Bittersweet Memories

(Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, the plot is mine alone.)

Alone, she stood there, gazing up at the sunset-streaked sky, a serene expression gracing her delicate features. A crisp, autumn breeze whistled past her, bringing her fingers upwards to brush the strands of pink hair that had come loose from the intricate hairstyle adorning her head. Her clothes were all black, not all that different from a shinobi's usual attire, and, to the untrained eye, no-one would have guessed the true reason for her presence that evening. Of course, Sakura didn't really have to deal with passers-by anyway, as Itachi had intentionally picked this clearing for the very reason that it was in isolation from the forest and the nearby town.

Sakura turned away from the glistening lake that lay beyond the cliff that marked the edge of the clearing to kneel before the still-fresh dirt of the grave she had recently dug. Crimson maple leaves decorated his resting place as they fluttered down from the branches of the extensive tree above them, being disturbed only when the wind nipped at them. She closed her eyes and quieted her breathing, as if trying to find something that would let her feel that he knew she was here beside him. It was a risk, closing her eyes. It opened the doors to her mind, where the most painful of memories flashed before her, leaving her to relive those emotions that she fought to keep at bay. "You care too much." He had once told her, and that statement rang clearly through her now, tugging her lips upwards into a rueful smile. And he was right. She could never seem to find a complete detachment when on missions, no matter how dangerous the situation was. Sakura supposed that was what had always made Itachi worry for her.

She had come back from a mission one night, half dead on her feet and covered in a mixture of other ninja's semi-dried blood to find him waiting for her in her apartment, a large bandaged wound present on his own leg. She reached for him so she could assess his wound properly, but her lack of chakra had caught up with her, and she stumbled forward. In a matter of seconds, strong hands shot out and grasped her shoulders, steadying her. "You're exhausted." He observed, his velvet voice low and soft, so that Sakura had to strain to hear him over the sound of her heartbeat hammering inside her chest. He pulled her towards him, arms encircling her waist to support her as he began to interrogate her: "What happened?" His body was warm, and it was all Sakura could do to keep herself awake. "...Had a...tough mission...ambushed..." She murmured sleepily, hand fisting in his shirt to help keep herself upright, "..Let me..see your leg.." His sharingan filled eyes that had been narrowed earlier in concern, now widened ever so slightly, and Sakura felt what she would have liked to call a chuckle rumble through his chest. "No. You need sleep." And with that, he carefully picked her up, one hand supporting her back as the other supported the underneath of her knees and carried her to the bedroom they occasionally shared. Gently lowering her to sit on the bed, he helped her change into some fresh sleeping clothes before adjusting the covers around her as she lay down. He turned to leave, but was stopped in the process by a smaller, softer hand latching onto his own. "Please, stay.." Her grip on his hand was relaxed, but those emerald eyes were pleading and insistent that he should stay. And once again, he found himself torn between duty and his own feelings. Despite the internal struggle, he sighed softly and placed himself on the bed next to Sakura, draping his left arm over her middle protectively, and listening to her breathing even out as she drifted off, before he too closed his eyes and succumbed to his own fatigue.

The vivid memory made her throat close up and eyes sting with the threat of tears, but she bit her lip and blinked them back, praying that none would spill. She wouldn't- she refused to cry now, after all, she wouldn't break the promise she had made him. She would continue to prove that she was strong-despite what everyone had thought all those years ago. She had shed all her tears as she had made that last promise to him;

Heart-wrenching sobs escaped between words as she grasped his blanched, sickly hand desperately in hers as she begged him not to leave her. "Please!..Please let me heal you!" "You can't...leave yet!" She choked on her tears as she bit the words out, her distress ever-growing as his breathing became shallower. "...Sakura...promise me one thing..." His voice came out raspy and hoarse, and he used the small amount of energy he had left to meet the beautiful jade-coloured eyes that he had grown to love with all of his being. "...Don't cry...after I'm gone...don't cry anymore..."

"But-!"

"Please, Sakura..." His compassionate gaze only made her cry harder, soaking his hand with her tears as she pressed it to her face with both hands.

"...I promise.." And in Uchiha Itachi's last moments, he squeezed his beloved's hand and drew his lips upwards into a small, but genuine smile, "...Thank you..." before he closed his eyes, and the last beat of his heart sounded before he became still. Sakura's agonizing screams echoed throughout the familiar clearing in the forest he had directed her to as she and Kisame had carried him away from Sasuke's bloodied hands.

It had been several hours before Sakura could find the strength to stand up and let go of Itachi's hand. An immeasurable emptiness surrounded her, the overwhelming loss of his familiar chakra signature and his always-comforting presence had left her unable to speak or even think properly for fear of a breakdown. Her body moved on auto-pilot as she and Kisame began to dig a grave. Kisame too, seemed sullen and kept quiet for most of the time, speaking only when necessary. Once they had filled the grave, he bowed respectfully to Sakura. She returned the gesture, and he disappeared in a whirl of leaves.

Sakura opened her eyes slowly, blinking as she adjusted to the gradually diminishing light of the setting sun. The wind had grown slightly chillier, and she pulled her cloak a little closer around her as she shivered.

She had eventually forced herself to go home and sleep, but the empty space beside her had made lying there unbearable. She showered and dressed in a slightly more formal clothes earlier that day, pinning her hair into an elegant style-her bangs framing her face-before setting off to find the grave.

The overbearing silence suffocated her, so she closed her eyes to seek relief-to once again see a more sharpened image of him, of his silky raven hair and his mesmerizing obsidian eyes, so that she could hear the rich tenor of his voice as he spoke to her, soothing the constant ache in her heart. And, before she could stop herself, her mind wandered back through their history, bringing more images to life before her.

*to be continued...*

Hi everyone! now, yes, I have killed Itachi, but please bear with me and stick it out for the up-coming chapters which will definitely be less death related and more ItaSaku related. Of course, this is a romance/angst so I've gotta put some hardships in there! So please guys, no flames! I love Itachi as much as you do!

And, as always, please read and review! Your reviews really spur me on, so any feedback on my work is much appreciated!

Ja ne! Glub Glub XD