When Sakura showed up at Itachi's on Monday morning, she saw Shisui sitting under the back patio, watching Sasuke "teach" Kage to shake hands—the German Shepherd was already trained to do certain tricks, but no one had the heart to tell Sasuke that.
She parked her car in the garage and walked toward the house, the fallen leaves scattered across the pavement crunching beneath her shoes.
Sasuke spotted her and waved. "Sakura! Look! Kage can shake my hand. He's the smartest dog ever." He proceeded to demonstrate by holding his hand out to Kage and ordering the dog to shake.
Kage lifted his paw and placed it in Sasuke's small hand, causing the boy to beam with pride.
"That's great! Good job teaching him, Sasuke," Sakura said with a smile. "But it's time for schoolwork."
Sasuke groaned but followed her to the house, with Kage on his heels.
As she approached him, she noticed that Shisui had an empty plate in his lap. "Hey there, Blossom. What did you think of the party?" he asked.
"It was better than I was expecting. I don't think I ruffled too many feathers."
Shisui smirked. "That's good, but how did your conversation with Itachi go? You looked distracted the rest of the evening."
Sakura couldn't stop the blush from unfurling across her face as the words Itachi had spoken to her came to mind. I admit, I'm beginning to find you… intriguing. He hadn't said anything else other than to wish her a good night after dropping her off at her apartment.
"It went well, I think." It was time to change the subject. "But how are you feeling? You look better." He looked a lot less pale than he had at the party.
He frowned at the change of subject but didn't press her, which she was thankful for. She'd never tell him that Itachi thought she was intriguing, especially when she was still trying to figure out what that meant. Intriguing as in he was developing feelings for her? Intriguing as in she was simply an interesting person to be around? She knew she shouldn't read too much into it, not until she could discern more details about how he acted around her.
Shisui sighed. "Definitely better. Itachi made me sit around all day yesterday. We watched a bunch of movies, but I can't wait until I can go home."
Sasuke broke into their conversation. "It was fun."
"Where is Itachi?" Sakura asked. He was usually the first one to greet her when she arrived. It was a habit she'd grown accustomed to, and the last time he hadn't, he'd been in bed with a migraine.
"He had some last-minute work to do before you guys go meet our friend. I'll be watching Sasuke."
Sakura glanced at Sasuke. Oh right, we have to be careful what we say around Sasuke. She was just glad that she'd finally be getting details about what was going to be expected of her as a member of the Akatsuki.
Itachi chose that moment to join them as he opened the back door and stepped onto the patio. "Hello, Sakura. Have you eaten breakfast yet?" His expression looked like it was deliberately blank.
"Yeah, I'm ready to go when you are." She tried to study him without being obvious about it. He still looked tired—although she couldn't say that was anything new. She'd have to ask him if his migraine went away after the party, but she'd wait until they were alone.
Itachi knelt to Sasuke's level and placed a hand on top of his head. "We'll go to the art festival this evening, all right? But for now, behave for your cousin."
Sasuke looked thrilled about going to the festival and eagerly nodded. "Okay, Nii-san."
Itachi poked him in the forehead, left some last-minute instructions with Shisui, and then led Sakura to his car. To her surprise, he opened the door for her. He'd only exhibited this behavior during the party, and she'd just assumed it was because they'd been on a "date".
She murmured a thank-you and got inside.
The car ride out of the city turned out to be awkward. Any attempt on her part to start a conversation was met with one-word responses. This complete turnaround in attitude was puzzling, compared to what she'd witnessed at the party. Even in the early days of being Sasuke's nanny, Itachi hadn't been like this.
Was he embarrassed about opening up to her? Was he upset about something that had nothing to do with her? She had no way of knowing. She'd just have to ask him about it after they left the Akatsuki base, which they were just driving into now, after being cleared by the agents at the gate.
Sakura pushed everything else she was thinking about to the back of her mind as they got out of the car and entered the main building. She had no idea what kind of person their leader was or what would be asked of her—outside of medical matters. She was surprised to see a receptionist in the lobby, who greeted them with a friendly smile before directing them to the elevator.
Inside the elevator, Sakura clasped her hands together. An elevator seemed odd in a two-story military building this small. What would Nagato be like? What she knew of him was limited; a tech genius who controlled remote vehicles. Essentially next to nothing.
A hand being placed on her arm startled her. She looked over at Itachi, who offered her a reassuring smile. "There's nothing to be nervous about. This isn't going to be a test; it's just an introduction."
Well, at least he wasn't being entirely closed off with her.
Itachi removed his hand from her arm and pressed the button for the second floor. The elevator shuddered and moved upward for only a few moments before coming to a stop; the doors slid open with a soft ding. An empty waiting room greeted them. It was surprisingly light and airy, with the furniture arranged to maximize the limited space without creating clutter.
There was one door, and Itachi didn't hesitate to cross the room and open it. Sakura followed him into what appeared to be a living room. It was neat, tidy, and comfortable-looking, with an open floor plan that allowed her to see the kitchen and dining room. There wasn't anything fancy or noteworthy about it, with the décor being minimal.
She'd pictured screens and high-tech gadgets everywhere, but the only piece of technology she could see was the thermostat screen on the wall.
Three people waited for them: one sat on the couch while the other two stood behind it on either side of him. The reason for the elevator became apparent when she spotted a wheelchair beside the couch.
She could only assume the red-headed man on the couch was Nagato. He looked slightly ill, with pale skin and half of his face obscured by his hair. The two behind him must have been the bodyguards she'd been told about. Konan looked serious and stoic, with a watchful look in her eyes.
The other one, Yahiko, appeared to be much friendlier as he smiled at them in greeting and was the first one to speak. "Itachi! How's Shisui holding up?"
"He's doing well, thanks to Sakura's efforts." Itachi turned to her and gestured to the three. "You've already heard their names, but for more formal introductions, these are Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko. They comprise our upper leadership."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Sakura-san," Nagato said. "We hope that you will prove to be a boon to us."
Sakura swallowed thickly as she tried to tell herself to relax. There wasn't anything threatening in Nagato's tone; he was simply stating a wish. However, it was still a lot of pressure.
She inclined her head respectfully. "I'll do my best."
Nagato nodded as if that was the answer he had been expecting. "You have free rein of our medical facilities. If there's something you need or if any issue arises, don't hesitate to bring it up with Itachi. He will be your primary point of contact."
Konan stepped around the couch and handed Sakura a flesh-colored earbud. "This is required to be worn whenever possible, even while sleeping, in case you are needed for an emergency."
When Sakura inserted the earbud, she was surprised at how comfortable the material was; it was barely noticeable, to the point that she knew she'd forget about it—and likely get scared half to death when someone spoke to her through it.
After she was shown how the earbud functioned and exactly where to push on it, she and Itachi left, taking the elevator back down to the lobby.
"That wasn't so bad," Sakura said once they were outside and making their way to his car. The cold air was an unwelcome change compared to the warmth of the building they'd left. She wasn't looking forward to when the snow came, as it made getting around miserable.
Itachi merely hummed in response to her comment, which only reinforced her theory that he was preoccupied with something.
She waited until they were in the car before speaking. "Did I do something wrong at the party? You seem upset." A direct approach seemed best. She'd never been one to beat around the bush, and she doubted Itachi would be either.
He had just been about to start the car when she spoke, his hand pausing at the ignition button. His hand fell back into his lap as he looked away, out the window of the car. There were several guys playing basketball in the courtyard to the side of the dormitory. "I apologize if that's what you've been thinking. It's… my father's birthday today. He would have been forty-three."
Now she wished she hadn't asked.
How was I supposed to know?
She'd had to miss family birthdays because of school, and that had been hard enough. She couldn't begin to imagine how it'd feel if that family member were dead.
And it must have been doubly painful for Itachi, considering how his father had died.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pried," she said softly.
He returned his attention to her. "No, I'm glad you saw a problem and spoke up, even if it wasn't the issue you thought it was. I don't want any miscommunication between us. On that note, you did splendidly at the party. Shisui's parents liked you, and that means something to my extended family."
Even though she didn't care what his extended family thought of her, it was still good to know that she'd made a favorable impression on the people who mattered to Itachi—except for Izumi, of course, but she didn't feel the need to bring that up at the moment.
However, there was something she did want to bring up while they were on the topic of no miscommunication. "What did you mean when you said you found me intriguing?"
He blinked at her and then chuckled, a soft and pleasant sound. "You get straight to the point, don't you?"
She blushed but didn't say anything as she waited expectantly for his response. She didn't know what she wanted him to say, except that she wanted to know where they stood. Because if he was starting to harbor even the smallest of feelings for her, that would change their relationship, no matter how minutely. She was also having a hard time believing that would be the case.
A small part of her did hope. School had consumed her life for the past few years, rendering romantic relationships impossible. But now that she was in a more stable place, she wouldn't say no to getting to know Itachi better. Even if the idea of dating her boss was a terrible one.
If things went badly, well, this was her last year of school before she started working full-time at the hospital, which meant she'd no longer work for Itachi—at least outside of Akatsuki business.
"I can't answer that right now—not until I've sorted out my thoughts on it—but I'll give you an answer when I do. There's a lot to consider."
At least he was honest, and it made sense. He didn't seem like the type to just ask someone out, and he was right; there was a lot to consider—things she should consider too, in case he really did want to try that path with her. Dating a multimillionaire wouldn't be simple by itself, much less with him being her boss and part of a secret vigilante group.
"Alright, that's a fair enough point," she said.
They left the Akatsuki base, and on the way to his house, Itachi went into more detail about what her life in the Akatsuki would be like. She'd live her life as she normally did, except she'd be on call whenever she was needed. She'd also need to be more aware of her surroundings because she now had a target on her back.
While she wasn't thrilled about that last part, it was nice to know that she could still live her day-to-day life—just with some added excitement, which would be a nice change of pace.
When they arrived at his house, she expected Itachi to return to work. Instead, he invited her to join him and Sasuke in the front room while Shisui went upstairs to catch up on any work he could do remotely. Itachi had told him he could go home tomorrow since Root had gone quiet, and Shisui couldn't stay long-term when he had his own life to keep up with.
Kage was stretched out on the other couch.
Sakura sat on the couch with Sasuke, who kept pestering her about where she and Itachi went after his brother had gone upstairs to retrieve something. The first thing she could think of was to tell him they'd gone out to eat somewhere, and that seemed to be a mistake.
"So you are his girlfriend," Sasuke said, as if he knew this all along.
Itachi appeared in the archway of the front room, a photo album tucked under his arm. "Sasuke, what did I tell you about bringing that up?"
"But she isn't going to leave! She said you two went out to eat. Shisui told me that's what people do on dates."
Itachi sighed as he moved to sit on the couch next to Sasuke, placing the boy between himself and Sakura. "Don't listen to Shisui; he doesn't know what he's talking about."
Sakura felt like she was missing out on something here and when she met Itachi's gaze, he simply shook his head as he opened the photo album and set it in Sasuke's lap. This allowed Sakura to get a good look at the pictures too.
"My mother enjoyed creating these albums," Itachi said.
The photo album was carefully organized by date and appeared to be a collection of his parents' lives before children had come into the picture.
"Your mother was beautiful. What was her name?" Sakura asked. She seemed like a kind woman and was smiling in every single picture, a contrast to her more serious-looking husband. They both looked very young compared to the photos displayed on the fireplace.
"Mikoto. My father's name was Fugaku."
Sasuke was looking at the pictures with a frown, his small fingers gripping the edges of the album.
"Which one is your favorite, Sasuke?" she asked him in an attempt to get him to talk.
He didn't say anything, but pointed to a wedding photo where Mikoto and Fugaku stood in a snowy field. Snow was falling all around them, and she could only imagine how cold it'd been while they took the picture. It was very pretty, and it looked like it had been worth the discomfort.
"That one's very pretty. What about you, Itachi? Which one's your favorite?" Sakura looked up at him to see a flash of surprise cross his face.
He flipped the page back to the beginning of the album and pointed to the first picture. "This was their first date." They were on the beach, with the sun setting behind them. "My mother insisted he needed to see the ocean since he'd never seen it before. He asked her out again that same day."
They spent a good hour going over the album. Sasuke finally started talking, asking questions about certain photos. He looked a lot happier by the time Itachi closed the album and excused himself to go work while Sakura made Sasuke lunch before getting started on his schoolwork.
Evening rolled around, and Sakura was in the kitchen, packing up her stuff as she prepared to leave. She had a lot she needed to catch up on, including missed lectures and homework that needed to be started. With it being November, this would be the final push before fall break, and she'd go to stay with her family for that week—if she was allowed to. She'd have to ask Itachi about that.
Itachi helped Sasuke with his coat as they planned to leave to attend an art festival—which Sakura thought was odd since it was getting dark outside.
"Would you like to come with us, Sakura?" Itachi asked. "There will be food."
Sakura hesitated, her coat in hand. She really needed to get home and focus on her schoolwork, but the only meal that awaited her there was frozen TV dinners. This would also give her an opportunity to spend more time with Itachi, and perhaps he was inviting her to help him solidify his thoughts on what he was thinking about her.
"Sure, I've never been to one."
They took separate cars so she could go straight home from the festival, which was being held at the park. String lights were everywhere, stretched over the pathways that existed between the stalls. There were all types of art on display—and for sale. From paintings to handmade toys, the festival was a mash of creativity. The darkness added an air of mystery, and there were many people who were wearing costumes too, including masks.
While Itachi and Sasuke went to explore the food trucks in the parking lot, Sakura went looking for a restroom. She spotted one in the form of a small building just past the stalls.
To reach it, she had to take a path through a patch of shadowed trees, which made her uneasy. She'd been expecting more people to be around, but she was alone on the path.
Someone stepped out in front of her, causing her to freeze. She had pepper spray in her bag, but the masked man in front of her wasn't making any moves towards her. The mask he wore was odd, but not out of place at the festival. It was hard to make out the color in the dim lighting. Red? Orange? It was like a spiral, with one eyehole. The rest of his outfit wasn't anything remarkable, a black sweater, and black jeans.
He tilted his head and then spoke in almost a sing-song tone that sent chills up her spine.
"I have a message for yoooou~ If you change your mind and leave the Akatsuki, no action will be taken against you. If you stay… Well, that won't be very fun for you, hehe."
A Root agent? "You don't scare me," she said, though that wasn't entirely true. She doubted her self-defense lessons would do any good against this guy.
She spotted Itachi step out behind the masked man with a gun leveled at him. "You can tell Danzo that his threat means nothing."
The masked man didn't react to the sudden presence behind him. He merely chuckled and walked away into the trees.
She heard voices coming up the path behind her. Itachi quickly tucked the gun away and motioned for her to follow him back to the parking lot. Sasuke was sitting at a table with an old woman, who listened to him chatter about his dog with the patience of a woman who was experienced with children. Sasuke was clutching a stuffed bear that had been dressed as a ninja.
Itachi thanked the woman for watching his brother before the three of them found their own table.
"Are you alright?" Itachi asked.
"Yeah, he didn't do anything to me." Sakura couldn't say she was surprised. She'd been warned to stay aware, and this wasn't the first time Root had threatened her. "Do you know who that was?"
Itachi shook his head. "No, I've never heard his voice before. Likely a newer recruit of Danzo's."
"How did you know to come find me?"
"I suspected they'd approach you after you joined. It was just a matter of when and where. The path to the bathroom was a perfect spot, so I followed you in case they did make an appearance."
"Can we eat now?" Sasuke complained. "I'm hungry."
"What do you want?" Sakura asked him. It was a good chance to change the subject. They probably shouldn't have been talking about it with a bunch of people around.
"Hotdogs!" Sasuke pointed at a colorful cart that was passing out hotdogs.
Sakura couldn't help but smile. Out of all the more interesting food trucks, it was the small hotdog stand that drew his attention.
Itachi left them at the table and then returned shortly with three smothered hotdogs in paper bowls. He set them on the table before sitting down next to Sakura.
When the bowls were empty, they walked to Itachi's car. Once Sasuke was situated in his car seat and the door was closed, Itachi turned to her. "You'll be fine if you go home. Root won't do anything until you've made your decision clear."
Despite the reassurance, the idea of returning to her empty apartment by herself made her a little nervous. But she also didn't want to live in fear either. "I'm not going to change my mind, in case you were wondering."
His mouth tilted into an amused smile. "I knew you wouldn't."
Her earlier thought about fall break popped into her mind. Now was as good a time as any, but then something else occurred to her as well. "My fall break lines up with Thanksgiving. I was going to ask how vacations work with… what you guys do. But I was also wondering if you and Sasuke would like to join my family for the holiday."
His gaze went past her, and it looked like he was mulling it over in his mind. His gaze returned to her with another smile—which she noticed he was doing more often. "Sasuke would enjoy that. Since my work is remote, I need only bring my laptop. The others will be fine without me for a week."
She hadn't been expecting him to accept her out-of-the-blue offer. She knew her parents would be thrilled to see her bring a guy home. She'd have to be clear with them ahead of time that they weren't dating… yet.
"Great! It might be a little chaotic, but my dad makes an amazing turkey, and don't even get me started on my grandma's pumpkin pie. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yes, good night, Sakura."
They went their separate ways. When Sakura got home, she got to work on watching the lectures she'd missed. It was going to be a long night.