Dark Truths Undiscovered

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. Nor do I own the songs used within.


A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I love you guys. Don;t forget the next dose of lemony goodness is for you guys!

Time passed in a slow procession of time for them. Sakura tending her patients, Naruto seeing to other matters. They barely spoke. But each night he would come to her, curl his body around hers and lover her until the sun broke from it’s prison in the sea once more.

She understood on some level. His mind was in turmoil, as hers was. But there was no blame. Not between them. They took turns sitting with Sasuke, who had not awakened yet, though Sakura could really see no reason why.

They would whisper to him in soft tones, sharing secrets and nonsensical stories of the past. They were team 7 again, if only in spirit and they would make certain he understood how deeply that bond ran.

Itachi had long since left his bed, moving freely around the ship, his black eyes staring out towards the port that no one could see yet. He never brought up the subject to Sakura again, preferring to give her time to work things out on her own.

He was somewhat surprised that the blonde shinobi had not confronted him yet, for he held no illusions that Sakura would keep his request a secret. Indeed she couldn’t, for Naruto was as much a part of it as she. So Itachi did what he did so well. He waited, waited for the wind to turn in his direction. And it would, he knew that.

Three days later when Naruto stalked up to him on deck, he was not shocked, “I expected you sooner Naruto.” he said.

The blonde glared at the Uchiha, “She told me” he said hotly.

The older man inclined his head, “I knew she would. You are also part of this you know.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why’d you do it? She said you want a child!”

“Her child… yes.”

“Why her? Knowing everything about us, what he put her through.. .how can you ask it of her?”
“It’s because of those things that I chose her. Sakura and yourself are the most suitable ones to entrust the future of the Uchiha too. You won’t let my son, our son, be a weapon for plans and plotting. You can give him the childhood he deserves, The one that I could not have, the one that Sasuke could not have.”

Naruto glowered at him, fists clenched at his sides, “I should kill you” he rasped, “Toss your ass over the side. Tell her you jumped.”

Itachi tilted his head, showing those trademark Uchiha looks, “You wouldn’t” he said in a confident voice, “You are a famed fighter but it’s your heart, your capacity to see the good in people that makes you so remarkable. A soul so pure it even changed the heart of the greatest of demons. You wouldn’t do it. And you couldn’t lie to her even if you did.”

Bastard. He just thought he was so smart. Damn Uchiha’s anyway. “What kind of sick game are you trying to play Itachi?” he demanded.

The Uchiha leaned against the railing, suddenly looking very tired. “No games Naruto” he said quietly, “I am not long for this world and there are a good number of wrongs that I cannot erase. I wish to leave some part of myself behind. I wish to die knowing that my child will have children who will have children who will have children and that the power of the Uchiha, the memory of them won’t be forgotten somewhere. I know you three won’t do that.”

“And Sakura? How do her feelings come into this?”

“Her feelings are her own Naruto. I do not wish to turn her affections from you, I can’t. She loves you, and you both love my brother. It is enough for me.”

“She is going to be my wife.”

“Does she know that?”

“Haven’t asked her yet, been too busy thinking about your little question.”

“Better hurry then. Her kind is rare.”

“You are a sadistic bastard you know that?”

“I have been told so, yes. I give you my word I will not harm her, nor will I force her. That is why I left the decision in hands other than my own.” Itachi’s tone was somewhat wistful.

Naruto blinked, his eyes going wide and he pointed an accusing finger at Itachi, “You.. You love her!”

He was half hoping for some form of denial but the Uchiha said nothing for a very long time, merely turned to stare out over the churning water and floating chunks of ice, “And as I have said. She loves you. I will not tell her. I ask that you not either.”

The blonde let his breath out, feeling a sick spinning in his stomach. Why me?
~

Sakura smoothed her fingers through long golden hair, “You are such a pain in the ass” she muttered to the teal eyed shinobi who lay passively beneath her touch. Deidara had woken several days into the voyage, he was still recovering but his humor was back and there was color in his cheeks. That made Sakura quite happy.

He stared up at her and sighed, “Just a little bit of clay hmm?” he pleaded.

She arched her brow at him, “ I have seen exactly what you consider art. I’d like to reach the port alive and dry if you please.”

He flashed a cheeky smile at her, “You know you love me”.

She nodded once, “No clay. And keep those mouths to yourself.”

He let her cluck and fuss over him for several long minutes before he spoke, “Something bothers you”. She flinched under his soft tone. Damn him anyway, never could hide things from him. He could find a fart in the wind, or so Kisame had once remarked.

She shook her head, “it’s nothing, here sit up a bit so I can unwrap you.”

He did as she asked, bracing himself against the side of the cabin with a strong arm, feeling her gently tug the strips of linen away.

Then he hissed as the kiss of cool, damp cloth met sleep warm fleshed, “Warn a guy next time yeah.”

She chuckled, and kept cleaning.

Deidara stared at the pink crown of her head as she carefully wrapped his wounds in fresh bandages, and then settled himself back against the bedding with a small grimace. “No lying now Sakura-chan” he said, “What is bothering you hmm?”.

Looking down into clear eyes, Sakura felt something inside of her break. Her green eyes flooded with tears and she threw herself against his chest.

“Oh Deidara!”.

He caught her with a grunt and wrapped his arms around her before leaning back against his pillows.

She blubbered incoherent words against him and he sighed, rolling his eyes. Not where she would see of course. “Women yeah” he muttered, “Always doing things backwards.”

She sniffled, blinked and lifted her head to see him smirking at her. “Now, you can tell me all about it hmm? Using normal human speech patterns, because frankly I don’t speak vagina yeah.”

Her gasp cleared her tears and she was a ball of fire hit female fury, “Why you! Sexist! Sexist!” she shouted.

He chuckled, “Glad to see that still works yeah, now talk.” She blinked, feeling herself deflate, he’d made her mad on purpose.

“Ass” she muttered.

An hour later, Deidara sat calmly in his bed, having heard the whole story.

When Sakura looked up at him he merely shrugged, “You either will or you won’t Sakura” he told her bluntly, “You can’t worry about all the in-betweens until you make the first step yeah.”

She sat before him, adorably ruffled. Her bottom lip caught between her teeth. He was wondering if she might just chew it away to nothing.

Unable to watch the flesh be tormented anymore, he leaned closer and pressed his lips to hers. She yelped but he merely drew back smiling.

“Friends don’t let friends eat themselves yeah. Now get out of here, you talk too much I am patient, I need rest yeah”.

She smiled, feeling the warmth of his smile to her toes and leaned forward to kiss him again, a gentle brush of lips nothing more.

“You are the best Deidara” she whispered to him.

He cocked his head and shrugged, “I keep telling you all that, but no, you women go for the damn Uchiha every time!” he said in mock exasperation.

She left the cabin, closing the door softly behind her and turned to nearly collide with Shino.

Lifting a hand to her heart she panted, “You scared me” she told him.

He patted her head and then shoved his hands in his pockets, “Naruto wants to talk to you” he said by way of greeting, “He’s with Sasuke.”

She nodded, “Did he wake up?” she asked. Shino shook his head and turned making his way up the deck again. She sighed and headed towards the cabin turned prison and pushed the door open. Naruto sat beside the bed, his tanned hand clutching Sasuke’s pale one. As though the simple touch might wake the other.

He didn’t look up when she entered, merely held his hand out to her and she went to him like she always did. Sliding her hand into his and he tugged her down into his lap. She felt him wrap his arms around her from behind, bury his nose in her hair and covered his arms with her own.

“Any change?” she asked.

He shook his head, “No, still sleeping.”

She slumped, “It’s been five days.” Naruto was silent, pressing small chaste kisses to her shoulder. She relaxed against him.

“I’ve been thinking” he said.

“Have you?”

“I have. I love you Sakura, you know that.”

“I know that. I love you too.”

“We belong together.”

“I think so.”

“I mean all of us. We are a family.”

She nodded, knowing he referred to Sasuke. “Yes” she whispered back, “We are a family. A slightly broken one but a family still.”

“I won’t give you up.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“You are mine Sakura. Mine and Sasuke’s”

“…”

“But no matter how much you still love Sasuke, his role in your life is not going to be the one I want. The one I will have.”

“What role is that Naruto? My lover? No, he won’t.”

“More than a lover, more than a friend, both together. I have waited for so long to hold you, to touch you, and through the years I have tried to win your heart though I didn’t have a clue. A husband. I want to be that for you Sakura.”

She stiffened in his arms, trying to turn around and face him but he held her fast. “Say it Sakura” he commanded, “Say that you will be my wife. There is nothing I could want anymore than that.” H

e felt her suck in a ragged breath, caught the scent of tears lifting to the air.


She whispered something, choked and he brought his lips to her ear and murmured roughly, “Say it Sakura. Say it aloud.”

Sakura felt like the heavens had just opened and poured a sea of sunlight on her. The future she dreamed of was in her reach. With the man she could never live without. She nodded, trying to speak for him, but the sound was a painful sound. At his whispered insistence, she found the strength to reply.

“I will Naruto. I will”.

His large hands spanned her waist and he lifted and turned her so that she straddled his hips. She moaned sweetly when he crushed their lips together. His tongue seeking every hidden spot in her mouth, stroking against hers. She clung to him when he pressed it against the roof her mouth.

They broke apart panting, nose to nose and then he shifted against her making her eyes open and there between them was a delicate band of white gold, blazing in the dim light with a perfect diamond.

Fresh tears flooded her eyes and she gasped, “You got me a ring?”

He nodded, “Well yeah, that’s what you are supposed to do.” he remarked, sliding it over her knuckle and onto her delicate finger.

She stared at it, “But I could lose it on a mission or something.” she whispered.

He kissed her cheek, “Then I guess I’ll just get you a new one if that happens.”

She hugged him tightly, “It’s perfect. Thank you!”

He rumbled against her, pleased with her giddy reaction. Then he pulled her off of him and stared at her, his expression serious, “I wanted to ask you before I tell you what I think. I wanted you to know that no matter what I love you and I am not letting you go.”

She nodded, feeling darkness curl in her stomach. He lifted his chin towards Sasuke. “He needs something to hold onto. Something or someone besides us. You are right Sakura. It was bothering me because I didn’t want to share you. But I realize that I have been sharing you since the very beginning. The three of us. We are more than the sum of ourselves.

Always have been, always will be. I would feel better if it was teme’s child you understand. When we reach the port, you will check him. If there is any hope that he can have children, I will tell Itachi to go to hell in a red painted cart. If he can’t, well I’m still saying it but I won’t keep you from him. Kyuubi says that he should get it done in one try. I can live with that.”

Sakura blinked at him, “Really? You can handle that?” she asked.

He nodded, “I didn’t think I could” he admitted, “But Kyuubi is right and so are you. I can’t take the chance from Sasuke and tell him about it later. I can’t to do that. So I leave the decision to you. If you don’t want this, I won’t let him near you.”

She looked back at Sasuke and then to Naruto. “For Sasuke?” she asked.

He brushed his nose against hers, “For Sasuke.” he agreed, quickly amending it, “If there is no other way.”