Chapter Nine
The next morning Sakura had managed to eat four pieces of toast, which is a lot for a non pregnant woman but only half of what a pregnant woman who didn't have morning sickness would eat, and Itachi had just gotten back from writing a formal report for the Hokage about what happened with the Akatsuki. Now he and Sakura were sitting at the table Itachi writing out the pros for joining the Akatsuki, because Sakura couldn't think of any, And Sakura writing out the cons for joining the Akatsuki, because she had more ideas than Itachi.
"Pro?"
"They'll keep you and the baby safe. Con?"
"I'll have to turn my back on all my friends and family. Pro?"
"We'll be able to finally defeat Orochimaru. Con?"
"There is still only a slight possibility that we won't be able to. Pro?"
"I'll be able to train properly again. Although I could do that here. Con?"
"We'll get married without my family being there unless we get married in the next six days, I'll have to give birth in a cave with only men around me to help, plus we'll bring a little boy or girl up in a cave always having to run away from ANBU. Pro?"
"We still be able to live here."
"What?"
"Just because we'd be Akatsuki doesn't mean we'd have to stay with them forever. Only till after Orochimaru is dead. We'd just have to keep it a secret from Konoha till then. Con?"
"That's all I came up with. Any more pros?"
"Nope." Itachi said looking intensely at Sakura. It was true that he did kinda of want to go back to the Akatsuki. But most of him was set firm on the fact that he would never leave Sakura. But if she would agree to join even if it was till Orochimaru was dead, they would actually have a greater probability of killing Orochimaru. Sakura opened her mouth as if to say something but closed it again. "Sakura…" Itachi started.
"Hm?"
"Whatever you decide, if you want to join or if you don't, I'm not going to leave you. Whatever you decide I'll stick by you. I mean that."
Sakura smiled. "Thank you Itachi."
"You don't have to decide today. We still have six days before we have to come up with an answer." Itachi said and could see instantly Sakura seemed more relaxed.
"Do you think he was telling the truth?"
"Who?"
"Itachi?"
"About what?"
"The Akatsuki?!" Sasuke was starting getting impatient with Naruto.
"Nope."
"Nope what?"
"I don't think he wasn't telling the truth."
"Double negative Naruto."
"Fine Sasuke. Yes I think he was telling the truth because you may not have noticed it yet but Itachi is positively smitten when it comes to Sakura and he wouldn't leave her for anything. Also he wouldn't let anyone hurt her, as you found out a year ago when Itachi threw you up against a wall." Naruto said leaning back in his chair having given up on trying to write anything while Sasuke was in the room.
"Will no one let me forget that?! I made a mistake, o.k. and I learned from it. Geez." Sasuke said throwing his hands up in the air.
"Alright we'll let you forget if you stop trying to make it seem like Itachi is hiding something. Every week you come in here with something new that you hope will get him out of the way. To bad you always seem to forget that Sakura is still a med-nin and actually lives with Itachi, and he never keeps secrets from her. And whenever we ask her about whatever it is that you came up with she denies it, and as you know she is a very bad liar. No wonder she doesn't love you anymore. You're lucky she likes you as a friend still." Naruto said smile at Sasuke's uneasiness at the truth in Naruto's words. "Look you talk out your issues with Sakura, maybe it's time to talk them out with Itachi. I mean how much worse could your relationship get with him?"
"You know Naruto, I don't think anyone noticed how much you matured since the time we became genin."
Naruto smiled and though to himself 'I may have matured when it come to relationships, but just wait till we go on a mission together again.' Sasuke was about to leave when Naruto remembered something. "Oh, and Sasuke!"
"Hm?"
"Be nice when you and Itachi leave next week."
"Whatever." with that Sasuke left and Naruto got back to writing out letters to the other Kages, informing them that the Akatsuki was moving again, and looking for power.