So usually I post on Fridays, but I will be gone on vacation this Friday so here it is a few days early.

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Five years. Five years since he let her leave.

He is in the cities down south, with Shisui and Sasuke. They are securing supplies and travel routes for highly sought-after items that cannot be made, created or grown in the cold northern mountains.

If Itachi is honest with himself, he can say that in the back of his mind he is looking for her. But then he is always looking for her, there has been occasion in the years since she has gone, that he has been brought to a standstill by glimpse of pink, or a brief tune. He thinks maybe one day he will see her again, when she wants to be found. He has developed a temper since she has left, he has noticed this in himself. An agitation with his inability to keep her has settled and festered under the skin like an untreated blister that seems to break open at the strangest moments.

It is one of those moments that he comes to experience on the docks, with the smell of brine and human filth in the air. He pauses, unsure of what it is that has brought his thoughts jerking back to long exotic hair and soft pleasant body he sees a flash of her smiling shyly at him in his minds eye.

He goes incredibly still, searching his senses for whatever had brought her image up from the recesses of his subconscious. His Sharingan remains inactive, they are posing as human, demon's are treated with strong hostility and opposition in this part of the world.

It takes him a moment to realise that it is not one of the five outer senses that has snagged his attention. Rather a familiar pull of a magical presence that he memorised in time past.

Shisui is haggling with the human merchant, his skill in dealing with the shorter-lived species is paramount in trips such as this. His cousin doesn't acknowledge him as Itachi turns silently and leaves him there on the dock, too busy loudly bickering with a scruffy sea man.

The Warf here is a tangled mess of warehouses, along with businesses that cater to the more, rough and tumble lifestyle of the sailor. Some of the buildings are built on stilts, attached together by docks to avoid the flooding that seem to take place in these parts quite regularly.

There, he catches hold of it again, pausing on a narrow path beside a channel that leads out into the sea, filled with sludge and the disgusting offal of humanity. Usually he distains the unsanitary habits of humans but this time he is too busy concentrating to take note of the filth.

She has been here, and recently, magic does not leave a signature for long, withering away like smoke above a candle. There is a sudden sharp longing in his chest, a desire that he has shoved down, and the blister that festers is brought to light, reminding him of its pain.

Large strides carry him down the cobbled path, he is all but blind as he concentrates on clutching the tendrils of her to himself, grabbing onto the brief pieces of spent magic, willing desperately for them to lead him to her. Longing grips his heart in a vice and wont release it. It wasn't logic or rational that moved him forward, it was just the bone deep certainty that he wanted, no needed, to have her back. Safe with him.

It was a convolute trail that he followed through the maze of a city. He didn't notice the looks he drew, a well-dressed gentleman was not seen in this part of town, not even in search of pleasurable company, it was a recipe to find yourself dead in a canal somewhere. For the moment, he held no concern for blending in.

She was standing in front of a building, perhaps a restaurant or tavern, all appeared to be one in the same here, run down buildings hardly distinguishable from each other. Her appearance brought him to a very sharp stop.

It was her, he knew it to be her, and yet it didn't look like her. Her pink hair was gone, dyed a muddy brown that looked so wrong he couldn't reconcile it in his mind. She was sweeping a set of steps outside the building, or that's what it appeared she had been doing, broom clutched in hand like a lifeline.

Two large men had converged on her, they didn't seem angry, but suspicious and perhaps a bit interested in what the beauty had to offer them.

He had crossed the street and approached the three before he could rectify her strange appearance in his mind. Just as he closed in on them, a young blond woman excited the building, brandishing a wooden spoon like a weapon.

He barely managed to check the speed at which he approached before he was on them.

"….off my property, never see you again" the woman with the long blond hair was saying.

"I would do as the lady says" His voice was low, and the way the two men whirled was more or less hilarious.

Even without his sharingan, fangs, pointed ears or wings Itachi knew he cut an imposing figure, with his black hair, pale skin and height. He used his extra inches to tower over the two men, subtle magic leaked into the air released a killing intent that had the two tan skinned sailors paling. One of them opened his mouth, as if he was going to say something, but Itachi cut him off.

"Go!" it was an order, they lingered unsure of what made them feel so compelled to comply with this man who had invaded what they deemed to be their home turf. Itachi used that moment to flick his sharingan on and they beat a hasty retreat.

Sakura wasn't gaping at him per say, but her eyes were huge, the blond on the other hand wasn't bothering to disguise her dropped jaw and shocked expression.

He couldn't help the smirk, in the same way he couldn't help the slow perusal of Sakura that started at her toes and raked up her form, taking in her unnatural hair color and finally her face with its beautiful wide green eyes. Oh, how he had missed her, there was something unquestionably right about being here with her. He had a desire to step forward to invade her personal space. He had an intense urge to lick and nibble on her neck but he restrained himself. Sakura wouldn't be too keen on him expressing himself in such a manor. Perhaps later.

"Itachi!" her voice was a breathless whisper, the sound of his name on her lips reminded of truly how few times he had actually heard it from her. He wanted to hear it again.

"Sakura" he acknowledged, not taking his eyes off of her.

"This, is the Itachi" the blond spoke, and Itachi dragged his eyes from Sakura to look at the other woman "You must come in, its bad for business if we stand gaping in the doorway…well" she gave him a thorough once over "you could stand out here a little longer, couldn't hurt"

He wasn't quite sure what that meant. What kind of business did they run here?

His question was answered the moment he stepped through the door. Children ran amuck, over ragged furniture, there must have been close to a dozen of them running through the various rooms that opened to the entrance. The shrieking had him raising eyebrows and his smirk grew. Of course Sakura would find herself immersed with children, they were drawn to her like bugs to light. She in turn loved them.

"Forgive the mess" the blond apologized "It comes with the territory, my name is Ino, Ino Yamanaka." Itachi nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Come sit, I will put on the kettle for tea" she gestured toward a few run down wooden chairs.

He glanced at Sakura who still seemed to be in something of a daze, standing to the side looking unsure of herself. He reached out to rub a stray lock of hair between his fingers, she flinched away from him, in a manor that had him wishing to crowd her again. She slipped away and around him, circling to get the chairs between them. He raised his eyebrows at her, but she seemed to have recovered from her shock and met his look with a lifted chin and defiant eyes.

Tea was only a few moments is coming. Miss Yamanaka bustled back into the room holding an old cracked teacup and some mismatched cups equally chipped.

"Now you must tell me Mr. Uchiha, how a man such as you finds himself in mist city slums" the way she emphasised man, had Itachi wondering how much Sakura had shared with this blond haired woman. She wasn't human, at least not completely, but she didn't appear to be a Siren either. Whatever she was, she hid it well.

"Business" was his simple reply.

"And what sort of business would that entail?" she pressed, busily arranging the cups and pouring tea as Itachi took a seat across from a somewhat reluctant Sakura.

"Transport and acquisition of dried fruits and produce that don't grow in the northern mountains for the most part" he answered.

"And how is it you managed to find yourself here?" she really was a nosey one. But Itachi couldn't really blame her. From what he could see, several of the children scurrying about were not of complete human origins either, it was within a female's right to protect that which she considered hers and he was infringing upon her territory. His mother had taught him manors, and he knew how to use them to their best advantage.

"I sensed the use of Sakura's magic" he answered honestly inclining his head toward the girl in question. That seemed to divert the blonde's attention and suddenly she was turning to Sakura.

"What happened?"

Sakura was embarrassed, the flush on her cheeks told him that, but otherwise she was defiant and unrepentant in the face of what he thought must be disapproval from Ino.

"Some men don't know how to take no for an answer" she replied, voice quiet but still firm and unafraid.

Itachi did his best to conceal the reaction such a statement brought forth in him but he didn't think he was as successful as he usually managed to be, he never was when it came to her. It hardly mattered for neither of the women where looking at him.

"Did you rip them a new one?" Ino demanded. Sakura looked away from her.

"No" voice still quite

"And why not?" Ino was riled now. It was obvious that this was some sort of long standing argument between them.

"You know why not Ino" Sakura bit out, wishing desperately to have this conversation later when Itachi was not Privy to it.

"No, I don't, perhaps you had better refresh my memory." Ino was not impressed and the two women wore matching glares. Itachi spoke up.

"I too am curious Sakura, please share" she was glaring at him too. She stood abruptly chair almost falling down behind her. Nothing was said as she marched out the back, a distinct slam of the rear door could be heard even above the ruckus of the children. Itachi stood, pausing to nod to Ino "Thankyou for the tea Ms. Yamanaka, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Yes, yes, I am sure it was, now get going before she gets too much of a head start on you" she shooed him off.

He caught up to Sakura almost two blocks away, she was mad, posture stiff and livid. He grabbed her wrist and tugged her back into the alley she was just about to leave, casting an illusion over them so their exchange wouldn't be interrupted was a given in his mind but it only seemed to make Sakura more reticent toward him.

"You are angry with me. Why?" he asked, pressing to the heart of the issue, or at least what he thought was the heart. Women were hard to understand, and even with his experience with Sakura, he still couldn't puzzle her out.

"Why are you here Itachi?" she shot a question of her own, voice low and controlled, anger prevalent but not overtaking her better judgment. He blinked, studying her.

"Trade business" he answered honestly.

"Then you go back about your business and leave me to mine?" she sniped at him turning away to look out at the busy street just a few yards away.

"Sakura, what have I done to make you angry with me?" he tried a different tact. This seemed to deflate her marginally so he pressed on "I caught scent of your magic while on the Warf, so I followed it"

"Go back to your business Itachi, Demon's make for trouble in these parts"

"And Siren's don't?" he queried raising an eyebrow at her. She sighed and a little more of her aggression seemed to leak out.

"There is a reason I dyed my hair"

"Yes, it is unsightly" he commented on the new horrid color, not realising until after that she might find such a statement insulting. She didn't react though, just drawing into herself in a manor that had him furrowing his brows.

"What are you doing here Sakura?" he asked gently. "Why did you not go back to the ocean?"

She was quiet for a long moment.

"Hunters took out the last nest you found me at. There was nothing left, even the bodies had washed away." The intense sorrow in her voice and bearing caught Itachi entirely off guard. He had never asked about her past, but it could easily be guessed that this was not the first time this had happened to Sakura's home. He was silent, unsure how to comfort such sorrow, and rather sure she would appreciate any physical gestures of comfort he might offer.

"Why here then Sakura?" he asked finally.

"Ino is a good, she needed help with the children" she told him, pulling together the pieces of her scrambled composure.

"Come back with me" he asked finally.

"You are here on business" she reminded him, turning her back on him completely, apparently absorbed in the goings on of the busy street before her.

"What would it take to convince you?" he asked.

She gave out what could have been a laugh, but it sounded choked.

"Why do you wish for me to come back with you?" she challenged whirling back to him, it sounded distinctly like the questions she had posed to him before she left the last time. He still had no better answer for her, and a panic lit in his chest at the notion of loosing her again.

"To keep you safe."

She snorted at that.

"Do you truly not know yourself any better than you did five years ago Uchiha Itachi?" it was a reprimand but her tone of voice was fond, if a little resigned.

He searched her face, hoping to find the answers to her questions hidden there. Very rarely was he caught so flat footed and without a solution. As he watched, her eyes hardened, turning into dispassionate emeralds that he had no doubt where what oversaw Shisui's punishment five years past.

"I am not a pretty bauble to be put on a shelf Uchiha!" she was mad again, and he wondered how she had managed to swing back from her sadness so quickly. Off balance, he tried to figure out where she was coming from. Had he treated her as a possession, he didn't think so, he had given her the freedom to come and go, allowed her to leave when she wanted.

"I have never treated you as such Sakura" his voice was firm, but lacked the steel he would have put in had any other than her used such a tone on him.

She threw her hands in the air and gave a growl of frustration.

"Why. Do. You. Care. Itachi!?" she punctuated each word by stabbing him in the chest with her finger.

The next moment found him pushing her against the wall wings fanning out on either side of him, having ripped apart the rather nice over coat he had been wearing. Sakura didn't even look off guard by his display of force, her expression remained mulish and unchanged.

He couldn't even explain his reactions, his heart was squeezing inside his chest and he felt a nearly irrepressible need to just snatch her and be gone, to the depths with what she wanted! He struggled with himself for a moment panting lightly with the effort.

When she spoke again, her tone was gentler, but no less firm for it.

"Shisui gave me to you as some sort of gift." She spit out the words gave and gift as if they were curse words "Why do you wish for me to come back with you Itachi?" there was the question again, and suddenly he had an inkling of what she was trying to address.

"I will never take advantage of you Sakura" he said, meaning every word strongly.

She gave a disbelieving sound.

"You are being deliberately dense Uchiha!?"

He furrowed his eye brows at her and she glared back at him. She carefully enunciated her words to him this time, as if he were a small child, or a bit slow. Uncaring of the insult she was paying to the very powerful demon who was giving her his full attention.

"I will not be a pretty bauble sitting on your shelf, or a piece in your collection." She bared tiny fangs at him "Let me go, and be on your way, before your obtuseness makes me truly angry."

Was she threatening him? He blinked even as his hackles raised.

"What do you want from me Sakura?" he ground out, angry himself now, but holding it back. It wouldn't do to bring Shisui's attention to them with his roiling magic.

Sakura paused, looking up at him, seeming to weigh his question.

"If I come back Uchiha Itachi, I get you to myself. Everything or nothing. I know nothing of Uchiha customs or traditions, and I don't really care. But I wont settle for anything less."
His breath stalled in his chest, eyes widening at the implications of her words. She was asking him, or perhaps telling him that she would come back for nothing short of a life bond. Discerning his own reaction to such a statement was almost impossible. But he knew that it was utterly beyond his ability to do anything more than rejoice at the notion.

He kissed her, hardly even registered the decision before he was sweeping his tongue through her mouth, holding her to his chest like he physically couldn't let go. She was panting when he pulled back, and he had to restrain the desire to go in for another one. He had wanted to do that for what seemed like so long. She truly was as sweet as he had imagined her to be.

"You drive a hard bargain Koishii"

Then he was kissing her again, all his restraint going into keeping from ripping the seams of her dress with the force he was gripping the fabric. Soft curves pressed against the hard planes of his own body. She kissed him back, raising herself up on tiptoe, fingers curling in the hair at the base of his neck.

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Yay for progress on their relationship. I feel like a lot of fics paint Itachi as the really intuitive one, I am not opposed to this portrayal of his character, but I also don't always find a blushing, stammering Sakura endearing, and those two seem to go hand in hand. So here you go, this is my take on it.

Send me some love people and review. Next update will probably be in a week and a half, when I get back from holidays. I say probably cause I don't know how much writing will happen between now and then. Reviews make all the difference, I'm serious, cause I have tons of my own stuff to work on that isn't fanfiction and it makes more sense to me to put time and effort into that. Its the feedback that I get here that keeps me coming back.