Confrontation

### Back to the Village

Three days later, we returned to the village gates, exhausted but accomplished. As we crossed the threshold, a wave of relief washed over me, though I barely had time to catch my breath before a familiar notification rang in my mind.

> [Ding! +25000 EXP for completing the first out-of-hometown mission]

> [Ding! User leveled up to LVL 26]

> [Special milestone reached]

> [Reward: Immortality Pill - Any one consuming this pill will have the same vitality function as that of the host. Instead of death, they would be in a coma for a limited time period. The consumer would be stuck at the age they are currently in.]

"Wow," I whispered to myself, the corners of my lips curling up as I stored the pill away. It would be useful on a rainy day.

We were granted a day off upon our return, which was much needed after the physical and emotional demands of our mission. The next few days blurred together as we took on two more C-rank quests. One involved acting as a bodyguard for the Fire Daimyo's niece, and the other required gathering intel from a spy. Between these missions, our days were filled with relentless training. Itachi never let us slack off, pushing us to our limits and then beyond.

The missions were exhausting, but what weighed on me more was the fact that Naruto and I had become semi-permanent residents of the Uchiha main house. My parents had left for the Tea Country for a year, leaving me to navigate the challenges of living under the same roof as Itachi Uchiha—especially considering the awkward situations I seemed to keep landing myself in.

After several days of missions and training, Itachi informed us that we would be taking one last C-rank mission before dedicating the upcoming month to training for the Chunin Exams. The news brought a mix of excitement and anxiety. The Exams were a huge deal, and I knew I needed to be at my best.

---

### The Sweet Shop Incident

Two days before our next mission, I was sitting in the sweets shop with Ino and Hinata, enjoying some rare downtime. The conversation was light and pleasant, a welcome reprieve from the intense training and missions. We were laughing over something silly Ino had said when a ninja from the mission desk suddenly appeared at our table.

"Sakura, there's a mission for you," he said, his tone all business.

Puzzled, I excused myself and followed him to the mission desk, wondering what this could be about. When I arrived, I was informed that the mission was a seduction mission and that the client had specifically requested me because of my pink hair and green eyes.

I felt the blood drain from my face, replaced quickly by a hot wave of anger.

"I refuse to accept this mission," I snapped, my voice trembling with barely-contained fury. Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and stormed out of the building.

My anger quickly turned to tears as I made my way through the village, my vision blurring. This was not what I became a shinobi for. I wasn't some tool to be used like that. I was so caught up in my emotions that I didn't see Shisui until I collided with him.

He steadied me, his hands warm on my shoulders. "Sakura-san? Are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

I quickly wiped my eyes, embarrassed. "Sorry, Shisui-san. I wasn't looking where I was going."

But Shisui wasn't easily fooled. He noticed the tears that still clung to my lashes, and his expression shifted to one of seriousness. He opened his mouth to say something, but I shook my head, unable to talk about it yet.

---

### The Training Ground

I needed to let out my frustration, so I headed to the training ground, barely holding myself together. As soon as I arrived, I gathered chakra into my arms and slammed them into the ground with all the force I could muster.

"Cha!"

The ground shook with the impact, a testament to how far my chakra control had come. I didn't stop there. I kept going, tearing apart the training ground with every punch, every release of chakra. My body was running on pure adrenaline, my emotions fueling my every move.

Half an hour later, the training ground was in shambles, and I finally paused, breathing heavily. My senses were on high alert, and I picked up two familiar chakra signatures approaching—Shisui and Itachi. Shisui looked stunned by the devastation I'd caused, but there was a glimmer of respect in his eyes as well. Itachi, however, looked more concerned as he closed the distance between us.

He didn't say anything at first, just wrapped his arms around me and held me close. The sudden warmth of his embrace shattered the last of my defenses, and I melted into him, burying my face in his chest as I trembled. Itachi's heartbeat was steady against my ear, a calming rhythm that slowly soothed my frayed nerves.

Once I'd calmed down, Itachi gently lifted me into his arms. I didn't resist, too drained to protest. He carried me all the way back to the Uchiha district, holding me close the entire time. His heartbeat was a constant lullaby, pulling me into a sense of security that I hadn't felt in days.

When we arrived at his house, Itachi took me straight to the family room, where his mother was sitting with Shisui. Despite my earlier outburst, I still hadn't let go of him, and he made no move to push me away. He sat down on the sofa with me on his lap, his arms still securely around me.

His mother looked at me with kind eyes, her concern evident. "Sakura-chan, what happened?"

I hesitated, not wanting to burden them with my problems, but Itachi's arms around me gave me the strength to speak. "I'm sorry for making you worry. I was just… upset by something."

Shisui, who had been watching quietly, spoke up. "I saw you running from the mission assignment center. The desk chunin looked like he was about to pull rank on you. What happened?"

I shook my head, trying to brush it off. "It's nothing. They asked me to take a mission, and I refused."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "What kind of mission?"

I bit my lip, unsure how to explain without revealing the full truth. "It's nothing, really."

The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of my words hanging in the air. I knew I wasn't fooling anyone, but how could I explain that civilian-born shinobi were sometimes coerced into degrading missions? How could I admit that my mother might have quit being a ninja because of something like this?

Shisui's voice cut through my thoughts. "Does this have anything to do with the day you kissed Itachi in the bar?"

I felt my face heat up, and I tried to get up from Itachi's lap, but he tightened his hold on me, keeping me in place. Obasan looked between the two of us, clearly waiting for an explanation. I risked a glance at Itachi, but his expression remained neutral, though his grip on me had unconsciously tightened.

"How did you know?" I finally asked Shisui, my voice barely above a whisper.

He explained how he had followed me back that day and seen me undo the transformation, how he noticed that I'd been avoiding Itachi ever since.

Itachi's grip tightened ever so slightly at Shisui's words. He tilted my chin up gently, forcing me to meet his gaze. His usually calm and unreadable eyes now held a storm of emotions—confusion, hurt, and something else that made my heart ache.

"Why?" he asked, his voice softer than usual, but with an edge that demanded honesty.

I swallowed hard, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "So that I would be a shinobi. So that I would graduate from the academy."

At their questioning looks, I couldn't hold it in any longer. I poured out the entire story—how there was a different graduation exam for civilian-born shinobi, how we were asked to flirt with a random jonin, and how I had been assigned to Itachi. I told them how I'd transformed, found Itachi drunk, and ended up kissing him back when things got out of hand.

"It was you…" Itachi whispered, his voice low and filled with disbelief. His grip on me tightened as if he couldn't bear to let go, as if doing so would make this revelation any less real. "I didn't know… I thought…"

His voice trailed off, and I could see the internal battle raging within him. He'd been kissed by someone he didn't recognize, someone who turned out to be me, and now the realization was crashing down on him.

My heart clenched at the raw emotion in his eyes. "If Shisui hadn't pulled Itachi away… I… I was mortified," I confessed, my voice trembling. "I didn't know how to keep a straight face in front of him after that, so I avoided him."

Itachi's hand, still holding my chin, gently stroked my cheek. His touch was tender, but there was a sadness in his eyes that made my heart ache. "I didn't recognize you… I would never have… Sakura, I'm sorry."

His apology was laced with guilt, and I could feel the sincerity in his words. He wasn't just apologizing for that

night; he was apologizing for the position I'd been put in, for the fact that he hadn't recognized me, for everything.

Before I could respond, Uncle Fugaku's voice cut through the silence, surprising us both. "I will be talking to the Hokage about this, Sakura dear."

I hadn't even realized he was there, listening quietly from the doorway. He stepped into the room, his expression grave. "We may need to schedule mind therapy for the girls. Even though the situation was dangerous, thank Kami it was Itachi whom Sakura got."

Obasan nodded in agreement, her expression stern. "Fugaku, you need to bring this up in the next council meeting."

Shisui, who had been silent for a while, suddenly interjected. "But why was Sakura crying today?"

I hesitated, glancing at Itachi, who was still holding me protectively. Finally, I gave them an outline of the mission I had been assigned—how I was supposed to seduce someone because of my appearance. Everyone's faces darkened at that, and they promised that I would never have to accept any mission I did not want to.

Itachi's arms around me tightened, his voice soft but firm as he whispered into my ear. "You'll never have to face that alone. I'll make sure of it."

His words sent a wave of warmth through me, and for the first time that day, I felt a sense of peace. That night, as I lay in bed, the memory of Itachi's embrace and his promise lingered in my mind. Despite everything, I fell asleep with a smile on my face, comforted by the knowledge that I wasn't alone.

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This version delves deeper into Itachi's emotions and reactions, showing his initial confusion, guilt, and ultimately, his protective instincts. The scene also strengthens the bond between Sakura and Itachi, highlighting how their relationship is evolving amidst the complexities of their world.