While Kabuto was still at large with no lead on where he might be, Konoha's safety risks were fairly low. Danzo was still imprisoned. Akatsuki was virtually gone while Madara must have been recuperating from the loss of all his manpower. Konoha was safer than it had been in a long time.

And what that meant for Itachi was boring missions.

Being back on the mission roster during peacetime was not nearly the rush that being in Akatsuki had been. Not that Itachi would dare say that he missed it. He definitely did not. In fact, being as pacifistic as he was, Itachi didn't really miss fighting all that much at all.

Stealth missions were fun. They offered a whole host of excitement and intrigue. Itachi was best with infiltration, gathering intel.

But this was not a stealth mission and there was no intel. In fact, if this mission did not involve a person of high importance, it could only be classified as D rank.

Escort the Daimyo's daughter across Fire country. It was a humiliating task for a shinobi as accomplished as Itachi, but he couldn't turn down a mission. Not when there were so few to take.

It was a wonder that the Daimyo would hire a man like Itachi to protect his daughter. A clan killer. A man capable of killing his own family surely shouldn't be given the care of a young woman whose potential for grating on his nerves seemed to be endless.

Fortunately, this was an ANBU mission, so his identity remained unknown. For all they knew, he was the Hokage herself.

"ANBU-san, tell me your favorite color."

Itachi elected not to answer this demand, as he had with all the previous demands. She had incessantly pressed him to talk for the few hours they had been on the road. So far he had not uttered a word to her, but he could feel that it was only a matter of time before he politely asked her to shut up.

"ANBU-san, is your favorite color red like your eyes?"

He narrowed his eyes at her through the slits in his mask.

"Oh, ANBU-san, you don't scare me," she said with a shrill giggle. "You're here to protect me – don't act like you can intimidate me."

Anyone not intimidated by him was foolish indeed. She had an unwavering trust in him that he found too disconcerting to spend much time thinking about.

Itachi studied her for a moment, because something about her voice reminded him of Sakura. She was hardly eighteen, maybe younger. She had delicate features and bouncing brown curls.

A young noble like her would certainly be a fine target. Her youth and beauty would give her allure. She was rich and loved – an easy mark for someone strapped for cash.

"Tell me, ANBU-san," she said, fanning herself with an ornately decorated fan. "Do you have a girlfriend back home?"

Again, Itachi refused to answer. But it seemed that the young woman was determined to get an answer for this particular question. She crawled to the edge of her cart near to where Itachi walked beside it. He kept his gaze forward.

"ANBU-san," she said, drumming her fingers impatiently on the wood.

When he still did not respond, she reached her hand out toward his face. He saw with his Sharingan her intent to remove his mask so he caught her wrist and held it.

"Tell me about you girlfriend," she said, unperturbed by the rough way he was currently restraining her arm. In fact, Itachi felt a twinge of disgust when she seemed to lean into his touch and sigh.

He released her, shoving her gently back into her seat in the cart. "I don't have a girlfriend," he said.

"He speaks!" she exclaimed giddily, clapping her hands like he had just performed some impressive feat. Itachi narrowed his eyes, if that were even possible.

He had considered lying to her – telling her that he did have a girlfriend. The closest thing he'd ever had to a girlfriend was Sakura, who he had not seen in several weeks. And she was not his girlfriend.

It was torture, really. It seemed cruel and unfair on fate's part to have let him share a bed with her, to be close to her and touch her and then take her away again. He saw how busy she constantly was. She was important to the village – they needed her more than he did.

But damn if he didn't need her. Ironic how he had wanted to get some space from her, to clear his head of her. The thrill of lying next to her, of being wrapped around her body so intimately had left quite an impression on poor Itachi. He felt high and giddy just thinking about it. She was like a drug he was craving – that adrenaline, that spike of nerves that felt so awful and yet so intriguing at the same time.

Twice he had come to her apartment since their mission. The first time she had not been there. He had sensed the presence of the Yamanaka girl inside, but instead of asking her where Sakura was, he left. Later he learned that she had been in the labs working on the samples they had collected from Kabuto's bunker.

How admirable for her to be working so late into the evening, he thought when he learned this.

The second time he had visited he once again felt the Yamanaka girl there. Feeling bold and a little discouraged at the same time, Itachi had peered inside her window for a brief second to see Sakura curled up on the couch with the blonde's tear streaked face in her lap.

There would have been no tactful way to interrupt whatever had been happening then, so Itachi left again.

He hadn't gathered the courage to go see her again. He wanted to, of course. He thought of her far too often while missions were slow, while nothing was happening. She was happening. She was the only thing he could keep his mind on.

"How could a handsome man like you not have a girlfriend?" the Daimyo's daughter demanded.

He had not removed his mask at any point since meeting her, and the girl had no way of knowing if he was handsome or not. Nonetheless, Itachi felt heat rising to his cheeks and he was grateful that they were covered.

"Are you allowed to have a girlfriend, ANBU-san?" she asked. "Or are ANBU forbidden from pursuing love?"

Itachi did not respond.

"How tragic that would be," she continued. "I hope that's not true. Oh! Do you have a girl back home that you love and cannot be with? How awful that must be! She must be very beautiful for a man like you to love her. Do you think she loves you back? Does she know that you love her? Do you have secret rendezvous with one another between you—"

"Please," Itachi interrupted sharply. "Be quiet."

"Do you hear something, ANBU-san?" she whispered.

"Yeah, you."

She looked stunned for a moment before that emotion was whisked away and replaced with indignant coldness. She crossed her arms with a huff, and Itachi was amused in spite of himself.

"Forgive my rudeness," Itachi apologized, but he offered no explanation or further groveling.

"'Forgive my rudeness, hime,'" she corrected.

Itachi halted. The cart moved on without him, the incensed hime pouting but otherwise paying him no attention. It shouldn't have come as a surprise that a person who actually had claim to such a title would demand to be called one, but Itachi felt hesitant to call this girl a name he had reserved for Sakura.

Even the way she had said it reminded him so much of her…

"Forgive my rudeness, hime," he amended as he caught up with the cart.

Luckily for Itachi, the hime pouted silently for the rest of the trip.

.

"Why are you so dressed up?"

Itachi spared a glance for his brother while he straightened his shirt. He had been subjected to Sasuke's relentless teasing about his escort mission – he wasn't interested in having Sasuke mock his formal attire, too.

"Clan ceremony," he said tersely.

"Clan ceremony? Why wasn't I invited?"

Itachi shook his head. "Only the clan heads were invited, Sasuke," Itachi answered. "Tsunade-sama is going to reveal to us new information about the council."

Itachi watched Sasuke's face darken. Danzo's trial had come and gone without much fuss. It had hardly seemed like there was a point in having one at all when Tsunade passed her judgment with little to no regard for the opinions of the rest of the council members.

She had still been more lenient than Itachi cared for (and Itachi was not a vengeful man). Danzo had been banned from Konoha and had a seal of his own design placed on his tongue so that Konoha's secrets would be safe.

Itachi had been away on a mission during the trial, but both Naruto and Sasuke reported that Sakura had been livid when she exited the courtroom. When they pressed her for information she refused to speak. He couldn't imagine what had her so outraged. He wished he could have witnessed the trial himself. He was curious as to what part Sakura played in it.

On the heels of Danzo's banishment the council needed an overhaul. Thus, formal invitations to a clan ceremony where Tsunade would explain the future of the council and Konoha's political climate were sent out.

Itachi was not looking forward to going. He did not do well at events like these. He supposed he would have to get used to them being the clan head. He should have been used to them already at this age – an heir to such a prestigious clan.

Instead, his stomach was filled with dread. He couldn't imagine a scenario where the other clan heads reacted favorably to his appearance. He was well aware that he was still despised by the rest of the village.

"But you'll tell me everything when you get back?" Sasuke asked.

"Of course."

.

It could have been worse, Itachi thought. Everyone had gathered at the Hokage tower in one the lower rooms reserved for events like these. It appeared that more than just the clan heads had been invited. Jiraiya, Kakashi, Shizune, and several more people he did not recognize also flitted about the floor, mingling and enjoying themselves. He also recognized Gaara – odd looking without his sand gourd on his back. He hadn't expected the Kazekage to be here.

If Itachi hadn't felt so uncomfortable being there, he would have been amazed that such a strange crowd of people could possibly have gathered for a formal event like this one. Even Kakashi, so unusual without his Icha Icha book, looked relaxed.

From his position against the wall, Itachi watched as the guests interacted with one another – spotting each clan head and rehearsing what he might say if they approached him.

"Itachi."

He glanced to his left.

"Tsunade-sama."

"Don't be such a wallflower," she said. "You're a big part of why this is even happening."

"What exactly is happening?"

She leaned against the wall next to him, crossing her arms. "You'll find out," she said. "And if you could do me this solid: don't be all intimidating and cold. Try to… get people to like you."

Itachi narrowed his eyes because that was a ridiculous thing for someone with a temper like hers to suggest, but he kept his mouth shut.

Across the room he saw a flash of pink and his eyes were drawn in immediately. She looked both confused and stunning when she entered the room, her gaze panning slowly as she looked for something, someone.

She had dressed to kill, apparently. Itachi couldn't draw his eyes away from her form fitting red dress long enough to notice that she had curled her hair (a respectable length now) and put on a substantial amount of makeup.

She smiled an obnoxiously and unfairly bright smile when she caught sight of the Kazekage and Itachi watched as she made her way over to him. He smiled back when he saw her (Itachi couldn't recall ever having seen the Kazekage smile) and gave her a firm handshake.

A handshake, Itachi thought with relief. Not a kiss on the cheek or a hug.

He immediately felt rather foolish for even thinking about such a thing.

"In fact," Tsunade said, reminding him that she was, in fact, still there. "If you could play up the whole victim thing, that would be fantastic. I know the massacre must be fresh in your mind after the results of Danzo's trial."

"Right," Itachi said, keeping his eyes fixed on Sakura as she flitted away from Gaara and over to Kakashi who ruffled her hair affectionately. She shoved him too roughly away from her and wagged her finger at him, chiding him, no doubt, for having messed up her hair. "The lenient results of the trial."

"Please," she scoffed. "I practically gave him a death sentence. A decrepit old man like him isn't going to last long out there."

"You should know better than to underestimate him."

Tsunade grunted and kicked herself off the wall. "Enjoy this party, Itachi," she said. "At least try to have a good time."

Itachi watched her walk away. He couldn't imagine enjoying himself here.

If anything, he felt even more uncomfortable knowing that there was something Tsunade needed from him. Why should he have to play his victim card? Why would he need people to like him?

She had also claimed that he was an important reason that this event was even happening. What could that mean? Just what exactly was she planning?

"Itachi-kun."

She approached him along the wall, resting her shoulder against the wall next to him. Her body was facing him and before he could stop himself, his eyes traveled the length of her body and back up before landing on her face.

She was looking at him with a raw admiration that made his stomach twist up into knots. He watched her eyes take a similar journey to his, lingering on his chest and shoulders.

"You look nice, Itachi-kun."

She looked nicer, he thought, and he wanted to tell her but he had lost the ability to form words. He couldn't tell whether it was the prolonged absence of her or the fact that she looked phenomenal, but whatever it was made it difficult to process thoughts.

She reached out and grabbed his hand, entwining their fingers like it was a completely normal thing for her to be doing. They were far enough away from everyone else that no one would notice unless they were paying specific attention. Itachi could think of no reason why their relationship (if it could even be called that) should be a secret, but his first instinct was to push her away.

And yet… He wanted for Gaara to turn and look at her – to see her standing so near to him with their hands twisted together.

She moved a step closer to him and fluttered her lashes – lashes that were black and much longer than he remembered.

"Your lashes…"

"Oh," she said. "It's mascara. I forgot I was wearing it."

Having regained his voice, Itachi leaned into her touch and tightened his grip on her hand. "You look beautiful, Sakura."

She smiled warmly, more warmly than she had at Gaara, and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Why are you here?" he asked her. "Do you know what's happening with the council?"

"I do, but I'm sure Tsunade-sama will tell you in good time," she answered. "I'm here to schmooze you."

"Me?"

"Well, all the clan heads," she said, brushing a lock of hair away from her face. "But I'll tell you a secret, Itachi-kun. You are my favorite."

He leaned a little closer because, well, that was nice to hear and he could feel her thumb rubbing gentle circles into his wrist. After another moment he felt her chakra in his system, checking for injuries he may have sustained during their time apart from one another.

He felt the headache he didn't even know he had dissipate.

"And you're my favorite," he nearly whispered back.

"Your favorite what?" she asked with a grin.

"Pink-haired medic."

She giggled and smacked him playfully in the arm.

"I missed you, hime."

Her brow furrowed and it almost seemed like she was upset. Maybe that had been too bold of him to say. Or maybe she hadn't missed him.

"I'm sorry I've been so busy," she said and he could sense the guilt in her tone. "I've neglected a lot of things these past couple of weeks, but I apologize for letting you be one of them."

"Well," he said in a mock serious tone, "I somehow managed without you."

She quirked a brow at him and her lips twisted into a smirk. "Is that so?" she asked. "Well, since it appears you don't need me, I'll take my leave."

She turned on her heel to leave, but he caught her by the elbow and pulled her back toward him. She didn't seem surprised.

"No," he said. "Stay."

She leaned in close to him with that infuriating smirk still etched in her face. She let her curls fall forward over her shoulders and Itachi caught a whiff of her vanilla scented shampoo and something else that was uniquely her.

"Aww, you really did miss me," she cooed.

He made a noise of agreement with the back of his throat. Tsunade had told him to enjoy himself tonight. That pipedream was quickly becoming reality. If only he could steal her away, take her somewhere more private where he could kiss her. There was a gleam in her eye that he wasn't used to seeing and he wanted to fully explore what it meant.

He trailed the tips of his fingers down the length of her arm. It seemed impossible for a person's skin to feel so much like silk. He watched in fascination as goosebumps spread down her arm. She suppressed a shiver and licked her lips. Her eyes were glassy and bright, and Itachi began to realize the effect he had on her. His mind was racing with others ways he could elicit reactions from her.

But he could not do that here.

"Don't you have schmoozing to do?" he asked, his voice low and heated just to watch what it would do to her.

"Mm," she sighed, fluttering her lashes again. "Why don't we both ditch this place? We could head over to Ichiraku's. Get something to eat."

"Tempting," he said, because it really was.

"Maybe when this is over," she said wistfully because they both knew they should stay.

"Whatever you want, hime," he said, leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to her temple. It amused him to see the cogs whirling in her head as she attempting to put together this strange new way he was acting.

"I don't know if you know this," she said, swallowing a lump in her throat. "But you've gotten quite good at this flirting business."

He laughed because the idea of him being flirtatious was kind of funny. But her reactions encouraged him and his affections for her had somehow grown in their absence from one another. He could flirt with her all day if she let him.

"Have you been practicing?" she demanded.

"Obviously," he drawled. "I didn't get this good at it overnight." It didn't hurt that the shrill sting of his nerves had calmed down somewhat, enabling him to stand near her and touch her without feeling as though he were about to have a heart attack.

"Save some of it for later," she said with a wink. "I have more schmoozing to do. Don't just stand here looking depressed."

"I'm not depressed," he said because he felt anything but depressed while standing next to her. But she had already disappeared, floating away to where Hiashi and Inoichi were chatting.

He immediately felt her absence again and realized exactly how much he had missed her. He had been back in Konoha for almost seven months. For the first two of those, he'd spent time with Sakura almost daily.

The things that had initially kept them together (his health, Yamato and Sachi) were no longer quite so pressing, so necessary. Would he have to come up with excuses every time he wanted to see her?

He watched her throw her head back and laugh at something Inoichi said. He smiled down at her, obviously charmed – and why shouldn't he be? Itachi saw the familiarity between them. He was her best friend's father. Itachi could tell from their interactions that they must have been like family to one another.

But it wasn't just Inoichi. She seemed to know everyone. All those who were lucky enough to get a portion of her time laughed with her, smiled brightly – even the surly Hiashi was not immune to her charm.

"She's looking pretty good tonight, isn't she?" asked a voice to his right.

Itachi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Jiraiya."

"She certainly stands out in this crowd of old bags," he joked. "I suspect that's why Tsunade had her come."

"Schmoozing, as I understand it," Itachi said.

"One of Sakura's many talents."

Jiraiya leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. Itachi noticed that his eyes lingered on Sakura, too. He couldn't really blame the sannin – he couldn't look away from her either.

"It was pretty sneaky on Tsunade's part to get all these old men to care about what she says by dressing up her hot student and letting her flirt with everyone," Jiraiya said. "If I were a weaker man, she might already have buttered me up too."

"No offense, Jiraiya-san," Itachi said. "But I don't think you'd stand a chance against her."

"You think?"

"I think you'd be in a much worse mood if she weren't giving you something entertaining to look at."

Jiraiya's booming laughter filled the air around him. Itachi smiled, too, caught in the infectious jovialness Jiraiya seemed to ooze.

"That's certainly true," he said. "She might be pretty, but that girl is nothing but trouble."

"Why do you say that?"

Before he could answer, the sound of Shizune clapping interrupted them. "Attention, everyone!" she said. "The ceremony will now commence. Everyone please report to the council chambers."

.

Itachi was far from a conniving schoolboy, but that didn't mean that he could just let go of the fact that Sakura had walked into the council chambers with her arm around the Kazekage's.

It was platonic, sure. Itachi knew that. She was playing her part, doing what Tsunade asked of her. But technically, Itachi was also one of the men she needed to be schmoozing and he didn't quite feel schmoozed enough.

As everyone began to take their seats, Itachi approached them, wearing what he hoped was his most stern and intimidating face. The Kazekage's eyes followed him as he approached, but Itachi did his best not to feel unnerved by it.

There were many reasons why Gaara should not like him. He probably should have kept his distance and done his best to avoid any kind of conflict.

"Uchiha-sama," Sakura said as he approached. "You're looking quite serious."

He gave Gaara a respectful nod before turning his attention where it belonged. "I need to speak with you regarding my eyes, Sakura-san."

"The ceremony is about to start, Itachi-kun."

Itachi ignored the butterflies that sprang up in his stomach. She had never called him that in front on anyone else before.

"It will take just a second," he said. "You don't mind if I steal her away, Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara looked as though he did mind, but he returned Itachi's nod without a word.

"Excuse me, Gaara-sama," Sakura said to him with a shallow bow.

"Gaara," he corrected.

"Gaara," she said. Itachi could have winced.

He dragged her away to the seats he had chosen for them and sat her down to his left. The rest of the seats began to fill up quickly and the room started to quiet down.

"What's the matter with your eyes, Itachi?"

"Well, you see," he whispered, leaning close to her ear. "There was something wrong with them. But the problem seems to have gone away."

She narrowed her eyes, but he saw the faint quirk of her lips.

"I see," she whispered back. "Sometimes just my presence is enough to fix things."

"I'd better keep you close, then."

"Looks like you're already doing a pretty good job," she murmured. "Poor Gaara is just as uncomfortable being here as you are, you know."

Itachi said nothing because he didn't really care about Gaara.

"I'll just have to make it up to him later," she said.

He snapped his eyes over to her and gave her a sharp look. She stifled a giggle behind one hand and placed the other on his thigh under the table.

"I'm only kidding, Uchiha-sama," she said. "But I do enjoy how cute you look when you're jealous."

"I don't look cute," he mumbled. "And I'm not jealous."

"Let's begin, shall we?" Tsunade said loudly from the head of the table.

And the room fell silent.