2 weeks later…..
Itachi stood in the middle of Sakura's old living room holding a box of really heavy books. Sakura was walking back and forth in front of him adding more and more books.
"Sakura." He tried to get her attention.
She added another book to the box that she had left in the kitchen.
"Sakura."
Two more books made their way into the box he was holding.
"Hey uh, Sakura?" Itachi was getting desperate.
She added two more books to the box and stopped in front of him, "Yea?"
"Please stop adding books or I'm going to die." His face was red. Shisui whizzed by and grabbed the box and rushed out the door.
Itachi sighed in relief. He wasn't weak but his back still hurt a bit from rolling twice in his truck the night of the gallery.
"Sorry." Sakura stifled her giggle.
"Looks like we're almost done here, right?" He looked around, there were a few boxes by the door and a lamp but that was it.
"Yeah, I guess so." She was biting her bottom lip and looking around her soon to be old apartment.
"Mom is really happy you're moving back home," Itachi said as he rubbed her back in reassurance. "So am I."
She stepped into his touch and sighed a bit," It's just, a lot has happened all at once it seems."
"Don't worry, your life will go back to the dull and boring med school student soon enough." Itachi teased her and she laughed.
"Sakura! Let's get going! I have a hot date tonight!" Shisui called from the door of the apartment.
They got her stuff to her parent's house that was now hers and helped her unload. Obito met them before Itachi and Shisui left to keep her company. Madara didn't want her to be alone after what had happened so one random Uchiha was with her at all times, be it at home, shopping or running in the park.
It had been two weeks and there hadn't been any new attempts but Madara said that wasn't unusual for the Akasuna. He said they like to take their time and plan, it's what makes them so dangerous.
Fugaku was busy dealing with a string of possibly related murders in Konoha. They had found the first body the week of the gallery showing. It had been a young girl, around 18 years old. She had been dressed up and lines had been "attached" to her body as if she were a puppet. It was a sick and twisted investigation and had kept his precinct busy ever since. The second "puppet" had been found in the next city over from Konoha to the north. Same MO, girl around 19 years old, dressed up but in a french maid's outfit, with lines "Attached" to her body.
It was clear there was a new serial killer, they called him the Puppeteer. The third body was found in a lake dressed as an ice skater, same lines, same MO. All of the girls were unique, they had a distinguishing feature, be it face, eyes, or hair color, they were picked with care. It had been one body a week with no leads and they were going into the fourth week now.
"Hey Sakura, I was thinking we could do Chinese food tonight, how does that sound to you?" Obito called to her from the kitchen.
"Great! Whatever you want!" She yelled back from the bedroom, her old bedroom she had when she was a kid.
It didn't feel right taking over her parents' room so she turned it into an art studio instead. There were windows that lined the whole wall facing the woods to the east so she had great light in the morning and another wall to the southwest, had two huge windows that let light into the room in the afternoon. Her mother had been an artist and often painted in the corner of the room by the biggest window.
Itachi said he would be back later to relieve Obito around midnight so she set a few books she knew he would like to read in the spare room she had set up for whoever would be staying with her. It was odd she would admit but she also didn't want to be alone. She had a few panic attacks after the incident and found the ever-present Uchihas a great comfort.
Naruto came to visit her a few times and brought his dad with him once which was a little awkward. Minato couldn't seem to keep his eyes off her and it made her understandably uncomfortable. For the most part, though her life was getting back on track. She had two months till the next semester and was already registered for her classes.
Madara had come over to have dinner with her the third night after she had moved in, she hadn't even stocked her fridge yet. He kissed her cheek in greeting and handed her a folder with some paperwork and her schedule for the next semester. How he had managed to get it taken care of before it was open for enrollment was beyond her but she had learned not to question it over the years.
She sighed as she emptied what must be her 45th box that day and fell back onto her bed blowing air through her lips making them vibrate into funny noises. Obito smiled at her from her bedroom door.
" Kung pao Chicken or beef with broccoli?" He asked her.
"Garlic shrimp?" she batted her eyelashes at him and winked.
"That only works on Itachi and Shisui, no seafood." He smiled at her and waggled his eyebrows. He looked so funny she busted out laughing.
"Kung Pao chicken, spicy hot!" She smiled at him upside down as she slid off her bed sideways and onto the floor, she was so tired from all the moving.
Obito left to call in their order muttering something about how she hated him and wanted him to develop an ulcer or something. She smiled to herself.
It was nice to have people around like this all the time. She didn't like it at first but she had to admit , it was...comforting. She had been an only child and her parents had been an only child, so she wasn't used to a lot of multiple family interactions all the time. Of course, she had spent a lot of time as a young adult and teen with the Uchiha but there was something different about it when they were in your home and not you visiting them.
She looked out the window, she hadn't realized it was getting so late, she had wanted to get as much done as possible and had lost track of the time. She picked up a box of art supplies that got put in her bedroom by accident and took it to her studio and set it down.
Last night she had started a new acrylic painting of a desert and sand dunes with an almost mythical oasis far in the distance. Landscapes were never really her thing but she had gotten the urge and was inspired. Sakura stood in front of her painting surveying and critiquing her work on it so far when she noticed behind her canvass one of her windows was unlocked and was open half an inch. She frowned, had she opened the window? No, maybe one of the guys had? She would ask them. She closed the window and made sure to click the locks on it shut, then walked out of the room to wait for the Chinese food.
Obito and her ate companionably and watched Mysteries Unsolved till midnight when Itachi showed up. She had agreed they could all have a copy of her key so they didn't have to knock on the door if it was early or late and startle her. Most of them would stop by before or after a shift at the precinct so they ran odd hours around her, Itachi took over Obito's spot on the center couch and pulled a throw over his long legs relaxing comfortably.
He and Sakura had fallen back into their childhood comfort relationship acting more like brother and sister than friends. She was grateful for it and looked forward to him coming to watch her the most. Itachi had a very relaxed calming sort of placid personality. Little surprised or angered him, he always seemed to be in complete control. He was reliable and it made her feel safe to be with him.
She smiled tiredly at him and snuggled back into her side of the couch drawing her own fluffy throw up over her legs and turned back to the TV. The segment was on a serial killer and it reminded her of how hard his father had been working over the last few weeks. "How is the case of the Puppeteer coming Itachi?" She looked over the top of her blanket at him.
"Still no leads, it is rather disturbing how the serial killer dresses them up like dolls and attaches strings to them like puppets. The placement of the strings are accurate, the costumes are authentic and handmade, the detail that goes into it is the most disturbing. Whoever the serial killer is they seem to be highly intelligent, they leave no evidence. In a way, each case is so similar and very...familiar, but I can't piece enough pieces together to come up with a suspect." It bothered him she could tell. The murderers bothered him, yes but it was more, it was as if he knew who the murderer was but was just shy of figuring it out.
Sakura extended her foot and poked him in the leg to bring him out of his head, "Hey, you're brilliant, I know you and your father will figure it out, I have faith in you."
Her simple yet sincere words brought a smile to his face. He reached over and grabbed her foot tugging on it playfully.
"Thank you Sakura." He pulled her foot up and kept it in his lap rubbing his thumb over the top of the sensitive skin of her arch making her shiver and blush.
Her foot jerked in his hand and he looked into her eyes, "What's wrong?"
"Oh um nothing, sorry, ticklish," she mumbled and he smiled at her again.
She tucked her arm under her head and settled back into her comfy spot, yes, it was nice having Itachi here with her.
She had fallen asleep but woke to light touches on her face. Her eyes fluttered open. "Sakura." It was Itachi, "Let's get you into your bed, you're falling asleep." He slipped his arms under her body and lifted her blanket and all up off of the couch and headed for her bedroom. Itachi set her down gently on her bed and arranged the blanket comfortably around her, kissed her on the forehead and shut the door to her room with only an inch or two to spare.
"Goodnight Ita." She smiled into her pillow and closed her eyes.
When she woke it was to his touch again, he was petting the hair from her face, "Good morning Sakura." His soft voice washed over her ears and she couldn't help but smile as she opened her eyes. He smiled down at her and told her he was making breakfast if she wished to join him and he left her room.
She got up and dressed stretching lightly. On the way downstairs she stopped by her studio and looked at her painting. Maybe after breakfast, she would work on it a little.
The smell of biscuits and bacon filled her nose as she skipped downstairs to see Itachi in an apron flipping eggs on her stove. She giggled and he turned around to smile at her, "What are you laughing at ?"
"You! You're wearing an apron…" She covered her mouth with her hand, it was just too cute!
"Don't you wear an apron when you cook?" He mocks frowned at her playfully.
"Well, I don't really cook so...no?" She giggled more.
Itachi smiled at her again, she was so cute when she covered her mouth and laughed. He scooped up an egg from the skillet onto a plate and handed it to her. "Biscuits and gravy, and bacon are on the table in the dining room, I'll be right there."
She smiled at him, "Thanks Ita." and walked to the dining room on the other side of the kitchen wall.
Itachi stood there looking after her for a moment. His smile grew, she called me Ita, he thought to himself. He turned back to the skillet to scoop up his own egg and put it on a plate. He was still smiling when he came into the dining room to find her shoveling biscuits into her mouth and he burst out laughing at the sight. There were crumbs on her chin and down the front of her shirt and in her lap.
"What?" She blinked at him innocently, "You know how much I love biscuits." she blushed.
"I'm pleased that you are enjoying them so much." He handed her a napkin when his phone rang. "Excuse me for a moment." and he flipped his phone open as he walked back into the kitchen. He was back, not even a minute later with a slight frown on his face.
"What's wrong Ita?" Sakura asked him as he sat down at the table and picked up his chopsticks.
"Obito will be pulling a double today, he won't be back so I'll stay with you if you don't mind. There has been another murder." He hesitated, not sure if he should tell her the rest. "Shisui will be stopping by for added measures. The girl, this time her hair was dyed pink and she had green colored contacts. She was dressed in a short red dress and black shorts with knee high boots."
She dropped her chopsticks and they clattered to the table. Her mouth dropped open."What" she croaked.
His phone rang again but he didn't get up and leave, he put his chopsticks down and flipped his phone open. "Yeah, dad?"
Sakura's head was spinning. She had only spent one class talking to him and a few minutes out of class, their time at the gallery but he just didn't seem the type to her. He was quiet, controlled, different but not so unlike Itachi really. He was intelligent, good looking, and she liked talking to him if she were honest. Sakura just couldn't connect the serial killer, international criminal to the intelligent artist she had met. Nor could she dismiss the Uchihas facts and opinions of him and his father either. She remembered their first conversation about how she and Ino had gotten dressed up, in short red dresses and black shorts with knee high boots. How it was the inspiration for her abstract painting they were working on in class. It was very disturbing for her.
Itachi closed his phone. "Dad is sending an extra patrol car to cruise by every so often, they won't stop in but just drive by to make their presence known, don't worry. Shisui is heading over now too, so we can both be here for you if you need us. It's going to be okay Sakura, I won't let anything happen to you." Itachi doubted an extra patrol car would stop a serial killer but maybe it would make Sakura feel better.
Itachi knew who the serial killer was now, it made sense but he didn't want to alarm Sakura needlessly. However, she wasn't stupid, Itachi knew she just had to get over the shock and her brain would start moving, let her come to it on her own, he thought.
Paper and chunks of wood hit the floor, glass vials and tubes of paint were flung against the walls. "Not good enough!" He pulled his red hair and fell to the ground seething.
"Do it again! This time exactly how I showed you!" He was screaming at her.
The girl sat back on the bed holding a book and pretended to read, sitting just how he had shown her, her feet just so, her head tilted, as tears ran down her face.
He glared at her, why couldn't they just listen and do what he told them. Incompetent! This one had blonde hair but her body was similar and her face was the same shape. He had cut her hair just like hers last night which helped with the illusion, but it still wasn't her, not yet. A good substitute, a temporary fix.
He walked over to the girl and took the book from her hand laying it on the nightstand. "Sakura lay down. I want to make you feel good. I'm going to show you how inspire me." The girl started to shake as he crawled onto the bed with her and started to untie the traditional kimono she was wearing.