"Sakuno-san!" A small Sasuke yelled. She turned to see him running at full speed toward her.

Oh gosh, Sakuno laughed, He's so cute! "Sasuke!" Sakuno yelled.

Itachi could only laugh at the scene that was taking place. "Slow down Sasuke or you'll run her over!" But Sasuke did not slow, instead he ran faster toward Sakuno.

Sasuke then took a flying leap at her, and she held out her arms to catch him in a hug. Making her off balance, and they fell to the ground.

"Sakuno, Sakuno, Sakuno! Will you and Nii-san train me today? Please! He was mean yesterday and didn't." Sasuke whined.

Sakuno giggled and looked over to Itachi who had a huge grin on his face. "Well?" She asked.

"Not today, Sakuno and I have some things we need to finish." Itachi replied coolly.

"Oh?" She just looked at him, pondering what it is that needed to be done; she didn't think they had any homework; in fact, she was sure they didn't.

"Aw, but Nii-san! You never play with me anymore! And you always take Sakuno-san away from me! I want to play with her too!"

"I'm sorry Sasuke, maybe next time." Itachi poked Sasuke's forehead, and smiled. "Why don't you go and run along now." Sasuke got up and ran, obviously upset that his brother and Sakuno wouldn't train him.

"Did I miss something?" She blinked, what could be going on?

"I wanted to talk to you." He said simply. It was apparent that he wasn't going to elaborate.

Well that's frustrating, She sighed, but she knew better than to interrupt and ask before he was ready.

Itachi was in no hurry, he would speak to her when they got down to the park, she was sure of it.

Uchiha Itachi.

He was her best friend, and they had known each other since the village had created the truce between the Uchiha and Senju clan. Their friendship had been an unexpected one for most people, because he was an Uchiha and she a Senju.

Those two clans had been enemies for so long that a friendship between the two had been shocking. But that wouldn't change the connection that Itachi and Sakuno had. They had both experienced the trauma of war, and the death that it brings. They both wanted peace and would do everything to keep it.

However, even now, the wars between the two clans still took its toll on everyone. Her father was an example of this. Her father and herself had lost most of their immediate family including her mother in the wars, and that had taken its toll on her father's mental status. Now all he did was drink and lay around the house, cursing the truce that now made up the village of Konoha.

So Sakuno would normally just care for herself, but that was ok, she was thirteen after all. Itachi was also thirteen, just a few months older than herself. They had gone through everything together. Graduated the ninja academy at age 7, with him at the top of the class and her coming up second, and they also just went through the chuunin exams together, again Sakuno came second to Itachi.

But she never did mind coming second to him, he deserved to be first, he was powerful and intelligent.

But one day, she was hoping to not come second to Itachi, but to become his equal, able to stand by his side. But Itachi was a prodigy after all; there may be no catching up to him.

Who was she kidding; she couldn't beat Itachi, let alone be his equal. She smiled at that thought.

Itachi was looking over at Sakuno, and noticed she was smiling. It made him wonder what it was she was thinking about. Her mind must be wandering to all sorts of places, he smiled to himself.

While he looked at her he noticed something different, her amethyst hair was pulled back in a braid today, and normally she would never pull it back.

Her hair was long; it reached all the way down to her hips, and she had such pale skin that it looked almost unhealthy, but had a faint blush of pink to her cheeks.

She felt his stare and met his obsidian eyes with her burgundy ones.

He stopped walking. "Sakuno" He said quietly. "I need you to promise me something"

Promise? "Of course, what is it?" Why is he so serious all of a sudden?

"When the time comes, take care of Sasuke."

"I promise." What's going on? "Of course I would, even now. I consider him my little brother… What brought this up all of a sudden?"

His black eyes wouldn't look at her now; for fear that she would be able to read them. "No reason" He again said very quietly.

"Itachi, tell me. What's wrong?" I don't understand.

He had to think of something to tell her, she wouldn't let silence be his answer this time. "Well we're going to be ANBU soon, so we'll have to go on some dangerous missions. If something were to happen, I wanted Sasuke to have someone."

She just looked at him. What could she say to that? It didn't feel like the truth, but it made sense. "Whenever I'm able I will always take care of you and Sasuke. You may beat me at everything, but I wouldn't let you or Sasuke get hurt." She tried a smile.

He let her continue to think that she could protect them both, so he smiled back at her. "Thank you" Was all he could say.

Sakuno nodded, and looked up towards the sky; the clouds looked grey and angry. It would rain soon.

xxxXXXxxx

My home was there and then, those meadows of heaven

Adventure-filled days

One with every smiling face

Please, no more words

Thoughts from a severed head

No more praise,

Tell me once my heart goes right

Take me home

The Poet And The Pendulum –Nightwish