Title: Moments in Time: A Close Up

Author: AppleL0V3R

Beta-reader: SymphoniaFreak

Fandom: Naruto

Pairing: Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura

Chapter: Thirty-Six – #50 Soul: Converse.

Rating: T

Type: One-shot – Complete

Summary: Prompts from Moments inTime that I was requested to expand on. 36. 50 – Soul: Converse. She asked a lot of questions. Sooner or later, she was going to bear the consequences for it.

Word Count: 2,295

Disclaimer: If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

Note: As the summary states these were skits I was asked to turn into actual works. I will always put which one it was and the skit just before the chapter. They won't be in numerical order because I'm doing them as I'm requested. They won't be any more than one-shots though they may become two to five –shots (I will forewarn when that happens) but they won't become stories unless I choose to.

This is another philosophical chapter, my apologies, I hope you don't mind. But this kind of stuff interests me and if you have different viewpoints than the ones I've brought up, then please tell me.

Request by: Anime Freak456

Edited on: December 24, 2011

50. Soul (Sakura)

"Do you think we have souls?" Sakura asked out of the blue.

The two of them were on another one of their walks. The walks could last hours and they always had some type of conversation going. If Sakura started it, it was a question, usually of the philosophical sense, and if it was Itachi, it was a statement, usually of the analytical sense. The topics varied greatly, but neither minded as it was always one that made them both think and in doing so, they got to know each other that much better.

That was the nature of their relationship. It didn't matter where they were or where they were going on the walk. Nothing did besides the fact that they ended up together.

"Yes."

Sakura was the kind of person who was full of questions. Every time one was answered, more sprang forth to replace it. She knew it could be the death of her - it sure as hell had gotten her into more than one troublesome situation - but she was as inquisitive as a cat.

And who better to pester about anything and everything than a catlike genius? Especially one that listened and answered, made her think about her answers and the way she asked her questions.

She loved spending time with him. Though the only time they usually had was a simple walk, one that started somewhere and ended a long point from there. She never really paid attention to the details because she was always so wrapped up in the topics they spoke about, the perspectives he brought to the table and why she held her own.

And she was pretty sure he felt the same because he seemed to always have time when she asked for it. He was never too busy to go on a simple walk, be it through town or around a park or even through a forest. Konoha was so big and beautiful that it was nice scenery no matter what they were talking about.

In fact, it was what she was doing right now. Walking side by side with Itachi, close enough that every once in a while their arms would brush. It was simple and easy, and she wouldn't trade these times for the world.

They'd been quiet thus far as they both walked through a forest. There was no path that they walked and they hadn't taken this route yet, so she figured it was time for a completely new topic. And since he'd started the last one, she would start this one.

"Do you think we have souls?" Sakura asked out of the blue.

The thing about these walks was that they could last hours and they always had some type of conversation going. If Sakura started it, it was a question, usually of the philosophical sense, and if it was Itachi, it was a statement, usually of the analytical sense. The topics varied greatly, but neither minded as it was always one that made them both think and in doing so, they got to know each other that much better. That had become the inadvertent goal after all.

That was the nature of their relationship. It didn't matter where they were or where they were going on the walk. Nothing did besides the fact that they ended up together.

"Yes."

The answer took her by surprise. She knew Itachi well enough that she would have assumed he would answer no. Not because he was pessimistic – he most certainly could be though – but because he was realistic and souls were not something that could be proven. They weren't exactly relevent and there were no definite answers as whether they existed. And for those reasons alone, she would have thought he would put them in the same categories as fairies and the like, nonexistent.

"Why?"

He paused for a long moment and she easily leaned her against his shoulder as they kept walking. It didn't impede them or make anything harder; they simply fell into the same stepping motion; when he put one foot in front of the other so did she. He didn't shrug her off or anything of the sort – he never did – so she didn't bother to pick her head back up. After all, it could be a little while before he responded with his reasoning.

"The simplest answer is it makes us who we are."

She smiled. That was the sort of answer she would give which meant she was infecting him. "So what's a more complex answer?" She paused. "Oh, but please explain the simple one first please?"

He rolled black eyes in exasperation. "Of course, Sakura. It makes us who we are because without it, we are nothing more than a lump of flesh and bone and organisms. The heart is usually used for love, but what makes that preference? We all have hearts; we all have brains; what makes us different? What makes us individuals with our own beliefs? I believe that it is sometimes the intangible that makes us who we are; in this case the intangible is a soul."

"Well, I have to agree but–"

Itachi cut her off, "No, I still have the other part of your question, Sakura. You're not allowed to interrupt yet, remember?"

Huffing, she pouted, but only wrapped an arm around the one she was leaning on and nodded. They'd set up this system so that they could voice everything, get all the questions in without completely derailing into a new topic too fast as they had the first few times they'd started doing this.

Smiling at her understanding, he continued, "The complex answer is that though there is no proof of it, there is also no proof of an afterlife. Of ghosts and heaven and hell, but those are things that most people – even shinobi – believe in." She blinked, but nodded, conceding that he had a point. "I think we have souls because without them, there is no cycle of life. We are born; we go through life with a set course of some sort that isn't always followed, and then we die. The soul allows us to be born again and therefore completes the cycle."

She stayed quiet for a several long moments, contemplating his answer and weighing whether she agreed or not. And how much. He had a point completely on all parts that he'd brought up and she found herself agreeing completely. But for the sake of conversation, she took the other side of the argument.

"But as you said, there is no proof. Therefore could it be possible that there is no rhyme or reason? Couldn't it be possible that when we die, that's it? That physical birth and physical death is the only range we exist in, and everything else is us as humans wanting to believe in something more."

He nodded easily. "Certainly, but as you just brought up as well, humans want to believe in something more, and a soul – formless and unexplainable – is the perfect scapegoat for that. What is wrong with wanting to believe that there is more to our existence than fighting only to die in the end anyway? Knowing that there is something beyond death gives us a reason to keep going and accept that, though death is after life, there is still more and therefore a reason to keep going. To keep fighting and keep believing."

She smiled, already aware that this conversation, though very interesting, was not going to go anywhere past where they'd already gone because they were both on the same side of the answer for her specific question and no amount of arguing a different side would work because neither of them believed it. So they would subconsciously end up back on the same side, saying the same thing. Yes.

They lapsed into silence as she knew he'd reached the same conclusion as well. She wondered idly if the rest of the walk would be without words.

"Sakura."

She blinked and looked up questioningly; it was rare that he did that. If he wanted her attention, he would start speaking, not call her name. He had the kind of confidence that if she was in the viscinty, he expected that she was already listening. She hummed all the same. "Yes, Itachi?"

"What do you plan to do with the rest of your life?"

Now that really threw her off guard. Sure they were close and asked each other questions that gave away a lot about themselves and what they believed and thought and felt, but never had they gotten directly personal. Not like this. She wondered briefly if that meant he wanted to be more personal, but quickly pushed that train of thought aside; otherwise it would lead to too many branches and lots of questions that she had absolutely no answers for. "I don't know, I guess keep doing what I'm doing. Friends, family, work." She shrugged because she honestly hadn't thought about it. Her early years had been all about getting to where she was now and she was content to stay there.

He didn't pause. "Family?"

She stopped walking, suddenly very wary of where this was going. "Itachi?"

He'd come to a halt beside her, but her arms had still fallen away and she'd picked her head up off his shoulder. He turned to face her completely. "What about family?"

She frowned. "What about it?" Her parents had died when she was still in the early teenage years. During the Sound and Sand Invasion, her house had been crushed by a huge snake, and her parents hadn't had the chance to get out in time. And she was an only child so her family consisted of her team and mentors even though they weren't blood related.

"Do you plan for one of your own?"

Oh. Oh. She blushed because the fact of the matter was that yes, she had. And she had thought about it with Itachi in that picture. Her mind raced for something to say; something that answered the question properly, got him off her case about the subject, and didn't include mention of him. So saying no was out of the question, but yes merely invited more inquires.

So what should she say? What could she say? Making a point to not look directly into his eyes, she nodded awkwardly. "Kinda."

"You want one?"

"Yes."

"Is that it?"

Why couldn't he just drop it? Oh right, because it was Itachi and he didn't work that. Neither did these conversations. But technically they weren't walking anymore so she had no obligation to answer. A voice in the back of her mind laughed at this feeble attempt to console herself.

She paused and then shook her head. "Itachi, where are you going with this?"

He took a confident step forward as he locked gazes with her. "I've thought about it. In fact, I know exactly what I want." It was as if she hadn't just spoken at all.

"Itachi–mmm!" Her green eyes went wide as she found herself cut off by a pair of lips covering her own.

"And what I want is for you to be my wife." His voice was so silky and deep, she shuddered from overload.

He'd just kissed her. Not long, but it had conveyed everything he wanted it to. And then he'd made sure there was no room for misinterpretation by telling her he planned to wed her.

Married. He planned to have her as his wife. He planned to be her husband.

No matter how many times she tried putting the information through her brain, it simply wouldn't process, and so she decided to respond on autopilot. Which in light of the current conversation, she wasn't sure of whether that was the best idea or not.

But he'd wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He'd trapped her in sable depths and froze her with hot breath on her lips because he was still mere centimeters away.

And really, she figured that she'd never be able to think straight no matter how many times they got so close, so what did it matter if she didn't throw logic in the mix? What did matter if she simply allowed her head to bob in consent and enjoy the way his chest vibrated with approval? And most of all, she let herself be swept up by his kiss. But this time, she found herself kissing back.

She had a feeling that she would always love going on walks.