I placed the bandages on the stand and straightened, brushing my hair away in the process. "There. All done. You'll be fine."
There was a soft pause, and on cue, the grumbling started. I bit back a grin. "After a week, that is."
The poor unfortunate – although I don't know if I should call him unfortunate – moaned a little more at the time limit. Technically speaking though, from what I'd been hearing, it was entirely his own fault he'd been shoved into the hospital bed. Nobody in their right mind ever asks Maito Gai for a training session. And then proceeds to beg for a 'quick' spar.
Psh. As if Gai even understands the meaning of the word "quick".
"Now, don't glare at me like that. In fact, I'll let you in on a secret – I'm sure I'll be occupying the bed next to you soon enough. Give or take a day. Truly –,"
Unaware of the growing look of concern (kidding, he only looked curious) on my patient's face, my partner-in-crime, Kazuya snorted loudly. "Stop scaring the poor guy, Shiyako. Honestly, you get more dramatic by the day –,"
"I do not!" I interrupted hotly, glaring at him. "In fact, when my dead body turns up, you'll remember this day and weep, Akita, weep!"
"Well, I'll definitely do more than weep. I'll even wear black and carry flowers to your grave," Kazuya Akita said with a wide grin, before bumping his shoulder into mine. "I might even give a heartfelt eulogy! She was young… young and stupid."
There are times when I wonder why no one apart from my little sister seems to take me seriously. This was one of them. Honestly, am I that bad a friend that I end up being saddled with such people? I am not! I care about people. I'm nice – generally – if a little sarcastic sometimes. I even pray to God on occasion.
"Huh," I said instead, throwing my nose into the air. "You all say that… When the day truly comes –,"
"And will that day come before or after you'll finally allow me to take you on a date?"
My foot, which was well in the process of exiting the room, froze mid-air.
Oh, well, I suppose I walked into that one.
Trust Kazuya to take the matter of my death and turn it into a go-on-a-date-with-me. Not that he meant it in a malicious way, of course. I'm sure he didn't. Poor boy just didn't know how badly I had messed up. But honestly… Well – how do you answer a question like that?
Before I could scramble to find an answer – a non-committal and generic one, that too – an interruption stopped the entire conversation midway.
ANBU. Mask. Uniform.
"Haruno Shiyako?"
I nodded meekly. "That's me."
"Hokage-sama requests your presence in her office."
What a nice man, I thought vaguely as he teleported us to the office. Really, Tsunade-sama hadn't requested for anyone's presence in her office since she'd taken the mantle. In fact, I'm sure she only ever demanded it – yes, even from irate clan leaders and bloodthirsty men who were out to take her spot. She's a strong kunoichi, she is.
He deposited me in the office and shunshined away immediately, not even giving me a chance to express my gratitude. Not that I was overly eager to, mind you, – my attention had been captured by a laughing Hokage.
I leaned forward, troubled. "Tsunade-sama? Is everything… alright?"
Tsunade promptly took one look at my face and started laughing again. Loudly.
Behind her, Shizune gave me a wan smile, as if trying to reassure me.
I wasn't reassured. In fact, I was getting more and more perturbed by the second. Now that I thought about it, the summons could've been false. It could've been Itachi, out to capture me and throw my still-struggling body into the river – it might have even been a genjutsu I was under, but I doubted any of them could capture the strong essence of sake permeating the air.
I glanced at Tsunade again, troubled by the unending, uproarious laughter. She was waving a sheet of paper in the air, as if trying to –
Hold on a second.
Was that my name on that paper? I squinted again. Why, yes, it was.
"Hokage-sama?" I tried again, now properly scared for my life.
Behind me, Shizune let out a pointed cough. At the sound of that, our esteemed Hokage pointedly coughed too, and stopped giggling like a schoolgirl. Somewhat.
"Ah, Haruno, you're here."
Well, that was the singularly most unhelpful thing I've ever heard her say. Of course I'm here. She sent her ANBU to get me. Clearly, what was in the scroll was too funny to comprehend.
I hoped I found as much humor in it as she did.
"A very… interesting mission request made its way to the desk today," She continued, grabbing a bottle of sake from below the table before taking a deep swig. Behind her, I saw Shizune wincing.
I blinked, wondering what exactly that had to do with me. I hadn't been on a mission since forever. Being a medic-nin meant I was more than kept busy at the hospital. Also, I had never been the combat type anyway. It probably had something to do with being an incurable pacifist.
Although, on paper, I was a field-medic. Maybe something had finally turned up that required my specialties.
As if she had heard my question, she pointed one shaky finger at me. "It was from you, actually."
From me?
What?
"What Tsunade-sama means to say is," Shizune interrupted, throwing a dirty look at the Hokage who had started giggling again, "It's for you."
"For me?"
Nope, still not processing. I was too confused.
"It's a guard request. Apparently, you're in danger of dying soon –,"
I froze.
Oh.
She hadn't.
Hana had actually gone ahead and put in a mission request?!
I could just imagine her sitting somewhere within her overly large clan grounds, nursing a cup of coffee and giggling like a maniac as she imagined the aftermath.
Although, I still didn't get why Tsunade found it so funny. If anything, she should've been furious. What self-respecting medic-nin puts in a request for protection?
My confusion must've shown on my face, because Tsunade laughed uproariously again before quirking a finger at the door. "As you know, Haruno, mission requests above B-rank in the village have to be accepted by a jounin. So I couldn't force someone to do this job for you even if I wanted to." Another mad cackle. "But, luckily for you, someone did respond. Let him in, Shizune."
I watched, slowly, as Shizune opened the door, and someone walked in.
Someone in a very fit ANBU vest and a weasel mask.
Not that he wasn't fit below the vest too. I mean, I had just recently seen him shirtless, for Kami's sake. And that isn't an image one can just discard. I had a feeling it had been burned into my retinas.
I promptly jumped back at least three steps, and would've jumped out of the window too - you know - if we weren't ten stories up.
Tsunade was still cackling at the expression on my face, Shizune was wearing a very sympathetic expression, and Itachi – well, his face was obscured by a mask, but I had a feeling it'd show no expression. The usual and all.
"Him?!" I finally shrieked, after I had managed to grab my voice from the pits of my stomach and force it out. "You're sending my murderer to protect me?! Hokage-sama, he'll kill me in my sleep! Or poison my food! Or… Or throw my still struggling body into the river!"
There was a vague lull after which Tsunade started laughing again.
But Itachi's reaction was rather different.
In a second – less than a second, even – he had crossed the distance between us and was now nose-to-nose with me. His mask was off. I hadn't even noticed when that happened.
And the tomoe in his Sharingan bright eyes was spinning.
He was too close, again.
"Hokage-sama," The timbre of his voice was deep, deep enough that I could feel the vibrations somehow – "There has been a breach in security. Haruno seems to be aware I'm ANBU. Would you like me to detain her for questioning?"
"Calm down, Uchiha," Tsunade said with a wave, her voice calm. "Haruno's a sensor. I'm sure she'll be able to tell you the name of each and every ANBU under my employ."
"With all due respect, Tsunade-sama, I'm suppressing my chakra."
"She can detect that too."
His eyebrow lifted almost skeptically, and in that moment, I placed one hand over his chest and shoved irritably.
He moved maybe an inch backwards.
His eyes registered surprise at my actions, even as I saw his hands moving to hold me back. They were moving too fast – and at heart, I was a shinobi. So I did the one thing – the only thing – that came to my mind.
I quickly averted my face from his eyes, and in a supremely stupid move… threw myself at him.
Perhaps he didn't expect that, because even he, the Great Itachi Uchiha, stumbled upon the contact, and we would've both gone tumbling to the ground in a flurry of tangled limbs in the Hokage's office if he hadn't steadied us. One of his hands caught hold of my upraised arm, while the other snaked through my waist to keep me in position. I could feel his warm breath at the side of my face, and there was a brief, distinct feeling of something very muscular and very male beneath me.
I froze.
In that split second, I was suddenly on the floor and my hands were restrained in front of me.
"Uchiha!" I had never, ever been so glad to hear Tsunade's voice before. Never. "Let go of her right now!"
I'd never been so glad to be let off either.
As I brushed the dust off my clothes, I was vaguely aware of her telling him just how disrespectful his conduct was, and how I was a trustworthy individual and my tracking skills couldn't be helped. I sniffed triumphantly at that – take that, Uchiha!
Too soon, though, Tsunade's disapproving face turned to me. "And you, young lady? What do you mean by putting up a mission request like that?"
"I-I didn't –,"
"Accusing my handpicked ANBU to be of the mind to kill you! Honestly, the nerve –,"
"B-but –,'
"No interruptions!" My mouth snapped shut. Seemingly mollified, she took a deep breath…
And then drank straight from the bottle again.
Shizune pointedly didn't look up from the papers she was reading.
"Anyway, now that I've had my laugh," Tsunade continued, pointing at me, "You. Out. I have something important to discuss with Itachi. And keep what happened here to yourself! It was hard enough explaining to an irate Uchiha shinobi that the request was a gag mission! And stay out of trouble."
I was only too happy to leave. Who in their right mind would want to stay? Throughout Tsunade's lecture, Itachi had been ramrod straight, the picture perfect shinobi, and if it wasn't for the way his chakra was swirling, I wouldn't have noticed anything was wrong either. Before I left though, I took a quick glance at him –
And almost keeled over the spot. He still looked pretty furious, if the tilt of his mouth was anything to go by.
"Wait a second, Shiyako-chan! Don't leave just yet."
Shizune's voice rang through the air like a sharp bullet, and all of us, including Itachi, turned to look at her with a frown. In response to our silent questions, she snapped her fingers. "Shiyako is an excellent sensor, Hokage-sama. A sensor and a medic-nin. It'll solve all our problems regarding the mission at once! We could have called Sakura, obviously, but she can't sense chakra like Shiyako can."
It was true. Sakura got the phenomenal chakra control, while I had the sensory capabilities. In the beginning, they were more than a nuisance though. The Kyuubi attack was still something that haunted my dreams at night – the malicious chakra, the killing intent, the sharp tang of fear permeating the atmosphere.
Even now, sometimes, seeing Naruto made me want to freeze up, crawl into a hole and die.
"How far exactly can you sense, Haruno?" Tsunade barked at me, effectively bringing me back to earth.
I considered the question slowly, trying to recall my range. Insofar, I could sense the various chakra signatures through the village. I paused, casting my mind out, and grinned when I found some measure.
"Team Seven is back from their mission," I told the Hokage confidently, ignoring the heavy weight of Itachi's stare. "I can sense –,"
Tsunade shook her head. "Everyone can sense Naruto, Shiyako. I need a more satisfying answer."
Sadly enough, she was more than correct. Everyone could sense the Kyuubi container, and although I could have argued I could feel my sister's chakra flickering too, I bowed my head and concentrated a little more. Seconds later, my fingers snapped. "Sarutobi-san and Kurenai-san are at Training Ground 4."
There was a soft blur of leaves as Itachi disappeared, and popped back seconds later. The tips of his ears were slightly pink, and I bit back a grin. I could guess exactly what the two were up to in Ground 4 and what exactly Itachi had stumbled upon. It wasn't done maliciously, but I still felt a tad victorious.
"She's telling the truth, Hokage-sama."
Tsunade nodded, steepling her fingers together as she considered me with half-lidded eyes. "Impressive, Haruno. That's almost 9 kms."
I shrugged. "When I joined the Med-corps, nobody was interested in my ability, but I exercised it a bit anyway. Overtime, it's become a habit."
With Kekkei Genkai like the Sharingan and the Byakugan in the village, nobody cared about a simple above-average sensing ability like mine.
"How long has it been since you went on a mission?"
"Three years, Hokage-sama."
"Are you rusty?"
The question merited some thought. I mulled it over my head, and came to a quick conclusion. "Not as much as I should be. I have been exercising. Sakura occasionally forces me to spar with her – because apparently, I need to keep in shape or something – and I still do my routine warm-ups. Also, the new rules you've set up for medic-nins forces us to stay combat-ready at any given moment."
Tsunade nodded approvingly, before snapping her fingers at her assistant. Shizune handed her a scroll with a belligerent expression on her face that the Fifth ignored with the apathy born of years of practise.
"Well then, Haruno, Uchiha - I hereby assign you to this mission." She flicked the scroll over to Itachi who caught it midair. "You both are to leave tomorrow morning from the Gates at nine."
...
I think I was just left stunned by the magnitude of what she had said, because for the longest time ever, I could only manage to gape at her soundlessly until she raised one blonde eyebrow.
At that, I flushed. "Hokage-sama… Just to clarify... you're sending me on a mission with Uchiha Itachi?"
"Are you deaf, girl?" Was her scathing reply.
"N-No. I just… Well…"
As I stammered and stuttered, she sighed impatiently. "Well? Spit it out! I don't have enough time to waste here, and frankly, I don't get paid nearly enough -,"
"He's trying to kill me, Tsunade-sama!" I cried out, doing the one thing every ninja (apart from Naruto) knows not to do.
I interrupted her mid-sentence.
At my proclamation, her eyes narrowed dangerously, even as I mentally made my will and bequeathed my wilting lilies to my younger sister.
"Haruno, has Uchiha ever made an attempt on your life?"
"N-No -,"
"Has he done anything to indicate that he is going to murder you coldly and leave you out to dry?"
I gulped at the image. If we were to get technical, he'd done nothing but glare at me. Speaking of glares, I glanced at him at the corner of my eye before replying to see the he was smirking. Oh, it was faint, and barely-there, and done in a very Uchiha-esque way, but he was smirking. His eyes met mine, and even as I flailed helplessly in an attempt to find the correct the words, his smirk became a tad wider.
I swear, at that moment, I wanted to do nothing more than to choke him with his own hair. His sleek, shiny, pretty hair that caught the light in the most flattering way - but nonetheless, his hair.
"I… I managed to heal him," I whimpered at last, crossing my fingers behind my back. "And we all know what Uchiha-san does to people who try to…"
The last guy was still recovering from the trauma. She knew that. I knew that. Uchiha Itachi definitely knew that.
"I don't even want to know," Tsunade said after a pause, eyeing me with something akin to respect. I really didn't want to tell her it was his mother that had led to me helping him, lest I lose whatever little respect I'd managed to gain with that move.
"Nevertheless, you're both going on that mission. The Daimyo's wife has requested you attend to her ailing grandmother, while the Daimyo wants you to find the rogue ninja attacking her village. The mission is tailor-made for you, Haruno. However," she added, glancing at Itachi, "I can personally assure you that Itachi will do nothing to harm you until the mission is completed. He is a very loyal shinobi."
The underlying implication was that he was free to harm me after the mission was complete. I'm sure he caught onto it as well - of course he did, that little genius - because his smile never dropped as he bowed, exiting the room in a flashy flurry of leaves.
I sighed at the flashy exit. "It must take ages to get the foliage off the floor."
"You have no idea," Shizune said with an eye-roll.
Tsunade glanced at me irritably. "Get out of my office."
I got out of her office.
{X}
"You're back," I said dully, collapsing on the sofa with a loud groan. After that bombshell in the Hokage's office, I'd gone back to the hospital to find that a major surgery needed done. Trust me when I say this, untangling intestines was the worst work ever, especially when you have to cover your nose to tame the metallic tang of blood in the air.
"Don't sound so happy. You'll give my heart ideas," Sakura said just as blandly before enveloping me in a warm hug. "Missed you, Nee-chan."
I patted her head. "Yes, yes, me too."
"Honestly, you two could try sounding a little less enthusiastic," Mum grumbled before slipping into the kitchen. She was one to talk. She'd taken one look at Sakura's blood-soaked clothes and sent her running upstairs for a bath.
"Give us a break, Ma. We're both exhausted."
I hummed in agreement, lazily tracing the leafy patterns on the sofa. Dad was out for some mission or the other too, and so, it was just the two of us being lazy in the drawing room. I liked the silence between us - it was companionable.
Or at least it was until Sakura finally straightened and slapped the heel of her palm to her forehead. "I totally forgot! I'm going to Sasuke's house for dinner tonight."
"Good for you," I said just as tonelessly as before, wondering what the fuss was about. They always had a team dinner after their missions, and most of it was spent trying to see under Kakashi's mask. Hell, we'd even hosted a few at our house. And no, I didn't have the honor of seeing under that scrap of fabric either.
Not that I hadn't tried. Try as I might, even I'm not above trying to catch a glimpse of Konoha's biggest kept secret.
"No, what I meant to say was… You're invited too!"
I blinked, unconsciously straightening. "What for?"
"Mikoto-sama invited you. Apparently, you were of great help or something. I couldn't quite hear properly," She said sheepishly, "Naruto had already picked a fight with Sasuke by then."
My sister, the peacemaker. I rolled my eyes. "Well, I'm not going, so it doesn't really matter anyway."
"Not going where?" Mum chose that moment to poke her head through the doorway, and by the glint in her eye, I knew she had been eavesdropping.
Sakura had no such misgivings. "Mikoto-sama invited Shiyako to dinner with us. She's being stubborn about it."
"Well, of course she's going," Mum said at once, and I had a feeling she'd been dying to say that because she tacked a wide smile at the end. "Nobody refuses an invitation from an Uchiha in this village."
"Nobody sane at least," Sakura added glibly, mirroring Mum's wide smile.
I scowled at the two. "I don't care. I'm not going. You can't make me."
"The red yukata with sakura flowers should do for Nee-chan, right?" Sakura interjected smoothly, effectively ignoring me. "I think I'll wear the green one. It goes with my eyes."
"That sounds lovely. Although, I think Shiyako should wear the blue one. They go with hers."
"I think you're right," Sakura muttered contemplatively, eyes glazed over with thought.
"I'm right here," I reminded the two, "And I said I'm not going."
I was ignored. Again.
Ultimately though, I did end up at the entrance of the Uchiha's Main House, decked in a blue yukata that did nothing for my complexion no matter what my sister or mother said about it. It was inevitable, really. Once Sakura and Mum put their heads together for a cause, there was no dissuading them.
I idly wondered what exactly Sakura would think if she knew Mum was trying to pair me off with the Uchiha Clan Heir as we waited patiently for the door to open. Knowing her, there were only two responses - one was to simper and coo in glee, while the other was to smash a hole in the side of Itachi's head. And that was a perfectly lovely image I could get behind, if a little farfetched.
Inside the house, I could sense his chakra flickering at the sound of our knocking. Seriously, didn't he have a mission to go to or something?
Oh wait. He did. Tomorrow. With me. I mentally wilted.
Thankfully, Sasuke was the one to open the door this time.
He eyed us casually before grunting and stepping aside. At the sight of his mother frowning disapprovingly behind him, he rolled his eyes and added, "You look nice."
It was all very uncertain as to whether he was directing the comment at me or my sister. Still, we made do with what we had. Uchiha compliments were always slim pickings.
"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," I drawled with the subtlety of an elephant rampaging in the middle of a funeral, "How nice of you to notice us simple be - oof!"
Sakura's elbow slyly withdrew from my side, and at my wide eyes, she gave me a pleading expression. I sighed - even Mikoto knew there was no love lost between me and her younger son. It wasn't like it was a big secret.
But at the sight of Sakura's big green eyes, I relented.
Sasuke was still glaring at me.
"Thanks, Sasuke. Really. Warmed the cockles of my - hey! No need to elbow me again! I was being perfectly serious!"
"Shut up, Nee-chan."
"Sakura-chan! Shiyako-chan! You're here!" Naruto came bounding out of the kitchen with the ever-present spring in his step. Within instants, he wrapped his arms around me. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever, Shiyako-chan! How have you been?"
"Yes, well," I coughed awkwardly, "Since you haven't been thrown into the hospital anytime soon, we really had no chance to meet."
He frowned. "That's unfortunately true," and then, he brightened again. "Still, we get to meet now! The bastard's mother makes the best food, so -,"
Sakura promptly thumped the top of his head before smiling apologetically at Mikoto.
Naruto jumped. "Ouch, that wasn't needed, Sakura-chan!"
I don't know why she even bothered. Social cues were never Naruto's strong point. Neither were observational skills, or tact either, but still…
Who thought it was a good idea to make him a ninja again?
"You both look beautiful," Mikoto said with a soft smile before ushering us to the table. "Please, make yourself at home. Fugaku and Itachi will be down in a moment."
From the seat next to mine, Kakashi raised one hand in greeting. "Yo."
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed, before jumping into the seat next to his. "You aren't… I mean, you're always…"
"Late?" Kakashi finished drily. "Naruto thought it would be prudent to collect me from my house." A vague crinkle below his eye made me assume he had just scowled. "And I had just reached the good part of Icha-Icha too."
"Sensei! Not here!"
"Your sensibilities are amusing, Sakura-chan, but Fugaku and I go a long way back," Kakashi muttered, now eyeing the older man who had just entered the room in tow with his Heir. At the sight of the Copy-ninja, he froze briefly before resuming his imperious stance. I bit back a grin. It would've been so much more fun if Kakashi had left his Sharingan eye uncovered. Before I could decide whether or not I should tell him that, Itachi's eye met mine and my mouth went dry.
I was trying to not pay attention to him. I was trying to not look at him, because he was wearing a longer-sleeved version of the yukata, the blue stark against his pale skin.
But somehow, my eyes had drifted to him of my own accord, and what I saw there reminded me just how attractive he was all over again. As if the first time wasn't bad enough. Or the second. Or the third. Or the multiple times after that.
It wasn't fair.
It wasn't fair at all. His long hair, and his pretty lashes, and his porcelain skin should've made him look feminine, but he was anything but. Instead, the air in the room thrummed with the entrance of something male and predatory, and I knew both Sakura and I had straightened imperceptibly at his entrance.
It was probably because we were used to his command, I tried to tell myself, ignoring my racing heart.
Yes, that was probably it…
"Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura," He greeted softly, before looking at me. "Shiyako."
I almost bristled. He had no right. At the last moment, however, Fugaku nodded at me, and I forced the reaction in before nodding back.
"What's for dinner, Mikoto-obasan?" Naruto crowed cheerfully as soon as everyone was seated, his chopsticks moving rapidly in the air. Jounin or not, he was more like an excitable child, and I would've totally believed that if I couldn't sense Kyuubi's chakra fouling the air.
"It's definitely not ramen, dobe," Sasuke said, giving his teammate the stink-eye.
"Shut up, teme!"
"I heard you're going on a mission with my son tomorrow," Fugaku said to me as he sat down, bringing a screeching halt to all the conversations going on around us. On my part, I could only nod shakily. "I see."
"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Sakura hissed furiously as soon as Fugaku had looked away and Mikoto started piling the table with food.
"I was planning to! But someone was too busy finding out which yukata matches the color of her eyes!"
"You! -," Sakura flushed deeply.
"Now, now, girls, there's no need to fight," Naruto tried, bless him, but he was ignored.
"It's true! I was thinking of just how to break it to you - ouch!"
I was promptly elbowed for the third time that day. Knowing Sakura's strength, I'd probably see a congregation of bruises the minute I took my clothes off. Wincing, I pressed a hand to the offending area before trying to push some chakra through.
"Would you like some more rice, Shiyako-chan?" Mikoto asked sweetly a few minutes later, holding out a bowl of rice. My fingers automatically curled around it as I nodded. "How about some more miso-soup?"
"Oh, no, I have some left," I said immediately, quickly pushing my bowl away in case she simply dump some in like she had done with Naruto. "The food is rather lovely, Mikoto-sama."
"Ah, thank you," she beamed widely. "You're too sweet."
Sakura almost snorted at the expression, even as I pasted a polite smile to my face. Nobody had called me sweet since… well, since I was five, maybe.
"Shiyako-chan is pretty nice," Naruto chirped in immediately, always the poster-boy for sticking up for someone. "She always heals me whenever Sakura-chan is being a bitc - I mean, whenever she's busy!"
I nearly blushed at the praise. Nearly, mind you.
"How is the hospital work going?" Fugaku said, grey-flecked eyes landing on me for the second time that evening. I squashed the urge to squirm in my seat, vaguely aware of the fact that Kakashi had stiffened slightly.
"Good enough, Uchiha-sama. Tsunade-sama has me working in the Poisons section now. It's really interesting."
It really wasn't.
"Is that so?" Itachi muttered suddenly, and I was suddenly very aware that two sets of the same eyes were fixed on my face. "It was my understanding that you were still performing surgeries in the hospital."
"I work there in my spare time. Although," And in a moment of bravery, my eyes flickered to meet his. "I wasn't aware you kept tabs on me."
It was a subtle barb, something that only he and I would get. Nevertheless, Kakashi's eyes sharpened slightly, as did my sister's. I couldn't quite see Sasuke and Naruto from where I was sitting, but Fugaku's look of disinterest lifted slightly too. Mikoto merely continued eating smoothly. It was kind of funny - because she was the one who had the most idea of what was going on.
Itachi's lips twitched slightly, and he bowed his head, as if conceding to me. "I merely wanted to find out more about my new partner."
"We aren't partners. It's a one-time deal only," I snapped back, narrowing my eyes, "And you couldn't just ask me?"
"I was informed you were doing a critical surgery when I went to find you. I didn't want to impose."
The hell he didn't. Bringing it up in a gathering like this meant he was imposing, and imposing in a place where I couldn't lash out or react. I'd already overstepped my bounds, as such. Maybe I was overreacting, because it was an innocent question, and to top that, it was one I wouldn't mind answering every time anyone asked me about it, but in such a setting, I felt cornered...
Once again, I found myself cursing at the kind of influence the Uchiha had in the village. If Sakura and her stupid teammates had just gone to Ichiraku like they usually did, this wouldn't be happening. It was all…
Oh.
I glanced at Mikoto, suddenly very aware of who the orchestrator of the entire event was.
"Thank you," I finally said stiffly, clenching my fingers into a fist. I hated being manipulated. "But in the future, I'd request you to leave such a discussion to a more conducive place."
His lips twitched upwards again as he nodded, eyes shining. I had a sudden urge to stab my fork into his eyes.
"What's this mission about anyway, Aniki?" Sasuke suddenly piped in, shocking me into forgetting just why I was angry. He almost never spoke unless spoken to. Ever.
"It's classified. However, we should be back in approximately four days."
"Hn."
"When are you leaving, Shiyako-chan?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Would you mind giving me a hand, Shiyako-chan?" Mikoto said, gesturing to the large number of bowls on the table. "Oh, no, Sakura, you don't need to help! You must be exhausted. Sasuke told me you had a very strenuous mission."
I very much doubted Sasuke had done anything of the sort, but his impassive face gave nothing away, so I resigned myself to carrying everything to the kitchen. Once we were there, Mikoto rounded on me, and I braced myself expectantly.
"You seem angry, Shiyako-chan."
I took a deep breath. There was really no point denying it. "I am."
"I apologize. However, Itachi informed me you had some problems in communicating, and I suggested we could have a formal dinner here. I didn't mean any harm."
No. No, she didn't. Instead, they were all too busy trying to take a measure of me, starting from the Clan Head, to his prestigious Heir, to even his mother.
Theoretically, I knew why it had even happened. The Uchiha's were an important clan, and for Tsunade to send a nobody like me for a mission with their Heir probably had severe implications. Everyone knew about the huge power shift that had occurred when Itachi was young - the way the Hokage had sought to bridge the gap between the village and the Uchiha by drafting a larger number of Uchiha jounin into his payroll, thereby ensuring that a few civilians ended up in the Police force. It wasn't unheard of for large clans to take a stock of people - even Sakura had been invited for a 'bonding' dinner once she'd become a part of Sasuke's genin team.
However, there was no reason to have one now. I was overreacting slightly - I knew it - but Itachi was old enough to make his decisions on his own. This interruption into his life was ridiculous.
I found myself wondering just how he could live like that.
But even then, there was something off about the whole situation. I hadn't stepped foot in the Uchiha house when all the members were present in a long, long time, but something definitely was different. Something about Itachi and Fugaku and Mikoto. Sasuke seemed blissfully unaware of the whole thing, but I…
"It's alright," I said finally, nodding at the Uchiha Matriarch who merely smiled sadly, as if aware of my thought process. It was the same look I'd seen on Itachi a few days prior, and it suddenly struck me that he took a lot after his mother, as opposed to his father. I'd be the first to say that Sasuke was a mini-Fugaku, but seeing the way he'd jumped in to redirect the conversation, I had second thoughts about the whole thing.
"We're leaving, Shiyako-chan! C'mon, I'll drop you and Sakura-chan home!" Naruto called out, entering the kitchen in burst of orange. "Teme says he has to rest, but I'm sure he'll come too. Let's go!"
I followed him outside to where my sister was wearing her shoes. At the sight of my face, some tension in her body leeched off, and I smiled gratefully. It was always nice to know somebody cared.
"Teme!" Naruto hollered, almost bursting my eardrums, "Come out! Don't be such a lazy bastard! If you don't, I'll tell everyone about the time -,"
For one second, Naruto was standing in front of me, and in the other, he had been thrown out of the door into the street. Sasuke rushed after him, fist still raised, and the blond responded by grinning widely at the challenge, raising his own fists.
"Naruto! Sasuke!" Sakura literally screeched, and I could feel the edges of the famous temper rising, "Not here, at least! Kakashi -," she began, turning around to see if she could spot the fourth member of her team, and then groaned loudly when she realized he wasn't there to mediate the fight with her.
"Training ground 4?" Sasuke challenged, eyes gleaming.
"You got it!"
With two loud poofs, the two disappeared. Sakura hurriedly threw on her own sandals before waving at me quickly as she rushed out of the house. "I have to go, Nee-chan, they're both almost always -. "
Poof.
"Near death after their spars," I completed wryly, rolling my eyes. "Trust me, I know."
After all, I'd spent more than half my days wrapping their sorry asses in bandages. It hadn't taken both Sakura and I long to reach the conclusion that wasting chakra on those idiots was absolutely pointless. Plus, if we didn't heal them, they couldn't go out and continue their stupid spars.
"They're a little high-strung," Mikoto commented delicately from behind me.
I shrugged. "I suppose. I'll be going now, Mikoto-sama. Thank you for the dinner."
As I stepped out of the house, another figure slid seamlessly through the door. Itachi's dark eyes fixed themselves in the space above my head. "I'll drop you home."
"Oh, no! There's no need -,"
"I insist."
"It isn't nice for a gentleman to let a lady walk home alone, Shiyako-chan," Mikoto said before I could open my mouth and begin arguing. In the dark, she looked slightly amused by the panicked expression I was now sporting. I did not want Itachi dropping me home. For all I knew, he could break a few bones in the span it'd take us to reach my house.
"It's perfectly safe, Mikoto-sama!" I tried again, unable to let go of the situation. "There's no need for him to come along. I can take care of myself."
This really couldn't be happening.
"Then I shall feel pleasantly redundant," Itachi said, the corner of his lips twitching slightly at my wide eyes. "And it might just provide us an opportunity to get to know each other better." At the end of the statement, his eyes flickered to mine, deep amusement shining through. He knew as well as I did that I had no intention whatsoever of 'getting to know each other', as he put it.
I vaguely wondered if it would be considered terribly rude if I threw my slipper at his face.
"Oh, alright then," I muttered, knowing myself to be backed into a corner. "C'mon then."
He followed me in contemplative silence, the quiet stretching between us until we had exited the Uchiha district. It was only then that I noticed some of the tension had leaked from his body. He seemed infinitely more relaxed.
Again, how odd.
"Dango?" He said suddenly, jerking me out of my reverie.
"What?"
"Would you like some dango?"
I followed his gaze to the stall at the end of the road. The smell was enticing, and heavenly, and just right. But I…
"I'll pass," I said instead, coiling a strand of pink in my fingers, "I'm not carrying any money, so -,"
"My treat, then," He said, very friendly. His attitude had me all suspicious within seconds. "An apology for my despicable behaviour at dinner, perhaps?"
"There's no need," I muttered quickly, wondering if he wanted to perhaps poison my dango. Although, the Hokage did say I had nothing to worry about, and that Itachi was a perfectly loyal person up until our mission objective was complete, but something in him made me pause regardless. He was… well, he looked entirely too amused in the situation. It was wrong.
I could feel him eyeing me. "You don't need to be worried, Shiyako. I'm -,"
"Uchiha-san," I interjected, uncomfortable with the silky-smooth Shiyako that was rolling off his tongue in velvet and silk, "We aren't friends."
"Is that so?" He murmured, all shades of nonchalant.
"Yes," I agreed swiftly, dropping my hand to wring it in my right sleeve uncomfortably. "We are not."
"Well, I may have to remedy that."
Before I could register the faintest surprise at his voice, his tone, and more importantly, his choice of words...he stopped walking and turned to face me, black hair whipping in the wind. His eyes were shaded in the dark, enough that I could no longer even decipher whatever little he let show in them, and the yukata bunched together tightly as he extended his hand. Before I could stumble back, or throw out some meagre form of defense, I suddenly realized that he had pressed his hand to his heart.
And then he bowed.
I think he had just stunned me into speechlessness by that point.
"Haruno Shiyako," He began, velveteen voice low and carrying, "Will you do me the great honor of being my friend?"
"I - ,"
I didn't know what I was going to say. Or do. Or… well, react anymore. The thing was, Uchiha Itachi was… an enigma. An enigma wrapped in mystery and topped with a serving of Clan Pride and Huge Ego.
Or so I had thought. Had assumed to be the case. Had known would be like this.
Even Sasuke had taken a long, long time to get over his self-superiority, and that had happened only because Sakura could now crack his spine in one swift movement, and Naruto could beat him into submission.
But to see Uchiha Itachi bowing down to me, eyes downcast and… What sort of alternative universe had I stumbled into?
I just couldn't deal anymore.
"I have to go!" I blurted out, stumbling back. He had already straightened sometime between my thoughts, and was now looking at me with that thrice-damned penetrating look of his again, as if he could see things normal people couldn't. "Really, uhh… Sakura, and Mom, and uhh.. Hana -,"
Ultimately, I didn't even bother looking for an excuse. We both knew what I was doing.
I ran away.
{X}
It was only later, when I was safely sequestered in my room, huddled beneath blankets that I thought that maybe, maybe he was just trying to be nice.
Then again, maybe, just maybe… He was looking for a reaction.
I buried my head into my pillow.
{X}
A/N: Removed the previous one because everyone seemed to think I hated the chapter. Not at all, I assure you. I hated the amount of trouble it gave me though. Anyway, thank you for the reviews and following, etc etc. Much love. Much love to my beta as well, who picked out those annoying little errors that make me ears bleed when I think about them.
Honestly though, this chapter was a monster.