A/N: Day eight. It's so goddamn hot here.

Something's changed since she's become a part of Team Yamaneko, she realises in a moment of self-reflection. She feels like something she once grasped with ease has slipped out of her hand without her even noticing, but for the life of her she can't figure out what it is.

She's in pain. It's the worst she's ever experienced, as everything aches. Her flesh, her chakra reserves… her mind. She's exhausted, and for some reason the world feels colder. Duller, she could say. This year has been training and missions, without a time for reprieve.

They don't have the lenience of free time, as they need to be the best of the best. They may be better than a large majority of their generation, it's not enough and they need to be better than better. Shisui is only too pleased to make sure that happens.

It's been quite a while since she's seen any of the group, she notes. They feel so distant, like they're from a lifetime long past. A part of her is wistful, another part accepting. The things that remain constant are her family, though it's mostly Sai. Father returned early in the year, in time for her eighth birthday. It was more to celebrate her graduation than anything.

Unfortunately, he's been swamped with more work that it feels like he's still gone anyway. Kakashi is particularly suited for long-term missions, so he disappears and reappears erratically.

Sakura finds it mildly amusing to think about how she, Sai and Neji have bonded via trauma from a psychotic Uchiha who smiles too much. Despite how busy their schedule is, they've somehow found the time to bond and learn more about one another. She's learned that they're all rather messed up.

Perhaps she should invite him to her house soon. She'll have to register his chakra into the seal, lest he attempt to enter the house via the window and subsequently gets a shock. It'd be convenient and Shion thinks it'd be like taking in another stray since Neji hates his home. She'll consider asking him to move in, since having them all together would be convenient.

The fortunate in all of this is that she's improved immensely in terms of skill, even though they're not even half-way finished with the training. Team Yamaneko is turning out to be a team geared towards multiple areas such as reconnaissance, sabotage and assassination so far. Shisui intends to make them capable of being an assault team soon enough, which really is just a time she dreads.

At least the masks look nice. The designs for her and the other two are similar to Shisui's in that they're in the shape of a lynx, however there are slight variations such as colour and a lack of mouth. As Shisui's is red, Sai's is blue, hers purple and Neji's yellow. They refer to one another via their respective colours, as they're all lynxes and it'd be confusing otherwise.

"Go visit your gummy pineapple, yeah." Shion suggests with a yawn, throwing Sakura out of her thoughts. "Might as well use what free time you have to go see how's he doing, jelly bean. I'm sure he misses you."

She hums, deciding that she might as well even if it's late. She's still dressed up in her ANBU gear, but if she returns home she might be tempted to take a shower and go to sleep. Then who knows when she'd get the chance to visit.

Her footfalls are silent as she lands on the roof of the Nara compound, the moonlight illuminating her view. The engawa is occupied by a Nara whom she recognises to be Shikamaru's father, and she relocates closer to him.

"It's been a while, Sakura." Shikaku greets her, unsurprised by her appearance. He examines her appearance with a slight smile. "Congratulations on your graduation. Shikamaru's been lonely without you."

"Thank you, Shikaku-san." she replies, feeling her stomach bunch up. It's been a while since she's felt the flutters, so it's returned to being a discomforting sensation. "I'd have come visit, but I've been busy."

The Nara clan leader nods in understanding. "Been hearing some good things about your team. I know how intensive the training is, but try to take a break sometimes. I'll go get Shikamaru." he yawns, cracking his neck and moving to stand up.

"I don't want to bother him if he's asleep." she comments, following him with her eyes. He raises a brow at her.

"He'd get angry with me if I told him you came by and left because he was asleep." Shikaku smirks, amused and knowing. She admits that he's correct, so she lets him wander off to find his son.

She removes her mask, sitting down at the edge of the engawa and staring up at the moon. Sleep pulls at the edges of her eyes, but she attempts to rub it away to little avail. The ANBU Initiate Program is stressful, but at least it's beneficial for her in the long run.

Scooting closer to the pillar, she leans against it as she waits. It's not long before she hears the padding of footfalls and a familiar chakra signature, but she opts to move when he's announced himself.

"Sakura…" Shikamaru drawls, his voice rough from sleep. She sits up, about to turn and face him when he sits down and leans on her. His hair is down. "I missed you."

She blinks as something clicks in her head, before feeling a smile tug on her lips. Now she realises what was missing. "I missed you too."

She jolts from her sleep, abruptly sitting up and scanning her surroundings to realise that she's not at home. Her scroll and other tools are laid out by the side of the futon she's occupying, the scent of pine evident in the air.

Sakura feels her cheeks warm as she theorises that she must have fallen asleep. She's mildly surprised to note that whoever carried her to the guest room hadn't made her stir. Perhaps it's a mix of their prowess and her fatigue.

The shouji door slides open, revealing Shikaku who smiles down at her. She feels obligated to return the smile.

"Letting you know now before you start stressing that I've managed to convince the Hokage to give you a few weeks off." he informs her, rubbing the back of his head in mild irritation. "Though it's troublesome that break periods haven't been implemented in the first place. It should be obvious now that it's peace time."

The amount of genuine pleasure from this news is overwhelming, so perhaps when she thanks the Jounin Commander it's a little more heartfelt than she intends.

"You should stick around for breakfast before wandering off home. If you want, you can have a shower here and borrow some Shikamaru's clothes." Shikaku suggests with a mild, amused grin. "I'm sure he'd be happy to walk you home as well."

Of course, she doesn't need to be walked home but it's not a matter of needing. "Thank you, Shikaku-san. I really appreciate this." it hurts her, how much she appreciates this. He waves her off, as if it's nothing.

She folds the futon before making her way to Shikamaru's room, finding him ruffling through his wardrobe in what she assumes to be him looking for clothes for her. When he notices her by the door, she sees the way his eyes light up. It brings a smile to her face.

"Hey." he greets, with a smile he seems to be trying to control. If so, it's not working very well. "Did you… sleep well?"

Sakura nods, stepping into his room. "Better than I have of late, yes. Shikaku-san tells me I have some free time now, so I'll be able to catch up with you and the others." she informs him, finding herself grinning when he grins.

"Yeah." he answers, with so much affection that Shion groans in pain and mutters something about being adorable. "I'm glad. Here are some of my clothes, you know where the bathroom is. I'll wait for you." he hands her a few articles of clothing, to which he accepts with a small murmur of thanks.

"Alright, thank you." then she heads off towards the bathroom. Sakura hopes that everyone at home isn't panicking at her disappearance, but they'll probably survive. Although Sai might come searching for her in a mild panic.

So she takes a small detour so that she can summon a clone to send the message that she's fine. It's still strange, seeing a clone of herself. They always have this look that's a mix of vacant and attentive, which she supposes could almost be airy. Nevertheless, they don't act airy at least and the clone disappears to find her family.

Though the day's started off fairly well, she wonders how long the peace will last.

"Sasuke's been… off, lately." Shikamaru states, rubbing the back of his head with a mild frown directed to the sky. When he glances over to her, his eyes fall to the clothes she's wearing. Her ANBU equipment is sealed for convenience's sake, so she's only holding the largest of her scrolls and wearing her ninja sandals. "More so than usual…"

It must be weird for him, seeing her in his clothes. It would be weird enough seeing her wearing civilian clothes, as her Academy attire had screamed practicality for training.

When she tilts her head, he snaps out of his thoughts. "It's like he's anxious or something, but he's secretive about it all. He mentions you a few times, which bugs me because he's still set on 'you and him'." now he's rubbing the side of his neck, setting his gaze ahead.

She feels a smile tugging at her lips, but she feels both a pleasant and unsettling sensation bubble in her gut. "As of the moment, I'm not particularly interested in 'him and I." is her reply. When Shikamaru looks at her, taking special note of the first words she has to elaborate on. "Change can always happen at the most unexpected of times. If you happen to like another girl, I'd hope that you'd be as honest about it as I would with you."

He pauses, turning to face her fully with that frustrated frown marring his expression again. "That's reasonable… but I don't like the idea of looking at another girl the way I look at you." he answers, her chest tightening in response.

"Damn, that was smooth. I'm impressed, yeah." Shion whistles, then chuckles. She agrees.

Sakura's smile widens and becomes more genuine in the process. "Yeah, I don't like the idea either." then they resume walking to her home in comfortable silence, with her thoughts on the Uchiha and why she feels like something disastrous is going to happen soon.

The Haruno household is located in one of the nicer areas, located atop a hill that grants a nice view of the village. It's large and isolated, meant to house more than one child but as a result of the tumultuous relationship between Father and Mother, she's the only one. It's alright, considering she has a brother and Kakashi now.

"You have a nicer house than I expected." Shikamaru comments, examining it. "What does your dad do?"

"He's the founder of Sakura Ocha." and an underground child trafficking business, but that's something Shikamaru doesn't need to know. "The company's popularity has been rising in recent years, so he's become busier. The fortunate part is that we're rather well off."

She lets him digest the information as they walk towards the entrance of her house, gradually becoming anxious as she realises that this is the first time she's had anyone not currently living with her near her house.

"There are… seals that will incapacitate intruders." she reveals to him, prompting him to look at her in mild surprise. "So, I could register your chakra signature so that doesn't happen… if you decide to come visit in the future."

Shikamaru smiles at her, stepping a little closer. "I'd like that. Thank you." their foreheads are almost touching and Sakura feels a sense of calm and pleasance wash over her. She feels wistful, as though she already misses him when he's right there.

"You're welcome." she responds before turning her attention to the door that's been opened by Sai. His bed hair is so unruly. He's probably used to her brushing his hair instead.

"Sakura-neesama…" her brother yawns. "Okaeri. I was not expecting you to turn up in Shikamaru-san's clothes." he comments, looking down at her attire.

"We didn't fornicate, Sai." she sighs with a smile, noting the rise in rosy colours from Shikamaru with her peripheral view.

Sai nods. "That is reassuring. The recommended age of consent is fourteen, after all. Though…"

"It wouldn't be the first time we've broken the law." she finishes with a grin.

Shikamaru groans from her side. "Please, stop."

She feels both relief and disappointment to know that her instincts are finally proven correct, when the boy who's been haunting her dreams for years emerges through the forest located behind her house. The moon is high and bright in the sky, its light an ominous light source that makes her wonder if truly dramatic events can only happen on such a night.

Sakura would be unsurprised to learn that the moon is some kind of omen in the future. Regardless, she has to focus on what's in front of her.

"Hello, Sakura-chan." Itachi greets her with an affectionate whisper, having invaded her personal bubble on the roof before she could blink. The metallic scent of blood wafts heavily into her nose, which is no surprise considering he's drenched in the thick liquid. "It has been too long since we have last… talked."

Her stomach has fallen, but she gathers the courage to frown at him. It's amazing how accurate Shion's depiction of Itachi is.

"I think that's a pleasant thing, Itachi-san." she replies, her voice unwavering. He chuckles, his eyes alight with crimson and his insanity. Yes, she believes the time they've been apart has been a pleasant thing indeed.

"You wound me…" he murmurs without sincerity, his lips pulled into a smile as caresses her cheek and stains it with blood she knows doesn't belong to him. "Though, I am pleased to see you have grown stronger since we last met. Your eyes are not as indigo as I would like… but it is a fascinating sight nonetheless."

Some part of her still fears him and that's something she won't deny, but she's been forced to overcome his existence every night that she sleeps. It would be terribly annoying if she hadn't grown since they last saw one another.

"Who did you kill, Itachi-san?" she questions him, her grip on her arms tightening as his thumb brushes near the corner of her right eye.

His gaze slides from his hand to her eyes, something inside her jumping from the sheer intensity. "It would take too long to name them all, but they were all members of my prestigious clan." he smiles like he's pleased with himself for committing a massacre. "There are others left, such as otouto and Shisui… They will take care of the Uchiha in my absence, I should hope."

His other hand slides onto the side of her neck, his face now close enough for her to once more feel his breath fan her face. He really enjoys destroying her personal space, doesn't he?

"I wanted to say my farewells to Shion… and to you by extension, Sakura-chan." then he presses his lips onto hers, forcing her still when she tries to recoil back in disgust and surprise. She feels like her heart's jumped into her throat, like every second their lips touch he's tainting her.

When he finally pulls back, she's left panting and shivering. Her fingers twitch to attempt to cut him, but she knows that even with her training he's far above her league. She abhors that smug smirk on his lips and the way his eyes spin, cataloguing every moment.

"You have a sweet taste, Sakura-chan." he murmurs like the freak he is, his smirk slowly shifting into a deranged smile as she grasps his wrists and toys with the thought of breaking them. All she has to do is call forth her chakra to amplify her strength, but she doesn't know how he reacts to pain. "I will be in touch, should you ever need me."

She knows she's glaring at him now, feeling something dark settle in her stomach. "Why would I need you, Itachi-san?" she seethes in question, her fear settling deep into her bones.

Shisui is a different kind of monster, whom appears to be an anomaly within the Uchiha clan. She's not sure if he even has an obsession, but the fact that it's not her or what's inside her is a fresh breath of air if she disregards his training methods. She prefers her captain far more than the Uchiha in front of her.

Itachi hums as he stares at her mouth, holding her head steady as he brushes his thumb along her bottom lip. The entranced, concentrated look in his spinning eyes of hallucination is disconcerting.

"I do not think you understand what a magnificent existence Shion was in her lifetime." he states, his fingers twitching the slightest. If he goes in for another violation of the lips, she'll retaliate even if it turns out to be fruitless. "To much of the outside world, she was only known by her ANBU alias… However, there are many who knew her true identity and would be able to come to the conclusion that you are affiliated to her in some manner."

He tilts her head, his eyes now on the higanbana crown sitting atop her head. "That is both a good and bad thing as her enemies and her allies have a high likelihood of becoming your enemies and allies." he explains further. The blood on him is starting to congeal, she sees.

"What are you, Itachi-san?" she whispers, watching his face. He's grown to become even more effeminate and attractive, but the blood and insanity is really ruining anything going for him.

His gaze finally meets hers again, then… he smiles. It is one of his most terrifying. "I live for the day I will see her again, in her own blood and flesh." Itachi croons, a buzz in his aura that deeply concerns her. "You may find my existence… displeasing, but Shion…"

Sakura blinks, feeling the flare of chakra that's alerting all ANBU to gather by its location. Itachi too, blinks and glances up into the distance. "I suppose it is time for me to depart." he murmurs, with a mild longing to his tone before he makes eye contact once more.

"Shion accepted you." Sakura realises, her eyes widening to reflect that. The glint in his eyes strengthens on her sentence. "But why?" that's something she's yet to figure out.

Itachi leans in, smiling with all his teeth. Her frown deepens. "Because, Sakura-chan, Shion was a monster too. She was just a different breed."

Chapter Word Count: 3,203

Total Word Count: 24,904

Targeted Word Count: 1,667

A/N: Itachi makes a surprise appearance and fucks up everyone's day. There's not much else to say, really. Thank you all for the support this story has gotten in the past week. It's amazing since I'm writing all this out of my ass with only vague directions on where to go.

Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre.