Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction has been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.
The Centerpiece by elle6778 – Chapter 9
Standing by the window of the room they had rented in one of the new inns, Kakashi scanned the street beneath him. There was nothing much to see, for the villagers had retired for the night.
Frowning slightly, Kakashi released the curtain and allowed it to drop, covering the window.
It was odd, but he could not shake the feeling that there was something off about this place. Outwardly, everything seemed to be in order. His earlier survey of the villagers had confirmed that. One thing he noticed was that most of the villagers came from another one nearby, one that had been burnt down by an accidental fire.
If he remembered correctly, Kurenai's team had been assigned to that particular mission. The village had been burnt to a crisp something like few weeks ago. He had not been paying much attention to the details when Kurenai had spoken about it, though. Now he wished that he had.
The sound of footsteps outside the room interrupted his contemplations, and Kakashi turned just as Naruto unlocked the door and stepped in. Following behind him were Sasuke and Sakura.
"Yo," he greeted. "Found anything?"
"Of course," both Naruto and Sakura chorused, while Sasuke muttered a, "Maybe."
"The room is secure, so we can talk freely." Gesturing at Sakura, Kakashi said, "You go first, Sakura."
"Well, I think I might have a lead," she told him.
"Oh? What is it?"
"It is to do with the poison. The owner of the herbal shop recalls selling one of the ingredients to some traveler. He gave me a description, not that it was very useful. But the traveler gave him a jeweled kunai in payment."
"Did you get it?" Sasuke asked.
"He gave it to his sister, and said he will bring it in tomorrow. I thought Kakashi could maybe get Pakkun to capture any scent left from the traveler."
Kakashi nodded. "That's a good idea. Naruto, what's yours?"
Naruto piped up, "Some of the villagers thought they smelled something strange coming from the woods in the eastern side. It could be that those bastards were making the poison."
"They would be gone by now, don't you think?" she asked.
"We have to check the place. They might have left some clues," Kakashi said. "Sasuke, you go with Sakura to get the kunai tomorrow morning. Naruto and I will leave tonight to investigate the woods. We will meet back here tomorrow evening."
"I have to return to one building in the village. There was no one there earlier, so I need to check again," Sasuke said. "There might be something there."
Sakura turned to him. "We can go there first, and then to the shop."
Sasuke nodded.
Kakashi beamed. "Good. It looks like everything is progressing well. We will set out at dawn tomorrow," he announced.
Sakura gave them a small wave as she headed to the door. "I'll see you all in the morning at the entrance, then." Pinning a warning look on him when she reached the door, she added sternly, "And don't be late."
Kakashi smiled widely at her, even though he knew that she could not see past his mask. "I've got these two to wake me up," he said, gesturing to Naruto and Sasuke.
"Of course!" Naruto confirmed immediately, while Sasuke simply grunted.
She rolled her eyes as she opened the door. "Good night, then."
"Sleep well," Kakashi said.
"Good night, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out as the door closed behind her.
Stretching, Kakashi went to the bed and threw himself on it, sighing contentedly. It was a good bed, great after more than twenty-four hours of travelling without sleep. Too bad there was only one double bed, he thought with an inward smirk. Naruto and Sasuke would not know what they were missing.
He was about to close his eyes when a whiskered face came into sight, right above him.
"Hey! How come you get the bed?" Naruto challenged, looking decidedly put out.
"My old bones need it," he replied innocently, propping himself up against the headboard.
A scowling Sasuke joined in. "You said we are equals," he pointed out flatly.
"Did I?" Kakashi asked, scratching the back of his head. Of course he did, but he was not about to say so now. Not when it meant that he might lose this comfortable bed space.
Naruto looked as if he was about to argue, and then he suddenly brightened. "Oh, I just remembered something!"
It was amazing how fast his attention could shift, Kakashi mused as the jinchuuriki grew more excited, his blue eyes wide in his grinning face. "What is it, Naruto?"
"I saw this really great place when I was scoping out my section earlier today." He leaned closer. "You know the latest Icha Icha movie? The Icha Icha Speed?"
Kakashi straightened immediately, his attention focused fully on Naruto. The new movie was currently on screen in Konoha, but it was heavily censored, much to his chagrin. It was so censored that the story-line made almost no sense. Tsunade had clamped down hard on it, especially after the latest barrage of complaints about Jiraiya's voyeuristic activities.
"Yes, what about it?"
"It is playing here as a late night feature." Naruto's grin widened. "Uncensored."
Kakashi jumped out of bed. "I think it's a good time to check out what this place is like at night, don't you think?"
"Yeah!" Naruto enthused.
"Count me out," Sasuke muttered.
"You can't sit here alone," Naruto complained. "Let's go."
Sasuke gestured to the bed, smirking as he did so. "I'll get to sleep."
"Come on, Sasuke. Don't be such a prude!"
Sasuke's smirk vanished. "I'm not a prude."
"Leave it, Naruto," Kakashi said, impatient to leave. "He's probably too young to appreciate such work of art."
Naruto grinned. "Sounds like it. I guess we shouldn't corrupt you, huh, Teme?"
Sasuke glowered, and then strode to the door. "Fine. Let's go, then."
Kakashi beamed. There might be hope for that kid yet.
000
000
It had taken them a little longer than usual to complete the mission, but they had succeeded in attaining their objective in the end. To Itachi, that was not something new. He had never, and would never, leave a mission uncompleted.
Still, the prolonged mission had taken its toll. When his ANBU squad reached Konoha just after sunset, they went their separate ways. Even Genma was too weary to suggest a drink that night, which was just as well since Itachi only wished to return home to wash away the grime accumulated over the course of the mission.
When Itachi set foot in the Uchiha compound, his steps stilled. The compound was lit with the occasional lanterns, illuminating the main pebbled walkway and the buildings on either side of it. Calmly, he stood at the entrance and swept his gaze over the handful of dark-haired, dark-eyed Uchihas wandering around, intent on completing their own tasks before they retired for the night. They were all his relatives, and they all possessed an unbreakable loyalty towards the clan. There was also this unspoken rule that they remained together in the compound.
At some point in the past, it had occurred to him that such a mentality was severely restrictive, but he had not thought twice about it. After all, it was something that was expected of all of them.
However, the conversation he had with Sakura made him revisit his thoughts. Residing in the same compound was no guarantee of one's loyalty, surely. It could even be said that if one chose to betray the clan, it could be carried out more effectively from within. If someone like that existed, it would be difficult to pinpoint them.
Shisui immediately came to mind. Although Itachi had insufficient evidence to show that the other Uchiha was disloyal, there were enough of his actions which suggested it. But what was Shisui doing?
His thoughts were broken by the approach of an elderly man. It was one of the Uchiha elders, Itachi noted silently.
"Itachi," the elder greeted, his wrinkled face impassive.
"Isao-san," Itachi returned politely.
"You missed the last meeting."
Itachi suppressed his annoyance at what was obviously meant as a rebuke. He responded with a simple, "Indeed."
Clearly displeased by his nonchalance, Isao went on, "Your father would tell you this when you get home, but since you're here, I might as well do it."
Knowing that there was no point in arguing, Itachi waited for him to continue.
"It is to do with your marriage," the elder began. "You appear to be delaying. While we are prepared to accept your choice, it may be best that you progress further with the courtship."
Itachi could feel his irritation mounting. "I do not wish to rush such a thing," he responded evenly.
Isao frowned disapprovingly. "There is no reason for the delay. Why not just marry the girl?"
"I prefer to maintain the current pace," Itachi insisted firmly, not intending to give in to the elder's demand.
"The girl is giving you problems?" Isao's brows furrowed. "She should be aware that marriage to you is a privilege. You are the next in line to lead the clan, after all."
Was it truly a privilege? Itachi decided that it was best to ignore Isao's latter comment. The conversation was growing rather tedious, and he did not wish to enter a prolonged debate with the elder. Also, the way the Isao kept referring to Sakura as 'the girl' irked him.
Instead, he responded to Isao's initial question. "Sakura is not giving me problems."
"Then-"
"I will discuss this further with my father," Itachi interjected smoothly. "You need not be concerned about this matter."
Before the elder could say another word, he inclined his head respectfully and walked away with swift strides. Itachi heard an indignant gasp from Isao as he made his way to his house, but he ignored it. Talking to one such as Isao would be pointless, because like all the elders, Isao would continue pressing the issue relentlessly.
In a few months, Sakura's mission would be over. Itachi frowned inwardly. That few months seemed rather short to him now, even though it had appeared adequate when he first commissioned the task. Would that be sufficient time for him to thwart the clan's efforts to make sure he was wedded? And would that be sufficient time for him to neutralize the threat posed by his unknown enemy?
He simply did not know.
When he finally arrived home, Itachi pushed the door open and walked in. He could sense his father's presence, as well as his mother's in the living room, where they normally go to after dinner. Sasuke was not around, which made him wonder if his team was out on a mission. Sakura would not be around for their usual lunch date then.
"Itachi," his father called out from the living room. "Come in here."
Fully aware of what his father wished to say, Itachi went to the living room. There, his father and mother were seated beside each other on flat cushion behind a low table. As his mother smiled at him, Fugaku gestured at the cushion opposite them.
"Sit down. I have something to tell you."
Itachi sat down. "Isao-san has already spoken to me about it."
His father looked puzzled. "Is that so? He brought up the topic of Sakura?"
"Hm."
"I told him I would speak to you about it, but it seems that he is unconvinced that I'll do so," Fugaku said. "So, what is your decision?"
"I have no intention of rushing things to please the elders," Itachi replied blandly.
His father's brows furrowed slightly. "You have been seeing Sakura for several months, at least."
Itachi nodded.
"Is there a problem with her?"
"No."
His father's lips thinned. "Then perhaps it is best that you take her as your bride soon."
"Soon, but not now," Itachi responded, this time a little tightly. The interference of his clan was grating on his nerves. If this was a true courtship, he could not help but wonder how he would react. In any case, he did not appreciate the clan pressuring him on this personal matter. They did not seem to understand that he simply wished to be left alone.
"You are being stubborn," his father ground out, his temper obviously rising.
"This is a personal matter."
"No, Itachi. This is a clan business," Fugaku snapped. "You are the heir, or have you forgotten that? In a few years, you will head this clan and you will need to have a wife beside you, and preferably with a son on the way."
An image of Sakura, heavy with his child, flashed across Itachi's mind. He felt a surge of something unidentifiable, and it discomfited him. He reminded himself that it would never come to that, for this was simply a mission for her.
Still, he could not help but speculate if such a thing was possible outside the scope of a mission. As the heir, he would eventually need to wed and subsequently, produce children. When such a day arrived, would he consider Sakura as a suitable candidate?
Something told him that he would not dismiss the notion.
"Are you listening to me, Itachi?"
"Fugaku…" his mother called out calmly. "Don't get angry at him."
"He has responsibilities to this clan," Fugaku pointed out harshly. "He cannot do anything he likes as and when he pleases."
Irked by those words, Itachi's eyes narrowed. He knew he had responsibilities, but he refused to be pushed around. "Please do not restrict me. I do not appreciate it."
His father's hand slammed on the table, making his mother jump. Angrily, Fugaku asked, "What are you trying to say, Itachi?"
Having heard enough, Itachi rose to his feet abruptly. "I have to go," he declared flatly.
His father stood up, his fist clenched in a display of anger. "You're not going anywhere until you give me your word that you'll do as I say!" he decreed.
As he had no intention of doing so, Itachi simply murmured, "I'm afraid that is not possible, Chichi-ue."
His mother stood up when his father's face reddened in fury, placing herself between them with a worried frown on her face. "Let's not overreact, alright?" she interjected.
Ignoring her, his father snapped, "You dare disobey me?"
"Fugaku!" his mother cried out, her hand landing on Fugaku's shoulder just as he was about to step forward. "Just let him go, alright?"
His entire body tense, Itachi spun around and left the room, shutting the door with a subtle click. Behind him, his father continued to rant and his mother continued her attempts at placating him.
When he finally reached the privacy of his room, the realization of what he had done struck him. Although he had often gotten his own way by manipulating whatever situation that had faced him in the past, it had been a long time since he had openly disobeyed his father. What was more astounding was the unmistakable sense of relief that washed over him at that thought.
The corner of his lips tilted when it occurred to him that perhaps he was more in agreement with Sakura than he had previously thought.
000
000
Hot.
That was the only word that came to mind when Sakura caught sight of Itachi. It was so unexpected to see him leaning against the river bank, submerged up to his waist with droplets of water glistening on his well-defined chest as the sun hit him.
Her breath became increasingly shallow. And yet, she continued to stare even though she knew that it was wrong to do so. This was obviously a private moment for him.
Come to think of it, why was he not using the hot bath? He was the type to value his privacy more than others, after all. Here, anyone could intrude.
"He's one fine specimen."
The unexpected voice made Sakura turn around, and she frowned in puzzlement.
Ino was there too? Not only that, her blonde friend was staring at Itachi with undisguised interest.
Sakura glanced around, finally noticing that she was in the forest just outside Konoha, with a dense array of bushes separating her from the bathing Itachi. She did not know why she was there or why Itachi was there.
And why she and Ino were spying on him bathing.
"You lucky, lucky thing…" Ino commented, her eyes still pinned on Itachi. "Now that's someone worth watching."
Suddenly, she felt quite irritated. "Stop ogling him, Pig!"
"Oh?" Ino turned to her. "Getting possessive, are we?"
"No!" It was just a mission, she wanted to say.
But Ino's words struck a chord in her. Was she growing possessive of Itachi? It was worrying, because that would mean that she definitely felt more for him.
"Prove it, then! Hand him over to me," Ino said with a smirk.
She glowered at Ino.
The blonde nodded knowingly. "You want him for yourself, don't you? It's not just about the mission anymore. You're getting in too deep, and you know it."
Sakura gasped in horror. "How do you-" She had not told anyone about this. How did Ino find out?
Growing more and more agitated, she reached out to grab her blonde friend, only to have her disappear suddenly in a cloud of yellow flowers. Swatting the petals away from her, Sakura scowled. How dare Ino leave just like that?
"Get back here Ino!"
"Sakura."
She spun around at Itachi's voice, unable to stifle her gasp of surprise as she did so. He was staring down at her, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. How long had he been standing there? And what had he heard? Had he realized that the mission was compromised?
Then her breath hitched in her throat when she realized that he was completely nude. His skin was still wet from the water. She felt her cheeks redden instantly, as she fought to keep her eyes on his face.
"I-Itachi…" she stammered, uncertain how to continue.
"Like what you see?"
Her brows drew together at his uncharacteristic response. This could not be Itachi. Itachi would not smirk in such a way, practically leering at her. "Who are you?" she demanded to know.
Smirk not leaving his face, the Itachi-look-alike slowly backed away.
"Stop right there!" she ordered.
She tried to rush towards him, but found herself unable to move. Her vision was also growing dimmer and dimmer, and with growing alarm, she tried to call out for help.
Then everything went black.
And Sakura opened her eyes with a gasp.
For a moment, she was completely disoriented until she realized what had just happened. She was in bed, in the rented room in the inn.
It was only a dream. A weird dream, but it was just a dream, she thought with a sigh of relief.
She did not remember having such an odd dream for a while now, let alone one which featured a naked Itachi. Her cheeks heated at the recollection of it. Gah! Her hentai ex-sensei must be rubbing off on her, because it was unthinkable that she would think of Itachi in THAT way. Not to mention what the dream-Ino had said about her being possessive was completely preposterous.
Flipping her hair out of her eyes, she glanced around, intent on pushing the dream out of her mind. The sun was shining through the slats in front of the window, telling her that the day had just begun.
It was time to get out of bed.
Once she had prepared herself, Sakura left her room and headed down to the reception area. No one was there yet, but that was not surprising. They probably just woke up, she surmised as she walked to the main door.
Standing just outside the entrance of the inn, she looked around curiously. It looked like any early morning scene in any village. People were just beginning to exit the buildings, each going their own way.
The subtle scent of breakfast permeated the air, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since dinner last night. Perhaps they could grab something light to eat before they began their tasks, she thought as she eyed a vendor setting up his stall across the road. Her stomach rumbled in agreement.
Growing rather impatient, she glanced back into the inn to see if the three members of her team were out yet. The only person she saw was the receptionist behind the desk, who seemed quite bored.
"Where are they?" she muttered under her breath.
She waited another forty-five minutes before she let out a frustrated cry, startling the receptionist. Ignoring his wide-eyed look, Sakura bypassed him and strode back to the wing housing the bedrooms. It was obvious that those three were not awake yet, because they were almost an hour late.
When she reached, she rapped on the door loudly. Almost immediately, she heard a loud thump, followed by a groan and then a colorful curse. Yes, they had been asleep a second ago, she thought with a glower.
"You three had better open the door. Right now!" she snapped.
She heard muffled voices followed by a scrambling sound. And then, "Hang on, Sakura-chan!"
A moment later, the door opened to reveal a disheveled Naruto. He cast her a nervous smile, stifling a yawn as he did so. "Good morning."
"Is it?" she growled.
She did not need to peek past him to know that the other two were probably in the same state. Sniffing delicately, she noticed a scent that made her even more furious. She swore she felt a vein pop.
"You have been drinking?!" she shrieked.
Naruto cringed, and took a step back.
Sakura clenched her hands into fists, not missing the terrified look that Naruto was sporting. Oh, they could be so irresponsible sometimes. Drinking on a mission? She had a good mind to report them to Tsunade. The problem was, she probably would have forgotten about it or cooled down considerably when they got back to Konoha.
Holding his hands up, Naruto stammered, "I-I can explain, Sakura-chan. We didn't mean to-"
"Save it," she interrupted tersely. Explanations would achieve nothing, except maybe delaying them further. "Just get ready and meet me downstairs."
With that, she spun around, yanking the door shut as she left.
000
000
When the door slammed shut, punctuated by the sound of an angry kunoichi stalking away, Kakashi let out a breath he did not realize he had been holding. That was a close shave. For a moment, he thought that she would simply punch the door down in her anger.
Swinging himself off the bed, he stood up just as Sasuke pushed himself out of his sleeping bag. It was probably time to make a move.
Still feeling the effects of the alcohol they had consumed after the wonderful movie last night, the three of them quickly prepared to leave without much conversation. It was only when they were about to walk out of the room that the most boisterous member of their team broke the silence.
"She's scary," Naruto muttered as he slung his backpack over his shoulders.
"Well, we are late," Sasuke pointed out flatly as he walked to the door.
Naruto grinned sheepishly as they left the room. "Maybe we had a bit too much to drink."
"Hm."
Kakashi decided not to comment. After all, it was unseemly to admit that he was a little intimidated by Sakura's temper. She was certainly growing more forceful by the day. And if he was not mistaken, it all grew worse soon after she had begun going on missions with the ANBU. Uchiha Itachi was a bad influence on her.
They were greeted by a still-angry Sakura outside the entrance to the inn. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her foot was tapping impatiently against the gravel.
"Ready?" she asked stonily.
Kakashi decided to give her his infamous eye-crinkle. "Of course, Sakura."
He deflated inwardly when she only scowled at him. It was never nice to be the recipient of such a look from the pink-haired kunoichi. Thankfully, she was paired up with Sasuke, and not him today.
"Let's go, then."
They left the inn half an hour after Sakura's entrance into their room, splitting up into pairs as planned. Much to Kakashi's amusement, and relief, Sakura silently thrust paper-wrapped packets of food at them just before they separated.
"Breakfast," she announced gruffly.
"You're the best, Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried out enthusiastic as he accepted one of the packets.
A smile broke out over Kakashi's face. As angry as she was at them, she still thought to feed them. No wonder she was always his favorite kunoichi. The girl was simply incomparable. "Thank you, Sakura," he said, meaning every word.
Sasuke looked a little wary when he took his portion. "Thank you."
Huffing, Kakashi did not know whether in irritation or in embarrassment, the pink-haired kunoichi turned away and began to walk.
"Are you coming, Sasuke?" she asked tartly.
"Hm."
Knowing that they will meet the other pair back at the inn tonight, Kakashi turned to Naruto. "Let's check out your lead."
Walking through the village, Kakashi opened the packet containing breakfast. His mouth watered at the scent of tebasaki contained within. Picking out one of the fried chicken wings, he immediately bit into it and sighed in appreciation. Sakura deserved a bonus for this. Beside him, Naruto was greedily wolfing his portion down as they headed towards the forest.
Kakashi's thoughts from last night came back to him just as the new buildings caught his attention. The village seemed to have appeared just out of nowhere, which was strange. His gut feeling told him that it had something to do with the burnt down village. Now if he could only remember what Kurenai had said about the other place.
That niggling feeling that something was off continued to bug Kakashi even when he and Naruto finally made it into the forest. And yet, he could not pinpoint what it was. Managing not to trip over the felled tree trunks as well as keeping his steps silent, he continued to scan his surroundings while he followed Naruto's lead. All the while, he wracked his brain for some clue as to what he was missing.
"Hurry up, Sensei!" Naruto pushed impatiently.
Kakashi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was not as if the blonde himself had been up on time. In fact, all of them had been sleeping quite contentedly until an irate Sakura banged on the door to wake them up. Under the threat of having to pay for the door that Sakura would no doubt demolish if they did not respond, Kakashi had managed to push Naruto to the door to hold her at bay.
His thoughts were broken abruptly when Kakashi sensed the approach of foreign chakra. Beside him, Naruto froze.
"You feel that, Sensei?"
"Aa."
Kakashi grimaced as he braced himself. "It's coming closer."
That was when he saw the shadowy figures in the distance, half hidden by the denseness of the forest. The fact that there was more than one surprised Kakashi, for he only sensed the chakra belonging to an individual. Were they clones?
"I see three. But there's something not quite right," Naruto muttered.
"We'll find out soon," Kakashi replied quietly as the shadowy figures began to move towards them.
One by one, they came closer, surrounding him and Naruto. It was almost as if they were just waiting for him and Naruto to appear in the forest, which meant that this was an ambush.
"What the hell…" Naruto exclaimed, his blue eyes darting sharply from one opponent to the other. "There are like six of them now."
"Aa." Pushing up his hitai-ate to reveal his Sharingan, Kakashi scanned the area beyond them. "There are more waiting in the hut," he announced.
"Shit. What the hell are they?"
Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he responded, "Puppets."
000
000
They were almost at the edge of the village when Sasuke caught sight of it.
The two-storey building that stood tall in the distance was the one he had not been able to gain entrance to yesterday. Both levels were made out of timber and coated with white paint. Like the majority of the buildings in this village, it was obviously new.
"Are you sure the building is occupied, Sasuke?" Sakura asked as they made their way towards it.
He nodded. "It is furnished."
"So you knocked and no one opened the door?"
"Hm."
Stopping suddenly, Sakura turned to him. "Maybe they peeked out of the window and was scared off by your face," she remarked with a grin.
Not amused, he simply frowned at her.
Unperturbed, she continued to grin. "That look might scare off lesser beings, but it doesn't work on me. Besides, I've seen scarier ones on your brother when I messed things up during missions."
Sasuke looked away. The reminder of her relationship with him brother discomfited him, though one certainly did not need a reminder considering how often those two had been seen together in public in recent months. He still could hardly believe that they were together. Character-wise, his Nii-san and Sakura were practically polar opposites. Perhaps that was why Itachi was drawn to her. After all, Sasuke knew from experience that her presence was usually pleasing.
After a certain amount of deliberation following his discovery of their relationship, Sasuke had realized that perhaps he was a little annoyed by it. Sakura used to pay him the sort of attention she now gave Itachi, albeit a long time ago. He had not appreciated it then, but they were only twelve at that time. Would he welcome such a thing now?
Perhaps his long-standing aspiration to reach his brother's level was the reason behind his discomfiture. It was most likely to be that, because he could not possibly be jealous. Jealous would mean that he harbored feelings for Sakura, and that was wrong. It was even more wrong now that Sakura was practically his brother's betrothed.
"Sasuke?"
Sakura's voice drew him out of his contemplations. Darting a questioning look at her, he asked, "Yes?"
She frowned slightly. "You looked a little worried back there. What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Turning away from her, he inclined his head at the house. "We are almost there."
"Maybe I should do the talking this time."
"Hm."
When they reached their destination, Sasuke glanced sideways at his partner as she knocked on the gleaming white door. She was wearing a small smile, prepared to charm whomever it was that might open the door for them.
There was no answer, so Sakura knocked again.
After a while, it became clear that if anyone was home, they were not planning on answering.
"Shall we break in?"
Sakura was eyeing the windows contemplatively. It was a possible solution, but if they damaged anything, Konoha would have to pick up the bill and he had no doubt that Tsunade would not be too pleased. Besides, the building could be occupied by innocents, for all they knew.
"No. We can return afterwards."
She shrugged. "Let's go to the herbal store, then."
It did not take them long to backtrack through the village to the herbal store Sakura had visited yesterday. When they reached, he stepped in behind her.
A bespectacled man around their age was standing behind the counter, serving a customer. Noticing their entrance to his store, the man inclined his head in greeting, but continued his conversation with the old woman who appeared to be purchasing some herbs. Sasuke did not know if Sakura noticed that the man seemed a little surprised by his presence, for he had quickly looked away.
"Four times a day, Obaa-san," the man said politely. "That will ease your aches."
The elderly customer nodded and thanked him. Once she left the store, Sakura walked up to the counter.
"Kabuto-san."
"Sakura-san," the man greeted with a smile. Pushing his spectacles up, he went on, "I assume you are here for the kunai?"
"Yes," Sakura replied. "If you don't mind, I'd like to borrow it for a while."
Kabuto gestured towards the door leading to the back of the shop. "Wait here. I'll get it for you."
The swift glance Kabuto cast him as he left the counter did not escape Sasuke's notice. A twinge of suspicion pricked at Sasuke when Kabuto disappeared from sight. Something did not seem quite right about that man.
"What is it?"
Sasuke turned to see Sakura eyeing him questioningly. Her hands were on her hips and she seemed a little annoyed. So he replied, "Nothing."
She reached out, and much to his displeasure, stabbed his chest with one slender finger. "Don't give me that. I can sense that hostile vibe from you. So, what is it?" she demanded to know.
"He seemed surprised to see me," he finally said quietly. "Besides, I don't think he is trustworthy."
Her brows drew together as she assessed his words. "Why?" she asked quietly, casting a wary glance at the door behind the counter, as if to check if Kabuto was still there.
He could tell that Sakura was not dismissing his concerns, for which he was relieved. Arguing with Sakura was never pleasant. "I cannot explain. Just be on your guard," he murmured.
After a moment's hesitation, Sakura nodded. "Okay."
With that, they fell silent. If Kabuto was truly an enemy, then they should not be discussing anything in here. Sasuke decided there and then that it was best to subtly prod the silver-haired man. Perhaps he knew more than he was letting on. Perhaps they could even apprehend him and bring him back to Konoha for questioning.
"He's taking a long time."
Drawn out of his thoughts by Sakura's whisper, Sasuke darted a look at the door separating the front and back of the shop.
"Maybe we should go through," she went on.
But before he could respond, a loud explosion went off in the distance.
Instantly on full alert, his Sharingan activated, he rushed out of the shop with Sakura close behind him. Once outside, he immediately saw the massive cloud of smoke beyond the village. A feeling of dread coursed through him, followed quickly by another twinge that told him something was decidedly wrong.
"Where-"
"The forest." His voice was clipped.
"Isn't that Kakashi's and Naruto's location?" she gasped, her eyes wide with worry.
"Hm."
"Let's go!"
He frowned. "Stay focused. We have our own task to perform. They will be fine."
"They could be injured!" she exclaimed urgently.
Sasuke glanced back towards the shop. "After we get him."
Comprehension dawned in her emerald orbs. "Go on. We don't have any time to waste," she said grimly as she urged him into the shop.
That settled, Sasuke vaulted nimbly over the counter and pushed the door open. Even before the back room came completely into view, he already knew that Kabuto was no longer there. The window at the far end of the room told him how the other man had left.
Striding to the window, he looked out. A dark form, growing smaller and more distant by the second, immediately caught his attention.
"Sasuke? Where is he?"
"He's a shinobi," Sasuke declared darkly as he saw a hint of Kabuto's previously-absent chakra as he ran.
Sakura looked shocked as she squeezed beside him, peering out of the window. "What?!"
"He was hiding his chakra." The fact that the other shinobi had managed to hide it so well betrayed his level of mastery at chakra manipulation.
"The bastard," she hissed as she began to leap out of the window. "I didn't sense it at all. He must be a medic or something to have that sort of skill with chakra."
Sasuke placed a restraining hand on her shoulder before she could jump out. "Go check out the explosion. I will handle things here."
Sakura darted a quick glance at Kabuto, who was disappearing quick in the distance. Clearly, there was no time to argue. With a nod, she said, "Meet back at the inn, okay? And Sasuke?"
"Yes?" he bit out impatiently as he turned to go after the silver-haired shinobi. Could she not wait until later to say whatever she wished to say?
"Take care."
Sasuke caught a flash of genuine concern in her expression before she streaked off towards the forest. As he leapt out and went in the opposite direction, he could not help but smile at the thought that some things never changed. Sakura might be dating his brother now, but she still cared for her teammates.
And that made him feel strangely pleased.
000
000
Itachi found himself standing by the main gates of Konoha, staring at the path beyond. His subtle inspection earlier had revealed that Hatake's team would be away for an indeterminate amount of time, something common for investigative missions.
Somehow, he felt a little odd without the presence of a certain kunoichi. It was probably because he always made it a point to be seen with her whenever he was in the village. He must have gotten used to her company. Strangely enough, that very thought was not as alarming as he anticipated, considering his preference to remain solitary.
He frowned thoughtfully as he took a few steps beyond the gates, uninterrupted by the sentries. Should he be concerned about his behavior when it came to Sakura, or should he simply let it be? His contemplations about her during the mission and notions that had ran across his mind last night suggested to him that he no longer view her as a mere comrade, but something more.
It was a little awkward to think that he could see her as a potential bride, if the circumstances did arise. After all, it was clear that she simply treated this as a mission. She would not expect it to be anything more personal. Furthermore, her experience with the Hyuuga probably meant that she would not be too pleased by the direction of his thoughts.
No, he truly should not be entertaining such a notion, even though it was growing increasingly appealing.
Deciding that a walk would perhaps distract him from such thoughts, Itachi turned and began to walk around the outside of Konoha's boundary walls. A chuunin sentry standing atop the wall straightened as he approached, but he simply walked past her without a word. He rarely engaged in small talk with others, after all.
He continued to walk at a sedate pace, keeping the stone boundary wall in sight, but slowly veering away from Konoha. In the attempt to remove Sakura from his thoughts, he shifted his attention to the issue of his clan. However, this only brought a frown to his face. There was nothing more he could do to deflect their interest in his personal life as long as he remained the heir.
But would he go as far as to forgo it for the sake of privacy?
Before he could contemplate the question further, a spike of chakra caught his attention.
His senses immediately went on full alert, and he spun around in the direction of the chakra. The source was up in a large tree.
Itachi's eyes widened in surprise when he caught sight of the person half-hidden by the tree branches. It was not someone he had expected to see again, even though the last time he set eyes on the shinobi was when he had been a thirteen-years-old shinobi.
Uchiha Daisuke appeared unchanged apart from the greying hair covering a new hitai-ate that replaced the one from Konoha. So, Daisuke had pledged his loyalty to another village. Much to Itachi's annoyance, the inscription that would tell him the identity of the village was covered by the older Uchiha's hair. Letting his eyes run over the other shinobi, Itachi could also tell that there were some irregularities with his chakra.
How odd.
Dropping down gracefully from the tree limb, the intruder greeted, "Itachi."
"Daisuke-san."
The grey-haired shinobi smirked, and his hair shifted slightly. It was not enough to reveal the hitai-ate, but it drew Itachi's attention to the older man's eyes. Itachi frowned inwardly when he noticed the elongated pupils, something that Daisuke had never possessed in the past.
"You remember me."
"Aa."
How could he forget the one who had fought beside Madara so many years ago during the attempt to overthrow the Sandaime? Daisuke, as well as a number of Uchihas had joined Madara then, convinced that the title of Hokage should go to an Uchiha.
Itachi had thought that all of them had been eliminated, but it seemed that he was wrong. Daisuke's survival meant that there could be more of them out there. Such a thing was clearly a threat if they chose to cause problems.
In fact, Itachi was fairly certain that they had begun. A clearer picture of the situation began to emerge as he watched the other Uchiha.
"Why, nothing to say to me after all these years?" Daisuke asked in a faintly mocking tone.
In measured tones, Itachi returned, "Perhaps you wish to tell me where you have been since leaving Konoha."
Daisuke raised a brow. "Now, that would make things far too easy for you, wouldn't it? If I recall correctly, you are rather good at figuring out puzzles and strategies. You have managed to single-handedly destroy Madara-sama's careful planning, after all."
"Not single-handedly," Itachi pointed out evenly.
Shrugging, Daisuke went on, "You know what I mean. Konoha was clueless until you exposed the plan. Not only that, you managed to steal Madara's scroll."
Itachi simply stared at him, not intending to respond. Daisuke's words merely confirmed his suspicion. The other Uchiha was involved in the numerous attempts to retrieve the scroll from him over the years, hiring missing-nins to do his work.
"So, care to tell me where you hid it?" Daisuke asked.
"I do not know where it is," Itachi replied truthfully. The scroll's exact location was unknown to him.
Daisuke's eyes narrowed in displeasure. "I see. This is how you want to continue, huh?"
Once again, Itachi remained silent. Then, when another smirk appeared on the other's Uchiha's face, he tensed inwardly. He could sense that Daisuke was plotting, and something told Itachi that he would not like it.
"I heard about your little kunoichi, Itachi." Daisuke adopted a contemplative look. "Haruno Sakura, I believe she is called."
Itachi kept his expression impassive. The news had certainly spread far in such a short time. It reinforced Itachi's belief that there was a spy amongst their ranks, Shisui being high on the list of suspects.
"So how is she?" the older Uchiha asked.
"It is none of your concern."
"On the contrary. I see her as the centerpiece of this game of ours. The catalyst that will determine your path." The grey-haired Uchiha smirked. "Don't you think so, Itachi?"
Itachi intoned blandly, "She is of no consequence."
A dark brow rose. "Is that so? I find that difficult to believe, Itachi. After all, rumor is, you're planning to wed this kunoichi."
A picture began to form in Itachi's mind and he found himself disliking its implications. Perhaps even angered although he knew that he should have expected this. After all, was this not why he had chosen Sakura for the task? But right now, he had to keep his composure, not allowing his opponent to even catch a glimpse of his true emotion.
Seemingly bent on goading a reaction from him, Daisuke went on, "She is yours, so you'd protect her. And you protect what you value, isn't that right? Staying in Konoha, accepting scraps from them. Staying in Konoha even though you could achieve much more with us."
"I have no intention of becoming a missing-nin," Itachi responded in a quiet voice.
"It is just a label. Or are you so brainwashed that you cannot see it? Join us. Share what you know with us. It is merely a scroll."
Merely a scroll? No, if it was not important, this organization would not have bothered finding out about it. Besides, Itachi knew for sure that it was not unimportant.
"If it makes you feel better, you will not be a missing-nin. You will simply pledge your loyalty to another hidden village," Daisuke said as he tapped his hitai-ate.
Itachi caught a glimpse of part of the inscription, but he could not recognize it. Was it a new village? "Which village?"
"Give us the scroll and join us. Then you will understand."
"I must decline."
Anger flashed across Daisuke's face. "You are stubborn. But that's to be expected." Then a smirk appeared before he said, "Well, soon, you will have to make a decision."
Deciding that he had heard enough, Itachi streaked towards the other Uchiha, drawing his blade forward. Unsurprisingly, the moment his katana pierced Daisuke, the other shinobi exploded in a puff of smoke.
A bunshin.
Grimacing, Itachi sheathed his katana.
Daisuke clearly intended to use Sakura as a bargaining chip, which meant that Sakura was now in danger. If he recalled correctly, Daisuke was simply a mediocre shinobi who had ambitions far beyond his abilities. This meant that Sakura would easily hold her own if they engaged in battle.
Still, Daisuke might catch her by surprise. So, perhaps it was time he informed Sakura about this.
At the same time, he would have to do something about the spy. Shisui was still under suspicion, and considering the current situation, perhaps he should simply confront the other Uchiha face to face.
000
000
The explosion and the resulting plume of smoke had not only caught hers and Sasuke's attention, but those of the villagers as well. Intent on reaching Kakashi and Naruto, Sakura simply streaked past the people lining the streets, heading straight for the forest.
What could have possibly caused the explosion?
She soon left the village behind. The cluster of plants grew denser as she approached the forest. She had no idea where Kakashi and Naruto were, but she could still just about make out where the smoke was coming from. And that was her first destination.
Suddenly, her senses prickled in warning.
Reacting instinctively, she vaulted up into a tree just as the ground beneath her cracked open in a series of small explosions. She was under attack, she realized grimly. Tensing, her eyes darted in all directions to assess what could have caused it.
It did not take her long to feel someone else's chakra. Her lips thinned in annoyance when she realized that it was a shinobi. The unfamiliar chakra was faint, obviously well-hidden, which warned her that her opponent was not to be taken lightly.
She had to force the shinobi out.
"Take this!" she hissed as she drew her hand back.
Her fist split the earth the moment it made contact. Loud cracks ripped through the air as fractures radiated outwards, tossing up broken chunks of trees. In moments, the forest around her was nothing but a scene of destruction.
She heard a muffled curse, and then a flash of white bursting out from beneath some felled tree trunks. The white objects soon became visible.
Clay birds?
Before she could make out anything else, the birds swept towards her.
She performed a substitution jutsu just as the birds made contact. In a blink of an eye, almost too fast for her to see, the clay birds blew up with a loud bang, instantly surrounding her with a white fog of dust. Cursing inwardly, she leapt upwards into the nearest tree. Those clay birds were explosives.
"I knew that was just a clone, yeah."
Her eyes widened at the sound of the mocking voice. She knew where it was coming from, but the white dust was obscuring her vision, something that she suspected was a deliberate move on her attacker's part. It was too risky to attack when she could barely see anything in front of her.
"Who are you?" she ground out, crouching down to minimize her vulnerability.
"You could say I'm an artist," he replied, sounding inanely pleased about it.
Sakura snorted. "What do you want?"
"Your cooperation, yeah."
Her eyes narrowed as she asked in a wary tone, "What for?"
"To take you down."
What? The hell she would allow that. Why would anyone want to attack her anyway? It was not as if she was someone important, or even in the Bingo books. Was this a case of mistaken identity? It looked as if that might explain things.
"You got the wrong person," she called out.
"You have pink hair."
She could not possibly be the only girl with pink hair in this world. This was growing troublesome, though, since this idiot was stopping her from reaching Kakashi and Naruto.
"So, how about surrendering, hm?"
"Dream on," she muttered.
She could not afford to waste time here. Kakashi and Naruto might need medical help. It was time to do something about her current situation.
Bringing her hands together, she performed the seals for a wind jutsu. "Fuuton: Kazekiri no Jutsu!"
Her surroundings immediately stirred, and then a large blade of wind materialized mid-air. Still crouched on the tree limb, she watched as her wind technique displaced the white dust, clearing the air around her.
"Now what did you do that for?" his voice reached her, seemingly from all directions.
Sakura darted her gaze left and right, trying to find the other shinobi. To her consternation, her opponent was nowhere to be seen even though the white dust was completely gone. Worse still, when she reached out to find his chakra, she sensed it from multiple directions. He must have made multiple clones, and this worried her because the sheer number of chakra sources meant that there were too many for her to handle on her own.
She had to run.
Her legs barely left the ground when she felt it.
Eyes widening, she watched as hundreds of white clay birds materialized from all around her. Without pause, all of them descended upon their target. Her. Mild panic set in even as she told herself to remain calm.
Just what the hell was she up against? She was surrounded by those clay birds. Damn it! If they exploded while she was being surrounded like this, then she was done for. So far, none of them was touching her, and she did not know if contact with her skin would set them off.
There was one thing left for her to do, even though it would eat up a lot of chakra.
She brought her hands together to perform the necessary seals, but before she could even begin, the flock of clay birds parted to reveal her attacker for the first time.
Seated on a gigantic flying clay bird, he was grinning at her with a maniacal light gleaming in his blue eyes. His long blonde hair, tied up in a ponytail, flapped wildly behind him as the bird shifted in the air.
Then Sakura felt herself grow cold as her attacker's eyes narrowed in unmistakable glee.
"Katsu!"
The last thought that crossed Sakura's mind before she blacked out from the explosion was that she could not possibly lose to some blonde madman.
000
000
A/N: Hope you enjoyed that. Please review if you could. Thanks!
:elle6778:
