A/N – This is a collection of one-shots that are not related with one another (unless I post at the very start of them that they are, which is a slim possibility depending on whether or not somebody requests sequel one shots). I'm still accepting requests, so if you have any, share them!


Can't Help Falling in Love with You


Story 1
Prompt: Elope. Requested by Ukatoemina. This is set in the olden times, like Madara/Hashirama times and the villages haven't been created yet. However, those two seriously overpowered guys are not alive in this one-shot.
Rating: T

Fallen cherry blossom petals danced in the wind, entertaining him and Itachi smiled softly, his hand reaching out and catching one of them. Softness met his fingertips.

It was fairly late at night and the stars were out, shining brightly and accompanying the moon in lighting the otherwise dark sky. The temperature had dropped considerably during the hour he'd been out there, making goosebumps break out over his exposed skin, yet strangely enough, the cold air of spring didn't affect him. He simply couldn't feel it.

Following the dance of the petals, his eyes slowly began to lower, only to meet awed emerald green eyes.

They were the greenest he'd ever seen, reminding him of freshly cut spring grass – new, alive, reborn – and her hair resembled the petals he'd been reaching out to. Briefly, he wondered if it would feel as soft if he ran his fingers through her hair. Would it feel like the petals?

Abruptly, their gazes locked and she startled, the awe leaving her features and leaving her pale and vulnerable.

He offered her a smile. "Are you here to watch the cherry blossoms?"

She was dressed in a plain, neutrally coloured yukata and he found himself admiring the cut of it and how it covered her. Nowadays, girls as young as herself enjoyed dressing in more revealing clothing, much to the elders' horror and mortification. This girl, however, seemed to respect the traditional side of things and was keeping her modesty. It was a choice nowadays and he respected her greatly for not following the other women her age.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your evening," she replied quietly.

Her voice was gentle, with a tender lilt that felt like heaven to his ears. "You haven't," he assured. "May I ask your name?"

"Haruno Sakura."

Sakura… It fit her perfectly.

He had heard of the Haruno clan, though only vaguely. They were mainly a civilian clan, however, there were a few who had joined the world of shinobi. It wasn't by choice and those who joined, did it solely because they had to be able to protect their families. There had to be warriors in a clan in order to make sure it survived. A clan could not be weak, or else it would be torn apart by the stronger clans.

"And yours?"

"Uchiha Itachi," came his reply.

Something flitted over her features: uncertainty. It did not surprise him. His clan was notorious as of late for the way they tackled their problems. They fought hard for land, for new territory and more often than not, they managed to claim that ground. The only clan who could stand against them, who could fight toe to toe and have as many wins as they did losses, was the Senju clan.

However, he was not like his clansmen. He was his own man and refused to follow their barbaric ways.

"You're the clan heir," Sakura stated.

And as soon as he stepped up to patriarch, he would make sure they never used such unethical methods in getting what they wanted.

"I am."

In an instant, Sakura ducked her head and her pastel pink hair fell forward, shielding her eyes. "Forgive me," she said, her voice a low murmur. Then, she repeated her earlier words of, "I didn't mean to interrupt your evening."

She was leaving, he realised and in that moment, something tugged at him, forcing him to order, "Stay."

Wary green eyes met his and Itachi found the sight of her softened frown quite… adorable.

"Will you accompany me in watching the cherry blossoms?"

Her lips parted, surprised.

But she did not leave.

She stayed.


"I don't agree with their methods," confessed Itachi one day. "There are ways to negotiate without resorting to violence. Too many lives have been lost – and for what? We could have avoided the deaths of many. There are other ways."

It was a bright and sunny day. Today, she was wearing a different yukata and the colour matched her eyes, standing out sharply against her pale skin. The parts of her skin that was exposed – for example, her forearms – were flawless. There were no scars. No blemishes. Just pale, stunning skin.

Today would be the seventh time they had met in what he now dubbed as 'their field'. They were getting further into spring now and the temperature was rising rapidly. Still, even when the sun bore down on them and smothered them in its brilliant heat, Itachi refused to move from their field. It was almost as breath taking as she was. What man would want to deprive himself of such beauty?

In the sunlight, faint freckles showed themselves, dashed over the tops of her cheeks and nose and her eyes shone in such a wonderful way when the light caught them.

"I agree," she told him. None of the previous hesitancy revealed itself anymore, not now that they were getting to know one another. "My father is starting to believe that we have to fight to protect what is ours."

Sometimes, Itachi would catch himself hanging on to her every word, listening intently to the soft lilt in her voice. He would be concentrating so hard on her voice that he almost forgot to reply on several occasions, but she never made him feel ashamed about how helpless he was acting around her. Instead, she would smile shyly and brush her hair behind her ear – an endearing habit, in his eyes.

It was by the fourth meeting that Itachi accepted he was falling head over heels for the woman sitting beside him.

In his entire life, there had only been a handful of people he was capable of feeling comfortable around, that he could open up to and share his thoughts with. Now, including Sakura, there were only two people that he held dear left.

"I lost my cousin because of the wars between clans."

Sakura gasped in response, soon followed by the puckering of her brow as she frowned at him delicately. "I'm so sorry."

As was he. He and Shisui had been the best of friends. They had rarely left one another's side and Itachi had always thought of him as a brother rather than a cousin or a friend. So when his best friend, his brother, had died in his arms after taking a fatal hit out on the battlefield, it had devastated him. For months, Itachi had been unable to talk to anyone. He hadn't been able to eat or sleep.

What was the point in their battles? Why must they lose their precious people for something as superficial as territory? Who cared about appearing as the most powerful clan?

"What was he like?" Sakura asked softly and she scooted closer to him, eyes betraying her curiosity.

"First and foremost, he was a pacifist," Itachi found himself telling her with a wistful smile. "Peaceful and a disliking for violence, but still, he was forced to fight merely because he was a powerful asset for the clan. Had he refused, Shisui would have been cast out and disowned."

That was the worst thing to happen to a person – losing their clan. It left them with nowhere to go, with no one to turn to. They would be isolated out in the big world, with an enemy lurking around every corner and clan followers waiting to strike, to punish that person for being disowned. It was a fight for survival every single day, one you would eventually lose.

And it appeared Sakura understood that, because a troubled expression marred her stunning features and Itachi wanted to reach out and smooth the crease between her eyebrows, to run his thumb over her lips to try and remove the frown that was pulling the corners downwards.

Had he known what she was thinking, would he have put a stop to their meetings?


Today, she was wearing a red qipao instead of a yukata. Despite the unbelievably beautiful sight she made, however, there was something in her eyes that shattered that spectacle. Something in her bright green eyes betrayed how she was feeling on the inside. Whenever he tried to ask, however, Sakura would tell him that she was fine, merely feeling under the weather.

That particular meeting was much shorter than the rest and she didn't stay long enough for him to go out and hunt for food to make for them. It was a shame. He'd been planning on cooking dinner for them, to try and feel a shred of normalcy. If she was ill, then he would make her something to feel better. He would make sure she was eating enough and keeping up her strength.

But before he could so much as suggest the idea, Sakura had realised the time and excused herself, rushing off as fast as a civilian could run.

And when she left him so abruptly, he felt lost.


The next time, Itachi made sure to be the first one there.

It had been hard sneaking away from his clan, as they were busy preparing to take over yet another patch of land they could live without, but he managed it. All he'd had to do was wait until their guards were down, which didn't take too long.

Waiting had never bothered him before, but he found himself anxiously waiting for her return to their field, his senses stretched to their limits to try and sense her presence.

Blades of grass blew in the wind, brushing against him as he sat down in their familiar spot beneath a large, cherry tree. It gave them a splendid view of the field, allowing them to witness nature at its finest, while also offering a spot of shade should they need it. The blossoms above them offered up a wonderful smell that aided in relaxing them both.

It wasn't until two hours and forty-five minutes later that she showed.

Fatigued and on the verge of collapsing, he met her halfway, eyes wide in shock as he caught her. She was breathing hard, her breath fanning across his neck and faintly, she shook, like she was fighting back the urge to cough harshly.

"Sakura-san?"

It took her a while to reply, to raise her head and give him that smile that warmed his insides, telling him not to worry. "It was hard… getting away."

He understood. It would be harder for a civilian to run away when their clansmen's guards were down. For a moment, he felt guilt. Thick, unadulterated guilt for making her go to such lengths so that they'd be able to spend time together, but she didn't allow him to voice any of it.

"I have water," he told her and reached behind himself, pulling his canteen free.

Holding the back of her head tenderly (and marvelling at the fact that her hair was as soft as the cherry blossom petals), Itachi pressed the canteen to her lips, silently ordering her to drink up. It was only after a brief moment of hesitation that she did so, greedily guzzling the water down in such a way that it might him chuckle.

When she was done, he finally dared to reach out, wiping away the water that had dribbled down her chin. Her lips were soft, too, and they parted when his thumb brushed against them.

Such beauty… it was hard to imagine that it still existed in their world, and that he'd been lucky enough to find it.


Itachi smiled softly. "I will return to you."

There was no hesitation when she reached out, tugging at his battle armour to make sure it was all secure. It amused him, since she wouldn't know anything about it or how it was put together. Civilians usually steered clear of anything that involved shinobi.

And then her forehead pressed to his chest, hands holding onto his hips. "Please be careful."

Despite not wanting to be a part of it, it was impossible to find any excuses not to accompany his clan when they set out for another battle. Not only that, but he knew that his brother would be fighting, too, and Itachi would rather fight by his side than let him go out there alone. Nobody else would look out for him in the way that he himself would.

His brother was reckless, in a way.

"I will," Itachi vowed. His hand came to the back of her head, fingers gently running through her hair. It still stunned him how soft it felt – almost like silk.

There was no telling how long he would be away, though. It could be days, or it could be weeks. It could even be months. Would she wait for him? Would his dear Sakura still come to their field, waiting for his return? Or would she give up after a few months?

"Wait for me."

The words had her pulling back a few inches, staring up at him with wide eyes and Itachi knew why. It was such a bold order, it held so many different meanings, but for now, he would not share any of them. They would remain unsaid until his return.

He could only hope that she would still be there, waiting for him.


It had taken seven months.

All the while, his heart had been elsewhere, mind occupied with pastel shades of pink, with fresh green grass and silk soft petals. Even while in battle, he found himself unable to focus entirely on the task at hand, only half-heartedly joining his clansmen in their battle for more territory. The only times he was fully alert was when his brother was fighting.

His foolish younger brother had sustained many injuries, but much to his overwhelming relief, they had walked side by side when they returned home.

The first thing Itachi had done was clean himself up, wanting to be at his very best for his Sakura. His heart and stomach were in fits as he tried to hold back his excitement of seeing her again, after so many months of being away, but like on that last meeting, Itachi couldn't help but listen to that small, nagging paranoia.

What if she had given up waiting for him?

What if she had moved on?

While his clansmen were busy celebrating their umpteenth victory, Itachi slipped away into the trees, almost rushing toward the field he shared with Sakura.

But something was not right.

Pausing in entering their field, Itachi narrowed his eyes, stretching out his senses. A second later and his gaze was snapping to the far left of the field when a quiet sob reached his ears. It was so quiet that he had to strain to hear it, but the second he did, he knew who it was and his gut immediately twisted sharply.

Who had dared to upset her?

Was it him?

Was she worried he wasn't coming back?

He searched her out, finding her in mere seconds and Itachi couldn't help the way his gaze darkened. Why was Sakura curled in on herself? Why was she crying?

Why was her beautiful, once flawless face bruised horrifically?

"Sakura."

She sniffed loudly, wiping at her eyes. Weakly, she attempted to hide her face with her hair, unaware that he had already seen the bruises. When their eyes met, she tried her best to smile, but he could see right through it and for some reason that he could not explain, it hurt that she would attempt to hide such a thing from him.

"Welcome home," she greeted as cheerily as possible.

"What happened?"

It wasn't a question that she had the choice of answering. It was an order and he was demanding a response. Something flashed in her bloodshot eye (the other was hidden beneath her thick hair) before her expression crumbled to utter helplessness.

"I'm getting married to the son of our rival clan," she murmured brokenly, voice wavering. "The wedding is next week."

Suddenly, it felt as though the weight of the world was resting on his shoulders and Itachi's legs gave out on him. He slowly fell to his knees in front of her, understanding instantly why she was so bruised.

"You refused."

Fresh tears filled her eyes, brightening the colour. "How can I marry a man I hold no feelings for, when I'm already in love with another?"

In love with another…

They had only met seventeen times before his departure. It couldn't be him she was in love with. Someone as delicate as his Sakura would be in love with a man who could promise her the world and then fulfil that promise. She deserved a man who could give her everything and anything, who could deliver all her desires without flinching.

He was not that kind of man. He couldn't promise her the stars, not when he could only give her flowers. He couldn't promise her a life of happiness and safety, not when he was the heir to one of the most violent clans who had many enemies.

"Itachi-san," she called out softly, "do you believe in love at first sight?"

Love at first sight… It sounded like something out of a fairy tale. People like himself – shinobi – did not get to live lives such as those, at most they got a powerful wife and she would give him powerful children. You were one of the lucky ones if you were in love with the person your parents chose for you to marry.

Despite those thoughts, Itachi replayed their very first meeting over and over again, recalling how her beauty had instantly captured his attention. By the end of the second meeting, her grace and tenderness had gripped its hooks into him. By the end of the third meeting, he began witnessing her personality and found himself…

Found himself falling more and more in love with her.

"You were so gentle and careful," Sakura continued quietly. "When you were reaching out for the blossom petals – I've never seen such grace, such tenderness. It stirred up a longing within me, Itachi-san." Her gaze was powerful and it drew him in. He was unable to break it. "I wished to know what it would be like to be touched in such a way, to experience being cherished."

A soft smile pulled at the corner of his lips, tugging upwards. Then, like her words had been a silent demand, Itachi reached out for her, cupping her cheek and his thumb gently wiped away the remains of her tears. In response, her eyes shut and Sakura leaned into his touch. Soon his other hand joined the first until he released a shaky breath and leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers, eyes slipping shut.

"Nii-san!"

Their eyes shot open and Itachi was certain he was experiencing the same horror as Sakura was. Within a second, he turned, keeping her shielded behind him and his eyes narrowing warily at the sight of his younger brother.

"Sasuke."

"I followed you," he explained without the order needing to be said. Hesitantly, he stepped forward, but quickly stopped at the glare that was settled on him. "Our parents are suspicious about your actions, Itachi."

Small hands gripped his waist and he felt Sakura press her forehead to his back, hiding herself more fully.

They couldn't find out about her. As a non-Uchiha, she would immediately be scorned. They would never accept her as his wife, let alone the future matriarch. Worst case scenario… They would see her as a potential threat, as a wall, and would kill her to get her out of their way.

"You… I didn't think you would be doing this." Disbelief was clear in Sasuke's voice and his younger brother swallowed, hands falling to his sides. "Why?"

Itachi was unable to reply. His voice was stuck in his throat.

Many different responses were trying to escape. Because she was pure. Because she reminded him of spring, when new life was born and everything was fresh and beautiful. Because she understood his pacific nature. Because her smile sent his heart beating erratically.

Suddenly, Sasuke looked over his shoulder, eyes narrowing dangerously until they snapped back to his. There was determination on his features and his brother's next words had his heart skipping a few beats, had his breath leaving him.

"They're coming. Run." His fists clenched. "Keep running and I'll hold them off."

He was giving him a way out.

"Sasuke…" Slowly, he and Sakura pulled themselves to their feet. "Thank you."

He smirked. "Maybe I will finally be good enough for him."

His chest clenched tightly and once again, indecision rippled through him. How could he leave his younger brother alone? There were only two precious people left in his life and he was one of them.

"Go!" he snarled.

"I will come back for you," he vowed and his hand grabbed Sakura's. "Do not fight back, Sasuke. They will believe I overpowered you and ran – let them believe that and as soon as I find an opening, I will come for you."

He nodded once, already turning to face the newcomers. "I know."


It was mad. Completely and utterly insane. Yet here they stood, side by side in front of a minister, repeating powerful vows that would legally bind them as husband and wife. It was without the consent of their family members, meaning without their blessing, but neither of them cared for such a thing. All they wanted was to be together, even if others didn't agree with their decisions, even if it seemed like it was all too soon.

Their fingers laced and she met his gaze with a gentle smile.

"I do," she whispered.

They both knew what it would mean if they went through with their plans. To disobey their clans was one thing, but to elope… It was the ultimate betrayal. There would be no going back.

Still, despite that fact, Itachi found himself feeling lighter than ever as he stared down at his beautiful bride, as he watched the happiness in her eyes grow.

It had been three days since they disobeyed their clans and ran away. For the first day, they had hidden deep within a cave, only searching for food once it was dark and they could stay hidden in the wilderness. The whole experience had adrenaline shooting down his spine, had him almost grinning with exhilaration. Who would have thought that he, the supposedly perfect heir to the Uchiha clan, would do something so spontaneous?

He gazed at his bride with tenderness as he repeated, "I do."

Spontaneous. Reckless. Possibly the greatest mistake of his life. Yet there he stood, with his stomach flipping and his heart skipping beats, now married to the woman he had fallen in love with when he first saw her through the cherry blossoms. No more fighting for territory. No more bloodshed and violence.

Their next goal would be to set up a safe house, somewhere for them to live without fear of being hunted down.

After that, they would go for Sasuke.

Until then, he would cherish his wife with every fibre of his being.

His beautiful cherry blossom.

His Sakura.


A/N – I feel like this could have been drawn out and made into a much longer story, but I've always thought that one shots should probably be kept under five thousand words, maybe even less than three thousand. I've always found that reading one shots with over five thousand words is draining, like there's way too much going on. It's partly why I wanted to keep this short. Saying that, I have quite a few of them that go over five thousand...

I'm not sure with the way this ended and one day, I'll probably come back and rewrite it, but I hope you enjoyed it, Ukatoemina!