Here's my first go at a fic. This has always been my favorite pairing and since I've been wishing for more of it, I decided to try it myself. Itachi's still at large, Sasuke's somewhere I don't care about, and Sakura's en route home.

Short Summary: He sat next to her in a bar and she thrown off by his unexpected behavior. He left her with an unspoken challenge to find the truth about what really happened that night so long ago. For her sanity and for his sake.

Warning: Mild Language

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor any characters in this story. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

Damn, had it been a long week. A really, god-awful, long ass week. And right now, there was nothing that was going to keep Sakura from sitting at this bar. No sir.

A mission from Grass had exhausted her; a virus through a smaller village had broken out, and they needed help, desperately. Figures, Sakura thought. Grass Country was never too interested in the rest of their country... Forcing Konoha to send my ass out here. On second thought, Grass's medical abilities were definitely lacking and she knew that. That's probably it, but it still bothers me that they don't give a crap about anyone outside their ninja village.

With that, Sakura took her glass and threw back another cup of sake into her throat. Of course she had thought about stopping, but her Shishou had rubbed off on her to quite the extent. Sakura put the glass down, then signaled for another. Tonight, after an exhausting week of diagnosing, formulating an antidote, and administrating it, along with several chakra infusions, here she was. And she had parked it in this three-legged barstool, damnit.

She hadn't even gotten out of Grass country, to be honest. She was thinking of just plowing straight home as quick as possible, but then, on her traverse toward Konoha, she found this place on the Border. She figured, "why not?" and had gone inside.

The virus had been dangerous, affecting several- mostly the children. After two days of analyzing and testing, she finally procured a treatment. Oh, how she worked her butt off to figure it out and it had been tricky, too! But being the over-achiever that she was, after giving the dosages to those who needed it, she stayed to make sure everything went alright and the medicine was truly working.

The bartender now was handing her another sake cup. Sakura stared at it. She could see her reflection within the liquid. Green, hazy eyes looked back. Maybe she would stop after this one? Maybe.

True, the antidote took care of the sickness, but since the village finally had a decent medic to accommodate them, they took advantage of her skills, requiring chakra procedures to fix the entire village's previous makeshift healing. Without a medic, they tried to fix cuts and bruises, broken bones, deeper wounds, etc. in their own way: a complete mess. Sakura couldn't help but know infections were surely on their way to some of these people with this healing style. So after working so hard to find the antidote…

Sakura snorted. She had kicked it into full gear to create that medicine. And when she finally thought she was going to get some rest, they sprung up other issues on her. Well, there had went her whole plan of recovering chakra. "Oh, Haruno-sama, could you fix this?" or "Haruno-sama, is it possible to look at me? I think something is wrong." "Sakura-san, would it inconvenience you…?"

The list went on. And on. And on. The pink-haired woman snorted again. She knew she was supposed to help people. It was her duty, but really, there was a breaking point and those people didn't know when to stop. But she forced herself to heal them anyway despite working on an empty tank of chakra. She did get money out of it and a lot, too. So she couldn't completely complain. Sakura loved to help people…

But it had been completely taxing on her. Sakura wasn't one to give up, nor talk back to those who needed her help. But without a break, or a thank you!, her inner voice supplied, she really was at her wits end. She had to check up on almost the whole village! Whatever treatment anyone had been given was most certainly not done correctly. There was one leg that had broken and healed incorrectly, but she fixed it… Not to mention all the wounds that needed to be opened again and cleaned properly. Sakura put her elbow on the counter and rested her chin in her hand for a few moments.

It had really been a long week.

With that, the kunoichi, lifted her head up off her hand, picked up her glass, and lifted it to her lips. A quick motion flicked the glass back, emptying its contents into her mouth. Oh, how wonderful it tasted.

Too bad, all the time she spent with Tsunade and late night drinking after training had now given her a high tolerance. With this in consideration, Sakura ordered yet another drink.

Sakura thought, for perhaps the eleventh time (she'd lost count), that this surely was the last one. Her eyes were slightly hazy, yes, but she was still alert. She was a kunoichi, after all and with a reputation, to boot. Besides, the haziness was probably due to sheer exhaustion, courtesy of the people back in the other village. Yeah, that was it.

She was aware that there were several men in the bar, mostly shinobi, looking over at her. Sitting at the bar… Alone… Wearing scandalously short shorts, knee-high boots, and did they ever show off her legs. Sakura lifted her left leg up and shifted it over to settle it on top of her right. After doing so, she raked her hand through her pink hair and sighed.

The bartender came back with her drink. Reaching out, she embraced the new glass and put it down on the counter. She looked at the pyramid of her previous cups, their contents already conquered by her stomach. She let out a small laugh, noticing she was well on her way to finishing it. Only a few more glasses would complete her little creation. Well, now she finally had derived a perfect place to know when to stop drinking: After four more cups. Sakura decreed this an excellent idea. Perfect.

The men around her were still looking at her. It was unsettling a little. Whatever, she thought. If they come too close, their face can meet my boot. Sakura still had good control over herself, she did not doubt this. And then she took the glass and threw it back into her throat. She could hear the men… wondering how such a little pink-haired pixie was drinking so much and staying conscious. Surely she would start to lose control at some point? They saw her place the emptied glass on her stack of already drunken cups, motioning with her other hand to the bartender for another.

The few shinobi in the bar could see her hands wobbling slightly. It was coming; she was losing control. They started getting antsy. She was by herself, exhausted, and incredibly beautiful, there was no denying that. They knew she was obviously a kunoichi, the toned muscles gave that away. Not to mention they could see she had some headband in her hair. They didn't know which village she hailed from, but knew she came from one. And nothing was finer than getting some kunoichi ass.

Sakura was now starting to feel the alcohol. Her hands were shaking. Not much, but just enough to be noticeable. And damnit, the men in the bar noticed, too. She might need to reconsider finishing her tower of glass cups. She was by herself, tired and clearly on her way to being tipsy, which was not good. She should have stopped a while ago. Or waited til she got back to Konoha and drank with a friend.

Yeah, that would have been the Sakura thing to do... Oh look, another little cup from the bartender! Wellll, since he brought it over here, I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings…

She wasn't really caring at this point, she guessed. She just needed to sit and drink something with proof in it. Was that really so hard to ask? Is it so difficult to do so without being watched by an entire bar of guys? You ask for too much, she told herself. You know things never go our way. Then, Inner Sakura replied that from what she could tell, the guys looking at her weren't even that attractive, anyway. Well, that sucks.

They were now leering at her, waiting for her to throw back yet another cup of sake. She looked down at her pyramid and her still full cup. After this cup, she then needed two more sake drinks. Could she do it? Of course she could, but she didn't know what those shinobi were capable of. At twenty years old, surely she could take care of herself, courtesy of some chakra-filled fists and her ferocious temper, but she still didn't know how either of those elements would match up against an unknown enemy. She started swirling the contents on the cup on the counter, watching it whirlpool around in the glass… debating whether or not to drink it. The shinobi were starting to look eager and it started making an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

Someone moved onto the bar stool next to her. She didn't really pay much mind to the person- in fact, she didn't even hear the door open. The kunoichi then heard the person order sake, like she had done quite some time ago. For some reason, Sakura felt the leering stares from the men instantly quiet down. They were now chatting quietly amongst themselves and casting fearful glances over in her direction. What on earth?

She slighted her eyes to her left, conservatively. Black cloak. She couldn't see much more than that from her angle. Just that it was black. Nothing special there. Psh.

Oh, his hand! She at least knew the person was male from the voice he used to order. She looked at his right hand, which was now reaching out for his sake. Ring on the ring finger. The ring was white-ish with a red center, with a black symbol on it. Sakura's breath almost stopped.

Oh, shit. Oh no. She knew what that meant. That ring and on that finger and a black cloak was a nasty combination to encounter by one's self. Especially when drinking alone.

She may have been drinking, but Sakura's mind easily discerned why those shinobi pigs got quiet so fast. Green eyes blinked while panic started to settle in. Which was worse? The men who were eyeing her like a prostitute or the man sitting next to her?

Sakura knew the only way out of this was to remain calm. Perhaps he didn't even know who was sitting on the barstool to his right...? But no matter the case, at least he scared those other guys into little mice and was being quiet; he was completely focused on himself. She had to admit, now she was noticing the slightly heavy aura about him and it was kind of frightening. How she wasn't physically freaking out, she had no clue. Oh right. Alcohol.

He didn't make a noise. All he did was soundlessly sip his sake. Sakura looked down at hers. She hadn't touched it yet. Well, if he's here, and not causing trouble, might as well enjoy yourself! She picked up her cup and swallowed the contents in a smooth gulp, sighing as it went down to her stomach.

"Kunoichi."

Sakura bolted herself upright and winced. In that quick jerk, she accidently broke the cup she was holding. It shattered in her grasp and the fragments fell onto the ground. Damn! Maybe the barkeep won't notice?

Moments ticked by. Nothing happened. Sakura looked at the glass on the floor. She looked at her pyramid. It was almost finished. So close! She just needed two more… then she'd leave. That had been the plan, at least.

Then she broke a cup. Crap. Now she'd have to order an extra, making her still at three more cups. Well, with her new next-door neighbor on the stool, things might change.

The voice had been smooth, dark, and quiet, but commanding none-the-less. Sakura now felt obligated to say something. She kept staring at her pyramid and opened her mouth.

"Uh, yes?" Sakura didn't know what else you would say to this man, really. She still wouldn't look at him. Well, she wasn't going to. Period. She may have had several glasses of alcohol… She might have lost count, somewhere… long ago... But she knew not to look to her left. Oh, no sir. She lowered her head and stared at the counter.

The voice came again and said, "Sakura, do you really think what you are doing is wise?" Sakura blinked, continued looking down, and shook her head. Nope. I really don't. She wasn't surprised he knew her name. After all, his brother was on her genin team. He had to have known Sasuke and her were teammates. End of story. The fact he called her name and had yet to kill her made her somewhat relaxed. Somewhat. Not completely. Relaxation around this man would not fair well.

"Sakura, you may look at me. My eyes harbor no malicious content towards you. Please know I am not here to cause you any despair."

Without thinking, Sakura turned abruptly and looked at the man to her left. "What!" Sakura exclaimed. "What are you getting at?" Ah, shit. Not good. Should have thought that one through before doing that.

Sakura focused her eyes at the man in front of her. He was staring ahead at the wall behind the counter they were sitting at, sipping his drink, enjoying its taste. She looked down. She could now see the red clouds on his cloak. She looked back up at his head. Dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, riding low on his neck.

He turned. Toward her.

Sakura cringed, but still faced him.

He looked at her. Then placed his now emptied cup on the counter and asked for another. She now saw the hitae-ite with the leaf symbol scratched through the center. The dark lines under his eyes. The smirking mouth. Prick. And then, with new-found alcoholic confidence, she looked at his eyes.

They were crimson, with three dots encircling the pupil. The sharingan. Sakura quickly made sure she was still breathing. Maybe he was telling the truth and he honestly wasn't going to kill her? But he plays mind tricks… Be careful. Indeed.

Uchiha Itachi was looking at her. Square in the face. And it was frightening. Downright scary. But Sakura didn't move and she kept staring at him. The sake was probably now starting to affect her on more levels. Well, about time... Oh wait, no!

"Sakura, I'm not here to fight you. Though, I am sure the men in this establishment would most assuredly jump at such a chance." The edges of his lips turned up slightly as he said this.

Well, that started the fire burning. "You know," Sakura began. Uchiha Itachi or not, she was not going to take crap and that's just how she was. Stupid as this might be, she retorted quite aggressively, "I'm confident enough that if these ugly bastards started to move in on me, they would lose a body part they very much cherished."

Said ugly bastards in the room were now eyeing the two. They had a bad feeling about the one guy, and the girl was starting to get pissed off. Something might be going down. He looked scary and she was starting to take on a temper and it was horrifying. Who knew the docile, little pinkette was a raging tiger underneath? They were clearly thinking it was a good thing they hadn't pursued her. They could almost see the anger radiating off of her.

Sakura was looking at Uchiha Itachi. She knew she needed to watch her mouth, I really need to stop picking up on Shishou's habits… but she hated being stomped on like some doormat. She wasn't going to stand for anything like that.

She was furious. He smirked at her.

She blinked, revealing eyes of dark emerald. "Don't you go throwing that smirk at me! I know what that means. I was around your brother long enough to know those goddamned mannerisms." Sakura was getting madder and madder by the moment. Itachi put his elbow on the counter and lazily put his chin in his hand.

"Mannerisms?"

It was at this point that Inner Sakura started noticing was her counterpart did not. She quickly relayed information to her other consciousness: Uchiha Itachi was quite attractive and far more so than any of the other shinobi in this bar.

Sakura heard this and snorted once again. Hardly lady like, but she really hadn't been paying attention to his physical appearance in the sexuality department. Well, now she was. She looked at him again, clinically analyzing his features, refusing to give him reason to think she checking him out. You're right. Good call. She quickly reverted back to fussing at him.

"You and your brother do that "smirk" crap. It's infuriating. Stop it. You're probably going to throw the "hn" at me later, too. Honestly, hold a conversation! For a genius, I know words aren't difficult," Sakura said exasperatedly. Then she realized she shouldn't be speaking that way to someone who was in Akatsuki. Really. Way to go. Now how else can we piss him off? Redirect! Quick!

"What do you want, anyway, Uchiha?" Sakura bit out. Good start so far, girl. Inner Sakura snorted for the other. Her sarcasm was really on par, she noticed, but the timing was most unfortunate.

Sakura waited. If he was anything like his brother or rather, his brother picked up a few habits from him, then he was going to take his sweet ass time to answer. Such a bothersome trait, honestly. But that's probably why the two of them are so ri-goddamned-diculously lethal. Physically, Mentally, and Verbally.

Moments ticked by. When he still hadn't answered, she ordered another drink. Well, if he wasn't going to engage in conversation, she was just going to ignore him! The drink came and still no reply. She swung it up and drank it just as quick, placing it on her tower.

Itachi watched her motions. He looked at the creation she was making on the bar counter. From what he could tell, it was an almost complete pyramid. Six glasses were lined up on the very bottom. Then five on top of those, four, three, and then one. She needed another to complete the second row, then the final cup would be placed up there.

He sat back up, finished sipping his drink, put it down on the counter, and called for a third cup. Then, he decided to answer her question:

"A few things."

Sakura's jaw almost fell down. She was half expecting, half unsuspecting such a stupid, half-hearted reply. He would say something like that.

"Well, pray tell, oh Shampooed and Conditioned one. What are those 'things?'" Sakura huffed out, and put her elbow back on the counter, forcing her head in her palm. Forget the restraint. He should know that he was going to be on the receiving end of her retorts now.

Now that he had planned the conversation out, he was ready with a few answers to whatever she would ask.

"Oh, Sakura, all I wanted was a mere conversation. That is all." With that, Itachi picked up his glass and took a small sip. Sakura desperately held onto a neutral face. Well, she tried; it was more of a glare in actuality.

"I am telling the truth, Sakura. I held no information that you would be present at this bar. I came in to have a drink, I assure you. Of course, upon entering, I noticed a little Konoha Kunoichi sitting by herself, earning several leers from the other men. I thought I would indulge her presence to prevent something… unfortunate happening." The dark haired man replied, calmly.

Several things just occurred to Sakura after that little speech. First of all and foremost, she did not need protecting! He thought he would sit with her just so other men would stay away! The nerve of him! Sakura ground her teeth, but kept quiet. On the outside.

Inside, however, was a different story. She. Was. Livid. She could take care of herself. Honestly, these guys would have body parts plastered on the ceiling if they did something she didn't appreciate. Clever. You're really losing it, now.

She stopped her tirade on that point. Mind games, right? Remember? He just wants to see your reaction and piss you off. Clearly he's enjoying this. Sakura's raging maelstrom inside her head started to quiet down.

Inner Sakura brought up another point. He was being rather talkative and playful, no? You're right, Sakura wondered. He's not anything like I imagined. Or is it just another game he's playing?

Sakura thought back to the only other time she encountered this man. Well, it really hadn't even been the real Uchiha Itachi, then but someone else.

She had read his file, of course. He typically avoided confrontation, except when needed and did so usually for defensive purposes. He traveled with some giant, anchovy man… Yeah, where is that guy, anyway?, but was still mostly quiet.

But also, highly dangerous.

She really needed to stop feeling so comfortable and free around him. Surely it wouldn't take much more to get him on a killing spree. She kept thinking in a feverish attempt to recollect more information about him. He was after Naruto. Wait. Was this an attempt to capture her? As bait? Then again… He was going blind. Maybe he needed her medical expertise. Was it both? Damn, this was a lot of questions. So much was running through her head. Well, let's start from the beginning…

"Where's your partner, Kisame? Shouldn't he be here with you?" She figured that was a good one to know. From what she could tell, Akatsuki always traveled in pairs. Except that plant… thing…man.

"He is on his own mission. It is just myself here tonight, rest assured." Itachi took another small sip from his glass.

Well, ok. She knew he wasn't lying. He didn't seem that way. That was underhanded and surely he was above those tricks. Kisame wasn't here. She just didn't know why she believed him, but she figured she was right. He was too dangerous and skilled to play those kind of games. She knew he could take care of everyone here no problem. Besides, she knew Akatsuki partners didn't involve in the other's fights. So even if Kisame was here, she knew his pride would just make him a spectator. Alright, alcoholic confidence says move on to the next question…

"Are you here for Naruto?" This was a big one, no doubt. If he was, she'd bolt. Well, maybe. He'd catch her, most likely. But Naruto wasn't here, anyway. And if she was taken, then most of Konoha would come after her. Angry Fox Boy and Copy-nin would be at the front, not to mention an enormously temperamental blonde Hokage…

Itachi stared at her for a few moments, then answered with his reply. "I believe I told you, Sakura. I am only here for a mere conversation. That is all. Or did you forget that?"

Sakura did recall him saying that… it was after he told her he wasn't here to fight her on any circumstance. But he was a missing-nin and in one of the most evil associations in the ninja realm. How was she supposed to trust his word like that? Wait, she just thought he wasn't the type to lie. Crap. What was she supposed to think? She opted to stay on guard, just to be safe. True, he hadn't hurt her yet. True, everyone in the bar was still in one piece and not in some topsy-turvy world where only red and black existed. True, he was seemingly amiable. True, he didn't seem like some fanatic ninja who killed damn near all his clan…

But Sakura wasn't stupid, alcohol be damned. Speaking of which, two more to go! With that, she motioned for her second to last (hopefully) alcoholic drink. In the meantime, she looked at him. Not just stared, but really looked at him. He was devilishly handsome. Her inner self was spot on with that judgment call. He looked incredibly good to her. Clearly that sharingan had side effects of impossible good looks within that clan.

Not fair. Not fair at all.

Sakura's drink came and she put it on the counter. "You're being extremely conversational," she said cautiously, looking at her cup.

"Your attention span must be stunted. I remember you telling me to use words and not that 'smirk crap,' as you put it." She knew he was smirking anyway. She didn't have to look up from her cup to know that. She could feel it, radiating off of him. Even though she was lacking Uchiha encounters over the past years, her arrogance radar was still honed. They're all such pricks!

But, she did say be more conversational. Those twenty cups must really be getting to her if she forgot she said that. Good thing she had the tower to keep count.

"Well, I did. Doesn't mean I actually thought you were going to do it. In any assembly between Leaf and you, you were hardly talkative. I fail to see why you are now," she replied thoughtfully.

A pause ensued.

"I didn't choose to talk to them."

Sakura almost threw her head on the counter. Mind games… he enjoys this. Somehow, she stayed quiet and didn't move. Apparently, he felt like being Captain Obvious at the time. She picked up her drink, ready to swing it down, but stopped when his voice interrupted the action.

"Sakura, I wasn't always quiet." Itachi's voice was as delicate as a whisper, but slightly more audible. There was no way she didn't hear it. She thought about what he just said. In every report relating to this man, he was filed as anti-social. What was he talking about? He never was verbal. He hardly ever spoke in his fights.

He was probably talking about when he wasn't fighting. Well, how was she supposed to know what he did when he wasn't fighting Leaf nin? When had she ever encountered him when he wasn't on his guard? That's right, she hadn't. What a jerk. So what was she supposed to get out of that comment? Yeah. He wasn't always quiet. And she wasn't always wearing shit-kickin' boots. …Well, she hadn't always worn them… But how would he know unless he saw her back in the academy wearing that atrocious red dress and sandals?

Oh.

Back in the academy. Back when Sasuke was there. Back when he was still in Konoha.

Her eyes widened. Itachi saw this and nodded. He took another quick sip from his drink.

Back in the academy. He would pick Sasuke up often. She remembered seeing the older boy get his younger sibling and carry him off on his back, back to their estate. He was always smiling and chatting with other people who were also picking up their kids. She remembered him talking. He was always pleasant. Polite.

Polite…

He sat with her to keep all the other shinobi away. At least, that was what he had said. She thought he was merely trying to aggravate her. But was that the real reason? His mother's manners instilled in him? She knew Mikoto had enforced etiquette; Sasuke complained all through the academy about it. So, was that why he had done that? What was going on?

He was being polite. Or was he? Sakura didn't know what to think anymore. It seemed like the old Uchiha Itachi was sitting next to her, as opposed to the cold-hearted killer that was after her best friend.

Her head was starting to hurt from all these inferences. She picked up her drink and put it to her mouth, once again. She inhaled its contents and enjoyed the warming sensation it brought on the way down. She roughly put the glass back on the counter and stared at it.

Why was he acting like this? It was just like she remembered him. She may have been just a child, but her mind always noticed things. Especially the boy who came for Sasuke every afternoon in the academy. How could she not? She shuddered, recalling her infatuation with Sasuke, demanding to know everything associated with him. Of course she noticed Uchiha Itachi, who was always with "her Sasuke." And good thing I grew out of that phase.

But really. Where was the Itachi that she read from files? The cold-hearted killer. The red-eyed demon. The handsome devil who could kill with a look? Oh, he's handsome, alright… No doubt about that. It was like he wasn't present at this bar. Unless he was really good at acting. Which wouldn't surprise her either. But she didn't get the impression that he would do that. Talking to her seemed like too much of an effort for the filed Itachi. She thought the Itachi on paper would look in the bar, see her, and turn around. She wouldn't have noticed him. Why did he bother to come in? He knew she was going to have to report this. Why was he doing this?

This seemed sketchy. At least for the Itachi in a folder. The documented Itachi. The recent Itachi.

The old Itachi would surely have come in here and sat with her to prevent those other guys from getting too close. He would have some sort of conversation with her. He would show manners. He wouldn't be deceitful. It was like the other Itachi didn't exist right now.

"Who are you?" She asked slyly. Then put her emptied cup on the tower. One left to go.

She eyed him carefully, looking for any telltale signs. It was hard, though. Her head was starting to sway a little bit and her eyes were losing focus, now that the alcohol was making its due.

Of course, the alcohol was also clearing her mind of logical thought and thus, it began making ridiculous conjectures. Her and Inner Sakura started conversing again. What if the old Itachi was here? Well, then, where did the recent one go? Poof. Maybe he never existed. You did say he was good at acting. Something's not right. There's more to him than we think.

Surely that was it. Or alcohol talking. Whatever.

Itachi picked up his glass again, and inverted it, fully consuming its contents. He then reached over and placed it on the top of her tower. She watched him the entire time.

He looked at her, threw coins on the counter, stood up, and motioned for her to follow. "I believe, you are done drinking, now that your… pyramid… is complete. Are you not? I shall escort you out, as to keep the other men away."

Sakura was still looking at her tower. He finished it for her. She had one left to go! Maybe it was because he owed her when she broke the other cup… Yeah. Could be. There was the Polite Itachi again… She shook her head, looked at him, put down her considerable amount of coins, and stood up.

"Yes, thank you… I suppose." She had gone in a full circle. Feeling obligated to say something, but what did you say to this man? Especially now, when she was close to embracing the fact there was something wrong with his story from all those years ago…

They walked to the door, which he opened for her, and held it open, while she walked out. This was getting weird…

"Remember, Sakura, what the Copy-nin always told you. Look underneath the underneath. And please, drink more safely." And with that, Itachi disappeared.

Damn. He was fast. Or she was slow. Or both. But now, Sakura was incredibly confused. And drunk. She thought she knew about him, from the files… Now, she had no clue. Though she was going to sift through those old documents when she got back, no doubt. Something was up with that massacre. Things just didn't add up.

She looked back at the bar. Then to the direction where home lay: to Konoha. She lifted up her foot to make a step. Then quickly brought it back down to the ground, with a wobble. Oh dear, walking is going to be a much better choice than running.

Sakura shook her head. She had made up her mind and set a task for herself. She would figure it out. She always did.

So, how was it?

-Kiwi