Chapter Six
Today would not a good day.
Sakura winced as she gingerly stretched her muscles before hitting her alarm clock off. Yawning, she dragged herself to the bathroom to start her day. Not only was Tsukyomi's training brutal, but it left her tired.
She walked down the stairs into the kitchen where Sayuri was finishing up a huge breakfast in honor of her daughter's first day at the Academy. Sakura was grateful, she'd need the energy to get through the day.
"Where's Otou-san?" She asked, digging into her food. Sayuri sighed and brushed a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. The trip to Suna had changed the man she loved. "The doctor pronounced him as healthy so he left last night for a mission."
Sakura swallowed her meal and shoved the guilt away. No matter how she felt, it wasn't her fault that her father was crazy. Shukaku's insanity had to go somewhere. It just happened that Teyaki was chosen. She kissed her mother goodbye and headed to the Academy. Today was the first day and she didn't want to be late.
The Academy was buzzing with life. Children ran around the front courtyard with familiar friends until the bell rang or clung to their parents, getting last minute hugs. Sakura didn't bother to hang around, unlike the others she knew exactly where her classroom was. As soon as she opened the door and looked at the chaotic scene presented to her, Sakura couldn't help the nostalgic smile from tugging at her lips.
Ino and several other girls were sighing over Sasuke who sat off in a corner, brooding. Chouji, Shikamaru, Naruto, Kiba and Akamaru were running away from Iruka-sensei who was covered in feathers while Shino kept readjusting his glasses and Hinata kept twiddling her thumbs and looking at Naruto with a blush on her face. All that was needed was her to complete the picture.
Once Iruka had captured the troublemakers and forced them to clean up the mess, he assembled everyone outside for target practice. Naruto went first and most of the class laughed when his kunai hit a tree off to the right of the target. Hinata went next and she ducked her head in embarrassment when her kunai bounced off the target and landed in the grass. Sasuke smirked proudly when his kunai hit the target even though it wasn't the dead center. "Beat that." He taunted as he passed the pink haired girl.
Sakura eyed the kunai disinterestedly and tossed it without any real motivation. Imagine everyone's surprise when her kunai hit the center of the target perfectly! Sasuke gaped at Sakura who stuck her tongue out at the Uchiha. Iruka was the first to recover and he made the children endure some more exercises before allowing them to disperse for lunch.
Immediately Sakura grabbed her bento box and dragged the Hyuuga heiress with her underneath a large oak tree. "Hi! You can call me Sakura." She said excitedly. How would things turn out if she became friends with Hinata? "Ano, n-nice to m-meet you S-Sakura-san. You c-can c-call me H-Hinata." The white eyed girl stuttered.
Sakura smiled at the shy girl. She reminded her of Gaara since they both stuttered a lot. "Ohayo!" Both of them looked up to see Ino waving at them as she walked towards their spot. "You two look like nice girls so I've decided to come sit with you." She announced and then her sky blue eyes looked at them suspiciously.
"Neither of you like Sasuke, do you? Because he's my future husband." She growled. Both girls giggled and shook their heads. "Great!" Ino smiled, "I just couldn't stand being around all those other girls. I mean, come on! There's no way Sasuke would pick any of them, it's so obvious that I'm better than everyone else, especially when it comes to looks. Not that you two are ugly anyways. I mean, Hinata has very nice hair and Sakura, you're eyes are so pretty but since neither of you like Sasuke, you're not my rivals or anything. Hey, do you two like anyone? Come on, you can tell me! I can keep a secret!"
Sakura laughed at Ino's non stop talking. It felt like old times, except Hinata was here now. How could they have given up on their friendship over a boy who never showed any interest in either one of them?
"Well I saw Hinata-chan blushing when she looked at Naruto." Sakura teased, chewing an onigiri. Ino cocked her head to the side. "Well I guess he's cute, if you like that rugged class clown thing. But hey it's your decision."
Hinata squeaked and stared twiddling her fingers. "W-What about y-you Ino? I-If Sasuke-san w-wasn't here?" Ino contemplated her choice. "Definitely Shikamaru. Something about that lazy boy is too cute." She blushed. "Not that he's cuter than Sasuke or anything."
Both Ino and Hinata looked at Sakura expectantly and she sighed before pulled out her jade hourglass necklace from under her shirt. "Well, my crush lives in Suna and he got me this for my birthday." She explained. "Ooo a long distance relationship, do tell." Ino laughed.
Finally the bell rang for lunch to be over and when Sakura tried to get up, her legs nearly gave out. Nodding that she was okay, Sakura trekked back to the Academy building and collapsed in her chair. Today was not a good day. "Sakura."
Said girl groaned and lifted her head off the desk. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and said "Don't forget Aniki is coming to pick us up for our spar later on." Sakura let her head hit the desk painfully.
Today was definitely not a good day.
Itachi couldn't help his irritation as Sasuke attempted to hit Sakura. Key word: attempted. The girl would only nimbly dodged his otouto and then smack him in the back of the head. Could he at least touch her? Sasuke growled as he rose up and spat out another mouthful of dirt. He pulled out a kunai and glared when she looked at him with amusement.
"Lets up the stakes Sasu-chan." She cooed, unknowingly increasing Itachi's irritation at the familiar name, "Loser gets tortured by the winner for a half hour." Sasuke nodded in agreement. Sakura decided to take offense and charged at him, trying to give him a fighting chance. Sasuke smirked and threw several shuriken in a wide arc. Sakura scowled, they had agreed that there wouldn't be any weapons!
She leaned back and skidded underneath the ninja stars and leapt over Sasuke's head. Her knee connected to his skull and he flew forward. Sakura turned around and threw several of her own shuriken before a triumphant smile settled on her face.
Sasuke was pinned to the tree, his clothes being held by the shuriken. Itachi inwardly closed his eyes and sighed. Sasuke had a lot to learn. He tensed slightly and asked coldly, "What do you want?"
"Easy Itachi. Cant I visit a comrade without being suspicious?" A sinister voice hissed. "Anything you do is suspicious Orochimaru." Itachi said coldly. The golden eyed snake chuckled and glanced at Sasuke who was still pinned to the tree.
"Your brother is turning out quite nicely, although that girl he fought was strange." He commented. Itachi glared at him and Orochimaru held up his hands in a placating manner. "I know when I'm not wanted. Tell your father I said hello." He smirked before disappearing into the shadows.
Itachi turned back and noted that Sakura was gone. "She went to get her torture devices?" Itachi asked. "Correct Uchiha-san." Sakura smirked. Itachi looked at her and his eyes widened. Behind the pink haired girl were several other girls, including a loud blond one, who all were squealing.
"Alright girls. Sasuke-kun is yours for a half hour. But his pants stay on." Sakura ordered before moving out the way of the stampede. All Sasuke could do was whimper.
"You are the epitome of evil." Itachi said as Sakura picked up her discarded shuriken. "I try Uchiha-san." She smiled. As soon as she let Sasuke down, he ran back to the Uchiha compound to change his ripped clothes and get the makeup and lip gloss marks off his face before anyone could see him.
Sakura glanced up at the sky when thunder rumbled and she pouted in annoyance when rain began to pelt them both. Itachi however, couldn't get over the fact that she was more familiar with Sasuke than with him. He wasn't that scary, was he?
"We should get going!" Sakura shouted over her shoulder but a warm hand stopped her. She turned around and couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks at the Uchiha heir's proximity. Wait! Only tanuki-kun could make her blush!
But she couldn't help it, especially when those dark eyes were so focused on her she thought he could see into her soul. Plus it didn't help when his hand brushed her cheek to push a sopping piece of wet hair behind her ear.
Itachi couldn't help the small smirk he had. With those large expressive eyes peering at him innocently, her pink hair plastered to her head and a cute blush adorning her face, Sakura was too endearing.
"I would prefer if you called me Itachi, Sakura-chan." He said, his warm breath hitting her. Sakura could only nod at him, too tongue tied to even try to speak. Itachi pulled her closer and Sakura inwardly gulped. She could feel all his muscles in his stomach and his arms and she knew if Inner Sakura was still in her head, she'd have died from lack of oxygen.
"Are you ready Sakura-chan?" He asked, his chest vibrating. "H-Hai Itachi-kun." She stuttered. He smirked and they disappeared into a flock of ravens.
Hmmm. Today was definitely a good day.
I'd like to formally apologized to each and every one of my readers and reviewers. I'm cant express how bad I felt that I could not review. My mother decided that since my attention was focused on my writing, she'd take away my laptop, ban me from the computer and send me off to a summer camp where no electronics were allowed. I will try my best to update faster and hopefully my computer will not be confiscated. But I'd like to thank every one of my reviewers from the bottom of my heart for staying with me.
As you can see, a lil bit of fluff between ItachixSakura. But it will not end up as an ItachixSakura fic. If you want an ItachixSakura fic please check out my big sister's fic Shisaku. And I may take a break and do an inuyasha and naruto crossover fic so if that happens it may be an ItachixKagome fic or a GaaraxKagome fic. So review and let me now what you think.