Hello everyone,
My muse hasn't died on me yet, so here's Itachi's part!
Big thanks to the new follow/favourites, as well as my two reviewers for this chapter Naomipy and Nana3.
It took him a bit longer than expected to read the essay. Chakra sensitivity and war veterans: a traumatizing link was no bedtime reading. It required lots of knowledge on chakra system and post-traumatic syndrome. He had some basic formation in both, but the text was another level. His appreciation of Haruno Sakura only grew.
It surprised him. He didn't know he appreciated her.
Before purposely running into her in the library, it took him a lot of thinking. He thought about their first and second meeting. He thought about the little girl she had been when Team 7 was assembled. She had changed a lot, and not only physically. He had only remembered her as Sasuke's annoying teammate. She had always been nice to him, though. Even if she was asking a lot of questions about his baby brother. Whom he protected dearly.
Haruno Sakura had been waiting for a creamy latte behind him. She almost got a pint of black coffee because the waitress had tried her way with him. He had been a bit distracted by her jiggling assets and had paid no attention to the petite woman in a lab coat. It wasn't his fault. Mia-San had huge assets, and the tattooed sentence above them was grammatically incorrect. Plus, it had been moving and he couldn't read it well.
His mother told him it wasn't polite to look at a woman's chest, but what could he do? Shizune-San said his glasses were for reading. He used them when doing paperwork. He wouldn't get them out to ogle at a waitress' breasts. Then Haruno-San hissed and received almost a pint of burning liquid. His order, actually. Which lead to the burning on his chest and a medic sitting on his private parts.
He had deemed her as a shameless woman, but a competent one, when she proceeded to strip and heal him. Did she hear herself speak? Telling stuff like "I'm gonna cut your shirt off" or "You're going to feel way better", or "There was no time for me to move you to a private place and take care of you" … Sentences ripped off Kakashi's dirty books.
Then she ran away. Right after he had called her one last time. Right after healing him. Right after her chakra went inside his body and played tricks with his insides. He had checked with his appointed medic during his last check-up, and with Shizune-San after: other people's medical chakra didn't feel like that. Something happened at that moment and he wanted...
He didn't know what he really wanted.
Haruno Sakura profusely apologized during the whole operation, so he didn't deem a public apology necessary. However, he had questions, lots of questions. He wanted to ask her at the flower shop. He didn't get the chance. It only resulted on looking like a fool. Haruno-San and her friend laughed at him.
"I heard a funny story about you" Shisui said when they went home.
"Is this the one about Haruno-San?" he asked with a sigh.
Most of the conversations with Shisui were hard to focus on. The older man chose not to respect the clans' views and rules, being too energetic and eccentric for it. He had a liking for him that Itachi appreciated, even though he didn't get it at all.
"Ah… Everyone knows how our Hokage's apprentice made a fool of herself. But it's in the same time frame. Remember the cute waitress at the counter? Well a friend of mine is a friend of hers, and I heard your eyes had been quite busy."
He told him with a smile before attempting a strangle hold. Itachi freed himself from the man's hands and they started a little wrestling match.
"Mia-San has a tatoo on her chest." Itachi stated. "I was reading. You're the breast man."
"Heh, you might be right!" Shisui replied brightly.
But after a bit of fighting, Shisui sat down and asked him what bothered him. And Itachi told him about the tingly feeling Haruno-San's chakra left him, but he couldn't ask because she was allergic to flowers. If his cousin didn't understand all the subtleties of the two meetings, something was really clear to him. He needed a proper conversation with Haruno Sakura. And he needed to get laid.
"Seriously, Itachi. Medical chakra does feel good, it's one of its purposes."
"Only Haruno-San's made me feel like that." Itachi replied.
"Okay, right. I would tell you to give a go with Sakura-San, but she's out of your league."
"Oh. I see."
He must think he was unable to hold a proper conversation with Haruno-San. Probably a question of different field of work. It was a shame. Itachi did wanted his answers. Well, he could get them otherwise. Maybe in the library.
Shisui squinted at him.
"You didn't get what I was saying, right?"
"You're saying I can't hold a proper conversation with Haruno-San."
"Well, that too. But I was saying you can't have sex with that particular girl. And boy, you really need to open up to this stuff."
Itachi blushed deeply. Shisui was a really crude person. He'd never thought of… Insidiously, his mind reminded him of the thoughts he had when she had been above him, stripping him, her hands on his chest, her chakra dancing under his skin.
"No way. No fucking way! That girl really did something special to you!"
"She just healed me, Shisui."
"Yeah, and you can't get her out of your head."
"Her technique! Get your dirty mind back on track!"
"Héhé…"
It was only to escape Shisui that he went back home running. Of course, his mother knew the whole story from A to Z. Of course, to her, it had been entirely his fault. This is how she told him he should seek Haruno-San's out and apologize to her before asking about her behavior. She made him smile like an idiot until she was satisfied and sent him away. But she had also given him an idea: preparing his apology speech. He was quite sure he could tweak it into something nice. While he apologized, he'd ask her about her technique. It seemed like a good idea.
After he prepared a rough dialog simulation, he decided to change his ideas and consult the volumes about chakra sensitivity in the library. He might find the answers he was looking for there.
Only to find Haruno Sakura scrupulously studying. He only glanced at her at first before he looked for a book with a promising title. Fate had hands everywhere, for he was lead back to the girl's table. He looked at the messy pink bun above her head, her paper skin and the black rings under her eyes. She would get sick if she didn't lay off a little.
"I would tell you to give a go with Sakura-San, but she's out of your league"
Shisui's words danced in his head. His mouth went dry as he noticed the purple strap of her bra sticking out of her shirt. He felt like he should tell her. Or straightening her clothes himself. A bead of sweat rolled down her nape. The curve of her neck as she looked into her studies enticed him. He had the curious itch to wipe the salty drop for her. This was inconvenient. He wouldn't be able to talk to her in these conditions.
He turned around the table, never stopping to look at her. He nervously licked his lips. He had no idea what to say to this girl. He ran through all the possible scenario he had made before. Her eyes were on him the moment he sat down. Annnoyed, wary green eyes met his.
"Do I have your attention, Haruno-San?" he asked.
"M… Most definitely."
She almost fell out of her chair and knocked a shelve down to answer him. He thought it was a strange reaction, but at least she answered something close to what he expected. Even if she looked stupid.
"Good. You were very studious. I… didn't want to bother you?"
He had a hard time to convey his words. He wasn't quite sure he should be that direct. Maybe he should have asked about her day. Or smiled to calm her down? She seemed very wary. But she got some countenance back and smiled at him. It was the first time she did. He felt a bit warm inside. Not many people smiled genuinely at him. Except for woman who wanted to seduce him. But Haruno Sakura was out of his league, like Shisui said. Plus, she was used to see naked patients. He wasn't special to her.
"That's very thoughtful of you, Itachi-Sama. However, I am a little busy at the moment."
After replying to him, she held his gaze for exactly two seconds before completely ignoring him and cleaning her desk. It was a dismissal. But Itachi didn't want to leave. He had her in front of him, alone. He could deal with it. He could have her answer him. So, when she went back to the shelves, he followed. They would be away from the public eye. The perfect place to discuss.
He followed the swift moves of her feet to the ground. She was practically gliding. On the tip of her toes, she tried to get a book back in a shelve. She had gotten it earlier, but now she was in a hurry. Did he make her nervous? He toyed with the idea while moving forward to help her. He felt the warmth of her skin against his, the softness of it against his calluses. He remembered the same hands flat on his chest, buzzing with energy.
Her hand went away. She escaped from him, ready to battle.
He made her nervous. It was an interesting idea. He didn't know what to do with it. He wanted to ask, but she was clearly not in a mood to talk. Her breath was short, her face was red, her expression wary.
"What do you think you are doing?"
What did he think he was doing? Well…
"Helping you?"
She didn't believe him.
"Please don't."
She didn't want him to help him. She probably was one of these independent women. Perhaps should he lead the conversation towards her academics. In a conversation, the man should mostly ask questions and get interested in the answers. At least, that's what Shisui said one day.
"You seem to look at various subjects."
"Yes" she hissed.
And the conversation was over. He followed her back to her things. He followed when she borrowed her books. He followed her when she went outside. Her shoulders were getting more and more tense.
He had no idea what to say to this girl.
Her red scarf hid her neck from his eyes. He felt oddly disappointed. He didn't know why.
"Haruno-San, a moment of your time, please" he managed.
"What do you want, Itachi-Sama?"
The questions jumped inside his mouth. They were so many. Why did she act like that in the coffee shop, and in the flower shop, and in the library? Why was her behavior so changing? Was it true she made no differences between a naked patient and another? Did she seat on other patients as well? Was did Shisui mean when he said she was out of his league?
But the only thing he could sensibly ask about was her book. She made another face. She didn't believe him either. Weirdly enough, it sounded like the best moment to recite the text he prepared, so far. He saw her loose her composure until she just shoved the book in his chest, yelled and ran away.
He just stayed where he was. He wasn't sure following her would show promising results.
He went home with her book, once again thinking of this smooth skin. It took him a bit longer than expected to read the essay. His appreciation of Haruno Sakura only grew.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing it :)
Don't hesitate to leave a review or a PM.