Tsuki-chan: I'm so sorry! I said I was going to update quickly…but after my dad told me to turn off my computer other ideas entered my head and I had no idea how to choose. Not to mention school is hectic for me this year, I think I've gotten eight bloody noses just last week!...okay, you didn't need to know that. Anyways I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I'm dedicating it to all the faithful reviewers!

Sakura gasped as she felt a familiar charka. When the smoke cleared it showed an empty crater with injured Uchiha's nearby. Nodding at Itachi, the two jumped down from the balcony. Sakura gazed around and her eyes widened when she noticed Meiko lying with pieces of rubble on top of her.

"Meiko-san!" Sakura yelled, gently lifting the adult out of the rubble and placing her head onto her lap. "Sa-Sakura-…san……are the ch-children…o-okay?" she whispered weakly. Glancing at the place she pulled the Uchiha out she noticed two unscathed but unconscious kids.

"Y-Yes…they're fine…hold still, I'll heal you." Sakura whispered. After performing a series of hand seals she started to stop the blood that was flowing out of Meiko's wounds. "Sakura, can you take cares of things here? The others have gone towards the main summer house, I'm going to go after them." looking upwards she saw Itachi looking down at her. With a nod she watched him disappear.

After putting Meiko in a comfortable position, Sakura went off to heal the most injured ones to save charka. After placing everyone in a comfortable position inside, she turned towards where she knew Itachi had headed off toward. "Be careful Itachi-kun…" she whispered.

"Itachi-kun, huh…?" she heard a dark voice behind her. Sakura froze…it was that voice.
Please…god, please…no….

Sakura slowly turned around…time seemed to slow down as her eyes fell upon the boy who haunted her dreams since he betrayed Konoha.

"Uchiha…Sasuke." She whispered. Sasuke stood there with a smirk on his face.

FLASH

"Uchiha Sasuke…come with me back to Konoha or prepare to die." Sakura stated in a deadly quiet voice. Her heart felt as if it was shattered to pieces. It was true. Sasuke…her Sasuke-kun…had really joined up with Orochimaru.

"Is that all you can think about, little blossom?" Sasuke purred out. Sakura growled as she held her ground. "Enough with the pet names, if you're not going to come with me peacefully, prepare to die!" she yelled pulling out a kunai, charging.

Metal met metal as both their arms shook with the force they were using. Sakura narrowed her eyes as he came closer to her face between their stand still.

"Why don't you come with me…join Orochimaru……" he whispered. Sakura's eyes widened at his statement. Her hold weakened as he swiped her kunai away and pulled her into his arms. "Sakura…" he whispered as he caressed her back slowly, up and down. The gash on her abdomen was forgotten as his scent overwhelmed her.

She shivered in his hold when suddenly the two were thrown apart; Sakura looked up with wide eyes and saw brilliant emerald eyes staring down at her. "Fool…you are becoming like Sasuke. You are obsessed about him like he is obsessed about his brother. The moment you heard about his arrival you run away from the ritual circle." The person snapped.

Suddenly she did a flurry of hand seals when suddenly Sasuke came charging. Sakura watched wide-eyed as the person just held out a hand and Sasuke was suddenly thrown backwards and into the trees. "Now Sakura…choose your fate!" the person yelled as she held both her hands in front of Sakura before darkness arose.

FLASH

"How'd you get here?" Sakura asked as she shook her head. "That bitch sent me back in time with you." He answered simply. "Then…then were you the one who was following me?" he smirked. "I knew I chose the right person to bear my heirs…when I woke up all I found was this cloak…your aim has gotten quicker and more accurate." He stated dully as he revealed the cloak he was wearing had a tear.

"No wonder the cloak looked familiar…that belongs to the sensei I had trained under while Tsunade-sensei did her paperwork." Sakura whispered.

FLASH

Beautiful long midnight blue hair that almost seemed black with silver streaks. Her eyes were an unusual shade of green as she stared down at Sakura with an interested look.

FLASH

"Now Sakura…come with me…back to the future." He whispered with a hand held out. Sakura held her hands in front of her chest protectively as she took a step back. She froze in fear as he came closer.
I came here to answer your question…I think I-

Itachi's voice rang through her mind. "Itachi-kun…" she whispered. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Itachi!" he snapped. Sakura's eyes widened when suddenly she realized she was staring into blood red sharingan. He held her arms as he looked down at her. She shook in fear. "What does he have that I don't! Why is it always Itachi, huh! WHY IS IT ALWAYS ABOUT THAT BASTARD!" he roared. Sakura flinched at the force of his grip around her arms.

After he settled down Sakura looked down at the floor, her bangs covering her eyes. "Y…You were too late…I…Sasuke-kun…I waited for so long…bu-but…you just left me alone…I gave you everything of me but…you just threw it away…" she whispered. She could feel him tense as she spoke.

"You were supposed to wait for me…I was to come back to Konoha after defeating Itachi…" he whispered. Sakura froze once more before anger took over her. Calling her inner strength, she broke free from his hold.

"Wait…I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU SINCE WE BECAME GENINS!" she yelled angrily. Sasuke watched stunned as tears poured down her eyes. "This is it Sasuke-kun…I'm setting you free…free from my heart and mind…I'm sorry…" she whispered looking away.

"No…I've worked too hard for this to happen…suffered too much…" he hissed as he grabbed her arm. "Sakura!" he heard a voice call out. Glancing, he sensed Itachi's chakra. Growling he did a flurry of hand seals and disappeared.

Itachi arrived just in time to see her fall to her knees. Her hands falling to hold her above the ground as her hair drapedabout her form and tears pooled in her eyes. "Why…why…WHYYYYYY!" she screamed. The others from the summer house had arrived as well to help the injured ones. They watched in wide-eyed curiosity as Sakura screamed.

It was filled with so much agony and despair that even the sun seemed to run from it, the dark clouds shielding it. Sakura's hands turned into a fist as she screamed her pain out once more. Itachi watched as rain started to fall from the darkened sky. Lightening flashed as chibi-Sakura (aka mini-Sakura, changed her name) ran toward the older one.

"Sakura-neesan…are you alright?" she asked quietly. Sakura looked at her younger self with dull eyes. Without uttering a single word she wrapped chibi-Sakura into her arms and started to sob against her. Chibi-Sakura seemed confused but wrapped her small arms around Sakura's neck.

'Despite all the pain and agony…a small light shines as a beacon of hope in the eyes of a child in the darkness…' a kunoichi thought as she watched the scene from afar. 'Maybe my little…no…not anymore…maybe Sakura will learn more than to be stronger around Sasuke…' she thought sadly. With the bellow of her cloak, she disappeared from the dark sky. She glanced once more at the heartbroken scene and shook her head. 'I'm not a part of that anymore…'

Sakura sat in front of the fire, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as chibi-Sakura sat on her crossed leg lap. She watched the fire with soulless eyes making the people around her worried. This wasn't the cheerful shy girl they had met…this was a stranger…a complete stranger.

"I'm worried…" Yumi whispered as she glanced at the statue like girl. Kichi nodded, "Yeah…eyes like that just scream not good." Usagi sighed. "I wish we could help." Fudo nodded. "Whatever is troubling Sakura-chan must be hurting her a lot."

A few hours had passed; everyone had helped the injured to their rooms. Sakura, chibi-Sakura, and Sasuke were asleep on Sakura's bed. Itachi had found them inside Sakura's warm embrace as they slept; he almost smiled at the scene when he noticed that unlike the two children's peaceful expression hers was filled with sadness.

Reaching out he brushed stray hairs from her face. 'What is this urge to protect that comes to me when I see her?' he thought quietly as he watched her pale face. 'My name is Uchiha Itachi…heir to the Uchiha clan…I'm known to be one of the strongest shinobis around…with the greatest control in emotion but…when it comes to her…my emotions become haywire…' he thought in confusion.

Itachi was a very logical person and didn't like it when he didn't understand something. 'Well I guess I'm not God…just because I'm perfect in others eyes doesn't mean I really am…I am Itachi…not the perfect Uchiha everyone thinks…' he thought with a scowl. He turned to go to his own bed when a soft murmur caught his sensitive ears.

A soft smile, not seen by his family except his brother, crept upon his face as he got under the covers. A light feeling entered his chest after that soft murmur. Out of all the words the pink haired teen could have spoken out she had said it. His name…Itachi…a warm feeling entered as the rain pattered softly against the glass window as he fell into a deep sleep…perhaps the best he has ever had since he was given life.

Tsuki-chan: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, a bit sad but…this is all I could sum up for now…I'm wondering if Sasuke should act as a friend and stay with Sakura at the Uchiha compound or should he continued to hide? Oh well, I'll think about it later. I have a Spanish test tomorrow and what suxs is that I only started Spanish! Gaaah!

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