Sakura skipped around her room, looking for a dress to wear. Today, it had to be today. Sasuke had to kiss her today. If he didn't...well she didn't even want to think about that.

Sakura slid on an elegant jade coloured gown just as an urgent knock echoed through her room. The door opened an instant later to a frantic looking Itachi.

"Sakura. We've got trouble."

.oOo.

"So, Sasuke, this is the girl you wish to marry?"

"Yes." Sakura's heart leapt at the sound of Sasuke's voice. She picked up her pace a little bit. Itachi trotted by her side.

"When do you propose to be married?"

"Tonight. Just before sunset."

Sasuke was going to marry her! Sakura kept thinking excitedly.

Then she rounded the corner, taking in the sight of a red haired woman standing by Sasuke's side, holding onto his arm. She felt a sharp pain in her chest.

"Sakura, I'm so sorry." Itachi said softly in her ear. "I don't know what happened."

"We will ready the ship, and call upon the guests!"

"Come, Sasuke. Let's take a pre-marriage walk."

"Of course, love."

The pain in Sakura's chest worsened. Sasuke was... Sakura slid to the floor and began shaking with violent, yet silent sobs. She felt Itachi's arms wrap tightly around her, offering as much comfort as he could. No matter how comforting the embrace was, it didn't stop the numbing pain that was tearing through her chest.

.oOo.

Itachi could only watch painfully as the day continued onward. The whole castle was celebrating, but Itachi merely pretended to.

"Itachi."

Itachi turned around to look at his younger brother. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. His face was blank. Completely blank, his eyes glazed over, showing none of that warmth he always held.

"Sasuke." Itachi forced a smile. "Congratulations. Though I have to wonder what happened to Sakura." He finished stiffly.

The woman by his side pouted and squeezed his arm. "Who's this 'Sakura', Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked down at the girl. "No one, love."

Itachi stiffened. Something wasn't right at all.

Sasuke looked back towards him. "I was just inviting you to come to the wedding. They're loading up the guests now if you're interested."

Sakura... Was Itachi's first thought.

"Of course, you're my older brother. It wouldn't be the same if you didn't come." Sasuke stated.

Itachi glanced at the woman beside him. Her eyes locked with his, endless, lifeless and cold. Before he realized what he was doing, he had said: "Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Sasuke smiled at him. "Thank you, brother."

Itachi nodded in his direction as the pair strolled by. As soon as they were out of sight, Itachi fell to his knees, pressing a palm to his throbbing head.

"Holy shit..." He whispered. "That woman...She isn't human..."

.oOo.

Itachi stepped onto the ship, feeling guilty about the whole thing. He was leaving Sakura to fend for herself, but there was something he needed to do. He desperately needed to do it.

The ship was practically empty as he walked through the cargo hold. Eventually, he came across a door that read "Karin's Dressing Room" in a plaque done with silver paint. Instinct told him that this was the woman's room. Before he could think up an excuse not to do it, Itachi whipped into the room and closed the door behind him. A quick sweep of the room told him that this was indeed the room of the bride. The pure white, regal dress hanging up was a dead giveaway.

As he heard footsteps approaching, Itachi dove out of sight behind a table that was thankfully covered in silk cloth. Itachi lay on his stomach, watching out from a small seam in the fabric. He heard melodious humming that just sounded too pure to belong to someone like her.

"Ah, it's just too easy."

Itachi's ears pricked up.

"Who would've thought the boy would fall for such a simple trick!"

Itachi watched as the woman twirled around, holding the wedding dress up to her chest. He watched as she set it down, sneering to herself. Itachi squeezed his eyes shut as she began to change into the wedding dress. He wasn't a pervert, and he never would be.

"Ah, this was just the right choice. I should've done this from the beginning. They came too close. Way too close. Twice for that matter." Itachi opened his eyes as the woman gave an irritated sigh. "Who would've thought that they might have actually kissed by sunset on the third day! I doubted that girl, but clearly that Sasuke," she spat Sasuke's name out in the most disrespectful way, making Itachi frown, "was a force to be reckoned with. I didn't even know they had met before. I came too close to failure."

Itachi listened carefully as the woman began to sing again, this time her voice straining and messing with that pure voice that just didn't match her.

"Soon I'll have that little mermaid, and the ocean will be mine!"

Itachi watched as the woman stepped up to the mirror. He suppressed a gasp as the reflection appeared as an ugly, fat octopus woman.

"Because Karin," The woman said sweetly. "The Great Sea Witch, says so." She smiled at the mirror and the whole thing shattered and fell to pieces.

Itachi's heart pounded. So this was the Sea Witch.

"As much as I love the idea of silly humans trembling in fear of my power, one thing I can't stand..." Karin picked up a piece of the mirror. "Are humans who don't know their place!" The words came out in a roar as she whirled towards the table and pitched the shard of mirror in Itachi's direction.

Itachi flinched, bringing up his arm to protect his face. He cried out as the sharp piece of glass sunk deep into his forearm.

The fabric covering him lifted up, and Karin's evil grin entered his line of vision.

Without really thinking about it, Itachi pulled the glass from his arm and slashed Karin across the face. She yelped as Itachi rolled out from beneath the table.

"You..." She glared daggers at Itachi, lowering her hand to reveal a gouge across her cheek. "How dare you desecrate a woman's face!"

"Sorry sweetheart, but you don't qualify as a woman in my eyes." Itachi stated.

Karin's eyes narrowed. Itachi's eyes widened as the slash on her face healed rapidly, soon disappearing into nothing, blood included.

"You..." She hissed. "I remember you! I've been watching those pathetic friends of Sakura's! You've been in contact them huh?"

Itachi didn't answer. He continued staring intently at Karin, his arm throbbing painfully.

"So you love the merpeople, huh?" Karin's lips twisted into an evil grin. "Care to join them?"

Itachi frowned wondering just what she was talking about.

Karin raised her hand. The black light moved so fast, that to Itachi it looked like he had gotten sucked into a black hole. What felt like electricity violently jolted through his body. He gasped, flying backwards through the glass window at the back of the dressing room. When he began falling downwards, his last sight was Karin's evil grin staring down at him from the broken window.

"Have fun!" She called out, waving at him before turning away with a swish of pure white satin.

Itachi slammed into the water and instantly sunk beneath the waves. Pain flared throughout his entire body as he continued to sink uncontrollably. He attempted to kick his legs, but yelped a stream of bubbles from his mouth. He could feel them there but it was like they were stuck together.

The pain in his chest grew sharper, causing him to cry out and inhale the sea water around him. He choked violently, the pain getting worse. Why hadn't he drowned yet? He begged the ocean to just take the life from his veins; to put him out of this horrible, wrenching agony.

"Itachi!"

"Tenten! Be careful! He's cursed!"

"What?"
He yelped again, a stream of bubbles pouring from his mouth.

A pair of hands wrapped around his body. He screamed again.

"Neji!"

"Queen Tsunade. She has to be able to help. She just has to."

"Help me!"

Another pair of hands wrapped around him as he began to move through the water. He risked opening his eyes, instantly regretting it. Now the pain was in his eyes too. He yelped, but he could see just slightly. What he saw horrified him.

Where his legs used to be was now a black tailfin.

He cried out again, the water searing his lungs in a horrible way.

Then he remembered Sasuke.

"No!" He gasped out. "Sasuke! Sasuke's going to marry that witch! Sakura! You have to help Sakura!"

"Itachi stay calm."

Itachi bit back another scream.

"Mom! Mom we need you! Please!"

"What's wrong, Tenten?"

"Please! Help him! Please! He's protecting Sakura!"

Itachi cried out again, unable to hold it in. It was getting worse. Every second that passed, it got worse.

"Great Neptune..."

"Can you help him?"

"He's a human!"

"I know!"

"Your Majesty, he was protecting Sakura!"

"Sakura went to the Sea Witch and got turned into a human so she could go after the human she loved! Itachi contacted us to try and help Sakura! If the human didn't kiss her by sunset on the third day, the Sea Witch would take her! Itachi protected her! Please! Help him!"

"Why wasn't I informed of this?"

Itachi yelped again.

"I was afraid, mum! Please! Put it aside! Help him! Please!"

Itachi forced her eyes open and looked at the Queen of the Sea. "The Sea Witch has my brother..." He choked. "She did this to me..." He cried out again.

"He's a good human!"

"And how do you know that, Neji?"

"You know the man who killed my father? He's his son! When his father had his back turned, he pushed my father back into the ocean so his body could return to the sea!"

Itachi couldn't hold back the most agonized wail yet, complete with violently thrashing around which didn't help one bit.

"MUM PLEASE!"

"ALL RIGHT! Let him go!"

The hands on him disappeared just as sweet relief flooded through his body. The pain was swept away, a feeling of warmth in its wake. It remained that way. Itachi felt his back touch the rocky bottom of the ocean, but he didn't do anything about it. He opened his eyes, gazing at a beautiful palace. So he was in heaven. Finally.

"Itachi, are you all right?"

Itachi turned his head towards the voice to see Tenten and Neji.

"T-Tenten...Neji..." He whispered.

They breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh good, you're all right." Tenten smiled. "Can you swim?"

"Swim? I..." He paddled with his arms and attempted to kick his feet. He didn't go anywhere. What he did find was that just like before, his feet had been replaced with a tailfin. Only this one was bright red.

"This is only temporary, human."

Itachi flipped over to look at the Sea Queen.

"As soon as you surface again, you'll become human, and you will remain human. This is just so you can get out of my castle and protect my daughters."

Itachi bowed his head. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Hm. I see they teach you manners up there."

"Oh no, I'm a spoiled brat." He flashed her a weak smile. "Up there, I'm known as 'Your Majesty'."

"Itachi, now's not the time for small talk!" Tenten cried, grabbing his arm and hauling him upwards. "Swim, damn it!"

"How?" Itachi cried.

"Flip your freaking tail for crying out loud!" Neji cried, showing off by streaking gracefully through the water. Itachi barely saw his tail moving.

"Make like a wave motion." Tenten made a waving motion with her hand.

Itachi decided to try what he had a habit of doing when he was swimming underwater anyway. He did a single breast stroke and then attempted to do a wave.

"There you go. Now come on!" Neji cried.

Itachi kept up his waving thing, moving at an agonizingly slow pace. Tenten gave up and grabbed his arm to drag him upwards. Itachi let her do it, gazing around at the ornate palace beneath the water. He would never see it again, but he was lucky he was seeing it now. He held every minute, every second he spent with a tailfin underwater as long as he could so he would never forget a second of it.

When he surfaced by the docks he had met Neji and Tenten at, he became human again too soon. What was completely lucky was that he still had all of his clothes. Brilliant.

"Find Sakura!" Tenten cried.

Itachi didn't hesitate and ran through the streets and into the castle. "SAKURA!" He roared at the top of his lungs. "SAKURAAAA!"

"Oh, Itachi...I thought you were already on the boat! It departed awhile ago."

"Forget that, where's Sakura?" Itachi practically yelled at the butler.

"Last I saw she was watching the ship depart. Crying, she was. I left her there."

"Where was she?"

"In her room, master."

Itachi tore up the stairs and shoved the door open. Sakura looked at him with wide eyes. No wonder too. His best suit was soaking wet and his hair was plastered to his face.

"Let's go. Now. Don't ask questions."

She didn't, not that she could. She leapt into his arms without hesitation. Itachi barely spared her a glance as he led her at breakneck speed back down the stairs and out the door. Itachi was proud that she was able to keep up with him at such a speed with her being a mermaid and all. But the worst part was the sun was beginning to set. They had thirty minutes at best, and then they were screwed. Actually, they probably had less. For all Itachi knew, his brother was already married to that witch.

"Sakura!" Tenten cried when Itachi appeared with her.

Sakura broke from Itachi's grip and leapt into the water to hug Tenten. If the situation wasn't so serious, he would've thought the leap was comical.

Itachi threw his jacket aside and pulled off his shoes before jumping in as well. "We've got to move fast."

"Grab on." Neji stated. Itachi did, grabbing onto Neji's shoulders tightly. "Squeeze when you need air."

Sakura had Tenten by the shoulders and Tenten was telling her the same thing.

"Neji, just go as fast as you can." Tenten stated. "I'll keep up if I can. Stall the wedding until we arrive."

"Just gun it, Neji." Itachi stated.

"What's gun it?"

"Full tilt. Go. Hyper drive. Full speed ahead. Giv'r."

Neji chuckled and sunk beneath the water. Itachi took a deep breath and clung to Neji as he swam beneath him. Tenten actually was keeping up so far at least. Itachi had a feeling that Tenten would need to surface to give Sakura air more often than Neji would have to. Tenten surfaced three times for every one time Neji had to. As the wedding ship came into view, they had left Tenten and Sakura behind by several meters.

Itachi surfaced for the final time by the ship. He grabbed onto the rungs of the ladder on the side of the boat and began climbing as fast as he could. As he climbed, he could faintly hear the vows being spoken. Just as he pulled himself high enough to see across the deck of the ship, he heard the words 'Speak now, or forever hold your peace.'

"I speak!" Itachi roared. The crowd gasped. He didn't blame them one bit. First of all, some idiot had just climbed over the side of the ship. Second of all, he was soaking wet. Third, he had just spoken in the exact place where he was supposed to forever hold his peace.

Itachi was pleased to say Karin looked mortified.

"Sasuke, get away from her!" Itachi roared, storming up to the altar and shoving the two apart. "She's a witch!"

The crowd gasped.

"Sasuke, are you really going to let your brother do this?" Karin asked, horror on her features.

"Itachi, I appreciate your concern, but I love Karin. Now if you don't sit down, I'm going to order your removal."

Karin gave a satisfied smirk. Itachi roared in frustration and practically attacked the woman. She screamed in fright just as Itachi felt several pairs of hands attempt to restrain him. Itachi's hand locked around a necklace with a snail shell pendant as they yanked him away from her. The pendant flew from his hand and shattered on the ground.

There was a violently bright flash of light the second it shattered.

"Itachi," He heard a shocked whisper. "Let him go!"

The hands released him and Itachi looked at Sasuke. He looked at him, his eyes clear and a surprised expression on his face.

"What just happened?" He asked.

Then everyone became aware of a faint singing. Sasuke's head snapped towards it in an instant. Itachi watched Sakura who had been watching ever since the shell had broken. His brow furrowed at the sight of a glowing orb that was floating gracefully from the shattered shell on the ground. Somehow, he knew the voice was coming from that orb.

It reached Sakura and her throat glowed for a moment before the final notes of the song were sung by Sakura herself.

Sasuke took a few stunned steps towards her. "S-Sakura?"

Sakura smiled. "Sasuke!"

"You can...talk?"

Sakura nodded.

"SASUKE! Get away from her!"

Itachi glared at Karin whose voice had come out in a horrible grating noise.

"Sasuke, I..."

Itachi turned towards Sakura and Sasuke just in time to see Sasuke lean towards her. From what he saw, their lips had just brushed when the last rays of sun sank below the horizon.

Sakura gave a wavering cry and sank to the ground. Sasuke took a few steps back in shock, staring at the shimmering green tailfin where her legs used to be.

Itachi became aware of a horrible, evil laugh.

"You're too late!"

He whipped around just in time to see Karin transform into a huge, ugly octopus. Itachi was still in shock when she grabbed Sakura and leapt into the ocean.

"SAKURA!" Sasuke cried.

Itachi ran to the side as well and looked down.

"Itachi, HELP ME!" Sasuke's eyes were pleading.

"You didn't have to ask." Itachi stated. He leapt over the side of the ship, diving straight down towards the waves.

.oOo.

Sakura struggled against Karin's grip.

"Sorry little princess, it's not you I'm after but a much bigger fish you know what I'm saying?" Karin said smugly.

"LET GO!" Sakura cried. She sprang free of her grip, and a dark light hit her.

Sakura cried out as the feeling of all of her energy draining out of her overwhelmed her senses. She whimpered and thrashed, bathed in golden light. Her skin was wrinkling and turning brown, and she swore she was shrinking.

"Karin! Stop this now!"

"M-Mom! Mom I'm sorry!" Sakura sobbed.

"Queen Tsunade, nice to see you."

"Release my daughter!" Tsunade pointed her trident towards Karin.

"Why don't we strike a deal," Karin produced another golden scroll, very similar to the one she had Sakura sign.

Sakura whimpered, feeling herself grow weaker and weaker.

"You, for your daughter." Karin held the scroll out. "Just sign here."

Tsunade took one look at her daughter before turning away from the scroll and unleashing a beam of magic. Tsunade's signature appeared on the scroll.

"HAH! So that's it!"

Sakura felt the life returning to her as the golden light enveloped Queen Tsunade instead. She didn't even cry out as she became a shrivelled version of the mermaid she once was standing about three inches high.

"Mom?" she whispered

The Tsunade she once new looked at her with overlarge, sad eyes. She didn't have to say a thing. With just those eyes, Tsunade gave her an apology, a lecture, and some encouragement.

"At last!"

Sakura looked at Karin to see her taking her mothers' crown and trident. "They're mine!" Karin laughed. "Oh, what's this?"

Sakura looked up to see Itachi swimming downwards.

"ITACHI NO! SHE'LL-"

"I SHOULD'VE KILLED YOU THE SECOND I FOUND YOU!" Karin roared.

"NO!" Sakura grabbed the trident and shifted the angle so that it shot in a different direction. To her utter surprise, the light smashed into the two eels that had brought her to Karin in the first place.

"You...No...Juugo...Suigetsu..."

Sakura swam for Itachi and dragged him to the surface. He gulped down the air.

"Itachi, where's Sasuke?"

"I'm here."

"Sasuke!" She turned towards his voice and looked at Neji and Tenten in surprise. They each had one of his arms draped over their shoulders.

"I know this is a really bad time, Sasuke, but..." Itachi smirked. "I told you merpeople existed."

Sasuke snorted. "Yeah. Really bad time. My head hurts like there's a sledgehammer pounding on the inside of my skull, and we're all soaking wet and in the middle of the ocean."

Neji suddenly looked down. "Oh shit." He whispered.

There was something similar to a violent whirlpool beneath the group as a gigantic version of Tsunade's crown rose up from the water. Sakura scrambled for a grip on the crown just as Karin's giant head rose from the water. Deep booming laughter combined with the thunder from the heavens.

"Sakura!"

"Sasuke!"

He clung to her like she was his last lifeline.

"TENTEN JUMP!" Sakura heard Neji cry. She watched as they fell from grace, diving straight down and disappearing with a splash.

"Please get away..." Sakura whispered.

"You pitiful fools!" Karin's booming voice thudded through her chest.

"WATCH OUT!" Itachi's voice screamed. He too leapt from the crown, freefalling further than he had ever fallen before.

"SAKURA!" Sasuke cried.

Sakura took his hand and jumped with him just as Karin's hand swept across the place they had been just seconds before. Halfway down Karin's body, Sasuke screamed his terror to the sky. Splashdown was painful. Sakura's hand slipped from Sasuke's just as Karin began to use the stolen trident to stir up a massive whirlpool. Sakura was trapped inside of it before she could even register what was happening.

"SASUKE!" She cried as she slammed into the sand at the bottom of the sea. The whirlpool parted, swirling violently around her. Above her, Karin grinned down at her. Sakura's eyes widened as she raised the trident.

.oOo.

Sasuke had somehow managed to latch onto a ship. It was a sunken ship that had been brought up from the bottom of the sea.

"ITACHI! SAKURA!" Sasuke cried.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke grabbed his brothers' hand gratefully and pulled himself onto the ship. Itachi ran towards the wheel of the ship and grabbed onto it. Sasuke followed him and grabbed onto it as well.

"To the right, Sasuke. We'll steer it right into her. The front should go right through her. It's broken, and it's sharp." Itachi stated. "On my mark. Ready?

Sasuke nodded.

"Steady..." Itachi murmured.

Sasuke watched the octopus shoot beams of light down into the whirlpool in front of her.

"NOW!"

In one movement, the two brothers shoved the wheel, turning the ship towards the Sea Witch.

.oOo.

Sakura sobbed, unable to believe she had dodged death several times over. She couldn't even move with her tail. Karin must have terrible aim, but she didn't want to push her luck.

Then a ship came sailing over the edge of the whirlpool. Sakura watched as it stabbed straight through the monster above her the second lightning struck the mast. The whirlpool began to fill in as Karin's furious cry thundered through the air. The ship sank along with Karin.

"Sasuke...SASUKE!" Sakura cried. "ITACHI! SASUKE!" She swam frantically, spotting two figures sinking off in the distance. Neji and Tenten swam towards them as well, grabbing Itachi just as she grabbed Sasuke.

Sakura swam his unconscious form to the shore, Neji and Tenten by her side.

Sasuke meanwhile was having the most severe case of déjà vu ever to be recorded in history.

.oOo.

"Okay, that is the most adventure I ever want in my lifetime, thank you very much." Neji cried as soon as the two humans were on shore. "I think I seriously cheated death like five times over."

Sakura laughed. "I hear you."

Tenten nodded in agreement.

Neji sighed, propping his arms on a rock. "And yet, if the opportunity ever arises again, I'd take it."

Tenten laughed. "Why? So you can die?"

"No." Neji shot her a wry grin. "Now that it's over, I can honestly say that was...fun!"

"Ugh, fun."

The group turned towards Itachi who was regaining consciousness. He stood up and joined the merpeople in the water.

"When I was a kid, my idea of fun was playing with toy cars and having my father take me on fake treasure hunts that usually ended with a chocolate bar." Itachi scratched his face.

"Chocolate?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"I thought I might find you here."

The group whipped around.

"M-Mom..." Sakura whimpered.

Tsunade smiled, once again in possession of the trident and crown.

Itachi bowed his head in her direction.

"Though I've said many times it's dangerous to go to the surface..." Tsunade sighed.

"Mom...I'm sorry...I didn't mean for this to happen..." Sakura sobbed.

"Do you really love that human boy that much?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes..." Sakura sobbed.

Itachi nodded in agreement. "My brother loves her more than anything else in this world."

Sakura didn't miss the way Neji seemed to hold Tenten tighter at those words.

A groan came from Sasuke's throat at that moment. Sakura gasped and began paddling towards him. Just as she began pulling herself onto the sand, a tingling warmth flooded her body. She gasped and looked at a pair of knees forming the beginnings of a crawl, a dazzling silver dress sparkling across her body.

"M-Mom...you..." Sakura stared at her mother.

Sasuke sat up. "Ughn...Sakura?"

Sakura's head snapped towards Sasuke. She leapt into his arms without hesitation.

"Now, where were we before that witch interrupted us?" Sasuke said with a smirk.

Sakura closed her eyes as Sasuke's hot lips pressed against hers. Finally. She got her kiss.

.oOo.

This time, Itachi was present at his brothers' wedding. He stayed to watch them kiss on the altar, and enjoy some of the festivities.

"Itachi, you look like you need to be somewhere." Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Yeah." Itachi looked guiltily at the ground. "Sorry. I would stay longer but..." He ran a hand through his hair. "I've got a report to deliver."

"Itachi,"

Itachi turned towards Sakura just as she threw her arms around him.

"Thank you so much. I mean it. And tell the same thing to mum, okay?" She added with a whisper.

"You're welcome, Sakura. It was fun. And sure thing." He did his own whisper.

They released their embrace and Itachi turned towards Sasuke.

"Congratulations, bro. You got married before I did."

Everyone who heard burst out laughing. Especially Sasuke. He doubled over with laughter, clutching his gut.

"You'll get your chance, bro." Sasuke laughed.

They stood in place for a moment before slapping each other on the back in a show of brotherly affection. Itachi couldn't resist jabbing Sasuke in the forehead too.

Sasuke rubbed the poke zone and smirked at Itachi. "See you whenever."

Itachi nodded and stepped towards the side of the ship. As he stepped up onto the railing, Tsunade's words echoed through his head.

"But why?"

"Remember what I said before? I only transformed you because you were protecting Sakura. Now that Sakura's living on land, I need a way to keep in touch with my daughter. You're just the human to do it."

"So you mean..."

Itachi sailed through the air, exhaling the air in his lungs before hitting the water instead of inhaling. The moment he slipped under the water he took a breath and felt a tingling sensation though his body. Itachi smiled and flipped over, gazing up at the ship. He could faintly see Sasuke and Sakura watching the water below.

He have a quick wave in their direction and headed towards the underwater palace. He couldn't help but swim corkscrews and loops as he swam.

Itachi swam into the palace where every citizen of Atlantica, Itachi learned that's what the place was called, waited with bated breath.

Tsunade watched him intently.

Itachi smiled. "Sakura had been wedded to my brother, Sasuke."

The merpeople cheered with gusto. A band of weird shell instruments that he had totally missed before began playing.

Itachi watched the celebrations for a few minutes before heading off on his own.

"Whenever you breathe water, you will grow a tail. When you breathe air, you'll turn back into a human."

But of course, Itachi risked life and limb to give it a shot. Since then, he thoroughly enjoyed the freedom his new bright red tail brought him.

.oOo.

And thus, Sakura and Sasuke lived the rest of their life on land. Sakura was occasionally visited by Neji and Tenten who were apparently together, though she doubted her mother knew. When her mother DID find out however, she merely laughed as if she had expected it to happen.

Naruto visited randomly as well, but apparently he had hooked up with Neji's cousin whom Sakura didn't even know existed until Naruto brought her up. Apparently nobody else did either. Neji stated that she's from the Bermuda Triangle, as if that cleared everything up. Apparently Neji was from there was well. No wonder they had strange eyes.

Itachi made regular trips back and forth from Atlantica to his castle on land. He had so much on his plate by scrambling back and forth that Sasuke took over some of his job, relieving his stress immediately.

And then, Sakura learned how to write and insisted on writing letters to everyone back in Atlantica, causing Itachi to scramble some more, trying to find a way to get said letters down there without them getting...well...wet. Somehow, he managed to create a new type of paper from kelp that could easily be written on. All you had to do was let it dry while pressing it thin, and when you wrote on it, it absorbed the ink, keeping it permanent. It didn't make a difference at all whether it got wet or not.

But then there was the problem that the merpeople couldn't read human. Itachi had to teach them that too.

And then, they all lived happily ever after. Well, except Itachi, because he STILL hasn't married.

A/N: TA DAA! Holy crap. This was a monster. Oh my freaking Poseidon this was a monster. This isn't a oneshot anymore. This is a very long story.

I adore the idea of Itachi running back and forth from the merpeople world to the human world. In fact, I have a question for you guys: Do you want me to extend this so I can include that awesomeness? I could include some NejiTenten too! Hmm...a very short sequel...like The Little Mermaid II which had a lot of stupid unrealistic stuff in it. At least in The Little Mermaid none of the humans stayed underwater for longer than say...twenty seconds. In the sequel, Melody stays underwater as a human for ten to twenty MINUTES at a time. Plus, she talks underwater too. WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? *sighs irritably*

So! What do you think of an extension? Or at least a sequel? Let me know!