Chapter 17 everyone! Love me. I decided to make studying a second priority (I'm good at history anyways heheh). I don't have much to say this time besides arigato for all your support! And just to clear up on something, I'm not sure if it confused anyone, but while I was writing chapter 16, I forgot that ten years changed to thirteen, so let's just say I was rounding off. Enjoy 17, supporters.

And now… off to my chemistry book… *shrinks in a corner, drowning self in notes*

oooo

Sunlight glowed on the closed shade of the airplane's window. Through a small crack, it peered through, shining on the closed eyes of the raven, slowly bringing him into an awakening. He groaned quietly, smacking his hand over his eye as he began to sit up straight. Sakura had situated herself on him, still sleeping on his chest. Sasuke smiled slightly when he saw her peaceable expression. She's so adorable when she sleeps… he mused, twirling a strand of pink hair in his finger.

Slipping up his sleeve, he took a quick glance at his watch. It's already three… we should be landing soon. After his assumption, he lifted the shade from the window, squinting his eyes from the bright light. When adjusted to the morning lighting, Sasuke stared out at the city below him: Tokyo—where his family ran from him. "Mrh…" he heard Sakura groan as the light began to wake her. "Are we here…?" She mumbled, sitting up straight and rubbing her tired eyes. Sasuke nodded and continued to stare out the window, the panorama he had over Tokyo was breathtaking.

"Come here, you can see the city," he glanced over at her, motioning with his hand for her to look out the window. Sakura smiled and leaned back on him, guiding her eyes along the city beneath them.

"Whoa…" she breathed. It was beautiful, but also somewhat intimidating. That's where they would be landing—that's where she would meet Sasuke's family. She swallowed hard. This is going to be a crazy visit… I just know it… she felt her chest tightening with anticipation as her mind cast her back into her freshman year: with Yamanaka Ino. She hated me so much for just wanting to be around Sasuke… I'm engaged to him now and I'm meeting his family—who are even richer—and I'm poor… I hope I won't be a reason for them hating him more… She looked up at him with pity in her emerald orbs. The last thing she wanted was to be a reason for Sasuke's suffering.

His arm encircled her waist and he planted a short kiss on her forehead. "Don't think about it," he warned in an even tone, his voice carrying a kindness that never left when he was with his beloved.

"Is it really okay that I'm here…?" She questioned with uncertainty. She wanted to be with Sasuke—she wanted to be there to support him, but the fact that her being around could possibly make the entire situation worse frightened her. Sasuke nodded in responding to her.

"Of course it is," he answered simply. "You're my fiancé."

"But… couldn't that be… the problem…?" She whispered with hesitance, not wanting anyone else in the plane to hear their conversation. Sasuke, noticing her goal, lowered his voice as well.

"I'd love to know what's going through Itachi's head right now…" he mused. "But the fact is, it's been ten years—thirteen, actually, and I don't have a clue. All I know is, I don't care if they think you're a problem. I love you, and they're done controlling my life," he affirmed. Sakura placed her hand gently over his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

The meeting with Itachi had her nerves bundled up in uncomfortable twists. Of course, the older brother had taken the time to write a letter—Sakura didn't even want to imagine how Sasuke's parents would feel about the entire situation. She looked at Sasuke, examining his face. I don't even know what his family looks like… she mused. I wonder… if he does… a frown curved her lips downward. It must have been horrible for him growing up without a family that cared. Sasuke's eyes veered over to her face, and when he saw her expression he frowned.

"Sakura, when you pity me that much it just makes me feel pathetic…" he mumbled, tucking his fingers under her chin. She blushed and her eyes averted nervously.

"Sorry…" she mumbled an apology. She could still feel the heat tinting her cheeks; Sasuke had never really touched her in any public place, and the fact that it felt like he was about to kiss her made her flutter in embarrassment. "Um…" she attempted to change the subject.

"I won't do it," he said simply, an impish grin curving the corners of his lips. "I was just making sure you're still a flustered teen." Sakura felt a darker shade of red flush up her neck.

"I—I'm twenty one…!" She stammered, her shaky voice not coming out nearly as strong as she had originally intended. Sasuke just chuckled, removing his hand from her face. He pulled her a bit closer to himself, the arm encircling her waist tightening in its grip. She complied, willingly leaning closer to the man that she loved.

":ALL PASSENGERS, PLEASE FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS AS WE PREPARE FOR LANDING:"

"That would be us…" Sasuke mumbled, removing his arm from around Sakura's waist and buckling his undone seatbelt. Sakura followed with similar actions, fixing her seat from its leaning position back to upright, and tightening her seatbelt around her slim waist. She placed her hands on her stomach and closed her eyes. Flight landings always sent strange feelings in her body, making her want to puke. "There's a barf bag in there," Sasuke teased, pointing to the paper blue bag in plain sight. Sakura shoved him playfully.

"Be nice…!" She whined, her constant giggle taking away from her playful demand. Sasuke felt the strange tingle in his stomach as well, but he found it more thrilling than uncomfortable. It was something like a prolonged fall in a rollercoaster—only, no one blew his ears out with annoying screams. Planes were far more enjoyable than amusement parks. His eyes returned to the view out the window as the plane made a graceful and gradual descent down into the airport of Tokyo, placidity ruling his serene features.

I hate flying…! Sakura shook her head a bit, tightening her grip around her stomach as if it would end the uncomfortable tingle in her stomach. She frowned hard, looking around at all the other passengers who didn't seem to be having any trouble at all. While her eyes were elsewhere, she felt Sasuke's hand go over one of hers in a comforting grasp. She looked down at his hand; her eyes veering up to his as her lips curved into a sweet smile. He smiled back, only slightly, and returned his attention to the city below.

Once landed, Sasuke stepped over the pinkette's legs and retrieved their luggage from the upper compartment above their seat. "Should we wait for everyone else to get off first?" She asked, grabbing her carryon out from under the seat in front of her and slipping his over her shoulder. He thought for a moment as he pulled down the first of his suitcases.

"No, let's not," he said, and then continued, "there might be someone waiting out front to pick us up, considering I don't even know where the Uchiha Estate in Tokyo is." Sakura nodded, taking the suitcase he handed to her and hooking his carryon on top of it, making it easier to carry. She watched as his eye twitched while dealing with the suitcases. He must be taking mine down… she giggled. "Baby, next time—please—just pack two…" he mumbled to her, finally squeezing the bag out from the compartment.

"I only have one," she frowned, taking the second of his suitcases, leaving him to carry the other of his own and her oversized one. He sighed harshly, shaking his head with a playful grin. When they were finally situated, the both of them made their way out of the plane and meandered in the airport in search of the way out. Sasuke's phone rang in a default tune after some time of aimless walking. He groaned, not wanting to put down the suitcases in order to answer a useless call. "I'll get it," Sakura giggled, reaching into his pocket and answering the unfamiliar number. "Hello?" There was no answer for a little while, but then a voice of what sounded like a young man finally spoke:

"Uh, is this Uchiha Sasuke…?" He asked with hesitance, almost sounding freaked out. Sakura looked up at her fiancé.

"No, it's not, but he's here if you want to speak with him." Sasuke glared at her. Didn't she answer the phone so he wouldn't have to talk? She mouthed to him that she would hold the phone to his ear and he shook his head, letting go of the suitcase and putting his hand out. "I'll put him on right now," she told the man on the phone and handed it to Sasuke.

"Uchiha Sasuke speaking," Sasuke droned, completely uninterested. If this is a telemarketer, I swear…

"Hello, Uchiha Sasuke, this is Akira. I'm a servant of master Uchiha Itachi—I'm outside waiting to pick you up." Sasuke's lips formed a thin line. Right now, he was on the phone with someone who communicated with his brother on a regular basis; that fact made him uncomfortable, and it showed obviously when his eye twitched.

"Excellent," he responded professionally, trying to rid his voice of bitterness. "Is there enough space in your vehicle for four suitcases and two carryons?"

"Yes sir, I brought a limousine."

"Hn; I'll be right out then. Good bye," he ended the call, slipping his phone back into his pocket. He grabbed the suitcase once more and began to head for the outside. Sakura followed after him with questioning eyes.

"Who was that…?" She asked with innocence, still confused as to why the man was showing such hesitance in speaking to her. Of course, she knew that much wouldn't be explained.

"A servant of Itachi's," he explained. "He's outside to pick us up."

"You're psychic," she giggled, recalling what he had said back in the plane. They continued on their way to the outside. A limousine wouldn't be hard to miss. And more than likely, it wouldn't be hard to get to, or so Sasuke thought. Outside, there were cars absolutely everywhere! Dropping people off, picking people up, driving around simply trying to get out of the traffic—it was somewhat hectic. He felt Sakura lean closer to him, looking for comfort from the large crowd.

"It'll be all right," he encouraged her, planting a short kiss on the pink fluff atop her head. Sakura took a few deep breaths; she had gotten better at adjusting to crowds. Ever since her scare at the party three years ago, Sasuke had encouraged her to accompany him to every party he was ordered to attend so that she could adjust to large groups. It had helped her immensely, but she still struggled a bit when she was surrounded—especially when it was being crowded by the rich.

A gentle breeze shifted by the engaged couple as the raven's eyes looked through the hordes of cars and people in attempt to locate the limousine. Meanwhile, Sakura was looking around at her surroundings, enjoying the pleasant weather of Tokyo. It's nice here… she mused, feeling an air similar to Konoha flowing through her. It was uncannily similar to her home, and that feeling comforted what would have caused homesickness in her heart. She breathed in contentedly, happy that she tagged along with her fiancé. This trip was essentially for business, but maybe they could have some fun while they were there too.

Sasuke's mind was on the now. Yes, the breeze was quite relaxing, and it did calm his nerves a bit, but how does a limousine just disappear into thin air? There were cars everywhere, but such a large vehicle should be easy enough to locate. He sighed harshly, frustrated with what he couldn't see. His fingers ran through his charcoal mop of hair. "This is getting annoying…" he mumbled under his breath. Sakura looked up at him, immediately being able to tell that he was frustrated.

"We'll find it," she smiled with encouragement, refocusing her attention on their task and looking around for the limousine. After several minutes of searching, Sasuke finally spotted Akira's limo and he made his way over to the blonde haired driver. The smiled at the Uchiha and bowed his head slightly before Sasuke cut off his actions with his words.

"Please, don't. I'm not a king or a god—I'm a human," he said simply, extending his hand. "Uchiha Sasuke, pleasure to meet you." Akira looked taken back by the words of the man, his eyes widening at the behavior of him. He cleared his throat slightly and accepted the hand of the raven.

"Ohayashi Akira," he introduced himself, shaking Sasuke's hand steadily, almost with hesitance. Sasuke gave him a curt nod and released his hand.

"Go ahead and situate yourself in the driver's seat; I'm going to get my bags in." The independent actions of this Uchiha were confusing Akira to no end. Wasn't he rich? Did he even have servants? Why did he insist on doing everything himself? And most of all: why did he just make a servant equal with himself, one of the rich? It was all very unfamiliar to Akira, but he was ordered by Itachi to obey every order that Sasuke gave to him, so who was he to refuse the man? After a bit of hesitance, Akira returned to the driver's seat and sat down in his chair, swallowing a lump in his throat, hoping he made the right decision.

"I think you confused him, Sasuke…" Sakura whispered, helping Sasuke lug the suitcases in the trunk. He shrugged loosely, slipping Sakura's carryon off her shoulder and tossing it into the trunk.

"I confuse every servant of mine to this day," he responded, giving her a slight smile. He kissed her forehead gently and continued. "I refuse to let other people act as if I'm higher than them. Every human being is equal—rich or poor or middle class. We don't need to be barking orders out at each other, or groveling at people's feet. We all have flesh and blood, and that's what I live by," he stated with a strong air of confidence. It was truly how he had lived his entire life. Earlier, he said those words in hoping that he could get over his feelings of inferiority for being what he was: an accident child. As he matured, he confirmed in his mind that no matter how he came into the world, he was still in it, and he was still human.

As he thought like that, his mind turned towards the servants and the poor. They were born into the world just as he was: what was so terribly different? Nothing. And with that thought, he treated everyone equally—no one deserved better. Not even my family… he controlled his mind as his eyes closed. They were human, and he must treat them as equally as he did everyone else. His philosophy went both ways: in kindness and in evilness. No matter what they had done to him, said to him, or anything of the sort, they were still humans; humans with feelings, no matter how few they chose to show. Sasuke took a deep breath. I need to respect them… No matter how unpleasant it will be.

oooo

Sasuke and Sakura sat beside each other in the limousine, looking out the window and studying the city in which they were driving through. Sakura gawked in awe at the lavish architecture of buildings and streets. It was so similar to the rich side of Konoha! "I can see why they came here," Sasuke mused as he too, noticed the similarity to Konoha. "This crowd is interested in the same sorts of things as those in Konoha. They would be successful here," he noted with a professional nod.

"What does your family do?" Sakura asked, realizing that after three years of knowing the man she didn't even know why he was so rich in the first place. He pointed to all the buildings passing by.

"That," he said simply. "The Uchiha are responsible for all the architectural work in Konoha. We built the schools, the malls, the hospitals—everything. I would imagine it's the same thing in Tokyo," he observed his surroundings, each of the buildings being unique, but having the Uchiha touch to it that he knew from Fugaku's blueprints. Sakura's mouth dropped in a gawk. The designed everything?! It's no wonder they're the richest family! They're really good too… she admired the buildings now with a deeper interest now that she knew of Sasuke's connection to it.

He interlaced his fingers with hers as he held her hand. "Akira, how far is the Uchiha Estate?"

"Not very far from now, sir," Akira refrained himself from speaking more formally to the man. "We'll be there shortly."

"Thank you, Akira," Sasuke said simply out of habit, but the grateful words of the Uchiha confused Akira further. He refocused his attention on the road, trying to be rid of the thoughts attempting to sort out the strange attitude of the man. Sakura felt her chest tightening as she came to realization once again: she was going to meet Sasuke's family—a family even he hadn't seen for ten years. It was nerve wracking, and it twisted her stomach in knots. She scooted closer to her fiancé, trying to rid her nerves of their tension.

The warmth of his body encased her in protective heat. A content smile formed on her lips as she felt herself slowly shrinking back into a state of comfort. Sasuke leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I'll protect you…" he mumbled in her hair, half speaking to himself, half speaking to her. Sakura blushed and nodded slowly. He would protect her: that's what he loved doing the most. He loved being the one to comfort her—being the one to wrap his arms around her and make sure she's all right, and she knew that with all of her heart.

A few long minutes passed by before Sasuke and Sakura saw the Uchiha Estate. Sakura gawked in amazement, and much to her surprise, Sasuke's mouth dropped into a gawk as well. "Oh my gosh…" he mumbled in complete awe, his breath taken away at the sight of the massive mansion, the extreme architecture being outstandingly lavish, outclassing all the buildings previous to it. He felt Sakura's hand clasp around his tighter. He could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. Why am I so nervous? He rebuked himself, trying to get a hold of his feelings.

Sakura placed her hand on his chest lightly, feeling his heart beat. "We'll do it together," she encouraged him, looking up into his onyx orbs with loving care. Sasuke looked down at her, nodding shortly and taking a few deep breaths. Thirteen years had come and gone, and yet he still felt a fragment of fear stirring in his heart. What would it be like? Would Itachi still push him away as if he was some annoying brat? Would his mother still tell him to get out of her sight and that she couldn't believe that she gave birth to such a disappointment? Would his father still stare at him coldly, never speaking a word to him with anything but eyes full of contempt?

He couldn't predict it. He didn't want to predict it. Sasuke had never felt such a fearful tugging on his heart, but he controlled himself. I'm twenty eight years old—it's about time I meet up with my family again. He confirmed within his mind, swallowing the growing lump in his throat. His tension eased when he felt Sakura's lips press against his cheek in a sweet kiss. He looked over at her, a grateful smile spreading his lips a bit. "Thank you."

The limousine came to a slow stop at the driveway of the Uchiha Estate. Akira stepped out instinctively and opened the door for the Uchiha. "Thank you, Akira," Sasuke nodded to him, holding his fiancé's hand as he helped her out of the vehicle. They both made their way to the back of the limo and retrieved their luggage. "Akira, would you mind taking some for us?" The Uchiha turned to the driver and requested a favor.

"Not at all, sir," Akira breathed a sigh of relief, feeling comfortable now that he was back to doing his job. A few other servants met them outside and offered their assistance with taking the luggage inside the mansion.

The interior of the mansion nearly knocked Sakura off her feet, but it did drop her mouth to the floor. "This is crazy…" she breathed as she looked around at the elaborate designs—all the intricate details melting together into one absolutely immaculate space. Sasuke nodded silently, his onyx orbs doing nearly as much studying as the pinkette's emerald ones.

After a thorough admiration of the entryway, Sasuke and Sakura made their way up the grand staircase, followed by the servants carrying their luggage. "Sir, we had only prepared one bedroom," one of the servants spoke up in hesitance. "Should we prepare another?"

"There's no need," Sasuke answered simply. "She's my fiancé." The servant's eyes widened as grins spread across their faces.

"Congratulations!" They said in unison. Sakura giggled under her breath and nodded shyly; the attention was amusing, but somewhat embarrassing. Sasuke nodded in gratitude, granting them with a slight smile of his own. Once they reached their room, they began to settle in into it, trying to feel comfortable with the lavish design of where they would sleep.

"Not even I'm used to this…" Sasuke mused, slumping onto the bed as he emptied out his suitcases. "I mean, I lived with the Hatake and I thought they were crazy—but this is… I don't even have words for this…" he shook his head, still amazed by how his family was used to living. Sakura nodded slowly as she carefully opened the first drawer of the bureau.

"I only saw the Hyuga Estate and that was too much for me…" Sakura smiled over at him. "Baby, let me put your clothes in for you." She frowned, knowing that his messy behavior would put the drawers in a cluttered ruin. He chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine… but I'll unpack them."

"Okay," she smiled sweetly, continuing to refold her clothes into the new drawer, which had a soft aroma of lavender wafting up out of it. After pulling a bag of toiletries out of his suitcase, Sasuke ventured to the bathroom, which was connected to their room in a form of privacy. This is sweet… his eyes opened wide and his mouth spread into a grin.

"Baby, come over here!" He called out to Sakura, wanting to show her his apparent favorite room. Quickly, Sakura finished folding another shirt and stood up to her feet. Walking over, she joined Sasuke in the bathroom.

"What is it?" She asked with interest.

"Look," he pointed to the interior of the bathroom. Sakura's mouth dropped into a gawk that was quickly replaced with a good natured grin.

"Oh my gosh! This is amazing!" She exclaimed, unable to control the giggle plaguing her voice. The tub and the shower were separate, much to her delight. The shower doors glimmered from the sunlight of the window peering into the room, giving it a heavenly glow. The head of the shower had different settings to change the water pressure, something that both Sakura and Sasuke knew they would enjoy.

The tub, if you could degrade it to that word, was more like a pool, built into the floor of the bathroom like a large hot tub. In which case, Sasuke checked if making it a hot tub was actually possible, and he was delighted to find that it was. "This is awesome…" he couldn't stop himself from grinning, even with his normal placidity.

Sakura joined him in crouching beside the tub. "Do we have bathing suits?" She giggled. Sasuke looked over at her and smirked.

"Do we need bathing suits?" Sakura's face blushed a bright red as embarrassment hit her like a rock.

"S—Sasuke!" She squealed in embarrassment, covering her face from his eyes. He broke out laughing, a grin spreading across his lips. "I told you not to say things like that without warning…" she whined, trying to calm the blush on her face back to its normal state. He shrugged, calming his laughter down to a chuckle as he stood back up to his feet.

"You're so amusing," he teased. "Come on, let's finish unpacking."

oooo

After what felt like an hour of unpacking and exploring their room, Sasuke and Sakura headed back downstairs in search of a servant that could notify them of where Itachi could possibly be. Even with the enjoyment they had with unpacking, the serious air of the situation returned to them as they were back on the lobby floor. Thirteen years of no communication was finally coming to an unexpected close now that Sasuke Uchiha was in Tokyo, by invitation of his older brother: Itachi Uchiha.

Sakura swallowed a lump in her throat, placing her fingers over her engagement ring. She hoped with every cell in her being that she wouldn't be a new cause for more suffering on Sasuke's part. After breathing in a sharp breath, she felt Sasuke's hand holding hers in a tight, comforting grip.

They walked around slowly, meandering through the entry floor with no real destination: just trying to find a servant. Everything was quiet; you couldn't hear anyone bustling around the mansion getting work done quickly. It seemed more like everything was done in an orderly time and fashion so that the home would be peaceful, and calm. That nature suited Sasuke well, seeing as he was a very placid individual. The lack of hectic behavior made him feel a bit eased.

"Little brother." Sasuke heard the unmistakable voice address him. His heart rate quickened as it beat uncontrollably in his chest. A lump formed in his throat as he swallowed it down. Turning, he saw the man: onyx met onyx, eye met eye, and brother met brother. It was undoubtedly Uchiha Itachi.

oOoOo

The end. JUST KIDDING :D I'm not that evil don't worry! This isn't a leave it up to the reader fanfic. Be watching out for chapter 18, I'll try to work on it in between my studying time. Today was Saturday so I had a freaking lot of free time for this. Arigatogozaimasu for all your support, really I appreciate you all. You've given me 183 reviews (from the last time I checked) of enjoyment, criticism, and just things that have made me bust out laughing. I appreciate every last one of you, and even to those of you who don't leave reviews, arigato for reading. Even still: Don't forget to R&R!

InaGaTa