Title: Whisper-thin
Author: Novemberries
Characters/Pairing: Itachi and Sakura (ItaSaku), Extended Team 7, Genma, Shikamaru, Ino, Sand Siblings,…
Type: 2-chapter story (Incomplete)
Genre: Supernatural/Romance
Word Count: 1949
Raiting: T
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi. No money is being made from this story.
Completed on: 31OCT2019
Published on: 31OCT2019
Chapter Last Revised on: 31OCT2019

A/N Joy and salutations, Blessed Samhain and Happy Halloween! I've hoped to cough out a quickie before NaNoWriMo hits us all, but after all, this short story will be a 2-chapter instalment. Chapter 2 is on its way. Enjoy!

"The pagan Samhain is not, and never was, associated with evil or negativity. It has always been a time to reaffirm our belief in the oneness of all spirits, and in our firm resolution that physical death is not the final act of existence. Though death is very much a part of Samhain's symbolism, this sabbat also celebrates the triumph of life over death."

The pumpkin patch farm attracted undivided attention amongst Konoha citizens this October. Located just near the Southern gate, it was in the close proximity of the seasonal market as well as one of the best okonomiyaki bars, and it was just too simple to kill several birds with one stone.

Not one of those cawing jackdaws, round and giant from overindulging on the bar's leftovers. And look at that fat pigeon and his gang of buddies tailing behind. Don't try to aim a hit at them. They'll call reinforcements.

When Team Seven would be approaching, the first thing you would hear would be Naruto's voice. It was no different this time, when they left The Golden Cabbage and made their way to the pumpkin farm.

„Im so full!" The blonde exclaimed, patting his belly.

"Those okonkmiyaki are the best in town," Sai agreed politely.

Sasuke had his hands in his pockets, on the lookout for the entry to the farm. It was hard to miss with all the people streaming down the path and even Kakashi, his nose buried in his orange book as ever, would have little trouble navigating to the place where Team Seven was going to obtain pumpkins for carving. And for pumpkin cookies.

Sakura was humming to herself, her eyes sparkling, when she realized someone started to tail them. He had promised to come as well – and he had delivered his promise. She chanced a look behind her, but instead of a dark haired, handsome shinobi she saw nothing. She stopped and a gust of wind blew past her and she could swear she saw something move past the trees. A cold child crept over Sakura and she jogged back up to Naruto and Sasuke, looking back to check if this was just a trick of the light.

Never mind that. The pumpkin farm was just ahead them, and he will come later.

"Whoooaaa!" Naruto was running from one pumpkin to another and Sasuke just sighed, keeping an eye on his teammate, and on his sensei, who still looked lukewarmly interested in the orange vegetables, instead opting for laying against a tree, his attention on the orange book.

Her boys under control, Sakura looked discreetly around, but there was still no dark haired shinobi around. She made her way to an irregularly shaped gourd and assessed it. It had a beautiful colour under the warm rays of the afternoon sun. She could already picture where the eyes and mouth would be. A slightly crooked mouth, but since it was for Halloween...

"It looks perfect," said a silky voice near her ear.

Sakura almost jumped out of her skin.

"Itachi!" She twirled to him, an accusing finger pointed into the middle of his chest. "Good scare." Her face turned into a smile and she beamed even brighter when he leaned down to her to give her a quick kiss on her forehead, his warm hand encasing hers.

"I see you have chosen your pumpkin," he pointed to the irregularly shaped one she was debating just moments ago.

"Yeah, that one will do. By the way, were you trailing us earlier?" She looked up to him, shielding her eyes from the sun.

"No." His eyes darkened and with the sun illuminating his form from behind, he looked even more… dark than he already did. "I came here almost half an hour ago."

That was weird, Sakura thought. She could swear that it was Itachi's presence she had sensed earlier.

"What is it?" He asked, looking at her cautiously.

"I thought... Nevermind." Sakura flashed him a brilliant smile. "C'mon, we got pumpkins to haul."

When everyone had finally chosen all of their favourite pumpkins and after they had figured out a way to bring it to the Uchiha residence, where the party would be hosted, the sun had already managed to sink below the trees' canopy. Extended Team Seven plus Itachi plus Ino, who had come earlier to assist with the pumpkin choosing ceremony, had assembled near the entrance gate, but one person was missing.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto spotted him first and by the time Kakashi sauntered over to them, he had everyone's undivided attention.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," commented Naruto.

"I have to agree, Naruto-kun." Sai piped in, ever polite. "You are even paler than me, Kakashi-san."

"Eh?" The silver-haired jounin eyed them warily, seemingly only now returning to the present. He did look out of his element, like a pork fillet in a mismatching sauce.

"Everything all right, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked him, her eyes wide and filled with concern.

Everyone waited for his reply with bathed breaths and Kakashi ran a hand through his hair. It seemed that it was only after eternity that he finally smiled and replied feebly. "Yeah. All's fine. Let's go."

It wasn't a satisfying answer, but taking into account Kakashi's famed peculiarness, the topic was promptly and collectively dropped.

And so they left for the Uchiha estate to commence the pumpkin carving and the baking of the cookies. A certain pink haired girl, though, had her eyes on her sensei.

Because Sakura felt a prickling on the back of her neck when they were walking the path back to the main street. And Kakashi might have sensed something uncomfortable on his back, too.

But none of them was aware that indeed, someone's eyes were observing their departure.

Team Seven had invited all of their closest friends and acquaintances for the festivities of the next day's Halloween. The obvious choice for the party was the Uchiha compound, largely deserted– ouch, Sasuke-bastard, what was that for! You house is empty. It's only you and Itachi-san here.

Now, Naruto might not be the best narrator for this story, since he is not aware of all the surprises ahead of the party, so we will gently usher him to join his friends and let him do what he does the best – being a great friend and an awesome future Hokage.

But, my readers, none of the above changes the fact that something was hanging in the air since the morning of that day, the last day of October. And it wasn't the delicious smell of the cinnamon pumpkin cookies that Sakura, Hinata and Rei had baked the prior evening.

No.

It was something much more ominous.

Let us see, then, how the party was faring.

With all those decorations hanging around and the guests dressed their part the Halloween Party had officially begun. The candles were lit to the beats of Sasuke's music playing on Kiba's loudspeakers and famed cookies were disappearing at an alarming rate. But it was good. Even if too crowded to one of the host's tastes. Sakura stifled a laughter as she observed how Sasuke was trying to choose between enduring the crowd and enjoying his music being played on the excellent equipment, and simply running for his solitary peace, forget the music. However, squiffy Genma with Anko glued to his arm approached the younger Uchiha and unconsciously tampered with the host's escape plans.

The party was rolling. Good.

On her way to the kitchen to grab a refill pitcher of the orange juice, Sakura stopped to fix a makeshift cobweb that unsticked from the wall. Just a little bit of adhesive tape. A little bit more for that one damn stubborn thread…

"There is something else that needs fixing as well." Itachi's voice enveloped her without any advance notice and his warm hands neatened the spaghetti straps of her black dress. Sakura inwardly cursed the Uchiha's uncanny ability to be able to sneak upon her so easily, but her actions spoke something else.

She managed to stick that cobweb to the wall and then leaned into Itachi's back, while his hands gently squeezed her bare arms. The music was playing somewhere deeper in the house, the muted beats a background tune for her drumming heart.

"Only I have the privilege to see the fallen straps of your dress," he spoke softly to Sakura's ear, his warm breath causing goose bumps to rise in waves on her neck.

"Maybe I did this on purpose," Sakura breathed.

"Very bad girl." Itachi's husky voice together with his hands moving up and down her arms were making very bad things to her indeed.

A loud noise coming from the kitchen shattered the moment like a kunai thrown into a porcelain vase. Sakura tensed and reached for her kunai, hidden in her thigh strap.

"Sakura." Itachi's tone of voice made her look to him before she had a chance to charge into the kitchen. "This is a party. People drink and things break. I doubt it is a burglary."

"I have a bad feeling about this." She couldn't explain this, but something didn't feel quite right.

Itachi looked at her, long and hard, a true Anbu captain that he was. And then he nodded and on silent steps, they proceeded to the kitchen.

Sakura peered through the door – it was dark. It wasn't a good sign. She pushed the wooden door open and thankfully, they didn't squeak. She and Itachi soundlessly entered the kitchen and scanned it visually in search for the intruder.

Only the moonlight illuminated the space, casting dark shadows. The beats of music were reminding her that people were nearby and that Itachi was behind her and that those strange sensations she was experiencing since yesterday were just her overworked nerves and not some apparition from another world.

And then blood in her veins froze and she realised she was looking straight into the chest of a tall, dark wraith.

Kunai clattered on the floor and scream died on Sakura's parted lips.

"Uncle," Itachi greeted his relative in a toneless voice and flipped the light switch.

Sakura's heart lurched and then started to return to a normal rate. She had realised that what she was looking at was a mass of unruly, wild, black hair, a kitchen knife in one of the perpetrator's hand, a knife covered with sticky white bites, while the other hand was holding onto a plate with a large piece of layered cake.

"You kids promised this party won't be loud," Madara drawled, his sharingan boring impassionedly into Itachi and ignoring Sakura's presence completely. Just enough so that a vein started to erupt on her temple and her fist ached to dig into Itachi's uncle jaw. "I have ancestors to greet, Itachi."

"Please bear with it, uncle."

Madara "hn'd" in a way not entirely unfamiliar to Sasuke and after he put the dirty knife to the sink did he set his scarlet gaze on Sakura. "Now, I seem to be intruding." The older Uchiha smiled. "Have fun, kids." Without making a sound, Madara made to leave the kitchen through the second set of doors, but stopped halfway, turning to them one more time. "And don't destroy my pumpkin. The one on the windowsill," he added as an afterthought. And then left.

Sakura breathed a dragon's breath through her nostrils and slowly turned to face Itachi. It didn't help that he was one full head taller than her.

"One day I'm going to beat your uncle to a pulp and smear him over Konoha's trees." She drawled, but her emotions got all stirred and shaken and thrown off balance when Itachi's eyes turned very dark and very deep and slowly, he again fixed the spaghetti strap of her dress.

"You look beautiful when you're angry." He took her hand and placed a delicate, hot kiss on her knuckles.

Sakura sucked in her breath. "Itachi… Let's get this juice to the party."

The Uchiha chuckled from the depth of his chest. "Very well, my cherry blossom."