Mythical Vet

Chapter Six

During the time Sakura stayed at the Uchiha manor taking care of Izuna she didn't see Madara again. Her guilt for losing her temper toward him was eating her alive. Becoming closer to Izuna was helping a bit and making her stay quite fun. It was just like having a brother. Finally, it came time for her to go back home and get back to work at the clinic. She would be able to apologize to Madara and hopefully move on from her outburst.

After packing all of her belongings up she moved to the doors but stopped when she saw Madara waiting at the door. He was looking at something in his hand with a forlorn face. Sakura walked closer to him and saw that it was a silver necklace of the Uchiha crest adorned with what she assumed were rubies.

"It's beautiful. Is it your mother's?" Sakura asked as she sidled up to his side to look at it closer. Madara looked up at her and inspected her face as though it was the first time he was seeing it.

"Yes it was, but now it is mine. She gave it to me so that I can one day give it to the woman I hold close to my heart." He said softly as he ran his fingers along the red rubies. Sakura watched the love that passed through his face as he fingered the pendant. He looked up at Sakura and gave a soft smile to her which startled her slightly. It was the first time she has seen him look like that and not his usual stoic look.

"Did you know that it only takes one moment for a Tengu to know the person they love? We live for so long that it seems almost pointless to go through the trials of contemplation and what if's." Madara said while continuing to stare into her eyes. Sakura found her breathing became more shallow as he talked. Madara undid the clasps on the necklace and put it around her neck before re-clasping it. He stood back and took in the necklace on her.

"You look beautiful." He stated, he looked up into her eyes and she saw adoration and love staring back at her. "Sakura, I love you. I will gladly spend my days waiting for you." Sakura couldn't help but gasp and begin slightly shaking. The depth of love within his words were shaking her to her core, but she was human and he shouldn't love her. She would die before she would reach 100 and he would most likely keep living until 1,000. It would be a miserable love. She looked away from him and hugged herself trying to be brave so she could say what needed to be said.

"You're a Tengu. I am a human. I'm sorry Madara but it could never come about. I will die from old age and you will always look the same, never aging." She could see the pain in his eyes as he took in her words. It was almost as if she was wielding a knife and repeatedly stabbing him. She unwrapped her arms from around herself and laid her hand on his arm hoping to comfort him in some way.

"I'm sorry Madara." Sakura whispered, she could feel trails of tears along her cheek but she refused to wipe them. She needed him to see that she was broken up about this just as much as him because she could see herself loving him but she could also see the pain it would eventually cause him if he stayed with her.

"I understand. Thank you for coming and helping my brother, Haruno-San. Please have a safe trip home." He said he pulled away from her and began to walk away from her. The fact that he wasn't calling her by her first name anymore and resorted back to her family name stung.

"Wait, you aren't taking me?" Sakura questioned him before he could disappear. He stopped and turned towards her with a blank face that showed nothing.

"Itachi will take you. Good day Haruno-san." He stiffly said before he once again turned and disappeared into one of the halls. He heart broke for the potential love that she could have had. She needed to get back so that she could throw herself back into work and try to forget this whole ordeal. Sakura turned around towards the main entrance and was surprised to see Itachi standing there.

"How long have you been standing there?" She asked as heat began to creep up her neck.

"I just got here." He stated as though it was obvious. "Let's get going shall we?" Itachi reached his hand out toward her and she took it. She was ready to put this all behind her and move on.Sakura spent the next few weeks just going through the motions. She woke up, drank coffee, looked at patients, did the paperwork, went home, and drank wine until she fell asleep. She didn't think not having Madara around would hurt so much. Instead, she felt so empty without him that she was slipping into a depression rut. She tied his feathers into her hair to try to feel him close to her. The energy they radiated from them seemed to calm her.

She was reading and drinking another glass of wine when she heard something strange. She stopped breathing and listened closely to see if the sound would happen again. There it was! It sounded like someone was jostling the door knob. She stood up from her couch and slowly walked towards the door, hoping it was just her imagination. The doorknob jostled once more before she heard the click of the lock being undone.

Her breathing stopped, and before seeing the doorknob turn, she took off toward her bedroom. As soon as she reached her bedroom, the door opened, and she heard footsteps, and the door slammed shut. Sakura's breathing was becoming ragged with fear as she looked around her room for her phone. She sees her phone on her nightstand and rushes toward it, but someone grabs her hair before she can reach it. She cried out in pain as she hit the hardwood floor. Sakura looks up at the person that grabbed her and just sees a man in a black ski mask.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Sakura yelled at the man.

Another person walked into the room and whispered something to the other person in the doorway. While they were doing this, Sakura looked around for something to help her. These were two burly men ready to do whatever to her.

Sakura's gaze skims over everything before she sees the gleam of Madara's feathers in her hair. Before she could grab hold of one of them, the men advanced on her and pulled at one of her legs. She screamed at them and kicked her other leg out to the closest person. She hit a shin and heard a grunt before the grip loosened on her leg. Sakura scoots back quickly and practically rips a feather out of her hair.

"Madara!" Sakura gasps out while clutching the feather. Suddenly the air grew thick and seemed to almost turn inward on itself. There was a loud pop and Sakura's eyes widen at the vision before her. Madara had come. She didn't think it would work but it did.Sakura hears a growl come from Madara as he takes in the situation. Madara swiftly grabs the head of the closest man and throws it down into the floor. The strength behind it makes the man's head break through the floorboards. Madara turns toward the other man and grabs at him but the man evades Madara. The man takes off out of the room and Madara goes to follow but stops when Sakura whimpers from the pain in her arm.

The area was where she hit the floor and it already began to bruise. Sakura sighed when she felt Madara near her.

"We can take you to the compound and put some healing salve on this. It will heal the bruise and relieve the pain."Madara gently caressed the bruised arm. He looked over the rest of Sakura cataloging all her injuries, luckily there weren't that many.

"Thank you for coming for me," Sakura whispered. Madara stopped what he was doing and looked at Sakura.

"I'll always come for you."