Dearest Reader,
I began this story two years ago under the title "The Heiress". However, I had to abandon my efforts due to the changes happening in my life. Now I'm back and am so excited to see what you think. Confidence is my biggest issue so I am asking that you please indulge me and leave a review. I want to hear your thoughts, both good and bad. I'm so very excited to share this with you.
Love Always
Jordan
"Sasuke. Wait. Wait up Sasuke."
"You'll never catch me Sakura. I'm fast. I'm strong."
I watched as my younger brother ran through the courtyard, his tiny pink-haired friend trailing close behind him. They were so young, so naïve to the evils of the world. Had I been like that when I was six years of age? I doubted that I had. Uchiha men were raised to be strong, loyal only to the clan and none other. Although Konoha thrived in democracy and political peace the Uchiha had always held a sense of royalty. We were the celebrities, the targets of every published work within city. While others made their way into the future we held on to traditions that, although sometimes questionable, had been instilled in us since the beginning of time. It was because of these ideals that the small girl playing tag with my brother would one day become my bride.
Sakura Haruno would have no choice in the matter. The arrangement had been in place even while she was still in her mother's womb. Her clan was powerful and my father had often stated that the child's father had made an offer he just couldn't refuse. The entire marriage would be constructed only for political gain and wealth, the girl's father promising that his only daughter would be a valuable asset to the clan. Even at thirteen years of age I knew better. Her only responsibility was to produce me an heir. Nothing more would be needed. Women had no power. That was what I had been taught. That was what the Uchiha believed.
The sound of crying interrupted my thoughts, bringing me back into the reality of the present. Young Sakura was face down in the dirt with Sasuke standing over her, a smirk upon his face. My brother didn't always realize his own strength and often hurt his younger and smaller playmates without meaning to do so.
"I got you Sakura. Take that."
She pulled herself from the ground, wiping the dirt from her yellow sundress. Tears streamed down her face and I soon found myself kneeling before them both. I silently placed my hands upon her shoulders before meeting the gaze of my younger brother.
"Sasuke…Go and see if Keiko needs help in the kitchen. Dinner should be ready soon."
He smiled before disappearing into the compound, leaving me alone with my future bride. I watched as she wiped away the mucus that was now dripping from her nose, the bruises on her knees already beginning to form. I could tell that she was trying her nest to gain her composure. Her father had taught her well.
"Why are you crying Sakura Haruno?'
"Sasuke pushed me. My new dress is dirty now. My mother bought it for me in Suna. Is it ruined?"
"You mustn't fuss Sakura. One day you will be an Uchiha like me. You must remain strong and never cry."
A confused look spread across her face and I suddenly realized that she did not know of her own fate. Perhaps she was simply too young to understand or comprehend such things. I felt a sense of relief. She would be able to hold onto her childhood, even for only a little bit longer.
"You think I am going to marry Sasuke? That is a funny thought. He is my friend."
I admired her intelligence and was impressed by the fact that she had discovered the meaning behind my words. I had heard that her mother was of the highest intellect and it was only natural that these traits would be passed down to the girl standing before me.
"Will you promise me something Sakura? Will you promise me that you will never loose who you are? Will you promise me that you will be the best Uchiha that you can be and still keep hold of your youth?"
"You're funny Itachi. How can someone loose themselves? That doesn't make any sense."
I smiled, my eyes darting about the elaborate garden, my gaze landing on a single red rose. I left her for a moment, taking the seductive and elegant flower into my hands. Her face lit up with delight as I held it before her.
"See this Sakura. This rose is beautiful now but one day weeds will try to take hold of it, strangling it so that it cannot survive. This rose is like you and no matter what happens in your life you must not let the weeds strangle you. You must remain in bloom forever".
"But Itachi, you picked the rose. How can weeds grow if the rose is not planted in the ground? Weeds need dirt to grow. They need water and sunlight. That's what roses need too. Won't the one you picked die anyway, even without the weeds?"
"Eventually. Everything dies Sakura. All life must come to an end."
"You're very smart Itachi. I think roses are the most wonderful things in the world."
"Would you like to keep this one?"
"Really? I can keep it?"
"Yes. The rose is sweet and pure, still full of life. It reminds me of you."
"You think I'm sweet?'
"I do. It's one of the many things I like about you."
"I like you too Itachi. You are going to be my special friend. Okay?"
She smiled, bowing slightly before vanishing into the house, no doubt chase down Sasuke so that she could show off her newest possession. I could hear her laughter as it echoed through the hallways, spilling into the courtyard and gardens. In twelve years, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she would become an Uchiha; the heiress to an entire clan. She would be my wife and I would be her husband and protector. That was or destiny, our fate. There was nothing we could do. Our lives would be intertwined forever.