Chapter4 Recall:
The introduction of a new setting – Kizuna High School, where Sakura and friends were currently studying at; more character introductions, a delectable lunch with Itachi, a visit to the library, and a ninjutsu that scared the daylights out of Sakura.
Chapter5 – The Perks of Being a Ninja
Wednesday
"So… I'm going to divide everyone into groups of three based on each of your strengths to complement one another, so every team is fair," Kakashi drawled, as his lidded-eye expertly scanned the class to gauge the reactions.
"Sakura-chan! Let us be in the same group! With my awesome brain we'll sure top the class!" Naruto shouted across the class, with Sakura smiling tightly and waving him back down onto his seat. Kakashi's eyes crinkled in amusement at his perkiness.
"Baka, didn't you hear Kakashi-sensei's words? He gets to choose, not you," Sasuke retorted, instigating Naruto to be back on his feet again.
"What did you say? You better not be in my group, Sasuke-teme!"
"Hn." Naruto growled before settling back down, arms crossed while maintaining a nasty scowl in Sasuke's direction.
From Kakashi's perspective, it would seem as though they were having a lover's bicker, based on their publicly loud verbal exchange. However, knowing Sasuke for a while now, he knew he was definitely straight, and downright dense, or perhaps just unacquainted when it came to affairs of the heart. During their Taijutsu training, he did not bat an eyelash to the onslaught of girls who came to admire and support him after school. He even once asked Kakashi if they were here to sign up for their Taijutsu club, and that was the only time Sasuke managed to land a direct hit on his chest.
"Hai, hai. First up, for the team covering the mountains and hills, we have…"
"Lastly, for the team researching on primary and secondary forests, we have Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto and Kanae Sasuke."
Shannaro! Finally a valid excuse to get close up with Sasuke! Sakura fist-pumped discreetly beneath her desk, eyed lovingly at Sasuke, and silently thanked the clouds.
Naruto? You've got to be kidding me… Sasuke sighed in resignation and silently cursed Kakashi for even thinking about putting them in the same group. His eyes briefly caught Kakashi's, and he grinned merrily, or appeared to be (with half of his face hidden by the mask and all), with eyes squirting into downturn crescents. Sasuke scowled in return.
Hooray, I'm with Sakura-chan! But…
"Kakashi-sensei! Why does an outstanding student like me have to be grouped with that bum?" Naruto protested as he directed an indignant finger at Sasuke's direction vehemently. Kakashi cocked his head thoughtfully.
"Hmmm, the last time I checked, Sasuke was the top student in the third year batch, while you… Uzumaki Naruto? You were the last… We have to complement your strengths and weakness yea?" Kakashi concluded sanguinely, none of his optimism reaching Naruto.
"Sakura! Isn't this a dream turned reality for you? You can finally gawp openly at Sasuke-kun, maybe even snag a kiss or two!" Ino clapped on excitedly as their class ended, where the trio were holding a discussion over their respective teams. Sakura blushed, while trying to shush Ino, thankful for the nearly emptied classroom.
"W-well, that's true… I mean of course we aren't going to k-kiss! H-hey, Hinata is grouped with Kiba and Gaara, isn't that cool?" Sakura side-tracked, swiftly shifting the conversation to the suddenly stiff Hinata.
"Umm, which part of that grouping is cool? Sure, Gaara-kun is kind of cute, in his emo-ish way, but he's way too reserved! Now, let's not even begin with Kiba… A word for him – 'beyond hope,'" Ino concluded, accompanied with a dramatic sigh and a consoling tap on Hinata's shoulder.
"I-Ino, that's two words… And I'm sure I'll be fine. Both Gaara-kun and Kiba-kun look like nice people…" Hinata attempted to defend her new teammates, with Ino clearly buying none of it.
"Ino, yours aren't too bad, either! You've got a genius on your team! Think about all the possibilities!" Sakura burst out, while the light in Ino's eyes visibly dimmed a few luxes.
"Oh, why are we even discussing about my group? Sakura, you're right – Shikamaru is a genius, in sleeping, and Chouji? The only redeeming thing about him is that should we get lost on, say, Mount Haruna, we would have no worries about starving to death…" Ino lamented. The ladies escalated into hearty cackles, as they made their way out of the classroom, on the way to the long-awaited lunch.
"Hey ladies, it's been a while since we dined at the U's cafeteria. Shall we make an exception and head over to 'celebrate' our newfound teammates?" Ino suggested, swerving her cerulean orbs between the girls for opinions. They nodded their agreement. Why not, right?
Kizuna University, situated on top of a gentle hill next to Kizuna High School, was a school of affiliation which granted access for staffs and students from its sister institution. Due to the lack of qualified teachers, there would occasionally be combined classes for general and compulsory subjects like Social Etiquettes and Physical Education, and major school events like Sports Day and Dinner and Dance would also be a joint event, advocating the school's name and its mission – "Forged bonds, Unbreakable connections." Talk about corny.
"Ino, don't think I have no idea what's beneath the blonde hair of yours… You want to see him, am I right?" Sakura teased and nudged playfully at an innocent-looking Ino.
"W-what are you talking about? I've long forgotten about him; how many times must I repeat that?" Though Ino might appear miffed, there was no escaping the look of affliction that has replaced the earlier glint in her eyes. Hinata ran a soothing hand over her back. Sakura immediately felt guilty for reopening her fresh wound.
"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself, Ino. You have two people behind your back, remember that." Watching Ino being vulnerable triggered something in Sakura; she was used to be on the receiving end of her consolations, that she forgot that even a hot-blooded girl like Ino might be feigning a brave front for the sake of her friends.
"H-here we are!" The University's cafeteria, located under the Hall beside the picturesque landscape of rolling hills and carpets of green, was designed like a cottage – the food vendors were stationed behind walls of red brick with a mock pitched-roof overhang, the store name painted over the flat surface. Unlike the usual canteen with the bare essentials (metal table and benches, with minimal effort in design), they opted for timber furniture with low hedges of perennial shrubs surrounding the cafeteria, as though sheltered in the bosom of nature. Hanging from the ceiling were assorted bulbs strung on black wire in favour of florescent lights, along with hanging glass spheres of air plants.
"It's been so long since we came that I forgot they have such awesome view here!" Sakura exclaimed, nodding appreciatively at the details paid to the design.
"Yes Sakura, the view here is a class of its own," Ino growled in a low voice, licking her lips, clearly on a different page with Sakura. Sakura followed her gallivanting eyes towards the row of male seniors seated on the timber benches; each one looking hotter than the previous, if that was possible. The appreciation session came to a recess at the protesting growl of Hinata's stomach, causing her to blush furiously. Oh Hinata.
"Oh, go on girls I'll help find us a decent seat. Sakura, get me the usual thanks." Before Sakura could even ask Ino what 'the usual' was, she was already lost among the sea of pretty faces and tall silhouettes. Hinata motioned to the bento station and made her way to join the long queue. Sakura felt abandoned, but the short-lived notion was interrupted by her own growling stomach.
Picking the store based on the length of its queue, she skidded over to the western store (the one with the shortest queue). Although there were only three people in front of her, the queue progress was rather stagnant. Checking the counter, she realised that the vendor was engaged in a truffle with a female student.
"I said I want one bowl of mushroom soup, fish and chips with no fries and an additional baked potato!" The student repeated exasperatedly.
"I heard you girl, one bowl of minestrone soup, fish and chips with no rice and one baked potato-"
"No you only got the last order right… And since when does fish and chips comes with rice?!" The poor girl argued breathlessly. Observing the scene, Sakura suddenly remembered reading one of those inspiring posters which said," A shortcut may seem to save time, but does it not come with a catch?" She recalled reading that lame maxim and was preaching to Naruto about such hidden 'catch,' and here she was, failing hook, line and sinker. No wonder nobody buys from here…
"Women can make such a fuss over small matters, hmm?" Unintentionally overhearing the conversation in front of her, she could not help but begrudgingly agree mentally. Women did tend to overreact.
"Oops, I shouldn't be having this conversation with a woman, my bad, hmm." Hold on. The lack of response from the other party of the conversation, that annoying yet cute way of talking…
"Dei- Aww watch your hair, dude!" Before she uttered his name, he promptly rotated his body 360 degrees, resulting in his mass of blonde ponytail swinging full-force at Sakura's face.
"Sorry, and it's about time you realised it's me, Sakura-chan, hmm," Deidara quipped.
"Sounds like you haven't changed much," Sakura mumbled, but there was affection in her voice.
"Well, good to see you again too," Deidara paused to stifle his soft laughter before continuing," So what you doing here, hmm?"
"Ino suggested that we skip the high school food and come over here instead…" At the mention of Ino's name, Deidara's carefree and mirthful demeanour turned slightly gloomy, and Sakura mentally kicked herself for her brainlessness. For goodness' sake, and twice in a row!
"Hey sorry Dei-"
"How's she, I mean how's Ino, Sakura-chan?" Deidara beseeched, and Sakura stole a look over at where Ino was seated, where she was eyeing hungrily at the male seniors. The last thing she wanted was to be caught making a civil conservation to her ex.
"She's coping fine, what about you?" Sakura lied. If Ino's earlier reaction was any indication, it was that she was still hung up over their break up.
Before Sakura moved into Haruna Residence, where she was currently residing, she lived with her parents over at one of the terraces along the tranquil Bloomsbury Street. It bloomed with friendly faces and was on high demand for its proximity to cosy cafes and The Academy. Deidara, the adopted boy next door, would occasionally loiter outside Sakura's house, and whenever she came out to talk to him, he would scramble off, leaving only an oak-leaf geranium by her timber gate.
Every week, he would repeat his silent act, not once talking to her. She dared a peek into her neighbour's front yard, and spotted a mass planting of the similar-looking oak-leaf geranium, with several purple flowers missing among its full-bloom.
"Wow, did he plug Kiki baa-chan's flowers for me?" Sakura pondered out loud. She knew how protective Kiki baa-chan was over her plants. "Is he trying to tell me something?"
Curious, she brought the stalk of flower to Ino's flower shop one street down, and asked Mrs Yamanaka what the flower meant, much to the Lady Boss's delight at the kid's interest in flower language.
"Oh, oak-leaf geranium represents 'True friendship," she replied lovingly.
"Mrs Yamanaka, what does that mean?" The innocent Sakura enquired, peering up at the amused lady.
"It means, Sakura-chan, that the person wants to play with you," She explained patiently in a child's language. Bowing her thanks, she tottered off, cradling the flower tenderly in her arms.
The following week, when Deidara was leaving the house to carry out his routine, he nearly stepped on the same flower he was gripping in his small palm, laying outside his gate. Baffled, he carefully picked it up and glanced ahead to see a head of pink peeping at him behind her gate.
"It's for you!" Sakura shouted and quickly jumped behind her gate to hide her creeping blush.
That was the first time they interacted, where a single stalk of flower blossomed into an unbreakable friendship.
"You are switching the subject, Sakura-chan, and you do that when you're nervous... Well, in terms of studies? I'm having a high time, but in terms of my heart? I can't describe…" Deidara declared honestly, one hand grabbing where his heart was, body bending slightly in dramatic agony. Sakura had to give it to him – one moment he was acting all urgent and concerned lover, and in the blink of an eye he was back to his mischievous self. It was no wonder Ino was always threading between love and hate for him, recalling her 'fluctuating' love report.
"Dei, if you still love her, why not just…" Sakura proposed, but was stopped by a firm hand.
"Sakura-chan, you know better than any of us why I broke up with her, so why bother?" Deidara replied and smiled ruefully. Sakura could not understand why two people who were deep in love could not be together; what more for one-sided love? (Re: Sasuke-kun, hash-tagged extremely dense)
"Girl! What do you want?" The touchy vendor barked at Deidara, and Sakura was struggling to contain her giggle at the vendor's address. Deidara heaved a resigned sigh, rolled his eyes at the amused Sakura before turning to face the source of his annoyance.
"For the record, I'm a hundred percent man and could I have a plate of chicken cutlet please, hmm," Deidara rattled off with displeasure. Sakura noticed that the vendor was no longer glaring holes at her customer, but had turned all dewy-eye as she was doing an appreciative scan at Deidara. Knowing him since young, it was easy for her to overlook his, devastating effect on girls and aunties, as in the case of the western vendor, in at least twenty meters radar.
"Oh boy, you sure look like a girl from the back! Chicken cutlet coming up, Sir," the old woman purred coquettishly, making Sakura gagged.
"Oh Dei, this is the only reason Ino was glad for the breakup; girls would finally stop pestering her to be their girlfriend," Sakura was barely able to articulate her words before escalating into a torrent of cachinnate, eliciting a scowl from Deidara.
"Took you long enough, Sakura," Ino said pointedly as she retrieved her plate of 'the usual,' which Sakura assumed to be grilled salmon, being the priciest and healthiest, from her full hands. Sakura could not exactly say that she was catching up with her childhood neighbour slash ex, at least without getting an earful and a death stare. Just this once, she lowered her head in mock repentance and remained mum, even though she was dying to shout "Would you two just patch back, damn it!"
"H-here, have some of these," Hinata offered, and peeled open a lunchbox of tasteful hors d'oeuvres.
"Wow! I didn't know they served French here!" Sakura exclaimed as she helped herself to one serving of the appetiser.
"They don't, it's from Neji nii-san. I saw him just now and he gave this to me," Hinata clarified softly, while two pink spots surfaced on her porcelain face. The ladies were visibly impressed that someone as posh as Neji could cook.
"Oh right, he's a freshman in Kizuna U, what a coincidence to collide with his lunch time!" Sakura recalled.
"It must feel nice, to have a guy pack handmade lunch for you," Ino added offhandedly, and the girls have a distant impression that she was not referring to Neji's lunch box.
"I swear, that guy looks like a shark," Ino hissed as they were biting into their hors d'oeuvres, her eyes focused on the pool of wandering males, not even realising as she bit into the cupcake paper.
"But boy, Neji's cooking sure tastes bland!" That elicited suppressed chuckles from the girls, to a clueless Ino, who continued ogling openly.
"Hey team, let us start our discussion! But first, what is our topic again?" Naruto asked. Sakura face-palmed and remained perplexed at how Naruto managed to pass his last two years of final examinations. Every Wednesday in Kizuna High, last hour period was allocated as 'Free,' allowing students to focus on subject of their preference. It was a privilege exclusive to the third year students.
"We're doing on ramen…" Sakura mumbled.
"No way! Hey! Sakura-chan don't joke about ramen! They're serious business," Naruto huffed and crossed his arms in indignation. Sakura slanted her eyes towards his, and sure enough his eyes have turned glossy, already fantasising about his miso ramen.
"Baka, only you would prize ramen as high as gold," Sasuke inserted brusquely, looking distractedly at his watch. Both Naruto and Sakura turned to eye him with incredulity.
"S-Sasuke, did you just… Talk to me normally?" Apparently, the thing next to ramen that could shut his mouth was Sasuke engaging him in a decent conversation. Sakura watched on, soaking up in Sasuke's prowess on both the female and male species. Sasuke made a swift glance on his watch again, and began packing his bag, making an abrupt exit from the classroom.
"Hey! Where are you going?"
"We'll continue the discussion tomorrow!" Was Sasuke's only reply, conveniently evading the question, before he disappeared along with the sound of his shuffling feet. Sakura followed suit, hoping to catch up to Sasuke so they could leave together. She also planned on surprising Itachi with her early 'homecoming,' since she suspected that they would hardly get anywhere without Sasuke.
"Hey! Where are you going too, Sakura-chan?"
"I'm leaving; I need to go home and prepare for my med exams. I'll make up to you tomorrow!" Waving a pouting Naruto farewell, she made her way to the school gate. Since yesterday, Sasuke had been behaving aberrantly, and she wanted to catch a few words with him to find out the reason why.
Scanning the bleak parade square before the gate, Sasuke was nowhere in sight. He couldn't have left already!
"Oh god, that guy is so cute!" Sakura spun around to see two freshmen girls pointing and sending furtive glances ahead of her, speaking in hushed but giggly tones. Could it be…!
She followed their eyes towards the gate and noticed a slender guy leaning against one of the white columns, his arms crossed and surveying the sky with a serene look. That guy also happened to be spotting a ponytail, a pair of glasses and clothed in loose fitting clothing. Itachi-san!
As though via telepathy, he angled his well-sculpted face towards her. Cocking his head to one side, he smiled. Sakura did an internal squeal, feeling gleeful at his presence. She was impressed that he could find his way to her school.
"Oh god, is he smiling at us? I could die now!" The love-struck girls carried on, while Sakura smiled on triumphantly. It's me that he's smiling at, back off losers!
It was at this moment that Sasuke brushed past her shoulders, who made a bee-line for the exit, without even a backward glance at her. She wondered what he was in a rush about. Shaking off the slightly hurtful sensation, Sakura began walking towards Itachi.
"Ita-"
"Nii-san!" Sakura stopped dead in her track. What did he just call him?
"Sasuke." Sasuke dove joyously into Kanae Itachi's arms to deliver an affectionate embrace. Itachi coltishly ruffled his head of spiky hair, his action and eyes speaking of adoration. Breaking apart from the hug, Sasuke spoke.
"Nii-san, welcome back." Itachi nodded, watching Sasuke as though he could not believe how lucky he was to have him as his brother.
"It's good to see you again, Sasuke." Sakura could only gape at the impossible scene unfolding before her. After they got into the suspiciously familiar convertible by the road-side and drove off, Sakura felt that her knees would buckle under the sudden weight, finally comprehending the situation.
"Figures, he wasn't waving at us after all," the deflated girls concluded as they walked past an equally deflated Sakura.
I couldn't believe it; I just saw Kanae Itachi in front of my school…
"Sakura-san, you back early," Itachi said as he stepped out of her room, waiting on expectantly for her explanation as she mindlessly entered the apartment.
Sasuke-kun ignored me and did not even say good bye to me… The saying 'Bros over hos' rings true huh? And I'm not even his whore!
"Sakura-san?" Itachi felt something was amiss; not only did she skipped her usual 'I'm home' announcements, she also neglected to shut the front door after moving through it.
I still can't believe Kanae Itachi came to my school! Wasn't he supposed to be back next Monday?
"Sakura." Sakura's unfocused gaze found Itachi's face in proximity to hers, eyes filled with worriment, one hand gripping her left arm in concern. The area of skin to skin contact, combined with the intensity of his eye contact, was setting her insides on fire, and she was instantly pulled back from her jumble of thoughts. She stood stiff as a rod, cheeks flushed and smiled skittishly to a frowning Itachi. His earlier call rang clearly in her mind. D-Did he just call me without honorifics?
"S-sorry Itachi-san, I was thinking about something else. H-Here! I've bought your favourite dango, let us tuck in!" Skipping past Itachi she proceeded to the kitchen to set up for lunch. Itachi figured something was bothering her, but decided to remain mum out of respect for her privacy.
Today's lunch was especially quiet, with both parties deep in thoughts – Sakura still bewildered by her accidental idol sighting while Itachi mulled over Konoha's altered history records. He casted a contemplative look at Sakura. Suddenly, Sakura looked up, lit up by her revelation.
"No wonder he's so happy! And I can see why…" Sakura trailed off, picturing Sasuke and Kanae Itachi's hugging moment, and mentally slapping herself for not recognising Itachi. It was the first time she had seen him off duty, dressed so causally, and up-close! Even though he looked elated to see Sasuke, there was no escaping the tired eyes that were screaming for him to cut back on his tours. For the sake of his fans, FOR US, he was willing to go that far despite his overworked body…
"Sakura-san, can I ask you a question?" At the serious tone, Sakura pushed her idol's image away, and focused on the other Itachi in front of her. Other than the colour of the top, Sakura observed, Uchiha Itachi was a splitting image of Kanae Itachi behind the scenes. Heck, if he were to slip off the spectacles and slip on those body flattering shirts, skin tight jeans and killer leather boots…
"Y-yes Itachi-san?" So much for pushing Kanae Itachi out of her thoughts – with his replicate living under the same roof as her and sitting in front of her, it was like giving a kid a ten dollar note to buy a candy, and reminding him not to spend more than a dollar. We all know how that turned out.
"Where did you come across the story of the Uchiha massacre?" Sakura blinked confusingly at the abrupt question.
"Itachi-san, that's so random! Well, I heard about it from my History sensei. He said he came across this story from the archive of Konoha," Sakura explained, befuddled by his sudden interest.
"Do you know where is this 'archive of Konoha' located?" Itachi enquired in a low voice, the earlier hints of warmth and friendliness now replaced with austerity.
"Y-yes…? It's situated at Kizuna University's library… But it has restricted access – other than the Principal, History and Philosophy teachers, no one has ever been in that place. Not even the librarian, I heard."
"What about the History and Philosophy students?"
"Though it is unheard of, but it was said that a student once accompanied a teacher to organise the documents in that hidden room… Why are you asking these, Itachi-san? Did you find out something?" Chatting and having a regular meal like this with Itachi every day, it was easy to ignore the fact that he came from another world, and was desperately finding ways to return home. After all, he had no identity here, no family and friends, unless he counted her as one, which she doubted.
"There's something I need to check…" He replied ambiguously before continuing, "Sakura-san, is there any chance that I can enrol in the University? Itachi asked, conveniently shoving her theory of him desperately finding ways to return home back in her face. The next thing she knew he would be requesting for his own car.
"You want what? But that's…" Sakura mulled over his sudden request, still trying to adjust to the abruptness of the situation. Itachi? Studying in a Uni? Why…?
"Is that not possible?" Itachi enquired politely.
She began wondering, but could not come up with any reason as to why not. In fact, it would be beneficial for Itachi, seeing that this might developed into something beyond a staycation. Rather than being coped up in her small space every day, it would be healthier for him to engage in something intellectually stimulating and live an actual life. Satisfied with her justification, next came the troublesome issues – administration and money.
With her frugal lifestyle and part-time job, she was able to fulfil her stomach and afforded school fees. With Itachi's appearance in her life, she had to scrap the unnecessary indulgences (meaning no more dining out with the ladies and Naruto at those fancy cafes and shopping trips) and increase her working hours to pay for both of their meals. She was not desperate enough to resort to using his archaic notes, not yet.
If Itachi was intent on the enrolment, then the only solution was scholarship.
The problem to that was, where could she possibly find him a scholarship, which was legitimate and applicable to someone who came from the past, whose area of specialise was fighting and assassination?
Smiling tightly and summoning as much confidence as she could feign, she replied enthusiastically, "Sure, Itachi-san, why not?" For the first time, Sakura noticed that some of the darkness surrounding Itachi lifted, and he offered her an almost none existent smile.
"Thank you, Sakura-san." Oh, the things that she would do for those sweet words.
"Itachi-san, do you mind setting the fan to non-oscillate?" Without hearing a response, she was soon embraced by a constant flow of wind, and felt herself cooling rapidly. Sakura was not sure about Itachi, but she was sweating buckets on her desk. Her textbook on central venous catheter was filled with streaks of her highlighter and blotches of sweat, which she hoped Itachi did not see.
Sakura stretched her hand above her head like a lazy cat, while stealing a glimpse at whatever was capturing Itachi's undivided attention. Intrigued, she leaned towards Itachi.
"Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System? Itachi-san, I didn't pin you for the type to do yoga," Sakura began with humour. Could that be the key to his slender figure?
"What's that?" Itachi asked. Sakura faltered and felt silly; like ninjas needed yoga to kill efficiently. Hit by an image of Itachi entangled in his limps and legs, seated on a yoga mat with a room of spinsters; it was taking all of her willpower to maintain a straight face.
"It's a type of mind and body exercise… But never mind that; what's this 'chakra' thing anyway?" Sakura recalled seeing the word on one of Ino's yoga brochures during her brief obsession with searching for her inner "om," but she doubted that they shared similar objective. Itachi looked up from the book and looked straight at her, eyes brimming with seriousness. Sakura gulped involuntarily. It was definitely not about the "om."
"Remember I told you about this 'inner energy?' It seems that the ability to manifest it have been lost along the years; I'm reading up to find out the reason why," Itachi explained as a matter-of-factly. Needless to say, Sakura blanked out. Seeing the need for elaboration, he continued on patiently.
"Everyone has two types of energy within us – the body energy inherent in our countless cells, and the spiritual energy which we gained from training and experience. I believe that due to the lack of training before adolescence, it hindered the cultivation of spiritual energy, which explains why the people here could not manipulate chakra." Sakura nodded in understanding, amazed by his explanation of the hidden potential of a human's body.
"And the modern day concept of chakra seems to have shifted to focus on inner peace cultivation…" Itachi carried on his reading in fascination. This was the first time she had seen Itachi so focused on something, and thought that it was rather cute. She realised would not mind having a nerd as her boyfriend, who wouldn't if the nerd was as hot as Itachi, and together they could geek out in the world of literary- She quickly stopped herself from thinking beyond that.
What was I thinking? I don't like him that way, and I can't! How can I betray Sasuke-kun like this! But the way his eyebrows rose when he read something interesting, the gentle yet swift way he is flipping the pages… And is that a smile on his face?!
Slamming her dried book shut (all the sweat stains had already evaporated), she needed to quell the ranging storm in her head, and popped the first question that came to her mind.
"Ne Itachi-san, do you swim?"
Under normal circumstances, Sakura would have never invite a guy to a half-naked recreational activity, much less someone she was acquainted with for last than a week. However, today was an exception – not just to suppress her stray thoughts about Uchiha Itachi, she could no longer stand the humidity of the sweltering weather, and desperate situation called for desperate measures!
"I do… Are you suggesting…?" Itachi prompted, equally taken aback by her random question.
"Do you want to? It's okay if you want to, I don't know, continue reading that thick book of yours in this stuffy room of mine… I wouldn't want to, make you feel obliged or anything…" Sakura continued, and half of her was seriously worried that he would opt to stay at home instead of taking up her suggestion. Reading seemed like his thing. Itachi watched her uncertainly.
"You can use my Dad's trunks; they're brand new," Sakura implored, ready to kneel down if she had to. She saw his mouth twitched, but she was unsure whether it was from amusement or annoyance.
"That's not the issue here. Wouldn't public pool usually be crowded…?" If Itachi were to be honest, he definitely favoured a peaceful and undisturbed afternoon well-spent with a book as opposed to being squeezed the daylights out of him among a sea of bodies under the dreaded sun. With the weather, it would be a surprise if they could even get in the pool.
"Oh! Don't worry, we aren't going to the swimming pool, you'll see." Sakura remarked mysteriously. Seeing Sakura all motivated and smiling from ear to ear, it became even harder to reject her kind offer, and Itachi, being the gentleman, agreed. Clapping in contentment at his response, she headed over to her wardrobe to dig out a pair of modest navy blue trunks and flung it at him. He suavely caught it single-handed.
"Great! See you at the entrance in ten!"
The entrance to Yonder Forest was partially obscured by the wild creepers interloping across two pillars of trees framing the pathway. It was conveniently located next to Haruna Residence, and due to the area being a private residential zone, it was one of the least frequented entrance to the forest behind her apartment. Stopping in front of the path, Sakura placed her hands by her hips and directed a challenging eye at Itachi.
"You scared?" Watching her childish and arrogant demeanour, he clicked his tongue in amusement.
"You sure you should be asking me that, Sakura-san?" Itachi fired back. By now, Sakura was smart enough to know that in a match of aggravation, Itachi would be the last person to fall for any sort of provocation. She really appreciated his attempt to humour her.
"Are you underestimating me just because I can't use my chakra? I'll show you what modern girls are made of, Itachi-san," Sakura countered and entered the forest without waiting for Itachi.
"Hn, I'm waiting, Sakura-san."
Surrounded by the dense greenery while ambling on a track free of the din of traffic, Itachi welcomed the rich sense of nostalgia that tugged at his heart with every step along the dry, hard earth. The refreshing scent of mild dew and woods, the shivering of the leaves as the occasional wind breezed past them combined with faint buzzing of the insects – it was as though he was back at his Konoha. With the redundancy for urgency and secrecy, he was overcome with the urge to hop onto one of the emergent to get a bird's eye view of Konoha, just because he could.
Sakura made a sudden veer to the right, and Itachi followed wordlessly. They had to burrow their way through overgrown shrubs while trekking along a narrow path that would not be visible unless one was intentionally looking for it. Instead of climbing uphill, this artificial trail was leading them down and further away from the designated track. Sakura appeared to be concentrating on something ahead of them. Stopping in her track, she turned around and faced Itachi.
"Itachi-san, do you hear it?" Without straining his ears, he could already make out the mellifluous sound of flowing water. They finally arrived at a small clearing beside a two meter wide stream bank. A beam of sunlight hit the surface of the pellucid water, creating a sparkle that gave the place an enchanting quality. Opposite the shore lay a thick belt of jungle, creating an orchestra of green backdrop that seemed to stretch on endlessly. They stood alongside by the bank, soaking in the beauty of nature without human intervention.
"How did you come across this beautiful stream?"
"It was by chance; once I accidently flung my phone into the shrubs and as I was searching for it, I found this," gliding her arm across the landscape.
Depositing her tote under an ancient oak tree, she began peeling off her clothes under the comforting shade of its crown, leaving her exposed in a black halter one-piece swimsuit. Itachi saw and took the cue to shred off his loose tee and berms, and that was when Sakura was not as captivated by the nature as before.
Flexing his unused muscles, he began to busy himself with warm up exercises. Sakura coerced herself to focus on the grandeur of the scenery – just look at that surface water, don't the sparkles resembled diamonds, twinkling and teasing you to join them? Oh, who am I kidding? The masculine beauty beside me easily beat this landscape!
At the pretence of mimicking his moves, Sakura was able to catch a glimpse of his defined arms and legs, and the satisfying subtle lines of his six packs, not eye-catchy yet definitely there, like the owner. She also spied a few faint slash scars along his otherwise smooth back, the definite mark of his bravery and treacherous days as a ninja.
"Sakura-san, is anything the matter?" Itachi asked, breaking the peaceful silence. Yek! He caught me! This is so embarrassing…
"I-I am just wondering do you need some sun block," Sakura answered without missing a beat. When he did not object, she rummaged through her bag, and asked the unthinkable.
"Do you want me to apply for you?" while motioning to her back. Itachi's eyes widened a fraction, affirming Sakura that her boldness was a wrong move. Is this how you should behave around your idol's lookalike?!
"…Alright." Upon agreeing to her audacious request, he sashayed towards her and promptly sat on the cool turf. Sakura stared down with the bottle in hand, dumbfounded.
"The water's evaporating, Sakura-san." Itachi prompted.
"Ah, yes… It is going to feel slightly cooling," Sakura forewarned, as she kneed down and began applying the sun block generously on his pale back. She was trying to suppress the notion that she was feeling him up, as opposed to doing him a favour. His back felt as solid as she imagined, and as her hands skimmed over the scars, she pondered upon the story of each wound.
"Do they hurt?" Sakura enquired softly.
"When they were raw and fresh, but not anymore. Being able to use chakra suddenly doesn't seem so fun, don't you think?" Itachi remarked, thinking about all those who perished under his blood-stained hands.
"I wouldn't bet on it…" She remembered the kid from Itach's flashback, waving the sharp blade carelessly with the danger of cutting himself. And the worse - that kid seemed to be having fun. His era's idea of fun was comparably different from her era, but she was not going to argue about it. After all, he was still well and alive, right? Clapping assuredly on his protected back, she hastily slatted on some over her body and dragged him to the edge.
"Sakura-san, I was kidding when I said the water will evaporate…" Itachi teased, as though Sakura took his word for real. He caught a soft sigh as she stopped pulling him.
"Mou, will you quit with the 'san,' Itachi-san? Since we are staying together I don't think there's a need for such formalities, and you are older than me! It makes me feel embarrassed…" She was taken aback by her brazen behaviour, but they were also half-naked, and she had touched him (with a valid reason); compared to the former this request was child's play, she reasoned.
Secretly, Sakura was also hoping that this could break down the barrier between them, so that maybe they could be friends…? Somehow, it felt too big of a wish.
"Alright, then you shall address me by my name too, Sakura," Itachi demanded while crossing his arms, already getting the hang of calling by her first name. She was not prepared for him to agree without even putting up a fight! Sometimes, she could not help but felt like she was bullying him into submission; either that or he was simply too good of a person.
"If's that what you want, I-Itachi…" She felt weird to address him so causally. To ease her inner awkwardness, she began chanting his name in her mind. Itachi, Itachi, hi Itachi! So glad to see you, Itachi! What do want for dinner, Itachi? Good night, Itachi… She found herself slightly turned on by the last notion. She caught his inquisitive eyes on hers, and in an attempt to diffuse the uncomfortable situation, she tried to distract him.
"Look! That looks like the crow from yesterday!" When he turned his head to look at the aforementioned crow, she launched a powerful shove at his back, sending him pouring towards the water. Itachi had only let down his guard for a moment beside Sakura, and the next thing he knew she was overstepping her boundary! He twisted his body to her, his eyes shining with an impish glint at the promise of revenge. Just then, he noticed that she remained paralyzed to her spot on shore, right hand clutching her heart, her face as white as a sheet of paper.
"I-Itachi, are you s-standing on w-water?!" She gasped, pointing a wobbly finger at Itachi. This time it was Itachi who felt like kicking himself mentally, for lowering his guard not once, but twice in a row.
"Calm down, Sakura. Remember chakra? We can also channel them to our feet, and it became very much instinctive when it comes to things… Like this…" Shrugging at his feet, he realised that glozing any form of chakra manipulation in this era was as effective as asking Madara to cut his Tsuki no Me crap and go rest in peace.
"W-wow… That's… That's so DAMN COOL ITACHI!" Itachi's head sprung up. The earlier look of apprehension gave way to reverence and wonderment at her male companion in the waters, or more accurately, on the water. Sakura dashed into the stream to join him, and while her body was submerged in the crystal clear water, he remained perfectly dry standing on the water.
"Itachi, you are like Poseidon – The God of water! If you can stand on water that means you can run-! Oh dear I don't think I can look at you the same way as before…" Sakura professed dramatically, one hand shielding her face while the other did an air push at his direction.
"T-This is really no big deal at my era… Every ninja needs to be able to do this or else they are as good as dead." Itachi replied modestly, feeling sheepish. It was no use; Sakura was too distracted to pay attention to anything he was saying. Suddenly, he felt a series of tickles underneath his feet and flinching from the sensation; he momentarily lost his concentration and dropped into the clear water, creating a big splash over Sakura.
Returning onto the surface, he spilt out a mouthful of water and narrowed his eyes at Sakura, who was slapping the water in seventh heaven.
"L-Looks like I just found out your weakness, Itachi! Are you going to kill me now?" Sakura giggled and her eyes widened in mock fear. Itachi appeared to be contemplating her request.
"No… On the contrary, why not you try to kill me?" Itachi proposed. Sakura was taken aback by the turn of their conversation.
"Why would I do that?" She challenged, eyes speaking of interest by the notion.
"Ho, by that response are you implying that you can kill-" With a forceful punch directed at his stomach, Itachi's sentence was cut short by Sakura's surprise attack.
"Sorry if it hurts, Itachi!" That's what you get for underestimating me, shannaro!
"Were you saying something, Sakura?" The Itachi who she punched earlier was rapidly dissolving, transforming into a fountain of water which cascaded gently to join with the rest of the water body. She swivelled her body to her back, where the original Itachi was, smirking at her.
"H-How did you do that?" Damn, he's fast!
"If I tell you, then I'd have to kill you, Sakura."
AHHHHHH, I did not plan for this to happen! But when I brought them to the stream, one scene hit me after another, my imagination started running wild and… Oh well but I am satisfied with their development *smirks*
Thank you, dear readers who earnestly followed this story till here. I may be running out of ideas soon so if you guys are kind enough or have any cute suggestions (even dirty ones :)), do comment! If there are scenes or technical aspects which you think I can improve on, do fire, I'll all for improving! Till the next chapter!