The Secret Lover (ItaSaku)

Chapter 2 - The scroll

"I thought about how there are two types of secrets: the kind you want to keep in, and the kind you don't dare to let out." - Ally Carter, Don't judge a girl by her cover

Sakura woke up when the sun rays hit her face. Her eyelids were glued because of the dried salty tears from last night. She got out of bed and her towel fell on the floor. The fresh air of the morning hit her face, looks like she forgot to close the balcony door.

As she took some steps around the room, she saw something familiar on her desk. It was her pendant. She hopefully took it in her hands and studied it. Yes, it was the same pendant.

She noticed something else where the pendant was. A piece of paper. Her fingers unfolded it carefully.

"Sakura Haruno, I found your pendant under a tree. I thought it may be something important to you so I decided to bring it to you. Next time make sure that you won't lose it again, perhaps I won't be around to find it and the next person won't be so kind.

x I."

She read the words written in black ink over and over again. How did this person delivered it... If not... The door... The door was open all night but how did this person find her? Was he or she from the village? If not, how did they get in? So many questions ran through her mind but she decided to push them aside. It didn't matter. She didn't care if that person would have killed her to end her misery.

She dressed in her usual skirt and red shirt. She put on the ninja boots and headed for the Hokage's Tower. This was the day when she promised Shizune that she will help with the scrolls. There were so many that the village didn't need anymore so they had to sort them. The useless ones will be burnt.

People waved at her as she passed through the crowded streets and she put on a fake smile trying to seem cheerfully.

She ran as fast as she could, stopping in front of the scrolls room door, panting heavily. She caught her breath and put her warm hand on the cold handle twisting it. Inside, Shizune tried to move a heavy box but she fell on the ground. Sakura giggled.

"Need help with those?" she pointed to the scrolls that were all over the floor. Shizune waved her hand.

"No, it's alright, I can handle them. Take care of those that are up there." she pointed to a shelf that was so high that you needed a ladder to reach it. Sakura blinked a few times.

"No problem." she said and started climbing.

Hm, this was the ANBU section which held different important and dangerous missions but it didn't matter. They were opened already and probably most of them solved.

*

After half a day where she only read and tossed scrolls in the bin and then burning them, she looked at the clock. She remembered that she promised Naruto a date but she had a few more scrolls until she finished.

She decided to put them all in a box and finish it at her home after she came back from the date.

*

She entered her bedroom with the heavy box in her arms. Before she could drop it on the floor, a black ANBU scroll fell from it.

She saw that it had the Root sigil and Danzo's name. Strange, she thought. These kind of scrolls were burnt by the Root itself because it was really dangerous to get in the wrong hands. Their missions were top secret, only the Hokage being informed about them. Not even the council. She picked it up curious, not knowing what to expect from it. She gulped and with a fast move, opened it.

A long mission with so many details was written in black ink.

After she finished reading, she covered her mouth with both of her hands. She was shocked. This couldn't be possible. Everything that people knew was a lie, everything that he knew was a lie. Her hands started to tremble. If someone from the Root finds out that she has this scroll, she could be killed in cold blood only to protect the Root's pride. Yes, she didn't care about her death but she cared about him and he needed to know the truth. Did the Hokage know? Did the previous Hokage agreed with this? How could someone be so cruel? How could someone mentally torture a person this way? Above all, she knew that Danzo was the next Sixth Hokage but this piece of gold that was in front of her could change everything. Everyone knew that he was a pest and a villain and nobody wanted him as the Sixth, but he had the council on his side to wash his dirty hands. She had to do something for the sake of the village. She couldn't let the things like this.

She brushed her medium pink hair and tied it back in a ponytail. She put the scroll in the small brown bag that she always carried with her. She won't let it out of her hands. The village's future was in her hands. She knew that they will see that the scroll is missing and will search for it, the best option was to carry it with her because considering that she was the Fifth's pupil, they won't search her bag, but they will surely search her home. She had to be careful, though. Her team mate, Sai, was an ANBU and she is sure that he is still loyal to the Root.

*

She met with Naruto at Ichiraku's and ordered. Naruto had a pink shade on his cheeks all this time but Sakura didn't seem to pay attention to the things around her. She was too concerned.

Sai came in with his fake smile and Sakura shivered.

"Oi, Sai!" Naruto waved at him. Sai looked around like he was studying everything and like he was searching for something. Sakura tried to calm her trembling as he approached them, his eyes piercing through her skull.

"Are you searching for someone, Sai?" Naruto asked confused.

"No, I just decided to take a walk." he lied giving them his fake smile but Sakura knew... He was searching the scroll. The word already reached Danzo's ears. Her forehead sweated as she looked at him with fear in her eyes but he didn't seem to notice it because he was deep in thoughts. This was good, at least he didn't suspect them.

*

Danzo slammed his hand on the desk making the ANBU captain jump sightly.

"How could you lose something so important?" he screamed.

He pur his hands behind his back, calming down and looking out the window, turning his back towards the captain.

"I am sorry, Danzo-sama. I sent the ANBU to search for it. They will search in every house and every person until they find it." he said with guilt in his voice.

"Danzo-sama, what did that scroll had written in it, if I may dare to ask?" he asked a bit afraid that he will anger his boss again. Danzo sighed and turned to him, his only eye watching him closely.

"Itachi Uchiha's last mission."