Chapter 10: Fire

She felt like she was walking on eggshells. To be on a mission again, two days after their kiss, was truly bizarre. He was the same uncompromising, draconian captain from before. She was still expected to obey his orders without question. However, it was clear that their relationship dynamic was different than the last mission. She found herself using Naruto as a makeshift barrier, hovering around him like a pesky insect. It seemed to work the first day, surprisingly enough. She felt the intensity of Kakashi's stare on her from a distance, but he hadn't tried to breach the gap. She could tell he was a bit amused by her antics, judging by the smirk on his face.

On the second night, however, there was a shift. She placed her bed roll next to Naruto's by the fire and watched the flames dance together. The combustion of wood as the result of a chemical reaction was beautiful. She always loved fire; the heat it gave off, the colors, its capabilities. It was both a destructive and comforting force. She was jealous of shinobi that could use fire style, like Kakashi and Sasuke. She hadn't been able to use that particular elemental release. Kakashi, of course, mastered all the chakra natures. He has a lightning nature affinity, hence his signature Chidori technique. But he also has over a thousand jutsu in his arsenal, including fire style. She wondered if it was the Sharingan that allowed him such preeminence, or it was his own magnificent aptitude as a shinobi. Perhaps a mixture of both, she mused to herself. She was lost in the hypnotic effect of the fire until she felt his inescapable presence behind her. Every muscle in her body tensed as he lowered himself leisurely onto her bed roll. His powerful thighs caged in her body, pressing against the sides of her own. She sat ramrod straight as he pulled her right up against him.

"Hey there," he teased. She was becoming frazzled as he laid one of his hands on her upper thigh. It was a light touch, but the possessiveness wasn't lost on her. Her eyes darted over to Naruto and Sai, who were staring at them quietly.

"What are you doing?" She questioned lowly. She understood, since the start of the mission, he wasn't attempting to hide his intent from the others. She was just hoping he wouldn't be quite this bold for an audience. It seemed until now, he was going to 'behave' for the duration. She really should stop making assumptions about him.

"Hm? isn't it obvious?" He had the gall to mock her. She tried to peel his hand off her leg and his fingers tightened in response.

"Back off Kakashi!" She growled.

"Why? I'm comfortable." She felt the rumble of his chest against her back as he laughed.

"I'm not! Don't you get enough enjoyment tormenting me back home?"

"Tormenting you? An odd choice of words for simply showing affection."

He was teasing her, and she was far from charmed. He rested his chin on top of her head and she started squirming more. She wasn't audacious enough to try and hit him again, but she was putting her chakra behind her struggles. He was immoveable as always though; his breathing didn't even elevate as he held her to him effortlessly. She felt him inhale her scent and she closed her eyes in unease. She hoped he wouldn't… kiss her in front of the others. That would be completely mortifying.

"Kakashi-sensei, maybe you should…." Naruto said, trailing off in nervousness as she felt Kakashi's head turn in his direction.

"Maybe I should what?" She could tell by his tone his face was daring Naruto to finish. It was unbelievable really, how fast he could deviate from playful with her, to hard and domineering the next second.

Naruto faltered for a moment but then he looked at her face, and he appeared to find his resolve to speak. "Keep your focus," he finished his earlier sentence. "You're our captain. We need you to remain alert and protect us."

"Are you suggesting I'm incapable of doing so now?" The warmth she felt from the fire seemed to abate at the chill in his voice.

"No, I was just, just," he stammered.

"Eloquent as always, aren't you Naruto?" He derided. She knew she had to stop this. Naruto was trying to help her, but he was going to get himself hurt.

"I just mean…" He tried again.

"Enlighten me. What do you mean?" He interrupted his stammering.

"Kakashi, stop." He wasn't paying attention to her words. His stare was fixed on Naruto, who now looked as if he wished he never spoke.

"Sakura, she is…"

"Sakura is what?" His voice didn't rise but it was no less menacing. Kakashi didn't like ANYONE telling him what to do. And she had a feeling that tyrannical attitude of his was about to make an appearance again.

"Leave him be, please." She turned to place her hand on his chest, rubbing soothing circles to try and refocus his attention. His vest was off at the moment, so he was only in his long-sleeved shirt. She was able to feel the chiseled muscle of his pectorals as she moved her hand against the fabric. His face tilted back down to her, and she felt him relax underneath her fingers. Her tactic to dissuade him was working, to her relief, and she heard him make a content sound at her touching. His arm curled around the side of her hip, so she found herself half sitting on his lap.

"You're lucky I'm in a charitable mood Sakura."

"He's just loyal to me. He doesn't deserve your wrath for being my friend." She knew the word 'loyalty' meant something to him.

"Hm. Your loyalty is misguided though, Naruto. Sakura and I have an understanding, don't we?" His eye pierced her as she nodded hesitantly.

"Why don't you take first watch Naruto? Take Sai along with you." It was a dismissal, and everyone knew it.

Naruto nodded slowly, looking at her briefly with worry, before turning away, "Oh, and one more thing," Kakashi called out. "Your attempt at interfering will cost you next time." She could see Naruto's shoulders stiffen at the warning as he walked off.

"You don't need to be a complete autocrat," she scolded. He looked down at her, unimpressed.

"It comes with the territory." He smirked. She sighed in frustration but decided to change course. "You wouldn't seriously hurt him, would you?"

She couldn't tell what he was thinking as he stared at her impassively. "He's a comrade, and he's loyal to the village. I have no reason to do that," he said cryptically.

She didn't know how to respond to his bewildering statement. "So, you were bluffing then?"

"No. I have and will put him in his place if needed." She was getting tired of hearing that. "You and I have different ideas of what 'seriously hurt' means, apparently. I've never inflicted enough damage on him that couldn't be healed at the hospital."

His radical view didn't even surprise her. He was extreme in everything. She supposed she should at least be thankful he even had a line.

"Your tolerance is astonishing, truly," she said dryly.

"There's that cheekiness again." She watched him remove his headband and was caught in the gaze of his amused, mismatched eyes. She was suddenly aware of their position. Somehow, she was distracted from it until now. The steady pump of his heart beneath her hand, which was still resting on his chest. She turned her head back to the fire to divert her attention from him. She knew they were alone now, and the reality of that had her perspiring unpleasantly.

"You're pretty enraptured by fire," he observed. His tone was teasing but she detected a bit of curiosity to it.

"I've always liked it I suppose," she admitted.

"Any particular reason?"

"It's just nice. It's also a chakra release I haven't been able to do," she muttered.

She was waiting for him to mock her for her failure. He wasn't someone that understood not being able to do something. Had the great Kakashi ever failed at something? She doubted it. Everything came naturally to him, that's why he was the best.

"I'll teach you."

"That's alright, I know it's rare to be able to use all the elemental releases well. I'm lucky enough to excel in both earth and water style. Most shinobi don't even have the capability for more than one nature, particularly at a high level. I just always wished I could push that boundary a bit more." She didn't mention lightning nature because she knew that was a completely lost cause.

"Sakura," he said quietly. She looked back at him, and the way he was looking at her was different than usual. He lately looked at her with intense possessiveness. But his gaze now, it was almost akin to a look of understanding. As if he could see HER, and it was unsettling, because Kakashi wasn't supposed to look at her like that.

"You are a talented kunoichi with atypical chakra control. I can teach you."

"You think you can teach me to be proficient at it?"

"Yes."

To be skilled at earth, water, and fire style would be wonderful to her. She knew she was exceptional when it came to medical ninjutsu. Most people would say that's more than enough, she's already talented. But it wasn't, not for her. As someone with her background she had an insatiable need to prove herself. She wasn't lucky enough to belong to a distinguished shinobi family with notable traits. She was incredibly mediocre as a child because she allowed herself to be. Her complacency back then made her sick. Average was good enough to her, because at least she was a ninja. She gave excuses for herself: she wasn't part of a clan, she didn't have a bloodline limit, her teammates were already leagues above her; the excuses were endless. It also didn't help her entire focus was around getting Sasuke's attention, which meant far less time for self-improvement.

Her former self disgusted her. She worked hard to be as accomplished as she was. The only thing she had a natural talent for was chakra control. The rest of it required effort, a lot of it. So, his offer to teach her, and his confidence in her capabilities, pleased her. That contentment had her embracing him in gratitude. She inhaled his woodsy scent and she forgot for a moment who he was. Her hands clutched the defined muscles of his back as she pressed her face into him. She realized what she was doing when his hand wrapped around her thigh, dangerously high. In her excitement, she slung her leg over his hip for her unexpected hug. She drew back and she saw the dark desire on his face. Why did she keep making her situation worse? He wasn't Naruto, she couldn't cling to him like that and expect it to be perceived as innocent. He made it more than clear where he stood, and she didn't need a reminder of her punishment to know, she was in over her head dealing with a man like him. The hand that wasn't gripping her thigh indecently, came up to pull his mask down to his neck. In her mind, she knew he was going to kiss her again, but she didn't even attempt to protest. She was absorbed in the beauty of his face. The light from the fire was producing a warm glow on his skin, creating a moody effect to his strikingly handsome features. His lips pressed against hers, softly, coaxing her own to respond. She remained resistant until his hand found the back of her head, pulling her hair lightly. She wondered if there was something wrong with her when she felt it, again, that unexpected pleasure. Why would she keep getting turned on by him, knowing what he was like? It didn't escape her notice that the rush of desire increased when he became a bit more forceful either. A moan escaped her lips when his teeth sunk into her lower lip. His tongue caressed the abused flesh, soothing away the brief pain his bite inflicted. The taste of his mouth was hard to describe. Pleasant, it was almost like she could taste his powerful chakra on her tongue, as his own brushed against hers. Was all kissing this way? She wasn't even sure anymore. The hand grasping her thigh came up higher until it captured her ass completely, cradling it in his palm. He wasn't touching her bare skin, but it was far too sensitive, electrifying her against her will. He groaned into her mouth, a rich, masculine sound that had her squirming. It was erotic… he was erotic.

'This has to stop, before I…' she thought frantically. She was drowning in it all. Drowning in her sensory overload.

"Kakashi," she whispered against his lips. The temptation, it was unfathomable how tempted she was by him. To give in to this, for a moment, and let him give her this pleasure. But she couldn't, because if she did, there was no going back.

His eyes snapped open to look at her lustfully. "I can't do this," she said softly. "We have to stop."

She wondered if he'd listen to her plea. He looked as if he wanted nothing more than to take her right there on the ground, mission be damned.

His hand slowly untangled from her hair to cup the back of her neck. "You really do love to test my control, don't you Sakura?" He smirked, and she absently wondered what he would look like if he genuinely smiled. She imagined the result would be sublime, if his maskless smirk already had her mind blanking. His hand slid away from her neck slowly, before reaching to pull his mask back up over his nose. With his features hidden once more, sweet clarity came back to her. It was pathetic really, how much she could lose herself in a pretty face. She thought she evolved past that foolish preoccupation she had with aesthetics. She knew very well he was the epitome of 'don't judge a book by its cover.' His beauty was only another mask he wore.

She went to move off him and realized his other hand was still on her. "Umm Kakashi, your hand is… on my butt," she said lamely.

His expression turned playful. "Oh, so it is." She let out a squeak as his hand groped her cheek once more before releasing her. She looked at him in outrage at his audacity before jumping off him. "Couldn't help myself," he said as explanation.

Oh, she just bet he couldn't. He laughed at her as she narrowed her eyes at him. "You're so amusing sometimes Sakura."

She wished she could say the same…

She knew it was inevitable they'd run into them again, but she wasn't prepared for how soon. It was four days into the mission when they stumbled upon them: Itachi Uchiha, and his monster of a partner, Kisame.

"Well, well Itachi. What are the chances?" Kisame mused in a carefree tone. She eyed the massive, bandaged sword at his side. She knew he was very powerful, his own strength eclipsed hers in her prior encounter with him. And Itachi, even with his much less intimidating stature, was clearly the leader in the duo. So, he must be vastly superior if a man liked Kisame took orders from him. Itachi's eyes flickered to her almost imperceptibly, before focusing on Kakashi.

"You saved me the trouble of hunting you down," Kakashi said, his face stony.

"Kisame, I'll let you take care of this," Itachi said. He stepped back before disappearing in a swarm of crows. Sakura blinked at his abrupt disappearance. Was it genjutsu?

"Your partner won't escape me forever."

"You don't stand a chance against him, Copy Ninja. You should be grateful he has no interest in fighting you."

Kakashi said nothing and turned back to them. "Stay out of the way while I handle him," he commanded. He moved his headband to expose his Sharingan and his eyes landed on hers after Naruto and Sai nodded. "Don't wander off too far either, understood?" His last order was directed at her. She nodded in acquiesce, reminding herself not to roll her eyes at him. Where did he think she was going to go?

"I'm aware of your reputation. I must admit, I'm surprised at the company you keep. The nine tails brat I can understand, but what's with pinkie? Awfully fragile thing, certainly not a good ally to have. Unless you keep her around for other uses?" His voice was mocking as he purposely ran his eyes down her body with contempt.

She saw red at his comments. She wasn't some weak, little girl playing ninja. She'd stomp him into the ground, strength difference be damned. His insinuation that she was only good for one thing incensed her. She started moving forward but Kakashi put his arm out, blocking her path.

"No, I'll take care of him Sakura. Believe me, his death won't be quick." She looked at his expression, and it was dreadful. If it wasn't Kisame, she would almost feel sorry for his opponent. That unhinged side of him was out now, ready to play.

"Aw, does the kitten have claws?" She could tell he was purposely goading her, to get a reaction.

"You will not address her at all. You are unworthy to so much as look at her." Kakashi stepped in front of her, blocking her view of Kisame.

"Oh? Someone's awfully protective of her."

They were both a blur as they engaged each other. She noticed that Kisame's sword seemed to absorb some of Kakashi's chakra, and she saw him increase the distance accordingly. He was truly a sight to behold in battle. A master tactician, who analyzed his opponents, and countered accordingly. She realized that not alone did Kisame's gigantic sword absorb chakra from physical contact, it also absorbed ninjutsu attacks. Still, even with the incredible advantage he had with his sword; it was clear who was the superior shinobi by far.

She wondered why Kakashi didn't end it all with his visual prowess. It wasn't as if this particular shinobi would be resistant to it.

"He wants to draw this out, make him suffer. Putting him under his Tsukuyomi, or even using Kamui right now, wouldn't be satisfying for him," Naruto said, answering her unspoken question.

Of course, Kakashi definitely had sadistic tendencies. He didn't just want to defeat an enemy, he wanted to savor their death. Ending it too soon wouldn't be as enjoyable for him. As she watched the battle unfold, she felt an arm wrap around her waist tightly. A hand clasped over her mouth as she cried out in alarm.

She looked over and saw Naruto and Sai weren't paying the slightest attention to her predicament. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she tried to bite the hand covering her mouth. Her chakra enhanced strength won out as she ripped herself away from her attacker.

Her eyes landed on Itachi's handsome face, looking completely unbothered by her breaking free. Her eyes darted to Naruto again, who seemed completely focused on Kakashi's fight.

"A simple genjutsu, nothing more," he said, in explanation for her teammates' unawareness.

"What do you want?"

"Kakashi is distracted for the moment. I need your assistance."

"With what?" She asked warily.

"To test something," a cryptic smile forming on his face.

"And if I refuse?" She couldn't help but ask.

"I will be obligated to use force."

Before she could go on the offensive her vision went black.

The world came back into focus for her, her sight slowly readjusting. How long was she out? Her eyes landed on Itachi, sitting a few feet from her. He must have put her under a genjutsu. She was resistant to a lot of genjutsu, but she supposed someone like him was an exception. His face was calm as he surveyed her with a look of disinterest. As if he didn't just knock her out and kidnap her. Kidnap her… oh god, when Kakashi realized she was gone there would be hell to pay.

"You're very daring to do this you know. Kakashi will come after you."

He smirked, as if the thought of Kakashi tracking him down was just a minor inconvenience to him. "I'm aware, but it'll take him some time to get here."

"I'm guessing he's not your objective, so why exactly am I here?"

His face didn't give his thoughts away, and he didn't seem in a hurry to explain himself either. "He'll kill you for this." She didn't know why she was almost warning him, considering he abducted her.

"I know he certainly won't be pleased."

"You're not wary of him?" She asked disbelievingly.

"He simply doesn't interest me." He didn't interest him? Kakashi wasn't exactly a boring opponent. This was her second time speaking with him, and she concluded he was even more of an enigma than Kakashi was. Nothing he said or did made any sense to her.

"You think you can defeat him then?"

"Hmm, an interesting question. I haven't been put up against him in a long time. I believe if we were to engage in combat now, we'd be similarly matched." He sounded completely apathetic.

She knew he was formidable, of course. But to believe himself to be on par with Kakashi was a bit insane. How many immensely powerful, beyond Kage level, shinobi were there running around?

"So, are you going to tell me why you need me? Or are we just going to sit here and bask in each other's beauty," she remarked sarcastically. He would have just taken Naruto himself if he was after a jinchuriki at the moment. He clearly wasn't going to kill her, so she was in the dark as to what his motives were. Her lack of fear for her life had her being a bit more brazen.

He laughed at her quip, and she stared in puzzlement. "You're quite amusing Sakura." That was the second time in the last few days she heard that line. She was about to respond when she felt it, a familiar chakra signature. One she hadn't felt in a long time, and it was getting closer.

"Is that… Sasuke?" Her eyes widened in wonder. Itachi appeared in front of her and when she stepped back, his hand clasped her wrist firmly. She looked up at his face briefly, avoiding direct eye contact, before looking in the direction of the chakra. It wasn't just him, he appeared to have a team. 'Of course, he did,' she thought bitterly.

When the sight of him appeared a few paces away from them, she wasn't sure what she was feeling. It had been years since saw him, and he was more handsome than ever. His face gave little away, but his eyes still held the same stormy anguish they did when he was young. They widened fractionally at the unexpectedness of seeing her.

Sakura's mind was racing at what this meant. Was she here because Sasuke was tracking Itachi? Was she some kind of leverage? That was a laughable thought considering she meant nothing to Sasuke at this point. Itachi knew that though, didn't he? He was aware Sasuke left the village years ago in search of him, leaving his teammates behind. I mean, he even formed a new team now, so what was her purpose? She had to be missing something.

"Sakura." He acknowledged her presence, before his eyes moved to his brother's face.

"Who's she?" Sakura looked at his teammates who came up behind him. A young man, on the thinner side, with white hair and purple eyes. He carried a massive blade, just like Kisame. The other man was tall, even taller than the hulking figure of Kisame. Her eyes found the only woman on the team, who was the one who spoke. She had bright red hair, glasses, and appeared to be looking at her with disdain.

"Ah Sasuke, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Itachi spoke calmly, his hand still wrapped around her wrist.

"Why is she here, Itachi?" He ignored his teammate's question about her identity.

"Hm? Oh yes, your former teammate Sakura, correct? Awfully pretty thing, isn't she?"

She saw Sasuke's eyes narrow and his chakra flare slightly. "Answer the question."

"It appears I have use for her, don't I?"

"She has nothing to do with this, release her," Sasuke ordered.

"Why? Does she matter to you?"

"Not at all, I don't give a damn about her. I just don't see your point."

"Oh? Well, if she really means nothing to you…" Itachi trailed off before she felt his kunai at her throat. It pressed enough to form a thin line on her skin, where a few drops of blood escaped from the wound. She saw Sasuke draw his sword and lightning run down the blade. He rushed them and Itachi used his hold on her to spin her until she was flush against him, kunai still at her neck, before evading Sasuke effortlessly.

"Seems you lied little brother. If you attempt to attack me again, she dies." That stopped Sasuke in his tracks, much to her surprise.

"You wouldn't kill her. Her death wouldn't benefit you in the least."

"Do you doubt me?" Sasuke appeared to be contemplating. She was able to escape his hold, or so she thought, until she was caught in another one of his genjutsu. The pain, it was unimaginable. It felt so real, so overwhelming, and it seemed to be never ending. Her healing chakra came to her defense, but it wasn't effective in the least. She knew it was because she didn't have any actual injuries to heal, and yet, internally she was on fire. The flames licked her insides, burning her nerve endings, twisting through her viscera. It wasn't stopping, she couldn't take it anymore.

"St…op," she tried to beg. She wasn't sure if she was even able to form words. Yet, as suddenly as it came it was gone. She felt herself falling forward until she hit the ground, face first, hard. The torture wasn't real, yet her hair was damp with sweat, and her breathing was shallow. She heard Sasuke make a sound of displeasure. She didn't understand this. It was like Itachi was trying to bait him with her. To what end, she wasn't sure. Itachi was clearly beyond Sasuke's abilities, so leverage wasn't necessary. So then, why….

"Bastard," Sasuke growled.

"So, you clearly do still have attachments in this world little brother. You've been trying to create the illusion you care for nothing except your revenge. Yet you clearly harbor some amount of affection for her. I wonder if you still hold a bond with Naruto as well."

How did he know all this… He wasn't in the village when they were a team, so how would he possibly know about his 'bond' with Naruto? She couldn't even believe Sasuke was this concerned over her well-being either. She always thought she was nothing but a nuisance for him to protect begrudgingly when they were on a team. This revelation was bewildering to her.

"The question now is what's more important to you? Her life or your vengeance?" Sakura still couldn't move from her place on the ground. Whatever he did to her had her completely incapacitated. Itachi's chakra was moving further away until she felt the unmistakable heat of a powerful fire jutsu headed toward her. There was no way she could dodge in time, and she closed her eyes, resigned to being hit by it. She felt her body being scooped up quickly and moved at a nauseating speed. When she opened her eyes again, she met the red gaze of her former teammate, who held her bridal style in his arms. 'How absurd,' she thought.

"Sasuke?" He said nothing, and she felt him slowly set her on her feet. She looked and saw the same black flames from before where Itachi once stood. He was gone. Her forehead wrinkled as she thought over the implications of his disappearance. Because it only meant one thing; this entire situation was a test. She wasn't a dense girl. He wasn't bargaining with her life, he was testing… Sasuke. To see if he would save her life over choosing to pursue his brother. And it seemed as if he passed the test. The question was, why would he be satisfied with Sasuke choosing her life over vengeance. As her eyes were drawn to the deadly fire still blazing, she acknowledged she once again had far more questions than answers when it came to Itachi. Everyone always said where there's smoke, there's usually fire. In Itachi's case, she was now confident he was far more complicated than the whisperings about him led her to believe…

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