It was an important Anbu mission, but one that didn't leave any lasting impressions on him. Nothing seemed to challenge Itachi Uchiha these days and he was getting stagnant.

His mind was on this as he and his senpai Shisui Uchiha jumped on the rooftops of Konohagakure's establishments on their way home to the Uchiha district, when he spotted a familiar figure—familiar figures—below: a pink-haired girl standing too close to a black-haired boy, the latter trying to brush off the former.

"He seems to be having fun," Shisui smiled unironically, pausing beside him.

"Does he?" Itachi asked, observing Sasuke's annoyed face from a distance.

"He does. You really need to brush up on your EQ, my friend," the curly-haired Uchiha replied, shaking his head solemnly, then pausing to look at his best friend and mentee. "Why don't you ask her out."

Itachi stared.

"Sakura Haruno?"

"Yes, Sakura Haruno. She's a fine kunoichi, beautiful and accomplished. And kind. Rare these says." Shisui made a 'tsk' sound.

Itachi stared some more. Shisui usually gave him advice on the application of battle tactics he thought up in his head, advice he always took, but this was different.

"Trust me, it'll be good for you both," Shisui winked at him.

Itachi frowned, wondering who "both" referred to. Then he realized Shisui was probably right: he did need to at least try to improve his social skills.

His eyes followed his little brother as the younger Uchiha was able to finally walk away from the girl and head home.

Sasuke still appeared to be in a bad mood when Itachi came in.

"So it's safe to say you don't like her, right?" He called out as he took off his sandals.

Sasuke groaned into his almost finished tea. He knew who his big brother was talking about.

"For the last time, nii-san, no, I don't like her."

"Good."

...

"...What?"

...

"Shisui..."

"What?"

"I didn't even say anything yet."

"You didn't have to!" Really? Shisui? Sasuke thought, barely able to wrap his mind around the concept.

"Why are you bothered, Sasuke? I thought you didn't like her?"

"Just because I don't like her doesn't mean I don't—he's—he's—" Forward. Too forward. And old. But Sasuke was too embarrassed to continue.

Instead, he turned to his big brother just in time to see the latter shaking his head.

"He made the suggestion that I take her out."

Sasuke stared.

"On... a date, Sasuke."

"Oh." He got that, he just didn't know what to say.

...

"And since you said it's okay..."

"Of course it is," Sasuke said quickly, looking away. "I only thought..."

"Well then, it's settled," Itachi nodded. "Next time she asks to walk home with you, let her tag along and introduce us, would you, otouto?"

"I... okay," Sasuke said quietly. What just happened? He thought. When Itachi went inside their house to find Sasuke grumbling about Sakura Haruno wanting to walk him home again, Sasuke thought his big brother would be going about the usual teasing route with him, but apparently... he wanted to ask her out? Granted, his senpai told him to, but that didn't make it any less of a surprise.

Sasuke shook his head, trying to clear it, and stared at his brother as he took the stairs to his room.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke cringed at her voice, and kept walking, although slowing down a bit for the kunoichi to catch up.

"Sa-su-ke-kun," Sakura said all sing-songy, cutting in front of him and leaning forward only to look up at his tense face. "You've been avoiding me," she pouted.

"No I haven't," he grumbled guiltily.

"Hmm, you have! For the past three days, you've been hurrying away from us after missions!"

"I've just been tired, that's all."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at that. Their missions had all been Cs, and even she would have complained along with Naruto if it had lasted more than a few days. They were all chuunin, for Kami's sake!

"Sasuke-kun, are you okay? You seem... out of it."

"What? Of course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be?"

"Hmm," the pink-haired kunoichi pouted, taking in the face she had known all these years. He was definitely lying. His face looked almost blank, but there was this knot between his eyebrows that made her reach out and (although Sasuke jumped, he let her) press little circles on it until it disappeared.

"Why don't I walk home with you?" She smiled, always constant, no matter how many times he rejected her request.

She thought she saw Sasuke flinch, but didn't think much of it. She knew what he was going to say—

"Oh, well, maybe next—"

"Okay."

"—ti—huh?"

"Come on before I change my mind," he chose to say, and started walking again.

"What made you, in the first place?" Sakura took hurried steps to catch up, flustered but delighted—and he suddenly didn't know what to say.

"My brother... wanted to meet you," he settled, gauging his words.

"Meet me? You told him about me?" Sakura said, flirtatiously batting her eyelashes in an exaggerated manner but her smile was so wide it didn't really work if she was planning to tease. She looked absolutely overjoyed.

"He already knew who you were, you're my teammate," Sasuke said, looking away. "But he uhh... actually wanted to ask you out."

Sakura's wide toothed smile faded to a closed mouth one, then to a curious frown.

"Wait... what?" When he heard this, Sasuke stole a glance at her and saw she was blushing slightly.

"He doesn't like you or anything," he found himself snapping.

"Oh," the kunoichi said in a small voice.

"Shisui told him he needed to improve his social skills or something—"

"Oh," she almost whispered, now with an audible wobble to her voice.

Dammit, Sasuke.

"Itachi-nii san... asked you to introduce us?"

"I—yeah."

"And you said it was okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

...

"Sasuke-kun I don't think I'm up to walking you home, after all," she said in a small voice. Sasuke inwardly scolded himself because she was definitely holding back emotion. He screwed up somehow.

They both stopped walking.

"Sakura, I—"

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said and turned to the other direction.

He felt a strange mixture of guilt and... relief? He shook his head at the thought.

"Oh and," Sakura said, turning her head slightly back towards him. "Tell Itachi nii-san to meet me tomorrow after our mission by the a-un gates".

Sasuke stared at her retreating back until it was out of sight.

Sasuke had watched Sakura closely, looking for signs of distress but to no avail. She seemed her normal cheerful self, saying good morning with a big smile on her face, except she didn't linger by him anymore. It was subtle so he was the only one who noticed, if there really was anything to notice in the first place.

It's a good thing, he thought. At least she isn't being annoying anymore.

But he couldn't shake the feeling that he should apologize somehow, though for what, he didn't know. But this knot in his stomach was more bothersome than her lingering, that's for sure. He'd been trying to get her alone all day but they were always surrounded by the other two. It was the end of the day now, and he should hurry up before she had to meet his brother.

"Sakura-chaaaan," he overheard Naruto say loudly to the kunoichi as they steadily approached the a-un gates. "I'm hungry!"

"And what am I supposed to do about that, Naruto?" the girl asked, probably rhetorically, but that didn't stop the blond from answering.

"Buy me a bowl of ramen?" He was nothing if not persistent. "It could be a date, if you want!"

"No I don't want to go on a date with you, you idiot!" Sakura often said this to Naruto, but there was always a soft tone to it, and the blond never took it to heart anyway. These days, especially, it was more of a routine invite, because the relationship between the two was more brother and sister than anything.

"Fine, no date then," Naruto pouted. "But ramen? Pleeeeaaaase?"

"I can't, I—I have somewhere to be."

Sasuke had been keeping his eyes ahead of him this whole time but glanced sideways at Sakura's words, and found that she was looking anywhere but at the three boys around her.

"Really?" Kakashi asked, suddenly interested. "Where would that be?"

"Nowhere," she walked faster, obviously uncomfortable.

"Sakura-chan, you're blushing," Naruto remarked, frowning. "Are you going on a date with teme?!" Naruto almost screamed the question, glaring at Sasuke.

"N-no," Sakura stammered, but she was far ahead already so nobody could see her face.

"Not with you?" Naruto was still glaring at the Uchiha, but curious now. "But with who?"

Sasuke was about to say "With whom" when a soft voice called out from beyond the gates.

"Sakura-san."

"Ah, Itachi-nii san," they heard the kunoichi greet in the formal way. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"You, as well," the shinobi smiled sweetly, which looked oddly out of place because he was still clad in his deadly Anbu uniform. "You don't have to be so formal with me."

"Itachi-nii! Hey!" Naruto waved enthusiastically at the older Uchiha.

"Naruto, Sasuke. Senpai." Itachi bowed to Kakashi, which the latter awkwardly waved off, smiling through his mask.

"Itachi-nii, would you buy me ramen? Sakura-chan here won't get me one because she's going on a date with another guy and teme is acting all weird about it, so I figured I shouldn't ask him because he'd rather brood at home! Hehe," Naruto finished, grinning ear to ear.

Sakura tried to make her face look as blank as possible but the effort was in vain as her face's pinkness rivaled her hair's.

"That's not—" Sasuke began.

Itachi looked at his brother, then back at the blond.

"Actually, I can't buy you ramen, Naruto."

Kakashi looked at the strange scene before him.

"Ahh. I see," the jounin said. "Well, how about I treat you to some ramen, boys? Itachi and Sakura have somewhere to be and we're holding them up."

"Eeeeh?!" Naruto exclaimed, then stared at the older Uchiha. "Itachi nii? Are you—are you going out with Sakura-chan?"

"I am," the Uchiha said, smiling at the boy.

"But—but—" the orange-clad shinobi looked back and forth between his rival and his rival's brother, not quite comprehending the situation. "But what about teme?" He asked Sakura, getting in between the older Uchiha and the kunoichi.

If Sakura had anything on her mind, she didn't let on.

"What about me, you idiot?" Sasuke grabbed his irritating teammate away from his brother and Sakura. "I'll see you at home, nii-san," he nodded to his big brother.

"Well then, we'll go ahead," Itachi said, and turned to the kunoichi. "Let's go?"

"Yes!" She smiled radiantly, glowing in the orange sunset.

Well, she seems elated, Sasuke thought as the two walked away. His big brother was handsome, and kind, and an Anbu too. He would be quite a catch for the kunoichi.

Then again, Sakura was a catch, too. Disciple of the fifth Hokage, the brilliant chuunin was even said to be possibly on her way to becoming a full-fledged jounin if it weren't for the politics and tradition that surrounded the kunoichi promotions. Aside from being fearsome on the battlefield, she was quite the medical nin. He was sure she and his nii-san would get along. And probably bond over their love of sweets.

"Ne, Teme," a too loud whisper interrupted his thoughts. "Are you sure that's okay?" Naruto was frowning at the direction Itachi and Sakura went.

"Why are you asking me?" The younger Uchiha scowled.

Naruto looked at him like he swallowed his own bunshin.

"You know, you always call me an idiot but you should—"

"Boys, boys," Kakashi sighed. "Let's not be rude. Why don't we just go get that ramen?"

"No thanks," Sasuke said. He should be going home and helping his mother with dinner, anyway.

Naruto smirked maliciously. "See, you are bothered!"

"Sasuke, are you—" Kakashi started.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Sasuke sighed and walked away.