So I woke up and saw I had 65 reviews! So here's the next chapter! I can't make promises about the next one but I just felt bad last time leaving such a boring chapter. I just found out I'm pregnant again! Woo So Pixie's gonna have a brother or sister. I'm working full time this week and I am so exhausted. I hope you like this one. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed!

"You never fail to make me smile Naruto. You can use the key to get Mitsuki's things tomorrow. It'll look too suspicious if you get them tonight."

"Aa," Naruto replied with a nod.

"Gaara?" Temari asked. She was holding her 4 month old son in her arms. Shikamaru had left three weeks ago to tie up some lose ends in Konoha and was coming back to Suna to plan their wedding. She found her brother looking toward the horizon.

"Sakura should be here soon. I received word from Konoha that she had left the village and to keep an eye out for her. The other villages will receive the same notices. She said since Sakura asked to come here she doubted that she would end up here and sent her forces toward the other villages to search for her. I've already alerted our forces to ignore the order," Gaara explained to his sister.

"What's going on? Do you know the trouble this will cause between our villages if you're found out Gaara?" Temari said in concern.

"Sakura is going through a lot of inner turmoil. She needs refuge. She's at a breaking point, and she needs to be away from Konoha," Gaara said.

"You don't need to speak to me that way… I owe her and Naruto a lot. I just don't understand why you're doing this," Temari said narrowing her eyes, searching her brother for an answer she knew he wouldn't give her. "What are you going to do when Shikamaru comes back in 2 weeks?"

"She'll only be here for a week to rest. She'll leave before he returns. She's looking for someone," Gaara said. "You don't have to worry about it. The only concern you should have is keeping my nephew happy," he added smiling at the infant in his sister's arms.

Three days later right before dawn Sakura reached her destination. She was weary from her constant travel. Once she'd made contact with Gaara and eaten she passed out in one of his spare rooms. Once his duties were done for the day he returned home promptly to speak with her.

"Do you know what you're doing by looking for Itachi?" Gaara asked. Sakura frowned.

"I'm suffocating. I made it those 9 months alone, but I pulled through it. Since he came again… things are different… Sasuke even came back. He told me he loved me. It should be enough that I know Sasuke will be coming back to me but it isn't. I'm lying, deceiving everyone. I did it for Itachi, but I never thought it could leave me feeling this way. I can only find peace if I'm with him. Every hour, every minute I'm going insane. I can't take this feeling…" she sobbed. She tensed when she felt Gaara's arms around her.

"I've been thinking about it for a long time Sakura, about why you're doing this. You've made quite a sacrifice for this man. And now you're making a criminal of yourself when you've done nothing wrong. Tell me the truth," Gaara said, pulling back slightly to look at the girl.

"I can't," she said, pulling completely away from him.

"Tell me he's not living a lie the same way you are. Tell me he's not as innocent as you are, and that's why you're putting yourself through this," Gaara challenged. It was a good thing she wasn't looking at him or he'd have seen right through her. "You say you wanted Mitsuki to save Sasuke, but it wasn't just his soul you were trying to save was it?"

"You… how could you…" Sakura managed in her shock.

"I understand why you're doing this, but maybe it's something you need to share with your Hokage so you don't end up a criminal like he did. Even if you find him, what can he do? If he's with them as a cover, and he encounters you, he'll have to fight you," Gaara said.

"I'm hoping just word that I've fled will reach him, and he'll find me," Sakura said.

"What about Sasuke?" Gaara asked.

"I… I don't know anymore… All I've ever wanted was Sasuke… Itachi told me the reason I crave being close to him is because I don't have anything to hide when we're together, but… I don't want Sasuke to destroy him…"

"I want you to go home and tell Tsunade what's really going on Sakura. I want you to look in that box and see why just a note wasn't sufficient enough to give to Sasuke in explanation. I have a feeling that things go much deeper than even you are aware of…" Gaara requested. "You must also think about Mitsuki, Sakura… She needs at least one of her parents to be there. You don't want her to end up an orphan. And worse still, for her to be told both her parents were missing-nin and to have your friends end up in trouble for defending your honor," he furthered.

"You're right… It's just… It's so hard. Every day living this lie… Pretending something horrible happened, and having to face them day after day… I thought once Mitsuki was born I could forget about it, but when Itachi came last time he stirred up these feelings in me…" Sakura whispered, feeling ashamed of herself.

"In a week's time I'll send word to Tsunade that you came here and I talked sense into you. I'll tell her you have important information pertaining to Itachi and that she should not punish you lest it weaken the truce between our countries. You can stay here for a little while longer as well to clear your head. You should probably wait until Shikamaru get back here anyway. He probably won't get the message that you're returning before he's on his way back. I don't want you to encounter any problems as you return," Gaara said.

"It's best not to threaten her," Sakura joked with a laugh amidst her tears.

"I'll do what you think is best. Can you promise to do these things for me?" Gaara asked. She nodded. "I'll have Kankuro travel back with you in two weeks as a show of good faith." She spent the rest of her time there walking alone through the village. She joined the three siblings for dinner and slept early. She spent a little time with Temari, giving her tips on motherhood and playing with her son. When Shikamaru arrived she and Kankuro got ready to leave. She was jealous to see how happy their little family was, and that she may never have that same thing. She forced the thought aside however, because she really was happy for them.

Shikamaru, although he looked so happy, seemed so sad at the same time. She wondered if something had happened back in Konoha, but he didn't mention it. They made small talk and he said Mitsuki was well. Naruto and Hinata sent their love and were looking forward to her return. She asked him if something was wrong, but he didn't say anything. He told her she should just get back and trailed off from there, leaving her with a knot in her stomach.

The 3 days back were spent in relative silence. Once they were in range of Konoha Sakura went ahead to her apartment, escorted by ANBU. They waited outside her door as she searched through her closet for the box Itachi had given her. Her heartbeat sped up as she ran her fingers along the corners.

She had opened the box once before to insert her letter but she didn't look at the other things that were inside. There were a couple of things that must have had some sentimental value between the brothers, along with quite a few documents… Sakura thought back to what Itachi had told her when they had first met… That he had killed everyone to get close to Madara, and to drive Sasuke to hate him… She hadn't thought much about how he hadn't really answered her question until she read what lay inside the box. There was a request from Danzo and the elders in the pile for a top secret ANBU mission, as well as a request to see him to discuss the rebellion rising in his clan from the Sandaime. The letter for Sasuke explained it all and there were numerous other documents to prove his innocence.

It explained the whole truth. It apologized for all his suffering. It said he didn't tell Sakura everything because he couldn't risk her retaliation against the elders. It explained how their father was leading an uprising and he was working as a double agent between his clan and the village. It explained that he was on Konoha's side and he could not watch another civil war break out. The elders charged him with a mission to eliminate the threat to Konoha as well as to use it as an in with Madara to keep an eye on him and keep him from attacking the village again. He threatened Danzo not to even think about laying a hand on Sasuke or him and the village would regret it. He begged the Sandaime to keep the incident from Sasuke, despite how the third had tried to reason with the clan before Itachi had committed the massacre.

It told of how he had accepted his banishment and accepted the role of an enemy to make sure Sasuke would live. Itachi was torn up inside every day thinking about how he was making Sasuke suffer, but how it was necessary to make sure he got strong. That Sasuke was going to need to face Madara, and while he had set up a trap it was likely it would fail. He was sure Madara was on to him, but he was unsure how much their elder knew. He'd added another page, presumably in the time between their first meeting and when she'd went back for the box.

This explained what had happened between him and Sakura. That they both wanted Sasuke to be happy, and that Sakura wanted Itachi to have something good to leave behind. That he gave Sakura the name Sasuke had suggested when they were younger like he promised. That he wanted Sasuke to take care of Mitsuki and Sakura because they were both precious to him and that Sasuke needed to learn to trust again. There were more apologies and explanations, some mentions of Madara and that he was posing as who they knew as Tobi, along with some strategic locations and such to help him find the man. He also said that once Sasuke had killed him, it was more than likely that Madara would seek Sasuke out to take his place. Sakura decided to keep this letter hidden so Itachi would not know she betrayed him, as Tsunade could not overlook such important information.

"I'm ready," Sakura said to the guards outside her door. They escorted her to the Hokage's office where she met her teacher who seemed more disappointed than angry. Once they were left alone, Sakura took the documents out of her bag, but held on to them. "I'm sorry I've kept this secret as long as I have. Gaara convinced me that if I'm to have any freedom I had to share the things I was hiding. He doesn't know the truth, but he did figure some of it out without any real help."

"Are you really going to tell me the truth now?" Tsunade asked with a serious expression. Sakura nodded. She came closer to her teacher's desk so she could speak softly. She explained the entire situation from beginning to end and presented her evidence.

"This secret must remain between only us. You must not act as though anything has changed or everything he's worked for will have been for nothing," Sakura said. "I'll accept whatever punishment you think you need to give to convince everyone else I'm being reprimanded for leaving the village without permission."

"Sakura…" Tsunade muttered. She rested her face in her hands as she relayed all the information she was just given. It was just… totally inconceivable. Sakura was right too, there was absolutely nothing she could do. She just couldn't believe that things had ever gotten that bad between the Uchiha and the rest of the village, especially after the third took power. He had even tried to prevent the events that took place those 10 odd years ago to no avail. "To think those orders came from them… That Itachi's not guilty of anything but following orders to protect the innocent people in this village… I can't say I'm not a little disappointed in you either… but I'm not going to punish you. I can always blame your actions on stress, but I'll need you to be under surveillance to satisfy the elders. I'm going to have you move back in with Kakashi and assign an ANBU mission for him to keep an eye on you. I think you should tell him as well."

"I don't know that I can do that…"

"Is it alright with you if I disclose the information?" Tsunade asked.

"If you feel that it's necessary," Sakura confirmed.

"I believe things will be a lot easier on you if you don't have to hide it from him. It won't be weighing you down and you'll be more comfortable with being there," Tsunade decided. Sakura nodded.

"That's as far as it will go. No one else will know about this, and I'll keep from taking any action for the time being. We'll see how it all plays out." Hinata and Naruto were waiting for her after the meeting.

"Is everything ok Sakura?" Naruto asked. She nodded.

"My punishment is just that I have to move back in with Kakashi to be kept under surveillance," she explained. Hinata stayed with Mitsuki at Kakashi's while the remaining members of team 7 moved her things back in. Once she had settled in and put Mitsuki to bed Kakashi sat with her to eat in the kitchen. Naruto and Hinata had left to give them a chance to talk.

"Do you think now that I know the truth, you could tell me how you're really feeling Sakura? I don't want to see you suffer like you were ever again," Kakashi began.

"I don't even know how I'm feeling… I did all this for Sasuke, but the more time that passes, I feel like that's become a lie… The closer Sasuke gets to Itachi the worse this feeling inside me becomes. How could I let him do such a thing knowing the truth? There has to be another way Kakashi! Doesn't there?" Sakura questioned, hoping the Jounin could give her the answers.

"If there was a way, would you want to do it? Go against Itachi's wishes to save his life?"

"He doesn't deserve to die. He's punishing himself for the pain he's caused Sasuke. If Sasuke knew the truth…"

"If both of them came back to Konoha, what would you do Sakura?" Kakashi questioned. He didn't think she'd thought of the aftermath of such an occurrence. Little did he know she'd had this conversation before, with a little less truth before, than she was about to reveal now.

"Itachi said the same thing to me you know… He more or less asked if I had to choose what I would do… I told him I was attracted to him mentally and physically. I told him it would be a betrayal to Sasuke for us to fall in love," Sakura said, remembering their conversation. She couldn't lie to herself now. It was more than Sasuke's happiness and Itachi's legacy that she had done this for. She was falling in love with him. She admired him for his sacrifice and she was filled with pride that he'd chosen her to share his secrets with and on some lonely nights she pictured what their live would've been like. She looked at the picture she'd taken of them for Mitsuki so she felt close to him. She needed him… The feelings that had blossomed for Itachi were a million times more powerful and insistent than the ones she had for Sasuke, but she'd promised her heart to the younger Uchiha.

"You haven't answered my question…" Kakashi murmured to bring her out of her trance.

"I suppose I haven't… I… I don't know what to do Kakashi. Itachi's a good person, and I know how much he cares for me. I was the one he entrusted his secrets to. Even though he said we'd never meet again he came to me and Mitsuki. He told me I was everything he wanted in another person. Then Sasuke told me he left me to protect me, that he loved me too. Itachi also said he wouldn't fight with Sasuke for my feelings, so the choice would have to be Sasuke, assuming he could accept what happened. I waited so long to hear Sasuke tell me those words, and somehow I was left disappointed," Sakura explained.

"You may have loved Sasuke first, but that doesn't mean you can't fall in love with someone else. Regardless of his reasons for leaving you, he did leave. That's not going to erase the pain it's caused not just you, but Naruto as well. It's the same with Itachi. Finding out Itachi carried out an execution on orders doesn't mean he'll just be forgiven. I'm sure the village will praise him as a hero for protecting Konoha but Sasuke was traumatized. Do you think it's in everyone's best interests for Itachi to live, or only in your own?" Kakashi questioned. Sakura couldn't believe she was hearing this from her former teacher.

"Do you think he deserves to die when all he wanted was to protect those he loves?" Sakura spat at him.

"That's what one does, when he wants to protect those he loves. He has to give everything in him to ensure those around him will be safe," Kakashi answered.

"Do you think he should become a martyr?" Sakura questioned, pointing an angry finger at him.

"Sakura, calm down," Kakashi said. Sakura was shaking with rage at his dismissal of someone who was supposed to be a friend. Itachi considered Kakashi to be his only real friend… "I don't think Itachi should become a martyr, but if he believes doing so will make up for the pain Sasuke has suffered, it's not your decision to make. It's not mine to make either. There are other ways to activate the Mangekyo Sharingan though. From what I can tell, the way to activate it is through suffering. Sasuke will be able to activate it without Itachi's help once he's gained enough power. Itachi just believes the only way to do it is the way he did it," Kakashi explained. Kakashi was living proof that there were other options…

"He's convinced there's no other way to do it but through his death…" Sakura reiterated.

"Maybe if you spoke with him again, and explained how you feel, you might be able to change his mind," Kakashi suggested. Sakura solemnly shook his head.

"If he was willing to do what he's done to Sasuke, his brother, the only person he loves… what makes you think I could change how he feels?" Sakura asked dejectedly.

"Because you proved that he could change his fate already Sakura. You moved him enough in his heart to want children. There's not a soul alive that could simply convince someone who didn't care about them to suddenly yearn to have children with them," Kakashi stated. "He's following this path to protect Konoha and Sasuke. Now he's protecting you and Mitsuki as well. If you put yourself in danger, he may come back for you. Actually… you are still listed as a missing nin. I could try to convince Tsunade to send you out of the village in secret before she rescinds the order to recapture you and I'll bet you he'll come," Kakashi thought aloud.

"I'm glad you have such confidence in me Kakashi, but what I said to him the last time was enough to sever any feelings between us. He won't come because there's nothing to gain from it but more heartache. If anyone were to show up, it would probably be Sasuke…" Sakura said. She felt foolish. "All this time, all I wanted was for Sasuke to love me. I wanted to save him from all the horrible things he endured… And when he comes to me and lets me know he returns my love, promises when he's had his revenge he'll return to spend his life with me and Mitsuki what do I do? I fall in love with his brother, who I have no future with…"

"You can't spend your life with regrets Sakura… If I could go back…" Kakashi began. He paused as he debated on revealing something he never spoke of to anyone.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked seeing the pained expression on his face.

"I was supposed to protect Rin… That's what Obito asked me to do before he died. She and I grew apart as we grew up, but I always kept an eye on her. She immersed herself in her medical training just because she wanted to be by my side. She pushed herself to her limits, forcing herself to become strong enough to accompany me and not get in the way. She approached me one day right before we found out we were going on a mission together to tell me how she felt for me. I couldn't say anything… I hesitated and she took it as rejection and ran off crying. I was caught so off guard by her confession. I'd known when we were younger she'd had a crush on me, but for her to come to me after all those years and tell me she was in love with me when we barely had any contact?" Kakashi began.

"You don't have to tell me Kakashi… It's obviously a painful memory," Sakura interrupted, seeing how his body went tense and rigid.

"You've shared your secrets with me Sakura. It's time you knew mine," Kakashi assured her. "We set off on our mission very awkwardly. She was distracted being around me, and as such I was also distracted worrying about her. It was nothing I could resolve while we were watching the enemy base however. What happened seems like a bad dream… We both had our guard down, so when we were attacked we got separated. I disposed of all my attackers and went after her immediately with little damage to myself. As I ran through the forest I started to feel dizzy and disoriented, and realized I had been poisoned. The world got fuzzy and blurry and I could hear Rin calling for me," Kakashi continued.

Sakura got a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach with every detail Kakashi revealed. It was like he wasn't sitting with her in his home, but running through that forest again, actually reliving the events of his teens.

"I heard her scream and I started to run faster. She found me and it seemed like she desperately wanted to tell me something but stopped when she noticed the state I was in. She said the poison was a common but dangerous one and pulled an antidote from my pack to inject me with. I started to wonder why she had gone in my pack and not her own but I saw a figure rushing toward us. Before they could attack I grabbed a kunai and rushed forward. Rin screamed for me to stop, but it was too late. The kunai was plunged deep into…" Kakashi paused.

"No…" Kakashi whispered in an almost catatonic state. His hand shook as he took it off the blade. With a poof the clone behind him disappeared from sight. She was trembling in front of him as she bled. They had dressed her in their attire and sent her in his direction. He should've been disoriented and killed her without knowing it. By the time he realized what he'd done, he'd be in shock and they would be able to kill him as well. She had made a clone to warn him, but she had cured him instead and had hoped he'd recognize her chakra as she came near him. He felt something snap inside him as she hit the floor. He pulled the cloth off that covered her face and the gag that was stuffed in her mouth.

"I guess it didn't matter how hard I trained. I still just got in the way," she whispered. She coughed heavily, hacking up blood.

"This is my fault Rin. I didn't mean for you to think I rejected you. I just couldn't believe you still felt that way. I meant to tell you when we got back from this mission that I feel the same way," he whispered, blinded now by something else… tears? "You're not going to die here," he declared. She coughed again and forced her hand up to touch his face. She smiled at him, as painful as it was to move.

"It's ok for me to die, because now I can die happy," she said. She was trying to be brave for him.

"What can I do?" Kakashi demanded, grabbing her shoulders tightly. She groaned.

"Help me sit," she whispered. He moved her carefully so she was sitting upright in his arms. "Come closer," she whispered. He moved closer to her face where she leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. "I'll be with Obito again Kakashi. I better not see you again for a long time. Make us proud," she whispered. She let out a small noise of pain and fell limp in his arms.

"No! Rin! Stay awake! You can't leave me!" Kakashi yelled. What happened next shocked everyone who happened to come upon the scene later on. Never had bodies been as unrecognizable as they were after Kakashi was finished with them. When his rage was satiated he went back to find Rin's body to return to Konoha, only to find it gone. There wasn't a trace of evidence to follow. It defied all reason to believe she was alive, or even that someone had taken her, because he definitely would've picked up and attacked anyone whose chakra he sensed in the area.

He returned to Konoha drenched in blood and totally unfeeling. For weeks he did not speak. He barely ate or drank. His only explanation to the Third was that they were attacked and Rin was killed. He of course imagined that the display the scouts and rumors had brought back from the area was due to her death. He gave Kakashi the space he needed and eventually he came back to his senses.

"…" Sakura couldn't even think of anything to say. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. The only way she could react was to rush over and hug her sensei until he finally relaxed.

"If you hide your feelings, then Itachi will die. You'll blame yourself for it for the rest of your life. The guilt will never go away, and sometimes it will get so bad it will suffocate you. Even if the chance is slim, if you try and fail it's better than if you did nothing at all. You can't feel guilty if you did whatever was in your power," Kakashi said softly. Sakura nodded her head. After a story like that, how could she tell him it made no difference? Kakashi felt that if he'd told Rin, then she would still be here, but at the same time he held the smallest hope she was still alive. It's why he'd said to her months ago, if Rin was still around, and not if Rin was still alive.

"I'll go to Tsunade right now," she promised.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I think I'm going to lie down for a while," he said, excusing himself. Sakura also retired to her room. She ran her fingers over Mitsuki's face, but she did not stir. She was a few days shy of 8 months old. It had been 8 months since she'd seen Itachi, and 20 months since she'd met him. Mitsuki's hair was growing in black but her eyes were green like Sakura's. She had most of Itachi's features, and was always staring at her and everything else for that matter with a calm passive expression.

"What do you think Mitsuki? Can I convince your dad to come back with me?" she whispered. She smiled when she asked and Mitsuki's face twitched into a smile as well. "Then I'd better get a move on ne? Momma will be back as soon as she can," Sakura promised. She packed all of her things and set out for the Hokage tower, Hinata and Naruto agreeing to watch over her daughter.