AN: Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy. Please review!

Revised 7/6/13

Nothing but the Truth

Chapter 2: Pixie Dust

"All the world is made up of faith, trust, and pixie dust."

-J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Uchiha Itachi was sitting across from her in a traditional dining area at the compound they were in. The curiosity that was flitting throughout his red eyes was masked behind his normally stoic façade, but Sakura could see the unanswered questions flying through them. His crimson orbs were staring at her impassively, his mouth set in a soft line, the stress lines that ran from his eyes down his cheeks a little more prominent now than the last time she had seen him in the light almost three years prior. She was sipping the tea that he had served her after carefully testing the brew for poisons. Kisame was sitting grouchily on the other side of the small room, clearly not at all amused by the current turn of events, but he would not question Itachi's decisions.

Once Sakura had made her offer, she had been quickly released from her shackles and brought here by a silent Kisame and Itachi. They hadn't said a word, hadn't affirmed or denied her proposition, and Sakura was getting nervous and anxious with the lingering silence that engulfed the room in a large, angry embrace. It was not a contented silence that she would share with Kakashi, or even a tension filled silence she would share with her shishou when something was wrong. It was simply silence. A pressure-filled silence that had done little to relent since the Uchiha had started staring at her several minutes prior. They had walked into the small room, Itachi had beckoned her to sit, served her tea, and then commenced with staring at her as if reading her soul.

"Let's get the details of this worked out now," he said flatly. The pink haired girl's offer earlier had taken him aback a bit because he had done little to affirm that he would be using her services. "I'll be completely honest with you if you are with me. That's the only way this will work."

The 18 year old jounin from Konoha set her cup down tentatively. That was a shocking promise to say the least. The Uchiha was promising to be honest with her? The biggest questions was, what was his angle? There was no reason for him to want to be honest with her, and she wasn't expecting him to do so. What did he need to be honest about? Her honesty would be necessary. If she wasn't honest, she could destroy him completely, but he could lie to her all he wanted. In fact, he could be lying right now.

Sakura considered her response carefully. If she was going to be dealing with someone as calm and collective as Uchiha Itachi, then she needed to be equally contemplative. Her inner almost laughed out loud. Sakura was about as contemplative when angry as Naruto. However, during battle, when her emotions were held under a taut control, she was almost as stratigicaly inclined as Shikamaru. So, without further hesitation, she said definitively, "Agreed."

"You will heal my eyes, permanently, in exchange for letting Kakashi-san free, unharmed," Itachi said.

"Yes. I will be there when you drop his body in Fire Country, to ensure your honesty," she replied emphatically.

"Alright. You will also give me the information I want on the kyuubi," he stated as impassively as ever, but his voice held that hilt of an edge to it that made it clear he would not be trifled with.

"No," she replied both instantly and instinctively. She froze when she realized that she had completely denied the Uchiha without thinking about it. This particular retort had not been planned or well thought out at all – it had been a primitive reaction. Damn her temper. The Uchiha's eyebrow's raised and Kisame grunted his dissent from the corner, but the shark-nin did nothing to reprimand Itachi for trusting the slip of a kunoichi either. Sakura needed to think of something quickly to diffuse the intense gaze she was receiving form the Uchiha.

She would not give him everything he wanted. If Kakashi was able to go free, unharmed, then he would be able to find them and rescue her at some point, hopefully in the near future. Plus, Naruto needed Kakashi, especially now. Sasuke had deserted them six years ago, and Naruto was still trying desperately to find the younger Uchiha. Sakura had weaned herself off the idea that her former beloved would one day come home. Of course, she still wanted to desperately find and recover the Uchiha, dragging him back to Konoha one way or another, but she knew it would be difficult and time consuming. Sasuke would also fight it the entire time. Sakura could live with this. However, Naruto still needed the constant reassurance of those around him that he was doing the right thing.

Sakura saw her current situation as an opportunity to learn more about why Sasuke had left, and therefore, they may be able to find him easier. Plus, if she was by Itachi, then Sasuke just may find her one day. He was coming for him one way or another, and it would only benefit if Sakura was nearby to transport him back to Konoha when the time came. Naruto, however, could not be left alone without Sasuke, Kakashi, or her. He would go insane with intense rage with the sudden disappearance of his most precious people, and that would only mean bad news for anyone who got in his way. They were a family now, after all.

"This is a one to one deal. I heal your eyes, you let Kakashi go. Giving you information on Naruto would be giving you an extra, don't you think?" Sakura asked tersely after deciding how to respond to the intimidating man sitting before her, watching her with the intensity of a hawk. "Plus there's nothing you could offer me that would make me betray my friend."

Itachi was silently regarding her as he assessed what she said. "As you wish, but then I will be continuing interrogations of you. It's part of my mission."

Sakura nodded slowly, understanding that he had his duties as well, as convoluted and evil they were. "I understand. However, the more chakra I use to kick you out of my mind, the less will go into healing your eyes."

"Hn."

"Also, I will warn you of something," Sakura replied warily. She was truly questioning whether or not to reveal such a secret to the Uchiha, but she had agreed to be honest with him. In addition, this was information he needed if he was planning on breaking down her mental barricade. "If you manage to break my mental block, I will die."

Itachi raised his eyes to the kunoichi, who was looking at him solemnly. She seemed to be masking her fear of him. He knew better, though. Her heart rate was elevated and her body posture told him she was tense and poised to defend herself. He silently looked at her. Could she be telling the truth? They had agreed to be honest, but they were shinobi. They would do what they had to do to accomplish their goals. If he discovered she wasn't honest, he would merely kill her. She knew that, so he quirked an eyebrow at her, wanting and waiting for more information.

"The mental block holds all confidential information that I know about Konoha," she began. "And, seeing as I'm the apprentice to the reigning Hokage, I know a lot. Therefore, the Godaime implanted a mental block in my head three years ago after a particularly bad battle with a certain Akatsuki," she continued cautiously. Itachi realized that she was referring to her battle with Sasori that had effectively ended his life. "We decided that if I was going to be around the Akatsuki more, I needed a defense from this situation exactly. If the mental barricade is broken or if you enter it without my consent, my body instantly releases a toxin that will cause me to go brain dead almost instantly, further protecting the secrets of Konoha."

She finished and took a sip of her tea, almost casually, as if they were discussing the weather or a sports game. Itachi just regarded her wordlessly. The girl had made the ultimate sacrifice as a shinobi by implanting that into her brain. Just as the tattoos of Konoha's ANBU would destroy their body if they were mortally wounded or dead, she was taking on the possibility of being completely destroyed in the face of danger. The girl was a jounin, but such responsibilities were usually kept for ANBU level or higher.

Finally, Kisame broke the silence. "Then why does the copy-nin have one?"

"When we started our search for Sasuke-kun," Sakura turned to glare at the elder Uchiha, as if reminding him of what he did. Like he needed reminding, "Kakashi-sensei asked to have one implanted to protect himself from you. I did it myself."

"Aa," Itachi responded.

"There's one more thing that I need to be honest about before you accept this offer," Sakura practically whispered, once again questioning why she was revealing so much information. Itachi inclined his head. "There is no true cure for what ails your eyes. I will heal the chakra pathways but if you continue to use your Sharingan, they will continue to suffer. When I realized this with Kakashi-sensei, I was able to create a sort of antidote for them. It's an eye drop solution. I'll give you a sample and the recipe once I'm done healing you."

Itachi was silent and just continued to stare at Sakura coldly. She knew he was simply processing what she had said, and formulating an answer in his ingenious, strategic mind. Finally, he said, "You'll go back to your room now. I accept your terms. We will leave at first light to drop Hatake in Fire Country and move to another location."

Sakura stood, as did Kisame. She gathered he would be escorting her back to her room. It was a short walk back to the cell that held Kakashi. He was pretending to sleep, Sakura knew, on his bed. Kisame slammed the metal door behind her and she quickly climbed onto her concrete bed. She got the feeling that the shark-nin did not like her presence, which would not be continuous, but he would not question Itachi outright. Perhaps they would leave that conversation until after she left.

For not the first time, Sakura thought about just how utterly similar Itachi and Sasuke were. Sometimes it just hurt to look at the older Uchiha for how much he and his younger brother looked alike. Shaking her head, she forced back the memories that stirred whenever she thought about her long-lost comrade. He was lost in more ways than just one, and it would take a miracle to bring him back.

What had she gotten herself into? This would end badly for her. She knew that. Once she healed Itachi's eyes, they would most likely dispose of her – probably after attempting to break her mental barrier and discover all the secrets that Konoha had to offer.

"Sakura," Kakashi whispered quietly.

"Yes, sensei?" she responded equally as quietly. She could feel his eye on her back, but she didn't have the courage to turn and face him. This action that she had just undertook, an action without his or anyone else's permission, would make him furious with her. He would feel betrayed, surely. Of course, he would come to look for her. Those who abandon their friends are worse than trash...

It was for the best, though. Naruto needed Kakashi. She had to put her faith in the fact that they'd be coming after her once Kakashi was released, and they would find a way to get her out of here before she finished healing Itachi…before they killed her after she used up her worth. That was her only hope – they release Kakashi, she begins to heal Itachi's eyes trying to bide her time, and they rescue her. It was asking for too much, she knew, but it was the only way she'd make it out of this alive.

"Don't call me sensei, Sakura. You've surpassed me," Kakashi's voice was meaningful, honest, and genuine. It just made Sakura feel all the worse.

"You wanted to ask me something, Kakashi?" she responded sadly.

"How'd things go?" he asked cautiously. Sakura winced at the caring nature of his voice. She sat there for a moment, formulating her answer. All she wanted to do was turn around and tell him everything, but that would not do. She had to be the strong one, this time, not Kakashi. She had to do this – she needed to do this for Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke.

All she could think to say was the truth, in some ways, "Better than expected."

X

Sakura bit back her tears as they ran through the forest silently. They had just exited Fire Country. It was only her, Itachi, and Kisame now.

Earlier that morning, Kisame had arrived and quickly incapacitated the copy-nin before Kakashi could even blink. He had done it right in front of Sakura, and she suspected the vile ninja took pleasure in her pain. They ran silently with Kakashi on Kisame's back to Fire Country. Once a few hundred yards inside the border, Itachi had allowed Sakura to inspect Kakashi. She also confirmed no one was waiting for them to leave to effectively destroy the copy-nin.

Sakura had asked one last favor of Itachi before they left. He allowed her enough chakra to hit the ground hard, causing a loud earth quake. This way, Leaf shinobi would find him quickly. Then, the group left in a hurry. Itachi had commanded that the girl keep up with them, and it wasn't something she was having much trouble with. She ran along quietly between him and Kisame.

Itachi noted the tears in the girl's eyes, threatening to burst. What an emotional kunoichi she is. I suppose it gives her the extra thunder she needs though, when she's throwing her punches. He thought – it was merely a passing notion. He turned his face forward and pushed more chakra into his feet.

"Faster," he commanded.

The little chakra Itachi allowed her was only enough to keep up with the two Akatsuki. She would have never run like this with Sai, Kakashi, and Naruto. However, her extensive training for the upcoming ANBU examinations had given her a lot of stamina. Sighing a little in defeat, she pushed a little more and ran faster to accommodate Itachi's new pace. Her mind wandered to how the Uchiha would be as an ANBU captain. That had been his position the night he left Konoha, after all. Surely, he would be professional and calm, and he would run his regiment with a strict precision. It was a far cry from how Kakashi ran his team, but every one of his missions would be accomplished.

The ANBU exams, she thought suddenly. With all of the recent events taking place, she had almost forgotten about them. For months now, she and Naruto had been working so hard for them because Kakashi had finally conceded that they were ready. She supposed she'd have to take the next one – seeing as the exams were less than a month away, and she would not be out of the Akatsuki's clutched by then. That would be too much to ask. Her brow furrowed in frustration at the wasted work. Well not wasted, she supposed, because it gave her enough to keep up with the famous ex-ANBU captain himself.

They were leading her to the coast of Tea Country. When they arrived at a small village, Itachi slowed to a walk. Sakura and Kisame followed suit. They walked in silence through the small village, attracting worried stares from villagers. Sakura realized that her face was still badly burned from her fight with Deidara. She must look like a monster between two Akatsuki who were no less intimidating.

Itachi, having been lost in his own thoughts about the girl, suddenly noticed that she was able to keep up with them, despite her injuries. He knew she had sprained an ankle, and her burns were still very severe, but she never mentioned it. That was impressive. Her skills were far beyond the levels of a mere jounin, but that was to be expected from the Hokage's apprentice. When they arrived at a dock with a small boat, Sakura had to admit she was surprised.

"Haruno-san," Itachi muttered quietly. Sakura immediately got into the boat. Kisame and Itachi followed, and they were off.

X

Kakashi awoke violently. He jerked up at the presence of chakra around him, and went to grab a kunai from his holster, only to realize it wasn't there. In fact, none of his clothes were there. He was in the hospital, and he was only wearing a traditional hospital gown and his mask. He groaned a little.

"KAKASHI!" Naruto screamed in joy as the boisterous shinobi landed on Kakashi, who grunted in pain as a response. Naruto quickly pulled off of him. "Sorry, Kakashi."

Kakashi was confused. Last he remembered, he was in a jail cell with Sakura when Kisame had come in and attacked –

Sakura.

"Where's Sakura?" Kakashi asked hoarsely.

"We were just about to ask you that, Hatake," the stern voice of the Hokage rang through the air. Her hands were on her hips and her brow was furrowed. If Kakashi wasn't so worried or confused, he would have joked that her apprentice took after her perfectly. That was often a look he received from the young kunoichi when she was about to scold him – like she was the sensei or something.

"I don't know what happened," Kakashi replied warily. He looked at his wrists to realize that his chakra binds had been released. Rubbing his writs ruefully, he contemplated what could possibly have happened. The last thing he remembered was Hoshigaki coming in to retrieve them…and then everything went black. So he had to have been knocked unconscious.

"Maybe this will jog your memory," Tsunade muttered harshly as she thrust a small piece of paper at the copy nin. "We found it in your clothes."

Kakashi looked at the paper. In Sakura's loopy handwriting it simply said, 'Naruto needs you. I'm sorry. Take care. Use your eye drops'

Kakashi sighed deeply as the realization dawned on him. "She must have made a deal with Itachi. I don't know what for, but it must have required them to return me safely."

"We only found you so soon cause of the earth quake," Naruto groaned. "She must have released it so we'd find you fast."

"The question is – why and what did Sakura give the Uchiha in exchange?" Shikamaru said from the corner of the room. Kakashi hadn't even realized that he was there. He sighed once again – it was a knowing sigh. The other three turned their attention to the silver haired man, who still had his mask on, thankfully. Sakura was always looking beneath the underneath, just as Kakashi had told her. That meant that the answers would be underneath the underneath.

'Use your eye drops.'

Sakura knew that Kakashi always remembered that precious vial. He never left on a mission without one because he needed the drops so much. Although he wasn't one to usually grow so dependent on something, the drops that Sakura had concocted helped immensely with the pain of the Sharingan, which was slowly seeping the vision from his borrowed eye. So there was no reason for Sakura remind him to use the drops; therefore, he could only deduce she had put in that line for another reason – a hint at her reasons.

"She'll help him heal his eyes."

X

The group of shinobi arrived on a small island just south of Water Country a few days after their travel began. There had been little to no conversation. It was mostly just Itachi's orders and Kisame's grunts of assent.

Sakura was going insane. As a medic, it was her duty to be social, polite, and kind to her patients. While training for this part of her job, she turned into quite the social butterfly. Going out to bars, to dinner, or just training and talking with her friends were among her favorite things to do back in Konoha. Between visits with her parents, patients, friends, and teammates, Sakura was almost always in contact with another human being. And she thrived on it; in fact, her sanity depended on it.

Uchiha Itachi and his fish friend were a completely different story, though. They were both quiet by nature. Sakura got the distinct impression that Kisame was actually more social than he was letting on, but he didn't seem to appreciate her presence with them. It was clear that he didn't trust her, which he shouldn't if he was a good shinobi, and he was being both quiet and slightly standoffish. However, they were just different from her; comfortable silence was probably what they wished for in their partnership. Plus, she told herself, this was a completely different situation.

But was it really? She needed to start thinking of Itachi as a patient. She needed to gain his trust. That wasn't likely to happen, at least not completely. Soon, she'd be operating on possibly the most sensitive part of his body, especially to him. A good portion of Itachi's success as a ninja could be attributed to his eyes. His genjutsu relied on it almost completely. He was nothing without his eyes, she realized. Alright, that was a bit of stretch. Sakura was fairly certain the Uchiha could kill her quickly and beat her in any fight, blind or not.

The tenser he would be about the situation, the longer it would take for her to fix him. An unwilling patient would do no good.

The group had made their way to a small home on the island. Sakura soon realized, though, that it was heavily guarded with traps and jutsu. She followed Itachi's and Kisame's footsteps carefully as not to trigger them. There was an entire genjutsu erected around the base, most likely to confuse anyone who happened to wander by, as well as several physical traps. They entered the traditional home, which was very large. Several rooms were separated by screens, leading into a maze of rooms that she would never see. Itachi led her down a flight of steps that were connected to the wooden porch to an underground room.

Itachi opened the door to reveal a small room with a futon, a desk, a chair, and a bathroom attached. "You will stay here. There are chakra seals on it, so if you try to break out, it won't work."

"I won't try," Sakura muttered darkly. "Honesty, remember?"

"Hn. We will begin tomorrow. Is there anything you require?" Itachi asked evenly.

"Three scrolls and something to write with," Sakura replied curtly. Her eyes instinctively strayed away from his – an instinct taught to her over the years of dealing with both Itachi and Sasuke on a semi-regular basis.

Itachi seemed to notice this, of course. "You will need to look at them eventually," he commented quietly. Sakura looked up to meet his eyes in a tentative hold. His face was bare, no emotion flitting across his face. The stress lined that ran in diagonal lines from his eyes looked a little deeper than usual, probably from traveling for several days. His mouth was set in a thin line, but not unfriendly. When Sakura finally met his crimson gaze, she saw his eyes flash with amusement ever-soo-slightly, as if the fact that she was afraid of him was funny.

"Either Kisame-san or I will bring your dinner and the materials you require," he finally stated monotonically. Sakura stepped into the room quietly, and he shut the door behind her. A surge of quiet, almost placid chakra from him told her that she was sealed into the room now. It took her a moment to realize that his chakra was different than she would have thought it was. Sakura always thought of him as a dark enemy with a dark aura and even darker chakra. But there was something utterly sad about Itachi's chakra – as if defeated. A small swell of pity for the man holding her captive rushed within her. Sakura couldn't say why such a feeling emerged within her, but it did. Trying to ignore it, she sighed and lay down on the futon. Only then did she allow a few tears to shed her eyes.

The next day, Sakura had a few scrolls in hand as Itachi brought her up to a small room on the main floor. It was a cozy room, a normal, traditional sitting room; however, it was spacious and quaint, and it instantly gave off a homey feel. How ironic, she thought bitterly to herself, that it was inhabited by the Akatsuki. Someone like her would make much better use of such a room – not those S-classed bastards. There were two large cushions that looked very comfortable, a small fireplace between them, and two tables in the room. Itachi sat quietly on one of the cushions, and proceeded to stare at the kunoichi who was unrolling the scrolls silently.

He saw a few diagrams on one and notes on another. The third was blank – presumably, for her notes on his eyes. It was all very neat research, he remarked. She must have remembered a lot from when she healed Hatake's eyes. He mused to himself while watching her methodical, evenly paced work. Although her movements were both sedate but efficient, he could tell she was uncomfortable – her heart rate was elevated and perspiration dripped down her neck and forehead. She shouldn't worry, he mused, and she seemed very proficient – just as he had always heard she was. She didn't seem nearly as impressed though, as she sighed at her work, annoyed.

"This is incomplete," she remarked, more to herself then to him. As she sat on the cushion net to him, she turned to him. Her eyes widened as if just realizing he was there, and he couldn't help but feel amused by her shock and befuddlement. Her work ethic was obviously a strong one, and she seemed to become so engrossed in her work in such a short period that her mind focused solely on her work. This could be a huge asset, or a major weakness if she ever exhibited such rash actions in the field. He looked at her without one emotion on his face, and her eye instantly twitched a little in annoyance.

"What can we do to make it complete, Haruno-san?" he asked calmly, but there was this slight hitch to his voice that Sakura heard. It was as if he was talking to a small child, asking her what she would like as her ice cream order. Her brown twitched once again in annoyance. This was going to be a long few weeks.

"Nothing, I guess. I'd need my original research. You can't get that," she replied intently, ignoring his slightly-verbal jab. "This will have to do. So, shall we begin?" Her voice was tentative and slightly shaky. The young woman was obviously still attempting to hide her fear of him, but seemed to be wavering more and more with each passing moment.

"Proceed," he replied, his red eyes gazing into her jade ones.

"First off, call me by my first name," she said, rather uncertainly.

"Why?" The question came out instantly, before he had time to really thing of her request.

Sakura's brow furrowed and she placed her hands on her hips in a visceral motion that came from years of practice with Naruto and Kakashi. Her first instinct had been, to her horror, to scold him for questioning her. That would have been bad. Quickly, though, she removed them and looked at him thoughtfully for a moment while she formulated a proper response.

It must be an instinctual reaction, Itachi commented to himself, when someone doesn't do something she commands. Interesting.

Sakura thought about hitting the Uchiha for a moment but quickly dispelled the idea seeing as it would quickly get her killed. She responded, "It'll be easier on you and me if we are able to relax around each other…a bit. I mean, I'm already anxious being here in enemy territory, and I can't be nervous while doing this. I can't do my best work being completely…terrified."

Itachi watched her for a moment, a very thoughtful look on her face. She was anything but relaxed. Realizing this, she took a breath in and out and managed to appear more comfortable even though she seemed to only marginally improve. She had stopped shaking and her heart beat managed to regulate itself. Itachi could have been difficult, but he chose to listen to what the kunoichi said. "Okay, Sakura-san."

Sakura gave a faint smile. "Next, I need chakra. At least 30 percent."

With that, Itachi darted his hands out quickly and grabbed her wrists in his calloused hands. Sakura gasped at his reaction. She hadn't even seen his hands move. His hands were larger than she realized. They were soft except for the callouses that were on his fingers. Quietly, he pushed chakra into the bindings on her wrists, allowing a small amount to be allowed into her hands.

"Will that be sufficient?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Heal yourself first," he commanded. This was shocking to her. She shot a look at him.

"What?" she asked quietly.

"I would like to see your abilities in action before I allow you to go probing into my most deadly weapon, Sakura-san," he replied matter-of-factly. Sakura had almost forgotten about her burns. They simply itched now. She had gotten past the pain. "They also look painful. I need your full attention, and you can't give me that if you're in pain."

"Oh, sure…except," she said surprised, holding her hand to her cheek.

"What?" he asked.

"I need you to re-break my cheek," she replied warily. Her eyes met his. She looked as if she wanted to either cry or run. "It's healed too much the past few days. It won't heal properly if it isn't re-broken."

"Aa," he replied. He realized it then. She could easily re-break her own cheek. She was doing it as a trust tactic. Something similar to what she had done when she'd offered their deal in the first place. A one-to-one deal. He was going allow her to be more intimate with him than he had with anyone before. He was going to allow her to investigate his eyes. In return, she trusted him to break her cheek. She was clever…because it was working. He already felt more trusting of the kunoichi before him.

He slowly moved his hands up to her cheek that was still covered in gruesome burns. They had to be painful, but she wasn't showing it; her training as a kunoichi had taught her how to work through the pain with minimal adverse physical effects. He found the fracture quickly, running his long fingers over her cool skin. For a moment, he reveled in how soft she was. Shinobi shouldn't be so soft, he thought for a moment before quickly moving his hand over the small break where the bomb had hit. Sakura shut her eyes as he allowed a jab of chakra into her face. She squeaked in pain as the fracture split. She allowed one tear to escape as she quietly placed her hand to her face.

Green chakra spread into her hands as she healed the fracture. Then, she turned her attention to the burns. She moved her hands across her slender neck and her face. The burns began to fade into a dull pink quickly. She parted her lips and sighed in delight as the pain was soon subsiding within her. Itachi watched her intently as her soft hands ran from the base of her slender neck, down her shoulder, and back up, patching the dead, rotting, burning flesh into something soft, tender, and pink.

When she'd finished healing her burns, she looked at Itachi. He had been staring at her wordlessly the entire time. She flushed a little as he was scrutinizing her work, but it felt glorious to have the burns gone. Never again would she underestimate the pain that they shinobi in the burn ward at the hospital were under. Before, she had known burns were painful, but nothing was as bad as the itching, peelings, stretching, and raw pain that she had felt in conjuncture with this injury. She must look a little more human, now, she mused. Itachi was staring at her still.

The kunoichi, he had to admit, was pretty attractive now that the grotesque burns had been replaced with new skin. When her lips parted and she sighed in relief, Itachi felt a slight tugging in his stomach. It was obvious enough to him that he had felt a small amount of physical attraction to the kunoichi emerge. He sighed inwardly. This would be problematic.

It had been a while since he had female company. Perhaps he would rectify this after their healing session. There were several women in the town just south of here that he was…familiar…with. Yes, he would go after the session. He should not be feeling these urges towards a hostage, much less a leaf kunoichi. Now that she was going to be staying with them for an extended period of time, he would have to make sure he dealt with his physical urges in order to keep their relationship professional. Although he knew it was purely a biological reaction – he was a 23 year old male, after all – he still chastised himself as the girl finished her ministrations on herself.

She was now looking back at him thoughtfully, meeting his gaze in a much more comfortable manner than she had been before. Obviously her improved physical state had helped her regain quite a bit of her confidence.

"Good enough?" she asked curtly. He simply nodded in response. "Lay down then," she said, just as brusquely.

He followed her orders without comment and allowed his lids to become heavy. "Close your eyes and deactivate your Sharingan, please," she said, a little more kindly.

Itachi opened an eye at her, accusingly. She sighed. "Honesty, remember? I won't hurt you." He hesitantly closed his eyes. She murmured quietly, "Relax."

He took a silent breath in and out as he felt her hands on either side of his head, making contact with his temples. "You're going to feel my chakra now," she warned. This did not keep him from startling a bit when her smooth, cool chakra made its way into his head. He had to fight down every urge not to snap his hands up at her and grab her wrists away.

Amazing. It was simply amazing. He felt the dull thud in his eyes ease at the chakra flowing through him. This wasn't even her healing chakra, he realized. This was just chakra that was probing his eyes and head, and it was already soft, welcoming. It felt like home. It felt like a warm bath after a difficult mission; a warm meal after a hard day; a warm embrace from a beloved after a stressful week – it was all these things and so much more. No wonder Konoha treasured her when she could make their shinobi feel this soft from just a simple touch. Her hands lifted quickly and he heard her writing something on a scroll.

"Please activate your Sharingan." He did so. He felt the same probing chakra that seeped into him. If he wasn't careful, he would fall asleep from the warm hum of her chakra in his overly stressed, often aching head. "The next level…and keep them closed."

He almost smirked at her. He kept his eyes closed as her chakra probed his most infamous weapon. Finally she stopped and made more notes while he kept his eyes closed, his body instantly reeling from the sudden lack of warmth. She was dangerous, very, very dangerous. "You can go back to either no Sharingan or your first level, and open your eyes."

He allowed his first level Sharingan to stay in place as he opened his eyes and looked up at her. She was furiously scribbling on the scroll in front of her. Finally she stopped and looked at him. "They're a lot worse than I thought," she bit. "You're foolish."

She said it before she could stop herself. Her eyes widened in realization at what she'd said. She turned and realized the Uchiha was glaring at her with anger at the insult. Before Itachi could react, she sputtered, "I'm sorry!"

No one, absolutely no one, had ever called Uchiha Itachi foolish. She had surprised him. This little kunoichi had managed to surprise him. He glowered at her comment. When her apology came, he relaxed a little. She bit her lip at his look, "Please don't look at me like that." His eyebrow quirked in a question he clearly expected her to answer. She looked nervous. "You look like your brother. Sasuke-kun used to look at me like that."

Itachi thought for a moment, and then decided it was best to ignore that comment. The girl obviously still harbored the wish for his foolish younger brother to return to them. Instead, he asked, "Can you heal them?"

She bit her lip again. He recognized she did this when she was thinking and when she was nervous. "I think so. If I can't get them 100 percent, I can at least get them markedly better than they are now."

He felt himself sigh with relief at her declaration. Although he had heard so many good things about her, he was still aware of the major damage he had done to his eyes. The blurry lines, misshaped people, and constant strain was something that he had adapted to, but the thought of it being better, markedly better, was a welcome one. Plus, he didn't particularly want to kill this kunoichi. He wouldn't care too much, obviously, but she was talented. Such talent would be wasted if he had to kill her.

"That is acceptable."

"We're done for the day. I need to formulate a plan," she responded. "Plus, a lot of my chakra went to help healing myself today. Thanks for that, by the way."

Her voice was sincere, genuine, earnest. She was truly thanking him. He rose, as did she. He lightly touched the chakra bindings on her wrists to restrict the chakra that was allowed to her hands. Her eyes widened at the slight contact, but they soon returned to normal. She gathered her scrolls in her arms. He led her to her room in the basement and allowed her inside to find a way to fix his eyes. He, however, was headed to town.

AN: Please review. For those of you reading this since I revised, I hope you liked the added detail.