Disclaimer bla bla, I know that Itachi is wearing less clothing in this one, but sigh still not mine.
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Genius' at everything except love
Genius' in confusion
The next day Sakura feared only two things, seeing Sasuke, and seeing Itachi. She'd refused Itachi's call last night, pleading too much homework to answer. Now there was no way she could avoid him, she had classes with him all day.
Feeling trepidation growing in her Sakura approached the front steps. Itachi leaned against the handrail ignoring the circle of giggling first years trying to catch his attention. Sakura stopped short. He was breathtaking today, it was like for the first time he was actually trying to look good, and he was succeeding. Dark pants cut to the trim length of his legs touched the top of polished shoes instead of his usual sneakers. A partially open white shirt peeked out from a dark jacket left open. Hands stuffed into his pockets, the only thing Sakura disliked were the dark sunglasses he wore to hide his eyes.
Approaching him shyly, she followed him at a short distance when he entered the school before her. Sneaking looks at his back she had to admit that physically he was similar to Sasuke, except taller, but at least wasn't trying to crawl over her. Pity.
Entering the 6th form area she wasn't upset to find it empty. She felt she had to explain herself to him, about something. Reassure herself that he didn't look at her differently after yesterday, even if he didn't know everything about it.
"Are you okay?" Itachi asked before she could think of something suitably perky to say.
"Uh." Sakura said not sure what he was referring to.
"Sasuke, he didn't try anything did he?" Itachi asked with a quietness that scared her.
She shook her head hard.
"No. It went alright, he did well." She said opening her locker.
"And you went right home afterwards?" Itachi asked, standing behind her.
"Yes, Sasuke took me home in the limousine." She said smiling up into his serious, still sunglassed face.
"You know, a girl could get used to that kind of luxury." She said teasingly.
He gave his half-smile and placed his hands on her shoulders, Sakura tried not to lean into them. Still annoyed by the sunglasses, there were inside for crying out loud, she reached her hands up to his eyes. He flinched away from her searching fingers but she persisted and he seemed reluctant to remove his hands. He stood very still as she slipped his glasses off. His eyes were empty as he watched hers widen in surprise.
"Itachi!" She breathed.
A bruise spread around one eye swelling it slightly, easily hidden under a pair of sunglasses. Tenderly she touched the outer rim of the bruise, her breath catching when she saw him wince infinitesimally. She turned around under his hands.
"Oh Itachi, are you okay?" She asked, tears welling at his empty look.
Itachi raised a hand and touched a tear as it slid down. Using his thumb he wiped it away.
"You shouldn't cry." He said calmly. "It's not your face."
"But Itachi." She said crying on the inside and outside.
He hushed her, watching her silently as the tears continued to slide.
"Sakura, would you mind not going to classes today?" He asked in his quiet voice.
Sakura shook her head confused.
"But what will I do? Will you take notes for me?" She asked her voice a little choked from the tears.
Itachi's good eye widened, then understanding his eye crinkled as an impossibly rare smile crossed his face.
"No, I mean, I don't want to go to classes like this, and I want you to come with me." He explained gently.
Feeling a sense of wonder from his smile Sakura could only nod.
Slipping his sunglasses back on, he took her by the hand and led her by secret means out of the school.
Konoha centre city
Sakura tried not to fidget as they idled at the traffic light. Trust Itachi to have his own car. But this was suddenly alot more real than before. She wondered if she could explain a whole day of missed school to her Mum as Itachi's fault. He smiled, she'd whine, he tricked me with his charms, and before I knew it I was skipping school with a 16 year old who has his own sports car! She was so dead.
Itachi glanced over at the hunching girl. Turning the wheel he parked illegally infront of a store.
Before she could protest he had her out of the car and into the store. Surprised she gazed open mouthed at the displays of clothes more expensive than she'd ever seen before. A saleswoman was already rushing towards them.
"Master Uchiha, how nice to see you. To what do we owe the honour?" She gushed;
Sakura gave her an unfriendly look as she layed her hand on Itachi's arm.
Oh no you don't, get your hands off my Itachi!
Internally Sakura punched the touchy women, externally Sakura turned her head away and looked furiously at the clothes as if they offended her.
"Please clothe her for a day out." He said cooly stepping towards Sakura.
The sales woman's face faltered a little for a moment then became professional.
"The usual arrangements for payments sir?" She said equally cooly.
"Yes, put them on my mother's account." He said turning away as if not interested.
Sakura had a moment to wonder about 'usual payment arrangements' before she was whisked away.
Konoha public park.
Sakura tugged again on the short skirt of her sundress. She looked shyly at Itachi who lay on the grass, face shaded by a tree.
"You look very beautiful today." he said.
Sakura smiled happily and lay down beside him. It wasn't often that Itachi praised her for anything, taking her intelligence for granted as it was similar to his own. She'd complained once that he never complimented her, this after she'd spents months almost sleepless working on a regional prize winning essay. He said people who praised too often, were not sincere in their praises. And this was the first time he'd praised her physically.
Feeling a sense of happiness she'd never felt before come over her, Sakura stretched her arms up towards the sun sprinkling through the tree leaves.
"Do you think the leaves are happy to be just leaves?" Itachi asked suddenly.
Sakura thought a while, she was used to these types of questions just coming out of the blue, it was part of his genius she supposed. He liked it when she gave her considered opinion.
"I think they don't know how to be anything else." She said finally. "So if they don't know anything else, they're happy. And besides, leaves are a part of the tree, like your fingers, so they don't really have a will of their own."
Itachi considered her words.
"Then in your opinon," he asked seriously, "which part of the tree, which is not the tree itself, has its own will?"
"The seedpods." Sakura said easily. "Because they become new trees."
"Do you think it's easy for the seedpods to fall from the big tree?" He asked turning to watch her face.
Sakura thought carefully, he seemed serious, which meant something was bothering him. She couldn't give him advice, but if she answered well he would be satisfied.
"I think it is, it's what they're made to do. But you know what they say." She said thoughtfully. "They never fall far from the tree."
"What happens when the seedpods become trees, and finds that the big tree is too close for them to continue growing?" He asked closing his eyes as if to hear her voice better.
"Well according to the books, they start a war for food and dominance. I think mostly one wins and the other dies. But I'm not sure." She said.
Itachi stayed silent his brow furrowed. Sakura frowned, today was supposed to relieve his worries not cause them. She smoothed her hand over his forehead, drawing her hand back she looked in wonder at it. She'd never dared really initiate such an intimate contact before.
Itachi's eyes blinked open.
"If you're finished eating, would you like to go somewhere? There's somewhere I'd like to take you." Itachi asked.
"Of course." Sakura said without hesitation.
Smaller lake side
Itachi pushed apart the bushes and lead her through the gap. Surprised Sakura looked out over the lake to the wooded bank on the opposite side.
"It seems so deserted." She whispered afraid of raising her voice.
"Not many people come here, it's too small for fishing or swimming." He led the way onto a short pier and sat down at the end.
"How do you know about it?" She asked. "We're miles out of town."
"My father used to bring me here when I was younger." He said falling into silence.
Sakura sat beside him, he drew one knee up and leaned his forehead on it. Sakura knew well these thinking moods. Another part of his genius she supposed. Dangling her legs over the side she started as Itachi's cell phone rang shrilly.
Automatically he flipped it open and put it to his ear. A few seconds later he snapped it shut. Suddenly he jumped to his feet and turned back towards shore taking a few steps. Sakura scrambled to her feet to follow him. Just as suddenly Itachi turned back, his face a mask of rage. Using all his strength he hurled his cell phone far out into the lake. A grimace of pain crossed his face and he fell to his knees, panting, holding his upper arm.
Sakura hurried to him touching the place just below his hand. Her fingers came away wet, looking at them in surprise she saw with horror the wetness was red.
"Itachi!" She said struggling to see the jacket sleeve under his hand.
He clamped his hand down, his face set. Anger welled in her as she tugged at the jacket. He did nothing except keep his hand clamped over his upper arm. This effectively kept her from removing the jacket. Stopping and falling to her knees aswell she grasped Itachi's face forcing his eyes away from the lake and towards her.
"Itachi, take off the jacket and show me." She pleaded.
He shook his head dumbly. She bit her lip holding on to the tears, this was a time to be strong.
"Itachi," she begged softly.
His eyes turned to look into her own.
"Show me."
Slowly he lowered his hand but made no move to help her as she stripped off his jacket. There was a large patch of bright red blood on his shirt sleeve. Breathing steadily she placed her fingers on the buttons of his shirt, he made no move to stop her. She should be feeling giddy, excited, at the thought of stripping Itachi half naked, not nausic and terrified. She should be flushed pink with maidenly embarrassment, not dead white with fear.
She eased the shirt back over his shoulders, it stuck slightly to all the blood and she had to peel it away. Itachi made no sound of pain, his eyes hidden behind his lowered head and falling hair. Sakura looked without understanding at the mess of blood on his arm. Slowly her eyes traced black lines swirling into a centre spiral, and leading out to two long rays going up and down his arm. It was bleeding. Parts of the design were red and raw, blood seeped from them. It must have been happening all day. Sakura stood up to get some lake water to clean it off with when Itachi moved.
Slowly, moving as if broken Itachi leaned forward pressing his forehead into her stomach. His arms slowly encircled her waist as he put more and more weight onto her. Sakura stood frozen as his hands searched to hold on to her tighter and tighter. There was an ever so fine trembling in his arms, though maybe that was her Sakura reflected.
But it was when he started ever so quietly crying that Sakura wrapped his head and upper back awkardly in her arms, leaning her cheek on his head.
It was there on that lake side wearing a white sundress bloodied by him that she learnt to kiss. Softly with all her heart. In this kiss were mixed not the hot emotions of anger and shame like the other kiss, but his tears and just a hint of his blood.
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Time to introduce another two characters. Next chapter it's the arrival of Naruto and Kakashi!
