Japanese words translated at the end!

Chapter 9: Preparations Complete

Sakura awoke in the same position she had fallen asleep in. She could hear Sasuke's light breathing behind her as she started to remember what happened last night. She would have giggled in excitement at the fact that Sasuke had declared he loved her, but she controlled herself.

Sakura turned around slowly to face the calm face of Uchiha, Sasuke. He looked so innocent when he was sleeping. She couldn't even bring herself to imagine him as the criminal he was. She did not want to know what was going to happen to him and Itachi when they went back to Konoha.

"So you finally woke up eh?" Sasuke's voice startled Sakura.

"You were awake?" Sakura asked surprised.

"Hn."

"I can't believe that you're finally coming back to Konoha," Sakura turned onto her back.

"Yeah," Sasuke breathed.

"But you won't be on team 7," Sakura faked a sigh while sitting up.

"Why not?" Sasuke arched his brows as he sat up.

Sakura decided to play with him a little, she just had to see if he really did love her. "Because," Sakura sighed dreamily, her eyelashes fluttering, "Sai's on the team."

"You really should meet Sai, he's such an amazing artist," Sakura went on dreamily.

'Sai eh? When we get back to Konoha they'll have two reasons for throwing me into jail, 1. I'm a criminal and a traitor,' Sasuke thought venomously.

"So you guys managed to find a replacement?" Sasuke asked with his usual monotone voice.

'Damn bastard! What a fake!' Sakura fumed, but she maintained her composure in front of Sasuke.

'2. I will be imprisoned for the murder of this "Sai,"' Sasuke thought as he looked at Sakura.

Sakura then became aware of the murderous aura forming around Sasuke. "Awww, Jealous Sasuke-kun?" She poked him

"No."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are, you are, you are!"

"Shouldn't you be more mature for a woman who is 24?"

"I could be saying the same thing," Sakura pouted and folded her arms over her chest giving Sasuke her back, "stubbornly refusing the fact that you're jealous hmph!"

Meanwhile behind the door…

Akemi's cheeks were full of air and her hands were pressuring Naruto's mouth, and Itachi was sitting there with legs crossed and smirking. Akemi's eyes were a deep purple changing back to their original golden state as she finished narrating the thoughts going on in the room in front of them. Akemi and Naruto then held their breath and ran as lightly as possible away from the door and out the corridor window, they ran to the trees and burst out laughing. "That-was-close," Naruto breathed out before collapsing in a laughing fit again.

Akemi merely nodded as she tried to contain her uncontrollable laughing and giggling.

.Hic.

Naruto and Akemi had been laughing so hard they started to hiccup.

"OI!"

Akemi and Naruto froze, silent, the hairs on their heads and necks standing up. They were so scared that their hiccups had ceased.

"*H-hai S-Sasuke-*nii-san," Akemi gave him a nervous smile.

"*Urusai! You'll wake up Karin if you keep laughing like that!" Sasuke scolded them.

"To think that he's a father," Naruto murmured.

Akemi bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. "I'm gonna go in and make breakfast," Akemi gave a goofy smile before dashing into the house.

Back in Sasuke's room…

"What do you think they were laughing at?" Sasuke asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" Sakura replied getting out of bed.

"You're not."

"Then why are you asking?" Sakura shot back as she started to fix the bed.

Sasuke decided to be a gentleman and help her. They finished up quickly and Sakura decided to go wake the children up, or at least see them while they were sleeping.

When Sakura was about to open the door Itachi took his leave and concealed himself inside the room he was residing in before he decided to spy on his little brother. He watched as Sakura walked out of the room and closed the door behind her, before opening his door and pulling her in giving Sakura no time to react. She was surprised to see Itachi. "*Ohayo gozaimusu Itachi-san," Sakura greeted nervously.

Itachi continued to observe her. He was interested in why his little brother had chosen this woman and not any other one. He knew she had a temper, he also know she was strong, and of course she was a medical ninja, it was obvious, because she was Haruno, Sakura. He had seen women more attractive than her, but most of them couldn't tell the difference between a shuriken and a kunai. He approved of her.

Sakura was starting to get annoyed with Itachi staring at her. She had to admit he was handsome. Yes he and Sasuke were very attractive and they both had fangirls, except that Sasuke's were louder and most of them had much less self respect. "I-Itachi-san?" Sakura stuttered uncomfortably.

"I guess I must respect my brother's choice in women," Itachi thought aloud.

Sakura gave him an annoyed look and her right eye twitched. "That's a compliment, I'm going to enjoy having you as a sister-in-law," Itachi smirked at her, "so stop being so formal with me, Sakura."

"OI! Don't go calling me Sakura! Or is it that you don't respect me?" Sakura fumed.

(Akemi's Note (Not Author's Note :P): In Japan calling people by their names without adding an honorific (–san, –kun, –chan) is found disrespectful unless you are very close to that person.)

"Like I said we're going to be like brother and sister, so no need to be so formal," Itachi chuckled making Sakura blush.

"Pardon me," Sakura excused herself and exited the room as quickly as possible.

'What was that all about?' Sakura wondered clearly annoyed.

Sakura walked down the stairs as quickly as she could. Sasuke saw her going down the stairs and Itachi smirking in her direction. Sasuke stared at his brother full of curiosity. "In case you were wondering," Itachi started not looking at Sasuke, "I was inspecting my future sister-in-law."

"Your point?"

"Nice choice," Itachi smirked at Sasuke.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"Want help?" Sakura asked Akemi.

"Nah, I do this all the time," Akemi told her.

"Ohayo Sakura-chan!" Naruto chirped as he entered the house.

"Shhh, Naruto!"

"Sorry."

"Hey Sakura-chan, why don't you go wake Emi and Sora up?" Akemi suggested.

"Sure, I was going to anyway, I forgot why I came down here in the first place," Sakura said confused.

Going up the stairs she saw Itachi and Sasuke staring at each other in silence. When Itachi turned to look at her she focused on Sasuke to rid herself of her embarrassment. She then walked between them into Sora's room. Sakura was surprised at what she saw, but, it was still cute. She remembered that there had been an odd storm yesterday, Emi must have been scared; because Sora was sleeping on his right side with Emi curled in a ball, clinging tightly to his arm out of fear. "Awwwww," Sakura purred under her breath.

"Itachi-san, Sasuke-kun, come see this!" Sakura poked her head out of the door whispering excitedly.

The two Uchihas followed Sakura into the room and saw the cute sight. "I just don't have the heart to wake them up," Sakura whispered.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"*Teme~ ha~s a hea~rt! Teme~ ha~s a hea~rt! Teme~ ha~s a hea~rt! Teme~ ha~s a hea~rt!" Naruto sung his way up the stairs, bouncing on hit tip-toes, with Akemi tailing behind him giggling.

Sasuke felt like pounding Naruto but knew he must keep his composure; he absolutely must keep his composure. Naruto stopped singing as he reached the top floor. He and Akemi noticed everyone standing outside of Sora's room, curious they went over there. "Awwwww," Akemi purred.

Everyone nodded. They were all in agreement. Sadly enjoying the moment was not something they could do. "Akemi, Akemi! The ugly thing hanging on the tree woke up!" Akemi's little summoned red panda appeared.

Akemi looked like she was going to burst out laughing, and so did Naruto and Sakura, Itachi and Sasuke merely smirked in amusement. "I'll be right there, thanks Rusty," Akemi smiled.

When Akemi left, a smell trailed into the room. Sniff. Sniff. "BROWNIES!" Emi jumped.

"Urusai! You're so loud Emi!" Sora scolded as he tried to go back to sleep. "There's nothing nice about sweets anyway."

"He is a miniature of you without even trying," Itachi smirked.

Emi just stared at everyone with a questioning look, why would they be smiling? "Why are you all smiling?" Emi asked.

"No reason, come on, I think auntie really did make brownies this time," Sasuke led Emi out of the room.

"I now see how he is a father," Naruto nodded his head.

"WAAAAAH! NO! NO! NOT THAT CURSED FRYING PAN AGAIN! LOOK- LOOK IT STILL HAS MY BLOOD ON IT!" Karin's screech filled the room.

"I want to sleep!" Sora sat up looking all grumpy.

"I have an idea," Itachi told him.

"*Nani Itachi-*oji-san?" Sora looked at him half asleep.

"Do you wanna go hit the person who is making all the noise?"

"HAI!" Sora cheered completely awake by the idea.

"Come with me."

Itachi led Sora down the stairs and into the lawn where Akemi and Karin where going head-to-head.

"Shut up already! I pity Sasuke nii-san for having to put up with you for so long," Akemi screamed at Karin, "now either quiet down or…"

Akemi noticed Karin's kitty face, what was she looking a-, oh there's Sora.

"He's cute isn't he?" Akemi asked Karin.

"Oh course he is! He looks just like Sasuke-kun!" Karin cheered.

"Auntie, can I have the pan please?" Sora asked Akemi.

"Well you see Sora-kun, I need it r-,"

"Give him the pan Akemi," Itachi ordered.

"Sure, here you go," Akemi handed Sora the pan.

Karin was in fact stupid enough to think that Sora had saved her; but as Sora took a batting pose, she had second thoughts.

"No, come on honey, I was tou-san's teammate, I helped him," Karin attempted to stop him.

"I heard tou-san hated you, so I hate you too," Sora said about to swing.

"No, no, it's only the pink-haired girl that hates me!" Karin told him squirming in her ties.

"Well, if Sakura-sensei hates you, I still hate you too," Sora said with a pout.

"She just hates me because tou-san likes me!" Karin told him.

"Lies," Akemi coughed, sadly Sora didn't hear her.

"But tou-san like Sakura-sensei more, and she hates you, so I, I" Sora stared of into space thinking, "I don't care, I don't like you and I don't hate you, I just want to hit you."

"*Nani?" Karin's eyes turned into saucers.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

Karin was fortunate that Sora hadn't aimed for her head, which had already received two smacks from Akemi.

"He hits pretty hard, doesn't he?" Itachi asked Akemi.

Akemi nodded and smiled, "he's gonna be a great ninja someday!"

Sora looked at them cheerfully, "really?"

"Oh yes, just like Itachi-*nii-sama, over here," Akemi smiled.

"But I wanna be like tou-san," Sora whined.

"Ah-okay, you'll be just like tou-san!" Akemi continued to smile.

Itachi looked slightly offended, but he didn't show it. Akemi started to walk towards the house. Five minutes later she came back with a plate full of food. "I know you're hungry. Even though Sasuke-nii-san doesn't like you much, you're still human, and I'm sorry for your poor treatment," Akemi said quickly before setting the plate on the ground.

Itachi took Sora back to the house and left Akemi with Karin. "But next time if you don't want to land in the same situation, don't sleep next to Sasuke-nii-san," Akemi winked at Karin, "I'm gonna let you down, but don't go running into the house, or you'll land up tied up again."

Akemi freed Karin, who felt sore all over. Akemi offered to heal her, but she refused. Akemi insisted, and so Karin let her. Karin ate the whole plate without a word when she was finished she thanked Akemi for the food. "*A-arigatou," Karin looked away flustered, "but Sasuke-kun really is a good cook eh?"

"I cooked it," Akemi replied bluntly.

"Eh?" Karin looked surprised.

"Don't judge me by my appearance," Akemi folded her arms across her chest.

It was then that Karin decided to look at Akemi. Surprisingly enough, Akemi was still in her pajamas. She looked at her hair in a messy flower shape bun, her golden eyes, and her black and gold pajamas. Her opinion of this girl was, stupid. She would have never thought that, wait, "Kizuma, Akemi?" Karin asked.

"Hai."

"The Kizuma, Akemi?" Karin pressed.

"Hai," Akemi answered in monotone.

"The Kizuma, Akemi that has that freaky demon in her? The one that out-smarted the Akatsuki?"

"Hai, I even defeated one or two top rank criminals, and was able to conceal Sasuke-*nii's location for five years," Akemi told Karin.

"You look nothing like what I expected, the threat that everyone was talking about, you it can't be you," Karin continued.

"That's what most think," Akemi sighed, "when they first see me."

"How on earth did Sasuke-kun find you?" Karin asked. "We never ran into you."

"Not as a team, no," Akemi smirked.

Karin gave her a puzzled look. "Sasuke-*nii met me when I was searching for him. I had been granted permission to look for him," Akemi's smirk took that of a wondrous look, "I had been told he was tall, had black hair, had black eyes, and carried a sword. Sadly I had absolutely no idea who he was when I first saw him. So I did the stupid thing a clueless person would do, since he didn't have a forehead protector on him I asked him, 'do you know where I can find Uchiha, Sasuke?'"

Karin stifled a laugh. "It's okay laugh, it is funny," Akemi encouraged her.

Karin giggled a little, but then asked, "why were you so keen on finding him?"

"Oh, I call him 'Sasuke-nii-san', for a reason, he's my cousin," Akemi replied.

"Really?"

"Yep. Anyway, he smirked at me and I decided to study him, tall, black hair, black eyes, I spotted sword he fit the description, but they never told me he wasn't ugly, I thought he was ugly, but he was actually handsome, don't tell him I used to think that, he went all cocky on me and said, 'you sure are stupid, looks like Naruto isn't the only idiot there,' I was sooo close to killing him then," Akemi fumed, "I answered him saying, 'Uchiha, Sasuke, tall, black hair, black eyes, carries a sword, information I must add when describing you, cocky jackass.'"

"Now he wanted to kill you."

"Absolutely, but then I decided to explain how I was his cousin, and then I decided to pledge part of my loyalty to him, and then he didn't kill me and when he really needed me to wipe away Sakura-chan's memories of pregnancy he was able to get me to do it," Akemi smiled.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Karin asked her suddenly.

"Because even though this sounds stupid, I believe that everyone, except Orochimaru and Kabuto, has good in them. So maybe if we take you back to Konoha you can be a Konoha ninja, I'll try my best to help you from getting condemned," Akemi smiled warmly, "and I also feel bad for smacking you 'till you bled."

"You're too soft for a ninja, but still, you're a good person, unlike what people say about you," Karin said.

Akemi got up and Karin followed her. 'Damn this girl, why is it, why do I feel so at ease about her, why does she seem so trustable?' Karin thought annoyed. They walked in on everybody having breakfast in quiet. "Dang it's quiet in here! Naruto, what happened to making breakfast lively?" Akemi asked Naruto. "Oh Sasuke-nii, Sora will make a fine ninja, I'm telling you he sure has power in his swings!"

"I definitely have to agree with that," Karin walked in.

"SHE'S FREED HERSELF! AKEMI WHY DIDN'T YOU TIE HER UP BETTER?" Naruto yelled, pointing an accusing finger.

"Urusai Naruto, I untied her," Akemi groaned.

"Wha- d-did you just call me 'Naruto', without the '-kun'? THAT'S AN IMPROVEMENT!" Naruto celebrated ecstatic.

Akemi gave him a weary smile, "Arigato Naruto."

Karin noticed How Sora and Emi were sitting the left of Sasuke and that Sakura was sitting to the right of Sasuke. She missed being in the same team with him, but now with his kids, she would never be able to get Sasuke, she now felt miserable. And she discovered that Sasuke loved another woman, which adds to her misery. Oh well, such was life; and she was not going to give up yet, hell with the mother, she deserved him so much more than any other girl..

"You do know that you're running extremely late right Naruto? Or are you planning to go with us?" Sakura asked Naruto.

"Actually I decided it would be best if we all traveled together," Naruto stated matter-of-factly.

"It does sound safer," Itachi commented.

"True," Akemi noted before taking a seat and putting some food on her plate.

"Konoha, the name sounds so foreign doesn't it brother?" Itachi asked Sasuke.

"Aah," Sasuke agreed.

"Hey Karin, you do know that you can sit down right?" Akemi asked her patting on the seat next to her.

"Um, no thanks," Karin bent down and whispered to Akemi, "where's the bathroom?"

"Down the hall to the right," Akemi gestured.

"Thank you."

Akemi merely nodded and finished eating before picking her plate up and placing it gently into the sink. "Excuse me, but I have a lot of packing to do," Akemi excused herself.

"Sora, did you have fun hitting the woman with the red hair?" Sasuke asked his son.

Sora did not shrink away but puffed out his chest triumphantly folding his arms in front of it and said, "Now she knows not to wake me up from my sleep!"

Itachi and Sasuke exchanged smirks, Sakura suppressed a giggle, and Naruto clamped his hands to his mouth not to laugh. Emi was a different story. "YOU BIG MEANIE! YOU HURT HER AND YOU SAY THINGS LIKE THAT?" Emi scolded Sora flailing her arms in the air.

Sora folded his arms across his chest, "It's her fault! I was having an awesome dream and she interrupted it."

"You're still a meanie," Emi pouted.

"What were you dreaming about that made you so angry to wake up?" Sakura asked Sora.

"I was dreaming that I was a great ninja like tou-san and that I saved Emi from a big scary monster!" Sora boasted.

"Like you'll ever be as good as tou-san," Emi snorted.

"*NANI?" Sora turned angrily towards his sister.

"Tou-san is too awesome a ninja for you to be like him," Emi stated calmly eating placing a forkful of her breakfast into her mouth.

"You won't even be able to be a ninja, you're too weak, and you're a girl," Sora smirked at his sister.

'God a five year old smirking, he's definitely got those arrogant Uchiha genes,' Sakura thought irritated.

"And what's wrong with being a female ninja?" Sakura asked Sora.

Sora looked in her direction, "There are female ninjas?"

"Oh yeah, you got Sakura-chan over here, and my dear Hinata-chan, and Tsunade no baa-chan," Naruto shivered remembering her strength, "yeah baa-chan is super strong she's the Hokage, which means she's the strongest in the village."

"A female ninja, the strongest?" Sora seemed dazed.

"Well, we female ninjas are called kunoichis," Sakura told Sora.

"You see, I'm gonna be stronger than you, and then I'll save you," Emi poked at Sora.

"OI! SASUKE-NII-SAN! ARE YOU SURE WANT THIS OLD THING? I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE TO THROW IT AWAY!" Akemi leaned on the railing of the stairs and dangled his sword down.

"Akemi, how many times have I told you that I. Will. Not. Throw. My. Sword. Away," Sasuke said through gritted teeth.

"OH AND DO YOU WANT YOUR UCHIHA CLAN MARK UNDERWEAR?" Akemi called from the bedroom.

Naruto tried not to laugh, yes he tried, he tried oh-so hard not to laugh but it ended in vain. "! God, Sasuke I had no idea you loved her clan so much that you actually had underwear with the Uchiha clan mark on it!" Naruto laughed.

Sasuke was very annoyed, you could tell from his posture, he had his arms crossed across his chest, his eyes closed tight, and he was tense all over. Sakura's giggling and Itachi's smirk didn't help his mood much either.

"OI SASUKE-NII-SAAAAN!" Akemi sang, "DO YOU WANT YOUR SAKURA-CHAN PLUSHIE TOO?"

Sasuke's head twitched, and he got up and climbed the stairs, leaving a dying-of-laughter Naruto downstairs. "Tou-san has weird things from when he was a little kid like us neh?" Emi asked Sora, who nodded in agreement.

Just then Karin came out of the bathroom. She looked at Naruto who was fell of his chair laughing and Sakura laughing, just not as loudly. "How dare you two laugh at him!" Karin scolded them.

"We're not laughing at Sasuke, we're laughing at his possessions," Sakura corrected Karin, then she looked at Naruto, "and I guess we're also laughing at him."

Just then Akemi dashed down the stairs holding a pair of blue underwear with the Uchiha clan mark all over it, and a very nicely stitched doll of Sakura. "Kyaa! Don't kill me! I was just having fun!" Akemi whined running out into the backyard Sasuke on her tail.

While running Akemi put the stuff under her arms and went on doing a rushed hand sign. "Kyaa!" She jumped barely missing a punch.

Akemi landed on thin air and she jumped on thin air until she was out of reach and sat down breathing in and out heavily. "When you get down here Akemi, you'll regret ever entering my room!" Sasuke threatened.

"Yep most definitely," Akemi nodded, "here's your underwear and plushie," Akemi tossed them down.

Sasuke caught them and walked into the house angrily. Naruto had finally stopped laughing, Karin didn't look as mad, and Sakura was sitting quietly finishing up her breakfast. Sasuke climbed up the stairs and put his belongings back neatly into the closet, only to pull out his underwear and place in into his traveling bag. He sighed, man Akemi was annoying, but that was just how she was, he was living with it. He felt arms hug him from the behind along with soft giggling, Sakura. "I would have never dared to do this if we were younger," she laughed.

"Well we're not young any more, now are we?" Sasuke removed her arms. "Go pack up and resign so you can go back to Konoha."

"*Hai," Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Are you going to go dressed like that?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"No, umm, when I woke up my clothes weren't in the same place, where are they Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke held the clothes out, but when Sakura made a motion to take them he raised them. "How un-Uchiha like," Sakura pouted.

"Living with Akemi a few days each month for five years makes you this way," Sasuke defended himself.

Sakura tried to take them again, "Okay, come on now Sasuke-kun, stop playing around."

Sakura started to jump for them again and again. "Sasuke-kun," she whined, "Please give me my clothes back!"

"Come on Sakura, you're a shinobi, get them," Sasuke told her.

"I will," Sakura focused chakra to her feat and jumped, but Sasuke swung them away, and since she was too close to Sasuke, she lost her balance and toppled down onto him, but she paid it no mind, she was too focused on getting her clothes back.

Sakura kept on reaching for them, but Sasuke kept on moving them away from her. "Damn it Sasuke!" Sakura placed one of her hands on his chest to reach her clothes, and only then did she notice their position.

"KYAAA!" Sakura jumped off of him and swiped her clothes before attempting to run away.

"Where are you going Sa-ku-ra?" He taunted hugging her from behind.

Sakura groaned in annoyance. "Neh Sasuke-kun, you'll let me go won't you?" Sakura said putting on an innocent face.

To Sasuke, Sakura looked plain adorable, but she wasn't going to make him let go just by acting sweet. Sasuke hugged Sakura even tighter. Sakura got the best idea, maybe she could embarrass him even more than before. But she never got the chance, Naruto burst through the door. 'Crap,' Sasuke thought.

'Save me Naruto!' Sakura mentally begged.

"Oh~, teme~, now I know how you have kids!" Naruto wriggled his brows.

"Poor nii-san has become a Team 7 laughing stock," Akemi walked in holding bags to pack, paying the scene no mind.

Sasuke merely released Sakura who ran to Naruto and flung her arms around him, "Arigato Naruto, I could have never gotten out of that without hurting Sasuke-kun if it weren't for you!"

"Um, Sakura-chan, I'm married remember?" Naruto choked, before he noticed Sasuke eying them, shooting him a death glare.

"Urusai Naruto! You're my big brother now shut up and hug your little sister!" Sakura scolded.

"Hai. Hai, little sister" Naruto hugged Sakura back.

Akemi walked out of the room with two bags full of Sasuke and his children's must have belongings. Sakura followed her and Naruto was about to step out when he was dragged back in by his collar. "Do you know how much I want to kill you?" Sasuke asked him calmly.

"Aww, you love Sakura-chan that much!" Naruto taunted despite the situation he was in.

"So what if I do?" Sasuke said in monotone.

"You damn bastard!" Naruto dared to punch Sasuke. "You leave her and now you say you love her, it's your fault she didn't like me when we were younger! But of course I love Hinata-chan much more, well I mean after I figured out that my love for Sakura-chan was that of an older brother and his little sister, but still I am faithful to my beautiful Hinata-chan!"

"What are you blabbing about *dobe?"

"Urusai teme!"

"Dobe."

"TEME!"

"Don't scream so loud, unlike you, my children have manners."

"Yeah that Akemi taught them," Naruto coughed.

Sasuke and Naruto now were glaring at each other to see who could out-glare the other.

"OI! NARUTO! GET YOUR B—GET DOWN HERE AND PACK UP YOUR CAMP!" Akemi yelled angrily.

When Akemi got no response she stormed up the stairs and opened the door, "We wanna get to Konoha before sunset, or at least close to it!"

That's when she noticed the glare contest; she stepped in and glared right back at Sasuke. Gold clashed with obsidian. "You've been practicing," Sasuke commented.

"Yup, now Naruto go pack up," Akemi ordered not turning away from Sasuke.

"Hai," Naruto groaned, he hated packing.

Naruto trudged out of the room oh so slowly, trying his best to delay his date with packing his bag. Akemi wasn't going to lose to Sasuke, but she really didn't have time for this, so she gave Sasuke the signal and they both looked away at the same time. They had a number of glare-offs, Akemi usually lost, but in the past two years, they developed a signal as to when to turn away, because they would get bored, or they'd have work to do, or whatever.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Now everyone was finally packed up and sitting in the living room waiting for Sakura to show up. Sasuke was the only person aside from Sakura who wasn't present in the living room. Sasuke was sitting on one of the two cherry blossom trees thinking.

"Brother," Sasuke looked to see Itachi walk towards him.

"I remember, back when you were no taller than Sora, you saw a girl stare at me and giggle," Itachi smirked, "you asked me why she was giggling, and I told you that it's because she liked me, you went ahead and said, 'Nii-san, I don't like girls, they're so icky!'"

Sasuke smirked. "I guess they're not as icky as they were before," Itachi taunted.

Sasuke just kept quiet and said nothing. "OI! SAKURA-CHAN'S BACK!" Naruto yelled.

"Let's go, shall we?" Itachi nudged his head towards the house before walking away, Sasuke following him shortly afterward.

A/N: Dang that took a while eh? Sorry, been really busy! Any way, I have a preview, so keep reading, and I don't know much about Karin, so please tell me if you want me to get rid of her! Thank you for your patience!

Preview:

"Hoh, you're cute," he put his hand on the table where Sakura was sitting, "so tell me sweetie have you seen a guy about six-feet tall with a sword, black hair, black eyes, and a really dull face like this," he made his face similar to that of Sasuke's.

"Why would that interest you?" Sakura looked back at him.

"Well you see, I heard he was in the Flame, but I didn't find him there, so I'm hunting him down you see," the strange man continued, leaning in closer to Sakura.

Sasuke felt murderous, but he did well to hide it. "Tou-san, who's the guy with the big sword?" Sora whispered.

"An old teammate of mine," Sasuke whispered back.

Japanese Words:

Hai: yes

Nii-san: brother

Urusai: shut up (it can also tell someone that they're noisy)

Ohayo: Informal way of saying good morning

Ohayo Gozaimasu: Formal way of saying good morning

Teme: Bastard

Oji-san: Uncle (in this context)

Nii-sama: Very respectful way of calling a brother

Nii: (Short for Nii-san/Nii-sama) Informal way of referring to a brother (or sister-depends on the context)

Arigatou: Thank you (formal way)

Nani: what

Dobe: idiot