Chapter Text
Sakura cursed every diet she had ever suffered through as the wind caught her cloak and bowled her over. She tumbled over a minute, trying to get a grip on something as a warm body gripped her tightly, halting her momentum.
Even the darkness of her teammates' cloaks were barely visible in the fury of the storm. The weather was strange here; she knew it was daytime, the light faintly reflecting off of the snow on the ground, but the sky was bleak and grey. She raised an arm to shield her face from the wind, only to tuck it back against her body when the chill bit through her gloves.
"Taichou!" She knew her captain could hear her despite the howling wind. "We're never going to make it home in this, we have to stop!"
She looked up to see her other teammate looking down at her. His face was shielded by his raven's mask, but she could sense the concern radiating from him. Her own face obscured, she nodded at him as they put her back on her feet.
Inu flashed in front of them. "Are you alright?"
Signalling the affirmative, she hugged her cloak closer to her body as Karasu stepped away, putting a respectable distance between them. "I'm fine, but my fingers are turning blue." Sakura was tempted to pull off a glove to show them, but she didn't think either of them would appreciate her finger casually falling off right in front of them. Men. "We need to find shelter, Taichou."
Inu nodded and looked around, sniffing the air. Sakura wondered if that was just for show or if he could actually smell anything in this storm. She hoped it was the latter. He paused and signaled their next direction. Karasu nodded and took off, leaving the other two to follow behind him.
They moved quickly for a few minutes. It wasn’t too long before dark shapes began to take form in Sakura's vision. Trees. Oh, thank all the gods. She hopped into one, bracing herself against its trunk as she boosted her chakra circulation for warmth. It was now or never. Conserving chakra was a death sentence as the cold sank into her bones.
Inu wasted no time either, flashing up to her branch and enveloping her in his own cloak with him, sandwiching their hands between them to share the warmth of his body. Sakura's breath hitched for a moment before she laughed breathily. "You know, this is probably the closest thing to a hug I'll ever get from you." He gave no reply as she tucked her head under his chin and tried to focus on soaking up his warmth. It was so cold. She hoped Karasu wouldn’t be long.
There were a few times when sleep almost took her, but Inu would shake her awake gently, not allowing her to rest. "Come on, Usagi. Just a little longer. He’ll be back soon.”
She didn’t know how much time passed before Karasu returned. Inu continued to hold her close, his own chakra coursing warm through his body. Sakura had stopped shivering, but they didn’t move away from each other. For practical reasons, she figured. The branch didn’t even shake as Karasu landed behind them and placed a hand on Inu’s shoulder. It was ready. She hated this part.
Teleportation made her stomach turn uncomfortably, but the technique, which Inu had copied from his own teacher, was the fastest way to safety. They landed in front of an inn, Sakura still held tightly to Inu’s chest. She expected he would let her go now. The trees broke the harsh gusting of the storm, effectively dulling the wind chill. But expecting it didn’t stop the strange feeling in her chest at the loss of his embrace. It must’ve been a few hours. The lantern on the porch was lit, the trees beginning to blend with the blackness beyond them.
He nodded towards the building towards where Karasu was standing, peeling off the seal he had placed on one of the beams of the awning. He set it on fire with a snap of his fingers and allowed it to burn away until the ash was carried away by the breeze. Sakura saw him watching her as she approached, rolling her eyes behind her mask. Always so protective.
“I’m a medic, remember?” She grumbled as she passed through the door he was holding open. They worried too much.
A kind-looking woman stood at the counter, scribbling away at a ledger. She looked up at their entry, a sincere smile on her lips. “Welcome, travellers. Nasty storm out there. What can I do for you?”
Sakura was surprised she was not more wary of the three strangers in masks that appeared in her lodgings, but she suspected that being in the Land of Iron had a lot to do with it. Neutral territory meant no fights. Konoha’s ANBU agents would hardly want to start another war in an inn in the middle of the woods.
Inu removed his boots and stepped up to the counter. “We need two rooms, please. Preferably a single and a double.”
The innkeeper ran a finger down her ledger and hummed. “Oh dear. I do apologize, we only have one room available. The bed is quite large though, and if you like, we can send up some extra mats and blankets.”
He looked at his teammates and shrugged resignedly. “We can make do with that, thank you.” She scribbled something in and placed a key on the counter as Inu handed her a few coins. “Just take those stairs all the way up to the top floor. Your room is at the end of the hall.”
He bowed in thanks and started towards the stairs, Karasu and Sakura trailing after him. Sakura had grabbed his boots in the hopes that there was a stove or something they could dry their things by.
There were three floors to the inn. Twenty rooms, all full. Sakura continued to take mental notes as they climbed up. Exits, windows, noises, people. Everyone seemed generally at ease. It’s not like they had anywhere to go at this point.
The room they were given wasn’t terribly small, but it was clear that the three of them would be living uncomfortably close for the foreseeable future. The double bed was positioned in the center of the far wall, with a set of drawers on one side and a small wood burning stove on the other. A table and two chairs were situated on the side opposite under a heavily-curtained window.
Sakura dropped both sets of boots she was carrying and finally lifted her mask, exhaling the stress of the day. She flopped onto the bed and groaned in relief. Inu announced he was going downstairs for food and extra sleeping mats before leaving promptly.
The mission was a success, but just barely. They had lost their main target when the storm hit, separating the three-man squad for almost five hours as they spread out in an effort to eliminate him as quickly as possible. The rendezvous point was their only saving grace. After two hours of hopeless searching, Sakura opted to stay put, offering aid as a medic rather than an assassin. Her teammates were both much better equipped for the job, even if they were a bit reckless when it came down to it. Inu returned first, his tanto clean and hands unbloodied. The alley they had designated sheltered them from the bite of the wind, but the snow still soaked into their clothes as they paced in an effort to keep warm, making heat unattainable.
The trill of a bird, Karasu's signal, broke through the whistling wind and they were off. The blizzard only got worse from there, and Sakura couldn't help but think that she might have died if they hadn't found the inn.
"Usagi," a deep voice snapped her out of her reverie. “You should take a shower and get warm.”
Karasu hadn’t taken off his mask or his tanto yet. Sakura sighed sleepily and watched him check their room for bugs for a moment before dragging herself to the bathroom. She turned on the water and let it run, stripping slowly out of her ANBU uniform. Opening the door a crack, she picked up her discarded outfit and tossed it out, knowing Karasu would lay it out by the warmth of the wood stove as she bathed.
She checked the shower with a cautious hand. Satisfied with the temperature, she stepped in and let the water pound away at the back of her neck. It had been almost a week since her last proper bath and she was determined to enjoy this moment. However, a knock at the door put her back on alert.
“Yes?” She called tentatively.
It was Inu, back from his errand. “I got some food and a spare yukata from downstairs. Come eat before it gets cold.” He made himself scarce so she could finish up.
At the promise of food, Sakura hurried through the rest of her shower. She wrapped a towel around herself before pulling back the curtain and stepping out of the tub, hissing as the cold air stung her skin. It only took her another moment to change into the yukata and wrap her hair in the towel, joining her teammates in the main room.
They had both finally removed their masks and were lounging in the chairs, speaking to each other in low tones. Though their postures were relaxed, Sakura couldn’t help but be suspicious of the way their conversation ceased when she exited the bathroom. “Something you two want to share with the class?”
“Nothing at all, Sakura-chan.” She could tell her captain was smiling at her under his mask, making his lone eye crinkle innocently. “We were just discussing tonight’s sleeping arrangements.”
Sakura reached across him for the plate of food sitting on the table and perched herself on the edge of the bed facing them. “What’s wrong with tonight’s sleeping arrangements, Kakashi? I thought you went to go get mats from the innkeeper.”
“Yes, well… There were none.The old lady downstairs underestimated the amount of people that had taken shelter here, and everything was taken. We’ll have to all share the bed.”
Sakura nearly choked on her curry. "What? Not one spare mat in this entire establishment?”
“Afraid not.” Kakashi fixed his gaze on her. It briefly crossed Sakura’s mind that she didn’t remember his grey eye being quite so dark. It felt like… A challenge.
She swallowed her bite and pursed her lips, nodding slowly. “Alright, well… I guess there’s nothing we can do.” She looked to the third person in the room. “That is, if it’s alright with you as well, Itachi.”
He nodded drowsily, arms crossed as he lounged back in his chair. “That suits me just fine. Besides, it’s not like you haven’t slept with us before, Sakura-chan.” he replied. Sakura, conveniently mid-bite, sputtered around her spoon.
Kakashi laughed lowly and rose from his chair. “Here, Sakura. Eat at the table or you’re going to get the bed dirty. And I’d rather you not choke on your food.” He patted the seat cushion, then made his escape to the bathroom.
Sakura snorted, but relocated herself to Kakashi’s newly vacated chair. “Gee, thanks. Would you rather I choke on something else?” Realizing the innuendo, Sakura froze. “Umm, I mean…”
She caught Itachi’s smirk from the corner of her eye. “Tempting as that might be, I’m sure we’d all like to get some sleep tonight.”
Sakura’s jaw dropped. “Itachi!”
“Forgive me. The opportunity was too perfect to pass up.” He chuckled as he began to strip off bits of his uniform. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he used a kunai to cut away the bandages of his thigh holster. He rolled his gloves off and pulled his vest over his head, wincing slightly as he lowered his arms.
Sakura frowned. “Did you get hurt?”
He shrugged. “Just a little bruising. It’s nothing to fret over, Sakura.”
She shook her head, moving to stand in front of him. “That’s for me to decide. You don’t make that face for just any injury. Shirt off.”
“Sakura—”
“Shirt. Off. Now.”
Itachi sighed and obeyed, grimacing again as he stretched. Sakura gasped at the sight of the purple and yellow splotches crawling across his torso. She reached out towards him, but he caught her wrist, not allowing her to touch him. “I will heal naturally. It’s fine. You don’t need to exert yourself any further today.”
Sakura narrowed her eyes and tugged herself from his grip, pointing to the seal on her forehead with her other hand. “You’re in pain, I have enough chakra left, and all I’m going to do for the rest of the night is sleep. Now shut up and let me do my job.”
She sat down next to him on the bed, beckoning him to face her before allowing her palms to glow green. Running her hands over his chest, she massaged her chakra gently into his tired muscles, not allowing the stiffness that usually accompanied healing sessions to settle in. His skin was warm and smooth and so different from Kakashi’s. She knew this wasn’t a testament to either man’s skill over the other; in fact, she knew both were talented beyond belief. However, Itachi’s genjutsu and long-range Fire Style often kept him out of harm’s way. Itachi didn’t require her services as often, whereas she felt as if Kakashi needed to be patched up constantly. For him to get this hurt… “Itachi, your sternum is cracked.”
He hummed in fake contemplation. “Oh, it is? What a relief I have a good medic to take care of me, then.”
Sakura rolled her eyes and pulsed her chakra deeper into him, mending the fractured bone. “Did the target do this?”
Itachi nodded. “Yeah.” He offered no more explanation, leaning forward to rest his head on Sakura’s shoulder. She allowed him this as she finished up his chest and reached around to his back, checking his vital organs for injury. It was a closeness that she was unfamiliar with, but… It didn’t feel wrong. Quite the opposite, actually. And when she felt his hand on her lower thigh, rubbing circles with his thumb, she didn’t feel compelled to stop him.
“You two getting cozy without me?”
Sakura jumped back, missing the way Itachi glared up at their captain in mild annoyance. Kakashi leaned against the wall and crossed his ankles. “Your turn, Itachi-kun.”
Itachi pulled away from Sakura, thanking her quietly and dismissing himself from the room. She watched Kakashi give him a pointed look as he passed before turning to her with a pleasant smile. “Feeling better, Sakura?”
She nodded. “Yes, I almost feel like a human again. You’re not hurt, are you? Your eye isn’t bothering you at all?”
Kakashi brushed off her questions with a wave of his hand. “I’m fine.”
“Oh, okay…” Sakura’s eyes shifted around the room. “Well, I’m going to sleep then. Good night.” She pulled the covers back from one side of the bed and settled in, trying to ignore the weight of Kakashi’s gaze on her.
“Sakura?”
She bolted upright. “Yes?”
He was standing next to the bed, looking down at her. “Could you scoot over a little?”
“Oh! Sorry!” She shuffled to the middle of the bed and rearranged the pillows, testing the configuration a few times before sighing contentedly. They had done this several times. Tonight was no different, despite the fact that Kakashi had been looking at her like he wanted to eat her for breakfast for the past two hours. She would ignore it. It was just her imagination.
He climbed in, turning his back towards her. “Good night, Sakura. Don’t forget to leave Itachi some room.”
She yawned. Exhaustion was setting in quickly now. “Good night, sensei.”
The last thing she heard before she fell asleep was Kakashi’s quiet laughter.