Sakura back in time ❦ (Naruto BIT fanfic)

3

The next day, Sakura made yet another attempt to stand on her own. Naturally, she had Itachi stand beside her to catch her if she fell. She stood on her feet for about two seconds when her knees buckled under the weight they were being put under and she fell right into Itachi's outstretched arms. When she was set back on the bed, she went to try again, but Itachi pushed her back and held her shoulders to keep her down.
She stared into his seemingly endless eyes quizzically, wondering what on earth he thought he was doing.

"Don't overexert yourself," he told her, his voice barely over a whisper. "This is going to take time; rushing things won't do a thing to help you."

She nodded, a blush surfacing on her cheeks.

He released his hold on her just as they both heard Itachi's mother call his name. "Itachi-chan," she called. "Your father's home, he wants to talk to you."

He gave a final glance at Sakura and then took his leave.

Sakura stayed still, the feeling of Itachi's warm hands on her shoulders still lingering, her hands numb. When she finally sat up, she saw Sasuke appear in the doorway.

"Hi there," she greeted, smiling ever-so-slightly.

Sasuke took a step back and stared at his feet uncertainly.

"Don't worry," she told him with a warm smile. "Why don't you come in?"

"Kaa-san told me not to bother the guest," he mumbled, his face lightly flushed.

"Oh, well then, it's a good thing that you aren't bothering me," she replied. "Come on in, Sasuke-kun."

He looked up at her, his blush darkening a little. He reluctantly walked into the room and stood beside the bed.

"Sit," she said, patting the bed.

He did as told and sat down.

"Tou-san is home," he told her.

"Really?" asked Sakura. "Did he come home from work?"

He nodded, saying, "Aniki told me he works in the big building with the Uchiha clan insignia on it."

"Really?" She ignored the fact that she had no idea what he was talking about, glad to see that the little boy was warming up to her.

He nodded again.

"Sasuke-chan!" Sasuke's mother called. "Stop pestering our guest and come do your academy homework."

"I have to go now," Sasuke said, sounding disappointed as he slid off the bed. "Bye bye, Nee-san,"

"Bye, Sasuke-kun," Sakura replied, feeling flattered at the thought of Sasuke calling her an elder sibling.

Then, Itachi walked back into the room, watching Sasuke leave with his eyes.

"Is everything alright, Itachi-san?" Sakura asked, noticing how pale the elder Uchiha son looked. "Do you feel sick?"

"No," he answered. "Every thing's fine... just some father-son differences. It's no big deal."

She nodded, willing to drop the subject for him, knowing he didn't want to talk about it.

"Have you begun to remember anything yet?" he asked, changing the subject.

She shook her head in the negative, answering, "I can only remember that my name is Sakura. I-It's hard to concentrate for a long time. Whenever I remember something, I can't get a good grasp on it long enough to actually decipher what it means."

He nodded and told her, "We just need to be patient; the memories will come back when they're ready."

She sighed and told him, "It's frustrating, not knowing anything about myself... I want to know what I was like, where I've been, where I've wanted to be. It's just so frustrating!" Sakura swiped at the tears that were welling in her eyes and let out a wavering sigh.

She felt Itachi stroke her hair comfortingly, trying to calm her. It was working. "I have an idea," Itachi told her. "When you're able to stand and walk, why don't I take you around the village?"

She nodded, a smile creeping on her face. "I'd like that."

He smiled, too. "Then, when you're better, we'll go."

She tried to stand again, not caring about the impending consequences. This was a real incentive to standing. She was able to stand, but when she shifted her weight to one foot and lifted the other foot to take a step forward, she fell and Itachi caught her... again.

"Well, looks like you're getting a little better," he commented, laying her on the bed.

She nodded again and, instead of giving up for the time being like she'd done all the other times, she got back up and tried again. Itachi just watched and was ready to catch her if he needed to. She was able to take a step and then fell again. She tried a few more times with the same result and found herself panting afterward.

Itachi tucked her into the bed and whispered, "Why don't you get some rest and we'll try again another time?" She nodded, blushing once again.

He gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead and left her to rest.

She closed her eyes, but didn't sleep. Her nerves were going crazy, replaying that innocent kiss in her mind. Had he done it to make sure she'd stay in bed or was there another reason? Was he teasing her? No, he didn't seem like the type to tease people, especially not with kisses.

So then, why did he kiss her? She quickly dismissed the whys and just enjoyed the lingering pressure on her forehead where his lips had once been.