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Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

The Truth behind the Mask by elle6778 – Chapter 21

It was a small space but one she had grown accustomed to. Most days it was silent, but sometimes there were noises she preferred not to hear. At those times, she wished she could block everything out, but it was impossible. Sighing, she turned over. The mattress was hard under her but she was used to it by now.

"Ne, Deidara. Don't you have anything better to do?" she asked as she propped herself up on an elbow.

"Why are you complaining, yeah?"

"Tsk! You know that's not what I mean," she grouched as she laid back fully to stare at the stone ceiling.

"I just feel sorry for you, yeah. And if you prefer not to hear from me, then feel free to say so and I'll go back to doing my own stuff."

She snorted. "You know I won't tell you something like that." A smile graced her lips. "You're risking a lot. And for nothing."

"Tell me about it, yeah," he grumbled. "I feel stupid coming here like this."

"Don't," she admonished gently. "I love talking to you, and you know that."

"Don't make it sound as if you're lonely and need my company. It's not as if you don't have half of Konoha visiting you every day."

Her smile turned into a grin and she flipped herself up into a sitting position to face her visitor. Sat at the corner of a stone ledge was a tiny white clay mouse up on its haunches, staring at her with its whiskers twitching indignantly. A few months into the course of her sentence, Deidara had managed to get the first of these tiny clay constructs into her cell. It baffled her that her ANBU guard was actually letting this slide.

Speaking of ANBU guards, she thought as she glanced towards at the figure standing beyond the thick chakra-enhanced bars separating her cell from the corridor outside, she still couldn't get over the allocation of personnel. What the hell was Tsunade thinking when she assigned him as one of her guards? He was vastly over-qualified for such a job.

"Him again, huh?" came Deidara's comment, laced with disgust. "I still don't know what you see in him."

The figure outside the cell tensed visibly.

Knowing what was coming, Sakura rolled her eyes. This scene was getting a little old after two years of repetition.

Sure enough, Deidara continued, "Heh, now the high and mighty is only a prison guard. Not a very good one at it, since I'm right here and all. He's a complete waste of space."

Without turning around, the 'waste of space' remarked, "Then perhaps you should remove yourself before I raise the alarm."

She didn't think such an action was possible, but the clay mouse smirked confidently. Its little clay eyes narrowed, it said, "You'll have no evidence. By the time anyone gets into this cell, I would be gone without a trace. There isn't enough of my chakra locked in here for you to implicate me, and you know that."

"Do not be overly complacent, nukenin. There's always a way," the ANBU returned smoothly.

"Nukenin? Hardly!" A snort followed before Deidara added, "I'm way above you in rank, yeah, little ANBU guard. Demoted from a captain to a guard, hm? How sad."

Itachi's brows furrowed ever so slightly. "Your information is flawed. I wasn't demoted. It was a voluntary transfer. Still, your ranking means nothing, as there is no formal confirmation of your supposed status as the Tsuchikage's successor. Perhaps it's only your imagination."

The mouse jumped off the ledge and skittered furiously across the prison floor. "Why you bastard. You-"

"Stop, Deidara!" she interjected. "Or you'll be squashed under his feet and have to come back another day."

The mouse stopped short of the metal bars and glared at the ANBU. Slowly, said ANBU turned around to fix a pair of onyx eyes on the diminutive clay construct. Sakura almost groaned out loud at the unmistakable challenge which sparked between the two of them.

"Pity," Itachi murmured.

"Come on, you two. Can't you just get a long for a while? It's not like all this bickering achieves anything," she said.

"I believe it provides entertainment for you," Itachi told her.

Their eyes met then, and she smiled. Any discomfort she had with Itachi had dissipated in the last two years he had kept her company when the others hadn't been around. She's been stunned when he'd appeared for the first time about a couple of months after the day she was shown into the cell. Until now, she could remember every word they had exchanged then.

She was seated crosslegged on the futon reading a thick medical book Naruto had brought her last week before he'd left on his month-long mission when footsteps sounded outside. Stripped of her chakra and all shinobi abilities, she could not tell who it was. Her usual night ANBU guard turned in the direction of the footsteps and nodded a greeting. Night and day were interchangeable to her as her cell was underground, so the only way she could tell was from the guard rotations.

"Taichou."

A captain? What was a captain doing down here? She guessed there might be a new prisoner coming in. She was the only permanent resident here, though. The rest usually came for a short time before they were transferred elsewhere.

The captain came into view and her eyes widened in surprise.

His voice was even when he said to her guard, "The Hokage wishes to see you."

The ANBU guard glanced in her direction as she stood up and walked towards the bars. "My post?" he queried.

"I will be here until the day shift arrives in two hours."

Two hours meant that right now it was seven in the morning, Sakura surmised.

"Thank you, Taichou."

And then the ANBU guard walked away, leaving her alone with the captain. He was dressed in the standard issue ANBU vest but without his mask. There was a familiar looking storage scroll held in his hand, the one he'd taken out months ago when they had formed their second contract.

"Itachi? What are you doing here?" she asked while her hands gripped the metal bars separating them.

"Good evening, Sakura," he greeted politely without answering her question. "I trust you're well?"

She blinked dumbly. "I'm fine." For someone who'd lost her freedom and had her chakra bound, stuck in here without anything meaningful to do. "Again, what are doing here?"

He simply unrolled the storage scroll and extracted a bento box. She winced involuntarily when she noticed the Uchiha insignia carved on the rectangular lid. Wordlessly, he placed in on the transportation seal carved on the floor outside the cell and with a few quick seals, the bento box appeared on a similar symbol on the knee-high stone ledge in her cell.

Eyeing it warily, she asked, "What is this?"

"A bento box."

"I know it's a bento box," she snapped impatiently. "It's a bento box from the Uchiha clan, so what is it doing here?"

"A peace offering from my mother. She made you breakfast."

She tensed. "Thanks for the thought. But I don't think I'm allowed non-standard issue prison food. And I think my usual breakfast would arrive soon."

"The Hokage has made an exception. It has been inspected by the necessary parties and approved for delivery," he told her mildly. "It's safe."

She took two steps towards the stone ledge and lifted the lid of the bento. Its contents made her mouth water and she quickly closed it.

"Why?" she asked.

"My mother regrets their interference in our personal life, and that it had resulted in…" His eyes swept their surroundings. "… your confinement."

"It's not her fault," she muttered. "I chose to leave."

"When the news were made public that you're gone, my mother had heard the other clan members speaking unfavorably of you. She had felt regret then, but your assumed death meant that there was nothing she could do. Now, she simply wishes to make your day more pleasant to atone for her negligence."

Sakura frowned. Uchiha Makoto had left her alone for most of their marriage, now that she thought about it. Perhaps it was the older woman's way of giving them their privacy. Honestly, she didn't know what she should make of it now that her fury over the whole situation had dimmed down over the years. She supposed if Makoto felt like she should make amends, then it wouldn't be good to reject such a gesture.

"She's also concerned about your weight loss."

She raised a brow. "Eh?"

"Sasuke mentioned it to her."

"Oh."

"You should eat while it's warm," Itachi said as he turned away from her to stand in the usual guard's post.

Unsure what to say, she simply turned to the box and sat down in front of the ledge. She opened the box and the scent hit her. It was much more luxurious than the usual prison fare of rice and miso soup. This box contained fish, chicken, pickles, rice and soup, a veritable feast for someone who had been eating very basic food for the past one month. So without further ado, she began to eat. Every few mouthfuls, she darted a glance at Itachi but he did not move an inch from his post.

When she finally finished, she sighed and said, "Please convey my thanks to your mother. It was delicious." Now hopefully her stomach could digest it.

Itachi turned towards her. "I will do so."

Carefully, she placed the empty bento box back on the transportation seals. Itachi brought his hands together and with a subtle burst of smoke, the bento box appeared outside. Itachi put it in his storage scroll and then extracted something else. To her surprise, it was a shogi board. She watched incredulously as he began to lay out the pieces on the board just outside the bars. He couldn't be doing what she thought it looked like.

When all the pieces were in place, he looked at her. "It's a good way to pass time."

Slowly, she lowered herself to a seating position on the other side of the bars. "Alright. But I'm not very good at this and I'm not sure how we're going to play with me on this side."

"I will move your pieces for you, and you'll improve as you practice."

And so she did, until the morning guard arrived. The masked ANBU had been always polite and formal to her, but this was the first time she sensed confusion and uncertainty in his demeanor as he approached them.

Stopping behind Itachi, who was moving one of the pieces on the board, the ANBU said hesitantly, "Taichou. Is this allowed?"

Itachi carefully set the board aside and stood up to face the ANBU. "None of the rules state otherwise."

After a short pause, the ANBU guard nodded. "I suppose you're right."

She found Itachi's eyes on her then. His voice was smooth when he said, "I will return tonight and we can continue this."

Return? "Wait! What do you mean, return?"

His eyes gleaming with something akin to humor, he explained, "I will be taking the night shift guard duty from now on."

The ANBU guard sucked in a sharp breath while she sputtered, "You? My guard?"

"I'm afraid you're not in the position to object, Sakura," he told her.

And with that, he strode down the corridor out of the west wing of the prison cells.

It had all began then. Itachi's casual behavior around her was like a catalyst. Before his appearance, she had only one visitor a week as per the regulations but after that, others had caught on. As Deidara had mentioned earlier, she had no lack of visitors over the past two years. Kakashi, Naruto, and even Sasuke visited her every few nights if they were in Konoha. Some of the others also did, even if it was less frequent than her teammates. She was surprised that Itachi actually allowed it.

Well, perhaps allowed was a little untrue when it came to Deidara's visits. The Iwa nin always came in the form of one of his clay constructs, and even if Itachi was to capture it as he'd once done, the clay construct simply self-destructed thus erasing all evidence. Catching the clay construct was pointless because Deidara was safely in Iwa. And besides, his visits were harmless and carefully monitored by a very observant Uchiha Itachi.

"Oi, stop spacing out, yeah. I have to go soon."

Snapped out of her musings by Deidara's words, she turned to the mouse. "You have a mission today?"

Sounding disgusted, he said, "We're expecting a diplomatic envoy from Mist, yeah. So I was told to me there."

"You'd better be on your best behavior then," she told him cheekily, knowing how much he hated such things.

"What I'd like to do is to show them a blast they would never forget in a million years, yeah!"

"You're bound by your words to the Tsuchikage, though," she pointed out.

"Just wait until I take over from him," he grumbled. "Then I can do what I like."

Itachi interjected drily. "Again, your premature confidence is astounding. The Tsuchikage hasn't formally named you as his successor."

The clay mouse glared at Itachi. "Can you shut up and stay out of our conversation? I wasn't talking to you, yeah." Turning back to her, Deidara asked, "Can't you get a change of guards or something? I hate seeing his face every time I come here."

"Then you should limit your visit between 0900 hours and 2100 hours," Itachi pointed out. "The morning guard might allow you a minute of conversation before he destroys your clay figurine."

"Itachi, please," she implored. "Can we just not fight over every other word?"

Itachi slanted a look of pure contempt at the mouse before he turned to face away from them. It struck her that she had never seen such a side to the stoic ANBU until Deidara appeared in her life. Since then, Itachi had seemed more and more human.

Sighing, she scolded Deidara, "And you! You know that there isn't any point in antagonizing him. Anyway, let's talk about that topic that you've been avoiding."

"What topic?" he said sullenly.

"What the Tsuchikage raised a few weeks back."

The mouse bristled. "I'm not entering some stupid arranged marriage, yeah. That's going one step too far. The only person I'm willing to marry is you."

She exhaled in exasperation. He only mentioned this because it almost became a routine over the years. And over that span of time, his words had lost the desperation they had once carried. Deidara was not serious about marrying her, not at all. But he refused to admit it.

"We have been through this a long time ago, Deidara."

His chin tilted stubbornly. "When you get out in two years, you can come to Iwa."

Out of the periphery of her vision, she saw Itachi tense. Carefully, she replied, "When I get out in two years, I won't be allowed to step out of the village for a few more years. And my chakra would remain sealed until the end of those years. That's a long time more, Deidara. By that time, you would be the Tsuchikage already."

"Great. And then I can do whatever I want. The first thing I would do is kidnap you."

"Tsk! You can't, and you know that. We are not like that anymore. Besides, something like that would be a serious incident between villages."

The clay mouse's body twitched in irritation. "Like that would stop me from trying, yeah."

"You promised that you would put Iwa's interest first," she said sternly. "Like any good leader would."

"It's doubtful that he could be such a leader," Itachi murmured.

Scowling, she snapped, "Your comments are not helping. And Deidara could do it if he sets his mind on it."

A smug mouse piped up, "Of course."

Huffing, she carried on, "Anyway, aside from the fact that I'm stuck and would continue to be stuck in Konoha for a long time, you know things between us won't work out that way."

The smug look disappeared to be replaced with annoyance. "You're not even willing to try!"

"I told you! Because I know I don't feel strongly enough to abandon Konoha to join another village! What does that say, hm?" she finally snapped. "It wouldn't be fair to you."

Deidara looked away. "So in the end, you choose the bastard."

In a long-suffering tone, she sighed, "This isn't about Itachi. Let's not rehash this for the hundredth time, shall we?"

"I won't give up."

And Sakura raised her brow. "I bet Kurotsuchi would change your mind eventually."

If a white clay mouse could blush, it would have done so right now. Before dawn a few months ago, Deidara had appeared in a miniature clay form all flustered and had rambled on about the Iwa kunoichi. She suspected that he had been drunk then, especially when she finally managed to piece together the entire story. Apparently there was an annual masquerade festival in Iwa where drinks flowed freely in celebration of the Tsuchikage's ascension to the leadership position. Deidara had been put in charge of organizing part of the entertainment and he had, predictably, put explosives on display. High with glee and the drinks, he had join in the merriment and somehow ended up in the bed of some masked kunoichi only to find out in the morning that it was the Tsuchikage's granddaughter, Kurotsuchi. The fallout hadn't been pretty and their relationship had been strained since then.

"I told you that was a one-off thing, yeah," he muttered.

She decided to tell Deidara what she thought. "I don't think that's the case with her, though. In fact, she might have mentioned something to Onoki and that's why he brought up the marriage topic."

The mouse winced. "I'm not marrying her. We've known each other way too long."

"That reasoning makes no sense, Deidara."

Itachi's quiet voice interjected, "She could be with child."

The little clay body trembled agitatedly. "Could you just shut up, hm? I really don't need to hear something like that."

"He has a point," she said. "Did you at least talk to her about it?"

"What the hell for?" Deidara snapped defensively. "If she has a problem, she would tell me, right?"

Sakura raised a brow at him. "Right," she muttered flatly.

"Anyway. I'm heading off. I'll see you some time, yeah," he said in a gruff tone.

She smiled as he scurried up her arm and rubbed his clay form against her neck affectionately. Picking the mouse up in her palm, she raised him in front of her and said, "Take care, alright."

The mouse nodded, and then leapt off. For a brief moment, it was suspended mid-air and then exploded with a small pop.

000

000

Itachi exhaled in relief the moment he heard the tell-tale sound. The explosion was not a large one, but then again, the clay construct was minute and carried very little chakra. Regrettably, it still served as a very effective communication device.

Although Itachi wished that it was less effective, he was certain that Sakura disagreed. She clearly derived a lot of joy from Deidara's visits, much to his dismay. As he was just a few feet away, he could not help but hear everything they said. Their conversation ranged from the topic of what they ate each day to Deidara's growing list of responsibilities in Iwa's administration. Personal topics were not broached upon so frequently, as those topics tended to rile all three of them, like today.

Deidara's regular appearance in Sakura's life meant that Itachi's own mission to sway Sakura to his side was a tougher battle than it would have been if the Iwa nin was absent. At least that was what he'd thought initially. However, much that he disliked to admit it Itachi knew that by observing their interaction he was learning more about how to interact with Sakura. So far, he had put this knowledge to good use and he sensed that Sakura was now as comfortable with him as she was with the Iwa nin.

"You can relax now," Sakura said drily.

Lips quirking, he turned around to sit facing her. If he reached for her, he could probably touch her, but he would refrain from doing so. Through the bars, he watched as she pulled her shoulder-length pink hair into a messy ponytail. It was gratifying to see her natural color on her again.

"Am I in particular need of relaxation?" he asked mildly.

"Don't pretend. You're as tense as a board whenever he appears." She sighed. "He's harmless, you know."

"I wouldn't call the potential successor to the Tsuchikage harmless," he returned drily. "And you know that."

She shrugged. "I guess." Then with a frown, she continued, "I just hope that he settles things with Kurotsuchi before everything blows up in his face. He's just being stubborn now."

"He is foolishly clinging to the illusion that he's in love with you."

She gave him an offended look. "Is the idea of someone being in love with me so unbelievable?"

Ah, another slip, he thought. Calmly, he responded, "No. At times, I think I could be afflicted by such a condition myself. And I doubt it could be cured."

She blinked slowly. "If that's a declaration of love, it could be better executed," she told him flatly.

He smiled. "You said you're not ready to hear such a declaration from me, therefore I'm restraining myself from properly confessing."

"When you phrase it like that, I'm not sure if you're serious or just flirting."

He said nothing.

Sighing, she continued, "Not that I don't enjoy your presence…"

Itachi felt an inner glow of satisfaction at her words.

"And I know that we've spoken about this many times. But don't you think you're over-qualified to be a prison guard?" she added. "I mean, you're an ANBU captain carrying out the duty of a rookie ANBU. What's the challenge in this? Don't you feel bored?"

"Does my company bore you?"

"Of course not."

"Then there's no reason why I should be bored, is there?" He gave her a reassuring look. "Besides, it is a welcomed change from my usual duties. The regularity of each day is soothing."

"You're crazy," she muttered.

Lips twitching, he said, "Perhaps. You must understand that ever since I was a child, there had been a lot of expectations placed upon me. The missions I was allocated are highly ranked and none of them had been particularly easy. Years of such missions have taken their toll, I suppose. Therefore I truly appreciate these two peaceful years here. You're… "

His senses picked up an approaching presence and her words cut off when he raised a finger to his lips.

At her questioning look, he told her, "The Hokage."

Her eyes widened and she stood up quickly. Unhurriedly, he assumed the position one would expect of a guard just as the metal door at the end of the corridor banged open. The Hokage's entrance usually had the subtlety of a barging bull.

"Uchiha! How's the prisoner?" she called out as she strode rapidly towards them with a stack of papers in her arms.

"Haruno Sakura's condition is unchanged. As always," he reported dutifully.

Tsunade snorted out loud as she halted in front of him and gave him a knowing look. "It's good to know that one of my best ANBU is spending his time taking such good care of our prisoner, instead of being on missions that actually bring in some good money to the village," she added drily.

Itachi gave her a polite nod. When he had made his intentions known to her more than two years ago, her infamous temper had exploded. But when he had explained his true reasons to her, she had assented albeit a little reluctantly. What he had faced from her was nothing compared to the outrage of the Uchiha clan when the news of his posting at the prison cell reached them. As he had effectively demoted himself, Fugaku was furious but Itachi had made it clear that nothing would make him reverse the decision. Until now, his relationship with his father remained strained. He had even heard rumors that Fugaku now favored Sasuke as his successor.

He wished Sasuke the best of luck.

"Move aside and let me see the wayward kunoichi," Tsunade said as she closed in on the cell bars.

"Tsunade-sama," Sakura greeted with a bow.

"Tsk… You look thinner than last week. Prison food doesn't agree with you?"

"You say that every week."

Tsunade huffed, and then pushed a stack of papers through the cell doors for Sakura. Once again, Itachi held his tongue even though a muscle in his jaw ticked. The Hokage's habit of foisting her work on others was nothing new but technically, Sakura was a prisoner. Making her do tedious but official paperwork was unacceptable. And this wasn't even the first time. Itachi had lost count of how many times this had happened over the past two years.

"What is this?" Sakura asked.

"Just some minor complaints from the civilians from the consultation session we held yesterday. I need you to draft suitable replies to placate them," Tsunade said as she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Shouldn't take you more than a couple of days, right?"

Unbelievably, Sakura brightened as she scanned the paper at the top of the stack. "I'll do my best, Tsunade-sama!"

"You do that," the Hokage said, and then turned to him. "Uchiha. Get them back to me when she's finished, will you?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

She narrowed her honey-colored eyes at him. "Is that disapproval I sense, Uchiha?"

Keeping his tone even, he replied, "It is not my place to disapprove, Hokage-sama."

"Hmph! Glad you know that," she said carelessly before returning her attention to Sakura. "Have you reviewed the case file I brought to you last week?"

Sakura nodded, and they launched into an intense medical discussion as Itachi once again observed resignedly. The pink-haired kunoichi's expression was animated as she voiced her views to her mentor and it was clear that the older woman valued Sakura's comments. He was truly grateful to see that her defection from Konoha hadn't caused an irreparable rift between them. And now that Sakura was back, their bonds would only grow stronger.

An hour passed before the medical discussion ended with Tsunade accepting some notes Sakura had made on the case.

As the Hokage tucked the file under her arm, she said, "At least you're not wasting away all your time in this cell." She darted a meaningful look at him. "Unlike some others."

Sakura grinned. "You're the Hokage, Tsunade-sama. I'm sure you can make your subordinates do whatever you tell them to."

Tsunade snorted derisively. "He would no doubt find some irrefutable excuse to be in here. Isn't that right, Uchiha?"

"Aa," he returned evenly.

"Maybe by now both of you have managed to patch things up." The Godaime smirked. "Perhaps you even regret dissolving the marriage."

"Shishou!" Sakura gasped, aghast while he suppressed a wince. "You didn't just say that!"

Tsunade waved her hand dismissively. "I'll leave the two of you to it, then. See you another day."

And then she walked away. The sound of her heels clicked against the hard ground, growing less and less distinct until she slammed out of the door at the end of the corridor. Itachi kept his eyes on the closed door, wondering what Sakura made of the Hokage's comments. This was the first time Tsunade had aired this topic openly in front of both of them, after all.

"So…"

He turned slowly at the sound of her voice. She was facing away from him with her back against the bars so he couldn't see her features.

"Yes?" he prompted when the pause dragged on.

"Do you regret it?" she finally asked.

Knowing exactly what she was referring to, he deliberated for a moment before responding, "No. Not at all."

She sucked in a sharp breath. "I see."

"Look at me, Sakura," he urged calmly.

He watched as she pushed herself off the bars and slowly turned. It was only when their eyes met that he clarified, "I don't regret it because it was necessary."

She regarded him thoughtfully. "You think we needed to close that chapter of our lives before we could move on?"

"Aa. We married for the wrong reasons. It didn't seem right to continue in that manner." He took two steps until he was just on the other side of the bars separating them. "That doesn't mean that I don't wish to be with you in the future."

Her cheeks reddened visibly. "And what makes you think that I'm willing to risk that again?"

"Again? We were not truly together in the first place." He reached through the bars to capture her fingers. The digits were smooth to the touch and he suppressed the urge to caress them. It would not do to alarm her prematurely. His tone was determined when he said, "This time, it will be different."

She blinked at their intertwined fingers, her expression betraying her uncertainty. "Yeah. It's different because now we're safely separated by metal bars," she remarked wryly.

He smirked. "Fortunately the bars also mean that you're unable to escape my attentions."

A chuckle escaped from her lips. "I can't believe I'm actually hearing this from you." And then she frowned. "Come to think of it, you've been plotting this, haven't you?"

He raised a questioning brow.

Shaking her head, she went on, "From the first day you turned up here, you've been systematically inching your way closer to me."

That was true. Also, his progress would be unquestionably much slower if Deidara hadn't appeared. If he had the opportunity he would gladly inform Deidara that the clay figurine visits had provided a good insight on how to interact successfully with Sakura. The Iwa nin would undoubtedly seethe at that revelation.

In an even tone, he replied, "Perhaps certain issues require a gradual approach."

She gave him an exasperated look and pulled her hand away, much to his dismay. Annoyance tinged her words when she declared, "I'm not part of some mission, you know. And if you think this type of courting would get you anywhere, you're sadly mistaken."

Ah, he'd just committed another blunder. Inwardly berating himself, and yet knowing that he had to allow her to see his true self, he explained, "That is how I usually approach matters. When something is important to me, I would seek the best way to succeed. A certain amount of planning and strategizing is usually necessary."

A vein in her forehead throbbed, something he recognized by now as a sign of her displeasure.

"That sounds even worse." She scowled. "Why are you pursuing me, anyway?"

He ran his eyes over her slowly. "Because your presence pleases me. I hope to be in your company as much as I could."

Her scowl wavered as she blinked. And then another blush appeared on her cheeks as she muttered, "Well, that's certainly what you got right now. Don't complain when you get sick of guarding me."

Giving her an unwavering look, he confirmed, "That would never happen."

"Hmph."

When she turned away, he caught a glimpse of a smile curling the corner of her lips. He eyed her longingly, wishing that he could gather her in his arms and pull her close. The bars separating them made it impossible.

But they were almost there. Two years had gone by, and there were only two more years to go before he could reach out and hold her close.

000

000

Time moved on and months passed but to Sakura, it was as if nothing much has changed.

As always just like clockwork, the daily polite clang of metal against metal woke Sakura up. Opening her eyes, she sat up to find her daytime ANBU guard placing dinner on the seals outside the bars. It must be six in the evening already. Yawning, she glanced out to find the guard returning to his post to read some kind of book. This new guard had replaced the one before just a few weeks ago. He would check up on her occasionally as was required by the standard procedures but unlike Itachi, he didn't engage her in conversation. It was just as well, since she usually stayed awake all night chatting and caught up on her sleep during the day.

She shifted off her futon and rolled it up before making her way to the rear of her cell. There was a shoulder-height stone partition which divided this wash area from the rest of the cell, giving her a modicum of privacy from her guards. Shivering a little from the icy cold water, she quickly washed herself and prepared for the day, or rather night, ahead.

When she returned to the front of her cell, she went to the stone ledge that served as a table and made a mark in the small notebook there. It was where she recorded the passing of days and so far, it looked as if she had just a couple more months to go. As she didn't begin recording until after Itachi had begun guarding her, she couldn't be sure of the exact time and for some reason, she didn't want to ask anyone. With too much time on her hands, the months passed by so slowly but she found herself not minding too much. It was probably because she still got to see all her important people very frequently. All but Deidara, she corrected. She only got to see him in clay form these days, but that couldn't be helped, she supposed.

She smoothed the page out as she absorbed the fact that she would be released in a few weeks. It was hard to imagine what it would be like and she found herself feeling rather nervous. Tsunade was doing things by the book, at least outwardly. So she should expect her chakra to remain sealed for a few more years which meant that once she was out, she would be doing menial work for her beloved shishou. She shook her head slowly, smiling at the thought of Tsunade dumping all the paperwork on her.

Reaching out for a book, she flicked through it idly as images of the village flashed through her mind. It would be nice to go to Ichiraku and ear ramen with Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi. It would be like old times again. And perhaps she could slowly rebuild the other relationships she had neglected in the past. She faltered slightly at the thought of mending things with Ino. The girl had visited a couple of times but the visits had been strangely quiet. She guessed it would take some time before the rift was mended.

Footsteps sounded, growing louder with each step. If it was Itachi, he was a little early, she thought absently as she flipped over another page of the book. Itachi had lent her this book a while back and she still couldn't understand what he'd found so interesting about it. It was a historical account of some battle which happened many decades ago and it felt too much like a textbook for her to enjoy it.

"Some things just never changes, yeah."

The familiar voice made her start and she swung towards the bars.

"Deidara!" she gasped and jumped to her feet. Behind him was a spiky blond who was wearing a broad smile, but her eyes were too busy studying Deidara. He looked very much the same as before, perhaps just a little more mature.

A grin graced his heartbreakingly familiar face. "It has been a while, yeah."

"But… how?" she asked, confused and excited at the same time.

That very moment, a muted squeal of protest sounded and Sakura's eyes widened. Her gaze now went to the straps across Deidara's chest.

"You didn't!" she whispered incredulously. "Turn around!"

Still grinning, he turned around to display his precious burden. Sakura felt her heart melt as she took in a pink-cheeked face topped with light blonde locks. Chubby arms and legs hung off the body wrapped in the support bands. A pair of brilliant blue eyes stared curiously at her.

"You brought her!" she exclaimed as she gripped the bars tighter. It was a shame she couldn't reach out. "I can't believe this!"

"You said you wished you could see her," he said, reaching back to hold the baby as he untied the bands. "I told you I'll find a way."

"You mean you had help," Naruto piped up for the first time. "Kurotsuchi was ready to stab you with a kunai when you told her what you planned on doing."

Deidara winced. "Well, isn't it just great that you're such good friends with her then?" he snapped, sounding almost jealous much to Sakura's amusement. "We were all saved from Kurotsuchi's stupid mood swings just because some chatty Konoha nin was there, hm?"

"Hey, all this networking is important for a future Hokage," Naruto returned easily.

"I feel sorry for Konoha, having you as a future Hokage," Deidara shot back.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Much better than having an ex-nukenin as the Tsuchikage, don't you think?"

She rolled her eyes. "I hope the two of you only bicker when you're alone, and not in front of delegates from other countries."

Deidara snorted while Naruto let out a choked sound. But both of them refused to meet her eyes which probably meant that the bickering went unchecked no matter who was watching them. She sighed inwardly.

"How are you doing anyway, Naruto? I haven't seen you for the last couple of weeks."

He waved dismissively. "Nothing much happened. Anyway, we can catch up later, together with Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke."

Later? They would visit her later, she guessed.

"Right now, I'd better get back to Baa-chan." Turning to the ANBU guard, Naruto said, "Keep an eye on him. Don't let him run off with Sakura-chan, alright? I'll be back in a while."

The guard nodded seriously but there was awe in his expression when he replied, "Yes, Naruto-sama."

A pained look twisted the blond jinchuuriki's expression. "Tsk! Don't call me that. It's just Naruto. Na-ru-to."

"Yes, Naruto-sama."

With a defeated groan, Naruto waved over his shoulders and walked away from them.

"So… You want to see her?" Deidara asked.

Her gaze stayed on the baby as he shifted the little body forward in his arms. The sight of Deidara holding his daughter like this was never one she thought to see, but she was glad that she was able to. The way he handled her seemed so natural.

Raising her gaze to him, she asked worriedly, "Is Kurotsuchi really okay with you bringing her here?"

He nodded. "She got over her jealousy, yeah."

Sakura winced. "Thank goodness. There's nothing going on between us for a long time already."

"She still has fits about it when we fight, yeah. So it's not all that great. I don't know what else she wants from me. I gave in and married her, didn't I?" He huffed loudly. "And why am I even telling you all this? This is beyond strange, yeah."

"You're just full of complaints." Shifting her attention to the wide-eyed baby, she grinned. "How could you be so full of complaints when you have someone so adorable to love?"

Deidara rolled his eyes. "Bakudan-chan might be cute, but her mother is not, yeah. That woman is a menace."

"But she keeps you in line, admit it." And then she scowled. "I still can't believe that you named your daughter Bomb. Or that Kurotsuchi allowed it."

Grinning with satisfaction, he explained, "I filled in the official register before Kurotsuchi woke up."

Sakura shook her head in exasperation. "I feel sorry for the poor woman, being saddled with you as a husband."

"Hey, she caught the Tsuchikage's successor, yeah. So what more does she want?"

Sakura hid her smile. For all his bluster, she knew that Deidara was truly fond of Kurotsuchi. If not, nothing would have made him marry the kunoichi. And during their conversations, less frequent now over the past couple of years, she often detected a note of possessiveness in his tone when he had spoken about her.

"You had better treat her well, Deidara."

"Or what?"

Sakura raised a brow. "Right… Try to imagine her leaving you for some other guy."

Deidara's expression instantly darkened.

"See?" she teased.

He scowled at her. "That's not funny, yeah."

"I never said it was." In a gentler tone, she said, "I'm glad things are going so well for you back in Iwa. I'm also really happy that I get to see you and Bakudan-chan today."

He gave her a crooked smile which warmed her to her toes. She still could hardly believe that he was standing right there. Talking to him via his clay constructs was great but seeing him in real life was much better. He was clearly keeping well, as evidenced by the happy glow which seemed to surround him. There was also a certain air of calmness which hadn't been there before.

The last time they'd set eyes on each other, they had argued bitterly about her decision. Seeing him like this now convinced her that the decision was the right one for both of them. Perhaps this was fate. Perhaps this day was meant to happen all along.

"What's with that face, yeah?" he asked curiously.

"Just thinking about fate."

He gave her an incredulous look. "What fate?"

She shook her head. "Never mind."

Reaching out through the bars, she carefully rubbed a finger down Bakudan's chubby cheeks, eliciting a giggle from the baby and an attempt to swat her finger away. Sakura felt an irresistible wash of affection for the little girl. Now that she'd seen both Deidara and Bakudan, Sakura hoped that she would have the opportunity to see them more often.

"Want one of your own?" Deidara teased.

She smiled softly. Maybe, she admitted inwardly.

And the baby she imagined had dark hair and dark eyes.

000

000

"Oi, Itachi!"

Itachi's eyelids lifted at the familiar voice. Filtered through the curtains, the muted sunlight ambushed his eyes and he blinked rapidly.

It was dusk.

Unhurriedly, he sat up and began to prepare himself. The security jutsu around his home prevented anyone from barging in unannounced, and this would protect his privacy until he was ready to face his visitor. Such a thing was particularly important when one's cousin was Shisui.

"What's taking you so long, Itachi?" said cousin yelled impatiently from outside.

Heading to the kitchen, he glanced at the clock as he made tea. It was half past six, and in less than three hours, he would see her. Sipping his hot tea at the dining table in the kitchen, he wondered thought about how things would change very soon. Sakura would be released, which meant that he wouldn't have any excuse to see her every day. Perhaps by then she would be willing to be in a relationship with him.

"Oi! I know you're awake! Come on out. This is important!"

Itachi finished his tea and proceeded to rinse his cup. The unwashed bowls stacked at the edge of the sink drew his attention and he frowned in disapproval. Sasuke had neglected to clean up after himself again. Surely it wasn't too much to ask. But then again, this was nothing new. Sasuke had always been remiss when it came to such things.

When Itachi finally made it outside, dressed in his standard ANBU uniform, it was to find Shisui glaring irritably at him.

"Good evening, Shisui."

"About damned time! You need to get to the detention center right now," Shisui told him urgently.

Itachi tensed. "Is Sakura alright?"

"Probably. I was told that the envoy from Iwa requested to see her and Tsunade allowed it. They're there now."

Annoyance shot through him. He should have expected this to happen when he found out that Iwa had sent representatives to the regional meeting which was held in Konoha this year. As the Tsuchikage's informal successor, Deidara would be on the list of invitees. He was foolish to think that Deidara wasn't brazen enough to insist on visiting one of Konoha's prisoners.

"What are you waiting for?" Shisui groaned. "Go!"

"Aa."

And with that, he made his way along the familiar route. A few people nodded greetings at him and he returned them politely. Fortunately, no one chose to engage him in conversations. At least not until he was close to the entrance of the detention center. There, two familiar figures appeared around the corner. Itachi stopped and waited until the pair neared him.

"Aniki."

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun." And then he shifted his attention to his younger brother's companion. "Yamanaka-san."

The blonde waved her hands lightly. "Itachi-san. Visiting Sakura? You're a little early today."

"Aa. So I am."

She grinned and her blue eyes twinkled teasingly. "You missed her that much, huh? I still don't get what you see in her."

"Perhaps the same could be said about your affection for my brother," Itachi returned smoothly.

Sasuke grunted irritably. "Try not to insult me without a reason, would you?"

"It wasn't an insult."

"Right." Sasuke glanced at the entrance to the detention center. "So, it's almost that time, huh?"

Knowing exactly what Sasuke was referring to, Itachi nodded. "Aa."

"Good."

Itachi smiled slightly. And then, "Sasuke, you have left your dishes unwashed. Please tend to them in a timely manner."

His younger brother scowled irritably. "Fine. I'll do it later." Lifting a hand, he said, "See you later."

"Aa."

"Nice to see you, Itachi-san."

Itachi inclined his head at the kunoichi. She waved cheerfully before linking her arm with Sasuke and walking away. The change in the young woman never failed to amaze Itachi. These days, one could hardly detect the cold and calculating shinobi of four years ago. And he knew that it had something to do with Sasuke. After all, during Sasuke's six months of confinement Ino was there almost every day, supposedly on the Hokage's orders to observe if Sasuke suffered from any ill effects of the miko's technique. They had only grown closer since then.

Well, Sasuke seemed to enjoy her company, so it was good all around.

Returning to his objective, Itachi went up the entrance to the detention center and proceeded to go through the security procedures. Once that was completed, he made his way to the holding cells.

When he entered the corridor leading to Sakura cell, his eyes immediately landed on the very human form of the Iwa nin he least wanted to see. A wave of irrational ire rose sharply within him as his steps stilled. Deidara glanced at him and smirked smugly, as if he'd read his thoughts. It was difficult to dismiss the feeling that Deidara was intentionally seeking the best way to annoy him.

"Itachi!" Sakura exclaimed excitedly when she saw him. "Look at Deidara's daughter!"

With a nod, Itachi made his way towards them. The ANBU guard was standing a discreet distance away but he kept his eyes on the visitor, as he should. As Itachi closed the distance, the baby girl's features came into view. Itachi had heard so much about her whenever Sakura and Deidara conversed that he felt as if he almost knew her, even though this was the first time he set eyes upon her. The baby girl stared at him with wide blue eyes filled with curiosity.

"Isn't she cute?" Sakura gushed.

Itachi only nodded. If he recalled correctly, the girl was about one and a half years old. She seemed to be alert and intelligent, he observed.

"She won't bite," Deidara taunted.

Itachi reached out to touch her fingers.

To his horror, she opened her mouth and shrieked loudly as her face turned red in an instant.

"Itachi! What did you do?!" Sakura exclaimed anxiously.

Deidara immediately bounced the girl in his arms, distracting her. "Hey, don't cry, yeah. It's fine. I don't like him that much, either."

Itachi glared coldly at him. Thankfully, after a while the shrieking petered out and the girl stuck her thumb in her mouth, only to have Deidara pull her hand away.

"What's that for, hm? You're too old to suck your thumb," he scolded.

"Umm!" the girl objected.

Sakura chuckled. "I never thought I would see you in action as a father. I'm impressed."

Deidara rolled his eyes. "Believe me when I say I had a lot of practice. Kurotsuchi keeps on dumping Bakudan on me whenever she's on a mission. She should just quit and stay home to look after the kid. Because she refuses to stop, only one of us could be away from Iwa at any one time."

Reaching out to let the girl play with her fingers, Sakura commented, "As long as it works out, I don't see why not. I might not be very experienced when it comes to children, but you seem to be really good with her. Besides, isn't it good for Kurotsuchi to keep on working?"

Itachi glanced sharply at Sakura, suddenly recalling how she was made to give up active duty after their marriage. So many years had passed but he couldn't help feeling regret for the part he'd played in the events. As if sensing his thoughts, she gave him a reassuring smile and a slight shake of her head.

Deidara asked with a raised brow, "Eh? What was that about?"

"It's nothing for you to be concerned about," Itachi told him curtly.

A knowing look appeared on the other nin's face. "Ah, I get it. Sakura had to stop being an active shinobi when she married you. Regretting the way you treated her, hm?" And to Sakura, he added, "See? You should've agreed to come with me when you had the chance. See how well I treat my wife? That evil woman gets her way all the time. But hey, maybe I can persuade Kurotsuchi to accept you as my concubine. What do you think, hm?"

Even more annoyed now, Itachi stepped forward to stand between them. Giving Deidara an uncompromising look, he said, "Please remember that you have a wife, and therefore it's best that you do not make such comments to Sakura."

Sakura groaned. "He's just joking, Itachi." And then giving Deidara a dry look, she added, "And Kurotsuchi would castrate you if you even think of getting a concubine."

Deidara winced. "Yeah…"

And as Itachi watched, they continued to converse as if he wasn't there. Glowering inwardly, he reminded himself to maintain his patience. He shouldn't be concerned about their relationship. After all, Deidara was no longer free to pursue Sakura.

000

000

Damn, he was glad to see her face to face after such an extended separation.

It still struck him as incredible that very time they spoke, it was as if nothing had changed. He could still talk to her like he had done years ago and he was glad that the distance hadn't damaged their camaraderie. There was no one else that he could be so open with, except for Kurotsuchi maybe. But that was different. Kurotsuchi was his wife so he was supposed to be at ease around her.

It was not to say that he felt the same for both women. In fact, their relationship couldn't be more different. It took the marriage to Kurotsuchi to open his eyes to this fact. Things with Sakura had always been good and they get along together very well. Things with Kurotsuchi was not always good and most of the time, they seem to set each other off in many ways.

And a lot of those ways were good ways.

The back of his neck heated at the memories. Hopefully she was home when he returned to Iwa. He was sure that he could come up with something to set her off. It wouldn't take much. And then he would sit back and watch the explosion.

"Oi!"

Deidara jumped and he refocused on the pink-haired kunoichi. He had to admit that the color actually suited her, despite his initial doubts. At this moment, her green eyes were giving him a shrewd look.

"What?" he returned defensively, wondering if she had somehow guessed the direction of his thoughts.

A slow grin appeared on her face. "Oh ho…" she exclaimed softly. "I didn't think I'd get to see that look on your face."

He glared at her.

Still grinning, she wagged a finger at him knowingly.

"Tsk! Fine, then!" he snapped. "I was about to give you a present. But maybe I've changed my mind, hm?"

"Eh?" She blinked curiously at him. "What present?"

Out of the corner of his eyes, Deidara saw the Uchiha tense and a morbid sense of pleasure rolled over him. Even though he knew that he and Sakura wouldn't ever be together, it still felt good that he could rile the stoic ANBU.

"Hey, Deidara! What is it?" she pressed.

"I see that your patience hasn't improved a bit," he remarked and then reached into his pocket.

A second later, he dangled a key in front of her.

"A key?" she queried with confusion.

He waggled his brows. "Guess for what?"

Her eyes widened in realization.

"For the cell door, I presume," Itachi supplied flatly. "Where did you get it?"

Annoyed, Deidara spun towards him. "Was I talking to you?"

Sakura stared at him in disbelief. And then she paled. Nearby, the ANBU guard was drawing his katana from the sheath but the Uchiha held a hand up to still him.

"Tell me you didn't steal it from Tsunade-sama!" she cried out as she gripped the bars. "Deidara!"

He rolled his eyes at her. "What do you think? Of course I didn't. She gave it to me. This is not my idea."

Speaking of ideas, the crafty Hokage had an odd gleam in her eyes when she had suggested that he could release Sakura while he was there. He couldn't figure out why she would even say such a thing, and so he openly demanded to know the reason. As he'd expected, there was a stipulation attached to it. Ultimately, he had agreed and she'd passed it to him together with the instructions of how to unseal the cell. She had also informed him that this instruction would only work on Sakura's cell. Figures…

As Sakura watched in shock, he performed the necessary jutsu and inserted the key. A pulse of chakra radiated briefly and the door clanged open.

Grinning, Deidara stepped back and bowed slightly.

"Your freedom, Sakura. A month earlier than scheduled."

When she continued to stand rooted to the spot, he exhaled impatiently. "You need to be outside the cell if you want to show me all those places you've been taking about, yeah. So move it!"

A choked sound escaped her, and her hand went to cover her lips.

Itachi eyed her with concern. "Sakura…"

She shook her head and in a trembling tone, she said, "I'm fine. Just surprised."

And then she took the few steps that brought her out of the cell she'd been confined in for so long. Reaching out shakily, she grabbed one of his hands and one of the Uchiha's and squeezed them.

"Thank you," she whispered tremulously.

All Deidara could think of at that moment was that the expression on her face was worth the one unspecified favor he now owed the Hokage.

000

000

It was strange how everything looked the same and yet different. She had been spent nearly two years away from Konoha and two more years incarcerated in a detention cell. In that time, new buildings had emerged and a few of the streets were almost unrecognizable.

Whilst in the past she recognized most of the faces in Konoha, she now noted that there were those that were new to her. Some of those she recognized had approached her to greet her, albeit a little warily, as if they did not know what to make of her. She couldn't really blame them, though. She had been a well-known figure before her defection, first as the Hokage's apprentice and then as Uchiha Itachi's wife. They had thought that she was dead, only to have her return two years later as a missing nin. And then after two years of confinement, she was released. Itachi had told her that the circumstances of her situation hadn't been made public. The Hokage had declared the issue confidential and would tolerate no questions. Sakura was truly grateful for her shishou's consideration.

Having being dismissed from the Hokage's office and now dressed in borrowed civilian clothes, Sakura found herself seated between Deidara and Naruto in Ichiraku Ramen. Kakashi and Sasuke were at Deidara's end while Itachi was beside Naruto, quietly sipping tea while the rest of them conversed.

"How does it feel to be out?" Kakashi asked her.

"Great!" she replied happily, and then narrowed her eyes at him. "You don't have anything to do with it, do you?"

He held up both hands and shook his head.

She looked around. "So, can someone explain to me why I'm out so soon?"

"It's about a month earlier than scheduled, isn't it?" Sasuke commented.

"Really?"

The corner of Kakashi's eyes crinkled. "Are you complaining?"

"Of course not!"

"Two servings of ebi ramen, three tonkatsu ramen, and a miso ramen," Teuchi announced as he placed their orders in front of them. Giving her a wide smile, he said, "Yours is an extra-large serving."

Naruto groaned. "What about me?"

"Thank you, Teuchi-san!" she said happily. And then turning to Naruto, she asked, "So? I'm guessing it has something to do with you."

Naruto slurped a large mouthful of noodles and then grinned. "We know about the time you spent with Deidara, so we thought that it might be nice for you to be out when he visited. It's for the good for village relations. Besides, no one would object."

Eh? Was that it? "Really?" she asked doubtfully.

Deidara snorted. "Yeah, really," he muttered as he shifted Bakudan on his lap and picked up his chopsticks.

She eyed them suspiciously. There was something they were not telling her.

"Um-umm! 'Tou-chan!" Bakudan demanded.

"Wait, it's too hot," Deidara told her.

Setting down his tea and reaching for his noodles, Itachi remarked calmly, "I suspect the Hokage negotiated a favor from Iwa for this."

Sakura gasped and turned to Deidara. "Is that right?"

He shrugged dismissively.

No way! "Deidara!"

"It's done, yeah. Now you can do your part and show me the rest of Konoha after I'm done with all the tedious political stuff." He gave Bakudan some noodles and obviously changing the topic, he commented, "You know, this has to be one of the best ramen I've tasted."

"Yeah! Isn't it great?!" Naruto exclaimed enthusiastically.

Deidara glanced around. "The place is a little small, though. It's full with only six of us here."

"Adds to the atmosphere," Naruto defended.

"Hn."

"What's wrong, Sasuke?" Naruto asked teasingly. "Upset because there isn't space for another one?"

The younger Uchiha glared at him.

Kakashi chuckled. "She could have sat on his lap."

She? "Eh? Who are you talking about?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Ah, we wanted you to hear directly from this Teme," Naruto said as he waggled his brow at Sasuke. "So tell her already."

Sasuke scowled. "You're making a big deal out of nothing."

"Then tell me, Sasuke!" she urged.

When he remained mute, Naruto interjected impatiently, "He's going out with Ino!"

Sasuke shot him a venomous look as Sakura gasped, "Really?"

"What? It's not as if she's not going to find out sooner or later!"

"We are not going out," Sasuke growled.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure."

"When did this happen?"

That was the prompt Naruto needed to launch into the tale. He told her about Sasuke's recovery and Ino's role, as well as the change in Ino. At the reminder of her old friend's hostility towards her in the years before she defected, Sakura felt her heart sink. Ino was probably the only one who had not visited her.

With a sigh, she muttered, "I don't think Ino likes me very much."

"She has her reasons."

Sakura looked up at Sasuke's voice. His eyes were glued to his bowl but he wasn't eating. "What do you mean, Sasuke? Did she tell you?" she asked with a twinge of trepidation.

Appearing discomfited, he put down his chopsticks and then glanced at her. In a quiet voice, he explained, "She thought you only wanted the Uchiha name. First it was me but I supposedly died, and then when Itachi's proposal came long, you accepted without hesitation."

"What?!" she exclaimed in horror.

Eyes wide, Naruto said, "So that was what it was all about? Ino didn't know that the thing with Sasuke wasn't real?"

Unsettled by the recollection of that one drunken night that could have turned into a real disaster, Sakura darted a look at Sasuke before she said, "We didn't have a romantic relationship or anything like that. There was nothing but everyone just assumed that we were together. I guess I should have explained it properly. I just didn't think that it was bothering her so much."

"She likes Sasuke even then. Perhaps she thought that what you were doing was traitorous to his memory," Kakashi supplied.

"I too was under the impression that Sakura was in a relationship with my brother," Itachi admitted.

She gave him a small smile, recalling their heated discussions over the topic. "Well, I guess Sasuke and I fooled everyone a little too well, huh?" she remarked wryly.

Sasuke snorted and then gave Itachi a measured look. "That doesn't explain why you agreed to marry her, Aniki. It's not something you would simply accept. Maybe you would like to explain?"

Itachi fixed her with an unmistakably possessive look when he said, "Perhaps I simply wanted her."

She choked on her soup. Oh, he had some nerve, blurting something like that out. She couldn't think of a rebuttal. Still, she supposed his feelings for her were clear as far as the others were concerned anyway. It was no secret that he had taken himself off missions to be her guard, after all. That was as good as declaring his interest in her.

"Well, at least that's cleared up now," Naruto declared cheerfully as he reached over to pat her back. "Now let me tell you more."

She listened as he went through what everyone else had been doing, with Kakashi adding bits here and there.

An hour later, they finally exited the small ramen stall.

Naruto stretched his arms up high. "Ah! That was just what I needed." And then he glanced at Deidara. "I think we should go or we might upset a few people."

Deidara lowered his daughter to the ground and held her hand as he nodded, and then turned to her. "I'll find you when I'm done."

Naruto gave Deidara's shoulder a friendly punch and declared, "Don't worry. I'll show you all the interesting stuff in Konoha when the meetings are over."

Glowering at the other blonde, Deidara snapped, "And when did I ask you to do something like that, yeah?"

"You want Sakura to show you around by herself?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Sakura has been away for so long that she probably needs a guide of her own," Sasuke muttered. "I guess Itachi's the first in line to volunteer."

"Of course," Itachi murmured without hesitation.

Kakashi choked back a cough as Sakura laughed at their antics and watched their exchange fondly. It felt good to be here surrounded by all her important people. Itachi included, she thought as she glanced sideways at the silent Uchiha. Catching her eyes, he smiled slightly and it sent a shot of warmth tingling up her spine. This reaction happened on a regular basis now, and it no longer disturbed her as it had once done. Only an idiot couldn't tell what it was. And she supposed her own response could only be interpreted as acceptance.

"Yosh! Let's go," Naruto called out.

"So see you later, yeah," Deidara said and nudged his daughter forward. "Say goodbye to Sakura, Baku-chan."

As Sakura waved, Bakudan simply stared at her and promptly stuck her thumb in her mouth.

"Tsk! Stop doing that! You're not a baby anymore," Deidara scolded as he walked away in Naruto's wake.

After a moment, Kakashi commented, "Makes you look at him a little differently, doesn't it? It's so strange, because he's still labeled as a ruthless maniac in the Bingo Books."

"He probably still is," Sakura muttered. Given a chance, Deidara would probably blow up an entire village without any hint of remorse.

"Well…" Kakashi squinted at the sun. "We're running a little late, but we will catch up."

"Late for what?" she asked.

Sasuke scowled. "We were meant to leave for a mission a couple of hours ago but we heard about your release. Sai went ahead, so he's probably halfway to our first check point by now."

Sakura gasped and stared at him incredulously. "Then what are you still doing here? Kakashi! This is an ANBU mission, and that's not like our genin days! You can't be so slack about it."

Kakashi waved her concerns away. "I know. I know." He smiled. "But we couldn't really miss this, could we?"

"Hn."

Her heart warmed at her old teammates' regard for her. "Thanks for welcoming me back to the village."

Kakashi smiled and patted her on her shoulder. "I'm glad to have you back."

"We'll see you around," Sasuke said, raising a hand and turning to walk towards Konoha's gates.

Her gaze followed their retreating backs until they were no longer visible. And then she turned to the side to find Itachi watching her. His face was broadcasting his feelings without a hint of restraint. At times like this, she wondered if he knew just how transparent his expression was. But it had not always been like this, so she guessed that he was deliberately allowing her to see how he felt. He had changed so much that she could hardly believe that this was the Uchiha Itachi she had once married. If he had been like this back then, things would have been so different.

"So… It's just us, huh?" she broke the silence a little awkwardly.

She should not be feeling like this. This was the man who had spent the most of the past two years by her side in the detention center. But the lack of bars between them felt odd and she did not know how she should act now.

Itachi gave her a small smile. "Is that unacceptable?"

"No…" She looked down and then around her at Konoha. "It seems strange, like I never left. But it has been so long, hasn't it?"

"You will have to remain in Konoha for some time, so you have sufficient time to reacquaint yourself with the village. I will help you."

She swung towards him, startled by the implications of his words. "You'll help me?"

He nodded and stepped closer.

She frowned. "Now that you don't have to guard me, aren't you going back on the active roster?"

"Perhaps. I haven't decided yet." He reached out to touch the side of her neck, sending shivers up her body as he rubbed her sensitive skin. His eyes remained in contact with hers as he continued softly, "I wish to spend some time with you first. The rest could wait."

Her cheeks heated at his expression. "Itachi…"

It was then that some sensation pricked at her. Immediately tensing at the familiar warning, she turned around slowly to find herself facing a solemn Uchiha Fugaku and his wife.

"Chichi-ue," Itachi greeted politely. The hand which had been caressing her neck dropped to the small of her spine. "Okaa-san."

Fugaku inclined his head at him and then turned to Sakura. "So you have been released."

Sakura tamped down on her initial reaction to assume a submissive pose and instead, straightened herself. "Yes Fugaku-san, Mikoto-san. How are you?"

Mikoto smiled gently at her. "We are fine. I'm glad to see that you're released."

Giving the older woman a genuine smile, Sakura said, "Thank you for the lovely bento boxes."

She didn't miss the sharp look Fugaku darted at his wife. Ah, so it was like that, huh? To her credit, Mikoto did not even twitch at her husband's reprimanding look. Instead, she took a few steps to close the distance between them and reached out to hold her hands, much to Sakura's surprise.

Her eyes displaying her sincerity, Mikoto said, "I'm sorry for the trouble we have put you through. Please forgive us."

"Mikoto!" Fugaku snapped harshly. "You've said enough."

"Chichi-ue," Itachi interjected coldly. "Please refrain from such a tone when speaking to Okaa-san."

Fugaku stiffened and directed a steely look at his son. "Do not be impertinent, Itachi. You're still my son."

"Oh?" Itachi raised a brow. "I was under the impression that you've disowned me."

Sakura sucked in a sharp breath.

What?

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His father looked as if he was about to implode and Itachi experienced a grim satisfaction at his father's reaction. Their interaction was nothing new, though. Their relationship had been strained ever since he had announced that he would be Sakura's guard during the course of her detention. Or perhaps it was because at the same time, he had rejected the position of the Uchiha heir. He had known for the longest time that he was not suited for such a position. How could he be, when he disagreed with their principles more often than not?

A soft touch grazed his hip and he glanced at Sakura to find her staring at him in shock.

"Itachi? You didn't tell me about this."

He gave her back a reassuring stroke. "Later."

Fugaku huffed. "I don't approve of this, Itachi. You're neglecting your duties for this girl."

"Isn't this the same girl you were so keen for me to marry five years ago?"

"That's before she became a missing nin!"

It never failed to amaze him just how shallow his father could be at times. Keeping his tone even, he retorted, "Since I've been disowned, this shouldn't concern the clan, should it?"

"I wouldn't have said such a thing if you didn't insist on being stubborn," Fugaku bit out.

Itachi told him calmly, "Sasuke is more than capable of handling the clan affairs, Chichi-ue. Besides, he has no objections to the role. I prefer to lead my own life without the interference of the clan. The last time I allowed such interference, the results were not to my liking."

"You have always been like this. Why are you so reluctant to do the right thing by the clan?" Fugaku said heatedly. "You have been raised to be the heir, not Sasuke. It's your duty."

His mother took hold of his father's arm. "Let's not talk about that now, alright?" Turning to Itachi, she continued, "Shall we expect you for dinner tonight? Sasuke is coming with Ino."

"I would be pleased to join you if Sakura could come too," Itachi returned smoothly.

Mikoto beamed. "Of course she's more than welcomed. I was going to invite her as well. You'll come, right, Sakura-chan?"

He felt Sakura tense under his hand. Trying to calm her, he rubbed small circles with his thumb and then heard her sigh.

Sakura's tone was polite when she said, "Thank you for your invitation. But I was just released and I need to sort out a few things today. I suspect I wouldn't finish until late."

Undeterred, Mikoto said, "Ah, perhaps tomorrow night would be better?"

Itachi felt the release of tension in Sakura's back just a moment before she replied, "I would be glad to join you for dinner then."

"Fantastic! Don't be late."

Dropping his hand from Sakura, Itachi inclined his head at them. "We'll see you tomorrow night."

Mikoto tugged her glowering husband's arm. "Let's go now, or the shops would be closed before we get there." To Sakura, she said, "Let me know if you need any help settling in."

"Thank you, Mikoto-san." Sakura turned to Fugaku and said, "Fugaku-san."

His father's posture was stiff when he turned to walk away with his mother. It was only when they had disappeared from his sight that Itachi allowed himself a long exhale.

"Well, are you going to tell me what was all that about?"

He turned to find Sakura staring demandingly with her fists on her hips. Her green eyes were flashing with challenge and he knew that she would not be pleased with his explanation. But it could not be helped. As he explained how he had informed Fugaku of his decision to guard her and to give up his role as the Uchiha heir, her expression confirmed it.

"It's too much for him to take all at once. I guess there was a row between you and your father about it then?"

"Not just one. He speaks of it each time we meet. My father disapproves of my decision but this is no longer his concern. The life I want isn't the one he had mapped out, and I'm not the person who should be leading the clan. He just needs to accept this."

Concerned, she asked, "Won't you regret it one day?"

"My only regret is that I haven't done this sooner. Clan matters do not interest me in the slightest in the past and I doubt this would change in the future."

"I'm sorry."

"Do not apologize. It's not your fault."

"You did it because I was confined, and your relationship with your father is now…"

He interjected, "It would have happened eventually. Your involvement only sped up the process. It has always been difficult, but now both of our grievances are out in the open. Do not worry. He will come to terms with it in time."

"Are you sure?" she asked uncertainly.

He shrugged. At this point, he did not care. It was enough for him that his mother still cared for him despite the rift between him and his father.

"Enough of this topic," he declared. "Let's go home."

"Home?"

He nodded. "Our home."

She stilled and then said haltingly, "Itachi… I'm not sure..."

Before she could continue, he reached out and pulled her to his chest. Feeling her warmth against him, he closed his eyes in satisfaction. This was what he had wanted to do for years, but the bars prevented him from doing so. He would keep her close from now on. No matter what he had to sacrifice, he would do so.

"This time, it will be different, Sakura," he murmured into her hair.

Her breath hitched. "I want to believe you."

"Then believe me."

With that, he shifted to capture her lips in his. A breathy sound escaped her, sending shots of pleasure through him. Wanting more, he deepened the kiss and continued until he felt dangerously close to the edge. Only then did he pull back to look into her eyes.

Her voice was shaky when she said, "Well, that was something, huh?"

"We could have more," he rasped.

"We could?" she asked a little hesitantly.

He brushed a strand of pink hair away from her cheeks. "We are not starting this relationship with falsehoods, but with truths. This time, we both know where we stand with each other."

She raised a brow. Lips twitching now, she asked, "And do you mind clarifying that statement? Just so that there are no misunderstandings."

"I love you," he stated plainly, and watched her eyes widen. "This time, it has nothing to do with anyone else except the two of us. And also, you love me," he gambled.

Her eyes narrowed immediately. "You're that confident that I love you?"

"Don't you?"

She stared at him for a long while. Long enough to make him wonder if he had erred. But even if she did not love him now, he would make sure that she did in the near future. This was non-negotiable.

Her voice was soft when she finally said, "I guess I do."

Itachi's chest flooded with warmth. "Good."

She gave him an odd look. "So, you weren't as confident as you made it sound."

His lips quirked. "Perhaps not."

A chuckled escaped her and her eyes brightened. "Alright, let's go home then."

He presented his hand to her. And to his satisfaction, she placed hers there trustingly. It was a small gesture but it meant a lot to him.

And with that, they walked back home hand in hand.

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The End

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A/N: And that's it for this story! Hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Please review and thank you for following the story!

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