Title: A God's Princess
Chapter 3: Warm Places
"Talking", 'Thinking', "Inner Sakura"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX SAKURA, SAKURA, SAKURA, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The bright rays of morning light cast its self on my eyelids. I moaned and grabbed the covers, pulling them up over my head. I realized at that very moment that my bed was particularly warm, smelled intoxicating, and seemed to have a vise grip on my waist. I cracked open an eye realizing the position I was in. My cheeks burned a furious red.
~FLASHBACK~
It had started to storm last night after Itachi had brought me home to my real home, not the one I was caged into at the Hokage mansion. I was so happy he had brought me to my real home. It was only after a sudden clap of particularly loud thunder that I remembered what was going on. I was in my own bed all alone. A crack of lightening tore across the sky.
"ITACHI!" I had screamed his name over and over as I had buried myself in blankets till he had dashed into the room. It was only when his hands touched either side of my face that I stopped yelling for him. Tears cascaded down my face as he uncovered my head from the blankets. His eyes full of concern.
"What's wrong Sakura?" His voice thawed the sudden ice around my heart and made me think of when I was young and my brother would stay the nights with me when it stormed particularly hard. I blinked up into his obsidian eyes so full of concern, hardly aware he had crawled over me go get me my face. I laid flat on my back, gazing up at him. His knees rested on either side of my hips, his toes brushing my calves, his right arms bearing the brunt of his weight, his left hand had pulled back the covers and now was holding the side of my face. I blushed realizing he was only wearing his silk boxers, his hair was left loose as it fell around us blocking out the raging storm outside. My breath caught for a moment.
"I got scared by the storm, please stay with me?" I had pleaded with him, expecting him to say no, and disappear. I had been delighted when he closed his eyes slightly lowering his head and smiling down at me. He pulled back the covers, and after getting comfortable pulled me close to his body. I had only worn a pair of spandex short shorts and an oversized t-shirt to bed that night, thankful that I hadn't gone to bed in only my underwear and bra as I normally did. I sighed as his heat warmed me and I noticed less and less of the raging storm as I was flooded in his intoxicating scent. Smiling I was gone from the world once again.
~End Flash Back~
At some point through the night we had shifted positions, not my legs were wrapped around his waist, my arms hung around his neck, my fingers tangled up in his hair, my nose touching the crown of his head. His face was buried in my chest, his arms locked tight around my waist, and his legs were brought up to rest under my butt. My hair was splayed out across both of our pillows and his was blended into mine. We were both covered in my thick blanket.
"Good morning, cherry blossom." His voice sent pleasant shivers through my spine and as the muscles in his arms twitched and worked themselves out I stretched out accidentally pressing my chest further into Itachi's face. I could feel his rumbling laugh as he smiled, I suddenly curled in on myself as much as I could in my embarrassed state.
"Mmm, as much as I do like this position, I'm afraid I can't be the one to bite those perky breasts. That's your husbands' job." He was joking I knew but I couldn't help smacking him on the shoulder, and attempting to untangle myself. I got as far as unlocking my legs from his waist and turning over before his arms tightened and prevented any further movement.
"It's a joke Sakura, now come on you need to get ready, I'm taking over your preparation appointments from here on out to make sure things go much smoother than yesterday. Take a shower and meet me down stairs, and don't take all day about it." Placing a chaste kiss on my neck just below my ear, he got up and disappeared. My head spun a moment.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX TSUNADE AND KAKASHI XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I sighed for the millionth time this morning. It wasn't until Sakura panicked and fled yesterday that I realized maybe I was pushing her way too hard. I would have to back off a tiny smidge, but I couldn't afford for her to back out. If she was lost we were all doomed, and I was all too thankful that Itachi had been the one to catch her and not one of the more violent Akatsuki or worse yet an all together enemy ninja. Slamming back the cup of Sake, I threw the cup at the wall opposite myself, tension only minimally releasing as the cup shattered into millions of tiny fragments. 'Just like this village will if something goes wrong with this wedding.' I wanted to cry, but it wasn't the right moment. I would cry after Sakura was wedded off and I would no longer be able to see her face. I was planning on stepping down three months after Sakura is to be married, but Naruto didn't know it just yet. The sulky blond stood behind me glued to the window, he had perked up considerably once Hinata was off the chopping block, but once Sakura had decide to take the full burden on herself he was still deeply depressed. 'At least he doesn't look like he's ready to take his own life anymore.' I though grimly. Blue eyes slice over to me and I gave a weak smile back. He closed his eyes before continuing to stare halfheartedly out the window. His gaze lay on the far corner of the village, the corner Sakura lived in. There was a poof and before me stood Kakashi.
"You wished to see me Lady Hokage?" his tone flat, his Anbu gear remained firmly in place but his mask lay tied to his left hip. He was off duty but he wouldn't allow himself to remove the uniform except for showers, until Sakura as married and long gone. It was his defense mechanism, my heart ached for him at both what was already happening and what I was about to have to tell him, but it would be for the best interest in the long run.
"Kakashi, I know things have gone to hell between you and Sakura, especially since you can't touch her without hurting her, but you need to let her go. If you really honestly love her, let her go. Make her hate you if you have to, but the more attachments she has to this village the harder and more painful it will be for her to let go and truly fulfill her duty. Akatsuki has already assigned Itachi to guard her and start the transition of her loyalties. Itachi's current mission is to gain her trust, by any means necessary. He is also going to be taking over all her appointments, Next week a new member will be Joining Itachi with the exact same goal, we know it won't be his usual partner but we also know it most likely won't be one of their more kind members." I told him what was going on half way expecting him to stay neutral.
"I cannot allow her to stay with them without a guard of some sort! Is it not enough that they are already ripping her away from her village?!" his voice was coarse, angry even, but the lone tear and the pain filled eye that locked onto my face was crushing.
"I can't even show her any kind of emotion any more without risking a breach in the agreement! All I want to do is rip those damn bands off her arms and run off with her, WE WERE PLANNING ON GETTING MARRIED IN TWO MONTHS!" he was truly yelling at the end of his sentence. It was so unlike him, it truly shocked me.
"Control yourself Kakashi, or I'll have to do it for you. I would expect this behavior out of Naruto when he was much younger, not from you. You leave me no choice anymore, I cannot risk you blowing this whole thing apart. You will be leaving for a two year mission. While Sakura is heading north to Hidden Rain village, you will be heading south toward Kirigakure. You'll be doing various missions for their Kage. Who is very much aware of the situation and why you're going to be in their presence. You leave Immediately." My voice was commanding and left absolutely zero room for argument. His eyes darkened, he knew if he dared say no he be going to the underground prison cells until the whole thing blew over. He bowed his head, not looking at me anymore.
"Yes, Hokage-sama." He spat the sama as if it was the vilest thing to touch his lips.
"I'm sorry Kakashi, I just can't risk this." I whispered. A loud puff of smoke and he was gone. I laid my head on my desk and sobbed feeling horrible for doing that to Kakashi.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX SAKURA AND ITACHI XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Itachi had led me all up and down the vendors. It was a relaxing day but I knew he would be getting down to real business soon. We arrived at a flower shop. Ino's flower shop, to be exact. Holding the door open for me Itachi waited for me to walk in ahead of him. Stepping in, I paused to allow my eyes to adjust to the dimmer light. Itachi stepped in as well and the bell on the door clanged signaling for a customer. My blond friend came bounding around the corner a smile plastered to her face.
"GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO-" Her loud boisterous voice ground to a screeching halt at the sight of me and Itachi. Her dad rounded the corner right as she went to say something else. His eyes bugged out and he bowed low, grabbing his daughters hand for her to do the same. From his position he called to us.
"Welcome to our humble establishment most honored princess, we are here to serve you." My heart cracked a little more.
"Please we are friends here, do not bow, do not reserve your heart from me just because of the newest events. And Ino, are we not still sisters, you and I?" I didn't recognize my voice to be my own. They stood strait but still her father wouldn't meet my eyes. I sighed glancing at her, she however did not disappoint when she broke protocol and rushed over to hug me, tears streaming down her face. I knew her father would rip her a new head later and so did she but she didn't care, and neither did I.
"Ino, I need flowers for the wedding, you already know what the dress looks like. Later I also need you, Hinata, and Hana to come to the Bridal shop again with me so that you can get dresses as well." I tried to smile at her, and her smile managed to ward off the looming thunderclouds full of emotional turmoil. We went to move forward but at that very moment the shop door opened and there stood Kakashi, my heart stopped. His eyes locked onto mine for half a second before he locked eyes with Itachi for half a century. He extended his hand, a letter in it. Itachi took the letter without breaking eye contact and as soon as his hands was securely around it Kakashi was gone. Itachi tucked the letter into his cloak pocket, pressing a hand to my lower back he moved me deeper into the shop, before I had time to fully comprehend what had just happened Ino had taken full reign of my attention. We spent two hours deciding which arrangements would look best and how many would be needed. Finally settling on a few designs. It was time to go.
"Alright Sakura, we finally have the flowers detail ironed out, you and Itachi get to the bridal shop and I'll go get the other girls and head that way." She had a beaming smile and I was ushered almost all the way out the door before I remembered a most important detail.
"WAIT! I have to pay you and you need the location for delivery!" I panicked thinking on how much it was going to cost me.
"Sakura calm down, Tsunade already took care of the bill, in fact she's picking up all but one expense for the whole wedding. She wants you to relax as much as possible and just enjoy the time you have left." I swallowed a lump in my throat glancing up at Itachi, he smiled a bit and nodded.
"Ino, I'm going to take Sakura to a restaurant on the way to the shop, she hasn't eaten since this morning and it wouldn't do for my future co-leader to be malnourished." Ino smiled, nodded saying something about taking out time as she waved us off from the front door. Itachi had left a nice chunk of change with Ino's Father to assure him that they were indeed first choice and dear friends. Her father would be less likely to bite her head off now. I smiled as Itachi's had pressed into my lower back again and guided me to a fancy restaurant I hadn't really bothered to notice before. The diner went by like a whirlwind, only slightly annoyed at the waitress who was constantly batting her lashes at Itachi, leaning a little lower than she should have to give his a view of her ample cleavage. When I'd had enough I'd stood, motioned for the manager, and after telling her very politely of my displeasure she flushed, begging forgiveness, to which I instantly felt horrid for ratting the poor girl out. It was explained that the girl was a new worker, barely out of training and that she would definantly receive a stern talking to. I had felt a knot in my tummy, sorry for the poor girl. The manager had reassigned the waitress to a new table at the opposite end of the restaurant and brought forth the most expensive, most prized Sake, it was of course on the house as 'a wedding gift for the new bride.' Itachi thanked me discreetly alerting me that he had been annoyed and ready to tear her head off. I had laughed lightly. After finishing, Itachi tried to pay but once again we were told it had been picked up already.
"It seems Tsunade had the entire village made aware that wherever we go, if we want something we are to get it no matter the cost and that she herself would be picking up the tab…kinda makes me curious what the one thing is she ISN'T paying for…" Inner had a point. It was very curious indeed. I narrowed my eyes in the direction of the Hokage tower suspicion creeping up my spine.. Itachi's hand once again at my lower back as we headed toward the Bridal shop.