Chapter8 Recall:
Itachi got to speak with Kabuto who was behaving rather suspiciously, a near-death accident that resulted in some intimacy between you-know-who and who, and a stalking mission that involved a lot of crows.
Chapter9 – Friends
As Itachi hopped into the apartment through the kitchen window, Sakura walked into view, arms akimbo and eyes trained on his.
"Itachi, where did you go?"
"Oh, Sakura. Seeing that I'm settling here, I want to be up-to-date with the current affairs so I went to get a newspaper," Itachi answered, completed with an irrefutable explanation, waving the papers in his hand.
"Then why don't you use the front door? I gave you the key," Sakura asked as she frowned at his sneaky entrance.
"Sorry, I must have frightened you. I'll do that the next time." Sakura's frown deepened at his evasion of her question, before she nodded and whipped around to move towards her room.
"What's wrong, Sakura? Are you angry?"
"No, it's just I thought you were tailing me, and I'm so glad you didn't, because then I would be so pissed because you didn't trust me enough to do that," She admitted as he maintained his flawless poker-face to her spot on speculation.
Itachi managed to shadow Kabuto for a neat fifteen minutes from the city into a densely forested area, before he drove his sedan through a wrought-iron gate into a stupendously enormous white mansion, which signalled a stop his unauthorised pursuit. Along the way back, he noticed that despite its proximity to the centre of the city, the area and road where Kabuto drove on was fairly deserted, and the gigantic mansion appeared superimposed rather than being there all along, as marked by the several fallen trees around its perimeter. He went on to scout the area for another ten minutes for indication of this forested area as a residential zone, and came up with none.
"You told me not to, Sakura. Anyway, how was the meeting?"
"Oh, you'll be thrilled. Follow me!" Opening the brown envelop, she pulled out a small red passport, a laminated birth certificate, a fool-proof identification card, a public transport card and a couple of loose certificates. Sakura smiled on triumphantly as Itachi ruffled through the pile of documents with his astute eyes, spotting for give-aways and inconsistency, knowing there would be none. When it came to being punctilious, Kabuto was not too far behind Itachi.
"He even prepared the transport card for you; how meticulous right!"
"Sakura," Itachi began as he picked up his new ID card to flash it at her, "When did you take this picture?" Sakura blinked in confusion, before her eyes widened in recognition and shaped her mouth in a small O. She started to simper nervously.
"Ah, regarding that… I took it a few days ago when we were having breakfast; because you were wearing such a deep expression that I knew it was perfect for your new ID card!" Sakura clapped her hands together into a praying pose to seek his forgiveness, as Itachi recalled that faithful morning when he caught her frantically keeping her phone away and rushing off to school. He knew something was amiss then; his instincts never failed him.
"I see." He was uncertain of how to feel about having his photograph taken secretly. Next, he singled out the birth certificate and scanned through the details. She had most of the specifications right, confirming that she was more studious than she appeared. However…
"I-I forgot to ask for your birthdate and when I realised, it was too late and had to make up one…"
"It's June 9. Although it does not really matter; there wasn't really an appropriate time to celebrate life." She bit her lower lip in woe at his matter-of-factly tone. It was clear that he understood life as something fleeting and fragile, but instead of turning those qualities into something to fight for, here was someone who had transformed it into something negative, thinking that he was not worthy to be entitled something so sacred. She felt that he was able to live past each day simply because he was not dead the next day.
It worried her that despite his young age, he was behaving like a veteran soldier in an interminable war with his live constantly on the line.
"Well, not anymore. This is your second chance to enjoy and live the life that you were obviously deprived of in your world!" She made sure her eyes were locked onto his as she said that, which she would see to it happening.
"I guess we shall see about that."
Monday
Sakura was elated when the alarm rang at six in the morning – she was finally going to school with Itachi! Rolling over to peek at her companion who was looking at her, she grinned lazily and mouthed a good morning as he nodded in acknowledgment. She rubbed off any remaining sleep in her and flipped off the blanket to commence the day.
"Did you have a good sleep last night?" Does he even sleep? She had not seen him asleep as he was always either up before her or he could have slept when she was away from home.
"Yes, I did."
"Later I'll be accompanying you to Kizuna University and introducing you as my distant relative, and fingers crossed that you would be accepted," Sakura said as she sat down to a spread of cereals, fresh apple juice and well laid out utensils. He was really putting her juice blender to good use.
"Wouldn't you be late for school?"
"Don't worry; I'll apply for a hall pass on the way back; it's something like a mission exemption?" Sakura jested as she attempted to relate to his world. Her eyes spotted something and narrowed at his fingers curled around the glass, but she said nothing until they finished their breakfast.
"Here, I'm sure you know what to do with them," Sakura offered before she went to change into her uniform. Itachi glanced down at the cotton pad and polish remover and pulsed his lips in mild humiliation and déjà vu, recalling the week after he officially joined the Akatsuki.
"Here, I'm sure you know what to do with them," Pein offered before he turned away and vanished in a flash. He glanced down at the bottle of purple nail polish, and felt himself caught in an awkward morass. Given the lack of instruction and those serious eyes, he deduced that this was not a poorly played April fool's joke, but was meant as part of the Akatsuki attire. Until now, he still could not decide which of the two would be more hilarious as a joke.
Shortly after, he was paired up with Hoshigaki Kisame, who made quite an impression on him with his enormous chakra reserve and unique skin colour (and his presumptuous attitude), but those were beside the point. After a few days of travelling together, they became more comfortable to share some of their thoughts with one another.
"Were you surprised when Pein handed you the nail polish, because I sure was," Kisame revealed as he cackled to the memory of that appalling moment, curious to whether his new partner shared the same sentiment.
"Honestly, Kisame-san, I was speechless for a second. I almost thought it was a testament of my fidelity to Akatsuki," Itachi conceded, knowing his partner would not leave him in peace should he evade the question.
"Itachi-san, you are too serious for your own good. I mean look at us, at our fingers – we are freaking grown men, but vain enough to care about our nail! If not for those damn Rinnegan, I would have fed the bottle to Samehada ages ago," He replied as he contemplated whether to follow through with his initial intention.
"I suppose you were right, Kisame," Itachi mumbled to himself as he began to wipe away what remained of his nail polish, glad that his days with the Akatsuki was over, along with the god forsaken purple polish.
"Anyway, Itachi, just to let you know that students are not allowed to wear nail polish, so I'm afraid you'll have to sacrifice that little hobby of yours," Sakura shouted from the bedroom in a sing-song voice.
"Sakura, I'm sure you are aware of the reason I'm even wearing them, and it's definitely not because I enjoy doing so." Boy, was he glad to be freed of the hassle of maintaining his nail.
"Hai hai! Itachi, you are too serious for your own good. I'm curious, what kind of organisation were you part of anyway, to have that as part of the requirement," Sakura asked, not missing the golden chance to address this long-awaited curiosity. Passing back the polish remover, he looked her straight in the eye with such intensity that the smile slowly slipped from her face.
"Not one you would want to be in, Sakura."
"Come in," Swallowing back their jitteriness, Sakura pushed opened the Secretary Office door and came face to face with Namikaze Minato, who was buried in piles of unprocessed documents.
"Good Morning, NamiKaze-san." Sakura spoke in a robotic tone, suddenly uncertain about the whole operation.
"Good Morning stu- Hey, isn't this Sakura-chan? Come on in and have a sit! And what's with your formal tone? When it's just us, Minato will do," Minato answered affably as he shoved away the unsightly pile of reminders of his tardiness and ushered them towards the cushioned chairs in front of his desk.
"H-Hai, Minato-san. How's your day?" She figured the best way to get the ball rolling was to distract him with small talks, before dropping the question. Minato's grin faltered as he sighed dramatically.
"As you can see, I'm way behind my schedule. With the lack of manpower and overwhelming applications of new students, there just isn't time for anything else these days…" He lamented on as though they were of equal standing, not once exuding the air of someone with one of the highest rankings in the institution.
"A-Ah, our school has quite a high reputation among the region eh?" Sakura tittered as she peeked beside her at what could be his next subject of distress. Minato smiled softly and appeared resigned to his fate, but anyone could pick up the twinkle of pride in his eyes.
"So, Sakura-chan, isn't it time you introduce this fine young man next to you? I'm assuming that's why you are here to see me, hmmm?" He delivered a subtle wink as Sakura descended into a phase of embarrassment.
"Y-Yes, Minato-san. Er-hem, this is a distant relative of mine who came from the rural and is currently staying with me, Uchiha Itachi."
"Nice to meet you, Minato-san," Itachi extended an arm to shake with him as Minato gave him a once over, taking in his long fringe and ponytail, pretty features and casual attire.
"Same here. So, Uchiha Itachi, can I just call you Itachi?" Itachi politely nodded as Minato laughed at their surprised expression.
"Why? Some of my students prefer we remain as strictly teacher and student, so I always ask to respect their boundary. Personally, I rather we communicate as friends," Minato elaborated and nodded appreciatively at Itachi, and Itachi felt caught in a flashback from his past.
He was only four or five then, his days in Konoha was diluted by the murky hours in Akatsuki so he was not really certain; he was straining his neck to catch a glimpse of the Fourth Hokage. He was so petite then; the adults were all cheering and the toddlers riding on their parent's shoulders were not helping his sight. His Father was laden with work and his Mother was nursing her growing belly at home; but he knew he had to witness this, even if it meant by himself.
When he first appeared on the balcony overlooking the gathered townspeople, he could only make out spikes of blonde hair and his first thought was, how flashy, and scepticism towards his character surfaced. He knew that judging someone base on his appearance was illogical and inappropriate, but he did not know better then, he was still so young.
However, he was insistent about seeing him, so he pushed his way forward, carefully manoeuvring around to avoid being caught in a stampede. A male in front of him bent down to retrieve something and that was when they laid eyes on one another, and Minato, the Fourth Hokage, directed a small nod that seemed to convey faith and expectations to him. Their eye contact was broken in a second, and it felt like he imagined the nod.
"Itachi? Are you still here with us?" Itachi closed his eye lids briefly to subdue the memory, and nodded apologetically at Minato.
"Sorry, Minato-san. Itachi just got here a week ago, and he is still adjusting to our lifestyle here," Sakura added meaningfully.
"I imagine it's quite different eh, urban life compared to the bucolic lifestyle back at your village."
"It's okay, I guess. I understand things can't be the way they were when I came here," Itachi reflected kindly; he was constantly keeping an open-mind to the happenings around him, so as not to allow prejudice to smudge his judgements.
"That's good thinking, Itachi. Right, I'm assuming you are here because you are interested in joining our institution…?" Minato inquired, much to Sakura's relief.
"Yes, Sir. I haven't gotten much opportunity to study due to the unique system at my homeland, and Sakura recommended that Kizuna University is a good starting ground," Itachi delivered smoothly, with the air of a born leader. She wondered if he bore a position of authority back at his Konoha.
"May I see your credentials…?" Transferring the envelope to Itachi, he handed it to Minato and he began leafing through his various certificates.
"Oh, you are a graduate from the Ninja Academy of the Mist? How intriguing. And from the number of certificate of achievements you have over here, I suppose you are quite a martial artist eh?" Minato eyed him over the papers, as though not quite believing his luck of sitting in the presence of a ninja. Sakura had to shake her head in amazement at Kabuto's innovativeness and connections.
"Age 21, which would put you in the Fourth Year eh? However, seeing that you came from a martial arts school, it would be more appropriate for you to begin a few steps back so you could get used to our teaching systems, what do you think?" At Minato's implications, Sakura straightened her back and leaned towards the desk.
"D-Does, does that mean, you would accept his application?" Minato glanced between the two of them, amused by her excitement in contrast to the subject's composure.
"Well, that would depend…" Without warning, Minato flung a dart at Itachi, to which he narrowly evaded by an inch by tilting his head to the right. The dart cut through the air the speed of light, hitting the dartboard in the bull's eye. The sensation of the cutting movement of the dart was palpable on Sakura's cheek.
"That movement... How long did you take to hone that instinct of yours?" Minato questioned as he directed his full attention to Itachi.
"I'm not sure, years definitely; my family practiced martial arts, so I was exposed to the world of ninja since I can walk," He explained with tenuous fondness. Minato nodded and replaced the certificates into the envelope before passing it back to him.
"What do you think about joining the University's APEX class? Lesson starts today."
"Here, take my phone. That way I'll be able to contact you without having to head over to your side."
After Sakura led Itachi to the Admin Office, she waved him farewell and headed for her next class. After filling in a stack of application forms, he was given a set of school uniform that consisted of a white shirt, navy blue pants and a blue tie, and P.E. attire. The apparels felt like feather in his outstretched hands, posing a dramatic contrast to the ANBU outfit and the Akatsuki kit he was handed so long ago.
He was told that the APEX class was a five year program where a small group of students with exceptional talents were selected and allocated a separate classroom, with a unique timetable for each student. The participants were allowed to prioritise their area of interest over the normal curriculums, as long as they satisfied the minimum hours for the mandatory classes. Of course, full scholarship was granted for all students from this program.
Standing in front of the washroom mirror, Itachi gulped at the alien reflection, unaccustomed and uncomfortable in his stiff clothing. He pulled the blue strip of cloth around his neck in an attempt to create the form similar to Minato's, and failed terribly. Behind him, there was a flush from a closed cubicle and a pale looking student appeared behind the door. After washing his hands, he pulled out his unmade tie and began tying it.
Standing silently beside him and watching from the reflection in the mirror, he activated his Sharingan and began mimicking his nimble fingers, looping the cloth over the thumb knot before tucking the long end into the knot. The fellow was so absorbed in straightening his tie that he did not realise Itachi's presence as he jumped at the sound of the washroom door slamming behind him.
The APEX students were denoted by the subtle cobalt star patterns on their tie, slightly raised on the surface of the tie so as not to make the students overly stand out. In fact, if not for his glasses, he would not be able to tell the difference.
"Hey, it's you from the library! What are you doing here?" Suspecting that the question was directed at him, he spun around and was greeted with a cerulean hair female with the familiar-looking origami flower on her head.
"Oh, hello we meet again. Fancy you still recognising me," Itachi replied courteously, taking in her APEX tie.
"Well, not many in town have hair as black and long as yours! Unless you happen to be who I suspect you are…? The girl replied suggestively.
"I've only recently came to Konoha, so I don't believe you have any reason to recognise me, other than from the library." Itachi recited his standard answer with his coldest voice, used to deter the annoying horde of Kanae's fans. To his surprise, the girl responded with a smile and with a nudge of her head, they began walking down the corridor.
"Just kidding. You must have gotten that a lot eh? Kanae Itachi had already left the school for a few years, so there's no way he would suddenly show up here, especially not with a concert tomorrow!"
"He seems well-liked by the female population in Konoha." He wondered what made him decided to quit school to pursue a career to entertain girls.
"He is, although I do not see why; half the time he looked like he wanted to kill someone and the other half he appeared about to crumble from the weight of the guitar! I'm Konan, by the way," Konan offered.
"Uchiha Itachi." Her raised brows were not lost on Itachi, but she made no comments, to his liking. Along the way, they chatted about his sudden transfer, understood a little bit more about the APEX program, and learnt that Konan was taking a Degree in Sculpture. Her speciality was in paper sculpting, which explained the numerous paper cuts across his fingers and arms and pieces of paper sticking out from her pockets.
"Itachi-san, huh? Are you also a Year 2 student?" At his confirmation nod, Konan revealed her best welcome beam.
"Then I guess I'm very honoured to have you as my classmate, Itachi-san. And I'm excited to introduce you to the rest of them."
Their classroom was located at the end of a corridor of studios, and she explained that the studios were for the program's students and those with similar courses, like a personal working space. When they entered the classroom, there was only a student seated by the window. The rest of the space was filled up with heavily vandalised desks and several overturned chairs at the back. He observed that the chalkboard was white, which puzzled him. She saw him staring at the whiteboard, and gently tapped him.
"You came from the rural, so it's not surprising to learn that you still use chalk. Over here, we use markers which uses ink so they can be reused, and are less noisy compared to chalks," Konan pointed out and demonstrated her point by scribbling against the whiteboard.
"In the wild, we don't always have the luxury of a chalk. We usually use blood as a medium for writing," Itachi mentioned quietly behind her, and watched her paused in her scribbling.
"Just kidding. Now, can I sit anywhere?" With a disturbing nod, he found a fairly clean table in the middle of the classroom. The boy one seat away was poking and fiddling with several loose woods, and he gave Itachi a sharp nod before continuing with his work.
"That's Sasori; he's in the same field as myself, but as you can see, with a different speciality," Konan chuckled softly to herself as she sat down to begin her paper pyramid while Sasori glared at her.
An hour of flipping through the excessively informative booklets later, a choppy ring resounded throughout the building.
"It's the lunch bell. The rest are already at the cafeteria, Sasori. Shall we go and meet some of our classmates, Itachi-san?" Konan prompted as Sasori soundlessly zipped through the aisle and exited the room before she even completed her sentence.
The cafeteria was clamorous and immediately Itachi regretted leaving their peaceful classroom, where he could contemplate without having to do so above the noise. The only instance he had witnessed a horde of people gathered in meagre space was during those fraught clan meetings, where his Father would request for his report and all expectant eyes would be on him. He really was never fond of attention, or the clan meetings.
He followed Konan towards the centre of the eatery and gestured to a table of guys seated along the timber benches. An orange-head punk with two rows of studs along his nose and around his ears saw Konan approaching and nodded at her. He was eyeing Itachi like a hawk, but his equally stoic eye gave nothing away to the stranger.
"Konan is here, make space for her. And who's that behind you?" The orange-head punk spoke with an air of authority, and Itachi assumedly marked him as the pack's leader.
"Guys, we have a new classmate. This is Uchiha Itachi, and he recently came to stay in Konoha from the rural," Konan announced just loud enough for the table to hear.
"Welcome Itachi, my name is Nagato, but I prefer you call me Pein." He stood up and reached across to deliver a handshake, and Itachi heeded his pale purple pupils which were evocative of the Rinnegan Kisame was so afraid of.
"Hey, you look like the local singer… Kanae something…" A blond with a high pony-tail interjected, inciting a scowl from Sasori who was seated across from him.
"It's Kanae Itachi, you fool." The blond stopped his deep pondering and slammed his palm in annoyance.
"Sasori-danna, what was that for? Oh, hey you share the same name as the famous singer, hmm. I'm Deidara, care to sign my palm, hmm?" Sasori sighed dramatically as Konan and Itachi slotted into the empty spaces next to Deidara. Itachi found himself next to a brawny guy who towered over him by a head, engaged in a deep phone call. Considering his height and gruff voice, this must be the modern version of his partner.
"It can't be helped; you know I depend on these classes to pay for my daily expenses… Why don't you try to understand from my viewpoint? Of course I want to see you; heck, which brainless guy doesn't want to meet the beauty over the phone?" The burly guy exhaled into the phone, struggling to contain his shaking hands. Itachi raised his brows in mild stupefy– he had no idea that Kisame was such a smooth-talker.
"Yes, yes I promise. Alright, see ya." Throwing his phone onto the table, he wiped his hands over his hands in vexation, eliciting a swaddled cry.
"Your girl giving you the headache again?" Pein enquired opposite them.
"Yea… But I just don't have the time to head back to Mist to visit her, with summer being the busiest season and the upcoming regional competition," He bemoaned into his palms, shaking his head in despair. He stopped when he realised the foreign petite frame corralled next to his massiveness.
"Oh, are you new? Sorry, I didn't see you. I'm Hoshikagi Kisame, please to be your acquaintance…"
"Uchiha Itachi, please to meet you too," He answered softly, pleased that he was introduced without any presumptions about him this time. His recollection of their first meeting was filled with discontent and sourness; he did not take a particular liking to Kisame then. He despised the disparaging way he was speaking behind his back (literally), claiming they were alike on the basis on their eerily coincidental betrayal of their comrades.
This Kisame was not spotting any a blue tint on his skin, neither were there any salient features that gave him the resemblance to sharks; he was simply a very athletic-looking and muscular young man, with ebony blue cropped hair and a very troubled expression.
"Sorry about earlier, I wasn't in the best of mood. Anyway, let's have fun together." Kisame shifted in the tight space and flashed his straight teeth at him. If there was one thing he could agree upon with Kisame then, it was the indescribable feeling that came from annihilating your comrades; no words could express the notion and he never wanted to experience it again.
"I look forward to that."
The phone that Sakura slipped to Itachi rang, as heralded by the ticklish sensation which he had slowly gotten used to.
"Hello, Sakura? What is it?"
"Wow! How did you know it's me? Anyway, as I told you last week, I'll be working after school till night for this week so I'll see you at home, alright?" Sakura said from the other side of the speaker.
"Yes, I remember. I'm leaving school now, see you tonight, then," Itachi replied and before he could tuck the phone away, Konan slipped it out of his clutches, flipping to the back of the phone.
"… Pink huh? Is this a bad April fool's joke or a gift from your girlfriend?" Konan asked skittishly as she stared at the white neko waving against the pink background.
"This isn't mine, I do not own such a gadget," Itachi confirmed solemnly before tenderly slipping back Sakura's phone. She crossed her arms thoughtfully as she watched him in fascination.
"Ah… Aren't you one hell of a mystery, Uchiha Itachi?"
"You only say that because you do not know me."
On his way to the bus-stop (to be honest, he would have casted his Body Flicker Technique if not for Sakura's interminable pleas to do things 'the current way' to get use to their culture), he saw Kisame, Deidara and Sasori a few meters ahead, and before he could catch himself, he instinctively called out to his former partner.
"Kisame!" Pausing in their footsteps, the trio jerked their heads back at the unexpected call, and all the more baffling was his specific call to Kisame, whom he barely knew (here). When he finally reached them, Deidara was the first to speak up.
"Hey, it's the new guy! Itachi-san yea? What's up, did Kisame-san's fish smell get to you and you're here to give him a piece of your mind?" At Deidaara's risible remark that came from nowhere, Itachi had to smoulder his grin at the relatable statement and Kisame's protuberant eyes.
"What's your problem Mr Blondie? At least I don't smell like frigging flower shampoo!" At his retort and utter insult to his preference for fragrant shampoo, Deidara's face turned serious and he released an audible low growl.
"Guys, stop making a fool of yourselves in the public," Sasori carped as he clicked his tongue distastefully at their lack of maturity. At the reminder of a universe beyond themselves, Deidara and Kisame straightened themselves and redirected their attention to an amused Itachi.
"You called me, Itachi-san?"
"Iya, I just wanted to say hi." It had been ages since he found himself in a situation where it was only purely socialising as a lifestyle and not soliciting information for a mission.
"Man, that hurts, Itachi-san. I understand he's rather prominent in terms of his presence, but I bet you have no idea that my art can stand out a thousand times more than those hard muscles, hmm!" There was no better ice-breaker than broaching the subject of art with Deidara, unless your value of art differed from his.
"Bull! I can never acknowledge your three second artworks as art. A true masterpiece stands the test of time and is the embodiment of eternal beauty, don't you agree, Itachi-san," Sasori asked, but it was more of a statement than a question.
"You can just ignore them. We're heading over to the dango store for a quick snack; wanna join us, Itachi-san?" Saved by his reliable partner Kisame, he took on his offer and together they sauntered to the store in the company of the balmy wind under the warm afternoon heat.
Even after they settled down onto the timber benches, the two conflicting artists were unable to reach a compromise, and continued to cause a ruckus in the sweet and bijou cocoon of delicacies and chitter-chatter. As he relished in the chewy texture and rich explosion of red bean paste with his other sane companion, he could not help but reflect on the last instance he visited this famous dango store with Kisame a long time ago.
His partner was complaining about the extended trip to Konoha with nothing but the bland soldier pills to satisfy their hunger, and Itachi suggested they patronised his favourite delicacy heaven. As they were sipping the complimentary green tea, their senses were on high-alert, even more so when they realised they were discovered by the Jounins, and had to flee before they were even half-way through.
"Itachi-san, you look tense. Is something bothering you?" Kisame asked, and broke him out of his reverie.
"No, sorry it's a habit. I'm used to being aware of my surroundings. I hadn't had an opportunity to do this for a very long time," Itachi confessed, surprised that he was able to be so candid with someone he barely knew. Kisame placed the dango bundle into his mouth and pulled out an empty stick, all three devoured in seconds.
"Look, I'm sure there are a lot of things to worry about; just look at me! There's really nothing wrong with it. What's wrong," He paused for effect as he pointed the stick in Itachi's blank expression, "Is allowing your worry to stand in the way of enjoying life." Deidara, who was eavesdropping for a while, hijacked their conversation.
"Kisame-san, I have to say I agree with what you just said. May you not chase times past; nor vex over what is yet to come. No fret, no sweat, and live with a bang, hmm," Deidara offered, nodding away to his own words.
"It's rare to hear you say something sensible. You sure you are not his sister?" Right after Sasori's dialogue, Deidara's eye narrowed into slits, and he began flinging empty dango sticks at the pro dodger. Kisame, who was seated opposite Itachi, burst down into a guffaw.
Looking down, Itachi closed his eyes to inhale the soothing scent of green tea and let its rising heat caressed his face, allowing himself to appreciate and to savour this moment of laid back lifestyle and trouble-free sensation.
He had never felt so rich in his lifetime.
After maundering along the busy night street of Konoha for the entire night, they decided to call it a day, bid farewell and headed off in their respective directions towards home. Konoha Hospital happened to be up ahead, and Itachi made up his mind to wait for her since it was also getting really dark. He was not the only one eyeing the hospital; Sasori was staring intently at its façade with frowned browns and lips thinned in deep thoughts.
He seemed to catch himself behaving erratically, and replacing his mask of insouciance, he quickly strode off in the opposite direction.
Thirty minutes later, Sakura exited the building and nearly tripped when she saw the lone figure perched against the light pole.
"Itachi? What are you doing here? It's nearly eleven!" Sakura exclaimed as she skidded to a halt in front of him.
"I was waiting for you. Come on let's go." Without waiting for her response, he started walking off. Sakura clutched her hands in her chest in an attempt to calm her elevating heartbeat.
"W-Wait for me, Itachi!"
Somehow, I don't really like what I had written. However, that doesn't mean I did this with half-hearted intentions; sorry if this didn't leave up to expectations Nevertheless, I'm ecstatic for Itachi – to be finally reunited with familiar faces (and much more friendlier versions); it's a relief.