Hullo!!! I'm going quickly, I know! Isn't it amazing?!?!?!?!? It's amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, then… Oh, goody! It's one of the longer chapters!

I can't believe how stupid I am! I totally forgot this for the last two chapters! …And I'm too lazy to change them now… So, here it is: Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. So there.

- - -

"Come, Sakura. Let's go," Itachi commanded, halfway out the door. The pink-haired kunoichi threw a grateful look to the Hokage and followed silently.

- - -

In her bedroom, she remarked, "Itachi-sensei… That sounds strange, somehow…" He turned, looking her in the eye.

"One thing," he murmured softly. "While I am teaching you, I am your sensei. I am the one you can trust as a student to a teacher. I am shinobi, and view you only as a student – and eventually equal, perhaps. When I am Itachi, I am Sasuke's brother, and I am human. I am the one who had ruthlessly killed many. Do not forget that. For now, I am your sensei."

"I – sensei, where will you sleep?" Sakura asked curiously. "Do you want the bed? I can sleep on the floor – "

"I will sleep here," he answered, producing a rope and two hooks. "Do you mind if I make a few holes in your walls, or will I have to attach them with chakra?" When she shook her head no, he stuck the hooks into opposite walls and tied the ends of the rope to the hooks. Lying down on the taut rope, he looked at her. "Like this."

"Will you show me how to do that?" he requested sleepily. Blinking, he took out more hooks and rope, only he attached three on each side instead of one. The ropes crisscrossed to form a small web.

"Every few nights, we'll remove a rope as your balance improves," he explained. "Try to get up." To his hidden surprise, she managed the first time. He smirked to himself. She showed promise, as he had told her.

Clambering down to her regular bed, Sakura grabbed her blanket and leapt up back onto the network of ropes.

"Good night, sensei," she muttered quietly. G'night, Inner.

Good night, Outer. Hm… You and Itachi would go nicely together…

Hey! He specifically said that he would not feel anything for me beyond a teacher-student relationship; you were there when he said it!

Sensei said that – he's a cold, unfeeling shinobi. Itachi, on the other hand… She trailed off suggestively.

Sakura growled and shoved her inner consciousness away into the deepest, darkest part of mind. It was impossible to move in her new bed, which prevented her from tossing and turning as she usually did when Sasuke called her weak.

Itachi listened to her shift restlessly for a while before speaking. "If something is bothering you, you should get it out," he told her, slightly irritated.

"Sensei… am I weak?" Itachi was slightly taken aback by her question, but answered calmly and truthfully.

"It does not matter, Sakura. You will not be weak when I am finished wit you." Again, he used those words: "You show promise."

She closed her eyes. "Thank you."

Use your own words! Inner Sakura scolded. Sasuke had no right to say that to you!

But he came back after killing Orochimaru and the rest of the Akatsuki… I wanted to forgive him…

And he still didn't manage to kill his brother! He's pathetic!
Yeah, well, it's not like I could have done it either, she pointed out quietly. I would've died.

You wouldn't have tried to do it, then.

But still…

You're hopeless.

Grinning, Sakura fell asleep.

The Next Morning

Saku-chan, wake UP!

Eh… Faintly, she could hear clashing sounds in the background as her inner yelled at her. Nani?

I'm doing my best, but WAKE UP AND DO SOMETHING!! Inner Sakura screamed hysterically. I was sleeping when he suddenly ATTACKED!

Looking through already-open eyes, Sakura slipped into control of her body as Inner Sakura withdrew. Ducking to avoid a kunai that just barely missed her face, she saw Itachi fling three more at her, an amused look on his face.

"All right, I'm up already!" she yelled loudly. "Stop that, will you?" She glared at the Sharingan master. "What is wrong with you?!" She deflected five shuriken with relative ease.

"This is most interesting," Itachi observed. "Did you just wake up?" When Sakura nodded, confused, he informed her that he had been attacking – and she countering – for the last two hours.

You took control of my body for two hours? she asked Inner Sakura mentally. She could practically see those black and white eyes rolling.

Do you know how much effort that took me?! the other Sakura thundered. I'm all tired out.

"Sakura." Itachi. Sakura jumped; she had forgotten that he was there as she bickered with herself. "Explain how you can unconsciously defend yourself and shriek at the top of your lungs at me at the same time."

Sakura gulped nervously. "Well… I have this… other personality inside of me who I call Inner Sakura. I didn't know she could take over my body like that, though," she ended lamely. Her eyes narrowed as a thought came to her. "Hey… Why were you attacking me at five in the morning anyway?"

Itachi glanced at the clock, shrugging. "It was three when I threw that first kunai. So… an inner persona… Very interesting." He ignored her question completely.

"She – she yelled at you?" Sakura inquired softly, dreading his answer. Who knew what the treacherous mouth of Inner Sakura could have revealed? Itachi must have sensed her apprehension, though, because he smirked and began gathering his weapons.

"Don't worry; she didn't say anything – she just kind of screamed. No words," he assured her. While outwardly sighing in relief, she was berating Inner Sakura in her head.

What did you tell him?!

Nothing, I swear! I swear it on Sasuke's life!

…And since when did you care about that?

…You got me there. I guess it's just habit from our fangirl days. Okay then, I swear it on your undying love for Itachi!

…

Okay, okay, fine! I swear it on our parents' graves that I did not tell Uchiha Itachi – or sensei, though he wouldn't care – anything! I just screamed, like he said. There, are you happy?!

Inner Sakura wouldn't lie on her parents' graves. Okay, I'm satisfied.

"So… today you will train with Hokage-sama. Find her at noon. Until then, I want you to find me four small one hundred-kilogram (about 221 pounds) weights. That's your assignment from me for today," Itachi instructed her once her eyes snapped back to him.

"Hai, sensei!" Where do I get hundred-kilogram weights? Lee-san got rid of all of his once he got heavier ones…

Didn't Ino-pig's otou-san have some? Inner Sakura asked, prompting her.

Oh, yeah! Thanks, Inner! She sped off to find Ino.

- - -

"INO-PIG!" Sakura burst through the door to the Yamanaka flower shop.

"Forehead girl!" Ino returned cheerfully, watching as her pink-haired friend tried to catch her breath, panting. "What is it?"

"D-do you have a few hundred-kilogram weights I can borrow?" Sakura wheezed. Ino raised an eyebrow.

"Why? Is this to try and impress Sasuke-kun?" she demanded suspiciously. Sakura shook her head.

"Lend them to me, please, and I'll tell you!" she pleaded. Ino sighed, pulling her friend up. "But you can't tell anyone."

"Okay, fine," the blond kunoichi promised. "Now, talk. Why do you want hundred-kilogram weights?"

"Sensei wanted me to get them," Sakura gasped out. Ino stood and left, returning with a glass of water, which she handed to the panting girl. Sakura squeezed her hand gratefully as she took a sip.

"Kakashi-sensei? Nande, Sakura?" Ino asked, her cerulean blue eyes wide. Again, Sakura shook her head, pink locks flying.

"Not Kakashi-sensei," she spat distastefully. "My new sensei."

"Eh?! Nani?!" Ino shrieked, grabbing Sakura's shoulders. "Talk! Talk!" Sakura sighed. For once, she agreed with Shikamaru – How troublesome… Then she started to talk.

- - -

I can't believe I forgot the disclaimer! I'm so stupid… So, what did you think??? Tell me, tell me!!!!!!!!! And no, Sasuke won't see Itachi until later on. I'm sorry… I just want it to be a big shocker at the end. And no, Sasuke doesn't die in this story. I think. Ja!