SasuSaku Story - Chapter 7 [ENG]

[Sakura’s P.O.V.]

After leaving Itachi’s room, I went to the lounge, where I found Juugo, whom I asked to move an armchair to the older Uchiha’s bedroom. Only then, I headed to the bedroom, which I had already been sharing with Sasuke for a few days, or should I rather say nights. When I entered, Sasuke was pacing back and forth, from the window to the door. As he noticed me, he approached me, visibly bothered. He was looking at me as if his life was in my hands. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any good news for him.
- I am so sorry, Sasuke-kun… It’s not a temporary vision loss, your brother’s lost his sight a few years ago… - I stated, not knowing what kind of reaction to expect from the Uchiha.
At first, Sasuke turned his back to me, took a couple steps forward, and collapsed onto the bed. Sitting on the bedside, he looked like a child that has got up to something and is afraid of its parents. All his vitality seemed to had fled away. Several times he uneasily ran his fingers through his hair, then buried his face in his hands. I wasn’t sure if I should better start comforting him or get out of his face, before he goes on the rampage.
- I thought he was giving me a head start during the fight… - he spoke up. His voice was neither as confident nor rough as usually. That low-pitched voice of his, which always was so sated with sense of superiority, back then was full of bitterness and grief – I thought he wanted to toy with me… But he… He was blind…
I came up to him. Standing above him, I pulled his head against my chest. He hadn’t even protested, he only uncrossed his arms, allowing me to enclasp him.
- I should have surmised… If he had been at his sharpest, I would never have defeated him – he continued his monologue, mumbling into not-the-amplest-bosom of mine.
I couldn’t say, if he was talking to me or to himself. I suppose it didn’t matter for him at the time anyway.
- Not everything’s lost yet, Sasuke-kun… - I said, tenderly caressing his cheek like a mother trying to soothe her baby – I can try to heal his eyes, if you wish – I offered.
- Can you? – he asked, surprised.
- I am your medic after all… - I jogged his memory.  
- How will you do this? – he asked, gently pushing me away, so that he could look into my eyes.
- I could perform a surgery but…
- But what?
I reminisced, what Sasuke had said earlier, while conversing with his brother. I gulped.
- But… I can’t do this unless we go back to Konoha… - I finished.
His mien changed dramatically – from an innocent baby’s expression to an enraged Uchiha’s one. He stood up abruptly, so that I became shorter than him again, and savagely pushed me away.
- You know I won’t come back to Konoha! Neither for a surgery nor any other reason – he snapped.
- Why!?
- Because Danzou and the rest of The Elders are there, that’s why! Root ANBU would seize us if we approached the village’s gates and your surgery would come to nothing! – he was shaking with fury at a thought of Danzou.
- What are you talking about, Sasuke-kun? Tsunade-sama would never let anything like this happen! As the Hokage, she’s the one to make decisions.
- Hokage, huh? – he scoffed – Years ago, Sandaime was trying to put the lid on the Uchiha’s carnage but he didn’t manage to contain the situation, The Elders took control and my brother was made to kill his own family! Do you really think that this time The Elders will mind their own business!? Do you really think that your Tsunade will have some say in it!? – he lashed out.
- Stop it! You’re… You’re a coward and a monster if you care about yourself more than about your brother’s health!
- And you’re a fucking doctor, Sakura, so don’t you tell me that you can’t perform the operation here!
- You’re right, I’m a doctor. And that’s why I can’t put my patient’s life in danger by doing a surgery in such an unsterile place!
He clenched his fists. There was a moment, when I thought he would hit me, but it didn’t happen. Sharingan appeared in his eyes, supposedly he lost his temper in anger. He took a few deep breaths, ineffectually trying to calm down.
- Now I start to regret that this mob of idiots [Hebi], from all of Konoha’s medics, must have come just on YOU! – he confessed, endeavouring to throw me off balance, which he actually almost succeeded at.
- How can you be such an egoist!?  You don’t reckon with anybody but yourself… Come on, keep it up until you lose all your dearest ones! – apparently, I must have been in too deep as Almighty Mister Uchiha rushed in my direction and, when I was almost sure I would be given a hammering, he passed me by and left. The door slammed after him. Well, the greater the truth, the greater the libel – especially for the Uchihas.  

[Sasuke’s P.O.V.]

I couldn’t believe that the same Sakura, who yet a few years ago wouldn’t dare to do a stroke of work against my will, then not only stood up to me but also ventured to talk to me like that. If I hadn’t needed her, I would have ferreted her out but, unfortunately, she was still the best and the only medic within my range. Thus I was doomed to get through her moodiness. I headed to my brother’s room, he owed me an explanation, it was all about him after all.
- Sasuke? Is that you, little brother? – he asked, when he heard me entering his bedroom.
- Mhmm.
- Good you’re here! Help me get to the armchair… Sakura asked Juugo to bring it here for me but I can’t get there under my own steam…
- Shouldn’t you be laying flat in your bed instead of walking across the room? – I questioned him as I put his arm around my neck.
- Your female friend has only forbidden me to take longer walks and the armchair is just a few steps away from here… - he broke off, fastening onto me with all his weight.
Somehow, I managed to slump him down into the armchair in front of the fireplace. Seeing such a mighty ninja as my brother, in that state, which he was actually driven to by me, made me forget about all my exasperation. Yet I still remembered what I came there for.
- Don’t you think you should explain me everything, nii-san? – I started.
- What do you mean? Mind you, you know all the truth… - he stated, facing the crackling fire.
The chair I used to sit on beside his bed while watching over him, was standing in the corner, apparently, Juugo must have moved it aside. I placed it beside Itachi’s seat, and sat astride it, resting my arms on its backrest. As keeping an eye contact would be pointless in that situation, I stared into the fire.
- Why haven’t you told me earlier? Through all those years I thought you were a fucking psychopath! You were my dearest person and I’ve almost killed you… - I tried hard to bridle but my voice didn’t sound pleasant at all.
- You were to young to understand… - he answered and took a deep breath – Then, by contrast, I was afraid you would want to take a revenge on Konoha… - he continued – And, as we both know, my suspicions were reasonable – he added with a wry smile on his face.
- And you thought I wouldn’t take revenge if you have died!? – I yelled at my brother, unable to follow the way of his thinking  - I’d do exactly the same thing I’m going to do now, I’d reduce Konoha to a pile of rubble!
- If I had died, you would have gained Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan – he explained composedly, not taking any notice of my shouting.
The fact that Itachi was as cool as a cucumber, maddened me. Slapping him wouldn’t be a smart thing to do, especially when he already wasn’t able to walk and it was my fault, but I had half a mind to hit him in the face though.
- Then I want you to know that I did gain it, even though your plan went off at half cock! – I snapped at him.
He was visibly surprised. I guess he didn’t expect to hear such a news.
- Huh? I don’t understand… How is that possible? You’d need to get my eyes transplanted but you haven’t…  
- I don’t understand it either – I admitted after cooling off a bit – My case doesn’t match to what was written on the monument in The Nakano Shrine…
- Then maybe… - he hesitated - What if the monument has been replaced with a forgery a long time ago? – Itachi suggested – You should check it out, Sasuke – he added after a while.
Once again, during that day, I was being moven to go to Konohagakure… I started to wonder if Sakura and Itachi hadn’t ganged up against me. Even the mention of the village made me cross.
- I’ve already told you, I’m not going there – I grinded out, getting up from chair.
- But bringing here Sakura, right from Konoha, wasn’t a problem for you, was it, Otouto [jap.‘little brother’]? – he twitted me, smirking.
- That was a whole different situation! It was for your life! – I was trying to defend myself.  
- Don’t behave like a sprog, Sasuke – once again he reminded me that he was older and smarter than me, just like he used to remind me when we were kids and I was standing up to him.
- I said ‘no’, full stop, Itachi! – I was stubborn and it only made Itachi chuckle sadly.
- Foolish little brother… You’re lucky that you’re just as strong as stubborn…
- Strong, huh? – that was enough for me, my brother was evidently poking fun at me – Stop making fun of me, Itachi! We both know I would never win against you if you weren’t blind! – I was screaming at him, although he was sitting right next to me and could hear me well even if I were whispering.  
- You’re wrong, Sasuke. My blindness doesn’t mean I can’t fight anymore, quite the opposite, my Mangekyou is troublefree…
Before I managed to sit down again, the door opened up and none other than Sakura Haruno herself appeared in the bedroom. Taking on a strict, grim nurse-like tone and with her arms akimbo, she shouted at me:
- What is all this clamour supposed to mean!? Everyone in this house can hear you! That’s it! Get out, Sasuke-kun, now!
I find it mystifying that even when she’s mad at me, she can’t stop calling me with a ‘-kun’.  Her yell, despite her expectations, didn’t impress me in the slightest. I frowned.
- What are you waiting for? I told you to go! – she started to kick me out of the room, it was clear that she was in her element as a nurse, a doctor or whatever she actually was – Itachi needs rest and you’re only gratuitously stressing him.
Sakura’s insecurity always annoyed me but, that time, she went too far with her attempts to be decisive. No woman can talk to an Uchiha like that! I came up to her so close that she took a step back, and I crushed her against the wall with the weight of my body. Her imperiousness turned into apprehension, she wasn’t as confident as a few second earlier. Her breathing sped up.
- I am the one to call the shots here, not you, Sakura – I retorted.
- Sasuke! – my brother told me off and I spitted out in answer.
- Hn.
I moved away from Sakura and left the room, closing the door loudly.

[Sakura’s P.O.V.]

- That was very reckless of you, - I heard Itachi’s voice – Don’t talk to him like that, you know he’s bad-tempered…
He was right, I knew he was bad-tempered – he had tried to kill me once  and I remembered it too well.
- I know but nothing bad happened… I’m fine.
Itachi only let out a deep sigh. Apparently this whole situation with Sasuke, and everything that was happening around him back then, was taking a lot out of him.
- Tell me, Sakura… You know, right? – he changed the subject all of a sudden.
- I’ve been conjecturing, - I admitted, knowing well, what he was talking about – but now that you ask, I am sure…
- Have you told Sasuke? – Uchiha was distressed.
- Not yet…
- Can I ask you a favour then?
- Yes?
- Don’t tell him about it - he begged.
- But… - I hesitated – he should know, don’t you think so?
- Trust me, it’s for his sake – he reassured me.
- If you say so… But, in my opinion, you’re being a do-gooder.
- And what would you do if you were me? You see what’s happening to him now, when he found out I’ve lost my sight…
- I don’t know, but I’m sure, you shouldn’t hurt him and lie to him once again…