Severe

By Elli Cole

Itachi x Sakura

He was severely wounded.

His eyes were the darkest of red and his arms were taken from his body violently. His limbs were torn apart and body sprawled on the ground as the blood started to overflow. She knew he was severely wounded and wouldn't have the chance to survive in such a state without any medical help.

And she wouldn't bend down to the temptation to help.

No.

Why? Because he was the enemy.

Because he didn't deserve to live.

And because he was the sole reason why she was stuck in the cave with him for the last four hours. She couldn't leave him. She didn't know herself why she even stuck around for that long. She was tempted to save him. To heal him. But no. She just couldn't.

A small strained laugh distracted her from her thoughts. She looked down and glared at the man on the ground, almost on the verge of dying.

"What's so funny?" She hissed.

He closed his eyes tightly in pain, but chuckled in amusement. "You are a bad medic-nin, Haruno-san."

Taken aback, she stared at him with wide eyes and her mouth opened in a small oh. Her brows furrowed slightly and she pursed her lips as she whispered harshly, "I'm not one to help the enemy just because of my status, Uchiha." She spat.

He turned his head away, but Sakura can still hear his chuckles. "And yet, you're still here, Haruno."

She bit her lip and put her head down. "Where's Sasuke?"

Silence reigned over the cave as the sound of the night's creatures echoed outside the solitude. Itachi replied within moments of thinking and Sakura jolted up in surprise.

"I've heard he has come back to your village."

Sakura felt the flutter in her heart rose. Has Sasuke finally come to his senses?

"Your friend might want to watch his back," he added after a while, and Sakura's hope diminished. "I've taught Sasuke well."

Sakura lashed out in anger and her eyes glowered in anger. "Bastard," she seethed and stood up from her position. "You're the one who did that to your own brother! You made him hate so much that his sanity--his sanity..."

She couldn't even continue her sentence as Itachi coughed violently.

He was dying.

Sakura held her tongue.

"Haruno-san," Itachi mumbled incoherently. He was losing too much blood already. Sakura was even shocked that he lasted that long. She knew that he was strong... but the will to live was actually strong as well, however it may be a bit twisted. "I want Sasuke to kill me."

Sakura froze. She listened as he breathed heavily and the pace of his heartbeat slowed down.

"I owe him a life that I wished I could give," Itachi weezed. Sakura subconsciously moved closer to him as she listened to his voice slowly fade away. "I owed him his happiness..." He trailed off slightly as he looked at her eyes dully. "I took him away from you."

And by the last second and breath that he took, she heard him whisper:

"Because I loved you more than he loved you."

oOo

End Note: Oh. My. Gosh. It has been almost--or is it?--a year already since I've updated! I'm so ashamed of myself! *sigh* But anyways, I'm trying to get back to my writing and seeing if inspiration is still there. I wish it is. Please. I wish, I wish. So tell me if you're still interested with the fics I'm posting, alright? Haha. Review, please and thank you!