Hi! This is my first ItaXSaku fic, so I would greatly appreciate any help you can give to toward this piece. Please don't flame me without a way to improve, because how will that help me get better? If you enjoy this (which I hope you do) or if you don't, I hope you'll also check out my ItaXSakuXSasu poem entitled "Sorrow's Song," or some of my other poetry and tell me what you think of those. I would really appreciate critiques. Thanks a bunch!

"On the Other Hand" belongs to Randy Travis. I am merely borrowing the lyrics for the purpose of this story.

EDIT (5/23/2014): I have deleted the lyrics to On the Other Hand to comply with FF.N's regulations. I thought that a disclaimer would be enough, but as I did find it listed in the rules, I don't want trouble. I would rather delete the lyrics now then have my account possibly deleted later. I hope that the story is still enjoyable now that this has become based upon On the Other Hand rather than a song-fic!

There's a part in here that I was reminded of during the anime, where the Hokage says a boy only hugs his knees when he's lonely. So you could say that's the reference, or my inspiration for that little section. And you might think of other SakuXIta stories that I was inspired by as I was writing this. So there is no intentional copying if it seems that way. Man, I'm nervous, sorry... XD Hope you enjoy!

On the Other Hand, Like Always

Fire crackled merrily in the fireplace of Sakura's apartment in Konoha. It was winter, and snow was falling heavily outside. She was sitting on the loveseat watching the fire slowly burn. Normally, on days like this, he knew she would've felt so alone, with her friends all at their own houses, and her heart still healing from the betrayal of Sasuke when he left the village. When he watched Sakura, he was mesmerized by her every movement. Everything she did was amazing in itself. He didn't know if being in love made you become that way, but he felt that way about her, and he knew he was in love with her. He didn't understand how Sasuke could've given her up for power, when he had had the power to stay with her and find happiness.

Itachi shook his head inwardly, and gazed down at the pink head lying on his shoulder. Her eyelids were drooping, and she looked about to fall asleep. He smiled to himself. She had hidden it well, but he could see it in her eyes. The darkness of loneliness; that was what he had seen when he'd arrived. But at the sight of him, the darkness began to fade, like it always did. He was only sorry he couldn't be there all the time, to keep the loneliness away forever.

On those days where the loneliness would tear at her like the knives of the biting wind, he was with her. When the snow was falling, and she was hugging herself because there was no one for her to hold, he was right beside her like today, holding her close to him on the loveseat as together they watched the fire burn. She snuggled up closer against him from the chill, and he was happy to let her. He wished he could do as the cliché love stories told about and stay with her forever, but he knew it couldn't be.

While glancing down in thought, Itachi's eyes landed on his hand where his Akatsuki ring lay. It was glittering in the firelight, and he felt the darkness of reality shroud him with the reminder: as long as he was bound to Akatsuki, he couldn't be with Sakura. Leader wouldn't allow it. The Godaime wouldn't allow it. It wasn't done, but they were doing it. So what if it were love between an S-Class criminal and a Konoha kunoichi, the apprentice of the Godaime herself? He wished he could write it off as a mere technicality; unfortunately, it was not to be. He could hear the objections from both leaders already, and he hadn't even pondered on it for very long.

He wanted to stay, though. He felt as if his heart was ripped from his chest every time he was forced to leave Sakura. But he knew he couldn't. If he stayed, and through some off-chance they managed to succeed in capturing him, the infamous Itachi Uchiha, he would be executed for destroying his clan. He was endangering Sakura every time he visited her, saw her, held her in his arms, felt her care, acceptance, and love emanating from her. She would probably be executed too, for having associated with him. He would rather see himself die protecting her from her own people before anyone would lay a hand on her, or rather die in her place if it meant they would let her go free should she be found out.

The fire crackled in the fireplace, sending a few harmless sparks onto the wooden floor. Once again, like always, Itachi was battling with himself over whether or not to stay. He already knew the answer was pre-selected for him, however. It always was.

The ring, shining innocently in the firelight, spoke for him. It always did.

He couldn't stay with her. As long as they were who they were, only their love and persistence could try and defy the fate that lay before them. However, that time for trial had not arrived, and hopefully would never be born, but he knew they were willing to die for their love. After all, they were risking their lives for the love they shared already.

Itachi pulled Sakura into a tighter embrace, enjoying the feeling of holding her in his arms. No one else could send tingles through his nerves like she did just by her presence. He smiled inwardly at the sensation as Sakura tilter her head up to look at him, surprised by the suddenness of the embrace.

Itachi stared in her eyes for a moment, watching the fire reflecting off the bright jade orbs staring so intently up at him. He could feel his heart speeding up a little as his eyes dropped to her cherry lips, parted slightly in question to his previous action. The temptation became too great, and he once again startled her by claiming her lips with his.

He felt the fire within his heart begin to flare wildly; having nothing to do with the one he had made for her to ward off the chill. He wondered, once again, what it was about Sakura that could ignite a fire in his heart and send sensations through his body. He wanted to hold her in his arms, kiss her, tell her over and over again how much he loved her….

But he knew it couldn't last forever. So, like every other time before, their time together was going to end all too quickly for their liking.

Itachi slowly broke the kiss, wanting nothing more than to have stayed there like that forever. He could already feel his heart beginning to go cold like the snow outside at the prospect of leaving Sakura, his fire, his light, and his love. He knew she could sense their time together was about to conclude as well.

"Itachi…"

"Sakura…" he whispered, just to feel her name roll off his tongue, and drew her close again. As he held her, he knew without saying that she understood he was going to leave. He didn't have to say anything. She didn't have to say a word. They knew without saying anything what they other meant. So they held each other tight, accepting the fate of those whose different circumstances called for a twisted destiny. But, like many times before, they would look forward to the time when they would see each other again. Although they were denied the right to see each other, even to love each other, it was that love would allow them to find a way.

It always did.

So they would accept their fate, and pray for another opportunity.

As the firelight slowly dimmed in Sakura's fireplace, she watched Itachi as he made his way away from her apartment toward the Konoha walls, from where he would return to the Akatsuki hideout. She caught the glitter of his Akatsuki ring, so out of place in the middle of Konoha. She knew what they were doing was considered wrong, but they did it anyway. Even if it meant that they couldn't stay together always, they would make do with the time they could. Though they were separated by a bridge they couldn't cross, Konoha on one end and the Akatsuki on the other, they would meet in the middle, defying all.

And then, as the ring signified Itachi being bound to the Akatsuki, so she was bound to Konoha. They would part, until they could once again come together, and there their love would heal the separation, and allow them to pretend there wasn't the reason why they should be apart, and shouldn't be feeling love for each other. They would quietly ignore it, and allow themselves to enjoy the happiness they found together, until it was time for them to part again.

Itachi looked back toward where Sakura was, from where he now perched on Konoha's outer wall. He could just make out her chakra signature with his Sharingan. He wanted to go back to her, and stay with her, but he could feel the reminder of why he couldn't- the chill on his finger from where the winter air was turning the metal of the Akatsuki ring as cold as the snow beneath his boots. It was the chain that bound him to the Akatsuki, and he cursed it. He surveyed Konoha, that which held bondage over Sakura in turn, and cursed it as well and the enmity that was shared between the two sides.

He narrowed his eyes bitterly at the ground as he clenched his hand with the ring into a fist. Then he turned, leaving Konoha and the warmth of Sakura's apartment behind him for the Akatsuki base once again, like always.

But, like always, it was only until the opportunity presented itself. Then he would see her once again, he reminded himself, as always. And they would once again ignore the outside world in favor of the secret love they shared.

The newly fallen snow crunching beneath his boots, as he walked away, his slowly freezing heart warmed by the little ember of fire that the hope brought to him.

It always did.

What do you think? Please R&R and tell me how it turned out! Thank you!