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Sakura tried not to fidget nervously as she stood behind Tsunade. It wasn’t her first time accompanying her mentor to this kind of meeting but it still made her uneasy, being in the same room as all of Konoha’s most important people. Fortunately for Sakura, there was no reason for her to speak. It was an informal meeting, albeit with everyone – elders, advisers, clan heads, jounin, civilian councils – to provide an update on recent diplomatic developments. Under Konoha and Kiri’s relatively new treaty, Tsunade would be attending the chunin exams held in Kirigakure.
As she and Tsunade had discussed, no one would likely be celebrating her choice but no one would oppose it. Besides, the Hokage had made up her mind and was simply letting them know as a courtesy, since it was likely some clan heirs would be accompanying her to Kiri. Sakura tried not to think of one particular clan heir and turned her attention back to the meeting.
“Hokage-sama, who will go to Kirigakure with you?”
“Shikaku won’t,” Tsunade said testily, a sign that her patience was already fraying. “He’ll lead the village in my stead while I’m gone. Shizune will help him but Sakura will come with me.”
“Yes, Hokage-sama,” Shikaku sighed.
“Hyuga Neji, Inuzuka Hana, Shiranui Genma and Uzuki Yugao will accompany us,” she continued. “And Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi will be my personal guards for the duration of the trip.”
“Yes, Hokage-sama,” came the expected chorus from around the room.
“Hokage-sama, please excuse my interruption.”
Itachi stood and bowed towards her apologetically, the motion causing everyone to fall silent. All eyes turned towards him with anticipation – no one had any reason to oppose her decisions; the meeting itself had not been intended as an avenue for discussion. The Uchiha clan had a tense relationship with the village but Itachi himself was well-known for his loyalty – his sudden interruption had sent everyone reeling.
“I am honoured to be your choice for your personal guard but I must refuse the position.”
Sakura gasped quietly. To her relief, it was drowned out amongst the resulting murmurs around the room, everyone equally shocked by his announcement. His father, seated next to him, was scowling furiously as he opened his mouth to speak but Itachi simply held up his hand. “Forgive me, Hokage-sama, I mean no offense to you or to the Uchiha clan by refusing this position. I still intend to travel to Kirigakure as part of your retinue.”
“What is the reason for your refusal?” Tsunade asked sharply.
“I do not believe I would be able to fulfil my role as your personal guard to the best of my ability,” he said quietly. “To be your personal guard would be to put your life before mine, to think of your safety first and foremost.” He hesitated, for a split-second. “I cannot do so, because there is already someone’s life who I place before mine…and who I would place before yours.”
Tsunade snorted. “You’ve completed guarding assignments before. What’s so different about this?”
Itachi had been looking at the Hokage the entire time, but now his gaze shifted towards Sakura, meeting her eyes for a moment. To her shock, he flushed bright red before he turned his attention back to Tsunade. “The person whose life I would place before yours will be accompanying you on this trip, Hokage-sama. I speak of your apprentice, Haruno Sakura.”
The room exploded into chaos but Sakura almost didn’t notice as she gaped at Itachi. Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment as she sensed everyone staring at her, but she only had eyes for Itachi, who was still very determinedly looking at the Hokage. To Sakura’s dismay, she couldn’t see Tsunade’s face and what her reaction was – was it fury, like that of the Shimura and Hyuga clan heads? Or was it more amusement, like the Yamanaka and Nara?
“Enough!” Tsunade snapped, her chakra flaring out. “Everyone, sit down.”
They slowly obeyed but a few of the clan heads remained on their feet. “This is preposterous,” said Hyuga Hiashi loudly, his sneer directed towards Itachi. “Shinobi have no place for emotions!”
“Fugaku, control your son,” Shimura Noboru said imperiously. His lip was curled with disgust as he turned his gaze towards Sakura. “To let a mere dalliance with her distract him from guarding the Hokage herself is an insult.”
Sakura glared back, not missing how he had insulted her, but before she could do anything, Itachi spoke again. “The nature of my relationship with Sakura is none of your business but it is certainly more than a “mere dalliance”, as you call it,” he said icily, matching Noboru’s haughtiness with his own. But Noboru was all bluster and misplaced pride, while Itachi was calm and confident in his own power. “If you continue to insult Sakura with your tone, you will continue to insult me.”
The implication made her head spin. Noboru was not entirely wrong, as Sakura and Itachi had no formal name to their relationship. They were not courting or engaged or married – they had only been dating for just over half a year, both wanting to take it slow due to the formalities that came with Itachi being a future clan head – but now, Itachi had made it clear that she was his.
“Noboru, control your mouth.” Uchiha Fugaku was on his feet, his scowl directed at the Shimura clan head. “Haruno is the Hokage’s apprentice, unless you also mean to insult the Hokage by insulting her.”
Tsunade barked out a laugh. “Well said, Uchiha,” she said darkly. “Shimura, Hyuga, sit down before I kick you out of this meeting.”
Fugaku had not been asked to sit down, Sakura noted, as he turned towards Tsunade. “Hokage-sama, please excuse my son from his position as your personal guard. He has given a clear and reasonable explanation, and it would be a disservice to both of you if he was forced into such a position.”
In truth, Sakura had guessed that Tsunade would have agreed once Itachi had finished explaining but now she certainly couldn’t deny the Uchiha clan head’s request, not when he had asked so politely. He didn’t often do that. “Couldn’t have said it any better myself,” Tsunade said, dryly. “Shiranui Genma will replace him. Any other objections?”
Hyuga Hiashi opened his mouth. Tsunade looked at him.
Hyuga Hiashi closed his mouth.
“Good. Meeting dismissed.” Tsunade stood, causing a flurry as everyone else in the room stood and bowed to her. Sakura followed suit, desperately trying to catch Itachi’s eyes before she left. He met her gaze for only a second, his cheeks still flushed red, before she was following Tsunade out the room.
Back in the Hokage’s office, Tsunade poured all three of them a drink. “To your boy, Sakura,” she said, chuckling heartily. “I wasn’t expecting that meeting to be so entertaining.”
Sakura rolled her eyes but clinked her cup together with Tsunade and Shizune, and the three of them downed the sake in one go. “Cheers.”
Tsuande snatched the cup back once she set it down. “You’re dismissed too. Tell Itachi he has the Hokage’s approval.”
Sakura skipped around the desk to give her a quick hug before she ducked out of the room. It had almost been mortifying, to have a room full of such important people scrutinise her so closely for her dating life, but there was something about the steadfast way Itachi had presented his case, his matter-of-fact tone contrasting with his confession of emotion. He had said it so simply too, like it was a fact of life – the sky is blue, the Hokage loves to drink, Itachi’s feelings for Sakura were enough to make him forget his duty.
With a growing smile on her face, Sakura returned to her apartment. She would have expected Itachi to be with his family after those type of political meetings, but she suspected that today’s entertainment, as Tsunade has put it, would mean he would want to see her instead. And she was right. Itachi was waiting by her door, greeting her with a somewhat shy smile as she opened the door for them both.
“Did you really say that in front of everyone?” she blurted, once they were both inside.
“Aa,” Itachi said. Now that she was so close to him, it was easy to see the way his cheeks coloured, the way he dropped his gaze almost bashfully. “Forgive me, I did not mean to draw so much attention to you or our relationship.”
“It was bound to come up at some point,” Sakura said ruefully. “We probably should have talked about it sooner but it was nice, to be able to spend time with you and not have to worry about all the politics.”
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I will protect you as best as I can in these situations. But…” He hesitated, his smile fading. “I would not hold it against you if it becomes too much. You are in a difficult position and I do not wish to burden you.”
“No!” Sakura said fiercely, stepping closer so she could hug him. “Itachi, I want to be with you. I know what being with you will involve but whatever happens – whatever difficulties or burdens come our way, we’ll handle it together.”
Itachi said nothing but he pulled her even closer, arms wrapping around her securely. She squeezed him back just as tightly, feeling his heartbeat through his chest. “Together,” he echoed. And then, quietly, whispered into the top of her head. “I love you, Sakura.”
“I love you, too.”