Chapter 2: Just Like a Poison
5 Years Ago
Forest of Death
"Don't you dare Sasuke," Sakura hissed, fingers clutching even tighter against the kunai in her hand. "Don't you dare go near him, don't let him touch you."
Part of her was screaming to go to his side and hold him back if she had to, but she couldn't leave Naruto's unconscious body. Her brain was working fast, working over every strategy, every possible way to get away and to get help. This wasn't some genin attempting to gain chunin status. This was something else, and her stomach was twisting itself into a knot of fear and terror. She couldn't fight this.
Sasuke's jaw was clenched tight, sharingan bright in his gaze. He was bleeding from the hit he had taken earlier and she could see lines of strain along his mouth and eyes. He knew that he was the only one who could try to fight what was before them and she could tell by the way he wasn't looking at her that he didn't think he could win.
Swallowing back her tears, Sakura was forced to wait to see what would happen next.
"Sakura..."
"No," she snapped.
"Stay out of the way, Sakura."
She wanted to throw her kunai at him, but it was the only defense she had.
"Sasuke!"
There was no flash of chakra, no warning. There was empty space, and then suddenly he was standing between Sasuke and that...monster with a man's face.
Sakura only saw his back. Long, flowing hair covered any symbol that would have been stitched onto the standard ANBU wear. She had no idea who it was, and she didn't care, all she knew was that help had arrived.
Sasuke suffered no such ignorance. "Aniki. What are you doing here?"
Itachi ignored him. He was standing casually; his hands loose at his sides and he still managed to give the impression of a coiled spring. This was the first time Sakura had seen the Uchiha prodigy, and her grip on her kunai tightened. There was more going on here than what she understood. She had to protect Naruto. She had to get Sasuke away from that man, that monster, who'd taunted him and offered him power.
She shifted her gaze away from Uchiha Itachi to focus on Sasuke, willing him to fall back, to regroup around their fallen teammate. But it was almost all she could do to stand under the gathering chakra as Itachi and that monster combated each other silently.
"Orochimaru," Itachi said tonelessly. "I told you to stay away from my little brother."
The monster-man laughed, "I couldn't help it, Itachi-kun. He is such a tasty little bite."
That disgusting tongue slithered out and Orochimaru licked his lips. "His ambition makes him so...delicious."
"I can see why you had to leave Konoha to find fulfillment for your ambition, Orochimaru. You really are very stupid."
Orochimaru made a noise that sounded like steam hitting stone.
"Go back to your team, little brother."
Sasuke's spine had straightened, fists clenching at his side, but before he could retort Itachi had disappeared. The tree Orochimaru had been leaning against shattered under the force of Itachi's attack and the monster howled.
They couldn't get involved in this. Pushing herself up, Sakura looked at Sasuke.
"Sasuke!" Her voice was shrill and too high but she didn't care. It caught his attention.
"We have to get Naruto out of here!"
He just stared at her and she struggled to keep from falling apart. Chakra was thick in the area and she could she could feel the way Itachi and Orochimaru were fighting each other. It was getting difficult to breath.
"Sasuke, please!"
Just as she thought she was going to have to haul Naruto out of the way by herself Sasuke moved, settling beside her to grasp one of his arms.
"Thank you."
Sasuke just grunted as she bent to lift the other half of their fallen comrade. Slinging Naruto's arm over her shoulder, she bunched her free hand in the back of Sasuke's shirt. He didn't say anything, just looked to her for confirmation that she was ready before they leapt into the trees.
The sound of the battle faded as they retreated deeper into the Forest of Death. The fog of chakra expanding from Itachi and Orochimaru's battle clouded Sakura's senses completely, and they ran until the air was a little lighter and it became easier to breathe.
Carefully, they eased Naruto down against a tree and Sasuke took a few steps forward to secure the perimeter.
"Sasuke-kun... that was Orochimaru." Sakura couldn't help but shiver at the name. It was a dark name, tainted with evil and betrayal and it held more power over Academy students than the boogey-man. "Should we tell someone? I mean...he shouldn't be in Konoha. The Hokage should know about this. That's more important than getting any scrolls or being made chunin, we have to protect the village-"
Sakura abruptly shut her mouth. She was babbling. Sasuke-kun knew all this. But shouldn't they go do something?
"Don't bother," Sasuke didn't even bother turning around. His hands were clenched into fists, flexing at his sides. "Itachi's there."
Well, yes, she agreed that Itachi was very certainly there, but he was only one shinobi against one of the legendary sannin. Against Orochimaru.
He could be coming back for them at any time. Oh kami... Sakura shuddered, remembering the killing intent in Orochimaru's eyes.
"But Sasuke-kun-"
Sasuke whirled around to face her, his sharingan twirling, "I said don't bother. Just take care of the dobe. We'll be moving soon."
Sakura stared at him with wide eyes, desperately attempting to understand what was going through his mind. He was right though, and dealing with Naruto would give her something to concentrate on other than how badly her hands were shaking. Swallowing hard, she hid a sniffle by reaching for her pack.
Biting her lip, she pulled out the roll of bandages she had packed and set about dealing with Naruto's head wound and the cut on his ribs. Sasuke was silent as she worked and she took a deep breath, rubbing her cheeks with the back of her hands.
"Come here."
The bright red of Sasuke's eyes clashed with hers and she took another breath.
"I need to check that cut."
"It's fine." He dismissed her, turning his back.
"Sasuke," the voice was quiet and low and Sakura spun, kunai firmly in hand as she crouched over Naruto. The air in her lungs dispelled in a huge breath as she saw Sasuke's brother. There was blood on his face that she didn't think was his and the sharingan was spinning in his eyes as he took in the area.
Sasuke's hands clenched into fists so hard and quick, Sakura winced. She straightened up from her attack stance when she recognized their rescuer, but she did not loosen her grip on her kunai. There was more going on here than she understood.
Sasuke shifted so he could face Itachi fully. He had moved to stand slightly in front of her now, so she only saw a corner of Sasuke's profile and the fan spread across his back.
"Itachi. What happened to Orochimaru?" Sasuke's voice was low and clipped, and it was obvious where he got that tone from.
A strange conflict of emotion passed across Itachi's face. One corner of his mouth twitched up even as his eyes narrowed. "He ran away. He won't be back any time soon."
"You have blood on your face," Sasuke said.
"You have a cut on your arm. Come here."
Sasuke stiffened, but moved forward until he stood directly in front of his older brother.
Instead of inspecting Sasuke's arm, like Sakura had expected Itachi abruptly took Sasuke's head in his hands and tilted it, first one way, and then the other. Then he crouched down so that their faces were even, his hands still on either side of Sasuke's head.
"Did he touch you?" his voice was as even as ever, but there was just enough of a faint growl in the undertone and rumbling shifting of chakra that Sakura automatically dropped back into a defensive stance.
"Besides the cut? No."
Itachi let out a short breath and straightened up, releasing his grasp on Sasuke's head. "See that he never does. If you can manage that."
Itachi reached out, poked Sasuke in the forehead, then turned and walked away.
There was silence in the clearing before Sasuke whirled around, eyes flashing.
Sakura widened her eyes but before she could say anything Naruto moaned.
"What hit me?"
"Sakura," Sasuke growled.
She hesitated and swallowed before meeting Naruto's eyes. "A really ugly tongue."
"What?"
Sasuke stomped over, his eyes flashing. "We have to go."
"What?" Naruto asked, still a little dazed.
"The scrolls, dobe! If we want to pass, we need the scrolls!"
"And Orochimaru took ours!" Sakura gasped, eyes widening.
"So we need more." Sasuke snarled. "Let's go!" Turning on his heel, he stomped away.
Naruto blinked. "What's his problem?"
Sakura stared at him and finally shrugged. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
X
Present Day
Konoha Hospital Lab
Sakura stared at the iron-based poison in front of her with a dark frown. It shouldn't be taking this long to figure out the composite of the poison. She was good with poisons. It was like finding a new puzzle where she was missing pieces, and for every piece she found she sometimes came closer to solving the mystery. Not always, but sometimes. Sometimes she had to finish the puzzle before she could locate pieces.
"It shouldn't be taking this long." Shizune murmured.
Sakura turned and offered the other medic a tight smile. "Perhaps I am just tired."
"No," Shizune said. "It's a complicated poison. You've managed to isolate two of the main ingredients. I am confidant once you find the third you will find the antidote."
Sakura pulled a face. "I know. At least, I hope I know."
Shizune laughed. "It's moments like these that I understand why exactly Tsunade-sama chose you as her apprentice."
"My wonderful sense of self?"
Shizune smiled. "You're so much like her at that age. Now, I think I recognize something that I don't think you'd have come across yet."
Sakura brightened. "Oh?"
"Hmm. It's an isotope that we find in Wind Country more often than in fire. It might what you're missing in your diagnostic."
"Wind Country..." Sakura mused. Shaking her head, she turned back to her microscope to see what exactly Shizune was pointing out.
She would figure this out.
X
Itachi was playing shogi with Shisui. Shisui was not much of a player, and Itachi really couldn't decide which was more boring-playing or not playing. But Shisui was as close a friend as he had formed within the clan, and considering that he was waiting to see how long he was going to live, and had been under his watch when he had been injured, Itachi felt it was only right that he spent some time with him. He looked up moments before the door opened, when he felt a familiar chakra approach.
Sakura opened the door and turned around, dragging a lunch cart behind her. "Hello, Shisui-san, Uchiha-san. I've brought lunch."
Itachi's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. He'd been under the impression that nurses brought lunch, and that Sakura would be busy forming the antidote. That she was here like this must mean it had been completed. Why didn't she say as much?
"Ah, Sakura-chan!" Shisui said. "It's good to see your pretty face! All the staff here is just so lovely, I should get injured more often!"
Sakura smiled at him while adjusting his bed, fluffing his pillow, and setting the lunch trey across his lap. "I'm glad you've had such a pleasant experience, Shisui-san."
Itachi's eyes narrowed further. He had never seen the kunoichi respond quite like that before.
Sakura continued pleasantly, "Mai, in particular, was telling me about your appreciation. She mentioned something about you being scared of needles?"
Shisui chuckled a little uncomfortably.
Something flickered in Sakura's hand under the lunch tray and Itachi had just enough time to decide to let her do what she wanted before Shisui yelped.
"What the hell was that?"
Sakura leaned forward, smiling unpleasantly close to Shisui's face. "That, Shisui-san, was the antidote. Mai told me all about you wanting to 'hold her hand.' Drive one of my nurses from the room again, and you will regret it."
Shisui blinked at her before smiling hard enough to crinkle the corner of his eyes. "Of course, Sakura-chan!"
Sakura stared at him and then nodded, moving away from the bed. "Good. The antidote that I gave you should take care of the lingering poison."
"Great! When do I get to go back on duty?"
Sakura's mouth curved at the edges. "Go back on duty? Shisui-san, we just rescued you from death's door. I'm afraid you're off the active duty list for at least two weeks."
Shisui stared at her. "But..."
Itachi considered Haruno as she continued to stare at Shisui and that curious little half-smile that was giving him several different reasons to study her. It was obvious she was used to dealing with difficult patients, and had the confidence to threaten them with immediate retribution for misbehavior as well as force them to deal with the long-term consequences of their actions. He had no doubt that the only reason Shisui was off duty for two weeks was because of his behavior with the ridiculously curvy nurse who had attempted to help him earlier.
It appeared there was a ruthless streak in Haruno. His eyes returned to the board in front of him as he carefully reorganized his mental compartments around the pink-haired kunoichi. Efficient. It was a word he was beginning to associate with her.
"I shall leave you two to your game. Remember Shisui, one more complaint..." she let the threat hang before giving a half-bow and leaving the room with long, confidant strides that showed off her legs.
As he moved his next piece, Itachi idly wondered if she was efficient when she was crushing the skull of her opponents. She hadn't done much fighting after Shisui had been knocked out of the battle, and he was curious to see how she responded to violence.
Perhaps he would find out.