This fic was created out of love for Itachi. But I am faithful to sakuraXsasuke. I just think Itachi should have been given more credit. He is my favorite character. And he deserved more. Plus, I just rant about him too much. I don't think a lot of people read this, but it's pretty much some of my life, my thoughts, my emotions, put together with the romance and angst of the story. The young, hopeful, all-knowing Sakura was a wishful part of me before. My, how time changes things. And this new Sakura I want to create will be mature--and still all-knowing because I think she deserves better as a character. And along with the drama I have been going through, I'm starting to write again with a couple years of extra literary experience. Yay!

Chapter 7- Moonlight Denzetsu

[Sakura POV]

I was changing... I was evolving... into a bug.

What else was there? The one who loved me most, the one who actually cared about me... the one who ever gave a fuck about me would rather die by his brother's hand than live a quiet life with me. So I drag on, trying so desperately to ignore everything and everyone. I was in a limbo and each day was just another day, meaningless, where my existence meant little. It didn't mean anything to me, not when I was cast aside once more. I wake up to a bright morning only to go through the motions of living and fall back into the abyss of the nightmares when the sun goes down. It was a cycle that lasted..... I can't say that I was keeping count. But if there was ever a purgatory, I have a feeling it felt a lot like this.

But if I didn't hold on to this... I would rather die. All I had would be lost and forgotten.

Here was my reasoning: the fact is that someone loved me unconditionally and gave me this house. He told me before (and I knew inside as well)... it wasn't going to last forever, but I had something at a time. Someone stayed with me and I was happy for a while. So that's why I can't move on. I was selfish again and I was stubborn. I was dying. If I move away from this, I don't know what will be out there in the real world for me. Who knows how many other loved ones I may have lost? I'd rather not know, and stay here.

So I wake up, wash my face, make breakfast, train, walk, eat a pitiful dinner, rest, sleep, and the cycle starts over the next day. It doesn't change, but I guess in a way that makes me feel better. I won't allow change. Not for a long time at least. I want this. I want to return to the darkness every night.

And the night came again and the house was dark. I sat at the dining table that was dressed in white tablecloth and fancy imported china that sparkled in the little moonlight that seeped in. I was facing the shadows of the house, my silhouette gently filtered by the dim light and the darkness welcoming me in. One of my arms was on the table and I was gripping the edge, a little for security and a little for support. My back was rigid and straight. My body was frozen stiff, because my mind was transparent, in a state of emptiness. I felt like half of me wasn't there. It wasn't anywhere...

I'm still here with you, I heard him say in my head. The first time this happened, I thought I was going crazy. I don't care anymore.

No! My inner self protested. What a lie. What a sick joke to say right before leaving me all alone in this world.

I'm always with you...

I shook my head sideways slightly to tell him I didn't believe him. Lies. All lies. I continued to stare at the nothingness.

What lies. I gripped the table a little tighter, almost like my mind was holding on for dear life and it was telling my body to do the same. Why? Why? Why?!??! I could feel paranoia at the brink of my sanity and I could drown in it if I chose to.

But... still...

My grip then loosened somewhat. And the panic I could almost feel decreased. And I was numb again. I looked into the darkness, almost like I was facing him and telling him, But I will accept your lies. They are all I have. I must hold on, for one day his promise will fade and I may not remember the exact tone and pitch of his wonderful voice or the feel of his soothing touch, and I would stab myself with a kunai before I ever forget the way the corner of his lips tightened and lifted ever so slightly and I was the only one who knew that he was trying to hide back a laugh. I couldn't forget that.

My mind was at a standstill, and it was on the edge of a knife.. if it fell, my mind would be lost to the darkness forever. Yet, I had to hold on to his memory. I had to remember him, but not miss him.

His face was imprinted in my mind...

His faint smile that I loved...

Itachi...

My heart softened...

and his beautiful eyes...

and I almost felt comforted in the still dark...

And then...

and then...

RED.

My vision turned RED. The cold welcoming darkness dissipated and red bled over everything. It was anger. My emotions flared, and it was so extreme because I haven't used them in so long. I felt a chakra signature closing in on me. I felt my face contort and my eyes narrow, but even the slightest bit of showing facial expression felt alien to me. I haven't shown emotion in a long time.

My inner self roared so threateningly. How dare you break my peace, my mind seethed. One knew better than to come to this place. Judging by his chakra signature, he was strong. I almost grew lightheaded from the flash of anger than came across me. I'll kill you for intruding and trampling on my flowers, my home, my sanctuary. Before the blink of an eye, my weapons holster was in my hand and I was flying out my balcony, ready to spill blood.

[Sasuke POV]

It was so quick that if it hadn't been for my sharingan, I would not have avoided this attacker. He was coming at me head-on, which for any shinobi was foolish, but he was so quick and agile that I barely had time to react. I sidestepped and could only defend myself, this attacker on the offense constantly, leaving no room for me to fight back. All I could do at that moment was dodge his punches and kicks; I was stunned. I didn't even have a chance to unsheathe my katana before he landed an inhuman blow on me, flinging me against a tree that nearly cracked open from the impact. My sword was lost and hidden in the flowers. A chakra-filled kick aimed for my head and having deduced that trying to catch it would only hurt me in the process, I maneuvered for him to kick the tree behind me. I rolled over around and grabbed his hands behind his back to disable the gargantuan strength he could kill me with.

In the dark, I was only focused on the fight and not the attacker, but as he tried to struggle out of my iron grip, I realized that he was actually a she. And she was not staying still for even one second.

"Who are you?" I hissed into her ear. Her struggling ceased immediately at my voice and she shivered slightly from my breath.

I pressed further, "What do you want with me?"

Still, there was no response. If she was waiting for me to let go, that wasn't going to happen. I asked again menacingly, "Who are you??"

The wind passed between us, brushing her hair aside. It came undone from a bun and fell ever so slightly. I noticed the glisten of the shift in her hair and upon close inspection, the glint was pink. She had long silky pink hair and I could only imagine one person with such a searing trait…

A picture of her twelve year old self appeared in my head. Could it be?

My throat started to dry when I asked...

"Sakura?" It was impossible, but I was too curious not to ask.

[Sakura POV]

I turned my head around to look into the face of the intruder, and it was indeed Uchiha Sasuke. Taller and older, but still Sasuke in the flesh. His voice was what caught me but I didn't want to believe it-I haven't heard his voice for years, so it wouldn't be the same. Yet, I was still drawn by it. My eyes confirmed his identity, and they looked up to his hair still the same charming-yet-didn't-mean-it-to-be style. My eyes softened and drew down to his face, emotionless and constantly analyzing the situation ( I considered I was doing the same thing). Then, I dragged my gaze lower, and lower, looking upon his well-sculpted body beneath tattered-looking clothing. And I remembered that he was still the enemy, probably ready to kill me as he did before in the Sound's lair.

And… what the hell was he doing on my turf??

I started to get enraged and red was blurring my vision yet again. This was my sanctuary and he was not welcome!

I narrowed my eyes and almost hissed, "What are you doing here?" He looked taken aback and I kept my guard up, holding my arms up in defense.

He was as startled to see me as I was to see him and he didn't let his guard down either. His sharingan blazed, "I was told to come here."

If I wasn't so offended, I would have laughed at such a joke. No one knew I was here and no one even knew about such a small village as this. No one but him. He found this tranquil place and made it a home for me. He told Sasuke. "Itachi…"

He slowly nodded, as if he should be careful of even his name. Weasel. That was what his name meant. Yeah, cringe in fear, Uchiha! Then… I stiffened... then my Itachi was truly dead, gone from this world. I was doing so well up to now. I kept going, living this little life. The nightmares weren't letting up, but I still managed. Now I had this thorn in my side who knew where I was and who I was with. Years ago, I would have been happy to see cute Sasuke-kun randomly on my front lawn. But now he was trespassing on my most private property and he was ruining the life I carefully built in secret for myself. And the news of Itachi's death made everything more final and more meaningless. If I didn't feel so cold and abandoned inside, I would have cried. But tears were even foreign to me since he left. My attention was averted to the thing staring intensely at me.

I focused back on the maggot in front of me and sighed. He looked surprised again. He was ticking me off by the second and he didn't have to do anything but breathe. "What are you staring at? I'm so sorry I'm not doting on you right now but someone is trespassing my property."

[Sasuke POV]

After watching her carefully and seeing that thoughts were whirring in her head, I was intrigued. If it hadn't been for the situation, I would have smirked. But I found little to even smirk about over the years. She was different. She wasn't speaking mindlessly and was thinking so intensely to herself, silent. Then she looked up. "What are you staring at? I'm so sorry I'm not doting on you right now but someone is trespassing my property."

She made it sound like I was the one being annoying here, not her. I was going to retort when I felt a surge of chakra coming from the core of her body. I was more curious than wary, so I didn't register how quickly she did this, but all that chakra she summoned into herself pinpointed down her leg. She took a step forward with that leg and I heard a rumble coming toward me from underground. I took a step aside just in time to avoid an explosion where I stood half a second before. Then before I could look up, a glowing fist knocked me down and before everything turned black and I fully lost consciousness, I saw a blurry vision of this new Sakura standing over my body.

"Sasuke, wake up."

I opened my eyes slowly and I blinked a couple times until the blurriness started to fade away. I blinked a little more, just to make sure my vision was fully clear. I felt like someone had knocked me out. And I remembered Sakura. My mind became more acute and ready for whatever was to come at me.

"Sasuke! Get ready for school or you'll be late!"

That voice belonged to my mother, and as I looked around, I was in my room. It was spotless and void of any blood. There was no massacre. I sat up and everything felt surreal. I was so confused... My legs didn't feel like they were mine, but I walked with them out of my room, down the stairs, and to the kitchen where my mother was shouting to me from. I sensed her there, and she was cooking something for breakfast, I could smell it. I sat down the kitchen table awkwardly and looked at my clean plate, the reflection of my younger self looking back at me. It was a time before Itachi killed our whole family. I looked up and my mother was about to turn to me and say something... Her head was about to turn so that I may see her face...

"Sasuke, wake up."

It wasn't so surreal anymore, and it wasn't a bright morning anymore either. Everything faded to reality, and I was in the darkness of a house. I tried to make out where I was and assumed that I was in Sakura's house. I made a move to get up but found myself strapped to a chair. I looked down but found no rope. Chakra strings were binding me and they led to a silhouette in front of me. She was leaning on a table behind her and her arms were crossed.

"Hn." was all I could say. What a situation this was.