It took until Itachi and Sakura were both bathed and preparing for the evening for Sakura to change her mind about telling Madara. Itachi had been expecting it.
"I don't know if he's ready," Sakura murmured to Itachi.
He agreed. Madara was not Hashirama Senju. Itachi wasn't particularly surprised that the First Hokage had stooped to spying on them, but he was glad that he was an ally now. He doubted that Madara, Izuna, and Tobirama would have reacted as patiently or acceptingly towards their outlandish but honest time-travel tale.
After Madara's aggressive outburst at Sakura earlier in the day, Itachi didn't think he was ready to hear any truth, particularly that they were sent back in time mostly to stop him from becoming the greatest threat to peace in the entire world.
"He's still going to come," Itachi reminded Sakura. "What will you do?"
Sakura sat heavily on the couch beside Itachi, tucking her legs beneath her. Her shoulder leaned into his.
"I think I'm going to tell him about Sasuke and Naruto." Itachi cast her a sidelong look. "Don't look at me like that. It'll be more about what he thinks."
"I trust you, Sakura," Itachi said quietly.
Sakura was quiet for a moment and he saw her blush slightly, though he didn't know why she did.
"He'll probably ask about why I called the Uchiha stupid today as well," Sakura sighed.
Itachi chuckled.
"I would think so. He certainly isn't the type to let something like that go, since you referenced very specific Uchiha that he doesn't know."
Sakura groaned and covered her face with a hand.
"It's your fault," she said. "Asking me questions like that."
There was a joke in her voice, but it didn't stop him feeling a twist of guilt.
"I'm sorry," he apologised.
Sakura lowered her hand and gave another long, drawn-out sigh. "No. It's okay. I mean, I haven't been the most reliable, but I won't let it affect me anymore."
She sounded determined, and Itachi knew that she was being honest. She was putting everything behind her and looking forward like she always did.
Itachi stayed quiet. Both of them were suffering in their own ways. Sakura had always been a more emotive person than him, so her reacting physically to trauma was normal. His traumas liked to remain psychological. He wasn't sure which was worse. She shifted so that she was sitting back, drawing her knees from beneath her to her chest. His shoulder felt a little cold in her sudden absence.
"What are you going to do, Itachi?" Sakura asked.
She had turned her head to look at him, a serious expression on her face.
"You have a chance, you know, to help with the future of your clan."
"You believe I should reveal the truth to Tobirama?" He frowned. Sakura nodded. "Do you believe it is wise to have the Senju know the truth before the Uchiha?"
Sakura looked forward thoughtfully.
"I don't know if we have much choice," she said eventually. "I don't like it though. It feels like favouritism, and that won't end well."
"No," Itachi agreed.
They sat in thoughtful silence for a while, each lost in their own minds as they tried and failed to come up with a solution.
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...
