Sakura was exhausted.
Her skin felt tight over her sore muscles and she could feel the stress eating away at her energy. She begged her feet to keep moving forward, to bring her that much closer to her destination. Green eyes shifted around, examining the endless lines of trees blurring past her. Where had her team gone? She had lost them days ago, getting separated by a random ambush of bandits along the path. It should have been easy and quick to extinguish their group but Sakura had been smug. A man got behind her with a dagger to her throat and before her teammates could do anything, she had stomped her heel into the ground causing the cliff they were near to tremble. Her and her captor plummeted into the stream below. Sakura had been disoriented but fortunate that the fall had caused the man to his head. His body floated next to hers down the stream as she used it to stay afloat. Her teammates becoming blurs in the distance as the water rushed on from the disturbance.
A quiet sigh slipped past her lips as she tucked her head further into her cloak. The rain hadn't ceased since she crossed the border into the Land of Rain. She hadn't really been sure what else to call it since the Village itself was in an unnamed country. However, the amount of rain soaking her clothes confirmed that it was a fitting name. She paused for a moment, looking out onto the lake surrounding the Village Hidden in the Rain. Her chin lifted towards the sky to be greeted with gray blobs clouding her vision. There were no stars out and she found herself missing the quiet forest surrounding Konoha.
It was supposed to be a relatively simple mission. While their subject was dangerous, they were only to scout out the area and gather information. Relations with Rain hadn't been as tense as they were before, allowing her team to wander with their headbands shown. However, the five great nations hadn't exactly found peace yet, let alone the neighboring villages and countries. They still had a long way to go before anyone could even use the term to describe their interactions. Tsunade knew this and figured it was her turn to step down, finding herself exhausted of the ninja world. Kakashi soon took over as the 6th hokage and Naruto had been guaranteed the seventh. Sakura smiled to herself, remembering the sigh of relief Kakashi-sensei had given when he realized he wouldn't have to stay in the position for long.
Sakura glanced back over the water. Well, if they all made it back safely, that is. Her foot stepped onto the lake cautiously, making sure she had enough chakra to push against the surface tension and make it across to the dim lights she could make out through the rain. The city was a blur in the distance and as Sakura calmly walked towards the center, more details began to emerge.
The building almost seemed robotic in their appearance, strange tubing and shapes looking like the mechanisms of an engine. Everything was gray. She couldn't tell if it was the actual colors or just the rain and mist conforming them to it. Her eyes squinted as she saw lights stacked multiple times above each other. It seemed that some buildings had multiple apartments in them with shadows moving across the windows. More signs appeared, all begging for her to enter their establishments. Families and people were moving outside, all their faces covered by hoods. Sakura found herself slightly on edge, not liking the fact she couldn't see anyone's eyes. She pulled her hood up tighter, tucking her hair in order not to draw any attention. She wasn't sure if her reputation made it to Rain, but she didn't exactly want to find out either.
Once her feet finally made it onto solid ground again, Sakura breath a sigh of relief. Her chakra was running dangerously low and she needed to find lodgings. Her eyes briefly scanned the road in front of her, the buildings towering looming above her. She suddenly felt small and confined. She needed to get off the streets. As she moved forward, she saw more people browsing windows and entering restaurants. How in the world did they function in all this rain? No outdoor seating could be seen anywhere and she couldn't imagine what it would be like to stay indoors all day. She heard a quiet giggle to her left and eyes followed the sound. A family was standing under an awning, watching their children jump in puddles and throw mud at each other. Sakura found herself smiling at the sight in front of her. Konoha had always painted rain as a cold, wet place, their villagers unwelcoming and distant. Sakura could only see people. People with lives, loved ones, and history. The little girl paused her foot above the puddle and looked at Sakura. A small smile graced her features and Sakura stuck her tongue out as the girl causing her to blush and run behind her mother's leg. The woman let out a laugh and met Sakura's eyes.
"Hello." She greeted. Her voice muffled slightly by the rain. Sakura took this an opportunity to approach the small family.
"Hi, I was wondering if you knew of any lodgings nearby?" Sakura smiled apologetically at the little girl for her behavior earlier, gaining another giggle out of her. "And what's your name?"
"Chiaki." Sakura glanced back up at the woman in front of her, smiling as she answered for her daughter. "I do apologize, she can be a bit shy. And I'm not sure she's ever had anybody tease her for staring before."
Sakura laughed, "It's alright. I shouldn't have stuck my tongue out at her."
"Well, I do know that there is an inn further down at the border of the forest. The innkeeper is very sweet." Sakura noted the woman's appearance. Her grey hair was braided neatly to the side and her blue eyes crinkled with kindness.
"Thank you very much. I do hope you enjoy the rest of your evening." Sakura offered, crouching down to look at Chiaki. "And I hope you don't stare at strangers so much." A teasing smile appeared on Sakura's face and the little girl looked down, kicking at the puddle in front of her. Sakura laughed again before waving her goodbye and moving further into Rain.
"Takahito Inn." Sakura read aloud as she took in the sight of the inn. The woman was right, the establishment was right at the edge of the city, rows of rooms leading into the forest. Sakura smiled to herself. It almost felt like Konoha during summer here. The rain had continued to pour and her cloak had finally given in to the dampness. "So much for weather resistant." Sakura mumbled to herself. She approached the door and slipped her feet from her shoes into the dry slippers greeting her. The door slid open before Sakura could even put her hand on the handle and a tall elderly woman appeared. Sakura leaned away in shock, finding herself angling her head upwards to see the woman's face.
"Welcome to Takahito Inn! Please come in!" The woman fussed Sakura through the door, taking in her appearance. "My child, did you not know you were traveling to Rain?" She offered a towel which Sakura noticed many were folded neatly by the door. Did they not get many visitors?
"Thank you. I did but it appears my weather resistant cloak wasn't ready for this much rain." Sakura joked politely, taking the towel and patting her clothes dry. Her hood slipped from her head and she began patting her hair. She took notice of the drips she was leaving on the wooden floor and quickly dipped down to wipe up the trail.
"Don't worry dear! It happens all the time. It isn't called the Village hidden in the Rain for nothing." The woman quickly stepped behind her counter and began sifting through a box. "Room for one, dear?"
Sakura nodded, "Yes please. I might be here for a few days. I'm waiting for some people. I do hope you don't mind."
The woman shook her head, "Of course not! We don't get many travelers through the land of Rain. You would think no one had heard of us."
Sakura laughed internally. A lot of people had heard about this village. In fact, everyone knew that the Akatsuki had been running the place for years. She had such a distorted image of this place in her mind that it still surprised her to even meet polite people here. Her mind shifted to Naruto, and how he claimed Pein wasn't a bad guy- just a misguided one.
"Ah! Here we go, you can stay in this room. It's got a tub and everything. We recently did some renovations to try to keep up with our competitors." The woman handed Sakura a key with the number 304 written on it. "Please, let me know if you need any assistance. My name is Mai." The woman bowed deeply and Sakura smiled.
"Actually, do you know of anywhere to get a bite to eat?"
"Oh yes!" The woman grinned, "There is a wonderful establishment further into the forest, you'll think you've gone too far but I can assure you it's only a little further ahead." Sakura smiled in thanks and began making her way to the room. Sakura was starving but she needed to shower and rest before even humoring the thought of food.
Sakura turned the knob and her eyes widened. It was beautiful. Fresh wooden floors ran from the doorway towards the back of the room, causing it to look longer and inviting. A large tatami mat was situated to the right of the door where a plush looking pillow and blanket was folded neatly. Her eyes scanned over to the dresser which was littered with photos and random keepsakes that she assumed came from the town. She walked over and picked up an item. A small piece of tubing sat in her hand with the engravement of Takahito on it. She smiled softly and ran her fingers along the cherry wood before making her way to the bathroom. A girlish squeal left her lips when she saw the porcelain tub greeting her. Sakura couldn't help but run to lock the door before stripping her clothes off as she made her way to the bathroom. She wrapped herself in a warm robe before turning on the faucet as hot as it would go. Steam filled her nostrils and chased out the remaining chill she felt in her lungs. Sakura was happy she found the place. It had been a long time since she had a proper soak.
Once the tub had filled, she removed her robe and slowly stuck a toe into the water. It burned on contact but Sakura pushed through the pain and dipped the rest of her body into the hot water. She could see the water begin to darken from the dirt and grime she had collected over the last few days. She rolled her shoulders experimentally and found her flexibility returning.
"Finally." She mumbled as she folded her arms at the side of the tub and rested her chin on them lightly. She let her eyes drift closed and she lost herself in her thoughts.
Sakura let her fingers lightly comb through her short hair. She hummed quietly in front of the mirror taking in her appearance. Her green eyes were bright, and her lips softened with a smile. While she didn't think she was the most attractive person out there, she did feel beautiful with her eyes and hair. It had taken a long time for Sakura to feel good about herself, but after the war things like looks and comparisons just didn't matter as much. Now Sakura focused on helping others and bettering the world. Her thoughts were interrupted by the grumbling on her stomach. Slightly taken aback, she rest her palm over it and laughed to herself. How long had she been in the tub? She pulled out one of her scrolls and created a sign to release her pack. She settled on a her jounin pants and a loose shirt before slipping on her shoes and stepping out of the room. She allowed the door to close before locking it and stuffing the key into the pocket of her pants.
She looked towards the counter for Mai but found it vacant. Sakura shrugged to herself before sliding the main door open and shutting it quietly behind her. Her face was immediately greeted with mist and realized it had finally stopped raining. The air was still damp and humid and she could barely see past a few feet ahead of her, but she was grateful her clothes wouldn't become soaked. She began walking in the direction Mai had pointed to earlier, her feet lightly padded by the soil below her. Her footsteps were quiet, and she could listen to the forest. The soft hum of insects lolled in the background and the echo of water dripping brought her eyes to the puddles around her. It had felt like she'd been walking for a while now. Maybe she had missed a turn somewhere. She moved to turn around but remembered that Mai had mentioned it would feel like this. Sakura pressed forward, looking for any lights or structures through the mist.
After what felt like hours, she finally saw a small wooden sign buried behind leaves. It was old, beaten and looked as if it had been sanded down numerous times. A soft symbol of a leaf looked burned into it. It was hard to make out, but she was sure this was the place. Her eyes took in her surroundings, but she still didn't see a door or building. Sakura's stomach grumbled again, and she sighed. Her feet began moving forward again, hoping it wouldn't be much further. Finally, she could hear the soft strings of a shamisen and a small shack appeared through the mist. Sakura smiled in relief. It didn't look like very much, but she didn't care at this point. If they had food, she'd eat anywhere.
Sakura stepped through the threshold of the shack and was shocked at the sight. She had expected it to be a couple wooden benches and a small kitchen from the outside but the place was nothing like that. Quiet murmurs of patrons filled the room and a warm amber glow from the fireplace in the middle of the room kept everyone warm a dry. The bar wasn't large, maybe sat 4 or 5 people and a few wooden tables were scattered throughout the place. Three booths lined the wall to her right and were all wood with a deep green hue. There was no shamisen musician in her line of sight, but she could still softly hear it over the voices. No one had turned to look at her and she moved silently towards one of the stools at the end of the bar. A couple sat at the opposite end and were leaning towards each other in intimate conversation. Sakura smiled sadly. While she did enjoy her time alone, she did wonder if she missed out on having a regular life with a husband and children. She just couldn't imagine herself really with anyone. Naruto had Hinata, Shikamaru had Temari, the list went on and she didn't see herself fitting in anywhere. In fact, Sakura was sure her only love was going to be her work and that was something she needed to accept.
"Menu?" A gruff voice appeared before her, blinking her back to reality. Sakura smiled apologetically before receiving the menu from his grasp. He was a tall, burly man with thinning grey hair and sharp eyes that made Sakura feel like she disappointed him somehow. Her eyes glanced down at his chest in search of a nametag and found nothing. "My name is Kenji. If you need anything." The man didn't give her a chance to reply before stomping off towards the back, seemingly annoyed with being there.
Sakura slowly looked away and down at her menu, perusing all the various food options they served. She hadn't expected to see so many familiar foods being in a different part of the world as she was. She saw Tonkatsu Miso Ramen and felt an ache in her chest. She missed her teammates and her home. Were they ever going to find one another? Were they okay? Sakura suddenly felt guilty. Here she was having a meal and sleeping in an inn while her teammates could be struggling somewhere. She needed to look for them, or at least try to get any word out to Konoha of their separation. She turned in her stool to leave but was stopped by a smooth voice.
"Have you decided on what you wanted to eat, Sakura-san?"
Her body stiffened and she could feel the fine hairs on her neck stand at attention. She could feel the electricity in the air as if someone personally flipped on her fight or flight response. Sakura allowed her stool to rotate back towards the counter and a gasp left her lips, "Sasuke?"
The man gave a short huff, "Not quite but, do tell me, how is my little brother doing?
Her jaw had gone numb. She couldn't even begin to articulate the words she need to speak. The man in front of her resembled Sasuke, but he was also very different than him. His hair was the same, but longer and pulled back into a low ponytail, a few pieces framed his face. Her eyes trailed from his hair line over his eyebrows which were pulled in an amused look. His eyes sparkled with mirth, and she saw they weren't quite as dark as Sasuke's but held a grayish hue to them. Thick, surly eyelashes rested against the tops of his cheeks leading into two long lines running down from the corner of his eyes. He was clearly taller than Sasuke and held a softer pride in his stance. "Itachi…Uchiha?" Her words were whispered in disbelief and his lips pulled back in a polite smile.
"Hello, Sakura-san. I wasn't expecting to ever see you here." He nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement before he lifted a towel to polish a short glass. Sakura stared at him in awe. He was nothing like she had remembered him. When she had been approached by him during their mission for Gaara, he had been dark, intimidating, dangerous. Now the man in front of her held no trace of the coldness she had last seen. In fact, he was oddly domestic, dare she say even relaxed? She held her breath as she watched his eyes glance over her and look at the other tables before returning to lock with her green ones. She had never met someone who made so much eye contact before. She half expected him to look away, hell where was the sharingan?
"Did you decide on what you wanted to eat? Or perhaps you'd like a drink? We're well known for our cloudy sake. It brewed in-house and its earthiness is highlighted with a smoky finish."
Sakura released the breath she was holding, "Y-you can't just ask me if I want something to drink!"
Itachi's eyes sparkled with amusement before he tilted his head curiously, "And why is that Sakura-san?"
She gestured her hand towards him, "Because you're Itachi Uchiha!"
Sakura's mouth fell open again as he snorted at her, "So I'm just not supposed to offer customers a beverage?" Sakura went to answer but was interrupted by another voice.
"Itachi! Stop bothering the poor girl. Can't you see you are making her nervous?" Sakura turned her head towards the source of the interruption and saw a beautiful elderly woman in the doorway of the kitchen. Her hair was a faded red and pulled into a high bun with multiple pieces wildly out of place. Her eyes were glowing with a teasing nature but the wrinkles around her eyes made her appear much sterner.
Sakura watched in awe as Itachi gave an apologetic bow towards the woman, "My apologies, Kimoko-san. Sakura-san is an old friend of mine." Her eyes widened at that and she found herself sputtering in response.
"Friend? I am the furthest thing from being a friend to you-" Kimoko gasped, once again interrupting Sakura's retort. Kimoko's eyes settled on Sakura and bounded over to the girl, firmly grasping her hands between the older woman's.
"Oh it so nice to finally meet a friend of Itachi-kun! My husband and I were getting so worried that he was going to be alone for forever. And my, you are just so beautiful!" Kimoko dropped Sakura's hand in favor of cupping her cheeks, turning her head at odd angles as she quietly admired her face.
Sakura blushed and let out an uncomfortable laugh before politely removing the woman's hand. "I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding. I'm not exactly a friend of Itachi's."
"Ah, she is right Kimoko-san. In fact, we have only met once before. She's a teammate of Sasuke's." Sakura locked eyes with Itachi's at the mention of Sasuke's name.
The woman smiled, "Sasuke-kun, huh? Man, you Uchiha men always find yourselves surrounded by the most beautiful women." Sakura found herself rolling her eyes at that and Itachi looked at her questioningly. "Well, hopefully Sasuke-kun is doing well?" Kimoko looked at Sakura expectingly and she felt herself flush under her stare.
"Unfortunately, I haven't seen Sasuke in a while." Itachi raised his eyebrows in question, waiting for her to continue, "I'm afraid-" Sakura cleared her throat, trying to find her words under the intense look Itachi was giving her, "I'm afraid that Sasuke hasn't been seen since after the war."
Kimoko gasped and looked up at Itachi, "What? I thought you said he was in Konoha?"
Itachi's eyes narrowed before looking down at the bar in front of him, Sakura could see his jaw clenched tightly. "Ah, so did I Kimoko-san." He glanced up at her with an apologetic smile, "Would you mind if I took a small break to catch up with Sakura-san? I'll help with the dishes when we finish."
Kimoko quickly shook her head, "Why don't worry about that, Itachi-kun. Go have fun with your friend." Kimoko looked back at Sakura, "What did you want to order, Sakura-chan?"
Sakura quickly gave her order before glancing over at Itachi, "Actually, could you also bring me some of that cloudy sake specialty?" Kimoko beamed before moving towards the back to begin preparing everything.
An awkward quiet settled over the space between her and Itachi before he quietly cleared his throat, "Sakura-san, would you care to join me at a table over there?" He gestured to a lone booth in the corner. She didn't respond and simply got up before walking over to their destination. Itachi quietly followed behind her.
They both sat down as Kimoko quickly brought over her order and exited again. Sakura stared longingly at the food in front of her, but she couldn't quite bring herself to eat. Instead, her hand firmly grasped around the cup of sake before bringing it to her lips. She watched Itachi lean forward with anticipation, his eyes never leaving her face as she took the first sip. Her eyes widened, the sake was creamy on her tongue, and as she inhaled and exhaled, she caught the aftermath of smoke. It almost felt like she could taste the end of a fire on her lips. She hummed her approval and saw Itachi slump into his seat, a satisfied smile on his face. Sakura finally met his eyes. "This is delicious."
Itachi allowed himself to beam for a moment, "Yes. I came up with the recipe myself."
Sakura spit out her drink and he frowned at her response, "You made this?" Itachi nodded. "You. Made this?" She gestured with the cup in her hands.
"Yes, Sakura-san." He rolled her eyes at her inquisitiveness. "In fact, I own this entire establishment."
Sakura opened and closed her mouth, the words not quite ready to be voiced. She had so many questions and she didn't even know where to start. She hunched her shoulders in defeat, "You know, you smile a lot more than your brother."
Itachi tipped his head in agreement, "Sasuke was much happier as a child."
Sakura snorted into her sake, "Wonder why."
Itachi narrowed his eyes at her, "There's a lot you don't know, Sakura-san."
"Well, that is something we can agree on. I can't even wrap my head around the fact that I'm sitting in Rain, drinking sake made by Uchiha Itachi, in an establishment owned by Uchiha Itachi, sitting at a table with Uchiha Itachi." She spat his name at the end. "Perhaps, Uchiha Itachi would like to explain to me what the absolute fuck is going on right now."
Itachi gave her a look, "Your language is completely uncalled for, Sakura-san. You could simply ask me what you want to know." He swirled his hand in the air as if it were the most obvious thing. Sakura felt her jaw clench.
"My language is none of your concern, Itachi-kun." She said his name mockingly causing tension to square his shoulders.
"Kimoko-san and her husband were friends of the Uchiha clan years ago."
Sakura looked incredulous, "The leaf? You call this place," she gestured wildly around her, "the leaf? What kind of sick humor is that, Itachi?" She slammed her cup on the table. "You murdered members of the leaf village- you know the Uchiha clan? Your family-" Sakura's voice broke as she saw Mangekyou Sharingan pinning her to her seat. Instantly, the fight left her, and she found her body recoiling in fear. "So," she licked her lips, "it really is you. You're alive. In front of me- right now."
"This is all very real Sakura-san. And I would expect some respect."
Sakura almost knocked over the table at that, "Respect?! You're a wanted criminal! I thought Sasuke killed you! In fact, I was hoping all of this was over so he would come home!" Tears began to threaten to fall but Sakura paid them no mind, "You have no idea what you have put everyone through with your thirst for power. And I'm supposed to sit here and have a pleasant conversation with you as if nothing happened? You're fucking crazy, Itachi."
Itachi offered an apologetic smile towards the other patrons of the bar who had been staring from the commotion. He quickly picked up Sakura's spilled food back onto her plate before standing up himself. "Sakura-san. I'm not going to humor outbursts like these. If you have questions, I can answer them. But if you will not even allow me to speak, I see no need to continue this dinner. Please leave." He placed a hand on her elbow and quietly led her out of the establishment before closing the door behind her.
"What the fuck." Sakura yelled into nothing. Did she just get kicked out of a bar by Uchiha Itachi?
Hi all! I know it's been a LONG time. Honestly, I've missed fanfiction so so much. I recently start rewatching Naruto and I'm falling in love all over again with the show's characters. I've always wanted to write an ItachiXSakura story and figured why not!
If any of you are wondering what happened to my other stories, I had a friend in college who ended up finding my profile and kind of making fun of my writing. I was super insecure back then and just took everything down. Unfortunately, I have none of the documents saved anywhere. So now we have a new slate to work off of.
I haven't written anything in YEARS. So I'm sure this isn't the best thing I've ever written, but I honestly just want to fall back in love with my hobbies again. I was in a bad relationship for 8 years and my significant other didn't really allow me to continue the things I loved. So here's to finding them all again3
Please leave a review and chat with me:)
Side note, if you do find this story on wattpad. I am aware and I also have a profile on there!