Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**A touch of imagination**

To say that Itachi Uchiha was not amused would be an understatement. No. He was, in the right words, pissed off. And he didn't make any effort to hide it either. Following the new orders of the Hokage "Every team must include a medic-ninja." he has selected a skilled medic-nin to join his infamous squad eleven in their future missions. Given his status, he was the first ANBU captain to be able to select the desired person to join his team and he obviously chose what seemed to be the best option.

He requested Haruno Sakura, the very apprentice of the Hokage herself, and whereas the young woman lacked experience in the battle and was not the best fighter of them all, she was a great medic and a very smart and witted kunoichi. He was sure that with the proper training and after a couple of rough missions with his team she will improve greatly and will be able to keep up with them. All he knew was that she was good enough to keep herself alive and, for now, that was all that he needed. They will do the fighting for her and she'll be there to quickly patch them up. It was perfect, he thought bitterly. Anyone would have been honored to be given such an opportunity. _She _should have been honored. He mused as he angrily crumpled in his fist the poor piece of paper.

When he had voiced his decision, the Hokage watched him warily but approved it nonetheless. His teammates also approved of her wholeheartedly. They trusted his decision, knowing that he always sought out the best for the people under his command. She had been properly introduced to the rest of the guys one week after all the formalities and the paperwork had been dealt with and she seemed excited about it! He remembered how eager she was at their first training session and how adamant she was to prove them she was worthy to be fighting with them.

Without a word of complaint she accepted the black and gray ANBU attire and Itachi's order at carefully hiding her pink hair and renouncing at the usual red uniform during any mission with him. While he doesn't care of a person's choice of clothing and hair color he was very strict with a shinobi's appearance during combat. And pink hair was out of the question. It was an easily noticeable, distinctive color and it would put everyone in danger. And that was not something he desired.

They trained together almost daily for a couple of weeks before Sakura joined them in a mission. Whereas he decided that they will do the fighting for her he wanted to make sure that the kunoichi will be able to keep up with their traveling and the rough conditions of their missions without her getting exhausted and not being able to do her job as a medic. He sure didn't want or need to carry dead weight.

Their first mission last month was a surprise even for himself. Sakura was able to keep up with their fast ANBU rhythm of travel and did not say a word when they had to sleep on the rough soil under the bare sky while the mosquitos were circling them. She kept quiet and followed every order that was given to her. When they had to engage fight with the rogue shinobis they had been hunting for information, she did her own share, beating two of them to a bloody pulp and was still able to heal her teammates in the end, accepting their congratulations and words of encouragements with a small, shy smile.

When it was his time to be healed, Itachi shook his head considering that his wounds were not serious enough for the medic to waste any chakra on them. With a little twitch, that didn't go unnoticed by the Uchiha, she promptly turned on her heel and put her mask back over her face. With a nod they took off in a sprint towards Konoha. Even though he didn't say anything, he was impressed.

Since then, they only had two more missions together. Again, everything went smoothly, but this time along Itachi felt a little annoyance creeping in the back of his mind. Their medic behaved too well. She was on par with them when traveling, she always took part in the fight without getting herself killed and, at the end of every fight, she was still able to heal them and carry herself home. She was not the burden he half expected her to be during her first ANBU level missions and under his lead nonetheless. She was doing exactly what was expected of her without a complaint, nothing more, nothing less. In the past he's heard a lot of stories about team 7's missions and he's often seen them in action. So he knew better than to let himself be fooled by this. Something was off with their little cherry blossom. So, being the considerate taichou he took it upon himself to find it out.

For the last few days he had been tailing the Haruno girl, studying her behavior towards her former teammates and sensei noting how she acted a lot more freely than she did with them. Perhaps she found it harder to open up to them? Itachi soon dismissed the thought. Whereas they did not work in a team before, they have known each other since Team 7 had first formed, and, while he wasn't much of a talker and a friendly person, Shisui and Genma would have made it impossible for someone not to warm up towards them. They have even managed to get under his skin for crying out loud! From the information he had gathered she was on call at the hospital for that evening, thus giving him more than enough time to do a little scan of her apartment. He managed to get his cousin's help in the matter under the excuse that they need to know all they can about their fellow kunoichi to make sure that she was the most suitable for the position. His cousin scowled at him in response, reminding him how good the girl did during their training and missions, but followed the Uchiha heir to Sakura's apartment.

She had placed several seals and booby traps at the entrance, the younger man noted with satisfaction. At least she was being precautious. He was sure they'll find a lot more inside. And he was not disappointed at all, he thought as he watched his partner get tangled in a bunch of chakra enhanced ropes. With a muttered curse Shisui freed himself and was off to check her bedroom which also served as a library and study. Itachi activated his Sharingan and took an overall glance at the small apartment.

The narrow hall leading towards the bedroom was full of books and different scrolls. Besides the bookshelves, the only other piece of furniture was a tiny cherry wood table on which rested a couple of scrolls and a vase with five withered daisies. The doctor probably didn't spend a lot of time at her home lately. He opened the bathroom door and scanned the room with his Sharingan. There was no need to invade the girl's privacy so much. If there was anything she wanted hidden she would have surely used a chakra seal and with his eyes he would have sensed it immediately. He noticed a faint shade of green in the cabinets and smirked. A seal, just as he thought. He silently made his way to the cabinet above the sink and opened it.

He raised an eyebrow picking up the small chest. An emergency medical kit, he deduced as he raised the top and lifted the small containers at eye level. Special medical creams infused with her healing chakra, pills and teas all containing the woman's chakra. A very smart move, Itachi thought considering how often medics drive themselves to the bridge of exhaustion not always being able to heal everyone or even themselves. With a twinge of pride for his new teammate, he put the chest back and exited the room that smelled way too girly for his tastes. He knew that women use a lot of cosmetic and beauty products. But seeing a room full of bottles of shampoo, body creams, body washes, perfumes and what not made his head a little dizzy.

He scanned the living room and glanced lazily over the photos adorning on her pale yellow walls. There were some photos of her team 7, where they all smiled cutely at the camera, except maybe Sasuke who was smirking and Kakashi whose face was hidden behind his usual mask, but judging by the creases around his eyes, he too was smiling. There were pictures with the rookie nine and she even had one with Ino since they were little girls. His eyes softened a little. He liked how her short hair blew softly in the wind and how she laughed without a single care in the world. He liked the innocence in their eyes and he felt envious. He had never had the opportunity to be a child. Not with the clans expectations of him.

He sighed and pushed the memories in the back of his mind. He did another chakra scan of the woman's kitchen and sensing no disturbance he left for the bedroom. There was no need to check the kitchen thoroughly. He knew for a fact that Sakura didn't cook. And when she did... she usually had to replace most of the furniture and appliances. Plus, he remembered clearly that Shisui made a bee line for the medic's bedroom and didn't come out yet. He was probably rummaging through the poor girl's drawers checking what kind of lingerie she used. He sighed and pushed the door open. His raven colored eyebrows rose in astonishment. Shisui, his very perverted cousin, was seated at Sakura's desk his eyes glued to a piece of paper which he held tightly in his grasp. His mouth would now and then, take the shape of an "O" as his dark eyes would widen. He threw his head back and laughed wholeheartedly.

"Ne, Itachi-chan!" He called after his younger cousin. Chuckling he turned to face the other man and rose to his feet waving the pieces of paper. "Did you know that our dear, little, sweet Sakura-chan is a writer? She even wrote a couple of stories about you." His wide grin turned now into a deep frown. "But, I don't think she likes you that much. She already gruesomely killed you two times and I've barely read half the story." Itachi blinked for a couple of times and quickly snatched the papers from Shisui grasp, putting his right hand on the head of the squirming Uchiha to keep him at a safe distance.

"Oi! Give them back to me! Listen up you little brat!" Itachi ignored Shisui's rambles and threats as he was quite used to them and he kept reading the story, his Sharingan activating itself in anger as he read the very detailed scenes of his deaths. Firstly, Sakura's characters feed him to the sharks during a riot for being an inconsiderate, ice-bitch, lord of the land who never cared or appreciated other people's work and was too self-centered to see how women could easily do a man's job. Then a kind fairy revived him and he was given a second chance to life as a modest merchandiser, only for him to be robbed by bandits not a week after, and then be used as a kunai target practice by said bandits. His lifeless body was unceremoniously thrown off a cliff and left for the ravens to eat. He angrily crumpled the piece of paper in his hand, feeling both infuriated and hurt.

He shoved the papers into Shisui chest and stomped out of the apartment. His cousin watched bewildered his retreating figure and carefully laid the story back in Sakura's desk after he too left. He decided not to follow "the brat", how he often referred to both the brothers, not wanting Itachi to unleash his wrath upon him. With a nod he made his way towards the local tavern to treat himself to some delicious, well deserved serving of saké.

The Uchiha heir was fuming. He just left the young medic's apartment and headed towards the nearest training ground. He needed to blow of some steam. He would have wanted to pummel his cousin to the ground, but apparently the older Uchiha had deserted him. He worked himself to exhaustion making quite a mess from the training ground. Burned tree trunks were scattered all over and the ground itself looked like Tsunade had just had a fit. He took a deep breath and laid on a piece of grass from the margins which seemed to have survived untouched. He closed his eyes and with a somewhat clear mind tried to process today's events. Never once had he felt so much anger and hurt before.

He was always accused of being cold, and merciless with the shinobis under his command so this time, he thought he would do things differently. He wanted to show consideration towards the young kunoichi. He didn't take her easy, he just wanted to offer her some time to adjust to the changes. He never once doubted her skills, he just wanted to polish them enough so she would blend perfectly with his team. He wanted to be nice, and that was his reward. He thought bitterly. He felt his temper rising again. He wasn't used to this, he scoffed. People always liked and respected him, both as a shinobi and as a man. Single women, or even married ones would throw themselves at his feet if he even glanced their way. Sakura's stories were like a hard slap at his ego. And he didn't like it. Not one bit. He will have to change the Haruno's opinion of him. He decided, the wheels in his head turning as he made his way to the Yamanaka flower shop.

"Hello!" He greeted the cashier with a kind smile which made the woman almost faint. "I would like a bouquet of daisies, please."

**A.N. First, I would like to apologise to all of you. I have not written in a while and both my English and writing skills have gone a little rusty. After returning to the site I've sadly noticed that a lot of the writers I used to read have gone MIA or have left this fandom. This saddens me and if you read this, please know that I miss you and it feels strange not having my email inbox full with story uploads. However, I hope that they had been replaced with equally good writers! **

**Thank you for reading my story, feel free to review it and tell me what your thoughts were! :) **

**-weaselcheater**


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N.: So here's the second chapter of my new story. Sorry for the eventual mistakes, I didn't get to proofread it thoroughly. I promise I'll do that as soon as my tired eyes will allow me. I know it's kind of short but oh well. The next one will be longer...probably...**

**Anyway! Please enjoy! :) **

* * *

Light footsteps echoed on the empty streets of Konoha as a young woman made her way home, a light, evening breeze gently caressing her cheeks. She stiffened a yawn as the familiar apartment building came into view. She was glad that, when she moved out of her parents' house, not more than two years ago, she decided to buy an apartment close to the place she worked. After all, she had made a bad habit by working herself to the bridge of exhaustion and the last thing she wanted was to faint on her way home.

It was no surprise that the hospital was always busy but, today it felt as if the whole Konoha population took a solemn oath to get injured. Just a couple of minutes separated her from a nice hot bath and her soft sheets, she thought to herself as she turned the key in the lock. She grasped the doorknob tightly, her eyes narrowing in the process. Maybe her tired mind was playing tricks on her, but she was pretty sure that she activated her door sensor when she left home. That little string of chakra that sent a light tingling to her hands when she would open her apartment door was gone. Someone broke into her home. She gulped and reached for her trusted kunai. She was exhausted but she could still pull a good fight! Or at least make enough noise to alert any nearby shinobi.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside, her senses on high alert as she searched for any signs of the intruder. Not finding anything, she closed the door. Maybe her paranoia was kicking in. Switching the lights on, she made her way to the bathroom. She stopped in the middle of the hallway and starred at the fresh daisies sitting innocently in her vase. She blinked a couple of times, wondering if somehow flowers possessed the ability to rejuvenate. She shook her head and lifted the small note from the table.

"_Tomorrow, practice at 6. Training Ground nr 4. P.S. Please enjoy the flowers." _ No signature. Sakura threw the piece of paper carelessly back on the table and entered her bathroom, fully intending on enjoying her steamy shower. Now that she knew it was only one of her teammates who entered her apartment to announce her of the training session, she could finally relax and let her mind drift. She slightly wondered who send her the flowers, but soon dismissed the thought as it gave her a headache. Shisui and Genma were both hopeless flirts and were, most likely, biologically unable of any sweet or romantic gestures. Of that, Sakura was sure. That left her emotionally and socially constipated taichou, Uchiha Itachi. The mere thought of her captain sending her flowers made her break into laugher.

Twenty minutes later, the kunoichi was wrapped in a fluffy towel and rummaging through her lingerie drawer. All she wanted to do was to slip into a pair of comfy undergarments and climb onto her bed. She reached for her pale red panties and pulled them out noticing how something seemed to fall from it. She narrowed her eyes and picked the tiny strand of dark hair. Rage started running through her veins as she scanned it for the owner's chakra residues.

"Shisui...I'm going to fucking castrate you!" she growled maliciously, her eyes darkening with anger. She let out one more fierce, ear-piercing shriek and jumped in bed pulling the covers to her chin. She wasn't in the mood to sleep anymore, but she needed her energy supplies to the fullest if she wanted to beat the Uchiha to a bloody pulp.

"Kuso!" The young medic cursed as she struggled to quickly put her boots and gloves on, falling face first in the process. She begrudgingly rose to her feet and flung the window open. After a couple more profanities, she jumped to the rooftops and sped to the training grounds, hoping that she wasn't too late. Spending so much time with Kakashi had its downsides, like sometimes losing the sense of punctuality. Something that the She-Devil a.k.a. her taichou, surely did not appreciate.

'_**A She-Devil?Really?'**_ Her Inner scoffed at her, ready to tell and show her, through some very vivid images, just how manly said man was. _'Oh come on! Have you seen that guy's hair? It's silkier than mine, and I bet even Ino's! And he wears nail polish for crying out loud!' __**'Touché. But...'**_ Before her Inner could bring any other arguments referring to Itachi's manliness, Sakura kicked her in the guts and sent her flying into the darkest corner of her mind where she would stay hidden. For a while at least. She sighed and pushed a little chakra to her feet. She didn't want to be later than she already was.

Doing a twist in the air that sent her pink hair flying nicely around her face, she landed gracefully in front of her waiting team.

"You are late Haruno-san." Itachi's smooth voice was the first to break the silence and Sakura bowed her head, halfheartedly muttering some apologies. He narrowed his eyes and turned around, watching her reaction over his shoulder.

"I was starting to believe that you have missed my note." Sakura froze, her eyes widening in recognition before narrowing to slits. _'The flowers were from Itachi?'_ The Uchiha starred at her for a couple of seconds, contemplating her petite, trembling body and her twitching eye. She was angry. Not quite the reaction he expected after sending her flowers. He turned and faced her, tilting his head to the side.

"Spar with me Sakura." He said softly, watching her through his long lashes. His deep voice sending chills down her spine. Suddenly it became harder to breathe. The girl cleared her throat trying to ignore how sweet her name sounded coming from his delicious lips. She may secretly loathe the man before her, but even so, she couldn't possibly deny how unbelievably sexy he was. A faint blush colored her cheeks as images from the many times she had seen him shirtless during healing sessions and how soft his skin felt under her light touch played in her mind. She could even add a couple of scenes when his muscular body was pleasantly pressed against hers during sparring. Seeing the display of emotions on her figure, Itachi smirked satisfied.

"Actually...I was thinking of sparring with Shisui-kun. If that is alright." She added uncertainly as she watched him with weary eyes. Itachi's smirk fell as fast as it came, feeling yet another sharp slap to his ego at being so easily rejected.

"As you wish." He replied coldly and gestured for Genma to get into a fighting stance, but keeping his attention to his cousin and the pink haired female. Upon hearing his name, the older Uchiha rose to his feet and nodded his approval.

"Oh my, Sakura-chan, I feel honored to be sparring with you!" he bowed respectfully sending her a playful wink. The woman grinned evilly and cracked her knuckles, her chakra leaking in angry waves around her small, apparently frail body giving her the impression of a blood thirsty demon surfaced from the darkest pits of hell.

"Oh, but the pleasure will all be mine!" she let out a malicious laugh and slammed her fist on the ground.

"Shannaro!"

"Oh shit!" The Sharingan user barely had time to jump before the earth beneath him exploded and an irate Sakura lashed out to him. She punched him in the face and sent his body flying into a near tree, almost shattering it. The poor shinobi pushed himself of the ground and rubbed his sore jaw. 'That's gonna leave a mark.' He thought bitterly.

"What have I done this time?" He asked slowly as he put his dislocated shoulder into place. Bad question, he reprimanded himself as he watched his teammate's face turn dark and with speed that could rival his, she appeared in front of him and shook him violently.

"What have you done this time?! You have the guts to ask?!" She screamed in his ear, deafening him for a moment before she growled and threw him away.

Itachi was just about to launch at Genma, kunai in hand, when he abruptly stopped and flipped backwards, dodging the flying body of his cousin. He raised a curious eyebrow as he watched a fuming Sakura stomping to the landing-place, completely ignoring the other two men, who were now watching them amused.

The older Uchiha hastily gathered himself and in one last. Desperate attempt to save his save his life, activated his Sharingan catching the medic in a genjutsu.

The Uchiha heir smirked expecting the woman to easily see through the deception and pummel his perverted relative to the ground. Judging from her state of anger, she must have found out about Shisui's rummaging through her underwear drawer.

However, insted of dispelling the illusion, the kunoichi stopped dead in her place, her chakra dissipating in thin air. Her face grew pale and she whispered terrified.

"You wouldn't dare..." Shisui chuckled and broke the genjutsu, stepping closer to the frozen woman before him.

"Oh Itachi..." he called out mischievously and watched as Sakura's eyes widen in mortification, before her shoulders slouched in defeat.

"What do you want?" she grumbled under her breath and the man grinned, wincing as a new jolt of pain run through his body with every movement he made.

"A kiss."


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N. Hello again everyone and so sorry for the long wait! As I've always said it's going to take a while for me to get a chapter up considering I still have work to worry about, and I've recently started working on other projects too. But thank you for all of your support, I'm going to post on my profile every changes that may occur with my stories so feel free to check it out and P.M. me if you have any questions, but I warn you! I don't check my email very often...Gomen... **

**Anyway, enjoy the latest chapter of "A touch of imagination", as always feel free to review it and tell me your thoughts. :) **

**P.S. I've only spell checked this chapter. I'll come back in a day or two and proofread it carefully. Thank you for your understanding!**

* * *

"_What do you want?" she grumbled under her breath and the man grinned, wincing as a new jolt of pain run through his body with every movement he made._

"_A kiss."_

Sakura stared blankly at him for a few moments, her mouth opening and closing, giving her the appearance of a gaping fish. She sighed and crossed her hands over her chest, involuntarily bringing the attention of the three men to her breasts.

"Fine. But I'm not healing you." She smirked seeing Shisui's satisfied face fall and how he childishly pouted.

"But Sakura-chan, it hurts!"

"Of course it does Shisui. Were you not aware that Ibiki-san sometimes requests me to take part in interrogations? You learn an awfully large amount of information back there." She smiled sweetly taking a few steps forward, stopping at only a couple of inches in front of the man. She tilted her head to the side, one hand griping softly at his neck, as she rose to her tiptoes getting their mouths closer.

"So Shisui..." She whispered, her warm breath fanning on his face. "How is it going to be?" The man gulped, his colour draining from his face. He sent a quick glance at his younger cousin whose chakra was running wild, his Sharingan burning with a hot desire to kill.

"Ano...Sakura-chan...I was just playing you know..." He whimpered as the pressure on his neck increased and Sakura's eyes narrowed.

"It's alright darling. You'll get what you asked for." Without waiting a response she crushed her lips to his kissing him with passion. Shisui's eyes widen in mortification and forcefully broke the kiss just in time to dodge a bunch of tagged kunais aimed directly at his head. And crotch. The kunais embedded themselves in a nearby tree sending it to shreds in a powerful explosion.

"What the hell Itachi?!" Shisui yelled at his cousin, cleaning the small debris and ash from his clothes and hair. "You could have killed me!" Itachi merely raised an eyebrow as he swiftly turned around and started walking.

"Sorry. My hand slipped." He said darkly as his form disappeared in a pack of crows. Shisui glanced around just in time to see the arrogant smirk on Sakura's face before she too vanished in a puff of smoke. He scoffed. Of course she felt the killing intent radiating from Itachi, you had to be a complete idiot not to notice it. And the clever kunoichi took advantage of the situation and maneuvered it to her liking. Those two are more alike than they know. And with that thought in mind he flicked out of the field leaving a stunned Genma behind who was trying his hardest to comprehend what in the world just happened there.

A couple of hours later found Sakura sitting on the small stools of Ichiraku Ramen happily slurping her noodles surrounded by her old teammates also known as her surrogate family. They made a point of always having lunch together when they were in the village and were not assigned to any duties. They didn't even have to say a word to make her feel better. Just their presence was enough to bring her peace. It was always like this with them. She put her bowl down and smiled, her eyes filled with love as she watched them.

Both Naruto and Sasuke have grown into beautiful young men, leaving behind their childish rivalry...well at least sometimes. They have become very powerful shinobi, ready to serve and protect their village with the cost of their lives.

Naruto had fallen out of his crush on Sakura and was now discovering happiness with Hinata and was even planning on proposing to her. He was just gathering up the courage the face her father, and Neji, and the rest of the Hyuga clan...Witch was not an easy task at all, but they have all sworn to aid him shall need ever arise!

On the other side, Sasuke was still trying his hardest to forget about the foolish one-sided competition he had with his older brother. A good, old ninja-style spanking was enough to convince the black-haired brat that pursuing power at Orochimaru's was not a good idea and that he had to stay in the village and work his butt off together with the rest of them to prove everyone how bad-ass they were, as Naruto would put it.

As for Kakashi, well he was being the same old perverted sensei they've known and loved since their gening days. Just slightly older, not that you could really tell with most of his body and face covered.

Sakura chuckled and shook her hair. She too had changed a lot since she was a genin. And she had Tsunade to thank for everything. If it wasn't for her shishou's special training and unorthodox methods, she would still be a dead weight on the battlefield. She worked her way through medical ninjutsu and bruised her body in sparring with Lee to improve her taijutsu skills. Being the Hokage's apprentice also had its benefits. Because of the trust that came with the title she got sent on a lot of missions and she learned how to use her brain for more than storing information. She learned how to cleverly make use of everything she knew, which was rather useful for her medical ninjutsu, she thought as she remembered all the special healing pills and creams that she had offered her teammates for when she was not around to fix them. They turned out to be real life saviours.

"Sakura, on my way here, I had to stop at the Interrogation Unit to drop some documents from the Hokage, and Ibiki's apprentice was crying his eyes out, hidden under his desk. Do you have any idea way?" All eyes then turned to Sakura who watched them with innocent eyes.

"Why would I know anything Sasuke-kun?" She asked sweetly sending him a warning smile. Sasuke sighed and rested his head on his right palm.

"Sakura we all know that he was your assigned therapist. Your third one." Said girl scoffed and crossed her arms over chest in defiance, glaring at the three pairs of disapproving eyes.

"It's not my fault! I just did what he asked me to. It took him five sessions to break down. He sure was a tough cookie." She chuckled darkly causing everyone around her to sweat drop.

"Sakura, you know it's for the best." Kakashi tried to reason with the stubborn girl, but all of his words fell on deaf ears.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know the story by heart Kakashi-sensei. The council of Konoha came to the conclusion that I had anger management problems and that I should be requested to seek professional help otherwise I would have been discharged from my duties as a shinobi. That is plain bullshit! My anger and I are doing just fine! Yeah, I may have destroyed a couple of buildings in beating Naruto up but it was for a good cause! How else was I supposed to teach him a lesson? He surely doesn't understand through words, so punches are better. Thus I shouldn't be blamed for a bunch of kids, getting scared and having nightmares of good-old-pink-haired Sakura hidden under their beds at night." She stopped from her speed talking just in time to notice the little crowd that had formed outside the restaurant. It only took a deadly glare from a certain Uchiha and the mass of people dissipated rapidly.

"But why was Tadashi bawling his eyes out?" Sasuke pressed eyeing his friend suspiciously. "And what do you mean by –doing what he asked you to- ?" Sakura grinned in response and stretched her hands upwards which lifted up her red chemise exposing her milky skin.

"At our first meeting he asked me to try to use my anger in a productive way. He told me I should try to channel it through writing and use my stories as some sort of therapy. So, every week or so, I hand him the stories and he reads them. This time I offered him the stories I wrote about The-One-Whose-Name-Shall-Not-Be-Said. And you probably know what happened next. The main point is: I don't have a therapist anymore! Hello freedom! Mwahahahaha!" Sasuke involuntarily cringed. He read most of Sakura's stories involving Itachi. It was part of growing out of his brother complex. Or so he claimed. But Sakura saw how he's eyes lit up with sadistic glee when reading. And they said that she was the one in need of counseling. Che!

"I still don't understand Sakura, what do you have against teme's older brother? I know he sometimes is an asshole, but still..." Naruto rubbed the back of his head ducking Sasuke's punch for calling his loved/hated older brother an asshole. The female rubbed her chin thoughtfully, her lips quirked cutely as she searched for a reason.

"Naruto, it's kind of a long story." She finally spoke after a moment of silence. _'Do I even have a reason to hate him so much?'_ Naruto raised an eyebrow and starred her dead on, as if telling her 'I'm not going anywhere.' Sakura sighed and scratched her head getting in a more comfortable position. _'This might take a while.'_

"Well I guess it all started when we are nothing more than small children. I was on my way to the bakery to...

_Little Sakura Haruno was happily walking down the road towards her favorite bakery. She was slowly humming a children song, her green eyes filled with barely contained excitement as she thought of her reward. The four years old girl had helped her mother around the house all day. Or at least as much as her petite body and innocent mind could. So, at the end, she was given a few coins as payment for her hard efforts. The girl took them without hesitation, holding the cold pieces of metal tightly so she won't lose them, and headed for the bakery shop fully intending on buying one of their delicious, chocolate filled donuts. _

_Mouth already watering she waited patiently for her turn, rising to her toes so she could eye the only chocolate donut left. She grinned and just as she was about to shout her order, her vision was suddenly blocked by a black shirt and dark hair tied in a low ponytail._

"_A chocolate filled donut please." A calm voice came from the black shirt owner and Sakura gasped. Panicked emerald eyes shifted their gaze from the owner of the bakery to the boy as he quickly paid for the sweet treat and made his way out of the busy street. Being too shy to confront the older boy for taking the last donut, she just starred pleadingly at the old man, her eyes shining with unshed tears. The poor man shook his head apologetically gesturing to the empty stand. _

_As if on cue, the pink haired girl broke into a heart breaking sobbing clutching the few coins that she worked so hard for, to her chest. Her crying did not stop until late at night when finally exhausted she allowed herself to drift to sleep leaving her poor parents wondering what had happened to their little baby._

_The next day, continuing their daily ritual, the Harunos, left for a walk in the park, allowing their small daughter to play with her new ball. Excited she wondered off to where the big boys played and she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. The same black shirt and dark hair tied in a loose ponytail were standing in front of her. The boy, who she was sure was the same from yesterday, was chatting with a young child, whose name she remembered being Sasuke. So, upon facing her tormentor, Sakura did the only thing a four year old could think of. She threw her ball at him which landed graciously on his head with a thud._

_Four years later, a young, blushing Sakura Haruno was clutching a small pink envelope in her hands. Tomorrow was going to be her birthday and she wanted to invite Sasuke Uchiha, her crush to her party. She approached him shyly and lightly tapped his shoulder. _

"_Ano...Sasuke-kun..." She managed to get out, her heart beating like crazy. She closed her eyes tightly and bowed her head offering the small boy the pink envelope with her invitation. _

"_Will you please come to my birthday party tomorrow?" She said in a single breath keeping her head lowered, too afraid to raise her gaze to his. The dark hair boy blinked a couple of times, and then childishly turned his head to the side, his arms crossing over his chest. _

"_No can do. Nii-san is going to be home tomorrow and I want him to help me train." Sakura could almost hear her heart breaking in half, but she still kept a forced, fake smile on her face. She straightened her back and laughed lightly, trying hard not to cry. _

"_Oh, I see. It's okay Sasuke-kun. Have fun. Bye!" She said her good-bye and turned on her heel, her green orbs burning with salty tears. _

"_Nii-san!" She heard Sasuke's happy greeting and turned her head, curious who this person was that stole her Sasuke away from her on such a special day. Jet black hair blew gently in the wind as onyx eyes gazed down at the young boy. Two deep lines grazed his cheeks, giving him a stricter appearance. He was dressed in the familiar grey clothes so specific to every Uchiha clan member. He didn't wear a headband at the time, but she had heard Sasuke on many occasions talking about how skilled Itachi, his older brother was. It sometimes became annoying. The new-comer turned around taking his younger brother's hand in his despite the boy's pouting face. As she watched them leave a memory from her early childhood flashed in front of her eyes. A flashback of a very familiar black shirt and low ponytail. Only that now they had a name: Uchiha Itachi. _

_It was a long awaited day for Sakura. The day she would finally graduate from the academy. She hoped that she would be in the same team as Sasuke, the boy she had loved for so many years. She listened to her teacher congratulating everyone in their class,__ praising them for their skills and results. When it was her turn she proudly puffed out her chest, a sly grin on her face as her sensei complimented her intelligence, and analytical skills._

"_Come to think of it Sakura, your results in the final tests remember me of another young student. His only five years older than you and he's already a skilled jounin. However, he graduated a lot faster, and was better in taijutsu and ninjutsu. His genjutsu was amazing as well and he was a very smart kid. Your overall results are probably second to his when he left academy only after one year of studying." Sakura's left eye started twitching madly and she felt her hands curl into tight fists. All she could hear was: better, faster, smarter, more skilled, you were second, which hurt her ego pretty bad. This was supposed to be her moment of glory for crying out loud! She put on her sweetest smile, which combined with her anger made her look very scary, and asked._

"_Who would this _amazing_ person be, Iruka-sensei?" She spitted out the word 'amazing' as if only pronouncing it burned her tongue. _

"_Why, Itachi Uchiha, of course!" In that very instant Sakura's right fist collided with the closest object around. Which so happened to be Naruto. Poor, poor Naruto... _

"So you see it's really long and complicated Naruto." She finished her story and scratched the back of her head. Three pairs of eyes watched her bewildered, wondering if their sweet, sweet Sakura-chan had gone soft in the head. Well, she was after all seeing a therapist. After a good five minutes of silence, the blonde was the first to break the silence.

"So that's why you punched me back then." He stated as if asking for confirmation. Sakura just nodded and apologized for it. The young man crossed his arms over his chest, his head going up and down as he uh-hum-ed for himself, coming to a conclusion known only by him.

"Sasuke, I have been done a grave harm. I have been punched in the name of your older brother. I demand vengeance!" He yelled pumping his fist in the air.

"One more bowl of ramen old man, and make it double! I need energy." He slammed his hands on the table scarring everyone in the shop. Sakura sighed and swiftly paid for her food and left the shop with Sasuke in toe. Somewhere after she finished her story, Kakashi has puffed out to Kami knows where, probably reading his porn.

"Sasuke, are you going to speak or you'll just wait until we reach my home?" She asked tiredly. Whenever Sasuke decided to walk her teammate home, or to accompany her to the hospital without her asking for it, was when he felt the need to be overprotective and scare all the cute guys around her with his Uchiha glares, or he wanted something. The later happened a lot more often.

"Is it all there is to you and Itachi?" Sakura inwardly cursed. Damn him and his cleverness!

"What do you mean?" Sasuke eyed her closely and grabbed her hand, spinning her around so that she was facing him. He narrowed his eyes and squeezed her arms in warning.

"You should know better than to lie to me Sakura. You're not the type to hold a grudge on someone for something he did more than five years ago, unless there is more to it."

"Okay, you're right." Sakura sighed and Sasuke released his grip on her, nodding. He gestured for her to continue and they returned to their slow walking.

"You are aware of the new change in the shinobi rules, right? The one where all teams must have a medic ninja, or at least someone familiar with it? Well, a couple of months ago your brother requested that I joined his squad and at first I was really happy! I forgot of my hatred for him a long time ago, and was ready to give it another shot. However, things didn't go as planned.

At the beginning he refused to take me on any mission, saying that I still had to undergo special training with his team to be able to understand their teamwork and to be able to keep up with them. I got that, believe me. But, he started telling me how my hair and choice of attire are not adequate to the life of a ninja and I am to cover my hair when I go in a mission with him. It's not my fault that I have pink standing out hair, but I'm not the only one in this situation. There are a lot of shinobi _blessed_ with uncommon hair colors that stand out just as much as mine does! But did anyone complain about them? Noooo! I tried to be an adult and compromise. I told myself that he is my superior and that I am only supposed to do that during missions so I would just grit my teeth and live through it.

Putting this aside together with his ruthless training methods, everything was fine. I'd just do my job, keep up with their insane speed, staying away from the dangerous fights, backing them up when needed and healing them. But he has absolutely no consideration for his team!

On our first mission, he had us sleep on the ground, under the bare sky! My feet were killing me from all the running, even though I kept pumping chakra to increase my speed, and I could barely keep myself straight. I would have killed to spend that night in a soft bed from a local inn, but no! We had to sleep in the woods with mosquitos buzzing around and all sort of worms crawling on our bodies. I had to literally paralyze my body to stop myself from shivering and crying. Thank goodness I always had my mask on. The mission was a success but that was not enough for the Bloody Brooding Prince. When I wanted to heal his injuries, he refused. What's the use of a doctor on your team if you don't allow her to heal you!

I wanted to quit the team, but Tsunade wouldn't allow me. So I just sucked it up and did my job. Nothing more, nothing else than what I am requested to do. And now, he sends me flowers!" Sasuke listened closely to everything she said, his eyes narrowing every now and them. He knew that his brother was perfectionist and ruthless when it came to missions and training. But to him, it seemed like he was taking the medic slowly, giving her time to adjust with the life of an ANBU. Anyone who worked with Itachi would be jealous of the treatment Sakura received. If only she could see that. Everything from the past was just a bunch of unlucky coincidences.

However there was something nagging him in the back of his mind. Why would Itachi send her flowers? His eyes narrowed as he quickly said his farewell to the medic and hurried to the Uchiha compound, his protective side kicking in. He needed to have a little talk with his older brother.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A.N. Here I am again! Thank you for your support and for your patience! They mean a lot!**_

_**I'd like to take this time and address to one of my reviewers to whom I couldn't answer in private. **_

_**Dear –Disappointed -, if you have the time to send a long review complaining about my characters and story you can at least log in so that I can answer you in private just like I do with all my other reviewers. I'm sorry to tell you that I don't write "serious" stories and plots. My fics are probably only going to be funny and playful, which means that I won't strictly follow every rule of the Naturo world and I might not always keep my characters in line. I like to mess around with them so, from time to time, I'm going to upgrade and mold them to better fit the role I want them to play. This was exactly what I've done with Sakura. This is just me and the way I like to deal with things. **_

_**Again, if you're searching for a serious story with a well-planned out plot, this is not the place for you. **_

_**Kisses **_

_**Well, now that this is done and over with, let's go on with the story. **_

* * *

That was not what he expected. Sasuke thought as he watched his idiotic friend curled into a ball on the ground, clutching his knees to his chest. His wide, blue eyes staring into space void of any emotions. He had just arrived at his clan's private training ground where he knew he'd find Itachi and was welcomed with the sight of a traumatized Naruto and, what was more surprising, a blushing Itachi! That was definitely not what he expected to encounter there. He blinked a few times, carefully considering his options. To speak to Itachi or not to speak. He was about to open his mouth when a deadly glare from his brother stopped him. Not talking it is, he resolved and turned to his friend.

"Oi dobe..." he lazily muttered as he probed him in the ribs with a stick. He sighed as he continued to watch his blond friend whisper the same line over and over.

"It worked...it worked...it worked..." Sasuke blinked a couple of times raising the stick to his eyes. Maybe he should change his torture weapon, he considered but didn't have time to react. With the speed of lightning a pair of strong arms grabbed his collar and forcefully pulled so he was facing the terrified eyes of his teammate. His hands felt cold on his skin and the boy's voice was cracking with barely contained emotions as he struggled to get the words out.

"Teme...your brother is going to steal Sakura-chan's innocence and it's all my fault..."

"Awww! What the Hell? That hurt teme!"

"Speak Naruto!" Growled the black haired man, his Sharinghan blaring furiously as he struggled to keep himself under control. Naruto gulped, the color draining from his face as he backed away. He waved his hands in front of him in a concealing manner as he searched for the best way to explain the situation.

"Well, Sasuke-teme, do you remember when I told you I needed revenge on your brother for getting punched by Sakura-chan during graduation day? I came to speak to him... okay! Okay! I wasn't here to talk, I wanted to fight... I didn't win, but I managed to land a fist on his precious face. Now, now Sasuke, let that kunai where it is! Good boy, I'm not done yet. When I lost, my mind went blank and I wasn't able to think things through so I used one of my special techniques on him."

"What technique dobe?" Sasuke questioned darkly his left hand twitching to punch him.

"Harem no Jutsu...and I used Sakura-chan as a model..." Sasuke stared at his friend in confusion his words not making any sense. Just then an image of a blushing Itachi appeared before his eyes and everything seemed to fall in place.

"Dobe, I think you've just awaken Itachi's dormant sexuality." Sasuke voiced the thought that they both feared. Another moment of silence fell between the two with Naruto wondering if Sasuke will speak or move anytime soon.

"Teme...say something... teme...Sasuke PUT THAT FUCKING CHIDORI DOWN!"

After a long, tiresome shift at the hospital Sakura was finally blessed with some good news. Apparently, her beloved taichou felt the need for some time away from the village and had suddenly requested a solo mission. Which Tsunade happily granted, she always had assignments at the ready and she thought that she might have overworked her precious ANBU captain. So, knowing how taking time off was looked upon the Uchiha clan, she decided to send Itachi on a diplomatic mission in Suna. For five days. She grinned already enjoying the little freedom she received.

"Yo!" A spike of gray hair that defied gravity blocked her vision and she jumped in surprise. She raised a curious eyebrow at her old sensei waiting for him to talk.

"Are you free?" He suddenly asked and Sakura eyed him suspiciously. She had an idea where this conversation was heading to. She sighed and stocked all her belongings in her bag.

"Yeah..." she admitted halfheartedly and closed her eyes in anticipation. As soon as the words left her mouth she was tackled to the ground and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Surprise special training!"

Sakura was unceremoniously dropped to the ground and her hands were rapidly tied to the back. She sighed recognizing the irritated grumbles of Sasuke and Naruto's loud whining. A bright light flickered in front of their eyes, efficiently blinding them.

"Welcome to Kakashi Hatake's surprise special training!" A familiar voice was heard from the darkness and the three shinobi gulped. Whenever their old sensei thought that they needed to be taught a lesson, or was curious, or bored, he would simply pick them up and drag them to his private "dungeon" where he'd put them through various dangerous situation. Last time she was kidnapped from her warm bed and thrown together with the boys in Konoha's jail yard with most of the inmates running around free. Morale of the story: a shinobi should always be prepared to fight for his/her life no matter the situation. Even if you're in a jail yard, surrounded by evil, dangerous criminals in a flipping nightgown!

"So!" The same cheerful voice continued. "Today we'll be practicing interrogation!"

"Oh Hell no!" Came Naturo's protest right before the light turned off and the room was once more consumed by darkness. The sound of metal clicking against metal was heard and they were all on their feet struggling against their bindings. This was not going to end well for them. It never did.

A couple of hours later the three shinobi were lying on the floor trying to catch their breath as the room was, this time, fully illuminated. They blinked for a few moments giving time for their eyes to adjust to the sudden change. They were hauled up by Kakashi's clones and tied to a high beam. Drenched in sweat they watched with horror filled eyes as their sensei slowly performed the signs for his original jutsu: Raikiri.

"He wouldn't..." Whispered Sakura as she squirmed her hands wanting to free herself.

"He would." Sasuke said remembering just how cruel the jounin could be during their special training. He closed his eyes anticipating the attack. They were all exhausted with their chakra locked curtsey of a very ingenious trap Hatake placed on their first bindings which would trigger when they would break free.

"Now my darling ducklings, is anyone ready to talk? I'll give you five seconds." He smiled sweetly letting his lighting inch closer to the three trembling shinobi. However, silence was his only answer. He sighed tilting his head to the side.

"I trained you three well. Maybe too well." He conceded and allowed his Raikiri to die out. "Congrats you passed." He muttered ignoring their smug faces and exclamations of happiness. They really were cuter when they were little. And more fun to play with. He pulled out his latest volume of Icha Icha and turned around.

"Ja ne!" He called out over his shoulder waving his free hand. "Ano, Sakura, Itachi isn't really such an awful person. Just think about it will you?" He called out and was ready to leave when Naruto's sudden outburst made him freeze.

"No way! He's trying to steal Sakura-chan's innocence! Dattebayo!"

"Shut up dobe!"

"What are you talking about Naruto?" Both Sakura and Kakashi asked eyeing the blond male. Said man gulped feeling three murderous glares and confessed. He finished ratting his story thanking Kami Sakura was tied up and couldn't use her chakra. For now.

"Is it true Sasuke?" Kakashi asked deep in thought. The boy nodded glaring at the wall in front of him. Kakashi rubbed his chin deep in thought.

"This might actually solve your anger problems Sakura? Why didn't I think of this sooner?" He reprimanded himself. Jiraya always talked about this in his books. A needy woman is a frustrated, angry woman. So a man should solve Sakura's problems and therefore theirs too. He nodded congratulating himself for the discovery and closed his Icha Icha.

"He can't have my innocence." Sakura stated matter-of-factly. When you spend so much time with perverts, talks like these don't faze you that much.

"Now, now Sakura, you can't have both." Kakashi admonished her lightly. The woman merely raised an eyebrow waiting for Sasuke, who was able to free himself, to untie her hands.

"What I meant to say was that I'm not innocent anymore."

"Say what?!" Three pairs of eyes stared at her incredulously. She sighed already expecting this reaction, but it had to be done. Sasuke hastily untied her hands and grabbed her arms his Sharingan burning bright in his eyes. _'So our chakra is back, huh? Good to know.' _

"How Sakura? We've been extra careful not to let anyone near you." Naruto nodded vigorously, his eyes turning deadly thinking of all the times he and Sasuke had to beat or at least threaten the pink haired woman's partners.

"Are you sure you want to know how?"

"Who was it Sakura? And when?" Came Kakashi's strain voice. Maybe she shouldn't have told them, the woman thought bitterly. They were ready to kill and make it look like an unfortunate accident. She was sure of it.

"Gaara, four months ago when Tsunade-sama send me to help the Sand medical team with a dangerous poison used by rogue nins." Sasuke nodded his head and released her arms.

"That was the only time you were left unprotected." Sakura was ready to argue and say that she was on more solo missions but seeing her old team's defeated faces decided not to. She instantly felt sorry for them, but they had to realize that she is a grown up woman capable of making her own decisions and that they should stop being so overprotective.

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei, do you think we could beat Gaara up?" Asked Naruto dejectedly, but he already knew the answer himself.

"He's the Kazekage Naruto, and your friend as well."

"Not even threaten him a little?" He whined, his eyes glued to the ground. Kakashi put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. He patted the young boy's back and turned his disappointed gaze to the woman fidgeting in front of them. He shook his head and left, tugging the disheartened boy away. Sasuke clenched his fists refusing whatsoever to make eye contact and promptly turned around.

"Sorry Sakura, we'll take better care of you in the future." He promised and swiftly disappeared. Sakura sighed, slouching her shoulders. Now they're going to be a bigger pain in the ass than before. She begrudgingly dragged her feet on the pavement and made her way home wanting nothing more than to collapse on her bead.

The sun was already setting when Itachi arrived at Suna. It was the second day of travel and the heat was getting to him. He was immediately greeted by the guards and escorted to the Kazekage's office. The young man was still gazing out his window when the Uchiha was announced. He turned around and welcomed him with a curt nod. He took the files sent by the Hokage and briefly read them. He already knew the contents of the papers. It was nothing more than an exchange of information between two allied countries. A formality meant to straighten their already close bond.

"I was expecting Sakura-san to join you on this mission, seeing how she is now part of your team." Itachi narrowed his eyes wondering how the Kazekage was aware of this confidential information. And why he was referring to his medic by her first name. As if reading his thoughts, Gaara gave him an awkward smile. Staying close to Naruto has helped him exteriorize his emotions more.

"My apologies but Naruto sometimes has a big mouth. He often complains how he doesn't get to spend a lot of time with his Sakura-chan because she's always on missions or training with you." He clarified and watched the man before him with careful, analytic eyes.

"How is she?" He asked softly, his gaze warming up at the mere thought of the kunoichi. Itachi stayed silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. He wasn't informed of the woman's relationship with the Sand's Kage, if there was any.

"Good. She's working her way through ANBU." The less he said the better it was, he concluded. The Sand shinobi nodded his head not expecting more information from the Uchiha. Both he and Sakura decided that it would be best to keep things as discreet as possible, so the less people knew about it, the better it was. He couldn't even bring himself to tell Naruto. He was sure that if the kid knew, all Konoha and Suna would probably know by nightfall. He sighed and gestured for the door. As if on cue, the door opened revealing a blonde, busty woman. She politely greeted the newcomer and turned her sharp blue eyes to her sibling.

"The room for Uchiha-san is ready."

"Thank you, Temari. Please lead Uchiha-san to his quarters." That being said he walked back to his window letting his eyes drift over the starry sky. With his back facing them, Gaara allowed his thoughts to wonder towards the woman he wished he could see that evening.

His eyes soften and his usual cold, emotionless face turned melancholic. He remembered everything as if it had just happened. How her milky skin felt under his fingertips, how intoxicating she'd smell in the morning and how gently her hair strands would brush her shoulder. He could see her clearly, he could see her eyes lit up with excitement when she'd discover and antidote or how kind they were when healing. He saw the wrath hidden behind those jade orbs when provoked and the strength that lays dormant inside her petite body.

He saw her when she was vulnerable and reached for her. She was one of the few that instead of running away in tears took his hand and squeezed it in return. Unknowingly, they've both fallen prey to that treacherous feeling and now, they're both paying the price. They had to end it before they even had the chance to build it. Being with him meant leaving Konoha and he knew just how loyal Sakura was. Even if she'd come and live in Suna with him, the decision would tear her apart and he didn't want their relationship, his love, to be the source of her suffering. She wouldn't tell him, but he was sure he'd be able to see in her eyes. Just like he could always tell what was on her mind.

So, on that fateful night, four months ago, they sealed everything that could have been, everything they felt, away. They connected to a higher level just so that they could be apart. How ironic was that? He thought bitterly. He hadn't seen her since and he missed her. He was proud of her. He knew how much she wanted to prove her strength and being part of Itachi's ANBU team was a giant leap for her. He was also happy for her because he knew how much the Uchiha cared for the well being of his team and he was sure he wouldn't let his team get hurt. Not as long as he's still breathing and able to put up a fight. He breathed in the cold air of the night and returned to his desk. He can't sleep so he might as well sort out his paperwork.

Itachi woke up with the first rays on sunlight. He tiredly lifted himself in a sitting position and ran his fingers through his hair. For the past three days he could barely sleep. He kept tossing and turning in bed, images of naked Haruno Sakura haunting his dreams. No thanks to that Uzumaki kid and his idiotic jutsu. It didn't last more than a few seconds, but it was enough to make him lose his composure. He wasn't ready for that. They never taught him this in the academy or in the battle field. No one warned him of immature shinobis with perverted jutsus.

He rubbed his temples trying to ease away the headache. He never thought of how the medic would look like underneath her uniform. He never imagined how smooth her legs would look like, or how deliciously creamy her skin would be. He wanted to reach out and blow that little patch of smoke covering her privates and gently caress her bare breasts. He wished to see those green eyes of hers filled with lust and desire for him.

He thought that a few days away from the village, from her, would help him clear his mind. He had never been so wrong. Alone with his thoughts the only thing he could think of was how her full lips would feel against his and how he wished to bite them just to see a jolt of surprise in her eyes. He wanted to stir the passion inside of her and succumb to his desires.

He groaned feeling his erection push against the light fabric of his pants. No, that was not right. She was somehow involved with the Kazekage and making a move without more information was like walking around on thin ice. He needed to find more about their relationship.

* * *

_**As always, feel free to review and tell me what you think. :) **_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A.N. Hello everyone! So sorry for the late update! I've been super busy and didn't get the change to just sit down and think about the plot, let alone get to write it. I thank all of you who took the time to write down a review or favorite/follow my story. That's the only reward that I, as a writer, can possibly get. Thank you and enjoy another chapter of "A touch of imagination"! **_

_**Also, I don't have a beta so mistakes are to be expected. :) **_

A Touch Of Imagination

`Chapter 5`

Uchiha Itachi was a very patient man. It was a trait that he took pride in. As a little child he learnt that best things come to those who know how to wait. So he took his time in wanting to learn more about Haruno and the Kazekage's relationship, throwing subtle baits here and there. Yet no one seemed to be willing to bite. He even contemplated using Genjutsu but decided against it. For now at least. All he could discover was that the medic had been deployed to Suna for a couple of weeks to help the medical team with an uncommon poison and that happened four months ago.

However he knew nothing about their personal relationship. Yes, they were close, but that was to be expected taking into consideration Team 7 and Gaara's history. He sighed. Things were not going the way he planned and he didn't have much time left in Suna.

"Uchiha Itachi-san, Kazekage-sama requests your presence in his office." The man turned towards the old woman bowing respectfully before him. He inclined his head politely and silently followed her.

"Please pardon my rudeness Uchiha-san but, we have all been waiting to see Haruno-sama with you." The older woman inquired as they turned another corner. Itachi's left eye twitched ever so slightly at the different set of honorifics used when speaking of Sakura. It was not the first time it happened and it irked him. Still he smiled casually liking where the discussion was heading. Old people have the tendency to talk more.

"I am afraid she was detained at the hospital." The woman nodded in understanding. "I must admit, I wasn't aware that Sakura-san was this popular in Suna." The old woman smiled widely, her eyes gazing in front of her as if she was able to glance into a different world.

"Haruno-sama is loved and highly respected by our people. She had saved Kankurou-sama's life a couple of years ago, not to mention all the shinobi's she saved by helping us train our medical squad. We are indebted to her and her teammates. Kazekage-sama often refers to them as his closest friends. Four months ago when she last came here, she and Gaara-sama spent a lot of time together and he made a point to always dine with her whenever both of them had the time. We all thought things will develop into something more but it wasn't the case." She finished with a heavy sigh, then realizing that she might have spoken too much, she turned her frighten gaze towards the young man.

"My apologies Uchiha-san, I was being out of line." She bowed deeply and before Itachi could do anything to reassure the nervous woman, she disappeared into one of the hallways leaving him all alone in front of the Kage's office. He took a moment to will away all the emotions that wanted to display on his face and knocked on the wooden door. After receiving the approval he entered the already familiar office. Just like the other day, the red headed man was sitting in front of the window looking over the village just like a parent watching over his restless children.

"A message came for you from Konoha." The man gestured towards a piece of paper folded on top of his desk. Wordlessly Itachi picked it up and quickly deciphered the coded message. His features turned dark as he starred back at the Kazekage. With a deep bow he apologized explaining he had to return to the village immediately. Gaara nodded in understanding and the Uchiha exited his office without uttering another word. He quickly packed his belongings and raced towards Konoha. If he was lucky he would get there by tomorrow at noon.

He didn't know for how many hours he had been there. Or how much time it passed since they received any news from the Operating Room. He just sat there, staring blankly at the closed double doors, waiting in silence for someone, anyone to emerge from there. The coffee that Naruto brought to him lay untouched on the table beside him. How could this have happened? His father was as healthy as a bull! That's the way he had always been! He could perfectly remember Sakura's face when she read his chart. She looked at him with scared, concerned eyes. She didn't have to say a word for her eyes spoke enough. He crashed on a nearby chair and looked into her eyes, pleading her to save him.

He regretted it now. He shouldn't have put such a burden on her shoulders. He was sure she would have done everything to save him. He trusted her as much, but he couldn't help it. The Hokage herself was leading the operation with her two trusted apprentices seconding her. He was on the best of hands. He kept reassuring himself, yet his legs wouldn't stop trembling. Where was Itachi when he was needed?! He felt a hand squeezing his shoulder and turned towards his blonde friend.

"No news?" Naruto asked him and Sasuke shook his head. He returned his tired eyes towards the door as if expecting them to burst open anytime. "You should try to get some sleep Sasuke. Both you and your mother should." Sasuke shook his head. The blonde sighed. "At least go eat something at the cafeteria. I'll send one of my clones with you." A loud sob brought their attention towards the black haired woman silently crying in a nearby chair. It was the first time both of them had seen Mikoto Uchiha cry like this and it broke Sasuke's heart. He nodded to Naruto and stood up. He tightly hugged his mother and slowly walked towards the elevators. Naruto quickly created two clones and sent one with them.

He sat down in the same chair his friend used and counted the minutes. It has already been twelve hours since they took him into the OR and everyone is anxiously waiting for news. It was a very delicate situation, even he could tell. Fugaku Uchiha was the head of the infamous Uchiha clan and if he was left to die, all Hell would break loose. Pulmonary fibrosis caused by severe infection, was what they've told them. Most of his internal organs were damaged and his lungs were shutting down. From what they've been told, the chances that he will not survive the surgery were rather big. As soon as he was admitted a messenger was sent to Itachi in Suna. He probably just received the message and was racing back home. Knowing the Uchiha heir, he will be here by tomorrow at noon. He run his fingers through his hair and starred helplessly at his feet.

Soon after, the sound of footsteps padding tiredly across the hallway was heard and he lifted his eyes just in time to see the familiar silhouette of his pink haired friend sliding through the doors. She looked around confused.

"I'll get Sasuke and Mikoto-san now." Said Naruto guessing her thoughts and Sakura nodded in silence. She stood there ignoring Naruto's constant questions, waiting as motionless as a statue, her attire covered in blood. Not a minute later Sasuke stood in front of her, his body frozen in shook. He took a shaky step forward his fists clenching by his sides.

"Sakura dear..." Came Mikoto's soft voice as she stood behind her son, her eyes filled with fear. Sakura gulped and tears slipped down her face. She quickly wiped them smudging her face with blood.

"Mikoto-san, Sasuke-kun...we almost lost him. His organs were starting to shut down. We thought he will be gone, but... but he pulled it through the surgery." She barely finished the sentence and was pulled into a tight hug. She could feel Sasuke's tears damping her shoulder as she too hugged his trembling figure.

"Thank you!" He whispered against her hair and pulled her body closer, not wanting to let her go. She could hear everyone's gasps and ecstatic exclamations. She saw from the corner of her eyes how relief, happiness and gratefulness washed over Mikoto's face as she allowed herself to collapse exhausted into Naruto's arms. She took in a deep breath and willed herself back into her medic mode. She pulled away from Sasuke's arms and took a step back.

"He made it through the surgery." She repeated watching them wearily, "But he is still in critical condition. Most of his organs were damaged and we weren't able to completely restore them. Also, due to the severe infection he was fighting all this time his body is very weak and might not have the strength to fight the infection. We started him on antibiotics, but if his condition doesn't improve fast, his kidneys might shut down too. He already lost most functions of his lungs. We were able to connect him to a ventilator which helps him breath, but he will need a transplant. Soon." She finished and clasped her hands together letting the information she had just shared sink in. She took that short moment to breathe deeply and contemplate her next answers.

"How was this possible Sakura? He was always in good shape." Sasuke asked as he leaned against the wall his eyes never wavering from her figure. The medic shook her head, a stern look on her face.

"No Sasuke, he wasn't. He just stubbornly pretended to be. How many times have you seen your father go to a medic after missions? How many times do you, Kakashi sensei or your brother seek medical assistance when you're injured? Many top shinobis probably think that is shameful to have your wounds treated and you just patch yourself up at home. Just like your father did many times. Many of his injuries infected and were treated with improper medications. This kind of behavior and not visiting the doctor every once in a while took a great tool on his body, weakening him."

"That doesn't explain the fibrosis." He quickly interrupted and Sakura glared at him in warning.

"Yes, Sasuke, it does. The Katon Fireball no jutsu that you guys are using is applying a lot of pressure on the lungs, just like your Sharingan affects your eyes. If used for many years and not properly dealt with, it damages the lungs. Add a weak immune system and infections to already stressed lungs and you get a pulmonary fibrosis. Leave that pulmonary fibrosis unattended for a long period of time, taking medication to mask the symptoms and you'll end up on a surgery table with chances of survival smaller than 20 percent." She admonished him as she sternly looked at every single person in the room trying to send a message to those stubborn, stupid shinobis. "Go see a doctor when you're injured or ill!" she threatened and turned around throwing her bloody equipment in a disposal bin.

"If he survives the next 24 hours he will be out of immediate danger. But he'll still need a transplant. You can see him for a minute if you want, I'll have a nurse take you there. No stepping into the room though." With that she disappeared through the double doors and away from view.

With the early rays of sun the hospital slowly came back to life, the nurses and doctors happily chatting on the hallways as they shared stories and jokes only known by them. Sakura sighed as she turned another corner heading for the ICU rooms. She had been in the hospital for more than 36 hours. She was on call when the head of the Uchiha clan was admitted into the hospital and emergently rushed into the OR. She only had two more hours before her shift ended and she would have been free. Instead she threw her coffee and rushed to the scrubbing room. She remembered Sasuke's face as she read his father's chart. She couldn't gather the courage to tell him that it was very much possible for his father to die on the table. She sighed as she opened the door to his unit, greeting the two masked ANBU standing on guard. She smiled faintly as she read the chart. He was responding well to the treatment. That was good news. It meant that he'll soon out of danger and they could start thinking about the transplant. The clan members were already lining up and getting tested to see if their lungs were compatible or not. Being the head of such a prestigious clan sure has its perks Sakura thought a little bitter reminiscing the names of all the people that died on her hands because they couldn't find a donor in time. And here all these people were putting their lungs on display for the picking. She sighed and exited the room. She needed sleep, Tsunade was right to usher her out of the hospital.

She smiled at Sasuke as she passed him on the waiting room; she sent him a wink letting him know that everything was going well. He nodded in response his mouth tilting shyly upwards. Just a couple more hours Fugaku. Hang in there for couple more hours she encouraged the man in her mind as she pushed the doors open stepping into the busy streets. She checked her watch, a little past ten. If she was lucky she could catch a couple of hours of sleep before she will have to go back to the hospital. As soon as a compatible match will be found and Fugaku's state will be well enough to survive another surgery they will proceed with the transplant. Both interventions were highly classified and only a handpicked group of medics were allowed in the OR. Sakura along with Shizune were part of them. It was no surprise that she'll have to be there for the transplant.

She yawned loudly as she approached her apartment building. She was about to turn the key in the lock when she was roughly tackled to the floor. She was about to push the heavy body off of her when she recognized the long silky hair behind the familiar feline mask.

"Itachi?" she whispered taking in his appearance. His damp, dirty hair was sticking to his neck, his pale skin and his hallow eyes told Sakura that he probably didn't eat or sleep in the last 24 hours. She sensed his muscles trembling, no doubt from the enormous effort he made. He was most likely so tired that he couldn't land properly and crashed on top of her.

"S-Sakura?" he choked out his voice cracking with dread. Gathering up the last of her powers she hoisted him up supporting his larger frame with her smaller one.

"He's doing fine so far, the next couple of hours will be decisive." Itachi merely nodded not trusting his voice to speak anymore. He sighed in relief and collapsed exhausted into the medic's arms. Having expected as much Sakura adjusted his position on her shoulder and carried him into her small apartment. She didn't have enough strength to take him to the compound, but to her couch... that she could manage even in her state. She used the remnants of her chakra to check for injuries but didn't find any. With a satisfied nod she leaned her head on the margin of the sofa and allowed herself to fall into a deep dreamless slumber.

That was exactly the image Sasuke was presented with when he came to fetch Sakura for the transplant. His father responded nicely to the treatment and pulled through the critical 24 hours. Finding a donor among the Uchiha clan was easy enough, it was harder to convince the stubborn men that they didn't have to offer both of their lungs and that people could live perfectly well with just one. So Tsunade quickly dispatched the boy to get Sakura so that she could put an end to all this and "get all these damn Uchiha's" out of her hospital.

Sasuke blinked a couple of times unsure of how to act. There she was, the woman that proclaimed her vivid hate towards his brother, currently kneeling in front of the sofa, her head resting on the margin, in deep sleep, while his probably sexually confused aniki was turned on his side, facing her, with his arms lightly hugging the girl's head. The boy shook his head and took a couple of steps towards them. He kneeled in front of his friend and tapped her shoulder.

Groggy emerald eyes fluttered open as Sakura focused on the person in front of her, her vision still blurry from sleep. She quickly recognized Sasuke and with a gasp raised herself to her feet. The latter man leaned casually against the arm of the sofa and smirked.

"He's doing fine. Tsunade's prepping him for the second surgery. She asked for you." With eyes wide open Sakura pulled him into a bear hug grinning from ear to ear. She snapped her head in the direction of the older Uchiha who was slowly coming to his senses. She had completely forgotten about him. She made a step towards him, her hands glowing with her green chakra. She wanted to make sure he was alright when she saw Sasuke's fist colliding with his brother's head promptly knocking him out.

She starred incredulously at the grinning man before her suddenly feeling afraid for Itachi's wellbeing.

"Don't worry." Sasuke was quick to dismiss her with a flick of his hand. "Brotherly love" he muttered as he took a sit on the armrest gesturing for her to live.

"I'll stay here until he wakes up and explain everything to him. We'll drop by the hospital later." Sakura sighed in defeat not having the time to argue with him. And the brat knew it perfectly well judging by the smug look on his face. She had to go.

"Fine! Just don't cause any unnecessary damage!" She threatened him pointing a slender finger to Itachi and disappeared in a puff of smoke. As soon as she left Sasuke turned his attention back to his bother.

"You can wake up now. She's gone." He smirked at his glaring brother as he begrudgingly sat up straight in the sofa.

"We need to talk aniki." Sasuke's smirk fell and he faced his brother's glare dead on.

"Now is not the time little brother."

"If you really want her, Itachi, I can help you." The older man's eyes snapped towards his brother's carefully contemplating face. He raised his eyebrows in response and waited. Now _that _caught his attention.

_**As always feel free to review and tell me what you think! Sorry for the mistakes you will encounter in this chapter, I fixed as much as I could. It really hard to do the proofreading when you're the author. You always skip words because you already know what is going to happen. Very nasty habit...**_


	6. Chapter 6

A touch of imagination

Chapter 6

'_A man should solve Sakura's problems.' _Kakashi's words still echoed in his mind as he stared at his brother, carefully calculating his words.

"If you really want her, Itachi, I can help you." He stated and watched his brother's narrowed eyes snapping in his direction. 'He's interested. Good.' Sasuke thought as he analyzed him.

"Why would you do that?" Itachi saw no reason to deny his affections as he stared suspiciously at his sibling. Sasuke remained silent for a moment, his gaze shifting to the ground as if he was fighting himself. Finally, he sighed and clasped his hands on his knees, still not raising his eyes from the floor.

"You two have issues. Well, at least from Sakura's point of view." Itachi snorted. That much he already knew. He made a move to stand but stopped when Sasuke scowled at him.

"She's in trouble nii-san." Sasuke's voice wasn't higher than a whisper but it was enough for the skilled ANBU captain to hear. Taking his silence as a cue to continue, the younger Uchiha took a deep breath as he began his story.

"You know that she is seeing a therapist, right?" He stared a little uncertain, waiting for a confirmation from him. Itachi inclined his head. Of course he knew what was going on with his team. What kind of captain did Sasuke think he was?

"Well, this last therapist of hers asked her to write stories as a mean to vent her anger instead of... uhh...destroying stuff. Many of her stories are centered around you." He waited a couple of seconds, letting the information sink in. The man in question merely raised an eyebrow. He already knew what those stories were about. He was careful to hide his displeasure of being reminded of them behind his usual emotionless facade.

"They are not very...positive?" Itachi almost laughed at his choice of description but skillfully hid it by cleaning his throat. He fixed him with an impatient stare and tapped his fingers on the armrest. "Where are you going with this?"

Sasuke scratched the back of his head uncomfortably as he shifted in place.

"You two need to fix whatever differences you have. Aniki, I know you're interested in her otherwise you wouldn't be acting around her the way you have been lately, and Sakura doesn't seem to be very happy with your attention." He finished talking, his eyebrows knitted together in thought, his concern visible on his face. "So I'm going to tell you the reasons why she feels this way."

"Why the sudden change of mind?" The Uchiha heir asked him knowing fully well how overprotective the three men from Team 7 were in regards of their only female member. Whatever reason it was, it had to be bad for Sasuke to approach him like this. He watched his otouto's expression turn dead serious and for the first time since he opened the subject he looked him in the eyes.

"If she fails next week's evaluation she is going to be suspended from all active duty. She is foolishly stubborn aniki, she will fail it." Itachi's eyes widen in surprise. He wasn't aware of that. His hands fisted in anger. As the team's captain he should have been informed of this! He closed his eyes, his mind going through all the possibilities he had left. He was not about to lose such a capable medic. Not if he had a saying in this.

"Speak, Sasuke." He commanded, his full attention now fixed on the man before him as he took another deep breath preparing himself for a rather long talk. '_The things I do for friendship.'_

* * *

"Nice job everybody!" Tsunade's voice echoed in the O.R. as she peeled the bloody scrubs off and pushed the doors open with her foot. "Get some sleep. You've earned it." She gestured towards her two apprentices as they watched the still sedated Fugaku be carried to the Recovery Room.

"Sakura, I believe you'll let the family know?" Tsunade asked over her shoulder, throwing a quick glance to her student who just grinned tiredly, rubbing her stiff shoulders.

"Hai. Hai." She waved the woman goodbye, knowing that she must have had enough Uchiha's to last her for an year. Tsunade gave her an appreciative smile as she motioned Shizune to follow. The brunette jounin was in the middle of instructing the nurses with Fugaku's care.

"Let me or Sakura know if anything occurs." She stared intently at the head nurse warning her not to take this lightly. Only after the woman gave a nod of agreement did she turn on her heels and joined the Hokage, waving a quick goodbye to her fellow apprentice.

"Later." Sakura muttered as she covered a yawn with her hand. She threw her hands in the air and stretched, moaning in contempt when her joints snapped into place. She couldn't wait to sleep, but as it was, she won't be able to leave the hospital. She didn't trust leaving Sasuke's father alone even if the surgery went smoothly. She wanted to be sure if anything were to happen, she would be there to help. She sighed. Sleeping in the comatose guy's room it is then, it's not like he'd mind the company.

However she first had to share the news with Fugaku's family. The medic covered another yawn with her hand as she pushed open the doors to the waiting room. She was immediately approached by stern looking, dark haired heads and she mentally groaned. Faking her best polite smile, she clasped her hands behind her back and called for Mikoto-san, who she was sure didn't leave the hospital since her husband was signed it. As expected, the slender form of Mikoto Uchiha emerged from the sea of sharingan wielders and, with worried eyes, waited for Sakura to speak.

"The surgery went well Mikoto-san, he has been moved to the Recovery Room where he will be kept under surveillance to make sure that his body doesn't reject the new lung. As it is, he should probably be able to leave the hospital in two weeks or less." She smiled kindly at the teary woman and allowed her to pull her in a tight hug which she gladly reciprocated. She loved that woman and seeing her so happy was worth all the trouble they went through.

"You can see him now, if you want to. He is still under the anesthetic but he should be waking up soon. I'll have a nurse escort you there." The Uchiha matriarch thanked her again and left with the nurse towards the Recovery Room, hushed whispers and the sounds of multiple footsteps departing followed her departure as the Uchiha clan's men scattered from the halls. After the room emptied Sakura plopped into a nearby chair, her head leaning against the wall. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, the smell of medicine and disinfectant filling her nostrils.

"Thank you Sakura." She didn't turn her head, nor did she make any movement to acknowledge her friend as he sat beside her. She felt another presence leaning on her left and she already knew who it was. Uchiha Itachi.

"Anytime Sasuke." She answered exhausted as sleep threatened to overtake her. She stubbornly rubbed her eyes not wanting to slumber in front of her taichou and opened them slowly to gaze at his tall figure. He was staring at her with an unreadable expression, making Sakura uncomfortable. She greeted him politely and stared at his hand which was holding a chocolate filled donut. She gulped following the delicious dessert as he brought it to his lips and took a bite from it, licking the excess of chocolate smeared across his upper lip. Her left eye twitched. He raised an eyebrow at her and the medic's cheeks turned scarlet at having been caught ogling her superior. She heard him chuckle before a small bag was placed in her lap. Sakura stared at it as if expecting it to blow.

"Well done." He praised her with a soft smile and lightly patted her head before turning around and padding towards the exit doors. With her cheeks bright red she stared at his tall, retreating figure in amazement. Being complimented by him felt oddly _nice_ she realized with a smile. Her eyes fell back onto the forgotten paper bag on her lap. She blinked. 'Wait a minute…'

"Did your brother just treat me like a damn dog?!" She barked out at the remaining Uchiha. She grabbed Sasuke by the collar and brought him closer to her face. Sasuke groaned prying her hand away from his shirt. '_Smooth Itachi…'_

"Don't drag me into this…" He muttered as an excuse and swiftly followed his brother's footsteps.

Sakura grabbed the paper bag and aimed for his chicken butthead hair. As if sensing the danger, the man disappeared before the projectile could be fired. Sakura huffed and plopped back into the chair. She raised the "reward" in front of her eyes and glanced inside. She blinked at the innocent looking chocolate filled donut.

She shrugged and brought it to her lips. She took a big bite from the delicious bakery and closed her eyes in pure bliss. If he would keep showering her with sweets she mind change her mind about him. She chuckled, she was so easy to buy sometimes…

* * *

"Good news Uchiha-sama, your immune system is healing well and there are no signs of it rejecting the lung. You should be out of here in a couple of days." Sakura cheerfully smiled at the old man watching her sternly from his hospital bed. He kept staring at her and Sakura fidgeted with the chart in her hands.

Ever since he woke up he had requested that Sakura Haruno, one of the medic nins that helped save his life, will supervise his recovery. Tsunade had first recommended Shizune, the woman having more experience than Sakura, but the man immediately rejected it stating that he was familiar with the pink haired medic and trusted her more. "_As you wish."_ she had said with a shrug not really caring which one of her apprentices took care of him. She equally trusted them and as long as it wasn't Tsunade, herself, nursing the man, the Hokage was more than happy to assign the job to her young student.

But now, Sakura wished she wouldn't have been bestowed with such great honor...

"Ano...is there something wrong Uchiha-sama?" She asked fighting the urge to shrink under his scrutinizing gaze. What was with him? Fugaku shook his head and gave her an awkward, half smile.

"Thank you for your work Haruno-san, but you shouldn't spend so much time in the hospital. Your boyfriend will be worried." Sakura unconsciously took a step back. That weird gleam in his eyes made her feel uneasy. In spite of her better judgement, she responded with her own polite smile.

"It's alright. There isn't anyone to worry anyway." She quietly slipped out the door and closed it with a soft click, missing the satisfied look on his face as Fugaku smirked for himself.

"Is that so?" His eyes sharply flew towards the window where the flare of a well known chakra announced the arrival of a visitor. His eyes narrowed as he granted him entrance. He stared expectantly at the tall, slim figure clad in the standard Uchiha Police uniform. The newcomer deactivated his sharingan in sign of respect to his leader and bowed in front of the man.

"Did you manage to get it?" Fugaku asked not bothering to greet his subordinate. Inabi nodded his head and handed him a manila folder.

"This is all the information we could get from our sources." He gestured towards the folder, his brows creasing in puzzlement as he voiced his question.

"Taichou, why are you interested in this particular woman?" Fugaku raised his eyes from the file and gave the man a sharp look, reprimanding him for questioning his motives. Inabi's cheeks flushed in embarrassment and bowed his head in apology. With a curt nod Fugaku dismissed him and Inabi vanished from the room. Left alone to his own musings and the information he had requested he opened the file and carefully read its contents.

_Sakura Haruno_

_Age: 19; born on March 28_

_Blood type: O_

_Daughter of Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno, began her apprenticing in medical ninjutsu under Tsunade Senju at the age of twelve._

_[...]_

"Good...Good. Just as I thought. She is the perfect candidate for what I have in mind." He chuckled as he continued reading, committing every detail to his memory for later usage. Despite what most people might think, Uchiha Fugaku was a practical man.

The Uchiha clan has been inbreeding for as long as he knew and, as the clan's head, Fugaku learned everything he could about consanguinity.

He even tested it on pigeons, and the results were rather unpleasing to say the least.

For them, inbreeding was the only viable option to strengthen their sharingan and keep outsiders from possessing it, however if not carefully monitored or if used for too long without infusing new blood the quality of the offsprings would rapidly decline and the last thing Fugaku wanted was a clan full of useless, sick shinobis that would put to shame the Uchiha name. He scoffed. He could already see the results of consanguinity in his own children, whereas they were brilliant fighters, Itachi - the prodigy of the clan - has always been prone to sickness as a child and there were moments when Fugaku wondered about Sasuke's mental stability. He sighed. For the sake of his clan's future he will break the embedded law of marrying inside the clan. He will infuse new blood and he will start with one Haruno Sakura.

He spared a glance at the closed file on his lap. Now, the question was: which of his sons should he manipulate into marrying the woman?

**A.N. As always many thanks to NJ Sandman who beta-read this and kept bugging me to write! I probably wouldn't have written it without her. Damn my laziness...**


	7. Chapter 7

A touch of imagination

chapter 7

"Time is running out, Tsunade-hime." Elder Koharu sternly reminded the busty Hokage. On the elder woman's left, Homura nodded his head in agreement.

Tsunade clicked her tongue at the foreboding presence of the council members, ruining her mood. They didn't come out here for a courtesy call, this Tsunade knew very well. The old geezers waddled out of their offices just to to show off their power and how her young apprentice's fate lay in their hands.

"Sakura will not fail the exam." Tsunade returned easily, pushing the door to the hospital clinic open.

Koharu smiled serenely, a contradiction to her antagonist like behavior. "Yes, yes. However, if your student does fail, not only will she be removed from active duty as a shinobi, but also her position as an S-class medic too will be revoked." This new piece of information stopped Tsunade in her tracks. She turned towards the unnerving elders, rage sweeping her features as she glared them down with all her might.

"Have you already forgotten that she was part of the team that saved Uchiha Fugaku's life, no more than a couple of days ago?! The hospital needs her, and so does the village!" She barked out, the Hokage's chakra flowing around her menacingly. Hotaru held a hand up to silence her.

Fearing that she might make matters worse for her student if she argued, the Hokage held her tongue and walked down the corridor leading to Sakura's office. Tsunade smirked when her honey coloured orbs fell upon three very familiar figures. Sensing her approach, Naruto loudly greeted her in his usual cheerful way.

"I think I broke my leg when sparring with teme, baa-chan! I came here so Sakura can fix it for me." He grinned from his chair pointing at his bloody leg, where the clothing was shredded apart.

"No one asked you anything Dobe."

"Anyone can heal your broken leg. There are plenty of reliable medics here, not only Haruno." Hotaru announced, her strict voice seeping with irritation.

Naruto turned his eyes and stared at her.

"No. It has to be Sakura." He stated in his most serious tone before turning his face away and waiting patiently for the door to open and to be called inside his friend's office.

"What about you, Uchiha?" The Hokage asked the stoic youngster sitting cross legged. Not sparing them a glance, Sasuke just pointed to the black and blue bruise that marked his cheek. Tsunade snorted and slid her gaze to the quiet silver haired jounin. Kakashi just shrugged, too busy reading to look up from his hentai novel.

Tsunade laughed and turned to the elders still waiting by her side. They were definitely not expecting this display of loyalty from the rest of Team 7. The clinic's door opened once more, revealing two new people. Tsunade's eyebrows rose in mild surprise.

In walked Shisui and the man behind Sakura's overactive imagination. This just served as proof that the pink haired medic undoubtedly had the Uchiha clan's support. A clan that not even the council dared to oppose.

"Very well.." Homura begrudgingly stated and turned away leaving the hospital with Kotaru in tow.

Tsunade smirked and sent the shinobi gathered in the hallway a knowing look.

"Don't take too much of her time." She called over her shoulder and returned to her office.

Sakura had all the support she needed at the moment. Tsunade pretended not to see how Naruto jumped to his feet claiming to go first, ignoring his _injured _leg.

"Idiot! You're supposed to have a broken leg!" Sasuke hissed, glaring at hyper blond.

"Oh, right. ― _Owww_! It hurts! It hurts so bad!" Naruto fake moaned in pain, falling to the floor. Sasuke facepalmed, while Shisui burst into laughter, elbowing his quiet cousin. Itachi sighed.

"Who the _hell _is making all this noise outside my office?" Sakura opened the door and gave her long time friend a reprimanding stare. Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Sakura shook her head, looked at the state everyone was in and beckoned them all inside so she could tend to their 'wounds'.

"Why can't you visit me at the hospital, like a normal person would? There's no need to get yourselves injured." Sakura slapped Naruto behind the head and finished wrapping his last bandage, before healing Sasuke's bruise.

"But where's the fun in that, Sakura-chan?" The medic rolled her eyes and ushered her teammates outside, already used to their antics. Her former sensei waved at her in farewell before wishing her good luck on the upcoming exam. Sakura smiled, knowing that in their own twisted way they were offering her their support. She shook her head then turned towards the remaining shinobi in her office.

The medic raised her eyebrow wondering why they were here. As if hearing her question, Shisui stepped forward and plopped himself on the examining table she kept in the office and gestured to his head.

"Itachi got me in the head this morning during our spar, and I think might have a concussion. Won't you make feel better?" He winked at her at suggestively, leaning over so he could trace a line below her jaw with a finger. Standing in the corner, Itachi cleared his throat. Shisui pouted and sent his cousin an irritated look. Rolling her eyes, Sakura him sent out healing chakra into his head only to retract her hand a moment later.

"You're fine." She scribbled something on his chart, a small, slightly evil smirk tugging at her lips.

Shisui jumped from the table and casually made his way to the door. "You're the best Sakura-chan!" He called before body flickering out of the hospital. The pink haired medic sighed then turned her attention to her last patient.

"What can I do for you Uchiha-san?" She inquired unsure. Yes, she knew that her friends were perfectly capable of feigning wounds and emergencies just so they could see her at work, but Itachi? Never.

Itachi glanced at her contemplatively before speaking.

"I am injured." He stated slowly eyeing the woman in front of him. Sakura gasped, mentally reproaching him for keeping silent all this time. Worry laced her green orbs when Sakura approached him, her hands glowing green. It had to have been serious for the all too powerful ANBU captain to seek her out willingly.

"Where?" She asked confused. There was no blood staining his clothes, no stiffness in his posture, no strenuous breathing, his complexion was normal and his pupils didn't indicate anything out of the ordinary. Cold sweat rolled down her temple. Her eyes followed his hand when Itachi raised it and gestured towards his cheek.

Sakura's jaw fell to the floor and she stared at the infuriating man in front of her. For a second she forgot that he was her taichou, her superior, and sent him a look that clearly spoke 'Are you a fucking idiot?' Itachi smirked thoroughly amused by her reaction and rose an inquiring eyebrow.

"That's a scratch from a kunai."

"..."

"Was it poisoned?"

"No." Sakura wanted to mentally smack herself at the stupidity of the situation.

"Right. Well, we can't have the almighty Uchiha Itachi wonder around the village with a cut on his perfect, gorgeous face, now can we?" She replied sarcastically taking a step closer and placing her healing hand on his cheek. Itachi's smirk grew wider, his eyes watching her in wild amusement.

She was about to pull her hand away when Itachi's larger one grasped her wrist in his. Her green, confused orbs flew to his serious dark ones and Sakura froze under his hard stare.

"Don't bend to the council's wishes."

"I can deal with a mere psychological test." Sakura remarked dryly, but she felt Itachi tighten his grip on her wrist thus forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"What about your therapist?" His question had Sakura flinch and advert her eyes ashamed. She was confident enough that she could easily pass the exam, however Tadashi had the final saying considering how he was the one monitoring her progress. And he will never give his consent.

Itachi sighed and released her hand. It fell limp by Sakura's side. The Uchiha heir stepped closer to her and reached his hand around her head, pulling her to his chest. She didn't fight it.

"You won't get suspended. Not if I have a say in this." He assured her and rested his chin on the crown of her head. He heard her apology, muffled by his shirt, and felt her body trembling. Itachi's other hand rubbed her back soothingly until he she stopped shaking. Only then did Itachi removed his hands and stepped back, allowing her some space.

"Don't get out of shape, Haruno. You'll be back with our team in due time." He vowed then walked away, leaving a blushing pinkette in his wake.

Only when she was alone in the office did Sakura dare allow her thoughts to absorb what happened. The medic groaned in mortification. There was no way she was attracted to Uchiha Itachi!

* * *

**A.N. **I know this is a rather short chapter for the long wait but it seemed like a good point to end it so yeah... The next chapter might be a short one too, but I'll try to make it up in the future! Probably...

Once again many thanks to **NJ Sandman **for beta-reading this!


	8. Chapter 8

**A touch of imagination**

**`Chapter 8`**

Wide cerulean eyes stared worriedly at the neat writing presented to him, the luminescent ray of the flashlight he was holding betrayed his shaking hands. He regretted not having asked to read it before they broke into the office. Naruto gulped and made a move to loosen his collar. He glanced at the expecting, impatient face of the woman by his side and then back at the paper he held in his hands. He opened his mouth wanting to speak but closed it when his vocal chords refused to function.

"So? Tell me what you think already!" Blue doll like eyes narrowed into slits as Ino crossed her arms in front of her chest, staring Naruto down. The man shook his head, running a distressed hand through his hair.

"This is too much Ino! We said we'll just steal Sakura's newest entry and replace it to make her therapist believe she is making progress. But this is jumping to the other extreme! We can't possibly use _this_!" Naruto yelled his disapproval though his plea fell on deaf ears. Ino scoffed in displeasure as the flashlight was pointed straight to her eyes and shoved Naruto's hand to the side.

"Shut up Naruto! I don't expect you to know anything about a woman mind's inner workings!" Ino smirked proudly, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"But there is no way Sakura-chan would want the bastard's brother to run his hands over her XXX, kiss her XXX, and make her scream while he XXX and XXX her! That's...that's like a chapter from Pervy-sage's book!" His loud protests outburst was quickly discarded by Ino as she waved her free hand around. She rolled her eyes as she turned her smug gaze towards him.

"Tch, any sane woman will think that after being close to that devilishly sexy man." Naruto stared at her in slight disgust, already regretting asking the woman for help. Ino glared at him in return before a smirking and snatching the paper from his hand.

"Plus Naruto, it's too late to change anything now." Ino added as she skillfully unlocked Tadashi's drawer and pulled out a manila folder with 'Haruto Sakura' written in bold on the cover. Harboring a dejected look, Naruto sighed and watched as Ino replaced the stories and returned the folder to its designed place. She locked the drawer making sure not to leave any evidence of their presence there behind and they disappeared out the window.

* * *

The sudden knock on the door disturbed Tadashi from his musings. His eyes rose from the files scattered on his desk and he beckoned the visitor to come in. Ibiki's apprentice stared, confused at the infamous ANBU captain standing in the middle of the room. He leaned back in his chair trying not to show how intimidating he actually found the man to be.

"Is there anything I may help you with Uchiha-san?" Tadashi asked politely, taking in the man's stiff shoulders and glaring eyes.

"I'm here to speak about Haruno-san." Tadashi's lips lifted into a sly smirk and he made an 'Oh' sound, his left hand coming to rest on said person's manila file.

"Ah. I was just about to read her latest entry and make my report whether or not she is suited for active duty." His smirk turned into a twisted grin as Tadashi offhandedly opened the file. Itachi stepped forward, and before Tadashi could protest, the esteemed ANBU captain took the file from his hands.

The therapist bolted from his seat and slammed his hands on the table, glaring at the Uchiha.

"You do not have the authority to do this!" Tadashi exclaimed. One warning glare from the prodigy was enough to halt any further action.

Itachi ignored the man and returned to the newest entry he was reading. Itachi gulped, feeling his mouth go dry.

He would have never guessed that Sakura thought of him in that way. He closed the folder and cleared his throat regaining some of his composure. Tadashi stared, speechless at the flustered look on the formidable ANBU's face.

Itachi turned on his heel, not paying any attention to Tadashi's loud demands to return the folder.

The young man sighed in dejection and plopped back in his seat. He wasn't one to cross Uchiha Itachi, not if he could help it. Plus he had already decided to pass the Haruno girl, if only to get the crazy woman out of his life. He sighed again and closed his eyes focusing on a world without pink haired demons and Uchiha glaring devils.

* * *

After storming out of Tadashi's office, Itachi's first thoughts were to race to Sakura and confront her. However, he refrained himself and rubbed the bridge of his nose to ease his migraine. He would return home and think his options until morning, when his mind will be clear.

Itachi only managed to take a few steps inside the compound before being approached by Inabi, his father's favorite lackey. The man stopped in front of Itachi and bowed, informing him of his father's wish to see him as soon as possible. Interest piqued and eyebrow raised, Itachi gave the elder man a curt nod and jumped to the rooftops.

A few minutes later, Itachi silently slid the shoji door of the tearoom open and was greeted by his father. Though he did not let it show, Itachi was surprised to also see Sasuke waiting in the room as well. He felt an uncomfortable knot form in his stomach. Itachi stopped beside his younger brother, throwing him a questioning look. Sasuke just shrugged.

Fugaku cleared his throat eyeing his nervous sons, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Itachi. Sasuke. I have requested your presence here for a very delicate subject that I feel needs to be discussed at once."

Pause.

"As you both know, my health has not been the greatest in the past few months, reminding me of my duty I have as your father and as head of the clan, so I am afraid that this matter can not be delayed any longer." Fugaku's eyes burned in a silent determination that had the two brothers itching to step back.

"What is this about, otou-san?" Itachi's collected voice echoed in the silent room.

"Marriage." The man stated simply, focusing discreetly in on his son's reactions. Itachi's brow visibly twitched, while Sasuke stiffened in his seat. In need of an escape, Sasuke quickly excused himself, stating that he was late for a mission debriefing. The young Uchiha left without another word.

Itachi scowled in irritation, but quickly came up with a response of his own.

"I'm already courting someone, otou-san."

His father's eyes narrowed in suspicion, no doubt expecting another ruse from him to avoid the dreaded subject of marriage.

"And who is this person that has captured your attention?"

Not one to be intimidated, Itachi stood tall under his father's scrutinizing gaze..

"Haruno Sakura." He stated so confident and sure that Fugaku blinked in surprise.

"Do as you wish."

For a few seconds Itachi just stared at his father, wondering if the disease has compromised the man's sanity as well. Itachi, unsure, for the first time in a long while, of what to do in a situation, silently excused himself from his father's room. When the door slid shut, Fugaku leaned back on his pillows and smirked.

"That's my boy."

* * *

**A.N.** Many thanks and virtual cookies to **NJ Sandman** who beta-read this and reminded me to move my lazy ass and work on my update.

I know it's a short chapter but the update came pretty quick, right? Right? *laughs nervously*

Anyway! Read and review people!


	9. Chapter 9

"So, Forehead… not to be a bitch or anything but…For how long are you going to keep hiding in my room?" Ino's voice trailed as she plopped on her soft mattress, staring hard at her best friend and rival. Sakura glared at her not saying a word as she pulled the blanket tighter around herself. Ino sighed.

"You passed! Shouldn't you be out there celebrating and not curled on my bed and using my blanket as a defense shield!" The blonde reprimanded Sakura and made a move to yank the annoying, fluffy material from her body. Just like a cornered dog Sakura barred her teeth at her friend.

Ino retreated her hand.

Her eye twitched as she glared at the gloomy presence on her bed.

Another sigh.

"You need to leave tonight." Sakura raised an eyebrow in question.

"I'm serious."

"..."

"Kiba and I are having dinner together to celebrate our first anniversary." Sakura regarded her friend with a blank expression. Ino felt her already frail patience dissipating.

"There will be no clothes involved at the end of the night Forehead." Ino gave her a pointed look and Sakura blushed, burying deeply under the blanket. Her eyes shifted to the closet door then back to the Yamanaka seething in front of her.

"No! You cannot hide inside my closet!" Ino snarled, her fisted hands shaking in rage. Sakura pouted.

"God damn it! Is it because Itachi invited you to dance when you went to celebrate your reinstatement as a shinobi?" Sakura's eyes widen in surprise and stared mouth agape at smirking woman.

"Oh yes. I know everything about your little stiff, robotic performance. I thought you were a better dancer than that. Was being held in Itachi's arms so overwhelming for your tiny, little brain Forehead?" Ino's smirk turned into a cheshire grin when she noticed the prominent blush colouring Sakura's cheeks.

"Or was it maybe the way he keeps walking you home or joining you for lunch on your breaks." A whimper was heard from under the blanket as the blonde kept enumerating her weird encounters with the raven haired male. She wasn't supposed to know about all that.

"Isn't it curious how he seems to be everywhere around you lately?" Ino continued and leaned closer to the frozen medic. She smirked to herself preparing to deliver her final blow. As much as she would have wanted to probb the woman for more juicy details regarding her relationship with the Uchiha, she needed to get Sakura out of her home and prepare for the much awaited date tonight.

"How about I cancel the dinner and you and I can have a nice girl talk about it?" She dragged herself closer and draped her arm over the pinkette's stiff shoulders. A horrified gasp escaped Sakura's lips as she turned her frightened gaze towards a grinning Ino.

Sakura shook her head violently before attempting to leap from the bed. She regretted wrapping the blanket around herself as she tripped over it and stumbled to the floor with a menacingly grinning Ino looming over her.

Being a sensor type has always proved to be useful for Ino. Especially now, she thought as she sensed the chackra signature of a certain ANBU captain near her home. She launched forward and grasped the ends of the blanket, trapping Sakura in. As fast as she could, Ino run to her front door and yanked it open coming face to face with a mildly surprised Uchiha Itachi, right hand raised and ready to knock.

"Here!" Ino shoved the hand-made blanket bag containing the body of her best friend and slammed the door closed not even bothering to greet the man. Itachi blinked in confusion his gaze falling to whatever it was he was holding in his arms.

The squirming of whoever was wrapped in the blanket caused one corner of the material to fall and a mop of tousled pink hair surfaced. Emerald eyes stared into amused charcoal orbs and Itachi watched as a slender hand came out and grabbed the bed cover. In one swift movement in was draped back over the girl's face, cocooning herself away from the world.

Itachi sweatdropped before shaking his head, a deep chuckle rumbling through his torso as he cradled the woman into his arms careful not to drop her and made his way towards the nearest dango restaurant.

After watching the scene unfold before her very eyes with a smile on her face, Ino allowed the curtain to fall and opened the door to her fridge ready to prepare a delicious dinner. She would have to thank Shisui later for all the information he had provided her with.

* * *

Two days earlier.

"What guarantee do I have that your intel is genuine?" Blue eyes narrowed in suspicion as Ino eyed the smirking Uchiha in front of her. Shisui shook his head in fake hurt manner reprimanding the blonde for her harsh words.

"Now, now Ino-chan have I ever offered you untruthful information?" Ino regarded him with caution for another minute before sighing in defeat. Shisui always provided her with reliable information. She didn't have any reason to doubt him now. But still…

"Why would you tell me something like this?" A shadow flickered over his eyes as not long ago memories resurfaced.

"I'm sorry, can you please repeat that?" Uchiha Shisui asked in disbelief as he stared at the ANBU's surrounding him. The ANBU captain took a step forward and repeated his instructions.

"Uchiha Shisui, under the orders of our Hokage we are to escort you to the hospital and keep you under surveillance until the physical procedures that you are scheduled for are completed."

"And what physical procedures would those be?" The Uchiha glared at the four shinobi circling him, cursing under his breath for exhausting his chakra reserves during his training. Voice laced with amusement and something akin to compassion, the captain spoke again.

"You are scheduled for a cystoscopy and rectal examination. Haruno-san's orders." The other ANBU operatives snickered in response. Shisui's eyes bulged out of their sockets remembering the sadic smile the woman had on her face when she wrote his chart. He made a move to flee but was too slow and his slim body was tackled to the floor, the muscular figure of the ANBU quickly incapacitating him.

"That damn witch!" Shisui cursed as he struggled against his captors, dragging him to the hospital.

His left eye twitched madly and a evil grin distorted his handsome features. Ino felt a chill run down her spine.

"No reason at all…" He drawled his voice and cackled maniacally before straightening his pose and bowing in farewell. Shisui body flickered leaving a speechless Yamanaka behind.

* * *

Present Day

The sweet fragrance of the anko dumplings presented in front of her had Sakura's mouth salivate. If it weren't for the fact that she was sitting in front of Uchiha Itachi, her esteemed taichou and the man who had more or less carried her around Konoha streets folded in a blanket she would have stuffed her mouth with the sweet delicacy. But as it was, Sakura resigned herself to staring at her plate.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened back at Yamanaka-san?" Sakura's eye twitched in annoyance at being reminded of it. She glanced at his delicate finger pointing at the offending object, carefully folded beside her, and Sakura shrugged.

"She wanted me out." Temptation and the deep grumble of her stomach got the best of her and Sakura reached for a stick with dumplings. She carefully raised it to her mouth and snatched the top one, licking the excess sauce from her lips. Itachi subtly gulped.

"Hn."

A strangely comfortable silence fell between the two, each savouring their desserts. Although Sakura still found their repeated meetings strange and to some degree creepy, Itachi's presence put her at ease. And that had her on edge more than anything. She ran her hand through her hair and sighed tiredly.

"What is the meaning of this Itachi-san?" She addressed the man in front of her leaving out the usual 'taichou' or 'Uchiha-san' she always used. Her mind was too exhausted to care about formalities. On the other side of the table, Itachi's lips twitched into a small smile, obviously pleased by her slip of tongue.

"You looked like you needed a treat." Itachi sent her a small smirk, amusement dancing once again in his eyes. The casual usage of her first name didn't go unnoticed by Sakura and she felt her irritation building up.

"Not this." She pointed at the table they sat at. "What is the meaning of ALL this?" She growled waving her hands around as she glared at her companion expectantly. Itachi merely raised an eyebrow and casually sipped his tea.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No!" Sakura snapped and fisted her hands on the table. With the elegance only Uchiha's seemed to posses Itachi placed his tea cup back, wiped his lips on a napkin and leaned forward, his hands clasped in front of his face, hiding his smirk.

"I am merely courting you Sakura."

'Say what?!'

Itachi almost laughed at the dumbfounded look on her face. Sakura stared at him, her eyes begging her to blink.

"Thank you for the meal Uchiha-san." She simply said and stood up. She turned on her heel and was out of the restaurant faster than one could blink. Itachi sighed and paid for their consummation before giving chase.

Sakura only made it halfway to the hospital when a strong hand grabbed her and her back was slammed into a wall. Hard. She groaned as pain shot through her but didn't have the time to retaliate as a muscular body was pressed against her pinning her to the spot.

"For how long are you going to have me chase after you Sa-ku-ra?" Itachi growled into her ear, his husky voice making her insides twist pleasingly. She tried to break free and push him but his strength and the way he was holding her hands behind her back made her escape impossible.

"Let go of me!" She demanded, raising and turning her head enough so she could glare at him. Itachi chuckled darkly his grip on her hands tightening painfully. He rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I'm a very patient man Sakura, but even I have my limits." He moved his head and looked her in the eyes with so much passion that Sakura felt her mouth go dry. Instinctively she parted her lips and her tongue glided over their surface. Her movements switched Itachi's focus to her mouth and his gaze darkened. Searching her eyes for any sign of resistance he leaned forward and brushed his lips over hers before pressing his lips over hers in a gentle kiss. Unable to fully comprehend what was happening Sakura stood there, frozen in place.

"Kaa-chan, what are onii-chan and onee-chan over there doing?" The innocent query of the child snapped the two shinobi from their trance and Itachi swiftly distanced himself from a blushing, flustered Sakura and puffed out. Left alone in a dark alley with a child and mother staring at her weirdly Sakura faked a smile and stretched her muscles pretending that she was in the middle of training.

"You can't afford to be out of shape." She laughed awkwardly and watched how the woman pulled her son closer and quickly fled the scene. Once they were out of sight Sakura sighed and did the only thing she could think of in this sort of situation. She slammed her chakra infused fist into the wall, making a new door for the dining room of nice elderly couple.

Sakura groaned.

Well fuck. She was back to destroying stuff.

* * *

**Edited! **Yay! Many thanks to **NJ Sandman **for helping correct this!


End file.

Naruto, Humor, Romance