Naruto 1. Chapter 1

_There's no such thing as a coincidence; it's only a matter of time before we meet on the basis of chance_.

**Chapter 1 – First Meeting**

_SLAP_!

Mindless shoppers along the village street turned to stare at the couple standing under the oak tree, curiosity getting the better of them. None of them was making an effort to be indiscreet with their outright eavesdropping as the heat began to brew and smoke diffused out of Mimiko's ears.

"I can't believe you lied to me!" Ignoring the pulsing sensation from her merciless slap, Itachi twisted his head back and found Mimiko's enraged eyes locked onto his impassive face.

"I'm sorry," He replied, not sounding sorry at all. She huffed and rolled her black round eyes in a complete arc, clearly not buying his apology.

"Never mind that I've been dating a log, but I can't believe I have been dating a log and _murderer_ for six months!" Itachi's eyes dropped to her fanning hands, once again wondering how he had stand her dramatic acts for six months, as she kindly pointed out.

"I'm sorry you have to hear it from someone else." At his pointed tone and intentional emphasis on 'someone else,' Mimiko's penalizing glare significantly decreased by several notches and her eyes were suddenly roaming anywhere but at him. From guilt, perhaps? Or it could be just shock that he had somehow managed to find out about her discreet affair with her lecherous landlord. In all honesty, it could have gone on forever and he would never find out if not for that chanced timing.

He managed to complete Pein's assigned mission a day earlier than expected, and he figured he could use the spare time to visit her. She was always complaining about him not spending enough 'quality time' with her, and how lonely she would get whenever she saw her best friend getting all cosy with her boyfriend. Flaunting her candy, she had called it.

As recompense and remembering her funny phrase, he purchased a bag of grape-flavoured sweets, her favourite, along the way to her apartment. He always liked how her eyes would light up at the sight of free-flow candies, even though he could not say the same when it was just him. He climbed the creaking timber stairs up the three storey building, the overpriced candies swinging merrily by his leg when he stopped dead in his tracks.

Since the drunken was given the boot a month ago, Mimiko had been the only occupant of the entire floor, which added to another justifiable reason of her grievance towards his inattentiveness. However, instead of a new neighbour, the foreign presence was coming from her apartment. Perhaps she had invited the new tenant over to be her ignorant guinea pig to try out her baking.

When he was about to knock the door, he thought he heard a heavy thud. He smiled inwardly; she must have dropped her phonebook-thick recipe hardcover in her forlorn attempt to multi-task.

"Watch where your hands are touching, you pervert!" He felt like he was hit by a pointed ice berg into his eyes – nobody would utter words like that to giggle non-stop. Not unless you were encouraging it. Not unless this 'neighbour' was a male. Not unless this male was currently roving his hands on _his_ woman while his woman was relishing in it.

He left as quietly as he came, all along with his fists clenched till his knuckles turned white from the lack of blood circulation. He caught the stray dog loitering by the alley next to the building from earlier, and dumped the contents of the bag towards it. Within seconds, it pried through all the foiled aluminium wrappings and was busy helping itself to the costly sweets.

The least he could do was to give those to someone more deserving.

"A-Anyway I just want you to know it's over between us, since obviously you don't trust me enough to be wholly truthful to me!" She caught the bag of candies in Itachi's grasp and promptly snatched it over.

"This is the least I deserved, and it's not like you like candies anyway. Bye Uchiha Itachi!" Itachi watched his girlfriend turned ex sashayed and faded into the suddenly animated streets and heaved a sigh. Whether it was in relief or for the sorry state he was in, he had no idea.

"You can come out now." There was a sound of feet landing followed by shuffles coming from the woods next to him, and Hoshikagi Kisame came into view, his burly form easily towering over Itachi's lithe built.

"So you knew huh? Man that slap looks awfully painful since I can hear it all the way from the canopy!"

"I would prefer you keep the comments to yourself, Kisame." At his flat but not nearly as non-threatening tone, Kisame chortled good-naturedly but obeyed his request. A quiet man he was, Itachi could be pretty dangerous if you hit enough wrong buttons or misread his mood.

"Pein's waiting; shall we head back now? Or is there anything else you want to settle here?" Itachi glanced back to the Hidden Village of Grass, at the scorching sun beating down on an endless stream of people and the gossiping eyes trained in their direction. He turned and headed towards the woods where his partner came from.

"I have no more business with this place as I have with my village."

* * *

After the brief meeting with Pein at Rain, they were off on their way south towards one of their hideouts in the Land of Rivers. Mercifully, Kisame left Itachi for the most part to his stormy thoughts, a huge contrast to the zephyr and beams of afternoon sunlight filtering through the tree canopies on them. He could use the silence to slowly banish memories of Mimiko and everything associated with her.

At the sound of the door slamming, the four males gathered around the coffee table snapped their head towards Kisame, and he shrugged his brows in a way that said 'chill guys, it's just me.' Judging by their various stiff-as-sticks postures and gravely expressions, he wondered if they just had a huge quarrel. That happened almost on clockwork. The other possibility would be that he was busted for missing his turn at doing the laundry this week. Now, that was a first.

For a criminal organisation, the members, or rather some of the male members, were exceptionally particular about keeping to the laundry schedule and maintaining a steady supply of fresh garments, which he thought was ludicrous. When confronted, Pein's only explanation was 'first impression counts.' (He was one of the aforementioned fussy males.) He thought he heard Samehada snorted; as though an opponent would deem him less dangerous just because he had a _stain_ on the cloak's sleeve.

"Kisame-san, you came back at just the right time, hmm," Deidara, the elegant blonde greeted without his usual mirth.

The hunky swordsman did a frown that paralleled theirs; was this how things were going to turn out? So he was away for a week long mission, inadvertently neglecting his duty for the _first _time and now he was treated like a sinner (for not washing clothes).

"Yo, what cha guys talking about?" Kisame started causally as he approached the assembly. He was prepared to justify one against four, waved Samehada a little if talks turned to fights. This was time to use his built and height to his advantage.

"We have a situation," Sasori began coolly.

"And the fate of our money lies in your hands, Kisame," Kakuzu added at the far end.

"Okay… What is it?" Were they seriously planning on charging him for not dry-cleaning their filthy cloaks? His hand slid sub-consciously to his hidden pouch of cash. _Never_. They parted to let him into the circle.

"We're...debating whose three hearts is a counterfeit," Sasori answered matter-of-factly, pointing to the pair of identical poker cards in Deidara and Hidan's splay of cards on the table.

"Danna has already expressed his undying confidence that mine is the real deal, with Kakuzu supporting his partner, so the deciding power is with you, Kisame-san, hmm," He said with his arms crossed and looking confidently at a blinking Kisame.

"I didn't say that, and most of the money from our team is forked out by me so obviously I'm on your side," Sasori corrected with a pointed glare, knowing Deidara's tendency for bad debts.

Huh, all this brewing testosterone and it was over a bloody card game? Well the good news was he still had time to sneak to the washing room to settle the 'unfinished business'…

"Don't be a sore loser and just own up; I promise I won't call you a pussy for the whole week," Hidan offered and shrugged his brows at Deidara enticingly.

Just then Itachi strode through the living room and immediately all males turned towards him.

"Hey Itachi-san, do you mind coming over here for a minute…" Deidara trailed off as he silently passed the corridor without sparing them a glance and entered his room. Everyone flinched from the uncharacteristic slam of his door.

"Now what's his problem?" Hidan scowled at his direction.

"Was the mission a failure?" Sasori asked despite knowing the answer.

"Nah, he…" Kisame thought about the fuzzy relationship he shared with Itachi and the wonders it would do if he were to spill his dating life to this bunch of 'concerned' males. "It's just one of those bad days."

"He looks under the weather though, hmm," Deidara quipped, wondering if he received a dressing down by Pein and sniggered inwardly.

_Under the weather… Under… Could it be_…? Kisame set his Samehada by the sofa and bent to look under the table, snorting as he extracted a three spades card with its back lined with white clay.

"Doesn't this sticky shit look familiar?" He dumped the dirty and damaged card on the table, and everyone turned to glare at a retreating Deidara.

"Deidara…" Sasori growled as he attached chakra threads to three kunais in his thigh pouch.

"D-Danna, I can explain-" The kunai pierced through the clay clone's heart and Sasori went after him, cursing his luck.

"The guilty fucker never gets away," Hidan said in a singsong as he swiped all the notes and coins into his palm, but not before Kakuzu extended his heavily stitched arm and grabbed most of it.

"Hey!"

"Remember you owed me, Hidan."

"Aren't we a team? Why do you have to be so calculative…" Kisame picked up his sword and left before Kakuzu would get started on his nothing mattered more than money preach.

Itachi shrugged out of his cloak and placed it on his chair backrest before settling down on his bed. He felt fractionally better by the knowledge that Kisame had spared the juicy information of his break-up to the others, or the fact that he even had a woman.

A faint explosion reverberated through the walls of their compound, and he figured they must have found the missing card he saw a week ago underneath the table.

He turned to look at the pen and paper resting on the side-table, set there as a reminder to write a birthday wish for her when he returned from his mission. He picked them up and kept them in the drawer, the gesture no longer relevant.

It was over.

_What was I thinking, throwing my heart out there and getting all carried away with a woman? What was I expecting out of that relationship?_

_Was that even a relationship_?

Frustrated by his lack of answer, he grabbed his cloak from the chair and headed out of his room towards the training ground at the back of the building. Only by immersing himself in bloodshed and deadly weapons, could he find the momentary inner peace he craved so much for since young.

* * *

Under Pein's new order, Itachi and Kisame dismissed themselves from the group meeting and set out for their next mission. They were headed for the Hidden Village of Waterfall to apprehend the Nanabi's Jinchuriki's elder sister, Yuu, to obtain intel regarding her missing sister's whereabouts, who was their primary target.

"'I don't care how it's done, so long as it's done by the end of next week' huh," Kisame pondered aloud. He turned to wait for his partner's reaction but there was none. He tried again.

"We were back for barely a day and we're already out running his next errand. He sure is working us to the bone eh, Itachi-san?" Still no response. Kisame was not one you would describe as soft-spoken, so he was pretty certain that Itachi was just ignoring him, and he felt somewhat hurt by that.

The guy's mood was darker than his hair and he hated times like this where he felt like a child who had made his mother angry. Kisame sighed. As though attempting small talks with him over the years were not taxing enough, he had to take travelling in awkward silence to the next level and made him all uneasy.

"Look Itachi-san, I know you're still upset over that woman-"

"Kisame, you go on ahead. There's a place I need to go," Itachi said suddenly, his eyes staring ahead.

"What's wrong?" He released a small breath when his broody partner finally spoke up.

"There's something I need to take care of." The shark guy eyed the mysterious purple bag in his hand and got the message. He had seen Itachi fiddling with that bag on numerous occasions, usually when they were resting by a riverside and Kisame was not around.

That was how he knew that Itachi had found someone, though it was not until today that he saw her. He had no idea Itachi's taste was so exotic, with that gaudy purple shoulder-length hair and feline eyes. And boy, did he know how to pick – those generous breasts and round butt itching to be groped must have given the young lad his share of temptation and enjoyment, well, used to.

Anyway, he needed Itachi to move on as badly as he did for the sake of a happier companionship, not all these heavy silence. Although he would never admit it to his face, he did enjoy his company, despite his complaints. Itachi was also a good listener, showing the highest level of patience during his womanless rants over their occasional sake sessions during missions.

"Alright; as we discussed, we'll meet at the border of the forest at the end of the week after we have gathered the respective intel. Hopefully by then we'll be able to find the elder sister." They nodded and parted ways. Given that the village was divided into two by a river, it would be faster if they split and searched.

* * *

Itachi unloaded the contents of the bag onto a clearing at the border of Grass, a well-secluded spot in the dense forest where he and Mimiko used to meet. He hated how his feet instinctively knew the exact turns and steps to take to this space that once held his fond memories. Why couldn't he move on as easily as she did?

He glanced down at the motley of useless yet sentimental gifts by his ex-lover – a hand-made braided purple bracelet with a metallic heart securing the ends from their second date, a glass bottle filled with tiny seashells they collected over an impromptu competition, another bottle of melted snow from her trip to the Land of Snow last month when he said he could not accompany her and she promised to show him their amazing snow. He did not expect her to be so literal.

His faint smile slipped when he caught the only photo they had taken in their fleeting relationship peeking from underneath the heap– an awkward (it was just him) half-body shot from a festival booth in Grass. That was just two weeks ago, and he wondered darkly if she was already with that scoundrel then.

Tossing the purple bag (also courtesy of Mimiko) on top of the pile, he retreated by a few steps, took a deep breath and incinerated all physical evidence of their affair in one puff. Even as smoke from the fire irritated his eyes and made them water, he made no attempts to step away. He continued to stare hard at the withering pile, willing the heat to thaw his affections and burn off the image of her face stubbornly clinging on to his mind.

* * *

Haruno Sakura glanced back, brows dipped in anxiety, certain that any minute the enemy would catch up to their three-man team. Forcing more oxygen into her over-worked muscles, she pushed herself to go faster.

"Ino, what is the distance between us and the enemy?" She asked their sensory specialist, hoping that their approaching chakra was just her imagination.

"Close enough," She answered vaguely. Close enough to safety, or close enough for them to turn around and fight? With six against three, the odds were stacked heavily against them, and that was not accounting for their three days of travelling with minimal breaks.

"There's no choice, I'll try to buy some time with my genjutsu while you guys keep moving; we have to get to Waterfall no matter what," Yuhi Kurenai declared with finality, her stern eyes leaving no room for argument. Nodding, the best friends sped up and disappeared through the dense canopy while Kurenai tapped onto her remaining chakra pool and began her genjutsu.

"Do you think we should turn back and help? If anything happens to sensei I don't know how to report back to Asuma-sensei," Ino asked with a hint of quiver.

"No, we need to trust her and continue the mission." Distracted by the conversation, she failed to detect the thread suspended across the tree trunks and only realised her mistake a second too late.

The peaceful landscape was instantly drowned out by a chain of deafening explosions, the heavy smoke spreading like a plague and shrouding the sky with a grey curtain. Sakura was catapulted across the air from the impact, sailing through pointy tree branches and endless dust.

When she thought she would never land, her back crashed violently into a thick trunk. Her body slid down in a free fall and her head knocked into a boulder by the tree, rendering her unconscious. She went rolling across the ground towards the edge of the bank before tumbling with a loud splash into the moving stream.

* * *

The fading prattling of birds and insects heralded the descend of dusk, Itachi's favourite hour. As he sat alone by the tree listening to the animals settling for the night and watching the orange sky giving way to darkness, he shut his eyes and contemplated his existence in this Universe.

Even without him, the creatures of the forest would carry on with their idle lifestyles, rivers would continue flowing and evening would eventually give way to night. He felt so insignificant, his existence redundant and how the world might be a better place if he was not born in the first place.

His presence might be infinitesimal, but many bad things started small. The story of his clan confirmed that theory, he thought darkly.

He padded soundlessly through the clearing towards the sound of flowing water, the stream so clear that he could glimpse through the surface to its slightly rocky bed. The fire from earlier left him smelling like smoke, and he decided to take a dip. Nothing like washing away a day's worth of filth and unpleasant memories in the clean sparkling stream, he thought blithely.

Peeling off his cloak and lavender garments, he set them neatly by the bank and slowly entered the water, the coolness sending jots of goose bumps and tranquiliser through his bloodstream. He ran his fingers along the surface and splashed some onto his face, thinking he could do this the whole day.

Then he felt it. A weak pulse of chakra was moving in his direction, and he went still, trying to pinpoint its exact spot. His eyes narrowed when he realised it was approaching in a similar rhythm as the stream and sure enough, he caught a black form drifting downstream. At ten meters away, it manifested into a figure of a lifeless female body, sporting a head of striking pink hair.

He felt his heart stopped beating for a moment when he got a look at her face. The girl appeared just like Mimiko.

* * *

**Writing in the ninja era is so darn hard; I have never doubted myself so much since I started this. Alas, hope you guys enjoyed. Damn I need an Itachi dakimakura...**


	2. Memories of the Past

**Chapter 2 – Memories of the Past**

Before Sakura's body floated away, Itachi's strong arms intercepted her and he carried her on shore. Her body temperature was dangerously low and her lips were blue – he quickly checked for pulses and he was relieved to detect a faint but irregular beat from her wrist. A quick examination revealed multiple cuts across her limbs and legs and judging from the pouches strapped to her waist and thigh she was most likely a ninja, though she was not sporting any forehead protector.

Carefully setting her lithe form down, he hastily pulled on his clothes and breathed a stream of fire into the stack of branches he had gathered earlier, hoping it would warm her up. He then noticed a big patch of stain on her tattled red top near her abdomen and frowned.

He pushed up her top, eyes registering a deep gash across her upper abdominals. Riffing through his pouch, he brandished a roll of white cloth and began dressing her wound to curb the blood flow and to minimize risks of infection.

After he was done, he headed to his previous spot by the tree and sat, a feet away from his new camping companion, albeit an unconscious one. If not for his Sharingan, she would be easily mistaken as a corpse, with her chest barely moving.

He was about to drift into a slumber when he caught a movement beside the fire. The girl was shivering, though she appeared to be still unconscious. He shut his eyes again, deciding that he did not need to bother with additional 'room services' and made trouble for himself. Well, too bad that the weather was sulky, that her body had to be submerged in water for unhealthy lengths of time and it was her luck to encounter a cold guy like him and ended up getting the shivers...

However something, his conscience perhaps, refused to abide to his cool and rational wishes, poking at his ass to get the hell up and be a gentleman – to do something. As quiet as he was on the exterior, it was hard to suppress the often overpowering cogitation booming inside his head, especially naggy ones like this. Releasing a loud sigh, he peeled off the ground and moved over to cover her body with his cloak – farewell warmth, and froze as he straightened his back, the action completely catching him off guard.

Did he really have to do all these? Why did he feel a need to do such petty chores like keeping a stranger cosy? He was not usually this impulsive, acting on instincts or be bothered by the lives of others. Saving was for the good guys, not for a sinful and misplaced man like him. He had no business being nice, had no time for it, yet he found his heart getting consoled when her shivering subsided into a gentle rise and fall rhythm beneath his cloak.

Who was this girl anyway? Was she a rogue ninja like him, who was on the run from her village? And why did she remind him so much of her?

* * *

_What… Happened to me_? Through her hazy vision, Sakura saw that the sky was dark and overhead canopy blended with the louring clouds. She felt something pressing her down, but her body was too weak to lift it off.

She caught a flickering light to her left, radiating heat, and she itched to move closer to feel its warmth. Sakura thought she saw a figure seated in front of her but all thoughts ceased into nothingness as she was once again consumed by oblivion.

* * *

The sound of rustling leaves made her opened her eyes.

Gripped by a jot of fear, she quickly sat up and had to pinch her eyes shut for a few agonising seconds from her pounding head and piercing pain at her abdominals. She was surprised to feel the rough texture of dressing underneath the hand crouching by her front. She did not recall being engaged in a fight, let alone emerging injured and scantily covered…?! Where was her top?

She hugged her arms to fend off the sudden dash of chilly wind across the forest clearing. Her breast bindings were not exactly top-graded with thermal retention, and she felt as naked as without one. She held tighter against herself and scanned beyond the criss-cross of leaves towards the sky. Between her pounding head, chattering teeth and an inexplicable hollowness in her head, she could not discern day from night.

_What the hell happened to me? Why does my head feels so…Empty_?

It did not sit well that she had no idea where she was, who she was and how she ended up here and fought to stay calm. The looming presence of chakra slowly coming from her right was not only not helping but made any thinking impossible.

_Okay, I know I'm a ninja and I was on my way to somewhere… Need to get rid of the on-coming threats first_…

Cautiously, her hand slipped opened her thigh pouch and she hooked a finger into the kunai's rim. Without hesitating, she pulled it out and flung it towards the target. She waited for her weapon to make contact, but the whooshing sound seemed to vapourise without notice.

When the mysterious figure stepped through the woods into view, she had to catch her breath, not from the beautiful sight of her luscious black fringe flowing around her face or the crimson eyes locked onto her. The person had two fingers up by her side, with her kunai sitting in between.

With a causal flick of her fingers the kunai was propelled into the ground and she carried on walking, stopping a few feet short in front of Sakura.

She needed to be eye level with her but her body was paralyzed in place from her intense gaze. This person's ocular prowess was a class of its own, Sakura thought as she struggled to mask her trepidation.

When she realised the person had no intention of hurting her, she figured she had the situation upside down. However, one could hardly blame her; the lady's expression seemed like Sakura had just spat in her face. Frowning uncertainly, she spoke.

"D-Did you save me?"

"It seems that you can move now. You should go," The person replied in a deep monotonous tone, shocking her. Using the heel of her palm, she knocked against her temple to clear her vision. This graceful being was a _he_? Just what was the extent of her injuries?

She noticed that he was wearing a strange yet thick-looking black cloak and felt immensely jealous; she wondered where he got that or if she could buy from him. She was freezing cold. She also had a sneaking suspicion that talking wardrobe was not on the top of his to-do list now though, and kept those thoughts to herself.

She dared an eye contact with the man but he remained motionless and was staring down impatiently at her cocooned form, waiting for her response. Clearing her throat, she collected herself and pointed to her abs region.

"You did a pretty neat job with the dressing…" She trailed off hoping to be clued in to his identity. What was with those eyes anyway? Struggling not to be led astray by his hypnotic gaze, she had to swallow back the wave of awe, nostalgia and…was that melancholy? Why would she feel this way? Had she seen it before?

"…" He remained silent and continued to stare at her. Desperate to break out of the heavy silence, she reached behind her pouch and dug through it. Finally, she saw something she recognised and wrapped her fingers around the small bottle labelled 'For wounds.'

"Here, catch this." He easily caught it with his other free hand. "I don't have anything worthy on me, but please accept this – it's a medical cream." _I think_. "If you apply if before dressing it'll speed up the healing process… Take it as a thank you gift." She was mildly surprised that despite her untimely case of amnesia, her muscles retained some of her memories that still made her a valid ninja. After all, the kunai did 'hit' her target, right?

His eyes roved between her and the brown bottle, before deciding it was credible and pocketed the 'gift.'

"You should leave now," He repeated without a hint of emotion.

Was she seriously expecting a show of gratitude or a voluntary explanation to her predicament? That he would miraculously offer his cloak? She could not believe how naïve she was behaving despite being a ninja. However, willing or not, she was going to need some information should she need to get out of here alive.

"Hey, do you know where the Hidden Village of Waterfall is?" She decided to start from what she knew, "After I was knocked out I kinda lost my bearings…" He was looking far ahead, his face registering no hint of hearing her question, but since he was still standing there surely he must have heard her. She carefully brought herself up to his vision and pressed on.

"D-Do you mind taking me there? Since you helped me and all-"

In a moment he had her up against the tree, his palm slammed against the rough bark next to her head, his ever penetrating glare seeing right through her poorly concealed petrified eyes.

"You're a ninja, aren't you?" It was meant to be a rhetorical question, but the way he asked it somehow made her doubt herself. He was clearly unimpressed by her kunai throwing skills. "Then you should know better than to act all chummy with a stranger you just met in the woods."

"But you saved me-" Her words were truncated by his nearing face, and for an embarrassing and inappropriate moment she thought he was going to kiss her. When he spoke, his warm breath tickled her lips.

"You have no idea who I am, or what I can do to you." He had on a devious look with a miasma of smugness, since he could obviously feel her hitched breath and possibly her racing heartbeat at their proximity. What was the thing about personal boundary again?

"I…" At her hesitant tone, he raised his eyebrows, challenging her to carry on. _You are way too close, damn it_!

"M-My instinct told me that you can't be too bad a person if you bothered enough to save my sorry ass, dressed my wounds and left me alone with all my weapons intact!" She retorted despite the risk of spiting him and getting killed. This man reeked of danger.

Even though what she really wanted to do was to pinch her eyes shut and put some distance between them, her eyes refused to avert from those trio of commas that seemed to be luring her into an illusion. A gust of wind had to blow off her brave cover then and her shivering action diverted his attention from her eyes down her body.

He took his time to check her out and wherever his eyes lingered it ignited flames and her heartbeats intensified. He had her pinned in place just with his sight, and the notion of him seeing her without her top made her flushed with embarrassment.

She was hit by yet another train of inappropriate thoughts – _did he like what he sees? If he were to touch me will my instinct be to push him away or remain still and-_

She had no time to ponder on because he was already peeling off his cloak and t-shirt. Was he going to rape her here, in the cold deserted forest? Wild thoughts were one thing but she had no desire to see through it, especially not with some random girly-looking man she just met!

She began to reach for her kunai when her face was hit by a soft cloth – his lavender t-shirt. It held a hint of smoke and a musky scent mingled with a manly middle note, belonging to him. Standing in his mesh shirt, he pulled back on his cloak and moved off in the opposite direction.

Did he just offer his shirt…to her?

"Hey! Where are you going?" She asked in a timid voice, panicking for a moment that he was going to dump her here. He stopped and turned to throw her an annoyed look.

"Didn't you want to go to the Waterfall Village? I happen to be headed the same way, so don't go thinking I'm doing you a favour." With that, he hopped on to the nearest branch and sped off.

She blinked and smiled faintly – definitely not a bad guy, even if he was trying to act like one. Awkwardly she slipped on the slightly oversized t-shirt and sighed at the residue warmth; it was going to take more than a knife through the gut before she was going to take it off. Before she followed his lead, something caught her eye at the bottom of the extinguished firewood. It was a partially burnt photograph of T-shirt man posing stiffly and a beautiful lady with short purple hair, smiling like she had a secret only she knew.

Not knowing anything better to do with it, she pocketed the photograph and took off the ground after him.

* * *

After her persistent harassment Itachi finally revealed that they were at the Eastern border of Grass and it would take at least another day or two before they would reach Waterfall.

"Depending on how much of a liability you would be," He added crudely while giving her a meaningful backward glance.

_We still do not know who's going to be the liability_... She managed to bit back at her words at the last second and decided to let it slid; he was her saviour after all. This was nothing if it meant that having unflattering remarks hurled in the face was the price to pay for being alive.

However, she was not about to be proved right and hurried on to match his pace next to him. Now, back to the introductions…

"So, you still heaven't tell me your name."

"You don't have to know that."

"Not even your surname?"

"…"

"Do you always travel alone?"

"Why do you care?" He replied without missing a beat. Sakura marvelled at his ability to end a conversation the moment she painstakingly started one. She released a barely controlled breath when she realised he was never going to answer her properly. Or perhaps she did not make herself clear… Oh who was she kidding?

"Are you always like that?" She blurted out in frustration when she felt her nerves snapped along with the tree branches under her feet. Granted, she should show more courtesy to the man who saved her, but she drew the line between taciturn and him being brusque and downright rude.

"You're trying to know me," He began instead, momentarily throwing her off course. "Now what's the point of that?" He turned to face her with an expression of genuine curiosity.

What kind of question was that?

"W-What do you mean 'what's the point?' it's natural to want to find out more about the person you just met, especially if we're going to be travelling together for the next twenty-three hours!" She reasoned, omitting the minutes and seconds she had been mentally keeping tabs on to avoid sounding too eager to be free of his intense company.

He was back to staring ahead, his face inscrutable. When he spoke, she had to strain to make out his words against the rapid clapping of the leaves from the sudden rush of wind.

"It's precisely what you said; we're only travelling together for a day. So what's the point of forming an attachment that wouldn't last beyond a day?" Once again, his train of thoughts stunned her. _When he put it that way_…

Even though his words rang some truth, Sakura could not help but wonder whether he took life too seriously or if he had simply lost too much to be this detached. Oh boy, now she had the urge to give him a consoling pat and got to know him _even_ more. It made her recalled one of those sad extremist ninja calligraphies that preached about going solo and trusting no one:

Rely on no one but yourself, keep close to nobody but yourself.

He must have led a lonely life.

"You must be a strong person," She said softly, more to herself than him.

"Strong enough to carry you on shore," He quipped, and the unwonted gaiety in his voice made her jumped. She was surprised that he even heard her.

"Was that how you found me? Drifting unconscious along the stream?" Her luck could not be any better; if she were left in the water surely she would have perished from hypothermia by now. She turned to admire her saviour once again. Sure, he could be cold and slightly anti-social, but that was just how he was and she should learn to accept that about him…

"If you really want to know, you don't look any better then from now." There it was again, his amazing talent to sour her mood in the blink of an eye while not looking the least apologetic.

"Excuse me?" Forget admiration, more like neck-throttling and downright arrogant; she could not believe she even felt an ounce of sympathy for him before. That was it; she was done trying to play nice.

"Be careful, there are traps ahead."

"Wha-" Had he not pulled her away in time, she would have been blown into pieces by the series of explosive tags lined along the upper branches. Now that her attention was back in her surroundings, she could see that he was right. They were everywhere; detecting these near invisible threads had to take serious amount of concentration and keen vision.

"God, you have good eyesight!" She thought she heard him snorted, but all she could think about now was his hands gripped around her wrist. They were warm and assuring, unlike his personality.

"It'll do you good to stay alert in the forest," He offered and loosened his grip.

"I-I know that!" She flushed hotly and pried her eyes wider than before.

What were these intricate traps doing in the middle of the forest anyway? She wanted to ask if some Daimyo recently passed by here, but the only person who could answer her was even less likely to answer her. She might have a better shot if she asked a tree. Whoever said silence is virtue definitely did not hang out with this man before.

* * *

By late afternoon, she had lost count of the number of glances she sneaked in his direction. Whenever she thought she had him figured out, he would do something that would rule out whatever conclusions she previously made.

There were simply too many layers to this man (who still refused to reveal his name) next to her.

"If you have anything to say, just say it."

"Huh?" Was she that obvious? He had on a face that said 'don't make me repeat myself,' and mentally she smacked herself for being such a failure at spying.

"Well, I've been meaning to ask you this…" It was so hard to read his face, if he was not the one to initiate the conversation she would have assumed she was talking to herself. "This may sound weird, but do you have any idea who am I?"

That came out rather foolish, which was clearly reflected on his dead-panned face.

"And why would I know that?" He replied with an air of disbelief and Sakura sighed. She was secretly hoping she was some famous elite ninja who specialised in (dealing with arrogant dudes [like him]) some ninjutsu or had some Kekkei Genkai known throughout the Five Great Shinobi Nations. However, her blood was feeling normal so far, if not for a slight raise in pressure from being subjected to his abusive tone for the past few hours.

"Ah, here's the thing…" She turned to smile sheepishly at his impassive face. "I have no idea who I am either."

She caught the minuscule tilt of his head towards her, and she knew she got his attention.

"I know what you're thinking, that how is it possible that I remember where to go and not who I am."

"Perhaps you're a Waterfall nin," He suggested off-handedly and she shrugged.

"That's always a possibility, but somehow I don't feel that's the case…" She trailed off and racked her mind for the purpose of her presence in Waterfall. "After all, it would be unthinkable considering I'm under a mission to kill one of the villagers." He kept quiet and listened, her words triggering some of his deeply buried memories that still haunted him to this day.

"And don't you think it'll be insane if I was ordered to kill one of my people?" She finished as a matter-of-factly, flourishing a kunai to slice off one of the pointy branches in her line of sight before it could blind her.

"Yea, it's insane," He added softly, the words not quite reaching Sakura in her distraction.

"Well, I guess there's only one way to find out my identity – that is to go the the village as soon as pos-" Before she could complete her sentence, her consciousness was momentarily robbed by a sudden dizzy spell, causing her to miss her footing and tripped.

They were at least twelve meters above ground, and below her dangling feet were stretches of coarse tree arms, arrays of green daggers and a rocky forest bed; it was a sure fatality.

Before she landed, her right arm miraculously caught on to a branch of a buttress tree, improving her life-threatening situation to that of an imminent broken leg.

Itachi hopped down and stood on the branch where her life was literally on the line (or was it branch?), and made no attempts to help her up.

"Er hello? I could use a hand here!" She yelled, trying to hear herself through her hammering heartbeat and spinning head.

When she strained her neck to look up, her eyes widened in horror at the flash of sunlight reflected from the kunai in his hand. Giving her no time to embrace her destiny, he bent and cleaved through the woods with the deftness of a respectable ninja.

Without dignity and warning, she plunged through the air like a fallen meteoroid into the unknown.

* * *

Her mind cleared at the last second and she did a somersault before dropping on her heels onto a bed of leaf litters. Thank god for the glut of chakra she was able to channel to her feet in time to take off some of the impact from her landing. Itachi followed and landed next to her, scattering the dried leaves all over her.

"… Bleh! What was that for?!" She cursed, splitting out a withered leaf and throwing a filthy look in his way.

"Just giving you a hand; you were barely hanging off the ground," He shrugged and shook off some wood chippings on his blade before putting the kunai away.

"If you call three floors 'barely…'" Her hand reached for the floor to stabilise herself and she fought to stay conscious, shutting her eyes to fend off the second bout of dizziness.

"It's getting dark; we'll take a short break and head out when dawn is near," He declared suddenly and padded off into the woods, leaving her staring after his retreating form in a daze. There was no room for debate or a say on her part. Not that she was going to argue with him; this was a much needed break after her near bad break.

Overwhelmed by fatigue, both mentally and physically, she crashed against the tree that nearly killed her and attempted to remember her identity in amidst of the whistles of cicada. She drew up a blank.

She had zero memories of the past, with barely a grip on her present and much more at stake in the future. She had an inkling that the key to retrieving her forgotten past was getting to Waterfall; she was bound to meet some people there who could guide her out of this labyrinth.

What she had gathered thus far was that apparently she had suffered a blow to her head and the only thing she could recall was the conviction to complete the mission at Waterfall.

An assassination mission.

It might probably be her first, and she was determined not to screw it up. If the arrogant man was still around she could then prove to him that she was not all that useless as he assumed.

Shortly the man was back, empty-handed. He caught her eyeing him and broke into a smirk.

"What, were you expecting me to bring food?" Sakura's face burst into a deep shade of red, both in anger and indignant, because he was right. Her traitorous stomach had to add in its say then, growling and protesting to be sated.

"S-Says who? I can take care of my own stomach, Mr. No Name," She countered and launched onto her feet. What she did not expect was the dizziness brought about from her sudden moment, and she leaned helplessly against the trunk to will it away.

_Why is my body always not in sync with my mind_…?

"You're low in sugar; take this." She cracked an eye opened and in his outstretched palm laid two brown soldier pills. She rolled her eyes up to be sure she was talking to the same person from five seconds ago.

"Thanks…?" Uncertainly she picked up a pill and swallowed it as he did the same. She did not know which was more awkward - him offering her his food ration or her accepting his offer after vehemently declaring she needed none.

With the sun retreating for the night and he seemed to be in one of his better moods, she figured this was the ideal time to poke her nose into his past. When she inquired about his solo travels, she was really referring to his forehead protector with the disturbing slash across. She vaguely remembered it to be the Hidden Leaf Village, and wondered what happened that made him chose this path of uncertainties.

As he settled onto the ground next to her (begrudgingly, since there were no other comfortable spots around them), she braced herself, rehearsed her question and turned to him.

"Hey can I ask you some-" The words were lost on her as she was assaulted by a different kind of dizziness. His ever present blood red irises were locked onto hers, as though seeing through her and into her soul. It was hard to admit, but it felt rather flattering and slightly flustering to be on the receiving end of such intense gaze.

"Is something wrong?" She asked softly, trying to read his expression. He appeared slightly taken aback by her question, but the moment of nonplus was gone as quickly as it came and he immediately deflected his sight from her.

"Go to sleep," He grumbled, then crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Just like that, they were back to being two strangers ensconced side by side with the chilly silence of the night as company. Even though they were seated barely a few inches apart, it felt like light years between them, and that was assuming they belonged in the same universe.

Her chest wound still hurt, her lower body muscles were screaming and her headache became an ever present constant; boy did she desperately needed her rest. However, after seeing that tortured look in his eyes and having experienced his sporadic shift of tender gestures, she doubt she could ease into her dream, at least not without the million questions that he had left in his wake.

* * *

**So… I thought this chapt's title was pretty apt – while Sakura had no memories of her past, she was really the living memory of Itachi's past that he was fighting so hard to get past… Not that she knew, yet :p**


	3. And We Meet Again

**Chapter 3 – And We Meet Again**

"We've got her," One of the kunoichi announced as Ino's body collapsed onto the forest ground in a dull thud. The rest of five members gathered around the enemy ninja, their senses still high on alert despite greatly outnumbering the opposing team.

"Where are the other two?"

"One was caught in the explosion, presumably dead. Think the other got away; shouldn't be too far off. Lia, can you track her down?" A brunette wearing a mask directed the question toward the ninja checking Ino's pulse.

"S-Sorry, 'fraid I can't; that bitch knocked me real hard on my head!" Lia grouched and got up, rubbing irritably at her temples to prove her point. The assemblage appeared shock by her reply.

"Whoa, Lia, since when you've become so hot-tempered?"

"Are you hurt? I didn't expect the enemy to set off the traps I planted earlier while you were so close!" Lia remained silent as the ninjas stared at her in concern before one of the ninjutsu specialist stepped forward and pointed dubiously to her face.

"Is that really her? I mean, the opponent is a genjutsu specialist," Everyone's brows began to knit in scepticism as they turned simultaneously towards a tall lady with an auburn red pony-tail. She did not respond, her mind buried in thoughts while hey eyes critically scanned the surroundings.

"Leader, do you think we should-"

"Guys, chillax! You're only saying that because you haven't been on enough missions with her," A kunoichi spotting two braids interrupted, skipping next to Lia and hooking her by her elbow before continuing, "Leader, if there's one thing about Lia, it would be she _hates_ it when people so much as touches her head; it really affects her cognitive ability."

"Leader, I'm sorry for overacting." Lia began to bow but was stopped by the leader.

"You have nothing to apologise for. Everyone has their pet peeves. I feel good knowing you're alright, and so is it for everyone," She declared and looked around, meeting everyone's eyes. "I'll send word for follow-up investigations so we'll head back for now. Good work everyone." Everyone nodded and started in the direction of their village.

"Either Lia or Hijimoto will be in-charge of the body," The masked ninja ordered before speeding off with the rest of the group.

"Lia, you must be beat; let me carry the enemy-"

"NO! I-I mean thanks, but I can manage; she's pretty light." Before Hijimoto could protest, Lia expertly scooped up Ino's battered form and flung her over her shoulder. Hijimoto pouted but smiled as she travelled beside her dearest friend and comrade, simply glad for her safety.

Lia stole a glance over her shoulder, towards the tree where Kurenai was hiding. Her mild sense of anxiety was swiftly replaced with a mask of indifference and remained quiet for the rest of the journey to the Hidden Village of Waterfall.

* * *

Sakura was rapidly flushed down the stream, but instead of being blissfully unaware, she was living the full despairing experience, completed with a horde of enemy ninjas nailing in on her on shore.

Except, they were no strangers – they were her friends, or at least used to since they were not hurling encouragements and yelling for her hand but busy launching kunais into the water freely as though she was a dummy target.

"Die traitor!" She could feel her body giving up – the intervals between each precious breath were augmenting and each time she was dragged down it took even more of her to force her head over the surface.

"-Ke, your aiming sucks!"

"Shut up dobe; get her head before you go shouting at me." She could not make out their faces from the foray of water splashes but there was no way she could not recognise that pair of voices that kept her moving even when she was thoroughly spent.

They were ying and yang, two sides of a coin – one was the guardian of light that remained shining despite the worst storm, while the other offered shade when the constant harsh sun proved too much to handle.

A kunai sailed through the charged air and narrowly missed her heart at the last second, but it hurt nevertheless. The water that splashed into her eyes burnt like hell, and her own tears of bewilderment and helplessness mingled and merged with the rushing water. She might as well be dead now.

_Why are my allies attacking me_?

Before she was flung over the cliff, her arm hooked onto a white boulder peeking up the water body. Summoning all her chakra, she pushed against the current and stubbornly hugged onto the boulder for dear life.

"Stop resisting; it's futile," The boy with the deep and flat voice called out. She leaned her head wearily against the slippery jagged surface, knowing she could not hang on for long.

"Not yet… I'm not going to die just yet…"

…

"How long are you going to grab onto me?"

"I won't let go… I won't!" Sakura felt a jab onto her left cheek and frowned behind closed lids. No one was taking her life away from her, no one. Not unless she chose to give up first. The second jab came on harder and her eyes flew opened. She instinctively drew in a deep breath of cool forest air in preparation for the next gush of torrent.

She swung her head slowly around her surroundings, not quite comprehending the calmness despite her predicament. She peeked up, and saw a beautiful stranger making a face before her eyes travelled down to where her arms were wrapped tightly around his.

He cocked his head impatiently towards where their hands remained entangled, and Sakura immediately flared her arms away from him with a yelp.

"Oh my god, why was I hugging your arm?" Her body was turned away from his in mortification.

"Sometimes, I wonder that myself too," He replied sarcastically. From the corner of her eye she caught him rotating his right shoulder experimentally, and Sakura knew he must have been sitting with her wrapped around his arm like a kola bear for some time.

His furrowed brow was proof enough that he must be suffering a stiff trapezius and possibly, a buck load of irritation from her unwelcomed PDA.

"Erm, if you don't mind, I think I can help-"

"Let's go." He got up and dashed off, the entire episode behind him. _Good thing he moved on fast, or things might get awkward on the way_, Sakura thought, shrugged and went after him. She was still slightly light-headed from having to spring into action right after waking up, but at least her headache was gone.

The rest of the journey was uneventful, spared for few of her pathetic attempts to crack a joke as a way to atone for her earlier acts. It seemed to end up pissing him even more.

"Hey ask you something… Why did the one-hand man cross the road?" She took his silence as a cue to go on as he was dying to know the answer.

"Because… He wanted to get to the second-hand shop…" Sakura was busy feeling proud of herself to notice that twitch of his lips debating whether to tape her mouth shut or to try his best to laugh a little. He did not know why she was trying so hard to entertain him.

"Bet you didn't see that coming huh?" She shook her head with all smiles until she saw that he was staring coolly at her. She swore his eyes were telling her 'omg that's so funny; now could you just zip it and leave me alone.' She shamefully lowered her eyes and began mumbling 'sorry' on a loop.

Itachi snuck a glance back at the silence that ensued, still not quite understanding her. _What a weird woman_.

Sakura was about to ask if they were 'cool' when he suddenly stopped and she nearly ran smacked into his back. She was not going to risk making any more unnecessary bodily contact with him, not if she still valued her life.

"We're here," He declared and she stepped around, staring at the towering waterfall that seemed to disappear into the mist. She followed him around the white granite mountain towards the back of the plunging water where he slipped into a gap between the falling crystal liquid and the stone.

"Hidden Village indeed…"

"This is just the border," Itachi remarked after they entered into a small cave sporting multiple protruding round pools that you would see on the surface of the Moon. He walked towards one of the pools and began to make a diving action, startling Sakura.

"H-Hey, I don't think now's the time to be lazing around in a Jacuzzi, or whatever these are called…" As inviting as it appeared, Sakura had no plans of getting wet or naked in front of this dude. Amused, Itachi turned around and smirked at her disconcerted face.

"Look carefully, these aren't your ordinary pools." She took a few hesitant steps towards the edge but was only met with her reflection. This water must be pretty deep.

"And don't you think I would have removed my clothes if I was going to do that?" She was immediately attacked by images of his striptease, and judging by the growing smirk on his usually dead face, he knew what was on her mind. Overcome by embarrassment, she hurriedly splashed the water onto her face, the algid temperature a slap to her senses. She was not going to think about his bare body, she was not even going to imagine how it would look like when it was wet and gleaming-

"Take a big breath; we're going in to get to the village," He informed before diving into the pool without warning, leaving her gaping at the empty spot where he was standing.

"Wha-" She glanced nervously around, gripped with uncertainty. So she was going to have to get wet?

_You're standing beneath the waterfall, you're almost there! Besides, why would he lie_?

She took a few steps back, remembering his advice, took a deep breath and dove.

* * *

Just as Sakura was about to quit it and resigned to being fish bait, she spotted Itachi's feet paddling five meters above her, and from her angle it seemed like he was indirectly kicking her. Maybe that was what he was trying to do since he saved her and she happily hopped onto him for a free ride. Oh well.

She emerged and released a loud gasp, shaking her hair out of her sight and soaked in the neat rows of terracotta roofs in front of her and the balmy beryl sky enveloping the landscape.

"Isn't the landscape lovel- oh sorry," She bit her lips, abashed as he wiped the water droplets off his face from her hair flip. They quickly got on shore and Sakura did her best to squeeze off the water from his shirt, already shivering. He on the other hand, revealed no signs of discomfort. Sakura gulped; how was it that he could always maintain so posh and detached was a mystery to her.

She looked down at herself – the clothes were clinging onto her like seaweeds and her hair was sticking to her sides, the definition of stylish. She had no idea that Itachi was watching her the whole time, and when they made eye contact, he turned around and strode off.

"You're on your own now," He called out as he continued down the bank.

"Huh? Hey where are you going?" As expected, he showed no signs of hearing her question. She knew she could not stick around him for the entire journey but this was too soon!

"Don't you want your shirt back?" She shouted exasperatedly, hoping to get him to have a change of heart. Surely he would want his things back? To her delight, he stopped. After a prolong silence and a couple more raised hopes, he twisted his head back and spoke.

"You can have it." With that, he was gone. Sakura was officially dumbfounded. She wanted to shout that she did not want his shirt, but his company, the assuring presence that she had grown to rely on to guide and keep her safe. However, she knew no words could persuade or kept him around her any longer. Why would he, anyway? They were, as he bluntly put across since the day they met, only 'strangers.' Flustered, she raked through her hair and yelled out to the empty bank.

"And you still haven't told me your name, damn it!"

* * *

Sakura padded aimlessly around the village, desperate for a change of clothes. She passed by a boutique with a decent crowd and entered the store, extremely self-conscious of her drenched state. However, other than the chirpy salesman who greeted her, no one spared her a glance, as their eyes were fixated on the racks of colour-coordinated apparels lined along the walls.

She quickly spotted a sleeveless red top similar to her previous top and a black plaid skirt and went ahead to the cashier. As she rafted through her soggy notes, she thought of asking for some local help.

"Excuse me oji-san, do you happen to know any hotel that you could recommend me?" Knowing that her mission was not due for another week, she needed a shelter, preferably a normal one.

"Hmm, any particular requirements?"

"Well, anything is fine as long as it's…decent," She lowered her voice and hissed out the last word, uncertain of her emphasis.

Although she could not remember, her subconscious mind could clearly recall that one traumatising hotel experience from not long ago.

She was lying on the single bed, alone and half-naked in her lingerie. She always thought clothes got in the way of her sleep and developed the habit of sleeping 'light.' Then suddenly, she felt a hand creeping up along her waist – someone had snuck in through the unlocked window and was trying to get fresh with her.

Before the pervert could get his share of cherry pie, the next moment he went sailing through the air, flying through the wooden wall of the second storey hotel and collapsing on top of a pile of broken woods. Sakura, fist outstretched, eyes enraged was panting slightly and rushed to catch a glimpse of the insolent bastard. Regrettably, the medic later told her the man only suffered a few broken ribs and a soiled reputation.

Sakura, on the other hand, had to pay for the repair charges of the gaping hole left from her wrath (the man was jobless and had no means of paying whatsoever). Despite the hotel insisting it was fine, she nevertheless felt obliged and slightly embarrassed, since she did react _a little_ too aggressively.

Since then, she had developed a case of paranoia and could only sleep after triple checking that all doors and windows were properly locked.

The salesman thought for a while and pointed down the streets.

"Walk straight, take a right turn at the next junction and stop at the second building on the left side."

"Oh, wow thanks!" That really saved her time for room scouting.

"It may look ordinary from the outside, but trust me when I say that's the best we've got in the village, with adequate security of course." The man added and winked, perfectly understanding her implied request. Sakura collected the shopping bag and bowed gratefully.

"Thank you so much. I can't wait to see what the place offers!" She waved and started towards the hotel's direction, brimming with anticipation and good vibes.

"Enjoy your stay in Waterfall!"

* * *

Itachi held his head low, surveying the village layout while observing the easy interactions of the people around him. Despite being a small village with no Kage, it held a lively ambience and businesses were flourishing everywhere he looked.

This was a close-knitted community that was self-sustaining and weak on hostility, or at least, that was what it appeared on the surface, he thought to himself.

He never imagined that his first time stepping foot into this village was for the sake of a mission; the promise to visit this place and all those wishful planning were vivid as yesterday.

Clenching his fist, he forced himself to focus ahead and reprimanded himself for getting side-tracked in this mission for the second time.

If things had happened the way he wished, this would have been their next getaway destination.

* * *

The man was not kidding when he said it was ordinary; in fact one could hardly tell apart the buildings if not for the wooden sign boards and flapping norens hanging from the entrance.

"Hi… I heard this is the best hotel in this village and I would like to have a room," Sakura announced hesitantly as she closed the sliding door behind her.

"Ah, is that what people are saying behind our backs? I'm honoured," A lady in her mid-twenties wearing a black bun and a fuchsia yukata, answered with a bashful smile behind the counter.

"Are you the lady boss?" She was so young!

"The lady boss's daughter, actually. I'm learning the ropes to take over when she finally bears to part with this place, which is probably never," She replied with resignation, but her eyes bore understanding to her Mother's sentimental attachment to the hotel.

"I see. Well, it's hard to let go of attachments that has a special place in your heart," Sakura concluded like she knew what she was talking, despite the irony of her having no memory.

"You sound like you've been through a lot, Miss…"

_None that I could recall, that's for sure._ The lady handed her the room catalogue and it took all her willpower not to gasp at the number of zeroes behind even the cheapest accommodation.

"The rooms are pretty expensive…" She murmured to herself under her breath.

"That's because the prices include the in-house breakfast buffet, prepared by our very own chefs at the restaurant," She explained and pointed to the shoji screen next to the steps. Sakura's head jerked up in embarrassment.

I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to say that out loud…" She grinned sheepishly at her before continuing, "Oh, there's a restaurant here too? I can never tell!" The lady simply smiled, already accustomed to astounded first-timers on a regular basis.

"That's why we should always look beyond the surface of things; often you'll be surprised." Sakura glanced up at her sudden cryptic remark, but she was only greeted by her easy grin. Did she imagine that?

"I-I will take this single bed room for one then," She gave in at last, after mentally calculating her remaining assets and deciding that the meal provided made the price seemed reasonable.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here. I'm Himiji Misao, by the way," Misao introduced as she passed over her room keys and bowed. Sakura's eyes widened in panic, knowing she could not put this off like just now when she prompted for her name.

"Er… Sakura, you can call me Sakura!" She declared at the last minute, drawing inspiration from the cherry blossom prints on Misao's yukata. To her relief, she bought it.

"Your room is on the second floor, second last room from the end, Miss Sakura."

* * *

_Weird, the water is not running_…

Sakura was standing under the shower head, twisting the faucet in puzzlement when not one drop of water came out.

Pulling back on her old clothes, she headed towards the counter, where Misao was walking back from the restaurant.

"Hey, Miss Sakura! Are you here for dinner? Customers staying here can enjoy a half price off the total bill!" Sakura blinked; was she talking to her? And what dinner?

She glanced out of the sliding door and was hit by a burst of cool evening wind and the sight of a pale pink sky. Gosh, she only meant to take an hour nap before going out to continue the hunt for her identity, but ended up spending the entire noon glued to the bed.

"You got to be kidding me…"

"Miss Sakura?" She slid the door shut and remembered that was the name she told her earlier.

"Ah, n-no! I was just wondering why there isn't any water coming out of the tap…" At the mention of water, Misao's expression was immediately one of remorse and sadness.

"Oh, I'm so sorry; there's a faulty pipe at the resident's water supply network and we're waiting for our plumber to check it out. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience caused!" She bowed and Sakura had to hurry forward to stop her from kneeing down on all fours.

"No it's okay! I was worried for one second we need an additional payment for using the water…"

"If that's the case, there wouldn't be any more customers coming to our place!" They laughed softly for a while, before Misao remembered the reason they were even having this chat and quickly lowered her head in apology.

"Miss Sakura, if you don't mind, there's a secluded river at the forest that's a ten minutes' walk from here. You may want to check it out."

"Oh?" Sakura raised an eyebrow skeptically, not fully receptive to dipping in any river after nearly losing her breath in it.

"That's right; you can rest assure that no one will see you, since it's really a small stream and heavily screened with trees. Besides, not many know of it, not even the residents. I used to go there before I started helping with the business," Misao elaborated, hoping to convince Sakura.

"I know what's on your mind, but our village… If anything we pride ourselves on our security. We have exceptional ninjas looking after the ladies' modesty and welfare," She concluded with an enigmatic wink.

"Well then I guess…"

In the end, she conceded to her suggestion and went back to grab her shopping bag before heading for the mysterious stream 'not known to many.' For some reason, she seemed rather confident of their village's ninjas.

Moments later she abandoned the residential vicinity's dim orange glow and tramped through the overgrown shrubs that now blocked the entry. It was no wonder why people were unware of this place; besides the dark curtain of obscurity, the gloomy atmosphere and the barely lit path was hardly inviting or anything near 'safe.' Even the usually pleasant moon felt ominous.

Clutching the shopping bag tightly in her chest, she wandered deeper into the woods. As she debated whether to turn back for the tenth time, her ears twitched to the sound of moving water. She turned around to make sure she memorised the way before charging towards her long-awaited bathtub.

Her zeal vanished at the sight of something white flitting near the water.

She was not alone. In these days one could hardly find yourself be alone for too long.

Her ninja instinct took over and she zipped to the nearest tree, skittish to alert the unknowing party of her existence. For a deceptive second, there was only the breeze and her hammering heartbeat.

Suddenly, a man emerged from the depths of the water and as he straightened his back, his long black hair went soaring over his head like an elegant stroke of the paintbrush. His pale and drenched body sheened under the moonlight and it evinced the masculinity hidden under his effeminate tresses.

Sakura was still as the night, not trusting herself to breathe for fear of disturbing the man. He ran his hands over its slick surface with his face upturned and eyes closed, embracing the tranquility of the surrounding. She watched on and gulped, wondering how anyone could possess such facile grace.

In the midst of soaking in the sight, all anxiety seemed to dissolve. She could finally ease her tensed shoulders as she loosened her hold on the bag, the darkness no longer reeking of menace.

She was still in a trance till the moment he turned around and she realized she had been ogling at the same man who abandoned her by the river a few hours ago.

_No way! What is he doing here_?

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, certain she was imagining everything, but the next moment she was hit by lightning bolts of red hot embarrassment. He threaded out of the water and was walking towards the shore, in full male glory. The worse thing? Sakura could not peel her eyes away from all of it.

He reached for the towel hanging by the tree to dry and mercifully (or a pity depending on how honest Sakura was to herself) wrapped around his lower body. She gripped tightly by the tree trunk, bit her lower lips as her interest towards him skyrocketed.

_Does the guy love being in the nature so much, or was he too broke for a room_?

"What are you doing?"

"EEEEE!" Sakura yelped and spun around, before eliciting another squeal at the smooth and dripping wet chest a few inches away from her face. _That's fast_! Hesitantly, she looked up and gulped, smiling nervously.

"H-hey! We meet again…" The man did not look impressed. He crossed his arms and cocked his head, as though giving her a chance to find excuses for herself. She felt like she was always explaining herself to him despite not actually committing any offense. Was that part of his power (charm) too?

"It's not like I was tailing you or spying on you, so you don't have to look at me like that," She answered crossly, not pleased with his penalising stare.

Smiling mockingly, he took one step, then another and leaned closer until his head was levelled with hers. Sakura really hated the tree plastered against her back right now.

"Believe me; I would know if you were." Up close, his eyes were even colder, and the creases running along the valley by his nose made him seemed lethargic and old, a huge contrast to his feminine hairstyle and strong physique.

Without warning, Itachi raised his hand and flicked at her forehead and moved back.

"Hey! Why did you do that?" Her hand flew to nurse her 'wound,' a part of her glad for the distance.

"It's rude to stare." _Really? This guy just does whatever he wants and now he's telling me off_?

"Great, just my luck to meet you again," Sakura mumbled and began heading for the river.

"Really. You seemed to like what you saw earlier," Came the retort. She fought back the rising burn in her cheeks at his spot-on analysis and whirled around.

"What did you- C-C-C-ould you please put on some clothes?" She stammered and tilted her head away, blushing furiously. Itachi smirked.

"While you're here?" He asked innocently as he began to loosen the knot on his hip. Her hands quickly flew to her face and she swore she heard him gave a soft snigger.

"F-Fine, I'm leaving anyway!" She puffed out and stormed off, resisting the urge to throttle his neck. Why was he acting like she intruded on him when she was supposed to be the only person in this area? It was not that she actually looked forward to seeing him or even wanted to rub shoulders with him. She had no business with someone who was the walking definition of rude.

"Be wary of your chakra; I could sense them yards away." When she turned around, he was gone. Was it her imagination, or did he just offered her an advice? Was he _concerned_?

_Wait, that also meant that he was aware of my presence ages ago, so why_…

"Gosh, were you teasing me back there?!" The only reply was the string of cawing of the retreating crows.


	4. Entangled Fate

**Chapter 4- Entangled Fate**

_You better pray that I'm dead before the next time I see you again, Kakuzu_.

Itachi gritted his teeth as yet another shout drifted across the walls and intruded into the 'privacy' of his room. If there was one thing he had learnt since he entered this village, it was that domestic violence was as mundane as your everyday flu.

"I already told you I'm sorry!" The man's aggravated respond nearly drew a sigh out of the unwilling participant two rooms down. He should have known better than to trust Kakuzu's recommendation when he heard they were headed for his ex-village. Reflecting on this now, he should have known there was a hidden agenda to the mercenary's goodwill. After discovering that the hotel's boss was actually his ex-lover, he immediately felt his brows elevated and wondered for a moment whether Himiji Misao was the abandoned fruit of his love.

It was heartening to know he had a heart (besides the ones he stole), but it was unforgivable to sacrifice Itachi's comfort to feed his guilt-ridden soul. When he stated that it was a 'decent accommodation,' he had conveniently omitted to mention their fragile water systems, or how thin these supposedly sound-proof walls were.

"You lied, again! Why are men always lying?"

Itachi slammed his book shut, uncertain whether it was out of annoyance to their ruckus or the woman's general insult to men. She had hit quite a nerve for that hasty remark. He was about to leave this nasty accommodation for good when an explosion rang in the next room.

In an instant, the light in his room went dead.

He could only ignore the uproar for this long. Releasing a loud sigh, he climbed out of the uncomfortable chair and went out to check on the commotion.

* * *

Sakura jumped out of the river and immediately realised her mistake – she had forgotten to bring a towel! Scampering across the turf, she ploughed through the depthless bag for her clean lingerie, her teeth clattering madly as she slid them on.

It felt like she was back to square one, with her hair and new clothes clinging to her body just as she had emerged from the river earlier in the day. She hastily stuffed the soiled laundry into the paper bag and hurried through the chilly woods, hoping to run into a door that would teleport her to room right then.

She was so close, the warm light of the hotel threshold like a hundred arms demon pulling her nearer…

"Meoow…" A white cat with bobbed brown tail was rubbing its neck against the edge of the hotel, looking lonely.

"Aww, what is a bright furry ball like you doing here?" She bent and reached out to rub behind its ear when she noticed that it had a sallow complexion uncharacteristic of its breed. She picked it up and quickly examined the cat, eyes narrowing when she felt its erratic heartbeat and the noted the amount of furs it shredded over her hands.

"Poor cat's been sick for at least three months… Now let this nosy onee-chan try to get rid of this bad bad disease…" After a minute of concentration and consolation, the once-again healthy fur ball leapt out of Sakura's bosom and escaped into the gap of the hotel's sliding door.

"Not even a thank you? Ungrateful soul…" She mumbled good-naturedly and followed after its tail. She found the Japanese bobtail nestled in Misao's embrace, the scene warming Sakura's heart.

"Is that your cat, Misao-chan?" Her voice startled the lady boss in-line, nearly dropping the cat.

"Oh, Miss Sakura you scared me! Yes, sorry I haven't got the chance to introduce the other member of the Himiji family, Nozzle."

"Nozzle?"

"Yes, because it likes to leap into my arms without warning, like the water rushing out of the hose," She explained sheepishly, stroking Nozzle's back fondly. "It has been sick for some time, always lurking at the back of the hotel and being anti-social. But today, it's suddenly so energetic, back to how it used to be when I first bought it!"

"Ah, guess it must have finally recovered, thanks to your endless love," Sakura replied promptly.

"Yes, it seems like a dream, but if it is, don't ever wake me up!" Misao exclaimed and she grinned, thinking whether it was for this smile that she had become a medical ninja. Guess she would never know until her memory was restored, she thought sadly.

Just then, an explosion reverberated throughout the building, shocking the girls out of their trance.

"What's that sound?" Misao gasped out, fear ringing deep from her sunset orbs.

"I think it came from the upper floor; let's go check it out." Nodding, Misao deposited Nozzle by the counter and sprinted up the stairs with Sakura in tow.

* * *

A middle-aged man was slummed against the foot of what was once Sakura's bed, looking broken but fortunately still in one piece, unlike the bed. There was already a group of perturbed customers crowding by the corridor as Itachi absent-mindedly pulled the door closed behind him and joined them. If not for his Sharingan, he was as good as blind in this all-consuming darkness.

_What the hell_…

"What the hell?" Himiji Misao exclaimed at the head of the stairs. She rushed forward to help the man out of the wood crumps while doing her best to ignore the hole in the wall dividing the rooms. Just when business was picking up…

Itachi's eyes rolled over to the woman standing behind the hole in the next room. The only thing remarkable about her besides her disheveled hair was her monstrous strength, thinking she might be a good match for Kisame. He could definitely do with a woman like that to tame his occasional mood swings. Any men would cower under those eyes and fist.

"Guess the couple fought and took it a little too far…" An elderly woman whispered to her friend and Itachi snorted at the word 'little.'

_This village's a mess; it's no wonder why Kakuzu left_-

"Oh no, that's my room!" Another female cried out, and Itachi's heart stopped at the familiar voice.

"I'm not paying for any of this; please charge the room's tabs and the damage to my ex-husband. I'm sure it's nothing if he could afford to keep a mistress behind my back for a freaking _year_." With that, the woman grabbed her luggage and picked herself out of the mess, leaving behind mixed feelings in the crowd.

His eyes were fixed on Sakura as the woman with the potential to be Kisame's 'other half' knocked against her shoulder and fled the scene. She remained rooted to her spot near the stairs, her eyes staring in disbelief in a way that mirrored his.

"Sir, are you alright?" Misao's voice broke into Itachi's jumbled thoughts and emotions at seeing her for the third time.

"Urgh… Yeah, somehow… I'm sorry for the mess; I'll pay for all of it," The pitiful man groaned and attempted to stand on his own.

"Oh no, don't worry about it! I'm just glad you're not hurt," Misao answered sincerely, though secretly glad that he made the offer. "For now please use the empty room next door and recuperate…" With shaky hands, she unlocked the door and led him inside. She turned around and grimaced apologetically at Sakura.

"I'm so sorry, Miss-"

"Misao! What's the meaning of this?!" A man in his mid-thirties cried out as he peeked through the window of Sakura's room.

"Oh, Kazuki…" Misao scurried to unlock the window and helped the man in.

"I was out there connecting the last of the water pipes then suddenly BOOM! I nearly tripped…" His voice descended into a string of consoling murmurs only for Misao's ears as he rubbed curatively at her shaking shoulders.

Itachi noticed Sakura's shoulders were also trembling slightly, though for a different reason altogether. _Did she not bring a towel_? He swallowed back the urge to shelter her from the male guests' lecherous leer, regretting not leaving his towel by the riverside.

Kazuki peeled through the darkness at the aftermath and his crisis management immediately kicked into gear. He gently guided Misao over the wreckage and stood in front of the crowd.

Itachi blinked; what the hell was he thinking about again? She was _not _Mimiko, and that woman meant nothing to him, nothing…

"Looks like even the lights got a scare huh? That is why men should never anger a lady," Kazuki quipped, eliciting knowing smiles and muffled laughter from the crowd. He whispered something into Misao's ears and she scuttled down the corridor.

Seconds later the corridor lights blinked to life. Kazuki nodded as his face turned somber. He turned to face everyone and bowed all the way to his waist.

"On behalf of Himiji Hotel, I apologise for this unforeseen circumstance. As a way to atone for our bad customer service, we'll be issuing discount vouchers that you can use for this or your future stay in our hotel." At the approving nods and rising murmurs, he mentally smiled and continued, "We'll see to the cleaning up and the promised compensation by tomorrow morning, so everyone please kindly head back to your rooms and enjoy the rest of your stay."

As the crowd began to disperse on what was a satisfied ending, Itachi leaned against the wall and observed the man. He thought that he was shrewd to identity an opportunity in a crisis like this, taking the chance to advertise the hotel and entice customers to return using vouchers as the bait. Too bad for him, no amount of vouchers could tempt Itachi back to this hotel, ever.

He cocked his head to his left and it was at the same moment that Sakura turned, their gazes meeting in the throng of moving heads. Sakura's jaw fell and she immediately stormed toward him.

"What the hell are _you _doing here? Were you stalking me?" Holding back his snort, he crossed his arms and raised a brow.

"Hn, and why would I be stalking… a nameless woman like you?" He sneered as Sakura turned red from his mocking eyes travelling down her body.

"You asshole-"

"Miss Sakura, I'm so sorry! I didn't expect this to happen and now your room's busted…"

"No no, it's not your fault. I just have to move into another single room right?"

"Y-Yeah, but the only room available-"

"Misao, I can't get the emergency lights to work for the adjoining rooms, could you please inform the guests staying in rooms 208 and 209 that they may have to move-"

"Don't tell me you're staying here?" Sakura interjected Kazuki mid-sentence, pointing accusingly in Itachi's face.

"That might explain why this commotion happened; misfortune seem to follow wherever you go," Itachi dodged the question and jabbed at Sakura.

"Oh, so you two know each other?" Misao cut in, gleefully dissipating the rising tension between her two beloved guests. She turned to face Itachi, who was engaged in a staring contest with a fuming Sakura. "Sir, you're the guest in Room 209 right? I apologise for the inconvenience caused."

Itachi finally tore his eyes away from Sakura. "Don't worry about it. Which is the next available room?" At the ditto request, Misao and Kazuki's eyes met, silently communicating their options.

"Ah Sir, the thing is…" Misao started.

"All singles and family rooms are taken up…" Kazuki continued.

"And there's only one room left on the third floor." The two room-less guests directed their steely eyes onto Misao, causing her to retreat deeper into Kazuki's arms.

"I'll take that room," The duo chorused, sending murderous glares to one another.

"Miss, Sir, please don't fight…"

"Ever heard of 'ladies' first?'" Sakura taunted, jutting her chin out defiantly.

"Don't women these days preach about gender equality? Funny how they tend to forget when their interests are at stake, like now," Itachi countered with a 'go ahead and disagree' stare.

"Don't you love nature? You can go back to the river and camp and leave the room to me," Sakura backtracked and tried the 'softer' approach.

"Says the one taking a nap on the river."

"Don't act dumb you know I was unconscious-"

"Guys, as much as I hate to interrupt, but may I make a proposition?"

"What?" Sakura and Itachi barked simultaneously.

"T-The only room left is actually the executive suite, the most expensive out of the rooms. If you two are willing to compromise and share, I'll charge you both according to the single's price." There was a ringing silence as her fellow guests debated the offer.

Sakura eyed Itachi from the corner of her sight cynically. _Well, we hanged out for a while back in the forest, so I doubt he's going to do anything funny to me even if we're in the same room_…

Itachi caught her not so secretive glance and she quickly averted his eyes. They had made up their mind.

"Deal," They declared, much to Misao and Kazuki's relief.

"Okay, please pack your luggage and I'll pass you the key to Room 302 in a moment."

* * *

To their surprise, the executive suites were actually Japanese traditional rooms, as revealed when Misao slid aside the fusuma (sliding doors made up of wood and washi paper). It was just one extremely spacious room, with all functions rolled into this brown and white space.

"Quite a generous space for all kinds of activities eh- hey why did you jab me?" Kazuki complained as Misao pulled him out of the suite.

"Right, enjoy your stay. We'll see you tomorrow for breakfast, hopefully?" With that, Misao and Kazuki bowed and left the room to the odd couple.

Itachi went over to corner of the room to sit by a round wooden coffee table, taking out a stack of hardcovers. He then proceeded to read, as though nothing had changed other than the room.

_If that's how he's planning to do it, then I guess I shall play along_…

Setting her only 'luggage' by the fusuma, she wandered uncomfortably across the tatami mats, trying her best to block out the lone futon bed sitting in the centre of the room. She stopped by the sliding door at the opposite end of the room, pausing for a second before opening it.

Sakura welcomed the burst of cool and untainted air into her face, temporarily blowing off all the underlying tensions and troubles in her mind. If only life was a breeze, Sakura thought and smiled self-indulgingly over the nightscape of Waterfall.

"You may want to take off your clothes," Itachi mentioned causally, since damp clothes and wind equated cold and the last thing he wanted was to be infected by flu on his mission.

"W-What?!" She gasped and spun around. Gosh how brazen; was she mistaken about him after all?

"Unless you want to catch a cold, you better change out of your clothes." He was leaning his chin on his palm, lazily watching her getting the gist of his message.

"O-Oh, that's right. How careless of me…"

"There's a screen over there," He began as Sakura's empty mind attempted to comprehend his words, "Just in case you forgot that I'm here."

"Mock all you want. And it would take a lot more to _not _notice Your Majesty's presence." Just to humour herself, she added a mock air bow in his direction. Itachi felt his eyes twitched.

"On second thought, it doesn't even matter if you're changing behind the screen…"

"What are you say-"

"Not that there is anything to see," He concluded with a smirk and resumed reading. Stunned and speechless, she launched for her bag, slipping out the shirt he gave her earlier and darted behind the changing screen opposite him. What a jerk! She could not believe she was forced to spend nights, no minutes staying with someone this impertinent.

"You're still wearing that?" She heard him asked from the other end of the room.

"Besides the ones I just took off, I have nothing else to wear," She replied crudely, not certain why he even cared.

"I'm turning in for the night. Don't touch my things," He announced after a moment. Sakura waited for a few beats, until she was certain he had slept before coming out of her hiding spot. She was convinced that he would be sleeping on the tatami mats and giving her the futon bed but immediately stopped in her tracks.

She had underestimated this man.

"If you're expecting me to sleep on the mats, you can dream on," She declared with her arms crossed, watching him tucked comfortably at the other end of the bed.

"Then don't."

"Well, there's only one bed," She noted sarcastically while he ignored her. Just great.

_Where did all the chivalrous men in this world go_...

"It's big enough," He said softly after a while.

_Big enough? For what, for you, for the two of us? For- oh_… Sakura realised and smiled; damn him and his pride. Why not just come out of the hiding and say he did not mind sharing the bed with her?

"Geez…" Now that it was confirmed, she felt her nerves picking up and she ran hands over her hair trying to neaten it. It was absurd and pointless; it was not like he was going to notice that a strand was out of place or even be looking at her sleeping.

Out of habit, she went around the house to double-check that all doors were safely locked, then once more just for the peace of mind before releasing a low breath. She found the light switch and nervously flicked it off. It was time for bed.

"Excuse me for intruding…" With as little disturbance as possible, she lifted the soft cotton quilt and crawled beneath the security of the blanket. They were sharing the same blanket! Forcing her heartbeat to get a grip, she pulled it over her head and shut her eyes.

She was perfectly safe in this double-locked room, lying on the smoothest bed imaginable (anything would have been more comfortable compared to a tree trunk) in an air-conditioned space. So why was her heart still beating so fast and her mind all over the place?

"Have you found back your identity?" He suddenly asked less than a few inches away from her stiff body. She was not about to admit that she had not exactly been diligently going about doing that, risking to sour her image even further.

"No, but it seems that I'm not from this village, seeing that nobody recognises me."

"Is that so, Miss Sakura." She felt herself swallowing uneasily at the provocative way he enunciated her makeshift moniker.

"That's what I'll be calling myself for the time being." _Or forever, depending on what the future lies for me_.

"Your hair…" She inched her head slightly towards his direction to catch his words. "It matches your hair." Maybe he did notice her hair. Surprised, she smiled and touched the split ends of her pink locks, immediately developing a love for the colour.

The mention of hair reminded her of the photograph she looted from the charred piles, renewing her interest towards the beautiful lady. She thought of asking him then, but given the extensive knowledge she had gathered about him thus far, probably not a good idea.

"Good night," She whispered instead, even though she knew it would be another case for her. Despite being bestowed with amnesia, there was still enough going on to drive her over the wall, and she wondered if getting back her memories would only made things worse.

_Would remembering make a difference? What if I was a wanted ninja with no place to call home_?

Her life was sad, really. Losing her memory, her room and winded up having to sharing bed for the first time with some dude she met in the forest, without even knowing his bloody na…

"Itachi…" Her eyes flashed opened at the sonorous sound of his voice. "My name is Uchiha Itachi, just in case you are curious," He added with a knowing smile, as though reading her mind. _That jerk_… Just to spite him, she wrenched the blanket out of reach.

"About darn time you tell me." She hugged the blanket tightly, burying her face to hide her growing smile. Maybe sharing bed was not such a bad thing after all. For a minute, there was only the faint cricking of the cicadas and the dull humming of the air-conditioner.

"Are you going to give it back, or do I have to go over there and take it?"

* * *

**Lucky Sakura; heroine always gets the luck we're desperately lacking in real life. Well hope you enjoyed this short chapter ^.^**


	5. Unreciprocated Love

**Chapter 5 – Unreciprocated Love**

The five kunoichi waited restlessly on the training ground for their Leader's return.

While Hijimoto continued to chatter on endlessly, Lia was absent-mindedly nodding her head and observing their teammates. The girl who set the bomb was deep in conversation with another ponytail kunochi who questioned her identity earlier. They appeared to be in-charge of the frontlines, taking all the hits and initiating attacks.

"I thought I was about to lose you, you know, when I could not find you after the smoke dissipated…"

"Y-Yeah, the blonde suddenly grabbed me from behind and we've had a bit of struggle." Lia's eyes brushed past the brunette with the mask reading on the tree branch above them, before feeling another pair of eyes watching her. It was the feisty girl who had questioned her identity earlier.

"Why's she looking at me like that?"

"What, oh don't mind Shin. She has the habit of trying too hard with the 'reading underneath the underneath' thing, you know? Like sometimes, things are just as it looks!" While Hijimoto easily shook off Shin's glare, Lia knew she needed to be extra cautious when she was around her.

"Oh great, Leader's back; guys!"

Everyone spontaneously formed a line as she approached from the building beyond the gate.

"After discussing with the president, it's decided that we'll take over the follow-up investigations since we know how our opponents look like." This was more or less expected and everyone nodded.

"Shin and I will head back to the forest and scout for clues, while Mizuki, Yaachi and Lia will stay here and patrol the village. Hijimoto will keep an eye on the captured enemy. Any questions?"

"No, Leader!"

"A-Actually, can I switch place with Hijimoto instead? I'm still not quite recovered and afraid I'm only going to impede the mission," Lia requested apologetically, but her underlying firmness was unmistakable.

"Is that alright with you, Hijimoto?"

"Absolutely, Leader. In fact I was just about to request that myself," She answered and sent a BFF wink to Lia after the Leader looked away.

"Alright, Lia take the enemy to the underground prison cell B201, a guard should be expecting you. Mizuki will be the acting squad leader and you'll report back to me at the end of everyday till the end of investigation. Everyone, dismissed!"

* * *

"_Stop hiding, you know that I know you're there."_

"_Mou, always so cold, but that's what I like about you," Mimiko pouted her lips as she hopped down from her 'hiding spot' and embraced Itachi from behind._

"_So free with your words," He shook his head but allowed a smile to slip. He did not expect her to be back so soon; he was really regretting for forgoing with that shower earlier._

"_Say all you want, but I know you like it."_

"_Are girls always so presumptuous?"_

"_Maaaaybe, and gawd you smell soooo good. No wonder even guys fall for you!"_

"… _Is that supposed to make me feel good?" Itachi whispered before twisting around and capturing her soft lips with his own_.

* * *

He felt like he had fallen into a voluntary illusion created by himself.

Instead of pushing her head away from his chest like what he knew he should do, he remained motionless as he stared vacantly towards the ceiling.

It felt so nostalgic, so similar, this tiny weight resting on him while he watched on and wishing for this moment to never end.

This was the first he came close to understanding why his victims struggled to break free of his genjutsu. It was not because his spell was strong, at least not entirely. They were usually either mirage that felt like reality, or overwhelming fear that made you unable to see past the illusion.

For him, it was a little of both. While laying like this it was easy to believe Mimiko was here with him, but at the same time, there was the fear of falling into a reality of denial, that if he allowed this to go on, he would be eternally trapped by his love for her.

"_Even the trick gets tricked once in a while; I won't be surprised that that day is coming closer, Mr. Sharingan," Mimiko had told him one day when he thought she had cut her hair with her new hairstyle._

"_You seemed very proud of yourself," He commented amusedly as she pulled out a bunch of bobby pins to reveal her same old shoulder length hair. He was actually secretly glad she had left her hair as it was – he loved it when the wind caught on and it would flutter behind her head, like the soothing waves of the ocean._

"_Darn right I am; you're the frigging God of Genjutsu but you just got tricked by my hair!" As the words left her mouth, her eyes widened in realisation and she merrily clapped her hands together._

"_So I guess that makes me your God!" She threw back her head and laughed heartily. He smiled and watched on fondly, until his girlfriend was suddenly heading his way and began to attack his hair with those misleading pins._

.

.

Carefully pushing her head back onto her pillow, he climbed out of the warm cotton cocoon and got ready.

_I should get some sake tonight to drown out these unnecessary thoughts_.

After yesterday night's fiasco, Itachi would not dream of having any more expectations for this place. With the enthusiasm of a criminal turning himself in, he entered the restaurant and joined the breakfast buffet queue.

There was a generous selection of seafood, something that would be sure to excite his partner on the other side of the village. He could only hope that Kisame would gather valuable intel of their target soon to get them out of here.

Not long after he had settled down, Himiji Misao magically materialised next to his table with a sheepish smile. At least she was showing signs of repentance.

"G-Good morning Uchiha-san. I hope the suite is to your liking. I'm so sorry you have to share the room with someone else." Itachi took a sip of his green tea and slipped her a glance; he could either make things difficult for her by remaining silent, or subject her to one of his genjutsu and make her an underling as a repayment (now Kakuzu would not be too happy having his daughter manipulated by an Akatsuki member, would he?).

"Don't worry about it," He replied coolly, though anyone who heard it were likely to interpret his words as a sign of displeasure. Misao discreetly cleared her throat to dismiss the air of discomfort.

"I-I hope the food is to your liking… Then I shall not intrude further. Have a good day ahead, Uchiha-san!" She fled just as swiftly as she appeared.

_Hn, I'll let you off on the account of the decent food_.

Striding past Misao by the counter without sparing a glance, he continued to gather intel of the Waterfall Village.

* * *

The first thing that Sakura noticed was that she was alone in the hotel room. Pushing away the fluffy blanket and the inexplicable disappointment in her chest, she took a moment just to daydream.

Unable to control her thoughts, she smiled at last night's memory, bright and shimmering like the morning ray through the window. She was finally able to break down a piece of his sturdy wall.

Even though it was just his name, it felt like a huge deal for her, even more than sharing the same bed. And surprise-surprise, she had never heard of that name before.

"Uchiha…huh? It sounds like he's from some prestigious family…" She whispered while running her fingers across the empty spot next to her.

She took a peek at the table holding his books. Seeing that his stuffs were intact, it meant that she had cleared the first night with him. So she was right about being extra cautious of her sleeping etiquette – refraining from unneeded bodily movement and contact.

God knows how he would react should she use him as a human pillow or worse, a bolster.

Shaking away her irrational thoughts and apprehension, she got up and prepared for the official hunt of her identity.

She padded down the stairs, stationed herself by the screen and snuck a look into the restaurant. It was well late into the mornings, and the place was mostly empty. More importantly, Uchiha Itachi was nowhere in sight. Sakura sighed in relief; she had never shared a bed with anyone of the opposite sex before, and was unsure of how to react when she saw him again.

Then again, this was unlikely to be his first, so she should probably take cues from him when he returned at the end of the day to their room.

She was uncertain why, but the thought of him sleeping around with other women seemed to put a damper on her mood. And the thing with thoughts was one would lead to another, and she wondered how many women had had the privilege to be pleased by his large hands-

"Good morning Miss Sakura! I'm afraid you missed Uchiha-san; he left not long ago," Misao greeted behind a startled Sakura.

"Oh! Good morning Misao-chan! And I-I wasn't looking for him or anything…" She mumbled doubtfully to herself as she stepped into the dainty space of Japanese fine dining. The buffet trays were neatly lined along the wooden walls and she half-heartedly took a little of everything before settling into the nearest chair.

"Have you eaten, Misao-chan?"

"Oh, yes I have. Can I ask you something, Miss Sakura?"

"Mhmm?"

"Sorry that this sounds intrusive, but how do you come to know Uchiha-san?" Sakura's spoon paused mid-way to her mouth, and quickly decided that the less she knew the better.

"We were…Acquaintance by chance. I was in a little of a pinch and he helped me, that's all."

"I see. Honestly I was a little afraid when I first saw him; his eyes were…so cold. And that ominous attire… Miss Sakura, you need to be careful; a woman can't be too careful," Misao commented with a gentle grin.

"Yes I will, thank you Misao-chan," She answered with a quizzical smile, puzzled by her sudden advice.

* * *

A throughout probing of the village revealed some intriguing details about their ruling structure. While the village had no Kage, they have a Country Leader and together with the Village Leader and its council, formed the republic government.

It was agreed that ninjas were responsible over their own livelihood and under the Village Leader's jurisdiction, he granted a 'free ninja' policy – after passing the basic law test and attaining license from the Country Leader, a qualified ninja (with at least a Chuunin rank) could set up his own ninja firm and began to hire ninjas. From there they were free to accept all sorts of clients under their own discretion. They were however, subjected to a yearly tax based on their average income as a contribution to the village.

Itachi thought he could try his luck in one of these places; preferably a shady looking firm that could reveal more than a little of the village's dirt.

"Just to be clear, we only accept full payment in cash, while the guarantee of job fulfilment requires additional charges," A languorous gruff voice declared behind the counter as Itachi entered through the threshold. It came from a man slouching on a wooden armchair with his legs propped on the counter.

His eyes were shut as he exhaled a long puff of smoke, completely at ease while deceptively in control. Itachi resisted the urge to fan off the rolling cigar smoke while he arranged his best disinterested face when fishing for information. A desperate man was more liable to get ripped off and killed; that was what he had learnt since joining the Akatsuki.

Behind the man were two brawny men partially shrouded in the shadow, presumably his bodyguards? Their hands were resting on the grip of the pistols, standing within range and ready to take him down should he consider anything 'funny.'

_Guess this place shall work_, he thought. And if things were to turn nasty, those stationed guards would only be as annoying as Orochimaru's relentless desire over his body. In fact the thought of Sasuke spending 24/7 with sneaky snake was infinitely scarier to being outnumbered in enemy grounds.

He sincerely feared for his naive brother.

"I'm looking for somebody from this village," He started in his usual detached tone.

The only indication that the man had heard him was a slight upturned cock of his stubby chin, nudging him to continue.

He retrieved a small photograph from the depth of his cloak and slid it across the dusty table, along with a stack of notes. The boss reluctantly peeled opened an eye before prompting his henchmen to speak on his behalf.

"She's been M.I.A. for some time now, but definitely not dead," Supplied the right one with the beady eyes.

"We've found some of her tracks in the nearby forest, but never da Jinchuuriki," His identical counterpart sporting a pair of shades answered.

"Shouldn't your Country Leader be more aware of his own Jinchuuriki?" Itachi spoke in his most objective tone, while growing inwardly concerned with the government's competency.

"You've never met Fuu; she's unstoppable. Even when our boss tried to plead for her to come back- I mean it's simply no use," Beady corrected in the nick of time just as Boss tilted his head by an inch.

"'Fraid ya on ya own here." The twin shrugged apathetically as he swiped in Itachi's cash.

"You can try looking up her older sister, though that bitch's as hard to catch as that seven tails brat. She's currently running a brothel west of the village; one of the busiest," The Boss suddenly remarked, crushing the half-smoked cigar as he dumped a photograph on the table.

"Boss's right; they have some of the best tits- I mean services, if you ever feel the need to unwind."

"Even though she's the boss, rumour has it that she provides 'special services' for some customers, if you know what I mean," Shades said suggestively. Beady eyed Itachi up and down and nodded appreciatively.

"You're one fine lad, I'm sure if you personally request-"

"That's enough." At the Boss's deep and commanding tone, the duo settled back into their positions without another word. "Anything else?"

Judging by how readily the Boss had volunteered this information, it could only mean two things – one he was at loggerheads with Yuu and two he was hoping Itachi could take care of her without effort on his part. They were merely using one another, but were that not how this world worked?

Itachi pocketed the photograph of Yuu and was about to walk off when he thought of something else. He reached into his pants for a couple of loose notes and smacked them onto the table.

"One more question – do you know of a kunoichi with short pink hair and a foul temper?"

* * *

_Okay, I was sure that was the same oji-san who waved to me ten minutes ago_…

Sakura was feeling particularly confident of her sense of direction today, and had accidentally ventured further than planned in her renewed enthusiasm to finding herself. In her burst of resoluteness, she had lost track of the last landmark and in the sea of identical architecture, it was as good as the blind leading the blind.

Sakura waved meekly to the overly jovial uncle before darting around the next turn, determined not to act the role of the lost tourist.

As she brisk past another foreign yet identical street, she stopped to mentally paint the route she had taken from the hotel to the point where she felt someone watching her-

She was immediately engulfed in a whirlpool of floral perfume and could feel her consciousness slipping as a slender palm clapped over her nose, robbing her of her air supply.

Instinctively, she launched a desperate back kick, feeling it connecting with hard muscles. It must have worked, because her captor's hold slackened. Using the opportunity, she dove under the arm and leapt onto the nearest rooftop, nearly tripping on a loose tile. Without looking back, she bolted.

"After her!"

She only managed to out-run her predators for ten seconds before she felt a powerful kick to her middle back, sending her flying forward and tumbling down the roof.

Ignoring the flurry of pain travelling up her arms, she landed and rolled into a squatting position, coming face to face with her enemies for the first time.

Three women with half their faces concealed behind a mask were steadily closing in, their sharpened kunai clutched charily by the chest.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" Sakura shouted, though what she really was interested to know was if they knew her name, something along the lines of "Who the hell am I? At least answer that before killing me!"

"I can't believe she's still alive," A woman with turquoise mask and black ponytail blurted as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Don't lose heart; she must have taken considerable damage from that close range. What's more she's outnumbered," Another girl with braids assured behind her fulvous mask.

_Shit, what now_?

"Quick get her before innocent civilians get involved." Under the authoritative tone of the third woman in purple mask, they charged forth and were quickly engaged in a delicate match of close-range combat.

"At least tell me _why_ I'm being attacked, damn it!" In an act of frustration, Sakura slammed her fist onto the ground in front of her, causing a fissure that rapidly separated the concrete ground into two.

Astounded, the unidentified ninjas hopped onto the dividing walls, barely escaping the artificial earthquake.

"Proceed to Plan B!"

"Yes!" The trio reached behind and the next second a spate of kunais went soaring through the air, hitting the empty spot where Sakura was.

Using the electric pole as a temporary shelter, Sakura panted and squeezed her eyes shut. She clasped her head in agony, afflicted by the untimely arrival of incessant pounding in the left temple.

_Argh, someone save me from this living nightmare_!

Her eyes split apart as the three ninjas entered her peripheral vision, but even staying alert was proving to be too much of a task. Hearing the familiar whooshing sound of kunai, she did a backward jump to avoid the hit.

However, they were all tagged with explosives.

_Shit_!

Noticing a second too late, Sakura miscalculated her landing distance and was inevitably caught in the eruption, the impact knocking the wind out of her and she crashed painfully onto the ground.

Before she could get up, her hands were twisted roughly behind her, followed by a strike to her neck. The blow did not knock her unconscious, but was hard enough to render her powerless to retaliate.

"Mission accomplished."

"I can't believe someone of this calibre escaped my trap…" The ponytail ninja groaned as she easily hurled Sakura over her shoulder.

"Suck it up, Yacchi. Didn't you see that crack just now? I would be a goner if Mizuki didn't pull me up in time!"

"Wh…Who are you…?" Sakura uttered in ragged breaths, the earlier thump below her pounding head clearly not favourable to her situation.

When her captor suddenly stopped in her tracks, she thought she was finally getting the much-anticipated response. However, the next moment the enemy's body slackened and Sakura went flopping down the ground on top of her without warning.

From her limited view, she could see that the two other enemies were lying slumped a few feet away, though they did not seem to have suffered any physical blow. In her hazy state, she could make out a pair of sandals scrapping against the serrated floor, steadily approaching her.

_Is that_…?

"What a troublemaker."

* * *

Sakura could not make herself to open her eyes, at least not yet.

"Did you carry me all the way here?" She knew the answer alright; this was just her trying to be optimistic and hoping that her amnesia had worsen-

"Was there a chance you might have walked back yourself?" There was a soft rustle of a flipping page, followed by reddening cheeks. He did not have to be so blunt about it…

"Asshole," She murmured under her breath as she lifted her arms to shield her eyes in indignant and embarrassment.

"A heartfelt thank you would have been more appropriate in this situation." _Yikes_, he heard her.

"… What were you doing all the way at the end of the village?" She was fairly certain that she had dawdled to the far west of the place. Also, her pride did not allow her to succumb to the fate of being the weak heroine that needed rescuing twenty-four seven. She needed to polish up her skills soon.

"What about you, getting into cat fights late in the afternoon?" _And losing horribly, way to go assassin_, she thought grudgingly as she rolled over to face her roommate seated by the round table, now perusing through rolls of scrolls.

"I don't know! They just attacked out of nowhere! I-I was moving around the streets looking for c-clues…" He lowered the blue scroll in his hands to give her a stare equivalent of a disbelief smack to the forehead.

"Is that what you've been doing? Going around and _causally_ asking if anyone knows you?" What was with his judgmental tone? Sakura got up and openly glared at her _urgh_, saviour for the umpteenth time.

"What, you've got a problem with that?"

"Doesn't sound very efficient to me," He concluded like she was a loss cause as a ninja.

"Well Uchiha-_sensei_, do you have a better idea?" So he might be a few years ahead of her, a few decades stronger than her but _at least_ she was working around her problem by herself.

"Those kunoichi didn't just attack you randomly, did they? You could start by finding out who they are."

"Hey that sounds like it might work…" Sakura pursed her lips contemplatively as she racked her limitless mind for potential enemies.

"Silly woman." Why did she not approach him for help sooner? Now he was worried to even leave the clueless woman by herself. Who knew when she might just bumped into Kisame and happily introduced herself as Itachi's _new friend_?

"But things happened so fast that I couldn't get a good look at them…" All she could remember were their impressive collection of silky scarves shielding their faces.

"A tattoo…" Sakura's head flicked up in surprise.

"They all bear a pink flower tattoo on a part of their body; they're likely to be from an organization…"Itachi trailed off as he thought about his own organisation, what with Pein's fascination to red clouds and nail polishes. _Urgh_.

"An organisation? An organisation that targets people with amnesia- I'm just joking, moooou, so serious," She declared and bit back a smile at his incredulous expression.

He finished rolling up the last of the scrolls and picked himself off the tatami mats.

"I'm not your walking answer sheet; so stop firing questions at me like I'm really your sensei."

It then occurred to Sakura that for the past fifteen minutes he had been willing engaged in a dialogue with her, offering constructive advices without expecting anything in return. In fact never once did he demand any form of repayment, despite her greatly delaying his schedule and bringing him nothing but trouble.

"I-I'm sorry Itachi…" His hands hovered over the scrolls as he stole a glimpse in her direction. It was the first time she had called him by his name. He quickly resumed packing his valuables, deciding not to comment on her lack of honorific.

After a few moments of charged silence, she spoke up.

"So what did you do to those girls?"

"Do you really wish to know?" He cocked his head and smirked conceitedly.

"What's with that smirk?"

"There's still something you owe me." Damn he really had a good memory. Still if he was expecting a _thank you Sire_, it was definitely not going to happen.

"How's that possible? I remember clearing everything the moment I agreed to share a room with you." Suddenly he was in front of her. He slammed his palm on the futon bed, bending forward to meet her challenging stare.

"_You_ agree, huh? You really are a clueless woman, aren't you?"

"S-So are you gonna tell me what you did or not?" She tilted her chin up, pointing her dewy lips obstinately at him. He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her down the bed, planting both of his hands by her face. He was hovering directly above her, and for an insane second he was not sure what he was going to do to her.

"Aren't you a demanding one?"

"Why are you moving so close…?" She buried deeper into her pillow but refused to let him intimidate her.

"…Just so you know, I made them forget that they saw you and induced them into a deep slumber."

"Serious? You can do that?" He even thought as far as to erase their memories?

"Satisfied now?"

"Y-You could have said so from the beginning…" She muttered, swallowing uncertainly at his intense gaze. She had no idea a guy's body was so much muscular and bigger; he could easily cover her entire frame if he were to let go.

"…And?" _And thank you for doing that for me_.

"…And now I'm hungry… Pffff!" She tore away the pillow choking her face and glared at his retreating back.

"You're a lost cause," He said and single-handedly caught the pillow Sakura chucked towards him.

"Can you get me another serving of whatever you're eating," She implored just as he was about to exit the room, "Please?" He tossed back the pillow in response to a pouting damsel.

"Don't make me regret saving you more than I already did, Sakura."

* * *

Sakura gripped the invitation card between her fingers and stared hard at the palatial mansion worthy for the Queen. It occupied the space of at least two football courts, excluding the gardens and private amenities beyond the wrought iron gates. It made her felt like she had been living in a hole in comparison.

Enveloping the estate were orchards of cercis – two-storey high trees flourishing with fuchsia pink flowers that made the landscape seemed surreal, like that of a picturesque painting. From far they might even be mistaken as cherry blossoms, but Sakura knew better. After an extensive research at the local horticulture centre and long hours of chitchatting with the zealous horticulturist, she found the flower that matched Itachi's description of the enemy's tattoos.

Shortly after, she headed over to where these particular species of trees thrived in the Waterfall Village.

Coincidentally, it was also the location of the upcoming party that she was 'invited' to, where she would then fulfill her mission to assassinate the owner of the mansion, a.k.a. the host of the party. Hopefully by then, she would have recovered her memory and met up with her teammates. She prayed hard that they were alive and vigilantly searching for her somewhere.

_This was it_, she surmised. The enemies after her must be the same people who injured and cost her memory back in the forest. They knew she was after the owner, and were likely to be dispatched by the very same to rid of any unwanted threats.

Holy Moly, then it probably would not be safe for her to loiter around and play the curious tourist any longer! As the very thought crossed her mind, another masked woman exited the main building.

Before she was spotted, Sakura fled the scene in a puff of smoke.

* * *

"Hey! I can't believe that guy just ignored me!"

"Chill gal, at least he's young, and hot. The only thing more shameful to being rejected by a man is to be rejected by a man twice your age…" The sleazy atmosphere and the neon lit streets were causing headaches for Itachi; if it was not for work, he would be dead before he let Kisame knew he was here. That man would never let him hear the end of it.

He was taking a stroll down the Red Light District of Waterfall; though 'promenade' was more like it, based on the amount of stares he was getting.

It was times like this that he was grateful for the bulky cloak. As conspicuous as it could appear, it also devoured the wearer's identity almost as effortlessly as the darkening sky. More importantly, it put him at ease. The last thing he needed was more attention and that was what sauntering along this street was all about – getting picked up by underdressed ladies or being discussed behind your back.

Needless to say, he was also picking up a fair share of challenging glares from customers for stealing the ladies' attention. Heck, he was probably the youngest man hanging out along this street, and the most sober.

If Kisame were here, he would probably start lecturing on Itachi's lack of lust and importance of embracing the spirit of casual sex-

"Oh! I'm so sorry… May I be of your assistance…Mister?" Itachi dropped his gaze to a twenty something petite brunette with her breasts threatening to spill out in an extra small and extra tight body-con. Did she just 'accidentally' bump into him just to chat him up?

Just as he was about to declare, "Give me a break," she held onto one side of his cheeks and whispered provocatively into his ear, "We're the best around here."

What were the chances that it was Lady Luck who just bumped into him?

Knowing that she had gotten his attention, she immediately got to work and took the liberty to lean in closer and lower towards her potential customer.

"Ho? What makes you think that?" Itachi asked in a slightly gruff voice.

Smiling wickedly, she extended a lustrous red painted index finger and dragged it seductively down his chest and replied, "You'll see."

Itachi knew sacrifices had to be made when working in the ninja industry, but having his personal boundary violated was something he was finding a hard time getting accustomed to.

"Well?" Given her brazen attitude and modelesque physique, she was either right about her earlier claim and he was either heading to the right place, or he just found himself a desperate sexpot.

Before her finger could travel future South, he grabbed her hand and leaned into her ears.

"Lead the way." He decided to go with his instincts. She grinned triumphantly and escorted him to 'the best around here.'

The shop was situated at the furthest end of the street and brimming with eager customers by the road. It was also by far the busiest among the dozens he walked passed; this had to be Yuu's brothel.

There were two scantily clad ladies acting as bouncers by the entrance. They were expertly flirting to pacify the men while controlling the traffic flow into the place.

"Wait here, I'll get us a room," Itachi's new candy announced and left with a heavily mascara-ed wink.

She made a hush exchange with the bouncers before beckoning him to enter after her.

Beyond the Japanese screens was a narrow corridor barely lit with magenta lighting and after nearly knocking over two antique vases, the prostitute did Itachi a favour by leading him by his hand. That was of course, to Itachi's reluctance.

"The reason we're so popular with customers is because we have theme rooms that cater to every possible fetishes. It also comes with matching costumes for the ladies," She explained in a business-like manner as she led him to the lobby counter. "And naturally we're good with our hands too, just in case you're wondering."

The only thing 'good' about the entire situation was the possibility of getting some worthy information from this woman and leaving as soon as he could.

"So, what type of room do you want? Our top themes are Alice in Wonderland, After School Classroom, The Forbidden Sickbay-"

"The smallest room."

"…The Leather Affair- oh so that's how you like it huh; aren't you a dirty dirty boy…" She lightly brushed her finger beneath his chin before she snapped the catalogue shut. He felt that explaining that the smallest room was most likely the cheapest was redundant and kept silent.

"Alright, wait for me in that room then," She pointed to the left door towards the end of the corridor, excusing herself to the washroom.

It led him into a mock police interrogation room, illuminated by a faint yellow glow of the light bulb above. Inside the eight by eight meters confinement was a metal table, two pink cushioned chairs and a huge mirror on the left wall. There were also handcuffs screwed along the concrete walls for…whatever reasons they could be there for.

The sound of the door knocking twice, and the woman reappeared. Freshly changed into her skimpy police uniform, she sashayed in and lazily looped her arms around Itachi's neck.

"Do you prefer lying or standing?"

"Standing."

"Are you going to make the first move or shall I get you warmed up…?"

"Do whatever you want."

"… Aren't you an easy-going fella," She pouted before gently guiding him towards the wall next to the door. "But I can guarantee you won't be so calm for long." Closing her eyes, she tiptoed and kissed him.

He remained frozen but closed his eyes to block out the ugly reflection of his infidelity to Mimiko. All that it reflected was a discarded, broken man picked up by a lonely, wanton woman.

Before she could reach within him, he forcefully pulled her apart and fixed his gaze into her enlarged midnight blue orbs.

"Why not we play a game?" His voice was enigmatic, soft, almost bordering on flirtatious.

"That's more like it, pretty boy." The woman was all game.

"I'll ask you questions, and you answer them without questions asked." She cocked an eyebrow, waiting patiently for the 'incentives' of the deal.

"Go on."

"In return you can do the same, while doing whatever you want," He concurred without breaking their eye contact once. For a second she was dumbfounded.

"N-Never in my experience has anyone requested me to talk while…"

"First question," He began assertively while wrapping his arms around her slender waist, "Is the boss in?" She swallowed, surprised by how conscious she was of his grip despite the irony of having countless men embraced her before.

"N-No… She's hasn't been in these few days- Ooooh…" She shivered in titillation as he brought his face to her neck and dragged his tongue across her racing pulse. Just as she tilted her head back yearning for more, his hot tongue left her and she released an involuntary groan.

"Your turn," He whispered roughly before leaning back against the wall. She had not counted on him to keep his word on their deal, and the gesture made her smile.

"Alright then…Well... Do you have someone you love? Someone you're willing to throw your life away for?" She asked as she slipped the heavy cloak off his shoulders, letting it fell and collapsed by his feet.

The first image that jumped into his mind was Sasuke, and even then Mimiko was lurking in the shadows. That was when he realised he would have put his life on the line if it meant he had a shot with her again. She was more than just a passing fleet of romance.

She was…someone important to him.

"Yes, I do." Pulling the shirt over his head, she found his eyes that were laden with emotions and untold woes. _If that is so, why are you here_? "Your turn."

"Second question – where can I find your boss?" His hands reached behind her head and with one soft tug, her creamy brown tresses went tumbling down, spilling over her shoulders. Somehow, that action made her breath catch; it did not even matter that she had spent a long time taming and piling her hair into the perfect bun. She wanted him to do it again, and again.

"You can't, not unless she finds you first – n-not there please…" He had one hand brushing up along her inner thigh, dangerously approaching to her erogenous zone. "I really can't tell you anymore, I'm not allowed to betray women precious to – me!" Itachi's finger made the first contact.

_I may have to push her harder than I anticipated_.

"What do you mean by 'betray?'"

"I-Isn't it my t-turn now?"

"You didn't answer my previous question, so that's a forfeit… And this," Another tug, and her panties slipped and joined the fallen cloak. She felt her knees growing weak.

"All the women here, including her underlings have sworn allegiance to protect and never to betray one another for men," She managed out, eyeing his growing bulge, "And you unfortunately, is a man," She concluded slyly with a slow brush across his groin.

_Underlings? Allegiance? Then this brothel might not be as simple as it seems_.

He felt her running her cool palms over his chest before she wrapped herself against his slow and steady heartbeat.

"It's my turn boy. Will you continue to love someone, even knowing it's a painful love that'll never be reciprocated?" He once again replaced his hands around where he knew it gave her comfort. She tightened her hold around him as his warm arms made contact with the band of exposed waist.

"Unfortunately, it seems the case." He was assaulted by a mix of emotions – anger of his foolishness, sorrow of a lost love, confusion over her infidelity and a stubborn faith that things would return to the way it was.

Even then, were things ever right for him?

"This will be my last question." Itachi forced himself to stare into the reflection of his other self as he completed his sentence, "Is Yuu the person whom you love so deeply?"

He needed no answers; the drop after drop of water rolling down his chest was all the response he sought.

After a few calming minutes, she raised her head and gazed hazily into his stoic crimson eyes. _He's so beautiful; if only he's a she then maybe he could be one of us_…

"My last question… How then do you deal with this love?" She queried weakly behind her blurry vision. Itachi leaned into her ears and whispered. He was secretly envious of her ability to be so vulnerable, to lower her defense and expose her heart for the world to see. More importantly, to admit you were powerless, no matter how strong you thought you were.

He caught her body before she could slip down and carefully leaned her back against the wall on the floor, exiting the room as silently as he had first entered.

It was a bittersweet illusion that had him questioning just how much of it were in fact, just a make-believe.

_How then do you deal with this love?_

_I'm afraid I do not have the answer to that either_.

* * *

**Initially I planned to just have Itachi enter the brothel, ask the necessary questions and leave. Then I thought, I can't allow a man to just enter a sex centre and not let him do **_**something**_**... But poor Itachi did not seem to be enjoying himself (or is he?)**

**Can anyone guess what's going to happen next? I look forward to hearing your ****response.**


	6. Sakura's Target Is!

**Thank you LuvableShannon (xoxo) &amp; Yun for your lovely reviews!**

**Always appreciate that burst of motivation~**

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Sakura's Target Is…?!**

Sakura's eyes snapped apart at the sound of the sliding door – he was back.

"Hey," She greeted uncertainly, because it felt weird to ignore someone you were sharing a bed with.

"Hn." _Hn? What does that even mean? Hey I'm back? Or, you're noisy don't talk to me_?

He absent-mindedly shrugged off his cloak, draping it over the armchair like every night. Except, something felt off about tonight.

"I'm going to take a shower." Grabbing a fresh set of garments he set for the bathroom tucked away next door.

"O-Okay…" Was it just her or was he behaving a little bit more civil tonight?

Sakura released the tension on her back from its upright position and a released long low breath. She had been meditating – correction, trying to meditate for the past hour, to nobody's success. There was just too much running through her head to simply 'empty and forget.'

Plus with his return, any chances of finding her inner peace were dashed and squashed. It was an irony that for such a reserved person, he was able to draw so much attention just by being _there_.

It was still too early to turn in for the night and she needed entertainment, quick. Her eyes roved and settled on the stack of books and mountain of scrolls on the round table – 'his table.' _No, he made it clear not to touch his things on the first day, so there is no way I'm going to break his one and only house rule now_...

However, he did not say she could not _look around…_

Leaping onto her feet, she grabbed a ceramic cup and filled it with green tea before tiptoeing towards the sacred corner. At least then she had an excuse to be hanging by the- _his_ table, right?

Something stopped her arm in mid-stretched as her eyes diverted to the cloak lying idly next to her. Did the outerwear used to smell that sweet? Lifting it by the kimono style sleeve, she took a surreptitious sniff and her eyes grew wide.

_This suffocating scent of cigarette and perfume… Oh God did he just returned from_-

"Er-hem." Sakura jolted and spun around. He was leaning with his arms crossed by the bathroom door, eyes listlessly fixed on her. "Where did the body shampoo go to?" Forcing her eyes not to fall any further below his chin, she gulped and casually released the sleeve.

"A guest next door said theirs ran out and wanted to borrow ours…"

"Why didn't they ask for room service?" He sounded angry, or at least annoyed, which again was really weird. For the first time, he was expressing emotions like a normal human being.

"They called but there was a shampoo shortage epidemic and the new shipment would only arrive tomorrow morning…" His eyes twitched just that bit but Sakura swore he looked ready to set the hotel on fire.

"You're kidding me. And they call themselves a 'hotel…'" Shaking his head, he twisted around and disappeared behind the door, much to Sakura's relief. Now that she thought about it, this was truly some terrible service, for guests having resorted to loaning basic necessities from another guest. Also, the way he got so irked was kind of hilarious. It was really a relief to know that guy was capable of emotions besides sulking.

"I'll just go and get it back…"

"Don't bother, I'm already done." By 'done,' he really meant done rinsing, while he seemed to forget an important step in his post-shower routine.

"T-Tell me when you're done," Sakura grunted behind her blushing cheeks, her face turned away from his emerging form.

"Done with what?" There was the sound of door sliding closed, followed by a loud flapping of cloth. Did he really not see her as a woman, or did he just could not be bothered by it?

"Appearing decent?" _Like duh_!

"And which part of me isn't decent?" His voice came a little louder, with a hint of challenge.

"Didn't I already say- in-in-in the name of Kage would you _please_ put on some c-clothes?" It was truly a nosebleed situation, with him standing half-naked a few feet in front and staring down harmlessly at her. _Damn him and his body parades_!

"I would, but I accidentally dropped my shirt on the shower floor," He explained as a matter-of-factly, pointing to his soaked top airing by the balcony. _Great Uchiha Itachi, _accidentally _dropping his clothes? Don't make me laugh_!

"And wearing a bathrobe is too much a hassle?" Sakura gritted her teeth as he turned away while flexing his arms and shoulders. He was staring distractedly at his cloak.

"Didn't I tell you not to touch my things?" He fired back instead. _Yikes_, so he did see her...

"I-I'm sorry, there was just this sweet smell coming from your cloak…" At the mention of smell, his expressions momentarily darkened and he began taking one, two steps towards her.

"I already said I'm sorry…" He was now within her personal boundary space, leaning forward towards her face. Just when he was closed enough to touch her lips, she squeezed her eyes shut.

"I'll take this as your apology." Cautiously opening an eye, she saw him taking a sip at a cup of steaming hot tea, _her _tea.

"Hey! Make your own…" Taking the seat opposite her on the tatami mat, he set _her _tea down and began browsing through his literature collection. Biting her lips to hide her smile, she gazed in awe at the man across the table. She was expecting him to personally deliver her to hell for violating his privacy (albeit it was just sniffing around his cloak's _sleeve_), but he was acting surprisingly cool about it. Maybe he was beginning to accept her as a roommate.

More importantly, he was beginning to make her feel at ease with each passing day.

Reaching into her back pouch, her hand gently brushed the invitation card. Making up her mind, she grasped the hard stock's edge and pulled it out.

"Hey…" He did not stop his reading or look up but neither did he stop her. She had learnt that was just his way of saying 'go on,' so she did. "I think I figured out who are those ninjas who attacked me…"

"I see." _That's it_? Now, it would be weird if he were to suddenly get all gooey eyes and hurried her to continue right? At least that was what Sakura was telling herself instead of interpreting his response as, "I'm not really interested."

"… And guess what? The person I was ordered to assassinate might have hired them! Now it makes sense…"

"…And?"

"And… What? I've solved the mystery! It wasn't a random case of attack!" He put down his book and frowned sternly in her direction.

"So you didn't kill the mastermind?" Instead of feeling put off for not receiving the desired response, she evaded his frown and began fidgeting nervously.

"The thing is, I don't think I can, at least not alone. And I don't even know if the rest of my teammates are alive…" Itachi recognised that look in her innocent jade eyes, and could already predict where this conversation was going…

"There is a saying that while a pair of chopsticks is easy to break, a dozen would be unbreakable, so if you would attend this upcoming party with me and be my bodyguard…" As she trailed off, she slid the other invitation card across the spic-and-span surface.

Skeptically, Itachi picked it up to read it, and felt his eyes widening in disbelief.

_So this was her target all along_…

"This most likely belongs to my other teammate, but since we're separated, might as well make the most of it." Daring an eye contact with the still silent Itachi, she inhaled a deep breath and asked in her most sombre tone.

"Do you want to come with me?" A gentle breeze entered the room then, temporarily filling the hush-ness that had descended between them.

Finally, he shut the card, closed his eyes before throwing her a look. Sakura came prepared and was not about to be put off by that harsh glare.

"I know I know… But so what that it's a _women's_ congregation? That hardly matters right?"

Suddenly, he pushed aside the table, the only thing that was sitting between them. What was he planning to do to her? Also, he was making it difficult to ignore his exposed chest when he was sitting there in plain sight. He certainly knew what worked to his advantage…

"Do I look like a _woman_ to you, Sakura?"

"N-No, of course not!" She fibbed, recalling the first time they met in the cold forest. It would make sense for him not to notice the natural femininity he possessed when he had been looking at it for his whole life. Did he even stop for once to observe his natural god given silky hair?

"I see doubt in your eyes. Didn't you already see my body once, or have you already forgotten?" He teased, a smirk creeping along the edges of his arrogant lips.

And he called her by her…fake name. Man, she would really give anything to hear him utter her real name; undoubtedly it would sound super sexy.

"I-I'm being serious Itachi!" Oh no, why did he have to bring that up, after she had painstakingly shoved that explicit scene to Land of the Forgotten? The smirk slipped as it was replaced by a resigned sigh.

"Why would you invite me, putting aside the fact it's a _woman_'s only party?"

"Oh would you stop with the emphasis? As to why… I mean, why _not_? Friends bring friend to such fun stuff!" As the words fled her mouth, she quickly realised her mistake a second too late; if it was one other thing he had made it clear since the day they first met, it was that they were anything but _friends_.

"I-I'm sorry the words just slipped my mouth-"

"They've recognized your face. If you're going to attend you'll need a strong disguise," Itachi interjected.

Did he just…? Sakura's eyes softened as she scooped in front of Itachi and placed her hand atop his palm rested on his knee.

"Not 'you;' _we're _going to attend and _we're _going to get a makeover!"

* * *

"Hey, you're back. I see that the mission is a success?" The prison guard greeted, nodding his head to Ino's body draped over Lia's shoulder.

"Not really; this' just one-third of the enemy," Lia shrugged regrettably as he unlocked the steel gates and stepped aside for her to enter.

"Thanks, I'll be done in a second," She declared and smiled softly at the guard as he watched on by the gate. When she realised he was not going to move an inch, an idea hit her and she began rearranging her expression.

After she had set the body down, she spun around and approached the guard tensely, anxiety clouding her eyes and mouth set in a hard line.

"What's wrong Lia?"

"I didn't want to say this just now because I'm not hundred per cent certain, but while we were waiting for the Leader to return, I felt the presence of an enemy towards the Southern area of the mansion," Lia relayed in a calmest tone possible while nervously darting her eyes around. The Southern area was also conveniently the farthest side from here.

The guard's expression hardened. It seemed that Lia's sensory capabilities were well known even among the guards, much to her advantage.

"Remember to close the gate before you leave," Was his first and last order as he sprinted down the corridor.

"Roger that." Luckily for her, the guard was already out of sight to catch the sly smile overtaking her face.

Popping an extra strong sleeping pill into Lia's system, she waited thirty seconds for the medicine to take effect. Before the drowsiness could overwrite her senses, she released her jutsu and was propelled back into Ino's body, her own body.

The saying home is where you feel most at ease could not ring truer.

Few seconds later Ino's eyes flittered and opened, registering the musty cell from a different, lower vantage view from before. When she tried to stand, she was glad that other than her aching lower back, the rest of her body was functioning normally.

Taking full advantage of the prison's lack of proper lighting, she had relocated Lia to the darkest corner of the room and draped a dusty blanket she found over her limp form. She then proceeded to strip her of her weapons, transferring everything into her emptied pouch. Expertly arranging her hair to one that mimicked hers, she was as identical as Ino's next clone, as long as the guard remained beyond the gates.

As she made her way towards the gate, she was hit by a sudden bout of dizziness – her overexertion of chakra was catching up, at the worst timing possible.

It was times like this that she was glad she was teamed with Sakura; that pig would forever be nagging her to be prepared and never leave the village without the special Leaf medic kit.

Even after having her belongings confiscated by the Leader, there was still the small bottle of soldier pills safely tucked between her ample breasts.

As she felt the replenished chakra coursing through her body, she closed her eyes and concentrated.

Duly shutting the gate as per instructed, Ino, now disguised as Lia, checked her surroundings for any potential threats. Exhaling a deep breath, she nodded and dashed down the direction where the guard went just moments ago.

* * *

Their eyes dropped to where their hands were stacked together on Itachi's knee. When their eyes met once again, there was something…A little bit different in the depth of the gaze.

For Itachi, all he saw was a lost girl who had had a stroke of foul luck and met him, and now things had become complicated; they were no longer just strangers like he wished. For Sakura, it was growing increasingly harder to ignore that sense of longing in his forlorn eyes. She hated that he was keeping everything to himself and similarly, hated herself for not being able to bring him to open up.

It made her think back of that woman in the photograph smiling next to him.

She quickly recovered and removed her hand from his palm and averted her glance.

"I-I'm sorry…" Itachi reached for the cup and took a long sip, looking unfazed and in control, like how he always was.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked just as the cup left his mouth.

"What is it?"

"I know it isn't my business…" She was already having second thoughts but decided to press through with her questionnaire, "But where did you go just now?"

Their eyes met but this time, his was completely unreadable. He raised his brows, waiting for her to elaborate.

"It's just so strong, this perfume scent wafting from you…" Damn that guest, she should have lied and told them to try another room – now she had to be constantly reminded that Itachi was hanging around other woman – women during his free time, for the whole frigging night.

_What about that woman in the photograph? What about me_-

"Does it matter?" Sakura looked up, surprise filling her eyes. "Where I went, who I was with; how would knowing these benefit you?" No, this conversation was not turning out the way she envisioned; he was acting like how he was when they first talked – rational and distant.

"Y-Yes, it does–"

"Because it doesn't matter to me, where you went, who you were with." That blazing red boring coldly into her stupefied eyes was completely a different person from the man chatting merrily with her a few seconds ago. He was the one who decided how close she could get, how much she could say. Likewise, he had the power to push her away anytime when he was sick of playing friends.

How silly of her, to allow herself to be manipulated like that.

"I-I see," Sakura sniggered, clutching her fist in a tight ball to force the hot tears forming behind her eyes to stay put, "I'm going to grab a bite downstairs," She announced brusquely and got up.

Just when she thought she had reached the acme of embarrassment, he went ahead and pushed her over the crumbling edge into humiliation.

"It's for your own benefit that you do not grow emotionally attached to me."

"You don't have to tell me that, Uchiha-san," Sakura retorted rigidly before slamming the door shut, leaving Itachi to the false tranquillity of the room. Picking himself up, he ambled towards the balcony. Even with his limited eyesight, his eyes could clearly follow Sakura's spiteful footsteps along the vibrant night streets until she disappeared around a bent.

"This is for your own good, Sakura," He mumbled as he gazed at the fading stars ahead.

_Because any closer you get, it would be harder to ignore that look of hurt in your eyes_.

* * *

Something was not adding up.

As Ino sped past cells after cells, she could not help but noticed that they were all men behind the bars. There was not a single lady in sight (other than poor Lia). This did not tally with the intel she had received, but right now she was alone with no one to discuss with.

Where could she have kept those kidnapped girls if the entire prison was used to house all these men? Who were these men anyway?

_What's going on, Tsunade-sama?_

.

.

"_You were looking for me, Tsunade-sama?"_

"_Yes, please shut the door behind you. Now that everyone's here I shall begin the explanation of today's mission."_

"_Mission? With Kurenai-sensei and...Sakura?!" She darted around but neither Shikamaru nor Choji were in sight._

"_Why do you sound so shocked Ino? You don't like being teamed with me?" Sakura placed her arms in an akimbo and frowned._

"_No, just the opposite; I'm ecstatic!" Tsunade cleared her throat and the giddy girls quickly stood at attention._

"_The reason you're here is because I feel that you three are best suited for this mission– no, only you three can do it."_

_Ino glanced across at her dear sensei, but Kurenai simply smiled and gave her a shrug._

"_You're going to the Hidden Village of Waterfall to assassinate a certain person…" Ino gulped at the A-word as Tsunade retrieved a photograph from her drawer and slid it across her desk. "…Without leaving evidence of our involvement, naturally."_

_Everyone peeked down simultaneously at the portrait of a beautiful woman in her late twenties with long enviable navy hair and full lips, looking every inch a supermodel._

"_Uh, so what did she do to deserve a death penalty?" Sakura voiced the question racing through everyone's mind._

"_According to the clients that engaged us, this woman is the boss of a locally famous brothel notorious for kidnapping and selling innocent girls as prostitutes to fund her personal indulgence."_

"_That's horrible…"_

"_In order for your mission to succeed, you'll need to infiltrate her mansion exactly two weeks from now…"_

"_So what does that have to do with us being the 'suitable ones?'" Ino interrupted. Tsunade smirked and flashed three shimmering white cards in front of her._

"…_While posing as delegates from __a __Waterfall's women's advocate society with these invitation cards," The Hokage finished, passing each of them the aforementioned cards._

"_I see, so this is an all women'__s_ _congregation…" Kurenai mumbled, finally comprehending the gist of this mission._

"_She might be using this as a cover to kidnap more girls; we've got to put an end to this," Sakura declared determinedly and the three ninjas nodded._

"_Haruno Sakura, Yamanaka Ino, you'll be operating under leader Yuuhi Kurenai; be ready to set out this afternoon and report back by the end of two weeks." Tsunade scanned across their eyes but all she could spot was a burning resolve. "This will be an A-rank mission, so as usual, proceed with caution. Be warned that she might be heavily surrounded by bodyguards."_

"_Yes Mdm!"_

"_Tsunade-sama, is there any other information with regards to the target?" Kurenai asked before they left the office. Tsunade smiled and leaned back against her chair, crossing her fingers._

"_I was waiting for you to ask me that, Kurenai. She happens to be a highly targeted woman within Waterfall so be prepared to face off other enemies. Also, she has a younger sister who's the Jinchuuriki of the Seven Tails, but is currently missing so that shouldn't be a problem. Now go!" _

* * *

By the time Kisame arrived, Itachi was already waiting by the river, watching its sluggish flow against the fair weather clouds of the early noon.

"You're early, as usual," Kisame greeted as he joined his partner seated on the grassy bank.

"What have you found out, Kisame?"

"My intel shouldn't be anything new to you. Yuu will be hosting an annual woman's party at her mansion in a week. It's a good opportunity to sneak in and capture her then," Kisame started before turning to face him, "The problem is getting past the special chakra scanner for unauthorized guests."

"We'll infiltrate the building during the party; everything's been taken care of." He extracted the invitation card from his ninja pouch and showed it to Kisame. "I will sneak in first to confirm the target's location, and you'll come in at a later time upon my cue." Kisame nodded, knowing that Itachi had formulated this strategy around his weakness in holding genjutsu for long periods of time, or even succeeded in creating one.

"I've got to hand it to you, Itachi-san. Where did you get this invitation?"

"I've got my ways." He stood up and held a faraway look towards the woods stretching beyond the river. "I know a place that sells great snacks. Are you up for it?"

* * *

Lunch felt extra lonely and tasted especially bland today, and after grumpily slapping some notes and loose change onto the table, Sakura stepped out of the Chinese café. A toddler knocked against her knee on the way out and she spun around to glare at the culprit.

"S-S-Sorriee onee-san please don't scold mee…" Sakura blinked; the kid looked frightened out of his wits and remorse washed over her. She scurried off just as his Mother entered and got perplexed over her child's sudden mood change.

_This is all his fault, that conceited and smug son of a_-

There she was again, allowing him to get the better of her emotions and turning her into a sulky, foul-mouthed monster. She needed to get a drink and _cool _down.

Another thing about this village was its lack of dustbins; usually this would not get to her but this minor inconvenience was especially irksome today, for some reason.

While clenching her fist, the pressure increased to the point where the plastic bottle could no longer stand her wrath and exploded into pieces, the top part with the cap ricocheting through the air like a missile.

"Damn it…" Chasing after the broken bottle, she released a breath of relief when it finally landed a hundred meters away from the point of launch.

As she picked up what was remained of the piece of scrap, she found herself dropping it after holding it for no more than a second.

"Hey, that shop's dango kind of reminds me of the one in Konoha… But too bad we couldn't get to finish it before we were busted huh?"

"And you still haven't pay me back for that meal," Itachi reminded despite not really expecting him to pay; it was his idea after all.

"Is Kakuzu rubbing off you? It better not be the case; I can't stand petty bastards like him…" Shuffling casually down the streets were two men dressed in identical cloaks, though one was significantly taller and muscular. They were seemingly absorbed in their conversation and did not notice Sakura openly gaping a few feet ahead.

_Wow, so this is the kind of people Itachi hangs out with… Oh no he's approaching! It feels awkward to ignore him; maybe I should say hi_…

As Sakura straightened her back and mentally prepared a hello speech, their conversation came to a halt and that was when Itachi made eye contact with her.

_Okay, now I just need to flash my brightest smile and make a lasting first impression_-

Her full teeth smile froze as she saw the words Itachi mouthed with his barely moving lips.

_Don't go back to our room_.

"Anyway, the place that Kakuzu recommended? It was perfect – good service, good bed and most importantly, a horde of young and pretty female staffs! I might have gone a little overboard with the room services…" Kisame rambled on as they went passed Sakura. No one on the streets would have guessed that they were acquainted, let alone shared a bed.

With the will of an elephant, she resisted the urge to turn around, knowing that it might jeopardise Itachi's intention of keeping their relationship anonymous. That man must be dangerous for him to take such precautions. Without any place to crash in the moment, she started towards the horticulture centre to learn more about the cercis tattoo.

* * *

"Itachi-san, you got this size of a room for yourself?"

"Is it too small? Maybe I should have gotten a bigger one…"

"Are you kidding me Itachi-san? If Kakuzu knew about this he's going to go bollocks, hahaha!" Kisame's passive aggressive attitude towards Kakuzu developed one fine day, when he made a massive deduction to their team's current account after discovering that most of the mission expenditure had come from 'immaterial' transactions. To make matters worse, Kisame went overboard and killed the target, winding up with half the promised bounty, which pissed Kakuzu even more than those booze receipts.

They had a huge 'bicker' that nearly destroyed the newly constructed base, if not for Pein's timely intervention and multiple counselling sessions from Itachi telling Kisame it was not worth it.

Itachi felt that he was partly to blame; he had accidentally gotten too generous with his sake that day and was not sober enough to keep tabs on Kisame's booze intake. Later on Kisame found out that one of the stocks that Kakuzu had secretly invested in crashed (hence the sudden fuss over their expenses) and went to have a 'good talk' with him. The next day, Itachi noticed their funds had returned to normal, even with a slight raise. He figured some intense blackmailing must have taken place, and the less he knew the better.

Though Kakuzu had not commented on their expenditures since then, Itachi made it a point to take over the management of their funds to avoid any more unnecessary conflicts.

"Oh he will, but he won't," Itachi commented enigmatically. _Not when he knows I'm patronising his daughter's hotel_. "And anyway I'm only paying one-quarter of this room's price so it won't be a problem."

"Do I even want to know how you did it?"

"The less known the better," He replied with a faint smile like any other time whenever he did something Kisame deemed as 'amazing.' This was one of the reasons Kisame held Itachi on such a high pedestal, despite his eleven years' seniority.

"Are you sure you're staying here alone?" Kisame asked as they clinked glasses, smelling something fishy about his unwonted indulgence.

"Well, I do bring women back occasionally…"

"Itachi-san… Don't humour me," He remarked with a wave of his hand, until he saw his face. "Wait, you're serious?"

"No, I was joking," Itachi deadpanned, though even if he ever did Kisame would never buy it.

"Stop bullying me all the time…" He grumbled good-naturedly as he tossed a spare Akatsuki tee shirt in his direction. After going through several missions that required them to be away from civilisations or clean bathing sources for long periods of time, Kisame had since prepared a T-shirts scroll to keep them fresh at all times.

"Will you be staying here?" Itachi queried nonchalantly as he removed and replaced on the new shirt.

"Definitely! But I've got to return and follow up on the Jinchuuriki's leads I found. Turns out she might be closer than we think."

"That's good to hear." It was better than good, but no way was Kisame going to find that out.

"But the informant I'm meeting will only return tomorrow noon so I'll be crashing here for tonight, is that alright, Itachi-san?"

"I don't see the problem with that," He responded distractedly though Kisame failed to pick that up.

"I can't believe I got off a week without a pint of alcohol; let's go get some tonight. You look like you could do with some yourself," Kisame noted, not quite as oblivious to his partner's troubled eyes as perceived.

"I don't mind either way."

* * *

Sakura went to check out the newly opened eatery just a fifteen minutes' walk from the horticulture centre. Since she got there early, the queue was short and soon she got a seat by the sushi's bar.

"Waiter! Can I have this, this and this? Oh, and a cup of warm water too please."

"Miss, can I recommend you our store's special fruit juice blend? The juices are freshly squeezed with a special formula to lift your spirits!" Something that was healthy and could make her happy? Why not?

"Sure, give me one of those then."

The thing about sitting by a sushi counter was that there was nothing to hold her back from snatching the plates, especially those freshly prepared by that cute chef.

As she ordered another glass of that sweet juice, yet another couple merrily ensconced themselves next to the counter. The only difference between this couple and the one to her left was the guy actually pulled out the chair for the girl.

_They must have just started dating_, Sakura regarded with a hint of disdain.

"Can I really eat as much as I want?"

"If it doesn't make you grow fat, sure."

"What the! That's too straightforward!" Sakura ignored that guy's guffaw as she downed her suddenly not so sweet drink in one gulp. All of a sudden, she found herself perking up.

_Maybe I have a boyfriend back home too, just that I can't remember! There's no need for me to get overly derisive over other's happiness_...

"Say 'ahhhh….'"

"Shinji you're making me embarrassed…."

"If girls are as demure and cute as you…" Sakura slammed her glass down and raised her hand, scaring the daylights out of the cutesy couple.

"Waiter, bills PLEASE!"

Leaving the eatery with a sour aftertaste (the guy back there had hit some nerve, probably because she was anything but _demure _and _cute_), she sulked all the way, disregarding all the staring passers-by until she banged into a lamp pole.

"Ow ow ow… What do you think you are, blocking my way?" She retracted her leg ready to give it a good kick, then deciding it was not worth the effort and carried on walking.

Shortly after, she knocked into another unmoving object.

"What the- oh it's _you_. What cha doing here? Having fun playing catch up with your best friend?" Sakura sniggered as she tripped on her foot and nearly fell if not for his catch.

"Are you okay?"

"Let go of me…!"

"You're going to hurt yourself; let's bring you home to rest…" He was making her baffled – one moment he was rejecting and keeping her at arm's length and next he was treating her with such tenderness.

"Why are so nice to me all of a sudden… It's… You're confusing me, Itachi…" Without warning, Sakura was brought into an embrace, and despite her earlier protests, she had instinctively submitted to her woes and his protective arms around her.

"There's no need to be confused, my dear. Everything's gonna be alright," He whispered into her ears.

"Huh…?" '_Dear?' Wait a minute, this isn't_…

"Get your filthy hands off her," An authoritative voice boomed behind her.

"And why the hell should I listen to you?" _Eh eh eh_? Sakura shook her head and looked up and her jaw dropped. The man hugging her was-

"Don't make me repeat myself; I have no intention of killing you," The real Itachi ordered, his eyes flashing dangerously. The _complete stranger_, to Sakura's utter dismay, laughed mirthlessly as he roughly grabbed her chin and twisted her face towards him.

"She was the one who came onto me first mind you, and I can do whatever I want with her body, including this…" The slender man (who looked _nothing _like Itachi) countered and brought his lips down to hers.

Or rather, he _was_ about to bring his lips to hers when-

"GET AWAY ME FROM YOU PERVERT!" Sakura bellowed and delivered a gut-wrenching punch to the man's face, sending him soaring over the starless night sky.

Itachi gulped, already imagining the irreparable damage dealt from their chakra charged blow. If he were a second faster in pushing the man off her, _he _would be the one lying unconscious a hundred meters away. _That monstrous strength… I wonder where she learnt it._

She retracted her fist and huffed a 'don't screw around with me' breath before spinning around and nearly falling into Itachi's chest. He reached out to steady her before she fell flat onto the ground.

"Is this the way you usually reject men?"

"Hey Itachi… Wait are you the real deal? Is this a genjutsuuuu?" Sakura cocked her head and pondered aloud, reaching out and pocking curiously at his chest.

"Sakura listen, there's something I need to tell you…"

"Eh, I'm supposed to be still angry with you, but why do I still feel so happy seeing you here…?" She tittered amusedly before half-heartedly pushing Itachi aside and wobbled down the streets.

Itachi took a calming breath and followed after her, wondering which God he had offended to suffer this sort of treatment. When he made a grab for her hand, she promptly shook it off and carried on walking.

"I don't need a coward who isn't honest with himself…"

"Stop your nonsense and come with me-"

"You think I don't know why you're pushing me away? It's because I look like _her_ right? Your ex-lover, or whoever she is- Waaaaa put me down!" Out of frustration, Itachi scooped an inebriated Sakura up against her chest and took off the ground. They had attracted too much attention for the night and it was putting both their safety and identities at stake.

"Sorry Sakura, you'll need to stay at another hotel for the time being…"

"Stop talking and let me go! Your hand's touching my butt you pervert!" Over the years Itachi had been called a lot of things, but never once did anyone label him as a 'pervert,' and frankly, the insult hurt a hundred times worse than being called a traitor.

"I'll let you off tonight on the account that you're drunk…"

"I don't need your forgiveness I just want you…to let me go and…open up to me more…" Sakura's head lolled against his shoulder and he could finally release a breath of relief. He glanced down and found himself sighing once more – her peaceful sleeping frame was such a far cry from her easily combustible temper and fiery personality. It was hard to believe they were the same person.

Thankfully the bar where he and Kisame were lounging at was a short distance away from the 'scene of outburst,' and he was able to quickly locate her exact location from the crow tailing her.

He knew he should not be getting too involved in her affairs, should not even be _bothered _by where she went, who she was with…

"Good evening! Were you the one who made the reservations for a single's room earlier? Let me show you to your room…" The staff grabbed the key and directed them to the topmost floor.

"Excuse me Sir; do you need me to bring in a mat…?"

"You can leave now."

"S-Sorry please enjoy your stay with us!" The boyish staff bowed and carefully shut the door after Itachi. He wondered why the boy was so afraid of him; the real demon was in his arms. He had purposely picked a hotel in proximity to a residential area less known to visitors with a plain exterior – all for the sake of blending in.

Kicking off his sandals he padded over the sparsely furnished room towards the single's bed. The full moon beyond the window offered natural lighting and with the delicacy of handling glass, he gently set her down on the springy surface.

_Kisame should be asleep by now; I should head back_-

Her hands abruptly reached up to loop around his body and pull him down, crashing his body against hers. Resistance was futile; hers arms were vines of overgrown liana wrapping tightly around him, bounding them as an entity. He could not even activate his Sharingan then; not with her eyes closed and mind barely conscious!

His face was laying a hair's breath away from her slightly parted lips and despite shutting his eyes, that was all he could see and think about.

"Please stay here with me…"

Itachi doubt she was even conscious of her actions, or words, and twisted around to stare resignedly at the ceiling. He had no idea why he was putting up with this, be it the discomfort of laying on the edge of the bed or allowing his mind to bear crazy thoughts over the woman next to him.

"Itachi…"

"…Yes?"

"Do you know who am I…? Because I have no idea myself…" A tiny drop of tear found its way out of her closed lids and slithered down her flushed cheeks. Itachi reached out to swipe it off as another drop tumbled over his finger.

"Why do you always look so sad…? It makes me sad seeing you so sad…"

"You've got to stop rambling and go to sleep."

"Itachi…"

"What now?"

"Thank you." Her hold slackened and her breathing descended into an even rhythm. His eyes widened; when was the last time someone had genuinely thanked him? Itachi rolled out of the bed and removed her sandals before draping the blanket over her.

If he were to leave now, how would Sakura react when she woke up to a foreign room alone? He could easily leave a note, but the truth was he never intended to return to the other hotel.

Shrugging out of his cloak, he flung it over the study desk's chair and padded over to the open window. If there was a word to describe his feelings then, it would be _Tsukuyomi_, he thought humourlessly as he gazed softly to the moon.

"Damn the full moon."

More importantly, he turned around and mused as he watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest, what did she mean by _her_? What did she know and how did she know about Mimiko?

* * *

**What do you guys think of this? Sakura is slowly driving itachi over the edge, and the 3C Itachi is gradually losing control of his feelings towards our heroine! Is there a chance their relationship will turn into something deeper, or...what?**

**Until then...**


	7. Exposed

**Chapter 7 – Exposed**

"Put that kunai down or she dies."

"And who are you again?"

Sakura could make out a hush exchange between two men, but the contents were somewhat hazy and their faces remained fuzzy.

"Surrender now or you can kiss goodbye to sleeping beauty."

Suddenly she felt the earth rocking and sinking but for some reason she remained paralysed. The turbulence past by just as it came, and was replaced by a cooling sensation sitting against her throat. As she swallowed the coolness turned into a sharp pain that instantly jotted her senses. Somehow, she was able to keep her eyes closed and not alert the enemy.

"I'll let you know that you're playing with fire here."

That was definitely Itachi's voice and he sounded annoyed. Was he piqued that she had unknowingly exposed herself to enemy captivity and now he had to save her?

_It's about damn time I show him what's packed in a girl's punch! First I need to get myself out of this pinch to give Itachi some leverage points_…

With her sense of sight nullified she concentrated on feeling out the enemy, and mentally smirked when she felt his body's heat radiating between her legs.

"You cocky brat-"

Trapping his body between her feet, Sakura channelled her chakra down and hurled him over her head with a powerful hip thrust. The force was so great that his head caused a crack upon contact with the wall and he was shortly unconscious.

In that moment of distraction, Itachi was able to deliver a hefty kick to the other intruder's guts. He went flying towards the opposite end of the room but Itachi's shadow clone caught him and knocked him out instead.

"Why did you catch him?" Sakura was puzzled by his unorthodox act.

"One more blow to the wall and the building might just collapse," He reflected, cocking his head beyond her toward the growing fissure from her courageous display of brute force. She swallowed in realisation and stuck out her tongue in embarrassment.

She thought she caught a hint of smile when it was quickly replaced by a grim expression.

"Are you going to stop hiding or do I have to come and get you?" Her head snapped towards the opened window when a torrent of shuriken came cutting across the air. She instinctively raised her arm to block them but none made contact. When she opened her eyes again, Itachi was crouched in front of her, having deftly deflected all the weapons.

"Get a grip; I can't always be here to protect you," He chided as another stream of shuriken poured through the opening and pierced the now vacant bed. Sakura rolled across the floor while Itachi did a back flip to avoid the enemy's attacks.

A skinny man in his early thirties leapt into the hotel room and began forming rapid hand signs. Wooden hands growing out of the timber floor instantly bounded Itachi and Sakura's legs, rendering them immobile.

_What's with the jutsu_?

The hands began pulling them downwards, with their bodies slowly getting swallowed by the suddenly breathing piece of dead wood-

With only half of their bodies left, Itachi and Sakura turned to face one another. In a moment of mutual understanding they closed their eyes; slowly they eradicated their existence in this non-existent world by reclaiming sovereign over their chakra.

In the blink of an eye they were back to standing next to one another and all was well, at least for them.

In a flash Itachi was behind the man, who was still in a daze to his failed genjutsu. He kneed him hard behind his knees and shoved his head against the floor, planting his knee on his back to quash his movement.

"Who hired you?" Itachi barked, locking his arms behind his back with just one hand. Sakura watched on and gulped; she was certainly glad not to be in that poor man's shoes.

"I-I have no idea! I was only told to track down and finish a certain- ARGHHHHH!" Itachi began to twist his arms into a rather trying angle when he refused to own up.

"Don't make me repeat myself," He ordered in a dangerously low voice. Sakura vowed then never to touch his things without permission again.

"I really don't- AH AH AH it-it was a man, in his early twenties! He has the same built as you and that's all I know! We're not supposed to know our client's names anyway so please just let me off!"

"I'm not feeling very forgiving today. I can only wish for you to find a better _client_ in your next life…" He replied coolly, sounding uncharacteristically like a masochist. She had never seen him losing his cool like this and for the first time, she was truly frightened of the man. By the third cracking sound of bones, Sakura could not shoulder any longer.

"I-Itachi please stop! You don't have to dirty your hands over a worthless being like him…" At Sakura's pleading tone, Itachi blinked and looked up, instantly recognising the looming fear behind her terror-stricken eyes.

Releasing a subdued low breath, he grabbed the man's head and twisted it around, leaning forward to meet his petrified eyes. She was certain she heard the man squealed before whispering something frantically into Itachi's ear.

He was out cold two seconds later and Itachi causally casted his body aside.

"F-For a moment I thought you were going to kiss him…" She took an involuntary step back as he stood up and threw her a look. She threw up her hands in return and he simply sighed.

"When did you figure out it was a genjutsu?"

"From the moment he used the 'Wood Style' jutsu; the only ones who can use it were the First Hokage of the Leaf Village and anyone with his cells, which I highly doubt he did." She was surprised she knew this like it was the back of her palm. He quickly evaded his disconcerted eyes when she turned to smile at him. "Heh, looks like I do remember some stuff, though this was pretty random."

"You are quite knowledgeable, to my surprise."

"You didn't have to put it that way you know," She grumbled before continuing, "And what about you? How did you know it's a genjutsu?"

"From the moment he casted it, and I would hardly label that as a genjutsu."

"You sound like you know a lot about genjutsu," She noted, recalling the previous time he knocked out three ninjas without lifting a finger.

"Enough about me." The less she knew the better. "Are you hurt?"

"W-What, me? No way- aw," She grimaced, accidentally opening her neck wound in her excitement. The room had reverted back to its peaceful ambience, and the earlier tension was all but evaporated like the morning dew.

Itachi moved to stand in front of her and bent to examine the bleeding cut. Sakura clenched her fists in anxiety as he used his thumb to swipe off the blood, while his other hand reached behind to retrieve something. Sakura's mouth fell apart slightly as he uncapped the medical cream she had given him eons ago and began gently tapping across the silt.

"Y-You don't have to…"

"Don't move." Sakura immediately stood at attention, almost certain he could feel her pounding chest.

"So… Who were those people?" She tilted her neck up slightly to avoid staring at his head or the affectionate way he was so absorbed in treating her wound.

"They were sent by the man you picked up last night."

"Oh… Wait, what?" _What last night? What happened_?

He recapped the cream and took out a plaster to do the finishing touches, stealing a glimpse at her perplexed eyes.

"It's nothing you have to worry your clueless brain about." Was that supposed to be a consolation?

"So… Did I do something bad or inappropriate to him and now he's sent for men to kill me? AWW! Hey what was that for?" She rubbed indignantly at the spot where he flicked her forehead.

"Done," He replied, staring pleasingly at his handiwork. She darted her head in time to hide the rising blush and she did the next appropriate thing she could think of.

"T-Thank you, Itachi." She still could not bring herself to meet his eyes. He gently held her by the chin and turned her face around.

"You have to stop thanking me like I'm the good guy." There was practically no boundary between them, with their foreheads nearly touching and breaths mingling as one.

"But you're a good guy…" She could feel her breathing growing shallower and faster, his fingers grasping her chin igniting her insides to the core of her soul.

"You've got such bad eyes for guys…" He whispered in his tantalising low voice, inching forward as his eyes fluttered close and their lips lightly brushed against one another-

"Is-Is-Is everything alright? I heard some nois- OH sorry sorry I didn't mean to-!"

"Boy."

"YES!"

"We're checking out now."

"Now? I-I mean, I'll make the necessary preparations right away!" He bowed and bolted down the stairs, his cheeks burning almost as brightly as Sakura's as Itachi cleared his throat and headed towards the door.

"I'll wait for you downstairs."

"A-Alright; I'll be done in a minute!" As he shut the door, Sakura slid down onto the floor, her trembling hands gripping her chest in a futile attempt to calm her heart down. The nerve-wrecking moment came just as fast as it left; it made her wonder if she was the only one with her body and mind spiralling out of control.

* * *

Make that certain.

He was not acting particularly distant but he was not being very chummy either. To put in bluntly, he was acting like _nothing_ happened. She allowed her footsteps to fall slightly behind his to observe his easy strides and no expression, wondering what was on his mind.

"So where are we going now?"

"Back to the old hotel."

"Isn't your er, friend still there?"

"He left this morning," He explained, tilting his head back, "And I've already hid all evidence of your presence," He elaborated before she could question him about her belongings. She strained her head to recall the things she left around their cosy little room – her 'luggage,' a stack of books on plant species, the pink toothbrush beside the sink, her body towel next to Itachi's, her freshly laundered clothes airing across the balcony clothes wires- _Shit_!

"So-So you took down my-"

"It's no big deal; I used to be in-charge of my household's laundry," He shrugged like taking down and folding girl's bras and panties were something he did on a regular basis.

"Geez, that's so embarrassing…" She also felt strangely exposed all of a sudden, despite his indifferent attitude.

Talking like this, it was easy to pretend that nothing aberrant happened between them – no inexplicable racing heartbeat, no pulsing desire, and no attempts of almost kiss…

"Watch out!" Itachi suddenly yelled, but it was too late.

A hail of wires launched towards them, coiling tightly around their arms and legs. Sakura tried to pull herself free, but flinched as the steel only bit deeper into her skin.

"Itachi…" He whipped around and their eyes met. She could see determination burning fiercely behind his blood red orbs.

"Do you trust me?" He asked in a surprisingly tender tone. She slowly unclenched her fists and eventually stopped fighting her way out of the metallic entanglement.

"Without question."

Sakura fought to remain brave as roaring flames of dragon rapidly descended along the wire, the intensity of the heat blinding and suffocating her. Amidst the approaching calamity she could make out one of his rare heartfelt smiles before the fire finally hit him.

Suddenly, the cords binding her snapped and she was hastily pushed aside, a second before the flames could consume her alive. She landed on her arms but ignored the stabbing pain and reached helplessly towards the inferno.

"Itachi NOOO!"

The feral dragons missed its target and strike aggressively against the building beside them, setting a conflagration. If they were faster by a few steps, it would have been Misao's hotel set ablaze instead of the vacant building next to it.

"Sakura I'm here." Amidst the smothering heat and her teary eyes, a drenched Itachi was kneeing in front of her and clutching her shoulders, staring at her in concern. She stared bewilderedly for a moment before releasing a half-suppressed laugh and leaping into his arms.

"S-Silly me; of course that was your shadow clone! You're Itachi for goodness sake…"

"Do you think I would die so easily?" He quipped and held her body safely against his chest.

"Of course not," She answered fiercely, not allowing her mind to dwell on such worst-case scenarios. "I thought we got all of them?"

"Looks like there's still one more," He replied with an annoyed sigh and gently pulled her away. "Wait here." She was reluctant for him to leave her side, but knew he needed to do was needed to be done and meekly nodded. He patted her head before disappearing into the morning air.

Shortly, there came a deafening scream of a man two buildings away, and Itachi was back once again.

"What did you do that guy- wait; I don't think I want to know…"

"I just tore out his limbs so that he won't ever set any fire again," He replied as a matter-of-factly, observing as a group of ninjas gathered to extinguish the fire with their water elemental techniques.

"I sincerely hope you're referring to a genjutsu…"

"For the man to send four hitmen, he must have really fancied you," He remarked severely as he headed for the hotel.

"Hey wait up!" _Just what the hell happened last night_?

The thing that got him so pissed off was that she was never that man's target; he should have wiped out that sucker's memory then none of these would have happened and Sakura would never be exposed to such dangers. If it was not for his twenty-four seven guard duty, she might already be dead.

As the fire dissipated into rolling black smoke, the background began to populate with nosy chatters and 'concerned' passers-by. Sakura noticed something white sticking out below a pile of rubbles by the building.

"Itachi, come back! Something's stuck below the wreckage," Sakura shouted, gesturing for him to join her. Peeling closer, she realised it was a cat, and not just any wild cat but Misao's!

"Oh no it's Misao-chan's pet! I've got to…" Sakura rushed forward and crouched by the nearest fallen concrete boulder, peeking through the gap.

"Nooooozle, it's onee-chan! I'm going to get you out now okay?" She cracked her knuckles and summoned her monstrous strength, easily lifting and flinging off the boulders. To her dismay, Nozzle began scampering deeper into the piles.

"Hey exit's this way- Itachi?" He raised his right hand, asking her to step aside as he took her place and bent down by the tiny gap.

"Come here, little cat come to big brother…" He chanted in his usual monotonous tone. _Pffff, did he think that was going to work? At least try to talk in a cuter voice_!

Much to Sakura's horror, Nozzle suddenly zapped through the makeshift tunnel and sprang into Itachi's chest, its puny arms beating persistently at something over his arm.

"What's it doing…?"

"CAW!" A crow with eyes identical to Itachi's was hovering next to his head, viciously batting its wings and daring the cat to catch it. Nozzle snarled and crawled harder against his cloak.

"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, is it not?" He commented whimsically, standing up and carrying the cat back to its faithful owner. Sakura was dumbfounded and could not believe what she just heard. She shook her head and hurriedly caught up to him.

"Are you trying to sound cool in front of a cat? You're just baiting him with a genjutsu crow…" Just then her eyes met with the crow and she stuck out her tongue displeasingly. It cawed in response. Itachi observed the exchange in amusement but decided to stay out of their fight. It was never wise to get caught in women's crossfires.

"And he fell for it."

* * *

Her head shot up when she detected three sets of chakra signatures steadily approaching in her direction. Ino halted her footsteps and listened for theirs.

Gauging from the intensity of the floor's tremor and clarity of the footsteps, she knew they were less than two hundred meters behind her. It was unlikely that they were conducting physical training within the walkways of Yuu's mansion and she could only make up one reason for such haste.

Was she busted already?

Swallowing her nervousness, she brandished her borrowed kunai and clenched it tight against her chest. She was not feeling as confident and invincible as when she first infiltrated into the mansion; she realised that plain fact when she wished that they would never make contact with her.

_Wait, what am I thinking? If I could take down one, I could also take down three! Tsunade-sama chose me for a reason. Now's the time to prove it_!

Here they come…

"Please move out of the way!"

"Excuse us we're in a rush!" She slotted back her weapon just in time as three ladies dressed in all white dashed passed her without stopping, their eyes focused on moving forward.

One of them suddenly turned back and waved her on, to her bafflement.

"You're Lia, right? The rest on patrol are back and it looks like they're injured!"

"What?" _They were attacked? By who_? The woman seemed to have mistaken Ino's surprise as concern and pulled her along to catch up with the rest.

She was soon brought to an upsize version of a normal living room, completed with freakishly long velvet sofas, display cabinets with antique collectibles, crystal chandelier and a fireplace.

The Leader, together with Shin and another female ninja had just returned carrying the wounded members in their arms. Even though they were all unconscious, there were no visible traces of injuries. Which could only mean…

"Was it Ku- the Leaf woman from the forest?" Ino blurted out as they shifted them onto the respective sofas surrounding the fireplace. Leader crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Unlikely; she did not possess such level of genjutsu that can take down three _Jounin_ level shinobi." Ino's eyes widened imperceptibly; did Kurenai-sensei know all along that they stood no chance against them? Was that why she told them to run away?

"Was there any evidence left behind that could lead us to the culprit?"

"Usually you would expect the battle with a genjutsu user to be 'neater' since the battle's all here," Leader began, tapping figuratively to her temple. "And majority of the damages to the battlefield would come from attempts to take the enemy down; nothing drastic."

"Yea that's right." She still did not get what she was trying to say.

"Yet strangely enough, we found a huge fissure running along the street where their bodies were found, sort of a mini earthquake if you would call it." _An earthquake? Could it be Sakura_…?

"What? But to cause that sort of damage…" _But she can't use __that level of __genjutsu; what's going on here_?

"It would require enormous amount of chakra and precise chakra control skills, which the three of them simply do not possess," She supplied, glancing thoughtfully at her beaten comrades in the midst of receiving medical treatment.

This Yuu must have really worked the kidnapped ladies to the bones, to be able to afford this number of bodyguards _and _medical ninjas. From the speedy way they reacted to the casualties, they were probably working here all year round, Ino mentally sidetracked while assessing Leader's words.

"Well there's a small chance that the damage was caused by the genjutsu user…"

"As I've said before, the fundamental mind-set and stratagem of an illusionary user is to inflict psychological damage while restricting the amount of close-range combat or any form of physical contact as much as possible."

"Besides, why would they want to focus their attacks on brute force when they could do so much more mentally and without lifting a finger?" Shin interjected as she joined in the discussion, nodding to the Leader. Quite expectedly, she made no attempts to acknowledge Ino. Suddenly, Ino saw where this was going.

"Are you saying that…?"

"That's right; it's the likeliest conclusion we could draw from the battle scene," Shin added with a shrug.

"Another ninja intervened with the battle and possibly rescued our target, for whatever reasons," Leader summarised and stood up suddenly, heading briskly towards the walkway. _And a strong one; I need to let Yuu know about this_, Leader thought gravelly to herself.

"Leader, where are you going?" Shin asked across the sofa.

"To the underground prison. I need to check if this was done by one of the men we captured a few days ago."

"Oh you mean that genjutsu guy who had tried to escape for the fifth time? It can't be him; I mean he's not strong enough!'

"He need not be directly involved to cause serious damage; have you forgotten what he was doing before Yuu apprehended him?"

"Of course not! How could I ever forget the face of our arch nemesis…" Ino was too distracted to notice Shin's grumbles as she could only stare on helplessly, watching Leader slipping further and further away from her sight.

"Leader!" Everyone including Ino spun around at the energetic voice of yet _another _female ninja waving through the floor to ceiling window behind them. Pushing up the glass panel, she hopped through and landed silently on the pink-carpeted floor.

To Ino's relief, Leader smiled and retreated her steps to greet the new woman.

"Kamin you're back. If you're smiling like that I take it that the mission is a success?" _Mission? What other jobs are Yuu asking the ninjas to do_?

"Of course! Though I can't believe it took me _three _whole weeks just to seduce and finally finished him off for good… But I did receive a lot more gifts in this twenty-one days of hell, so guess that's a trade-off," Kamin winked and her face changed as she caught sight of the fallen ninjas. "What happened to them?"

"Seems like our target is acquainted with a formidable ninja. We'll have to wait for them to wake up for further leads to his or her identity." Leader sounded spent as she said that, as though not counting on capturing the new enemy themselves even with the additional information.

"Oh look they're up!" Kamin cried out.

Remembering her role as a fellow BFF, Ino rushed to Hijimoto's side (she was easy to recognise for her braids) and held her hands.

"L-Lia? Where's this place? What happened to me?" Hijimoto asked googly as she climbed up and leaned lethargically against the sofa backrest.

"We're in Yuu-sama's mansion. You confronted the enemy but was knocked out; Leader carried you back," Ino explained as patiently as she could despite the whirlpool of confusions swimming in her head.

"Oh was I? I could only remember we were patrolling the village and then, I think we saw an enemy? It hurts to think…" She murmured as she messaged her pounding head with the back of her palm.

"What did Hijimoto say, Lia?" Leader was staring intently at her and she quickly relayed Hijimoto's brief report.

"Even her huh…" Everyone turned to Leader as her frown deepened into a scowl. "It seems that the genjutsu user conveniently wiped out parts of your memories when he or she took you down. This way even if we knew there was another person involved, we have no ropes to link back to him."

"I'm so sorry Leader," Mizuki apologised as the two other kunoichi followed and lowered their heads.

"It can't be helped. The most important thing right now is to recuperate and focus on your other missions. We've just received quite a few requests for…drastic interventions," Leader summed up enigmatically as she was once again heading off.

"Yes Mdm!"

"Kamin, meet me at my office in ten minutes. I need to hear your full report before we summon back the client."

"Gladly! You need to hear how I slowly drained him of his blood," Kamin saluted and hopped onto the arm of the nearest sofa, chatting animatedly with the other ninjas.

"What's wrong, Lia? You looked troubled," Hijimoto commented next to Ino who was stuck on finding ways to hold back Leader from visiting the cells.

"O-Oh it's nothing! Guess I was just surprised at how causal Kamin was over killing a man she dated…"

"'Dated,' you mean?" She corrected with an apostrophe by her head. "Well that guy _was_ quite a cutie, too bad he's such an asshole to women, getting physical whenever someone disagrees with him."

She was falling deeper into the well of confusion with more new information riding through her head. Was it per Yuu's instructions that they were to date to kill? How would that benefit her organisation? From here on she needed to thread by carefully or she might risk exposing her identity.

"Is that how Yuu decides the punishment of the men? By the severity of their…crimes?"

"Yep, so it'll do us good to get used to killing fast," She stated with a soft smile, patting encouragingly on Ino's shoulder. '_We?' Aren't 'we' just hired bodyguards to track down foreign enemy ninjas_? "It's understandable since so far you haven't actually have to kill off someone huh? Besides, it isn't so bad; we're only targeting men who pose a threat to ladies. It makes me feel good knowing I can protect the women of Waterfall from those dirty bastards!" She concluded with a flex of her arm muscles.

"I-I see… Guess you're right-"

"Yuuya-sama, Yuuya-sama!" It was the guard who Ino had deceived earlier, wailing and waving breathlessly as he entered from the lobby.

"Don't you think it's cute that our Leader shares a similar name with our club's President?" Hijimoto remarked with a giggle. Both Leader and Ino simultaneously sighed, though each for a different reason altogether. Resignedly, Leader turned around to face the guard.

"Yuuya-sama, look who I've found at the cercis orchard? Guys bring him in!" He turned around and shouted as a duo of skinny guards strenuously lunged an unconscious man in plain white tee and brown berms into the living room. Everyone gasped; even Leader seemed shocked.

"Guren?"

"I found him trying to escape by the Southern gate. If not for Lia's warning who knows which other innocent lady would be targeted next?" He offered sheepishly, scratching his head gratefully in Lia/Ino's direction.

"He used to be the Boss of an organisation notorious for undertaking dirty missions. Recently he played a hand in murdering three women of our village and was caught by Yuu. Sadly we were too late in saving the women," Hijimoto whispered helpfully as Ino scrambled to piece together the missing puzzle in her web of information.

"Damn, this is the sixth time already isn't it?" Shin shook her head as she got up form the sofa to deliver a bone crunching kick to his stomach.

"Doesn't that constitute as a 'severe crime?' So why isn't he killed?" Ino asked, recalling Hijimoto's earlier words.

"We have no choice. We need him to cough out the names of the other people in his organisation to wipe out the plague for good. So far, his lips are sealed."

"So here's where you play a huge part in, Lia," Leader declared seemingly out of nowhere behind her, putting one right hand on her shoulder, "Or should I say Yamanaka Ino of Konoha?"

* * *

Sakura made certain that all essentials within the hotel room were sufficiently stocked and in their rightful place, even taking the liberty to make sure it was the same for the adjoining guests. The room was optimally heated, the lights were dimmed but not too dark that one would trip over a table leg and most importantly, she had just taken a shower (with the new batch of cherry blossom soap) and was pacing around the room in a fresh set of clothes she bought earlier in the evening.

It was solely for hygiene, and nothing about keeping a fresh look and looking presentable to anybody of course.

"You're back early," Sakura commented causally by the round table while browsing through one of the flowers book she recently picked up. She was aiming to keep up with her knowledgeable impression and not at all appearing like she had been waiting for his return all night.

"It's warmer indoors," He answered like that the weather had anything to do with his itinerary. As he performed his daily routine of removing his cloak, he looked down and found Sakura's eyes lingering on him. Casting it over the chair next to Sakura, he made a beeline for the washroom.

Cautiously, Sakura took a deep breath. The sound of water droplets rapidly tapping against the tiles next door filled the room as she allowed herself to smile.

Soon, it was seconds to midnight.

"I'm going to bed, you coming?" He asked all of a sudden just as she finished a huge yawn.

"Y-Yes! Just a minute…" Did he just _invite_ her to join him in bed? Somehow things were going a little too smoothly tonight.

Itachi was growing irked by the tapping sound of her feet to and forth the room. Did he not just make it clear he wanted to sleep? Somehow peace had always been something that did not come easy for him.

"What are you doing?"

"Sorry, just checking everything's locked," She said over her shoulder as she double-checked that the balcony's door were properly shut. "It makes me feel safer," She added softly as she slid under the cotton quilt next to him.

"You do know it'll take more than a secured door to stop a ninja from breaking in, don't you?" Itachi stated dubiously behind his closed lids. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right; her irrational fear of another stranger breaking in midway through her sleep would always lurk within her, whether she was conscious or not.

"I know… it's just-"

"I'm here." She released her death grip on the blanket's corner and turned slowly to her left to look at his sleeping face. _What_...?

After a few seconds of wild thoughts and speculations, he smirked.

"You should be more wary of me than what's beyond the door." Was that what he really meant? She wondered if she reading too much into his words.

The more she tried to uncover about him, the more the questions began to pile up. She was quickly face with the sad fact – she did not know a lot about this Uchiha Itachi man. In fact that sentence itself was an understatement; his name was essentially the only thing she knew about him. That, and…

"Does that guy travels with you around the country?"

"Yea he does."

"You two seem close, and I'm not referring to your identical wardrobe," She hurriedly clarified; she was much more deeper than that.

"I wouldn't call him a friend, but we share a mutual respect for one another. He can be trusted," He offered generously to Sakura's surprise. Though 'he can be trusted' left the impression that there were hardly any other trustworthy people around him. She hoped she was not included in that damned list.

"That's good; at least then you're not alone."

"I wouldn't know about that," He reflected as he fluttered his eyelashes towards the purple-blue ceiling, "A person can be surrounded by people and yet feel isolated… No one can really tell how deep the void in a person's heart is just by looking."

"The way you said it…" She rolled towards her side to get a better look at his face, "It's as though you were coerced to hang out with him."

"We can't control everything in our life." _He did not deny the accusation_, Sakura thought quietly. He cocked his head towards her before continuing, "Another way you can see it is I didn't choose to share the same room as you." He was still hung up over this? Then this might be harder for him than Sakura could have anticipated, though she was not sure why.

"But ultimately it worked right? You just have to keep trying and everything would be alright." He released a faint breath of humourless laughter, marvelling at her naivety and untarnished impression of this world.

"If things were always so easy, then you and I probably wouldn't even be here, lying next to each other and talking about this."

"Y-You're right… Sorry, I must have sounded pompous…"

"You just have to worry about yourself, find back your identity and go home. Treat this as…Merely an inconvenience." Was that his way of telling her not to worry about him? What she really wanted to tell him was this was anything but an inconvenience. That she had not once regretted meeting him and wanted days like this to never end. However, she found the words stuck in her throat; she did not have the courage to hear his response or even witness his reaction.

She was afraid it would only hurt her deeper.

"B-But, I need you to know that this is certainly a trip that I will remember, forever," Sakura fessed confidently, hoping to convey all her feelings in this finite string of words. "I wouldn't give anything for our time spent together." With that, she twisted around and tucked herself under the false security of the blanket.

_I wonder would she be that confident when she knows the truth_.

"As do I," He said softly to himself long after Sakura had surrendered to the silence of the night, leaving him with his wondering mind over their uncertain futures.

* * *

**It seems that Itachi knew their days together were coming to an end... But would it end with them "exchanging phone numbers and staying in touch," or...? Till the next chapter and thank you guys for staying with me till now.**


	8. Betrayal

**Chapter 8 – Betrayal**

"Sakura."

"Yes?"

"Why are we doing this again?"

"Didn't we agree that this way we can both save chakra and enjoy the party in our own skin?" Sakura said between mouthfuls of bobby pins as she concentrated on the intricate task at hand, "Would you please stop moving? I can't do this properly if you're not cooperative." He grumbled some inaudible words but otherwise compiled. Behind him, Sakura was trying not to choke on her muffled laughter while putting her acts together.

"You don't have to try so hard. I know you're laughing-"

"No I'm not!" Sakura replied a little too quickly, confirming Itachi's suspicions that he was being made a fool of. However, he was hardly in any position to complain, not with her holding his hair at her mercy so he could only sigh.

"I'll give you another minute then we're calling this off… And will you be more careful with those _things_…"

"Pins you mean," She offered innocently as Itachi gritted his teeth and attempted to calm himself down. He mentally chastised himself for not trusting his instincts, for not detecting anything fishy starting from Sakura _casually_ commenting his 'boring' hairstyle and a general lack of fashion sense…

"Done! Hey don't get up so suddenly or you'll ruin my effort…" Needless to say, her words had dealt considerable damage to this fashion pumpkin, but even then he was not about to let his…_ignorance _show. He had rationalised that keeping it in a ponytail was quick and hassle-free to which she rebuked that there were _other_ hassle-free hairstyles she could do to prove him wrong. Before he realised, he had foolishly fallen for the bait.

Itachi stood stiffly in front of a full-length mirror that Sakura had borrowed for the occasion, frowning and pulsing his lips at the consequences of challenging women in a fashion duel. Sakura's head shot up in the reflection above his shoulder, trying to gauge his reaction.

"What do you think? And it only took two minutes!"

"What?" He gasped, appearing genuinely shocked. "That was all the time that has passed?"

"I initially wanted to try the ten minutes hairstyle," She continued, mistaking his utter disbelief as being pleasantly surprised, "But you looked like you were in need of the washroom…"

"No I don't." _Why didn't I think of that earlier_? He thought pitifully.

"Then why are you clenching your fists so tightly?" At her words, he quickly released the fists he had unknowingly held. This was absurd; he had no need to explain himself to her. The damage had been done, right now he just had to avoid all reflective surfaces and pretend that nothing had changed-

"But I must say, the bun looks cute on you, Itachi," Sakura concurred with a satisfied nod while biting her lips to keep from laughing, skilfully avoiding his pointed glare.

"Oh dear, how could I forget _this_? Stand still for a sec…"

"A _second_ more?" Before Itachi's face could pale any further, he was immediately engulfed in a puff of smoke and descended into a coughing fit.

"W-What… _cough cough_… did you just do?" He spluttered and made a grab for Sakura's hand just as she slotted in the flower hairpin she had made especially for him.

"This _extra_-strong hairspray will keep your bun in check. Now we're ready to go!" She announced cheerfully, all smiles and sparky eyes. Unfortunately the same could not be said for Itachi, who was still preening in disbelief into the mirror at the _state _he was in and having issues accepting him in a _yukata_.

The Annual Women's Congregation taking place in an hour at Yuu's mansion required guests to turn up in yukata, a prerequisite that Sakura was only happy to accept. Too happy in fact, Itachi thought grumpily when she had returned this morning with two bags of yukata, gaily claiming one was custom-made especially for him.

It was red with tiny black and gold flower prints exploding across the sleeves, chest and hem of the traditional outfit. It was extremely elegant, simple and flattering to be seen on…for a woman.

"Sakura hold on," He called out wearily as she was slipping on her geta. He walked towards her and twisted her body around when she turned to face him.

"W-What's wrong?"

"Your obi's tied upside down," He explained and began untying her sash.

"Eh? How's that possible… Eeek!" She instinctively held the ends of the yukata together when the obi around her waist loosened. Did he not know she was not wearing anything underneath? They stood silently by the sliding door as he began expertly rewinding the sash around her.

She became well aware of their proximity, the body heat rolling off him and could even feel his warm breath tickling her hair. She wondered if he felt anything being this close to her.

"Where did you learn to do this? You have a sister?" She queried softly.

"No… But I do have a younger brother," He said and paused for a second before continuing, "I used to do this…for someone I was well acquainted with," He finished vaguely.

_Your girlfriend you mean_…

"Was it the girl in the photograph?"

"What photograph?"

"The day we first met, I found a partially burnt photograph of you and a purple hair lady underneath the charred piles…" She felt his hands stopped behind her and mentally cursed herself for bringing this up. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have looked…"

"It doesn't matter. She's no one important." _So that's how she knew_… He finished the bow and stepped around to slip on his geta, carefully pulling up the yukata with the delicacy of a born lady. Sakura remained frozen to her spot, contemplating just how much of his words were true.

"Come on; let's get moving if you do not want to be late for the party."

* * *

Cluster of girls chatting by the tall tables in the ballroom stopped to stare at the two figures approaching from the double swing door of the mansion. Their eyes were fixed in awe at the taller of the two, completely enthralled by the set of crimson eyes framed by 'her' thick lashes. They were in perfect coordination with the red yukata and flower hairpin, its ornamental beads swinging in tandem with each footstep.

The ladies released a satisfied sigh when Itachi casually (irritably) flicked away a lock of hair bothering his eye. He felt like a penguin, having being reduced to tottering in baby steps in this restrictive garment. Though judging by everyone's awe-struck expressions, you would have thought he was doing a ballet across the room.

Just then, two ordinary (non-ninja) ladies in purple and blue yukata approached them, bowing their heads demurely like they were greeting some federal lords.

"Konichiwa! We're from the Sasayakana Women's Society; my name is Shizaya and she's Yazashi, please to make your acquaintance!" They chorused and bowed once more. Stuck with no other options, Sakura grudgingly took the role of as their spokesperson.

"Hello, we're from er, Waterfall's Women's Advocates Society; I'm Sakura and this is er, Saa-chan," Sakura fibbed at the last second. Their eyes widened simultaneously at hearing their association.

"The Waterfall's? What an honour! The last we heard there's been some…incident and they're not attending but how glad you're able to make it after all!" Yazashi, a.k.a. the girl creeping closer and closer to Itachi gushed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you two too," Sakura answered with a forced smile, not liking how the girls were batting their eyelashes flirtatiously at her bodyguard.

"Gosh you're so beautiful! I can stare at you the whole day and not get bored!" _Dream on, girl_.

"Ahahaha, Saa-chan is what you call a natural born beauty I guess… Right, _Saa-chan_?" Her smile was getting tighter as she tugged fruitlessly at his yukata, signalling for them to move on.

"Saa-chan right? What a cute name! You're so tall! Are you a model? I feel like a superstar just standing next to you!" _Come on_, Sakura mentally chanted impatiently, waiting for him to just deliver his signature frosty glare and drag them out of this galling fanfare…

To Sakura's extreme horror, he nodded and actually _smiled_. Understandably, the duo along with all the ladies observing them sighed and instantly melted into puddings.

The only times he smiled so brightly (though smirked was closer to the truth) at Sakura was when she said something stupid, and during that one time she was striding around the room half-naked when he suddenly barged in without knocking. Since then, he had taken it upon himself to _constantly_ remind her to lock the door to avoid 'such compromising situations,' as he would call it with a smirk.

Sakura decided she had enough.

"I-It was nice meeting you ladies… Let's _go_ Saa-chan." Dragging Saa-chan by his arms, she quickly located a table hidden beside a pot of fan-shaped palms while grabbing two glasses of champagne along the way to cool her down.

"What were you _thinking_? We're supposed to remain as low-profile as possible; I'm here to _kill _someone for goodness sake!" She hissed under her breath, getting increasingly pissed off when he flashed _another _generous smile at a passing group of women.

"Aren't you the one who told me to blend in? I'm just following your orders," He replied remorselessly as he sipped at the bubbling gold champagne.

"Right, like you ever listened to a word I said," She retorted while nervously scanning the huge space for signs of the kunoichi who had attacked her previously.

"I'm wearing this, aren't I?" He said after a while in a surprisingly soft tone, startling Sakura and nearly toppling her drink. Itachi was really sharp when it came to picking details.

"S-Speaking of which, there's something interesting I've found out about their tattoo."

"What is it?"

"Do you know what cercis means in the language of flowers?" She leaned in and whispered, "It symbolises 'betrayal.' Quite an irony eh? For an organisation that kidnaps girls and betrays her own kind to prostitution just for personal indulgence."

Itachi stopped picking through the peanuts on the table to glance at her.

"Where did you hear that from?"

"I can't remember…Most probably from my village's head? The invitation cards were also issued via the head from the clients…"

"Are you sure the intel from the clients isn't misguided? From what I heard women willingly turned to Yuu to work under her," Itachi divulged with a hint of concern.

"What? That completely contradicts what I know!" She slammed the glass down, causing a crack to rapidly flower along the surface. "Then what does 'betrayal' means? Who betrayed her-"

A blanket of silence was suddenly casted upon the entire ballroom as the overhead chandelier and fairy lights dimmed. The spotlights ignited to life, blasting beams of white lights onto the bottom of a stupendous round-carpeted stairs.

A figure suddenly appeared along the lights, and at the raise of her hands the crowd sparked to life, transforming into a dissonance of tumultuous applause and brouhaha.

"Is that Yuu?" Sakura breathed out, instantly struck by the beauty and grace emanating from her easy deportment and poised smile. She had swiped her wavy navy hair by the nape of her neck, carefully arranged with harlequin butterfly pins that complemented her orange yukata with intricate cherry blossom prints.

Instead of answering her growingly rhetorical question, Itachi's eyes were fixated on the throng of women standing behind Yuu. They were all sporting an identical fuchsia pink obi to Yuu, and one woman in particular captured his attention, the one and only woman with purple hair in an up do and a spark of mischief in her eyes.

His eyes widened with each seconds in disbelief, for once unable to trust his sight. As she stepped into the spotlight, he had to force himself to stay still, gripping onto the table edge for support. He had no idea that she was connected to Yuu, or that she might possibly be a ninja from Waterfall after all.

He was suddenly very glad for the disguise. He had not planned on meeting her so soon after what she had pulled on him, he realised as images of her betrayal came thwacking through his blazing Sharingan as vividly as yesterday. It was evident that a shattered heart was not the only thing she had left in him. He was so inundated with anger and shock that his glass of half emptied champagne began leaking out of the fine cracks along the surface.

"Good evening ladies. I'm Yuu and as the host and President of the Hanazuou Women's Society, I would let to thank everyone for honouring me with your presence." As the next round of applause faded, the overhead lights regained its intensity, revealing the faces of all the ladies behind her. She angled her body and gestured towards them.

"These are some of the wonderful ladies of my society, each and every a bearer of sophisticated talents and beauty. Today would have remained a fantasy if not for their efforts. So please welcome them," Yuu declared with a modest bow and the members followed suit.

The woman with purple hair looked up, barely containing her excitement at the aggregation of people standing before her. Her eyes swiped across the assemblage, halting for a heartbeat when they aligned with his before moving on without a hint of recognition.

He was really glad for the disguise. He really felt like strangling the lying bitch then.

Throwing a glance to the window next to him, he saw the crow he had summoned made an inaudible cry and abandoned the paper-thin tree branch in a flurry of flaps.

"I sense a serious amount of chakra from the eight women behind Yuu; looks like I'll have to separate them from- Itachi why's the table all wet?" Sakura exclaimed when she noticed he was staring intently at somebody. She followed his line of vision and saw that she was one of Yuu's bodyguards, a gorgeous curvaceous woman with a purple up do similar to his. Sakura bit her lips in envy; was this what it took to get his undivided attention? She glimpsed harder and realised she seemed familiar.

"Hi ladies, mind if I join you?" A petite lady with brown braids asked as she sashayed to their table after breaking out of the spotlight. She gave Sakura a quick smile before turning to Itachi.

"No, of course not," Sakura answered obligingly while Itachi remained silent. Like the previous two ladies, her attention was mostly fixed on her bodyguard. However, there was not a look of awe in her piercing gaze, Sakura observed with a gulp of unease.

"Don't you agree there is an interesting congregation of guests this evening? With people coming from all over the countries," The lady added, her eyes lingering deliberately in his direction. For some reason, Itachi was avoiding her eyes.

"S-Seems like the feminist movement is gaining popularity," Sakura replied with a nervous laughter, helpless to the growing tension surrounding this table. Itachi nodded in the direction of the washroom and slipped off, giving Sakura a quick pat on her hand.

_Stay here_, his soft words rang clearly in her head just before he broke their skin contact.

"Ah, I must have drunk too much of this expensive stuff. Excuse me while I visit the washroom too," The lady with braids announced apologetically and followed after him.

_What the_…? Sakura turned towards the direction they were allegedly headed for, but both were already nowhere in sight.

Did they know one another?

* * *

Sakura made certain that all essentials within the hotel room were sufficiently stocked and in their rightful

Just as Itachi reached the courtyard behind the mansion, the lady with braids caught up and jumped in front of his tracks. The yukata had reverted back to its bothersome stature, Itachi thought with vexation.

"Who are you?" The lady demanded, kunai pointing belligerently in his direction. It was only then he allowed his Sharingan to meet her eyes.

"Long time no see, Kurenai-san," He greeted coolly.

The braid lady was nonplussed for a moment, before eliciting a short laugh and lowered the kunai.

"What a surprise. You've…_changed_ so much that I couldn't even recognise you from the last time we met in Konoha, Uchiha itachi," She spat out his name like it was poison.

"And I see your genjutsu…hasn't progressed much since then," He observed as she resurfaced as herself from the puff of smoke. "Though I'm surprised none of them caught on yet." His head tilted to the right as two shuriken slashed through the air past his cheeks.

"What are you doing here?" She was fairly certain the disguise he had on was no illusion, though she highly doubt he assembled this look himself.

"I don't see why that matters to you." Kurenai's eyes flashed as one of her clones surfaced from the well-trimmed turf and grabbed his ankle.

"Why are you with Sakura? What do you want from her?" Itachi's eyes twitched as realisation cut through his mind with acute precision. He almost felt himself taking an involuntary backward step as the full impact of her words sank into his heart.

_So she's from the Leaf_.

He closed his eyes to temporarily shove that information aside and quickly regained his composure. In that short-lived silence there came a ringing explosion so powerful that it even shook the ground they were on. There was no time to be fooling around; it was time for his mission. For some reason, he was not looking forward to going back as much as he had wanted before.

Kurenai felt her grip on his ankle loosened as his body rapidly disintegrated into flocks of crows, flying in the direction towards the mansion.

"Rest assured, this time I have no business with the Leaf people. I've come to capture Yuu."

* * *

Sakura was growing increasingly worried when he was still not back. _I know you told me to wait here, but something just doesn't feel right_! Just as she decided to go search for him, there came a deep rumbling above and seconds later the roof split apart, vomiting an insane amount of water. The water crashed into the ballroom, rapidly filling up the entire space and drowning out the terrified shrills of the ladies.

"Somebody open up the doors and windows!" One of Yuu's ninjas shouted.

"It's no use; they're all locked!" Even with Sakura's monstrous strength, she could only go as far as breaking the handle while the window remained wilfully shut. Someone had casted a powerful chakra barrier around the room, and she tried not to think about how familiar the chakra felt.

A figure fell through the hole into the centre of the room, producing another crushing wave that swiped up all the tables. Time seemed to slow inside the room as tables suspended in the air and the women looked up in horrified stares.

"Look out!" Sakura hopped out of the water and sprinted along the walls, concentrating her chakra and withdrawing her fist.

"_Shannaro_!" Her powerful punch sent the table flying to the opposite side of the room before it could crash into Shizaya and Yazashi.

"You okay?" She extended her hands to help them up.

"Thank you; you saved us!" They cried and flinched as an explosion rang across the room. The kunoichi had begun their retaliation, feverishly flinging kunai towards the enemy.

"Ladies, quick use the stairs to get onto the third floor!" Yuu yelled over the clash of weapons, going around and leading the guests away from the battlefield.

"Yuu-sama!" Kamin turned around in concern, wanting to stay by her side to be her human shield.

"It's okay Kamin, you girls take on the enemy; I'll protect the ladies." At Yuu's confident smile, Kamin reluctantly nodded and charged towards the enemy.

"Come on let's go!" Sakura dragged the two shaking ladies towards Yuu, knowing that this was her only chance to get her. Too bad he could not get to see her finished Yuu off, she thought while sending a quick prayer that Itachi was doing fine.

As the alarmed guests fled down the corridor, Sakura flourished the specially prepared kunai that was slicked with poison and crept up behind Yuu.

Tightening her hold, she raised her weapon-

"Sakura!" A girl around her age in cropped purple top and miniskirt came barrelling towards her. "You're alive! I'm so glad!" She exclaimed and plopped herself onto Sakura like they were some long-lost best friends. The poisoned kunai slid helplessly out of her grasp; she had just missed her one and only opportunity.

"I heard some loud explosions below; are you alright? Come on let's go over to where the rest are," Ino suggested as she tugged futilely at her arm. Sakura felt like changing her target and killing this bothersome girl instead. Hearing their exchange, Yuu walked towards them and nodded.

"She's right; it isn't safe here." To demonstrate her point, a loud whooshing sound followed by a turbulent wave slammed against the wall, shaking the ground below them. "Will you take care of the girls on my behalf, fellow Leaf shinobi?" Yuu entreated with a fierce glint in her orange eyes.

"Of course, Yuu." If she had come any second later, Yuu would have been done for, Ino thought darkly to her self as she kicked Sakura's kunai behind her. With a nod, Yuu dashed towards the ballroom.

"Cone on Sakura." Ino tried again but she simply shook off her hold. Mission be damned, Itachi still was not back and she was certain it had to do with that mysterious woman who had appeared out of nowhere to 'socialise' with them. Could she also be responsible for the uproar happening below?

"I-I think you got the wrong person. I'm sorry I need to go look for somebody…" Sakura replied distractedly as she followed after Yuu.

"What? Who are you looking for?" Ino was flustered; why was she not listening to her and acting like they were strangers?

"Itachi. I need to look for Itachi…" She answered, speaking more to herself as she frantically kicked off her geta to move faster.

"Itachi? _Uchiha Itachi_? As is Sasuke-kun's brother?" She finally caught up to Sakura, though not so much in her train of thoughts.

"Sa-Sasuke…?" The name should not mean anything to her, but instead it was evoking a series of intensive emotions within her that made breathing arduous. She clutched painfully at her chest, choking on these alien sensations, as she was struck by a piercing headache in her left temple.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Ino extended her hands to steady her but Sakura stopped her, supporting herself against the wall.

"U-Uchiha Sasuke… Team 7, revenge…" She was mumbling a string of seemingly unconnected terms and struggling to make sense amidst the unbearable pain. Who was Sasuke?

"_Where did you learn to do this? You have a sister?" She queried softly._

"_No… But I do have a younger brother_."

"Sakura! I knew you'll make it," Yuuhi Kurenai landed in front of the girls, no longer in the disguise of the ninja whom she had knocked unconscious a while ago. "We'll save the details for later. Right now let's proceed with our mission."

"No, Kurenai-sensei please listen to me. There's something you guys need to know."

* * *

"_Guren?"_

"_I found him trying to escape by the Southern gate. If not for Lia's warning who knows which other innocent lady would be targeted next?" The guard offered sheepishly, scratching his head gratefully in Lia/Ino's direction._

"_He used to be the Boss of an organisation notorious for undertaking dirty missions. Recently he played a hand in murdering three women of our village and was caught by Yuu. Sadly we were too late in saving the women," Hijimoto whispered helpfully as Ino scrambled to piece together the missing puzzle in her web of information._

"_Doesn't that constitute as a 'severe crime?' So why isn't he killed?" Ino asked Hijimoto._

"_We have no choice. We need him to cough out the names of the other people in his organisation to wipe out the plague for good. So far, his lips are sealed."_

"_So here's where you play a huge part in, Lia," Leader declared seemingly out of nowhere behind her, putting one right hand on her shoulder, "Or should I say Yamanaka Ino of Konoha?"_

_Ino looked around; the easy-going atmosphere had quickly dissipated and __was __replaced with hostile stares and weapons held in bellicose. Her eyes hardened as she refrained herself from giving away anymore than necessary._

"_So you knew; since when?"_

"_We have Hijimoto to thank; she was one_ _the one who caught onto your act the __day we clashed in the forest," Leader explained as Hijimoto averted her eyes from Ino's appalled expression._

"_You've been acting all along?" Ino asked in an ironically accusatory tone._

"_Lia has never liked Hijimoto getting too close to her, but then we all assumed she must have been hurt real bad to push Hiji away. I can hardly blame her, not if someone is pouncing on me every chance she gets," __Shin commented with an arrogant smirk._

"_Shin that's so rude of you… I don't 'pounce' on Lia," Hijimoto grumbled before glancing at Ino, "Truth be told, Lia has never quite liked me. This might be the longest someone has been willing to listen and talk to me, even though everything's been an act."_

"_S-Somehow you're making me guilty…" Ino answered awkwardly, unable to justify the burgeoning sympathy she felt towards the enemy._

"_As silly as this sounds, thank you for listening and talking to me. This has been a beautiful illusion," Hijimoto concluded with a rueful smile._

"_Y-You aren't such a bad person! Maybe just a tad talkative…" It was no use; she had fallen asleep._

"_She must be still exhausted. Poor Hiji, I didn't know she was feeling so ostracised," Mizuki reeled behind her purple mask before catching Leader's eyes. "I'm so sorry Yuuya-san, please continue."_

"_To be on the safe side, I went on to research on all the possible body possession techniques from the Hidden Leaf Village. It did not take long to figure out it was the secret Mind Body Switch Technique of the Yamanaka clan, and you are the daughter of the clan's head, Yamanaka Inoichi," Leader revealed as she used her blood to draw out the Yamanaka clan symbol on the coffee table to prove her point._

"_So then why did you not kill me straightaway?" Ino questioned as she discreetly noted that all immediate exits were blocked by the ninjas._

"_Oh believe me I wanted to, but Hijimoto pleaded for me to wait, since you are in Lia's body," She added with a hint of anger. "Anyway, I got fascinated by this jutsu of yours so I went on to dig a little further… And that's when I found out you could probe into people's mind." Ino immediately saw where this was going._

"_So you want to use my ability,,,"_

"_To help us, to protect the ladies of Waterfall from injustice."_

* * *

After a moment of intense silence, Kurenai was the first to speak up. "I do not like where this is going, but do continue."

"It seems that after the evil head Guren was captured by Yuu, his underlings wanted revenge. However, they knew they were powerless against Yuu's people. Shortly after came news of Yuu's upcoming party. That's when they realised they could get her then, and without dirtying their hands. So, they tracked down women attending the party and murdered them…"

"Are you saying the invitation cards…!" Sakura gasped as her hands flew to her mouth. Ino could only nod dejectedly.

"They're from the ladies those men killed."

"So our clients are actually Guren's underlings… We've been had." Kurenai shook her head as she brandished a scroll and made some quick scribbles. "I need to inform Tsunade-sama of this." She secured the scroll to a messenger pigeon and it was immediately off.

"Guess our mission's just turned into babysitting huh?"

"Good work on the mind transfer by the way, Ino," Kurenai commended before eyeing their surroundings. "So where's Yuu now?"

"She was here with us a while ago but she decided to join the fight downstairs to get rid of the uninvited guests-"

"WHAT? We've got to stop her! She's no match for him…" Kurenai cursed under her breath as she began in the direction of the ballroom.

"What do you mean, Kurenai-sensei…" Ino's words were cut short when Sakura quickly overtook Kurenai and was sprinting urgently towards the battlefield below. "Hey Sakura where are you going?"

* * *

The intruder was quickly surrounded by Yuu's ninjas and in perfect synchrony they began forming a series of hand seals.

"Water Style: Water Fang Bullet!" Blades of spinning water shot up around the huge enemy and converged onto him from all directions, strategically using his water technique to their advantage.

However, as the water missiles subsided, the man was nowhere in sight. Without warning, four of the seven ninjas started collapsing one after another, while the other three found themselves trapped in Kisame's water prisons created by his water clones.

"The Boss's all yours, Itachi-san."

"I was barely gone for a second and you've turned the whole place into your bathtub," Itachi quipped as he landed gracefully next to his chuckling partner. As Kisame was draining off the water, he found himself doing a double take at Itachi's…unusual get-up.

"Itachi-san, is this genjutsu? Because all I see is one hell of a bishoujo standing next to me." Itachi took a slow deep breath; he was not about to lose his cool then, but it was growing harder not to take such passing comments as an insult to his manhood.

"This is real," He answered reluctantly as his eyes remained fixed on Yuu walking down the steps across the room. He thought he heard Kisame mumbled the words 'gay' and 'be careful,' but chose to ignore either.

"How unsightly of you people to turn up uninvited and scaring all my ladies," Yuu berated coolly, stopping at where she first appeared and crossing her arms displeasingly.

"Yuu, quietly come with us and we'll leave this place and your ladies alone," Itachi ordered in his deep monotonous tone. To Yuu's credit, she remained unfazed by his ambiguous gender. Instead, she threw back her head and laughed mirthlessly.

"Is that your way of asking a lady out for a date? Because trust me, there's only one answer, and it's not an answer you're going to like."

"I have no need for your answer because I'm coming to get you now." As the last word left his lips he charged towards Yuu, his hands forming speedy hand signs.

"So you like to play rough huh? Then that makes the two of us!" Not about to be put down without a fight, Yuu leapt off towards him in a burst of chakra, forming hand signs almost as quickly as Itachi.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

"Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu!" In a matter of seconds, the fire was consumed by the vortex of water, leaving a massive cloud of steam in its wake. It seemed that even the great Uchiha fire was no match against its natural elemental weakness.

"After all the big talk, is that all you've got? I'm certainly unimpressed," She smirked, wriggling her index finger in an 'uh-uh' manner.

"What's the fun if it's over in a second?" As if to prove his point, he inhaled a lungful of air and breathed out a series of small fireballs. She jumped to avoid the oncoming attacks when he fired another volley of fireballs converging into her from all directions.

"Do you still think fire can triumph over water?" Yuu slammed her palms together, forming a protective wall of water around her to diffuse the fire. However, she failed to detect the hidden shuriken within the fireballs and a few stray shuriken sliced through her yukata's sleeves, cutting her skin deep.

"The element is only as strong as the wielder's capabilities," Itachi countered a few feet in front of her. Tearing her torn sleeves off, she extended her arm and began coagulating water flowing off her palm into a crystallised dagger.

"You're really cocky for someone who's about to die!" In a flash, Yuu's dagger pierced through Itachi's chest, and he sank to his knees in surprise. Yuu's fierce eyes looked up and found Kisame perched by the window at the opposite end of the room, the gigantic sword sitting easily on his shoulder.

"Your friend's down; I guess that leaves you huh Mister?" Instead of answering, Kisame simply flashed her his rows of glistening shark-like teeth.

"Who did you say was down?" Itachi whispered quietly behind her. In the moment of astound she spun around – and right into the eyes of his blazing Mangekyou Sharingan.

"Tsukuyomi."

Kisame got onto his feet and cracked his neck as Itachi caught Yuu's fallen body and held her against his chest.

"That was fast, as usual." Unlike Itachi, Kisame preferred taking his time playing with his opponent.

"J-Just answer me this… Are you a man or woman?" Yuu muttered breathlessly in his arms. He was surprised she was still conscious after what he had done to her mind.

"Would it make the betrayal slightly bearable if I told you I'm a woman?"

"W…What are you saying? Men…" She sniggered weakly before her limbs went limped. Even in her defeated state, her hatred towards men was palpable to Itachi. Perhaps fire and water did share some similarities after all.

* * *

Sakura dashed towards the balcony, where she could sense Itachi's chakra signature.

"Let's go," Itachi said to his partner just as Sakura stopped herself by the balcony entrance, her eyes growing wide in disbelief at Yuu's beaten body in his arms.

So he was after Yuu all along.

Her face was such an open book that it was a pain to look at.

He was a traitor of their village, a man who had caused irreparable damage to Sasuke, her fellow teammate and his own brother.

She was just someone necessary to fulfil his mission.

He had used her, and now he was casting her aside.

"Uchiha Itachi…" Itachi's eyes widened; it was the way she had spoken his name that he knew.

She knew.

"Oh no, they've got Yuu! We've got to-" Kurenai caught Ino's arm before she could do anything reckless.

"We're courting our own death if we take on them heads on. It's too dangerous."

"Sensei's right, even with three to two, we're no match for them," Sakura stated in an eerily calm voice, her eyes not once leaving Itachi's serious gaze.

"But!" Ino hated to admit they were powerless against them, and their only option was to let the enemy slipped out of their hands, even when Yuu was just an arm's length away.

"Aren't we fortunate to have three beautiful ladies send us off?" Kisame chortled as he lowered Samehada.

"There is no need to fight them; we're leaving straightaway."

Sakura knew no words could stop him; he was a man on mission. Besides, they were not even supposed to meet, and it was absurd to even mention forming any attachment to someone…like him.

They were not fated to be together.

Before they fled, his Sharingan caught her last unspoken words just as he turned his head and leapt off the balcony into the forest with Kisame.

_Please don't kill Yuu_.

It seemed that Sakura's companions were unaware of their acquaintanceship, though he could not explain the feeling of relief sitting in his chest.

"Yes sensei! Sakura, Sakura you heard that?"

"Huh?" Itachi was no longer around, and for some reason the world suddenly seemed a little duller than before.

"We need to head back inside to settle the petrified crowd. Let's go!" Taking one last glance at the empty balcony, Sakura closed her eyes and followed after her teammates.

"Right."

* * *

Itachi felt himself sighing for the fifth time since they left Yuu's mansion. As understandable as it was, Kisame was simply…going overboard. Any more he was going to feel seriously offended.

"Kisame, you've been laughing for the past fifteen minutes… I think it's time to stop." When he felt like he could breathe, he turned to look at Itachi, only to feel the laughter bubbling uncontrollably out of his lungs again.

"S-Sorry but ojo-chan, why are you following me?"

"Mangekyou Sharingan."

"Whoa whoa, I get it! Please rest your eyes Itachi-san…" Kisame's shoulders sagged in relief when he finally deactivated his Sharingan.

"I was just joking."

Kisame swore the killing intent he felt was anything but joking. This was the problem when you got teamed up with someone who could potentially stab you with a kunai and tell you he meant no harm.

"So what's the plan now?"

"Let's find a place to camp for the night; I don't sense anyone on our tails so we should be safe for now," Itachi remarked with a violent shake of his head.

"Hey Itachi-chan, I'm really impressed; how do you move so well in this…attire?" _Itachi-chan? Was that on purpose_?

"Curious?" He asked with a glinting smile and an unsettling shiver ran through him. Itachi did not do smiles, not even when Kisame bought for him his favourite snack.

"N-No not really…" They soon found a clearing surrounded by thick emergent trees and deposited Yuu on the ground. "I guess we'll be seeing them in a day or two, isn't that right Itachi-cha, er, san?" He corrected at the last second just before today could turn into his death anniversary.

Itachi began untying the obi and sighed, finally relieved of the restrictive cloth around him. Though the bun on his head was turning into a bit of a hassle, he thought as he attempted to shake it loose for the fifth time.

"That's right. Now we just have to wait; the message's been delivered."

* * *

**The seal that has been keeping our hero &amp; heroine together has broken; will their identities keep them apart, or will their blooming love strive to conquer it all? Until then...**


	9. I Might Love You But I Can't Love You

**Chapter 9 – I Might Love You But I Can't Love You**

Sakura picked up the flower hairpin from the centre of the devastated ballroom, along with a piece of note it was attached to.

_Ask Fuu to go to the abandoned training ground at the Eastern Street of Suisen two days from now before dawn breaks. She must come alone, or Yuu is as good as dead_.

"What should we do now, Kurenai-sensei? Do we have to go after them?" Ino whinged as Sakura passed over the note to Yuuya, a.k.a. Leader and the person with the highest authority next to Yuu. Her brows knitted together at the conditions of exchange.

"They're after Fuu-sama? Could it be…?" Mizuki asked quietly behind her purple mask. Leader crumpled the note and dumped it to the ground.

"So they're here at least…" Yuuya sighed heavily as she crossed her arms and turned away in vexation.

Kurenai was the only one who picked up the underlying message of their exchange while Sakura and Ino exchanged puzzled glances.

"You know the kidnappers?"

"We've heard rumours of a highly dangerous organisation that takes on mercenary jobs and targets a certain group of people…"

"The Akatsuki," Kurenai supplied with a knowing expression, remembering the last time something similar like this happened in Konoha and was certain they were here for the same reason.

"Yes that's the name. Could it be that they're after the seven tails inside of Fuu?" Yuuya asked bluntly, surprising her subordinates.

"Leader!"

"It's okay, Mizuki. I'm sure the Leaf shinobi did their research before they came to attack us, am I right… Kurenai-san? Is it okay if I call you that?" She smiled politely in a way that was meant to call truce between the two villages.

"Yes that'll be fine. And yes…we have heard that Fuu is the host of Choumei but as far as we know she's currently missing?" Kurenai pointed out.

"You wouldn't think Yuu would be keeping tabs on her own sister's whereabouts would you? Shin!"

"Yes Leader?"

"Go get Fuu, and tell her that her sister's...bringing some friends." Shin nodded gravelly and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kurenai frowned at the peculiar and vague message but did not comment, deciding it might be Yuuya's way of not letting Fuu be worried over her sister's plight.

"It's strange how they could break in so easily, going as far as to replace our protective barrier with one that prevents people from escaping the room…" Mizuki commented next to Yuuya, who was also the one who casted the barrier. Ino slammed her fist onto her palm in realisation.

"Besides the burly guy in the black cloak there's another lady who's dressed in a yukata – she might have snuck in to pinpoint Yuu's location first _then_ deactivated the barrier to let her partner in," Ino explained but Yuuya shook her head.

"On top of the barrier, only guests who possess the invitation card can get passed the chakra scanner and enter. There's no way she could have just 'snuck in.'"

"Not unless someone gave her the invitation card," Ino countered with a shrug.

Beside Ino, Sakura was staring hard at the ground and clenching her fists in guilt and self-reproach.

"I wonder where she got it from…" Sakura found the words stuck in her throat; she could not find the courage to admit that she was the sole cause of this disaster. _This is my fault, since I was the one stupid enough to give him that invitation card_…

"Not 'her,' that's Uchiha Itachi, Ino," Kurenai corrected quietly next to her. Ino froze for a second before erupting into bubbles of laughter.

"What? You're kidding right sensei?" She was surprised that she could come up with such a joke at this tensed situation, but Kurenai's face remained solemn. She felt her wide grin slipping and heart sinking. "Eh… EHHH? You're kidding right sensei? HE LOOKS LIKE A FRIGGING WOMAN!" She threw her hands out in disbelief. What had the Akatsuki done to him?

"Even I was fooled when I first saw him… And he was just standing by the table right next to Sakura."

"Y-Yea, I was so shocked when I found that out!" Sakura remarked with a nervous laughter, shaking her head to hide her troubled frown.

"He was huh…" Ino reflected with a thoughtful glance in Sakura's direction, but she was too lost in her thoughts to heed her curious stare.

"So here's the plan. When Shin returns with Fuu…"

_Sakura…and Itachi huh… _

* * *

While they were sitting quietly by the campfire waiting for their fishes (credits to Kisame) to be cooked, a messenger pigeon dove through the woods towards the gentle flame. Itachi extended his arm and it circled around him before landing elegantly on his index finger.

"Is that bills from the hotel?" Kisame quipped next to him.

"I don't do bad debts," He retorted like he had the nerve to even suggest that as he removed the scroll from the pigeon's back, and unrolled it before sending the bird on its way.

_Follow up on case #3043, type 3 – Request of information on "kunoichi with short pink hair and a foul temper:"_

_Name: Haruno Sakura_

_Country of birth: Land of the Fire, Hidden Village of the Leaf_

_Current rank: Chuunin_

_Family status: Only child, both parents alive_

_Remarks: Lady Tsunade / Godaime's apprentice; possibly inherited foul temper from her master_

_Payment: Cash, received in full_

_We look forward to serving you again_!

"A bit late with the information huh…" Itachi mumbled with a rueful smile to himself. _Guess that explained some things_…

"'Haruno Sakura…' You checking up on someone, Itachi-san?" Kisame chimed in over his shoulder, peering nosily at the scroll. With one breath he reduced the scroll into ashes, eliciting a pout from his partner.

"You're too close." At the disgusted look in Itachi's face, Kisame blinked before promptly bursting into snorts of laughter and clapping merrily at his thigh.

"Hey, just because I said you looked beautiful doesn't mean I'm crushing on you alright? I only have the hots for women, _bona fide_ women," He added rather unnecessarily just to spite him. Itachi felt his eyes twitched in irritation, especially so by that smug look on his blue face. What was the crime in looking more (urgh) feminine than the average chad?

"Kisame."

"Yes, my man?"

"Your fish's on fire," He noted with an apathetic nod to his stick. The grin was gone in a second as he released a loud squeak and hurriedly fanned at the fire, growing wilder in tandem to Itachi's displeasure.

"Damn it, Itachi-san! You did that on purpose didn't you?" Itachi shrugged, feeling silly but nevertheless pleased. He might have failed to mention that since he set up the fire, he had full control over its intensity. An Uchiha would not stand to be humiliated so easily!

"Do you need some help? I can use my Amaterasu to put out that fire…" Itachi offered innocently, going as far as to put on a concerned look.

"Are you kidding me…wait you're serious?" He turned in time to catch that rare and _creepy_ smile spreading across his face as the chakra around him shifted. "Hey I really appreciate it but I think I can manage… Wait you're getting too close!" Kisame exclaimed as he crawled backwards from the sinister Mangekyou Sharingan spinning in his sight.

"I've always wondered how the food will taste when cooked with black flames… Shall I try it out?" He would never admit this but he really loved teasing Kisame occasionally, just to create an illusion that they were simply ordinary friends on an adventure and not some wanted man everyone wanted dead. It was silly but nevertheless necessary to stay sane. Be shrouded in darkness long enough and one would eventually grow blind to light.

"I get it Itachi-san I'll stop with the you-look-like-woman jokes! You can also have the rest of the fish and that smooth spot next to the fire! Just leave me with one blanket…"

"Amate…"

"FINE! You can have both the blankets!" Itachi pretended to think for a while Kisame panted away in misery.

"Now if you insist…" A chilly blast of wind swept by the clearing just then, and Kisame wondered if he should have just accepted food cooked by those _black_ flames instead of shivering in the cold for the entire night.

"Don't mention it, Itachi-san," He mumbled reluctantly at last.

* * *

_Two days later_…

Fuu skipped through the inky forest, humming blithely amidst the silent and still landscape while skilfully darting the overhead branches and bumpy ground.

She was told that there would be skilled shinobi watching her back and to only attack if she found her safety threatened. She was fine with anything as long as she could see her sister again; she was always busy with her women's club to make time for her and she was feeling lonely. If she was lucky she might even get to meet those shinobi bodyguards. She heard they were from another village and she could not wait to make friends with them. One could never have too many friends was after all her Ninja Way.

At the exact moment where dawn broke, she segued from pitch-black to an empty field, with hints of rays peeking over the canopy and mountains far away. She was disappointed to find that there was no one at the designated location. She felt it such a waste; imagine how many people could fit in such an airy space and how many friends she could make!

"Ahhhhh! The air smells great; it's going to be a good day ahead!" She exclaimed towards the cloudless grey sky, making Kisame chuckle from their hiding spot on the tree branch next to Itachi.

"So that's supposed to be the Jinchuuriki huh? She doesn't look too pessimistic to me either. Why is Leader always giving us these weirdos?"

"I wonder. Maybe he thinks we're not any better," He replied with a half-smile, prompting a raised brow from Kisame.

"You seemed to be in a good mood today, Itachi-san." What he really meant was 'Did you just crack a _joke_ in the middle of our mission?' With the way he was behaving these days, Kisame was starting to get crept out and increasingly worried about his mental welfare. Maybe those excessive murders and the break up with the woman were finally catching up to him.

"Am I? I'm always like that," He answered in a way that indicated he really believed what he said. Kisame wondered just how Itachi saw and thought of himself as a person (probably not the same way as he did). Maybe he should ask him that some time in the future.

They leapt off from their shady spot and landed at the foot of the tree, some distance away from where Fuu was crouched by the grassy terrain cheerfully picking at wild flowers.

"We've come to get you, Fuu," Itachi started in his dead serious tone. Fuu glanced up and her face immediately lit up as though he just announced they were going to be best friends. She got up and began running towards them.

"She's coming, shall I take care of her this time?" At Itachi's approving nod, Kisame reached behind his back for Samehada and charged maniacally towards his new prey. It had been too long since he faced off someone with nearly as much chakra as him. Even Samehada seemed fired up as he brought the living sword down, and missed…?

Fuu sprang off the ground before the sword could make contact and landed on the sword's body, before hopping over Kisame's head and dashing towards Itachi. It was like Kisame was just a boulder standing in her way.

"What the…?" Itachi took a cautious step back as she screeched to a halt in front of him. She beamed before flourishing something behind her as he extracted three shuriken. Staring in his face was a bouquet of small white flowers in her small hands. It felt rude to just fling shuriken at someone who was giving you flowers and Itachi awkwardly lowered his weapons. Both men were unsure of what to do and could only stare on dumbly (when in doubt, let the lady take the lead?).

"Hi there! Yuuya told me my sister's here. Are you Yuu's friend? Can you be my friend too?" Fuu quizzed with a goofy grin, cocking her head left and right while waiting for his response. Itachi turned to make eye contact with his partner, but his equally befogged eyes mirrored his. Finally, he looked down into her eager eyes and gingerly accepted her flowers.

"Shall we go elsewhere to play? I know of a place with lots of flowers like this," Itachi asked politely, a sure work method (that only applied to him) when capturing a Jinchuuriki that was both fuss-free and blood-free.

"Really? Alright!" Once again, they exchanged an incredulous glance over Fuu's head.

"That was… Easy?" Kisame commented meekly behind her. "Maybe we should use this chance to get a pay rise."

"You just want to see Kakuzu suffer." Whenever Leader ordered Kakuzu to increase a team's fund, the penny-pincher would put on a disturbingly miserable expression in an attempt to gain sympathy, and it never failed to set Kisame off.

"Was it that obvious? Heh, you know me well." Skipping past a skeptical Itachi, she whirled around and pointed towards the tree where they were hiding a while ago.

"Is my sister over there? How can she sleep through such a beautiful landscape? I'm going to bring her back and give her a peace of my mind… Maybe we'll play some other time~" She declared with an apologetic grin and made a run towards the tree.

"Kisame." They nodded and began dashing towards Fuu.

"Looks like we'll have to bring her back by force-"

"_Shannaro_!" Sakura's leg went slamming through the earth from heaven between the men, breaking up the ground into two and causing nearby trees to topple. The outburst sent everyone on ground jumping to avoid being hit, and in the midst of distraction, Kurenai was able to rescue the tied up unconscious Yuu before Kisame could stop her.

"Damn it, what's the Leaf shinobi doing here?"

"Where chu looking at?" Sakura yelled as she drew back a chakra-packed punch and aimed for his face, only to be stopped by his gigantic sword. The impact sent him flying a couple of feet towards Ino, who had three kunai flung in his direction.

"Kisame, behind you!" The Substitution Technique kicked in at the last second and he reappeared next to Itachi. Itachi turned to look at Fuu, who looked torn between whom to befriend after him.

"Fuu." At his command, she twisted around, only to find herself getting lost in his Sharingan and was soon unconscious.

"You take Fuu and go to the base, I'll stay here and fend off these nuisances," Kisame said as Itachi propped her body into his arms.

"Don't kill them; it might cause us unnecessary trouble if you were to kill off three of Leaf's ninjas."

"That's a shame, but I'll see what I can do." With an affirmative nod, Itachi sped off towards the forest.

"Oh no you don't!" Sakura declared as she gave chase after him. Before either Kurenai or Ino could stop her, Kisame stepped in their way and flashed them a menacing smile that showed off his impressive rows of sharp teeth.

"Shall we get started, ladies?"

* * *

For Sakura, these two days was possibly the worst time she had to go through next to the memory of the day Sasuke defected from their village. The determined faces of her comrades and the ill-hidden anxiety among the Waterfall ninjas only served to fuel the guilt consuming her inside out. She felt irresponsible, incompetent, and a complete failure as a ninja.

The worst? She could not even summon the courage to own up to her negligence.

If only she had not met _him_, she thought resentfully, her fists tightening as she pushed herself harder against the tree branch. She must have lost a screw when she hit her head, because why in the world would she come to associate with that traitor and even developed feelings for him?

Wait, what feelings? The only feeling she harboured towards him was anger, and why the hell could he move so fast while carrying another person?

"Uchiha Itachi stop right there!" Gosh, just saying his name was making her blood boil. "I know you're after the Choumei inside her!" At the mention of the mystic Bijuu, he slowed down and turned around to face her.

"You know, I really don't want to fight you, Sakura." The easy way he said her name made her heart skipped an involuntary beat and she quickly averted his eyes. She hated the way he could affect her without trying; she hated herself even more to fall for it.

"And I know that you were only using me to get into the mansion to capture Yuu… Did you know from the start that I was after her?"

"Believe or not, I have no idea, at least not until the day you passed me the invitation card." She could feel the usually tamed chakra within her surging out of control, because of the blatant truth of the situation. "And it would be dumb of me to turn down such an opportunity, don't you think?"

"You asshole… I'm going to kill you now!" Grabbing a tagged kunai she flung it towards him. The resulting explosion sent frightened birds and creatures scrambling for dear life as the duo engaged in a clash of fists.

"Why did you rescue me that day in the forest? This wouldn't have happened if you just left me alone!" She vented as she bent to deliver a roundhouse kick, missing him and breaking through the tree trunk instead.

"Sakura…" He raised his arms in an 'X' to block her punch and went crashing through the foliage. Sakura hopped over the branches with the poisoned kunai in hand to finish him off, only to find the broken body dissolving into flocks of crows. Before she could react, a sudden force slammed against her back, making her lost her balance and flying over the tree edge.

Itachi snatched over the kunai from her loosened grip, drawing his arm back and gazing sullenly down into her perturbed eyes. She instinctively knew she was doomed then, and squeezed her eyes shut to block out the image of Itachi killing her. At least then she could deceive herself that it was a rogue ninja who had finished her off.

Before the kunai could cut through her heart, he released his hold on the weapon at the last second, letting the poison drenched blade fell soundlessly through the quiet morning air. Before she realised what he was doing, his hand reached around her head and he brought his lips down to meet hers.

For a moment time stood still and gravity ceased to exist as they remained suspended mid-air. He could feel her struggling to break free but it was a half-hearted attempt. Interlocked like this made issues like identity and circumstances seemed irrelevant.

_Why are you doing this to me_? She wanted to shout. _What does this mean to you_?

He thought her lips tasted salty. She was surprised by how tender his kisses were against his firm grip. He thought this might be the biggest mistake he had ever made. She knew she would never have the courage to kill him.

The clattering sound of the fallen kunai against the forest ground pulled them out of the dreamscape. Finally, time started moving and they crashed onto the floor, sending up a cloud of dust.

He had shifted her body around at the last minute, Sakura thought to herself as she peeled her body off his chest. Even after taking the brunt of the fall, he did not reveal any signs of pain but was quietly gazing into her desolate eyes.

"Why…?" Sakura implored softly. Suddenly she felt her arms grew weak and she fell back against him, feeling an unaccounted sense of numbness travelling down her body. Carefully, he pulled himself up and leaned her body against a nearby tree. It was only then that she recalled the hint of bitterness in their kiss.

Picking up Fuu, he began his way deeper into the forest, turning back once just before he was completely swallowed up by the darkness.

"Sayonara Sakura."

* * *

"Good job on fulfilling your mission. Even though you could not save the Jinchuuriki, be glad that you're still alive after facing off the Akatsuki… So snap out of your self-pitying faces already!" Tsunade slapped her office desk, making everyone jumped. That included Shizune, who was anxiously scanning the day's old table for cracks. After receiving news of Akatsuki's intervention in Waterfall, she went into rage mode and had dumped the old table out of the window without a second's thought.

Three days had passed since they departed from the Hidden Waterfall Village and upon reaching Konoha they headed straight for Tsunade's office.

"S-Sorry Tsunade-sama…" The three bowed as one.

"Yosh, I'll be expecting your individual reports in three day's time. For now, do go back and catch up on your sleep. Sakura especially, your bags are horrible."

"Y-Yes, Shishou…" As everyone dispersed out of the room, Ino grabbed Sakura's arm before she could walk off.

"Sakura, can I talk to you for a moment?"

* * *

Sakura should have known when it came to the affairs of the heart nothing could escape her best friend's shrewd eyes.

"WHAT? So you slept with Uchiha Itachi-"

"I didn't _sleep_ sleep with him; we only shared a bed…" They were alone in Sakura's apartment, sitting on her bed as Sakura divulged the truth of what happened during the time they were separated.

"I knew it was not a coincidence that you were standing next to him during the party… And when you said you were 'looking for Itachi,' you had me completely freaked out then." Had she really said that? Anyway, the cosy days with that man now felt like distant mountains, pretty on posters but torturous to explore.

"Like I've said-"

"Yes yes, you've lost your memory and had no idea you were chasing after the tail of a criminal who you may or may not be in love with…"

"Ino! I so am not in _love _with him…" She trailed off uncertainly as she stared off into the distance of Konoha's nightscape. Sakura was really glad she could finally unload some of these burdens, and right now she needed an unprejudiced person to evaluate her next course of action.

"Of course not right? I mean he did betray Konoha after all…" Even though Sakura was well aware of that harsh truth, it still felt terrible to hear it being said out loud.

"I've assumed that everything would be clearer once I got back my memory, but never in the world would I expect…"

"Shall I try to hit you in the head to make you forget everything then?"

"If only things are always so easy." She vaguely remembered he had said something similar, having finally understood his words. The girls smiled sadly at one another before falling into silence.

"It's kinda scandalous, if you think about it. Who would have imagined - _you _and Sasuke's older brother? Mind blown."

"Well we won't be seeing each other anymore so it doesn't matter."

"Damn… Is this the classic 'it's over before it begins love story-' Hey I was just joking! Come on don't look so down!" Ino pulled Sakura in a tight embrace, simply glad for her to be safe and sound. "But seriously, you should inform Tsunade-sama about this. Who knows, this information may prove valuable in time to come."

"I don't know about the 'valuable' part, but I guess I should… He _is _from Konoha after all…" Sakura smiled forcefully as Ino nodded encouragingly.

Rationally, she was more than glad to have broken off contact with him. Her heart, on the other hand, remained undecided, thinking there was more than it meets the eye behind Uchiha Itachi's choices. However, a part within her knew that this would not be the last time she would be seeing him.

* * *

**Sorry this took a while; thank you fellow guests who reviewed &amp; loyal readers (U know who U R) of this story. I would love to hear how you guys think of this story/how i can improve the story so please don't keep the comments to yourself!**


	10. A Love Triangle?

**Chapter 10 – A Love Triangle…?**

Tsunade pulsed her lips, crossed her arms below her ample bosoms and leaned against her desk chair. Sakura had seen her pulled this move a couple of times, and it was her Master's speak for 'I don't believe a shit you just said, but I'll try.'

"So you're saying, _Uchiha Itachi_ rescued you from the river…"

"Yes... And I'm really sorry for not telling you straight away-"

"And you…shared a room with him…?"

"I'm afraid I did…"

"And nothing else happened?"

"Y-Yea, nothing." Sakura was already regretting this, but she could not bear the thought of having to keep secrets from her most respected mentor any longer, and chided herself to suck it up.

"Nothing…at all?"

"Yes, what's the issue-"

"Is he _gay_? I mean this is unbelievable," Tsunade interrupted incredulously, catching Sakura by surprise. She had rehearsed for today's confession at least a hundred times, had went through every thinkable scenarios but apparently she was still miles behind her master.

"Wait Tsunade-shisou, you mean that's your concern? Aren't you angry that I-"

"HELL I'M ANGRY SAKURA!" She slammed her palm into the centre of the desk, sending the piles of documents toppling and flying all over the office. Sakura jumped and quickly looked down in remorse as Tsunade took a deep breath and glanced sharply in her direction.

"Sakura, I need you to be completely honest with me from now on; did he or did he _not_ do anything inappropriate to you?"

"N-No! He did his stuffs and I did mine. His chakra is so well suppressed that I can hardly tell he's around!" She had recounted the entire incident from when they first met till attending the women's party together and throughout Tsunade had remained eerily silent. She had no idea what was on her master's mind, until now.

Tsunade picked up the report she just submitted and flashed it towards her.

"I take it that this report contains everything, including things that you did not mention during our last meeting, with not a detail left out?"

"Y-Yes!" After sending her a steely gaze, she swiped the report like retracting a paper fan shut and plonked it on her table.

"As a punishment for your ill-made choice of withholding such an important report, I'll suspend you from outside village missions for a month." While Sakura was deciding whether to let her shoulders drop in relief or disappointment, Tsunade pointed a determined finger in her direction. "Don't go off thinking this is a chance to slack. Throughout this month you'll be reporting to the hospital everyday and be the OIC of the A&amp;E Department." Everyone in the hospital knew the Accidents &amp; Emergency Department would always be the busiest and taxing for even the deftest medical ninja. Sakura could already feel herself slogging off like a pig, and pants getting looser by the minute just _thinking_ about it.

"Those soldier pills that you've formulated may just come in handy Sakura, though you might want to work on the flavouring; it tastes really horrible."

* * *

Stopping in front of what seemed to be a hill, Kisame reached out to peel off a piece of paper camouflaging the entrance of the cave. With one hefty thrust of his Samehada, the temporary piles of rocks acting as a door crumpled, revealing a cool and cavernous cavity.

"For an underused space it sure smells pleasant in here; did Pein install some air-freshener?"

"Must be that 'Angel' of his," Itachi replied in his typical deadpanned manner, but Kisame knew that was his way of being sarcastic. He chuckled and carefully set Fuu's unconscious body in the center. It was not everyday that he got to witness the snobby side of Itachi, or hearing him giving his thoughts on other people's relationships.

"Lucky for us we're early, or Pein's not going to be very happy to hear that."

"Not happy to hear what, Kisame?" Pein's ephemeral body suddenly zapped to life a body away, shocking the nerve out of Kisame.

"Oh hey Leader." He greeted smoothly with a dazzling smile. "It's just I may have forgotten to bring back the flame broiled fish that you requested; as soon as I ordered it Itachi-san started cawing for me…"

"Don't remind me Kisame, you were frigging _shopping_ in the middle of our mission for goodness sake…" Itachi murmured somewhat loudly behind him, and he quickly cleared his throat to avert Leader's questioning eyes.

"Anyway no worries, I've brought along some grilled fish that I made along the way; I know they're your favourite."

"Oh, thanks but those aren't actually for me…" Peini trailed off when he caught the duo's raised brows and quickly replaced his troubled eyes with his usual gravelly expression, the "I'm God and what about you?" face.

"Right, good job on the Jinchuuriki's capture. I take it that there hasn't been any problems with this one?"

"They've put up some fight, but nothing we can't handle," Kisame answered and Pein nodded.

"I was right to trust you two on this. You see, I wasn't confident the other teams wouldn't have killed her off just to stop her from moving around before bringing her back…" He explained while forming a series of hand seals.

"So… It wasn't because you think we're weird?" Kisame's question made Pein paused at the last hand seal.

"What? What makes you say that?"

"No, it's just…"

"Please ignore Kisame and carry on with the jutsu," Itachi interjected at the last minute, unable to stomach this silly conversation any longer. He had been _joking _when he mentioned that, could Kisame not tell?

"Alright… Sealing Technique: Phantom Dragon's Nine Seals!" As he slapped his palm onto the dusty ground, a deep rumbling ensued and the Demonic Statue ascended from the depths of its deep slumber. Kisame cracked his head and rotated his shoulder in preparation as his fellow members assembled on each of the statue's fingertips in their evanescent form. Simultaneously, they hopped onto their respective spots, and Itachi landed lightly with a heavy heart. He really hated going through with this, but he needed to keep up with his obligations, and could only mentally apologised for robbing another innocent life.

_This is the path I've chosen for myself, I may feel but I cannot react to those feelings. This is the only thing I can do for now_…

"Now that everyone's assembled, let's start."

* * *

"Sugar, you're wearing ye top the wrong way." Absent-mindedly, Sakura looked down and realised with horror that the seventy year old grandma was spot on. She was also rather loud with her comment, so now the seven visitors lounging by the plastic benches, plus the night shift cleaner-san, knew she could not differentiate her front from back.

"Oh no, I swear this doesn't always happen…" The grandma grinned sympathetically before continuing her way towards the hospital lobby. The on-lookers pretended not to look as she scurried away in embarrassment to the nearest washroom.

After lots of bumping onto walls and fellow nurses, she was finally able to set things straight and signed out for the night. Or was it morning, since it was already an hour after midnight?

Passing by the now closed street snack vendor, she recalled Ino's disappointment over the phone when she had called to cancel their dinner night (again) and sighed. She was already looking forward to next week when her one-month of torture was coming to an end.

* * *

Days frittered away as Itachi was back to competing petty missions for Pein. Kisame had not once asked for what went down between him and Sakura in Waterfall after they were separated, but he suspected his beefy partner probably knew it was more than just a passing feud between members of the same village.

It had been a month since he last saw her, and repeated attempts to suppress the memories only served to keep them vivid. He had never felt anything like this before, and never would he imagine himself looking forward to yesterday ever since…

"Looking for something?" Sasori enquired softly by the kitchen island while sipping at his black coffee. Kisame and Itachi had just returned from one of their miscellaneous missions and it was early in the morning, where most of the members were still asleep. With the damped bath towel around his shoulders, Itachi stopped and glanced at his surroundings as Sasori's words brought him to the present.

_What…Was I doing here again_?

Shaking his head, he spun around and headed back to his room across the living room opposite the kitchen. As he twisted the doorknob and pushed the door opened, the first thing he saw was Deidara silently opening the second drawer of the study table. The faint creak from the door's hinge made Deidara's head snapped to his right, where a very silent (confused) Itachi was standing by the entrance and watching him.

Their eye contact went on for a few seconds, but before Deidara could utter a single word, Itachi pulled the door shut. Somehow, that crept Deidara out even more, because he was fairly certain trespassing was not something taken well in stride by someone like Itachi! Goodness, till now he still could not tell what was going on in that broody freak's mind!

While Deidara was panicking his balls behind the door, Itachi was busy cracking his mind over this newfound mystery.

_Did Pein change the room configuration? Isn't mine usually next to Kisame's_?

_Wait, this _is _my room_…

As soon as he realized that irrefutable fact, the door snapped apart once more, revealing a very agitated wide-eyed blonde. It was at this moment that Kisame stepped out of the washroom along the corridor and he paused at the unusual sight in front of him. He cocked his head in confusion; since when were these two on such close terms?

"Deidara? What are you doing in-"

"I-Itachi-san, please don't be angry…" Deidara interrupted Kisame. After much severe deliberation he decided to try the pitiful and remorseful little boy approach. "I-I can explain-"

"Get out." Deidara's sorrowful eyes pleaded with Kisame to do something, but he simply pointed his index finger in the air in a 'you're doomed' fashion.

"What are you waiting for, for money to fall from the sky?" Itachi's voice caused Deidara to jump, and he hastily darted out of the room, making sure to make zero body contact with the man. He slowly looked back, dared an eye contact and nearly squeaked when he saw that Itachi's crimson eyes were locked onto his, and they were _seething_. With the sangfroid only he was capable of, Itachi closed the door without a bang.

"Well, that was intense. …Are you done hiding behind me? My skin's breaking apart from your sharp nails!" Kisame berated as Deidara released his vice-like grip from his muscular waist.

"W-What's wrong with that guy? He was acting so freakishly calm-"

"What's wrong with _you_? Why the hell did you sneak into his room?" Having watched the spectacle unfolded in amusement from the kitchen, Sasori could not resist and joined in the post-room fiasco discussion. "He figured that apparently _everyone _keeps a secret in their rooms, and since he still could not defeat Itachi face to face, he decided to take a detour-"

"_DANNA_!" Throwing another beseeching gaze to Kisame, Deidara charged towards the kitchen and was immediately engaged in a deep conversation with his life-long partner in crime.

Juts then Kakuzu stepped out of his room next to Itachi's, fresh out of bed without his mask and peering around curiously.

"Looking for something?" Kisame queried while rubbing his hair dry with the towel.

"I heard someone said 'money' and came out to check, then I heard Deidara's annoying voice. Why are you making a ruckus early in the morning?" He reproved with a penalising glare as Deidara gulped greedily at a glass of milk. Nothing could beat milk in the morning, especially after a close shave with death!

"My bad, Kakuzu-san. It's nothing you have to worry about, hmm," He added as he emptied the rest of the milk carton into the glass.

"That's the most worrying thing to hear from someone your age…" He grumbled before heading for the coffee maker he had recently looted from a café, when the barista was busy making a police report for the missing cash in the cashier.

After hanging his bath towel and checking that everything was still in place, Itachi placed an extra strong seal on his door (he had underestimated that punk's ninjutsu level) before making his way back to the kitchen, finally recalling why he headed there.

"So, I've heard that Konoha's having a Children's Day Festival next Monday, lots of free food and game stations. What do you say danna, shall we crash and make full use of these free days?"

"Not interested..."

"Come on, it'll only take us half a day to reach there. I know you like kids, I'm sure you'll have fun, hmm!"

"Brats are good," Kakuzu chipped in next to Sasori on the high chair, shocking everyone in the kitchen. "They tend to fetch a higher ransom from desperate parents, especially boys. Oh don't you love their chubby cheeks kekeke…" Itachi hn-ed a 'should have known…' while Kisame broke into a chortle at that geezer's one-track mind. Deidara simply slapped his palm to his forehead before recalling a bargaining chip, not about to be put off yet.

"Look, I'll help you transport your next batch of bodies for your puppet collection, so will you please accompany me to Konoha?" When he still did not barge, he played his last card. "I'll even help you remove _all _the bloody organs, so pleaseeee?"

"And wash the bodies."

"…_And _wash the bodies, so I take that as a yes, _hmmm_?" Begrudgingly, Sasori nodded and got up to wash the cup, eliciting a victory punch from Deidara.

"Wipe off that silly grin; cleansing a body isn't child's play. I'll show you how it's done…"

"With a bang, hmm!"

"-The _proper _way," Sasori reprimanded and Deidara sighed dramatically.

"It's good to be young eh?" Kisame chimed deliberately across the table to a disgruntled ninety-one year old Kakuzu, not quite appreciating the lack of subtlety to his comment.

"I wouldn't give anything for the life experience I've gathered."

"If you say so…" Kisame shrugged and raised the coffee mug in his partner's direction, who seemed to be in the middle of a search frenzy, "Itachi-san, what do you say we go check out the festival too? It's your village after all."

"Has anyone seen the milk inside the fridge? I've written my name below the label," Itachi asked instead and the two older men shook their heads.

"Maybe someone drank it without checking," Kisame supplied, taking his no answer as 'not interested.' Man, he really wanted to go to the festival and check out those game stations…

Itachi's question seemed to suddenly ignite the hidden passion of cleaning dead bodies in Deidara; he hopped off the chair and began ushering Sasori out of the kitchen.

"Come on danna, I'm sure there's _a lot_ to learn. Why not let's get started _now_, hmm…"

"Alright alright, stop pushing me…!"

"Who didn't wash his milk glass in the sink?" Itachi causally asked as he pointed his thumb to the sink.

"Oh shit I think I forgot to-" Deidara started and cut off mid-sentence, mentally cursing and kicking himself for falling for the cheapest trap. Kisame and Kakuzu quickly got up and shifted to the living room, the former sensing the all too familiar murderous chakra emanating from his partner. Oh dear, was that also a grin on Itachi's face? Why did he seem to only smile on such inappropriate occasions?

"Fool," Kakuzu muttered with a shake of his head.

"Have you seen my milk, Deidara?"

* * *

_Day of the festival_…

As another rock flew through the window and hit her head, Sakura released a low breath, sprang to the window and bawled her lungs out.

"Will you stop hurrying me? I'm coming down!"

"_You said that fifteen minutes ago_!" Waving a frantic okay sign at her pig friend, she carefully withdrew the flower hairpin she had made at Waterfall and fastened it below her bun. Her eyes lingered dolefully at the other hairpin before closing the drawer and padded downstairs to meet Ino.

"Hey, that's a beautiful pin! Oh it's the one you wore for the party yea? Did you happen to get one for me?"

"You can't get this anywhere; I made it."

"You? Looks like you've gotten artistic after you lost your memory!"

"Very funny." Soon endless rows of red paper lanterns came into sight and traffic grew wilder as they neared the colourful festival booths. Most of the people like themselves were spotting yukata and that really fuelled the festive spirit within the ladies. It was days like these that everyone would go the extra mile to be friendly with everyone, Sakura thought as she smiled at a couple with their adorable twin brothers.

"Listen Sakura, this is the chance for us to pick up some hot dudes and flirt all night. Who needs the Uchiha when you have _these_?" Ino exclaimed, gesturing energetically at the crowd ahead.

"We'll see 'kay? We'll see." She was not sure about the "picking up" part, but she was definitely going to have some fun.

* * *

Sasori still could not believe that he was cajoled into this, just because the temptation of a helping hand was too hard to resist; bloodstains were a pain in the ass to get off his wood hands.

Not that anyone could ever understand that.

"Where did you get these forehead protectors from?"

"How did you think I knew about the festival? Last week I overheard two Leaf ninjas talking about it and I got so excited I accidentally dropped my C2s onto their heads," Deidara shrugged in a couldn't-care-less way before continuing, "Thought these might come in handy so I picked them off the ash piles, hmm," Deidara explained while adjusting the Leaf's metal plate.

"Your carelessness is going to get you killed someday."

"Hmph, what would you know about living life on the line; you're practically a Seven Wonders of the World, hmm," He said with a belching motion, hoping someday to personally blow up those damn ancient structures.

"What would _you_ know about the Seven Wonders? And whatever you're thinking, stop right there."

"You know what danna? Sometimes I feel that you know me so well that it's a little creepy, hmm," He reflected as they stepped through Konoha's gate safely without being detected, "Oh looks like we're just in time for the opening ceremony- what's wrong danna?"

On top of the Leaf forehead protectors, they were also wearing men's traditional black kimono. It was not just to blend in but also to conceal Sasori's puppet parts. It had been forever since he left the base without hiruko's disguise and needless to say, he felt somewhat self-conscious.

"So, this is the 'children's' festival that you're so hyped up about," Sasori nodded ahead to the throngs of women in yukata strolling passed the vendors and chatting merrily among themselves. One of them saw the duo and whispered something to the group; all six pairs of eyes turned to check them out, making Sasori blushed despite himself.

"You can't be seriously thinking the food's all I came here for, hmm? Besides being a dignified artist I'm still just a man, hmm," Deidara remarked as he delivered a playful wink to the ladies. Sasori swore softly under his breath and set to pull the women magnet away before he got caught in the sexual war without a decent one-liner. He hated joining battle without being thoroughly prepared or time to analyse his opponents.

"You can flirt all you want later; I'm hungry."

"Aw, don't be a spoilsport… Or could it be, you're shy…!"

"I'm going back-"

"Ok ok I'm just kidding, hmm. But a word of advice Sasori-danna, you're not going to get shagged if you keep up with that woody face you know…"

"Do you want to repeat that again…?" He asked quietly while rotating his head 180 degrees to face him, scaring the girls away and drawing a startled cry from Deidara.

"Fine fine let's go! Please don't do that again it's creepy!" _And you are ruining my market, hmm_!

* * *

Sakura was busy eyeing the dessert store until she could no longer ignore the persistent tug on her red yukata's sleeve.

"Sakura, that guy's totally checking me out!" Ino hissed jubilantly, "Do you think I should take a risk and make the first move?"

"What, you've seriously come to pick up random guy-" Sakura paused to peer suspiciously at Ino's latest conquest, "Wait is that even a guy?"

"_Of course he is_! Can't you see what he's wearing? And take a good look at that board chest!"

Ten meters away from the girls and standing by the mask vendor, Sasori was busy checking out the rows of plastic masks until he could no longer ignore the persistent tug on his kimono's sleeve.

"Danna, that blonde in front of the desserts store has been looking over here for the past five minutes; think I should go over and say hi?"

"Besides the cheap material, these are some good replicas from my collection…"

"Sasori-danna, are you listening to me?"

"What, you mean that woman eyeing you like you're the last man on Earth? Not really my type, but guess you could go over…" Before he could finish, Deidara was already making his way towards that unimpressive lady, who was immediately pretending to be surprised when he tapped on her shoulders.

Suddenly finding themselves partner-less, Sasori and Sakura took one glance at one another, spared no extra seconds of any thoughts before turning away, instinctively knowing there was no way in hell they were partnering up or even talking to each other.

_I'm getting creepy vibes from that red head, better not go near him_…

Sakura shivered involuntarily before quickly joining the long queue of the desserts store.

_That woman seems like the type that will smile and suddenly punch you in the face; better to __stay out of trouble and __ignore her_…

"Excuse me, can I have that mask, first row, third to the left?"

"Oh, you mean the hiruko mask? You've got good eye, Sir! That'll be three hundred yen thank you!"

* * *

Sakura felt someone tugging at her sleeve yet again, and smiled to herself. Ino must have finally found out that that guy was gay and had no choice but to return to her side. She should also take this chance to chastise her best friend for dumping he for some random (fe)male after begging in tears to attend this festival with her.

"It's okay Ino, there's always the next guy-"

"Onee-chan, this is for you." A toddler with pigtails in an oversized azure yukata was holding up a bowl of _shiratama anmitsu_ (mochi, red beans, jelly and strawberries served with syrup), with a sakura petal sitting in the middle. Sakura tugged her hair behind her ears and bent towards the girl.

"Why are you giving this to me?"

"That onee-chan told me that if I pass this to you, I can get the rest of her dango coupons. They're all sold out and I love dango!" Sakura looked at the direction she was pointing, but she could only see kids running around and Ino tossing rings into the glass bottles a few booths down, trying to impress her beau with her terrible aim.

"How does the onee-chan looks like?" She asked and finally took over the bowl when she kept pushing it into her hands.

"Very beautiful! Oh my mama's calling me, bye onee-chan!" The cute girl waved and scampered off, leaving Sakura standing in a daze. Someone cleared his throat behind her and she quickly hopped off the queue, bowing apologetically.

She turned to look at her best friend, who had apparently given up and was instead cheering as the man scored a series of consecutive shots. When that man gave her the giant teddy bear he won, she squealed and threw herself into his chest, missing the raising blush on his cheeks as he returned the embrace.

"Could this be from Ino? She has a lot of those food coupons from Chouji too…"

"Gosh I can't believe you made me queue for half an hour; this better be good!" A guy her age declared good-naturedly to his girlfriend, carrying a similar dessert to Sakura's but without the petal.

"Hmm, free food why not?"

* * *

As Sakura was making her way to the central stage, Ino and Deidara had just arrived and jumped onto the stage to join the performers and rest of the volunteers in a circle dance. Surrounding the rectangular platform were carp streamers that were flapping noisily to the night breeze, symbolic to Children's Day in Japan. This was a dance for the good health and happiness of Konoha's children, and a celebration of their potential to change the world for the better.

After a few rounds of badly coordinated footwork and countless laughing, the couple giddily descended the stage for the next group of performers.

"My my, you sure can dance!" Ino exclaimed with a roguish grin, punching him lightly in his arm.

"No way; my feet were all over the place! You on the other hand, never once missed a beat, hmm!" Deidara stated as he wrapped a strong arm around her waist.

"OOOH!" She squealed aloud before she could control herself, eliciting a questioning glance from him. "I-It's nothing!" He smiled and leaned closer towards her.

"I've had a great time with you tonight, Ino, hmm." Ino thought she could die then.

"M-Me too, Deidara-kun…"

"How I wish this night would never end…"

"Oh I feel exactly the same too…!"

Approaching the two of them, Sasori's only wish was to find several buckets to puke into immediately.

"Deidara, it's time to go," He declared a little too loudly just as Deidara was about to kiss the woman, perfecting ruining the honeymoon moment. He was also not apologetic about it. Splitting apart, Ino darted her face away to mask the furious blush overtaking her face, pointing shyly towards the food vendors.

"I-I'll just go get us the candy floss; hold onto this for me will you?" Deidara took over the giant bear and hugged it with one arm.

"Come back soon; I'll be waiting for you, hmm," He added with a suggestive smile and Ino was off in no time. Sasori was shaking his head, being nearly at his wit's ends with the level of corniness coming from his partner.

"You'll be waiting for no one, because by then we'll be out of this place," He stated while crossing his arms and scowling at the embarrassing toy in Deidara's arm.

"Danna look at the sky, look around you; the festival's just getting started, hmm!" When he still was not buying it, he grabbed onto Sasori's arms and went all gooey eyes. "At least until after the fireworks? Come on you know what those means to me, hmm!"

"What's so fascinating about lights that disappears after a few seconds? And stop grabbing onto my arms-"

"Come on, just a while won't hurt-" A tiny bottle of vial suddenly fell out of Sasori's haori from Deidara's violent jerks. It shattered into pieces when it hit the ground, generously spilling the ominous purple liquid. It evaporated within seconds as Deidara's hold on Sasori slackened, peering curiously at the mysterious vial.

"What's that thing that just fell out-"

"_You fool_! What have you done?" Deidara took a few steps back; Sasori's eyes were burning holes through his brain and it was making him nervous.

"That's just one of your poisons right? Surely there's no need to be so angry when you can make another one-"

"Come over here you clueless piece of shit…!" Before Deidara could protest Sasori was marching up towards him, and he raised his arms in reflex to block his oncoming blow.

"I get it I'm sorry! Just please don't-" His words were cut off as Sasori swept off his guarding arms and leaned forward. Before he knew it, Sasori's lips were planted firmly on his.

Above them, the fireworks began to set off and the crowds cheered on in merriment.

* * *

**So... I don't usually end things off on such an awkward note, but first I think it's funny, and second, I'm really curious what you people can infer from what just happened, do let me know by commenting below!**

**This chapter was inspired by**_** Kodomo ni Hi **_**during Golden Week in Japan.**


	11. Sasori's Unintended Act of Terrorism

As promised, here's the update Yunilein :]

**Chapter 11 – Sasori's Unintended Act of Terrorism**

_The next day_…

Rubbing her neck helplessly, Sakura mentally sighed and tried to sound positive.

"It's okay Ino, there's always the next guy-"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S GAAAAAY!" _Oh boy here we go again_… Sakura's hand began delivering consoling pats along Ino's back as she prepped herself for the third round of Ino's I-can't-believe rants.

"And I can't believe I nearly let that _kiss _happen! I should have caught something amiss from the challenging gaze that red head was sending me! Oh I can't believe I lost to that…that…!"

"It's okay Ino... This may be for the better. Who knows maybe he has some irritating habits or weird hobbies-"

"Oh speaking of that he does have a tendency to end his sentences with 'hmm,' which I thought was kind of cute… Wait no no I can't be thinking good thoughts about him! Ah kami help me I can't believe this is happening to ME…" The trauma was finally proving too much for Ino to handle as she broke down to a heavy weep while wailing 'Deidara' on random intervals, which Sakura guessed was that dude's name.

Usually she would have shouted 'told cha' in a heartbeat, but Ino really seemed to fancy that guy. However, this was also the first such an incomprehensible incident happened to her, so it was no surprise that it would have dealt a sizable damage to her self-esteem. Watching her bawling her eyes out reminded Sakura of her own pitiful love life; first she fell for a self-proclaimed avenger with anger management issues and an obsession for revenge, but that did not work out (ain't got time for love yo) and she eventually gave up.

Then she fell for a random man she had met in the forest who seemed nice enough then, with pretty features, quiet disposition and a penchant to get on her nerves…who was also coincidentally the self-proclaimed avenger's older brother with a track record of his own clan's massacre, a traitor of Konoha and reputation as an S-rank criminal affiliated with only the most deadly organisation...

Sakura really knew how to pick her guys.

"It's okay Ino, it's not meant to be if it's not meant to be..." Sakura was not sure she was speaking more to Ino or to herself then.

"But you know what's the worst thing Sakura?" She suddenly exclaimed, staring fiercely at Sakura through her teary eyes, "Is that I'll never be able to enjoy fireworks like I used to for the rest of my life, EVER!"

* * *

_Ino felt the candyfloss slipped out of her arms and her jaw dropped in disbelief. Even the dazzling fireworks exploding across the sky and the crowd's cheers then was not enough to distract her from the horrendous sight unfolding a few feet ahead._

"_Mummy look! The onii-chans are kissing! Hey I can't see anything!"_

"_Oh Tomo-chan don't look!"_

"_But I want to see the fireworks too!"_

_Deidara's eyes went wide opened as his body suddenly went numb in shock, the gigantic prize bear slowly slipping out of his slackened hold. When he thought this could not get any worse, Sasori deepened the kiss and nudged apart Deidara's lips._

"_D-Danna, what-"_

"_Don't move," Sasori ordered as he gripped onto Deidara's back and pulled him closer._

_This painfully public passionate episode went on for about five seconds before Sasori finally detached himself from Deidara, wiping at the corner of his lips with the back of his palm._

_The modest crowd that were openly watching them quickly turned away and began ooh-ing and ah-ing at the fireworks, giving their utmost effort to feign disinterest to the post make-out conversation._

"_D-Deidara… WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" At Ino's piercing cry, Deidara was jotted back to life as he forced his head to face her._

"_I-Ino this is not what it looks like-" She slapped him mid-sentence just as the fireworks died out, and the slap's echo rang loud and clearly to everyone around. The crowd gulped in response._

"_Mummy, why did that lady slap him- mmmffff!"_

"_Tomo-chan keep your voice down…!"_

"_I don't want to see you face ever again you hear me, you fucking player!" Deidara was ashamed to admit this but he felt tears gathering behind his lids. He had not expected himself to fancy her so much, and he feared that everything would be over before it even started._

"_Ino please, t-that kiss was nothing-"_

"_Of course it's nothing to you… Since you do it all the time with him!" Urgh, just a glimpse at the smug face of that redhead was enough to send her over her boiling point. Not wanting to let him off so simply, she drew her leg back and kicked him hard in the groin._

"_Argh!" Given his ninja instincts, he could have easily dodged that blow, but if this little suffering could ease her anger…_

"_Hmph!" She twisted around and stormed off just before the first drop of tear could tumble down her cheeks. She hoped that it would bruise till it rot and he would need to chop it off._

"_Let's go, it's getting late," Sasori nonchalantly declared and began dragging Deidara by the back of his kimono towards the village gate._

"_D-Danna no wait let go of me- Ino please don't go… Ino- INOOO!"_

* * *

Sakura pressed her palms to muffle her laughter as Ino shook her head.

"He really did that? Man if only I was there…"

"There was also this annoying brat that keeps making commentaries on every single thing that was happening, and I was this close to using my Mind Transfer on his Mother to strangle him- "

"Ino!"

"… Just kidding. Man all these ranting, I'm kinda out of breath now," Ino laughed with a grimace, even taking some quick short breaths to prove her point.

"If you're joking here I take it that you've let off all the steam?"

"That's right!" She declared with a slap to her thigh, shifting to the edge of Sakura's bed to stand up. "Look at the time! I guess I'm going to head back…"

Ino's words were abruptly cut off when she suddenly collapsed into the floor. Sakura's eyes went wide and she rushed to her side, slapping her cheeks to jolt her awake.

"Ino? Ino can you hear me?" With difficulty, she slowly peeled her eyes apart and that was when Sakura noticed her forehead was dotted with sweat beads.

"S…Sakura… I feel weak and…"

"Okay, don't talk anymore. Answer my question with either a nod or shake of your head. Did you hurt yourself before you come to my house?" She shut her eyes and shook her head.

"Have you been feeling unwell for this past week, or did something similar like this happened recently?" Again, she gave a negative response. Sakura took a mental step back and stared hard at Ino. She could not afford the time to panic or be clouded by the 'what ifs' now; as her mentor had always said, she needed to think on her feet and act fast.

She performed a quick physical examination and when she attempted to bend her knuckles and joints, Ino would whimper in pain. She also noticed that her earlier panting was no exaggeration – she was showing signs of breath shortage despite only been talking and pacing around the room for the last hour.

"I'm bringing you to the hospital now. Nod once if you understand." Under Sakura's firm instructions, she lightly nodded. Carefully, Sakura propped up her body, slid opened the window and hopped out of her room, dashing east towards Konoha Hospital.

Shizune had just finished up with the last of the paper works, including those that were long due that Tsunade had 'overlooked,' and whistled for her pig companion, Tonton to her side. It was time for their weekly night walk, a.k.a. hunt for potential boyfriends, if there were any left…

"Isn't that Sakura-chan…?"

"Shizune-san, is there an available bed in the Class B wards?" Shizune took in Sakura's slightly disheveled hair and pajamas, wondering if she had sprinted all the way here. Despite that, she did not break a sweat.

"Yes… I just discharged one patient from room B201. What happened to Ino?" She nodded worriedly to Ino on her back. Ironically, it was Ino that was panting for breath.

"I'm not sure; I'm bringing her to the Consultation Ward to do a detailed check-up now. Good work for the night, Shizune-san!" She bowed awkwardly and strode through the entrance. Less than a second after Sakura went off, a middle-aged man was jogging up the steps of the hospital carrying two children.

"Miss, is Tsunade-sama around? Please have her take a look at my children!" Shizune looked down and noticed they were exhibiting similar behaviour as Ino.

"Sir please calm down and tell me what happened."

"W-We were watching TV in the living room as usual, then we decided to head out for supper when suddenly my two kids collapsed. This has never happened before and I'm really worried so I quickly brought them here…"

"I see. Please follow me inside and we'll tend to your children immediately-"

"Shizune-san is that you? Something's wrong with my wife and son!" Another man in his late thirties barrelled up next to her, supporting his wife on his back while holding a boy toddler close to his chest. "They just dropped to the ground when we're walking home and became so weak that they could not move! Please do something Shizune-san I'm begging you!" Dropping Tonton, she gave it a signal and it began bolting in the direction of the sake shop. In her years of experience as medical ninja, she had come to a hard conclusion on certain matters, like patient's symptoms. One was a tragedy, two might be a coincidence, but three was definitely suspicious.

Just as she was carrying over the man's son to ease some of his burdens, a group of flustered parents and partially drunk friends charged up the hospital steps towards her.

"Please help me – my kids are suddenly complaining about muscle aches and it seemed to be getting worse!"

"Ma-Madam, my bud was just d-dancing on the countertop then he just went peeeeew…onto the floor. I think there's something wrong with the beer, or him."

"Tsunade-sama, I need to see Tsunade-sama right NOW!"

* * *

It was another evening at the Akatsuki base, where everyone other than Leader was 'at home' and engrossed in their individual businesses. Kisame was changing a new set of bandage for Samehada on the living room sofa, with Kakuzu sitting next to him counting the cash in hand for the third time (why they were always seen next to one another despite their rocky relationship was something worth exploring), and Sasori was fiddling around with Hiruko by the dining table.

Deidara had just taken a shower and like the other male members (with the exception of Sasori and Itachi) when Konan was not around, he stepped out only wearing his lavender bermudas while rubbing absent-mindedly at his defined abs. Too bad there was no one to show it off to, given how hard he had worked for this delicious set of-

"Whooooa! What the!" Balancing himself against the celadon wall beside the dining table, Deidara whirled behind to pinpoint the culprit brazen enough to make a fool out of him (he was too absorbed in his manliness to notice something on the floor and tripped) and saw Hiruko's tail sticking out by his foot.

He traced the tail to its origin, a.k.a. Sasori the owner, who was sitting opposite the table and staring coolly at his fuming face. There was a prolong silence before Deidara released a miffed 'hmph' and carried on towards the kitchen.

The two curious men by the living room looked up when the usual bicker did not follow up. Speaking of the unusual, Deidara had been unusually quiet since he had gotten back from Konoha with Sasori yesterday, and _that_ was saying something.

"What's wrong with him?" Kakuzu boomed in his I'm-not-really-interested-but-just-a-tiny-bit-curious way while causally tidying up his precious notes.

Sasori remained silent while Deidara pretended not to hear that offending question.

"Had a lover's fight or something?"

"WE'RE NOT LOVERS," Deidara suddenly shouted, slamming his palm against the kitchen top while turning to glare in Kisame's direction. Kisame raised his brow – this was the first comment he had made since yesterday and the first he had denied his partnership with Sasori so passionately.

Deidara grumpily peeled opened the fridge, instinctively reaching for the milk, then thought the better of it and grabbed the oolong tea sitting next to it instead. It had a funny taste but since he had not drunk this before he never thought much of it. Nothing beat a refreshing juice to cool your nerves! The _nerve _of Kisame to even suggest he was gay…

"I wouldn't drink that if I were you; Hidan bought it for one of his questionable rituals…"

"BLECH!" He choked on his last gulp of the remaining tea and rapidly vomited the rest out, coughing and panting into the sink. He turned around and slouched wearily against the cabinet, peering incredulously at the tiny red font below the packet's label that he was only noticing then. Gosh, what was with the males in this household and their mini handwritings?

"Get ready, we're leaving in five minutes," Sasori announced as he got up and stepped into Hiruko's shell.

"I know that…" He threw another dissatisfactory glare at Sasori before stomping into his room to put on his clothes and grab his stuffs.

It was then the door opened and Itachi entered from the outside, his fringe sticking to his face and body drenched to his toes. A thunder rumbled in the distance just as he shut the door.

"Back from training already? That's fast."

"Kisame," He acknowledged with a nod before heading for his room. Kisame was not sure if it was his imagination but his partner seemed a little tired. Kakuzu got up from the sofa just as Itachi closed his door.

"Guess I should get moving too. Hidan!"

"Where are you guys going?"

"To the Stone to fuck some bitches, woohoo! Leader's good to us that way," Hidan offered energetically as he came out of his room while pulling on his cloak and joined the conversation.

"Dream on, we're going there to 'collect' some jewelleries and claim a bounty on the rogue ninja's head from last week. I assume you kept the head out of your sick rituals?"

"I think so… _Yaaaawn_…" At the prospect of no sex slaves for a week, he promptly lost his enthusiasm.

"Deidara, are you doing a fashion show in your room? Hurry up before the storm gets worse!"

"Shut up Sasori-danna, hmm!"

* * *

"It sure is quiet without the boys around." With just the two of them left, it was easy to imagine they were the only occupants of the house. It might even be believable to say they were merely two guys who had abandoned their homeland, met by chance and decided to be roommates. If only.

"It's a pain listening to their endless squabbles."

"It's fun, you should join in sometimes like I do," Kisame announced proudly from the sofa.

"Yea, you have a knack for making things worse."

"That's the whole point isn't it- Hey you alright?"

"Y-Yea, I just tripped on the table." Itachi managed to stable himself and hide the sudden pain in his thighs behind his clenched fists.

"Itachi-san, you don't 'trip' on things." Either there was something wrong with Itachi, or that path by the dining table was cursed, thinking back to Deidara just now.

"What, I'm a human too you know." He forced himself to ignore the burning ache that was beginning to spread to his wrists and fingers, and made it all the way to the door of his room, wincing as he tried to turn the doorknob.

"Itachi-san, you're looking a little bit pale… Are you- Itachi-san?" Kisame got up from the sofa in agitation when he suddenly dropped to one of his knees.

"I-I'm fine." Summoning all his willpower, he pushed himself up again, and even such a small action was exhausting all of his energy. He twisted around and leaned heavily against the wooden door to catch his breath.

Up till now, he had not displayed any signs of discomfort around him and even if he were feeling under the weather, he would never expose himself or simply reveal his weakness like this. Kisame did not like this; either he was falling for some conspiracy prank or something was seriously wrong.

"Did something happen recently?" He asked and made his way to Itachi. Trying his best to ignore the pulsing pain inside him, he could barely register Kisame's words and his eyes widened in realisation.

_It must be from that… _

Suddenly hit by a light-headed sensation, he could no longer hold himself upright and fell forward into Kisame's chest. He caught his small body and remained paralyzed to the ground, afraid that he was going to break him if he was not careful.

"Man, the only time you might need my help and I don't even know what to do…" He remarked with an afflicted smile. Itachi said nothing but slightly moved his head in response. Even without him saying it out loud, he knew that Itachi was telling him to cut out the mushy crap and just bring him into his room.

* * *

Deidara felt like a walking C2 and on the verge's verge to explode. It was utterly irrational and ridiculous since he was the one who declared this cold war, was adamant not to talk to him until Sasori said something first. However, all he wanted to do now was, well, to _talk_ to him. He really loathed the suffocating silence gnawing at his neck, even though he was the cause of it. He stopped in his tracks and spun around, forcing Sasori to look at him.

"Sasori danna… Aren't you going to talk to me? Aren't you lonely, hmm?" He knew he was sounding a tad desperate but that no longer mattered. He had decided that as long as Sasori showed signs of repentance, no, if he as much as showed that he was _concerned_ by his cold shoulders, then he was going to forgive him there and then.

"There's nothing to talk about, and this silence isn't exactly a bad thing…"

"What do you mean 'there's nothing to talk about?'" He fired back, mimicking his gruff and monotonous voice, "Aren't you going to explain what you did yesterday, hmm?"

"What thing?" Deidara's head lolled to one side in pure disbelief. "_T-That _thing! What you did to me out of the blue, that ki-ki-ki-"

"Oh that. Well you didn't ask for an explanation. You know I don't like explaining myself to others-"

"Oh that? _Oh that_? Just like that?!" Deidara slapped his palm to his mouth and shook his head at Sasori's complete lack of sensitivity to his mental welfare. And here he thought he was still half-human; he was too naïve.

"Alright whatever! Now's your chance to explain yourself, hmm!"

"Is that the way to talk to someone for answers?" When he saw how serious and focused Deidara was, he wavered and sighed. "Remember what happened before we-"

"THE HELL I DO! You ki-ki-kissed me and caused a huge misunderstanding between me and Ino, hmm!" He fumed and crossed his arms, wondering if he could somehow sneak into Konoha to leave an 'I'm so sorry' note.

"What about before that?"

"Well… I wanted to impress her with my aiming skills and get that stupid first prize bear…" It was taking everything for Sasori to not groan in frustration at his one-tracked mind.

"_After _that? Deidara is your brain that small that you can't even remember-"

"OH! I was showing you the impressive display of fireworks across the sky, and then you looked up and went 'Oh!' and dropped that vial-"

"Don't make up things that never happened. _You _suddenly gripped my arms and forced me to look up, then _you_ got carried away and shook the vial out of the kimono's pocket…"

"Is that what happened? That's weird I can't recall, hmm," Deidara stated with a thoughtful expression, knowing that Sasori could clearly tell he was feigning ignorance. He sighed once more and continued.

"That was no ordinary vial; the purple liquid is also not poisonous, at least not in its liquid state. It's made to evaporate upon contact with atmospheric gases, turning from a harmless solution to an odourless air pathogen.."

"…And what has that got to do with you making out with me in public?" He asked in an extremely skeptical tone, not in the least interested in this boring chemistry lesson. Sasori took a deep breath and calmly went on.

"It has an area of effect of fifty meter radius, and victims would remain unaffected for the first twenty-four hours. After that, they'll immediately experience intense muscle aches and weakness, followed by body fatigue and shortness of breath-"

"That's fine and all Sasori-danna but what has that got to do with you kissing-"

"AND if you haven't already noticed Deidara, you were within the AOE when the vial broke and it's been a day," Sasori finished dramatically, waiting for the information to sink while marvelling at his ingenious creation of biology destruction. Deidara pulsed his lips, unable to comprehend his round-the-bush explanation…

"Hmm if that's the case then the toxin doesn't seem to be working, hmm? I'm still here standing and talking with you-"

"That's because I administered the antidote in you, you fool! Don't you remember swallowing a pill?" Deidara frowned in part-bafflement and irritation. Why was he forcing him to remember things he would rather die than think about again?

"Danna… The only thing I swallowed that night was my manhood and your saliva- Wait, _that _was the antidote?"

"About time…"

"Danna are you sick or something? Why would you keep the antidote inside your _body?_"

"Isn't it obvious? It'll crumble if I put it in my weapon's pouch, and the Akatsuki's pants have no pockets. Since my body is hollow why not?" It was the way he plainly justified his actions that left him with no choice but to accede.

"You're so hard to understand sometimes, you know that danna, hmm?"

"You're the last person I want to hear that from, Deidara."

* * *

Pushing opened the conference room's double swing doors, Sakura rushed in just as the meeting commenced, striping off her mask and latex gloves as she took the seat nearest to the entrance.

"Sorry I was held up by the surgery. The anaesthetic was not properly prepared and it triggered an allergic reaction in the child," She explained as she handed over the latest surgical report to Tsunade's outstretched hand.

"Tsk, I'll have a good talk with the anaesthetist later, this is no laughing matter," She declared after perusing the document. Everyone seated around the round table gulped, thanking the mercy goddess that they were not the one to be receiving hell later. "Speaking of allergies Sakura, we have just found out the cause of this widespread epidemic within Konoha."

"It's not a contagion is it, Tsunade-sama?"

"Fortunately not, since there hasn't been reports of family members or staffs in contact with patients catching on the disease, which helped with narrowing down the causes. Take a look at this muscle biopsy of Ino's rectus femoris (front muscles of the thigh)," Tsunade instructed, pointing towards the microscopic image attached to the whiteboard.

"From what I see her muscle fibers are heavily invaded by inflammatory cells, and muscle cells at the populated region showed change in sizes. Seems like polymyositis," Sakura answered, trying hard not to believe those creepy purple creatures were currently in her best friend's bodies.

"That's right. Even though most cases of polymyositis have no known cause, we suspect that for such a large number of people to be affected, they must have been exposed to an agent at a specific region in the village," Tsunade analysed with a troubled expression.

"I noticed that the afflicted patients are mostly children, so the agent might have been released during the Children's Day Festival two nights ago," Shizune stated opposite the table from Sakura. Tsunade stood up and circled out the location on the map where the festival was held.

"However, not everyone who attended was affected, so the agent could not have been too strong," Sakura remarked, referring to herself and some of the attendees in the room.

"Did anyone see any suspicious people loitering around during the event?" The assembly thought for a while but shook their heads. Everyone was probably too engrossed in the foods and games to notice anything out of sorts, Tsunade thought resignedly to herself. "Shizune, after the meeting is over, get for me the gatekeeper's records for the day of the event, and a day before."

"Yes Madam."

"In the blood sample it has also revealed a rise in muscle enzymes and autoantibodies that is typical in cases of autoimmune disorders," Tsunade continued as she handed everyone a copy of the blood test report.

"That agent must have triggered the body's immune system to produce those autoantibodies, which attacks the body's healthy tissues and organs, causing inflammation and hence those muscle aches that the patients are complaining about," Sakura added to the nods of the assembly.

"Coincidentally, this string of afflictions only began coming in the night _after_ the festival, and none of the patients reported any symptoms that might have hinted that they were affected," The head nurse sitting next to Tsunade pointed out helpfully.

"From the looks of it, none of this sounds like a coincidence. Someone might be plotting something, and their first step would be to cause internal unrest and panic among the citizens. We're going to beef up our security, starting now."

"Yes Mdm!"

* * *

Deidara could only shake his head over the silliness of everything.

"I can't believe it, ruining my date with someone who could potentially be my woman over such a petty accident…"

"An accident that _you_ caused, if I must add," Sasori countered to Deidara's inaudible grumbles.

"Why did you even keep such a dangerous thing in a shallow pocket? Have you gotten careless, hmm?"

"That is why I prefer sitting inside Hiruko… Talking to you is making my head spin." Never mind that it took nearly half a year just to formulate that single dose of toxin, he had just ran out of the airtight vials to contain his creations. That last milk outbreak between Itachi and Deidara was so close to destroying all his equipment in the warehouse had the rest not intervened in time. Of all places to hide, Deidara had to choose to squad behind _his _shelves.

"You may say that, but you're secretly enjoying this aren't you, hmm?"

"Shut up, before I pierce your mouth with my tail." Deidara waved off his threat with his hand and laughed when Sasori tried to backstab him but missed.

"Hah, I can only imagine the panic they're going through now," Deidara continued as he stroke his chin thoughtfully,"Who knows, those Konoha ninjas might have mistaken that for some kind of terrorist attack!"

* * *

**Happy Belated Birthday, Itachi**

**201314 :3**


	12. Misunderstanding

**Chapter 12 – Misunderstanding**

With the unofficial cold war behind them, the ex-Sand nins were on their way to sourcing information on the Three Tails under the blazing afternoon sun.

"Damn this heat, it's making my clays melt, hmm…" Deidara twisted around to check on Sasori's situation. "Danna, aren't you hot in there?"

"Ventilation holes, fool."

"Fine…" He grumbled and resumed dragging his feet across the parched ground.

Dawdling through the forest towards the Hidden Village of Sound, Deidara suddenly remembered something important.

"Hey danna, what happens if those affected by that toxin doesn't get treated? Will they die, hmm?"

"This toxin isn't meant to kill. It's to be used for subduing and capturing hostage. A healthy person should be able to recover in two week's time, if he's lucky."

"What do you mean "if he's lucky," hmm?" Deidara knew that Sasori had a masochistic tendency in him that a few knew about, which probably explained his fascination with poisons.

"Even though it's not lethal, human bodies are vulnerable in nature, and not all may be able to endure the effects of the toxin, even for a usually fit person. In worst cases it might lead to pneumonia and a collapse in the respiratory system-"

"Wait a minute, _that_ sounds really lethal to me. So there's still a high chance that Ino- that the infected person will…die?"

"I'm just stating the possibilities. The living body can be as complicated as office politics, no one can tell for sure what's going to happen next."

"That's bad, hmm…" Deidara muttered worriedly under his breath.

"Why are you suddenly asking all these? Could it be you're interested to be the guinea pig for my next round of experiments?"

"I've got my hands full on transporting those dead bodies of yours, so dream on danna, hmm," He replied distractedly as he continued the rest of the journey in constant distress.

* * *

_Two days later_…

As the rising smoke faded against the early morning sunlight, Sakura lowered the test tube and released a low breath.

"I did it…"

"Of course you did, you're my smart disciple." Sakura spun around and flashed a brilliant grin at her Master.

"I-I shall start the preparation of the antidote administration right away!"

"Yea, that sounds like a plan," Tsunade crossed her arms and replied by the doorway, smiling softly as Sakura began scampering around for syringes and other medical supplies. Thanks to the effort of the medical team, they were able to keep the death count under two. Judging from Sakura's eye bags, she must not have slept at all, and even if she did, she would undoubtedly be busy solving the toxin's equation in her dream. It really reminded her of her younger self, Tsunade thought with a smirk, as Sakura piled up a bunch of syringes and charged out of the laboratory.

"Ino, just a little longer, I'm coming!"

* * *

Kisame gripped his sword with trembling hands, unable to believe that things had come to this.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Do it now."

He stared hard into Itachi's crimson eyes, but as usual he could not make out anything, not his thoughts, feelings, and intention. He really was the perfect ninja and more poetically, a mystery that he could never solve.

"I'm sorry, Itachi-san."

In a second the sword penetrated through him in the centre, splashing fresh warm blood all over the grass field. His body gave an involuntary jerk from the forceful thrust and blood came dripping down the corner of his lips.

"This is…a little different from how I envisioned my death to be," Itachi reflected, smiling as he began coughing out more blood.

Kisame gritted his teeth and drew out the sword. He was deceiving himself if he said that he felt nothing for the guy who was slowly crippling away in front of him. He watched in agony as Itachi wobbled and fell to his knees, then slumping to his side atop the bed of turf that was fast dyeing red.

He made his way towards him, dropping the bloody sword and kneed with a heavy heart next to him.

"Itachi-san I…"

As each breath grew shallower, he felt the weight upon his heart growing lighter and the day looking brighter. Through his blurry vision, he saw the sun radiating in glory behind Kisame's broad and blue shoulders. They might not have been friends, but their journey through the darkness together had been comforting.

"Don't be sorry… I have you to thank…for bringing me out of this nightmare." By then his voice was almost a whisper and Kisame had to bend closer to catch his last words. The big man clenched the blades of grass within his fists, letting the warm and sticky blood stained his palms.

"I'm so sorry…" He repeated that over and over just to instigate Itachi to miraculously get up and shut him up. He knew how Itachi hated it when he nagged him. Through the corner of his eyes, Kisame discovered that the entire terrain had been dyed red from his blood.

"And…good bye."

.

.

His eyes snapped apart and he got up, wiping off the beads of perspiration across his forehead. Kisame spun his head around and realised he was in Itachi's room; he must have fallen asleep while checking on his partner. Simply glad that it was all a bad dream, he looked down towards the bed, at the pretty face lying below the red blanket and not breathing-

"Itachi…san?" He was not only unmoving, but his lips were chapped and nearly white, his face almost paled enough against the darkness to be written off as a corpse.

_Could it be…that the dream was a premonition? Or have I already killed him_?

In a panic, he peeled off the offending blanket and pulled up his top, searching futilely all over his chest for the fatal sword wound.

"Damn it damn it damn it…" What was the use of wielding a sword if it was only capable of taking away the people he loved? It was a replay of all those years ago back when he was still a proud Mist ninja, whatever had happened since then?

"Wh…What are you doing?"

* * *

Itachi woke up and mentally groaned when he realised he was still feeling under the blue, despite the two days of rest. By rest, it was really just lying on the bed like an abandoned corpse and wincing whenever the light was switched on. This sickness had made him really sensitive to light, something thankfully Kisame soon picked up, and he had kept the curtain permanently drawn since then. He did not mind the constant darkness; it felt like a valid excuse to his poor eyesight and an escape from dealing with the non-existent "next, and better morning."

Even after the few visits from their regular underground doctors, none were able to discern the puzzling illness and could only provide temporary relief to his throbbing muscles.

He felt horrible inside out with his whole body aching, and the lack of his routine morning training was making him restless.

He was about to get up and fetch a glass of water when he felt a sudden movement by the bedside. The next thing he knew, someone noisily pulled off his blanket, violently jerked up his shirt and he felt a pair of big warm hands roving all over his chest like a mahjong player.

_What the hell_...?

"Damn it damn it damn it…"

"Wh…What are you doing?" Itachi asked weakly, struggling to maintain a rational mind and not jumping to conclusions…but where was he _touching_ now?

"Itachi-san? Itachi-san you're alive?"

"I won't die so easily… At least not until you tell me what you've been doing-"

"Oh thank goodness… It was all a nightmare," Kisame continued on with a shake of his head, finally removing his hands from him and completely ignoring Itachi's repeated questioning. "Just bear with the pain a while more, and don't give up on yourself no matter what, alright?"

"…What are you talking about Kisame?" What made him think he would give up on himself? Did he catch a mutated version of his virus and went nuts?

Taking the dream as a forewarning, Kisame had decided that sitting around and waiting for the sickness to go away was not his idea of helping Itachi. Something needed to be done immediately; he nodded resolutely and got up of the chair next to the bed.

"Don't worry, I'll think of something before everyone gets back."

"You don't really have to do anything…" With that, he picked up Samehada and left the room without looking back. It seemed like the situation had taken a turn for the worse for Itachi, both physically and socially.

_Maybe I shouldn't get any closer to him, or he might get some ideas_…

* * *

"EEEEEK!" A tagged kunai suddenly flew through the window gap, hitting the wardrobe door and causing a fissure halfway down the wooden surface. Sakura quickly darted down to brace for the explosion, but nothing happened.

She carefully rose up, and realised that it was just a dummy tag with some scribbling at the back. Sakura immediately charged to her window and peered out into the dimly lit streets, but as expected at three in the morning, there was not a single soul.

Whoever did this must have been waiting for a long time, since she had been out the whole day and the windows were firmly shut. This attempted murder had effectively killed all thoughts of treating herself to a well-deserved sleep in peace!

_Sakura_

_I would like to meet you by that river at the border of the village. However, I'll understand if you do not want to, given our circumstances. Should that be the case, you and I will be enemies from this day on. _

_I'll be waiting till six._

_I_.

This was no doubt Uchiha Itachi's handwriting, and by "that river," he could not possibly mean…

After over a month of no contact, what could he want from her now? Did this mean she was still constantly running through his mind (like her) and had not forgotten about her existence?

If she were to go and meet him, what would that make her?

If she chose not to, she would forever be haunted by the burning question of "why" and be consumed by curiosity. Crumpling the note in her fist, she pulled out her weapons drawer and traced her fingers over the kunai, before landing on the box containing the flower hairpin, his hairpin. Deep down, she already knew what she had to do.

"Guess there's only one way to find out."

* * *

Dragging her feet and eye bags through daybreak was proving to be an arduous task, even for a Legendary Sannin's pupil. It would be another thing if she had been sleeping for three days straight and not pushing her chakra limit to its breaking point the moment it was recharged.

Whatever he wanted, it better be worth it.

There was a tall silhouette partially hidden behind a tree facing the river, and it was immediately clear that this was a trap. He had heard her guarded footsteps and waited until she was within hearing range before he turned around to greet her.

"You're here-" His water clone dispersed upon being strike by three well-aimed kunai at his vital points, and Sakura looked up to where the castor was perched by the thick tree branch.

"So you're Sakura huh? Not quite what I expected but you're alert, which is good I guess."

"How do you know my name? What do you want?" Kisame chuckled and hopped down, landing a few feet in front of her.

"My name is Hoshikagi Kisame, and I'm here to talk, not to fight." As if to prove his point, he raised both arms up in a surrender pose, but he was fooling no one.

"If I remember correctly you're the wanted ninja from Mist in the bingo book… What could there be to talk about, besides ways of killing you?" Sakura growled and took a cautious step back, taking in the black cloak and red clouds smattered across it.

"Stop frowning, you're making me nervous. Like I said, I'm not your enemy..." He swung his head left and right to dodge her oncoming blows and nearly broke his hand just to suppress her chakra-packed fist, and held her in place. He had expected Itachi's woman to be a handful, but her powerful punch had really caught him by surprise. "Listen, you're acquainted with a man named Uchiha Itachi, am I right?"

"I have no obligations to answer your questions," She snapped and launched a swift sidekick to his torso, to which he skilfully blocked with his other free arm.

"I do not know what is your relationship with him, but I know that you're the only person who can help him now."

"…What?" When he felt her resistance faltered, he broke out of their deadlock and jumped back, putting some distance between them.

"Itachi-san's in trouble, and he needs your help."

* * *

They had been trekking through the gloomy forest for over an hour, and whenever he tried to "break some ice," she would in turn throw him a frosty glare. It was like the early days of travelling with his partner, he recalled with a silent chuckle. The only difference was that her eyes were ice on fire, while Itachi's were plain chilly to the bones.

This was the third time he found his eyes sliding to peek at the girl running next to him. He could not help it; her palpable discomfort was amusing that way.

"You don't have to be so nervous, you know."

"Shut up, before I change my mind and kill you."

"Ooh, it's been a while since I've been given a death threat by a woman," He commented merrily, though not doubting her ability to see through her words.

"You think I'm joking?"

"Not at all, Sakura-chan."

"Don't call me that, asshole."

"Why? You can call me Kisame, or Kisa-nii if you want. I totally wouldn't mind."

"Kisa-nii my _foot_! Are you trying to be funny?" Sakura had no idea why she even bothered to entertain this burly guy, but at least this bantering made her felt slightly less nervous.

"Just don't call me that when Itachi-san is around, or he might develop a green eye and murder me."

"I would never call you that so you have nothing to worry about, Hoshigaki-san."

"Oh… Touchy- okay okay!" He released a breath when she finally stopped glaring at him and picked up pace instead. It had been a while since he had such a long conversation with anyone (any convo compared to the one he had with Itachi would be considered long) and he was enjoying this. "Or is it that you do not want him to feel jealous- "

"This has nothing to do with him! I just do not want to get cosy with a wanted criminal…"

"Chill a little won't you, sweetie? Just take this as a voluntary expedition to save the wounded. It's not like you're committing any crimes."

"Oh, I'm very sure that's not how it'll look like to the others…" Even though they had been travelling together for a while, she was still not any more certain that she was making the right choice. This was…Akatsuki, global enemy number one.

"You forged that letter didn't you?" She asked in a tone that made it clear she was not at all pleased to be deceived by him.

"Just between you and me, I can copy any handwriting after I've seen it a few times. Don't let Itachi-san know, or it might not work next time."

"How multi-talented… Then how do you know about that river?"

"'That river?' I don't. I remembered Itachi using that route the other time we went Konoha together, so I figured it might be a "Leaf thing" and tried my luck there," He explained with an easy grin, and Sakura marvelled at the contrast between him and Itachi, immediately knowing why he deemed him as trustworthy. Putting aside his national status, he came across to her as an easy-going and genuine guy, something she had not expected from an Akatsuki member.

Finally they broke free of the tunnel of trees and arrived at an isolated single storey building. Seemed like they were not reaching any time soon and they had stopped for some sort of break.

"I didn't know there's a tea house in the middle of the woods…"

"We're here, Sakura-chan."

"What do you mean 'here'?"

"This is our base, duh."

"…You can't expect me to believe this is Akatsuki's secret hideout right?" The whole building was just sitting in plain sight and screaming to be searched!

"Well it is."

"You can't be serious…" She wondered how many ninjas after them had passed by here without realising their targets were just…here.

"Won't anyone think it's suspicious to have a building pop up in the middle of nowhere?"

"We never stay at a place for longer than necessary," Kisame explained, ignoring her question, "And we never use back the same place, which is why I can bring you here." He inserted the key and pushed opened the door, revealing a surprisingly mundane living room scene with a cosy ambience to it.

"What's with the surprise look? What were you expecting, some kind of dungeon?"

"Something like that? This place feels too…human."

"And Itachi and I are totally fishes," He sarcastically pointed out with a nod, and laughed when Sakura started cracking her knuckles in annoyance.

After peeling off her boots, Kisame nudged her towards a corridor with rows of doors. That was when she felt it, that familiar chakra signature unconsciously moving her feet towards the second door. He put up a hand and told her to wait here and knocked twice on the door.

"Itachi-san, I'm coming in."

* * *

The room was pitch-dark, despite it being eight in the morning. Sakura noted the opaque beige curtain flapping against the lourve window, a simple desk with built-in drawers, a twin wardrobe and a single bed…with the man in question lying beneath a baby blue blanket.

"Kisame… Where the hell did you go?" He mumbled behind closed lids.

"Hey, we meet again." His senses went still as his eyes spilt apart, certain that he was hallucinating.

"Itachi-san, I shall leave you in the hands of the top medical ninja. He's all yours, Sakura-chan."

_Sakura_...?

"I told you not to call me that… And how the hell do you know what I do?" He raised an eyebrow in response and fled the room with a playful wave. Sooner or later she was going get him to speak. The room immediately descended into a dense silence; neither was prepared nor knew what to say.

"What are you doing here?" He began at last when he could no longer ignore her presence.

"You don't look so good. Did you lose in a fight?" Sakura sneered while crossing her arms, trying not to let his unnaturally frail form and lacklustre complexion get to her.

Itachi mentally cursed his partner's ingenuity. After all the effort he had put in to make sure they would not cross path…

"Did…Kisame threaten you?"

"No… I'm here because he told me you're in trouble." She pulled off her forehead protector and quickly tied up her hair into a low ponytail. "I'll perform a physical examination now, don't move," She ordered as she hovered by the bedside, hesitating for just a second before allowing the medical ninja in her to take over.

"Since when have you been feeling unwell?"

"This is the third day." She was mentally noting the symptoms when she noticed something disturbing as she set to heal his aching muscles.

"Where were you four nights ago?" There was a pause.

"I was here."

"…I see, then it must be a coincidence." Even as she said that, she was still having a hard time believing that the epidemic in Konoha coincided so well with the timing and nature of his illness.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, it's just you're not the first that… Let's just say I've had a number of patients with the same symptoms as you recently," She concluded awkwardly after listening to his heartbeat. It was bad enough that he was not moving his muscles, and now with his inflamed lungs his heart had to work extra hard to just to take in more oxygen.

"If you're here…You must have found a cure-" He started coughing and breathing rapidly, and Sakura's hands quickly shot out to ease the pain he had been subduing in his chest.

"H-How do you know…" And here he thought he was masking his pain relatively well; she indeed lived up to her name as the Top Medical Ninja's disciple.

"Don't talk anymore Itachi," She softly coaxed while moving his hand gripping at his chest away. "Luckily for you, I've brought the drug to neutralise the toxin with me. Even though you may recover naturally after a few weeks, the bacteria can still linger in your body and result in future complications." She reached behind her pouch for took out a brown pill.

"So I was poisoned huh…?" He said with a strained smile.

"Well… You can say that. Have you been thinking so much about me and got distracted?" It was important to keep the patients talking and calm so she could get the most accurate diagnosis, at least that was what she was telling herself.

"You think too highly of yourself, Sakura."

"I was just pulling your leg, Itachi." It would have been nice if he had said yes, but unless something was wrong with his brain, that was not going to happen. Oh well. "Now, say ahhhhhh…" Itachi frowned at the kiddy treatment but obeyed, and Sakura had to bite her lips to keep from laughing out loud.

"Just kidding. You're having difficulty to breathe, let alone swallow. I wouldn't do anything that would make you-"

She was suddenly pulled in towards his face, and she was not sure if she more astounded by his strength or the intimacy of the situation.

"Wh-What…" Up close he appeared older and more lethargic than his voice was suggesting. Was he keeping up a strong front just to keep her from worrying?

"Then what do you suggest, Sakura?" He breathed out her name in a dangerously low tone, teasing her lips with his hot and shallow breaths.

"I-Intravenous…"

"Oh? So you brought a syringe? How efficient…" He slowly released his hold as he said that, closing his eyes to rest from the sudden exertion.

"That compliment doesn't sound sincere at all…" She picked up his arm and began wiping alcohol along his outer triceps. "It can't be you're afraid of the needles right?"

"…" A smile began to tug by the corner of her lips.

"Well… Don't worry, it's be over before you know it," She announced sweetly while swinging the syringe in front of his face just to make him more scared. "You can scream if you want."

"Don't push your luck Sakura… Ah," He flinched as the needle pierced through layers of delicate skin, muscles, and entered the blood stream. He scarcely resisted from moving when she slowly slid out the offending needle at last.

"Yosh! The hard part is over. The rest is up to your body to heal and repair itself," She declared with a smile and hearty clap to his shoulders, which was still aching from the effects of the toxin. Not that she needed to know. "I shall take my leave for now, I'll be outside should you need me…"

"Sakura."

"Yea?" She turned around to see him smiling at her, and a genuine one.

"You should get some rest, your chakra's running dangerously low."

* * *

He was right, all that running and easing his lung inflammation was taking a toll on her body. She could barely keep herself upright with the double vision, and neither the darkness nor his prominent presence was helping.

"You shouldn't be using your Sharingan so soon, are you trying to waste all my efforts?"

"I know my body, I know what I can handle." What could she say to that?

"Alright… Just don't push yourself." He nodded once and it was as though she no longer existed. She was always envious of how easy he could be regardless of the situation.

The moment her hand left the doorknob, she slid down and sat there panting. Damn it, he was not supposed to know that she was not in tip-top condition… Why did she always have to look so weak in front of him?

She glanced down at her shaking hands and sighed in vexation. She wearily lifted her head and felt her eyes drawn to a pair of birds chirping by the kitchen window, squinting at the afternoon glare. If she started heading back now, she would probably reached home tonight and no one might even notice she was gone in the first place. She had not expected the base to be so close, or to be so close to Itachi again… And she was having mixed feelings for both thoughts.

"Alright then…" She planted her fist against the smooth plank to support her weight while she attempted to climb up. Just then Kisame exited his room and caught her idling by Itachi's door.

"Hey Sakura-chan, how's Itachi-san's condition… Sakura-chan?"

* * *

A blast of wind slipped through the glass panels, nudging Sakura to tug on firmly onto the blanket around her body. She was having the dream of her life – ordering Ino around the hospital, being acknowledged by Tsunade of her worthiness as a medical ninja, while she kicked back and succumbed to the relaxing message by the newly captured Akatsuki member and her very own servant, Uchiha Itachi. Everything was falling neatly into place, except that it was all in her head…

"It's so cold…" A voice murmured next to her ear, and Sakura could not agree more. She always knew Itachi was very perceptive... except that it was not Itachi's voice.

Her eyes flew opened and she was immediately greeted by a weird shade of blue. The ruffled blue hair, strong jaw, and muscular neck all seemed strangely familiar…

"K-Kisame?"

"Yo, you're up," He answered behind half-closed eyes with a lazy smile, "And finally calling me by my name huh?"

"Are your arms around me now?"

"Seems like it. It's more comfy that way."

"Am I lying on your bed now?"

"Don't look so shocked, Sakura-chan. I haven't slept with a woman for ages and man it feels good…"

"Please tell me this is a dream, and that I'm only putting up with this because this isn't real," Sakura whispered hopefully while she remained stiff as an ironing board in Kisame's brazen embrace.

"This… Is a dream." She began to release a tiny breath as he continued with a wide grin spreading over his face. "A dream come true, for you and me that is."

Sakura knew this 'dream' was for real for three reasons – people in your dreams would not tell you that you were dreaming, the Kisame in her dream would not be telling her it was dream come true for her, and it was definitely _not_ her dream to be plastered body to body with him, because it was exactly the opposite.

Sakura emitted a deafening, glass-shattering screech that would have woken the dead, if not for Kisame cupping her mouth in time.

"Hey hey, calm down sweetie, we didn't actually do anything-" She crossly slapped his hand off her face and shoved him an arm's distance away.

"We didn't do anything? _We didn't do anything_?" She squalled incredulously while gesturing wildly between his mighty exposed chest and her in her undergarments.

"I can explain that, you were perspiring and it isn't good to sleep in a dirty attire-"

"OH GREAT! SO NOW YOU GET TO DECIDE WHEN TO REMOVE MY CLOTHES, SINCE WE ALREADY KNEW EACH OTHER FOR LESS THAN A DAY!" By then she was completely soaked in anger and dripping mad, in utter disbelief that she had carelessly let down her guard _within _enemy territory and winded up in bed next to yet _another _wanted criminal. Enraged, she crumbled the blanket lying on her thighs and flung it to his face. "I changed my mind, I'm going to kill you now!"

Kisame swiped the bothersome blanket out of the way and desperately grabbed hold of Sakura's wrists to try to calm her down. It was either that or pulling helplessly at his bed hair and getting beat the daylight out of by this feisty petite woman. "Killing me is fine and all but could you please listen to me-"

"What's going on here?" The unlikely couple paused their verbal and physical fight and whirled their head towards the doorway at the unwelcomed interruption. The pent-up zest quickly evaporated and their jaws gradually hanged loose as there stood Itachi, gazing silently in their direction.

* * *

**In this day and age, there are hardly any guys who could pull off the pony-tail look, and when I finally saw a decent looking one, he's three decades older than me. Bummer.**


	13. Can't Think Straight With You Around

**So sorry for the inconsistent update! Hope you'll enjoy this as much as I did cooking it up ^^**

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Can't Think Straight With You Around**

Itachi took in the fallen blanket, rumpled bed sheet, Kisame's half-naked form, Sakura in only her camisole and underwear, and found his heart and mind strangely empty.

"It-It…"

"Seems like I came in at a wrong time."

"I-Itachi-san? You're alright now…" Kisame began in wonderment, completely unfazed by their extremely misleading situation. Sakura on the other hand, was not feeling so cool and collected; she was desperately trying to catch his eyes as much as he was making a point not to meet hers.

"I-Itachi, ths is not-"

"Sorry to interrupt," He cut in and swiftly shut the door, and for a deceptive second it felt like he had not entered at all.

"No, wait! …" It was an apparent case of "he believed what he saw," with no room for Sakura's pleas or last minute excuses, even if things were definitely not what he was thinking.

She released a defeated groan and slumped her body onto the soft and comfy bed, hitting her head against the silky bed sheet and beating herself over her sorry plight. Kisame on the other hand, could not comprehend why she was so flustered like it was the end of the world, when clearly none of them were doing anything shameful. In fact, he was a little insulted – was it such a disgrace to be seen in bed with him, a hundred percent straight man with muscles that Itachi and women could only dream of, and not to mention, one of the mighty Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist? Heck, he even admitted that he had been celibate (for a year), though she did not need to know how long (a year).

"It happens, he'll understand," He shrugged and flopped back onto his puffy pillow, crossing his brawny arms behind his head without a care for the world. Sakura ceased her cries for forgiveness and levelled a stink eye at his irately composed face.

"You…"

"Yea?" She wanted to ask just how often did he bring women back, but by the carefree way he was behaving she suspected it was much frequent than he initially revealed. She gasped – what if Itachi thought that she was a loose woman and decided to cut off all ties with her?

"Come on, this isn't as bad as you thought if you cool down and think about it…" They were just united briefly, and here she thought this was a God blessed second chance…

"Sakura-chan? Are you so enamored by my manliness that you have to keep staring at me…"

"ONE MORE WORD FROM YOU AND I'LL…!" She rebuked and landed a feeble punch to his solid chest, knowing there was not really much she could do, or that she was already captured by a certain person's manliness. Kisame stared down suggestively at their proximity and Sakura's (lack of) attire, stirring her out of her anger and quickly covering herself. He chortled and picked up the blanket, dumping it towards her before lying back down.

"I just I'll sleep in a little while more…"

"Don't you dare fall asleep Hoshikagi! Stop smiling and tell me where the hell you put my clothes!"

* * *

Sending another fist of wrath towards an unrepentant Kisame, Sakura darted out of the room and carefully closed the door behind her. She was finally able to see him again and she was not going to let this end like this, not before she left.

Hiding by the corner of the corridor, she snuck a furtive glance towards the kitchen, where Itachi was moving between the cabinets and taking things out like a master chef at home. In a sense, this was his home now, though she could not fathom why he would choose this to… Konoha.

He should have noticed her presence by now, but he was going about preparing his green tea like she was non-existent. It seemed like she would have to make the first move. She hastily smoothed her hair down for the third time, took several calming breaths, cursing Kisame once again, and went for it.

"G-Good morning, Itachi!" She declared cheerfully, causally snaked out of her observatory spot and joined him in the kitchen. His eyes did a brief glance in her direction and quickly returned to focusing on pouring the hot water into his grey ceramic cup. At least he acknowledged her, she thought encouragingly and strategically seated herself by the island opposite him.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"…" She knew he was listening, he had to – she was talking pretty loudly.

"Are your muscles still aching?" He rolled his eyes up and caught her eager expression. Normally he would have found that endearing, but after what he had just witnessed, their nauseating proximity, her near _nudity_ in front of another guy, not so.

"…A little bit," He answered reluctantly at last. Who was he and what right did he have to interfere with whom she chose to sleep with anyway, the last strain of his rational cells reminded him. It would not be fair for him to vent his muddled up emotions onto her.

"Does your chest still hurt?"

"No."

"G-Great, that means the antidote is working!" She announced with a clap, though it seemed that he was not sharing her happiness.

The black toaster opposite her binged as four slices of golden bread shot to life, steaming in temptation. Itachi set down his cup, expertly tossed the pieces onto a plate and carried them over to the kitchen island.

Sakura consciously fiddled with the plastic bowl of flowers by the side while roving her eyes all over the space in hopes to feel less uncomfortable. Hell, she did not even know what she was doing here. Maybe she should use this chance to _clarify _some stuff.

"About just now-"

Suddenly, Itachi stood up, grabbed his emptied cup and walked towards the sink. Sakura looked down at the two slices of uneaten toasts in puzzlement.

"Aren't you finishing these?"

"You can have the rest of it." Without sparing her another glance, he ghosted out of the kitchen and into his room.

She gingerly picked up and took a delicate bite by the round edge of the toast, trying not to think about what this meant, not getting her hopes up that he had made this specifically with her in mind. He had probably overestimated his appetite and left these for her out of obligation. That must be it. Mmm, was there a thing he could not do? How could such a plain piece of floor taste so heavenly? She wondered what he added, maybe some of his love?

_Love, my foot_! She hastily shoved down the last toast and swept off the crumbs and evidence of his trivial act of kindness.

Talk about unpredictable, one minute he was giving her the cold shoulders and the next he was serving her hot toasts. She wondered if Kisame had any tips to cope with his mood swings. Or it could that he was not even angry, and why would he be anyway? It was not like she was his _girlfriend_ or anything.

Speaking of that full-time blue jerk, why did he not wake her up? Judging by the bright sunlight pouring through the window, if she started making her way back now she might make it home before nightfall. Even the natural forces were merciful and kept the afternoon heat at bay.

Also, were the Akatsuki so pathetic that their members could only afford toasts for lunch? It was not only lacking in nutrients but also inappropriate for his condition.

Ironically, he seemed to be looking heaps better, a little too good since it had just been moments that she finished treating him... Hold on, the cool weather, Kisame in bed, toasts for meal... She had just arrived moments ago, right? The clock by the kitchen shelf must have broken down, since apparently time had stopped at eight, minutes after she first arrived…right?

"Oh no…" Just how long has she been out of the light?

Why the hell did he not wake her up, it was the next morning already! She started pacing away and bit anxiously at her nails, debating what to do next. Unfortunately, the murdering of Kisame would have to wait. Before dashing off, she needed to make sure Itachi was completely clear of the toxin, in case he suffered a relapse and she got pulled back by his best friend. That, and she needed to iron things out with him.

"Come in." Putting on her professional face, she pushed through the door and frowned.

"Er, what are you doing?"

"Ironing my stuff," He replied with a "duh" tone as he went on ironing his cloak, looking every bite your housewife material. If only it was as easy for her.

"Don't you have servants or slaves…? No, that's beside the point." Guess even criminals could not escape doing house chores. "Itachi, I need you to get onto the bed now." At her risqué words, he stopped and raised a brow in her direction.

"And then?"

"W-What else? I'm doing one last body check to make sure you're all clear."

"You're leaving?"

"That's right. I've left a note saying I would be back by now but I'm still here, and I've overstayed my welcome in enemy grounds." That last comment came out rather biting, as though reminding him of their status.

"I see." He moved around the ironing board and sat on his bed. "That's a shame."

_Again with his elusive remarks_… Did he mean that he was reluctant to see her go, or was that just him patronising her? She uncomfortably gestured with her hands to lift up his shirt, to which he pulled off and discarded by the floor without a second thought.

"I'll be pressing on your muscles to check if there's still inflammation, tell me if it hurts." He gave her a perfunctory nod and shut his eyes.

"Nothing happened, you know. And you know what I'm talking about," She hurriedly pointed out before he could feign ignorance.

"Why are you telling me that?"

"I just don't want you to misunderstand, that's all." She leaned against his chest to listen to his heartbeat, supporting herself on his taut muscles. No more aching muscles, trembling hands and abnormally fast heartbeat – she mentally noted with a smile. "Your heart's still beating a little bit fast, but with sufficient rest and refrainment from strenuous activities this week, you'll be back to tip-top condition in no time…"

He suddenly sat up, with her smothered against him and all, shocking the nerve out of Sakura. Did he catch on to her hands that were lingering on his body a tad too long?

With difficulty, she tilted her head up and caught his clouded expression and grim expression.

"What-"

"You should go now."

"Huh? Just give me a moment and I'll be done-"

"It's not safe to stay here any longer," He reinforced with slight urgency while gripping her arms and gazing fiercely into her eyes, hoping she would get the point.

"What you mean? There's only the three of us…" Outside, she heard the sound of door opening, followed by Kisame's booming voice.

"Hey, you two back so soon?"

* * *

Hidan threw out both his arms and stretched lazily as he dumped his ninja sandals by the threshold. The mission had been a success, with twice the promised cash after a half-hearted threat to burn down the client's office… That would be something only Kakuzu would claim, since all that was in the old geezer's mind was sex with cash. The past four days had been the most lustreless, stinky moments captured in slow-mo, with the only highlight being he got to feel up the boss's twenty year old daughter, and snuck in a dirty kiss while his partner was diligently checking for stick-together notes.

Well, that had been a day ago, and now he was craving for something new, something more. He ignored Kakuzu's scowl and nodded to Kisame, who had just stepped out of his bed and in mid-stretch. Until just now, the shark man had nearly forgotten how amazing it was to wake up to a whiff of muliebrity. It was indeed a blessing in disguise when he found her collapsed by Itachi's door yesterday, and the script played out by itself.

"Hey, you two back so soon?"

"Yo Kisame, you look shagged." After their first night together, he was actually surprised to find himself disappointed that she was not next to him when he reopened his eyes just now.

"Had a rough night, is all…" He replied as he absent-mindedly combed through his hair.

"If you keep doing that, I'm going to impose a fine," Kakuzu glowered behind Hidan as he played housemaid and straightened their sandals. "And I sense an unfamiliar chakra." He nodded to Kisame.

"Is it a new member, or your woman? It's been… a while," Hidan added unnecessarily with a smug face. Coming from him, it sounded far less insulting than intended.

"Well, it's a woman alright, though unfortunately not mine…"

"Then whose woman is that? Besides you and Itachi, there's no one else here. It can't be…" Hidan angled his head towards Itachi's door with a suggestive brow.

"What? Didn't Leader make it clear that no women are allowed at base?" Kakuzu suddenly exclaimed, quickly pushing through the two other men and slammed opened offender's door without knocking.

Itachi and Sakura turned towards the entrance, both appearing flustered and frustrated, though for very different reasons than what the three men were thinking. Sakura was pinned on the bed with her palms against his chest, while Itachi hovered half-naked above her. Needless to say, this was a seldom seen situation, if not ever seen, and being the oldest and wisest of them all, Kakuzu unsubtly cleared his throat and broke the silence.

"Itachi, are you not clear on the rules, or have you forgotten?"

"A knock before entering would be appreciated," Itachi countered with an annoyed face, though it was aimed more at Kisame.

"Never in my immortal life would I dream of catching Itachi, of all people, in bed with a woman! You two ought to reflect," Hidan cracked, instantly breaking down into a loud laughter.

Suddenly remembering her god-like strength, Sakura hastily pushed Itachi away and hopped out of his bed, consciously straightening her hair and smoothing the crinkles down her clothes to hide her embarrassment.

"You've misunderstood! I'm not his woman, girlfriend or anything-"

"She won't be saying that after a good fuck…" Hidan mumbled loudly behind Kisame, and Kakuzu's eyes narrowed.

"Ahahaha of course not, because Sakura-chan here is our newly hired Doctor!"

"What?" All four voices blurted simultaneously as Kisame slyly flashed his sharp and polished teeth while causally strolling into the room next to Sakura.

"This is the first I've heard of," Kakuzu stated with a cross of his arms, an air of suspicion clinging to him.

"Kisame, what nonsense are you-"

"Her name is Haruno Sakura," He quickly spoke above Itachi's ticked voice and continued smoothly, "A medical ninja from the Leaf that is recently gaining fame from finding the cure for the sudden plague in her village. However, those pathetic village elders denied her the recognition and patent of her effort and antidote. So desperate for money she turned back-alley," Kisame fibbed spontaneously, ignoring Itachi's warning eyes and placing an arm around her shoulders.

"Don't we already have our own back-alley doctors? Are you sure she's as fucking good as you claimed?" Hidan supplied with a skeptical cock of his head, eyeing Sakura.

"Kisame, why did you suddenly "hire" a new medic? Is anyone sick?" Kakuzu looked around, his eyes settling on Itachi.

"Itachi-san was not feeling well and none of our usual Doctors could cure his illness, so after asking around I found out about her. Those we have are nothing compared to her. After all, she was personally groomed by one of the Legendary Sannin and the best in the field."

"What? She's the Hokage's apprentice? Are you out of your mind? What if she's a spy?"

"I'm not Hidan and I don't think with my balls, I wouldn't make that mistake."

"Oh? And aren't you a fucking genius, finding someone from his ex-village?" Hidan bellowed before pointing in Sakura's direction. "What makes you think she would help Itachi? Unless she's got the hots for him…" He slanted his eyes meaningfully in her direction.

That's impossible," Kisame cut in before Kakuzu could start throwing a fit, "Because she's currently in love with me and doing me a favour."

Who's in love with _you_? And get your filthy hands off, Hoshigaki," Sakura barked, shrugging his arm off more violently this time.

"Looks fucking one-sided to me…"

"Is that true, Itachi?" All four pairs of eyes were immediately transfixed on his Sharingan, and for once he felt at a loss. He fiddled between Kisame's pleading frown to Sakura's befuddled eyes and sighed.

"She was brought here to assist us in our future missions, that's all." Sakura's head whirred to face him, but his eyes were shut and his expression resolute, leaving no room for buts.

_That's all? Itachi what the hell do you think you're_...

"If that's the case…" Kakuzu trailed off as he began working on his thoughts. "Does Leader know about this?"

"Not yet, but I'll inform him when he returns."

"Alright. You," Kakuzu stepped into the room, stood in front of Sakura and stared down firmly at her. She defiantly returned the stare as she tried not to shrink from his imposing height and aura. "As of today, you'll be working under the Akatsuki as our official doctor."

* * *

Sakura followed the funereal Secretary towards his room next door, hesitating by the entrance.

"Come on in, I do not have all the time in the world to waste on this."

She turned and caught Kisame's affirmative nod, but the one she was seeking for was keeping quiet and simply watching her with an obscure expression. She sent a mental prayer that she could make out of this hellhole alive, and closed the door behind her.

She redirected her attention onto Kakuzu, who was busy unpacking his latest plunder onto his bed, and Sakura could only watch on in fascination as two rice bags of notes spilled out all over the room.

Next, he sat by the edge of his bed and began bundling the loose notes, seemingly oblivious to Sakura's presence.

"_Excuse me_, did you call me in here just to see you count notes?"

"Fifteen hundred, sixteen…"

"_HELLO_? Kakuzu or whatever, you listening?"

"What?" He reluctantly tore his eyes away from his money, looking genuinely surprised to see her, before his face quickly turned into a scowl. "What are you doing in my room?" Hell, he even had the gall to appear mad at her!

"You called me in, re-mem-ber?" Sakura threw out her arms in exasperation as he racked his brain for such a memory. Sighing in vexation, he carefully laid down his notes and retrieved something from his desk's drawer. You see, it was not that Kakuzu had gone senile, but heaps of cash just had that natural hypnotising effect on him.

"Read through this, if there's no issue, sign below and stamp your thumb next to it." She gingerly took over a piece of paper and nearly rolled her eyes at the title "Terms of Contract."

"For a criminal organization, you guys sure are up-to-date with your protocols."

"We do need the occasional assistance from a third-party. This is to protect the interest of both sides and ensure everything is agreed without future complications."

"More like interests of your side…" Sakura muttered as she skimmed through the long list of terms. "Wait a second. Term number 10, "_This is an indefinite_ _agreement between Akatsuki and the agreeing party, where Akatsuki can choose to terminate contract without prior notice_." What do you mean by this?"

"As it was written – you're not allowed to terminate the contract unless we do so first."

_How sneaky, to put this in the sea of tiny texts_, Sakura mentally cussed but outwardly she asked, "And what if I insisted?"

"Feel free to do so, but you'll be immediately tracked down by one of our members and be dealt with on the same day."

"There's no mention of family members or friends."

"We don't believe in involving unrelated parties, and we pride ourselves on not getting discovered easily."

"That's unexpectedly kind of you." Sakura was impressed. At least they had _some_ principles.

"If there are no further questions about the contract, and you are in agreement with the stated sum, then quick sign," He ordered with that gruff and unfriendly voice that told Sakura he was losing patience.

It was then she noticed the incentive at the end of the contract, perhaps the one and only, and gaped at the offered amount. With such demanding modus vivendi, it was no wonder they were so generous. Nothing comes free in this damn world, it seemed.

Since this was also a blood contract, forging the signature would be pointless, and seeing there was no other way out, she duly offered herself at Akatsuki's disposal.

"Here, can I leave now?"

"Usually that's' the case, but since the Leader has not learnt of this and he's returning tonight, you shall stay here and wait for him."

"Are you kidding me?" Just how bossy was he getting?

"No, I'm serious."

"I meant that as an expression…"

"Now, out."

* * *

Sucking up the excess blood off her thumb, Sakura exited Kakuzu's room looking like she had just lost her will to live. She listlessly noted the diminishing sunlight and expectant faces gathered by the living room, once again questioning her decision-making skills. She meandered around the coffee table and plopped into the sofa next to Itachi, her last ray of hope and the only person she was remotely comfortable being with now.

"How did the talk go?" Kisame began eagerly opposite her.

"I can't believe I'll be working for Akatsuki..." She was really talking more to herself then, though her lack of enthusiasm and vacant expression was lost on him.

"We've got the best ninjas, best connections and A-rank pays regardless of mission difficulties. I don't see what's there to complain about."

"You guys are felons!" She slammed her palm onto the glass table, unintentionally smashing it into big, broken pieces and startling the three men. "And… I'm not."

"Why care so much about the details? "Criminal" is just a label for fucking law-abiding people to make sense of our actions. But when it comes down to it, aren't we all the same? We're just more…expressive with our intents," Hidan remarked with a smirk to her left, carefully dusting off a loose glass shard off his shoulder. Looked like this woman was more than just talk; he was going to take his time to unpeel her layers of chary and offer her to Janshin's mercy. Patience, patience.

"Is Hidan getting philosophical? Or are you just trying to impress the girl and lure her into your rituals?"

"So what do you say, woman? Interested to be a Jashinist like me? I promise ya the pain's all worth the pleasure," Hidan offered with a lick of his lips.

"Sorry, but I'll pass. I've got enough problems as of now…" It appeared that the intel were right – this association was full of weirdoes. Their Leader must have strict guidelines when it came to scouting for talents.

"Being a medic of Akatsuki is no easy task. Are you certain you can handle it?" Itachi suddenly asked next to her. Anyone hearing this would have assumed he was questioning her competency, but she could hear his underlying concern. She knew that he was trying to tell her that she was being foolish, and she should break out of this pointless charade and return home while she could.

However, that was no longer an option, as she had made up her mind to turn the situation around and try to figure out what made him left Konoha, while under the guise of working under Akatsuki. At least it made her feel better that she was not just being coerced into this mess.

"Yea, I'll be fine," She answered confidently and smiled softly when she caught his hard gaze. "Don't you trust my abilities?"

"Whoa, you sure there's nothing going on between those two?" Hidan asked as he leaned his body against his elbow by the sofa's arm and hunched forward towards Kisame, like some nosy spinster.

"Even if there is, which there isn't, it's not really our business right?" Kisame, the forever bro defended righteously. Their bicker carried on in the background as the other pair took their conversation to a hushed level.

"You know that's not what I mean," Itachi fired back with a frown. "And why aren't you leaving?"

"I can't. That Kakuzu guy told me to wait till your Leader returns to meet him. I don't want to raise any suspicions so I have to yield."

"Do you listen to anyone's words but mine?"

"_You're_ the one who reaffirmed that I'm going to be working for the Akatsuki!" She hissed, pissed that he was not taking any responsibility to her plight.

"I have no choice. It was either that, or you'll be killed on the spot. We don't just let strangers waltz into the base and leave as they please," Itachi argued back, and the fierce glint in his eyes told her he was not exaggerating. Sakura's face paled and her shoulders sprang back in defeat.

"I-It was that serious?"

At that moment, the front door unlocked itself and there entered two males, both spotting an identical rice hat and the salient Akatsuki cloak. Everyone's conversation came to a halt and watched as they busied themselves with striping of their gears.

Peeking from behind Itachi, Sakura's eyes grew steadily wide in appall when she saw the striking red and blonde hair beneath the hat.

_What the hell? It's that gay boy and his boyfriend! What are they doing here_?

"Whoa, what happened here? The person in charge of sweeping today better picks up all the loose glasses, hmm…" Deidara commented with an apathetic nod at the mess.

"Isn't that you?" Hidan pointed out with a finger to the schedule by the kitchen.

It was then that Deidara noticed Sakura, and judging from his instantaneous stiff posture and disbelieving eyes, she surmised he must have recognised her too.

_No way… They're from the Akatsuki_?

What was a Konoha ninja doing here, was she a friend or foe, was what he would usually think of, but not now. If it were not for the presence of so many members, he would have rushed to her side and confirmed if she was the girl Ino was hanging out with and if Ino was fine.

"Who's that?" Sasori asked, clearly had long forgotten about her. For now, Deidara could only resort to observing her from a distance and finding out her purpose here. From the way everyone was comfortably seated together, it almost seemed like she was a part of them.

"You can call her our new family doctor," Kisame quipped as he skilfully dodged a glare from Sakura.

"N-Nice to meet you all, my name is Haruno Sakura," She introduced reluctantly to Kisame's amusement. Sasori's eyes narrowed dubiously.

"A woman?" This redhead and his condescending tone were seriously getting on her nerves. She was right not to talk to him that night when she saw him during the festival. Who knew if she might just lost her control and destroyed the booths, along with that glum face of his.

"You're the first female doctor we ever have, don't you feel honoured, Sakura-_chan_?" Hidan added with a sneer. It seemed like either she was hanging out with a bunch of distrustful males or they had some kind of feud against women in general.

"What's with this household's guys and women? Did something happen in the past?" She had meant that question for Itachi's ears, but apparently everyone picked up her disapproving lour.

"Since the lady asked, I shall do the honour and explain ourselves," Kisame started while shifting aside to make room for the newcomers of this dialogue session. "Remember that no women in base policy earlier? It was instated because _this _guy," He emphasised with a penalising thumb towards Hidan, "Once brought back a thief disguised as a prostitute, and half of our possessions went unaccounted for along with her the next day."

Hidan quickly sat up to defend his honour, or whatever there was left to honour.

"I've murdered that fucking bitch and apologised for that, and didn't Kakuzu return back the loss in your pay checks? Stop bearing grudges…"

"And don't we already have three back-alley doctors already? Can she be trusted?" Sasori pointed out, insistent on his stand.

"As of today, Kongo and Gyuu are dismissed so you're to make use of her services." Kakuzu announced as he emerged from his room and stood behind Hidan. "She's also the Hokage's disciple, so you can expect some level of competency from this woman."

When the impromptu gathering was adjourned, everyone began to disperse around the base and Deidara quickly cut into Sakura's tracks before she could advance any further.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?" Sakura frowned and looked around in confusion, but nobody was paying attention to him. Was he talking to her? She crossed her arms, wondering if he was going to butter her up and snuff out news of her heartbroken friend.

"You're Deidara, right?" Her tone was not impressed. This was great timing, there were answers she personally wanted from this dubious character too.

"S-So you've heard from Ino? Then this'll make things easier. Please let her know it was all a misunderstanding-"

"Sakura," Itachi called out from behind Deidara, "Meet me at the backyard." Deidara gritted his teeth and spun around, but he had already walked off, not in the least remorseful that he had just rudely interrupted a very important talk.

"Okay! Sorry, we'll talk another time, alright?" Shrugging nonchalantly, she brushed past the helpless and speechless man and darted out from the kitchen backdoor.

"Why did _he_ always have to ruin my plans…? That stupid Itachi, one day I'll get even with you, hmm," Deidara fumed as he clenched his fists in vengeance.

"Save that thought for never, you can't beat him," Sasori offered helpfully as he headed to his room. Deidara rolled his eyes but otherwise let that comment slipped. If what Kisame said about her being the 'family doctor' were true, then there would be plenty of chances to talk, without being _rudely interrupted_, in the future. Sticking a tongue in Itachi's direction, he too left for his room.

Glancing around to make sure she was not being watched, she strode past rows of potted plants on metal shelves towards a koi pond, where Itachi was standing under the shade of a tall tree's canopy.

"Is it alright for you to talk to me so liberally in there?"

"You're getting out of here now," He replied instead, turning around and staring her in the eye.

"Now? That's so sudden! N-Not that I want to stay any longer…"

"Alright then, let's go." Grabbing her hand, he pulled them over the wooden fence and they began running in the opposite direction from the way Kisame had led her. Sakura had to admit, she felt like they were some runaway couple on their way to embark on a new page in their relationship. It felt great to see him being concerned of her welfare and taking control of the situation.

She wondered if he knew he was still holding on to her hand, but now that he was, she was not going to let it go so easily.

"It's a good thing you're wearing your gloves."

"Huh?" Could it be he was also thinking about the same thing?

"When you…smashed the glass table just now, you could have hurt yourself," He explained awkwardly, "You need to be extra careful around the Akatsuki members, considering you still have no knowledge of their abilities… Why are you smiling?"

"Are you…worried about me?" He caught her playful eye and sighed. He could not understand how she could remain so carefree like it was not her business.

"Don't ever let Hidan get near your blood, or then you'll wish you were dead," He concluded with an ominous tone, slapping Sakura back to the reality of how loosely she was playing with fire. She recalled Kisame mentioned about some rituals that probably involved blood, _lots_ of blood, one that she would definitely not want to get herself involved. Those males were no random roommates and certainly not her friends-to-be. The only consolation was she was not alone in this.

"Is it okay for you to just…disappear like this?" He darted his eyes over his shoulders with an elevated brow, looking amused.

"You've been missing from the village for two days, who do you think is in hotter water now?" Sakura smiled tightly in returned, resisting the urge to kick him where it mattered most. Of course she knew that, she was just trying not to remember… He had an irritating knack of turning the focus around and not wanting others to worry about him. That was something only a capable and mature man like him could always pull off, but it just made Sakura sadder.

It was also something a person who was used to solitude would do.

* * *

"Argh, making a patient work so hard…"

On the other side of the forest, a very anxious friend was fighting off her drowsiness and not letting the darkness get to her, while hopping around various treetops to see if she could detect some form of human silhouette. Of course, she had no leads as to Sakura's location, but telling her to sit around and paint her nails while her best friend was out in the wild with an Akatsuki member? Ex-citizen or not, who knew if that Uchiha was really in trouble, or if that was some kind of trap to nab Sakura. For all she knew, a member could have discovered her relationship with Itachi and wanted to get rid of her, for fear of complications.

Ino had been surprised that the first person she saw when she opened her eyes was not Sakura but Shizune, informing her that she was steadily recovering thanks to the antidote Sakura had formulated. When asked about her best friend's schedule, she was told she had taken a leave from the hospital. That was understandable, since she must have spent many waking hours battling with the mysterious virus within her.

After she was discharged, she headed straight for her benefactor's house, only to find her missing and a piece of crappy note explaining that she had "went to get some _Smilax ornata_ from a nearby village, will be back by next morning.". Ino thought she was trying to be funny; what herb could not wait that she was in such a rush to get it?

Now she knew, she reflected with a shake of her head. It was a nearly extinct species, extremely hard to find, fiercely sought everywhere, benign at first glance but highly addictive and poisonous when ingested. It was also easily identifiable with its trademark crimson fruit, similar to _Smilax ornata_.

"Where are you, you bloody Uchiha pain in the ass…"

Ino really wanted to murder Sakura for lying to her, again. She was definitely _not_ over him.

Fortunately Sakura had the foresight to apply for two day's leave from the hospital, or Tsunade was going to go bollocks if she knew Sakura was still not back or, heaven forbid, in danger. It had been two days – she hoped Sakura had not been poisoned paralyzed from ingesting too much of that herb that she could not make it back home, or heaven forbid, became addicted and consciously chose to be poisoned to death...

Before she was wholly consumed by such terrifying thoughts, Ino spotted a moving figure thirty meters ahead below her. Who in the right mind could be taking a stroll in the middle of the night? Other than someone who was on the way back to Konoha, someone who went to get some herbs and had the sense to finally return… Jumping in excitement, she sprinted towards the figure.

In all her delirium, she had omitted to put up a wall of caution, or even once considered if that was in fact, Sakura at all. By the time she had realised the silhouette was sporting spiky hair and too tall to be a female, it was too late to mask her presence. The figure had ceased its movement, and was listening intently to her every move, every breath. She could roughly gauge a good ten meters from her adversary, and amidst the overwhelming gloom, whoever strike first would be sure to have the upper hand.

Reaching inside the weapons pouch strapped to her thigh, her eyes darted left and right, not even daring to breathe as she pulled out her freshly sharpened kunai. She could almost feel the figure doing the same, and she knew it was either now or never.

_Sakura, wish me luck_. Locking onto that hint of chakra, she charged forth, leaving behind a burst of blown up leaves in her track.

"Eat this!"

* * *

Kisame was cursing as he bolted out of the base and down the route he had previously escorted Sakura from. The moment he dropped his guard and that woman fled without notice! Or was that her revenge for removing her clothes without her consent? He was lucky that their Leader was held back by an urgent business at his village and could not make it back today, or he would have been caught in a sticky situation.

Since he was the one who brought her back, he felt a responsibility towards her and the need to know if she was safe (so not because of Kakuzu's lame order to get her back). It was not that he did not trust her abilities, but anything could happen in the middle of the night, and he was worried.

His prayers was answered when he caught a movement to his left, and stopped dead in his track. Neither moved from their position nor made any attempts to. Was it her? What was the likelihood that it was an enemy spy? He did not want to lose its sight before he could confirm its identity, he could not afford to.

Without holding back, he reached behind for Samehada and sprinted towards his target.

* * *

"I think that's your friend over there."

Sakura looked up and saw a slender form dancing from tree to tree, searching frantically despite the near blindness of the murk. From the elegant way it was moving and that rhythmic swing of ponytail, one person immediately came to mind.

"Ino…" She was washed with gratitude that her friend was back to her energetic shape, and guilt for making her worried over her just after she had barely recovered.

"We're also being followed," Itachi revealed next to her, not high on being surrounded.

"By who? Is it…your partner?" She hoped it was not that money guy; she really did not want to deal with that right now. "Ino is moving towards the base! I've got to stop her-"

"Their paths would not cross," He quickly cut in before she could shout, "You don't have to worry."

"How are you so sure?"

* * *

"Eat this!"

"Urggh!" Ino felt her kunai slicing through the body, but it quickly dispersed into a cloud of white smoke. She sensed movement behind and spun around to block a punch to her face, and soon it was silent again. All she could hear was her heart racing all sorts of chaotic beat overwhelming her senses. She dared not move a muscle or even risk a breath, not with a kunai a millimeter from her eye and hers against her predator's throat. A beam of moonlight shone down as a stray cloud drifted out of its path, shining light on the duel's identity.

"_Naruto_?"

"Ino?"

"What are you doing here?" The two chorused as the momentary light faded and they carefully withdrew their deadly weapons.

"I thought you were an enemy!"

"Same here! I thought you were some woman Ero-sennin offended and was tracking him down via me…" Uzumaki Naruto babbled on, scratching his head sheepishly. It was no wonder Ino could not recognise him – over the last three years, he had shot to his mature height and grew his hair longer. He was even emanating a grown-up vibe that she could hardly believe this was the same prankster she knew!

"My my Naruto, how you've grown! You must have trained real hard over the past few years."

"Heh, I guess I did train a lot. And you grew back your hair! I wonder if Sakura-chan's hair was still short, I've always like it long…" That was when he noticed she had gone silent. "What's wrong Ino? By the way, what are you doing here, alone in the forest at this time?"

"Well the truth is, I'm here to look for Sakura."

"What?" The smile began to slip from Naruto's face.

"I'm searching for Sakura. She has been missing from the village for two days."

* * *

"What makes you so sure she won't be discovered?" Sakura repeated when Itachi continued to ignore her. "And if Kisame is following us, won't we risk getting discovered any time now?"

"You've got to stop asking so much questions," He expressed with his usual collected tone, but she could tell he was starting to get pissed off. "Besides, I've used an alternative route to get you back to Konoha, one that even he was unaware of."

"If that's so you could have told me earlier…" Sakura could not help but noticed that he said "to get you back" instead of "us." It wretched her heart knowing that he had a home he could no longer return to, and it continued to baffle her of why he chose to desert his home in the first place. From the lighthearted way he mentioned Konoha and his jaunty footsteps as they were travelling towards Konoha, it did not feel that he hated the village.

Feeling dejected, she searched around for Ino's presence and saw that she was not moving. She recognised that guarded stance, it was something Ikura-sensei had taught them when trying to pinpoint the enemy's location while you simultaneously cook up a strategy.

Without warning, she dashed forward, with her weapons outstretched and ready to kill.

"Oh no, she's in danger!" She gasped, her palms flying to her mouth.

"Are you sure? Look again."

Sakura peered closer, and she could discern two figures in a standoff. Her foe appeared to be a head taller and slightly bigger than Ino, with spiky hair and a punching style reminiscent of Naruto's. As the overhead cloud continued to coast along with the wind, it finally gave way to the shrouded moon and the kunai in Ino's hand reflected the light onto the opponent's face.

"_Naruto_? That's Naruto? He looks so different!" Sakura gasped softly behind her palm, not knowing her response was a mirror of her best friend's.

"His moves are a lot cleaner now, he must have grown a lot," Itachi commented with a hint of approval, surprising Sakura.

"You know Naruto?"

"You can say that," He answered ambiguously, and she knew she was not getting anymore out of him, this secretive guy. They continued to observe the reunited comrades who were immediately engaged in a serious conversation, and were shortly running in the opposite direction from Sakura.

She inferred that Ino must have relayed her plight to Naruto and they were now on their way to search for her.

"Guys I'm- mmmffff!" She was suddenly pulled back into Itachi's chest, who had swiftly cut her off with a hand over her mouth.

"I said Kisame would not find them, but that doesn't mean he would not find us," He whispered coarsely into her ears, "And don't forget, I'm a wanted man, and that makes me their enemy."

Sakura fought the rising blush with her entire body flushed against him, and forcefully pried off his hand from her face.

"O-Okay I get it, now please let go of- mmffff!" She felt Itachi's hand around her tightened as he slowly leaned them against the buttress tree, their makeshift hiding spot. He angled his head to spy around the premise, and Sakura swallowed at the sudden tension in the air, along with the taunting view of his exposed collarbone.

It was then she detected the familiar and vague chakra signature of her teammate, out of her sight but pacing by the border of her razor senses. Despite their stranded state, she was not as nervous to the prospect of being discovered than their proximity that was doing funny things to her mind.

If anything, their precarious predicament was only fuelling to the ecstasy and her train of inappropriate thoughts of the man bounding her protectively with his strong arm. She lolled her head against him and nudged his hand off her mouth.

"Hey…" Piqued by her voice, he turned back and gazed down into her half-closed eyes. "You're so warm." Itachi raised his brows in amusement.

"You sound very surprised." He lowered his hand from her face and gently enveloped it around her waist. Slowly, she twisted around and wrapped her arms around him, resisting the urge to squeeze in fondness. She had no idea how much she missed this, being around him, being held by him so dearly, and wished for this moment to never end.

"Can I…touch your body?" They were both taken aback by her words, him by the turn of events and her by her newfound lack of shame.

"…Do you understand the situation we're in now?" He whispered softly, and both were fully aware that he had not dismissed her question.

"I know you'll keep me safe."

"…Then just do what you want." He had no idea what spurred on this brazen attitude that was uncharacteristic of him, but by then he was not thinking straight. He could not, anyway.

She kept her left cheek against his chest as she slid her hand under his shirt, not allowing him to see how red her face was. The uneven grooves, the smooth yet solid warm surface, she wanted so badly to memorise each and every detail as she dragged her palm all over his body.

She felt his fingers running aimlessly up and down along her spine as his strong and steady heartbeat accelerated, the restless beats music to her ears.

"Itachi, you not only look good, but feel good…"

"Sakura…" He answered gruffly with a warning tone.

"I never imagine a man's chest to be this exciting."

As her hand glided over his nipple, he released a low breath and gripped her hand to stop her. Turning them around, he pushed her against the rough surface of the tree and brought his face close to hers.

"You should stop now, while I'm still thinking."

"Do I affect you that much?" She whispered provocatively, enjoying her rare control of the situation despite her heart threatening to pound out of her chest. He had underestimated the extent of her…abilities, overestimated himself, and now he could barely contain his urge to take her.

"You're going to regret this."

"Try me." His gaze grew dark for a second at her defiant tone, but Sakura refused to be overpowered.

"Alright. Then let's begin by finding out what you like."

"What I like-" His lips gently pressed against her mouth, and she was so stunned that all she could do was stare at his thick set of beautiful lashes barely brushing her cheeks. After a while, he broke off.

"Do you like it when I kiss you softly on the lips, or…" He trailed off as he tilted his head and went for her lips again. It felt as sweet as the first kiss, until she felt his tongue teasing her to open. She obliged. Itachi slowly stroked his tongue along her upper gums, her tongue and soon he was all the way inside her. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut to suppress the rising moan at the back of her throat, not liking how he was making her weak in the knees or how horny it was making her feel.

When she thought she could no longer stand his endless probing, he pulled back his face, leaving a trail of saliva hanging between their lips. Even then, he was still close enough for her to feel his hot and shallow breath against her skin.

"…Itachi…"

"Do you like when I kiss you slowly like this, or do you prefer…" Without warning, he cupped her by her head, pulled her towards him and dipped down for a full-blown passionate kiss.

This time, his tongue was roving inside her mouth without any of the earlier reservations and tenderness, pushing deeper than before. It was the most intimate contact they had ever shared, and she could feel his underlying affection, urgency, and frustrations all in this primitive gesture of amorous expression.

"Itachi… uuuhh…" Her moan was quickly drowned out as he pulled her head back closer, as though afraid she would disappear should he allow any distance between them. She tightened her hold around him, feeling the deep longing in her core spiked as his own arousal pushed against her.

"…So which do you like? Or is merely kissing not enough?" He asked against her wet lips, his voice raspy.

"I…" _I like you_. "I like everything." She could hardly found a sensible sentence now, let alone make a choice. He lightly brushed off a stray strand of pink lock blocking her eye, but before he could retract his hand, Sakura clasped it within her trembling hand and pressed it against her cheek.

"What is it?" He enquired softly. The longer she stayed by his side, the more certain she was of one thing.

"Why did you…kill your family?" He seemed slightly astounded by her question, but it was quickly masked by his usual passive expression.

"Because someone has to do it." _Then, here's another question, why you_?

"What do you mean?"

"You do not have to know so much." Sakura felt her eyes growing hot and she slowly detached herself from his embrace. Why could he not see she was willing to be his pillar of support? She clasped his wrists, forcing him to look at her.

"Why won't you tell me anything?" He appeared thoughtful for a moment, glancing off the distance with a faraway look before turning back and into her eyes.

"You want to know the truth?" Sakura's eyes widened in response; she was surprised that he would suddenly relent and felt a little uncertain, but nodded regardless. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, planting a gentle yet firm kiss against her slightly swollen lips, cupping her cheek as he gradually lured her away from reality under the spell of his crimson eyes.

"It's time to go back, Sakura." She caught a glimpse of his sad smile before she felt the world closing in around her.

* * *

Without hesitating, he sprinted towards his target, only to stop short a blade's length away from…

"Itachi-san?" Kisame quickly retracted his Samehada, frowning disconcertedly at his mistaken perception. His partner was standing by the fringe of the riverbank, brooding into the gentle swashes of the murky water.

"We need to talk."

"Sure but…" He was certain the earlier chakra he sensed was Sakura's, but not only could he not sense it now, but Itachi suddenly appeared and from his expectant tone, he had been waiting for him. "Did you see Sakura-chan?" Itachi let out a smirk at the vigilant way Kismae was darting his eyes around them for indication of her presence. He would be disappointed.

"She has returned to where she came from."

"How do you…? Were you the one who led her out?" He ceased his search and took a step closer to Itachi. A fish hopped out of its sanctuary and skimmed across the air, briefly disturbing the tranquility of the river and leaving ripples as it dipped back into the depths of the water, never to be seen again.

"How long do you plan for this to last?" Itachi asked as he slightly angled his head to face him.

"You mean Sakura-chan as our doctor? We'll see how it goes, probably as long as possible. She's good," Kisame replied in a subtly challenging tone and Itachi's eyes hardened by a fraction. He could also tell he was pissing him off by the friendly way he was addressing Sakura.

"I hope that you'll see to her replacement as soon as possible. I do not wish to see her around the base."

"Why not? What is she to you, Itachi-san?" So he thought he could act all nonchalant in front of the woman but secretly took care of her welfare and intervened as and when he fancied?

Itachi's eyes widened slightly when he felt a warm and fuzzy sensation travelled through his body. It was then he knew the answer to his irrational actions. He turned around and spoke into Kisame's eyes.

"She's someone I do not wish to see hurt."

Kisame held on to his steely gaze, assaulted by a range of emotions by Itachi's resolve. Knowing he was not in any position to meddle in his affairs, he could only sigh and hoped Itachi was not making a mistake that would cost his life.

"Well, she's working for us now, you do know that we're not allowed to date our subordinates, right?" He did not mean to be a spoilsport, but was Itachi so silly as to think there might be a future for him and Sakura? They were not even from the same world!

Itachi remained silent for a couple of heartbeats before whirling around and walking away from Kisame.

"I'll see you at the base," He said as his body disintegrated into crows with each undeviating step.

"And just so you know, Sakura-chan fainted after healing you so I lent her my bed. Nothing happened, you could rest assured."

He made no acknowledgement of hearing that of course.

_He can be a mystery at times, but when it comes to love, he's a bloody open book_, Kisame thought with a goofy grin as he started for the direction he had come from.

"Well, he's still young, it's about damn time he started acting his age instead of making feel like an overgrown child all the time!

* * *

Itachi stopped short some distance away from Konoha, frowning at the number of ANBUs stationed around the village's outer perimeter. If he approached any closer, he would definitely raise the alarms among the guards. It had only been a few days since he last checked by, and it was unlikely he was discovered. He did not have the luxury to ponder on as his shadow clone had already made contact with Kisame, and that was his cue to head back. Itachi carefully lowered Sakura's body and laid her in the middle of the road towards the main gate. He stared at her sleeping face with a pained look, caressing her cool cheek with the back of his palm.

Retreating into the darkness of the forest, he glanced back towards Sakura, towards Konoha one last time, and fled.


	14. She Never Listens To What I Say,Does She

**Chapter 14 – She Never Listens To What I say, Does She?**

"Where's she?"

Kisame did not understand why Kakuzu even bothered to ask, probably his way of making him look bad in front of his colleagues. He causally stretched the trapezius along his left neck, slightly sore from frequently setting Samehada over it. He was hoping he could get away from answering him, but judging by Kakuzu's expectant look and arms crossed in his typical no-nonsense way, the outlook seemed rather bleak then.

"She's gone."

"So you let her escaped right under your eyes. It's seldom that I see you make such slips," Kakuzu continued as Kisame sat down with a heavy sigh and joined the members by the living room.

"She left a note saying she might be tailed, so she left to prevent the ANBU from tracking her to our base. I have no reason to stop her." He slid out the crumpled note beneath the flap of his cloak to prove his point. He did not mention that it was forged, of course.

"Anyway, just now Zetsu dropped by with Leader's message. He said to leave you in-charge of that Haruno woman. I assumed you left the communication seal on her already?"

"That's the least of the issue." His eyes landed on his broody partner, who was seated at the far end of the sofa and pretending to be uninterested in the discussion. "Why not let Itachi-san be in-charge of Sakura-chan? Since they are from the same village I believe it'll be easier for him to contact her."

"I'm not interested in babysitting some woman you brought back," Itachi replied almost immediately, not even bothering to make eye contact, as Kisame had anticipated.

_That stubborn guy, still doesn't want to be honest with himself_…

"Itachi-san, listen to me-"

"If neither of you are interested in looking after her, why not let me do it, hmm," Deidara cut in to Kisame's left, as he suddenly stood up and waved out his hand, "I promise I'll treat her like she's our own-"

"No," The partners declared simultaneously, unapologetically shutting out Deidara as he shrank back down into the sofa with a pout.

"So…" Kakuzu eyed the agitated males around him, tapping his foot impatiently for an answer.

"I'll do it," Itachi finally answered as he continued to stare stonily into Kisame's glinting eyes.

"Great, then let's move on to the next topic. I've noticed a rise in every group's expenditure this month…"

* * *

Ino might have left no stones unturned and Naruto might have combed through every tree in the forest, but there was still no sign of Sakura. The entire night had been spent getting excited over countless false alarms, jumped scares from one bumping into one another and triggering long forgotten traps. In other words, it was a waste of time.

"You okay?" Ino shouted towards Naruto, suspended by the tree branch and struggling within a humongous net.

"That's not me!" The real Naruto hollered a few feet behind her as his shadow clone vanished with a loud poof. "Do you think I'll still fall for some genin level trick?"

"'Still?' You mean you used to get caught in such lame traps?"

"Hey! I-I was offering myself as a sacrifice so that my teammates would not accidentally trigger the trap! It's teamwork dattebayo," Naruto retorted with a loud 'hmph' and a cross of his arms.

"Hai hai. Hey..." Ino began with a dejected expression. "I think searching on will not bring us anywhere. Do you think we should go back now and inform Tsunade-sama?"

"Tsunade-obaa-chan huh… So she still doesn't know about this?" Ino shook her head. "Let's do that then."

On their way back, Naruto noticed subtle movements in the tree canopies around him.

"What's with the number of stationed guards? Is it some political visit from the Fire Daimyo?"

"Oh just a few days ago, Konoha has been hit with a strange case of bioterrorism, and a large number of villagers were hit real bad from the side effects." With Sakura's disappearance, it felt like old news, but Naruto obviously was not sharing that sentiment.

"What? A terrorist attack?" Naruto stopped in his tracks. "Is everyone okay now? Who's the culprit? Why did they attack us? Have they caught the culprit yet?"

"Whoa whoa hold your horses! Your interrogation is making me dizzy!" Ino lightly pushed his arms away from her shoulders and continued, "Investigations are still underway so we still do not know who did it. The council suspected it was an old grudge involving the Stone Village, but we do not have concrete evidence to support the hypothesis yet."

"T-Then, the extent of the damage?"

"It was actually a localised attack during Children's Day in the festival booth area, so either their target was present at that location or they really just hate children." Naruto remained speechless as Ino gestured for them to move on. "Okay here's the strange part. The reported side effects are muscle aches, weakness, shortness of breath, and light fever, nothing lethal. We can construe the enemy is trying to strike panic among the residents and then attack when our internal defense is the weakest."

"Uh-huh, go on?" Naruto was barely catching onto the end of the thread but he knew enough that things were definitely not looking so bright in Konoha.

"… It's been a week, and not even a mosquito has shown up. The analysis of the pathogen revealed that this was no amateur's attempt. For the complexity of the toxin, doesn't it kind of defeats the purpose?"

"Er… Maybe they have forgotten, people can be quite careless these days," Naruto speculated sheepishly.

"You trying to be funny Naruto? ...Oh my God is that Sakura?" Ino gasped, reaching out to Naruto's arm to stabilise herself. Just ahead of them, one of the ANBU was crouched by their fallen friend and checking her vital signs. They bolted towards the agent just as he lifted Sakura off the ground.

"Is she alright?" They questioned urgently.

"Is she your friend?"

"Yes! Her name's Haruno Sakura, a Chuunin from our village," Ino explained hastily, missing Naruto's surprised expression.

"Oh, she's Haruno-san? I found her lying alone in the middle of the road…"

"Do you mind if we take over from here? I'm a medical ninja," Ino declared, and at his nod, she ushered for Naruto to take over and piggyback Sakura.

"Ino, you're…"

"Now's not the time to be impressed. We've got to bring her in now!"

* * *

Sakura did not appreciate being jot awake by people with no sense to tone down their voices, especially when her dream involved being showered with kisses by a certain man and her pleasing him deeply with her hands, and that was just the appetizer…

Sakura peeled opened her eyes groggily and the noises around her gradually ceased into total silence, at least, for a second.

Two hazy heads popped into her vision and she groaned internally when one of them started yelling her name like she was deaf.

"Uuhhh…" Sakura wanted someone to just finish her off then.

"What kind of noise is that? Sakura, do you recognise us?"

"Shut up Ino-pig…" Not exactly what she expected, but at least she recognised her.

"Ne, ne, what about me?" She rubbed her eyes and turned to stare at another pair of expectant blue eyes.

"Oh, it's just you, Naruto…" They blinked, rather taken aback by her causal response.

"Sakura-chan… Is that the best you can say to a teammate you haven't seen in three years?" Naruto complained good-naturedly as Sakura reached out an arm and pulled him in for a welcome hug.

"I thought you would have been more surprised to see Naruto…" Ino muttered by the bed while watching the partial Team Seven's reunion.

"Sakura-chan sees me everyday in her dreams, that's why it doesn't feel like we've been apart at all, isn't that right?"

"In _your_ dreams, Naruto. Anyway where's this place…" She pulled herself into a sitting position and swept her eyes around the dainty room. "Are we at your place, Naruto?"

"The one and only."

"Did you finally learn how to use genjutsu? The place's spic-and-span!" The girls cackled as Naruto pretended to be insulted.

"Iruka-sensei hired a housekeeper to clean my house once a month, so I guess I have him and the Obaa-san to thank."

"Iruka-sensei's so reliable! I can't imagine if you had asked Kakashi-sensei for this favour…" Sakura reflected with a shake of her head. "I bet then this place would have long turned into a rat hole!"

"Heh heh… That's our sensei for you, always late, never pays for our meals, and "accidentally" forgets our personal requests nearly all the time…"

* * *

"ACKCHOO!" Hatake Kakashi loudly blew into the napkin, accidentally spilling the houji tea all over his pants. Umino Iruka hurriedly grabbed some napkins and was about to wipe his pants, but thought the better of it and passed it to him instead.

"Thanks," He spoke between sniffs and dabbed futilely along his drenched thighs, thankful that it had missed his manhood.

"Some lady must be thinking about you, Kakashi-san," Iruka quipped with a hearty slap to his shoulders.

"Surely you jest, no women would go for an old man like me, but you…"

"Are you kidding me? We're almost the same age. Besides, I've got my hands full juggling being the Academy kids' nanny and Naruto's domestic helper."

"Naruto? You spoil him too much. It's about time he learnt to clean up after his own mess. Have you tried looking into his room in the middle of the night? You can hardly see through the windows with those garbage!" Iruka laughed between mouthfuls of ramen as he finished gulping down the rest of the soup and set the gigantic bowl down with a thud.

"I've tried to leave him alone, but after three days I would wake up in the middle of the night, with images of him buried alive under his rubbish…and I have to step in."

They sighed and shook their heads at the insouciance of youth and asked for tea refills.

"Kakashi-san, have you heard anything about the recent bioterrorism? I've poked around but was hit with dead ends." Kakashi accepted the tea and thanked the Icihiraku boss before turning to face Iruka.

"A day after the epidemic, the Fifth Hokage called me in and employed me to secretly look into this matter. While she told the village that it was an old feud between the Stone and us, she suspected the source of threat is nearer." Iruka nodded and leaned closer towards the counter.

"And I assumed you found something?"

"When I went back to comb the crime scene, I happened upon some tiny glass shards resting along the pavement joints. Normally, I would have ignored it, but since it's children's festival, Tsunade-sama had banned all usage of hazardous materials and all booths had to use plastic disposables."

"Have you traced the origin of the glass?"

"I've had my hound dogs snuff around, but they couldn't detect any similar scent within the village, so I've strike out that it was done by one of us," Kakashi affirmed with notable relief.

"Don't you think it's strange that the perpetrator still hasn't attacked? Not only has he missed the golden period during the crime inception, but also now he knows he's expected, isn't he just making things harder for himself?" Iruka waved his hand incomprehensibly, which the Ichiraku boss mistook for a friendly wave and waved back.

"Who knows what's on a criminal's mind? A subject was created just to study that, for goodness sake." Both men threw down some wrinkled notes and loose change onto the wooden counter and got up to make space for new customers. Before they realised the sun had called the night, and stars were kicking aside the loitering clouds and taking over the night stage. Fellow ninja comrades had shredded their lugubrious masks and were kicking loose their sandals in the peaceful atmosphere with their loved ones.

"Anyway, rather than going on a wild goose's chase, I took up the role of a sitting duck and camped by one of Konoha's least frequent and most dangerous gate," Kakashi went on.

"The East Gate," Iruka nodded for him to continue.

"Up till yesterday, there was no movement, as though the enemy has aborted the mission. Just before I decided to head back and submit a false alarm report, the two gatekeepers suddenly fainted and someone dashed past the gate…" Iruka frowned at Kakashi's crinkled brows.

"'Someone?'"

"Iya... I just had trouble discerning his gender initially," Kakashi waved it off and gestured with his thumb towards a moderately crowded bar. With no attachments and family commitments, they could stay out whole night and no one would give a damn. However, people might think they were gay, and that would be a problem. With that in mind, Iruka was about to call for rain check, but thought for a while, and decided to take up his offer. Better to be gay with a hot partner like Kakashi, than an unwanted man with nobody.

Again, they opted for the counter seats and Kakashi quickly ordered two beers. "The person was moving through the village purposefully, and seemed to be searching for something."

"Or someone," Iruka added as Kakashi slipped a photograph out of his vest and slid it across the table. "I was able to track him all the way to the residential estates and captured his face before I was discovered." Iruka took one look at the photograph, glanced at Kakashi's direction before taking another closer look at it.

"I don't blame you, Kakashi-san, but this is definitely a 'he,'" He slid back the photograph just as their drinks were served. "What was he doing?" Kakashi took a sip of the bubbling beer and gave him a look.

"Peeking through windows."

"Seriously? So… He's looking for someone in Konoha, he knows his way around, but he doesn't know where he or she lives," Iruka summed up.

"I've crossed checked the photograph with the gatekeeper records that Shizune-san handed me just to try my luck. To my disbelief, there was a match." Kakashi pocketed the photograph and pulled out his Bingo Book.

"Hmm… 'An ex-nin from Sand who was involved in multiple terrorist attacks and wanted everywhere...specialises in bombing…' Bombing?"

"I think we can conclude that he isn't working alone; he couldn't possibly have created that pathogen," Kakashi clanked glasses with Iruka and downed half of the contents.

"For a terrorist, he sure is careless." Someone placed a hand on Iruka's shoulders and he turned around. It was a twenty-something brunette dressed in an ostentatious red body-con, emitting crashing waves of floral perfume and hinting for him to treat her a drink.

"Sorry, I'm with him." When the lady gasped and speedily removed her hands, he realised a second too late that he had spoken the wrong words. And just like that, he had lost his desirability. Oh well, national security (not Kakashi) comes first.

"From the reports of the pathogen, it is certain this was no amateur's attempt. He could have intentionally left his real name to lure us away from the mastermind."

"Like you said, who knows what was in a criminal's mind? Let's just hope we can track him down soon; I believe he holds the key to our doubts." The two men clanked their glasses once more and quaffed the rest of the beer.

* * *

"SHIT!" Deidara sputtered and stopped by the doorway, causing Sasori to ram into him and scatter his mountain of scrolls.

"Don't just stop by the door!" Sasori chastised before dropping down and gathering his stuffs, cursing at the dirtied scrolls and his lack of help.

"I just remembered I forgot to use an alias when we went to Konoha!" Deidara fessed, wide-eyed at his partner, as the members continued to move in and out of the base without a care for his brouhaha. "And it is all your fault, danna, hmm!"

"In what ways am I to be blamed for your stupidity?" He caught one of the fallen scrolls that Kisame threw in his way, and cursed again when he realised the edge was slightly ripped.

"It was because we were debating who has a better air of artistic sense and _your_ irritating and unconvincing comebacks distracted me, hmm!" He wailed and was roughly shoved aside by Kakuzu at the doorway.

"Stop talking and start packing!"

Deidara kicked at the dirt below him and muttered something about being old and slow, stopping Kakuzu in his tracks. He slowly turned his head and gave him a deadly glare, one that he would often throw in Hidan's way when he was just a breath away from killing him. He was this close to losing his control, and when he did, he would not stop until the body was beyond recognition.

"He'll die either way if he keeps up this sloppy work. No need to waste your chakra on him, Kakuzu-san," Sasori explained calmly, momentarily creating a rift in his wrath. He held on to Deidara's uncertain eyes for a moment before letting him out of his sight.

"I-I'll just be done in a minute…" Deidara uttered gingerly and escaped around the corner of the house. He had just finished planting his miniature clay spiders as all the members filed out of the base, ready for their depart to the new base in the outskirts of the Hidden Village of Waterfall.

"It's time," Itachi declared as everyone nodded and fled towards the forest. Sasori shook his head at the maniacal grin overtaking his reckless partner's face before following the rest.

"True art happens in an instance; true art is a blast. KATSU!"

* * *

It had been a week since she fled from the Akatsuki base, and other than Ino, who only knew the barest of details, no one knew about her unsanctioned contact with them. Even without saying, she knew she could trust Ino not to breathe a word about this to anybody, and she appreciated that she did not prod on. They managed to let Naruto buy the story of her "getting lost" and likewise, swore him to secrecy about finding her in the forest to avoid raising unnecessary suspicions. As much as she appreciated their company, Sakura remained deeply ashamed for needlessly troubling her friends like this, and their rotating shift of checking on her was only feeding on her conscience. Hell knew how they would react If they knew what she was doing behind their backs…

After being granted a weeklong break, she was back to working regular shifts at the hospital, and with no strange outbreaks of epidemic meant she had time to spend with people other than patients. She was on her way to Naruto's house, about to propose a reunion dinner with their sensei when she heard someone calling her.

_Woman, it's me_.

She stopped walking and turned around, but there was no one behind, at least no one capable of such gruff voice. The Academy had just ended, and mini ninjas to-be were scuttling down the street past her, looking like the end of class was the best thing ever. Demure housewives were huddled slightly behind their tiny footsteps, no doubt discussing the village's latest gossips and subtly bragging over their child's progress.

_Haruno Sakura, don't test my patience, I know you can hear me_.

"Who's that?" Sakura asked aloud, swirling her head around to locate the source of the voice, certain it was more than just her imagination. Kids stopped and glanced at her curiously before resuming their chitter-chatters while the adults gave her weird looks and ushered one another on, calling an end to their women's dialogue.

She thought that annoyingly arrogant and demanding voice vaguely familiar, one she could associate to someone who equated time to money and a nasty temper…

"Kakuzu?"

_Took you long enough, and stop talking verbally unless you want to be thrown to the asylum_, Kakuzu's voice echoed in her mind. Once again she could not resist herself and gave fraught glances around her, unable to ditch the sensation of being watched.

_What the hell do you want? Is this one of your abilities_? Sakura began to run. She had finally reached Naruto's house, but she continued running past it towards her home. This was the first she felt so exposed and unsafe within her own village, and it niggled at her mind along with Kakuzu's persistent voice.

_Looks like he hasn't told you, but that don't matter. I have a job for you, and I need you to go to the watchtower between Hidden Village of Leaf and Hot water now_.

_Are you crazy? Why should I do that_? Sakura was just bidding for time, she knew very well what he wanted.

_Oh? Don't tell me you have already forgotten about our contract. Stop your babbling and head there in half an hour. Your medical assistance is needed_.

_How do I know it's not a trap_? Just to be on the safe side, she checked her surrounding one last time before quickly entering her house, not even bothering to take off her shoes and sprang towards her room.

_What are you talking about? You're working for us and I'm paying for your services, so you jolly well fulfill your end of the contract. See you_.

_Listen, I don't need that filthy money of yours- hello? Hello_? It was no use; he had already severed their communication.

* * *

_Thirty minutes before the call_…

After trekking through the humid forest for a day and overcoming hundred flights of stairs, they had finally arrived at Kakuzu's prized exchange point with his latest catch – a detached arm.

Quite understandably, Hidan did not share his excitement, since money never did interest him. He especially hated spending so much time with that money-grubber, going through the "ups and downs" of the terrain just for those measly cash.

On the clearing of the forest stood a brick watchtower in the centre, and they entered without knocking. There was a vacant counter with some queue posts in front, presumably the ticket booth to climb the flight of stairs up the five storey tall structure. However, other than the spiders and insects that had taken up permanent residence, they were not a single soul around.

Hidan stood dubiously by the entrance, observing his partner moving around the space like he had been here a million times. He then stopped three timber claddings away from the daunting stairs and stomped once on the ground. A hidden hatch gave way and revealed an underground room.

"You coming?" Kakuzu asked without looking up.

"You kidding me? I'll stay here and wait. Just don't take too long," Hidan declared and headed out.

"Alright." The hidden door slid shut just as Hidan closed the door behind him. This was like any other occasion, Kakuzu submitting his corpses at some secret shithole only he knew, and he getting bored out of his mind beating flies while waiting. And like any other time, he would _kill_ to kill some time, or he would end up with an indigestible ball of anger in his stomach.

Lord Jashin must have heard his prayers, because at the precise moment, another fellow associate of Money was surreptitiously approaching the entrance. Just sweet, it had been _days_ since he last sacrificed a body. Arching his shoulders back, he slapped his thighs and got onto his feet in front of the threshold, startling the sneaky fellow.

"Hey you, ever heard of Lord Jashin?"

* * *

Turning right at the foot of the stairs, Kakuzu entered a shady putrid morgue, or what he would call a "body warehouse," where the walls were lined with metal compartments used to store corpses of all status and origin.

The appraiser and man in-charge nodded, led him to the nearest wall, and pulled opened a compartment for Kakuzu to place the hardened left arm. The forty-something bald bent forward and examined the arm, pressing it several times with his gloved fingers before nodding, and nodding again in Kakuzu's direction.

"This is the right arm."

"The hit list says the bounty is worth 20 000 000 ryou, so how are you going divide the assets?"

"Ah, regarding that, Kakuzu-san…" The man trailed off, looking towards a long table in the centre of the space, where three men were seated and looking pissed off, "We're having a meeting to decide on the amount payable to each body parts. Would you care to join us?"

"Oh? A negotiation?" A wild grin began to flower behind his mask as he started towards the bunch of losers. "I love to negotiate."

Thirty minutes into the conference, they had only come to an agreement on the price of the head, which was worth a good one-third of the prize. Even then it was with the assembly's reluctance, since it was the only missing part now, and who knew if it was destroyed or could even be found. When it came to the arm, Kakuzu had calmly proposed a whooping one-quarter of the remaining amount, raising immediate dispute with the man who had the body, deeming himself as the major body part holder next to the head.

"I'll even offer to sew the body parts together, free of charge. Saves you the trouble and hefty cash to hire a doctor hmm?" Kakuzu stated enticingly towards the man in-charge, easily ignoring the frustrated and annoyed glances of the other clients.

"Well…" He knew the man was tempted, and that was only the first stage of his bait. The next part was to wait for him to succumb to his subtle death threats before moving on to part three, another pleasurable part of the negotiations next to part four, the counting of his hard-earned cash. Those three shitheads would not even know what had happened to them until Kakuzu had sold off their organs and stocked up their hearts for his emergency use…

_Oi Kakuzu, you dead? What's taking you so long_? Kakuzu mentally cussed at his partner's disrespectful tone and for interrupting his orgasmic thoughts.

_There are some disagreements and I'm in the middle of sorting them out -_

_HUH? So you're still not done yet? I could use some help here_… Kakuzu frowned while trying to tune off the ongoing negotiations.

_You were attacked_?

_It's the guy with the missing head, but I've killed him and now the head's missing_…

_What did you say_? Kakuzu suddenly stood up, silencing the discussion at once.

_It's the guy's fault! And now I'm trapped in some seal with a fucking time bomb... Kakuzu-chan, could you be so kind and come and undo this seal_-

"I'll be back, this negotiation shall continue at a later time," Kakuzu announced and strode towards the stairs, leaving behind a group of befuddled heads in his wake.

When he burst out of the front door, he saw no signs of Hidan or the other man. He quickly scanned the deserted surrounding and caught several scratch marks on the trees along the Eastern side. Growling in vexation, he tapped onto the communication link with the nearest person he could think of as he sprinted towards the woods.

_Woman, it's me_.

* * *

Sakura dashed across the watchtower, following Kakuzu's instructions and headed straight for the forest on the other side. His vague directions initially confused her but now she knew – it was not easy to get lost as long as she followed the endless trail of destruction into the woods…

The ground below her suddenly gave way, and if not for her ninja instincts she would have plunged into a twenty feet hole and be blown into pieces by the bed of explosive tags. No way was she falling for some pre-made traps again!

The unobstructed view from above granted her a vantage point of the battlefield aftermath, and she was hit with nostalgia. The long and narrow splits crisscrossing the earth, crumbled heaps of boulders and punctured ground… This was usually how the training ground would end up after her training with Tsunade, and that was only when she was using half of her strength. One hit and your bones would crack; nobody could survive this level of damage unscathed-

"Is someone there?" A voice called out from nowhere, startling Sakura to reality. "I'm over here!" She hopped down and scouted around the rubbles and trenches, finally locating an arm sticking out under one of the boulder piles.

"Hang on, I'm getting you out," She said and set to lift the bothersome boulders away, hoping the bone damage was not too severe.

"You're a lifesaver… I was growing bored being squashed like this underneath, ah that's better," The man let off a pleasurable groan when she finally lifted the flat boulder shielding his face, only to drop it immediately.

"Damn it, that hurts! Was it on purpose?" Hidan chided as she reluctantly removed the boulder concealing the last face she wanted to see.

"Why is it _you_? Where's Kakuzu?" She moaned as her eyes searched around the vicinity,

"That dickhead went off searching for some lost head in this area and left me here. Said something about that thing being worth a third of the bounty…"

"So you're the patient?"

"What do you mean?"

"Kakuzu contacted me asking for medical assistance… I didn't know he was referring to _you_."

"Kakuzu did that? That faggot… I knew he care about me, guess I shall forgive him this time round," Hidan confessed with a silly and satisfied grin, and Sakura had the urge to puke. She hated to admit this, but she would rather be with Kakuzu one on one than be in any form of contact with this twisted masochist devout.

"What happened here? Did you rampage?"

"What, me? No way, that guy over there is a hardcore Earth user," He nodded his head behind her, and that was when she noticed a bloodied body lying near a fissure, with his head hanging down the crack, "But too bad he's just a weak pussy and stood no chance against me," He finished with obvious pride beaming from his face.

"And you're totally not trapped in an enemy seal and get almost crashed by a pile of boulders," Sakura stated unimpressively and set to heal his broken legs.

"You're Sakura right? Hey don't bother healing those; they'll recover by themselves. Just get me out of this seal first…"

"Are you crazy? How are you going to walk if you can't even feel your legs? Just shut up and be patient, I'll be done in no time."

"No like I said, that is not the issue… There's something on this seal you need to know-"

"Would you stay silent for a minute? I can't focus with all your ramblings!" Sakura hollered, resisting the urge to punch his mouth just so he would zip it.

"Woman I'm not joking with you here! There's a fucking time bomb attached this to seal that will explode in twenty seconds-"

"WHAT?" She broke off her healing ninjutsu and eyed the five black straps with scriptures on it holding him down, and discovered a timer-sized bomb counting down to tens seconds by his elbow on the opposite side. "Are you trying to get us both killed? Why didn't you say so earlier?" She tried to forcefully break the straps but their modules were held together by the user's infused chakra, rendering it adamantine.

"I did! You just refused to listen to me-"

"How do I undo this seal? Quick, tell me!" She gripped him hard on both arms and forced him to look at her.

"Easy there! Just release some of your chakra into the straps…"

She was barely able to free him from all of the straps before the bomb went off, the aftershock sending the duo sailing across the sky and falling against the ground. Sakura was sure that if he had not shielded her with his body at the last second, she would have suffered terrible burns along her back by now. It was a miracle he could even move after all the damage dealt to his bones!

"Argh… Are you alright?" She groaned while trying to pull herself into a sitting position, the shockwave making vision blurry and her mind slightly dizzy.

"Man, that hurts like a bitch… Thank God you're good with your hands, or we would be blown into pieces!"

"W-What the hell are you saying?" She retaliated with a weak kick to his shin as he started to get up, making him sink to his knees again. "Oh, s-sorry I forgot that you're…"

"Woman… How many times have I told you not to worry?" He brushed her off once more and paused, a sly grin taking over his face. "You have blood on your face."

"Oh, it's most likely just a scratch, I'll be fine…" Her lips went dry and her mind went still when he suddenly leaned in towards her face, dragging his tongue slowly across her cheek and lapping up her blood from the cut. The act was so unexpected and intimate, it reminded her of Itachi and what he had recently done that she could not speak or move for a few seconds.

"Hey, don't tell me you're turned on by that…" Hidan whispered into her ear as she snapped out of her reverie and roughly pushed him away. Then, something unworldly happened.

Sakura sat and watched in awe as the man before her transformed from a healthy flesh and blood, into this fey monstrosity with ominous black skin, juxtaposed against his visible skeletal structure in a matter of seconds. His nystagmus combined with his hanging mouth gave him a sort of a contented and dazed look that left Sakura paralysed in fear.

At this point she was not concerned with what was happening to him, but rather what was going to happen to her.

"H-Hidan?" He slowly got up, easily supporting himself without looking like someone with his legs broken. He stepped over her and treaded in a desultory manner like he was possessed. Sakura's body was numb, her eyes blindly following his steps. After a while, he stopped and turned around.

"Sakura… Do you know what pain feels like?"

"Huh?" She forced herself up, clutching at her slightly burnt right arm and stared quizzically at him.

"Shall we…experience that together?" He reached inside his cloak and pulled out a retractable spear, the tip reflecting harsh sunlight into her eyes. "Behold, and wallow in its pleasure!" Sakura thought he had gone postal, until he started aiming for his chest.

"Wait _stop_!" He let out an uninhibited laughter and stabbed, missing his heart by a few inches.

"Hey- urhhh…!" A sharp pain suddenly erupted below her left shoulder, causing her to bend over and holding the spot in astonishment. When she released her hand, she saw it was tainted with blood.

"Doesn't this feel like ecstasy? Doesn't it make you crave for MORE?" He howled and extended his arm, this time diving it for his right thigh. At the precise moment he cried out grunts of pleasure, Sakura was hit with another piercing sensation in her right thigh and fell to her knees. She dared her eyes to look down, and gasped exasperatedly at the sight of blood flowing freely onto the ground.

"You… What have you done to me?" Sakura yelled out between jacks of throbbing pain.

"See this?" He said as he stormed his foot twice on the ground, "This is a ceremony for Lord Jashin… All this pain…to repay our sins for living in peace, and Lord Jashin for giving us our lives!" That was when she noticed the weird symbol – a triangle in a circle drawn out with blood that appeared vaguely familiar. That was right, it was the same as his silver necklace, no doubt a mark of pious towards that questionable God of his.

"Ever have your organs punctured, Sakura?" Her eyes widened as she felt blood dripping out of the corner of her mouth, followed by an indescribable pain shooting from her abdomen.

"Whatever you're doing… Stop right now, this urgh… This is crazy!" Her mind was thrown into disarray – she could not understand how they could be simultaneously hurt and what was causing these absurd injuries. All she knew was that she was all alone and possibly about to die with this nutcase with a bad case of skin disorder and mental issues.

"You're right, it's time to put an end to this…with the rapturous sensation of _death_!" The spear was not going to miss his heart, _their_ heart, twice; he was for real. Was this Jashin so omnipotent that he could somehow link their bodies together and have them suffer _simultaneously_? He could die all he wanted by himself, but she wanted no part in it, she was not ready to die yet!

"No… Please stop!" It was no use – he was already making a swing with that damn spear towards his heart.

Suddenly, a figure zoomed past across her vision, slamming straight into Hidan and sending him flying into a pile of rubbles some meters from his spot. The bloodied spear fell to the floor with a soft clank in synchrony to Sakura's pounding heart. Just a second ago she was certain she was a goner. Her head weakly followed towards the direction of impact and was mildly surprised to see that it was a puppet that was restraining Hidan.

"Urgh, what the shit is this? Is it you, Sasori? I'm going to fucking _kill_ you!" Hidan yawped as he tried to free himself from the puppet's crawls.

"Sit still and behave, you've done enough as it is," Came a hoarse and composed voice from behind her.

"In the nick of time huh? Are you alright, hmm?" Another male voice, this one slightly louder and with a higher pitch, asked next to her.

By then she could hardly maintain her consciousness, let alone keep up on a conversation. Eventually, her body gave out and she gave in to the darkness that was slowly consuming her from within.

* * *

When Sakura woke up, it was with the assumption that she was dead.

It was not as bad as she speculated. There was no fear or frustrations – there was nothing to fret about. Although there was still the persistent pounding in her head, she was not in the least concerned, because everything would eventually pass, both the good and bad. Harping on would only make things worse; there was simply no point.

This collected notion was of course, under the assumption that she was dead, but she was not. When you were well and alive, such peaceful chimera would only last until you realised the headache was not going away any time soon, and that would be a problem.

"H-e-l-l-o, can you hear me? How long do you intend to stay dead, hmm?" The bothersome voice coming from outside her head was like hammer knocking repeatedly against her skull, pulling her further and further away from that peaceful sensation in her dream.

"Shut up…"

"Is this the way to talk to someone who saved you? We could have just walked off, hmm," Deidara grumbled and crossed his arms, clearly not expecting such level of gratitude from his rare display of heroism. Sakura could vaguely make out a ceiling and a round florescent light, so they must be in some sort of room. The thing she was lying on felt soft and sturdy, like a bed. Where was she anyway? Anywhere had to be better than what landed her here in the first place. Slowly, the memories of that horrible episode came flittering through her mind and that was when she felt it, the burning pain radiating through her body like thousand needles attacking her at once. Even the smallest movement of her shoulders was testing her pain tolerance.

"What…what happened to Hidan?" She managed to ask between gritted teeth.

"That guy? He refused to stop his ritual, something about breaking his commandments, and Sasori-danna had to knock him unconscious to stop his yelling. It was truly an inartistic sight, hmm."

"So… He isn't dead? After all that blood loss?"

"Funny you should say that. Why would you think he's dead when you're well and alive here?"

"What do you mean?" Deidara was slightly taken aback by her response, but then suddenly things clicked, and he began to understand the situation.

"So you didn't know about Hidan's abilities huh?" When she furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head, he nodded and continued, "By ingesting just a drop of his opponent's blood, a voodoo link is immediately created between you and him, such that whatever damage inflicted to him also affects you. He must have gotten your blood at some of time when you met him, hmm."

Sakura recalled that moment when she let down her guard and he licked her cheek, and gasped in horror of his hidden agenda then. He had intended for her to die from the start, that bastard.

"I know what you're thinking, but there's nothing surprising about it really. According to Sasori-danna, he needs to regularly make sacrifices to his Lord in order for him to maintain his immortality, which is kind of troublesome if you ask me, hmm."

"I-Immortality?" Sakura's hands slackened by her side; that explained his recklessness, that ridiculous healing speed, and why his broken body parts did not bother him.

"Sakura-san, you should really be careful around us, since you're new and don't really know much about the members, hmm," Deidara stated with a thoughtful expression, as though proud of saying something sophisticated.

_You need to be extra careful around the Akatsuki members, considering you still have no knowledge of their abilities…_

"But you can rest assure here, because I'm probably the sanest of the group, hmm. Even that Sasori can get quite moody and bitchy at times, despite how he looked, hmm," Deidara carried on, not knowing that Sakura had long tuned out of his mindless monologue.

For all the adoration she secretly felt towards that man, she never actually once listened to a thing he said, as he had already pointed out. It made her felt ashamed and undeserving of his concern, no matter how great it felt. Even this incident felt like something she deserved and she was just going to accept the pain and humiliation of being rescued by a criminal in full.

"Hey… Can you do me a favour?" He cut off his speech and met her vacant eyes staring up like she was thoroughly defeated. "Please don't let Itachi know about this, no matter what."

"Itachi? Why would I tell him anything? I don't even talk to him unless I absolutely have to, hmm!"

"That settles it then," She replied with a faint smile, and for the first time since he had met her, it was the only time she appeared truly relaxed.

* * *

**Boy, Itachi is not going to be very happy when he finds out his cherry is hurt. **


	15. My Only Term of Contract Is You

**Chapter 14 Recall:**

After Itachi managed to slip Sakura out of Akatsuki's base, she was knocked out and found by Ino and Naruto. Back in the village, a potentially gay Kakashi found leads on the culprit responsible of Konoha's recent "bioterrorism," but had trouble figuring out the culprit's gender. Meantime, Sakura was summoned back by Kakuzu to fulfill her job as Akatsuki's new personal Doctor, where things took a nasty turn for our heroine.

P.S.: Sorry for the wait, Shannon. This chapter is for you. Hope you'll find my attempt at having Itachi's private property (now now, hold your imagination) discussed at length in public make sense and to your liking :p

* * *

**Chapter 15 – My Only Term of Contract Is You**

When the silence got too awkward to bear, Deidara sighed and got up of the chair, pointing his thumb towards the door.

"I'll leave you alone for now, stay here and don't go anywhere until we come back, hmm," He said and headed for the exit.

"Wait a minute, don't you think you owe me an explanation?" Sakura asked, stopping him in his tracks. "And don't give me the you have no idea bullshit, you know what I'm talking about."

Reluctantly, he turned around, held her stoic gaze for a moment, and sank onto the wooden chair by her bed again. Here he thought he could make use of this opportunity to make her owe him a favour… Well, might as well.

"S-So, you're Ino's friend…"

"That's right, go on," Sakura cut in, clearly not about to make things easy for him. Deidara clenched his fists and mentally cursed. He had been rehearsing for this moment, this conversation, a hundred times both in his head and his room; he knew he could do this no matter how intensely she was staring at him. There was no way she could know he was involved with the...little accident that had happened in her village. There was also no way this could go wrong as long as he followed the script he had planned ahead.

"Ahem, so, how's Ino? Is she alright now?" He began causally with a barely interested tone, just like the way he had intended.

"Yeah she's fine now… Hold on," Sakura trailed off as her eyes narrowed, "What do you mean, "Is she alright?" How do you know she's sick?" Deidara gulped and spun his eyes around the room, wishing to do this all over again or perhaps crawl under Sakura's bed and pretend this never happened.

"S-So she's really sick?" He responded with feigned surprise, hoping she would not connect the dots. "It was just a wild guess since she always looks so pale-"

"Wait, don't tell me…" He could see the gears rapidly turning inside her head, with his words acting as the lubricant. "Don't tell me you're involved in the recent Konoha bioterrorism-"

"T-That was just an accident!" He began gesturing wildly when Sakura's eyes widened in horror, "And it wasn't even my fault…"

"So it's _you_!" Sakura shrieked and got up, glaring at him in disbelief, "What's your purpose? What do you hope to achieve by spreading that pathogen in Konoha?" He squeezed his eyes shut as her flying blanket hit him and quickly pulled it out of his sight.

"Sakura-chan, please listen to me…"

"Speak, I'm listening!" Deidara released a low breath and gently pushed away the kunai resting firmly by his neck, not surprised that she still did not trust him and had that up her sleeve all this while. After several brushes with a broken nose, some cracked claddings and a smashed chair later, Sakura grudgingly accepted his half-assed explanation. However, the cynic part of her refused to believe everything happened due to some gay boy's squabbles, and it was merely a coincidence they were from the Akatsuki. Come on, could it get any lamer than that?

"You've got to believe me, you know we're only interested in collecting the Tailed Beasts, hmm!" He was literally begging her on the floor now. "And on behalf of Sasori-danna, I apologise once again, hmm."

"Do you have any idea the amount of trouble you have caused for my village? Do you…" Sakura shut her eyes and fell back against the hotel's pillow, panting lightly.

"Here take it easy, Sakura-chan. If you get any more worked up-"

"_Whose_ fault do you think it is for this?" She barked, effectively shutting him up. Just then, there was the sound of the key turning and Sasori stepped in.

"We're leaving, don't make me wait too long," He announced and shut the door, leaving the two with the sound of his faint footsteps. Deidara cleared his throat and got up, pointing his thumb over his shoulders like he did moments ago.

"G-Guess I'll see you later…" Sakura made no acknowledgement of hearing that as he moved the chair with a missing leg back under the study desk. When he reached the door, he twisted his head around one last time and spoke quietly. "I really didn't mean for Ino to get hurt. Please tell her I'm sorry, for everything." Even without looking at him, she could sense his sincerity, remorse, and sadness from the unusual lack of zest in his tone.

"I won't report this to the Hokage," She declared resignedly to the ceiling before he could finish his walk of shame out of the room, "As thanks for saving me. Now we're quits."

* * *

_The next day_…

With no pressing orders from Pein in the ass this week, the Akatsuki members were spared from travelling under the raging storm that was becoming increasingly common this month. While the room layout remained the same for their new base, Zetsu the unofficial housekeeper had decided to do away with the schedule since everyone would be around and should be responsible for their own chores. As this was implemented without prior notice or discussion, naturally not everyone was pleased, especially for members who had managed to get away with washing their dirty laundry all this while by hogging onto a certain chore.

"Damn that Zetsu… Urgh!" Blinded by the tower of soiled clothes in his arms, Hidan could not see someone turning into the corridor and knocked into him, scattering his mostly blood stained clothes all over the place.

"What the f…" Hidan's mouth formed a grim line when he realised who that was.

"Sorry," Sasori offered as he helped to gather the clothes and replaced them in Hidan's arms.

"W-Whatever…" He muttered and ducked into the laundry room while Sasori carried on towards his room. Observing the spectacle unfolded from the sofa, Kisame could not resist the smile overtaking his face and nodded in their direction.

"I swear Hidan just blushed over there," He commented to Kakuzu as he was sipping at his morning coffee and checking through the past accounts for inconsistency.

"He may talk loud and dirty, but deep down he's just a lonely boy who wants to be showered with love."

"What the fuck was that for, Kakuzu?" Hidan yelled as he hopped out from the laundry room, swinging and splashing water droplets from his hands all over the corridor before bending down to roll up his berms. "Fucking pipe just burst the water all over my pants… Oi Kakuzu! Go get a washing machine for fuck's sake!" Without waiting for his partner's answer he stormed back into the laundry room while mumbling a string of expletives about the stringy organisation and his cursed life.

Returning the attention back on Kakuzu, Kisame continued their conversation.

"Sakura-chan must be doing a good job eh? Healing up Hidan's past wounds and scars that is," Kisame said, referring to Hidan's arms and legs stitches that were no longer visible.

"Ah, I guess you're right…" Kakuzu replied uncertainly, suddenly feeling a pair of crimson eyes eyeing him. In the midst of the ongoing drama, it was easy to forget that Uchiha Itachi was seated right there on the opposite sofa, silently reading his newspaper and inevitably picking up on their conversation.

"What's wrong?" Kisame asked when he noticed the sudden sense of unease radiating from the old man.

"That punk Deidara told me not to… Ah whatever, since things were already settled." Kakuzu swallowed the rest of the coffee, including its powdery residue, and set his cup down before continuing. "So, two days ago…"

_Easily kicking aside the gigantic fallen log, Kakuzu swept off the leaves concealing his treasure and picked up the last piece of the missing puzzle._

_Finally, he had found the precious head, and now he would make his way back to claim the bounty that was rightfully his. Carefully hugging it with an arm against his chest, he turned around and skipped through the hushed woods. That was, until he caught sight of Deidara's clay bird speeding past him overhead, and shortly the man himself diving towards a clearing ahead._

_Frowning, he doubled up his pace and soon found himself in an unusual sight._

"_What the hell happened here?" There was no sign of Hidan, and Sakura was lying unconscious in Deidara's arms, which were alread soaked with blood._

"_Kakuzu-san! I could ask you the same thing, hmm! Why the hell is Hidan using Sakura-san for his bloody ritual, and why didn't you stop him?" True to his word, he noticed multiple injuries all over her body and could feel her chakra growing weaker with each second._

"_Where's Hidan?"_

"_He's over here," Sasori called out fifty meters away to their right, steadily trudging towards them with Hidan wrapped in Hiruko's tail. "We're on the way to Sound, do you want to take him back?"_

"_Just leave him here, I still have some business to attend to." He glanced once more at Sakura's battered form before continuing. "I'll leave the woman in your hands." With that, he disappeared in a poof._

"_What? Wait Kakuzu-san… And did he just ignore me?" Deidara threw an exasperated look between him and Sasori but his partner merely shook his head._

"_I knew this woman is only going to be a baggage. You bring her to the hotel, I'll go rendezvous with my agent."_

"_Hey danna you can't just leave me here! Danna_!"

…

"Go on, what happened?" Kisame nudged on, breaking Kakuzu out of his reverie. Once again, his eyes settled on Itachi's gaze from across, which had gone from expectant to steely. It seemed that he had given away too much from that minute pause of reliving that troublesome memory.

"Hidan was in a bit of trouble while I was…tied up with some business, and knowing the Leaf village is nearby I called for Haruno's assistance…" From their blank faces it seemed that they were expecting him to elaborate. He took in a subtle deep breath behind his mask and continued. "Hidan might have lose control and attempted to use Haruno as his next sacrifice-"

"What did you say?" Itachi interjected, his gaze hardening and looking ready to kill him, even after stressing it was all Hidan's doing.

"S-So Sakura-chan is hurt?" Kisame added rather unhelpfully, since that would require a clear-cut yes or no, and saying either would only trigger Itachi's wrath or made it evident that he was lying.

"Well, Deidara and Sasori happened to be in the vicinity and they managed to stop that prat before any real damage could be done. So don't worry Itachi-san, she's fine," He ended with a confident gaze to prove his point. After a moment of intense stare down between the two, Itachi's eyes dropped onto the newspaper as he leaned back comfortably against the sofa.

"I see."

There was no telling whether he bought the story or whether his earlier reaction was truly anger. It was as though the past few minutes did not happen. Then Kakuzu realised he was being foolish – why would it matter if Itachi was pissed off? He did not understand why he had to be treated like a criminal when clearly this was none of his fault, and he refused to feel like one. However, why did he feel the burning need to mollify him as though he was an emperor? Then, wouldn't that make him…his loyal subject?

"Hmm, Isn't that a relief, Itachi-san? Kakuzu-san, you shouldn't have left them alone when you know this could happen," Kisame admonished as he stood and lightly stretched his arms over his head. "I can't believe she actually healed Hidan after what he did though." Kakuzu roughly grabbed his cup and stood up, staring meaningfully at Itachi's direction.

"It's not like she had a choice, this was part of the contract after all."

Slamming the cup against the base of the sunk, Kakuzu's began scrubbing furiously at its surface. He could not believe this – that frigging Emperor wannabe just casted genjutsu on him, and he did not even realize until now.

* * *

Even after trying her best to sprint back to Konoha, she was still late for her afternoon shift at the hospital. Thanks to her clean track record, she could escape the attendance desk with a light chiding and rushed to change into her work attire. Since she did not apply for a leave in advance, it did not sit right for her to just miss her shift, especially knowing there was a staff shortage.

She was happily hopping out of the hospital as the midnight clock strike twelve, reeling in the three days leave she was just granted by Tsunade for completing three successive operations in a row. Finally, some guilt-free off hours to catch up with her pals and perhaps, catch up on the latest town gossip about the rumoured love affair between Iruka and her beloved Team Seven sensei-

_Sakura-chan, can you hear me_?

What were the chances she was hearing voices right at the very street where something similar had happened? Besides, it was late, she was shagged and darkness had a tendency of playing tricks with your mind… All right, whom was she kidding? She did not like how _déjà vuish _this situation was. "Please tell me I was hallucinating…" Even if the hallucination implied that she had been thinking about that beefy man and even had dreams of Kisame's naked hotness and her lying next to him…

_Sakura-chan, this is urgent. I need you to come to the base now_!

"Not this again…" Somebody needed to educate the Akatsuki about how she had an actual life. They needed to know of something called advanced notification and travelling time…

_Sakura-chan, if you hear this then at the least give a response-_

_YES YES I FRIGGING HEARD YOU! Now stop blabbering inside my head and tell me the damn base's address_! Sakura began cursing with every hurried steps back home, already visualising how the next three days of her well-deserved leave would end up.

However, things were never truly how one expected in the end, hmm?

* * *

Huffing and panting up a steep and narrow valley, she arrived at an artificial clearing at the elevated woods, where the Hidden Village of Waterfall, filled with poignant memories sat an hour away.

True to Kisame's descriptions, there was a lone single-storey building seating a hundred meters away. There was a strange fiery glow dancing in front, reminiscent of a campfire set up during post Academy days where graduates would dump their textbooks and let the inferno consume them for good.

As she approached what turned out to be a fire indeed, she spotted a head of heavily gelled, silver hair man, a.k.a. her number one nemesis, poking insistently and forcefully at the fire with a thick tree branch. Great, just what she wanted to see at two in the morning.

"Weirdo…" She murmured under her breath, hoping he would treat her like air and ignore her as she breeze past him towards the entrance. No such luck.

"Sakura?" Hidan gasped and glanced around, making sure she was alone and checking the colourless sky, as though in disbelief of the timing she had appeared before him. "What are you doing here?"

She reluctantly threw him an eye roll, though she doubted he could see in the darkness, and hurried before him.

"Ooo, Could it be… You're here for some midnight hanky-panky with-" She clenched her fists and spun around.

"For goodness sake, just go _burn in hell_!"

"Come on, don't tell me you're still angry?" Hidan replied good-naturedly as he tossed the now burning branch into the fire and sauntered towards her. "You know I can't defy Lord Jashin's will, do you Sakura?" He leaned in and whispered hotly into her ears, sending goose bumps down her spine. Rattled by his proximity, she hastily pushed him away and opened the door, thankfully left unlocked.

"Sakura? Sakura-chan? You know I mean you well!" She had never felt such satisfaction from shutting the door in someone's face in a long time.

Padding silently through hallway and right before she reached the living room, a piercing scream erupted somewhere in the house. She took a left turn and something warm suddenly collapsed against her bosom, nearing toppling her to the ground. Wide-eyed, she glanced down and was surprised to see it was Deidara in her arms, breathing heavily.

Slowly, she looked up and saw Kisame, Itachi, and Kakuzu gathered by the living room, their body postures stiffed and wearing indecipherable expressions.

"Hmph." Without sparing her a glance, Itachi whirled around and headed for his room. Everyone flinched at the slam of the door, and once again the house went back to its cosy and peaceful ambience. Or so it should be.

"What happened?" Sakura mouthed out the burning question to Kisame, not even daring to make any noise for fear of what was behind that recently slammed door. Kisame sighed and reached out an arm.

"Come, I'll help."

"No worries, I've got it covered." Politely declining his assistance, she easily lifted Deidara bridal style, eliciting raised brows from the remaining two men.

"No matter how many times I've seen it, I'm still amazed by your strength, Sakura-chan."

"Comes in handy in situations like this," She quipped with a wink and dumped Deidara onto the longest velvet sofa while everyone took a seat around the coffee table.

"So tell me. No first, why did you summon me? What's so urgent that couldn't wait till daybreak?" Sakura fired with her arms in an akimbo, staring pointedly at the men opposite her. Obviously, the one sinking comfortably into the sofa (Kakuzu) was too pompous to speak up, leaving the explanation to the lesser beings like the one perched on the sofa's arm (Kisame) next to him.

"Sakura-chan, I called you here on such short notice because… I thought there would probably be a need for immediate medical attention."

* * *

"_Sasori, pass me the chips." Sasori fumbled around the empty sofa seat, groped the chips bag, and passed it to him._

"_Here you go," He said, eyes not once leaving the television screen._

"_Hey, it's empty!" Kisame exclaimed as he angrily dumped the bag onto the table. "What's taking that blondie so long? Don't tell me he's sneaking into Konoha again!"_

"_No he won't, apparently they've issued an international wanted notice, rewarding up to a million ryo on his capture. I doubt he would risk it," Sasori supplied nonchalantly._

"_Heh… I wonder what he did to piss them off," Kisame wondered as he grabbed the remote control and brought up a maritime documentary, happily ignoring Sasori's dagger eyes._

_The boys were gathered by the living room and doing their weekly bonding session thing, where everyone would sit together and not talk. Something like a "boy's thing," in boy-speak._

"_Woo! Look at how those fishes are struggling in the net! And those fuckers don't even know what got over them!" Hidan commented rather insensitively opposite Kisame, clapping merrily at his thighs._

_As Kisame took in the sight of Hidan pointing and laughing at how the Atlantic sharpnose sharks were illegally poached and killed for their fins, it suddenly registered into him what he had done to Sakura. Just like those bastard poachers, he had intentionally hurt her._

_It pained him to know that while Sakura might be suffering from some terrible post-injuries, this unrepentant Hidan was leisurely ensconced by the couch and not taking anything seriously._

_Unlike a certain someone who could pretend that none of this bothered him, Kisame knew. He knew he could not accept someone he cared about being unjustly hurt while he sat by and did nothing._

"_Hidan, is it true that you've hurt Sakura-chan?" Kisame blurted out when he could not resist any longer._

"_Huh? Oh, that new flat-chested Doc of ours? No way!" When he noticed Kisame was still staring at him, he sighed and slouched against the sofa's arm. "Alright, alright I fess, I might have played with her for a little bit."_

"_A little bit?"_

"_She's a medical ninja right? Those level of superficial wounds wouldn't mean anything to her…" He trailed off when Itachi suddenly slammed his book shut and stood up._

"_I'm going to the restroom."_

"_Sure Mr. Celebrity, we totally need to know that..." Hidan took a curious peek at the book on the coffee table, waited until his back was against him then and tried to reach for it._

"_And don't touch my stuff." His stern voice boomed behind him, making Hidan flinched._

"_Tsk, like I'm interested." He continued to ignore Kisame's glare and rolled his eyes when he caught the title of the book "The Theory of Knowledge." How much truth out there did one needed besides Jashin and his magnanimous heart?_

"_You should stop trying to get onto his bad side for your own good, Hidan," Kakuzu remarked in an unusual display of concern for his partner._

"_Come on, anyone with eyes could see he's pissed off cause I was talking about his bitch-"_

"_Hidan, watch your words," Kisame warned, no longer amused by the situation. Even Sasori, who usually kept his mouth shut during any domestic discussions, was giving him a disapproving look and shaking his head. It was this moment he heard the bathroom door opening._

"_Alright, alright! I'll zip it and go reflect in my room…" He raised both arms in surrender and stood up._

_However, it was precisely because he was so untouchable and always acted so indifferent that tempted him to provoke him even more. There were two things a man like Hidan would never turned down – women and a challenge._

"_By the way, your little cherry tastes as sweet as I've imagined," Hidan whispered into Itachi's ears just as their shoulders brushed against one another along the corridor, "You should have seen how hard she blushed and moaned when I licked her cheeks-"_

_A dull thud echoed throughout the house and everyone ceased his night activities to search for the source of the noise. They could see Hidan smirking in his typical conceited way, but what was more surprising was the person grabbing his collar and pinning that arrogant bastard against the wall. Sasori saw this chance and snuck over the remote control, switching it back to his documentary on cannibal café, something he had always been contemplating on doing._

"_What was that for?" Itachi retorted in his usual quiet tone, his stony face making Hidan's lips twitched in uncontrollable laughter._

"_Hah, mad that I touched your woman? The cool, unfeeling Uchiha Itachi, losing his shit over a fucking woman? Woo! Admit it, won't you? You've been banging her up-"_

_Sasori was just getting to the good part, where they managed to capture a live footage of a volunteer getting his leg amputated, when he felt something crashed against his sofa. He managed to jump out of the way before it overturned and landed on top of their newly procured coffee table. The sofa instantly smashed the glass into a million pieces, with Hidan lying in the middle of it in an undignified pile._

_Everyone stood around, too stunned to move or utter a word as the sound of the amputated man screaming filled the background. They were crossed between disbelief and trying their utmost best to appreciate and soak in the rarity of the situation._

_Hidan peeled himself out of the sparkling pile, splitting out blood as he locked eyes with Itachi across the room._

"_You're for real?" In a split second, he reappeared in front of Itachi and delivered a hefty punch in his face, only possible due to that fleeting moment of surprise in his eyes. Like everyone else in the house, Itachi did not expect his body to defy him and move by itself. He could not put a finger into what spurred on this well of emotion that overtook his typically composed and rational mind, causing him to do something as unthinkable as venting his anger on a living person._

_Itachi shot an arm back to stop his fall and swiftly hopped back on his feet. Whatever strand of rationality left within him were completely wiped out by that punch. His eyes flashed once and he returned the favour with a swift roundhouse kick, to which Hidan skillfully blocked with his forearm. Hidan quickly pushed his leg away and began delivering a series of jabs. Being back in element, Itachi was able to dodge all of his blows and when he saw an opportunity, he slipped behind Hidan, locked his arm and flipped him over his shoulders, sending him knocking into the ground._

_Kisame and Kakuzu took one glance at one another and sprung into action, each reaching for their respective partners and quickly subduing them before the fight could escalate further. Itachi wiped the blood off his lips with the back of his palm, glaring at Hidan as he attempted to get up._

"_You ought to learn to keep your hands and mouth to yourself."_

"_She isn't complaining, so the fuck you are getting so agitated for?" Hidan spat out, about to charge forth in retaliation if not for Kakuzu holding him back._

"_Even if she didn't say anything does not mean she's fine with it."_

"_Huh, what are you now? Her overprotective boyfriend?" Hidan sniggered with a thrust of his chin, not quite done with inciting him. Before Itachi could take another step forward, Kisame immediately cut in front of him._

"_Now, now, let's cut this out shall we…" Itachi shoved his not so helpful partner aside, not quite done with this argument._

"_Don't push your luck, Hidan."_

"_What, can't even take a fucking joke?"_

"_You've gone too far this time." His scowl turned into a quizzical stare as his mind registered his words._

"_This time? When's the last time we joked?" Itachi shut his eyes to hide his rolling eyes at the ridiculous plight he had gotten himself into. Whatever, he might as well get it off his chest now._

"_Don't think I have no idea that you're the one who swapped my briefs with those bearing the banana prints." There was a moment of silence as everyone simply blinked, thinking they might have heard him wrong. _

"_What?"_

_Itachi harrumphed, diverting his eyes from the curious circle of males._

"_Kisame said he found mine in your laundry basket." Kisame immediately frowned when he heard his name – he so wanted no part in this feud; as for his misplaced briefs, he was merely informing Itachi then out of responsibility and goodwill of-_

"_Wait what the fuck? You mean all this while I've been w-wearing your fucking u-undies?" Hidan exploded in disgust. "Wait, how did you even know which are his? Don't tell me you memorised every member's underwear-"_

"_You think I'm that free? Itachi's brief has his clan symbol sewn in at the left side, just below the elastic waistband. You would have noticed if you won't so blind!" Kisame countered with such certainty and speed that you would think he was the manufacturer of the Uchiha's garments._

"_Kisame, I think you're missing the point here…" Itachi uttered quietly next to him, pinching the spot between his brows and hoping to disappear there and then. Never would he imagine a day where he would be reduced to discussing his underwear designs and preference with a bunch of felons at the corridor of their latest hideout._

"_That fucking Deidara…" Hidan suddenly muttered, breaking the awkward silence._

"_Deidara?"_

"_Yea! He wanted to pull a prank on you… He asked me if I was interested and I said hell no, I've got better things to do! I didn't think he had the pussy to see through his words…"_

"_So you're saying," Kisame elaborated, "He stole Itachi's briefs and hid them in Hidan's drawer?"_

"_And substituted with the banana underwear," Kakuzu nodded like it all suddenly made sense._

"_This is unbelievable…" Itachi slapped his palm to his forehead, unable to stomach this any longer._

"_Let go of me Kakuzu!" Hidan yelled, finally breaking free from Kakuzu's grasp._

"_Where do you think you're going?" Kakuzu shouted towards his retreating back._

"_To burn all my fucking undies, what else? I can't take any chances knowing I could be wearing one that once contained his dick!" As Hidan disappeared into his room, Kisame quietly whispered into Itachi's ears._

"_So, did you really wear those banana briefs?"_

"_What? No! I've got spares…" He turned to glare at his partner as his arms shot up in surrender. "And does that even matter? When the hell did he even…?" He then recalled that one time when he caught him in his room opening his drawer. "It must be then, that bastard…" He cursed softly under his breath and just then, that happy-go-lucky culprit returned carrying two white bags of groceries._

"_I'm back with supper! I've also picked up some bananas on the way…" He stopped his steps when he saw that everyone was staring at him. "Whoa what's wrong?" Kisame gulped as he slowly released his hold on Itachi._

"_Did you just say banana?" He began calmly._

"_Y-Yeah, you want some, hmm?" Behind him, Kisame was busy signaling him not to offer any while Kakuzu was cutting his hand across his neck._

"_Deidara, you do know that's my favourite fruit right?" At his unexpected revelation, Deidara's face lit up._

"_Really? Me too! Looks like we do have something in common, hmm." Kisame slapped his palm to his head when Itachi causally placed his hand on his shoulders._

"_Does that explain the 'gifts' you have left in my drawers?"_

"_What gifts?"_

"_Oh, you forgot?" He smiled and leaned closer, such that their lips were almost touching. "Then perhaps I shall run a recap, starting from the time I let you into my room and leave unscathed."_

* * *

Sakura held on to Kisame's eyes to make sure he was not pulling her leg. For all the mystery and severity in their faces, no one would have guessed what she just heard.

"So you called me here, at this time of the night, because of some petty boys fight over…banana boxers?"

"Briefs, Itachi doesn't wear boxers," Kisame corrected with a serious look.

"I-I don't need to know that," Sakura countered while trying to hide her rising blush.

"Bananas… no more bananas please…" Deidara continued to murmur periodically by the sofa, his lips paled like ashes and forehead drenched with sweat. Kakuzu cleared his throat.

"I suggest you take a look at Deidara here first, since he was given a serious blow to the head and seems to be…mentally traumatised. After you're done, go to Itachi and Hidan to see if medical attention is needed." With that, he went back to his room.

"Alright." Sakura kneed down next to Deidara's body, which was trembling slightly, the poor lad. "Was it Mangekyou?" Kisame shook his head.

"Fortunately no, just a very powerful genjutsu casted by the regular Sharingan."

"The regular here is kinda pushing it, considering the state he's in," Sakura offered, in a lame attempt to diffuse the tense air stagnated in the living room.

"Now you know what I'm dealing with on a daily basis."

"Careful he might hear you, and this could be you next."

"Naaah," He waved off her concern with a lazy grin and continued. "Despite the way he behaves, I know he cares for me. He just isn't very good at expressing it." He made sure to hold her gaze as he finished his last sentence, hoping she would get the hint.

* * *

Sakura knocked twice on the door, knowing there would not be a response.

"Itachi, I'm coming in…" He was sitting on his bed, leaning against the headboard and staring ahead with a vacant expression. No one would have guessed he just PK-ed two people in a row. If anything, he appeared more defeated than ever. Sakura stopped next to his bed and watched him in concern.

"You have dried blood on your lips…" She reached down and brushed her thumb lightly over his bottom lip. "Does it hurt?" She asked softly and he immediately swiped her hand away.

"I'm fine." He turned to give her a disapproving frown, their first eye contact since she had first arrived. "You shouldn't be here at this hour, or be here at all."

"Since I'm here already, let me just take a look at you- " When she tried to reach for his face again, he pulled her hand away, unknowingly pulling at the tender spot below her left shoulder. She tried to hide the wince from the stab of pain zapping through her but it was too late. He reached for the collar of her red top and tugged it down, revealing the bandage underneath. She thought it was impossible for his frown to get any deeper, but it just did.

"Did Hidan do this to you?" She did not even have the mood to be embarrassed, or be surprised that he knew she was hurt. She remembered the last time he had on such a terrifying expression and he nearly broke a random man's arm. God knew what he would do this time should he know the truth. Or, he already knew the truth, which might explain his outbreak with the Akatsuki members out there.

"I-I'm fine! It was just a superficial wound…" He did not seem to buy it, so she hurriedly elaborated. "You know I'm working at the hospital, so I have to conserve as much chakra as I could to help other people. This wound is minor so I've decided to let it heal by itself." He still looked skeptical, but he could not fault her reasoning, and overlooked it with a sigh.

"You should be using your chakra to heal yourself instead of wasting it on me."

"I'm paid to do this, remember? So it isn't a waste. Are you trying to get me sacked?" He gave her a look that said he could not believe how she had the mood to joke, but she just responded with a smile. "So stop fighting me and let me do my job." There was another sigh, but he otherwise complied, to her relief.

"It isn't like you to lose your cool like that," She began softly as she was healing him. _Was it because of me_, she wanted to add, hoping that was not the case, though part of her irrational and insensible side secretly wanted it to be true.

When she was satisfied with her handiwork, she looked up and felt her heart rate soaring. Itachi was staring into her eyes, and for a frightful moment she thought he could see through her heart and her deepest feelings. She swallowed and averted her eyes while pointing to the door.

"I-I'll just go and check on Hidan to see if he's alright-"

"Sakura, do you like me?" It was as though he just dropped an atomic bomb inside her. Her hasty footsteps faltered and for a second she was uncertain she had heard him right. Slowly she turned around. The question was as startling as it was sad – was it not obvious enough?

"I wouldn't even be here if I don't feel a single thing for you," She admitted with reserve and casted a tentative eye towards him. "What about you?"

"I don't…" The power of spoken thoughts – just two tiny and trite words made her heart felt like it was violently ripped into pieces, yet she was reluctant to face up. "…Want to." Just as quickly as her world came crashing down, a pair of arms appeared out of nowhere to prop up the fallen heaven. "But I can't help but feel…things when you're around me," He concluded with a troubled expression, as though beating himself over his lack of control over his heart.

_Does that mean_…?

"Really?" She refused to allow false hopes to resurface and lead her in circles like a fool.

"I wouldn't have kissed you if I don't." The factual way he had announced that made her cringe in embarrassment and uncertainty. Even with that reassurance, there was still something…

It was like all norms and dating did not apply to him. A guy just confessed to her, albeit indirectly, yet she was acting all calm and logical and suppressing her endorphins into God knew where. She was supposed to be celebrating, for instance!

"Something is holding you back." They both knew this would not progress any further unless some buried feelings were dealt with first.

"Sit down." Which she interpreted was his way of requesting for some time to organize his thoughts. She bit back her raising excitement and obediently did so.

"You do know that I'm a wanted felon right?" There were no conflicting emotions in his eyes as he questioned her, as though he had long settled into such undesirable role.

"That doesn't matter…"

"Or does it?" He countered softly, reminding her of their status, and a ninja's obligation to put their village or organisation before the affairs of the heart.

"So Itachi…" The voice that was calling him was tinged with sadness and it tugged at his heartstrings. "What's our relationship now? What am I to you?" He was back to staring vacantly at the ceiling, seemingly lost in his labyrinth of thoughts. Even when he remained frustratingly silent, she could not find it in her to be angry. She knew he was not ignoring her but seriously considering her questions, and that prolonged quietude was what was getting to her. "Do you…kiss me the way you do with other women? No wait don't tell me. I don't think I can take the truth-"

"There was once a person," He interrupted as his eyes shifted to the curtains flapping behind Sakura. "Whom I thought I could trust, who matters more than everything, including my life." Sakura's eyes softened and nodded, squeezing his hand encouragingly. She presumed he was referring to the purple hair woman in the picture from all those months ago, the unmentioned phantom Ex. "Never in my cursed existence would I thought to experience another person's unconditional love, and just that." He paused and gave a wry smile.

"Such foolish assumptions, considering what I've witnessed and been through. Perhaps it was one-sided all along, just he deceiving himself to desperately believe the world has not forsaken him, but merely have other plans, something that will come to fruition and shed light on everything at a later time. He waited, and waited, and continues to wait. He sees everything but chose not to see some things, and continues to wait. He sees the end but believed it still wasn't over, and continues to wait. Do you know why?"

"Why?" She asked in a whisper, unable to fathom the depth of the sorrow he had been silently swimming in all this while.

"The moment you stop waiting, it's as good as admitting that the past hundred days of happiness were all but bitter white lies."

"You were right to keep waiting, you've got me now," Sakura ascertained with determined eyes. "I'm sorry I took so long."

"You do know this isn't good fortune on your part, meeting me that is," He replied ruefully.

"Don't go deciding everything yourself. You have no idea how lucky I'm feeling right this moment, being next to you and talking freely like this." He shut his eyes, looking torn as to what to do next. He hated to admit it, but there were things even he could not have foreseen – he could only plan so far. What once began from a coincidental meeting and a ripple of resemblance between her and Mimiko eventually turned into something more.

Over and over he had tried to keep her at arm's length, but again and again she simply took his arm and pulled him closer. He liked to believe he had absolute control over his emotions, but ultimately he was just human. And humanity was all about being a volatile ball of messed up emotions and contradictions. Reflecting on his current life, it was glaringly obvious that abandoning his emotions and living by his rationality might be the easier path, but not necessarily the best path to take.

He found her assuring eyes, allowed himself to feel without restrain, and be willingly led astray by these wild fluctuations in his heartbeat, wherever it might bring him to.

He no longer cared – she was all that mattered now.

"I'll not be able to stay by your side as and when you need me, or be with you at all."

"I know."

"I'll have to put my obligations to this organisation before you, and that means not being able to protect you," He added with forced conviction just to make it clear what she was once again signing up for.

"It's okay, I can protect myself."

"Out of this room, we'll have to act like we do not know one another, and that means no unnecessary talking and eye contact."

"Wouldn't even be an issue, you hardly talk when we're alone anyway." The corner of his lips twitched at that comment, but all rebuttals just died on his tongue. He needed to start working on his daily conversation 101 soon.

"And lastly, you cannot afford to let down your guard for one minute or trust anyone here, including me," He concluded while searching her eyes for any hint of hesitation. He could not find any.

"That's right, I don't trust you," Sakura confessed, gently placing her palm over his. "I trust us."

"Are you really sure about this, Sakura?"

"I couldn't be any more certain since the moment I met you in the cold and silent forest, Itachi." She suddenly thought of something and he waited for her to continue with his quizzical eyes.

"Didn't Kakuzu say something about a no dating your subordinates policy?" Itachi's eyes widened slightly before he released a faint sigh.

"If I can handle your feisty temper, then he and the policy are the least of my concerns."

"Hey that's rude!"

"Come here." Sakura's lips tugged involuntarily as he pulled her into his warm, wide chest, laughing as he tugged the fluffy blanket over their heads.

* * *

The faraway sound of a rooster yelling stirred Sakura from her deep somber, wishing to dump a pillow in its face. The notion was temporarily pushed aside as she felt his arm tightened around her waist, nudging her to snuggle closer.

"Hey," She purred behind closed lids.

"This is the first a woman fell asleep on my bed from talking."

"What?"

"Just kidding," He smirked at her appalled expression. "Did you have a good rest?"

"Yea, it's been a while since I slept so soundly…" She broke out of his embrace and sat on the bed, stretching her arms over her head like a cat. "Come on, it's time to get up," She ordered without any conviction and pulled futilely at his dead arm.

All of a sudden, his eyes snapped apart and he sat up. He began to lean closer and stared suggestively at her parted lips. Her heart immediately picked up pace and not knowing what to do, she squeezed her eyes shut. She felt his warm breath tickling her cheeks without any actual contact, and that was when she felt it behind her.

After hooking back her bra, he moved away and raised a puckish brow.

"Expecting something?" She huffed and turned her head away.

"N-No-" He bent forward and planted a firm and affectionate kiss on her pouting lips. It instantly loosened her shoulders and dispersed any lingering displeasure, be it from the rooster's annoying calls or his endless teasing.

"Breakfast?" He whispered gently against her parted lips.

"Yes please," She answered with a goofy smile and passed him his shirt that she had been using as a makeshift bolster. Man, she could totally devour that solid and delicious abs, pouting when they were no longer visible behind his shirt.

"Alright, guess I'll go first…" As she was climbing out the blanket, he quickly pulled her back down into his embrace.

"Where do you think you're going?" He questioned and ran the back of his palm along her flushed cheeks.

"W-We're supposed to act like strangers… Don't you think it's weird if we came out of your room together?"

"It doesn't mean anything."

"Oh, it certainly means something to other people-"

"Sakura."

"Yeah?"

"I like you."

"O-Oh I like you too," She stuttered out, before realising what she just said and gasped, slapping her hands to her mouth and quickly averting his grinning eyes.

"Then let's get moving."

"Mou…" Taking his outstretched hand, she let him pulled her out of the bed and led them towards the door. He always had it so easy, be it managing to strike fear and reverence in people around him regardless of age, or getting her to readily hand over a one-way ticket to her heart.

"Is it really okay for us to be seen like this?" He had already unlocked the door, and was gesturing for her to go on. Taking one more uncertain glance over her shoulder, she released his hand and walked out, smacking right into Sasori's extra solid and wooden chest.

* * *

**Wouldn't it be nice to wake up to Itachi's naked muscularity every morning... _Enters dream mode*_**

**So tell me, what are your thoughts after reading this? All comments are appreciated ^^**


	16. Itachi-sensei & His Dirty Thoughts

**Chapter 15 Recall:**

A fight involving Sakura and banana boxers broke out at the Akatsuki base, resulting in several casualties that included Itachi, Hidan, the living room's coffee table, and Deidara. Sakura was summoned by Kisame back to the base to clean up after their mess when things turned steamy in Itachi's bedroom...

Thank you Uchiha Misaki, for your continued support even when I took so long to update!

* * *

**Chapter 16 – Itachi-sensei &amp; His Train of Inappropriate Thoughts**

Six months ago…

"_I've got your back, you go on ahead."_

"_Alright, I'll meet you at the base."_

_Itachi nodded and Kisame sped off, leaving him to fend off the bothersome trail of enemy ninjas hunting them. By then he was nearly completely surrounded, with them closing in from both the woods and the river to his left. Summoning a water clone, he twisted around and released a great fireball while simultaneously exploding his clone. He frowned and continued running when he realised he only got one._

_He was hoping he did not have to take them down, especially now that he was alone and he had no need to keep up with his cold-blooded image. However, knowing that they had been pursuing Akatsuki all these while, it was unlikely they would suddenly grew cold feet from a fireball, even an Uchiha flame. Perhaps he should try to lose them in the thick canopies ahead…_

_It seemed there was no need. He stopped and saw that all seven of them had suddenly collapsed onto the forest ground. Kneeing by the nearest guy, his eyes rapidly scanned his body and landed on a long needle piercing into his neck. It was the same for the rest, but problem was, where did these needles come from, and why?_

* * *

Sasori stared down into Sakura's appalled eyes, instantly giving her a simulation of stepping on a hidden mine, and being blown into pieces. His type of stare really put Tsunade's death glare into perspective.

"S-Sorry! I didn't see you walking by…"

"It doesn't matter," He replied coldly and walked off, not appearing a tad concerned she had just stepped out of Itachi's bedroom. She was rubbing absent-mindedly at her bruised nose while staring after his back, thinking how good it would be if everyone could be this cool, when she was suddenly lifted by the shoulders and shifted aside.

"What…"

"You're blocking my way." In a softer and gentler voice he said, "And stop staring at him."

Itachi had on his usual aloof mask and she was finding it hard to believe that he was capable of saying such possessive statements. Nevertheless, it felt great. She hoped he would continue to surprise her with these quirky moments as she got to know him better.

This morning, besides the sound of the coffee machine and toaster timer, the house was especially silent. When she saw only two toasts on Itachi's plate, she could not help but feel a little dejected. Nothing for her this time, it seemed. Once again, she glanced over her shoulders and wondered where was everyone.

"Where's the rest?" Itachi asked as Sasori carried his white coffee and plate of toasts out of the kitchen, presumably to dine in the solitary of his room.

"Kisame said he's going out 'to have some fun.' I do not know about the other two," Sasori answered without stopping.

"Alone?" He stopped and turned around.

"Apparently, since you appeared to be…busy at the moment, and told you not to look for him." His eyes slanted meaningfully to Sakura for a second before moving on.

"What about you?" Sakura blurted out, spited by his unblinking and judging eyes. He gave her a long look before relenting.

"I prefer indoors." Interestingly, he had strolled past his room and disappeared behind the adjacent door instead. Sakura carried on her preparation of milo with a grin.

"That guy, I bet he's staying behind to look after Deidara but just doesn't want to admit it. How cute." The act of preparing and serving food was already a huge giveaway, considering that his physical constitution did not require him to eat. Either he overlooked that or he just did not care. As she reached for a slice of his toasts, he quickly snatched it up.

"You seemed very concerned over his affairs."

"He thinks he's better than everyone, that Sasori right? Man I hate guys like himuummm!" Sakura blinked and bit into the crispy bread and stared dumbly after Itachi's back as he retrieved a carton of milk from the fridge.

"Hmm, did someone use my milk again?" He ignored Sakura's baffled stare as he gulped down the cold drink and regretted not keeping her occupied in bed longer, long enough to entirely miss that bothersome fifth wheel altogether.

* * *

_When she saw that those people chasing after that man were the very same ninjas giving her village problems, she decided now was a perfect opportunity to finish them off._

_Slipping out her ready-to-use needles, she swiftly arranged them between her fingers and took aim. With a single flick of her wrist, the needles were gone, along with her adversaries. Smiling at her handiwork, she took one last glance at that mysterious young man and fled before he could spot her._

* * *

To Sakura's delight, Itachi agreed to her one-on-one day out suggestion, considering he seemed the type to rather lock himself in his room and _read_, like Sasori, than walk around aimlessly, like her.

"Since we're going to the Waterfall Village, shall we visit Misao-chan on the way? She's er…Kakuzu's daughter?" She still felt weird saying that aloud, mainly from disbelief that any women would be attracted to that austere man or put up with his _nasty_ temper, yuck.

"The hotel owner, yes I remember," He answered and smiled inwardly, surprised that she still recalled what he had told her.

"So… Is this considered a date?" Her sudden coyness made him raise his brows in amusement.

"Do you want it to be a date?"

"O-Of course! And stop answering my questions with more questions!"

"Well then stop asking the obvious, Sakura." Even as his face remained as composed as ever, she swore she could see the smirk lurking by his lips.

While he remained as talkative as a statue throughout their journey in the woods, she had noticed several minuscule changes. She was not certain if it was done consciously, but whenever she began to lag behind, he would adjust his pace to match hers. He would also take occasional glances over his shoulders to check on her, and even went a step further to slice off any pointy branches that might get in the path and hurt her…

"Is there something you want to say?"

"Eh?" Nothing could escape his eyes it seemed – she was only staring at his back because he was in her line of vision! …_Right_. She sped up to the spot next to him and gave him a closer examination. "Umm, are you sure you're the Uchiha Itachi that I know?"

He slanted his eyes to give her a "what do you think" look. She mentally panicked for fear of making him mad and went on to explain.

"I-It's just, you've become really _nice_…" He elevated a brow in amusement and she frantically waved her hands in a lame attempt to retract her ill-phrase words. "Not that you're not usually nice or what-"

"So you have a thing for guys like Sasuke?"

"Huh?" The sudden mention of her ex-crush momentarily threw her off. "No! The only thing I have is for you-" She gasped a short breath at her slip of confession. His gaze turned softer, sending her heart into a beating frenzy, until she caught that infuriating smirk lurking by the corner of his lips.

"I-I mean, Sasuke-kun… He's quiet and doesn't talk much but when he does, he doesn't mince his words and can be rather rude…" When she saw that he had gone quiet and was staring at her, she realised she had been _openly_ badmouthing and complaining about his little brother. How unmannerly of her – no one should have gotten her started on Sasuke! "S-Sorry I didn't mean to-!"

"You think so too?" He interrupted a very surprised Sakura as he put on a thoughtful expression, with a slightly worried look in his eyes. "I've told him countless times to speak respectfully to others but he doesn't seem to get it. Wonder who he learnt it from…" He trailed off as he began mumbling to himself, like a musician in his own world.

"Ne… Do you miss him?" Her words were like a needle that pierced into his bubble of thoughts as he turned his head slightly, a sign that he had heard her.

"I mean, he is your brother after all…" _And you left him alive, surely that says something_, she thought quietly.

"You seemed very concerned about my brother," He answered instead, "Did you use to have a crush on him?"

"N-No! Of course not!" She denied slightly loudly than intended, making it more suspicious than ever. "He was always giving me the cold shoulder and replying me with one word responses… Though he's rather cool and probably the best ninja in our class, and his hair is forever at the peak of perfection everyday, nicely styled and all…" Great, she might as well just announced she was the President of the Sasuke Fan Club and an open Uchiha pants chaser. Not that she was going to admit that. He gave her a long and sceptical look before taking a powerful leap and sped ahead of her.

"H-Hey! Are you angry? You know the only person I like is you!" There, she had said it. She could not believe he had made her confessed twice in a row, and both before she knew what got over her. It was like she had no control over her mouth. This was the reason why one should never comment about an ex beyond an "it's over," though technically Sasuke was not even an ex.

He still did not turn around, which was starting to worry her, until she saw his right arm slightly stretching out behind with his palm upturned. Swallowing back her relief and grin, she bit her lower lip and stretched hers to catch his, feeling her heart doing crazy somersaults at the familiar warmth seeping into her palm.

"I know," He said after a while, though Sakura did not quite get it at first. "Me too." There it was again, those teasing eyes and barely there smile, but Sakura could not find the heart to stay pissed at him. She had no reason to, not when he just made her felt like she was the luckiest girl in the universe.

* * *

Itachi slowed down as they neared the end of the forest. He held up his hand, forming the first hand seal of the transformation technique.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"After what happened, I'm not exactly welcomed at the village am I?" At that, he closed his eyes and shortly there was a soft poof. This was the first she had witnessed he took on a form other than his crows. She was expecting a low-profile young man in drab civilian clothing but…

"Eh?" Sakura could not believe her eyes. She felt a lump formed at the bottom of her throat as his Sharingan faded off into a pair of charcoal eyes mirror of his. "Why Sa- You know he doesn't wear that now, do you?" She commented softly as Itachi emerged as Sasuke, spotting his old blue baggy top and white berms. Itachi fiddled with the upturned collar, as though trying to get accustomed to his new skin.

"This is far less conspicuous and more comfortable," He replied gruffly, already in-character. "Alright, let's get going." No way in hell was he going to wear an Orochimaru coordinated attire; it was hard enough to swallow the knowledge that his brother was wearing his love bite on his neck. Without sparing Sakura another glance, he began walking towards the village, his mood already turning sour at the thought of that snake man. Sakura swallowed in nervousness; she had to constantly remind herself that this was merely an illusion, and this was the same man who had held her hand a moment ago. Speaking of that, it did not seem like he was going to do it anytime soon, now that they were in public's scrutiny. Darn.

"Where are we going now?" She asked dispiritedly.

"Hmm? Even though his tone was gentle, like how Itachi normally talked, he was also wearing a scowl, like how Sasuke usually wore his face. She was letting the illusion got to her head – it was so confusing.

"Are you sure you're not doing this on purpose?" Come on – of the millions of forms he could take on, did it have to be his brother?

"About what?" He asked with a blank look. Brothers indeed, they even shared the same poker face and innocent tone.

"Never mind."

* * *

Sliding opened the door, Itachi stepped aside to allow Sakura to enter the hotel lobby that they had left behind all those months ago.

"Welcome… Oh hey, it's you Sakura-chan! Welcome and welcome back!" Himiji Misao exclaimed and bowed politely, energetically keeping up her role as an affable host. Her eyes flicked to the person standing behind Sakura and she did a double take. "Isn't this…? No, something's different…" She murmured, her bafflement loud enough to reach Sakura's ears.

"Misao-chan, this is Uchiha Sasuke, his younger brother…"

"Oh, I see! That explains… You're a splitting image of your brother!" Sakura could totally relate to her excitement – unlike Itachi who was low key and more about the inner charisma, Sasuke exuded a bad boy vibe that would send unsuspecting girls drooling and worshipping him, girls _ahem_ like her.

Fortunately, that was a matter of the past.

"We want a single room with double bed please," Itachi as Sasuke began coolly, completely ignoring their exchange. If this was the real Sasuke, Sakura was certain he would have immediately shot Misao a death glare and stormed out of the hotel at the association.

"Sure! Let me just check – single room, double… O-Oh, I didn't realise…"

"No you got it all wrong!" Sakura jumped in to clarify while the ever-helpful Itachi remained as silent as ever, like none of this was his business. Rather than looking apologetic for his misunderstanding room order, he seemed to have done it intentionally out of amusement, noting the hint of smirk as she gave him a not so subtle elbow shove. "We've been _really _good friends since young, and we grew up together, er, like family! That's right, we're like family! _Right _Sasuke-kun?" Sakura emphasized as she forcefully hooked an arm around an insouciant Itachi for added authenticity.

"O-Oh, of course! That was presumptuous of me, I'm so sorry…" She hastily bowed once more as her expression turned slightly melancholic. "How nice, to have your family around you wherever you are." Oops, seemed like she had gone too far with her dramatic antics and had unintentionally reminded Misao of her missing Father, aka the Devil Kakuzu.

"Misao-chan…" Sakura attempted to comfort her when Itachi cut in next to her.

"Your Father's doing fine."

"What?" Her face turned paled. "Y-You know my…Father?" Sakura stared wide-eyed at his sudden disclosure, tugging meaningfully at his arm. _What is he doing_?

"Wherever he is, I'm sure he misses you as much as you think of him," He offered unexpectedly, looking straight into her eyes. For a moment Sakura thought Misao was about to excuse them out of the hotel, until she started nodding appreciatively.

"Thank you… That's so sweet of you, Uchiha-san…" Misao offered a tender smile as she handled over the room keys to him. "Your room is on the second floor, last room on the right of the corridor. Enjoy your stay in Waterfall!" Itachi nodded and walked off. _Oh Itachi_, Sakura thought with endearment as her admiration towards this man skyrocketed two fold. She had no idea he could be this sweet… As Sakura turned to follow suit, Misao grabbed her arm, and whispered with a frisson of excitement into her ear.

"Uchiha-san is such a nice person!" Sakura was not sure how to answer, seeing that she was referring to Sasuke, and _nice_ was really pushing it.

"Well, today is just one of those good days…" …_Even for the aforementioned good days_.

"Is he single?"

"Misao-chan!" Translation: _Hands off, he's (Itachi) mine_!

"Kidding, kidding," She waved off, her tone and expression anything but kidding. "But really, he's so different from his brother!" She tapped her fingers giddily while staring longingly in his direction.

"Yea," Sakura said, watching his retreating back as he disappeared around the staircase and enjoying the irony of her words, "He is."

* * *

"Ah, can't believe we're back here again…" Misao had given them the standard hotel room with a make-up desk, an extra large cushioned armchair, a sliding wardrobe, and of course the main attraction, a king size bed. The yellow curtains were drawn aside to allow ample sunlight to pour in through the casement window, casting the intimate space with a cozy ambience. Shutting the door, she twisted around and nearly banged into his still frame, already out of his illusionary form. Gone was the "nice" little brother with his spiky hair and "sweet" personality, and back was the older and sophisticated brother with his silky ponytail and "cold" personality.

"What shall we do now?" That was a good question – she had no idea. Sakura raised a hand to her chin and thought hard.

"Well, it's the afternoon, it's really hot outside, but it would be a waste to be coped up indoors all day…"

"Oh?" He took a step closer and lowered his head towards hers, snapping her out of her deep thinking. "What makes you think so?" Just like that, she found herself trapped between the door and his broad chest. She lowered her hand as her eyes slowly travelled up to meet his glinting eyes. Eyes that she had no problem getting lost in and taking up permanent residence.

Reaching for her face, he pushed past the thin air separating them and sealed the gap with his love on her lips.

"Do you know why I agree with your day out suggestion?" He whispered fervently between breaths. "It's so I can have you to myself." Her weak heart did a double backflip at that covetous utterance.

"I didn't know you could be this possessive…" Sakura flung her arms around his neck as his arms travelled down her sides and snaked around her waist. "…Which I have no problem with, of course."

"Are you regretting now, Sakura?"

"Not in a million years," She answered against his damp lips while causally sliding him out of his oppressing cloak. It actually put her mind at ease that he felt as strongly for her as she did for him. It felt especially pleasing, coming from someone who did not readily share his emotions. "I'm glad that we think on the same page."

The faint sound of smooth jazz came waltzing into their room from next door, embracing them with the polyphony of the saxophone, violin, and piano. Sakura laid her head against his sturdy chest, musing in the company of romantic jazz and his heartbeat. As they swayed to the relaxing rhythm behind closed lids, the world beyond these four walls suddenly seemed irrelevant and non-existent. If they could have their way, they would dance on and on, one song into another...

"You suck at dancing, Sakura." She bit back an indignant smile and beat playfully against his chest. So much for the romantic ambience.

"That's unfair, you're just naturally talented at everything!"

"That's not true," He paused and gazed into the distance, "I've…had lessons before." That unexpected tidbit caught her attention. She peeled her head off his chest to gawk at his regretful expression at revealing that embarrassing fact.

"Did your Mother sign you up without your consent?"

"…No, it was the ANBU."

"Right, the ANBU… Why didn't I think of that?" When she saw he was still holding on to a straight face, she burst out, "You're kidding right?"

Since when did ANBU invest its resources to the pursuit of tasteful and non-violent endeavours? Did the OT elite ninjas even have the time for it? He released a short breath to express his similar sentiment.

"We were occasionally employed by extremely wealthy clients who would require us to infiltrate into somebody's mansion and attend elite exclusive events. We had to learn the various dances in order to blend in," He explained with an unconvinced face, which Sakura found hilarious when coupled with his serious tone.

"You don't enjoy it?" Itachi thought for a moment, her question drawing up several deeply buried memories. It had been eons ago, but the humiliation and pain he had suffered remained as vivid as Waterfall's holy water.

There was once when he was practicing his dance in the "privacy" of his room, the day and timing strategically chosen when no one was at home. It was only his third class so he was still not fluid with his footwork, and in his absolute focused mode had failed to detect Uchiha Shisui hiding in the tree next to his room. Besides giggling silently and tearing uncontrollably to the rare comical sight, Shisui had also taken the liberty to capture a couple of compromising shots, mostly of Itachi trying out the twirls and curtsies of the female dance routine for his latest mission. By the time he realised he had company, the damage had been irreversible, and he cursed under his hot breath as Shisui's laughter faded into the evening air.

In exchange for those explicit photographs, he had to endure over dozens of rejection meetings on behalf of his dear cousin, who after telling the girl to "meet me (in this case, Itachi) after mission by the training ground," was to show up and turn them down 'with palpable remorse.' To make matters worse, that was not the end of it. It so happened that every girl who was rejected by Shisui (via word-of-mouth from Itachi) ended up developing insane crushes on _him_, the ultimate innocent bystander in the entire fiasco.

When asked for advices to their relentless advances, this was what Uchiha Shisui, the love expert, had to say.

"I don't see what you're so worried about. In fact you should take this chance to go out with some of them. Lately there had been rumours of you being gay, and even I was unsure whether they were entirely untrue."

"Shisui…"

"Or better, you could plainly admit it and tell them you're in love with me. That way you can skip on those dates _and_ save me the trouble of having to deal with more rejections!"

That turned out to be rather productive.

With the photographs in safe hands, he was free to do as he pleased. A week later during one fine evening, there was a frantic knock on Itachi's window, and biting back a knowing grin, he climbed out of his desk chair to unlock the hatch. Shisui came tumbling in, hurriedly locked the hatch, and secured it with an additional seal. Itachi had his arms crossed and was leaning against his desk.

"You don't look so good," Itachi started, referring to his drenched forehead and ashen complexion. Shisui slowly turned around and leaned heavily against the window.

"When I got back home after mission there were two ladies sitting in my living room sofa, both claiming to have a candlelit dinner date with me tonight. The thing isn't, I don't recognise either of them! And even if that's true, I would never have made the amateur's mistake of planning both dates on the same day!"

"Uh-huh," Itachi remarked apathetically as Shisui began pacing around his room.

"The moment they saw me, they _pounced_ on me, demanding who's the other woman like I have a frigging clue! Before I could even get started on the "there must be some misunderstanding" speech, both of them began pulling out kunai and broke out into a fight, in my _living room_. I've known I am hot in demand, but damn, they nearly destroyed my house!"

"So what are you doing here, when you have guests at your place?"

"Since they're obviously not going to leave without killing the other half, I had to step in, knock them out, and carry them _individually _to the hospital, since I can't teleport two people at once."

"You what?"

"Don't look at me like that, it was just a genjutsu! They won't remember what happened when they woke up," He ceased his pacing and looked at Itachi. "What I can't fathom is where did these women came from, why _now_, and why in a _pack_…"

"So there were more?" Itachi added with feigned surprise.

"I thought everything was settled once I sent those two ladies away…" He skillfully ignored his comments and carried on with his laments. "…Until I reached home and saw a horde of women radiating malicious intents and _fighting _outside my door," He revealed with an exasperated look, plonking down on Itachi's meticulously made bed and contaminating it with his womanising ways.

"What you do is bound to catch up to you…" Itachi prophesied unhelpfully, to which Shisui chose to ignore, again.

"As a ninja I know to pick my fights, and _that_," He stressed while pointing in the direction of his house (or what was left of it), "I have no confidence of making out alive. So here I am, to whom my heart is always with, and where I shall be staying for the night," He nodded self-approvingly at his well-devised plan, kicking out his sandals as he kicked back and claimed the bed as his own.

"I never agreed on you staying overnight…"

"Oh, there was something that I noticed was strange," Shisui sat up and slammed his fist into his palm eureka style, staring wide-eyed at a suddenly tensed Itachi. "They were all holding on to a stalk of pink carnations and arguing that I was the one who gave it, along with a dinner invitation."

"What's so strange about-"

"… Which is _absolutely _absurd!" Shisui interrupted with incredulity. "I may forget dates and mix up my date's names, but I would _never_ give pink carnations. Who would even do that, carnations are for Mothers for goodness sake!"

"Oh, they are?" Itachi commented with a little bit more surprise than intended, immediately casting him under Shisui's wary sight. The air was still for a second.

"…I see. So it was _you_," He spoke quietly as Itachi developed a sudden fascination with his room ceiling. For one, Itachi had never bothered himself with the dating scene, let alone be piqued by a flower's love language. Undeterred by his debilitating glare, Itachi uncrossed is arms and walked over to the windows, where he could spot an agitated group of females crowded by his compound's gate.

"As I said, what you do is bound to catch up to you-" He was abruptly cut off as he narrowly dodged Shisui's attack, frowning at the trail of falling hair.

"You didn't just…" He reached behind to feel the back of his neck and cursed inwardly. "Looks like you no longer have the intention of staying the night," He hissed and rose a bolster in an offensive stance.

"Says who? And I was just thinking of extending my stay through the entire week…"

As they launched into a juvenile war of wrestling and dumping pillows, their infectious laughter could be heard beyond the windows and throughout the compound.

"…Itachi? Yoohoo you there?" He blinked and quickly fought back the well of woeful nostalgia, before the guilt could consume him. Oh, how he wished to hear his laughter again. Well, the past could not be rewritten (at least not within his power) – Shisui would always live in his memory along with his precious lessons of love "not-to-dos." Sending ladies the wrong flowers was bad enough; he did not wish to end up in his cousin's footsteps and took a date for granted. Glancing down at the pair of scintillating jade orbs staring dearly at him, he raised a hand to pat fondly on her head. He had never been so grateful of the present, and could never be more thankful for her presence to assure his forlorn existence.

"Can't say that dancing's my thing, but the experience wasn't completely unpleasant," He concluded with a faint smile, much to Sakura's surprise.

He took one of her hands and gave her a graceful twirl, or at least it was supposed to be. Not having done this before, Sakura _waddled_ her way around and caught a glimpse of his expression when she was halfway through. Knowing she must have done something terribly inappropriate, she panicked and missed a step, losing her balance.

An arm scooped behind her before she could humiliate herself further, suavely guiding them back into a standing position.

"Well, at least the skill came in useful!" She breathed out jokingly in an attempt to conceal her brimming embarrassment and utter lack of poise. If her near fall were any indication, Itachi's earlier proclamation of her dancing skills would be a huge understatement. Whatever she was doing could not even be constituted as dancing, she reflected in shame.

"Was that a move you invented?" He enquired with as straight a face as possible.

"Go ahead and laugh, I promise I won't be offended." Grasping her hand once more, he took a step back and guided her into a powerful swirl, and then pulled her in towards him, ending with her back flushed against his body.

At that moment, the jazz slowly faded off into the afternoon breeze, followed by the unlocking and dull thud of the door shutting next door.

"I guess this is the end of our dance class?" He whispered coarsely against her ear, his hot breath tickling and arousing her senses. Reluctantly, Sakura disentangled herself from him, already missing the comfort of their physical connection.

She reached out and held his hands in hers.

"I've had fun, thanks for dancing with me."

"Have you not danced before?" She gave a rueful smile as he continued to hold on to her eyes.

"No, there hasn't been anyone to dance with." There was the sound of rattling keys and a door closing, and shortly the familiar and soothing melody came drifting through the walls.

"Now you do." A look passed between them, and she could feel the room steadily heating up, or was it just her face?

Without warning he pulled her in and hugged her firmly, echoing her longing to be not separated for even a second.

"For as long as you wish, I'll be here to guide your steps. For as long as you want me to, I'll be here to hold you tight."

"Yes." She could feel her eyes tearing up from the euphoria swelling up within her, of hearing such ardent words spoken to her from the one man who mattered so much more than she could foretell. "And there's only you, and you who could do the job."

Sakura closed her eyes. They shared a tender yet impassioned kiss as the seductive melody of smooth jazz gently embraced their skin and soul. At last they broke off, for any prolonged moments would not guarantee either's modesty intact, as the atmosphere remained charged with libido and unfulfilled desire. Sakura could barely contain her pulsing need as she gazed into his burning gaze, her own eyes tipsy with lust. As much as she wanted him, she knew now was not the time, not yet. Perhaps a part of him knew that too, as his hands remained stiff and wrapped firmly around her waist, as though not trusting himself to be able to act rationally.

"Itachi, I…"

"Shhh, it's okay, I can wait." He planted a soft kiss on her forehead and held her tightly against his embrace. Sakura smiled, mostly in perplexity at why such a wonderful man would be interested in her and at her fortune to be the recipient of his bountiful affections. "Any place you want to visit now, my Sakura?"

"Hehe." She could not believe he just called her "his." "Actually, there is…"

* * *

Itachi hopped down from his resting spot on the branch when he sensed Sakura's chakra approaching him. Any hint of boredom he felt was quickly replaced by a silly grin at her jaunty walk and enthusiastic waving, which he managed to hide in time before she saw and thought he went postal.

"Back already?"

"Yea, I didn't want to make you wait too long," She offered playfully as she took his outstretched hand and they began making their way towards the main village street.

"How did it go?" He asked, tilting his head slightly towards Yuu's mansion.

"Ah, Yuu opened the door before I could knock and was really friendly… It makes me feel bad," she commented sheepishly, referring to Leaf's unsuccessful mission of saving Yuu's younger sister, Fuu, the Jinchuuriki of the Seven Tailed Beast.

"It's not like you had a choice, your opponent then was me."

"Trust you to joke about it now… Do you have any idea how betrayed I felt then?"

"I wouldn't have do it if I could," He spoke quietly, and Sakura had a sneaking suspicion that it was more for his benefit than for her to grasp."…But I'm like you, I didn't have a choice," He stated with a hint of bitterness, the hand holding her tightened powerlessly, as though chastising his own weakness.

"You sounded as though you were forced to join Akatsuki." She had meant that as a jocular remark, but her smile quickly disappeared at his darkened expression. "You mean… This wasn't out of your own accord…?"

"Let's pick up our pace before the sky turns dark," He announced suddenly, removing his hand from hers, and averting her confused eyes. Did she say something wrong? It was no secret that Itachi had massacred his entire clan but had somehow spared Sasuke, perhaps out of nostalgia, and deflected from Konoha. He was a cold-hearted murderer who had turned a blind eye to kinship and patriotism. Heck, so much for nostalgia, he even beaten the shit out of Sasuke the last time they met after all those years! That was whom he was that everyone came to know, the worst of the worst, right?

Or was that just his intent? Had she mistakenly regarded a perceived truth as fact? This was a genjutsu virtuoso we were talking about after all, with an intellect comparable to Shikamaru. So where did the true end and the lies began?

"I sense chakra ahead," Itachi's steady voice broke into her mind, and for a moment she felt misplaced. Glancing around, she remembered they were trekking through the wooded region of Waterfall and were making their way towards the commercial area. Focusing her senses, she could indeed make out a bunch of weak chakra signatures.

"Should we…?"

"It'll be fine," He offered softly, and she nodded with a smile, thankful that he was back to his earlier, gentle self. They continued walking towards the source and were surprised by the sight.

"I don't suppose they are enemy…?" Sakura leaned into his ear and whispered with jest, immediately lowering their guard.

Seated on the turf clearing was a group of kids prating noisily among themselves, without a care of their surroundings, just as one would expect from such young souls.

"I can't believe we came all the way here just to sit around!" A boy with brown spiky hair whined, directing an accusatory finger towards a girl in twin braids and a pink Lolita dress seated underneath the tree. "This is all your fault, Rora!" Rora bit her bottom lips and bashfully ducked her head down, unable to form any rebuttals.

"Hey Hotaro that's not fair! It's not like she wanted this, right Rora?" The girl sitting next to Rora retorted loudly, gaining several nods among the girls.

"Well, it _is_ because of her that we're all stuck here and unable to proceed with our target training," A bespectacled boy with shoulder-length black hair reasoned as a matter-of-factly, and it was the way he presented it that made Rora felt like a blight.

"I-I… So sorry…" That was the thing with children – for all their innocence they could not grasp the concept of tactfulness and always spoke their mind, which was usually a praiseworthy thing. However, right now nothing seemed right about two boys hurling hurtful remarks at a defenseless girl who was looking close to tears. Sakura decided she could not stomach this horrible exchange any longer. Ducking out of her hiding spot behind Itachi, she strode towards the children huddled at the opposite end, clapping her hands to break off the overhanging tension.

"Guys, stop fighting!" Everyone turned towards the unexpected source of voice. "Verbal fights are what immature kids do, and I'm sure you do not want to be one, right Hotaro?" Sakura asserted with a meaningful look at Hotaro as the crowd fell silent.

"Who the hell are you?" Sakura's frown deepened at his outright churlishness, though for some reason she could not find it in her to be mad at him. His obstreperous attitude combined with that disrespectful tone was like a fusion of her two teammates.

"Aren't you a cocky boy? But I'll deal with you later." Turning back to everyone, she bent down slightly towards their curious eyes and presented her most trustworthy smile. "My name is Haruno Sakura, a ninja. What are you all doing here?"

"_You_, a ninja? Pfff…" Noticing Sakura's smile turning stiffer, the girl who previously defended Rora quickly spoke up.

"I'm Ami, Rora's best friend. We're academy students and right now it's our outdoors practical training. However on the way Rora tripped and her leg cut into a stray kunai on the ground…"

"And sensei said that kunai has poison on it!" Another girl kneeing next to Rora interjected with visible fear, eyeing anxiously at the bandage around Rora's thigh that was mostly dyed red.

"Sensei?" She asked, twisting her head around the vicinity.

"Our academy is a twenty minutes walk from here so Umiko-sensei decided to go back and get the antidote. He's afraid that carrying Rora with him would cause the poison to spread so he told us to stay put and wait for his return."

"Well, that's really irresponsible of him. What if someone with ill intents cuts through here and decides to hurt you guys?"

"Someone like you?" Hotaro sneered.

"We're ninjas, we'll figure something out," The bespectacled boy stated calmly, appearing to be very confident of his capabilities.

"This is all my fault…" Rora uttered weakly and winced in great pain, appearing to be on the verge to losing consciousness. Things were not looking good.

"You said she was poisoned right? Girls please move aside, let me take a look at her." The medic within her instantly took over as she dropped her bag and loosened her headband, quickly amassing her hair into a low ponytail. Hotaro immediately got up and rushed towards her side.

"What do you think you're doing to Rora?" The rest of the class apparently picked up his disquietude and were giving her wary looks and whispering among one another.

"There are many kinds of ninjas," Sakura began as she kneed next to the casualty and deftly undo the bandage, "Ninjas do not just know how to fight." After examining Rroa's eyes and taking her pulse, she was glad to discover the poison had not spread to her organs.

"Then what good does the ninja do if he can't fight?" Raising her hand and staring into Hotaro, the class grasped as green chakra quickly engulfed her hands in a semi-glow.

"As I said, there are many kinds of ninja, and I'm a ninja who heals." She focused her benign chakra and channeled them into the bleeding wound of her thigh. "It's going to sting a bit, but that's natural. Don't worry Rora-chan, you're going to be fine," She whispered with an assuring smile as a way to succour her pain.

"H-How you are you feeling now, Rora?" Ami asked uncertainly behind Sakura.

"Not…pain, better," She offered with a weak smile, eliciting relieved sigh from the circle of girls.

"The green chakra… It's like magic! How do you do it?" After converting the poison in her system into harmless proteins, the hard part was over, and she could entertain her mini audience.

"Well, first you have to think really hard you want to save this person…"

"Can I learn this too? My pet goldfish just died and I'm so lonely!" A chubby girl with curly sandy brown hair squatted next to her and pleaded. That comment broke down the last door of inhibition and the girls scrambled to crowd around Sakura, accosting her with torrents of questions. The commotion even managed to stir some of the boys' attention as they lurked agog by the fringe.

"_Yawwwn_, it's just first-aid. The rest of us want to see some action, something kick-ass!" Hotaro yelled, sitting back down where his gang was. As irritating as he could be, he was right. She could not risk any of these kids wandering off on their own accord and got hurt.

In an attempt to distract the girls and keep the boys occupied, she casted a curious eye towards the forest, and immediately thought of an idea.

"Alright boys stop sulking!" She called out over the gathered crowd. "You're in luck today, because I know someone who can do just that."

"Really? Can he take an aim blind-folded?"

"Hoho, he can do not just one aim, but several aims simultaneously," She paused, and just for the sake of joshing him, "While blind-folded of course."

"Are you trying to humour us, Sakura-san?" The bespectacled boy remarked, appearing part sceptical yet intrigued by the mysterious character.

"No, I'm dead serious…" As she brandished a fresh roll of bandage, she turned towards the forest. "How long do you intend on staying there? Come on out!"

"What? There's someone there?"

"Hey I can't see!" The children jostled and fought to catch a glimpse of the man taking his time to finish his reluctant walk towards Sakura's side. Petting Rora's head and slowly pulling her up, she released the child's hand and threw an affectionate arm around Itachi's stiff shoulder, taking care to ignore his pointed expression.

"Everyone, this is Itachi-_sensei _, and he'll be demonstrating and teaching you guys how to work a kunai to your advantage!"

"Sakura, what are you doing…"

"ALRIGHT! He's yours. The time's all yours, sensei!" She declared with a hefty shove to his back, nearly sending him crashing into the ground.

_Sensei? And did she just push me_? As Sakura continued to avoid his dagger eyes, he heaved a soft sigh and stood self-consciously in front of a bunch of small bodies staring up eagerly at him.

It did not feel right to just launch into a kunai tutorial with his morbid expression and monotonous voice, which would most likely either bored the children or scared the shit out of the girls. However, if he was to be all smiles and enthusiastic in front of them, he was certain he would never be able to live it down or look Sakura in the eye ever again.

Looking as though he was just thrown to the lion's den, Sakura thought she could step in and kick start the interaction.

"Guys, this is Itachi-sensei's first class and sensei could be a bit shy… So why not you make a request or ask something – anything is fine!" She speedily retreated to the back before Itachi could grab her hand and demanded her to put an end to this…whatever this was. Immediately, a tiny hand shot up. It was the chubby girl with the dead goldfish.

"Sensei… Are you a guy or a girl? I can't tell."

That painfully blunt comment caused an eruption of cackle among the little ones. Behind him, he could hear a snort of laughter that was immediately covered up by an indiscreet cough. He closed his eyes and released another sigh.

"Alright, what do you guys want to learn?" He asked loudly, making sure to make his voice extra deep to clear things up.

* * *

After striping down to her skin and replacing her clothes in the designated basket, Sakura stood in front of the sink and examined herself. She was suddenly having doubts about her reckless suggestion to check out this recently renovated _onsen_ (hot spring). After she had overheard the academy girls chatting animatedly about it, she thought it was a good chance for them to unwind and make up for dragging him into her mentoring follies... However, things did not go quite as expected, and now that it had come to irreversible stage, she could not avoid it any longer. It was time to face him.

_Did I take too long? Do I look okay? Will he like what he sees? Wait, it's not like he's going to see me naked since I'm wearing the towel – the frigging Sharingan isn't Byakugan_! She shook her head to shake out the stream of unneeded worries.

Making sure that her towel was secured tightly around her non-existent boobs, she shuffled nervously to the sliding door, which separated her and the _onsen_...and whoever was beyond the changing room. Taking one last resolute gulp, she forcefully pushed aside the paper-latticed door and was immediately inundated with the familiar sensation of _onsen_'s steam.

The open-air _onsen_ was mostly vacant, except for a young couple at the far end towards her left, and…him. He was causally perched by the sitting step in the pool, arms spread across the edge with his lower chest and beyond submerged in mystery, and Sakura's vivid imagination that was fast turning explicit. Perhaps it was the vacancy of the space, or its distance from the town, Itachi was not wearing any illusion, much to her relief and preference. She padded towards him and gingerly dipped into the pool, maintaining a respectable distance from him. He had his head against a white stone and eyes shut in placidity as though taking a nap.

Here she was, hoping for some interaction or even _reaction_ to her naked debut, even if it were just he watching and keeping quiet. While she did try to enter the hot spring as silently as she could, could he really have fallen asleep and not noticed her entrance?

"Are you sure you didn't have any motive for bringing us here?"

"O-Of course not! I didn't even realise it's a m-mixed gender _onsen_ until we entered the lodge!" So much for being blissfully asleep and unaware, Sakura thought.

Itachi knew that, of course. If anything, the look of surprise on Sakura's face when the boss revealed that fact at the receptionist desk was ten times that of his. However, did she have to look so appalled by it?

Thankfully for the naturally steamy atmosphere, she had every reason to be red-faced with no need to justify. Of course she was thrilled by this turn of events. Things could not have worked better in her favour! An intimate, private hour with the man who could shake her to the very core, where they were striped of their status and defenses, their breaths of whispers mingled with the mist, and their physical being connected by a body of lukewarm water.

That was how it should be, in theory. Sakura glanced curiously at the far end couple, envious of their open adoration over one another, and could not help but compare them to her and Itachi. Forget being connected by water, with a gap the size of a mountain sitting between them and his sporadic small talks, no amount of ambience could save them. If anything, they would appear to fit the poster of a dysfunctional old couple on an obligatory _Keirou no Hi _(Respect for the Age Day) vacation, or worse, two strangers who happened to be seated side by side in the _onsen_! His resting frame temporarily disrupted her mental breakdown, where she could spot those faint eye bags and worn cheeks amidst the mist. He seemed tired, and she could not bear to disturb him. The Akatsuki must have worked him to the bones. Just as in any organization being a subordinate, he could hardly defy orders without some form of repercussions.

However, there was so much _space_ around him! How she wished so badly to snuggle up by the crook of his neck and just lie there…

"A penny of your thoughts."

She then realised she was being ungrateful. She should count her blessings to be even here with him at the hot spring! It was a chance of a lifetime! Also, there was nothing wrong with wanting to bridge the gap between them, say, by moving closer – how then were they to bond if no one took the first step? Feeling silly, she ensconced herself next to him and tried to relax, scooping in until her arm was lightly pressed against the side of his chest. There, better. She snuck a sideward glance and caught his still closed eyes, much to her disappointment. Sakura glanced down and saw that her towel had come undone, and began to adjust it.

"…Stop."

"Huh?" While she was busy tucking in the towel, her arm had inadvertently brushed against him. Had she disturbed him? That was when she realised while his eyes were shut, his hands were gripping onto the edge of the _onsen_, almost as though he was forcing himself to relax… Could it be he was unused to such high temperatures?

Wanting to do him a favour, Sakura leaned in and lightly kissed his cheeks, hoping to put him at ease. At that sudden act of intimacy, his eyes snapped apart.

"Hey, why are you closing your eyes? Come on, look at me, and let's talk. We don't always get to be alone like this-"

He interrupted her grousing and roughly pulled her in for a kiss, his lips hungrily devouring hers while his hand firmly held her head in place. Then just as abruptly, he broke off and shifted away, putting some distance between them. Sakura could still feel his finger imprints pulsing by her neck where his hand had grabbed her.

"I'm sorry."

She held her hands by her chest and numbly shook her head, her voice temporarily stolen. Why was he apologising? Waiting for the few awkward beats to subside, she once again settled next to him and made herself cozy by the seat step.

She decided she really wanted to talk to him, be it whether his eyes were closed.

"Hey… Thank you." He opened his eyes as she lay back against the edge and gazed towards the waning gibbous looming above. "Thank you for today, especially for humouring me with the kids in the forest." At the mention of kids, he released a faint snort, but she could feel his smile even without looking.

"You really put me in a spot there, Sakura."

"You know, you would have made a great Jounin sensei, Itachi." There was another snort.

"I think I'm better off with the dirty jobs in ANBU."

"Well, I know it's a privilege to be a part of ANBU, but… I like how you look when you're teaching those kids," She tilted her head to meet his eyes. "You look happy." It was his turn to lean back and picked up after her moon gazing.

"Who knows? This sort of thing has never crossed my mind."

"And what did you mean back there by 'treat the girls well, and treat your brothers better?" She tried to sound peeved as she said that, but the image of him offering advice to children was too amusing and a rare sight to behold.

"It's as it says."

"Does that mean you will treat Kisame better than me?" Sensing the miasma of jealousy hanging thick beside him, he lightly knocked his forehead against hers and held her eyes.

"You're not any girl, you're my girlfriend; it's a different story." She blinked, certain her mind had just made that up. She was simply giddy from the heat and excitement…except it was not. Sakura bit her bottom lip in a daze at the close-up of his dazzling grin, his words echoing and spiraling deep into her core.

He certainly knew what to say to please her.

As the faraway couple discreetly took their leave, it was just the two of them in the steamy clouds of secrecy, and there was no longer any reason to hold back. Weaving his fingers through her pink tresses, he angled his head and edged closer, pausing for a heartbeat just as his lips brushed against hers.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked in a typical gentleman style, making her blushed.

"Do you have to ask…?" Just when she closed her eyes, the lingering heat before her face vanished, along with his assuring hold. To heighten her bafflement, he was standing up and picking himself out of the water.

"What…?"

"You suck back there man, Kakuzu," Came a sickeningly familiar drawl behind the sliding door next to the one that she had entered from.

"I do not want to hear that from someone who just felt up the waitress's rear," Kakuzu countered with unhindered disgust.

"Just admit that you have long past your prime age and resign to being stuck with me…"

"Don't force me to kill you on our vacation, Hidan."

"I personally think Kakuzu-san was doing a good job chatting up to the lady next to us…" The moment they stepped into the hot spring, their rowdy conversation came to an end, replaced by varying degrees of odd looks and smirks. Suddenly Sakura felt exposed, not just bodily, but was overcome with trepidation of their relationship getting out of the bag. She prayed that Itachi's illusion as strong enough to deceive even the likes of them.

"Let's go," Itachi as Sasuke said, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the _onsen_ and wordlessly swooshing passed the staring gang.

"Itachi-san." Kisame's assertive voiced stopped Itachi in his tracks, and for a fearful moment Sakura thought they were burst. "…I've been trying to get in touch with Itachi-san, and he doesn't seem to be in the base. By any chance have you seen him, Sakura-chan?"

"No. No, I didn't," She unintentionally repeated just to reaffirm her point.

"I see. That's a shame. Well enjoy yourself." She was painfully aware that his shark eyes were trained onto the back of Itachi's head, emitting waves of doubts and scepticism.

As Sakura shut the door, she overheard snippets of their conversation.

"Who's that punk she's with?"

"Maybe a fancy man she kept in this village?"

"He looks an awful lot like that Itachi, don't you think?"

She could not help but notice Kisame had remained silent throughout their nosy exchange.

* * *

_At the moment when his guard was down, she marked down all his possible escape routes making sure she had them covered, and fired her needles with deadly precision._

_The moment he fell, she knew something was off._

_Kneeing down next to his body, she held two fingers against his neck pulse, and then felt something cool against her neck._

"_What do you want?" Slowly, she climbed up and fearlessly turned to face her adversary, much to his surprise._

"_Nuh-uh, genjutsu ain't gonna work on me," She declared at the moment he realised she was able to break out of his chakra control. Itachi turned to his right and found her perched on an extremely thin tree branch, fiddling with a needle._

"_Why did you help me the other time?" His fallen clone disintegrated into flocks of crows just as her shadow clone, at the mercy of his kunai, disappeared._

"_Answer me this first. Why are you in a criminal organization?" After taking down those troublesome rogue ninjas, she began to take on an interest in that mysterious man in black cloak. After poking around the classified files of her village and asking around, she found out about the Akatsuki. It was not that hard, given their celebrity status around The Five Great Shinobi Nations. Piqued by his purpose in joining the organization, she made it her personal mission to track him down. For the sake of amusement and to validate their formidable reputation, she decided to test his abilities._

_Instead of answering, he kept his kunai and carried on moving._

"_I have no reason to answer that sort of question."_

"_You just don't seem like a bad person to me."_

"_You should know better that appearance can be deceiving," He replied without stopping._

"_As you said – so why appear to be a bad guy?" She continued before he could interrupt, "Just so you know, I have an eye for this sort of thing. You can't deceive me."_

"_This conversation is meaningless."_

"_My name is Mimiko – just so you know, this will not be the last time we'll be seeing each other, you hear me?_"

* * *

Having left in haste, they did not even get to enjoy the complementary sushi dinner that they had paid an exorbitant price for as part of the _onsen _package. When enquired by the staff, Itachi's only instruction was, "Pack everything and have it delivered to Himiji's Inn."

By the time they had managed to put the hot spring behind them, it was dark, well past eight, and Sakura's stomach was protesting. She would rather not resort to eating the soldier pills – however, they had been walking for a while with no sign of nearing the commercial streets. It was as though they were touring in circles among the dense vegetation (the _onsen _was located in the woods), and it was possible that they might have got lost…Wait.

"Is that…?" Sakura gasped out, the corner of her eyes slightly tearing.

Ahead, rows of glowing red lanterns hovered in front of the two to three storey buildings, illuminating the murky sky. As it was the week of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the night street was lined with carts vendors, makeshift booths, and alive with activities. The festive atmosphere was palpable even from their distance, setting an amicable ambience in an otherwise sea of strangers.

"See, we're not lost," Itachi announced while cocking his head knowingly towards a startled Sakura.

"I-I never doubted you!"

"Your face doesn't say so." He raised an eyebrow in amusement as she snuck closer to his side and hugged his arm in a coquettish manner.

"Come on Itachiiiiii, you know I trust you." For good measure, she even threw in a pair of wide innocent eyes. He smiled and lightly pinched her nose.

"Hungry?" She tried to bite back the uncanny sense of betrayal that was suddenly welling in her chest. The fact that he was flirting and smiling at her with Sasuke's face unwittingly granted her long-standing desire to be graced by Sasuke's loving attention. She was almost certain the smile would not last long should he know of that naughty nugget of knowledge.

"Hungry? I'm famished! Come on let's go get something to eat!" Grabbing his hand, she charged through the throngs of people. Nothing was stopping her from reaching that _taiyaki_ booth that was yet to be spotting any queue-

"Ah! Sorry I didn't see you!" Barely escaping from the ample bosom she just smacked right into, Sakura bowed sheepishly while apologising profusely to the innocent passerby.

"It's alright! The crowd is mad here!" The lady answered chirpily, yelling above the noise and background orchestra. Despite the darkness, her megawatt smile and dazzling beauty was hard to miss. The lady darted her eyes behind her. "Date with your boyfriend?"

"S-Something like that." If the lady had sensed the uncertainty in her answer, she did not let it show. Instead, she curtly nodded and flashed a smile.

"Well… Then I shan't intrude further. Guess I'll see you around? Let's go, Jun-kun!" The beautiful lady pulled her companion away and was quickly swallowed up by the crowd. Wanting to continue on to the food vendor, Sakura realised Itachi was not responding to her tugging. Could he be hurt by her ambiguous answer from earlier? Understandably, that was rather insensitive of her, given there was no reason to be untruthful to a stranger.

"Hey… You know I didn't mean to-"

"That's Mimiko."

"Who's Mimiko? And how did you know- Oh," She slackened her hold upon realization, feeling the glow from the overhead lanterns dimming slightly. So she was no stranger after all, at least not to him.

"It looks like she's doing well." The hint of sarcasm was not lost on her, and Itachi was not meeting her eyes. Bumping into the boys back at the hot spring was bad enough, now the ex had to show up and ruin the rest of their night? She cursed herself for turning in a Choji and got blinded by food, instead of keeping her damn eyes ahead, and then none of this would have happened.

"Well, at least you're wearing an illusion, she couldn't possibly have-"

"She knows."

"O-Oh…" They remained unmoving in the middle of the stream of activities, with her legs suddenly turned into lead and the awkwardness stockpiling with each passing seconds. Deep down, she knew this ill-fated meeting was bound to happen at some point, and knowing him, it was expected the sight of the woman whom he used to love would shake him. It hurt nevertheless. Their shared past, their untold moments of passion, and a room in his heart that was once reserved for another woman, a formidable one no less, were seriously rocking her confidence.

"Sakura."

Instead of witnessing the pain of a loss love, the crimson eyes shone brilliantly with kindness and a certainty that she would not dream of seeing from someone who had just saw his ex.

"Didn't you want to try that _taiyaki_?" As she continued to stare dumbly, he reached for her hand and pulled her into action. "Get a red bean one for me will you? I'm just going to check out the dango store next door…"

_Thank you, Itachi_.

The past might be set in stone, but the power to carve the future was in her hands.

* * *

_The only reason he was here was merely to take a shower, not because this was where she had wanted to rendezvous._

_He kept his acute senses attuned to any signs of chakra in his surrounding as he shrugged off the oppressing cloak. He was careful to fold it in a neat square, where the needle and note were sitting safely within its inner pocket. Kicking off his sandals, he bit back a misplaced sense of relief at the sound of footsteps landing atop the tree branch._

"_I knew you would come. You're simply too curious about me to not come!"_

"_Hmph. Don't flatter yourself. I'm just on my way to take a rinse."_

"_Ooo… Do you want some company? My eyes and hands could do some pampering!"_

_Mimiko's eyes glimmered with appreciation as he nonchalantly peeled off his top, holding back her snort of disbelief when he took the extra step to rapid-fold the shirt. Could he get anymore bad-boy than this?_

"_Thanks, but no thanks."_

* * *

After hopping by all the snack stores, they decided to take their date to a secluded place when Itachi declared he could no longer stand being knocked over at the shoulder for the tenth time. Their leisurely trail had unconsciously led them to the river where they had once patronised as a makeshift shower (when the hotel's water system broke down). It had been an embarrassing and _intimate _experience, at least for Sakura, she recalled bashfully while trying to bat away the explicit image of his man parts into the R-rated recess of her mind.

"Is something the matter? Your face is red."

"Don't worry about it, must be the after-glow of the red lanterns, hahaha!" She laughed what had to be the most humourless and unconvincing laughter ever.

They were seated below the gigantic canopy of a tree and observing the sluggish flow of the crystal clear river, twinkling in frivolity with its occasional sparkle of moonlight.

A breath of cool wind drove by and Sakura hugged tightly against Itachi's arm, now shredded of his illusion, and lay against his shoulder. Despite the darkness of the night, the river shone on righteously and bright.

"Are you cold?"

"Just a little…" Without further cue, Itachi shrugged off his cloak and causally slung it over her shoulders, the warmth from his body instantly seeping into her skin. Seeing no need to stand on ceremony, she shifted closer and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you for today, I had a great time with you."

"You've been thanking me a lot today."

"I just want you to know that I enjoy every minute with you."

"You like being with me this much?"

"Of course, more than anything." He smiled sadly, thinking he did not deserve any of this happiness, and began stroking her hair.

"Me too." She shut her eyes in bliss and allowed his soothing caress to lure her into a zizz. When she woke up, she had no idea how much time had flown by, though judging by the inky landscape it could not have been more than a few minutes.

"It has been a while…since you met her yea?"

He did not respond, but she knew he was listening.

"You should go talk to her."

"Sakura…"

"It's okay, I know how you feel about us. I just want you to let her know how you feel about her, for the sake of us," She pleaded with her eyes.

While he would rather not see that woman again, he knew deep down his heart would not be sated until it got a piece of its mind. There were simply too much questions, most he afraid he would never got his fingers around unless he confronted the root of the doubts personally.

"...All right," He answered at last, though he still had on a look of concern. "Are you sure you're okay with this, Sakura?"

"Of course, I trust you, remember?"

Unlike humans, the river faithfully reflected what was on the surface, and even the occasional ripple would not alter its reflection. To survive, humans had unconsciously put on mask after mask, year after year, burying one's identity and weakness deeper and deeper. That was what Sakura believed happened to him, and it was up to her to start peeling off his masks and restore what was underneath.

"Don't pretend that everything is alright, when it's not. Don't just stay hurt by yourself; it'll only make you feel worse. Lean on me, okay? I may not be strong enough to catch you but I'll certainly not let you fall flat against the cold hard ground."

"Thank you, Sakura, although I believe you'll catch me just fine." She smiled and lightly smacked his arm.

"Is that how you're going to thank me? Because I'm not impressed-"

He pushed her against the grassy bank and hovered close over her.

"Aren't you a demanding one…?"

"Every girl has her wishes…" Interlocking her arms around his neck, their lips melded as one and their love was once again avowed under the witness of the moonlight.

* * *

_Omake _(Extras)

Shaking his hair out of his ponytail, he ran his fingers down his scalp and gathered the damp locks below his neck, allowing the tip of it to touch the _onsen_'s clear liquid. He had always preferred his hair secured in band, free from mischiefs of the wind.

He had heard from Shisui that girls took forever to get ready, and now he was living the first hand experience of the love guru's words of wisdom. Seriously, how long would it take to remove all article of clothing and join him in the hot spring? At that thought, there came the sound of the door sliding against its frame, and through the misty air he could make out a bare leg making its hesitant debut into the open space.

He watched with enthralled eyes as Sakura deftly shut the door and glanced around, self-consciously tugging her hair behind her ears with the other hand clutching the towel by her chest. His heart suddenly took a life of its own and began beating in uncoordinated beats. He knew she would be scantily cladded, but for her to appear this demure and insecure…it was an unexpected sight.

It was also making him wonder what was underneath the towel.

Shoving the train of inappropriate thoughts towards the cloudless sky, he leaned his head against the stony edge and shut his eyes. The sound of sloshing water and gentle swash against him sent a shiver of anticipation down his spine, making him more determined to keep his eyes firmly closed lest he was led astray by his beastly instincts.

"Are you sure you didn't have any motive for bringing us here?" He quipped in an attempt to distract himself from being overly aware of her presence.

"O-Of course not! I didn't even realise it's a m-mixed gender _onsen_ until we entered the lodge!" He mentally frowned – did she have to be appalled? It almost sounded as though she was _scandalised_ by the idea of them soaking in the same hot spring.

After a prolonged period of silence, he was growing worried that his lack of proactive conversation was boring her, being unaware of his mental struggles or what he was dealing with down south.

"A penny of your thoughts." He could tell he had shocked her out of her bubble of contemplation by the sudden splash of water. When he thought he had finally regained control of himself, Sakura had to choose this precise moment to scoop in next to him, with her arm lightly pressed against the side of his chest.

_Calm down_, he chided. If he could just remain motionless and maintain his breathing…

Unfortunately, Sakura had other ideas. She began fidgeting and scrapping her elbows against his body, each (unintentionally) sensuous stroke titillating and weakening his resolve.

"…Stop," He uttered out with difficulty behind his still shut eyelids, clenching his hands along the edge to calm his raging boner.

"Huh?"

While her incessant fidgeting had ceased, Sakura seemed to have taken it upon herself to test his endurance. Thinking it was a good idea, she playfully planted a smooch on his cheeks, and the familiar and cooling sensation of her damp lips caused his eyes to snap apart. The proximity and her hot breath against his ticklish skin was more than enough to strip off any remaining guise of control.

"Hey, why are you closing your eyes? Come on, look at me, and let's talk. We don't always get to be alone like this-"

He interrupted her grousing and roughly pulled her in for a kiss, his lips hungrily devouring hers while his hand firmly held her head in place. The other hand began snaking between their sandwiched bodies and dawdled by the top of her towel. Just then, somewhere in the remote land of rationality, an alarm was sounding and signaling him to pull back before it was too late. Suddenly coming to his senses, he broke off from their fervent kiss and shifted away, putting some distance between them. He released a low breath and turned away in shame.

"I'm sorry." He had no idea what was wrong with him, or how he could possibly deal with this increasing bout of urges to take her as his.

* * *

He mentally cursed as he reluctantly pulled away from Sakura's luscious lips and swiftly transformed into his brother's skin.

Just moments after plainly stating his desire to kiss her, those bastards had to pick this _exact_ moment to make their untimely appearance. Just when he did not want to be stopped…

"What…?" Sakura's confusion only made it harder and he wanted so badly to kill that bunch of fools.

"I personally think Kakuzu-san was doing a good job chatting up to the lady next to us…" The moment they stepped into the hot spring, their rowdy conversation came to an end, replaced by varying degrees of odd looks and smirks. His eyes narrowed dangerously when he caught Hidan's lascivious eyes travelling down Sakura's body. To make matter worse, even Kisame appeared to be visibly affected by her near nakedness.

"Let's go." Grasping Sakura's delicate hand, he pulled her out of the _onsen_ and wordlessly swooshed passed the gaping gang.

"Hey It- Sasuke-kun, what's the rush?" Sakura called out from behind. What was he supposed to say, that he was not comfortable, scratch that, that he _loathed_ having other males besides him to see her in a towel?

"Pack everything and have it delivered to Himiji's Inn," He ordered brusquely before the mousy staff could even open her mouth.

He had decided that if even he could not resist the cherry blossom's temptations, he jolly well was going to assume that would be the case for any other men in the universe. Even more so for his _fellow_ colleagues, going by what he had observed thus far and their stellar track records when it came to women.

He would protect her, with whatever it takes.

* * *

**I got carried away and ended up writing twice as much as I initially planned! This marks the beginning of Mimiko's Arc, which hopefully I can draw a conclusion in the next chapter. After that, there'll be one last arc that will mark the end of the our beloved ItaXSaku's journey to finding true love. How will it end, I wonder?**


	17. We Are Bounded by Our Pasts

**Chapter 16 Recall:**

There was the romantic date in Waterfall Village with Itachi becoming a stand-in sensei, having his gender questioned, developing erotic thoughts over Sakura's body, and Sakura meeting Mimiko for the first time. Throughout there were also snippets of how Itachi and his ex (Mimiko) met.

I apologise for the hiatus, I just lost the will to write on…until now, that is. Though I have to reread the chapters to find out where I left off…

* * *

**Chapter 17 – We Are Bounded by Our Pasts**

_Ten years ago…_

_Even after locking her room and applying liberal amounts of superglue to the keyhole, it was useless. The pounding continued and every impact came down harder than before. Mimiko, who was cowering at the furthest corner from the weakest wall to the outside world, convinced herself that there was no way he could get in. The latest door lock chain she installed above the doorknob "could withstand the force of a truck," or at least that was what the locksmith promised._

_He did not say anything about stopping monsters._

_It began with a crack, and suddenly a fist protruded through the door. Mimiko screamed inwardly as the crunching sound of wood grew louder and more frequent, and her eyes grew wide in overt horror as his eyes peeked through the hole._

"_Yumi… Where are you?" Yumi was her Mother's name._

_It was not long before he brought the entire door into shambles. Mimiko noticed a hammer lying by his feet, which he simply kicked aside. Naturally, a monster had no need for such redundant tools. Easily pulling apart the equally useless lock chain, the man shambled around the empty room, sniffing obnoxiously for his target._

_Mimiko was biting her lips so hard that it started to bleed, and her tightly knitted fist accidentally scrapped against the wooden floor, alerting him of her hiding spot._

"_There you are, Yumi. Sorry to make you wait…"_

* * *

Gently setting her down onto his bed, he pushed aside a stray fringe sitting on her eyelid, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. He did not know whether to smile or be concerned since this was the second time she had fallen asleep halfway through their…intimate lip contact.

While she did indulge him well late into the night, he should also reflect on his own sleep inducing voice and inexhaustible stamina when it came to showering her with kisses. Oh well, he just needed to up his "physical training" with her then. Shaking his own fringe out of his eyes, he retreated to the window and hopped out of the room.

When he had reached the sacred ground of the Holy Tree, Mimiko was already there, with her back leaning against the thick trunk and arms crossed in a dissatisfied manner.

"Trust you to ask a girl out in the middle of the night. Ever heard of beauty sleep?"

"It's been a while, Mimiko," He greeted her the way one would after reuniting with a close associate, and she was surprised by the lack of contempt in his tone.

"It certainly is… The last time we saw each other, that was six months ago, wasn't it Uchiha Itachi?"

"How you've been?"

"I'm fine, in fact better than fine." She gave him a once over and pointed to his outfit. "You look better in that collared blue top. Was that the younger version of yourself?" He mimicked her pose, leaning back and crossing his arms, amazed by her ability to see through his genjutsu as usual.

"…No. And I've kept my hair long since five."

"Right. I can't imagine you spiking your hair. You're too old for that."

"If I remember correctly you're a year older than I am…"

"Itachi… You're not supposed to say that out loud…!" She hurriedly interrupted with embarrassment, and a smile briefly crossed their faces. They stood some distance apart and stared at the still river in comfortable silence.

"That guy… Does he treat you well?"

"Oh, you mean Jun-kun? He's a great man. Even though he's a Jounin ninja and busy with missions, he's always there for me when I needed him. And since we're both from the same village we get to see one another pretty much all the time."

"That's great." Although he still had doubts about this Jun character, his tone was sincere.

"That girl you were with… She seemed like a nice lady."

"Yes, she is." Mimiko swallowed the million questions that threatened to spill out one after another, including her concern that he might be scammed. Given his reputation, it was unthinkable that anyone in his village would want to be involved with him, besides claiming credit for his death. However, she was hardly the candidate to be warning him about such things, she thought remorsefully. She snuck him a sideward glance. Really, she should not be surprised that he was already off the market – he was literally the whole package, but never did she expect it to be this soon–

"I should go now."

"Itachi!" She shouted just as he turned away, when she could no longer hold back her burning thoughts. "Can I see you again?"

"It's better that we don't meet anymore." After a moment, he added softly, "Not unless you can find me."

* * *

It was barely daybreak, but the sound of metal against metal could be heard amidst the tranquility of the sleepy forest. Itachi cursed inwardly as he discarded the broken kunai towards the shrubs while his other free hand withdrew two kunai from his back pocket, and flung it slightly above Kisame.

"Whoa, a bit off the target eh, Itachi-san…?" By the time Kisame realised his mistake, he barely escaped from the shower of kunai – his opponent had just triggered the trap – that instantly drowned out his water clone. Just as he landed on a nearby tree branch, a kunai slid before his neck.

"You got me this time," Kisame smiled and shook his head in defeat. "Fifteen to eight, you're leading twice ahead."

"Only because you were distracted," Itachi offered modestly, referring to his earlier rounds of misjudgments and dithers.

"You're the only person who could read my mind." He delivered a heavy stomp that caused the branch to snap, forcing Itachi to put some distance between them, and effectively escaping from his earlier checkmate.

"Anything you want to talk about?" The ground below him suddenly gave way and the circular patch of grass caved in to an endless pit, a trap that Kisame must have prepared while they were having the earlier chit-chat. He gulped down his relief at the swooshing sound of waves as he hanged on one arm by the edge, saved by his split-second reflex. Without looking up he could already feel a surge of chakra rapidly rising in Kisame – he was doing a hand seal and preparing for his next attack.

"Itachi-san, aren't you in a good mood today… Water Style: Explosive Water Shockwave!" Itachi jumped off just before the waterfall from his mouth collided and sent him to his waterlogged deathbed.

"I still owe you one." He was referring to Kisame's SOS for Sakura when he was poisoned and bedridden last week.

That explanation nearly fooled Kisame. If it was anyone else, it might work.

"Oh, I think I know why... You're just elated that Sakura-chan's here-" The corner of Kisame's left sleeve caught onto his fireball's flame and he hurriedly shook it off. "You're so obvious sometimes you know."

"Stop fooling around and come at me with all you've got." Kisame chortled as he launched another blast of water to counter his partner's.

"Hey, you don't have to be so embarrassed, I understand!"

Back at the base, Sakura was preparing her morning coffee as Kisame's laughter drifted through the compound, followed by more clinking of weapons. She gazed out of the window to where they were sparing, some distance beyond the backyard, appreciating their dedication as ninjas.

_They seemed to be having fun_…

"Why are they so energetic at five in the morning? Some of us are STILL SLEEPING," Deidara deliberately raised his voice as he arched his back and released a loud yawn, the pinnacle of elegance.

"Well good morning to you too, Deidara," Sakura greeted flatly in front of the stove.

"O-Oh, Sakura-chan, good morning, didn't notice you here… Were you woken up by their training too, hmm?"

"No… Some of us have the habit of waking up early." She snatched the cup of freshly brewed coffee away before he had any ideas.

"Hey! Isn't that for me?"

"This is for Hoshigaki-san. You make your own."

"Why do you have to be so mean to me, Sakura-chan?" He pouted and attempted to grab for the cup in her grip as she continued to sip nonchalantly at her coffee.

"You never give up, do you?"

"Not until you tell me how Ino's doing – OUCH that hurts, hmm!"

"Goodness, what's wrong with you?" Sakura briskly set down the cups and pulled Deidara's scalded hand under the running tap, clicking her tongue at this juvenile situation. Even though he was smiling sheepishly, it must have stung, she thought as she frowned worriedly at the growing patch of redness.

"Why are you so concerned about Ino? Aren't you worried Sasori would get jealous?"

"Of course I'm worried – W-What? Why would I care what _danna_ thinks?" Sakura was pulsing her lips disapprovingly, wondering why he was still trying so hard to deny their relationship. His eyes widened in realisation and he grabbed Sakura's hands, forcing her to look at him. "For the umpteen time... I, Deidara, .GAY! I'm into women, woman like you and Ino!" Sakura made a face and he hastily corrected himself.

"Okay maybe not woman like you… N-No I don't mean you're not feminine or anything I just mean other women besides Ino in general-"

"Alright, alright I understand… Your hand-"

"NO, YOU DON'T!" He suddenly shouted. "Everybody keeps trying me you shouldn't be doing this, you shouldn't be thinking of that, but that's the reason I broke out of Sand – to escape that sickening 'lawful life'! Why doesn't anybody understands that?" As he slumped against the counter and suddenly broke down into a dramatic weep, Sakura took the chance to channel some healing chakra to ease his burn while rubbing his back to calm him down. At least now she had some idea why Ino fell for this shipwreck; their flair for melodrama would be earning them big bucks as stand-in actors for con missions.

After an agonising five minutes and no signs of his pitiful chanting and waterworks stopping, Sakura blew the fallen fringe on her forehead and decided if she were to do good, she should see it through.

"I can help you relay your message to her, if you have any…"

"W-What, you would?" The tears miraculously dried up and his entire frame shot up in anticipation, his earlier sorrows already forgotten and non-existent. "I knew you're a great person the moment I saw you, thank you Sakura-chan!"

"Sure, sure… _H-Hey what are you doing_?" They were literally cheek to cheek as he pulled her in for a generous bear hug, twisting their bodies merrily like he just found his long-lost teddy bear. Sakura could hardly stay mad at his genuine jollity for long. This man might have committed hideous crimes, but in this moment, his expressions and emotions were open and unpretentious, feeling very much a regular human. He too was capable of experiencing joy and anxiety over mundane issues, and she felt her guard against him slipping.

"Hang on," Deidara suddenly announced, finally releasing her from his chest as he disappeared into his room. He materialized next to her with a loud "Here!" as she was peeling her hard-boiled egg, and in her shock, she dropped it into her cup, splashing coffee all over her top and the floor.

"Why you…"

"Oops… Here, let me help you clean up…!"

"No, just leave your things here and go… AND DON'T STEP ON THE COFFEE!" She yelped, although she was already too late and he had left a trail of his coffee footprints in his miserable wake. She slanted her gaze towards the egg bobbing innocuously in her cup, the heap of letters next to it (god, had he been writing every single _minute_?), and her ruined top.

"Maybe I should just burn the letters and save Ino from potential disasters like this…"

Back at the training ground, Itachi was able to watch the skit unfold, but without the benefit of the script. He did not appreciate the sight of Deidara plastering his filthy body all over Sakura just to snatch that cursed cup of coffee. Surely that 'artist' had the talent to pour himself his own _cuppa_?

"Looks like Sakura's getting along well with the other members eh?" Kisame unsubtly commented with a meaningful glance at Itachi. Their eyes widened as they took in their clasped hands, although both for very different reasons. "Hey, that's unfair... She didn't even spare me a glance when I cut my fingers the other day..."

"Kisame, focus." He pouted at his disinterest and they continued to exchange some blows when...

"Oh look, they're hugging!" Kisame noticed that his lips thinned in the typical way when he was annoyed, something he suspected even Itachi was unaware of. He _knew _that he was feigning disinterest, that dishonest guy. Seeing an opening, Kisame lunged for the kill. Itachi managed to stop Samehada before it saw off his arm, but not without feeling a stab of pain from his wrist as he scarcely stopped his assault last minute.

"Aren't you really focused, Itachi-san, to be able to stop my attack while looking out for your cherry blossom?" He guffawed as Itachi merely sighed at his teasing, and knowingly falling for his distraction.

* * *

_The slap rang through the house, punctuating the silence of the night. The man grew still, staring in wonderment at his eight-year-old daughter._

"_Please stop this right now, Father!" She yelled through her tear-streaked face. "Look carefully, I'm not Yumi! Mother is dead!"_

"…_Dead?" Her Father articulated in a sober tone, and for a brief moment his glassy eyes reverted to its former clarity and tenderness, before her Mother collapsed, and their family was standing strong with her as the foundation. Just as unexpectedly as her Mother's death came, any light of sanity was quickly replaced by his earlier half-focused and wild gaze. "Yumi isn't dead… YUMI ISN'T DEAD!"_

"_S…op it…!" As her resistance on her Father's strangling arms slipped and her gaze turned blurry, his Father released a loud yelp, loosened his hold on her neck, and she could breathe again. _

_Between the painful coughs and her fuzzy vision, she could make out the petite frame of her little sister biting into the arm of their Father._

"_Let go of me, you idiot brat! Urgh!" When his kicks failed, he released a loud roar, and heavily swung his arm, sending his own child smashing through the window panels and falling through the two storey of frosty night air._

_There was a dull thud, followed by a deafening silence._

"_AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" In a mad frenzy, she pulled out the thick needle she had pinned in the ball of purple knit on her bedside table, a sweater half-done for her sister's birthday next week, and stabbed it deep into the monster's chest._

* * *

Giving the bed a longing stare, he spun around and reluctantly hopped out of the window, all the while unaware of the painfully awakened Sakura. More accurately, he was pretending not to be, but he knew Sakura believed in him, and that was enough for him to see through his final meeting with Mimiko.

She had no idea why was she making the extra effort to maintain her chakra intensity at a sleeping level – to reduce his guilt perhaps? Pulling the other half of the blanket around her body, she squeezed her eyes and forced herself to fall asleep on the suddenly extra-large and empty bed.

Speeding through the dark and dank forest at best as he could with his limited eyesight, he had to rely mainly on his memory and natural sense for direction to keep on track. When he was finally approaching the rendezvous point, his Sharingan could vaguely make out two chakra signatures some distance away from each other, with one significantly weaker than the other.

Immediately he knew something was amiss.

Mimiko had suggested to meet at their usual spot, a secluded and abundantly shaded grassy expanse next to the stream located near the boundary between the Village of Grass and Leaf, a middle point from their current location. It was also a place known only to the both of them.

He halved his speed as he simultaneously surpassed his chakra to an indistinguishable level, but despite his precaution, he still managed to trigger a preset trap that inevitably alerted the other parties of his presence.

It was a pair of thin and long needles set to crisscross one another, travelling fast enough to pierce through the enemy's lungs in a second. Since Mimiko had shown him the blind spots of her trap, he was able to side-step it. Clearly this was erected as a show.

Pushing the nagging sense of foreboding aside, he headed towards the weakening chakra signature, praying that it was not-

"…I-Itachi…" At the sound of the crunching grass, Mimiko peeled opened her eyes and looked up, flashing him a feeble smile. "Sorry I got followed…" She whispered and coughed out a mouthful of warm crimson liquid.

"Stop talking." Itachi got on one knee and quickly examined her beaten up frame that was leaning limply against the rough trunk. Angry slashes of lacerations covered her exposed arms and legs, and by the way she was clutching at her chest and her erratic breathing, one of her lungs might have been punctuated. His hands gently removed hers from the blade glinting with her blood.

"I'm going to pull out the sword." She weakly nodded. Before he could hesitate further, he gripped the hilt and pulled.

"Uggggrh!" Her face was scrunched up in agony as her back arched forward, her fists grasping tightly the grasses by her sides. Only after Itachi dumped the offending sword aside, did her body slackened and her expression softened, although her breathing noticeably deepened, and her forehead was dotted with beads of sweat. He immediately bandaged her open wound to mitigate her blood loss, trying to ignore the splay of red blooming beneath the layers of bandage.

"You should have fled when the odds were stacked this high against you," He chided half-heartedly, but Mimiko simply shook her head and reached for his hand. She made featherlight traces against his palm and his eyes widened a fraction.

_会いたい_ 。

_I want to see you_.

A simple desire, paid with such hefty price. Was he worth her life?

"So, you're Uchiha Itachi huh?" A sharp male voice came behind him, where his name was treated with dripping contempt and unconcealed loathe. Releasing Mimiko's icy hand, Itachi stood up and turned to face his adversary. The man was cladded in a khaki overall with a grey chest plate and arm guards, spotting a head of shaggy brown hair. He was also holding on to a bundle of chakra insulated wire that must be the cause of Mimiko's injuries.

"And you must be Jun." His unimpressive tone caused Jun's eye to give an involuntary twitch.

"So, you know me huh?" In a flash, Jun's shadow clone pounced onto Itachi from his rear, the force sending them flying into the stream next to the bank.

As Jun forcefully pinned him onto the riverbed, Itachi delivered a powerful kick to his gut that sent him sailing above the water. Jun did a somersault and landed on the moving stream.

"Why you…"

"Behind you," Itachi's clone whispered and exploded.

Shaking loose the water droplets in his fringe, he picked himself out of the stream and stopped in front of Jun, who was observing his earlier battle with weight on one leg while twirling his wire.

"I heard the Uchihas specialize in fire techniques, it looks like you're a level above your clansmen," He causally pointed out, "But since they're already dead, I guess that hardly matters eh?" He cocked his head meaningfully, and Itachi knew that this must be the same person who was in Mimiko's room when he went to visit her (Chapter 1), and revealed his past. Without waiting for Itachi to reply, he continued. "Hah! To think this woman would sacrifice her love for the sake of mission… Isn't that so honourable, hmm Uchiha-_san_?"

"Jun… Stop it..." Mimiko whimpered from the side.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "What mission?"

"Even though her eyes were on me, her hands all over my body, her heart was always elsewhere, and her caress was at most half-hearted," Jun ignored Itachi and spat, slanting a glare at Mimiko. "Even after I told her you were the one responsible for the death of your clansmen, she was not one bit repulsed, as I hoped she would be. She just smiled like it all made sense." Even though his tone was dripping with scorn, Itachi could detect his underlying despair. Itachi's eyes searched for Mimiko's, but she was looking anywhere but him.

_If what he said was true, then why did you break up with me_?

As Jun watched Itachi staring perplexedly at Mimiko, his resentment against him skyrocketed and he balled his fists to contain his anger.

"Hmph, foolish woman, choosing this murderer over an elite ninja like me. Now you shall wither alone by the bank like a discarded pot of plant! HAHAHAHA!"

Before Itachi's kunai could connect with his rotten flesh, Jun was gone in a blur of smoke, his mocking laughter echoing throughout the silent forest.

"That coward…"

"I…Itachi…" Mimiko's voice was like a string pulling him to his senses, and one look at her broken body dissipated his earlier anger. He momentarily discarded his desire to immediately hunt the man down and tear his limps apart.

Her shaky hand reached for him, and he cupped it in his steady but equally powerless ones. They shared a moment of quiet eye contact, knowing there was nothing they could do about the situation.

"I only have one request," Mimiko breathed. "Say my name."

"Mimiko." She beamed like she was the luckiest girl on Earth, as her salty tears spilled over her chapped lips, and onto his hands.

"…And tell me you still love me." Her voice was pleading. Itachi frowned in silent pain, tightening his grip on hers that was clutching desperately onto his. He made certain to hold his crimson orbs onto her impossibly depthless purple eyes.

"Mimiko, I love you, and I always do."

Mimiko's eyes widened at his sincere confession, choosing to believe this version of reality. Against her will, her life was reaching its denouement – the least she deserved was to have a fairy tale ending.

"Thank you..." She smiled sadly between her tears. "And sorry…for everything."

_This was the least she deserved_, he tried his utmost best to convince himself and quell his rising guilt, but after seeing her resigned smile, he knew.

She might be dying, but she could still see through his illusions.

* * *

_News of the double death in Mimiko's household spread like wildfire, seeping the quiet village in speculations and wary eyes at the sole survivor of the ordeal. While some were sympathetic of her plight, there were others who branded her with unpleasant labels – ungrateful, ruthless, a murderer._

_Mimiko could no longer stand the discriminating eyes of the villagers, and decided to take her life. It was an easy decision – there was nothing left to desire, and nobody to mourn over her pitiful existence. She nearly succeeded in hanging herself, if not for Yuu's timely intervention when she dropped by to visit her at her house._

"_Why did you stop me… Why would you prolong my suffering?"_

"_Come with me. Let me guide you out of this darkness, Mimiko!" At that time, Yuu had just taken over as the Leader of Waterfall's Women's Advocates Society, and after learning about Mimiko's horrible experience, she had decided to take over as her guardian._

_It was months before Mimiko finally crawled out of her suffocating shell, aided by the women's endless support and Yuu's patience. Inspired by their cause, she decided to fully integrate as one of them, a full-fledged kunoichi to protect vulnerable girls like her younger sister. She was resolved not to let her sister's bravery be in vain – she would be a stronger woman that needed no protection from anyone._

_So seven years later, when she had to choose between her relationship with Itachi and upholding her mission to seduce the rapist Jun and finish him off, she did not hesitate. She owed Yuu too much, and the only reason she even received Itachi's love was due to her guidance and belief in her._

_Even though she truly loved Itachi from the bottom of her heart, and still do till her last breath, she had to choose duty over her selfish desire. She had to._

* * *

After digging a hole below a nearby tree, he gently picked up Mimiko's body and laid her in the embrace of the fresh earth. A crinkled photo fell out of her pocket. It was the one taken at the festival booth, the identical one that he burnt after discovering her affair with Jun.

"_Itachi, let's take a photo together!"_

_Itachi's brows furrowed disconcertedly at her sudden request. No matter how he justified, it did not seem appropriate for a criminal to have his mugshot voluntarily taken._

"_I… I'm not really fond of the camera."_

"_Come on, don't be shy!" She hooked her arms coquettishly to his, making sure to hold his gaze. "I need to have somebody to stare at while you're gone, right?" She winked skittishly, which only made him felt guilty at his lack of company. However, it was true that he disliked the lenses._

"_I still don't think-"_

"_Excuse me! We would like to take a photo!" There was no room for protest, it was already decided long before she popped the suggestion. He sighed in defeat and let himself be pulled into the narrow white tent._

"_Say looooove!"_

"_Looooove!" Thankfully, the cameraman hit the shuttle just before Itachi rolled his eyes._

"_Hey, why are you so stiff? This isn't a military mugshot you know," She complained while clicking her tongue at the individual photograph in their hands. "I AM going to stare at this every day after all."_

"…_I don't know what else to do."_

"_Are you serious? You could, for example, smile?"_

"…_Like this?" Now that they were out of the scrutiny of the cameraman, it was not difficult to do so. Mimiko went silent for a moment, before briskly turning around and lowering her head._

"_On second thoughts, I kinda like this photo. Your smiling face looks…unnatural."_

"_I'm glad you like the photograph," He said and nodded. Upon spotting a dango booth ahead, he took her hand and they continued down the path, all the while not noticing Mimiko's blushing cheeks. _

_._

_._

Slipping the photograph beneath the hands resting on her chest, he delivered a mental prayer, and returned her to the earth.

* * *

"Sakura-chan, have you seen Itachi-san?" Kisame asked and propped his arm next to the sink where Sakura was washing her breakfast plate.

"He'll be back soon," She answered vaguely. _Hopefully_.

"Is that so? It's unusual that he would go out without telling me, considering we have somewhere to be at in an hour's time…" As though on cue, the door swung inward and Itachi stepped in, trying not to mind too much about Sakura's increasing interaction time with the male members of Akatsuki, or that his partner was leaning a tad too close to Sakura.

"Itachi-san, we were just talking about you," KIsame greeted from the kitchen. Sakura almost said "Welcome back," but held back her tongue, not wanting to appear too friendly with him with other members around. Itachi nodded in Kisame's direction, his eyes briefly settling on Sakura's, before heading for his room.

"Umm…"

"Sakura-chan, could you do me a favour and tell him I'll be waiting for him at the usual spot in half an hour?" Kisame asked as he stepped around the kitchen island and made a grab for the newspaper on the bar chair. "And remind him to bring along the ranso- documents."

Sakura swore he was about to say "ransom," but decided to let that slide. "Got it."

Knocking twice, she slowly opened the door and entered. Itachi had just placed his cloak over the desk chair and began to peel off his damped top. She eyed the cloak and noticed that it was dripping water at the hem.

"Did you fall into the river?"

"I guess I did." Next, he walked over to the cardboard and took out a fresh set of garments. Sakura refused to believe he tripped and fell, as his answer seemed to imply.

"…You went to see Mimiko right?" She asked quietly. Remarkably, he remained unfazed by the mention of her name. Only this time, he appeared to be genuinely so.

"Yeah."

"Did you manage to tell her your true feelings?" He almost wanted to say yes, but then he remembered the last mirage he selfishly forced upon her, because he could not lie to her.

Not after learning that Mimiko still loved him, that she did not simply discard him.

Even though it was all too late.

"She understood," He offered at last.

"So…how is she now?" He winced as he rotated his right wrist, the earlier fracture from his training with Kisame and all those digging putting more strain on his hand than necessary. He turned and looked straight into Sakura's eyes.

"She's dead."

Sakura's breath caught in her throat, completely oblivious to him removing his berms in front of her. Forcing back the tears in her eyes, she stared achingly at him going on with his routine like any other day.

"…I was only gone for a while," He murmured, leaning his head against her pink tresses, her chin resting on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." She tightened her hug around his naked chest, catching a whiff of freshwater and fresh earth lingering in his silky hair. He captured her interlocked fingers in his palms and squeezed.

"Me too."

* * *

"Did you bring the document?"

"What docu-" Itachi nearly rolled his eyes at his PG term. "Yeah, I brought the ransom. We can go now."

Along the way, Kisame noticed his partner was being unusually stiff, and his aloof expression was filled with worried cracks.

"Did something happen between you and Sakura?"

"What makes you think that?"

"It's just…" At his visibly darkened demeanour, he decided his useless curiosity could wait. "It must be my imagination." Itachi nodded distractedly and they carried on the rest of their journey in silent companionship.

There was no way he could discuss with Kisame the letter he found that had fallen out of Sakura's porch. He was not in the mood to hear about the famous 'no dating your subordinate's policy' or be reminded of his poor decision to invite her to stay overnight.

_Written in an extremely cursive and artistic handwriting:_

_I missed you so much. Every time I see you flashing that radiant smile to that ponytail man, I would be gripped with the irresistible urge to stomp up front and steal you away. I don't want you smiling like that to anyone but me._

_Thinking of you,_

_D._

It was not that he doubted her, but he was not going to take the risk and give the members any ideas.

"When I return, you'll be dead."

"Did you say something, Itachi-san?"

"You must be imaging things, Kisame."

Kisame swore he heard the word 'dead,' but even if he was wrong, the amount of deadliness radiating from eyes was enough to make the recipient wished he was dead.

* * *

"I guess I should be leaving too." Who knew what could happen if she spent any more unnecessary minutes in the same space as the other felons.

Not wishing to explain herself to the others, she decided to follow Itachi's lead and exited from his bedroom's window. She noticed one of Deidara's letters peeping out of her porch, and quickly stuffed it in so it would not fall out. Fastening her boots, she made a beeline for the forest. She was barely out of sight from the Akatsuki's base when something closed into her peripheral vision, and she was suddenly flung to a nearby tree, the impact momentarily knocking her breathless.

Something that felt like an arm was restraining and pinning her shoulders against the rough surface, and the cool sensation against her neck woke her out of her dizzy state.

The sun was beating down mercilessly onto her face, the blinding ray shrouding the perpetrator in a black cloak. Judging from the fairly wide shoulders and big palm, this was a man.

"Who are you…"

"Sakura." In that moment, the world descended into a vacuum, drawing out all sounds and air from her surroundings. "It's been a while."

"S-Sasuke-kun…?" She swallowed in disbelief as a dribble of blood travelled down her throat in tandem.

* * *

**It's almost New Year, and I still can't believe that by then I'll be older than Itachi...**


	18. He Cares More Than She Thinks

**Chapter 17 Recall:**

Sakura decided to play wingwoman for Deidara, Mimiko's history was revealed, and Mimiko was killed by the man she was assigned to murder by the Women Advocate's Society, under Yuu's order.

* * *

**Chapter 18 – He Cares More Than She Thinks**

The rough ridges of the bark dug into her back, and a trail of sweat trickled down her cheekbones as Sasuke's sword hanged menacingly against her throat. As she swallowed in trepidation, her skin scrapped against the sharpened blade and made a small tear, and her blood mingled with sweat in a salty sting. No, this was not how she envisioned her union with Uchiha Sasuke to be like. She could not believe she used to fantasise being forced against a wall while she pretended to act coy and submissive under his possessive gaze. She shuddered at how reality played out her wish.

"S-Sasuke-kun… I can't believe it's you…" Romantic agendas aside, she and Naruto had discussed on multiple occasions how their Team Seven reunion would be, from silly hopes that he would suddenly understand the futility of revenge and return to Konoha; crossing blades with him during his annual search missions and successfully convincing him home, to stumbling upon…his dead body.

She never once considered the possiblilty of him just showing up in front of her.

"You're full of openings. If I had strike to kill, you would dead by now." He regarded her with unfeeling eyes and no indication they had once fought together as a Genin squad.

"I get it, I wouldn't try to run away. Could you remove your sword…?"

"Are you working undercover? Or are you a betrayer?" He eyed the forehead protector tied proudly across her forehead before reverting his gaze to hers. "Judging by your lack of guard and the direction you came from, are you secretly working for the Akatsuki?"

Her eyes widened at his spot-on prediction and inwardly cursed at her inattentiveness to her surroundings. Trust her to call herself a Chuunin and Tsunade's disciple…

"Why do I have to answer your- She felt his blade pressed in closer against her skin. She closed her eyes and continued. "Kill me if that's what you want to do." _Since that's all you cared about now_.

His frown deepened, and after ascertaining she would not try anything funny, he withdrew his blade and stepped away from her. They were standing on a thick branch six feet above the ground – the forest was slowly waking up from its deep slumber – and their silence was interluded with cicada cries and rustling leaves.

Sakura felt relieved but otherwise maintained an air of chary, her hand hovering by the porch hiding her kunai. Not that it would be any useful against him.

"Since you didn't kill me, I assumed you want to ask me something?"

"I don't care why you're working for them, I just want you to tell me _that_ man's schedule." The way his eyes flashed at the mention of that man brought flashbacks to their first day introduction under Kakashi, where he vowed to kill off a certain man. At that time, she had no clue to who that was, or whether he was just joking.

"I never said I'm working for them-"

"Don't try to fool me, Sakura. There's no way you could have walked out of their base alive if you weren't." Rather than sounding like he was pointing out the obvious, she could clearly detect his jab at her capabilities as a ninja, which suggested that given her calibre she could not even dream of standing up against any of the Akatsuki members.

"You're talking about… Uchiha Itachi, right?" She swallowed her flinch and asked instead. His entire body stiffened and his fists clenched till his knuckles turned white. "Are you planning to kill him…?"

"Not 'planning,' I _am _going to kill him. So, I need you to tell me…" His words trailed off as he stared off into the distance. "Tsk, already huh?" Without notice, he began in the opposite direction of the base.

"Wait! Where are you going?" He looked over his shoulder.

"I'll look for you. Keep this between us." Just like that. It was not a stretch to say she had imagined the past minute of exchange, the only indication being otherwise was the cut across her neck.

She rested her fingers gently above the cut and channelled some healing chakra into the wound, then closed her eyes and tried to push back the burning sting at the back of her eyes. After all this time, it seemed she was the only one still clinging on to memories and past sentiments.

"Haruno, who was that?" Kakuzu's voice cut into the million flashbacks clouding her mind, and she shoved back the blissful image of Sasuke ambling down the street in Konoha with Itachi, where they once belonged, where they could have been.

"Sakura-chan are you alright? Sasori danna said someone triggered his trap at the east side from our base, hmm… Oh." Deidara blinked when she turned around and smiled at him.

"I'm fine." Turning to Sasori and Kakuzu she said, "Sorry I was distracted and didn't see the chakra thread. Then, I'll be heading back, I'm on shift today." Retreating two steps, she pirouetted and disappeared among the blur of interlocking tree branches. They continued staring after her back, long after she was swallowed by the forest.

"What did you do this time, Deidara?" Sasori questioned flatly behind Deidara.

"N-Nothing! And what does that mean, danna? …Maybe she finally accepted her role as our medic, and decided to warm up to me, hmm. What do you think, Kakuzu-san, hmm?" Kakuzu's lips thinned, but otherwise remained silent.

* * *

"Aren't you a busy one, Sakura," Ino drawled from where she was slouched by the receptionist's couch, suppressing a yawn as Sakura was busy scribbling across five clipboards simultaneously.

"Sorry, just give me five and I'll be done!" Even before the boards hit the desk, she was gone, summoned by her emergency pager's beeps echoing down the ward's corridor.

"If I didn't know better I would have thought you meant five hours…" She mumbled disgruntledly under her breath.

True to her word, Sakura managed to peel off her laboratory cloak and resurface at the entrance just as the imaginary hand on Ino's watch strike seven.

"Okay, let's go!" She breathed, her voice giddy with adrenaline.

They had decided to visit a pop-up soba house just on the outskirts of Konoha, where the entrepreneur had set up his temporary shop while his actual shop was under renovation. There were rumours circulating that to escape the rental fee, the shop changed its location every day and only opened for three hours each time.

"Are you sure you didn't mix up yesterday's location with today…?" They were using a hidden trail that was apparently a shortcut, but what was the point when it seemed to take twice as long?

"According to my informant we're supposed to be super close right now…" Sakura felt compelled to double-check if this was the same informant who introduced that one-for-one promotion at the super expensive _shabu-shabu_ restaurant last week. The promotion was a month ago.

"With all the secrecy, I'll be surprised if they even have business… Oh," Sakura trailed off and grabbed onto Ino's shoulders, and pointed into the shrubs. They stepped into a clearing and came faced with a dainty white wood building with teal bamboo roof and an open seating in front of it. There was a modest crowd gathered by the kitchen beside the counter, quietly observing the chef deftly slicing the wheat noodles into equal thickness before transferring to the big pot of _dashi _stock. They quickly snagged a seat by the edge after a pair of ladies got up.

"Wow, how did these people find the location? And why so many girls?"

"News travel fast, and I heard that orange headed chef is quite a looker with a gentle personality to boost," Ino pointed with her thumb over her shoulder as he hauled the soba mid-air, sliced them, and watched them landed perfectly into five bowls without spillages. The crowd applauded.

"Your orders?" A bespectacled lady with magenta long hair barked by their table, arms crossed and fingers tapping impatiently on her forearm.

"Can we have two bowls of 'Jugo Speciality _Chasoba_'?" Sakura answered while pointing to the menu.

"Can you please add extra bamboo shoots? And we would also like two cups of green tea-"

"Orders up!" The violent tear of the order slip interrupted Ino and the lady was off.

"Wow, did I just make out with her boyfriend in her face or something?"

"Speaking of boyfriends…" Sakura reached into her back porch. "Here's some delivery for you." She plonked the stack of bundled up letters atop the menu.

"What are these? Letters from my admirers at the hospital?" Her earlier wrath smothered and replaced by giddy excitement, she loosened the knot and randomly pulled out a pink letter from the pile.

"Wow… It says that this person likes how hardworking I am working at the hospital and carrying out missions, but worry for my safety." She picked up another letter with dandelion prints at the edges. "This says that he's envious of the flowers at my shop that get all my lovely attention and care, how cute is that?" After going through a few more, she noticed that besides the perfunctory nods and grunts of approval, Sakura was quietly sipping her tea while staring into the distant woods.

"O-Oh, I'm so sorry Sakura! I must sound like I'm gushing and totally didn't spare a thought for your feelings…" She had misinterpreted her thoughtful face as missing Itachi.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. And I'm not thinking about him, if that's what you're thinking…" Well, now that she mentioned, she _was _beginning to wonder what he was doing now…

"Sakura… You don't have to act strong in front of me. It's completely normal you know." They smiled at one another. "However, I noticed that all the ones I've read were sent by this 'D' guy. I wonder if it's the same person? Do I know him?"

"You do," Sakura answered quietly. "You once liked him too."

"What? I don't know anyone in Konoha whose name starts with a D…" Sakura watched as her expression morphed from bafflement to eyes-wide shock, and utter disbelief.

"You still didn't tell me where you got this from…" Sakura's lips thinned and evaded Ino's searching eyes. "…Not the hospital, am I right?"

"…"

"When did he come? Wait… Judging from the contents he must have frequent Konoha. He even knows where I live!" She grabbed Sakura's hand and forced her to look at her. "Where did you see him? Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"Ino, listen to me…"

"Here!" She shuffled through the toppled pile and pointed at another cream coloured letter. "He says that it was all a misunderstanding and tells me to trust him… He doesn't sound like he's lying… Did he say when he's coming back?"

"Ino, he didn't give these to me when I was in Konoha."

"T-Then, where else could you have met him? The only place you've been frequenting is either the hospital or to find It-" Sakura watched for the second time as a jumble of emotions flittered across her best friend's face.

"I'm sorry Ino, he's part of the Akatsuki."

* * *

Itachi turned away as Kisame made a clean slice across the Stone ninja's neck, shielding Torou, the eleven-year-old boy's eyes in his chest as his kidnapper's head rolled across the dirt floor.

"That was the last of them." Kisame replaced Samehada to his back and bent to pick up the bloodied envelope containing the ransom. They nodded and fled from the pile of corpses littered across the forest ground.

"It's just as Pein has predicted. They never meant to work with us or the Hidden Village of Rain."

Torou's Father worked under Pein and was one of his trusted information brokers, with diverse networks all over the Five Great Nations. Recently they had been working under the counter to establish an entente, where Stone would unofficially employ Akatsuki for handsome remunerations.

"In the first place, they were never that well-off to compensate our services to the quoted amount," Itachi remarked, implying that their betrayal should not come off as surprising. Indeed, they _had _been plotting to use counterfeit notes prepared by an underground expert, who had allegedly deceived Kakuzu, the Lord of all notes. They were having a closed-door meeting during one of their stays at Torou's Father's inn just as Torou walked by and overheard their scheme. When they discovered his son had been eavesdropping, they immediately captured him and demanded for a ransom and forced allegiance with their village in exchange for his live and safety.

"They must have a screw loose to be negotiating with us. And I'm curious about that 'expert.' No wonder Kakuzu insisted on taking on this mission," Kisame chuckled with a lopsided grin.

"D-Did my Father send you to save me?" The boy clinging on to Itachi whispered.

"Yeah, we're bringing you back now," Itachi replied softly, patting his head.

"Boy, you're lucky we came instead of the other two. Who knows what could happen along the way?"

"Who's this Kakuzu man? Is he that bad?" Instead of answering, Kisame merely chortled.

"Not him, but his partner. But neither are decent nor worth your time," Itachi said.

"But you guys are from the same organization, right?" He placed his small palm against the red cloud on Itachi's chest." "That means you're a bad guy too, right?"

"Who knows…?" He had learnt long ago that things like labels and status mattered naught; he would only be defined by his strength and goals, and believed in nothing beyond that.

"_Nii-san_…" Itachi looked down at the boy staring intently at him. "Your eyes are so pretty." His brows rose in surprise, but then again, the only people who had recently commented on his eyes were his opponents, and being repeatedly sliced in the guts was anything but 'pretty.'

"Do you know what is it called?"

"_Akame_?" Torou answered, literally calling it "Red Eyes." Itachi's Sharingan shone with amusement.

"You'll know when you grow up eventually. Just remember to never look directly at anyone with these eyes, or things could get dangerous for you."

"So, I'm in danger now?"

"You're safe for now." As though to reinforce his point, he deactivated his Sharingan, the red swirling inwards to reveal his charcoal orbs underneath.

"Oh, now they look like mine, plain and boring." He harrumphed and crossed his arms in disappointment.

"My '_akame_' aren't for decorations, you know." He fought back the grin threatening to spill and flicked his forehead.

"Oow! You're so violent, _onii-san_!" Torou whined while covering his forehead with both of his hands. "But…even though you look pretty gloomy, you don't feel scary."

"Is that supposed to make me feel happy?"

"Of course, I'm praising you! Show your gratitude!" Itachi thought it did not feel right to be thanking a brat who just called him gloomy, and decided to just offer a faint smile.

"My my, Itachi-san. That kid seems to like you an awful lot," Kisame quipped from behind him. "You don't even talk so much with me, it's unfair."

"Kisame, that's disgusting."

Their carefree conversation carried on for a while, muffled by the constant tunnel of wind through the canopies.

"Itachi-san, there's something you need to know about our past medics…" Kisame started. "It was before you joined, but Pein has made it clear that any medics that wanted out or is deemed no longer necessary are to be disposed of."

"That makes sense, since they examined us and would have known all the member's secrets." Kisame eyed his partner's calm composure.

"You know what that means, don't you? I don't suppose Sakura-chan is going to work for Akatsuki all her life, is she?"

"I guess so." Kisame's eyes narrowed at his unsatisfactory response, and heaved a sigh.

"Hey, Itachi-san…"

"I won't let her get killed." He turned his head and made a tiny smile, which Kisame long had recognised was his way of saying thank you.

After some time, when Torou felt that it was safe to talk again, he pulled tentatively at his billowing sleeves.

"_Onii-san_… Is Sakura…your girlfriend?" Behind them, Kisame accidentally stumbled on a broken branch and nearly fell.

"Well, I wonder."

"She must really like gloomy guys." Behind them, there was the start of a chuckle expertly masked into a coughing fit. "I want a girlfriend too." Itachi levelled a pointed eye over his shoulders before directing his focus onto Torou.

"Before you think about getting a girlfriend, why not think about how not to get caught spying on the enemy?"

"_Onii-san_, you're no fun… You have any siblings?"

"I have a younger brother." Torou's eyes widened, but failed to detect the hint of sorrow in his eyes.

"Wow... I bet you're one of those serious brothers who works the whole day and have no time for your brother…"

"You're right." Torou had only said it out of spite, and was surprised that Itachi agreed so readily. "I was never much an older brother worth bragging about."

"H-Hey, _onii-san_, I was just joking…"

Not knowing what else to say, Torou kept the rest of his questions in his chest for the rest of the journey home. The words, "I would love to have you as my older brother," hung on the tip of his tongue and went unsaid. Saying that now would sound obligatory and less than encouraging, even if he meant it.

"Thank you for saving me." Torou said instead, making sure to hold his gaze and sending his heartfelt gratitude.

"You're welcome." Even if it was just an inch, Torou was glad to briefly lift the curtain of sadness over his charcoal eyes, which he believed used to sparkle as brightly as his.

* * *

Even Sakura knew this was not a bright idea, but reason and love kept little company together anyways, as the saying went. Ever since the multiple occasions where she saw that all Itachi ate at the base were toasts with milk, she decided to do something over his diet and paling complexion. During her hospital breaks, she would sneak into the herbs and medication room and experimented with different formulas.

It had been a week since she saw him. Under the pretext of offering supplements, she forfeited her sleep and hopped out of her window. Armed with a basket of soldier pills and certain that there was not a soul in sight, she headed towards the gate.

"And to think I have a morning shift tomorrow, what on earth am I doing?" She chided softly under her breath and cracked a smile that belied her concern.

Since her last visit, Kisame had sent word of their relocated base – it was likely Sasuke's appearance triggered their mistrustful minds, even after Sakura's assurance that she was the one who tripped the trap. She was probably even lower on their trust list than she expected.

It was Kakuzu who welcomed her at the entrance. Offering a stiff nod, he gingerly stepped aside, all the while eyeing her every breath and step.

"What's in that basket?"

"Just some supplements for Ita- for Uchiha-san. He was poisoned the other time so this would help to balance his constitution." She put on her best medic's tone and hoped to come off as convincing. Kakuzu could not find any faults with her explanation, and promptly lost interest in her.

"Prepare some for Hidan the next time you come," He instructed offhandedly without turning around.

"Aye, if he's still alive then…" She murmured the last sentence, fingers crossed that he would not be.

"Hey Sakura-chan, was it hard to find this place?" Kisame greeted from the living room sofa, where he was leaning back and perusing _The Economist_. How classy.

"Thanks to your succinct instructions, it was a breeze," She replied, wiping her hand across her forehead.

"Care for some supper? Hidan made extra," He inquired causally while nodding his head towards the dining table. Sakura made a face and raised both hands in a surrender pose.

"No thanks, I wish to live till a ripe age."

"How rude!" One of the doors along the corridor slammed and Hidan's voice boomed. "I may not look the part, but before I went rogue I used to work part-time at my village's restaurant." He waved a lame 'hi' and sauntered into the living room half-naked, thinking he owned the house.

Out of curiosity, she snaked towards the table and felt her jaw landed on her feet. She was thinking along the lines of dismembered limps and bloodied raw mammals, but contrary to expectations and imagination, were appetising plates of colourful stir-fried vegetables and braised chicken, completed with corn and carrots soup.

"H-How very ordinary… And I don't mean it in a bad way," She quickly added to avoid injuring his tender ego, but Hidan simply nodded in agreement. There were actual, edible foods for humans – Sakura was mind-blown.

"You're right. When I saw how much money that fucker was making with these cheap ingredients, I threatened him to hand me the recipes or I would offer his son to Jashin, and naturally that pussy agreed. Turns out to be nothing extraordinary, but they are a good way to get sacrifices for Lord Jashin," He concluded with a lick of his tongue, ignoring the disapproving shakes of head from the sofa.

"So, you drug your customer's dishes…" Sakura suddenly lost all appetite, even though she doubted he had to audacity to do the same to these males.

"And naturally the son was not spared," Kisame added on behalf of a very smug looking Hidan.

"No wonder you were expelled from your village. Good riddance," Kakuzu remarked bluntly across Kisame.

"No one's talking to you, so STFU Kakuzu." He gave him the finger and winded to Sakura's rear, causally slinging his arm around her. She closed her eyes and delivered a hefty shove into his guts, calmly stepping around him. Itachi, who had been sitting silently on the middle sofa writing the latest mission report stood up, and made for his room.

"You said you brought supplements for me?" He said without stopping.

"Yes, and I've have some instructions on its consumption," She answered in exactly the way she had practiced beforehand.

"Bring them into my room." They exchanged a millisecond eye contact where he barely tilted his head, their first 'greeting' in a while, and continued passed Hidan and Sakura.

"Understood." Throwing Hidan an I-can't-be-bothered-with-you eye, she snaked around him and duly followed. Just before she could enter into their private and cosy space, suddenly there was a strong tug by her right arm, and she was forcefully dragged into the room next door.

"What the…"

"Sorry Itachi-san, borrowing Sakura-chan for a minute, hmm!" Came Deidara's muffled voice as the door closed with a bang.

The other members at the living room, who were curiously watching the drama eyed one another, shrugged, and resumed their activities on hand.

"Goodness Deidara, you could have just asked!" She violently shook off his grip and rebuked with annoyance.

"Sorry, that was the only way I could think of speaking to you without interruptions or anyone eavesdropping, hmm," He confessed with an abashed expression, his hands clapped together in apology.

"Alright, just let me tell Itachi…_properly_," She emphasised meaningfully.

"'Itachi,' huh. Aren't you on cosy terms, hmm…"

"Sorry, I've got something to settle with this problematic guy. Could you leave the door unlock?"

"You don't have to ask for my permission," He answered plainly before dropping his voice to a whisper. "Don't make me wait too long." She felt her heart skipping at the hint of smirk on his lips.

"You guys done flirting?" Deidara had his arms crossed and was rapidly tapping his toes against the wooden floor.

"So, you're looking for me?" She shut the door with her foot and stood in front of him, mirroring his crossed arms. Even though she was not entirely comfortable being alone in the room with him, knowing Itachi was next door meant it was unlikely Deidara would try anything funny.

"Any news?" He stared expectantly at her.

"About what?" Deidara's eyes nearly fell out of his sockets at her frustratingly blank look.

"What do you mean 'about what-'" He inhaled a deep breath and continued slowly. "Have you passed her my letters?"

"Oh, _that_, yeah. What about it?" She replied with purposeful flippancy, and bit back her satisfactory smile as he sucked in another deep breath.

"Okay, okay, first thanks for delivering, hmm… Did she…say anything?"

"Nothing in particular."

"What was her expression?"

"She was… Shocked? …And slightly happy?" She supplied, taking pity on his genuine anxiety.

"D-Did she leave any messages, or better yet, letters?"

"Oh, I almost forgot." Sakura smacked her fist against her palm and reached for her back porch. "She asked me to pass this to you..."

He wrested the letter out of her grasp before she could finish and devoured the single sentence of the exceptionally plain and white letter over and over.

_I need some time_.

_I_.

"…That's it?" He let the four words rolled over in his mind a hundred times, hoping to discover some hidden message or for more words to miraculously pop up of the paper. Sakura pulsed her lips and nodded.

"Are you sure you didn't forge this and pass off as Ino… No, no, of course you didn't, hmm," He hurriedly added as Sakura began cracking her knuckles.

"Just so you know, I don't support this 'relationship,'" She began quietly. "Ino deserves better than a wanted criminal." Deidara noticed that she was more dissatisfied with his status rather than pointing out his flaws as a person. (He did not flare too well in the latter anyway.)

"…If this matters so much to you, then why did you decide to put your heart out there for that man?"

"Don't you see it?" She opened the door and glanced over her shoulders, the fallen fringe shielding her doleful smile. "It's because I know it's not easy, yet I don't regret it. Not one bit. And that scares me."

* * *

Itachi mentally sighed. He wanted to stop her, but faltered at her stern and withering look.

"Let me see… Abnormally warm… There is swelling on part of your tendon, restricted movement, looks like tendonitis…" Sakura muttered under her breath. "No wait, you recently tore your tendon… Uchiha Itachi, do you think I'm just working for show? Why didn't you say anything?"

"This sort of thing usually heals by its own, and I do not want you to travel all the way here…just for this." For the past week, as long as he avoided sudden movements with his wrist (that was practically impossible with his kunai practices,) he could put up with the _slight_ discomfort. The injury must have been aggravated after the battle with the Stone ninjas and travelling for hours with Torou in his arms, though Sakura did not need to know that.

"So, you would rather inconvenient yourself, let it worsen, and live with a disabled hand?"

"Sakura, I know what I can handle…"

"No, _I _am the doctor here, and _I _will determine what you can handle, is that clear?"

"…" Clearly this was a fight he was not winning.

Itachi was writing with his left hand by the desk, which was the first thing she noticed as she shut his door. He only switched hands after a prolonged use, as he had to use Sharingan to control and replicate his handwriting that would dip his efficiency.

"Is something wrong with your right hand?" He set his brush down and rolled up the scroll, affixing a seal.

"Nothing's wrong." He angled his body towards her. "That took a while." _Nice try distracting me_, Sakura thought.

"Then why are you rotating your wrist like it's the most painful thing to do?"

Forcing him to lie down and gently setting his tender arm on the bed, she hovered her hands above the mangled tendons and channeled healing chakra to repair the inflamed spots, the process akin to the act of knitting a scarf. After she got the hang of it, she took a peek at his expression, and caught his face arranged in sort of a wince with his lips knitted tightly together.

"Sorry, does it hurt? I'll release some 'painkillers' into your bloodstream…"

"…No." She frowned and realised that he was smiling at her.

"Does it hurt so badly that you need to force yourself to smile?"

"I just haven't fully register how helpful it is to have you around," He admitted with an apologetic tilt of his head. "I guess I hadn't entertained the thought of us actually fighting side by side, rather than me trying to protect and keeping you behind me all the time."

"O-Oh." She was so taken aback by his words and felt the chakra flowing in the opposite direction into her head. He raised his arm and tentatively rotated his wrist that still lingered with Sakura's benign chakra.

"Thanks for healing my wrist."

"I-I was just doing my job…"

"…I also didn't realise how good it feels to be worried by someone else." Reaching out, he cupped his fully recuperated hand in her warm cheeks, and planted a tender kiss against her damped lips. Just before he pulled away, she bent forward and returned the sweet favour, holding their intimate contact until she elicited a soft groan from him.

"Please take better care of yourself, okay?" He nodded and pulled her down next to him in a warm hug.

"When do you have to return?"

"After you fall asleep, I'll sneak out from your window."

"You mean _I'll_ wake you up before I fall asleep," He corrected with a straight face, provoking a playful slap to his chest.

"You never tell me Hidan can cook."

"I was just as surprised as you." He fiddled with her loose locks. "Even on the rare occasions he offered, nobody would give him the slot."

"What about you, Itachi, can you cook?"

"I…" He cleared his throat. "I can handle simple dishes…like frying an egg."

"Why do I get a feeling that's all you know?"

"Given enough practice, I'm certain I can surpass Hidan's skills." Sakura giggled at the way his brows scrunched in deadpan, not entirely convinced but nevertheless appreciated his desire to impress.

"Alright, I get that your dream is not to be a master chef, but you're not any less in my eyes even if all you can handle is a fried egg," She assured in an equally serious tone.

"My…dream," He parroted, his eyes taking on a faraway look.

"What's your dream Itachi? Right this moment, my dream is to run away with you from this organization to a secluded village, where status or origins no longer matters, and we can live in peace."

"…In peace, huh?"

"That's right. Given our abilities, we'll still be able to give back to the world and earn a living, at least that's what I believe."

The fingers that were idly combing her hair retracted in a slight tremor. Itachi held his palm eye-level and studied it with unreadable eyes. At that moment, he was so thankful that she could not see the layers upon layers of dried blood that had stained his hands over years of benumbed killings.

"Your words always carry the innocence that has yet to be tarnished by the cruel world of the ninja, and that gladdens as much as it concerns me." Sakura reached out and interlocked their fingers, drawing his gaze towards her glistening orbs.

"Are you thinking of the past? Your Sharingan is activated." She ran her thumb over the overworked muscles around his eye area, channeling some muscle relaxant chakra to soften his weary gaze.

"How much do you know of my past?" He was referring to the time before their first meeting.

"Well… The way you would learn about any defected ninja…"

"The bingo book."

"Bingo," She uttered with a hollow smile. "However, after all this time with you, I refuse to believe you would…do such a thing in a spur of the moment. Is the village covering up part of the truth?"

"It's just as you know. I could no longer stand being restricted by petty things like a clan, so I took matters into my own hand, and…the rest you knew."

"Was it so bad that –" The words _that you had to kill your own parents _hung thick in the air.

"It was necessary."

"B-But Sasuke-kun…" He closed his eyes to disconnect the image of her trembling hands and the subdued fear radiating from her eyes. He did not blame her. At times, even he was afraid of the detached way he could talk about that Incident.

"It's late," He suddenly declared and rolled off the bed, clasping his hands together in a seal. "I'll send you home."

* * *

Sakura clutched her shivering hands against her chest, feeling rather pampered and embarrassed by his literal intent of sending her home.

"Y-You really don't have to… Eeek!" Itachi suddenly took a plunge to a lower branch, sending Sakura's heart to her mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut and buried her head against his cloak.

"Put your hands around my neck," The shadow clone instructed.

Even if the real him could not leave the base and had to resort to a shadow clone, it was still fueled by his chakra, so whatever conversations and experiences they shared would be transmitted back to his main body. _This is as good as hugging the real deal_, she thought fondly and leaned against his cheek.

"If you're tired you should sleep. I'll wake you up when we're approaching the village."

"How can I do that? I feel bad enough that you had to carry my heavy body home…"

"You're alright." To prove his point, he even attempted a small throw just as a huge tree came into their vision, and they nearly smacked into it. "It's just us now, you can relax."

Sakura was still very bothered by their earlier conversation that was brought to a sudden closure, without much closure on her part. He was purposefully withholding information from her and clearly not keen on discussing the massacre, understandably. However, it did confirm her assertion that it was more than just a cold-hearted murder that him and the village made it out to be.

She was determined to break that mirage Itachi had casted over himself and her.

She must have dozed off halfway through the journey, and the first thing she noticed was the inanimate background and their immobile position.

"Had a good rest?" Itachi murmured above her, his arms wrapping around her waist in a secure hug.

"W…Where are we?" They were nestled underneath a weeping willow tree, where the soft limps of the tree branches swayed sprightly with the midnight breeze.

"A safe distance from Konoha's East gate."

"Why didn't you wake me up? Your legs must be numbed…" She briskly stood up and pulled him along.

"Believe me, I tried, but you were sleeping so soundly not even my kisses could stir you," Itachi reasoned with a smirk.

"Y-You're just making fun of me…" Despite her stubborn words, she could not hide the blush filling her cheeks, and bashfully touched her lips. Waving her last goodbye, she spun around and dashed towards the gate, but apparently, the sleepiness was still in her system, and she saw her vision losing to a sudden bout of dizziness.

"We were barely apart for a second…" Itachi swiftly propped her against him and whispered into her ears, his warm breath tickling her senses.

"Sorry…" Why did she volunteer for that morning shift again?

Slipping a hand behind her head, he bent down and pressed his cool lips firmly against hers, quickly nudging them opened and having his way. She was unprepared for his uninhibited passion and duly reciprocated with her primitive instincts. Their tongues rolled over one another's willfully, desperately, neither wishing to part. At last, before he felt his control slipping, he forcefully pulled away from her irresistible softness, a trail of saliva bridging their last contact before breaking apart.

"Thank you for the pills…and coming to see me." He gently swiped the stray hair away from her eye, his thumb fondly tracing her cold cheekbones, as though trying to memorise its contours.

"Itachi… I wish we could return together," She uttered with awareness of her naivety, but there was nothing more sincerely and simple she could have wanted in that moment. He stared intently at her longing eyes, which was glancing back and forth between his eyes and the forehead protector.

A slash across the Konoha symbol, a symbolic act of relinquishment.

"Sakura, you asked why did I commit a carnage to my clansmen?"

"Huh?"

"I…can't divulge the details for various reasons, but if there's one thing I can tell you…" There was a flash of pain and self-chastise beneath his furrowed brows and crimson orbs, and she imagined he was still constantly haunted by the bloodied scenes of his crime, and he had to turn away.

"I… I wouldn't have done it, if I had a choice." Planting a quick peck on her lips, he retreated a few steps, and dissipated into a flock of crows that fluttered off in a clock wheel of directions. Silence enveloped the forest. She continued to stare at the starless cobalt blue sky, her hands hugging protectively over where his possessive touch left their imprints.

"I don't know if it's just me, but that Itachi feels a lot more talkative…and expressive." Once again, her fingers settled on her lips, smiling and soaking in contentment.

_Meanwhile at the base_…

Even though the shadow clone was sent for his peace of mind, there was something about knowing but being helpless to do anything that he failed to account for. While he made sure they took the most secluded route, it still could not ameliorate his unease. Unable to catch a wink of sleep (with his mind full of her), he flung the blanket aside and headed to the kitchen for a cup of water.

Behind him, there was the sound of door unlocking, followed by sleepy shuffling footsteps.

"Oh, Itachi-san, couldn't sleep?" Kisame asked. He nodded and proceeded to gulp down his second cup.

"Worried about Sakura-chan– " He coughed out the last mouth of water into the sink and supported an arm against the counter, nearly choking as the shadow clone rejoined with his body.

"Are you alright…?"

"F…Fine-e." He raised his palm to keep Kisame at arm's length while he shielded his face with his other hand.

"Why's your face suddenly red?"

"Just leave me alone…" Slamming the glass cup on the counter, he wiped his mouth, and retreated to his room. Kisame scratched his head in nonplus, partly for forgetting his purpose of coming to the kitchen.

"That guy… Is he drunk?"

* * *

**For the first time, I can't think of any decent title for this chapter, and it's so frustrating...**


End file.

Naruto, Mystery, Romance