Chapter3 Recall:
Sakura had a chat with Itachi which led to the shocking discovery of where he came from, and somehow led to an impromptu shopping trip; a glimpse into Itachi's past, introduction of Lee and Shizune and a gift for Itachi.
Chapter4 – Kizuna High School
Monday morning
Sakura opened her eyes to the faint scent of woods and green tea, feeling slightly disoriented. She rolled over to the bedside table and saw that it was not only six in the morning, but it was also time for school. Causally stretching her body like a cat after a siesta, she came into a sitting position, only to find Itachi bundled in her thinly layered sleeping bag. She felt befuddled by the situation; knowing herself, she would never allow her guest, much less a carbon copy of her beloved idol, to sleep in discomfort over at her apartment.
"What happened last night…?" Sakura wondered groggily out loud.
"You're up early," came Itachi's smooth voice from the floor, causing her to snap out of her hazy state. She thought that she was used to his presence by now; apparently waking up to a sleeping hunk beside her (bed) took more time than expected.
"Itachi-san? You're up early," Sakura replied by hurling back his words to him, mildly surprised that he was awoke. Judging from the clarity of his words, he was conscious for quite some time.
"This is the longest I have rested since… Months." Between travelling to various lands to capture the Jinchuuri and running petty missions for Pein, sleep was a luxury that Itachi could not afford. It was not something that Sakura could easily relate to, seeing how bewilderment and perplexity were written all over her face. She is so easy to read, that I am starting to be worried for her, Itachi thought.
On the other hand, Sakura felt sympathy stirring in her stomach; she realised that the title of a ninja was not something to be taken lightly; the perks of their distinct abilities came with a hidden price tag of sacrificed sleeps and battered souls. When you gained something, you lost something; that is the balance of the universe, regardless of which world.
"Then you should sleep more, since you finally have no more missions," Sakura was overcome with bless for not being born in the era of ninja. She belonged to the group of people who held the strong belief that sleep was not overrated; it was the essence to sustain a healthy body and mind, therefore increasing productivity in one's daily goings.
Sakura kicked off her blanket and she proceeded with her morning routine. Once again, she was greeted with breakfast on standby – an empty porcelain bowl accompanied by a jumbo packet of cereals and an unfilled glass. Her eyes lingered on the set-up with an appreciative grin for a few seconds, not even realising that she had cereals in her food stash. She briefly worried if she was collecting a pile of expired goods at the back of her cardboard, and made a mental note to do a kitchen spring cleaning soon.
"I wonder if he's married back in his world," Sakura pondered, seeing how considerate and comfortable he was in the kitchen, as she chewed on to the delicate sweetness of cranberries and crunchy almond interspersed with the cereals. She considered him to be slightly older than herself, but she was uncertain. He had pretty facial features and a healthy complexion that were a stark contrast to the creases under his eyes and a masked intellectuality (based on his manner of speech), both associated with the wise and old. Sakura thought he came across to her as an old man who was stuffed into a youthful vessel, eyes screaming torment at having witnessed too much.
Shortly after her unsuccessful train of thoughts, she was joined by the person in question, who soundlessly sat opposite her for his share of breakfast. She did not even catch him moving passed her!
"You like cereals?" Sakura initiated.
"I am alright with it; they reminded me of home." Itachi offered offhandedly. Sakura flipped her eyes towards him, but his expression was carefully guarded and unreadable. She was not a nosy person by nature, but that caught her attention.
"You must miss them, your family I mean," Sakura delivered, in an exceedingly soft tone, knowing that she was threading on a sensitive and foreign topic.
"I do." Itachi admitted with a forced smile, accompanied by a subtle lugubrious expression etched deep in the eyes that were staring intently at her. She could not begin to speculate the sort of life he was living back in his world.
"Itachi-san, why were you sleeping in my sleeping bag yesterday?" Sakura asked casually while tying her shoe laces on the steps in front of the entrance.
"You fell asleep on the sofa last night so I carried you to your bed," he explained like it was the most obvious course of action. Sakura's ears perked up upon hearing the word 'carry', causing her to tangle her hands with the shoelace.
"O-oh, is that it? I must be totally beat! Sorry to trouble you, Itachi-san." Despite her rousing embarrassment, the words smoothly rolled off her tongue, and he responded with a 'don't bother about it' nod.
"I'm going to school now, so please stay at home until I return, alright? I do not want you getting lost and not contactable."
"When will you be back?"
"Probably before two, so I will be buying our lunch along the way, so do not under any circumstances, leave this house, okay?" Sakura stressed, as though making a point to a disobedient child, despite their reversed seniority.
"If there's anything-"
"Sakura-san." Itachi gently interrupted.
"Yes?"
"I'm twenty-one, not a kid. I am fully capable of taking care of myself." This was Itachi's polite way of saying, "You are not my mother, and I am obviously older than you, so you can leave now."
"O-oh, okay, I'm leaving then, Itachi-san!" Sakura swung a final energetic wave towards him before entering the lift.
Itachi shut the door with a resounding click, feeling weird. He was always the one leaving home for missions, slipping on his standard ninja sandals before declaring "I'm leaving" to either his Mother or Sasuke. It had been a while since he waved someone off, and it certainly had been a long while since someone expressed genuine concern to his whereabouts, besides that Pein (in the ass) and ninjas going after the bounty on his head, of course.
It felt surprisingly pleasant.
Of all the buses that would take her to Kizuna High School and of all the vehicular circulations designated for buses, it had to be the one that travelled to The Academy and the central business districts. To add misery to despair, she was also the only one from her circle of friends to take Bus 184, so besides bearing the inevitable invasion of privacy and being corralled into standing like a stick (as though she wasn't flat chested enough), she had to experience all these alone.
"Oh no, I left my phone by the power socket!" Sakura mentally cursed herself for behaving like a klutz – first it was falling asleep spontaneously like a pig and having her guest feeling obliged to carry her hefty body onto his designated bed, then there was her phone and there was the teeming bus steering into her bus stop. Well, it's not like I can use them on the bus, she thought with boiling acrimony.
She could barely breathe against the wafts of excessive perfumes and body odour, much less fit among the sea of suit, ties, bandage skirts and no-nonsense stilettos. She recited her usual mantra, "I'm saving the Earth with this little sacrifice, I really am," but it little to assuage her plight or curb her rising concern at the persistent grinding sensation along her right profile. She dared a glance up and realised it was coming from a mid-twenties' wondering hand. What a jerk.
There came a timely jerk of the bus to a stop, causing her to succumb to the undeniable force of inertia, and entering a half-embrace of a pair of pale, strong arms to her left.
"You okay?" At the vibrating sensation reverberating through her body, she stiffened and launched herself off the secure grip of the cutest red-head she had come across since Sasori-senpai. The furthest she could get was as far as a flinch of her arms; the mysterious guy instinctively drew her closer towards the edge of the standing platform, and into the depths of his protective grasp and palpable warmth.
"Y-yes? Why are you…?" Sakura trailed off, her intonation clearing translating her rousing quandary. She tilted her head back and was instantly lured by his husky voice and distinctive features. He had framed his turquoise eyes with thick rings of black liner that brought upon an ethereal and enticing quality about him.
"I've noticed that guy's inappropriate behaviour next to you," he explained with apparent distaste to the uncivilised conduct, which immediately shredded light into his unanticipated actions. She dared a peek at the insolent bastard, who shied away upon making eye contact with the redhead's malicious death stare. What a craven. She lightly patted his firm grip around her arms in gratitude.
"Thank you." His selfless act of chivalry tugged at her soft spot for Gentlemen, igniting a sense of long forged bond, unburied after decades of lost memories.
"You need to be more careful." Her trance was broken by the bobbing of his Adam's apple, and she quickly stifled the urge to brush her fingers against the protrusion. Her eyes skipped passed his exposed collarbone, lingering for a second too long, before noticing her school's standard navy blue school tie and emblem sewed on his breast pocket.
"You're from Kizuna High?" She did not recall seeing such a cutie roaming the school ground, much less one with thrice the eyeliner as she had around the eyes.
"Y-yes, I just came to Konoha not long ago," his voice quivered for a second, taken aback by the sudden limelight on him. How cute. It was unusual for a new student to turn up at the perk of term two and she was brimming with questions. However, to avoid tramping over the unwritten line between concerned and prying, she forcefully quelled her snooping mind.
"Ahh, is this your first day? I could bring you around if you don't mind," she offered, the unexpected amount of courage coming from nowhere. His turquoise orbs twinkled with relief and appreciation at the unspoken request, the invisible barrier between two strangers gradually breaking down to reveal the start of a friendship.
"Oh! I'm Haruno Sakura," mildly embarrassed by the late introduction. He meekly nodded.
"Gaara."
"Sakura! Who's that hot stuff who you just escorted into our class?" Ino hissed before she had a chance to catch a breather. It was probably the most intense trip she had taken from the school bus stop to her classroom on the third floor. The ineluctable glances and hushed whispers did not sit well with her tendency for obscurity and innate need for discretion, despite the irony of her gaudy hair colour. Gaara remained moderately composed throughout their journey, carrying a quiet air of confidence with him. Sakura was jealous.
"Can you don't be so loud? He's just seated next to me!" She sibilated with enough volume to be only heard by her cronies.
"A-are you okay, Sakura-chan? You look flustered," Hyuuga Hinata, who was seated behind Gaara, inquired with concern.
"Where have you been all this while? I felt that it was easier to get Shino to crack a smile than to have you reply at least one of my messages or phone calls!" At the mention of his name, Aburame Shino's head spun towards their direction with an inquisitive brow raised. Ino patronised him with a simper, before edging forward towards Sakura.
"Never mind that. Quick spill!" Sakura sighed at her best girl's unfaltering curiosity.
"He sort of saved me on the bus-"
"He what? What on Earth could go wrong on a bus that requires first-aid?" If Sakura was not on the receiving end of her bombardment, she would have escalated into a cackle at Ino's comical facial expression.
"There was no first-aid, Ino... He just shielded me from a roving hand," Sakura went on shyly. Ino's eyes nearly jumped out of her socket, presumably to be equally impressed by the gallant act. Their question and answer session reached an anti-climax by the arrival of their homeroom teacher, Sarutobi Asuma.
"Good morning, the future of Konoha. How about submitting last Friday's essay before your dog eats them up?" Asuma joked affably.
"Hey sensei! Akamaru really did eat my last week's essay! Why won't you believe me?" Inuzuka Kiba pleaded with dog eyes.
"This is so troublesome…" This was the default reaction from Nara Shikamaru, as he submitted his ten page worth of wisdom, one of his rare show cases of dedication to homework, or anything at all. Asuma nodded appreciatively and gave Shikamaru an encouraging tap on his shoulder.
"Asuma-sensei, your homework is so dry!" Ino lamented, following in line after Shikamaru. The class murmured their agreement. However, the lack of enthusiasm only served to elicit a hearty guffaw from him, which explained his position as a homeroom teacher. He was probably the only person who could supervise a whiny class of teenagers without taking anything to heart, while retaining an everlasting passion to his job and an unwavering compassion for his students. As he did a quick swipe across the class, his eyes landed on Gaara, and nodded subtly at him.
"Class, for the start of this new week, we have a new student who came from the state of the Sand. Let us welcome him; fresh face, come on forward!" Asuma beckoned him with an encouraging wave of his tanned arm.
"Hello everyone, I am Gaara, please to meet you all." Gaara proceeded to give a solemn bow, his facial expressions looking anything but pleased. Sakura secretly wondered if he was suffering from first day jitters. Asuma nodded in satisfaction and welcomed him with a solid slap on his back.
On the way back to his seat, Sakura swore she could detect a slight flush on his otherwise composed face. The sudden arrival of a guy, especially one with his noteworthy features (namely, his extreme use of eyeliner) and unconventional charisma sparked a heated discussion among the charming ladies of Konoha. The guys were less shaken by his appearance – while some were observing him with varying degrees of intrigued expressions, most had already lost interest and were caught up in their own state of affairs.
Asuma noticed that despite the commotion over his weekend work and the enigmatic new kid, it was still a tad too quiet for Class 3A-01. He briefly did a head count, before his mental calculations were interrupted by a series of hurried footsteps along the corridor.
The class door slide open with a thunderous thump, and Uzumaki Naruto came pouring into the class, drenched in sweat and looking sheepish, panting slightly. Sakura did a mental slap, already predicting that he was going to come up with something lame, like being chased by an animal…
"Sorry Asuma-sensei I'm late! I was walking to school when a dog started chasing me… And I have to run for twenty minutes before it lost track of me!" Naruto declared loudly while scratching absently at his head. The class erupted into a choir of laughter, while Asuma gave an inward sigh and waved him to his seat, with no qualms that his story was no make-believe. This was Naruto we were talking about, after all.
"So why would a dog start chasing you all of a sudden?" Asuma was uncertain that he wanted to hear his answer.
"Well... I was kind of making funny faces at it because it looked so lonely sitting by the electric pole... Sensei, you lied! Kindness does not beget kindness!" Naruto huffed in displeasure.
"I wouldn't exactly call that an act of kindness, Naruto…" Asuma replied, while struggling to maintain a straight face.
"You disturbed the dog. You should have seen that coming, loser," Kanae Sasuke quipped from the front seats. Naruto shot an evil eye at the unwelcomed commentator, and they were instantly locked in a death stare of the decade.
Sakura was shaking her head in disbelief at the uproar caused by Naruto's rowdiness, and grinned apologetically at Gaara.
"That's Uzumaki Naruto for you, always in for mayhem, anytime of the day." Gaara shook his head to counter-argue her statement.
"Even though it may feel annoying, but I do not mind… The liveliness of the class, it's nice." Needless to say, Sakura was surprised by the unforeseen response. Behind them, Ino and Hinata were equally involved in their conversation, casting their reactions to another in the form of mouthed oohs and ahhs.
This was a start of a perfectly normal morning in Kizuna High Class 3A-01, with nothing short of trouble and craziness.
The Uchiha clan must be seriously mad at me, sending me here as a form of joke.
Given his usually hectic schedule, Itachi was not one to take rest days for granted. However, he had never felt so unoccupied, a concept that was entirely foreign to him. On his days off after a series of tedious missions, he would either look for Uchiha Shisui, his close confidante and dear cousin to hang out, or use the ample free time to polish up his already impenetrable defence of attacks. Occasionally, he would offer to train with Sasuke after his countless pleadings, and he would never fail to be amused at the way he would light up like a bulb. He was especially weak against his puppy eyes – just imagining it on the now matured Sasuke put a smile to his face.
I pray that the elders of Konoha will go easy on him.
As he was gazing lovingly at the lush extravagance of green stretching on infinitely against the celestial backdrop, which also occupied the entire land behind Sakura's apartment, he recalled the day he sensed Naruto's chakra in the forest, and was hit with an immerse sense of relief at his decision to leave Shisui's eye with him. It was probably one of the only things he felt he did right in his entire existence.
After a series of failed attempt at boondoggling, he decided to retreat into a mindless state of emptiness; he sat on the cool timber ground in Sakura's room, located the North direction, and mediated.
"I wonder what he's doing at home…"
"Did you say something, Sakura?" Ino asked.
"W-what? No! Man, I'm so hungry… I'm going to grab some lunch home!" Sakura quickly added on to distract Ino.
"D-do you want us to come with you, Sakura-chan?" Hinata, the ever kind soul, offered shyly.
"Hinata, that's a great suggestion! Didn't you say Naruto just painted your living room? I've wanting to see it for so long and there's also this guy-"
"NO! Gah- I mean, i-it's alright guys I wanted to go home, have lunch and read up on my medical studies… I've got an entrance test coming up soon you see," Sakura fired off in one shot. Technically, she was not lying; she did enrol for Konoha Hospital's annual entrance level examination to be qualified as the hospital's official staff. With her current status as a part-time assistant, she was excluded from many complicated operations and administrations beyond the realm of basic first aid. However, should she pass her exam, she would be promoted to a Nurse, where she would be attached to a specific department every year to learn the ropes and be better prepared for her next goal.
You see, her goals did not stop at being a Missy; for her dream to be enlisted as an official Doctor, she would need to pass her school's affiliated University's Medical course to achieve a doctoral degree, before she was qualified to take the hospital's higher entrance level examinations and fulfil her dream.
For this goal, she had been cramming up medical books and slogging herself away in either the school's library or her room. It was not just for her entrance test, but in order to hit the top five percentile of her high school to attain a scholarship, since she did not have the means to enrol in the University.
Smiling contritely at her crestfallen friends, she bid them farewell and headed out of the school gates. They followed the movement of her retreating back, noting the spring in her usually laden steps, and felt sadly relieved for her.
"Our dear Sakura… By burying herself among the mountain of books, she was able to suppress the painful memories of her parent's death," Ino muttered to a nodding Hinata.
"A-as long as she has a goal, she won't lose hope for life, and we can help her," Hinata replied with a growing smile, overwhelmed with ease that her other dearest buddy was coming out of her shelf of bereavement.
He had to pick this untimely moment to ruin the ladies' peaceful mood.
"Hey hey! Sorry for the wait! I had to stay back to clean up the class as a punishment by Asuma-sensei… Hey, where's Sakura-chan? She said she wanted to treat me to ramen!" Naruto exclaimed, oblivious to the ticking nerve of Ino.
"Naruto… Sasuke-kun is right; you are annoying. Let's go grab some sushi, Hinata!" Ino dragged an apologetic Hinata away, leaving a clueless Naruto chasing in their wake.
"Two takeaways for miso ramen, Tenuichi-san!" Flashing Sakura a thumbs-up, Konoha's ramen master began to work his magic. For some peculiar reason, she felt a rising compunction for abandoning Itachi alone in her apartment. She was certain that her library of medical textbooks and cook books fell short on the entertainment department, especially so for a full-time ninja like him.
Thank goodness I managed to get away. Should they discover that I have another guy staying in my apartment…
"There you go, Sakura-chan! The second one's on the house! It's your birthday month special," Tenuichi announced, and she was shocked that the ramen chef remembered his one of a million's customer's birthday; she was not even a regular!
"Buying for Naruto?"
"Er, no, it's for... My house butler." Sakura was not exactly lying, as she felt the word 'friend' did not feel right coming out of her mouth. Tenuichi appeared visibly startled by the information, and Sakura left before he could dig around further. Again, she felt guilt-ridden to label him in such a manner. It was akin to calling Kanae Itachi my domestic servant! As she brisk past the row of delicacies stores, she made up her mind to make up to him, praying that he had a soft spot to sweet things.
He sensed her presence the moment she stepped out of the lift.
"I'm home! Itachi-san, are you there?" Itachi was meditating in Sakura's room, and it bothered him that Sakura sounded like she was addressing her domestic cat.
Sakura drew in a sharp breath when Itachi stepped into the living room; he was wearing a modest grey berms coupled with the plain black shirt that they bought yesterday. Despite its loose fit, it brought a healthy contrast to his pale complexion. There was also the causal swing of his ponytail, which made her touched her short hair self-consciously. His carelessness and brooding expression only served to heighten his seductive aura. He was a beauty of his own class.
"You're so pretty that my eyes hurt," Sakura uttered, starry-eye.
"I'm sorry?"
Sakura could not believe herself; she had mistaken him as her beloved idol again, despite the lucid knowledge that he was on a world tour and had no business in her house.
"Y-you must be famished; as promised here's the long-awaited lunch, Itachi-san!" Itachi nodded and wordlessly took over the bags from her while Sakura went to refresh herself. She was looking forward to spending some time with Itachi, since she barely knew anything about him after all. She was also dying to know what he did to pass time.
"So… What did you do while I was away?" Sakura dived in before he even had a first sip of his miso soup.
"Nothing much. How was school, Sakura-san?" Even though it felt like an obligatory question on his part, she was certain that she detected a hint of genuine solicitous underneath his impassive façade.
"It was chaotic – one of my classmates, his name's Naruto, claimed that he was late because he got chased by a dog on the way to school! I think I felt ten times more embarrassed than he did…"
"Naruto huh."
"Yes, Naruto. As in that kamaboko (fish cake) in between your chopsticks now, such a cute name eh?" Sakura explained, mistaking his interest of Naruto for his unique name. Itachi recalled the time when he had a run in with Naruto and Kakashi. He was so impulsive and brimming with hatred, no doubt for the physical (and emotional) scar that he left on Sasuke, his eyes screaming revenge and loyalty towards his dear comrade as he dashed towards him. With this recklessness, he had no trouble imagining him provoking the most innocuous dog on the street. That was Naruto. Itachi's eye shone with fondness and mirthfulness at the inherited trait from his past.
Sakura was silently observing Itachi as she sipped her ramen soup, uncertain whether he was looking pleased with the Ichiraku ramen or with her short and silly recount of the day. Regardless of which, he appeared to be enjoying her company, which pleased her greatly.
Just then, she recalled the bag of treats in her school sling bag, and hastily retrieved it out. With a hand extended in front of an unknowing Itachi, he calmly reached inside the paper bag and felt three wooden sticks, before pulling them out. Sakura watched as he looked fixedly at the colourful sticks of dango, puzzled by his balk at eating it.
"Is anything the matter, Itachi-san? Do you dislike sweet things?" Sakura quizzed him worriedly. Itachi snapped out of his reverie and shook his head, quickly composing his facial expression.
"I don't dislike them, thank you, Sakura-san." She continued watching as he swallowed two of the dangos, noting the glim in his charcoal orbs. As though sensing her eyes, he looked up and locked his gaze with her, and smiled. It was unlike any of those obligatory or accommodating smiles he used before, but a bona fide grin. Sakura thought she would faint there and then. Who knew that it only took a stick of dango to cheer a gloomy person up?
"It still tastes the same…" It was barely perceptible, but she caught his last few words.
"Really? How does it taste like?" Itachi closed his eyes, carried away by the feeling of nostalgia and felicity that hit him with every delicate chew of the soft luscious dangos.
"It tastes like home."
After the satisfying lunch and clearing up of the dining table, Sakura retreated into her room for her entrance examination revisions. It was not just to honour her words to her friends; she did have a ton left to cover.
Itachi settled on the floor by the bed leg, slightly restless after the big bowl of ramen and unexpected taste of his childhood snack, feeling too free. He wanted to ask Sakura about the forest behind the apartment, but she seemed absorbed in her thick hardcover, flipping the pages slowly and pausing at each page for long stretches of moments.
Sakura was flipping the pages not because she had finished reading the contents; on the contrary, nothing was going into her head. How could anything register in the company of her idol's splitting image, who was also watching her back, literally, as she pretended to study?
She decided that was enough.
"Ne, Itachi-san, I suppose you like to read books? I am heading over to the library now, you want to come?" She figured that it was better to engage him elsewhere, anywhere but her back. To her immerse relief, he agreed.
Tuesday morning
Hmmm… What time is it now…
"It's seven in the morning." Sakura opened her eyes to a statuesque body lying on her bed, with one arm supporting his head, who was observing her with mild interest. For one horrifying moment she pictured that she was drugged and kidnapped by an extremely hot pathological killer. That irrational and somewhat flattering thought was scrapped the instant she became in tuned to the reality.
"It's what? SEVEN?! Oh dear I'm late for school!" Scrambling out of her sleeping bag and nearly slipping on it, she scurried around and fast-forwarded her morning routine, and in between, sparing a few seconds to admire the sumptuous breakfast spread "assembled" by her bedside companion.
I could really get used to this.
"I'm leaving; help me look after the house ne, Itachi-san!" Sakura burst out while struggling to pull up her knee-high socks quickly without over-stretching it. Itachi was just sauntering out of her room as she yelled a victory cry at her successful attempt.
"Sakura-san-"
"Don't worry I'll buy back lunch for us okay? See you!" Itachi sighed inwardly at not being given a chance to clarify his thoughts. He could make out rapid spamming of the lift button, followed by a distant protest along the lines of "Why's this happening to me?" Smiling ruefully, he felt that he could relate to that statement.
"Why's this happening to me, indeed?"
Itachi did a quick swipe along the corridor of Sakura's apartment, before focusing his chakra to perform a Body Flicker Technique to swiftly transport him to The Konoha Institution of Books, favourably known as K.I.B. It had been some time since he trained or even summoned his chakra for Ninjutsu, and his body was not responding well to his unused body. Even though it was only a twenty minutes walking distance between her house and the library, Itachi was feeling a slight languor and higher chakra exhaustion from the lack of training. Against Sakura's advice to refrain from using his "otherworldly qualities in the public," he figured it was more desirable for him to travel with haste (strictly speaking, it was still by foot) since he had his doubts about travelling in those long vehicles, or "buses", which stopped every five minutes or less. Itachi himself was a very patient man, but at the rate that it was going (or stopping), not to mention the horde of sweating bodies plastered against one another...
Adjusting his slightly crooked spectacles, still unaccustomed to this additional accessory, Itachi arrived at the back of K.I.B. The three storey high of raw concrete and glass, besides the extremely high ceilings, was chamfered at the left corner of the building, and the entire sloping surface was fixed with tempered glass that optimised natural lighting. That was the first thing that caught his discerning eyes when he accompanied Sakura here the other day, along with the faint array of carvings of the Konoha symbol along the façade of the library.
Hopping from the Golden Trumpet Tree onto one of outdoor balcony on the second storey, he passed by the sliding glass door and entered the library. He was instantly rejuvenated by the air-conditioned building, "one of the perks of modern era," according to Sakura, among the endless list he would encounter in due time. That piqued some of his interest for this alien world.
He made purposeful strides towards the only section that interested him in the entire building – Section 230- History. He was tempted to activate his Sharingan to facilitate his research, but unfortunately, he was not the only occupant of the section. There were a few students lounging on the arm sofas by the large window, immersed in their literature, an assiduous librarian shelving returned books and a wondering toddler who appeared to be in distress, presumably separated from his parents. He could also make out a couple's muffled giggles drifting from a few shelves ahead, at the Geography section. The irony of the situation - they apparently had the geography of their location terribly mixed up with their bedroom.
Itachi sailed past the irrelevant shelves and stopped short in front of a wooden placard with the word 'Konoha' carved across it. Is this it?
He dragged his hands over the rows of crinkled and yellowed covers, gripped by hesitation. Suddenly, Itachi was uncertain about proceeding. What if I… Shaking off the irrational aversion, he slipped out a navy blue paperback titled "The Hidden Village of Konoha" and began perusing through the Kranji texts written in calligraphy. It talked about Konoha's economic and military stand within The Five Great Shinobi Nations, a brief coverage of the Hokages and their influence on Konoha's growth and a quick report on the First to Third Shinobi World Wars and their devastating effects on the village. It basically mapped out the major events of olden Konoha in chronological order, and the entry stopped at Tsunade's election as the Fifth Hokage. There were no records of the Uchiha massacre.
Towards the end of the paperback, was an entry titled 'Noble clans of Konoha,' and sure enough, next to the Senju clan symbol the red and white fan symbol was gazing proudly at him. Skimming the footnote, his eyes caught some interesting information.
… They help found the Konoha Military Police Corps, establishing a stable and secure land for living. However, the entire clan, along with a grave number of elite shinobis of Konoha, was wiped out during an invasion of an 'ally' country. For their sacrifice, the Hidden Village of Konoha was able to strive on in prosperity, and they were thus deeply revered and forever remembered as the 'Great saviour of Konoha.'
He did not remember his clan fighting off any 'ally' country, nor was it mentioned in the Uchiha archives. Rather, he thought that his clan was the 'ally' and he was the one who did the 'wiping out.' He flipped through several more books dated back to his era, only to encounter more facsimiles of what he just read.
Should I be bowing in gratitude that the elders were bothered enough by the truth, to the extent of altering the history? At that thought, he could no longer subdue the doleful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"History… They don't always speak of truth, don't you think?" Itachi cocked his head to his left, where a girl, seemingly around his age asked him, since they were the only people lingering at this aisle. Normally, he would pay no mind to such passing comment, but her tone hinted at an underlying seriousness.
"What makes you say so?" He enquired with an indifferent tone.
"Look at these papers… They may appear to have aged with time, but the truth is, they were ersatz, made to be believed, meant to be deceiving," The mysterious girl continued. Her refine and demure demeanour was in stark contrast to her ceil blue hair and the eye-catching rose hairband, and her black jumpsuit only served to make her porcelain skin stood out. She, Itachi observed, also held vague resemblance to Konan from the Akatsuki.
Itachi smoothed his equally pale hands over the yellowing pages, infusing the page with some of his chakra. To his astonishment, the stain marks and crinkles melted off to reveal a blemish-free, white sheet of new paper, with the calligraphies intact.
He swivelled his head back up, but the lady was nowhere in sight.
Here he comes! Now is my chance…
"G-good morning, Sasuke-kun!" When she saw Sasuke entered the male washroom next to their classroom, she automatically rewind her rapid steps and loitered by the corridor, waiting for the right moment to spring onto him to strike a causal conversation. Though it felt like a perverted act, Sakura was able to convince herself that she was merely "giving her best, chasing for her happiness."
"Good morning." Sasuke replied, nodding in her direction. Sakura kind of liked that, a man of few words. Men who prated on would more likely turn her off, since they were either babbling on about themselves or generally too chatty for their own good.
"I heard there's a new sensei for our Geography class; hopefully he or she would be a little less fierce than Anko-sensei…" Mitarashi Anko, who had just been promoted as Kizuna University's Geography lecturer, was a bloodthirsty and unforgiving teacher. The other time when Naruto had fallen asleep during one of her intense classes, she expressed her female brutality by having him to take over her subsequent lessons of their class for a month.
The passing rate for that month's class test had been ten to thirty.
"That would teach you maggots not to sleep in my class!" Sakura shuddered at that horrific memory.
Sasuke responded to her remark with an inarticulate grunt. "Anybody would easily be less fierce than that snake of a woman." Sakura nearly fainted; she actually managed to engage Sasuke in an actual conversation, instead of the usual one-sided exchange. She released a soft titter to express her similar sentiment.
"I know! But, why did you compare her to a snake? Wouldn't tiger be a more fitting metaphor?"
"Hn, because you'll never know when she would sneak up on you with a vicious bite in toll. At least a tiger would growl before it attacks." Sakura was unsure how to respond to that; she did a double-take to be certain she had chatted up the right Sasuke. While it did feel satisfying, she could not stop the nagging sensation that his exceptionally pleasant mood had got to do with more than the replacement of Anko-sensei.
"Sasuke-kun, do you mind if I ask… Did something good happen this morning? You seem to be in a good mood." Sakura prayed to the clouds that he would not misinterpret her words as an implication to him being a usually sulky person, regardless of whether if that was the case (which it was).
Since he was seated in front, they were currently holding the conversation by his table. Sasuke was just hanging his bag by the tableside when she asked, and he froze by the unexpected question. He was about to respond when they, along with the rest of the chatters of the classmates, were interrupted by the languid and unhurried steps of a tall stranger, into their class.
The class descended into a unified silence, and Sakura made her way to her seat, equally curious by the stranger's appearance. Sakura rolled her eyes over at Gaara – when she thought that Gaara was the most memorable person (in the good way), this stranger had effectively kicked him out of his position.
A bed of spiky ash grey hair, a defined set of jaw hidden beneath a mask extending from his sleeveless tight black top, and his built physique, were nothing short of remarkable. Sakura felt a desperate tap on her shoulder.
"Sakura, looks like this class is finally going to get interesting," Ino hissed into Sakura's ear, and Sakura turned to share a look of agreement with the duo behind her.
"Ahh, sorry I'm late; not quite a good way to make a first impression, eh?" The handsome man started, while rubbing his hair sheepishly. Apparently, the ladies of Konoha dissented.
"By any chance, are you our new sensei for Geography?" A girl enquired, while the rest of the class broke into murmurings at the possibility.
"Well, that's what it says on my timetable – 8:00- 9:00 A.M.: Geography class at Class 3A-01. My name is Hatake Kakashi, please to meet you all!" At his confirmation, the class promptly broke into a rapturous cheer, mixed with squeals of delight by the girls and grunts of approval at the buff-ness of the new teacher.
"Ho, I didn't know Geography was such a well-liked subject among the final year students!" The clueless Kakashi chipped in chirpily amidst the commotion.
"Kakashi? What are you doing here?" The heads turned towards Sasuke, who was gaping at a grinning Kakashi.
"Ah, Sasuke? Sorry, I forgot to mention to you about my substitution for Anko-san. So now, I'll be officially teaching your class."
"That's right – Kakashi is the club advisor for Taijutsu, isn't he?" Ino whispered, while Sakura nodded absentmindedly. Sakura was busy observing Sasuke's facial expression, never registering such shock from his usually cool and collected character. They were currently having some light exchanges, and Sakura gauged that they shared an amiable and close relationship with one another.
"So, it's definitely not because of this that put him in a good mood…" Sakura mumbled.
"Can't hear you, Sakura!" She responded with a frantic shake of her head, while she mentally tried to figure the missing puzzle.
Waving to the security guards, Sakura entered the Haruna Residence, armed with two servings of cha soba (Japanese cold green tea noodles) and a bag of dangos. When she reached the front steps of her apartment, she was surprised to find Itachi's sandals gone. She began to panic.
"Oh dear… Where did he go to?" She laid down her bags and pulled out her phone, before mentally slapping herself in dismay. Right, he doesn't have a phone.
"Caw!" Sakura nearly dropped her phone at the exceedingly loud cry of the crow, which was perched on the adjacent tree branch to the corridor, partially shrouded by the dark canopy. She did not recall spotting any crows in the courtyard, or was she just inattentive?
"My goodness, is it looking at me? Is it cawing at me?" In acknowledgement to her string of doubts, it flew towards her and stopped to rest on the steel railings along the corridor. Sakura took an instinctive step back, before moving tentatively towards it, and was daunted by what she saw.
The crow bore identical eyes to Itachi; is that even possible? Sakura pondered on in bafflement. Or is this crow… His?
"Caw!" Her attention snapped away from its glowing red orbs to a rolled up note in its mouth. She gingerly reached for it and the instant it was pulled out, its eyes dissolved into specks of dull black, and the energetic crow flapped away, not once looking back. With her slightly trembling hands, she unrolled the note.
Sakura
I am at K.I.B., and won't be back so soon. Have lunch without me.
Itachi.
P.S.: I wanted to inform you this morning that I took your library card, but you left in haste. It is in my possession now.
Sakura groped for her purse and true enough, her library card was missing from its usual slot.
"Well, at least this time I know where he is... But the crow and the notes… It's the technology era for goodness sake!" Grinning fondly at his second handwritten note, she quickly refolded it and tucked it into her purse.