Alas, 27th March. The day Sakura Haruno could very possibly kill her own blood. The sun had just rose above the horizon, sheer and warm rays entering the curtains of their room. The pinkette had long been awake and decided to walk around town, shrugging off the lecture she would receive from her teammates.

She couldn't sleep.

Not after seeing those pair of emerald eyes.

Sigh.

She ended up on the doorsteps of Pink Blossom Palace.

Did father know about this place? Was that why he was anxious that I came here? She asked herself.

If she goes in, she might just find her answer. But she was terrified. If a Haruno is her target, would she be able to execute her mission properly? She wouldn't forgive herself if she killed her own family; she wouldn't forgive herself for not performing well as a responsible kunoichi. What would she do if she finds out the truth? What should she do?

Sakura breathed a shaky breath, clenching her fists as it began to tremble. She squeezed her eyes tightly as the tip of her nose began to turn red from the heat that was rising to her eyes. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes and spun on her heels. When she did, she met a pair of onyx eyes. Those eyes which she had missed and grew to hate, especially their first encounter after he left the village.

Her features rid of the warmth and her eyes were replaced with a glare. Her senses were heightened, in case he came here with an ally.

"Itachi." Cold.

The said man stared at her with his pair of emotionless eyes. It did not portray a single emotion, who knew what he had in mind. But one thing was for sure, and that she doesn't know, he did not expect her presence here.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, straight to the point.

She gritted her teeth and growled, "What are you doing here?"

She shouldn't be here. Does she know? He thought as he gazed at her intently. His eyes narrowed, demanding an answer from her. This is the last place he would want her to be in.

She caught his order and reluctantly answered him. "I have a mission." She cursed at herself upping answering him. The respect she held for the Uchiha prodigy did not die down despite his participance in a criminal organisation. In truth, she should be arresting him right now.

Itachi's eyes closed as he mentally sighed at her answer. She was still clueless, and he could never have been more glad. Now that she's here, it would not be possible for him to kill her. However, he wouldn't leave. Perhaps he could wait until she exits the village.

The pinkette's eyebrow raised, suggesting him to answer her question.

He was quiet. Unwilling to share his purpose.

"You have grown." He suddenly said, taking in her appearance and remembering the younger version of her before he left the village.

Left. He would never betray his village.

Her hair grew, as luscious as ever. Her emerald eyes that twinkled, but held so much disappointment towards him. Her fringe framing her face and her features seemed more prominent. Her attire was not as feminine as before, but it looked much more comfortable to fight in. The sword behind her back made him proud, it made her look stronger. His days training her did not go to waste.

The pink adolescent he was observing grew flustered, hearing his random comment. It caught her completely off-guard.

She hated him. That's what she thought, but seeing him made her heart warm. He was the brother figure she had always wanted and she was the sister he never had. They loved each other and in fact, they still do. Although, she was not exactly willing to admit that.

Her gaze tore away from the man and huffed in embarrassment.

He commented again, "You grew up well."

If it wasn't for the cloak, she would have seen the tiny smile gracing his lips. He was happy that she grew up to be a strong and fine woman. He wondered if he would have the chance to see her marry off to a good guy with a great family. But he hoped he wouldn't return to the village no matter how much he misses it, because returning means something terrible that would affect the entire shinobi world.

The two of them stood awkwardly between the crowd of cherry blossom trees. He was staring at her, and she was avoiding his gaze. The sun rose higher into the sky, joining the puffy clouds.

She took a step forward, avoiding him as she went. It was time for her to go before her team wakes up. If she's unlucky, she would receive an earful. The man glued on his spot, letting her walk past him and felt a stab to his heart.

He retreated elsewhere, waiting for time to pass. Night had always been the best time to assassinate. He would return then.

When Sakura reached her accommodation, she internally groaned at the person who stood at the entrance. She just met those similar pair of onyx eyes. For the second time today, she encountered an Uchiha at the most unexpected times.

Unbeknownst to her, he hadn't been in a deep sleep. She wasn't the only one who was bothered by thoughts about the new found Haruno in Jomae Village; although his problems were different than hers. He was worried about her well being.

"You shouldn't be out alone." He said.

"I know. I didn't walk too far." She simply answered.

He observed her face closely, something was bothering her. What he didn't know was she met his brother which increased her troubles. Sasuke shortened the gap between the two and placed a gentle hand on her head.

Her eyes softened at his gesture.

He has always been gentle towards her.

It was slightly comforting, so she was grateful.

She thought about Itachi for a second and decided to not mention about it. She chuckled at herself; was she sober? Why was she covering up for an S-class criminal? Not that he was doing anything, but it only made sense for her to catch a wanted man and turn him in to the police force. What was she thinking?

The young Uchiha heard her chuckled and raised his eyebrow. Did the stress catch up to her and finally made her insane?

"Sakura?"

She looked up at him and removed his hand. "I'm fine, Sasuke. Don't worry about me."

"Both of you are up early." Kakashi said as he left the hotel.

Neji groaned as he walked out with two bags. "Ugh.. Here!" He threw those bags to his two teammates.

They caught it swiftly with a light laugh.

==

After rounding the village to pass time, the night has arrived and the team took their positions in the trees.

They waited patiently.

And waited.

Until it was close to midnight.

27th March was ending.

The flowers rustled and moved with the wind. It's petals left their home and danced together as though they were celebrating a person's soon death. They watched from the air while the Jounins waited without a sound.

Sakura gulped from nervousness at each passing second. Her palms were clammy. Her eyes focused on the wooden sliding door.

It was getting closer to the next day by the second.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

28th March, Sakura's birthday.

The mission..was futile.

According to the scroll, they should leave because their mission failed. They were still glued to their spot nevertheless, in confusion more than anything else. The pinkette exhaled a breath she didn't know she held. She was partly relieved that she didn't have to kill her kin if a Haruno had been their target.

It took awhile before their captain spoke through the earpiece.

A simple yet heartbreaking, "Mission failed."

They gathered in the middle of the flowery field and looked at each other. It was quite difficult to accept. Mission failed? It was a mission made not possible to happen.

First of all, how did the client know a woman, his or her target would appear at the door? And why was this particular night chosen? Mission useless to perform before or after the designated date?

What on earth was wrong with this mission?

Most importantly, they had to leave?

Without a single word exchanged, they remembered what was written in the scroll.

Escape.

They left.

From a far sideline, the older prodigy was looking. He entered the estate once they were far enough.

It was time for his personal mission.

But he left with serious injuries and a shocking secret. With every drop of his chakra left, he fled as fast and as far as he possibly could. Quickly overexerting himself. He dare not stop for a short break because he feared what was tailing him.

No.

If something were to happen to him, he would fail in two things.

Keeping his village and the world safe.

And protecting Sakura.

He must train harder to beat that monster.

==

Dedicated to FangirlJo for your support! Talking to you in the comments section was fun!

Throwing some hints here and there. Have anyone came up with some theories? I'm very interested to know!

I have a special announcement to make in favour of rising authors out there. I'm willing to make shoutouts for you in my stories if you PM me about it. That's if you're a follower of mine BECAUSE I don't want some bastard who doesn't actually read my stories to act like they do and get a free shoutout lol.

Have a good day/night. Stay healthy and safe!

~Joelle

Published: 22 May 2018