Book 2: The Three of Us

Chapter 2: Reunited

A nock on the door wakes me from my half asleep state. I pull myself up into a sitting position, my whole body feeling heavy and aching everywhere. The paralytic I had them use during surgery is still making its way through my system and has me feeling like I can't completely control my limbs. A nurse checks my vitals before allowing Tsunade and Anko into my hospital room.

Seeing them is a reminder of me abandoning Jiraya, and my stomach drops with guilt. I can barely stand to look at the two people in front of me. Jiraya was dead because of me, someone Tsunade cared deeply for. And what Anko did felt like a betrayal.

"I'm glad you're okay," Tsunade says. I try to look at her but I avert my gaze in shame.

"You had no right to decide that my life was worth more than another's," I say, my voice sharp with anger.

Tsunade scoffs, clearly offended by what I said, "Actually, I do. As Hokage I decide what's best for the village."

"Because of you Jiraya is dead because of me! My life isn't worth more than his," my voice raises in volume as I speak before falling quiet with the last statement. I should of died along side him. I didn't deserve to survive. I wasn't worth it. My voice is barely audible as I add, "I should be dead."

Anko rushes towards me in anger, grabbing me by my shirt and roughly pulling me towards her, she yells in my face, "Don't you dare say that!"

I push her away in frustration, raising my voice at her, "You're just pissed off because it's true."

"I'm pissed off because you're being an ungrateful ass," Anko scoffs and crosses her arms.

"Jiraya was a good man, an honest man. I'm far from that. My life is worth nothing in comparison to his," I continue, unable to let this go.

"You can go and shove your self hate up your ass. You're taking your guilt out on everyone around you. Get over it," Anko says, her tone frustrated and annoyed. Her comment has me shutting up, stunned by what she said and the truth behind it.

Tsunade drops a scroll on the table beside the bed I'm on, "Get your shit together and finish the mission report by tomorrow," she turns towards Anko, "Come on, lets go."

The two of them quickly leave the room, shutting the door as they go. Silence falls over the room, and I'm left with nothing but my own thoughts. Samihada lets out a distressed chirp from where it's propped up on the wall beside the bed. It has me curious who moved the sword, most who tried to wield it would get there hands stabbed through with sharp scales.

I reach for the sword and put it on the bed beside me. The usual bandages on it are gone, leaving the scales exposed. Before settling back down, I grab my parents necklaces and put them back on. With one hand I hold them tightly and with the other I stroke the scales of Samihada, feeding some of my chakra to the sword and feeling the sword give some of its chakra back to me. It helps me calm down and some of the anger and guilt lessons.

The exhaustion from the surgery and from the interaction with Tsunade and Anko quickly catches up to me and my eyes become heavy with sleep. I drift off to sleep with my hand resting on Samihada.

***

The sound of a giggle and hushed voices wake me from my sleep. Before I'm completely awake, I hear a strange click shutter sound followed by another giggle. Opening my eyes, Sakura stops like a deer caught in a fire jutsu, a camera in her hand, pointed at me. Itachi watches with a humorous smile on his face.

Seeing the two of them for the first time in forever has a toothy smile making its way onto my face. The happiness of seeing them gives me a burst of energy and I sit up quickly, pulling them down onto the bed with me. Itachi lands half on top of me and props himself up with his arm to keep from putting pressure on my still healing abdomen. Sakura lands beside me, the giant camera still in hand. Itachi takes it from her and sets it on the bedside table.

I keep an arm wrapped around each of them, pulling them close as they snuggle onto each side of me. Samihada ends up getting in the way and Itachi picks up the sword and puts it back where it was before. It takes me a moment to process that Samihada let another hold it without attacking them. Something that is definitely important to mention later.

"You had us worried," Sakura says as she runs her hand gently across my chest.

Itachi lets out a hum of agreement, "We're glad you're okay now."

"We missed you a lot," Sakura adds.

I let out a heavy breath, "Me too. I thought of you two every day."

"None of us get to go on missions until we can actually spend some time together," Sakura says, half joking, half serious.

Itachi pulls a necklace out from under his shirt, revealing it to be the one I made him. Seeing it on him makes me smile. If he's wearing one, Sakura should be to. Itachi traces the tooth with his finger, holding it gently, "Can you explain what the necklaces mean?"

Being asked to explain it makes me flush with embarrassment, "It's a promise that we'll be together forever." Admitting it makes me want to hide my face so they can't see how flustered I am.

They both sit up slightly and look at me in shock, clearly surprised at how much it means. Sakura lets out a breath, a smile making its way onto her face, "Okay, wow. That's just - wow."

"How about we take a moment to talk about how Samihada let Itachi wield it," I say, deflecting from the previous conversation and needing a break from all the attention being on me.

Itachi snorts out a laugh, "Your sword injured four different people before I decided to take a turn and pick it up."

I let out a laugh, imagining the look of surprise the first person to attempt to pick up the sword would of had, "Samihada is very particular with whose allowed to wield it. It has to like the taste of your chakra to accept you."

Sakura lets out a groan, "Your sword is crazy."

"That reminds me. You said something to me before you left in your language. What did it mean? I have an idea of what you said but I want to hear it from you," Itachi asks.

Having all the attention back on me makes me want to once again hide my face, "It meant, 'I love you.'"

Sakura and Itachi look at me with shiny eyes, brimming with unshed tears. There faces are filled with adoration towards me and in that moment I would happily drown in content. This was home.