I'm pretty happy with this chapter. It was cuter than I expected.

Read. Rate. Review. Be jolly and enjoy green tea!

She tried to ignore his eyes but it wasn't working. His gaze was unwavering and it made her skin burn. He had been gracious enough not to say anything about her dream but she was pretty sure he had heard something. She couldn't imagine he knew it had been about him. Though she had a habit of talking in her sleep when she was exhausted or so she had been told. She felt her anxiety rises. Oh shit, what if she had said his name in her sleep. She was prepping for her guard shift, something one usually did alone, but he was siting by the fire watching her. She flushed. The way his dark eyes blazed was a little too reminiscent of her dream. This was the worst. She tried to pretend it was Sasuke in hopes of calming down. He still had the bad habit of staring at someone without wavering or saying anything. Itachi did not cover the lower half of his face however. She wished he would. It wasn't fair to stare like that with features that fine. Funny, how similar the Uchiha boys' features were but Sasuke's did nothing for her in comparison.

She didn't want to admit how much she wanted him. It wasn't practical and she didn't exactly feel like going back to her Uchiha crazed youth. She groaned. There had to be something in the water at the Uchiha compound. They were all impossibly beautiful. From their faces to their dark eyes and hair, even the way they walked, it was all too fine. She was going to lose what little sanity she had left.

Maybe there was more to her anger towards the list than simple concern for her friends. Maybe she was jealous. She certainly felt the beginnings of an annoying prickle of the sickening emotion in her gut when she thought about Itachi being Anko. She didn't have a claim on him and it would be foolish to pursue one. She sighed to herself. If Tsunade had approved it, then it was for the best. And Mikoto wasn't one to over look the best interest and happiness of her sons. She would just have to get over this silly little crush she had. Itachi would work his way through the list and find someone to settle down with. She scoffed at the docility of it. How mundane.

"Sakura." She heard from the fire. She turned her head slightly towards the sound. Itachi was looking at her with his usual blank face. She wanted to look away. The fire was flickering and the light danced against his skin. He looked... devestating. She would be a fool not to be attracted to him. It didn't help that he was actually rather charming when he wanted to be and their conversations were always interesting. She had a deep respect for him. Well, that and a deep attraction. "You appear to be troubled."

Her eyes widened, "What gave you that idea?"

"You groaned and sighed in a short span of time. Also, your brow is furrowed."

Without thinking she touched her fingers to her forehead. They were indeed drawn in and down. She made an effort to smooth her brow. So much for covert panicking. She let out a silent sigh. It was just her luck. She couldn't keep her composure. She really should ask Kakashi for lessons or perhaps a spare mask. "I'm fine. Just fine," She said a little too quickly.

He didn't bother to reply. She was grateful for it. She had learned over the years that conversations with an Uchiha had a tendency to be cut short. She gave him credit for even bothering to ask. Sasuke usually just told her to get her head out of the clouds and focus on the mission. He also usually came home with a few bruises that weren't acquired in action. He should know better. Sakura was on the last guard before they would resume their travels so she went back to packing her things up. She would have to thank whomever had set up her tent.

"Hey, Itachi." He was still staring. "Who pitched my tent?"

"That would be me. Though Shino carried you."

She flushed. Just great. She didn't feel like she had to proved herself exactly but it was her first time working with Anko and her first real mission with Itachi. The idea of leaving her duties to others and being burdensome didn't sit well with her. She would apologize when they were traveling again. She closed her bag and stood, stretching her arms over her head. She just needed to brush it off. She finally felt decently rested.

"Thank you," she said softly, "You don't have to watch me, you know. I'm capable of keeping watch for a few hours." She gave a soft smile so that he understood she wasn't upset by his presence.

He rose from his spot by the fire and she thought he was going to enter his tent. Instead he approached her. She was tempted to step back. He was just close enough to touch her. His hand came up to cup her face. His thumb traced the delicate skin under her eye gently. His eyes were warm and she couldn't look away. Her pulse was rapid and she knew her cheeks were flushed. His mouth turned up at the corner slightly before he spoke.

"You look more well rested. Though a bit more would have been best." His voice was low and soft. She was overwhelmed with tenderness. She couldn't help but want a thousand moments like this.

She turned her head slightly to the other side and pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Did I really look that tired?" She asked with a laugh.

"Perhaps not to someone who does not know you well." He said before stepping towards her. His hand was pressed into the side of her neck, fingers splayed into the hair at the nape.

She looked at him in amusement. "And you know me well?"

"I know you better than you think." He said in a voice so deep that it made her toes curl. She couldn't help it if her chest filled with anticipation. It was the same voice from her dream. The dream she was trying to forget about. "Tell me, Sakura," he said her name so much emphasis that she felt as though she were the only person in the world, "do you dream of me often?"

Her eyes went wide. He was amused. He was making fun of her. She felt anger rise in her throat and disappoint in her chest. She smacked his hand away from her neck. He was smirking at her now. She wanted to punch him but she knew he would catch it.

"You're an ass." She hissed and stepped on his toes with full force. She turned her back to him and began running the perimeter, hoping he wouldn't be here when she got back. She was never sleeping again!

Definitely some Shino/Sakura jealousy inducing interactions in the next chapter and some Anko. I finally figured out what I'm doing with this story to a certain degree.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed. let me know what you think in the reviews! Sorry for the wait.