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Aaaaaaaand were back! Having successfully survived vacations, apartment hunting, and various other and many obstacles we bring you the next chapter! We hope that we managed to make our normal, scheduled updates from now own but, summer is a time of chaos! So keep watch here! Never fear! We're having too much fun writing this fic to stop any time soon. As always, your feedback and encouragement is greatly appreciated! We look forward to every comment we get! Thank you so much! We continue to be floored by the wonderful response we have received so far!
Ten Years Ago
Uchiha Training Ground
Itachi tossed another kunai lazily at the target in front of him and pulled another from the pouch on his hip before the first had hit. The rhythmic thudding of steel into wood was soothing. The training grounds he had chosen were far away from his family's compound and gave him a semblance of privacy.
Tomorrow was the start of the Chunin exams.
Tossing the last of the kunai into the wide post, he reached for the senbon needles strapped to his upper arm. He had no doubt that his team would pass the first round of the exam. Itsuki and Hana had met certain expectations as his teammates and both were capable enough genin that they would find little difficulty in the team round of the competition.
Walking toward the target that was now covered in a wide pattern of weapons he began pulling them out of the deep gouges in the wood. The sun was starting to set and he had been training by himself since noon. The evening air chilled the sweat on his skin and the basics of weapons throwing allowed him to relax as his muscled cooled.
He wasn't particularly worried about the individual rounds. He knew his own strengths and he looked forward to challenge of matching his skills against the shinobi of the other villages. The clan elders were already making noises of how proud they would be if he succeeded and how delightful it would be to have someone so young as Chunin. There was still some lingering bitterness towards his ka-chan and the fact that he was thirteen and just now taking the test. Shisui was already an active chunin and rumors that he was being considered for ANBU were quietly circulating the clan elders.
Pulling the last senbon loose, he tucked the weapon away and considered the target in front of him for several long moments. The clan was going to be an issue. Already they were dropping hints about the nearest ANBU exams and the possibility of rising to special jounin within the year. Some of the other clans had already passed children his age into higher ranked fields of expertise and there was concern about the students of the academy that were Sasuke's age. Particularly Hyuuga Neji. Soft, carefully worded suggestions about being an example for his brother and upholding the clan name had reached his ears some time ago.
He had no interested in the politics of the clan. He understood them, he moved in them easily enough, but he ignored a great deal of stupidity. Becoming Jounin and ANBU would suit his purposes and his purposes alone. His ka-chan had gone to great pains to prevent him and his brother from becoming clan puppets and he would honor her wishes, as was the best of his ability.
Turning on his heel, he moved back towards the compound. Two days ago, he had quietly submitted the paper work for the ANBU exams. The Third had met with him that morning to speak to him about his request and had appeared to be unsurprised by his request to keep the clan unaware of his activities. He had agreed to consider his request after the individual matches of the tournament.
Itachi was unconcerned by the Third's hesitation. There was a higher number of chunin in training for ANBU than was known to the general shinobi population. The training required to pass the exams was rumored to be difficult, but he was looking forward to the challenge.
The chances that Hana and Itsuki both would pass the exams were slim. By taking on the ANBU position he gave himself room to maneuver without the restrictions that a newly appointed chunin who was without his team. He had no intention of being limited to simple B-Rank missions with other chunin he had never worked with before. By transferring himself into ANBU ranks he was assured of A-rank and higher as he progressed and he would have access to other kinds of information.
Orochimaru.
Itachi's eyes narrowed. The Sannin had been too quiet over the past few years. Besides an attempt to attack one of the caravans the village protected, there had been no sign or rumor of the man. Itachi was certain that the Sannin was planning something and being ANBU would give him the resources and the qualifications necessary to make sure he was involved when it came time to deal with it.
Pausing, he turned just as his name was called. Sasuke was pelting down the path, a bag bouncing over his shoulder as he waved. The six year old was grinning widely and covered in dirt. Shaking his head, he braced himself as his brother crashed into his knees before reaching down and lifting him to his shoulders. They would arrive back at the compound quicker if he let Sasuke talk his ear off without the distraction of walking.
Tomorrow he would pass the first round of the exams with his team. After that he would deal with things as they came.
"Aniki, I got to play with Hana's puppies today! One of them even licked me!"
That would explain the mud and fur.
"You didn't try to bring one home, did you? Ka-chan doesn't like dogs in the house."
"Hana said they were too small," Sasuke sounded forlorn and his small feet kicked lightly against his chest. "Do you really think Ka-chan would say no?"
"Yes."
Sasuke sighed. "Hana said I could come play with them whenever I want."
"Next time you should stay out of the mud. Ka-chan will not let you visit if you come home covered in mud again."
"Okay. I'm hungry."
"We'll be home soon."
"Are you sure I can't have a puppy?"
"Sasuke."
He sighed. "I'm still going to ask."
Shaking his head, Itachi was silent. Sasuke would learn soon enough. Bouncing him against his shoulders one more time he reached up and set Sasuke down. "If you hurry, you might be able to rinse off before she sees you."
Grinning, Sasuke pelted up the path. Following at a slower pace, Itachi shoved his hands into his pockets.
A good example.
X
Present Day
Hokage Tower
Sakura was not nervous. Being nervous would be admitting that he had gotten under her skin. He had not gotten under her skin. What he had done was Piss. Her. Off. While the little incident at the practice field had been a somewhat mutual mistake, his stealing her clothing was once again Uchiha Itachi putting his rather nice nose where it didn't belong. She was not nervous, she was not intimidated, and her insides were not filled with butterflies at not knowing how he was going to respond to her today.
Marching down the hall, she kept her expression even. There was simply no way she was going to walk into that library looking the least bit hesitant. She was finished giving him ground he hadn't earned. Squaring her shoulders, she nodded at a familiar face and ignored the way her stomach fluttered as she opened the door to the library. Knowing her luck, he wouldn't even be here yet. Then she would have prepared herself for nothing.
The library was always quiet, but the early mornings hours were almost serene. Later, there would be a faint buzz as the chakra overflow from the rest of the tower seeped under doors and through the walls. The bustle of the town would filter through late afternoon windows and hushed whispers would bounce off bookshelves. But early mornings were still and peaceful, a chance to get an early start on demanding research.
This morning, however, there was almost an expectant feel to the air and she resisted the urge to rake her fingers through her bangs. Steeling herself for whatever he had gotten into his brain this time, Sakura turned to where she could practically feel his gaze; never his chakra. Unless Itachi decided otherwise, no one was ever aware of his presence. At least, not through the common means, his force of presence had very little to do with chakra and everything to do with him.
He was holding a scroll, shoulder resting against the wall that held the large window overlooking the courtyard. Long strands of hair fell in a smooth line down his chest, his stance almost too casual. And his eyes. Sakura's mouth went dry at the expression in his eyes. They burned at her, the faintest sparks of red gleaming with intent as he deliberately held her gaze before lowering his perusal down her body.
She could almost feel the way his eyes grazed her body, stomach tightening in a mixture of anticipation and nerves as she watched the slow, dangerous smile curve the edges of his lips upwards. Adrenaline hit her system hard at that look, and her breathing went shallow as he lifted his eyes back to hers, an almost feral expression flooding his eyes red.
Sakura swallowed as he shifted, gliding away from the wall as he put the scroll aside, eyes never leaving her face. His pace as he covered the distance between them was casual, as if he was devouring every expression, ever breath with his eyes. The small, rational part of her brain was busy calculating how effortlessly he seemed to move, while the rest of her was too stunned to do more than gape at him.
She hadn't….
Long calloused fingers brushed up the sides of her neck, thumbs briefly brushing against her chin before tangling behind her ears as he lifted her chin for his kiss. For all the heat and demand in his eyes, his mouth was achingly soft against hers, lips gently coaxing and deliberate as he lightly massaged her scalp with the tips of his fingers. It was by force of will that she managed to keep her fingers at her side, but she couldn't stop the way her body leaned into his hold as he continued his gentle assault.
When he pulled back she had to struggle to think past the way his thumbs were moving behind her ears, his gaze still sharingan bright. Her fingers itched to reach up and tangle themselves into his hair and kiss him in return, to lean into the warm heat that matched the tingles still moving down her spine.
"Good morning, Sakura." His voice held a rumble to it that threatened to curl her toes. "I hope you slept well?"
Sakura stared at him for several long seconds before she pulled the pieces of her thought process together enough to remember she was mad at him. Not even good morning kisses and pretty eyes were going to save him this time. Narrowing her gaze, she straightened her spine and shoved a hand into his stomach.
"Give. Them. Back."
His lashes narrowed so all she could see was a gleam of spinning tomoe. The hands in her hair shifted, sliding to her neck with enough pressure to make her scalp tingle before encircling the back of her neck. Her head was tilted backwards, just enough that his breathe ghosted across her lips and she was forced to meet that half-gaze straight on. He tsked, even as his fingers dug lightly into tense muscles, easing a strain she hadn't known she had.
"Manners, Sakura." Those eyes gleamed. "Aren't you going to tell me good morning?"
She growled at him. His mouth curved at the corners but his gaze didn't drop from hers, and she bit the side of her tongue as his fingers shifted along her neck. Two could play at this game.
"I want my shirts back, Uchi—"
Her back bumped into the wall behind her, but she barely noticed as his mouth pressed into hers, tongue sliding along the seam of her lips as his hand trailed down her spine and backside before hooking behind her thigh to lift her up against him. She gasped at the reminder of his heat as he pressed against her from thigh to chest. His body was taunt with tension and his mouth firm, but the fingers cupping the back of her head were careful and the strokes of his tongue were deliberate instead of rough. She whimpered.
He pulled back with soft, delicate kisses against her tingling lips and feathered several move across her cheek to her ear. He caught the tip of her ear with his teeth and she shivered in his hold.
"No." He murmured before kissing her temple and lowering her to the ground. The fingers in her hair rubbed for a moment, the look in his eyes soft as he let the sharingan fade, the smile on his face sending her stomach to her ankles.
"Itachi, Sakura. Call me Itachi." He kissed her nose and turned and headed into the stacks. "The box on the desk is for you."
She gaped at his back as he disappeared into the shelves, her mouth tingling and her knees a little more wobbly than she was comfortable with. He had just kissed her. Again. And again, she had done nothing to stop him. And again, he had pulled back and stepped away without… without any problem at all. If it wasn't for the softness in his eyes, she'd say he'd been completely unaffected. More than anything, she wanted to storm up behind him and grab hold of his shoulder, spin him around and… punch him in the face or jump him, she wasn't quite sure.
But she didn't need Sasuke to tell her that either action would just get her lowered onto the table.
She could still feel his hands in her hair and she swallowed several times before pushing up and moving towards her desk. There was a small, white box with no labels that she didn't recognize, and she debated not opening it at all.
She could feel the heat of his stare, and it was making her hackles rise. Muttering curses on the whole Uchiha line, she yanked the chair away from the table and settled down on it, reaching for the scroll she'd marked off yesterday. She was dead set on ignoring that box, even if it killed her.
…the box was very loud for an inanimate object. And Itachi's stare was communicating more exasperated amusement than should be allowed. She wasn't even looking at him, how was it fair that she was picking up on his emotions? Uchiha Itachi wasn't even supposed to have emotions!
He approached the table and leaned over from behind her to place the scroll he had been working on beside her. His shadow was the only thing that touched her, but Sakura still shivered.
"You do realize," Itachi murmured, taking his sweet freaking time to select his next scroll while still leaning over her, "that the longer you hold off, it will make your eventual capitulation all the sweeter," then suddenly his lips were shadowing her ear, "Sa-kur-a."
Sakura gritted her teeth, and then shifted around to glare at his ridiculously amused, ludicrously warm obsidian eyes. "How silly of me, Uchiha-san! It looks as if I had completely overlooked your present. I don't know how I could have forgotten."
He knew she was lying. She knew he knew she was lying. That didn't matter. What did matter was the imperceptible twitch in his jaw brought on by her use of his surname and her bright, polite tone.
"I'll have to rectify the situation right away," she continued, pushing the chair back and almost running over his foot. "I don't know where my manners could have gotten to, Uchiha-san."
His lashes lowered to partly mask the expression behind his eyes and Sakura turned away to face the little box. Ignoring how his presence was making the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, she mentally debated exactly what this particular Uchiha would think was a good present. Bracing herself for anything, she used her thumb to break the seal on the side and flicked the lid open.
It took her several seconds to process what her eyes were telling her and when she did she stopped breathing. Someone must have told him about her sweet tooth – she and Naruto were going to have a talk – because he had brought her fudge. Not just any fudge, but the kind that was too expensive for her to actually justify splurging except for rare occasions. The kind that was still warm when it was boxed up and crumbled under your fingertips.
She swallowed in an attempt to find the footing she had suddenly and rather unfairly lost. She could feel Itachi's eyes roaming her profile and she was still fumbling for a response when careful fingers brushed her hair behind her ear. Her eyes shot to his and while he was positively radiating satisfaction, his eyes were still too warm for her to be comfortable.
The backs of his knuckles traced her cheek. "You're welcome."
X
Hana was starting to feel a little frustrated. While her conversation with Sasuke had gone well – a girl? – she was becoming irritated on how difficult it was to track down Itachi. All his usual haunts were empty and even Shikamaru hadn't seen him in a few days. The fact that he wasn't on the duty lists told her that he wasn't publicly on a mission and Sasuke had been around town, so odds were good that the clan was not taking the opportunity to force him to deal with issues yet. Itachi always found a way to drag his little brother into any disputes he was forced to deal with.
So where was he?
"He'll show up when he does," Shisui said mildly, a dango stick firmly held in hand. "Stop worrying about it."
Hana cut him a look. "I am not worrying."
Itsuki was blissfully silent, starring up at the tree lines his posture suggesting he was bored. At least he knew when to keep his mouth shut.
"Doesn't it bother either of you that we haven't seen him?"
Itsuki shrugged. "This could be one of his little games you know."
Hana waved her hand. "He hasn't shown us what the trap is yet. You know as well as I do he prefers to show you what you are walking into before pushing you into it."
Shisui swallowed. "She has a point."
Hana stole one of his dango sticks. "However, if there is an actual girl…"
"Then good for him, is what I say," Shisui reached over and poured himself some of Hana's drink in retaliation. "It's not natural to go for so long without. When was the last time he's had a woman, anyway, Hana?"
"It's not like I keep count, you moron! Just because the nose knows doesn't mean it's noteworthy enough for me to remember," Hana took a vicious bite of her dango and was somewhat mollified to see Shisui gulp. Of course, the way his eyes followed her throat and downward as she swallowed didn't exactly speak of intimidation…
"And anyway," she said, pointing the dango stick at Shisui, "the point is that this isn't the way Itachi's ever handled any of his other little adventures. Usually he just needs to show up, say a few cryptic things and flaunt his hair and then its wham, bam, thank-you ma'am. He doesn't disappear for days on end in pursuit—none of those women ever held his interest long enough to keep him missing for days."
"What are you saying?" Shisui slid a ball off her dango stick and popped it into his mouth. Hana's eyes narrowed.
"I'm saying that if there's a girl," out of the corner of her eye she saw Itsuki slump a little in anticipation of her next words, "we need to find out who it is."
Itsuki slumped further. "Here we go again," he muttered.
"Why do we need to know?" Shisui said. "A man's business is his own"
"Shut-up," Hana said. "You know you want to find out who it is just as bad as me. You just think you'll be able to corner him for details later. Maybe that would have worked before, but I'm telling you his pattern on this one is different."
"Why should that matter?" Shisui asked, looking completely unrepentant. "It's Itachi. He could just be trying to throw you off his trail."
Hana jammed the dango stick up against Shisui's jaw. "Itachi. Girl. Chase. That's a combination that has the makings for a lot of trouble and you can't tell me you don't want to be in on it. And he doesn't know we are looking for him or he would have already showed up to taunt us with the information. You know that. Stop acting like Yamanaka."
"The cute girl in the flower shop?"
Before Hana could respond, Itsuki stood. "He's at the sushi shop."
Hana stood and calmly slapped the back of Shisui's head. He reached up to rub it and made a face. "That was uncalled for."
"Then next time dodge it." Hana shot back, stalking off ahead of the boys. There was really only one sushi place that Itachi ever went to. Thankfully it was close so if they hurried they could corner him as he was leaving.
This was exactly when they caught up. He was opening the door, his expression carefully neutral and he nodded at someone who was inside. Hana stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of him. It wasn't that he was being polite; Uchiha Mikoto had made sure that when it suited his fancy Itachi could be very polite, it was the two carefully wrapped lunch bento in his hands that startled her. He could have been picking up lunch for his mother, for Sasuke, for anyone but…
A girl…
"Well, look at that, Hana!" Shisui called loudly. "Just the man we were looking for. And here you thought he'd died."
Itachi, the bastard, didn't even twitch. Hana rolled her eyes. Of course not. It wasn't subtle enough. She prowled forward, noting that Itsuki had automatically fallen into a flanking position. Deny it as he might, the Aburame was just as interested in tormenting their erstwhile teammate. Itachi had no idea what it was like being on a team with himself, and Hana was smug with the knowledge that she had done them all a favor by spearheading this little mission. "Whatcha got there, I-ta-chi?"
Itachi quirked an eyebrow in that way of his which Shisui immediately stepped in to translate, outpacing her and shoving his face down close to the wrapped boxes Itachi carried. "Now, Hana, where are your observational skills? Clearly, what Itachi is carrying here is lunch. And not just one lunch," he continued with a grin, risking at least a broken bone by throwing his arm around Itachi's shoulders, "but two lunches."
Itachi tensed for half a precious, precious second before settling his posture into that dangerous smoothness which Hana recognized oh-so-well. Time to attack from a different front. She crossed her arms, leaned in, and purred, "I heard the most interesting rumor the other day, Itachi-san. Aren't you curious?"
Itachi's eyes met hers in a flat stare.
Shisui removed his arm from around Itachi's shoulders and used the distraction of Itsuki speaking to snatch a box out of Itachi's hands. "Of course he's curious, Hana," Itsuki said. "The first duty of a shinobi is to gather information."
Shisui flipped opened the box and started poking around, "Ooo, how cute! This one's rolled up like a sea shell!"
Itachi's eyes flickered back to Shisui and Hana struck, moving closer to divert his attention, "I heard that you had been taken off of active duty. So of course I looked forward to one of our little reunions."
Itachi's gaze had returned to her as a more immediate threat, and he gave a scornful snort at her words. Hana continued, unfazed. "Imagine my concern when one, two, three days past without any of your special surprises! But then a little bird landed on my shoulder, and can you imagine what it told me?"
Hana waited a beat. She'd laid out the bait as best as she knew how – let's see just how far he was willing to play.
"And what was that?" Itachi's voice was flat and monotonous, not a flicker of interest appearing in his face or form.
A feral grin lit Hana's face. She got a response! She had him now. She stepped closer and poked his arm with each emphasized word. "I heard that you, the great Uchiha Itachi…were chasing a girl."
Folding her arms under her chest again, Hana watched his face closely, waiting for his telling response.
Itachi quirked that brow again, "You were expecting I'd be chasing a boy?"
Shisui made a strangling noise and Itsuki sighed.
Hana was unfazed. She got a response; now all she needed to do was continue. Be aggressive! "So it's true then? You're actually chasing someone? There's a girl alive who's giving you a hard time?"
Itachi's expression remained flat but there was something about the angle of his eyes told Hana that he was sizing the situation up. Nothing about his body changed but there was a feeling in the air like anticipation.
"That's what has you so worked up?" The cool note in his voice was almost scornful.
Shisui, recognizing the situation as clearly as Hana did, looked up with a smile as wide and brilliant as her own. "You've been holding out on us! She must be something if you're taking her sushi… not just any sushi, but pretty sushi!"
Itachi's eyes flickered over to Shisui and he held out his hand for the box. The silent demand held an unspoken threat and Shisui snapped the lid back into place with his smile in place.
"Late for a date?"
"Curious?"
The game shifted suddenly and Hana bit down on a scowl, keeping her smile firmly in place from many years of practice. That single, well placed word put him back on even footing and gave him the chance to reclaim the lead in their little game. He was offering them his trap.
Itsuki recognized it too. He stepped forward and shoved his hands in his pockets, "You never hid an object of your interest from us before, Itachi. Why is this one so special?"
Subtle. Aggressive. Perfect. When he chose to play, Aburame could keep pace with the best. Hana's grin stretched wider.
Itachi's gaze shifted from Itsuki to Hana and back to Shisui. A smug smile curled his lips. "Haruno Sakura interests me. I didn't mean to make you feel neglected in light of that fact."
Stunned silence fell on them. Just like Itachi to sneak in another blow while they were still reeling from the first one – Hana wasn't sure what to respond to first. The fact that there was a girl, the easy way he'd offered up the name, who the girl was, or the fact that Itachi implied that they felt neglected.
Shisui recovered first. "Haruno Sakura? The Hokage's Apprentice? Whoa, Itachi, what are you thinking? There are some girls you don't sniff around for a fling. Like the kind who can put you through a tree."
Hana's eyes widened. What was he trying to do, get Itachi to throw the girl down now?
Itachi responded before she had a chance to interject, and his grin was feral, his voice that smooth cadence which promised violence. "I am well aware who she is, Shisui."
There would be time to process this later. She actually liked Haruno. But this wasn't the time to think of that. Hana grinned and placed her hands on her hips, "So, the little medic caught your attention? How long has this been going on, Itachi?"
Breaking from pattern, Itsuki interjected his own question before getting any noticeable response from Itachi. "You're messing around with your little brother's teammate?"
From the way Itachi's eyes immediately cut to Itsuki and one hand involuntarily clenched, Hana scented blood. Oh, sometimes she loved that creepy bug man. Even better, now she understood the reason why Sasuke had looked so uncomfortable when they asked him about his brother and the careful, deliberate way he had kicked Naruto.
She would have to pay him back for that later.
"Does Sasuke know about this?" Hana knew her smile was stretching off her face. "I hear he and the blond brat are very protective."
The subtle suggestion that he might not be up to dealing with Haruno's protective teammates had Itachi's form loosening into a casual sort of grace that promised retribution but she didn't care.
Shisui snorted. "Forget her teammates!" He lifted a finger and waved it under Itachi's nose. "So this is why you've been sneaking out and going around town? The cute little apprentice! I can't believe it! Did you see what she did to me? She could freeze your balls, man."
The feral smile tilted a little higher at the corners. "That would not be in her best interest."
Hana snorted before she could stop herself. "And what does Sasuke has to say about this?"
Itachi's eyes cut to her and he frosted over, pulling that impassive regal look unique to clan heirs. "This is not his concern. Neither is it yours. This matter is strictly between Sakura and myself." His smile was not at all pleasant as he took the box from Shisui's hands, "And as you have already noted, I am late for my date."
He stepped forward, walking between her and Itsuki with all the calm predisposition of a man who had all the time in the world. He left them stunned and staring at each other as they walked away.
"Well," Shisui said after a moment. "That was more than we'd expected."
Itsuki's eyes met Hana's. "Don't say it," he said.
But Hana was grinning. "Well, it looks like we know who we need to visit next."
Itsuki groaned.
"Haruno Sakura," Hana finished with relish.
X
Sakura picked up a pickle with her chopsticks and frowned down at the scroll in front of her. To her surprise, Itachi had volunteered himself to go and track down lunch. Instead of coming back with the fake food they served in the cafeteria, he had brought back small white take out boxes from the stand down the road that made excellent sushi. There had been the most curious expression on his face but she didn't dare ask.
Anything that gave Uchiha Itachi that faintly smug expression mingled with what might have been sadistic amusement gave her cold chills and she didn't want to be involved. Either by accident or association. So instead she had shoved a box of scrolls at him, thanked him politely for her lunch, shoved some coin at him to cover the expense and settled in for some more heavy reading.
With the occasionally pause to enjoy her lunch and the excellent tea he had procured from somewhere. No way did he find tea of any quality in this tower.
Picking up another piece of food, she considered the complex chart explaining theories behind blood applications to jutsu. It was similar enough to the medical and summoning charts she had been forced to memorize after her chunin exams that she was comfortable with it, but there were some possibilities here she hadn't considered.
"Have you worked with any blood jutsu?"
"Some." Itachi said, looking up. After several hours of little to no conversation, having his intensity suddenly redirected at her was jarring. "Have you found something?"
"Perhaps." Sakura said carefully. She tapped her bottom lip with the end of her chopstick, mulling over the idea. "I haven't worked with a lot of communication jutsu or genjutsu that required blood."
"Hmm. Communication jutsu that require blood are tricky." Itachi said as he laced his fingers together, studying her from behind his ridiculous lashes. "I haven't found much use for them. As for genjutsu, blood simply allows a caster to either boost their lack of skill or narrow their target down to a single individual if they are unable to do so. There are obvious problems with both."
Sakura nodded, mulling over that. Genjutsu was effective because of how quickly they could be used to ensnare an opponent. Blood required either advanced planning or enough chakra to pull a complicated genjutsu in the middle of a fight.
"What are you thinking?"
Sakura motioned at the scroll with her chopsticks. "We use blood jutsu in the hospital in severe cases. It helps us bind the patient to our seals. If they were using this ring as – at the very least – a communication device, would it make sense to bind each individual to their ring via blood? How would they transfer the ring to the newest member?"
"Orochimaru still possesses his ring," there was a bite in his voice as he said the Sannin's name and Sakura had to repress a shiver. "From what I understand, he has yet to be replaced by the Akatsuki."
"Hmm." Sakura mulled over that.
Itachi studied her with intent eyes. "Odds are that Orochimaru had to do a body switch when he deserted. Anything with a willing blood binding is permanent and an unwilling binding is extremely difficult to counter."
Sakura frowned. "Does the sort of jutsu required for a cursed seal and a body switch require blood?"
"Yes." He agreed, eyes gleaming with approval. "Kabuto would have planned for that."
Sakura's eyes narrowed at the mention of the mednin and her fingers tightened around her chopsticks. "Yes, I suppose he would have."
Amusement colored Itachi's eyes for a moment before he reached for another scroll. "If there was a seal involved, we will need to question Jiraiya."
"He would also be able to tell us if Orochimaru swapped bodies after his desertion." Sakura pointed out. "We have to assume that the ring is part of the communication between the Akatsuki. They are too scattered except when stealing a bijuu and if they used the normal means of communication someone would have intercepted the coded information by now."
Itachi was silent. "That is possible. It would be safe to suggest that the rings are one form of communication between them without further investigation."
Sakura nodded. "Yes. If the rings are blood bound and Orochimaru swapped bodies it may be that he is unable to use it for anything other than spite."
Itachi eyes sharpened and the edges of his lip curled into something sharp. "Yes. Of that we can be assured."
Sakura had to bite her tongue to keep from asking the obvious question. There was an expectant look to his expression but her gut told her he wouldn't answer the question even if she asked. His information gathering on Orochimaru was sealed heavily (She knew. She had tried to peek once.) so odds that he was at liberty to tell her anything were low. Best to ask Tsunade when she had the chance.
"Jiraiya is at least three days from the village." Sakura said with a sigh. "It's going to take at least a week for him to return if we send a runner."
Itachi smile widened. "Leave that to me."
She narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
"Curious?"
She laced her fingers together and watched him warily. "It's your turn to report to Tsunade. I talked to her while you were off collecting lunch."
His eyes seemed to gleam at her before he started placing scrolls back into their proper boxes. "Yes. I suppose it is."
She eyed him for another moment before glancing out the window. Their late lunch had been a much needed break but they had been cooped up inside for some time. Well, at least she had. While she could spend all day memorizing medical scrolls, this sort of research was tedious and time consuming. Pursing her lips, she considered the scrolls she had filled with notes and small, quick ideas about possible leads to follow. With Jiraiya coming it would be useless to chase unnecessary areas of information. Once they were pointed in a better direction, they could concentrate their efforts back on the scrolls.
A shame Tsunade had banned her from the hospital. She could have put in some work this afternoon. Reaching over, she helped Itachi carefully roll up scrolls and clean up their workspace.
"I'll check archives later and see if there is anything else we might have missed about blood jutsu." Sakura said she wrapped up the last scroll.
Itachi was silent for a moment before he nodded. "It is unlikely that my family's archives will have information on this subject that the tower does not. However, I will see what I can find."
Sakura hefted a box of scrolls. "That's a good idea. I'm probably going to be digging through a lot of medical scrolls, so if you find anything, I'll be in the archives."
"I shall look for you there."
Sakura nodded and headed for the doors. It was nice for once working with someone who had the inclination towards research but working alone was even better. Digging through old medical scrolls was a comfortable pass time and not having the Uchiha at her shoulder would make things work faster.
Maybe if she was lucky he would get sucked into his clan's library and never come out. Amused at the idea, she hefted the scrolls a little higher against her hip and headed to Tsunade's office. She would let Itachi deal with the report, but it never hurt to let her Sensei know when she was poking her nose into the archives.
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