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Chapter Eighteen

She knew what Sakura had been doing all these time. She knew it the moment she saw her slice the man's throat with no remorse. The eyes, dead, the look cold and bitter. As if she has been murdering people as her favorite past-time thing. She looked used to it.

Even after a week from the end of the mission, Anko feels hallow. She has been hoping that Sakura would get different future, away from the wet-jobs and the suicidal missions. She hoped that the village would have realized their mistakes, sparing the only remaining Haruno away from the prodigy life. Now, she can see that she has never been more wrong. The village is going harder on Sakura, than they have ever done with Hitoshi. And Anko knows that partly, she is the one to blame.

"What's wrong with you?" Ibiki slides on the sit next to her, blinking surprised at the purple haired Kunoichi, who is not even touching the plate full of dangos. Anko looks up, shrugging her shoulders, trying to dismiss the thoughts clouding her mind.

"Nothing." She mumbles quietly. "I am still thinking about the mission." Ibiki nods, sighing loudly. He read the reports. He knows what Sakura has done, the look she had on her face. Yet, he can only imagine what the girl sitting next to him, might be feeling. The two of them have been there for Sakura ever since she was born. And seeing the person, you consider as your little sister, lost in the bloodshed is sight, that tears you away from the dream world you have created.

"It will be over soon." Ibiki whispers in barely audible tone, gaining Anko's attention. The look of surprise and pure terror is evident on her face. In ninja world, something being over means the end, the death. "She will be transferred in Genin Team under Kakashi." He adds with small chuckle. "Third will not be risking the lives of Uzumaki and Uchiha." His voice is slowly dropping into murmurs. "It's just several years until then..."

Anko looks up at him, dark circles underneath her red, puffy eyes. She couldn't sleep. She cannot sleep. Every time she closes her eyes the image of Sakura pops up. The distant look in her eyes reminding Anko of Hitoshi, sending the wave of fear up her spine.

"For that, she needs to stay alive long enough." Anko finds herself whispering in low voices. Ibiki looks at her alarmed, eyes wide open. "She is worse than Kakashi, Ibiki. She has no self-control when it comes to preserving herself. She throws herself in the battlefield, not caring if she lives or dies."

None of them mutter a word. Both of them stuck in their own thoughts.

"I...I gave him a promise, Ibiki." She whispers through teary eyes. The scarred man looks at her, raising eyebrows. "I promised Hitoshi that I would protect Sakura with everything, I have got. Even if he is gone, betraying the village...I have to keep the promise."

"You talked to him, right?" Ibiki chuckles lightly. "Right before he left the village."

"Yes." Anko nods, finding no reason to hide it after so many years. "I don't know if he already had committed murder or not, when he came to see me. He seemed off." She whispers lightly. "He was nervous about something, could barely stand still, his whole body trembling. He told me that he did something and that... He told me that he had no other choice, but to leave." She whispers again, avoiding Ibiki's gaze. "He made me promise that I would look after her. I did not need to make a promise, because I already loved her like a sister. But I did anyways." Her chuckle is dry, void of emotions aside from sadness. "That time, I believed it was some dangerous mission that he took. Only after admitting Sakura in hospital I found out the truth."

The silence engulfs both of them. The heavy weight of what has happened consuming them both. The snippets of their past haunting their memories, the questions of what ifs clouding their judgments.

Both of them are aware that things simply do not add up. Both of them have spent more than enough time in the company of Haruno Hitoshi to know that something utterly terrible must have happened in order for him to turn his back on his village. The place, he considered home.

Ibiki does not say anything. He does not even believe that he has a right to speak. Partly, he blames himself. And he always has. He knows that the Third is hiding something. Something crucial that will pour light on everything. Yet, he remains loyal to the man, not even daring to look for some clues by himself. Ibiki knows that despite the perfect cover The Leaf Village is putting on, something utterly terrible is going on beneath the layers. Things like ROOT.

Ever since Hitoshi Haruno killed Danzo, it became known that the councilman was having a secret ANBU organization, named ROOT, where he trained kidnapped children of different clans. Most of them even have forgotten the names given at birth. The crimes Danzo has committed against the village are terrible, blood-curling terrible. And Ibiki suspects that the Third knew at least about the half of them.

Maybe Hitoshi knew about them, too. Maybe that pushed him further into the darkness. He want to be able to answer the questions stuck in his head, theories that make no sense. Ibiki knows that something happened that caused Hitoshi to break. He has witnessed Haruno Hitoshi's downfall, and currently, he is witnessing another downfall of much more powerful person, Haruno Sakura.

"You are still on third clan case?" Third tilts his head slightly, looking directly at Ibiki's eyes. The scarred man nods, worry filling him up. "Sit." He nods, taking a vacant seat in front of the Hokage. "There is something, I need to tell you."

The words whispered afterwards ring in his ears. The truth echoes in his mind. Ibiki wants to speak, to tell his best friend everything, to assure her, but he cannot. He gave a promise and he is not willing to break it yet. Because telling the truth will endanger not only the village, but well-being of certain pink haired girl as well.

***

I stare at Shisui with raised eyebrows, annoyance dripping from every single pore of mine. But Uchiha does not seem to notice. Instead, he continues talking loudly about the recent events that occurred to him during his last night's patrol. Itachi is walking silently beside him, listening and absorbing his every word.

his hair is still short, slowly growing longer. From the things my brother has done, it is one I least understand. Cutting Uchiha Itachi's hair might be some kind of demonstration of strength, the mockery of some sort. That he spared him, but left with prize in his hand, cut hair, that will show the whole world that Uchiha Itachi lived by the mercy of Haruno Hitoshi.

Despite being a monster and danger to the village, his actions never cease to amuse me. Some of them make no sense, serve no purpose but to mock people around him. The sheer power he possesses scares everyone around him. And he loves showing others that they all belong to him. That the lives depend on how well they manage to amuse him.

"Sakura-chan?" Shisui waves his hand in front of my face, gaining my attention. "Are you tired?" His voice is soft, full of care.

I shake my head, not even bothering to answer verbally to his question. Instead, I continue walking side-by-side with them.