Author's Note: Finally an update. Seriously, I think 2007 was the last year that I wrote . but now I'm doing the best that I can to just write, especially when I have the time to do so. I hope many of you are still following along. There's only one more chapter after this, so expect an update soon. R&R!

Disclaimer: don't own Naruto.

P.S.: I need to rewrite ch. 2. Reason for that is cause I don't want to specify the reason why Sasuke left, other wise i'd be hard to explain why Itachi is there. This is not following the manga. just so you know.

Sakura's unusual wedding

ch 4

Itachi: The Ace Card

"Wow..." I heard Aki whisper. Looking over at her I saw that she had this shocked and sadden look on her face.

"Shouldn't he have known that you're not like Sasuke? And why didn't he snap at Sasuke? I would have figured he'd beat the guy to a bloody pulp.." She bit her lower lip as she looked up at me. To my surprise, I saw as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Sakura!" Just then she leap at me giving me a hug. I suppose normally I would have been weird out by a stranger hugging me. But to me she wasn't and after telling that last story, I really needed that hug. After a moment she pulled away and wiped away her tears.

"How are you even here? I'm not asking like I have been, just that you went through so much and suffered a breakdown. That was like two weeks ago. How did you make such a quick recovery?" She asked.

I sighed deeply as I looked up at the sky. That was a really good question. So much had happen, how is it that I'm not still out of it? My thoughts turned to the past couple of weeks and I couldn't help but to smile a little. Aki caught this and her curiosity peaked.

"Oh come on! Please tell me already. I've got to know why your suddenly smiling!" She nearly cried out. My eyebrows rose when I looked at her and my eyes nearly bulged out of my head when I saw her down on the ground on her hands and knees acting over dramatic as she pleaded to the sky.

"Oh dear. um...Aki...umm..." Unsure if I should or not, I reached out my hand and tapped her shoulder. Slowly she turned her head to look at me and I nearly jumped back in fear. She almost looked like she was deprived of food for a loooong time. She really was getting into this!

"Ok, if you calm down, I'll finish the rest of the story." I said calmly with my hands on my lap. Almost instantly, she jumped back on the bench next to me and was starting to behave like a normal person. I sighed deeply wondering if I'd react the same way if the situation was the other way around.

"I stayed in the hospital for about 5 days. They ruled out anything serious and treated me only for a nervous break down. While there, I received visits from everyone, except for Sasuke and Naruto-kun. I didn't care much for Sasuke since I made up my mind, but not seeing Naruto-kun was unbearable. Even after I left the hospital, I was still depressed. I mostly kept to myself and I didn't care much for visitors. However, my friends managed to drag me out of the house and take me out for coffee and desert. I had to admit that I enjoyed their company but..."

Flashback one week ago...

She looked around the table as her friends were engaged in several different conversations simultaneously. She was paying attention to neither as she swirled her straw around her half empty glass of strawberry smoothie. She really felt like leaving. She just wasn't in the mood to be around people. Making up her mind, she dropped her tab, stood up and walked out without a word as her friends called out to her. Perhaps it was rude on her part but they had to understand that with all that happened she simply couldn't be rushed back to feeling better. Things wouldn't get better. How could they? Naruto continued to avoid her calls.

She sighed deeply as she continued to walk blindly down the street not bothering to see where she was going. As she continued lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice until the last second and as a result collided full on with someone thus causing herself to lose balance and fall backwards.

"Ow!" She cried out as she fell and in the process her purse and everything in it scattered all over.

"Damn it!" She muttered under her breath as she scrambled to gatter her things together. "I'm so sorry, it's my fault, I had a lot on my mind and I..." Her voice drifted once she looked up to the person she was appoligizing to. She tilted her head to the side and once she gattered her stuff together, the person reached out there hand to help her up. Taking his hand, she couldn't help the feeling that she knew him from somwhere, but she couldn't remember.

"Um...I...I'm really sorry. But...have we met before?" She asked out of curiousity once she was standing up and looking up at him.

For a moment he remained silent as he looked at her...as if he were like wise studying her like she was to him. She noticed that he had long black hair tied back in a low pony tail with just two pieces of his hair hanging loose in the front. His eyes were dark, mysterious and yet held a little spark to them. Then, the last thing she noticed were scare marks under both of his...her eyes widen when she finally realized who it was.

"Itachi-Nii-san?" She asked unsure if she was correct or not.

"Sakura-chan?" He likewise asked as he continued to look at her in wonder.

"Ichi-Nii-san!" Sakura cried out in joy when she realized it was him.

"Saku-moto!" He said with a warm smile as he gave the young woman a hug.

"Oh my gosh, it's been so long. What...a little more then 10 years?" She asked once they took a step back and she looked him up and down. "Wow, you've really chanced! You must have tons of woman chasing you!" She added with a playful smirk.

"Yea, I think it's been that long. You were in your early teens the last time I was here. Look at you now, you've grown into such a beautiful young woman. I'm sure you have men following your every steps." He likewise gave her a playful smirk. .

just then a thoughtful look suddenly crossed his face. "Actually, correction. You have one guy following you. Forgive my forgetfulness. How are you and Sasuke doing? Last I heard you two were getting married. Congratulations!" He Said with a genuine smile.

The smile suddenly faded when he noticed that she wasn't smiling. Actually, it looked more like a dark stormy cloud was hanging over her head just at the mention of his brother's name. He sighed deeply as he shook his head.

"I'm so sorry Saku-moto." He said in a low voice as he gave her a sorry look. "You see, that's what happens when you haven't kept in touch with family for so long. If you want to talk about it, I have plenty of time. I was just heading to the cafe to get a drank, if you don't mind tagging along?"

"Does it have to be around here? I just left my friends not too long ago. They were trying to get me out of the house, but I just couldn't stay in there anymore." She said softly as she lowered her head.

"Humm...I see..." He started slowly as he rubbed his chin. "We don't have to go to a cafe. I could just go to a convenience store and pick up something. But that could wait. The park isn't too far from here and it's pretty light out. Let's just sit for a moment, catch up on old times and if you want to, you could tell me anything you wish to tell me. Ok?" He smiled softly as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

She nodded her head as she smiled. "Thank you Ichi-nii." His smile likewise widen at hearing her call him that. Looking at her, he could still see the little girl who used to follow him around the house when she'd visit Sasuke.

The two of them sat on a bench at a park about 15 minutes later. For a moment neither said a word. Itachi didn't want to rush her to speak about her problems, so he decided to start the conversation on a light note.

"Do you remember following me around the house? You'd come to visit Sasuke but no sooner did you come and you clang to me." He chuckled softly. "Man Sasuke was jealous, but it was his fault cause he'd ignore you or even tell you to go back home."

"Yea, and I'd start to cry and you'd ask what was wrong. Then I'd tell you and you'd end up scolding him. He always got so upset, but eventually he played with me for a little before going back to pushing me away." She turned to look at him with a half smile.

"I guess that was an early warning sign no?" She smiled sadly as she looked out in front of her. "But now that I look at it, I wonder if I choose the wrong Uchiha. He never once seemed interested in me."

Itachi's eyes widen slightly at hearing that last comment. He looked at her for a moment as the same thought crossed his mind. That thought shocked him. Since when was he even thinking that?

"You did tell me at one time that you wanted to marry me instead of Sasuke." He found him self saying both in a serious and joking matter.

"Huh?" She asked as she looked at him with a confused look.

A slight blush crossed his cheeks as he looked away. "Um, nothing. So, what did my little brother do to you?" He asked as he sighed deeply and looked at her giving her his full attention.

The dark cloud once again appeared and he started to regret ever asking her, that is until she spoke up.

"Earlier this month, I went to his apartment. With the planning of the wedding and all, I was so focused on it that I hardly had time for him. So I planned on making this wonderful dinner but when I got to his apartment..." She paused as she clutched her fist. It still had an affect on her just talking about it. "When I got to his apartment, I had an uneasy feeling. Turns out I caught him sleeping with our wedding planner."

For a moment, she didn't hear him say a word. When she looked over at him, she nearly jumped away in fear, cause he had a look on his face that would kill a thousand people.

"Ichi-nii?" She spoke softly as she reached out a hand slowly to touch him. That mere touch proved to calm him down tremendously.

"I'm sorry," He whispered as he reached his hand up to touch her hand. "I wish that you didn't have to suffer through that. The next time I see him I'll-"

"Do absolutely nothing." She cut him off firmly as she gave him a look to match. "He's not worth it. And besides...I had gotten back together with Naruto-kun..." She added while looking down with a frown.

"Huh? You and Naruto? When, how?" He asked, unaware of the relationship all together.

Sakura shook her head as she sighed deeply looking down. "It's a long story. But the point is that...right now I would have been the most happiest woman in the world and next week I'd finally be his wife. But Sasuke screwed things up. I was suppose to meet up with Naruto-kun when I saw Sasuke at my door. He tried to talk to me and reason about what happened. Eventually after hearing him out, I told him I forgave him, but I wouldn't forget what happened. The next thing I know, he kisses me and Naruto-kun..." Her voice drifted off as she felt a sting to her heart.

Itachi remain silent for a moment. Sakura looked over at him and noticed he gave her a blank look. Without a word, he leaned over and gave her a hug. A tight hug. Her eyes widen slightly in surprise before she hugged him back.

"If I could, I'd take away all the pain in your heart and take it into mine." He whispered softly. "I love you too much to see you like this."

For a moment, it didn't dawn on her what he said and when she did realize it, she pulled back and gave him a dumbfounded look. "What did you say?" She asked as she looked at him.

He looked back at her with a warm smile. "I said that I love you." He repeated as he took her hand into his.

Sakura blanked. And blanked. And blanked again. "SAY WHAT?" She cried out in surprise.

"SAY WHAT?" Aki cried out in surprise

I blanked as I looked over at her. She had the same expression on her face that I had when Itachi told me he loved me. I couldn't blame her.

"I don't blame you for having that look on your face." I said as a smirk came across my face.

"Heck yea! This is starting to sound unbelievable! I mean, first you have this guy you've always loved cheating on you, then you get back together with your true love, now your childhood friend tells you he loves you?" She shook her head in disbelief. "This kinda crazy stuff only happens in movies!"

I shook my head as the smirk widen on my face. If only she knew what happened next. "You've got no idea. If this were a movie, it would be the kind that you couldn't take your eyes off the screen." I then sighed deeply as I looked up at the sky. "Actually, if all of this didn't happen to me...I wonder where I'd be right now?"

"In that catering hall getting married to someone you didn't want to get married to." Aki muttered. She then paused as a thought crossed her mind and her eyes widen at a new discovery. She looked over at me with a shocked look on her face.

"Oh my gosh!" She gasped. I looked back at her not quite understanding where she was getting at. "Sakura. Don't you get it? This has to be some kinda sign. Of why you aren't in there."

I nodded my head slowly. "Perhaps Ichi-nii noticed that too..."

"Am I not suppose to love you?" He asked as he tilted his head to the side and looked at her.

Sakura felt like her heart leaped out of her throat. Was he pulling her leg? Was he serious? She just told him all that had happen, why would he add this to her troubles?

"It depends." She said softly as she looked away. "When you say you love me, what do you mean? So much has happened, I just..."

He remained silent for a moment as he looked ahead. "When we were kids, do you remember what you said to me?" He didn't wait for an answer as he continued. "One day we were sitting by the lake near my house. You were licking your ice cream and I sat by your side looking out onto the lake. Suddenly you asked me to promise you that if we got older and something happened between you and Sasuke, that you wanted me to help you in anyway possible. Am I right?"

After thinking for a moment she looked at him and noticed that he was looking at her with a smile. She like wise smiled for the first time in a few days. "Yea. I did ask you that." She said softly.

"Then," He started as he took her hands into his once again. "When I tell you that I love you and that I don't want anything bad to happen to you, do you think I mean it in away to harm you or to help you?"

There eyes locked and she could tell how serious he was. She also knew well enough to know that he'd never do anything to hurt her on purpose. She wasn't sure she understood fully, but she understood enough to trust him. Her smile widen as she nodded her head. "You have my best interest at heart."

"Of course I do. So, hear me out. I will do all I can to straighten things out with you and Naruto. But for that, I only ask you to do me one huge favor."

Tilting her head to the side, she looked at him giving him a slightly unsure look. "Ok?"

"Promise me..." He paused as he leaned closer to her and whispered in her hear. "Promise me that you'll smile again. You have the most beautiful smile that could pull anyone from their deepest depths of dispare. I promise you, that next week you will be at your wedding and you will be walking down that aisle. I promise to make you the most happiest woman. And for that all I want...is to see you smile." He pulled away just enough to give her a kiss on the cheek and a sincere smile.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she gave him a sincere smile. She was so happy to have him around. Maybe this was a sign. Maybe things would turn out alright. For the first time in awhile, she felt that the sun was shining and that everything had a brighter side.

"Thank you so much Ichi-nii." She whispered as she gave him a tight hug as she rested her head against his shoulder.