Labyrinthine – an Itachi & Sakura story
By: M. Shiroi

Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

CHAPTER XIX

Sakura crept along the ragged fence, careful to avoid the puddles of mud that had formed after the intense rainfall of the previous night. Beyond the large body of water that surrounded the hidden village of Rain sprawled an enormous city, the likes of which she had never seen before.

Ubiquitous towers spiraled into the grey sky as rain beat down incessantly onto the city. Kakashi sat down beside her, eye-patch pushed up as he used his Sharingan to observe the city for the longest time. The rain that fell in the capital was strangely restricted only to the city up unto its outermost reaches, as though forming a massive barrier.

"The rainfall ceases approximately five meters from the island," Yamato's smooth voice sounded. Sakura brought a hand to her neck and pressed the tiny button on her headset.

"That's consistent with what we're seeing here."

Itachi's voice came through next, sending shivers down her spine. "Though slight, I detect a chakra layer surrounding the entire city. It seems they use the same defensive methods in Rain as we do in Konoha."

"Chakra barrier," Kakashi said, scratching his chin.

"Clever. No way for us to enter unseen then," Yamato spoke.

Sakura thought on it, watching fish swim by. Frowning, she looked up, finding that the rain reached just beyond the island, thick droplets falling into the water. "Not necessarily," Sakura replied, drawing the attention of Kakashi beside her. "It depends whether it is just the outer layer of the barrier that will notify when breached, or the entire inside."

"If all the rain is laced with chakra, we'll trip a barrier no matter what we do," Yamato said.

"What is your plan?" Kakashi asked, mismatched eyes fully focused on her. She bit her lip, thinking her suggestion through carefully before meeting Kakashi's gaze.

"My summon—Katsuyu—she comes in many sizes and is linked to the Shikkotsu Forest dimension," Sakura explained, keeping her finger on the communication button. "If I bring you all to Shikkotsu Forest, a tiny version of Katsuyu can break through the barrier; she'll be seen as nothing more than a small insect. Once inside, we can be reverse-summoned into the city."

Beneath his mask, Kakashi smiled at her. "Yamato, Itachi, meet us at the southern edge of the town."

"Understood," both men spoke.

"It's a good plan, Sakura," Kakashi said to her. She smiled at him, watching a droplet hang down from tip of one of his silvery locks. As he looked away from her, Sakura carefully observed him, taking in the way his slouch had deepened—a clear sign he was growing a little tired.

The first one to reach them was Itachi. He dressed only in dark pants and a dark shirt having left his forehead protector and anything else that connected him to Konoha back home. He crouched beside Kakashi, taking off his backpack. "I can't see through the rain, but it appears the chakra curtain permeates through the whole city. We should prepare to mask our chakra levels and split up as soon as we reach the city."

"Agreed," Kakashi spoke, nodding as Yamato arrived. He sat down beside Sakura, shaggy brown hair damp.

Kakashi leveled the three of them with a stare. "It's been over seven hours and the rain so far hasn't stopped. Even in Konoha, the four shinobi that are maintaining the barriers need to be switched out every eight hours—the barrier consumes a massive amount of chakra." Sakura nodded in understanding.

"Sakura's plan is our best option short from entering the city once the rain stops. Seeing as we want to enter as quietly as possible, we can keep watch to see if the barrier drops at a certain point or interval, which would give us a window of opportunity to enter," Yamato spoke, running a hand through his hair. "What do you think, Captain?"

Kakashi stared out over the city, considering the situation. She knew the look in his eyes well. Finally, he turned back to the three of them. "A kilometer or six back, there was an inn. Check in there. We'll be taking shifts to monitor the barrier to see if there is an interval. While you're there, keep your ear to the ground. Any scrap of information can be helpful, even when it doesn't seem that way." Kakashi glanced at Yamato. "Yamato, come relieve me in four hours from now. Itachi after that, Sakura last."

"Yes, Captain," the three of them said.

As Yamato and Itachi stood, Sakura leaned in closer. "Sitting out here like this will cause hypothermia. You're already tired and prone to fatigue. Be careful." Her voice was quiet enough for the other two men not to hear, but stern enough that she knew Kakashi would take her seriously. The silver-haired man looked between her eyes, his eyes creasing in a brief smile before he nodded his consent.

While Sakura stood and joined the two men waiting for her, Kakashi formed some quick seals, burrowing himself into the ground with one of his earth jutsu. She could barely see the silver of his hair sticking out of the tiny bunker he had formed. A flicker of fire followed shortly after. Satisfied that he was following her advice, Sakura leapt into the trees.

"I'm glad he listens to you," Yamato said, turning around with a wry smile. "He tends to be a little stubborn."

"A little?" Sakura replied candidly.

Yamato chuckled at that, but her attention was on Itachi. He was just in front of her, leaping gracefully from branch to branch with an enviable ease. Evidently Itachi felt her gaze on him as he looked over his shoulder at her. A warm look passed in his eyes that caused her to smile back at him. Before he could reciprocate, however, Yamato stole his attention with a question.

They had been on the road for three full days now. All three men were ANBU, or former ANBU, and it definitely showed. They had pushed hard for Rain, making the journey in a full day less than projected.

Though the winters in the Fire Country were mild, the bitter cold of Rain Country had seeped into her body throughout the hours they had spent scouting the area around the capital and she was glad for a nearby inn. All around them long crystals of frost thrust up through the mossy loam, like bundles of tiny glass blades. The wind moaned steadily, chilling her to the bone.

The inn came in sight, a rather large and lively looking building, the entrance brightly lit by red lanterns. Yamato landed in front of the entrance, followed swiftly by Itachi and Sakura. He stepped inside first, walking up to the receptionist who he greeted with a kind smile. As Sakura slid close the door behind her, she reveled in the inn's warmth.

"Evening," Yamato said amicably. "We would like three rooms."

"Good evening," the mousy receptionist said with a smile, opening her folder. She made a face. "Oh, I'm sorry, we only have two rooms for the night."

"That'll do fine. I'm sure we can share."

"Excellent sir."

As the receptionist busied herself with the paperwork, Yamato filled in the forms with their fake names. Sakura searched her bag for her new identification and handed it to Yamato as he held up his hand. Surreptitiously, Sakura admired the ease with which Yamato played a part, no doubt part of his ANBU repertoire. He slipped seamlessly into his role, talking about their life as travelers to the hidden village of Rock while innocuously asking questions about Rain and the nearby capital.

Meanwhile, Itachi had pocketed his hands and looked into the dinner hall nearby. He took a long glance at the patrons sitting there and moved onto the bookshelf where he drifted his fingertips over the spines. Sakura sat down on one of the chairs in the lobby, taking in the simple design of the inn. When Yamato finally turned to them to distribute the keys, he looked at the two of them.

"Right. The rooms are too small to share with three so you'll have to share with one of the boys," Yamato said, loud enough for the receptionist to hear. "I assume you won't mind sharing with Shigeru-kun." His dark eyes darted from her to Itachi to check if he was correct.

"That's fine," Sakura said before Itachi could reply. She flashed Yamato a pleasant smile as she held up her hand for the key.

"The dinner hall is open until 8pm, so please go inside at your leisure," the receptionist said before bowing deeply. "And once again, welcome."

"Thank you. We're in your care," Itachi said formally. The receptionist looked at Itachi as though seeing him for the first time, the tips of her ears bright red as she ducked her head in a shy smile. Yamato lifted an eyebrow, amused by the mooning receptionist while Itachi looked supremely uncomfortable. Faintly, Sakura wondered if he looked so uncomfortable because she was standing right beside him.

Heaving his backpack back on his back, Yamato started climbing the stairs, followed closely by Itachi and Sakura. She glanced at the wooden stick attached to the key and read the room number painted in thin, black characters. As Yamato searched for his room, Sakura looked into a corridor and found the room she would share with Itachi. Trying her hardest not to blush as she thought about it, Sakura turned to Yamato. "Jiro-san," she called out, using Yamato's new codename. "Our room is here. Shall we meet in the lobby in fifteen minutes?"

"Perfect," Yamato said, still searching for his room.

With a quick glance at Itachi, who had schooled his features into a mild look that betrayed none of his emotions, Sakura walked up to the room and opened the door. Clicking on the light, she stepped inside, removed her shoes and dropped her backpack.

She looked around the room; it was clean, immaculate white walls with fresh smelling tatami mats and deep green curtains. To her left was a little bathroom with a tiny tub where she easily fit in, but doubted if Itachi would. "Well, this looks nice," Sakura said, swallowing past the lump that had formed in her throat. This was the first time she was alone with him for over three days.

Sakura peeked over her shoulder to find him standing just behind her, hands on his hips as he considered the room quietly. "It does," he agreed, stepping further into the room. He slid open the cabinets and found their futons and some fresh linens.

"I'll keep my hands to myself," Sakura mumbled, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm not sure if you're worried about that… but—"

Itachi turned fully to her. "I was worried about my virtue…"

She laughed softly. "You should."

"I assumed you were trying to reassure me."

"I changed my mind."

Itachi's lips quirked upwards. "Perhaps I should sleep in Yamato-senpai's room."

"And leave me with Kakashi?"

His eyes darkened at that. She tried to hide her excitement at that; they hadn't had a moment by themselves since the start of their mission. Sakura had been planning on telling him she had made a choice when he visited her the day before mission start, but Ino had interrupted them. During her dinner with Ino, Sakura had decided not to actually tell him, but to show him with action exactly who she wanted.

She couldn't help the little thrill that rushed through her body when she noticed Itachi's little jealous streak rear its head. It was only for a split second, but it was long enough to remind her it was there.

"I think I'll stay," Itachi whispered, pocketing his hands. Sakura bit her lip as he took a step closer. The look in his eyes as he glanced down at her lips immediately brought the fire he had kindled within her flare back to life. He took another step closer and instinctively, Sakura licked her lips, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"If that is what you want," she replied, reaching out to press a hand against his flat stomach. Beneath her fingers, Sakura felt his muscles ripple as he took another step closer. He brought his hands up, laying them on her shoulders, slowly caressing down her arms.

"I probably shouldn't tell you what it is I want," Itachi whispered as he took her hands into his. Her legs trembled beneath her, pulse racing as he leaned in closer, his warm breath fanning over her lips as he dropped his gaze to them again.

Sakura nodded. They were on a mission, Yamato was only a few rooms away and they were professional shinobi. They could stand to not touch each other for the duration of the mission. She wholly agreed with her own reasoning and so it was a complete surprise when the next thing out of her mouth was: "Tell me."

Itachi let out a quiet chuckle, one of his hands finding its way to her hip. She tilted her head up, giving him easy access as he brought his lips to her ear, ghosting over her skin without touching her. "I want to kiss you," he said finally, using his free hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "And then after…"

"After?" she barely managed to say, her fingers curling around the bottom of his shirt.

He drew back, and his onyx gaze instantly captured her. "After, I want to make you scream my name so loudly you'll forget yours."

Sakura inhaled deeply at the heat his words sent through her body, as though her veins were suddenly pumping lava. Groaning softly, Sakura grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, capturing his lips in a desperate, urgent kiss. She felt him smirk against her lips as he pulled her in closer, one hand wrapped around her waist while the other slipped between her legs. Feeling dizzy, Sakura broke the kiss as he began to rub her over her clothes.

"Then again, we wouldn't want Yamato-senpai to hear."

Abruptly, Itachi removed his hand, causing her to gasp at the loss of contact. One corner of his mouth was still pulled up in a smirk as he innocently turned around as though nothing happened. "I'll sleep on this side," he said.

Sakura was about to teach him a lesson about taunting her when she felt Yamato's chakra signature closing in. Shooting him a withering look, Sakura stepped past Itachi and pulled her boots on. She opened the door of the room, finding Yamato striding through the hallway toward them. Itachi drew up behind her, looking nonplussed as always as he pulled the door shut behind him.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm looking forward to a hot meal," Yamato said, rubbing his hands together. He looked them over once before making his way through the hall, down the stairs. As they reached the reception, the receptionist smiled giddily at Itachi, who politely nodded back at her. Sakura jokingly raised an eyebrow at him when the receptionist couldn't see and was rewarded with a slight blush.

The dining hall was simple—a dozen tables had been set up and around half of them were filled with patrons. Two tables were occupied with families, one table with three elderly ladies who sat gossiping as they sipped delicately at their miso soup, another table with a scarred man, one with three young men and one with a shinobi wearing a Rain forehead protector. It was slashed through the middle.

Careful not to filter any reaction through her cautiously crafted facade, Sakura led the way to the back of the dining hall, grabbing a tray. She selected some soup, got a bowl of rice and a broiled fish and some vegetables and green tea. Pretending to look around the dining room, Sakura selected the table in the far corner. The shinobi wouldn't tell them much—he was by himself and the most important piece of information was right on his forehead for everyone to see. The three gossiping ladies were talking about uninteresting business for now, but that could change. One of the young families though was talking softly about the new opportunities that awaited them in the capital.

Yamato plopped down beside her, carrying a tray with hot udon and a rice ball. As Itachi sat down across from her, she tried not to smile at the plate of omurice. She wondered if he was terrible in making all sorts of eggs or that his lack of skill stopped at sunny-side up eggs. She watched as he selected a pair of chopsticks and broke them through the middle easily before helping himself to the first bite. As she observed his long fingers handle the chopsticks with a natural ease, they reminded her of the fact that those exact hands were about five strokes away from giving her an orgasm not ten minutes ago.

"This is delicious," Yamato spoke as he finished his first bite. Sakura smiled and joined in on the conversation, using the hidden senbon in her sleeve to pierce her skin. With one hand, she formed the seals necessary to summon Katsuyu and surreptitiously placed her palm to her leg. Two tiny Katsuyu formed in her palm, one slipping beneath her clothes and up her back until she was situated just beneath Sakura's ear while the other waited patiently.

"Go to the table with the family right across from this table and listen in on their conversation. Make sure you're not seen by the shinobi left of us," Sakura instructed quietly as Yamato and Itachi engaged in a friendly debate over the merits of brown rice over white rice. As Yamato gesticulated, Sakura barely noticed the tiny grains that fell from his palm, landing near the shoes of the Rain shinobi who sat chewing his food in a bored expression.

"What do you think?" Yamato asked, prodding her with his elbow.

"From a nutritional value, I understand the need for brown rice but from a flavor perspective, I enjoy white rice," Sakura seamlessly jumped in as she listened to Katsuyu slowly reporting to her.

"Kids these days," Yamato said dramatically, eliciting a laugh from her.

"You're not that old, Jiro-san," she quipped.

"You say that, but my joints are aching from the cold," Yamato replied, massaging his elbow for effect.

"Come now, such a handsome young man shouldn't be this affected by the weather," one of the elderly ladies called out to him. Sakura had to give the man some credit; it seemed Yamato had mastered the art of blushing when necessary. With bright red cheeks, he buried a hand in his hair and bowed sincerely.

"Sorry for disturbing you lovely ladies with my complaints."

Sakura smiled, brows quirking up at Itachi who was watching the show with interest as he brought another bite of omelet to his mouth. His eyes flickered to hers, amusement clear in those onyx depths, before cutting them back to Yamato and his antics.

"Nonsense young man!" another elder lady interjected. "Saya-chan here is just very taken by you." The table burst into cackling laughter as Yamato turned even redder.

"I'm very flattered," Yamato said in response.

"And muscular!" the woman named Saya spoke up.

The blush that stained Yamato's cheeks this time was definitely real. He choked on a grain of rice and Sakura quickly slapped his back gently as he fell into a coughing fit.

"Don't kill him, Saya!" the third lady hooted.

"There are other people trying to eat here," the Rain shinobi finally spoke up.

"Oh, shut it," the third lady retorted. "We're just having some fun with the handsome young man." She looked the shinobi over. "Looks like you could use some of that."

"The only reason you old bags can sit there and talk about trivial things is because of the Lord and his Angel," the shinobi snapped, standing from his place. He grabbed his tray and set it down in the track before walking past the table with the old ladies. "Don't forget it."

"The Lord and his Angel," one lady spoke silently, all humor gone from her voice. "You mean the dictator and his enforcer. Just because Hanzou is gone doesn't mean this land is free. It's still being strangled, albeit now by a different hand."

"What did you say?" the shinobi said, voice dangerously low.

Beside her, Yamato rose to his feet while the tables with the two families both cleared out quickly, hastening through the door back to the reception. "Let's all just calm down," Yamato said, a calmness in his voice that Sakura had never heard before. He held up his hand in a pacifying gesture, eyes on the shinobi at all times while Itachi turned in his chair, ready to stand.

"Listen foreigner," the shinobi said. "Around these lands, the Lord and his Angel are sacred. Anyone who even dares to utter Hanzou's name is to be killed immediately." The three ladies instinctively backed away from him, holding hands.

"I'm sure these fine ladies didn't mean to insult your Lord," Yamato said, taking a step closer. In awe, Sakura realized his voice was shaking ever so slightly, as though he himself was afraid of the shinobi. As the ninja from Rain turned his gaze back to the threesome, Yamato was careful to shake his head at the three women, warning them to play along.

"He's right," Saya said. "Mika here had a little too much to drink and got a bit too excited." She shot a warning glare at Mika. "Didn't you?"

Mika pursed her lips together and for a moment, Sakura worried the elderly lady wouldn't be able to put aside her pride. Then Mika burst into raucous laughter. "Of course! Just a sake too much. Forgive me young man."

For an intense, long moment, the Rain shinobi kept his eyes on the three of them, an angry look set in his eyes. Finally, he glanced at Yamato and put his kunai back into his pouch. "Don't let it happen again. Next time, I won't be dissuaded to follow the law. Even if you had a sake too many."

"My apologies," Saya said, taking her friend's hand. She hauled Mika her feet and hastily pushed her out of the dinner hall, their third friend following. The three young men that sat at a table similarly left quickly after them, leaving only the scarred man, who looked unimpressed at the scene before him before returning to his food. The shinobi looked at them.

"Let this be a lesson to you. The Lord Pein and his Angel brought peace to this land. Do not forget," the shinobi said threateningly before vanishing from the dining hall.

"Well," Yamato said, slouching back into his chair as though he had gotten the biggest scare of his life. "That ended well."

"You should be careful," Sakura chastised him, placing a hand on his shoulder as she eyed him with false concern. Though the scarred man did not seem to pay them any attention, she was careful not to let her guard down. The shinobi from Rain had been a Chuunin. The three of them would have taken him down without breaking a sweat. That would have blown their cover though and somehow Sakura was certain that if it had been unavoidable, Yamato and Itachi would have let the old lady die.

In the grand scheme of things, it was her life against all the lives the Lord of Rain could still take. Glancing at Itachi, Sakura felt as though she had somehow gotten to know him better. ANBU wasn't just taking lives and taking on the hardest missions, it was about taking on the hardest decisions. As he lifted his gaze and his impossibly dark eyes found hers, Sakura wondered how she could reconcile the domestic, sweet and passionate side of him with the deathly killing machine that he was.

A/N: Happy New Year dear readers! I know it's not a Wednesday but I hope you don't mind. ;-)

Our team has arrived in Rain... This was one of the first arcs in Labyrinthine I actually thought of so it's exciting to start writing it, finally. Now for the main question: is the next chapter going to be SFW or NSFW...

Thank you all for reading and reviewing! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

See you next time!

- Mitsuki