Now this is just a revised and re-edited version of chapter 12 for those who have read it. I hope to have the updates finished by next week and we'll be back on track. I added another 1,500 words to this chapter.

Disclaimer.... Am I the only one who thinks this is stupid? How would you make money off of this? I haven't seen a button here yet!

It had been only two days since their mission and they were nearing the borders of Grass and Fire. With not a team in sight, they had a fairly easy going trip. It still didn't sit well that Shikamaru was going out after the soldier camp, but she couldn't do anything about. Shikamaru and Zetsu were the prime team for the job. It was just that she had a bad feeling. She couldn't place a finger on it, but there was something that she didn't like about the news-more then normal. Perhaps it was just her nerves; with this being her first mission with Itachi and Kisame it was a good reason and very well could be the cause of her being nervous. Still she knew she needed to keep her guard up. If anything, she had two men on her side that were a force to be reckoned with- just to put it lightly. But otherwise, the trip was relaxing. Kisame kept her smiling with jokes and stories of Hidan and Deidara while Itachi put in a well placed comment whenever needed. In short they were getting along great and she could feel the stress from the mission ease substantially.

It seemed like a simple enough mission and the man they were meeting looked to be around Itachi's age- according to the picture. He had messy brunette hair and dark blue robe-like shirt and a silver sash carrying a prized sword. Hopefully he wasn't as unfriendly as she knew Itachi could be like. That would only make the mission more difficult; for her at least. When they had left the village, they had, or rather Sakura, decided that Itachi was the best carrier for the scrolls. And every shinobi knew that the person who was charged to carry the scrolls was the one who stayed protected by their fellow team members… He didn't complain with her choice but by the way his eyes narrowed ever so noticeably and the corner of his lips twitched, she was sure he was displeased at hearing the result of him being the one who "needed protecting"… Of course that wasn't Sakura's intention at all, but seeing his irritation towards her accusation, it only made her more uncomfortable. What she was trying to say was that he was the most agile and had the Sharringan, making the scrolls safest with him. Kisame had stayed silent and watched in amusement as Sakura dug herself a deeper hole while trying to explain that they weren't just giving Itachi the job because he was blind. Itachi hadn't said word the entire time nor did he get the chance with Sakura stumbling over her own words. Surely she didn't think he was weak because his sight was still bad? Growing tired of her insistent apologies and explanations, he walked past her and into the forest, with the others trying to keep up.

Since then they hadn't spoken of it and it was just another part of the past. Now it was Sakura and Kisame following Itachi through the forest that creaked and swished rhythmically with the wind. There were dark clouds over them and under the canopy of trees it was darker then usual as wind raked through the forest and the smell of the un-fallen rain filled their senses calmingly. The group of three didn't pay any attention to the weather and knew that Grass was close to Rain. It was just another cold front moving through the valley and on towards Ame.

"So then the plate smashes against the wall and Kakuzu is pissed because that means we're wasting more money! Hidan, Deidara and me take off running out of the kitchen and hide throughout the base," Kisame barked in laughter and Sakura smiled, just imagining the scene play in her head. "Next thing we know, Leader-sama comes storming out of his office while dragging an unconscious Hidan by the collar of his cloak and yells at all three of us to stop acting like a bunch of kids just out of the academy! Deidara and I are hiding behind Leader and he starts going off at Kakuzu about it being just a plate and not to kill any more members! Hahaa! It was classic!"

"So what happened to Hidan? I mean how did he end up unconscious?" Sakura asked.

"Oh him?" Kisame settled down. "He said he ran to Leader-sama's office and hid under the desk… Leader didn't find that funny at all," he said the last part in a serious whisper.

Sakura laughed to herself and shook her head. "There is never a dull moment is there?"

"Hahaaha! Never!"

Itachi listened from the front and smiled to himself. There were many stories to tell-more so then he liked to admit. He just hoped it wouldn't come to the point where Deidara had decided to "get back" at him by painting his walls pink and yellow….. That wasn't a pleasant experience for either of them….. Safe to say Leader wasn't pleased to hear that Deidara was in with Zetsu and Konan being stabilized and nearly meeting with death a little early…. Now that he thought about it, Sasori wasn't happy either… Hmm. Itachi just shrugged the thought away and continued through the forest.

It wasn't until halfway through one of Sakura's stories that the wind stilled for a few minutes before picking up once again. It was clear that the storm was starting to break and they would need shelter soon. The Village was only a few miles from inside the Grass border so it wouldn't be too long before they arrived. Looking over his shoulder, Sakura and Kisame were still talking away and hadn't paid any attention so far, but he wasn't foolish enough to think that they didn't have their guards up. Kisame was one that could be "falling over" drunk and still be a force that many would be certified stupid to go against. The girl, he wasn't so sure of. She very well could play the innocent, defenseless act off and still be ready for any attack, but he wouldn't want to chance it. In other words, Itachi would have to keep an eye out for her… just in case.

It was shortly after that the thunder clasped overhead and the first sprinkles of rain splotched over them. His steps didn't falter as he continued onward and was tempted at putting his hood over, but thought that he might as well wait. No use putting it on when it was only a sprinkle…..

Not even a moment later did something catch Itachi's attention. It sent the spark to ignite the fire in his instincts. Someone was there… in the shadows and the falling rain… more then one. More then four. More then could be counted as a simple team… How is it that he hadn't noticed them sooner? It was true that they were a few hundred yards off but they weren't your normal shinobi. The numbers closing in as fast as they were was enough proof for that. Itachi's pace slowed and Kisame and Sakura stopped in mid conversation; whether it was because he slowed down or they felt it too, he wasn't sure; just as long as they were on guard.

It all happened so fast after that. A sudden strike of lightning split the clouds, illuminating the branches above them were shrouded with ninja. Kisame, stopped short, next to Itachi with Sakura on the Uchiha's other side. None of the three made a move except the narrow of eyes as the men around them sneered manically.

"Look-y here, boys. It's a couple of lost leaf-nins," one teased.

"Watch your mouth prick," grinned Kisame as he pulled Samehada over his shoulder.

"Ooooh, yes," he said dragging it out mockingly. "Your sword is sooo scary, mista. You over compensating for something?"

"Hey," said another man above them who jumped to a lower branch. Sakura spun her head to look at him with her fingers twitching at her side. "Looks like this little bird got lost."

Sakura snarled while her fist took on an ethereal glow, but didn't move otherwise.

The man chuckled and waved his hands in front of him as if in defense. "Whoa-there. Haha. She's got some claws."

"Enough, Julo. We aren't here for your fun," said the first man who let his eyes wonder to Sakura anyway. He turned back to the other two and his grin returned. "I plan to make your deaths quick… Can you at least try not to give us problems?" It was a rhetorical question as he signaled for the men to attack. They did as told with no problems obeying and weapons rained down upon them in all directions. Sakura pulled her katana out and deflected all that came into her direct while Kisame merely set his mighty sword before him.

She wasn't sure what Itachi had done to deflect his own, but she hadn't seen him move more then two feet from the corner of her eye. Before she knew it there were people jumping from the branches and charging after the three. Kisame laughed and swung Samehada over his shoulder. "Take care of yourself kitten." And with that he took off towards four charging men with his fierce sword at his side.

Itachi was shortly after taking on seven at once, leaving Sakura the last four. One was the man who continued to taunt her as the "little bird" through the exchange of attacks. It really was starting to grade on her nerves and not long after she tossed a kunai from her sleeve that cut his cheek deeply, letting blood freely flow down his neck and collar bone. Another man took the time while she was weaponless and attacked, but she wasn't as helpless as he believed. Instead of dodging from an attack, she punched the ground just as he was nearly to her and resulted in him falling through the crater. She leaned down and grabbed her kantana that she had dropped while blocking an attack from the forth man, and pushing him back, making him stumble to the ground. Finding the pause in attacks, she turned to the man who was desperately trying to get out of the crater and raised her blade above her head and swung low, but before her shining blade bit into the helpless man, an attack of strange water hit her, sending her flying into the bark of a tree. A gasp left her lips as the wind was knocked from her and she tried to pull away but whatever the strange liquid was, it kept her like glue to the bark.

"I got the little bird," said one man as he walked past his fellow team mate in the crater. The other two nodded and sneered before attacking the Uchiha who wasn't having problems keeping off the other seven.

Meanwhile Itachi kept them at bay relatively easy while his Sharringan lit ablaze and his highest concentration. Three were now on the ground bleeding to death or already dead- neither that he cared about checking at the moment. Behind him Kisame was once again playing with his opponents and Sakura was off to his side… doing what? He couldn't see her but her chakra was starting to charge more and more. Was she fighting? Was this a jutsu? Or was she struggling? Not liking the odds that it may be the latter, he quickly tossed his hands into a fire jutsu and took a deep breath before sending fire balls at all opponents around him.

Before he could make another move Kisame was sent flying in front of him before hitting a tree. The rain was pouring down harder now, which wouldn't end well for the Mist-nin's opponents soon, but it still seemed that he was having some sort of trouble. "Hey!" Kisame signaled to Itachi who dodged a sound attack at his head. "I can't see that bastard! He disappeared!"

Itachi gave him a dry glare and punched another man in his gut and pulled a kunai before slowly drawing it across his throat- letting his body fall with a thud. Using the small pause between another man attacking Itachi, he looked into the direction Kisame was flying from; his scarlet eyes searched over every blurry shadow and tree before a small chakra inkling caught the deadly eyes. Itachi narrowed his eyes at the camouflaged jutsu and tossed a kunai into the direction, catching the shinobi's shirt, directing Kisame to the opponent's position. A sick blood thirsty grin spread across Kisame's lips and he stalked over to his last opponent with his trusty sword ready for the blood and chakra of the now panicked ninja.

Itachi left Kisame to his biddings and continued on while kicking another attacking ninja into a tree that crashed upon him.

Sakura struggled to pull her arm free and was only able to keep one of her enemies away by a few single handed jutsus, but she only knew a few from Kakashi and she had sadly just used her last one. The man was bleeding from his side and his sick grin only made Sakura squirm more from the strange liquid that bound her to the tree. "You're a little bitch! I hope you know that," he said in a wild mixture of anger and enjoyment. Angrily he tossed a kunai, biting into her own cheek and letting the blood run down, mixing with the rain. Sakura winced and turned her head by instinct as she felt her chakra start to heal the wound. Looking back she held back a gasp when she saw the man in front of her face. He pulled another kunai and held it to her throat. "Well, this isn't what I had expected to be doing when I woke up this morning. And yet here we are."

"Bet you wish you would have stayed in bed," she snarled back. Suddenly she twisted her wrist and stabbed the man in his forearm, making him yell out in pain. His grip on her tightened and a dark light flashed over his eyes. "You little bitch! Don't know when to stop- do ya?" He thrust the knife towards her throat when a sudden water bullet hit him, sending him flying off to the dark shadows of the forest. The man from the crater took this opportunity to try and kill Sakura but a cloaked man with dark black hair blocked his path and gripped the unsuspecting man by the throat before snapping it.

"Itachi," Sakura said in shock as he turned to help her out by cutting down the center of the liquid. Sakura settled to her feet and dusted herself off, not sure what to say exactly except for the obvious, "That's three times you saved me."

Itachi merely bent down and picked up her kantana before handing it to her and smirking. "Thanks," she said embarrassingly and saw a large shuriken flying behind Itachi. Without thinking twice, she wrapped her arm around his shoulder with her kantana that blocked the shuriken from stabbing into Itachi's back. She sighed in relief, still with her arm wrapped around his shoulders and her other hand on his chest. "I'd count that as two," Itachi said deeply with amusement. Sakura blinked and looked to meet his eyes before realizing just how close those inches between each other were. Emerald eyes widened and she jumped back from Itachi and a deep blush stained her cheeks. "S-sorry about that… I didn't mean to… I mean-I... Umm…"

"It's not something you should worry about," he said simply and turned around. He paused for a moment, "I won't be."

Again she blinked and looked at him questioningly but he was already joining Kisame with the last of the enemy ninja. Just what was that all about? And what was wrong with her? If she didn't know any better then she would say she was going soft on Uchiha Itachi. But that wasn't right. Why would she, Haruno Sakura, start liking Itachi? Sure he saved her life but that didn't mean much, right? Sakura stared at the direction where Itachi flipped and twisted with the grace of a panther before she realized she was openly ogling him in the middle of a battle and she rushed to join. Taking her place between Kisame and Itachi, she punched one man before they were left with three others that surrounded them. For nearly two minutes, they stared and all that was heard was the pounding of the rain against the leaves and thunder rasped above. The water fell in large bullets and Sakura's hair stuck in a wet mess around her shoulders and forehead. "Do you plan to just sit here and stare? I know we're bloody good looking, but hell, come on!" Kisame grinned at the three. Suddenly the three ninja looked to each other and jumped into the branches, taking the shadows as cover.

Itachi, though kept track of their chakra as they all split up. Suspiciously, Sakura and Kisame stepped closer instinctively and folded into a circle as they watched for movement. The corpses of the many were littered across the ground through mud and rain with blood pooling around their bodies. Cautiously, Sakura made a mental note where they were so she didn't accidentally step on one. Nothing was worse then stepping on a corpse or detached limb… at least for her.

It was then that the ninja started their attack and one landed on a nearby branch. "A little gift from your brother, Uchiha," he sneered before taking a kunai with an explosive note and tossing it across the forest. Kisame and Sakura watched it pass over head until it met another note in the tree above. Before another move could be made, the explosive note set off with an echoing bang that added to another and another in a circle all around the three in the center. Suddenly the forest was ablaze in a dangerous ring of fire and illuminated the shadows that shifted and danced around them. Sakura held her kantana out at ready in case an attack came their way while Kisame and Itachi searched for an opening to kill the last three. It was then that Itachi caught the traces of the three shinobi and focused as they jumped throughout the outside of the fire as protection all while Kisame and Sakura waited for them to attack. Itachi was growing tired of this game and reached for a kunai, but realized that he had used them on the many dead corpses that littered the ground at his feet. The shuriken he still had would do the job but wouldn't kill them unless he was able to get it in a vital spot-that which he needed his vision for with the fire blocking them. The senbons would work, but he would rather have a kunai that he knew would kill them in one stroke if he got it right. "Sakura," he said in the same stoic tone. Emerald eyes turned to see scarlet staring back over his shoulder. "Do you still have kunais?"

"Yeah, plenty," she said shortly. Before she could do anything else, a man dived above her while tossing senbons at her. Repetitively, she raised her blade and deflected them as Itachi reached a hand to her pouch and pulled a kunai before sending it at the ninja's chest where it lodged into his lung and he fell with a thud.

Sakura looked to see an explosive note at her feet and she stabbed it with the tip of her kantana before it went off while a satisfied smirk crossed her face and a blush still there. Itachi caught the chakra of the other two left and reached into her bag once again. This time, his fingertips grazed lightly over something warm- opposite then the cold blades. It was a smooth and refreshingly temperate compared to the cold rain, but he didn't waste time inspecting it as he pulled two kunais out in a flash. No sooner did his hand leave the bag did a warm fire spread through his fingertips as pain started to burn hotter. He kept from wincing as a sudden fever spiked and he took a needed step forward as the urge to vomit hit him like a tidal wave, crashing over every Kami given clear sense he had left to him. The roar of the fire and thunder deafened him and his eyes burned with new twinge, blinding him back to his original state. His ribs ached and he could feel his knees weaken drastically, but he stayed strong while searching for the same chakra. He tossed one in the direction, making a grunt sound out from the target and a body fall to a lower branch. The last ninja was now in a panic and started to make a break for it, but Itachi tossed the kunai, albeit crookedly and stabbed him in the ankle, making him stumble out of the tree and to the muddy forest floor. "Nice shot!" Kisame commented and went to the last survivor, not noticing Itachi's weakened form. It wasn't like he knew. Itachi could stand unbearable pain and not blink. Sakura was right with Kisame as they took swallowing strides until both halted and stood over the griping man who held his ankle in pain. With a contemplating stare and a roll of his tongue over his fang like teeth he glared blood thirstily. "I want you to send a message," Kisame said darkly to the man. "That's why you're still alive."

"Forget it! You'll just kill me anyway," he spat.

"You're damn right, but that will all be another day," he grinned.

"Go back and tell your leader that he better think twice before attacking Konoha again. It will be your downfall," Sakura added.

The man looked between the two before standing to his feet shakily and limping off into the woods and back to whatever camp he came from. "Nicely handled, kitten," Kisame praised as he gripped her shoulder tightly.

Sakura grinned back. "You like that? It just came to me!"

"It was effective. Maybe a little over the top, effective."

Sakura grinned and turned back to Itachi where she was greeted with a sight that froze her to the spot and her grin dissipated. No traces that it ever existed were present as she saw Itachi face down in the mud and unconscious; his body matching the corpses that littered the forest floor around him. Sudden dread and terror struck her like lightning and she felt her heart drop to her stomach. "Itachi!" she yelled over the thunder and down pour of the rain. Sakura rushed to him, slipping in the mud with her sloppy sandals until she landed hard on her knees by his side and flipped him over, letting the hard rainfall wash the mud from his face. She quickly checked his vitals and found his chakra mixing with some foreign liquid and his heart beating erratically against his chest; the beat undistinguished.

"Oi! What the hell happened?!" Kisame asked as he stood above her in his own level of panic.

"I-I don't know…" she said shortly as her eyes darted from side to side, checking him for any wounds.

"What do you mean you don't know?!"

"I don't know! It's plain and simple!" she snapped and turned to Itachi's unconscious form. His brows were drawn together and sweat pulsed through his pores. She raised a hand to his forehead and felt his fever that spiked. "There's something wrong. I think he was poisoned," she said urgently and started going into her medic mode.

"What do I need to do? Do they have a hospital in the village?"

Sakura shook her head. "It's a really small village. I can take care of him, but we'll need shelter."

"We can get him to the village in fifteen or twenty minutes… But that's the best we'll get in these conditions."

Sakura pondered for a moment and checked his vitals again before leaning back and nodding. "That would be the best for him… We need to get him there as soon as possible and I'll get whatever this is out…."

Kisame didn't say anything and leaned down before picking Itachi's limp body over his shoulder. He turned towards the village direction when Sakura's voice stopped him. "If we don't get him there in less then fifteen…maybe even ten minutes then I may not be able to take it out…"

Kisame blinked at the news, knowing that there was a slim chance Itachi would get there on time….

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The rain had ravaged her, her clothes hung limp on her slender frame. Sakura rushed after Kisame as they thundered through the forest, every muscle pounding to pick up more speed but both were at their limit. Try as she might, she couldn't convince her legs to stretch any further or move faster as they ran across the forest floor and jumping to some branches. They had just crossed the border… They were almost there.

She wasn't keeping track of time; there was no way she could. All that was left for her to do was watch Kisame sprint in front of her with Itachi's limp form slung over his shoulder. His onyx hair hung like dead seaweed down his gaunt face. She was starting to become panicked. What had happened to him? There weren't any wounds on him… Actually out of all three of them, she only had the wound on her cheek… Was this a different type of poison?

It was then that the color of crimson against pale skin drew her out of her panicked musings and emerald eyes widened once again. "Kisame! Stop!"

Kisame halted and looked to Sakura who landed behind him and rushed to his shoulder. With careful hands, she lifted Itachi's head just as he coughed blood that pooled from his lips. Fear struck her and she sent healing chakra to him, trying to help ease whatever pain she could. His chakra spiked against hers in resistance and she could only remove her hands from him, knowing that it wouldn't do anything except cause more problems. "W-we… we should keep going," she said in a stronger voice. Kisame looked to her before nodding and taking off in a sprint to the village. Sakura watched for a moment… just letting the rain fall as Kisame and Itachi disappeared through the dark trees. She was afraid. She had been able to help Kankuro and others with deadly poisons but this was different. It attacked his immune system as any other poison would, but there was something different… It made her uneasy and unsure; forcing her to slowly turn back to the twelve year old girl. She felt weak… Itachi depended on her and she wasn't sure if she could help.

Don't think like that! We'll be able to help him! There's only one other person who could help him and that's Shishou!

The thunder clap over head and shook her from her thoughts. She blinked and looked back to Kisame only to find her self alone. Forcing chakra to her feet, she charged with new energy after the others. Inner was right! She could do this… She just had to try. She wouldn't fail anymore… She wouldn't fail Itachi…

She felt a single drop of water run down her neck and make its way to her chest under her clothes. She let out one single tear. It existed for a brief moment as it hung on her lashes, but it was soon swept away by the rain.

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It was shortly after that the pair barged into a run down motel and ambushed the clerk. The poor young man was completely caught off guard by the two soaked ninja with a man over their shoulder. They charged in, nearly knocking the door from its hinges and demanded a room… NOW.

With fumbling fingers, he handed the pink haired woman the keys and told her room 13B. Quickly she pulled the keys from him and ran up the stairs to search for the room. Kisame stayed quiet and followed until they came to the room and she struggled to get the key into the lock. Again and again she missed and couldn't get it in with her shaking hands. She was cold and anxious to start helping Itachi, knowing that if she didn't get started soon then it may be too late. A bead of rain water dripped from her hair and down her shirt before she finally had enough and hit the door, busting the hinges as they rushed in. Kisame went straight to the bed and set Itachi down as Sakura closed the door and rushed to the bed side while pulling her cloak off and leaving it on the floor where it fell. She pulled her hair into a tight bun and pulled Itachi's cloak off as well. "What do you need, kitten?" Kisame asked from the foot of the bed.

"I'll need two bowls. One with water and the other empty. There should be some in the kitchen," she ordered; going into medic mode.

Kisame disappeared into the bathroom and returned with one bowl of water and an empty trash can. "Only one bowl," he said shortly as he set it down next to Sakura on the table. He looked over to see she had Itachi's shirt off with the scrolls and kantana on the floor.

"Thanks."

Kisame watched as her green hands traveled skillfully over Itachi's bare chest with her entire focus on him. Sakura didn't pay attention to Kisame's watchful eyes as she examined Itachi. His heart was still fluttering rapidly but she was starting to slow it down, keeping the foreign liquid from pumping and expanding throughout his body. Other then it sending his immune system haywire the liquid hadn't attacked his vitals or destroyed anything… yet. That wasn't like a poison. Any poison would attack the heart or liver… Even lungs or brain cells; destroy tissue. This only gave him a deadly high fever and stress; making him cough blood. If she wasn't careful then it could send his heart into a stroke or heart attack. Either way, she needed to get this poison out. Sighing, she looked to Itachi's face to see his eye lids clenched slightly and sweat rolling down his cheek. She knew he was in pain but she was impressed that he hid it so well even when in an unconscious state. Emerald eyes looked up to Kisame who watched Itachi with a blank expression. "Kisame. I'll need you to hold him down."

"Hold him?" he asked skeptically. His hesitation earned him a mutinous glare and he trudged over to the other side of the bed before holding his shoulders down lightly.

"Now you can't let him move around too much or it will make more damage," she instructed.

"Yeah-yeah," he said as she pushed a ball of water into Itachi's chest. Suddenly, the man jolted up and twisted, jerking from Kisame's hold.

"I said hold him!" Sakura yelled as she tried to force him down. Kisame panicked for a split second before he pulled Itachi back to the bed. Carefully she retracted her hand with the water and a strange blue liquid filling the water. She held her hand over the trash can and let the water spill before proceeding to repeat the process. As she let the water melt into his chest again, he didn't bolt as violently, surprising Sakura, but not as much as what she found in him. Just where she had pulled the strange blue liquid from his lungs, there it was with more this time…. Sakura scowled deeply and the troubled look didn't go unnoticed by Kisame. "What is it?"

"This liquid… It's reproducing in such a fast rate that I'm having trouble keeping up with it," she said quickly. Again she pulled all the liquid out and dumped it into the trash before setting another ball of water to his chest to find that she wasn't putting dent into it. "Shit! I can't get it!"

"Then what are we going to do?" Kisame asked as his own anger started to show. "Just let him die?"

"No-I can get it…," she snapped back before going quiet and thinking over what Tsunade had taught her. Finally her anger depleted and turned to determination. "I'll just need to use something a lot stronger…"

Kisame watched as she pulled her kunai pouch into her lap and opened it up to find her scroll. Finding it, she pulled it out and set it on the bed when a small cling roped in her attention to the ground at her feet. Confusion pulled at her as she leaned down to the ground and pulled the small glass vial to the light to see it empty. This vial wasn't hers. She had never seen it before… "Have you seen this?" she asked Kisame and tossed it to him. Kisame caught it and examined it over his large palm before shaking his head.

"Nope. Never have," he grunted.

Sakura stared at it in the mist-nin's hands with furrowed brows before she realized. "That must've been how Itachi got the poison… He used my kunais so that explains how he came into contact with it."

"What? But who put it in their? And why?"

"We'll think about it after I'm finished with Itachi," she said in a clipped tone and opened her seal- cautious for any other vials or tricks. Puling out some ink from her pouch she pulled the seal over her lap and started to paint in onto Itachi's torso and down his abs; over his shoulders, following down to his wrists. Once the seal was transferred, she opened the scroll a little more to show a blue seal with strange lettering before she set her hands into their position. Quickly she went through the mantra of hand signals, focusing all her healing chakra to the surface. The blue seal from the parchment glowed and split in two; one side joining to the many black markings on Itachi with the other half merging onto Sakura's arms and neck. Finally she looked to Kisame with the last hand signal in place. "Hold him down and no matter what… don't let up… Not even when he starts to scream."

Kisame's eyes widened at the thought but before he could utter a word, her hands were thrust with palms meeting Itachi's chest…

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Dawn finally cracked through the dark morning sky and washed over the village refreshingly. The village was waking and slowly coming to life as two hooded figures walked down the street towards the small tea shop a few blocks away. It had been a long night for both of them, but the taller of the two had gotten his fair share of rest shortly after his comrade's surgery. Sakura's technique had worked like a charm and had taken every once of liquid from Itachi's body with no problems. Though the seal only absorbed the liquid all at once, it wasn't nearly as painful as the end result. Once the seal contained it all, she had to force all of the mysterious blue liquid to be strung from his body at once… It was a quick process, but no one knew better then Sakura and Tsunade how painful it was to the body. It felt like someone cutting you open and pulling your very heart out. The expected scream had came- much to Sakura's dismay, but it only lasted for a second before all went silent; the unnatural silence replaced it almost immediately.

Even now, the scream shook her thoughts and she hated to admit that she was weak enough to allow it to affect her. After all the times she had used this technique when learning from Tsunade as well as the few rare times from the actual mission, it had never bothered her when the patient had screamed. But with Itachi, it was different. His scream had made her blood run cold and the bitter temperature set to frost her muscles. It was all like a ghostly nightmare that she was trapped in… Nonetheless, she had got her few hours of rest before waking and checking on the Uchiha to find him sleeping soundly with not a trace of a fever left. This made all worry wash away and leaving room for curiosity to take over. Wonder came to her as she stared at the trash can full of diluted blue liquid that she couldn't help but take into her own vial to examine it once she returned to Konoha. Hopefully it would give her an idea on who gave it to her and what it was for. Surely now she knew it wasn't poison… not normal anyway.

"Is this the place?" Kisame grunted in a good and natural mood.

Sakura looked up to the sign and nodded. "Yeah it is." Kisame stepped forward to see that it was quite busy with people getting their morning tea and breakfast. Sakura pulled on his cloak harshly, pulling him back with a glare. "What?"

"I don't want you to mess this up," she demanded with an accusing finger in his chest. "Don't go scaring the guy unless he's a dick- got it?"

"Yeah whatever." He shrugged and walked past her into the shop with an irritated Sakura in tow. They stepped in and looked around until their eyes landed on a young man matching the picture in the back corner booth. Sakura led the way to him and stopped shortly at the edge of the table just as the man looked up from sipping his tea and smiled warmly.

"Hello," he greeted calmly and motioned for the seats in front of him. "Please sit."

Sakura returned the smile and sat down with Kisame sitting next to her. "I assume you are Shintaro?"

"And you are Haruno Sakura, Hoshigaki Kisame… and I'm afraid you are missing your comrade…"

"He's busy at the moment," Kisame said shortly. "Let's cut the small talk and get this over with."

Sakura glared at the Mist-nin's rudeness but stopped when Shintaro chuckled lightly. "Haven't had your morning Sake?"

Kisame stared at him with a confused expression plastered on but Shintaro merely waved it off. "Luckily for you I came prepared." Next thing Sakura knew, Shintaro pulled out a bottle of Sake from his sash and handed it over to the shark like man whose stern look broke into a grin.

"Keh, I like ya!" He eagerly popped the top and took a healthy swig.

"I don't plan to make this long," Shintaro continued as he pulled a scroll out of his sleeve with an Iwa seal on it. He laid it on the table top casually as Sakura pulled it to her kunai pouch quickly, not wanting anyone to see it. She wasn't sure what this man was playing at but wasn't there a reason that they were trying to not let anyone know they were making a switch? The man seemed to know what she was thinking and chuckled again.

"It's best to hide things in plain site, honey. If we were to act suspicious then we would be treated as such by being watched," he explained.

"I'll keep that in mind. But wouldn't someone care?"

"Not in this village. That's why we're here and not in Tea where I normally make the switches. If it's important then I travel to this little village where no one gives a damn."

"Makes sense," Kisame commented with a tilt of his bottle.

"Well I am glad you agree," he smiled.

"We have something for you as well," Sakura said quietly and pulled the cylinder from her cloak before setting it over the table. Seeing Shintaro's amber eyes narrow suspiciously, she explained. "It came up at the last second but I wouldn't have brought it if it wasn't urgent."

"Alright," he nodded. "Continue."

"In short there was a Leaf village attacked near the border and burned with no survivors. A shinobi camp has moved through and it looks like Sound and Mist has made their first move… These two scrolls are explaining the where abouts and details of attacks that are supposed to be sent to Ame and Suna."

"I see…" He pondered it for a moment before nodding and sitting up in his chair. "I can have them delivered by this evening."

Sakura and Kisame blinked. "What?" they both said in unison.

"You don't think I do all of this on my own do you?" he chuckled and took the cylinder. "No. I have a friend that is excellent at delivering and….. borrowing without permission."

"Works for me," Kisame shrugged.

"And you do know what needs to happen if the scrolls fall into enemy hands?" Sakura clarified.

The man gave her an all knowing smirk. "I've been doing this for a long time…" He lifted his messy brunette hair and showed her his Snow forehead protector with the gash through the symbol. "If I wasn't good at what I do then I would've been killed long ago…"

"Sorry," she said embarrassingly. "I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't a chance it could go to the wrong person."

"Don't apologize. You need to make sure you can trust those around you… especially now. But let me tell you a secret." He leaned forward and smiled before whispering, "My favorite drink is jasmine white tea…"

Sakura furrowed her brows as he leaned back. "I don't get it…"

"Incase you ever forget," he smiled and stood up with the cylinder in hand. "I'll be seeing you around…" and with that, he walked out the front doors, leaving Sakura and Kisame alone before they too stood up and left.

"That last part was a little odd," she mused. Kisame just shrugged dispassionately and drank the rest of the Sake as they traveled back to the motel room.

Sakura eagerly sped up as they neared a small stand that just opened. "Excuse me," she greeted warmly to an older woman holding a sleeping two year old. She had short blonde hair with darker brown eyes and a tanned heart shaped face that smiled warmly. "I was wondering if you were selling anything yet."

"Yes," she said with her own smile. "I just have to put him down and I can help you."

Sakura nodded and looked over all the fruit and she eagerly began to pick a few plums and peaches out. "Is there something you want?" she asked Kisame.

"Nope. Not one for fruit. I had my Sake and I'm good till lunch."

Sakura turned back with the bag in hand just as the woman returned with a tray of dango's from the building. "Dangos?"

"Oh, yes. I just pulled them out… I'm guessing you would like some?"

"Yes please!"

"How many-"

"I'll take a full tray."

"…Oh… alright then," she laughed. "You must really like them."

"They're in my top five favorites, but a friend of mine really likes them," Sakura explained excitedly.

"And where is your friend now? Sleeping still?" she asked as she pulled the dangos into a carry out box.

"He isn't feeling well. He just got over a terrible fever," Sakura said.

"Oh that's too bad. Well in that case it's on me," she smiled and handed Sakura the box and fruit.

"No-I couldn't-"

"Non-sense," she waved. "I hope your friend feels better."

"Thank you very much," Sakura said with a polite bow as she and Kisame made the rest of the trek back to the motel.

Finally reaching it, they went straight up stairs and opened the door quietly as to not wake Itachi. Walking in with the door shutting behind them, Sakura and Kisame paused then froze as each face turned blank while they looked around the empty room… Empty bed…

"Where is…"

"Good question."

Before they had time to panic, Itachi walked out of the bathroom with his t-shirt on and pants as well as his faithful kunai pouch strapped to his thigh. Blank onyx eyes found them immediately with his expression passive. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"Because you were out like a light," Kisame grinned and made sure the door closed all the way behind him.

"You should've woken me instead of leaving me here," he said in a stern tone.

Sakura rolled her eyes at his Kakashi-like nobility. "Stop acting stubborn. It's done-we got the scroll- and we brought breakfast." She held up the bag as proof and walked to the table where Kisame had fallen asleep on the night before.

"That doesn't make it alright, Haruno. Acting on your impulses is going to get you hurt. I'm sure Kakashi would have taught you that."

"Are you going to complain just because you slept in?" Sakura asked while pulling the food out and setting it on the table. Even though she was truly, surprisingly, relieved that he was alright after the scare he gave her the night before, his honor and pride was starting to wear her patience down. "You can't expect to be the center of every mission, you know. It doesn't work like that."

Kisame nodded his head in agreement. "You're not invincible. Hell I'm not even close."

This earned him a mutinous glare but the Mist-nin was wise to keep his eyes on the sake in hand. "That's not the point. You shouldn't expect me to sleep around while you finish our missions," he explained coldly.

"You needed rest, Itachi," she said in a sharper tone. "There is nothing shameful about sitting out ONE mission after an ambush like last night."

Itachi didn't seem phased by her words while he watched her back as she continued pulling out the food. "You underestimate my abilities, kunoichi. I'm stronger then your previous teammates."

Sakura finally spun around to face him and glared dangerously at the impassive man. "You have a lot of nerve! Damn it! You were poisoned last night and I thought we were going to loose you!! I'm sure you feel fine now after all the fucking work we went through but you could at least do us the favor at not unraveling it! All you had to do was get rest and that was it! You're so stubborn and prideful at times that it drives me up a fucking wall!"

Itachi narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to tell her that she didn't have to worry about him being poisoned; that he would've been fine but she cut him off.

"You're not expected to be the strongest anymore…" she said firmly, but he heard the sad truth under it. "You're our team mate and friend now… not a prodigy…"

Itachi blinked and watched her blurry form for a moment before she turned and pulled out a box. "Here's your dangos." With that she walked past him and out of the room while closing the door quietly behind her.

Itachi looked between the dangos and to the door then to Kisame who stared at him. "How bad was it?" he asked stoically.

"You were in bad shape… I wasn't sure if we would get you here in time to remove the poison."

There was a tense moment of silence before Kisame added. "She stayed up nearly all night with you. Even though she was exhausted after the jutsu at removing it."

Itachi said nothing and picked up the box of dangos and grabbed a plum from the table. Kisame took another swig of the sake, depleting the last of it. "Anyway, you didn't miss anything," he continued. "It was pretty quick and easy." After not getting any response he looked to Itachi only to find he was all alone in the room with a bag of remaining peaches and plums. A crooked grin curled his lips and he went to the bed before stretching out the kinks and falling asleep in a light nap.

*************************************************************************

Sakura found herself on the steps in front of the motel and watched as people walked past her with their normal activities and a few other shinobi teams traveled up the street while nodding to her. There were still dark clouds over head but nothing that would break into rain. A calming wind played with her locks as she thought back on her brief argument with Itachi. For a moment there she had thought she was standing in front of Sasuke. The way he was putting the mission first instead of his health… the way she was worried for him… Wait! She wasn't worried… Not like that anyway. It was just a concern between comrades-nothing more.

Suuure, inner teased and rolled her eyes. Sakura ignored her.

She was starting to fall again wasn't she?..... Just this time it was for a different Uchiha and completely different circumstances. Sighing she thought back to the many times that Itachi had saved her. That was one thing that Sasuke didn't do for her unless it was for the mission's benefit or Kakashi or Naruto told him to. She could still remember the Chunnin exams when Gaara had attacked her team and she had thought it was Sasuke that had saved her but in fact it was Naruto. He even admitted to it not being him…. Was she really that unimportant to him?....

That was a dumb question. But whenever Itachi saved her he actually would smirk and say his own little comment. Even after her exams he had told her to let Tsunade heal her wounds and she would bet her life that Sasuke would never have offered that. They were two different men, two different shinobi… with two different stories.

Shaking her head she sighed. She couldn't fall for Itachi. She just couldn't deal with the pain again, even if Itachi would never leave the village. It wasn't like Itachi cared about her anyway and a relationship had to be for both people, not just her…

After waiting for a moment and depressing moment with another long sigh, she made a move to get up and head back but a voice stopped her. "I hope you aren't leaving on my account."

Sakura turned back to see Itachi standing behind her with dark hooded eyes blinking slowly at her bemused expression before walking to her form slowly to take a seat next to her on the steps. Sakura could only watch him with both emerald eyes as he stared in front of him with his arms resting on his knees whilst he stared off at the people walking by. He seemed peaceful enough and when he didn't say anything, Sakura relaxed her shoulders and looked back to the citizens, taking in the clean air. It was peaceful now, which she was surprised at, though she didn't ponder on it, only relaxing back and al previous thoughts gone. If she was completely honest with herself she would admit that it was him who seemed to be the source of her strange moods. He could make her feel peaceful with silence and yet he could infuriate her with his pride. Stupid man…

After a few passing moments Itachi looked to her and held up the box of dangos and the plum in offering which after a pause she took one of each with an embarrassed smile. Quietly they sat with each other and ate comfortably, each letting the wind run through their hair and the small inkling of sun that peered upon the town from the clouds above.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Sakura bit into the dango, savoring the taste while staying oblivious to his unashamed staring. Itachi broke the silence. "I suppose you're right."

Total shock washed over Sakura and she looked to Itachi, not expecting him to actually apologize. It was then that she realized just how close they were and how dark his eyes seemed to hold her to the spot. Swallowing her food she dropped her head a little. "Well I was… a bit harsh. I'm sure that was just a natural reaction when I took a blow to your ego."

"It was," he admitted with a smirk.

Sakura smiled and took another bite of her plum-making sure not to allow any juices to spill over her chin- though inner was eagerly waiting for a repeat.

"I appreciate you helping me though," he said to break the silence. "I hadn't realized it was that severe…."

Sakura stared at him for a moment. "You hadn't had…um… a team care like that have you?"

Black eyes looked to her with an unreadable expression before looking back at the street. It was then that Sakura knew… "Your family didn't care either," she stated more then asked.

Not liking the topic at hand he still felt like he needed to give her some explanation. "My clan expected the mission to be finished perfectly with no flaws. It's been like that since I was four."

"That must have been hard," she admitted softly; surprised to hear Itachi opening up to her even if it was two sentences. As far as she cared it was two more then what she normally got.

Itachi wasn't sure why he cared to tell her this, but it just felt right. Perhaps it was because he knew she would understand… or maybe because he felt like he owed it to her? No it wasn't that.

"Compassion wasn't in my training. Just to fight and kill. When they finished training me to kill with precision, they taught me to stay alive. If you were wounded, you kept going until you died."

"How could they do that? Not even the academy was that tough."

"It was just the Uchiha way."

"What about Sasuke? Did he have to train like that?"

"…" A long pause. "No."

Sakura frowned at the short answer but figured there was more to that then what he gave off. He was starting to open up… that's more then she expected. She wouldn't push him though. In time he would tell her.

Itachi though had his own questions and though he was patient in the battle field the same couldn't be said when something truly held his interest such as this kunoichi beside him. "I find it apprehensive that you would go through that trouble to help me. Why not let me die? Then Sasuke wouldn't have to kill me and he would return to you."

She gave him a mild glare. "I'm not that cold and I hate it that I even have to tell you that. Sasuke is on his own as far as I'm concerned. We tried to let him in, but he just kept us out. The Sasuke we know is lost. Besides, I like having you around a lot more then Sasuke," she admitted softly. Itachi smirked and a light air seemed to spread through him, though he brushed it off as nothing.

"Well that's good to hear," he said with his smirk turning smug. Sakura couldn't help but laugh lightly as he ate another dango. A man started walking up the steps and muttered a quiet "Excuse me" while Itachi leaned out of the way against Sakura to allow him to pass. A hot blush stained her cheeks and she turned her head down letting her hair curtain around her, hoping that Itachi wouldn't see. She could feel his chest against her shoulder and his soft hair tickled her arm accompanied by the musky scent mixed with pine. She shamefully wanted to lean against his chest and bury her head under his chin-the new and foreign feeling instantly scaring her. She wasn't the only one taking in the innocent closeness. Her own sweet scent lured him and he took a deep breath, inhaling her flowery aura until the man finally passed. Slowly Itachi leaned back and sat quietly while taking a bite of another dango as the cool breeze raked by them but Sakura was too focused on the heat generated by the man sitting next to her where their shoulders now touched.

Both sat comfortably with each other on the steps.

Sakura near the railing.

Itachi next to her.

And more then enough room for people to walk up and down the stairs…

Awwww!! I love these little moments!! They're the best!! Anyway for those who have read this, it is the basic same but I just went back and added a lot more chapters. The closer we get to the chapters before the more the chapters that you had once read will change, k? So if you don't want to read all of it again then you will probably miss a lot.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far!!