J A D E

Chapter Fifty - Four

"Kage Summit?" I ask with small smile and shrug.

"Yes." Itachi nods looking at other ex-members of Akatsuki. "They have decided to send Hatake Kakashi as Sixth Hokage if something happens to Tsunade-sama." I nod, rubbing my temples. "And they have chosen me, Shisui and you as his guards."

"Is it even smart move?" I ask amused.

"You don't want to spend time with us, Sakura-chan?" Shisui swings his arm around my neck, nearly suffocating me. I glare at him and shake my head.

"No." I chuckle at Shisui pouts. "I would prefer to stay with Tsunade-sama." I smile at the boy in front of me. Well, man. Shisui is twenty three or four by now, yet he looks like seventeen.

"I know that, Blossom." Sasori ruffles my hair and smiles gently at me. "But you are not permitted to go in, so you are no help here." He deadpans making me even more agitated.

"Yeah, bitch." Hidan grins at me. "You will be better off kicking some asses."

"Un, I think she should stay here, yeah." Deidara looks at me with small smile. "But... It would be more useful if you helped them, yeah." He points at Uchihas. I look at Kisame, who only grins and shakes his head at me. And then I stare at Kakuzu, who is my only hope left.

"They are right, Sakura-san." Kakuzu states bluntly, his eyes focused on the stacks of papers with calculations. "You will be more useful as being guard." He states again. "Though, the village would have benefited from your strength during rebuilding."

"Taking in recent circumstances, Sakura..." I turn back, looking at Kakashi with annoyed expression. "It would be better if you left the village for some time." I take a step back, my eyes wide. I do know that what I did and how I lost control was not acceptable, but I could not control myself. I never expected my own villages not to be able to take me in.

"What do you mean, Kakashi?" I ask agitated. I can feel anger and sadness burning inside of me.

"Sakura." Kakashi sighs and looks around for help, but none of them are providing it. "You have displayed a violent actions in front of others." Kakashi states, clicking his tongue at his poor choice of words. "What I mean is, that no one in the village is used to such brutal things. They are not able to fully comprehend that the girl they all deemed cute and kind and only a medic could be their famous ANBU captain, and could do such things." Kakashi sighs once again. "And you are one of the most suitable Shinobis to stand against Tobi and his attacks if it comes to that."

***

"What do you want, Sasuke?" I ask agitated as I start taking off my clothes, that are still caked in Madara's blood. I take off my jacket and throw it on the ground. "I have to change and take a bath." I add more annoyed.

"Are you okay?" His question startles me. I turn to him, seeing his worried expression. I have never even thought that famous Uchiha would worry about my wellbeing. After all, he was the one, who tried to finish me off several times.

"Yes, you don't have to worry about it, Sasuke." I sneer the words out, slightly flinching as I move my left hand too much. It is still healing from the fight. "You can leave now." But instead, he comes forward, hugging me tightly without hesitation.

"You seem restless, Sakura." Itachi tilts his head as we approach the destination point. He seems calm outside, but I know about the storm that is going on inside of him. "Is something bothering you?"

"Yes." I sigh and rub my eyes, tiredly. I look at Itachi and offer him a small smile. "I... Can you promise me something?" Itachi nods, waiting for me to continue talking. "Don't... You know that Sasuke wants to kill you..." Itachi nods once again, pain evident in his gaze. "Don't let him." I whisper the words out, knowing perfectly well that if it came to it, Itachi would sacrifice himself. "And... Let me fight him."

"Why?" Itachi asks me confused. He tilts his head slightly, his onyx eyes studying me carefully. "Why do you want to fight him so much, Sakura?"

"Because he needs his ass beaten up." I mumble agitated shaking my head. Itachi chuckles. They have got used to the fact that more time I spend with Hidan, more I talk like him. "And... because I want to bring him home. You will never fight him in full force and until someone does it and defeats him, he won't be back."

"Do you..." Itachi trails off, gaining my attention. I raise eyebrows at him, motioning for him to continue talking. "Do you...Still love him?"

I am startled and surprised by his question. Usually, it always had been Shisui, who would taunt me for my feelings towards certain Uchiha. But Itachi never even made a comment. I would usually catch him staring at me and Sasuke, but he never mentioned that.

"I... I don't know, Itachi-kun." I smile sadly at the boy in front of me. I nervously rub my head and bite my lower lip. "I have not been thinking about it, honestly." I lie without hesitation. "And... I don't really want to think about what I feel towards your brother."

"Okay." Itachi nods, but he says nothing more. His eyes are casted down, his gaze unreadable. He seems...broken.

"Oi, Itachi-kun." I perk up, remembering about the girl, Itachi always used to have a crush on. At first he would not say the name, even to Shisui, until we caught him and that one girl together, eating dango. "How is Izumi-chan?" I ask happily. Itachi looks at me confused, opening his mouth before closing it like a fish.

"She is fine, Sakura." Itachi whispers the words softly. "Father... He wants us to get married." He whispers in a low voice and looks down.

"Is not it supposed to be a good news?" I whisper confused. Itachi looks at me and sighs, offering me a small smile.

"I don't know." Itachi whispers, closing his eyes for a second. "I suppose it is." But something in his tone tells me that he is not too thrilled about the marriage. At all.