koharu!’ The Third Hokage raises his hand and Koharu quietens. ‘The Uchiha are old comrades in arms. I want to try settling things with words before violence.’ He pauses, mulling over the dire situation. ‘Itachi.’

‘Yes, Hokage-sama?’

‘Tell Shisui to go ahead as planned with the Kotoamatsukami. The sooner the better.’

Itachi inclines his head. ‘Very well, Hokage-sama.’

____________________________

Itachi stares hopelessly at the uchiwa fan on the back of Shisui's shirt as they both silently weigh up what little options they have left.

Itachi had been waiting for Shisui at their usual meeting spot – beside the waterfall over the Nakano river. Only, Shisui had been late, and Itachi had discovered him deep in the woodland, horribly poisoned with fresh blood dribbling down the side of his face. Now, Shisui is looking down the cliff side, watching the waterfall as it crashes into the river.

‘It seems we can't prevent the Uchiha's coup d’etat,‘ he murmurs. ‘If internal warfare breaks out in the Leaf, the neighbouring countries will invade and there’ll be another war.’

It was the truth. Somehow, deep down, they both knew it would come to this.

‘I was planning on using Kotoamatsukami to stop the coup, but Danzo stole my right eye. He didn't trust what I was trying to do, and he'll resort to anything to protect the village. He'll probably come after my left eye too.’

Shisui finally turns to Itachi, his expression resolute.

‘Before that happens, I want you to have it.’

‘Shisui—'

Itachi holds back a grimace as Shisui’s fingers close around his left eyelid. There is a squelch of blood and a hiss of pain, before Shisui painfully removes his eye and holds it out in his closed fist.

‘You're really the only friend I can trust. Protect the village, and the Uchiha name. Both of them.’

Itachi extends a hand and reluctantly takes the eye. It’s warm in his palm, and he can feel Shisui’s comforting chakra radiating from it.

‘But I…'

‘This isn't the only thing that I need to give you,’ Shisui says. ‘I'm going to give you a new power too. The Mangekyou Sharingan.’

Itachi freezes. The Mangekyou Sharingan? Such a rare form of the Sharingan with such an incredible cost. He already knows what this means for his cousin, but the thought is too much to bear.

‘Shisui...You can’t.’

‘I'm not going to last long in this state anyway. Take it as a gift. My final wish.’

Itachi doesn’t know what to think. How had things come to this? How had they let things escalate this quickly? His thoughts are all consuming, drowning out everything else.

‘What's with that face of yours?’ Shisui teases him lightly.

Caught off guard by the comment, Itachi’s thoughts grind to a halt. Unperturbed, Shisui places a hand on Itachi’s shoulder.

‘Even like this, I can still see your face easily you know. A worried expression just doesn't look good on you. You must always remain calm. That's what Uchiha Itachi is. I'm positive you can do this, so don't worry. It’ll be fine.’

Itachi lowers his head, squeezing his eyes shut because what else can he do but accept this decision? This awful, awful decision. The eye has become a deadweight in his palm.

’I will carry on your will for the Uchiha clan.’

Shisui gives him a bitter smile. ‘From now on, you may be forced to walk down a long dark path. One that's filled with suffering. I have to apologise that I can't be with you through it all. Still, I hope you don't stray from your path, and keep moving forward as a leaf ninja. I believe in you.’

Itachi clenches his jaw as his throat grows tighter by the second.

‘That is why I'm able to ask you to carry my will,’ Shisui continues. ‘And the Mangekyou.’

He takes a deep breath, but to Itachi it is closer to a sigh of relief. The future is such a heavy burden, and they’ve shared its weight for far too long.

‘Thank you,’ Shisui says quietly, ‘for everything. I guess this is the end of the road for me, but this will pave a new path for you and give you a new power. You can do it. I know you can… I leave the rest to you.’

He pauses, and although it is a mere few seconds, to Itachi it feels like an endless void.

‘If I die, many things will change.’ Shisui backs away slowly. His feet are mere centimetres from the edge of the cliff face, his voice almost a whisper against the roar of the waterfall. ‘I've already left a note.’

The reality of the situation crashes down on Itachi, and the tragedy is too much to bear.

‘Shisui, wait!’

‘Don't try and stop me, Itachi.’

There is a moment of emptiness. A silent second. Then Shisui’s body tumbles over the edge.

Itachi leaps forward, stretching out his arm to grasp Shisui's shirt, his wrist, anything that could be used to haul him up.

‘Shisui!’

Seconds of silence pass before a wet crack echoes. Itachi draws his eyes away. He has seen death. He has seen war and bloodshed. He watched helplessly as his old genin team were slaughtered before his eyes by a masked stranger. But right at this moment, he cannot bear to look.

Suddenly, his eyes begin to burn and sting. Wetness trickles down his cheeks as his vision becomes unerringly precise. The Mangekyou. This is Shisui's gift to him.

‘Rest in peace, Shisui.’

______________________________

Itachi is sitting beside Sasuke on the engawa when he hears raised voices from the entrance of their home.

‘Is Itachi here?! We need to talk! Come on out!’

Itachi ruffles Sasuke's unruly hair as he stands and makes his way through the house. Two Uchiha clansmen are lurking by the front door. One man has greying hair whilst the other is far younger. Over their shoulders, Itachi can see a third man hovering behind.

It is the youngest who speaks first. ‘We get that you've been busy working for the Anbu, and your father tells us repeatedly that he's watching over you.’

‘But we don't plan on treating you any differently because of that," the man with greying hair finishes.

Itachi sighs. ‘Why are all of you here?’

‘There were two people who didn't show up at yesterday's meeting,’ says the elder man. Itachi recognises him as a prominent officer in the police force. But before Itachi can reply, the other speaks up.

‘Why didn't you come?’

The words are laced with accusation and Itachi knows exactly what is being insinuated. He has been under suspicion for a while due to the fact that he avoids attending clan meetings. This isn’t the first time he has been questioned about the matter. His father made it very clear that his avoidance was unbecoming, especially as the heir.

‘I understand,’ Itachi replies. ‘I will be more careful in future. Now, I'm going have to ask you to leave.’

This has little effect on the officers, who openly scowl.

‘All right,’ the eldest says slowly. ‘But first, we want to ask you some questions about something. It’s about Uchiha Shisui, who died after throwing himself into the Nakano River last night.’

Itachi keeps a still expression. Of course, it was only a matter of time before they approached him.

‘And we, the police force, have chosen to launch an all-out investigation.’

‘Investigation?’

The young man is staring at him curiously. ‘If my memory serves me right, you looked up to him as if he were your own big brother, no?’

Itachi feels his chest ache at the thought. Of all the things to remind him of… ‘Is that so? I haven't seen him recently. His death is truly unfortunate.’

The eldest officer reaches into his pocket and draws out a folded scrap of paper. He holds it out to Itachi.

‘This is the note left by Shisui. The handwriting analysis proves that it's definitely his.’

Itachi gingerly takes the note. ‘If there's no sign of murder, why is it that you're investigating?’ His eyes scan over the familiar writing.

'I have wearied of my duties. As it is now, the Uchiha has no future, and neither do I. I can no longer follow the path.’

‘I find it hard to believe that somebody like him,’ the youngest says, ‘a shinobi who would take on any mission for the sake of the clan, would leave a note such as this and then commit suicide just like that.’

There is silence as Itachi stares at Shisui's handwriting. A torrent of emotions flow beneath the surface, but it would be improper for him to display them right now. Instead, he closes his eyes briefly and swallows, ignoring the lump in his throat.

‘It is not wise to judge others based on your preconceptions and by their appearances.’

‘That may be. But we also know that it would be easy for somebody with the Sharingan to mimic Shisui's handwriting.’

As Itachi reads Shisui's note over and over, savouring the last connection he has to his cousin and best friend, the officers continue to explain their suspicions. Itachi barely listens. He knows their true motive for turning up at his doorstep.

‘So,’ the youngest proposes, ‘we ask that you give the note to Anbu and request their assistance in this investigation.’

‘Understood,’ Itachi answers simply. As the three men lumber away from his front door, Itachi’s control slips as his Sharingan activates. His fingers clench around Shisui's note. ‘Why don't you come out and say it? You all suspect me, do you not?’

The three men stiffen and turn, their eyes glowing red.

‘Yeah that's right, you little punk!’

Within seconds, Itachi darts forward and grabs at their throats. It is no strain on his part. They are no match for his impressive strength and tact, and when he is finished with them they lie panting on the ground.

Itachi stands over them, fists clenched white. His resentment for the clan, for his father, for himself for allowing this to escalate, he feels the pressure welling deep inside like a dam ready to burst.

The eldest officer shakily attempts to raise himself from the ground, but he only manages to sit up a couple of inches before his arms give way.

‘Shisui was told to keep an eye on you.’ Blood dribbles from his lips. ‘It's been six months since you joined Anbu and your recent actions and words are more suspicious than ever. Just what are you thinking?’

Itachi watches them with disgust. The words slip out before he can stop them. ‘It's always “the clan this”... “the clan that”... You all inadequately measure your own capacity, and then fail to see the depth of mine. Now, you're lying before me, defeated. Like I said earlier, it isn't wise to judge others based on your own preconceptions. You assume that I am patient, and so you underestimate me. You hold onto the organisation, your clan, your name, but these are all things that limit us and we should detach ourselves from such trivial things.’

Knowing that they will never see beyond the limits of their bias, he watches their expressions shift from anger to bewilderment. But before he can lash out once more, a voice swiftly cuts in.

‘Stop! Itachi!’

Fugaku is standing in the street before them. He is dressed in his police uniform, having returned home from work.

‘That's enough! What’s going on? Itachi, you haven't been yourself lately.’

‘Nothing is wrong,’ Itachi replies smoothly. ‘I am simply carrying out my duties.’

His father's expression flashes with shock as Itachi spins on his heel, launching a kunai at the compound wall. The kunai splinters the rock, leaving a large crack across one of many uchiwa fans painted along its surface.

Before he can stop himself, Itachi mutters, ’I have lost all hope for this pathetic clan.’

Scuffling and groaning, the three men get to their feet, immediately taking their places beside Fugaku as they carefully scrutinise Itachi's every move.

‘That's enough. Keep this up and we'll throw you in jail.’

‘You lose sight of the things that are most important to you when you adhere to something as insignificant as the clan.’

‘I've had it!’ the youngest exclaims. ‘Captain, give us orders to arrest him!’

Itachi's anger courses through his limbs. His eyes start to prickle, and with startling clarity he realises that the unfamiliar sensation is in fact the Mangekyou threatening to activate. A part of him no longer cares. The clan deserves its fate. And yet, just as Itachi’s control begins to slip further, a small voice reaches his ears.

‘Big brother! Please stop it!’

Sasuke is peering at him from behind the doorframe, eyes are brimming with tears.

His baby brother.

Itachi drops to his knees in defeat as his heart swells with guilt. He hates the thought of Sasuke seeing this side of him, but at the same time, he needs Sasuke to know, to understand the reality of the Uchiha clan.

The cobbles are warm in the sunset as he bows to his father and apologises for his words and actions. He understands that his actions were a mistake. He had become lost within his rage.

And yet, deep down he is glad that Sasuke saw. One day, Sasuke would come to realise just how shallow this clan truly is.

_____________________________

Itachi can taste the storm brewing in the distance as he stands face to face with Danzo. They are at the edge of the woods, by the shrine gates that cover the entrance to Root.

Itachi takes in Danzo’s frail appearance. He looks harmless, deceptively so, but knowing what this man did to Shisui makes Itachi's stomach coil. Even so, no matter how corrupt Danzo is, it cannot be denied that he holds the interests of Konoha above all else.

‘Despite what the Third Hokage said,’ Danzo begins, ‘when his hand is forced he will do whatever it takes to protect the Hidden Leaf. So far, words have failed to keep the peace.’

There is a pause, and Danzo’s single uncovered eye glints with something dark and mischievous.

‘I heard of your cousin's suicide. It is a great loss considering his prowess over the Sharingan.’

A cool rage sweeps over Itachi’s body like frost. The words are clearly intended to get under his skin, to trigger a violent outburst, and whilst nothing would have pleased Itachi more than forcing Danzo to face the same fate that Shisui suffered, he’s painfully aware that the Uchiha are already on thin ice.

‘If the coup goes ahead,’ Danzo continues, ‘it will result in a civil war. If that were to happen, not only would there be countless losses within the village, but neighbouring countries would also take advantage of the turmoil and invade. To avoid this, the Third Hokage has no choice but to resort to violence in order to prevent the coup d'etat before it happens.’

Itachi’s breath catches in his throat. Danzo's eyes crinkle in pleasure.

‘I have called you here to present you with two options. Align with your clan and you will be slaughtered along with your family at the hands of Konoha's Anbu.’

A fork of lightning flashes across the sky.

Sasuke.

As if reading his mind, Danzo explains, "Your brother is innocent, that much is true. However, if he were to be spared, it is inevitable that he will eventually learn of the Uchiha's plot. Should he realise that the village he calls home is responsible for the extermination of his clan, who is to say that he would not become vengeful and turn against the village? He would become an enemy of Konoha, and as a result he would have to be eliminated.'

There is a sharp sting in the palm of his closed fist, followed by the familiar stickiness of blood. His fingernails seem to have penetrated the skin, but Itachi welcomes the pain.

Danzo will not touch Sasuke. If he even tries to lay a single finger on Sasuke…

‘Of course, there is another option.’

Itachi waits for him to continue.

‘If you were to take the matter into your own hands, and exterminate every Uchiha aside from your brother, the fall of the Uchiha clan would rest on your shoulders. It would result in your becoming a criminal and living out your life as such. But your brother, Uchiha Sasuke, would be left unharmed and ignorant of the truth.’

A criminal? Him? He would never be able to live as Sasuke’s brother again. The thought alone sends a crushing pressure through his chest. However, he would live. Sasuke would survive.

‘Uchiha Itachi, do you accept this mission?’

Lightning strikes once more, and Itachi sees clearly the shadows lingering behind Danzo’s lone eye.

He does not answer. He can’t just yet. And so, he walks away.

______________________________

The midday sun washes over Itachi’s skin through his shirt. The feeling is divine, and if not for the cage of thoughts plaguing his mind, he would feel at peace. He is perched on the roof of the Hokage Tower, wondering how he can even begin to choose between the village and his clan.

His mother… His father… No matter which of Danzo’s options he chooses, their deaths are inevitable. Shisui entrusted him with the task of finishing what they started, but instead he has failed as a friend, as a cousin, as a clansman.

He has failed as a son.

Suddenly, there is a terrible crash and the Hokage Tower shakes violently. Itachi has to grip the edge of the rooftop to keep himself steady.

And then he sees it.

An explosion.

Several explosions light up the village, three in total, and Itachi's heart pounds with dread as distant screams and yells fill the air. The clash of kunai reaches his trained ears, and all around him, Konoha shinobi dart across rooftops towards the sites of the attacks.

The houses, shops and market stalls… all engulfed in flames. Nausea churns in his stomach. To anybody else, it would look like an outsider attack on the village, but Itachi knows better. His gut feeling is never usually—

His body is blown backwards, a wave of heat singing his skin and hair, as an explosion racks the street in front of the Hokage Tower.

There is a moment of weightlessness, before he crashes through the roof, landing in a heap of hot broken glass and blackened wood. Grimacing, Itachi manages to climb to his feet. Pulling hot shards of glass from his arms and legs, he pushes the throbbing pain aside and surveys his surroundings.

He is in the middle of an unlit hallway, dust falling in a halo around him. He looks up, realising that just above his head, a chunk of the roof has been blasted away. All around him the tower is alive with the muffled footfalls of Anbu running to protect their Hokage. Hopping back onto the roof through the hole, Itachi's heart sinks at the sight of the village.

Chaos.

The village has been reduced to chaos.

Civilians shriek as katon jutsu sear through the streets. Itachi can identify members of the Uchiha clan dotted around, grinning at the sight of the damage. Blood is splattered across the buildings as determined Konoha shinobi attempt to rescue civilians whilst engaged in combat.

‘Uchiha-Taichou!’

Itachi only vaguely notices as one of his clansmen appears on the roof beside him, Sharingan activated. The man is looking at him with a guarded expression, but his eyes shift to Itachi's forehead.

‘You’re bleeding, Taichou.’

Itachi touches his forehead with his fingertips. When he pulls away, his fingers are covered in blood. Probing further, he realises that a foreign object has pierced his temple. He yanks it out to discover a small piece of metal.

‘What’s going on here?’ Itachi asks. He does not bother to hide his disgust. ‘This was not the plan.’

The man – whom Itachi now recognises as Uchiha Shota, a former Anbu – gives him a pointed look. Shota tilts his head and with two fingers, he effortlessly launches a kunai at the remains of the building opposite. With a wet gurgle, the kunai penetrates the throat of a Yamanaka shinobi who had presumably attempted to crawl into Shota's mind.

‘The date of the attack was moved forward,’ Shota finally replies. ‘Lots of us found your behaviour suspicious, so it was suggested that you weren't to be told about it. Fugaku-sama was reluctant but—‘

‘Where is my father?’

Shota grins triumphantly. ‘I knew it. People were saying that you were against the coup. Your parents refused to acknowledge it. They said you were stressed because you're an Anbu captain. But tell me, is it true that you attacked three of our clansmen?'

Itachi’s first instinct is to punch this man. He feels his muscles tense.

‘Apparently they asked about Shisui, so you attacked them and denounced the clan. Despite what your father says, it's true isn't it? You're the enemy—'

Itachi's hand shoots out, grasping Shota by his collar and hoisting him up. ‘Like those men, you are trying my patience. Tell me where my father is.’

‘Tracking down the Third Hokage,’ Shota gasps, spluttering.

Itachi knows the answer before he even asks the question. ‘To do what?’

‘Whatever it takes to win.’

In an attempt to remain calm, he assesses the situation in front of him. What should he do? His village or his family?

Sasuke.

His fist tightens around Shota’s collar. ‘My mother and brother?’

Itachi's forearm stings where Shota is clawing at his wounded skin. It didn’t matter. Should anything happen to Sasuke, he would never forgive his father. Shota's answer is a warble of strangled words.

‘The Uchiha children and elders are hidden beneath the Nakano shrine. Mikoto-sama is with them.’

Itachi lowers the man to the ground, only slightly relieved by the knowledge that his mother and brother are safe for now. With that matter out of the way, Itachi knows that he has to stop this madness somehow. But he barely has a chance to consider his next move, as Shota coughs and speaks.

‘I came to find you because Fugaku-sama sent me. He wants to give you a message.’

Itachi’s eyes blaze as his Sharingan sears into the Mangekyou.

‘What message?’

Shota's lips curl into a wicked smile. ‘Pick your side.’

#itasaku #itasaku fanfiction #itachi x sakura

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beewolfwrites · 2 years ago

Text

Olive Branch: Chapter Five - A Careful Bargain

Hello again readers! I have another chapter of Olive Branch for you. I realise it’s been a while since I posted an update. Enjoy :)

(Itasaku, Successful Coup AU) You can find the previous chapters on my masterlist at the top of my account page.

________________________________________

Itachi immediately tensed.

‘I want to know what happened seventeen years ago.’

He wasn't surprised. If anything, he had suspected that Sakura would ask about his involvement in the Coup at some point. But not this soon. And certainly not here. Although he did not show it, he was keeping his senses on high alert. They could not risk eavesdroppers.

It made sense that she would wish to understand every detail of the events leading up to the Uchiha’s attack on the village. He was requesting a great deal of her help, after all. When he proposed to her, his explanation had barely scraped the surface of the topic. There was so many finer details that he had left out — purposely.

It shouldn't have been an issue. She deserved to know the truth.

Even so…

There were certain memories that he much preferred to keep buried in the past, and he couldn't help but resist a little.

‘I already told you about that,’ he told her.

Sakura calmly took a bite of dango and replied, ‘Hardly. I want to know what you had originally planned and why it failed.’

‘That does not—‘

‘Oh, it matters,’ she cut in, her voice lowering to a near whisper. ‘Let's be honest here, a marriage isn’t magically going to solve all the problems in the village. Your father will obviously go against everything you stand for as Hokage, and the rest of your clan won't exactly want to obey any new laws you put in.’

Every point Sakura made, Itachi was already well aware of. He knew his clan better than anyone. Better, even, than his own father.

‘I want to know what you've already tried,’ she added. ‘It's inevitable that we're going to run into problems, so I need understand the situation inside and out in order to counter those problems when they come.'

‘You’re missing the point, Sakura-san,’ he said, calmly sipping his tea. ‘First of all, a marriage wouldn’t be a solution. It would be a symbol. The problems within the village will take a long time to resolve. I’ll have to form alliances with neighbouring countries, as well as make agreements with each of the clans residing in Konoha. The marriage would simply become a sign of trust. Nothing more. You’re forgetting that I’m the son of a man responsible for many deaths, who stole the title of Hokage from the Third.’

He didn’t miss the way Sakura’s body tensed minutely.

‘The villagers are unlikely to place their trust in me, let alone the clans.’

Sakura nodded slowly, mulling this over. ‘And I suppose…’

‘You, on the other hand, they know and trust. No matter what my clan does to stop me, the majority of the village will side with you. You’re an ally of Konoha’s most prominent clans, and I’m quite sure our neighbouring countries haven’t forgotten about you healing their daimyos.’

He watched her placidly, gauging her reaction. There was a certain sadness in her expression, a nostalgia perhaps brought about from the memory of her old missions before she was confined to the village.

Sakura looked at him pointedly as he picked up a stick of dango. ‘So, since you've agreed to tell me what happened—.’

‘I agreed to nothing.’

‘You will agree,' she insisted. ‘I know you can show me everything.’

He froze mid-bite. ‘Show you?’

Surely, she couldn’t be asking me to do such a thing…

‘I hate the idea, it's true. But I know you can use that technique.’

He placed his dango back on his plate. A memory of Sakura, bloodied and strapped to a chair in one of Konoha's interrogation cells, flashed in the back of his mind.

‘I don't think that's a good idea.’

’I know,’ she admitted. ‘But I need to know everything. I need you to show me.’

It was a terrible idea, and yet there she was, insisting that he use Tsukuyomi on her. He had seen the long-lasting effects of Tsukuyomi on its victims, and Sakura was all too familiar with these. The thought of subjecting her to its power, knowing that she has suffered under it before, made his stomach churn. But it was what she wanted.

He owed her this much.

‘Very well,’ he said at last.

Sakura's face broke out into a relieved grin. ‘For a minute there I thought I was going to have to torture you into agreeing.’

Itachi's pulse jittered a little. Her words were far too cavalier, as though she were ignorant of what his eyes could do.

‘However,’ he said, ‘if I am to show you my memories, it’ll have to be in a private and secure location.’

‘Of course. That goes without saying. I'm on the graveyard shift tonight, so perhaps tomorrow?’

He thought it over carefully. If he aimed to finish his paperwork as soon as possible, and provided that there were no last minute meetings with the Uchiha elders, he could manage it.

‘I will visit your apartment late tomorrow night.’

‘It's settled then!’ Sakura said, beaming. Itachi wasn't entirely comfortable with her cheery aura. It was a little too happy. 'Now that's out of the way, I have some more questions.’

He mentally groaned. If she had just managed to talk him into using the Tsukuyomi on her against both of their better judgement, who knew what else she had in store?

________________________________________

As soon as she mentioned having more questions, Itachi’s gaze hardened. It was not overtly malicious or unfriendly, but instead he seemed to want her to feel uncomfortable. There was just something about his eyes, glistening, dark and dangerous. She repressed a shudder.

Does he know how he comes across sometimes?

‘Well…' she began, ‘M-my first ques…' She shook her head, exasperated. ‘Are you doing that on purpose?’

‘Doing what, Sakura-san?’ The amused slant to his lips told her that yes, he was perfectly aware of his actions.

‘You know what,’ she hissed. ‘The way you stare at people. It's weird and creepy.’

‘I'm weird and creepy?’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Forget I said anything.’

‘Would you rather I turn my chair around so that you do not have to look at me?’

For one second, Sakura thought she had misheard him.

He's joking... Uchiha Itachi is actually making jokes?

Itachi was well known as a serious and deadly shinobi. Sasuke had commented that his brother was a workaholic, and often missed out on spending time with family and friends (if he had any of the latter). Even though she was resolved to go through with Itachi's proposition, she had braced herself for a cold marriage with a near-stranger. But at this moment, as he was looking at her with mirth in his eyes, Sakura realised that there was far more to Uchiha Itachi than she had originally thought.

Perhaps this marriage won't actually be so bad after all. Maybe we can even become friends.

‘Now you are the one who is staring, Sakura-san.’

‘I'm sorry,’ she said, a little embarrassed that she had been so obvious. ‘It doesn't matter. But that's another of my requests, you know. I want to get to know you better so that we're not just strangers. So you've got to stop calling me Sakura-san. It's just so formal.’

He tilted his head in curiosity. ‘You would rather I drop the honorifics?’

‘Please. Just Sakura is better.’

He paused for a few seconds. ‘Very well, Just Sakura.'

Is he for real?

She fought the urge to hide her flushed cheeks in her palms. He sounded like a leading male character from one of the many teen-romance novels she used to read. Was this really Sasuke’s older brother? The Uchiha Itachi.

‘Sakura,’ she insisted. ‘And no honorific.’

‘If that is the case, you should also drop your honorifics.’

Sakura mentally sighed in relief. He was at least cooperating, and although his jokes were embarrassing, at least this proved that he wasn't stiff and boring like a cardboard cut-out.

‘Well then Itachi,’ she said. ‘I have some questions.’

‘Go ahead… Sakura.'

The lack of honorifics was strange for both of them, but not unpleasant. It would become natural in time.

‘I want to know whether this engagement is set in stone. It isn't a real marriage, it's based on politics. So where exactly do you stand on the topic of fidelity?’

‘You want my permission to have an affair?’ he asked, bemused.

‘I don't mean it that way. Say, sometime in the future, if I meet somebody and fall in love, would I be able to—‘

‘Of course,’ he said. ‘If that happened, we would divorce and I would hold nothing against you. I’m not so petty as to deny you that much.’

Sakura felt satisfied with this answer. So far, things were looking good. At least she would be able to continue on with her life should she meet that special somebody. It was a compromise. This way, everybody wins.

‘Good,’ she said. ‘I didn't think you were petty, but usually old clans are very traditional about things like marriage and divorce.’

‘I’m hardly representative of my clan, Sakura.’

Of course…

‘My second question is purely out of curiosity,’ she began slowly. 'Usually in traditional clans, especially when it comes to the heirs, arranged marriages are pretty common.’

Sakura wasn't sure if she was just imagining things, but she could have sworn that Itachi's gaze hardened for a fraction of a second.

‘Would this not cause a disruption of some kind?’ She asked.

‘There is no disruption."

His answer was immediate and curt, and Sakura sensed that the topic was equivalent to a pool of lava and she was balancing precariously on a rock. But she had to be sure. The last thing she wanted to do was break some poor girl's heart.

‘So just to be clear, you don't you have a fiancé betrothed to you?’

‘I did.’

The words were cold. Final. The topic was to be discussed no more.

____________________________________________

When Sakura brought up the topic of arranged marriages, he decided to cut things short. There was no need for Sakura to hear the specifics of his relationship with Izumi. She had passed. What more could be said? Sakura seemed to have sensed his detachment from the subject as she fidgeted in her chair, anxiously knotting her fingers.

She feels that she has crossed a line. Perhaps I was a little cool towards her.

‘You mentioned that you have some requests, aside from your questions,’ he said.

He saw a glimpse of understanding her eyes. She seemed to realise that it was a personal question, and that he wasn't truly angry at her for asking. But her voice trembled a little

‘I do,’ she said. ‘Well my first request was about the honorifics, as you already know. But I have one more request. I'm assuming you already know Naruto.’

Of course he did. The jinchurikki followed his baby brother around like a golden retriever. He was a loud mouthed attention-seeker, and if it weren't for the boy's father — the late Fourth Hokage — Naruto would have had his tailed beast ripped from him.

The seal used by the Fourth Hokage to lock the Nine-Tails within Naruto was so complex and unique that even the Uchiha clan were unable to break through it in order to extract and control the Kyuubi. That was, unless Naruto truly lost control and the seal weakened. It had only happened a couple of times during training sessions that took a wrong turn somewhere, and when it did Sasuke was always around to put things right before any other Uchiha had a chance to touch his tailed beast.

Heaven knows they had tried. Whilst it wasn't an ideal means of power, Fugaku begrudgingly compromised by allowing Naruto to train as a Konoha shinobi. At least that way, Naruto himself could be used as a tool provided that over time he was taught to harness the power of the Kyuubi.

As for what Sakura would ask of him, it was obvious, especially considering how often Naruto shouted and raved about his lifelong goal.

‘When you become Hokage,’ she said, ‘I want you to make him your successor.’

As expected.

‘Very well,’ he said. ‘However, in order to become a true Hokage, your teammate needs to understand that he’ll have to gain the acknowledgement and respect of everybody in the village.’

Sakura blinked slowly and a look of mild irritation passed over her face. ‘You're hardly one to talk. Civilians and shinobi are terrified of you and you're still next in line for the Hokage position.’

‘My father did not achieve the title of Hokage by being acknowledged, Sakura. He took it by force.’

‘Oh believe me, I'm well aware.’

Patience, Itachi reminded himself. He needed patience. It would take more than a few sticks of dango to earn her complete trust.

‘Tell me,’ he asked. ‘In a game of shogi, what is the fate of a king without the full support of his men?’

She raised a brow, unimpressed. Itachi knew she was intelligent, Sasuke had said as much.

‘Vulnerability and then death,’ she replied. ‘Whilst the king can move solo, his true strength comes from his soldiers. Without them, he will inevitably lose.’

‘My father's pillar of support is the Uchiha clan,’ he explained. ‘He is not entirely vulnerable, but the clan only accounts for a small percentage of Konoha's overall population.’

Sakura appeared Sakura was He gave her a small smile, knowing that this moment was the beginning of a new alliance.

‘And so the point remains the same; without the full support of his soldiers, the king will fall.’

___________________________________

Sakura's mind was reeling as she plodded back to her apartment. Itachi was a tactical prowess, but after her meeting with him, she wearily concluded that he must see the whole world as a giant shogi board.

She didn't have to go back to the hospital to cover the overnight shift for several hours. This meant that if she could get her thoughts to stop racing, she might actually be able to catch a few hours of sleep.

‘Sakura-chan!’

Or maybe not.

An orange mass barrelled straight into her. Naruto squeezed her tight as he clung to her like a lost child. His clothes smelled like freshly cut grass, summer rain and ramen. Behind them, there was a trudge of footsteps accompanied by a calmer, cooler chakra.

Sasuke-kun.

Detangling herself from Naruto's arms, she laughed. ‘Okay, okay, I need to breathe. Let me go.’

He pulled away, grinning. ‘The bastard and I have been looking for you everywhere. We went to your office but you weren't there.’

She rubbed her head sheepishly. ‘Sorry about that. I swapped shifts so I'm working tonight instead of this afternoon.’

‘Heh, in that case do you wanna get some ramen with us?’

She wrinkled her nose. ‘That junk is salty enough to put you in an early grave.’ Suddenly remembering that she had a stomach full of dango, she added, ‘Plus, I've already eaten.’

‘No fair.’ He pulled a childish face ‘Please Sakura-chan! It's not the same without you.’

Sasuke finally spoke up. ‘Leave her alone, idiot. Perhaps she doesn't want ramen.’ In a softer tone he said to her, ‘We're meeting with Kakashi at Ichiraku's soon. You don't have to come along if you don't want, but you could get some sake even if you're not hungry.’

Sasuke would never directly invite her, and from the outside his way of regarding her would seem cold, but in reality, Sakura could read him like the back of her hand. He wanted her there just as much as Naruto did.

‘Fine then.’

It was barely noticeable, but something in Sasuke's eyes lit up. Before Naruto could grab her elbow and drag her to Ichiraku's, she added, ‘But only if Naruto's paying.’

‘What?’ Naruto scowled. ‘You're so mean sometimes, Sakura-chan.’

It had been a while since she last joined her team at Ichiraku Ramen. And as Sakura walked through the village with her boys on either side of her, she realised that perhaps some time with her team was just what she needed today.

—————————————-

On the other side of the one-way mirror, the Kiri nin writhed in a steel chair. His forehead and upper lip glistened with sweat, while his wrists and ankles strained against chakra entwined ropes. Although the interrogation department did have have leather and metal bindings at their disposal, the interrogation officers preferred traditional ropes; every time the Kiri nin pulled against his bindings, the stained ropes chafed away his skin.

In the neighbouring observation room, Itachi watched on. He vaguely acknowledged the door opening and closing.

‘Uchiha-Itachi sama.’

A young interrogation officer holding a clipboard approached him. Itachi didn’t bother turning to look.

‘We discovered him attempting to infiltrate the village, sir. He had a long-distance mic attached to the inside of his collar and he was lingering outside of the Hokage's office, disguised as a guard.’

Itachi’s stomach churned. The Kiri nin was young. Inexperienced. But still brainwashed enough to resist spilling under interrogation. Considering that his mission was to infiltrate the Hokage Tower, the Mizukage probably considered him an expendable asset. To infiltrate a building filled with some of Konoha's strongest surviving members of the Uchiha clan was nothing more than a suicide mission.

He wondered if the Kiri nin was aware that he wasn’t expected to return from this mission. If not, how would he react to hearing this truth?

Itachi did not answer the officer beside him. Instead he silently observed the interrogators in the chamber as they inflicted countless genjutsu in combination with physical blows. He tried not to show his distaste at how the officers grinned every time the shinobi groaned, blood dribbling from his mouth.

‘We’ve tried to extract information from him about the Mizukage's intentions,’ the officer continued, ‘but it seems that his tongue has been sealed.’

Now this caught Itachi's interest.

‘Sealed?'

The officer nodded. ‘Yes. Whenever he tries to reveal information, his throat begins to close up. His throat muscles only relax when he decides against speaking. We’ve never seen anything like it.’

Itachi didn’t like the sound of this at all. He had only ever witnessed something similar to this once before. It was over fifteen years ago, during his years as an Anbu captain, when he was introduced to a group of shinobi working for Konoha's underground defence system.

No. He didn't like this one bit.

Before leaving the room, he took one last look at the Kiri nin and swallowed at the memory of Sakura – pink hair matted with blood and mouth twisted in pain – as she was strapped to the same steel chair.

#itasaku #itasaku fanfiction #itachi x sakura

11 notes · View notes

beewolfwrites · 2 years ago

Text

Olive Branch: Chapter Four - Negotiation

Hello Itasaku Readers! Here’s another chapter of Olive Branch. Hope you enjoy it, and thank you for your support so far. It means a lot to me :)

(Itasaku, Successful Coup AU) You can find the previous chapters on my masterlist at the top of my account page.

_______________________________________

Sakura slumped, exhausted, against the door of the on-call room. She had just emerged from a long surgery riddled with complications. The patient had lost an incredible amount of blood and Sakura was surprised to find him miraculously still alive when his team carried him in. He had to be defibrillated twice, and almost hadn’t made it, but for now at least, his condition was stable.

On the contrary, Sakura felt rather unstable on her feet. Her chakra was dwindling and her legs seemed to be made of jelly. She staggered to the small couch that took up most of the room, throwing herself onto the faded fabric and closing her eyes. She wouldn't get any sleep. That was a given. Whenever she was in the hospital she was always on high-alert. At any point a doctor or nurse could throw open the door and request her assistance.

And there was also the issue with Uchiha Itachi.

To marry or not to marry… It’s an impossible choice.

Rolling over, she snuggled deeper into the couch. At times like these, she wished Tsunade was here to offer her signature sake-infused wisdom. Sakura remembered evenings spent sitting in street cafes with Tsunade at her side. Her shishou's cheeks would redden and she would rant and rave about the Third Hokage and her old team. Often, Tsunade would forego a cup and just drink straight from the bottle. Sakura smiled at the memory. Tsunade's advice was always bizarre and at times utterly ridiculous, but she had always been a good listener.

Sakura lifted her head as a thought struck her.

It went without saying that her business with Itachi had to be kept secret, but she could still get some advice from a trusted friend so long as she didn’t reveal any specific details. And she knew exactly who she could talk to.

________________________________

Once her shift was over and her chakra replenished, Sakura left the hospital. She kept her head down, making her way through the village. The sun was just beginning to set and the streets were half-empty. Although there was no clock, alarm or signal, everybody knew when curfew was approaching. After curfew, if you did not have a pass indicating that you were either working or on official business, you could be apprehended. She had seen it happen to innocent genin from her apartment window.

When the gates of the Yamanaka district came into view, she slowed. As always, two guards were stationed on either side, and stretched across the entrance was a complex web of chakra. This system monitored who entered and exited the clan compound. If somebody new went in and didn't come back out, or vice versa, the guards – usually sensory-type shinobi – would be alerted immediately. When this system was put into place, Fugaku claimed that it was for the sake of clan security and preventing intruders. But who was he kidding? Everyone knew that it was simply a means of minimising inter-clan scheming.

Even though Sakura didn't come from a clan, she was very familiar with this process due to her visits to Ino's house. Years ago, right after they had first initiated the system, her and Ino had tried to have a sleepover. The fun was cut short when they were awoken in the dead of night by a guard pounding his fist on Ino's front door.

Nearing the gates, she glanced at the guards and stepped into the web of chakra. The surface brushed across her skin, leaving a trail of tingling warmth. It felt similar to a mild electric current against her bare arms. Soon enough it was over, and Sakura had entered the Yamanaka district.

One of the guards looked at her over his shoulder. ‘You have twenty minutes,’ he said.

She gave him a curt nod, ‘I understand.’

Aside from the buzz of crickets, the Yamanaka district was peaceful and quiet as Sakura hurried through the streets. She paused in front of Ino’s house. The lights were on, meaning somebody had to be home. She just hoped that it was Ino and not her mother. Even though it had never been said directly, and it was nobody’s fault, she got the impression that Ino's mother was still bitter about the sleepover incident.

Sakura knocked. There were muffled footsteps before the door opened to reveal Yamanaka Inoichi. It had been a while, and she had almost forgotten how closely Ino resembled her father. Inoichi's blue eyes were as vibrant as his daughter's, and his blonde hair fell to his hip, the ends brushing the clothed stump of his left arm.

‘Sakura,’ he said with a gentle smile.

Sakura bowed. ‘Good evening, Inoichi-san. I'm sorry for disturbing you at this time.’

‘Not at all. You're always a welcome presence here,' he said. ‘Let me guess, you’re not here to see me?’

“Not today. Is Ino in?”

‘She's upstairs in her room. Of course, you already know the way.’

He stepped back, allowing her to enter, and Sakura slipped into the hall and removed her sandals.

‘I promise I won't be long,’ she said. ‘There won't be a repeat of that time…'

Inoichi shook his head. ‘Don't worry about it, Sakura. It's in the past.’ He paused. ‘Though I must ask, is it possible for me to drop by your office some time?’

Sakura’s eyes immediately scanned over him, searching for any sign of discomfort. ’Is everything alright?’

He raised a hand in reassurance. ‘I'm quite alright,’ he replied, then gestured to his remaining left arm. ‘It's just that my scars have been itchy recently. I'm not sure if something has irritated them.’

She took a step forward. ‘I can have a quick look now if you like?’

‘No, please,’ he said. ‘It can wait.’ He nodded at the stairs behind her. ‘You don't have much time.’

Sakura felt a little guilty leaving him so suddenly, but he wasn't wrong. Her time was trickling away with every second that passed, and the Hokage already hated her enough without another curfew breach making things worse.

‘Feel free to stop by the hospital tomorrow or any other time you like,’ she told him earnestly. ‘It's no trouble, really.’

Inoichi agreed as he ushered her up the stairs towards Ino’s all-too-familiar bedroom door. She stopped just outside and knocked.

From within, there was a faint ‘Who is it?’

‘Take a guess.’

What followed was thud of feet and a bang as the door was yanked open. Ino's blue eyes glinted at the sight of Sakura.

‘Forehead! Get in here, it's been ages!’

Ino's long, manicured fingers grasped Sakura's forearm, dragging her inside. It had been months since she had visited her best friend. Of course, it wasn’t out of choice. After the coup, just like all the other orphaned children, she had lived in a room pre-paid by the Hokage and the Council. When she had managed to accumulate enough of her hospital and mission wages, she moved to a rented apartment. Unfortunately, that also meant taking on extra shifts at the hospital in order to pay the rent, and her friendship with Ino had suffered as a result.

Ino's bedroom had matured since the last time she was here. The pale lilac walls had been re-painted a bold violet and the faux-fur rug, stained with nail polish, that once lay in the centre of the room was now nowhere to be seen.

On the other hand, Ino hadn’t changed at all. She was grinning so wide that her ears were in danger of disappearing.

‘Forehead, where've you been?’ She grabbed Sakura's hands and inspected her bitten fingernails. ‘Look at your nails! I thought I taught you how to take care of them properly—‘

‘Pig, as much as I love you to bits, I don't have time.’

Ino pouted. ‘I know, I’m sorry.’

Sakura pulled Ino down to the bedroom floor. As children they had always preferred sitting cross-legged on the rug, especially while giving each other makeovers.

‘So, what's up?’ Ino asked. ‘Something's bothering you. Your brow seems to sparkle whenever you're upset.’

‘Oh shut up,’ Sakura scoffed. ‘But you're right. I do need advice on something.’

‘Fire away.’

‘So… I can't really go into too much detail,’ Sakura began. She had to be cautious about this. As much as she trusted Ino with her life, she just couldn't take any risks. ‘Imagine a hypothetical situation in which somebody asked you to make a difficult choice. This person wants you to give up your personal dreams for the sake of something bigger. As in, saving a village or something like that. And you can either agree with them or you can choose to be selfish.’

Ino was staring at her curiously. Of course she was.

‘Okaay... and this is hypothetical, right?’

‘Absolutely.’

‘They want you to sacrifice your own interests for the sake of something bigger,’ Ino murmured. There was silence as she mulled things over. ‘It's a tough cookie, Forehead. I wouldn't blame anybody for choosing to pursue their own dreams. It's human nature to be selfish to a degree. But I have to ask, this mystery person... would they be pressuring me into anything?’

Sakura thought for a moment. ‘Not really. They're also under pressure themselves, but they would want you to choose for yourself. They're just hoping that you’ll agree with them.’

‘Sakura.’ Ino's voice was grave. ‘Please tell me you're not thinking of doing anything dangerous.’

I'm not sure whether it's dangerous or not. Is it dangerous? Perhaps. Fugaku isn’t exactly a man to be messed with.

‘Don't worry. It's not as dangerous as it sounds.’

Sakura hated lying through her teeth, especially to those closest to her. But she couldn't have Ino worried for her.

‘I hope so,’ Ino hissed though her teeth, as if someone could be listening. ‘I almost lost my dad when he rebelled. I'm not going to risk losing you too.’

Sakura leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her best friend. Ino squeezed her back just as tightly. It was moments like these that left Sakura wondering if they had been sisters in a previous life.

‘I'm not going anywhere, Pig,’ Sakura said, pulling away from the hug. ‘You're not getting rid of me that easily.’

Ino wrinkled her nose. ‘Yep, you're like a disease.’

Seriously?

Sakura glared and lightly punched Ino’s shoulder, causing her to wince.

‘Okay, okay! You're not a disease. Just please don't punch me again with those gorilla arms.’

Sakura's eyebrow twitched. ‘Gorilla arms?’

‘Ahem! Getting back to the topic,’ Ino said. ‘Your mysterious figure who holds mysterious choices.’

Sakura was listening in earnest. When it came to advice, Ino was the best person out there. No matter how stressed Sakura felt about a situation, Ino had a way of looking at things objectively. And that was the kind of clarity she needed right now.

‘Like I said before, this is a tough one. But since this person is giving you a choice, it means that nothing is set in stone. In other words, could you not find a way to negotiate?’

‘Negotiate?’

‘Yes, Forehead, negotiation. This person is making the offer, but isn’t there a way to change the rules? So you're not sacrificing��everything, just some things.’

Sakura silently thought this over. A marriage with Itachi wouldn't be ideal, to say the least. She hardly even knew him. However, if she were to talk with him and work out some compromises, perhaps they could actually have a comfortable marriage.

‘Or,’ Ino shrugged, ‘you could just do the exact opposite and screw the greater good.’

Sakura rolled her eyes. ‘You know I wouldn't be able to do that. It's not right, morally.’

Ino smiled. ‘I know. You're such a do-gooder, Forehead. It’s weird as hell.’

There was a knock on the bedroom door. Inoichi's deep voice could be heard from the other side.

‘I hate to interrupt, but Sakura, it's time.’

The two girls stood and Ino pulled Sakura into one last hug. She couldn't believe that her time had gone so fast, and being here with Ino now, she realised just how much she had missed her best friend.

Ino drew back and grinned cheerlessly. ‘Next time, come and visit earlier in the day so we get longer than ten minutes. Actually, scratch that, I'll drop into your office and surprise you one day. I mean that, and not just when I need healing.’

‘Please do. I don't always get time off, so if I don't come and visit you soon, you know where to find me.’

Inoichi knocked again. This time he did not speak, but the message was received loud and clear.

My time's up.

‘See you soon, Pig.’

With two hands on her shoulders, Ino steered her toward the door. In the hallway outside, Inoichi was hovering nervously.

‘Remember, Sakura,’ Ino said, ‘you've got the upper hand in this situation. Whoever your mystery person is, they’re relying on you.’

Sakura thanked her, and with newfound determination, she left the Yamanaka household.

____________________________________

The bloodied eye glistens in Shisui's palm. Despite the two red trails dripping from his closed lids, Shisui is smiling. The blood smells like metal or rust. It has never bothered Itachi before, but now the scent is invasive.

‘You're the only friend I can count on. Protect the village and the Uchiha name. Both of them.’

There is a flap of wings and a rustle of leaves as a large crow bursts from the woods behind them. It circles before slowing to a halt inches away from Shisui's hand. In a gust of glossy black feathers, the crow disappears along with the eye.

Itachi doesn't want to look. He knows what comes next. He has seen this many times before, but no matter how hard he tries, he cannot turn away.

‘If I die, many things will change.’

Shisui takes a step back. His feet are centimetres from the cliff edge, and his voice is quiet against the roar of the waterfall.

‘I've already left a note.’

Itachi's stomach drops. Nausea churns inside him and all he wants is to close his eyes. Yet they remain open, staring, even as Shisui's feet graze the edge of the cliff. The words are ripped from his throat before he realises that they're his.

‘Shisui, wait!’

‘Don't try and stop me, Itachi.’

Shisui's body tumbles over the edge.

Itachi leaps forward, stretching out to grasp a shirt, a wrist, anything that could be used to haul him up.

‘Shisui!’

Itachi shot up in bed.

His skin was clammy, and his pyjama pants were sticking to him. Staring at the geometric pattern on his duvet, he focused on controlling his breathing.

It was the third time this week that he had been tormented by this particular memory. Well, he had always been haunted by it. But never in such detail. Never with such realism.

He clenched his eyes tightly. The wet crunch of Shisui's body hitting the rocks rang in his ears. His chest ached at the image of his cousin’s limbs, limp as a rag doll, drifting down the river. He saw the trail of blood, swirling in the stream like watercolour, as it dribbled from Shisui's crushed skull.

‘Uchiha-sama?’

He moved.

Sharingan activated, his fingers swiftly grabbed the kunai from under his pillow. He leapt from the bed… only to see a slug. A very large, grey slug to be exact. It was quivering slightly, a pool of slime gathering on the windowsill beneath its body. His heart pounded, nerves on fire, as he stared right back. It was only when he noticed the folded note tied around its neck that he put his kunai away.

A summon.

Of course it was a summon. An intruder would hardly refer to him as Uchiha-sama.

‘Uchiha-sama, I'm sorry for the disturbance.’

The slug’s voice was shaky, and Itachi could only assume he had made it nervous.

‘I should be the one to apologise,’ he said. ‘I shouldn't have raised my kunai at you.’

The slug curled inwards and lowered its head. Itachi wasn't too knowledgeable about the body language of slugs, but he could only assume it was trying to avoid eye contact.

‘My mistress has a message for you.’

Itachi untied the note from the slug's body, raising a brow at the way it flinched. When the note was finally free, the slug curled into a spiral.

‘I m-must go now. G-good day, Uchiha-sama.’

The summons disappeared in a puff of smoke before Itachi could respond. He shook his head in disbelief. Sakura certainly had chosen a strange slug as a messenger. He lowered his gaze to the note and unfolded the paper.

Itachi-san,

Meet me at the dango shop opposite the green grocers at 11.00am. I trust you know where to find it. Sasuke-kun happened to mention that you have an obsession with Dango. I have some things I want to discuss about your proposal.

Itachi frowned at her messy doctor's scrawl. He had to re-read it several times before he understood all of the words.

Did she write this with her feet?

According to the clock on his wall, he had five hours before Sakura wanted to meet with him. This left him just enough time for a quick training session and some paperwork before he needed to set off for the dango shop. As he turned to the wardrobe to get dressed, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. It was now clear why the slug had behaved in such an odd manner.

He looked wild. His Sharingan was still activated, and the nightmare had left a clammy sheen to his pale skin. Similarly, his hair had slipped from its tie during the night and was now bedraggled by sleep. The kunai clenched between his fingers certainly didn’t help matters.

Itachi tried not to feel disheartened. He should have expected this No matter what he said or how he acted, his fearsome reputation was all anyone would ever see.

Especially after what happened that day.

_______________________________________

Sakura almost dropped the vial of poison in her hand as her slug summon reappeared on her desk with a puff of smoke. She had sent out Cho, Katsuyu's young niece, at the crack of dawn with a note for Itachi. Cho had been fine then, but now the poor thing looked traumatised. She set down the vial of poison and removed her safety goggles.

‘Cho-chan, did something happen? Did my message get through alright?’

The slug replied a little too quickly. ‘Y-yes, Uchiha Itachi-sama received your message, mistress!’

Sakura frowned, reaching out with healing chakra to touch the slug's body. ‘You're not injured, but you seem so shaken…'

‘Thank you for your kindness, but I am quite alright. If you please, I must go. Katsuyu-sama is calling me.’

Sakura was unsure, but she couldn’t keep Cho here against her will, especially if something — or someone — had upset her.

‘Of course, Cho-chan,’ she said. ‘Give my regards to Katsuyu-sama. And please…’ she lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘Could you ask her to let me know how shishou is doing? I haven't heard anything in a while.’

Cho inclined her head. ‘I will, mistress. Have a good day.’

When the slug puffed out of the lab, Sakura blinked in confusion. Cho was a very young summon, having only been used for delivering messages as she was not yet ready for combat or medical aid. Itachi must have intimidated her in some way. She made a mental note to confront him about it later on.

Putting her safety goggles back on, she continued her work on creating an antidote to several new poisons that were currently affecting an Anbu team being treated in the hospital.

After the coup, the political instability of the village became an advantage to neighbouring countries who wanted to attack. However, physical attacks were difficult, partially due to Fugaku's security system, but also because the Uchiha clan had made losses during the Coup. Naturally, such losses only meant that several clansmen had awakened their Mangekyou Sharingan. With so many Uchiha possessing such skilled dojutsu, physical attacks on the village were few and far between. Biological attacks, on the other hand, were a far more common threat. Sakura's skill in poisons meant that she was allowed to work on formulating antidotes, even if she wasn't trusted with much else.

As the morning wore on, she repeatedly glanced at the clock, anxious to step away from her project and catch a break. In order to meet Itachi, she had convinced a nurse to swap shifts. The nurse was all too happy to comply, leaving Sakura with the graveyard shift.

When the clock finally hit 10.40am, Sakura put down her safety goggles and sighed. She was finally free. Well, for now. She would still have to come back to do that dreadful graveyard shift. But at least she would be able to feel some sunlight on her face.

She put away her equipment and changed into her regular clothes before leaving the hospital. When she reached the dango shop, Itachi was already there. He was sitting at a table in the corner, away from prying ears. A plate of hanami dango was set in front of him. He poured green tea from a cast-iron teapot into two cups. Of course, he already knew she was there.

She sidled up to the table and sat opposite him, taking the second cup.

‘Sakura-san,’ he greeted.

‘Itachi-san.’

He sipped at his tea. ‘You wanted to meet about our arrangement.’

‘That’s right,’ she said, signalling to a waitress. ‘But first I'm hungry for some dumplings. I'm usually stuck at work during lunch hours.’

Sakura ordered a portion of chadango. She ignored the way that the waitress's gaze flickered between her and Itachi, and once the woman had left, Sakura leaned forward, folding her hands under her chin – a trait she inherited from Tsunade.

‘I think you broke my slug summon.’

Itachi delicately raised an eyebrow. ‘I don't know what you mean.’

‘Then why, pray tell, did she return to me trembling like she'd just been held at knifepoint? She's only young, you know, she's not used to this stuff. You didn't have to intimidate her.’

‘I did nothing of the sort.’

Sakura gave him a pointed look. He was silent, protesting, before he finally spoke in a low, disconcerting voice.

‘I may have assumed she was an intruder.’

Sakura put the rest of the pieces together herself. It was a well known fact that Itachi was strong and sharp. Nothing passed by him. He probably sensed Cho the moment she appeared and reacted accordingly. Actually, it wouldn’t surprise her if he kept a weapon under his pillow. Not to mention he probably used his Sharingan.

The longer she stared at Itachi, the more she understood that his terrifying reputation was nothing more than fiction. The air of preciseness that lurked about his person was down to his intense training, whilst his cool demeanour was simply his resting face. In fact, “cool” didn’t seem to cut it. Currently, his expression was stone cold—

Oh Kami, he's glaring at me.

She flinched, almost spilling her tea. His eyes glinted with irritation. It was almost unnoticeable to the average person, but Sakura was used to Sasuke's behaviour, and the two brothers — whilst very different in many respects — had a striking number of similarities.

Sakura glugged down her tea, nearly groaning in relief when the waitress re-emerged with a plate of dumplings. Thanking her, Sakura took a moment to collect herself.

‘Okay, back to the reason why I wanted to talk to you.’

He waited patiently whilst she took a deep breath.

‘I accept.’

He seemed mildly surprised.

‘I expected you to decline.’ At Sakura's puzzled look, he added, ‘Sasuke talks about you sometimes. He says that you are stubborn and hot headed.’

Sakura clenched her jaw.

Ignore it, ignore it...

‘I accept your proposal,’ she said, ‘on one condition."

‘Go on.’

‘I have some requests. But more importantly, I also have several questions.’

Was this the wrong thing to ask for? Was she even in the right place to make bargains like this? Despite what Ino said, Itachi didn’t technically need her. The man sitting across from her could snap her neck right this second without anyone around them noticing. She steeled her nerves.

‘By that, I mean questions about the coup, and about your cousin, not to mention your original plan for peace.’

Itachi visibly tensed.

‘I want to know what happened seventeen years ago.’

#itasaku #itasaku fanfiction #itachi x sakura

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beewolfwrites · 2 years ago

Text

Olive Branch: Chapter Three - The Proposal

Thank you to those who have been reading so far! Here’s chapter three of Olive Branch.

(Itasaku, AU in which the coup was successful) You can find the first chapter on my masterlist at the top of my page :)

_____________________________________________

Sakura stared at him as though he had just sprouted a third arm.

‘I'm sorry, what did you say?’

‘I am asking for your hand in marriage,’ repeated Itachi.

Her face had drained of colour. ‘Are you insane?’

‘No,’ he replied.

‘Did you hit your head recently?’

‘My head is perfectly fine, thank you.’

She shook her head, half-smiling as though this was an obvious prank. ‘This is a joke, right? It has to be. You're not actually asking me to… to marry you?"

Itachi didn't answer. He was starting to become irritated by her ridiculous questions, and simply decided to wait, stone faced, until the reality of his statement had sunk in. And soon enough, it did. She dropped the bouquet of Narcissus on the grass, shaking her head slowly.

‘You barely even know me. You realise that this is probably the most we've ever spoken, discounting yesterday?’

‘Yes, I'm aware.’

‘Then why?’

Her eyes were wide with uncertainty. Of course, she didn’t trust him. After what he had done, why would she? In her mind, he was just as power hungry and egotistical as the rest of his clan.

Itachi glanced around at the original Uchiha training grounds. He wasn't sure exactly how much she already knew about their village's political history, but it was time he made things clearer to her. Soon, she would understand.

‘Sakura-san, what do you know of the events of the coup d'état seventeen years ago? More specifically, the political influences behind it?’

The question seemed to throw her off.

‘Not much,’ she said. ‘I was seven at the time so I don't really remember about the tension between the clans. I only know what Tsunade-shishou told me."

He couldn't help but notice how her hand flinched. She shouldn't have referred to her old tutor as 'shishou' in front of him. And judging by the look on her face, she was expecting him to reprimand her. Luckily for her, he didn't really care about her old affiliations. It wasn't a surprise that Tsunade would have filled in as many gaps as she could before her communication with Sakura was discovered. Itachi knew very little about the finer details of their relationship.

As far as he understood, Sakura first encountered Tsunade during a mission when she was thirteen. During Sakura's missions from then on out, the two would communicate through summons and Tsunade would track her down and teach her everything she knew. But their partnership wasn’t destined to last.

Itachi had been present when a sixteen year old Sakura returned from a mission, only to be apprehended by Anbu at the village gates. He had been present when she was cuffed and thrown into an interrogation cell, and when she passed out in her chakra restraints after being subjected to interrogation. And he had been present when it was revealed that Sakura, in fact, knew nothing of Tsunade being a member of the Senju clan.

According to Sasuke, Sakura was rather guarded about her relationship with her mentor, however it was clear that Tsunade had been the main source of Sakura’s medical training. As for what Tsunade had taught her outside of their training, it was anyone’s guess.

‘And what exactly did she tell you?’ he asked.

Sakura eyed him warily. ‘Why do you need to know?’

‘Because if I’m to explain my actions, it’s necessary for your full understanding.’ When Sakura still didn't look convinced, he sighed deeply. ‘Please bear with me, Sakura-san. I have no ill will toward your mentor.’

She nodded reluctantly. Although she seemed to accept his plea, traces of suspicion still lurked in her expression.

‘Fine then,’ she said. ‘She told me that Hashirama, the First Hokage, had been close with Uchiha Madara. Their relationship was kind of like brothers, but the tensions between their clans split them apart. Hashirama's younger brother, the Second Hokage, didn't trust the Uchiha like Hashirama did, and he shunned them and relocated their compound to the edge of the village where they were under constant surveillance.’

Itachi nodded. This was all in the history books at the Academy. Many years ago they had all been edited to focus on the sufferings of the Uchiha clan.

'Did she tell you anything of the events leading up to the coup itself?’

‘I remember her telling me that the Third Hokage and the village elders had a plan to combat the coup, but the Uchiha clan struck before they could put their plan into action.’

‘Correct.’

Sakura shrugged, peering around at the marred trees with a vague sadness. ’The Third Hokage and the elders are all dead though. Nobody knows what they were going to do and it’s not like we can turn back time.’

‘I do.’

‘Hm?’

‘I know of the plan established by the council and the Third Hokage.’

‘What was it?’ she asked uneasily. ‘What was the plan?’

‘They intended to have the Uchiha clan exterminated before the Coup could take place.’

Sakura gave a sharp intake of breath. ‘Exterminated? No,’ she mumbled, ‘That can’t be true...there's no way the Third Hokage would… would he?’

‘He agreed to it,’ Itachi said. ‘With persuasion, of course. The plan detailed that a single shinobi would dispose of the Uchiha within one evening and then live out the rest of their life as a missing nin, taking full responsibility for the carnage.’

In her silence, he could feel her her silently pleading for him to deny everything, to tell her that he was playing a cruel prank.

‘And the shinobi assigned to take care of this task,’ Itachi said, ‘was me.’

He refused to look Sakura directly in the eye. He knew what he would find reflected there; a mixture of horror, shock, confusion... disgust. He felt the same way whenever he remembered how he had accepted such orders. There was a moment of silence before he heard Sakura’s small whisper.

‘But you're an Uchiha…'

The unspoken question rang loud and clear. Why ask an Uchiha to kill his clan when he should be on their side?

‘I was not in agreement with my clan,’ he said. ‘Neither was my cousin, Shisui.’

‘You didn't go through with it.’

‘No, I didn’t,’ he said. ‘My clan struck before I could carry out my orders.’

Sakura's eyes flashed, her fists clenching. ‘That's the reason you didn't do it?! Because you weren't fast enough? What about Sasuke-kun, huh? He was seven at the time. I suppose you were going to kill him too.’

‘No.' Itachi's voice sharply cut her off. ‘Sasuke was innocent. He would have been spared.’

Sakura flinched at his sudden intervention, and Itachi instantly felt bad about raising his voice. She fell silent, her entire demeanour cold and distant. Although she didn’t seem entirely satisfied with his answer, she nodded anyway.

‘I hope so, because I was about to break every bone in your body.’

Itachi mentally winced at the thought. ’Believe me Sakura-san, I wouldn’t have harmed a single hair on his head. The extermination was a last-resort. My cousin and I had a separate plan that we wanted to try before resorting to the kind of bloodshed the elders had in mind. But that plan failed too. My goal was not to massacre innocents, but to prevent a civil war.’ He paused, grimacing. ‘Clearly, I failed.’

Sakura’s iciness had melted away, and she was now staring at him with curiosity. ‘You're a pacifist.'

‘I am also my father's heir. Not just to the clan, but to the position of Hokage,’ he explained. ‘Do you remember what I told you yesterday when you asked me why my father can't have you incarcerated, no matter what you do?’

‘You said that I'm liked by civilians and shinobi, but you never explained.’

‘It means that you have a lot of allies.’

She raised an eyebrow. ‘Your clan hates me.’

‘Aside from my clan,’ he clarified, ‘you have many friends inside and outside of the village. You’re responsible for saving many of your comrade’s lives, and you have the respect of both civilians and shinobi. Hypothetically, if my father had you apprehended or executed, there would be a public outcry.’

‘Oh…’ she whispered. ’I never really thought about it that way.’

‘As you know, many lives were lost in the coup, including some of my clan members. The Uchiha clan is not infallible. Directly after the coup, it took a lot of strength to keep outside enemies from taking advantage of the political instability. If anything were to happen to you, your comrades wouldn’t keep quiet – take your team, for example. If there was unrest on such a wide scale, the Uchiha wouldn’t find it easy to maintain the control that they already struggle with.’ He paused, adding, ‘Especially as your teammate is the Kyuubi Jinchurriki.’

Sakura scoffed lightly. ‘The Kyuubi is hardly a threat when the Sharingan can control it.’

Itachi tried not to show his surprise. It was hardly common knowledge that the Uchiha could control the tailed beasts. In fact, although the Mangekyou Sharingan’s genjutsu prowess was now well-known, the extent of its abilities had been kept within the Uchiha clan under absolute secrecy.

So how did she know that the Sharingan can manipulate the tailed beasts?

All he could do was dismiss the matter for now. ‘Naruto-kun's seal is unique. The Sharingan can theoretically control the Kyuubi, but should Naruto-kun truly lose control, there's a risk that the Sharingan wouldn’t do much to help. Even when his seal is fully intact, it’s not an easy feat to control the most powerful tailed beast. It can only be done by someone with a huge store of chakra.’

‘You're telling me that there's no way the Sharingan can bypass it?’ She asked. ‘What about times when the seal is weakened?'

Itachi couldn't hold back a smirk. ‘Aside from his loss of control, there is only one other instance in which his particular seal would be weakened.’

‘Oh?’

‘Childbirth.’

Sakura released a half-hearted laugh. ‘Yeah...no, I don't think Naruto has anything to worry about there.’

‘I should hope not.’

They fell into a comfortable silence. He could see Sakura trying to process all of this information, her whole worldview turning upside down. As expected, it was a lot to come to terms with.

‘And that's why you want to marry me,’ she surmised. ‘You're the heir to the Hokage title. I guess a marriage with someone like me would be—‘

‘A symbol of trust,’ he said. ‘An offer of peace. Ideally, it would make sense to wed a member of the Senju clan and restore the harmony in the village, but I'm afraid there's only one surviving member.’

Sakura smiled bitterly. ‘Tsunade-shishou is a bit old for you, Uchiha.’

‘She’s certainly older and wiser than me,’ he agreed.

‘Thinking about it, she'd probably knock you out if you proposed to her. From what I remember, she wasn't too fond of your clan.’

‘Her feelings are understandable,’ he replied. ‘So long as my father is Hokage, she can’t return to her home.’

A heavy silence fell between them, until Itachi spoke softly.

‘Sakura-san, you may not be a member of the Senju clan, but you are a disciple of Tsunade, and your connections and reputation within the village make you a strong compromise.’

He could see that that this decision was going to tear her apart. She looked fraught and overwhelmed, no matter how she tried to hide it behind a straight-faced facade.

‘So ultimately, you're asking me to marry you for the sake of peace.’

‘Yes. I'm aware that this is a lot to ask, but given the scene you made yesterday with that patrol officer, I trust that your thoughts toward the current state of the village are the same as mine.’

‘They are,’ she said. ‘I want peace, I really do. It's just... I'm not sure.’

Itachi expected as much. After all, this was a huge decision for her. Sakura probably had dreams of falling in love, getting married, and living out the rest of her life in happiness. But he was asking her to enter a loveless marriage that resembled nothing more than a business transaction. He couldn’t blame her for feeling the way she did.

But a part of him wondered if, having lost Shisui and Izumi, he was more prepared to make sacrifices than Sakura. Aside from his family, of course, he had far less to lose.

‘Please, take your time to think,’ he said. ‘I know that this is not an easy decision to make.’

The hardest decisions are always the most important, he thought, as the image of Shisui’s eyeless corpse burned in his memory.

______________________________________________

Sakura clutched her pillow tightly. The clock on her dresser read 2.00am, and she had spent the last four hours attempting to coerce her brain into getting some well-deserved shuteye.

It was difficult to come to terms with. Uchiha Itachi was not the man she had previously thought he was. His fearful reputation as Fugaku’s right-hand-man… the rumours about him… none of it was a true reflection of the person who had stood before her in the clearing earlier that day.

But then there was also the issue of the Third Hokage, the village elders, and the corruption that lay between them. Although Itachi had mentioned that the Third Hokage accepted only with persuasion, it was a cruel manoeuvre regardless. She couldn't imagine what Itachi must have felt when he received the order to assassinate his entire family.

Surely there would have been another way. A compromise with less bloodshed.

There was another way.

Itachi himself had said that he and his cousin tried to prevent the coup themselves. Perhaps it was possible to use whatever method Itachi and his cousin had originally planned.

But from what she knew about Uchiha Itachi, he was a meticulous man. Everything he did was within reason, and there must have been a good explanation as to why he gave up on his original plan.

She rolled over with a huff and stuck her legs out from under the duvet, searching for cool air. It was no use. At this rate, dawn was going to break and she would still be tossing and turning in indecision. But she didn't have to decide just yet.

‘There is no rush to make up your mind,’ he had said. ‘If you were - hypothetically - to take me up on my offer, there would be two possible routes and neither one requires immediate action.’

He had gone on to explain how they could marry in secret and wait until after Itachi's Hokage inauguration before announcing their marrage - and with it, Itachi's peaceful intentions as Hokage. Or they could marry immediately after the inauguration. Either way, they would need to make sure that Fugaku cannot intercept. If they were to marry openly beforehand, it was very likely that Fugaku would find a way to prevent Itachi from becoming Hokage. But if they waited, Fugaku would still attempt to stop them from taking any action to save the village from itself.

And even then, would a marriage really do much to create peace within the village?

This is all too much.

She continued to toss and turn, and it wasn't until the first gleams of dawn peeked over the Hokage mountain that Sakura finally fell asleep.

————————————————-

Itachi was sitting on the roof of his family home. The cool night air was refreshing against his skin, but did little to soothe the stale thoughts that ran circles around his mind.

He couldn't help but feel guilty at the situation he had put Sakura in. It was true that there was room for compromise. Even so, all other plans he had thought through were drawn out and messy. At this point in his life, he was tired. He was tired of fighting battles against his father's ideology. He was tired of politics. If he could avoid complication, he would.

A chakra signature flared from within the house, but Itachi paid it little attention. He had been half-expecting this.

There were careful footsteps on the roof before Sasuke sat down beside him.

‘Can't sleep?’ Itachi asked.

Naturally, there was no reply. He waited for Sasuke to finally ask the question that lay dormant between them.

‘What do you want with her?’

Itachi almost smiled. Sasuke would never admit to it, but to anybody who paid attention, it was evident that he considered his teammates a second family.

‘You told her that the flowers were from me,’ he replied.

‘Why did you even send her flowers anyway? You've never been interested in Sakura.’

This time, Itachi chuckled. ‘That bouquet was going to be the first of many, if only you hadn't given the game away so quickly, baby brother.’

‘Tell me what you actually want with her.’

Itachi paused to think. There were certain things that even Sasuke couldn’t know. ‘I just need her assistance with a certain task. That's all.’

Sasuke scowled. ‘So you were planning on buttering her up before begging for her help? You're lucky she didn't paralyse you from the waist down.’ He gave Itachi a pointed look. ‘Just don't mess around with her.’

Itachi knew what he really meant.

Don't hurt her.

He didn't even turn to look as Sasuke climbed back through his bedroom window. There was a faint click as his baby brother's lamp went out. Itachi stared at the array of curved rooftops spread out across the new Uchiha District.

‘I'm sorry, Sasuke.’

#itasaku #itasaku fanfiction #itachi x sakura

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