A/N: Ah, sorry this isn't very Ita/Saku oriented. This is just one of those silly filler chapters that help set the foundation of the story. Hopefully I won't need any more of these transitions xD Thanks for being so patient with me.
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Her hand hung in the air for a few seconds before she managed to regain her bearings and put it down. She stared at the spot that had previously been occupied by the cold Uchiha, blinking the memory away. Still, the afterimage of his dark cloak flickered across her vision.
"Itachi…" she murmured softly, trying the name out.
Sakura vainly attempted to put the pieces together, but her brain felt hazy after the couple of drinks she had had. She wished she could understand what had just happened.
Sighing, she turned to the bartender again, waving him closer. She ordered another drink against her better judgment. It really was no use to think about such things that defied the rule of thumb (which stated that Itachi was a cruel man whose sole motivation for action is his own personal benefit).
Despite her willingness to give people the benefit of the doubt, she continued to analyze every detail, trying to find something that revealed Itachi's true motive. What had just transpired between them could not have been as innocent as it seemed.
"Hey, ya look a little out of it. I have a bed in the back you can use to rest your pretty little head." The sleazy bartender gave her a crooked smile, his lust-filled eyes betraying his true motives.
"Er…no thanks. I'm actually going to go," she stretched, grateful for the interruption.
Sakura got up in one fluid motion, wincing as the blood rushed to her head making her dizzy. Quickly getting her bearings, she proceeded to leave. Once Sakura was outside, she sighed, relishing in the wind's playful touch. She lazily leaned against the side of the old tea-house.
"Well, Sakura, I'm proud of you for not busting up the mission by completely obliterating Team Seven…" she murmured to herself.
Well, I guess the only thing to do is go home, right?
No. What will Shishou think when we come home early, minus the rest of the team? That would be bad…
True. What else can we do?
How about a little renegade recon? Might as well have fun since the bastard ruined this mission.
SHANNARO! Let's show 'em what we've got!
Inner Sakura energetically pumped a fist in the air. Sakura sighed, realizing how absolutely absurd she was being. She was, essentially, talking to herself.
Slowly, she made her way to the edge of the forest, leaving the well-worn dirt path behind her. She stood at the brink of the trees, half in shadow, and half in sunlight. It was like Sakura was stuck between two different universes. She opened her arms as if embracing the trees before her, closing her eyes.
Moments later, Sakura quickly opened her eyes and put her arms down, realizing how foolish she probably looked. She shook her head and ran a hand through her ruffled pink hair. As she pulled her arm away, something glistened on her wrist. Curious, Sakura touched her arm, realizing that there was a peculiar silver band clasped around her wrist.
"What is…" she trailed off, her fingers finding a small clasp on one side of the band.
"Hm." She unhooked the bracelet and let it fall into the palm of her hand.
"Well, that was weird," Sakura frowned, staring at the mysterious bracelet.
She slipped the silver band into one of her leg pouches and continued to walk into the forest. The trees swallowed Sakura, swathing her in darkness. She jumped into the canopy, leaping from tree to tree before losing concentration. An immobilizing pain seared through her. There was a halo of agony around her wrist and it felt as though someone had started sawing her arm in half. She fell to the ground, clutching her wrist with a grimace on her face.
Finally managing to move, she forced herself to sit up and rest against a nearby tree. Carefully, she examined her arm and her eyes widened in horror. A strange curling design circled her wrist where the strange silver band had been. She watched as the dark crimson tattoo grew, etching itself into her skin and sending flashes of pain up her arm.
"Kuso…what IS this?"
She paused, gently tracing the growing tattoo.
"I knew it!" she exclaimed with sudden realization, "I knew he would do something! And this is it!"
Sakura fished the seemingly harmless bracelet out of her left leg pouch and re-clasped it around her wrist. She watched in wonder as the pain receded and the strange inking faded into her skin.
What is his motive?
"How odd…Maybe Shishou will know," she murmured to herself.
But, she'll kill us for ever jeopardizing the mission (and our LIVES) like that.
It's a chance we'll have to take. What else can we do?
Ignoring the fervent protests of her inner mind, Sakura slowly got up and jumped into the tall branches of the tree above her. Without wasting time, she sent a burst of chakra to her legs, propelling herself even faster, hoping that the Fifth Hokage would be able to shed some light on her current predicament when she reached Konoha.