ItaSaku - Protect - Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-one

“There you go Sakura.” Kisame said his charka filled puddle ready for Sakura to merge with.

“Thank you again Kisame.”

“Do you know what you doing Sakura?” Itachi asked holding her hand.

“Yes.” Sakura said giving his hand a slight squeeze.

They had past Orochimaru about half an hour ago. He would soon be there.

“Remember I can still heal you while I’m merged with this pool, but when you kill Orochimaru, I’ll have to full merge and it will take at least and hour before I can… demerge, with it. So try not to get to badly injured. And please do kill him. The trap is set. He thinks we’re nowhere near here.” Sakura said looking at each man in turn. “Also remember Leader-sama that if you kill him Itachi and I can go back to Konoha.”

“I remember Sakura-chan. But you remember that you and Itachi will still be members of the Akatsuki.”

“We’ll remember Leader-sama.” Itachi said. “And we won’t betray you.”

“Good. Normally I would say ‘or you’ll die by the eyes of an Uchiha’ but seeing as you’re both Uchiha’s I guess I have to be more specific about which Uchiha. Though that still creates a problem with you Itachi.”

The men started to laugh but Sakura held up her hand. “He’s coming.”

“It’s time.”

Sakura stepping into Kisame’s puddle and started to merge with it as the men speed off to their positions. Itachi stayed behind. Sakura was only merged up to her hips when she stopped. Itachi bent down and gave her a quick kiss and a hug. They whispered goodbye and as Sakura finished merging Itachi went to his position. Waiting for Orochimaru. He didn’t have to wait long.

Orochimaru and he men walked into the glade, deciding it was as good a place as any to take a rest. He was very surprised when some of his sound ninja dropped dead.

“What the!?”

“UCHIHA!” One of his men screamed.

“Akatsuki.” He hissed under his breath. Suddenly kunai and shuriken came out from nowhere that Orochimaru could trace and killed more of his men. Kabuta and a few of his more trusted men stepped in front of him. “Baka’s, it’s no use. You can’t stop the Akatsuki. Not anymore.” Orochimaru sensed a kunai heading towards him and he quickly dodged it. If made him feel better to know that Sakura would die along with him but the fact that she had feed him a lie made him a bit uneasy. “Damn it.”

As Orochimaru landed in a tree he turned to see all of the one hundred men he had were either dead or dying. Nothing could be done about that. Not that Orochimaru cared much for their lives. They were just prawns to him on a big chess broad. He’d get more men. If he survived that was. And he had every intention of surviving.

“Kabuta! Pull back!” He called out.

“Oh no you don’t.” Hidan came up behind Orochimaru and kicked him squarely in the back just as Itachi had done to him a month ago. Kisame appeared below Orochimaru with his sword uncovered, its spikes ready to tear into Orochimaru’s skin.

Kabuta flashed past Kisame and pushed Orochimaru out of the way. Orochimaru landed on the ground and watched as Kabuta came into contact with Kisame’s sword. Kisame swung his sword around and smashed Kabuta up against at tree killing him instantly. Leader sent his lighting dragon at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru jumped out of the way. He was alone now. He had to fend for himself. His four most trusted ninja’s were being tortured by Itachi’s tsukuyomi. Orochimaru suddenly knew something was wrong. It Itachi was willing to kill him then they must have found a way to protect Sakura. Orochimaru could feel her somewhere around here. He just had to find her. But he knew he didn’t have time to try. The Akatsuki was closing in on him. A kunai that Zetsu had thrown hidden by one of Deidara’s bombs exploded and embedded in Orochimaru’s arm. He started to feel his charka ebb. “Damn it. A charka stealing kunai.” In reaction he threw a handful of kunai and shuriken at them.

He tried to keep away from them as much as possible dodging jitsu’s and attacks from Sasori's puppets and kunai and shuriken. But even after he had pulled the charka stealing kunai from his arm his charka continued to dissipate. He fell to the ground weakened knowing that this was the end of him. 'Well at least I’ll take Sakura down with me. Maybe.'

Sakura suddenly felt the ebbing life of Orochimaru and merged fully with the water. She had mixed some of her charka with it so it was easier to merge with and then it wouldn’t take as long to demerge with. As she merged she felt very familiar charka close by. One she had chased after for so long. The last word that came from her lips before she merged fully was “Sasuke-kun… please hurry.” As her head went under the water she went into hibernation.

Itachi finished off the four ninja he was torturing and turned to Orochimaru. He was about to advance when he saw a familiar charka with his Mangekyō sharingan. And for once he was thankful to feel and see that charka. He couldn’t remember a time when he had been so thankful for his brother to be near.

“Sasuke.” He whispered. “Why are you here? And what will you say when you find out the truth?”

Orochimaru wondered why Itachi was hesitating. He soon found out. He felt a sudden pain in his back. And the pain grew.

“CHIDORI!” Sasuke screamed as his chidori ripped through Orochimaru’s chest, leaving a hole just inches away from his heart. But it was still fatal.

The Akatsuki all stood frozen wondering how Sasuke came to be here. “Of course he takes midnight walks.” Itachi said under his breath.

“That’s for wasting three years of my life.” Sasuke spat at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru was gasping for air as he fell to the ground. He was dead when his face buried into the dirt.

~

“What…?” Sasuke felt like he was going to be sick. “You’re both Akatsuki member’s?”

“Yes.” Sakura answered.

“… I need to sit down.”

Itachi led him over to a fallen branch. The rest of the Akatsuki looked on hoping this wouldn’t amount to anything troublesome. Sakura walked over to the Uchiha brothers and knelt down taking Sasuke’s hands in hers.

“I’m sorry Sasuke-kun but this was the only way we could see of finally getting rid of Orochimaru. Please you have to understand. It was a difficult choice to make. We don’t want to make trouble Sasuke-kun.”

“You’re sorry!? You betrayed Konoha!” Sasuke snapped at her.

“Sasuke-kun please. You betrayed the village once too remember. And you were let back in. So was Itachi.”

“Yes but your going to continue to betray the village.”

“On the contrary Sasuke, we’re not after Konoha or to kill the Kages. You could kinda say we’re peace keepers.” Leader said his voice calm. “Sure we’re exiles but we still have some honour thank you very much. We do have out own missions but at least we try as much as possible for our missions not to include the killing of innocent people. The only times we have ever fought against Konoha or any other village was when they sent ANBU after us. All because we killed our family to get away from the constraints on us.”

“That supposed to make it all right?” Sasuke spat at him.

“Sasuke please try to understand. This was the only way we could kill Orochimaru without Sakura dying as well.” Itachi said, suddenly remembering that Sasuke didn’t know about Sakura’s and Orochimaru’s connection. Sakura hit him on the arms picking up on his slip of the tongue.

“What?”

“Long story Sasuke-kun. But the short version is that the day we saved you from Orochimaru he and I created a connection of the mind and heart. The only way I could stay alive was if I merged with a charka filled water puddle. And no one in Konoha can manipulate water.” Sasuke had to agree with Sakura on that. “And Kisame can. Of course this was all planned in the last five hours but now we’re finally free of Orochimaru. So can’t you just let go of the fact the Itachi and I are Akatsuki and be happy please? I know we’re asking a lot of you. But for all we’ve done for you can’t you do this small thing for us? Of course we can’t inform Naruto. And you finding out was never planned. But honestly Sasuke. What have we done but get rid of Konoha’s greatest fear. Konoha has nothing to fear from the Akatsuki.”

Sasuke looked into Sakura’s emerald eyes and sighed. His sharingan was still activated and he could see that she was telling the truth. He turned his sharingan off and said;

“Kakashi’s getting married.”

Sakura smiled and Itachi sighed. Sasuke wasn’t going to turn them in. They knew that. The Akatsuki left the Uchiha’s alone and headed back for headquarters. They had nothing to fear.

“That’s wonderful Sasuke-kun. What’s her name?”

“Hoshi. She’s from the hidden village of lighting.” Sasuke said staring at his sister-in-law.

“Why’s she in Konoha?” Itachi asked looking at his younger brother.

“Apparently to protect Tusande from people from her village.” Sasuke said now looking at his older brother.

“She tell you this?”

“No.” Sasuke smiled as he told them; “I looked though her letters.”

The three Uchiha’s laughed and pulled eachother into an embrace. They were a family. And they belonged together.

Itachi kissed Sakura on the forehead and Sakura whispered in Sasuke’s ear; “Thank you Sasuke-kun.”

“Welcome Sakura-san. Nii-san?”

Itachi and Sakura both stared at Sasuke.

“You haven’t called me that in years.”

“I know. And I’m sorry. I should never have stopped calling you my brother.”

“What is it?”

“Can we go home? Back to the Uchiha estate. After all it’s still ours.”

Itachi stared at his younger brother.

“Are you sure Sasuke-kun?” Sakura asked.

“Yes. We’re family Sakura-san. And we’re Uchiha’s. I don’t think our family would be to happy if the estate passed onto others.”

“… Maybe your right Sasuke.” Itachi said. “Sakura?”

“It’s fine with me.”

“Then let’s move in as soon as possible.”

They all smiled and walked back to Konoha.

Uchiha Sasuke had found the family he had never had and had always wanted.

Uchiha Itachi had found the family he had never had and had always wanted.

Uchiha Sakura had found a family that she could look after.

I’ll protect you both. And I know you’ll both protect me. We’ll protect eachother forever.

All three of them made that silent promise. All of them looked forward to the future.

Sakura placed a hand on her belly as she felt the baby kick for the first time. She made the two men stop so they could feel it too.

We’ll protect you too little one.