Sakura furrows her brows and scans through the parchment she is holding once more to make sure she is reading it right. Naruto has a girlfriend now? And to make things more baffling, he's choosing to date one of the shyest people of their generation: Hinata Hyuuga.

The opal-eyed kunoichi may have had a not-so-subtle infatuation on the blond ninja, but how did the two actually get together? Did Naruto somehow notice her watching him in the background? Did Hinata overcome her crippling timidness and ask him on a date? The latter may be more probable considering how dense Naruto is with social cues. Then again, Sakura hasn't seen her brother-like companion for over a year. That's a lifetime in their career paths. Anything can happen.

As offended as Sakura is for not knowing enough information, she can't blame Naruto from omitting his love life until it's already official. After all, the pink-haired nin had just celebrated her anniversary with her boyfriend two months ago, and Naruto doesn't even know he exists. How can she demand her approval if she herself has never asked it from the friend who is the closest to being family to her?

Sakura finishes the rest of Naruto's letter and folds it back into the envelope. She then organizes the mail with the other monthly letters and shuts the drawer holding them. She had already sent her message to him before January began. Since today is the third, Naruto has most likely read hers by now. She has explained to him her medical studies and anxiousness to pass—among other things. But she hasn't, of course, explained Itachi.

The nineteen-year-old desperately wants to tell Naruto about her partner—how he is the same man who saved her life so long ago and is still providing a sense of security in an environment fraught with danger and uncertainty. Naruto will most likely tease that Itachi is her knight-in-shining-armor, and Sakura would smack him and say that Itachi doesn't protect her that way. He most absolutely can, but that's not why she feels safe with him. Itachi is less like a guardian and more like a home to her. Her refuge when she needs to retreat from the world. The one who can make her feel whole again.

But then Naruto would ask if she loves Itachi. And despite how wonderful her time with Itachi is, Sakura can't open her heart to him completely. Sakura knows that he's trying to be strong for her when he says that he's willing to wait, but that just makes her feel worse when he says, "I love you" and only get a kiss or a hug in return.

And that's before considering that he's Sasuke's brother. Sasuke, who is not only her other family-like friend but also her ex. Things ended quite bitterly between them on the last time they spoke, but the soldier has tried to establish a letter exchange with him. Alas, over twelve months without a reply sends a loud message: Sasuke wants nothing to do with her. The last Sakura has heard of him is when he was repeatedly sent back to the village after several attempts to pursue her. The Hokage has then ordered him never to leave Naruto's side. So if Naruto hasn't left the village all of this time, neither has he. What he's been doing besides protecting Naruto, Sakura doesn't know. Naruto has been ordered by the man not to mention him, so that was that.

The younger Uchiha is obviously upset with her. Imagine how much more so if he finds out that she's dating his brother.

Sakura sighs. As much as she would love to explain this to Naruto, she can't. Even if she somehow finds the words to explain how she feels, she can't risk Sasuke finding out about it. Naruto is horrible at keeping secrets. As soon as Sasuke sees the blond struggling to keep something from him, he would beat him until the truth is uncovered. And if it does...

The pinkette pauses at a familiar chakra presence. Her digital clock is reading 8:57 PM. Sakura curses and combs her hair with her fingers. She has almost forgotten her date with Itachi.

Her partner knocks on the door exactly at 9 o'clock. Sakura rushes to him and pulls him into a fierce kiss.

"Hmm," Itachi grins when they pull away. "That was quite amorous. Do you prefer that we stay in your dormitory instead?"

"No way, darling," Sakura flicks his nose. "You promised me a romantic stroll tonight, and you will deliver."

Itachi entwines their fingers as she locks the door. "As you wish."

Their location tonight is the canyons. The winds bite colder due to the winter climate, but that just gives Sakura an excuse to snuggle closer to her boyfriend. Snowflakes gently descend from above them, coating the terrain in white frosting. The snow crunches beneath their boots, leaving a trail of footprints they can follow on their way back to the base.

"Did you read Naruto's letter?" Itachi asks.

"I did," a mist puffs from her Sakura's lips. "He has a girlfriend now. The shyest woman in our age group too: Hinata Hyuuga."

"The Hyuuga clan," Itachi considers. "I'm surprised that they approve of their courtship. I've assumed that they would be protective of her, considering Naruto's situation."

"Maybe they gain a political advantage from it. If they provide extra protection to Naruto because he's dating their heiress, the village may give in to their demands."

"A wise deduction. I admire Hinata's courage to risk disapproval from her clan if it means she can make her relationship with Naruto known to the public. Something, I believe, you may find inspiration from."

"Ugh," Sakura groans. "Itachi, I told you why I haven't told Naruto about us."

"Indeed, you have. I just don't approve of it," Itachi remarks. "You consider him one of the most important people in your life. If you refuse to even mention my name to him, I'm going to assume you are embarrassed of me."

"How can I be embarrassed of you?" Sakura tightens her grip on his arm. "You're you. You should be embarrassed of me. I don't come from a prestigious clan, and you're the heir to the one who helped found the village."

"You are more than worthy to be my partner," Itachi grumbled. "Do not doubt that for another second. Not only does it insult you, it insults my judgment as well."

"Okay, fine, I'm sorry," Sakura sighs. "I just don't appreciate you giving me a hard time about this. I know you don't like it when I don't tell Naruto about you, but it's not just him I'm worried about; it's Sasuke too. You said so yourself: he really liked me. Aren't you worried that he's going to be upset when he finds out about us?"

"His feelings aren't the only ones to consider here," Itachi retorts. "It is our relationship, not his. You have to consider how I feel too."

"Not everything is about you, Itachi."

"I apologize; I didn't intend to come off that way," Itachi pulls Sakura in by the shoulders when she releases his arm. "How you feel matters too. Are you content with not sharing our relationship with anyone outside of the base?"

"No," Sakura admits. "I want to share you with the world; it's just that...this is my first real relationship. I don't want to hurt anyone, but it seems like that's all I'm doing, no matter what I do!"

"Is that why you're afraid to love me?"

Sakura tenses when Itachi stops walking. He turns her so that they are facing one another.

"Because you don't know how?" Itachi finishes.

Sakura huffs. "Do you like knowing everything?"

"I don't know everything," Itachi simpers. "I don't know how you feel."

"Will you hate me if I said I don't either?" Sakura inquires sheepishly. "I've spent a lifetime with myself, and I still don't know my heart."

"I won't hate you," Itachi thumbs her cheek. "Though I admit that you drive me mad with waiting."

"Sorry, sweetheart," Sakura leans against his hand. "If I'm going through this madness, then so are you."

"That's a given."

Sakura smiles and waits for Itachi to finish leaning in. But he doesn't. Instead, he shoves her behind his back and pulls out two kunais.

"Itachi?"

"Hush," Itachi silences. "We're not alone."

Sakura narrows her eyes until she senses it too. A dark, powerful chakra is not far away from them. The pinkette takes out two kunais of her own. How can she not have sensed such energy until now?

"Stand down."

The couple remains guarded as a stranger materializes into view. It is a tall figure with long black hair and red armor. Sakura doesn't recognize him, but Itachi does. Her partner suddenly releases powerful chakra of his own.

"You take one more step forward, and I will end you," Itachi seethes.

"Itachi, who is that?" Sakura asks.

"My name is Madara Uchiha," the man introduces. "Itachi and I know each other quite well."

"Wait," Sakura gasps, "Madara as in—"

"One of the founders of the Leaf Village, yes," Madara confirms. "I am also—"

"Be quiet!" Itachi activates his Sharingan. "We don't want to hear what you have to say. I know why you're here, and that's all I care about."

Sakura gapes. She does want to hear what Madara has to say, but is surprised at how defensive Itachi is becoming. There is great anger to be had for Madara, Sakura knows for certain. But she also feels like there's something else. Something Itachi specifically doesn't want her to know about.

"Calm yourself, Itachi. Tonight is not the night to quarrel," Madara commands. "But when it is time for us to battle, it will be quite an interesting one."

"Sakura, return to the base," Itachi orders.

"What? Absolutely not!" Sakura barks. "If you're going to fight him, I'm going to fight with you!"

"That was an order, Sakura!"

"You're not my captain!"

"Farewell," Madara bids, suddenly vanishing out of view.

Sakura scans the area. "He shouldn't have traveled far. I'm going to see if I cou—"

Itachi's Sharingan suddenly spirals into her consciousness. Sakura's eyes roll to the back of her head, and everything goes black.

~.~

Sakura abruptly sits up and looks around. But instead of seeing snowy canyons, she sees the walls of the infirmary.

"Sakura!" Enmei calls out, folding back her privacy curtains to enter her space. "Thank goodness you're awake."

"How long was I asleep?"

"Just the whole night. As soon as Itachi's clone brought you here, I put you to bed as soon as I could."

Sakura shoves the blankets off of her and sits at the side of the bed. "Where's Itachi?"

"He's still out there," Enmei answers. "He told me you were going to be upset, and—"

"Upset?" Sakura roars. "I'm furious! How dare he use his Sharingan on me and leaves me out of a fight with Madara Uchiha!"

"Madara Uchiha?" Enmei steps back. "He led the resistance that wreaked havoc on the village ten years ago."

"I know!" Sakura bites. "My parents were killed by his soldiers!"

"I'm sorry for your loss. My grandmother perished in that war as well," Enmei mourns. "He didn't tell me that it was Madara he would be chasing. Why would Itachi face him alone and not call reinforcements?"

"Does it matter? The fact that he did it at all is unacceptable!" Sakura jumps out of bed. "I need to go after him."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," Enmei stands in front of her.

"Why?"

"Itachi ordered me specifically not to," Enmei answers. "He wants to face Madara alone."

"You don't have to listen to what he says. He's not your boss!" Sakura shouts.

"He is not my boss; he's my teammate. We are both leaders of this base," Enmei states. "And as leaders, we have to consider what is best for the people under our care. If Itachi thinks that it's in our best interest that you stay here, and I don't see a reason to disagree, I will trust his decision. As he would with mine."

"But..."

"And as your boss, you have to listen to me," Enmei adds. "Do I need to remind you what happens when you disobey a direct order?"

Sakura growls and plops back onto the bed. "That stupid, self-righteous jerk!" she insults. Then her expression drops, and her face falls between her hands. "He's going to get himself killed."

"Hey, hey," Enmei sits beside her. "I know this is tough, but you have to trust him. As much as it is our instincts to fight for people's lives for them, there are battles that they have to face alone. All we can do is support them. Wouldn't you want Itachi to do the same for you?"

"I don't know," Sakura lowers her hands. "I just wish Itachi would have at least told me why he needs to be alone in the first place! I'm his girlfriend! If there's anyone he can trust with his deepest, darkest secrets, it should be me!"

"A man like Itachi does have a lot of dark secrets," Enmei chuckles. Then he gives his pupil a tired smile. "You're a brave woman to love him so much."

Sakura stiffens, which Enmei notices. "I...I umm..."

"Oh, I see," the mentor hums. "You haven't told him that you do."

"What makes you think I love him?"

"You wouldn't be this worried about him, if you didn't," Enmei observes. "I think you love him very much. You're just afraid to."

Sakura shuffles in her seat. "Why would I be afraid?"

"That, only you would know."

"Ugh, I know that. Can't you give me some guesses? You know me pretty well."

"I do, don't I?" Enmei smirks. "Well," he crosses his arms, "if I would have to guess, it may be your need to control everything."

Sakura inches back. "Control everything? I'm not the controlling one in this relationship—Itachi is!"

"Maybe that's why you two get along so well," Enmei's eyebrows raise. "I don't doubt that he's controlling, but I don't doubt that you are too."

"How am I controlling?"

"You deal with most of your problems on your own. Maybe so that others don't have to worry about them. Maybe so that nothing goes wrong. Maybe both," Enmei infers. "When Naruto's life got endangered, your first instinct wasn't to have him and your other friend fight with you to protect him and the village. Your first instinct was to have them stay in the village, while you go to the frontlines and keep them safe there."

"That was not my decision to make!"

"It kind of is. Your recruitment into the ANBU was offered, not ordered. You could have chosen to stay in the village to be protected with them, but you didn't. Why?"

Sakura groans. "So, I could protect them."

"Exactly," Enmei points out. "It's not much different from what Itachi did when he ordered you to stay here. You could have gotten in his way, but the more likely reason is that he doesn't want you to get hurt."

"That's so dumb," Sakura grunts. "We're both in ANBU. I'm a medic too. I can heal him! It would have been a GREAT idea to bring me."

"Maybe, but he won't anyway because he's controlling," Enmei gives her a sly smile. "Like you."

Sakura punches him lightly on the arm. "Okay, fine! So I'm controlling, just like him. We're perfect together. What does that have to do with me not admitting that I love him?"

"Love involves acceptance," Enmei tells her. "You took control of your friends' fates by convincing the Hokage to keep them in the village. But Itachi is different; you can't control him at all. And because you can't accept that, you're afraid to be completely vulnerable to him."

Sakura's eyes widen. "No. That makes me sound like an awful person."

"It doesn't make you an awful person; it makes you a person," Enmei corrects. "People have weaknesses. This is yours."

Sakura shakes her head. Then shakes it again, disapproving.

"Again, this is just a guess. Like you demanded me to give you," Enmei sneers. "You'll find the true answer, in time. But for now, I need you to recover so you can help me in the clinic. Patients will be coming in soon. And if Madara's threat escalates, so will our workload."

"So, that's it?" Sakura stands up. "My boyfriend could be killed by one of the biggest threats we know because he's a control freak, and I'm going to move on like it's a not a big deal?"

"I didn't say it isn't a big deal, and I don't expect you to think so either," Enmei affirms. "This is war, Sakura. We all have our part to play in this. Itachi chose to fight, so he will be out there doing his part. Your part is to heal—as you have chosen—so you will stay here and treat our soldiers. You're needed too, Sakura. Your part is important too, and you know that."

"I do," Sakura sighs. "I just...Itachi..."

"Needs you to be safe when he comes back," Enmei finishes. "And when he does, you can treat his injuries after yelling at him for leaving you here."

Sakura chuckles. Then, her eyes water, and she refuses to look at the doctor. She flinches when Enmei pulls her into a hug.

"Have faith in him, Sakura," Enmei soothes. "He's more likely to come back alive when he knows you're expecting him to."

After a while, Sakura awkwardly nods, returning his embrace.

~.~

Fortunately, Itachi does return to the base alive. Albeit at one 'o'clock in the morning. His body phases through the only entrance and exit in the base, where Sakura patiently waits for him to complete the transition. Her crossed arms relax at his dirty clothes and tousled hair. Her wrinkled expression, however, remains the same as she approaches him.

"Sakura," Itachi exhales.

"Itachi."

The couple merely stands there, waiting for the other person to make the next move. Then, Sakura raises a hand in the air, shaking. Itachi bows his head and waits. But the hand doesn't come. Instead, Sakura breathes out and turns away.

"Come on," she beckons.

Confused, Itachi watches her walk ahead of him. He wastes no second after and follows.

~.~

The trip to the infirmary is silent. Awkwardly so. Sakura has Itachi sit on an empty bed and begins treating his wounds. There isn't a lot to treat, and none of them are serious, but the pinkette moves slowly. To feign concentration, to delay conversation—anything to prolong the silence.

"If you are angry with me, please just say so," Itachi implores. "You can yell or hit me. I'm sure I deserve it."

"You like it when I'm rough with you, darling?" Sakura giggles. She shakes her head and proceeds with the next injury. "Good to know."

Her boyfriend halts her with a snatch of her wrist. Sakura sighs and leans back on her chair. She doesn't tug away.

"I'm sorry," Itachi apologizes. He slides from holding her wrist to her hand, squeezing tightly. "I didn't want to abandon you last night."

"Then, why did you?"

"Because I was afraid," Itachi admits. "Madara is a powerful opponent, and he was able to get so close to us undetected. Should anything have happened to you, I…" the captain doesn't finish his sentence. He instead strokes her hand tenderly, cherishing her against his skin.

Sakura rolls her eyes and returns his grip. "I can't blame you too much for what you did," she tells him. "I literally did the same to Sasuke, albeit less gracefully."

"Thank you for understanding," Itachi smiles widely. Then his mood falters as his grip does. "It will make what happens next easier to talk about."

"What's going to happen?"

"I need you to return to the village."

Sakura snatches her hand back.

"Temporarily," Itachi adds. "Once I've eliminated Madara as a threat, you may join me back at the base. Enmei and the other leaders will understand."

"Why would I do that?" Sakura demands. "I'm a soldier, Itachi. Being a medic doesn't change that. The whole point of me being here is to fight against threats like Madara!"

"Madara is going specifically after Naruto," Itachi informs. "He has implied that a cohort of his is in the village. I'm going to alert the Hokage of this, but there won't be enough time to hire another bodyguard for Naruto's protection."

"So that's where I come in," Sakura mumbles.

"Yes," Itachi confirms. "You are a close associate of Naruto's. The Hokage would not have to spend money or time searching and training a qualified candidate because you are already perfect for the position. Naruto will be comfortable having you guard him closely. He will be safe because you ensure it, just as you have always wanted."

"That makes sense," Sakura concedes. The idea of an enemy being in the village with Naruto is despicable. If that really is the case, she would have demanded to come home, if it isn't already going to be ordered. She can't thank Itachi enough for understanding how important it is for her to protect her family. But Itachi is too relieved by this, however. Almost more than she. "There's something else."

"What?"

"There's something you're hiding from me," Sakura calls out. "I've known it since you refused to let Madara talk to me."

"I've told you that I wanted to protect you."

"But it's not just from his power. There was something he wanted to say that you wouldn't risk him telling me. What is it?"

"I…"

"And don't lie to me," Sakura points. "Don't start that pattern with me."

"I don't intend to," Itachi assures. "I just...can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because you'll never forgive me."

"Okay," Sakura shuffles in her seat. "So, it's that bad."

"Terrible."

"But I'm your girlfriend, Itachi," Sakura reminds him. "If you won't tell me, then who will you tell it to?"

"I don't need to tell anybody," Itachi remarks. "My career path involves more secrets than I can count. I can keep another one."

"But this sounds personal!" Sakura raises her voice. "You're not this uptight about keeping secrets when it's about work. And the worst part is, this one seems like it has to do with me!"

"Why does this bother you so much?" Itachi snarls. "You keep your relationship with me a secret to Naruto and my brother, but when it is my turn to withhold a truth, you expect me to expose it."

"Because it's them I'm keeping secrets from! Not you!" Sakura remarks. "You're my boyfriend, Itachi! You're the one person I don't keep secrets from because you're the one person I trust the most! I thought I was the same to you, but I guess I was wrong."

The pinkette stands, and so does Itachi. Itachi reaches out to her, but she halts him with a hand.

"I'm going to pack," she declares. "And when I come home, I'll do what you've always wanted and tell Naruto and Sasuke about us."

Itachi frowns. "What will you say?"

"That I love you," Sakura croaks. Her eyes soften and blink to stay dry. "That I can't force you to share your secrets, but I can accept that you have them. They're part of who you are and who you are is the man I love."

"Sakura…"

Itachi takes a step closer to her, but Sakura steps back.

"Please, not now," Sakura shakes her head. "I'll respect your decisions, just as you have respected mine. I'm just really upset and need to be alone right now. Can you give that time to me?"

Itachi swallows his words. Then, after a tense second, nods.

Sakura leaves the room.

~.~

Sakura doesn't pack all of her things. After all, this is just a temporary departure from the base, and she doesn't have many possessions to begin with. She manages to get four hours of sleep before waking up at 6:30 the next morning. It is much later than she is accustomed to rising. Then again, after the previous night she has endured, she wants a little more time to rest before tackling the next emotionally-exhausting people in her life: Naruto and Sasuke.

Just thinking about the two tires Sakura enough to close her eyes. But when she opens them, her clock reads 9:18.

"Oh, no."

Sakura hops out of bed and grabs the clothes she has prepared. After combing through her pink locks, she retrieves her backpack. She is about to step out the door when she senses someone standing on the other side of it. She curses to herself and pulls back the obstacle between them.

"Hello, Itachi."

Itachi steps into the room and stares at her. Then, after a long frown, he pulls her into an embrace. "I love you so much," he whispers.

Sakura cringes but eventually hugs him back. "I love you too."

Itachi pulls away and closes the door behind him. Then, after keeping his back turned to her, he gently pushes her to sit on the bed. Sakura watches him curiously as he takes a seat beside her.

"Do you remember the first time I bared my heart to you?" he asks. "The first time I told you I love you?"

"Of course," Sakura answers, her voice soft.

"I told you that I would give you the truth in my heart," Itachi reminds her, "and that is still true to this day. I do not want you to think that I'm dishonest."

"Keeping secrets is different from lying to me, Itachi," Sakura assures.

"Not so much so," Itachi negates. "Not if they both hurt you."

Sakura turns away to hide her expression.

"So I'm going to tell you the secret you want to know. The secret you deserve to know," Itachi announces. "And if you decide to never speak to me again, maybe even kill me, I will accept that without retaliation."

Sakura whips her head back to him. "You're willing to tell me a secret that serious?"

"I'm willing to do anything for you," Itachi states. "I love you, Sakura, and love is selfless."

"I...I don't know if I want to know this secret anymore."

"It involves your parents."

Sakura stiffens. "How?"

"Long ago, before the war ten years ago began, I was active in the duties of my clan. And in my clan, both supporters and detractors of the village feuded overthrowing the Hokage and taking the village under Uchiha rule," Itachi began. "But I was working as a double agent and informed the Hokage. I thought it would make things better. But I was wrong. The Hokage ordered me to exterminate my clan for the safety of the village. No survivors. And in return, I would be spared but banished as a missing-nin."

"No," Sakura shakes her head. "There's no way the Hokage could execute an order like this."

"But he did," Itachi laments. "And I had to be the one to do it. If anyone else performed this act, it would cause civil unrest that would have cost innocent people their lives. But...I couldn't bring myself to do it. There were people in my clan that I hated, but there were also those who weren't even involved in political affairs. They wanted peace, as I did."

"But the Uchiha is a powerful clan," Sakura counters. "You're not the only formidable shinobi in your family. Several of your relatives could have allied and stopped you."

"The Hokage didn't care how I did it as long as it was done," Itachi growled. "If anything, my very attempt would destroy my clan even if I failed. If I had killed some clan members before I was defeated, the tension between the other Uchihas would have escalated to the point of bloodshed. My clan would eliminate itself, and the village would have gotten rid of us without guilt."

Sakura can feel her blood boiling under her skin. She can't wrap her mind around the Hokage enacting a crime against humanity but also can't find a reason why Itachi would lie. She feels sick to her stomach. Her partner doesn't look like he's doing better either.

"That's when Madara came in," Itachi continues. "He somehow heard about the Hokage's instructions to me. But instead of exposing me, he offered to help me. He hated the Uchiha clan more than anyone, and he wanted a chance to punish every single one of them for betraying him. But I turned him down. I didn't want to kill anyone. I didn't want to kill my clan members. I didn't want to kill Sasuke. So I took Sasuke and hid ourselves where no one could find us. I didn't know what I was expecting. I suppose I expected the problem to resolve itself. But I was wrong again. Something much worse happened instead. My clan initiated its first attack on the village."

"The war began," Sakura interprets.

Itachi cringes and looks down.

"Itachi, this sounds awful," Sakura scowls. As abhorrent as it is to picture the Hokage suggesting something so vile, she cannot be too surprised. She has seen the worst of people, and the kind of evil that persists commonly possess political power. The Uchiha detractors weren't innocent, but if they were facing a leader this corrupt, a power-hungry group wouldn't have considered other options.

War wasn't necessary. If the government and the Uchiha clan had found better ways to resolve their differences, nobody had to die.

"Why hasn't the Hokage been punished for this order?"

"Because it was only an order he and I discussed," Itachi answers. "And because I didn't go through with it, exposing him for a command I didn't realize would have made me appear as a liar or a traitor. The Uchiha clan is already facing public distrust because of the war; I couldn't bear to worsen it. Madara is a witness somehow, but no one would trust his word."

"As they shouldn't," Sakura murmurs while pulling Itachi into her arms. She buries her face into the nook of his neck. "Thank you for telling me. It mustn't have been easy to share this, much less experience it."

"Please, don't pity me," Itachi hisses. "Do you not understand?"

Sakura pulls away. "Understand what?"

"It isn't something I've realized until we encountered Madara last night," Itachi says. "I was just wondering what I've done to deserve you, but seeing him made me realize that I don't deserve you at all."

Sakura doesn't comment on this. Only stares, waiting.

"I was selfish, Sakura," Itachi croaks. "I was given the choice to spare the village from that war ten years ago, but instead, I chose to hide with my brother like a coward. If I had taken out my clan, your parents would still be alive—everyone's would have—and the only ones that would have suffered would have been me and my clan, the ones who truly deserved to be punished. But I wasn't willing to make that sacrifice. Instead, I escaped from my problems, and our people paid the price with their lives."

Sakura can't move. Her breathing has become haggard, and her chest hurts from the pain suddenly piercing her heart.

"I'm going to go," Itachi rises from the bed. "And whatever you decide to do next, I will accept it without resistance. It's the least that I can do."

Sakura only stares at him, unmoving. Itachi stares back with full surrender. Then, when the stillness prolongs, he staggers out the door.