Author's Note:
Wow… So after four years I finally posted up a new chapter, haha. Sorry for my tardiness. Life has been extremely busy, which I'm sure is no excuse for the long delay. -dodges kunai and shuriken thrown by readers- I'm sure I probably would have lost a few readers at this point, but thank you to those who are still with me! I feel like this chapter has been rushed somewhat, especially towards the end but I really wanted to get it out ASAP. Sorry if it doesn't meet your expectations but I shall try my best in the future chapters!

Important:
Please read this! I wasn't too happy with Itachi's characterization in the previous chapters, after reading my fic over and over again. Therefore, I have already went back and EDITED the last couple of chapters before this one! I repeat, all previous chapters have been EDITED! I would appreciate it, if you had time, to re-read this fic before moving on to this chapter, as there had been a few changes that have been made. If you do not have the time, then at least re-read Chapter Eight again! Chapter Eight is probably the only chapter that has somewhat "major" changes to Itachi's character. I'm going to try and keep Itachi in character as much as possible from now on. Hope you guys enjoy! Please leave a review to let me know what you think.

-X-

Chapter Nine: Fight or Flight

-X-

Ino felt her breath hitch in her throat. This shouldn't have happened. Never again would she ever offer to fill up the canteen for Kakashi-sensei, especially if it would put her through this form of torture. She swallowed hard, hoping the lump forming in her throat would disappear.

Why in the world did he have to look so enticing?

It wasn't every day Yamanaka Ino felt speechless. But she did now, watching Uchiha Shisui bathe in a river. Sure, she admit to having ogled at countless of men in the past, even her own teammate, Shikamaru. However, none had ever incited such reaction from her. There was just something about the Uchiha, who was seven years, her senior that attracted her to him, like a moth to a flame. And like all moths, she was about to get burnt.

"Are you there, Ino?" Shisui's voice sounded through the forest, slightly husky.

Ino jumped, startled at being caught. Shakily, she got up and stammered, "I was just going to fill up the canteen. I didn't know you were bathing."

The corner of Shisui's mouth twitched upward slightly. The water from the river dropped to the level of his waist as he emerged. Beads of liquid trailed down his broad but well-toned chest, to which Ino couldn't help but stare at. His usual short, unkempt hair was wet and clung to his face, which only added to his good looks, in her opinion.

The blonde bit her inner cheek. Damn, why do Uchihas have to be so freakin' hot!

Without warning, Shisui emerged completely from the river. It took Ino all her strength not to gasp at his complete exposure. She quickly closed her eyes tightly to prevent them wandering to inappropriate places. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God…

She didn't even realize how close the Uchiha had gotten to her until his warm breath fanned over her face. Ino's eyes snapped wide open only to see the unclothed male giving her an impish grin. She took a few steps back, however to her dismay Shisui had already backed her up against a tree. Ino could practically hear the sound of her heart thumping against her chest as Shisui gazed heatedly into her eyes.

"Shisui, wha-"

"Like what you see, Ino?" the shinobi drawled her name out slowly, cutting her off. "Ino…"

"Ino…"

"Ino!"

"INO!"

The blonde kunoichi's eyes snapped open in alarm at the sound of her name being called.

"Are you alright?" Shisui's dark eyes shone with concern. "I kept calling you but you wouldn't respond."

Ino slowly shifted her head to look in his direction. Heat travelled up to her face at an alarming pace and she gave off a small yelp, covering her face with her blanket.

Shisui blinked in confusion. "Um… is something wrong?" he asked, tilting his head to one side.

It was… a dream? Blinking, the kunoichi realized. She let out a sigh of relief a few seconds later. Thank God…

Pulling the blanket off her head, Ino gave him a small smile. "I'm fine, Shisui," she reassured.

Shisui looked a bit unconvinced but nevertheless, returned her smile with a grin. "That's good to hear. You were making strange noises in your sleep." He thought for a moment, placing his finger on his chin. "You called my name as well…"

"Oh, is that so?" Ino chuckled nervously, eye twitching.

"I guess you had a bad nightmare. Glad you're okay now."

"Yeah… a nightmare." Ino laughed half-heartedly. There was no way in hell she was going to correct him and say that she had that kind of dream. "What is it that you need?" She hastily changed the topic.

"You're next for guard duty. My shift was up fifteen minutes ago," Shisui explained, taking a seat beside her. "Doesn't seem like enemies are present, though. Still, we can't let our guards down."

Ino nodded.

A moment of silence washed over the two shinobi. Aside from the crackling of the campfire and the light snores from Yamato and Kakashi, the night was silent. Ino glanced at the shinobi beside her, whom had his eyes closed. Yet, she could tell that his senses were still on high alert, not yet asleep.

He was really an enigma to her. The name Shunshin no Shisui was known across the whole of Five Shinobi Nations, even in the youngest generation of ninja. Ino was no exception. Uchiha Shisui was a force to be reckoned with. Coming from one of the most prominent clans of Konoha, Ino surmised that he, like all Uchihas, despite their handsome looks, had hearts as hard as steel. However, Shisui was different. While he still inherited the striking looks of a typical Uchiha male, their stereotypical personality however, wasn't passed down to him. If Ino had to describe Shisui, she would say that he was a more mature version of Naruto.

"Hey, Shisui," Ino started, then paused in thought before continuing. "I know that you joined ANBU quite early… but what was the reason for that?" She couldn't help but wonder.

Shisui's eyes flickered open at her question. "Well, I guess it just happened," he explained slowly. A moment of silence later, he added, "It also had to do with Itachi, I suppose."

Ino's eyebrow rose. "Oh, why's that?" she inquired with curiosity apparent in her sky-blue eyes.

Scratching his head lightly, Shisui gave off a small laugh. "Curious, I see." His eye twinkled in amusement. "It was originally an order from the clan. When Itachi joined ANBU at the age of eleven, his father ordered me to follow him."

"Why did you have to do that?" Ino tilted her head to one side. She couldn't see why the almighty, powerful Uchiha heir needed a babysitter.

Shisui hesitated for a second, not sure if he should add all the distinct details. "Itachi…" he started slowly, before continuing, "has always been an enigma back then. Even his own father never understood what he was thinking. Itachi always kept to himself, rarely interacting with his father, only when necessary. At one point, Fugaku became suspicious of him."

"Suspicious?"

The Uchiha shook his head lightly. "Sorry, Ino. Can't disclose any more information concerning that," he murmured.

Ino nodded understanding the situation. Every clan had their own secrets they prefer to keep.

"He assigned me to be Itachi's watcher. I suspect it was to keep his own suspicious at bay." He sighed. "However, the main reason I decided to carry out the order was because I considered Itachi to be my best friend. I understood him. It wasn't easy for Itachi to be tied down by the expectations of the clan at such a young age, especially since he's the Uchiha heir." He paused to give her a soft smile. "That's why I decided that I'll be there for him. It's the least that I can do," he concluded, closing his eyes slowly.

Ino felt a small tug on her heart and her eyes softened. "I'm sure Itachi-san appreciates having someone like you by his side." She smiled.

Shisui chuckled at this. "Despite the way he looks, I know that he feels the same way." A pause. "Although, it would be nice if he got himself a girlfriend." He sighed exasperatedly and shook his head with dismay. "Would tone down that hard-ass personality of his."

Covering her mouth, Ino let out a laugh. "That's why we're here, though." She winked, making the dark-haired shinobi laugh as well.

Time flew by in the blink of an eye and soon, the sun rose on the horizon. Ino rose from her position on the ground and stretched her limbs like a cat. Kakashi and Yamato rose a second later from their slumber.

"Now then, we better continue our search," Kakashi announced.

The team nodded. However, before they made a move to leave the leaves of the surrounding trees rustled violently. Ino stiffened, sensing incoming individuals. However, after glancing at the relaxed form of Kakashi, Yamato and Shisui, and after the figure emerged from the trees, she let out a sigh of relief.

"You caught up sooner than expected," Kakashi remarked, hand on his hip.

"Kakashi-san." Itachi nodded in acknowledgement.

The remainder of Itachi's team arrived a second later. Ino raised a slender eyebrow at her best friend's state. Sakura looked as if she had been swallowed up by the tornado and drowned in the deepest oceans of the world. The bags under her eyes were evident under the morning light. Her hair was a complete mess with strands pointed out in all different directions.

"You alright, Forehead? Looking a little pale there," Ino remarked, arms crossed over her chest, walking up to the other kunoichi.

Sakura groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Don't even get me started," she said unhappily.

Ino's eyes perked up at this. "Oh? Details, please," she demanded, eager for the mystery behind Sakura's condition.

"Now's not a good time," Sakura stated dryly, to which the Yamanaka rolled her eyes at.

"Oh puh-lease, you're not getting away that easily." Linking her arm with Sakura's, she leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Was it Itachi?"

Jade eyes grew wide and the pink-haired kunoichi jumped up as if someone lit her on fire. Seeing how Sakura's expression grew panicky, and Ino grinned. Her suspicions were confirmed. Without waiting for a response, the blonde dragged her best friend off away from the group to a riverside.

"Spill now."

Sakura glared. "There's nothing to talk about, Pig," she denied. "I'm just… weary, that's all."

Sky-blue eyes narrowed with a glint. "Weary from all those activities you've been up to with Uchiha Itachi last night?" she joked. However, Sakura's reaction startled her.

Instead of exploding in fits of denial like she normally would, Sakura's face lit up completely pink. Ino could practically see the steam emitted from her ears.

"W-well, I, uh…" Sakura managed to stammer out.

Ino's eyes widened to the size of saucepans. Grabbing the rosette by the shoulders, she shook her violently. "What did he do?!" she almost yelled out. "Gimme all the details now!" Her eyes narrowed.

With clenched teeth, Sakura freed herself from the blonde's grasp. "Quit it, Pig! We didn't do anything of that nature."

"I don't believe you. Something must have happened." Ino glared.

Shoulders slumping in defeat, Sakura let out a loud sigh. "He, uh… kissed me," she muttered quietly. A light shade of pink dusted across her cheeks.

Ino whistled. "Damn, girl." A pause. "Is he a good kisser? Did you kiss him back?" she asked cheekily.

"No!" Sakura sputtered. "I bit down on his tongue and ran like hell!"

Making a small 'tsk-ing' noise, Ino shook her head. "Sakura, you do not know what you've gotten yourself into. What were you thinking, rejecting a kiss from such a nice catch," she exclaimed. "The entire female population in Konoha would have died to be in your shoes. You're a failure as a woman."

Sakura's eye twitched and she clenched her fists. "Ino," she growled out.

Before Ino could open her mouth to respond, Shisui appeared. "I was looking for you," he said, looking at the blonde before nodding at Sakura. "Kakashi-san and Itachi need to discuss our plans."

"We'll be there in a second," Ino said, giving him a smile.

Shisui returned it with his trademark grin and disappeared back to camp.

After he was gone, Sakura's eyebrow rose. "Since when were you and Shisui so friendly with one another?" she inquired; her anger at the blonde's earlier remark long forgotten.

Ino shrugged, but didn't reply. "We should head back now." She walked off in the direction the Uchiha disappeared to a second ago.

Wordless, Sakura followed.

-X-

"It seems like Naruto's trail has been washed away from the storm last night," Pakkun stated bluntly. "The trail ended at the river upstream from here."

Kakashi nodded. "I see. Thanks for your help, Pakkun."

"Not a problem. Good luck with finding him. When you do, tell him I said hi." With that, the pug disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Well, at least now we know Naruto's alive, at the very least," Yamato commented as the corner of his lip twitched up into what seemed like a smile.

The masked shinobi sighed. Standing up from his crouched position, he examined the members of the team. Turning to Itachi, who had been silent this whole time, he said, "Our first priority would be to locate Naruto."

Itachi nodded. "However, we shouldn't lose sight of the scroll," he stated.

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "We'll form new teams now – one will search for Naruto and the other will head towards Orochimaru's base. We can only assume that the scroll is either with Naruto or in Orochimaru's hands."

Everyone nodded.

Sakura inwardly prayed to God that she wouldn't be in the same group as a certain Uchiha again.

"Itachi, Shisui, Ino and Sakura," Kakashi called out. "You will be our ambush team. The rest of us will track down Naruto."

Sakura stifled a groan. Lady Luck and her just weren't going to be friends, were they?

-X-

"So… how's you and Sakura's relationship coming along?" Shisui asked cheekily, reaching Itachi's side.

Itachi gave his cousin a brief glance before moving back to the canopy in front. "Now's not the time for idle talk, Shisui," he stated plainly.

The older Uchiha's lips pursed. Throwing his head over his shoulders, Shisui glanced at the two kunoichi at the back, who were currently engaged in a small talk. Well, Ino was anyway; Sakura, on the other hand, looked mildly annoyed.

"She's cute though, don't you think?" Shisui pronounced quietly, so only Itachi and himself heard. His eyes, however, were fixed on the blonde when the comment was made.

"Such observations should be made another time," Itachi intoned.

Shaking his head at his cousin's sternness, Shisui gave off a light chuckle. "Alright then, taichou."

The corner of Itachi's mouth twitched up slightly, which Shisui did not miss. "Hm." Stopping abruptly on one of the thick branches of the canopy, Itachi held up his hand, gesturing them to stop. "We've got company."

Shisui's eyes flicked around, scanning the forest. "Oto-nin," he stated. "They've been waiting for us."

From behind him, Sakura tensed. "What should we do?" she asked quietly. Her hand was placed on her kunai pouch, ready to attack.

Itachi gave her a long stare, which made the pink-haired kunoichi falter slightly. A moment later, he turned to Ino and spoke, "Yamanaka, can you sense the number of enemies and pinpoint their exact location." Coming from Itachi, it did not sound like a request at all.

Ino nodded. Her eyes fluttered shut from concentration. Less than a minute passed before her sky-blue orbs snapped open. "I've got them," she stated.

The younger Uchiha inclined his head, and then turned his full attention to Shisui. "Get her to relay you the information. You and Yamanaka will stay here and dispose of the enemy." At Shisui's nod, Itachi shifted his attention to Sakura. "Sakura and I will head into the base to locate the scroll. Follow us once you're done."

Shisui grinned. "You got it, Itachi."

With that, Itachi and Sakura left.

"Now then…" Turning his back to Ino, Shisui threw his head over his shoulder to give the blonde a grin. "Show me what you've gathered, Ino."

Ino grinned. "Okay." She made a quick hand sign before placing her hand at the back of the older Uchiha's head. Shisui immediately felt the exact locations of the enemies' whereabouts flood into his senses. Amazing, he thought, touching the roof of his mouth with his tongue. It seemed like there was more to this kunoichi than just a pretty face. Once Ino dropped her hand, Shisui turned around and gave her a nod of gratitude.

"Thank you. Now it's my turn." A boyish smirk broke out onto his face. "Don't you dare blink for a second, Ino."

The last thing Ino saw before Shisui disappeared in a flash was the crimson gleam of his Sharingan.

-X-

"Hey! Where did that guy disappear to?" a Oto-nin exclaimed, eyes widening from the disappearance of Shisui.

"How should I know? Keep your heads up!"

"Looking for me?" came a voice to the shinobi's left. Before the Oto shinobi could react, Shisui slashed his neck with his tanto. A cry of pain was heard before the shinobi hit the forest floor. Dead.

"Oi, what hap–arrrghh!"

The sounds of death echoed throughout the forest. Ino stood in her position, legs rooted to the ground. Her breath hitched in her throat. There were many times in life where Ino had been impressed, but Shisui was on a whole other level. Now she understood why the name Shunshin no Shisui was feared across the lands. However, instead of fear, Ino felt fierce admiration. The body of a Oto-nin dropped beside her with a thump, causing her to jump slightly from shock. A second later, Shisui emerged in front of her with blood stained both on his face and clothes.

"Sorry if I startled you there," he said cheekily, rubbing the back of his head with his hand.

Ino shook her head, not looking away from his Sharingan-induced eyes. Realizing that she had been staring, he gaze dropped slightly to his cheek. It was then that she finally noticed fresh cut on his face, where blood was oozing out.

"You're hurt!" she exclaimed.

Shisui blinked a couple of time before understanding. "Oh, you meant this." He pointed at his cheek. "It will heal. Don't wo–" Ino's hand on his cheek cut him off his speech. Shisui could only stare at her speechless as Ino's hand lit up with green healing chakra. Slowly, the wound closed up.

What am I doing? Ino wondered perplexed at her behavior. "Ahh, sorry," she fumbled out quickly. However before she was able to retract her hand, Shisui's hand shot up and grabbed a hold of hers with a gentle precision. Sky-blue orbs widened at the Uchiha's actions.

"What are you…?" Her words faded slowly as she found herself locked in a gaze with the shinobi before her.

Shisui's crimson eyes glistened before turning back to their original dark-grey hues as he closed his eyes slowly. Ino managed to make out a flicker of hesitation before they closed. He did not respond and neither did his grip on her hand tighten or loosen. Ino knew that if she wanted to she could easily slip her hand out of his. However, she didn't. His ice-cold hand felt calloused against hers, which were smooth. She could hear her heart thump wildly against her chest. Never in a million years would Ino have thought that a simple touch of hands would drive her to the brink of insanity.

Just who in the world was Shisui to her?

-X-

Meanwhile, the other two shinobi arrived at the hideout. Sakura glanced around warily, taking in the area, which was lit by a row of candles. The stench of snakes and death was strong and Sakura wrinkled her nose in disgust. Following soundlessly behind Itachi, Sakura used this moment to sneak a peek at the person, who had haunted her for the last couple of weeks. Despite their encounter in his tent the night before, Itachi had yet to show any further intentions of making her life a living hell. A scowl made its way up to her face after she realized Itachi's nature. Of course he wouldn't mess around during an important mission. That did not mean she would be free from his clutches once they return back to Konoha. Shaking her head, she let out an inaudible sigh. She definitely needed help.

"Sakura."

The said kunoichi stumbled at Itachi's voice. "What is it?"

Itachi did not glance back at her. Instead, he continued walking and said, "You're too tense. Relax."

Sakura stilled, realizing she was, in fact, extremely tense. However, she knew it wasn't due to being in an unfamiliar territory but instead it was the presence of the Uchiha heir. Holding her tongue, she managed out a nod, despite knowing Itachi would not be able to see.

Eventually, they arrived at the end of the corridor, where a giant steel door ended their route. Itachi pushed the door open swiftly and entered, with Sakura close behind. Jade eyes surveyed the room, taking note that it was most likely a laboratory with all the chemicals, surgical instruments and an operating table, stained with blood.

"What is a laboratory doing in a place like this?" Sakura wondered as she walked around cautiously.

"Orochimaru has a hobby of undergoing illegal experiments," came the response from the ebony-haired male. "Usually around shinobi with Kekkai Genkai."

Hearing that, bile rose in Sakura's throat, which she forced back down. Her thoughts retracted back to Sasuke, blood running cold with sudden realization. If Sasuke had been successful and departed from Konoha that night, he probably would have become a victim of a madman's experiment. The Uchiha clan would have risked losing their Sharingan to Konoha's enemy. If Sakura ever got the chance to discover who it was that stopped Sasuke, she would literally kiss them.

Provided that they were single and not overly unattractive, of course.

Suddenly, something clicked in her mind. "Wait, does that mean Orochimaru's planning to use that scroll for one of his insane experiments?" Sakura exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Correct you are, Sakura-san," came a new, yet familiar voice.

Sakura spun around, fists ready while Itachi's expression remain unchanged.

From the shadows emerged a figure with grey hair tied in a high ponytail. His eyes gleamed behind his round spectacles. Sakura instantly recognized the person.

"Kabuto-san?" she exclaimed confused. Wasn't this the shinobi who helped her team out in the second round of their first Chuunin Exam?

The said shinobi chuckled and pushed his spectacles up. "It's been a long time, Sakura-san," he greeted with a smile that did not hold a hint of sincerity.

"Yakushi Kabuto," Itachi spoke blankly from beside her. "Also known as Orochimaru's most trusted subordinate."

The kunoichi froze. Subordinate?

"I suppose you're here for the scroll," Kabuto stated. "Well, unfortunately for you your time has been wasted, I'm afraid."

"What do you mean by that?" Sakura glared.

"What he means, child is that the scroll is no longer with us." A voice resounded.

Sakura's eyes narrowed with hatred at the new figure that has emerged from the shadows. She could never forget the shinobi before her, who had long black hair and snake-like yellow eyes.

Orochimaru.

The snake shinobi glanced briefly at Sakura before focusing solely on Itachi.

"Long time no see, Itachi-kun." The sannin's lips curled up into a wicked smile, directed at the ANBU captain.

"Orochimaru," Itachi intoned, eyes hardened a fraction.

"I trust Sasuke-kun is well?" Orochimaru smirked. "I'm sure he is. After all, his beloved older brother sabotaged my plans of inviting him to Otogakure, which I wouldn't have resorted to as it was your body I preferred as a vessel." His yellow eyes narrowed and a flash of annoyance could be picked up. With a small, inaudible sigh, the grin on his face widened. "Enough about the past, though, Itachi-kun. Now that you're here, why don't we settle some of our unfinished business?"

Vessel? Was the thought that crossed Sakura's mind and as stared at Itachi and Orochimaru. It was clear that the two had some form of dispute in the past. Her hands clenched involuntarily and tightly into a fist. The scroll was definitely not here, so they did not need to stay any longer. Her gaze shifted to focus on Itachi alone. What would Itachi do? Clearly, the sannin was tempting him. The question was, how would Itachi proceed? Would he fight, aiming to finish off the snake shinobi, or would he withdraw?

Itachi's eyes closed for a brief moment before snapping open to reveal the Uchiha clan's Kekkai Genkai, the Sharingan. Crimson eyes narrowed. "I will make you regret your words."

And thus, the decision was made.

-X-

Author's Note:
That's all for now, folks. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. This chapter focused more on Shisui and Ino than previous chapters as I suppose it's time to get their relationship moving up a couple of steps, haha. But we shall (hopefully) get more ItaSaku scenes in the upcoming chapters. Stay with me! Please leave a review. Thanks!

-X-

-Setsuna