Naruto is the property of TV Tokyo and that crazy manga dude that likes to draw toes, hence the ninja sandals, despite the fact that sandals are impractical.

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Here you go, lovelies. I promise, I'll have something juicy by this weekend. Can't wait!

"Tsu-Tsunade-sama!" Shizune covered her mouth as she chuckled, trying not to let Sakura see her laugh.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Like anyone could miss that afterglow." She sighed, shuffling the papers on her desk. "Where did I put that damn- Shizune! I can't find last night's reports!" Shizune stopped laughing, handing a manila folder to Tsunade. The woman yanked out a paper.

The Hokage's brow knitted further. She looked up at the clock on the wall, then back to the report, shaking her head.

"Hokage-sama, Is there something wrong?" Sakura approached the desk, dropping her bag to lean against the weathered wood.

"Naruto picked up the package at 3:37 PM yesterday."

"He made good time," Shizune pointed out.

"Exactly. He would have been back late last night if he had turned right around."

"Perhaps he stopped for the night?" Shizune offered.

"No." Sakura began to frown with worry. "Naruto takes these missions way too seriously. He has the stamina to run far longer than twelve hours."

Tsunade considered this for a moment, then handed the folder back to her assistant. "We'll give him a few more hours. I'm not sending out a team just find that he ate too much ramen and had to bunk for the night. Sakura." She looked sternly at her fuming student. "You have a lot of work to do." Sakura sighed, nodding.

It was going to be a long day.

O*O*O*O*O*O*

"SAKURA!"

Sakura sweat dropped. "Yes, Tsunade-sama?" She poked her head from the outer office into the main one to look at her teacher. The well-bosomed blonde thrust some money in her direction.

"I need a drink."

Another sweat drop appeared on Sakura's face. "It's one in the afternoon." Tsunade glared at her. "Fine. Can I get some lunch while I'm at it?" Tsunade grunted. Sakura took this as a "yes," snatching her bag and the proffered money.

Man, do I even have anything at the house? God, Itachi must be hungry. He needs food so he can heal. Jesus, I should have gone to lunch sooner!

"Haruno-san." A shinobi waiting outside the Hokage's office addressed her formally.

"Ohaiyo," she said distractedly, still buried in her thoughts. Suddenly, she stopped, double-taking the ninja.

He winked as his eyes flashed red.

"Wha-but-you-" Sakura shook her head and her hackles rose angrily. "Are you insane? !" Itachi gave her that look that made her weak in the knees. "Is-is this a henge?"

He did look different. For one, he was out of his Akatsuki robes, instead garbed in a Chunnin vest. Under it was a tight black shirt, covering halfway up his throat, like a turtleneck, with three quarter sleeves. His pants were also black, rolled up to just below his knees. An intact hitei-ite hung casually from his hips like a belt, tied to the belt loops. A pair of fingerless gloves covered his hands. As Itachi swiped at his forelock, Sakura noticed the nail polish was gone.

But the hardest to miss was his hair. His bangs were no longer shaggy and overgrown, razored to fit the curve of his face, ending at his jaw. His ponytail was shorter too. Now, the tail brushed around his shoulders. "Why would I disguise myself in a henge? Last time I walked in broad daylight here, I was wearing my cloak, and still no one noticed." Sakura tilted her head from side to side, conceding. "Do you find me unattractive like this?"

Sakura shook her head vigorously, her eyes raking up and down his body. Hot… A thought occurred to her. "Where did you get the clothes?"

He shrugged. "It seems my little brother left our family home completely as it was." He plucked the vest. "And I'm apparently the same size as I was back then." Sakura bit back the questions about his old home.

"And the hair?"

Itachi brushed back his bangs again. "I cut it."

She raised an eyebrow. "Yourself? You did that on your own?"

The corners of Itachi's mouth twitched upwards. "This may surprise you, Sakura, but I'm very good with hair. Who do you think taught Sasuke to style his hair like that?"

"That was you? !" He must have seen the disbelief on her face.

"I noticed he still does his hair like I showed him. That's because that's the only way his hair has any semblance of order. It sticks up in all directions." Sakura choked back a fit of laughter. "If it wasn't cut and styled like that, he would look like your blond friend, Uzumaki." The image finally cracked Sakura. She burst into hysterics, as she imagined what Sasuke's hair would look like in the morning. It occurred to her that that was the reason that Sasuke had always woken up and gotten ready before anyone had stirred from sleep. Tears of mirth rolled down her face.

"R-really? !" Through her giggles, Sakura saw Itachi make a half smile.

"Since he was an infant. Mother tried everything to make his hair behave. She grew it out, but his hair was so stiff and thick, it would still stick out. He looked like a bear." Sakura laughed harder. "She also tried cutting it so short you could see his scalp, but all that did was show all his cowlicks. He wore a hat for weeks."

She finally fell to the floor, gasping for air. Itachi crouched over her. "I know it's funny, but I never realized it was that comedic." Sakura wiped her face, still laughing in between pants. Itachi stood, offering his hand to help her up. When she grabbed his hand, Itachi gave her a firm pull, the other arm catching her around the waist to bring her in tight.

Sakura's breath caught in her throat as he released her hand to trace his finger over her cheek. His lips were just a scant inch from hers. He studied her face intently with that look again. She felt the muscles in her abdomen clench with desire. She squirmed a little as she found that though her mouth had gone dry, a familiar moistness was gathering below.

"That explains the O-glow I saw this morning." Sakura turned her head sharply, blushing deeply as she saw Tsunade with her hands on her hips.

"Tsunade-sama, let me-"

She rolled her eyes, and shook her head. "I don't give a crap. You two can make out after you get my sake. Oh, and Itachi," She headed back in her office, yelling out the last words. "Use the usual henge, there's a wanted poster of you up in town right now."

Sakura blinked, staring at Itachi whose expression was similarly shocked.

"Was that a blessing?" Sakura arched an eyebrow.

"I do believe it was." Itachi faced her again. "You're buying her alcohol?" Sakura shrugged.

"Yeah, I often do."

"And they don't realize you're not eighteen?"

"No, they just know it's for her." Sakura became painfully aware how close they still were. "Um, Itachi? I have to-"

"Yes." He let go of her, and she suppressed a groan of longing.

"And your usual disguise? What's that?" She knelt to pick up the wad of money she had dropped while laughing. As she stood, there was a poof of smoke. She waved the smoke away, coughing. When she saw him again, an eyebrow shot up. "Seriously?" The new Itachi looked at himself, then back at her with a questioning frown. "That's all? I was kind of expecting more of a change." Itachi's marks had become shorter, reducing to two indents on the sides of his nose. Both his eyes and his hair had turned a deep purple.

"Sakura, it's not necessary to change more than this. The two things people can really identify with me is the coloring of my hair and eyes, and the tear troughs." He leaned down, brushing his nose against Sakura's. "Unless you rather a different face? Am I unappealing?" His fingers came up to wander around her neck. Sakura gulped, her vision going fuzzy. The man oozed sex out of every pore, even when in disguise.

"But, uh, what am I supposed to call you?" She forced the words out. He pulled back with his sexy half smile playing around his mouth.

"You may call me Yokoi."

"Right. Yeah. Yokoi," she squeaked, turning. "Time to go."

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