Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I am so glad ya'll liked it! Remember, this IS an AU, so I don't think there will be too much in the way of canon, spoilers or accuracy as far as the anime and manga goes. Also, BIG HUGE thanks to my awesome beta, Juniper11. Your continued encouragement gives me fuel! Enjoy everyone!

Type: Romance/Mystery

Rating: PG-13 (for now…)

Pairing: Itachi/Sakura, other minor pairings

World: Alternate Universe

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone or anyplace associated with Naruto.

Chapter 2: Conflict

Sakura was tired. The research she'd been doing was long and arduous, coupled with no heat and little sleep; the kunoichi was running on empty. It had been five days since she had begun her studies, and her muscles were tired from little movement, and her eyes screamed in pain from being used so hard.

She slowly put down her pen, barely hearing the 'click' sound as it landed on the table. She'd been furiously scribbling notes and thoughts onto a spare scroll on all she had learned. She rubbed her weary eyes and was unable to stifle the yawn that escaped from between her lips. It was about two in the afternoon, and the girl suddenly realized she was late for lunch. This meant that not only would Naruto be looking for her, but Sai would be as well. Sakura hurriedly put a bookmark jutsu on the Earth Scroll and dashed out of the Restricted Section. Her run did not slow as she passed the creepy librarian, but once she came to the bracing cold of the early afternoon, she allowed herself to pause. She took a deep breath in and again marveled at early winter's beauty. Fall wasn't quite finished yet, so this bout of snow was unexpected but welcome. Fire Country did not get as much moisture as some of the other countries, so any and all weather was mostly viewed as a good thing.

"Sakura-chan! There you are! Where the hell have you been?!" Naruto bounded up to the pink haired girl in a flash of neon orange and black. Sai followed sedately, his black parka and white skin contrasting drastically in his surroundings.

"Greetings, Ugly. Stupid and I have come to collect you for lunch." Sakura ignored the ugly comment and gently restrained Naruto from getting into her face, as he was wont to do. Geeze, but the boy reminded her of a puppy on steroids….

After putting a small amount of distance between her and Naruto she put her hands on her small hips and answered Naruto's rude question. "I was doing some work for Lady Tsunade. You know, Naruto? Actual work, as in getting up at a decent time and sitting down to look over information at which time-"

"Yech! There's a reason I don't buy into that crap, Sakura. I mean, a real ninja goes out and fights! He travels around the world and seeks his goal. And after that, he becomes Hokage!"

Sakura arched a brow and slowly shook her head at her teammate's words. "You've been around Master Jiraiya too long, Naruto." The boy pouted, but said no more as Sai cleared his throat.

"I understand this necessary exchange of words, but I am cold and hungry. I shall leave you both if you do not come along." With that, the paint ninja turned and walked off. Sakura supposed that was as close to complaining as Sai would ever get.

As they walked, Sakura tuned out Naruto's ranting as she mulled over the contents of Water's marriage rules. They were by far the strictest; with pacts and laws and demands being made in every paragraph. It wasn't hard to understand as they were the second strongest nation, but it was the Snow pacts that had Sakura stumped. As far as she could tell, they were surrounded in ancient legends, old superstitions and blood. There was nothing helpful written on any scroll.

And then there was all of that information regarding the Wolf Summoning Clan. Perhaps the Wolves had something to do with the foundations of Yukigakure? And what of this bride? Sakura was sure that was what Tsunade was fishing for. Had the time come for a bride to be chosen? Supposing a bride was to be taken, would it come down to one of her friends being forced to give up their lives in order to appease an old law? Hadn't civilization evolved since then? She would not rest until she got to the bottom of this, and she would not allow anyone--not even Lady Tsunade-- to get in her way.

They arrived at the ramen stand in record time. Naruto bounded inside with a cry of glee, yelling for Ayame to serve up a steaming bowl of soup. Sai stopped at the entrance, glancing back at Sakura was those dark eyes of his, assessing her sharply.

"You have something heavy on your mind, Ugly. It shows in the age lines of your face."

"You're just lucky that I'm tired, Sai. Otherwise your face would be nothing more than a crater in your head right now." The pale young man smiled in that fake way of his and turned to order. Sakura sighed softly and ran a hand through her hair. She too sat and ordered, not really hungry but wanting to spend time with her boys. Naruto cuddled close and slung an arm around her shoulders. Sakura eyed the arm on her shoulder.

"You should ask Hinata out, you know."

"What? Hyuga Hinata? She won't even look at me! She just turns red and faints. I think she might have some brain damage." Naruto hesitated a moment, causing Sakura to look at him searchingly. "Besides, Kiba's been after her since we were kids!" Sakura tilted her head to the side wondering if that bit of information was causing the hesitation on his part. She knew of the Hyuga heiress' feelings for her friend and it just wouldn't do for the potential couple to let an opportunity slip through their fingers.

"Ask her, Naruto. You may never know when she might disappear forever." The blonde looked at her quizzically.

"What brought this on? Are you on your period again?" Sakura's fist made contact with Naruto's face, sending him flying for that one.

Yamanaka Ino knew when her friends were hiding things. She knew when Sakura had gotten a tattoo when she was too young and when Tenten had finally made out with Neji. She knew when Hinata had stolen a pair of Naruto's shorts on a mission, and she knew right that second that Sakura had a very interesting secret. She just didn't know the details, and for a snoop like her, this was very distressing. She stalked her prey silently, watching from the shadows as Sakura walked along the open market, browsing for fruit.

There was a slight stiffness to the pinkette's shoulders, an extra speed to her walk. She had an amazingly hard time choosing between chicken and beef, and now she was picking up a pear. Sakura hated pears.

"Oh, Forehead, why don't you just tell me already?" Ino asked in a sing-song tone placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. Sakura jumped slightly, confirming Ino's suspicions. As a ninja Sakura should never have been surprised, even if Ino was better at masking her chakra.

Sakura turned around to face Ino trying her best to keep her face blank, knowing that Ino would still read her like a book. "Ino, what are you talking about?"

"I know you know something good!" Ino's face lit up excitedly. "You gotta tell me!" Sakura sighed and avoided looking directly into Ino's eyes pretending that the fruit before her was fascinating.

"I don't have anything this time. Sorry."

"You suck at lying, you know. Even Naruto could have seen through that one."

"…Ino… I really can't talk about it." Ino rolled her eyes as Sakura started to walk away, but she only followed with determination.

"Sakura, you've always talked to me. Don't you trust me?" Sakura slanted her a look and said nothing. She turned to the vendor they'd stopped at and bought two packets of pockey. She handed one to Ino and resumed her stroll.

"So, this mission you can't tell me about… does it have something to do with a guy?"

"No."

"Hmmm, ok, how about this? You've been chosen to go undercover as a whore in order to infiltrate a drug ring, but if you tell anyone your cover could be blown because there are spies here!" Sakura stared at her friend incredulously because of her fanciful imaginings. Sarcasm immediately overtook her as it frequently did when she was in the presence of her old friend.

"Yes, Ino. However did you guess?"

"You left me no choice. How am I supposed to find out if you don't tell me?"

"This is something I've been sworn to secrecy about. I promise, the moment Lady Tsunade gives me the okay, I'll tell you all about it."

"Which means I'll never know…"

"Yup." Sakura smiled as Ino pouted. She realized that on some sick and twisted level, she really did enjoy keeping this secret from Ino. The blonde had firmly settled into the mantle of Village Gossip when they were children, and for Sakura to keep such a secret from her must be maddening. She giggled and shook her head.

"Really, Ino, you're acting as though you're a small child and I've just refused you ice cream. How pitiful can you get?" It was only seconds before Sakura saw that her hastily made plan to wipe the sad look off Ino's face and to distract her from her previous goal bore fruit. Fire spat from teal blue eyes as Ino bared her teeth at her.

"I loathe you." Ino had stopped in the middle of the road, which was probably why Kiba had such a hard time stopping Akamaru from bowling her over. There was a screech and a howl, combined with two bodies making contact at a high speed. Ino went flying while Kiba and Akamaru tumbled head over heels in the snow.

Sakura could only watch in morbid fascination as Ino landed in a puddle of icy mud. The girl stood up in the blink of an eye, her face a storm of rage as she inspected her ruined coat and skirt. Kiba stood as well, brushing himself off and checking Akamaru for any scrapes. He didn't notice Ino until her hand collided with his cheek.

"Yeowch! What the hell was that for, woman?"

"How dare you bowl me over, ruin my clothes and then yell at me! Don't you and that mutt watch where you're going?" Akamaru growled low in his throat.

"Be silent, Akamaru!" Ino's sharp voice surprised the large white dog, and in his sense of an alpha female, he hung his head. Kiba raged back at the young woman in front of him, sparking a screaming match that could be heard all the way to Wind Country. Sakura was still off to the side, watching with growing interest at the drama displayed before her.

It was then that she realized this was her chance to escape. With a small smile on her lips, she slipped away without a sound.

She had just made it to the entrance of the library when Sakura noticed a very disgruntled Sabaku Temari standing just outside. Her arms were crossed over her chest her eyes plastered on the sky above her. Her whole stance screamed 'disgruntled', but it didn't stop Sakura from waving to catch her attention.

"Temari!" The kunoichi's eyes focused on Sakura's approach and gave a small smile of greeting that was gone before it had even registered in Sakura's mind that it had appeared. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Suna helping Kankuro with the wedding preparations?" The Wind user sighed and nodded.

"Yes, but I came here to pick up the silks for Matsuri's dress. Gaara was adamant that his bride have only the best. I was also informed via messenger hawk that there has been some trouble near the border between Water and Wind. Lady Tsunade decided Shikamaru needed to escort me to the edge of your land." It was really very hard for Sakura to hold in her laugh. Sabaku Temari was strong and powerful, and she certainly didn't need Nara Shikamaru to follow her around. Lady Tsunade just wanted to win her bet against Gaara as to if the two young shinobi would hook up.

"So, why are you waiting here?"

"Shikamaru told me to meet him here. He said he needed to find you, actually." Sakura furrowed her brow and absently said her goodbyes to Temari wondering why Shikamaru was in search of her. As she entered the double doors, she realized two things.

One, Lady Tsunade had not told her the entire truth about her research. Two, Nara Shikamaru had never looked so serious. Tsunade was standing in the middle of the library lobby, whispering rapidly with Shikamaru. The scrolls that Sakura had been looking at were being transported out of the building as fast as ANBU Black Ops could carry them. As Sakura approached, her leader and friend ceased their conversation.

"Sakura," Tsunade said quietly, "I am afraid we have a bit of a problem. Meet me in my office." Before Sakura could blink, she was gone.

Sakura then turned to Shikamaru with a frown.

"What-"

"Not here." Shikamaru took Sakura's arm and steered her back out the door. As he caught sight of Temari, he pushed Sakura ahead of him.

"Go. I will meet up with you in a moment." Sakura was confounded and quite perplexed. What in the world was going on here? With a huff, the girl turned and bounded off towards Hokage Tower.

As Sakura seated herself in Tsunade's office, she could not shake the sense of foreboding that sat upon her shoulders. The older woman waited for a few moments before beginning.

"Sakura, I asked you to research those scrolls for the sole reason of finding a loophole in a specific marriage contract." Tsunade pulled the Water marriage scroll from under her desk. She set the scroll down in front of her and rested her elbows on the edge of the desk. Her fingers steepled in front of her face as she gazed at her apprentice.

"Although I have not given you much time, I need you to tell me what you know so far."

At the seriousness of her mentor's tone Sakura immediately launched into a dissertation on what she had learned.

"Well, I know that of all the Nations, the Land of Snow is the most intricate concerning marriage pacts. One stipulation that I came across was that a kunoichi from Konoha was to marry the Yukikage within two years of his rise to power. The stipulation also states that she must come from a wealthy family and possess a Kekkei Genkai." At her ending words the accusation in Sakura's voice was subtle but firm. Tsunade was impressed, but had no time for such posturing.

"Indeed. I can think of two girls right off the bat who meet those requirements. Both of them are perfect candidates to be liaisons to Snow." Sakura tamped down her anger and resentment. It was apparent that the old practice of buying and selling good relations with other countries was not dead yet.

"My Lady, that pact is hundreds of years old. We don't need to drag out old traditions! We are in good standing with the Princess Yukie. Surely she accounts for something?" Tsunade only sighed and shook her head.

"If only it were that simple. Princess Yukie has sent me several missives concerning Snow. It seems that in the recent months the Village Hidden in the Glaciers has gathered power and forces and threatens to become the strongest village in all of Water. We can't ignore the threat, and we can't risk another war. Our village is still limping from the onslaught of Pein." Sakura could not believe her ears. Surely her mentor was not saying what she thought she was.

"So we send one of our own to sacrifice her life in order to appease a growing bully?!" Tsunade did not react to the angry outburst. If only Sakura could understand but she was young and had spent too much time in the company of Uzumaki Naruto.

"It's not like that, Sakura. The girl will be well cared for and given all her heart desires. She will be treated as if she were the wife of a wealthy daimyo."

"But she will not have her freedom! She can't be herself and live her own life! That's not fair, Lady Tsunade!"

Tsunade slammed her hand down onto the desk causing Sakura to jump and remember the power that was held in the hands of her leader. "Sakura, you will sit down and listen to all I have to say! How dare you criticize me? I am your Hokage, so show me the respect I deserve and shut up!" Sakura huffed and sat back, thinking Naruto was as much like his grandmother as she was like her grandson. "I'm not sending one of my kunoichi to marry a stranger just because he demands it! The council has ordered that we do this not only to keep the peace, but because our Intel has been gathering some pretty frightening news." Sakura crossed her arms, grudgingly hearing her mentor.

"Am I interrupting?" Kakashi poked his head through the door, giving an eye crease to Sakura and Tsunade, and was promptly pushed inside by a grumbling Shikamaru. Tsunade slanted him the stink eye and returned her attention to her student.

"My girl, there are some things that you can't understand. I would never intentionally send a kunoichi to handle this situation if I thought for even a moment that she couldn't hold up under the pressure. Now, Kakashi, do you have that report?" The silver haired Nin nodded and handed over the requested item. Tsunade opened the scroll and scanned it. She shut it with a sigh.

"Sakura, you may leave us. I'll expect a full report of your findings by tonight. You are dismissed." Sakura stood stiffly and bowed. When she was gone, Tsunade slumped down further in her chair.

"Well, boys, has anything changed?" Kakashi shook his head and Shikamaru closed his eyes with a grunt.

"The attacks have gotten wider and much more vicious. We have word from Ishi, Kumo and Kusa that the ice storms have not let up for well over a week, and they believe these storms are not simple weather patterns." Kakashi seated himself and cleared his throat.

"My Lady, the Wolf Clan is known for their power over the elements. They have strong ties with each special element, but Water seems to be the strongest. It could be that the Yukikage is showing his seriousness in all of this by creating a plain that will be most beneficial to his ninja. These ice storms are spreading as far as Suna. If we don't answer them soon, I fear that we will be experiencing an ice age."

"Could it really come to something such as that?"

"I'm afraid so, My Lady." Tsunade turned and looked out over the soft falling snow. It seemed so harmless now. In fact, Konoha had never experienced a blizzard as they had too warm a climate, but she had seen the dangers of such weather in her travels.

"Any word from my husband?"

"My Lady, Lord Jiraiya sent word yesterday. He was in Kumo, and was stuck. He sends his love and asks that you complete the treaty, and soon." Shikamaru rolled his eyes as he relayed the missive. Sometimes he wondered if he should have been born a messenger bird.

"Well then, I suppose I only have one choice. Send me Lords Yamanaka and Hyuga."

Sakura trudged along the road towards home, wondering if Lady Tsunade really planned to send one of her friends away. It seemed wrong to force one of them to leave their lives to appease a stranger. So lost in thought she didn't see Hinata and Naruto until they were upon her.

"Sakura! Hey, why do you seem so down?" Sakura looked up to see Naruto's concerned blue eyes gazing back at her. She smiled in reassurance.

"It's nothing, Naruto. I'm just a bit tired. So, what are you two doing?" Hinata blushed at this while Naruto smirked proudly.

"Hinata and I are goin' to a movie! I took your advice and now we're dating!" Sakura paled at this, but fortunately neither of them noticed. If they were dating, Naruto would certainly kick up a fuss if Lady Tsunade were to send Hinata away. She forced a smile that was really just a baring of her teeth.

"Wonderful! I hope you have fun together!" With that she slipped past her friends and continued on. It wasn't long before she was stopped once more.

"Sakura, hey, Sakura!" Ino came bounding up with a gleam in her eye. "So guess who has a HUGE crush on me!" Sakura stopped with a slight gasp.

"You met someone?" Ino looked affronted as she dragged her friend the rest of the way into their shared apartment. They both kicked off their boots and Ino went merrily into the kitchen to put on some tea.

"So, guess!"

"Uh, Shikamaru?"

"No, he has this thing for Temari." Ino said, rolling her eyes and wishing that the lazy ninja would go ahead and do something about the situation.

"Chouji? Lee? Shino?"

"Dating Ayame, Not in a million years, and ew."

"Neji? Genma?"

"Dating Tenten and are you even trying anymore?"

"I give up."

"Kiba!"

"Kiba? As in dog-boy-who-doesn't-bathe-and-sleeps-with-his-dog Kiba?"

"Yes." Ino sighed dreamily as the tea began to perk. Sakura drilled her with questions as they settled in. Ino regaled her of a long story about Kiba, his dog and a lot of chocolate. Somewhere in the middle Sakura's summons, a white, pink stripped tigress, popped into the room.

"Kyuuka? What is it?" Sakura clambered out of her nest of blankets with silent thanks that Ino's story had been cut short. The tigress looked at her mistress with apprehension. The tigress herself was a rather large cat, but even she knew fear when dealing with an angry Sakura. The feline sat back on her haunches and relayed her message.

"Now, kitten, don't kill the messenger, but Lady Tsunade has requested your presence in her office. It has to do with your research." Sakura could feel her blood pressure rise with her anger and disbelief.

"Really? Now?" Kyuuka nodded in confirmation.

"Now."

Uchiha Itachi took a deep breath, completely shell-shocked at the lack of pain. His lungs no longer felt raw and broken, and he could feel all of his extremities. His eyes were open, yet for some reason his vision was encased in darkness. However, his chakra had been restored and he could sense two very large chakra signatures to his right.

"Fuyu, Nadare." The wolves snuffed softly.

"You have awakened, pup. This is good. I knew from the moment we signed with you that you would be strong. Now, how do you feel?"

"I no longer feel pain." Fuyu sighed softly.

"I am afraid this is only temporary. The jutsu Nadare has performed will only staunch the pain for a few weeks. We must find a more accomplished healer to help you." Itachi could almost see the large black wolf shake his regal head. Fuyu was the leader of the Wolf Clan, and with this came the instinct to protect all that he saw as his. This included his Summoning partner. Fuyu had always harbored a fondness for the sharp-eyed Uchiha who did not show the same ruthless and bloodthirsty tactics that his clan exhibited.

"I am sorry I could not do more, Itachi-chan. However I do hope to learn more if this pact goes through correctly." Nadare was Fuyu's mate, a medium sized she-wolf with fur as white as snow.

"Where are we?"

"Yukigakure, in the Kage compound. You were named Yukikage a week ago. You have accomplished much for an unconscious man."

"I don't like the deception, Fuyu. Lies never create a solid base."

"Wise words, pup, but this was necessary. In order to continue the Prophecy, we needed to secure your place. Time will tell if you are capable."

"Fuyu, be kind!" Itachi chucked at Nadare's sharp words. However, one thought continued to plague him.

"I don't feel any binds on my eyes. Is there a reason I cannot see?" Silence reigned for a few moments. Itachi was beginning to wonder what terrible thing had happened to him when he heard both of his companions sigh. Itachi felt his heart fill with dread as Nadare's soft voice permeated the darkness.

"My pup, you are blind."

Chapter two is up! Sorry for the long wait… XD

Kyuuka-Summer

Fuyu-Winter

Nadare-Avalanche

Ishi-Stone

Kumo- Cloud

Kusa-Grass

Suna-Sand