Memoirs of a Shinobi

Chapter Three – Friendship

Sakura tucked her ANBU uniform into her wardrobe, aligning the hooked hanger with her other uniforms. Before shutting the wooden cage, she ran a hand gently across the cold metal of the grey chest armour in front of the black shirt she would wear under it.

From the corner of her eye she caught sight of the red dress she used to wear so much as a young Chuunin, adorned with circles and yellow thread. Sasuke-kun! Wait for me!

Grimacing, she shut the wardrobe.

Sometime soon she would be going to get her tattoo like the rest of her comrades; she looked forward to the day. At the same time she could expect to get her own custom made porcelain mask delivered soon which would seal the deal and leave no room for any doubt that she was moving forward in her life.

She smiled suddenly. She realised, as funny as it had seemed earlier when the thought had intruded her mind, just maybe she should give herself more credit for her recent accomplishments. Not counting how small they were.

As she approached the training grounds, the thudding of footsteps started hard towards her. She swiftly ducked out of the way and just then Naruto came crashing in front of her, landing his entire body-weight on his shoulder rather than on her. "You're still awful at sneaking up on people Naruto!" she laughed.

"I can hear your fat feet from a mile away." She laughed him. Naruto groaned as he clicked his arm back into place.

"Hey! I'm not fat. You're talking to me here! Not Choji." He shouted angrily, his whiskered face sour.

"You don't want to let him hear you say that, I'd be careful if I were you." Sakura said walking around him. Sai was already there, drawing and waiting for them to arrive. And from another direction, Yamato approached the designated training ground.

"That's what you get when you eat, sleep and breathe ramen. You get fat Naruto. You should try eating vegetables every now and then." Sakura told him mockingly. The straining of Naruto's breathing told her he was struggling to keep up with her after landing on his shoulder. If he'd landed on her, she couldn't be sure she wouldn't have beaten him to a bloody pulp.

After all, she'd recently learnt how to heal some of her outstanding battle scars and she certainly didn't need to add to them.

"Hi Sai, Yamato-san." Sakura greeted her teammates. Naruto hyperventilated behind her as Kakashi arrived a poof of smoke.

"Ha! We got you to come on time!" Naruto wheezed out to Kakashi. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the sight of his students. "We just got here." He explained to his white haired teacher.

"Oh? And how did this come to be?" Kakashi seemed a tad angered but kept his cool.

"Hah! I set your clocks forward last night." Naruto said with his hands dignified on his hips. Sakura shook her head; the aim of the scheme had not been to tell Kakashi how it had worked. Even though he did deserve it, always being late and all.

"Just for that, I want you to do fifty laps before we begin training." Kakashi instructed confidently. Naruto's mouth dropped open.

"What! No fair! You can't do that, I'm ANBU now!" he said holding the pinned, handmade ANBU badge forward. "It wasn't all me, Sakura and Sai –" Naruto tried.

"I don't care. The point is, you're the one who was stupid enough to admit it. Go on, you're lucky I'm nothing like Gai or I'd make you do two hundred laps before and after training just for the fun of it." He said leaning towards Naruto, intimidating him.

For the rest of the training session, Sakura passed between focussing hard on beating her partner Sai at the game they were playing and daydreaming about her latest ANBU missions. No matter how short they were, they continued to play over and over in her mind. They captivated her and made her yearn for more.

More high-ranked missions with Itachi where she could experience what it truly meant to fight for your village. There was a certain rush about it all, one she couldn't stop thinking about.

"Okay, I think that we're done with that for now." Kakashi raised his voice putting an end to the first half of the day's training. Sasuke arrived a little later as the others had trained, darkening the mood somewhat but Sakura was sure she wouldn't let it distract her from focussing today. Usually when he turned up, she greeted him and asked him where he'd been but lately, she had been keeping her distance.

Kakashi approached her as Sai, Naruto and Yamato took their break. "You should be proud of yourself. You've worked hard." Was all he said to her. But she could sense the pride in his voice and detect a small smile from beneath his mask. His words were quiet, but meant so much to her.

"Thank you." She whispered back to him. "I appreciate it."

"Good, just don't tell anyone about this or I'll deny it." He chuckled. Sakura smacked him on the arm, laughing. Kakashi sat on the ground and motioned the others to join him as he explained his intentions for the rest of the training session and also the follow-up for their next lesson.

During the rest of the break, Sai and Naruto spoke about their plans for the rest of the day. They planned to go to Ramen Ichiraku's place and eat, then pay a visit to team Kurenai and spend the rest of the day with them. Not being invited to join in, Sakura approached Sasuke who was standing on his own by a shady tree.

"Hey Sasuke." She greeted him. He didn't look at her at all so she cleared her throat.

Slowly his powerful gaze drifted over her, disgustedly as if her very appearance was insulting. "What do you want?" he said harshly, his tone was cold.

"I just came to see if you were okay." Sakura said keeping herself calm. Why he was being so hostile, she didn't know. Was it so bad of her to be concerned for her teammate?

She was shocked, even the majority of times Sasuke insulted her he hadn't been this cold. But now as she stood before him she noticed there was no feeling in his hard onyx eyes – as though he was looking straight through her.

"I'd appreciate it if you got out of my sight." Sasuke chimed. "It isn't necessary for you to intrude on my privacy." What was that meant to mean?

Sakura exhaled shakily, shaking her head with no words to say.

"What is your problem?" Sakura asked him angrily. At the raise of her voice came the attention of the rest of the team who watched on both in confusion and in tension. "What have I done to you why you're always so mean to me?" Sakura asked him. She didn't mean to sound like a whiney little girl but Sasuke coldness was just needless.

"You irritate me." He replied leaning off the tree with his arms folded over each other. "I really do wonder how you were ever accepted as a Genin let alone ANBU." Sakura merely stared at Sasuke like she did whenever he happened to insult, only this time it actually hurt. She frowned at him and for a long time, she didn't say a thing. "It appears your uselessness has reached new heights."

"Sasuke –" Yamato said stepping forward to intervene. Kakashi stopped him and shook his head lightly, he would leave this to Sakura sort out by herself.

"You simply think you can gain strength by surrounding yourself in much more worthy opponents. You are weak and an embarrassment. You continue to wonder how it is your parents met their demise, maybe if you had had more worth they wouldn't have suffered in their deaths."

The training ground was quiet allowing Sasuke's words to resonate through her. The echo made her head spin. Sakura turned away from Sasuke and the drifted away from him. She walked away, she ignored the calling of Naruto who begged her to come back. She didn't accept being treated like dirt anymore, those days were over.

As Naruto watched his friend walking off teary-eyed, he felt anger bubble within him. And the nine-tails growl in his ears. He shot a red eyed glare Sasuke's way and before Yamato or Kakashi could intervene, two sets of claws were out.

When Sakura returned home, she quickly showered and then left to meet Ino at the local café next to her flower shop. Sadly for Ino she rarely worked there now, instead she now attended more mission briefs and ANBU training leaving a relative to watch over and sell the remaining family-grown flowers.

"How have you been since you got back from your latest ANBU missions?" Ino smiled. Shortly after she ordered her food and then so did Sakura but strangely once the waiter brought it over, she didn't feel very hungry.

"Good. It's been, eventful." Sakura laughed. "And weird, I must say. It's not like anything I could've ever anticipated." She said thinking about her teammates, her mission, and Itachi. She doubted Ino would ever understand just what she meant when she said that but it didn't matter.

"How has everyone been while I was gone?" she asked. Ino and some of her other teammates had remained behind as she gained experience as ANBU. Some now, like Shikamaru and Shino, were going on missions together whereas some stayed to assist the Hokage directly.

"Good." She answered quietly. Ino was being strangely discreet, but Sakura avoided questioning her.

Thinking back to Sasuke's earlier abuses, she wondered for a second if something had happened when she was gone to cause him to act this way. "What about Sasuke?" Sakura asked. "How's he been?" she said trying to understand just why Sasuke's coldness was intensifying.

"Yeah, well." Ino commented flippantly. She waved a hand in the air and then turned her attention back to her food. Sakura was confused.

"I thought you liked Sasuke?" Sakura asked, astonished by her friend. In the past she would never have had to second guess her friend's obsessive admiration for the Uchiha, now, she seemed uncertain of…herself?

"I…I did! But, I don't know." She sighed resting her chin on her palm. She lifted her blue eyes to Sakura. "He's so different now that he's come back, Sakura. It's almost as if he's come back and he's just, not who he was." She explained.

Sakura nodded, there was no denying that since he'd come back, there was a specifically different aura about him. It was darker, that much she could tell from what he'd just said to her an hour ago. It hurt and her forgiveness in Sasuke's wrong-doings was beginning to run out because no matter what she did, he only pained her more once she forgave him.

"What about you?" Ino asked Sakura. Sakura was taken aback.

She bit her lip and then shrugged. Her friend took a sip of her drink and then stared at her full plate of food without an ounce of hunger in her expression. Boys were so troublesome.

"Um, well…after what happened this morning, I just don't know anymore. I care about Sasuke, of course I do. I care about all my teammates -"

"Whoa!" Ino said leaning back and holding her hands before her dramatically. She didn't appear to have heard anything about the verbal abuse Sasuke had issued Sakura, so what was all the drama now about?

"What?" Sakura said uncertainly.

"You're not making any excuses for his actions, for the first time! Look I like him and everything, you know I do but I wouldn't just let him walk all over me like you do. Do you not like him anymore? Huh?" Ino said grinning widely.

Sakura ignored Ino's first comment. "Of course." Sakura said, but there was no love or admiration in her voice. What's happening to me? Hurriedly, she shook her head. "No, Ino. Your love for someone just doesn't disappear overnight." She said running a hand through her pink locks.

"I agree." Ino said. "But then that means you've been liking him less for a while now. Even if you haven't noticed it, as such." She warned. Sakura frowned deeply; there was truth to Ino's words. She had never said it openly to herself but the feelings had been there, brewing.

"Ino, what should I do?" Sakura pleaded. Ino took her friend's hand over the table and stared into her bright green eyes.

"Nothing."

"The Akiyama want to meet with us again and speak out our situation." Fugaku said clearly as Itachi entered the house. He shut the door quietly behind himself. Mikoto then came to greet him.

"Will you able to attend, Itachi?" Mikoto asked him, wiping her hands with a wet cloth.

Itachi thought for a second, staring coldly at his mother. It wasn't often that he was deliberately without feeling, but from the years of practice it was no longer a struggle to put up the unkind front. "When?"

"Tonight at ten." Fugaku interjected, catching his eldest son's attention. He held his composure as Itachi's unfeeling glare met him. "If we don't show, we will further anger them. We can't afford to put it off again, Itachi." He explained.

Itachi nodded and then made his way towards his bedroom upstairs. "I will meet you there."

Hiashi Hyuuga sat sombrely with his father, the Hyuuga elder on the porch of the house. He wasn't entirely sure why the man had suddenly summoned him but knew by pure instinct the subject wasn't going to be particularly pleasant.

"You wanted to speak with me, Otou-san?" Hiashi started. The man coughed into his hand and then gave his son a dull stare.

"Don't play dumb. You know why I'm here." He said roughly. "It is time Hinata married. She cannot spend the rest of her prime years sitting in the shadow of Neji."

Although Hiashi wasn't entirely shocked by his father's words, they definitely unsettled him. And sometimes he really wished he didn't have to deal with it. "Have you found someone already?" he asked gravely.

The man coughed again. "I have a person in mind." The man said leaning back in his seat. Hiashi took that with a frown; he knew that the man would stall for as long as he could before telling him what he was secretly planning.

"What of Hanabi?" the elder sprang the next question.

Hiashi blinked. "What about her?" Hiashi said. "Neji is a better choice for an heir than either of his cousins. He is stronger; more determined and is not easily distracted from his goals." He stated confidently. And blind Hyuuga could see that Neji was destined for more than a life of a branch family member and cursed mark. He could do great things, if the clan let him.

"That's not what I've heard from a few other sources." The elder held in his next cough as he tapped on his chest. "I've heard many rumours of a brewing relationship between him and his female teammate." He said with bitter distaste. Hiashi had been afraid that it would come to this but Neji should have been more intelligent to stay away from her and avoid this.

"Tenten?" Hiashi said thinking about the bun-haired female he more regularly saw his nephew hanging about.

His father turned to him. "You know of her? She mustn't distract Neji from his duties. You must speak with him about this or I will myself. He needs to stay away from her." The man said clearly. Hiashi nodded.

"I will." He promised.

The older man stared out into the horizon before he spoke again. "The Uchiha clan are scheming again, as they always do." He explained slowly.

"I'm hardly surprised." Hiashi admitted. As a rival clan, the Hyuuga had to keep their wits about them. The Uchiha's didn't ally themselves with anyone, or even pretend to care about other clans. Like the Hyuuga's they put themselves above all else, but unlike the Hyuuga's, they'd do anything to keep other clans out of their way.

As far as Hiashi was concerned, the majority bloodshed he'd seen as clan leader was usually unnecessary. And he'd rather keep on good terms with the other clans even if he didn't particularly admire them. Less had to be sacrificed then.

"That means we must be strong in light of day, and shadow of night. We must keep ourselves from there devious ways." The man said. "I expect their time will be up soon."

"And when that time comes, we will be ready."

"Hiashi-san?" Hiashi's wife called as he entered the house. Hearing her from the kitchen, he decided to show his face to her for the first time that day.

Hatsumi was cooking in the kitchen, as per usual, surrounded by the housemaids who regularly helped her and kept her company. She was fair skinned, had large dark brown eyes and a large smile every time she saw her family. Seeing him enter the room, Hatsumi walked over to Hiashi and hugged him.

"Are you alright?" she asked, smiling up at him. Adding to the fact she made him uncomfortable, the maids were watching slyly out of the corners of their lilac eyes. Hiashi removed her arms from him abruptly and straightened out his robes.

"Fine." He said aloofly. "Where is Neji?"

"Neji?" Hatsumi pondered, continuing to smile. "Oh, he left a moment ago with his friends. It's so good to see him happy when he spends time with them." She mentioned thoughtfully. Hiashi frowned and then looked around the kitchen where the maids were busy cooking.

"Why are they making so much food?" Hiashi questioned Hatsumi. She turned round to watch them and then smiled before walking behind the counter to help those who were chopping vegetables.

"Your father and the others wanted to join us for dinner today. Remember?" she reminded him gently.

"No, I don't remember." Hiashi replied irritably.

"Don't worry dear; I'm sure they wouldn't be here for long." She told him cheerfully. "Can you pass me the carrots, please?" she asked one of the servants. Hiashi left as his anger began to boil over.

When Sakura saw the young Hyuuga coming her way, she waved her over. She couldn't honestly say she was looking forward to being the girl's mentor but she knew it would be good practice for her and maybe along the way the girl would learn something. She could only hope anyway.

"It's nice to meet you Hanabi." Sakura said holding out her hand.

"You too, miss Sakura." The girl shook Sakura's hand and grinned. Just looking at her, Sakura could tell she was a Hyuuga. She looked much like her older sister, one of Sakura's past teammates, with her long brown hair, pale skin and even paler eyes but just from how she presented herself, resembled Neji and his confidence.

Luckily, Sakura had heard good things about her. She was strong, determined, really she couldn't ask for a better student but in the corner of her mind, she really wondered if she was good enough to teach someone so impressionable. Time would tell how true that all was.

She watched Hanabi practicing her Kenjutsu. She was quick with her sword but could not yet successfully disarm an opponent, nor was she anywhere close to having the skill to land a fatal blow. But in time it would all come to her, Sakura was sure. In fact, as she stood watching and observing, she imagined the new skills she could perhaps acquire herself through this new job of hers.

There were things that Tsunade hid from even Sakura, she wasn't stupid. Forbidden techniques, A-rank and S-rank the woman swore to take to her grave. If only Sakura were as strong and fearsome, she might have a half decent legacy to leave behind when she was no more. Her Genjutsu and intelligence were her leading qualities, so she'd been told. But with a sword she was no more talented than Konohamaru, her stamina was almost non-existent and her speed only gifted her opponents with a new hand in beating her.

It seems if she weighed her skills on a scale, the marker would be far off balanced.

She really did wish that Tsunade would only trust her more or teach her some new, anything. But the woman had very fixed ideas on what she wanted for her apprentice. Successful, billionaire kunoichi, was not one of them.

At Hanabi's young age, she should be training for her exam to become a Chuunin. Sakura could remember the days she spent training in her youth. They were not her fondest memories as the majority were riddled with near-death experiences. Gaara almost killing her in a fit of rage, ninja from other villages staring her down and the threat of not passing along with her teammates fuelling the rage she had for herself. And then Sasuke slowly left them all, only to return as a completely different person.

Or had he? Had he changed at all, really? He was cold then, and he was cold now. There was a certain hatred in his eyes Sakura could only compare to that she'd seen in enemy ninja's when they were about to land the final blow to their captured foe. There were some occasional smirks she had seen him give others, though maybe she had them confused with genuine happiness. He had never been happy with her and Naruto really. She was afraid, maybe it was her fault.

She had; after all, chased him at every chance she'd been given as an awed pink haired twelve-year-old. Looking back it now she was embarrassed by her actions, what had she seen in him? She wondered for a long while with her finger dug into the corner of her lip. Snapping back to reality, she struggled to remember what it was exactly that had had her fawning after him during every one of Kakashi's boring lecture/lessons.

"Was that okay, Sakura-sensei?" Hanabi asked breathing jaggedly. Sweat dripped from her hairline. Sakura blinked and then nodded.

"Yes, keep going." She instructed. The more Sakura watched Hanabi, the more she realised she was nothing like her older sister despite their similar looks. Her confidence at this age was a fresh surprise, but she was not full of herself like many now buried ninja Sakura had trained with during the Chuunin exams. She was grateful and polite and eager to learn anything Sakura could teach her.

Once she surpassed Sakura and noticed she didn't have much more to share she'd probably change her tune. But until then, she could enjoy the girl's company.

"Okay, that's good for today Hanabi." Sakura said rounding up the day's short lesson. Next lesson she would most likely be more prepared as she didn't have a mission schedule for some time in the future. Hanabi stopped and approached Sakura.

She smiled up at her happily. Sakura was confused. "What?" she laughed nervously. Hanabi continued to stare at her.

"You're very pretty." Hanabi told her casually. Sakura grinned nervously before laughing at Hanabi's bemused expression. Well, that wasn't something she heard every day.

"Uh, why thank you." She said. "Uh, is Wednesday okay for you next week?" Sakura asked. Hanabi nodded happily before sprinting off home.

Sakura could recall her shouting back, "I didn't realise it was so late! I have to get home! See you next Wednesday Sakura-sensei!"

Until then.

Hanabi was quick to return home. Whilst kicking off her sandals on the porch of the house she saw Neji walking around the side of the house towards her. He seemed surprised to see her where she was. "Hanabi? What are you doing out here." He said lowly.

Hanabi stepped up onto the porch and bowed before him respectfully. "I was training with Sakura-sensei. Didn't father tell you?" she asked. Neji shook his head.

"I hadn't been told, no. I take it she's your mentor?" Neji asked her. She nodded at him. "Good lesson?"

"Yeah, I'm seeing her again next Wednesday. She's really cool." Hanabi explained. Neji smiled a little then ushered Hanabi into the house.

"Not that way, come." He said steering her towards the corner he'd come from earlier. Hanabi wished to question him but as she tailed after him, expected he'd explain himself now they were definitely alone.

"Neji-san, what's the matter?" she asked him. Neji's expression was bitter although she could see him trying not to show it. Something was very wrong. Usually he could have a laugh and joke with her and her sister but it seemed there was something weighing his thoughts down.

Neji kneeled in front of Hanabi so that they were closer at eye-level. He took her shoulders in his hands and stared deeply into her bright eyes. "Hanabi, you trust me don't you?" he questioned her. She could feel the tips of his fingers lightly digging into her skin. He needed an answer, now.

"Of course I do." She answered him.

He sighed and dropped his head, not wanting her to see the anguish on her face. "I only want the best for you Hanabi. Please understand that even if…even if at times, it seems that I don't." he explained slowly. The sound of hurt was strong in his voice.

Hanabi touched her cousin's shoulder with her fingertips as he brought his gaze up to her face. "Neji-san, you're scaring me. What's wrong? Is it Hinata? Is she okay?" she began frantically. Neji inhaled deeply to keep himself from divulging too far into his darkest fears. Perhaps he was wrong with what he'd heard?

He hoped anyway.

"Father's up to something." He answered her grimly.

In a forest nearby the Uchiha compound, Sasuke walked alone. Through a mass of trees he came into a small clearing where directly in front of him was a tree with a flapping piece of paper on it. A kunai held it in place.

Approaching it cautiously, he sighed in distress. Sasuke reached out and took the note, the message was simple: Trust no one, complete your mission quickly. Sasuke crushed the paper in his palm as his eyes flashed red.

He didn't need to be told twice.

Upon returning to the quiet of his home, he anticipated that his mother would greet him with a smile as she left the kitchen to see him. But she was not there, and by his senses he could detect that his whole family had left. For a meeting probably.

When he entered the kitchen, a note with his name on it caught his eye next to a bowl of fruit that was on the counter. Sorry I didn't get to say goodbye before I left, your father was in a hurry. We'll be home around midnight – it said. Love you, mum – it was signed.

Sasuke smiled to himself; whilst they were gone he might as well make use of his time to continue with his mission.

Other than team leaders, there were no strict designated roles within an ANBU group. And from what Sakura knew, leaders usually rotated within group, keeping the strongest member as the automatic frontrunner.

Honestly she was still surprised with the knowledge she hadn't been provided with a scroll yet. As Kakashi and Tsunade had made her aware, like the other ranks, the ANBU tests could not be retaken. Also, if the seniors at any time began to think you were too weak to continue training, they would send you a scroll letting you know you hadn't been accepted and your uniform would be destroyed.

Rule breaking was also known to be the cause of a destroyed uniform.

Otherwise, your training would continue. And as many ninja had said to her, being ANBU meant there were always knew things to learn. Even the best of the best would consider their career, part of training to be the finest ninja they could be.

After locating the ANBU base, Temari and Sakura walked straight in.

The large echoing hall was filled with around twenty people plus four or five seasoned ANBU who were taking names to see who had turned up, and from the looks of it, everyone was there but Sasuke. Not that Sakura would be able to bring herself to look at him anyway.

"Is that skank talking to my Shika-chan?" Temari gasped, pointing over to where she could see Ino talking and laughing with Shikamaru. Choji and Kiba were nearby. "I'll drag her away by her extensions!" Temari charged towards the two; Sakura opened her mouth in protest then thought better than to interfere. And within a matter of seconds, the two girls were arguing as Shikamaru crept away.

In the corner of the room, Sakura spotted Tsunade and Orochimaru. She walked over and greeted them, observing Tsunade's sour expression.

"What's the matter, Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked worriedly. The woman shook her head tiredly and pinched the skin above the bridge of her nose. Orochimaru put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I had a meeting with the council earlier, and some other unwelcome visitors." She explained. "It was awful. Those people really know how to stress me out even more than usual, I swear if I ever get them alone I'll –" Orochimaru quickly clapped a hand over his partner's mouth.

He bent towards her and said, "I don't think that is for here, is it? Let's go while we're still sane." He instructed nodding at Sakura before he forcibly dragged Tsunade out of the building by her hair. Curse words flew across the room as some people watched the Hokage's fit of rage.

Sakura had to admit, it was funny to say the least. The control Orochimaru had over her was hilarious. Not that they'd ever admit they were a couple, but it was funny to see how they interacted with each other anyway. Orochimaru was good at defusing tension, as well as bringing it forth as well – just like his two teammates.

But that hardly mattered to Sakura. After her parents died, Tsunade and Orochimaru had been the closest thing she'd had to guardians. They weren't lovey-dovey towards her, nor did they mollycoddle her, but they were caring and upstanding members of the village. What more could she ask for?

After signing in at the desk of ANBU seniors, the first name was called for the newly ranked ninjas to get their tattoo done. In the waiting room, Sakura sat with her friends until her name was called and her tattoo was put it in place. It didn't hurt as much as she'd anticipated, and as was custom, had to be done in one whole sitting.

When it was finished, she was handed a mirror to see the artwork that had been bestowed upon her. She smiled at the man who had done it for her and then thanked him before leaving his company. Walking out from behind the surgical curtains in the corner of the room, she saw a new line forming.

"What's this for?" she asked Neji who stood in front of her. His arm was bandaged like hers. She'd noticed a while ago that the male ANBU usually had it on the left and the women usually on the right. Perchance, it made it easier to identify the gender of the ninja? Why that was important, she wasn't sure.

"To collect our masks." He replied.

"Oh, I didn't know we were getting them on the same day as our tattoos." She smiled. The anticipation in the room was exiting and when she very next in line to receive her boxed mask, her thumping heart seemed to block out all other noise in the room.

"Name?" the ANBU asked looking up at her tiredly, a list of words in front of him.

"Uh, Haruno Sakura." She said clearing her throat. He looked along the list and then looked up and down it again. He whispered something to the ninja beside him who was tending to the other line. And then he handed her a large box. "Next." He said, as Sakura took it.

Sakura pretty much ran home after receiving it, and after opening it, almost collapsed out of overwhelming happiness.

An hour or so after reaching home and on and off napping in bed, Sakura went downstairs to fix herself some dinner. "Huh?" she groaned as she spotted a scroll on the floor by her front door. She picked it up and then walked into the kitchen. She placed it on the counter and then got a packet of instant ramen out of her cupboard.

Whilst cooking, she eyed the scroll; she only ever received mail in the early mornings or late at night. Whilst staring at it, she could feel herself becoming more and more sceptical that it was something important if it was delivered at this time. Strange, she hadn't heard any noise at her letter box when she had been in bed.

When she sat down at her kitchen table and stretched her feet onto an adjacent chair, she tentatively started to unravel the parchment. Her eyes were meant with fine, elegant handwriting. No imprints or stamps upon the sturdy paper.

Slowly Sakura started to read it.

Sakura,

After recounting our latest mission, I have given some thought to extra training techniques which may be of some use to you. If you aren't interested, I will understand and you do not need to take any further action. Otherwise, please meet me at the training grounds tomorrow morning at nine for a lesson.

Itachi

Tucking into her food, Sakura allowed her bright greens to wander interestedly over the scroll again and again. She put her hands to her cheeks and sighed happily, laughing and moaning with ultimate cheer.

I'm gonna be the best kunoichi ever!

Training with Itachi was a euphoric experience. Sakura's adrenaline was pumping as she dodged and skated around Itachi's blows. He was currently teaching her new sword skills, almost as if he'd heard her earlier thoughts about wanting to improve her Kenjutsu. She was having a whale of a time and when it came to an end, sweating and panting, she was glad she hadn't hesitating in coming to meet him.

Nerves had her locked in her house just before leaving to meet him. She didn't know if she could do it, face him and perhaps embarrass herself with her skills which in comparison to his, probably paled it its entirety.

She was glad she'd had the courage to leave knowing she would regret it later if she didn't. After convincing her that they would take their training slow, Sakura hadn't once thought twice about the decision she'd made.

In the past, training with Kakashi had filled her with grief and misery as his attention was always on Naruto and Sasuke. And even when they'd left he'd simply turned his focus onto Sai who had recently been released from Root, the secret organisation Danzo put into place years back. She knew the way she was treated was due to her unremarkable background, but it still wasn't fair. She understood that more now.

Sakura could feel herself improving at every turn. "You can take a break now." Itachi told her after around two hours of non-stop sword clashing. She sheathed her sword and sat on a bench that looked onto the training grounds. Itachi joined her.

"How has your mentoring been going?" Itachi said taking a drink from his water-bottle. Sakura wiped her wet forehead with a rag and then loosened her now aching feet from her sandals. Sakura began to wonder just how much research Itachi must have done on her.

"Uh, good. Hanabi is a virtuous student. I think I'm lucky to have someone who co-operates with me so well." She admitted. She observed her sore feet to see they weren't that badly bruised but were in need on a hot bath. "She's also really positive about learning new things." She smiled then in the midst of a memory.

"I was like that when I was her age." She added nostalgically.

"What has changed now?" Itachi asked her questioningly. Looking at him his expression was difficult to read but he appeared friendly like always.

"Um, well I've grown up since then I guess." She said sadly. "When I was younger being on a team and being a ninja was fun but, that's not what it is all about. It's about helping people and protecting the ones you love. The job is dangerous and demanding."

At her wise words, Itachi agreed. "That is true." He nodded. "But if you have a good team behind you, it makes your job much easier."

"Mm," she groaned lightly. "I hardly see my team." She explained.

"But you care for them, don't you?" he questioned her.

"Of course." Sakura said shortly.

"And I'm sure they care for you." He pressed genially.

Sakura only nodded for the moment, and then decided to add, "Well I guess some of them do but not Sasuke. Sasuke hates me if anything to be honest." She instantly reprimanded herself. Why would she tell him this? Itachi would hardly be interested in her sad, unnecessary moaning. Her life should be of no curiosity to him.

Itachi made eye-contact. "I'm sure he doesn't. You are teammates, after all." He said warmly.

Sakura smiled at him thankfully but couldn't agree with Itachi on this one. "I wished you were right." She laughed, attempting to ease the pain it put her through. Sakura wished she could be strong like other ninja, the ones who didn't care whether they were loved or hated.

"You should never take your friends for granted. There will always be times where you need someone to rely on." Itachi said. Sakura acknowledge the truth in his words and the tone in which he had said it.

"Do you have any friends?" Sakura asked him suddenly. Wide-eyed she regretted her hasty, unfiltered question but once again Itachi didn't seem to be offended by her casualness around him.

"No, but I used to." He said slightly forlornly. Sakura blinked in surprise. It wasn't so much that Itachi couldn't have friends, but she couldn't imagine him being best buddies with someone.

Sakura hesitated before asking, "Would you mind telling me who?" Itachi looked over at her in surprise. Perhaps surprised that she seemed so interested?

"His name was Shisui, he was my cousin." Itachi put it plainly. His choice of words indicated that that was no longer the case. Again, Sakura hesitated in asking him why that was.

"Where he is now?"

"He passed away." Sakura could detect a small implication of sadness in Itachi's words. Suddenly she began to feel the gravity of his situation. She couldn't imagine losing all of those who were close to her. Lee and Choji, Ino and Temari. Tsunade and Orochimaru! If she lost them too, what would she do without them?

Sadness washed through her.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Sakura spoke timidly. In the back of her mind raised the question as to how his cousin had died but knew that was a line she shouldn't attempt to cross. Itachi had been unwary enough to share something personal with her, she wouldn't misunderstand his unguarded nature as familiarity.

"Thank you. He's in a better place now." Itachi looked out distantly where the sky and the ocean seemed to meet. As Sakura watched him, she noticed again how peaceful he was and in light of a situation such as losing a loved-one, could be so calm and relaxed.

"Naruto talks about you a lot." He then said. Sakura raised her eyebrows and wondered if Naruto ever spoke to the Uchiha. "I occasionally train with Jiraiya, often he speaks about Naruto's future with you." Perhaps he meant Hinata?

"Oh? Oh!" she said understanding his words. "No, me and Naruto are just friends." She maintained.

"But you care for him, do you not?" Itachi asked her again. Sakura didn't hesitate when it came to approving. Her friendship with Naruto meant the world to her, even if she didn't show it all the time like Naruto did with her. She had to be guarded, not to get hurt.

"Cherish your friends Sakura. They will need you in the future." He replied mimicking the words he used earlier. Sakura heeded his advice but honestly couldn't see why they'd need her specifically. If it was for medical assistance, she was sure Shizune or Tsunade would insist on her watching rather than getting stuck in.

"I wish Sasuke thought that." Sakura said leaning on her fist. "I don't even know why he turns up to training anymore, to be honest. In one of our latest lessons with Kakashi he tried to stab Naruto for no apparent reason. Kakashi had to step between them."

"If I am correct, that isn't the first time there has been conflict between them, is it?" Itachi asked. Did Sasuke talk about team seven when he was at home?

"Definitely not." Sakura claimed. "I don't know what's wrong with him." She said putting her head in her hands.

"If I knew how to make him happy, I would do it! But nothing we do seems to change a thing." Sakura expressed angrily. "I don't know where we went wrong. He wasn't always like this…" she remembered a time where Sasuke was almost just as bubbly and happy as Naruto as a child. What had happened to change him so drastically?

Then she looked up and glanced Itachi's way. "You live with him right? What is wrong with him?" she demanded to know. Itachi observed the desperation in her expression and sadness in her eyes. He exhaled a large breath.

Itachi's jaw clenched, he looked away. "Sasuke is not well." He said carefully wording his sentence.

"Sadly, he has a problem with accepting many things." Itachi said coldly. Sakura shook her head; she didn't understand him at all.

"He's ill? You mean like a disease?" Sakura was almost frantic. "If there's something wrong with him, he should be at the hospital, right? Seeking medical attention?" she stood sharply, ready to help if she could. Itachi knew these efforts to be in vain, but he was happy on the inside that someone like Sakura would try anyway.

Would she be so selfless to help if she knew the truth?

"If I had known I would have helped him, why didn't he say?" Sakura stared at Itachi who would not comment further on the matter. He stood slowly and collected his things.

"Keep your wits about you, Sakura." He warned disappearing.

When Itachi entered his house, he could feel the pulsating chakra of his brother coming from upstairs. He waited at the bottom of the stairway and sighed regrettably, he concealed his chakra signature quickly. It shouldn't be this way between us.

Sasuke soon made his way down and then moved around his brother towards the front door in effort to leave the house without question. "Sasuke." Itachi said, his voice was low with warning. Sasuke stopped in his path.

"Please don't do this. It doesn't have to be this way." Itachi continued, he started with a foot forward. Sasuke turned quickly and then eyed his brother with his Sharingan. His hand was readied on the sword strapped to his back. Itachi repudiated the challenge his brother issued against him.

"I won't warn you again, Itachi." Sasuke said daringly. "Stay out of my way." He began to walk out onto the front porch, Itachi sped up to catch him. He couldn't let his brother leave without trying.

"Sasuke, I can help you." Itachi tried. Sasuke laughed bitterly, there was anger in his flaming red eyes. An atmosphere of potent danger surrounded him when in a flash Sasuke drew his sword and aimed it at his brother's heart, the tip pierced Itachi's shirt.

Itachi mourned the loss of the brother he'd once had, but knew that on the inside that young boy still remained, somewhere. He would keep trying to find him, until the very end.

A/N: Hey guys! I anticipate the next chapter will be much longer than this so stay tuned! More ItaSaku coming your way :)

Also, if you want to suggest anything for this story, don't be shy to tell me! Auf Wiedersehen!