Pein sighed, rubbing his temples with slow motions. It had been nearly a month, an unusually long time for someone of Zetsu's caliber to hunt down someone, even if it was the Uchiha protege. If Itachi thought that just because he had escaped during the battle that he was letting him go home-free, then he was sadly mistaken. As the leader of Akatsuki, he refused to let members of his organization go as they wished. It showed weakness in his command, and he would not allow it.

Konan looked sadly at him from where she stood in the shadows, her concern clear. Pein was become obsessed with his goals, and it worried her. She wished that it was still as simple as wanting worldwide peace to reign, but now he was too consumed with plans of world domination. He was changing from the man she fell in love with, right in front of her eyes, and she had no way to stop it.

He grunted again, showing his distress, and she frowned. "Pein-sama, do you want a shoulder massage?" She asked softly, her fingers moving shyly through blue hair, moving it from her face. He shot her an understanding glance, then shook his head.

"Perhaps later, Kona-chan." He murmured, more to himself than anyone else. A small smile could not help but to show itself on her usually indifferent face. She was happy to see that at least a small part of the man she loved was still alive, if deep down inside of him. If only there was a way to drag that person back out, where he belonged.

There was a confident knock on the large, wooden door to his office, and the ghost of a smile disappeared instantly. It opened when receiving permission, revealing a worn Zetsu. Pein immediately set the scroll he was reading down, giving his best reconnaissance shinobi his full, undivided attention. He hoped, considering how long he had been away, that Zetsu's results were satisfying. If not, a punishment was certainly in order.

"I found the Uchiha, Leader-sama." Zetsu said calmly. A distorted smile etched into Pein's expression, showing he was pleased by this set of information. His recon shinobi had results, at least. He might have had to dispose of him, should he have returned fruitless.

"Where is he hiding?" Pein asked pleasantly. He was finally going to get his best member back, and things were going to go back to as they should be. He would not accept anything else.

"Strangely enough, he has been residing in his old village, Konohagakure, with a kunoichi. Their relations are anything but platonic." Zetsu replied calmly. Pein's grey eyes thinned into dangerous slits at this information, and he mused darkly. Was this mystery kunoichi the reason that Itachi left, or had they met after? She definitely was a personal reason to run from Akatsuki. She would have to be taken care of, if things were going to be set in order.

"Elaborate. Who is this kunoichi?"

Zetsu sighed. "Haruno Sakura, the kunoichi who defeated Sasori a few years back. For someone who has a certain hatred for the Akatsuki, she has no objections to Itachi. We have reason to believe that she is his reasoning for returning to his original village. It is also likely that he has enclosed information on Akatsuki, because he no longer holds missing-nin status. What he has told Konoha, we have yet to discover."

Pein ground his teeth together in displeasure. If Itachi had truly betrayed Akatsuki, like Zetsu believed he had, then he would need to take care of more than just the girl. The Uchiha was being punished for his disloyalty, there was nothing else to it.

Konan bit her lip, hiding her face in the shadows of Pein's office. She had to do something soon, to save him from himself, before something bad really did happen. He had to find a way to be who he used to be, or he was going to be stopped, by her. This was not who he was, and he needed to see that. Konan needed a plan to save him.

"Very well. No one is to get any missions, and when all of Akatsuki is back from their duties, have them come to me. We will plan how to deal with this problem then." Pein ordered strictly. Zetsu nodded his head in affirmation, then sank into the office floor, disappearing effectively. It might be a while until everyone was returned, but this was of utmost importance. No one slipped through his fingers, not even Uchiha Itachi.

After a month of evaluation, and retaking the ANBU tests, Itachi found himself slowly walking into Tsunade's office for his first mission as a loyal, Konoha shinobi. He had been given the necessary ANBU armor, arm guards and mask, and his own freshly minted katana, never even having been unsheathed. Prepared by dressed in this attire, he walked into the Hokage's office.

He bowed respectfully, his eyes twinkling with excitement from behind his mask. Tsunade took a swig of her sake, then put the bottle down to give him her full attention. She smirked slightly at seeing the Uchiha in uniform, and made a note in the back of her head to tell Sakura that he was handsome, for a younger man. That went beside the file that said perverted guys with long, white hair were hot. Every woman had her preferences.

"Hawk, as your first mission, I am listing you as captain of a three-man squad. S-class informational related; I need you to collect some intelligence from an informant I have in Rain. It is linked to Akatsuki." She addressed him with a practiced calmness, watching as he went frigid with disgust at mere mentioning of his feigned affiliation. At least she knew he was trustworthy, because she did not take him as the sort of man to show any sort of change in mood or character easily.

"If you and your team should be approached by anyone afflicted with that organization, you are to avoid battle, and if possible, escape. Am I understood?" Tsunade asked sternly. Itachi figured this entire mission was somehow a test for him, and he did not intend to fail it, simply by making a scene with the Akatsuki.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. Might I ask who else is on my team?" He asked, giving a short, curt nod.

"Shiranui, Hatake and Yamato. I assume you are already familiar with them, so I put them on your team for your first mission." She replied, tossing him a scroll with more information on his newly commissioned assignment. He caught it easily with one hand, opening it to briefly read what was expected of him, then rolling it back up.

"Three days should be more than enough time for a team with as much experience as this one. I do not believe my apprentice will be able of managing without you much longer than that, Hawk." Tsunade continued with a smirk. He did not miss this, and made a smirk of his own, though she could not see it through his mask. He was unsurprised that Tsunade had brought Sakura up. Though she had objected to the pregnancy at first, she eventually accepted it, once seeing them together more.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Sakura was over halfway through her first trimester, and though the physical signs had yet to appear, it was easy to tell because of her emotional state. She was constantly changing moods, from utter depression, to livid anger, to absolute happiness. Sometimes, when he knew she was not looking, he would glance at the fetus with his sharingan, to see how far it had developed. He was so proud of the fact that he was going to be a father, and that the woman carrying his child was Sakura. He would not wish that it had been any other woman in the world.

"Very well. You are dismissed. I expect a full mission report when you return."

With that, he bowed again silently, then disappeared in a puff of white smoke. The time of his departure was in only twenty minutes, as indicated inside the scroll, so he wanted to spend the last of his time with Sakura. She was most likely awake by then, he mused, shading his eyes as he looked up at the sky.

Sakura had the tendency to sleep in, at least for as long as she had been pregnant, so he never expected her to be up and about until midmorning.

A small part of him wondered what it would have been like if the massacre had never happened, what his mother's reaction would have been when he told her that he had produced an heir. For some reason, he imagined her squealing in delight, then pulling him into a strangling hug. Then his father would have walked in and said something having to do with marriage. Though if Itachi thought about it, he would come to the conclusion that Sakura would already be his wife at that point.

What would Sasuke have thought, with his brother and kunoichi teammate together? Itachi was certain that he would be about just as comfortable with it as he was now, or not at all. Then again, if Sasuke had never chased him, leaving Konoha behind, she would have definitely ended up with his brother instead. That thought alone sickened him.

"I am in the kitchen!" Sakura called to Itachi, hearing him open and then shut the front door. He smiled to himself, pleased that she was, indeed awake, and he silently made his way to her. She was sitting at the kitchen table, her legs crossed, and she was eating a rather repulsive breakfast of what looked to consist of dill pickles and organic peanut butter. He supposed it was better she was eating that than nothing at all. Sakura had a hard time keeping anything down in the morning, with her pregnancy.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked softly, leaning down kiss her forehead. Her mouth full of pickle-nut butter, she hummed her agreement, and he chuckled softly, taking the seat next to her. He watched her intently as she happily dipped another pickle into the jar of poor, abused peanut butter. She was perfectly content in eating her strange breakfast in silence.

"How did it go with Tsunade-shishou?" Sakura asked, swallowing, and then spinning the jar shut. Her appetite was rather small, especially in the mornings.

"I was assigned a mission to Rain." He replied. Her smile at this was soft, and he could tell that she was going to miss him while he was away. It would only be for a few days though, and then he would come back to her.

Sakura did not need to tell him as much, but she could not help but to say, "Be careful, Itachi." She would not be able to handle it if he returned in pieces, but had to remind herself that this was Itachi, and so he would succeed without a single problem. He did not need her concern, but she had it anyway. He was slowly becoming her every living thought, so it was natural she would worry over him.

"I always am, Sakura." He whispered, pulling her closer and into his arms. She sighed into his chest, knowing he was telling the truth, then tilted her head up to look into his piercing, black eyes. They were soft for her though, a smoldering charcoal. He took advantage of her position, smoothly dipping his mouth down to capture hers.

Sakura twisted slightly in his hold, freeing an arm to wrap it around his neck, effectively cinching their bodies together. His tongue sensually ran along the seam of her lips, begging for entrance. She opened up for him, and he greedily partook in her, drinking Sakura's throaty moans as they slowly crept from the back of her mouth. Her hand tightened in his hair when he softly grunted back, gasping in pleasure.

Sakura decided that what he was doing was utterly unfair, the way he was torturing her, only to leave in a few, short minutes. He was building that fire, one that would fester until he put it out himself. Of course, there was not nearly enough time for that then, he had to leave for his mission, and she knew that those three days were going to be hard.

She struggled for freedom, needing air after such a long, searing kiss, but he did not pause. Releasing her lips, and listening to her as she gasped for air, Itachi did not so much as pause, but moved his mouth along her jawline, then slowly down her neck, lapping at her jumping pulse.

Without her expecting it, a large, but slender, hand slipped under her tee shirt, and his long fingers stretched out across her stomach. Sakura felt flutters deep in her core, excitement spreading from the skin contact. It was at this moment that he decided to break away. She groaned in disappointment, but understood what it meant. Itachi had to go on his mission.

"You better be a good girl when I am gone." He muttered, taking in air. She had been about to reply when an especially mischievous hand reached up to twist a nipple harshly. She sucked in a quick breath of air, and then glared up at him for his teasing.

"That was not nice." She grumbled, reaching down bravely to squeeze him, but his hand caught her wrist before she could slip below his pants line. He smirked, then gave her one more kiss, before tugging her arms away from around his neck.

"It was not supposed to be nice." He replied smugly, slowly standing up. She mumbled something he did not catch under his breath, and then followed in suite.

"Wait for me, and I will walk you to the gait." Sakura said, rushing to the bedroom to put on a jacket and pair of pants. He waited for her, and took her hand after strapping his katana onto his back. Pausing only so she could lock the door, they made their way to the northern gate. Kakashi, Yamato and Genma were already waiting for Itachi, all three of them dressed in ANBU apparel. Sakura frowned at the fact that Kakashi had managed to make it on time for this particular mission, but when it was with team seven, he did not even bother.

"Team, take traveling stance B." Itachi commanded, walking to the lead. Their masks were instantaneously lifted to cover their faces, and with only a short glance over his should towards her, he disappeared with a flash. The remaining of the group followed quickly after.

She was so proud of him, and how far he had gone. Only little over a month previous, he had been a full Akatsuki member with honors, and now, he was leading an ANBU squad into his first respectable mission he had in a decade. Her hand subconsciously rested on her flat abdomen, as if to check if there was any growth since last time she felt her stomach. There was not though, and so she stared down at her hands.

"Hey, forehead! You are not fat yet!" Sakura heard a certain obnoxious, blond kunoichi shout to her, and she looked up to see Ino running up to her. Sakura growled under her breath, remembering having explained this concept to Ino on several occasions, but she still did not seem to make sense of it.

"I told you, it is only my first trimester. The physical signs do not show for a few months." Sakura complained, walking the remaining distance to her best friend. Ino laughed, which meant that she had been joking, and knew well enough when the weight gain would set in. Ino was, naturally, jealous of her rival and best friend, but she knew that if anyone deserved the hunk of a man that she had reeled in, than it was Sakura. Sakura had suffered for years, and now, she was finally getting something in return. Besides, from what she could tell, Itachi was much too somber for a girl like her.

"How cute. You came to see Itachi off on his first mission right? How long is he going to be gone?" She questioned teasingly, though still wanting to know the answers. Sakura blushed, wishing she was not as predictable as she was. There was no point in denying it, Ino was a specialist in discovering the truth in her victim's words, and Sakura was one of the worst liars she knew of.

"Three days, at the most. He is going into Rain though, so I am worried. From what he has told us, Akatsuki is based in Rain. I hope that they do not run into them." Sakura sighed, subconsciously rubbing her tummy. It was a careful, loving action, meant to sooth, as if she somehow knew that her child was distressed by his father's absence. Ino watched Sakura's subtle movements, wondering if the child even took notice of her doting.

"You know, I do not think Itachi would want you worrying about him. He would say it was bad for the baby." Ino said, linking their arms. Sakura wished she knew how Ino always found out the little details of everything. It was somewhat creepy that she knew what Itachi had told her so long ago, when they had been making their way to the Hokage's office to reveal the truth of the massacre.

"I am not sure I want to know how you know he said that to me, but you are right. I just cannot bear the thought of losing him now, with baby-chan on the way." Sakura mused, following her friend down the now-bustling streets of Konoha. Ino clicked her tongue reproachfully, not approving of how anxious Sakura was. It was understanding though, and she wondered if she would ever find herself in a similar situation. Of course, she would much rather be married before having children. Her father would kill anyone who impregnated her if it was any other way.

"Do you think he will ever want to marry you?"

There it was, the forbidden subject that Sakura had been so desperately trying to avoid with Ino for so long. In complete honesty, Sakura was unsure if Itachi ever intended to make her his wife; he had certainly not planned for her to conceive. This did not mean he did not welcome the idea, he was quite please with the thought of being a father, of creating something instead of destroying it, but whether or not he wished for their relationship to progress, she had not a single idea. All she knew to be certain was that Itachi was not the sort of man to leave things loosely, he kept things tied together and stable.

"I am not sure he has even thought about marriage with me, but I will admit, I have wanted something to that extent for a little while now. Maybe because the notion of birthing a child in wedlock is so very looked down upon, but I do not want my child to be a bastard." Sakura murmured, only barely noticing that Ino had pulled her into a clothing store.

"Well, if the way he looks at you is any indication, I would say he has every intention in making you his lawful wife. It is actually sort of adorable, how soft his gaze becomes when he turns to look at you. I wish Kiba was more sensitive like that." Ino sighed softly, starting to sift through a rack of clothing. A short silence fell, as it was impossible for it to be quiet for too long, with Ino around, and Sakura took the chance to take in her surroundings

Sakura quickly realized she was standing in the middle of a lingerie store, a place she had never bothered to go to before, unless it was for a seduction mission. Her face turned bright red as her mind deciphered why Ino would take her to such a place. For Itachi's benefit.

"Ino, you know that I will never be caught dead in a thong, so why the hell did you bring me here?" Sakura seethed, crossing her arms. She may have fallen for Itachi, but she was not going to wear a useless scraps of lacy underwear that showed more than it covered. Besides, she already knew he would rather see her completely naked, and would only think garments such as lingerie was made to tease him.

"I know what you are thinking, forehead, and you are wrong. Every man appreciates lingerie, even if it is only to rip it off after seeing it for a second. You need to learn how to be sexy." Ino scolded, pulling a particularly small piece of black lace from the wrack and holding it up to Sakura's breasts. She squealed, then dragged the mortified Sakura into the changing room.

Itachi streaked ahead, anxious to get home. Home. This was the first time he had been able to call a place that in a long time. Akatsuki was not a home, it was a residence, an organization, his own personal hell. Konoha was a home. He was born there, and years in the future, after seeing several generations of the new Uchiha clan mature, he wanted to die there. It was home because Sakura was there, and his child was going to be there.

Kakashi smirked behind his mask, seeing how excited the Uchiha was to get back to Konoha. It could have been because he wanted to get as far from the Akatsuki headquarters as possible, but he liked to think it might have been because of a certain pink haired girl waiting for him in her apartment. He wondered what would have become of the solemn Uchiha if he had never met the lovable kunoichi. He certainly would not be in a rush to get back to Konoha, nor would he be a loyal shinobi again.

He paused suddenly, catching the scent that he had only encountered once, but was unmistakable. Itachi seemed to realize it at the same moment, because he silently touched his finger to his nose, and then pointed it forward. Speed up. Understandably, they were avoiding any meeting with Hoshigaki Kisame, who was hot on their trail.

It was too late to make so much progress though, because Kisame materialized into existence before them. His expression was grim, as if he was the bearer of bad news. He would, naturally know what was going on, with Itachi heading a squad of ANBU, but he wished it did not have to be as it was. It was causing him a lot of problems now that Itachi had defected from Akatsuki.

"Itachi. It seems that you have shown were your allegiance truly is." Kisame said. Itachi sighed, lifting his ANBU mask up. His partner was never someone he was really close to, but Kisame had been next to him in battle for so many years. A certain trust grew from that, though there was no real friendship between them.

"I have always been a loyal Konoha shinobi, Kisame." Itachi replied calmly, subtly signaling for his team to continue on. Yamato and Genma nodded curtly, then flashed forward, using chakra to catapult ahead. Kakashi however, paused a moment.

"I will tell Sakura that you are going to be a little late." He said, then following his other teammates. Itachi said nothing, but understood what he was saying underneath. This was a test, to see if he could be trusted. Itachi would not fail something so simple, not that he needed to pretend that he was a truthful shinobi.

"I will not be long." He responded softly, but he knew Kakashi had heard him.

"Interesting that you would have left Akatsuki for the kyuubi's kunoichi friend. How long have you been involved with her?" Kisame asked curiously. Itachi frowned, having no intention in giving any information about Sakura. While he had some sort of connection with Kisame, he had no doubt that whatever information he shared, would become known to Pein. It was his plan to keep the formidable Akatsuki leader guessing.

"Long enough." He answered vaguely. Kisame cackled to himself, seeing no scheme of his was ever going to get through the great Uchiha Itachi.

"Honestly, I do not care, Itachi. You are lucky that you managed to find someone to care about, because the rest of us are going to have to resort to prostitutes for the rest of our lives. Pein-sama does not like it so much though."

"Pein sent you to check on me."

"Yes. As far as I know, he intends to attack Konoha for this." Kisame informed him. Itachi blinked, wondering why he would even bother to help him.

Kisame huffed. "Pein is being ridiculous. If any S-class criminal has a chance, then they should be allowed to take it." He had chosen to become a criminal, but he had the sense to know that Itachi had not. If that young Uchiha had any chance with happiness, then he should experience it. He would not be involved with Pein's little competition.

"Thank you, Kisame." Itachi murmured, disappearing a second later. Sakura was waiting for him.

AN: Review! ^^