Stuff! So if you're still reading this, I'm not going to keep posting the same warnings over and over. And of course thank you for all your reviews. I'm so happy! I'm copying what's in my notebook into Word, and getting this up as quickly as I can. But with a baby who's teething and work, I'm not getting too much done. :( Anyway, I figure I should let you know, eventually, this will be a Sasuke/Sakura story. I'll probably end this one and do a sequel to change the pairing. Or I may just have a small part in the end of this one with them. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!

I expect lots of laughs (and reviews cough) from the joke I made in this chapter :D

She woke in a hospital room in Konoha. Her eyelids felt heavy and she could see there was an IV in her arm. She groaned and let her head fall to the side. There she could see Tsunade and Shizune going over her chart, and Naruto sitting by the door looking utterly destroyed. She squinted to adjust to the brightness of the room she hadn't noticed when she first opened her eyes. "How long have I been out?" she asked quietly. Naruto jumped up out of his chair, which sent it tumbling over on the floor. He joined a very tense Tsunade and Shizune next to her bed.

"Do you remember anything about what happened to you Sakura? Do you remember what you told Naruto before you lost consciousness?" Tsunade asked. And like Itachi had been doing for nearly 10 years, she had to hide the truth lest her lie be exposed and questioned. Expertly she withdrew, eyes widening and mouth falling open as she tried to recall. Suddenly she jolted, clenching her fists and her jaw. A tear came to her eye and her breathing accelerated.

"You've been out nearly a month," Naruto finally admitted. "And with what you told me… they had to…"

"Let me Naruto," Tsunade interrupted, "Shizune, will you wait outside with Naruto please?" Her aide bowed her head and they both went out of the room. "If… If you can't handle this… If you're…" Tsunade started, not able to find the right words to tell her. "You have options… No one has to know…" she ended up saying, regretting it instantly.

"Does that mean… I'm pregnant?" she asked solemnly. Tsunade had to force a nod to confirm this. She really wanted to hug Sakura, to tell her things would be ok, and that she would help her through it, but she just stood there. She could only stare at the girl before her who looked like she'd been stripped of her former self, shattered beyond belief…

"If you want me to… I can… There's a way to… take care of-"

"Tsunade… Godaime… I may have been tricked, but it was my carelessness that allowed this to happen. I don't think I could live with myself knowing I destroyed something so innocent because of my own grave error," Sakura cut in bravely. Tsunade sighed a sigh of relief. As much as she loved her pupil, she was unsure how easily she could've carried out the task of ending an unborn life if Sakura had asked her to. "I know it's the right thing to do master, but… I don't know if I can handle this on my own…" she admitted.

"Not to worry Sakura. You will have all the support you need," her teacher promised her. She put a hand on Sakura's cheek and smiled. "You rest now. Tomorrow you should be ok to go home." Sakura nodded and pulled the blanket up to her neck. She stared out the window at Konoha. She couldn't see much because of the other buildings but she could see the sky changing colors in the sky as the sun was undoubtedly setting. Shizune brought her dinner a little while after that and off handedly mentioned that Kakashi hadn't been getting many visitors, brightening her night. Once she had eaten she went to find Kakashi who was still recovering from the fight with Deidara.

"How are you Sakura?" he asked before she entered. She smiled at him.

"You should know shouldn't you? Surely Naruto has been to see you," she said letting her smile fade into a frown. Kakashi shook his head.

"What's wrong Sakura? What happened?" Kakashi asked. It did seem out of place. He had expected Yamato at least to report the details of their first mission to him, and if not that, like Sakura said, to have heard from Naruto. It seemed something bad had happened, and everyone was trying to keep it quiet. Sakura tensed purposely before taking a seat next to his bed.

"I'm… I'm pregnant," she answered. Kakashi shot up in his bed and cocked his head. She had to be joking right? There was no way it could be true, but if it was a lie, why was she so tense all of the sudden?

"Sakura…" was all he could manage to say. Obviously it wasn't something she'd intended which only meant… No… he didn't even want to think about what it really meant.

"After Sasuke left with Orochimaru and Kabuto there was another explosion. I was in a room just like the one we'd been searching for Sasuke in. I… I was so blind, that I couldn't see through his genjutsu. Sasuke, he was there, I could swear. He told me I needed to understand why he left, that he needed to exact his revenge. He told me he wished things could've been different.

He whispered to me how I had been the only thing that had swayed him from his path and that was why he had to leave. He said… he had let himself hope that I could be his salvation. He told me he could've married a girl like me. It was everything I wanted to hear. I guess that's how… Itachi knew to say it… I was afraid it would be the only chance I would ever be able to have with Sasuke again. Our paths were torn from each other and fate would only allow us this time together. So when he kissed me I let it happen…" she explained, looking more disappointed with herself than hurt.

"Did he say anything to you?" Kakashi asked.

"He told me I was precious to Sasuke. That he used me as a vessel to further his hatred. Somehow I found myself talking to him, telling him he was wrong, that I wasn't precious to Sasuke and he smirked at me. I said Orochimaru and his revenge were all that were dear to Sasuke, and he smirked again. He said though Sasuke would soon see that snake as a mere stepping stone and destroy him as Itachi should have when he attempted the same thing. I asked him why he killed all those people and he told me that it was what fate led him to do. He was born a prodigy for a reason and trailed off.

Before he left, he smirked once again. He came closer to me and leaned in by my ear and he whispered in my ear. 'Do you think Sasuke could accept you… now that his brother has tainted you?' I 

looked up at him and saw the Sharingan and over and over I could see it was Itachi doing and saying all those things to me. When he released me I ran. Naruto told Tsunade I was rambling when he found me. I woke up here and Tsunade told me… If I were stronger I would've known it was Itachi," she told him, tears welling and leaking from her eyes.

"I'm so sorry Sakura; I should've been there," he said, pulling his former student into his arms. That bastard… Kakashi knew Sakura wouldn't lie but something felt so out of place. Why would Itachi alleviate her worries about Sasuke being with Orochimaru if he only meant to torture her in the end? And what of fate and being a prodigy? Why would he reveal that to her? What was he playing at? He carried an exhausted Sakura to the bed beside his own and tucked her in.

"Itachi…" she murmured, squeezing her eyes closed even tighter. One last tear made its escape and she became calm again as she finally fell asleep. In the morning Kakashi made a report of this to Tsunade to spare Sakura the pain of retelling it. When she woke she could hear Kakashi talking with Tsunade both expressing their concerns about what Itachi had revealed.

"I want someone with her at all times Kakashi. I won't take a chance that he'll come back," Tsunade said.

"What about her parents? Have you told them?" he asked.

"I delivered the message this morning after you explained the situation. Unfortunately… they cannot accept her decision. Her father said disguised or not she was raised with morals. Even if it was Sasuke… she had no reason to follow through with such actions. Then of course they blamed me, saying what a waste my teachings were, and then Yamato and Sai. Then they started in on Naruto… He happened to be passing by and made everything worse. He started yelling at them defending Sakura's honor. Then something very curious occurred to me," she replied.

"Maybe it's the same thing that's been bothering me. Akatsuki's goal is to capture the Kyuubi… he was right there and he took Sakura? And he didn't use her as bait for Naruto either. It's just strange…"

"Perhaps there's more to his leaving Sasuke alive then we know…"

"If his allegiance isn't with Akatsuki… then where does it lie? That may be the most disturbing thing, we really have no idea what Itachi's intentions are," Kakashi thought aloud.

"Well what we do know is he's adding fuel to the fire between Sasuke and himself. It is important we retrieve Sasuke… But if Itachi is right about Orochimaru it seems we have some time to make our next decision. And at that, Sasuke may yet eliminate one of Konoha's biggest threats," Tsunade concluded.

"Would I be overstepping my boundaries as a teacher, if I offered Sakura a place to stay? I know you're very busy Tsunade and you may not be able to offer her as much company as you wish, or she needs," Kakashi questioned.

"You know Kakashi, you're not her teacher anymore," Tsunade gleaned with a smug grin, Kakashi blushed and scratched the back of his head.

"Aa. You're right, but still…"

"If that's what she wants, then I thank you for your offer. You should know, after I beat Naruto down, I asked her parents to keep the situation quiet. They readily agreed, her mother saying it would be less shameful to them if no one knew what really happened anyway…" Tsunade told him dejectedly. Kakashi bowed his head. Not how was he going to explain it to Sakura?

The pink haired girl bit down on her lip hard, almost drawing blood. She hadn't even thought of her parents before. She never thought about how they would view the situation. Chances were even after she revealed the truth they would still turn her away, because she had still betrayed their morals. Still, she stood firm. 'A secret sacrifice, just like Itachi…' she mused.

"Kakashi, Tsunade," she said softly. They came in her room and stood beside her. "There was one other thing I forgot to tell you…"

"What is it Sakura?" Tsunade asked.

"When I asked him why he had deceived me, at first, he asked me what I thought. I asked him if it was to use me as bait for Naruto. He interrupted me and told me Akatsuki wanted Naruto. Then you know the rest," she revealed. Kakashi and Tsunade exchange grim, serious looks. "And I've heard everything… I didn't expect them to understand. Thank you for your kindness Kakashi, Tsunade. I would ask but one more favor…"

"Of course Sakura; what do you need?" Tsunade asked.

"I don't think I can face them… I have shamed them after all… Do you think you could send someone to get my things?" she asked. The blonde nodded. "And thank you Naruto, for defending me. I would also prefer that no one know what really happened but the 5 of you. I will tell everyone in due time, I'm just not ready to do it now. Could you make sure-"

"No one will bother you Sakura," Naruto promised, smiling at her. She always knew he was there before he entered the room. "And from now on I'll be your personal bodyguard! I couldn't protect you before, but never again!" he vowed, obviously torn up inside. He blamed himself for what had happened. He should've been looking harder for her, or running faster… He never thought she would be back in the hideout, though in foresight it was the most logical place to hide as it would be the most deceiving…

"It's not your fault Naruto. Itachi subdued me with shock. He wanted to make sure I didn't fight back so I didn't attract attention. You know how manipulative he is," she assured him. So she moved in with her former sensei. She waited a few weeks until they finally let their guard down a little before deciding to go back for the box. She knew behind her Naruto was following her secretly, but that was alright. It was going to take 2 or 3 days to get to the village of grass anyhow. When they were half a day away from Konoha, Naruto finally approached her and asked her where she was going.

She told him there was something important she had left when she'd run from Itachi and she needed to retrieve it. He didn't question her any further, but demanded that they spend the night in an inn and that he would buy them extra provisions. She laughed and agreed, not that she had a choice, and not that she would have declined anyway. They made small talk about the baby, and talked about old times. She found it odd how all those old times were just a little more than 3 years ago. Once dawn broke, they got up and Naruto demanded that Sakura let him carry her on his back so they could reach their destination and get to another inn before it was too late. She smiled and reluctantly let him carry her the whole way.

She felt the wind whipping through her hair for the first time in weeks. It felt nice to be going so fast and not worrying the baby would be hurt by it. There was still some training she could do, but she was very restricted. Mostly she just worked in the hospital and did medical jutsu which posed no threat to her or Mitsuki. Though Kakashi had refused to take her money at first, she had forced him to, saying she had to help out at home and she would there as well. He had done his signature Kakashi move, afraid that maybe she would hurt him if he didn't agree. For the first time in a long time she was really happy, so much that she didn't dwell on Sasuke all the time. She might love him, but her memories sometimes threatened to drown her. And Naruto and her had become so close through all this, as though he was a protective older sibling even if he was a few months younger.

"We're here Sakura," Naruto said, breaking her from pleasant thoughts. He put her down right where they had been standing when she was taken. The place Sasuke had fought them… He followed her deep into the cave. When they stopped finally, he thought eerily to himself, that even if she had screamed, there was no way they could've heard her from here.

"Give me a minute alone Naruto. I'll be right out," Sakura requested. A rush of feelings washed over her as she dug up the small box and put it in her pack. She could feel his lips on hers, his hand on her face, hear his voice. She could see the suffering in his eyes, feel it coming off his body as he had to let go of the only thing he'd ever had for himself. She got choked up and started to cry. Naruto got worried and came in, deciding to carry her out.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there Sakura," he apologized again. She shook her head.

"Don't be Naruto. It was fate that caused this. And I'm not sorry anymore. In a way I feel close to Sasuke. I hope that maybe, after he's finally had his revenge he'll come back. And I hope that his niece will be able to help heal his inner demons. I believe she could save Sasuke from the darkness he has overtaking him, regardless of the event that brought her to fruition," she told him. He could swear she was glowing.

"She huh?" the blonde asked.

"I know it's a girl, in my soul I know," Sakura answered.

"What will you name her?"

"Uchiha Mitsuki."

"That means beautiful moon right? I think it's a nice name."

When they returned to Konoha 2 days later they found Tsunade and Kakashi waiting for them at the gate. Tsunade yelled at Naruto for being so careless when Akatsuki was searching for him. She went on to yell about how Itachi could've come back for Sakura. Overall Kakashi kept a collected stance and just let the woman vent. He knew it was just because she was worried about them.

"Sakura just needed to get away for a few days! I couldn't let her go alone!" Naruto yelled defiantly. As the two argued Kakashi put an arm around Sakura and led her away toward their home. Who knew how long they'd be at it?

"Tsunade is right Sakura. It was dangerous for you both. You're nearly 5 months pregnant. It would be dangerous for you to fight, and if you were attacked… If you need to get away, I will accompany you. I don't presume to invade on your personal affairs. I would just feel better because I know who I'd be up against. I've given you all the privacy you've needed so far ne?" he asked.

"I'm sorry Kakashi, you're right. I wasn't thinking about it like that," she apologized. "There's something else isn't there?" she asked, a little worried about how he looked.

"Oh… it's… well your friends wanted to throw you a surprise birthday party, but I didn't know if you were up to it. So I told them if they wanted to, I would have to ruin the surprise. Heh…" he added with a smile. His one eye closed and he scratched the back of his head. Obviously he wasn't very adept to social situations. She laughed at him.

"I think it's about time I told everyone what happened. I'm sure that's a big part of why they wanted to surprise me," she joked, shoving him playfully. Even if they were all just dying to know, it would be nice to see everyone. Tomorrow would make her another year older. She'd finally be 17.

"Just out of curiosity Sakura…" Kakashi began in his most casual tone to throw her off guard, "What is it you went back to Grass for?" She just smiled. He could still read her so easily, and their growing closeness had only served to better that relationship. She was going to have to keep her guard way up around him, which would be hard with how comfortable they'd grown with each other.

"I hope Mitsuki will be Sasuke's salvation, but only time will tell on the matter," she said, expertly straying from the question. Kakashi was famous for doing that same thing so he let out a small laugh of amusement. "Being there… it made me feel close to him, even though it wasn't Sasuke. I should've known he wouldn't have come back. And in a way, I wonder what game fate is playing… such a cruel game really…" she said losing herself in memories of Sasuke. Then she smiled at her former teacher. "As for your question… I guess I was really searching for answers."

"Answers?"

"Yes; Can I save Sasuke? And why chose such a method of torture when it could cause my being pregnant. Surely Itachi knew this would happen… Would my death not have been a more suitable instrument for his intentions? He wants Sasuke to hate him and follows Akatsuki but is not allied with them. Don't you find it odd? I felt like he was trying to tell me something important but I wasn't ready to hear it," she explained.

"Mm… and did you find the answers you were looking for Sakura?"

"Like I said, fate is playing a cruel game. I can only hope what I've been through can save Sasuke," she said with finality. He didn't say anything else to her about it, for which she was thankful. If she didn't share some kind of speculation it would be unlike her, and might cast suspicion on her. They had long since arrived home and Sakura decided to make dinner to make up for causing Kakashi to worry. As they ate she stared at Kakashi. He raised his eye but not his face to give her a questioning look.

"Something on your mind Sakura?" he asked.

"Didn't you ever want children? Or were the three of us academy kids too much work for you?" she asked. He laughed and smiled under his mask.

"I'm barely twice your age Sakura. I'm still young," he countered vainly.

"Is there someone you're interested in then?" she teased.

"Like who?" he questioned with a doubtful glance before going back to his food. She laughed to herself.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Weren't you worried about me seeing your face finally when I moved in?" They both thought back to the time they her, Sasuke, and Naruto had done everything in their power to see under his mask.

"Truthfully it didn't even cross my mind. I knew what you 3 were up to the entire time you know… Normally I only have one mask on. I put the second one on because I knew you'd all eventually come around and just ask," he said grinning. Sakura's eyes almost popped out of her head. All that work… and he did that on purpose? Kakashi chuckled to himself.

"Ahem! Getting back to the topic at hand," Sakura said with a 'humph'.

"You're not going to ask?" he queried. He was baiting her, and they both knew it, and they both knew he wasn't going to tell her the truth. Still… he might… after living together for 5 months maybe he could trust her with his secret. She became suddenly hopeful and licked her lips nervously. She could tell he was purposely keeping a blank face so she couldn't read him. She tried to force her excitement back down from whence it came, but she couldn't help it. She sighed dejectedly and let her curiosity get the better of her. Maybe flattery could get her a truthful answer.

"You know Kakashi, you have a very attractive face. I can't understand why you hide it all the time…" she said, twirling a finger in her hair with a cute smile.

"Well Sakura, I'll tell you," Kakashi said. She was so excited she was practically jumping out of her seat. She drew closer to him awaiting his answer. "As a ninja, I need to be secretive," he began.

"Ok," she said, hands clenched under the table. She was going to throw this in Naruto's face the first chance she got.

"And with an attractive face like mine, how could I keep my cover? Women would be rioting around me all the time, maybe even fighting each other for a chance with me," he said smugly, sighing wistfully and shaking his head. Sakura fell to the floor and started twitching. He came over and ruffled her hair, putting his mask back on his face. "See, I've even made you swoon. Thank you for dinner," he said with his crinkly eyed smile, retreating to his room. She walked right into that one… He even used her to enhance the lie… He must have felt so proud. She sighed loudly and started to clean up the dishes.

"Maybe I deserved that for making him worry," she grumbled, trying to get over it as she washed the dishes. The only problem was… she was so annoyed with him that she couldn't get one dish clean without breaking it. "Kuso…" she growled, abandoning the task. She huffed in her room until Kakashi finally came in with that same smug look… She should really punch him out…

"Are you still sore with me Sakura?" he asked, holding a fragment of a broken plate. She bit her lip to keep from flying off the handle. "I'm sorry Sakura. Before, you were about to tell me who you thought I was interested in," he said hoping to lighten the mood by drawing her to their previous conversation. Sakura half smiled and forgave him. What else could she do? At least he apologized…

"I was going to say Anko, because she's only 2 years younger than you. Or maybe Shizune, she's a year older," Sakura suggested.

"I'm afraid not. The people most precious to me died long ago… Two of them that same year; the year you were born, actually," he replied. He closed his eyes and smiled sadly. "How similar we were to you three," he mused. He offered her the pictures which she took. "Rin had a crush on me, but I wasn't interested. Obito had a crush on her, but she wasn't interested. Obito taught me that friendship is the most important thing there is, and in that short time we grew very close. It's the same as you, Sasuke, and Naruto did. And Minato, my sensei… He and Obito died that year," Kakashi sadly recalled.

"Where is Rin now?" Sakura asked. Kakashi became distant once she asked which made her regret asking.

"It's not something I like to talk about. She was a medic-nin just like you. You're so much like her… Just as you feel close to Sasuke visiting the places you've encountered him, I feel close to Rin through you. You have that same spirit inside that she had. We're very similar Sakura…"

And they both thought the same thing without needing to say it; the cause of their constant inner suffering… And at the same time they said it aloud.

"I couldn't save him…" Sakura whispered.

"I couldn't save her…" Kakashi whispered.

Sakura wondered about the events that surrounded Rin. Was she killed on the field? Or far worse, had she defected from Konoha and Kakashi couldn't bring her back? Maybe he was even forced to be the one to kill her… She dared not pry about the matter. She's not sure she could handle knowing something like that considering some day she could be in that same situation. Instead she moved to hug her former sensei. He tensed, startled by the sudden contact, but relaxed and put his arms around Sakura in return.

"To answer your question, I think if Rin were still around, I may have married her, and perhaps become a father. I guess it's true what you've been saying about fate… how cruel it is," Kakashi replied, bitterly at the end. He felt a pang of guilt as his thought of Itachi and Sasuke. It seemed every Uchiha he worked with was left him with this feeling…