9

"What an insane story! And do you know what was his excuse?" Ino enthusiastically asked the crew. "The baker claims the sleeping pills intended for his wife just ended up by mistake in his kitchen, and then his pastries. Yet, among all his clients, only the Sōma girl got hit! How does it make sense?"

"He lied," Shikamaru muttered.

"I don't know guys...I've done countless mistakes while cooking—" Choji gulped down his drink, "the guy may just be telling the truth, why would he risk his business to kidnap a girl? Besides, I heard some people say that he isn't even married."

"Well, maybe that's why the Sōmas are blaming the Uchihas!"

"For a change," Kiba mocked. "Is there anything they aren't blaming the Uchihas for these days?"

"Do you think they could be involved in any way, Sasuke?"

"Hn, they would've never associated themselves with a civilian," he said with confidence, "and they wouldn't have missed their target to begin with."

Sakura snorted, which made a swig of sake go down her throat the wrong way.

"Did I say something funny, Sakura?"

"No," she coughed, trying to breathe properly. "Not at all. I just remembered…something. Don't mind me."

"Hun, you're so weird Forehead! "

"Shut up, Ino."

Kiba frowned, "They're a bit off though."

"Who?"

"The Sōmas."

"Bah!" Naruto shouted suddenly. "You're just salty because of that girl, Kiba!"

"Don't know what you're talkin' about."

"A girl he had his mind on dumped him for one of them!"

"I find them remarkable, very well-spoken, and intriguing," Shikamaru commented in thoughtful consideration. "Even my wife enjoys their company, and that's something coming from her."

"Oh, they're definitely easy on the eyes!"

"That's not what I meant, Ino."

"What about you Naruto?" Ino asked. "I bet you've made friends with all of them already."

"Ah ah ah," he touched his hair, "not really... They're—well, they sometimes do…that thing when...er…I mean they—"

"What are you mumbling about?" Sasuke asked the blond.

"Umm... I, er...aren't the fireworks starting out soon guys?"

Sakura made a mental note to later question her best friend about his strange answer, before she brought her attention to the band of musicians outside, ignoring the rather uninteresting conversation going on. She had her fill of gossip, especially about the Sōma clan.

"That's quite the colorful attire, isn't it?" a voice whispered by her side. "I didn't imagine seeing such variety in Konoha."

"Are you talking about me?"

"Y—You!" He stuttered. "No! Of course not. I— I meant the dancers. Outside. Although, I do find you—your attire really pleasant—"

It was Ino's cousin, a shy and well-mannered man who just moved to the Fire country about a month ago in the hope of starting a new life—not that he had any choice in the matter being yet another collateral victim of the war.

Sakura smiled, "Thank you. Daichi-san, isn't it?"

"Hai! I didn't expect you to…remember my name."

"Ah…Ino was always talking about you. Even before your arrival in Konoha."

He let out a nervous laugh, "I do hope in a good light."

"Mostly. How have you been settling in?"

"Truth be told, I was expecting something different… I've never realized what being part of a clan really meant. Until now. Back…home, I…only had my parents, not dozens of people taking care of me, trying their best to make me feel at home and treating me like family, so much I don't feel like an orphan anymore now. So, I'd say I'm adjusting fairly well to Konoha. Are you also part of a clan—"

"No," she poured herself some sake, not without missing the judging stare of her dark hair teammate sitting right in front of her. "It's just me," she took a sip of the beverage, "so…you used to be a farmer, right? What are you going to do now?"

"Er... I'm still figuring that part out, though helping out my community's one of the two objectives I have in mind."

"What of the second?"

"Having a family of my own."

"Oi! Aren't you Ino's cousin?" Naruto yelled, interrupting their conversation and startling the polite man in the process.

"Er…yes, Daichi Yamanaka," he bowed his head respectfully, "at your service, Uzumaki-san!"

Ino reached for her cousin's shoulder, "Daichi, you don't have to be so formal with him."

"Right. I've got a nice story to tell you 'bout Sakura-chan!"

"Naruto, don't you dare—" Sakura warned him, having a bad feeling about this.

"She cut off someone's balls once!"

"Uzumaki!" Ino hissed, along with gasps of consternation from some or slight smiles. Naruto, as unabashed as always, was smiling like a wolf, so proud of his silly joke.

"Not this again…" Shikamaru complained.

Not succeeding in catching her blond teammate's attention, Sakura glared at Sasuke instead, "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"He's not lying."

They weren't even trying to hide the obvious. Despite this, Sakura didn't feel as angry as she should, being already way too used to their shenanigans.

Naruto clapped his hands together, "Guys, guys, let's go! We're going to miss the fireworks if we don't hurry!" he looked around himself at all the other clients, which consisted of mostly Yamanakas. "Come, everyone! The more the merrier! I've got the perfect spot to enjoy the spectacle!"

Sakura had never seen him so keen to leave a restaurant before, even for fireworks. She watched him leave swiftly, as everyone around her started to get up and follow him. Suffice it to say, the quiet man at her right side had gone even quieter, being unused to Naruto's mischiefs.

"Look, I'm so sorry about that," she whispered. "Just—don't take things personally. Especially coming from this idiot! Although, he didn't lie... As a medic, I do have to make…unfortunate choices for the sake of my patients sometimes."

Daichi nodded, but she could tell he was still troubled, "I—naturally, Haruno-san." He bowed his head slightly and joined the rest of his kinsmen outside.

Sakura took this opportunity to make a short trip to the restroom, but when she returned, she couldn't find anyone inside anymore. They had all left without her. Even though she had a few ideas as to which spot Naruto had in mind, she didn't feel like hunting them through the whole village, instead, her eyes fell on the bottle on their table—far from being empty—an alternative way more attractive.

One more glass or two couldn't hurt. She sat down, enjoying the sour taste of alcohol while listening to the drums resonating throughout the village and observing the parade going on in the street.

"…so rumors were true, you heard her man!"

"Aye, told you. I knew the fellow! Poor guy had some kind of illness, went to the hospital as a man, and left half a man. Makes you wonder what Uzumaki's doin' with someone like her, hun!"

Finishing her fourth glass, Sakura stood up quietly, not without taking a bottle with her under her arm. She thanked the tenant and passed in front of the group of men, stopping just a few seconds to mimic herself crushing something in her right fist, all while harboring a wicked smile on her face. Suffice it to say, their faces all turned pale like a white sheet of paper.

Idiots.

"Haruno-san, my mistress wishes to speak with you."

Sakura turned to the voice, her eyes took in the sight of the stranger by her side, a young white hair man with blue eyes, dressed in silver, brilliant silver, without a doubt a member of the Sōma clan. Amongst the crowd of people watching musicians and dancers do their magic, Sakura was merely just another spectator, for that reason, she didn't care about being seen with her alcoholic trinket. However, this new development made her instantly change her strategy. She hid her bottle behind her back, and just as she did so, the eye of the Sōma looked at her hands like he knew everything.

"Perhaps the time doesn't suit you—"

"No! I had enough of the spectacle anyway."

"So, this is Sakura Haruno."

Startled, Sakura gasped as she realized that she was actually surrounded by Sōmas—she had probably underestimated her level of drunkenness for her to be so blind—there were everywhere, all observing the spectacle or pretending to, except for that tall woman right behind her

"Do not be alarmed, my child," she said. "Exceptional times call for exceptional measures; I merely wish to thank you for helping my grandchild.

Judging by the wrinkles around her eyes, she looked to be in her early sixties, she had a rake voice, short silver hair slicked back neatly, with piercing blue eyes underlined by a vibrant purple paint. She was wearing a long dress, with the typical shining silver all the Sōmas seemed to cherish, and high heels that seemed to make her even taller than she already was.

Who's she?

"You—you don't need to," Sakura blurted out, "I would've helped anyone in the same situation."

"Hm, seeing as you're going to be Emi's teacher, it stands to reason that I had to meet you. I must admit that you're younger than expected."

Sakura froze, "Forgive me, but—I think there may be a misunderstanding, I don't remember accepting such responsibility. In fact, I've not any intention to become anyone's teacher. Ever."

The Sōma narrowed her eyes slightly like she was trying to gauge her, making Sakura feel even more uneasy than she already was.

"We're ready to offer you a valuable contribution for your services, and we'll also consider any request you may have. A fair offer, what do you think?"

There were not so different from any other wealthy clan, always ready to flaunt their opulence when facing resistance, unable to handle being denied their wishes.

Sakura clenched her fist slightly around the bottleneck of glass, "I think your granddaughter should stop harassing and following me everywhere I go, I think she should study in the academy like any other kid, instead of wandering everywhere in the village by herself! If she wishes to become an iryō-nin, she must learn the basics. Nobody's going to teach her any medical jutsu otherwise. Money and gifts won't change that. Now, if you'll excuse me—"

Sakura looked right away for a way out between all the Sōmas stationed around them, realizing with both dismay and irritation that they weren't going to move unless the woman, whoever she was, ordered them to.

"I see that I've offended you," she commented unapologetically, catching the kunoichi's attention again, "nevertheless, I trust that we'll meet again. After all, nobody can escape fate ," the Sōma did something with her eyes and her men started to spread out just enough to let her pass, "in the meantime, beware of those who lurk in the shadows, Haruno Sakura ."

She was almost out of sake when the cloudless midnight sky suddenly became illuminated by dozens of fireworks, she took a sip out of the bottle, contemplating the enchanting scenery as if she had never enjoyed the beauty of such a spectacle before. She had spent countless nights drinking with her teammates on celebration days, seeing the sky being lightened by a plethora of colors. And then, she couldn't see anything anymore, the spectacle almost entirely covered by darkness. Confused, she glanced up, assuming she didn't suddenly become blind. The feeling of bile glistening up her throat felt incredibly real when she recognized this face. Of course, it had to be him, out of all people that could have appeared to ruin her night!

As harmless as the pink-haired kunoichi appeared to be, the presence of her name, on the last reports regarding the Sōma clan, and especially its recurrence, proved otherwise. The reports were merely listing all kinds of suspicious activities from their enemy, which included names of people having ties with them or suspected of being involved in the feud between their clans. It turned out that Sakura Haruno had been spotted several times interacting with Emi Nuzura, niece of the Sōma clan's leader, and thus a member of the lead family. While it didn't entail anything in itself, the timing could not be coincidental, seeing the woman chatting this very night with some members of the main family had confirmed his hunch, leaving him no choice but take action.

Itachi wasn't even involved in matters of clan politics to begin with, the report just so happened to end up in his hands, after a kinsmen had come to him to share his concerns with an open heart—after all, a man had been missing for two weeks now, believed to be detained by the Sōmas, although they had no way to prove it. Flipping through pages led him to notice her name, rather insignificant for anyone looking for tangible evidence.

Seeing her sprawled on this bench, bottle in hand, a painful grimace on her face, represented such a vulgar and lamentable sight that he wondered if she even had the capacity to succeed in her thirst for revenge. She had white powder covering her face, red scarlet lips, and dark kohl around her emerald eyes, everything fitting perfectly with her attire, a short sleeves red dress hugging her body tightly. His keen eyes lingered on the swelling of her chest, then the slope of her neck, all covered by the satin fabric. Yet, despite the obvious intent to entice, she was all by herself, drinking shamelessly without a care in the world, which was a rather counterproductive behavior.

Itachi had no sympathy for drinkers, he wouldn't shy away from taking advantage of her state to get answers. The quicker he could get this over with, the better.

"Hell no!" she groaned, as she jumped off the bench and started walking away from him, proving she had no manner, nor care for courtesy. Itachi went after her, following closely her shadow, until she stopped abruptly. "What's your deal, Uchiha? Are you lost or somethin'?"

She made a poor attempt at looking threatening with the way she was holding her bottle like it was a wooden club, ready to destroy everything in her way. Since there wasn't anything more important than their poisonous drink to a drunkard, Itachi seized the opportunity right in front of him and snatched the bottle from her hand.

"Oi!" she shouted. "That's mine! Give it back!"

Unwilling to attract unwanted attention, Itachi strolled through the pavement without even looking behind his back for the pink hair kunoichi.

"Where're you goin'!" he heard her scream several times, doing exactly what he had planned by following him blindly. "Oi! Don't you ign..ignore me, Uchiha!"

He led her to a small garden, furnished with flowers, vegetation, and a huge square-shaped fountain in the middle. A quiet place away from all festivities and noisy eyes. He just had enough time to hide the kunoichi's bottle behind one side of the pool, until he saw her arrive towards him slowly, struggling to move her feet.

"You! You thought I'd let you get away!" she shouted, as she approached him. "Where is it? What have you done with my...my bottle?"

"Haruno," he said. "If you tell me everything about your business with the Sōmas, I'll give it back."

"Business? What does this have to do with my bottle? Uchihaaa!"

"Tonight. Right in front of the troupe of dancers. You were seen having a conversation with the Sōmas. What words did you exchange?"

"Who? I don't...I don't remember. Where…Where's my bo—ttle!?"

He thought her inebriated state would benefit him, but the woman seemed too out of herself to be able to understand his questions.

"Stealing's bad, so bad. So really bad! Aren't you bad? I know you don't like me, Uchiha! I don't like you too!"

One minute she was talking, and the next, she was all over him, hands gripped on his kimono in a hostile way, her body pressing against his every time she shook him, like she was the one exigent answers from him, "Oi! Are you going to give it back or not—"

Despite the distinguished smell of sake coming out of her mouth, another scent was emanating from her warm body, her scent. He felt a familiar rush go through him, the kind shinobis always experienced just before a fight, but not just any fight, only the unexpected ones. Just like any trained fighter would react when facing an uncooperative enemy, Itachi reacted swiftly, grabbed the drunk woman, and pushed her face-first right into the water.

The kunoichi immediately started trashing against the pressure he was inflicting on her neck, an instinctual reaction that had nothing to do with her protest. He kept pushing back against her, his grip tightening around her immerged throat like a hawk gripped around his dying prey until he released everything at once.

"Erm…" she coughed, as the air came back to her lungs, "my—my bottle…where—"

Seeing as her mind was still clouded, he grabbed her neck again and let her enjoy more of the water's pond. Had she been anyone else, any girl playing games she had no knowledge about, he could have got rid of her as he wished, offering her some money to leave the country, or if he was met with resistance, a more sinister fate.

"Tell me the truth, Haruno."

She was leaning against the fountain's border, her face almost touching the water, desperately trying to catch her breath, "All—All right." Hands grabbed his haori for support, her body started crawling on his like a snake, pulling itself up, and then, her head just fell forward right into his haori, anchoring itself for stability.

"Haruno."

"Mm-hmm."

A huge mass of pink was pressed against his chest, however dense the fabric from his haori was, the wetness from her hair would soon reach his skin. Despite her state, he felt heat radiating from her, warming him like an embrace. She was way too close again. His tense arm slipped behind her neck, and pulled her backward like a restless cat, making her body become limp and malleable, in no condition to oppose any resistance. The kunoichi had a really silly smile on her face and with her ruined make-up, she looked even more out of it. The water certainly didn't do her any good.

"Please—give…give it back."

He paused when he heard her plea, and looked at her very dangerous green eyes, "Speak, Haruno. What did you say to the Sōmas?"

"I told...I told them..." she let out a giggle, "I told them how much of a p—prick you were!"

Just as she started laughing, he released her abruptly, making her lose her balance, and then fall to the ground. He had been wasting his time with her. Nothing valuable would come out of her mouth, even in her drunken state, she seemed to still be aware of what she had to keep secret—a fact proving that she was definitely guilty. She was still giggling when he opened her bottle and poured its content on the ground.

"Oi! Why—why did you do that for!?"

"You've made the wrong choice," he finally said, before leaving the offended woman by herself, ignoring the numerous curses that she was shouting at him.

Sakura Haruno wasn't just anyone, a fact that he was learning the hard way because of his mistakes and lack of discernment, all reminiscent of a time that should have never been. She was, so to speak, untouchable, surrounded by heroes and influential names, which made his enterprise even more laborious. Still, everyone had weaknesses, he had absolutely no intention of giving up. One way or another, he would put an end to her schemes.

The Anbu headquarters looked somehow bigger than what she remembered, made of large corridors that never seemed to end, the more she walked the more she felt like she had just entered a maze. Built inside the mountain, there were countless floors especially underground. Sakura realized that what she saw years ago had been a fraction of what the headquarters really was like. The part open to the public was an average size building—a bit similar to the library—that stood at the bottom of the Kage's mountain. It looked dull and innocent, but a brand new world was hidden behind these walls and beneath the ground. Only Anbus were allowed to wander freely inside, although there were exceptions, like during the war, when many entities, such as the Medical Corps, had to come here to discuss military strategy. She understood now that they had been confined to one single floor back then, which seemed like the most sensible thing to do considering how gigantic this place really was.

"This is it."

Sakura almost bumped into the old man but managed to prevent the collision just in time.

"Your comrades will leave this door in approximately twenty-tree minutes," he explained, speaking mechanically. "You'll then join the ceremony room with them. You're under no circumstances allowed to wander by yourself inside these walls. Understood?"

Sakura nodded.

The man unfolded a paper "This— this is the way to the ceremony room," he handed her what looked like a map, or rather a draft of one, "Point A to point B, follow the red line—"

"I thought I wasn't allowed to wand—"

"You're not to wander through these halls without being accompanied!" he huffed, colors tainting his face. He then sighed, and whispered, "As much as it pained me to admit it, my colleagues don't seem to be able to recall the ceremony room's location. Do not repeat this to anyone. Under no circumstances! Everything you see here, everything you listen—"

"Stays here," she finished, having heard him say that too many times already.

"Very good! Point C is a shortcut to point B," he continued, as his finger drew an invisible line on the map, "but only someone with level three access may use it. As for point D, anything above level six access."

"Hm, Sir. You said I wasn't allowed to ask for personal information from anyone here, so…how am I supposed to know which access they have?"

"You're not allowed to ask for any personal information under no circumstances! But… nothing's stopping you from letting know my colleagues which level of access allows them to use shortcut C or D."

"I—"

"Ssh!" he handed her another piece of paper, "One more minute of concentration! While your case's a special case, young woman—since your comrades, had they not failed their examination the first time, wouldn't be on this very special floor right now—I must go attend at once other visitors that are waiting for me to lead them to the ceremony room! But before that, have a look! This is the restroom's location."

Sakura looked at the map, then at the restroom's door, just ten steps away from them. She stared at the peculiar man like he had lost his mind.

"I guess I'm not allowed to go there by myself, right?"

"You're a fast learner," he complimented. "Well, I don't have anything else to teach you. We may see each other upstairs, Haruno-san." He bowed swiftly, before leaving her alone in this austere hallway.

The place remembered her of a prison with its grey metallic walls, its lack of natural light, it felt simply clinical and unwelcoming. Some people would certainly think the same of the hospital, but at least there were sunlight and fresh air over there. She awaited the door to open, the final verdict that would seal her friends' fate, seeing some people go through the corridor every few minutes or so, hardly paying any attention to her, except for the few insistent stares recognizing her or wondering what she was doing here.

Someone stopped next to her at some point, at first, being lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the newcomer until she heard voices.

"Taichou!" they said, saluting the man respectfully.

Sakura's eyes widened in horror. Him. She had to fight the boiling anger menacing to erupt from her body at the sight of this man. This was definitely the last place and the worst time to make a scene. He's here for Sasuke, she realized. Here to congratulate the brother he had called lacking. She hated everything about this situation, hated how the guy was just standing there without acknowledging her like he didn't try to drown her two days ago. She had no clear remembrance of what exactly happened that evening, only the feeling of suffocating underwater not once but twice, as well as a glimpse of something he kept asking her, something about...

His stern voice suddenly broke the silence, "Do you have something to say about the Sōmas, Haruno-san?"

The Sōmas.

He wasn't looking at her, and as some men passed in front of them, greeting the Uchiha, she moved away from him without saying a word. She had her arms crossed on her body, memories were starting to come back to her as she wondered if the Soma guy warning her about the Uchihas hadn't been right after all. More minutes passed, during which she witnessed more people saluting the prodigy like they worshipped him. Being aware of his status within the Anbu, it made sense, still, she believed this man might not deserve such recognition. She felt him stare at her suddenly, and hated it, despised the idea of him thinking that he had won, when all she was doing by shutting herself off from this situation, was preventing a cataclysm. She had no intention of ruining her friends' special day.

"Sakura-chan!" a cheerful voice shouted to her, making her instantly relax, "We've made it this time! Told you!"

Strong arms and warmness crushed her body, which Sakura didn't mind at all after experiencing the coldness of this place.

"I'm so happy for you, Naruto," she whispered with a smile, hugging her friend back. But when she opened her eyes, the corner of her mouth dropped as soon as she met dark and cold obsidians.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head, "Nothing. I got tired of waiting here…let's go to that ceremony room! Please tell me how to go there?"

"Nope," he went away before she could show him the wonderful map in her possession. "Nee, Itachi-san! Do you happen to know the way to the ceremony room?"

"Congratulation, Uzumaki," his eyes glinted slightly, "you may follow me."

Seeing her friend go after him with so much joy made her feel absolutely ill.

Such a fanboy.

"What's with the face?" Sasuke asked her, as they both started walking.

"What's with your face?"

"Tch."

"Don't you want a hug, Sasuke-kun?" she said in a teasing voice. "Or should I say Anbu-san now?"

"Keep dreaming."

As they passed through a hidden door, Sakura couldn't help but notice that this shortcut wasn't shown anywhere on her map, it made her wonder how many other secret passages there were inside this maze. They climbed multiple stairs until they reach the exit—a metallic door marked with the number ten—and ended up in another hallway. Her scholar side taking the better of her, she observed her map again, trying to figure out where they were exactly.

"Sakura-chan! Hurry!" her blond friend called out.

"Aye, I'm coming—"

She saw her friends disappear through yet another door. Itachi Uchiha was the last one to enter, but instead of holding the door for her, he stared at her dispassionately for a second, before letting the door close behind himself, giving her no way to go inside.

Bastard.