Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Of Love and Betrayal ❯ Innocence ( Chapter 17 )

A/N: Hey sorry for the long wait here is the update and since its summer I will be updating a lot more often. I'm planning on finishing this fic and my other Naruto fic before the end of the summer. Enjoy and please leave any comments that might help me improve the story. Thanks

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Warnings: A lot of angst

Last Chapter:

`All this time we thought you were the enemy when in reality you were innocent. How much have you suffered at the hands of this village?'

She felt a stab of pain deep in her chest knowing that Itachi was still somewhere out there, alone and working to try and save the same village that killed his family.

-XVII-

Innocence

 

The sun was high in the sky, its warm rays lighting up the lively streets of Konoha. As she walked slowly towards her small apartment, she couldn't help but feel like a stranger in her own home. Everyone around her was so happy and ignorant to everything that was happening outside the large gates of the village. In some ways she wished that she could be like them… she didn't want to have to wake up every morning looking forward to a day of blood, gore, and violence. Sometimes she wished she hadn't thrown away her innocence so willingly. Suddenly she felt a tug on her short medic skirt and her eyes wondered down to gaze into the innocent face of the little boy that had refused to leave her side for more than a couple minutes at a time. She let a small, reassuring smile slip onto her lips and she ran her fingers affectionately through the little boy's short locks.

“Swan-san, why is everyone so happy here?” He asked, pure innocence shining through his uniquely colored eyes.

Sakura glanced away from the little boy and looked around at the people walking by them. Her small smile grew and she looked back down at the small boy. Taking his hand into hers, she gently guided them away from the busy main street and into a smaller district where her apartment was located.

“Come on I bet your hungry,” she said pulling the little boy gently behind her.

The little boy continued to look around him curiously, his eyes absorbing everything around him eagerly. Once they reached her small apartment she unlocked the front door and let the little boy walk in before her. He stopped and looked around the small room he was currently in, his eyes catching every little detail. Walking over to the small kitchen, Sakura opened the cabinet and pulled out some instant ramen. Putting the small Styrofoam cup into the microwave to heat up, she turned and walked into her small bedroom. Pulling out an extra set of clothes and a towel she walked back into the living room to find the small boy had found his way to the small table where he sat eating the now heated ramen.

“After your finished eating you should go wash up a little, here is a towel and some extra clothes, they might be big on you but it's only until I can find new clothes for you,” She said placing the bundle on the table next to the eating boy. As the boy ate she carefully studied him, her eyes analyzing everything about him. She couldn't place why exactly but she felt that she knew him from somewhere even though she was certain that she had never met him before. His dark hair fell just short of his ears and his pale face was as innocent as any normal boy his age.

“So what is your name? You never got to tell me,” she asked her curiosity getting the better of her.

He slurped the last remnants of soup from the bowl and wiped his mouth timidly. Looking up at her, she was struck again at how beautiful his eyes really were.

“Nii-chan always called me Aki but my real name is Hideaki. You can call me either one I don't mind…” A large yawn escaped him effectively interrupting whatever he meant to say next.

Chuckling slightly, she stood up and picked up the small bundle of clothes. “Come on let's get you cleaned up before you fall asleep on me,” She said and gestured for him to follow her as she made her way to the small bathroom.

Turning on the water she let the bathtub fill up with the heated liquid and turned to look at Aki. “Do you need help bathing or are you able to get about on your own?”

After another yawn slipped out, he shook his head. “No I'm fine… you never told me your real name either. I won't hurt you I promise… Nii-chan always told me that when people don't trust each other they don't give their real name.”

Standing up, sakura mused the little boy's hair affectionately and turned to leave. Before she closed the door, she turned her head slightly. “When you're done, you can go to my bed and sleep it's been an eventful day for you… Also, my name is Sakura.”

0o0

A couple of hours later, Sakura found herself sitting on the small balcony off of her bedroom. She wrapped the dark cloak closer around her body as a burst of cold hair swept through her. Shifting slightly she looked out at the dying lights of Konoha. What Aki had said earlier came back to her now and she couldn't help but smile again at the memory. The fact that he could notice how peaceful her village was told her that he was not used to that kind of peace. She thought that was very sad for someone so young. Sighing, she finally pulled out the small scroll that Itachi had given her. Hesitantly she looked back into her room to see Aki sleeping soundly on her bed. Looking back to the scroll, she slowly opened it and started to read…

Sakura-san if you are reading this scroll now I am assuming that my part in this mission has been successful and I have made contact with you. As you mostly likely know by now I am still a part of a long-term mission to infiltrate the Akatsuki and through this mission I have come into contact with a matter that has both surprised me and pushed me into action. I would not compromise my mission with the Akatsuki if it wasn't for something important and I find that this matter is detrimental to Konoha's survival. In my examination of Orochimaru's lair I found a book of notes that were all about you.

To my surprise I found that you have a special bloodline limit that has been extinct in the Haruna line for some time now. Because of this limit you have experienced excellent chakra control and so that is why you have become so powerful as a medic. Your bloodline limit is called Mamaru and instead of helping you destroy life, like the Sharingan, it helps you to heal and bring back the dead. It is a limit that was very interesting to Orochimaru and during your time with him he tried to bring that ability out of you, but due to your youth your limit did not show itself. So instead he used my brother to create something that he could nurture and grow for his own use. By the time you had been captured, my brother's mind had been so broken that Orochimaru was able to brainwash him easily and use him for his own needs. I am not telling you this to exempt my brother from what he did; but I do want you to know that the person that you last saw was not Sasuke…

While in the lair I found a small room deep in the caverns of the building. It was apparent that your ANBU had not reached these places in their search and so I was not surprised when I found a very small boy half dead in the chamber. I took him in with me and from reading more into the notes I found that the small boy was an experiment of Orochimaru's. He was the end result of the coupling of an Uchiha and a Haruna and I am convinced that this child is a result of the events that happened between you and my brother. For obvious reasons, I became very interested in the boy since he is one of two remaining Uchiha in the world. I took him in and raised him as well as I could considering the predicament I was in. After Akatsuki was disbanded I was able to work more with the boy and I found that the boy had inherited the Sharingan eyes as well as the Haruna bloodline Limit which was the ultimate goal for Orochimaru in the first place. I have included in this scroll a complete copy of all the research I have done and the notes I found from Orochimaru's lab.

I have found that there is a new and very dangerous threat to Konoha and in order to save Konoha both you and this boy must be able to use the Haruna bloodline limit in order to reawaken someone that Konoha will be in great need of. In the other scroll I have given you I have given you what my suspicions are as to whom in Konoha is behind this new threat. As for Aki I have erased any memories of his time with Orochimaru and he does not know anything about his heritage or what his life was like before I ran into him. It is now your responsibility to take care of him considering he is your son…

The scroll fell soundlessly from numb fingers as Sakura's eyes widened in shock. She could feel something deep within her crack and she knew that she was very close to her mental limit. Looking behind her, her eyes fell on the sleeping child in her bed. Turning back around she felt her stomach turn over in warning and she hurried to the bathroom where all the food that she had consumed was released from her body as well as a chocked sob. She couldn't help the trail of tears that suddenly fell from her eyes and she squeezed them shut not wanting to remember the events of the past. She could see in her mind the door to those dark memory's opening and she continued to be sick even as she sobbed uncontrollably. Knowing that Sasuke's child… her child was in the next room sent shockwaves through her. Another sob escaped her and she leaned back against the tub he head in her hands. She jumped when she felt cool fingers hesitantly touching her arm. Looking up sharply she found herself face to face with Aki… her son.

“What's wrong Sakura-chan? It makes me sad to see you cry… did I do something wrong?” he asked his eyes glowing with his concern.

Another sob escaped her raw throat and she studied the innocent face before her. Looking now she could see the resemblance between Aki, Sasuke and herself. Aki had inherited the dark hair from Sasuke as well as Sasuke's turned up nose and sharp cheekbones. From her, he received his unique eyes, his mouth, and his unusual grace. Looking now she noticed all of this and she marveled that she hadn't noticed before. Slowly bringing her hand to his small face she gently slid her finger down his soft cheek, her eyes misting over with renewed tears. She could feel a sense of resent and hatred at the edge of her emotions but before all that she felt guilt that she had not been there or even knew of this child's presence until now. Even though she knew that she should feel some kind of resent towards this child she could not, his innocence and the way he reminded her of Sasuke, prevented her from wanting to hate him. Instead she slowly pulled him into her embrace and held on as tight as she could, feeling that if she let go for an instant he would slip through her fingers just like Sasuke had all those years ago.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N:

Hey guys sorry for the long wait for this update School is finally over for the summer so I'll have time to finally finish this fic. I'm not that far off from the end 5 or 6 more chapters should wrap everything up. I hope you guys like this chapter it answers some questions and it is the beginning of the road to the end of this fic. Also I have fallen in love with the Sakura/Itachi couple so I've decided to begin a story of them but before that I am going to finish this fic and my Sasuke/Sakura fic. Well review and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading

 

Next chapter:

A couple of weeks have gone by and no threat has come and no sign from Itachi either. Sakura continues to battle with her inner turmoil about her son and she is confronted once again with Kakashi.