Kakashi gives Sakura a wedding present, Izumi tries to deliver hers.

Chapter Text

Kakashi sat at his desk, watching the last light of day leech away.

Sakura had taken that a lot better than he imagined she would.

Of course, a little teasing and blackmail never hurt to distract her in the midst of emotional turmoil.

Still, it was easy to see that a piece of her that was broken before was busily being mended.

Shikamaru came to stand beside him,"You did the right thing."

"Is that so?"

His right hand man nodded,"Think she'll be happy with him?"

Kakashi shrugged,"If she isn't, she has a way out now."

Flashback:

"What's the plan?"

"Go home with Itachi as his wife. Watch the family dynamics and report back. If you run into Izumi, and I'm sure you will, don't

react to her her trust. We'll work together on this."

Sakura's mouth dropped open.

He waited for her shock at his request to pass and her argument to begin. He didn't wait long.

"Are you ordering me to marry someone for the sake of a mission?", she asked, incredulous.

Yes, actually. Just in case things don't go well between you, marrying under the guise of a mission gives you an out.

Of course, the gap between what Kakashi Hatake thinks and what he says is vast.

He gave her a long suffering sigh, cocking an eyebrow at her, "Sakura, I've been watching you walk since you were a preteen.

You're walking differently today and I know why. I've known Itachi, was on a team with him for years. He will lie to protect you whether

he gets what he really wants from you or not."

Sakura realized denying it further would get her nowhere,"And you won't?"

His mask registered movement beneath. She just knew he was wearing a shit eating grin under there.

"Same time next week, OK?", he said, eyes crinkled in mirth.

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back into her chair, letting out a defeated breath that ruffled her bangs.

"So much for being your favorite student, eh?"

He winked at her,"You are."

She stood, readying to leave.

"Hold on Sakura-chan. I have a wedding present for you."

She stood, tapping her foot angrily as he rifled through his desk drawers. Finally, he pulled out a card from his left drawer.

"Found it. Here you go."

Sakura took the small card he handed her and read it over, turning an interesting mix of furious and embarrassed.

"What the hell is this?!", she fumed.

Kakashi was putting real effort into keeping a straight face,"When we were packing up your apartment I noticed your underwear

selection is dismally unprepared for being a newlywed. It's a gift certificate of course."

She stuck a finger out at him, baring clenched teeth,"The day you're not Hokage, I'm coming after you."

He gave her an eye crinkling smile, "I look forward to it."

Once she stormed out, he decided Sakura was a good woman for the job, and thanked the rare stroke of luck in all of this.

Sakura would keep her wits about her with Izumi. She was fiercely protective of her former team.

The sadness in her eyes for Sasuke when she discovered he had been deceived was a testament to what a wonderful woman

she had grown into.

Itachi would be very watchful of Sakura, would absolutely protect her.

Sasuke, strangely enough, would watch out for her too.

Izumi was dangerous, and he had always had a sneaking suspicion that the way she got her sister's eyes was not an attack by

Iwa nin but an attack of her own. Eternal mangekyou was a formidable weapon.

Against both brothers though, she would likely fall, and he wouldn't lose a drop of tears or sleep over it.

The thought of her using Yamato pissed him off.

His wood using friend was lonely and vulnerable, and Izumi was an expert at playing such men.

Maybe he could drop in on his friend for a casual visit, watch him for a bit.


Izumi needed answers.

Sasuke hadn't come to tell her about Shisui's official report.

According to the roster he'd been sent on a mission this morning.

She wasn't going to sit around waiting for him, time was running out.

She made her way to the Uchiha mansion with a tasteful present for the new couple, making her introduction to the conversation

about them an easy one. As she approached the door, Shisui was coming out of it, locking it behind him.

Mikoto was gone then, Fugaku must be at the station.

"Where's the happy couple? I brought a wedding gift."

"You're a little early. They're not married yet.", he replied, stepping back from her personal bubble.

She winked at him, "Is he waiting for you to find someone first?"

Shisui gave her a flat look, her little flirt made his stomach turn.

Fugaku had asked him to fabricate a stall. He gave it his best shot.

"No. Sakura wants a traditional spring wedding. He agreed to wait for her."

Izumi stared back at him, willing her eyes not to roll at this.

Of course Itachi would give her was ultimately why she discarded him.

The entertainment of struggling to get her way would be nil with the gracious heir.

No bursting passion, no power struggle.

He was so considerate that she would be bored and heaped with guilt, paradoxically powerless against his strong moral code.

She would ruin Sasuke for not pulling this off eventually.

In the meantime, 3 months was much too long to wait for Sasuke to fix this.

Time to execute plan B then.

"I see. I'll keep hold of it till then. Please tell them I dropped by.", she stated.

Shisui gave her a curt nod and took his leave.

This wasn't how she wanted to play it, but it would have to do.

She was an Uchiha and so was Sasuke. Those genes were likely dominant.

Yamato's resemblance, if he was the father, would be swallowed up in her own.

It's not like anyone would be able to tell by looking at the kid.

She went home, wiped off her makeup, and replaced it with soft pink for her lips, adding a ribbon in her hair and her matching white dress.

She smiled at her image in the mirror. The picture of innocence.

She left her house, off to tell Yamato that he was the father of her child, a little spring in her step.

This wasn't how she wanted things to go, but she could adapt. She was strong.

Besides, Yamato's reaction would likely be overwhelmingly affectionate, and she could use a little bit of that right now.