MisoHime

Author's Note:

Good evening, it's the 1st of August and I'm back with a new chapter!
It is the first week of my semester break, and I am officially 50% through with my first degree.

I thought I'd celebrate and upload Chapter 19 for you all.
This one is a big one - being more than 8000 words, but I didn't want to split it into two separate chapters when it is better read as one.#

In other news, I've been having treacherous thoughts of starting a new story soon... though my focus will still on finishing Hoshina no Kurosu before any of that actually happens.

I'll also be uploading this story on Ao3/Archive of Our Own, soon (and updating there as well), so if you're based there too, don't be a stranger.

Much love to those who reviewed:

- guest & MissKonoha: Thank you for leaving me a review, hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

- sasusakusara7: I can't thank you enough for your kind words. I'm really happy to hear you liked the last chapter, and especially that you enjoyed & understood the emotions I'm trying to pull off. It made all my struggles when writing it feel worth while. Here is the latest chapter, which I hope you find just as good!

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

◊▫ 星の十字 ▫◊

Hoshina no Kurosu

Jūkyū

妬み

Netami

Warm, strong, masculine arms wound themselves around her midsection, bringing her back against an equally masculine chest.

"Hello, Sakura," A voice purred.

Her terrified outcry was stifled into a startled yelp. The hairs on the back of her neck raised at the feeling of a husky baritone tickling the skin there. Her limbs, which had been relaxed only moments earlier, were now stiff with tension. She was second away from unleashing her in-built self-defense techniques when her mind registered the distinct voice of Uchiha Itachi.

With the fear of an unknown stranger's assault now clarified, Sakura allowed her limbs to unlock slowly, her eyebrow twitching with annoyance.

Only Itachi would have had the audacity to touch her in such a familiar manner.

"I think it's best if you let go, now." Sakura bit out tersely.

The male did not bother to reply with anything but a deep chuckle. His arms wound tighter for a moment, squeezing her affectionately. Clearly Itachi did not intend to relinquish his hold.

With discomfort creeping up on her, Sakura paused her current task to place a firm grip on the strong arm that held her captive.

"Did you miss me?" Itachi asked, not seeming to have noticed her squirms. His face nuzzled into her hair, free-flowing around her shoulders.

Sakura sighed with irritation. It was hard to believe that just last week, she had shared a heart-to-heart with this man - who now seemed to have reverted back to his flirtatious antics.

"No, but I'm a few seconds away from-" The terse tone of her threat was cut off abruptly when she felt soft lips kiss the sensitive spot behind her ear.

Sakura yelped indignantly, her elbow reflectively swinging up to shove into the figure behind her.

Itachi out stepped her assault with ease, releasing her. His deep voice was rugged with laughter. His amusement creased the lines next to his eyes, making him appear younger and more carefree than his observing stares usually did.

Sakura's scowl stayed in place as she glared at the older gentleman. A furious blush coloured her cheeks and her arms crossed themselves tensely across her chest. She was more embarrassed than she was insulted while she continued to watch him with cautious suspicion.

Itachi didn't seem fazed by her skepticism. Or about the fact that he was standing in the seclusion of one of the theater's backstage wings. The dust that settled on the boxes surrounding them thick enough to blanket the floor.

Her nose wrinkled from the irritation of the stale air. This part of the theatre was rarely accessed because of all of the junk piled up in old boxes around them. They were illuminated by only a few bulbs, and the curtain that shielded the wing from the space on the other side had not been drawn for years for fear that the curtain tracks would collapse with the sudden movement.

Sakura had been looking through some of the boxes, trying to find the backup electrical wires to one of the light fixtures when he had - for lack of the better word - assaulted her.

"Clearly the lady doesn't appreciate your attentions, Itachi." A different, male voice sounded from somewhere to their right.

Both occupants turned to look at the newcomer. With a lean but tall frame, pale skin, beautiful features and dark colouring on both eyes and hair, nobody could have mistaken the fact that this man was also an Uchiha.

Sakura's perceptive eyes took in the taller man as he strode closer. His build was slightly larger than Itachi, and his dark hair was short, curling with tousled waves. His features were less refined, more masculine, whereas Itachi's were more aristocratic. Standing next to one another, they could have easily been mistaken for as brothers. The pale skin, black hair and eyes as well as their abnormally blessed features were definitely a common trait all Uchiha's had in common.

Sakura was momentarily puzzled. While she had seen many members of the Uchiha family before - it was hard to miss, considering they were a large clan - she had never formally met any, save for Itachi and Sasuke.

The unfamiliar figure watched her with eyes that matched his relatives - the deep-set orbs dancing with wild mischief and curiously as he observed her observing him.

Itachi didn't seem bothered by their newest addition. His stance remained confident and relaxed, "Shisui."

The pinkette's frown deepened slightly. They knew one another well enough to use their first names, but Sakura knew Sasuke had no other sibling, save for Itachi. Perhaps this was one of the many relatives they shared?

Shisui smiled and sauntered to the girl with only a nod of acknowledgement to Itachi.

"Allow me to introduce myself," his voice was slightly deeper, more mature, than the others, "My name is Uchiha Shisui, Itachi and Sasuke-chan's favourite cousin."

His eyes were playful and friendly, as he reached to her side to grip her hand in a firm hold.

Dumbfounded and a little lost, Sakura continued to stare at Shisui. There was a slight familiarity to the name. If her memory served accurate, Uchiha Shisui was the cousin of both Sasuke and Itachi, being only a year older than the elder Uchiha brother, they were best friends and partners in crime. Whereas Itachi was the Uchiha Empire's heir, Shisui had grown up next to him as his closest friend and confidant. Groomed with the same impeccable manners and etiquette, the distinct difference between the two was the way they carried themselves.

Most of the Uchiha's were like Sasuke - cold, hard, stoic. Itachi, though flirtatious at times, showed the resemblance when it came to displays of his intelligence and skills of obervation. Shisui's attitude so far had been nothing short of an anomaly.

In all her life, she had not known of many Uchiha's, but it was a safe bet that they must have known her - the daughter of their head clansman's most detested rival. What was it about these past few months that had her so involved in the lives of the Uchiha's? And why was this one so... friendly?

Her confusion must have been evident, as Shisui's smile widened to a grin. Without releasing her hand, he twisted to look back at Itachi.

The other male had been watching them with his usual, disturbingly keen eyes.

"Huh, I can see why you like this one, Itachi. She's a beaut!"

Green eyes blinked, her mind registering the words slowly before her blush deepened and a grimace twisted her lips.

Black locks swayed as Itachi shook his head, sighing. Shisui didn't seem to notice his cousin's reaction. He returned his attention to the uncomfortable looking girl.

A little mortified by the situation and anxious to return back to her work, Sakura pulled her arm back, somewhat relieved when Shisui let her go without resistance.

"This section is for crew only. What are you two doing here?" Her question addressed to both males as she took a step back to look at one to the other.

For a quiet moment, Shisui looked at Itachi, who looked at Sakura, who looked at them both. The dust mites floated in the air around them. Neither of the males seemed to be guilty of their unusual presence, which only made her more irritated.

Shisui had the good sense to speak first, "Were you not told?"

"Of course not. I wouldn't be asking, otherwise" she replied, tone bland. She really had to get back to finding her things before Kurenai sent someone after her.

A wry smile tugged at Shisui's lips as his cousin offered further clarification, "Seniors have free period today and were recruited to help."

'What..?'

Sakura's mind whirled back through the previous days, which had been hectic from Kurenai's rising demands. She vaguely recalled being present for Kurenai's announcements about recruiting extra help, but that had only been one of the copious amounts of notices made by the drama teacher. There had been no way to keep track of every one of her proclamations.

Internally, Sakura groaned. It was as if the world was throwing her into the presence of Uchiha's all around. Clearly the fates had a cruel sense of humour.

The two seniors looked around the space they all occupied, eyeing the dusty boxes and abandoned materials that collected in the corners. Shisui poked around in a nearby stack and moved swiftly as the tower of old formwork wood toppled over, crashing to the floor noisily with a plume of dust.

Sakura fought the tears that stung in her eyes from the particles that clouded the air. With one hand pressed over her mouth and another waving furiously in front of her face to clear the air, she wheezed out a cough, her throat scratchy from the dust.

Itachi had sidestepped the crash, effectively pushing away one of the other boxes nearby in order to prevent the falling obstructions from causing it to lose it's balance in a domino effect.

With the air around them settling once again, Sakura fought off an irritated scowl. Shisui stood to the side, looking at the wreckage with a guilty look, one hand rubbing the back of his neck and expression pained.

"Ah... I'm sorry," Shisui's tone was sincerely apologetic. He peered up to meet pale green eyes from under long lashes, "I had no intention to make such a mess."

Itachi's dark hair had caught a few dust bunnies, which he disregarded by running a hand through the straight locks. Most of the crew were off doing their own errands, leaving the three of them to deal with the mess in peace.

Sakura sighed quietly under her breath. Her nose still tickled from the dust, but she was running out of time and she doubted Shisui had meant to cause any real damage. His curiosity had costed her another situation to sort out, but he did seem to be genuinely apologetic.

Her back ached from the vigorous physical demands of the past few rehearsals, sending waves of discomfort to her spine when she bent to collect the old pieces of timber, but there was no time to be wasted when there was still plenty left to be done.

A pale hand next to Sakura reached over to lift the heavier, chunkier pieces of wood. Her eyes trailed to Itachi's collected face. He portrayed no emotion, but he moved swiftly and effectively. Snapping out of his guilt, his cousin was equally as involved, scooping up the smaller members and stacking them neatly within his hold. Neither of them seem bothered by the dirt that coated nearly every piece.

With the extra hands, the mess was cleaned within a minute, deposited into another box and placed safely to a spare corner in order to avoid another incident. Sakura doubted the next person who toppled the scraps would have been as dexterous as Shisui when avoiding collision.

Her hands made sharp claps in the silence when she shook off the grime off her hands.

"What were you doing before?" Itachi inquired, his voice was cool and calm with not even a trace of fatigue from lifting.

Sakura nodded in the direction of the containers she had been fiddling around earlier.

"I'm looking for the backup wiring that we keep here. One of the fuses overheated and the wires got fried in the process."

Black eyes followed in the direction of her gesture. Without even asking for further information, both males moved in tandem and shifted the heavier objects aside, checking to find the coils of cables.

Her lips turned down slightly in the corners, "It's fine, I can find it-"

"Were these the ones you were looking for?" Shisui questioned, his eyes met her's from his position.

Peeking from beneath one of the cardboard boxes were red snakes of wiring. They were tangled with blues and greens, the plastic scuffed and stiff from years of storage.

"Yeah, but-"

Without even waiting for her to finish, Itachi and Shisui hoisted one large box each, their shoulders bunched from the weight and the muscles on their arms coiled with strength.

'Kami, they're ripped' her subconcious noted.

"We're here to help. Where do these go?" Itachi's eyes probed her's, his voice conveyed no hostility, but Sakura felt that even if she were to object to their aid, neither would have listened anyway.

She nodded in the direction of the main stage and moved to hoist the smaller box of electrical cords. The weight of the box was heavy, but definitely manageable. The only problem was that the folds of the box were weak and soft, bending unsteadily under the contents. They walked briskly to the main stage before the folds could cave in and a new mess could occur.

Shisui took the time to pepper the girl with small questions, such as what grade she was in and how she came to know Itachi. The latter didn't seem to be bothered when Sakura mentioned that their relationship had been unsteadily built on his unwanted attention - to which Shisui had laughed loudly at.

Itachi, ever the plotting male, had merely moved his foot in Shisui's path and tripped him in retaliation to his mockery - causing the other to flail slightly, legs stumbling to keep his box upright.

Sakura giggled, watching Shisui scowl lightly at his cousin as struggled to straighten his grip on the old box. Loose wires tumbled out of the containers and fell to the ground. Shisui cursed quietly and paused his strides to bend down and collect the fallen objects, all the while struggling to maintain a firm grip on the flimsy, soiled cardboard container.

Itachi took the opportunity to leave him behind, moving with Sakura ahead of the other Uchiha.

They said nothing as they walked in silence. The sound of Shisui's delayed steps as he juggled to upright his crumbling box filled the background noise.

She felt uncomfortable with the lack of communication after the awkward situation moments earlier. She chanced a quick look to see the outline of his profile in the corner of her eye.

The overhead lighting of the backstage drew sharp shadows on the contours of Itachi's face. Beautifully highlighted cheekbones and jawline contrasted to the dark depths of his eyes. Between him and his younger brother, Itachi looked more mature, but the difference between the two were not far - if Sasuke's eyes were sharper and his hair longer, the two of them could have been mistaken for as twins.

"Do you intend to stare at me all day, Sakura?" His playful voice broke her perusal. He didn't bother to turn his eyes towards her reddening face. His long strides keeping pace to her's - even as she nearly stumbled from the shock of getting caught staring.

Jade eyes reverted back to the front as they turned down another corner. Sakura adjusted the box in her hands, the weakening cardboard creasing in complaint. Her voice was scratchy and a tad uncomfortable when she replied.

"N-no, of course not. I was just..."

"Captivated by my good looks?"

She blubbered with astonishment from his narcissistic reply. His dark eyes glided to her's with mirth. His thin lips curved wickedly, teeth gleaming.

Her own mouth twisted into another scowl. She averted her gaze and huffed, "You're incorrigible."

Itachi's chuckle echoed gruffly in the vast space. He didn't seem perturbed by her comment and Sakura felt somewhat relieved to have escaped the possibility of their awkward relationship after having been on a date.

It seemed that some things, like his habit to flirt, were more wistful than aggravating now - a sign of their mutual understanding having stemmed from a sincere evening together. Had she been told weeks ago that she would become somewhat friends with the promiscuous elder Uchiha brother, Sakura might have laughed herself to death. His coy demeanour, as vexing as it might have been in the past, had become an endearing trait that masked the keen intelligence and nobility that was hidden beneath.

A throaty voice hollered from behind as Shisui's footsteps finally caught up.

"Guys! Don't leave me behind!"

The main hall was noisy.

That was more of an understatement, the entire hall was chaotically rowdy.

The cacophony of voices talking all at once filled the auditorium with a constant buzz. The deep walls - as acoustically well designed as they were - seemed to do nothing but echo the voices that came from all directions.

It came to no surprise to Sakura - or to her two companions. Nearly all of the cast and crew members were present during rehearsals, and with the added senior students, the room was filled more so than usual. The additional help was more than enough to satisfy Kurenai's paranoia for lack of help. The new concern should have been if they were going to go deaf from the levels of racket reverberating everywhere

Shisui grimaced uncomfortably as the three of them entered the main vicinity, arms still full from the boxes of wires. The oldest Uchiha turned to Itachi and Sakura, his lips moving with his words, but the sound lost in the clamour.

Itachi didn't seem bothered by the disturbing pandemonium, his perfect prodigious self seemed to be proficient in even lip reading as he nodded his head to the direction of Sakura's tech station a short distance away - answering Shisui's muted question.

They left the boxes by the door, pushing them to the side to avoid any obstruction. As she straightened, Sakura felt a firm grip on one of her forearms and another warm hand press into the small of her back. With a sudden force, she was pulled into a masculine form just seconds before a couple of seamstress barrelled past - their arms carrying bolts of fabric that were piled so high above their heads that it must have obstructed their vision.

Her face was smushed against firm muscles, and Sakura tensed with confusion. Itachi held her there, safely against his frame for a handful of seconds, before easing her away when the marching group of costume makers had passed. Had he not pulled her away a second later, she would have been theatre roadkill.

With a relieved look, Sakura stepped back from him, smiling in thanks for his quick rescue. He looked down on her from his towering height and nodded in return, one hand still resting on her back protectively.

Sakura didn't pay the physical contact much mind as she turned back just in time to see Kurenai move to the centre of the stage, with Shisui and Itachi to her sides.

Her usual wrap dress was wrinkled and her wild hair was in a messy disarray - even more so than usual. With her palms cupped around her hands, the older female heaved in a deep breath before releasing a command that silenced everyone.

"SETTLE DOWN, PLEASE!"

Shisui cringed slightly at the harsh voice, which was impressively vocal enough to rise above all the other sounds of conversation that had been going on. The room steadily lowered to a hushed murmur. The sudden drop in noise made a soft ringing echo in Sakura's ears.

When the mass amount of people finally calmed enough to turn their attention to the director, Kurenai moved onwards to proceed her announcement.

"Thank you all seniors for helping today!" She bellowed, voice loud and clear, "Now, there's a lot to be done, starting with the backdrop and props - I need everyone's cooperation, so I would appreciate it if..."

Sakura took the moment to survey around the room while Kurenai relayed the information of her scheduling. As they were standing to the shadows of the backstage, Sakura could see most of the auditorium from her vantage point. The room was packed full of students. It seemed that when Shisui and Itachi had told her that senior students had been recruited, they had meant nearly the entire senior year. The hall wasn't filled completely to capacity, but everywhere she looked, she saw people sitting by the edges, on chairs or standing in groups, holding either scripts or props or equipments or even bundles of costume fabric.

Her apple green eyes roved over the sea of faces, catching sight of a few friends. Sai was over with Ino and a couple of other people from the art department, surrounded by half-painted props. He hadn't noticed her in the sidelines and was watching Kurenai with a half-bored look.

She continued to peruse the crowd, eyes scanning over Naruto's bright blonde hair and Lee's distinct bowl cut as everyone continued to listen to Kurenai. Her inspection halted to a firm stop when her eyes snagged on dark charcoal ones that, unlike all of the other's, were looking right at her.

Her breath caught on her throat and her muscles immediately seized with familiarity. More importantly, her heartbeat started to pick up because those eyes, even from such a distance, were unmistakably Sasuke's.

He stood by the wall near the front of the stage, diagonally across from her. His black, denim-clad legs were crossed at the ankles while he leaned back casually against the surface of the wall. His strong, firm arms were crossed across the broad expanse of his chest, one hand holding his script while the other was clenched into a loose fist. The dark blue of his sweater stretched over his form, the colour complimenting his pale complexion in a way that had her insides shaking. His hair, spiky in his trademark style, fell roguishly over his handsome features.

Sakura swallowed roughly, her eyes still trapped by his gaze.

He stared at her in an unfamiliar look - one that was almost... irritated. She had seen him look at her annoyed before, but somehow it didn't seem the same. The corners of his mouth were turned down sternly, eyebrows creased over his sharp eyes.

She felt uncomfortable under his attention. They hadn't exchanged any words since their last encounter and whilst Sakura had forgone her attempt of avoiding him completely, she still struggled at times when she thought about Sasuke. She constantly saw him around rehearsals - mostly working with Naruto or Neji on their scenes, but for the most part, there had been few to no chances of proper interaction between them.

And despite having gained a better control over her emotions, Sakura still took note to immerse herself with errands under a department that worked offstage when he was scheduled to do a run-through with Karin.

There was no need to subject herself to such pain again.

From his distance, Sasuke continued to stare at her. His magnetic eyes seemed to physically bore down on her; shifting over her face and down to her body, making her incredibly self-conscious. His perusal stopped abruptly on her waist, where they sharpened. A fierce scowl appeared on his lips and his eyes dragged themselves back up to her stunned green ones in an accusatory glare.

She was bordering on fidgeting before she felt the warm palm around her waist and lower back flex. Startled by the motion and having completely forgotten that Itachi had been touching her, Sakura's wide eyes tore away from Sasuke's to glance up to his older brother's.

"Do you require any assistance?"

It took a moment to register his words before her mind could process and comprehended his offer.

Kurenai had already finished her speech - having dictated areas where help was needed. She had pointed out those crew members who were in charge of certain tasks and appointed the volunteers to seek them out wherever they saw fit. Sakura had completely zoned out on her entire speech and only caught the gist of her announcement.

"Uh, yeah, yeah! Sure!"

Beside her, Shisui snorted, "Itachi's more than enough help for you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura rolled her eyes at the other Uchiha's suggestive comment. He left Itachi to aid Sakura, explaining that he would check with the others where he could help. Shisui sauntered away, drawing a few eyes from the females present.

Sakura shook her head with humour, it came to no surprise to her that even the mysterious cousin would draw female attention. Such was the power of Uchiha males.

She diverted her focus away from the retreating form and turned to resume her work; Itachi following behind her.

For the next two to three hours, they spent their time tackling the copious amounts of errands that Sakura had listed out from the prior week. Her tasks were set to be completed throughout the entire week, but Itachi had been an underestimated force. He was meticulous, skilled and a consistent worker - everything he did was perfect. Had this been a test or a school assignment, Itachi would have definitely scored a high distinction. She almost felt bad for his senior class - even she felt subpar working next to the Uchiha prodigy on something as unimportant and benign as light fittings.

Her chores slowly dwindled with Itachi's help. From running around fetching equipment, to sorting out different materials, to even helping the prop crew drill and hammer, the miscellaneous tasks disappeared slowly from her list, one at a time. They worked well together, filling the silence with light conversation, resuming the easy friendship that developed from their date night.

He asked her about what she did with her spare time, what she wanted to do after high school, while he answered questions like what his favourite foods were and where his travels as the Uchiha heir took him. Sakura learnt that he enjoyed visiting Yukigakure during the fall, when it got cold enough to enjoy the city's attractions without suffering the bitter chill. She also learnt that given the choice, he would never eat steak, much preferring his mother's nori onigiris instead, and that he skipped grades before deciding to reject an early graduation in order to watch over Sasuke.

Of course, it wouldn't have been Itachi if he did not attempt to flirt here and there. He would answer some questions suggestively or throw her a flirty wink here and there. Sakura usually responded with either a derisive snort or brush it off entirely. Itachi would then laugh throatily at her dismissal, and they would carry on where they had left off. His bad habit, which definitely would have set past-Sakura on the edge, was a characteristic that Sakura was slowly growing fond of.

The only wrench in her otherwise perfectly enjoyable - and productive - afternoon with Itachi was the constant, uncomfortable sensation of someone glaring at her.

Between their moments of work, Sakura would feel the foreboding feeling of a set of eyes boring into her. She would go about her tasks with Itachi, exchanging pleasantries while they worked, and feel someone looking at her before doing a quick scan over the crowd - only to catch sight that the source was none other than Sasuke. Then she would feel her heart falter just the slightest before averting her gaze back down to her work. After a while, she would feel his eyes leave her, only to find her again moments later.

The first few times, Sakura didn't bother to pay any heed to his attention. She assumed he was probably looking at his brother and she was just within the same vicinity.

After the fourth or fifth time, Sakura had begun to feel skittish. It wasn't so much so that she had caught his gaze. Their eyes had met so many times during the past week, when they had briefly crossed paths between their separate tasks.

The difference was the emotion in them.

Whenever she had met his dark-coloured eyes during the past few days, their fleeting glances had been brief, almost shy, looks. His eyes were sometimes sad, or nostalgic - and sometimes completely indifferent - but Sakura tended to brush those looks off as nothing more than tricks of her mind. There was no way Sasuke would ever feel anything suspiciously like longing when he was looking at her.

This time, there were no tender feelings of the sort. His eyes looked at her differently compared to the last week - even to moments ago, when they had been listening to Kurenai's instructions.

Every time she would look up and her eyes would snap to his, she would see anger. Anger that was different from the kind he directed at her over the years. They had spent a good chunk of their lives hating one another, but it had always been an annoyed kind of vexation - one having born out of their loyalty to their fathers.

This time, when he looked at her, he was truly angry. The kind of anger that bordered on scorn. The fierceness of his eyes made Sakura flinch inwardly when she caught his glare from across the vicinity. He looked as though he wanted to burn a hole right through her head.

As the glares grew more and more vicious, she began to feel her heart clench painfully and her throat close up. She would be in the middle of conversation with Itachi, sometimes even laughing at something he had told her, before she would catch sight of Sasuke's savage gaze across the room and her heart would spasm painfully from the power of his hostile eyes; causing her laugh to die out in a guttural choke.

If Itachi ever discerned her distracted and awkward state during those brief periods, he never said. But Sakura knew he knew. Just like when he noticed her feelings for his younger sibling, Itachi always noticed. He was just polite enough to turn a blind eye on it.

It took a total of four hours to complete all of Sakura's errands, during which she couldn't be more grateful for Itachi's help. Had the male not been there to help her, Sakura didn't doubt that she would have been drowning in chores for the next week.

At around 5:40 in the evening, the senior students were all ready to leave, having successfully helped shave off a good chunk of the drama departments work. All around them, conversation resumed as the elders bid goodbye to the juniors and friends prepared to part.

Shisui, who Sakura had caught sight off during brief periods in between their work, was busy entertaining the group of young actresses whom he had assisted. They looked upon him adoringly, captivated by his charm and hanging onto him with reluctance.

Sakura closed and locked the door to her tech room, walking with Itachi to the foot of the main stage.

"Thank you for your help today... You really saved me." She said sincerely. She secretly cringed at the thought of having made Itachi do such menial tasks all day - as grateful as she was for it.

He flashed her a small smile, stopping with her at the floor of the audience seating.

"It was no trouble at all, Sakura."

Her lips twitched in response to his use of her name, about to curl into a smile before a dark chill ran down her spine for the nth time today.

Sasuke was looking at them again.

Itachi had definitely noticed it too. He conveyed a silent message to the younger girl, gauging her discomfort. Under his scrutiny, Sakura tried not to let how wounded she was by his younger brother's angry glower.

Itachi said nothing, though traces of sympathy lined his gaze. He seemed to ponder something in his mind, before his eyes morphed into wicked mischief.

Suspicion creeped up upon her, but before she could inquire as to what scheme he had conjured up, one of Itachi's palms reached out to cup the soft skin of her cheek, long fingers twining into the delicate strands of hair by her face.

She froze from confusion, and was startled to a complete standstill when the elder Uchiha leaned down to peck her lightly on the corner of her lips - the kiss so fleeting that it was nothing more than a chaste brush.

She squeaked, eyes widening and completely taken aback by the action when she knew that from another's point of view, it would've been mistaken as an actual kiss on the lips.

From across the room, she knew that Itachi, too, felt Sasuke's gaze intensify a hundred-fold - from a harsh look to an absolutely brutal beam. The heat of his eyes felt near bloodthirsty. Even from such a distance, Sakura could feel the malicious aura he exuded scaring those around him.

Notwithstanding the ferocity of Sasuke's attention, her shock from Itachi's kiss still rendered her speechless. She felt like a wax statue when his lips moved from her lips to her ear, cool breath blowing against the shell as he whispered.

"Do not let my foolish outoto have the last word."

Straightening back up, Itachi released her completely immobile form.

"I think I shall see to Sasuke before departing. Thank you for the lovely afternoon, Sakura." He bided politely in a louder voice.

Without another word, he turned and strolled casually over to his younger brother - whose dangerous aura seemed to increase with the decreasing distance of his brother's approaching form.

'What... just happened? ...Don't let him have the last word?'

Sakura remained catatonic when Sai walked over to her, whistling with amusement from having witnessed the entire exchange. Around them, females who had also seen the kiss were throwing envious looks of disdain at the pinkette.

Blood warmed her cheeks - something Sakura felt always happened when she was around the Uchiha's. She shot her best friend a "don't start" look before he could open his mouth and shoot her a humiliating comment.

Her eyes snuck a quick glance over to see the two Uchiha brothers - beautifully ethereal compared to the mortals around them. Sasuke was still seething with anger, his entire form tense with muscle. His fists clenched at his sides and he seemed to be hissing something out at his elder sibling through his teeth. Itachi, cool as a cucumber, watched his younger brother with amusement, waiting his tantrum out before his lips moved with his reply.

Sakura didn't know what either had been saying, but whatever Itachi had replied back clearly took Sasuke off guard. His posture unclenched to a less rigid form as he frowned, displeased, at Itachi. They continued to exchange words - clipped ones from Sasuke and calm ones from Itachi - before the elder brother reached to poke Sasuke in the forehead. The action caused Sasuke to scowl with annoyance while Shisui walked over to join the two brothers.

Sakura tore her eyes away, confusion tumbling her thoughts.

Why was Sasuke so angry at her? Why was he even angry at Itachi? His confusing personality had her beyond puzzled and exasperated. It was hard enough untangling her own emotions. She didn't think she could deal with trying to decode his.

She focused on talking with Sai, who filled her in on how things went during his afternoon, mercifully avoiding the topic of her and Itachi. It seemed like Kurenai had severely overlooked the number of props needed for the play. None of the previous productions had anything resembling Shakespearean era, meaning that the art department had to create every scene from scratch.

Sai continued to talk, while Sakura distractedly tried to focus on his words and not at the males on the other side of the theatre.

Sasuke's bitter mood had her perplexed. She could only hope that the phantom looks would not continue to haunt her throughout the rest of the evening.

'What on earth is his problem?'

To Sakura's complete exasperation, it seemed that there was no need to worry about being haunted by the memory of Sasuke's harsh glares when she had the real thing looking at her right now.

Itachi, Shisui and the rest of the senior year had left over an hour ago. The evening rehearsals were in full swing, and Sasuke was still looking at her as if she was an piece of old gum that got stuck at the bottom of his shoe.

"Sasuke-kun, please remain focused!" Kurenai barked out yet again. Her hands braced against her wide hips and the heel of her stiletto tapped irritably on the hardwood of the stage.

Sasuke's disdainful glare directed back towards the drama director. He was so sullen the entire room must have felt uncomfortable by his sour disposition.

The past hour of rehearsal was painful. The entire cast seemed to feel the palpable tension in the air and every run through was stiff with awkwardness. The actors and actresses of the current scene stood in their positions, Sasuke in the centre of it all. Karin stood with Sakura at the sidelines.

While Kurenai had called her to attention in order to help with the on-stage chemistry once again, so far, the only emotion that hovered between Romeo and Juliet was awkward anxiety and a ridiculous amount of hostility - the latter coming from Sasuke.

Sakura didn't think it could have gotten any worse.

But then it did.

"Maybe if the unwanted nuisance over there would leave, I wouldn't be distracted." Sasuke's vicious tone bit out, the angry slashes of his eyes boring into Sakura's shocked ones.

For a heartbeat, there was absolute silence. Not a single person present made a sound as they processed his words. Almost as if they were afraid to even breathe, the calm was close to eerie.

And then Sakura felt her face go red. Every muscle in her petite body tensed from her sudden outrage. A strange, almost explosive anger flowed trough her veins like hot lava.

'What the everlasting fuck did he just say?!'

Her teeth clamped down on her tongue - drawing the coppery tang of blood - as her nerves rose from her indignation. She hadn't felt so infuriated with Sasuke in such a long time. It came close to her fury the afternoon she had lost control of her temper and delivered a whopping right hook to his jaw.

Which, in turn, had cost her her role as Juliet.

And now... for him to imply that she did not belong here - no matter how true - was just plain insulting. It wasn't as if she had wanted to subject herself to watching the rehearsal of a play she yearned to be in, but it nearly destroyed her pride to have to pretend it didn't bother her to watch him act all romantic with someone Sakura considered to be her professional rival.

It cut her somewhere deep. Someplace deep inside her where all her insecurities still lay bare.

Those bitter words of his just rubbed more salt into the wound.

Hurt coaxed the flame of her fury. Part of her couldn't believe that Sasuke would ever be so cruel. Out of all the things he had ever said to her in the past - back when they were nothing more than resentful teens - had wounded her like this.

Her steps were loud and sure, the force of her strides thumping hardly against the stage floor. She felt like steam was rising from her ears and nose as she stomped a few steps to go toe to toe with Sasuke's own rigid figure.

"What did you just say?" She grated out in barely controlled wrath.

The audience remained silent. It had been a long time since the two of them had an argument, the last one being of such a catastrophic level that everyone paused in both anticipation and awed fear.

His striking features were hard and fierce with his own anger. Slowly, he spoke, eyes never straying from her's.

"Your presence is nothing but an eyesore," his savage tone escalated at each word, "All you do here is small, inconsequential tasks and your very existence is a burden." Her cheeks flooded with horror as he continued, "If you had the guts to flirt with my brother all over town and on set, maybe you should have enough to accept the fact that-"

'Please. Stop.'

"You. Don't. Belong. Here."

Sakura recoiled as if she had been slapped. Pain lashed deep into her heart and her eyes burned with a tremendous wave of sadness from his cruelty. The truth of those words were undeniable, but the harsh delivery stung more than she wanted it to. It hurt because this was the man she loved. And he had just hurt her in the deepest way possible.

By accusing her of being nothing more than a cheap flirt, then bluntly dismissing her presence from the place they once shared common passion.

Her body washed over with a chill. Her fingernails dug deeply into her palms, but she couldn't feel the pain. Her apple-green eyes glared back into Sasuke's as she struggled to reign in the threat of tears - cursing herself when small amounts leaked into her vision and clouded his vicious expression.

Sasuke's own eyes were ruthless, lined with a hurt that Sakura didn't understand. His own jaw was clenched tightly as if he too, were in pain.

A treacherous tear escaped her bottle green eyes, sliding down her cheek in a cutting line. She hated herself for allowing it to escape, hated herself for feeling this way, most of all, she hated that she loved him anyway.

In spite of her watery vision, her eyes remained locked on his. She refused to look away. His dark eyes flickered to the lone tear that cut down her porcelain skin and for a brief moment, the hard fury in his eyes glinted with something akin to regret or agony.

Kurenai seemed to snap out of her dazed state and stridded over, frowning. Neither Sakura or Sasuke moved when she spoke.

"There is no need for arguments. I think we can all agree that the last thing we need is more unnecessary drama delaying this production." Her red lips pursed while she watched the two of them locked in eye-contact, "Please do not make me take further action - again."

The reminder jerked Sakura away from her sorrow. She had already lost her role. There was nothing else that Kurenai could have done. After weeks of working as a stage hand and having to endure being near Sasuke - who had just seemingly crushed her fragile emotions like snowflakes - part of Sakura would have rather preferred to be fired entirely from the play. The distance would have been a relief after what she went through.

But that would be proving his words right. That she truly was nothing more than dispensable. Her struggles and efforts from working as part of the stage crew would go down the drain as if she was never there.

"Do not let my foolish outoto have the last word."

Itachi's words echoed through her head. He must have known. It didn't surprise her that he did.

Her fellow students and Kurenai remained silent, observing as Sakura and Sasuke continued to stare at one another.

She thought of snapping back at him, she really did. The old Sakura might have. The old Sakura would have.

But she wasn't the old Sakura anymore.

There was nothing she could say now that would change his apparent low opinion of her, and there was nothing that she wanted to say to him. She would prove her worth through her actions, so she inhaled a deep, steady breath and blinked the tears away.

She wouldn't quit, but she wouldn't give into his heartless words either, so she did something she thought she'd never do:

She turned and walked away from the fight.

End Note:

The beginning of this chapter was quite difficult to write.
I had quite a bit of writer's block, and it took me a while to fall into the flow of writing it out, but I'm quite happy with how things turned out.

This chapter further explores on Sakura's friendship with Itachi, as well as Sasuke's conflicting emotions. They're tied to one another, and though the story so far is mostly told through Sakura's side, I wanted to find a way to show Sasuke's emotional growth as well.

Thanks again for reading, do leave me a review if you can.