Thanks for reading! I don't own any of Naruto! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates weekly!
—
Gaara shielded Sakura in the Kage mansion for the next few days while she recovered.
Once Sakura's body was back to normal and she was comfortable going back to the sublet she was renting in Suna, Sakura thanked Gaara for his generosity.
That was a bump in the road, but regardless, the pinkette had work to do.
Sakura returned to her small flat and took a shower before she cooked some simple noodles for dinner.
Sitting still in the quiet peace of her living room, Sakura's mind started to wander.
Suppose she had gone off with Itachi…
Or Sasuke…
What then?
Sakura couldn't help but feel a little intrigued by both of those paths, although she frowned when she realized that if she had made a choice that night, then the Uchiha brothers may very well have fought to the death.
Sakura sighed softly and propped herself up on her elbow while she sat on her couch.
The fourth Shinobi world war was over now, but it had made everything harder.
Everything…..
Even insignificant matters, like the love life of a pinkette omega.
Before the war, Sakura was completely devoted to Sasuke, even though Sasuke pushed her away every chance that he got.
Things were lonely and bittersweet for Sakura, but they were simple.
Now, things were complicated…..
Sakura never expected Itachi to survive the war, or to renounce his evil ways, and she certainly never expected him to take an interest in her.
Now that Itachi had, Sakura wasn't certain that Itachi's feelings weren't returned, at least to some degree…..
Sakura blinked.
No…. that couldn't be right, could it?
Sakura loved Sasuke, even if he would never love her in return.
It didn't matter that Itachi was taller and stronger, or that he treated her ten times better in a few weeks than Sasuke had her entire life…
Sakura would remain devoted to Sasuke.
Right?
A memory from years ago danced across Sakura's mind…..
Sakura had told Sasuke she would always love him, no matter what, even as Sasuke spurned her.
Right.
There was no other way.
Sakura made up her mind.
A Shinobi was true to their word.
Sasuke….
Sakura had taken on great risks to prove her feelings for him were true.
So what if all Sakura got in return from Sasuke was a scowl and a growl?
While Sakura pondered the situation, a sad thought crossed her mind….
…...Did Sasuke even remember her declaration of love for him?
—
Sakura's work in Suna was exhausting.
The pinkette was surprised when a week passed and she had not been approached by Sasuke or Itachi.
It didn't bother Sakura, she knew the two Uchiha brothers were out there, plotting against each other, biding their time.
When Sakura finished her work researching different bandaging techniques at Suna's hospital library one evening, the pinkette checked out a few books and headed back to her temporary home with a sigh.
It was then, on the walk to Sakura's apartment, with the cool breeze of the desert night blowing past her that Sakura sensed something…..
The pinkette stopped in her tracks and turned around to look behind herself.
Nothing.
No one there.
Sakura turned back around to continue on her path and she started suddenly when she saw Itachi standing within arm's reach.
"I-Itachi!" Sakura gasped.
"Hello, Sakura." Itachi said quietly.
How Itachi had come to stand in front of her so silently was beyond Sakura….
…..But the pinkette was not in the mood for the Uchiha's games.
"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!" Sakura snapped, narrowing her eyes.
This was getting old to Sakura, Itachi and Sasuke's war over who would have the right to be with her.
"I didn't mean to scare you." Itachi said calmly.
"I'm not afraid, Itachi. I'm just…..worn out, I've been working very hard." Sakura sighed.
Itachi listened and then after a moment, he asked, "I see. I won't take up much of your time, then. I was wondering if you'd like to share a meal with me tomorrow?"
Sakura let out another heavy sigh as she stared at Itachi.
Itachi blinked, "...Or perhaps the next day?"
"Itachi," Sakura said, swallowing thickly, "I'm…..I'm sorry, but I can't."
Itachi fell silent.
For a moment, he and Sakura just looked at each other.
"Do you not enjoy sharing meals with me?" Itachi asked, even though he already knew Sakura's answer.
"No, that's not it." Sakura said quickly. "I love eating with-"
"-Then you feel obligated by the declaration of love you made to my brother in your youth, is that it?" Itachi asked.
Itachi's perceptiveness surprised Sakura so much that her green eyes widened.
Yes, that was it.
Itachi was not stupid.
"Yes." Sakura admitted quietly, looking down at the ground in shame.
Sakura wasn't sure why she seemed to feel an overwhelming sense of guilt.
Was it because she felt like she had cheated on Sasuke by entertaining the idea of what could happen between her and Itachi?
…..Or was it that Sakura felt bad about leading Itachi on, so to speak?
The possibility that Sakura didn't consider was that the guilt that she was feeling was that she had betrayed not Sasuke or Itachi, but herself…..
"Has my brother ever promised his love in return?" Itachi asked.
"No." Sakura replied quietly.
No, actually, Sasuke had never expressed much of an interest in Sakura until Itachi stepped in….although it remained to be seen if that was because Itachi had intervened or that Sasuke had just been resisting his own feelings.
"Do you think he ever will?" Itachi asked.
It was a cruel question, but not an unfounded one.
Itachi's words cut Sakura to the core and she grit her teeth, closing her eyes for a moment to fight against the tears of anger and sadness that welled in her eyes.
Itachi took advantage of that moment and he swept up to Sakura and took her left cheek into his right hand, forcing her to look up into his steely gaze as he spoke, "What do you want, Sakura?"
Sakura was caught off guard.
Like an animal in a trap, Sakura gazed up at Itachi with fearful, panicked eyes as she confronted a truth she tried to push away for years…
….Was it possible to move on from the fantasy of her and Sasuke?
Was it-
Sakura's thoughts were interrupted as Itachi leaned forward and planted a gentle but firm kiss on her soft, pink lips.
Itachi's kiss ended as swiftly as it had begun.
Before Sakura had a chance to process or return Itachi's affection, she suddenly found herself alone in the street as Itachi rushed past her.
The wind carried Itachi's words to Sakura, blowing past her ear as her hair rustled gently, "Choose for yourself, Sakura, not for Sasuke, not for me, what do YOU want?"
