A/N I am terribly sorry for the late chapter. I hope you enjoy it though. It's kind of short, hope you don't mind.

Kawaii kitsune-kun - Sorry…please don't forget me….lol…Anyway, yeah…sorry..Sasuke is kinda pitiful in here isn't he? Sorry….

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(space)(space(space)

Under the dazzling afternoon sun, Sakura slowly made her way towards the crystal clear lake. Her injuries were beginning to heal and all she needed now was some rest and relaxation.

As she gently dipped her finger into the pleasantly cool surface, small fishes began curiously swimming around her hand. Smiling, she sat down gently on the surface of a rock, overlooking the lake.

" I wish everyday would be as peaceful as this," she said to herself with a soft sigh. Flushing, Sakura recalled the events that happened these past few days.

(space)(space)(space)

Entering the cabin, Sasuke made his way towards the room. Pushing open the door, he found Itachi holding Sakura in his arms.

" Itachi, get your hands off her!" Sasuke growled in a dangerously low voice.

Itachi grinned. " But Sasuke, I don't think she wants to get out of my arms," he replied as his hold tightened around Sakura's waist.

Blushing, Sakura rushed out of Itachi's arms, embarrassed that Sasuke had caught them in a situation such as that. " I think I'll just go back to the….errr…..room.." Sakura said hurriedly as she slipped out the door. ' Phew….that was close….' Sakura thought as she closed the room door behind her.

' She sure is good at running away,' Itachi thought with amusement.

" What were you doing with Sakura !" Sasuke asked dangerously.

" What do you think I was doing Sasuke? Or perhaps you would like me to describe it to you?" Itachi asked with an evil grin. " Then again, why would I want to tell you what we 'did'?" he asked again with amusement, emphasizing on the 'did'.

" Damn you Itachi! Don't you dare touch Sakura!" cursed Sasuke.

" What's the matter little brother? Worried that your ever faithful pet that has been chasing after you for years would suddenly abandon you ?" asked Itachi again.

" She…" Sasuke started.

" Don't deny it Sasuke, did you think that she would always be here for you? After all the times you had been playing with her feelings?" asked Itachi in a serious tone.

" I'll be taking the first watch, get some rest. I'll call you when it's your turn," Itachi said as he left the room.

Itachi had been right on the dot. Sasuke had been playing with her feelings although he had never wanted to admit it to himself. The truth really stung when it came directly from his brother.

Apologies were no longer of any use. He had hurt her and she had every right to hate him. But maybe, just maybe, someday she'll forgive him.

' I guess that I'll have to start over. From the beginning. This time, I'll do it right,' he thought to himself.

Glancing at the door, he heard Itachi's footsteps approaching. " Oh, and by the way Sasuke. I'm not letting anyone have Sakura," said Itachi through the door. Although faint, Sasuke could definitely make out the hint of possessiveness in Itachi's voice.

' Then, may the best man win,' Sasuke thought with determination.

When Sakura woke up the next day, the first thing she saw when she looked out the window was the clear lake. Realizing that she had not taken a bath in days, she slipped out of the cabin, hoping to find a waterfall or a stream nearby.

As she walked through the forest, she took her time admiring the green canopies and the colorful flowers growing around her. "This reminds of the time Naruto and I were separated from Sasuke and Kakashi during a mission,' thought Sakura.

(flashback)

" Ne…Sakura-chan, why do we have to keep hiding near the trees?" asked Naruto with a frown.

" You don't want our enemies to find us do you?" Sakura asked Naruto seeing his frown.

" Ah…But Sakura-chan, I'll definitely protect you if the enemies attack us!" said Naruto with determination.

" Naruto, will you keep quiet. We're separated from Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-kun. If the enemies attack there won't be any back-up," Sakura said again.

" But Sakura- chan," said Naruto as they continued leaping from tree to tree, " let's just walk on the ground…."

After saying that, Naruto leapt down to the ground. " See, nothing happened and there are no enemies…." said Naruto with a smug expression.

" Shit! Naruto stop, don't move," Sakura shouted in panic.

" Huh, what?" Naruto said as he continued his pace and suddenly…

" Argh! Shit! Why do I always have to step on shit?" asked Naruto as he kept bouncing around on one foot.

" That's why I told you to stop," Sakura said with a sigh.

(space)(space)(space)

Sakura giggled slightly recalling the expression on Naruto's face. She missed her friends and Naruto back home. " I wonder if Naruto heard about me being missing.." Sakura asked herself.

Naruto and her became rather close after Sasuke left the village. Well for one thing, she began having more faith in him. When they were in team seven, she never really had faith in Naruto and believed that the strongest in the group was Sasuke.

After the many events that passed, she realized that she had been wrong to look down on Naruto. That was one of the things that she regretted. ' I mean, he risked his life countless of times to save me,' Sakura thought to herself.

'Maybe if I had given him a chance, things could have worked between us. I wouldn't have had to suffer the heartache when Sasuke left. And furthermore, Naruto was always kind to me even after how I treated him,' these were the words that had gone through Sakura's mind the moment it was confirmed that Sasuke was not coming back.

' Well, until I started dreaming about Itachi,' Sakura blushed.' Itachi …. Where do we go from here?'

Hearing the sound of rushing water, she treaded along the forest paths until she found a small waterfall in a secluded part of the forest.

" Here ought to do," Sakura thought as she dipped her hand into the running stream. 'Kind of cold but I suppose I don't have a choice,' she thought again.

Slowly slipping out of her clothes, she carefully dipped her body into the running water. ' Luckily the current isn't strong,' thought Sakura as she made her way towards the waterfall. Finding a stone slab on which she could sit on, she began cleaning her wounds.

' The water feels so good but I suppose I have to get out before I catch a cold,' she thought as she stepped out of the running stream. ' Hmmm…now where did I put my clothes?' Sakura's thoughts were cut off when she sensed a presence behind here.

Turning around, she found herself face to face with heavily blushing Sasuke. " Huh? Why are you blushing?" Sakura asked as his eyes seemed to be traveling down.

Realization hit her square on the face. " Argh! Don't look!" she screamed as she covered her exposed body with her hands. "Turn around!" Sakura said as she blushed five shades of red.

Turning around, Sasuke activated his sharingan." Itachi come out. I know you're here," Sasuke said.

" What are you doing here little brother?" asked Itachi as he leapt from a tree.

"I should be asking you the same question," asked Sasuke as he glared at Itachi.

Seeing Itachi appearing as well, Sakura almost fainted. " Both of you, turn around!" screamed Sakura frantically as she began searching for her clothes.

" I won't forgive you for peeping on Sakura!" growled Sasuke.

" I could say the same to you. Although, I wasn't peeping. I saw Sakura leaving the house unprotected, so I followed her to keep watch," said Itachi.

' Okay, maybe I did peep a little. Well, maybe a little more than little. Okay, so what if I was watching her the whole time?' Itachi thought to himself as he tried blocking a nose bleed.

" I didn't even know she was here..I just happened to pass by," said Sasuke coldly.

' Okay I did know. But I didn't know she was bathing. Okay, maybe I did. But I didn't want to peep. Okay, maybe I did. But I meant to go back after a few minutes. Okay so I wanted to see her naked without the water blocking my view, so what?' Sasuke thought, while trying to block a nose bleed.

Too deep in their own thoughts, they didn't notice that Sakura had already made her way back to the cabin.

(space)(space)(space)

' Those perverts! I can't believe they actually peeked while I was bathing!" thought Sakura as her mind floated back to the present.

' Guess I better get back to the cabin,' she thought to herself.

" Sakura," called a voice behind her.

A/N I am terribly sorry. To all my readers, I am sooo sorry…. I meant to write this chapter sooner but since I have been rather busy lately, I could not manage the time to write it. I probably won't be updating often since my trials are approaching. I hope to update soon though. Thanks for all of your support. I hope you all haven't forgotten me?