Itachi was stressed and Sakura hated it.

He was spending longer hours at the office, spending late nights with the clan elders, and he'd even been sent on a mission last week. He was exhausted in the brief moments when he came home, only sparing the energy to eat and sleep. The shadows under his eyes were growing darker and darker and she hated that she couldn't help him and she hated feeling so helpless. But the hospital was just as busy and their time alone at home was spent only on the necessities.

It was on one of her rare days off that Itachi arrived home just before dinner. It was late, but still earlier than what was becoming their new normal in these busy times. "I'm home," he said softly.

Sakura's heart melted to see him at the door. "Welcome back," she said warmly. "Good timing, I've just finished cooking. Are you ready to eat?"

"I'm ravenous," he admitted sheepishly. They sat together and ate – the first time in a few days – and Sakura watched him eat every bite with a satisfied smile. But there was still something wan and tired even in his sweetest smiles for her.

"Is everything okay?"

"You know how it is," Itachi said resignedly before he sighed. "But I've been having lots of headaches recently."

Sakura was by his side in an instant, pressing soothing green chakra to his temples with her fingers. "I can only get rid of it for now," she said apologetically. "A lot of it is from the stress, but the muscles in your neck and shoulders are very tight."

"That doesn't surprise me, I'm sitting in meetings all day and night," Itachi said dryly, rolling his shoulders. "But thank you, that still helps a lot.

She let the chakra fade from her hands and simply stroked his hair, running her fingers through the strands gently, comfortingly. "I can give you a massage tonight," she offered.

"That would be amazing," he replied fervently.

After Itachi had washed up, he lay face down on their bed as Sakura found some lotion and sat beside him. Rubbing her palms together to warm up the lotion, she used long strokes to spread it across Itachi's back and shoulders. She was hardly using any pressure but he made an appreciative noise, melting into the bed as she directed her attention to his upper back. With just a touch of chakra to help break up the knots, she kneaded his muscles deftly, taking note of which muscles were tight before she applied a little more pressure and–

And with that simple touch, Itachi fell asleep.

Sakura smiled to herself. She hadn't expected him to fall asleep so quickly, though she supposed she should have seen it coming with his many late nights. She continued kneading his back for a few moments before gradually lightening her strokes, finishing off with feather-soft touches that started at his scalp and trailed down his back. His breathing continued to deepen as she gently patted the excess lotion off with a towel before tucking the blankets around him carefully.

By the time she had finished tidying up, Itachi had rolled onto his side and was deeply asleep in their bed. The deep lines surrounding his mouth and eyes were now more relaxed, and they seemed to ease more as Sakura slipped into bed and pressed the softest of kisses to his forehead. "Good night, Itachi," she whispered, and curled up to sleep next to him.