Just in case I don't get to later, figured I'd update for tomorrow as well. If I do get to tomorrow, then you can look at this as an omaki! Lawlz!

Anywho, yeah, on with the show!

Warning, sappy teary chapter ahead!

Disclaimer- Nope, I don't own this. Only bragging rights, nothing monetary.

Chapter 17

It was odd. Sakura stood beside Itachi for a bit, he seemed afraid to enter the house. Diedera was almost ready to go and knock himself when Sakura stilled him. "I'll go, you stay here." Sakura stepped forwards and headed to the house.

She knocked, looking around. Before Sasuke's return Sakura had handled the house, keeping it safe for the day that he'd return. She knew that someday he'd be back. She smiled as Aoi opened the door, staring at her for a little bit.

"Sakura-sensei?" She smiled and nodded. "We're here to see Sasuke."

"Sasuke! Naruto!" She waved and they waved back, smiling at her. "You know that's not who we are, why did you call us that, yeah?" Diedera walked forwards, leaving Itachi standing alone.

"That's what I always knew you as, it's habit I guess. I'm sorry, Diedera-san, Itachi-san." She bowed and Diedera shook his head.

"Itachi, doesn't this make you feel more at home?"

Sakura shot up, suddenly realizing why he didn't want to enter.

She turned, running over as Itachi stepped back, eyes wide. "I can't, I have no right to be here."

Sakura ran over, throwing her arms over his shoulders. "Itachi, I'm sorry! I didn't think!"

"I shouldn't-"

"Itachi?" Sakura turned, seeing Sasuke step out of the doorway. "I wasn't expecting you for a few more days! What a surprise! Come in!" Sakura turned to him.

"Sasuke! Help!" Itachi's knees buckled and he fell, throwing his arms tightly around Sakura. "I shouldn't be here. I can't believe I came back here. What in the hell was I thinking?!"

"You grew up here! You have every right to be here!" Sakura tried to calm him, unable to see his face at all as his head rested on her shoulder.

"You saved Konoha. You have more right to be here than I do." Sasuke murmured and patted him on the back.

It took a good half an hour to calm him enough to get him into the house.

He sat in the living room, his eyes kept shifting to a door Sakura noticed at the back. She'd cleaned out the room many times. It was empty. "Itachi, what's so special back there?"

Sasuke hissed and shook his head as Itachi stood. "I, it's special to me."

He opened the door, walking in slowly. Sakura followed behind, looking around. The room hadn't changed at all. "It doesn't look like anyone's been in here since the last time I was."

"You were in this room?" Sasuke asked and Sakura nodded.

"When you were gone I came by once a week to clean and dust and stuff." Sasuke nodded, wide eyed. "I didn't know."

"No one did." Sakura smiled and looked over at Itachi who was now bent down, feeling a gash in the floor.

Sakura walked over slowly, seeing a far away look in his eye. "Father, Mother..." He looked around, seeing something from long ago and Sakura stepped back, watching as he stood, shaking his head.

"I should never have come here. This isn't... I can't be here." He turned and walked out of the room.

Sakura found him in the living room, sitting with his head down on the couch. At least he hadn't left the house.

"It's alright, I'm here with you." She smiled and Itachi turned to her with a sad smile.

"That room is where I killed my parents. I was scared to death that I'd broken Sasuke. I didn't want him to find me there, it was too late. He'd already seen me by the time I realized he was there." Itachi turned to Sasuke. He reached out carefully, poking his brother in the forehead. He smiled sadly, tears welling in the corners of his eyes and Sakura rubbed his back.

"I thought about it being uncomfortable to be back in Konoha, I didn't even think about this. I forgot about the Uchiha district, your old house."

"Thank you for being here." Sakura sat surprised as Itachi wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead. He leaned his head against hers with his eyes closed.

He needed a moment, he needed to not think about it for a moment, to think about something happier.

"Itachi?" Sakura held him and smiled. "Let's go get something to eat." Itachi looked down at her with a sigh.

"That might be for the best."

"Come on!" Sakura stood and waved, smiling. "We're going to Ichiraku!"

She held Itachi's arm the whole way there, Diedera staying a few steps back. Sakura couldn't tell if it was because he knew she'd be calming to him or if he was depressed that Itachi had said it. He hadn't talked much since the Hokage's tower, Sakura realized. She turned and smiled at him, seeing him smile back and wave, the same as she'd done. She turned back around and hugged onto Itachi with a worried sigh.

They ordered, Diedera sitting a few seats away. She'd tried to sit beside him, but he'd moved to let Sasuke sit beside her. She was sandwiched between the two Uchiha, Itachi started to relax a little after they sat down.

Sakura looked over at Diedera, sitting and looking out of the curtain. "I'll be back." Sakura stood, walking over and tapping Diedera's back on her way through. He stood and followed, barely noticed by the others.

Sakura waved at him and moved away, going to the top of the houses, then a few houses away, then a little farther, eventually ending out on top of the Hokage's mansion. "I noticed you were shying away. Diedera, what's up?"

"When were you going to tell me?" Sakura sighed and smiled.

"I was hoping we could all sit around for dinner one night and talk about it. You know we'd never purposefully keep things like this from you. When he told Tsunade, that was the first time he said he loved me. Just in case you were wondering, nothing has happened."

Diedera nodded. "I kind of knew, I just didn't want to say anything. Calming him down, though, I didn't think anyone could do that once he was really bothered by anything. I'm happy for you." Sakura looked over at him, suddenly terrified.

"Diedera?"

"Don't, Sakura. You know Itachi would hunt me down and kill me if I left. It would break your heart. It's sad, I could break it, but I wasn't able to steal it." Diedera smiled, looking out over the village. "I, uh, Can I do something? Just once, before you're totally his?"

Sakura looked at him, his eyes watching the city street below, his hair softly blowing in the breeze from the height. His eyes were more sad than Sakura had ever seen. "What," She looked down, seeing the city below. "Anything." She turned to him and smiled.

He looked over at her, surprised by her answer. "You've always been there for me when I needed you. You've never let me down. If nothing else, I can say yes to this."

He looked at her, looking now worried. "You could have, couldn't you? If I hadn't given up, if I hadn't stepped back for Itachi, you could have loved me?"

Sakura looked at him, thinking. She remembered the times they were together. If Itachi hadn't been there, if he'd not been there, was there a chance?

Yes.

She realized it for the first time. She looked down with a look Diedera had hoped to never see again. "Why are you depressed?"

"I spent so long feeling terrible for what I did to Naruto, going after the Uchiha and never giving him a second glance. He was a great guy, and I just refused to see him like that. I guess, without ever thinking about it, it wasn't that I didn't think of you like that, I just... I did it again. I'm sorry."

He turned her, wrapping his arms around her, Catching her off guard.

"Diedera?"

"You said anything.​ Just this once, forgive me." He smiled sadly at her and Sakura nodded, feeling absolutely terrible for what she'd done to him.

He looked at her face, the way her hair blew in the breeze, the color of her eyes as they locked with his, the desperate sadness that looked about to envelope her. "Don't look like that. I hate seeing you so unhappy, especially because of me, yeah."

She smiled, unable to really lighten her mood.

He cupped her cheek, closing his eyes at the feeling of her skin against his hand. He looked at her again, leaning down and brushing his lips against hers.

Her eyes closed, and though she knew she shouldn't feel like this she was terrified. She was so scared that he'd pull away now, that he'd regret them being together.

It was just a light kiss, but it meant something so much to her.

He stepped back, sighing. "You go ahead and go back to him. I'll be right there."

"No, I won't leave you behind." She stood steady and he turned to her, a smile on his face.

"It's only for a moment, I'm not leaving, I've already ordered. You talked about Ichiraku a bit, I'm curious. I just, I need a moment alone." Sakura stepped back, nodding. She turned, scared to death she'd never see him again.

She headed down to Ichiraku.

It wasn't right for her to keep him there. She knew that, she knew it was selfish, but she couldn't lose him. She turned once she got to Ichiraku, seeing him sitting on the roof and knew he was crying.

She stepped back into the curtain. Itachi turned to her, eyes wide. "I was starting to worry! Where's Diedera?"

"He needs a moment." Sakura sat quietly, her tone, her actions drawing attention from all of them there.

"Sakura?" Sasuke reached out, his hand on her shoulder. She shook her head and looked down at her food as Ayume set it down.

"Ah, A broken heart. I'd recognize that look anywhere." Itachi turned to her, suddenly worried.

"Sakura?"

"I can't believe I did it to him too. I felt so guilty about Naruto then I went and did the same thing to Diedera." Itachi watched as she reached up, holding her hand to her mouth. "He kissed me. I let him, I'm sorry if you're angry, but I..."

"I'm not!" Itachi drug her in for a hug and she released, crying against him.

It was a while later that she was at the house. Itachi was a bit more relaxed this time. He brought her a cup of water while Sasuke went to tell Diedera where they'd gone. Sakura wouldn't leave Ichiraku till they promised to send someone to tell him. She'd made sure to get his food to go and put it in the microwave when they'd gotten back to the house.

"I'm scared. Itachi, I'm so scared we'll never see him again."

They fell asleep in an extra bedroom, Itachi's old room. He smiled as he walked in, carrying Sakura with him. He looked down at her as she sniffed, shifting softly in her sleep. Her bag in the corner was all she brought with her and he opened it, praying she'd brought some cloths with her.

There was two outfits, one was a tank top and pair of black jonin pants, the other was a silk yukata. He held it up and smiled. He'd seen it before on her.

He sighed, reaching for the other outfit, knowing it would be more comfortable.

She was scared to death he wouldn't come back. She cried her eyes out, refusing to eat. He was really starting to worry about her.

Especially since Diedera hadn't come back.

He hadn't realized how attached to the other Sakura had become. He knew she loved him, but he had never stopped to ask himself if she loved Diedera.

Now he was worried.

Not as much that he'd lose her, if he did he did, but what if Diedera was gone? What if she was right and he never came back? She's be destroyed.

He changed her and stripped down to his pants, laying down beside her as she shifted in her sleep.

"Sleep well. Don't worry, I know things will be alright."

"Can't sleep, I have to wait..." She murmured.