Sacred Flower

I still haven’t found a cure or anything, so everybody, feel free to throw ideas at me! In the meantime, enjoy!

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‘Hey, what’s happening? Why is everybody yelling?’ wondered Sakura. “She’s just lying there! She hasn’t shown improvement at all!” screamed Sasuke.

‘Why is he so mad? I’m sure Tsunade would do anything that’s helping me,’ she believed. For a little while, she heard silence but a voice made her skin jump.

“You snooze, you lose…little brother.” She feared for her life. It was Itachi’s voice! What would he do now? He’d already taken her future children; would he take her life as well?

She felt herself slump over somebody’s should and within a second, she could her the wind flapping around her. She was being taken again and she had no idea what he would do.

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Tsunade was in her office with a pile of paperwork on her desk. She desperately needed something to take her mind off her work and the stress mounting in her mind. ‘Maybe I’ll go see Sakura,’ she mused. She left all her paperwork where they sat and turned out her lights before leaving.

As soon as she arrived at the hospital, she knew something was wrong. She saw the door opened haphazardly and looked inside. Kakashi was knocked out. Sasuke’s arm stuck out from behind the bed. The bed was left in disarray with no Sakura in sight. The machines which registered her heart beat played a flatlining tone due to it being unhooked from Sakura.

Pressing two glowing fingers to Kakashi’s temple, he awoke with a slight migraine. “God, what happened? Did I have fun at the party or what?”

“Get up Kakashi,” she replied sternly. Kakashi’s eyes bolted open and realizing his situation, he remembered the events before black overtook him.

‘Tsunade…she used the Sharingan on Sasuke and then she…became Itachi? Oh crap…how could I fall for such a simple jutsu?’

Repeating the same process she’s done to Kakashi onto Sasuke, he awoke with a much deeper pain. He had a major migraine from the effects of Itachi’s Tsukuyomi. As soon as his vision became clear, he attacked Tsunade.

“Sasuke! What the hell!?” she snapped. Sasuke kept dropping blow after blow on her, all of which she dodged easily. Kakashi jumped behind him and held him back.

“Sasuke, stop. It’s not Itachi. This is the real Tsunade.” Sasuke stopped struggling and as soon as Kakashi let go, he turned to face him.

“How do you know?” he inquired. “Look at her,” replied Kakashi, “she’s slightly intoxicated.” This earned him a nice smack upside the head.

‘Wait…Sakura!’ Sasuke looked over to the bed which were empty and cold. There was a kunai on the pillow with a note attached:

Hello little brother, long time no see.
I’ve taken your little flower away again.
Tsk tsk, what a shame. I see that you’re
still as weak as ever. Just so you know,
I’m taking her down south. I’ll stay
within the country borders just for you.
Catch me if you can.
~Your loving big brother

That last line infuriated Sasuke to no end. His rage overpowered the massive migraine pounding in his head. Damn Itachi! There was a time when Sasuke believed that he was a loving big brother, but he stopped living his childish fantasies when Itachi slaughtered the clan.

Kakashi read the note over Sasuke’s shoulder. It was that moment where everybody rushed in after their little sparring matches outside. Naruto, as usual, kept talking until he noticed the room grow silent.

“Hey, why’s everybody so quiet? I mean, Sakura’s quiet because she’s…OH MY GOD!! Where’d she go!?”

“She’s obviously been taken,” said Shino quietly.

“Sakura’s taken? By who?” piped up Hinata. Sasuke growled out Sakura’s kidnapper. “Itachi…”

Everybody gasped at his name. Itachi Uchiha, the guilty party who slaughtered the Uchiha clan, was listed among many in the Bingo Book.

‘Sakura’s gone? Great! Sasuke’s all mine now!’ cheered Ino. ‘But what about Sakura? Is she okay?’

Sasuke made a move towards the window but Kakashi stopped him. “Sasuke, risking your life to save hers isn’t worth it. He could the both of you and we’d lose two ninjas at once. You can’t handle him alone.”

“Yes I can!” he retorted. “Just because you couldn’t save someone you loved doesn’t mean I can’t!” Those words sliced through Kakashi’s heart. That sentence brought back memories he tried to repress over and over again.

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“Father?” called a 12-year old Kakashi. “Father, I’m home from the academy.”

Something was wrong and Kakashi felt uneasy. Ever since his father came home from that failed mission a couple years ago, he’s been acting strangely. He drank more than he usually did, he sighs and he makes pathetic attempts to make everything seem ‘okay’.

“Father?” he called again. He picked up the faint stench of rotting blood. He turned the corner and started walking down the hallway, the smell of blood becoming stronger. He was just outside of his father’s bedroom where he believed was the source of the stench.

Kakashi didn’t dare to venture inside his parents’, now his father’s, bedroom. He would always burst right in when he was younger, about two or three years old. At that time, his mother was alive and she always had a place in bed for him just in case he had another nightmare.

Five years ago, his mother had been executed for trading secrets to another country for sanctuary. Since then, he had never stepped foot in that bedroom again.

She was looking for sanctuary because in Sakumo’s involvement in Kakashi. He had enrolled Kakashi into the academy at an early age due to his brilliance. She didn’t want to see her only son become a high-rank ninja at a young age because she knows what it’s like: the greater risk of death, the discrimination of youth, the insult he unintentionally poses. She didn’t want him to suffer.

As soon as Kakashi graduated at age five, she began looking for help. She was ready to run to the Land of Wind but Sakumo discovered her treachery. Later that week, she was ready to leave. She woke up Kakashi in the middle of the night.

“Mother, where are we going?” he asked innocently. “We’re going somewhere safe,” she responded in a reassuring voice. “Everything’s going to be okay, just come with me Kakashi.”

Kakashi stepped out of bed while she dumped his school items out of his backpack and shoved his clothes inside. “Hurry Kakashi,” she urged, “we’re leaving.”

“Mother, wait, I’m not dressed properly.” She inspected him. His hair was chaotically pointing in millions of directions and he was in his shuriken pyjamas. “Kakashi, you look fine. Come with me now, it’ll be alright.”

Trusting his mother, he stood up and held her hand and they both jumped out the window. They ran like mad towards the gates. “Mother, what about Father? Isn’t he coming with us too?” he asked. “Not this time,” she replied, “he’s not coming with us. We’ll see him after we get to our destination.

They were so close to the gates when a voice stopped her in her tracks. “Going somewhere?” It was Sakumo. “Father!” cried Kakashi. He motioned to run to his father but his mother yanked him back.

“You can’t seriously expect me to stop just because you’re here. I will find safety for him,” she stated. Kakashi wondered who they were talking about but they continued their conversation.

“I’m not letting you take my only son away from me. If I can’t stop you, they can.” She wondered who ‘they’ were until an ANBU squad appeared. She was petrified. She knew she couldn’t escape now but she had to try. She dashed towards the gates, towards freedom but a million shurikens stabbed her in the back. She fell to her knees, coughing up blood.

“Kakashi, come here,” called Sakumo. “Come here, it’ll be alright.” Several ANBU members dragged her away. She fought to hold onto Kakashi’s hand.

“NO!! You’re not taking him away from me! I want him to be safe! Run Kakashi, run! Run to the Land of Wind! RUN!”

She kept screaming the phrase over and over until she was out of sight and her voice could no longer be heard. “Father, what’s happened with Mother? Will she be okay?” Sakumo had no idea how to answer his five year old son. “Kakashi, she’ll be…alright.” That night, she was executed. Sakumo was informed but Kakashi never knew until his tenth birthday.

Now, he was standing outside his father’s bedroom door and he wasn’t sure of what to do. He gingerly knocked. “Father?” After minutes of no response, he eased the door open. His heart stopped beating. His father, his only family, was lying in a pool of his own blood with a dagger sticking out from his stomach. There was a note in his hand and Kakashi reached for it.

Kakashi, I’m sorry. It’s my fault the other children
wouldn’t play with you. I made a mistake and I
couldn’t fix it. I’m sorry that I’ve neglected you.
I’m sorry and I love you so much.

Tears began to gather in his eyes but they refused to fall. Soon, quiet sobs escaped form his throat. He sank to his knees. “Father, I’m sorry. If you come back, I promise to be a good boy. I didn’t know Mother was planning to take me away. Please come back.” His pleas fell on deaf ears.

~~~~~

“Ahhh!” screamed 13-year old Kakashi. His left eye got scratched.

“Kakashi!” calls Obito Uchiha. Obito was scared and there was no escape from the inevitable. He was so scared for his life, so scared for Kakashi’s, that he finally activated his Sharingan. A girl ran to Kakashi, tending to his wound.

“Careful now Kakashi,” said Rin reassuringly, “your eye will be just fine. Let me just bandage it up…”

“No, I’m fine, I can do it myself.” Kakashi rudely pushed Rin away. She was now faced with a Rock-nin.

The invisible ninja was about to strike at Kakashi when Obito intervened. He was able to kill the ninja while Kakashi was vulnerable.

“Get to Rin!” Young Kakashi cried out. “Help her!” Obito ran towards her with Kakashi following closely behind. Poor Rin was frozen in fear, about to watch the man kill her. He raised his kunai in the air…

“Gah!” He was hit. He was hit by a handful of shurikens. Some of them missed its target but the majority struck him and killed him. A grateful Rin began showing her gratitude.

“Thank you so-” her speech was cut off from a rumbling sound. The cave was starting to collapse. “Get out!” screamed Obito. “Get out now!”

Kakashi was the first to exit, the two boys helping their female team mate leave and Obito was just out the opening when rocks fell onto him.

“Obito!” cried Rin and Kakashi. The rubble severely damaged his small body, all but his left eye. They both began to dig him out, carefully removing all the heavy rocks. Once they got him, his body was completely crushed.

“Let’s get him back!” ordered Kakashi. Rin helped him get Obito onto his back and they both sped back to Konoha, despite their low chakra levels. Once they arrived, a nurse admitted them into a room and they gently laid him down.

“Rin…” Obito gasped out. “Rin…do me a favour…” Desperate to save her friend’s life, she would comply with whatever he asked her of.

“Rin…I know I’m not going to be staying here much longer…”

“Of course you are! Don’t say things like that!” snapped Kakashi.

“Kakashi’s right. Don’t say that. You’ll be fine,” she assured him. The tears were welling up in her eyes.

“Rin, will you…implant this eye into Kakashi for me?” Rin gasped at his request.

“I can’t do that, I’m sorry Obito…it’s just that you’re going to need it once you’re fully healed,” she tried to joke.

“Rin…you know I won’t make it…please, just do it.” The tears started falling down her face but she spoke in a confident voice.

“Kakashi, are you ready? I need you to sit on the bed…” With that, she began the procedure of implanting Obito’s eye into Kakashi’s empty socket.

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After Kakashi finally regained his composure, he began to speak again. “Sasuke, I said you couldn't do it alone, not do it at all. And if I couldn’t what makes you think that you could?” Kakashi calmly asked.

“When I was ‘supposed’ to save the ones I love, I was up against something I couldn't fight back. How are you supposed to fight against a missing-nin? And your brother no less.”

“He’s not my brother!” he retorted, “he’s nothing but a cold-hearted bastard who’s taken just about everything from me!”

"At least take some backup with you," Kakashi suggested. Everbody turned deadly silent. Nobody wanted to go up against Itachi Uchiha. Just the mere thought of his name sent shivers down Naruto's spine.

After moments of silence, Sasuke was ready to jump out the window. “If you guys aren’t helping me get her back, I’ll do it myself.”

“Wait!” cried Lee, “I will help you! I want to make sure that my dear Sakura has not been defiled by Itachi a second time!” Tears ran down his eyes.

“I’ll help you too!” said Naruto. “Can’t let you hog all the credit for getting her back.”

“I’ll come with you too!” chimed Ino. “I want the satisfaction of beating her at our rivalry.”

Soon, everybody started volunteering to retrieve her from Itachi. Shikamaru offered his power of the Shadow Imitation, Neji gave him the use of his Byakugan, Hinata’s amateur but sufficient healing skills, Tenten’s weaponry, Kiba and Akamaru’s double attacks, Shino’s bugs, and Choji’s power of turning fat into chakra. They all began to formulate a plan to get her back and the possible chance of terminating Itachi for good.

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Itachi eyed his toy for the day. He already knows that he broke her in more ways than one; he knew her infertility was his fault and he’d have it no other way. He was hoping that the shame of her predicament would prevent her from telling him the truth, and if all went according to plan, the look on Sasuke’s face when he finally told him would be priceless.

Itachi found a small cave to hide in for a while. He used his Amaterasu to make the cave big enough for him to stand in. He tried to make Sakura stand but her legs were too weak to carry her weight so he compromised his actions by having her kneel. Black lines of his chakra sprung from the walls of the cave and wrapped around her slender wrists. It brought her onto her feet and a few inches off the ground, keeping her hands restrained above her head. More black chakra lines sprung out and wrapped themselves around her waist, chest and thighs.

‘I’m ready for you now, little brother,’ Itachi thought evilly and waited for Sasuke’s arrival to begin the festivities.

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Oooh, what’ll happen next? Keep reading to find out! Reviews are always welcome!