Chapter 7: Don't grumble, give a whistle.

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A sleeping man was lying down on his stomach in his bed. Despite where he was sleeping he felt at peace, dreaming a very pleasant dream. He was so at peace that he didn't sense his door opening. Nor did he sense a person walking into his own space, right up to him in such quiet grace that would be considered feline. The person took one look at him, grabbed the mattress and flung it up, sending the sleeping man off the bed and onto the floor with a thud. On impact he woke and bolted up right, while detangling himself he revealed he was wearing a simple white T-Shirt and navy blue boxers on. He then spotted his assailant looking at him in amusement.

"Rise and shine sleepy dead." Sakura chirped at Sasuke. "Naruto had let me in if you were wondering."

"Hn and you waking me up like that is because…?"

"I just found you annoying that moment. Tsunade-sama tells me to take you around, so you get a better understanding of what we're about."

"I guess I'm getting that wish after all." He grinned.

Sakura looked almost annoyed with him the smirked and suddenly he felt that he might need a helmet for this. Of course, he didn't know she couldn't lay one finger on him till he was completely trained. But he didn't need to know that, now did he?

A half an hour later Sakura grabbed two coffees in both hands and had her bag of doughnuts underneath her underarms. She had grabbed them off the counter in her favourite place to have breakfast, juggled around with them for a better grip on the items and walked outside to a waiting Sasuke. He was leaning against a telephone with his eyes closed and arms crossed. His chin was resting against the top of his chest, allowing his hair to cover his handsome face. The pinkette reaper could see why, groups of human teenage girls and women were eyeing him up. She could distinctly feel they didn't like her when she approached him and handed him his coffee.

"Here, no sugar, no milk. As bitter as it comes" She said as she thrust it up to his face.

Sasuke slowly opened his eyes till they were half way opened and kept them there. He looked her and then at the cup before he took it from her grasp. He sniffed it and took a sip of the taste. The human reaper made a cute scrunched up face and looked at her as she was taking a sip of her own, cream and sugared up coffee. Sakura felt his gaze and looked back at him questioningly.

"Something wrong?"

He was looking a little hesitant then decided to be honest. "Coffee taste more bitter than I remember." She looked at him thoughtfully and he couldn't help but be a bit curious at her look. "What?"

"Humans have noticed that if they died but come back one or more of their five senses have changed, almost better you can say. I've read up on Human Reapers and nothing really change for them but maybe with a combination of that and Deidara's handy work you're a little different than most."

"You've been reading up on Human Reapers?"

Sakura rolled her eyes at him. "It is required to have a little history about anything you do."

"Do?" Sasuke said with a very straight face, his amusement shimmering beneath the surface.

"Yes do." She said, looking a little confused at that but still confident in her answer.

"So, being a human reaper you would have to do me."

"Yes"

He smirked at her and even more so at her very confused face.

Bubblegum, not to make you sound anymore stupid - cause really you are - but you have just agreed you'd fuck him.

At this her free hand shot out and grabbed Sasuke by the top of his shirt to pull him down till they were eyelevel. Sasuke looked amused at her as she gritted her teeth to control her vile temper. "Listen here Deadboy, you ever still wish to do those kinds of activities you better not try anything with me. Is that clear?"

Sasuke leaned a little closer till their noses nearly touched, still with his amused face in place. He was really playing with fire now as Sakura could barely keep a hold of herself from breaking his bone. She knew that Deidara would be pissed if she did that and Tsunade would make her do more ghost missions or (*shiver*) guard duty. Not mention the fact she had no idea what level Sasuke was on, so kicking his butt might create a fancy show for the humans who were walking by.

"Crystal." He whispered.

Sakura twitched internally while Hakumei was bemused by this.

Well, he's got balls, I'd give him that.

Not helping.

Was I supposed to be?

The pinkette then let him go and took a step back before she sipped her coffee again to calm herself. "I'm warning you Deadboy, don't test me."

"Hn."

She then turned off from him and started to walk down the street briskly. He pushed off from the telephone pole and followed her close behind, his longer legs helped sealing the distance between them. He watched her pull out a doughnut from the bag she had tucked beneath her underarm and began to munch it. He was then right beside her when he caught up and then had a fresh chocolate ring doughnut in front of him.

"Eat, trust me. You maybe part reaper now but that body still requires nutrients, particularly of the sugar kind." Sakura explained as Sasuke gingerly took the doughnut from her "Fruit would be good for you but you must eat some kind of sugary food."

"But I hate sweet foods." Sasuke muttered.

"You may feel different about it now with the new taste buds." Sakura said.

Sasuke reluctantly took a bite from it and pulled a face as he chewed it slowly, then swallowed it. She caught it and smirked.

"Get used to it Sasuke, you're going to be eating sweets for the rest of eternity."

"Wonderful" he then took a big bite out of it and chewed much quickly. He then took a sip of the coffee to swallow it down and found it wasn't so bad now there was mix of the bitter flavour of coffee and the sweet taste of the doughnut. "So where are we going now?"

"Graveyard, we're going to meet some pretty interesting characters." Sakura uttered, though didn't seem too keen on it.

"OI HERMIN! WHAT YA LOOK AT DAT! PINKY'S BACK, AND LOOK WHO SHE'S BROUGHT!"

Sakura and Sasuke teleported to the graveyard the had 'reunited'. Sakura was slightly annoyed that Sasuke managed to teleport closer to the graveyard than she had but had to let it go as they were on business. They walked to the church they needed to go to and stood right outside it's double archway doors. The were staring up to the five grotesque looking gargoyles and these gargoyles were looking back at them almost drunkenly. They came in all shapes and sizes but all had one thing in common. Despite all look damn ugly the weather and pollution had made look almost worn out.

"Gentlemen." Sakura said politely "You lot know something."

"Charlie! Do we kno' somethin'?" a large gargoyle asked

"COURSE NOT HERMIN! DEY'D THINK WE KEEP EVERYTHIN' FROM…THEM. Oi, boyo what da fuck are ya?" the smallest of the said as it leaned forward to get a closer look at him. "Ya smell reaper but ya look like Daffy Duck's half brother! What da fuck is wrong with ya hair? What? Couldn't get enough gel to cover up a bald patch or somehtin'?"

"Gel? I think he gave it Viagra!"

"AHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" the gargoyles laughed out heartily.

Sasuke blinked, Sakura had warned him they would be a rude bunch but he didn't think they'd be that rude! He felt a vain began to pulse of the temple of his forehead, not even Naruto could be this infuriatingly rude. He even had been training with that guy for a solid 'month' in the training room and never completely lost his cool. Now, however, he was very close to.

"Gentlemen, we're getting off track here." Sakura said with a pressed smile, noticing Sasuke's rising temper.

"Ooooooh Pinky! We haven't even got on it!" The middle of the five said.

"Choo choo!"

"Rainbows!"

"Red and yellow and pink and green…wait a minute! You're a rainbow pinky! HA!"

"Oi Charlie, Pete, where'd ya put the scotch?"

"Not too sure Hermin! Try lookin up ya arse!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHHA!" the gargoyles laughed together.

Sasuke leaned down when he calmed down and whispered to Sakura "Are they on crack?"

The pinkette looked up him then at the gargoyles in annoyance. "Acid rain isn't good for them, it erodes their minds away. They won't return to normal till they are completely destroyed, then and only then could they go into a new gargoyle statue. Usually the one that replaces it."

"So why don't you?" Sasuke asked.

"Because Lad" the second largest of them said, causing the pair to focus on it. The gargoyle looked like it had more self control than the rest as they laughed away that moment. "We are the beings that keep the boundaries between hell and earth apart. If we are not replaced soon enough, the area that we once were becomes a portal. An easy access from there to here. Our jobs were to protect humans from the evils. But we're no longer that strong anymore."

"We protect life." Another one said, as it became sober that moment. "Life has to continue to death and death continues with life. There is no ending."

"Yes we know that." Sakura said getting a little impatient now. "What I want to know is about: why there have been reapers kidnapped?"

The sober gargoyles looked at one another then back at Sakura. "The balance has been upset and some things in life are bad"

"They can really make you mad."

"Other things just make you swear and curse."

"When you're chewing on life's gristle."

"Don't grumble, give a whistle."

Then to the pair of reapers astonishment all the gargoyles whistled that moment and continued to sing the next lines.

"And this'll help things turn out for the best..."

"And...always look on the bright side of life..."

"Always look on the light side of life..."

Sakura slapped her hand into her face as the gargoyles continued to sing together, as she reminded herself that she was not going blast the church up. No matter how tempting it was she was not going to obliterate every single gargoyle in her wake. Her patience may be getting on the thin side now but she wasn't going annihilate the crackpot statues. No. Not one bit. Uh-uh.

Ah jezz not even Kakashi-sensei would tolerate this, and he has oodles of patience.

When will they ever stop? Here's an idea, ground them down till you can make bread with them, disgusting tasting bread of cement but you get the idea.

…shut up

"So you lot generally have no idea." Sasuke said, taking Sakura out of her head as she listened. "May as well find another bunch of gargoyles."

The gargoyles all stopped and glared at him but Sasuke stood his ground.

"Ya won't be findin' anythin' else lad."

"And we can guarantee ya dat."

"And we can see righ' down to da bottom of dat heart of yours."

"And it ain't all good, ya hear us?"

"Oh I know that." Sasuke smirked "What else you got?"

"Cheeky bastard aren't ya? But dat tongue of yours won't be savin' ya when he comes for ya."

"Who?" Sasuke asked.

"Da one who's been grabbing da reapers, didn't one of you asked dat?"

"Yeah, but who would they be?" Sakura asked more persistently.

"DO WE LOOK LIKE WE'D KNO' DAT WOMAN!" the all roared together.

"We protect life. You guys help continue it. Dat's all we know. Now bugger off."

They all stood still in the seriousness of the situation and then the gargoyles laughed out loud again. Sakura shook her head in annoyance and walked away with Sasuke behind her. She was irritated beyond belief.

"Do you usually always give up like that?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura looked at him with a glare. "No, I don't. They told us someone powerful is taking advantage of their weakening power. In doing so they are able to target reapers. That's how this person is doing it."

"And you got that from just listening to that?" Sasuke said in disbelief.

Sakura looked amused at him. "You're the one who said to Tsunade-sama that we shouldn't take what they are saying lightly."

"Yes, I did. But how did you piece that one together?" Sasuke asked. "They spoke so…randomly."

Sakura shrugged. "You pick these things ups."

"Hn." Sasuke said though he didn't quite believe her. "So where are we heading?"

"Where else? Limbo."

"That's good. The statues were starting to freak me out a bit."

"Statues?"

"Yeah." He said looking towards them and gestured to them with his head.

Sakura followed his line of vision and frowned at that. He shouldn't be able to see them watching him in this early stage of training and it starting to annoy her. First he was able to teleport closer to the graveyard and now he could see the statues watching them. That really irritated her as she had to work really hard to control her powers and Sasuke seemed to be a natural with his.

"Yeah, sort of like those old paintings with the eyes following you around the room." Sakura said dryly.

"I'm serious."

She frowned at him as he looked at her almost alarmed that he could see them doing it. No, he was alarmed that he could see them watching them and yet remained so still, unlike the gargoyles they had come across.

"Wait, what has Kakashi been teaching you?" Sakura asked.

"He's been teaching me how to fight with my new powers."

"So, no general knowledge of being a Reaper and the world that we live in?"

"He has, but only in bits and pieces."

Sakura jaw nearly dropped before she composed herself. "Wonderful, I guess have to educate you."

"Really now" Sasuke drawled.

"Yeah, how else are you going to survive in this world with just your fists, eh?" her eyebrows drew up in confusion from the smirk he was pulling now. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You show anger towards me yesterday but you are still willing to help me." He explained.

"Yeah, it's called being female."

"I think you like me Sakura" he said confidently.

"As if, you pompous womaniser!"

In taining room four Ino was ducking and diving out of the way as Sakura fought against her on the almost timeless grounds. Due to the irritation Sasuke managed to invoke in Sakura she was now taking it out on her friend. It was a very good thing Ino had a great sense of knowing when Sakura was charging up her punch or kicks otherwise she'd be in the infirmary by now.

"Sakura! Calm the–wah!" Ino dived out the way. "I thought you said – shit, don't kill me! – You wanted to – ah! – Train with me!"

Ino rolled out of the way when Sakura jumped up into the air and slammed her charged up foot into the ground, missing her friend all together. The earth cracked and exploded up into atmosphere from that one powerful kick. It was a power that Sakura felt very proud of that she had full control of, one hundred percent all the time. No one was ever quite sure how powerful the young reaper was but one thing was certain, when she was mad, don't ever be on the receiving end. Shame the one person that she wanted to pound into the ground she couldn't as he was still not fully trained yet and it would be unfair. Moments later the debris settled when Sakura looked around for her friend, who was very much hiding from her now. Still, she could always get a kick out of annoying Ino too.

"I do Ino, you just haven't been training lately." Sakura said almost smugly.

"Are you saying I'm lazy forehead?" Ino shouted from a great distance.

That got her, the pinkette grinned knowing where she was. She spotted a nice shaped rock conveniently in that direction, when she turned towards it, in front of her. Very much like a footballer would with a ball; she ran towards it and kicked it into the desired direction.

Sakura smirked after it as she softly said "3…2…1…"

THUNK!

"YOU BITCH! THAT COULD HAVE HIT ME!"

"Good thing I wasn't aiming for you." Sakura chuckled.

"Funny. Really. Why do I have the feeling that you are upset with someone?"

Sakura happy mood suddenly slipped back to her annoyed state, albeit it wasn't as intense as it had been.

"Hmph."

"Ah, so I was right." Ino said as she appeared beside Sakura, though ready to dive out the way again.

Sakura crossed her arms when she turned towards her friend and popped her hip out in a challenging way. "What makes you think you are right?"

"Cause I know you Sakura." Ino said with a cocky smile. "I know you better than anyone you can think of."

"Hmph." Sakura frowned.

Ino relaxed her stance and gazed at her best friend in concern.

"What's wrong?" Ino asked.

Sakura sighed in frustration when she felt Ino placing a hand on her bicep out of sympathy and gave in. "I've been given this task to show a newbie the ropes around here and there." That wasn't a lie, she did have to show Sasuke what life was actually like in Limbo in case he got into a spot of trouble.

"A newbie huh?" Ino grinned at that and rubbed her chin with her free hand "Was it that guy you manhandled to Tsunade-sama's office?"

The pinkette reaper raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You saw that?"

"Wish I did, but some of the sorters saw you. What's his name?"

"Womaniser."

Ino stared at her for a moment before she cracked up laughing as an imagery of what went down between the two before Sakura decided to take the idiot to Tsunade. Ino was, however, not aware how far off she was to the truth. Yes Sakura did drag Sasuke to Tsunade but it was not to do with the comment he made, just that he was flesh and bone again.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me, no wonder you dragged him all the way to Tsunade's office." Ino chuckled.

"Hmph."

"So, uh, feel like drinking?"

"…what do you have in mind?"

When Sasuke walked through his brother's office, he saw the owner slumped over his desk pathetically. He spotted the empty bottles of sake near his brother's hand and frowned. Mentally tsking he walked silently over, removing anything that could further cause more harm to his brother's health, aka the alcohol.

"Sayuri, please leave me alone." Itachi said gloomily.

"I'm not your fiancé." Sasuke said.

Itachi froze entirely in that moment and looked up to see Sasuke standing there with an annoyed look. Itachi frowned in concentration for a moment, trying to see through fuzzy world of the drunk-side. The first thing that entered what that this person sounded like his brother. Which was impossible as his brother was, in fact, dead. Second was that this person had the same funky weird hairstyle as his late brother. Third and finally, now that foggy haze of the drunk-side was lifting, this person was doing the same expression his little brother would do whenever he called him…foolish. Then, the older Uchiha's brain registered what he was seeing was in fact there.

And for the first time in Sasuke's life he heard Itachi utter something that he didn't think would be a possibility.

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"HOLY SHIT! OH FUCK! HOLY FUCKING HELL!" Itachi yelled, toppling off the chair and away from his brother who followed him.

Yes, Itachi wasn't the type to swear. In fact he never swore. NEVER. To hear him swear like there was no tomorrow stunned and amused Sasuke. He always remembered his brother always saying that cursing isn't good for the soul. That it wasn't really necessary to. Sasuke had always thought that Itachi had taken a vow to never ever swear. So this was utterly priceless.

Itachi managed to get the desk between him and his brother. He grabbed his own bicep and squeezed down right until he couldn't take the pain his nails were inflicting on his quickly sobering mind. Itachi definitely knew he was awake and aware of what was happening but it was still surprising. Looking bewildered, he was torn from either giving his brother a bear hug or to run right out of the room. Instead he pointed at him with his forefinger as he couldn't believe his eyes. "You're…you're…you're…"

"Alive?" Sasuke supplied.

Next thing Sasuke knew he was on the floor with a throbbing cheek and Itachi grasping his fist in pain. The younger Uchiha blinked, he should have seen that coming as it was a surprising day today. Itachi, however, seemed to have worked through the pain – the alcohol still in his system even helping pretty well – as he shouted at his brother.

"You are definitely alive you arrogant fuck! What the hell is wrong with you? Couldn't bloody call?" Itachi yelled furiously.

Sasuke casually pushed himself up from the floor and dusted off the invisible dirt from his clothes "I was a little busy surviving at the time Itachi."

Itachi then calmed at this, he was always in tuned to his little brother's demeanour, and reframed back to his usual self to ask "What happened?".

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." Sasuke said, rubbing his forehead and propped himself into the chair Itachi vacated earlier on.

"Try me." Itachi grunted, following Sasuke's example and sat down too.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." Sasuke repeated.

"Sasuke, you are the head of your own famous corporation. People will ask questions." Itachi said, ridiculing his brother's answer.

"Then you found me in a room on the ship bleeding. I ask you not to get anyone as I was afraid my killer would track me but you got a Doctor who promised not to say anything to anyone. And you performed a risky blood transfusion to save my life. You then had the doctor smuggle me off the ship and have me recover somewhere safe." Sasuke said. "After all, I lost a lot of blood and could barely function or think clearly and you thought with the amount shots that had gone off there was an assassination on my life."

Itachi frowned at this as he leaned forward to rest his chin against the top of his entwined fingers while his elbows rest against the desk. "You want me to lie?"

"This is big Itachi. Bigger than me. Bigger than you. Bigger than this entire country. I can't tell you the truth right now but I'm counting on you to say that when the camera's roll." Sasuke said.

"Is it something illegal or may get us killed Sasuke?" Itachi asked. "Because I don't want to put Sayuri under anymore emotional stress. Do you know Father is trying to get her to sign a prenuptial agreement?"

"Wouldn't that be a good idea?" Sasuke said.

"It would be if I actually care about the company." Itachi said. Then added at Sasuke's frown "This was never what I wanted to do little brother."

"What did you wanted to do?" Sasuke asked, as his curiosity was peeked.

Itachi smiled at him "It does not matter now. What matter's is that you are alive and there is much planning we must do." Sasuke smiled back at him.

"Itachi, you didn't get rid of my dog, did you?" Sasuke suddenly asked when a thought came to him.

"No, Sayuri wanted to keep him for our future children. He's a good dog." Itachi said as he watched with amusement that Sasuke's face changed from concern to relief. "Why little brother, you actually care for another being that isn't part of the family?"

"Hn." Sasuke said looking annoyed at being teased about it. Truth to be told, he was glad the mutt was alive and well. If he hadn't showed compassion and cared for him he wouldn't be having this conversation with Itachi.

I know it seems very out of character with Itachi but COME ON! He's lost his brother and then he shows up like nothing had happed. No sane, calm, stoic person (who'd been drinking a bit too) would react unemotionally. It's just not possible, okay?

Gah, this is shorter than my previous chapter, then again that one was more of an explaination of what was going on so *shrugs*.

Anway big shout out for:

Cherryblossom (between these sh?), DarkAngelRakell, Lia113, SasuSakuKawai, Eloise, anundecidedteen, HlorkexD, C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only, MichiiHaru-Chan, sleepingdreamer08, Lady Rini, Reignashii, cowgirl137, Sandwich-chan, xhyperanimefreakx, Mizz Hime-Sama, 87 and finally nightwish635. YOU GUYS ROCK!

'Between the Shades of Grey' is still on hold for the moment as I'm still working out the kinks in the story but I shall be updating 'Spellcasters and Familiars' soon, so keep an eye out for that.

Thanks for the reviews guys. I hope you've all enjoyed the chapter so send me some feedback on it please? With cheery and sprinkles on top?