Waiting was a scary game, Fugaku realized. The passing time only amplified the stress that came with waiting. He didn't know what news to expect, and each second that ticked by only made him more anxious as all kinds of thoughts and possibilities ran through his head. Sasuke had mentioned that the operation would be dangerous, but it was the only solution to the poison coursing through Itachi's veins.

Hours passed, and there was still no word from the operating room. Fugaku supposed no news was good news - it meant that the doctors and medics were still trying, and most importantly, it meant his son was still fighting. The three Uchiha sat there in silence. Mikoto, with nothing to do, reached into the bag of fruit she'd brought, and began cutting an apple. She accidentally pricked herself on the tip of the knife in her absentmindedness. Alarmed, Fugaku snatched the knife away, asking the receptionist if a medic could be spared to heal his wife's cut. The receptionist said no, but offered a band-aid and an alcohol wipe from a drawer instead, saying that those tools should suffice. Fugaku offered a stiff thank you and returned to his seat, swiftly cleaning Mikoto's wound and then wrapping it with the band-aid. He then began cutting the apple himself, and split it into thirds, offering the bigger slices to his wife and son.

They each nibbled at their respective slices, watching patients fill the waiting room, ride the elevator upon getting called, and then leave a while later. This happened several times.

And each time a staff member walked out into the lobby, three pairs of eyes shifted to see who it was that came out. None of them were Sakura, so their eyes slid back down to the ground in front of them.

He sat there quietly as his wife fell asleep on his shoulder, and his son slumped back into his chair and nodded off. But he remained alert, waiting for news. He was awake when they roused, offering them water to quench their thirst and fruit to ease their hunger. And then, they all continued to wait together. Barely a word was exchanged between them. Only the clock above their heads ticked loudly, counting down the time until they would know whether or not Itachi would live or die.

The time gave Fugaku plenty of time to reflect, and in that time he realized that he had misjudged Sakura horribly, and he couldn't help but feel a strange sensation in his chest. It was one he never felt often - guilt.

To be quite honest, he'd written off the message he'd received from the hospital, which said that Itachi was gravely wounded and would remain there for the next several days, as a mistake. His son Itachi was a shinobi on an entirely different level from everyone else. He was not the type to be found half-dead against a tree with almost no chakra. He thought it had been either a mistake, or some kind of ploy for Itachi to stay away from home, therefore avoiding his meeting with Uchiha Kaori.

But when Sasuke had found the message and recognized the script as Sakura's handwriting, the household had been thrown into a panic. Sasuke vouched for her, saying that she was by all means a perfectionist when it came to her medical duties, and would not lie or make a mistake with a message as important as this, which could only mean that Itachi had indeed been found half-dead against a tree with no chakra, and was awaiting his fate at the hospital. After reasoning this out, his face had paled, and he ran off to the hospital first despite the patriarch's protests.

Once Sasuke had left the house, Mikoto sat with Fugaku for a serious conversation. She had blatantly asked him if he even cared about their son's life. After all, he was still sitting there calmly and sipping at his tea. He responded, saying that while he cared, he did not trust Sakura, and this was no doubt a ruse created her and their son to escape his clan duties, and they therefore had no reason to leave for the hospital. Exasperatedly, his wife snapped back, saying that even if their son did not care much for being the heir, it was awful to assume that a message as drastic as this was false. He was just as human as everyone else, and out in the field, anything was possible. Even their son, who was an elite shinobi, could get hurt under the right circumstances. She'd begged him to throw away his stubborn Uchiha pride for a moment and look at the situation realistically. They were a family first and foremost, and needed to go to the hospital to see him.

He remained quiet, skeptical until a slug summon appeared on their table with a personal note from the Hokage, who offered her deepest condolences, and promised that the hospital was doing everything in its power to heal him.

Death was the shinobi's trade, and Fugaku knew just as well as any other shinobi that on a mission, anything could happen. It was normal to be injured and maimed. That was the very nature of their work. But he still had a hard time believing it. The Uchiha, Itachi especially, were too good for death. When he'd been hit by the realization that Itachi was actually hospitalized after reading the Hokage's note, all of the preconceptions he'd been developing for the past few years quickly began to crumble. His son was close to dying.

Deep down, beyond his surface level accusations of Sakura's greed for status, he had suspected his son's relationship with her was another form of rebellion against his destiny as the head of the Uchiha clan. Itachi was going to be the best clan leader the Uchiha had ever seen, and Fugaku would not allow him to lose sight of that. Naturally, the pressure on his son was massive, as he had been educated day in and day out on the inner workings of the clan and its history. His youth had been invested in one thing and one thing only - to be the best - and it had paid off, his talents developing far faster than anyone expected. And naturally, he would need a partner just as impressive as he was. In the past, Itachi had been introduced to several potential partners the clan elders had approved of, and had refused all of them without a second glance. That never discouraged other Uchiha women from trying to gain the clan heir's favor. So, it had stricken Fugaku as peculiar that he would enter a relationship with Sakura, who came from a no-name family and was teammates with Sasuke. It was all a little too convenient, and was probably just another step beyond ditching clan meetings by taking on mission after mission. To Fugaku, they were simply two acquaintances who'd made a deal. It had made perfect sense to him to imagine that the Hokage's apprentice was just another, better reason to leave the house and his duties, as well as postpone any other marriage meetings. And when Itachi had promised marriage with the girl, Fugaku had considered that a strategy to shift focus to Sasuke as the future clan leader, since the elder son was too stubborn to settle down and comply.

But now? Now, he wasn't so sure.

After seeing her red, puffy eyes, accentuated by deep shadows, and her disheveled appearance and unmatched clothes, he could tell the girl hadn't slept or gone home in a long time. She looked awful and smelled strongly of coffee, undoubtedly pushing herself to the limit while shouldering the monumental task of healing Itachi. He imagined that no mere acquaintance would go to these lengths to ensure his son's survival. The physical toll was evident with her appearance. Yet he was surprised when she had grasped his hand and offered hope and strength while there had been so little to begin with.

She should've hated him, or disliked him at least. He probably didn't deserve the kindness she had shown. Fugaku had no doubt that she'd heard the worst of his criticisms and accusations against her, but she had comforted him, promising that Itachi would be healed in their wordless exchange.

He had not expected such spirit from her, and he wondered about her past. Admittedly, he still didn't know much about her aside from the fact that she came from a civilian family, was the Hokage's apprentice, and was Sasuke's team mate. He never took much interest in learning about her.

So as the sun set outside, Fugaku broke the silence and asked Sasuke to tell him about Sakura, of whom he knew little about. He simply sat there, absorbing the information and stories that his son recounted. It was then that he truly understood her stubborn, steadfast spirit, and held a new kind of respect for her. She wanted nothing more than to be able to stand by her teammates' side and protect them as they would for her, and had poured all of her energy into mastering her craft and fighting skills. She had built herself from nothing, saved her teammates several times, and was now close to surpassing even Tsunade.

Sakura was not the devious, crafty girl he'd thought her to be. Now, Fugaku could see what Itachi had seen in her - a loyal, prideful, and stubbornly strong woman. Perhaps Mikoto was right - maybe Itachi truly liked this girl. Maybe their relationship was real, and not just a fabrication to escape duties. And maybe - just maybe - his relationship with his son would be smoother if he hadn't questioned it and the girl's intentions every step of the way. All he'd ever thought about was how Itachi might use his skills to best serve the clan, and in the process, had lost sight of his son as a person.

It was disappointing to know that now, only when his son was on his potential deathbed, he'd realized this.

"I shouldn't have pushed him so hard," Fugaku said slowly.

Sasuke shook his head. "You were only doing what you thought was right. I'm sure Itachi knows that, too."

"He is strong," Mikoto added, holding his hand reassuringly. "And he's in Sakura's capable hands. Believe in her. We'll see him again, and you can tell him yourself."

And they all continued to wait together.

At long last, after they all lost count of the hours they'd spent in the hospital, waiting for news about their family member, a haggard Sakura staggered into the lobby. Her chakra levels were extremely low, sweat beaded along her hairline, and she could barely stand, but her face wore the spirit of triumph.

Sasuke hurried over to sling her arm around his shoulder and help her stand. Gratefully, she latched on, letting her friend take the brunt of her weight.

"It was a success," she grinned. "He'll live. It might take a while for him to wake up, but he'll live."

Mikoto's eyes immediately teared up, and she buried her face in Fugaku's chest, soaking his robes with her tears, but he held her there, letting his clothes muffle her crying.

The weight that'd been taking hold of Fugaku had lifted off his shoulders.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you."

For the next several days, Sasuke, Mikoto, and Fugaku lived in Itachi's hospital room, keeping watch over him. According to Sakura, his mind had most likely undergone a lot of shock; the first aid and the poison extraction she'd performed had both been hard on his body. But rest assured, she'd said patiently and calmly several times despite their numerous questions and concerns, it was now just a matter of time. His body was healed, and his brain just needed to catch up. They all waited with anticipation.

The day when it finally happened, Mikoto had been watching while Fugaku and Sasuke slept.

"Itachi!" Her startled cry awoke both of them, and they jumped in surprise to see that Itachi was sitting upright, a hand gripped over his chest. He cringed in pain as he flexed his fingers and shifted his body.

Immediately, all three family members were by his side, and it was like they could finally breathe again.

"Where am I?" Dazed, he gripped his head.

"Sakura saved your life," she exclaimed. "She brought you to the hospital."

As Sasuke and Mikoto showered him with questions and hugs, respectively, Fugaku let out a sigh of relief. His family would remain whole. He watched them embrace and allowed a the tiniest hint of a smile to creep to his lips. Itachi's eyes met his as he did so, and Fugaku gleaned the slightest hint of surprise.

"You had us worried," he finally said while maintaining their eye contact.

"Ah." Itachi laid a comforting hand on his mother and brother's shoulders and mirrored his father's subtle smile with a gentle smile of his own. "I apologize."

He then resumed speaking with Mikoto and Sasuke about what he remembered and how he was feeling.

As Fugaku watched over his family, in the peripherals of his senses, he detected a presence outside the door.

He turned and opened the door to find Sakura, who had been leaning against the wall outside the room's entrance. Surprised, she jumped and stood straight. She quickly brought a hand to her cheek and wiped away what had been a tear.

"He's awake?" She whispered.

Fugaku nodded.

"That's a relief. I'll see when I can get him discharged," she said, the smile on her face a little too tight to be natural. She turned away, her feet shuffling on the ground.

"Wait."

She stopped in her tracks. Her tiny frame was trembling.

"Go see him."

Her frame shook even more, so she rested a fist over her chest in an effort to calm herself down. "Itachi should spend his first waking moments with family. I can wait just a bit longer."

"I insist."

She whipped around, shocked, verdant eyes searching his face to see if he meant it.

He nodded with no hesitation. She had seen him through the entire process, and was the reason why he was still alive.

She blinked and stumbled past him into the room without asking further questions, and he followed.

As she entered the room, Itachi's quiet murmur stopped. They looked at each other, the whole world fading away around them. Mikoto and Sasuke had stepped off to the side.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she ran forward into Itachi's open arms where she cried hysterically into his shirt, blubbering about how she'd been so scared, and that she'd doubted herself at several moments along the way. Garbled words flooded endlessly from her as she sobbed, remembering how awful he looked when she found him under that tree that day, and how she felt like the world was ending when they'd discovered poison in his system. She bawled, recounting how the poison extraction had been difficult, and how Itachi, in his sleep, had struggled against their attempts to hold him down. There had been times when his heart had almost stopped, and she had no choice but to continue with the procedure and hope for the best. She'd been so scared. And Itachi was there to soothe her, whispering words of comfort that were for her and only her, and holding her as tightly as he could. He pressed gentle kisses along her brow and wiped her tears away with gentle hands, muttering about how she'd been so strong all by herself while carrying such a heavy burden. A warmth crept into his son's eyes as she threatened to punch his lights out if he ever scared her like that again.

Fugaku didn't remember when his elder son had started smiling like that. He looked so … happy. That was surprising for the patriarch, as he only ever saw his Itachi with a serious expression.

Fugaku watched the two of them, and finally understood. The relationship had never been an excuse. They truly loved each other. Itachi had been completely serious when he threatened to leave the clan for her, and Fugaku could clearly see why. There was undoubtedly no one better for his elder son than Haruno Sakura; they would be an unstoppable duo. He had to hand it to Itachi. He always knew what he wanted, and would pursue it until the very end, even if the world seemed to be against him.

Fugaku breathed a sigh of defeat. The clan elders would not be happy with his decision.

Itachi had finally been discharged from the hospital, and was spending some time at home. His mother fussed over him day in and out, even if he was completely fine. The house was either too hot or too cold, and it always had to be at the perfect temperature for their son. Sasuke watched over Itachi in his own way by staying at home and refusing missions in the meantime. And Sakura would visit every now and then, joining the family for dinner. All things seemed peaceful, but the words that Fugaku had exchanged with his son still weighed heavily on his heart.

He had been sitting out on the porch, sipping a cup of tea and observing his backyard.

"Itachi." He called for his son, who was walking in the hall behind him. "Join me."

Quietly, Itachi folded his legs beside his father, and stared out at the grass. Fugaku poured some tea into a spare cup beside his, and gestured for Itachi to drink. Long, slender fingers cradled the cup. The drink remained untouched.

"I've cancelled the arrangement with Uchiha Kaori."

Probably being cautious, Itachi still stared straight ahead.

"I respect whatever decision you choose to make," he continued. "Even if you decide to leave the clan to pursue your happiness… I will not protest."

Fugaku took another sip of his tea, "I didn't realize it before in my pursuit to choose what was right for you. I misjudged you and the Hokage's apprentice, and let hatred cloud my judgment, and I will not make that mistake again. From now on, make your choices without bearing the guilt I've imparted on you. Whatever choice you make, I will defend it."

It hurt to utter those words. Of course, he would prefer if Itachi stayed, but after his brush with death, Fugaku decided Mikoto had been right. They were a family first.

Itachi rose, but not before drinking his tea in full. "Thank you, Father. I'll think it over."

But before he could get too far, Fugaku stopped him again.

"Itachi."

"Yes?"

"You are extremely lucky to have someone like Haruno Sakura."

An amused glint appeared in Itachi's eyes. "I know."

"Thank you so much for helping out," Sakura said, handing Fugaku and Mikoto bags of supplies. "We don't know what we'd do without you."

She leaned down towards the swaddled form in Mikoto's arms and cooed. "Be a good boy, ok?"

The bundle gurgled happily at her words.

"It's our pleasure! And we don't worry - we understand." Mikoto beamed, cuddling with the bundle.

"Sakura, are you ready?" Itachi emerged from a hallway of the house. "We don't want to be late."

"I'm ready."

Itachi approached his mother and readjusted the folds of the blanket she held. Curious, small hands emerged from the folds and grasped at his pointer finger, and he chuckled. "See you soon, Kazumi."

With that, he gently extracted his captive hand, interlaced his fingers with Sakura's, and turned for the door. "The clan meeting should not last more than a few hours. We will return once it's finished."

"Hopefully we don't hear too many complaints from the elders today," Sakura scowled. "It always drags the meetings on for so long."

Itachi smiled. "Yes, but you'll argue with them anyway."

"Ugh, you know me too well. I already know I'm going be giving the one with the beard a piece of my mind today."

They gave one final wave to the former matriarch and patriarch of the clan and walked away, hand in hand.

"Bye, Itachi, Sakura!" Mikoto closed the door behind them, and shot a pride-filled look at her husband. "They're doing just fine, aren't they."

Despite the clan elders' protests, Fugaku had staunchly advocated Sakura's addition into the family, and now, they faced her stubborn self head on. For the past 2 years, the couple had taken up the mantle of the Uchiha clan, leading by example and challenging the beliefs of old, like advocating for the clan to be more involved with the village.

"Hn." Fugaku wouldn't admit it out loud, but the pair was indeed doing a fine job. After they had a serious discussion about their future, they'd decided to lead the Uchiha after all. It would be hard, but they both wanted to improve the clan for the sake of their future children. Their children deserved to know their heritage, clan, and family, and leaving the Uchiha name behind would not allow for that. With Itachi's tact and Sakura's determination, there was no doubt that in Fugaku's mind that they would be able to implement the changes they wanted.

"Dear?" Mikoto held out the bundle in her arms and grinned. "Isn't our grandson so cute?"

Two years ago, Fugaku would have been against this. He would've sworn that joining the Uchiha clan with outsiders would taint the bloodline, a stance that'd been strongly alleged by the elders, and one that he'd believed wholeheartedly for several years. But now, as he reached for his grandson and held him close, observing his signature Uchiha black hair and the flecks of deep green in his sleepy eyes, he just didn't think that was true.

Just from looking, he could already tell that Kazumi would be a strong, talented shinobi like his parents. And he was already proud to call him an Uchiha.