Thankies for everything! You have no idea how much I appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the sort… XD

Chapter 10

Mimicking his steps exactly she followed him back down to the village, a new understanding about herself making itself ever aware in the back of her mind. She looked to the scenery of greens and the sun lights rays, she smiled to herself when Itachi seemed to walk in the sunlight and avoid the shadows instead of the other way around. Somehow it reminded her of something long ago, if she recalled correctly her mother had done quite the opposite, she unconsciously walked in the shadows, to the point where she was almost un-discernable.

Although Sakura remembered that she had never been scared when she didn't see her mother, for some reason the fact that her big dog that followed her around was enough comfort, she had been taught since she had been young that when she saw a person she was to hide and leave everything to her beloved white companion. Sakura remembered the first time someone had tried to kidnap her for unknown reasons, ruthlessly, and contrary from her usually gentle friend he tore out their throats, and then her mother arrived on the scene, disappearing the bodies. It meant that Sakura had some sort of nin origins, attack dogs like that were only in the nin world. It gave her a new understanding of which her mother was, she would have to look in ten in records, if her mother was far from a village and had something going for her to get attacked by Orochimaru and go down fighting.

Her mother had to be someone significant in the nin world. It wouldn't be that hard to looked a kunoichi who had a white furred companion. Especially if she held some sort of fame, not only that but Sakura could have narrowed it down further if Sakura recalled correctly her mother had pink hair slightly darker than her own. She couldn't remember whether her mother had her green eyes, either way it was a clue, and although she couldn't remember the whole story, Sakura knew that her memories were patiently coming out for her. Quickening her pace a bit she pulled up beside Itachi to walk along side him, he looked down from the corner of his eye slightly amused at her antics. When she thought of him, her heart felt full, and she felt that she couldn't get enough time with him alone. She loved the way he played and indulged her whims without complaint or question.

Along with the lighted air teasingly he quickened his pace, and she followed, she was awarded with a smirk. Then without warning he shot through the trees leaving her slightly stunned. She spotted him in a tree an eyebrow slightly raised, and a look that could make the cat in, a book she had read recently, Alice in Wonderland, look like a kitten. She pouted then smiled, and followed after him. Making it to the tree she tapped him on the shoulder, it was her turn to disappear, and thus began their little game of tag.

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Sakura sat on the porch alongside him for some reason the air felt restless, and she was itching to do something, the air was warm and summer was turning into autumn, it would be one of the last times she would be able to see the fire flies. Mikoto's words had finally sunk in completely, getting up, she turned to Itachi who looked at her questioningly, she smiled, and she took his hands gently pulling him up. Compliantly he did so, although she doubted for him to do as she wanted she lead him into a dance, along with the cicada sounds and the sounds of the night.

After a few awkward steps on both of their parts he led her, swinging her around easily, around the small garden and then he brought her to the pond surface where they both used chakra to keep afloat. He didn't smile but she saw the amusement in his eyes and his indulging manner toward her. It made her happy that she was the only one he seemed to soften unconditionally to, aside from Mikoto that was, but everyone loved Mikoto. Their movements, reminded her of something, it was like a story her mother had told her once, but Sakura couldn't remember which one, but at the moment that didn't matter in the least.

He brought her around in a circle back to the porch, where they resumed sitting, and slowly the warm night turned cold. She shivered slightly and he brought her to his chest. She snuggled into his warmth, the beat of his heart, his gunpowder smell, Sakura was sure that if given the chance she could and would stay there forever. That selfishness stunned her, and yet she pushed it aside. She remembered all of the things he had done for her. The first to extend his hand to her, despite the fact that she could have attacked him at any time, the first to treat her like a human, and indulge her in such a way, she owed him for it, and she loved him. She wondered if it was ok to be this selfish? But she knew that he always made his intentions clear, so if she were to confess now, he would reply accordingly, but she wondered what sort of respond she would get.

She couldn't help but want to try. She turned herself to sit in his lap looking in the same direction as he, it would be easier to tell him she loved him if she didn't have to meet his analyzing eyes. Taking his hand she confessed the only way she knew how. She didn't care if it was coward like; she knew he would understand, he always understood her, and he would forever. So much more so than she would have ever thought, he hunched over her placing a chin on her shoulder, and in words tracing it on his skin, she began to write. It started out slow, as if she was searching for the words and courage to speak her mind, but it began to steady out as she got used to it, submerging herself in the feelings she had for him and him alone.

'When, I was still with Orochimaru, I never thought I would ever have the chance to live a life as happy as this one. I thought I would die in the cell they kept me in, forever known as the 'Blood Hound' immortalized as a serial killer, but then you came… At first I was afraid of you, your coldness, and your contact, and yet you patiently waited for me to come out of my shell and trust you. Because of you I can lead the life I lead today, and I know I can no longer lose myself to any sort of influences that may be thrust upon me. I'm forever grateful. To you who had saved me and to those you had trusted me with and I had planned on keeping that hero worship for the rest of my life, but now that I am here, I find myself wanting more… Am I selfish? Before I had only wished for a life with a smile, with hope and with light, but now I find myself wishing for something else… I find myself, wishing for you…'

She knew that it was an unorthodox way to say her feelings, but she felt that a simple 'I love you' wouldn't suffice. What was important though was that she had gotten her feelings across. She held the hand gently, unmoving, ready for any reaction from him. She couldn't help but slightly tremble, she was afraid of rejection. Gently he held her tightly and gently he kissed the crook of her neck. He took her hand and traced a heart onto hers, it was his response, apparently he was of the same opinion, a simple 'I love you too' wouldn't suffice. She let his hands roam her body until they found a comfortable place around her waist, and he rubbed his face against her neck and hair like a cat who rubbed his head against his master's hand. It made her feel slightly embarrassed.

Fumbling she tried to release his hold on her wither own hands. Only to find that he wouldn't let go, she heard him chuckle into her hair, she smiled along with him. She had long learned that the way he showed his affection was through his teasing manners. To her it seemed a bit childish, not to mention cute, but she had a feeling that is she ever told him that she wouldn't be left off easy, either that or he would do things to her on the pretense of 'cute'. Itachi was incredibly selfish; she knew that all too well. Despie what a lot of people thought, Itachi was an incredibly simple person to read if you knew what to look for in his expression or demeanor, people were just too afraid to look that was all.

She was happy, happier than she had ever been in a long time, but for some reason she felt a sense of foreboding. In a way she was afraid to be happy. As they said, 'In great times of happiness comes great misfortune.' And Sakura was afraid that this happiness might ruin something. She could feel an incoming storm, just on the horizon of her happiness, but with Itachi by her side she felt that she could do anything. She had something to protect other than herself now, the citizens, as they were also Itachi's responsibility, Itachi, Mikoto, Sasuke, Naruto. All of them she was willing to fight for. She didn't know when she had come to care for them, if she remembered correctly before when she was still afraid of people, she had wanted to live alone in the forests with nature and nothing else.

Like the life she had before, maybe get a dog and live like that, but now, she couldn't picture any life but a life here. Surely, she could afford to be a little more selfish, couldn't she? Didn't the world owe her at least that much? Drawing her attentions away from her thoughts, effectively to get her attention Itachi pinned her to the ground, and laid his head on her chest looking at her with playful eyes. Gently she stroked his head like she would a cat. She smiled if he were a cat he would be purring in content. Placing his hands on either side of her head leaned in, her playing with his hair and undid his hair band and his hair hung loosely from either side of his face. On cue she lifted her arms to wrap around his neck, there was no need for thought, in the warmth of the night, and in the shadows, he leaned down to kiss her, and indulgingly she let him.

~(Itachi)~
He looked down at her sleeping face, despite the fact that this was against proper morals, Mikoto his mother pulled a blind eye, to his actions, as well as Sakura's it seemed that she had approved of the union, he was aware of his mothers frustration that no woman was brave enough to take Itachi on. Despite the fact that he was popular in looks, and was admired from a far. Most found that his brother was more approachable, as it was he had Naruto to smooth everything over. Like most of the Uchiha's Itachi and Sasuke had the trait of being anti social, the only peculiarities, was that Sasuke had Naruto to dissuade that normal fear people had for their dark haired clan.

While Itachi, well he just didn't wish for company from either his fellow clan members or people in general, of course there were those persistent few that lightened his image a bit more. Playful people like Kakashi, and Genma certainly made things interesting from time to time, but Sakura was different he felt that he could watch her forever and not feel bored. "You should know that it isn't polite to hide in the shadows of your own house, Sasuke." He told his hovering brother who had been there for a solid five minutes. From the shadows his little brother came into the light of the moon, Sakura didn't stir.

"Was there something you needed?" Itachi asked, Sasuke nodded his head, seemingly unsurprised at the protective stance Itachi took over the sleeping pinkette. "Word is that Orochimaru is on the move, there have already been several nin that had been caught who were sent in search of Sakura-" Itachi put a finger to his lips then carefully untangling himself from Sakura's warm embrace Itachi rolled into a standing position, watching as his beloved slightly stirred her eyes fluttering open momentarily, as if she were satisfied that he was in the general proximity of her chakra radar.

Gently Itachi activated his sharingan , and looked into her eyes and sent her to sleep even more deeply, this was a conversation he didn't want her to hear just yet. He wanted to allow her this one last night of peace. "Speak." He told his brother in a hushed tone. Sasuke nodded, his normally delicate and handsome features turned hard like the soldier all Uchiha were trained to be. "We've gotten reports of Kabuto making his way toward Konoha, and it seems that he was searching for something or rather someone. The nin Kimimaro who had escaped, seemed to have gotten back to Orochimaru to report that Sakura was still alive.

"We've also seen many of Orochimaru's minions beginning to gather, and it seems that they're preparing for an attack, out scouts estimate that an attack will happen in two weeks time. The hokage wishes for your presence immediately for strategy plans." Itachi nodded, he looked once more down at Sakura her hair splayed on the pillow, and he didn't want to leave her here defenseless. Knowing that no place was ever completely safe, not only that but she was under a sharingan induced sleep so even if she wanted to wake and protect herself she wouldn't be able to. Making the necessary hand signs he placed a genjutsu on her that would dispel the moment she woke up, which would be in five hours time.

Nodding to his brother while slipping on his ANBU mask he melted into the night, flying over rooftops to the Hokage's tower, wishing that he could merely stay in her arms and sleep alongside of her. Time, however, never stood still, that much had had learned, so why would it stop for him now? This however was a battle for his personal happiness, and he was determined to carry it out, not only that but he had more than one score to settle with the snake. In Itachi's opinion he had let the vermin live long enough, and now that he had a good reason, and perfect time to kill him, Itachi wouldn't hesitate to swing the final blow, in fact he would greatly enjoy it.

~(Sakura)~

She woke up groggily, for some reason she heard a small snap, like the breaking of a genjutstu but she didn't really know nor did she want to investigate. Unlike many nights that she had ended up sleeping by Itachi he wasn't there. Strange usually he was there to tease her in some unexpected way, or tickle her for some unknown reason. She knew that there were just some sections of his brain that she would never understand even if he wrote it all down in the simplest words. Folding the Futon and blankets she got up and stretched to the day the leaves were beginning to brown, had it really been just a year since she had come here?

She didn't know she had changed so much, she wondered how much she had changed from her dead self, the one who only knew to swing a sword. The comparisons were baffling. Yet, here she was a different person than she had been before. She slid the necessary doors open, and walked through the halls, for some reason she felt the tense air. She opened her ears, something alarmed her but she couldn't put her finger on what. Quietly she retreated to Itachi's room and went to the small cache opening he had in it and took out one of his stored katana's. Something made her skin crawl. She opened up her chakra senses. None of the residence was there aside from her; even so someone could hide her chakra without any problems it was a matter of training.

Going to Itachi's cloth drawers she drew on some of his slightly armored clothing, whatever she was facing she wanted to be prepared. Without a sound she slipped out of the room back to the wall listening. The silence unnerved her. It was too still, the birds didn't sing, there was no rustle of the underbrush, the air smelled of battle tension. A feeling she hadn't let go, a feeling that she would never forget. Sliding the katana out of its sheathe she began her prowl out of the house, she didn't feel safe, and the best option was to go to the Hokage tower Sakura scanned the back yard, there seemed to be nothing there that could hurt her, taking a chance she jumped to the roof, and began to sprint as fast as she could.

She thought she was in the clear until a bone blade skimmed her side knocking the breath out of her. Her steps faltered and she scrambled to keep an upright position. She let herself fall off the rooftop to fall into the alleyway to avoid another stabbing bone blade. Composing herself she landed on the ground as easily as a cat would poised and ready for battle. She swung the blade, using her chakra to sharpen and strengthen it, so that it could split the hard bone without problems. She listened and she thoughts, this was a fight for her life, but at the same time it was a fight only won by the better strategist. Although she had great instincts that would only work on a few, since learning to apply her mind to fighting tactics, she knew her level of expertise rose greatly.

She kept the animal within her on a tight leash only letting the abilities show, she knew that emotion was bad she hid her face behind that dead blankness that she had fought with before, the look that reflected nothing, using her instincts she sensed where he was and attacked accordingly. She couldn't do anything but that since, he didn't stay in one place for long. Sakura jumped into the sunlight, rolling to avoid any attack bringing her to an empty square, she knew here she would be attacked from all sides but she could see better, and that I itself was an advantage. From the way all of the attacks came, she could tell that Kimimaro was trying to capture her alive.

If he was here it meant that Orochimaru wasn't far behind. Sakura was careful to let her chakra radar unfold farther, there was no sign of the snake man, or even Kabuto at the moment it was just her and Kimimaro. It was reassuring. She dodged another bone spear that barely grazed her, and waited for another attack, she closed her eyes to sense movement through the air, and listen to the sounds. To her left she heard the swish of a whip, and took a step back grabbing the bone whip with an outreached her not minding he way its spines bit into her skin. Using that she pulled as hard as she could, he couldn't detach the bone without planning and from the speed she had yanked him he would be able to recover from the shock until five seconds had passed.

Ample time, using her other hand that held the katana she turned it to the flat side and hit him, hard. Twisting the blade she cut him pinning him to the ground with a mental grunt. She could tell that he was stunned but she didn't stop the attack, she didn't want him to get back up, because if her did it would give him another chance to attack her. Quickly she knelled on his chest forcing the air from his lungs, depriving him the oxygen to breathe, next she took a fist and struck him in the temple hard enough to knock someone out, Orochimaru was coming and if there was someone who knew the details it would be him.

She assumed that this was the reason there was no one in the Uchiha house, or else it would be strange for Mikoto to not be there. Like a dragon protecting its hoard Mikoto rarely let her home unless she absolutely had to. Using the bone whip Sakura tied the bone user up and went to the task of dragging him to the Hokage tower, she didn't want to waste any energy trying to carry him there if there was another attack on her person. Not only that but someone was bound to hear their commotion and an escort would arrive soon. Sakura pulled Itachi's shirt down, trying to adjust it, it had torn in a few places, but the armored parts had done well to protect her from the splintering bones she had cut down.

Sheathing the sword she waited patiently for people to come, and on cue an ANBU team was looking down on her from the rooftops. Although she had no interaction with the ANBU since they had treated her roughly, she jerked her head to the fallen nins direction, she knew the emblemed shirt she was wearing of the Uchiha clan dissuaded any untoward motions to her. She could tell though they were afraid of her, so she remained still hands at her side away from her katana until they took up positions beside her and could keep an eye on her.

She immediately picked up their tensions; it seemed that the situation was worse than she had originally thought. It seemed that her trial to keep this newfound happiness had already presented itself. She began to walk toward the Hokage tower her senses alert. Up the road she spotted Itachi waiting his face carefully blank, he held a hand out for her, she took it immediately, the need for physical contact was overwhelming, hand in hand they walked together. They were ready for anything, Orochimaru was on his way, and she had a lot of things to give him, she had a reason to resent him, she knew this time was inevitable but at very least, she would be able to kill him, and in order to be happy, that was what needed to be done.

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Its decided, I'm cruel, three stories left off in cliffhangers… Man, maybe I'm feeling particularly cruel? Anyway, they finally confessed! Aint that just wonderful? If you're wondering how I got the concept of that sort of confession listen to Cherish by Ai Otsuka, it's the youtube video about the cat girl and the bunny boy separate by a piece of glass, a sad animation but moving nonetheless. Plus I thought the concept of 'conveying your feelings without spoken words' was sort of in a way romantic.~ Thankies for reading and being patient!!!! XD

To my anonymous:
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To couples lover: Warm and fuzzy is great!!!!