Chapter 10 – They Don't Know What They Want

"Well?" she asked huskily. "What do you say, Itachi?"

She was not foolish enough to not notice or deny the attraction she felt towards him. He was a beautiful man, receiving only the best genes and the intensity he never failed to display added to his charm, always keeping her captivated.

And unlike her vision of his empty gaze boring down on her…

The playfulness cracked, hinting at something that she had no hopes in understanding, but that wasn't too much of a surprise. Uchiha Itachi was a difficult man to understand.

"Teasing aside, are you sure this is what you want?" asked Itachi, voice taking on a much gentler tone as all pretences dropped. "To give yourself to me, right now?"

Who else would she give herself to?

As daunting as it was, or as sudden as it all felt, Sakura knew that deep down she would prefer to lose her virginity that night rather than tomorrow, with their target involved in some way or another and leaving an imprint on the memory. Was she one hundred percent ready for sex? No, but would she ever be, given their circumstances? Was she one hundred percent willing to confuse the hell out of herself by getting involved with BDSM with another woman? Definitely not. But she did it anyway.

"We're giving ourselves to each other – not just me to you," she eventually said to him, trying to smile. "Why should we start off our lives together by sharing such an important moment with a target?"

He merely nodded, accepting her words without adding any of his own and like that was his cue, he… got started, she supposed.

There were no explosions or fireworks when they kissed and Sakura was glad that she chose not to kiss Akina, because it became painfully obvious that it took her too long to get into the swing of things. Was it the same for Itachi? Could he feel that bubbling anxiety for what they were about to do? It was hard to tell.

He seemed sure of his movements when he settled himself fully against her, his hand trailing up her thigh in a slow, smooth glide. Did she seem sure when she ran her hands down his back, exploring the muscles that rippled beneath his shirt? She wasn't sure that she did. There was a faint shake to her hands that she had to fight to hide, whereas his were steady.

She was probably thinking too much into it all, but how could she not? Despite all she'd been doing the past couple of days (or in the past), having Itachi gently removing her clothes felt so foreign to her. It felt even weirder when she was the one taking over, undressing him.

Was it because they didn't know each other? Or was it because of their impending nuptials, knowing that whatever they were about to experience would most likely be it for their marriage? She supposed they were trying to make a good first impression, in a way. If it went badly, would it put a strain on them? Would it make future experiences awkward or unwanted?

Finally, she felt a pang of arousal when his thumb came to her chin, coaxing her mouth open and their tongues glided against the other's, the feeling of Itachi soon cradling her face, tipping it back to kiss her more deeply, eliciting a soft sigh from her. It was easier relaxing when he kissed her in such a sinful way and she enjoyed his quiet gasp when she caught his bottom lip between her teeth, meeting his gaze once she released it.

His eyes were anything but blank as he looked down at her, brushing a stray piece of hair from her forehead and for that, Sakura was grateful. It helped to banish the anxiety she'd experienced whenever she thought of their inevitable coupling.

Although it was clear he wasn't as experienced, she noticed that he'd definitely been taking notes from their mission, because Itachi steadily built her up from the spots that pleasured her most, making her dizzy with need when he switched things up by abandoning her clitoris and sliding two fingers deep inside of her. He didn't let her muffle her moan into his shoulder, pulling back slightly and leaving it to hang in the air between them, his dark gaze drinking in the sight of her panting and writhing almost hungrily, the arm by her head flexing in a way that aroused her further somehow, like he was holding himself back from ravaging her.

Even if she'd wanted to, Sakura didn't resist when her hand was pinned above her head, refusing to let her touch him like she'd tried to. She was too lost in the bliss, teetering on the edge. Her toes were curling, back arching, bottom lip caught between her teeth as she eagerly awaited her climax, the steady pumping of Itachi's fingers determined on driving her insane.

But then he was removing them altogether, making her cheeks burn hotter than ever when he coated his erection in her juices, her breath catching at the feeling of his blunt tip pressing to her opening.

"Look at me," he murmured softly.

She did as he ordered, swallowing at the show of tenderness on his blushing features. The connection almost broke when he slowly entered her in a single thrust, their respective expressions twisting with pleasure, eyes almost shutting, foreheads coming together.

It wasn't painful like she'd expected it to be, despite being stretched so much further than what his two fingers had done – although why she'd assumed such a thing, Sakura would never know, considering she was a medic and knew that it wasn't actually supposed to hurt unless he didn't know what the hell he was doing and–

At the abrupt pace he suddenly set, the rapid thrusting of his hips, his quiet moan in her ear, she lost all coherent thoughts. She gripped at his body as he did hers, head thrown back as she allowed herself to get lost in the carnal bliss that returned tenfold. It left her a quivering mess against him – she didn't even realise he finished with her until she came down from her high, his shaking limbs, his composure's disappearance, leaving her to stare up at him in dazed awe.

It hadn't lasted long – she hadn't expected it to – but he'd taken her satisfaction into consideration and she was glad for that.

Their first time hadn't been anything like she'd imagined it to be. In fact, she found herself feeling pleasantly surprised by it all. Gods, she really did need to stop working herself up over everything in her life, didn't she? So far (aside from the very first meeting, where they'd both been defensive and standoffish), Itachi had shown her nothing but kindness. Why would now be any different? When she'd already told him that it was a big deal to her? When he'd already discovered she was a hopeless romantic?

"Thank you," she mumbled shyly, gaze dropping to his chest.

His heart was still racing, she noticed with a small smile. She pressed a hand to his chest, fingers curling when Itachi shifted.

"Thank you," he repeated and returned her almost smile.

Why did he feel the need to thank her? She'd basically stayed on her back the whole time – he'd been the one in control, the one bringing her pleasure.

Realising her grip on his hip was still strong, Sakura released him and relaxed further into the bed. She did her best not to focus on the stickiness between her thighs as Itachi settled down beside her, though she longed to get up and go shower. Would he be offended if she did?

Instead of doing so, she remained there for a couple of minutes before she remembered an important piece of information Ino had told her, leading her to sit up and hold the sheets to her chest, smiling shyly.

"I need to pee."

He merely nodded and she left without another word, sitting on the toilet until she felt the urge to relieve herself.

Before Ino had advised her to do so (if she ever happened to do the impossible and have sex, she'd added dryly), Sakura hadn't known that peeing after sex would help clear the urinary tract of foreign fluids that could potentially cause infections. And she was supposed to be a medic. Ridiculous, right?

She quickly washed herself before leaving the bathroom, pausing when she did.

Seeing Itachi lounging on her bed, with the sheets low on his hips, barely keeping him covered and showing his (what Ino affectionately called) happy trail, was one she'd never really thought she'd see. Sakura couldn't decide whether she liked it or not. While he was most definitely easy on the eyes, his body displaying the lifestyle he lived with its muscles and scars, it made her secret mission seem all the more real.

They'd just had sex.

She wasn't sure how to even feel about it.

On the one hand, it was over and done with. The next time would hopefully be easier. On the other hand, it was way too easy getting caught up in the moment. Like earlier that day, she gave in to the sensations, allowed them to take control of the situation. Hell, she hadn't been able to reciprocate his touches – he'd been in complete control the whole time. Did that make it a failure? Would she somehow have to train herself not to be affected by his touch? Would she even be able to seduce Uchiha Itachi?

When she'd rushed to the bathroom, she'd been quick in a stupidly childish attempt at not letting him see her body. Now, she was covered in a towel. Why did she feel the need to do that? They'd just had sex. He'd seen and touched most of her body and she'd liked it.

His eyes were already on her, Sakura noticed and she bit her lip, eyeing her towel for a moment.

Then, she met his gaze once more and allowed it to fall to the floor, searching his expression and feeling part of herself sag with relief when she spotted the tell-tale signs of arousal. Hunger flashed through his eyes and she noticed his breathing grow shallow, but the most obvious sight was his growing erection as it demanded her attention.

Would he be able to go again so soon? Sakura found that she didn't feel sore – not really. If she wanted to, she could go again and even if it had been sore down there, all she'd really need to do was send some healing chakra to the area. But like she'd said: it only hurt when they weren't doing it properly.

He met her at the end of the bed when she approached, but Sakura caught his hand when he moved to touch her, smirking.

"You had your turn," she said and her smirk widened when his blush returned. Slowly, her knees sunk into the mattress on each side of his thighs, straddling him and she whispered into his ear, "I want to satisfy you this time, Itachi."

She found that he was more than capable of going a second time when she spent what felt like forever working over his length with her mouth and hands, soon riding him for even longer – long enough for her to climax twice. It had hope blooming in her chest that perhaps tomorrow wouldn't be a failure, not when she discovered that he especially liked when she quickened the pace with her hand, tongue slowly swirling around his sensitive tip before flicking it experimentally. He also liked it when she used her strength to pin him beneath her with a single hand, grinding her way to completion for them both.

The third time Sakura found that she weirdly enjoyed having her hair pulled, their position of her on all fours with her chest forced down into the bed allowing Itachi to twist one arm behind her back, the harshness of their coupling causing the bed to creak and groan warningly, effectively covering their sounds of pleasure. Apparently, she enjoyed rougher sex, though she certainly didn't want to continue with BDSM after their mission.

By the fourth time, they were too tired to do anything more than rock together, their hips barely separating as they clung to one another. It had confusion swirling within her, because Sakura discovered that she also loved the tenderness of it all. She liked being held so close, so delicately until they climaxed for the final time that night, lips brushing absentmindedly, tongues briefly touching, shaking sighs and moans intermingling.

Frustratingly, she got carried away each and every time, but that was okay, Sakura decided as she rolled onto her stomach, smiling in thanks when the sheets were brought up to cover her.

He did too.

As tired as she was, sleep would not come to her. She hoped that didn't mean their mission was making her an insomniac. Like she really needed that on top of all her other problems.

How long she lay there was a mystery to her, since Sakura tried not to count the passing minutes. It was long enough for Itachi to go and shower, however and when she sensed him hesitating after his return, she purposely shuffled to one side of her bed in a silent invitation that he accepted.

They needed to get used to sleeping next to one another, she told herself. Now that they had had sex, was there really any point in her having a separate bedroom to him? Although, if she did, what if a member of his clan decided to make a surprise visit and caught them in separate rooms? Would they be in trouble? Would she be allowed to pummel the intruder for the invasion of her privacy? And what about the sex? Would that become a regular thing or was it solely for the sake of the mission?

Sighing, she turned her head to the side, watching the figure beside her. Itachi was laying on his back with an arm beneath his head – she never saw him sleep in a different position. He didn't even move around in his sleep. Though, saying that, she could never tell the difference with him. Last night, she'd assumed he was asleep due to his even breathing and eyes being closed, but he'd in fact been awake. Had he even slept for the duration of their mission?

"Itachi? Are you awake?"

He didn't look at her. "Is something wrong?"

It didn't sound as though he'd been sleeping at all, so she didn't feel any guilt over possibly waking him. "Are you nervous?"

There was a pause and she felt him shift, head tilting in her direction. "About tomorrow?"

"No," she murmured, unable to speak any louder. "About getting married."

He hummed softly, thoughtfully, at that and she felt him move again, returning to looking up at the ceiling. "In some ways, yes."

At least she wasn't the only one. "Why?"

"You will be my wife," answered Itachi simply. "Although I have come to learn that you thrive best in your independence and dislike having that taken away from you, there are now many expectations of us – of me."

Well, he was certainly looking into it much deeper than she had. Her major concerns were the little things (in comparison to his worries, at least). "Like what?"

"For starters, the secrets we must keep, such as the façade of being happily married in the eyes of the village and the lies to our families regarding our obligations – to my clan especially." There was the sound of a sigh and she bit her lip, guilt blooming in her chest as she realised how much she'd been asking of Itachi. "I swore to you that I would do my utmost as heir of my clan to try and keep you an active kunoichi, but it will be one vote against many. Should my father oppose our wishes, then I would have to go against him. That is not taken lightly in my clan, Sakura."

What would happen if he did? Would it result in a fight? In further distance between Itachi and his clan? Would they leave him out of important meetings that she had to know about, for the sake of her mission?

She was startled when tears filled her eyes and in a pitiful attempt to keep them from being noticed, she turned her head away, purposely wiping her eyes on the pillow as she did so, willing herself to continue breathing normally.

It would be imperative of her to discuss her worries with Tsunade, but what if worst came to worst and she had to step down? What if she had no other choice but to retire for the sake of not failing her mission? If it was simply paranoia and there were no talks of a coup d'état, she would never return to active duty since she'd be trapped in the marriage. She'd forever be retired, just as she'd forever remain his wife.

"I do not take defeat lightly," he informed her and she sensed him moving, making her stomach twist when she noticed him turning onto his side and facing her from the mirror at the bottom of the bed. It was almost amusing, for who would have thought that they'd just had sex considering the careful distance between their bodies? "I understand that you don't, either. So, we need to be prepared for a tiresome battle."

No, she needed to be prepared to give everything she'd worked for up for the sake of a mission.

But could she?


A sweet aroma awoke her hours later and Sakura stretched, appreciating the pops and cracks of her joints that informed her she'd been sleeping a while.

It didn't surprise her to find the other half of the bed vacant when her eyes eventually opened, for the food had to come from somewhere, though she did hope he managed to get a few hours of sleep.

By the time she was fully alert, the food was being served on the bedside table that was once more pulled to the centre of their beds. She quietly thanked Itachi for handing her a robe, allowing her a moment of privacy to cover herself. Again, Sakura couldn't understand why she felt it necessary not only because they'd had sex, but because of her mission as a whole.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked while they ate, trying to make conversation.

"Fairly," came his honest response. Looking up from his meal, he continued, saying, "You don't appear to move around as much when sharing a bed."

Probably because she'd been subconsciously worried about overstepping some kind of boundary. "I suppose that's a good thing, right?" He simply nodded. Lowering her chopsticks, she decided to take the risk and ask outright, "Would you be against sharing a bed from the night we're married?"

"Why the sudden change of heart?" he asked, not unkindly.

Sighing, she shoved aside her pride and need to be independent, deciding that it couldn't be all take, take, take in their marriage. So far, Itachi had repeatedly stuck his neck on the line for her and was even willing to go up against his father if he disagreed with his decision of her remaining an active kunoichi. What exactly had she offered him in return? A few rounds of sex? It was hardly fair.

"Our conversation last night." Fiddling with the chopsticks, she dug around her bowl even though she knew it was impolite to do so. "Like you said: there's going to be a lot of expectations and so many lies that we have to keep up with. We can't risk someone spying on us and word getting back to your clan that we don't sleep in the same room."

He nodded, agreeing with her. "Thank you."

She didn't feel like teasing him about other benefits of their sharing a room. Perhaps unknowingly, Itachi had confirmed that it was likely they'd be spied on at some point and it felt like more and more of her freedom was being stripped away from her. How much would that clan – would her mission – ask of her before she was utterly bare before them all, with absolutely nothing left?

Tucking her hair behind her ear, Sakura returned to silently eating her breakfast (although the clock told her it was way into the afternoon), only pausing to drink the glass of water Itachi had kindly poured for her.

She wondered if it was normal to feel so awkward after sex. Not uncomfortable, but something close to it, enough to put her on edge whenever they caught the other's eye. For all she'd boasted about being so secure in her sexuality, not caring if she seemed crude or unladylike, she'd never felt more unsure of herself or where they stood now.

Did she regret it? Not entirely, no. But she did have some doubts about it being too soon.

Had she lost any of his respect?

Sakura banished the foolish thought from her mind. Why should she have to worry about something like that when Itachi no doubt didn't care in the least? For men, having sex within weeks of knowing a person wasn't that big of a deal. Women, however, were branded as easy or whores. But like hell she would let him – or anyone – put such a label on her.

She asked, "Do you feel better prepared for tonight?"

Again, he nodded. "I ensured to take note of all your reactions last night and know what to do or avoid. I believe I have a reasonable idea of what you like best."

Trust Itachi to make it sound like nothing more than a project, she thought dryly. "So, we'll go with the original plan, then. I'll give you oral and sustain your erection after your orgasm – remember to give me fair warning." He nodded, showing that he was listening. "You should last for however long the threesome goes on for after that," Sakura told him. "And you didn't seem overly sensitive when we started another round, which is a bonus for you."

Like Itachi, Sakura felt more confident in her ability to satisfy him and make it appear as though they were long-time lovers. At some point during their practice session, they'd grown more comfortable and open in their experimentation – proven by the roughness of their third time and the fact she'd allowed him to restrain her, to dominate her.

When he only nodded in response to her words, they finished their breakfast in silence, though Sakura found she didn't actually feel anything about it – about the silence, she meant. It didn't bother her in the slightest. If anything, she was grateful for it, as it gave her the time she needed to process everything and by process everything, what Sakura really meant was that she continuously repeated the words 'they had had sex' in her head. It still felt so surreal.

Watching him from the corner of her eye as Itachi began tidying away their leftovers and dishes, Sakura shifted. She wondered if their night with Akina would be anything like the night before? Would she lose herself in the moment again? Could she prevent that at all?

"Have you decided what your disguise will be?"

He glanced at her from over his shoulder before resuming his task. "I will keep my body, though will hide any distinguishable marks." Like his ANBU tattoo, Sakura thought to herself. "For my features, however, I will most likely use the same henge as the night before."

While that would be handy considering Akina had met that bland person, she believed the henge to be too boring. Knowing she would have to look the stranger in the eye while they were intimate wasn't a thought she enjoyed.

"Maybe something more attractive than that," suggested Sakura. Shuffling to the centre of her bed, she lowered herself onto her stomach, legs bending and feet raising into the air. "No offence, but the face you chose was kind of dull."

"I chose it due to how well it blended in," he reminded her. Once finished with his tidying, Itachi turned, though paused and part of her felt oddly victorious when his attention was immediately captured by her legs and the bobbing of her restless feet. "What do you have in mind?"

Oh? She had a say in the matter? "Try and look as much like yourself as you can."

"That is a dangerous game," he said. "There is the risk somebody will recognise me."

"I suppose."

"Are you pouting?" Itachi questioned.

"What?" she demanded shrilly, jumping to her knees in wide eyed shock. "No!"

He smirked. "And now you are blushing."

Was she? Sakura felt her cheeks, horrified to find that they were warm. Gods, she…

No! He couldn't take the control from her.

Dropping her hands to her robe, she teased the bow holding it together. "Okay, so I like the way you look," she murmured.

Sakura knew immediately she had the upper hand once more, Itachi's gaze fixated on the tie as she pulled on it, slowly causing the robe to fall open. It kept her breasts covered, but she knew he would be able to see the small patch of pink hair between her legs.

"Are you saying you'd prefer looking into another's eyes while having sex with me?" she questioned, gaze narrowing fractionally. "That you'd enjoy touching my body, but seeing someone completely different when you looked up?"

"Are you seducing me, Sakura?"

She smirked, heart in her throat. "Is it working?"

But instead of giving her the reaction she was hoping for (that blush of his, the shocking show of his prudish nature that caused him to look away), Itachi raised an eyebrow, smirking faintly. It seemed the night before had given him a boost in confidence in that area, taking away his shyness.

"What if it is?"

What, indeed.

The question caused her pause and she teased the collar of her robe, knowingly displaying a few more inches of skin to his eager eyes. Did she want to seduce him in that moment? Even though it held no real purpose?

Huffing with amusement, she shouldered the robe back on, tightening the bow with an air of finality. "I suppose we'll have to wait until tonight to find out."

"Oh?"

"Mmhm. You'll just have to wait until we're with Akina – if you can handle sharing me, that is." She stood haughtily and began to make her way to the bathroom, her smirk only widening when Itachi caught her wrist, forcing her to face him. "What is it, Itachi?"

It both surprised and excited her when she felt herself being guided backwards until her back bumped into the wall, leaving her to stare up at his lidded eyes with barely contained awe – both at his reaction and her own, for who would have expected it? Certainly not her.

Apparently Itachi had left a lasting impression on her body the night before, because having him leaning so close to her, his teeth grazing on her earlobe, did strange things to her insides, putting her straight into the mood whereas the night before, it'd taken so long for that to happen. Was it because she knew what to expect from him now?

"Do not underestimate an Uchiha, Sakura," he warned in a soft murmur, the feeling of his breath washing over her skin making her knees feel weak. "While it may be necessary for the sake of the mission, I don't share."

"Even if we're not in love?" she questioned. Looking up at him from beneath her lashes when he pulled back, staring down at her with that maddening mask of his, she bit her lip, asking after a moment, "Are you against sharing me even if you don't hold any feelings for me?"

"Yes."

She smirked. "So you have a lot of pride, then."

It wasn't a question, but he answered it like it was, asking in return, "Would you like to be disrespected by your spouse in such a way?"

No, of course not. It was heartless and cruel and she couldn't think of a worse fate than being stuck in a loveless marriage with an unfaithful partner.

"Well, then," she said in a low purr, standing on her tiptoes to try and close the distance between their faces, dragging her lips up his throat until she reached his jaw. "It's a good thing I have no intentions of straying, isn't it? The question is–" His balance was knocked when she leapt up, forcing him to catch her as she wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing her back to the wall with a thud. "–will you?"

"You have my word as an Uchiha–"

"Drop the formalities," she ordered softly and nuzzled her nose to his, revelling in the way he accepted her affections so easily. Didn't he realise what was happening? He was Uchiha Itachi. Surely, he held some form of inkling? "Don't speak to me as a member of the Uchiha Clan, speak to me as Itachi, an ordinary man."

He was silenced for a few moments, gaze searching hers for the ill intentions she kept buried deep within her, refusing to let him see them. Instead, she waited patiently, reaching up to brush his ponytail off his shoulder before she was wrapping her arms around his neck.

"No," he stated, voice quiet. "I won't betray you."

There.

She was wriggling her way in.

Ignoring the pang of discomfort at the realisation (and the confusion that swept through her moments later, since it was her mission to win him over), she played with the hair at the nape of his neck, smiling faintly.

"We better get ready," she said.

He nodded wordlessly, letting her go.


Akina was already in the room when they arrived, surprising them both with already being naked and in her seat, waiting for them patiently.

"I brought sake, Milady," she informed them, head held high.

It seemed that despite her appearance and willingness to be naked before them, Akina was on guard due to Itachi's presence – it didn't worry Sakura, for she'd been expecting it. She would simply have to try and ease them into it somehow.

"This is my friend – you can call him Hajime," she instructed. Placing her hands to her hips, she continued to stand by the door, keeping her jacket on over her costume to show she was being serious. "Before we get started, I want to ask: are you sure about this?"

"Yes, Milady."

Refraining from narrowing her eyes on the calm woman, she tipped her chin in the direction of the sake, ordering, "Pour us sake, Toy."

Wordlessly, she did as ordered and once her back was turned, Sakura shared a glance with Itachi, who nodded ever so slightly once in response, already watching her.

It appeared he'd taken her words on board, for his eyes remained his own – in shape and colour – however, after that, there were no more familiarities. His hair was much shorter, resembling Sasuke's (if he happened to grow it out a few inches to keep it from standing up at the back), his cheekbones weren't as high as they usually were and his features weren't as sharp, lacking that aristocratic gene that seemed to run through the whole Uchiha Clan, but he still somehow exuded that proud aura of his, so if she somehow managed to lose track of who he was due to his henge, it would knock her back down a peg and remind her.

Turning to accept their glasses, Sakura watched Akina closely, challenging, "Safe words."

The response was swift. "Apples and sparks."

Nodding, she sipped at the sake, appreciating the fine taste. While drinking on missions was frowned upon, it wasn't as bad as long as they remained in control of themselves and didn't allow it to affect the mission. Confident in their abilities to remain professional, Sakura felt comfortable with the odd couple of glasses.

They had their plan. Should things turn out the way they expected them to, then once they had their answers, it would go one of two ways.

Handing her glass over to Itachi, she murmured to Akina, "Undress me."

It seemed only fair considering she was already naked and she felt no shame when the woman began undressing her, hands lingering in certain parts of her body as she removed the long jacket, leaving Sakura to stand in a lacy black matching set, complete with stockings, suspenders and pair of heels so high they'd had Itachi doing a double take when she first slipped them on.

"You look beautiful, Milady," Akina murmured the compliment, sounding in awe.

Her hands came to the swell of her own hips, accentuated by the belt for the suspenders. "Are you just going to stand there gawking?"

"I…"

Was she too uneasy due to Itachi's presence?

Refraining from frowning, Sakura took both Itachi's and Akina's hands, bringing them closer to her, allowing them to sandwich her in as she leaned back into Itachi's chest, the familiar feeling of his body easing nerves she hadn't realised she was experiencing.

"Look at me," she ordered softly and reached out, hand coming to Akina's face and cupping it in a gentle move that seemed to surprise her. "You're safe here. We're all friends. Nothing that you don't want to happen will happen, okay? Just remember your safe words and we'll know your limits."

She nodded.

Still holding Itachi's hand, she brought him to her side, offering a smile as she looked between the two.

Honestly, she was lost on how to get things started. In her mind, she'd felt as though she had the perfect plan and would know exactly what to do, but she hadn't considered how to get to that stage. Jumping straight into giving Itachi oral was too much too soon, wasn't it? And how did she implement BDSM into it all?

She swallowed down the nerves. No matter what, she couldn't show them.

Recalling the jealousy that'd shown when she witnessed another receiving her attention, Sakura ordered, "Get in your chair and tie yourself up."

Nodding, she did as she was ordered to, surprising her briefly with how well she tied the knots for once. Instead of being so sloppy that they were easy to escape from (which Sakura had eventually started to suspect was on purpose, since it gave her a way to defend herself, should she have to), they were considerably tight – much tighter than she ever would have made them. They instantly turned her skin a surprising shade of red, spilling over the ropes until it looked as though they were swelling.

But she didn't comment on it, instead strutting her way over to the dresser and reaching straight for the vibrator and flogger.

When she turned to face the two once more, she ran it over the skin of her thighs, trailing it upwards and demanding their attention remain fixated on her. It did.

"Hajime isn't used to this lifestyle, just as you're not used to men or sharing," Sakura began and made her way over to the brunette. Slowly sinking to her knees, she stroked Akina's inner thighs with barely-there touches, watching from beneath her lashes as the woman squirmed in her place. "So we're all going to start off slowly."

Daringly, she brought the vibrator to her own mouth, lubricating it efficiently, never once breaking eye contact, all the while her other hand toyed with Akina, rubbing light circles on her clitoris.

"Do you remember what this does?" she asked.

She nodded quickly. "Yes, Milady."

"We're going to leave this on the middle setting," murmured Sakura and she lowered the vibrator, placing it to her opening. "To get you going."

Before she could reply, she was inserting it without warning, drinking in the sight of her expression as it contorted with surprised pleasure.

"Now, then," she said and stood, leaving a lingering touch on her thighs. Stepping back, Sakura faced Itachi, accepting the sake he handed to her. It was after a sip that she continued, saying, "Would you like the honours of turning our toy on, Hajime?"

He nodded and took the controls, assessing them for a single moment before they heard the faint sound of the vibrator, which was soon drowned out by Akina's quiet moan, her head falling forward.

"She hates not being the centre of attention," Sakura told him suddenly and smirking at Akina's widening eyes, she ran her free hand down his chest, stopping on the waistband of his pants. "But she has to earn her rewards." Looking over her shoulder at the other woman, she murmured, "Do you think you can handle another touching me? Watching them please me?"

The sake was taken from her, soon placed on the dresser and when Itachi approached, it was with confidence, his hands falling to her waist.

Did he feel nervous too? Sakura wondered if it was possible since he was, after all, Uchiha Itachi. But then again, he'd already shown a completely different side to him, one she had no idea even existed.

Reaching up, she eased him out of his jacket and shirt with tender touches, purposely showing extra affection when she noticed the reaction Akina gave. It seemed to aggravate her, her frown deepening when Sakura reached for his pants.

"You hate this, don't you?" Sakura questioned softly, sighing when Itachi began kissing her neck, cradling the back of her head to tip it further back and grant himself more access to her throat. Despite wanting to shut her eyes and relish in the contact, she kept her gaze locked on Akina's, raising a challenging eyebrow. "You hate seeing him touch me."

"I-I don't hate it, Milady."

"Oh?" She stroked her way across the waistband of his pants, easing them down, only pausing when Itachi knowingly suckled on the most sensitive part of her neck, causing her to gasp. "Careful, Hajime," she whispered and gently pulled his face away, smiling. "You know your kisses drive me crazy."

"I know," he replied with a smirk. "However, it seems your plaything wishes to know more about your body."

She glanced in the brunette's direction, taking in the shallow breathing and constant squirming of her hips. The look in her eyes wasn't angry like she'd been expecting it to be – no, it was filled with longing and a desperation to have more involvement.

Sakura smirked up at him. "You're sharing your secrets with her?"

"Of course," Itachi murmured and once more tipped her head back, making Akina suck in a sharp breath when their noses brushed. "I want you to enjoy yourself. If I must share my knowledge of your body, then so be it."

"Ah, but there's one thing she doesn't deserve."

His smirk returned, fingers tangling in her hair. "Aa."

The kiss was intensely sensual, their tongues joining almost immediately and leaving her almost melting into him. Sakura felt like she was losing herself to the sensations. He kissed her so deeply, so passionately, that she felt herself nearly forgetting about Akina entirely, the only thing keeping her grounded being her soft whimper.

"Only I have earned the right to kiss you," Itachi reminded her and brushed the hair off her face.

Sparing the brunette another glance, Sakura started kissing her way down Itachi's body, eliciting soft sighs and quiet moans when she finished undressing him, baring all of him to the other woman in the room. His erection stood proudly, demanding her attention and she gave him what he wanted, repeating the touches she'd discovered he'd liked the most the night before.

It didn't hurt when he grabbed her hair, guiding her mouth over his length. If anything, it increased her own pleasure and Sakura groaned, moving her head faster, causing Itachi's grip to tighten, his hiss of pleasure making her insides clench with need.

"M-Milady…"

With a long, tortuous pull, she allowed his erection to fall out of her mouth, asking, "What is it?"

"Please," she whispered and shifted, panting. Her hold on the back of the chair had her knuckles turning white. "I need…"

"Touch yourself," she ordered. "Touch yourself while watching me please Hajime."

She nodded, hand instantly going to her weeping centre, the quick, desperate circles indicating her excitement.

Sakura returned to Itachi's length, one hand settling at the bottom of his length as she set a more relaxed rhythm, noticing from the corner of her eye that Akina copied her pace. Keeping her eyes locked with the woman's, she relaxed her throat, going all the way to the base of his penis. Itachi's moan had her pressing her thighs together tightly and she reached up, not surprising him as she fondled his balls.

At one particularly insistent pull on her hair, Sakura prepared herself, though it wasn't until she glanced up at Itachi with her mouth once more pressing to the base of his throbbing penis that he finished, just barely managing to hide it from showing on his expression.

It didn't taste like much, she found, although there was a tang of something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Ignoring it, she focused on making sure none of his semen showed, swallowing it discreetly. Once she felt him softening in her mouth, she set her chakra to work, bringing him back to life.

Akina's moans caught her attention and Sakura looked over to her once more, asking in a lower voice, "Did you like that?"

She nodded quickly, back arching.

Sakura pouted. "It looks like you're struggling there."

"Y-Yes, Milady."

Feeling dizzy with her own arousal, Sakura used Itachi to stabilise herself as she stood, wondering how the hell he'd even managed to remain standing himself.

Pressing a lingering kiss to his collarbone, she turned away, approaching Akina and making quick work of the ropes, only briefly worrying about the slight tears on her skin, ordering, "Get on the bed."

She did so eagerly and while watching her, Sakura accepted her sake gratefully, washing away the odd aftertaste of Itachi's semen.

"What do you think we should do with her, Hajime?" she questioned.

"I think you should bestow upon her your greatest gift and curse: your mouth."

"Careful," Sakura warned him and kissed his impish smirk away. "Or else I'll switch your positions."

Handing back the glass, she made her way over to her, silently warning herself to refrain from drinking any more of the sake. It was apparently much stronger than she'd originally suspected, leaving her to take more care in walking in her heels.

She reached out and yanked Akina's hips to the edge of the bed, once more lowering herself to her knees.

"Is this what you want?" she asked softly. "Do you want me to use my mouth?"

There was a pitiful whine and Akina threw her head back, the sound of the vibrator intensifying.

Chuckling, she murmured, "Hajime, don't be so cruel."

"Forgive me, my hand must have slipped."

Demandingly, she left her hips up in the air, bending at the waist as she kissed Akina's thighs soothingly, the path she created obvious to them all as she left little red splotches wherever she suckled on the woman's skin. The love-bites seemed to intensify the heightened pleasure she was already experiencing, for Akina's thighs trembled.

It was only when Sakura felt Itachi settling down behind her, hips just below hers, hands gently adjusting her position ever so slightly by spreading her legs wider, that she swept her tongue down the length of Akina's heat, the responding cry recreating the clenching of Sakura's inner muscles from moments before.

Itachi's hand came to her own heat, checking to see if she was ready and because she was (which seemed to surprise him, for he briefly paused when he felt how damp she was), he tugged her underwear to the side, slowly sinking her down on his length. She could only moan loudly against her skin, hands grasping at Akina's awaiting ones, surprising herself when she found that their fingers had entwined.

Meeting the brunette's gaze, she offered a smile, guessing that she was no doubt concerned. Given all that had happened to her previously, it was only to be expected that she assumed penetration by a man would cause pain. However, she couldn't have been more wrong in that moment. No, it was the exact opposite and Itachi's deep, long strokes were making it difficult to focus on her task at hand.

One of her hands left Akina's, parting her lips and granting herself easier access to her opening. She could both feel and hear the vibrator as it continued to add to her pleasure, even as she circled her tongue around her clitoris.

She pressed her forehead to Akina's thigh suddenly when Itachi's hand came down on her ass with more force than expected, eliciting pleasure that shocked her greatly. It seemed he hadn't meant for it to happen, for he then stroked the area comfortingly, silently apologising. But she wasn't complaining, and she showed him that when her back arched further, hips shifting against his when he pressed their bodies together once more, holding her in place. Similarly to the night before, she was in awe of how deep he felt, the fullness nearly overwhelming her.

At an insistent tug on her hair, she offered a shaky smile and returned to Akina, setting a more incessant pace with her tongue that had the woman's back arching off the bed. It provoked Sakura into pinning her hips, stroking them with her thumbs when her startled eyes met hers momentarily.

Her pace continued to quicken when Itachi's did, leaving her to moan and gasp against Akina's heat, her body shaking with each harsh thrust.

Once more, hands grabbed at hers, giving her gentle squeezes and she gratefully stopped focusing on satisfying Akina, instead allowing herself to succumb to the bliss that greeted her when Itachi grabbed her hips and pounded into her. It left her crying out, burying her face into Akina's thigh until he was reaching for her hair and pulling her back, granting the other woman with a full view of her ecstasy.

"Do you enjoy this?" he asked Akina. Vaguely, Sakura realised it was the first time he'd spoken with her so directly. "Seeing her so lost in her pleasure?"

"Y-Yes," she whimpered and she brought their joined hands to her centre, coaxing Sakura's hands into creating friction for her. "Please, don't stop."

"Not until I feel her-" His sentence was emphasised by a particularly harsh thrust that had Sakura's body jolting, scrambling for something to grab onto. "-coming undone around me."

"More friction," Akina encouraged. "Touch her."

Itachi scoffed, but Sakura couldn't find it in herself to be surprised by his sudden display of arrogance. No, she was stunned by the fact that he released her hair and reached around her, hand clutching her throat and yanking their bodies closer together, fingers flexing momentarily before he started applying pressure.

"I know exactly what she likes," he muttered into her ear, the constant thrusting of his hips leaving her a wanton mess. Gods, she couldn't even think clearly, only able to keep her lidded gaze locked with Akina's, hands clutching at her body to anchor herself to her. She could feel herself on the edge and knew that it would be a devastating orgasm. "Don't I?"

She could barely even nod.

His other hand came to her hip, the hold so strong she was certain it would leave bruises, but she didn't complain. It startled her how much she liked it.

"Let go of your plaything," he ordered in a breathless whisper, nipping at her ear. "Lest you wish to hurt her."

Reluctantly, she did so, giving herself to him entirely. She could feel her face flushing a faint shade of red in response to his grip on her throat, but she didn't want him to stop. Even though the shinobi in her would no doubt scream at her once she was able to think coherently, she just…

Gods, don't stop!

Akina sat up and knelt before her in the tiny space between Sakura's body and the bed, lowering her mouth to her breasts after tugging the bra down.

Her cry went up a pitch, body trembling.

"Come for us," ordered Itachi and he reached around her body, seeking out her clitoris to further stimulate her – like she even needed it. "I want to feel you dripping over my hard co-"

Her body went taught for all of two seconds before everything suddenly exploded within her and she was trembling all over, unable to control the movement of her limbs or her sharp cries. She was vaguely thankful for Itachi pinning her body to his, preventing her from accidentally grabbing Akina in her pitiful attempt to hold onto something.

Akina's eyes were intense with their awe and admiration for them both, but Sakura didn't care to see it. She was too wrapped up in the carnality of it all, the only thing keeping her from collapsing into a mess of shaking limbs being Itachi.

When she finally came down from her high, she felt such a strong aftermath that it left her hazy and in need of extra support, hands seeking Akina, feeling grateful when the woman allowed her to fall into her, nuzzling her throat and leaving soft, soothing kisses.

"You never fail to disappoint," she murmured with a chuckle, glancing over her shoulder at Itachi.

Apparently, he was also lost in his bliss, although she could tell that he hadn't climaxed with her. It had her inwardly frowning, especially when his hands trembled faintly on her hips, his forehead coming to her shoulder.

Was he tired? Masking her worry and suspicion, she instructed, "Get me my drink."

He did so without complaint and noticing the slight tremble of his legs when he stood, Sakura's insides turned to ice. Even though he'd been vigorous moments ago, it didn't make up for the fact that he was fighting to remain composed. Something was up with him.

That thought was only confirmed when he handed her the glass, saying, "I will have to go and get more sake. It seems we have finished the bottle."

Already? They hadn't had that much, had they?

"Repeat last night," ordered Sakura, handing the glass of sake back to Itachi after she'd taken a hearty sip, chakra immediately setting to breaking it down as she settled herself back onto the bed, watching the woman expectantly. "Show him how good you are with that mouth of yours."

Two things quickly became apparent as Akina did as she was ordered.

The first was that the sake had been spiked, leading Sakura to hurl a pillow over at Itachi, stopping him from drinking more.

The second was that the woman before her, slobbering over her thighs, was not Akina.

No, the sensation was completely wrong. Unlike the day before, when Akina had clearly known what she was doing and immediately had her like putty in her hands, this person was a complete mess. Gods, how hadn't she noticed before?

Before the drug could take full effect, she lifted one of her legs and slammed it into the fake's shoulder, sending her flying back across the room and closer to Itachi, who rounded on them with his hand coming to their throat and sharingan activating, forcing the person to keep their gazes locked with his.

Grimacing as she fought through the dizziness, Sakura sat herself up. It felt as though she'd foolishly downed her way through several bottles of Tsunade's finest sake and the urge to throw up was overwhelming, leaving her to launch herself towards the waste basket near the door, emptying the contents of her stomach.

How long she was there for, she had no idea. It must have been a while, however, because Itachi was soon holding back her hair and rubbing her back.

"I sh-should've-" Vomiting once more broke off the sentence and she trembled. "-known."

"They were a convincing fake," was all he said in response.

While that was true, it didn't change the fact that Akina – the fake Akina, anyway – hadn't drunk even a fraction of the amount she had, instead taking a meagre sip before sitting down. It should have been obvious that something was up with the sake when it affected her a lot faster than Sakura thought possible. Assuming it was stronger stuff was so stupid of her, damn it!

Gods, she'd screwed up. Their mission was supposed to prove to Itachi that she was a capable kunoichi, that she could remain an active kunoichi. And she'd gone and messed it all up by falling for such an obvious attack. Even knowing that Itachi had drunk the sake too and hadn't been suspicious did little to ease her stress.

Then again, she was more than likely going to have to retire anyway–

No. She couldn't think that way.

She had to redeem herself.

Shutting her eyes, she pressed one hand to her stomach and one to Itachi's. The green glow of chakra was steady and determined as it invaded their bodies and worked tirelessly to break down the drug, the effects immediate as the haze lifted, taking the dizziness with it.

Sakura breathed out a sigh of release and dropped her head. "I'm sorry."

"You-"

"I'm a medic," she interrupted him seriously, frowning. "I'm trained to detect these kinds of things, but I got carried away and failed to see the signs."

Itachi sighed at that. "You are allowed to make mistakes, Sakura – as long as you learn from them, that is."

Still, she couldn't shake the horrible feeling in her gut and it only increased when she caught sight of the impostor. Instead of seeing Akina's body, she now saw a scrawny man's, the sight of his sightless brown eyes glued to them sickening her as she realised that the man had touched her and she'd touched him and–

"Oh, Gods," she whispered, horrified.

No. She couldn't let it get the best of her. Not yet. For now, she had a mission to complete.

"Akina is alive," Itachi told her.

But she shook her head, arguing, "It's not that. It's…" Sakura swallowed down the bile and felt an intense urge to cover herself when those dead eyes continued to bore into her. "It wasn't Akina and he…"

Knowing that a strange man had been disguised as Akina and touching her so intimately, had known of the things she'd done previously, mortified Sakura, even though she knew she had no room to complain since they'd been willing to do the same to the brunette.

"Are you-"

"No, we'll talk about it after," she said suddenly and met his eye, trying to block out the man's haunting gaze. "Right now, we have a mission to complete."

They were going to regret screwing with her.


A/N - Can I please just start off by saying 39 reviews for last chapter?! That's insane. Thank you all so much for how kind you've all been to me and for showing me so much support. I really do appreciate the messages and I actually go choked up reading the messages. I haven't had the chance to reply to everyone just yet, but fingers crossed I will soon. For now, it's simply quicker replying like that, as I only really write nowadays during my son's naps.

It's also been crazy to hear that my stories have converted some into ItaSaku & ShisSaku fans - I never thought that would happen.

I did spend my mum's anniversary alone, but had people over a few days later for food, drinks and games. It did cheer me up quite a bit. I'm also now on a waiting list for bereavement counselling after a whole year of requesting it, so we'll see where that goes. I promise I'll keep you all updated.

Again, thank you all!