A/N: Hi guys! Thanks so much for your support. All of you are love.

A quick note: I recently published a series of one-shots related to Shiyako and Itachi that may, or may not be connected to the story. The first one, for example, is a canon-compatible take to their relationship and is from Itachi's POV. (Yep, I went there.)

It's called Compunction. So if you find yourself enjoying this story… ^.^

(Also. Shoutout to my beta, tigerowl, who is lovely and amazing.)

{Z}

I was easily bored. It was true, really. Everyone knew it. Leave me alone for around two hours, tops, with nothing to do, and anyone would be looking for distractions.

And in the current scenario, I'd found mine.

Although, in retrospect, I shouldn't have.

I really, really shouldn't.

And yet, the thought refused to leave my mind. After all, a quick – no. Why was I even entertaining the idea? If I did go through with my plan, I'd certainly meet a swift death, if nothing else. Itachi might have been remotely forgiving last night… But who was it that said it wouldn't do to keep pushing your luck?

Also, there was the matter of his pesky bird. I eyed it with trepidation, noticing how the beady black eyes followed my movements through the room.

Unless I… bribed it?

Could his birds even be bribed?

Deciding it wouldn't hurt to try; I rolled the peanut in my hand, sent a quick prayer above and almost lobbed it straight at the crow. To its credit, it merely sidestepped before looking at me. Its eyes seemed to say 'you absolutely crazy woman! Is that how you treat someone who saved your life yesterday?'

Somehow I'd failed to notice that Itachi's birds had just about the same glaring capacity he had.

"There's more where that came from," I said finally, cowed by the almost disdainful glare. In response, it shuffled a little to the right and set about picking its feathers, successfully ignoring my very presence.

Well, there went that plan.

I scowled at the bird's uncooperativeness before getting off the bed to stretch languidly. At once, the crow had its eyes trained on me. "Well, I'm Shiyako, by the way," I added almost off-handedly, wondering if the summon would even respond. Some of them were picky. Kakashi's ninken on the other hand…

"Trying to be friendly still will not make me help you leave this room," Said a shockingly deep male voice. At my wide-eyed gawk, the beady eyes narrowed infinitesimally. "I have seen you, human, and what I have seen assures me that my Master is right to worry about your actions."

How rude.

As I stood, sputtering, and trying to come up with a suitable response to that, the crow added, "Besides, Master will always be able to find you. He is a competent ninja." The underlying and you are not went unsaid, but was hinted quite obnoxiously through those damn bird eyes.

I huffed. "I asked you for your name, not a lecture."

"That happens to be none of your business."

I was being sassed out by a crow. A crow. I suppose the usual circumstances would warrant a little caution… But here, I didn't think twice of chucking my pillow straight at it. As it sidestepped (once again, thwarted) gracefully, I gleefully picked up the other one and threw it too.

This time, it hit straight at his face.

"Why you little…!"

Sleek, black wings unfurled, and I giggled uncontrollably before locking myself in the bathroom. The further sounds of wings beating furiously sent me sinking to the floor in laughter. Oh, I hadn't had so much fun in… Well, forever. It was far too much fun seeing that stern (and smug) face falter upon connecting with my pillow.

My fine-feathered friend…

The thought sent me into a fresh fit of giggles.

When I finally resurfaced, clutching my stomach because it hurt, I came face-to-face with a huge, huge spider.

Caught up in the moment, I screeched, loudly.

The spider, in response, scuttled away quickly, slipping through a hole in the wall, but not before the bathroom door was slammed off its hinges. The sight of Itachi, perfect hair standing up and loose down his shoulders made me giggle again, and then before I knew it, I was on the floor, laughing.

Understandably, or perhaps not, Itachi's first response was to stare at me for a long, unblinking second. His second was to crouch down till he was eye-level and give the still-giggling me an once-over. For a long moment, I continued snickering, covering my mouth with my fingers and generally avoiding his eyes when he suddenly leaned forward, flicking his fingers over my nose.

Surprisingly, that sobered me up. "Hey, what the hell was that for?!"

"For waking me up, of course," The Great Beauty said coolly, rising to his feet. "For all the fuss you made about me not sleeping, you were greatly uncooperative in actually letting me do so in reality."

I actually winced. Warranted, yes, but the criticism still had my hackles rising. "Who asked you to sleep like a damn princess then?" I muttered under my breath.

And he stopped in the process of exiting the bathroom. Clearly, he'd heard. Well, double damn. I rolled my eyes in wait of the inevitable lecture.

There was another long, pregnant pause. And then: "Haruno, get off the floor and find us something to eat. We should leave before it's too late. Delaying would only make the Hokage worry."

I did roll my eyes then. Who would've thought – perfect Uchiha wasn't a morning person. I mean, I was one to talk – I attacked people when they tried to wake me – but still. This was fodder for potential blackmail.

Nevertheless, I forced myself off the floor and dusted my clothes half-heartedly. "Frankly, Captain, I'm sure she has long since given up on you."

Cool, black eyes flashed and I almost quailed beneath his perusal. It wasn't as if I was lying or anything. Itachi was known to do whatever the hell he wanted during missions. Often, Sasuke had complained he just liked staying out longer than necessary so everyone would be worried.

"Also, please stop trying to antagonize my summons." With those pearls of wisdom, he gracefully exited the room. Perhaps he'd decided ignoring both my words and their implication was easier.

I briefly wished I could capture the way his hair was an unruly mess around his head before following him out. Already, he was packing our bags, stuffing parchment and rolls and everything inane I had brought out in an attempt to pass the time. His fingers paused for a moment to see the hasty sketch I'd made on the mad puppets before tossing it away without a word. Meanwhile, I'd wandered out of the room. He was a big boy, and he could definitely handle packing on his own. Since I was unconscious when brought in, I couldn't say I was familiar with the surroundings, but most inns followed a similar pattern. That proved true when I found myself in the restaurant in under a minute.

Early morning meant there weren't too many people (not that I thought many people came to this back trodden village anyway), so the hostess cheerfully pushed me towards the window seat. As I busied myself with the menu, Itachi came down and held out my pack. I took it wordlessly.

The waitress came rushing in again, an eager sort of smile on her face now. "Are you ready to order?"

"Actually, I think we'll take one for the road –,"

"I'd like some tea and sandwiches, please." Itachi interrupted smoothly, before raising his eyebrows at my stunned face.

"And you, Miss?"

"Well, I… I thought we were running late?" I accused him sharply, ignoring the way the waitress had backed away slightly; as if afraid I would flip the table over in sheer fury. I wasn't even that angry. Perhaps she'd just had bad dealings with ninja.

"I came to the conclusion that you were right." He was back to being an insufferable bastard, I noted. "After all, I always do what I want…"

He was… Ugh. He was unbelievable.

"Milk and some fruit," I said finally, dropping my gaze to the table. Looking at him made me want to punch him – especially with that half-smirk he was now flashing. What he found so amusing, I would never know, and I was almost too afraid to ask.

"You might want to eat something more filling, Haruno. I don't share my food."

"I don't want your food," I snapped hastily, and then paused to reconsider. His words were almost… caring. Captain, I reminded myself irritably. It was his job to care. "Having a heavy breakfast leaves me nauseous."

We sat in silence – or rather, I did. Itachi, on the other hand, was too busy going through his bag. A last minute check-up, I supposed, but I felt too lazy to indulge in the same. Instead, I lay my head on the table and traced random patterns against the wood. I was just so tired. The whole mission had been a whirlwind of sorts. And unsurprisingly, most of my emotional bursts were centered on the man sitting so nonchalantly opposite me.

I hadn't… Well, he was still quite disagreeable, make no doubt… But he also wasn't quite that bad. Or at least he wasn't so far. Our initial fight could be considered an aftereffect of the night he'd walked me home, but then that night could be based upon the way he'd treated me when I'd pushed him after he had annoyed me with his bullshit…

…the whole thing was giving me a headache. At that moment, I resolved that once I reached home, there'd be no more accidental run-ins with Uchiha Itachi. He left me too unsure of myself – too confused.

Realizing he'd been quiet for some time, I looked up.

And froze.

His eyes… His eyes were so… soft. Something sparkled beneath its depths as he stared out of the window almost contemplatively… The corner of his lips were raised slightly – in a half-smile that somehow conveyed so much more than the proper smiles I was used to seeing. The fair skin that felt so familiar was bathed in the sunlight, lending it an almost ethereal look. His hair fell past his jaw, the strands almost touching his neck…. And he was…

He was looking straight at me?

Automatically, color came rushing to my cheeks. It was never easy being caught staring, especially not so blatantly.

But Itachi didn't say anything. He held my gaze for a long, suspended moment – blue meeting black – and then shifted ever so slightly in his seat to stretch forward.

Instinctively, I moved back, but he was only moving the glasses aside to make room for the food.

I hadn't even noticed when the waitress had arrived.

"Here's your milk, Miss. I wasn't too sure how much sugar you'd take, so I'm leaving a pot," She said, placing a wilting collection of fruits before me. I eyed it half-heartedly before shrugging, and she flushed. "We haven't been receiving regular shipments since the attack, so I apologize –,"

Man, was I a rude guest.

"It's okay!" I assured her hurriedly, taking a bite of the apple to show I wasn't quite as disgusted as I had portrayed myself to be. Frankly, I was still reeling from that… thing that had occurred between the Captain and me. The Captain, who, might I add, had already begun eating. His movements were graceful and precise, and as I awkwardly shoved my fork into the fruits, I found myself saying: "So are we just going to sit here in uncomfortable silence or are you capable of talking?"

"You could always go back to staring at me," Itachi offered, lips twitching and I rolled my eyes even as my cheeks heated up.

I knew that would come back to bite me.

"You're pretty, but I've seen better." At his inquisitive look, I added imperiously, "Your brother, for one."

"Is that so?" An almost dangerous gleam entered his eyes, making me shuffle warily on my seat. It was never a good idea to challenge him so blatantly. "You don't seem to like him a lot, though."

"He's kind of a jackass," I said bluntly, forgetting for a moment that Itachi was his brother. "Always so self-centered, always so dismissive of other people…"

"And yet you heal him every time he visits you."

"Well, I – I'm a medic! I can't not heal him!"

"You misunderstand me." And somehow I knew, from the way his eyes shifted, that he was going for the kill. "You always personally heal him. I would think you'd fob him off to some other medic since you dislike him so much."

"He's precious to Sakura." I said immediately, and even to me that felt like a weak excuse.

"If you say so." The tone of his voice burned – how it burned. It felt as if he was disappointed in my answer – in me – and that was ridiculous because I didn't owe him anything.

Apart from your life…

It was official. My brain hated me.

I picked up a piece of banana wearily. "I don't hate your brother," I muttered finally, in a small voice. "I hate what he was to Sakura once. Because I'd been in that position and I… to see my little sister go through the same was crushing…"

Sakura's infatuation had been harder to bear because I'd been through it first. Felt the helplessness, the rage, the sting of unrequited love first…

"If it helps…" Itachi said softly, "I've been through it too."

As I looked up, startled, an almost-rueful smile covered his face. It lent a very boyish look to his face. "She was older than me, accomplished, and a great babysitter to Sasuke. I'll admit it – I followed her around like a lost puppy for weeks before Kaa-san called me out on it."

Despite myself, I giggled. The very thought of Uchiha Itachi following someone around like a puppy was…

Something flashed through his eyes at my smile, and I… It didn't look like he resented it. Instead, it felt like he.,.

Well, it couldn't be. Maybe I had imagined it.

As he paused, almost expectantly, I realized he'd expected me to share too. And it was only fair but I… Oh, this was embarrassing.

"Kakashi," I said in the same small voice, the awkwardness leaking through my tone. "He was just… so cool! I'd see him sometimes, and he looked so poised and dignified…"

"Maybe it was the ANBU uniform."

"Yeah! I think so –,"

I froze, realizing just a little too late what I'd admitted. Laughter was etched in every line of Itachi's face, and even as I watched, the coolness of his gaze gave way to the almost softness I'd seen before. I flushed heartily beneath it. "Not fair at all, Captain," I grumbled, fighting back my own smile.

"Are you two done?" The cheery waitress was back again, popping a piece of gum as she looked down at my… empty plate? When had I even finished all the food?

"Yes." An instant change overcame his face. Gone was the easy-going, almost gentle Itachi of before. "Kindly pack the bentos I had requested last night. We'll be taking our leave soon." The face I now saw was blank. The waitress left with our plates and he stood up, slinging his pack over his shoulder. "I'll meet you in the reception then, Haruno."

And he left.

Just like that.

I…

Once again, he left me dumbfounded. Honestly, was this trick of switching off their emotions something all ANBU had or was it just him? First in the forest, and now once again. I certainly couldn't 'switch-off' from someone quite so easily.

Also perhaps why I'm not ANBU, a matter-of-fact voice whispered in my brain.

Not that I wanted to be, I told myself firmly.

There were things in this world entrusted to only a few men.

{Z}

I was greeted with a frantic "Shiyako-chan!" as soon as I entered the hallway. To my extreme surprise, Suzu stood in the center, blushing several shades of red. Suzu, the girl whose grandmother I had saved. Well, for a time at least, I reminded myself a tad guiltily. Death was inevitable, and yet… My eyes shifted to the left…and I saw Itachi holding a rather poorly wrapped box in his hands. There was that look on his face again, the perfectly poised poker-face.

"I – I was just… I mean, someone told me you were here and –," Suzu automatically started stammering upon being confronted with my raised eyebrow. To be fair, I don't think I was capable of looking that scary...

But I was kind of annoyed.

Who had saved her grandmother again?

Oh, right. It was me.

Petty, I know, but I rarely left the village and I just… I was only human. I did want some recognition for my efforts.

But now wasn't the time or the place to be ruminating on that. I swallowed the childish retort back, and instead, forced a smile to my face. "Good to see you again, Suzu-san," I greeted, watching the way her face fell at the formality. "How is Obaa-san doing?"

She shifted on her feet, and her eyes darted upwards almost casually to sneak a look at Itachi's face. "She's better than before. This morning, she even got up and asked for water!"

You know what the worst part was? It was the fact that she was a child. Sure, she looked to be around my age, but she was also a civilian. How would she know that the man she was crushing hard on was also the man responsible for more deaths than she could even imagine? Or that even if it somehow worked out between the two, his family would swallow her up, chew, and spit her out before she had the chance to even draw a single breath?

With what her sister, our New Fire Lady was going through, she should know better.

'You're being cynical again,' A voice that sounded surprisingly like Sakura's popped up in my head. I almost sighed. This mission was ruining me.

Realizing that Suzu was still waiting for an answer, I looked up to catch her eye again. "Keep her well-fed. If she refuses to eat, try some broth. Try anything, really. But feed her, okay?"

"Will do, medic-sama," She murmured, bowing deeply. I could feel the heat of Itachi's gaze on my face at the sudden change in address, but I firmly didn't look his way. He could draw whatever conclusions he wanted to. The Hospital was my domain and there, I didn't answer to him.

"I… I guess I'll see you around then?" Suzu continued, her eyes once again shifting to my Captain's. There was that fragile hope in her eyes again. I felt like sighing. She'd probably be waiting for Itachi to swoop through the village and save her for days after we'd left.

"I doubt it, Suzu-chan," Itachi said. The same soft eyes made their reappearance as he oh-so-gently let her down. "Thank you for the chocolates, but they were unnecessary."

"I –,"

Her face flaming scarlet, Suzu ran out of the door. I could vaguely hear the sounds of sobbing as she left.

Leaving me and Itachi in yet another awkward situation.

I glanced at him then, and almost winced at what I saw. He looked… well, he didn't look happy. And something tugged inside my heart. It wasn't his fault. None of this was his fault.

So with the intent of lightening the mood, I nudged his shoulder lightly. At his startled glance towards me, I shrugged. "You're failing as a Captain, y'know."

"Is that so?"

"Yep," I nodded, stepping out of the inn and straight into the sunshine, "Breaking hearts as you go. Not really good form."

There was silence for a long time. I had almost started worrying about boundaries and rules when a sly, carelessly casual finger suddenly connected with my forehead.

As I flailed wildly in an attempt to correct my balance, Itachi started walking towards the gates. He was doing that almost-smiling thing of his again.

"Coming, Haruno?"

Swallowing a potentially scathing retort, I contented myself with rolling my eyes and following his lead. Well, at least he was happy again.

Sort of, I amended later, when I spied him looking contemplatively at the sky.

In the distance, thunder rumbled.

Ah, shit.

{Z}

"Stop laughing! For God's sake –,"

"You should have packed better, Haruno."

"I hate you," I hissed into the open air, drawing my arms around myself more firmly. The soft pitter-patter of rain had soon enough turned into a torrential downpour, lending an almost wild look to our surroundings. I wasn't used to seeing the Land of Fire like this – the dripping tress, their green almost emerald sharp under the grey clouds. Or the soft smell of freshly watered earth. Or even the way lightning struck afar, and the rolling thunder that felt like stones smashing against each other.

Most of all, I'd never seen it so damn muddy.

I huffed again, jumping over the fresh pile of mud. Not that it did me any good, mind you. My clothes were already soaked all the way through, and the feeling of hair plastered across my forehead was just making me more irritable by the second.

It also didn't help that Itachi hadn't stopped looking so smug.

Oh, he pretended he was feeling bad for me, but I could see it! The laughter in his eyes, the quirking of his lips. I glanced at him again, noticing he was still looking at me and scowled bitterly. Even worse, he was all shades of dry and warm beneath a heavy, expensive Uchiha cloak. That was the final nail in his coffin.

"I hate you so much," I iterated once again, the words feeling oddly satisfying spoken aloud.

"I did offer you my cloak," He said genially, casually avoiding the spot of mud I had jumped into not a few seconds ago, "But you mentioned 'feminism' and 'women-power' and refused."

Well, of course I refused, I almost yelled back. It was one thing to be rescued by him in a fistfight with an S-class ninja – it was quite another to wear his clothes. Of course, someone like him wouldn't get that though, I groused in my mind, overtaking him with a few short-paced steps.

"Stupid… perfect…Uchiha," I grumbled beneath my breath, quickening my steps even more, eager to be as far away from him as possible. Above me, lightning rippled through the sky again.

"You're going the wrong way," Itachi said, falling into step beside me. When I stopped, still scowling, he pointed to the left. "That's where we need to go."

"… I hate you," I said again, childishly, spinning to the left.

"I know."

"A lot."

"I'm well-aware."

"Just. So. Much."

"You've said that before," Itachi pointed out, his long strides keeping up with me easily.

I promptly threw my hands in the air. "You..!"

Great. I couldn't even find the words anymore. He'd reduced me to this.

To be very, very objective (which I wasn't up to being at the moment, sorry), I was more likely transferring my anger onto him. I was the one who forgot to pack properly. But he was the one who did, and seeing him saunter around in his warm (dry! my mind wailed) glory was just annoying me even more. It also wasn't nice that the rain often reduced my hair to a frizzy mess that was almost unbearable. I could feel it entangling on my head, the tangles giving birth to more baby tangles.

The thought almost had me whimpering where I stood.

"Yes, me?" Itachi asked, and I glanced at him again, keeping that huge puddle of mud right ahead of us in the corner of my mind. He looked ridiculously amused and seemed to be having entirely too much fun at my expense.

As was the norm.

My eyes narrowed. Looking at his face had inspired me once more. "You are, most undoubtedly, the singularly most odious and annoying man I have ever had the misfortune of knowing, Captain!"

A pause followed my declaration.

Then, almost, softly, he said, "Call me Itachi."

I promptly stepped straight into the mud.

{Z}