Okay! This story has had some parts rewritten as of this year, and I'll be posting them as new chapters as of now. Either way, whether you are a new or old face, I would recommend you reread it. Sorry for all the trouble! I'll be uploading these chapters around once a week.

Enjoy!

Three Years Later

"Oh, come in, dear!" Mikoto sang as she herded Sakura and Sasuke in the door. "You're Sakura, aren't you? You're very pretty." Sakura blushed prettily and covered her face in her hands.

"Mother, stop embarrassing her," Sasuke said, scowling. Mikoto just laughed.

"How protective you are, Sasuke." Wiping her hands on her apron, she led the couple inside the house to the living room. "You can wait here while dinner is prepared. Don't do anything naughty now," she teased, wiggling her finger at them.

"Mother!" Sasuke hushed, turning red. Chuckling with a mischievous look again, Mikoto went off to cook. Sasuke sighed. "I'm sorry. She just does embarrassing things without my permission," he explained, draping an arm around Sakura's shoulders. Sakura giggled.

"Your permission, Sasuke-kun?" she asked, snuggling closer to his chest. Smirking, he touched his lips to her forehead.

"Yes, my permission." Kissing her softly on the lips, he was tempted and about to delve in further until...

"Auntie Mikoto!" came Shisui's loud yell from the front door way. "I'm home!" Sasuke soundlessly stomped over to Shisui.

"This is not your house," he stated dryly. Shisui just grinned at him and took a cheek in each hand.

"Ooh, big, bad Sasuke-chan is threatening me," he snickered, moving Sasuke's cheeks around. Slapping his hands away, Sasuke shot a glare at Shisui. Shisui simply smirked and waved his hand at his younger cousin. Then he noticed a certain pink-haired girl on the couch. "Sakura-chan," he said, feigning surprise. "How nice to see you!"

"Hello, Shisui-san," Sakura greeted. "It's nice to see you, too." Shisui grinned, hopped over to Sakura, and ruffled her hair. Sakura halfheartedly tried to swat his hand away and failed, causing Shisui to smile. "You always do that," she pouted. Shisui grinned and withdrew his hand.

"Hey, squirt! Where's Itachi?" he asked Sasuke. Sasuke grunted. Shisui just sighed and shook his head. "Usually those grunts mean 'yes' or 'no,' but in this case, it means neither! How perplexing!" Sasuke lips continued to curl downward, and the elder Uchiha sighed while walking up the stairs. Sakura watched him go up as Sasuke took his seat beside her once more.

They chatted aimlessly about unimportant things, looking at each other with loving eyes. Then Shisui and Itachi came down the steps.

Damn, he was gorgeous.

Sakura looked at the beautiful man who had just descended the staircase. She hadn't seen Itachi for almost six months. She believed it was since she had seen him shopping at the supermarket and went over to say hi. Yes, she kept track. It was hard not to after their little...encounter with the healing. He had such a demanding presence as well.

However, she had set her sights on Sasuke previously and had finally gotten him. He was nothing like what she thought, though. After being on the same team as him, Sakura fell out of love with the bad boy appearance he put up. He seemed so abusive to everyone, and Sakura did not find that very appealing. After a while, though, some of his shell seemed to melt away, and he would show her a softer side to him. It was times like these that she appreciated him the most. He had also respected her decision to abstain from sex, surprising as it was. They had clear boundaries, and Sakura was grateful for that.

But damn, was Itachi gorgeous!

Acknowledging her with a nod, Itachi said, "Hello, Sakura." Smiling, she gave a small wave.

"Itachi. It's nice to see you after so long," she greeted. Sasuke's lips tilted downward at their familiarity. It was unnerving, to say the least. His brother was friendly with nearly no one. He was under the impression that Sakura and his older brother had never met, but clearly that wasn't the case. Thankfully, Mikoto interrupted the conversation as Sasuke was sending his brother a fiery glare.

"Dinner's ready! Oh, Shisui, you're here too? Come eat with us?" she chirped happily. Shisui smirked.

"That was my intention, Auntie," he admitted dramatically, throwing his arms around Itachi. "I just had to when I heard Itachi was home. Why would I ever pass up the chance of seeing my baby cousin once in a while?" He placed a sloppy smooch on Itachi's stoic face, Itachi just barely showing a hint of disgust. "He's always so busy!" he pouted.

Mikoto nodded and frowned. "Yes, he's almost never home nowadays. It makes Mother sad," she said, pushing back Itachi's bangs. Itachi slightly leaned into his mother's touch, making her lips curl up at the corners. Patting the two elder Uchiha boys' backs, she led the youngsters into the kitchen to eat.

Once they all sat down, Shisui took a bite out of the curry. "Mm, Auntie this is so good," he moaned appreciatively. Inwardly, Sakura agreed with him and wished she, too, could make appreciative noises. However, she did not want to pop her bubble at her first dinner.

Sakura felt a stare directed at her.

Looking up from her piece of meat while it was still stuffed in her mouth, she saw Itachi intensely gazing at her. Blushing, she was a shadow of a smirk appear behind a smile. The jerk.

Noticing her flush a little angrily, Mikoto asked Sakura, "Are you feeling all right?" Reddening further, Sakura nodded anxiously. Chuckling, Mikoto scooted closer to Sakura. "You don't need to feel so formal with us, dear. Any friend of Sasuke's is a friend of ours."

"Especially when she's pretty," Shisui added.

"That too," Mikoto teased. Sakura forced herself to smile, still not really feeling comfortable with Sasuke's family. Mostly his brother, actually.

Right after dinner, Sasuke had to excuse himself for he had to go on a mission so he could not walk Sakura home. Shisui had eagerly jumped up in his seat to take Sakura home, but Mikoto did not trust him with her future daughter-in-law so she sent Itachi instead.

So now Sakura was walking awkwardly with Itachi.

Conversation was out of the question. Besides, Itachi seemed content with the silence so why shouldn't she be? Perhaps it was because she just did not like not talking or hearing people talk. He had a lovely voice anyway so he should use it sometimes. Sakura decided that she had enough of the "comfortable silence."

"So... how is ANBU going?" she asked shyly. He raised a brow but said nothing at the blush quickly spreading over her cheeks.

"It is going well. I, however, shall be resigning from ANBU soon." Sakura was shocked. How could he even think of doing that? She thought he was tolerant of ANBU, probably the closest thing he'd come to love. "I shall be taking up a Genin team," he explained. "I have grown tedious of ANBU." Sakura gaped and placed a tender arm on his shoulder.

"It must have been hard for you," she sympathized. Itachi's glazed over with something undeterminable before grasping her hand in such a gentle way.

"Thank you, Sakura." Sakura bit her upper lip, holding back a gasp. When his fingertips left her hand, Sakura almost frowned. She appreciated that Itachi was so caring, but the moment he even glanced at her, a foreign fluttering motion would start in her chest. He most definitely made her nervous with all his intensity. It wasn't quite fear, but it wasn't physical attraction either.

They had reached Sakura's home at a leisurely pace, the silence eventually becoming comfortable for Sakura. She said goodbye to the polite man and went to bed, not expecting her boyfriend waiting on her couch.

He grabbed her before she could scream. "Calm down, Sakura. It's only me," he informed her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. Sakura regulated her breathing and eventually made herself calm. "Good. Are you feeling better?" Sasuke whispered. Sakura nodded and rested her head on her chest.

"What are you doing here, Sasuke-kun?" she asked, wrapping her arms around him. Returning the hug, Sasuke placed a kiss on her hairline. Sensing his hesitation, Sakura looked into his eyes. Lightly touching her elbows, he rested his forehead on hers, eyes boring into hers.

"I am leaving the village to join sound, and I want you to come with me."

Sakura just gaped at him with her mouth open. "St-stop joking around," she stuttered. His grasp on her elbows tightened considerably, and Sakura was surprised that she actually felt pain. "I thought you had a mission tonight," she whimpered.

"I lied," he hissed, nails digging into soft flesh. "Sakura, Orochimaru made me an offer I don't want to refuse."

"It doesn't mean you can't," Sakura stated flatly. Sasuke's eyes swirled into the Sharingan.

"Sakura, me and you could rule Sound together, and I would be able to gain enough power to overthrow Konoha and transform it into a newer, stronger village." Sakura audibly gasped this time.

"H-how could you even say that?" she shrilled. "Konoha is your home, our home. Why would you want to destroy such a beautiful village?" Sasuke's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Power," he answered. "The ones with the most power control most things. You should know this, seeing my father working in a sold position. You think he actually cares about this place? I'm trying to make it better." Sakura pursed her lips and yanked her body away from Sasuke.

"It's always about your father," she said quietly. "Even I am not important enough to make you forgive him, am I?" This time, it was Sasuke who was speechless.

He stepped closer to her. "Sakura, I didn't mean-"

"Enough!" she snapped. "I'm not leaving with you, and that's final." Sasuke's shoulders tensed visibly at her proclamation, he closed his eyes sadly.

"Then I'm sorry I have to do this," he whispered, tomoe spinning around seemingly endlessly. Sakura fell into his arms, instantly unconscious.

Then he was gone.

Thanks for reading! Fav+review!

~mocha