Eyes On Fire

by im-rite-here

It all started with a purposely failed psyche exam... ItaSaku. Non-massacre.

4. Festival

Chapter 4 – Festival

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Moment of honesty

Someone's got to take the lead tonight

Whose's it going to be?

- Alicia Keys "Unthinkable (I'm Ready)"

---

Sakura finally understood why Tsunade was nicknamed the legendary sucker. Her shishou really did have the most unfortunate luck. Sakura felt a little guilty, but the pinkette could not stop the grin that was plastered on her face. It only grew wider by the second. Luck was not something the two medics shared. Sakura was extremely lucky at the moment.

It was a good day.

It was a really good day.

For the first time since she the Academy days, Sakura could finally enjoy the fall festival. She was not going to be put on rotational guard and security duty or hospital shifts this year, as per bet with Tsunade. Ino was going to be so jealous.

Konoha was famous for many things – its strong economy, its medical force, its diversity – but it was exceptionally well-known for its fall and spring festivals. The coming festival was popular among all the villages. Planning for the festivals started anywhere from two to three months before by a committee solely dedicated to organizing the fest. It was a week of constant celebration. Extra lantern lights illuminated the village during the nighttime. The streets were adorned with game booths and food carts. There were puppet shows for the children and plays for the adults. The children and adults alike wore traditional attire. The festival would end with a highly decorated firework display.

It was a time when Konoha would have surplus of tourists who came to experience the famed festival. It was a great boost for the economy but security always proved to be a hassle – from mediocre to serious threats from mercenaries and enemies. All shinobi of all rankings were assigned at least three days worth of rotational security duty. When Sakura started training under Tsunade, her surveillance duty shifted to hospital duty. It never stopped to amuse her how many stupid injuries would come through the hospital doors during the festival times.

The festival was something Sakura always enjoyed. Her fondest memories of her childhood were when her Okaasan took her to the festivals. The two would roam the colorful streets every night of the festival, aiming to play every game at the booths and taste every food they could get their hands on from the numerous food stands. Her Okaasan would always take her shopping for kimonos or yukatas, depending whether it was the spring or fall festival, a few days before and buy her several of the traditional dresses to wear. She would have a stack of new kimonos that kept piling in her closet. Sakura never really enjoyed wearing them when she was younger. It was when she met Ino that Sakura's tomboyish personality rotated to the more girly side.

It was a tradition that Sakura continued to share with Ino after her Okaasan passed away. It was Ino's idea to continue the kimono shopping custom. The pig was a shopaholic and after being promoted to chunin, she also started dragging along Hinata and Tenten. It had become a ritual for the four friends to pick out kimonos together. Sakura enjoyed the guaranteed girl time she had with the other female rookie nine members, especially since it was harder for all of them to hang out, as they got older and busier.

The four friends were meeting up at a recently opened kimono shop that Ino exclaimed had the 'best new collection of kimonos'. Sakura smiled because she had not seen Tenten since they shared a mission together two months back and Hinata was always busy with clan business or missions with her team. She smiled because she knew her Okaasan would be elated that Sakura continued the kimono shopping ritual. She smiled because she was out of hospital duty during the entire duration of the festival.

Tsunade had bet that Sakura could not find an antidote for the toxin Mikoto was poisoned with in under a day. Sakura smiled and bet she could. Tsunade had snorted claimed that Sakura was delusional. The two shook hands and betted on it. Loser had to take the winner's shift during the festival. The poison was extremely intricate, and Sakura knew that there was no way she would be able to find an antidote for the poison under a day by herself. But Itachi was helping her. She knew that she was technically cheating but Tsunade never stated that Sakura had to find a cure by herself. She could not tell Itachi to stop helping her after the two spent hours researching because she and Tsunade made a bet. That would have been rude. Sakura knew that even though she won the bet, she would somehow be pulled into the hospital in one way or another. She did not who would survive without the other – her or the hospital. She needed the place just as much the place needed her.

Sakura walked down the path to the kimono shop Ino instructed to reach at noon sharp. The pinkette walked up to the instructed store located in the middle of the shopping district and strolled inside. Sakura's eyes wandered around the colorful store. There were kimonos everywhere – on shelves, racks, and mannequins. Ino was a pig, but she definitely had a talent when it came to shopping.

"Forehead, you're late!"

A vein throbbed on Sakura's forehead. "I'm early."

"You're usually earlier, so according to Sakura-time, you're late," Ino teased as she stuck out her tongue at her best friend.

Sakura walked over to Ino and Hinata with an evident scowl, glancing at the blonde's arm full of kimonos. There was no stopping the pig once she started. Sakura smiled and greeted the Hyuga heiress who looked as poised and put together like always. A part of Sakura envied Hinata's elegance but her envy receded when she realized that she could never be as refined as the heiress.

"Tenten's running a little late," Ino explained, "that's fine. I picked out a kimono for you forehead," Ino threw a red garment at Sakura, who haphazardly caught it, and pointed a finger to a door in the corner, "go try it on. I think it'll look fabulous on you."

Sakura's scowl deepened as she started walking towards the dressing rooms. She was not even in the same room as Ino for a minute and already the pig was ordering her around. "I can pick out my own kimono pig."

The pinkette put on the kimono and stepped out the room as Ino rushed over with obi she picked out. Sakura stared into her reflection in the mirror. The carnation pink did compliment her without blending in with her hair. The cerise colored obi flattered the kimono.

"You look beautiful Sakura-chan," Hinata complimented.

Sakura was always beautiful, Hinata concluded. Even when she was going through the awkward stages when she was a genin. But Hinata was also going through the same stage. Sakura was temperamental and neurotic – not to Ino's level, no one was neurotic enough at Ino's level. She was obsessed with Sasuke and let her infatuation control her desire to become a strong kunoichi. But after Sasuke defected to Orochimaru, Sakura blossomed. She became a healer, a stronger kunoichi, and a beautiful person. She was no longer the weak third member of team seven, but could walk alongside with her teammates.

Hinata knew a part of her envied the ivy-eyed beauty. Sakura was a strong fighter, but her character was stronger. She was passionate about healing and her precious people. She loved her friends even more than she loved herself. Sakura never put herself first. The medic was selfless to the point where it was going to kill her one-day. Hinata admitted that seeing Sakura blossom into a lovely kunoichi inspired her to do the same. The Hyuga heiress vowed that she would not fall back. She would thrive alongside with her friends. Sakura helped her in more ways than Sakura knew. Hinata would forever be grateful to the pinkette.

"Yeah forehead, you actually look like a girl."

"Shut up pig!"

Hinata giggled at the two's argument. Ino was joking. Sakura was very much indeed a girl – proof from her many admirers and boys that followed her around. Sakura did look absolutely breathtaking in the kimono. She looked like a princess worth millions.

Ino snorted and crossed her arms. "Just telling the truth forehead. Don't need to be so defensive."

Hinata continued to watch the two best friends' interactions. Ino and Sakura were friends for a longer amount of time than they were with Hinata. They shared more moments and memories together. Hinata never had the opportunity to join the kunoichis when they were younger because she was always busy with the clan. They were all on good terms back then, and Hinata concluded that their relationship was only going to go that far. She was thoroughly surprised when Ino and Sakura pulled her and Tenten into a tight knit circle, claiming that the minority gender had to stick together because boys were imbeciles.

She was forever thankful to the blonde and pinkette for forming a strong bond between the four kunoichi. Hinata loved whenever they hung out. It was a nice break from her serious clan and goofy team. She never had close bonds with the females in her life other than Hanabi but the ones she made with Ino, Sakura, and Tenten, she would be forever appreciative for.

A familiar chakra walked into the kimono shop as Tenten rushed to the three female rookie nine members. "Sorry I'm late guys, I was training with Lee and Neji in the morning and our sparring ran a little longer than anticipated," the brunette weapons mistress exclaimed as she huffed out of breath, "Sakura-chan, you look amazing!"

A smile broke out on Sakura's face as she thanked the brunette. Ino wrapped her arm around Sakura's shoulder and grinned. "She's a doll isn't she?"

Ino laughed at her best friend's scowl. Sakura looked beautiful in the kimono that she picked out. Ino had decided a long time ago if her kunoichi or florist careers did not work out, she would become a kimono designer and Sakura would be her living, breathing mannequin. Her pink hair went well with almost every color.

"So Tenten," Ino beamed with a mischievous smile, "how's Neji?"

The tops weapon mistress's ear turned red as Tenten turned around to examine the kimonos to hide her flush. "He's fine."

Ino grinned at the other two as Sakura rolled her eyes at Ino's teasing. Tenten and Neji were not together, but a fool would have even figured out that the two teammates have been fooling around together for months behind people's back. It was only time when the two would come out with their relationship. "Shika's fine too. I'm sure Naruto's fine, and," Ino narrowed her eyes and pointed at Sakura, "Sakura's alone."

Ino watched Sakura crossed her arms and huff. "I'm not alone. I'm fine."

"Whatever forehead. You're missing out on some great stuff, like date nights and company and sex–"

"Pig!"

The three kunoichi laughed at the blushing Sakura. "Ok I'll stop, you're probably getting it from somewhere. You're in an unnaturally good mood." Ino threw Sakura a look that Sakura ignored. Ino was being annoying. Sakura was not going to cave into her friend's mindless teasing. She was perfectly fine. Being single was no big deal. She was far too busy to date anyways.

Ino turned her attention to Hinata. "Okay, we need to pick something out for you that going to have Naruto drooling. Maybe something orange?" Hinata blushed and opened her mouth to speak but Ino hushed her, "That boy is blind and deaf when it comes to relationship, a lot like Sakura. Hinata, no more blushing and dodging the inevitable. We are going to have that baka crawling to you."

Right on cue, a blonde jinchuriki darted into the little kimono shop with a brooding Uchiha behind him. He scanned the store before spotting his teammate and rushing over to the group of girls.

"Sakura-chan! You have to come with us!"

Sakura turned around and raised an eyebrow at her teammates, who looked slightly nervous, terrorized, and disheveled. "What happened?"

Naruto swallowed as he glanced at the circle of intimidating females and pointed accusingly at the Uchiha. "It's all the teme's fault!"

"It's not my fault dobe," Sasuke responded glaring at Naruto.

"You didn't listen to Mikoto-san!"

"Hn."

"It's not my fault!"

Sakura rubbed her temples at her bickering boys. She was starting to get a headache. They were never going to stop. They could and would argue for hours if someone did not stop them. Sakura opened her mouth to scold her boys for interrupting the girls' hangout/mediate their argument but shrieked as she felt herself being lifted up and thrown over the blonde's shoulder.

"Sorry for interrupting Sakura-chan but we have places to be." With that, the three team seven members disappeared in a poof.

"Hey she didn't pay for the kimono!" a sales associate shouted across the store.

Ino scowled at the spot the teammates disappeared at. The four girls barely got time to see each other and now the two buffoons from team seven show up and snatch Sakura away. Those idiots. Why did Hinata like Naruto? Why does Sasuke have a pole up his ass? A thought popped in Ino's head. Sakura did not get a chance to enjoy the festival last year because she was swarmed at the hospital. The pinkette did not even have time to go kimono shopping with the rest of the girls. Since Sakura was once again not present for their kimono shopping ritual, Ino would just have to pick out a few kimonos for Sakura. A devious grin spread across the Yamanaka's face.

"Oh don't worry, I'm paying for it," Ino responded. Sakura really was her doll. Ino knew that whenever Sakura and her would go shopping, she would just dress the pinkette. The medic hated whenever Ino treated her like a mannequin, which would ruin the pinkette's shopping experience. Guess Sakura would just have to deal with it.

Sakura's head spun as she realized she was being transported somewhere. She was really going to give it to her two idiot teammates. They had no right barging into the shop like that and whisking her away. They had done this to her on many occasions and were not blind to the fact that she absolutely hated when they pulled a stunt like this. She was not a bag of potatoes that they could transport whenever they wanted.

Seeing solid ground only mere seconds later did Sakura realize they reached their destination. She was still on Naruto's shoulder. Moving her leg a little, Sakura accidently hit Naruto's sensitive, tickle spot as he suddenly jerked and dropped Sakura to the ground.

Landing right on her butt, Sakura groaned in pain. "Na-ru-to."

Starting to apologize, Naruto noticed her attire and grinned. "Hey you look really pretty Sakura-chan. What's the occasion? Doesn't our Sakura-chan look pretty teme? Compliment her."

"Naruto!" a foreign voice filled the room, "Be gentle with Sakura-chan."

Sakura scanned her surroundings as she realized she was in Sasuke's home. Her eyes landed on Mikoto scolding Naruto who was rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. The matriarch's attention landed on Sasuke.

"I know I didn't raise an irresponsible son," Mikoto reprimanded.

Sasuke opened his mouth to rebuke but closed it, as his Okaasan would just continue to chide him if he responed. It was a bit irresponsible on his end, Sasuke agreed, but it was equally Naruto's fault too. Naruto was just as irresponsible and careless as he, maybe even more. Definitely more.

After Mikoto was discharged from the hospital, Mikoto urged Sasuke to invite Sakura over for dinner one day to thank the medic for saving her life. Mikoto was extremely fond of Sakura, as Sasuke remembered his Okaasan saying on multiple occasions that she would love to have 'Sakura as a daughter'. It was when he and Naruto went grocery shopping with his Okaasan a few days ago that she said to bring Sakura over for lunch on Wednesday. It was a simple task and he told Naruto to tell Sakura because they lived closer to each other than Sasuke did.

The dobe must have apparently forgot to tell Sakura about lunch, because when the two showed up for lunch on Wednesday without their pink haired teammate, Mikoto had chastised them. She rarely got mad but when she did, she was extremely terrifying. She stated that the two were not going to be fed lunch until they fetched their sweet teammate. The threat of his Okaasan retaining food from them was just as menacing as Sakura threatening to punch them.

Sakura would be mad that the two showed up and transported her from whatever she was doing but she would get over it as soon as she digested his Okaasan's food. He peeked at Sakura from the corner of his eyes. She was on the ground pouting from the drop. He and Naruto would definitely get an earful when they got out of here.

"Oh Sakura-chan I hope you're alright," concern filled Mikoto's voice as she helped the medic up, "You look beautiful. Oh isn't she just charming in the kimono." A 'yup' and 'hn' was heard from the room. "Sakura-chan, you look lovely. Why don't you wear kimonos more often?"

Heat rushed to Sakura's cheeks as straightened the kimono and smiled at the beautiful Uchiha matriarch. "Thank you, Mikoto-san."

"Just Mikoto dear, how many times do I have to remind you? Now lets go the table, Sasuke, Naruto, please go to the kitchen and bring out the food."

Sakura let the Uchiha matriarch guide to the dining room. Mikoto was beautiful. Sakura felt like a rotten tomato or a dead flower next the Uchiha. She walked with grace, she talked with grace, and Sakura could not help but to envy the elegant way that the Uchiha matriarch carried herself with. Sakura felt almost barbaric next to Mikoto.

"I never had a chance to thank you for saving my life," Mikoto started with a sincere smile on her face. She grabbed Sakura's hand and squeezed it. "I am indebt to you forever."

"Oh it was nothing," Sakura start feeling a little embarrassed, "Just doing my duty as a medic."

Sakura was so lovely. Mikoto admired the medic's dedication to healing. Sakura was such a darling. She kept Sasuke and Naruto under control – somehow – and still had time to save lives at the end of the day. Sakura was a sweet girl who did not know how much worth she had. Mikoto knew that Sasuke was overprotective of the pinkette, along with Naruto and Kakashi and even Tsunade. Sasuke was a reserved child, and knowing how important Sakura was to Sasuke, Mikoto knew the momentum of Sakura's significance. She was also Itachi's teammate and even though Itachi would never admit it, Sakura was very important to her elder son.

Mikoto smiled at the thought. When she brought up inviting Sakura for dinner when she was having dinner with her sons a few days ago, both her sons paled. She had then coerced her sons to tell her why they reacted that way. Sasuke choked on his food and looked at Itachi to provide an answer. Itachi provided a smooth answer. He was hiding something. Itachi was one of the best shinobi but he could never lie to his Okaasan. She would see right through it. Realizing that her two goons were not going to tell the truth, she finally relented.

"You saved my life Sakura-chan, it is a big deal. Now tell me something," Mikoto whispered, "Why are Sasuke and Itachi acting weird?" Sakura raised her eyebrows in surprise. "They've been acting strange, especially when I bring up your name."

"My name?"

Mikoto nodded before leaned back and deviously smirked, imitating Ino's cunning grin. "I was originally thinking that you and Sasuke were caught doing something inappropriate by Itachi but Sasuke would rather stab himself in the eye than even think of doing anything like that with you. So I concluded that it must have been you and Itachi, and Sasuke must have caught you two in the act. Sasuke is really protective of you."

Sakura's jaw dropped. Mikoto just accused her of having a fling with Sasuke and Itachi. She did not know what was more thought provoking, Mikoto telling her that she was having an affair with her sons or how gracefully Mikoto said it. "Haha, I don't know what you're talking about Mikoto-san."

"Just Mikoto dear," Mikoto reminded.

Her two boys brought out the food to the table and joined the females. Sakura was grateful for their appearance. She did not want Mikoto to continue her interrogation of which Uchiha brother she was sleeping with. From all of Sasuke's complaining, Mikoto was quite the matchmaker. Sasuke – not Itachi because Itachi was always on missions and the clan elders would be irritated – had been a victim of her constant matchmaking. His mother had set him up on multiple blind dates. It was something she and Naruto would never let Sasuke forget.

The food was absolutely delicious. Sasuke was spoiled with such mouthwatering food prepared for his every meal. Her own Okaasan was a great cook and even better baker. Sakura admitted that her own cooking was not the finest, but she could make Konoha's best tea. There was no arguing that statement. She was a decent baker too. Whenever she and Ino would have a sleepover when they were younger, the two would spend the whole night baking and gossiping.

She listened to Mikoto's stories of when Sasuke was younger and thought grass was green rice and always came home with his mouth stuffed with grass. Sakura and Naruto shared a look, knowing that this was another story that they would never let Sasuke live down with. They talked about training and Sakura mentioned her trainings with team eleven, to the groans of Naruto and Sasuke. Mikoto was the most warm-hearted person Sakura knew. It was rather nice seeing her tease Sasuke and scold Naruto to chew with his mouth closed and compliment her. Sakura did not want to see Mikoto as a patient in the hospital ever again.

Sakura thanked Mikoto for the meal and volunteered to help the Uchiha matriarch clean but was quickly shooed out. "I'm sure you have more important things to take care of, especially since you didn't know that we were having lunch on Wednesday together," Mikoto explained sweetly, as she threw a glare at the two boys. "Sakura-chan, please come back soon. Anytime you want, I'm always here."

Sakura smiled and hugged Mikoto before walking out of room with Sasuke and Naruto. As soon as Mikoto disappeared from sight, Sakura turned so quickly to Sasuke that Sasuke almost activated his Sharingan to keep up with her speed. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the fuming Sakura. Apparently that was the wrong move because she poked him in the chest with her finger rather hard.

"You," Sakura spat, "What did you say to Mikoto?"

"What–"

"Don't look confused Sasuke, she accused me of sleeping with you and/or Itachi."

Naruto almost fell backwards before glaring at the Uchiha. "You touched our Sakura-chan! You bastard!"

"I didn't touch–" Sasuke started to protest before turning to Sakura with an expression mixed with appall, shock, and confusion. "I didn't say anything."

Sakura crossed her arms. "Liar."

"Yeah! Stop lying teme! How dare you do that to Sakura-chan? She's our teammate. She trusts us." Naruto pulled Sakura into his arms and protectively patted her head much to Sakura's annoyance.

Sakura sighed. "You definitely did something. Why would I ever sleep with you or Itachi?" If Sasuke were anybody else, his face would show something similar to hurt and dismay. Sasuke had a strong fan base. He was used to girls throwing themselves at him. Though he would never imagine Sakura doing that, her explicitly stating her dislike towards him in that area definitely bruised his ego.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan would never sleep with you or your psycho brother."

"My Onii is not psycho."

"He failed his psyche test."

Sasuke opened his mouth to rebuke but was close off by a fourth voice. "Who failed their psyche test?"

Team seven turned their heads to face Sasuke's Otousan with crossed arms and a faint look of displeasure.

Naruto sweat dropped. "Uh, um… Shikamaru. He failed his psyche exam," Naruto quickly muttered, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. Sasuke almost rolled his eyes at the pathetic cover up. His Otousan turned his attention to Sasuke, who unconsciously straightened his posture.

"Konnichiwa, Fugaku-san," Sakura greeted with an innocent smile on her face. Sasuke almost rolled his eyes again at Sakura's response. His Otousan's stern expression softened a little bit. Sakura had that affect on people. Her charming smile could even compel an adversary to turn sides. She constantly used her charm to her advantage whenever and wherever. His Otousan was another victim to her devious yet enchanting smile.

His Onii walked into the room behind his Otousan and glanced at the three teammates before stopping at Sakura. Sasuke wanted to cover his pink haired teammate from his Onii's eyes. Yes, she looked rather attractive in the kimono she had on but that did give his Onii the right to run his eyes over Sakura like that.

"Sakura," his Otousan greeted, "Special occasion?"

"Um, no, not really," Sakura sheepishly replied, trying to ignore the dark eyes that were boring into her presence. She tried really hard but her attempts were futile as her eyes made their way to Itachi. His face was unreadable but his eyes were heavy with a foreign look. She quickly looked away, not wanting to get caught by others.

Fugaku, however, did not miss the silent eye exchange the medic and his son swapped. His jaw gently clenched as he noticed Itachi's face soften and fill with quiet warmth as he stared at the pinkette. He silently disapproved of Sakura's knee jerk reaction to Itachi's obvious gaze. Fugaku almost narrowed his eyes at the behavior of the two shinobi and tried not to come to any hast conclusions.

Fugaku nodded as Mikoto walked into the foyer, sensing the presence of the two Uchiha. "Ah Fugaku-kun, Itachi, you just missed lunch with Sasuke's team," Mikoto's soft voice filled the room. She noticed Itachi secretly throwing glances as Sakura as she internally smiled, "And you missed our lovely Sakura-chan wearing such a gorgeous kimono."

Sakura felt heat rise to her cheeks as five pairs of eyes focused on her. "Ah, there's no need to–"

"Come, twirl for us Sakura-chan," Mikoto exclaimed.

Sakura stood there clearly embarrassed and uncomfortable with all the attention on her. She really rather not twirl but the Uchiha matriarch would have none of her stillness as she practically spun Sakura with her own hands. "Doesn't she look just like a doll?" Mikoto gushed. If she had a daughter, she would dress her up everyday. Instead, she got two stoic and grumpy sons.

Sasuke and Naruto shared a knowing look before Sasuke suddenly grabbed Sakura and pulled her as Naruto pushed her out of the room. "Thanks for the food Mikoto-chan!" Naruto thanked before helping Sasuke to get their sweet teammate out of the prying eyes of the Prince of Darkness.

Sakura let her boys pulled her out the Uchiha household and onto the streets like a ragdoll. She was still suffering from chronic discomfort of the situation. After a few more steps she snapped out of her daze before jerking her arm out of Sasuke's grip. Her anger clearly returned as she glared at her teammates.

"What are you doing?"

"We were saving you from teme's psycho older brother! Did you see the way he was looking at you?"

"Don't insult my Onii dobe."

Sakura rolled her eyes at her teammates. They were unbelievable. She ignored the butterflies that flew in her stomach at Naruto's comment and started marching away. She loved them to death but she could take care of herself. She could deal with Sasuke's psycho older brother and she could deal with the embarrassing situation Mikoto put her in. She started marching away, ignoring Naruto's wails of protest and Sasuke's grumps.

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other, ready to blame the other for their Sakura-chan marching away.

---

"I mean, I'm not that helpless genin anymore. I can take care of myself."

Ino raised a blonde eyebrow at her pink haired friend. Sakura had so nicely brought take out dinner for the two as a thank you for buying the kimono for her. Sakura, however, was angrily stabbing the sushi and eating majority of the food. Ino sighed. Sakura was an emotional eater. The girl had a metabolism that would make any girl jealous but it was not healthy the way she was abusing the poor sushi.

Ino tried to listen to her ranting friend, but Sakura's tirade was growing old to her ears. Naruto and Sasuke were overprotective. They had apparently followed her to the hospital after having lunch at the Uchiha household because they feared the Uchiha heir would follow their dear Sakura to the hospital and corrupt her. Sakura threatened them with needles before they finally left but when she left the hospital later in the evening, her two comrades were waiting for her outside to escort her back to her home.

Shikamaru and Choji did the same thing, Ino mused. It was not fun. It was demeaning and irritating. Ever since Choji took in a genin team and she started dating Shikamaru, the two calmed their obvious stalking tendencies. With Sakura's team, however, both Naruto and Sasuke were always in the village, thus were always available to stalk their kunoichi teammate.

Ino grinned when Sakura mentioned the reason behind their current stalker-ish trend. Apparently the Prince of Darkness had looked at Sakura the wrong way. Ino smirked. Of the Uchiha heir had looked at Sakura the wrong way. The pinkette looked absolutely breathtaking in that kimono. She picked the kimono. Sometimes Ino wondered if she made the wrong career choice of being a kunoichi. She had far too much talent to just be a kunoichi. Ino did not blame Naruto and Sasuke following Sakura around like a mother hen. Sakura probably had boys drooling when she walked down the streets. Too bad Sakura could not see that.

"Ugh, boys are so stupid," Sakura grumbled as she popped a sushi roll into a mouth, "I'm telling you pig, they're going to wake up without teeth tomorrow morning."

Ino sighed once more and stood up straight. "So how was Itachi looking at you again?"

The medic started choking. Ino patiently watched her friend struggle. Sakura grew pink in the cheeks. "I don't know! I don't care!" Ino crossed her arms. Sakura's emotions were so obvious but she was too stubborn to acknowledge them. Maybe all she needed was a little push in the right direction. Ideas started popping into Ino's head as she started scheming her next moves.

"Pft… whatever you say forehead. I'm sure you have no feelings whatsoever. Now shoo, I need to close the shop."

Sakura threw one last glare at the blonde before stabbing a sushi roll, plopping it into her mouth angrily, and stomping out of the flower shop. The pig was unbelievable. She came to the shop to release her frustrations of her two overprotective, idiot teammates but he pig barely listened to a word she said. Sakura wondered why Ino was her best friend in the first place.

It was dark outside. Sakura felt unusually physically tired and her agitation was sure to keep her up for a few more hours. She spent her morning in the hospital with a short-lived hang out with the girls before her boys kidnapped her. After having a wonderfully prepared lunch by Mikoto, Sakura spent the rest of her afternoon spiting her following teammates and teaching at the medical school.

Sakura decided that it was definitely all Naruto and Sasuke's fault. If they had told her before about the lunch, she would not in this predicament. She would have scheduled kimono shopping according and would not have to walk around all day in a beautiful yet obstructing kimono all day. If she were wearing her normal attire, she would not have Mikoto putting her in awkward situations and Itachi staring at her awkwardly and random men on the streets gawking at her making her feel awkward and her students acting strangely awkward. The whole situation was awkward.

Many Konoha citizens wore traditional attire everyday, usually normal civilians. More recently, many shinobi were starting to wear customary clothing when they were not on duty. But Sakura felt weird wearing such formal clothing so typically. And she felt uncomfortable with all the stares she got. It made her feel self-conscious with all the attention. Sure, she was walking blob of pink today but their gazes made her feel uneasy. Plus, it was unconventional for her to wear a kimono in the hospital.

Her two goofs were not making her anger any better. They were following her cautiously around like she was about to jump off a cliff. Sure she shared Tsunade infamous temper but she was not that lunatic. She would never jump of a cliff. And they should have been doing something more productive than shadowing her every step. It only fueled her anger. They even had the audacity to come back after she was finished teaching her classes. Sakura took a deep breath and warily smiled.

She would not have it any other way.

She knew she would be more irritated and annoyed if they did not follow her around like jealous ex boyfriends. Sakura would never admit it but she rather liked having two shielding teammates. They drove her to the end her sanity but she loved every one of their protective behaviors. Well, not all of their behaviors. She could live without the constant stalking.

The sun was setting, spreading shades of pink, orange, and yellow in the sky. The pinkette admired the beautiful atmosphere. The view would be magnificent from the hokage mountains. Sakura decided to visit a little hidden garden she stumbled upon by accident a few years ago. It was left of the Shodai's head, almost at the end of the mountain range within Konoha. Due to its location, it was probably one of the easily missed beautiful spots in Konoha.

Sakura had found it by chance. Tsunade had ordered her to collect a specific type of plant that was found on top of the mountains for medical herbs. Although the garden was filled with exotic, vivid flowers in the springtime, the flowers were slowly starting to disappear with the coming colder weather. There was a small patch of empty grass surrounded by trees. A traditional wooden gazebo with an irimoya styled roof sat on the edge of the mountain, providing the best view of Konoha. It was half surrounded by trees, thus shielding it from prying eyes. The hidden little gazebo was probably built during the Shodai's time, judging from its architecture.

The undisclosed garden was another place Sakura would run away to whenever she would want to get away from people. She would bring her medical scrolls and study the materials while glancing at the beautiful view. She even fell asleep a few times in the garden and gazebo. It was a shame, really, that no one knew of this place. It was breathtaking to take in the view it provided of the village. It was always eerie silent compared to the hustle of the streets down below.

Sakura pushed chakra to her feet and began making her way to her secret sanctuary. It had been months since she last set foot in her haven. Sakura grumbled that her efforts of moving were being hindered by the kimono. Stupid kimono. It was not good for anything but aesthetics. She had loved wearing them in her childhood, but she was not the strong, independent woman who made fun of gender stereotypes in the past.

She was too smart and talented to be restrained by a mere article of clothing.

It was her stubbornness taking over her thoughts. How did Hinata do this? Hinata was always in clan meetings and clan events and affairs. Sakura highly doubted that the Hyuga heiress would walk in shinobi sandals and a jounin vest. Sakura gained newfound respect for the Hyuga and every female that were forced to wear such obstructing materials of clothing of a daily basis.

When the pinkette reached the garden, she almost gasped at the almost set sun. She glared at the kimono. Dumb kimono. It took a ridiculous amount of time to reach the garden. The garden looked the same, minus the flowers, as the last time she was at the hideout. Sakura approached the empty gazebo as she stepped onto the wooden pavilion.

Summer had officially ended. The coolness of fall brought chilly nights to Konoha. At least the impractical kimono brought some warmth. Guess there was some purpose to the kimono. Sakura walked to the wooden railings and plopped her elbows down and gazed out at the village. Konoha really did look twice as pretty during the nighttime. The sun disappeared behind some lands and brought dark serene to the village. Little spots of lights adorned throughout the village. Dots of stars decorated the sky and replaced the bright sun. It was calm and tranquil. Any worry and disconcertion seeped out of Sakura and was replaced by a sense of peace. She really should come here more often.

Sakura heard a quiet ruffle and quickly sensed a chakra presence behind her. The small flash of paranoia of attack disappeared as Sakura realized who the chakra presence belonged to. Shinobi really were the most paranoid people on the planet.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura softly asked, her eyes never leaving the picturesque scenery before her.

Sakura felt them approach behind her and settle to her left. A deep, seductive octave reached her ears. "I could ask you the same."

Sakura felt herself smiling at the response. Of course he would not answer her question. "This is my secret hideout. I found it a few years ago." She wanted to childishly tell him to leave since she found the garden first but held her tongue. Sakura did not want to ruin the calm atmosphere with her sarcastic tongue.

"I found it when I was a genin." Sakura almost rolled her eyes. Of course he did. He was Uchiha Itachi after all. He knew everything. Guess he won the 'who found this place first' battle.

She turned to face her tall, dark, mysterious Taichou. He was leaning against one of the pillars a few steps away from her. His dark eyes were taking in her appearance and boring the thousandth hole into her soul. His face was expressionless but held a rare sense of calm. He looked rather nice when he did not seem like he was carrying a million pounds on his shoulders. He almost looked normal, like an ordinary shinobi.

Sakura turned her face back to the village, her mood turning somber. There was no such thing as an ordinary shinobi. Once an individual chose to follow a path of a shinobi, all normality was thrown out the window. It was not normal to learn strategies to kill another being at a young age. It was not normal for the word protect to mean kill. It was not normal to have a job that required surveillance and assassination. It was not normal to have an average life expectancy of twenty-five. The shinobi lifestyle was not normal.

There were many times when Sakura thought she would make a fine baker or a civilian doctor. She did not need to follow the shinobi path. Her Okaasan disapproved of her decision to enroll in the ninja Academy when she was younger, but relented knowing that Sakura was headstrong and stubborn and would not change her mind.

Sakura could feel Itachi's poking question at her sudden mood change. She took a deep breath, her eyes continuing to gaze at the village. "Sometimes I wonder why we chose to become a shinobi. We walk down a cold and dark road."

Even with the space between them, Sakura could feel Itachi tense. "You're a medic."

Sakura chuckled. Her snicker a little too clear and weightless compared to her dark thoughts. "A medic-nin," Sakura corrected, "They say the best shinobi are medics. Who knows how to kill a person better than the anatomical experts sworn to healing the body?"

Itachi's frown filled her senses. She could feel his disapproval. Itachi stared at the pink haired medic and wondered when her unperturbed emotions turned solemn and gloomy. He observed the profile view of her face as her soft hair gently moved with the wind.

He had escorted his Otousan to Konoha's general congress meeting. The congress consisted of clan and district representatives. Since he was the Uchiha heir, his Otousan wanted him to gain more experience of the responsibilities of the head of the clan. Itachi distasted clan meetings, and was not looking forward to attending congress meetings as well. But he had no choice. He was clan heir and all these duties fell on his lap the day he was born. They spent the morning and early afternoon surrounded by other representatives. He noticed that the hokage struggled to hide his contempt for the meeting too.

When the two Uchiha reached home after the meeting, they ran into team seven. Itachi was never a fan of surprise but seeing Sakura in a kimono was a rather good surprise. He knew his feelings for the medic were turning into something more than just comrades, so he repressed those affections and pushed them into a dark corner of his being. But seeing her in that state made his stomach pool in an unknown warm feeling. She was wearing a gentle pink kimono that complimented her features. He had seen her wearing kimonos on multiple occasions but none of the previous times had derived such a feeling from him.

She had locked her eyes with his for a moment and he felt some gravitational pull to retain that eye contact. He must have been staring at Sakura for a while because Sasuke took notice and quite literally pulled her out of their home.

He had trained for the rest of the day, trying to get that picture of Sakura out of his head. He did not know why her image was fixated in his mind. Sakura looked beautiful in the kimono. There was no questioning that. He wondered why she would be wearing such attire and tried to come up with reasons why wearing a kimono was an impediment for a kunoichi but he always came to the conclusion that he rather liked seeing Sakura wearing such traditional attire.

Itachi pushed those thoughts away as he continued to observe Sakura. He had thought that he would go to his favorite quiet spot atop the hokage mountain, but found the very person that was haunting his mind there. He did not know what to expect from Sakura being there, but he definitely did not expect her doleful, realistic comments.

Her face was serene and clear, but her mind was filled with trouble. It was strange seeing the pinkette so forlorn. Her usual cheery character was replaced by a deep cynicism. Her witty comebacks fell prey to cold truths.

"We kill other human beings because it's our mission. We are our enemies' enemy. They just wear a different symbol on their forehead protector. We're essentially the same people fighting for the same cause, we're just on opposite sides. What really makes us any different or better than them?"

He crossed his arms and closed his arms. He snorted at the thought of Tsunade wanting to assign her as a hunter-nin. Sakura was not speaking out as a kunoichi or a medic, but an individual. Her words were true. Itachi never dwelled too much on what he did for a living because it did not sit well in his stomach. He could never swallow the fact that he diligently took another life because he was assigned too, because they would do the same to him if they got the chance. They were all the same except for the symbol on their forehead protector.

Itachi really did not know to answer her question without bluntly stating the cold, hard truth. It was selfish of him, but he did not want to burst her bubble of innocence. She was a kunoichi and been on many missions. She has killed many times without blinking an eye. She was equally guilty of the same crimes he committed. But there was still a part of her that was untarnished by the unsympathetic lifestyle she lived. Maybe it was the medic side of her, Itachi mused. Her natural instincts were to save a life, not take it. But there was something more than tangible skills within the pinkette that remained unblemished and innocent. Maybe that was why his foolish brother and his equally silly teammate were always protecting Sakura.

"We're not normal," Sakura continued with a soft chuckled as she looked at Itachi. Her big expressive eyes falling to Itachi's neck as she followed the scar until it disappeared inside his shirt. Her eyes darkened.

---

This was her third mission with team eleven.

The adrenaline rush of being part of such a highly decorated team still had not worn off. The eighteen-year-old kunoichi remembered the first mission she assisted with the team. She was so adrenalized that she got a total of four hours of sleep throughout the five day long mission – although she did completely crashed when she stepped into her home at the completion of the mission.

She would have thought that the nervousness and anxiousness would lessen the third time around. But Sakura was just as skittish as the first mission. Sakura sent a silent thanks to kami for her chakra control. She would have completely exhausted all of her chakra by the long and arduous speed her Taichou was making the team travel at. Of course Shisui and Genma were used to Itachi's high expectations during and out of missions – if the team trainings a few days ago were not proof enough. No wonder Sasuke called him the Prince of Darkness.

The pinkette stared at the figure jumping ahead of her. Itachi moved so gracefully it almost hurt to observe him move so swiftly through the leafless, snow covered trees. She must look like a raging lunatic stomping on the branches compared to him. He should be called the Prince of Perfection instead.

Sakura unconsciously snuggled into her mask. They were leaving Yukigakure – which was an extensive and difficult journey. Sakura never noticed how warm the mask was before. It was better than having gushing winds and snow hit your face. She had wrapped her red scarf extra tightly around her neck, hoping that it would provide more protection from the coldness. Sakura had specifically bought new gloves for the mission when she found out she would be joining team eleven on a mission in Yukigakure. Her glove collection was just as impressive as Tenten's weapon collection. Tsunade had drilled hands were a medic's most prized weapon and should be kept in the best condition.

She wished she wore her warmer long sleeved shirt under the standard ANBU vest though. The weather in Yukigakure was really unforgivable. The winds did not think twice before slapping the traveling shinobi and the snow continued to fall from the sky. It was quite rare to have missions this far out from Konoha. Not many people of the area requested Konoha shinobi and missions were not assigned because of the drastic differences in weather. Sakura promised to never complain about Suna's heat ever again after experiencing Yukigakure's frost.

Naruto and Sasuke were completely furious that their sweet Sakura was taking part in another dangerous ANBU mission. They, or really Naruto, had gone on a rant to why she should not be partaking on ANBU missions. After knocking some sense into Naruto and glaring at Sasuke, she ended their complaining. Some support would have been nice.

Sakura knew that a part of their discomfort was jealousy. She could not describe how envious she had been of the two when they were younger. No longer was she the weak genin that needed to be protected. She was the first member of team seven to be assigned and requested for ANBU missions. It was a sense of pride – the weakest link was now the strongest one, at least physically. She knew that Naruto and Sasuke were probably better fighters and could beat her if they unleashed their full strength.

A part of her wished she was back home with her boys, snuggled on a couch and watching tacky movies or playing card games where the only rule was not to get caught cheating. But she was in Yukigakure, stuck in blizzard. It was summer in Yukigakure apparently. Winters in Konoha were milder than summers in Yukigakure. She longed for the lush environment of Konoha. Sakura blinked her thoughts away as she noticed Itachi halting. The team came to a stop.

Sakura opened her mouth to ask why they were stopping but closed it as soon as she felt the large sum of chakra heading in their direction. It must be a group of twelve to sixteen jounin or higher-level shinobi. They could run the other way. It would make them look guilty and the other group of shinobi would most likely catch up and the two factions would be forced a confrontation that would potentially result in a battle. They could hide, but there nowhere the team could hide in the wintry desert. Their most sensible option was a direct confrontation. Itachi was good with negotiations.

Sakura laughed out loud at the thought.

Itachi did not negotiate. He commanded and people listened. He intimidated people to do whatever his heart desired. She felt three gazes turn to her, as she immediately realized her inappropriate outburst and pretended not to exist at the moment. Great, she was embarrassing herself. It was quite a feat, Sakura reasoned. There were not many ways one could embarrass oneself in the middle of a blizzard. Sakura was one who could. She added that to her lists of many accomplishments.

The pinkette immediately dropped her dry thoughts as she felt the large chakra group jump in front of her team. Itachi's team, Sakura corrected. He was the boss. She was a temporary medic. Fourteen shinobis stood across from the four Konoha ANBU. Fourteen very fearsome and threatening shinobi. Sakura gulped and hoped that they would not have to fight. The previous two missions were completed successfully and did not result in a battle.

The fourteen shinobi were wearing light gray, almost white, uniforms compared to their dark uniforms. Their faces were covered with masks similar to Kakashi's but their eyes remained unprotected from the weather. They wore Yukigakure forehead protectors proudly on their foreheads. They each stood like mere clones of each other, their posture straight and menacing. It was hard to tell who was the leader of the group or if they even had any. Unlike team eleven, they did not wear heavy cloaks. They were used to this weather. It was their playground that team eleven was frolicking on.

Team eleven was at a serious disadvantage. They were not used to the chilly weather, thus automatically making them the weaker opponent. The four had been traveling for almost four hours, which only softened their stamina. Sakura had been sending small amounts of chakra throughout her body to keep her warm from the cold but it still did not help her freezing body. Her chakra was not at its fullest. Plus, they were on foreign lands in the middle of a dead forest. There were not many places the team could hide out at.

Sakura clenched her fist, trying to bring friction back into her hands. They were her best weapon. She hoped they would not battle, but from the looks of the Yukigakure shinobi, she doubt they were going to let team eleven leave the sight unscathed. It was a pity really. Their mission was a simple surveillance assignment. They had finished gathering intel last night and were traveling back to the port, which was their exit strategy from the Land of Snow. Sakura estimated that they only had a few more hours of traveling to do before they would reach that port.

"Why are Konoha shinobi here in Land of Snow?" a Yukigakure shinobi asked. His voice was deep and controlled.

Itachi responded in his deep and controlled voice that always sent shivers down Sakura's back. "We are merely traveling back to port. We do not wish for a confrontation."

The Yukigakure that broke the silence looked at one of his comrades and exchanged a look. "There is no reason for Konoha ANBU to be here, unless there was a mission."

Sakura blinked any exhaustion and chills out of her system. There was going to be a confrontation. There was no way the Yukigakure shinobi were letting team eleven leave without a fight. Itachi did not have time to respond to the accusation before the fourteen shinobi struck.

The pinkette did not have enough time to blink before two shinobi popped into her periphery vision. Kunais with explosive tags were thrown her way as Sakura expertly dodged. Loud explosions from the thrown kunai temporarily deafen Sakura. Of course she would be stuck with the ostentatious shinobi.

A punch caught Sakura off guard as she felt herself flying back before landing soundly on her feet. Her mask cracked as it fell off her face and onto the snow while the hood of her cloak fell back, revealing her pink tresses secured in a side braid. The loon broke her jaw. She immediately healed her broken jaw before observing the now three shinobi surrounding her. The coldness was hampering with her ability to fight properly. She was not going to be caught with her defenses down again.

"A kunoichi," one the opponents snickered.

"With pink hair," another added.

Sakura scrunched her eyebrows together. If only she got a kunai for everytime she heard that, she would have more kunais than Tenten. They were underestimating her because she was a female with pink hair. It frustrated Sakura more than she cared to admit when she was younger, but as she grew older, she used her 'delicate and frail' features to her advantage. Sakura smirked condescendingly.

"Too bad you won't leave alive," the first shinobi said, a grin obvious under the mask.

Sakura pumped chakra to her feet and dashed towards the grinning shinobi. She extended her leg as the shinobi jumped from her failed kick. Quickly spinning around, Sakura threw a closed fist at him, which he caught flawlessly. Her smirked widened as her other fist collided with the shinobi's face. The pinkette heard cracking before her opponent flew a good distance away. His skull was severely fractured and beyond repair. His vertebrae was most likely crushed as well, Sakura mused. He would feel immense amounts of pain for several minutes before his eventual death. She did not even use chakra.

His comrades were observing, most likely. Sakura had to be more careful from now on as she did not have the element of surprise anymore – she was no longer the delicate pink haired kunoichi but an actual opponent. They probably collected that she was a medic nin with super strength. A nin jumped in front of her as Sakura ducked his coming punch. The other nin joined him. They were close distance fighters like her.

Sakura played defensive as she never got the chance to play on the offensive due to her opponents' constant attacking. After a while of ducking and dodging, Sakura concluded that she really had no choice but to start using her medic chakra against them. She did not like using the chakra she used to heal to kill but she was forced into a corner.

She would have to be careful of how much chakra she used. If she used up too much she would not have enough to heal the others after and make her way to the port. Sakura quickly glanced around to discern the statuses of her teammates' battles. Shisui had taken out four shinobi easily with his Mangekyo Sharingan and was fighting his own Yukigakure shinobi. Genma was engaged with another two shinobi and Itachi was out of her sight but close by, as Sakura felt his strong chakra.

Chakra scalpels adorned Sakura's hands. This battle was going end. She lurched forward and began her attacks. Her barrage of kicks and punches did little damage to the shinobi. Sakura concluded that their uniforms were covered with chakra – almost acting like a shield. It was smart to have a layer of chakra covering their forms. It protected them from the weather and acted as a shield when they engaged in a battle. They must have large sums of chakra.

One of the shinobi pulled a ninjato that was strapped on his back. Sakura did not have much experience using ninjato but she was an expert at avoiding them. She expertly flipped and ducked like Tsunade taught her. A sharp blow to her left side brought barraging pain. The sharp weapon struck her. The shinobi's soft chuckles reached Sakura's ear as she felt a new wave of determination. Sakura pushed the pain in a dark corner of her mind and propelled towards the shinobi. She was going to end this before it continued. She pushed forward, her scalpels blazing sharper than before.

After a quick dance of dodging their attacks, Sakura strategically landed a punch on one of the shinobi. They flew backwards as Sakura spun around just as fast and dug her scalpel into the second shinobi's neck. His eyes widened as he choked blood as he fell onto the snow covered ground. Sakura barely had time to register the explosive tag in his hand before she flew backwards by the detonation. She covered her face with her arms that retained little damage thanks to the metal forearm coverings.

Sakura fell hard onto the snow. She felt herself sink down as the coldness surrounded her. Snow was a beautiful lie. It looked pretty until you touched it. The warmth of her blood that was dripping down her forehead did little to comfort her in the coldness. She was never going on another ANBU mission ever.

A sharp object came crashing down on Sakura's form as she haphazardly rolled over, barely avoiding the blow. Sakura jumped to her feet, a little disorientated, but in her moment of disarray she felt being grabbed and quickly spun around. She saw a katana speeding towards her. Knowing she did now have enough time to dodge the assault, Sakura pooled chakra to the intended destination the sharp object would contact her. But it never came.

A flash of black jumped in front of her as she felt herself being pushed back. Sakura steadied herself as she saw her assaulter trapped in her Taichou's Tsukuyomi. She almost felt sorry for the Yukigakure nin. She never experienced the terrifying genjutsu and was not planning to ever be trapped in it. The opponent fell face first onto the snow a few seconds later. Sakura silently sighed in relief. She felt Genma jump to her side and Shisui a few moments after. It seemed like the Konoha shinobi came out on top. She never predicted that Yukigakure nin would make such formidable opponents. No one really predicted that. Yukigakure was a village that was physically isolated from the rest of the hidden villages and did not engage in the conflicts that rose within the other villages. That was why team eleven was assigned this surveillance mission to gather intel on secluded village.

Sakura opened her mouth to thank Itachi for helping her invade the attack but no words came out of her mouth as she saw the deep gash running from the middle of his neck to below his pectoral. He fell forward as Sakura swiftly caught him.

Panic began to run through the pinkette. "I need to heal him," Sakura instructed as she started pouring her chakra into the nasty wound.

"We can't stay out here," Shisui's voice stated, "We need to find shelter."

Sakura barely listened to Shisui and Genma's conversation. Guilt pooled into stomach. Itachi was bleeding profusely because she had been careless and caught off guard by the opposing nin. He was paying for her mistake and it did settle well for her. It seemed that Yukigakure nin infused their weapons with their chakra. It did twice the damage a normal weapon would. The gash would take at least an hour to two to heal.

It had been by mere luck that the team had spotted a cave twenty miles from their standpoint. Sakura and Genma carried their unconscious Taichou as Shisui led the way. The cave was relatively small but provided the much need shelter. After setting Itachi down, Sakura immediately started working on the gash. She ignored the concerned looks Genma and Shisui threw at her and waved them off when they told her to heal her injuries before throwing her chakra into Itachi.

It was her fault that Itachi was injured. Maybe she should have listened to Naruto and Sasuke and not accepted team eleven's ANBU invitation. Maybe she was not qualified enough to be an ANBU. Maybe she did not have what it took to be part of the elite group. Today was proof enough. She did not like the useless feeling that was consuming her. She promised to herself that she was going to get stronger so no one would have to risk his or her lives protecting her. She would get stronger so she could take care of herself. Today proved that she was still was depending on others to take care of her. She despised it.

Sakura lost track of time. It must have been at least an hour and half. The gash was almost healed. All Sakura had to do was close the skin. She stared at the forming scar it would leave. The scar would forever remind Sakura and Itachi of her impotence on the mission. It was her mistake that Itachi would be carrying for the rest of his life. What a great medic was she?

Itachi stirred a little before he revealed his dark eyes. Sakura avoided his scrutiny. She did not want to see the look he was giving her. She could already feel it. "I healed the gash, there's going to be a scar though," Sakura mumbled, barely loud enough for him to hear.

The Uchiha heir sat up, and Sakura did not have it in her to tell him to lie back down. "You were careless out there."

Sakura's downcast eyes did little to reveal her agony. Of course he was mad. Why would he not be mad? The irritation was clearly laced in his voice. "Do not accept ANBU missions you are not capable of handling."

Sakura bit her tongue trying hard to keep the tears at bay. Itachi watched the pinkette turn her head already noticing her glossy eyes. He felt a pang of guilt of the harshness of his voice. He hated being merciless and rough, but it was a lesson Sakura needed to quickly learn if she wanted to continue accepting ANBU missions. He clenched his fist on his side as she stood up and walked to the other side of the cave. She reminded him so much of Sasuke when he was younger – wide eyed and innocent. A person like her did not belong in ANBU. He watched her quietly ask Genma if he had any injuries and ignored his protest as she began healing him. She was a healer. She should be saving lives at the hospital.

They needed to get going. Shisui walked over to Itachi and interrupted him, knowing exactly what the Uchiha heir was thinking. "She needs rest. She spent the last two hours healing your injury," Shisui softly stated.

His cousin sat down next to him as the two Uchiha watched the flames of the fire Shisui set up. "That was harsh."

It was harsh. He was harsh. There was no doubting it. Itachi rarely used that tone, but he exercised the perfectly stringent today on their pink haired teammate. "She was careless."

"Sakura can take care of herself and heal herself if she can't. It was you who was careless."

Shisui was one of the most observant individuals he knew. Of course his cousin would not miss Itachi's anti-heroic act. Itachi was a hypocrite. He knew Sakura was fully capable of taking care of herself and if she did get injured, she could easily heal her wounds. He would not have allowed her to assist on the mission if he thought she was inept. Itachi had jumped in front of her because of his own selfish reasons. He did not want to see her get injured. It was stupid of him but he wished she would have chosen a less violet career. He did not want her in harm's way so he protected her. He knew it was disrespectful and insulting to her as a kunoichi. Itachi had no doubt that she was a talented kunoichi but he still felt the need to shield her. He treated her like a porcelain doll and blamed her for it.

He flickered his eyes over to Sakura, who was done healing Genma and leaning against the cave wall most likely asleep. Itachi should have thanked the pinkette for healing him. He ran his eyes over her figure. There were dry bloodstains on the side of her head and small bruises on her right jaw. Her light pink hair was loosened but still held together in a messy side braid. The bags under her eyes revealed her fatigue. Her light skin did not glow like normal, but looked ashen and pale. There were more bloodstains on her side. The medic most likely did not heal herself. Itachi knew he was the culpable one behind her injurious form – she had spent hours healing his wounds and not hers. The girl did not belong in the cold, hard life of an ANBU nin.

Sakura woke up a few hours later with another cloak wrapped around her.

---

Itachi clearly saw the rather painful memories run through her eyes. Her face slightly paled. He knew the mission was not particularly a joyous memory for both parties. Things between them after that mission had been a little awkward. Sakura smiled and acted like her normal sparkling self but he knew better than to trust her untroubled smiles. He would catch her often staring at the scar he received from the mission. Her expression was always filled with forlorn and regret when her gaze would bore into the scar.

He watched her eyes follow the scar as she continued observing upward until her ivy eyes rested at his chin before making a stop at his lips and ultimately making its way to his dark eyes. She searched his eyes for something. Itachi would normally look away at the intrusion but he continued to stare into her eyes as she foraged through his.

Sakura's eyes were ivy green. They turned dark forest green when she was deep in thought or angry. They lighted to a bright spring green when she was excited. Her eyes were her best feature but her worst downfall. They expressed everything and anything she was feeling. One look into her eyes and Itachi knew exactly where she stood. Her eyes were an open book that anyone could read. That was why he always came to the conclusion that Sakura had made a mistake when she chose to be a kunoichi. He did not want the purity in those eyes to be corrupted.

Sakura suddenly shifted her eyes and looked back at the village. Her facial expression had somewhat lost its melancholy and gained its sereneness. "This spot really has the most beautiful view of the village."

Itachi eyes never left Sakura's form. Beautiful it was.

Very beautiful indeed.

---

Over a week went by since Sakura last saw Itachi. Ten days actually. She was not counting or anything. She was in hospital seeing patients and saving saves like usual and he was probably doing what he normally did. He was most likely training or busy with clan business since team eleven was not listed for any outgoing missions. She knew they were scheduled security posts starting tomorrow night.

She ran into Shisui, who had been harboring a lollipop in his mouth as usual after every time he was treated at the hospital, earlier and he took the opportunity to guilt Sakura into coming to the first ever team eleven festival outing tonight. He had pouted and pleaded with eyes that Sakura could not resist. She narrowed her eyes at his retreating figure. He and Naruto probably exchanged notes on how to pout their way out and in of any situation.

Today was the second day of the festival. She had been stuck in the hospital treating foolish wounds and inflictions that harebrained citizens retained. Tsunade had apparently made a bet after she lost the bet with Sakura – that Sakura would be back in the hospital even though she did not need to be. Sakura rolled her eyes at the thought. Maybe her Shishou's luck was not that unfortunate. No, it was definitely common sense. Sakura could not stay away from the hospital for more than two days even if she was tied up with chakra ropes and transported to Suna.

The first patient that Sakura treated had accidently lodged four kunais into his skull. He was a civilian who merely was trying to imitate shinobis. She spent a good hour repairing brain nerves and closing the four holes on his head. Her second patient was a piss drunk thirty something recently engaged visitor from Kirigakure. He had groped Sakura's behind at least three times before Sakura decided it was much easier healing his injuries if he was unconscious, for his safety and her sanity. Her third patient was the worst. She was a not so sweet little five-year-old girl who came in for a broken leg after she tripped and fell. When her mother was not looking, the little girl would send death glares at the pinkette. Sakura was good with children but her stomach churned from the looks the girl was sending her. Just as Sakura was done healing the girl's leg, the brat threw up on her, conveniently when the mother was not looking.

Sakura had walked down the hallway, claiming that she was taking the rest of the day off, as per Tsunade's lost bet. She had changed her clothes that reeked with throw up before guiltily spending two more hours in the hospital before finally leaving. She had promised the pig that they would get ready together. She did not want to pig taking extreme measures if she did not show up. Ino was a little bit unreasonable.

The pinkette snuggled into her haori. It was mid October in Konoha. The nights were quickly dropping in temperature and soon Sakura would have to exchange her much loved skirt for pants. The leaves on trees were officially turning into shades of orange and red. It was the time period when Konoha would literally be at its most colorful. With the festival going on, Konoha was more vibrant and animated than ever. It was early evening and people were starting to crowd the streets for a nighttime of festivities.

Ino's apartment came into view as Sakura decided not to hop through the window and actually use the door this time around. Just as Sakura was about to knock, the door flew open as Sakura stared into angry baby blue eyes.

"You're late forehead," Ino barked, "and you smell like throw up."

Sakura did not have a chance to respond before she was dragged into the apartment. She saw the lazy Nara lying on the couch, probably asleep, in the corner of her eye before Ino hauled Sakura into the bedroom. How could Shikamaru sleep when Ino was making such a ruckus? The Nara heir had three extraordinary talents – his intelligence, his ability to sleep whenever and wherever, and his patience to put up with Ino.

Ino pushed Sakura onto the bed before grabbing one of her legs and pulling of her beloved boots before doing the same to other leg. Ino pulled Sakura up and took off her haori and tug her shirt of her head.

Sakura flushed at Ino's straight forwardness. "Pig! What are you doing?" Sakura saw Tenten's apologetic glance behind the Yamanaka as Sakura sighed and let her neurotic friend undress her. Ino had no shame. None. Before Sakura could help Ino pull down her skirt, the blonde pulled Sakura into the bathroom.

"Shower. Now. You stink," Ino ordered before slamming the door, leaving Sakura alone as she pouted. This was what she going for helping citizens – people throwing up on her and bossing her around.

Sakura removed her flimsy undergarments and stepped into Ino's shower. The warm water relaxed her muscles as Sakura sighed. She could take showers for the rest of her life. One of the best birthday presents Sakura ever received was a weekend getaway from Ino to the famous onsens of Land of Tea. Ino had tagged along, claiming that she did not trust that Sakura knew how to relax and would come with the pinkette to make sure Sakura did de-stress. It was a much-needed relaxation for the two kunoichi.

Stepping out of the shower, Sakura wrapped a towel around her and carefully dried herself, not wanting to repeat the same mistakes she made not too long ago. Sakura walked out into the room, seeing Ino help Tenten with her hair.

The brunette kunoichi sighed. "Neji has better hair than me."

"Neji has better hair than everyone," Sakura replied, joining the conversation as she walked towards to two girls. It was true. His hair would make any women green with envy, just like Itachi's hair. Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Why did the men in her life have really good hair? Ino looked over her shoulder and glared at Sakura before throwing a bag at Sakura, who caught it swiftly, and pointing at her bathroom.

"I took the liberty to grab a kimono from your home," Ino instructed as she shoved Sakura back into the bathroom.

Pouting as she was back in the bathroom, Sakura childishly stuck her tongue at the door which Ino pushed her through. The pig was unbelievable. No wonder Shikamaru would disappear for limited amounts of time. If she had to live with Ino, Sakura would take small breaks away from the pig too. Sakura glanced inside the bag. Ino had chosen a navy blue kimono. Sakura did not remember having a kimono like this. Sakura quickly changed into the kimono before stepping into the room.

Ino was adjusting her light violet obi and Tenten was out of sight. "Where did Tenten go?"

"She's meeting Neji and Lee. We'll see them later at the festival," Ino explained, "Now come here forehead and let me fix you up." Ino adjusted Sakura's dark navy kimono and wrapped a golden colored obi around Sakura. "Your hair is going up."

"I don't want my hair up," Sakura stated as Ino rolled her eyes.

"You wanted my help," Ino mumbled to herself.

"You forced me to come, remember pig," Sakura corrected as Ino huffed.

The Yamanaka twisted Sakura's soft hair into a messy side bun and let a few of her hair frame her face. Sakura really did clean up nicely. Her medic friend was always busy with the hospital or missions and barely had time to pamper herself. So Ino took it as her responsibility to pamper the pinkette and remind her that she was still a girl. Ino ran Sakura's lips with some gloss before stepping back and observing her doll. Sakura hated makeup and truthfully, the pinkette did not need any. Her skin was impeccable and clear of any blemishes. Ino would force Sakura to do something with her eyes but after Ino accidently poked Sakura's eyes while applying mascara once, the pinkette did not allow her anywhere near her eyeballs.

Ino clapped her hands together and smiled. "Oh Sakura, you look like a girl."

"Shut it pig."

Ino linked arms with Sakura as the two made their way out of the bedroom. Shikamaru still asleep on the couch as Ino threw a book at his head, which he caught effortlessly. He groaned and sat up and followed the girls out of the apartment. Shikamaru and Ino's apartment was located in populous hub of Konoha that was heavily filled with the festivities compared to Sakura's rather quiet neighborhood.

The hustle of the festival reached Sakura's ears. She had a habit of losing track of time but when she reached Ino's apartment, the sun was still visible but now the sun had disappeared, leaving a trail of darkness. Different noises reached Sakura's ears from sizzling foods to people's laughs to booming music. Her nose was overwhelmed with various sweet and spicy aromas from the food stands. Her mouth salivated at the delicious scents.

Lanterns glossed the streets, bringing light to the dark sky. Sakura glanced around the street, taking in the warmth of people's laughs and enjoyments. Women wore colorful kimonos with their hair nicely done. Half of the men wore their standard clothing while the other half wore traditional attire. Sakura watched as couples held hands as they walked down the streets enjoying the company of their significant others. She watched families enjoy their time together. She observed children running down the streets with their friends, no doubt causing ruckus. Street vendors tried to coax the enjoyers to come to their stands.

Sakura smiled. This was why she loved festivals. It brought people together from their everyday routine, although it was different for shinobi – as they were required to work. The festival reminded Sakura of her Okaasan. Her Okaasan loved festivals and passed down her love for the event to Sakura.

"So forehead, are you meeting anybody?" Ino asked, breaking Sakura's thoughts.

"I'm meeting up with Shisui and Genma–"

Ino's snort interrupted Sakura as the pinkette smiled at her best friend. Genma was Konoha's biggest flirt. Sakura was used to his teasing, as they spent countless missions together and she knew how to shut him up if it was required, but his flirting only pissed Ino off, who was not used to his comments. Genma was the actual pig, according to Ino.

"So you have a date with Itachi?"

Sakura coughed as she struggled to understand how Ino would come to such conclusion. "No I don't. It's a team outing," Sakura copied Shisui's words from earlier today.

"Whatever you say forehead. Itachi's just your Taichou and nothing more," Ino started, "and that's the extant of your relationship. He's your captain," Sakura nodded at Ino's comments. The pig was finally getting it. "So when he gets married to some beautiful Uchiha lady, you'll still be really good teammates. I mean, after he gets married he'll probably have to retire from ANBU to be clan head and he won't be your Taichou anymore. He'll be married making some Uchiha babies and you'll be lonely."

"Ino!"

"It's the truth forehead. You're going to be all gray and wrinkled and he'll still be the gorgeous Uchiha with brilliant hair," Ino said, "I'm just saying that I'm your best friend. I know what and how you feel before you even do. The longer you keep holding your feelings in the harsher the repercussions will be."

Sakura stared at Ino. Since when did the pig give out sound advice? The Yamanaka heir was right. Sakura did not know exactly how she felt for the Uchiha because she was too stubborn to explore those feelings. She did know, however, that her feelings for Itachi ran deeper than a simple subordinate-captain relationship. She had been harboring these rather strong feelings for Itachi for months now. Her emotions for Itachi was something that she was not going to act on, as she could list at least a hundred reasons why she should keep those feelings at bay.

One of those reasons was that Sakura did not know Itachi's feelings. She knew he did not feel the same towards her. Sure he was kind and nice, and Sakura later realized that she was one of the few people that Itachi trusted. His trust did not automatically mean that he liked her. After Sasuke, Sakura had ruled men out of her life, especially Uchiha men. She noted that she would stop seeking out love and love would just come to her. Apparently that philosophy, according to Ino, was going to be the downfall of Sakura.

"You're right Ino," Sakura conceded.

Ino snickered. "I'm always right, and where did Shikamaru go?" The Nara was missing. Sakura laughed at Ino's growing anger. "I'm going to kill him this time, I swear."

"Go find him," Sakura said as she waved off the look Ino was throwing at her, "I'll be fine. I have a date with Itachi, remember," Sakura joked as the two split ways.

Sakura walked down the crowded path, observing everything and anything. Sasuke and Naruto were on surveillance duty tonight so she would not be able to hang with them tonight. Team eight was also on duty, Sakura mused. She did not want to disturb Neji and Tenten, as Lee was probably doing that right now. Guess she was stuck with her ANBU team.

The pinkette made her way to the destination that Shisui stated team eleven was going to meet at. Before the pinkette could take another step, a particular smell filled her nostrils. Almost imitating Naruto, Sakura used her nose to follow the terrific smell as she found herself in front of a yakitori stand. She hungrily glanced at the different types of yakitori. Was this how Naruto felt when he goes to Ichiraku? Did he have trouble choosing what flavor ramen to buy?

"I don't know which one I want," Sakura mumbled to herself.

"Get one of everything then," a voice interrupted Sakura's daze was interrupted by the grinning chef.

Sakura laughed as she scratched the back of her head. "I don't think I'll be able to eat one of everything. I'll have the atsuage yakitori." Sakura exchanged money for the yakitori as she walked down the convivial streets.

It was not long before Sakura felt herself being followed. Sakura slightly narrowed her eyes as she continued to walk. Whoever was following her was doing an absolute terrible job at it. Maybe they would go away. Sakura made a turn at the intersection hoping to throw her stalker away but she felt their presence still behind them.

She did a quick three-sixty, ready to demand an explanation from her follower. Instead of finding an old, creepy stalker, Sakura looked down at a girl who could not be more than five years old. Her dark hair was disheveled and her baggy brown yukata was decorated with holes and tatters. The kid's facial expression expressed mixtures of surprise to guilt. Sakura's eyes softened. She was looking at a street kid, whose bright blue eyes were focused on the yakitori in her hand.

Sakura smiled as she knelt down to the girl's level and extended her yakitori. The girl's eyes widen with astonishment and jaw slightly dropped. Sakura watched as the girl's eyes drifted back and forth from her hand to her face. She cautiously grabbed the yakitori stick from Sakura's hands and stared at it for five long seconds before tentatively taking a bite. After the initial bite, the girl finished the yakitori in a record time.

The medic glanced at the girl's form. The baggy yukata hid the girl's tiny body but judging from her scrawny legs and arms, and the way she barged the yakitori down, the girl was severely malnourished. There were evident bags under her eyes and little bruises and cuts on her skin. Sakura felt a lump in her throat as she saw a little Naruto in front of her.

"Thanks," the girl said with a bright smile adorning her gaunt face. Sakura pushed the heavy lump in her throat and returned a smile, "You look like a princess!"

Sakura chuckled. "What's your name?"

"Nami!"

"I'm Sakura," Sakura replied softly as Nami's eyes widened.

"Wow," Nami awed, "You're so pretty Sakura-hime."

Sakura almost chocked at the honorific that was usually reserved for her shishou but her smiled widened at Nami's genuine admiration. "Hey Nami, can I heal the cuts on your face?"

Nami bobbed her head to the side confused. Sakura's hands glowed green as she slowly moved it towards the rather nasty cut on the young girl's cheek. Nami looked suspiciously at glowing hand, obviously distrustful of Sakura's intentions. Her wariness disappeared as Sakura's medical ninjutsu reached her cheek and quickly healed her cuts. Sakura healed several of the evident bruises and cuts before standing up and smiling at the girl again.

"Lets go get some dango," Sakura stated as Nami nodded enthusiastically.

Sakura bought Nami dango as the little girl eagerly ate the delicious treat. Nami was a chatterbox and reminded Sakura of Naruto and Ino. Sakura barely had the time to nod in response to Nami's statements before the little girl started talking about a new topic of discussion – which currently was Sakura's hair at the moment. The girl could not believe anybody had pink hair. Sakura was about to retort but Nami had disappeared as fast she appeared. Sakura searched for the girl but rendered it useless.

Sensing the familiar chakra, Sakura peeked to her right as she saw the very person who was messing with her emotions. She stared at Itachi's profile view. Her heart traitorously fluttered at the sight. He wore dark navy traditional attire. His silky hair was tied in a pony at the nape of his neck per usual.

Sakura noticed a group of people that Itachi was surrounded with. They were all dark haired and extremely good looking from what Sakura could garner. A group of Uchiha was enjoying the festival. Weren't the Uchiha supposed to be brooding and serious people? Maybe that was just Sasuke. The few Uchiha, other than Sasuke, Itachi, and Shisui, Sakura met were kind people, reserved and a little quiet but still amicable. She did not know why she was surprised seeing a group of them enjoying the festival together.

Maybe it was seeing Itachi in a social environment with people Sakura did not know that made her wary of the scene that played before her. Since when did he have the time to make friends? Probably when she forged his psyche exam that led to him having three weeks worth of free time. Sakura almost scoffed.

Sakura's eyed moved to the hand that was affectionately grabbing Itachi's forearms. Her eyes followed the hand upwards until her ivy eyes rested on a feminine face. Sakura tried not to narrow her eyes at the rather pretty face. Pretty face was an understatement. The face was beautiful. It was the type of beauty that only an Uchiha could be blessed with. Her soft features outlined the grace and poise only proper ladies processed. Sakura could not help but to feel a little jealousy run through her veins.

Her eyes quickly followed Itachi lower his head to the woman's mouth as words that Sakura could not read escaped her lips. She watched as Itachi's face slightly softened as he opened his mouth and something like a laugh came out. The strange woman was making Itachi laugh. Good for them. Sakura resisted her gagging reflexes before swiftly turning around from the sight. She was calling it for the night. The churning emotions in her stomach were definitely caused by yakitori and not the scene that played out in front of her.

---

Sakura had spent the rest of the festival days and nights cooped in the hospital. Tsunade had raised an eyebrow questioningly at her, but Sakura merely stated that there was a surplus of patients and she was better needed at the hospital doing her job. She ignored the look Tsunade gave her and pretended to be the diligent medic performing her duty.

Shisui had come looking for her asking why she had not shown up to the team eleven outing. Sakura had pathetically thrown a 'needed at the hospital' excuse and briskly shoved his pouting figure out of her office.

She needed time to think. Or more accurately time not to think and overwhelm herself with a million things so she could not afford the time to sit and think. Think was the last thing Sakura wanted to do. The pinkette refused to allow herself to envy the beautiful Uchiha woman that was wrapped around Itachi. There was nothing to be envious about. Itachi was merely enjoying the company of the opposite gender. Heck, if Sakura were a guy, she would be attracted to the striking woman too.

Itachi could go talk to whomever he wanted. He was not bound to anyone, especially to Sakura. He was a free man and free men could do whatever they wanted.

Tonight was the last night of the festival. As tradition, on the last night there was going to be firework show. Sakura was stubbornly going to miss it because she did not want to run into Itachi or that woman. Or both. She definitely did not want to run into both of them. Especially together.

Sakura almost slapped herself as her train of thoughts sunk in. She was excusing herself from the game because of a stupid boy. Her inner reminded her that Itachi was not a boy but she ignored her inner's correction. She had promised herself that she would not live her life around a boy. Itachi could do whatever he pleased and if he around her when he was living that was fine. She would be fine. She was strong and independent and did not need a boy in her life.

She slapped the patient file down on her desk. She was going to enjoy the firework display and not hide out in her office.

Sakura walked out of her office confidently and down the hallways with her shoulders back until she walked outside the hospital. The sun was almost gone and according to the official festival schedule, the fireworks would start at exactly eight-o-clock. But knowing from all the previous festival, eight-o-clock meant at least eight-thirty.

Rookie nine would usually enjoy the fireworks together on top of one of the tall buildings. Team ten was on security duty along with team Guy. Sakura headed to their usual spot before her inner feminism refused to accept the second-tier firework view. Sakura had planned beforehand that she was going to enjoy the fireworks from her hidden garden on top of the hokage mountain. So what if there was possibility that she was going to run into Itachi. She would not coward at his presence.

Sakura made a hasty turn and stomped to the garden. Itachi probably was not going to be there. Last time she checked, team eleven was on duty. The pinkette laughed at her worry. There was nothing to be apprehensive about.

As Sakura reached the garden she sensed his chakra as she almost decided to leave. But she stuck her chin up and walked onto the gazebo. He bothered her presence when she was here last time, the least she could do was bother his.

Itachi was wearing his ANBU attire, with his mask secured at his hip. He did not turn to greet her but his shoulders relaxing gave Sakura an indication that he was aware of her approaching. Sakura walked up to him silently and stood next him, leaning on the wooden railings. Her iron-will and stubbornness slowly melted away as it was replaced with calmness.

Sakura could feel his poking question in the silence. "This place has the best views."

"Ah."

His smooth tenor sent butterflies through Sakura's stomach. Sakura did not have the time to push the warmth away before colors and loud booms exploded in the sky. A smile spread across her face. What a great end to the festival.

Sakura's eyes were glued on beautiful display, while Itachi's were on Sakura's expressions.

She never felt his gaze on hers.

She never suspected it.

---

As good as you make me feel

I wanna make you feel better

Better than your fairy tales

Better than your best dreams

-Hunter Hayes "Wanted"

---

Hey lovely readers, it's been a little less than two weeks since the last update. I'm sorry it took a longer time. I had an exam I was studying for. I hope the length of this chapter can make up for the time. I wanted this chapter to be all about the festival, including time before and after but as I realized that it was getting too long. I was going to split this chapter in two if it got over 15000-16000 words but I just made it a little under. I actually cut a scene that I've decided to add in the next chapter as a flashback.

I feel like the ending was rushed a little, and I apologize if it was. I really wanted to post this as soon as possible. Truthfully, I'm not so happy with this chapter. And I apologize for the fight scene. I'm not that great writing battle scenes.

Ino knows what's up with Sakura. Sakura refuses to acknowledge it because she's Sakura and hopeless when it comes to her love life. In this story Sakura's parents are both dead, I know it's different in the canon.

I have so many ideas popping into my head and I can't wait to get everything down.

Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows.

Until next time.

~ im-rite-here