Chapter17 Recall:

We got to see Itachi attempted to write to Sasuke in a tablet, an all-out search for an important missing child, Sasuke and Sakura's unfortunate encounter and tons of discoveries at the kidnapper's base.

Chapter18 – Never Alone (Because You're Here)

"It's okay, I can manage," Sakura assured before he put her down to open the door to their apartment. It was hard to imagine that just a while ago she was all tied up in some basement of suspicious origin. The violence and bloodshed would remain a distasteful nightmare; it was all over.

As she flicked on the lights, she examined the degree of damage to her body – a few cuts and some first degree burns from abrasion. Nothing too deep that would be life-threatening but she would need to disinfect the slits soon, especially the one across her neck that was beginning to throb.

She turned to check on Itachi and found him leaning heavily against the living room's wall, clutching his right arm. Under the artificial light, she saw that the entire sleeve of his school shirt was dyed red and the wall was stained with his fresh blood.

"Oh my god Itachi you're seriously injured! We need to-" Itachi's hand shot up to grasp her wrist.

"Tend to your wounds first, I'll be fine." The hand that was gripping onto hers was cold and shaking slightly. He was either numbed from the pain or really skilled at hiding it. Sakura hoped it was the former. She gently pushed away his stopping arm and gestured agitatedly at his right arm.

"How does this look like it'll be fine? Wait here, I'll go get the first-aid kit," Sakura ordered and ran to the kitchen. He did not notice it before, but as the adrenaline of the night died down, the pulses of pain from his right arm seemed to amplify every second, and he felt his breathing turned shallower from each assaults.

He tried to move his arm and had to pinch his eyes shut for an agonising moment to subdue the burning sensation.

"Here, let us go to the sofa before I inspect your wound." When she tried to move him, he once again put forth resistance.

"Just do it here, I do not wish to dirty your furniture." His tone was insistent and despite his impassive expression, she noticed that he was experiencing shortness of breath, a definite symptom of anaemia. Swallowing back her fear and forcing some equanimity into her nerves, she grudgingly agreed and carefully lowered him into a sitting position against the wall.

She leaned against his chest and captured a rapid heartbeat, but to her relief he did not express any chest pains, yet.

"I'm going to remove your shirt to assess your wound, is that okay?" He peeled opened his eyes despite the effort, and nodded at last. With her slightly trembling hands, she quickly unbuttoned his top and pulled him out of the left sleeve, followed by the right. The excessive blood caused the broad cloth to stick to his arm, and she carefully peeled it off before tossing the ruined top aside.

There was a deep slash across his deltoid and below it where his triceps sat was a small hole where the bullet penetrated. She was taught that bullets were generally not removed, unless they were in critical locations or caused physical discomfort to the patient. The trauma from extracting a bullet would usually cause more harm than good.

"Itachi, you were shot in your outer head triceps. I'm going to apply an antiseptic before I dress the wound. It's going to-"

"Take it out." Sakura turned towards his face, gripped with uncertainty.

"Because of the extreme speed they travelled at, the bullet was sterilised when it was shot so it'll do more good to not touch it-"

"Sakura, just take it out," Itachi reiterated wearily. Sure, he did not even so much as flinched when she dabbed the antiseptic around the bloody hole, but that was only the surface of the wound. She nodded and ran to the kitchen to grab a rag and instructed him to bite into it.

"I have no anesthetiser with me so you'll have to bear with the pain, is that okay?" Sakura asked between concerned glances. Itachi merely nodded like it made no difference.

As she picked up the glistening haemostats and aimed at the hole, she searched his face for any hint of fear, just so she could back out. There was none.

"I-I'm not very adept at this, and it's going to hurt like hell." His resolve remained unshaken and he merely nodded. She focused back at the wound and before she could invent more excuses, she inserted the haemostats into the hole and dug for the bullet.

She felt the jerk of his clenched fist fighting against the affliction, and Sakura tried not to notice the pure look of misery plastered across his forcefully shut eyes, or how hard he was biting into the cloth.

The instance she felt the round metal between the tissues, she widened the clamps and secured the bullet, then in a swift motion she extracted the blood soaked bullet out of his arm. Itachi released an audible breath between the cloths when it was finally out. She dumped the bullet on a metal tray, dabbed off the dripping blood and began to apply a dry dressing around his arm.

It was only then she allowed herself a glimpse at his tortured face. His forehead was drenched in cold sweat, with his fringe sticking to his face. She removed the compressed cloth from his mouth and flipped the fringe lying on his eyes aside, and watched as the muscles around his eyes began to relax.

She was about to resume with the cleansing of his remaining wounds when his body fell towards her, his chin landing on her left shoulder in a dead heap. Her first coherent thought was that he fainted from the pain, but then she felt his heavy panting.

The assuring contraction and expansion of his chest against her indicated he was just exhausted.

"You were great, Itachi. Now let me just address the rest of your wounds then…" When he refused to move, she sighed and gave in to her own lassitude. She rested her head on his and caressed his drenched back.

Using her other free hand, she picked up a syringe of anti-biotic that she had prepared earlier and inserted it into his right arm. At least it would prevent an undesired infection and fever.

"T-Thank you, Sakura…" He breathed out with difficulty, and she turned her caress into a comforting hug.

"No. Thank you for saving Sasuke and I. How did you even find us?" She whispered, nuzzling her head against his neck, grateful that they were able to make it out alive.

"I'm a ninja, it's my job," He replied enigmatically and she felt his left arm winding around her petite frame to return the embrace. She harrumphed at his half-ass answer; would there be a day where he would simply answer her directly?

"I'm glad you're safe; you really scared me back there." She gently pushed him back against the wall and quickly cleaned his remaining wounds.

As she attempted to relocate him to a more comfortable resting area, he grabbed her hand.

"S-Sakura, there's something I need to tell you," He said behind closed lids and quietly she sat down next to him. After he was able to breathe normally, he opened his eyes and angled his head towards her.

"Before I discovered the truth, I felt like a lost sheep that have wondered astray and ended in a foreign land. Everything around me was alien and familiar at the same time, it was unnerving." She waited patiently as he caught his breath.

"After I found out the truth, I realised there's a reason for this existence, that I still have a purpose in life after all. Yes, I'll be returning to my world soon, Sakura," He confirmed with an undertone of regret to Sakura's dismal. She knew it would happen eventually, but hearing it aloud made it a fact and she was unwilling to think it was so soon. Willing her heart to start beating, she ignored the painful thumping screaming for him to stay and nudged him on.

"But it was until tonight that I recognised I was only partially right," He placed his palm on top of hers resting on her lap and continued, "It was you, Sakura, who really gave me a purpose in life here, who has guided me out of the dark, stood by me and made me believe…In second chances." Sakura was overwhelmed with emotions; no one had ever told her she was the purpose in their life, and this coming from the last person she would expect to hear that from…

"Oh, Itachi, are you sure you're alright…?" She knew she was ruining the moment, but instead of answering, Itachi smiled.

All along he tried to deny affections towards her, thinking he was unworthy of her endearment and could never reciprocate the way that was expected of him. He was a murderer, dead on the inside and supposedly dead. There was no room for such petty emotions.

He thought he could rid of this absurd sentiment by keep their relationship platonic.

Whenever she was upset, he would take it upon himself to lift her up as a way to repay her benevolence. Yes, he was still feeling guilty over coercing her to giving him a shelter over his head.

When she reacted to the news of his possible deceased status with more devastation than a normal stranger would have demonstrated, he kissed her. At that point, he never thought much of that kiss; he saw how it was used as an effective tool to console the opposite gender, and tried it out.

There was nothing platonic about that kiss.

He never expected himself to cave in by succumbing to his male instincts; after that first kiss, whenever they were in propinquity, the desire to feel her lips on him grew in uncontrollable proportions.

He never meant to fall for her; it was simply unthinkable. He never expected the attraction to be mutual; it was simply impossible.

However, after her unexpected confession and a bitter taste of nearly losing her, nothing seemed too unthinkable or impossible. Itachi finally understood; all along it was about the courage face your heart.

The thing was, did he have the courage to awake one of the strongest emotions that made the Uchiha clan so strong, that one sentiment that had repeatedly caused him immeasurable pain beyond healing?

"… And I'll be protecting you with my life till the day I'm gone, Sakura." He did not know whether he was capable of governing such overwhelming emotions and the countless wild thoughts over the cherry blossom next to him. Until he could truthfully face himself in the eye, he would confine these feelings to himself.

Sakura's heart was doing a hundred metre dash – was that his way of telling her that she meant something to him? That he might possibly be in love with her? God, if that was so why could he not just be straight to the point instead of throwing her into a state of disarray?

He smirked at her shell-shocked expression; an open-book as usual. He began to help himself to a serving of cherry blossom kiss.

He stopped just before his lips met hers and locked his eyes into hers.

"Can I…?" Sakura gulped at their proximity, her suddenly empty mind was still processing his earlier words. She liked him so much but he made her so confused; his inscrutable eyes were pinning her in place and she wondered if she could let herself hope.

"D-Do you mean it?" She managed out at last. Itachi's eyes were sparkling with amusement.

"Why not I show you and you tell me." With that he closed the millimetre of distance between them and kissed her fondly. The strength and passion behind his kiss made her questioned whether his earlier lethargy was her made-believe. Whatever he was doing with his lips, it was making her senseless. She did not mind that, being senseless. He pushed her against the wall and deepened his kiss.

Her hands were busy roaming his sturdy chest, dragging down along his abdominals and lingering just above his waistband of his pants. Without thinking, she slipped her hands inside and felt herself gasped in embarrassment at the bulge.

"What's wrong?" Itachi whispered huskily, his mouth still on hers.

"N-Nothing!" She shivered in titillation when his mouth left hers to kiss his way down along her neck, and stopped to suck provocatively at a sensitive spot by her collarbone. Her midriff felt chilly, and that was when she realised her blouse was already unbuttoned. Suddenly, she felt hyper-conscious of herself. She removed her hand from his arousal, albeit reluctantly.

"I-Itachi…" Itachi stopped his teasing and stared into her innocent eyes, hoping to explore further but solicitous about pushing her beyond her comfort zone.

"Do you need any more confirmation?" He asked with a dangerously low voice, his hand roving and pulling her slim waist contiguous to him. She felt his fingers fiddled with her bra hook, and she emitted a soft whimper when the first hook was off. Sakura knew he must have felt her rapid heartbeat, and if his hand would not stop leaving hot trails wherever it caressed…

"I-I think you've made your point…" His hand stopped and he laughed at her evident discomfort; she smacked his arm. God, she loved his laughter. She wanted him to keep doing that.

"Nurse, that hurts." Sakura nearly snorted at his pout, but she did hit his injured right arm, and apologetically she bent to kiss it.

"I'll be by your side till it's all healed."

"I like that plan, Sakura." Sakura leaned in to land a quick perk on his lips.

"Thank you, Itachi."

"For what?" She crushed him with a hug to hide the tears that were tumbling out without warning and snaking along her cheeks.

For allowing me to love you.

"Yesterday's operation was a success; you were able to rescue all the kidnapped children with zero casualties, thankfully. They are currently recuperating at Konoha Hospital. Unsurprisingly, most of them are orphans," Minato began behind his desk. The Akatsuki was summoned to the office right after homeroom, and Itachi was dying to know what happened after he left with Sakura.

"By the way, is Sakura alright?" When Itachi nodded he continued in a relatively relieved tone. "That's good to hear. I may need to summon her to ensure she keep whatever she has seen to herself-"

"Don't worry, that was taken care of. She won't breathe a word." Out of respect, Minato omitted from enquiring further about the matter, deciding to trust Itachi instead.

"Unfortunately, Kabuto and his master Orochimaru fled before they could be apprehended, leaving behind the dead ringer, who was dead by the way," Pein added with a trace of regret. Minato had contacted the police force and they had sealed off the mansion and the other warehouse, which nested two other kidnapped children and a time bomb. Luckily his clone found and brought them away before it detonated. It had not bothered with the hypnotised guard.

"After the soldiers were cleared, Sasori and I went to scout the building and we found some of the stolen scrolls from the library's archive, along with a laboratory at the deepest basement," Konan supplied beside Pein. Minato seemed to consider her revelation.

"He must have stumbled upon them during his teaching days in Kizuna…" All eyes turned to Minato.

"Yes, Orochimaru used to be one of us, that was ten years ago. I suspect that after he knew about chakra, he must have found out that it is also easier to cultivate chakra at a toddler's age, and began kidnapping orphans to use as experiments," He explained calmly, scanning everyone's eyes meaningfully.

"Now I see why we were chosen to be in APEX," Sasori remarked, and many of them nodded. Itachi noted that of the members he interacted with, they were all orphans, chakra-abled orphans. This was definitely not a coincidence. The senior committee must have planned this all along.

"Not only are we protecting you guys from the scheming hands of Orochimaru, we're also hoping that you can use your gifts for a good cause. That way we'll be doing justice to Mother Nature, at least that's what I think," Minato concluded and smiled sheepishly.

"Damn, Minato-sensei you make us sound so cool, like we were given a life mission to bring peace or something, hmm," Deidara chipped in.

"Well in a way, you are. No one's too insignificant to think they can't make a change. It's only a matter of the courage to take the first step."

Sasori waited until everyone has left to intercept Itachi before he could slip off the corridor.

"How's Sakura?" Itachi raised his brows. For a disinterested guy, Sasori sure was very concerned about Sakura. Not that he was jealous or anything.

"She's fine; she's in school if you want to find her," Itachi responded as he leaned against the opposite wall. Sasori noticed the slight flinch as he did that.

"What about you?"

"I'll live another day. Is that all you want to ask?" Before Itachi could leave, Sasori reached into his bag and extracted a stack of document and handed it to him. His eye widened at the familiar thumbnail printed on the cover.

"I found this when we were barrelling through Orochimaru's hideout. I haven't shown it to anyone." Sasori stepped back and gauged his reaction. Itachi skimmed through the carefully preserved documents and felt a chill settled within him. The papers suddenly felt like lead, weighing down on his hand, squeezing at his heart. Whatever that was recorded, he was definitely not prepared for it.

After rifling through the documents, Sasori thought, it finally shed some light into that incident all those years ago, along with some disturbing delineation.

"Why did you give this to me…?" Instead of answering, he turned and continued down the corridor.

"I'll leave it up to you to decide whether you want to show this to her. I wish you two luck."

She should have listened to Itachi's advice and stayed at home. She should not have acted all tough; just because she hanged around a ninja did not make her one. The only consolation to this farce was that she was not alone.

"Does it hurt…?" A girl with brown bob hair from the opposite class approached and interviewed them. Sakura took the liberty to answer for the two of them when Sasuke appeared hell bent on ignoring all glances and questions. He was definitely a lot more suited to be a celeb than her.

"Iya iya, it's alright now-"

"Were you two involved in an automobile accident?" Another ponytailed girl, presumably Ms Bob's friend, cut in.

"Oh, no! It was nothing like that-"

"Whoa what happened to you two? Sex gone wrong?" A boy she recognised from the adjacent class as Suigetsu sneered. Sasuke had enough; he stormed towards Seigetsu and grabbed by his collar aggressively.

"What did you say?"

Alright, maybe not as suitable as she initially thought. Sakura apologised and hurriedly dragged Sasuke away before they became even more famous.

"Looks like the news of our kidnap is still under wraps," Sakura whispered while looking blankly ahead.

"And I intend for it to remain this way. At least everyone's safe now," Sasuke offered with a spark of guilt. She wondered what he meant by 'he intend.' Regardless, she smiled and assured him it was not his fault; she was starting to be used to him playing nice and it felt surprisingly pleasant.

The situation in their classroom was not any better; in fact it got even worse. Apparently when you were injured, you suddenly became everyone's best friend. Even Naruto was going out of his way to give Sasuke the princess treatment and swallowed back his usual snide remarks when Sasuke complained about him 'getting too close.'

Maybe being a celebrity was not such a bad thing after all.

Itachi received a text from Sasuke, wanting them to meet at the field where they practiced. He substituted with a clone and headed to find him and found their mentor waiting by the seating area. Sasuke explained that it was Kakashi who had called for this impromptu meeting.

"I've heard about what happened. Are you alright?" Itachi nodded, curious as to where this was headed.

"Don't look so shocked; we're in this together. FYI I'm also part of the senior committee of APEX," Kakashi revealed cheerfully with a careless shrug. It seemed like a habit of this era not to disseminate information all at once.

"Does this also mean you could use chakra too?" He asked with a tone of weariness.

"Yep; in fact all the senseis can. We just don't have that much chance to use it as you guys," Kakashi reflected gaily.

"Count me out; I'm just an innocent bystander," Sasuke added with both hands raised. Itachi turned sharply to assess him. Since yesterday, it had bothered him to no end of Sasuke's nonchalance. From his expression, you would have assumed they had gathered for an all-men's gossip session.

"Sasuke, aren't you shocked by what you saw?" He did a shrug that mirrored Kakashi's.

"It was more of an 'O' because I've never actually seen people use chakra in action." Itachi wondered if Sasuke knew he could use chakra all along - he even managed not to use any throughout the ordeal at Orochimaru's mansion.

"So you knew about chakra... Since when?" Kakashi cocked his head, intrigued by their exchange.

"You never told him, did you Sasuke?" Why did it always feel like he was left out of anything important?

"Keh, this isn't the kind of thing you can openly carry around and share with, like your porn," Sasuke commented, nodding to his pocket where the tip of his prized possession was showing. Turning back to Itachi, he gave an apologetic grin and said, "This programme was initiated by my Father; don't you think I would know about it?"

1200, your cafeteria courtyard; I'll be waiting.

I

Sakura clutched her phone, unable to believe her luck. This was going to be their first school date! Or was it? She quickly messaged back to double-check.

Date it is.

She stared at the screen for a minute to be sure it was not an illusion, and squealed in her seat. She had always envisioned her first date with him to be somewhere downtown, where intimacy and expensive dining were a no-brainer. However, she had no idea that the thrill and exhilaration from such clandestine rendezvous far triumphed a formal and meticulously planned date.

He said he wanted to stay by her, like couple type of 'stay'. It was almost as good as him asking her to be his girlfriend. Girlfriend, me, Uchiha Itachi's girlfriend. The thought sent a shiver of delirium through her body. It felt so unbelievable, like a fairy tale, and so sexy, like him. She threw her palm onto her face to suppress the giggle and her raising embarrassment at the memory of molesting his body. She could not believe she actually felt him up and even touched his…

"Sakura, Sakura! Time for lunch!" Ino hollered into her ear, finally drawing her out of her increasingly inappropriate thoughts. If she had not stopped herself, who knew how far things would went?

"Sakura-chan, are you sure you're okay?" Hinata asked as they marched down the corridor, eyeing worriedly at her arm of bandages and plasters.

"Ah these? They'll all be healed in two weeks' time. Oh, and guys about today's lunch…" Ino elicited a groan before she could finish.

"I knew this would happen; I knew it. Go on, go have your lunch with your boyfriend and leave your best friends alone." Instead of instilling more guilt, all that did was to deepen her blush and made her hidden grin more prominent. She waved them goodbye and sprinted on ahead.

"Remember this is school!" Ino yelled indignantly behind her.

She checked her message again to be sure she got the location right when he was nowhere in sight.

"Itachi? Itachi! Meow meow… Argh!" Someone pulled her right arm and she went crashing towards the lawn, into a set of warm arms. She peeled her head off the hard chest and beamed up at Itachi.

"You scared me!" Itachi smirked and pinched her nose playfully.

"So what, I'm a cat now?" He admonished lightly. She stuck out her tongue and eyed the take-away boxes next to him by the wall. When she tried to take it, he moved them out of reach, arms raised above them.

"Give and take." She raised an amused eyebrow at his childish demeanour and obediently landed a gender peck on his lips. When she opened her eyes, he was grinning adorably at her reddening cheeks.

He ordered two sets of teriyaki cha soba and they leaned against the cool concrete wall of the cafeteria to enjoy their lunch. He had chosen a spot away from the outdoor crowds, where they were surrounded by a thick belt of green, bird's orchestra and clear sky. This date could not get any better.

After their appetites were satisfied, Sakura stretched her arms above her and causally dropped her head onto his shoulder.

"Who's the cat now?" Sakura chanted more meowing sounds in response and he ruffled her hair. Itachi glanced towards the sky and wondered how he had coped with a life of celibacy and the constant whizzing through woods and villages. This bucolic lifestyle was strangely addictive and he was beginning to feel more and more at ease in this world. Admittedly, a lot had to do with this unusual girl next to him, who turned his way and stayed that way even after learning of his dark past.

It just occurred to him that while she expressed many interests to his world, he had not been that proactive in finding out hers. He always assumed she was carefree and generally had a normal up growing.

Sakura opened her eyes and got up to look at him when he suddenly fell quiet. Sure enough, he had that brooding look on him again.

"Itachi?"

"Hmm?"

"You seemed a bit distracted." He pulled himself out of his thoughts, from those disturbing papers and glanced at her.

"You're imagining things." She sent him a disapproving look, like the way his Mother did whenever he brought home a pile of reports after his day-long mission.

"Don't lie; we live under the same roof. I've been watching your every move." Itachi raised a brow.

"Somehow that sounded more disturbing than you being concerned." Sakura was not buying that.

"Come on, what's on your mind?"

"Like I said-"

"What's on your mind?"

"You. I can't stop thinking of you."

"I-" The words dissolved on her tongue and she felt her face melting under the intensity of his crimson eyes. When shock followed by embarrassment surfaced behind her jade eyes, he knew he got her and he was not even completely lying.

"Do you want to know what else is on my mind?" As he said that he slowly levered his body closer towards her in a provocative manner, egging her to lean back with an involuntary gulp. While he would die than admit, he enjoyed coaxing all these little reactions from Sakura. Watching her emotions played across her face without any pretence was something he could never dream about doing after carefully hiding them for his life.

"T-That the weather is good?" Itachi's lips tugged in amusement at her feeble attempt to keep her nerves out of the way, and he answered his own question with a petal-like kiss.

He supported his arm above her as he pushed her against the wall and moved her onto his lap. Sakura's hands were stroking his silky locks while his other free hand warmed her flushed cheeks.

"No danna, I swear I saw him headed this way…" When Deidara turned towards his right, he stopped dead in his track; his mouth formed a surprised 'O' before panic set in. Itachi heard the crunching sound of grass and cracked an eye opened. He simply threw him a caveat glare before returning to his engagement, coaxing another soft moan from Sakura.

Deidara gulped and backtracked, fervently pushing Sasori in the opposite direction.

"I-I think it's the other way! No wonder we can't find him; I've got the direction wrong!" Sasori frowned at his unnatural laughter but followed his lead.

Itachi was able to distract Sakura long enough until their footsteps faded into the afternoon breeze, and slowly he dragged his lips away from her slightly swollen ones. Sakura opened her eyes, looking dazed and endearing.

"I think this tasted so much better than the teriyaki," Sakura blurted before she could stop herself.

"This is just the appetizer," He replied in a low voice. She felt her heart racing and face turning hotter at the implication and buried her face into his chest to shield her shyness. They stayed that way for a while, soaking in one another's warmth without a worry for the world. The distant bell ring came too soon.

"I've got to go, Sakura."

"Can't you stay longer? I'm still not done hugging you," Sakura pouted and crushed him harder to prove her point. Itachi mentally grinned and turned to whisper into her ear.

"Have you forgotten where I'm staying?" The unspoken promise of more sent a lascivious thrill throughout her, and reluctantly she separated from his warm body.

"I-Is it me or did I hear Dei's voice just now?" Instead of answering, he delivered another smothering kiss that left her all dazed and weak in the stomach. He whispered something in her ear that made her breath catch before standing up.

"Bye, Sakura."

"B-Bye, Itachi," She replied with a vacant stare. Itachi waved and left for his next class. She slowly peeled herself off the soft grass, her heart beating as fast as Eminem's rap. She needed to get her heart checked soon; was it even normal for girls to get this exultant over a guy's causal utterance?

"Don't go thinking about other guys when you're with me. I won't be so nice the next time it happens.'

"Come in." At the Chairman's prompt, Itachi smoothed away the imaginary folds on his shirt, straightened himself and entered his office. He was in the midst of perusing a document, his eyes only briefly leaving the paper to acknowledge his presence. The fountain pen was clutched steadily in his hand, ready to give his signature of approval any moment he was done.

In contrast to Minato's office, Hiruzen's was more spacious, traditional and a lot neater. The white blinds were drawn apart to reveal the stunning panorama of modern Konoha. Next to the window, there hanged an impressive silkscreen painting of a huge tree. As opposed to exuding superiority, the overall interior felt very inviting.

"Good afternoon, san dai- Mr Chairman." Signing off the document, he glanced up at Itachi and gestured for him to take a seat. His eyes wrinkled in amusement at his earlier address but chose not to comment on it.

"Uchiha Itachi, ka? I've wanted to meet you for a long time, and please just Hiruzen." He crossed his fingers and took in Itachi.

"Nice to meet you too, Hiruzen-sensei."

"You must be wondering why I invited you here, and no, it's not regarding your ability to use chakra-"

"Grands? Is he here yet… Oh hey you're here!" Konohamaru bolted through the door and climbed onto the cushioned seat next to Itachi. Itachi tousled his hair.

"How are you Konohamaru?" He beamed in response, reminding him of the earlier one Sakura directed at him. Hiruzen's husky voice drew him out of his daze.

"Pardon my grandson. He insisted that I bring him here today to personally thank you," He offered and shook his head, as though at his grandson's mercy.

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad to see him too."

"Your name is Itachi yea? You were so cool back then and I want to thank you for saving my weak ass; I mean I could have died there and it would be so lame, being killed by some pathetic assholes!" He rambled at once and flung his arms out to embrace Itachi in gratitude. Hiruzen gasped at his language and smiled apologetically at Itachi.

"Yes, it's thanks to you that my grandson is safe and sound, Itachi," Hiruzen regarded him with earnest. After he ushered Konohamaru out of the office, his face turned serious.

"That's not the main reason that I called for your presence, in case you're wondering," He smirked for a split second before continuing, "I understand you have your reasons for masking your identity, but rest assured what goes on here shall stay between us." Itachi remained impassive as he digested his words.

"You're from Konoha, aren't you? More specifically, an Uchiha descendant?" He wondered if Konan had told him that, but obligingly nodded.

"I'm not going to ask about your previous life outside of here, not that we can find anything about it," Hiruzen confessed with an intrigued smile, "But I recognise an Uchiha when I see one, or Kanae, since that's what they are calling themselves now."

"What has happened to cause such drastic changes to the Uchiha clan's history?" Itachi asked. If anyone was going to have the answers, it would be him. The Chairman leaned forward and regarded him with a levelled look.

"Have you heard about the legend of the Uchiha ancestor of your namesake?" Itachi released a mental snort at the appropriate-to-context yet absurd question; it seemed that he was condemned to live a life of deceit, never allowed to live as himself for long. Regardless, he nodded again.

"Then you know what he did, or should I say, ordered to do?" Itachi's eyes whirled back to focus. As agreed with Naruto, he made it clear that he had no intention of having his name cleared in order to protect the reputation of the Uchiha clan. It wasn't written in the records that the massacre was an order, so how did he know…?

"This is confidential information that has been secretly passed down within the Uchiha clan and between the Hokages when that system was still in place. Now, the message has been dutifully relayed to me, the governor of the future generations." He did not wait for Itachi's response and continued.

"About ninety years ago, my Grandfather has decided that history is doing injustice to a truly honourable man like your ancestor, and made an agreement with the head of Uchiha clan then to alter the records to remove the story of the massacre. It's like a reset button – the secret of Uchiha's attempted betrayal and Itachi's sacrifice shall remain buried. They believed as much as I do that this is the best we can do for him." They sat staring at one another for a moment.

The head of Uchiha clan then… This must be Sasuke's doing then…

Itachi closed his eyes and released an audible sigh.

"I honestly don't think that was necessary…" Trust his brother to decide something so radical by himself.

"What do you mean, 'you don't think?'" Hizuren countered sharply. There was no denying the initial shock when Hiruzen came upon Itachi's name in the student records and subsequently, seeing him in person. He was practically a walking legacy of his ancestor and he had to constantly persuade himself that they were two separate people.

"I mean when Itachi did it, I believe he was prepared to be dishonoured, and what's more he was only doing what he felt was needed."

"Don't you think it would be better for people not to misunderstand his intentions?"

"It is true that my clan conspired a coup d'état, and if the sacrifice of one person could protect the reputation of his clan, it does not matter what people thought of him. It was never about your own honour anyway; that's what being in a clan is about," He reflected with a faint smile. Once again, Hiruzen had to blink away the bizarre sensation that he was talking to the actual Uchiha Itachi, and the resemblance was not helping.

"You are a lot like your precursor, and I must say I'm glad that you carry on his will."

"And I'm grateful for you telling me these." Itachi bowed and headed for the door.

What a strange child, Hiruzen thought. Till now, he could never fully comprehend the mind of the Uchihas.

Before Itachi left the office, he turned around and felt his eyes drawn to the painting by the window. Once again he contemplated the calligraphy beneath the tree's canopy:

To not depend on nature energy,

But to rely on your natural capabilities;

That's the rightful order of nature.

Hiruzen looked up and saw Itachi's lingering form and followed his acute eyes towards the painting, taking delight in his cognizance.

"This is another ancient relic that has been passed down a hundred years ago; it serves as a reminder of the delicate balance of nature and the reason why the knowledge of chakra is kept secret." Hiruzen seemed absorbed in his thought for a moment before he continued, "But the truth is we do not wish to have another tug of war over chakra with a tree again," He admitted with a wry smile.

"I suppose that sounded silly too." If only Madara could hear this conversation.

How many of you were hoping that Itachi might have/should have said the 3 words back there? Trust me, I did; Sakura sure thought that was it but this is Itachi so...