Snowy Memories
A Naruto Fanfiction
Written by Katsushiga Hoshibi
Author's Note: This is a sequal short story for Star Crossed X-mas. It is highly suggested that one should read that story before moving onto this one. As before, everything that Sakura and Itachi quote are from the Hagekure.
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"No matter what it is, there is nothing that cannot be done. If one manifests the determination, he can move heaven and earth as he pleases. But because man is pluckless, he cannot set his mind to it. Moving heaven and earth without putting forth effort is simply a matter of concentration." Hagekure, First Chapter.
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Across the frozen landscape of the north, three shinobi stomped their way through the heavy snow. Certain medical herbs were almost impossible to get a hold of. Sakura lead the trio in the tundra to get the necessary components to make potent medicine that would save lives. Gripping her pendant, Sakura took in a deep breath as she forced herself to move.
Was it only a few weeks ago that she had broken the laws of the Konoha ninja village to heal a criminal? Running a hand through her pink hair to brush it out of the way, her fingers brushed against the barrette that he had given her. Itachi was a criminal, a thief that had stolen her heart. Pulling the hood of her cloak over her face, she hid a smile from her traveling companions.
"Sakura-san, how much further until we reach our destination?" Hinata looked over to her leader with her white, blank eyes. As a master of her bloodline's technique, the Byakugan, she was extremely observant. Sakura's smile hadn't escaped her gaze.
"It should only be another few hour's walk from here. If the snow starts blowing any harder, we might have to find shelter. The Snow Country isn't the best place to be traveling through at this time of year." Sakura turned to the third member, Yakumo, in concern. "How are you handling yourself? This is your first mission outside of the village, so just tell me if you need help manipulating your chakra into warmth."
As ninja, all three were trained in how to manipulate the personal energy of their bodies, chakra. Certain manipulations could mean the difference between life and death. Although Yakumo was a skilled shinobi, Sakura was worried due to her lack of practical experience.
"I'm fine. I just keep remodeling a genjutsu into tricking my mind into tricking my body to be warm," she said with a bright smile. Yakumo was a master of the illusionary techniques of genjutsu. Her bloodline technique of the Kurama Clan made it possible to make the illusions real for an individual. Unfortunately, the unique use of her techniques earned a sigh from her leader.
"You'll never make chunin level if you only rely off of genjutsu. I had to master medical ninjitsu and chakra manipulation before I made it that far," Sakura commented. She had been a genin, the lowest level of shinobi, for four years before making the middle rank of chunin. It would probably be another five years until she could make the master rank of jounin.
Hinata was also a chunin, which added to the reason that she was added to Sakura's team for the mission. The primary purpose was to gather the herbs, but also to help Yakumo develop skills that would aid her in becoming a stronger ninja. Hinata's technique enabled her to see in almost every direction at once was also highly valued to keep the trio safe during their journey.
"Sakura, Yakumo, we're being followed."
Hidden amongst the shadows of the forest, Itachi looked on with a sigh of regret. The woman that he had fallen for was trudging through the deep snow. Unfortunately, she was not alone. Although they were covered in thick, full cloaks, he could still spot the Konoha metal headbands that they wore. Absentmindedly, his fingers traced along the deep scar that cut through his own.
Pain tore through the shinobi's heart as regret plagued his mind. If he hadn't slaughtered his entire clan, Itachi might have been able to have a normal life, one where he could meet a girl such as Sakura. Sighing, he pushed those thoughts aside. Itachi couldn't have had that life. Being the prodigy that he was, no girl would have approached him. He was simply too intimidating, and so Itachi was doomed to be alone. Besides which, wasn't it fate that drove Sakura and himself together on that fateful evening?
Gripping his hand tightly over a branch, it snapped in his grip. The world almost ground to a halt as the three girls stopped in their tracks. Sakura turned to talk to the girl with the soulless eyes before talking to the kunoichi on her other side. Then she slowly turned to scan the landscape. For a moment, Itachi could have sworn that she locked eyes with him. His heart pounded loudly and slowly.
Cruelly, the wind kicked itself wildly against the Akatsuki ninja, throwing snow into his face. When he shielded his vision, they were gone, sprinting into the distance. Taking to the trees, he followed them at what he felt was a safe distance. The snow was becoming heavier as they raced through the day. Itachi knew that the three would have to take shelter soon.
Chasing through the snowy winds, the Konoha shinobi made tracks to get away. Hinata wasn't able to fully make out what was pursuing the team, but Sakura didn't want to stand around to find out. Although the Snow Country's ninja village was weakened, they would still not take kindly to any Konoha ninja. Especially towards Sakura, who had helped to weaken their hold on the country.
Briefly checking a map that the Fifth Hokage, the ninja leader of Konoha, had given them, Sakura noted an inn a mile north of their current position. With the snow falling more steadily and a pursuer behind them, it was a logical option. From inside a room, they could better fortify themselves. Sakura quickly glanced at her two teammates. Both Yakumo and Hinata were fine. Her fears were currently in vein. Nothing would catch the team as long as they held strong.
Another fifteen minutes of their quickened pace landed them at the doorstep of an ancient inn, centered on a hot spring site. Sakura smiled a little. The map didn't indicate the outdoor bathing area, but that made it all the more pleasant. Although they were in potentially hostile territory, it was important to find good places to rest and unwind in order to keep their senses sharp.
"Hinata," Sakura commanded.
"Byakugan," Hinata recited as she formed a kujikiri hand seal. The veins near her temple tensed as her eye contracted. Her x-ray vision cut through the building, showing only two individuals in the entire inn. One lazily sat at the desk in the entryway, the other laying in a room in the far end of the building. Hinata relaxed her technique. "There isn't anyone here who's harmful. There's hardly anyone here at all."
"Well, I say we've earned a bit of rest then." Sakura grinned and opened the door, pulling her two subordinates in with her.
The young woman at the desk looked up in surprise as they entered. It was very unusual for guests to appear in such a snowstorm, much less so for it to be guests from another country. Her eyes caught the light reflect off of metal and noticed their headbands at last. The woman hid her surprise at Konoha ninja simply walking into the inn without a care in the world.
"Welcome to the Snow Mountain Inn. Is there just the three of you?" The innkeeper bowed politely to her customers.
"Yes, just the three of us," Sakura bowed politely in return. She spoke for the group and secured a good-sized room and gathered information about the inn. The woman told Sakura that the blizzard would impair travel for at least a day, if not more. The open-air hot spring would still be plenty warm, melting away most of the snow before it came close to the water. There was also a recreation room with a few games.
Yakumo and Hinata looked halfway between interested and annoyed as Sakura happily chatted with the woman behind the counter. They were beginning to suspect that something was not quite all together in Sakura's world. Even Yakumo had noticed her touching the pendant and barrette many times during their journey. Hinata noticed the weird actions and the changing pulse in Sakura's blood with her heightened senses. The two silently vowed to discover what was playing in her mind.
Sakura, oblivious to the intent of her party members, gained the room key and made for their suite. On the way to their room, they noticed the doors that lead into the changing area for the hot spring. It was quite the luxury to stop at such a resort on a mission, especially considering how cheap the night's stay was. The three kunoichi were intent on relaxing as much as possible, but not so much as to let down their guard.
Itachi waited several minutes after the girls had entered to make his way in. His plan was simple. Get a room, hide away, and make sure that nothing was out of the ordinary, and maybe find a way to talk to Sakura. After all, that was the reason he had traveled to the frozen Snow Country. There was nothing else of interest hidden away in the sub artic forests that were of any value to him or Akatsuki. Only Sakura lured him this far.
Sliding the door open, he gazed into the entryway, startling the proprietor. Snow blew in from behind him before he finally stepped inside and sealed off the outside world. The woman's gaze lifted to his scarred headband before finally going back to his eyes. It would be a long night.
"This is to ensure that I won't be bothered and that you will be quiet," Itachi commanded as he dropped several flat gold coins in front of her. She handed him a key that he snatched up before walking deeper into the inn. Itachi felt confident that she wouldn't speak up, as he had just deposited enough money to keep the inn well maintained for a year into her coiffeur.
Checking his key, it was a room close by. The lone shinobi noted the coed hot spring, eyeing it for a moment wishing to bath and wash the filth of the day away. The off chance that one of the three girls going in for a soak was too high for his liking, so he brushed the thought aside. It would have been very depressing to get caught and risk Sakura discovering his presence. Since he knew that Hinata was of the Hyuuga clan, it would be difficult enough to simply keep his chakra low. To throw it away just to take a bath would be negligible.
Itachi moved silently into his room before taking a spot on the tatami mat. Although he had paid a lot more for the room than was necessary, it was a very pleasant room that could have easily suited half of Akatsuki comfortably. The decorations were simple, except for a few choice wall scrolls of a sickle wielding weasel and one of a cherry blossom branch. The irony was not beyond Itachi's imagination. Through the wall, he could hear the three girls talking.
"We should take a bath," Sakura said. Itachi jolted at her voice. "The area is secure and I don't think that we'll have much to fear from any one coming in to disturb us. The snowfall will make sure of that."
"It's about time, anyways. How many days had passed by since we last had a good cleaning? Ten too many if you ask me," a childish voice complained. The door to their room flung open as the trio carried their conversation into the hall.
After a few moments had passed, Itachi stood up to reach the ceiling. After stretching to his full height, he was able to move the tile above him to allow movement amongst the rafters. Itachi pulled himself up and started to stealthily crawl through the compound in pursuit of the girls. He smirked as memories of his day as an ANBU shinobi floated to the surface.
Tracking a few young kunoichi was an easy feat, compared to hunting down rogue ninja criminals. Lately, Itachi's tasks were revolved around the hunting of legendary multi-tailed beasts. With the nine-tailed fox gone into secluded training, he was not given another target to secure. It was of little consequence. If he had been busy tracking the fox, he wouldn't have had the chance to see Sakura again. Taking a moment to assess the situation, he silently slid the tile less than an inch off to the side.
Below Itachi were the three girls already changed into towels to enter the hot spring. With his Sharingan eyes, he could easily spy on them without fear of being accidentally sighted. Itachi's moral sense conflicted his actions, worrying about his act of voyeurism as being seen as untrustworthy. While he silently debated the consequence of his actions, the girls jilted to a stop. A bead of sweat fell down his face.
In one simultaneous action, the three girls threw shurikan that cut out the tile around him. Time slowed down as he fell. Itachi grabbed a support beam instinctively as he gauged the situation. He slowly released his grip to land on his feet in front of the three kunoichi in a show of grace.
"Itachi-kun?" Sakura looked at him in surprise. Her hand immediately went to her barrette, a gesture that was not lost on him. The two other Konoha ninja were not so friendly, quickly grabbing their kunai from their clothing.
"Sakura-san, this is not what you think," he explained in a calm, monotone voice. Any tension in the air vaporized at this comment.
"D-did he just…" Yakumo dissolved in a fit of laughter. "I, I don't know if I should be outraged, or…"
While Yakumo clutched her side in laughter, Hinata blushed and attempted to cover herself as much as possible, hiding behind the corner of the clothes rack. Sakura just sighed and clapped her hand to her brow. Itachi stood confused, looking between the three girls without a lick of understanding.
"Hinata, was this the person following us?" Sakura looked around for her half-hidden companion. She had wanted to see the object of her affection again, but this was an unusual way to go about meeting someone.
"I, I don't know. I… think it could be," she stammered. Itachi twitched noticeably. It was irritating to think that a ninja at his level could be so easily detected.
Sakura just sighed. "For an S-class criminal, it's pretty sad to be noticed by three young girls, only two of which are chunin." Itachi tensed suddenly at the verbal assault. "I would've expected you to just stay out of sight or fall randomly into place with significant blood loss. Well, I guess that doesn't really matter now. Since we're stranded here for the night, would you care to join us?"
"You are careless in your speech and mannerisms, Sakura-chan."
Hinata and Yakumo exchanged glances at the use of the familiarized suffix. Along with the other shinobi in Konoha, they knew of Itachi's past and how he was extremely dangerous. To have him unexpectedly appear and then act uncharacteristically warm towards Sakura was a surprise that both inspired fear and confusion.
"'When someone is giving you his opinion, you should receive it with deep gratitude even though it is worthless. If you don't, he will not tell you the things that he has seen and heard about you again. It is best to both give and receive opinions in a friendly way,'" Sakura quoted with a frustrated expression.
Itachi smirked slightly as his eyes shifted away from the star shaped sharingan to his normal deep brown coloration. "'When discussing things with someone, it is best to speak appropriately about whatever the subject may be. No matter how good what you are saying might be, it will dampen the conversation if it is irrelevant.'"
"And what, pray tell, does that mean?"
"That you have other reasons to invite me to join you."
Sakura reached up and touched her barrette again. Hinata and Yakumo watched in shock as realization hit them. The reason behind their leader's unusual actions were due to a secret lover that was unacceptable for her to be involved with. Doubt crossed the two kunoichi as they analyzed the situation. Hinata took in a deep breath and exhaled softly.
"I-if Sakura-san says that Itachi-san should join us, then it is okay." Hinata gave a quick look to Yakumo and then turned to the rogue ninja. "I-I assume Itachi-san will be a gentleman."
"You have nothing to fear from me, Hyuuga-san." Itachi unfastened his Akatsuki cloak. "Please go ahead and I will enter in a moment." As he waited for the girls to leave, Sakura looked back and smiled happily, winking at him. Events were never stranger for Itachi.
As he took off his clothing and wrapped a towel around his midsection, his mind wandered to the shear probability of this occurrence. Although mathematics came easily to him, Itachi was at a loss. Entering a hot spring with the object of his heart's affections and two other Konoha kunoichi was simply inconceivable. If only Kisame were here to see this.
Kisame Hoshigake was Itachi's closest friend and partner in Akatsuki. Hailing from the Village of Hidden Mist, Kisame was a shinobi swordsman and a humanoid shark monstrosity. Were he in this situation, Itachi knew that the shark-man would say that the three girls looked delicious. On second thought, it dawned upon Itachi that he wouldn't exactly know which definition that Kisame would use. It was for the best that he wasn't present.
Itachi sighed as he walked into the outdoor spring area. Snow was falling lightly, covering parts of the stone walkways out of the warm glow of the spring. The three kunoichi were already shoulder deep in the warm waters. Sakura drank from a sake cup as snowflakes fell around her. The picturesque scene touched Itachi's heart.
"Are you even old enough to drink," Itachi commented as he lowered himself in the waters.
"Does it even matter here? It's just you and me… and…" Sakura pressed herself against Itachi's back. Her face was already flushed from the alcohol.
"…Two other kunoichi to make sure you don't do anything dangerous," Hinata grumbled as she separated the two. Her brows furrowed in annoyance at her leader's inability to properly assess the danger in the situation. Although there seemed to be an interesting connection between the two, it did not change the fact that Itachi was a dangerous criminal that executed his entire clan for no known reason.
"Relax Hinata-t'chan! It couldn't be that bad," Yakumo hiccupped. It became clear that the neophyte had been into the sake as well. Hinata lowered herself into the water in a gesture of helplessness.
"Itachi-kun don't you like me?" Sakura had taken another shot of sake. Itachi looked at her and debated what to do.
"Sakura, you're drunk."
"Well, you're cute," she said as she flicked his nose. A giggle escaped Sakura as she fluttered her eyelashes at the rogue. Itachi flushed in surprise from the gesture.
Itachi turned to Hinata with a nervous glance. "This could not get any more awkward, could it?" The Hyuuga user muttered something in the water as the veins bulged in her head. Then she closed her eyes and sank under the water line. "I don't want to know, do I?"
Whistling through the air, a shurikan hurtled towards the group. Without even looking up, Itachi pulled up the floating sake platter to block the projectile. Despite her submerged state, Hinata instinctively caught the sake flask and two cups.
"I don't think it's appropriate to discuss our feeling so publicly, Sakura-chan," Itachi commented. Swiftly moving the sake platter, he caught three more shurikan as they thunked against the wooden disc. Glancing around the hot spring area, Itachi noticed that Yakumo was laughing hysterically as she continued to help herself to more sake from another platter. No visible enemies could be determined.
"Itachi we can talk about this. No one cares that we're in love! We should enjoy the spring time of our youth!" Sakura hiccupped. She pulled the flask and cups out of Hinata's hand, pouring a glass for herself and Itachi.
Itachi sighed as he accepted the cup and downed the sake. The taste was bittersweet and soft, a strong vintage. He regretted not partaking of the drink earlier. Although the group were under attack by unknown assailants, Itachi wasn't feeling very threatened. Then Hinata pointed up.
Falling from the sky at an exponential speed was a giant narwhale made of ice. Itachi looked up as his mangekyo sharingan flared to life. The deadly technique was intricate and would crush them all under a ton of ice.
"You have got to be kidding me," he muttered. Standing up, his tossed his sake cup straight up in the air as he performed kujikiri for one of his ultimate techniques. "Ameraterasu," he recited as black flames burned away the whale. Casually, he caught the sake cup as it fell without spilling a drop.
Sakura let out a squeal of delight and clapped as Yakumo simply laughed and pointed at Itachi. Hinata, still hiding underwater, reached up and pointed at something else. Itachi's towel had fallen off of him during the technique. Sakura, realizing this, let out a cry of glee and mock covered her eyes. The S-class missing-nin blushed scarlet as he quickly recovered himself.
"I think it is best that we forget that."
"Itachi-kun you're so awesome" Sakura slurred her words as she hugged his waist. Hinata emerged from the water and sighed at the scene and her leader's drunken state.
Itachi lowered himself into the waters as he continued to scan the area. His mangekyo sharingan detailed every inch of the area. Paired with Hinata's Byakugan ability, he was confident that they would not be surprised again.
"Sakura, this isn't a good time to talk about our relationship. We should-" Itachi held his tongue as he saw the young kunoichi's eyes fill with tears.
"You mean Itachi-kun doesn't like me?" Sakura sniffled.
"Er- no! That isn't what I mean at all…"
"So Itachi-kun does like me!" Lunging out of the water, she half-tackled Itachi as a giant shurikan flew over her head. He hadn't seen that one coming, but he doubted that Sakura was aware of it either.
While the two lovers were busy with each other, Hinata continued to scan the area. Her eyes finally settled on a shrubbery, a foe hidden underneath it. "There," she pointed. Itachi freed an arm from Sakura's death grip to pull out a shurikan stuck in the discarded sake tray. With lightning accuracy, the ninja star flew from his fingertips and buried itself in the foliage. A soft thunk and a garbled scream indicated a lethal hit.
"The inn keeper," he mused.
"It was," Hinata replied. Another careful scan, straining her eye technique, revealed that no other individuals were present in the inn. Despite being a rogue ninja and enemy of her village, Hinata was starting to feel grateful that Itachi was in their company.
Yakumo meanwhile was still in fits of laughter, pointing at the shrubbery. "A shrubbery! All that for a shrubbery!" She held her sides as she laughed, dropping her sake cup into the water.
Hinata frowned at her cohort, not understanding why it was so amusing. Then she glanced back over to the shrub as understanding dawned upon her.
Since becoming the fifth Hokage, Tsunade's office was a constant mess. Papers were stacked everywhere and disorder was unavoidable. Standing in front of her desk were the three kunoichi she had called in for a special mission. Sakura and Hinata, two talented chuunin, were to take Yakumo to the Snow Country to retrieve a special medical supply.
"Tsunade-sensei, I don't understand, what do you want us to find?" Sakura looked at her teacher with confusion. The request didn't register well with her.
"I want you to get me… a shrubbery."
"A shrubbery?" Sakura blinked in frustration.
"Yes. A shrubbery." Tsunade relaxed in her chair, weaving her fingers together as she rested her elbows on her desk. "This shrubbery has a light blue berry that is crucial to developing chakra restorative medicine. The difficult part is that it grows only in the most snowy of climates and in the mountains. For the reason, you will travel North to the Snow Country. Is that understood?"
The three kunoichi responded in unison. "Yes, Tsunade-sama."
Hinata sighed gently as she left the hot tub and gathered a few of the light blue berries from the shrub. Checking behind the foliage was the dispatched body of the innkeeper, who had equipped a Hidden Snow Village headband. Hinata left the area, intending to retire for the evening. Yakumo soon followed, still giggling.
Alone at last, Itachi looked down at Sakura to find her sound asleep. He wished that he could have had the opportunity to continue their dialogue from a few months ago, but that seemed impossible. Stepping out of the hot spring with his love in his arms, Itachi made his way to his room after gathering their clothing.
After a few awkward moments of dressing Sakura with his eyes closed, Itachi tucked her into his bedroll. Pulling the comforter up to her neck, a smile crossed his face. Itachi silently mused how wonderful it would be to simply crawl under the blankets and curl up next to her. His conscience tugged at his logical part of his mind, realizing that Sakura may interpret the situation erroneously if she woke up in his arms.
Sighing away his frustration, Itachi leaned against the wall, gazing upon the girl who had stolen his heart. It had been an interesting evening. Not only had he caught up with the woman he loved, Itachi had also saved her from an assassin from the Hidden Snow Village. He pondered as to why the snow ninja would wish to harm her as his eyelids became heavy.
Itachi's eyes snapped open in the morning light. Shifting slightly, he felt the unfamiliar weight of his comforter. Silently he wondered if it had all been a dream. No, Sakura had been there. Lying beside him was a single, frost covered winter rose. Its soft blue petals glistened in the light. Underneath the flower was a rolled scroll.
"Itachi, my love," he read as he unfurled the parchment. "I am so incredibly sorry for not being able to see you awake. Hinata was insistent upon leaving as soon as we could. If only she would have understood more. Maybe when she falls in love and feels what I feel, she will be apologetic about all of this. I am sure that you have noticed the winter rose that I left you. I am unsure if you know of its unique qualities, but the winter rose is extremely resilient. It is the only flower that can survive for several months after being plucked. The winter rose is one of the few native flowers to the Snow Country and it symbolizes eternal love. Please meet me before it withers so I will be able to present you with another one. With love, Sakura."
The shinobi lowered the scroll to gaze upon the rose. Itachi gathered himself together and tucked the rose in the collar of his mantle. The walk back to the Fire Country would be long, but the treasure waiting at the end was beyond any measure.