The bittersweet one

Hey minna-san!

I'm soooo sorry for the delay… I'm up to my eyes with homework and stuff at the moment, so I couldn't really write in useful periods. It was always a kinda ten minute shift with writing, so that's why I took so long writing and uploading it. That sucks, I know… -.-

You all doing good? Hope so 'cause you need to be happy while reading an ItaSaku fanfic. Don't ask me why, I had a long talk with my Inner about that topic yesterday and what should I say? This was the conclusion we got to. Uh huh. You have to be happy because most ItaSaku ffs are beginning so sad… 'sniffles' Ignore her, she has been a cry-baby the whole day. Meanie! At least one of us has to show emotion! At least I am sane. Said it and talked to her alter ego… how's that sane?! Oh, dear God, help me! Just go stalk Inner Itachi, I won't stop you anymore! But don't you even try sobbing after he turned you down. Oh, yeah, well, then I don't. See you later, psychotic freak. Geez, why do I have to have such a strange Inner?

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, you would have seen the first ItaSaku moments long ago.

Chapter 4

Remembering the attack

"You would look more convincing if you stopped looking like the embodied drama." Itachi commented the girl's actions. She raised an eye-brow at him.

"You would look more threatening if you gave up already. S-class criminals shouldn't lie in the dirt, you know?" His eyes became darker. "Hn. I give up. For now." "Trying to restore our honour, are we?" Sakura smirked at him. "Just follow me to our leader, kunoichi."

"I see you're back, Sakura-san, Itachi. How was the fight?" Konan wanted to know. "It was quite entertaining. The Mangekyou is a little troublesome, but not invincible." The pink-haired female declared truthfully. Kisame gaped. "Told you so, Kisame." Zetsu stated. "Did she really beat you, Itachi?" The origami mistress queried, refusing to believe the facts. "Hn." The Uchiha answered, looking to the floor. Whatisthat? He's sulking? Must be the Uchiha pride again. Just like Sasuke-teme. I think he is more embarrassed, that he, the Great Uchiha Itachi, was actually defeated by a pink-haired girl. He should be thankful. I mean, his Mangekyou sucks. "Well… that surprises me. I didn't think you would win against Itachi. This outcome makes the decision easier and obvious though, doesn't it? Kisame, Itachi, Zetsu! I want you to welcome our newest member into our organization: Haruno Sakura!" Blue eyes were glued on her. The medic-nin bowed. "Before I join, I have one thing to do." One hand took the forehead-protector with the leaf-symbol and cut right trough it, leaving a deep scratch upon it. Her action earned a loud applause of Kisame, a nod from Zetsu and a warm smile of Konan. Itachi didn't even look, but went on with the important stuff. "Where should the kunoichi stay? We haven't got any rooms available for the time being." "How about she lives with you then, Itachi? Until her own room is available, that is." The blue-haired woman retorted smiling. "And what about her robe and ring?" Kisame interrupted surprisingly fitting the situation. "Sakura-san will get some of mine until we have her own done and for the ring… how about she gets Deidara's?" Konan thought aloud. Then, noticing the sudden silence, she began to smile creepily normal. "You're dismissed. Itachi, bring Miss Sakura to your room. I want you to tell her the necessary information. Before that, Miss Sakura and you should get some rest. Eat when you're up to it." The missing-nin grunted acknowledging the order. Sakura halted, though, turning to the blue-haired woman. "You don't need to call me Miss, leader-sama. It's just Sakura." "As you wish, Sakura."

"Here." Itachi finally said and stopped in front of a door, after the two of them had been going through the whole base, or so it seemed. I feel so worn out. Who'd blame you? You've been effin' walking for forty-five minutes straight! Damn, even my mental feet hurt. Let's hope there's a comfortable bed! The exhausted girl watched as the genjutsu-using Uchiha opened the door to reveal an unexpectedly welcoming room for a criminal. It was so surprising that Sakura nearly lost her cold façade. "Stop gaping, kunoichi. It's your temporarily room. It's my room usually and now that we have to share, I want you to abide by my rules. Is that clear?" The Mangekyou was kind of roasting the pinkette's back, but she wouldn't give a damn whether he glared at her or not. "First off, I wasn't gaping, I was checking the room for any danger, or would you trust anyone that fast, Uchiha-san? Second, there is no way I'm going to be your little maidservant. Is that clear?" She looked at him, daring him to a challenge. The weasel didn't seem affected, though. "First rule: Do not be fractious. Second rule: Do not question my leadership or rules. Third rule: Do not change anything in this room unless I told you so. If you don't obey, I'll punish you." Crimson eyes dug into jade ones. Sakura couldn't stifle a yawn. "Gomen, Uchiha. I'm not in the mood for an argument right now, so I just do what you want from me, but please let me have a shower and sleep first before I say yes totally…." "No." The blunt answer came. The stoic direct Uchiha-ish type of answer. "You know what? Go to hell, weaselboy!" The medic-nin hissed and stomped off in the other direction and around a corner until a 'thump' could be heard. Waiting for a few minutes in complete silence without hearing another word, the raven-haired young man began to wonder about what had happened. He could still feel her chakra, so he followed her trail only to find her sleeping on the floor around the corner. Uchiha Itachi smirked. She's quite unique. Who knew a cold stone floor could be used as a bed? Well, I cannot leave her here. Two strong hands picked up the sleeping girl, noticing her petiteness for the first time and taking her to bed.

Emerald green eyes opened when their owner felt being carried. "Uchi…ha? Why are you…carrying me?" The young woman's voice was heard as a sleepy whisper. "Should I've let you sleep on the floor?" The kunoichi said before drifting back to sleep. Itachi couldn't help but chuckle. He stepped into his or now their room and laid the cherry blossom on the bed. He carefully put the blanket over her and wanted to go to the bathroom for a shower when he noticed she wouldn't let go. "What is it?" The criminal queried somewhat angrily, now full aware that she was awake again, and turned around. "Arigatou for carrying me, but…this is your bed… I can sleep on the floor, you know?" The man frowned, but kept on saying nothing. "I wouldn't mind sleeping there, I'm used to it. I have thought about the things you said before I passed out. I think you're right, it's your room after all and so I have to obey… well, I don't want to sound unmannerly now… but since I'm all sweaty, would you mind to let me take a shower?" In the meanwhile, Sakura had got up and looked at her new more or less comrade pleadingly. Obsidian eyes blinked, once, twice. The weasel sighed. "You're annoying, kunoichi." "This quote runs in your family… may I take a shower now or not?" "Yes… but no sissy perfume of yours is to be used in there." He grinned at her, enjoying the fact she wasn't allowed to retort. The pinkette shrugged, chewing on something and then putting a little undefined package back into her pouch. "I advise you to leave my stuff alone, too, by the way." With that the girl headed towards the bathroom, therefore wandering through the whole maroon painted room until she reached a simple, dark brown wooden door. She entered the bathroom and shut the door close.

The red-eyed weasel sat down on his bed and sighed once again. You'll pay for this Konan. For sure. What was the thing she chewed, though? She seemed to be more hyper after taking this stuff. Drugs? Whatever… she must have either bad stamina or a high amount of 24- hour-shifts for making her pass out sleeping like this. Why do I think about those things, anyways?! This kunoichi is just weird and that's it. Eventually he laid back, trying to relax.

The emerald-eyed blossom looked around the bathroom. It was rather luxurious compared to her own in Konoha. She assumed that hers was less than half that big. The room had a tub, a shower, a toilet and a big mirror above the washbasin. Amazing. If I had known about this earlier, I would have joined Akatsuki long ago. Shannaro! That's one heck of a bathroom. Let's see, tub or shower? Itachi wants to use the bathroom, too, so I'll take a shower. Stupid weasel, always ruining the fun. We don't even know that yet, though I have the feeling you're right. Sakura shook her thoughts off and put out her shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. She had learnt to take a shower quickly, but efficiently; It took her less than three minutes to do so. After her short, refreshing shower, she choose to wear blood-red hot pants and a black fishnet with a similar blood red sports bra-like tee over it, like the one Ino uses to wear, only that Sakura's wasn't purple and also way shorter. Actually it was revealing as much as a bikini top would. Nevertheless Sakura didn't feel too exposed because her belly was still somewhat covered by the fishnet. The goody-goody-looking biast Op yawned. "Time to take a nap." She grabbed her stuff, until she noticed that she had forgot something. She put out a vial with a yellowish liquid and sprayed a tiny amount of it on her neck and cleavage. Carefully putting the vial back, she opened the door. "Arigatou, Uchiha-san. Bathroom's available now." She went over to the bed, watching the relaxed criminal. She raised an elegant eyebrow. He's fallen asleep? Seems I really was some challenge. "I need to wake him up. I should at least try to do so." She mumbled to herself, playing with a bubble-gum coloured strand of her hair.

"Uchiha-san, you can take a shower now, I'm done." No reaction. The kunoichi moved closer. "I want to tell you that the bathroom is open again." The weasel stirred, but didn't wake. "Uchiha Itachi-san, would you please wake up? I still don't know where to sleep." The beast now sat next to the man, leaning over him expectantly, but still far enough to not interfere with his privacy. Her hair was not really dried nor neatly combed when suddenly a water drop fell down on the pale face of the sleeping Uchiha. Feeling the coldness of the droplet, crimson eyes fluttered open, gazing into emerald green orbs. "May I ask why you woke me up, kunoichi?" Neither was there sleep evident in his voice nor any embarrassment because of their rather Sleeping Beauty-like position. Konohagakure's extraordinary flower answered bluntly: "You liked to take a shower a while ago. And you still haven't stated clearly where I had to sleep." Itachi nodded and disappeared, only to reappear next to the bed with a futon, a blanket and a pillow, handing those to Sakura. "You'll sleep there." He said, pointing towards the floor left of the bed. "Thank you." The young woman sat down on her futon and combing her hair neatly, then laid down, closed her eyes, beginning to dream almost immediately.

Here we are. Indeed. Loos like the perfect surroundings for a nice battle. We've got trees, open land, a stream and the head quarter itself is underground. Wonderful.Haruno Sakura stood on a tree branch, near the head quarter of Akatsuki and it was right before the ultimate attack she had figured out. The plan, the leadership it was all hers. They could not lose. The only bad thing: The pinkette, once again, could not share her blitheness with someone as she was ordered to seem as an ordinary ANBU. It's more like we order ourselves to do so. Damn it, how I'd like to see Sasuke-teme's face, when hearing I was leading and planning this. I did this, dear. I am you, sweetheart. You know, we should go back to our "leader". Of course, Shikamaru will be waiting already. Damn this job, I want to tell someone. Me too, but let's keep still and enjoy this in silence. She dusted her black ANBU outfit off and left the branch as a pinkish-black blur.

"Gomen." The beast apologized to Nara Shikamaru, the one leading their ANBU squad. It had six members, for being a WAE-S-mission, a "wariness absolutely essential-severe case" mission. The team was led by Shikamaru and it consisted of Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata, Yamanaka Ino and Sai. Their team was Aurora, meaning it was the one going full front according to Sakura's plan. The other teams, Forenoon, Noon, Dusk and Eve would follow them in battle, after being signalled by Sakura's altered Kage Bunshins. "No big, the signal hasn't even come yet." Now. The next second a female ANBU with silvery hair going to her shoulders and a tanuki mask appeared. She handed Shikamaru a scroll and left. "Seems a little shy this one, eh?" Naruto whispered to Sakura. She smiled agreeably, relieved that it wasn't getting anyone suspicious in secret. "Okay, guys, the beast chief made us team Aurora. Meaning, we'll infiltrate the head quarters first. He even thought of a strategy for us. Hinata walks first row, telling us the enemy's whereabout's with Naruto as the fastest protecting her, Ino and I follow with a little distance, ready to bind any opponent and Sakura and Sai will be the ones charging all around us or rather the ones in the offensive. Use your headphones if you need help. Clear?" The emerald-eyed ANBU smiled behind her mask. Shikamaru's grown quite active in battle lately. Must be Ino's good influence. "Understood!" They answered in unison, getting into their required positions.

Minutes later, the six absolutely masked ninjas heard Hinata's voice through their headset. "Base entrance in front of us, sealed simply, but supported with exploding tags. We need two of you to settle the tags while we are undoing the seal, please." "Help you there." Ino and Shikamaru answered. "Sai and I guard you." Sakura uttered decisively. When they were standing in front of the hidden entrance, the formerly weak kunoichi thought of their advantage. There's no sign of Pein's rain, that says a lot. They must have thought to be safe here. As if one hiding jutsu could bar us from invading that base. Pathetic. "Got it!" "Hai!" The four ninjas undoing the useless hiding jutsu and traps yelled at the same time. Now! The black clad cherry blossom thought, summoning team Forenoon with her second Bunshin. This team was led by Hyuuga Neji and consisted of Tenten, Rock Lee, Aburame Shino, Akimichi Chouji and Inuzuka Kiba. Within two minutes the second team was by their side. "Anything suspicious so far?" Neji queried Shikamaru, who shook his head no. "Okay, let's get in there, shouldn't we?" Naruto was really eager to fight that day. "We have to wait for orders from this attack's leader." As if on cue, another Bunshin of Sakura's appeared, now looking like Sakura with long green hair and red eyes. She gave the emerald eyed pink-haired woman the scroll who nodded for the clone to disappear, opened the scroll and read it. "Okay, everyone: I need you, you, you, you, you and you." The Haruno said and looked at her new subordinates. It was Neji, Hinata, Naruto, Kiba, Lee, Chouji and her. She wasn't allowed to tell their names on a mission because they were on an extremely dangerous one. "We now are Team Noon, which will be led by me. The others form team dusk, Aurora's leader will do the directing there. Come here for the details, please." "Troublesome." The Nara mumbled, stepping towards Sakura. "You will be the last resort, if we have trouble handling them and a few flee, you and your team will bind and capture them. That's why you're the more defensive ones. We will visit lion's cave. Wish us luck." The pink-haired ANBU waved one hand as a sign for her group to enter the enemy's territory.

Team Noon's leader was absolutely calm. She knew they were going to win. They were walking through a dark corridor at the moment, their chakra signatures masked and their movements quieter than the silence surrounding them. The next moment, Sakura stopped. There is someone watching us. She got into a fighting stance, closing her eyes and feeling for the almost invisible chakra again. "Everyone, let's start!" She yelled and used a few shuriken to get her first opponent out of his hiding. "You're a good girl. But Tobi is better. Ne, leader-sama?" Sakura dodged last minute when a glass katana was thrown at her from her left side, out of the dark. "Let's see if there is more fun that way!" The beast did some hand seals and in a few seconds the ceiling and upper part of the base was thrown away by the rest of the ground. Awesome! I have to thank Yamato-san after this. "Amazing technique, little lady." The leader of Akatsuki, Pein, stood now right in front of her, smirking at her. From the corners of her eyes she saw Hinata and Lee fighting against Zetsu, who was having a hard time. Next to her was Tobi, trying to cope with Neji, Kiba and Chouji. "You think? Tell me, where are the other members?" She spat out the question with venom. "I'm afraid to tell you that it's only me, Tobi and Zetsu. I don't know where the others are." He watched her eyebrows furrow. Hell no! That's not good. Nor bad. Look, as long as you get the leader and this Tobi, Akatsuki is split up. Just capturing them would be a great thing. Seems right. Let's go get them. "You're not lying. How come? Cannot resist a woman?" She jumped a few feet away from him, out into the free land around the base again. "What's that? Afraid of me, kunoichi?" The orange-haired man snickered at his own remark. The ANBU member shrugged and took out a few senbon. She moved further away from her enemy, threw her weapons and made some hand seals. The senbon were aimed at his heart, head and abdomen. Being the experienced ninja he was, Pein dodged them. Unfortunately he was the type of ninja who dodged last minute and so he couldn't keep one already dodged senbon making his altered way towards his eye. All of a sudden a painful scream was heard throughout the battlefield. Pein was down on his knees, holding his bleeding left eye. "Aw, did I do this? I'm terribly sorry." The pinkette put on a faked shock expression. "You little…! I'll show you where you belong…!" The leader wanted to run towards his opponent, but soon found he couldn't. "Need help?" A lazy male voice came from behind him. "Not really. It was faster that way, though. Thanks." The wolf mask-wearing kunoichi tugged at her black miniskirt, dusted a bit dirt off her similar black hot pants and stretched. "Capture him, you know I can only hold it for ten minutes." The female pulled out an injection needle and a vial. "Hai-hai. Sleep well, leader-sama." The man fell down unconsciously.

"What about the plant-guy and Tobi?" The Haruno asked curiously. "The venus fly trap? Is called Zetsu, nearly killed Kiba by trying to eat him, due to the extreme caution ordered of our leader, could flee. Tobi, though, got captured. Thanks to Hinata, that is. She did a great job, she cracked his mask enough to make him weak. The other members are nowhere to be seen." Shikamaru whispered to her. "I know. Their leader said they were away somewhere. Don't know where, sadly." The biast Op was fuming. Bloody hell…why for God's sake aren't they here?! The information was to be 100 percent right! I checked it! You know that there is always some change to criminals' plans. Be happy, girl. We got the effin' leader! That's one heck of a reason for a party. Cha! The knocked-out criminals were given another injection, which would make them sleep for forty-eight hours straight and suppress their chakra, so they could only harm anyone physically. "Let's have a fast trip home! Ichiraku's offers all-you-can-eat today, dattebayo!" Everyone chuckled at this comment of the Yondaime's son. "Oi, wolf!" It was once again Shikamaru calling her, this time he had been in conversation with Neji, Kiba, Lee and Shino. "What's it?" The intelligent medic-nin had come over to the boys. "You're still helping Tsunade with her paperwork, mostly the ANBU stuff, right?" She nodded. "We were wondering about that mission's leader, Sakura-san. Who is he?" Lee looked at her curiously. "Nice idea, guys. But I don't know her name, nor her important data." Neji was astonished, then found the courage to speak. "It's a she? You mean, it's a girl?" No, baka, it's a guy in a mini-dress with waxed legs and Kleenex in his cleavage. Seriously, why are they all sexist jerks?! Even Lee. You know them as good as I do. That's how they are. Maybe we should give them some right info and a false suspicion. "The only things I know from Tsunade-sama is that she's a beast and that she's on every single one of "her" missions, hidden under them all. Maybe it's one of the messenger girls. Didn't saw those again, did you?" The boys began to think and shook their head no. Sakura left them after realising the talk and ideas to become like she wanted them to be. Simply wrong.

Itachi left the bathroom, spotting pink hair looking out from under the blanket. The girl was dreaming, she was shifting like there was no tomorrow. It was annoying Itachi. "Stand up, kunochi." He growled when her only respond was a low whine. The weasel got closer to Sakura and had an amazing plan all of a sudden. He took the deeply sleeping girl up and laid her down on his bed, while he laid down there, too, just on the other side.

Who said Uchiha Itachi would accept a pink-haired girl as a challenge without a price?

So there, all done (for this chapter). I want to say thanks to all the reviewers, especially to Kinomi-chan who did as much as she cold for this chapter to get done. And thanks to my lovely friend Si-chan who finally read this fanfiction. Ich hab' dich ganz doll lieb, Si-chan! And I know, this chapter isn't that good, it lacks the gloomy Sakura from the first chapters, but I think it was more fitting to let her be happy/ act normal throughout some chapters, too. I like the way the chapter came out, though. I am having planned the next chapter already, but still need to type it.

I have a question for you:

What exactly did Sakura take before she went to the bathroom?

Whoever has the right answer gets to choose another feature for this story.

German-English talks between Sakura and Itachi, somewhat blooperish

An "ask a character of the fic a question corner"

An itasaku drabble for each chapter from the next one on (the most reviewing person after the next chapter will be allowed to give me a topic/ one word I need to use)

Well, I'm over for now, stay tuned, I'm looking forward to reading reviews soon and oh… btw, the someone who asked me to translate Si-chan's review, I'll do it as soon as I get the time, okay? Maybe next chapter already.

Ja ne,

Nov (embermaedchen)