Dark Truths Undiscovered

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


Orochimaru listened intently as Sasuke laid out his plans, his ideas. Sakura being so close to him at this point in his life was a good thing. A very good thing indeed.

He had yet to begin rebuilding the Uchiha clan, a goal he kept very near to his heart. Revenge first, rebuilding later, he had always told himself that. Now he could easily have both.

“And you believe that she will just fall into your arms?” Kabuto asked from the corner, “Team seven was always close but…”

Sasuke tipped his dark head back to meet the older man’s gaze. “Oh yes” he replied, completely confident, “That’s why this is perfect. It’s Sakura. She knows everything and it won’t require much effort to convince her.”

Orochimaru chuckled darkly, “This is why you rule dear Sasuke-kun, always thinking ahead.”

Kabuto wondered if it would be as easy as Sasuke had made it sound. People changed over the course of time, it was quite likely that the girlish love she had held for him had crumbled alongside girlish dreams of marrying a prince with a white horse and a splendid castle.

“Itachi will be the issue of most concern” he added.

Sasuke lifted his eyes to Kabuto and the silver haired man suppressed a shiver as he stared back at crimson orbs, “He won’t be. Leave that to me.” He rose to his full height, two inches taller than Kabuto and smirked, “I just have to get her before he kills her.”

~

Naruto sighed, picking at his meal. For once ramen held no comfort for him. They had stopped in the town to seek out information. A few people recalled seeing men in long black cloaks several days earlier. No one had spotted pink hair however, but he’d not expected them to.

Sakura’s hair and eyes stood out far too much. Likely she would have been covered up and garbed as they were to avoid any notice. Shikamaru pointed out that once again they had a direction to travel, that would have to be enough for now.

Naruto reached into his pocket, absently toying with the small velvet box hidden there. His gift to Sakura, his hope for them both. It should have already been on her slender finger, she should have been safe in Konoha, with him. But she wasn’t. She was in the clutches of an Uchiha… he was dreading the aftermath of such a thing.

By his calculation it would take two days to reach the border of sound. Where the cloaked group had been seen heading. Why Sound? Itachi wouldn’t seek Sasuke out would he and if so why take Sakura with him? Shikamaru set his cup of tea aside,

“Naruto” he said quietly, his face passive, “I’ve been thinking. Sakura is an accomplished healer right?”

Naruto nodded, “Famed. People come from all over to see her.”

Shikamaru nodded, “And she has been trained under Tsunade which is also common knowledge. Orochimaru marked Sasuke with a seal that cannot be healed… under the usual conditions… what if that is the reason she was taken?”

Naruto had considered that, “I’m not disagreeing Shika” he said, “But I don’t want to completely discount the fact that I have Kyuubi from their plans either.”

Shino joined the conversation then, “Yes and that would make all the more sense, kill two birds with one stone. Itachi gets what he wants, and Akatsuki gets what they want. Sakura is enough to give them both.”

Naruto sighed again, pushing his bowl away and rose. “I know” he whispered, “I feel like such a goddamn failure. First Sasuke, now Sakura. I can’t even hold three man team together.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, “Gonna go for a walk. We’ll leave in the morning.”

The others nodded, and then Shika spoke, “She knows Naruto. Sakura knows that you are coming for her. She’s strong, she’ll make it through whatever they throw at her. She believes in you.”

The blonde nodded his thanks and turned away.

Those words gave him some measure of comfort, but the diamond in his pocket mocked him. The strongest shinobi of all of Konoha was feeling more and more powerless as each day passed. He tipped his head back to the rainy sky and let the water splash his tanned face.

“I’m coming Sakura” he whispered to the night, “I won’t give up on you. I promise.”

~
Itachi woke suddenly, his eyes snapping open in the gloomy light of the house. Sakura shifted closer to him and he glanced down at her, pink hair spread across his arm. He felt something.

Chakra.

Not theirs but familiar. Disengaging himself from the sleeping woman, he moved to the door, tugging his robe on in the process. He tied his long smooth hair back in a quick motion.

“Deidara” he muttered, stepping into the chill of the early morning.

Moments later, the blonde appeared overhead, on the back of a large bird. So that’s how he had avoided the many traps. Itachi grunted.

“Itachi, the leader has news for you. He sent to be bring you back yeah.” he called down to the darker man.

His teal eye searched the clearing, “No Sakura hmm?”

Itachi cut his eyes back to the house, “Sleeping. She’s wounded.”

Deidara commanded the bird to land and hopped down, “Kisame I assume yeah?”

Itachi nodded, “But I have what the leader wanted.” Reaching into his robe he withdrew a small set of three vials, filled with crimson, “We can analyze the effects of the seal on the blood of the shinobi of Sound. One before, during and after the seal the was released.”

Deidara let out a low whistle, “Can she be moved?” he asked.

Itachi nodded, “Yes but we’ll need that bird. I removed more than a dozen of Kisame’s scale shuriken from her last night.”

Deidara nodded, “Venom?”

Itachi shrugged, “I took care of it.”

He went inside and leaned over the bed, reaching a pale hand he shook her shoulder, “Wake up Sakura. It’s time to go.” he told her in a firm voice.

She swung at him, “Leave me alone Naruto, it’s my day off for god’s sake…” she muttered in her sleep.

Itachi arched a dark brow and leaned closer to her ear, “Deidara is right outside. If you don’t wake up, I’ll let him come in here and his hands will lick your face. It’s quite disgusting if you remember.”

He stepped back, and watched her bolt upright in the small bed, her arms crossing over her battered midsection.

Itachi tossed her dry clothing to her, “Our ride is waiting outside.”

~

Itachi entered the mansion that housed he and his brethren, Sakura trailing behind him. Currently the pink haired woman was threatening Deidara with bodily harm if he didn’t behave.

She had nodded off during the trip, leaning against his back. A warm eight. He hadn’t minded, Itachi had merely kept a hold of her waist to keep her from falling.

“You are to go with Deidara” Itachi told her, pausing before the tall double doors leading to the place where his leader waited.

She nodded tiredly, not even offering a token argument. His dark eyes swept over her, even as Deidara stepped forward to take her elbow.

“You ok Sakura?” he asked as she wavered on her feet.

She blinked up at him, then back at Itachi.

“Deidara take her and check her wounds for me, I shall be along shortly.” he commanded. The blonde hummed softly under his breath, leading the tired woman away. Sakura didn’t fight, didn’t want to. She felt oddly warm, uncomfortably so and grimaced as she leaned heavily into Deidara’s side.

“You don’t look so good” he told her, wrapping his arm around her waist to hold her upright, he pressed the back of his hand to her brow. “You feel a little feverish, lets get you to bed yeah.”

She nodded, not caring when he swept her up in his arms and strode quickly down the hall, kicking open the door to the room that had been hers.

He set her in the chair and moved to gather medical supplies and a basin of fresh water. He pushed her hands away when she tried to remove the cloak from her shoulders. His able hands divested her of the garment swiftly and then he pulled her shirt over her head.

Sakura didn’t care much, she was so heavily bandaged, he couldn’t see anything anyway. She glanced down, to see the bandages remained white, save for one growing spot of crimson. “Damn” she muttered under her breath, “Must have popped stitches.”

Deidara removed a kunai from his belt and cut the bandages away. Sakura tried to cover herself at once but he prevented that action,

“I have to see if I am going to help yeah.” His tone was soft, soothing, as it had always been. His hands were gentle as he moved to inspect the damage she’d taken.

It wasn’t good.

“He really worked you over hmm?” Deidara asked, his fingers prodding the edges of sutured wounds, checking for any infection. One looked a bit to inflamed around the edges and the open one, well that would be quite nasty to deal with, there appeared to be a small bit of the scale left within, a sliver nothing more.

His fingers brushed over the discolored skin and she flinched, a tiny movement. Involuntary. Not like her at all.

“I’m sorry yeah, but this is going to take a while.” he announced.

Sakura blinked over at him, “What is it? I know I have a fever, and my chakra levels are irregular. Tell me Deidara.”

The blonde man sank into the chair in front of her, “I can tell you what I think…. I think that Itachi missed a tiny portion of the scale in your back. It’s been slowly moving around in your body. Without it’s bulk it’s passage has been slowed considerably, but it’s still there, and Kisame did have a venom attack yeah. I believe that is what you are suffering from.”

Sakura shook her head, “Itachi is too careful for that” she pointed out and she noticed the pained expression in Deidara’s eyes.

Then he smiled and shrugged, “Well as I said, it’s very small, it’s likely that he didn’t even see it. I could be wrong. I won’t know until I go and poke around myself yeah.”

His wry smile was tainted by the concern in his eyes.

She shook her head, “I can heal myself” she told him pushing to her feet.

He pushed her back down with gentle hands on her shoulders, “Sakura please” he said quietly. She sighed, feeling a wave of fire wash through her, the room spun and her stomach lurched.

“B... Bucket! Deidara! Bucket!” she cried out. Her hands grasping frantically.

He moved swiftly, placing the wanted receptacle under her face as her stomach poured it’s contents out with painful sounds. Her small hands wrapped around the small pail as though her very life depended on it.

Deidara lifted her pink hair free of her face.

She made a small sound of gratitude, as he stood there stoically, holding her hair for her.

The last people to do that for her had been Ino and Naruto when she’d had a little too much fun at the bar.

Her body doubled over in a another bout of sickness.

Deidara kept his eye on the door, fervently wishing for a little help. He wanted to start treating her right away, but this would have to come first. He felt utterly useless standing over her, listening to her pitiful retching. He rubbed her back soothingly with one hand while keeping a firm hold on her hair with the other.

A few minutes later Tobi knocked lightly and Deidara nearly crowed with relief.

~

Itachi faced his leader across a shadowy room.

“I am glad that you captured the samples we required” came the deep voice, “It will make it easier to unravel the seal placed on your sibling. I have also heard of a scroll to the far north. A scroll that tells how to unseal such things without damaging the host body. That medic from Konoha, could do this, if we had the scroll, of that I am certain.”

Itachi nodded, “I shall depart to retrieve it then. The kyuubi has maintained a distance of roughly four days behind us, just so that you are aware.”

The leader nodded his understanding, “One more thing Itachi. Our spies indicate that Sasuke has left Sound. He is moving, though his ultimate destination is unknown. It is my opinion that Kabuto would have heard of the scroll and told him. Your brother may try and take it himself.”

Itachi grunted, “We shall see.”

There was a knock on the door then, and Tobi’s voice came though the wooden panel, “Master forgive my intrusion but Deidara requests Itachi’s help right away.”

Itachi held his leader’s gaze as the other man spoke, “For what purpose?”

Tobi shuffled behind the door, “The girl from Konoha. Sakura. Her wounds are festering and she has taken a fever. Right now Deidara cannot stop her from being sick and he says that I no goddamn help.”

Tobi had a knack of repeating what was said to him verbatim, a habit that could be amusing at times.

The leader swore softly rising to his feet, “Come on Itachi, if our medic dies it causes more problems.”

The two strode from the room and the down the hall.

Itachi pushed the door wide and strode in, the leader of Akatsuki on his heels. Deidara had managed to get her stomach to quiet, it was empty now.

He pressed a glass of water to her lips, “Sip” he told her and she did, grimacing over the bitterness.

“Not water” she rasped.

His teal eye met hers, “Not quite yeah. It will keep you settled, it will make you drowsy and cut the pain.”

She nodded feeling the numbing effects begin, the fuzz began creeping into her brain. He made quick work of cleaning the first wound, pouring the searing agent into it, watching the wound bubble and froth.

“That’s gotta hurt like hell hmm?“

She bit her lip and growled at him, not noticing her company yet. Deidara moved her to the bed, placing her face down so he could work on her back. Her mind was full of mush and cobwebs now, the burning near her shoulder nearly gone. The dull ache in her back fading.

Itachi moved to the bedside, meeting Deidara’s gaze.

“What is it?” he asked quietly.

Deidara sighed, “I think you missed something Itachi.”

Black eyes snapped upwards and Deidara braced himself to see red. “What are you talking about?” he snapped.

Deidara bent his head to his task, wiping down the wound with alcohol and carefully pulling the remaining stitches free of bruised flesh.

Sakura lay still, everything around her blurry, the voices muffled.

“You can’t discount the possibility Itachi.” he said in a low voice, “Small enough it would have escaped your notice. I’m not blaming you Itachi…. But your sight is……..well.”

Itachi reached across the bed, lifting Deidara off his feet, “Be silent.” he snapped.

Deidara nodded and was placed back on his feet. “Fine Itachi, just hold her down yeah.”

Itachi did, bracing his strong hands on the unmarked areas he could find and pressed down gently.

Deidara began to probe the wound, slowly. Sakura shut her eyes, feeling the burning agony rip through the clouds around her. She bit her lip until it bled, the smallest of whimpers working it’s way free.

Deidara paused in his actions to find a syringe. “She needs more pain killers yeah” he muttered.

Itachi watched his actions, drawing from the small bottle, and then tapping the side for bubbles. He watched as Deidara injected Sakura with the soothing fluid, he smoothed a hand over her sweaty hair and murmured soothing words to her. Like one would a wounded animal.

She relaxed, feeling the familiar warmth flood her. Itachi still held her down but her struggles were much less now. From the corner of his eye, Itachi saw his leader approach the side of the bed.

He knelt near Sakura’s head. Her eyes were tightly closed, blood trickling from her lip.

Grabbing a bit of linen from the small bedside table, he gently dabbed it away. “Here now” he said softly.

Her eyes opened at his voice.

Green eyes filled with pain and growing glazed from medication locked with bluer that blue eyes, then swept up to a shock of spiky golden hair. Her vision swam again, until only vague shapes and colors were clear.

She reached a hand out to him, “N..Naruto?” she whispered, her voice slurred slightly.

Itachi watched his leader but the man didn’t pull away from her, not even when she laid her fevered palm against his cheek.

He couldn‘t say what he felt as he watched her stoke that cheek so gently.

“You found me… I knew you would. I’m sorry Naruto, I… couldn’t… couldn’t leave. Have to save Sasuke. Please don’t kill him….”

She burst into tears then, brilliant emerald spots glittering with tears.

The head of Akatsuki brushed her pink bangs from her brow, “Hush. Kill who Sakura?” he asked softly.

His tone canted to a comforting pitch, low and velvety. Those brilliant eyes closed tightly then opened again and she sucked in a breath as Deidara probed a little deeper,

“Don’t kill Itachi.. Please don’t. He’s not what you think…”

The leader lifted his eyes to his famed killer before returning them to the woman so distressed for him,

“I don’t suppose he is” he agreed.

She gave him a wobbly smile, “Love.. You”.

He pressed his hand to her brow, “Sleep Sakura. All will be well.”

His hand glowed softly as he used his chakra to send her to dreams. Painless dreams.

He rose from his position near her head and leaned against the wall. “What have you found Deidara?” he asked, noting the lack of movement.

The blonde slowly held up a bloodied bit of scale, no more than a sliver. Just as he’d thought.

Across the bleeding back, Itachi’s eyes locked on the fragment.

Deidara had been right. The blonde continued to clean the wound, sewing the jagged edges.

“Itachi, lift her up yeah” he said as he took up the wide roll of bandages. Itachi lifted her into a sitting position and Deidara carefully wrapped the clean material around her midsection. “I’m going to hook up an iv, her fever is going to be a problem. We’ll have to watch her yeah.”

He quickly stripped off the bloodied coverlet and Itachi settled her against the cool sheets. Her face was serene now, the tracks of her tears still faintly visible. Deidara went to get her a new blanket.

“Seems very concerned about you.” the leader said across the distance.

Itachi said nothing, merely watched as the most feared man in Akatsuki pressed a clean, cool cloth to her brow.

“She’s a nice girl. You leave in the morning.” he said and he was gone.

Deidara returned, tucking the coverlet over her, and prepping the iv.

~

Hours later he returned, a tray in hand. The scent of hot food and sweet tea, the spice of sake lifted through the room.

Sakura had not woken, barely stirred in her sleep. She mumbled from time to time.

Itachi sat in the corner, his dark eyes not leaving her. She had been under his protection and she was ill for it.

Failure of any kind did not sit well with him, ever. This was no exception.

“Here” Deidara said offering a shallow vessel of sake to him. Itachi eyed the clear liquid a moment, then took it, downing the spirit in a single swallow. “You are to leave in the morning hmm?” the blonde asked.

Itachi nodded silently, setting the delicate cup aside.

Deidara looked over at his patient, “She won’t be ready to travel with you.” he pointed out.

The Uchiha didn’t even blink, “I know.”

Deidara sighed, having a better understanding of Itachi than many others. “These things happen…” he said.

Dark eyes flashed crimson, “Not to me.” Itachi snapped, then quieted his voice once more. He checked to see if Sakura had been disturbed by his outburst.

She slept on, the jutsu used to send her to sleep had been a powerful one. Her chakra system was now fully functional, her breathing even and calm.

“Sasori will go with me” Itachi announced, “It should not take us very long. Two weeks at most. The location of the scroll isn’t specifically known. Some outer island in the deep northern sea. She’ll have to decipher most of it when we return.”

The blonde man nodded, making one last check of the tubing connected to the slender arm. “I’ll look after her yeah” he said quietly.

Stepping back from her he turned to find Itachi staring at him intently, “You had better.”

The blonde man shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets and left the room.

For the rest of the day and into the night Itachi sat. A silent watcher darker than shadows. His eyes moving from the pale face surrounded by a halo of pink to the steady drip, drip, drip of the iv.

Recalling her words to his leader. She had thought he was someone else, touched the great leader of Akatsuki, a man who didn’t like to be touched.

She had pleaded for his life. She had said she loved him. Her tearful words had carved themselves into his brain. Repeating themselves over and over again.

Suddenly her voice was outside of his head, whisper soft. “Itachi?”. He looked up to find her green eyes illuminated by the moonlight. They seemed to reach for him across the darkness, to glow.

Her arm lifted into the shadows as though she could see him, when he knew she could not. He found himself rising to his feet, crossing the floor to the bedside.

His pale, larger fingers meeting hers in the misty light. She gave him a small smile, a tired smile.

“What time is it?” she asked, her voice hushed.

He sank to the bed, sitting beside her. “Nearly eleven pm.” he answered, his voice equally hushed.

She licked her lips, “What happened? I feel like hell.”

He reached to the bedside table with his free hand and plucked up the glass of water.

He pulled his hand free from her grasp to slide it behind her shoulders, gently lifting her slightly. He pressed the cool glass to her lips. Sakura drank deeply, feeling the cold water rush into her empty stomach, carrying the soothing cool with it. Itachi set the glass aside and lowered her once more.

“Thank you” she managed to say. He was silent for a long moment, and then he spoke.

“I didn’t remove all of the scales” he told her, “There was a small bit that I didn’t detect. You must rest until your fever breaks. Deidara has seen to your wounds, you are on fluids and anti-venoms… A precaution.”

She saw something flicker over his stoic features and she waved her hand weakly, “I must not be much of a medical specialist” she joked, “I didn’t notice it either. Why so glum?”

Eyes, luminous as black pearls stared back at her and she winked at him, making those eyes widen ever so slightly.

“Sakura” he drawled, brushing her brow. “You burn with fever.”

Yes, that would explain her behavior. She wagged her finger at him, urging him closer to her. When they were nose to nose she whispered to him, “I don’t blame you. Stop that face.”

He blinked down at her, feeling hot fingertips caress his cheek. He covered her fingers with his cooler ones, and leaned closer.

It was a simple kiss, a brush of his lips against hers, he felt her fatigue then, and drew back. Seeing her eyes drift closed again, a small smile on her face. Itachi turned and left the room to prepare for his journey.