Chapter 5

After school that day, Sasuke and I ran towards the play ground. We knew that none of our parents could come pick us up yet. We weren't exactly allowed to go home on our own. My parents' reasons were more geared towards me being an only child. While Sasuke's parents, I suppose it was partly because of the family business but I think it was because his mother would feel better if someone accompanied him home at that age. He was the youngest after all.

You see, his father owned a company and got home late in the afternoon or well off into the evening. From what I understood back then and from what my parents told me, the Uchiha family business was big and important. Sasuke's father worked with other important people that (in my mother's words) 'help people and makes everyone happy.' His mother helped around the company. I never really understood her exact job position since all Sasuke said was that she was helping his father. Then there was Sasuke's aniki. He was still in school and he had after school activities.

We didn't really mind since it meant we could play for as long as we wanted. This one particular afternoon, it was my father's turn to pick us up since it was his day-off. He promised me that morning that he would take us to Mount Scoops, one of the best ice cream parlors in town. Sasuke didn't really like sweets but after I shared some of my vanilla and strawberry ice cream one time, he learned to at least try desserts before saying 'no'. I would even be bold enough to say that vanilla and strawberry on a wafer cone became one of his favorite treats since he would ask for it whenever we found ourselves at Mount Scoops.

But you know what, I could never, ever make him like anything chocolate. Whenever okaa-san would put some chocolate in my lunch bag, I always offered half of it to Sasuke. He said yes the first time I offered but never again. He told me it was too sweet and would get some food from my lunch, particularly tomatoes.

Okaa-san always made sure I ate healthy so she would give me assorted food in small quantities. It was just enough for what I could finish at that age. She would give me vegetables aside from a small slice of either chicken or beef. My mom was an excellent chef so from the cradle I learned how to not be picky when eating but at five years old, I really didn't like eating tomatoes and pickled radish or plum that she would include in my bento to make it pretty. Ironically, Sasuke loved them since they weren't 'sweet'. So, when it was time to eat in school, before we even start, Sasuke and I formed this habit of exchanging what we didn't like from out lunches. He would take all the tomatoes. I even throw in the picked radish or plum with it. He would then give me the dessert his mom would make him.

I never really understood Sasuke's odd taste in food but it was one of the quirky things that I loved about my best friend. It simply made him Sasuke. I'm sure he knows that the reason why I learned how to eat my tomatoes, pickled radish and plum was because it sort of always makes me remember this memory of him. Eating healthy is also part of that reason I suppose but I would rather think that he taught me how to eat those things.

Who would have thought that Uchiha Sasuke was the one who encouraged me to eat tomatoes and pickled radish and plum, while I, Haruno Sakura, was the one who taught him how to eat and love vanilla and strawberry ice cream on a wafer cone?

XxXxXx

It was a Saturday. Ino and Sakura decided to open after lunch since they knew that it was one of those Saturday's where business was slow. It wouldn't hurt if they opened late. Ino and Sakura waited for Hinata to arrive. They had already setup their office.

It wasn't the typical office but both of them agreed that they wanted a space that was homey but would serve its original purpose. Inside, Ino and Sakura both had their respective desks where everything was organized. In the middle of the room, there was a living room set. The coffee table had a bouquet of fresh flowers in a glass vase Sakura made.

Sakura was seated in one of the lounge chairs. She was stroking Aki's fur, who had his head on top of her lap. Ino was seated on the couch, reading some bridal dress magazine, hoping to see a dress that would strike her fancy.

When a knock was heard from the backdoor, Sakura felt Aki's ears twitch. She looked up and motioned to get up. She stilled when she heard Ino put her magazine down. Ino immediately said that she was going to get it and headed towards the door. It didn't take long before two pairs of footsteps made their way back to the office.

"Hi Hinata." Sakura greeted as she smiled in the direction of her friend.

Hinata smiled and replied, "Hi Sakura. Hi Aki." Aki walked over to Hinata and rubbed against her a little, earning himself a soft giggle. He immediately went back to his original position beside Sakura while Hinata and Ino sat at the couch.

Hinata then proceeded to open the box which contained the sweets that she made. Almost immediately, this aroma filled the room.

"I'll go and get us some tea." Ino offered.

Once they all settled down and Hinata had handed out snacks, Ino started the conversation, "Hinata," She waited for the Hyuuga heiress to meet her gaze. "I'd like you to be one of my bride's maids."

"Of course, Ino! I'm so excited. You and Shikamaru are finally getting married."

"I know, right!"

"Hmm, I can't help but wonder when you and Naruto will be following, Hinata." Sakura commented as she continued to stroke through Aki's fur.

On cue, Hinata's cheeks turned a bright red which caused Ino to start laughing. "Who knows, Forehead? We might actually end up having a double wedding."

Sakura couldn't help but giggle. She could imagine what Hinata looked like. She knew that Ina's comment was most likely deepen her blush. She couldn't help but feel happier because she knew that her friends deserved the happiness that they were enjoying.

"Anyway, onto business," Ino suggested. "You're finally starting your bake shop. It's about time, might I add."

"Yes," Hinata took out a portfolio she had about the plans and starting menu. "It will be Neji-nii-san and I's joint business venture. He's checking the site now to see if everything is on track. He will be joining us in a while. I hope you don't mind."

"Mind? Hinata, this is Neji we are talking about." Sakura commented with a slight giggle. "He's almost always here."

"Yeah, always sticking close to Sakura." Ino added, making Sakura blush a little. "Honestly, it makes me wonder if something else is going on between the two of them, don't you say, Hinata?"

"We're getting off topic, Ino-pig. We are talking about the business here. And FYI, Neji is one of my best guy friends. He's been there for me ever since Sasuke died. The same goes with Naruto so seriously, nothing is going on."

"Right," Ino replied as she leaned back on the couch with her arms crossed. "Neji just happens to be the one who takes care of you when you are sick, helps you with your bill to make sure you aren't being screwed over, accompanies you take Aki to the vet, and makes sure guys behave themselves around you. Did I miss anything?"

Sakura sighed as she attempted to hide the blush that was staining her cheeks. Everything Ino had said were true. She couldn't deny a single thing she said. If asked if she loved Neji, Sakura wouldn't even think twice to answer. She did love Neji but it was more like brotherly love…maybe? She viewed him as the elder brother she never had just like how she viewed Kakashi. Sometimes though, she gets to thinking of something else, wondering what if they were more than they were. Neji understood her as she understood him.

"I think that Ino is right, Sakura. I grew up with Neji-nii-san and he's only that caring to you aside from the family. You of all people should know that he's not one to be open with anybody, especially girls."

Sakura chose not to comment. She settled with a small shake of the head and replied, "I think that we are seriously off topic. So when do you guys plan on opening?"

"If construction goes well, we will be able to start by the end of next month. Nii-san and I have been talking and we want you guys to help with the event. We were wondering if you, Ino, could arrange all the flowers that would be needed, and you, Sakura, to help us decorate the actual store. We want the store to be open, where customers could see us bake, how it works on the inside. We have initial sketches here." Hinata passed the portfolio towards Sakura.

"What do you say, forehead? I'm in."

"Yeah, I'm in. I'll have these uploaded and I'll start with the designs later. I would like to discuss what you guys want in general, you know, the ideas of the atmosphere you are going for, the general feel you want, the colors, etc."

"Definitely homey and laid-back sort of feel," A definite male voice resonated from the door. Ino and Hinata turned and saw Neji standing there. He made his way over to a vacant seat and squeezed Sakura's hand for a moment to let her know he was there beside her. He then glanced over at Hinata and gave a small bow of acknowledgement to the other two occupants of the room. Aki walked up to him, waiting to be patted on the head. "Perhaps along the color scheme of yellow, orange, red, and green is the color palate you can use. We don't mind a touch of blue here and there as well."

"We have decided that we want our bake shop to be welcoming and would give off this feel of comfort." Hinata added.

Sakura started to sort through the details that she was given. Some ideas were crossing her mind. She couldn't help the smile that escaped her lips. She was going to enjoy this project very much. "Homey and laid-back…hmm…I think I know the exact design you are going for. I'll make the draft later and I'll set up an appointment with you both to discuss it further in detail."

"As for the opening ceremony, leave the flower arrangements to me. I'll go with those colors too. Sakura and I will work on them together just tell me how many arrangements are necessary. It would help if I could see the place so more or less I would know." Ino said.

"I second that idea. I would like to come and check it out as well." Sakura added.

Neji took Sakura's hand and placed a flash drive. "I took the liberty of putting all the plans here and the expected outcome, including layouts and measurements. I know you hate being treated differently but right now the construction site isn't a very safe place for you. Ino can go since she's too stubborn to get hurt."

"Hey!" Came Ino's immediate reaction which made Neji smirk.

"But I really don't want to bring you there even with all the safety precautions that are there. When it's more stable there, I'll bring you for the final fitting and installment of what you will be doing." Neji squeeze Sakura's hand, hoping to get her to understand where he was coming from.

Sakura sighed. She took her other hand and patted Neji's that was holding her other. "Fine. I'll trust your judgment when you think that it's safe for me to go. But you will take me there."

"Of course." Neji replied, relieved that Sakura didn't put much of a struggle.

Ino and Hinata exchanged glances as they eyed the other two. A knowing smile was shared between the two. But their quiet reflection was broken when Sakura suddenly commented, "Oh! Kakashi-nii is back. He's living with me for awhile."

Neji gave a small smirk as he sat up properly. "It's about time. Finally a chef?"

Sakura started laughing and motioned towards Ino. "I'm biased, of course. I've always loved his cooking. But it seems that he poured all his grief into perfecting his art. It really has gotten to the point of excellence. You still should ask Ino-pig, though, how it is. She's probably going to give a more unbiased answer."

Neji looked at Ino with a questioning stare. Ino smiled all dreamy and said, "It's heavenly!" Neji raised an eyebrow while Hinata tilted her head to the side in question. "I'm not exaggerating! That prawn saganaki was perfection and that chocolate fudge cake is simply to die for…I'm actually contemplating of asking him to help with the food for my wedding."

Hinata and Neji turned to each other. It seemed they shared the same thoughts. Neji gave Hinata a nod, which she returned. "Sakura," Hinata started. Sakura turned towards her direction. "Would Kakashi-san be interested in applying for a position at our bake shop?"

"I don't know. But I will ask him. I'm sure that he will consider the idea. Thank you very much for the offer."

"We would like to sample some of his food, if you don't mind. Maybe if all goes well, we can even modify the menu so we can also serve non-pastries. Since we are already going to have dine-in customers, I think this modification in plans could be good. What do you think, Hinata?" Neji commented.

Hinata contemplated a bit before nodding. "Yes. That's a good idea. I mean, it will solve our problem of having some idle time, in between customers. We could offer lunch and probably dinner. It's going to be busier. If Kakashi-san agrees, I'll talk to Chouji so that we could all sit down and talk about the menu."

"Why don't you have dinner with us later this evening? Kakashi-nii wouldn't mind. I'll call him. He was saying this morning that he wanted to try this new recipe. I'm not sure what it is but he said it was really good. He wouldn't mind cooking extra." Sakura offered.

Neji looked at Hinata again before answering, "Sure, if you really don't mind. That would be great."

"Yes, if isn't too much trouble that would be nice."

Sakura nodded. "Besides, it would save everyone the time for settling business. If you want to change a few things, I believe now is the right time before your opening next month."

Neji and Hinata gave out their agreement. Ino then said, "I'll pass on tonight but tell me what happens and any change of plans. Shika and I will be having dinner with both our parents to discuss the wedding. I can't skip on that."

"That's settled then." Neji commented and turned to Sakura. "I'll pick you up later."

Sakura nodded. "I'll probably be finished by around 5:30."

XxXxXx

Itachi woke up, slightly disoriented. It took a moment for him to realize that he was back in his old room. He sat up and the blanket fell from his upper body. The cool morning breeze immediately assaulted his bare chest. He didn't mind the cold. He was used to it. Unconsciously, he reached up behind him and removed his hair tie. He ran a hand through his midnight black hair to straighten it out before retying it again.

His onyx eyes drifted towards the window. It was still dark outside. As he looked, it didn't surprise him one bit when his thoughts drifted to Sasuke.

It had become a habit of his ever since his brother's death years ago to wake up before the crack of dawn to reflect. He had cared about his brother like a good big brother should. At that time, their father was often away on business, trying to re-stabilize the company and do some damage control because of what their relative, Uchiha Madara, had done. Whenever he was home, Fugaku would usually arrive late from work, past Sasuke's bedtime, so Sasuke didn't have much time bonding with their father. Itachi took it upon himself to be there in his father's behalf so that his younger brother wouldn't feel neglected.

Because of Itachi's efforts, both brothers never held a grudge against Fugaku. Both understood why he had to be away often. They knew that their father worked really hard for their family and had made sure Mikoto was always home before the children, even if he needed her at the office by his side to finish work.

Itachi had loved his brother and it came as quite a shock when he learned that he had come into an accident and died. He had been devastated. There was even a point where he blamed himself for what had happened. If he hadn't had been involved with after school activities, he would have been able to come pick up his brother and accompanied him home.

He always knew that Sasuke was often brought home by a parent of his friend from school. He knew that his parents were acquaintances of said friend's parents. From what he could remember about the accident, Itachi was told that it had been a drunk driver who had hit the car, killing the man driving and eventually causing his brother to lose his life as well. Itachi could remember being told that Sasuke's friend was also in the car and had been injured. He never bothered learning about her, only acknowledging the fact that she was a girl. He never bothered to listen to anything that happened to her afterwards.

It was enough to know that the accident had caused her harm and taken the life of her father and Sasuke. It seemed that she had lost more than he did that day. She not only lost her best friend but had lost her father and her eyesight. It was bold to come up with that assumption but his instincts were telling him that she did lose her sight from that time.

Now, Itachi knew without a shadow of a doubt that that little girl from long ago, the little girl who had befriended his brother, was Haruno Sakura. As he thought more about it, he knew that that little girl, Sakura, was the one his brother was telling him about whenever they were in one of their brotherly bonding moments. He now knew who had taught his sweet-hating brother how to eat strawberry and vanilla ice cream.

As he reflected further, he was wrong to assume that he was never told about Sakura before. Sasuke had told him multiple times about her. It was true that he knew encountered her before by his grave, but it was wrong of him to have forgotten that. He may have not met her before the meeting at work, he was wrong to believe he had not heard of her.

This feeling of guilt for assuming much at face value when he learned she was blind bubbled within his chest now that he was certain she was one of his brother's special people. Girls and boys don't usually become really good friends around the age that they were but if it had happened to Sakura and Sasuke, there must be something about her that made his brother comfortable enough to make her his friend, his best friend.

His parents were fond of her. They know about her and seem to hold her with such kind regard even after all these years. Itachi was chastised by his father after his misjudgment.

After reflecting on it at the quiet of the morning and just as the sun was rising, Itachi's interest in Haruno Sakura had piqued without question. He had made a mistake and he would be man enough to admit it to her. He would go to her after he checks things at work that morning.

XxXxXx

Itachi cursed silently as he drove over to Ino and Sakura's shop. It had taken him more time than he expected to get things in order at the office for the weekend. It was way past one in the afternoon when he found himself towards her work.

It was 2:15 by the time he was able to park and open the front door.

"Good afternoon, welcome to-" Itachi heard Ino greet but abruptly stop when she looked up and saw him standing there. "You!" She exclaimed as her eyes narrowed.

"Good afternoon, Yamanaka-san. I am here to apologize for what happened the other day. I would also like to speak with Haruno-san." Itachi replied coolly.

Ino's eyes narrowed a fraction more. She crossed her arms but replied through clenched teeth, "I'm not really sure I should accept your apology just yet." She then gestured to the side where glass separated the room they were in to another room. Itachi followed her hand and was inwardly taken aback at what he saw. "She's busy at the moment. Maybe you could come back at a better time."

Itachi saw that she was working through the glass window. It showed the world her work station. He figured it was to prove that she was indeed the one who handcrafted all the glass sculptures that were being held on display. He saw numerous colored glass there, all placed neatly at their designated place. Sakura sat in front of her work station that allowed her to face the glass window towards them. Itachi saw her expertly work through this fire burner that was hot enough to make the glass malleable enough to form into various shapes and sizes.

"I am afraid that I have to speak with her now otherwise my apology wouldn't be worth anything." Itachi said.

"If I'm not mistaken, didn't you meet her at Sasuke's grave? Why didn't you apologize then? Why now?"

Itachi looked back at Ino. His expression didn't show anything. "I believe that she should be the one to hear my reasons first. I am not here to ridicule her. I have no intentions of hurting her."

Ino looked at him critically for a few moments as she contemplated on Itachi's words. Itachi just stayed silent and watch her. Ino soon gave a nod. "The door for that room is through this door." She led him and opened the door. "It is the first door to the right." Itachi gave a nod and proceeded to where he was instructed to. Itachi stood in front of the door and knocked.

(to be continued...)