It was a relief to both Sakura and Itachi to finally change into fresh, clean clothes. Sakura felt strange in the high necked outfit, her inner child blushing furiously at the thought that once upon a time she wanted to wear the Uchiha crest beside Sasuke. At first glance, it seemed like her childhood dreams were coming true. Except that she was standing beside Itachi, and the clothes were a gift from Madara.
Itachi, Sakura observed, looked completely comfortable and annoyingly aristocratic. He wore the clothes like they were made for him, which they basically were. She grimaced as she looked him up and down. He quirked his eyebrow in with a question when he saw her face, a glint of amusement in his eyes.
She huffed with annoyance.
"You're just so naturally handsome. It's annoying."
"I apologise," Itachi said with mirth.
Sakura rolled her eyes and punched him lightly on the arm.
"Yeah, whatever. Stupid Uchiha with your perfect genetics," she muttered in angry-jest. "You're lucky you're not a girl, I don't know if I could handle standing beside you."
"Sakura, you're being overly dramatic."
She let out a sigh.
"Well, it's distracting me from thinking too hard about everything." She motioned to the world around them, indicating that 'everything' included literally everything. "I really don't want to leave our clothes behind."
She looked down at her ruined black outfit mournfully, taking a peek at Itachi's flak jacket.
Itachi gave a small, wry smile.
"Honestly, neither do I. But we can't carry them with us."
"I know. It's just... It feels like we're leaving them behind, you know?" Sakura said quietly.
She knew Itachi understood what she meant. Them wasn't just the clothes. It was what they represented. Home. Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Tsunade, Ino... Their outfits were the only physical links they had. She lowered the clothes reluctantly into the small pit she had dug, and Itachi laid his on top of hers.
He moved some rocks to cover them and laid a hand on Sakura's shoulder. It was a small comfort, but a comfort all the same.
"We'll come back," he said quietly.
She hoped he was right. If they were suddenly sent back to the war wearing fully Uchiha clothes, there would be a lot of explaining to do. She looked up at him and gave him a brief smile.
"I guess we need to find something to eat," she said. "I can probably find some roots and herbs that will sustain us, but it's not going to be pleasant."
Itachi made a face. "Perhaps we should have requested supplies before we left."
Sakura shook her head vehemently. "No, we needed to just go. Madara might change his mind if we stay. I still don't know why he let us leave in the first place after finding out about you."
"He thinks we will come back," Itachi told her. "He'll analyze everything we've said and done in the meantime and wait until we return to confront us."
"How can you be so sure?" Sakura asked, wishing again that her mind worked like Itachi's.
Itachi gave a small shrug. "It's the most logical explanation."
Sakura gave him a look that said she didn't entirely believe him.
"Right."
She was sure there was more to it than that. She had noticed the look that passed between the two of them, and though she didn't know what it meant, there was some kind of understanding between them.
YOU ARE READING
Sacrifices for Peace
Fanfiction[PART ONE: SACRIFICES UNIVERSE] It had begun with Asura and Indra, and ended with Naruto and Sasuke. The war was done, Kaguya was sealed, and everyone thought it was over. They were wrong. It should never have come this far, and the Otsutsuki brothe...
