Shades of Grey

Chapter 23

Itachi had been right, it only took Kisame a couple of hours to return with the bounty. When Kisame told them that he had seen an inn that had escaped destruction back in the village they headed out. Itachi had seemed glad to have the chance to sleep in an actual bed, but Sakura was not as enthused. She still considered her attempts to help the village futile. She was sure that the mother she had handed her dead child to would agree.

They were all taken aback by the reception that they received upon their arrival. Sakura was speechless when cheers of "Our angel has returned" rang out around them. Itachi and Kisame were equally as surprised to be praised as "the angel's saviors". None of them had been so wholeheartedly welcomed anywhere in their entire lives. When they requested an inn, the innkeeper gave them not just one, but three of his best rooms and refused all offers of payment.

"I am starting to see how this goody-goody Leaf thing can work." Kisame joked when they were at last alone in Sakura's room which was located between the other two. "Itachi you should have told me this shit years ago."

"I normally do not receive as enthusiastic of a welcome as my former comrades enjoy." Itachi replied.

"No one does except Naruto." Sakura giggled.

"Must be everyone just loves that damn fox." Kisame grinned. "At any rate lets go ahead and split the bounty."

"Split it?" The kunoichi questioned. "Don't you have to hand it over to Akatsuki?"

"Hell no." The blue man shook his head. "I wouldn't stay anywhere that I had to hand over every penny. Kid, Akatsuki pays us a handsome monthly allowance. On top of that anything we collect for them we send in half and split the other in two. Guess this time it will just be a three-way split."

"Just spit it between the two of you." Sakura refused. "I don't want any of that money."

"No." Itachi spoke up. "You did most of the work, you will receive your fair portion. You are a ninja with no village. No matter how unsavory the job never refuse your pay."

"I have plenty of money," Sakura defended. "I left the village with a year's worth of pay, not to mention I have already collected a few bounties."

"It doesn't matter kid." Kisame told her as he set a large amount of money beside her. "You have to take what you can get when you can. Not to mention you need to get a scroll that you can keep on your person. You never know when you might have to leave everything behind."

"Sounds like you are speaking from experience." Sakura mused as she gathered up the money knowing she could never win against the two of them.

"More times than I would like to admit." The blue man acknowledged. "Next village with a ninja supply shop we will pick one up for you. You can keep your money in it and anything else you wouldn't want to leave behind."

"Thanks." Sakura smiled at him as she started to dig around for the pouch that currently held all her money. She felt herself turn beet red when Kakashi's copy of Icha-Icha fell out; she hoped that neither of them saw it. Her hopes were dashed when she saw Itachi's eyes widen, and for a split second she would swear that she saw an abashed look of horror cross his features.

"Nice choice in literature kid." The large man laughed so hard that Sakura thought he might fall off the bed. "I would keep that in the scroll with your money."

"It is not mine." The kunoichi sputtered. "Well it is but I didn't buy it. My sensei gave it to me."

"I miss the way you always laughed when you would set on me while we trained, and the smile that you never failed to put on my face." Kisame read part of the inscription before she grabbed it away. "Damn I wish I could have had a sensei like that."

"You knew Kakashi right." Sakura turned to Itachi looking for support.

"Indeed." The Uchiha nodded. "When I was a resident of Konoha we did cross paths. His taste in literature was always questionable. I would burn it. It was a poor choice to allow him around genin."

"No, I love it." The kunoichi blurted before she realized the implication of her words. "I have never read it, but he gave it to me, so I love it."

"Keep your book kid." Kisame decided to throw her a lifeline before she crawled under the bed to hide. "Let's all clean up and get a bite to eat. I am sure the villagers would love to have another chance to dote on their angel."

As soon as the words had left Kisame's mouth she had seized the moment and fled to the bathroom closing the door a bit harder than was necessary. She had heard Kisame laugh the whole way out of her room. Too bad she did not know that it was not her he laughed at. But, in all the years that he had traveled with is partner he had never seen him look so horrified.

Finally, Sakura had some peace and took some time to carefully wash in the shower. She scrubbed her skin raw eliminating all traces of blood that remained on her, well at least what remained on the outside. She knew that it would all remain forever more on her soul.

When she walked back to her room, she started to grab another one of her ANBU uniforms when something she had uncovered in her earlier rummaging caught her eye. It was a little black dress that had been a gift from Ino. The had spent hours picking it out together and when she was packing, she could not bear to leave it behind. Normally she would not consider wearing it, it did not even leave room to hide a kunai. Tonight, though she would be dinning with two of the most powerful shinobi in the world. If shit hit the fan, she was sure they would have a few blades they could spare. As she stood in the mirror braiding her long hair, she thought she didn't look like a kunoichi, but just a girl.

"What's taking so damn long?" Kisame demanded as he pounded on the kunoichi's door.

Itachi had wisely decided to simply lean against the wall, he was not about to earn her wrath for partaking in the other man's display. Finally, the door opened, and Sakura began berating the shark nin for being so loud, but Itachi didn't hear a word she said. His sharingan had begun to spin of its own accord as he saw the long creamy display of her legs that the small dress she was wearing offered. His eyes traveled up even as the neck plunged dangerously low. It was in that moment that he realized just exactly how stunning Sakura Haruno truly was. In this moment she did not stand before him as a medic, a shinobi, a jinchuriki. No Sakura was simply a woman and quite a sight to behold.

"Itachi stop staring and tell the kid she cleans up nice." Kisame teased.

"Indeed." Itachi agreed as he inclined his head in greeting.

"Thank you." She offered them a shy smile with a blush across her cheeks.

"Well let's get some dinner." Kisame turned. "I could eat a damn horse."