Revised: 05/02/09

Thank you for your reviews!

Further stuff at the bottom of the page. 8D

Just under half as short as the first chapter (I didn't want to split it up- seemed meh)

But they shall probably range from about this length, and the length of the previous chapter ;P

And yes, my music taste is rather random 8)

He deals the cards as a meditation

And those he plays never suspect

He doesn't play for the money he wins

He doesn't play for the respect

He deals the cards to find the answer

The sacred geometry of chance

The hidden law of probable outcome

The numbers lead a dance

Sting- Shape of my Heart

Chasing the Moon

Chapter Two- The Night of Impressions

This place is a maze. Sakura thought, whilst following the tall, slender, yet dominating form of the mysterious Uchiha Itachi. The small troop, now joined by Shizuka, consisted simply of the three medics and their enigmatic Commander. They were touring through the HQ building, numbly mesmerised by the new infusions of sight and scent. To her fresh eyes the corridors seemed to twist and turn into unimaginable spaces, their combined length endless and presence slightly overwhelming.

It will take weeks to memorise all this… And it would be demanding work, surely, yet this did not put a damper on Sakura's optimistic mood. The HQ was most innovative in its design, quite modern and industrial with a heavy inner skeleton of iron and tall shiny windows. Beneath them, their feet clattered on wide iron staircases.

"My quarters are at the top of the building, as are yours," Itachi said, talking to Sakura.

"Kiyoshi and Shizuka, yours are in the Hospital," He announced, directing them towards another flight of rattling stairs. His voice was smooth and cultured, its cool resonance reminding Sakura of the purest, softest silk bed sheets affordable only to highest echelons of society.

"Speaking of which," He continued, waving absently to the left beyond the windows, where a slightly smaller building stood grey and sombre in the darkness. "That building there is the Hospital,"

"When shall we see inside the Hospital?" Sakura asked, eyes drawn to the view of the said construction through the huge cathedral windows. It was lit low, the highest floors lost in an inky obsidian night. It was bizarre for Sakura to be surrounded by a night sky so dark. It would be a difficult thing to become used to.

Itachi gazed back, majestically craning his neck in the process. The movement grabbed Sakura's attention in an instant.

"Tomorrow," Replied the Commander, and Sakura harrumphed quietly at the answer. She was eager to learn the ways of Eastern, eager to know her equipment, her fellow staff and was itching to see inside the building.

"Early morning," Itachi added, still watching her. His lips widened into a small smirk as Sakura noticeably gulped at the notion. "I want you up early so we can go through the agenda, seeing as you will be taking the Consultancy,"

Pardon?

"Consultancy?" Sakura blinked, shooting a surprised look at the Official. "I-… I'm taking the consultancy…?"

"Yes,"

"So soon?" She could not believe her luck. The Consultant was essentially the Chief Medical Officer, the Hospital Supervisor and Head-Medic; all rolled into one- the highest-ranking person inside any shinobi Hospital.

"Yes," Itachi repeated, glancing quickly at Shizuka, and turning his head back forward.

"But…?" Shizuka was ideal for that position, surely? Her skill, experience and medical ninjutsu knowledge was of the highest calibre. How could this be?

Sakura whipped her eyes to the taller woman, surprised to find medical colleague entirely unaffected, smiling softly. "Surely-"

"I am a field-medic," Shizuka announced, her full lips curving with a thoughtful, nostalgic expression. "I belong on the battle field- and I'm not saying that you aren't- it's just you're better suited to that environment than I, and you are more than qualified for the position,"

Sakura blushed slightly from the praise; she had never easily taken such flattery graciously. She flashed Shizuka a wary look, the questioning blatant in her bright eyes.

"You will do fine," Shizuka said finally, sharply turning her head away.

Sakura's eyes lingered on the female Uchiha. Her movements had been stiffly awkward, harsh, even. Her expression lapsed into annoyance, as if to silently admonish Sakura for being so self-critical.

"Thank you," The girl said after a long pause.

Itachi half expected her to continue with some whimsical "I'll try me damnedest" rubbish, but thankfully, Sakura chose not to say anything more. Although, that said, Itachi couldn't help but twitch mentally at the uncertainty clouding her voice. That would be something to nip in the bud early.

He sensed the annoyance radiating from Shizuka. The lack of tolerance that woman held was trouble, and he sensed this would be something to keep closely scrutinised. It was a good idea to keep his cousin far away from any hospital work. In no way could she be caged, it was too late to tame her wild ways.

I hate her being here. He thought bitterly, careful not to bare his feelings. Had I not been so busy, I would have taken time to select them myself.

"You're the best suited for the position, just as Shizuka-San said," He replied to Sakura's quiet gratefulness. "You needn't be worried,"

Finally, the last step was taken, and Itachi waited for the others to arrive on the landing.

"This floor is mine," He announced, indicating a large area with three alarm-secured doors. "Few are authorised to come here without invitation, and generally appointments are made through my secretary,"

The latter part of that statement was not a rule set in stone, but something that had occurred naturally. Itachi did not like numerous advisors rooting through his quarters and hated the hassle of constant harassment from all corners of Eastern. It soon became apparent to all ninja stationed here that their Commander was not easy to talk to.

Itachi glanced around the landing. Where is Yuugao? The woman was nowhere to be seen.

After a long minute, Yuugao made her hasty appearance, emerging through a large side door to the group's left. She looked neat and sophisticated, with her long, long hair scraped back into an elegant arrangement atop her crown.

Itachi watched as she and the medical staff exchanged pleasantries, observing their separate behaviours with interest. Shizuka was coolly confident, as always, and Kiyoshi was surprisingly composed, if not a little inundated with the speed of events.

Itachi was pleasingly surprised when Sakura rearranged her worried expression into one of capable, plausible confidence. He could see Yuugao's dark eyes light with genuine happiness, her immediate gut-instinct praised the girl, and that made Itachi wonder evermore how much this strange kunoichi's proficiency stretched.

Haruno Sakura appeared quite the fascinating little creature, a uniquely pure beauty, talented and a natural people-person.

How different she is to you, Itachi rested his gaze on Shizuka, watching how the woman stared carelessly out the window at the piercing Moon, her disinterest too blatant to be polite. After a few seconds, she felt the weight of his eyes and met their watch. A moment of measurement based between them, like an electrical surge. Neither had seen the other for years.

Itachi had not been looked at so contemptuously since he left home, since he last felt the shattering weight of his father's suspicion. Shizuka's insolence jabbed him mentally, and the urge to unleash his sharingan was nothing but pure torment.

He would speak to the witch after, but until then he would have to make do with containing his anger.

First impressions were moments held in high regard within the shinobi world, and Sakura was quite unsure about how well hers were shaping out.

A crippling sense of regret gripped her as she sat down amongst the other high-ranking officials of Eastern, all ready for dinner. Shizuka was averting her gaze whenever possible; Sakura's self-doubt had obviously offended her for some bizarre reason, and the thought caused the kunoichi nothing but embittered regret. It did not help that both women had been seated at either side of Itachi (who was naturally head of the table). The two women were directly opposite each other. To make matters even more embarrassing, Sakura was entirely convinced that Uchiha-Taichou felt all their awkwardness as if it were a poison cloud in the cool night air.

He's annoyed. Sakura could tell; his face was the same as Sasuke's, though quite less animated. He said very little throughout most of the affair, choosing not to lead or enter any conversation.

Shizuka on the other hand was rather chatty, her articulation virtually non-stop. It was only when dinner was served did she quieten down.

Throughout the meal, Sakura found herself bound into a pleasant conversation with Kiyoshi, and found him to be not nearly as shy as she had first perceived. He seemed to have finally warmed up; his confidence boosted perhaps by a little smidgen of alcohol? Wasn't that one of the perks of that nefarious substance?

Sakura was beginning to agree with herself, and as the liquid surged through her bloodstream, she began to care less. Her thoughts about first impressions became less stressful, and now everyone seemed to be caring less.

However, this did not appear to apply to the two seated nearest. Itachi had not taken a drop, and Shizuka appeared unaffected by the gallons of wine she consumed. Probably speeding up her metabolism. It was simple enough to do, and Sakura should have done the same, but the tipsiness was bringing out the best in her.

Her slow demise into intoxication had not gone unnoticed by the great Uchiha Itachi, who was now watching her, eyes slightly amused. His expression hooked Sakura's attention, as would any such look from any such attractive man would.

She watched as he stretched his hand towards a bottle of half-drunk red wine, and tipped it into his own glass, all the while keeping her gaze. The buzz of conversation seemed to melt away as she stared into those fabulous orbs; so dark, so mysteriously like her childhood friend's own.

A jolt ran along her spine as a flash of red sprang into Itachi's eyes, and a surge of chakra tainted her, shocked her, sobered her. Sakura stared wide-eyed, the amusement on his embarrassing her. Disbelief clouded her judgement, her perception. Had Itachi just used his sharingan so carelessly to sober her?

Surely not…? She questioned inwardly, though was sure the shock was unconcealed. A reverie caught her in that moment, and she remembered once when Sasuke had used his own doujutsu against her, trapping her mind. His "experiment", as he had named it at the time, when both were just fifteen and sparring had been an ample success. He had knocked her out with strong genjutsu, and the same giddy, light-headed feeling arose now just as it had back then when she awoke.

Itachi scanned her face and seemed well aware of what she was thinking.

"You seem surprised, Sakura-San," He stated, tipping his head minutely in question. "You have felt the effects of the sharingan before, surely?"

Sakura smirked slightly, deviously scanning her body with her chakra. She could alter the effects of this quite easily with enough effort and concentration.

"If you mean Sasuke-Kun's, then yes, he's used it on me," She said, quietly, still focusing her efforts. "Sparring, of course,"

The cheeky end note made Itachi's eyebrows lift noticeably, and a slight smirk adorned his features. He scanned her face again, his eyes masterfully glinting back and forth from normal to sharingan so skillfully that none other than Sakura noticed. He weighed her fully and expertly as he watched her enforced sobering lose its effect.

"Yes," Itachi said, and nodded. "Sasuke did mention you a couple of times,"

Sakura's brow furrowed. What was this? "I'm sorry, what do you mean…?"

"In his letters," Itachi replied. "We keep in touch through post. He has mentioned you as well as the Kyuubi child and Hatake Kakashi,"

Sakura cheeks reddened. She turned her face away. Itachi said their names in such a disinterested, bored manner. He seemed so arrogant in that moment, so dismissive. It stoked her inner fire. Itachi gazed at her actions, a small smile dancing on his lips.

"Uchiha-Taichou," She said firmly, but restrained, lest she'd attract unwelcome attention from around the table.

Itachi's eyes watched her blankly and expectantly, his face as carved and stunning as a perfect Venetian mask. His beauty was ethereal in the low-lit quarters.

"Please don't call Naruto that. Please don't refer to him in that manner," She said, but her voice was wavering. She would have to relinquish their gaze from Itachi's eerie stone-like stare if she were to still sound firm. "Please don't think he and that monster are the same,"

Itachi's eyebrow twitched. It had been fast, the movement and crack in his mask of apathetic plaster had been fleeting, but Sakura saw it.

Without answering, Itachi pursued his wine glass, and gulped a substantial amount of the throat-warming liquid. Again, his eyes never left her. When he finished, the glass was placed back on the table. Horror stirred within Sakura, as Itachi then moved to lean closer to her.

"What should I call him instead, Doctor Haruno?" He whispered, enjoying how their proximity conjured such racy feelings within her. She was so easy to read.

"Call him Naruto," She whispered back, finding her feet. "His name is Uzumaki Naruto, and don't call him "Kyuubi-boy". You'd know why if you knew him like I do,"

His eyebrow gave a noticeable twitch again, but his mouth smirked.

There's no need to fear him, Sakura pondered inwardly with the alcohol flowing freely through her veins once again. He is just another Sasuke.

Itachi was about to say something, and would have done so, had some mysterious force not stolen his attention. His thoughts seemed to pause, his mouth went to form words, but the act was not followed through. Instead he leant back, though still watching her, considering her. Tenseness suddenly wracked through his body, stiffening his limbs. His eyes travelled from Sakura to the view from the windows, and they glazed over, just as dark and mystifying as before.

His movements left Sakura emotionally confused, and she sat still gazing at Itachi in bewilderment before realising she was being very impolite. It was easy enough to integrate herself back into the conversation, but all the while her mind was still occupied by the strange and baffling behaviour of Sasuke's dazzling elder brother.

What is this? Itachi snarled inside, fighting the urge to rip Shizuka out of the room and send her sorry and ashamed back to Konohagakure.

As entertaining as exchanging his brother's dear little friend all hot and annoyed had been, he was rudely torn away from this conversational foreplay by the disturbing touch of Skizuka's slender hand running up his thigh, hidden under the table.

What the hell is she doing? He froze, carefully not revealing any thought or trace of emotion across his face.

A sickening thought entered his mind. Had this been what the Uchiha Elders had in mind by sending her here? Would they really sink to such a low? Of course they would. Such twisted machinations wouldn't and shouldn't have surprised him in the slightest.

Fury raged through him, and her hand traced higher towards more intimate places. Itachi repressed a violent shudder, and allowed his piercing glare to fall upon the smug face of Cousin Shizuka. He positioned himself so only she could see his anger. The look in her eyes was nothing less than professional; her level gaze left her inconspicuous and perfectly natural.

None would suspect a thing.

Have they finally got to you, dear cousin? He stared her down bitterly, but the woman made no attempt to alter her hand's position. Her defiance was extreme, her audacity unimaginably insulting. Had this room full of people not made the idea impossible, Itachi would have flung her into a world of despair in an instant.

This shall have to wait, He reasoned, urging the evening to crash to an end.

To Itachi's relief, that time did not take long to come. The medics would need some rest if they were to be able to work coherently the next day. Itachi severely doubted Shizuka had even the tiniest notion of rest, given her advances, but he would make it perfectly clear that that was precisely the kind of thoughts she should be having, not this sickening atrocity.

Itachi shook her off, just as the party was about to leave. Luckily, he had been too disgusted with the situation to even be partially aroused. He stood up and was just able to conceal his white-hot rage.

As everyone horded out of the room, Sakura and Kiyoshi stared behind as Itachi wandered towards them.

"Yuugao-San," Itachi said, ushering the pair towards the purple-haired women. "Take them to their lodgings; and come back afterwards,"

"As you wish, sir," She smiled, though tossed a quizzical look beyond his shoulder at Shizuka, as she had not moved to leave yet.

"I must speak with her," He said sharply, and the three pairs of eyes staring back at him seemed to quiver. His mood appeared to be darkening. "She knows where her lodgings are. Goodnight,"

The others bid him goodnight, and so he was left alone in this large room; a dining room, with his devilishly beautiful cousin lounging in one of the comfy chairs; his chairs. Her eyes were alight and devious, like two black roses in full bloom, glistening with sweet dew after a light summer rain.

Itachi turned from her, locking the door. Yuugao would use another door if that one was already locked; she knew the drill. He paced the room a while in contemplation. His fist curled under his chin, whilst the other arm lay across his chest. Itachi's expression was darkly blank, his thoughts twisted with this new dilemma. He did not so much as glance at his cousin.

How do I solve this?

"Shizuka," He said, surprisingly calm given the circumstances. "This wasn't your idea,"

Shizuka shook her head. "No." A nasty grin spread from ear to ear. "And neither was returning to this shitty little cess-pool, but we all need to do our duty, now,don't we?"

"Duty…?" Itachi mused, toying with the sound, turning the syllables around his in mind. A sinister smirk adorned his features as he stared back at Shizuka. "Is that what Fugaku's named it?"

"Your father had little to do with it, actually. He knows, of course, and seems to approve, but it's the Elders you need to blame, Itachi-Kun," Shizuka grinned as she added the patronising honorific. Unfolding her body from the constraints of the table and chair, the deadly kunoichi sauntered, hips swaying deliciously, towards Itachi."You've really been gone far too long..." Her eyes invaded his privacy, his body, as if she were attempting to delve into his core, his precious soul. "My goodness, I remember you as just a little boy- talented, oh yes, but still just a child. Look at you now. You've grown up indeed, and haven't you turned out just so gorgeous?"

Itachi glared, face tinged with a cold, collected anger. She spoke to him like he was five-years-old. How old had she been then? Twenty-odd? It must have been… What a sick concoction this was. As she neared, Itachi's chakra flared maliciously, the act making Shizuka's smirk deepen.

"No wonder you're so popular with those stupid sluts,"

"This is complete nonsense," He growled.

"No," She chided. "There are some responsibilities one cannot avoid or push to the side. The Elders want me pregnant. Seeing as you're being such a rebellious little shit, they want to reap all they can from you before something inevitably tragic happens,"

"I think I have made it clear enough to them that I want nothing more to do with those manipulative scumbags,"

"What? Still naïve enough to think you can escape Fate?" Shizuka chuckled, her hand extended, ready to touch him. "You can't avoid it, Itachi, so why bother with this useless charade?"

"I don't remember you being so fatalistic, Shizuka," Itachi stated, chuckling slightly, his eyes hard and blank as pebbles. "I'm very disappointed in you. I had always thought of you as a clan outsider, and now look at this. You've become just another puppet,"

"One's duty is paramount within families. You think this Village will be here for us? You think they care about the Uchiha? We were segregated. We were made scapegoats," Shizuka hissed through her teeth. "What more can we do? How can we persuade a village that hates us, persuade a government who distrusts us why we do not breed nor harbour terrorism? What's the point? Their minds' are set. One day Itachi, one day something bad will happen and you'll wish you stayed with your family; that is what I have learnt over the past years- just think of it as nothing more other than an understandable self-preservation, a safeguard. If I need to pump out a brat for them, then I might as well,"

Itachi watched the fear, the despair well in her large eyes. Even someone as popular as Shizuka worries over her position, over what people really think about her simply because of her family, her heritage. How ridiculous this all seemed. Although, however much Itachi may be in opposition, he was well aware that her anxiousness was not entirely unprecedented.

"The choice is yours," Shizuka added, as she admired the lines of thought cross Itachi's forehead.

Suspicions against the Uchiha were amounting once again, it seemed. This would be a thought Itachi would dread in meditation.

Abruptly, Itachi turned from Shizuka, the weight of the conversation making his hands fist into balls, so tight the knuckles were white.

Shizuka stared at the uncharacteristic act of explicit feeling on display by her younger cousin. A shiver of confusion ran along her spine, it was not something she had expected to see. Itachi moved to the doorway on the opposite side of the room.

"I made my choice a long, long time ago," Itachi said, and his words fell as if they weighed a tonne with every syllable. "And I shall continue to follow that path until the day I die…"

And with one last piercing look, Itachi glanced over his shoulder, silencing any retort Uchiha Shizuka might have formed with a sharp smear of savage red.

"Show yourself out,"

"… Now, this is where you shall be living, Sakura-San," Yuugao said, her hand motioning to the widely spacious Consultant's quarters.

Sakura stood agog, eyes wandering the beautiful, comfortable room. Despite herself, she couldn't repress a small chuckle. "You know, this one room is probably larger than my entire flat!"

"Ah, I know, they are massive here. No one expects this place to be so large and yet so well hidden," Yuugao nodded in agreement. "The trees are high behind you, but from the bedroom there's a beautiful view of the ocean, just over the tree tops,"

"You sound like you know this place well," Sakura smiled; at least Yuugao was more pleasant and easy to understand than Itachi.

"Well, I was last ordered to show the previous two Consultants the room, so I have been here before,"

"Oh, how long have you been here?"

"About nine months- I'm Uchiha-Taichiou's secretary, essentially- not that he really needs me, to be honest-"

"Sorry to interrupt," Sakura interjected, caught on something the older woman said. "Did you just say the previous two?"

"Yes," Yuugao blinked in bemusement, wandering what was so taboo. "You seem so surprised Sakura-San,"

"Two? In nine months?" What must be happening here, why two? They must be joking! The average Consultancy lasted at least a couple of years. "That's-"

"-You know how things are, Sakura-San. It's not as bad as you expect. The first one, some stuffy old git, quit after a couple of months- he was a traditionalist and didn't take to being under the command of someone thirty-odd years his junior. The other one, now he was nice, but he was killed just a few days ago, when we were attacked,"

They lapsed into silence, the subject of death; no matter how inter-woven it was to life as a shinobi, was forever a sombre theme to touch upon. It left a chill in the air that curdled the blood.

"Have repairs gone unhindered?" Sakura asked, feeling the desperate need to break the ice. "I didn't notice much damage,"

"Aaah, not bad, the Commander mobilised the forces effectively- the shell of the building was seen to quickly, though inside…" Yuugao paused, eyes glazing over. "I just remembered, you'll see everything tomorrow anyway, so you may as well ask then and see for yourself,"

Yuugao wandered through, showing Sakura into the spacious, luminous bedroom. Everything was bathed in soft light; the interiors matching the Hopistal's theme of clean, sparkling whiteness. Outside, the dark branches tickled the windowpanes as a flirty summer breeze swayed the gigantic trees. Indeed, the view to the sea was perfect, and in the midnight hour Sakura gazed upon what seemed to be a midnight sheet of ice, just visible above the treetops, glistening under the glittering stars, along with a pewter moon larger than any moon she had ever seen before. Its reflection shone on the smooth surfaced water, its pallor the same as the infamous glint of a razor-sharp katana in an ominous darkness.

"That really is beautiful," She said, gazing in wonderment.

"That isn't even the half of it, believe me," Yuugao grinned. "That is certainly one of the best perks of this job- I get to see the Sea from where I sleep too,"

The Sea was not visible from Konohagakure, and Sakura had never really thought about it before. Across the water, a gossamer cloud of blackness, darker than the night, seemed to inch around the border some way out nearer the horizon. Yuugao noticed Sakura's suspicious gaze.

"That's what's known as the downside," She said, a dark sigh on her lips.

"Kirigakure?"

"Spot-on," She paused, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Right, I better be off, let you sleep- Uchiha-Taichou wants you up five-thirty, sharp-ish,"

Sakura inwardly grimaced, and Yuugao chuckled at her reaction. The blatant disapproval and reluctance was somewhat fresh for around here, where everyone seemed to do their jobs without hesitation or groaning. Most were too afraid to bare their true thoughts.

"Lord knows how he does it," She grinned. "Some say he's superhuman,"

"Or maybe he's just insane?" Sakura huffed. "Cummon, five-thirty? I might as well not sleep,"

"Oh no- no, no- he'll notice, and be really pissed off, just get as much sleep as possible," Yuugao made her way to the door, and continued to speak as she left the quarters. "Your possessions are on their way, they'll be right outside before you wake-up! Good night, Sakura-San,"

"'Night Yuugao-San," Sakura called after her, and the sound of the door falling shut brought the room to a crisp, yet heavy silence. Finally, she was alone in her room, her very own department, even sporting its own bathroom, fully equipped, clean and shiny. Her living room was comfortable, with a sofa, desk and dining table with chairs. The room from that window spread across, into the forest. Finally, she glanced around her room. The bed was large, king-sized, the mattress soft and the tension perfect. The sheets and duvet were smooth and smelt like freshly picked bluebells, maybe with a hint of jasmine. The walls were painted calm, neutral colours, whose purpose was to inspire nothing less than the soundest tranquillity.

It would be haven coming to here, an escape from the hospital that would soon fill with bloody, butchered, mangled bodies. The mist, twinkling navy blue and nefarious in the moonlight confirmed these suspicions, these thoughts that slaughtered Sakura's optimism. She just hoped the peace would last, and that peace would allow her to enjoy the time spent under the watchful, blissfully sinful gaze of Uchiha Itachi.

The door in the other room creaked open, filling the it with footsteps still so full of trepidation and anxiety. Yuugao was beyond the wall, and Itachi waited for her to knock. His frustration was ripe, the encounter with Shizuka leaving him cold and beyond vexed. He was like a cat, seething with malice and annoyance with narrowed, almond-shaped eyes. His family was interfering with his life yet again, this continuing, relentless battle against his integrity had resurfaced.

I should have killed them years ago. They were a liability; no matter what stage their ambitious machinations were set at. She is the worst liability my career has ever faced.

This was true, and obviously Shizuka would have to be dealt with one way or another. He would not sleep with her; as beautiful as she was, there was something treacherous, a snake-like aura that surrounded her. Furthermore, she was his cousin. Although it was not unusual to marry relations to keep the blood "pure", Itachi still found the idea perverse and absurd. The woman held icy core that saw nothing other than her own self-preservation rise above all else.

She, least of all, could be said to be serving the "duties" of the Uchiha Clan. That woman was worse than him. Not an ounce of loyalty- not even true to her own feelings.

And what of the other woman, Haruno? She was certainly an interesting, and entertaining little specimen, and Itachi found it far easier to let his thoughts drift to her direction. She was young and inexperienced, maybe, but she would do well. She would go places. He had a good feeling with regards to Sakura.

Thinking of her, Itachi subconsciously bit his bottom lip.

"Commander?" Yuugao's voice penetrated his thoughts, the knock of her fist against the door following in an instant. He was glad she hadn't returned too late.

"Come in,"

Shizuka stepped into his office, her pretty face stained amber in the lamplight. She sidestepped the door, leaving it to shut behind her. Her stance was nothing but awkwardness, her eyes glancing at him in bewilderment.

She had never seen him as he was presented now- devoid of headband, his hair untied and flowing loose down his back. It framed his face like a scarf of black satin. His eyelashes were far too long for a man; they framed his eyes like layers of charcoal, creating a feminine and utterly bewitching spectacle. He was slouched over the desk, resting cheek in a single palm, the other hand balancing, twisting a kunai knife around long, slender fingers.

Itachi was too full of pent-up anger, too full of rage from his terrible family. It was enough to make him go mad. He wanted nothing more than to smash the kunai deep into the wall.

"Is everything alright, sir?" Yuugao asked, her countenance growing gradually more insecure by the passing minute.

"It's fine," He said, watching the thick light glint off the kunai and onto the wall. "Or it will be fine," His eyes traced her figure, her curves, and a noticeable shiver wracked her body from his blatant attentions.

"Lock the door," Itachi added, his frustration eager to be rid of. Yuugao would be an easy medium to use for that. She would occupy his thoughts for the night, keep him in balance and ease. It was true to say that he was also a little drunk, a little more inhibited than usual. Not that he ever used

Yuugao' s shock amused him.

"Lock the door, Yuugao," He repeated, this time softer, more sultry, and the sound brought liquid desire flooding to her pert little cheeks.

Yuugao hesitated at first, though her hands were deft and equally quick to please once the nerves were safely conquered.

I wonder if I should add an Ita/Yuu (though this is it for her) warning (although she is a terribly minor in the manga) but meh, can't be arsed. She's just a little tool for Itachi to take his frustration out on.

Sorry if the quality lacks a little, please tell me if it does! The other chapter I spent much longer on (seeing as it was over double the size and the first chapter, and that one's always the bitchiest /) But please, abuse me if it lacks compared to the other one.

To answer suspicions- Shizuka's a right naughty whooooooooore lol. she's just there to add a little extra spice and conspiracy- "the clan, the clan..." stuff, I guess. A little agent, as it is ;) She was actually inspired by "Rebecca", the super biatch in du Maurier's "Rebecca" lol. Brilliant novel.

Special, special thankies to everyone who reviewed, you were all very positive and optimistic which is lovely and encouraging. I hug you all like nuts. 8D

Please go do it again ;)