Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters and I do not make any money from this fanfiction.

Dangerous woman

It is said that a strong woman can be the death of any strong man.

Konoha seemed calm that day. The sun was shining brightly and the soft breeze was like a welcomed caress. The civilians were smiling, taking advantage of the warm spring day. They had no idea of the atrocity that was slowly but surely coming. And how could they? Most of the times, only the shinobis were aware of the dangers that might arise. They were trained to keep their calm, to react in mere seconds and to kill without giving it another thought.

It was for the wealth and the security of their village, after all.

Morality was not a trait that ninjas should possess. Loyalty on the other hand…

That was why she was here. Nobody would have thought she was a merciless criminal. No one would have been able to guess the power she had. The pink hair and the big innocent-looking green eyes she had been born with were the perfect cover. What better way to confuse the enemy than appearing just as you were? Her girly look was emphasizing the inoffensive aura that surrounded her.

Someone should have tried to look underneath the underneath in order to discover her true face – there were few people to do that. Not to mention it would probably be too late – what's the point in recognizing a dangerous woman when she was giving you a lethal strike?

It wasn't easy to be a kunoichi – not at all. And there were times like this when she wished she could have been a simple woman. But she always got rid fast of those moments. She had decided to become a ninja and now that she had reached her dream she was determined not back down. She was going to die fighting.

She had not been like this from the very beginning. But life had changed her. It had hardened her spirit – especially because she couldn't afford to get emotional when it came down to missions. She hadn't had a breakdown since she had been a Gennin. Now she was an ANBU member. She couldn't make a fool out of herself. Being part of the ANBU had been, paradoxically, the best and the worst thing at the same time. It had been great because it made her feel useful. She was no longer the weak spot in a team. But then again, it forced her to hide her emotions, ripping her cheerful and optimistic self.

Sakura Haruno wasn't the girl people had used to know.

Now, she was a weapon. And although she would have done anything for her precious people – Naruto, Kakashi, Tsunade, even Sasuke – she was still loyal to the village. She was bound to stay true to her oaths. Maybe they would not ever forgive her, except for Tsunade-shishou, who had given her the mission, but it couldn't be helped. Her skills were needed. She was the only one able to do it.

Sakura inhaled deeply, feeling the air in the back of her throat. It had been one of the longest assignments she had ever had – and one of the riskiest as well. It was not as if people were sent back in the past every day. She was still curious how Tsunade and Shizune had managed such a thing. It had seemed nearly impossible. But she had learnt a long time not to underestimate the two medical ninjas. In addition to this, Tsunade would have shattered the earth under her feet if she had found out her apprentice had a bad opinion about the Godaime.

On no account will I disappoint you, master.

If Kakashi or Naruto had known, they would have never let her leave. They were so protective of her it was ridiculous. It made her feel inferior. Adding she had to do whatever she deemed necessary wouldn't have tamed their tempers.

I hope I have made the right decision.

She had absolutely no idea how it would affect the future. Sakura really hated that she had to do it, but she hoped it was for the better.

When you return, you may find that things have drastically changed.

She had already accepted that some people she cared about might be dead and that she might not be as strong as she had been before. Changing the time around the Uchiha massacre would indubitably influence her younger self.

Shisui had to die. And Danzo should have never got his eye. Danzo had to die also.

Sakura wasn't there to prevent the massive kill from happening, as one might have been inclined to believe. She was there to make sure Itachi Uchiha wasn't going to leave much longer after.

She had discovered the truth about him – that he wasn't a madman; he had sacrificed everything for Konoha – which was making everything harder. She had also to get closer to him, and that made her realize how kind and loving he could be. He was truly an amazing man.

She had to kill him.

Tears gathered in her eyes.

"Don't you dare!" she hissed under her breath.

But it was too late. A drop escaped and a soft sniff echoed in the room. Suddenly, the walls were just too close.

She had fallen for him. She had known it from the moment she had tried to find another way of solving the problem. But there wasn't any other route.

Sakura closed her eyes, wishing his onyx scrutinizing gaze wouldn't invade her mind. She could easily recall his masculine smell and the way his lips felt on hers. Having an affair with Itachi Uchiha had never been on her list. It somehow… happened. She had tried rationalizing it, saying it was for the sake of the mission. But it was not.

She could have taken care of him without getting so close.

The pink-haired woman crossed her arms, letting sobs take over her. She laid down on the bed.

Soon.

Soon, she would feel the bitter taste of guiltiness.

Itachi Uchiha was a prodigy. He was the most brilliant captain ANBU had ever had, and the most rational Uchiha heir.

Even more, he was untouchable.

There was not a thing he was afraid of, and the gossips said nothing could be dangerous for him. Even the highest ranked mission didn't prove a challenge for him.

Rarely did he get involved in spars, except for his cousin, Shisui, but even so, his skills were well-known. He could count on one hand the number of mission in which he got some scars.

His brother, Sasuke, looked up to him as if he was a God. He had one objective in life – to get his aniki acknowledgment. Poor Sasuke had no idea of the harsh things Itachi had gone through.

He closed his eyes. The strong scent of blood didn't disturb him.

He had actually done it. He had killed his clan that was planning a coup d'état and he had let his foolish little brother think it was because he wanted to measure his power. Now, Sasuke would never blame Konoha for making him choose. And he would never feel remorse knowing he had been the only one left alive. He had reason to live further. The Uchiha heir was satisfied – even if he would never hear Sasuke calling him nii-san again. His brother was going to get strong and to kill him one day. It was enough.

He sensed two unknown chakra signatures. He shouldn't have waited for her. He should have never done such an uncharacteristically reckless thing. But his insides ached. His heart was twisted and his mind was dizzy.

He needed her soothing touch.

And how could he leave her when she had helped him? Wasn't she the one that promised to help him when she had found out about the clan's plans? Had she not made an oath to annihilate the clan's members using a poison that would cause them no pain? It was way better than stabbing them to death, or destroying their mind using Genjutsu.

Truth to be told, he should have taken care of her as soon as she approached him with the offer. But he had found himself hesitating. It was absurd – she was dangerous if she had the courage to speak her mind like that. His instincts had told him to run, but he hadn't given it any importance.

If only he knew…

He groaned when the two persons got closer. Itachi killed his entire clan that night; two shinobis wouldn't make much of a difference, would they?

And they were surely looking for him as it was an old house of the Uchiha's, and all of them, except for two, were dead.

Sakura landed quietly. She had no idea the field was so far away from the village. She had run for at least five hours. Regaining her composure, she entered the house. She noticed the finely designed Genjutsu trap, but it was her type. The kunoichi had trained with Kakashi for more than six months, so she wouldn't fall for such techniques.

Crimson eyes greeted her and she smiled shyly. Itachi always made her shiver – not from fear, though. He made her want to do things that she shouldn't have. He had made her more than once lose her head – but that couldn't happen tonight.

"Sakura."

His voice was like velvet. It wrapped around her, making her wish she gave into the sensation of feeling wanted. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she responded.

"Itachi."

He had never been the man of words. He was made for action, so their encounters had never involved unnecessary talk.

The Uchiha heir was in front of her in a few seconds, and she was taken aback by the passion in his eyes. Cupping her chin, he lifted her head. Sakura observed he had showered, but still, death could be felt in the air. However, she inhaled his forest scent. She had no idea how he always managed to smell like summer rain and pine tree. It was a unique combination Sakura was sure she wouldn't forget soon.

His head titled slightly and she bit her bottom lip in anticipation. His mouth covered hers, and she leaned into him. If he hadn't been Itachi, Sakura would have been that eager. But he had something special.

Her hands clung to his black shirt, forcing him to come closer. His long fingers left a trail on her skin while lowering to her hips. She moaned when he deepened the kiss. His tongue danced with hers in a way they both knew too well. Sucking his lip, Sakura got her small palm under his shirt.

She was fascinating. From her pink locks to her hot temper.

It made him tighten his grip on her. Itachi knew it was wrong – on so many levels. Yet, it felt so right. He wanted, for the first time in his life, to be selfish. He told himself it wouldn't go beyond a kiss, but when she caught his nipple between her thumb and index finger a jolt of pleasure made him hiss appreciatively.

He did the same to her and she snapped her head back, moaning his name. He was getting harder. He didn't want to hear any other name roll on her tongue. Itachi would have just killed the unlucky man that caught her attention. Till her, he had no idea he was so possessive. But he was feeling Sakura was belonging to him.

Itachi lifted her by hips, and she coiled around him. His head lowered and he caught her erect nipple through the material of the red blouse. Sakura rubbed on him, wanting more – she was never getting enough of him. When he had bit hard, she pulled his ponytail, not being able to take the pleasure. It was maddening what he was able to do using his tongue alone.

"We should not proceed any further," he said brusquely.

She looked him in the eye and gave him a devilish smirk. His gaze was clouded with lust. Who would have though Itachi Uchiha was not emotionally retarded?

"You are right," she responded, catching her breath. `However, we will.` she continued, unzipping her vest.

Maybe he was strong, and controlled, but she was determined and warming. Not even Itachi Uchiha could resist her. She had made sure of it.

Her black bindings were practical, yet provocative. Itachi let go of her, swallowing fervently. He looked panicked – which was really amusing considering people thought he couldn't be impressed by anything. Obviously, nobody besides her got under shits with him. That's what she liked about him. He made her feel like a dangerous woman; one who could turn heads, and impress ice-cubes.

"Leave."

He was demanding, a thing that didn't happen usually during their love-making sessions – because they were so intimate and tender and rough as if they were making love, not just fucking each other senseless. Her eyebrow quirked mockingly. His carefulness was feeding her ego.

"C'mon, Tachi-kun! You can't possibly be serious," she said funnily.

His Sharingan swirled threatening, but she didn't seem affected. That made a frown appear on his porcelain features. Who was this little girl exactly?

For the first time, he realized he had not very much information about her. She seemed to come out of blue.

"Oh, so you'd like to have it these moments impregnated in your mind? I must say I am flattered."

The fact that she knew he would indeed remember every minuscule detail of this encounter made him want to praise her intelligent – and also strangle her. She started walking towards him, and in a moment of desperation, Itachi took a step back.

"Sakura," he spoke, sounding pleading. "Pl…"

He was about to implore her to go, but he could not do it. Giving her such power would have been an atrocity. She was the kind that knew how to play her cards. Sakura was on par with him, he had to accept it.

"Playing this game is dangerous."

She smiled seductively, and he instantly felt threatened. Something was amiss. His instincts were screaming that she was a dangerous woman. It seemed so hard to believe a man like him could be endangered by such a lovely creature.

"Are you insinuating I am a coward?"

"You could as well stay," he said instead of responding. "But I wouldn't want you to be disappointed when you realize I will not touch you again."

She laughed – in a low dark tone. He had no other place for the night, and they both knew it. Until he found another shelter, he had to stay in the Uchiha domain. Especially since they were close to the Wind border, which meant a storm could occur from out of nowhere.

"Won't you?" she said, teasingly. "Ah, you turn me on, and then you let me ache for you. I had no idea you were so impolite!"

A few moments later she spoke again. "Wouldn't you like a little bit of medical help with that?" she said, pointing to his manhood.

His eyes narrowed and she could swear he blushed. Probably deciding he should leave, Itachi walked to the door. But then, he heard a hot sigh. He knew better than this. However, he felt drawn to the sound. Turning his head, he found a pink-haired woman down on her knees, folding her breasts with one hand and touching herself down there with her other one.

Sakura could feel his gaze, but she deliberately didn't look at him. The ceiling seemed much more interesting. He had to stay in the same room with her. Otherwise, she couldn't accomplish her mission.

With a fluid movement, she threw away the chest bindings.

She imagined his calloused fingers caressing her skin, his soft lips on her neck, his manly growl. Sakura could feel tension gathering in her stomach. She was so close! Just a little bit more stimulation and she would come undone.

If she hadn't been so absorbed in the moment, she would have felt ashamed of the fact a fantasy could wet her like that. Still, she was aware he was watching her every gesture.

She was not afraid he would kill her. If he had wanted to, he would have done it until now. Her womanly scent filled the air. It smelled like peaches. Itachi's mouth went dry. He had a sudden desire to eat peaches.

Frustrated by his loss of control, he replaced her hand with his. He took her cry of pleasure with her mouth and continued to rub her clit. He hated her. Why did she have such a power over him? And why could he not just kill her and be over it?

Lowering Sakura on the floor, he pinned her using his weight.

"Why are you doing all this?"

Her eyelids were half opened. As soon as she registered his question, she responded.

"I like you."

It was true. Even more, she had fallen in love with him. But Sakura was not going to also fall because of him. Itachi was the one that had given up love in order to protect Konoha. He would have understood it.

Catching him off guard, she reversed the roles, lying on top of him.

"And you like me too."

His nails dug into her skin. A single drop of blood appeared. Itachi was rather violent in bed; unlike his peaceful behavior.

"Don't you?"

She kissed his neck, nipping different spots. She took his ear-lobe in the mouth and that was it. His control shattered for good. Itachi's hands started roaming all over her body – squeezing, pinching, massaging. He wouldn't have let anyone know, but he was a passionate man.

Her tights were straddling him, rubbing her womanhood over his full length. Her moans were like music and her wetness was highly excitable. He wondered if he had really lost his mind, making out with an exquisite woman after he had massacred his clan, knowing that he was about to enter a criminal organization.

Sakura felt the moment he got lost in his thought. It made her angry but she decided to mask it.

"If you are still able to think, I'm doing something wrong."

She said that pushing his pants away, and taking him into her hand. At first, he wanted to assure her that she was doing more than fine, but then she kissed his eyelids and the words died before they had even formed. He felt naked, in a more personal way than not having any clothes.

He had no weapons and his eyes were closed. A respectable and very capable medic was pinning him down on a stone floor. He was anything but safe.

And he couldn't care less.

He felt home in her warm arms. It was like he was a human, not a monster. She was welcoming and tender. It hurt him to feel such love after all he had done. He did not any deserve it! He knew she cared, even if she hadn't said it explicitly. There was no need for it – because he had been silent too.

Sakura let his length slid through her wet folds and he winked as if hurt. Little did he know she was aware of his desire to keep his damn control. Then he got up in a sitting position and bit her shoulder. Itachi changed the pace, enforcing the rhythm. She scraped his milky skin, leaving red marking lines. She wanted to own him, to make him hers in any and every way possible. His thrusts were much harder and faster now.

He was close. So was she.

When the climax hit her, she felt as if she had jumped off a bridge. She had had sex before, but nothing compared to what she felt with him. Itachi was effectively shattering her to pieces just to be there for her to collect all of them. He was not just a fucking buddy – they had the passion people had when they cared for one another.

Sakura heard Itachi's growl and she knew he had reached that point too. She clung to her consciousness.

A revelation hit her. It didn't matter if nobody would forgive her; or, on the contrary, if everybody would. She wasn't going to be able to forgive herself. She was going to live running from the past and she wouldn't ever find happiness and love again. The thought hurt her, but she hadn't had time to meditate.

Sakura pulled Itachi's hair hard, but he didn't care. He saw no problem in exposing his neck to her. The pleasure was unbearable. He felt Sakura's hand on his chest. When he sensed her chakra it was too late – she had already sent a flare to his heart.

He felt his pulse stop. His breath caught in his throat. Her eyes were dull – still, he could see the spark of remorse. Itachi wanted to scream, to trap her in a Genjutsu. It couldn't be happening. He couldn't die. What would become of his little brother?

It had never been his plan. And he was too calculated to fail. Yet, here he was.

"Why? he managed to ask, but he didn't live enough to find out the answer.

As he stubbornly fought against death, she shrugged. Indifference was her only escape throughout the days.

"For the sake of a better future. You would have done the same, Tachi-kun."

This time, the nickname was told lovingly.

It was high time she went back to a new present. Still, her affair with the Uchiha heir would remain secret – maybe even from Tsunade. Nobody would have believed that Itachi Uchiha would have acknowledged her.

The prodigy of all times had been a simple man after all. One that had seen her real face when she was giving the last strike.

As it is known from ancient times, any strong man can be taken down by a dangerous woman.