Itachi x Sakura AU (alternate universe), Non-massacre
It's New Years and I wanted to post something happy. And I know, everyone is going to say its OOC, but it is AU so that's expected.
Description: Itachi has had a crush on his brother's pink-haired teammate for years, yet never took it seriously enough to ask her out. Until he read the terms of his father's will. One-shot. Itachi x Sakura
Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto
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Meet Me at Midnight
The sudden death of the Uchiha clan's patriarch took the entire village by surprise. Fugaku Uchiha had been felled by a brain aneurism at the age of fifty. "Far too young" said his grieving relatives, friends and acquaintances as they mourned at the well-attended funeral. He had risen that morning, a few days earlier, complaining of an intense headache and collapsed halfway across the room. The doctor said he was probably dead before he hit the floor.
The cold November rain mixed with sleet and high winds as it pounded down upon the ground. The priest spoke his prayers as the raindrops hid the mourner's tears and soaked even the most weatherproof of umbrellas. It seemed as if the heavens themselves were crying.
Afterward, Itachi and Sasuke helped their mother back to their house and into a bed in the guest room. She couldn't bring herself to sleep in her own bedroom; after all that was where her husband had died. There were too many memories. Taking a tranquilizer she slid despondently between the covers and quickly dropped into unconsciousness, tears streaking the face of the forty-five year old widow. Sasuke offered to sit in the room with her in case she woke up while Itachi took care of clan affairs.
Making his way to his father's meeting room the young man stepped cautiously inside. He had never been in the room without his father. Considering he was now twenty-three that was quite a feat. He glanced at the back of the room across from the door and half expected to see Fugaku sitting there cross-legged and serious. But of course, he wasn't. His mat sat empty, forever waiting for its owner.
The members of the main branch, including the clan elders, had gathered in the room immediately after the funeral. Sasuke, being the second son, was a member of the side-branch and not invited. The mood was morose and a few were still dabbing their eyes with tissues.
"There is the matter of your father's will, Lord Itachi." An old man named Junpei unrolled a scroll as Itachi sat on a mat next to him. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible so he could be alone. Since his father's death the elders had grouped around him, following him everywhere. There didn't seem to be a reason for it, unless they feared he would run away. It wasn't exactly a secret that he was unhappy with his lot in life, and he had threatened to leave once when he was a teenager. Of course, the fact that Sasuke actually had run away for two years didn't help ease the elder's fears. Of course, Sasuke had returned when he was sixteen; none the worse for wear and certainly much more mature.
The other men and women in the room looked at the elder patiently. They expected the will to state nothing more than a distribution of assets between Mikoto, Itachi and Sasuke, as well as a desire that Itachi be instated as new clan chief as soon as possible. Their sole duty in being there was to act as witnesses. However, Junpei surprised them all as he spoke.
"The will has a certain condition in it that concerns Lord Itachi's future. Basically, it says, 'Since Itachi has refused two arranged marriages and broken up with no less than five girl-friends and three fiancés I am forced to put a condition on his ascension to chief of the Uchiha clan. Itachi may only become chief if he is married within one month of my death. In the event that he fails the position will pass to the next eligible candidate.'" Junpei cleared his throat and clarified the terms in his own words, "Shisui will take his place as clan chief if Itachi fails."
"What?" Shisui stood up and yelled in shock, "Why me?"
Junpei sighed and closed his eyes, "Sit down."
Shisui nodded once and resumed his seat, sending a death glare at his younger cousin. Itachi didn't look like he was paying attention. His eyes were locked on his father's empty mat.
"All eligible males and females in the main branch much fail the condition for leadership before Sasuke can be considered because he is from the side branch." Junpei impatiently explained impatiently. "I am sure you already know this."
"Then why did Lord Fugaku have to have two kids?" Shisui pouted.
Junpei lifted his cane and hit Shisui over the head. "In case something like that happens you idiot! Unfortunately for you, Shisui, you are married and already have two kids."
"Not my fault." Shisui muttered, glaring at his wife who was giving him an angelic smile.
"That's not how I remember it dear." Yuuko replied in a sweet voice. She turned to Itachi and changed the subject. "So, I guess we're going to have to find a wife for you."
Itachi nodded once, not really paying attention. His legs were sore from sitting on them and he readjusted them so he was sitting cross-legged. "Is that all?" He finally asked.
"Is that all?" Shisui yelled again, "Isn't that enough? Do you really think any girl is going to date you, no less marry you after all that? You have a bit of reputation, you know. 'Love 'em and Leave 'em' I think it's called."
"It does appear to pose a bit of an insurmountable barrier." Itachi responded dryly.
Shisui sneered, "If I become chief because of you, I'll make your life a living hell. Then I'll kill you. You know that, right?"
"Stand in line." Itachi's tone turned rude. He stood up and made his way to the door.
"Where are you going?" Junpei asked.
"To buy a new engagement ring. The last two or three women kept theirs." Itachi responded, annoyed.
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The jewelry store was a place Itachi knew well. However, it was also a place he hated to go. The beautiful necklaces, earrings, watches and rings were a source of consternation for the man. Continually pressured to marry, he had found himself in this very shop on multiple occasions searching for an item to give a girl he barely knew and didn't even like. This occasion was no different.
The neatly groomed, polite clerk placed a tray of about twenty rings on the counter. The black velvet the rings were displayed against was free of any kind of lint and was so luxurious it made even the cheapest setting look fit for a queen.
"Any idea what you are looking for?" The middle-aged man asked calmly.
"No." Itachi sighed. He really didn't have time to date properly. With his parents continually throwing women at him he never had to find his own girlfriend. He would just wait for them to introduce him to someone and take it from there. Unfortunately, none of the women ever caught his fancy. They were all fangirls. The type that would fawn over him continually and treat him like a god instead of a man. Like a prize instead of a person.
"Your brother and his fiancé were in here yesterday for a fitting on their wedding rings. It was so sad that your father died only two weeks before their wedding." The man was making small talk, trying to put his tense customer a little more at ease.
"Perhaps not. Father did not care much for Karin. She doesn't have a 'pedigree' so to speak." Itachi clarified. The red haired woman was someone Sasuke had brought home from a mission three months earlier. Unfortunately for Fugaku the woman was already carrying his youngest son's child. The only alternative at that point was marriage. He had spelled it out plainly that no illegitimate children would be paraded around his house and therefore Karin must be good for something. The middle-aged man did have to admit though, that she was very helpful and was trying very hard to learn how to cook and care for a house. He had finally even complimented her on her cooking a couple days before he died.
In the days following Fugaku's death Karin had been enormously helpful. Caring for Mikoto and Sasuke as well as babysitting the smaller children during the funeral so their parents could attend. Perhaps things would work out between his little brother and his fiancé after all.
"They seem happy though." The man continued.
"Karin is. Sasuke is beating his head against the wall. Married at eighteen. Oh well." Itachi made a half-hearted joke. "If I had done that I wouldn't be here right now." Truth be told, his parents had first tried to marry him off when he was sixteen. Thank God for six month ANBU missions. He had barely gotten away from fiancé number one back then.
"Humph. The Lord works in mysterious ways, they say. Perhaps there is a reason you are here today besides desperation."
"Maybe." Itachi turned around and looked towards the front of the store when he heard the shop door open.
"Good afternoon, Itachi." The pink-haired woman gave him a half-smile as she closed her very wet and dripping umbrella and leaned it against the wall next to the door.
"Hello Sakura. Running errands?" He answered quietly. The young woman was forcing herself to smile and her expression was distant. Itachi realized he hadn't seen her at the funeral. He suspected she, like Karin, wanted to give Sasuke time alone with his family and would pay their respects later. He found the sentiment odd, but then again some people preferred privacy when speaking with the dead.
Itachi watched as Sakura walked over to him. He had always found his brother's teammate to be pleasant company and enjoyed being around her. Sasuke would occasionally bring her and Naruto over for lunch or dinner and Itachi had found himself changing his schedule on several occasions in order to join them. The strong-willed, confident kunoichi was the protégé of the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, and renowned in the ninja world for her healing skills. While she had started out as a fangirl of Sasukes, she had grown out of it by the time she was sixteen.
Conversation with Sakura was always easy for some reason. The normally quiet man found he had no problem making small talk with her and she could discourse on practically any subject. They both read tremendous quantities of books and had even shared the same table in the library on several occasions, silently reading volumes that were not permitted to leave the premises.
In fact, once he had discovered her favorite lunch establishment he had even arranged to "drop by for a bite" on several occasions. Tempura wasn't exactly one of his favorites, but since it was Sakura's eating it now reminded him of her. Itachi recalled that their last lunch "together" had been a week ago.
"No, just window shopping today. My bonus from the hospital is coming up and I thought I would look in here for a way to spend it. How is the life of a policeman treating you?" She walked over to the counter and glanced at the rings.
"Boring. I preferred being an ANBU, but father made me quit." Itachi said bitterly. He regretted giving in to his father's demands a year ago. Although he was given the position of "detective" and had already worked on several difficult and challenging cases, he missed his ANBU squad and missions.
"That's what Sasuke said when he told me what happened to you. I'm really sorry. Are you going to go back to ANBU?" She asked.
"No. My position in the clan requires that I eventually become the police chief."
"So…" Sakura looked at the rings again and smiled, "who's the lucky woman this time?"
"Don't know yet. I have to get married in one month or Shisui will kill me." Itachi replied matter-of-factly.
"Kill you?"
Itachi nodded morosely. "Painfully."
"Um… why?" Sakura frowned in puzzlement as she ran a hand through her shoulder-length hair. It was slightly damp and she imagined it was probably looking a little frizzy.
"Because then he will become clan chief instead of me."
"Ah! One of those conditions. My team guarded a couple once who were forced into marriage like that. It was a few years ago. Such a pain." Sakura sighed.
The clerk had stood nearby watching. A small smile played on his lips as he watched the interactions of the man and woman in front of him. Completely unaware, Itachi and Sakura had moved closer and closer to each other as they spoke until they were only one foot apart.
"Which ring would you choose, Sakura, if it were your engagement?" The clerk asked mischievously.
"Ha!" Sakura laughed, "No guy in right mind is going to marry me. I scare them all off!" She smirked as she remembered her last date had ended in disaster when she had punched a man through the wall of the bar. He had punched her date and, well, instead of being the "demur little girl" and letting the guys handle it she had taken care of the problem herself. Embarrassed, her date had not only left the bar without her, but had refused to speak to her ever since.
"This one is pretty, and would look beautiful on your finger." The clerk continued to smile.
"Ooooo!" Sakura's green eyes opened wide at the clerk and Itachi turned to look at the ring she was now holding. It was white gold with three leaves made of regular gold and three small diamonds clustered around one very small ruby. It almost looked like a flower. "I've never seen anything like this!" She laughed, "Maybe I'll come back after I get my end-of-year bonus and buy it."
Itachi reached out for her hand and lightly removed the ring from her grasp. He smiled as he slipped it on the ring finger of her right hand. "Marry me and I'll pay for it."
Sakura blinked in shock, then giggled nervously. "You really had me going for a second there, Itachi."
Smirking Itachi covered her right hand with his own, effectively preventing her from removing the ring. "I'm serious."
"Serious? How can you be serious? We meet in a jewelry story, talk for a few minutes, and then you propose?" Sakura was beginning to get angry. She was a little bitter about the possibility that she would never get married and if Itachi was playing a joke on her it wasn't funny.
"I've known you for over ten years." Itachi said thoughtfully. "You are now a level headed woman who would stand up for yourself and not take crap from the elders or my mother. You will defend your children to your last dying breath. And you would love every minute of it."
"Itachi…" Sakura was starting to get creeped out. Sasuke's older brother never talked like this. He was cold, aloof, arrogant and often distracted. "Are you on drugs or something? Were you given a tranquilizer perhaps? I know how hard it must be for you right now, with your father's death and being told you have to get married in such a short time. But frankly, you're starting to scare me."
"I'm sorry, Sakura." Itachi realized how he must sound. It was pathetic of course. He had no idea how to get a girlfriend or even ask a girl out on a date. Everything had always been arranged for him. Obviously, being upfront and honest like this was perhaps the wrong way to go about it.
"It's okay, Itachi. Really, sorrow makes people do silly things." Sakura tried to pull her hand back but Itachi refused to let go.
"Put the ring on my account." He pulled the surprised Sakura after him as he made his way to the door. The stormy weather was still obscuring the sky and they both grabbed their umbrellas, opening them as they stepped outside.
"I was serious, Sakura. It's not spur of the moment or anything like that." Itachi said after a couple minutes. They were walking by the river that ran through the center of the shopping district. The storm had scared most of the pedestrians away and it was just the two of them in the late November afternoon. They walked onto an arched bridge and stood in the middle, looking down into the water.
"But… to get married in only one month. That doesn't give much time to…" Sakura couldn't believe she was having this discussion. If it was anyone else she would have hit him into the next district and stormed off. Why was she being so polite to Itachi? She was being so careful not to hurt his feelings.
"We've known each other for over ten years. I think that is a long enough engagement. Don't you?" Itachi's voice was calm and as he turned his head to look down at Sakura his black eyes caught her green ones in a gaze that rivaled the Uchiha clan's infamous Sharingan. His strong facial features were softened by his dark hair, wisps of which had escaped from the tie and were blowing freely in the strong wind.
Sakura stared at his soft looking lips then caught her own lower lip in her teeth when she realized what she was doing. "You… are serious." She suddenly felt like crying, although for the life of her she didn't know why.
"Sakura…" Itachi's voice turned silky and he reached down to grip her chin in his strong hand, lifting it up gently to meet his gaze. "Meet me here in one week at midnight."
"And… we will what?" Sakura's breath caught in her throat and she had to force the words out.
Itachi lowered his head until his lips were a scant millimeter above hers, "Meet me here in one week at midnight, and we'll kiss." He moved away from her and smiled, his eyes conveying the underlying truth of his proposal.
Sakura brought both hands up to her chest, over her heart. The umbrella she had been holding dropped forgotten into the river and floated upside down until the rain filled it and it sank. Her fingers brushed against the cool metal of the ring as she gazed back up into his eyes. There was something there, something he had only ever shown her. The answer surfaced from the depths of her heart and she finally answered.
"Yes."
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A nice happy fic for the end of the year. And yes, I was feeling sorry for Karin because no one likes her and decided to give her a happy ending too.
Happy New Year!
Please review and good luck will follow you all year (but only from a distance because, you know, the restraining order prevents him from coming any closer… xD)