Chapter 11 – I Am Beautiful With You
The new door was in place and the locks were replaced when they returned home, having to take multiple trips with the bags of shopping. Several times he told Sakura to just go ahead and start putting the shopping away while he brought up the rest of it, wanting to make sure she wasn't overdoing it while eating so little, but it was a losing battle.
As soon as they returned, Naruto waited until all grocery bags were in the kitchen, sneakily searched through them for anything of his liking, before dropping a key into Sakura's hand and disappearing up to his apartment with Kakashi.
Now, almost two hours later, the tantalising smell of sweet Thai chilli filled the apartment and music was being played in the kitchen. Since there was no point in uncovering and moving the furniture in the living room until it had been painted, and they wanted to simply relax after their chaotic day, they had decided to eat in the bedroom and so Itachi made sure the television was set up and ready.
He hadn't argued when Sakura asked to be the one to cook their dinner – she was going to be eating a meal without being pushed to do so. Why would he argue?
Unfortunately for him, she didn't tell him when the food was ready and instead brought it straight in to him. Again, however, he did not argue, despite wanting to tell her that it wasn't necessary. When unloading the shopping, she had told him to stop babying her, as she was only pregnant and not terminally ill. Itachi merely hoped that she wouldn't try using that line repeatedly throughout the pregnancy.
They ate while watching the news. Not the best of things to be watching while eating and trying to relax, but it was something he liked to keep on top of – watching the news, he meant. It kept him up to date on anything he needed to know, or helped him pick up traces of Hidan's possible return.
Something about Emi's appearance earlier bothered him and Itachi knew not to ignore his gut instinct. No, he hadn't paid much attention to her that night, but from what he could remember (and he had a great memory), Emi was in an arranged marriage and was pampered. So why was she doing the grocery shopping herself? It was probably just him being paranoid, but her conversation on the phone hadn't been cut off when she and Sakura bumped into one another, either. In fact, she had kept the phone lowered. If Emi had been on the phone to her husband, she would have hung up, as acting out in such a way would be a disgrace – it was an arranged marriage, meaning traditional beliefs instead of the modern ones.
For example, his and Sakura's relationship and the fact that they were going to have a child out of wedlock, was definitely not traditional and the elderly who still lived in those times would look down their noses at them. Those who followed more modern beliefs, however, wouldn't spare them two glances because it was becoming normal to see. The same went for gays, bisexuals and transgender people. Had this been ten, maybe twenty years ago, then he and Sakura would have been forced into marriage and it would have been before she started to show, too.
Back to his original thought!
So, since Emi was clearly not on the phone with her husband (who Itachi knew she was still with, as she was still wearing her wedding ring), that meant she was on the phone to a friend, one she didn't mind overhearing her altercation with Sakura.
"I think all of Konoha can hear your thoughts."
He smiled faintly. "Is that so?"
"Mm-hm." A pause and during it, he looked up from his food, meeting her concerned gaze. "Is there something wrong with the food? I can make something else for you-"
"It is delicious, Sakura," he soothed her worry. Honestly, his girlfriend was an outstanding cook and Itachi was ashamed of himself for playing with his food. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
There was another pause and it felt like Sakura looked at him for the longest time. Her eyebrows were knitting together, eyes wary. "Is it… about that woman?" He nodded. "Who is she, Itachi?"
"A connection to Hidan."
But the answer wasn't good enough for her. "How is she?"
"Sakura-"
"I'm not a little kid anymore," she snapped, features pleading. "So stop hiding things from me like I can't handle it."
Well she couldn't handle it, could she? If he told her the truth about Emi's connection to Hidan, then there was no telling how it would affect her. What if it pushed her into forcing herself to throw up again? What if it brought her pain, or feelings of worthlessness? Itachi had seen her cry before and it was not something he wanted to happen again. It was agonising seeing her tears, almost like somebody had taken a huge chunk of his heart and lungs and left him with a gaping hole, unable to breathe properly. But he also couldn't lie to her. What was he supposed to do?
"Please, Itachi," she murmured. "I'm tired of being treated like a child. I know I'm impulsive and emotional and sometimes my anger gets the best of me, but I'm really trying here. I'm trying for both you and…" Sakura shook her head and green eyes drifted down to the bowl on her lap. "Please."
Again, he nodded, eyes shutting tiredly. "For an unknown period of time, Hidan and Emi were having an affair behind her husband's back. The night of my mission, she came home with him." Thankfully, she didn't need him to go into further detail, instead frowning at her food in deep thought. It made him sigh. "There is something else that I must tell you, Sakura."
Her own reply was a quiet hum.
Lowering his chopsticks and resting them on the side of his bowl, Itachi leaned back onto one hand, regarding her. "Within the next few days, there are going to be new residents moving into the building."
Sakura finally met his eyes again, though her frown deepened. "Not ordinary tenants, I take it."
"No," he told her simply. "They will be ANBU operatives stationed here."
The frown was taken over by her scowl of anger. "Why? Is Danzo really that-"
"For our protection." For her safety, it was imperative that he told her everything that was happening. She had to know that she needed to be careful. "Danzo believes that Hidan may be in Konoha." Her gaze widened, chopsticks dropping from her hand and onto the bed. They both ignored them. "There have been several murders – all ANBU operatives. They have noticed a pattern and are certain that they are growing closer."
All anger left her and faintly, her clenching fists shook. What was she thinking? He couldn't help but wonder. "You and Kakashi-"
He tried to give her a reassuring smile. "We are strong, Sakura. On top of that, other operatives are going to stationed here, meaning more protection for them, too."
It was partly why he demanded them to be brought into the building. The more of them that there were, the less chance the murderer (whether it was Hidan or a lackey of his) was to attack. There was strength in numbers, after all. An added bonus was even more protection for his family and friends.
She smiled at that, albeit slightly. "I know you just want to protect everyone, Itachi, but please think of yourself, too. I don't know what I'd do without you."
When a manila envelope was posted under his front door the next morning, Itachi knew instantly what it was about and called Kakashi down. He had just as much right to know what was going on, though was more than likely already informed. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have extra support or knowledge. Sakura joined them both in the kitchen, the three of them crowded around the envelope. Kakashi was clearly wary about having her involved, but understood Itachi's reasons and want to have her informed. It was mainly for her safety and sanity. It would do no good to be suspicious of every single person in their building.
"How many do you think there'll be?" she asked, setting down three cups of tea.
"There's no telling with Danzo," Kakashi replied.
With that, Itachi opened the envelope and spread out the information sheets. There was nine in total – eight operatives and one sheet that was filled with orders, which would all need to be burned once they had remembered as much as possible.
Sakura paled considerably at one of the operatives' photograph, her eyes wide and hand covering her mouth.
"Sakura?"
"That's…" She swallowed hard. "That's Sai-san. He's… Ino's boyfriend!"
Kakashi picked up the sheet she was looking at, eyes narrowed and expression grim. "Same age as you both, too." Sakura nodded, disgusted. "It seems the rumours are true, after all."
"R-Rumours?"
Itachi sighed, but there was no hiding the disgust he was also feeling. "Many have said that Danzo recruits orphans when they are mere children, raising them to become his soldiers."
"Mindless killing machines, more like," the older man muttered darkly.
"Will she know?" Sakura breathed. "Ino?"
Reluctantly, he shook his head. "All who are recruited by Danzo – the orphans – are extremely loyal to him, or so I have heard. In their eyes, he saved their lives and so he deserves their undying loyalty." There was a pause and Itachi sighed. "Think of how people think of pit bulls, Sakura. Monsters, evil, nasty, however, it's the owner of said dog that raises it to be that way, as they are not born evil." He shut his eyes, trying to block out the pure horror and disbelief on her face. "Think of the orphans the same way. People immediately assume that orphans are troublemakers, seemingly because they don't have any parents to punish and discipline them. However, they are under the supervision of those who run the orphanage. Some are hands on in their discipline, while others simply don't care."
Kakashi also sighed, lowering the sheet. "What Itachi-san is trying to say, Sakura, is that Danzo takes these orphans when they're still young and impressionable, so that they will be easy to manipulate and twist into what he wants them to be. The same way some dogs are taught to attack and kill anything that walks by them, or whatever they are set on."
"But why Sai, of all people?" she whispered. "Ino's so happy with him."
"It's important that you don't tell Ino, Sakura," Kakashi warned her. "It could blow his cover and put them both in danger."
Was that what Danzo was hoping for? A rise from them? There wasn't a doubt in Itachi's mind that Danzo knew of Sai's relationship with Ino, meaning he knew who Sakura was and vice versa. They'd been in the same year – hell, same classes – at school. Having Sai in their building was simply asking for trouble, but then again, it also meant that Danzo trusted the boy. He wouldn't have assigned him to such a case otherwise. Not when it concerned Hidan.
Shoving aside his unease, Itachi reached out for another sheet, narrowing his eyes fractionally. They were on separate sheets, but were coming to the building as a married couple.
"Kurenai and Asuma," Kakashi named them, sounding vaguely surprised. "It's been a while since I last saw them."
"Who are they?" asked Sakura as she leaned over to her boyfriend, gazing down at the sheets. Tilting them to the side, he allowed her to glance through them.
"We went to school together," he stated with a shrug. "Same age group, same classes."
"They're really married," she gasped in shock. "Is that allowed? Aren't there supposed to be really strict rules about teammates getting married?"
Not really, Itachi mused. Danzo couldn't care less about what his operatives did outside of work in terms of personal relationships – as long as it didn't screw with Konoha's safety, that was. If the operative was keeping their head down and not causing any trouble, then it was even better. All in all, however, he didn't care. They could marry their cousins and he wouldn't bat an eyelid.
Together, the pair were a force to be reckoned with – or so he'd heard and Kakashi's words only proved that it had been a while since either of them saw any action. Having them brought in together, however, would lessen the suspicion somewhat. According to the information, they would all be brought into the building at different dates to avoid attracting too much attention, also.
"Asuma and Kurenai go way back," Kakashi answered. "Childhood sweethearts."
"As long as the mission is completed successfully, Danzo doesn't care," added Itachi.
Nodding, he watched as Sakura's eyes soon went to the next sheet and she frowned softly, holding it up. "Mitarashi Anko and… Morino Ibiki." Her frown deepened. "It says they both specialise in interrogation."
Perhaps involving her hadn't been the wisest decision, after all. Itachi plucked the sheet from her grasp and placed it face down. "It is best you don't read into their abilities and specialities, Sakura."
The frown continued to deepen until she was sitting back in her seat. "What are you getting so defensive for? I-"
"I am not getting defensive," he countered, cutting her off. "I merely don't want you knowing more than what you need to."
Wisely, Kakashi stayed out of the steadily building argument.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I accept that part of you?" she snapped angrily, though for once did not raise her voice. "So stop trying to hide things from me."
It was for her own good, he told himself. If Sakura knew the truth, she would, without a doubt, leave him and the idea both pained and sickened him greatly. A life without Sakura just didn't seem possible anymore. When she reached out for the sheet he had taken, he pulled it further away.
Just like he would keep her away from the woman in the picture.
"Yo, Itachi," Shisui greeted and pulled his door open further.
Sighing, he slipped inside and returned the greeting, removing his shoes only seconds later and leaving them beside Shisui's. It was at that moment, however, that he found an extra pair. A pair belonging to a woman. Why on earth would he invite him round when he already had company? It was plain rude and uncomfortable for them all.
"Shisui-"
"Don't freak out," he warned quietly and shut the front door.
"You told me you wanted to discuss something," Itachi accused.
The older Uchiha laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, leading the way into the lounge area and Itachi stopped in his tracks at the sight of the woman seated on the sofa. Back ramrod straight and hands clasped on her lap, his mother looked as graceful and radiant as ever – nothing like Sasuke had made her out to be, which was stressed and heartbroken about her failing marriage and rebelling children.
As soon as she saw him, Mikoto rose to her feet, eyes widening a fraction. "Itachi." He turned away, preparing to leave, but she once again called out to him, ordering softly, "Don't leave, Itachi. I want to talk to you."
There was nothing to say to her. No doubts were in his mind about her knowing of Sakura's pregnancy, as he knew Fugaku would have told her everything that happened concerning the apparent kidnapping, including the pregnancy. It would have been the only way she found out.
Standing still and with his back to her, he could only hear her voice and part of himself wondered what expression she would be wearing. "You're going to be a father."
"Don't ignore your mother," Shisui scolded him at Itachi's silence. "You were brought up better than that, Itachi, so show her some respect."
Reluctantly, he turned to glance at her. What was he supposed to do in a situation such as this? Thank her for all he'd been put through? Thank her for never standing up to his father? Thank her for allowing his father to make him feel like he was nothing more than a puppet rather than his child?
When Shisui had called him, he'd been grateful for a distraction and for having an excuse to get out of the apartment. Sakura's mood had only grown worse by the minute, until it became almost impossible to converse with her without it leading to an argument. Now, Itachi knew he would have rather stayed in the apartment, especially since Sakura would be working in a few hours.
"Please don't be angry with Shisui for deceiving you," she pleaded quietly. "I asked that he did so, as I knew you wouldn't meet with me."
"You have done well in ignoring my existence for almost a year now, Mother," he retorted.
"Itachi-"
"Stay out of this, Shisui," came his cold reply. "I don't want you to pick sides and if you already have, then I don't want to hear it."
The once spacious apartment now felt like it was suffocating him, like the walls were closing in and all Itachi wanted in that moment in time was to get away, to get out and into the open, to breathe fresh air. It was all too much for him. The ambush, after a morning of arguing and uncomfortable silences, was too much.
"Itachi, why did I have to find out from your father that you have a child on the way?" Mikoto asked.
"I was disowned," Itachi replied bluntly. "Meaning whatever happens in my life no longer concerns either of you."
Anger was obvious in his mother's features as she took a step forward, eyes flashing and mouth pursing. "Of course it's my concern that your partner is carrying my first grandchild."
Why was it, though? Why should anything precious in his life have anything to do with his manipulative parents? They had screwed him up beyond the hope of ever being one hundred percent okay, so tell him why he would ever let those kinds of people anywhere near Sakura or their child, knowing the type of damage they caused. Hell, Sasuke left the country to get away from them!
Honestly, what was Shisui hoping to happen? Did he think that Mikoto randomly turning up would change the way Itachi felt? Did he think it would take away the feeling of being unwanted and a disgrace? Had he hit his head? Had Shisui forgotten about everything that had happened in the past year – being ignored and looked at in disgust, for starters?
"Do you really want your child to grow up without any of its grandparents around to witness it?" she demanded, bordering on desperate. "Please, Itachi-"
"This conversation is over," he told them both and turned his back on them once more. "Sakura's parents will not be involved in our child's life and neither will you or Father. You are all poisonous people who are capable of doing nothing but inflicting pain on others, whether it be emotional, psychological or physical. I will not have any of the negativity I grew up with around my child, tainting them in the way you have both done to me."
With that said, he left the apartment, waiting until he was outside before slipping his shoes on.
Had he been too hard on his mother? Perhaps. Would that change his mind in regards to having her in his child's life? Absolutely not. Itachi meant every word that he had said, especially the part about protecting his child as best as he could from negativity.
When Itachi was in his car, he paused, sighing to himself before pulling the seatbelt on. While it felt good to get all that pain and upset off his chest after so long of holding it in, he couldn't help but feel guilty for the way he'd spoken to her. After all, she was his mother. Despite everything, she was the one who carried him and then raised him.
Was being forced into becoming a killing machine really classed as raising, though? Granted, it was Fugaku who made him into what he was – a murderer – however, Mikoto had sat back and allowed it to happen. Not once did she voice her disagreement, or even attempt to stand up for him, instead allowing his father to trample all over him with his bullying, domineering ways.
Switching on the radio as Itachi pulled out of the car park, he turned the dial on the dashboard, turning the volume up while also winding down his two front windows. Fresh air immediately filled the car, effectively calming him as he breathed in and out slowly, relishing in the chilly air.
She was still home when he returned.
He shut the door quietly and removed his shoes, dropping his keys into a dish that resided on a tall dresser in the hallway. It was a considerable distance from the front door, meaning nobody would be able to somehow gain access to the keys (not that they would be able to, as he and Sakura made sure the door was always on its latch, as well as the fact that they didn't have a letterbox).
On the sofa, reading a book he knew to be from her classes, Sakura looked weary. Her elbow was resting on the arm of the sofa with her body curled up and a thin blanket covered her lower half. Head resting in her hand, she lazily turned the pages, not paying much attention to his return until Itachi sat down next to her, feeling the exact same exhaustion as she was showing.
"I'm sorry."
Frowning, Sakura closed her book and dropped it carelessly onto her lap. "What for?"
"For this morning," he told her.
There was a deep sigh, one that sounded like it was a mixture of annoyance, disbelief and exhaustion. "Kakashi spoke to me after you left, said that there's stuff that these people do, that you wouldn't want me knowing about – and I get it, really I do, but you need to understand that I need to know about who is going to be living in our building, watching over us." Silently, he nodded and then she continued with, "I'm not asking for the moon or the stars, Itachi. I just want to know everything that's need-to-know." Another pause and her frown deepened. "That woman – Anko, or whatever – is she really that bad?"
"She is a powerful asset," he murmured. For some odd reason, his throat felt raw.
"And I take it she's all kinds of screwed up, right?"
Mostly due to her past. "Yes."
"Then if it's for the best, I'll steer clear of her." He nodded once more, grateful for undeniably selfish reasons. "What about the others? Should I avoid them, too?"
The others… Itachi didn't have to think long about the list of names, for they were all memorised in his head. Along with Kurenai and Asuma, there were four others posing as couples: Morino Ibiki and Mitarashi Anko, as well as Gekkō Hayate and Uzuki Yūgao. The last two, who were both in separate apartments, were Tenzo and Sai (both without surnames, as the latter was brought into ANBU nameless and orphaned, whereas nobody truly knew the former's background – not to mention he frequently changed his name).
That was five apartments in total that would be filled up within the next few weeks. Itachi couldn't help but wonder if there were even that many available apartments in the building, or whether Danzo had forced some of the other tenants out of their homes.
"Morino Ibiki," he answered.
He was infamous for his torture and interrogation, to the point where the mere mentioning of his name made people pale and gulp nervously, made them break out into a cold sweat as they recalled a time where they had watched him in his area of expertise. Until he learned to control his emotions, Itachi had been no different. In fact, the only person to have never reacted negatively to Ibiki's interrogations was Mitarashi Anko, who seemed to delight in the anguish being inflicted on another. He'd never been too sure on which was more unsettling.
"They're posing as a couple, right?" she inquired and it was clear that Sakura was attempting to remember what was said on the sheets of information. Trying to lighten the dark mood, she then joked lightly, "Do you think maybe they're all couples, then?"
Rumours had been whispered around ANBU about Hayate and Yūgao for some time, claiming that they'd seen the pair growing closer as he taught her how to wield a katana properly. As for Asuma and Kurenai, it was known for sure that they were officially together – they were married, actually. As for Anko and Ibiki, however… The nicest and most polite way to put it was: Anko didn't care for settling down with one man – or woman, depending on her mood. Ibiki, on the other hand, was difficult to look at for too long and his rough personality made him just that little bit harder to approach. Had anything ever happened between them was another question, though.
Realising too late that Sakura wasn't actually looking for a detailed answer, Itachi smiled, saying, "Who knows?"
The lightness of her expression faltered and the earlier frown returned. "Did something happen at Shisui's, Itachi?"
His own smile disappeared as he sighed. "My mother was there."
"What?" She gasped in shock. "What did Mikoto-san want?"
Why did it make his heart warm that she still used honorifics for his mother? Was it because she was being the bigger person and showing her senior respect, despite all that had happened?
"She wished to know why we didn't inform her of the baby."
There was hesitancy in her reply and Itachi knew it was because she was still unsure of how to feel about becoming a mother. "What did you tell her?"
He accepted the hand that reached for his and felt himself relax as Sakura leaned them both back against the sofa, snuggling up to his side. "That, since I was disowned, what happens in my life is no longer any of their concern."
"I bet she didn't stand for that," she snorted.
Itachi smirked. "Of course not, however, I removed myself from the situation before it became uglier than what it already was or needed to be."
"At the end of the day, she's still your mother," Sakura agreed without pause.
Yes, she was and their conversation had left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Right now I think you probably just need some time to calm down, you know?" she murmured softly. "Everything that's happening with ANBU and then the move and me getting pregnant… It's bound to stress us out. Maybe you should take some time to calm down and then talk to her about it." The hand holding his gave a comforting squeeze. "At the very least, you could get closure."
Something in his chest ached, but Itachi wasn't sure if it was because of the situation with his parents, or because of Sakura's situation with hers. More than anything he wished it could all be so simple for her, as it would mean she wouldn't be in so much pain.
"Do you wish for the same?" Sakura's lips twitched at his question, forming a small, uncertain smile and realising that she was reluctant to discuss it, he gave her his own smile, wrapping an arm around her waist to bring them closer together. "Time," he repeated.
This was what he enjoyed most about their relationship – the comforting, or the simply being there. Being with Sakura made Itachi feel as though he was never alone, that he had a purpose and that purpose was to make her happy and keep her safe. Just a single smile from Sakura brightened his entire day.
It wasn't all smooth sailing, obviously, but every relationship had its ups and downs and fighting through those bad times made the good times twice as worth it. Sometimes their arguments made Itachi feel the need to leave and clear his head, to get a breath of fresh air, however, at the end of the day, they fought and clashed because they cared for one another. If Sakura suddenly stopped fighting, it would mean she had lost interest, it would mean that she didn't care and that was when he would need to worry.
"I think we should get a dog."
Had Itachi ever mentioned that he loved how random his girlfriend could be? No? Well it was true. She often said the strangest thing at the worst possible time and while this wasn't necessarily an example of that part of her personality…
"A dog?" he repeated. "What brought that thought to mind?"
Twisting in his hold, Sakura glanced down at him and he watched the uncertainty on her features grow. "Since that guy broke in to try and scare us out… and then all this with Hidan and…" Shaking her head, she gave a small smile. "I'd feel safer if we had a dog."
Dogs could be fierce protectors, that was true and Itachi knew that for a fact because back when he was on Kakashi's squad, the man had been in control of the canine unit – they were used to track people down, if that wasn't obvious enough. All the dogs had responded to him without hesitation, following his every command, as well as him, loyally.
But those dogs had also had vicious streaks and those streaks were always shown whenever they tore into the enemy, sometimes literally tearing them to shreds. They were taught to be that way, he knew that, but there were certain breeds of dogs that followed their instincts completely, their need to hunt overriding everything else they'd been taught. What if they took in a dog that and it attacked them? Or what if it grew jealous of the baby? Dogs – animals in general – were dangerously unpredictable.
"What breed did you have in mind?" asked Itachi. "A pug, like Pakkun?"
She shook her head. "Something a bit bigger and more intimidating."
Great. That sounded like a great idea when they had a baby on the way. "Sakura…"
"You don't have to make your decision now, but please say you'll think about it at least."
What was there to think about? His girlfriend wanted to bring a big, intimidating dog into their two-bedroom apartment. For starters, it would grow restless with being cooped up in such a small space. Pakkun was fine, as he was a small dog and was also getting on in his years. Bigger dogs required more exercise, which brought Itachi to his next point: where would they find the time to walk a dog?
They both had university and they both had work. Sakura was pregnant. Did she really think that she could handle a large dog in her condition? No, he wasn't calling her weak, because she was anything but, it was simply the fact that she wasn't supposed to do anything that could cause stress for her or their unborn child. Having a dog dragging her around the park seemed like an unnecessary stress to him.
It just wasn't practical to have a large dog in a small apartment, just like it wasn't practical to have a large, boisterous dog around a woman who was still in the early stages of her pregnancy. There were too many what ifs to ever make Itachi comfortable with the idea. He opened his mouth, about to tell her as such, but Sakura silenced him by pressing a single finger to his lips, shushing him.
"Please?" she asked with a shy smile. "Please think about it?"
How could he refuse the woman he loved when she looked at him in such a way?
Before he even realised it, Itachi nodded his agreement to think about it.
"You think I should agree?"
"Yeah."
Shaking his head in a rare show of disbelief, Itachi pulled up in front of the flower store owned by Yamanaka Ino's parents. Through the windows, he could see that the blonde was there, leaning against the counter and laughing at something Sakura was saying. Other than the two girls, however, the shop was empty and he wondered if it was merely because of the time of day.
After knocking the car out of gear, he lifted the handbrake and sat back in his seat, switching off the engine, prepared to wait until the end of Sakura's shift. They would probably be giving Ino a ride home again, though it didn't particularly bother him. It was obvious they were both in better spirits after the break in, so it would make for a less awkward drive.
"Why?"
Reaching out for the phone attached to his dashboard, Itachi disconnected it from the hands free system and put it to his ear. On the other end of the line, his younger brother sighed, clearly not in the mood to be explaining Sakura's way of thinking to him – it wouldn't be the first time Itachi had gone to Sasuke for advice, after all.
"She's the type of girl who needs to feel safe. It's the reason why she was with Hidan, don't forget," he retorted with an air of agitation. "If a big dog that has the ability of scaring the crap out of anyone who sees it makes her feel that way, then let her have one."
Agitation began to claw at him. "Sakura is pregnant, Sasuke. Don't say such reckless things."
"Yeah, she's pregnant. She's not got some terminal illness." Another sigh. "Seriously, Nii-san. You need to loosen your leash a little, unless you want Sakura to start feeling claustrophobic about the whole pregnancy. Give her a break."
Claustrophobic? Did Sasuke even know the meaning of the word, since he was using it in a completely idiotic way?
Then again, if he was thinking in the same way as his brother usually did, then he merely meant that she would be feeling overwhelmed and trapped by the pregnancy, though using a word that was utterly overdramatic.
"My leash?" he eventually questioned. What was that supposed to mean?
"Yeah, the one that you're keeping Sakura tied down with."
Was Sasuke trying to insinuate that Sakura was of the submissive type? How foolish of him. Her personality screamed that she didn't know the meaning of the word. "There is no leash, Sasuke. Sakura is free to be whoever she wants to be."
"Of course she is, Barbie."
Barbie? Wasn't that some kind of doll?
Yet another sigh. "I was being sarcastic, Itachi. I forgot that you're the kind of person to take things seriously all the time."
Was this phone call going to turn into a conversation where he was insulted repeatedly?
"All I'm saying is that Sakura's putting aside a lot of the bullshit going through her mind while going through with the pregnancy and it's all for you. The very least you can do in return is help to make her feel safer in her own home, don't you think?"
No, Itachi had most definitely not forgotten Sakura's struggles with coming to terms with their pregnancy, though he did keep overlooking it due to his own feelings. Was that selfish of him? Did being immersed in his excitement at becoming a father make him a bad partner? Had he and Sakura grown up in normal families, would it be this difficult to be on the same page as one another?
"From the silence, I can tell I'm right." It sounded like he'd switched out a light and fell back into bed. Sasuke's next words confirmed that thought, "Anyway, my classes start early tomorrow morning. See you."
Itachi smiled despite his inner turmoil. "Keep up the good work, Sasuke. I'm proud of you."
A pause. A deep breath. And then, when his brother replied, there was an obvious smile in his voice, "Thanks, Nii-san."
They simultaneously hung up and once his phone was locked, Itachi's dark eyes drifted over to the flower shop, grateful to find that the two women were now wearing their winter jackets and closing up for the night. It was only six in the evening, but due to it still being winter and the days being shorter, they shut earlier than usual.
He got out of the car as they left the shop, leaning back against it and watching them silently. Ino was the one with the keys, however, Sakura was the one to double check that it was definitely locked securely. Only the management, Ino and Sakura knew of Hidan's involvement in the attack. The rest of the staff believed it had been an attack on the shop and not Sakura, so Ino's mother, the owner of the store, had upgraded all the security and made it a rule that two people locked up instead of just one. They decided together that she didn't need the extra attention.
"Hi," his girlfriend greeted with a warm smile. It was that cold that he could see her breath and once she reached him, Itachi removed the scarf from around his neck and wrapped it around hers, making her blush. "Thanks."
It was adorable the way she snuggled into it, noticeably enjoying the warmth even as she covered the lower half of her face.
"Are we taking Ino-san home?" he asked.
Ino was the one who answered, her hands buried deep into her pockets. "Thanks for the offer, but Sai's picking me up – look, there's his car now!"
Sakura visibly tensed at the mentioning of Sai's name and more than anything, Itachi wished she had a better poker face than that, because Ino was definitely going to pick up on something being wrong. The blonde thankfully didn't notice, too busy with waving almost frantically at her boyfriend, grinning from ear-to-ear as she watched him park up not too far from them.
Sai was a wiry looking boy who resembled Sasuke in such a startling way that it honestly had Itachi doing a double take. He'd heard a lot about Sai, mostly whenever Ino wouldn't stop talking about him and he unwilling overheard the entire conversations, but sometimes from Sakura bringing him up casually if he was involved in her day. However, he had never met him.
He looked so young.
His stomach twisted sickeningly at the thought of him being involved in ANBU.
"Ino," Sai greeted his girlfriend with surprising warmth, allowing her to take his arm as she all but latched herself onto him, greedily stealing his body heat. "Sakura-san and… Uchiha-san." He tilted his head to the side, smiling a so very obviously fake smile. "I don't believe we have met before." Holding out his hand, his smile widened, eyes closing. "My name is Sai. It is an honour to meet you."
The smile was uncomfortable to look at. Still, for the sake of their cover, Itachi returned it and accepted his hand, shaking it firmly. "Likewise, Sai-kun."
Gods, he looked so young and the striking resemblance to his own brother had his skin crawling. What if Sasuke had been in Sai's place? What if he'd been an orphan who was taken in and forced to become a killer? Oh, it made him feel sick. How many other children were in the same position as Sai? Were they all loyal to Danzo, or simply respecting the man who had taken them in when nobody else wanted them?
The smile dropped – no, not dropped, but simmered to a more natural one as he glanced down at Ino, who was still hanging onto his arm. "I have some news, Ino."
Once again, Sakura tensed and Itachi couldn't help but watch her warily. Would it be best to take her out of the conversation? To take them both out of it, actually.
"Is it about our holiday?" she gushed, her earlier grin returning. "Where are we going? Is it somewhere hot? Tropical, I hope. Oh, what do I need to pack and when are we going? How long for? Where-"
"It isn't about the holiday." The smile did disappear this time, taken over by an apologetic expression. "There was a gas leak in my building and we have been told it could take weeks to fix the problem, since it's such an old place."
Horror washed over the blonde. They could practically feel it in the air. "Was anyone hurt? Are you okay?"
It made Itachi wonder how real the relationship was, or whether it was just a cover for the sake of blending in. In ANBU, it wasn't exactly unheard of to settle down with someone solely for the sake of seeming like an ordinary person who had a mortgage and a boring desk job. The operative in question would seem less suspicious if they had a partner, children and a pet. Was that what their relationship was? Clearly it was real to Ino, as the girl was painfully obviously infatuated by the stoic boy, but could the same be said in return? How real were Sai's feelings, if he even had any at all?
Sakura must have been having the same thoughts, because she suddenly took his hand and smiled a small, reluctant smile. "Come on, Itachi. It's freezing and I want to go home."
The change in mood instantly caught Ino's attention, who was quick to drop her conversation with Sai to look over at them both. Her blue eyes were narrowed on him, much to Itachi's surprise, but then again, she'd always been suspicious of him. The seriousness of his relationship with Sakura meant little time to spend with her best friend, as they wanted to spend as much time together as possible. It pushed her out of the picture and Ino disliked him because of it.
"Sakura?"
"I'm just tired," she tried to assure the blonde, waving her worry off dismissively. "It's been a long day."
"Right…" The girl's frown deepened and those accusing eyes bore into his head. "Well, call me if you need to talk about anything, okay?"
Sakura's smile was more genuine this time. "I will."
It wasn't even a minute later that they were in the car and driving off, leaving the couple behind. The streets were dark, lit up by the street lights and the lighting coming from buildings and homes. Since it was getting on into the evening now, the streets were less busy and he felt quite proud of himself as he went through yet another green light – he'd yet to be stopped by an amber or red light. Luck seemed to be on his side.
"I don't know how I'm going to be able to look either of them in the eye," she confessed suddenly.
Glancing at Sakura out of the corner of his eye, Itachi turned right, slowing down as they entered a narrow road and he saw that another car was coming towards him. Once it was safe to do so and they had squeezed by one another, he picked up speed again.
"You cannot allow Ino-san to find out, Sakura," he told her. "Until Sai-kun allows it, it is not our place to tell her."
"It'll break her heart," came her quiet response. Tilting her head to the right so that he couldn't see her expression, she then murmured, "Repeatedly."
Guilt made his stomach twist. How many sleepless nights were going to plague Sakura? Nights where he would be away on missions and she would sit up, waiting for his return while hoping and praying that he would return safely to her and in one piece. What about the nights where she suffered with night terrors? Where she would be immobilised by fear? Would he be there for her?
His streak came to an end as they reached a red light and he set his indicator to tell the other drivers that he planned on turning left.
If he wasn't there, then who would protect her? Who would tell her without words that everything was going to be all right?
Green eyes shot to his in confusion when Itachi cancelled his indicator and drove on as soon as the lights changed. The confusion continued to grow until they eventually came to a stop outside of a well-known building, one that had her eyes going impossibly wide, one that had her almost bouncing in her seat with disbelieving excitement.
"You're serious?"
He smiled. "Yes."
"We're getting a dog?"
His smile widened. It truly was refreshing how innocent and childish she could be. "We are."
Without saying another word, Sakura was rushing out of the car and shutting the door hurriedly, unable to hide her grin when they approached the kennel.
It was an old place, had been around since before he was born, but it was never short of dogs needing homes and if they were going to get a dog, then they were going to have a rescue dog. Itachi had always strongly believed that people should take in rescue animals rather than paying thousands to a money grabbing breeder. Apparently Sakura agreed with that thought, because she didn't question him and smiled widely at the young woman who greeted them.
She was around his own age, if not a few years older and her hair was long and brown, tied neatly into a ponytail that rested on the back of her neck. That was the only part of her that seemed professional, as the rest of her was laid-back and casual, from her ripped jeans, to her trainers, to her low cut vest top.
"Hi, I'm Inuzuka Hana," she greeted. "How can I help you today?"
The front desk wasn't much to be admired, what with the messy piles of paperwork and large outdated computer, but Hana fortunately knew her way around it and immediately grabbed a clipboard from beneath the large stack of papers, uncaringly toppling them over.
"We'd like a dog," Sakura told her, still grinning.
"I'm very happy that you came to us," Hana admitted with a returning grin. "Most days, people want those little toys that they carry around in their purse. Here." She held out the clipboard and handed them a pen. "Please sign this form. It's just to keep track of who's in and who's out in case of an emergency."
How responsible. Itachi's dark eyes skimmed through the sheet. It wasn't professional, just like the woman wasn't, but he signed it anyway. If it was for insurance purposes, then it had to be done. It didn't look as though they had a lot of spare money lying around to tidy the place up, or at least spend more than five minutes on their paperwork.
"Follow me," ordered the brunette as she accepted the clipboard and turned on her heel. Her pace was brisk and purposeful, yet the air around her was content and excited. "My mom and brother have just finished walking the dogs for the day, so don't be surprised if a few of them are tired. Some here are almost older than my brother."
Sakura perked up at her words, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully. "You wouldn't happen to be Inuzuka Kiba's sister, would you?"
Hana nodded at that, throwing a wry smile over her shoulder at them. "He's quite the troublemaker and I take no responsibility for that."
"I never knew he had a sister," she replied.
"Friend of yours?"
"Not really, we were in the same classes in school, but didn't get to talk much."
A loud laugh escaped her and the woman shrugged. "He spends most of his free time caring for these dogs. Says he prefers them to people half the time."
"Can't say I blame him."
It was astonishing how easily Sakura got along with people she didn't even know. Had it been himself, he would be… Well, acting the very same way as he was now: quiet and reserved. There was simply nothing to say to the woman who was leading them through hallways and towards the dogs.
Hana pulled a card out of her jeans pocket, swiping it through a machine at the side of the door and as it swung open, Itachi saw Sakura's mouth drop open – and for good reason, too.
Unlike the rest of the rundown building, this place was bordering on luxurious (for animals, at least). It couldn't be helped that they were in cages, but it seemed the Inuzuka family made sure they were spacious and filled with toys and blankets and while Itachi could faintly smell the distinctive scent of urine and faeces, there was none in sight, telling them that the staff made sure to clean it up as soon as they saw it. The aisle between both sides of cages wasn't all that large, but he supposed that it was either a small aisle, or small cages.
It was gut-wrenching how many dogs there were and his girlfriend must have thought the same, because she reached out for his hand, walking closely to him.
"What kind are you after?" asked Hana.
"A big dog," came Sakura's quiet reply.
At the change of tone, the brunette glanced over her shoulder and the grin dimmed to a small, understanding smile. "I know it's not the nicest sight in the world, all these dogs locked up when they should be able to run free in loving homes, but know that we do our absolute best to make this a home for them." Sadly, Sakura nodded, her green eyes drifting around the room. "There's a large yard out back that we let them play in and on top of that, our staff and volunteers are always walking the dogs. They get the exercise they need and they're definitely spoiled with how many treats they get."
Turning again, she gestured to the cages. "My mom personally trains them all to give them a better chance of finding homes – or forever homes, as some of the staff like to call them – so they're extremely responsive to orders. She took part in some training programme, meaning she's the real deal."
This time, Itachi was the one to perk up. Specially trained dogs by somebody who was trained themselves to complete the task appropriately, someone who knew what they were doing.
"Now, you want a big dog, right?" Smiling, Hana once again began to walk forward, gesturing for them to follow. "We keep the big guys at the back due to being able to fit bigger cages down there, so just follow me."
Even bigger cages? He glanced sideways, looking over the dogs that were either standing to attention at the cage door, or sleeping amongst their mess of blankets and toys, barely even opening an eye to look back at them. Sakura brightened considerably at the sight of some of the dogs and in that moment, Itachi almost thought that he was psychic, because he could tell without a doubt that, if she could, she would take them all with her.
There were many different breeds of dogs in the kennels. The smaller breeds were kept to the front of the spacious room and the larger to the back, like an ascent, of sorts. It was set out in the shape of a sideways 'L' – something Itachi hadn't noticed until just now as they turned the corner and he could see what Hana meant by more space. The cages on this particular side of the room were easily thrice the size as the ordinary ones and for good reason, too.
In these cages were Great Danes, Alsatians, Rottweilers, Akitas and some many more. Unlike the other dogs, these ones immediately shot to attention, moving to sit in front of their cage doors the second they caught scent of their approach. Itachi could recall a dog from ANBU doing the exact same thing and if his memory was correct, then it was fiercest of them all and loyal only to Kakashi, who had been the one to take care of it.
"Obviously a couple of these guys come with warnings," Hana stated seriously and came to a stop in the centre of the cages. "No kids, no other pets and what have you. Do you have children?"
"I'm pregnant," Sakura answered, surprising Itachi briefly. Usually, she tried to hide that fact and didn't want others to know for whatever reason. "So we need a dog that's going to protect the baby, not hurt it."
His heart warmed.
Hana smiled at that and pointed straight to a certain cage. This one was at the very back of the room, housing a great Akita with an incredibly fluffy coat that consisted of red and white fur. It was a beautiful dog, there was no denying that.
"This lady is definitely up for that role. Honestly, she won't let anyone near our Kiba and she's only been here four months."
Itachi stepped closer to the cage, regarding the dog as it tilted its head to the side, ears perking up. "Do you know how old she is?"
"Going from the examinations I've conducted, I'd say she's around five, maybe six years old." Glancing over her shoulder, she then pointed her thumb at a different cage. "Then we've got this one over here. Very well behaved and always holds himself back when playing with the other pups."
Like he had with the Akita, Sakura walked up to the cage holding the other dog, kneeling down in front of it so that she was eye-to-eye. "What breed is he?"
"He's an American Akita."
"He looks like a teddy bear." She gave a short giggle and pressed a hand to the cage, allowing the dog to sniff her hand. Its fur was a strange tint of silver along with black. "Is the other one a Japanese Akita, then?"
"Yep." Looking around, Hana then said, "Of course there's plenty of dogs here, but these two are the most protective of them all."
The Akita breed, whether it was Japanese or American, was usually a vicious one, if Itachi was not mistaken. There'd been countless attacks involving the two breeds, but then again, what breed of dog hadn't been involved in some kind of attack? At the end of the day, they were animals and animals were unpredictable. Inviting any kind of dog into your home was a huge risk, whether it was a Chihuahua or a Pit Bull. What really made the difference was how the owner treated and trained the dog.
"You said they were all trained?"
Hana nodded. "Mom started with these guys first, since they're the biggest and in some cases oldest, too. The oldest are hardest to train if they've already picked up bad habits. Unfortunately, we've had a few dogs that can't be rehomed because of bad behaviour and viciousness, but Mom went ahead and adopted them herself. She just can't see a healthy dog be put down because of their previous owner."
"That's amazing," Sakura exclaimed, still more fascinated by the dog rather than the conversation. "And what about you? Do you have any?"
"Of course." The woman grinned brightly. "Three Huskies, actually. Kiba's taken one in, too. A Great Pyrenees."
"It's nice to know," she said earnestly and then laughed as the dog licked her hand, which was still resting on the cage. "Itachi, I really like him!"
Oh dear.
His dark eyes slid down towards the female Akita. She was such a beautiful dog and it was such a shame to keep her locked in a cage. As though sensing his thoughts, she jumped up onto the door of the cage and tilted her head to the side, tail wagging excitedly. She was almost the same height as him.
Hana smirked. "Shall I leave you both for a moment to come to a decision?" Hesitantly, Sakura looked over her shoulder at Itachi and he looked to her, both of them torn. "Just so you know," Hana continued in an almost purr as she walked away, "you can take more than one."
More than one dog in their apartment – both Akita, also. Was that really okay? Could they really keep such large breeds locked in the apartment when-
They were either going to stay locked away in the cages, or locked away in an apartment. Obviously there would be walks either way, but having them in the apartment would grant them more freedom than in their cages.
Knowingly, Sakura's eyes sparkled and she grinned. She already knew his decision and proved this by dashing off after Hana, shouting, "Hana-san, we'll take them both."
Tomorrow, they would be filing the paperwork for their new additions to their growing family. The money had already been handed over, securing them both and they were told that they could be picked up as soon as the paperwork was done, although the two of them had decided to wait until the living room was painted and completed.
The smile on Sakura's face was undeniably infectious and repeatedly, Itachi caught himself returning it whenever their eyes met, whenever it would widen as they locked gazes.
Behind him, the bedroom door opened slowly and his girlfriend stepped out, dressed down and ready for an early night. Lately, the pregnancy had been causing her to feel more tired than usual, though they'd discovered that that was to be expected. In her words, she was growing a little human, after all.
"I'll lock up," he assured her, smiling down at her as Sakura wrapped her small arms around his waist, kissing his collarbone briefly.
"I love you, you know."
Itachi chuckled at that. "Yes, I know." Releasing her, he then told Sakura, "I will join you in a few moments."
Her smile widened once again. "You just want me to warm the bed up for you, don't you?"
"You do it plenty of times to me." He leaned down, brushing his lips softly to hers and enjoying the sigh of happiness and pleasure that left her. "I will be quick."
With a knowing expression, Sakura sauntered off to the bedroom with an extra sway in her hips and he watched her unabashedly, unable to stop himself from wondering just how he managed to find such an amazing woman. Even though she clearly had a few issues, Itachi genuinely couldn't think of anyone who could be placed above her. She was magnificent.
Turning around and heading over towards the balcony, Itachi pulled on the door, sighing as he found that it was unlocked. They'd been out there earlier with mugs of hot chocolate, watching the stars and due to their elated moods, had completely forgotten about locking it afterwards. They hadn't left the apartment, so it hadn't occurred to them to check.
Stepping out, Itachi breathed in deeply. It was chilly – freezing, even – but it was fresh air that he welcomed.
That was until he glanced down and saw something that had the colour draining from his features, that had his entire body tensing and his once happy mood shattering.
There, laying on the road, were the bodies of several ANBU operatives in full uniform, each contorted and manipulated to spell a single word.
Soon.
But what truly affected him was the man standing not too far from them, grinning maliciously. He was back.
Hidan was back.
A/N – Did you guys know that the average length of a chapter in a book (not including Fifty Shades because wow those chapters are long) is around one thousand words? So basically I'm clumping together about eight chapters here, meaning you have to have a little more patience with me, please. I know I usually post either weekly or fortnightly, but I have work and university and other responsibilities.
It's a surprisingly hard job going from writing an emotionally constipated Itachi, to this sweet, loving, happy Itachi, you know. I keep thinking that I'm going to mix them up!