Chapter Text
"How may I help you, Itachi-san?" At the man's lack of response, Sakura raised a delicate eyebrow. Normally, he was quite headstrong and confident in all of his words and actions. Although he was also foolish at his attempt to be her prince charming earlier that day, she couldn't deny that she was, in fact, impressed by his offer.
"Sakura-san, could we perhaps speak in private?" Itachi asked, his dark eyes boring into hers. Sakura barely concealed the apparent shock. His voice was as deep as ever, but there was a slight rasp to it. And, were those red rings around his eyes?
Decidingly ripping off her apron, Sakura handed it over to Hinata, who took it with no questions. Ino, however, had more to say.
"You don't get to barge in here and order Sakura around when all you've done was hurt her!" She scowled, completely ignoring the pained look that flashed across his handsome face. Sakura immediately reached over to her blonde friend, laying a hand on her shoulder.
"Ino, it's fine. We'll only be speaking for a minute," She soothed the furious blonde before nodding at Hinata. "Itachi-san, let's move to the corner so we don't disrupt the customers."
As she led him towards the pair of bean bags folded in the corner of the bakery, Sakura internally sighed. She knew that it would take more than a minute, but she also knew that Itachi never showed pain. Not like this.
Once they comfortably sat down, Sakura waited for the long-haired male to begin speaking.
"Sakura-san, I have a favor to ask of you," He nervously began, and Sakura absentmindedly watched his hands messily play against the material of the beanbag.
"Stop," She gently commanded, her own hand stretching out to cover his. "Before that, tell me what's wrong."
Itachi's head snapped up, his red-rimmed eyes shockingly staring into her own calm, yet concerned ones.
"How.. how did you know?"
"Even if you don't quite like me, Itachi-san, we have known each other since we were children. It's hard not to notice when you aren't yourself after knowing you for over a decade," She snorted at their childhood memories before sobering up. "So tell me what's wrong. Pretend like we aren't enemies for a moment."
"Well, it is what the favor is about. And I can not be sure of whether or not you will accept," Itachi stared at their hands. Her face heated up as she retracted her hand, apologizing for touching him so carelessly. He shook his head.
"My shin is fractured from this morning," Waving a hand towards the crutches that he had left by the door, he then rolled up his pant leg. The bruising hadn't gotten any better when he had last looked at it, but there was now a thin layer of salve that had been spread over it. "I told them that I would wrap it myself."
Sakura watched as he produced a roll of bandages from his pocket, holding it in front of her. "I couldn't stand to be in the hospital any longer than I already had."
"I can wrap up your leg, but I still don't understand why you are here," Sakura frowned as she took the offered roll of bandages, unfurling them to begin the wrapping process.
'My mother was also badly injured," Itachi sighed.
Itachi passively watched a flurry of emotions cross his enemy's face. No, not enemy. But not friend either.
"So that is what happened. I see you also finally learned that I never hated you," A wry smile appeared on Sakura's face as she finished tying up the bandages. The tight feeling left a slight pressure on his shin, but it was a welcomed pressure. His leg was no longer exposed to the air that lashed mercilessly at the pulsing skin. It was now numb to the touch.
"I'm sorry," He had no other response than to apologize.
"Are you also sorry for all of the times that you sprayed me down with a hose in the middle of the park? I'll only forgive you if you tell me where you got it from," Her smile faded into a look no shorter than amusement as Itachi joined in, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.
"It was not a hose," He denied, the edge of his lip quirking up. "It was a water gun."
Blankly staring at him for a few seconds, Sakura promptly dissipated into a fit of laughter. Watching her, Itachi then decided that he was the most idiotic of idiots in the entire world. How had he missed all of this? The way her button nose would slightly wrinkle when she spoke, the curve of her eyes when she genuinely smiled or laughed. Perhaps he was now being freed from the blindness and insanity rather than receiving it. He let himself join her, allowing himself to laugh with her, to laugh at her stupidity.
"Okay, but on a serious note," Sakura wiped away a tear that had deviated from her eye. "What is this favor that you speak of?"
"Would you help me with the competition?" He asked, completely straightforward. If he wanted to earn her trust, he couldn't mince his words. Not now, not ever. Sakura's face quirked up with confusion. Itachi sighed. "Let me explain, and hopefully it'll clear up some of your questions."
He promptly told her of his conversation with Mikoto in the hospital, gracefully skimming over the part where he had so dumbly realized what his mother was asking of him. When he finished, a dawn of understanding flashed through Sakura's eyes.
"If I help you out, you have to help me out. Are you okay with that?" She challenged him. Even though they had figured out the true purpose of the event, it appeared that she wouldn't back down without a little bit of fun.
"And how am I supposed to help you?" He smirked at her, gesturing to his leg.
"Simple. I do a favor for you, and you owe me a favor to use in the future," She grinned back at him. Itachi could practically see the gears finish turning against each other, finally settling down and fitting together perfectly. He knew that she wouldn't be changing her mind anytime soon.
"I have no choice, do I." It wasn't a question, but a statement.
"Nope!"
"What sort of favor?" He inquired. Although he had already given in to her -how could he not?- there was still a hint of curiosity lingering in the back of his mind that he just had to know.
"I obviously haven't figured it out yet since I didn't ask for it straight up," She snapped back at him, half playful and half serious. First things first, she would have to find out one of his weaknesses. And then she would use it against him. Hiding her devious smile behind an innocent one, she stood up. "So what do you say?"
"Fine, I accept."
"Next, you are going to sprinkle a quarter-teaspoon of brown sugar on top of the crust," Itachi ordered as he stood in front of her, scrutinizing the unbaked peach cobbler. Sakura carefully dusted a layer of the crumbly sugar over the dough.
Itachi had been coaching her on making his version of the apple pie for the past thirty minutes, and Sakura was already over it. And yet she still managed to keep her temper in check. The more she argued against him, the less time they would have. The sun was no longer in its peak as the time grew closer to the late evening.
The male in front of her had become rather aggravated when she told him to wait for her bakery to close and to go give his mother some flowers in her place. He had more than likely expected them to begin as soon as he agreed to her terms and her annoyance resurfaced at the thought.
Did he truly think that he was the only one who had things to do? What about her, she was also participating in the competition. And now, she had to not only bake her creation but Itachi's as well!
"I think adding a touch of cinnamon to the top would add a nice touch to the crust as well," Sakura suggested, holding up a bottle of said ingredient. She paused for a moment to look at his reaction, a weight being lifted off of her shoulders when he nodded in agreement.
Wait, since when did she care about what he agreed with? Her idea would clearly benefit the peach cobbler and it would only be his downfall if he disagreed.
"Now that you know that I am making peach cobbler for the festival, what are you making?" Leaning against the counter, Itachi pressed his face into the palm of his hand, his elbow lightly grazing the white marble.
"You couldn't smell it all day? You couldn't see my parents and I passing out samples, telling them to come try the real thing tomorrow during the festival?" Sakura asked incredulously, placing the bottle of cinnamon down, transferring the peach cobbler into the oven to bake.
"I was just trying to make conversation," He replied, slightly hurt. But Sakura knew better than to give in to him. It was only his ego that was injured since he was brushed off. Like his leg and when she ignored his hasty attempt to help her.
"There's better things to talk about rather than my apple pie," She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as she began the timer. Since their baked goods would be passed out during the festival, they had opted into making small, bite-sized versions of their creations. The peach cobbler she had just set into the oven would only need to be baked for about fifteen minutes.
"Like what?" Itachi asked, intrigued. He stood up straight, looking at her directly in the eyes.
"Like nothing," She irritably replied, tossing her soiled apron into the basket, placing the leftover ingredients where they belonged, the dirty dishes into the sink. Snapping on a pair of gloves, she began washing them. "I have things to do as well so I don't have time to chit chat with you."
Itachi's lips twitched as he hid the soft smile threatening to appear. It would appear that the petite woman before him was as stubborn as she was when they were younger. Normally, her actions would put him on the edge of annoyance, but perhaps there was something replacing it now. Was it amusement?
He watched as her hands scrubbed harshly against the dried batter in the glassware. He took notice in the way her lips curled in a downward smile as she successfully achieved her goal. He observed her smooth movements as she expertly moved about the kitchen, experienced as if she had been doing this for years and years on end.
Because she had been.
And he had missed that. He missed all of it due to his own impudence, his ignorance of how much she had grown since their childhood. And- what was that feeling in his heart? Why was it lurching the way it did when he saw his mother getting carried away into the ambulance wagon? Was he about to cry?
"Here, try it."
Gone was the feisty girl who, just a few moments ago, wanted nothing to do with him, who wanted nothing more than to kick him out of her house. No, this female was as soft as her bubblegum hair. Her emerald green eyes shyly looked down at her creation. She gently handed him the plate with a spoon.
Licking his dry lips to provide them with moisture, he dug the spoon into the round pastry. A familiar, tight crunch sounded as the utensil made contact with the peach cobbler and the warm, comforting scent of peaches and cinnamon startled him.
"Did you know that you smelled just like this?"
Sakura lurched backwards. "Excuse me?"
"You smell peaches," Itachi looked at her through his wickedly long lashes, his voice husky.
Badump.
"Peaches are my favorite," She explained, confused. Confused as to how he knew her scent, confused as to why she was telling him that about herself when she audibly voiced her discomfort of small talk with him.
"Why do you think I chose to make peach cobbler?" He took a step forward. They were now only inches away from each. All Sakura had to do was stand on her tiptoes and they would be- no, what was she thinking. This was the very person who hated her well being for the past almost two decades. It didn't matter if he had a change of heart, it had only been eight hours since he had figured it out.
But what of her change of heart?
"Why did you choose to make peach cobbler?" She confronted him, desperate for an answer. Any answer that would make her forget about this. What was this?
"When we were little, my mother would lure you into our bakery with fresh peaches. You were only four then, but I was nine. When I learned that we would be facing off against each other, it only made sense for me to make your childhood favorite. I suppose I interpreted Back to the Basics as Back to the Past, to what we have always known."
"Eight hours," Sakura reminded herself. This wouldn't be enough to sway her. What of all those times that they had fought against each other, the times he rubbed his victories in her face and vice versa?
"Eight hours for what?"
And with that, Sakura grasped at the only way she could solve this predicament.
"You found out eight hours ago that I never hated you, and what? Now you're trying to get under my skin? Do you really think that only eight hours is enough for the eighteen years that you spent hating my guts and going out of your way to make me miserable? I didn't even get an apology. You just automatically assumed everything would be okay, didn't you? No, I never hated you. But now I think I do."
Sakura held her breath in hopes of maintaining her glare at him.
"Forget about the favor that you owe me. After this festival, stay away from me. And don't worry, I'll drop off your peach cobblers at your bakery for you so you don't have to come here."
"Sakura honey, you should take a break," Mebuki coaxed. "I know that you agreed to help the Uchiha's, but you need to worry about yourself first."
"Once I'm finished with this chore, everything will be fine, Mom," Gritting her teeth, Sakura took out another batch of peach cobblers, immediately placing another tray into the oven, resetting the timer.
"Okay, that's it. Fifteen minute break. You already baked three hundred peach cobblers, that's enough for the entire town to eat one. You still need to make your apple pies, right?" Kizashi entered the kitchen with a package of dango. "You may be able to bake better than your mother and I, but we still have you beat in Japanese desserts."
"Thanks, Dad," Sakura grabbed a stick of the tri-colored dango, shoving a ball into her mouth, sighing in pleasure. "Fine, I needed this break. Now stop glaring at me."
"We just don't want you to burn yourself out. The festival is supposed to be fun. Aren't you and Ino running a kissing booth after the baking part of the festival?" Mebuki winked as Kizashi choked on his dango.
"What kissing booth?" He demanded, shooting a sharp look at his only daughter.
"Kisses on the cheek only, Dad," Rolling her eyes, she patted her father on the cheek as she began packaging the peach cobblers into clear containers, complete with a miniature spoon that laid beside the treat.
Grumpily stroking his beard, Kizashi sighed. "Your mother and I will package and deliver the peach cobblers. You can take a break or get started on your apple pies."
"I'm going to call Hinata and Ino. We're supposed to be getting ready together," Sakura smiled at her parents. Oh, what she would do without them.
"There's no need to call us if we're already here!"
Sakura could only imagine Ino dramatically slamming the door of the bakery open, sparkles and glitter floating around herself and Hinata as they 'heroically' came to her services. She grinned, thanking her parents one last time before running out to meet with her two best friends.
"Hello, Sakura-chan. Sorry for coming unannounced," Hinata had the decency to blush at her and Ino's sudden entrance. Nonetheless, she gently hugged the pinkette. "We just didn't want to cause you any more stress than you're already going through."
"Besides, we've been practicing our apple pie skills! That slimy Uchiha won't even know what hit him!" Ino snarled playfully as she smacked Sakura on the back. "Cheer up, Forehead! Why do you look so gloomy?"
"I think I like him."
"What," Ino flatly responded, her ponytail whipping furiously as she impatiently turned to lock gazes with Hinata, who looked as equally shocked as she did.
"Okay, hear me out. I think I might've always liked him," Sakura nervously looked between her best friends, one who was angry, the other who was content with her admission.
"You finally realized," Hinata hugged the pinkette. Behind them, Ino spluttered incoherently as she struggled to gather her words.
"What do you mean 'you finally realized'," Ino pried them apart, searching for answers. Sakura watched them silently, completely speechless. She, as well, wanted to know what Hinata meant.
"Everyone has their own way of expressing their feelings for other people. Ino-chan pines after them like a fangirl despite knowing how deep her own feelings are. Sakura-chan doesn't realize that she likes Itachi-san, so she uses her stubbornness and, quite frankly, rudeness as a barrier. And me, well. We all know what I do," Hinata flushed under the suggestive glances of her two friends.
She silently watched and supported him, even knowing that if she did that, she would never be noticed.
But that was a story for another time. Now, she wanted to focus on Sakura.
"Mom! Can I ask you for a favor?" Sakura asked, calling her mother from the back of the kitchen.
"Why does she always just do what she wants to?" Itachi frustratedly slammed his glass of water down onto the table in the break room.
"Woah, Itachi-chan, slow down. You're saying that you guys made up with each other but then a few hours later, she tells you that she hates you?" Shisui incredulously asked, his eyebrows raising in surprise. That wasn't the Sakura that he knew.
"Yes," The long-haired male stressed, rubbing his temples.
"Oh, Itachi-chan," Shisui stood up, patting his younger cousin's cheek. "You still have lots to learn."
"If you are just going to leave after saying that, I am not letting you. What in the world is that supposed to mean?" Itachi glared at the curly-haired Uchiha, his mood dampening by the second. He was already confused by how cryptic Sakura was being, and now his best friend was doing it as well!
"Well," Shisui sighed, looking out the window. His jaw dropped minutely, but he quickly composed himself. "It looks like I really do have to go."
Ignoring Itachi's curses and threats, Shisui wiped the bead of sweat from his brow. "At least he didn't see that."
Smirking, he sauntered out of the shop, winking at the petite woman who was just entering. "Good luck, sugar."
"Thanks, chipmunk," She responded, her green eyes glistening. She hadn't even questioned how he knew what she was about to do, he just knew. She knew he just knew.
Muffling his laughter, Shisui couldn't get rid of the image of a focused Haruno Sakura marching her way down the street, muttering something that seemed like nonsense as she carried a tower of boxes that piled up to five feet above her head, weighing more than she probably did.
Once she had passed him, walking into the shop, he stopped dead in his tracks. Pressing the reverse button in his brain, he walked backwards, heading back into the bakery, locking the door behind him and flipped the window sign to read closed.
Nobody would notice, anyway. They would be too busy preparing for the festival, after all.
Shifting the stack of peach cobblers onto left thigh, Sakura used her right hand to gently press the bell, the sudden ding echoing through the empty bakery.
She smirked to herself as she watched Itachi run out from the break room, his eyes mechanically widening as he took in the boxes. "Sakura-san, let me help you with those-!"
Her smirk fell as she picked up the packages once again, ignoring his complaints as she entered the kitchen. She disregarded his feeble attempts at taking a few of the boxes off of her arms, merely giving him a pointed look as she once again turned the armful away from him. She paid no attention to the way his lips were slowly turning down into a frown. She smiled.
"Your leg is hurt," She announced. He had nothing to say to that and had no choice but to relent and watch her.
"I brought all of your peach cobblers, Itachi-san! Is there anything else that you need me to do?" Smiling softly with her lips, her eyes smoothed out into crescents and she swore she heard him exhale loudly. "Is there something wrong?"
Sakura then proceeded to begin taking apart the tower of peach cobblers, occasionally sending him innocent looks as she did so.
"Move," He muttered, shoving her out of the way. "Your job is done now. You can leave."
"Mou, I did so much for you and this is how you repay me?" She asked, crossing her arms, her lips puckering just the slightest bit in a pout.
"We agreed on a favor that you haven't asked for yet," Itachi carefully reminded her as he began heating up the ovens to keep the peach cobblers warm until it was time to head to the festival.
"Does that mean the rest of your family each owes me a favor? They were relying on you after all. It was up to you to prepare all of these, right?" She had slowly walked over to where he stood, poking him lightly on the chest.
"What?" He replied as he realized that her words were true. Realistically, his entire family was in debt due to her help.
"Oh, Sasuke-kun is my age. I am starting to get older, maybe I should ask him out on a date!" She exclaimed happily, prancing back towards the front. "Thanks for the opportunity, Itachi-san! I'll see you at the fair!"
Sakura hurriedly ran towards the exit of the Uchiha family's bakery, hastening her footsteps to leave before he could catch her disappear. Giggling to herself, she hoped her plan worked.
She pushed on the door.
"What the hell? I could've sworn this was a push door," She muttered as the door refused to open.
"Sakura!"
"What, no Sakura-san? I didn't know we were that close, Itachi," She grinned up at him, peering at his peeved expression through her lashes.
"I thought you were leaving," He let out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding. In all honesty, he had no idea what he was doing or what he would do if she actually chose to stay.
"Of course I'm leaving, Itachi. My only job was to drop these off, what did you expect to happen?" Slowly turning back around, Sakura reached towards the door, the grin on her face fading as she hoped he bought her act. The last time she had ever performed was in high school, but she could only hope that her skills weren't so rusty. Luckily, he didn't seem to even notice anything out of the ordinary. It was unusual, coming from a guy who remembered her favorite fruit.
A hand grasped onto her wrist.
"What the hell do you think you're doing right now?" She snapped at him, whipping her head around to look down at their current form of contact. "If you haven't forgotten, I have other things to prepare for the festival."
Itachi reluctantly let go of his hold on her arm, obviously peeved at the fact that he couldn't do anything more to keep her with him, to explain. It was then that the sudden realization crashed into him. Explain what- how badly he wanted her?
Sakura was oblivious to his current struggles as she turned to pull on the door. "Okay, what is with this door not opening?"
Her phone buzzed at that moment in the pocket of her jeans and she half-heartedly pulled it out, checking the notification she had just received. Ino had texted her about ten minutes ago, giving her an uncomfortable reminder to man up and kiss him.
Mortified, Sakura quickly slid the message towards the side, deleting it from her notification center before Itachi could peek over her shoulder. At the thought of him, she realized that he was being silent. Silence may have been one of the things he was good at, but he was just trying to get her to stay and listen to him.
Ignoring the brooding mass behind her, she looked at the most recent notification that has distracted her from leaving. Sorry, sugar.
Her eye imperceptibly twitched as she tucked her phone away, setting a mental reminder to deal with the embodiment of annoyance later on. When she wasn't in this situation.
"You got a key?" She impatiently turned back around, her foot minutely tapping against the sleek tile as she raised a brow in question.
"Aa. Let me go and get it," Itachi replied easily, his long ponytail swishing around the corner as he disappeared into one of the backrooms.
For once, Itachi was thankful towards his older cousin for giving him a distraction. Instead of reaching for the keys, he alternatively grasped the edge of the countertop, letting out a heavy breath he didn't even know he was holding.
"More like I need to get a grasp on my emotions," He thought to himself humorously, and yet found no humor in the joke whatsoever.
He sure as hell didn't love her, no. Those things only happened in fantasy books where he would immediately sacrifice his life for her. But was it simply attraction that led him to her?
Shaking his head, Itachi grabbed the set of keys, fingering the small silver one that would unlock the front door. He would just have to do what he did best- nothing.
Even as he felt the pinkette's curious gaze landing on him as he wordlessly unlocked the door, he refused to acknowledge her until he knew what he was feeling and what he would do with those feelings.
He watched her exit the bakery, smiling courteously towards his mother before walking down the street. Taking notice of the way her hips swung from side to side and how her face tipped backwards every time she ran a hand through her hair to fix it.
And yet, Itachi still couldn't put a finger on his emotions.
Mikoto silently giggled behind her freshly manicured nails as she observed her eldest son fawning over her favorite Sakura-chan.
They were painted a bright red, of course. Just like a fresh and juicy apple.
"And the winner of this year's bakery competition is…"
Sakura held her breath as she awaited the results. Ino and Hinata were by her side, grasping tightly onto her hands as they, too, anticipated the outcome of the competition.
"Oh, ho, ho! Whoops, my bad, folks! I haven't even invited the contestants onto the stage yet! HAHAHAHA ahem, anyways. Ow, Tsunade-sama!" Gai howled into the mic in despair as a lump immediately began swelling on the top of his head.
Sakura snorted. Leave it to Gai, one of the most eccentric teachers she ever had, pull off such a performance. She swore that the blonde mayor must've been a powerful boxer or ninja in her past life.
"Ahem, anyways," He rubbed the top of his hair, tears comically streaming down his face, mixing with his snot, and dripping onto the horrific green spandex that he wore on the daily.
"How could he even think to spend money to look at it?" Ino stage whispered, the tone of her voice telling Sakura all she needed to know without having to look at her face.
"It's impossible to spend money on- what the fuck does that mean?"
"Exactly!"
With all intents and purposes, Gai had truly tried his hardest to pull himself together underneath Tsunade's scrutinizing gaze at the opposite end of the stage. This was just a baking competition, he thought, why was it so serious?
Holding back his cries of pain from the top of his head, he knew exactly what to do. "Now, now, now! Introducing the pink goddess of Konohagakure itself, the youthful graduate of Konoha University, the current top female heartbreaker in the village-!"
"Enough, Gai!" Tsunade squawked, marching to the center of the stage, snatching the god-awful green mic away from him. "Get your ass off the stage or so help me, I will shove my fist all the way up your ass!"
"Oh, yes, yes, Tsunade-sama, I will do just that! AHAHA, off the stage I go, woohoo! Well then folks, isn't this an amazing turn of events! It will appear that Tsunade-sama, our lovely, gorgeous, and plentiful mayor will be hosting the awards tonight!"
Not wanting to get under their Hokage's bad side, the crowd decidingly ignored the punt from the blonde woman's foot that booted the spandex-wearing man off of the makeshift stage.
Ripping the vibrant green cover of the microphone off, Tsunade was complacent at the basic black color underneath.
"Our first contestant, Haruno Sakura!" The blonde called out from above the crowd.
Although her introductory speech was rather bland compared to Gai's, Sakura was flabbergasted at the thunderous roar of the audience, all of them cheering for her. Not being able to stop the grin spreading across her face, she let go of Ino and Hinata's hands, nodding politely to anyone she passed as she made her way to the stage.
"As for our other competitor, we have Uchiha Itachi!" The applause was just as loud, if not louder than hers, with the undeniable wolf whistles from Shisui. Shaking her head, Sakura found herself more fond than exasperated for the curly-headed Uchiha.
"Just as a refresher, Haruno-san had crafted a delicious apple pie that rivals our grandmother's own baked delicacy. It makes me rather nostalgic, even, and through it, I am actually quite anticipating the upcoming autumn season!
On the other hand, Uchiha-san baked a mouth-watering peach cobbler, sweet but with just the right amount of salt to help balance it. It's so sweet that it's rather difficult to even imagine him making it…"
As Tsunade casted a dry look towards the long-hair raven, she imperceptibly rolled her eyes as he merely stared back at her. That is, until she noticed that he wasn't looking at her, but at the pinkette on the other side of her.
"Well, for Konohagakure's annual baking festival, it is my pleasure to announce that the winner is both Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi!"
The scattered whispers throughout the crowd didn't go unnoticed, and Sakura was slightly uneased. They both won?
"What're you doing?" Itachi hissed beside her, snatching her hand into his own.
She blinked, staring at their conjoined hands before looking back up at him. Robotically, her arm raised with his, her back automatically folding over to bow.
"Oh."
"What are you, dumb?" He asked frustratedly as they padded down the stairs and off the platform.
"Why?" She asked back, her mind still reeling. She had just won the very first competition she ever competed in, of course! It was only a given that she'd be in shock.
"Did you just ask why you're dumb?" Itachi dumbfoundedly responded. "And I thought I was the idiotic one for liking you."
Sakura's head snapped up to meet his gaze. "Say what now?" She all but demanded, pulling her wrist out of his grasp so she could move to stand in front of him.
"Yeah, I said it. I like you, Haruno Sakura. The question is, what're you going to do about it?"
Sakura didn't know whether or not she wanted to laugh or blush. So this is what he had been acting like a total priss for. He was antagonizing the fact that he liked her from the way he looked so tired as he awaited her response.
Before she could come up with a decision, her body chose for her. Busting into a heap of giggles, she unceremoniously grasped onto his shoulder, pressing her cheek into his chest as she let her anger out.
"Finally," She managed to breathe out. "I had half a mind to kiss you on stage for you to at long last figure it out."
"You knew?" He muttered, finding her sudden touches weren't unwelcome.
"Of course I did," She replied. Itachi frowned at the sudden coldness hitting him as soon as she pulled away from him. "I thought I was being pretty obvious, but I guess I wasn't."
"You? Being obvious?" Hell, she had seemed rather excited to leave his bakery, cold at best when he had attempted conversation with her.
"I sat and listened to you and ultimately baked every single peach cobbler you saw today. And did you really think that I decided to bake apple pies because they reminded Tsunade-sama of autumn?"
"But you-!"
"I know what you're thinking. You're the one who told me to leave in the first place. 'Move, your job is done, Sakura. You can leave now.' Or whatever it was you said. It was something like that, though."
"Oh."
"What are you, dumb?" She playfully mocked him, sending the raven-haired male one of her best smiles so he would understand that she was only joking.
"Why," Itachi stated flatly, but Sakura was smug as she noticed the slight twitch at the corner of his lips. He was enjoying this.
"Mou, are you asking why you're dumb?" She skipped ahead of him, into the empty street where her apartment was. "I suppose I am the idiotic one for liking you!"
"I did not say that."
"Well, what're you gonna do about it? Drag me on stage and kiss me in front of everyone?" Sakura cheekily replied, laughing heartily as she felt his gaze sharpen against her back.
She didn't have time to hold back her gasp as he picked her up bridal-style.
"Should I?" He mused, turning back around, starting the walk back towards the festival.
"I wouldn't mind," She said, smiling up at him.
Itachi felt his heart soften at the genuinity in her voice.
"I always did think that you'd want your first kiss to be officiated by Gai-san, anyway."
End.