This chapter is named: The Fight!

Please feel free to give a review. Thank you ^.^

I don't own Naruto or its characters. I only own the plot for this story. Anyway, on with the story!

Sakura woke up 2 hours later. She got up and got ready for the fight… after eating a lot. She checked outside a window every time she passed one. She also looked around the house for Itachi. But, she never found Itachi anywhere. So she tried to ask Kisame. He told her that he hasn't even come out from his room.

"But how come you didn't get out for a long time? I was sooo lonely here. Do you know the feeling of being alone?!" Kisame complained to her as she sewed more clothing for herself. "What are you doing anyway? Why are the both of you acting… weird?"

"Well… that is none of your business… not for now, anyway." Sakura said as she had finished making her 6th top and skirt (or whatever you'd call it). "Anyway, can you tell me where you've hidden my kunai pouch?"

"Eh? Why would you ask me?" Kisame said innocently. "I don't know where it is. You see, usually, Itachi'd be the person here who'd hide the victim's weapons. He doesn't use them though."

"What?" Sakura said. She was just getting up from her chair. "Then… you mean, he throws them away, or he sells them?" Sakura was desperate for extra clothes incase Itachi destroyed her current pair. Now, she was desperate to get weapons.

"Well… I think he buries them…" Kisame said after thinking for a while. "Or was that Deidara who buried them…?"

"What??? You don't even know what your own teammate does?" Sakura asked him, rather loudly. "But… I need some kunai and shuriken immediately!"

"What for?" Kisame asked, then he sighed very deeply. "Here then. Use this spare one that I have. There are only 3 kunai there and around… 5 shuriken. That's because I'd rather use my chakra… hehe. But you'll find them useful." Kisame said.

"Ok… thanks, Kisame-san…" Sakura said slowly while she wondered if he really was that helpful or he was planning to trick Sakura.

"Hey, genius, if he was planning to trick us, he'll use a better way to do it!" Inner Sakura said sarcastically. 'Ok… But is this enough?' Sakura thought. "I bet that's enough since—" Kisame started but he was cut off by the sound of a door opening. They both looked at Itachi's door. It was opened halfway and Itachi was also out halfway.

"That's enough preparation, Sakura-san!" Itachi said. "It's time…" He said as he looked outside the window after he had come out totally.

Sakura looked outside a window and saw a blood-red sky becoming into a dark blue one. A star or two were coming out and the sun cannot be seen now. "O-ok…" Sakura said nervously and quietly.

Itachi walked across them to the door that led outside and said before going out, "I'll be waiting, you have 20 seconds to get out."

Sakura gulped when she heard the cold, serious tone in his voice. She sensed that Kisame had already figured out what was going on between them. He leaned towards Sakura's back, for he was facing her back now, and whispered, "You can do it… I know he'll take it easy on you."

Sakura put on the kunai pouch and glanced back at Kisame, who winked encouragingly at her, before going out. When she was outside, Itachi was on the roof again. "Shall I get up there first? Or let's start immediately?" Sakura asked impatiently.

Itachi nodded. "Alright, before we start, here are some rules." Sakura said loudly, not bothering to jump up the roof, "You are not allowed to use your Sharingan… especially its really hardcore techniques. Also, you can't use illusions on me, is that clear?

"Ok. But if you have your rules, I should also have mine." Itachi said, "I'll just give you one rule: fight me with all your strength and win."

"What's the consequences incase I'd fail?" Sakura asked challengingly.

"I knew you'd ask that." Itachi said. "Ok, your consequence is… that you'll take off your clothes… and take a dip in that cold lake!" Itachi said as he pointed to his left.

Sakura looked that way and saw a glittery surface. 'C-cold? Me?' Sakura thought. She felt herself becoming red in the face.

"No way!!!" Sakura screamed at him, "I'm not going to take a bath in that dark place! Also, I'm not going to take off my clothes! Give me a bathing suit if you want… as long as I don't go there naked!"

Sakura saw Itachi smirk. "W-what is it?" she asked, fearing his 'evil' smirk.

Then Itachi's 'evil' smirk became an 'evil' smile. "Fine with me." Itachi said, loosing his smirk, "I'll agree on that if you agree that I can give you see-through clothing."

'Just what is this guy?' Sakura thought. Then she sighed and said, "Fine then as long as you don't come around the place to peek or snoop! Let's begin."

Sakura got into fighting position and got ready for an attack. Itachi stood as still as he was and suddenly jumped to Sakura's direction, throwing a kunai to Sakura. Sakura ran to her left to dodge it and threw 3 shuriken at him.

When the shuriken touched Itachi, he immediately disappeared. 'C-clone?' Sakura thought. She was about to turn around when someone from behind her got both her arms and put them behind her.

Sakura struggled to get free but Itachi was stronger. 'I bet my chakra should have returned by now.' Sakura thought.

She put up a lot of chakra in her foot and tried to kick him. The moment her foot hit him, he disappeared again. 'Another clone?' Sakura thought.

The battle lasted for 3 hours and it was already dark because the moon had gone behind the clouds… again. Sakura was standing 10 feet away from Itachi now and both of them are tired and beat. Sakura had one last blow/punch full of chakra to give and Itachi had enough chakra for one last technique.

Sakura had noticed that there was a kunai just beside her right foot. She swiftly picked it up and threw it towards Itachi who ducked it easily. 'Hell… if he tries one last attack, I might not make it…' Sakura thought as she breathed heavily.

Itachi threw one last fire technique at Sakura. Sakura didn't get to dodge it because it was so vast. The attack threw Sakura back and it also made her roll around before she had finally stopped. It also burnt her skin painfully.

Itachi walked towards her slowly. Sakura was lying on her back on the dry grass, she had bruises and burns all over her from his attacks. 'Looks like I overdid it.' Itachi thought.

But then, he noticed something just underneath the unconscious Sakura. Itachi walked around and took a stick and took off some of his clothes and used a jutsu to put on flame on the stick. When he came back to Sakura, he saw red liquid under her right arm.

'Is this blood?!' Itachi thought as he put down the stick and moved Sakura over to her side. He saw 2 deep, long, horizontal cuts behind Sakura's right arm and back. They looked like they were supposed to be one very long cut. Then he looked around for the source of the wounds. And he saw a sharp rock

'I've got to bring her in right away!' Itachi thought. He immediately put his arms under Sakura's legs and back (not on the cut) and rushed her inside the house.

"Kisame! Give me bandage and get water right away!" Itachi said once he had already burst into the house. "Hurry!"

Kisame got a small basin and put water into it which came out of thin air. Itachi rested Sakura on the couch. He took the small basin with one bloody hand.

He took Sakura's arm and put it on the edge of the couch. Then he put the basin under Sakura's arm and used the water to wash the wound. And soon, the water had become red and he needed to change the water. He asked Kisame to give him more water and washed Sakura's arm one last time. After that, he wrapped Sakura's arm with bandage.

'The back… this is going to be hard… for him anyway…' Kisame thought as Itachi tried to wash Sakura's back. But Itachi suddenly turned to Kisame before he could even laugh inwardly. "Kisame, can you wash Sakura's back with your water?"

Kisame was looking at Itachi who really showed determination in his face. "S-sure…" Kisame said. He knew that Itachi was really determined to help heal Sakura. So Kisame made water out of thin air and made it rub itself on Sakura's back, washing away blood.

Kisame put down the bloody water on the basin and made another clean batch. He did the same thing, and after that, Itachi put bandage on Sakura's back—which he really had a difficulty with since he had to put up her clothes and lift unconscious Sakura up till he finished.

Kisame went out of the room later. And Itachi stayed there for a while. Then he transferred Sakura in her room and stayed beside her till the next morning came.

Sakura opened her eyes and bright sunlight immediately told her that it was already morning. She looked around and saw a black-headed person asleep on her bed but sitting on a chair just beside her bed, his head on his arms.

Sakura tried to sit up but her back suddenly hurt. She groaned quietly from the pain, so then, she just went back to lying down. 'What's wrong with me?' Sakura thought.

"I recall fighting with Itachi last night then blacking out…" Inner Sakura muttered. Sakura stared at her bandaged arm as she listened to her Inner self mutter more details about last night's battle.

'But then… why am I bandaged and all?' Sakura thought. Inner Sakura was just about to say something when Itachi moved a bit. Then he lifted his head and said, "I'm sorry…"

"Huh?" Sakura asked. But Itachi was already walking to the door. "Wait…" Sakura muttered. "What happened last night? All I remember is that you gave a final blow then… everything went black."

Itachi didn't know how to react. He knew that his final blow was the reason Sakura got her deep wounds.

Sakura remembered that when she landed on the ground, there was a sharp rock. She hit the sharp edge as she was rolling on the ground. "There was a rock on the ground… I hit the sharp edge and…" Sakura's voice trailed away as Itachi turned around.

His face showed a little bit of shock and despair and it mostly showed that he was resentful. "I'm sorry about that." Itachi muttered.

"It's okay… no, really, I'm okay." Sakura said. "You said you'd never win till your opponent is knocked down right?"

Itachi looked away. It was his words… it was him, his actions… they all had hurt Sakura. He knew Sakura was a good person, and good people don't blame other people. Sakura would blame herself, he knew it. She'd blame herself for being a weakling and not being able to dodge his last blow. 'Moreover, Sakura would blame herself for challenging me…' Itachi thought bitterly.

"It's all my fault anyway." Sakura mumbled, "I challenged you… but I didn't even practiced. And I'm a weakling…" Sakura finished. Itachi couldn't think of a way to cheer Sakura up. Even Sakura's Inner self, who was always so noisy and a commentator, was speechless.

Then Itachi suddenly had an idea. "Your right, it's all your fault." Itachi told her. Sakura looked at him, shocked and confused. "It's your fault that you didn't train… and you really are weak and helpless."

And all these words got Sakura mad in the inside. 'W-what is he saying? Grrr! This guy will really have it now!!!' Sakura thought angrily. "That's it!" Sakura cried at him.

Itachi didn't know that all the while they were talking, Sakura was trying to heal herself. And now that Sakura's wounds are a bit smaller and shallower, she instantly rushed towards Itachi at a surprising speed.

Itachi was taken by surprise at Sakura's sudden attack. Sakura punched him hard in the face with almost all her chakra. The impact caused Itachi to fall. And Sakura landed on top of him. (hehe)

'How could she still move quick at that condition?!' Itachi thought while he rubbed his cheek. 'She even got to punch me hard…'

When Sakura landed on him, she groaned because her wound in her right arm had hurt since she used her that arm to punch him. "Ow… Ow, that hurts..." Sakura moaned.

Only did she notice that she was on top of Itachi when she felt warmth and motion on her underside. 'Not this again!' Sakura thought. She immediately got up, greatly ignoring the pain on her wounds.

"That hurt!" Itachi snapped at her. "Ouch… you know what? If you try doing that again, I'm really gonna get you back!"

"Hey! Don't blame me for that!" Sakura shrieked at him. "You started it all anyway, didn't you?!" She ignored the pain then went back to the bed and sat there.

"How is it that Sasuke is so different from you?!" Sakura started again, she didn't care about Itachi now. "He is so nice to me, and you are so cruel! Well, yeah, maybe he was annoyed at me when we just started being ninjas. But now, he's so nice to me that he treats me even more than a normal boyfriend would!"

As Sakura was saying the word 'boyfriend', Itachi walked out of the room, leaving Sakura behind. 'That man… he really is trying to get on my nerves!' Sakura thought as she followed Itachi outside.

She looked around the house for him, as she was going to the bathroom, Kisame said, "If your looking for Itachi, he went outside." Sakura muttered 'thanks' before shutting the door of the bathroom and heading outside.

"You still are slow in looking for people." Itachi said as he saw Sakura come out. "You really have gotten into my nerves—"

"Fine." Sakura said, cutting his words, "Let's settle this by another spar then." She said as she positioned herself.

"This wouldn't be fair if you have bad wounds. What about if I take you next time?" Itachi said but Sakura charged towards him. She punched him hard, but he caught her fist and punched her back in the face which sent her flying back.

Sakura landed on her feet after she turned in the air from his attack. "I don't care if it wouldn't be fair! I just need to hurt you and knock you out and…" Sakura paused to think. She opened her mouth to say 'win' but Itachi said something first.

"Haven't you already hurt me? You've already hurt me with your words of praise on Sasuke and you've already punched me hard back there. What else do you want?"

Sakura gasped on the inside, shocked by his words. "S-sorry…" Sakura muttered. But Itachi ignored her.

"Fine, if you want to spar again, we'll spar. But you'll never be going back on your word anymore." Itachi said harshly. "What are your conditions?"

"What?" Sakura asked.

"I was the one who gave conditions last time. Now, you will be the one to. What will they be?"

Sakura thought hard, but it didn't take a long while before she decided. "If you win, I'll serve you for 3 days." Sakura said, but it didn't seem to content Itachi. "A-and I'll do your condition since I lost last time."

Itachi smirked evilly again. "Good, but if you win?" Itachi asked. It was clear that he was really contented with Sakura's conditions, but he wanted more.

"If I win, you'll serve me for a week." Sakura announced in a smile. She got ready to charge. And Itachi got ready to defend. Sakura charged at him and tried to punch him in the stomach but he dodged it.

Then Sakura threw a few kunai at him. But he kept dodging at her attacks. And he attacked too but Sakura blocked them.

Some time later, Itachi and Sakura were standing at about 10 feet away from each other. Sakura was tired, her wounds sore and painful, and her arms tired from blocking his attacks. Itachi's stamina was now reduced to a low point; he was tired from dodging Sakura's attacks, also from giving Sakura attacks that he knew will weaken her.

Sakura now charged at Itachi, jumped high and gave a strong punch but Itachi blocked it. She jumped back and landed a few feet away. "If you keep blocking, your arms will tire. And you'll loose more strength than dodging. That's also why I dodge than to block."

"But I have natural blocking reflexes. And I tend to lose my guard if I dodge more…well that's if someone else tries to hit me from behind. Hehe…" Sakura said.

"Whatever, I guess I'll just have to knock you out again." Itachi said casually. Then he charged at Sakura, who didn't get to avoid his attack. She was choosing whether to block or dodge.

"Ooof!" Sakura said when she fell to the ground. "That hurt…" She screamed as she threw another. Then they continued again after a few more moments.

After that, Sakura was almost beat. She was on the ground, scarred and thrashed. Itachi walked towards her. He sighed and said, "You really should give up now. If you try to continue, you'll really end up like before."

"Shut up." Sakura muttered, her head down and her face shadowed. "I'm not giving up till I win this time. I've got a request, by the way."

"Hm?" Itachi said, "What is it?"

"Before that, can I change my conditions?" Sakura asked, looking up to Itachi. "I'll need them changed before I can ask my request…"

"Fine, what is your request?" Itachi asked.

"Maybe, if I lose, can you train me or something like that?" Sakura asked, giving him a weak, but sweet smile. Something inside Itachi was moved again. 'I-it's this feeling again.' he thought.

"Sure, I'll train you." Itachi answered her, "But I've got to beat you first."

"I think you're mistaken." Sakura said playfully. She ran away from him, leaving him a bit puzzled, but he followed all the same. Sakura headed to the lake.

'What is she up to?' Itachi thought. 'And how could she still run this far?' He followed her till they reach the end of dry land. Sakura jumped up a big rock and turned to face him. "Come and get me!" She shouted at him.

Itachi charged towards her. Sakura jumped back and landed on water. Although, she didn't sink in—she floated. "We'll battle here." She said bravely.

"Fine with me." Itachi said as he charged at her again. Sakura threw 2 shurikens at him and one scratch his cheek. 'I've finally got you.' Sakura thought.

Something from underneath her held her ankles and pulled her down into the cold water. Sakura held her breath as she tried to kick hard to loose her ankles from Itachi's firm hold. Soon, she had shaken him off. And the battle above water continued.

Little did they know that they were being watched by Kisame from a distance. "Hehe… this is getting interesting. Soon, Itachi should tire and Sakura might even win this battle." Kisame said to himself as he took a sip from a glass of milk just beside him.

Sakura punched Itachi in the face. Itachi sank into the water. Sakura waited and waited, not losing her guard. She waited for about 10 more minutes, turning around, searching for him as she waited. But Itachi never came up again.

Finally I've finished this chapter! It's been five nights before I could finish it… I didn't want my sister to see how the story is coming. It wouldn't be fair to you guys. I only let her read it after I've posted it.

Anyway, what do you think?? I know it's quite a long chapter but it was great right? Please review 3 I think I might've put in too many details about their fights though.

PLEASE REVIEW!!! Domo arigatou goziamasu… Ja ne!

PS: Yes, I know Japanese, but I still know very few words. I'm actually studying—self-study, that is.