RECAP.

Freezeframe.

"YES! YESSSSSSS! YEAAAAAH—."

Yup, that's me. Haruno Sakura. Leaping for joy and shouting like a crazed person in the middle of a furniture store. In my defense, I'd just found out that I not only passed the most difficult chemistry exam known to man, I aced it.

Fuck yeah.

That's also me being grabbed, reprimanded, and scolded like a petulant child by a very tall, very handsome, very intimidating man with an expression that could literally suck the fun out of…well, anything.

"Oi! This isn't a stadium. Quiet down!"

And in comes Sasuke to my rescue for the second day in a row. I must've been a real bitch to him in a previous life because it seems like I'll be paying him back until I'm in the grave in this one.

"Let her go."

PRESENT.

Well this was awkward, is all Sakura could think. On one hand, she'd been understandably yelled at by what had to be a staff member. And she wasn't exactly happy about it but it's not like he was in the wrong. Then again, he didn't have to grab her which is where Sasuke came in.

Though where the heck did he even come from?!

"Uhh…" Before she could voice her opinion on the matter, the other male had released her. Judging by the scowl on his face, it had nothing to do with Sasuke's command and everything to do with someone else calling his name.

"Tobirama-senpai! Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were with a customer…" The newly approaching male commented with a rather sheepish expression. He regarded the male with a sigh and proceeded to follow him. This was after he'd shot the two a nasty glare as if warning them about causing an unnecessary ruckus again.

"It's fine. What do you need, Yamato?"

Sakura watched him walk away before Sasuke grabbed her attention with a soft grunt as he turned on his heel to walk in the opposite direction. Seeing no other option, she followed alongside her friend while looking at the selection of pieces around them. They seemed to be in the living room section. It was full of couches and recliners.

"You know, I'm going to start calling you hero if you keep coming to my rescue." It was a joke. So obviously meant to be a joke but Sakura could've sworn she saw him freeze up and the tips of his ears turn red.

"Tch. Don't be stupid, Sakura. I wasn't saving you…" Was he…embarrassed? Sakura almost pulled an Ino and tossed this conversation into dramatic overload. The Sasuke Uchiha? Embarrassed?

"Uh huh. Then what do you call that back there?" Of course, she's going to push the envelope! It's way too interesting to drop, even if that's what he wants to do.

"…just pick out a bed or whatever so we can get out of here." He gave a huff and turned his face away from her, presumably to hide a blush which Sakura couldn't help but chuckle at in disbelief. In all the years they'd been friends, it's still a rare occurrence when he turns red.

"Right right…" She'd let it go. And maybe bring it up later. Whenever they're alone. Which she's just realizing isn't going to be all that often. Because where there's Sasuke, a certain blond is sure to follow. Speaking of blonds, where'd he—.

"Heads up!" A couch cushion soon came whizzing passed their heads. Ah, there's Naruto.

"Idiot! Don't go throwing around pillows. Tobirama's here!"

"EH?! Shit!" Naruto scrambled to retrieve the wayward cushion only to be halted by a figure looming above him. The three of them all looked up to see none other than they're old but gold high school teacher.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Two of them chorused while the aforementioned male greeted them with his usual casual wave and the creasing of his eyes.

"Yo. You guys aren't going to ever stop calling me sensei, are you?" He had to chuckle. They were still so young and energetic. He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss them.

"Nah, you'll always be sensei to us!" Naruto exclaimed, finally picking up the cushion just to toss it back to where it came from. Sakura bounded over to the male while Sasuke hung back a bit, hands stuffed in his pockets and gaze pointed off somewhere in the distance. Though he'd trained his ears to pick up their conversation.

"What brings you by here? Break another end table?" From the looks of the lamp presently tucked under his arm, he'd found what he came for.

"Ehh…well…" Naruto began, shooting Sakura a look as if wondering if he should tell. Her eyes spelled death so that was a definite no.

"We're just helping Sakura-chan pick out some new furniture for her room!" She's going to kill him. But it wasn't a lie! He just left out the part about the room being in their shared house, that's all. Kakashi doesn't need to know that part.

"Ah? That's oddly nice of you. Tell me, what'd you do this time?" He eased forward with a mischievous gleam in his eye and accusatory tone to his voice.

"What makes you think we did something?!" Naruto perked up, clearly offended by this assumption.

"Well, the only time you two seem to help Sakura with anything is when you've made her angry somehow." That's…

"That's not true!" Sakura chimed in as an automatic response. But now that he'd brought it up, she couldn't help but wonder if that was really true. And if it was, what had they done, if anything, that deserved all the help they'd been giving her? It made her wonder.

"Yeah! We're just good friends, that's all!"

Sasuke was silent and while that didn't strike her as odd, his fidgeting was definitely throwing up some red flags. Because Sasuke is a terrible liar and so freaking obvious, it's downright depressing. Her gaze narrowed at him as he seemed to be very pointedly avoiding acknowledging any of them. She knew for a fact there's not a couch on the planet that's so interesting, he'd stare at it that intently.

"Sasu—."

"Hey! It's Kakashi! What are you doing here?" Shisui strolled over with Itachi on his heels, in the midst of some conversation on the phone. So, it would seem her little interrogation would have to wait but she had a hunch her old pals were definitely buttering her up for some reason and she was going to find out what it was. She had Kakashi to blame for her current suspicions.

With the group before her currently caught in an impromptu reunion, that left Sakura to sneak away further into the store. It was pretty large and full of high-quality pieces of furniture, art, lighting, and even some flooring options. She'd heard about this place, but this was honestly her first time stepping inside.

"This looks nice." She happened upon a lightly stained bedroom set. The bed was queen sized and decorated contemporarily with throw pills and a blanket to give it a homier feel. There was a nightstand and a dresser to match. Honestly speaking, she could see herself getting used to an arrangement like this. All she would really need is a desk.

"Ah, so you've found one of our newest collections. You've got good taste." Hashirama had circled back around after showing Madara some fresh content. And it seemed he was even alone. Sakura bristled slightly, suddenly remembering how she basically came off as a maniac after shaking him like she did.

"Uhh yeah! It's really nice. Not too flashy or extravagant…" Came her rather nervous reply. If he's really a relative of Tsunade-sensei, she'd better play it cool around him.

"Oh? What else do you think? How about the spread? Does it catch your eye?" He pushed for more of her opinion which she honestly didn't mind giving. As Hashirama gestured toward the finely made bed, Sakura set atop the mattress and ran her hand over the covers.

"It's subtle. Kind of accents and compliments the room but also has its own uniqueness that doesn't distract you from everything else. It fits in pretty well with the overall…mmm…aura, I suppose? I think that's the word…"

"Huh. That's a very educated response. Do you have any experience in interior design, Haruno-san?" Eh? She perked up at that, gracing him with a muted wide eyed looked that basically said she was very caught off guard by his question.

"Me? Aha, not at all! I do sort of like this kind of thing, though." She gave a slight shrug only to jump at the presence of his hand on her shoulder. He was smiling at her. A smile that was kind and gentle but also heavy with expectancy. And she wasn't sure what to make of such an expression because she hardly knows the guy.

"How would you like to work here?"

"Eh?"

"We're hiring—OW!"

"What did we say about propositioning customers for jobs, anija?" It was…! The other guy! They're brothers?!

"But Tobirama…" The elder of the two whined while nursing what had to be a sore noggin as he'd been struck rather suddenly by a rolled-up catalog. A thick catalog. And Sakura could only look on with mild amusement for they were quite the pair.

"But nothing. I'm sure she didn't come here looking for work. I apologize on behalf of my brother if he offended you in anyway." He bowed politely before straightening and urging his brother to do the same. This kind of came as a surprise to her. The last thing she imagined either of them doing was saying sorry.

"Ah, it's alright. Not a big deal!"

"See? Say you'll at least consider it!" Hashirama's apology was full of crap, though. He was right back in her face about the job in no time.

"Anija!" And Tobirama was having none of it. His brother was promptly dragged away by the scuff of his shirt, therefore ending the conversation and leaving a somewhat disgruntled Sakura behind.

With a sigh, she fell back onto the bed and closed her eyes. What a day. First the exam, then sneaking into the house, then getting caught, then the group meeting and all the drama surrounding her being a tenant. Now this.

"Tired?" A single eye peeked open to catch the figure of Itachi towering over her slightly. Normally she would've moved but honestly, the mattress is really comfortable, and she is pretty tired, now that he mentioned it.

"Definitely." Came a gentle groan. He gave a soft huff and soon she felt the mattress shift with the presence of additional weight. Sakura chanced a glance at her side to catch him lying in a similar position beside her only he was on the opposite side of the bed.

"I hope my message didn't make you nervous. I merely intended to discuss your stay in regard to Madara's presence, or lack of. I'm sure you understand what I mean now." He started, gaze forward and focused on the ceiling. Sakura turned her face upward as well before responding.

"Yeah, I get the gist of it. I can still pay rent if that's—."

"Keep it. Now that his pride is on the line, he'll be offended if you give him anything at this point." Was that an amused chuckle she heard in his voice. Sakura looked over again, this time meeting his gaze as he'd chosen that exact moment to stare at her as well.

"That's…kind of stupid…"

"Aa." As their eyes locked, she found herself picking out things about Itachi she'd never noticed before. Like how soft and silky his hair looked or the specs of brown hidden deep within his eyes or how pale he was.

Then she felt her cheeks heat up at the sight of his lips upturning slightly and felt this urge to turn away, lest he start making fun of her. She wouldn't put it passed him.

"Uh…I like this set. We should get it. Where's Madara at anyway?" She sat up quite abruptly and Itachi followed suit, just to lean forward, elbows resting on his knees.

"Probably in the warehouse. I'll call him." He did just that and stood to his feet and walk around. Sakura remained seated and moved to pull out her own phone when she remembered it was dead. That's right, it went out when she was speaking to Ino.

"Heh, she's never going to believe what's going on now…"

A/N: Okay, I feel like the stage has finally been set. We'll start seeing more actions as the chapters roll on! Yes, it was Tobirama who grabbed Sakura. And we even got a cameo from Kakashi and Yamato! Sorry it's a day late. See you next time!