Last Name

Chapter Three

“So-o-o,” Ino drawled with a smirk, swinging her legs nonchalantly over the edge of the railing. “It looks like you managed to marry one of the sex gods before I could after all.”

Sakura choked on her water, coughing intensely as the blonde thumped her back, grin plastered to her face. Green eyes glared sideways at the giggling woman.

“What?!” the petite kunoichi sputtered and gasped as she attempted to catch her breath.

Ino tapped her chin, humming as she glanced heavenwards. “Although it is the wrong Uchiha, the same concept applies.”

“Ino!”

“What? I think it’s kind of ironic really. We spent all those years chasing after Sasuke, only for you to marry his equally-as-sexy brother.”

“Tactless as ever,” Sakura bemoaned, smirking as the blonde poked her tongue out at her.

“Well?”

“Well what?” the rose-haired woman responded, suspicion coloring her voice.

“Since you obviously know who he is now, you must remember something of that night,” Ino pointed out, angelic expression belying her intent.

“I remember a lot of it,” Sakura admitted hesitantly, “although a few things aren’t all that clear. I was drunk after all.”

“Are you going to give me details or not?” Ino grinned.

“What?!”

“Details,” Ino urged. “Need I remind you, Forehead? You. Slept. With. Uchiha. Itachi. You’re required to dish on all the juicy details.”

“What makes you think I’m the type of girl who’d kiss and tell?”

“I’m your best friend,” Ino said simply with a dismissive wave of her hand, as if this statement explained everything.

“Fine,” Sakura caved in with a soft sigh. “What do you want to know…within reason.”

“Was it good?”

Sakura raised a single candy-colored brow at her friend’s eagerness. “You’re not hearing me complain, and you never will.”

“So, good then.”

“Good would be an understatement.”

“I wonder if sexual prowess is a genetic trait,” Ino hummed thoughtfully, oblivious to the other woman’s shocked staring.

“Aren’t you over Sasuke though?”

“Yes, but he is still sexy, male, and single,” the blonde elucidated, eyes closed and finger upraised. “It wouldn’t be any fun trying to marry Sasuke if I can’t beat you to it. You’re already taken, and there is no other real competition for him without you. It would be a hollow victory.”

“Wonderful logic.”

“Isn’t it?”

xXx

Sakura sat in the Hokage’s cramped and overflowing office, helping her lazy mentor work through the mounds of un-filed paperwork. Placing another mission report into the priority pile, the petite kunoichi stretched her arms high above her head, working the kinks out of her back with a gratified sigh.
“Tsunade-shishou,” the rose-haired girl spoke up after hours of near silent toil, “is there any way possible to nullify the marriage?”

“Once the union has been consummated…it has been consummated, right?” the amber eyed woman glanced at her profusely blushing student who nodded, studiously avoiding eye contact. “Thought so. Anyways, the only way for you to get a divorce now is if either of you is proven to be barren and the other demands one, or if the both of you agree to it. Otherwise, it’s ‘til death do you part’.”

Sakura bit her lip ponderously. “Going from how he acted in our previous encounter and that it was him who initiated the marriage, I don’t think he’ll just consent to it if I ask him for a divorce.”

“So your only option is to avoid any and all contact with him,” Tsunade said gravely. “Of course this means you’ll have to be removed from the search for him and the brat.”

“Naturally,” Sakura agreed. “As much as I’d like to help bring Sasuke back, this takes priority.”

“So when are you going to tell everyone?”

“Only Ino and Shikamaru are aware that I’m married, and Ino is the only one I’ve told who he is,” Sakura responded. “I’d like to keep it a secret as long as I’m able to.”

“Not even Kakashi?”

“Not even him,” Sakura reiterated.

“If that’s what you really want,” Tsunade said.

“I’m not quite sure what to think,” Sakura said dryly. “I’m either going to remain the wife of a dangerous, S-class criminal, or become a widow.”

“Seems like it,” Tsunade agreed absently as she leaned her chin on one fist and began boredly flipping through another stack of old mission reports.

“Hmm,” a mischievous glint appeared in jade eyes, contrary to her saccharine voice and much to the Hokage’s chagrin. “Since I’m his wife, does this mean I have access to his classified files now?”

“I suppose so,” the older woman sighed. “Now get back to work.”

xXx

“Itachi!” the spiky-haired man called out, his crimson eyes swirling lazily. “This ends now.”

The older missing-nin stared with long-tried patience at the tree in front of him before schooling his face into a blank mask. “What makes you think you are strong enough to kill me now?”

“I have waited years for this moment,” the quietly angry youth stated. “You will die today.”

“Your pink-haired teammate,” Itachi said mildly as he maintained his staring contest with the ancient sentinel, not looking towards his sibling. “What is she like?”

Sasuke gaped at his brother, all previous trains of thought momentarily broken. “Huh?”

“It really isn’t that difficult of a question.”

“Why would I tell you anything about Sakura?” the perplexed male demanded. “Better yet, what possible reason could you have for wanting to know about her?”

The venerable oak won yet another contest of wills as its opponent turned away, sharingan meeting sharingan. “I am curious about the past of the woman I married. As one of her old teammates, who better to answer my question?”

Sasuke stared at his last remaining blood relative for several long, tedious minutes, all mental processes having shut down at the completely unexpected response. Crimson eyes faded to ebony in shock, a dumbfounded expression written across his pale visage.

“What?” was the confused male’s oh-so-intelligent response, gaining a raised eyebrow from Itachi.

“There is no way that is possible!” Sasuke shouted, his cognizant abilities returning as the shock wore off and disbelief set in. “Don’t lie!”

“I assure you, I am not lying,” the passive man replied patiently.

“There’s no way Sakura would do something like that!” Sasuke insisted, denial having set in prematurely.

“I take it you aren’t going to answer the question,” Itachi responded with bland resignation, turning and walking away.

“You aren’t getting away this time!” Sasuke growled, flinging a barrage of shuriken at the retreating man’s back. The sound of metal hitting flesh with a sickly thud resounded in the still air of the forest. The man fell to his knees before vanishing in a puff of smoke that dissipated, the bloodless shuriken falling to the ground.

“Damn him!” Sasuke snarled, punching the ground in frustration.

xXx

Sakura blew a stray strand of her uniquely colored hair out of her eyes as she leapt from branch to branch high above the ground. Green eyes moved listlessly about as the lone kunoichi made her way back to her home after a simple healing mission in a small village located in the outskirts of the Land of Fire. A soft sigh escaped her lips as daydreams of a nice, hot bath permeated her thoughts.

A glint of silver amidst the dark foliage of the ancient forest caught the bored woman’s eyes and set her on alert. Upon further investigation, the unknown entity turned out to be a small, bubbling brook winding in and out of the upraised roots of the great trees. Sakura leapt down to where she located the water with easy grace. Wiping the sweat from her face, she grabbed hold of her nearly empty canteen and eagerly swallowed the remains of the tepid liquid.

Stooping down, the weary kunoichi held the empty container in the clear waters that were flowing unevenly over the smooth, worn surfaces of rocks. She flinched imperceptively as the icy liquid chilled and stung the flesh heated from the exertion of her run. Standing up and twisting the cap onto her bottle, the kunoichi prepared to leap once more into the trees, freezing as a second presence made itself known. Slitted, green eyes glanced warily at her surroundings. Turning to the other, eyes widened in shock at the sight which greeted her.

‘Just my luck,’ the petite female groaned mentally. ‘We spent all that time looking for him, and after I’ve been taken off the mission with the intent to avoid him, he finds me.’

“Sakura,” the Uchiha standing before her said in greeting.

‘Just relax, Sakura. He can smell fear,’ she thought encouragingly. ‘There’s no way he could possibly know. Just be calm and he won’t suspect a thing.’

“Hello Sasuke,” the pink-haired girl acknowledged her former teammate tersely.

“You sound so enthusiastic. I wonder why?” Sasuke said, a small smirk adorning his face as he tilted his head slightly. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”

“Are you planning on returning to Konoha?” Sakura simpered with a false smile.

“No.”

“Then no, I guess I’m not happy to see you,” the kunoichi snapped. “I’ll save that reaction for when Naruto drags your sorry ass through Konoha’s gates.”

“Like that will ever happen,” Sasuke snorted confidently. “Is that the only reason then?”

“What are you talking about?” Apprehension colored the medic’s voice.

“I never would have expected your crush on me to change over to someone else,” narrow black eyes in a bored façade focused on the still woman in front of him.

‘Shit,’ Sakura swore internally, resorting to an atypical mindset at the dangerous situation.

“Explain yourself,” the anxious kunoichi demanded gruffly.

“I should be asking you the same thing,” the former Konoha-nin responded with forced calm, both parties now glaring openly at each other. “I’m assuming from your reaction, or lack-thereof, that Itachi was telling the truth. You traitorous bitch.”

“Careful Sasuke,” Sakura hissed lowly, her muscles tensing. “You’re treading on dangerous ground.”

“It’s too late for that,” red overtook onyx as sharingan activated, the enraged man drawing the sword from behind his back as he leapt towards the other.

Sakura dodged his initial attack, a shocked look on her face as the blade protruded through her chest when he reappeared behind her. Smoke enveloped her, revealing a mossy log that was skewered on the length of metal. Hidden deep within the leafy foliage, the petite kunoichi held absolutely still, dappled shadows rippling over her trademark candy colored locks as the wind rustled the leaves and tousled her hair. Verdant orbs remained glued on the figure still standing in the clearing. Eyes narrowed slightly with suspicion as she glanced alertly about her, straining her ears for even the slightest inconsistency in her surroundings.

Leaves fell where the woman once rested as displaced air disrupted them. A glint of metal flashed through the air, slicing the frail green leaves into miniscule pieces as shuriken embedded themselves deep within the wood of the sturdy branch. Silence reigned in the forest as if the world was holding its collective breath. The harsh clang of metal on metal rang discordant through the morning air as kunai clashed against kunai, the two wielders dancing to and fro throughout the various tree levels. Crimson blood splashed against a branch moments after the two shinobi had left.

Sakura stood gasping on the ground before the aloof man, one hand pressed to her side and the other clenched tightly around the bandaged handle of a kunai. Blood slowly oozed from a shallow cut across her cheekbone as she panted quietly and stared her opponent down.

“Did you really believe I wouldn’t see through your pathetic shadow clone?” Sasuke smirked before slashing through the replica in front of him, looking around intently as smoke dissipated around the well-honed blade.

Sakura flinched slightly when the clone was destroyed as she bounded through the tree tops towards Konoha, pushing herself past her limits to try and escape the man she once revered and loved. Clutching a stitch in her side, the medic looked around frantically, knowing that she had not put anywhere near enough distance between them for her to consider herself even remotely safe.

The bedraggled woman gasped as she landed off balance and slipped off of a mossy branch. Air rushed by her head, the surroundings blurred as her body plummeted to the distant ground. Her vision swam as she became light-headed and began to black out from exhaustion and chakra depletion. The sensation of arms catching her and stopping her descent was the last thing she felt before loosing consciousness.

xXx

Sakura groaned as she turned over and pressed her face into the rough, starchy fabric of the pillow beneath her. Sooty eyelashes flickered before slowly raising to reveal emerald eyes dulled with sleep. Glancing around her, the petite female took in the sterile white surroundings of the hospital whose bed she was lying in.

“I see you’re awake now,” Tsunade said from her seat in the chair beside her apprentice.

“When did I…” Sakura trailed off in confusion.

“Hyuuga Neji found you lying on the ground not far from Konoha’s gates when he was returning from a mission yesterday evening,” Tsunade responded as she took in the befuddled expression of the younger woman. “I was hoping you could explain how you got there.”

“I’m not sure,” Sakura said hesitantly as she slowly sat up, stretching sore, overworked muscles in the process. “I remember coming across Sasuke yesterday when I was returning from my mission, but I was still a long ways away from Konoha.”

“Uchiha?” Tsunade barked, sitting up straighter. “What happened.”

“He knows,” Sakura winced as she remembered their encounter. “He tried to kill me, and I managed to escape him long enough to try and run for Konoha, but I slipped when I was running. I lost consciousness then. The last thing I remember was someone catching me.”

“Another mystery,” Tsunade murmured. “Unfortunately your mysterious savior will have to wait. I was going through some old scrolls while attempting to organize and I found something you should see.”

Sakura gingerly took the ancient looking scroll from her shishou and pulled it open. Sea green eyes widened considerably as she scanned through the faded contents with mounting desperation. She looked up at the frowning blonde with mild shock intermingled with the beginning traces of panic.

“Isn’t there anything you can do to change this?” Sakura pleaded as she placed the open scroll on her lap.

The Hokage shook her head slowly, opening her eyes to meet gazes with the youngling before her. “I’m afraid not. This law predates even me and it could possibly take years for me to get it revoked. Particularly since clans like the Hyuuga would oppose me on it. There are a lot of people around who would resist any potential changes to their way of life and will cling to tradition as if it were a matter of life or death.”

“So I really am trapped,” Sakura murmured as she glanced once more at the scroll sealing her fate. “Do you know what the consequences are for failing to meet the terms?”

“I’m not sure,” Tsunade answered, lacing her fingers and resting her chin there. “I suppose the council would know, but they aren’t aware of the situation in the first place. I’d say your best bet would be for this to remain in secrecy like you wanted. What the elders don’t know won’t hurt you. As long as nobody knows of your marriage then you can probably get away with ignoring this tradition. The only other person besides yourself who could change the situation is Itachi, if he is aware of the law.”

“I wonder if he knows,” Sakura sighed as she looked out the window at the birds flying though the blue sky.

xXx

Leaning against the trunk of a majestic oak was a tall man who was taking advantage of the leafy foliage to gain respite from the pitiless glare of the noontime sun. A straw hat was tipped jauntily, obscuring his face from any passersby. Despite the heat shimmering in the air, the man remained swathed in a heavy black cloak decorated intermittently with swirling ruby clouds edged in white.

“Where have you been?” a gruff voice from beneath the hat questioned of the newcomer who approached the lone tree, donning similar attire, only without the straw hat.

Raven hair gleamed blue-black under the harsh rays of the sun as a tired face looked at his reclining partner. “Around.”

“Still no sign of the Kyuubi then, eh?” the second man grinned, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth.

“No.”

“Pity. It would be convenient if he would just come to us,” Kisame groaned as he leisurely stood up and stretched the kinks out of his back.

“The Hachibi has yet to be found or sealed,” Itachi stated disinterestedly. “There is no need for us to hurry.”

“If you say so,” the former mist-nin said as he fell into step beside the younger man.

xXx

Sakura hummed as she sat on the window sill of Tsunade’s office, resting her arm on one leg and swinging the other foot back and forth out the window. In her free hand was a file that she was eagerly perusing with all of her attention. The distant sound of the populace going about daily life merged with the nearby rustling of papers as the Hokage wasn’t slacking off for once.

Sakura held her abused bottom lip between her teeth as her brow furrowed in consternation. Turning the page and scanning over it, the young woman frowned. She closed the file with a sigh as she flipped her legs inside the room and hopped off the ledge.

“Find anything interesting?” Tsunade inquired distractedly as she wrote furiously.

“There is a lot of information that is missing,” Sakura said as she sat down and tapped her nail against the wooden desk that had noticeably less paperwork stacked on it than before.

“Well, he was ANBU,” the blonde muttered, tossing her dying pen out the window and searching for a new one.

“I know,” Sakura agreed, “but this is different. Normally any really classified information is just blacked out. However, it’s like the pages detailing his last few months here in Konoha have completely disappeared. There is no information, censored or otherwise. It just doesn’t exist.”

Tsunade looked up from her search for a pen. “That is strange. A shinobi of Itachi’s caliber would have had a lot of high-level missions. For there to be nothing is very unusual. Somebody must not want whatever he was working on during that time to ever be known.”

“I wonder what it was,” Sakura said as she leaned on the window sill and looked out over the peaceful, bustling village.

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