Chapter 23 -
Sasuke shook his head slowly.
'No...' He thought. 'Impossible.'
"Kaka-sensei!" Sakura shouted joyfully, jumping forward and hugging abruptly.
She laughed.
"I'm so glad you knew it was me. But Naruto-kun beat you to it, didn't you?" She smiled at the boy.
"Of course Sakura-chan." He replied.
She removed the mask and cloak to alow her hair to descend in a flourish of pink.
She remained to wear the scantly clothes that she'd worn the day they left, although she now had a jounin jacket loosely hanging over her shoulders.
She had an ANBU tatoo on her bicep, and real smile on her face.
"Who wants ramen?" She laughed and grabbed Itachi, leading him with her out the door.
Itachi was still in disguise and the guys were confused when Sakura dragged him along.
They sat down at the ramen stand and Kakashi was the first to ask.
"Who's your friend?" He looked at the man beside Sakura.
"This?" Sakura pointed to Itachi, smirking. "He... is my fiance."
Even Itachi was in shock... briefly, though of course, it was not noticable.
He did, however, catch on fairly quickly.
"Hn." He said, but Sakura knew he was laughing on the inside.
"Sakura, you're 13! You cant-" Sasuke was flustered and distressed.
"I am a ninja. And I am a jounin, and ANBU..." Sakura was enjoying this.
"Sakura, that doesn't mean you are ready to marry." Even Kakashi was concerned... or something else... (what u think?)
"Guys. I'm not serious. I can't believe you're all so gullable!" she laughed in histerics.
Naruto laughed with her.
"So who is he?" The blonde asked in curiostity.
"Itachi." Sakura said plainly.
She snatched his mask in the blink of an eye and was twirling in on her finger.
Both were smirking.
Sasuke's eyes darkened, but he made no move.
Kakashi was still catching his breath from the marriage scare.
"Thanks Itachi-san. You've made Sakura stronger and happier." Naruto grinned.
Naruto seemed to the the only one there, besides Sakura or Itachi, to be completely comfortable with the ex-criminal.
Having finished eating, they wandered over to the training grounds.
"Sakura-san, I'd really like to see how much you've improved." Kakashi spoke.
"I kinda thought you might..." Sakura smiled.
She turned to Itachi.
"If you want you can go home now and I'll see you later. This is kinda a team thing." She said, swinging from his neck with both arms.
He picked her up and put her down.
"Whatever you say." He caressed her arm and disapeared.
Sakura turned back to team 7 and grinned.
She reached into her weapons pouch and pulled out 3 bells.
"You've got until tomorow afternoon. Good luck.
