Itachi was very mad. He had rarely really felt intense amounts of anger in his life but here he was, chucking away at a stupid block of wood when he desperately wished it to be his father's retched face. He loved his father, he did, but at times all he wanted to do was leave the Uchiha clan behind. He knew his duty, his father did not have to remind him of it all the time; he did not have to demand better from him. He was already the top ranking ninja in his division, and one of the youngest at that. His speed could rival that of many jounin, but his father could not see the skill. All he could see was something that could be improved upon.
Suddenly, something caught the young boy's attention. It was the very distinct noise of someone's feet. He knew the shuffling sound, the familiar weight distribution of someone dancing on the balls of their feet before they struck their prey from behind.
Yes, he knew it well. It was heavier than his own footsteps, and there was more than one individual surrounding the area. Briefly he wondered who the man had sent but knew it would not matter, he still was not good enough to hold his own.
Itachi positioned his kunai at his hip, ready to throw if necessary. His time as a ninja had taught him to always be ready for an attack, even if you were alone on a street with no one but your best friend as company. Everyone was a potential enemy, there wasn't one person out there who could not be swayed by one thing or another. He had been on one to many missions where parents had betrayed children, siblings killing for money and under the worst of situations comrades would stab each other in the back in plain daylight.
"Itachi Uchiha, heir to the Uchiha clan?" boomed a voice throughout the forest walls. Itachi straightened his back, in an attempt to act surprised. He stopped his meticulous cutting and spent more effort in an attempt to locate the voice. It was bouncing off the trees which made it hard to pinpoint, but he could surmise that it was coming from the Northeast. Of course, that did him little good in this situation. He was more concerned about the four individual pairs of feet still jumping from tree to tree.
"I am Itachi," he spoke after pinpointing exactly where the voice was coming from. It was familiar, the voice. He knew in his bones that the man speaking had met him before. Perhaps at a clan meeting? Fugaku always did insist that Itachi attend those long meetings despite the young heir's youth.
Finally the man stepped forward and out from the bushes. Predictably enough he came from the Northeast direction, his cover being an overgrown tree. When the light from the moon hit his face Itachi immediately recognized the man. He was one of the leading officers in charge of the Uchiha Police. If memory served, the brute was well into his father's debt and servitude.
The man in black caught young Itachi's eyes, sharingon spinning, "Your father feels that you need some re-education on what it means to be not only an Uchiha, but an Uchiha clan leader. One must be strong, resilient and above all they must put aside their personal feelings to do what is best for the clan. Your father sends his regret, but he feels this must be a lesson you are reminded of."
It happened before he ever could have combated it. The four shinobi, all from the Uchiha police force, were on him in one giant attack. Even if he had been prepared there would not have been anything he could have done. They were Anbu, they were stronger, they were ready. He felt the beatings come at him, the punches, the kicks, the chakra. Itachi tried to block the blows but they were coming at him from a speed his sharingon could barely register. It was one thing to be able to follow an attack, it was an entirely new ability to be able to dodge it. Itachi was quickly thrown threw another tree, its bark breaking painfully against his back. He tried to flip to the side after landing on the ground but his leg was yanked out from underneath him. In an instant he was punched in the gut, the wind being completely knocked out of him.
"This is a lesson you must learn young master," spoke the familiar voice.
Itachi felt his anger grow at the smugness in the older man's voice but could do nothing to stop the attacks. He tried to look the men beating him in the eye but each time he turned his head it would snap to the side from the brute force of the blows. His eyes were already swelling shut and he could taste the blood pooling in his mouth. It was too much, he could not take this anymore. He couldn't struggle without wasting what little energy he had left, the energy that was keeping him breathing. With more regret than Itachi could ever put into words, he felt his resolve lesson. He could feel his mind and body giving up the fight.
"Grown men beating a child, why am I not surprised?" stated an entirely new voice.
Itachi tried to turn his head but it was being pushed into the disgusting dirt that was now coating with spit and blood. Only the brown of the twigs and ground was visible to him at the moment but he desperately wished he knew who was standing up for him. At the same time, Itachi wanted to tell them to run. These were not ordinary ninja, they were Anbu. They were handpicked by his father to carry out this task. One man would never be able to take them.
"Leave Hatake, this has nothing to do with you. This is clan business," boomed the hateful voice of the police.
Something in Itachi clicked as he heard the name. Hatake? As in Kakashi Hatake? He had heard of the man, but never met him. He was supposed to be a genius, someone on par with him. According to the rumors he was better than most Uchiha's with his mysteriously placed sharingon. He didn't know how the man had acquired it, since Uchiha blood wasn't present in the man. It was something his father, or anyone else, refused to talk about.
"If I gave a shit about your clan, I wouldn't be here," said the now harsh voice he identified as Kakashi Hatake.
Before Itachi could register what was happening the painful pressure being placed on his upper arm and neck was gone. He turned slightly in an attempt to cough up as much blood as possible, releasing the taste from his mouth and lungs. He was no medic but he knew blood in your lungs was an incredibly bad thing. He heard a loud snap, one that reminded him of the familiar noise of bone breaking, then Itachi remembered the situation.
By the time he turned around there was a tall figure in black standing directly in front of him. With an internal cringe Itachi craned his neck upwards, his head now perpendicular with his back. He was met with sharingon, blood and silver hair. Itachi's first instinct was to glare at the intruder, this was Uchiha property after all, and his second instinct was to stand face to face with this strange man. He of course never would, with Hatake being a good foot and a half taller than him, but that was irrelevant.
"How did you do that?" asked Itachi while trying to ignore the blood that was once again rising in his throat. He was really going to have to do something about his cut up mouth.
Kakashi leaned down, bending at the knee in his usual position, while assessing the boy in front of him. When he was eye level, because he sensed Itachi's resistance, Kakashi looked over his shoulder at the four men scattered around the forest floor. With a glint in his eye the man turned back towards the battered and bruised individual, "Experience."
"They were fast," tried Itachi.
Kakashi reached forwards and grabbed Itachi's chin. He pulled it forward with a hard thrust and inspected the damage. He had blood leaking out of the right side of his mouth, one of his eyes was already swelled shut and the boy was favoring his left side. Fugaku really did a number on his son. After a few second he turned back towards Itachi and pulled away, "I am faster. Come on, I have medical supplies in my apartment."
Itachi pulled away, not sure what exactly was happening.
Kakashi, with patience he never knew he had, pushed himself from the ground and stood on his own two feet, "Listen kid, you can come with me or go home. I would suggest not going home unless you want to deal with the man that ordered your current condition."
Itachi turned his body to face the house where he knew the man called Fukagu was waiting. He had been privy to more than one lesson like this, his father always felt that people learned best through experience, but this was the first time anyone had came to help. Even when it was in the middle of the Uchiha grounds and others could obviously hear the commotion no one had ever stepped out to stop it. No one had ever saved him.
Itachi looked back towards Kakashi Hatake, the man who had taken down his father's hand picked 'teachers' in less than a couple of minutes. "You knew they were coming?"
Kakashi turned towards his apartment that was a good way away from where they were, but managed a quick look over his shoulder, "Your father is a predictable man, even after so many years of not seeing him. You defied him in a public setting, it was only a matter of time before he taught you not to do it again."
Itachi pushed himself onto his feet, limping only slightly, "Why did you come?"
Kakashi turned back towards his original destination. He could tell the Uchiha that no one deserved to be treated like that. He could have said that the great Copy Cat Ninja had requested the week off after hearing about Itachi's defiance in the Uchiha meetings, he even could have told him that Pakkuun had been following the Uchiha heir for the last three days, of course, that wouldn't be his style. So, with a smirk Kakashi answered his question, "I was in the area."
Tenten was right in assuming that the Leaf village was about to be destroyed from the inside out. Sakura had just given the ultimate excuse to every person in the village to declare their best friend a mortal enemy. The prize at the end of the game was more than worth it and she held no doubt in her mind that people would do anything to end up on the top.
"The town is in an uproar and I have never before seen such hatred," sighed Tsunade as she pulled out her favorite brand of sake. Of course Tsunade had assembled her most trustworthy of staff in order to help deal with the chaos. Currently standing there was her favorite student, Sakura Haruno, along with Ino, Hinata, Tenten, Shizune, Anko and Kurenia. They were Tsunade's lead members who she would trust her life with, unfortunately the woman had no idea that one of her members was the cause of her misery.
Tsunade, not wanting to beat around the bush, pulled out a crumpled piece of paper with immaculate handwriting. Hinata, who was not at the scene of the crimes but had been more than privy to the handwriting, automatically felt herself gulp as she recognized the font. In fact, she had seen the very same thing not a few days ago taped onto Sakura's refrigerator door. What had Sakura done now?
Tsunade slowly un-crumpled the piece of parchment until the creases were semi-straight. When it was legible she read it to the group, "Prove yourself to me and you will be mine, until death do us part."
The addresses at the end of the page were undoubtedly his regular stops to spend time at.
No name was necessary, every woman in the village had already determined who it belonged to. Or at least, who it should have belonged to. Tenten had to keep herself from biting her lip as Tsunade scanned the room. It was a marriage proposal in the making and Itachi was at the center.
"Everyone is now vying for the position of Itachi's wife. Before the title has only been available to the higher ups, and usually stays within the Uchiha line as it did with Mikoto and most of the women before her. This generation seems to be different and now everyone is fair game. People are willing to do anything for the title of the Uchiha Matriarch. It is one of the most influential positions a woman in near any village can hold. As many of you know it is as powerful as the name Hokage and would give anyone with it immense authority. I am suspecting a vast amount of problems from Itachi's new found arrogance," Tsunade all but scowled while saying this.
Tenten, while not a snitch was having a very hard time keeping this in. She had been there when Sakura had unleashed the handful of innocent scraps of paper. In fact, Tenten would be considered an accomplice at best. But instead of snitching, she really just wanted Sakura to come clean. At the same time, who knew what Tsunade's reaction would be? Perhaps it would be safer to let Itachi take on all the hatred in the room.
"We are having to put around the clock guards at the Uchiha estate due to the amount of solicitors they have been receiving, not just from our village but other's as well. Apparently a few of these papers managed to reach our borders in a manner of hours so we are also increasing our home security. I need our best to keep an eye out for fanatics. The shinobi already have guards stationed but we are the best at catching what happens under the radar, despite what the buffoon men of this village say. They will undoubtedly let the better ones slip through. I need you to be on the lookout for them," she said angrily while taking a sip of her drink.
The shinobi of the village had already turned her offer for help down, the men thinking that they had things covered. Tsunade paid it little to no attention. Itachi Uchiha was the catch of the century and no woman within her right mind was going to let him get away willingly. Furthermore, no father was going to stand by as the financial opportunity of a lifetime was walking past them.
Sakura, who had been silent since the meeting had been called, drew in a quick breath of air in order to grab everyone's attention, "I am going to have to turn this mission down."
Needless to say, only a few people in the room were surprised. Most sitting there already knew Sakura's relationship with Itachi and while they didn't expect her to turn it down, they were anticipating for the pinket to slack off as much as possible. Tenten on the other hand was sweating kunai in her seat. While she wanted Sakura to confess, she did not want to be there when the moment happened. She, like the others, liked her Anbu status where it was and did not feel the immediate need to be demoted.
Tsunade blinked a few times, obviously not comprehending the situation, or the fact that her student had flat out said no to her, and tried to process what she had just heard, "Is there a reason that you feel you have the authority to obey a direct order?"
Sakura, who was sitting in the middle and directly across from her former mentor, didn't even fidget in her chair while replying. Instead the woman remained as calm as humanly possible, as if explaining to a three year old that candy is sweet. "Itachi has instigated this and if it was not him it was someone looking for pandemonium. Given this I think we should concentrate on our outward defenses rather than regulating a marriage contract. Who knows what outsiders may try and take advantage of this in hopes of infiltrating our village."
Tenten had successfully died in her seat right there. Anko and Tsunade seemed incapable of speech as they each tried to explain Sakura's statement in their head. Ino on the other hand, had a very different response.
"So that is kinda true, Sound would love the opportunity to sneak in here especially with Sakura having taken out one of their bases a bit ago," she said somewhat reluctantly. It was never wise to disagree with Tsunade but the argument was true. What's more the Toad Sage had denied their offer for help managing the responses from applicants. Their were better things to divert their energy too. Perhaps it would cause new openings in the missions they could take what with the usual men being occupied. Sakura could only hope that the blonde was capable of keeping at least one secret. Of course, the prospect of being on the inside of the feud between Sakura and Itachi might just be enough to keep her mouth shut.
Tsunade, who had been stressing about this entire situation moments before, looked down at the sheet in front of her. It was odd that Sakura's team was so calm about this. It reminded her of when they were planning something but Tsuande was not included to keep her from having to lie to the Hokage if questioned. She then remembered something from when Sakura was young. It was an odd memory to be paired with the current events but it still played repeatedly throughout her mind. It was the day when Sakura perfected the skill of forging signatures which was quickly followed by handwriting. They had been in Water country at the time, Sakura was perhaps nine years old. Tsunade had refused to pay for an inn, despite the weather. So, little pink haired Sakura had woken up in the middle of the night and bought a room, on Tsunade's credit of course.
She did not say anything though as the inclination of who truly wrote this seemed to become a full fledged feeling. Tsunade had known of Itachi and Sakura's dealings in the past but not through Sakura herself. She had never mentioned to Sakura that she knew because it had never been an issue. Even as a small child Sakura had been independent and Tsunade had happily fed that to suit her own needs.
She decided to break her tradition if only slightly, "This wouldn't have anything to do with Itachi Uchiha and a certain dislike you have for him would it?"
To her credit Sakura did not flinch at the comment or ask how her mentor knew of their animosity. Perhaps Shizune had told her after the hearing of Itachi's role in that day. Instead Sakura shrugged, "You always taught me that we cannot help everyone, especially if they do not want it. Personal feelings aside I think we have other things to concentrate on, but if you really want me to I will follow protocol and provide protection."
Tsunade, who was busy determining what to do about the situation, quickly decided on the proper course of action. "You know," she said while once again reaching under the table. Instead of pulling out another bottle of sake she held in her hand a few old and worn glasses that yes, needed a good dusting but were in relatively good condition. After that she pulled a dishrag out and handed it to Shizune who was already attempting to clean the glasses with her shirt. Once one of the glasses was clean the leader of the female shinobi of the village began pouring her friends a glass of her favorite drink. "Jiraya made it perfectly clear that he has everything under control and Mikoto knows how to get a hold of me if things go too far. I am thinking that my girls are already overworked and we really cannot spare anyone to do missions they aren't even going to get paid for."
Sakura's same witch like smile appeared and she knew that nothing would ever top this moment of triumph. In fact, she could single handedly take down all of Sound and she doubted the feeling would compare. Once everyone had a glass in their hand Tsunade looked at her fellow ninja and smiled, "I think we should do this more often."
He spent little to no time at home, that being the first place people would suspect him being at. Itachi was all but moved out by the end of the week. His week had been pure madness, a stream of utter chaos with no visible end in sight. There was only one person to blame for his misery, only one human being capable of this level of mischief.
"Got to say, you put something pretty nice together rather quickly," laughed Yamato as he scanned the newly designed living room. It was a classic combination of darker woods with black and red designs throughout the area. The rest of the house was designed similarly in the typical Uchiha fashion. Just because he was no longer residing within his own home did not mean he could not enjoy similar comforts provided to him through his family heritage.
Suichi, who was more than happy to laugh at his friends predicament, easily slid onto the comfortable couch and placed his hands behind his head, "The realtor who sold it to you have any daughters?"
Something heavy and dangerous all but killed said cousin as a leftover box was thrown onto his stomach. It carried a good portion of Itachi's weaponry and must have weighed over a hundred pounds easily. "I assure you, there are no females in his direct line. No daughters, no sisters, no nieces and no cousins that he is close to. The bonus I gave him should be enough to keep quiet."
Yamato, who was apparently the only adult one in the room at the moment, couldn't help but feel sorry for his friend. The last week had been nothing but a hassle. Itachi had been terrorized by the once believed fairer sex. It was somewhat of a pity they could not leave on a mission to get away from it all. Unfortunately both him and Itachi had taken on a group of academy students and were obligated to see things through. Luckily both were given a brief reprieve in about a week, due to a previously scheduled mission and would get a small break.
"How many years have I been telling you to leave her alone?" Suichi all but happily whistled while pushing the box off of him. They all ignored the familiar thunking noise, followed by metal hitting metal, as it crashed to the ground.
Yamato was hearing none of it, "I still don't understand why a feud that happened years ago is still relevant now. According to my info she was what, seven or eight the last time you saw her?"
"She has become smarter…and more defiant. She was never this much trouble as a child," argued Itachi while walking over to his kitchen. The apartment that he was renting was in Itachi's opinion fairly small, but more than adequate for one person to live in. His living room area was connected to his dinning room, the only division between them was the hardwood floor that his table rested on. Next to that was a fairly large kitchen, which was ordered to be fully stalked the day before he officially moved in. The layout was open, how he liked it.
Yamato, who had yet to meet this Sakura woman, honestly couldn't believe his ears. How was a normal little girl supposed to stand up to the great Itachi Uchiha? The man he called captain was beyond any fathomable level good, his mind worked in ways no one understood. And he was going at it with some girl like anyone else would talk about a genin ninja spar?
"So what is your next move Itachi? I have never known you to let Sakura get away with anything." Suichi was provoking him and everyone in the room knew it. Yamato, for his part, was baffled at Suichi's instigation. While normally up for a joke or really any form of teasing the man was rather protective of the female population. Something about flowers needing to properly bloom.
Yamato voiced this very concern and Suichi just laughed, "This is no ordinary woman and she is more than capable of handling her own. I have seen her best Itachi enough times to recognize how amusing it is."
Itachi did not dignify that with an immediate response but instead continued to glare at his soon to be removed family member, "If memory serves dear cousin she has lost as many as she had gained, do not give her undue credit."
The man kicked off his shoes and all but sprawled himself across the couch. With a laxidazical attitude, one similar to the aloofness of Kakashi but the playfulness of Naruto, Suichi laughed, "Man, she beat you, you! I don't even care if it is once, it still happened. Of course I would expect nothing less from the daughter of Kakashi. She got his brains for sure, it's no wonder you two are always at it. It was like watching two wolves decide if they wanted to kill each other or start their own little pack. I remember when you were young and man I thought you were moments away from declaring her your future bride half the time."
Yamato stalled in his thinking, "Kakashi's daughter? That is who the feud is with?...I understand now, she is a force to be weary of."
Itachi was quickly getting to the point of violence. Under the strict rules of his own home he was silent and obeyed orders but he was not there. He was not under the stifling roof of his father but now in a property that was his. He was allowed to do what he pleased. "I assure you cousin; she was closer to death than carrying the Uchiha name least of all through me."
Suichi rolled over on his stomach in the same playful manner, "Whatever you think is true Itachi. I can say that your playfulness with her is odd. I've worked with enough kids to know when a little boy doesn't know what to do with those nasty feelings in the pit of his stomach. And for you, the genius that you were back then it must have been worse. I mean, actually finding someone who could keep up and then trying to intellectualize it? Must have been hell."
Itachi had heard enough. In answer to his idiotic cousin's rant he threw down a file for their next mission they were set to head out in a week for. "That is enough of your idle talk, it is time to prepare."
Suichi groaned, "But this was so much more fun. Hey, have you considered Sakura for this marriage proposal thing. Has she, what was the wording? Proven herself to you?"
Yamato laughed as well, "I think by this little antic of hers she certainly has. I must meet her though, and not go off of the town's multitude of rumors and approve of her myself if she is truly going to be your wife."
Itachi, for his part could not fathom why he had surrounded himself with such buffoons. Was this what Sakura felt every day? Her life with his younger brother and Naruto could not be easy, though possibly more entertaining due to the blonde's nature. Despite his father's view on the demon container Itachi was rather amused every time he was around. There was something to be appreciated by a person who could rile his father up to that extent. Deciding to completely sidestep his comrade's statements about the insufferable girl Itachi stuck to what he knew best, missions. "The mission is a four man job, we will require a fourth since we are lacking in numbers."
Yamato, while not normally one to instigate things to an unmanageable degree, almost never saw his captain flustered. He wasn't about to pass this opportunity up, "Perhaps a medic would be a good idea. I have noticed our injuries are getting substantially worse."
Itachi, glad that someone was paying attention to the file in front of them, nodded in agreement, "I have put in many requests but few medics are willing. It is hard enough to find one that can keep up with an Anbu team, let alone ours. They almost always end up being Jounin level in either medic skills or ninja, never both."
Yamato nodded, glad to see his leader was intent to leave the discussion about Sakura and therefore blindly walking into his trap, "I agree, it doesn't help that we have to do requests and then they have to agree. No one ever takes up the mission by the time we need it. If only we had an in within the medical field, or even the female ninja population. It is a shame that we don't know anyone."
Suichi quickly caught on and couldn't help the smirk of a Cheshire cat spreading across his face. The captain before him already had his nose buried in the folder, "I agree, Yamato is right. We need a highly skilled medic one who is strong and smart."
"Please inform me if you find someone to fit the spot, I have been looking," replied Itachi while flipping the page.
Yamato chuckled while Suichi took over. He swiveled in his seat, his feet now planted on the ground, "Smart, strong capable…that would be quite the woman. She would have to have her own mind in order to stand up to you."
Itachi looked up questioningly as the first comment to pull him from his musings gathered his fully attention, "I would be captain on this mission, insubordination would get us all killed. Why would you suggest such a thing?"
Casually he flicked his shoulder length hair out of his eyes, "When you are injured you stop for no one, despite the need for rest. I personally want someone who will tell you to stay alive rather than complete a mission. Besides I wasn't talking about insubordination, just standing up to you when you are being stubborn. What is the point in a medic if they don't do their job and heal you like they are supposed to?"
"I agree," spoke Yamato, "there have been too many close calls lately and as our permanent leading officer it is harder for us to tell you to stop. It would be nice to have someone with the knowledge and authority to make you listen during those crucial moments."
Itachi, despite the argument on the tip of his tongue knew that they were right. He did have a tendency to put the mission before his own safety. It was partially because they did not have the resources to be healed when they needed it, due to the lack of a team medic, and partially because he really was that stubborn. Perhaps it would be beneficial to his team to have someone with the ability to tell him no. Of course, that was easier said than done. "Perhaps if you find someone adequate we can discuss this further."
His head was once again buried in the folder. He had already read it through twice but now he needed to discuss the tactical invasion with his team. He had mentally assigned roles but it was best to review everything before the actual mission. Besides, it took his mind off of Sakura.
Itachi missed the glance between Yamato and Suichi. Suichi, who was taking this as his cue to become overly involved in the situation smiled happily, "So if I find a strong, smart, capable woman with the ability to heal you while knowing what she is talking about I can put in my own request?"
Itachi briefly wondered why this suddenly felt like one of his mother's many attempts at matchmaking. In fact, the same gut quenching feeling permeated his stomach much like it did when he met that infernal Uchiha woman who liked to clean her house. "If she meets the requirements and you can actually get one of them to agree then yes, you have my permission."
Suichi leaned back on the very comfortable couch a mask of the perfect subordinate gracing his features, "Good to know."
Sakura was walking out of a particularly nasty surgery, the poor genin had been stabbed through the upper left side of his heart with a poisoned needle. It was a miracle he had survived the trip back here, and even greater feat that he had survived the surgery. By the time he had made his way to her operating room the boy had the poison taking over his body, the blood corrupting substance already being absorbed throughout most of his organs, not to mention the extensive damage done to his already injured heart. With the jutsu she used he would hopefully make a full recovery, then again, shinobi were legendary for leaving the hospital early and causing themselves even worse injuries by doing so.
"Sakura!" yelled the all familiar voice of Shizune.
Sakura turned just in time, the bloody gloves being peeled off her fingers as she threw them in the trash, for Shizune to stop in front of her. With one look Sakura could feel the scowl already forming on her face, "Are those the weekly mission requests? I thought those weren't due for answering until tomorrow?"
Shizune smirked, "Special request just for you. Of course, its been mandated by the 3rd so if you can't do it I need to reassign, just let me know by tonight."
This caught Sakura's attention. It wasn't anything new for her to get a medic request on the field, but the special part was more than intriguing. That meant it was an Anbu mission which was always bound to be interesting. While she had no intention of taking the mission the reports were always fun to read. "They asked for me? Not Cat?"
"Sure thing, he was a looker to. Of course the mask was on and everything but one can tell. Seemed rather playful to be Anbu though, couldn't stop smirking. I could just feel it in the air as he handed it to me. Either way, it's for you so no one else can open it. If you do not take it you will need to re-seal it and hand it to me directly," she said while handing over the sealed folder to her friend.
Sakura took it without much hesitation. She had a break coming up and needed to eat some form of lunch before her next scheduled surgery. One boy was already being prepped for a possible lung transplant in an hour. He had taken a fireball in the face and it burned away a good portion of his bronchioles. If she couldn't re-grow them then it would be a long night. She looked at the clock then back at the file, she had half an hour. "Alright, I'll read it."
Shizune was already sprinting away. With a small lag in her step, she had been up since four this morning preparing for all of her surgeries today, Sakura walked towards her office. When she stepped in and flicked on the light Sakura couldn't help but giggle at the sight. On her desk sat quite honestly, a bunch of weeds. They were beautiful though. Sitting in a makeshift vase was a handful of what looked to be daisies, sunflowers and a purple flower that she couldn't name. Maybe a type of wisteria? Either way she knew exactly who they came from.
Placing the file down on the desk Sakura quickly reached over at the horrible arranged batch of flowers. She knew were these grew. There was a patch of daisies next to the Memorial Stone and she had a sneaking suspicion that a handful of them would be missing. Then, if you were to head in the direction of her mother's gravestone on the other side of the fence was a very large field of sunflowers. Finally, just outside the hospital there were the same purple flowers currently growing on a newly planted tree.
Needless to say she could pinpoint exactly what her father had done for the day.
Carefully she lifted the container up only to see the scratched off label of what appeared to be a sake bottle, Kakashi's favorite kind. "Definitely Daddy," she giggled.
With a satisfied huff Sakura sat down in her chair to once again glance at the flowers. Growing up without any love in her life had always been hard. She felt beyond lonely most of the time, like the world could have cared less about little old her in those tiny pink pigtails. Of course, it was moments like this where she could care less about the world. All she wanted was that undeniable feeling of being thought about to never leave.
It was with a large smile on her face that Sakura finally opened the file. With a small glance she immediately saw the need for a medic. Whomever the captain was he was smart to request one. To begin with, a mission like this required an extremely capable three man team at the very least. There were almost no three man units she would trust this to and the only logical option was to request a fourth. As she read through the case file Sakura couldn't help but appreciate all that would come about this mission. If they succeeded the military information gained from the Sound Village could be extremely valuable.
Somewhat regrettably Sakura put the file down. There was no way she was taking it of course. The mission was assigned for next week, the same week the majority of Mikoto's tests were scheduled. Sakura had managed to clear the wing for the machine malfunction unit, only emergency cases permitted. Her, Mikoto and Shizune would be performing every test under the sun on the Matriarch while they could.
Finally, when she got to the bottom of the page Sakura couldn't help the gasp. This was team Tsuyo? Despite her skills Sakura felt herself gulp. They were legendary in Konoha for being the best team around. A few of her medics had tried a hand at their team and were miserably shut down. Their captain was said to be ruthless and worked his members to the extreme. At the same time their team had the best rankings. It wasn't every day when an entire team of operatives was put in the bingo book let alone in their Anbu aliases.
"Wow, sucks for whoever takes this one," she laughed while once again smelling her flowers. It never crossed her mind to ask why they had requested her specifically and not Cat.
Mikoto couldn't believe how her week had gone. It had started off so strangely, what with her son making such a public display of change. A very large part of her suspected it had not been him but she was not about to look a gift in the mouth without proper thanks. While the act itself could have been done a different way, one where he came to her to discuss his future intentions she was more than excited to see him forced to face the prospect of settling down. Of course, she would have preferred him to simply tape it to Sakura's door and not release it to the entire population but one step at a time was all she could figure. At least he was now open to the idea of settling down.
When Mikoto had started setting up marriage interviews her thoughts were confirmed when the boy literally just left. Literally, he had left the house. She was not one to be swayed though and her determination would outmatch his stubbornness. When she visited his new home Suichi informed her that he was indeed hiding. Mikoto was aware that her eldest son was not as social adept as others and she blamed this primarily on his intelligence. Due to his prodigy status he was not socialized like others and never learned how to at least seem more socially competent.
To think, her boy was for all intensive purposes hiding from the fairer sex. Of course, at this point in time Mikoto wasn't entirely sure that fairer was the correct term. She had been privy to some pretty outrageous acts since the announcement. One girl, a jounin of all things, was found hiding in Itachi's closet with nothing but what she would forever tell herself was a lace swimsuit. Needless to say Mikoto was a little more than hesitant to fold anymore of Itachi's clothing. Of course, his wardrobe was exceedingly sparse as of a few weeks ago. She hadn't the slightest clue where the majority of his attire went but she could only hope towards a good cause.
She smiled briefly when thinking of it as Sasuke had come home not a few days ago stating that Sakura was crazy and wearing clan colors. Perhaps she did know where Itachi's clothing had went. Speaking of Sakura she needed to get a hold of the girl. The coughing was getting worse, and while Itachi's moving out was a somewhat low blow Mikoto was glad that the most observant person in the household was no longer there. Last night she had spent half an hour standing over a sink of dirty dishes coughing without the ability to stop. The blood had once again appeared, this time in larger amounts than before. She knew the tests were next week and the idea of answers were the one thing keeping her going.
"Mother?" came the soothing and familiar voice from behind her.
With a smile she gracefully turned around, because doing things gracefully was the only way she knew how, and gave her missing son a long overdue hug. "My little boy is missing me?"
Itachi smirked at her tone. She was playful today which was a relief. The last few weeks he had noticed a steady decline in her character. She was tired often, she had that awful cough and smiled a lot less. He had also noticed a decrease in her food intake. She was more picky about her food now, opting for soups and rice most of the time. Obviously he had asked the family doctor about any recent visits, only to find out that she hadn't had any. Hadn't she said that the doctor told her honey helped with a cough? This of course led to one explanation.
His mother was sick and didn't want anyone to know.
She was seeing another doctor for her help and was refusing to tell anyone. The question was, what to do with this information. He had no idea the extent of her sickness, it could honestly be a bad case of a cold. It didn't seem to warrant any further investigation, since his mother would never admit to prinking her finger let along having a cold. Still, no one was more protective over her than he was. Perhaps this would be a good assignment for his academy team while he was away.
"Will you be staying for dinner? I can make some sweet rolls, I know they are your favorite."
Itachi let his mother continue to talk as he watched her walk about the room. He knew her moods and she was visibly trying to perk herself up for him. There was too much pep and not enough eye contact. His mother always made eye contact. "I am afraid that I cannot tonight, I have a meeting I must attend."
In his mind Itachi was re-calculating exactly how his night was going to go. Originally he had come for dinner, not really liking to repeatedly eat the two meals he was capable of making again. Unfortunately he couldn't order out, or even go out, without the possibility of being found by one of his many desperate brides to be. Of course, as he watched Mikoto new ideas were forming. As far as he knew Mikoto didn't know any other capable doctors to turn to but Sasuke did. He remembered how adamantly she had listened to Sasuke and his father talk about Sakura and he had a suspicion that there was more to it. Had she gone to the pink haired woman bent on ruining him? It would be just like his mother to enlist her as a doctor in order to ensure Itachi spent time with her. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Mikoto favored the woman as a future daughter in law. Was it all staged?
"You should invite them over then, I would much prefer the company," smiled Mikoto while picking up the sugar bowl.
"I would but she does not know I plan on stopping by," with a swift kiss to his mother's temple Itachi walked out the door. He distinctly heard a muffled cough and prayed that it was all a plot. He would rather be pushed into a match with a devil than anything being wrong with his mother.
He casually slipped from roof to roof without the slightest difficulty. The streets of Leaf were well known to him from any position, land or sky. While he was usually more prone to avoiding the hospital, for it rarely came with good news, tonight was an exception. He had stalked the pretty pink haired medic more than a few nights in order to determine her routine. He knew when she left and when she ate by the end of the two weeks after seeing her. The first week, with the trial had been a teaser. He wanted to see how she fared as well as prevent that needless land dispute from progressing further. Needless to say she was everything he remembered.
At the end of that second week he had her schedule down, which is why his father's analysis of her life hadn't had too many surprises. Itachi was more than aware how quickly everything in her world seemed to change at the drop of a hat. One wrong placed weapon and her day was swamped. One bad jutsu and she wouldn't sleep for days. Her world, despite how well Sakura functioned in it, was never easy.
With ease he slipped into the window sill that was outside of her office. The locks were easy enough to disengage and there weren't any jutsu's for protection since she often worked with civilian employees. Silently, and with the ease of the Weasel depicted on his Anbu mask, Itachi slid into the room. His feet touched the floor gracefully as he searched for anything out of the ordinary. The man couldn't lie to himself, she had nearly gotten him with a few of her traps when he broke into her apartment.
It was dark, mainly because it was past dinner time. From her schedule he knew that she was probably getting out of surgery soon and would be heading back. Just in case he expanded his senses in an effort to locate her chakra signature. Like always it was easy to find. He would know that particular swirl of energy anywhere.
Unfortunately she was walking this way, the Hyuga heiress right next to her. He could only assume they were discussing a case, probably one filed in this very room. With a brief flare of his Sharingon Itachi scanned the room. His ability would pick out any file with the name Uchiha on it. If his mother was in here he would know. Unfortunately Sakura was a rather clean individual and did not leave files strewn about like many of his previous doctors. In fact, the majority seemed to be in a jutsu enhanced file cabinet. It didn't take him long to figure out the two minutes he had wouldn't be enough to break it.
Instead he scanned her room for any changes since his last visit. It had been a couple of weeks but there were subtle differences. A coffee mug was placed on a different shelf, there were more requests on her desk for medical assistance then there were last time he broke in. She had placed a new picture on her desk as well. In the dark he couldn't tell who was in it, but he could distinctly make out her pink hair and what looked to be a man. Absentmindedly Itachi traced the arm that hung around the base of her waist. Were they together? He doubted his little brother would allow such a thing of that he was certain, so who was it?
With an act that was extremely out of character for him Itachi picked the picture up and held it closer towards the growing moonlight. Silver caught his eye.
It was just Kakashi.
He placed the picture down to brush his fingers up against the flowers resting on her desk. Despite his continued assessment of the room they had been the first thing to catch his eye. He had never pinned Sakura for a girl that liked flowers, she seemed to apt to like weapons than anything else. Still, he was more than curious who they were from.
With sharigon still activated he scanned them for a card. His eyes glanced in the trash as they tried to place something to match them. He of course found nothing. If there was no card then the only logical explanation was that she knew who they came from. Was she seeing someone behind her teammates backs? Surely he would have heard about it by now during one of Sasuke's sulking moods.
Itachi's senses perked as Sakura's chakra signature neared. In a mood to annoy he picked a flower from the vase. The door creaked open as both medic and volunteer giggled while stepping into the room. "He actually gave you flowers?" said Hinata sweetly.
"I must have been giddy for the next few hours, even the interns said I looked happier today," smiled Sakura while stepping into the room.
Both turned at around the same time, both looking into the room when they felt the unfamiliar chakra. Sakura swore and Hinata bolted right down the hall. "Traitor," mumbled the pink haired doctor.
In an instant the door was shut, lights were on and Sakura had her arms angrily folded over her chest. "Here to kill me? It's rather public."
Itachi did not give into her goading, he had enough from Suichi over the last few days to build a tolerance by now. Instead he scanned her over. She looked slightly worn, there were various blood patches on her scrubs. Her hair was frazzled but still in a low ponytail that was out of her way. Overall, she looked like someone who really didn't want to deal with him.
Perfect.
"Weeds? Really Haruno?" he mocked.
"Shut up you bastard, I don't want nor need to deal with you. I'm still reeling over your father visiting Tenten the other day. Yes Uchiha, my friends and I do talk," in an act of pure defiance Sakura stomped forward and pulled the vase out from his immediate line of sight, "And I like my weeds thank you very much. I'd rather have something that means anything significant than a load of crap like most girls get."
"Tenten was bound to be questioned as she had no clan to prevent it. No harm will become her or her shop, my father's curiosity in you grows the more he learns. I did not instigate that I assure you, that was my mother." After settling that matter Itachi quickly turned to the discussion he wanted as of two minutes ago, "And does my brother know you are getting presents of affection from an unknown admirer?"
Itachi felt his anger escalate but he wasn't sure why. It was a rather difficult feeling to stomach, the quenching feeling in his gut. What was worse was the knowledge that she wasn't even the one doing it, this man was. He knew she wasn't seeing anyone, or at least hadn't been last week. Because of her stupid prank he hadn't had the time to properly torture her and he had no idea what was going on in her life. Was it another doctor? While annoying she was too good for someone of civilian standard. She needed someone to challenge her.
Sakura was more riled by his comment towards the flowers that she was the threat of Tenten. Itachi would never hurt her friends, that she knew despite all of her own negative interaction with him. Despite his relationship with her, he was no longer a little boy and had some semblance of honor. She had actually thrown that out their out of shock. It was not like Itachi to corner someone like this and she was at a slight loss of words at the moment. "I would hardly call Kakashi a suitor Uchiha but if you are that jealous I will be sure to inform him of what you think of his gift," she snapped back, absentmindedly rearranging the flowers to her liking.
Itachi immediately felt his anger dissipate. Kakashi? Kakashi picked flowers? Himself? Nothing in what she said made any sense. Kakashi was well known for being a hardcore bum whenever he got the opportunity. What's more, he had the emotional range of…well, Itachi. Both men were quiet and dedicated to what they did. Attachments tended to get in the way when it came to their personal levels of success. Even so, Itachi was glad that the feeling in the pit of his stomach had gone away. Now he was just furious at himself for being riled in the first place. He swore Sakura was the only woman to leave him so emotionally distraught.
"It is interesting that you bring up family, since that is exactly what I came to speak to you about." It was his personal opinion that if one did not want to discuss a topic it was best to plain avoid it. He did not want to talk about suitors; he had been around enough in the last few days.
"Oh really? And what could you possibly have to say about my family?" spat Sakura as she remembered more than enough childhood interactions that had her wishing for a family every night. Despite Kakashi's aloof ways she never felt more secure or cared for than when with him.
"Not yours brat, mine," he said casually, just barely slipping in the stupid name he called her when they were children.
Sakura, to her own credit, not only kept her cool but also kept her professionalism. Despite how much she loathed Itachi she knew he was good at his job. No one had a better eye than him, not even her who was trained on detail since her time with Tsunade at age seven. She warned Mikoto that he would know, that he was smarter than even he let on. On some level Sakura was thankful to have had to deal with him since she was little, automatic responses that go against what he is looking for were second nature by now, "Is something wrong with Sasuke?"
"No, he is as stubborn as ever. It is my mother I wish to discuss. Despite our past involvement with each other I know that if she were to come and see you, you would treat her accordingly." He said this smoothly, no accusation, no questioning involved. It was a statement to the highest, one he expected her to agree to.
She knew he was fishing in his own little Uchiha way and Sakura concentrated on keeping eye contact. Her eyes, under no circumstance would lean towards the file tucked away in her bottom drawer. She had it stashed in the 'free clinic file' the one no one would touch. The free clinic was a septic tank of waste, most people coming in for STI's or unknown pregnancies. Only civilians came, since ninja's medical aid was paid for by Leaf, and it was a doctor's worst mandatory nightmare. Combine that with the false name and the file was secure…from everyone but him. He was beyond astute when it came to these things.
"I am not at liberty to discuss any patients that I may or may not have. I can say that the Uchiha district has their own doctors and I see very little reason for the Uchiha matriarch to come knocking at my door," Sakura, for her part was conflicted. She knew that if Itachi found out about his mother's undiagnosed illness it would take an immense amount of stress off of her patient. At the same time, she was by law required to keep the confidentiality. Even if it was Itachi, in her opinion someone should know.
"But if she came, she would be in good hands," again he was making his statement.
Sakura knew what he wanted to hear and she was debating within herself to tell him. While under normal circumstances no one would pick up on the meaning Itachi and her had always been different. He would know the moment the words left her mouth. "…I would do everything in my power to help."
Itachi's eyes did not light up in confirmation. He did not twitch in annoyance to the secrecy and he gave no indication that he understood what she had just said. But she knew just by looking at him that he understood. Mikoto Uchiha was a patient of Sakura Haruno.
"And, under these circumstances I can only assume that our family doctors would be pointless. If she ever felt the desire, hypothetically, to come to you it would not be for a simple cold," again, an indication for her to answer appropriately.
"Since your mother has a full time doctor on call, I could only assume that if for some reason she felt the desire to come to me then no, it wouldn't be because of a cold. Again, I cannot fathom why your mother would ever turn to me instead but then again," Sakura paused, wondering if she was beginning to cross a line. She hadn't answered anything directly and no one could fault her for what she was about to say since legally, she was denying any involvement with the client. "Your mother is a proud woman who wouldn't want to burden others or their view of her. The matriarch being sick could temporarily hinder the Uchiha's power. I could only assume she would want it to be a secret to protect her family."
Itachi looked out the window as he processed what Sakura was saying. His mother was indeed sick, far worse than she was letting on. Sakura was treating her but was coming across some road blocks due to his mother's stubbornness and unwillingness to ask for help. With a slow twist back in her direction Itachi nodded at Sakura once, "While I hope your services are not necessary in the future I am glad to know that my mother would be properly cared for if the need should ever arise."
"Yes well," Sakura couldn't help the grin forming across her features, "happiness is the key to health if you ask me. In my professional opinion if you want her to live a long and happy life some grandchildren would be a great start."
His body froze and she knew that she had gotten him. With a twitch of her lips Sakura continued to press forward, "At least that is what most of my elderly patients say. Something about them being their greatest treasures. Keeps them young too. Hey speaking of which, how are the marriage interviews?"
She was dead and she knew it, the question was when the actual act would be taken out. Of course, this was of little to no consequence to her. She had been teasing death for far to long to let one Uchiha stop her. His eyes, although stern were not as assassin like as she assumed they would be. Instead they seemed more predatory than anything, "Yes, mother would be happy with that wouldn't she? And the interviews are going, albeit slowly. I have found a few candidates though."
This caught Sakura off guard. The stupid bastard was messing with her, he would never settle for someone who was throwing themselves at him like any of these women were. In fact, he would never settle for someone that he did not already have his sights set on. Itachi never made rash decisions, ever. What the hell was he planning? "Don't do it, whatever you are planning on doing to get back at me don't do it. Your mother would kill you if you accepted a marriage proposal just to see my face."
Itachi's smirk grew exponentially, "I have no intention of accepting any offers. Your face in that moment was priceless enough to satisfy me. Of course, grandchildren would make her happy. I am sure Sasuke's would do fine. Perhaps it is time I reminded father that I am not the only child he has."
Sakura would have killed him but he was already out the window. With a huff Sakura sank down into her chair. Screw her life and everything in it. She had just involved Sasuke in her and Itachi's war.
Itachi tried to place on a couple bandages himself but found wrapping his ribs to be particularly difficult. When it was clear he could not do the act on his own he rubbed his arms and waited for the man to return with the water. A few moment's later Kakashi stood before him with a small mug and pain pills.
Seeing the boy's struggle Kakashi sighed, "I take it this was not the first time?"
Itachi looked to the side but said nothing. One did not share clan secrets with just anyone.
Seeing the defiance Kakashi placed the drink down and moved to wrap the bandages around his waist. Instead of commenting on the damage Kakashi gave him advocice, "Your father does better when one agreed with him publically then overcome him through more tactful ways. I would ask your mother how she does it as no one can control him better than her."
Itachi looked down at the ground this time, "He get's mad when I spend to much time with her."
To his surprise the man chuckled, "I bet she completely ignores that."
Itachi felt his own smile widen but tampered it down quickly. Before he could comment again a few summoning dogs were suddenly in the parlor and barking happily, "We found her boss!" said an excited voice.
Itachi watched as Kakashi's eyes narrowed in disapproval, "Not now, and you should not be looking for some mythological kid. We have company anyways."
The dog that spoke frowned as well before turning up his nose dismissively, "You are such a fool Kakashi, she was adorable and you will regret this someday."
After that all of the summon's disappeared but two of them, one that was speaking previously and another that was larger than Itachi, went over to the bedroom and he assumed jumped on the bed. He did not ask though as he thought it rude. By the time the man had finished bandaging him up Itachi felt better. He looked around awkwardly though as he tried to determine what his next step was. He understood battle tactic and missions, but this interaction was new.
Almost sensing his discomfort Kakashi threw a pillow and a blanket at him. "You can stay here for the night, take my advice though kid. Decide what person you want to be before you leave, your father will break you to whatever he is aiming for if you aren't ready for it."
Kakashi had walked towards the bedroom door and almost entered by the time Itachi asked what was on his mind, "And what kind of person did you decide to be?"
The serious nature of the question was not lost on either of them. Eventually Kakashi stated, "The kind that thinks men like your father will get everyone killed."
Then he shut the door to the bedroom.
Firevixen73- And the plot thickens! I just love writing this story and thanks so much for being such avid readers. Those reviews really make my day! For those who like Sakura as a main character I do have a one shot involving her. It is a Sakura/Sasuke story though, so slightly different, but if you feel like checking it out it is called Heavenly Maiden. I was thinking of doing a Sakura/Sasuke longer story and wanted to see what everyone thought.