"Alright. Sakura, let's go."
Honestly, Sakura was utterly confused. She couldn't make sense of the conversation at all. Only after the two of them left Kita's resting room did Itachi naturally offer an explanation.
"I checked Orochimaru's water supply system earlier. To fix it properly, the base would have needed a full renovation. So the leader decided to move the treatment equipment to the village. From now on, you won't need to come here for treatments. Let's go see what you'll need."
Should I complain about the completely broken water system… or about Orochimaru, a man who killed the Third Hokage yet still has these petty problems? Sakura thought.
After some twists and turns, they arrived at the treatment room. The space was half-empty. Orochimaru, dressed casually in his kimono, and his subordinates were tidying the laboratory. Apart from Orochimaru, most of the people in the room looked unfamiliar—except one person she vaguely recognized from the Chunin Exams. But now, this person wore a Hidden Sound headband.
"Yo, little girl, you're awake."
Uchiha Obito, sitting on a lab table and swinging his legs, greeted her. Sakura had seen him a few times before, always near Kakashi-sensei, but never in the red-clouded cloak. Now… she didn't know how to greet him.
Obito didn't mind. He leapt down from the table and gestured to the scattered equipment.
"Little girl, take a look. Whatever you need, just say it. Everything in this room is going to be moved."
Sakura froze.
Orochimaru, however, wasn't bothered by the "raid." Smiling, he said, "Take it all if you want. After all, my new lab was funded by Pain."
"Ha! Look at you shamelessly! It's just a few machines—so stingy!" Obito teased.
"Well, since Lord Pain approved, we shouldn't hold back," Obito added, pushing up his glasses, smiling like a mischievous child, hardly resembling someone who executed Konoha's collapse plan.
"Itachi, a member of the legendary Three Ninja, and you hang trivial things on your mouth?" Itachi remarked sarcastically.
Orochimaru chuckled, unfazed. "Even the Three Ninja need to eat, little one."
Itachi, "…Little one? Have you forgotten the last time I clashed with you? Want me to remind you?"
Obito laughed, walked a few steps toward the stunned Sakura, and snapped his fingers on her broad forehead.
"Little girl, why are you standing there? The boss built this treatment room for you. Say what you want before the chance is gone. You're extorting one of the Three Ninja—how glamorous!"
"Huh? Me?"
"Of course," Itachi said with a smile. "You're Kita's primary healer. Naturally, you get to choose."
"N-No, no need. I-I haven't really done anything…"
"Ah, don't worry about it. The boss paid for it, you can't let this snake off cheap!" Obito laughed.
Orochimaru smiled faintly, teasing Obito. "Is this the quality of Akatsuki members—never satisfied with taking advantage?"
"Hey, you snake! Talking back, huh!"
Eventually, Obito emptied Orochimaru's lab. All instruments, except for Orochimaru's personal experimental materials, were moved intact to Amegakure's hospital. Sakura assumed it would take days, but in a single afternoon, it was done. The Kamui space made everything feel instantaneous.
Now I understand why the men around Kakashi-sensei could appear so unpredictably anywhere…
With the "move" complete, Sakura had a proper place to stay. No longer just a resting inn, she now had a quaint courtyard.
A small pond dotted with lotus flowers and a few koi lay at the center. The entrance was simple but elegant. A TV, sofa, paintings, a fish tank… and a playful orange cat caught her attention. Before she could react, Itachi had crouched and scooped the cat into his arms.
"Do you have anything against cats?"
"Uh… no."
"It's well-behaved, won't bother you. This is my and Kisame's place. You'll stay here temporarily. The cat is mine, the fish are his. Don't touch his fish—he's protective. My room is on the left, his on the right. You'll stay in the guest room, which I've prepared. The bedroom has its own wash area."
Itachi carried the cat to the guest room door and pushed it open. The room was immaculate. The bed, furniture, even wash items—all were new and tailored to her preferences.
"Oh, and I noticed you didn't have spare clothes, so I took the liberty to prepare some. If you don't like them, you can buy your own later. For now, it'll do. Washing machine's in the backyard—this village is rainy and humid, so use the dryer after washing."
He handed her a storage scroll. Sakura hesitated, unsure whether to accept it. Itachi noticed her struggle. Having been through this before, he understood—the care Konan and Kita had given him back in Konoha came to mind.
He spoke gently, patient and kind. "Sakura, whatever the reason, the result is you defected from Konoha. While I am tasked to watch over you by the leader, as someone from Konoha, I accept this duty willingly. You may dislike me—that's understandable—but don't shortchange yourself, okay?"
Sakura truly didn't know how to react to Itachi.
Itachi didn't press further. He placed the scroll on the table, shifted his hold on the cat, and started walking out. "The village rains often. Mind your behavior, don't hurt anyone here. Akatsuki holds significant status in the village—avoid insults. Dinner's not for a while, so rest. I'll call you later."
He closed the door behind him. Sakura exhaled, sat in the chair, and finally opened the sealed scroll. Not only outer clothes, but even underwear and personal items were prepared perfectly. Seeing the pure white undergarments in her size, her face flushed despite her normally thick skin.
How can two brothers from the same mother have such wildly different personalities!?
━━━━ ❖ ━━━
If you're enjoying the journey so far and want to read ahead, you can check out 100+ advance chapters on Patreon: P@treon(.)com/Crimson_Lore
Every 100 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter