A/N: Thanks to everyone who continues to read, review and add. It's all very much appreciated by this authoress.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Naruto or Blizzard's World of Warcraft Sin'dorei, or the few Thalassian words I've borrowed for this fic. I am just not that much of a genius people.
Summary: The Great Ninja Wars had ended more than a decade ago. But that wouldn't stop a country supposedly in a state of peace from searching for greater power to hold over other countries, or even a clan from another. Itachi Uchiha, a cold and calculating ANBU captain, and prominent and rising prodigy of the Uchiha Clan, captures Sakura Haruno an elusive "Sin'dorei", something many believed to be nothing but a childhood fairytale.
Thanks to the betas: Pyrodarkangel; HarmonyRose
Chapter 14:
Sakura sat cross-legged in the middle of the park. Her eyes were closed, and she savored the feel of the rays of the rising sun on her skin. It had been such a long time since she had done any true mental exercise. Section, by section, she began to memorize the layout of the park, by it's chakra imprint. It helped greatly that she had taken Itachi by the hand yesterday evening, and taught him to do what she was doing now.
Of course he was able to grasp the concept fairly easily, however he still couldn't feel the chakra imprint in some things without her aid. It was like this that Kakashi found her. The girl looked oddly peaceful in the morning light, the entire line of her body was relaxed, her expression serene.
"Sakura," the copy nin spoke softly.
Green eyes fluttered opened and she smiled as she rose to her feet. As she did so, Kakashi immediately noticed that she no longer wore the choker that she used to conceal the seal that was around her neck. It was stark and black against her skin, on display for the entire world to see. Sakura was such a strange girl.
"Good morning Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said politely.
The male decided it would be good to inquire as to what exactly the girl had been doing when he had arrived, "What was it that you were doing just now?"
The Sin'dorei smiled, "I was just meditating, and using the time to help myself focus."
"I see," the shinobi replied coolly, taking in her somber appearance.
"Well for starters, I want you to do four laps around the track. No chakra," Kakashi ordered curtly, "And I would like you to start like that every morning before we start…"
Sakura tilted her head and then nodded, "Yes Kakashi-sensei."
The Sin'dorei made her way to the track and began to warm up, stretching her muscles. Her ribs were still a little sore from Kakashi's direct kick yesterday, however, she had been able to heal them a little bit and take away most of the pain. As she ran she noticed Kakashi's nose was buried in that book of his. Sakura made a face as he was probably only making her run so he'd have more time to read that thing.
Once finished, she bent over, hands on her knees as she took small breaths to regain the normal rhythm of her breathing. She was definitely more out of shape than she'd like to admit. Approaching her teacher she looked up at him, perspiration dotting her temples, "I completed the task, sensei."
The male looked at her and she could tell he was smiling from beneath that mask of his, "Good," and he paused, "Here, from now on I want you to wear these as well when we practice, it will help get you into shape…" He reached into his pack and handed her a set of weights for her ankles.
"Yes sensei," she replied obediently, sitting down to fasten them on.
Kakashi put his book away and crossed his arms, peering down at the pinkette, "Well to be honest Sakura, I don't know where to begin with you. It seems that you could benefit from some Taijutsu and strength training because when you came at me yesterday, I realized that you were a little on the slow side. The weights should help with that… if you make sure to practice with them on."
Sakura nodded and then asked, "So why do you say… you don't know where to begin?"
The older male's eyes crinkled as he replied honestly, "I've never seen anyone use the techniques that you used against me yesterday. And I was completely unable to copy them."
Sakura tilted her head and thought about this momentarily, "I noticed that humans use hand signs to channel elemental chakra energy. I use chants to help me focus on what I'm doing."
Kakashi asked coolly, "Would you mind giving me an example…?"
"Of course," Sakura nodded and moved to the side, focusing on a tree, mentally praying for forgiveness for the destruction she would be constantly partaking in now.
"Source of all power, crimson fire smoldering light…" lifting her hands above her head and crossing her wrists as two fiery arrows on each side appeared, she sent them at the trunk of the tree, her voice strong and in the tongue of human kind so that her teacher would understand her words, "Flare arrow!"
The energy whirled past her hitting the truck of the tree soundly, the wood immediately charred from the impact.
Kakashi queried wide-eyed, "Can you call on any element at will?"
The Weaver Instructor tapped his wand on the desk, blue eyes cold, "The words you choose to summon the elemental chakra to you, matters, and yet it matters not. For everyone the words will come differently. As long as you can describe what you are looking to summon accurately, it will form for you, but you must visualize what you desire vividly. It takes a lot of concentration to manage chakra at higher levels… If you mess up, and do not pay the proper homage to the elements, they will not answer your call. If you keep practicing, you will be capable to call them to you with just your mind. Do you understand?"
Blinking Sakura nodded, "Yes I think so…"
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "Well your technique definitely has some distinct weaknesses and strengths."
This drew his student's attention back to him, "With your abilities, if you were able to catch a shinobi unaware you could definitely kill him before he knows what's going on… however this chanting thing of yours can be rather slow. A good shinobi with a strong genjutsu will have little difficulty against you, if they play their cards right."
"That's not good is it…?" Sakura pouted.
The male chuckled and shook his head, "This is where your shinobi training will come in handy. Trickery and subterfuge will help you with this. And learning to use what combinations when and where will definitely be good for you. I think you'll make a kunoichi yet."
Kakashi looked up at the sky and then glanced back at her, "We'll resume some exercises tomorrow, and I'll test your knowledge as well, so that I can accurately graph your strength and weaknesses."
"Thank you Kakashi-sensei. I better get over to the hospital to meet with Shizune," Sakura bowed and was gone before Kakashi could reply.
-oOo-
The next few days proved to work out well for Sakura. She now understood why the Hokage had chosen Kakashi to teach her. He was, despite his strange mannerisms and easy go lucky attitude, quite intelligent. Sakura was amazed that he was able to pick up as much as he did with her explanations. Even the weights were helping her get back into shape. Her mind was getting a work out as well, with all the possible combinations and scenarios that Kakashi was helping her put together. For the first time in her life, she felt at least decently confident about going into a battle with someone. She was more prepared than she'd ever been.
The Sin'dorei had even decided to wear the weights Kakashi had given her all the time and used very little chakra to aid her physically, if at all, even with the exercises he gave her. He was amazingly patient, she found herself agreeing with Tsunade's accurate synopsis of him. Though, she did think his penchant for reading those orange books very strange, not to mention… the giggling still made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at times.
Learning to read the human language was easier said than done. The letters and symbols rolled around in her head each evening as she struggled to finish the learning activities that Shizune had given her. She was making progress however, because now she could read simple elementary level books. Although she was loathed to admit it, the pictures did help focus her mind in the right direction.
The medical exercises were definitely not her forte.
Sakura gazed down at the scroll with the dead fish in the center and glanced up at Shizune, who was explaining the precise chakra it took to bring it back to life. Frowning Sakura asked the patient woman, "Um… can I at least get a bowl of water…?"
"For what?" Shizune looked at the girl, a little goggle-eyed.
"Well if I bring this fish back to life… won't it just die again if there's no water to put it in?" Sakura asked tentatively, seriously confused by the older woman's logic.
This little girl was so odd, Shizune's lips thinned. It was a good thing that Tsunade had assigned Sakura to her. Tsunade would have strangled her by now. Shizune asked, "Why does that matter? It's just a fish from the market. You need to show me what you can do…"
Luminescent viridian eyes narrowed as they met irritated brown ones, "I do not see the point in an exercise like this… What is the point of healing something if it's just going to die… again?"
Shizune threw her hands up in the air, "Alright, fine… I'll get you some water…"
The Sin'dorei waited patiently, and tried not to wince when Shizune set down an old glass fishbowl full of water next to her a little too roughly, "Okay, here's the water you requested. Now please continue with your exercises."
Nodding the girl placed her hands over the fish. Concentrating chakra into her palms, she attempted the hand signs that the humans seemed to favor.
Tiger. Dog. Rat. Boar.
Clapping her hands together, she twitched when the acrid smell of burning flesh reached her nostrils. Gagging, Sakura put a hand over her mouth, her eyes widened on the smoking fish. The Sin'dorei fell backwards in a dead faint.
Shizune twitched several times before picking up the now fully cooked fish, and decided that eating lunch now was as good as any.
And similarly like this Sakura's days cycled through as she waited for the return of Itachi. It had already been two weeks. Even Naruto was still gone. Forlornly she went to the ramen stand and ordered a bowl of vegetable ramen, tired from that day's activities. As busy as she had been, she still couldn't completely smother the emptiness that the absence of Itachi left in her. Would it be like this all the time? She swirled the chopsticks in the broth absent-mindedly.
"Well… if it isn't the strange forehead girl…" An annoying female voice interrupted her meal.
The pinkette turned and met the mischievous blue eyes of the blonde female coming through the flaps of the shop, "Hello Ino pig."
"What? No plant killer insults today?" Ino plopped down next to the girl, eyeing her melancholy visage. The blonde's usual insults had toned down considerably since she found out that the pinkette's affections were aimed towards the cold elder Uchiha brother and not the younger Uchiha Sasuke.
"If I called you that I might as well point a finger at myself," Sakura sighed annoyed, mentally visualizing all the tree mutilation she had committed in the back of the park in the past two weeks. She figured she better get used to it, she'd be expected to fight people at some point after all.
"You know I always wondered about that…" Ino ordered a bowl of ramen, and turned her gaze back to the unusually quite girl, "What's your deal anyways?"
"My deal?" Sakura turned wide eyes on the girl, her cold ramen forgotten, "you mean why I called you that?"
Ino nodded encouragingly, "It's really an odd thing to do you know…"
"Your um… florist shop was the first one I've ever seen. It's not common to the culture I come from. We are taught to respect nature," Sakura replied softly.
"Do you know what a florist shop is for?" Ino ignored Sakura's veiled insult.
The pinkette shook her head at that. She had never cared enough to find out herself.
Ino smiled after she swallowed a bite of noodles, "Flowers and arrangements are a beautiful thing. People, who have feelings for one another, often buy flowers to show that they care. Or if you have a friend who's in the hospital sick, it's considered polite to send them an arrangement. It gives color to those dreary rooms."
Sakura mulled this over, "So hum… so it's common for a dating couple to give flowers to one another…"
The girl's eyes narrowed, "Well sort of. Guys don't like receiving flowers. It's a little too… err feminine for them."
Sakura's face became a little more downcast, "I really don't know what I should do then…"
"What do you mean?" Ino queried her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Well, I want to court Itachi, but since he's a shinobi…. He's gone a lot," Sakura placed her chin on her hands, slumping over the countertop.
Ino's eyes narrowed, "Court Itachi? But I thought you were engaged."
"I sort of broke it off. I've decided to stay in Konoha. Tsunade is having me trained as a shinobi," Sakura replied truthfully. She didn't necessarily like Ino, but it was better to have someone to talk to, than not.
"What were you planning to do? I mean how did you plan on courting Itachi-sama?" Ino prodded at the girl. Filing away the information the girl just spoke. So, she was staying in Konoha indefinitely.
Sakura's eyes widened, "Well you know. Go to restaurants, and take walks together, picnics," the Sin'dorei paused at the bored expression of the female sitting beside her, "I was also going to put snails in his bed to indicate my youth and fertility."
At that last part Ino's eyes turned into saucers, "Where in the hell do you say you're from again?"
"Well I did decide the last part would be a bad idea," Sakura admitted with a shrug.
They paid the shopkeeper, and Ino tugged on her arm, pulling her outside of the restaurant. Once alone Ino grinned girlishly, "First of all, all that dating stuff is for kids… We're women…"
"Of course we're women…" Sakura looked at Ino exasperated.
Ino smacked her forehead, "Look, men don't like that kid stuff. They like to see a little skin…"
"A little… skin…" the Sin'dorei tilted her head.
"Watch," Ino sighed and leaned against the building. She quickly tucked up her shorts and flipped the top over her waistband, effectively making it appear that she was wearing a mini skirt. Several males happened to pass by. A couple winked and whistled at her. One of them made a couple wolf calls at her.
"See?" Ino said, gesturing as Sakura watched with interest.
"So should I just wait in his apartment naked?" Sakura queried, not quite understanding where all this was going. She already knew that Itachi desired her but she didn't think that such a gesture would truly benefit courtship.
"It would be better than putting snails in his bed," Ino muttered under her breath. The blonde smiled brightly, "Well that depends… what do you want from him?"
"I want to be his life mate," Sakura responded immediately.
Oh brother! Ino eyed the innocent girl with trepidation, "Let's go to my apartment… I've got a few books you should see…" Ino smirked inwardly, here she was again corrupting the innocent.
They ambled amiably through the streets, and Sakura felt compelled to apologize to the girl, "I'm sorry about before."
"It's alright Sakura. We got off to a bad start. I like you though. You speak your mind. That's kind of rare, ya know? Even if you are kind of weird, it makes you interesting," Ino ushered her into the well-maintained apartment complex.
Sakura nodded, but she didn't quite understand what the girl meant. Wasn't it normal to speak one's mind? The Sin'dorei blushed when the entered Ino's apartment. It was very similar to her own, but quite a bit larger. Ino had several pin-up posters of muscular male underwear models, in nothing, but their underwear.
Ino noticed the girl's blush and smirked, "Have you ever wondered about those books that Kakashi reads?"
"A little. He acts really strange. I've never seen anyone act like that while they're reading," Sakura admitted, face still red.
Chuckling Ino ambled over to her bookshelf and pulled down an old worn copy of Jiraiya's infamous works. She handed the girl a copy of the book and watched with amusement as the girl opened the book and turned three shades of red. Ino watched as Sakura tilted her head sideways, flipping the book upside down, peering at it even harder. Sakura looked up and asked curiously, "These are the mating rituals of huma… of your culture…?"
"Well sort of. You see. Once you have man's attention. You need to learn to keep it," Ino smiled down at her.
"And one does this… to keep a man's attention," Sakura felt like her face was on fire.
"It definitely helps," Ino folded her arms and sat down next to her.
"I don't get it," Sakura sighed.
"Get what?" Ino crossed her legs, leaning back against the soft couch in a relaxed pose.
"First of all… How can Kakashi read something like this in public? Now I'm going to be even more creeped out by that laugh of his," she remembered some of the first words he spoke to her when she had tried to take his mask off, "And secondly, why are you telling me all this?"
"I dunno forehead girl. I've been hearing rumors that there's a little pinkette running around town following Itachi like a little puppy… I've even heard that they've been caught making out, right in the middle of the street," Ino leaned forward, taking in Sakura's expression.
"It's a proper part of courting to show affection to the one that you wish to court," Sakura replied huffily, crossing her arms.
"Well… I was thinking, you need to reverse the roles," Ino placed a dramatic hand over her chest, "I for one can't stand when a girl clings to a man like that."
Sakura's brows drew together, her voice sarcastic, "Like you do with Sasuke…"
Ino laughed hollowly placing a hand over her mouth as she did so, "That's completely different. Anyways, I've noticed you don't wear makeup, nor do you wear very feminine clothing… Itachi's a young lord you know. He could have any woman he wants…"
"Any woman he wants?" Sakura's eyes widened as she repeated the blonde's words, not at all liking the sound of it. It sort of hurt her heart to hear something like that.
"Yes and so," Ino pushed the book aside and placed a magazine in the girl's hands, "maybe you might consider getting something like this. A little make-up maybe to highlight your features… and with this you'll have him eating out of your hands… Just don't do that snail thing… that's just disgusting!"
"Where do I get stuff like this?" Sakura asked the girl curiously.
"Meet me tomorrow afternoon, I'll take you shopping," Ino replied a little too giddily for Sakura's liking.
"O… okay," Sakura replied as she got up to leave, "Well thank you for the advice Ino." She gave a polite bow.
Ino waved gaily at the female as she left the apartment. Her smile faded as she left. The girl really did have a thing for the elder Uchiha. The blonde didn't envy her at all. If Itachi's family decided to step in and separate the two of them, she didn't know if the strange girl could handle it. The smile returned to Ino's face as she thought happily, if she made sure that Sakura hooked up with Itachi, then that would definitely be one less rival for Sasuke's affections.
-oOo-
Sakura lay in her bed exhausted by the day's strange turn of events. Her mind was filing the images of the busty beautiful models in that lingerie advertisement that Ino had shown her. There was no way she could compete with women like that. Even if she built a relationship with Itachi, would it last?
Ino's words haunted her; he could have any woman he wants…
It was awhile before Sakura was able to sleep.
-oOo-
It was a bleary eyed Sakura that showed up to meet with Kakashi that morning. She was rather on the irritable side that day. Her eyes narrowed on the orange book. Annoyance laced her tone as she began to mutter under her breath, she lifted her hand as Kakashi greeted her, "Fireball!"
Kakashi was able to evade her attack, not realizing that Sakura had been aiming for his precious book. He queried amused as the sound of an explosion echoed behind him, "Get up on the wrong side of the bed today Sakura-chan?"
His question was met with ill-humored grumbles. He smiled beneath his mask, "Did you run your laps today?"
More mumbling, Kakashi caught the words, "winds at my command… gather the power of lightening into my hand… Meteor Volt." The white haired male stepped aside as lightening struck where he had been standing, leaving a small black crator.
"All right… don't worry about the laps today," Kakashi chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. Was the girl PMSing today? Sakura was quite dangerous when she was in a bad mood. That last thought made him more nervous.
When Sakura lifted her head, Kakashi realized that something was definitely upsetting the girl. She wasn't crying, but her eyes were much dimmer than normal. They didn't have the normal perky glow that she usually had. Sakura was taken off guard when Kakashi asked in an almost fatherly way, "Would you like to talk about it?"
He watched her tight-lipped expression. Kakashi realized she was about to burst with something. Kakashi prodded further, "It's alright to talk about it Sakura-chan…"
Sakura plopped down on the ground, and began to spill out the details of her conversation with Ino, her eyes glued to the grass. It didn't matter that it was her perverted sensei. It was fortunate she didn't look up because the incredulous expressions crossing the male's face might have further ignited her irritation.
After the words snail and naked Kakashi stopped the girl mid-tirade, "Sakura I've got a few words of advice for you…"
Sakura glanced up, her expression troubled, "Yes sensei…"
"Take anything that Ino says with a grain of salt," Kakashi stated bluntly.
"I don't think she'd like it if I threw salt at her," Sakura scrunched up her face at Kakashi's strange words.
"It's an expression Sakura. In other words, you can't entirely take to heart the advice Ino gives you," Kakashi watched the girl's face, amusement quirking at the corner of his lips, "There's truth in her words, but it's not… entirely true."
Sakura understood, "I see. B… but I'll never look like those females in those magazines…"
"No… no you won't," Kakashi agreed with the girl, amiably, a little too merrily for Sakura's liking. Kakashi paled when the girl started to mumble again and he interjected quickly, "But that's a good thing!"
"A good thing?" Sakura questioned curiously.
"Yes… and you know," Kakashi sighed, not really liking to talk about this sort of thing, but he'd rather grown attached to his new student and would rather not see her so upset. Partially because if he was caught off guard, he'd probably get scorched by one of her fireballs, "Itachi may be a lord of his clan. But you are very unique Sakura. Don't let anyone make you feel any less than you are…"
"Thank you Kakashi-sensei," Sakura smiled brightly.
"Now I think maybe it would be a good idea for you to run a couple laps at least," Kakashi encouraged her.
Sakura rose to her feet, "Yes sensei."
The male breathed a sigh of relief when the girl made her way to the track. Now he could get back to his newest novel. Sakura had torn his attention away from a particularly interesting cliffhanger.
-oOo-
Despite everything, Sakura still opted to go shopping with Ino. The blonde was still a little strange to Sakura, but she had only begun to make friends with her. She would just heed Kakashi's advice and not take everything Ino said to heart. Although she still couldn't get the picture of that book Ino had shown her out of her head.
Blushing she let Ino drag her down the street through various shops. First they went to a make-up boutique and Sakura was amazed by all the colors that they had. Pastels, vivid hues, and the very unique smell that was make-up met her nostrils. She wrinkled her nose as Ino began to dig through the bargain bin.
"Sometimes you can find really good colors in here. They're discontinued but you tend to get bored of the same color all the time, so it's alright," Ino said as she found what she was looking for. Pulling up a purple plastic tube she opened it and glanced at the color. Snapping it shut with a sigh, she tossed it aside, "Not dark enough…"
Sakura had caught sight of the soft pink tone and had liked it. Picking up the discarded purple tube, she glanced at the price and smiled when she realized it was definitely in her price range, "I like this one…"
Ino's blue eyes narrowed on the purple tube, "You do? That's like something my grandma would wear…"
"Even still… it's a very pretty color…" Sakura opened the tube again and decided that she really liked the delicate hue very well.
"Well forehead, if you find some green eye shadow. You could probably pull off a color like that," Ino nodded at her. Sakura was holding it in a death grip. Ino doubted she could pry it out of her fingers.
"Eye shadow?" Sakura queried confused.
"This," Ino picked up a case with four hues in it; pink, beige, hunter green and a darker pink, almost the same color as Sakura's hair.
"Oh… I like this. And so this goes on your eyes?" Sakura asked inquisitively.
"Yes forehead," Ino picked out a few more things and watched candidly as Sakura purchased the items. Ino asked the girl wryly, "You have no idea how to put this stuff on… do you?"
Brightly Sakura smiled at her, "Nope!"
Afterwards Ino led her to a small shop specializing in women's undergarments and lingerie. Sakura let herself be led through the dimly lit shop and looked at the flimsy garments. She tried imagining herself in them, but was failing miserably. The posters on the wall showed several gorgeous models wearing the outfits in steamy poses.
Ino picked up a little black lacy outfit, "How about this?"
Sakura shook her head and watched as Ino frowned and began to dig earnestly through the racks. Drifting towards the window the pinkette caught sight of a beautiful yellow summer dress and matching shoes across the street on display in another store.
"Hey Ino," Sakura called. No reply.
Slipping out of the shop, Sakura strode across the street. She really liked that little dress. It was so pretty. And she could wear something like that in public. Ino having realized Sakura was gone, saw that the girl had left the store entirely and had gone to another store. Apologizing to the shopkeeper, she left the dim shop, and caught up to Sakura.
"What are you doing Sakura?" Ino asked the girl, hands on her hips.
"So… pretty," Sakura sighed dreamily.
Ino glanced up and caught sight of what Sakura was looking at, "You like that huh?"
The pinkette just nodded. Grabbing Sakura's wrist, Ino said, "Let's go take a look!"
Sakura was more than willing to do so. She immediately liked the ambiance of this shop much better. It was much brighter and happier then the other shop. There was cheerful music playing in the background, and the shopkeeper looked chipper, "Hello girls."
"How much is that yellow dress you have on display outside?" Ino asked curiously.
"It's on special actually, the shoes come with the dress," the older woman grinned and led the girls over to the rack that had a few yellow dresses on hangers. Sakura looked at the price tag and smiled, she had enough for the outfit.
"Would you like to try it on?" the woman asked politely.
"Yes please," Sakura replied and waited patiently as the woman measured her, and picked up the one that was closest to her size before leading her to a fitting stall.
Sakura didn't even have to try the dress on to know that it would look good on her. But she did so, just to make sure it fit. She looked in the body length mirror, and whirled around, feeling very feminine and pretty in the cheerful dress. It just came down to the knees. It wasn't a bright yellow, but very understated and mellow color. The back was left open, down to about midway, with sashes that tied into a cute little bow. Sakura was in love.
She emerged from the fitting room smiling as she showed Ino the dress.
"Looks good on ya forehead. You going to take it?" Ino asked her, leaning against the wall casually.
"Yes I think so, the shoes are really nice too," Sakura replied softly.
"How will you be paying today?" the sales woman smiled at the girl.
Sakura opened her mouth to reply, but an achingly familiar male voice spoke in her stead, "Put it on my tab, Aiko."
The shopkeeper bowed politely, her eyes darting between the pinkette and the dark male, "Of course Uchiha-sama…"
Ino watched the girl's whole face light up with joy as her eyes met Itachi's intense onyx orbs. He was leaning casually in the doorway, dressed in unrelenting black. His arms were folded as he waited for Sakura's reaction.
Sakura uncaringly raced across the shop barefooted having had left her sandals in the fitting room, passing a few customers who were eyeing her behavior oddly. Itachi hadn't expected to see the girl so enthusiastic about his return, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly.
"She's so gone," Ino sighed at the girl's joyful response, a little jealous by the clear, obvious intimacy between the two of them. She had the feeling the two of them hadn't been truly intimate yet, and still there was something tangible between them. Even though Itachi's face gave nothing away, Ino could tell just by the way his eyes had softened at the sight of the pinkette that he was happy to see her as well.
"Sakura, maybe you should go ahead and get the shoes that go with that dress. I'll take you to dinner tonight," Itachi said as he looked down into her sparkling, merry eyes.
"See you later Sakura," Ino waved to the girl as she left.
"Thank you Ino," Sakura's eyes crinkled with her vibrant smile.
"Strange girl," Ino shook her head as she left the shop.
"You didn't answer me Sakura…" Itachi helped her gather her things, and they left the shop together, "Are you interested in going out to dinner?"
"I'm just happy you're home. You were gone longer than I thought," Sakura laced her arm through his. He carried her new things as they headed back to the apartment complex.
"I was gone longer than I thought I would be as well," Itachi's eyes darkened as he was plunged deep into thought.
Sakura wobbled a little on the heels and he caught her before she fell, "Sorry I'm not used to these things… What do humans see in these anyhow?"
"They look good," Itachi replied casually.
"I guess they're all right then," Sakura sighed. She supposed women wore them because men liked them.
"So what did you do while I was gone?" Itachi asked Sakura curiously. He wondered what the pinkette would have gotten up to in the past few weeks. As the Sin'dorei launched into a detailed and somewhat comical explanation, the male was startled by the realization that it felt good to have someone to come home to.
-oOo-
A/N: And thus ends this chapter! I hope you all liked it.