Beginning notes: I keep messing with the summary because I keep changing the main idea of my story. I haven't completely settled on an idea yet, so bear with me… I'd like to write some little notes to some of my lovely reviewers:
Signalbox- Thank you very for pointing that out. I've forgotten how Kisame really acts. --;; Maybe I should go watch the anime some more and read and manga more closely… As for Itachi, is it alright if I continue with how I am with him? He will eventually refer to her as Sakura…eventually… I appreciate your comments!
FormerAurora- Offended? Hardly. I'm so glad you reviewed! And to comment on your comment, I have no idea. That thought actually never even occurred to me as I was writing. Hehe, creative license? XD
Yuugi-chan- Grammar and mechanism is always a point that I will never be able to perfect. Thank you very much for what you said. I'll keep all of it in mind.
Also thank you to the rest of you for enjoying the first chapter! Onto the second!
Pianissimo—Act II
Scene I: A Vow
As Uchiha Itachi waited from dawn to late morning, the pain in his arm began to grow worse; the medication and the bleeding did not proceed to neutralize the toxin. His arm shook unpleasantly and he could not lift it nor could he move his fingers. The poison was obviously something that the clever kunoichi made by herself, and she had led him perfectly into her trap during their dance. Perfectly.
He could still see her dazed facial expression and the way she held his eyes as if he was some deity from the heavens. He could still feel her hands on his chest and the softness of her lips against his that made him enjoy a side of human passion that he had not bothered to explore. All of this was her act of deception and it was a fantastically convincing one worthy of applause and scorn.
His face was set in an angry frown—a true emotion that was most often seen on his face—when he came to this conclusion. Kisame glanced at his companion while noticing the disturbed chakra waves that rolled freely from his body.
"We should just kill her now." The shark man commented.
The other shinobi forced back a dark sneer. "Don't worry. She will die. I will kill her myself."
Itachi was not one to crave blood and killing. The only purpose in his life was to know what his limit was, to have the superior knowledge of when he could go no further. However, this pink-haired kunoichi had played him like a book, flawlessly manipulating him while allowing him to think that it was she who was being controlled. He despised feeling like a fool, and the consequences of his arrogance and ignorance was now leading to a permanent disablement of his arm. He had never felt this angry in years.
Kisame almost shivered in delight at Itachi's words, knowing that Sakura was going to suffer a horrible, merciless death. He licked his jagged teeth in eager anticipation.
It was only an hour later when they spotted Kakashi and Sakura trudging towards the gates. The pair of Akatsuki members watched in silence as they disappeared behind the great doors which had opened for their entrance. They caught each other's eyes and swiftly made their move.
Scene II: A Warning
Sakura and Kakashi immediately headed to Tsunade who was already awaiting their report in her office. Once behind secure doors, Sakura explained the mission.
"…and the poison will have rendered his arm useless for now. In period of five days, it will have spread throughout his entire system."
The Godaime nodded. "You did well. The poison is incurable and will prove to be fatal. After he is dead, the hunter-nins will look for his body. We wouldn't want the secret of the Sharingan out in the open." She smiled at the pair of weary shinobi. "You may go and get some rest."
Hastily, Sakura quickly stood from her chair as Kakashi disappeared in a pillar of smoke, surprising both herself and the Hokage. "Shishou, I actually wanted to know if I could visit Naruto."
Golden eyebrows partially glimmered upwards in mild shock at her sudden request, but narrowed downward as if trying to see a hidden motive behind her student's green eyes. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the mission, would it, dear Sakura?"
Heat added a light pink shade on her cheeks. "I just miss him, that's all."
Tsunade sighed and closed her eyes. "I suppose it has been awhile since you've seen him. It is true that Naruto has been restless and ill-tempered. He's not the type to stay hidden."
"I know." A meaningful smile graced Sakura's petite face.
Uzumaki Naruto had raged for a full hour while challenging the Godaime's idea of him staying low and under the radar. His robust personality was certainly one that no one could suppress or contain; the child had been quite eccentric from the beginning. The Kyuubi sealed inside of him gave him a power which surpassed all imagination and Naruto's capture by the Akatsuki would prove to be costly for the Leaf. Tsunade had reasoned with him, firmly telling him that if he was to be the next Hokage, he should be able to sacrifice his pride for the safety of the entire village. That had worked like a charm.
"He's always up at night. You may go see him then."
"Thank you." Sakura said softly as she bowed humbly. "I'll be careful."
When she exited the warm office, she found Kakashi waiting outside for her patiently with his back against the wall and his arms crossed. The air encompassing him wasn't a very pleasing one.
"Come on, I'll walk you home." He said and turned to walk away without Sakura's opinion on the matter.
The kunoichi quickly caught up with her teacher while knowing in her mind what had made him offer her a walk back home. Hatake Kakashi still instilled some fear into her; even now, she still had unanswered questions about his life and his abilities. As a teacher, she respected him endearingly, as a man who kept every part of his life locked away inside, she kept her distance.
"You shouldn't keep a lady waiting for the gentleman to speak what's on his mind." She said quietly as they passed several shops.
The mask over his face did not lift at her menial attempt at humor. "Sakura, as your sensei, I advise you not to visit Naruto. At least not tonight." He stated frankly without turning to look at her. "You may be leading the Akatsuki to where he is hiding."
Sakura opened her mouth in disbelief. "How do you—"
"I don't know for sure, Sakura," The Copy Ninja cut in. "but I have a bad feeling about you going there tonight. Couldn't you wait another day?"
She had to bite her lip from saying anything further. She could not give away the reason why she was going to visit Naruto in the first place. Sakura opted for a forced smile. "You're getting more paranoid with age, Kakashi-sensei."
"Sakura—"
The young woman stopped him with a shake of her head. "It'll be fine. I'll be careful."
Kakashi sighed and slouched forward in his gait as usual and tried to look assured. "I'll trust you on this, Sakura."
Sakura had to admit that she was glad her sensei had not pressed the issue any further. She could have let something slip in an attempt to cover up for her real intentions.
Kakashi dropped her off at the door of her apartment before vanishing in a cloud of smoke for the second time that day. She entered her apartment tiredly, a part of her glad that the mission had been completed. If she had stayed a moment longer with Itachi, something definitely would have gone awry.
It had been bad enough dancing with him for the mere sight of him had struck something hollow in Sakura's heart, a small portion where a long-past affection had inhabited. The dancing had been undeniably unpredicted, even by her, and it was true that Kakashi could have been too late to save her had Itachi decided to end their dance with murder. But, it had worked out well: Itachi was poisoned fatally and the location of Naruto's whereabouts was still tightly undisclosed.
She thought back to what her teacher had warned her about going to visit Naruto. Anything that made Kakashi uncomfortable was something to be heeded, but Sakura justified defying her sensei by a reason only known to her. She would speak with her best friend first before going to Tsunade. Alerting Naruto first was for a precautionary basis, just in case Itachi was plotting to attack tonight, and he would be able to know what to expect.
"This is all rubbish." She mumbled to no one in particular while sprawled awkwardly on the couch.
Dealing with Itachi firsthand was something that Sakura never wanted to do ever again, and it wasn't just the way he stared at her or the way he touched her. It also wasn't the way Itachi's body seemed to mold perfectly with her own and it wasn't just how they seemed to connect through their sensual language. No, it was something much deeper than that, and she didn't intend to find out what that was.
"Water, I just need some water." The pink-haired woman sighed as she clambered ungracefully from the couch, a sudden rush of blood to her head impairing her vision just for a brief moment.
The cool liquid slid down her throat soothingly and she let out a soft stream of air after two gulps. Green eyes saw their distorted reflection in the glass cup, reminding Sakura of broken jade stones. She rubbed her eyes and set the glass down on the table, the water reminding her that she needed a bath.
Sakura turned the faucet to the bathtub and went around collecting a few dry towels, fresh clothes, and her hairbrush. She took a quick sip of water from the glass again, hesitating as she saw her broken reflection, before going to check the water gathering in the tub. She undid her jounin vest and set the heavy garment on a chair as she went on to take off the rest of her clothes. Tossing them carelessly aside, she slipped into the water, sighing with contentment while doing so, and simply sat in the bath to empty her troubled mind.
Scene III: Coming of Lust
Itachi's Sharingan eyes narrowed considerably at her naked body. Her figure was willowy and slender, her skin flawless and creamy, and her long rosy hair covered her exposed breasts from his line of sight. Something in his chest constricted.
Kisame seemed unaffected and only grinned in his horrible way. "You can tell she's still a virgin."
There was only silence from his companion who had replaced his changed countenance with his usual mask of indifference. But this time, his mind was whirling with different plans.
"Kisame, I'm afraid killing her will have to wait." The Uchiha said calmly while Kisame snapped his head to look at him. "My arm will die with her if we kill her prematurely. She must know an antidote to the poison."
"What's the threat?"
"Threat?" Itachi asked, before letting a miniscule smile grace his face. "You'll see, Kisame."
They watched until she got out of the bath clad in only a towel and they retreated further away so that she wouldn't detect their presence. As night fell upon them, it was exceedingly harder to see her movements. At last, late into the night, Sakura dressed in dark clothes and strapped one weapon holster around her waist and the other around her thigh. She leapt out of her window and sped away into the dark, leaving her apartment vulnerable to a vicious shark and a sly weasel.
The mismatched pair of ninja slipped inside and Kisame looked around the room. "Clean, she doesn't like disorder." He grunted. "It seems like forever since I've been in an actual room."
Itachi agreed with a nod of his fair head. He stood near the small bathroom and the scent of her fragrant soap became the only thing he could smell while a sadistic thought came to his mind.
We shall see how well she will play her part.
Scene IV: Happenings
Sakura traveled among the trees for two hours already and she knew she was getting close. She kept her senses alert and hypersensitive, Kakashi's warning giving her an uneasy feeling, but she knew that she wasn't being followed as of yet. The leaves brushed past her face and rustled as she sped past them.
In the dark, she spotted the familiar big oak tree and started west for another mile when she reached it. Eventually, the forest of trees thinned when she came to a small, concealed meadow. A little oriental house stood in a corner, shaded by the canopy of treetops above it, and she approached with extreme caution as she also kept an eye for the traps that she helped set up. The petite figure slipped past an explosive on the second step of the house.
Before she could even knock, the door was thrown open and a tall form of a man lunged at her with a kunai in hand. Gold sparkled in the moonlight.
"Naruto, it's me!" Sakura shouted as she felt herself being thrown backwards by his weight. She had to shield her eyes from the light that spilled from a lamp.
"Sakura-chan! Naruto-kun, it's Sakura-chan!" An alarmed, timid voice met her ears.
The man who had attacked her scrambled off of her with an apologetic look. "Gomen, Sakura-chan, I could only see a shadow coming towards the house. I didn't think it'd be you visiting."
Sakura beheld the sight of Uzumaki Naruto and Hinata with warm, laughing eyes. The man wore a simple orange shirt with a black pair of pants. His blue eyes had not changed from the last time she remembered them. Automatically, tears filled her eyes and it was her turn to launch herself into his reassuring arms while bawling like she hadn't in years.
Naruto chuckled and looked sheepishly at his wife. "She's always like this."
Hinata understood with a smile.
When the pink-haired kunoichi composed herself, she had the pleasure of reacquainting with the couple once more. It had been a full half a year since Sakura's last visit to the Uzumaki residence, and she had missed her friends terribly. The Itachi mission had shaken her faith in Naruto's safety.
"So, what brings you to our neck of the woods?" Naruto asked cheerfully as Hinata set up tea for their guest.
Sakura did not answer his question right away and he gave her some time to think of something to say. She raised her eyes to be level with his pools of cobalt before clearing her throat. "Naruto, yesterday, I came back from a mission."
He nodded. "Obaa-chan told me."
"Uchiha Itachi wants you to know that he's after you." She said in one breath. "He will find out where you are. You guys should seek to shelter somewhere else; it's not safe here anymore."
There was a terse silence between them while Hinata and Naruto communicated through their eyes. Sakura anxiously awaited their decision.
The golden-haired man smiled sadly at his friend as he put a hand on his wife's knee. "Sakura, we're tired of running."
The kunoichi looked up sharply, her tongue ready with rebuking words at his stubbornness. Naruto held up a hand to stop her. "No, we're really done with running like frightened rabbits. I feel foolish and so does Hinata. How many times have we moved in the middle of the night because of a false alarm? Too many, Sakura, and frankly, we're tired of it."
"But, Naruto, this isn't a false—"
He shook his head vigorously. "It doesn't matter. False or not, we're staying."
She opened her mouth to speak again to tell her best friend of the impending danger that was getting ready to spring its trap. She thought better of it and looked defeated. Sighing, Sakura daintily picked up her cup to sip the warm brew.
"You aren't mad, are you, Sakura-chan?"
The young woman smiled gently behind the cup, and she knew Naruto could see it. "It's you're call. Truthfully, I'd be tired of running away. Just promise me you'll be careful at all times."
Hinata was glad that Naruto had such a caring friend who had risked life and limb to warn them of Itachi's coming. "We promise, Sakura-chan."
"Yeah, and besides," he said as he reached over to grab Hinata's hand, "we've got the Byakugan on our side, remember?"
The three of them laughed together, knowing that it would be another long time before they could see each other again. Naruto hated being apart from the people he had come to care so much about, and he was adamant about protecting them the best he could. No more hiding. Hinata had already given up two years of her life in solitude with him, abandoning her duty has heiress to the Hyuuga clan, and he was so tired to see her kept away from family.
"Naruto, are you okay?" Sakura asked, waving a hand in front of his face in an attempt to snap him awake from his trance. The expression in his eyes was beginning to scare her; they burned with anger and passion that she had seen on few occasions.
The future Hokage blinked once before focusing on the woman who knelt comfortably before him. "It's getting late. You should get going."
With a short embrace for each of them, Sakura left once more, snaking her way past the numerous booby traps. Once she was past all of them, the kunoichi jumped from tree to tree hurriedly towards her apartment again with the need to warn Naruto freshly flushed from her system.
When Sakura entered through her window, she automatically reached for the small lamp on a table. She undid the weapon pouches and set them down while making her way to the small kitchen in order to get a drink of water.
The sharp, observant shinobi froze in her tracks.
The glass cup from before was not where she had placed it previously. She had set it down on the kitchen table, but now it rested on the counter next to the sink. Someone had entered her apartment. Either they left already or they were still here.
Sakura darted to where she had left her weapons to find both pouches missing. Her heart hammered in her chest as she realized that she had not been alone from the beginning. The hairs at the back of her neck rose at the terror and chills spread over her entire body, creating goose bumps on her forearms and legs.
"You have delivered my message like I've asked, kunoichi?" The same alto voice said from behind.
She whirled around to become face to face with the man who she had been dreading to ever meet again. When she made the slightest move to bolt for the door, Sakura found herself pinned to the wall painfully, the wall's smooth hardness against her back and the warm softness of a human body against her chest.
"Why have you followed me here?" She voiced hoarsely.
A dry, mirthless chuckle ticked her earlobe. "You may have played me the fool once before, but I don't fall for the same trick twice."
"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, trying to hide behind a mask of unawareness.
"Then let us talk about what you know. The poison on the blade that I had the misfortune of touching, you will create an antidote for it." He whispered into her ear.
Sakura's breathing hitched. "What if I refuse? Will you kill me?"
"Do you so wish to die, kunoichi?" Another chuckle. "Then I'll let you live and let you suffer through torture before I do kill you."
Her soft laughter matched his in its lack of humor. "You have five days to live, Itachi. Go screw yourself."
His hand slyly snaked its way up to her throat and tightened around it. Sakura let out a choking gasp. His red eyes were angry now, but his face betrayed nothing. In fact, it looked quite calm. "I was actually thinking of someone else to…screw." Itachi breathed quietly while his thumb grazed her chin.
She felt her face flush at his implication. "Go to hell."
"Not yet. Not until you heal my arm."
Her face contorted in a malicious sneer. "The great Uchiha Itachi asking for my help?"
The Uchiha ignored her jab at his pride. "The Jinchuuriki's wife will die tonight if you do not agree."
"You're bluffing. You don't know where they are." She said bravely while barely being able to keep her voice from shaking.
The Sharingan began to spin madly. "A piece of information that will be simple to gain."
Sakura's eyes became wide and Itachi could see the panic in them. "No, wait." She managed out in a small whisper.
"The antidote."
She shut her eyes as if she was trying to convince herself that this was not really happening. "There is no antidote. The poison is mixed with my own chakra. I will have to reverse its process myself."
He suddenly let her go and Sakura slid down the wall in defeat. Itachi gazed down at her flowing pink hair and he crouched to be at eyelevel with her. Jaded eyes were empty and soulless. "I will return here tomorrow night."
The Uchiha only saw her nod absently before standing. He swept away, the hem of his robe brushing her cheek. Sakura reached out to grab it, her eyes still unfocused, and Itachi turned around to look back.
"Sasuke-kun will hate me forever now that I'm helping you." She said low voice.
"Sasuke has always hated everyone. It is nothing personal. I trained him to be that way." He said softly as if trying to lift her spirits. It did little.
"You will die in five days."
Itachi's lips were set in a grim line. "Not anymore."
"Not anymore…" She echoed vaguely. "Because of me…"
He disappeared, leaving behind nothing to indicate his former presence.
Sakura cried.
Scene V: Foreshadow
Kisame remained to his spot beneath the tree when he saw Itachi's form flit into view. "How'd it go?"
Itachi glanced in the direction of her apartment. "It will take longer than planned."
The shark-man grunted. "I'm not surprised."
The smaller man slipped out a kunai and went to the tree that Kisame was sitting under. He slashed a thin marking on the bark. "This is the first day."
"What do we do if she can't heal you?"
Itachi turned around at an impossible speed, his red eyes spotting movement in the distance, and the deadly kunai shot from his hands. A small squeak signified the end of a small rabbit. The weapon had pierced its side and blood stained its brown fur and the grass around it, the crimson clashing horribly with the sea of green.
"We kill all of them."
Ending notes: Most of you are probably confused. Don't worry, I am too. Keep an open mind for now; anything can happen.
I hate how Itachi seems out of character. There's too much liberty to be taken with someone like him. I'll need to go back and fix that.
Last scene will prove to be important. Watch out for that.
Reviews will be very much appreciated.