CHAPTER 14- Council

"So basically, you're screwed."

Sakura shot her best friend a half-hearted glare from where she was lounging on the couch. That morning when Sasuke, Naruto and her were just about to finish breakfast when her blonde friend made a rather dramatic appearance by almost knocking down her front door with the strength she used to knock on the door.

As soon as Sakura had opened the door, rather hurriedly so that her neighbors wouldn't complain about Ino's rather loud yelling and curses, the blonde barged inside and ordered Sasuke and Naruto to leave so that they could spend some time catching up.

So now the duo was seated on Sakura's couch, surrounded by nail-polish and a rather generous amount of snacks while the TV played a rerun of the infamous Kunoichi Diaries series.

"What?" Ino asked, feigning innocence as she popped a grape into her mouth. "The same freak that poisoned you in order to get to Itachi managed to get into Konoha and tried to toy with you and our dear Hokage's mind last night. That doesn't sound good to me."

Sakura rolled her eyes as she nibbled on her chocolate bar. "Aren't you supposed to cheer me up, pig?" She asked, getting a snort from Ino in return.

"As your best friend, it's my job to tell you the truth." The blonde returned as she examined her freshly polished nails. "And let's be honest, that's not even one of the craziest things that has ever happened to one of us. A crazy psycho that wants to use you in order to get to the Hokage? Oh please, that's so outdated."

Against her will, Sakura's lips curled up into a small amused smile. Ino, of course, was right. Until recently, she used to think the same way but ever since Itachi and hers talk at the Monument, she started to see things a little more serious. It wasn't that she didn't take them serious before, but just like the others, she eventually got used to the risks and consequences and thus, didn't bother to break her head much over every little detail.

This time, however, with her most recently gained knowledge, she admittedly felt slightly more concerned than she usually did and whereas she couldn't just tell Ino, she had a feeling that the blonde had already noticed without having to tell her.

"I know." Sakura eventually sighed, taking a bite of the chocolate bar. "I just feel slightly uneasy knowing that they managed to get this close without anyone of us noticing."

At that Ino narrowed her eyes and turned to look at her friend with obvious disapproval. "Don't even go there forehead, it'll do you no good." The blonde kunoichi warned as she blew air onto her nails to let them dry. "Of course it's upsetting to know that they managed to get this close, but at least there won't be a second time now that it happened. There is no need for you to unnecessarily waste your time thinking about all the possible reasons for their attack when they already made it painfully obvious. They already said that they wanted to get to the Hokage, didn't they?"

At Sakura's nod, Ino continued with a pointed look at Sakura.

"See, there you have it. Countless of idiots tried to get to you while you were Tsunade's apprentice, so nothing really changed." Ino finished as she plopped another grape. "Whereas your concern is understandable, it's unnecessary so just forget about it forehead."

Sakura remained silent, knowing that there would be no use in arguing with Ino about it. Ino didn't know how many of their Shinobi were found with a chakra scalpel stuck in their lifeless bodies, just how confident the attacker sounded last night and most importantly, what Itachi had told her, so Sakura decided to simply leave it at that.

"How was your mission in Kiri?" Sakura asked, taking the opportunity to change the topic without raising any suspicions.

"Quite boring." Ino returned, still frowning at her nails. "Shika broke his pinky and Choji almost drowned while he tried to save our client that stumbled into a river."

Sakura lifted a brow, amusement sparkling in her eyes as she tossed a pillow at Ino. "You are a horrible person."

Ino, seemingly unbothered by the pillow that hit her face merely shot her pink-haired friend a smirk as she took the pillow and hugged it to her chest.

"Says the one whose forehead is a literal magnet for trouble and problematic guys." At that, Ino's smirk only deepened as she rolled onto her stomach to properly look at Sakura. "Speaking of guys, how is it to work with the hottest Uchiha of Konoha? I'm still mad that Kakashi and Tsunade suggested you for the position and not me because I would have totally appreciated this free eye candy that you somehow got stuck with."

Sakura rolled her green eyes once more. She should have sensed that one coming and frankly, she wasn't even that surprised at Ino's curiosity. "It's alright, I guess. I don't get the urge to wring his neck anymore, so I guess that you could say that we've finally reached neutral grounds." The pinkette shrugged, pointedly ignoring on her friends' comments regarding Itachi.

Ino huffed as she rested her chin onto her palm, her tongue clicking in disapproval. "Geez Forehead, you really don't know when to enjoy the gift that the universe has granted you for whatever reason there is. How can you not jump him the instant you see him? Are we talking about the same Itachi because the one I know can make any girl shiver in delight by simply standing in a ten foot radius."

At that, Sakura couldn't contain her snort. She knew hat Itachi was quite famous with most girls even though, as far as she knew, he never even bothered to spare them a glance. They obviously didn't know the Uchiha the way she did.

"Oh please pig, you don't know him like I do." Sakura told her as the image of a certain Uchiha flashed in front of her eyes and her smirk faltered for the split of a second. "There is more to him than you think."

Upon seeing her friends suddenly thoughtful expression, Ino's lips curled upwards into a devilish smirk as she arched a perfectly shaped blonde brow. "I know, and that's exactly what makes all the girls go crazy about him. Who wouldn't want to break through the mysterious, incredibly strong and sexy Uchiha's shell and find out just what's going on in his mind? Because I sure as hell do and I can bet you that over half of Konoha's female population does as well."

Sakura snorted as she mirrored her friend's expression and arched a brow herself. "Wow, I never knew that Itachi was your type."

"Oh please, Itachi is everyone's type and I bet my best pair of panties that he is yours as well." Ino smugly said, causing Sakura to somehow choke on the candy that she plopped into her mouth.

She swiftly grabbed some water, very well aware of the way Ino's gleaming eyes were fixed on her as she struggled for air.

After Sakura gulped down the cold liquid and coughed a few times, she turned to look at Ino with a glare. "I don't have a type."

At that, Ino smirked. "So you're saying that the possibility of you finding Uchiha Itachi attractive exists?"

Sakura blinked at Ino's blunt declaration before she sighed. Ino had a way of getting things out of her and whereas she didn't feel like talking to Ino about Itachi or whether he was enjoyable to the eyes or not, she wouldn't lie and deny that he was indeed a very healthy and attractive man. That, however didn't mean that she was attracted to him.

"Itachi is attractive." Sakura confirmed, holding up a hand as Ino was about to open her mouth. "That doesn't mean that I am attracted to him though, so could we please stop talking about how attractive my boss is? That just feels weird. Besides, with all that's going on, I don't really feel like it's the right time for a relationship."

Ino rolled her eyes once more as she as well plopped a candy into her mouth. "Sakura, you said that for as long I can remember. Ever since you realized that your weird crush on Sasuke back then wasn't what you believed it to be, you've completely lost your interest in relationships and that's not healthy."

"I did try going on dates." Sakura tried to defend herself, but at the blank stare that Ino gave her she instantly shut her mouth.

"You can't consider what you had dates, it was more like a row of awkward meetings that crushed your hope in finding someone who doesn't want you to give up your life as a kunoichi." Ino corrected her before a sigh passed her lips and her expression softened.

"I don't want you to think that all men are the same when it comes to dating and trust me, I know. I've seen it all and let me tell you, one day you'll met the one who'll accept your all just like the rest of us one day will." Ino told her pink-haired friend before a familiar gleam brightened up her eyes once more. "And who knows? Maybe that person will be our dear Hokage, though I admittedly don't think that pink-haired girls with a big forehead are his type."

Sakura once again threw a pillow at Ino who in return caught it mid-air and shot the blonde a half-hearted glare. "As always, I am beyond grateful for your attempt of cheering me up, though I would appreciate if you tried to do so without gossiping about our Hokage and his popularity with the girls."

Ino grinned as she tossed the pillow that Sakura had previously attacked her with onto the floor and sighed with content. "I can' help it, he really is a blessing for the eyes. Though I have to say that Sasuke-"

"Ino!"

After Sakura managed to throw Ino out of her home, she decided to get dressed and meet Itachi in his office as they had agreed on last night.

Whereas she was expecting there to be quite some mess for Itachi to clean up, she wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted her as soon as she gently opened the door of his office after she knocked and received no reply.

She instantly realized why the moment she stepped inside.

Itachi's office was filled with at least a dozen of people who were all arguing rather loudly with one another, some of them Sakura recognized and some of them she didn't know.

There was Fugaku standing a couple of feet to her right, arms crossed above his chest and his expression grave and eyes burning with fury as he listened to something the female elder was shouting at him.

To her left stood a woman who was silently talking to the Hyuuga clan elder that was standing next to her, his expression clearly holding displeasure as his eyes were locked on some clan elder that was seemingly having a heated discussion with Danzo.

There was a trio of elders that Sakura didn't recognize that was standing in the middle of the room, the male elder taking the scene in with obvious disapproval as the other two were having their own little one-sided discussion with Itachi, who was sitting behind his desk with a blank expression.

The way his eyes were burning and his eyebrow twitched ever so slightly, she could easily make out that Itachi was pissed.

"This is unacceptable!" She heard Homura bellow, her eyes sharply narrowed. "People's lives were at stake and the way he acted was irresponsible."

Sakura arched a brow as she gently closed the door behind her and kept her eyes focused on the mess in front of her. Well, Sakura always knew that she had a rather unfortunate timing and now, thanks to her trouble attracting forehead as Ino had dubbed it, she was stuck in the middle of what seemed like a political argument.

Oh the joy.

"What was our Hokage supposed to do then, let the attacker kill his advisor and mother?" Kakashi smoothly interjected, his tone calm yet his words cut through the air like a sharp knife. "He acted the way any of the Hokage's before him would have- the right way."

Sakura slowly slid through the mass of people, keeping her eyes fixed on Itachi as she kept her head high upon feeling several pairs on eyes on her.

Even though their conversations didn't cease, she was very well aware of the glances they stole at her upon noticing her presence and the glares of disapproval that they shot her way.

She didn't let it faze her though and instead, silently continued to move towards Itachi who, by now, had also noticed her presence and kept his eyes fixed on her.

As she reached his desk, she offered him a sympathetic smile and wordlessly moved to stand next to him behind his desk.

Itachi, obviously appreciating her silence returned his attention to the duo in front of him and whereas he was pleased by her silent support, he inwardly prepared himself for the attack that his advisor would most likely soon find herself under.

"He shouldn't have even let it get this far." Another elder commented, voice low. "The hospital clearly wasn't secured enough if they managed to sneak inside without anyone noticing, especially Godaime-sama and her apprentice."

"The hospital security isn't at fault, but Konoha's borders!" Another one pointed out. "They wouldn't have even managed to get this far if they didn't make it past the borders!"

"As all of us know, the borders are as secured as possible." Fugaku sternly interjected, having seemingly taken offense. "It's highly likely that the person behind yesterday's incident was either someone who has been in Konoha for some time or got some help getting in by someone from the inside."

At that, another uproar started and judging by the way Itachi's eyes burned, Sakura knew that the Uchiha heir only waited for the right moment to put them back into place.

"Isn't it the Hokage's advisor that they're after?" A woman spoke, causing Sakura to unconsciously stiffen next to Itachi, what he instantly noticed. "Isn't she supposed to aid him in keeping Konoha safe instead of causing an even bigger mess?"

Murmurs of agreement filled the office as Sakura found herself to be the newest center of attention, the glances and looks she received being enough to fuel her anger.

She already expected her name to fall sooner or later, but she admittedly never expected them to call her out this bluntly. She felt her heart drop ever so slightly before she balled her fists and looked the woman that had to bluntly insulted her dead in the eye, emerald eyes gleaming with anger.

She felt Itachi next to her tense ever so slightly upon hearing his advisor being called out and when she was certain that he was about to speak up in her place, she gently rested her hand onto his shoulder to stop him.

He didn't look at her nor did he move to shrug her hand off. Instead, she felt him calm ever so slightly under her touch and Sakura took it as a sign to go ahead.

Now that she had their attention, she might as well use it.

The woman in question seemed to be in her late forties and judging by her markings, she seemingly belonged to one of the Inuzuka's branch Clans.

"As far as I am concerned, many of you share Inuzuka-san's point of view." Sakura started, her eyes scanning the room as she slid her hand off Itachi's shoulder and instead, stepped forwards with her head held high. "I would like this opportunity to set the record straight if I may."

She looked at the occupants of the now silent room, everyone looking either mildly surprised or even more suspicious by her declaration.

"A confession, perhaps?" Homura dared to ask, and Sakura's lips curled upwards into a sharp smile, eyes flashing dangerously.

"A statement." Sakura corrected as she crossed her arms behind her back and kept her eyes fixed on the group in front of her. "For the ones in this room that are doubting the former as well as he current Hokage's judgment."

Homura's eyes narrowed and Sakura could tell that she was displeased by the sharp edge to Sakura's words but other than that, the elder wisely decided to remain silent.

"As you have correctly stated before, as the Hokage's advisor it is indeed my job to aid him in keeping Konoha safe and as a part of Konoha's hospital's head, I am also responsible for the hospitals and its patients safety." Sakura told them, her voice ringing with confidence that her rapidly beating heart betrayed. "During the past incidents I have acted accordingly and the way that was expected of a kunoichi, medic and the Hokage's advisor. Not only I, but the Hokage and every shinobi out there have risked their lives various of times during the past weeks ever since the attacks started in order to keep this village safe and if it weren't for us, not only the Hokage's mother, but many other innocent lives would have been lost. I will take full responsibility for any incident that may result by my mistakes or lack of skill, but I will not tolerate anyone disrespect the Hokage's judgment or question his decisions, including his decision of naming me his advisor and trusting me enough to take care of any attack on Konoha."

Silence followed Sakura's words and she could see that her words had the wanted effect. Everyone was either looking at her with clear surprise, avoided her gaze or looked at her with approval- the latter applying to the majority.

"Why, pray tell, have our mysterious attackers taken a liking to you then?" The Inuzuka elder once more spoke, hazel eyes filled with suspicion. "First the poisoning and now the attack at the hospital. You seem to attract trouble Haruno, and this is not a fortunate trait."

At that, Sakura arched a brow. "What better way is there to get to the Hokage then to get rid of his advisor who is also a valued kunoichi of Konoha? As much as I know that many of you would like me to resign and throw me to the wolves just to get rid of what you believe to be the problem, you fail to see the real problem. One can't cure an illness by ridding the symptoms only, and this is what many of you are clearly attempting- what leaves us with two choices. You either try to find a cure to get rid of the real problem or leave it to die, and I think that I can speak for everyone when I say that the latter is not an option."

The room erupted in murmurs and whereas there was no clear, verbal agreement from any of them, Sakura could tell that she managed to get her point across and that they finally seem to understand. Of course there were still a few exceptions that were simply too stubborn to accept it, but Sakura expected no less. After all, it were the pessimistic ones that kept her motivated to aim higher and become better.

"Silence."

The command was merely uttered and yet, the moment it passed his lips the entire room turned deadly silent, all eyes turning to the Uchiha behind her. Sakura kept her eyes on the crowd but couldn't help but feel a cold shiver run down her spine. His tone was sharp enough to cut through skin and the roughness of his voice that was clearly laced with displeasure held an amount of authority that could make armies of shinobi still in an instant.

"I believe that I have already given my opinion to this matter once and I, as well as Haruno-san, don't intent to repeat ourselves regarding this situation. It will do all of you good to remember not only my, but also my advisors words if you want to keep a say in any matter regarding Konoha." Itachi spoke, his deep voice holding all the authority he possessed. "If a situation like this is to reoccur, I won't hesitate to dismiss anyone that dares to bluntly insult my advisor or me of their seat in all of the meetings that will be held in the future. I hope that I have made myself clear."

Silence followed his words and whereas it was more than obvious that some were still displeased, the majority have lowered their heads to show him that they have understood.

What didn't mean that they would follow his words, but it was a start nonetheless.

"What do you propose we should do then, Hokage-sama?" Danzo spoke up, earning all of the room's occupants attention in an instant as his lips tilted slightly downwards. "You can't expect us to just lean back and let you do all of the work on your own."

Danzo never was one to hold back and always shared what was on his mind, regardless of whether it was appropriate under the circumstances or not.

"That's why I have Haruno-san by my side- so that I don't have to do all of this on my own." Itachi smoothly returned, and Sakura tried her best to fight the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.

Danzo in return remained silent, knowing that he had walked into this one and clenched his jaw.

"Any more questions?" Itachi asked as his eyes roamed the now silent crowd in front of him. When he received no answer, he knew that this marked the end of today's commotion and glanced at Sakura out of the corner of his eyes.

His advisor instantly took the hint and pointedly cleared her throat to gain the crowds attention. As soon as she was certain that all eyes were on her, the pinkette offered them a brief, yet sincere smile and gently inclined her head.

"I guess that this marks the end of today's little meeting then." Sakura started, her green eyes never leaving the Clan elders. "I look forwards to participating in future gatherings where I'll be able to work together will all of you so that we can work on finding ways to permanently ensure Konoha's safety and improve its intern stability."

Itachi had to hide his own smirk upon hearing Sakura's answer, but the satisfaction that his dark eyes displayed was enough for the rest to know that he was content with his advisors diplomatic answer.

"You are dismissed."

They hesitated, but eventually left Itachi's office. Some shot Sakura a smile of approval whereas others didn't even bother to pay her any more attention than necessary, but to the pinkette it mattered very little.

She was glad that she finally managed to face the elders as the Hokage's advisor and to give them a piece of her mind, but she couldn't help but heave a small sigh of relief when the last person left the room and the door to the Uchiha's office shut close.

Sakura moved to walk around the desk so that she was once more standing in front of it, her eyes instantly meeting Itachi's dark ones that were already firmly fixed on her. He motioned for her to sit down onto the empty chair in front of him and Sakura silently did as told after flashing him a brief smile of thanks.

"Well, it seems like I chose just the right time to pay you a visit." Sakura said, a small smile on her lips as she intertwined her hands behind her back.

"Hn." Itachi softly returned as he eyed his advisor with a calculating gaze. She showed no sign of uneasiness and yet, the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes betrayed her cheerful tone. "Your timing is something you should work on nonetheless, Haruno."

Sakura merely lifted a brow in return. "Considering that without me you'd have had to deal with a mop of clearly angered Clan elders all on your own, my timing has been quite well if I may say so myself."

Of course Itachi had expected her answer and judging by the way his eyes briefly flashed in approval, she knew that he was just messing with her again.

"I take that you've gotten some rest after yesterday's incident at the hospital." Itachi started, smoothly changing the topic as the pinkette gave him a curt nod.

"I did." She responded, her smile dimming as the previous nights events flashed in front of her eyes. "I hope that your mother is well and managed to get some rest, I can imagine that it must have been quite a stressful day for her."

Itachi eyes the young woman in front of him in mild curiosity. He knew that she had knowingly put herself in harm's way in order for his mother to hide in her office and wait for backup during the attack, but he hadn't quite expected her to be any further concerned with his mothers well-being after he took her home.

"She is quite well, thanks to your swift acting." He replied, expression serious. "You have my thanks for keeping her safe when I was unable to do so, Haruno. "

Sakura's expression instantly softened. She knew that Mikoto held a great spot in Itachi's heart, but she didn't expect him to thank her for doing something that was a matter of course. It was her duty as a kunoichi and his advisor to keep her safe, especially since he was the mother of the Hokage and the Uchiha matriarch, but above that all, she was her friends' mother and a woman that she cared greatly for.

"Of course." She replied, her lips curling upwards into a smile. "Your mother is an admirable woman and kunoichi. It actually took me some time to convince her to hide in my office, but I guess that I have a knack of breaking through an Uchiha's stubbornness."

At that, Itachi was unable to contain his smirk. He knew that his mother was a very stubborn woman, a trait that he and his little brother had undoubtedly inherited from her and it didn't surprise him to hear that his mother had also displayed this trait in Sakura's presence.

"I am aware of another person whose stubbornness is able to match the one of an Uchiha." Itachi returned, the teasing glint in his dark eyes skillfully concealed. "It's not a trait that too many appreciate, I am sure."

Now that Sakura took personal.

The pinkette lifted a pink brow at the Uchiha in front of her, her smile visibly dimming as her eyes narrowed for the slightest of bits.

"It's a trait that's needed, especially when dealing with certain people." Sakura smoothly returned, the steely edge her voice held clearly audible to Itachi. "I consider it a blessing in disguise, actually, for it has helped me deal with quite a few rather problematic human beings on several occasions."

She now held his full attention, his dark eyes taking his time in scanning her face as he took in the way her expression changed within the split of seconds.

His advisor was like an open book to him and didn't bother to hide her emotions or feelings, what was a rather refreshing change. It was a dangerous trait, but he knew for quite some time now that Sakura still held an innocence of sorts that not many did, despite of having seen the cruel sights the world had to offer.

"It's a matter of perception." Itachi easily returned. "I am sure that not many share your opinion regarding that matter, Haruno. Perhaps many of your rather unpleasant encounters with others are the result of this very same stubbornness you possess."

Sakura didn't know how they managed to stray away from their original topic, but she did know that the rather sudden and unexpected twist their conversation has gotten didn't sit the least bit well with her.

"I don't expect them to." Sakura evenly returned as her gaze sharpened. "However, I won't take the blame for any unpleasant encounters during the past. They either accept it or not, I am past the stage of caring about others approval regarding my words or actions."

Silence followed her words as Itachi took some moments to let her words sink in, the darkening of his eyes not going unnoticed by the pinkette. Sakura however stood her ground, refusing to let him get any further under her skin.

Itachi could see that she believed in her own words and yet, he knew that it was a pretense that she unconsciously put up for her own hearts safety. She had a kind heart and judging by what he has heard from others, including Tsunade, Sakura had a knack of instantly taking others words to heart.

He didn't blame her of course, but he wondered just how many times it took her to say these words until she believed them herself.

"Very well then." Itachi yielded, knowing that the rest of their little conversation was better left for another day as he decided to move on to a safer topic. "Shisui informed me about the incident that occurred in the civilian part of the village."

Sakura visibly relaxed as she offered him a small nod in return, inwardly grateful for the smooth change of topic that he provided her with. She had a feeling that they would have this conversation some time in the future again, or at least one similar to that, but until then she wouldn't think much about it.

"We managed to prevent the fire from spreading any further, but there have been some complications that I am sure Shisui already told you about." Sakura told him, earning a nod from Itachi in return.

"He did." He confirmed as he leaned back in his seat, a mildly thoughtful expression on his face. "I take that you managed to take care of the injured family members?"

"It was a close call." Sakura admitted as she thought back to the rather long surgery she had performed on the injured family members. "But they'll be fine. I take that the attacker is locked away?"

Itachi nodded. "He is. Kakashi is interrogating him as we speak but according to what Shisui's told me, he won't be getting out of there anytime soon."

Sakura hummed in understanding, having expected no less especially after what she had witnessed that day. She still couldn't help but shiver whenever she thought of the way he rammed the kunai into his wife without even doing as much as batting an eye. She had seen a lot of crazy things during her time as a kunoichi and a medic, and even though cases like this were no rarity, it caused her to question the human mind every time.

"Well, considering that he tried to kill his entire family and succeeded in seriously injuring them, it's the least he deserves." Sakura spoke. "Though that still leaves us with our little friend from the hospital to deal with."

At that, Itachi's expression turned serious once more. The Uchiha hear leaned back forwards so that he could place his elbows onto the surface of his desk once more.

"It's just a matter of time until their identity will be revealed." Itachi told her, eyes steadily fixed on her as he paused for a small moment, as if contemplating whether he should add something, and then, "I would actually like to propose something."

Sakura's eyes displayed the surprise that she felt upon hearing his words. For the first time, Itachi actually seemed hesitant about something and Sakura would lie if she were to say that this mere fact didn't perk her curiosity regarding the proposal even further.

"What's it?"

Unknowing to the pinkette, Itachi had thought this proposal ,or rather offer, over for hundreds of times during the previous night, unsure of what the right course of action would be. Up until now he still wasn't sure whether this was a good idea, but he knew that in the end he would have to at least bring it up once.

"I would like you to accompany me on a mission." Itachi revealed, carefully taking in the way Sakura's expression turned from curious to surprised. "Don't be mistaken though, it's not an ordinary mission and that's exactly why your presence is needed."

"What kind of mission is it, then?" Sakura inquired, obviously curious the more she thought about it. Judging by Itachi's hesitance he didn't seem too keen on taking her with him for reasons unknown to her, but that only fueled her interest in the mission.

"We are to meet my informant in Kirigakure." Itachi elaborated, causing Sakura to arch a brow upon hearing that detail. "There, we will discuss everything we know about the attackers identity so far and his plans. We'll be gone for a week and stay at a civilian village before we'll return to Konoha and think about what to do next."

Sakura took in everything that he told her and so far, it seemed to be a fairly easy mission. Of course they thought the same about their little trip to Suna and they all knew how that ended, but she had a feeling that he purposefully left out a thing or two.

Then again, she couldn't say that she was surprised because Itachi always liked to keep things to himself.

"Well then, I see no reason as to why I should refuse to join you." Sakura spoke, her eyes narrowing in mild wonder. "Though I wonder why you would like me to join you when you could take Kakashi or Shikamaru with you who are obviously far more experienced in the field of tactics."

"I didn't want to take you with me." Itachi clarified, the way Sakura's eyes hardened the instant the words have left his lips not going past him. He was certain that the pinkette most likely misunderstood, but in the end it was the truth. He didn't want her to join him- but for different reasons that she most likely thought of. "It's true that Kakashi and Shikamaru would be the better choice in regards of tactical planning and thinking, but that's not what I require for this mission."

Sakura, clearly confused by now, pressed her lips together as she expectantly looked at the Uchiha heir. When she didn't comment and remained silent, urging him to elaborate, Itachi's eyes bore through her with an intensity that caused her skin to tingle in anticipation and to say that his next words didn't disappoint her would have been the understatement of the century.

"It's your judgment that I trust the most, and your judgment that I plan to rely on during this mission."

Sakura's eyes widened out of surprise for the split of a second, his words having caught her off guard before they softened right after. Out of every reason there was for him to take her with him on the mission, she never expected him wanting her to accompany him for that reason and the mere fact that he did was enough to positively surprise her.

"I am grateful for the trust that you place in me." Sakura returned, lips curled upwards into an appreciative smile as she inclined her head ever so slightly. "I will make sure not to disappoint you then."

Itachi's dark orbs held a warmth upon seeing her reaction that he rarely showed to others and hid the ghost of the small smirk that passed over his lips for the split of a second behind his intertwined hands. He didn't regret his decision and knew that he had chosen the right option, which was to take his advisor with him despite of his earlier doubts. Itachi had told her the truth when he said that he trusted her judgment the most, but that was not the only reason he had for considering to take her with him. Once he would be gone to meet up with his informant, he would be unable to keep an eye on her and if something like the previous nights incident were to recur, he would be unable to get her and everyone else involved out of the mess. Whereas he knew that Tsunade and the rest knew how to take care of such a situation as well, getting them any further involved then they already were would shred even more light onto the current problems Konoha was facing.

If Sakura would stay with him, Konoha would be safe during their absence. Their attacker would have no reason to attack them because both Itachi and Sakura were not present.

Itachi knew that they would most likely be faced with some complications on their mission, as it always was the case, but he was sure that by the time they would return to Konoha, they would be one step closer to their mysterious attacker.

He looked at the young woman who was sitting in front of him, her smile instantly easing all the concerns that he had regarding the mission and its outcome. She would not disappoint him, that he was certain of, but he couldn't help but wonder what the duo would be faced with once more.

Whatever it was that would come at them, he was sure that they would be able to take it on.

"I don't expect anything else from you, Haruno."

"So, you're going on a mission with Itachi again."

Sakura gave her teammate a nod as she took a sip of her hot soup. She was seated between Sasuke and Naruto, the former silently eating his ramen whereas the latter didn't even bother to think of anything related to manners as he hungrily wolfed his ramen down.

"How long will you be gone?"

This time it was Sasuke who spoke up, his voice devoid of any emotions but Sakura could easily tell that her teammate was not too pleased about the news.

"A week at most." Sakura nonchalantly returned as she took another spoon of her soup. "It's not that big of a mission either, so there's no need for you guys to worry."

Sasuke merely offered her a curt "Hn." Whereas Naruto chewed on his ramen with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Ne, Sasuke, do you even see Itachi at home?" Naruto suddenly asked, his blue eyes falling onto his brooding teammate who didn't even bother to look at the blonde in return.

Sakura also turned to look at Sasuke, curious as to what his answer would be and if Sasuke was bothered by the sudden attention that he received, he didn't let it show.

"Of course dobe." Sasuke returned, his brows slightly furrowed. "Though not as much as I used to before he became the Hokage."

"It's understandable. It took Tsunade days to take care of all the paper work until the next stack would arrive and I can imagine that Itachi isn't any better off." Sakura reminded them, and Naruto snorted as he remembered the tantrum's the Godaime threw whenever another stack was added.

"Now that I think of it, I've never seen Itachi actually pissed off." Naruto remarked, and now that Sakura thought about it she had never seen Itachi actually angry either.

"Yesterday was the closest I've seen him get angry." Sakura told them as she took another spoon filled with soup into her mouth and let her spoon rest in her mouth for some moments. "Though I am sure that it isn't a pretty sight."

"It isn't." Sasuke confirmed, causing Sakura and Naruto to look at him in surprise. The Uchiha was staring at the wall of Ichiraku's, a far-away look in his eyes. "It happened once, and the circumstances weren't that great either."

Sasuke didn't go into detail and decided to leave it at that, much to his teammates dismay who were already looking forward to hearing about the story. He was aware of his teammates disappointment but he didn't plan on telling them this story at Ichiraku's where everyone could easily listen in. Besides that, Sasuke wasn't too keen on sharing this story in the first place. It brought up memories that he didn't like to recall, and if it wasn't absolutely necessary he wouldn't either.

He knew that he would most likely end up telling his teammates some time in the future but this time was not now, so he decided to end this topic right there and then.

Naruto and Sakura, noticing the obvious shift in Sasuke's mood, decided to go back to eating their food, both occupied by their own thoughts.

"Wait!" Naruto rather suddenly exclaimed, his wide eyes falling on Sakura who in return looked at him, obviously startled. "What about our tournament?"

Sakura looked at her blonde friend in confusion, not understanding what he talked about. "What about it?"

"Will you be back in time?" Naruto asked, his blue eyes filled with an urgency that caused Sakura to heave a sigh at her teammates dramatic behavior.

"It's not for another two weeks, so even if it'll take us slightly longer, I'll still be able to participate." Sakura assured him, earning a fox-like grin from Naruto in return as his eyes brightened at her answer.

"You better, 'ttebayo!" Naruto called as he took another mouth full of his favorite ramen. "It wouldn't be as fun without you."

Sakura smiled as she shook her head and continued to eat. She also looked towards the tournament, as she did every six months, and after everything that happened lately it would be a nice change from her usual stressful everyday life.

For an entire day she would be surrounded by her friends where they would play a series of games against each other that would challenge their skills as a shinobi. Last time the tournament took place, it has been the boys who won and after their rather pathetic loss the last time, the girls have sworn to win this one so that they would once more even.

Not many knew of their little ritual, Tsunade and their teachers being the only ones. They always liked to watch over them during the tournaments to analyze their skills, whether they improved ever since the last tournament or still had something to work on and offered them their objective opinion regarding what they could do better the next time.

After every tournament, the group of friends usually spend the rest of the day going out and eating together before the girls would have a sleep-over at one of their homes and the boys would spend some time at either the training grounds or a bar where they would get a drink or two and talk about the day's events.

Sakura took a sip of her water as her eyes drifted back to the mission that she would accompany Itachi on tomorrow, and the pinkette couldn't help but wonder who his informant was. A part of her knew that chances were high that it was someone she was familiar with since Itachi had most likely assigned the job to someone close to him and suited for the job, not some random shinobi that he barely knew. However, she couldn't think of anyone that would fit into the criteria and inwardly wondered just whom she would meet, and what they would tell them.

One thing was for sure, this mission would turn out to be interesting indeed.

A/N: I'm back! So everyone, what do you think who this mysterious informant may be? Someone familiar, or someone we don't know (yet) ? Let me hear your ideas in the reviews!

I hope that you liked this chapter and as always thank all of you who reviewed the previous chapter, followed this story and favorited it! The mere fact that you read my story means a lot to me and I am grateful for every follow, favorite or review I receive from all of you!

They motivate me to keep on going with this story and trust me when I say that many times, I forced myself to move my lazy ass off the bed and get my laptop to update just because of the notifications I receive from all of you!

What do you think will happen on the mission?

See you soon!

All the love,

Sara