Senko: I would like to humbly thank all the people who reviewed. You guys rock! Yay! Go you! Lol.

Responses to Reviews

sakura-nin: I don't know how people get doujinshis. However, a while ago I was searching up some dooujinshis and I found a site that sold some. If you want, I can try and find it again. If you go to anime conventions, I'm sure that some people sell doujinshis there. Post the fic sometime this month eh? Well…hm…I dunno…I was thinking that I would post it when I finish the first three or four pages of the doujinshi and then post the preview of my doujinshi on my deviantart so people can see it after they read the story Heartless Ghost: I am touched by your review! DevilsLittleSister: Itachi is…two years younger than her lol theoneandonlydarkpowderpuff: Hm. Your review really makes me want to post it right now…but read what I wrote for sakura-nin ninjaxbunny: I super-uber-duper-mega-ultra-hyper love you:D Yay you found your cows! I was hyper earlier but it seems the soda I drank has worn off v.v now I must…go and eat ice cream lol really, I inspired you? REALLY? AWWWW…I feel proud of myself! YOU ROCK! .H.P.I.A.L.: The chapter they fall in love…I will not tell. Because frankly…I myself do not know o.o;; will the potion wear off? I do not know as well o.O;; I let my imagination soar until…I think it soars enough lol Hao'sAnjul: Hey, you know what I just noticed? YOU ROCK:D You're always reviewing! SO, thankies a bunchies! sasuke101: o.o;; -updates- neon kun: YOU ARE AN AWESOME WRITER! lol dun deny it, neon kun! Dude :D u need to update -.- UPDATE, DANGIT! nadeshiko-uchiha: Hi hi! I'm glad that you like my fanfic! Thank you very much for reading and reviewing!

Thanks to Riley Mayori, Ivory Black aka Torri-Chiob…, blacksheep18, EnV, ItaItaParadise, animemistress419, Gina01, Sakura'sHope, Sylvok, Mafical-Inkable-Pen-Of-The-…, Aki, Midnightfoxkaori,lonewolf4ever, and XxaoshixX for reviewing!

Disclaimers: No own. Duh.

Chapter 4

"Are you sure you're feeling well?" Sakura asked.

Itachi simply nodded. A couple weeks had passed by and Itachi was walking down the street beside Sakura. He had just returned from a mission. As usual, she greeted him at the entrance of Konoha. He returned unscathed and in perfect condition as always, but Sakura persisted in ensuring herself that Itachi definitely was feeling well.

"Okay, then. Say, don't you think it's just beautiful right now?" she smiled, skipping forward in front of him.

His eyes glanced at her for a split second before he forced them to look away. It had begun that particular day when she healed his dizziness. The longing to feel the serenity she emitted consumed him to the point where he felt as though he was ensnared in a beautiful trap. He couldn't help but fall deeper into this web and soon he found that he entered the stage of infatuation.

Those glimmering emerald eyes that looked at him.

Those silky pink strands of hair that flowed in the wind.

Those soft fingers that touched him.

Indeed, this was a beautiful trap.

"…tachi…Itachi?" Sakura stared at him.

Itachi blinked and looked at the girl who stared at him with worried eyes. "What is it?"

"Oh, good! I thought there was something wrong with you. You didn't answer me and you were staring at something," she smiled in relief.

"Hn," he grunted.

"Anyway, don't you think it's beautiful right now?" she asked.

"No," he answered bluntly.

She frowned, "Really? But it's the most romantic month right now: February! Look, all the stores are decorated so cute with pink, white, and red." She pointed to stores, which were all decorated with hearts and any signs of love.

"It's the stupidest month," he stated.

"But it's so pretty and cute!" she argued.

Itachi glanced at the mass amount of girls who were looking at him. Sakura muttered a quick "oh" as she realized why he believed it was the stupidest month. Suddenly, a girl with short, light brown hair approached the two.

"Uhm…I-Itachi-san, here," she blushed and handed him a Valentine card. "It's from me. Happy Valentine's Day."

Itachi indifferently took the card. "Thank you."

Sakura smiled. Itachi was really different from Sasuke. Although both of them despised having fangirls, Sasuke pushed his fangirls away while Itachi still acknowledged them. The girl turned to Sakura.

"Sakura-san, I have a friend who wants to give you something," she said. "C-Can you please see him?"

Sakura smiled politely. She was used to things like this. Ever since the previous year, she'd been having a good deal of fanboys. "I'm sorry, I'm busy."

The girl frowned sadly, "But…can't you please? He really admires you and this is the first time he's ever liked anyone."

She couldn't resist the girls' sad eyes. Sighing in defeat, she muttered, "Alright. I'll see him."

The girl smiled. "He's over there," she pointed to a nearby bench where a boy with black hair sat on.

Sakura glanced at Itachi quickly before making her way to the boy. When she approached, a feeling of boredom and irritation arose inside her; it was enough having fanboys her age, but here sat one who looked at the age of eleven or twelve!

"Hi," she greeted him.

"Hello, Sakura-san," he said.

"Your friend said you had something to give to me?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah," he said, reaching inside his bag and taking out a card. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Thank you," she said. She was about to head back when his voice stopped her.

"Sakura-san, will you go on a date with me?" he asked.

She smiled politely, "I'm sorry."

She turned around to leave, but he grasped her right hand. She looked down at her hand and then up at him. "Please, let me go."

His grip tightened, "It's just a date, Sakura-san. I heard that you don't go on dates with anyone at all. You rejected all the guys that asked you out. That Sasuke guy is gone now, so why are you trying to save yourself for him? Don't you know people like me think of you all the time?"

Sakura frowned. She wanted so badly to punch him with her monstrous strength, but she couldn't. Doing so would result in consequences she didn't desire. "I simply don't like you. Now let me go."

His bangs covered his eyes, "One date is all I ask."

"Just let me go. If you don't, I won't hesitate to force you to let me go," she threatened.

Silence filled the tense atmosphere.

One second…

Five seconds…

Twenty seconds…

She gritted her teeth in anger. She opened her mouth to yell at the foolish boy, but her chance was stolen away.

Her fragile hand was released when a foreign hand grabbed the boy's hand. It was Itachi.

"It's rude to disobey a female's wish," he whispered.

The boy glared at Itachi and Itachi looked back indifferently. After a few seconds, he walked away. Sakura blushed.

"Uh…thank you, Itachi," she muttered.

"You're welcome," he said. "You really don't go on dates with other guys?"

"No, I just don't like them."

"You don't have to like them. I believe he was talking about my brother, right? You like my brother?"

"Correction, I used to love your brother romantically," she corrected him. "Now, I love him only as a friend."

"If so, why not give others a chance? That boy seemed nice," he joked.

Sakura laughed, "Like I said, I won't go on a date with someone I don't like. Also, he's younger than me; I don't date guys who are younger than me."

"I see…" he muttered. Disappointed filled him.

"Itachi, are you going to be busy?" she asked.

"No, why?" he asked, curious as to why she asked if he was going to be busy.

"Let's hang out!" she beamed.

"…hang out?" he had never done any of this "hanging out" or whatever it was. Such a word was foreign to him and could be found nowhere in his dictionary. He'd heard of it, though. "What do you mean by that?"

"You know, spend time together. In a way, it's almost like a date!" she beamed.

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You just said you don't date younger guys."

"True, but I don't consider you just any other guy. This is a friendship date," she smiled.

He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel. A friendship date wouldn't hurt anyone, but somehow a small part of him didn't want a friendship date. It craved something more, something meaningful. He inwardly cursed as he remembered why he so despised the teen years.

"Two beef ramen," the waitress said as she placed the two bowls or ramen in front of Sakura and Itachi. The two were at Ichiraku.

"So, Itachi, how is everything going?" Sakura asked, breaking apart the wooden chopsticks.

"Fine," he answered.

She sighed. "You know, you and Sasuke are so alike. You guys are reticent and straight-to-the-point."

"Hn."

The rest of the time at Ichiraku was spent in silence, much to Sakura's dismay. Next up was…roaming around Konohagakure. Although Itachi was quiet, his responses to her pointless comments on items in the stores ensured her that he was paying attention to her. She silently smiled to herself. Even though the two Uchiha brothers looked alike and were silent, Itachi, on the other hand, paid attention and cared enough about her to spend time with her. It really made her wonder how such a guy can become a criminal.

"Itachi, Itachi!" she pointed to an object and turned her head to face him.

He walked up to her to see what she was so excited about.

"Isn't it pretty?" she stared at the object. It was a simply yet beautiful two-piece necklace in the shape of a heart.

"Hn," he didn't see what was so good about the necklace. Girls, what was with them and hearts and romance? His attention diverted to her again when he heard a small gasp from her.

"I have to be at the hospital!" she exclaimed. "I totally forgot! I'm so sorry, Itachi, I wanted to spend today with you but I forgot Tsunade-shishou wanted me to work at the hospital today since one of the medic-nins will be absent."

"It's alright," he said. "Sakura?"

"Yes?" she looked at him.

"Can I come and 'hang out' with you at the hospital?" he asked.

Sakura's eyes slightly widened for a second. She was shocked and had never expected this from an Uchiha, "Really? You want to hang out with me?"

He shrugged. "I have nothing better to do."

Sakura beamed. "Sure, you can come and hang out with me!"

The two started to walk together to the hospital and suddenly it hit Itachi – why the hell did he just volunteer to hang out with her? That was when he knew he no longer despised the teen years, he hated the teen years. He realized he had a small crush on her, yes, a small crush only.

"So, what do want to do?" Sakura asked. "I'll be moving around from room to room. Are you just going to follow me?"

"I suppose," he muttered.

"This is great! You'll be, like, my assistant!" she exclaimed in joy.

"I guess, yeah," he said.

"Okay, onward to our first patient in room 105!" she beamed and started towards the room.

Itachi inwardly smirked, amused by her childlike behavior. In the couple of weeks he had lived with her, he had come to hold an amount of respect for her. She wasn't as powerful as him, as the difference in their ranks proved, but she was powerful and intelligent. He admired the way she was able to balance her ninja life and her real life. For him, he wasn't able to balance the two and he succumbed to his father's wish of having only a life of training, mission, and power.

The two arrived at room 105 and entered. He recognized the blonde patient.

"You, pig!" Sakura screeched.

"You're my nurse?" Ino exclaimed. "Eeeww! I don't want an ugly forehead girl as my nurse!"

The two glared at each other and then burst into laughter. Itachi just simply couldn't understand what kind of friendship could have possibly formed between the two.

"OH! Meet Itachi, my temporary assistant!" Sakura said, pointing to Itachi. "So, anyway, what's wrong with you?"

"I just got back from a mission. I just have a cut on my stomach, but I'm sure it's healing. The nurse that came with us said she did the best she could. I really just wanted to go home since I'm feeling well, but Godaime-sama sent me here," Ino said.

"Oh, ok. Well then lift up your shirt," Sakura said.

Ino held a horrified look. "HELLO! There's a guy in here!"

"Just enough for me to see the wound, you pig!" Sakura said.

Ino grunted, not admitting her own ignorance, and lifted her shirt up a bit. After a minute of examination, Sakura brought her hands down to Ino's stomach and a greenish aura began to heal Ino. Ino was shocked to find that the pain was now gone and the bleeding stopped.

"A-Amazing…you healed me!" Ino exclaimed.

Sakura smiled proudly. "Well, I assume the medic-nin you were with was just a beginner. Beginners don't know how to completely stop the bleeding and pain."

"Heh, seems like that big head of yours has a purpose after all," Ino snickered.

Sakura glared. "Watch it, or I'll make sure no medic-nin can heal you."

The day was finally over and Itachi and Sakura were heading home. He had been fascinated watching her heal the patients. Sure, it got boring sometimes when you watch the same thing repeat itself over and over again, but it was the fact that she was able to control her chakra so well that intrigued him. He was surprised to see such a young person be capable of being such a good medic-nin. Becoming a medical ninja was very difficult.

Glancing at Sakura, he noticed she was tired and walking slightly slower than usual. He assumed it was probably because of her using too much chakra to heal the patients. He was noticed, while watching her healing, that she often used extra chakra to heal her patients a little more than necessary. He stopped and faced her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"You're tired. I can carry you," he said.

She blushed. "Eh, it's alright. It's just a bit further before we get home."

"No, I'll carry you," he approached her, crouching down to give her a piggy back ride.

When he stood in front of her was when she just noticed his height. Although he was only twelve and she was fourteen, he was just as tall as her if not almost an inch shorter. After a moment of contemplation Sakura got on his back, her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs to his sides. He carried her and the two headed home.

"Hey," Sakura began, "you carried Sasuke-kun like this once, right?"

"Yes."

Sakura smiled. "I remember seeing someone carry Sasuke like this when I was younger."

"You must have good memory."

"Uh…well…" Sakura finished her sentence with a nervous laughter.

The way he couldn't stop looking at her, the way he didn't want that guy to go on a date with Sakura, the way he wanted to spend time with Sakura, the way he volunteered to hang out with her at the hospital, and the way he offered to carry her…he knew that perhaps this wasn't just a small crush. Perhaps it's actually a crush.

Senko: Yay! I've finished chapter 4:D I feel so proud of myself! LoL. I know it's weird for this chapter to be in February, but oh well. The first and second chapter was in January and I just couldn't ignore February. Next chapter: March! And you know what event takes place in March? -hint hint-

Anyway, if you guys have any difficulty imagining young Itachi, go watch/read the episode where Naruto and Sasuke fight ;D

Oh, I almost forgot. Visit my deviantart! animesenko. deviantart. com ok? Check out my ItaSaku artwork! ;D oh, if you guys wanna add me on myspace, my myspace is myspace. com / animesenko