In a Name

Silent Shadow

V: Smile for Me

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

It was a late night in Konoha village, relatively pretty too. The lights of the houses did not dim the magnificence of the night sky. The speckled stars melted spots of the black into a light blue and glistened impressively to show their dominance; nights were not always remarkable like this and definitely not something to miss.

But if you were Uchiha Sasuke, you really don't give two craps about the night sky and would rather be inside sleeping or in the forest training at a time like this. In fact, Sasuke was sitting in the middle of his bedroom floor of the massive Uchiha estate, debating whether or not he wanted to start training at this hour. Children at age thirteen were given strict curfews, especially since after the Chuunin War. Not to mention that he did not think that the shinobi's that were so closely watching him would want to him to leave the house at a late hour by himself, heading towards a dense forest that would potentially provide good escape.

Training in the night, though, was very advantageous and a good simulation for real battles. The inability to see would help hone his other senses, which would be exceptionally good if the enemy was using any type of genjutsu that he couldn't dispel with a "Kai" jutsu. He was always more tired around this time which would be good because an enemy often engaged in battle when he was weary. Taking such an opportunity was really what Uchiha wanted to do, and he didn't care if shinobi's would watch over him as he trained.

Yes, this is what Sasuke does on a Friday night.

The abrupt knocking on his door interrupted him in mid-thought, and Sasuke was tempted to ignore the rude sound. He hated visitors, mostly due to the fact that a lot of them were female academy classmates who fancied themselves as his next suitors. He tried his best to end such ridiculous thoughts with a scowl and a slam of the door, but it never quite worked. Even if they did stop coming over, more would come to take their placed. He didn't think there was that many kids his age in the entire Fire Country.

The knocking persisted, and Uchiha sighed and got up from brooding pose #2. The authorities did not like it when he didn't respond to their calls. He didn't quite know when he transitioned from being the respected and last member of the highly exalted Uchiha clan, to some public enemy that needed constant surveillance. Sasuke's hand absentmindedly brushed his neck where the curse seal laid.

Oh wait- never mind. He did.

The knocking became more impatience and Sasuke let a growl seep through his perfect teeth. He didn't understand why people knocked like he was obligated to answer to them with prim swiftness, and if he didn't then it was his fault. He in fact didn't just hate visitors, he was annoyed with the general population of the Fire Country.

Sasuke opened the door to his house without checking whom the annoying intruder was. There was a time before were he always paranoid about who was on the other side of the door- and always double checked who it was, but now he didn't bother. The strategically placed guards around his house would never let anyone suspicious in the house.

"Elder?" he blinked in surprise. The old woman nodded in a solemn greeting.

"Ah, Uchiha Sasuke. I'm sorry to be an inconvenience but I'm going to have the shinobi guards search your house," she said in her creaky voice as the two guards that usually hid themselves around his house appeared.

"I'm sure you are," he said thickly, he knew that they would be searching for Sakura.

He didn't like the fact that they were so adamant to find her sleeping body, even more so that they now tracked around the rooms of his mother and father, desecrating what he considered to be their graves.

"It will only take a few minutes," she said, "Shorter if they find the girl Sakura."

Sasuke forced his face to remain neutral, which wasn't hard since he was use to it, "Sakura is missing?"

The elder didn't bother with an unbelieving look.

"What's this?" a third voice cut in from outside, "It seems every time I come back from a mission, there's always troublesome news to greet me."

Kakashi, tucking his little book into safety, added a laid back element to the tense atmosphere. He could be impressive he really wanted to be, but usually he just gave the impression of a lazy jounin.

"We are searching for your student Kakashi," said the elder, "Haruno Sakura apparently is missing."

"Hm, that is worrisome news," he said disinterestedly.

"Elder," the two ninjas reappeared, "There is nothing here."

"I see," she turned to Kakashi, "Well I guess I'll be searching your quarters next."

"I'm sorry elder," said one of the shinobi's, "but we cannot leave our post. The only reason why we could check his house is because he is to be under our surveillance."

"I see. Then I guess I'll have to check alone."

Kakashi faced her, his visible eye drooped tiredly, "I'm sorry but I cant let you do that."

Elder frowned, "And why is that?"

"Shinobis aren't aloud to search another resident's house unless they have sufficient evidence that I'm engaging in something outside the law. I'm guessing you aren't going on anything but a hunch," judging from the look on Elder's face he was correct. Kakashi continued, "I'm not like Sasuke, I'm not on probation so you can't enter my apartment. In fact, the only way you could is if martial law was declared over Konoha, but that's beyond even your powers, isn't it? I guess you'll just have to ask the hokage... if she lets you."

"There are other ways to search your premises."

"You mean like using a Hyuuga? You may try but I doubt you'll get very far. You see Sakura is very close to Naruto. And Hyuuga Hinata happens to be a very special friend of Naruto, and you remember Hinata-sama is to be the head of her clan. If she orders her family not to use it, then you can do nothing. Special privilege given to bloodline clans."

The elder sighed, "It seems you have all the ends carefully planned. How clever."

"I don't know what you're talking about, me planned?"

The elder just shook her head, "I hope you know what you are doing." And she slowly walked away with her head down.

Kakashi and Sasuke's eyes met, and from the crinkle around Kakashi's eyes Sasuke knew he was smiling under that mask at him. The smile, he supposed, was a way to comfort him and after Kakashi knew that his message was conveyed, Kakashi disappeared.

Sasuke couldn't hide his smirk. As much as it annoyed him, they were all a team. Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi operated perfectly together; team seven would not be beaten. Sakura is safe.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

He could swear that it was probably nearing mid of the second year by now, the conversations flew by quickly. From favorite colors, to happy childhood memories, to the death of beloved pets. Most of the talking was between Inner Sakura and little Sakura, but occasionally Itachi said something. Usually it was short and to the point, and they were very rare, but it strongly affected the conversation for awhile. There were no more periods of awkward silence, Inner Sakura had made sure that would not happen with her long-winded rants that more often than not ended with her yelling and throwing her fists in the air.

Itachi was no longer bothered by the stillness of the nonsensical painted world, or the dead tree he was under. Not even the blank sky or the endless white flowers. What really worried him was how much he talked about himself. Moments of weakness had allowed his memories pour out of him mouth easily. It was simple to think here, to talk about things that were never to be spoken, to feel things that weren't suppose to be felt.

It scared him, but it was addicting. He was trapped in this insubstantial world created by a normal child with a slight mental problem, but he never felt so free.

Inner Sakura really didn't care to study the inner workings of the 'crazy bastard' Itachi, she only cared that he would listen to what she said. Little Sakura, however, was very interested in watching how Itachi was changing. She didn't know much, but she could swear that it something that was happening. Whatever the sharingan did to his mind, it's effect was lessening. She could almost see that this world was slowly, but surely, healing him.

And maybe... he wasn't the only one changing.

"Hey Crazy Bastard!" Inner Sakura bellowed after a particularly long discussion of how shy little Sakura was, "You were a popular kid weren't you?"

"Popular?"

"Yeah, I had bet you had tons of girls falling at your feet. I mean, before you were a crazy bastard."

"Not that I remember," he said. Then again Itachi was always inattentive when it came to socializing, he never concentrated too much on people and if they liked him.

"Did you feel lonely?"

"I never felt the need for people."

"Everybody needs someone. If not love then acknowledge," little Sakura said sadly.

"Hell yeah! A precious person!"

"Precious person?"

"Somebody once said... that when they want to protect a precious person they become truly strong," little Sakura said.

Truly strong?

"What the hell?" Inner Sakura cried out.

"?"

"You!" her finger waved dangerously close to little Sakura's face, "You heard that! I thought you never left this place! That means you surface at times."

"I usually don't, I hate it there."

"You miss a lot," Itachi said, "You want to see your friend Ino again? How can you do it when you're in here?"

Little Sakura seemed to stutter over her words.

"...I... kind... can't."

"Dear Lord! Don't you ever hear yourself? What kind of attitude is that? You just bring everything down!" Inner Sakura shouted. Little Sakura cringed away in fear, waiting for the next wave of verbal assault.

"If you keep saying things like that," Itachi cut in, "You'll never succeed."

Tears brimmed at the edge of her sea-burst eyes, "You can't understand. I... just can't. I'm not like you Itachi."

Little Sakura collapsed, sobbing to herself, bringing her hands up to her face as a sort of physical representation of a mental barrier.

"I don't want to be weak, but I am."

"That's bullshit."

"It's so hard. I want to... I really really do."

She hiccuped loudly.

Itachi had seen the girl cry before, but not a breakdown of this magnitude. He stared at the fragile shake as her body racked with sobs. Inner Sakura seemed highly disturbed with the showing of intense negative emotion. Itachi had seen these sort of things before, mostly watching family members cry over his victims, this was the first time it affected him

"I don't think you're weak," he said finally, trying to ease her tears.

"HUH?" Even Inner Sakura was surprised. Little Sakura put her hands down from her face, her sobbing ceased but clear tears still trickled down her face.

Itachi tried not to be annoyed by her reaction.

"I believe that if you just tried you could get stronger."

Both faces revealed to absolute shock, their faces with etched in confusion. The familiar silence creeped in, and for the first time Itachi thought it dwelled too long.

Then Inner Sakura rolled her head back and started to roar in appreciative laughter that sounded more like an elephant's bellow, "Who knew- he actually has a heart. You should listen to him Sakura, but don't follow all of his advice or you might become as crazy as he is."

Inner Sakura's long hearty laughs turned into insane little giggles, and Itachi couldn't help but be slightly amused by her comical laugh. Even more extraordinary was that little Sakura had stopped wallowing in her own faults that she started to giggle too.

All three just sat there, under the dead tree that barely reached the empty sky in the infinite field, ignoring the harsh wind, smiling and laughing. And gradually a question arose in the back of their mind, wondering if they had finally snapped or maybe-

Just maybe.

They could be happy here.

"What's... that," Itachi said more to himself than anyone else benefit. Itachi's eyes had watched the fields so long that they sort of glazed over half-noticeably, and if he wasn't so observant he would have not noticed the slight change in the fields,

Inner Sakura looked at where Itachi looked, it was a pale yellow flower that barely conformed with the rest of the white in the grass. Wanting to further her inspection, she stood up strayed to the foreign flower before she faced little Sakura- her face splitting in a large smile that only Inner Sakura could produce.

"It's a daffodil! It's a damned daffodil!"she punched in the air in a certain victory, "HELL YEAH! You're changing squirt, your world changing! No more fujmibaka or cosmos! It's our flower. Not the pasts."

Little Sakura gave Inner Sakura a weak smile on her pretty young face, feeling a surge of pride at the praise. Itachi watched slightly fascinated as he watched more daffodils grow from a tiny blade of green that twirled into mature blooms.

"They're blooming- Rock on!" she turned to Itachi with a wild grin, "You know, maybe she's not a hopeless case. Then again, she was always Sakura! We rock!

She added as an after thought, " You just might not be too bad Itachi!" What the hell am I saying- you're Itachi. Oh well."

For the first time, Inner Sakura's voice trailed off unsure, something more out of place than little Sakura's daffodil. But something that Itachi noticed with a greater sense of interest, was the lack of her old nickname for him. She called him Itachi instead of Crazy Bastard.

Where would this time lead them?

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Naruto hadn't been to Ichiraku's for some time now, instead he was solely living of his own five-minute ramens. He hadn't been going out that much either, and because so, he felt no need to make himself presentable. His blond hair laid wildly in random directions and settled unkemptly on his head.

There was a perfectly good explanation why this boy with incredible amounts of usually unnecessary energy confined himself to the dwelling of his shoddy apartment complex, a very good reason indeed.

Because hidden behind the piles of unwashed laundry and boxes full of hand-me-down trinkets the Third once had given him as child, laid his lifetime crush, Haruno Sakura. It wasn't hard for him not to stare at her, she looked very much alive and sleeping. He had laid some spare clean blankets on the floor and let her use his pillow, where her now tangled hair spread like a pink petal halo perfectly framing her face.

Naruto wanted to touch her, not as much as a pervert as much as a curious poke in the side to wake her up, but there would be consequence to that. Besides he was a lot more trust worthy than that, he wasn't like the Ero-senin. The thought of the perverted white-haired man helped firm his resolution not to give in his thirteen year old curiosities.

"Oi Sakura-chan," his voice rang, "I guess I got to feed you!"

Naruto knew that she wouldn't respond but he talked anyway, chattering non-sensibly. He carefully lifted Sakura in a sitting position, trying to pour a thick liquid past her mouth and down her throat without it dribbling down her chin. Satisfied with his work, he set her down carefully, this time on her stomach.

He wasn't sure why Kakashi-sensei had told him to keep Sakura here, but he guessed this way everyone could visit her. Kakashi could enter his apartment without getting caught, but Naruto- even with his great sneaking abilities that he gained from perfecting pranks- could not sneak passed the watchful eyes of truly talented jounin that patrolled nearby.

Then he had to ask Hinata to tell the Hyuugas not to use their blood limit to spy on him. That was an interesting experience. When he told her that he needed to tell something to her in confidence, she replied eagerly and looked like she would jump into anything Naruto asked her to. When he told her that Sakura was in his house her face fell so fast that Naruto asked her if she was sick, to which she flushed. He then explained the situation and asked her to ask her clan to help them; the renewed thought of helping him made her turn a bright shade of red that contrasted strangely with her dark hair and pale skin.

Her reactions still confused him.

He looked at the unmoving face of his teammate, "What do you think of Hinata? She's weird but really nice, eh? Girls are so weird, right Sakura?"

Naruto took a loud slurp of his ramen, the liquid spraying about while he ate his noodles, and some landed on Sakura.

"Sorry Sakura," he quickly dried her off with a dirty shirt that he had discarded on the floor, "Ugh. I'm so bored. Wake up soon!"

He hadn't meant to shout it, but being captive in his house did not do good for his patience.

For a second he thought he saw her twitch.

x-x-x-x-x-x

"What?"

He saw both the Sakura's flinch as if someone had screamed in their ear, and then glance upwards.

"ARG! He's so damn annoying! Doesn't he ever shut up?"

Itachi continued to stare confused.

"He does talk a lot," little Sakura managed to put in her hands reaching her ears, though he had the sinking suspicion that it wouldn't help if someone was talking to her.

"He just gets louder and louder everyday."

Itachi frowned, slightly alarmed by this new news. For a split second, the world seemed to become out of focus, even more so than usual.

Not only that but there were times were he could swear he smelt a rancid odor that didn't seem in place with Sakura's mind.

"I wonder..."

"Wonder what Itachi-san?" Little Sakura asked, she had a new habit of adding the honorific after his name, much to Inner Sakura's disgust.

"I wonder how much time we have left."

"Why are you talking like were going to die?" snorted Inner Sakura.

"Not die... just wake up."

"Wake up?"

"No one dreams forever."

Even Inner Sakura was at a lost for words, and the three exchanged long meaningful glances, not quite comprehending the situation.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

A/N This chapter seems kind of choppy but oh well. Nothing seems to be flowing as well as I hoped.

There's been a flood of ItachixSakura fics (well Itachixvarious). Which is fun but now I feel that this might not be as original as I thought.

I'm trying to make it so Itachi is going through character development but now it just seems OOC. I have to make transitions smoother.

Ah well. No matter. To writing!

Sorry but I'm not going to go through the review replies. Time crunch, college is whipping the floor with my butt. Ugh.