Title: Intelligently Ignorant

Author: AppleL0V3R

Beta-reader: Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

Fandom: Naruto and Bleach

Pairing: Uchiha, Itachi and Haruno, Sakura

Chapter: One – Catch 22

Rating: T

Type: Story – Incomplete

Summary: "And what makes you think I'm going to say yes?" I asked challengingly, Itachi smirked with hot smoldering eyes and with a quiver something inside me told me I should have just kept my big mouth shut.

Word Count: 2,420

Disclaimer: If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

I smiled smugly at the glowering young Uchiha as Naruto laughed at us and Kakashi kept his nose buried in his damn book: Icha Icha Paradise. I had once again out done Sasuke in yet another chakra control exercise and now Sasuke is pouting over it. This wasn't abnormal; Sasuke and Naruto consistently work on their chakra control with me while I spar with Sasuke to improve my genjutsu tactics and with the Kitsune holder to improve my ninjutsu and patience. Because honestly, patience is a requirement to be even remotely close to the dork I call my brother.

"Tch. Whatever" Sasuke stated in a clearly annoyed tone while turning his head to the right so he wouldn't have to look at his long time teammate's victorious face.

"Oh come on, Sasuke, you know chakra control is my specialty. If it wasn't, I wouldn't be the Medical nin I am today." I chided trying to cheer up the seemingly emo boy that I have known since the age of eight. I swear, when he loses he can be a child about it. Not a spoilt sport, but still sullen. It never fails to make me laugh at his immaturity and wish I had a camera to take a picture of his priceless face. If only to annoy him with. That'd been one trait that I had yet to lose, if only because I don't want to. It's fair to fun to tease the ever grouchy nearly twenty-year-old.

The three of us are jonin now-a-days, but we still chose to remain in the same team instead of separating like a few of our comrades. Yet unlike most shinobi it took all of us about four years to obtain our elite jonin rank.

Sasuke had chosen to become an ANBU a year after reaching jonin only to once more take the jonin rank years later. I guess, it hadn't been quite what he'd expected. Plus if I remember correctly it was to prove a point on his part. That he wasn't Itachi. Sure he wasn't as strong as his elder brother, but that didn't mean he was weak or shied in comparison. So he'd proven that he could get into ANBU black ops and stay there. Stepping down only when he'd thought he'd proved his point. And he had. Now those old biddies of his clan tend to leave him be on rank and status. Though I have to say, those years that we were all separate were lonely for the most part.

Naruto was the only one of his team to stay jonin with a goal to be the Hokage. It'd been his life long dream and the way he thought to be the best to fulfill it was to work at becoming a jonin. ANBU didn't let their identities be known when they did missions. So he stayed jonin to make his name known. And boy did he ever. Unfortunately in his quest he'd left the hidden leaf village for a few years with Jiraiya as his teacher. It was worth it in the end though, and that's what counts even if it was hard to not have his bright countenance around all the time.

Kakashi of course stayed jonin as well. Though he didn't apply to be a jonin instructor again. Apparently, the three of them had been too much simply because they'd been the only ones in a long history to pass his test. So he'd stuck to higher level missions and reading those perverted books of his. He'd always been a mystery so I'm still not sure what else he did in the time being.

I chose to pursue the life of a Medical ninja with inhuman strength, genjutsu and basic ninjutsu to fall back on. It was the best role that I could think of. After I hit jonin with the rest of my team and the two boys that meant my whole life had decided to go their separate ways for a time I had to find something to do with my life. I couldn't just sit at home and let missions and reports consume it. That'd be like having a heartbeat but numb to it. Not worth it and a colossal waste of time.

So one day I'd been wandering on the edge of town, trying to find a way to spend my time because I was the only one of all my friends that didn't have a goal. Ino was getting into interrogation as well as selling flowers and such at her family business, Hinata was working towards being stronger so that she could prove that she wasn't a failure, hell Tenten was becoming the greatest weapons mistress in all of Konoha and ultimately all of the shinobi nations. I couldn't stand that I was the only one being a lifeless zombie. That's when it happened. A house had caved in on itself with civilians inside, a fire I think was the cause. I was about to dash in and try to save them when some woman that I never learned the name to found her way through all the chaos like she was used to it – because she was, I found out later – and easily pulled all three people out of the fire and from under the debris. Again I was ready to step up and offer to get them to hospital but my words had died on my lips as I watch as she healed them one by one. Fixing broken bones and mending charred flesh, it took a while but she did it. And I remember thinking that if I could do that, if I could save people instead of killing them for a living then that would be perfect.

When I got back into the village I immediately sought out Shishou. Thankfully she'd accepted my request and reasoning for wanting help to become stronger. To become someone that people knew they could depend on to help them should they ever need it. I got more than I bargained for, not that I'm complaining of course.

"Yeah, don't forget monstrous strength, too" Naruto muttered, with a shudder from past memories. I frowned, glaring at the blonde with the intent to kill in mind. This happened every time someone decided to make a comment about my strength. I absolutely hate being seen that way, sure it means that people make assumptions that nine times out of ten end up being wrong about my personality or skill ability without my chakra. They seemed to always think me dependant on such aspects of my anatomy when quite honestly I'm not. My self-proclaimed brother shrunk away form me when he realized my intent towards me. "uh-oh, don't hurt me Sakura-chan" the yellow-haired soon-to-be Hokage pleaded knowing his attempts to calm me, as they had been every time before, were futile and proved no affect on me. Sasuke forgot his recent sulking and began chucking at his self-proclaimed brother's stupidity for unlike his fox brother, one time was lesson enough for him to only think the inhuman strength comments directed toward me. Thankfully. Of course he'd learned the hard way. Even with his chuckling the soft pitter-patter of zori and dirt connection couldn't escape his hearing, though he still chose to ignore it all the same. Squad 7's Sharingan user was more than alert to the fact that his former sensei had caught the almost silent sound as well but his comrades and best friends didn't seem to realize that someone, more than not an ANBU black op at that, is approaching the number three training ground that Team 7 had trained at ever since it first assembled. Everyone knew this was where we chose to train, like an unwritten piece of knowledge.

"What did you say, Baka?" I questioned even though I was well aware of what the obnoxious nineteen year-old had muttered.

Even though replying would only be digging a deeper hole than the one he had already created some amount of years ago when the young jonin had first decided to test my abilities and patience he still answered. "That you're an excellent medical ninja as well" of course he was fibbing and everyone within the training area knew it. I didn't buy it nor did I respond, well not verbally at least, but physically is an entirely different matter in itself. For I collected chakra in my right fist and punched the poor Uzumaki square in the jaw. Naruto was sent flying backwards, right past the only ANBU with a weasel mask, and into a tree just within sight range. It was amazing that he still hadn't grasped the concept that he should keep his mouth shut when it came to such matters. Oh well. Not my problem.

"And here I thought human beings couldn't fly" Itachi commented without giving the young jinchuriki so much as a passing glance.

Of course, Sasuke had absolutely no problem making remarks to his brother's musings "Nah, just Dobe, when he decides to tick off Cherry" of course that was true, but then again from time to time, Jiraiya meets a similar fate when Shishou catches him in his perverted actions.

"Cherry?" the elder Uchiha of the two currently occupying the clearing questioned with seeming mild interest.

"Sakura" the younger Uchiha clarified while jabbing his thumb backwards and over his right shoulder in tmy direction before letting his arm fall once more limp to his side in an uncaring manner.

Third Person

Itachi glanced in the direction his brother was pointing just moments before "Sou ka" Itachi replied, his interest further increasing at the fact that a diminutive, young girl who seemed like she wasn't even fit to be a shinobi could pack such a punch. To say that the Uchiha clan prodigy's interest was spiked would be an understatement, for he recognized her as the 5th Hokage's apprentice. The same apprentice who had surpassed the Hokage herself and is also the head of the medical department. And now that his interest was nabbed, he wasn't about to leave her be until his curiosity was satisfied. He had always wondered how the kunoichi ticked, now he had an excuse to find out. Not that he needed one. He smirked inwardly knowing that he had just found himself a new challenge, one that would require his brother's knowledge to get a little more than just the facts. It would certainly be fun if nothing else. Despite this fact he still had to do as he was told, thus he refocused his attention on his powerful brother "I have been told to retrieve you Sasuke" with that he turned from the somewhat damaged clearing and settled into a even and swift saunter knowing that the almost twenty-year old brother of his would follow without verbal protest. However, facial expressions were another matter that he never cared to look into, but still found it quiet amusing at the way Sasuke reacted to things. Like for example, he knew without looking that Sasuke's countenance is twisted into that of sourness and reluctance.

With a soundless sigh Sasuke trailed after, well aware that his mother, Mikoto, wouldn't be too happy if he didn't return with his aniki. He raised his arm so that the back of his palm was facing his fellow ninja and called over his shoulder without glancing back: "Ja." Then his arm fell limply to his side, just as it had just minutes ago when he had pointed to the abnormal hair colored medical sister before subconsciously stuffing both hands in his pockets.

"Later" Sakura called after the retreating form of her self-proclaimed brother.

Kakashi, had already disappeared with a ja ne and now only the linger bits of smoke remained from the larger wisps of smoke that had been created when the thirty-three year-old copy cat ninja departed.

Naruto on the other hand only held up his for Sasuke to high five for he was only a few feet in front of the Sharingan wielder. As Sasuke passed his best friend, he removed his had from his pocket and returned his worst rival's high five.

Sasuke felt his aniki's gaze on him once the two were out of both Sakura and Naruto's hearing range and all he could do was bit the inside of his cheek to refrain from groaning. He knew that look and he knew that playing dumb wouldn't work but it hopefully he could stretch it out till they got home. That way Itachi would be forced to quit as not to raise suspicions. Of course the resourceful ANBU would probably just find a different time to pester his brother only five years his junior.

"Cherry?" The ANBU uniform clad Uchiha questioned again, but this time it wasn't requesting who the pet name belongs to, but demanding just who the pet name belongs to is.

"What? The nick name suits her." Sasuke defended, acting as if his aniki was questioning his pet naming skills and just to make it seem more convincing he faked resentment in both his expression and tone.

Itachi went along with the façade for the simple fact that it would give him more information on Sasuke's medical sister. It seemed the little brother of his still needed practice on dodging questions without giving answer. Not that it helped that the twenty-four year-old would take any information that was imparted. "How so?"

Sasuke cursed, this was going to be a long walk home at this rate. His only hope is that for his health that he wouldn't have to give too much information so neither his teammate nor his brother could endanger his current health. After all Sakura didn't like to be talked about behind her back and Itachi could get creative when he didn't get the information he wanted. A catch 22 quite honestly. He hated when he got stuck in those. This was all the damned pink-haired young woman's fault anyway. Not that she'd see it that way.

Here you go. This is the first chapter to my newest story. Hopefully it's intriguing enough to continue reading. For those of you who remember this being slightly different, I did write the chapter because I was unsatisfied with it. Review please. Crticism is forever welcome.