Yay! Chapter!

I am soooooooo soooooo sorry for how long it has taken me to get going and write a new chapter… I hit myself on hand for that.

Bad craizypet!

Well, that wonderful thing called 'life' caught up to me, and in one sudden swoop, everything dropped on me like a load of bricks.

It was like a small hurricane blew in through my door, and I currently destroying anything in sight, including my wonderful reading and writing time, and replacing it with homework, internals, life dramas and family and friend issues.

Evil cyclone. *sits in corner muttering* Thinks it can pull me away from my precious computer for long…

*stands up suddenly in superman pose* NEVER!

Well, extra long, and double chapter is coming, for my absence, and I am terrible sorry for the length of time I was away.

I did, however, get some good constructive crit, so I will be checking over my work more, and going into more depth and feeling with my writing, as I seemed to be hurrying it along for my next Kakasaku story and did short chapters.

Bad craizypet.

And I also changed my reviewing device thingy, so even if you don't have a profile on ff, you can still review!

Sakura heard the cry, recognising it immediately, her inner stirring, breaking whatever jutsu was on them, and taking over for the still dormant in thought Sakura. She felt the rush of anger, and stubborn determination that her Inner held, and the jutsu that had been effecting her snap off.

She would describe it akin to breaking to the surface of water, when swimming. She felt her body finally respond, her eyes opening slowly, and her arms moving at her will, the blood flowing faster and properly, as adrenaline was pumped into her system. She leapt into action, her mind taking in the fast movements that were happening around her, as she saw a bright, shining glint, as light glanced off the blade sweeping towards the ground.

Her chakra was channelled to her arms, and legs, as she moved on instinct, a desperate need for speed as she blurred across the fighting field, and into the way of the blade, dodging it, and grabbing the source of her protective fear. She used a substitution jutsu to get away from the flying blade, and then calculated the situation. He was in a bad state, she saw it immediately, as the medic in her assessed his body, and the injuries that he had. Blood and gaping wounds littered his body, as well as second and third degree burns and other bruises and cuts. Her chakra set to work, knitting his flesh and soothing the pain as she glared at the man causing the disturbance.

"Uchiha Sasuke." She spat out, her eyes narrowing, and taking on a more deadly look, a glint of anger and frustration in them. Sakura was still dormant, lying in wait in the back of her mind, trying to cope with the knowledge that she had been given, and planning the options available. She was connecting the dots, and was in a state of mental thought, meditation as it would seem.

But her Inner had no problems with taking the reins. In fact, she was most happy to and stoked to be given the opportunity to do what Sakura had been too shy or unwilling to do. She flew across the space between her and the dark man, the boy that she once thought that she knew, and punched him in the jaw, his face shocked and disbelieving at the speed that she moved with.

After all, she had been fifteen when they had last fought against each other, and she was now seventeen, two years of intense training later. Kakashi had finally taken the initiative to try and train her, after she went to Lee and Gai for help on her physical skills. She knew that she was amazing at destroying things with her bare hands, as long as she had chakra. She was looking for the skill to do so with even less chakra, and to speed her system up a bit.

She could fight with Kakashi, keeping him on his toes for a few hours, if they were not using chakra or sharingan. That, was something that the pink haired girl was proud of. And Inner Sakura had no problem with showing that off.

"You have a lot of guts you know? And little brain compared to that." Inner mocked, smirking gleefully at the chance that she had to speak her thoughts to the boy that had broken her heart, or well, more Sakura's heart, but still. They were close enough. "Leaving us like you did, and deciding to go off with that snake. You are stupid, for even thinking that you are stronger. Naruto could destroy you in a second."

Red eyes widened in shock as the girl, the one he had known for hating Naruto and loving Sasuke, insulted him, and laughed at him, mocking and looking down on him. The mere fact that she had compared him to the Kyuubi carrier, and had called him stupid was almost completely out of character. Inner saw the dumbstruck loo, and laughed, the chuckle sending a shiver down his spine.

While he did not see Sakura as a threat, there were times when she pulled something out of her sleeve and surprised him. She had a violent streak, that showed through only in certain situations. This seemed to be one of them. Although normally the violent streaks did not last too long, but it did not seem that she would be calming down anytime soon.

"You know what Brat?" Inner grinned, smirking at the still motionless Sasuke. "You have no idea what, or who you are dealing with. You are so naïve." She scorned a sadistic smirk and look adorning her face at the irony that she had seen. She found it very entertaining. At last she will say her part. "Ironic, no? The fact that we were right all along, that you going to Orochimaru was stupid, weak, and a poor decision on your part. What could he offer you that Konoha couldn't?"

"Power." Sasuke spat out, wiping the blood from his mouth and split lip that Sakura's punch had caused. He was not happy at all, to say the least. This Sakura was different, hardened and more outspoken. She was no longer the fan girl that she had been. He wondered, idly, what had happened to change that.

"Oh?" She tapped her chin thoughtfully, green eyes glinting and sparkling with mirth, and pretended to look surprised. "Was the power behind that punch not enough? I could make it so that it sent you all the way back to Konoha, but sadly, the impact of that punch would blow you to pieces so I guess that method of transportation is out…"

Sasuke was sick of it. There she was, the weak member of team seven, bullshitting around with him, even though she knew that he was stronger, too much stronger than her, for her to actually win. He moved, doing a simple, yet powerful move that he thought would work, but when he did try to attack from behind, he paused, standing ready to hit her in the back of the neck, as she spoke.

"Going to hit me in the back of the neck? Pressure point there. Sadly though, you are mistaken if you think that I will allow you to do the same thing twice." Sasuke could not see her expression, but he could tell that she was tense, and ready to move. He did not see her expression harden, the green jade eyes cooling to stony emeralds, and her lips thinning with displeasure and insult.

"Clichés are normally clichés because they work, and this is no clichés move. While this move might have worked when I was twelve, I am different now, so much stronger and able than what I had been. All thanks to you and your departure. So no, thank you."

He moved, hand blurring out to try and hit her neck, but thanks to the training with the Copy Nin, Inner was prepared, and spun, her foot lashing out with chakra and her weight and force behind it, to send him flying into a tree.

"CHA!"

She was there as he hit it, anticipating the crunch sound as he smashed the wood into fragments and splinters, and then she brought her fist down, and another fast hit, hitting three key pressure points, sending a shot of chakra to them, paralysing them, and making him unable to move, as she looked down on him, before she bent down, her smile pure feminine satisfaction and catlike smugness. She extended her hand, watching as the tamoe spun faster as her hand grew closer, before she flicked him in the forehead, a chuckle emitted from her throat. He glared at her, his sharingan spinning with the anger and humiliation that he felt from being taken down just like that. His expression changed to disbelief as she moved to his brother, choosing to ignore the younger brother, and focusing on healing the older.

Itachi was still sitting where he had been placed by the pink haired medic, his eyes open, slitted to thin peaking red and black smears, as he had watched the fight play out between the two old team mates. He was shocked to see how fast the medic had taken care of his brother, and the ruthlessness that she had used. The kicks and punches were not drawn back, and Itachi was sure that he had heard several bones snap with crunching, clicking sounds, and a dislocated shoulder or something as well as the seemingly small, fragile girl-woman had sent the tall, all muscle of a man flying.

Then the small flick at the end… it reminded him of what he had used to do to Sasuke as well. It was the perfect way to show the feelings of satisfaction and to prove who was in control. No doubt Sasuke would remember the times he had tried to get Itachi to train him as well. More than likely remembering with hatred and anger, mixed in with admiration and humiliation.

"What are you thinking?" Inner asked, speaking in a curious and somewhat smouldering undertone. There was intensity and depth to it, not at all shy and drawn back, like what her other questions had been before. No, there was something else there, Itachi could hear it, some sort of hidden unlacing message that she was trying to get through to him. His brain whirred, the clogs in it ticking as he tried to figure what was different with her. The look in her eyes, the way that she stood, and acted.

She was all woman.

No longer the innocent childlike curiosity, but a deeper, darker thirst for knowledge… and other things… he could see it in the darkening of her eyes, as she lay her hand on his chest, the warm, soothing feeling of her chakra burning its way through his blood, boiling his blood and at the same time managing to give him chills.

"Now? Or before?" His eyes flicker to her face, taking her hungry expression in, and then glancing at Sasuke, who was still looking incredulously at the two of them, and then at Sakura's glowing green hands.

Sasuke did not understand. Why was Sakura healing him? He was a murderer, and a known enemy of the village! She was meant to be fighting him… unless Itachi had used a genjutsu on her… there were justu's that could be brain washing and somewhat compulsive to those under it's spell… then it would explain her strange behaviour…

Then there was the look on their faces…

Itachi inspected the verdant coloured eyes and rose hued locks framing the slight and somewhat stunningly delicate face of the woman. He would no longer call her a child-woman or woman-child, or whatever he had used to refer to her as. She was new, a stranger. He was once again, pulled into the mystery and intrigue of the woman in front of him. She was always interesting, to say the least.

She grinned, impishly, and then blinked her eyes at him, her long lashes suddenly noticed by his sharp eyes, and the different shades of green in her eyes. Her pupil had a ring of light, bright apple and lime green framing the dark hole, and then steadily growing darker, till it was a deep, undefined forest and ocean bottle green colour, like that of green glass of a wine bottle. Flecks of various leaf greens and waves of foamy aqua shades littered the area in between her pupil and the outline of her iris. He was captivated.

"I had been referring to before, but now that you seem so intent on studying me, now is good."

Displeased and disgruntled to be caught staring, he tore his gaze away from her, and then answered her question with another question. He kept his voice calm and uncaring as he hardened his gaze and stared her down.

"Who are you?"

Inner fell into hysterics at the look on his face when she pointed out how fascinated he seemed to be with her, before chuckling into a small sigh. She looked at Sasuke briefly and then back at the good looking and dashingly deadly man that she just wanted to ravish. If she hadn't known that Sakura would banish her to the back of her mind if Inner jumped Itachi; she would have dared to jump him, and try to ravish him… Where Sasuke had been cute, Itachi was all man, and all too much for many to handle… He was too hot for his own good…

"You are fast… Didn't take you long to figure out that I'm not Sakura…" Inner mused, almost wistfully. "Oh well… I will still be able to see what is going on later, and tell her what to do…"

"…" Itachi looked at the pink haired woman, and the pose that she was in, looking thoughtful, the look on her face sad and joyful at the same time. It reminded him of someone who had lost something, but to the price of getting something almost just as good in return. He waited patiently, looking impassive as the woman disappeared into a whole other world.

"Hm…" she sighed again. "I am Sakura's Inner. Currently Sakura is busy mediating at the moment, so leave a message and I will get back to her shortly!" Inner laughed at her own little joke, as Itachi looked at her blankly, trying not to let the muscle in his eyebrow twitch. He thought about what she had said, his mind dissecting her words, until he thought that he had an answer.

"You are her split personality." He stated, rather than asking, his tone still waiting for further correction of his assumption. Inner only nodded, narrowing her eyes at him.

"You are too fast. Good thing I am not one of those girls who thinks that smart guys are stupid." Inner smiled coyly at him, resisting the urge to throw herself at him. She decided to condemn herself to pick up lines and flirtation instead.

"… Smart guys are stupid…" Itachi looked at her, a faint glimmer of amusement in his eye as he groaned softly as her hands caressed his chest, running over the hard, chiselled planes of his pectorals, then travelled down to his abs, slowly making their way across them, tracing spirals and lines and leaving behind the urge for Itachi to shiver and his skin raising into goosebumps. No woman had affected him like that before.

"Hmm…" she looked up, her eyes dark with desire as she pushed him back against the tree firmly, and healed the deep ragged wound there. Her chakra made him feel energized with burning need and a static electricity. She eventually, after what seemed like an hour, yet at the same time less than a second, but was really only about the space of three minutes of healing, moved her hands away from his chest, and then soothed over the burnt spaces of his clothing, pulling out a kunai and holding it steadily in her hands as she reached towards him…

He moved quickly, flipping her over so that she was the one sitting against the tree, and he was the ones pressing her back into it. Her eyes flashed with anger at the degrading position, as much as she liked it, and felt a heat burn in the lower part of her stomach at it; it was against her wishes to have so little power in contact with the man.

"What the hell!" she hissed, her voice full of venom and anger, "what do you think you are doing, I was trying to heal you!"

"With a kunai." Tone cold, and touched with sarcasm, he turned his red eyes to her, the full force of his gaze alone making her flinch, before she glared at him, her attempt to come over as strong and unafraid back. She sighed, rolling her eyes, and trying to move and push him off of her, squirming around under him.

"No, if you didn't notice, you are burnt." She poked the burn, causing him to growl lightly under his breath, and his hands to tighten where they were at her wrists. He was sure that that was going to leave bruises, but she did just poke his tender flesh, so she only got a taste of her own medicine.

"Really now. I didn't notice."

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit Itachi." He felt a thrill at the sound of his name on her tongue, and then tried to contain his excitement as she moved around further, before he reluctantly, and with some relief, moved off her, allowing her to stand up and step away from him.

"Explains why you use it so much." He commented, sitting back as she gave him a dagger eyed look, and then cut the cloth from his skin, pulling it away gently, Itachi staying silent and unflinching through the whole process.

"So kind to the kunoichi who is healing you." She retorted, pouting at him, and then giving him a light nudge. "All I was going to do was cut the cloth off and away from your burns, unless you want me to rip it off." He blinked, his sharingan fading back to his dark, shadowy eyes, taking his cue to say what was on his mind. And apparently Sasuke's as well, as the dark haired young man sat not moving, against the tree where he had been left, half fainted from a mixture of chakra exhaustion, pain, blood loss and confusion.

"Why are you healing me then?"

She looked at him, raising her brows in surprise at the question. "I thought it was obvious."

"Well, if I'm asking, it's obviously not." Itachi replied lightly. Normally, he wouldn't reply, but there was something about verbally sparring with the kunoichi that he found entertaining. She seemed to be taking up most of his thoughts now, which was simply not acceptable. He could not be thinking about how interesting she was while he was trying to fight.

It was official.

She had gotten to him.

Ha ha, Itachi is DOOOMED! He he… I decided that from the beginning though! ;P

Alright, here comes the next chapter too!