A/N: So the conflict has started and people have some decisions to make. I wanted to stick a fluff chapter here but it's going to have to be next one. I was expecting some backlash with Sasuke… yeah he did some bad but he may have room to redeem himself in the end…. I'm excited for what is to come... and to fit everything i wanted into this it is a little bit longer than normal :)

From Weasel-san with Affection

Princess of Ikana

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and its respective owners.

Chapter 9: Compromise

The head family of Uchiha met with the rest of the clan at the designated meeting spot and unfortunately they were met with the scrutiny and the popular opinion that Fugaku had let them down and did not want him to lead their interests any longer. They had no choice but to surrender leadership of the clan and were placed under house arrest until a time where they could be put on trial, as the rest were fighting against the leaf in retaliation of past wrongs from the village.

The three of them were than escorted back to the estate.

Mikoto put on some tea before joining Fugaku and Itachi around the table, the atmosphere was thick is displeasure and other negative emotions.

Itachi could not stand by with his comrades being slaughtered and stood with his resolve.

"I'm sorry Otou-san and Kaa-san, but I won't stand for this. The village…." Itachi started to state.

Fugaku slammed his fist against the table.

"We have lost and should wait for it to be sorted out among themselves" Fugaku growled lightly.

"I'm disappointed in you, father" Itachi scoffs indifferently.

"A leader is only as strong as those who support him and we just saw how the clan has turned against us"

"So we rid of the corrupted few and take it back."

"Are you willing to kill them?" asked Mikoto quietly.

"Yes and I would have 10 years ago if Yondaime-sama hadn't interfered and called me down from that particular mission."

Mikoto and Fugaku starred at their oldest who was wiling to commit the worst sin in the best interest of the village.

"So Itachi, what is stopping you this time…? Konoha is being attacked by us even after peaceful relations for the last 10 years…" he tread carefully.

"I'm under no mission to murder the clan…. As clan heir I'm probably not welcomed as an ANBU corps since their first attack last night. So as you can see Otou-san I'm as much of an outsider as yourself."

"How do you propose we take back control so outnumbered and with no allies then?" he asked warily.

"I'm still working on that particular venture, I figured I would head for our secret safe house and plan from there, they have chakra wards and other intel throughout our house so it's best I go… Sasuke may have betrayed us but I think he knew it wasn't anything I couldn't handle if I so desired to lead over our clan as I've been trained to my entire life."

Fugaku and Mikoto decided to leave their uncertain future into their son's hands and helped him escape the confinement.

He rushed off to their safe house in the outskirts.

"Was it wise to let him go? We may pay the price on our heads for that" muttered Mikoto.

"He is ready to lead, and this is his chance to prove that, it is his birthright and I did not raise a rebellious son, Sasuke had faith in him to correct the corrupt and we should as well. When he comes back he will be clan leader or die fighting for it" Fugaku chucked at the irony that his last day of leader was sitting at home waiting for his son to figure it out in his stead.


Sasuke was moved to a secure area and Naruto and Sakura joined together with Kakashi in the Hokage's office.

"We are at war with the Uchiha clan" Tsunade stated bluntly.

There was no response as they already knew. Shizune spoke up after a breif silence.

"I've just gotten some word from the black ops that Sasuke's family are on house arrest but Itachi did get away, officially he is on leave as he is compromised and I'm sure he probably went into hiding for now. I only tell you this to not worry about Sasuke's immediate relations. Unfortunately for the other Uchiha they will now be considered a threat. We would like to at least get them captured before murdering them but it would be a last resort if capture is impossible… you three have other priorites" Shizune informed them

"Your mission is to escort Naruto into hiding; I'm almost sure that enemy nations will try to take advantage of this situation and/or the Akatsuki." Tsunade directed standing from her chair and looking towards the smoky village background.

Naruto was about to argue his situation when Sakura put her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't let Sasuke's sacrifice be in vain…. I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted you captured for him to protect you like he did" she whispered gently.

"Sakura-chan… fine… for teme I will cooperate… but if word gets out that the village become into danger I will rush back here" he grunted stubbornly.

Kakashi and Sakura looked over the details of the plan and prepared to set out.

They were going to hide him in a safe spot where it would be hard to reach.


The Akatsuki were biding their time… Word was received that the Uchiha coup de et was in full swing and the village was in disarray.

Tobi predicted that they would have a small window of opportunity before they would move Naruto to safer accommodations. It was just then when Konan interrupted his train of thought.

"Shinobi from hidden cloud are here as requested."

"Excellent" he replied smirking.

The plan was simple... distract, locate the kyuubi and get out. Between the Uchiha deserters, them and ninja from hidden cloud who held a deep grudge towards the leaf, Konoha would not have time or the resources to coordinate an effective defense.


Itachi made it to the deserted camp , which was camouflage for an underground hideout.

It was surrounded by specialized genjutsu that only certain, namely the main house of Uchiha could enter. They kept it secret even from the rest of the clan in these sorts of circumstances.

Before he climbed downwards, Itachi summoned some crows to scout the area, he needed intel of the current situation waging outside.


It was the next day when Team 7 headed out, they were running hoping to keep undetected…

that hope was for not.

They were ambushed not far from the gates by two Akatsuki members, one which was blond and the other was a puppet.

Kakashi and Naruto took on the blonde and Sakura was left with the mysterious puppet.

A crow cawed from above in what would have been a hiss.

Itachi knew it was dumb and he should have more self-restraint but Sakura was in danger and all of his instincts were screaming at him to help her.

He donned his weasel uniform and ambushed the scene and helped take them out. He stopped and nodded before whisking away in a whirl of leaves…

Kakashi motioned them to continue quickly but Sakura had enough of the games, she didn't know what would happen if she confronted Itachi now but it was now or never.

"I'm sorry guys but I need to go, I'll explain later" she told them before going after Itachi.

Kakashi was annoyed and Naruto baffled but they continued with the plan.


Sakura got to the deserted camp and awaited him. This was their spot after all.

He appeared in front of her and she took three steps and unmasked and pulled down his hood.

"Hello Weasel-san, or should I call you Itachi" she said with no surprise.

"You knew it was me all along?" he asked surprised.

"Not the whole time I pieced it together after that first kiss of ours" she admitted without a hitch.

Itachi wanted to be surprised but he had clearly underestimated her…. It explained why she gave up and went distant all those years ago and why when she met him not in disguise she was very hesitant around him.

"I'm sorry for deceiving you for so long. But now's not the time for this, I have to save what left of my clan and that is not your business Sakura, go back to Naruto-kun, you have a mission right?" he grunted turning away from her.

Sakura knew that he wouldn't look back if she let this go so instead she yanked her arm and turned him towards her.

"Sasuke must have known who I loved because he left he a note that night…" she told him fiercely.

"Note?" Itachi asked warily.

*Flashback*

"Even if you still loved me, I won't marry you, you deserve better than the Uchiha clan Sakura….You would be trapped and broken into being a model wife if you were with me. You don't deserve that… *cough*"

Sasuke passed along a paper note with a code that basically told her the location of Uchiha literature that informed her of courting customs.

*present time*

"Could you explain why he would give me a book on Uchiha courting customs?Since he just sacrificed himself and told me basically not to marry an Uchiha?" she asked solemnly.

Itachi was now surprised. That tidbit of information was the evidence that Sasuke had already planned on dying prematurely… and to inform Sakura that she indeed was being secretly courted by himself under the guise of Weasel-san…. But why?

"I can't explain his reasoning without more information but yes I've been secretly courting you for some time now…" he admitted, there was no use lying anymore.

"Itachi why would you be courting me when you have Midori-san?" she asked coldly, she didn't appreciate being played with or used a second best…

"Because Sakura… I love you and wasn't going to marry Midori, she was a temporary cover while I took the necessary steps towards being able to present you as my choice, as you know… being an non-Uchiha it was going to be very difficult to convince the elders of your magnificent worth" He revealed his plans, before the clan takeover ruined everything.

Sakura's eyes widened with his sudden confession.

"You want to marry me?!" she yelped feeling a bit slighted at how unromantic this sudden proposal was.

Itachi looked a bit sheepish, before taking her hands in his and kneeling.

"I'm sorry this isn't how I planned this at all, given the circumstances of what is happening, the chances of us are now gone but I will still ask, Haruno Sakura…. I'm not asking you to marry me but will you consider letting me court you if we survive this sudden conflict and the possible extinction of my clan if I fail in my mission?"

She hesitated…. And thought back through the years of memories with him… with her team, Sasuke… and her childish affections for him and when that changed for her… Weasel-san… Itachi…. Expectation of becoming the first outsider Uchiha if she agreed… if she really had to devolve into herself she already knew she didn't love Sasuke, she had always loved Itachi and he waited so long to take this chance and even if she said yes if may never be but if she didn't how would she ever know what could be if she didn't risk everything?...

"You may court me officially once this is over… if we both survive…" she agreed.

The occasion should have been happy but they lived and loved with such uncertainty that the little moments is what mattered for now.

Itachi smiled with her answer and kissed her knuckles. She was finally his… the beginning of his future, now he just had to secure that future…

"I will not let you down my lady" he said sincerely.


Naruto and Kakashi made it to the secret location and breathed a sigh of relief for now…

"Do you think Sakura-chan is okay Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked calmly.

"She is fine, that was Uchiha Itachi after all" Kakashi revealed.

"Uh, that was the infamous Weasel-san that Sakura has been pinning over for years" he said bluntly.

"I know… that's why I never had a problem with it" Kakashi-sensei winked at him.

Naruto stared at him dumbfounded. Those damn Uchiha's…..

Hours later Sakura finally appeared from her disappearance and reported that the perimeter was secured.

"So Weasel-san was Itachi-san all along …." Naruto tried to engage her in what happened when she left them…

Sakura laughed and told him to go to bed, effectively dodging his prying questions…

Naruto pouted at her in protest.


Naruto found himself walking through misty and shadow covered woods that night in his dreams.

Everything blended together and became never-ending as he kept walking along… that was until he came across a meadow with a lone Sakura tree in the center and a certain Uchiha resting under it.

"Teme!" he yelled rushing over to him.

Sasuke eyes drifted open lazily at him.

"Hello Asura" he muttered.

Naruto eyes narrowed in suspicion… before he could protest, Sasuke raised his left hand face palm opened towards him. He had a weird black moon symbol on it…

With nothing to lose, Naruto raised his right hand to join with his… unknowingly the hand with the yellow sun on it.

Series of memories and truths past from one "brother" to the other and it was then that Naruto understood…


A/N: Ahhh Sakura accepted Itachi, he finally revealed himself and well they now have obstacles but I believe in these two :3 Destiny has never been kind to Naruto or Sasuke over time and well these two will always be tied together, not in a romantic way but yeah you know *spoilers* for those who haven't complete the anime or better the manga. Everyone's troubles have just started XD Till next time, please feel free to leave a fav, follow and review :3

*Ikana-hime