Ice Cold Love

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! If I did… Itachi would be in a hecka lot more episodes!

One-shot: Itachi x Sakura! Slight…Sakura x Sasuke

The Sharingan master stared into the closed eyes of the pink haired kunoichi. He had seen her chase after Sasuke before. He closed his eyes gently and took off his jacket and put it on top of her. She was beginning to grow pale and Itachi knew that she was growing unspeakably cold. She was shivering silently and shaking with fear…

"It's all right…" Itachi said reassuringly.

Suddenly, the snow outside began to gather. A blizzard was about to approach. Itachi moved himself and the girl to the back of the cave. Then, he got back up and went over to the opening in the mountain. As he piled snow up to block the entrance and allowing the cold air to come in, he remembered what had happened to the girl…

Flashback

It was snowing, and Team Kakashi was on a mission to deliver a message to the Sand Village. Although, they were attacked in the middle and the cold weather was most unfavorable to them as well. The enemy had pierced a sword into the side of both of the girl's arms. Blood spurted everywhere, and the snow was tainted with a sickening red sight.

"Sakura-chan!" shouted an exuberant blonde.

"Naruto…" she said weakly.

Naruto had ran over to the dying girl and held her head up. She looked kindly into the deep blue eyes that he had carried and then slowly closed hers. Naruto clenched his fists tightly and started to have tears streaming out of his eyes. Tears that would soon turn to ice…

"Naruto," Sakura continued. "Finish the mission. We are close enough to Konoha. Without useful medical hands, I cannot heal myself. I can barely use any jutsus. Let…me walk back there and get help. You, Kakashi-sensei, and Sasuke-kun finish the mission…"

"Sakura, you'll never make it!" shouted the blonde.

"I will...I'm slowly regenerating my blood loss. I can make it. Go!" she shouted.

Naruto helped the kunoichi up to her feet and Sakura started walking in Konoha's direction as Naruto ran over to Kakashi and Sasuke. The other team members shook their head and knew that Sakura had spoken for the best. If they had not delivered this message, then an even greater war would break out and more lives would be lost. Suddenly, Team Kakashi left within an instant leaving the injured girl to trudge back dizzily.

"I can endure it…" she cried to herself. "It's for Konoha…"

The girl suddenly fell into the snow and the cold was beginning to kill her. Itachi's eyes widened and he escaped from his hiding spot. He had been watching the girl since before he killed his clan and before he betrayed the village. Although, for some reason, he was unable to stop himself and so he walked up to the girl. He picked her up and held her in his hands. Sakura's eyes slowly closed and he disappeared into the night with the kunoichi.

Once he had found a cave, Itachi put her inside it and tried to warm her up. She was growing as cold as ice. First, the Sharingan master wrapped her bleeding arms with a soft bandage It had stopped her from getting worse injuries from the cold… Itachi had built a small fire… and placed the girl by the side of it… Hoping she would slowly get better.

End Flashback

"Ouch…" Itachi muttered towards himself.

The Sharingan master looked at his hands. His skin grew numb and he had taken off his jacket and given it to the girl. His hands were chapped with ice and he could see the blood running through him and under his skin. Still, he was undeterred and finished building a barrier between the blizzard at the girl. He noticed that the snow's color began to change slightly…

"No…" he whispered.

Blood had been coming out of his hands and onto the snow. But still, he did not care much… His hands were small comparison to a human life he had loved for so long. He did not know when he had fallen in love with her…But he did.

Finally, he finished piling up the snow and covering the entrance. Itachi knew his hands were dying and slowly wrapped them in the rest of the bandages he had carried with him. He went over to the sleeping girl and gently kissed her forehead. The kunoichi then awoke with a start…

"Sasuke-kun!" she shouted happily.

The kunoichi's eyes with bright with hope and filled with happiness, although Itachi knew that she was somewhat disoriented. Although he did not plan to scare her, for she had never met him before. Itachi sighed and looked happily into her deep jade eyes… They were like beautiful stars that belonged in heaven for everyone to see…

"Sasuke-kun, I'm so glad you saved me…" she said.

Sakura then wrapped her arms around the Sharingan master and Itachi breathed in quietly. His eyes were filled with a gentleness now and he closed his eyes slowly feeling the girl lean into him. He felt that he was actually loved…

"What happened to your hands?" she asked suddenly.

"Nothing…"

Sakura seized Itachi's hand and examined it. It was chapped and bleeding and she held it close to her face. Itachi smiled softly and she put her hand up to his. There were one… They were the same. Even though their ideals were different…they were still the same.

"Where's Kakashi-sensei and Naruto?" the kunoichi asked to Itachi.

"They… went to complete the mission," Itachi said truthfully.

"And you stayed to protect me?" she asked to the Sharingan master.

"Yeah…"

Sakura allowed her head to rest on his shoulders and she smiled sincerely. Itachi thought that he was in no other perfect spot in the world. A girl he had noticed for so long… together, in front of a blazing fire… Enduring a night of a blizzard together. Everything seemed perfect. Except for one thing… He was being Sasuke…not Itachi…Sasuke, his younger brother.

"I really love you Sasuke. Ever since I seen into your dark soul," Sakura said kindly.

"I love you too, Sakura," answered Itachi.

"Haven't you always hated me? I thought you were never able to love," Sakura said while cuddling into the Akatsuki member.

Itachi remembered his clan…and Sasuke. How he had always talked about breaking bonds and never allowing any to form. This was his life. Itachi clenched his fists and the blood was beginning to leak out of his bandages. He was breaking his own oath he had created long ago. Although he knew that… maybe…only if she could love him back…it would be all worthwhile.

"It doesn't matter though," Sakura continued.

"What?"

"You are just doing this as a friend, I know Sasuke, that you would never be able to love me. I will move on… I hope. I hope I can look past you and see if there is anything else. You are only doing this because you love me as a friend, but not a soul mate," she said gently.

"But if there was someone else…who loved you…would you give up on me?" asked Itachi.

"If only he is as pure as snow… as you are," Sakura said warmly.

The young girl yawned deeply and moved closer to Itachi. Itachi could feel the warmth of her soul being transferred into his. He knew that she was the one that he was destined for. He couldn't explain it. Itachi couldn't even understand it. It was love. Ice Cold Love.

"You are tired. Please go to sleep…" he replied to the kunoichi.

"Will you be here when I wake up?" Sakura asked slowly.

"I will be in your dreams… Helping you, every step of the way…" Itachi said softly.

As the girl drifted into a deep sleep, the Sharingan master cried softly. He never allowed himself to have tears. Ever. Although he was deeply saddened, disgraced, and full of melancholy. Not being able to be with the one he loved most… It was painful. It was heartbreaking… It was cruel. Despite what he had lived up for…something had changed it. Haruno Sakura.

The Sharingan master then wiped his eyes… He knew that they would turn to ice and his heart would turn to stone. He knew that they could never be. He kissed her again on her hand and he put his arm around her… saving her from the cold.

---

Dawn had broken and Itachi used a Katon jutsu to blow the snow away. He looked into the radiant sun and felt the cool breath of air fly against his face. He looked back at the sleeping girl and then walked out of the cave… Not sure that he could ever see her beautiful face again. He hugged her and then disappeared out of the cave and into the morning sun…

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" shouted a familiar voice.

"Eh?" she said groggily.

"Sakura-chan!" he shouted again.

"Naruto?" she answered with haze.

Team Kakashi went into the cave and found the girl wrapped in a dark black jacket. Sasuke and Naruto rushed over to her, seeing if their teammate was all right. Sakura sat up straight and looked into Sasuke's and Naruto's eyes. She smiled gratefully and her teammates helped her get up.

"Sakura, how did you-" started Naruto.

"It was Sasuke-kun!" she shouted warmly.

"What?" Sasuke said questioningly.

"It was you, Sasuke-kun! You saved me from the blizzard! You went against all your orders and brought me here. You gave me your jacket and you built a fire for me. You created a barrier with the snow to stop the blizzard from reaching us!" she shouted happily.

"Uh…Sakura?" asked Kakashi.

"Yes! And I looked at his hands and they were all chapped and bleeding. We talked all night… About everything. And you promised to be with me in the morning! You even healed my arms for me!" shouted the girl happily.

Sasuke walked forward and showed her his hands. They were totally fine, with no scratch of cut in sight. Sakura remembered that those weren't his hands. Then she turned to Naruto, who explained that Sasuke had been there to deliver the message. They all were… Sakura looked aghast at her team as none of them admitted to Sasuke being there with her…

"But I swear! He agreed that he was Sasuke-kun!" she shouted wildly.

"Calm down, Sakura," Kakashi said reassuringly.

"Oi, Sakura… Look at this," said Sasuke.

Sakura walked over to Sasuke and the youngest Uchiha lifted up the jacket. It had red clouds outlined with white on it. It was an Akatsuki jacket. Sakura looked shocked at it, but then held it close to her heart. She knew that…he had loved her enough to save her and protect her.

Suddenly, the girl ran out of the cave and began shouting with the black jacket still in her hands.

"Itachi!" she shouted. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I never wanted you to feel that Sasuke-kun was the center of me. But I know now…you are! I love you!" she shouted through tears.

"I know you think we can never be! I'm sorry! I just wish…there was something better for us!" Sakura shouted with all she had…

Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke brought her back the village. With every step of the way… Sakura had still clung onto the jacket. She pushed it as close to her heart as she could and occasionally…a tear had fallen on it. She then walked to the village with a heavy heart.

Above the cave, stood a handsome gentleman and the genius of the Uchiha clan. He stood there and listened to the girls' words echo in his mind. Still, he knew that even if he tried…he would never be able to be with the ones he loved. For the ones he loved…always had to suffer.

Author's Note: My first one shot featuring Sakura and Itachi! Please review! I spent much time thinking about it, and I hope you enjoyed it. Maybe I will write more. Only if I feel lots of people enjoy my Itachi and Sakura fics!