"Sorry I'm late!" A loud voice said from behind Hinata. Sakura looked up to see a blond boy looking right at her. Before she could blink the boy was right behind her sniffing her neck.

Her face went red, "You smell good, like a sakura." Sakura was frozen, "Uhh...um..." She stuttered.

"That's her name baka. Now sit down." Sasuke said in a threatening tone. "Sakura-chan…" The blond boy said testing the name, "It has a nice ring to it."

"She's my Sakura-chan, don't touch her!" Suigetsu yelled. Sakura patted his head, "Humph, I say he can have her." Karin said menacingly.

"What is your name?" Sakura asked ignoring Karin's comment. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Future Hokage of Konoha! But you can call me Naruto-kun." He said laying on the charms. Sakura giggled, "It's an honor to meet you Naruto-kun, future Hokage." She said slightly bowing her hand as Naruto took a seat next to Sasuke.

"Sasuke-teme, is she your future mate? Cause I want her." Naruto whispered to Sasuke. Sasuke slightly growled. Naruto was a horrible whisperer and the whole table heard him.

"Of course she's not! She's a filthy peasant, I am!" Karin yelled at him. "Chill out! Unlike her, you smell horrible; I'd hate to be the person who takes a bite out of you"

Suigetsu laughed and Itachi smuggled a chuckle. "Unlike Me and my brother, Naruto-san has a demon fox sealed inside of him, making his sense a little stronger than ours."

"Dinner is served." A servant said as many other servants carried trays out to them. They all were first given a small bowl of what looked like soup. Sakura took a small sip of it, it was salty and creamy, "It's delicious, thank you." She said to the servant making him slightly blush.

"You're too kind for your own good." Itachi said taking a sip of his own soup. "Where's the ramen!" Naruto yelled. "I'm so sorry Naruto-sama, but the cook that makes you ramen is sick."

"No ramen!" Naruto whined. Sakura heard about the cook, "I know how to make ramen." She offered Naruto looked up and gave her the puppy dog eyes; she stood and followed the servant to the kitchen.

"Sakura-chan is so nice; I want her as my mate!" Naruto said joyfully. Sasuke and Itachi glared. "Whoa! Don't tell me you both want her too!" Naruto burst out laughing.

"No!" The two brothers yelled in unison. "Of course they don't! They just feel sorry for her, her own family abandoned her. If my kind self didn't take her in as my servant she would be dead." Karin said boasting.

They finished the soup, and the second course of… (Use your imagination) came as well as Sakura with a big bowl of ramen.

"I hope it's to your liking Naruto-kun." She said sweetly and took a seat across from him. He took a bite and smiled, "This is better than the usual ramen!" Sakura blushed; before she could blink Naruto was to her right and kissing her on the cheek.

"Thank you Sakura-chan." And he took his seat. "Hinata-chan, are you alright? You're awfully quiet." Sakura said with concern. Hinata looked up.

"I'm just tired from the long journey. May I be excused Suigetsu-sama?" Suigetsu nodded and Hinata left.

Dinner was quiet after that besides Naruto random outbursts on how delicious the ramen was.

Once dinner was over they sat at the table conversing. "So, Sakura-chan, what is your natural hair color?" Sasuke asked making conversation. Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but Suigetsu answer for her.

"It's pink! The prettiest shade of pink, just like her name it's like a sakura flower." Itachi smirked, he already knew that. "If you don't mind, I'm tired from walking the entire way here. May I be excused Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke nodded and Sakura started to leave.

When everyone was done watching her leave, Naruto in aw, Sasuke with concern, and Karin with a death glare, they noticed that Itachi was gone as well.

"I think I'm going to go to bed too." Suigetsu said, he wasn't' tired it just wasn't fun without Sakura.

"Well, I'm done. I'm going to find Sakura and see if she'll tell me how she makes her ramen so good. Once the last two were gone Karin started her master plan to win Sasuke.

Sakura walked towards the room she was given. When she sensed a presence behind her, she turned to see Itachi leaning against a wall.

"Itachi-kun, what do you want?" She asked her voice unreadable. She gasped as two arms wrapped around her in a hug. "Sakura…I'm so sorry." Sakura was frozen, and something snapped in her head and all the memories of him all the feelings came pouring out.

She felt the tears slide down her cheeks, "Itachi-kun, I missed you so much! I forgive you." She cried into his chest. "Sakura-chan…" He whispered and stroked the back of her head the black dye coming off on his hand.

"You shouldn't forgive me." She continued to sob. "Yet, I do. Does that make me horrible?" He shook his head.

Sakura lifted her head to look at him; her cheeks were wet from tears. Sakura didn't even notice how they were gradually leaning closer to each other till their lips touched.

She closed her eyes, she had kissed Itachi before, but this one seemed different. They pulled away and Sakura nuzzled into him, "Itachi-kun, I missed you." Sakura said she was exhausted, half of her wanted to go to sleep the other half wanted to stay like this forever.

"You need to get some sleep, Sakura." She closed her eyes and Itachi picked her up and started to carry her bridal style towards her room.

"I missed you." She said again, falling asleep in is arms. "I missed you too." And they disappeared around the corner.

Naruto watched them disappear around the corner, "What. The. Hell?" Naruto brain looked for an explanation but found none.

The Itachi he knew loved only himself, yet he ad Sakura like she was a piece of fragile glass, but held her so tightly to never let her go. The Itachi he knew didn't even glance at girls, yet he really looked at this girl, he didn't just look at her he saw her and noticed her.

"Sakura-chan, I hope you know what you're getting yourself into." Naruto whispered to himself as he turned to go tell Sasuke of his brothers little scene.

"You know Sasuke-kun; I've memorized your riddle. With hair of a blossom and eyes of the earth your mate will have the kindest of hearts and the strongest of wills." Karin whispered seductively in his ear.

"So? It's not that hard to remember." Sasuke grumbled, this girl was annoying he thought.

"My hair is the color of a rose, and my eyes are brown like the earth, I could be your mate." She said sitting on his lap. "I don't think you are." He said flat out.

Karin was taken aback. "Have you not noticed my kind heart? I took in that poor excuse of a girl, Sakura." Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

Karin crashed their lips together, "Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he entered the room. "Oh, was I interrupting something?" Naruto said his face going red.

Sasuke pushed her off, "No, Karin-san was just leaving." Karin looked broken. "What do you want baka?" Naruto gave him a weak glare.

Karin glared at the back of Sasuke's head. "I need to talk to you alone." Karin stood her mind working. "Don't worry I'm leaving." She walked out brushing up against Sasuke.

She nearly slammed the door. "We are alone, what is it?" Sasuke asked. "I saw Itachi and Sakura." Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, they are in the same castle it shouldn't be surprising you saw them." Sasuke said mockingly.

"I saw Itachi and Sakura kissing." Sasuke's eyes widened. "What?" Sasuke had heard Naruto fine, he just didn't believe it.

"I was walking to find Sakura and they were hugging and Sakura was crying and saying that she missed him and that she forgives him for something. Itachi told her that she shouldn't forgive him, but she still forgave him and they kissed, and then Itachi carried Sakura somewhere, saying that she needed sleep." Naruto said in one breath.

"Hn. I see, let Itachi be, he can do what he wants." Sasuke said, Naruto saw the hurt in his eyes.

Sasuke started to walk out, "Why do you do this to yourself?" Naruto said looking at the ground.

"What?" Sasuke said not turning to look at his cousin. "You tell yourself you don't care, but I know you do. Sakura's hair is pink right? With hair of a blossom and eyes of the earth, her eyes are green isn't that earth? She could be your mate; you're just too stubborn to see it." Sasuke's eyes narrowed, Naruto was right, Sasuke of course would never admit that, but he was.

"Even if Sakura is my mate, if she makes Itachi happy I'll let him have her. Besides, did Itachi ever tell you his riddle?" Sasuke asked rhetorically. "With eyes like gems and a voice of an angel your mate balances your cold heart. Sakura fits that description perfectly as well."

Naruto shook his head, "Fine, let her go, but I can tell by looking in your eyes you're going to regret it."

Itachi carried Sakura all the way back to her room. She had fallen asleep in his arms, she looked so peaceful. He was still in shock that she had forgiven him.

He laid her down gently on the bed, and covered her to her midriff. He turned when a hand came to his wrist.

"Please…don't leave me again." She whimpered. He smirked and sat down next to her. He stroked her dyed hair until she was fully asleep, then he snuck out of the room silently.

It was only a few moments later that the door opened again. Sakura was awoken by the sound of the door closing, her vision was blurry but she was able to make out, "Karin-sama?" Sakura sat up only to be hit hard in the back of the neck, and the world was lost to her.

Karin struck Sakura on the back of the neck, sending Sakura into unconsciousness, "Now, to remind you who really owns you." She said pulling out a needle from her dress and put it over the candle till it was red hot.

Karin ripped open Sakura's dress so her bare stomach showed, and started to carve words into the young girl's stomach.

It took three hours, but Karin finally finished. Now, the word slut would forever be etched in Sakura's skin.

'Now, time to set my plan in motion.' Karin threw the needle out the window and then took a deep breath.

She screamed and ran out of the room. Karin ran out of the room and down the hallway yelling. "Help! Someone help!" She found Naruto first, "There had better be a damn good reason for waking me up." Naruto said grouchily.

Karin was a good actress; she put on a mask of terror and made herself start to cry, "Its Sakura! Something terrible happened to her!" Naruto was already walking towards Sakura's room.

When they arrived at Sakura's room, Itachi and Sasuke were already there drawn by the scent of her blood.

"Sasuke-kun! I came to apologize for my rude behavior and found her like this!" Itachi hovered over Sakura, Sasuke was frozen the smell of her blood was overpowering.

"Sakura…who did this to you?" Itachi whispered. He stared at her stomach where the word slut was etched into the skin of her stomach. It was dripping with blood.

Sakura eyes fluttered for a moment before shutting tightly. "My stomach!" She gasped and put her hand to her stomach. "It hurts!" She yelled, "Sasuke get me a wet rag! Naruto get an antiseptic and Karin make yourself useful and get me bandages." Itachi directed.

Sasuke and Naruto were gone in a flash and Karin ran out of the room slowing her pace once she was out of reach from Itachi a villainous smirk on her face.

"Itachi-san I got the antiseptic!" Naruto yelled entering the room, Sasuke had already brought the rag which he had given to Itachi.

"Itachi…the blood." Sasuke mumbled. "It's okay Sasuke. You can go." Sasuke didn't leave though he wanted to make sure the girl would be alright.

Itachi cleaned the wound while Sakura gasped in pain. Naruto looked down the hallway, "Where the hell is Karin!" Naruto yelled.

Sasuke removed his jacket and ripped it into shreds. Sasuke started to wrap her stomach, pushing Itachi's hands out of the way.

"Sasuke." Itachi said for no reason. With the wound cleaned and wrapped they all started to breathe easier.

"Where is Karin?" Sasuke asked, they both shrugged.

"Karin-sama, what about Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked as Karin rushed into Suigetsu's room and forced them to pack; she had burst in and yelled "We are leaving!" in a hectic voice.

"Sakura-shimobe is badly hurt and will be staying here for a while." Hinata gasped. "What happened?" Suigetsu asked giving his sister a questioningly look.

"Nothing of your concern, now hurry up!" Karin yelled.

Before they knew it they were on the road back to Karin's castle. "I hope Sakura-chan will be alright." Suigetsu said worryingly

Karin huffed and whispered under her breath, "I hope she dies."

Don't worry it will still be Sasusaku just give me time! Thanks to my few reviewers! Review! Review! Press that little button and type the alphabet. I don't believe you can!