"Sasu...ke?"

Sasuke stood in the middle of the crowd, clearly uncomfortable by his proximity to everyone else. Sakura watched him as though nailed to the ground, focused on his one visible eye finding the tiny child seated at the table. A myriad of emotions passed over his face in the span of mere seconds, from elation to sadness, back to joy, and finally into something so warm and yet so fearful at the same time, it took her breath away.

The party guests all seemed to hold their collective breath as Sasuke turned to her next. From the corner of her eye, Sakura found her parents—Kizashi being physically restrained by Mebuki, though her mother glared daggers at Sakura's husband from over Kizashi's shoulder. Naruto stood near to them, his orange party hat drooping off the side as he watched his best friend, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, his rainbow-colored straw hanging from his lips. Ino, on the other hand, had folded her arms over her chest and was tapping her foot impatiently.

The whole scene suddenly seemed absurd to Sakura—here was Sasuke, back after more than a year, standing in a circle of her closest friends in their party hats and covered with glitter, and all of them giving him angry looks.

' Like he always got, even when he was younger? Remember what he told you about growing up as an Uchiha, and then the way everyone ignored him after the massacre? '

Thankfully, Kakashi read the mood. He pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against and weaved his way through the crowd like only Kakashi could, dropping a hand on Sasuke's head, despite Sasuke having outgrown Kakashi. Sasuke frowned at him, which only encouraged Kakashi to mess up Sasuke's dark hair as he flashed his former subordinate a crinkly-eyed smile.

"I'm usually the last one to arrive at parties, Sasuke."

At the sound of the joke, the tension that hung over the party seemed to break as Naruto snorted loudly and managed to suck up some of his drink at the same time. The next moment, pandemonium broke as the sip Naruto took traveled down the wrong airway. Kiba belted out a laugh as he patted Naruto's back, a fraction harder than was necessary, and earned himself a withering stare from their present Hokage. Meanwhile, Tenten and Ino had begun herding the crowd through the door.

"Alright, time to go everyone. Leave your gifts on the table—yes, you too, Kakashi-sensei—and let's give these two some privacy," Ino instructed. The house cleared out in record time and Ino turned around, giving Sakura a concerned glance before shutting the door behind her.

Belatedly, Sakura realized Itachi was still standing in place. He removed his party hat with care and set it beside Sarada on the table, giving his niece a little stroke over the cheek as she looked at her father with clear hesitance.

"Sasuke," Itachi said, and Sakura could see him searching for his words. Evidently even the great Uchiha Itachi was stumped by this sudden return of his prodigious younger brother. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Nii-san," Sasuke whispered, the first words she had heard him say. He finally tore his mismatched eyes from Sarada and looked at Itachi, before allowing them to flit quickly to Sakura and then back to his daughter.

' He's afraid you're upset ,' Inner pointed out. A grin formed on her face. ' At least he knows who the hell he's dealing with here. '

Sakura, for her part, stood rooted to the ground. Weeks—no, months, she had been anticipating this very moment. She had pictured all kinds of scenarios, from Sasuke barging in like nothing happened, to him begging for forgiveness. Depending on her mood, she would either punch him to the gates of the afterlife or forgive him on the spot. But now that the moment had actually come, Sakura was surprised to find she felt no inclination to punch him or forgive him—well, maybe she did want to punch him, but that was something for Future Sakura—right now, she was only focused on him.

His clothes showed clear signs of wear and tear—the gray vest with maroon lining he wore was one she had bought for him somewhere in the Sound Country. It looked well-worn. His dark pants were stained with mud, and his black cloak looked threadbare, fraying at the bottom. His hair was long, nearly reaching his shoulders. She noted with light disappointment that the back had grown longer too as he turned his head—the soft spikes she had once lovingly referred to as a ' duck-butt ' now gone.

Sasuke took a careful step closer to Sarada, his brows drawn together as he looked upon his daughter and no doubt recognized himself and all of his features within her, from his dark eyes and hair to the exact way she frowned at him in disapproval right now.

"She turned one today," Sakura said, finding her voice. "We had a little party for her."

' Nice emphasis on the 'had' ,' Inner complimented. ' Love the passive aggressive attitude .'

"One," Sasuke repeated. The corners of his mouth pulled into the frown she knew so very well, the one of disappointment and anger, but not with anyone but himself. The sight of it suppressed the storm that raged within her, though only just a little.

From the corner of her eye, Sakura found Itachi studying both her and his brother, even while he busied himself comforting Sarada. Inwardly, Sakura huffed. How would Sarada even react to seeing her own father now? Her daughter looked stunned by the sudden lack of people and averse to seeing this new man drawing closer to her.

"The Sixth said you were on a mission near the border," Itachi mentioned, his voice quiet, though Sakura could hear the disappointment laced within. She wondered if Sasuke could.

' Of course he can ,' she thought, an ironic smile quirking up her lips. ' Itachi has a way of making you feel inadequate even without meaning to do so. Imagine being on the receiving end of an argument when he's disappointed with you. '

"I was," Sasuke said, and the tightly controlled tone of his voice told Sakura he hadn't missed the accusation in Itachi's statement. "Scouting the borders of Iron. There were signs of irregular activity."

"I see," Sakura interjected. Sasuke's shoulders tensed. "And you were so busy that you couldn't send us a message?"

"Sakura—"

"Messenger hawk?"

"Saku—"

"Smoke signal?"

Sasuke remained quiet, but at least he looked contrite. Sakura balled her fists hard enough to feel her nails digging into her skin, but she forced herself to remain calm and gave Sarada a quick look. Her daughter was holding onto Itachi's hand with both hands, eyes wide as she watched the confrontation.

Itachi smiled down upon Sarada to comfort her and slipped his hand from hers with a light squeeze. "I'll leave you two alone," he said, taking a step backward. It was then that Sarada made a desperate sound as she reached for Itachi and called out: "Da-da!"

The three of them froze. Disbelief and shock flitted across Sasuke's face as Itachi closed his eyes and forced himself to crouch beside Sarada and comfort her, while Sakura stared defiantly at Sasuke himself.

"Babies tend to bond with those they're close to," Sakura explained tersely. "Itachi has been helping me with Sarada for the past few months."

"Hn."

She swallowed hard as she watched Itachi say goodbye to Sarada, before leveraging himself to his feet and making his way out the door. He gave Sakura an encouraging nod and laid a hand on Sasuke's shoulder as he passed him before departing from the house.

The moment the door closed behind him, Sakura was unable to stop the tears that slid hot down her cheeks as she stared at Sasuke, her teeth clamped together in anger even as her heart yearned to take him into her arms and never let him go.

"Her name is Sarada," she managed, walking over to Sarada while wiping at her tears. "Of course, you should know that, if Naruto relayed my messages."

"He has."

A petty part of her wanted to deny him and just show him where the door was. Who did he think he was, showing up after abandoning her for all those long months and thinking he could just walk through the door and see and hold his daughter like nothing happened? But a larger part of her—a part that was relieved and overjoyed to see him again, calmed her down and reminded her that this couldn't be easy for him either—returning to a home in which his daughter called his older brother, who had massacred their clan no less, ' dada '.

' And all of that could've been avoided if he had just come home .'

Sakura lifted her daughter from her chair and nodded at Sasuke to approach. He closed in on them with the stealth of a cat, mismatched eyes wide as he took in all of his daughter's features. He was so close to her that Sakura could feel the warmth emanating from his body, the intensely familiar smell of fires and forests and his clean sweat. His eyes flitted up to hers, as though asking for permission. With another nod, Sakura watched as Sasuke laid his hand against Sarada's cheeks. Their baby watched him warily, breath stuttering as she contorted her face and recoiled from him. He took a sharp inhale just as Sarada began crying, taking hold of Sakura's clothes as she pressed her face against her mother, scared of her own father.

"There, there," Sakura said, cradling Sarada close to her, hand on her child's head as she gave Sasuke a long look. "It's a phase. She's afraid of ... of strangers."

The words, though softly spoken, seemed to land on Sasuke one by one like chakra-laden punches to the face. He flinched at the word ' strangers ' and stepped back, nodding his head in acceptance.

"My dad is sad she doesn't have pink hair," Sakura whispered, unable to tear her eyes from Sasuke, as though he were but a dream, destined to fade away when first light woke her, as he had during all the other times she had dreamt of him. She sucked in a breath, gently rocking Sarada. "Good thing, right? She would stand out everywhere."

"Sakura..."

"I did kind of wish she would have green eyes but your Uchiha genes apparently overrule everything that is me," Sakura forced out a laugh and turned round, pacing quickly to the crib with Sarada. She laid her child in it, finding Sarada already growing sleepy, and covered her with a blanket. She grabbed the edge of the crib and sniffed, drying her tears with the back of her hand before turning back to Sasuke. It seemed he was working up to say something.

"I'm sorry." Sasuke sank into a glitter-covered chair, rubbing a hand over his forehead before lifting his eyes to meet hers. "I'm sorry," he repeated, lips set in a thin line. "I should have returned sooner."

"You should have," Sakura replied, part proud that she was remaining calm, part fascinated with the glitter on Sasuke's chair. She hoped it would stick to everything he wore from now on. "So? Why didn't you? I messaged you a few times through Naruto—he confirmed you got the messages. He let you know I was about to give birth, no sign of you. He let you know Sarada was born and I thought, well, he has to come back now. And then months pass without knowing why you're not returning, and all Naruto has to say is that you're safe and patrolling the borders because apparently you want to do that more than see your own daughter ." She hissed the last words, releasing the crib for fear of splintering the wood, and stepped away to pace through the room.

"I got your messages."

"Then why, Sasuke?" she asked, blinking at the tears that formed in her frustration. "Be honest with me. Do you regret-" Her voice cut off as she searched for the right words. "Do you regret us? Do you regret..." Her eyes shot to the crib.

That surprised him. "No."

"Don't lie to me." She lifted a finger in warning and shook her head.

"I'm not," Sasuke said, rising to his feet. With a glance into the crib, he circled round to her, his hand in a pacifying gesture. "I don't regret it. Any of it."

"Are you sure?" Sakura scoffed with a laugh. "Because I spent a lot of time thinking why someone would avoid seeing his wife and daughter for a year and that's the conclusion I've come to. It's either that, or you were afraid."

A resounding silence followed.

"You were afraid?" Sakura whispered.

He turned away and looked back to the crib in which Sarada lay sleeping. Without saying another word, he nodded, not taking his eyes off his child.

Sakura stood still in the middle of the room, her anger surging and receding like the tide. Part of her wanted to push him out of the house and tell him to try again next year, but the larger part that longed for her perfect family had her stepping closer to him.

"We're not going anywhere, Sasuke," she whispered. "I won't allow anything to happen to her. Or to myself." She balled her fists and looked at him. "But you can't do this to me—to us, Sasuke. I know you're scared, and I know it's hard, but do you have any idea what it's been like? How lonely I was? I thought you'd be gone for a few weeks, but I had to do everything by myself." She sighed and turned, wrapping her arms around herself.

A moment later, she felt his presence behind her. She took a sharp intake of breath as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against his chest. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear, pressing a soft kiss against her temple. Cursing herself for being so weak, Sakura unleashed the tears that she had tried to keep bottled up for most of the year and turned in his arms to loop her arms around his neck and pull him close.

"Don't leave again."

"I won't."

She nodded, closing her eyes as she inhaled the scent that was uniquely Sasuke and pressed her face against his hard chest, enjoying the feel of his warmth on her cheek as his arm held her closer to him. Looking up, she found him staring down at her, a soft, sad look in his eyes.

"I wasn't expecting you to be so honest about it," Sakura said quietly.

"I knew you would be angry with me, and you have every right to be furious with me," Sasuke said, pushing an errant lock of hair from her forehead. "I couldn't come back and not be honest with you. But ... it took time for me to realize and acknowledge why I was so ..." Sasuke fell silent, dark eyes darting back and forth between hers.

She crumped his shirt between her fingers and laid her forehead against his chest. "You don't have to be alone anymore, remember? You told Naruto once you saw a shadow of your own family in Team Seven ... but we're your actual family now."

Something hot fell on her head, but before she could draw back to see what it was, Sasuke pressed her tight against him. She listened to the rapid beating of his heart and encircled his waist with her arms, quietly crying as she held on to the man she loved.

"Ah," he breathed, and for now it was enough.

"Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"You have glitter on your ass."

A/N: I know some of you were expecting an insta-divorce or at least a punch or a katana through the chest, but where's the fun in that? I didn't call it the slowest of slow-burns for no reason, we're just starting exploring feelings here. Strap yourselves in people. I also know a lot of you see Sasuke as a villain, which, fair enough. He did some pretty shit things. But he's redeeming himself and we're not following Boruto canon, because fuck Boruto canon with how it screwed up all characters. I tried to watch some for Sarada and clicked away after 10 minutes lol. All this to say we like to explore gray areas in this house and it's easy to write an affair fic in which the husband is an incorrigible absent assshole, so we're not doing that here. Next chapter will be the final chapter of the first part and it's looking like we'll be doing 4 parts of 10 chapters, but knowing me this fic will balloon further to like 60 chapters and I should just not say anything.

As always, your comments fuel my drive 3 it's such a wonderful experience to see all of you commenting every week with your favorite parts or the incoherent screaming or just the simple emoji to let me know you enjoyed it! Thank you all so much! If you're a shy reader or don't know what to say, feel free to use an emoji.

? Thank you

❤️ Loved it

? Dammit Sakura, why did you forgive him?

? How are they going to have an affair with Sasuke right there?!

? Sarada calling Itachi 'dada' in front of Sasuke, ooooofff.

Chapter 12: Chapter 11

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

An hour after Sasuke returned to Konoha

"Hold your arm like this," Sakura instructed, rocking Sarada as Sasuke carefully watched her and mimicked her movements. "A little straighter—yes, perfect. Key is to always support her head and neck. Ready?"

Sasuke nodded without speaking, eyes wide as Sakura placed Sarada into his arm. He maneuvered the other to support Sarada's head against his bicep and struggled for a brief second to keep her upright before finding a perfect way to hold her. She watched as he stared at Sarada while Sarada examined the man currently holding her, midnight eyes meeting midnight eyes, then reached out and touched Sasuke's face with her tiny palms.

He kept perfectly still as he allowed Sarada's hands to wander over his chin, his lips, up to his nose and his eyes, which he closed for Sarada's roving palms until she reached his forehead and pushed her hands into his silky hair.

When he reopened them, Sakura was privy to seeing the softest look she had ever seen playing out on Sasuke's face, his lips curving upward as he cuddled his daughter closer and gave her a long look. "She does resemble me a lot."

"Uchiha genes," Sakura grumbled.

"We had a few clan members with light hair," Sasuke said, examining Sarada's face. "She's got your freckles though."

"I don't have freckles."

He lifted an eyebrow. "You do."

Sakura stared at him, mouth dropping open, before stalking toward the mirror that hung in the entrance. "Okay ... I do, but they're light, and nobody ever notices them."

"You've had them for a while," Sasuke pointed out.

She stuck her head out of the door and peeked around the corner at him. He was gently rocking Sarada back and forth, his back turned to her. ' I really need to cut his hair ,' she thought, admiring the half-tail Sasuke had pulled his hair in and the slope of his neck down toward his strong shoulders, a smile lighting her face. ' He always did notice the small things .'

Warmth spread through her chest as she watched her husband and daughter, swallowing the bitterness that threatened to surge up her throat—if only he had come to Konoha with her, if only he hadn't stayed away, if only he hadn't been so scared, if only Orochimaru hadn't preyed on him and fueled his hate, if only Itachi hadn't been ordered to kill their clan—how different would Sasuke have been if everything in his life had taken a different turn?

"Sakura ... She's going to cry, I think."

"Oh no." She rushed back to find Sarada's face contorting in all kinds of ways and softly brushed over her forehead like Itachi always did to calm her. The gesture helped, and Sarada looked up at the both of them with amazement in her dark eyes.

"How did you do that?" Sasuke asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Old trick Itachi taught me," Sakura said, smiling at Sarada. "Apparently he used this on you all the time. I think it's time to feed her."

She took Sarada from his hands. Just before turning around, Sakura noticed the way Sasuke touched his own forehead with two of his fingers before dropping his hand.

Four days after Sasuke returned to Konoha

It was a strange feeling, standing outside Sakura's door as he waited for her to answer.

Somewhere along the way, Itachi had gotten comfortable with letting himself in. Sakura was in the shower more often than not by the time he normally arrived, and his mornings had become a ritual of picking Sarada up and holding her close, allowing her to play with his hair and face until she was satisfied. He'd go into the kitchen and whip up breakfast and watch Sakura leave the house for her shift at the hospital, or perhaps plan out the day and groceries.

Now that Sasuke had returned, Itachi found himself missing the ritual of those halcyon mornings.

From behind the door, Itachi heard Sarada beginning to cry. He bit down on his lip, willing himself to stay in place, and knocked again. From beyond the door, Itachi heard a stumble, and Sarada's crying intensified just before the door was pulled open with enough force to nearly rip it from its hinges.

Beyond it stood Sasuke with a wild look in his eyes, Sarada carefully held in his one arm. "Nii-san," he said. "She won't stop crying."

A strange warmth crept up through his body as he fought against the smile that threatened to spill. Had it been over half a year ago that he had knocked on this very door and it revealed a very flustered Sakura with poo on her cheek, telling him the exact same thing?

"Give her to me," Itachi said, smiling at his younger brother as Sasuke nodded and handed Sarada over. He stepped past Sasuke and glanced at the rug, half-expecting it to be stained with cranberry juice.

The second Sarada was placed into his arms, she stopped crying.

"How did you do that?" Sasuke asked, closing the door behind him.

"Remember Ranmaru?" Itachi replied, rocking Sarada back and forth before sniffing carefully—her diaper was still clean. Surreptitiously, he looked around and found no sign of Sakura, unsurprising as today was her usual day of work at the hospital. It seemed like Sarada was just still fearful of her father. Itachi kept his face clean of emotions and laid Sarada into her crib. "He enjoyed being held at an exact angle, and auntie Mizuno never held him right for his tastes. It seems Sarada-chan is the same."

"I forgot you spent so much time with children," Sasuke said, the tone in his voice inscrutable. Itachi closed his eyes for a brief moment, mentally berating himself for talking openly about the clan, and turned with care toward Sasuke. His younger brother stood beside him, staring into the crib with hard eyes.

As he looked upon his younger brother, Itachi couldn't help but remember the carefree, smiling boy who sat beside him on the porch for evening tea or who would beg him to train with him. How Itachi wished he could return to those days—to redo things, to never have broken Sasuke in the way that he did, to make time to go out for training with him. Instead of a wide-eyed and happy man was someone weighed down by his own trauma and fears—trauma and fears that Itachi had inflicted upon him—and yet still Sasuke let him into his life. Itachi's eyes flitted from Sasuke's face to the missing arm, bandaged in new wrappings. Faintly, he wondered why Sasuke had never taken Konoha up on the offer to restore his arm with Hashirama's cells.

' It's because he feels he's not worthy. Because he's still repenting for the decisions he made ,' a soft voice from within him whispered. It was the same voice Itachi was used to hearing when going to bed at night, when the demons and ghosts from his past came back to haunt him and his nights were spent going over the decisions he had made. ' Truly, we are brothers through and through. '

"I don't know how to do this," Sasuke said then, quietly, his fist balled.

"Do what?"

"Parent. Sakura left five minutes ago, and in those five minutes, I managed to make her cry immediately."

"Sarada-chan is at an age where everything and everyone new will frighten her," Itachi said, voice measured as he desperately searched for the right words. "She'll stop crying once she gets used to you being around. It shouldn't take much longer."

"Is this how it was for you when mother and father left us alone?"

"You were relatively easy, as long as I fed you."

"Does ... she need food?"

"No," Itachi said. "She just needs to get used to her father being around."

He gave Sasuke a long look, which his younger brother returned from the corner of his eye, as though both men were measuring each other up. How bizarre that a decade ago, Sasuke was scouring the world for ways to defeat Itachi, and Itachi had been planning to die by his younger brother's hands—and yet here they were, unified by this tiny child and their joint wish to return to normal.

'Too far from normalcy to return,' Itachi thought in the privacy of his own mind.

"Thank you," Sasuke spoke.

Itachi cocked an eyebrow.

"For taking care of Sarada and Sakura."

"Of course."

A long silence stretched between them.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Itachi asked.

"I—I don't know."

Part of him wanted to sit his younger brother down and talk things through in a way they never had before. Everything he needed to say had been said; Sasuke knew the truth and that Itachi loved him and had sacrificed everything for him, but that didn't mean either of them had really moved on from what happened that night. Inwardly, Itachi laughed. Even now, he was a coward.

"Is that smell normal?" Sasuke asked.

"No." Itachi's lips curled upward. "Have you changed her diaper yet?"

"... No."

"Let's do it."

"Itachi," Sakura greeted, stepping out of her shoes. She peered around the house, seeing Sarada in her crib, but Sasuke was nowhere to be found. Itachi stood in the kitchen, preparing a hot pot with all her favorite vegetables. "How did it go?" she whispered to him.

"Sarada is getting used to him," Itachi said, wiping his hand on a towel. "And Sasuke is getting used to her." He smiled. "But he changed a diaper, and it didn't fall off."

"That's a first," Sakura chuckled.

"Took him six tries."

Sakura snorted and stepped out of the kitchen in search of her husband. She found him in the guest bedroom that Itachi had been using more often than not in the weeks leading up to Sasuke's return. He stood in the middle of the sunlit room, eyes on the second crib they had stored there and one of Itachi's neatly folded shirts on the bed.

When he sensed her approach, Sasuke turned, dark eyes inscrutable. With a smile, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in close, enjoying the sound of his heart beating against her ear and the warmth of his skin against hers. "Did you have a good day?" she asked.

"I managed to do the diaper."

"You are considered to be a genius so I thought you'd pick it up soon enough."

"It took me six tries."

"Well, you do only have one arm," she joked, only to bite her tongue the moment the words slipped from her mouth. Sasuke looked down at her, and the insecure expression that had haunted the beginning of their relationship resurfaced as he glanced at where his arm used to be, a light pinch between his brow. "I mean ... It's hard changing a diaper with one arm, and you're doing really well." She sighed and scrubbed her eyes with her palms. "You know I didn't—"

"I know," Sasuke said, cradling the back of her head against his before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She smiled against his chest and reminded herself Sasuke wasn't one to laugh at the hurtful things in life.

Two weeks after Sasuke returned to Konoha

"Sit down."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow at her as she waved a pair of scissors at him. "I love you, but I can't have you and Naruto both walking around with horrible haircuts. It's time to trim it."

"Horrible ... haircuts?"

"Have you seen Naruto? He looks like—"

"An egg."

She burst into laughter. "Yes."

"Uh-guh," Sarada joined in from the crib.

"Yes," Sakura said with an exaggerated nod. "Uncle Naruto does look like an uh-guh."

"Uh-guh!" Sarada confirmed with a big smile.

"And papa Sasuke looks like a long-haired dog."

"Do-guh!"

Sakura laughed and turned back to Sasuke, who looked almost offended. "You don't really pull off the long-haired look."

"Nii-san does."

"Yes, but Itachi confided in me that short hair really doesn't suit him. You might be brothers, but you're not twins." For a second, Sakura lost herself in imagining what the Uchiha brothers would look like with their hairstyles swapped and came to the conclusion it wasn't a good look for either of them. With a light giggle, she beckoned for Sasuke to come closer.

Three weeks after Sasuke returned to Konoha

"Oh, it's you," Kizashi said, pushing past Sasuke to rush over to the crib.

"Dad," Sakura warned.

"You look good, Sasuke," Mebuki said, eyeing Sasuke from head to toe. "Seems a year of shirking your fatherly duties did you good."

"Mom!" Sakura hissed.

Mebuki gave her an imperious look that told Sakura she wouldn't back down from this. Gritting her teeth, Sakura went about making tea and sat across from her parents beside Sasuke in what had to be the most awkward family gathering of all time. While Kizashi held Sarada in his hands and continued his attempts to teach her how to say ' Super-Kizashi! ', Mebuki sipped from her tea with the same grace and contemptuous look Sakura had seen from the Daimyou's own wife on the few occasions she had the displeasure of meeting her. Sasuke remained quiet for most of it, swirling his tea in his cup thoughtfully before drinking from it.

"So, is it over now?" Mebuki finally spoke. She arched an eyebrow at Sasuke. "Your mission ?"

"Mebu ..." Kizashi hushed.

"Don't ' Mebu ' me, Kizashi."

"For now." The tone in Sasuke's voice suggested that he was done with this conversation, but he remained calm in that special way of his. "The border conflicts which I was sent to investigate led to no new clues."

"Why are you helping the Iron Country in the first place?" Mebuki questioned, drinking another sip from her cup.

Sakura pushed a hand through her hair. "The whole point of ending Akatsuki and working together was to create lasting peace, mother. Naruto is sending out shinobi to all countries to help where necessary and create unity along with the other Kages." Plus, Sasuke had a Rinnegan, but the fewer people understood what the deal with Sasuke's strange eye was, the better. Not that she didn't trust her parents, but Sasuke and Naruto had both worried about the Rinnegan and its potential—though Sasuke was perfectly capable of keeping it safe and secure, there was little doubt in any of them that someone would one day try to take it from him.

"And they couldn't send someone else? Someone who wasn't about to become a father?" Mebuki continued with her interrogation.

"Clearly," Sakura said testily, hoping her mother would get the message and drop the subject. But her main frustration wasn't with her mother, who, in truth, was saying all the things Sakura wanted to say to Sasuke. It was the same as it was with Ino all those months ago—hearing someone else tell her how unfair the situation had been somehow unleashed the fury she had carefully kept bottled within. Because she understood.

She understood the fear and the worries that plagued him. He tossed and turned each night, muttering quiet pleas that broke her heart, but she was unable to talk to him about them. While they were out in the field, he slept with one eye open, always counting on himself to be perfectly aware of everything. But in the confines of their home, knowing someone he trusted completely had his back, he slipped into deeper sleep, and though Sakura had little knowledge of what awaited him in the abyss of the dreaming world, she doubted it was only good things.

But, even knowing that, she couldn't help the anger and sadness that washed over her—feelings that faded the longer Sasuke stayed with them, but they were still there, swirling beneath the surface, pulled forcibly from her by either her mother or Ino, until she would be forced to confront those feelings and Sasuke with them.

But now was not the time.

So Sakura swallowed them away again, locking them inside of her like she locked away chakra in her forehead and focused on her father, abruptly changing the subject to something safer, like the fact that Sarada now knew how to say 'grampa'.

She ignored the look her mother gave her and focused on Kizashi's delighted grin as he tried to coax the word from Sarada, slipped her hand from her cup, and gave Sasuke's leg a quick squeeze when nobody watched.

One month after Sasuke returned to Konoha

The anger came out when she least expected it to.

It was supposed to be a simple spar—Sasuke had suggested it.

A good idea, in theory. Sakura hadn't sparred since before her pregnancy and was in desperate need of letting off some steam. But then Sasuke had managed to parry or avoid all of her blows, and either it was the look of total competence on his face or the fact that she knew her senses were dulled and his were as sharp as could be because he spent more than a year hunting down enemy shinobi while she took care of their child, but something broke within her.

It came upon her like a tidal wave, anger surging up her throat and into her arms, tears welling in her eyes as her teeth gritted. With an almighty bellow, Sakura rammed her fist into the ground, breaking apart the training ground, and pushed herself to move faster. She ignored Sasuke's surprised face and the look of realization in his eyes as she punched and kicked at him, finding herself blocked with every single move until she finally managed to hook her foot around his and topple him over.

She went down with him, landing on top of him, and punched his chest, careful not to fuel her fists with chakra as she allowed herself to let out all the anger and hurt she'd felt over the year he was gone.

There was a part of her that was embarrassed for him to see her like this, a sobbing mess of a woman falling apart because her husband had been gone for a year, but a bigger part of her needed him to see this. Needed him to see the pain he had caused, because even if he knew he had caused it, he would never feel it like she had. He would never be the one to wake up five times a night, sleep deprived and lonely, to comfort their child or become desperate when he didn't know what Sarada wanted. He would never hear Sarada wailing because she was teething and he had no idea what to do, or show up desperately at Itachi's home to see if he could calm her.

As she buried her face in her palms, Sasuke sat upright and held her close, pulling her into his body. He held her until the sobbing abated and her anger receded once more, only letting go when she drew back and gave him a long look.

"I love Sarada. And I love you. But this has been the hardest year of my life, and I count you disappearing from Konoha into those years," Sakura said, voice unsteady as she held up her hand with the wedding band. "For better or for worse. I haven't forgotten."

Midnight, soft and understanding, stared back at her. "Thank you," Sasuke said, wrapping his hand around hers, the sound of their rings clinking together filling her ears as he leaned in and kissed her tear-stained face.

Two months after Sasuke returned to Konoha

"Papa."

The word, softly uttered, stopped her from grabbing the next plate. Eyes wide, Sakura turned off the faucet and stepped out of the kitchen, finding Sasuke holding Sarada as she reached for him with a soft smile. "Papa!" she said again.

She didn't miss the soft look in Sasuke's eyes as he pushed his cheek against hers, nor the soft giggle Sarada let out, or the tear that slid down Sasuke's cheek.

"Is this ... Does she ...?"

"Yeah, this isn't like ' dada '," Sakura smiled. "She knows who you are."

She watched Sasuke hold their daughter close and, strangely, found herself remembering the night in which she had thought Sarada had gotten free from her crib, only to find Itachi holding her and singing to her. Her heart made a painful stab—in all the commotion of Sasuke's return, she had barely seen Itachi during the last few weeks. Resolving to spend more time with him, Sakura returned to her dishes and left Sarada alone with her papa.

Four months after Sasuke returned to Konoha

"She's doing it."

"Maybe."

"No, look."

A deep sigh. "Sakura, I've been looking."

"Itachi, what do you think?"

"She's probably close."

"See?"

"Close does not mean she's doing it."

"Oh, there she goes."

"Yes, Sarada! You're standing!"

"Standing does not equal walking."

"When you first stood, you wobbled down the porch and nearly fell into the pond."

"Thank you for that anecdote, nii-san."

"Guys ... Guys ..." Sakura gasped. "Yes, Sarada! I'm so proud of you, keep on going!"

"Over here, Sarada. Papa is here."

"Papa!"

"Yes, let's walk over to papa, slowly now—oh. Oh no."

"It's alright, Sakura. Sarada-chan is not crying. Let her try again."

"Alright, here we go, Sarada, up to your feet. Yes! And now let's walk to papa."

Sakura grinned as Sarada took the final steps toward Sasuke, who sat kneeled in front of them, arms open to receive his daughter in his arms, while Itachi stood beside him, smiling encouragingly at Sarada as she wobbled into her father's arms.

"She did it!" Sakura exclaimed with a giggle, dropping down beside the trio. "I knew she would."

"She is the daughter of two geniuses," Itachi said with a smile, stroking over his niece's head. "Smart girl."

Sakura balled a fist. "The Academy won't know what hit them."

"Papa!" Sarada called out again, holding up her hands. Sasuke lifted her into his arms and held her close. He flashed a tender smile at Sakura before turning to Itachi, allowing him to take Sarada from him. She giggled as Itachi took her into his arms and buried her face in the nape of his neck, clutching at his shirt. Sasuke watched the exchange with rapt interest, his eyes meeting Itachi's, before giving a slight nod, as if to himself.

Sakura bit her lip as a giant smile threatened to spill over her face at the sign of Sasuke slowly coming to accept Itachi more and more into his life. From the look of light surprise on Itachi's features, he was struggling to do the same, keeping his eyes focused on Sarada even though Sakura could easily see the emotions that played out over Itachi's face in the span of seconds before being carefully tucked away once more.

Seven months after Sasuke returned to Konoha

"Raf!"

"Yes, that's a giraffe," Itachi said, peering at the illustration of the giraffe alongside Sarada. "What about this one?"

"Opus!"

"Opus?" Sasuke asked, looking up from the dinner table. Sakura took a seat across from him and looked at Itachi on the sofa alongside Sarada, who bounced in her excitement as she pointed at the drawn animals.

"Opus!"

"Hippopotamus," Itachi clarified.

"Ah."

"Agadish."

"She says she's got this."

"Never knew that I could add ' baby whisperer ' to ' nail polish wizard' on your expertise list, but here we are," Sakura joked, drawing a chuckle from Itachi as Sasuke bit into one of his tomatoes.

"Toooon!" Sarada exclaimed, eyes wide as she tossed her arms up, drawing a surprised look from both Uchiha brothers and Sakura. "Gagagagayu!"

"Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu," Itachi interpreted. He frowned and looked at Sasuke.

"I was practicing in the yard a few days ago," Sasuke said, cheeks flushed.

Sarada followed up by sputtering spittle from her mouth. With a chuckle, Itachi reached for the tissue box on the coffee table and cleaned it from her, then returned to the book.

And so they lived, the perfect little family she had always desired, right until the day that the Country of Iron asked for backup against rebellion upstarts backed by a mysterious renegade shinobi group, and Naruto was forced to send Sasuke out.

Sakura stood next to Itachi in front of those massive gates, Sarada in the middle. They each held one of Sarada's tiny hands as they watched Sasuke depart from the village, his black figure vanishing in the distance, and wondered when they would see him again.

— end of part one—

A/N: And so we conclude part I of Uncle. Exciting isn't it? What is a little less exciting is that unfortunately, we'll be going on a brief two-week break. I know you're all used to seeing weekly chapters and I love writing them, but I'm returning to work as of next monday and updating two chapters per week will be a bit too much without me working ahead of schedule, so fingers crossed for a productive writing week! In other news, Otherworld is returning from next week so I hope you'll look forward to that!

A big thank you to all of you reaching out and leaving comments or emoji. Truly, you make my day, all of you. If you're a shy reader or don't know what to say, please consider using an emoji instead:

? Thank you

❤️ Loved it

? Dammit Sasuke, where are you going?

? Can't wait for part II!

? This two week wait is going to kill me

? Sarada learning how to speak with Uncle Itachi is too cute!

? I bet Sakura will fall in love first

? I bet Itachi will fall in love first

Chapter 13: Chapter 12

Chapter Text

Chapter 12

2 years later

The faint pattering of Sarada's feet getting closer and closer woke her.

Sakura lifted her head and opened her bleary eyes just in time to find Sarada crawling into the bed with her.

"Mama!" she happily greeted before burrowing her way beneath the sheets like a mole.

With a laugh, Sakura fell back into her pillow and lifted the sheets, allowing Sarada to curl up against her and shuffle her head out from the blankets, blinking up at Sakura.

"Morning," Sakura said, stroking Sarada's soft hair. "Are you hungry?"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Is today a 'no' day?"

"No."

Sakura made a face, causing Sarada to burst out in giggles. "No?"

"No."

"Okay then." She pressed a kiss onto Sarada's forehead and stretched, sighing as her joints popped one by one, before sitting upright. Sarada quickly curled deeper under the blankets, only her midnight-colored eyes and dark hair peeking out. "So, no breakfast for you?"

That visibly troubled Sarada. "No?" she ventured.

Sakura pretended to be surprised. "Oh ... Well, I'm going to make breakfast now," she said as she slipped out of the bed, then circled around it to grab a pair of socks. "So easy to make breakfast just for myself."

"No," came a muffled reply. As she peered over to the bed, Sakura found that Sarada had now hidden herself beneath the blankets, but the next moment, Sarada pushed the blankets down and looked at her. "I make."

"You're going to make breakfast?"

"Yes."

'Well, at least it's not another no,' Sakura thought to herself, watching as Sarada slid from the bed onto her butt. She leveraged herself to her feet, wobbling back and forth, before dashing from the room, knees lifted almost comically high as she darted round the corner.

"What are you making for breakfast?" Sakura asked as she followed Sarada, who carefully maneuvered her way down the stairs, one step at a time like Sakura had shown her. Once she hit the floor, Sarada got back to her feet and bumbled into the kitchen.

"Apple!"

"I'm getting an apple for breakfast?" Sakura laughed, peeking in to find Sarada scavenging the fruit basket.

"And banana."

"Plenty of vitamins," Sakura said as Sarada made her way to the refrigerator and opened it up. "But maybe not a really fulfilling breakfast."

Sarada leaned back just far enough to reveal her face and gave Sakura a patented disapproving look that made it appear as though Sasuke's features were somehow superimposed on this tiny body, before lifting a finger to her lips: "Shh mama."

Surprised and amused by both the audacity and the way all Uchiha apparently found her annoying, Sakura sat down at the dinner table and watched carefully as Sarada gathered together some ingredients—apples and bananas, but also bread, fresh mackerel, and a tub of red miso. Sarada closed the fridge and sat down in the middle of the pile of ingredients, eyeing all of them with care before putting the mackerel back into the fridge and taking out a pack of milk. She gave her haul a satisfied nod, and began bringing all of the chosen ingredients to the table, where she placed them for Sakura's convenience. When she finished, she put her hands on her hips in a way that reminded Sakura of herself and gave Sakura a proud look.

"Well done, Sarada," Sakura said, looking at the pack of milk, the miso, and the bread.

"Eat."

"How about I make us some breakfast this morning, and I'll show you how to do it next time?"

Sarada fidgeted. "Mmmokay," she replied, plopping down on the floor.

Sakura chortled and gathered the ingredients off the table, stroking Sarada's head as she passed. She quickly prepared a pot of miso and set about chopping some tofu and mushrooms, glancing at her daughter from time to time. She really was starting to look a lot like Sasuke—even down to the little pout Sarada had painted over her face.

Sakura's smile fell as she considered her husband.

The Country of Iron had finally won their long battle against the upstarts and rebels that incited skirmishes around their border, but the organization behind those upstarts was nowhere to be found, and of course Sasuke had been the one to chase after any leads in hopes of finding them. True to his word, though, he had stayed in touch by messaging her regularly and returned to Konoha a year after he departed to see both her and Sarada before going off again. Apparently the shinobi world wasn't safe if Uchiha Sasuke wasn't there to protect them.

Sakura scoffed in mock amusement as she carefully dropped the tofu and mushrooms into the miso and stirred. Behind her, Sarada started humming an old song Itachi had taught her as she climbed to her feet and into her seat at the table.

"Uncle Ita?" she asked, rocking in her chair.

"He should be here soon," Sakura muttered distractedly. She grabbed a glass, filled it with water and set it on the table, then scooped some rice out of the cooker, sprinkled it with Sarada's favorite toppings, and placed it in front of her daughter. Next, she filled two bowls with miso and put them on her side of the table, while Sarada continued bouncing up and down in her chair. "Sit still, Sarada, before you knock something over."

"No."

Sakura pinched her brow. "Sarada."

"No," Sarada repeated with another bounce.

"Sarada, stop," Sakura said, all amusement gone from her voice.

"No!"

Just as she was about to reach for her, Sarada waved her hands and tipped over one of the miso bowls. The next moment, it spilled over the table and splashed onto Sakura's shirt. She cursed and hissed in pain, pulling her shirt away from her skin, and gave Sarada an irritated look.

"Enough," Sakura said, letting Sarada know in no uncertain terms that she was done playing. Sarada crumpled back in her seat, ducking her head like a turtle while Sakura quickly cleaned up the mess.

"Sit still and wait here. I'm going to get another shirt," Sakura instructed, waving a finger at Sarada, who nodded dutifully.

Sakura let out a deep sigh and marched away from the dinner table. The miso soup had left a huge stain on her white shirt, which had become see-through. 'I'm never going to get this clean,' she thought ruefully, pulling her shirt over her head as she quickly moved down the hallway and toward the stairs.

She was halfway there when the front door opened, and whether it was the fact that she was now five years retired as a shinobi or that her mind was elsewhere entirely, Sakura stopped in her tracks, eyes wide as she watched Itachi's eyes fall on her.

There was a moment in which neither of them dared to breathe, each staring at each other in utter shock—something she would under other circumstances no doubt find extremely amusing (who else had seen Itachi's—Uchiha Itachi's—jaw drop in their lifetime?), but mortification set in quicker than amusement. She pressed her shirt against herself, covering her breasts and stammered: "Miso soup!" before rushing up the stairs, hoping he didn't see more of her than her back.

Sakura reached her bedroom door and slammed it shut behind her, pressing her dirty shirt against her face as she tried to come to terms with the fact that she was three seconds away from showing her entire nude upper body to her brother-in-law.

'He has a key. It's been two-and-a-half-years. You should know to be careful by now!' she admonished herself, tossing the shirt into her hamper. She fished a new one from her wardrobe, along with a bra, and dressed herself before venturing back downstairs.

Itachi had reached the kitchen and was softly chatting with Sarada, who told him happily that she was three years old and that Sakura was also three years old. Though part of her wanted to hide from him, Sakura took a deep breath and stepped into the kitchen.

"Good morning," she forced from her lips, faking a smile before taking a seat at the table. "Sorry about that. Sarada spilled some miso soup over me while she was being a bit ... rambunctious."

"There's no need to apologize," Itachi said, clearly having regained his composure. She smiled gratefully at him as he poured a bowl of miso for himself and took some of the rice, sitting beside Sarada. "Are you alright?"

"Just a dirty shirt," Sakura said, swallowing at her embarrassment. She blinked at her food, feeling her cheeks burn. "You ... didn't see anything, did you?"

"No," Itachi answered, and though he seemed honest enough, the speed at which he denied seeing anything made her question whether this was the first time Itachi had lied to her since coming into her life. The mere thought of it caused her cheeks to brighten further, drawing a giggle from Sarada who pointed at her.

"This is all your fault," Sakura said, a slight smile forming on her lips as she looked at her daughter. "Embarrassing me in front of Uncle Itachi."

"Uncle Ita!"

"Please, Sakura, there's nothing to be embarrassed about," Itachi said. She lifted her eyes to watch him bring some rice to his mouth. "I saw nothing."

"Well, that's good then," Sakura said carefully. "Thanks for coming to babysit Sarada."

"You don't have to thank me every time, Sakura," Itachi said, dark eyes darting to hers as he helped Sarada with a spoonful of rice. "She's my niece, and it's my pleasure to watch her."

"Still," Sakura said, watching as Sarada put both her hands up and nearly inhaled the spoon Itachi held in front of her. She giggled. "I know you're back on the mission roster since last week."

"For short missions only," Itachi explained, scooping up some more for Sarada. "The Sixth has graciously agreed to send me on missions that shouldn't last more than a day."

This was news to her. "Oh," Sakura said. Part of her was desperate to ask why Itachi could so easily get away from long-term missions while Sasuke was all but bound to them, but she shoved the thought away as always. Questioning Naruto's tactics or Sasuke's mission hadn't done her much good in the past, except from causing her more anger and frustration, and it wouldn't do her any good now. "That's nice."

"I'm sure he could do the same for Sasuke next he returns."

"Right," Sakura said, sipping from her soup. "Well, I appreciate it all the same. My dad's gotten to the point that Sarada will exclaim 'super-Kizashi!' every time she sees something remotely pink." She waved at her own head. "Other than myself."

"Super Kizashi!" Sarada hollered, causing Sakura to snort into her soup.

"I see what you mean," Itachi said dryly.

"I can't trust him with her anymore. Before you know it, she'll be telling granddad jokes and basically be mini-Kizashi."

"Super Kizashi!" Sarada tossed her fists into the air.

"Yes, I know," Sakura said, reaching over to pat Sarada's head.

"He must be so proud."

"He is the ultimate doting grandfather," Sakura laughed. "You know how some people buy dogs just to walk down the street and see everyone dote on their puppies? That is exactly what he does, but with Sarada. The other day, I caught him walking in the market with Sarada and telling everyone the new word he caught her—fart."

"Fart!" Sarada yelled, pushing her cheeks to make a farting sound. Sakura simply gestured toward Sarada with a poker face, causing a smile to form on Itachi's lips.

"Can't trust him," Sakura concluded.

"Evidently."

"Anyway ... How was your mission?"

Itachi gave her a look. "Transport of a scroll to Tanzaku."

"Rolled some dice, had some drinks, saw some women?"

He chuckled. "No, it was fairly cut and dry. I was home before the sun set."

"Is it nice being on missions again?" she asked, watching Sarada as she spooned some rice to her mouth and ended up smearing it all over her cheeks. Itachi took a tissue from the box and wiped it off her cheek quickly, giving her a new spoonful.

"It is ... different," he said after a pause, considering the question as he drank from his soup. "I spent most of these last three years in Konoha looking after Sarada. I must admit, it's nice to go out on missions again, if only short ones. But then again, I also enjoy sleeping in my own bed each night."

"Well, well, the scourge of Akatsuki, now enjoying a homebody life," Sakura joked, finishing her soup. "If only Kisame could see you now."

"There would no doubt be an excellent fish analogy shared."

She paused. "He did that?"

"He was quite fond of the nautical theme."

Sakura snorted. "You've held out on me."

"I'll share some of his more interesting stories once you return."

"Oh," she said, checking the clock. "I'm going to be late."

"I'll handle the dishes," Itachi said, stroking Sarada's head as she babbled at him. He flashed his niece a smile, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You go on ahead."

"Thank you," Sakura said, rushing back upstairs to get ready. Once she was dressed for the day and had pulled her hair into a bun, she made her way downstairs, only to find that Itachi had cleared the dishes and taken Sarada to the sofa, where she was now searching for her favorite book.

"I should be back around six," Sakura said, giving Sarada a quick kiss.

"Take your time. I'll have dinner ready when you're back."

"Thank you," she repeated, watching for a moment as Sarada climbed into Itachi's lap and pushed her book in his hands. With another fond smile, Sakura departed from the home, thanking her lucky stars that Itachi was Sasuke's brother.

It wasn't until Sakura left the house that Itachi felt he could breathe again.

The sight of her startled face, her creamy skin and the split second eyeful he had of her breasts had been seared onto his memory so vividly that for a moment he wondered whether his Sharingan had magically been restored to him. It had been ludicrously hard trying to focus his attention and carry on a normal conversation with her after that, but he had somehow managed to pull it off. Giving himself a mental pat on the back, he eyed the title of the book Sarada had told him she wanted to read.

"The princess and the faithful knight," he read dutifully as Sarada made herself comfortable in his lap. He leaned back into the sofa, allowing Sarada to hold onto his chest as she buried her face into his shirt. "'Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful and kind princess.'"

Immediately, the mental image of Sakura in a dress formed in his head. 'Enough,' Itachi said sternly to himself.

"'One day, a charming prince from a nearby kingdom came to meet the princess. They became friends and slowly fell in love. The prince took the princess out to the woods to show her the most beautiful rose in the world. But as soon as she touched it, the princess went into a deep sleep. Unable to wake her, the prince took her riches and ran away.'"

He stopped and frowned. "The prince took her riches and ran away?"

"Bad prince."

"Bad prince," he affirmed.

"Uncle Ita won't run."

"Uncle Ita isn't a prince."

"Prince," Sarada said vehemently.

"I'll be your prince," he promised.

"Mmmokay," Sarada said happily.

"'The king asked all his advisors how to wake the princess, but the advisors all told him she wouldn't wake until the poison left her body. The king, scared his daughter wouldn't be married in her lifetime, bade princes come and wait for his daughter to wake up.'"

He paused. "Sarada-chan. If you never get married, that is alright."

"Married?"

"Well, like mama and papa. They love each other, so they promised to be together. That is being married."

Sarada frowned. "Where is papa?"

"He's away for now, but he'll be back soon," Itachi promised, his heart breaking for the tiny child in his arms. He fervently hoped Sasuke would come home again soon. It had already been nearly a year since his last visit.

"Uncle Ita ..."

"Impatient, are we?" he asked, laying a hand over her head. "'Many came to the kingdom in hopes of securing the princess's hand, but as days, then weeks, then years passed with the princess still asleep, they all returned home. All but one knight, who patiently waited by her side throughout the years until she woke up. When the princess finally opened her eyes, the knight told her that he had been waiting for her to finally see him. The princess, touched by his devotion, promised to marry him, and they lived happily ever after.'" He closed the book and turned it to read the back cover. "Wind Country," he said, reading the author's mini biography. "They do like their poisons and dramas."

"Uncle Ita?"

"Hm?"

"What is dev ... devuh ...?"

"Devotion?"

"Hmm."

"It's when someone would do anything for anyone else out of love or strong feelings of support." He peered down to find Sarada looking up at him with her endless dark eyes and long lashes. She blinked carefully as she tried to soak up the information. "I am devoted to you, for instance."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Uncle Ita loves?"

"Yes, smart girl. Uncle Ita loves."

That drew out a tinkling laugh as she took his shirt in both fists and buried her face in it. "Sarada defshon."

Uncertain whether she meant she was devoted to him too or that she appreciated his devotion to her, Itachi simply smiled and hugged his niece close, pushing away all uncomfortable memories of the girl's mother to the back of his mind as he promised himself never to enter the house again without clearly announcing himself.

A/N: Welcome to part 2 of the story that still has no end in sight, otherwise known as the arc in which someone is catching feels. We're back with our regularly scheduled updates every Tuesday!

I wanted to apologize too-I mentioned in my last note that we were taking a 2 week break. I meant that as a two week break from writing (ie, posting again in week 3), but apparently I'm an idiot who can't count lmao. Sorry to keep you all waiting 3

If you're a shy reader or don't know what to say, please consider leaving an emoji! All your comments and love fuel my energy for this story as always. Thank you ❤️

? Thank you

❤️ Loved it

? Sarada so cute!

? Excuse me who is catching feels

? Sakura getting caught with her shirt off

? Uncle Itachi story time is so sweet it'll kill me

? ゚ヘᄀ Let's get it ooooooonnn

Chapter 14: Chapter 13

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

"Forehead!" Ino greeted as she stepped into Sakura's office. "What's going on?"

"Itachi saw my breasts."

Ino stopped halfway toward the chair, eyes wide as she rocked back on her feet, paused for a moment, then turned to close the door. "Sakura, I know you're lonely, but you can't go around seducing your brother-in-law."

"I didn't," Sakura hissed through gritted teeth. "Sarada spilled something on me, and I was pulling my shirt off when he walked in."

"Oh." Ino dropped into the chair. "Braless?"

"I just woke up."

"Well, lucky man. Yours are still nice and perky."

"Ino?!"

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Ino laughed. "He's got a key, and he's there all the time. It was bound to happen someday. I'm just surprised it took you two, three years?"

"He's seen my breasts," Sakura wailed.

"So what? It's not the first pair he's seen, and it's probably not the last. That man is aging like fine wine."

"Ino, please," Sakura said, burying her face into her hands.

"What happened after?"

"I ran. He lied and said he didn't see anything."

"Good man."

"I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't," Ino said with a wave of her hand. "It's a breast ... he'll get over it, and so will you. And if not, you can always ask him to show a little bit of ass and you'll be even."

Sakura glared through her fingers. "There's an ass in the chair in front of me right now, I'm good."

"Rude!" Ino exclaimed with a laugh. "So, drinks Thursday? It's Yamato's birthday, and I think Tenten is finally ready to make a move."

"Only took her six years."

"You're telling me—she's my neighbor. If I get stopped on my way to work one more time to hear her gush over his endless dark eyes or those sexy crow's feet, I will shintenshin her until she forgets about him entirely."

"There's the head of Konoha's Intelligence department we all love and fear."

"I've not abused my powers yet, but who knows what might send me over the edge ..."

"Glad it's not me."

"So, you're in?"

"Sure."

"Excellent. About time we got you out of the house," Ino smiled. "So. Did he get an eyeful or did he immediately look away? He's not the kind to look away is he? He's the stunned kind of man, I'm guessing."

"Stop."

"Oh come on, Forehead. This is the juiciest thing to have happened to you in years." Ino dropped her hands into her lap in disappointment. "I'm sure old Unicorn has gotten a lot of mileage out of you, and vice versa, but still. Doesn't the taboo tingle you just right?"

"Well," Sakura said, leaning back in her chair. "I'll add 'exhibitionist' to my list of 'things I don't want to know about Yamanaka Ino'."

Ino laughed. "You know it's just fantasy, right? As long as you don't go around seducing your brother-in-law, it's perfectly alright to realize Itachi is a very handsome man. Hell, I've fantasized about some men in my life, even after marrying Sai. Like the one time—"

"Ah, ah, ah," Sakura tutted, leaning over the desk to shush Ino with a finger. "I didn't say I wanted to expand my aforementioned list. I'll come to the party, so please stop talking about Itachi and my breasts."

"Alright, alright," Ino said, lifting herself from her seat. "It's at the Leaky Leaf. We're meeting there at seven." She paused. "Bring Itachi."

"Ino ..."

"Not because of your perfectly perky breasts," Ino sighed. "I have some single friends, and that man looks ready to mingle. Can your dad watch Sarada? Alternatively, bring her over. Sai is watching Inojin. They can have a sleepover."

"I'll ask him."

"Excellent," Ino grinned. "See you then!"

"Ino," Sakura called out just before Ino managed to slip from her office. She watched as Ino blinked at her, then ducked her head and pretended to be busy sorting out some paperwork as she worked up the courage to ask: "You really think they're perfect?"

Ino remained quiet for a second, before huffing out a laugh. "Too many compliments will inflate that impossibly huge forehead of yours, Sakura. Just take the damn compliment."

"Yours look good too!" she yelled at Ino's disappearing form.

"You're damn right they do!"

With a chuckle, Sakura set about her paperwork.

True to his word, Sakura returned home that evening to find that Itachi had cooked dinner.

The enticing smell of curry wafted in her direction as she kicked off her sandals and placed them neatly near the entrance, then made her way to the kitchen, where she found Itachi slicing vegetables and teaching Sarada their names.

"Welcome back," Itachi said, peering over Sarada's head at her. Sarada turned at that, flashing her a brilliant smile.

"Back!" Sarada called.

"I'm home," Sakura said, kissing Sarada's head. "Did you have a good day with Uncle Itachi?"

"Hmm," Sarada said, bouncing happily in her chair.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Sakura laughed at Itachi, only to find her smile falter slightly at the sight of him. The morning's events came rushing back, along with the accompanying embarrassment. Determined not to let him know she was still bothered, Sakura squared her shoulders and walked to the stove, peering into the pot. "I love curry day."

"I know," Itachi said, chopping a carrot in extraordinarily even pieces.

"Are you making up for walking in on me this morning?" Sakura asked, managing to keep her voice airy even though her cheeks burned. From the corner of her eyes, she witnessed the short pause in Itachi's movements.

"Possibly," he said eventually, the timbre of his voice questioning.

'Well, at least he's not denying it now,' Sakura thought, pressing a hand against her heated cheek.

"I'll knock next time," he offered.

"I'll try not to stand half-naked in front of the front door next time."

They gave each other a smile, each drawing a chuckle from each other.

"How was work?" Itachi asked, resuming his chore.

"Kiba was attacked by a cat. You'd think-" she shrugged. "So I had to clean him up. Then Kakashi-sensei came in with this broken bone and a ridiculous excuse that he had fallen out of a window while helping an elderly man wash his windows. I told him the footprint on his chest looked remarkably like Gai-sensei's. That put an end to that preposterous excuse."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "I've not known Kakashi-san ever to be hurt by Gai-san in a serious sparring session."

Sakura giggled and clamped a hand over her mouth. "That's what I told him, and then I told him he was growing old. And that I would happily whip him back into shape."

Itachi paused and looked at her. "You are fearless."

"I try. Perks of being one of Kakashi-sensei's favorite people is that I usually get away with remarks like those, especially when I'm the one healing him."

"I believe that."

"You worked with him in ANBU, right?"

"He was my captain before I was promoted," Itachi said, hesitantly. "A different Kakashi-san."

Sakura nodded quietly before joining Sarada at the table. She looked at the drawing Sarada had made and praised her daughter for her artistic skills, even though she was sure Sai would have plenty to critique her about, then looked at Itachi. "What do you think changed? With Kakashi-sensei? He was like this from the start with us."

"Time," Itachi said, tossing the sliced carrots into the curry. "Perspective. He was a young man when he joined ANBU—someone who had lost everyone he cared about. All he knew was how to do missions and do them well. That guided him. I wager he was still the same by the time the three of you got to know him, but that there was also a part of him he rediscovered while being your teacher." He was quiet for a long while as he cut up the next vegetable. "It isn't easy caring for someone after losing all you knew and once had, but sometimes life forces you into such a situation and coaxes you back into it."

Sakura laid her chin in her hand. She knew he wasn't only thinking of Kakashi. "I'm glad for such moments," Sakura confided. "Glad that I have Kakashi-sensei. Glad Sarada has you."

"I'm here for the both of you."

She smiled softly at Sarada, a warmth welling up in her chest. "I know. And we're here for you."

"I know."

Sakura watched as Itachi prepared their dinner, moving smoothly through the kitchen as though it was his own. As he breaded the chicken, Sakura couldn't help but let her eyes travel over his face, taking in his features.

Ino was right—Itachi was aging gracefully. His hair remained unchanged, though he was near forty. Still raven black. But the dimples she had always enjoyed seeing on him had deepened slightly, fine lines of laughter setting in on the corners of his mouth and eyes, though near imperceptible from a distance. If not for her closeness to him, Sakura would never even have seen them. Despite his age and the fact that she had gotten used to him in a domestic setting, there was still something formidable about him—every move he made was powerful in an understated way, deliberate and meticulous.

'I wonder if married life is like this?' she mused. 'Waking up to a rampant toddler, going to work, coming home to find dinner ready … Is this what it should be like?'

Her thoughts drifted to Sasuke.

'It was like that. Before he left again,' Sakura thought, absentmindedly stroking Sarada's head while Itachi fried the chicken. 'How long has it been this time?'

"Is there something on your mind?" Itachi's soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

She shook her head. "I was just wondering..."

"Yes?"

"Is this who you would be when married to someone?"

Finally, a crack in Itachi's near impenetrable poker face as one particular piece of chicken slid from his chopsticks back into the oil. He quickly retrieved it and set it on the cooling rack, turning to her with a pinched brow.

"I mean..." Sakura lifted her hands, a little embarrassed. "I know what Sasuke is like, obviously." She punctuated her remark with a wave of the hand. "And I know what he's like when he's back and with us. But I was wondering if you would—" she sighed, searching for the right words. "Would you give up this much for your family too, or is that just because we don't have Sasuke around?" She paused and frowned. "Then again, it would be your own family, so of course you wouldn't mind giving up that much for your family."

She ducked her head, unwilling to meet Itachi's questioning and slightly confused gaze, and instead resorted to fussing over Sarada, who babbled nonsense at her.

"I suppose I would, though it would also depend on my partner," Itachi finally said. He had returned to frying chicken, his hair tied in a neat bun as he peered into the pan of oil, fishing out the morsels. "If she were to enjoy staying at home, I would go out on missions—less so if there were children involved, of course. But if she wanted to continue as a kunoichi, then yes. I would stay at home and be … me."

"Don't you miss it?"

"Missions?" Itachi asked. He fished out the final piece and turned off the stove. "Sometimes." He looked at her and smiled. "Though only the good parts."

"Like grass between your toes and the stars when you camp out?"

"Hmm," he said in response.

"Do you like grass between your toes?" Sakura asked Sarada next, who contemplated the question with all the Uchiha seriousness that streamed through her veins before enthusiastically nodding in the affirmative.

She continued her enthusiastic babbling as Itachi plated their food and joined them at the table. Just as Sakura gave Sarada her first bite of food, Itachi spoke again: "For what it's worth, I believe a marriage is a choice. Not one you make only once, but every single day. Passion—" He smiled almost shyly at that. "May fizzle out eventually, but beneath that should be something to connect two people enough to choose each other over and over. If that is present, the small things like these will work themselves out."

Unable to find anything to say, Sakura swallowed and nodded, blinking at the tears in her eyes. "Who knew Uchiha Itachi was a romantic?" she joked eventually, focusing on Sarada and the curry that threatened to smear all over her child's face.

He made an amused sound. "You say that like it is a bad thing."

"It isn't," Sakura said vehemently. "I just ... wasn't expecting it."

He smiled at her from across the table. "I can't give away all my secrets."

"You just did," Sakura pointed out with a chuckle.

"I have more."

"Oh?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Color me intrigued."

It was at that exact moment that Sakura, distracted by the look on Itachi's face, failed to notice Sarada reaching out for the spoon carrying curry. The next moment, the remaining curry splattered over Sakura's chest, who quickly reached out to get a tissue and clean herself up, only to notice Itachi's gaze drawn to the V-neck of her shirt.

His eyes lingered for only a fraction of a second, but it seemed like the moment drew out forever until Sakura tossed the dirty tissue onto the table and Itachi averted his eyes to scoop up some rice.

But it was there.

Unable to concentrate, Sakura completely forgot to lecture Sarada for being so impatient and quickly brought the next spoonful to her daughter, hoping Itachi wouldn't notice the blush that spread over her cheeks and down her throat.

'Did he just ... check me out?' Sakura asked herself, as Inner Sakura laughed hysterically at the situation. She peered at Itachi, who ate his curry with his usual indifference, while bringing some food to Sarada's mouth while Sakura ate from her plate. 'No. Just a normal human reaction to check if someone is alright.'

She stole another look at him.

'Yes. Just a normal, human reaction.'

A/N: You know how some people have their stories completely planned out and write just to fill out their outlines?

I literally wrote this chapte y. rip. One day, I should really get into outlines but then again, I work best like this lmfao.

WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERE. Only took us 13 chapters. Did I mention this is the slowest slowburn ever? We're not even there yet.

In other news, one of the best things about your comments is reading comments from moms who tell me the baby/toddler parts are absolutely on point. I don't have children, nor do I want children so it's absolutely amazing to read those compliments and realize that empathy goes a looooong way in writing hahah 3 thank you all so much for commenting and loving this story. I know it's a slow one, but I enjoy it for the fluffy little marshmellow of found families it is. Hope you enjoyed this latest installment too!

If you're a shy reader or you don't know what to say, feel free to say it in emoji!

? Thank you

❤️ Loved it

? This slowburn is killing meeee

? Excuse me Itachi where are those eyes going

? Sakura talking to Ino is how I talk to my bff

? ゚ヘᄀ Let's get it ooooooonnn

Chapter 15: Chapter 14

Chapter Text

Chapter 14

"A few friends? A few?" Sakura hissed at Ino.

"Well, when I mentioned Itachi might come, a few more showed up," Ino shrugged, taking another look at the corner of the Leaky Leaf, where Itachi stood, surrounded by some eight women. To his credit, he kept a distance from all of them while keeping the trade-mark smile she had gotten used to plastered over his face, but there was no doubting the fact that Itachi was regretting coming out here with her.

"I should've warned him."

"You didn't?" Ino gasped. "Oh, Forehead."

"I thought there would be two, maybe three women here interested in him and you'd just casually introduce him, not that he would get mobbed the second he came through the door." Sakura shook her head, slammed her sake back and stood from the booth. "I'm going to go rescue him."

"You'll do no such thing." Ino waved a finger at her. "Itachi is a grown man and if he's not interested, he'll manage to worm his way out of there. Sasuke was also an expert at that."

"Sasuke had that patented glare that kept the women at a distance," Sakura said, giving Itachi another worried look from her booth.

"You are seriously underestimating what Itachi is capable of," Ino laughed. "I saw him reject someone a few months ago with the kind of quickness that just blew my socks off. I think the poor woman recoiled from how quick he said 'no, thank you'."

Sakura frowned at her drink. "Itachi is that popular?"

"I know you live under a rock, but he's dark, handsome, has a mysterious, but traumatic past, not to mention the fact that he is a Kage-level shinobi, even without his Sharingan. Most women go crazy when they see him walk the streets."

"How have I never noticed?"

"Because when you're with him, most women back off. They're afraid of you and your monstrous strength."

"Gee, thanks," Sakura said, waving at the barkeep for another drink. "It's not like he's my husband or anything. Anyone is welcome to walk up to him and talk to him? Like I'd punch someone just for coming over..."

Ino rolled her eyes.

"You know that, and I know that. But the rest of Konoha... well, doesn't." Ino heaved a sigh.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?"

Ino avoided her eyes, toying with the neon-pink umbrella of her drink for a long moment.

"Spit it out Ino."

"If you must know, there are rumors going around," Ino finally said, taking a big gulp from her drink.

"Rumors?"

"About you."

"About me."

"And Itachi."

"And—"

"Please stop," Ino said with a shake of the head. "Yes, rumors about you and Itachi. It can't come as too much of a surprise. You two have been inseparable since Sarada was, what? Six months old?"

"Yes, she was about six months old..." Sakura replied, thinking back on that particular afternoon in which Itachi came to her rescue. Had it been that long already? Time seemed to fly by. "But… everyone in Konoha knows I'm married to Sasuke. His brother."

"Like that would stop the gossiping," Ino said. "Don't worry about it. It'll blow over. Or it won't."

"But, what are they saying?" Sakura asked, leaning closer to Ino. "That I am cheating on my husband?"

"Oh Forehead, are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes," Sakura said.

"Hm," Ino said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Alright. Yes, that is what people are saying. Sad housewives with no other entertainment now that The Leaf and the Cloud stopped airing—and thank the gods for that, my mom would not stop talking about it—and some of the newbie kunoichi like to talk. You know how it goes? You're a high-ranking and respectable kunoichi here, even while you're currently off the mission roster due to the little Forehead you have running around. People like to chat about the people who seem untouchable and make them more human."

"So, conjuring up this fake affair makes me come off as more human?" Sakura asked, taking a sip from her drink as she forced her anger and humiliation back down. Surreptitiously, she looked around the bar, as though trying to find those gossiping about her. "How does that even work?"

"Don't pay it any heed, Sakura," Ino said. She laid her cheek in her hand. "You're married to one of the most handsome men in Konoha, and his brother is stupidly loyal to both you and your little one. It's just petty jealousy. You know what the situation is and so does Itachi."

"Hmm," Sakura said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she self-consciously looked round the bar once more, eyes landing on Itachi, who seemed embroiled in a conversation with a blond woman. "You're right. It's ridiculous anyway. Imagine me with Itachi."

'It would be less ridiculous if Sasuke were here,' her Inner self spoke.

Ino frowned at that. "Honestly—and this might be the drink speaking because I'm feeling it already—if you and Sasuke hadn't found each other, I would support you getting it on with Itachi one hundred percent."

Promptly, the sip Sakura had been attempting to take slid down the wrong pipe, then up her nose in what had to be in Konoha's History of Top Tier Unladylike Moments. Sakura snorted the drink over the table, drawing an 'eep' and then laughter from Ino as Sakura pressed her hand against her nose and looked up to find Itachi staring at her from within the circle of women, concern etched over his face. Feeling like her face was ablaze with shame, Sakura sat down, cleaned her nose and the rest of the table, before proceeding to give Ino a patented glare.

"Well, I'm not sure what reaction I was expecting, but this was definitely not it," Ino laughed, wiping at the tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Me, and Itachi?" Sakura hissed. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Oh, I'm being ridiculous?" Ino let out another laugh.

"Yes," Sakura said, huffing as she tossed her loose lock back behind her ear. "He's just a good friend, that's all."

"And you would in no way, shape or form be attracted to him if he wasn't your brother-in-law?"

"Nope."

"You are such a liar, Forehead."

"I wouldn't be."

Ino hummed behind her lips, amusement sparking behind her clear eyes. "So, you've never checked him out, despite him being handsome? You've never thought about what it would be like if he was Sarada's dad, what with him being in and around the house all the time?" She paused, smirk widening as she leaned in over the table. "You've never fantasized about him?"

"No!" Sakura exclaimed.

Ino observed her for the longest time, her intelligent eyes darting back and forth between hers. "Yeah, that's a lie."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is," Ino said, pulling at the lapels of her black Torture and Interrogation coat, as though that provided her with all the proof she needed. "Poker face me all you want, Sakura, I know you and I know your type. And Uchiha Itachi is exactly your type. Totally out of bounds, of course, but a woman can fantasize and you, my friend, have."

"Ugh," Sakura said, burying her face in her hands.

"It's fine," Ino announced with a flourish. "Deny it all you want. But I know you, Forehead."

Desperate for Ino to change the subject, Sakura took a gander around the bar, finding Tenten approaching Yamato, albeit without the gracefulness Sakura had gotten used to. Instead, Tenten walked toward the older jounin as though moving through thick mud, every step exaggerated, like she doubted herself and wished for nothing more than a hole to open up in the earth's surface and swallow her whole.

"Oh, it begins," Ino chuckled, waving for more drinks at the bartender as she settled in and watched.

"How slow is she moving?"

"I don't even think she realizes," Ino replied.

"Yamato is bound to catch on."

"He has. His eyes have been flickering to her every now and then. Knowing Yamato, he thinks she's piss-drunk."

"Poor Tenten."

"Poor Yamato," Ino countered. "The man is oblivious. It's a wonder he's made jounin."

Sakura laughed. "I don't think they take romantic aptitude into account."

"Still," Ino said, wiggling closer to the edge of her seat when Tenten finally reached Yamato and the group of jounin he was speaking to. He turned to her now, surprise flitting over his face—no doubt as he realized Tenten hadn't drunk a drop of alcohol yet—before he replaced it with a charming smile.

"Oh, Yamato, you're going to kill her," Ino commented, laughing behind her hand.

"He can't help it. Kakashi-sensei probably rubbed off on him."

"Kakashi?" Ino asked, raising an eyebrow. "He has the charm of a wet dog."

"He only uses it when he wants to."

"Oh, I bet."

"Do you think we should rescue her?"

"Nope," Ino said with a pop of the lips. "One way or another, she needs to get this out of her system. It's not like she's not been around handsome men in her life."

"She has a crush on him," Sakura laughed. "You weren't the most eloquent person around when Sai started putting the moves on you."

"I'll have you know I put the moves on Sai, and my eloquence was never in jeopardy."

"Says the woman who was a stammering mess after he asked you out."

"I was taken off-guard."

"Mm-hm."

Ino shot her a glare. "Don't start with me, Forehead. I remember you and Sasuke in the early years."

The smile fell off Sakura's lips as she fingered the rim of her cup and watched Yamato and Tenten's early years take off. It had been years since she thought of how her relationship with Sasuke began—it wasn't the most romantic of beginnings. Ramen at Ichiraku and drinks at the local bar—without Kakashi of course, as he skipped out on the bill at Ichiraku early in the evening—and with Naruto blabbing on about Hinata and the color of her eyes while she and Sasuke sat uncomfortably beside each other.

Sasuke had warmed up to her during his numerous visits to Konoha, spoken to her about his absent years and the regret he felt about nearly killing her when the curse of hatred consumed his soul just after learning the truth. But over the years, he had kept his distance to her, and she had given up on ever being together with him, until that very evening, when he placed his hand upon hers while Naruto went to the bathroom and asked her to come on his next trip.

A sad smile tugged at her lips, while a familiar and potent mix of loneliness and longing, swirling in the pit of her stomach as it did frequently, threatening to surge up unless she distracted herself. She watched Tenten's blush fade while talking to Yamato, who had now turned to her.

"Go get him," Ino cheered quietly, stirring her new drink with her straw before taking a long sip. "Five ryo she's ending up with him in her bed tonight."

"Ten ryo says he isn't coming home with her," Sakura countered. She shrugged at Ino's raised eyebrows. "He's the old-fashioned kind of guy. Wine and dine, kiss at the door, you know."

"Really?" Ino asked, surprised. A grin came over her face. "That's not what rumors tell me."

"I don't want to know."

"Apparently, old Unicorn is nothing compared to Yamato."

"Oh gods," Sakura cringed, tearing her eyes away from Yamato as a blush crept over her cheeks. "What did I just say?"

Ino's grin widened. "Huge."

"Stop."

"Fine. Spoilsport."

"How do you know these things anyway?" Sakura asked while shaking her head. Ino just gave her another blank look, then gestured over her coat. "I am sure you don't need to know that to be in T&I," Sakura pointed out.

"Maybe not, but it sure is fun knowing the top ten in Konoha."

Perhaps it was the alcohol in her system, which Sakura wasn't currently burning away. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't been with Sasuke in too many months to count by now, and maybe, just maybe, there was a slight chance both Kakashi and Naruto had rubbed off on her. "Who is number two?" Sakura asked.

"I was hoping you would ask," Ino said, looking like the cat who got the cream. Her blue eyes flickered to a corner of the bar, where, last Sakura had looked, Itachi stood.

"No."

"Oh yes."

"Why did I ask?"

"Because Naruto and Kakashi turned you into a little perv, or you were one to begin with. Take your pick."

"How do you even know this?"

"Don't make me do the gesture again." Ino chuckled. "Akari, of course."

"You'd think she'd be discreet about such private things," Sakura grumbled.

"Oh she is, took me forever to get her drunk enough to admit it."

Somewhat miffed that Akari would leak such sensitive information, Sakura gulped down another drink and turned her eyes back to Yamato and Tenten. 'Does that mean Itachi is … and Sasuke?' she considered, thoughts ricocheting between wanting to know, not wanting to linger on this subject any longer, and wanting to pump Ino for all the information.

"Of course, I don't know about everyone in Konoha."

"Subtle."

"Come on, Forehead."

"Some secrets you'll never learn, Ino."

'Not like you can remember what it looks like,' Inner Sakura gloated. 'You're more intimately familiar with Unicorn than you ever were with Sasuke.'

'That's enough from you,' Sakura thought, pushing her subconscious down to the farthest reaches of her mind.

"I'm not asking you to break out the measurement tape next time … just … give me an indication."

Sakura glowered at Ino. "Why does this mean so much to you?"

"Curiosity."

"I heard it killed the cat."

"Yes, but satisfaction brought it back." Ino waggled her eyebrows.

"No."

"Fine," Ino said with a deep sigh. She looked over her shoulder and giggled. "Well, Tenten looks like she's having a good time."

Sakura looked over to where Yamato had now broken away from his group of friends, dark eyes completely on Tenten as she spoke, an intrigued smile on his lips. Tenten, for her part, continued talking like her face wasn't lit up by her blush, stopping only to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, then nearly jumping as Yamato reached for that same spot.

"I'll up my bet to fifteen ryo," Ino said.

"You're on."

"Please, Itachi-san?" one of the women—Hina, he remembered—pleaded, holding onto his sleeve as he tried to extricate himself from the group much, much later than he had hoped. A flash of annoyance overcame him. He didn't ask for much in life—simple pleasures, really. A reasonable rain season. The green grocer to bring in seasonal vegetables from Konoha and not to import vegetables that tasted like water from Cloud, simply because they were cheaper. Sarada smiling at him after he finished reading her favorite books or watched Ponpontopia with her for what had to be the thousandth time. Invading his space for hours on end was one thing. Laying her hands on him was another.

"No," Itachi said, voice firm. "Kindly let go, Hina-san."

Hina, flustered and baffled at his rejection, released him as though he had fired a fire jutsu at her face and stepped away from the circle, far enough to let him escape from them and slip into the crowds.

He should've known it would end like this. It seemed there was no safe space for him in Konoha—the second he would go outside without Sakura by his side as a natural deterrent, single women would accost him until he went home. Somehow, he had hoped her being in the same bar as him would have helped, but he hadn't counted on Ino telling her friends he was coming, and from the brief look he caught on Sakura's face at the start of the evening, she hadn't either.

"A drink, Itachi-san?" the bartender, Yoshie, asked.

"Thank you, Yoshie-san, I am on my way home."

"Too bad," a voice whispered in his ear. He turned to find Akari standing beside him, a pretty smile lighting her features. "I was about to buy you one when I noticed you escaped."

"Well, in that case."

Akari laughed. "Two sake, Yoshie-san!"

"Coming up."

Akari gestured to two empty seats in the bar's corner. He followed her there, eyes scanning the bar only to find Sakura embroiled in drinks with Ino and Tenten, the latter blushing as Ino pushed some money in Sakura's direction. Inwardly, he smiled. It seemed Sakura had inherited a great deal from Tsunade, except for her lousy fortune when it came to betting.

"Who tried to set you up?" Akari asked as he sat down beside her.

"Yamanaka."

"Oh," Akari said, glancing at the aforementioned Yamanaka. "Is that Sakura-san with her?"

"Yes."

Akari hummed behind her lips as she observed the women for a moment longer. "She's pretty. In a strange way."

That remark somehow irked him more than Hina touching him. "Strange?" he asked, taking a sip of his sake. "How so?"

"Pink hair. Her forehead is a little too big. Also, she's more muscular than most other kunoichi I've seen. Taijutsu is her specialty, so that makes sense." Akari considered her for a moment longer. "But pretty enough. I see what Sasuke sees in her."

The compliment, if he could call it that, seemed innocuous enough, but Itachi hadn't spent his lifetime looking underneath the underneath to miss the slight tone in her voice. "She is beautiful. But she is also highly intelligent, caring, kind and she has a sense of humor."

Akari knew him long enough to know when to back off. She frowned lightly, then changed the subject to tell him about the mission she had just returned from, patrolling the border. He listened with half an ear, focused to see if there was any news on Sasuke, while subconsciously, he focused on Sakura's voice amidst the crowd, hearing it rise and rise in volume. 'Drunk,' he concluded as the three women laughed loud enough to wake a neighboring village.

"Are you returning to longer missions soon, Itachi-san?" Akari asked, scooting closer to him. She flashed him a seductive smile. "I was hoping to spend more time with you."

"I'm not," Itachi said, drinking from his cup. "My missions are one-day missions at the longest until Sasuke returns."

"Still looking after the little one?"

"Yes."

"How old is she now?"

"Three-and-a-half."

Akari nodded politely and drank. She wasn't the type to want to have children, nor did she particularly like them. He couldn't blame her. If Sarada hadn't come into his life, he probably wouldn't have been around a child for a long, long time—if ever. 'Too far from normalcy,' he thought, his lips quirking as he swirled the sake in his cup. Even the thought of him becoming a father was alien to him.

A quick scuffle sounded behind him, then a loud laughter erupted. He turned to find Tenten had dropped from her chair and resurfaced over the table, face bright red as both Ino and Sakura sat crying with laughter and tried to help her up. 'Strange. She usually burns the alcohol out of her system,' Itachi thought, considering Sakura's face.

"We need to go home," Ino's voice sounded over the music and the crowd.

"Yep," Tenten grumbled, while Sakura climbed off her chair with a wobble and fished out some ryo from her pocket. She stumbled as she tried to walk away from the table.

"I don't have a mission for another day," Akari said, drawing his attention. She laid a hand on his leg, stroking his thigh as she smiled at him. "You can come over. I'll make you breakfast if you want to spend the night."

A tempting offer, if not for his sister-in-law currently barreling her way through the bar in a way that suggested that not all was fine with Uchiha Sakura. "Thank you," Itachi said. "But not tonight."

"Oh," Akari said as he slipped from the chair and placed some money on the bar.

"Sorry. Maybe next time."

The words, spoken so callously, rang in his ears as he left Akari at the bar and made his way through the dancing crowd, out the front door and toward where Tenten now stood crouched over a bush, Ino holding up her hair. Sakura was nowhere to be seen.

"Itachi!" Ino exclaimed, accidentally pulling on Ino's hair as she waved at him. Understanding he was searching for Sakura, she pointed in a direction that led to Konoha's outer district. With a frown, he thanked her and hurried after Sakura.

He found her sitting on a bench on the road that led to the outer gate of Konoha. She sat, bathed in moonlight, and looked down at the bench, stroking it with her hand. A drunk flush still stained her face, eyes unfocused for a quick moment as she caught his approach.

"What are you doing here so late at night?" he asked her.

She blinked owlishly at him. "In order to leave this village, you need to take this road."

He remained silent. Though the remark seemed innocent enough, there was a part of him that recognized the way she said those words—like she recited something she had heard years ago. Realization hit him as he stared down the road; he hadn't known the exact circumstances behind Sasuke's departure from Konoha, only learning later on that Sakura had been there, trying to stop him as he left.

"You know," Sakura began, voice cracking as she looked down the road once more, as though in search of someone who wasn't there. "When he left, that first time, he told me he was different from us. That he followed a different path than us." She let out a sound that he wasn't sure was either a sob or a smile. "That he thought of the four of us together as one possible path. And that his heart had chosen revenge. That was his reason to live."

Itachi's heart clenched in his chest as he listened to her.

"He told me he couldn't be like Naruto, or me." She licked her lips as she considered the road. "At the time, I thought it meant that he couldn't get past the massacre. That this was what he absolutely had to do. And that if he did it, if he—" Sakura met his gaze. "That he would return once it was over and we would be together. The four of us." She let out a sigh. "But he didn't and we're not." Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them away, focusing back on the road, as if any moment now, Sasuke would appear.

"Sakura-"

"He told me that loneliness was painful," Sakura said, fists clenching. "I understand that now, so well it hurts. I have Sarada, and you, and my friends and family, but it's not complete. And some days, it's the same as being alone." She was crying now, tears rolling over her cheeks and into her lap.

Finally willing his legs to move, Itachi approached her with care, squatting down in front of her. "Oftentimes, when we are alone, it is because we don't have a home."

She looked at him. "I have a home."

Itachi smiled. "Yes. But a home is more than four walls and a roof. Sometimes, you need someone to fill the gaping emptiness that is loneliness, and not just anyone will do. Some people fill in the gaps. And sometimes the people who most need to reach out at the people least capable of it."

"Are you lonely?" Sakura asked.

He shook his head. "Not anymore." As he spoke, Itachi realized it was the truth.

"Oh," Sakura said. She wiped at her tears and gave him a watery smile. "Good."

"Why did you come here?"

"I don't know. I never do, you know. Sasuke knocked me out here, that day, on this very bench. I've been avoiding it for years," Sakura chuckled, though the laughter soon died on her lips. "I'm alright, you know. On the whole."

"On the whole?"

"Yes," she said, standing from the bench. She wobbled on her legs and he grabbed her arm to help stabilize her. With a flash of an embarrassed laugh, Sakura blinked a few times and regained her balance.

"Will you tell me?" he asked her. She looked at him, befuddled. "When you're not," he added."

Sakura smiled a genuine smile, her hand creeping up his arm to give him a soft squeeze on his forearm. "I will," she promised.

"I'll take you home," he offered.

"Thank you."

He formed the seals for a teleportation and landed with Sakura in the middle of her apartment. "Sarada?" he asked her as she sat down on the couch and curled up in the corner.

"At Ino and Sai's. She's spending the night."

"Tea?"

"Please."

Itachi busied himself in the kitchen, boiling the water as he considered Sakura and her situation. Sasuke was keeping in touch now, as he had promised before he departed. He visited right after the campaign was over, only to depart soon after. At the time, Itachi thought Sakura was fine with it—she had seemed chipper and cheerful when Sasuke told Itachi about his new mission and had shown no signs of being lonely or sad about the situation. But now... Now Itachi realized he had paid too little attention to Sakura over the years. 'I need to stop going on missions again,' he thought, pouring water over the tea. 'Even short ones. Until Sasuke returns.'

Satisfied with his conclusion, he took the two cups into the living room, only to find Sakura had fallen asleep on the couch. Her head had fallen back, and she was snoring like only a drunk person could. Amusement tugged at his lips as he set the cups down on the table and maneuvered his arms around her, lifting her off the sofa. With care, he made his way up the stairs and into her bedroom, listening to her incoherent mumblings as he placed her down on the bed.

"Don't worry, Sakura," Itachi said as he pulled the blanket over her. "I'll be here."

He looked down at her once more, finding a strand of pink hair had fallen over her face and had become entwined with her lashes. The moonlight gave her skin an ethereal glow, dark pink lashes casting long shadows on her cheeks. Carefully, he reached to remove the hair. Now that he was sitting this close to her, Itachi suddenly noticed the light dusting of freckles on her cheeks—something he had never seen before, only to realize his proximity to her.

He unfolded himself, took one last look at Sakura, then departed from the bedroom and made his way to the guest room, deciding to cook her favorite breakfast in the morning.

A/N: So... After getting my second dose of vaccination (yay) my immunocompromised body decided to toss me into flu-symptomps central so I was knock-out for most of a week. Then when I recovered from that, I realized I had kept my contacts in for way too long (please, if you wear contacts, never do this) and my eyeballs had completely dried out. Which sounds funny in theory but in reality it means I could barely sit in front of a screen for longer than 10 minutes before getting dizzy and tired. It's been a long ride trying to write this chapter is all I'm saying. Sorry there was no update last Tuesday.

This chapter is also unbetad because I was late af in getting this to the wonderful Kakashisgf. I'll probably go over it with her this week and update it again before the next chapter comes out, so who knows, you might want to re-read it when this is done. 3

ALSO, if you're a creator in the ItaSaku fandom, check it out: ITASAKUWEEK 2021 IS HAPPENING! If you're not a creator, also super cool if you would follow the tags, check out the works and please leave comments and kudos and love for each of our content creators who will be busting out some awesome works in that week!

Thanks for all your amazing comments, love, excited squeeling and emoji. You have no idea how much this fuels my drive to continue this story every week 3 I'll get back to your comments from last week as soon as my eyes are functional again! If you're a shy reader or don't know what to say, please feel free to express yourself with emoji!

? - Thank you

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? - OH MY GOD IT'S HAPPENING - EVERYBODY STAY CALM

? - Uncle Itachi is the cutest

? - Poor Sakura

Chapter 16: Chapter 15

Chapter Text

Chapter 15

Uchiha Itachi wasn't the religious sort of man. Far from it. But since he had walked in on his sister-in-law shedding her clothes and seen a glimpse of her perfect breasts, it seemed the whole universe conspired against him when he tried desperately to forget all about it.

The first such incident was when Sakura was called in for an emergency at the hospital.

Though he had a mission of his own, when Sakura came knocking at his door with Sarada in her arms, there was no way he could have said no. And thus, with Sarada in his arms, Itachi made for the Hokage Administration building and knocked on Naruto's door, explaining the situation and letting the Seventh know in his own diplomatic, but stern way, that he had to be excused from his mission.

"Can't Kizashi watch her?" Naruto asked, shifting through piles of paperwork.

"Super-Kizashi!" Sarada interjected, drawing a laugh from both men.

"Sakura specifically asked me," Itachi said calmly, rocking Sarada in his arms as she laid her head on Itachi's shoulder. "I'd rather not disappoint her."

"What was it? A guard mission to Ichinomiya for this rich dude?" Naruto asked, finding the scroll he'd been searching for and unfurled it. With a deep sigh, he read over the mission details that Itachi had been briefed on the previous day and nodded before looking up at Itachi and Sarada. "I'll send someone else."

"Excellent. Thank you." He hesitated. "I would appreciate being taken off the mission roster for the time being."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, then heaved a sigh. "Sasuke?"

"Yes."

"It's the least I can do," Naruto acquiesced with a smile in Sarada's direction.

As he turned to walk away, Itachi gave the Seventh one more glance. Naruto was looking gaunt, black bags under his eyes as he searched for a new slip of paper beneath the giant stack that lay haphazardly over his desk. "Hokage-sama, if I may make a suggestion ..."

"Yes?"

"Please hire an aide."

Naruto looked up, bewilderment in his eyes. "An aide? I can do that?"

"Every other Hokage has had one—Tsunade-sama had Shizune, Kakashi-sama had Shikamaru. I know he has helped you in the past, but with his little one, I am sure Shikamaru is here less." Itachi let his eyes wander the paperwork stack. "You shouldn't be tied up in all this paperwork all the time. A Hokage should be seen, leading the village and bringing prosperity to it."

"You're … really wise, aren't you?"

Itachi chuckled as Sarada impatiently tugged at his hair. He reached over to open her tiny fist and shook his head to let her know he wasn't charmed by that move, before eying Naruto once more. "How is your son doing?"

Naruto flashed him a sheepish smile. "I haven't seen him in a while. Been busy, with—" He waved a hand over his desk. "This village doesn't run itself."

"With respect, Hokage-sama, the previous Hokage have all been able to maintain a private life in addition to their duties as village leader," Itachi said softly, thinking of Hinata and Boruto—he saw them often enough in the marketplace, always alone, always looking around for signs of Naruto. "A family is a beautiful thing. No doubt you're aware of the treasure you have, but please don't forget to pay attention to them." Itachi smiled at Sarada. "These early years aren't ever going to come back."

"You're right. I'm just swamped with work, and this paperwork," Naruto sighed, exasperated, as he scrubbed his face with his palms.

"I'm sure you'll find a way, Hokage-sama."

"Yeah ..." Naruto said, but his tone didn't sound convincing. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

"Uncle Ita!" Sarada said, wiggling in his arms.

"Alright, let's go home, Sarada-chan."

With one final nod, Itachi stepped out of the office and put Sarada on the floor. She grabbed his hand and stomped toward the exit, pulling him along with her. "What are we doing?" he asked her affectionately.

"Ponpon movie."

"Princess Ponpon again?" Itachi asked, letting out a soft sigh of resignation. It was Sarada's favorite movie, and he had only been forced to see it half a dozen times with her, but it had been more than enough for his tastes. Of course, seeing Sarada's face spark with elation every time Princess Ponpon saved Prince Mori was worth it every single time. There was little doubt in his mind that Sarada would end up much like her mother—strong, stubborn and unwilling to back down in the face of danger.

'She'll be a great kunoichi,' Itachi thought, smiling at the top of Sarada's head as they quickly made their way to her house.

Sarada sat daintily down on the floor and divested herself of one shoe, then another, then leveraged herself back to her feet and scrambled off in the direction of the TV. He followed her in, watching her as she climbed onto the sofa. When he heard the TV turn on, he dipped into the kitchen for two glasses of juice.

Instead of the upbeat intro tune of Ponpontopia , however, there were distinctly adult sounds coming from the TV. He stood still for a grand total of two seconds, trying to make sense of what was happening, before quickly stalking toward the TV, where instead of Ponpontopia , a very uncensored version of the latest Icha Icha movie was playing. With the quickness that could only be attributed to years of being an elite shinobi, Itachi slammed the TV button off, to the surprise of Sarada, who looked, baffled, at the now-empty screen.

He crouched beside the DVD player and ejected the disk before peering over his shoulder at Sarada. "Sorry about that, Sarada-chan, that wasn't Ponpontopia ."

"Lady looked happy."

Itachi cleared his throat. "Yes, she did."

Unable to contain his blush, Itachi bit his lip and averted his eyes from his clever niece, sliding the Icha disc onto the DVD player before locating Ponpontopia . His heart beat wildly in his chest as he turned the TV back on and turned away from the bright pink and yellow colors of Ponpontopia as the theme song started. He stood and approached Sarada, settling in beside her as she thoughtfully looked at the screen.

"Mama never looks that happy."

There were few times in his life that embarrassment caused him to wish for the earth to split open and swallow him whole, but in that moment, Itachi was certain this was now one of the top-ranked moments.

"I am sure she does," he offered, trying to stop his treacherous mind from conjuring up the image.

Thankfully, that little conversation appeared to be at an end, as Ponpontopia sucked Sarada in. Unfortunately for Itachi, his brain was intent on focusing back on that one moment a week prior, when he stepped into the house just as Sakura undressed herself—the image manifested itself so clearly, he was half-tempted to check in the mirror to see if the Sharingan had returned to him—everything from their perfect shape to her creamy skin and its stiffened, rose-pink epicenters exposed to the glowing rays of early morning sunlight.

He surreptitiously drew a shaky breath, willing the image away from his mind. But his body had a different idea as the blood drained from his brain in such a rush, Itachi marveled at the fact that he was still conscious. It beelined for his crotch next, where it stirred his loins and filled him with warmth. Uncomfortable, he crossed his legs and squashed his impromptu arousal, thinking of everything from the old ladies at the market asking for his recipes to his mother's old trick to clean a cast iron pan until he was finally able to put Sakura and her choice of movies out of his mind.

'I need to see Akari,' he thought as he watched Princess Ponpon place her hands on her hips and call her loyal knights to arms. Sarada bounced up and down on the sofa, clapping happily along with the next song, completely oblivious to her uncle's discomfort.

When Sakura returned hours later, exhausted from her shift, Itachi sat on the sofa, waiting for her beside a tuckered-out Sarada, who slept comfortably beneath a blanket. His cheeks were colored red.

"Is everything alright?" Sakura asked, wondering why he wasn't looking at her.

"Yes," Itachi replied, clearing his throat. "We—eh—"

"The great Uchiha Itachi, speechless?" Sakura joked, dropping into a chair. "This is new."

"We tried to watch Ponpontopia earlier," Itachi said, retrieving a DVD from beneath the pillows of the sofa. Sakura blanched as she recognized it while Itachi slid it over the table to her, still unwilling to look her in the eye. "She's … possibly seen something she shouldn't have."

Speechless, Sakura snatched the DVD off the table and threw it into her bag like it was on fire. They sat across from each other in total silence for the longest moment, and try as she might, Sakura for once had no jokes or quips to try to alleviate the awkwardness. "Uhm … Okay … Wh—what did you tell her? What did she … see?"

"I turned it off as quickly as possible. She saw … a happy lady."

Sakura buried her face into her palms. "I—I—"

" Ponpontopia distracted her soon after, but it might be prudent not to leave videos like these in the recorder next time," Itachi said softly.

Unable to look at him, Sakura nodded from behind her hands and peeked at him through her fingers, finding him seemingly more uncomfortable than she had ever seen him in her life, the redness of his cheeks creeping down toward his throat.

He sucked in a deep breath and looked at her. "Accidents happen."

"Right," Sakura said, dropping her hands from her face. "Accidents happen."

Itachi wiped his hands on his pants and stood to his feet. He gave her a quick smile. "She was alright otherwise. She's eaten. There is some food for you in the refrigerator."

"Are you staying for dinner?" Sakura asked, swallowing thickly.

"No, I am meeting someone."

"Oh," she managed, curiosity nearly overwhelming her as she considered the possibilities. In the years Itachi had been in her and Sarada's life, he had seldom met up with other people. "Thank you for watching her."

"Always," Itachi said before vanishing from the house with a soft poof.

Sakura stared at the empty space where he'd stood for a while longer, then buried her face in her palms once more as she mentally cursed herself for not hiding the DVD in her haste that particular morning.

The next occasion was on his birthday, a few weeks after the Icha Incident.

He sat down on his sofa while Akari busied herself in the kitchen, bringing out the sake and two cups. She approached him with one of her sultry smiles and curled up beside him, pouring the sake into both cups before holding up her own. "To you. If everyone looks as good as you do at forty, we're in for a treat."

"Please don't remind me of my age," Itachi said with a chuckle.

"What's this?" Akari said with a lift of her brows. "The mighty Uchiha Itachi, feeling his age?" She drank a sip.

He smiled at her, but it felt hollow as he considered why his age bothered him so—it wasn't because he was now forty. Age had never bothered him. Time was just time, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop the progression of it. It crept along, second by second, day by day, never faster or slower. The one constant in his life before he met his niece and sister-in-law.

He was now his father's age.

The celebratory feelings he had felt slowly vanished as the crushing realization came upon him that he was now as old as his parents were. Once, they had seemed so much older than he was, so much wiser and knowledgeable, inhabiting the Uchiha district's finest home, raising two children and working as head of police and a housewife. Were they as clueless as he was now, despite their confidence? Did they know what they were doing when they planned their coup? Did they know what they were doing when they raised both him and Sasuke? Did they see his betrayal coming?

'Take care of Sasuke.' His father's final words resounded in his head.

Akari, who had talked on about something he had tuned out of, now stared at him with surprise and confusion in her eyes. "Is it something I said?" she asked, placing her cup on the table.

"No, it's—" Belatedly, he realized she wasn't the one he wanted to share this with. He downed the contents of his cup and gave her a smile. "I'm sorry, Akari. Perhaps tonight isn't the best of nights."

Her face fell, but much to her credit, she schooled it into an emotionless expression worthy of ANBU. She nodded, drank from her cup, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Happy birthday, Itachi-san. If you feel like company again, let me know."

"I will," Itachi said, appreciating the way she didn't press for answers. She gave him a small smile, then vanished from his apartment.

He sat on the sofa for the longest time, watching as outside, the night deepened. Once every now and then, he refilled his cup and drank from it as he allowed himself to remember all the details of his youth—from the fresh scent of the tatami mats to the way his bedroom door would always creak a little on the last centimeter. From the sound of the bamboo fountain in the garden to his father's heavy footsteps, to his mother's favorite detergent on laundry day and Sasuke's happy laugh as he greeted him at the front door.

As he allowed himself to wallow in his memories, Itachi realized that, for once, he didn't want to be alone. That for one birthday, he wanted to be with someone who loved him, even if just platonically.

Without a second thought, he made the seal for a teleportation jutsu and ended up in front of Sakura and Sarada's home. He knocked once, listened carefully, then knocked again. A sound came from the other side of the door, and a second later, a bleary-eyed Sakura opened it. Aggravation gave way to surprise as she realized who he was.

"I am my father's age now," Itachi said, staring at her as though she held all the answers for the unspoken questions he had.

"Oh," Sakura said, before grabbing him by the arm and pulling him in.

The moment his foot stepped into the home, it was like the grayscale world was suddenly awash with color and smells and sounds again—the dull, silent landscape he had entertained himself with for hours in his own apartment replaced by the smell of cooking which lingered in the kitchen. The summer's warmth covered the house like a blanket, Sakura and Sarada's scents all around him as Sakura led him to the couch and searched her refrigerator for something to drink. Finally, she joined him, pouring him a tall glass of cold sake before sitting down beside him.

"Happy birthday," Sakura said, bringing her glass to his.

"Thank you."

"The big forty, huh?"

"Yes."

"Well, I think for the most part, you and Sasuke have your mother's genes. That should work in your favor."

A small part of him was stunned that she dared even joke about his parents, but a far larger part was amused by it. Sadness thickened his tongue and his eyes stung unshed tears, but he simply drank his sake and said, "My father looked like he was fifty by the time he was forty. I dare say you are correct."

"Must have been all that plotting. It ages you."

"I hesitate to think what he would've looked like if he had succeeded."

"Eighty?"

"My poor mother."

Sakura giggled and gave him a long look as she drank. "You look good for your age. Handsome. Less like a droopy dog and more like you're—" she hesitated.

"More like?" Itachi prodded, interested.

"Ino said something about you a while back."

"I am not surprised."

"Ino has a lot of opinions."

"As she should."

Sakura chuckled. "She said you 'aged like fine wine'."

"Did she?"

"Yes."

He frowned. "Have I?"

"I'd say so."

Somehow, the thought that Sakura found him handsome and was so frank in telling him so was both refreshing and flattering. He smiled into his glass and sipped from it. "Thank you."

They sat in amiable silence for a long time, each enjoying the other's company in quiet, refilling the glasses as they emptied slowly but surely, until Sakura began telling him stories about her apprenticeship with Tsunade and Itachi told her about the idiosyncrasies of both Mikoto and Fugaku.

"Your mother was not a slob," Sakura giggled.

"She had terrible hayfever and would start sneezing even before she opened her eyes in the morning," Itachi said, fondness coating his voice. "But she had a blind eye for all her used tissues, so it would fall to my father to clean them all up."

"Somehow, I can't imagine Fugaku cleaning."

"That was all he did around the house," Itachi smiled, pushing a hand into his hair as he remembered the tissue-strewn bedroom of his parents every year during spring. "But he complained that if he didn't, the room would eventually just be tissues. So he cleaned."

"That's love."

"Indeed."

"What about Fugaku?"

"He had a tendency to either slam doors or to leave them half open at all times," Itachi said, suppressing a shudder. "I would go through the house and close the open shoji doors before my mother noticed. She had a finite amount of doors she could close before yelling at him. He would promise to pay more attention, never did, then it would start all over again."

"Your parents were quite the characters."

"What about yours?"

"You know them. They're Mebuki and Super-Kizashi." Sakura circled the rim of her drink with a finger as she considered her parents, and for a moment, Itachi was unable to look away from her—a drunk flush had settled on her cheeks, her green eyes were lively and sparked with humor, and her lips trembled as she fought against a laugh. "Okay, I have one."

"Do share."

"Kizashi never closes the bathroom door when he goes number two."

Itachi stared into the distance as he considered this tidbit of information. "Somehow, this doesn't surprise me."

"Anyone who knows him wouldn't be surprised." Sakura giggled. "But when my mother was dating him, her parents stopped by for a surprise visit and ... well..."

"What were Mebuki's parents like?"

"Like Mebuki, but worse."

"I'm surprised he's still alive."

"So am I," Sakura laughed. "Sorry. I only have embarrassing stories."

He was about to comment on the fact that he had some rather embarrassing stories about Sakura herself, but stopped himself at the last minute. It had been several weeks since the incident with the Icha DVD and several weeks more since the incident in which he had caught her with her top off, but somehow, Itachi was sure that wasn't nearly enough time.

"I'm glad you came here," Sakura said suddenly, all amusement gone from her eyes. She looked at him for a long time, green eyes darting back and forth between his, and this time, there was no denying the warmth that settled in his stomach, although he wasn't sure whether it was her or the sake. "Knowing you, I wouldn't be surprised if you stayed at home and bore this weight by yourself, but you came here and—"

In a move that completely caught him off guard, Sakura lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer to her. His arms moved of their own accord, settling around her waist as he inhaled deeply, tasting her scent on his tongue as he felt her silky hair brushing against his cheek and her warmth enveloping him. Then, strangely, a feeling of safety overcame him as Sakura held him tightly. A soft laugh escaped him, and all too soon, Sakura leaned back and released him.

"I'm sorry," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"There's no need to apologize."

"It's just ..." Sakura began, searching for words before slipping her hand into his, squeezing it tight. Oddly, his stomach began to flutter for a brief spell. "You're my family. One of my precious people. Always come here if you're in need of company. I'm always here for you, no matter what." She grinned. "This isn't a one-way street, you know?"

"Thank you," Itachi said as she removed her hand from his to reach for the sake bottle, only to find it was empty.

"I'll go get the next."

"My understanding is alcohol ages you."

"Well, good. You should have some familial resemblance to your father."

Itachi chuckled as Sakura walked to the kitchen, then stared at his hand for the longest time.

The next incident came in an unguarded moment during September of that same year.

As Itachi worked to cut up some vegetables after a long day of babysitting, Sarada, who was now in the pick-up-everything-and-run-away-with-it kind of phase, bumbled into the kitchen holding a very sexy, lacy thong.

His heart nearly dropped at the sight of it, though he managed to keep his face straight as he put down his knife and crouched in front of Sarada. "Sarada-chan, will you put that back where you found it?" he asked quietly but firmly.

"No."

"Sarada."

"No."

The gentle tone faded from his voice as he straightened his shoulders and waited for her to speak. At first, Sarada remained defiant, pouting like Sasuke used to do while he waited patiently for her. Then, doubt set in as she fingered the flimsy underwear between her fingers—Itachi desperately tried not to look at it—and she began batting her eyes at him in hopes of leniency. He remained stoic as she averted her eyes and took a step back, sniffing theatrically, before rushing upstairs with the tiny garment.

Itachi swallowed hard and stood, passing a hand over his forehead before returning to his chopping duty, only to hear the front door open moments later. He listened as Sakura divested herself off her boots and approached the kitchen.

"Welcome back," he said as he sensed her peeking in.

"Thanks," Sakura said, looking around the kitchen. "Is Sarada playing?"

"She's having a lot of fun unearthing items and showing them to me," Itachi said, careful to keep his voice neutral. The last thing he wanted was for Sakura to know he had seen her underwear.

"Oh yes, that." Sakura rolled her eyes and looked into the pot. "Nabe?"

"Yes."

"Smells delicious."

"How was your shift?"

"Uneventful," she said, leaning against the counter. She wrapped her arms around herself and shrugged. "Sometimes I really miss being on the front lines ... Which makes no sense. Also, there aren't any front lines left."

"It sounds like you miss being challenged."

"Hmm, maybe," Sakura answered, reaching over to pop a piece of carrot into her mouth. "But for medics, a slow day is a good day."

Itachi eyed her. "We could spar."

"You and I?" Sakura asked, flabbergasted.

"Yes."

"Are you that eager to show off your skills?"

Itachi chuckled. "Think about it. It would be a nice opportunity for us to keep each other sharp."

"Hmm," Sakura replied. "True ... I could use the exercise too ..." She considered it for a moment longer. "Then again, I could always pick things up randomly and run around the house with them."

"There is always that option."

Sakura laughed. "Thank you. I really appreciate you spending so much time with her," she said. He paused his work and glanced at her, the corner of his mouth subconsciously lifting into a slow smile, which she returned, making warmth spread across his chest.

"It's my pleasure." His voice was low, barely above a whisper. "I enjoy spending time with her. And with you."

Her eyes widened almost imperceptibly. And with good reason—for a moment there, it sounded like he was flirting with her. His heartbeat resounded in his ears as he tried to come to grips with what he'd said and find the right words to correct her errant thoughts, but the silence stretched on before he finally tried to speak, only to be interrupted by Sarada's loud giggles.

Sarada bounded around the corner, tittering as she held an item unfamiliar, but unmistakable to him, over her head. Frozen in place, Itachi didn't miss the way Sakura tensed beside him as Sarada did a victory lap around the dinner table, holding Sakura's very large, very pink, and very glittery vibrator above her head.

"Unicorn!" she squealed with unfettered joy before disappearing from the kitchen again.

Sakura, unable to look Itachi in the eye, quickly clamped a hand over her mouth and rushed after her daughter, obviously horrified.

Itachi stood in the empty kitchen for a long moment as he considered the ways in which the universe had told him that Sakura—his sister-in-law—was a beautiful, sexual woman, and decided that he really didn't need that particular bit of information, even as deep within him, a heat burned with the intensity of a thousand suns.

A/N: So, confession time. This chapter was written before the last and I had totally blanked on the fact that I needed to write Yamato's birthday and the drinks scenes as I was super excited to get to this chapter. So, when I realized the error of my ways, I wrote the Yamato birthday and now that I'm editing this for a final time, I'm realizing Itachi's birthday is in here (june 9th) and Yamato's is in August. Oops. So, we're just making Yamato's birthday the first week of June. Pick a date, any date lmao. Sorry.

The first scene of this chapter is dedicated to Spoogie, who was deathly afraid of seeing Itachi going back on missions. ❤ ONLY TEMPORARILY BB.

As next week is ItaSaku week and I'd like to work on the prompts and (hopefully) publish something for each of the prompts (she says, with only 1/4th of one prompt done at the time of this writing, 6 days before the start), I'm taking next week off from Otherworld and Uncle. Both will be updated again in the week of the 30th, and we'll be back on track with semi-weekly and weekly updates for both respectively.

As always, a huge thank you for your amazing comments, love, incoherent screeching, deep thoughts and wonderful support. You all keep fueling me to keep writing Uncle and it's just amazing to have such a great fandom to write in 3 If you're a shy reader, or you don't know what to say, please feel free to use an emoji to express yourself!

? - Thank you

❤ - Loved it

✋ - stop, in the name of WHAT IS HAPPENING ITACHI

? - he is way, way deep in and I can't wait to see more

? - UNICORN

?ᅡᅠ - RIP Sakura, but at least Sarada didn't pellet her chest with food again

Chapter 17: Chapter 16

Chapter Text

Chapter 16

Truly, she was the biggest fool in all of Konoha.

"What was I thinking?" Sakura asked the crow that passed overhead. Over the tops of the trees, the sun climbed towards its zenith, leaves rustling in the distance while Sarada frolicked in a patch of grass. The tiny girl raised her head and looked at Sakura.

"Mama?"

"Just talking to a bird."

Sarada seemed to accept that and gave her a nod before returning to the bug she was inspecting, giggling with glee as it crept up the side of her arm. Sakura suppressed a shudder of disgust, then continued her survey of the area.

Training ground two. She hadn't been here often—Kakashi liked sixteen and for some reason unbeknownst to them, Team Seven had always defaulted to that specific training ground, even when practicing by themselves or long after Kakashi's promotion to Kage. The Nakano river bisected training ground two; she could hear the crash of the waterfall not far from them. Whereas training ground sixteen was fairly empty aside from the three wooden poles in the middle of the clearing, two was in one of the last parts of rugged nature in Konoha. Large rocks formed a natural arena, and the river's muddy edge progressed into a thick, luscious green moss that engulfed the southern part of the field.

' Well, at least Itachi picked a nice spot to absolutely humiliate me in front of my daughter, ' Sakura thought to herself, planting her hands on her hips as she yet again questioned why on earth she agreed to spar with Itachi. Even if he had spent the last few years only on one-day missions that even the lowest of Chuunin could do with two fingers lodged up their nose, Itachi was still one of the most proficient and dangerous shinobi she knew. ' At least he doesn't have a Sharingan ,' she consoled herself.

Sarada huffed. "Uncle Ita?"

"He's coming, kiddo."

Sarada pouted at her and folded her arms across each other in her strongest impersonation of Sasuke yet. A mix of both melancholy and longing overcame Sakura as she ventured into thinking about her husband, allowing his absence to wrap around her like an old friend before tucking it away again as she spotted Itachi approach.

"Uncle Ita!" Sarada exclaimed, climbing to her feet to hurry to him, arms outstretched.

Sakura watched as Itachi bent over to pick up his niece. He held her high to look at her, then closer for an embrace that had Sarada giggling in her uncle's arms, before releasing her again. As Sarada slipped her hand into Itachi's, Sakura's concerns about getting humiliated in a sparring session were long forgotten. This was her best friend—nothing different from sparring with Naruto or Kakashi.

"Morning," Sakura said, placing her hands on her hips as she observed Itachi.

He lifted his head and greeted her warmly. "Good morning. You're here early."

"Just eager to spar," Sakura lied.

Itachi cocked his head in that infuriating way that told her he saw right through her, but he nodded anyway before coming back to his feet. A sincere smile grew on Sakura's face as she watched Sarada step over a stretch of mud, chewing her lip in concentration while clinging onto Itachi's arm.

"Thank you," Sarada said to Itachi, before plopping down into the grass, preoccupied by another bug. He gave her an affectionate pat on the head before turning back to Sakura.

"So what are we doing?" Sakura asked.

"You are tense," he said matter-of-factly, moving to roll up his sleeves.

"I'm always tense prior to sparring," Sakura said, eyes drawn to the slow, meticulous roll of his sleeve. Somehow, the gesture sent her to the past, to a juncture in time where Itachi and her lives had intersected when she was sixteen and Itachi was holding onto Kakashi, that same forearm encased in an Akatsuki cloak.

The first time she met Itachi, he was standing in a clearing not unlike this one.

Unbidden, she froze, only for a split second, but it was long enough for Itachi to have noticed.

He stopped in his tracks, long fingers over his sleeve, dark eyes looking back and forth between hers, as though gauging her reaction. Her chest felt tight as she gawked at him, searching for words, any words, to reassure him and let him know she wasn't afraid of him—not anymore.

"If you wish, I could come back after painting my nails and putting on a high-collared shirt."

Itachi's voice, soft but probing, broke the tension that seized her body. She let out an amused sound. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." He wavered. "We could skip the spar."

"No, no," Sakura said with a wave. "Let's do it. It's just... brains can be..." She let out a sigh and looked away, mortified of her own visceral reaction to him. Taking a second to gather her thoughts, Sakura sucked in a deep breath before meeting his eyes. "You're my family. I don't know where that came from."

"The subconscious always has a way of being forthright with one's self."

She made a face. "I know my subconscious very well, and I know she's an annoying, angry pest."

Itachi let out a subdued laugh. "Somehow, I doubt that."

"Inner Sakura is a pest. Trust me."

" Inner Sakura?"

A blush crept to her cheeks. "Let's change the subject. What are we doing today?"

Thankfully, Itachi seemed more than willing to drop it. He slipped his hands into his pockets, examining the naturally formed arena, before cutting his eyes to Sarada. "A simple sparring session. Weapons and replacements allowed. Lose when your back touches the ground. Taijutsu only."

She grinned. "Taijutsu against someone without a Sharingan... It's almost as if you're trying to make it easy for me."

Itachi cocked his head at her. "Careful, Sakura. You know what they say about overconfidence."

She stopped in her tracks. "What do they say about overconfidence?"

In a flash, he was behind her, kunai at her neck. "Overconfidence precedes carelessness," Itachi said, his voice a whisper against her bare neck. The gleam of the kunai in the sunlight caught her attention as she looked down at the weapon and turned slightly to see Itachi standing confidently behind her, a tiny smirk on his lips. She licked her lips.

"You're right," Sakura said, holding up her hands. "If I weren't so overconfident, I'm sure I would've thought of placing a bunshin in the clearing long before you arrived because I knew you'd pull something like this."

"I'm aware of the one behind the trees."

"Of course you are," Sakura laughed. "But did you know about the one beneath your feet?"

The forest floor beneath them burst open at that very moment, allowing Sakura to dispel her own clone before throwing a chakra-laden punch in Itachi's direction. He ducked out of range, but to her immense satisfaction, surprise registered in his dark eyes for only a moment before he refocused and charged at her. Gritting her teeth, Sakura stomped her foot on the floor, chunks of earth flying into the air. Without hesitation, she slammed her fist into the biggest of the debris. It broke into thousands of smaller pieces and soared toward Itachi, who dodged them effortlessly.

"I would really appreciate it if you would stand still ," Sakura called out, punching the ground with enough force to send a deep crack from where she was all the way to where she expected Itachi to step next.

"What kind of shinobi would I be if I were to stand still?" he asked, landing on the fault line.

She dashed forward along the crack, feeling the earth slipping under her feet but moving too fast for it to matter, and reached him right as he regained his bearings. He stepped back just in time for her punch to miss, then grabbed her fist so fast his movements seemed but a blur to her eyes, his long fingers wrapping around her hand like iron manacles. She gritted her teeth and pulled back with a snap, hoping to break his grip, but Itachi was relentless, hooking his leg around hers to bring her down.

"No," she grunted, sensing her stance slip as his thigh slipped between hers. Redoubling her efforts, she sent a burst of chakra to her legs and leapt into the air, twisting herself free with another snap of her hands and landing just outside of Itachi's reach. Surprised, Sakura looked down at her fist, wondering how on earth Itachi could hold on to her chakra-fuelled limbs, when realization struck her. "You know how to manipulate your chakra like I do."

"In a way. I understand the basic principles behind fueling your own body with chakra," Itachi admitted, straightening out, dark eyes shooting from limb to limb, like he was trying to follow the flow of chakra even without the Sharingan. "I never quite learned how to release on impact."

"I'm sure that, of all people in Konoha, you could make it work."

"Perhaps you'll teach me."

The compliment that hid within those four little words caused Sakura's cheeks to burn. She bit her lip and ducked her head. "Sure," she said shyly, before recognizing they were still sparring. She snapped her head up and brandished her finger at him in warning. "You can't butter me up in the middle of a match, Itachi."

Itachi let out an amused sound. "I was not buttering."

She snorted. "That sounded so strange coming from you."

"It was a strange accusation. I felt the need to deny accordingly."

"This is the strangest sparring session I've ever had."

"Admittedly, this isn't the first time I've talked about food during a spar, though you are a better sparring partner than Kisame ever was."

"Kisame talked food?"

"Kisame talked fish. Interpret that any way you would like."

"You're trying to distract me."

"Yes. I daresay it's working."

Her eyes widened as she caught the sudden appearance of someone behind her. She whirled around, kunai at the ready and kicked at Itachi, who was braced for her. He caught her calf and yanked it toward him. Within a fraction of a second, he had hooked his foot around her other leg, causing her to plummet toward the ground. Finding that holding onto him was the only solution she could think of, Sakura grabbed his shirt, dragging him down with her. With one final burst of chakra to propel herself from the ground, Sakura used the newly created momentum to twist mid-air and end up on top of Itachi as he hit the ground first.

There was a moment in which time itself stopped as Sakura sat on him in disbelief, not quite understanding how she had pulled it off at the last second, before pumping both her fists into the air and letting out a powerful " Shannaro!"

As she regained her composure and looked down to find Itachi watching her with a bemused look in his eyes, Sakura found she couldn't help herself, leaned toward his ear and whispered: "Overconfidence precedes carelessness."

She pulled back, expecting to see him express amusement over the joke. But instead of the playful jokes and laughter dancing behind his dark eyes, he was looking at her in a way she had never seen before.

"It would seem so," he said, all traces of familiarity and light-heartedness vanished. His voice was deeper than she had heard in a long time, almost dangerously rich and serious—and it reminded her again of the time they were enemies. But instead of fearing it, like she had done before, there was a strange pull at her mid-section that robbed her of her breath.

She was suddenly aware of the fact that she was straddling him, his warm body inviting between her legs, one of his hands still on her thigh after the mid-air battle. Sakura let out a shuddering breath and forced herself to laugh it off, breaking the intense spell Itachi had her under, and placed her hand on his chest to push herself off of him, ignoring the hard muscle and warmth beneath his shirt. Desperate for anything to say, Sakura looked to where Sarada sat, happily playing with her bugs in the one part of the clearing they both stayed far away from. "Well, that was fun," she said, opting to ignore the way her voice cracked under the strain of normalcy.

"It was," Itachi agreed behind her. It relieved her to find his voice returned to normal. She chanced a look over her shoulder, finding him back on his feet and patting down his pants. He lifted his eyes to meet hers and smiled, all traces of what she had seen earlier gone. She frowned, not understanding what exactly that had been about. "I underestimated you."

"Most people do," Sakura said, trying for a nonchalant tone as she turned to face him. "The first time, that is."

"I'll remember that for next time."

Somehow, that sounded like a promise—one that sent both chills down her spine and made her feel uncomfortably warm. "Don't take it easy on me next time."

"What makes you think I took it easy on you?"

"I've seen you battle Kakashi. I know you're faster than this."

A smile lit his face as Itachi pocketed his hands and averted his eyes. "I've gone soft in my old age."

"Figured as much." She paused and checked on Sarada. "Will you be by later for dinner?"

"If you'll have me."

She smiled and nodded mutely before turning back to Sarada to get her daughter and resolving to take a long bath to clear her mind the second she would return home. "See you tonight."

Truly, he was the biggest fool in all of Konoha.

"What was I thinking?" Itachi asked the crow that passed overhead.

It answered with a mocking caw as it passed over the clearing and soared away.

A/N: *steps out of the shadows* Hello, FM here. Been a while, hasn't it? The good news is, I'm alright, writing and the bad news is, well it's been four months. Yikes. Life came at me hard these last months and I've been utterly incapable of putting word to paper, even though I really wanted to. Uncle is such a stress-relieving story so it's been intensely frustrating trying to finally get this chapter out, BUT HERE WE ARE. I'm hoping this new wave of inspiration means we'll be back to our regular updates. Fingers crossed!

Thank you all for your messages, check-ins and love. ?Words cannot describe how nice it was to see so many missing this story.

As it's near Christmas, we're opening the ItaSaku discord server again for new people! Come talk to us about ItaSaku, Naruto, or other random things. Join the trivia night, post some silly memes, fawn over cat and dog pictures and just have a good time with the rest of the fandom! Please follow the link here and join the best ItaSaku community out there (at least we think so!): /JQQg6aBHVQ

As always, a huge thank you for your amazing comments, love, incoherent screeching, deep thoughts and wonderful support. You all keep fueling me to keep writing Uncle and it's just amazing to have such a great fandom to write in 3 If you're a shy reader, or you don't know what to say, please feel free to use an emoji to express yourself!

? - Thank you

❤ - Loved it

? - someTHING'S HAPPENING

? - down the rabbithole you go Ita

? - so glad this is back!

?ᅡᅠ - Queen Sakura winning the match and some hearts

Chapter 18: Chapter 17

Chapter Text

Chapter 17

Sakura sank deeper into the bathtub.

On the way home, Sarada's excited chatter about the various bugs she had seen and named and who was friends with whom had kept her distracted from the sparring session, and more importantly, the end of the sparring session. But now, in the privacy of her own bathroom and in absolute silence aside from the intermittent dripping of water into the tub, Sakura found her thoughts flying back to Itachi.

She dipped her head backwards, wetted her hair, and combed through it with her fingers. It wasn't as though this was the first time in her life she had straddled another shinobi. Whether it was during sparring sessions or actual missions, Sakura had had her fair share of pinning people to the ground.

So what was it about that occasion with Itachi that made her feel a whisper of a thrill, as well as a faint sense of guilt?

Allowing her eyes to flutter shut, Sakura recalled the moment.

Her eidetic memory had always come in handy—she might not have a Sharingan that would aid her in memorizing a thousand jutsu and instantly allow her to perform them, but she had the next closest thing. With it, she could tap into the remembrance of the day—the moss and roaring river, the earthy smell of loosened loam that had spread across the clearing the longer their bout lasted, Itachi's smile, confident he had her, and how it morphed into disbelief as they turned mid-air, then into the face of a man she almost didn't recognize.

Was that the Itachi she had seen all those years ago during their mission to rescue the Kazekage? His true self hidden away beneath layers upon layers of lies and illusions? Was that what was going on here? Was Itachi just pretending to be a kind and compassionate person? Or was this persona she glimpsed the fake one, the one he wore to scare people, to create the illusion that he—a man whom she had known to be nothing but selfless and dedicated—was a ruthless killer.

' Or maybe he's both ,' Inner whispered into her ear. ' Two sides of the same man. Kind, loyal and gentle, but also dangerous. Who knows what other aspects of himself Itachi keeps hidden away? '

Sakura investigated the recollection again. It had only been a few seconds, but it was permanently seared into her brain. There were only minute differences—the humor had faded from his eyes and something else had replaced it, something she couldn't put her finger on. The smile and the dimples had gone. His voice had softened but somehow thickened with power. The more she lingered on the memory, the more she felt her cheeks burn.

Sakura pulled the plug from the tub and climbed to her feet. She turned on the shower and stepped under the spray, allowing the water to cool her head. 'He was just upset I beat him ,' she told herself. ' Sasuke hates it when I beat him during sparring sessions. It's that latent Uchiha pride.'

Satisfied with her conclusion, she reached for the shampoo.

Though Sakura seemed satisfied with the conclusion as to What On Earth Happened On Training Ground Two, it seemed her body was still reeling from the day's events as Itachi walked into her home later that night, and her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.

There was nothing off about him, Sakura realized, as he stepped into the kitchen, listening to Sarada as she regaled him with tales of Anzu (the white caterpillar, definitely a boy, naughty) and Botan (the red beetle, possibly a boy, a bit shy). He smiled briefly at Sakura in greeting, before Sarada slid her hand into his and led him into the living room, loudly telling him about the fight Botan and Anzu got into before they left from the training grounds.

Releasing a breath she didn't realize she was holding, Sakura returned to chopping vegetables, casting a look once or twice in Itachi and Sarada's direction. 'Stupid, hot-blooded Uchiha men ,' Sakura thought, biting her lip to contain a chuckle. 'He was just upset because he lost. Serves him right.'

"Can I help you?"

Startled by Itachi's voice, she dropped the knife. The sharp edge of the blade slipped and cut deeply into her ring finger. She hissed and moved to catch the knife before it could embed itself into her floor, but Itachi got there first, snatching it out of the air and disposing of it in the sink. He came for her next, taking her bloody hand into his as he inspected the wound and steered her away from the cutting board so she didn't spill her blood onto what was supposed to be dinner.

The touch was a simple one—it hadn't even been the first time they ever touched. Yet for some reason unbeknownst to her, the feel of his fingers against hers made everything inside her seize up.

"It's fine," Sakura assured him, molding chakra to her digit. The wound closed almost instantly, knitting shut while they watched. He gave it a cursory nod, then reached over for some paper towels, which he wetted and used to clean away the blood from her finger and hand.

"I'm sure I still have my old hat, the straw one with the bell. I could always wear it, if that makes you more comfortable."

Sakura snorted. "Since when are you so accommodating?"

"I wouldn't want to startle you and cause a major incident."

"Well, you are a gentleman," she joked, watching as he meticulously wiped her palm. He was close enough that she could smell him and feel the heat emanating from his body. Positive his attention was entirely on her hand, Sakura allowed her eyes to dart to his face, admiring the way his long lashes cast shadows over his cheeks, appreciating the silky texture of his jet black hair and the way his brow furrowed, revealing small lines on his forehead as he turned her hand this and that way, ensuring he had gotten all the blood off, before he lifted his eyes to hers.

"All done," he said, the corners of his eyes crinkling with a smile. He released her hand and turned to the garbage bin to dispose of the paper towels while Sakura surreptitiously sucked in a breath as the spell broke.

"Thank you."

"My pleasure." He rinsed his hands. "Now, can I help you?"

"Could you finish slicing the vegetables?

"Of course."

"Do you really still have that hat?" Sakura asked as she turned to the broth for the nikujaga. She dipped a spoon in to taste, then added a little black pepper.

Itachi chuckled. "No. But I can fashion one if necessary."

"Shame. It would look good on me."

"It would."

She stopped her work to glance up at him and smile, but realized his attention had shifted to Sarada, who had walked into the kitchen. She toyed with the red skirt she wore, folding the fabric between her fingers as she looked back and forth from Itachi to Sakura. "Can I help?"

"Of course, kiddo," Sakura said as Itachi went to the table and got a chair. Sarada waited until he had put it in place, then accepted Itachi's hand to climb onto it. With a smile, Sakura looked on as Itachi tied an apron behind Sarada's back, then stood behind his niece, allowing her to grab the hand he wielded the knife with. Sarada listened with rapt attention to his quiet directions, eyes wide as she watched the knife cut through the vegetable.

"I have some snow peas that need shelling," Sakura said, pointing at the bag. Itachi nodded and gave Sarada instructions on how to work them, continuing his assault on the mountain of vegetables while keeping his eye on his niece.

"Do you like snow peas?" she heard Itachi ask.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Green."

"Ah. You don't like green?"

"No."

Sakura giggled at the resolute tone of her daughter.

"What color vegetables do you like?"

Sarada thought about it. "Blue."

"Blue? There are no blue vegetables."

"Eggplant."

"Eggplants are purple."

"Blue," Sarada insisted.

"Blue," Itachi acquiesced. "So what will you do with the snow peas?"

Sarada murmured something Sakura couldn't hear. Immediately, she put on her Mom Face and stared at her daughter, lifting an expectant eyebrow.

"... Eat it," Sarada mumbled.

"That's right."

"Uncle Ita?"

"Yes?"

"What vegetables does papa like?"

Itachi's knife stilled for a second. "Tomatoes."

"Yuck."

"Your papa likes red vegetables."

Sarada seemed deeply concerned with that, her brow pinching as she struggled with a snow pea. "Why?"

"Why does he like red vegetables?"

Sarada nodded in the affirmative.

"His favorite color is red."

Sarada's eyes grew wide. "Mine too."

"Is that so?" Itachi mused.

Sakura smiled to herself, knowing the truth. Sasuke's favorite color was blue. Itachi knew that—but he also knew that Sarada was infatuated with red these days. Part of her wanted to tell him not to tell Sarada these little white lies, to be honest with her—with them—always, but there was a part of her that was indebted to him for the white lie, a small thing that would help Sarada as she waited patiently for the father she hadn't seen in over a year.

"What is your favorite color?"

"Mine?" Itachi asked. "Red."

Sarada turned to beam at Itachi. "Mama's too!"

"Your mother has excellent taste," Itachi answered.

"Her uniform was always red," Sarada informed him.

"I noticed that."

"Uncle Itachi?"

"Someone is in a questioning mood today," Sakura said, taking the cubed vegetables from Itachi. He flashed her a smile, then turned to Sarada.

"Yes?"

"Super-Kizashi and Mebu," Sakura laughed at the fact her daughter was referring to her mother as ' Mebu '. Mebuki would hate that, no doubt, "are mama's parents. Where are papa's parents?"

In an instant, Sakura felt like Sarada had robbed her of her breath. Itachi had frozen, speechless for what likely was one of the first times in his life. Both of them had expected these questions, of course—Sarada was proving to be an astute child—but neither had counted on her asking them so early in her life.

"They're gone," Itachi finally answered, voice no more than a whisper.

"Oh," Sarada said. She wavered for a time before grabbing another snow pea.

Unable to breathe, Sakura looked at Itachi, who had somehow sealed off all the emotions that no doubt raged beneath the surface. He looked calm, serene even as he went on chopping the vegetables, waiting for Sarada to say something, or perhaps for himself to gather his thoughts.

"Are they with papa?" Sarada asked.

Sakura set the vegetables down on the counter and went over to Sarada's other side, distracting her from Itachi. She smiled down at her child. "No, kiddo, they're not with papa. Your grandparents from papa's side... They've gone elsewhere, and they're not coming back."

"Oh," Sarada said, turning to Sakura. She seemed confused by the notion that her grandparents were far beyond her reach now, looking over her shoulder to Itachi, searching for answers.

Evidently sensing his niece needed him, Itachi placed his knife on the cutting board and stepped closer to her. Sarada fidgeted as Itachi crouched down to her eye-level.

He was careful to mask his emotions and keep his patented 'Uncle Ita smile' on as he studied Sarada for the longest time, and his niece stared back at him. She fussed with her skirt a bit more, a pout coming to her face that reminded her of Sasuke, before she finally spoke again: "Do you miss them?"

"Yes," Itachi said, voice slightly hoarser than normal. "Very much."

Sarada nodded, then placed both her hands on Itachi's cheeks in a gesture of comfort. Surprise registered on Itachi's face, then a sad smile lifted his lips as he laid his palms over hers and closed his eyes for a long moment. Sakura's heart tugged at the scene in front of her, knowing Itachi was unconsciously asking for absolution from the one Uchiha who did not know what had happened but had nonetheless suffered a tremendous loss at his hands. She swallowed at the lump in her throat and wiped at her tears, desperate to keep her composure while yearning to hold and console the both of them. Sakura recognized she couldn't though. This moment was for Itachi and Sarada.

Sarada released Itachi's cheeks and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug, which he reciprocated. He held her tiny body close and looked up to meet Sakura's gaze, both of them stunned by the turn of events.

Without thinking, Sakura reached for one of his hands and took it, squeezing it for comfort as her other hand brushed over Sarada's head.

"Alright," Sakura said, her voice husky with unshed tears. "We have dinner to make."

"Right," Itachi agreed, leaning back to see Sarada's face without dropping Sakura's hand. They smiled at each other, then Sarada planted a large kiss on Itachi's forehead with a soft giggle and returned to shelling snow peas as though nothing had happened.

A moment later, Itachi rocked to his feet and gave Sakura one last look as he stroked her skin with his thumb and then let go of her hand.

"I always wanted to tell her about Mikoto and Fugaku," Sakura said after they had had dinner and washed the dishes and put Sarada to bed. She poured two glasses of sake and brought them to the sofa where Itachi was seated, staring out the window in silent contemplation. "But... It felt like something Sasuke should do."

Itachi accepted the glass from her. "It should be."

"What should I do?" Sakura asked, sitting beside him.

He hesitated for a long moment. It was odd to see him like this—the unflappable and confident man, shaken by an almost five-year-old child. "What would you like to do, Sakura?" he asked, his thumb following the rim of his glass. "I can't make these decisions, not for you or for Sarada, certainly not for Sasuke."

Sakura remained quiet as she settled herself on the sofa, close enough to Itachi to bring him some comfort, she hoped, but far enough to give him space. "I don't know," she said truthfully, taking a sip. The sake burned through her throat, warming her as she considered the situation. Sasuke should be the one to tell Sarada about her family, the clan, his parents and everyone he wanted to share stories about—but he wasn't here, and Sarada was asking. She eyed Itachi from the corner of her eyes. "Would you be willing? To share stories?"

"Yes."

"Then please. If she asks, please tell her," Sakura said, offering him a smile.

He studied her for a long moment, then nodded, and took another sip.

"How... How are you?" she asked.

"I'm... not sure."

She turned to him, tucking her feet beneath her, and rested her head on her palm. "Did you ever think about—" She stopped, unsure of how to proceed.

Itachi's mouth quirked up in an ironic smile before he downed the remainder of his sake. "How to tell her what I did?" he whispered. "Every day. It seems I still wasn't prepared."

"It came out of nowhere."

"She's a child. She'll ask about anything that catches her interest. With how close she is with Super-Kizashi, it's a miracle she's not asked this before."

"Stop calling him Super-Kizashi," Sakura joked with a tap on his shoulder. "Before you know it, his ego will grow four sizes."

Itachi chuckled at that and held up his glass when she offered a refill. "Mikoto would have loved Sarada."

"Who wouldn't?" Sakura bristled in jest.

He gave another chuckle. "Fair point. My mother—our mother—always loved us, but she never turned down babysitting one of the other Uchiha children, especially not the girls." He smiled at the memory. "Other mothers thought it was because Mikoto enjoyed braiding hair or dressing them up, but she would teach them how to toss shuriken. Or how to be stealthy. Or fire jutsu to impress their parents."

Sakura laughed quietly. "She sounds like a formidable woman."

"She was." He laid his head back on the sofa, closing his eyes. In the faint light of her living room, he seemed both younger and older than he was—both the twelve-year-old boy forced to commit atrocities to protect his brother and the older man who lived with his regrets and considered himself too far from normalcy. She leaned forward to set her glass down, then reached for Itachi, pulling him in against her without a second thought.

He didn't pull away from her, just rested his head against her neck with a quiet sigh. She scooted closer to him, stroking through his softer than silk hair, ignoring the way her stomach did a light flip every time his warm breath fanned over her skin. In the quiet of the room, she swore she could hear his heartbeat alongside his breathing, and the intimacy of it all struck her—how many people had ever experienced Uchiha Itachi vulnerable like this?

At that moment, Itachi leaned back and lifted his eyes to her. Gone was the familiar look in his eyes that she had gotten so used to, and in its place was the inscrutable expression she had seen before on the training grounds. Somehow, despite looking every bit the same as the past four years, he had transformed into a man she wasn't even sure she knew, like she was seeing him for the first time, even though his features were as familiar to her as her own. There was a warmth in his eyes that she felt pooling in her stomach, the heat of his body suddenly unbearable, the scent of fire and forest on his skin overwhelming.

Abruptly, Itachi averted his eyes and reached for the glass of sake, finishing it. She released her hold on him and scooted backward, feeling like a deer in headlights as Itachi placed his glass on the table and looked at her. The strange look and warmth had passed, and in its place was just Itachi.

"It's late. I should go," he said.

"Right," Sakura replied, watching him as he stood from the sofa and took his glass to deposit it into the sink.

He came out of the kitchen, his dark hair and clothes starkly contrasting against the light, and gave her a smile. "I'll come by tomorrow, if that is alright."

"You're always welcome," Sakura said.

He nodded in return and walked toward the front door. It wasn't until she heard it close with a soft click that she could finally breathe again, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She sat back on the sofa with a gasp and took up her glass, downing it in one big gulp, and stared at the ceiling.

' It's been too long ,' she told herself, pushing her palms against her eyes. ' And I'm seeing things .'

Resolutely, Sakura stood up, turned off the lights and marched up to her bedroom, then fell back on her mattress. She spread her arms and legs, trying her hardest not to think about what the hell had happened downstairs, then glanced at her nightstand. On it was one of the few pictures she had taken with Sarada and Sasuke during his last outing in Konoha. Sarada was still only two years old, her black hair downy and short—Sasuke had his arm around Sakura, a small smile on his lips. She had adored this picture the moment she laid eyes on it, because Sasuke looked bewitched by his daughter and the camera had managed to capture that rare flash of vulnerability on his face.

"I wish you were around to tell Sarada about her grandparents," Sakura whispered, her fingers gliding over her husband's likeness in the picture then up to flick the light off. Now in darkness, she slid beneath the sheets as she tried not to think of the intense look in Itachi's eyes and the way holding him had felt.

A/N: God I love writing tension. I swear to you it feels like a slow-burn, but it's exactly the same for me. We're all in this together.

I'm hoping to be able to update next week, but there's a chance we might skip a week due to Christmas/holiday celebrations and a lack of time. Fingers crossed it might happen, if not, there's definitely something coming this week. ❤️ Happy Holidays ItaSaku fandom. You're the very best. (Also did you know we all convene on the ItaSaku discord these days? Invitation link is open until January 1st so don't miss out! /JQQg6aBHVQ)

This chapter is dedicated to ishipsakurawitheveryone on tumblr. During my 4 months absence, they sent me an incredible message that made me cry and redouble my efforts to return. Thank you lovely. I hope your days are a little brighter again now.

As always, a huge thank you for your amazing comments, love, incoherent screeching, deep thoughts and wonderful support. You all keep fueling me to keep writing Uncle and it's just amazing to have such a great fandom to write in 3 If you're a shy reader, or you don't know what to say, please feel free to use an emoji to express yourself!

? - Thank you

❤️ - Loved it

? - Poor Sarada

? - Dammit Sasuke, where the hell are you

? - I can cut the tension with a knife

? - I predict kissing in the next few chapters (will there be? hmm...)

? - Happy Holidays!

Chapter 19: Chapter 18

Chapter Text

Chapter 18

Uchiha Sakura wasn't the religious kind of woman. Far from it. But since she overpowered her brother-in-law during a spar session and glimpsed another side of him, it seemed the whole universe conspired against her while she tried desperately to forget all about it.

The first such incident was when Sakura found condoms in the pants he had left after getting called in for a last-minute mission.

It was unlike Itachi to leave clothes behind, but that week, Sarada had gotten an intense fever, and at Sakura's request, he spent several nights at their home to watch Sarada while Sakura went in for her night shifts. To repay the favor, she had thought to do his laundry so he would have fresh clothes when he returned from his mission. It wasn't until she held the foil between two fingers that she realized what it was.

With a gasp, she flung it onto the bed, eyes wide as she regarded it like Orochimaru's head could sprout from it at any given time. She hesitated before sticking her hands into Itachi's pockets again, this time finding them empty, and tossed his pants into the laundry basket. As she picked up the basket, Sakura looked once more at the offending item, then fled from the room.

Just as she had finished loading the washing machine, a knock came to the door. She hurried past Sarada, who was taking a nap on the couch, and opened the door, only to find Ino grinning at her. She held up a bottle of sake and a bag of Sakura's favorite rice crackers. "Girl time."

"What's this?"

"Girl time," Ino emphasized. She pushed her way past Sakura, kicked off her boots and beelined for the table, stopped only by Sarada's sleeping form. Ino grinned, gently placed the sake and crackers on the table, then returned to look at Sarada. "She's such a mini-you."

"Sarada looks nothing like me," Sakura grumbled, closing the door.

"She does," Ino insisted. "She might have Sasuke's hair and eye color but she's got your face and eye shape. I bet she's going to be just as beautiful as mommy."

"I'm no—"

"Please, Sakura, you're gorgeous, now stop," Ino said, holding up a hand. She stood still, keen eyes inspecting Sakura for what felt like the longest time. "Okay, what's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost. Or... Orochimaru. I don't know which is worse."

"It's nothing," Sakura said, making her way to the table.

"You always were a horrible liar."

Sakura glared at her best friend. "I am not." She lowered herself into a chair and watched as Ino went into the kitchen to fetch two glasses. "I... found something in Itachi's pockets," Sakura said when Ino sat down.

Ino raised an eyebrow. "Why are you going through his pockets?"

"He stayed in the guestroom while Sarada had the flu. I thought I'd do his laundry for him."

Ino hummed behind her lips as she poured. "So, what did you find? Love letters? Keys to an unknown basement?" She narrowed her eyes and grinned, leaning closer. "Dirty panties?"

"Forget I said anything."

"Oh, come on," Ino laughed, quietly for Sarada's sake. "It has to be something saucy for you to be so disconcerted."

"It was a condom."

"Ew. Itachi keeps used condoms?"

"No, you idiot, it was still sealed."

"... Okay, I don't get the fuss." Ino softly brought her glass to Sakura's, then sipped the clear liquid. "So he fucks?"

"That marriage with Sai is doing you a whole lot of good, I see."

"Listen, you and I can speak frankly. If Hinata were here, she'd faint if I so much as thought the word 'fuck'. I'm sure her Byakugan goes straight into my brain and knows when I'm about to use it, that's how sensitive she is to it."

Sakura giggled. "Fine."

"So what's the problem?"

"It's not a problem," Sakura wavered. "I just... I wasn't expecting it."

"You know he has a sex life. I'm fairly sure I told you about his size when we went out for Yamato's birthday."

"How could I forget?" Sakura said, rolling her eyes. She remained quiet for a moment, drank her sake, and added: "They were for large sizes."

"Well, sure, all that girth."

"Ino," Sakura hissed.

"You started it," Ino laughed again. She rested her chin in her hand, then seemed to take pity on Sakura as her grin turned into a kind smile. "I told you before, Itachi's handsome and has that dark past that women, and a lot of men to be sure, go crazy for. Since he dumped Akari, he's had his choice."

That was news to her. Sakura tried not to let on, but Ino caught her expression immediately. "He dumped her shortly after his fortieth birthday. Although I guess you can't call it 'dumping' if you're not technically in a relationship."

"What happened?" Sakura asked.

"Who knows? They're not a loose-lipped bunch. All that ANBU training." Ino shrugged, refilling Sakura's glass. "He's been with three women since."

There was a part of her that felt horrible about gossiping about Itachi. If he were dating someone, it was up to him to tell her, and if he chose not to, Sakura had to live with it. But there was a morbidly curious part of her that wanted to know more—understand more of the man who had been a constant by her side over the last four years. She had seen his family-man side, the kindness and the gentleness, but there was something else beneath the surface, something she had only seen glimpses of.

"Oho," Ino said, sky-blue eyes studying her. "You're curious."

"A little," Sakura admitted. "He's not really forthcoming about it... And I hope he'll find someone."

"Oh, he's not looking for partnership," Ino said with a soft laugh. "Don't get me wrong. All the women say Itachi is wonderful—takes them out on dates and makes them feel like they're the only ones he has eyes for, attentive and all that—that extends into the bedroom too." She waggled her eyebrows. " Very generous. But afterward, he'll not commit to anything else. To be fair, from what I heard, he's open and clear about that from the get-go."

"Oh."

"You know how it is. They'll get it into their heads that they'll be the first to make Uchiha Itachi fall head over heels." Ino drank again. "It's a little sad, though. I was hoping he would find someone."

"Me too." Her mind drifting to Itachi, Sakura cleared her throat. "So, I'm guessing you want to talk about something." She waved at the items Ino had brought.

"Oh, right," Ino said, settling into her chair. "You distracted me with condom talk."

"I did no such thing."

"Yeah, you did, and it's fine." Ino finished her glass and bit her lip. "Sai and I are trying for another."

"Another—?" she began, then realization struck her. She bolted upright, eyes wide. "Really?"

"Yeah, we figured 'why not?'" Ino shrugged. "Sai is really taking to the whole househusband kind of thing. Between you and me, I think Root broke him, and this is sort of his way to piece himself back. A way to normalcy, you know? And we figured it would be nice for Inojin to have a sibling."

"I can't believe you're breaking the age-old one child per InoShikaCho household," Sakura giggled. "When are you starting?"

"Oh," Ino checked an imaginary watch. "Yesterday. I'm still raw."

The sip of sake Sakura had drunk promptly made its way up through her nose, causing Ino to burst into laughter. Sarada woke on the couch, groggily looking up at the two women as Sakura struggled to free a tissue from the tissue box and Ino wheezed while holding onto her stomach.

"Mama?"

"Everything is alright, kiddo," Sakura said, signaling for Ino to go to Sarada. As she blew her nose and watched Ino take Sarada into her lap, her thoughts flew back to Itachi for a brief moment.

' I feel that sometimes, one might be too far gone from normalcy to ever return to it .'

' A way to normalcy. '

She had hoped he wouldn't give up on finding someone. Surely, someday, he would find someone who would be an excellent partner for him. Beautiful and strong and able to handle his vulnerabilities and his strengths. Her heart tugged at the thought of it, and at the thought of him being available less, but she stowed away those thoughts.

He wasn't Sarada's father, nor was he her husband. He deserved happiness, even if that meant it would take him far away from them.

She couldn't help the twinge of pain that accompanied that knowledge, though.

When Itachi returned hours later, tired after his mission, Sakura had just dropped herself onto the sofa after tucking Sarada in. She took one look at him and signaled for the place next to her, getting up to bring him a glass. "Long day?" she asked.

"Yes," Itachi replied, holding up the cup while she poured. "A nephew thrice removed from the daimyou asked for a travel escort. When the Seventh sent in a Chuunin team, he demanded I personally accompany him and paid ten times the normal fee."

"Get any action?"

"A squirrel or two." Itachi contemplated for a long second. "He stepped into a puddle. I did not warn him."

"That bad?"

He sighed. "He spent the entire way asking about my time in Akatsuki." Itachi eyed her. "You and I are open about that. I am not so fond of talking about that time with others."

Sakura smiled at that. "I'm grateful I'm in the know."

"There are very few interesting things I could tell you that you don't already know."

"True. Once you learn all of Kisame's hundred-and-one fish facts, you're pretty much done."

Itachi chuckled, then took a sip. "How was your day?"

"Eventless," Sakura replied. "Sarada slept most of the day. I think she'll be fully alright again tomorrow." She paused. "Ino stopped by. She's—they're—trying for a second baby."

She curled up on the sofa, resting her head in her hand, eyes settling on a fold in his shirt. It looked comfortable and warm, worn over and over again through the years but still in a perfect state. She wondered what he did with his laundry, following the fabric until she stumbled on Itachi's chin. Her eyes flickered up to his, finding his soft, dark gaze upon her, then returned to the safety of his chin.

"Would you like another child?" he asked.

"I—I don't know," she confessed. She considered it—a brother or sister for Sarada. Sakura herself had always wanted a sibling when she was a child, someone to offset the loneliness and to play with. Would Sarada want a sibling? But then— "I never gave it much thought, but maybe. One day. But not now."

' Besides, hard to procreate without some actual procreating going on ,' Inner chipped in.

Itachi was no fool, and he knew exactly why she was hesitant. He nodded, drinking from his glass, no doubt considering where his brother was.

She closed her eyes as she took another sip, enjoying the way the sake stung her tongue and burned down her throat. It reminded her of the afternoon and the chat she had with Ino. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Itachi answered.

"Have you ever been in love? Or liked someone?"

The question seemed to surprise him as he turned to her and gave her an indecipherable look. "Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity." She bit her lip. "I'm sorry if it—"

"I am not sure."

"Oh."

He rolled his shoulders and leaned back, stretching his legs as he swirled his drink in his glass, focused entirely on the liquid. "But yes. I think so."

"Oh." A long pause stretched between them. "What happened?"

"Fate placed her beyond my reach."

Her chest constricted at the sound of his remark. A burning sensation that had nothing to do with the sake spread through her body as she tossed and turned his comment in her head. "I'm sorry," Sakura offered finally, the words tasting like dust on her mouth.

She was sorry for Itachi. There was no mistake about it. But how could the one person he cared for be beyond his reach? She would move mountains for someone with Itachi's sense of loyalty and kindness and generosity. She would move mountains for Sasuke to be that person and to choose his family over whatever else lay in wait in the world for him. Suddenly feeling ill, she placed her sake back on the table.

"So am I," Itachi whispered.

The next occasion was during the New Year's Eve party Naruto hosted a few weeks after she found the condoms in his pocket.

Sakura sat in a corner beside Naruto, who was regaling a few Chuunin who were asleep during the Infinite Tsukuyomi with the story of how Team Seven overtook Kaguya. Four or five men sat on the floor, listening to him and gasping in awe as Naruto turned on his Sage Mode, only for Sakura to smack him over the head as she hissed at him to quit it.

"But, Sakura-chan!"

"There's a time and place, and bragging in front of your subordinates is not it."

"We don't mind, Uchiha-san," a Chuunin said. He flashed her a roguish grin. Somewhere in the back of her punch-addled brain, she remembered his name was Izuku. "It's rare for us to see the Seventh in action."

"Yeah," Naruto said, almost looking dejected.

"That's because the Seventh has worked hard to keep the peace," Sakura informed them, side-eyeing Naruto.

"Yeah!" Naruto added.

Sakura snorted and shook her head, signaling for him to continue the story as she secretly waited for him to tell all the gawking shinobi how she punched Kaguya in the face, when Itachi's form entering the Hokage Tower caught her attention. She perked up, lifting a hand, but within a span of a second, two female jounin surrounded Itachi. Her hand faltered mid-air, which she masked as a yawn and a stretch for those watching her, before surreptitiously turning back to Itachi and the two women.

One of them had wound herself around his arm like a serpent. The other, whom She recognized as one of the nurses in the hospital, was batting her eyes so hard at him, Sakura was sure that she could hear her eyelids opening and closing even over the loud roar of laughter and music. Itachi put on a face she identified as his 'annoyed but friendly about it' expression and extricated himself from the grasp of the two women, stepping past them with ease while they stayed behind with disappointment painted over their faces.

Itachi noticed her, lifting a hand in greeting, but before he could make his way over, Sai stepped in, clapped his shoulder amicably, and handed him a glass of what could only be Ino's famous punch. Sakura masked a smile behind her hand and gave an obligatory wave at the Chuunin sitting around them as Naruto demonstrated exactly how she had punched Kaguya's face, then leaned back with her drink in her hands. Naruto wrapped up the story shortly after that, conveniently leaving out the part where he battled Sakura's husband and they both ended up losing an arm. The Chuunin, satisfied, stood to leave, but as Izuku leveraged himself back to his feet, he gave her another grin.

"Was he flirting with me?" Sakura asked Naruto as Izuku pushed his way through the crowd.

Naruto blinked owlishly to her, then sprang to his feet. "I'm going to punch him."

"Sit down," Sakura said, pulling him back to his seat with a sharp tug on his sleeve. "You can't go around and punch your subordinates just because they might be flirting."

"He knows you're married."

"You realize some people don't care, right?"

"I'm going to punch him twice."

"Hokage-sama, you're not. Now sit down and drink."

"Yes, Sakura-chan."

They sat together in amiable silence for a while, watching the party.

"I'm glad you're growing out your hair again."

"Hinata said I looked like a striped egg with a wig."

Sakura snorted. "She isn't wrong."

Naruto, scandalized, dropped his jaw, which only prompted her to laugh harder. He joined in, ruffling his own hair for good measure, then refilled her cup. His blue eyes focused on her drink as he handed it to her, the smile steadily falling off his lips. "Sakura-chan, I—"

"It's not your fault, Naruto."

"He should be back by now. Even doing just yearly check-ins, he's six months late."

She stowed away the rush of panic that overcame her. Somehow, somewhere, Sakura was sure that if anything had happened to him, she would have magically felt it. That the bond they shared was strong enough to cross vast amounts of land to inform her that something had befallen her husband and that it would be awhile before he returned home. She swallowed, then took a sip of the potent punch. "He'll be back."

"Yeah. He doesn't die that easily." He fidgeted beside her, thumbs stroking the rim of his glass. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan. I keep sending him out for these long missions, and it's not fair to you or Sarada-chan."

"It's not."

"Are you mad at me?"

Sakura looked at Naruto, then gave him a reassuring squeeze on his knee. "No." She searched for words, swallowing away the pain and irrational betrayal she felt in regards to Naruto. "But I do need him, Naruto. I know the shinobi world is at peace and that Sasuke's influence is an enormous help in that, and I know I'm being selfish... But just once a year would be alright. Just..."

She blinked, cursing the tears that fell from the corners of her eyes. Naruto panicked at the sight as she wiped them away, quickly looking for a tissue, but she held up her hand. "I had this fantasy that once Sarada was born, he would return. And he didn't. Then I hoped when he came back he would stay, but again he didn't. And I guess it's on me for not seeing that before we got married."

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said, eyes widening. "Do you...?"

"No," Sakura smiled. "I don't regret marrying him or Sarada. She's my greatest treasure. But, if I had known up front, it might have saved me a lot of disappointment down the line." She downed the contents of her glass in one go, then allowed Naruto to refill it again. "Do you think he'll ever stay?" she asked, voice quiet as a mouse. "Or will there always be something?"

"I'll talk to him next time."

The thought that Naruto could order him to stay lay thick on her tongue, but she refused to utter the words. Sasuke would never listen—he accepted Naruto as his equal and acknowledged his strength and his unique ability to draw people together for a common cause, but Sasuke would never allow him or anybody else to dictate his destiny anymore. A lifetime of manipulations had ruined that, and Team Seven understood that.

Her eyes drifted back to Itachi, who was now talking to a few people she had never seen in her life—ANBU, no doubt. A pretty woman stood by his side, listening intently as he spoke, and Sakura wondered whether this was one of the women Ino mentioned. As Sakura watched, the woman laughed at something Itachi said, taking the opportunity to place her hand on his chest. Her heart beat violently in her chest as a second passed in which he didn't remove her hand, then a second. She pursed her lips and returned to drink from her punch, only to realize the glass was empty and she was holding it tight enough to crack the glass on one side.

Naruto stared at it, raising an eyebrow. "You alright there, Sakura-chan?"

"I don't know my own strength," Sakura laughed. "I'm going to get another."

He brought his hand around hers and gave it a squeeze. "He'll be back soon. I promise."

"I know," Sakura said, giving a squeeze back before slipping his fingers from his.

Somewhere in the middle of the round room, Sakura found Ino standing next to another punchbowl. Hinata stood beside her, cheeks reddened from the alcohol, inhibitions clearly vanished, because she perked up when she noticed Sakura and called out her name over the loud crowd. Annoyance fading like snow before the sun, Sakura made her way over to her friends and allowed Ino to pour her yet another glass.

"Was Naruto telling the Kaguya story again?" Hinata asked.

"Oh yes, in full detail."

"I thought so. He practiced re-enacting your punch for days until he was sure he got it right," Hinata laughed.

Sakura snorted into her drink, conjuring up the image of Naruto standing in front of a mirror while practicing punching. Ino waggled her eyebrows at her and signaled somewhere with her head. Following the line of sight, Sakura's eyes fell on Tenten and Yamato, locked in what looked to be an intense make-up session between two of Naruto's bookcases.

"Well, I see that's working out," she said, cheeks heated at the sight of her former captain with one of her closest friends.

"You've not been around town much. They're everywhere," Ino said, lifting her cup to the couple before taking a long drink. "I think they're playing bingo."

"They're just young and in love," Hinata spoke.

"Tenten is your age, and Yamato is at least five years older," Ino laughed.

Hinata blinked and Sakura couldn't help but grin. She looked exactly like Naruto at that moment. "Oh, right."

"Marriage will do that to you," Ino said sagely. She tipped her head and hummed behind her lips. "I can't remember the last time Sai and I made out in public."

' I can't remember the last time Sasuke and I kissed,' she thought, before proceeding to drown her bitter thoughts with the sweet punch. She held up her cup for a refill, but Ino's eyes were drawn to where she knew she had spotted Itachi last. Sakura turned to find Itachi standing by a window, talking to the pretty jounin who had laid her hands on him earlier. It was just the two of them now, Itachi listening to her.

Sakura tore her eyes away from them, wrapping her arm around her waist to combat the strange sensation that was spreading through her stomach from there. "I see Naruto is growing his hair," she said to Hinata to distract herself.

"Finally," Hinata said, covering her face with her hand. "I used Ino's line on him."

"You didn't?" Ino burst into laughter. "The one about him looking like a striped egg with a wig?"

As her two friends continued making fun of Naruto's horrible haircut, Sakura found her attention drawn back to the window where Itachi stood, morbid curiosity and the pit in her stomach forcing her to clandestinely keep her eyes on the situation when she spotted the jounin on her tip-toes, wrapping her arms around Itachi's neck.

The ball inside her abdomen contracted violently as she whipped her head back to Ino and Hinata, then placed her cup down. "I'm sorry, I think I need to get going."

"What, why?" Ino asked, while concern replaced Hinata's flush.

"I'm not feeling too well," Sakura said, clutching at her stomach. "Probably your damn punch, Pig."

"You're the one chugging it like you're Chouji," Ino shot back. "Let me help you get back home at least."

"No, it's okay," Sakura said. "It's a short walk, and fresh air will do me some good."

"Yeah, no," Ino said, making a seal for a bunshin. A second version of Ino appeared out of thin air, wrapping an arm around Sakura herself. "If you think I'm letting my best friend walk home alone while she's not well, you've got another thing coming, Haruno."

"Thanks," Sakura said, allowing the bunshin to drag Sakura from the office building. She took care not to look at the window again, keeping her eyes down until they stood outside. She sucked in the night air in greedy inhales, feeling the fog of her brain lifting while Ino's copy waited for her.

"How many glasses of punch did you have?" the copy asked.

"Six... Maybe seven."

"I know you can hold your liquor, but even Chouji goes belly-up if he drinks more than six," the copy tutted. "Can you burn some away?"

"Already working on it," Sakura said. But even as she worked to metabolize the alcohol in her system, she found the ball in her stomach wasn't going anywhere. It teemed behind her belly button, coiling and rolling. She swallowed, then began walking toward her home, knowing it would probably pass in the morning.

"Sakura?"

And just like that, the ball tightened even further.

"Itachi," Ino greeted. "Sakura's not feeling good. I'm taking her home."

Humiliation prickled across her face and neck as Itachi caught up with them and looked at Sakura. She tried to smile at him, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "I can take her," Itachi offered.

Her stomach clenched at the softness of his voice.

"Alright," Ino said, giving Sakura a last, concerned look. "Call me tomorrow?"

"I will."

"Good." With a final nod toward Itachi, Ino released the jutsu and vanished with a soft poof.

"Too much punch?" Itachi asked.

"Must be," she mumbled. Her legs trembled, her tongue darting out to wet her dry lips. Itachi noticed, his eyes dropping to her mouth. Suddenly feeling both apprehensive and nervous, Sakura inhaled deeply. "Must be the punch."

He nodded. "Would you like to walk?"

"Yes," Sakura said.

He waited for her to move, observant and cautious, as though this were Sarada walking for the first time all over again. Sakura smiled bravely and began the trek home, arms still embracing herself as her stomach pulsed uncomfortably.

"Was the Seventh reenacting the battle with Kaguya?"

"Why does everybody instantly know that?" Sakura groaned.

"The moment in which he turned into a Sage gave it away, along with his excellent imitation of you."

"How did you know it was me?" Sakura asked.

"I don't need a Sharingan to memorize my opponent's movements," Itachi answered. "Especially not when they're as memorable as yours."

"You think I'm memorable?" Sakura whispered. She stopped in the middle of the road, realizing what she'd said, then held up her hands. "My moves, I mean."

"Of course," Itachi said, a smile lighting his face. He hesitated for a moment. "On both accounts."

The words echoed through her head and seeped sweetly into her heart. Sakura ducked her head to hide the silly grin that pulled at her lips. "I think you're pretty memorable too."

It was out of her mouth before she could stop herself, and her heartbeat filled her ears as Itachi stopped and turned to her. He studied her, the lines of laughter in the corner of his eyes smoothing out.

Neither of them moved a muscle for the longest time. In the depths of her mind, Sakura knew what she said and how it could be construed, and in those same depths, she was desperately trying to tuck away the part of her that felt excitement. If this were another world, another Sakura and Itachi, perhaps she would flirt with him. But it wasn't, and they were the same, bound for eternity.

"Thank you." Itachi was the first to break the silence, and, grateful to him for it, Sakura smiled again, following him when he continued his path to her home.

It seemed her imagination had taken hold of the concept of Itachi as a potential partner and could not let go. As they walked, her mind went into overdrive, imagining what it would be like to have Itachi as a partner—someone who was home every day, choosing to stay with his family. Someone who cooked dinner and vacuumed and didn't mind poo on her face (or at least had the decency to hide it). Someone who would warm her bed every night and be attentive and generous. The thought filled her with heat, and then intense sadness as she put a lock on those thoughts and forced herself to remember he was not, and he would never be.

The next incident came during an unguarded moment after a girls' night out.

She had met up with Ino, Hinata, and Tenten, and Itachi had offered to spend the night to watch Sarada. When Sakura got home that night, the lights were turned off, and the house was bathed in silence. Afraid to waken anyone, she burned some of the alcohol in her system away to ensure she would be stealthy, then walked up the stairs toward her bedroom.

Just as she passed by the bathroom, the door opened and revealed Itachi.

He was shirtless, in the same gray sweatpants she had seen him wear before, toweling off his hair. Unable to stop herself, her eyes drifted down. His chest was damp from the shower, muscles gleaming in the faint moonlight, the trail of hair on his abdomen still dewy and stuck to his skin. As she took in the sight of him, an ache built within her, spreading from her stomach to her fingers and toes.

"Sakura," he said. In the dark, somehow his voice sounded darker, deeper, her name like honey on his tongue. It sent flames licking at her insides.

"Hi," she whispered.

"I apologize for using your shower. The one downstairs is broken. I'll have a look in the morning." He moved to pass her, but cocked his head first. For a moment, Sakura was afraid he could see right through her, but he just smiled. "Did you have a good evening?"

"Yes," she croaked, then cleared her throat. "Yes," she repeated. "It was nice of them to take me out, and we had fun. Sorry the shower didn't work. I never use that bathroom."

"No need to apologize." He gave her another smile as he stepped closer, the scent of him and his soap prickling her nose. "I'll see you in the morning."

With that, he slipped past her and made his way downstairs. She barely heard the creaking of the stairs as he descended, and when she was certain he was gone, she released the breath she didn't know she was holding and rushed to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her and ripped her clothes off, feeling too hot and sweaty despite it being a cool January night.

'What is wrong with me?' she thought. She unclipped her bra and shrugged it off, softly gasping as the material fell from her already sensitive skin. Out of her drawer, she took a loose shirt, then slipped under the sheets of her bed.

' It's been over a year since a man touched you, you've had some drinks, Itachi is a ridiculously handsome man no matter what lies you've been telling Ino. Take your pick ,' Inner cackled.

Her pulse raced as she considered what she was about to do. How good was his hearing? Would he hear her? She pushed herself off the bed, checking that she had closed her door behind her. Itachi was a floor down, on the other side of the house. If she remained quiet, he would never know.

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers slipping beneath the sheets as she imagined Sasuke. She imagined him saying her name, the shy smile that always came to his lips when they made love. She thought of his last visit to Konoha, how he took the hem of his shirt into his hand and pulled it off. Her fingers played with the lacy edge of her panties as she recalled perfectly how he had kneeled between her legs and taken one into his hand, kissing his way from her knee to the curve of her foot.

Her fingers trembled as she slipped them beneath the lace and skated past the sensitive nub. She gasped softly, biting on her lip to stifle her moan as she began drawing circles, thinking about how Sasuke's tongue on her clit had felt, while her other hand trailed under her shirt to pinch her nipple.

She imagined he was there, sitting between her legs as he pleasured her, and his low groans and the wet sound of his tongue exploring her. A whimper crept up from her throat as she dipped her finger into her slick folds, first one, then another. Her toes curled beneath the sheets as she remembered how it felt when Sasuke's cock slid into her, stretching her deliciously, the head of him bumping into all the right places.

Sakura breathed heavily, hips arching against her hand as she fantasized about him wrapping his arm around her back and plunging in and out of her. ' You feel so good, Sakura ,' he had said, panting as he pushed himself deeper into her, until his hair tickled her mound. She remembered the sound of their bodies slapping together, the sound of his quiet groans and her keening moans as he brought her to a peak... but it all fell flat alone in her own bed.

Dissatisfied, Sakura stopped, panting as she stared at the ceiling in disbelief—it seemed the memory could only satisfy her so far.

Unbidden, Itachi came to mind.

She remained perfectly still, as though she could will the memory away just by pretending she was dead, but it refused to leave her. Even if she closed her eyes, Sakura could recall every dip of his muscle, every single hair of that trail that led down into his pants, and even the V-shaped muscle that had just peeked out over his pants.

Ino's voice echoed in her mind.

' You know it's just a fantasy, right? As long as you don't go around seducing your brother-in-law, it's perfectly alright to realize Itachi is a very handsome man .'

' Uchiha Itachi is exactly your type. Totally out of bounds, of course, but a woman can fantasize. '

' He'll never have to know, ' Inner added. ' Think about it. You're so close to him. He might have fantasized about you himself. '

The sensation that she was overheating hit her again, and she tossed her blankets off. The feeling of her shirt moving over her breasts made her nipples harden further. Unable to stop herself, she conjured up the image of Itachi in her guest bedroom, lying supine in the bed like she was now, that gray knit sweatpants low on his hips. Sakura sighed as she pushed her hand back into her panties, imaging Itachi's long fingers sliding over his hardened muscles, following the trail down and then underneath the soft-looking material. She caressed herself, stifling her whimpers as she imagined Itachi grabbing himself and giving himself a few hard strokes, back arching, muscles tightening.

She followed the line of her slit, gathering her wetness, lifting her hips into her touch, envisioning Itachi wrapping his fist around himself and pushing his sweatpants down his hips, exposing that V-shaped muscle she would love to trace with her tongue. The thought of him panting and bucking his hips into his hand fueled the desire that sizzled through her body like lightning, every stroke of her fingers into herself mirroring the fantasy she had summoned of Itachi until her legs trembled and sweat gathered on her back. Her orgasm built within her, violent like a coil ready to burst.

In her mind, Itachi groaned, his voice dark and low as he let out her name, a primal moan following as he climaxed over himself, coating his perfect abdomen with his spend. Unable to stop herself, she thrusted into her core with three fingers, rolling her nipple between her fingers until she toppled over the edge in a voiceless scream. She arched her back so far she thought she would snap it, the orgasm flowing through her in waves that threatened to pull her under as she continued to draw circles around her nub, determined to extend her pleasure, until finally the waves subsided and she fell back into the bed.

It didn't take long for shame and guilt to catch up with her.

"What have I done?" she whispered to the empty room.

' Given yourself the best orgasm of your life ,' Inner said, lighting a cigarette.

She stowed away her Inner persona, and all of Ino's 'good advice', turned around in bed to push her heated cheek against her cool pillows, and willed the memory away. ' How am I ever going to look him in the eye again? '

Sakura lay in the empty bedroom and considered the ways in which the universe had told her that Itachi—her brother-in-law—was a handsome, sexual man, and decided that she really didn't need that particular bit of information, even as deep within her, a heat burned with the intensity of a thousand suns.

A/N: Well... That happened.

We're nearing the end of the second part, and y'know... I was planning for this to have 40 chapters, but it's looking like it's going to be a lot little longer. I have to admit the softness of their relationship at the beginning kind of hampered the progression, but I'm happy with how the familial bonds came out in the end and wouldn't change a thing. Buckle up kids, it's going to be a while longer sorry