Pedophile
By wasup113
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but the plot is mine.
Special Thanks To: Juniper11 for beta-ing this.
Summary: [Based off of my one-shot/drabble; Pedophile] [Non-Massacre] Crossing invisible lines and breaking unbreakable hearts, Itachi and Sakura are confused. Itachi, a 19 year-old ANBU, and Sakura, a 12-year-old almost Chunin. The relationship between the two is unknown as they try and make themselves just friends while avoiding the heart break that's bound to come. The line between helping someone and hurting them never seemed so thin. [Pairing: Sakura X Itachi]
...
Memories we once shared seem forgotten in your eyes
...
A beautiful delicate red ribbon embroidered in silver dangled from Itachi hands as the thirteen year old made his way to where a small girl with pink hair sat on a bench.
Hearing his footsteps, she lifted her head, a smile coming onto her face as she saw Itachi. She knew immediately who it was even though the beaming sun blinded her slightly, the way he moved—as well as his dark hair—gave him away.
"Ne, Ne, 'Tachi-kun!" She said, getting up and skipping towards the boy. Large green eyes peered up at him in excitement that she barely contained.
Chuckling slightly, rare for the boy even then, Itachi kneeled down so he was making eye contact with Sakura. "Sakura, it's your birthday, right?"
Nodding enthusiastically, her pink tresses flying about her face, she said, "Yep! Today I'm six!" She held out her fingers, a goofy grin on her face, and let her companion count them. She looked proud of her achievement which made him all the more glad he had sought her out.
He didn't bother to ask why she was sitting alone, already knowing why. Instead, he held out the ribbon, and watched as her smile widened. "I think this will look good on you." He said to her, watching as she excitedly put it on.
"Thank you 'Tachi-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, throwing her arms up and wrapping them around the boy.
Giving a barely audible laugh, he patted her on the head.
...
Opening her eyes quickly, Sakura sat up in bed. Rubbing her head trying to get rid of the memories she gazed groggily around her room. A frown grew on her lips and seemed etched on her face as she thought of her dream. She hadn't known back then that slowly she would come to call him by Itachi-san. That he would smile and laugh less and less making both objects seem like a distant memory.
Life was bitter that way, she knew that now. She would never wear that ribbon after that day. A few weeks after that Ino had given her another one. A ribbon of cheap quality that was fairly scratchy. It still reminded her of the one he had given her, the one she that would never leave her room, even if sometimes it seemed to beg her to wear it, but every time she picked it up it made her remember how far away they really were from each other.
She hadn't thought he'd act like she had never looked up to him when they were young-like him spending days with her, teaching her things like the friend he was, never happened.
It was like he had forgotten it all.
She allowed herself to believe that he had only pitied her because she lacked a clan, for her dumb little crush on Sasuke, for her being a friendless little freak. Sakura knew that even though Itachi Uchiha was an okay guy, that didn't mean he cared about little girls.
Slipping into her bed of white blankets, she allowed them to smother her partly. The heat of the blankets enveloped her and she closed her eyes soaking in their warmth, trying not to think of the past, of the memories of her younger years that plagued her once more.
Finally, somewhere between ten minutes and ten hours, her mind settled and sent her into a feeling-less abyss.