Disclaimer: Did you hear an announcement about Naruto changing hands? No? Then damn-it, I guess my offer of pocket lint to Kishimoto was rejected. What a shame.

Suggested reading format remains the same as always.

A/N: Forgive whatever grammar mistakes you see...I'll come back and clean things up later. Or I'll find some poor sap to do it for me if i'm lucky. Also, Special thanks to Baws for being Awesome and stuff.

Weaseled Away
By: Tsukiko Hoshino
_

The snow in the air
to sing me a lullaby
my winter, come hither to me
The dark nights to come
so, kiss me for good-bye
The grace of the godland is near to you

-Lullaby (Kaida Yuriko)

She dreamed of fire, devouring everything in its path, and of screams that could not be silenced; of faces twisted in permanent agony, and red, so much red staining everything she ever knew. She dreamed of men with swords sweeping through the idyllic place like the wave of a Tsunami, leaving fire and blood in its wake.

The streets of the village she live in, the fields her parents had toiled in and the forest she played in were all enveloped in shades of red.

Curling tighter into herself, Sakura bit back a painful moan. She didn't want to remember but she did anyways.

Winter was always the worst time of year. They hardly ever had any food, and there was nothing to do half the time since nothing grew, and it was always so cold. Not to mention the days were so much shorter- a fact which she greatly lamented.

Her family was meant for spring. They didn't do well when winter rolled around, and even at the young age she was, she knew they often forewent food for themselves, just to feed her.

For all that they lacked however, they had an abundance of love. Her father was his horribly cheesy jokes and gentle countenance and her stern, over protective mother. They did not have as much as some families, but they made up for it in the attention that they gave her.

Still as much as she hated the winter months there was one plus as far as she was concerned. Sakura absolutely hated the dark, and the frigidly cold nights ensured she got to sleep sandwiched in-between her two parents instead of being alone on her own threadbare futon.

So, she easily fell asleep that night to the feeling of her mother's fingers brushing through her hair and the quite rumbling that came from her father's snoring.

She couldn't have been asleep for more than a few hours when she was roughly shaken awake by her pale faced mother. "mama…'m tired." Sakura whined, attempting to roll over as she rebuked the woman's efforts. The firm grip her mother had on her shoulders prevented her however.

"You have to get up now Sakura." Mebuki hissed, hauling the five year old into a sitting position. "You need to be really, really quite too, understand?" They were lucky to live at the end of the village, slightly put off from everyone else but close enough to hear a big commotion like the one going on outside at the moment.

All night, the blond haired woman had felt a nagging at the back of her mind, a suspicion that something was coming underway. Something had just felt wrong…She'd finally been half asleep when she heard it, the first series screaming, and she knew without doubt that something was terribly wrong that night.

Kizashi too had quickly jolted to consciousness, and took one look at his wife before he was up and preparing. The world that they lived in was a dangerous one; lords were constantly fighting one another for some reason or another.

Whether it was a mononoke against mononoke, a human against another humans or even the rare case of a mononoke fighting against a Human villages like their own were often under siege.

They were far from the eyes of whatever lord ruled over them, and the seclusion they had equated to less protection. Not that they had much to begin with considering the man who ruled their province was a human. If tonight was any indication however, he wouldn't be in control much longer.

The touch of Sakura's small hand on her face broke her out of thought. "Alright, let's go okay?" Mebuki asked, forcing a smile to her lips. Her husband was waiting outside for her, and without waiting, she swept the small, brightly colored girl into her arms. 'You're so light.' Guilt striking her not for the first time, exiting the small shack without a single glance backward.

They had to leave here before it was too late.

The look in her husband's eyes wasn't one she could ignore. "Don't even think about it." She hissed, tugging on his long sleeve. She knew him- she knew that he wanted to do what he could to help, but if he ran into the village it was likely he would die.

"Mebuki…" Kizashi paused with a sigh. "We can cut through the forest; it's unlikely they'll follow through to Uchiha territory." He explained, glancing towards the village once more. "I got a look of the banners. They were of snakes." He explained, repressing a shudder.

Orochimaru was not a man anyone would want to be their lord. There were terrible stories about that man and the things he did to mononoke and humans alike.

Clenching her daughter even tighter, Mebuki swallowed heavily. "R-right."

"Whets going on?" Sakura asked, glancing up fro, her mother's neck. She always took a while to be coherent after waking. Even from their secluded home she could see the fire enveloping the village.

"It's nothing." Kizashi stated with a strained smile. His large, work roughened hand was gentle as it patted the top of her hand. "We're just going on a little trip."

Frowning, Sakura said nothing for a moment. 'No body sets out this late at night…' poor she may have been, but ignorant she was not. "But...the fire?" She questioned, looking at the pale smoke rising into the night sky.

The conspiratorial looks her parents shared were not lost to her, but before she could ask anymore their attention was stolen away.

"Going somewhere? Your new lord's feelings are going to be very hurt if you go running before he gets a chance to meet you." The words were slurred, but held an aura of danger to them.

Three sets of eyes quickly whipped to the speaker, as he entered their eyesight.

Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck raise Mebuki quickly set Sakura down, and shifted so that the child was hidden behind her and Kizashi's forms. The implication was clear, to get to Sakura whoever and whatever would have to go through her parents first, and the way he was eyeing them in amusement sent shudders down Sakura's back.

"Mama?" Sakura whispered her hands fisting to the fabric of her mother's Kimono. The silent look her mother sent her quickly quieted her down.

Without words, before warnings could be issued or anything else could be done there was a glint of metal and a strangled gasp as a torrent of red spilled forth from her mother's midsection. A small shriek exploded from her own lips as the blood ran down and tainted her own hands.

"Mebuki!" Kizashi fruitlessly attempted to bolster his wife's falling form.

'He moved so fast…' Sakura thought, looking at the red that stained her own hands.

"G-get Sakura out of here. No matter what. " her mother's voice was full of pleading as her hands grasped at her husbands clothes, in her mind she sent prayers to every god she knew, the old ones and the new as well. It didn't matter to her if she died at all, as long as her little girl lived.

"How precious." The man whose sword was stained with blood laughed, taking a swig of the gourd attached to his hip before tossing it to the side. The baked clay container smashed against the porch of the small home in front of him. "Parents are the second most amusing of all. Sometimes they beg and plead for the lives of their children, sometimes they offer them up like sacrificial lambs…and sometimes they try to fight!"

He was so very close, only a foot away as he towered over her.

Sakura's stomach churned as his fingers coiled into the hairs on the top of her head. "Guess your parents are the latter, hmm?" He laughed, grip tightening.

The furious look her father was giving him was so funny. All smiles stopped however when a burning pain shot up his wrist. "You little shit!" he screamed, shaking his arm furiously." Swear to the gods I'll kill you!" and he would enjoy it too.

Like a dog, she clung on, digging her teeth in further. All she knew was that he was dangerous, that he'd hurt her mother and for that she wouldn't let go. The searing pain in the side of her head, as it hit the edge of the porch told her she'd failed.

Without thought Kizashi had left his wife's side and was on the man in seconds, fists fueled by the need to protect his family. It didn't matter whether he stood a chance or not.

"Sakura!" Mebuki called weakly, hands pressed to her gaping wound. "Listen to me." She murmured, patting the side of her daughter's cheek, wincing when it was left bloodied, her blood mingling with that of her daughters as it slid down the side of her face sluggishly. "Go into the woods okay? No matter what don't look back…We'll join you in a bit, okay?" she smiled as convincingly as she could.

"But…" Sakura frowned, already shaking her head, the dull ache growing ever so slightly. "I don't want-" She was cut off by the glare her mother sent her.

Always the disciplinarian in her little family, her mother could be very scary. "Do as I say, and go now!" The blond ordered, pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead. She hoped her head wouldn't cause her too much trouble. "Be safe, and know we love you…" She whispered, feeling her throat ache with emotion. "Go now, and don't look back." Resolutely, she gave the girl a push with what strength she had left.

And so she did. Her aching head kept her from resting, and some strange feeling kept her moving. It was telling her it wasn't safe to sit still. Her movements were slow however, as she waited for a sign of her parents. Even the frigid temperature seemed far away to her as she waited.

She heard him later, stumbling through the bramble and trees as he cursed, screaming that he would kill her and she ran faster then she'd ever felt she had before.

How long had she run? A few minutes, a few hours? Would the sun every come up again? Where were her parents and what was taking them so long? There were so many questions darting through her head as she moved.

At some point she grew so tired, and so cold she was hardly think coherently anymore, moving like a half wild animal. Finally, it came to the point where her lungs and legs ached so badly that she had to take a rest. She found a low spot, beneath the great mess of roots belonging to a towering tree and hunkered down, eyes watchful for the man who was hunting her.

That's when she saw him. Even with the blood splattered to his face, and the expressionless set of his eyes she'd known he was a better bet for survival then the man coming closer to her every second she wasted.

So she abandoned the tree and hid behind him instead, feverishly clinging to what small sliver of hope she had left.

Whatever happened afterwards Sakura could hardly recall, even in her dreams.

Right now though her head hurt, and she really, really hoped that when she opened her eyes everything would have been nothing but a bad dream. She felt so heavy- hardly awake even, the weight of her eyelashes nearly more than she could bear. Even so, the newness of the place she was resting in sent panic rushing through her.

"It's alright." A voice murmured, fingers ghosting over her brow. "You're safe here." A boy with hair as black as the wings of the crows that often lofted the fields her parents worked spoke. Her parents called them pests, but Sakura rather liked them.

Something about his seemed familiar, and it had her brows knitting in thought. "You..." Her throat felt scratchy and speaking hurt.

"You should try not to talk." It amazed Itachi how quickly she had grown ill. In the three hours he'd sat by her bedside she'd been stricken by a terrible fever, and had thrashed violently more often than he liked. Even now, her fever had not receded. It worried Tsunade enough that even as he sat there, she was concocting some odious brew that no doubt tasted twice as worse as its smell.

She chose not to heed his advice, and pressed herself further. "Y-you're that boy." A shudder wracked her small frame, as she forced herself to sit up. Her fear was mounting and he could hear her heart speeding up. "That guy!" she cried, eyes growing wide as they darted around the room.

"Is long gone." Itachi stated firmly, pressing against her shoulders gently. After settling her back against the futon he ran a hand over her hair, checking her forehead specifically. The cut and the bruising that had marred It from before was gone thanks to Tsunade, but her sickly pallor was much more worrying to him.

As far as he was concerned, her illness was his fault. He should have known better then to carry her through the snow like that.

The fact was he wasn't exactly well versed in the frailty of normal humans.

"But my parents…?" Sakura began, looking around the room. "She said they'd come find me…" So where were they? They were supposed to be here with her. She was quickly working herself into a panic.

Itachi couldn't help but hesitate, even if it was considered a weakness. He had no experience with having to deliver bad news such as the one waiting at the tip of his tongue. For the first time in his life, he could honestly say that he was…for lack of a better word- lost on what to do.

He was thankful when he heard Tsunade just outside the door, even if it would only delay the terrible message for a few moments. Her tawny eyes were somber, as she took in the scene before her. 'Poor thing.' She thought, pressing her lips into a thin, grim line.

Loss was something she was no stranger too, but even she had been older the first time she'd experienced it. Tsunade had been a teenager when her parents died and a young adult when her brother and fiancé passed on. 'It seems like such a short while ago.' She mused- knowing that it had in fact been a very, very long time ago.

The fact that Itachi actually looked relieved was something she would normally have found great amusement in. It seemed as though every day that passed he grew to be more and more somber, hiding away the pieces of himself that were tenderhearted. She remembered fondly- although she would never say, the times when he came visiting with a smile on his face.

Those days seemed to be getting further and further away, as his open face was replaced by the facade he painstakingly crafted as the days went by, his visits and smiles more infrequent as he grew taller

Tsunade supposed that it was curiosity that first brought him to her mountain, and then perhaps fondness on his part that kept him coming back. He'd always been a rather inquisitive thing. He liked puzzles, thrived when he was working to figure something out. Back then, she'd been more than aloof with him something he was not used to.

Being the heir to a high ranking, powerful clan meant that not many people denied him what he wanted, or showed him blatant hostility…unless they wanted to suffer.

But still he came unbothered, intruding into her home so politely- so inquiring in his nature. Asked her some of the most ridiculous questions about her person like if she really ate slugs or not and if that was how she'd been able to live so long. She could see them then, the synapses in his mind firing away through his brightly gleaming eyes. He'd been so smart for his young age and time was only sharpening that terrifying quality.

'Now's not the time to reminisce.' She chided herself, rolling her eyes when she noticed the object of her thoughts holding out his hand expectantly. The cup cradled in-between her hands was cooled enough to be drunken now. Wordlessly, she placed it in the palm of his hands giving Sakura a small smile. "Drink all of it okay? It tastes bad, but it'll help a lot."

Although Tsunade could heal some of the most grievous injuries known to mononoke and men alike, cold's and flu's could not be repaired so easily. The most she could do was bolster the body's natural processes so that it could fight the illness on its own. Glancing to the young man kneeling on the floor so calmly, she couldn't help but worry slightly.

The girl's parents were gone, and she had to be told and who exactly was going to take up the task?

She could already see the question poised on Sakura's lips, ready to tumble out at any moment. The question was could Itachi handle things on his own? Not that she wanted to be the deliverer of such ill-fated news, but it might be better suited as coming from her rather than him. She had experience with it, more so than Itachi. Before she could even open her mouth however, he was already shaking his head.

There was a look of determined resignation to his face and so with a brief hint of hesitation, Tsunade decided to leave him to it. If needed she would not be far. Pressing a lingering hand to the pink haired girls head she departed feeling the urge to have another drink. 'Whys life got to be so difficult?' She sighed warily and hoped for the best, lingering close enough so that she could hear what happened- just in case.

Confusion swamped Sakura as the blonde haired woman came and went, sliding the door shut behind her.

The awkward silence that followed made her nervous, and something told Sakura that her parents would not be coming back for her. "They're okay right?" they had to be. Her mother said they would be right behind her.

Knowing who she meant Itachi's shoulders slumped nearly imperceptibly, eyes studying the murky liquid entrapped in the white porcelain cup he held. His own face reflected back at him dimly, as morose as he would every allow himself to appear.

"No…I'm very sorry." The words tasted virulent on his tongue and when he saw the tears filling her eyes, his stomach turned- the experience a novelty he would not miss. The quiet tears she shed soon became loud sobs.

The hysteria that had been slowly welling up inside her flooded out, and Sakura shook her head frantically. "Y-you're wrong, you have to b-be!" Sakura shrieked, hands bunching against her eyes. "You have to be..." She repeated to herself, the small part of her knew otherwise was struck down with childlike tenacity even as the memory of her mother's blood spilling out filled up her closed eyelids.

She knew that if something bled long enough, it would die.

Burning tears trickled down her face, one after the unbidden other and it wasn't long before she could not control the flow of them. They fell in torrents, like the waters during monsoon season.

"I wish that were so." Itachi murmured, guilt striking his face. Logic told him that it wasn't his fault, that there was nothing he had done to cause the situation, that there was nothing he could have done for them by the time he found them. 'If I had only paid more attention…' If he had been listening harder or had a stronger sense of smell, perhaps he would have known sooner.

He could not avoid those thoughts, try as he might- and he did try. For someone who was hailed as being the best his clan had produced in a very long while-if not ever, he could not help but feel very, very low at that moment. Perhaps he did need more training after all?

She knew that death meant the absence of movement, of consciousness. Knew that it meant she'd never fall asleep between the two of them again, or hear her father's silly jokes, or feel her mother's hands in hers. All that was over now, and there was only her. She could only weep, the hoarse sobs tearing through her body so badly she could hardly even breathe.

His hand pressed at the back of her head, guiding it to his chest as he rubbed her back in broad circles. Itachi could feel the burning of her skin even through the folds of his clothing, and he had to bite back the displeased growling that threatened to escape. The fever was eating her up and sapping what little strength she had left. Seeing her so weak- so broken apart he felt his very heart tremble.

He learned very quickly to despise her tears just as much as he hated Sasuke's often disappointed face. 'No, even more than that.' He decided quickly, tucking his chin into the crook of her neck. The younger Uchiha's discontent was not nearly as biting as the feeling he felt now.

His little brother's greatest pains were of being pushed aside in favor of his older brother by his father- they were of the sting of inattention, of being stuck in someone else's shadow. Though Sasuke, in his opinion was the lucky one; he was free to do nearly whatever he pleased while he himself shouldered the burdens of the clan. Which was how Itachi preferred it to begin with, if all he could do for Sasuke was protect him from the ambitions of their family, then he would do so gladly even if his own wants were ignored.

Sakura's tears however, weren't of broken promises or childhood frustrations and skinned knees, but of deep and ineffable loss and there was nothing he could do but hold her. There was nothing he could promise her that was in his power to give, that would take her hurts away.

Itachi couldn't say that everything would be alright, because to her it wasn't. No matter what issues he had with his father if he were to die, Itachi would feel sorrow over it and if it were his mother the pain would surely be doubled.

It wasn't long until the fever and the stress caught up with her, and the deep heart wrenching cries she made were stemmed by small hiccups that shook her small frame every now and then. Withdrawing just slightly he tipped her head and took in her sleepy, red rimmed eyes. Her weary head
lolled between his hands, the weight pressing into his palms.

Too exhausted to really think anymore she simply rested there, peering at him with damp eyes. He was so close; she could see that his eyes were unnaturally black, the pupils near impossible to find; the thin flecks of silver that speckled his irises the only color to be seen within them. They reminded her of the night sky when clouds blotted almost everything out.

Even so, she couldn't help but think of them as warm. 'And very pretty.' Her thoughts were fuzzy at best.

A smile threatened to intrude his lips even though it hardly seemed appropriate, he couldn't seem to help it as he watched her sleep laden eyes struggle against their own weight. "It's alright." He soothed, rubbing his cheek against her forehead.

His skin felt pleasantly cold against her own and a pleased hum escaped her as she leaned further into his touch, eyes sliding shut. "who're you?" she murmured sleepily.

He answered with a brief. "Uchiha Itachi." The lack of acknowledgement surprised him slightly. She didn't even bat an eyelash at the mention of his family name. They were renowned everywhere, among humans and mononoke alike yet she didn't seem to notice.

Picking up the forgotten cup he pressed it to her lips. "Drink it all." He reminded, tipping the contents into her mouth quickly. As expected, soon as the liquid hit her tongue her face scrunched up, muscles tensing as she tried to pull away but his grip remained firm and he held her there until she'd drunk it all.

Biting back the urge to gag, Sakura couldn't repress the shudder that ran through her from the taste. It was like…nothing she could even begin to describe. In her whole life she'd never tasted anything so terrible, and she had eaten a lot of gross things.

Once it was all gone he set the cup down, and eased her back onto the futon, pulling the covers over her. "It's alright to close your eyes now." He could see how hard she was fighting it, and wondered if she was scared.

Sakura dug her fingers into the dark cloth of her companion's Haori, biting her lip nervously. If she went to sleep, she'd see everything all over again. She didn't want to remember the blood, or the flash of steel. "Don't leave…" She whispered quietly. "…please." Even then her eyes were closing traitorously.

He'd been the one to make the bad man go away; surely the dreams could be chased away by him as well. Those were her desperate thoughts as she clung to him, eyes fluttering open and shut erratically as she fought the need to shut them.

Silently he lowered himself onto his side, curling a hand around her head and tangling it into her brightly colored hair. "I'll stay," Itachi promised, resting his cheek against the crown of her head. "For as long as can."

"Promise?" her voice was so very quiet, he had to strain to hear it.

"Aa." Itachi nodded, eyes softening.

It was all the urging Sakura needed as she admitted defeat, her nose pressed to the side of his neck as her eyes slipped shut.

A restless sigh escaped his lips, as he solemnly began making plans. 'Shisui is no doubt on his way here now…' Which was good, it allowed him to remain where he was until then, like he'd promised.. The real issue lay with when his father found out that he'd taken the life of something more than an animal.

It would mark his exit out of childhood completely; the training and pressure would be doubled. It wouldn't be long until he was sent away from home to battle and conquer more land. He'd been rather fortunate he had not been sent out earlier, owing that to his mother's insistence.

Mikoto had been adamant that her son stay home until at least the age of twelve. It'd been a rather tense point of contention between his parents, but she won in the end. The request or rather demand that had been heeded with exasperation would no longer be obeyed given what he'd done this night. It was likely that he would be sent from home sometime within the next year on some raid or skirmish.

The greatest issue of his clan was that they were never satisfied with what they had. He knew they aspired to unite all that they could under their control.

In his opinion what they had was more than enough. They failed to realize that too much land under their control could be just as detrimental to not enough. Having too much to control, but not enough manpower to do so was the down fall of many dynasties.

Very soon, he'd be furthering that ambition sooner then he'd anticipated.

Yet looking at the pale pink strands clinging stubbornly to his fingers, he could not bring himself to feel regret over his course of action. Itachi pondered over what it was about her that had inspired such an urge to protect inside of him. He may not have enjoyed the thought- or even act of killing things besides what he ate, but he didn't consider himself to be overly empathetic.

Something about her had called him, was still calling. 'But what?' He asked himself, brows creasing as he searched for an answer.

Lying there like that as comfortable as he was it wasn't long until he was drifting in and out of consciousness only to be startled by the feeling of a face pressed precariously close to his own. "Shisui, remember that conversation about personal space?" Itachi drawled, not bothering to open his eyes. He wasn't going to let his cousin know he'd snuck up on him.

For the life of him, Itachi could not understand Shisui's desire to intentionally rile him up. It usually resulted in the annoyance he felt being taken out on the older boy during particularly brutal training regimens.

Remembering that Sakura was slumbering next to him, Itachi pressed Shisui's face away to give himself room to sit up, hiding the smirk that came when he saw the other boys disbelieving expression as he rubbed his snubbed nose.

Unfortunately for him, Sakura had become rather vine like in her sleep and was clinging tenaciously to him, making the task of climbing out of the futon rather difficult.

Now smirking himself, Shisui couldn't resist the baiting. "Having some trouble baby cousin?" he teased, rocking back on his heels.

Itachi also didn't get why the older boy kept referring to him as a baby when clearly he wasn't, and in addition was no longer Shisui's babycousin- Sasuke was. He probably did it to be annoying, something Shisui found great joy in doing for some reason or another. Deciding not to give him an answer, he carefully set about freeing himself.

"Someone's got some explaining to do." Shisui continued unperturbed as he looked pointedly at the small girl he'd seen Itachi cuddling with.

Like, literally. He'd been purring and everything like some giant domesticated cat. It was a little weird. 'Well. Maybe more than a little...' Shisui corrected, face creasing thoughtfully. The last time he'd seen Itachi so fluffy with someone, it had been when Sasuke got particularly sick a few years ago following his dip into a freezing cold pond.

The after effects of which had been a moodier than usual Sasuke who was more vocal and clingy than ever before. If Itachi even left his sight for a few moments it had resulted in a screaming fit that lasted until he came back. Itachi had to spend a whole week helping his mother tend to the boy, although he probably enjoyed every second of doting on his little brother.

Those sorts of moments were rarer as Fugaku stressed the importance emotional restraint on his oldest son, so whenever Itachi got the chance he'd go a little overboard with the spoiling. But much to the future heir's his misery ever since Sasuke hit the age of five he'd decided that he was too big to be hugged and fawned over and would rather be taught Katas, or jutsu's or anything incredibly dangerous that Itachi really didn't want to teach him.

'Personally, he's spoiled enough as it is.' Shisui huffed, remembering the swift kick the little demon had given him to the shin before they'd set out in the morning. It still ached. He really hoped that Itachi would realize that being too lenient on his little brother wasn't going to do him any favors in the future.

Anyways, the whole situation was just going to be added to the pile of blackmail material he was building up against his baby cousin, and after he'd been left in a net he was not going to go easy on him. It took him forever to get out and by the time he had, the younger boy was long gone having left rather confusing trails all over the place.

Shisui had to turn back and redouble his steps more than once but what really worried him was when he'd come across Itachi's little surprise in the form of a headless corpse. For a minute he'd actually had to ponder the feasibility that his baby cousin had contracted rabies and was rampaging all over the place.

The concern had only doubled when he came across the razed village several miles away from the clearing and saw something even more disturbing in the form of a scrap of clothe with an eight headed snake on it. He'd really panicked then, thinking Orochimaru had gotten ahold of his baby cousin, but after a few moments he realized Itachi had been unhindered and was heading back in the direction he'd come from.

To be honest, the fact that Orochimaru was so close to their territory worried him deeply, and he knew Itachi would no doubt be furious about it.

Not to mention the clan. They were going to go ballistic and start rallying to march out.

No one was really sure what the snake man wanted, but he'd been creeping around Uchiha territory for quite some time, sometimes rather slyly, and sometimes not so sneakily.

Which meant he wanted to be noticed no doubt.

The fact that he'd done so much damage to a village so close to their border showed his audacity, especially after the stern warning he'd received the last time the Uchiha and he had crossed paths.

'Three years ago or so, if I'm right...' Shisui mused remembering a prior hunting expedition that had resulted in a run in with the pale skinned man. It had ended in being impaled by the sword Orochimaru kept hidden inside his body.

Itachi had been left to hold his own against the legendary snake master until help arrived. Against all odds, he'd managed to do that and more, and by the time back up had come to the scene Orochimaru was sporting quite a few wounds himself and choose to retreat rather than fight against a whole mob of furious weasels screaming out for blood.

What Shisui could remember most vividly of that day was Itachi himself.

While the younger boy hated fighting for no good reason, he had a strong urge to protect that rivaled his peaceful countenance. When Shisui felt the cold steel parting the flesh of his stomach, he had been frozen in horror, not by the murderous feeling pouring of his cousin.

Even Orochimaru's sickly aura had been washed away by it.

It would be wrong to say that Itachi had gone completely berserk because he had still maintained his level headed thinking but there was a fury in his small body that Shisui could never have imagined if he hadn't of seen it himself.

'I guess that's the trouble with being a mononoke…' Because of their double sided nature, they were prone to lapsing into more animalistic tendencies if the situation was stressful enough.

He loved his cousin like a brother, but damn, he could be scary.

For all the control that he had over himself, on the few rare occasions that it slipped, it was a sight best not seen for those it was directed at. 'Must be the Mikoto in him…' everyone knew that while Fugaku was intimidating, Mikoto was just plain scary when riled. She didn't need to use physical violence to make one suffer. 'Speaking of suffering…' Shisui snapped out of his thoughts as he remembered something particularly depressing. "we got to get back before sunrise."

Otherwise Mikoto would have his hide.

"Yes." Itachi agreed, finally disengaging himself without stirring the young girl. "I'll explain on the way out." He stated tilting his head towards the door. Taking the hint, but feeling altogether to curious for his own good, Shisui slunk towards the door reluctantly, sparing unconcealed glances towards his companion.

Rolling his eyes in the most discreet way possible, Itachi turned his back, and curved a hand over Sakura's cheek. Her fever was finally coming down much to his relief. He would rest that much easier knowing he was leaving her in a better condition than earlier. 'I'll be back as soon as possible.' He reminded himself, memorizing the features of the small child before him.

He'd have to bring her something to eat next time, she was entirely to skinny. 'And clothes…' Itachi thought, doubting that Tsunade kept much more in the girls size than what she'd already been given.

Shaking his head he finally tore himself away, pushing Shisui through the door the rest of the way before following and sliding it shut behind him. Turning around his nose nearly brushed against Tsunade's bosom much to his inward mortification.

"You did well." She complimented with the nod of her head.

It hadn't seemed that way to him, but there was no use arguing with her when neither of them would concede defeat. "I suppose." That seemed like a sufficient answer. Not to vague, not to revealing.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Any messages I should hand over?" she worried that when Sakura woke up alone, she might become distressed.

"I'll be back soon." Itachi said simply, nodding his head. He didn't have to remind her to take care of Sakura. He knew she would. "That's all." He finished resolutely not liking the coy smile that crossed her lips.

"Okay then. See yourselves out, and Shisui?" her voice was all honeyed.

The oldest Uchiha in attendance tilted his head to the side innocently. "Yes?"

"Stop eyeing Tonton like she's your second dinner. Or I swear I'll skin you."

Itachi couldn't keep himself from feeling proud of his decision to bring Sakura here when he heard the threatening tone of use Tsunade used to curb what she deemed as a threat to something she cared for...even if it was a pig in this case. 'No accounting for taste.' he thought, heading for the exit without further ado.

Fighting back the urge to shudder, Shisui quickly glanced away from the shivering pig being held in Shizune's arms. 'Forget Mikoto being scary, Tsunade's terrifying…' It wasn't his fault he was born with a carnivorous appetite and Tonton looked so plump and tasty. "R-right…" He closely followed after Itachi. "Have a nice night!" he called, even if it was already morning and the horizon was quickly lighting up, the falling snow gleaming like diamonds as they flurried down.

It was thankful they were better adapt to the cold then some of their kind, the rough winds hardly phasing them at all as they trotted through the pristine landscape, faint foot prints left in their wake one moment, only to be swallowed up the next.

Thank you everyone for your kind words and support! it really went a long way towards helping me write this chapter.
Hm...very dramatic chapter.

A very sad, Very difficult to write chapter.

Drawings are up on Live journal, there is a link to it on my profile page...I would post it to Deviantart, but it's being uber slow for me...it took two hours just to get everything up onto LJ, after they canceled uploading like 16 different times.

I hope this chapter has remained up to standards, and the next one should be a lot more fun for everyone involved! Don't worry guys there is going to be lots of cute fluffy childhood antics, Naruto and Sasuke ARE going to show up in Sakura's Life and therefore Itachi's as well very soon along with a myriad of other troublesome, familiar people.

Again, thank you everyone for your reviews and favorite's! It's my goal to get a story to the 1,000 review mark so it can rest on the front page of fame. It's a rather silly goal, but its mine none the less.

That and Fanart. With either (Or both if i'm feeling greedy and you guys are being generous..) I could Die happily and not come back to haunt anyone.

Sooo...There should be a box right down below here...lemme know what ya think, huh?

Could inspire me to do mooooree~