DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Naruto"

This chapter is dedicated to Tenshi303 who was my 200th reviewer and to SHINOBY12 who is the 100th person to add Alone to their alert.

Chapter 33: Covert

Kakashi noticed Sakura's nervous gaze. He slowly pulled the orange book away from his face and looked directly at her.

"Sakura."

She glanced up, a forced smile appearing on her face.

"Sensei?"

"What's wrong?" he asked, his visible eye narrowing as he studied her face.

She stiffened and her smile turned into a harsh line. "I'm that obvious? I guess I should work on that."

"Sakura," Kakashi said firmly, pulling her back to his question.

She glanced away from him briefly before sighing. "When are they supposed to show up? I hate waiting."

"You know the rules. We can't all arrive at the same time. It would look too suspicious. They'll get here when they get here."

Sakura's brows tilted and she took a deep breath. "If we can't have proper meetings, how will we accurately relay information and orders?"

Kakashi frowned. The girl was intelligent, but it was quite possible that she was beginning to feel overwhelmed. Sasuke's predicament was undoubtedly taking a toll on her. It seemed that today, she would need a little push to get her gears going. "I know you have a lot on your mind, but please try to keep focused. Our communication will continue the way it has been."

He watched as her brows furrowed and her eyes focused on her hands. She chewed on her lip and he could practically see the cogs in her head working. After a mere two seconds, her eyes lit up and she looked at him. He smiled behind his mask.

"Through codes."

"Exactly." He raised his book up again and quickly found the last line he had read. Before he continued on, he spoke quietly. "Not everyone will be here tonight."

"Because it would look suspicious," Sakura replied slowly.

"You're catching on."

Though he looked absorbed in his favorite literature, Kakashi was observing his surroundings. He'd been to this particular bar a few times, not often enough to be considered a regular, but enough to be comfortable with the atmosphere. It was a large bar, popular among shinobi because of the discounted alcohol for those returning from missions. He never went there to drink. He thought the activity was quite foolish for shinobi to participate in—better to keep sober in case of unexpected attacks. He had been there a few times, but only to be social with the other jonin, which wasn't exactly his favorite way to spend time.

Kakashi was careful to keep track of the people coming and going—he had a perfect view of the door from his table.

It was a Friday, so the dim bar was pretty crowded. There was a band playing on the stage. They were decent. They played some sort of smooth rock—not really his type of music, but he didn't mind it either. A table just to their left was full of drunken girls all laughing shrilly. They had just ordered another round of shots; they would be there a while. A distance away, five young men stood watching the girls with predatory eyes. Lining the bar were four jonin fresh from a mission, obvious by their blood-stained clothing. A couple had just left, passing a man as he entered. Kakashi's lone eye rose from his book and watched as the man sat on the one empty stool at the bar.

"Someone will approach you. Be polite," Kakashi instructed Sakura.

She looked at him. Her jade eyes were full of uncertainty, but they hardened and she nodded curtly. Kakashi watched her carefully, wondering whether she would act accordingly. Of course, if anything went wrong, he'd warn her…but he was confident in the exchange that was about to occur.

He returned to his book and waited. Approximately two minutes later, the man at the bar turned in his seat to look around. His gaze landed on the two of them, Kakashi noted. The man swirled back toward the bar in apparent indecision before downing the drink in front of him. He looked over his shoulder, again in their direction. Kakashi was careful to keep his gaze inside his book to look unsuspecting. The man had a quick word with the bartender before getting to his feet and lazily walking over. He stopped at the edge of the table and directly addressed Kakashi.
"Hey, man, it's not polite to ignore your girl."

"She's not my girl. We're just colleagues," he replied nonchalantly without looking up from his book.

The man stood straighter and smiled. "Oh. Well. In that case…" Turning to look at Sakura, he bowed slightly. "Name's Noriyuki."

She tilted her head in a small bow. "Sakura," she replied.

Kakashi saw her glance over at him, her eyes seeking some form of direction. He smiled, hoping that she would be assured that everything was all right.

I've never seen you here before," Noriyuki said. "You from around these parts?"

"My parents' apartment is in the market district, actually."

Noriyuki looked thoughtful for a moment. "You live with your parents? Say, how old are you?"

"Seventeen," she replied cautiously.

"Not too far off from me," he said. "I'm nineteen."

At this comment, Kakashi looked up to really study the man. He was young, his bright blue eyes revealed that much, but it was unlikely he was under twenty-five. He had quite a number of small scars on his face, most of them on his left side. He didn't know much about Noriyuki, but it was evident that he was in some dangerous line of work.

"So, you're a shinobi?"

Sakura nodded slowly, her eyes narrowed. "A medical ninja."

"Wow, that's really cool!" He leaned closer to Sakura. "Say, I'm gonna be really straightforward. Would you like to go out with me sometime?"

Kakashi looked up from his book to see Sakura's eyes widen. She glanced at him and his eye hardened. She had to pick up his cues or this exchange was going to fail.

Slowly, a blush reddened her cheeks and Kakashi was certain by the look on her face that it wasn't from bashfulness—she was experiencing guilt.

"S-Sure…why not?" she finally said.

He looked back at his book and breathed a small sigh of relief. Good girl.

"Perfect," Noriyuki said quietly. "How's six tomorrow?"

"Fine with me," she replied evenly.

"Great." He slipped a small scrap of paper into Sakura's hand. "These are the directions. I'll see you then."

He leaned in to plant a small kiss on her cheek and she screwed her eyes shut, attempting not to cringe. Before he left, Noriyuki stood up straight and smiled at her—she gave him a strained one in return. After a few moments of silence, Kakashi drummed up the courage to come out of hiding. He could feel the resentment pouring off his former student in waves. He slowly lowered his Icha Icha and met Sakura's narrowed eyes and flaring nostrils.

"One ninety-six," she growled.

"Oh, you picked up on that. Smart girl. Good job." Kakashi smiled awkwardly.

"Kakashi," she warned. "Was all of that really necessary?"

"I know that it was uncomfortable, but those were the conditions of the meeting. I'm proud of you. Despite your loyalty to Sa—"

"Sensei," she cut him short.

He looked at her seriously. "You did well. Now, you just have to continue to follow directions like the rest of us."

She nodded and then opened her hand and smoothed out the piece of paper. She read over it briefly before passing it to Kakashi.

Fujiyama Steak and Sushi

Wear blue. Your table is reserved under Noriyuki.

"One step closer," Kakashi stated.

"Yeah, but what is one ninety-six? An address? A safe deposit box?"

"Be sharp. We'll find out eventually." He shut his book with a soft snap and made to stand. "I have another rendezvous point I have to get to before I can call it a night. See ya later."

Sakura nodded. "Bye, Sensei."

~.~.~

Sakura sat with her legs folded under her just on the other side of the bars. She was close enough that if the bars weren't there, they'd be knee to knee. He liked that. He liked knowing that if he truly wanted to, he could reach out and his fingers would find her. He had never really been the type to purposely seek affection—or give it—but ever since he reunited with Sakura, he found that he wanted it. He longed to latch onto the warmth that radiated from the girl before him, but he couldn't. At the moment, his life was complicated enough. He'd always been very aware of the weakness the girl inflicted on him. He knew of the soft spot she held in his heart.

It was so annoying.

He had always kept her at a distance, if only because he knew she was special and deserved more—better. He remembered, when they were teammates, always keeping an eye on her to make sure she didn't get hurt because she was precious. He had done what was best for her when he left her unconscious on a bench. He was protecting her from the darkness he would walk through. At the time, it had been so hard and had hurt so much. He still remembered that guilt—he felt it every single day.

He also remembered his promise to return, his silent promise to be with her. Though he knew she deserved more, he was greedy and jealous. He wanted her faithfulness to himself. His stomach flipped when he thought of possibly being with Sakura when everything was over. Then, his mind turned in another direction and he suddenly felt sick.

There would be no future with Sakura if he continued with his plan to kill the Elders.

He didn't understand how one girl could so easily disrupt the course of his future. There was no way to have both her affection and justice for his clan. It was impossible. He couldn't kill the Elders and take Sakura with him. Surely she would hate him for betraying Konoha again—for betraying her again. His throat went dry. His vengeance would destroy the beautiful girl currently smiling at him. His blood boiled at the thought of her tears. Just thinking about leaving made guilt rise in him like sour bile.

There was a bitter taste in his mouth. He had given up everything to seek his clan's justice. He had willingly given up his friendship with Sakura to seek some sort of closure. His family had always been more important. The death of his family was the driving force behind his decision to return to Konoha. He had returned with every intention to finish what he had started. The Elders deserved death and nothing less. His fists tightened and his jaw ached from being clenched.

Did Sakura deserve the pain he would serve her?

He looked up and met her jade gaze. The look in her intense eyes made shivers run up his spine. She stared at him as if he were a miracle. His heart began to race. She made him feel like there was a reason to live. She made him remember what it was like to be happy. Just like when he was thirteen, he found himself slowly forgetting the pain of his past. He wondered if he could give her up a second time. Could he let go of her forever? He couldn't imagine life without her…truly without her. No more soft smiles. No more secret gestures. No more letters that ended with 'love always.' He would be truly alone. His lungs constricted and he fought to breathe.

Was his revenge worth living without Sakura?

He knew he wouldn't be able to forget about her, he hadn't been able to before. Things were much different now. His feelings were much different now.

He looked at her carefully. She looked soft—warm. The sky blue dress she had opted to wear today complimented her pink hair nicely.

"You aren't wearing red," he said.

Sakura smiled slightly. "I wanted to try something different."

"Hn."

She glanced away for a second. "I think Tsunade-shishou will be announcing your trial soon."

"How soon?" he asked, happy for the distraction from his secret battle.

"Could be within days."

Sasuke nodded.

He noticed the way Sakura studied him. It wasn't her usual professional detachment as she looked for injuries to heal. It was different. She seemed to be trying to memorize him. She looked like she was committing his appearance to memory as if she was afraid of never seeing him again.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She met his eyes, the slight anxiety disappearing as she smiled brightly. "Nothing."

"Sakura," he said firmly. "We go through this every time. For once, tell me what's bothering you."

"Why do you always assume something's bothering me?" she asked with furrowed brows.

"Because I know you," he said and the pace of his heartbeat picked up as he realized the truth in his words. "I can see it in your eyes."

Sakura sighed. "Second time I've been told that," she murmured.

His eyes narrowed as he waited for her to give him a proper answer. It took her a while to face him again and, when she did, she didn't attempt to hide anything. Her face was drawn with worry. His eyes softened and he tried his hardest to appear welcoming of her explanation.

"I've heard that your punishment is going to be steep."

"What's the point of having a trial if they've already decided on a punishment?"

Sakura shook her head. "Nothing's set in stone yet. Hopefully your trial will change everyone's opinion about you."

"I doubt it," he replied sullenly.

At Sakura's sudden tense posture, he frowned.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I didn't mean—"

"You don't have to sugarcoat anything, Sasuke." She attempted to smile to put him at ease, but it only made him feel worse, especially since he could see the tears gathering in her eyes.

Sakura looked away briefly and took in a slow breath. "I'm scared that…that I won't see you again once the trial begins."

"You said it yourself that Tsunade won't allow me to be executed."

Sakura met his eyes. There was pity in her luminescent eyes and he hated it. He hated when she looked at him like that—it made him feel so undignified.

"Sasuke, execution isn't the only punishment that can take you away from me."

Dread filled him. Was solitary confinement a possible punishment? Was he going to be tortured? There were so many options he hadn't considered.

"I take it nothing you say makes any difference?" he asked.

Sakura shook her head and looked down at her lap. "Tsunade said the Elders won't consider my testimony as accurate evidence because…" she trailed off. It was apparent that she couldn't force the words out.

Sasuke watched her and realized what she was unable to say. Her testimony was considered biased. Sakura was in love with the accused. Hope swelled within him right along with the conflicting regret. He had used her. He had depended on her feelings for him to sway her decision to testify on his behalf. If he hadn't, perhaps her story would have held a little more merit in the eyes of the Council. Maybe he wouldn't be in the situation he was in now. Maybe…he wouldn't have started to feel the same for her.

Perhaps returning had been a mistake.

"I probably shouldn't tell you this, but…I trust you."

An incredible sense of importance filled him at her words. It was truly amazing that, after everything he had done, she still trusted him.

She leaned forward and placed her forehead against the bars. Her sweet breath fanned over his face and he fought the heat burning his cheeks.

"I'm doing everything I can to find out what the Elders are hiding," she whispered. "I'm meeting with an informant tonight. Kakashi said he wants to get together tomorrow to piece together the clues we've found so far."

"Is that why you're dressed like that?"

Sakura's eyes widened. "What?"

"Are you dressed up for your meeting?"

"I was instructed to wear blue…this is the only thing I have," she explained seriously.

Slowly, she reached her fist out toward him. He watched her carefully as he extended his arm and put his hand under hers, expecting her to drop whatever she had into his open palm. She lowered her hand until it rested in his and electricity tingled his skin. She uncurled her fingers, tickling his palm in the process, and released a tiny scrap of paper. She pulled her arm away from him and looked down the hall. He frowned and smoothed the creases out of the worn scrap. He read it and his frown deepened.

"Noriyuki," he said. "It sounds like a date."

Sakura's eyes shot up to look at him sternly. "It's not."

For some strange reason, he was unconvinced. He had no reason to doubt Sakura's honesty; she had placed her trust in him. In fact, he had no reason to doubt her faithfulness to him—even though they weren't together. She had loved him and loyally searched for him, faithfully waited for him. Why—now that he was back—would she even think about going out with another boy?

Well…she had no reason to think he would ever return her feelings.

He scratched that thought. Sakura loved him and would never go out with someone else. He was just being irrational—jealous. He looked at her and searched for the truth he knew was in her eyes. He put aside all of his treacherous thoughts and decided to believe in her.

He nodded. "I like blue."

She smiled. "Thanks," she said meekly as a blush reddened her cheeks, making her look lovely.

He found it interesting that she knew he was trying to complement her. He had never been particularly good at expressing himself or complimenting others. It was never important. Lately, it felt as though he had been exploring all sorts of new territory. It was thrilling, yet terrifying.

What terrified him more was the fact that Sakura was still investigating the Elders. A growing fear that she would be assassinated kept Sasuke awake at night. He didn't know how to tell her to stop her dangerous pursuit. She wouldn't listen to him because she believed that what she was doing would help save him. There was so much she didn't know. There was so much that would shatter her world.

"Sakura."

She looked at him intently and he swallowed thickly.

"You need to be careful."

Her brows tilted. "I am."

His eyes narrowed and he grabbed one of the bars tightly. "You don't understand how dangerous the Council is. They can hurt you."

Her eyes became glassy and a silent tear trickled down her cheek. She placed her hand around his. "If I don't figure this out, they will hurt you."

He looked at her strangely. Perhaps if he just told her the truth, she would know how dangerous her mission was. Knowing the truth would certainly put her life at risk, but purposely seeking it was like asking for trouble. He wanted justice, but he didn't want others to know about the coup d'état that his clan had planned. And, though he wanted to share his burden with someone, he didn't want to destroy Sakura's innocent view of her village. But…her life was in danger. Survival was more important than ignorant bliss.

"Sakura," he started slowly. "There's something you shoul—"

"SASUKE!" yelled an obnoxious voice.

He rolled his eyes. Just what he needed—a visit from the village idiot.

Sakura released his hand slowly and he missed her warmth. They both stood as Naruto came bounding down the hall a second later. His usually chipper face was drawn and weary, his blue eyes darkened by bruises from lack of sleep.

"What do you want, dobe?"

"Just came to hang out. You have a problem with that?"

"You have no idea," he replied.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Naruto turned to Sakura and offered a small smile. "Hey, Sakura-chan."

"Hi, Naruto."

She looked at Sasuke and he knew she was about to leave. His eyes darkened as he tried to mentally communicate that he did not want to be left alone with Naruto.

She smiled. "I have to get going. I'll see you tomorrow, Sasuke."

"See ya," he replied grumpily.

He watched as she walked down the hall for as long as he could. When his eyes returned to Naruto, the blond had a strange look on his face. His eyebrows rose suggestively.

"What?" Sasuke demanded.

"You, uh, checking out Sakura-chan?"

"What?" His voice rose in pitch at his defensive question.

"You were." Naruto chuckled.

Sasuke glared at him. "Why are you here?"

"Well…actually, I'm not sure." He scratched the back of his head. "I just had a feeling."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What're you talking about?"

Naruto looked at him tiredly. "Look, I want to talk to you about something."

His eyebrow rose, hoping Naruto would take it as an indication to continue.

"You remember—of course you remember. Well, when we were tracking your team, I ran into…I ran into your brother."

Sasuke's eyes widened and anger started to surge through his blood. "Go on," he bit out.

Naruto relayed the meeting to him as closely as he could remember. He fidgeted throughout the telling, but he ploughed on despite the awkwardness. Had Sasuke not known the truth about Itachi, he would have been surprised to learn his brother had spoken with Naruto without intending to capture him. But, he wasn't. Itachi never intended to capture Naruto. Everything he had ever done was carefully planned to make him hate Itachi. To hide the truth. To make Sasuke a hero.

That had turned out so well.

Naruto finished his story and Sasuke frowned.

"So…he forced a raven down your throat?"

"Yeah," Naruto said breathlessly. "I haven't been able to figure out why."

Sasuke had a theory, but he wouldn't be able to attempt it with the chakra inhibitor on his ankle. If Itachi had used a genjutsu, then perhaps if Sasuke used his Sharingan, the illusion would activate. He figured if Itachi had rigged his Amaterasu to activate when he saw Madara's Sharingan, his theory was highly plausible. He thought about the possibilities for a moment and decided that, as soon as he got the chance, he would go through with his idea.

"When I get this stupid thing off," he said indicating the inhibitor, "I'm going to figure out what he did to you and why."

"Uh…okay." Naruto looked away for a second before coming to some sort of decision. "Listen, Sasuke…Itachi told me that he transferred his power to me and that he hoped I would never have to use it."

Sasuke stared at him unsure of what that could mean.

"I can't imagine I'd have to use Itachi's power. You're back for good after all." He smiled.

A rock fell into the pit of Sasuke's stomach. Another unknown had entered the equation.

~.~.~

Sakura walked into Fujiyama with a mask of confidence on her face. Inside, she was extremely nervous. She walked straight to the waiter.

"I'm with the Noriyuki party."

The waiter nodded. "Right this way."

She followed him to a booth near the back. Surprisingly, Shikamaru was seated there along with a blonde girl with glasses from the Sign Cryptography Unit. Sakura remembered her name to be Shiho.

"Sakura," Nara greeted.

"Shikamaru, how're you?" she asked politely. "It's been awhile."

"Yeah," he replied. "Take a seat. We've got a lot to discuss."

She slid into the booth and made herself comfortable.

Shikamaru instantly pulled out a photo. It was of the Elder Frog, Fukasaku's back.

"The code reads, 'the real one is not with them.'" Shikamaru frowned. "Perhaps those six Peins were just using genjutsu…and the female Akatsuki member had some kind of special technique. She could've launched the real attacks at Jiraiya-sama while she was hidden."

Sakura looked at him for a moment, confused about what was going on. He watched her too, a strange look on his face. She blinked and focused. She had to go with the situation or the information exchange wouldn't be successful.

"I don't think so," she said after a moment.

"Really? And why not?" asked Shiho. "Aren't you currently on probation?"

Sakura looked at her with hard eyes. "I am," she replied. "But that doesn't mean I haven't been informed of the situation. I was told that Jiraiya-sama was physically stabbed and killed by all six of the Peins at once." She thought for a moment before continuing. "It could have been done with extremely complex genjutsu, but it seems too farfetched. Though…it was also reported that Jiraiya-sama himself killed three of the six with a weapon, but they were resurrected somehow."

"There's nothing too bizarre when it comes to the Akatsuki," Shikamaru said darkly. "This is a group that had two legit immortals in their ranks."

"In any case, we'll have to continue following whatever patterns we can find until new information comes in," Shiho said.

"So troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled just as the waiter appeared.

"Are you ready to order?"

They ordered their meals and a heavy silence fell over them as they waited for the food to arrive. About half-way through their dinners, Shikamaru looked up at Sakura, his face the very description of serious.

"I heard you went to a bar downtown with Kakashi," he said.

"I did," Sakura replied.

"Be careful if you go downtown again, you never know who you might run into."

Sakura eyed him warily. Was this her next destination? She wasn't quite sure.

Shiho spoke up then. "If you go, take a friend. Neji, for example."

"I'll make sure I do. Although…I'm a little offended you think I need a bodyguard."

Shikamru rolled his eyes. "You're such a bother."

"I suppose I am," she said thoughtfully. She pulled out a piece of notebook paper and placed it on the table next to the photo of Fukasaku's back. "What about these numbers?"

Shikamaru leaned forward to take a look. "One ninety-six," he muttered and his eyes widened.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

He sighed. "You're not gonna like it."

"Shikamaru," she said dangerously low. "Tell me what it means."

He shook his head and closed his eyes briefly as he pressed his fingers to his temple. "It's an address…in the Uchiha District."

Silence filled the air as Sakura's mind went into overdrive.

"No," she whispered.

A/N: Hey everyone, I'm back from vaca! I had an amazing one too, but I'm sorry for the wait. I hope you like the new chapter!

Thank you everyone for making this story as big as it is. I can't believe I have 100 alerts and over 80 faves! I'm blown away by the awesomeness. I love it! And thank you to everyone who reviews, it means so much to me.

And as always, thanks to Sakura's Unicorn for being an amazing beta. You help me keep focused, which is something very few people can do. XD

I'll see ya'll when chapter 34 comes around!

Peace!