Like An Arrow Through The Heart (Version 2)

Chapter One

Three's a crowd

"Ughhhhhhhhh!"

I twisted around in my bedcovers, bending backwards as far as I could and exasperatedly flung my hands out to my sides, sans-chakra of course or else the bed frame would have collapsed and made me even more annoyed then I usually was in the damned mornings.

"Stupid Kakashi!" I spat as I finally untangled myself from the bed sheets and glumly leapt to my feet.

"This. Is. Way. Too. Earlyyyy!" I groaned, accentuating each syllable with a childish stomp and running my hands through my thoroughly messed-up bubblegum locks.

"What the hell does he want scheduling a meeting at this hour! It's not like he's even gonna make it on time!"

Indeed, Kakashi was going to be at least 2 hours late, I thought. A smile slowly made its way on my face. Well, then. Since the meeting wasn't going to start until he arrived that meant I had at least 2 more hours of sleep.

I threw myself back onto the bed and rolled myself into a cocoon with my forgiven bed sheets and was just about to purr in warm satisfaction when someone cleared their throat in dry amusement.

I froze.

"Naruto, if that is you trespassing I am going to kill-"

I spun around and was effectively silenced by the sight of something completely and utterly horrendous.

Horrendous? Girl, you need your eyes checked! Inner Sakura said between gasps of hyperventilation.

Because right there leaning casually on my bedroom wall - in full, sexy, tight ANBU gear and a subtle smirk on his dark handsome features - was Uchiha Itachi.
Inner Sakura promptly began wolf-whistling and checking out his very defined abdominal muscles beneath his ANBU attire. Drool unconsciously leaked out of her mouth.

I, on the other hand, was mortified. So I did the only thing anyone could do when they found themself in such an unfortunate situation.

Rolled yourself over to the other side of the bed and lifted the bedcovers in seductive invitation! Inner said dreamily.

Like hell I did!

Idiot! A girl can dream!

Inner Sakura retorted as she promptly burst into tears, dramatically grieved over the lost opportunity and glared accusingly at me all while. She huddled in some shadowy corner of my mind and began muttering things like 'stupid, billboard brow with the sex appeal of a tree...'

But I couldn't blame her this time. I wanted to crawl off to some shadowy corner to weep myself.

For roll myself over I did.

Conveniently forgetting that I was a tangled-up big fat cocoon of bed sheets and naturally ended up on the ground in a big heap at his feet.

And so my unwelcome guest had proceeded to turn on his Sharingan and use it to unwrap and untangle a still dazed, yours truly, did I really need to embarrass myself any further?

Yes! Inner Sakura shrieked and howled.

Course I did.

The minute I had gotten untangled and lucid enough to comprehend what exactly was going on I shakily excused myself and plopped myself back on the bed to scream into my pillow, while dark and handsome patiently waited for me to regain my dignity.

As if I ever could.

"Sakura-chan!"

I trudged on sullenly towards the happy, bright figure dancing around on the bridge (thoroughly pissing off the slouched, darker figure behind him which surprise surprise was the only other person on the bridge I might add).

"Naruto."

Naruto froze and backed away not so subtly, grinning sheepishly and scratching the back of his head. "Ah, Sakura-chan it's okay! I'll hug you when you're more awake...and less angry," he explained, obviously not wanting to piss me off anymore.

But clearly it did nothing too alleviate my very forgiving mood. "Why did you let him," I turned around and stabbed my index finger accusingly at Uchiha Itachi,"wake me up?!"

Said man had the audacity to raise an elegant brow at my rud- uh, bluntness rather - while Naruto all but fled behind Sasuke who stood there stoically.

"You can't blame me, Sakura-chan! You're scary in the mornings! I'll get dumb with all the vicious blows you give me to the head. At least you wouldn't hit Itachi if he was the one who woke you up."

My green eyes flashed unforgivingly.

"Idiot," Sasuke drawled. "That was the wrong thing to say."

He wisely stepped to the side and Naruto's face fell in belated realization and fear.

Then just when I had gotten all fired up, an soft chuckle came from behind and I whipped around in blind anger, to absorbed to notice Sasuke's gasp of surprise.

"What is your problem, Itachi?!"

Itachi looked a little surprised himself, but it was only for a fleeting second, gone before I could analyze it any further . "Do you address all your superior's in that way, Sakura?" He diverted answering my question calmly. His smooth, lilting tenor ruffling me up even more.

I flinched but realized he had chided my lightly with more amusement than seriousness. I did not like the way he had intimidatingly called me by my first name rather than what he usually called me, if he ever did - Haruno-san.

"No, because they didn't intrude in my bedroom!"

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly in some unreadable emotion while Naruto, who had previously been so relieved that I seemed to had forgotten all about him, dropped his jaw.

"WHAT?"

"Very well then, you may call me Itachi."

"GYAHHHHH! You are impossible!"

I stomped off onto the bridge and decided to ignore him, well until another thought occurred to me. "Why are you here, anyway?"

Sasuke's eyes warily flickered from his aniki to me which was quite puzzling, but soon opened his mouth to speak. "Kakashi got injured in his last mission and is currently recuperating on the hospital. My aniki is temporarily replacing him as our supervisors for our next few missions."

My mouth dropped. "You've got to be kidding me!"

I felt onyx eyes land on me for the third time that day and lost it. I balanced myself of the tree branch and whirled around.

"What?!" I demanded, hands on hips scowling at Sasuke. Forget that I normally wouldn't have acted that way towards him but to his credit Sasuke didn't even bat an eyelid.

"Nothing," he said finally.

"No, really. Sasuke. You've been scanning me head to toe all morning. And you're doing it again right now!"

Sasuke's eyes froze on my chest just as I said "now" too pissed to be smug that I had caught him the act.

Wait a minute - my chest?! What was wrong with my chest!

I stared down at my white tank top and forest green sweat pants and spotted nothing gruesome or embarrassing stuck to my attire. I narrowed my eyes and crossed my hands around my chest. "Where do you think you're looking at!" I growled.

Twin dots of red appeared on Sasuke's cheeks and I gaped in amazement. "Annoying! You've got it wrong, I wasn't looking at your...chest," he finished lamely.

If it wasn't for the fact that he was being completely out of character I would have slapped him right now. Well that and the fact that he was Sasuke.

"Then explain to me what you were looking at!"

"You don't normally wear such appropriate clothing for missions. It's usually an altered civilian dress or skirt or something. In bright red too."

I gaped again completely speechless, wondering whether I should dwell on the fact that he had insulted my former fashion style and stealth ability as a ninja or the fact that he had just complimented me for dressing so...plainly.

That's not a compliment at all! Inner snorted. And he's right your choice of clothing sucks!

Hey. Take that back! I retorted.

"Sasuke. Are you saying you like me better it when I dress in plain clothes?" I asked incredulously.

I had only worn what I was wearing because I wasn't bothered to take my time while a certain Uchiha was waiting outside my bedroom door.

"Hn."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"I like it better when you dress in clothes more appropriate for shinobi." Sasuke amended so softly I doubted I even heard right in the first place.

"Same thing!" I retorted, smiling slightly. To think that Sasuke was actually responding to me in the first place. Looks like he finally respects me enough to do so. Not like the poor, weak girl he kept complaining about before.

It didn't hurt anymore when I told myself that.

I wasn't as naive as before anymore. I no longer hoped for anything with Sasuke but perhaps a close friendship. And even then he would always be more closer to Naruto than with her. I wondered what he would think of me if I was someday strong enough to rival him. Would he spare me a second glance then?

But it wasn't like he didn't care about me. Both Sasuke and Naruto were fiercely protective of me often scanning me for injuries. In fact that was what I had thought Sasuke was doing until it dawned on me that he was doing it way to often and before they had even caught any scent of danger in the air.

"Hurry up, Haruno."

My name rolled off so familiarly on his tongue and I shuddered at the strange feeling it evoked in the pit of my stomach. I wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or bad thing. Seriously, he should cut back on the silky smoothness...his voice I meant, not his shoulder-length sexy-silky-smooth hair.

My eyes trailed down the length of glossy, black hair, the rippling of his back muscles quite visible beneath the form-fitting black-ops ANBU vest and the muscular curve of a very firm-looking butt-

Shit! What was I thinking?
I averted my gaze but did not miss the knowing upturn of his lips even though he continued gazing ahead and picked up pace.

Damn you all-knowing, all-seeing Uchiha.

The I recalled how he had trespassed into my bedroom in the morning and glared daggers into his perfect back, which I promptly become very intimate with a split-second afterwards.

"Ow! Kami...What the hell?! Don't just suddenly stop!"

I rubbed my bruised nose irritatedly, wondering how his back could feel so solid, until I realized that Sasuke and Naruto were staring at me as if I had just grown two heads.

"What! Why do you guys keep on staring at me!" I screeched.

"Damn you all-knowing, all-seeing Uchiha?" Naruto quoted.

I blushed. Did I say that aloud?

"Yes, you did," Sasuke answered wryly.

Shit I must have said that aloud too.

Itachi had turned around without me noticing so that I was now somehow staring at his chest a few centimetres away from my face.

I felt my face colour even more and scowled at the obvious amusement Itachi was displaying.

"I believe I must teach you how to properly display your respect, Sakura. You do know that I am just as qualified as Kakashi to be your supervisor on an A-ranked mission, right?"

I stubbornly refused to answer. He was correct of course. But that didn't make me hate him any less.

Suddenly his fingers were lifting up my chin and staring down curiously into my eyes and my mind almost blanked out. Almost.

"What the hell?!"