Warning: Violence/fighting. Cruel words. Vulgar language.

He was sad to see Sakura go, but nonetheless, he was pleased with the time that they had spent together. It was that thought that led him into his house that night and allowed a peaceful slumber to take over him.

His dreams were filled with Sakura and that was more than okay for Itachi.

"I feel like we haven't seen each other in ages," moans out Ino as she slumps onto Sakura's couch. Temari plopped down next to her with a bag of popcorn and she was in agreement with the other blonde.

"I know guys, but trust me when I tell you guys that I had the best time," Sakura sighs out and the other two roll their eyes. They were happy for her, she knew, but they were right. It had been months since they last actually hung out. "But enough about that. What have you guys been up to?"

The other two women filled her in on what she had missed. She had to admit, she missed the two blondes terribly. It was nice to be able to listen to them banter and talk. Sometimes all she wanted to do was sit back and listen, maybe that's why they got along so well. They would do most of the talking.

"So, are you going to be staying in the city?" Temari asks after a moment and Sakura quirks an eyebrow. Where did that come from?

"You are in online school, it isn't like you have much keeping you here when you have him down there," Ino supplied helpfully and Sakura shakes her head.

"You guys are moving faster than I am. We are still learning about one another and until then, my place is here with you." She gives them a smile before stealing some of Temari's popcorn. "Besides, I was only gone for three months and you both were bored out of your minds. What would you two do if I moved away?"

"As if! I could be just fine," sniffs Ino and Sakura only laughs.

Falling back into the grind of living in the city with med school was a little harder than she thought. Struggling to slip into study mode wasn't like her and it was frustrating, to say the least.

"Relax, you're going to ace this semester just like the others," says Gaara as he throws a chicken nugget at Genki who smiles widely when he catches it in his mouth. Sakura smiles at the young boy and shakes her head. She really hoped he didn't choke. "Don't get yourself so strung up so early on. Take a breather," Gaara gives her a pointed look and Sakura looks away innocently. "You are already a week ahead in your course materials."

"I know," she sighs out and pops a fry in her mouth. She smacks his hand away when he tries to steal some of her fries. She knew he knew better than to come between her and her McDonalds, so she wasn't sure why he was being so daring. "I'm just so distracted. I want to talk to him all the time and he is all I think about," she admits guiltily. "It's like my mind is trying to make up for lost time of not thinking about him."

Sakura felt weird talking to Gaara about Itachi so it was normally a topic that they strayed from. She still felt horrible about how hers and Gaara's relationship had gone, it wasn't right of her to use him, even unknowingly, the way she did. Still, she felt adding in why she was having a hard time focusing was important to the conversation at hand. She missed the slight twitch in his face at the mention of Itachi. She couldn't fault him for it even if she had caught him.

"Maybe you should just try and create some separation," Gaara said quietly and he takes a long, quiet sip from his straw as an awkward silence washes over them. Genki, none the wiser, speaks up before Sakura could say anything.

"Can I go play now?"

"Of course, go ahead," Sakura says and she watches him bound off towards the play place. At least things wouldn't ever change between her and Genki. That was one thing she wouldn't have to worry about. "Be careful!" She calls out when he trips slightly. Watching him stand up, she shakes her head and stares at her food.

The awkwardness was back and she felt like she could scream.

"I didn't word that right," Gaara says finally and he takes a deep sigh. "I meant maybe try and create a timetable. You love planning things, use that to your advantage and create a schedule."

"You're right, thank you," she gives him a slightly less tense smile.

Maybe he was onto something.

The snow was setting in and it was her favorite part about moving away from the coast.

Don't get her wrong, she loathed the cold but at the same time, it was magical to watch the snow and it filled her with joy watching Genki play in it. She couldn't stifle the laugh that formed when he tried unsuccessfully to catch snowflakes on his tongue. Christmas was a magical part of the year.

Currently she was at the park with Genki while everyone else was setting up the apartment for their Christmas celebration. They were celebrating a couple weeks early because Sakura was heading back down to Konoha with her parents to celebrate with the Uchiha and Uzumaki. All three families wanted to do a joint celebration. Sakura, mentally, hoped that one day it would be one huge celebration with all of her friends and their families.

One day.

"Are you ready to go inside?" Sakura hollers and Genki comes running up to her. She smiles, fixing his hat. He was such a good kid. Holding onto his hand, she leads him up to Kankuro's apartment.

"Merry christmas!" Everyone cheers with Ino, naturally, being the loudest.

"Wow! Christmas came early!" Genki had the happiest expression on his face and Sakura was glad she got to celebrate with him and everyone else after all. She watched as he ripped into his early gifts and then it was the adults turn. They kept it simple but the whole thing was heartwarming in its own way.

"I will never get tired of this movie," sighs Sakura as she sips her hot chocolate.

"You're such a softie," snorts Gaara as he throws a marshmallow at her.

"At least she has feelings," Ino rolls her eyes.

The night was great, she enjoyed being among her closest friends and it was a great way to kick off winter break before starting the drive to konoha.

Nobody saw Sakura and Itachi for the first few days she came down, but they all had their own suspicions as to why.

Sakura was breathless as she ran a hand through her hair. Turning over onto her side to look at Itachi, she gives him a smile. Sex with Itachi was like sex with no other. Never before had she felt so fulfilled and so cared for. It left her with a high feeling and her body craved for it. Everytime their bodies came together, they crashed like tidal waves and drowned themselves in one another.

"You're perfect," Itachi breathes out and presses small, light kisses across her face. She laughs softly, lightly pushing against his chest.

"Come on, we can't hide from everyone forever."

Sakura later finds him sitting on the porch in the back, phone pressed to his ear and a cigarette pressed between his lips. Leaning against the doorframe, she observes him. He seemed a little tense and it unsettled her just a bit. Chewing on her lip, she waits for him to get off the phone before settling in behind him and rubbing his back comfortingly. He lets out a soft sigh, putting out his cigarette and instead finding peace by leaning into her touch.

"What was that about? You seemed stressed," Sakura says softly as she presses a kiss to his cheek.

"It was the center Sasuke is at. He is stagnant in his process of getting better, but they think that spending time with his family will help motivate him a little better. They're wanting to know if we want him for Christmas," Itachi sighs and Sakura understands why he wanted that cigarette earlier.

"Well, what do you think?" She asks after a moment and he turns around to look at her.

"I'm not sure how it's going to help him," Itachi answers honestly. "Hana is the first family motivated thing he has ever tried to pursue."

"Do you want to try it?" Sakura leans her head onto his shoulder and he lays his against hers.

"My mom wants to. She's still somewhat convinced that if she tries some different things then she can rip the evil out of him. I don't know how much longer that will last."

Sakura nods, listening. She wasn't too worried about it. Sasuke had been doing well in recovery and, from her understanding, was just recently lacking. From a psychological standpoint, as explained to her by Ino, progress is on-going and there will be set backs. It isn't all going to be straightforward.

"Maybe it will. We won't know unless we try it," Sakura says finally and Itachi just closes his eyes.

Itachi's house was filled with their loved ones and Sakura loved it. She had been hard at work with Mikoto, her mother, Kushina, and Hinata on decorating the house. She would love to say that Itachi had helped but he wasn't much help on that front. In the kitchen, though? Sakura was proud to say that he was the mastermind behind their delicious dinner that they had planned.

"Oh, he is just too precious," swoons Mikoto as she fusses with Boruto from where he was swaddled up in Kushina's arms.

"I know, I'm so blessed to be his grandmama," cries Kushina. Sakura shakes her head as she walks away from the two older women. She walks into the kitchen and scoops up a tray of cookies and gathers icing and sprinkles. Sakura wanted to decorate them with Karin and Hana once they got here. She didn't know what it was in the air this year, but she was feeling much more festive.

"Sakura, let me help you," her mother says as she shakes her head and quickly helps her carry things.

"Thank you, mom."

They set everything down on the coffee table and her mother lightly smacks her fathers hand away from the cookies when he reaches for them. "I don't think so," she says and narrows her eyes at him. Sakura thought she was going crazy cause she thought she heard Fugaku laugh. Christmas was an interesting time of year.

"I'll be back, I'm going to freshen up, alright?" Sakura says and she heads upstairs. Entering the room she and Itachi have been sharing, she hums as she brushes her hair and reapplies some of her makeup.

"Almost everyone is here," Itachi hums as he enters the room and wraps his arms around her waist. She leans into his chest, closing her eyes. "You look stunning."

"Thank you," she says softly as she turns around. Her eyes meet his and she rests her hands on either side of his face gently. Slowly, she leans up to capture his lips into a sweet kiss. It was easy to melt into one another and she wasn't surprised when her legs bumped into the dresser behind her. Letting out a soft moan from his hands running up and down her sides, she breaks the kiss to press smaller ones along his neck. It was a good thing she was just wearing lip gloss. "Behave," she laughs out. "Your house is full of our family and friends."

"We can be quick and quiet," he breathes against her neck and she would have given in if it weren't for the sound of the door opening after a quick knock.

"Itachi- what the fuck."

They pulled apart quickly and they both looked at the newcomer with shocked expressions on their face.

"You just couldn't resist going after everything I've owned, huh," sneers Sasuke and Sakura rests her hand on Itachi's arm. At the moment, Sasuke was focused on Itachi and she was trying to assess the situation. This was exactly the kind of situation they were trying to avoid. She could see his nostrils flaring and the clenching and unclenching of his fists. Sakura could also feel Itachi tense up next to her and she was trying her best to stay calm for his sake and her own.

"Not everything is about being yours or not. I wasn't your property," Sakura finds herself speaking up before Itachi could say anything. She felt his hand on the small of her back and she knew Sasuke saw it, too. "And you aren't entitled to the sole being of one person. You don't have the right to take and control what you want to. This isn't a monopoly," she was standing her ground. She wasn't going to let him think this behaviour was okay and especially not since he was already on thin ice with his one chance in general.

"That's rich from a slut," Sasuke says coldly and his eyes are on hers in a moment. Any amount of strength she thought she had went out the window when she saw the rage in his eyes and the expressionless face he bore. "Gotta collect them all, right? What's next, my dad? You're disgusting, I can't believe I thought I would have ever had to fight you to have you." He sneers and looks her up and down, "You would have been begging that night before if Itachi would have held off long enough. Maybe we could have even shared-"

He didn't get to say much else after that because Itachi was right on him.

It was happening so fast and Sakura didn't know what to do. She watched in horror as Itachi knocked Sasuke into the door, bringing it off of its hinges slightly, and onto the floor. They were grappling with one another but at some point Itachi had regained the upper hand because he was hitting, hitting, and smashing Sasuke's face in.

"You will never have her or ever speak of her that way again," Itachi growls out and he continues wrecking havoc onto him. Sakura breaks out of her stunned gaze because she is rushing over to Itachi, trying to pull him off. "No, Sakura, stop, I'm going to fucking kill him-" She was crying now and they had an audience at the door. He was still struggling against her but Naruto, Fugaku, Sakura's dad, and Minato were pulling him off of Sasuke. "You guys don't understand-"

"Itachi, stop, please," Mikoto says softly. "Look at Sakura, stop for her.. Please."

Itachi stops struggling and he meets Sakura's tear-streaked green. She was shaking and his heart broke. He had caused this reaction in her and it ate him up. He didn't mean to scare her. Once they were sure he wasn't going to run and jump Sasuke again, they let go of him.

"We'll deal with Sasuke, you and Sakura go into one of the bathrooms and try and clean up some. We got this," Fugaku says as he pats him on the shoulder. Itachi sees him kneel down next to Sasuke out of the corner of his eyes as he approaches Sakura slowly.

"I'm sorry," he says quietly and she just shakes her head, burying her face into his chest. He forgets that she has never seen him seriously fight since the cliff and the fact that it was Sasuke made it more tough. Sighing, he gently cups the back of her head with his beaten hand and holds her close. "Come on, love, lets go clean up a little."

Christmas had taken a turn for the worst and little Hana didn't have a clue why. One moment her daddy was there with her and they were going to decorate cookies with Aunt Sakura and mommy; the next her grandpa was ushering her other uncles and her daddy out of the door.

"Ssh, baby, it's okay. I know it's a little confusing, but it will be okay," Karin says softly as she comes back down to her and pulls her onto her lap.

"Where's daddy?" Hana asks and Karin pulls her closer, burying her face into Hana's dark red locks.

"He.. He is very ill, in his mind, and he is going to go away somewhere he can get better again." Karin says softly.

"I thought he was already getting better," Hana asks in a soft voice.

"He was, but sometimes it takes leaving somewhere to be able to heal the way you need, too, and daddy needs that." Karin presses a kiss to her daughters forehead.

"Will he come back?" She asks after a moment and Karin shakes her head sadly.

"No, baby, I'm afraid not this time.."

The rest of christmas was held in as high cheer as it could, but Sakura couldn't step foot in their room without freezing. She felt like their space had been violated and while Sasuke hadn't done much other than talk shit and get hit, he was there and he was not better. The way he had been looking at her caused chills of disgust and fear travel through her body.

She couldn't go in there.

Especially since she was sure there was some blood from the absolute beating Itachi had delivered to Sasuke.

Taking a deep breath, she turns around from the closed door and heads back downstairs. She sits on the couch and tucks her feet underneath her as she stares at the t.v. that wasn't on. Sakura felt drained and unbelievably tired. Everyone tried really hard to put on a show for Hana, but she knew she still questioned Karin, and she felt terrible for it.

It was awful because Hana was finally coming to terms with Sasuke taking up somewhat of a role in her life. It made Sakura feel awful about it all, but it didn't mean that she wasn't glad she let him have it verbally.

She honestly wished she would have punched him herself but Itachi more than took care of it.

"How are your hands?" Sakura calls out softly as she hears him come back downstairs. He had pillows and blankets tucked into his arms and she had to wonder what his plan was with them. He walks up to her and drops them down next to her.

"They are fine," Itachi answers and he gestures for her to stand up. "Would you like to create a fort with me? We haven't gotten to watch any Christmas movies yet and I know how much you enjoy them," he trails off quietly. "I thought maybe a fort, hot chocolate, and those movies might be a nice treat for you.."

Her eyes softened as she looked at him. He was too good for her, always had been. He made her heart feel full and complete. Leaning up onto her tiptoes, she presses a kiss to his lips.

"I would love nothing more than that."