A/N – This is a collection of one-shots that are not related with one another (unless I post at the very start of them that they are, which is a slim possibility). I'm still accepting requests, so if you have any, share them!

Want Me Like That

Story 1
Prompt: "Death brought them together, it's also what keeps them together." Requested by XxTaintedDragonxX
Rating: M. Oh and I'm supposed to put trigger warnings, too. There's death (obviously). It broke my heart writing this, for obvious reasons, so I hope you all enjoy it! I put everything into this and had to stop writing every so often because I was an emotional wreck throughout it all, hahah.

It was such a beautiful day.

The sky was cloudless, leaving the blueness of it to seem as though it was going on forever, stretching out for as long as it possibly could and right at the top of it all, the sun shone proudly, bathing them all in its warmth.

The village was busy, as per usual and she found that the constant chatter and flow of people was comforting. Occasionally the villagers would stop her and start a conversation, asking her how her day was going and whether she was working hard today at the hospital. No, she replied for once. It was quiet.

Casualties were at an all-time low and it left the staff wandering aimlessly around the hospital, needlessly checking on the small number of patients. She supposed it gave them the time needed to give each individual patient their utmost attention, making sure they had absolutely everything they needed, or even wanted.

At that moment in time, she was on house calls, checking her patients who wished to remain at home rather than at the hospital.

She paused in her walk to the district that had become painfully familiar now, staring up at the sky and breathing deeply, allowing the wind to caress her skin like a lover's touch.

Those who wished to remain at home… They were on the list of terminally ill. They were the ones who couldn't be healed, therefore it was only fair that they were granted their final wish of staying at home, where they could pass on with their families by their sides, comforting them or simply being there for them.

Her list of house calls only had two names. One happened to be an old lady who was close to passing due to old age, meaning there was nothing to be done but make sure that she was comfortable when she passed. The other name, however, was one belonging to a young man, one who was only a handful of years older than herself. When she had first read his name on the list of terminally ill, her heart had stopped and then proceeded to break into a thousand pieces, because she knew what his death would do to her teammate.

Sighing, she carried on walking, pushing on with sheer determination.

In her seven years of working at the hospital, she had seen her fair share of death and had been scarred by it. It also pushed her to work harder, though. Those deaths would always be burned, etched into her skin and they would never be forgotten, but the world couldn't stop because it lost yet another soul. There was many, many, many others out there who needed her help and she had to make sure they received her absolute best.

When it was somebody who was diagnosed with an illness that couldn't be cured… It was a little different. As a medic-nin, she had so many coming to her after a vicious battle, in need of her healing chakra, but sometimes, she couldn't save them. She couldn't make it in time. With the terminally ill, however, you were forced to witness their suffering. You had to watch as the illness progressed, travelling throughout the patient's body and causing agonising pain for them. All the while, you would be unable to do anything other than be there for them.

The world could be so cruel, despite its beauty.

At her appearance in their district, many of the clansmen ducked their heads and averted their gazes. It didn't bother her and she knew not to take it personally. It was because they knew what was happening, because they knew who she was going to see. The imminent death of their fellow clansman cut them deeply, mainly because it was so much wasted potential and because he was so young, barely even getting started in life.

One of the elder women nodded in acknowledgment, her eyes heavy with both age and sadness. According to what she'd been told, the old woman was there for the birth of the man and had watched him grow. He called her his aunt, despite there not actually being a connection other than their last names. Even though they were both Uchiha, they were not tied by blood.

The house she approached was darker than usual, gloomier. Nowadays it always held an air of defeat and as always, it made her pause in knocking, had her sucking in a deep breath to steady herself.

It was always worse when you personally knew the patient.

When you knew the patient, you were supposed to hand over the case without hesitating. Half the time, if the senior doctor knew you were connected to the patient, they would do their best to make sure you didn't get put in charge of them. This, however, was a special case and it was also an exception. She had been asked to take care of him.

"Haruno-san," greeted the Uchiha matriarch. "Thank you for coming at such short notice."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Mikoto-sama."

It was strange addressing her teammate's mother with the honorific of '-sama', but right now, she was in professional mode and had to make sure she showed nothing but respect to the matriarch of the Uchiha clan.

"How is he?" she asked while removing her shoes, nudging her feet into the slippers that Mikoto provided for her. "What has changed since the last time I was here?"

The woman had a strong composure. Even now, as they discussed her son's fast approaching death, she remained emotionless and detached, but Sakura knew it was just a front. Back when Tsunade had first diagnosed him and informed them that there was no cure, she had cried silent tears.

Now, she was simply trying to be strong for her sons – both of them. They needed her too much for her to fall apart.

"Itachi is having trouble breathing," came her calm reply. "Last night, Shisui said that he was coughing blood, too."

Damn it. "I see. Is it okay if I go straight to his room?"

Mikoto nodded once. "I will bring some tea shortly."

She gave her a small smile in return before turning, heading to Itachi's room. By now, she knew the way and didn't need to be shown. They also trusted her enough to allow her to wander around their home, despite not being an Uchiha.

When she turned the corner that would take her straight to Itachi's bedroom, she found the younger Uchiha brother standing outside of his bedroom, eyes shut and eyebrows pulling together every so often.

"Sasuke."

He didn't look at her and faintly, his chest shuddered. "It's nearly time, isn't it?"

Strong. She had to be strong and remain professional. "I'm afraid so."

It didn't surprise her when he lowered his head, bangs falling in front of his eyes. Even though he tried to hide it, she still saw his tears and couldn't stop herself from stepping closer to him, cupping his cheek softly and forcing him to meet her gaze.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke-kun," she told him quietly. "It sounds like his symptoms are escalating at a rate even I can't keep up with." Sasuke merely nodded, gritting his teeth together. "Go to Hokage-sama, Sasuke-kun and get yourself taken off the mission rota for a short while. You should spend some time with Itachi-san."

"…Yeah."

Her forehead thudded against his and she shut her eyes. "I'll do my best to make him as comfortable as possible."

"Thank you."

Using his pain to gain composure once more, Sakura pulled away and knocked on the door. Sasuke turned away when it opened, revealing another Uchiha. It wasn't Itachi, but instead his friend, Shisui.

Before being assigned as Itachi's main doctor, she had never Shisui. Sure, she saw him around the village and heard of him and his abilities, but until that awful day, she had never met him or uttered a single word to him. Now, it was odd not being in his presence, or going days without seeing him.

"Sakura-san," he greeted, his voice rough. It was obvious that he hadn't had any sleep for the past few nights, also. "Thank you for coming."

As soon as Shisui stepped aside, Sakura felt her heart breaking at the sight of the once proud Uchiha Itachi. It had to have been weeks since he last left his bedroom, unable to walk any further than a few feet before collapsing. It was simply too much for his rapidly deteriorating body to handle, now. Now, he was laying in his bed, sleeping, but not peacefully. Even in sleep his illness plagued him and caused him great agony, eating away at his insides.

"How long has Itachi-san been sleeping?" she asked.

"Not long," was his reply. "I had to put him under genjutsu so that his body can try to recuperate."

It wouldn't help, Sakura nearly told him, but she silenced herself before she did. Shisui was merely trying to do something, to feel useful in some way.

Only a week after hearing about Itachi's illness, the older Uchiha had taken himself off the mission rota, instead assigning himself as Itachi's carer. He stayed by his side all hours of the day, doing his best to take care of his best friend and for that, Sakura admired him immensely. Watching somebody you love dying helplessly had to be the hardest thing in the world, yet he chose to be there for him no matter what. Not a lot of people could do that.

"He hasn't been able to eat anything," Shisui started the usual report. "Hardly sleeps and now, Itachi can barely even sit up without being overtaken by a horrendous cough. Last night, he started coughing up and vomiting blood, too."

"Bring him out of the genjutsu, Shisui-san," ordered Sakura quietly. "I need his consent before checking him over with my chakra."

"After all this time-"

She sighed. "Please, Shisui-san."

It was understandable that Shisui was feeling frustrated, as anybody in his position would. However, she had to stay firm in her orders and had to obey all rules no matter what and for patients on the terminally ill list, they had to abide by a whole new list of rules as well as the usual ones. To break any of them would mean breaking the patient's confidence and trust in her, and that was unacceptable.

While they waited for Itachi to wake up from the genjutsu, she knelt beside his futon silently, folding her legs beneath herself and resting her hands on her thighs. The wood was uncomfortable when knelt on it for so long, proven by the endless nights she'd spent by Itachi's side, numbing his pain as best as she could.

His eyes opened slowly, blinking a few times to try and break through the haze and it was obvious in that moment that his sight was also deteriorating. Still, he showed no signs of upset, but it was only because she'd warned him that it was a possibility.

"Sakura-san?"

"I'm here," she told him, leaning over so that he could see her better. Usually she sat him up for healing sessions, but if what Shisui told her was true, then Itachi would be more comfortable laying down. "How are you feeling?"

"…Tired," came his hoarse reply.

Sakura nodded sympathetically and grabbed the wash cloth that was beside his bed, tenderly wiping the sweat off his brow. "I'm going to check you over again, is that okay? While I'm at it, I'll numb the pain again."

"Understood."

From what she could tell as she pushed her healing chakra inside of him, it was taking all of his energy to keep breathing, which explained why he seemed so exhausted all the time now – she told them that as she went about examining him. The fatigue was inescapable and there was no way she could try to wake him up, for he was too ill for any of those methods. It would be too much for his system to handle.

There was no name for his illness. It was something none of them had ever encountered before and the best they could do was give him medicine that would forcibly prolong his life. At his request, however, that option was ruled out. Itachi had asked that they just let nature take its course. Obviously that upset his loved ones deeply, but at the end of the day, it was his final request and they had to understand that. What was the point of prolonging his agony?

The illness mainly targeted his lungs, but over time, it began to sweep through his system, targeting one organ after another until it turned his insides to mush, for lack of better word. Now, it was heading for his heart and once it hit it, without medicine, he wouldn't make it through the night.

Tonight was his final night.

Once she shared the devastating news, Shisui fell to his knees beside his best friend's bed, lowering his head in the same fashion Sasuke had.

"It is your choice, Itachi-san," she then went on to say. "I can stay by your side and continue to numb the pain, if you wish."

There was a pause, one where he attempted to breathe a sigh, but he stopped midway and breathed out quickly, a faint tremor taking over. It hurt to even breathe, now, she realised.

"Please stay," he murmured in reply. When she nodded, expecting that to be his only answer, he then told her, "Sasuke would appreciate your presence."

This time, she nodded quickly, fiercely fighting to remain professional. During her time as his personal medic, Sakura had found that Itachi adored his younger brother and nobody was more precious to him than Sasuke. He had done his best to shield his beloved younger brother from the harsh reality of the world and his illness, but it got to a stage where he could no longer fight that battle. She had done her best to continue the fight for him, but it was impossible. There was no way to protect him from the pain.

"I'll give you both a moment," she stated and stood. "Would you like me to gather your immediate family, Itachi-san?"

He shut his dark eyes, nodding softly.

When she left the room, Sasuke was no longer hanging around and she allowed herself a moment of weakness as she fell back against the wall, bringing a hand to her mouth to smother her whimper.

Tonight was his final night.

Sakura couldn't even begin to imagine what that felt like. To know that you were going to die and there was no way to escape it. There wasn't only that, but also the people around you who would be affected by your imminent death, too. It tortured them and there was no way to avoid it, no way to shield them from that pain.

At this point, most medics detached themselves for the sake of their own sanity. Witnessing so much death was never good for a person's mentality. But she couldn't do that, not to Itachi. Not to the man who had selflessly given his all to protect their village time and time again. He was such a cherished member of their village that, when news of his illness broke, his home had been flooded with cards and flowers and meals. Even the Hokage, both the Sandaime and the Yondaime, personally came to visit him.

Naruto had told her that he overheard his father discussing plans of having his name placed somewhere original, somewhere that would show how much they all treasured Konoha's Uchiha Itachi.

Wiping her eyes to make sure there was no evidence of her moment of weakness, Sakura breathed deeply through her nose and finally pushed away from the wall, searching through the home until she found Mikoto, who was calmly cleaning the dishes in the kitchen. Her husband was sat at the table, body tense and features stern as ever, but she could see the faint twitch of his jaw as he clenched and unclenched it.

Her presence didn't do anything to help, either.

"What is it, Haruno?" Fugaku asked.

It didn't seem like Mikoto was about to pause in her job of cleaning the dishes, wanting to keep herself busy. Sakura sighed. "I'm sorry, but Itachi won't make it through the night."

The dish in her hand suddenly shattered and it was like she felt Mikoto's world shattering around her as the woman fell to her knees, all composure disappearing as she cried out into her now bloody hands.

Sakura was about to approach her, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder and when she looked over her shoulder, she found Sasuke, he was paler than usual and lips almost being torn off by his teeth. He refused to release his emotions, though and continued to hold her back.

She saw why as Fugaku broke out of his shock and joined his wife on the floor, bringing her to him and holding her close.

"Give them a minute," he ordered gruffly.

Reluctantly, Sakura followed the youngest Uchiha out of the kitchen, coming to a stop in the hallway.

"The Hokage has taken me off for an undetermined amount of time," Sasuke told her. His back was to her, but she could still hear the traitorous shake in his voice. "He wants me to take as much time as I need." Sakura nodded, quietly voicing her agreement. "I… didn't think it would be this soon."

"I know," she whispered, holding her emotions back with everything she had. "Itachi-san has asked that I stay with him until…" She swallowed hard and there was no stopping the single tear that slipped down her cheek. It was so much harder when it was someone you knew. So, so much harder and she now understood why Tsunade had set such strict rules at the hospital. "He wants you there, too."

A broken sounding scoff left him. "Like he could stop me."

For a moment, Sakura hesitated, but she then stepped forward. "I'm going to head back to Itachi-san's room. Are you coming?"

Like she had, he hesitated and then looked over his shoulder. They could no longer hear Mikoto's cries, but they knew it was only because she was muffling them, once more trying to stay strong for her children.

"What if I can't handle it?" His voice could only be described as lost.

"Itachi-san doesn't need you to be strong for him, Sasuke-kun," she told him. "He just needs his little brother there, by his side."

"And… You'll be there?"

"I promise."

When he didn't move, she reached out, taking his hand in hers and giving him a shaky, reassuring smile. Sasuke's reply was a simple nod before he allowed her to lead the way back to Itachi's room, pulling him along by their joined hands.

And then he froze mere inches from the door, eyes wide and breathing harsh as he sucked in large gulps of air. Since it was an expected reaction (she'd witnessed it so many times since starting work at the hospital), Sakura paused with him, remaining by his side as he fought hard to regain his composure, but when it became apparent that it wasn't going to happen anytime soon, he muttered for her to just open the door. It was as good as it was going to get.

She went straight to Itachi's side when they entered the room, checking him over with a medical eye before sighing inwardly. There wasn't much she could do. She was useless.

It was slowly that Sasuke sat down beside his brother's bed, his eyes heavy with sadness and pain as he also assessed the state he was in.

There wasn't much to talk about and the silence felt suffocating.

Itachi must have felt that way, too, because he asked, "Shisui, can you open a window?"

Then again, Itachi had always enjoyed nature. Like herself, he appreciated the beauty of it and everything that it represented. It was when he felt most at peace, when he was surrounded by nature. Unfortunately, they couldn't take him outside, so the best they could give him was the opening of the window and even then, that was an incredible risk for his weakened immune system.

But that hardly mattered considering tonight was his last night.

About half an hour later, Mikoto and Fugaku entered the room quietly, sitting down on either side of Sasuke. It would be a lie if Sakura said she'd never seen so much suffering before, because she had, but that didn't make it any easier. It never did.

Silently, Shisui knelt down beside her and she didn't comment on the fact that he was closer than usual. It wasn't unusual for people to seek comfort from another's presence when faced with death, whether it was their own death, or somebody close to them.

"Sasuke."

Dark eyes snapped to his older brother's face. "Yeah, nii-san?"

A small, wistful smile pulled at Itachi's dry and cracked lips. "I know you were always interested in my katana collection," he murmured slowly, taking careful breaths. "Please take care of them."

"I will," he vowed and sounded almost breathless at the fact he was being left with something Itachi took great pride in.

Then, hazy eyes drifted to Shisui and the older Uchiha sat up straighter, waiting intensely to hear his orders. "Sasuke will need to be trained in how to use them properly, as you know yourself that some vary in length and weight." He nodded once. "Please, train my brother just as you trained me. I know I can trust you to help him."

"Understood," came his rough reply. "I'll make sure he surpasses you."

His smile returned. "Good." Breathing in slowly, his hand reached out, shaking with the effort needed to take his mother's hand. "Thank you for everything, Mother, Father."

The woman's earlier tears were threatening to fill her eyes once more and Sakura couldn't even begin to understand what sort of pain she was going through. Witnessing the death of someone you loved was one thing, but the death of your own child was on a whole other level. She'd seen what it did to a parent to have to bury their child – it destroyed them and more often than not, they could never come back from it.

At the sound of his raspy breathing, Sakura's hands pressed lightly to his chest, lighting the room with a green glow as she targeted the damned illness, begging and praying to whoever was listening that they'd at least make his death painless.

They must have been listening for once and she pulled away slowly, surveying him for a moment.

The very first time Sakura had laid eyes on Uchiha Itachi was when she was just eight years old. He had been waiting outside of the Academy for Sasuke, seemingly unaware of that fact that he had all the girls in her class swooning at the mere sight of him. They were goners when they saw how he acted with Sasuke, how caring he was.

"I know we haven't always seen eye-to-eye, Father," he continued once the pain had been numbed, "but I have always admired you, which is why I always pushed myself in training. I wanted to make you proud."

Fugaku's eyes shut and his eyebrows pulled together harshly. Like in the kitchen, his jaw clenched and unclenched until he managed to reply, "You always have."

"Sakura-san." Her eyes widened as he addressed her, as she hadn't been expecting it. "Thank you for being my personal medic. Even when it is late at night, you have been at my beck and call."

"Of course I have," she murmured and breathed out shakily. "I consider you to be my friend not because your Sasuke-kun's older brother, but because you're a genuine, caring person!"

"I have those around me to thank for that."

Itachi stared up at the ceiling and she wondered if it was finally dawning on him that there was no coming back from this, because for a moment, there was a lapse in composure and his legendary mask slipped, revealing the wonderful, selfless young man that was beneath it as he smiled softly.

And then something dawned on her, filling her with pure horror as she grabbed his left wrist, feeling for his pulse. It was slow and weak.

He wouldn't even make it to the evening.

Shisui was the first one to catch on and his head lowered, teeth gritting harshly. The next were his parents when Mikoto felt his hold slacken, her eyes widening with fear. No matter how hard she held onto him, it didn't change anything, even when Fugaku wrapped both his hands around hers and his son's.

And as Itachi's breathed his final breath, Sasuke dropped his forehead to his brother's chest, his cry of pure agony echoing throughout the entire house.

"Time of death…" came her shaky, thick voice and her hands trembled as she looked down at her watch. "Fourteen-oh-three."

Sakura turned away just as a hand fell to her shoulder, burying her face into Shisui's chest to try and block out the sound of her best friend's cries, grateful that his arms aided by wrapping around her tightly.

It had been weeks since the death of Uchiha Itachi.

Most deaths went unnoticed, as they were such a large village that was growing bigger every day. However, they all felt Itachi's death like a blow to the gut and it was proof that it didn't matter how powerful you were, or what your status was. One way or another, they all met their matchmaker and they all ended up in the same place.

After the funeral, it became rare to see the main family of the Uchiha Clan. They kept to themselves so much that it was scary and they were all worried about them in their own individual ways.

Tsunade had commended her on her hard work and unwavering devotion, but it did nothing to ease the ache that never seemed to let up. Great, another award, more experience under her belt, all the while a young man who was supposed to be enjoying his life, wasn't. He was buried six feet underground and would never get to enjoy the things he loved anymore.

About a week after the funeral, Naruto had gone stomping into the district, determined on dragging Sasuke out of his pit for some well needed sparring. Halfway there, she, Kakashi and his own mother had used force to drag him back out, kicking and screaming.

Kushina had been fierce, downright terrifying, when she reprimanded him – no, screamed at him to grow the hell up and show some compassion. Mikoto and Fugaku lost their eldest son to a horrific illness that literally ate away at his organs. They weren't going to be in the mood to deal with his childish shit. And honestly, Sakura couldn't disagree with her. She'd been there.

Head banging and eyes aching, Sakura left the hospital. The fresh air was gratefully accepted, was breathed in greedily. Nowadays it was painful staying in that building for prolonged periods of time, because while it was still quiet and relatively empty, those that were there, were there for the same reasons: either extensive injuries, or to die. Anybody else was seen to and dealt with within an hour maximum, depending on who was treating them.

The funeral had been painfully beautiful, with thousands there to mourn his death and pay respects and it only proved how cherished Uchiha Itachi truly was. It proved that they all recognised the sacrifices he had made for him. And for the eulogy, along with the Hokage's speech, Fugaku had managed to reel in his composure, saying a short but sweet speech about his son, his pride, before walking away abruptly, unable to say anymore.

She hadn't seen Shisui during the funeral. Rumour had it, he was holed up in his home and nobody had seen him for weeks. It worried her and rightly so. She'd seen what he'd been like when Itachi first passed and had held him for hours once the disbelief had worn off.

Sasuke…

Something odd had happened to his eyes, but she wasn't too sure the others had seen it. For a split second, Sakura could have sworn that his Sharingan was activated, but it hadn't looked like the ordinary pattern of tomoe. She had heard rumours of the Sharingan being activated from stressful circumstances, so did that mean others levels were available to be unlocked? Surely that wasn't possible?

They probably already knew, but something nagged at her to tell someone. Some voice at the back of her mind was blaring a warning at her that he needed help, but why? Why did he need help?

It was dark out and the fact that there weren't any stars to be seen made it feel even darker, like they were totally alone in the universe. The thought was scary and made her feel lonelier than ever.

Tugging her jacket tighter around her body, Sakura breathed out slowly and began her walk home, to the one-bedroom apartment she rented. It was kind of out of the way, which was something she enjoyed, as it meant more peace and solitude when she needed it. It was something she needed a lot of recently.

The death of a patient always hit her hard, but the death of Itachi hit her so much harder than anything she'd ever experienced before. Not a day went by when she didn't think of him and how he was too young, had too much to experience and so much life to live, to be taken in such a cruel way. It never failed to make her tear up on a particularly stressful day, because what the hell did she have to be upset about? At least she was still had a life to live.

Sakura came to an abrupt stop, eyes going wide with shock, at the sight of a man standing opposite her apartment building, eyes fixated on the shop next to it. He looked haggard and pale, like he hadn't slept in weeks despite never being seen out of his home.

Until tonight.

She approached silently, slowly and frowned softly when he didn't look away from the shop.

"Shisui-san?"

"He loved dango," he murmured.

Itachi.

Her eyes saddened, drifting over to the small shop. It was part of the reason why she loved her apartment – the smell of fresh dango every day, filling her apartment with its homely, sweet scent. Add that to the peaceful area and it was perfect for her if you excluded the fact that she had no one to share it with.

"When we were kids, I always brought him here." His voice was rough and it sounded like he hadn't used it for a while. "We'd eat so much dango until we felt sick, until it became physically impossible to eat anymore."

It stunned her when tears filled his eyes and he bit his lip harshly, almost drawing blood and as soon as those tears fell, she grabbed his arm, tugging him towards her apartment building. Nothing was said as they made their way to her home, walking up the two flights of stairs until they reached it. Even when they entered her home, even as she helped him remove his shoes and take off his jacket, nothing was said.

But it didn't feel awkward. It felt like helping a friend who was going through an impossibly tough time, helping someone who needed it.

Shisui all but collapsed onto her sofa and while he leaned forward with his head in his hands, she went into the kitchen, grabbing two cups along with a bottle of sake Tsunade had bought her a while ago. It went untouched simply because she wasn't much of a drinker, but right now, it felt like one of those times when it was a must.

And Shisui certainly didn't argue with her decision when the cups were set onto the coffee table, immediately being filled with sake. It was strong stuff, Sakura noticed as she read the label on the bottle, though that was to be expected of someone like Tsunade. She was the kind of woman who scoffed at the weaker stuff, as all it ever did was waste her money. Over the years, she'd built up a terrifying tolerance for alcohol.

"You weren't at the funeral," she said softly while handing him his cup.

Its contents were gone in a second and Shisui grimaced as he slammed the cup down onto the table. "I couldn't handle it. I tried." He swallowed hard, fighting against the burn of the sake. "But I couldn't make it any further than his house."

Of course. Shisui lived further into the district than Itachi had. He would have had to walk past his home in order to leave the district. "Take it easy with this stuff or you'll be on your ass." He didn't reply to that, merely waited until the cup was refilled before downing that, too. Sighing, she copied, though waited a few minutes before pouring herself another, forcing him to wait, too. "Asking if you're okay is a stupid question, right?"

Another chug. Another slam. "What do you think?"

Honestly, if he kept that up, he seriously would be on his ass – out on the cold street, too, because she sure as hell wasn't having him throwing it all back up over her apartment. It would stink for weeks afterwards, that had been proven once before by Ino, who had once stumbled into her home because she didn't want to face her parents while so recklessly drunk.

On her third cup, she began to feel the buzz kicking in and one glance at Shisui told her that he was long lost to the drunken haze. It made her wonder if he'd started drinking earlier. She sighed and tried several times to talk about something different, something that would take his mind off the ache in his heart, but nothing seemed to work until she brought up Sasuke.

"Poor kid," he slurred, the cup in his hand tipping. Warily, she eyed her rug, hoping and praying he wouldn't spill sake on it. "He practically worshipped Itachi. Can't imagine what he's feeling."

"I know," Sakura agreed quietly, her eyes downcast. "I thought I saw his Sharingan activated just after…"

"Oh?" He paused in chugging down another mouthful of sake, raising an eyebrow at her.

She frowned. He hadn't noticed? Then again, they'd all been wrapped up in their guilt. "Yeah. It looked different, though. Like…"

Something shifted in his eyes, the colour warping into red and black, before again swirling to a completely new design. "Like this?"

Her breath left her like a punch to the gut. So the rumours of Uchiha Shisui's eyes were true, then. They practically oozed power. "Yeah…" she replied breathlessly. It was stunning. "A different design, but yeah."

"Can't say I'm surprise." He turned away and poured himself another cup, Sharingan deactivating immediately.

"What does it mean?"

"It means he experienced a grief like you can't even imagine, enough that it caused a manifestation. It affected his Sharingan, taking it to a whole other level. His eyes have surpassed Itachi's, now. Though…" He looked thoughtful for a brief moment. "I suppose Itachi knew that would happen."

The katana collection wasn't the only reason why he wanted Shisui to train Sasuke. Sakura allowed a wry smile to curve her lips and she shook her head. "Always one step ahead, huh?"

Shisui chuckled. "He was thinking like a Hokage at the age of seven, so it shouldn't surprise me."

Thinking like a Hokage at… She looked at Shisui with wide eyes. "You're kidding."

"Nope." He grinned proudly, yet wistfully. "That kid bested everyone I know."

"Amazing," she murmured, still in a state of shock.

The grin faded as quickly as it had appeared, leaving him looking as though he was feeling hollow on the inside, like something massive was missing. "He wanted to become Hokage. Dreamed of it ever since he was a kid."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Another cup of sake went down. Followed by another. The flush on his cheeks was hard to miss, as was the increased slur in his speech. "Never mentioned it often or kicked up a fuss about it, but I could tell it meant a lot to him."

It was sad to know that his dream had never become a reality. However, he was being remembered as someone who was at the level of Hokage, if not even greater. The only reason why his name wasn't being engraved into the Hokage's Cenotaph, was merely because it had never been official and it would screw up the history books for children in the Academy. Not only that, but despite how amazing he had been, Itachi was never Hokage.

Shisui breathed in deeply, like he was fighting an impossible battle for composure. "I feel like I'm missing an arm, or something."

And that was when he broke down. Whether it was because of the alcohol or because it was the first time in weeks that he'd left his home and faced the fact that his best friend was well and truly gone, Uchiha Shisui broke down in her apartment.

He cried like a lost child and when she reached out for him, he fell against her with his face buried in her neck and his arms holding her with impressive, bordering on painful strength, but she didn't complain. Not when he needed it.

She shushed him gently, her fingers running through his hair in a tender way, in the same way her mother had often done for her as a child when she'd been upset. It aided in calming him after a while, as did the soft rocking motion. Even when the loud wails of intense anguish subsided, he continued to hold onto her, to breathe in her scent and seek her comfort, soaking it up completely.

The only thing she'd been totally unprepared for was the sudden feeling of his lips on her neck. It was a single brush of his lips, one that could be pushed aside as an accident, but then it happened again. And again. And again until Sakura realised those lips were making a trail upwards, making their way up to her jaw, down to her chin and then finally, to her lips.

His eyes were shut as his parted lips hovered over hers and she could smell the strong, unmistakable stench of sake on his breath.

"Shisui-san…" she whispered, unable to make her voice any louder. "You don't want this."

"I do," came his soft reply. It stunned her to hear such vulnerability so clear in his voice. "I need this, Sakura. I need you."

Sakura. He'd called her Sakura without any added honorific.

The kiss wasn't sweet or romantic. It wasn't beautiful or perfect. It was heart-shatteringly painful, conveying all of his hurt as Shisui pushed her down and into the sofa, leaning over her on his elbows as he followed.

Body pressing down onto hers and his lips insistent and rough, Sakura allowed herself to get lost in it all, not stopping him as he shoved her skirt up around her waist, as he pushed his pants and underwear down in rough jerking motions. She didn't even stop him when he yanked on her underwear until the fabric became stretched and loose enough to be pushed aside comfortably.

It was painful. It hurt like hell both physically and emotionally, but she knew it felt so much worse for him. It was like she could feel everything he was feeling in that moment. All of his grief, all of his sorrow and anguish. She could feel how empty he felt inside.

Her arms came around his shoulders, bringing him down and her legs wrapped around his waist. The force of his thrusts had her body jerking upwards, had the top of her head repeatedly banging against the arm of her sofa, but it felt wrong to try and change position, like it would break the moment entirely and they would never get it back.

And soon enough, pain made way for pleasure and she buried her face into his shoulder, unable to hold back the moan that left her bruised and swollen lips. It would hurt in the morning, part of her warned darkly. It would hurt more ways than one. But it didn't stop her from whispering encouragements into his ear, didn't stop her hand from trailing down to his ass, gripping it tightly as she met his thrust halfway.

Arm going beneath her, his hand grabbed her shoulder, holding her still as he let loose completely, thrusts becoming wild and without rhythm, leaving her unable to do anything but hold on and cry out in a mixture of pain and pleasure.

Then finally, with trembling hips, he met his finish line and collapsed on top of her, totally spent and breathing harshly, like he'd just gone through a devastatingly brilliant experience.

She shut her eyes, panting for breath and fingers once more running through his hair. It didn't matter that he hadn't brought her to orgasm. Something like that seemed rather pointless in a moment like this.

But then that moment shattered and he sat up onto his knees, eyes going wide as it hit him suddenly.

"I'm sorry." His hands came up to his face, shielding his eyes before he rubbed at his face roughly, angrily. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm so, so sorry. I-"

Tiredly, her hand fisted in his shirt and she used her enhanced strength to bring him back down on top of her, where she then wrapped her arms around him comfortingly.

"It's okay, Shisui." It felt appropriate to drop the honorific, considering all that had just happened. "You needed it."

His face was once more pressed into her neck. "But you…"

"Needed it, too," she murmured.

There was a single nod, followed by an uncomfortable pause. "Do you want me to leave, or…?"

Her eyes drifted open, staring up at her ceiling. "Do you want to leave?"

"No." He sighed and his weight increased, like he'd given up completely. "I don't want to be alone."

"Stay as long as you need to, whenever you want to." Her heart felt heavy for him, as she knew what that loneliness felt like. "I'm here for you."

Slowly, his arms came around her and he twisted them around so that they were on their sides, still facing one another. Dark eyes assessed her features, warming and she found that he was still very much under the influence, because he suddenly told her, "You've always been a beautiful woman, Haruno Sakura. Your heart's more beautiful-er, though."

A teasing, tired smirk lifted her lips. "That's not a word, Shisui."

"Hn." He shut his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers. "It is now."

"If you say so." Their breathing slowed, exhaustion taking over.

There was absolutely no sympathy in her as she brought the plate and glass down onto the coffee table with an unnecessary bang and when the shinobi who had been sleeping soundly on her sofa jolted, sitting up, she smiled sweetly.

"Sakura-"

"Eat up, Shisui," she ordered, hands on hips. "You need your strength."

His own hand came up to his head and Shisui winced, eyes filling with regret and pain. "Man, my head hurts."

"Oh?" He thought his head hurt? A measly hangover was nothing compared to the pain between her thighs – something she was doing her best to ignore. It hadn't been her first time, but it felt like it was. Her earlier examination while in the shower found a couple of tears, which she mended immediately. Still, she didn't blame him and widened her sweet smile. "Would you like to compare?"

A heavy blush stained his cheeks. "About last night…"

Her smile dimmed and Sakura sighed, sitting down beside him. "How about we leave the heavy stuff for another time, Shisui?" When he looked down at her, frowning, she did her best to reassure him with her expression. "Right now we should focus on getting through the day, right?"

The frown on his face deepened and he glanced back at the breakfast she had prepared for him. Not for the first time, it made her assess his appearance critically, with a medic's eye, and she wondered when the last time he ate was. It certainly explained how he got so drunk so easily – they hadn't even finished the bottle.

"Thank you, but I'm not-"

"Don't tell me you're not hungry, Shisui." Her sickly sweet smile returned. "I've dealt with difficult patients before and force fed many of them. Just because you're not my patient, it won't stop me from doing the same now."

"Why are you doing this?" He sighed deeply.

Again, the smile dimmed until it faded away to nothing and Sakura also sighed, looking out of her window. It was way past nine in the morning now, though because she was in such a peaceful area of the village, they couldn't even hear the market. All they could hear was the occasional person walking by, or the sounds of the door to the dango shop beside her apartment building opening and closing.

Her eyes saddened. "You promised Itachi-san you would help Sasuke-kun, Shisui." She heard his breath leave him like he'd been punched and she met his gaze once more, unsurprised to see that his eyes were wide. "But right now, you need help, too. So to help you keep your final promise to Itachi-san, I want to help you as best as I can."

Shisui chuckled humourlessly and scratched the back of his head, eyes downcast. "You really do have a beautiful heart, you know."

To try and lighten the mood, she asked teasingly, "Is it more beautiful-er than my appearance?"

Another blushed raged across his cheeks and it amused her to see that he was so easy to tease, as it certainly wasn't what she would have expected after hearing all the rumours about him. According to the villagers, Uchiha Shisui was supposed to be an emotionless robot who was an unstoppable force, someone who was one of the greatest prodigies to come from the Uchiha Clan, someone who was rumoured to have eyes almost as powerful as the Uchiha Madara's.

"Thank you for being there last night, Sakura," Shisui murmured, the blush draining. "But you don't have to do this."

"Have to?" she repeated and then tapped her chin, appearing thoughtful. "Have to… Nope. I'm not doing this because I have to." Green eyes met black and she gave him a small smile. "I'm doing this because Itachi-san would appreciate someone looking out for his best friend. Not only that, but…"

He frowned. "But?"

She smiled again. This time, it was less forced and genuine. "But because I like you, Shisui. You're the total opposite of what everyone makes you out to be and I don't want you to wither away like a wilting flower. There's nothing more tragic."

Again, Shisui looked away and back at the food, sighing as he did so. "I honestly don't have much of an appetite, Sakura. I don't mean to offend you, but I…"

Sakura nodded in understanding. Even though her cooking wasn't the best in the world, she knew it wasn't because of that, that Shisui was rejecting the food. She knew how that hollowness inside made a person feel, after both experiencing it and witnessing it.

"After how much you drank last night, you have to understand that I can't let you leave without at least eating something." Just when he was about to argue, she cut him off, saying, "So how about we eat half each?"

Shisui sighed, but resigned to her request, slowly picking up the chopsticks and breaking them apart. After watching him take the first bite, she swiftly stood and left the living room, grabbing an extra pair of chopsticks from the kitchen before joining him once more. It looked like he was genuinely struggling with breakfast and it had her expression saddening again.

"Have you eaten much in the past few weeks, Shisui?" He shook his head. "You haven't left the house much either, have you?" Another shake of his head. "You know… If it helps any…" She slowed in reaching for another bite of food, unable to meet his questioning gaze. "I haven't been coping too well, either."

When there was no reply, she sighed and sat back into the sofa, lowering her chopsticks to her thighs. "I know I didn't know Itachi-san very well, but in the months that I was his personal medic, it was like I saw a side to him that outsiders couldn't see, you know?" There was a nod. "It's against hospital rules… but I started viewing Itachi-san as more than a patient. I saw him as a friend and…" Tears threatened to fill her eyes. "It hurts so much that I couldn't stop it, that I couldn't do anything."

Like she had, Shisui gave up with eating, placing his chopsticks down onto the plate as he joined her in sitting back against the sofa. Vaguely, Sakura wondered if he could smell the faint scent of sex on it, too, but if he could, then Shisui didn't say anything about it.

"Nobody blames you for being unable to cure him, Sakura," he murmured softly. "We all… Eventually, we accepted it for how it was, despite how much it hurt. In fact, I've only heard positive things about you from his family. Before he passed, Mikoto-san wanted to thank you somehow, for working so tirelessly with them, but…" She saw his jaw clench, saw how the muscles in his neck strained and she could tell that his throat was burning. "They're not exactly…"

In any mood to thank her just yet. Sakura knew that already, but was thankful that he tried to comfort her. Absentmindedly, her fingers played with the chopsticks in her hand, twirling them around and around expertly and they were both transfixed by the blur of movement.

Then, he smiled wistfully. "I understand why Itachi chose you as his personal medic, now."

It hadn't been because Sasuke recommended her? Sakura frowned and the chopstick came to an abrupt halt, being caught between two of her fingers. "Oh?"

"You're soothing." His eyes met hers and she saw the lightness in them. "And you're right, too."

"I always am," she replied teasingly. "What am I right about this time, though?"

He smirked tiredly. "I need to be there for Sasuke. It's my final promise to him – no, it was his final request to me."

Concern laced her features. "Perhaps so, but right now, you need to take care of yourself, too. You can't be shouldering Sasuke-kun's pain on top of your own."

"You mean how you're shouldering mine on top of your own?"

Damn. He had her there. Even still, she had to try and argue with him. Their pain was far greater than hers – it would be too much for him to handle alone. "Shisui, please. Itachi-san wouldn't expect this of you so soon."

Instead of listening, Shisui huffed and stood up, only to sway suddenly and Sakura could tell in that single moment that the past weeks were catching up on him. Last night's activities wouldn't be helping, either.

Sighing just as the backs of his legs hit the sofa, she stood up and stopped his loss of balance by wrapping her arms around his middle, holding him up and in place. His hand came to her shoulder, more than likely about to push her away, but then that grip tightened and she felt his cheek pressing against the top of her head.

When his arms wrapped around her tightly, she sighed. "I hope you know that I'm not going to leave you alone. Even if you tell me to go away, I won't."

His voice was low, almost rough, as he replied with clear exhaustion, "Has anyone ever told you how stubborn you are?"

"Many times." Despite wanting to see his expression at that moment, instinct told her to keep hold of him. It would ruin what was happening between them, otherwise. "If you're really so intent on helping Sasuke-kun right now, then please let me help you at the same time, Shisui."

"Why?" His voice was even quieter now and there was a soft shake to it. The hand closest to her hip tangled in her shirt as the grip grew tighter. "Why would you go so far for me?"

"I told you already, Shisui!" Shutting her eyes to block out their surroundings, she told him, "I like you. I like who you are. I like that you're completely different than what people make you out to be."

"Sakura…"

"You don't have to answer it just yet. You're still grieving and it wouldn't be fair to demand answers, but just know, Shisui…" Turning her head, she pressed her forehead to his chest. His scent wasn't pleasant. He smelled like a man who'd been drinking too much, like a man who hadn't been able to find the strength to shower. "I have always admired you, even back before I saw the real you."

Hesitantly, warily, the hand gripping her shirt loosened, slowly trailing up her back until his fingers began to play with the ends of her hair. She wished more than anything that she could read his mind. "I don't feel like I can bounce back from this one. I never imagined…"

"Then lean on me as much as you need to!" Sakura all but begged. "I mean it, Shisui. You can borrow my strength for as long as you need. Just please promise me one thing."

Her hair slipped from his fingers. "What is it?"

"Please try to take care of yourself." When he raised his head, she raised hers, settling him with a deadpan as she drawled, "You stink."

Shisui also deadpanned. "Give me a break, Sakura, it's been a rough few weeks."

"And you couldn't find it in yourself to shower?" Rolling her eyes, she pulled away, but soon grabbed his hand and dragged him in the direction of her bathroom. "Come on, you can use my bath and while you're washing away who knows how many weeks of dirt, I'll wash your clothes for you, too."

There was no use in resisting her, she could tell that he figured that out. Hopefully he could understand that she was trying to make the mood lighter for him, too. Like she'd told him: it wasn't fair to spring everything on him while he was so vulnerable.

Her feelings had always remained hidden beneath her professional persona, masked beneath her concern and determination to take care of Itachi. However, as she watched Shisui working just as hard to take care of his best friend, there was no denying that her heart had skipped a few beats just before it continuously broke for them all. It wasn't fair of her, but she had secretly leaned on Shisui during those healing sessions.

Was it why she had sought comfort from him when Itachi had passed away? Was it why she cried into his chest, instead of seeking comfort from Sasuke, who was also in pain?

"You really don't have to do that-"

A small smile graced her lips. Fortunately, they would have plenty of time to explore whatever it was that was growing between them. It hadn't been until last night that Sakura even realised she felt anything towards Uchiha Shisui. Maybe it was fate that had her move into the apartment building beside the dango store he and Itachi had often frequented? Maybe it was fate that she had happened to find him standing opposite said shop last night?

Only time would tell.

"Don't be such a prude!" she scolded and suddenly shoved him into her bathroom, following shortly and shutting the door behind them. "Are you forgetting what happened last night? Not to mention you fell asleep with your pants around your knees. Did you think they magically pulled themselves up?"

A heavy blush stained his cheeks, travelling to the tips of his ears and the back of his neck. "I… didn't think of that."

"Precisely." Stepping over to her bath, she switched on the water, waiting until it was hot before shoving the plug in. "Now, strip. I'll see if I can get rid of that stench from your clothes."

Yes, time would tell, but for now, his heart needed healing.

Don't worry, Itachi-san. I'll take good care of him for you, but also for him, too. I'll lend him my strength so that he can keep that promise!