Author: Comethedawn

Pairing: ?

Genre: Romance/Friendship/TimeTravel

Rating: T

Age: 12 1/2

Fugaku was a sly bastard, but she had figured out that news long ago. The Haruno Clan didn't even believe in arranged marriages and yet somehow, someway she was now betrothed to Itachi Uchiha. Still, she couldn't let this go. If she did he life would be ruled by the Uchiha Clan.

She should have just let the bastards die.

Sakura shook her head. No. That wasn't a nice thought. She had gone through so much trouble for Sasuke in order to help his family. There was no point in wishing she could undo it all. Besides, she wouldn't wish for Sasuke's sadness. He needed his family(like a dog needs fleas). Sakura shook her head again. She wouldn't let her anger at Fugaku spread to the entire Uchiha clan. They had done nothing wrong (except encourage the stupid arrangement).

Two years had passed since Sakura found out she was to marry Itachi Uchiha. Although she had plenty of time to come up with a plan she couldn't think of anything that could get her out of the current situation except to go to her betrothed and enlist his aide. The thought tasted of bitter oranges. There was no way Itachi was going to help her.

"Maybe, for once, you should be nice to him. Maybe if you ask nicely enough he'll ask his father to find him a different wife."

Sakura silently damned Naruto for his twisted logic. The idea turned her stomach. Screwing with Itachi had become something of a deranged habit of hers. If she tired to switch things now he'd see just how much she didn't want this marriage. She didn't want to show him any of her cards.

"Hn. We both know that's not going to happen."

Sakura swung her eyes to Sasuke and asked him the question that previously she hadn't cared about the answer. "How did you find out? How did you know I was to marry Itachi before I did?"

Sasuke held her gaze for a long time before saying, "I wouldn't mind being married if it was to someone like you."

Naruto began to growl but Sakura reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder as she slowly began to put the pieces together. Tears sprang to her eyes even though she wanted to be angry. Sasuke, even in this life, had a lot of fan girls. Girls who fawned over him because of how he looked, because of his Clan, because he was unattainable. He shunned every last one of them. The only female, besides his mother, he had ever been able to tolerate was her, because she never expected anything of him. She never asked him for more than he could give. Because to her he was an actual person.

A lot of girls hated her because of that which she understood. However, she never expected them to really have a valid reason to hate her.

"You asked your father to arrange a marriage between the two of us."

"And instead he arranged one between you and Itachi." If Sakura hadn't been watching for it she would have missed the bitterness that flickered across Sasuke's face. Sasuke's relationship with his father was strained. It only became worse the older Sasuke became. When Sakura remained silent Sasuke said, "Don't talk to me about Kakashi Hatake. I won't hear anymore."

Sasuke started walking away and Sakura felt a pang in her heart. She glanced at Naruto hoping for some sort of guidance but received none. He only stared at her grimly. When she once more glanced Sasuke's way it was to find that he was almost out of sight. Before she knew it her feet were running after him.

It felt like she chased him forever, but really it was only a minute or two. When she reached him she threw her arms around his waist burying her face into his back. Tears streamed her cheeks and choked sobs erupted from her throat. Her voice came out muffled as she said, "Listen to me just one more time Sasuke. Just once more. Once upon a time a girl named Sakura loved Kakashi Hatake, but before she loved him she loved Sasuke Uchiha..."

The duo were unaware that three sets of eyes were watching them...and only one set belonged to Naruto.