A/N: I know, I know, it's almost been a whole freaking month since I've updated! But, I'm so busy with school, my so called 'job' (which is helping out at my mom's daycare), and…other stuffs.

Anyways, I'm glad you were all patient!!!

Here's the next chapter!!! (Boo hoo, this story is coming to an end soon! Maybe in two or three more chapters!!!)

Chapter 10

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Day 8…

Afternoon…

"Sasuke-kun, let's both go to the beach tomorrow! Just you and me!" Sakura suggested randomly as the two walked on the busy sidewalks of California. They just bought some bandages for Naruto since the old woman at the playground scratched his arm yesterday with her bag. It started bleeding today.

"Uh…sure, okay. But just don't tell my mom, got that?" Sasuke replied sternly. Sakura stared at him for awhile before giving him a small smile and nodding.

"Sasuke-kun, remember those fireworks we saw at the beach that one day?" She asked after a couple seconds of silence. Sasuke nodded.

"I remember the last two fireworks…they were pink and blue. Isn't that strange, Sasuke-kun?" She asked. He couldn't look her straight in the eye for some reason.

"…yeah." Sasuke answered, coolly stuffing his hands into his pocket.

"And…and...those two colors made a new shade…it's not purple or violet…it's not exactly orchid either…" Sakura said, trailing off to a small murmur.

"Lavender." He said.

"Huh?" She said, confused.

"Lavender. Pink and blue make lavender." He repeated. Sakura blinked.

"Lavender! I never would've thought of that color! Wow, Sasuke-kun, we're like, lavender buddies!!" She said loudly, grasping his hand. Sasuke smirked at her naïve, childish behavior.

'Lavender…all of a sudden…that word sounds so…'

He watched her silently at she giggled and skipped ahead of him towards the hotel entrance.

'So…magical…'

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"Here you go, Naruto! I hope these bandages are okay!!" Sakura exclaimed cheerfully, handing him a roll of bandages. He grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

"Thanks Sakura-chan! Hinata-chan, can you help me get these on???" Naruto asked the girl next to her. She blushed a deep shade of red.

"U-uh…h-h-hai…" Hinata muttered, gently taking the bandages from his hands. She placed the roll on the wound of his arm and started turning the roll around his arm. Her hands were shaking.

She stopped rolling it and cut the bandages. Then, she tied the ends into a small, perfect knot.

"T-there you g-g-go, Naruto-kun…" Hinata said shyly, praising herself for not stuttering Nauto's name. He grinned once again.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan! It feels better already!" Naruto yelled, giving her a peace sign. She smiled a charming smile.

"Naruto-kun…"

Sakura watched quietly from the edge of a wall.

"Ahem, you know, spying isn't very nice, Sakura." A deep voice said, surprising her. She turned around and sighed in relief.

"Oh, Itachi-kun, you scared me. And, I guess I just couldn't stay away. They make a cute couple!" Sakura said brightly. Itachi nodded.

"I agree. Anyways, come; walk with me down the hall." He said. She blushed and nodded. They both walked slowly.

"You know, my mother tends to spy on you and my little brother a lot." Itachi said. She stared at him with wide eyes.

"E-eh?! Please tell me she didn't watch us too much!!" Sakura said, praying. He smirked.

"She took pictures." He replied, causing her to worry frantically. He smiled.

"Anyways, you should know that you are very important to Sasuke. You've made him open up more. I've never seen him so happy." Itachi told her truthfully.

"I…I never really noticed him as a…cold person. Before I met him, Ino-pig-chan told me he was a very cold and silent person. But when I started talking to him, I felt so warm! Sasuke-kun is really a very nice person. He just distances himself too much. I believe, someone in the world will really show his true self to the world and he'll be…happy. I'm hoping…that person will be…me…" Sakura said. He nodded in understanding.

"But…I wish that I could've helped him in the past…as he grew up, I ignored him, and a while later, I was an adult and left the house. I left Sasuke behind and wasn't there to help him with his problems…" Itachi said. Her eyes drifted off somewhere. She couldn't look at Itachi in the eye; he seemed a bit…sad.

"So…you regret not being there for him?" She asked. He sighed.

"It's not exactly regret. It's just…when you get older, you start to understand things you didn't get when you were younger. And you start to remember. Like when someone said this, you should've said that, or when someone said that, you should've said this. It's not regret, it's more like understanding." Itachi answered. Sakura bit her lower lip.

"Well, um…I really don't understand, but I tried my best. I think there's a rift between you and Sasuke-kun. To understand him more, you need to…build a bridge over that rift…you two need to bond." She said. Itachi chuckled lightly.

"My foolish little brother was right. You do come up with the best metaphors…" He complimented. She blushed.

"H-he…tells you things about me…?" She asked timidly.

"Yea, like, he thinks you're too annoying, your metaphors are a pain to listen to, he hates the color of your hair and he hates your eyes too." He pointed out.

"What?!" She shouted angrily. Itachi smirked.

"But the reason why he hates your eyes is because he always gets lost in them. Because they're so…how do you say it…? Oh, yes, because they're so enchanting." He told her. Her deadly angry eyes shifted down to her hands.

"Even, if he does say rude things about me, I think Sasuke-kun is a wonderful person! He's very unique. I've never seen a guy like him, especially his chicken butt hair style. His eyes are also enchanting, I could get lost in them everyday. As for his attitude, I don't know, but he's my best friend. He sometimes understands things about me that even Ino doesn't…"

"So…to sum everything up, you like Sasuke, don't you?" Itachi asked. She blushed.

"It seems like it, I guess. No matter how many times I deny it…it will always be obvious!" She answered with a giggle.

"Well, I think you really are the person who will reveal his true self to the world. You probably already have." He replied.

"Itachi-kun, Sasuke told me that he really hates y"—

"Sakura, can you go fetch my wallet for me, sorry to interrupt, but it just came up. It's in the boys' hotel room." Itachi stopped her mid-way.

"Oh! Yes, I will get it right away!" She said in a determined voice, and off she went.

Itachi sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"You can come out now." He said. There was a curse heard and Sasuke walked out of the shadows.

"So, you heard everything she said, huh?" Itachi asked. His younger brother nodded.

"Yeah…" Sasuke muttered emotionlessly.

"You know, you should really return the feelings. She seems to like you, a lot." He told him.

"I can be nice in my own way. Anyways, that's why I disappeared for awhile. I dropped by a small cloth shop and got her something." Sasuke replied. He showed him something inside a bag. Itachi rose an eyebrow.

"What? That's all you're getting her? I small, stupid ri"—

"Don't call it stupid, you bastard. It means more to both of us than it looks like." Sasuke growled.

"Hm…I see. Do you two have some sort of…code or something?" He asked. Sasuke sighed.

"No, it's a long story, now shut up. She'll be back soon." He snapped. He tied up the plastic bag holding his gift for Sakura and slipped it into his jean pocket.

"And why did you tell her all those lies? I didn't say that about her." Sasuke added. Itachi smiled.

"Well, I just thought it would help you two with your relationship." He said. Sasuke looked forward.

"She's coming right now, I better hide…" He said.

Sakura appeared ahead.

"Here, Itachi-kun." Sakura said, handing him his brown and gold wallet. He gave her a word of thanks. Itachi looked to the side and saw his younger brother was gone.

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"You're going to the beach without me?!" Ino shrieked, flailing her arms around. Sakura backed up a few steps and nodded meekly.

"Y-yes…you're not mad…are y-you…?" She asked nervously. Ino glared at her, before grinning.

"Naw! Of course not!! Just be careful, 'kay?" The blonde reminded. Sakura smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll be with Sasuke-kun." She said. Ino tilted her head to the side.

"Hm? That's interesting. He actually agreed?" She questioned. Sakura nodded slowly.

"Wow! It's either you're really convincing or he...he…likes you." She suggested. The pink-haired teen blushed.

"I…u-uh…um…why would he? I mean…I'm a nerd, though he doesn't know that, but it seems a little obvious. I'm not very pretty, I hate horrible split ends, my chest is flat, my legs are chubby and my waist is huge…" She trailed off, looking down at the floor and biting her lip. Ino's eyes softened.

"Forehead…all that"—

"Isn't true." A voice finished. Ino and Sakura turned around quickly.

"N-Naruto!" Sakura gasped. He grinned as he scratched the back of his head.

"Sakura-chan, you're beautiful, you don't have split ends, you're hair is extremely silky, you're chest is not in the least flat, you're legs are sexy and your waist is the perfect size! And don't get the wrong idea, cause I like Hinata." Naruto said, giving her a thumbs up. Sakura looked at the floor again and smiled.

"N-Naruto…" She said, running to him and giving him a hug. The two toppled onto the floor and ended up laughing.

Sasuke stood from with his back to the wall, listening intently to the conversation. He clenched his hand, sighed in frustration and walked off with his white knuckled hands in his pockets.

'Why do I feel so…pissed…?!'

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Sasuke and Sakura walked down the path slowly. Sakura hummed contently.

"Sakura." Sasuke muttered, causing the girl to get startled and trip over. The Uchiha took her wrist and pulled her up before she could hit the ground.

"T-thanks Sasuke-kun…wait! Why am I thanking you? You're the one who scared me!!!" She whined. He smirked and grasped her hand tightly.

"There, now you won't have any chances of falling." He said, making her blush a deep shade of red.

"H-how can I be so sure you're not lying?" Sakura asked, teasingly.

"Number one, an Uchiha never lies, and two, I would never let you fall." He told her. She could've stood there forever in thought, if Sasuke hadn't tugged on her hand.

"What? Did I make you speechless?" He asked, smirking. She shook her head furiously.

"Of course not! Naruto has better chances than you do!" Sakura said. He narrowed his eyes at this.

"Sasuke-kun, did I make you speechless? I was only kidding." She giggled. Sasuke sighed. He wasn't sure if it was from frustration or…relief.

They finally arrived at the beach. Sasuke spread out a towel and sat down, watching as Sakura played around with the sand. He peered 'curiously' at her legs, since she had shorts on. He watched her as she used a small shovel she brought with her and pile the sand up.

"Sasuke-kun! Look! It's a sand castle!" She exclaimed. Sasuke got off of his towel and looked. He smirked.

"I swear…it looks like a sand mountain." He pointed out. She tilted her head to the side, oblivious at the fact that he just insulted her.

"R-really?! Oh, then I better get working!! Sasuke-kun, wanna help me?" She asked, holding out her mini shovel. Sasuke cocked his head to the side.

"I don't want anyone to see me making a sand castle." He told her stubbornly. She pouted.

"Sasuke-kun! There aren't that many people around!! Puh-lease!" She begged. He shook his head.

"Hell no. I seriously don't want anyone walking around and seeing the Uchiha Sasuke making a stupid sand castle." Sasuke said.

"Well, the 'Uchiha Sasuke', you're not a pretty good 'boyfriend', are you?" A voice said. Sakura rolled her eyes as Sasuke sighed angrily.

'Zaku…'

"Sakura-chan, I'd be a way better boyfriend than, him." Zaku said, using his shoulder to point at Sasuke. Zaku had two other people with him. One was a man with bandages all over his face. He was wearing very baggy pants. The other was a woman with really long her. She was staring at Sakura with disgust.

"This was the girl you were cooing about, Zaku? She looks like an innocent whore." The girl commented. Sakura glared at her.

'Innocent whore? Since when do those words go together?'

"Bitch." The pink-haired teen muttered under her breath. Unfortunately, for her, the girl heard.

"Excuse me, whore, I'm not the one who's trying to glomp Uchiha Sasuke." She said. Zaku grinned.

"Calm down ladies. Anyways, Sakura-chan, this is Kin. The other guy is Dosu." He introduced.

'Kin…that's a pretty name, too bad the girl's really a horrible bitch. She's probably just one of Sasuke-kun's unwanted fans.'

"Anywho, Sakura-chan, I have some 'business' I need to do with you." Zaku said, sending shivers down Sakura's spine. Sasuke stepped in front of her.

"Back off." He said. Zaku rose an eyebrow.

"Sasuke, you have no right to talk. It's three against one. You're no match for us. You probably can't hit a girl." He said, referring to Kin. Sakura glared intensely at them.

"Yea? But I can!" Sakura said loudly, landing a strong punch on Kin's nose. The long haired teen yelped and held her now bleeding nose. Sasuke smirked.

"Now it's two against three. It still doesn't overcome your numbers, but I think we'll manage." He told, shrugging.

"And you probably can't hit Sakura, a girl, can you?" He added. The other teen growled and pulled up his sleeves with a dangerous glint in his dark eyes. Sakura bit her lower lip.

"Sasuke-kun, just forget him and let's go…" She whispered to the young Uchiha. Sakura wasn't sure if she could convince him enough. If someone makes fun of Sasuke, he'll get angry and have to level up to him, to show people not to mess around. Ino told her it was something about his 'pride'.

But to her surprise, he took her wrist.

"You win, Zaku. I hope I never have to see your sorry face ever again." Sasuke spat, walking off. Sakura turned around and saw Kin kick lightly at the 'sand castle' she was making.

"Sasuke-kun, are you okay?" The pink-haired girl asked, with her eyes shining with concern. He nodded.

"Yeah, I just didn't want to get too carried away there. Thanks for saving my ass." Sasuke said. She blushed and nodded to him.

"Now, we need to find a new place to build your 'sand castle'." Sasuke reminded her, causing her to giggle. They walked right by the edge of the sea. Suddenly, a huge wave built up and…crashed onto them.

People nearby gasped in surprise and looked to see if they were okay. The wave drifted back into the sea to reveal two very, salty looking teenagers. Sakura spit water out from her mouth as Sasuke picked some pieces of seaweed off of his sweater.

"Tch…ew…I feel weird…" Sakura muttered, rubbing her arms. She looked down at her now, salty hands. Sasuke could feel his socks getting soggy.

"Shit…Sakura, let's go back and change." He told her. She agreed and they went to the hotel as quickly as possible.

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"Oh my! What happened to you two?!" Mikoto yelled, latching herself onto the teens. Sasuke shoved her off.

"We were walking on the edge of the shore when a huge wave hit us." He explained. She sighed.

"Ew…you two are salty…" Naruto said. Ino nodded.

"Yea, Sakura, your clothes look crusty…" The blonde pointed out. Mikoto clapped her hands together.

"Sasuke and Sakura, you should go take a nice, clean shower." She said. They did and reported back to the lobby.

"Yo, teme, your mom and Itachi went somewhere, they're coming back tonight. Anyways"—Naruto started, but Ino cut him off.

"Since tomorrow night is our last night together, we decided…we're going to have a nice party!" Ino exclaimed happily. Sasuke looked at them suspiciously.

"…This includes alcohol, doesn't it?" He asked. Naruto grinned.

"Yup, the usual, I spike the drinks without anyone expecting it, yea yea. But teme, you never get drunk. You can drink gallons of beer without falling asleep!" He shouted. Sakura widened her eyes.

"W-wow! Really…?!" She said in surprise. Naruto nodded.

"He's never gotten drunk, neither has Itachi. It's probably just some special Uchiha trait…" Ten Ten muttered. She turned to Neji.

"But this guy over here does get drunk, believe it or not!" The brunette said. Sakura giggled as Neji growled angrily.

'My new friends…but when it comes for the time for us to separate…I don't know what I'll do. It'll be unbearable for us to be apart…'

Sakura sighed.

'That's why I should enjoy every single moment with them…good and bad, I don't care…'

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Sakura, who started looking gloomy.

'Just as long as we're all together for now…I don't care…'

She smiled softly.

'I don't care…'

Thank you to Izari-Hime (I'm glad the review went through!), konoha.chick91, niwichan2468, 9081, Friesenator, L is 4 LOVE, Freedomstar999, mabui-hime (Ooo, yes, very nice penname!!!), XxPinkCherryBlossoms4, cherry blossom petals:), rayray-rchl-chan, Dark Shining Light, The Lil Kag,xXx s2up3d Lov3r xXx, Yuki's Little Angel, Itachi'sAngel (Yes, I'll remember you.), Crazy Neko Girl, and slavetothekeyboard!!!

But what disappoints me was, I was always hitting 31 reviews, but this time suddenly, it went down to 19!! So, please, please, please review. It'll make me so much happier, and probably make me update quicker.