What I've Done

Chapter 31 : Still A Difficult Life

Kisame stroked his lover's hair gently as she whimpered in her sleep. He was glad, but now another problem disturbed his mind. What will they do if the Akatsuki found out? They were no longer arrested. The Hokage had received a letter from the Mizukage which said that Konoha may do anything to the Hoshigaki, because Kiri truly doesn't care about him anymore.

Haruka suddenly started coughing, and Kisame frowned deeper, pulling the blanket higher. However, she pushed herself to sat up. Kisame sighed as he helped her to get to the bathroom, patting her back as she coughed up more blood out of her sickness. However, the amount was now enough to make the couple's eyes widened in shock.

"... It's getting worse..."

"Haruka..." Kisame trailed off, "You-..."

"One month, Kisame. One month is all I have with you. With Itachi and Sasuke."

"You will be fine, Haruka. It's okay. We're not going anywhere. We will-..."

"But how will I tell them?! I-..." She was cut off when she went into another coughing fit, resulting in Kisame instantly held her shoulders tightly to support her.

"Please don't force yourself, Haruka..." He muttered, "Be careful..."

"I know..." She whispered, turning at him.

His gaze softened, and he gave her a smile, wiping away the blood from her lips. "Let's go back to sleep. You need to rest."

***

Itachi woke up with the smell of fresh pancakes and dangos in his room. His mind instantly went numb.

"...Kaa-san?" He muttered, staring at the ceiling. Realization soon hit him, however.

"Wait a minute. Who's cooking?"

As if in cue, the door creaked open. He instantly shut his eyes closed, hoping that the intruder would have thought that he was asleep, so that he would be left alone with his thought again.

However, the person sat on the bed, in front of him. He felt a hand caressing his cheek gently, then went to his hair, running their fingers through them.

"I know you're awake, Itachi." A soft voice said.

His eyes snapped open, and soon narrowed in wonder. "How could you know?"

She let out a chuckle. "I'm your big sister. I know you ever since you were born. Come on, rise and shine, Weasel. I want to properly introduce you to Kisame. Besides, Sasuke won't eat breakfast until you're there."

The said Anbu groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Hai. I'll get ready."

"I'll be waiting outside your room." She said, giving him a nod and smiled at him, before she left the room.

Haruka stood, leaning on the wall beside Itachi's door. She, to be truthful, felt weak at the moment. The lack of sleep and chakra weakened her. It has been days since the last time she had a proper meal, and the thought of that one month limit is the only thing that kept her on her feet.

"Onee-san? Are you alright?" A voice asked from behind her, snapping her back to reality. A smile made its way into her face.

"Why wouldn't I? Come on, people's waiting for us."

***

"Kisame, this is Sasuke and Itachi. Sasuke is 8 years younger than me, Itachi is 3 years." Haruka said, ruffling her two brothers' hair, looking at the Hoshigaki.

She then went to his side, turning at the Uchiha brothers. "Ducky, Weasel, this is Kisame Hoshigaki. My partner, my best friend, and now, my lover. He may look scary, but he's a good person despite the crimes he'd done."

Their jaws fell agape, especially when Kisame leaned down and kissed her forehead, before pulling out a chair and looked at her, bowing slightly. "If you please, Princess?" He asked slowly, raising an eyebrow causing her to chuckle.

She took his stretched hand, smiling softly and sat down. "Seriously, Kisame, stop doing that. You're making my brothers jealous. At least please not in front of them."

He gave her a grin. "As you wish, Princess." He said, using the nickname, causing her to huff. Before she could protest, he had already went to his seat.

"Okay then! Now, could any of you please start eating? I would feel really awkward to start because I'm the guest right now!" He exclaimed.

Itachi shrugged, and immediately took half of the dangos in the bowl, moving them to his own plate.

Sasuke himself took some of the pancakes, walking to the fridge and grabbed two tomatoes, biting into it as he sat down.

"By the way, min'na, I know it's expensive, but would you like it if for dinner I cooked sushis filled with s-..."

"NO!!!!! Not my cousins!!" Kisame yelled, as he started wailing. At the sight, Itachi's eyes twitched.

Sasuke began to laugh, watching as Kisame tried to wipe away his tears. "How cruel of you, Haruka! How cruel! How can you betray me! I thought-..."

"Salmon, Kisame. I'm talking about salmon. Not sharks."

For a while, Kisame froze in his seat. Slowly, he brought his hands up and covered the lower half of his face, carefully exhaled before looking around the room.

"... Oh... Okay..."

Haruka giggled, taking the last bite of her pancake, before she stood up and put her plate near the sink. Sasuke tilted his head.

"Nee-chan? I thought you only ate two of them. You sure you're done?"

She nodded, "I'll be back. Gotta do something." She said quickly, her voice shaking, as she turned and ran back upstairs.

"...That's... suspicious..." Itachi trailed off, looking at his brother, who nodded at him.

"Sure it is. What do you think, Kisame-san?"

Much to their shock, the shark had finished his meal. "I'll go check on her. You just wait."

With that, the Hoshigaki left, going after his girlfriend.

"Follow them? My guts told me it's something bad." Sasuke told Itachi. He thought for a while, before finally nodding.

Then, they followed Kisame without him noticing. He entered his and Haruka's room, closing the door behind him. After Itachi masked his and Sasuke's chakra, they leaned on the door, listening.

From inside, they could hear lots of coughing, and then Kisame's voice trying to calm her down, but then Haruka snapped at him. It was muffled, so the brothers can't hear what they're saying, but from their tone it was pretty obvious.

"Itachi, Sasuke, just come in." Haruka finally said. Her voice was hoarse, and it worries them.

Itachi opened the door, and they walked in. Haruka was sitting on her bed, panting slightly, while Kisame was standing in front of the desk, his back facing them.

"Nee-chan... You okay? You looked sick."

She smiled, but it was a sad smile. She motioned her brothers to sit next to her, but only Sasuke obeyed. Kisame soon approached them, holding a glass of water and a small bottle of pills. Haruka grabbed the bottle and took out two white pills.

"Wait. Let me see that." Itachi said just as she was about to give the bottle back to Kisame. At first she frowned, but reluctantly she gave him the bottle. The male Uchiha read the label in suspicion as Haruka drank the medicine and handed the empty glass to Kisame, who walked out to wash it.

"I know this. I got this sickness years ago, but it suddenly disappeared." He said, and put the bottle aside, "Don't tell me that you healed me."

She tilted her head. "You knew?"

"Kakashi told me everything he found about you in his sister's book. Please don't tell me you healed me. Please..."

She closed her eyes. "I did."

His eyes narrowed slightly, before he looked away, biting his lip.

"Eh?! What's going on? What's the meaning of this?" Sasuke exclaimed, completely clueless.

"Sasuke... A sickness is currently eating my heart... It was incurable, and my body has been battling it for almost a decade now. To be truthful, I'm losing."

"How long?" Itachi asked, his voice started shaking, standing in front of her.

"One month." She whispered, "I have one month left."

Their eyes widened in fear. Sasuke slowly stood up, still staring at her.

"Y-You can't be serious..." He breathed out in disbelief, "One month?! Just one month?!"

"Onee-san..."

Her gaze softened, and she raised from her seat. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around the two boys, and hugged them tight.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, Sasuke, Itachi. I'm so sorry."

***

"What's wrong, Sasuke? You look even gloomier than before the trial." Kakashi commented, watching as Sakura scolded Naruto for once again being reckless.

Sasuke's shoulders slumped, and he let out a heavy sighs. "Got a shocking news this morning."

"What is it? Haruka and that Kisame guy are a thing?"

"That's not what upsets me."

Kakashi immediately snapped his attention away from his book. "But it's true?"

"Yeah. And they looked really close, too." Sasuke muttered, taking another bite of his tomato. The sensei slowly nodded, before turning back at him.

"So what's the horrible news?" He asked, his voice softened a little, knowing how sensitive Sasuke actually is.

Sasuke looked down, and quietly said, "Nee-chan's dying."

Kakashi's eyes widened. "W-What are you talking about?"

"She got an incurable heart sickness. She got one month left."

The Hatake remained silent. He continued reading his book, fixing the headband that covered one of his eye.

"I see."

***

Itachi finally let out a sigh, and seated himself on the top of the Hokage mountain, staring at the village below him.

No matter how much she apologized, no matter how much he tried, no matter how much memories they had together...

... A part of him still couldn't forgive Haruka.

Being an Anbu, saying "It's okay, Onee-san" is easy. It was one of the simplest lie, the most basic. He had trained himself for years.

Everything reminds him of his old family.

He understood it's not her fault. He had no longer hold any hatred towards her. But even when he wanted to, he couldn't shake off his negative feelings.

He couldn't forgive her for killing their parents. Their mother, their father, who took care of their well-beings since the day they were born. He understood how hard her relationship with their father, the constant scoldings and glares, but that's not a reason to kill him.

He really was disappointed with her. Even with the difficulties, she should have been able to find another way. Or at least deceive the elders. She is a prodigy, after all.

And he was very devastated. He missed her so much, he missed her dearly, and when they finally got re-united, he had to found that she's gonna die soon. She's dying because she saved him.

"Nii-san?" A voice asked, and the teen quickly turned, to find his little brother there.

"You seemed so lost in thought. Is it about Nee-chan?"

Itachi nodded, causing Sasuke to smile, and sat next to him, his feet dangling down.

"I felt the same, you know."

"You mean..."

"Yeah. I have to say that I was... angry, to say at least. I can't fully forgive her either." Sasuke said, before he lay on the ground, looking at the clouds with his arm under his head.

"But I'm gonna try my best. She did took away our old life, but it was to protect us, right?"

"I guess. But don't worry. I'm sure Sasuke..." Itachi trailed off,

"One day, we will be able to."

*************************  

It might not be much, but it's suffice, right? 

You might hate me for the 'not fully forgives her' part, but I have my reasons. Think logically. If someone killed your family, even if it was to protect you, it will be impossible to fully forgive that person. It takes time, too. Not to mention that what Haruka did was a kind of betrayal.

And, also, there will be an announcement on my profile in a few hours.

Please Vote and Comment, if you don't mind. Thank you :)