Hey guys! I just finished reading elle6778's fanfic, The Centerpiece. I highly recommend it to all ItaSaku fans out there! I somehow managed to see this as the future of the story, so yeah. I missed you guys! The next chapter of You'll Be Safe Here will be done in a few days so stay tuned! I rushed this story just now. And I mean this is what I've been doing for the last two hours. So anyway...

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Child of Perfection

Sakura's patience was hanging by a thread and she was about to snap. That was hardly news to anyone in Konoha anymore. None of the people in Konoha would be surprised if she let herself get carried away by her anger. It was something she was likely to do sooner or later. However, right now, as she was standing before the elders of the Uchiha clan, tamping her anger down was the only option.

They stared down hard at her as she tried her very best to control herself. Their eyes were cold and unforgiving. It was to be expected from the most… Traditional members of the clan. Their voices were low but Sakura could hear hostility in them. Even after years of marriage with Uchiha Itachi, these people still saw her as a stranger to the clan. Even after years of marriage with the new head of the Uchiha clan… She was still pushed aside as if she were not part of the clan even though she carried Itachi's surname.

Yes, Uchiha Itachi was now the head of the Uchiha clan. A week before their wedding, his father had resigned his position as head and passed the title on Itachi. So far, he had handled the clan quite well despite his disobedience upon the orders of the elders which he knew would do nothing for the clan but begin a dispute.

Old hags, Sakura hissed in her head as she eyed them one by one. They've been meddling with her life and her decisions for the past few years and she managed to endure it for they reasons had been valid. She allowed them to meddle with her career in ANBU at times and she allowed them to critic her when it came to how she acted within the Uchiha compound and their own household.

She had dealt with it for years now, following what they wished her to do. However, what they were talking about now was simply not theirs to decide anymore. Sakura had a lot to say in it and she refused to be forced into silence. It was her son they were pertaining to in the first place—the very son she had carried for nine months and gave birth to.

Her precious little son, Uchiha Kanzuo, was barely 8-years-old and the elders were forcing her to join the Chuunin exams to be held two months later. It was bad enough that Sakura enrolled him into the Academy at the age of 6 and he managed to become Genin in no time. However, Sakura had undergone the Chuunin exams once and it was enough to tell her that no matter how talented her child was, she would never let her little Kanzuo join such a dangerous exam.

While Sakura knew he could easily pass the written exam, Kanzuo was simply too young to join the survival and the preliminary part of the Chuunin examinations. However, it was not that Sakura lacked confidence in their son… But he was simply too young and no matter how hard the elders pushed, that was as far as she was going.

"We will ask politely for the last time," one of the elders spoke, her voice low and threatening like the rest of them… Not that she was threatened by it. "You will let Kanzuo join the Chuunin exams. His talents are wasted as a Genin."

It was hardly a request. They were telling her to let her son join the examinations. Sakura could only take so much. Even Kakashi would be surprised to know that she had made it through half an hour of the so-called meeting which was just a pathetic cover for the elders to persuade her.

It was only at that point when she recalled what Itachi had told her before he left for the ANBU headquarters this morning. Of course. It was the reason why she agreed to come to this small gathering.

You are allowed to say as you wish to the elders, he said. And she knew just what that meant.

She was allowed to snap this time.

Closing her eyes slowly, she took her time in taking a deep breath.

And then her eyes snapped open, now firing with green flames of determination.

"No," she blurted out. "I did as you told the first time! I pushed him into the Academy even though he still wanted to stay at home and now he's Genin. That should be enough for now! What is it with you old people and rushing things?! Are you afraid of not witnessing this clan develop before you die?!"

The shock from her outburst was evident in their eyes. The room may be dim but her eyes were certainly better than any Uchiha who had abused the Sharingan.

Satisfaction washed over her. Just the mere astonishment in their eyes was enough to tell her that they were certainly going to rethink the issue. Yes, she was starting to take influence on the clan. She could see the Uchiha in a completely different light generations from now. However, just as she was about to turn her heel from them…

"Haruno-san," called out another elderly Uchiha. "Your behavior is nothing short of unacceptable in this clan. You may be an Uchiha but only by name. You are expected to—"

"I am an Uchiha by law," she emphasized. "And if you have a problem with that, then maybe you can find another suitable wife for you oh-so-perfect leader—one who can attend to her duties as a wife and as an ANBU operative at the same time and one that will provide you with another child that bears Itachi's intellect and power and my strength and chakra control. And if you—"

One of the women raised her hand, gesturing her to cease before she interrupted in a more… Reasonably polite tone though there was still an edge to her voice. "What Yurako means to say is that maybe we could ask you to reconsider our suggestion."

That did not at all help though her tone was somewhat relaxing than the others. "I'm sorry but I am a mother first now that I have Kanzuo. That is my final say on the matter. I am not going to beg you to drop the issue but I would very well appreciate it if you did. Thank you for your time," she bit out before she stormed out of the meeting room.

One of the elders exhaled, fighting the groan that almost came out with it. "Haruno Sakura has definitely made things more difficult around here," he muttered to no one in particular.

"Uchiha Sakura," corrected the female elder.

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The sun had neary set completely before she finished setting the table for dinner. She had been home alone the whole day. In a few days, she would be able to attend to her ANBU duties like she and the elders have agreed. She was only to work in ANBU every other month and attend to her duties as a housewife during her month off ANBU.

She sat on the edge of the porch of their house, gazing out at the setting sun by the lake as she let her legs dangle off of the platform. Kanzuo was already in the compound at this time of day and Itachi was usually writing day-end reports by now. In less than an hour, all three of them would have dinner like they always do provided neither she nor Itachi were on a mission.

"Okaa-saaaaaaaan," a little voice called from behind her. "Tadaimaaaaa!"

She twisted her torso to greet her little boy with open arms. "Okaeri, Kanzuo-chan. How was your day?"

The little boy ran into her arms, nearly pushing her off the porch. "Hanabi-sensei was really annoying," complained the little boy in her arms. She laughed at his remark as she ran her hand through his messy locks which were a few shades darker than hers.

His hair was one of the indications that something in the clan was certainly going to change. They now had a pink-haired descendant who wielded Itachi's talents and the clan's eyes. Several generations later, she was sure half of the compound would be filled with pink-haired Uchihas.

Unlike Itachi, Kanzuo acted like his age despite his obvious matured talent.

"What did Hanabi-san do?" she asked, making the interest obvious in her voice. She read it somewhere that it was important to be very interested in what a child has to say otherwise, it would discourage him from telling others what he wished to convey.

"She made us do 7 missions today," he whined as she shifted him on her lap. "5 of them had to do with chasing cats all over the village! And we found out that Uncle Kakashi had let loose two of them… He's not a very good cat-sitter, okaa-san."

She mused over the new information. So after all those years, Kakashi really was cat-sitting. A pang of farce guilt washed over for a few seconds before she smiled at him. The elder's words rang in her head, making her scowl inwardly. She could not let it show. Kanzuo had Itachi's extraordinary perceptiveness after all.

He let is head fall on her shoulder as his hands reached out to play with her mother's long coral locks. Both of them enjoyed the silence on the porch, Sakura cradling him back and forth on her lap.

"Would you rather be a Chuunin and accept missions outside Konoha?" Sakura inquired… Maybe she had overreacted earlier. Maybe her son did want to be Chuunin. She could not make a decision for him, could she? Despite her reluctance to let him join, if he insisted to become Chuunin, she would let him go.

At the question, Kanzuo shook his head frantically and looked up at his mother. "I want to wait until everyone of my classmates join. I don't want to be alone," he told her. "Grandpa always told me how easy it was for otoo-san and he kept telling me that both you and otoo-san will be more proud if I became Jounin soon… But I don't want to. Does that make you feel sad? Is that why you're here? Is that why you asked me if I want to become Chuunin?"

Her green eyes widened in shock as she pulled her child closer to her chest, letting her chin rest on top of his head. There was fear in his eyes. It was clear that he still wished to remain a child and it made her proud that despite the pressure, he managed to keep true to his wishes. No one else could say anything about it, anyway. He was only 7.

"Nononono," she whispered to him, her tones hushed and comforting. "You're my little boy, Kanzuo." She pulled away from him only to look deep into his dark orbs. "You may be Genin but you're still my little boy and the last thing I want right now is for you to enter the Chuunin exams because becoming Chuunin means that you'll be spending less time around here. Neither mommy nor daddy wants that. Not right now."

"But Hanabi-sensei is pushing me to enter," he whispered to her. "I don't know if it's because of the same reason like everyone else or if I'm becoming such a pain to her."

That Hyuuga will be hearing it from her one of these days. Sakura knew that Hanabi meant well but she wasn't at all helping the situation with Kanzuo.

"Good evening."

The voice that greeted from behind was music to Sakura's ears… And she knew it was just as well for Kanzuo, judging by the way he jumped out of her lap to wrap his arms around Itachi's waist.

"Kanzuo," Itachi greeted. He fell on one knee to meet his son's eyes. "I heard you've been playing pranks on Hanabi." It was nothing new to Sakura's ears but it wasn't surprising that Itachi had just found out recently about it considering he was torn between the clan and Konoha. "Lay low for a while," he warned. "I take it she's one prank away from filing a complaint to the Rokudaime… Not that I think Uzumaki will take any form of action upon that complaint."

Kanzuo crossed his arms. "It's Hanabi-sensei's fault!" he bit out. "If only she stopped it with the cats. I think I'm growing allergic to them because of those kinds of missions!"

The Uchiha leader smirked at his son's statement before he poked his forehead. "Behave," he told him briefly before getting back on his feet to meet Sakura's gaze. "Tadaima."

"Okaeri, Itachi," she greeted him with a smile before closing the distance between then to plant a kiss on the corner of his lips. Kanzuo, who was sandwiched between them, made a sound of disgust before running back into the house. Sakura chuckled at him. Yep. Kanzuo was as normal as any kid could get. "Dinner's ready."

He inclined his head and gestured her to lead the way.

Tonight was nothing different from all the other dinners they shared. Itachi sat on one side of the table while Sakura sat across him and Kanzuo was seated beside her. Kanzuo, as usual, was full of stories which were enough to last them the whole meal. Whenever he'd forgotten to take a spoonful of rice in his mouth, Sakura would call his name in a warning.

It was just enough to tell Itachi whom Kanzuo found more fearsome between the two of them. After all, despite his controlling nature, Sakura's short temper was still nothing ordinary though he had learned during the past few years how to keep her from snapping or how to calm her down on the rare occasion that she did. He had no intentions of teaching his son those or else he would lose his fear of his very loving yet short-tempered mother. Perhaps, one day, Kanzuo would have Sakura figured out on his own. But not now.

And speaking of temper.

"I find things are in your favor," he said. The bickering between his wife and son about the finishing his meal ceased. Sakura blinked at him in confusion. "The meeting with the elders, I mean."

A grin formed on her features. "Of course," she confirmed with a smug edge in her voice. "They know I'm taking my Kanzuo with me if they push me too far. And they are very well aware that you're going to stop me if I threatened to leave. Besides, they're wrong to push us into doing something like that especially when even Kanzuo is against it."

Itachi raised a brow at his son, clearly surprised that he did not mind that his parents were not proud of him—not that they weren't but he, on one hand, would be even prouder if he made Chuunin at such a young age. "You do not wish to be Chuunin even though earning the title earlier would make it easier for you to become Jounin?"

Kanzuo, again, shook his head frantically. "I don't want to be Chuunin yet! I'm waiting for my classmates in the Academy!"

His reaction was nothing surprising to Itachi. After all, he could be just as stubborn as his mother if he wished it. "Well then," he said before bringing the napkin to his lips to wipe away any evidence that he had just had a meal. "I will be off to retrieve something from Sasuke's. I will not take more than an hour."

"Take care," Sakura said before getting up to pile her plate on top of Itachi's. When he was finally out of earshot, she turned to look at Kanzuo who had left his plate half-full on the table. A shadow from the corner of her eye told her just where he was.

Just as she was about to jump him under the table, her son managed to slip away from reach and ran to the stairs but not quick enough to leave Sakura behind.

"Don't make me break the house again!" she exclaimed, groaning inwardly at the memory of having to repair the house 5 times since he made it to Genin. Kanzuo was about to jump out of the window at the end of the second floor hallway when she caught his foot and pulled him back into the house, grappling him underneath her. "Finish your food," she commanded before hopping off of him.

He jumped to his feet and marched downstairs and back into the kitchen, mumbling about his hate for broccoli. It did not take long for him to finish was what on his plate. At that moment, Sakura began to wash the dishes while Kanzuo headed for the den to watch TV.

After finishing her chores in the kitchen, she walked to the den to join Kanzuo when she felt a familiar presence from outside her house. Almost immediately, she made a beeline for the front door and opened it, throwing her arms at the late-night guest.

"Naruto!" she shouted in excitement. It had been a month since she last saw him. He'd been busy in his office, attending to Hokage matters and all, that he rarely stepped out of the tower to meet with her and Sasuke. Seeing him on her doorstep was really a heart-warming moment. And then she tensed, pulling back all of a sudden when she realized something. "What brings you here, Hokage-sama?"

Naruto inclined his head at her sudden formality. "Come on, Sakura-chan! There's no need to be so formal! Or are you adopting that Uchiha habit as well?" he teased. Before Sakura could bring her fist to his face, he changed the subject abruptly. "I'm only here to invite you Hinata's birthday," he said. "She's busy with all the preparations and couldn't make it to invite you herself so I decided to stop by on her behalf."

Ah, Naruto and Hinata. Now there was a couple that no one objected to. Well, maybe except for Hyuuga Hiashi. However, from what Sakura knew, Hiashi had lightened up on Naruto a little, considering he was Hokage and his daughter was officially the first lady of Konoha.

"Well, when's the party?" she asked, feeling all excited. Finally, Naruto would be able to spend time with the rest of Team 7. "You're coming right?"

"Of course, I'm coming," he told her like it was absurd otherwise. "It's two nights from now." And then he stilled before he turned to greet Sakura's husband who had just returned from Sasuke's. "Itachi-san," he regarded.

Itachi bowed before the loud blonde. "Rokudaime-sama."

Naruto scowled at Itachi. "Hmp. I thought I told you guys to stop acting so formal!" he turned to face Sakura. "I may be Hokage now but I'm your friend, first and foremost! And besides, I'm Kanzuo's uncle, for crying out loud! I can't be all hostile to my godchild's family!"

At his mention of the name of his former teammate's son, he appeared from behind the door and jumped at Naruto when Kanzuo first laid eyes on him. "Narutooooooo-baka!"

The Hokage easily sidestepped Kanzuo's attempte to jump at him and caught him by the sleeve. "Now, now, Kanzuo. That's not how you greet your uncle, is it?"

"It's how I greet Uncle Kakashi and he doesn't complain," he then put a thoughtful look on his face. "But then again, maybe he's too old to react to it now. Ne, Naruto-san, do you have any more jutsus to teach me? Maybe like the Sexy-no—"

The blonde's hand was suddenly on Kanzuo's mouth. Naruto looked at his other wrist and pretended to read his watch when he sensed a killing intent and he was certain that it was not coming from the ever-so-stoic Itachi. "Oh, look at the time, Sakura-chan! I still have papers to deal with tonight. Good night and I'll see you at the party!" And with one seal, Naruto disappeared into a poof of smoke.

Sakura seemed to have a difficult time reminding herself why she had chosen Naruto as one of Kanzuo's godparents. Really, that guy was going to get it someday. Teaching a 7-year-old Sexy no Jutsu for crying out loud.

"Alright, alright," Sakura said out loud, taking Kanzuo's hand in hers. "It's getting late. Let's get inside the house! You too, Itachi."

The three of them made their way to the living room. While their pink-haired son was seated on the floor, his focus entirely on the children's show currently airing, Sakura and Itachi were seated on the couch beside each other with Itachi's arm snaked around Sakura's waist while his free hand clasped a thick book which he apparently retrieved from Sasuke's house.

"Kanzuo," Itachi called out softly. "Come here."

Kanzuo rolled off the floor and climbed the couch to sit on his mother's lap, facing his father. "What's that, otoo-san?"

"Something to encourage you while you're Genin," Itachi answered. "It's a Paw Encyclopedia my little brother had put together when he was your age for the same reason you are going to do it," explained Itachi. "Sasuke, you see, was not at all fond of chasing cats when he was Genin and I felt his remorse for those kinds of missions. And so, I gave him a goal. If he succeeded in filling out the draft I gave him, I would teach him 5 of my most powerful fire jutsus."

There was a gleam in Kanzuo's eye that told Sakura that her son was about to fall for Itachi's way of distracting him from his disappointment. He really was still a child and she knew Itachi was thinking the same thing as her when their eyes met.

Finally, when Itachi was sure Kanzuo had taken the bait, he explained the mechanics of his game. "Now, all you have to do is copy every single one of the paw prints in the book and when you have succeeded, present to me the book and I will immediately begin teaching you my fire jutsus."

Without wasting any minute, their son snatched the book away from his grasp and ran outside the house to begin searching for cats, no doubt.

Knowing there was no use in dragging him back into the house, Sakura managed to shout out before he was out of earshot, "Just be back before 11, okay?!" She exhaled and sank back on the couch, letting her torso fall on Itachi's lap. "Kanzuo is a handful."

"Hm."

"Hm what?"

Itachi shrugged, meeting the eyes of the woman he loved most on his lap. "He is worth the headache."

Yes, yes he was.

"I love you," she whispered to him as she reached out a hand to tuck a stray hair from his face.

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Sasuke was the last person Sakura expected to see in the party. After all, he did not have anyone to take here so coming here was just as absurd as Itachi insisting to stay in this party for more than an hour. But then again, her husband had been awfully quiet. Usually, Itachi would be complaining about the loud music and the crowded venue but tonight was different.

Perhaps it was because Itachi had sensed her need to cease the night and spend time with Team 7.

Somewhere in the corner of the room, she had caught sight of a pink-haired little boy laughing with boys his age. They must be the boys whom Kanzuo had left in the Academy when he was pulled out of the Academy early to carry on as a Genin.

"You know he's the first Uchiha to not care about his own pride," Sasuke said from behind her. "Have you seen Kakashi anywhere?"

Sakura whirled to greet Sasuke. Though they resided in the same compound, the area was simply too big for Sasuke and her to pass by each other at least once a week. Not that she did not pass him by at random moments but it was seldom nowadays.

"He hasn't arrived yet, I think," she said as she led Sasuke to the less crowded room where Kakashi appeared in a poof of smoke.

"Yo!" the Copy Nin greeted.

"We're all here!" A rowdy voice called from the far corner of the room. "Great! While Hinata's with her family, I'm going with you guys!"

Sakura and Itachi stayed in the part much longer than she thought. However, when all was over, they found themselves walking back into the Uchiha compound all by themselves. Naruto's son, Minato, managed to drag Kanzuo into a sleepover at their house while Sasuke remained to help clean up.

Sakura doubted it was the clean-up that convinced Itachi's brother to stay. After all, during the duration of the party, she found a certain Yamanaka keeping close to Sasuke and not once did she see him neither flinch nor make a face. He was growing fond of Ino and Sakura knew that if all went well, Sasuke was either bringing a certain blonde into the compound or he was returning home in the morning.

"So, are there any issues I still need to clarify with the elders?" Sakura asked as an attempt to break the silence between her and her husband as they neared their home.

Itachi did not meet her eyes but let his shoulders rise. "There is the matter about Kanzuo's hair," he noted.

She scoffed. "Oh boo," Sakura rolled her eyes at the thought of the elders fussing over her son's pink hair. "So what if the next heir has pink hair? It's about time someone shed some color into this clan."

"I would not mind in carrying out your suggestion," Itachi said, letting the side of his lips tug into a smirk. "We do have the house to ourselves until Kanzuo returns tomorrow evening."

Her brow rose at his innuendo. "Why, Itachi," she teased. "Are you actually trying to lead me to bed?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps."

"I suppose we could but—"

Before she could even finish what she had to say, she found herself hoisted up against Itachi's chest bridal style. "Enough talking," he said as he planted a kiss on her forehead before he sped up to their house.

Yes, maybe he should help in shedding a little more pink into the clan and there was certainly only one way to do that. Maybe they should make it a girl this time. He did find the name Mitsuko quite appealing at some point.

Yes. Kanzuo was old enough to take care of himself. He wanted another child and no doubt, with Sakura's skill and beauty, it would be another child of perfection.

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