Authors Note: Sorry for being away for some time. I honestly have no excuse as to why I haven't updated in a while. I wish I could say something like "I was sick" or "there was an emergency" but sadly I have no reason for leaving you guys hanging for so long. I do apologize and will try to update the story on a more regular basis. Enjoy the following update 😊
XOXO
~AllGoodThingsToThoseWhoWait
Sasuke watched from a distance while Sakura rang the bell of the temple and prayed. He wondered what she was praying for, it couldn't possibly be for a successful marriage. Sasuke himself prayed she would go back to her clan and have Hinata back. He sighed and turned away from her, he found Itachi smirking in a mischievous way.
"Watching fair young lady from afar are we? I quite enjoy the view as well," Itachi teased glancing over Sasuke's shoulder to get a look at Sakura's backside.
"Why. . .you are married big brother," Sasuke said stepping to his right to block Itachi's view of Sakura.
"I'm only joking little brother. Remember, I said you don't have to worry about me but other men gazing at your woman. I wonder what little sister is praying for," Itachi wondered aloud.
"Stop calling her that," Sasuke snapped his voice turning cold and threatening. "I don't understand why you call Sakura little sister but never gave Hinata the time of day."
"Stop your whining Sasuke. I didn't bestow the honor to Hinata because I knew she wasn't you soul mate," Itachi advised crossing his arm.
"I love her! I want only Hinata," Sasuke protested curling his fists and looking down at the ground. Rage burned inside of him, he had lost the woman he loved in a blink of an eye.
"I don't doubt that you loved her. With time, you will see that she," Itachi pointed past Sasuke and at Sakura, "will be the woman who will raise you up from your darkest places, love you with her whole being, support all of your choices and stand behind you through thick and thin. She is going to be your everything and more." Itachi finished and clapped a hand down on his shoulder. "It's hard now but one day that will change. It may not be tomorrow or next year, but one day you will look at her with nothing but love."
Itachi gave Sasuke's shoulder a squeeze and then watched as Sakura walked down the path. When she looked up and saw the two of them Itachi smiled and called "little sister come here!" Itachi leaned in close to Sasuke and whispered, "now play nice with your wife to be."
Sakura smiled and waved at the pair though Sasuke had his back turned towards her. She made her way up to them stopping just ahead of Sasuke. "Older brother what did you pray for?"
"Funny you should ask, I was going to ask the same," Itachi chuckled.
"Well I asked first," Sakura teased, she felt Itachi really was her older brother in a sense. He was honest, fun and well-rounded person. "Also I didn't appreciate your little joke on me. You gave me Sasuke's shirt, he accused me of stealing it," She gave him a pathetic pout.
"I did not accuse you," Sasuke spat quickly glaring at Sakura. He then turned his eyes to his older brother. "I didn't accuse her of stealing my shirt."
Itachi chuckled watching the two of them interact with each other. It was clear that even though they had only been around each other a small amount of time, mutual affection was growing. "Well my dear little sister, I never said whose it was and you never asked me," he said coyly.
"I can't believe you'd do this to me big brother," Sakura feigned hurt.
"I'm sorry, please forgive me little sister. I won't pull anymore pranks on you," Itachi asked for forgiveness. "And as for you, you accused my little sister of stealing," Itachi directed the question to Sasuke whose eyes widened that Itachi had taken her side already.
"What? No! Well, it was a misunderstanding," Sasuke tried to think quickly. "It's just that, well, uhh. . ." he blanked and drifted off not finishing his sentence. Turning the tables on Sakura he asked, "What did you pray for?"
Sakura blinked and shook her head surprised Sasuke had even asked her. "Oh, um well I prayed for everyone I know to be happy and safe until I see them again," she said with a smile.
"My little sister truly is a kind woman. She prayed for something so selfless, isn't she cute Sasuke," Itachi asked as he moved to Sakura's side and swung an arm around her shoulders. "Little sister I'll tell you what I prayed for but it's a secret," Itachi winked at Sasuke and then bent his head low close to Sakura's ear. "I prayed for you and Sasuke to fall in love," Itachi whispered low.
Sakura leaned back quickly and gave Itachi a confused look. "Why?"
"I'm a hopeless romantic," Itachi shrugged his shoulders.
"Whatever he just whispered don't take it to heart. He is notorious for his joking manner. He constantly teases me," Sasuke said bluntly.
"How could I not tease my little brother. Are you pouting because I left you out, here I'll tell you too," Itachi said letting Sakura go from his arm and walking up close to Sasuke. He looked to his left and right and then put his hand up next to his mouth and took a deep breath in. Quickly Itachi poked Sasuke's forehead and chuckled, "if I tell you then it won't come true."
Sasuke reached up to rub his forehead, he complained, "you told her though."
"Because I know she can keep a secret."
"You've only known her for two days! As long as I have," Sasuke protested.
"But she is a doctor. She has the patient-doctor confidentiality clause she needs to always follow. Isn't that right little sister," Itachi asked with a smile looking over at the woman.
"Hm yeah. I'm sworn to secrecy," she played along. In her mind, she was so confused as to why Itachi would pray for such a thing. Sasuke and Itachi's brotherly bickering fell quite as Sakura reseeded into her thoughts. Since Itachi opened up to her he always seemed to have her best interest at heart.
Surely the older brother knew that his little brother was already in love with another woman and there would be no room for herself. Sakura looked deep down inside of herself and could realize that she felt attraction to flippant Uchiha. Sakura paused her thoughts when her heart didn't tug as hard thinking of possibly loving someone other than Naruto. How could it only be two days and she finds herself slowly growing attached to Sasuke. How could it be only two days and thinking of Naruto with another woman didn't hurt as bad. Her feelings were becoming a mangled mess and the more she thought and pondered the more tangled it seemed. Her mind often reflected a smooth calm lake but Sasuke seemed to cause ripples in her otherwise calm mind.
Sasuke rolled his eyes at Itachi's antics. "Just tell me what you prayed for, I'll you what I prayed for," he offered up as a fair trade.
"I already know what you prayed for. For Sakura to go home and Hinata to come back, anyone can figure that one out Sasuke. But fine since you want to be nosey fine I will tell you," Itachi said dismissively. He crossed his arms and shifted his weight some and then looked at Sasuke with a flat expression. "I prayed for you two to fall in love and find happiness," Itachi said jerking his head in the direction of Sakura who was too far away in her thoughts to hear anything.
Much to Itachi's delight he saw his younger brother squirm with discomfort. "Wh-what a stupid thing to pray for. As if I could fall in love with someone who's flat as a board," Sasuke stuttered resorting to childish insults to deflect the reality that he too was becoming conflicted with his own feelings toward the pink haired beauty.
"Flat as a board," Sasuke heard Sakura repeat in a low growl come next to him. He turned his head and it felt as if Sakura had suddenly become possessed with an evil spirit.
"You are on your own with this one little brother. Good luck," Itachi chuckled taking a few large steps back knowing what was to ensue. Itachi looked on with great amusement as Sasuke tried to calm the furious pinkette next to him.
"It's just. . .I mean how ridiculous. . .for us to fall in love that is. You love someone. . .I love someone else. It's just, uh, Sakura," Sasuke questioned as Sakura only stood there seething with anger and hurt. Here was this man in front of her who had said only this morning that he found her attractive, and now he was reneging on that statement for the sake of not looking weak for his brother. It turned out that Sasuke Uchiha was a spineless coward. Sakura balled her fists and then started to swing for him pouring all of her anger and confusion into deadly tai jutsu attacks.
"You spineless snake," she seethed out between clenched teeth. Sasuke cooly dodged and weaved which only infuriated her further. "You said. . .only this morning. . .you found me attractive. Urgh…I can't believe I even started to like you," she screeched sending chakra to her feet to get in close quickly and land a heavily fueled chakra punch to Sasuke gut. The sound of bone breaking echoed slightly around them. "This time, find someone else to fix you up," Sakura stated standing over the kneeled Uchiha. She huffed and spun on her heel walking down the steps quickly.
Sasuke turned his eyes when he heard slow clapping coming from his left. He rolled his eyes in annoyance seeing Itachi's smug face. "Oh my, my little sister is very scary when angered and apparently you know how to upset her. Come let's get you to a doctor," Itachi sighed helping Sasuke up and slinging on of his arms around his shoulder.
"This is your fault," Sasuke accused.
"Well I suppose you could say I stirred the pot, however now I know that she likes you and you like her. My prayer came true," Itachi said with a small smile. "Maybe there is hope for you two after all."
"Don't hold your breath big brother, I've really upset her this time," Sasuke said as they made their way down the temple steps.
"Oh, make no doubt about it. Sakura truly is scary when angered, she reminds me of mom a little bit," Itachi chuckled thinking of usually their mild manner mother except when father upset her.
The two brothers went back to the Uchiha mansion where a doctor was summoned to patch Sasuke up. He had not been this injured so often since he was a child learning fire jutsu. Yet every day since Sakura came into his life, she has been able to get in close and injure him severely. Sasuke felt his pride slightly waiver being bested by a woman. However, taking into consideration That Sakura was not your average woman, she was a master at medical ninjutsu and from what he had heard she was deadly with her tai jutsu usually delivering heavy fueled chakra punches to vital organs often rupturing them. She was considered a very high target for any enemy of the Senju and now it would be the Uchiha who needed to protect her.
Sasuke stopped in his tracks taking in that last thought. Sakura was to be married to him tomorrow, meaning he would be responsible for her safety. He alone would have the pink haired beauty to himself all the time. Something that enticed him and slightly made him cautious.
The woman had a bad temper and monstrous strength on her side, the slightest thing could easily set her off and she could destroy him.
With her abilities alone, she could escape from her predicament. It wouldn't be an easy feat but she could possibly achieve that and go home. Surely Sakura knew she could.
"You look deep in thought little brother. What's on your mind," Sasuke blinked the thoughts away and saw Itachi walking up to him with his heavily pregnant wife, Tyami. Tyami always looked funny to Sasuke, she was a wisp of a woman with a huge pregnant belly attached to her. She had long brown hair and startling grey eyes. She was from the Hyuga clan like Sasuke's own lover but did not have their kekke genkai, which made her useless to the Hyuga. Though they deemed her as inadequate, Tyami had a sharp mind and was known for her high intelligence often sitting in on strategizing meetings.
"Sakura is a capable kunoichi and could have a successful attempt at running away from the Uchiha, however she stays here. It baffles me as to why she would do that," Sasuke admitted aloud to the couple.
"That's an easy answer brother," Tyami answered in her soft voice. "She is choosing to follow her duty rather than to the desires of her heart. She has most likely calculated that though she could run away, it would cause the fragile peace treaty to be nulled thus causing the Uchiha and Senju clans would be at war again."
Sasuke had not though about that. Sakura had clearly made it known that she was in love with someone from her own clan and did not want to be with him. However, if she did run away then she would be jeopardizing everything everyone would have worked so hard for.
"I see, that is a logical answer. What do you think big brother," Sasuke offered Itachi a chance to answer the question.
"While she could easily be following her duty, I think there are affairs of the heart that make her hesitant," Itachi said smiling at his wife and rubbing her baby bump.
"Maybe," Sasuke trailed off tearing his gaze away from the pair. He felt a pang of jealously strike him as he too wanted to start a family of his own. Though only being the age of 20 and Itachi being 26, watching the two so in love and excited for the arrival of their child made Sasuke long for a wife and child of his own.
"Tyami is going to the doctor, we will see you later brother," Itachi smiled as he helped his pregnant wife along. Sasuke only nodded and moved out of their way.
With new knowledge of how to approach Sakura, Sasuke decided it was best they bury the hatchet and start a new leaf. His next challenge was to find the woman, just as he started down the hall way the ground shook with great violence causing him to slam up against the wall. When he made his way outside several men were running towards the back of the Uchiha compound. Sasuke's heart sank as he knew there would be only one reason for so many people to respond. He quickly put on a pair of shoes and made his way to the Uchiha training ground hoping he made it in time before things turned ugly.
