Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. If I did, well, Haku wouldn't have died! (He's one of my favorite characters)

(Quick A/N: This chapter is set up a little differently, like I said before. I hope you all like it, tell me what you think.)

Chapter 12

Dear Naruto

Dear Naruto,

How long has it been since I've last written? Of course, you haven't gotten any of the letters, so I suppose it doesn't matter. How are you feeling? I'm doing all right, I suppose.

I've felt better, of course. I'm nursing a hangover to be exact, or I was earlier this morning. Sounds too weird, huh?

Kisame decided that we needed to celebrate. He, Deidara, and I drank a bit too much I guess. It wasn't much to celebrate, but they decided I needed it.

I've been instated as Akatsuki now. I wanted you to hear it from me, not from Tsunade when she sends ANBU to come and kill me. Don't worry, I knew that would happen sooner or later. They're probably after me right now, anyway. I suppose you could say I didn't do it because I wanted to, not in that sense. I don't want to be a killer, or an evil person. I'm not doing it for the fame or the power.

I still don't know why I did it.

But I just want you to know, I'll never hunt down anyone with a tailed beast. I've already made that clear. And if anyone ever comes after you, I will protect you with my life. You are precious to me, Naruto. One of my best friends… You're like a brother to me.

Life here isn't so bad. I wanted to tell you about it. I want you to know what I do every day. I want you to see that maybe, just maybe, I'm better off here. I still don't know, but I'll let you be the judge.

I have my own room. It's nice, with a large bed, a bookshelf, a desk, and a trunk full of my old things. I still have the frog key chain you gave me. It's always attached to my kunai pouch. It makes it look cute.

At the moment, I'm sitting here in my room, looking out my window at the mountainside below me. It's beautiful up here. The flowers are beginning to bloom. I've always loved spring, and I can't wait until they're all blooming. There's such a large garden, it reminds me of Ino's flower shop.

There's a small village below the temple, an hour or so's walk from here. The people there are nice and friendly. There was a festival there a few weeks ago. Deidara, Kisame, and I decided to go down and enjoy it while it lasted.

You should have seen it. It was beautiful. Tell Neji I wore the necklace he gave me. It looked so pretty with the kimono. We had so much fun! Deidara bought me some fried squid, and he won me a large teddy bear. It's sitting on my bed right now.

I know it's strange to hear about these people like this. I know you probably can't understand why Deidara would want to win me a teddy bear. Kisame was going to, but he wasn't having much luck. He was already drunk by that time.

But Naruto, these people are really nice. No, I suppose nice isn't the word I'd describe them as. I think I'd say they're merely…

Human.

Yes, that's it. Human. They aren't as cold-blooded as everyone thinks. They're actually teaching me some jutsus. It's like team seven all over again, except it's a team of one student and three senseis. A bit different than what we had, ne?

Deidara's been teaching me some clay techniques. I was just promoted to exploding clay, which made my day of course. You had better watch out if you ever ask me to spar with you again. You'll be in for a rude awakening. I can mold it into a bird, but it doesn't look very good. Art was never my forte. But it can still fly. Not very well, of course. You'd laugh at it. It's rather pathetic.

It's more difficult than it looks. Molding the clay while placing chakra into it is hard. You can't put in too much or it will harden before you've finished, or it will crack. I'm getting better.

Kisame, surprisingly enough, is teaching me swordplay. With Samehada. Can you believe it, Naruto? I can wield Samehada! Of course, I've only done so once or twice. Kisame gave me a rather pitiful imitation of it to practice with.

But it's heavy. I now know how Zabuza must have felt!

Sasori made me this adorable little geisha doll. I haven't named her yet, although I suppose I should. If you think of any ideas, let me know. She's small, about a foot or so high, but Sasori taught me a special jutsu that let's me alter her size. This will help if I want to carry her around, I guess.

He's taught me how to control her, and I can fight pretty well using her. She has plenty of wonderful little weapons hidden everywhere. Kankuro would be proud. She's even got poisoned senbon as chopsticks for her hair.

My days are usually the same: training, training, training. It's like being a Genin all over again. But I love it. I wouldn't give it up for the world. I've always loved learning more than teaching. I guess it's a good thing I didn't try and become a sensei! That would have been a disaster, ne?

Well, I have to go now Naruto. Someone's knocking on the door and I think

…oh my goodness. Naruto, sorry about leaving you hanging but…oh my goodness…oh my goodness, oh my goodness! It's…I can't even write correctly.

I know you have no idea what's going on, sorry. My hands are shaking with excitement. I'm…completely baffled. It's night now. It's about six hours since I was interrupted at the door.

Guess who it was?

Itachi. You have no idea how surprised I was! We had a fight last night and I…well, never mind. Let's just say we didn't end on good terms. But…there he was. Well, technically, he opened my door and walked inside on his own. He doesn't usually knock and wait for someone to tell him he can come in.

I guess it's an Uchiha thing, ne?

He was wearing what he normally does, with his Akatsuki cloak—minus the hat, of course. Oh he looked so cute! Uh, anyway…usually he walks in and asks me something, because he never comes into my room without a reason. But, he just came in and sat down on the edge of my bed.

I was sitting at my desk writing to you of course. I turned around, and we just watched each other.

It seemed like forever, but I guess it was only a few moments. I probably looked like a complete mess. I had just woken up and my hair wasn't combed or anything. His eyes were their normal scarlet Sharingan, because he never deactivates it. I think that's what started the conversation, because I didn't like the silence. I've never liked silence.

So I spoke first, naturally. "Itachi, if you keep your Sharingan on all the time, I'll have to heal them again soon."

Stupid of me, of course. He knew that already. I'd probably told him at least a dozen times.

"Hn."

He does that Sasuke thing, where he just gives a small huff and pretends like he's Mr. Calm, Cool, and Collected. Another Uchiha thing. Well actually, it would be an Itachi thing, since he was born first and Sasuke would have adopted it from him.

"So, what are you doing here?" I spoke again. Stupid, once again. I never seem to speak intelligently around him.

"We need to talk."

I swear my stomach literally flipped. I think I nodded and said ok, although I'm not sure. I don't remember much of that part of our conversation. I stood and followed him out of the room, since he was already opening the door.

We walked outside of the house. I noticed that Deidara, Sasori, and Kisame weren't present. They must have been in the kitchen. No one stopped us. For a second, it worried me.

But it soon gave way to another feeling: excitement. I could barely contain myself as I walked behind him. It was slightly chilly that morning. Of course, I was only in a large t-shirt and shorts and I had just walked out of a nicely heated house. It felt cold to me. I rubbed my arms as I looked out across the garden, which was blooming in the morning sunshine.

It's strange, that I remembered where it happened. I remember every detail of the landscape…but I can barely remember the conversation. Funny, huh?

He stopped when we reached the koi pond. I remember the pond very well. It's a special place for me. It's where Deidara and I…talked. Where I asked for his forgiveness and he gave it, which surprised me.

It will always be a special place to me.

Now more so than ever.

I leaned against the wooden railing, Itachi standing beside me. I wondered what he was going to say. I didn't want to be the one to speak first. I wanted him to talk to me

And he did.

"Last night was unacceptable."

I blinked, looking up at him. The sunshine played across his face, magnifying the shadows and illuminating those beautiful eyes of his. I can remember the lines underneath his eyes, how weary and old they made him look at that moment. Like an old man in a young man's body.

He's been through so much.

I'm not trying to justify what he did to his family. I can never forgive him for what he did to Sasuke, but…I wonder…was it really his fault he turned out the way he did?

Or maybe he looked that way because he had been drunk. Maybe he was nursing a hangover as well. For some reason, that made me want to laugh. The thought of a drunk and stumbling Itachi clutching his forehead and cursing much like Kisame, well, I had to bite my lip to keep from giggling. If I had lost control and laughed, I doubt Itachi would have continued talking. And I wanted to hear everything he had to say.

I heard him shift beside me, as he looked down at me, his entire face emotionless. He was hiding something from me. But then again, he was hiding something from the entire world. Itachi Uchiha never wanted to show his weaknesses. He didn't have any. And he would never show the world that he had a heart, or that even he felt emotion sometimes.

He would never show anyone that he was a human being too.

But he is.

I can feel it, even when I just give him a quick glance. I wonder if maybe, I'm reading into things too deeply. But I swear, sometimes I see a flicker of emotion that I know isn't anger, or hatred, or scorn. It's something else, and I wish I knew what it was.

I looked up at him and our eyes met.

"It's alright." Was all I said.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "No. It's not."

I blinked once more. What was wrong with him? Itachi Uchiha would never do something like this. As I watched him, I suddenly realized the stiffness of his body, the way he shifted uncomfortably. So small and insignificant…the movements were hardly visible or noticeable.

But I saw them.

"Itachi?" I remember whispering, eyes confused. I was confused. The real Itachi would merely tell me that he could do whatever the hell he pleased, and he didn't need anyone's approval.

He was an Uchiha.

He was an apologizing Uchiha?

"There was no excuse for my behavior last night…" I saw his eyes narrow slightly and his jaw tighten, but he managed to say the last words he wanted to say, through thin, compressed lips.

"I ask for your forgiveness."

I'm sure I stared at him for a good ten minutes. I remember just looking at him, and wondering what had happened to him. What had made him change? How could he be so…kind? Itachi Uchiha never asked anything of anyone. He didn't need to.

I reached out hesitantly, touching his cloak. I think I traced the outline of one of the red clouds with my finger. I just continued to look at the cloak, not paying attention to this strange man hidden beneath it.

Was I seeing the real Itachi Uchiha? Was this the man that had always been hiding behind this black cloak?

Was this the young Itachi that Sasuke had once admired and loved? The one that the entire Uchiha Clan was so proud of?

"Itachi…" I began, before I felt his hand grip my chin and force me to look up at him. At the man, not the cloak. It struck me then. I was separating him from them—the Akatsuki; I was making him a human being, a person. Someone that someone else could maybe learn to love someday.

I was probably the first person he had ever asked forgiveness from. As strange as it sounds, I was honored. To think that the infamous Uchiha Itachi would be asking forgiveness from the weakest little kunoichi of all of Konoha? It's almost funny, ne?

I wouldn't have traded that moment for the world.

I think even the birds stopped singing, just so that I could have time to revel in the silence and notice only him…and me…

…together…

"I forgive you." I whispered it, I don't even know if he heard it. All I remember if that he bent down, and our lips touched.

I probably shouldn't be explaining this to you, Naruto, but I swear I've never felt this way. It was exhilarating. The kiss…it was different than his other ones. It was…sweet.

And it was a bit too short for my taste, as he pulled back. Uncertainly? Ha, I doubt it. I was definitely delving too deep and trying to read him too much. Itachi was never uncertain. He always knows exactly what to do.

I felt breathless. I merely looked up at him as the silence stretched. Then I spoke, feeling the railing of the bridge press against the small of my back. "Who are you and what have you done to the real Itachi Uchiha?"

He gave the smallest, amused smirk as his lips came down upon mine again.

It was a little while later when we finished kissing. It didn't lead to anything else, Naruto; I know what you're thinking! Don't be a pervert. I think we both wanted to take it slow. Or at least, I did, and Itachi was probably just having one of his 'once in a blue moon' nice moments, and was going along with it. Take it slow? I'm starting to make it sound as if we're a couple. Hah.

I don't know if either of us knew what to do afterwards, however. We just stood there, before I blurted out that I'd really love to go and take a nice look at the small shrine we'd seen on our way through Cloud. It was probably a few hours from the Temple.

He gave another small smirk, as if he found everything I was saying amusing. He was toying with me, the jerk. Of course, I decided to go along with it. There was no point in denying myself the chance to see Itachi like this.

We spent the entire afternoon together. He was probably doing it just to amuse me. But it was fun, even if he did look a bit annoyed at having to stop off at a nearby village for some incense.

At the village, we stopped for lunch and ate it as we walked. We would have stayed in town, but they seemed wary of Itachi's cloak. And, of course, I looked like a mess. We didn't talk, because that would have been completely abnormal, and I really would have forced this Itachi look-a-like to tell me exactly what he'd done with the real Uchiha.

When we came to the shrine, I said a small prayer, lighting the incense. I think Itachi thought praying at a shrine was a stupid practice, but he didn't say anything as he stood outside, waiting for me to finish.

I prayed for all of you. For my mother and father, Tsunade-sama, Ino, Hinata, all of my old friends…my new ones…Kakashi-sensei. But most of all…I prayed for you and Sasuke.

That you'll be happy, Naruto. That you'll become Hokage one day like you want to. You can do it.

And that Sasuke will find some closure. I want him to be at peace now, Naruto. Tell him that, will you? I want him to be happy, for once. He's never laughed. I want him to laugh.

I prayed he'd give up his thoughts of revenge against Itachi. There's no point. He's only going to get himself hurt again. I prayed…that if he found the Akatsuki, he'd just take my life and be done with it…

…and be happy again.

…to smile…

That's all I want.

I want you all to be happy, dammit! Can't you do that for me? All my life everyone's been so worried about me. They were trying so hard to make me smile and keep me happy. But they should have been trying to help you and Sasuke instead. They should have seen that you needed love more than I did.

But we can't turn back time, Naruto.

And I don't know if I'd want to change time anyway.

You can't understand my feelings, can you? You're probably reading this and wondering how in the world I can care for them, or how I can…maybe…somehow…be in love with Itachi Uchiha?

You don't know them like I do.

You don't see it. The way they joke with one another like normal people. The way they try and help me. The way they get worried and fuss when I'm in a bad mood, which usually ends up in me smacking Kisame or Deidara because they won't stop asking 'what's wrong'. Like you, baka. I don't remember how many times I've smacked you because you kept asking me what was wrong.

Thanks.

I don't know if you can forgive me for what I've done, Naruto. I know it would be hard for me to understand if you or Sasuke left me. But…then again, you did leave me. So I suppose there isn't really an excuse, is there? But that's beside the point. I just want you to understand that…he isn't what you think.

Did you know that he's actually nice, sometimes?

When I was injured, he carried me. And…it's hard to explain and it probably isn't that significant to you but…he gave me the bed once.

And he stayed up with me when I was afraid to be alone.

I think Itachi really does have a heart, not matter how emotionless he seems. Itachi is…he is so different…and yet exactly the same.

Like the moon.

I've told you my moon theory, Naruto. I think, maybe that he's just been hidden by clouds all this time. He's just kept himself hidden until I came along. It sounds stupid but I wonder…is this the reason why I'm here? To bring him out from behind the shadows and the clouds and let him see that he can just be himself?

I don't know. Nothing is certain to me anymore. I take every day as it comes. And I think that's how we should all live…in that small margin of hours that we call a day. So many things can happen. So many things can change.

So many hearts can be broken.

So many lives can be ruined…

…and yet, so many people can find a place where they belong…

Naruto, this was probably hard to read. I know it's hard to understand them still. To understand me. But please…I beg you…just try and understand. That's all I ask. Think it over and…and then decide whether or not you hate me.

With all my love, forever and ever,

Sakura Haruno

…your Sakura-chan…

(A/N: Well? I know it's a little different, but I wanted to try it. Tell me what you think. It's probably the only time I'll write in the first person in this story, but I wanted to see what happened. Unless you guys like it and then I'll try and throw in another one of these. In the next chapter, we'll probably learn a little bit more about Itachi's thoughts—not in first person of course! He'll probably just sit there and talk about how he didn't apologize because he felt obligated to or anything :)

They had their talk…and Itachi APOLOGIZED! Woohoo!

Well, see all of you later! I hope you liked it.

It was a short chapter, but I don't know how I could have possibly written twelve or so pages of a letter. Not in my state. My brain is completely fried right now. Did you all like the way Sakura scratched out some of her sentences so Naruto wouldn't read them? Heh. I thought it was cute.

I'm sorry this chapter is so late. I've been going through some really tough times and I'm just trying to sort everything out. And I didn't want anything I was feeling to effect the storyline (otherwise it would have been super depressing). So that's why this chapter was late. I hope you can all forgive me! -big puppy dog eyes-

With all my love, forever and ever,

Lady Hanaka.

Question: If a book about failure doesn't sell, is it a success?

P.S. My birthday is coming up soon and the best present I could possibly get would be loads of reviews! –hint hint- And thanks for all of your support, everybody! I've needed it and it's kept me going. So once again, thank you.)