The Race

Sakura's dream was too vivid, the pain in her legs so real that she wanted only for it to end. Try as she might though she would not be awakening from this dream. Instead she lay staring in disbelief at the solid ceiling above her. The stench of burnt oils and wood smoke heavy in the air as the dying flames from a nearby fire lent the smallest flickers of light in this dark room. Her heavy eyelids felt cracked and she could only guess at how long she had been out of it. Let alone where she was now and how she ended up here.

With a sharp gasp she discovered that she would not be leaving anytime soon either. Her legs were as good as useless in this state. Just as she was preparing to use her chakra to provide some relief she noticed the vial of dark liquid by the bedside. Beneath it was a simple scrawled note.

Take this for pain

2 drops 2x a day only

The handwriting was foreign to her and so was the concoction but she was desperate to end this pain. It was far wiser to reserve as much chakra as possible for when the person responsible returned anyhow. Therein was another curiosity for Sakura for the last thing she remembered was Itachi faking his own death.

"Oh Kami!" She cried out as the crows attack came back into her mind's eye.

She could swear that the feeling of their wings and talons slashing across her vulnerable body was real once more. When she finally did come back to her senses she found herself once more staring down at the vial in her shaking hands. Could it truly offer some relief or was it another trap? There was no way she could afford to not take it either way though. Already the pain was building to an excruciating level. So with a deep breath she hesitantly began to pull out the stopper and its attached glass dropper glistened with the mysterious liquid. Before it could begin to drop off on its own Sakura held it above her open mouth and flicked her forefinger against its base twice before shoving it back into the vial and sealing it shut once more.

The taste was acrid and she began to question if she should swallow the two burning spots of liquid upon her tongue when the sound of a slamming door and a loud crashing noise sent a jolt through her. Involuntarily she had swallowed the vile liquid and in stunned silence she awaited her death. She knew not if it would come from the source of the crashing merely seconds ago or what she assumed was poison.

Itachi lay upon the hard wooden planks of the floor in agony. He had barely made it back inside the cabin but he would not make it any further within the small structure. Already the poison had made its way through his system and his end was finally near. The choking coughs that racked his body ended in convulsions and let loose thick reddened spittle. That he should die now of all times left Itachi in wonder of Kami's plans. With all his strength of will Itachi stretched out his hand towards the closed-door and the firelight peeking out from beneath it. His voice barely more than a guttural whisper or croak as he tried to form his last words.

After all this time he had never imagined it could end so strangely. In the other room was the woman he had chosen to end his existence since his own brothers failed attempt to do so. A woman who had almost succeeded but had sacrificed herself to ensure her own death as well it seemed. His elixir having been replaced with poison. A poison he had unknowingly instructed her to ingest.

"S...A...K...U..." The words would not come, his breath too shallow now to form the sounds.

It was the sound of retching that got the woman's attention. With her legs in such a shape she could never dream of getting out of this bed on them, but hearing the beginning syllables of her name being croaked out she knew it was imperative she find a way. Bracing herself for the oncoming struggles she pulled herself to the beds edge. Every jerk of her deadweight legs was unbearable but she knew what she had to do next would be far worse. So as not to allow herself to stop now she quickly rolled over and tumbled down from the bedside and to the unyielding hardwood floor.

Her scream pierced the night and she fought back the sobs she began to put one forearm before the other and drag her body forward. She ground her teeth and worked on focusing her breath to steady her ever rising heartbeat. Already a heavy sweat was building upon her brow and the black of her eyes were overtaking any traces of the green. There was no time to stop and use her chakra nor could she afford to.

What she found on the other side of that door was not what she had expected in the least. Itachi's already pale face blanched so white that his lips were blue and contrasted starkly to the pool of bloody vomit beneath him. Immediately she was able to tell the cause and knew that unless she acted she too would be facing death shortly. But she could also surmise that it must have been Itachi himself who had brought her here and attempted to treat her injuries. So could she really just let him die now? Attempting to save his life now might even actually cost her own this time.