Chapter 19

The necklace

Sakura was left gaping, again, as she stared at Itachi and wondered if she had heard him correctly.

"What-"

"I would wish to court you, Sakura," Itachi repeated calmly, yet chuckling within himself at the sight she made. She did such a good impression of a fish that he might just have to start calling her "koi". He was sure that the fish outside would be happy to welcome her within their pond.

"But- I can't just- "Sakura rambled, her eyes darting anywhere, but at him in alarm. There was nowhere to run, the gates had closed behind them after they entered so she wouldn't make it far, she couldn't really fight him off either.

But to let him court her?

Was that what Itachi had been after this whole time, a mere idea of a family to call his own? Sakura could understand the difficulty in finding love while working for Akatsuki and always being on the road, yet for him to come to Konoha… but it did kind of made sense, Sakura guessed. Women in Konoha were raised equal to men, had the same rights and could speak for themselves, not something that could be said about many a village.

But did she like him enough? Did she really know him at all?

Sakura thought of all the times that she and Tachi had spent time together, she had enjoyed his company, had fancied him, even thought of kissing him… and they were the same person. Itachi had never changed his personality when dealing with her, not once.

He was well mannered and usually talked with quite a small amount of words. He had a good sense of humor and a really long nerve concerning her temper, no matter if he seemed to love riling her up at the price of a few bruises. He was handsome, kind, and treated her like a lady. Even now, as she thought things over, he was merely sitting there calmly, keeping her hands within his own, as he awaited her response without blinking. The more Sakura thought, the less she could find reasons not to let him court her.

She wondered if he was nervous at all, because if so, he didn't show it.

It wasn't like they would be married on the spot; it would merely make things more official and give them time to figure out if they wanted the same things in life. Sakura wouldn't mind having a family, she admitted to herself, she had been an only child and always wished that she had siblings to play with. And what she had understood from Itachis speech, he wanted children, as in, more than one.

The thought made Sakura bite her lip with another blush, it seemed to catch his attention.

"I accept," Sakura said in a whisper, yet a small smile was building on her lips, as she finally looked into his eyes shyly. She noticed their charcoal color and wondered when he had turned off his Sharingan, yet she had to admit that she liked their grey depts better.

At her quiet, yet positive answer, a boyish grin rose onto his face as he lifted her hands to his lips to kiss her knuckles gently. He let her hands go after that in favor of reaching behind his neck to untie the necklace he had been wearing ever since his mother had given it to him. It was an heirloom that was passed from man to a woman that they wished to court. Then later, hopefully after a few years, the woman would give it to her firstborn child.

This cycle had been going on for a few centuries.

Before Sakura could open her mouth, he had reached behind her neck to clasp it closed around her neck, the lock familiar enough to do so after years of wearing it. Immediately, the seal of betrothal washed over him, allowing him to sense her presence no matter how far away she would be.

It had been a safety measure back in the days when the necklace was made, in case the future matriarch was in any kind of danger and needed to summon help. Now it was mostly used for location and to make sure the chosen woman was alive and well in case the man was needed elsewhere.

After making sure that the lock was properly closed, he sat back down on his pillow to look at his new fiancé. She was looking down at the necklace while fingering it carefully, her lips slightly parted as she admired the gleaming metal rings.

"Why would you give me this?" Sakura asked in a whisper and lifted her eyes to stare at him in wonder. There was no way she could have known the value of it, she wasn't from a clan like him with old customs and heirlooms, Itachi reminded himself.

"It is the betrothal gift of the main family, it lets other Uchiha know that a new matriarch has been chosen, while allowing the future husband to locate her if need be," Itachi explained, admiring the way it sat around her delicate neck, marking her purely as his. The Elderly people at Konoha would surely recognize this for what it was, but Itachi couldn't be sure if the younger generation was aware of what betrothal customs each clan had. Which reminded him of the Uchiwa fan he still needed to get for Sakura.

The clothing with the clan crest would have to wait until he could return to Konoha, yet he could hardly wait to see her with them on.

"Other Uchiha… Sasuke?" Sakura gasped in realization; would her old teammate know that Itachi had chosen a woman? How would he react to said knowledge?

"Aa," Itachi acknowledged, Sasuke was an Uchiha so he would have felt the selection of a new wife for the clan head, but Itachi wasn't sure if his little brother knew what the wave of chakra had meant. So, he couldn't say for sure if Sasuke knew of their betrothal or not.

"Are there no rings?" Sakura asked boldly while fingering the heirloom, quickly getting used to its weight around her neck. She was unfamiliar with the customs of Uchiha clan, yet she was sure there should be a betrothal ring as well, right?

It seemed like Itachi wished to follow the customs like the heir that he was, even if there was not much of a clan to speak of anymore. She guessed that she should ask about other customs as well, she didn't want to make a fool of herself if there was something that she was supposed to do, or not to do, which was more likely in her case.

"I-you want a ring?" Itachi asked after clearing his throat, a blush rising on his cheeks.

He had intended to get her a ring after they had been betrothed for a few months and were sure of their decision to marry, as was custom within the Uchiha clan. He was already certain of his choice, the only reason he hadn't had the ring ready was to give her some time to get used to the whole idea. Yet, if she was this sure of their union and wanted the ring now, he would retrieve it immediately.

He had the ring waiting in the master bedroom of this house, had been for years. It was a golden band with a garnet sitting in the middle, a stone so bright red that it could rival his Sharingan.

He was almost feeling giddy inside at her bold question, no Uchiha woman would dare to demand a ring right after an engagement announcement. He didn't give her time to answer, scurrying up in a hurry that was quite unlike him.

He retrieved the ring before she could even let out a gasp.

"I did have it- yet I was not sure if- "Itachi almost rambled, taking her left hand gently into his after words failed him. Sakura held still so that Itachi could gently slide the band onto her finger, the ring readjusting its size to fit the new matriarch perfectly. His mother's fingers had been larger, he noted as he stared at the glimmering red stone now resting on Sakuras delicate hand.

Surprisingly, it didn't even clash horribly with her hair like he thought it would.

He let go of her hand with some reluctance as she lifted her arm to stare at the ring.

"It's beautiful," Sakura whispered, almost choking up with emotion. She had seen the way Itachi looked at her hand and she could bet a hefty amount of money that this had been his mother's ring. It made it difficult for her to accept such an important family heirloom, what if she lost it while on a mission or got it dirty while working in the hospital?

"Aa," Itachi agreed and lifted his hand to gently stroke her cheek.

"What if- what if I lose it?" Sakura asked worriedly and glanced up at him worriedly, clenching her hand into a fist as if just in case. Itachi chuckled and gently pried her fingers open with his bigger hands, letting his hand drop from her cheek in the process.

"You can't lose it, it can only be removed by the one that placed it there," Itachi assured her.

"Wait- but- what if I'll need to take it off for surgery or medical emergency! It's not sterile to wear any jewelry!" Sakura exclaimed, pulling her hands from his to try and see if what he said was true. She pulled, almost hard enough to pop her finger, yet the ring wouldn't budge an inch, it was almost as if glued to her skin.

Sakura looked into his eyes with a glower.

"None of the Uchiha betrothal gifts can be removed," Itachi said matter-of-factly, clearly not bothered by this, it was for her safety after all. If an enemy ever got hold of her, he would be able to find her no matter where she was held.

And find her he would.

"Wouldn't… others in Konoha know of… of us, if I cannot remove these when I return?" Sakura asked uncertainly, she could deal with those other problems conserving hospital and sterility when it was time, yet this seemed like a more pressing matter. She was not ashamed of him by any means, why would she be? Yet before Itachis name was cleared, wouldn't this be seen as treason? How would she explain this to Tsunade?

Quite frankly, her head was starting to hurt.

"Not many know of the Uchiha customs concerning marriage, but a few of the Elders would probably recognize these, if given a chance," Itachi explained, he saw where her worry was coming from and couldn't find it within himself to blame her for wanting to hide their union before he cleared his name. Yet he was reluctant, he wanted all to know who she belonged to, especially those Hyūgas.

"So… stay away from the Elders until you return? Seems easy enough," Sakura muttered and fingered the necklace again, it seemed like it was quickly becoming a nervous tick of hers.

"Aa, it won't take me long to return," Itachi assured her with a small smile.

…

This time, as they travelled, the silence wasn't awkward like it had been before.

Sakura kept glancing at Itachi with a smile, fingering her new engagement ring with her thump every once in a while. It was still sinking in, this whole marriage proposal things came quite out of the blue, but she didn't have any regrets about her answer. They hadn't known long, that was very true, yet she felt comfortable with him in a way that she hadn't felt before.

Sometimes, you just knew when someone was the right person for you.

It wouldn't have changed her decision in any way, yet the looming thought of Hyūga waiting for her to return made her cringe. As far as she was aware, they still thought that her and Neji were… a thing. Sakura had absolutely no idea how she was going to take care of… that.

"Itachi?" Sakura whispered, glancing at him again just in time as he pulled his mask back in place. They were nearing Konoha and it seemed like he wanted to play it safe.

"Aa?" Itachi muttered, the Sharingan shining back at her from those tiny holes in his Anbu mask. He had turned it on the second they were out of the Sanctuary, it seemed like the habits of a missing-nin were hard to forgo.

"The Hyūga-" Sakura started, the narrowing of his eyes no longer frightened her, yet a small part of her gulped anyway. No matter how pretty his eyes were, they were still his most dangerous weapon.

"-They will see your jewelry for what it is," Itachi said, a small, possessive growl worming its way into his words. Hyūgas were an old clan, they might not recognize who her new fiancé was, but they definitely would see that she was completely spoken for.

"Oh, alright," Sakura stammered, a blush rising on her cheeks at his possessive tone. She wasn't used to such displays of protectiveness. Sure, Naruto did it, but he just didn't want to share her limited amounts of free time with anyone else. But this was something new altogether, Sakura had to say that she liked how it made her feel.

The tingles in her abdomen certainly agreed.

"Itachi?" Sakura asked again, getting quite used to saying his name. Itachi glanced at her in question, the glare forgotten in his eyes.

"Just in case anything happens… what will I do with the scroll?" Sakura asked, referring to the mission scroll of Uchiha massacre. Sakura didn't trust Danzō, nor the other Elders, but she did trust Tsunade. She would see Tsunade before going to find the scroll that would clear Itachis name, but what should she do to keep it safe?

"Aa," Itachi hummed and after a moment of contemplation, summoned one of his crows. He stared into its eyes for a second as it sat on his forearm and with a nod, looked into Sakuras eyes again.

"When you obtain it, give it to Hatsu, none will be able to see thru his genjutsu," Itachi said and gestured for Sakura to take his summon. Sakura reached an arm out, shifting her weight awkwardly as the bird nested itself onto her shoulder, clearly trying to make itself comfortable on her smaller frame.

It snuggled against her neck, making goosebumps travel down her arm as his talons gently settled against her collarbone, yet not hurting in the slightest. His image wavered, until the bird disappeared altogether, yet Sakura could still feel his gentle weight.

The continued on their way until Itachi stopped abruptly.

"We are here," he said, and it took Sakura a few steps before she registered what he had said and stopped as well, turning to face him. She grasped her hands together behind her back, uncertain how she should send him off. Was she allowed to kiss him and wish him safe journeys?

It sounded kind of absurd in her head.

'Safe travels to Akatsuki, dear,' Sakura thought sarcastically, it sounded even worse when she put it like that. Itachi seemed to sense her hesitation, since it was him who rook the few steps separating them. He palmed her cheek gently and lifted his mask just enough that he could gently place his lips onto hers.

"I will see you soon, Sakura," Itachi whispered.

Before she could open her mouth to answer, to say anything, he was gone.

…

"Stupid Uchiha men with their stupid kisses," Sakura muttered angrily as she stomped her way thru the village gates, absentmindedly lifting a hand in greeting as Kotetsu yelled her name. She slowed her steps as he walked up to meet her halfway, half afraid that Kotetsu could see the bird on her shoulder. Yet when his eyes didn't stray, she relaxed.

"You're back? I thought you would be gone for a month?" Kotetsu asked in a surprised manner. Sakura cringed, glad that she had written the scroll of intel herself. That would be hard one to explain since she had supposedly taken the mission alone.

"Yeah, well, surprised myself as well," Sakura muttered, rolling her thump over her ring. Her shirt was a collared one and covered her new necklace, but the ring was shining brightly on her finger, making Kotetsu blink in surprise. It definitely hadn't been there before.

"Uh, are congratulations in order?"

Sakura blushed and covered the ring with her other hand.

"Neji finally tied the knot with you? Was about time," he said with a chuckle, making Sakuras eye twist. Of course, everyone would think that it was Neji, Hiashi had probably announced her and Nejis union to the whole of Konoha in her absence.

"Not Neji," Sakura growled and with angry steps that almost shook the gates, stepped past a shocked Kotetsu. She was annoyed already, but with every bowing Hyūga and muttered greetings of "Sakura-Sama", her mood grew darker.

She was glowering by the time she reached the Hokage tower, her hands were in angry fists that told anyone to stay the hell out of her way as she made her way up the stairs. Tsunade was free, as her doors were open, and Sakura stepped inside with the mission scroll already in hand. She was dying to go home, have a long, nice soak, and forget about the damn Hyūga for one damn minute.

But more than that, she was dying for a cup of sake.

"Ah, Sakura, I heard you were back already," Tsunade said and leaned back into her chair. She didn't even try to conceal the glance down, trying to see if the rumors were true. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, a smirk rising onto her lips.

"It seems like you have been… busy," she said with a chuckle as Sakura merely glared back, throwing the scroll at her mentor in a rare fit of temper. The elder woman merely laughed and caught it without effort, placing it onto her table, trusting that her apprentice had written down everything that was relevant.

"Someone's in a marital bliss," Tsunade muttered and motioned for Sakura to come closer. She ignored they way her table shook in time with Sakuras steps, knowing better than to mention on it.

"So… Hyūga?" Tsunade commented as she reached into her secret stash of sake, one hidden behind a genjutsu. She poured hem both a drink and pushed one Sakuras way with a well-manicured finger. Sakura took it and drowned it in one big gulp, making Tsunade smirk proudly.

Sakura sure was her apprentice.

"Should you even be drinking?" Tsunade asked as an afterthought and droned her own cup. The glare was all the answer she needed as Sakura placed her cup down for a refill. Tsunade was glad to indulge her.

"I'm not pregnant-" Sakura all but growled and drowned her second cup in a way that made Tsunade leer in pride. "-and I'm not screwing a Hyūga," she finished and slammed her empty cup onto the table, her temper on its peak and the sake not helping her language.

Tsunade cackled in glee and took a sip of her own cup.

"I knew that Hiashi was full of bullshit when he announced the union between you and that younger Hyūga, what's-his-name," Tsunade laughed, she had known that her apprentice made smarter decisions in life than marrying into that uptight and inbreeding clan.

"All my stuff better still be on my own house or Kami help me, I'm gonna start tearing down walls," Sakura muttered and cracked her knuckles in a menacing way. Tsunade waved her worries away with a hand and finished her cup.

"Worry not, I didn't give them permission to enter your house, they were quite adamant about it tho," Tsunade said with a chuckle. And they sure had been, it wasn't merely once or twice in the last few days that some Hyūga or another had been demanding that their Sakura-Sama was moved to the compound immediately, where she "belonged".

"Thanks, shishou," Sakura said with a grin, she had known that she could trust Tsunade.

"Now, want to tell me about this mystery man of yours?"

…

Soon after Tsunades insistent fishing for information about her new "man candy", Sakura fled in a hurry. She still had a mission to finish, the bird still quietly sitting on her shoulder a constant reminder not to dawdle. Yet she did feel her respect for Itachi grow another notch, Tsunade had been none the wiser about their third counterpart, for which Sakura was grateful. She reached up to scratch the bird below the chin as a reward for keeping quiet, making it give almost a purr like sound.

"Good boy, Hatsu," she praised, making the bird cackle in bride, she could still hear, even if not see him.

She quickly made her way into the section where older missions scrolls were kept, quickly going over them to make sure she found the right one. It was still in its earlier place and she sighed in relief, glad that no one seemed to be aware that she had been snooping where her nose didn't belong.

Technically, she was allowed here as Tsunades apprentice, yet there were some things that were off limits, even to her.

She took the scroll, scanned it and quickly gave it to the crow.

"Here, I trust Itachi told you what to do with it," Sakura said as she held the scroll near where she thought the birds head was. She felt as Hatsu took hold of it and watched in marvel as it too disappeared from view. Soon after, the weight on her shoulder was gone and Sakura knew that the bird had flown away.

She didn't pay much attention to it as the birds' talons pulled her collar down enough for her necklace to show. The weight around her neck had become a comfortable one and she didn't register it enough to realize that she should still hide it. She quickly made her way out of the storage room, shutting the lights as she went, eager to get home.

Sakura was almost out, turning the last corner that led to the entrance when she almost ran into someone. She was saved by a hair yet turned her eyes up to apologize anyway to whoever she just almost ran into. Her eyes met with none other than the one surprised eye of Shimura Danzō.

As his eye strayed down to the necklace gleaming in the flickering light, she could do nothing, but swear as his surprised look turned into a glare. If no one else in the village did, what were the odds that Danzō just so happened to know what the necklace around her neck meant?

"Well, fuck me."

…

We're almost at the end people!

I only had time to go over this once, so there might still be some errors, sorry about those. I'll clean them up later.

I hope you enjoy this chapter and stay safe!

And as always, thank you for reading and have a nice day!

R&R

TY

-Hana