Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

(Way back in time)

The first time Itachi saw her, his little brother's team was over for dinner.

"Itachi! Come meet Sasu-chan's team!" His mother ushered him further inside the living room, motioning him to take his seat at the low table. He heard Sasuke grumbling at his mother for calling him Sasu-chan. Itachi has heard of the members of the team, but never met them face to face.

He knows the blonde boy with the whiskers, son of the Yondaime, Minato, and his mother's best friend, Kushina. He grinned at him, all bright and boisterous, "Hey there, teme's brother!"

He wanted to laugh at the addressal that commenced a banter, punctuated by insults and snide remarks. "Pleased to meet you too, Naruto-san." He replied smoothly, turning to the last member of their team.

It was a girl, pink haired, green eyed and straight spined, sitting stiffly in her seat. He could see her eye twitching at the bickering pair, temper steadily rising at their crass behavior. But he decided to save the pair any further bodily damage, "And you are, miss?"

Instantly, she snapped her eyes back to him, flushing in embarrassment at her lack of greetings to the Uchiha heir, "A-ah, I'm Sakura Haruno, third member of team seven. Nice to meet you."

'Haruno?' Her name didn't quite ring any bell, 'Probably a civilian clan.' He deduced. "Pleased to meet you, Haruno-san." He inclined his head in proper greeting, just as his mother reemerged from the kitchen, holding a tray of teacups and sweets.

"Boys, that's enough ruckus for today."

After the hour of meeting finished and the members went to their respective homes, Itachi too went to his room to freshen up.

He deduced that the personality of the young genins were much as he thought. The Uzumaki was loud and bright and brash, all sunshine and radiant grins. His energy unfailing and determination unwavering.

The girl was good. Polite, delicate, and subtle. She spoke softly to his mother, and then reprimanded the blonde in the same breath. She was a good fit in the team, but uninteresting on her own.

He, however, did notice the rosy blush that would grace her cheeks whenever Sasuke would address her and the way she peeked through her lashes at his brother whenever his made a sarcastic comment.

'Interesting.' He thought in vague musings. He mostly thought it was adorable how she was crushing over his brother, but the less than hidden affection sometimes made him inwardly cringe at the open display.

But his thoughts didn't go further than that. She was just a thirteen-year-old girl in Sasuke's team. Completely unassuming and easily overlooked. Why would he need to concern himself any more than that.

The next time, he saw her at the training ground.

Itachi was quietly sitting in a tree with a packed bento in his hands, attentively watching the spar between the Uzumaki and his brother. They were good, for a genin, but still lacking the honed precision of seasoned shinobis.

He also noticed the pink blob sitting under a tree. She was reading quite a thick book, but her eyes seemed fixated on the match. Or accurately, fixated on one particular participant.

If Itachi hadn't known already, Sasuke was certainly very vocal about his dislike with Sakura's annoying obsession with him whenever asked about his team. So it was hard stopping the second hand embarrassment when he saw her obvious affection for his brother.

"Aniki." Sasuke addressed him as he dropped down in front of the genins laying around under the tree after the spar. He took the stack of bentos filled with onigiri and stir fries, each taking one from the stack.

"How's the training going Otouto?" Itachi asked as he watched the pinkette leaning closer to Sasuke out of the corner of his eyes. Sakura was peeking inside Sasuke's lunchbox, blushing prettily when he swung it away from her.

"It's going good."

Itachi nodded before he nodded his farewell to the team as well as their sensei, who was laying contently on the tree branch, nose stuffed into some very questionable reading material.

He only wished that the girl wouldn't hold the team back as he shunshined away from the ground.

The next time he remembers meeting her, she was sitting beside Kakashi Hatake, head bowed low and refusing to look up. He didn't look at her any longer as he was ushered inside the Hokage office along with his parents, Sasuke was inside too.

They were informed of the mission to Wave gone awry, from C-rank, straight to A. Itachi almost slumped in relief at seeing his brother relatively unharmed and well, even when his mother fussed and fretted over even the minor scratch. But he was happier at seeing the proud smirk and the satisfaction shining in his face, undoubtedly happy for finishing the difficult mission.

And when he felt the pride puffing out his father's chest when Sasuke activated his sharingan, he couldn't have felt better.

However, what he felt strange was the absence of the pink figure outside the office when they exited the room.

Sasuke detailed the mission over the dinner. Apparently, him and the Uzumaki made quite a remarkable duo when determined. They worked together very well, holding up pretty well against the very strong and capable enemy.

However, he was a little disappointed when his brother very strongly mentioned the lack of capability from the pink-haired kunoichi, almost permanently rooted to one spot and very scarcely involved in the battle.

Disappointed, but not much surprised.

And that just reinforced the image of her being wholly unambitious.

…

When he was informed of the attack of the snake sannin on his little brother in the second round of Chunin exams, his heart dropped to his stomach. But he couldn't do anything, no matter how much he wanted to, unless commanded by the Hokage. And that, he was not.

So the first time he saw the damage the slimy snake has caused, it was already really late.

He watched the sand Jinchuriki doubling, tripling in size, sharp tail lashing towards the group of genins bravely, and stupidly, facing against the indestructible beast. He wanted to save them, if not counter the best, then at least take them to safety, but the hordes of sound nins attacking him demanded his attention.

Another mighty roar shook the ground, making him a little unbalanced mid strike. He wanted to end this quickly to go to aid the genins, but it was taking too damn long.

But just then, a beacon of hope came to him, in the form of his team, and he wasn't alone in taking down the sound pests. "Go!" Itachi shot Shisui a grateful look when he was given the signal to leave.

He saw Sasuke heaving and crumpled near a tree, the curse mark pulsing faintly, as was his chakra, dwindling and flickering. He needs to hurry.

But all too suddenly, the spiky tail lashed again, aiming straight for the young Uchiha. 'Shit!' the tail approached the boy, and Itachi's eyes widened, hastening his speed, but an inkling of doubt remained in his mind.

Maybe he wouldn't make it quick enough.

And as if luck decided to have some mercy on him today, he saw a pink blur moving, but distinguishable enough for his sharingan. She poised herself in front of Sasuke, armed with nothing but a measly kunai, ready to bear the most burnt of the blow.

But he made it, and he couldn't have been more thankful that he was fast enough to sweep the pair out of the danger's way in a split second. The comforting weight of the small bodies in his arms lightened the weight in his chest considerably.

"Aniki." The quiet voice of his brother reached him, and he could only smile down at him, "I'm here, otouto." And then his eyes strayed to the wide green eyes that were looking at him in amazement and wonder, and he gave her the same smile as well, "Haruno-san."

He couldn't remember how long the battle actually took, but they were okay, but not the Sandaime. But even then, with almost all Konoha residents and all genins safe, Itachi could finally breathe a sigh of utter relief. And as he took charge of the Uchiha search and rescue police faction, he spared a thought to the pink haired kunoichi.

Even though he still thought of her as unremarkable, he would always be grateful for willing to put herself in front of Sasuke in face of danger.

Though Sasuke addressed her as weak and useless, Itachi thought she was brave.

It had been almost a year since the catastrophe that was the chunin exam, and Konoha was well past the immense damage. Itachi, along with many of his faction's comrade, had been worked to their bone to provide defense against the rogue ninjas and locating the new Hokage.

With the new Hokage; the last surviving Senju, world renowned and most feared medic nin, seated and accommodated as the fifth leader, Itachi had a rare day off after months of grueling workload. It was so relaxing that it was almost suspicious.

Itachi sighed inaudibly when he clutched the bag of dango, sticky with syrup and pillowy soft. But he couldn't dig in just yet, the bachelorette women of Konoha would burst his eardrums with their squeals if they saw the usually apathetic Uchiha heir munching merrily on a sweet stick. Contrary to popular beliefs, Itachi had a major sweet tooth, unlike his brother, who always look ready to burn the dish at even the mention of sweets.

That's when he caught a flash of a familiar pink out of his peripheral vision.

She was sluggishly walking towards his general direction, and interesting enough, his eyes caught a large bruise on her calf, and limp from the said bruise, as well as skin ripped on raw knuckles. Chopped hair messed up, skin rough with dirt and grime and her clothes looking like they have seen better days. She looked like a walking dead.

When she was around twenty feet away from him, that's when she actually noticed him. "Ah, Itachi-san." Sakura addressed him, her voice hoarse and tone exhausted, "How have you been?"

Itachi nodded in greeting and smiled, "I've been good; however, it seems like I should be asking you that, Haruno-san."

Sakura flushed in embarrassment, rubbing a sheepish hand to the back of her head and wincing a little when a piece of hair brushed her knuckles, "Just training. It's not very forgiving."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at that. If he was aware correctly, Kakashi Hatake was currently training Sasuke and Naruto was off with the Toad Sage for his training. Then who was she training with.

"You have a teacher? Or are you training with a peer?"

"I have a teacher. She is a medic nin, and I wanted to learn medical ninjutsu from her." She looked proud, and he mused that it was quite impressive, to be learning medical ninjutsu.

But their conversation had to be halted when a crow summon landed on Itachi, "Sorry, Haruno-san, it seems like I'm being summoned."

Sakura nodded before moving toward the dango stall, "It was nice meeting you, Itachi-san."

Itachi later finds out from his brother that the pinkette had actually been taken under the wing by Tsunade Senju, their Hokage. It was almost startlingly impressive, to having been training under one of the strongest and most powerful ninjas in the world; one of the sannins.

Sasuke's behavior toward his female teammate also changed in the meantime. Before, whenever he was asked about her, he would only remark her as annoying, weak, useless, a crybaby. But now, he actually showed positive annotations.

"She is better; much better. She can heal bruises and also has great chakra control." He has idly remarked at dinner. He was nowhere near showing fond interest, but he wasn't bitter or angry at her anymore.

His words almost rang with respect at her. And that was what interested Itachi.

He sometimes watched their spar during his free times, sometimes also accompanied by Shisui. "We look so creepy." His cousin never failed to mention. If Kakashi ever sensed their presence at a distance from the training ground, which he was certain he did, he never cared.

"I'm just monitoring otouto's training." That wasn't an entire lie, but it wasn't the full truth either.

Shisui rolled his eyes, shifting in his place to sit more comfortably on the high branch of the tree, "Yeah, sure. Because it has nothing to do with his teammate."

Their spar was… interesting. Sasuke was still faster and more precise than her, and their spar almost always resulted in her yielding, but she packs a mean punch and always heals him after their match.

She still wasn't the strongest or the most remarkable person, but she was much like her features, deceptively delicate but very interesting in approach.

…

The most memorable meeting he had with her, had been during the second Chunin exam.

He was stationed next to the Hokage with his cousin on the other side, chakra suppressed and ANBU mask in place. The crowd around the arena was buzzing with excitement in their seats, waiting for the matches to begin. Specifically, one much awaited match, between the youngest Uchiha and the next Kazekage.

Though his ANBU mask and his casual mask of indifference kept anyone from sensing what he was feeling, his insides were still a little jittery at his little brother's absence. He was supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago. However, considering his trainer was Hatake Kakashi and that man would probably be late to his own funeral, they'll just have to wait.

"Calm down man." He heard Shisui whispering to him, his loud disposition hidden well beneath his jaguar mask. Itachi gave a small nod and looked toward the arena when the announcer voice spread through the area, effectively silencing the chatters from the crowd.

The matches were about to begin.

The first few matches were alright, albeit a little boring. Aburame against a Kiri nin, then mist against the Tenten girl. They were entertaining enough, but not enough to keep his attention for long.

But then the next match caught him by surprise. "Haruno Sakura v/s Dosu Kinuta"

If the last chunin exam had made anything known, it was that Sound shinobis are formidable opponents. He knew that his brother's team has made it to the finals, however he hadn't known the opponents. And no matter how much he tried, he couldn't bring himself to believe in the pinkette's chance at victory.

He heard the Raikage talking, "Ah, Hokage-sama, that is your apprentice, isn't she?"

"Yes, Sakura Haruno. She has been training under my wing for a while now."

The Otokage clucked his tongue, "Hmph. A civilian. I don't mean to offend you, Hokage-sama, but I do believe the victory will not be going to Konohagakura this time."

It was actually insulting, the way Konoha's chance at victory was disregarded with a wave of his hand, even though Itachi was doubting the pink genin's skills himself, not a minute ago.

However, the blonde Hokage only chuckled airily. "And no offence to you, Otokage-sama, but I also do believe that Otogakure is in for a surprise."

And what a staggering surprise it was.

'Never judge a book by it's cover' has been honed into him since before he could even talk, as has 'Look underneath the underneath'. And he has never failed those teaching so spectacularly. He would beat himself over his head later for underestimating the small pinkette so sorely.

His sharingan saw the sound nin moving, so fast that normal eye would have trouble catching, but he almost didn't see the drop kick that was delivered by the pinkette. Her petite frame and delicate features deceptive enough to have her opponent misjudge her strength, resulting in a less than graceful jolt to reality.

And after the kick that had her opponent stumbling back, she didn't give him a moment to recover, attacking him with a barrage of punches that crushes the floor arena into a crater and kicks that sent the sound nin crashing into the furthest wall.

The crowd was going wild, their disbelieving cheers deafeningly loud, almost overpowering the painful sound jutsu being used by Dosu. Had it been directed at Itachi, his eardrums would've surely busted by then.

But Sakura held on, pushing through the sound waves that Itachi could see, they were that strong.

His sharingan analyzed every movement Sakura made, all beastly strength and feline grace. Short pink hair wild in the wind and sharp green eyes alight with determination.

Oh how embarrassingly did he undermine her talent.

And after what felt like several hours but all too soon, the battle was over, the most unlikely winner being the only one standing.

Sakura brought a glowing green hand to her ears, eyes unfocused as she watched the Suna medics carrying the sound shinobi away, before being ushered out of the arena herself. Her ears were still bleeding, there were big bruises blooming all over her visible skin and her chakra was dwindling dangerously, very close to flickering out any second.

But she won. Sakura was a chunin now.

Itachi was significantly relieved when his brother arrived, mere minutes before his match.

His match was much-awaited, and it delivered the expected hype around it, stretching longer and longer, as if it would never end. But a last, precise Chidori did well in breaking the sand barrier around Gaara and knocking him out, Sasuke coming around as the winner by the skin of his teeth, before he had to be wheeled away by the medics too.

Even when Itachi was as proud and happy at his brother's victory as he was, it was stifled a little under the bigger shock of the pinkette standing beside the younger Uchiha, receiving her own new chunin jacket and forehead protector.

Sasuke's win was expected, Sakura's was surprising.

And it was then that he decided he would look closer, clearer and further into her. He would never be deceived by her again.

(Present)

The first thing his consciousness signaled him was hazy numbness. His vision was darkened, he couldn't feel his limbs and he barely registered his heart pulsing in his chest and oxygen rushing in through his nostrils, along with the very distinct smell of disinfectant and death. When he awoke further into his consciousness, a steady beeping sound reached him.

He slowly tried to open his eyes, eyelids still too heavy to open them beyond the state of slits. It was dark in the room he was in, and it took his eye a few moments to adjust to his surroundings.

And if the beeping sounds and pungent smell weren't indicative enough to where he was, the too bright white walls certainly would've made it known. He was in the hospital.

He slowly moved his eyes, looking around the space until it landed on a hunched figure sitting on the small couch in front of his bed. He opened his mouth to call out to them, only to gag and cough up painfully. His throat burned.

His head was immediately being supported by someone, a glass of water pressed against his lips as he hastily drank the whole glass. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes more. His vision was still a little blurry but he could tell who it was. It was Sasuke.

"Aniki, you awake?" his voice was hoarse and scratchy, face a little worn and very exhausted. "Are you hearing me right? Can you see me properly?"

Had Itachi not been in his current state, he would've smiled in amusement that the adorable display of concern his brother was making. His throat still hurt, so he couldn't do anything other than nod weakly.

"Stop disturbing him, Sasuke." A new, distinctly feminine voice spoke out from the door. He couldn't see it clearly still, but it was oddly pink.

"I'm not disturbing him." he heard Sasuke grunting in annoyance. He saw the figure getting closer and the image getting clearer, and the pink hair and green eyes that came into his vision made a flash of recognition streak through his mind. It was Sasuke's pink haired teammate, Sakura.

"Hello, Itachi-san." She said so softly that he almost didn't hear her, before he felt a warm chakra coursing through his body, lulling him back to a peaceful sleep. But before he went to sleep, he heard a few hushed exchanges.

"Go home Sasuke. He needs rest."

"I'm not going home. I'm staying here."

"You go home right now or I'm banning you from this room. And yes, I absolutely will do that!"

Before his consciousness completely faded, he could only think that the chakra lulling him back to sleep was so warm and lovely.

Must be the morphine talking.

…

The next time he was awake, he felt much better and much more aware. The room was once again empty except for the form of his brother laying on the small couch, cramped and hunched to fit in and an arm thrown over his eyes.

He tried to move his limbs. The painkillers have worn off and now it only felt the pins and needles in them. He tried to sit up, only to crumple down in pain.

"I would advise against it."

He turned to the new presence in the doorway, dark blue scrubs and pink hair tied up. Sakura gave him a small smile, putting down a cup of tea on the bedside table. "Good morning, Itachi-san. How are you feeling?"

She didn't seem to be waiting for an answer as she didn't even ask him again when he stayed silent, his jaw a bit too sore to be comfortably talking. And Sakura seemed to know that, as she moved a glowing hand to his face, the warmth quickly washing away the pain in his jaw bone.

"So I'll ask again." Sakura pulled out a pen on the clipboard, "How are you feeling, Itachi-san?"

"A bit better." His voice was still scratchy, but at least it didn't hurt.

Sakura smile prettily, jotting down something on the clipboard. "Have some tea. It's chamomile, best for relieving stress and muscle pain." She paused and turned to the sleeping figure on the couch, "Speaking of pain…"

Itachi almost winced at the loud sound of clipboard hitting the head of his brother, the latter scrambling up in urgency. "What the hell!"

Sakura only stared at him with an unimpressive expression, "Get up you doofus. And brush your teeth, you stink."

Itachi watched in mild amusement as Sasuke scowled at the pinkette, rubbing his head as the said pinkette only continued writing on the paper, not the least bothered by the Uchiha currently glaring daggers at her.

"Your stats have been stable enough for a while to be considered safe." Sakura spoke up again, her attention directed to Itachi as Sasuke stood beside his brother, "But you will still need to stay here for at least a week more before we discharge you, and then a few more weeks or regular check-ups and physical therapy." She sighed in relief, "Honestly, with the state you were in when you came here, it's nothing less of a miracle that you will only have minimal long-term effects."

Itachi nodded in gratitude, his eyes and expressions showing nothing less than absolute relief, "Thank you, Sakura-san. And thank Tsunade-sama for me too."

Sakura looked a little confused but nodded nonetheless, but the Itachi asked again, "But what was that damage though?"

"Four broken ribs, dislocated shoulder, a major concussion, and a hairline fracture on your hip bone. Your cranium was also accumulating an abnormal amount of cerebrospinal fluid and your cornea was also quite damaged. But that wasn't even the main concern." At the pair's horrified expression, Sakura continued, "It was gaping hole in your abdomen. Had you been even a minute late, boy, you don't want to know the result."

When the pair remained silent, Sakura just shrugged as if she didn't just traumatize them. "Well, get some rest Itachi-san. Sasuke, visiting hours are over, get out."

When Sasuke still didn't move, Sakura simply grabbed him by the back of his collar and dragged him out of the room, ignoring the choking sounds he was making, "Sleep, Itachi-san."

It was all too amusing to see his tall brother getting dragged out by a pixie like pinkette, but Itachi just innocently waved at the pair as the door shut behind them.

Taking a sip of the warm tea, he distinctly noted the floral note and the almost abnormal sweetness. Just the way he likes it.

…

"Okay, Itachi-san, everything seems good." Sakura swiftly closed the file of the older Uchiha, pulling out the discharge form, "I've prescribed you some painkillers and sleep medications. Consult back if you still have extreme or prolonged pain. Just take this discharge form to the reception and you should be good to go." She gave Itachi a warm smile, closing his file handing a piece of paper to Sasuke.

Itachi just thought that she looked really pretty with a smile.

"Ah, okay." Sasuke grunted before pocketing the prescription for the drugs. Itachi was relieved to go into the familiar setting of his home after weeks of nothing but bland hospital food and whitewashed walls. But the splash of pink that would routinely come to check on him did make the stay more bearable.

"Are you a nurse here, Sakura-san?" Itachi asked in curiosity. Even though she has been checking up on him, he didn't really get her position in the hospital.

The strange looks he received from both Sasuke and Sakura didn't help him, and the look they shared only made it worse. Sakura looked at him weird before looking down at herself, and a look of realization dawned on her face, "Oh that's why!" she took out her ID, clipping it on the breast pocket of her dark blue scrubs.

'Dr, Haruno' it read in bold, blue letters. Below it, read 'Chief executive' and below that, read 'Head surgeon'

Oh. He felt so stupid now, and the way Sasuke was snickering did not help. "I'm sorry, Sakura-san. I hope I didn't offend you."

Sakura chuckled airily, the heat rising to Itachi's cheeks only worsening from embarrassment, "You didn't. Though it's quite funny how you didn't realize my scrubs are different than others."

That almost offended him. "I did realize that. I just assumed that you may have customized your scrubs." That was bullshit, and he knew that. Konoha central wasn't lenient on uniforms, so a nurse customizing her scrubs would surely land her in some trouble.

"Aniki, you aren't fooling anyone." Sasuke chose the perfect moment to chime in. Their conversation however, got cut short when a harried nurse opened the door to his room requesting for 'Haruno-sama'. Itachi has wondered before why they called her Haruno-sama, but didn't give it much thought. And he hadn't felt stupider than now. Maybe the last mission took a concerning amount of braincells out of him if he became so out of touch with his observations.

"I am needed elsewhere, if you'll excuse me."

Sasuke was still snickering lightly as the door closed, leaving the two brothers as the only occupants in the room. Itachi just smacked him over his head, resulting in a now hissing Sasuke.

"Wait." Itachi paused, "Where was Tsunade-same? Did she get the report?"

"She came back just three days ago. She probably didn't."

"So… she wasn't here when I arrived? Who healed me?"

His brother gave him that look again. The one that made him feel stupid. "She did. Sakura did."

"But she said I said practically at the doors of death."

"Yeah, and she literally brought you back from there. She was with you in the OT for twenty-eight hours, non-stop."

Itachi was pretty aware that his jaw must be hanging a little bit, just a little bit. He assumed that Sakura must've had a hand in his recovery, being the fifth's disciple and as he knows now, the head surgeon, but also thought that she would've had her master with her. Not singlehandedly kick the death's door shut and drag him back to earth.

"Oh." That was all he managed to say. He realized he must have been spacing out for a bit when he noticed the door being open and Sasuke waiting for him outside, holding the said door open. "Let's go."

He'll need to meet her to properly show his appreciation and gratitude for her. But as he noticed the timetable of routine check-ups on his chart, with a certain medic assigned to him, he thought that maybe, he wouldn't need to hunt her down for some of her time.

Itachi knows that he almost gave his mother a whiplash mere five minutes after waking up. "Itachi-chan, are you okay?" the genuine concern in his mother's voice kind of offended him. It's not that shocking to see him cooking in the kitchen of his own home.

Itachi doesn't cook often. He can cook, if needed, but never felt the need to. Except now.

He had been regularly going to the hospital for his checkups and physiotherapy, despite his blatant hatred for that place. However, the warm presence that accompanied him in the room made things significantly more bearable.

It was just curiosity at first, wanting to know more about his brother's friend. It was a little laughable, if he thought about it, that he knew nearly nothing about his little brother's teammate except her name. The more they talked during each visit, the more his intrigue and interest grew. He found out that she became a permanent fixture in the hospital shortly after coming under the hokage's tutelage, and then took over as the head surgeon and pretty much as the head management shortly after turning fifteen. If that wasn't impressive enough, she was also the hokage's right hand.

That was partially when he realized how grandly he screwed up by not paying more attention to his brother's teammates.

So today he decided to see her potential by his own eyes, and what better way than making a quick delivery.

"Don't worry okaa-san, I'm just delivering some lunch to Otouto. He needs food with some real nutrients." Really, his brother will kill himself with all the ramen trips he takes with the Uzumaki heir every day.

With that, Itachi was on his way to training ground seven, with four neatly packed lunch boxes in his arms. But he made the drastic mistake of going through the market district.

"Itachi-kun!" A horrifyingly familiar squealing voice caught his attention, and only his years of managing his expressions made him keep the cringe off his face. "Kiyomi-san, Okoya-san." He greeted with a forced nod, forcing himself to not immediately shunshin away. But he almost did when he saw the young woman with a very visible blush on her cheeks, and practically tripping herself over him.

Kiyomi was a young woman from his clan, generally well-liked among her peers and clan members, and considered to be a perfect potential wife; polite, demure, subservient, great at household tasks. However, the problem arose, at least for Itachi, when she set her sights on the clan heir. Which normally wouldn't be a problem. If he didn't find interest in someone, they generally leave him alone after a few tries.

But this one was relentless. Which made her presence acutely annoying on best days, and downright unbearable on worst.

"Ah, Itachi-kun, are you going anywhere?" Kiyomi's mother, Okoya-san, asked, her hands carrying a small packet. He took a few steps back when Kiyomi tried to slide beside him, "Yes, actually. I'm running a few errands."

Okoya nodded, her aged eyes glinting in schemes. "Kiyomi actually was on her way to the central market as well. She might accompany you, if that is your destination."

Itachi near grimaced at the dopey expression that immediately dawned on the young woman's face. "Yes, Itachi-kun, let's walk together."

"I'm sorry, Kiyomi-san, but I'll have to refuse." He readied himself to take off running across the roofs, "I have to accompany Otouto. Some other time." At the woman's fallen expression, he gave a quick bow in farewell and took off to the roofs.

He felt a little bad at continuously rejecting the girl every time, but she deserved someone who would spend time with her because they actually liked her, and not just out of pity.

He was at the training ground in an instant, crouching in a tree lining the ground. And he could see them, blurs of pink and yellow and black, clashing and pushing against each other.

He activated his sharingan, knowing well it would get him in trouble with the pink-haired medic later. He saw a number of blondes attacking the other three with clones of himself, he saw cackles of electricity and bursts of fire blazing through a path, animals of ink tearing into its preys. But what surprised him was when he saw the pink blur punch the ground, stopping the match for a second, and then the earth erupting in jagged debris.

Itachi had to move out of the way quickly, soundlessly settling on a different tree, watching with wide eyes and Sakura uprooted a tree to swing at his brother, who quickly reduced it to nothing but charred pieces.

Seems like the pinkette not only inherited the godly medic skill, but also the monstrous strength. Way more developed than since chunin exams.

He watched for a bit more, becoming increasingly more fascinated the more he observed her swings, her strength, her agility, her twisting body, her swinging hair, her fiery eyes; her.

The end of the match was indicated when the silver haired, sitting on another tree, loudly rang a bell. The shinobis dropped on the ground like flies, utterly exhausted and heaving for breath.

"Sakura-chan! Why did you have to hit me so hard!" he heard the blonde complaining, voice a little dry from all the screaming he did. "Because you're stupid." The response that seemed like it came from his brother engaged an even louder protest, but his eyes were fixated on one figure on the ground, chest heaving, sheen with sweat and skin glowing under the sun.

He decided it would probably be the best time to show himself to the team, he could feel the Hatake's eyes boring in him even from this distance.

"Otouto." His brother sat up in surprise when he dropped near the group of splayed teens. "Aniki? What are you doing here?" the rest of team seven also sat up, looking at him with curious expressions. Itachi wordlessly held out the stack of bentos, passing one to each.

"Ne, teme's bro, did aunty Mikoto send you?" Naruto was all too eager to dig into his food, almost gulping down his onigiri in one go had a firm smack to his back stopped him. "Do you want to die? Slow the hell down." Sakura growled at the blonde before offering Itachi a smile, "Thank you for the lunch, Itachi-san."

Itachi smiled in return, watching the pinkette chewing on a piece of glazed tofu and feeling a wash of satisfaction when her eyes lit up. But his attention was broken away when Sasuke spoke up, "But really, did okaa-san send you?"

Not wanting to go on an explanation on why he decided to unexpectedly make them lunch, he just nodded. "Yes, she did. Mother wanted you all to have some actual food in your body."

"Wow, you mother is actually so thoughtful." The fourth member spoke up, his fake smile directed at the younger Uchiha. "Can't say much about the princess here, though." he barely dodged the chopsticks heading straight for his throat.

Itachi was very hesitant at first regarding the ex- ROOT member's placement on his brother's team as an additional member, however, the boy has proven to be trustworthy figure times and times again, so he guessed that he didn't really have anything to complain about.

"Itachi-san, give my graces to Mikoto-san. This onigiri is amazing." The way Sakura spoke in such pleased voice, her cheeks bulged with rice and eyes bright with delight, made a warm laugh rise in Itachi's chest. He smiled, inclining his head, "Of course, Sakura-san."

"Aww, where is my lunch?" the lazy voice from the tree above caught his attention. "You will get yours too the day you actually participate in the spars, Hatake-senpai." Itachi drawled out with a small smirk.

"Otouto, bring the boxes back, and also get some mochi for mother. She is still mad at you for breaking the vase." Itachi gave a pointed look at his younger brother when he heard him curse, before waving his farewell, eyes lingering a fraction more on the pink hair.

Itachi determined that he should know even more about the fascinating girl, even more than he knows now. If for no other reason than to just satisfy his intrigue, then so be it. And if universe doesn't make enough chances for him to meet her, then he will create them.

Afterall, his insatiable curiosity could hardly be dampened.

"Come on Ita-chan, loosen up a little." The slurred voice of his cousin reached Itachi as a careless arm was thrown over his shoulder.

He sighed, attempting to, once again, take away the bottle of sake from Shisui's hands, who only shielded it away from him with a horrified look on his face as if somebody tried to take away his firstborn. He has only been at the party for fifteen minutes but has already downed enough alcohol to give a sailor run for his money, even though they didn't even have any alcohol present.

"Shisui, put that down."

"No!"

Itachi was tempted to just leave his cousin be and go out in the garden to sit, but Sasuke and his friend would be there shortly and he didn't want to be seen missing first thing after he enters. It was his birthday and he wanted it to be as flawless as possible.

But he would also be lying if he said that he was waiting just for his brother.

Just on cue, the door of the Uchiha manor busted open, leading in a group of teen shinobis, Konoha 12.

"Happy birthday, my dear Sasu-chan!" Shisui threw himself on the birthday boy, ignorant to the nasty glare he was receiving from the shorter ninja. Everyone seemed to be present there, including the teachers, except two.

"Where is Sakura-san and Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked as he swept his eyes over the group once more, his eyes missing the shade of pink and blonde every time.

"They will be here in a while. Busy with… something. I don't know." Sasuke grunted as he tried to rip a drunken Shisui off of him, the rest of them intently staying away from the drunk Uchiha and claiming their seats around the large table in the center.

"Forehead said something about 'getting the good stuff', if that makes any sense." Ino chimed in as she elbowed Shikamaru out of a seat so that she can claim it for herself, putting a large bouquet of flowers in a vase in the middle of the table.

"Huh." Itachi wondered as he motioned for the manor servers to bring out the appetizers, taking his own place in one of the chairs. The appetizers were served, soups and glazed fries, with a large charcuterie board in the middle.

Even after fifteen more minutes, still no sign of the pair. Itachi tried not to feel too disappointed, convincing himself that they'll arrive shortly.

Suddenly, the room turned dark, the chandelier lights dulled out, the candles flickered out and the fluorescent lights switched off. "What the fuck." Itachi heard Sasuke mutter, a thud coming from Shisui who tumbled down from his chair in the dark. And after around a minute everyone looking around confusingly, calling the servants to look for the cause, the loud voice echoed throughout the room.

"We're here!"

And just like that, the light returned almost blindingly.

Naruto and Sakura surely made a grand entrance, holding large crates of porcelain bottles and the blonde wheeling in a huge cake. "Hope you didn't start eating yet, because we had to get to these first." Naruto grinned at the crowd who looked on at the pair with jaws dropped.

But Itachi's eyes could only be fixated on one of them.

Throughout the weeks of routine check-up with the pink medic, he came to unexpectedly enjoy their time more than he thought he would. And throughout the week, he also learned a lot of things about her. He saw her eating dango and anmitsu on more than one occasions, she also liked spending her time in botanical gardens, liked coffee and muffins for breakfast the most, and most glaringly, she looked way too adorable even when she's not trying.

And if he thought that she looked pretty before, he was not ready to see how she looked right now.

Itachi's eyes trailed down her body, her soft curves hugged snugly by her red satin cocktail dress, spaghetti strapped and open backed, cutting off mid-thigh. Her soft, rosy hair down in soft waves, bouncing with every step she took. Her green, so green, eyes lined with black and lips painted deep red, looking so damn plump and soft.

But the black heels that wrapped her feet, made his mouth water unconsciously.

Itachi forcibly ripped away his eyes from the woman walking towards the table, and swallowed thickly, taking deep breaths to will the fierce heat off his neck. His tie felt suffocating and he was tempted to at least loosen it against his neck, but he suppressed all the signs of discomfort.

'Stop it. It's disrespectful.'

"Here is some of the 'good stuff'." Sakura winked at the occupants at the table, setting down two of the four crates of small porcelain bottles. It was sake. Shisui was the first to lunge at it, opening up one and taking at deep sniff.

"Honey sake! This is really the real stuff." He looked at the bottle as if it was the ambrosia from the God's chalice. "Where did you even find all this?!"

Sakura just giggled playfully, making a playful shushing motion. "That's for me to know, and for you to never find out."

They gathered around the large cake, three-tiered and black and red. A loud cheer rose from the group as Sasuke cut through the cake with a katana, always a flare for dramatics.

"Itachi-san! Here you are."

Itachi looked up as he bit into the cake, to find a vision in red right in front of him and he had to stop himself from taking a step back. Bright green eyes looked at him with delight, a happy smile present on her pretty face. "Sakura-san. Good to see you too." He hoped the pinkette didn't notice how strained his voice actually sounded.

"Oh come on Itachi-san, loosen up a bit. Why are you so formal." She laughed lightly, the tinkling sound pleasant to his ears. He felt his eyes being unconsciously dragged to the silk covering her bust, the flash of skin above the seam always catching his attention before he ripped them away again, berating himself in his head for such actions.

His mental tirade stopped when he felt a glass being thrust in his hands. "Drink up, Itachi-san, you will need it." The mischievous glint in Sakura's eyes made him question her statement, when he saw exactly what she meant.

He heard Sakura laughing harder, realizing he must have let his dismay show. It was his cousin, shit-faced drunk and up on the table, a sake bottle in his hands and his shirt partially open, dancing on the table like a stripper.

"Good luck, Itachi-san." Sakura patted him on his shoulder before going away to join the rest of the rookie 12, leaving Itachi to deal with his cousin.

"Yeah, I'll need a lot a luck." Itachi quickly threw back the glass and grabbed onto Shisui leg, pulling him down from the table as the blonde Yamanaka and the Inuzuka cheered, having to stop Naruto from joining his cousin in his disgraceful activities as well.

Shisui fell asleep quickly after her emptied another bottle and promptly passed out onto a couch. Itachi sighed, deciding to get away from all this mess. He took a nearby placed ribbon from gift boxes and tied it around Shisui's wrist before silently backtracking to the roof, stealing a plate of dango on the way.

But it seemed he wasn't the only one with that idea.

"Ah, Itachi-san, here to catch a breath." The grinning face of Sakura accompanied her presence. Itachi nodded, unsure whether to stay there or not until she patted the space next to her, silently permitting him to accompany her. Itachi sat down next to her, mindful to put a respectful distance between them and placing the plate of dango in the space between them.

"Oh, you like dango too?" Sakura asked brightly, looking at him in a way to ask for permission to take one from the plate, smiling in delight when he nodded. "Yes, I really like them."

Sakura hummed, chewing on the sweet and salty treats, "I remember when Mikoto-san used to make them for us, they were always such a treat. I miss those." She was looking at the night sky, missing the gaze that was directed to her.

Itachi always wondered what it would feel like to have prolonged conversation with the pinkette. He had been taking every opportunity to have a conversation with her; going to his checkups on every other day for the whole month and a half, even sometimes showing up because of "pain", running into her at market, on accident of course, even going as far as delivering lunches to his brother's team every other day.

But nothing could grant him her undivided attention without interruptions. Who knew just him running away from his brother's party would land him in such situation.

Talking to Sakura was so easy. Whenever Itachi would panic because he couldn't find anything to continue the conversation with, Sakura would always somehow fill the gaps. They talked about her days at the hospital, his missions with Shisui, her playful annoyance with her team. She especially loved the story he told about the time Itachi and Shisui went on a mission to an entertainment town and they almost missed their target because Shisui got locked in a brothel.

Itachi especially liked the way she laughed, not light or windy, but with her full chest, clutching her stomach and gasping for air. "Oh my God, not the brothel." She gasped for air, almost toppling over to her side. Itachi laughed, his eyes fixated on her face, bright and alight with giddiness, and saw her wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eyes, "Did they ban him from entering the building after that? I would assume they would."

"Unfortunately they didn't. Shisui still sometimes cringes whenever he remembers that incident." Itachi laughed openly. He cannot remember his chest feeling as light as it did with her, sharing a plate of dango and exchanging hilarious stories of their days. He then remembers something, something he has been meaning to ask for a while and could never get the courage to say. He still doesn't know if it was an appropriate time or even an appropriate question to begin with. But the carefree air made his tongue loose.

"Sakura-san, can I ask you something?" at her curious expression, Itachi swallows and just says to hell with it, "I remember you having something for Otouto. Is it still there?"

At her shocked expression, Itachi curses himself. He is so stupid, why would he even ask something like that. But before he could backtrack on his question and just apologize, a laugh from the pinkette surprises him.

"Itachi-san, you're so funny." She wipes her lips from the sticky soy glaze, grinning at the Uchiha, "If you know your brother, then you would know he is the biggest jerk. He has never been able to make a girl have feelings for him for more than a month." When she saw Itachi with his mouth still agape, he giggled, "My crush on him fizzled out so quickly it wasn't even funny. He's really my best friend, but that's about it. No more, no less."

"Oh." Itachi could only say that, a little tongue-tied. He looked at the twinkling lights dotting their gardens, lapsing in a calm silence, not talking, just in each other's presence with nothing but the chatter from downstairs and night breeze to fill the silence.

"I think we should go and check on them before someone decide to kill someone." Sakura grinned at Itachi, taking one of the two remaining dango sticks from the plate, offering the other one to her companion.

Itachi smiled, taking the last treat and nodding at the pinkette and standing up with her. "I wouldn't put it past Otouto to "accidently" strangle Naruto-kun."

"I wouldn't put it past anyone to strangle Naruto. Or Shisui, if he is awake." Sakura giggle, hopping down from the roof. Itachi followed her, silently dropping next to her and walking towards the stairs "Hopefully, he wouldn't consume any more alcohol. But maybe that's too much ask for."

Sakura giggled when she heard a loud yell that sounded like Naruto, "Want to bet Naruto smashed the cake on Sasuke."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, smirking when he heard Naruto shouting lyrics to a song in a badly tone-deaf voice, "Are you really placing bets with me, Sakura-san."

"Of course, I always place bets with all my friends." Itachi realized his face must have shown great shock if the panic on Sakura's face said anything, "We are friends, right?"

Itachi didn't feel the warmth blooming in his chest until then, the airiness in his limbs or urge to smile. But when he heard Sakura offering the deal of friendship, how could he ever live with himself if he didn't take it, "Yes. Of course we are." He felt his lips spread in a soft smile when Sakura's face brightened up, her cheeks darkening making the heat on his neck higher.

"Yes, we are."

Turns out Sakura was right, Naruto did smash the cake on Sasuke's cake and Sakura made sure to give a copy of the picture to everyone in the room, making sure to put Itachi's one in a frame.

When he went to sleep late that night, his once dreamless slumber was filled with warm laughs and sweet syrups.

It was another mission, three months after Sasuke's birthday, when Itachi was informed that a new medic will be joining them for the next couple of missions.

Itachi was mostly indifferent to that information, a little thankful to have a medic to take care of the injuries, but not caring enough to get past that point. The stakes were high on the next couple of missions, it was either a make it or break it situation in terminating the rogue shinobi band that has been trafficking civilians.

"Captain." A new voice greeted Itachi, indicating the newest arrival to their group. "Neko. Welcome." He nodded at the shinobi. He knew the identities of the rest of the team, he wasn't supposed to, but he knew regardless. But not this new addition.

"Let's go."

Their way to Kazakomo was uneventful, fortunately. They slinked through the whole village, sneaked around for information and went back on their way within two days maximum. They found little intel on the king pin so they might need to work on the case for longer than they imagined.

However, he very pointedly noted the exceptional skill of the new joining. For someone he has no prior experience working with, she worked with the team as well as a well-oiled machine.

The next time went out was the same. They found a bit more to work with, but nothing substantial.

However, the third time, was a catastrophe.

"Jaga!" Itachi yelled over the blast of another ninja tag going off. He looked for his partner, slightly relieved when he found his cousin clashing metal with a rogue yards away.

They should've been more careful, he cursed in his mind. He should've been more careful, he was the captain for god's sake.

Itachi jumped out of the way of an incoming barrage of blades, spinning in the air like a propeller to flare out his own kunai, the blade ripping through the air and digging into the shinobi's shoulder. He tuned out the groans of pains, focusing on terminating the way too large team of rogue ninjas determined on taking their lives. He knew they were severely outnumbered but they need to make it out alive.

He whizzed through the dense foliage toward the area where he just heard a blast going off. In his periphery, he noticed the flash of brown hair striking down on the group of bandits severely outnumbering her. The new medic whizzed by fast around the area, nimble on her toes and fists as deadly as meteors.

Electricity cackled in Itachi's sword, sharingan spinning dangerously as he stuck it straight through the chest of a ninja who was about to strike the medic from the back.

"Captain." Neko grunted, launching a barrage of chakra scalpels on the unprepared shinobis. Itachi eyes glinted, impressed at the unique affinity of the medic. "Neko. Check on the team. I'll take care of these." Itachi commanded, readying his katana and explosive tags.

"I need to check on you first then." Neko looked him over, from the scratches on his neck and forearms to the shoulder that almost got burned off. Itachi shook it off, levelling his katana at the ninja charging at him, "I don't need it, go check on the rest." When she still hesitated, Itachi spared a look at her, full of authority and no room for disagreement. "Go." That was all it took for her to go zooming through the trees.

Looking at it from retrospect, that was a grave mistake.

He was surrounded, from every side, every angle, every corner. His senses were being overwhelmed from so many presences clashing against him, attacking him, that he didn't even notice the sword heading toward him.

He only saw it too late, sticking through his stomach.

Itachi coughed, blood lurching from his mouth, and turned his spinning eyes to the rogue captain holding the large sword in place behind him. A mad grin graced the grimy face and his eyes only saw the signs his hands made before a scorching heat engulfed the sword, searing through the insides of his abdomen and all Itachi could see was hot white pain.

His eyes blanked, but he felt falling on the ground and someone taking the sword out of his stomach. "Captain! Captain, can you hear me?!" he knew the feminine voice, patting his cheek roughly to keep him awake. Itachi weekly opened his eyes to look at the porcelain cat mask and brown hair. "Stay awake, alright. Just breathe and keep your eyes open. Can you do that for me, Captain."

She wasn't looking for his answer as Itachi felt a coolness washing over him, so good over the searing warmth in his abdomen. It almost lulled him to sleep as the same cool chakra dulled the pain away completely, had it not been for the previous request to stay awake.

In his delirious state, he couldn't put a pin on it, but something felt very familiar about the chakra. Maybe the blood loss was fading out his memory.

He doesn't know how long it was, but the clashing around him slowly reduced. And so did the cooling on his stomach. Itachi heard Neko curse, ripping off her gloves but then paused.

"Captain." She called, looking straight into his eyes with her own brown ones, "I will trust you to keep this a secret."

Itachi didn't get what she meant at first, but as the brown of her hair melted off to reveal the rosy hue underneath, it suddenly all clicked. His eyes fell from the pink hair to her suddenly green irises and the familiarly and comfort of her cool chakra, it all made sense.

He would've said something if his tongue wasn't feeling so heavy. He felt her knitting him back, cell by cell, tissue by tissue, muscle by muscle, like he has watched her so many times.

He couldn't feel anyone else from his team nearby, just distant clangs of metal. The seconds rolled past him, and gradually, he felt his eyes weighing down. His body felt too weak to put up anymore against the exhaustion pushing against him.

"It's okay." He heard the whisper through the air and the same hand that was knitting him back, rest in his forehead, pushing away his damp bangs. Itachi looked into the green eyes, shining against the dark surroundings, and felt himself falling deeper into the void.

"You can sleep now."

That was all it took for him to completely succumb to the weight of unconsciousness.

…

When Itachi woke up after that, he only saw the white walls that he has been getting sick of really soon.

A monitor was beeping next to bed, bags of questionable fluids connected to his arm and his nose burning from the strong antiseptic smell.

He tried sitting up, but then painfully fell back down as pain shot through his abdomen.

'Ah, that's what happened right.' He groaned, closing his eyes and letting the weight in his limbs fall. He honestly did not think he would make it out alive this time, not after having his body scorched from the inside. Him still breathing is a miracle.

All because of her.

"Oh, you're awake."

Tsunade closed the door behind her, not bothering to make it any quieter on his sensitive ears. "Hokage-sama." Itachi croaked out, going into a coughing fit from his dry throat. A glass of water was thrust under his nose, urging him to gulp it down. After his throat was better, Itachi watched the blonde woman moving around the room, checking the fluids, blood, heart rate, blood pressure and everything.

"Hokage-sama. How long has it been."

"About two weeks." Tsunade didn't look up from his charts, "You looked like a corpse warmed over when you were brought back. The fact that you didn't die from an infection or internal bleeding in the time it took you to get back, really surprises me."

Two weeks. "Wait, what about my team?" Itachi tried to sit up again, new urgency filling him, only to be pushed down on the bed again. Tsunade tsked at him, glaring him into submission. "Your team looked worse for wear when they came back. Only one was awake. Jaga and Nezu were unconscious from chakra exhaustion, but they are alright now, and Neko is alright too. They have already been discharged."

He was unconscious, so were the other two of his team. Who brought them here, there was only one other person. Did she- "Who brought us here?"

Tsunade sighed in annoyance, "You ask too many questions." She noted down the final observations on the clipboard and moved toward the door but not before throwing a final glance to the Uchiha.

"Be grateful to the medic I assigned your team. All of you owe your lives to her."

And with that, Itachi was left alone in his room once again.

'She really carried all three of us to Konoha? How did she even-'

She just keeps surprising him.

Itachi was in denial.

In every sense, he was just observing. Staking out on the tree in front of her house, sneaking around to her training ground, even his suspiciously frequent visits to the hospital, he was just observing.

No, it was not stalking.

Itachi observed her getting off her shift from her hospital, her pink hair messy and posture the one of defeat. She has chosen her burgundy scrubs for the day.

Itachi was aware, somewhere in the back of his mind, that these acts should be considered as stalking in every sense, but he chose to ignore it for the time being.

This has been his routine for the past couple weeks or so. He would wait outside in front of Sakura's house, on a tree, waiting for her departure, and then follow her to the hospital and then stake his presence on another tree in front of the hospital when he would notice the time of her shift arriving. He would do such without fail, at least as much as his busy schedule would allow.

He noticed that most nights, she doesn't even come home. Sometimes multiple nights in a row.

He would drop by the training fields whenever his schedule allowed, either drop some packed lunches to his brother's team, come by to fetch his brother, or simply lurk by the trees surrounding the training ground.

And in the hindsight, staying out in the trees late at night perhaps wasn't the brightest idea.

A cough rose up again in Itachi's throat. He pressed his palm against his mouth, attempting to muffle his cough and reached for the glass of water kept at his bedside. This was probably his karma for being a creep, as Shisui would call him.

He heard padding of footsteps down the hallway, coming toward his room. But they were different footsteps, not often heard in the manor. A minute later, the door to his room slid open revealing the medic sent for his care.

Itachi's eyes widened, "Sakura-san?"

The pinkette smiled, hands raised in a wave. She was dressed in clothing he doesn't see her often in; a red shirt and a plain black skirt. Normal, civilian clothing. "Hello, Itachi-san. Heard you were in quite a condition here." Sakura sat down beside his bed and put her satchel beside her, and even with a stuffy nose, Itachi smelled the light floral scent of her signature shampoo.

'Jasmine' He shouldn't know that, but he does anyway.

"Alright, open wide." Itachi suddenly found a thermometer sticking in his mouth and something cold metal touching his chest. "Breathe in, breathe out." He did as he was told, watching the green eyes sharpen in concentration.

He liked observing her, the way she furrowed her brows when she's thinking hard. Or how she chewed on her lips, or mussed up her hair, or tapped her feet, or-

"Your heart rate is higher than it should be." The pinkette suddenly interrupted his thoughts, taking out the thermometer. She looked at him and a smile graced her face. "Maybe I should test your sugar level, your bpm is weirdly high."

Itachi was about to tell her to not worry, since he knew why his heartrate was high, and it was not because of high glucose level. But then she gave him that smile, the one that spoke of sunny skies, and all thoughts left his brain.

"I've prescribed you some medicines. Take twice a day, before breakfast and after dinner. And I've also prescribed some painkillers for your muscle pain and some melatonin. Take only if you need." Itachi only nodded mutely, still staring at her scribbling something on a paper. "I'll have Sasuke get you the medicines. And most importantly, you need rest."

Itachi opened his mouth, but the sharp glint in her eyes made the retort die in his throat. "No, you need rest. A week, bed rest. You know what, you should've come by before things went so bad." She put away her instruments in her bag, moving to stand on her feet. "But for now, rest if you want to get better faster. I'll come by to check on you every day."

'Everyday?' well, that certainly made it much better. He might actually stay in bed now.

"Sakura-san." His hand reached out before he knew, and wrapped around the pinkette's wrist. Her eyes widened in surprise and raised her brows questioningly at him.

But Itachi just smiled, the skin of her wrist warming under his fingers, "Thank you." Itachi watched in delight as a pleasant blush bloomed on her cheeks, as rosy as her hair. Sakura grinned, one eye closing in a cheeky wink.

"No problem, Itachi-kun."

It was way after she has gone away that Itachi realized what she called him, was not what she called him usually. That revelation made his neck and face feel hotter than the fever.

"Can you stop?"

Itachi sighed again, forcing himself to stop with his insistent tapping on the floor. Shisui groaned, falling back on the cushioned seating in the waiting room they were sitting in, "Seriously, you've never been this down bad. It's so apparent that it's annoying even me."

"I'm not 'down bad'. I don't know what you're talking about." Itachi grunted, wanting to tap his feet again. "Oh shut up." Shisui glared at his cousin, "Our rooms are next to each other."

Itachi didn't counter him this time.

Itachi has been having a 'problem', for the past month or so, that he does not know what to do about.

His hormones have always been staying pretty under control throughout his teen years, fortunately. He sometimes thought of getting in a romantic relationship, a few times, going on dates, doing activities with faceless figures. But nothing to actually cause him physical reactions.

All that control vanished with the introduction of one pink-haired doctor in his life.

Once in couple days, he would wake up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat and stomach in knots. He didn't remember everything he saw in his dreams, but he was sure of the flashes of pink and scantily clad slender figures, mostly in red silks. Like the ones in Sasuke's birthday. And the only other witness of his nights were the calls of a certain name reaching beyond the walls of his room.

That situation was made worse with a change in their behavior towards each other.

A year and a half later from their interaction at his brother's birthday, Itachi can comfortably introduce Sakura as his close friend. But recently, he has noticed a different type of electricity between them, and that tension wasn't just one-sided from his part.

Many a times, he would catch Sakura peeking at him from under her lashes or blushing like a rose when he would compliment her. And such reactions from her were taking a toll on his resolve to stay within the boundary Sakura would be comfortable having him in.

"You need to get yourself in control, man." Shisui sighed, looking beyond the curtains that separated the lounging area from the shopping floor, looking for pink hair dashing through the racks. "We are on an escort mission, and if you are like this already then boy, do I have some news for you."

Shisui loves to make fun of his transparent affections for the pink haired kunoichi but they both knew the delicateness of the mission. "I know. I am in control." Shisui looked like he didn't believe him, but let it go regardless.

The curtains suddenly parted, letting in the previous topic of discussion in with a large bag from the shopping center. She smiled wide, holding up her new purchase "Hey, I got it. Shall we go now?" Shisui took over Itachi's lack of response, ushering the pinkette out of the area and towards a small restaurant nearby.

Itachi took a few minutes to get his breathing in control. Though he wouldn't admit it to Shisui, he was right in one regard. He needs to get himself in control or he would surely end up doing something he would regret.

'This is a bad idea.'

Itachi was rigidly standing in his guard uniform in a corner of the banquet hall, every muscle in his body aching from the forced stillness. The party around them was just getting started, rich men in their crisp clothes and expensive shoes with women dripping in jewels hanging off their arms, waiters and waitresses going around with exotic foods and wines and chandelier twinkling in the moonlight.

"Why are you just standing like this?" Shisui slid next to him, his clothes to be considered a little too scandalous and raunchy, fit for his role as the server boy. "You were supposed to be posted outside the arsenal." Itachi grunted, adjusting his collar to let his neck not feel like suffocating, "They put me here. I'll make the tour by later on."

'This is not good.'

"Do we need to put changes in the plan?" Shisui grumbled out, mindful of keeping his voice low. Itachi shook his head, his eyes trailing their target; a fat, rich man with a long trail of civilian attacks on his ledger. "No need. I'll slip out later when the cocktails would be served. Sakura should already be done with her part."

This was the part he was the most agitated by, which was an unusual occurrence in itself. Itachi Uchiha did not get agitated about any mission.

But the mission wasn't what was making him stiffen his shoulders.

"Itachi." Shisui whispered to him, taking a tray of drinks to serve the tables, "The play is starting. Better buckle up." That was the only warning he got before the lights dimmed and the only bright spot remaining was the stage in the center of the hall.

Itachi felt a last pat on his shoulder before Shisui took his departure to serve the cocktails to the guests, and this was the point where he should be taking his leave, but when the orchestra started playing the soft melody and he saw a figure in red on the stage, his brain kind of short-circuited.

The lady started off sitting, her back to the crowd. The hair cascading down her back that he knew were pink, looked more like the color of early dawn under the warm lights. A slender hand slid around her neck, swiping her hair along one shoulder revealing the open back that was decorated by gold chains. She stood up, turning around to reveal the chiffon dress with the swoopy neckline and daring slits on both sides, arms covered in red translucent gloves and a translucent cloth covering the bottom half of her face.

Itachi could only watch in hopeless entrancement as she danced, body moving like sensual waves, the voice of the bar singer adding to the charm of her performance.

Her dance shouldn't even be considered as particularly seductive, but anything she did always somehow managed to send him into utter oblivion. She didn't spread her legs, or touched her body in any way that was supposed to be arousing, she wasn't even dressed like a courtesan or an exotic dancer, but she was affecting him way harder than any scantily clad woman ever has or ever could.

Even in her elegant moves, she was calling for him to get lost in her.

Then for a brief moment, his eyes clashed with the vibrant green ones. They widened at him and he became aware that he wasn't supposed to be there. The pinkette jerked her head to the door, somehow making the move look like the part of the performance. Her signal was enough to snap him out of his trance.

He swiftly left the room, taking care to remain in the shadows. Sneaking around the hallways with nimble steps, he knocked out the two men guarding the arsenal door. And it wasn't long before the blast went off.

Soon all the people from banquet hall were rushing toward the fire, all except the king pin. Itachi slinked his way back to the banquet hall and to the lounge rooms for the dancers backstage, and he came upon the sight of the man tied up and knocked out cold. Shisui was out of his harem boy clothes and was currently looking through the large stack of transaction records.

"Do we have it all?" Itachi asked his cousin, sealing all the records in a scroll. Shisui jumped back up from the couch, handing him the ledger he was reading. "Everything that I know of. We just need to pick up the letters from his latest partner and then we can find out where the captives are."

"And we're bringing this scum with us, to Konoha. Hokage-sama would like to see him." Itachi looked around the room for the missing presence, "Where is Sakura?"

"You'd like to know that, won't you." Shisui teased him, a shit-eating grin present on his face, but then he sighed at the flat stare being directed at him. "She's changing."

Not a minute later, the door adjacent to the lounge opened to reveal the pinkette, out of the red dress and into her standard uniform but eyes still lined in kohl and lips painted a delicious red.

She must've felt his stare when she glared at him with dim exasperation but a blush high on her cheeks, "I did not have the time to take off the makeup, alright. Cut me some slack." She grumbled out, fastening her kunai holster to her thigh.

"Let's get going." Itachi swiftly threw the tied-up man over his shoulder, signaling the rest of the team to move before he said something stupid.

It was a long way back home, but he made it back. And he kept his struggles just to himself.

But he doesn't know how much longer he can go.

It was a couple week after the mission, but his situation was getting unbearable.

The night was low and the breeze was cool, but it did nothing for his heated mind. His bedsheets were rumpled, his shirt having come off a long while ago, the cool air wafting through his open window, but even in his state of half slumber, he tossed and turned, skin flushed and eyebrows pinched in somewhere between pleasure and pain.

A sound that sounded like somewhere between a whimper and a growl left his lips, eyes screwing shut as Itachi tossed again in frustration, unable to relieve any of the pressure.

His fingers clutched at his bedsheets, twisting then in his palms when he felt nothing else around to grab at. His head thrown to the side, lips twisting in desperation and his voice only came out in whisper, only one name on his lips like a mantra.

"Sakura…"

His eyes flew open, gasping like someone stole his breath, skin slick with cold sweat. His eyes were open, looking through half open eyelids, glazed over with desire. But he wasn't seeing his ceiling, he was seeing a million snaps of only one woman, clad in red and creamy skin, dancing for him.

He might have had a bit more control to think of alternative solutions to his predicament if he wasn't half asleep, but in his moment of weakness, he was a slave to his desires.

He felt his hands travelling south, over his chest, his abdomen, past his waistband, imagining them to be a different set of hands. He released a shuddering breath, his neck arching when he grabbed his length, his head tossing back and a louder sound coming from him.

"Ugh… Please…"

He bit his lips to keep some to the sounds from escaping too loudly. His imagination ran wild, flashes of pink and red invading his vision. He imagined the same dress from their mission together, he imagined it slipping off to reveal her creamy skin and delicious curves, darkening green eyes gazing at him, reflecting the same burn of desire he has for her, red lips smirking at him.

She beckoned him to come to her, teasing him with what he could have if he just so tried.

He imagined just how divine it would feel to run his hands on the uncharted areas of her skin, bite her plump lips or explore her mouth with his own, pull out delicious sounds from deep in her throat. Itachi released a throaty groan, his finger working faster on himself.

His ragged breaths hastened, his adam's apple bobbing when he swallowed thickly when he tugged a bit more harshly, creating delicious friction. He craned his neck even more, back arching off his mattress and legs spreading a bit further, his mouth parted for a throaty groan, his hands picking up an even more frenzied pace, desperate for the release.

He imagined her weight on his waist, soft hands on his chest and her warmth moving up and down on him, encasing his length. The coil in his stomach tightened, his pants coming out even more ragged. And just when his stomach tightened painfully, his mind flashed to her face, her emerald eyes gazing at him in heat and adoration and how she would whisper out.

"Itachi-kun"

"Sakura…"

Just then it snapped, his muscles spasmed in reaction and a loud moan left him, louder than it should've been. Ropes of white splattered on his stomach and dribbled down his hand. He panted and groaned, body drenched in sweat and eyes spinning red.

And when the haze cleared, he was reminded of what the hell did he just do.

He cursed, eyes glaring at his white-stained hands in shame. He just pleasured himself with Sakura starring as the centerpiece in his fantasies. He couldn't be more ashamed.

It has been like this since he back from that god-forsaken mission. Every moment when his mind wasn't occupied with something that required his whole attention, his eyes would be invaded by flashes of pink hair and green eyes, her slender form draped in red silk painted behind his eyelids for whenever he went back to sleep.

He had been doing an alright job from acting on his desires and disrespecting the pinkette by fantasizing of her at night, but he had only been doing so by not sleeping at all, and it was taking a toll on him. And his frequents interaction with the pinkette over the weekend were not helping him either.

Where he should be avoiding her a little more to avoid embarrassing himself by doing something stupid in front of her, he was inexplicably drawn to her every minute of the day. It was a strange and dangerous paradox, compelling him to stay away from her for his own sake, but being helplessly drawn to her too.

When he was not chatting with her over a plate of dango, or accompanying her through the market on grocery trips, or sharing deep conversations over a cup of sake, his body was restless with every second spent in vacancy of thoughts. But when he was, he felt almost helpless in his palpable attraction to her. He was sure that she was aware of his intentions towards her, and her adorable reactions to him didn't help the matter.

On more than one occasions, he has caught Sakura staring shyly at him through underneath her lashes, blushing furiously when he complimented her or when their hands brushed unexpectedly. It was making resisting almost painful.

He cursed again, getting up and going to his adjacent bathroom. He stripped down his remaining garments, which too were stained and sticky, and threw them in the wash. Getting under the shower, he turned it to full cold, not bothering to gradually decrease the temperature. He grunted, letting his back bear the brunt of the chill, his mind a bit clearer from the haze.

After weeks of getting unfulfilled sleep, when he finally takes some melatonin, this is what he gets.

He needs to do something before it gets too late, and that something won't be avoiding the pinkette and hoping these feeling go away. Because he knows that the things he feels for her, are here to stay.

'What should I do?'

First, he needs to tell her how he feels. He needs to let her know, because the more he represses it, the harder it gets. He needs to tell her, pass the ball to her, let the decision be in her hand.

'But what if she… doesn't want me? What is she wants someone else?'

A sharp sting shot through his abdomen, his eyes widening in shock at such a visceral reaction produced by just a thought. That was new for him. But then again, all of this was new for him. he shook his head, standing further inside the shower to let the cold water drench his hair.

'I need to let her know. But when?'

The correct answer would be as soon as possible. Before someone else sweeps in to steal her away. Sakura might be unaware of the gazes that follow her when she's out, but Itachi isn't as blind as her to the male attention. He needs to act fast.

He has been one of her close friends for quite a while now, and while that made him the happiest, he wants more. He needs more, so much more. Did that make him selfish, he doesn't know, but it's what he wants.

He needs to make sure she chose him, but if she doesn't… God, he doesn't know what to do then.

But for now, he'll need to move quick.

Itachi breathed out, patting down his new clothes and looking at the mirror in deep thought. This was it, the perfect opportunity. He couldn't miss it, he wouldn't get a better time to make his move.

He had carefully put on the new, dark blue yukata, a gift from his dear mother, and taken extra care to tie his hair in a sleek ponytail. He has gone to the annual new year's eve festival every year, but this one was very special. Hence, his slight nervousness.

'Should I get some flowers for her?' he decided not to, afraid of perhaps weirding her out by his expressive forwardness. He just needs to make sure that the place he has chosen will actually be empty. He looked at the clock hanging in his room, concluding that he should start moving now.

"Come on man. Let's go already." Shisui whined right outside his door, waving him out hurriedly when he opened the door.

The market district was rightfully bustling with crowd. Colorful lanterns brightening up the night, the stalls looked extra nice, delicious food on display and mouth-watering aroma wafting through the air. People walked around in yukatas, arms looped around each other and merry chatters flowing around.

Itachi looked around as he walked forward deeper into the market. Most of the faces were unrecognizable, but once in a while he would see someone from his clan, in dark yukatas and a fan poised arrogantly in front of their face. Shisui was a constant in whistling away, pausing when something or someone caught his eye but then caught up to Itachi quick enough.

"So, Ita-chan." Shisui began after eyeing a stall full of sweet treats, "You finally thought of doing something? Or am I going to have to endure more nights of your… situation."

Itachi flushed minutely, his mind involuntarily flashing to the teasing glimpses from his dream. He swallowed before answering, "I plan on telling her."

Shisui's eyes glinted in excitement, a teasing grin creeping up on his face. "When?"

"Tonight."

Another whistle answered his statement, but he could swear he also heard the mutter of "Thank God" under his breath. Itachi looked around the market again, his sharingan lazily spinning and then they landed on a cluster of shinobis standing a few ways away.

Sasuke was the first to notice him walking their way, and was quick to wave at him in greeting. "Aniki." Sasuke shot an annoyed glare at his cousin standing beside him, "Asshole."

"Aw Sasu-chan, that's no way of greeting me." Shisui feigned a dramatic hurt voice, a hand over his heart. Itachi took the time to greet the rest of the group, discreetly looking for a trace of pink. "Sasuke, where are your other teammates?"

Sasuke shot Shisui one last glare before turning to him, "Naruto wanted to get some cotton candy and dragged Sakura along him with. They should be coming back any second now."

And speak of the devil, the loud voice of one boisterous blonde could be heard way before they reached them. "Oh hey there teme's brother." Naruto grinned at him, his arms flailing in a wave. Itachi smiled at him, amused at the blonde's address to him has stayed the same since his childhood.

"Hello Naruto-kun." He looked around him as if waiting for another head to pop out, "Where is your friend?"

"Oh she wanted to buy some dango and told me to go ahead." He pointed at a store in the direction he came from. Itachi secretly slid his eyes over to that direction and his heart slightly lurched when he caught a flash of pink. "I should probably get some dango too. I'll send her your way when I see her." He starts walking toward the dango stall but he can still hear Shisui muttering "No he won't."

Itachi's eyes search for the flash of pink again among the sea of duller colors, and when he finds it, his step falters slightly. Not just because of her, but because she wasn't alone.

He could only see her back from his point of view, body wrapped in a cream yukata and hair swept up in a loose bun, pearls of her hair pin glittering in the lantern lights. But he couldn't even properly appreciate her when his eyes got dragged to the man standing next to her, chattering endlessly.

If Itachi's memory was serving him right, the brown haired man was a new intern at the hospital, perhaps a few years younger than Sakura. And the way he fidgeted and laughed sheepishly around the pinkette, tripping over his own feet to keep the doctor's attention on himself, it was not a good sign for Itachi.

An immediate intervention was needed.

As he speedwalked closer to the pair, he could clearly see the signs of discomfort in Sakura's body language, even just from her back. The slight sharpness of her shoulders, body leaned a little too far away from the man who was trying to invade her personal space.

"Sakura." He called out, and immediately he was greeted by surprised green eyes. Sakura whipped her head around, pink lips spreading into a pleased grin at the sight of Itachi. "Itachi! Hello." She waved at him in excitement, her attention completely gone from her partner.

Itachi smiled softly at her, a warm feeling infusing in his chest at her pleased expression, before he slid his half-lidded eyes to the stranger, measuring him up and down in a way that would make a man feel like a pest, and felt some minute satisfaction when the boy flinched at his spinning red gaze. He looked back at Sakura, edges of his gaze softening immediately, "I hope I'm not interrupting, but I came here to pick you up."

Sakura looked a little confused at what he meant by picking her up, but then shook her head as she glanced at her companion. "No, you didn't interrupt anything. Oh, by the way, meet Ashio Yagame. He is a new intern at the hospital, from Suna." She turned to the intern, motioning to the Uchiha, "This is Itachi Uchiha, a very dear friend of mine."

Itachi looked at the boy, chillness seeping into his gaze that clearly warned him to back off. "Hello, Yagame-san. Hope you are having a good time in Konoha." His voice would've sounded cordial to anyone but Itachi made sure to let the coldness be known to the man.

Ashio nodded nervously, the threat clearly known to him. "H-Hello, Uchiha-san." He bowed at him and turned to Sakura, his cheeks still tinting a little pink when he caught her eye, "I will be taking my leave now, Sakura-sama. Enjoy your evening." He would've exchanged a few more words with her, but one look from Itachi had him running off with his tail between his legs.

"That boy." Sakura sighed as if she was talking about some immature brat, but then turned a teasing smile to her current companion, "I know what you did. Don't think I missed it."

That brought out the permanent smile on his face, one that always seemed to be present whenever he was with Sakura. "I don't know what you are talking about." The obvious feigned innocence in his tone made Sakura giggle, a happy blush spreading on her cheeks.

Itachi's eyes seemed fixated on her face, taking in her glowing radiance under the lanterns. From her sweet face framed by the pink tendrils that escaped her loose bun, bright green eyes lined with kohl and long lashed, to her pink lips that looked a little too plump for his waning patience.

"He was disturbing you." It was less of a question and more of a statement. Sakura shrugged lightly, "He's just a bit… friendly."

Itachi turned to the vendor and ordered another plate of dango before turning back to smirk at the pinkette, "By the way, 'a very dear friend', huh. That's new." He chuckled at the way Sakura's cheeks flamed up. She gave him an embarrassed glare, turning her nose the other way.

"Okay, and? Are you not my friend or what."

Itachi smiled warmly, his lips twitching to turn into a grin but they didn't. "Of course." That was true, he was. And while he would've been satisfied with that, about six months ago, he wanted more. Much more.

Two plates of dango arrived, one that Sakura ordered and the other for Itachi, and before Sakura could reach for her purse, Itachi has already slid a bill on the stall counter and started steering Sakura away with a hand on the small of her back.

"Itachi! Really!" Sakura exclaimed in exasperation, her eyes narrowing up at him. Itachi just hummed noncommittally, gently guiding her through the thicker crowd, toward the direction opposite of her friends.

"Itachi, where are we going?" Sakura looked back toward the stall and found her view obstructed by the thickening crowd. Itachi paused in his way to give her his attention. He leaned down to her ear to whisper, as if passing on some scandalous secret.

"I have a place to show you. The fireworks are going to be starting soon." His low and smooth voice spoke into her ears and he could see the way heat rose up her neck when his breath fanned her cheek. He straightened up, offering his arm to her and smiling softly.

Sakura paused for a moment to look at his arm, then at his face and back at his arm. And for a moment, he almost panicked that maybe didn't want to. But those loud shouts in his head were silenced the second he felt warm hands wrapping around his forearm and tucking into the crook of his elbow.

Sakura looked up at him through her lashes, a blush still staining her cheeks, "Well then, lead the way."

The way out of the festive area was crossed in companiable silence, occasionally Sakura would point out something that caught her attention or when she remembered some joke. They walked with their arms looped and a bag with two plates of dango in Itachi's other hand. Occasionally, Itachi would pull her closer when someone walked a bit too close, relishing in the feel of her sides pressing against him.

They finally made it out of the market in twenty minutes, across a training ground and into the woods. The surroundings were dark, only illuminated by the moonlit sky, lightly washing over them and even that obstructed by the full canopies of the large trees.

"So, you want to tell me where we're going?" Sakura cocked her head, looking up at Itachi still holding her close long after they've left the marketplace. Itachi hummed again, casting a teasing glance at the pinkette, "You'll see. It's not much further away."

Indeed it wasn't much further, and they were slowing down to a stop not ten minutes later. They've taken a different turn inside the forest, and then they were walking up a small slope. They had to maneuver around some thick, pesky cluster of bushes and trees that hid the edge of the small hill.

Itachi heard Sakura sucking in a breath and saw her eyes wide and lips parted in awe. The platform edge of the hill was a little behind hokage mountain, framed and hidden by the thick trees that gave it the absolutely needed privacy. Something that he needs right now with Sakura.

But what made the place so special was the view of the village it granted, overlooking the glittering streets and the moonlit sky so well that it looked like something out of a fairytale.

"Itachi." Sakura breathed out, voice still filled with awe, "How did you even find this place?"

Itachi chuckled, setting down the bag of dango and helping Sakura sit down on the edge, legs swinging over the edge and into the air before taking his place by her side. "A few months back. I just wanted to get away from the clan elders hounding me down, and accidently found this place. I've never seen anyone else near here, so I guess it was kind of my hideaway place."

"And you brought me here." Sakura smiled at him in a tease but so earnestly, "Guess I know your secret now." She knocked her shoulder with Itachi, prompting him to return her smile.

They sat in peaceful silence together. One would've said something to start a conversation, but neither dared to break the calmness, just basked in each other's presence for a moment. But it was broken by the rustling of paper as Itachi took out the dango plates and peeled away the plastic wrap from the top.

"The firework will be starting in a few minutes." Sakura whispered out, munching on a piece of dango and excitement lacing her every word. She looked away from the sight of the village, streets lit up by warm lanterns, littered like fireflies, and fixed her gaze on Itachi. "Starting a new year, do you have a resolution?"

Itachi stared into green eyes, his heart hammering inside his chest. This was it, this is the time.

He looked down at his hand holding a dango stick before looking back up at her, "I do."

She beamed at him, raising her eyebrows in question, "What is it?"

He exhaled slowly, his breath coming out in a surprising quiet stutter, "I… want to protect people I hold dear, care for them, in every way I can."

Sakura's eyebrows drew together in confusion, "But you're already doing that." Itachi gazed at her for a few moments before he had to look away, his face feeling too hot. He put down the dango stick on the plate, fixing the pinkette with an intense stare that surprised her.

"Yes, I have. But I have someone new I want to protect too."

Sakura put away her dango too, her eyes wide as she tried to put together what was happening. "Oh. You…do?" She seemed to be fumbling a bit under his stare, thoughts perhaps a little muddled and confused.

"Yes. I do." He inched his hand forward to his side, going to where Sakura's hand was resting on the ground and stopped when his fingers touched hers, going no further.

He saw the puzzle pieces being put together in her head as her eyes flew to where their fingers were touching. This was it, he has given her the pieces. The ball is in her hands. He waited, not saying any further, not going any further as he waited for any incentive from her to keep going.

For a still minute, she didn't say anything as the gears turned in her head, and Itachi started shaking inside in panic. Did he overstep, is he making her uncomfortable? Should he have stayed quiet? God, he's such an idio-

And just as he though his head will start hurting, he felt a slight pressure on his fingers and looked down to see the feminine finger overlapping his. Sakura sat with her eyes and face fixed toward the streets, but even in the darkness, her face flamed with the bright blush.

"Is that so?" She asked, voice a little breathy that made Itachi's heart skip a beat, "And what're you planning on doing then?" She turned her eyes to him, staring deep into his dark pools.

Even though his heart was dumping against his chest so loud hat it might've even been audible to her, Itachi still braved his face to look at her. No turning back and no more running around. He will fix it right here, he's done hiding it to himself. No more wishing, fantasizing and hesitating.

He will bare everything to her.

He took a deep breathe in, covering Sakura's hand with his whole palm and looked into her eyes, entrancing her to only look at him the whole time. "I want to start something, something more than friendship. I want to have nights like today, I want to have mornings where I see you first thing. I want to have deep conversations laying by your side, I want to have days with you that I will take with me to my dreams. I want to protect you, I want to care for you, I want to be with you."

He shuddered out a breath. His voice was low and deep, as if whispering secrets and promises of a lifetime. Sakura eyes were wide in astonishment, lips parted and face so close to him. He gazed deep into the jade irises, his fingers tightening a little on her hand.

"I want you in any way you would let me."

They stared at each other in silence, unable to pass anymore words between them. But then Sakura lowered her eyes, gazing at where his palm covered hers, not saying anything, not looking at anything. And as Itachi was getting worried, he felt her hand move beneath his.

He watched with rapt attention as she turned her hand around, facing her palm up against his and interlacing their fingers. She shyly looked up at him, a warm smile stretching her lips. "I would like that."

Itachi sucked in a breath, his fingers tightening their hold on hers. "Really?"

She nodded, a blush high on her cheeks and eyes gleaming like the moon itself sunk into it, "I would like that. I would like to have a relationship with you, be there for you, be there with you, whenever you need me. I care for you, so much. I want to be yours, Itachi."

Itachi was close to hyperventilating by the time Sakura finished, his eyes blown wide and breaths coming short. He looked at her the entire time, deep into her eyes, her sweet whispers seeping inside him and tickled him with a warmth he never imagined he could have. His heart hammered against his chest, throat closing up with the pure, raw emotions flooding through his being.

And just then, something clicked in him. As he gazed at her face, so soft and warm and full of life, her fingers gently caressing his hand, smile so bright it could put the moon to shame, it clicked in him.

He had thought that he was falling in love with her, but no, that wasn't it. He wasn't falling, he had already fallen so far he might as well be in the depths of hell. He had been falling for a long while, and he has already reached the lowest he can go.

He loved Sakura.

By Gods, he loved her.

Just then something shot up into the sky and a burst of light spread through the darkness. Similar more fireworks went off, sparkling different colors into the night sky. And with that, a new year started, with bursts of light and a sight to see.

But the pair wasn't looking at that, their eyes trained on only each other.

Itachi memorized every plane of her face, illuminated under the lights of firework, and stamped it into his brain to dream of later. He didn't even realize when his unoccupied hand started tracing the path up her arm, to the shoulder, to cup her face.

Sakura's face burned with blush, eyes falling half-lidded and tongue unconsciously poking out to wet her lips. Itachi's eyes obsessively followed its movement, not even realizing when they spun a dull red. He brought their face closer to the point where their breaths mingled. The hand intertwined with Sakura's brought her closer even more, knees knocking with each other and lips almost touching.

And when Sakura clutched the yukata at his shoulder, that was all the encouragement he needed to crash his lips on hers.

And while he didn't pay a shred of attention to the bursts of light in the sky, when her lips met his, the fireworks that lit in his body had shivers wracking down his spine. He was gentle, almost shy in first contact, but it only lasted so long before he was parting his lips for more.

Her lips felt so sweet against him, so soft, so warm, so right. He brought her even closer, almost on his lap, to deepen the kiss. He slanted his lips further, a sly tongue poking out to lick along the seam of Sakura's lips to taste the sticky sweet dango syrup coating it.

Itachi felt Sakura parting her lips a bit more, her hand clutching his yukata tighter and he grunted deep in his chest when he deepened the kiss, mashing his lips on her in almost desperation.

A man is only so strong in holding off his strong desires. And it was just a fraction of it.

They parted their lips away from each other, breaths coming out in short pants and limbs still tangled. Sakura put her forehead against his, closing her eyes as an expression of peacefulness fell on her face, lips stretching in a pleased smile.

Itachi closed his eyes too, holding her closer to him and burying his face in her hair. He smiled, so happy, relieved, almost giddy. He felt weightless, like a rock has been taken off his chest, he felt like he could fly. The days and sleepless nights spent obsessively going over every single detail of the time he would tell his feelings for her, etching out every small attribute of the interaction, repeating every possibility like a broken clock in his head till his brain fried, he felt like he could breathe now.

Sakura was his.

His lips stretched from a smile to a grin, with all the radiance of a rising sun. It felt surreal to be able to say that, like it was a dream. But it was true. Sakura has agreed to be his.

Sakura looked at him, her head resting on his shoulder and fingers still entwined and seating between his bent legs. "You seem really happy." She grinned at him, giggling as he pressed a kiss at her temple.

"I am." Sakura grinned wider at his answer, leaning deeper in his embrace, and looking over to the still bustling festival. But Itachi closed his eyes, burying his nose in her hair and breathing deep. A pleasant scent tickled his nose and he remembered, jasmine, it was.

He smiled in her hair again, reminding himself that this was real.

Him holding Sakura was real, her agreeing to be with him was real, them being in a relationship was real. She was in his arms and the only thing he now needed to do was never let her go.

And he would do everything to keep her there.

She has agreed to be his, and he would do everything in his power to be her everything.

Because she was already everything to him.