Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Soul-Mirror ❯ The Covenant ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2- The Covenant

Pale sunlight peeped around the edge of the curtains, cold and distant, though it touched her, beckoning her to wake. Eyes opened upon the darkened room, foggy beryl glinting over shadows, searching for a dream-state figure. The room was the same… had it not been a dream the night before? She sat up, a sleepy hand gripping a corner of the down pillow, fingers tugging at unruly strands of vibrant hair. It couldn't be that it hadn't been just a dream the night before… could it?

But even as she stood, the kunoichi took notice of clothes lain out for her on the dresser. An Akatsuki cloak that hung next to the door; was it waiting for her to don it, and become the partner of the shadow-dark shinobi she remembered from the dream-night? She shivered at the thought of the look he'd given her.

I will offer you anything you wish, if it is within my grasp to give you…

The words echoed in her mind.

It had been a dream. Surely, just a dream.

She shed the over-sized male clothes, moving towards the bathroom. She had every intention of taking a steaming shower and washing her hair. She scrubbed herself leisurely, taking a little more time that usual to wash away the dirt, grime, blood and snow-residue from her hair.

Stepping out, though, she found the clothes, this time, waiting for her on the counter. Strange… I was sure I left them on the dresser, where I found them…

The kunoichi shrugged it off and dressed anyway, deeming not to think about it; but as she stepped out of the steam-filled washroom, she staggered back from shock of seeing the nightmare figure from the previous evening. She stared at him in bewilderment, but he was unfazed; really, because he couldn't clearly see the look she was giving him from where he'd lain down to await her on the bed. He had watched her stagger back, obviously from surprise, but the pure disbelief on her face was hidden from his failing eyes.

“You certainly took long enough, kunoichi.” She twitched.

“Sakura.” He blinked, looking back at her.

“Excuse me?”

“My name is Sakura. Use it. Next time you call me kunoichi, I will either disobey you or ignore you, so please, remember- my name is Sakura,” she bit out, walking over to her pack next to the door. She wasn't stupid enough to make use of the arsenal she had there, even if she was itching to take advantage of her captor's blinding eyes. Rather, though, the beryl-eyed Jounin took out her hairbrush and ran it through the half-dry strands of valentine-colored hair, pulling it back into a short ponytail with a ribbon. Why am I not fighting…? For some unknown reason, I'm perfectly obedient to him, even though he's Akatsuki, and forcing me to betray my village! What on earth is going on? “Mendokuse…”

“What is?” she heard he captor question jadedly from his place on her bed. She twitched in irritation as she tossed her brush back in her pack and withdrew a small tub of pale-green salve. She didn't answer, but as he turned to ask her again, he noticed her perch next to him. Unscrewing the lid on the small, clear container, she dipped in a forefinger. He looked at it suspiciously.

“Close your eyes and let me do my job.”

He obeyed, and relaxed a little; well, as much as he ever did, which wasn't much at all. He felt the clammy substance being rubbed into his temples, a bit of warm chakra mixed in, creating a blissful sensation, the likes of which he hadn't felt for a long time. He wondered, however briefly, why she has healing him without asking anything in return, unawares that Sakura was asking herself the exact same thing. Well, more accurately, she was cursing herself inside for it. She paused for a brief moment; just beyond her reaching chakra was the most painful spot for him.

“Itachi.”

“Hmm?”

“This'll hurt, but it's what'll repair your eyes.”

He nodded his head just the barest fraction of an inch, and she went ahead, stretching her chakra along the system of chakra paths behind his eyes. He flinched violently as she reached the worst of the damage, and she tried her best to be gentle, though she wondered if she was failing miserably as his hands began to tremble, threatening to clench in pain. After a minute, she withdrew, and rubbed a bit more of the foreign green substance against his temples, forcing in a little more of the warming chakra than before, easing his pain a little faster.

“Gomen ne, Itachi-san. I told you it would be painful.”

She turned away quietly, returning the salve to her pack. Again, she was cursing herself; Itachi-san? Where on earth did that come from? She frowned, organizing her jostled belongings before standing and turning again to him. He still resided on her bed, and she realized with a bit of shock that his muscles seemed more relaxed than they had been only minutes previous when she first went to his side. Had she used too much chakra? It was known to put people in a trance-like sleep for hours if too big a dose was given. She moved closer to him cautiously, daring to hope just a little that she had- even if it truly was accidental- overdosed him. But, of course, the hope was in vain. His eyes were open just a bit, and though his breathing was slow and deep, he was obviously alert.

Itachi, on the other hand, felt better than he had in ages; his eyes trailed across the beams on the ceiling, and his vision was perfect. It was strange though; the kunoichi had walked away from him, but had returned, and propped herself on the bed next to him, and was looking down as though concerned. He hadn't noticed how brilliantly colored her eyes were before. The nin smirked at her. “Are you finished, kunoichi?”

“…” Of course. She had said she would ignore him if he called her “kunoichi” again. He sighed, and a wry smile crossed her features.

“Sakura, are you finished?”

“No, I'm not.”

He blinked a bit. What more could she have to do? His eyes felt like they were in the condition before he had ever even inherited the Sharingan bloodline! It was impossible for him to hide his curiosity, even if what showed through was only a very little. She sighed, scooting a little further back on the bed, and he moved over to make room for her. She seemed to contemplate something for a moment, before answering his unasked questions.

“Your Sharingan… it would be safe enough if you only used it during battle. But as a precautionary measure, you keep it activated constantly, correct?”

A nod.

“That's what's ruined your sight. It seems as though the Sharingan utilizes another body chemical with the chakra, and the element created… is… somehow, incredibly acidic. The nerves and chakra paths behind your eyes nearly have holes in them from this substance. As long as you continue to use your Sharingan, you'll need someone to heal you.” She sighed, hanging her head, hands gripping the edge of the bed a bit. A wry grin seemed permanently plastered on her pale lips, and her eyes seemed almost angry with admitting what she was. “Which means that, as much as you will probably hate it, I'm the only chance your eyes have.”

Silence. Suppressive. For a while, Sakura wondered what his reaction was. He said nothing, expressed nothing, did nothing. And she refused to look at him, for fear of what she might find. But though the man beside her was silent, he was not angry with her.

His thoughts were slow to process what she told him. He knew, from the beginning, that he would need someone to rival the medical sannin, Tsunade, and when he discovered that she had a young apprentice, his fears had ceased to be. Now, he knew that the situation was not a simple fix- he couldn't have a one-time procedure done that would heal his eyes forever. The damage was done, and as long as he intended to utilize his kekkei genkai, he would need her there to repair the damage he would do. For the first time in a long time, Uchiha Itachi felt just a little bit frightened. Not of losing his sight- of need and vulnerability. His eyes were hers to heal or destroy; if she wished, she could make sure that he never saw anything again.

That dependence frightened him.

“Truthful, aren't you, Sakura?” Again, he earned a wry smile. She shook her head, standing.

“I'm a medical nin. I am trained to take care of those who need it. Even though you betrayed my village and my most important person, I will not lie to you about your condition or the treatment thereof.”

She silently snapped the top closed on her bag, her fingers holding the edge, trembling a bit still. Her mind was a blank slate. Her morals had more than definitely put the lock on her proverbial cage.

“It stands, you know.”

Shockingly, she knew exactly what he meant by those few simple words. What could she ask for that would make betraying her village worth it all? Her freedom was pointless; this was a gift that was to chain her to him body and soul for the rest of their living days. To halt his retrieval on the Kyuubi sealed within Naruto? Beyond his reach; he was not the only member of Akatsuki, and they all sought the bijyuu sealed within her comrade. Surely there was something to benefit her village in all of this…?

She blinked in surprise.

“Itachi, you said you would give me anything if it was within your ability to give, did you not?” she asked, turning to look at him again. He sat up, eyes portraying a bit of curiosity. She had found something to ask of him, and was obviously unsure of his ability to attain it. A hesitant nod, and her eyes steeled. She returned to him, and knelt before his darkly-clad figure, looking up into shadow-black eyes. “I vow this covenant to you, then.

“I will stay by your side until my days are done, or yours, if you should die before me, and I will heal your eyes to the very extent of my powers and learning. I will treat your wounds, and those of your comrades. I will not attempt any escape, and I will fight beside and protect you and your comrades. But, in return, you must grant me this.”

Beryl flashed like fire against onyx, and he was left stunned by her demand.

“Rescue my former teammate, your younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke, from the dominion of Orochimaru. Remove the seal placed upon his neck, and change his memories; you will have it appear that Orochimaru is the one who destroyed the Uchiha clan.”