Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Naruto! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every other Saturday!

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Since Sarada's birth, Sakura had taken comfort in the company of her friends who were also new mothers, like Hinata and Ino.

Hinata was sweet, caring, and compassionate.

Though Ino and Sakura loved to compete with each other and had once been rivals for Sasuke's affection, Ino no longer found herself envying Sakura's situation.

One morning, Ino, Hinata, and Sakura all sat together, enjoying some tea as they chatted at the Hokage mansion while their little ones napped in the room next door.

"How's Naruto, Hinata?" Sakura asked her friend.

"He's doing well." Hinata replied, smiling at Sakura before she looked over at Ino, "And Sai?"

"Same as ever." Ino replied with a grin.

An uneasy silence settled amongst the women.

Ino and Hinata exchanged a brief, uncomfortable glance.

Sakura had brought up husbands…….

What were they supposed to say in return?

They couldn't ask about Sasuke.

Ino decided to speak her mind.

Itachi and Sakura lived behind closed doors, but people saw the way they were with each other when they went out shopping or running errands together in the village.

People noticed the way they looked at each other…...

Rumors had started to circle around the village.

"So, Sakura," Ino said boldly, wanting to both break the silence and get the pinkette's mind on more pleasant matters than her husband's demise, "What about you and Itachi?"

Sakura blushed.

Hinata sipped her tea.

"W-What about me and Itachi?" Sakura asked with a wry smile.

"Oh, come on, forehead." Ino said with a smirk, "Everyone knows."

"They couldn't possibly!" Sakura insisted with a laugh, "There's nothing to know."

"Mm-hmm." Ino said dismissively.

Before the girls could continue their conversation, one of the babies started to cry in the next room. Ino stood to go and tend to the child while Sakura went with Hinata to brew another pot of tea.

Hinata was much more subtle than Ino. Hinata was often reserved and shy.

Sakura barely heard Hinata whisper while they worked side by side, "...No one would blame you, Sakura."

Sakura's green eyes widened.

Thinking she had imagined Hinata's statement, Sakura asked her friend incredulously, "...What did you say?"

Hinata's purple eyes were soft and understanding as she looked up at Sakura and repeated with a sweet smile, "No one would blame you, Sakura…...if you fell in love with Itachi……….You have a right to pursue your happiness too."

Sakura frowned while she and Hinata finished preparing the tea.

Sakura would never forget Sasuke.

Sakura would never stop loving him.

Did that mean she was doomed to live a life of loneliness?

Maybe Hinata was right………...

Maybe it wouldn't be selfish of her to…….love Itachi too.

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Itachi was pleasantly surprised one night when he came home late from work and found a warm dinner had been prepared and placed on the table.

The food wasn't the only thing waiting for him either…...

Itachi's onyx eyes widened as Sakura looked up at him when he stepped into the dining area.

"Good evening." Itachi nodded at the pinkette.

"Hey, Itachi." Sakura replied with a warm smile that melted his heart, "I cooked dinner."

"I see….." Itachi said as he looked over the spread on the table, "You shouldn't have done all this, Sakura. You need to be in bed. It's important for y-"

"-I wanted to." Sakura said quickly, her green eyes bright as she interrupted Itachi, "Are you hungry?"

"Yes." Itachi nodded, "I'm very hungry actually. I didn't have a chance to eat lunch."

Sakura moved over and Itachi took his shoes off before he walked over and sat down across from the pinkette.

Together, they talked about their days while they ate their late dinner.

Whenever Sakura smiled or laughed, Itachi struggled not to let his gaze linger on her as he secretly marveled at the mirth in her eyes and the grin on her lips.

Itachi couldn't help but think that Sakura must have something special in store for him.

Perhaps it was just a simple gesture of appreciation from the medical nin, but Itachi really preferred to hope differently.

Once they were finished with their meal, Itachi and Sakura both sat their chopsticks down, but instead of getting up to do the dishes, Sakura cleared her throat and prepared to speak.

"Itachi….." Sakura began.

"Yes?" Itachi asked, his voice was calm but there a glint of apprehension in his onyx eyes.

"I've been thinking a lot about……..you know…." Sakura said with a small smile, looking away shyly.

Sakura blinked when something brushed the back of her hand.

Looking up in surprise, Sakura blushed when she realized that Itachi was holding her hand in his as he gazed at her lovingly.

Itachi decided to make it easy on the pinkette.

Mercifully, Itachi asked once more, "Sakura, will you be my wife?"

"Yes, Itachi!" Sakura replied with a happy smile, "I will!"

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There were no legal obstacles in the new Uchiha couple's way.

Since Sasuke was considered dead, his marriage to Sakura was dissolved in the eyes of the law.

Hinata had been right, as word of Sakura's engagement to Itachi leaked through the village, no one faulted the pinkette.

In fact, during her outings, Sakura ran into several people who congratulated her with warm smiles.

Although Itachi wasted no time in marrying his beloved flower, the ceremony itself was simple and humble, conducted at the Uchiha residence with only close friends and family in attendance.

Since it was Sakura's second marriage, she didn't want a grand affair.

Itachi had never been one for flash or pomp anyway.

Sakura was holding little Sarada in her arms while she and Itachi took their vows. The baby blinked curiously at her mother, wondering what was going on. Sarada was all the more confused when people started clapping as Itachi leaned in and kissed Sakura once the officiant officially pronounced them man and wife.

The guests ate and danced as they lingered around for the quaint reception that Itachi and Sakura had arranged.

But as evening approached, the small number of guests began to decrease as the wedding attendees took their leave.

Hinata had kindly offered to watch Sarada for the couple. Sakura had been hesitant to be seperated from her baby, but Sarada seemed comfortable with Hinata and she loved to play with little Boruto, so……..Sakura finally agreed.

Itachi didn't offer an opinion on the subject, Sakura was Sarada's mother, it was entirely her choice.

But as much as Itachi loved Sarada, he was quite glad to see the little one in Hinata's temporary care.

Itachi wanted his new bride all to himself that night~.

Naruto and Hinata were the last couple to leave and as Sakura stood in the doorway, waving goodbye to them and Sarada, Itachi swept up behind her and gave her shoulder a gentle, meaningful kiss.

Sakura's wedding gown wasn't extravagant, just a pretty, embroidered kimono the color of her hair……..but through the thin fabric, she could feel the passion in Itachi's kiss.

Sakura was glad that Hinata and Naruto were already nearly to the gate of the Uchiha family home.

At that distance, under the sepia veil of twilight, that meant that they probably couldn't see the deep blush that covered Sakura's cheeks.

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That night, Sakura learned that Uchiha men apparently had some hidden similarities.

Itachi made love in almost the exact way that Sasuke did, only his movements were more precise, more controlled.

Though lying in Itachi's arms for the first time was just as lovely as Sakura had imagined it would be, the way he touched her.

The way he held her.

The way he kissed her.

It kept reminding the pinkette of Sasuke, though Sakura was ashamed to acknowledge that and she would never directly admit it to Itachi.

After their marriage was consummated and Itachi's body slipped from her own, Sakura's eyes widened when Itachi plucked her from the bed and carried her into the shower.

Sakura thought it felt lovely, the warm water, the fresh smell of the soap…...

Itachi's gentle hands massaged her while he washed her back.

Sakura underestimated her new husband.

Itachi was more mindful than Sasuke.

Itachi noticed everything.

Everything.

Though Sakura had cried out in pleasure during their lovemaking, in the reflection of the bathroom mirror across from the shower, Itachi observed the frown on Sakura's face.

Itachi felt the tension in her muscles.

"You aren't satisfied." Itachi concluded.

It wasn't a question, it was a factual statement.

"Oh, no, Itachi!" Sakura insisted, "Really, you were wonderful! I'm sorry…...I was just a little distracted."

Itachi didn't say anything else, he just finished washing Sakura off, before he quickly cleaned himself.

As they stepped out of the shower, Itachi briefly dried them off and then he picked Sakura up again.

The pinkette laughed quietly, enjoying the ride she received, cradled in Itachi's arms.

Itachi took Sakura back to their bed and laid her down on the covers gently.

Sakura stretched languidly, preparing herself to sleep, but she soon found out that Itachi had other ideas.

At first, it was the inside of her ankle.

Itachi kissed the inside of Sakura's ankle so sweetly that she sighed at the contact, then he moved up an inch and pressed a kiss to her bare leg.

Up…

Up……

Up….

As Itachi kissed over Sakura's knee and made his way along her sensitive inner thigh, the pinkette drew in a breath of anticipation.

That was when Sakura discovered that Itachi and Sasuke were actually very different in the bedroom.

Their coupling earlier had been a mutual expression of love between both of them.

But as Itachi swiftly moved forward and attacked Sakura's core, that was entirely different.

That was all for Sakura.

Itachi listened to Sakura cry out his name as she yanked on his long, silky, black hair in silent pride.

Happy.

Itachi wanted his wife to be…..happy.

Itachi took his time with her pleasure and once he was finished, once she could take no more, only then did Itachi finally withdraw from Sakura's center.

Sakura's cheeks were a deep pink.

Her limbs trembled uncontrollably from the tremendous releases she had been given.

Licking his lips, Itachi looked down at her intently with his onyx eyes.

Sakura wheezed for breath as she looked up at Itachi, helpless and vulnerable underneath him, still coming down from the shockwaves of bliss he had given her.

"I'm glad that you're no longer distracted." Itachi said, very matter-of-factly.

Sakura felt a shiver of anticipation run through her shoulders at the subtle possessiveness in his voice.

Somehow it was thrilling to Sakura that after such an intimate, passionate act between them Itachi still sounded so calm…….

Itachi reached out and ran his fingers deftly along Sakura's chest, right between her breasts.

Sakura felt loved.

Sakura felt protected.

For the first time in a long time, Sakura felt……...satisfied.