WARNING: Possible spoilers in the author's note.

I've been reading other people's ItaSaku fanfiction when I stumbled upon one depicting Sakura and Itachi's relationship before the Uchiha Massacre. One thing led to another, and I discovered that Itachi didn't just kill his clan, he killed his lover too. There's currently no grounded facts about this statement. Who was the lover, did Itachi really have one, and if so, did he really kill her? Yes, I know Madara was the one that introduced the idea to us, but unless I hear it from Itachi himself, I'm going to assume Madara was either lying or played (Itachi was a double agent, remember? Not everything was what it seemed with him).

If Itachi did have a lover he offed with the rest of his clan, the most supported guess I can find is Izumi Uchiha. But the evidence isn't reliable. Having a crush on someone doesn't make you his or her lover, and Itachi giving her visions of their life as a married couple might've been given out of pity and/or appreciation than of romantic interest. But feel free to disagree if you wish. With so many facts missing from the story, you can use your imagination.

Just like I will in this one-shot. There's no evidence that Itachi and Sakura were more than acquaintances in the anime and manga, but that's not going to stop me and many others from shipping them.

Enjoy!

"Itachi! Itachi!"

Itachi turned with his arms out so he could catch the girl who leaped into them. He then knelt down so he could look her in the eye. "Sakura," he grinned. "How are you?"

"I'm great!" the girl chirped. "How are you?"

Itachi almost grimaced, but seeing her wide eyes shine at him caused him to smile. "I'm doing well. Thank you for asking."

He waited for her to hop onto his back before taking them off to what Sakura called their "secret base." For her safety, Itachi urged her to keep their relationship a secret. Sakura inquired why at first (she was a smart girl, after all), but when Itachi almost begged her not to ask, she let it slide. She didn't need an answer, she had told him. She just needed him.

Their relationship began three years ago when Sakura was five and Itachi was ten. Itachi was reading a book in an unpopular library when Sakura asked to read her own beside him. The reason he had chosen that library was so he wouldn't be disturbed, but her intrusion didn't irk him. He enjoyed her company. Similar meetings after, they were friends.

To others, Itachi was a brother, a son, a killer, and an heir. To Sakura, he was just Itachi—a soft-spoken pacifist that held ideologies about how the world should be. They would read, play board games, eat sweets, or a combination of the three. When they did talk, Sakura would tell him stories about her life. He didn't want to ruin her innocence with his tragedies, so when it was his turn to share, he would tell her his philosophies and dreams. Sakura listened to every word. Unlike others, she didn't expect anything from him nor urge him to fulfill a role or position. She just wanted him to be happy, preferably with her. Itachi vowed to marry her someday.

But he knew now that wasn't possible. Circumstances between his clan and the village had escalated to levels that changed everything. He was heading toward a path he didn't want to but had to take alone. Sakura couldn't be there with him. Not anymore.

"Itachi?" Sakura called out as Itachi's slackening arms dropped her. They were finally in their hideout, a forgotten building in a forest hidden by dirt and vines. The children thought they would start new adventures when they first found it. Now Itachi saw it as a symbol of what they would soon become.

"Sakura," he stood up. Sakura waited for him to turn around, but he didn't. "I'm afraid...today will be our last day together."

He heard her gasp, "What? No! Why?"

Itachi hissed and clenched his fists. "It's...just the way it is, Sakura."

"No, please don't go!" she pleaded. "I...I love you!"

He almost broke down that moment, but he had been through too much, held back so much, to give in that easily. He felt her tugging at his shirt now, her tiny hands grasping for him to hold her. But he wouldn't. Not ever again.

Itachi shut his eyes. Then, after ensuring tears wouldn't leak out, activated his sharingan. Sakura faced his weapon in seconds. Her strained expression stilled into one in a trance.

"You have never met me," Itachi stated. "You will remember who I am, but not from our time together. The next time you see me... you will hate me...because I did something unforgivable."

When Sakura lost consciousness, he broke his promises. He caught her in his arms, pulled her under his chin, and soaked the crown of her head with tears. He returned her to her house before the sun set. Then, when night came, killed every member of his clan. All except his brother, whom he ensured would live to punish him for his crime.

Madara Uchiha all-too-happily assisted him with the deed. When they were out of the village, he had the audacity to ask if there was someone they missed. Itachi wasn't going to reveal that he spared his brother. But then Madara questioned him of a lover. He spotted Itachi with Sakura last week.

Itachi was a double agent skilled enough to mask the pain that struck his heart. He confessed that he killed his love in the massacre. It wasn't completely true, for the girl was just sleeping in her bedroom. But the relationship he had with her was gone. Like their "secret base," it would be hidden and forgotten in history.