I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

ONE WEEK LATER:

"OKAY, THE FIRST STEP IS SO INCREDIBLY SIMPLE, I DON'T KNOW WHY I DIDN'T THINK OF IT MYSELF…" Sakura chuckled to herself. Most people didn't give Hinata nearly enough credit for being smart. They were so drawn in by her innocent looks and soft manner, they tended to totally underestimate her. But she was definitely one smart cookie.

The first part of Hinata's plan was to simply: do nothing.

When Sakura and Naruto first heard her plan, they thought that she was insane. Do nothing, that was her big plan? However, she pointed out that Sakura had caught Itachi's interest by just being herself. She also illustrated the fact that if Sakura had to change herself to get her man, he wasn't worth it. So Hinata wanted Sakura to do just what she always did, and to react the same way she normally would.

As a plan went, it was so simple it was brilliant. And Hinata was right about the fact that she shouldn't have to change herself to be with someone. She was proud of who she was and what she had accomplished. She had no intentions of changing herself.

"OF COURSE THAT DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T LOOK GOOD WHILE DOING 'NOTHING'." Sakura gave her hair one last brush through, and carefully swiped a tinted cherry flavored lip gloss over her lips. She stepped back and took a look at herself. She was in her normal hospital uniform, but today she had left the top two buttons undone, revealing a hint of cleavage, and spent extra time on her hair. Plus, the cherry lipstick was something she normally only wore when she went out on dates. Honestly, she stopped dolling up on a regular basis several years ago, because she got tired of being hit on. Not that she didn't anyway, but for some reason, guys got the impression that she wanted to be hit on when she spent extra time on her appearance.

"WHILE WE ARE 'DOING NOTHING', THERE IS NO REASON WHY ITACHI CAN'T FIND OUT HOW DESIRABLE OTHER MEN FIND US, IS THERE?" 'Inner' purred. For once Sakura had no comeback to this, she was in perfect agreement. It would do him no harm to find out that he wasn't her only option. She smirked to herself as she left her apartment and headed to work.

She decided that she had time to stop for breakfast at her favorite teahouse. As she approached the shop, Kiba and Shino looked up, and she saw Kiba's eye widen before a smirk formed on his face.

"Hey Sakura, looking good this morning! When are you ever going to let me take you out on that date I've been asking for?" He asked her wolfishly while giving her a slow head-to-toe inspection. Inwardly, Sakura cringed, but in order for her plan to work she had take advantage of Kiba's interest.

"Definitely not today, I have to work." She told him. It wasn't a yes, but it wasn't an outright no like she had always given him in the past. She tilted her head to the side and gave him a friendly smile. Kiba's jaw dropped open before he gave her an answering smile. Sakura turned to Shino.

"Good morning, Shino! How is the green tea today?" She asked him cheerfully. In the past, Shino had asked her out for a date as well, but she had been much more polite in turning him down, and to this day they remained friends.

"It is delicious, as usual. Would you care to join us?" He motioned to the empty seat next to Kiba. She nodded, and Kiba made a big show of holding out the chair for her. She smiled and thanked him, appreciating the manners that Hinata had drilled into him over the years. What she didn't appreciate was him standing behind her for a few extra seconds just to stare down her cleavage. Normally, she would have made some comment about his pervyness, but she decided to ignore it today. Hopefully, Itachi was watching at this very second. He was a pro at concealing himself, and there was no one that could find him if he wanted to stay hidden. The waitress approached, and Sakura placed her order.

They spent a pleasant twenty minutes eating and discussing their training and missions they had been busy with. Sakura excused herself, and left quickly, not giving Kiba a chance to press her about that date. She ran off pretending that she was going to be late for work, and didn't stop running until she was out of sight. When she was sure that the coast was clear, she slowed down to a walk, and continued on to the hospital.

Along the way, she was greeted by people that she had treated at the hospital, she stopped several times to accept small gifts, and inquire about her former patients health. She also received several cat-calls, and three more requests for dates from Gemna, a civilian, and a visiting ninja from the Hidden Rain Village. She dodged them all with a friendly wave, a few pretty words, and entered the hospital.

ITACHI'S POV:

So, my little cherry blossom is popular it seems. Itachi watched as the Inuzuka heir blatantly ogled Sakura's chest as he helped her into her seat. He noticed the familiarity with which she greeted Shino Aburame, and saw a tiny smile cross the male's face. An unfamiliar feeling raised up in the pit of his stomach, but he ignored the sensation, setting it aside for later examination.

He followed Sakura when she left the tea shop and made her way towards the hospital. He noticed how many villagers greeted her and gave her little gifts of gratitude. She acknowledged all of them and even stopped to engage some of them in friendly conversation. He felt the sensation in his stomach start to burn as many men whistled at her lewdly, and by the time she was asked out by the fourth man, one not even from their village, he knew what it was he was feeling.

Jealousy. He smiled to his self ruefully. How ironic that the man that could have any woman he wanted could feel jealous of one petite, pink-haired kuniochi?