{A/n;; Here's a Itachi emoticon for all you dedicated reviewers '/_\' Pleas enjoy this next un-Itachified chapter. :D –S.s

Naruto's first reaction to hearing Sakura's request was horror. Then the guilt sat in and he realized that just how much Sakura needed time away. Sure she had been away from the village during the whole infiltrate Akatsuki thing but that really couldn't be considered a vacation. It hurt to think that just after he had gotten her back into his life she wanted to go away again. Yet oddly enough he knew how much she needed it. It only took him a few minutes to consider his answer, "Alright but there is some conditions to be followed, Sakura-chan."

Sakura looked at him mildly surprised her eyes questioning. Naruto knew that she couldn't leave the village forever because of the connections she had made but she needed time away too. His voice was oddly serious as he continued, "I want monthly reports from your summons on your doings. Also I want you say a formal goodbye to anyone who would miss you if you left. And I do mean anyone, that includes Pakkun. I don't know how long you plan to be away but I want you back here every year at least for the cherry blossom festival."

Sakura smiled briefly at her blond friend's antics, she had expected nothing less, nodding she said, "Agreed, but don't you want to know where I'll be?"

Naruto smiled goofily closing his eyes and flashing her an traditional Naruto reassurance, "I think we both know where you're going Sakura-chan, and I don't judge you one bit."

Sakura then surprised him but wrapping him up into a bone crushing hug as she murmured into his shoulder, "Thank you for everything, despite everything I've done, you've still remained my truest friend."

Naruto gently ran his fingers through her soft hair his jokingly suggested, "Don't let Ino hear you say that, I think your disappearance was hardest on her. I think I always knew there was more to the story than Tsunade let on. Your not traitor material Sakura-chan and I don't think you could ever be."

Sakura left him to go visit her friends and her children. Her first destination was Kakashi's house because she knew this goodbye would be the quickest. Their goodbyes never lasted very long anyways. With a quick rap to his door she greeted with a towel clad Kakashi, his wet hair dribbling water droplets down his chiseled chest. It was strange to see her sensei like this so natural and unguarded except for the traditional mask. Bloody piece of cloth had to ruin all her fun.

"Well now Sakura, are you going to ogle all day or did you want to come in?" His voice was light as he chuckled at her brief stupor. Sakura snorted at his words but followed him into his cozy apartment and began to make tea using his kitchen. Kakashi sighed melodramatically and left her to change.

Sakura was jus the type to barge into someone else's home and use their kitchen; he honestly should have expected it from her. When he returned from his bedroom now fully clothed, Sakura had already prepared the tea, a steaming cup of earl grey waiting for him. Her eyes were everywhere but on his, as he watched her struggle for the right words. Feeling sympathetic towards his former student, he cut to the chase, "Your leaving." It was a simple fact not a question yet it momentarily surprised the pinkette kunoichi, her mouth gaping similar to a koi fish.

Then she regained some sense of composure and nodded her jade green eyes rising to meet his, "I'm moving to a land without battles without ninja and without war. It's a peaceful place where I think my children should be raised. I also think I could leave happily away from bloodshed in my daily life."

Kakashi nodded slowly registering her words with mild curiosity poising a simple question, "It's because of him, right?"

Sakura bit back a surprised gasp as Kakashi continued unperturbed, "After Naruto returned with Sasuke, he told me that Itachi was dead. He also said you were to bury him, yet moments after their return I felt a small flicker of unknown chakra near you. Putting two and two together I can easily gather Itachi Uchiha is not dead."

"Who else knows?" Sakura voice trembled slightly as she bit her upper lip nervously.

Kakashi smiled a true smile hidden by mask and answered simply, "Just little old me. And it will stay that way I assure you."

Sakura then sat down her tea so she could envelope her former sensei in a warm hug, which he hesitantly returned. When she broke away she brushed back at some unshed tears and said, "Thank you for being my teacher, I really do miss the simplicity of those far off genin days. Sometime I look back and wish to return to them if only for a few moments. Just so that I could be a better teamate to Naruto and Sasuke. He didn't need a fangirl what he really needed was a friend, and I really wished I could have been that for him."

Kakashi looked mildly surprised but then he too thought back and realized that he too was as guilty as she was. Not just the acts surrounding Sasuke, he had tried to protect him but in turn had overlooked the weakest link on the team. Sakura. His voice took a rough edge as replied, "I too would like to revisit those old days but not for the same reasons as you. Those days I feel ashamed of, I failed miserably as a teacher to you. I spent to much doting on Naruto and Sasuke because they showed so much promise. I never bothered to look more closely at the unpolished gem that were to be Sakura. And for that I am sorry."

Sakura laughed lightly before grinning and punching Kakashi none too lightly on his arm, "But Kakashi-sensei it was because you ignored me back then that I am who I am today. I turned to Tsunade to teach me because I wanted to as strong as the boys, you lead me to her. Your jutsus were better suited to them then they ever could've been to me, so your apology is most definitely not accepted. But if you were truly sorry there is one thing you could do…"

Kakashi instantly became slightly way as her voice became sinister as she trailed off. He looked to her hand which had somehow made its way to the edge of his mask. Kakashi sighed heavily somehow he should've known Sakura wouldn't take his apology seriously but he was thankful for that none the less. His voice was humorous as asked, "So all you ever wanted from me was my mask? How despicable you are! You know I could always buy you one jus like and we could be twinzies!"

Sakura tried not to laugh at Kakashi's weak attempt of conversation swaying but would not be deterred, "I want to see you face Sensei! Naruto, Sasuke and I used to bet on what you looked like underneath the mask as genins. And as this might be our last meeting for a long time I think I deserve to see, especially as I'm so traumatized on how my former teacher never love me as a child but preferred little boys." Sakura pretended to wipe away a few fake tears and melodramatically swayed sadly.

Then with a heavy sigh Kakshi consented, muttering, "You only get a minute in counting and no pictures it damages my sensitive skin."

And with those words Sakura Haruno was the very first to witness a no-mask clad Kakashi in all his glory. The best part is even she told someone they'd never believe her. Despite his age, without his mask he gave Itachi and even Sasuke a run for their money. Satisfied with the view, Sakura gave her former sensei one last parting hug and a quick kiss to his newly masked cheek. After Sakura left, Kakashi stood in the doorway, his hand resting on his cheek as if to preserve the memory.

At the Hyuuga estate, the house head could be heard from the front gate yelling at his oldest daughter. Neji was now a father of four rambunctious children, each who despite their looks, personality took after their mother. Sakura laughed inwardly at Neji's misfortune, it was no secret he wanted a male heir, but Ino kept popping at girls. When she reached the garden she found Ino planting away, her ballooned belly causing her to stop and take breaks frequently. At seven months pregnant, one had to be very careful with their words. But Sakura knew her bestfriend's weaknesses and intended to use them as only a best friend should. Quietly she leaned down next to Ino's ear dramatically, "What a whale, I suppose I can't call you Pig anymore."

Ino turned around ready to wallop the speaker to a inch of their life and saw Sakura's grinning face. Ino lost all anger and wrapped her arms around her friend attempting to pull her as close as her enlarged belly would allow, her voice immersed in happiness, "Well I can't really call you forehead either but old habits die hard I suppose. Have you heard the news?" Sakura barely managed to shake her head as Ino gushed on excitedly, "This baby's has the byakugan gene, which Tsunade thinks means it's a boy. All the girls so fair have my mind switch bloodline, so she thinks this one's different. Neji's practically growls at any male that breathes the same air as me, it's really flattering. What is it with husbands and sons, I mean, seriously girls can be just as good if not better. I mean Yuri has already began to infiltrate minds with as much accuracy as I've ever had, and Ibiki Morino in the interrogative force of anbu has already offered to apprentice her and she's like eight. That's pretty noteworthy I'd say."

"The thing Sakura loved about Ino was gush on and on about the smallest things. The thing she hated the most? Her inability to shut up. But she meant that only in the dearest way of course. Sakura sighed lightheartedly at her friend's situation, before saying, "Ino, I'm going away for a while."

Ino's face dropped with horror as she screeched, "What the hell Forehead? You just freaking got back and now you're leaving???"

Sakura grimaced at her reaction and prepared a reply only to be cut off by Neji leading a sulky eight year old by her hand, his voice moody, "Who's leaving now?"

Ino pointed at Sakura traitorously, her lower lip in full pout mode. Neji looked from his wife's betrayed face to Sakura distant one before changing the subject hastily, "I'll have you know that your daughter stole something from another child, the Hokage's child to be precise. She mind transfer jutsued him to walk right into the grocery store and steal a magazine. A teenager magazine to be exact." He frowned at the last part as if the very word horrified him to no end.

Ino rolled her eyes despairingly before shooting her husband a venomous glare, "How come whenever Yuri or Turipu or Tsubaki or even litte Ume do anything wrong their suddenly my children??"

Neji took in her rising anger and looked to Sakura for support, which she decided to help offering to her best friend, "Because Pig those little girls take after you waaaaay more than Neji, I mean look at their flawless hair. Blonde. Four girls with blonde hair that's gotta be a record or something."

Ino sniffed and then nodded as she registered Sakura's words, before turning back to the situation at hand, "Where are you planning to go Forehead? Mikoto and Tsukiyo have friends here you know. You have friends here too, if you'd stick around long enough to let them."

Sakura plastered a wide grin on her face, replying meekly, "As far a way as I run Pig. But I will be back someday, or at least I hope too. When I return you Neji here better have had a litter of lavender eyed babies you hear?"

Ino laughed at her friend's poor attempt at humor, and pulled her close while managing to snag her husband up into a group hug. Ino eyes were filled with tears as she looked to Sakura's hardened face resigned, "I'm not crying. I'm not. It's just the pollen in air, I do get allergies sometimes too, you know. But Sakura I'm going to miss you so much and even grumpy will too."

The caramel headed nicknamed grumpy nodded in Sakura's direction as to confirm his wife's words. Sakura ran a tired hand through her hair before pulling away from Ino, her voice firm, "This isn't goodbye, this isn't even a send-off, this is my, I'll be back, when things are better. You'll see me soon, so don't worry."

Sakura then chose to walk away before her dried up well of tear could even think of refilling. Hinata was last on her list, but first she took a minor detour to the hospital. Her old intern lit up at her appearance before giving her the room number she needed. She paused outside the white door.

The wholeness of the hospital made her insides numb. White just didn't fit with all the blood and gore that happened within its white walls. Carefully she pushed open the door to gaze into the peaceful face sleeping there. This Sasuke was harmless she knew, in his morphine induced slumber, but still she hesitated.

The chair next to the hospital gurney was cold to the touch much like Sasuke's hand which she gently enwrapped in her own. Taking a steadying breath she spoke the words that she knew his mind would register even in his sleep, "Sasuke, I really want you to find life after this. You need to. You need to rebuild the Uchiha clan to it's former glory, but this time don't let it be so pompous. I wish I could stick around to help you but I really can't. Had you asked me to repopulate your clan ten years I would have said yes quicker than you say, Haruno's got wide hips. But now I can't I can't lie a lie with you. I fell into love so quickly that it took a while to register I had fallen out of it. My indecision hurt you, I know."

She paused watching the bleeps in his heart monitor carefully running her thumb into soothing patterns on his hand before continuing, "You know I'll always wonder what would happened if you actually had taken me with you the day you left for Sound. I poured out my heart only for it to be stepped on, yet I wouldn't change your decision. Your rejection made me stronger, hell I'm even in more bingo books than you Mr. High and mighty Uchiha avenger. Not Naruto though."

She looked at the tiled ceiling her voice breaking slightly as she neared the end of her speech, "I've always dreamed of that white you know, because I sure that I was the princess. But now I know better. I'm just as tainted as the villain who stole her away. Yet I still found love. The love I had was smoldering like wind-blown emeber. Several times the flame would die only to grow again but twice in size. I really hope that someday you'll find your ember too. When I return, there better be a Ms. Uchiha for me to swap stories with. Hell I wouldn't even mind if you shacked up with Naruto. But Maika sure would. Anyways what I'm trying but failing to say is I want you to find happiness outside your revenge. But without me."

Sakura turned to go only to have his hand clutch desperately at hers in sleep. Allowing a soft smile to flit across her lips, she gently pried off his searching fingers. With that simple motion the rest of her unending love for him was brushed away. Now she only wanted him to be happy. As happy as she was.

{A/n;;Sad cliffyness but onto that last chapters. Reviews for the aspiring authoress? :3 –S.s