SakuIta Chapter 13 The Blossom's Gift

Hello! So, great reviews guys, thanks a lot! I really, really appreciate all of you who took the time to write them. Anyways, here's my drabble of the chapter: I was inspired to write another FanFic which I'm calling "Flower Among Deserts". Breathe! Don't worry; I'm NOT abandoning "The Truth" until I finish it. Just thought I should mention it. Here's my preview for the other story *ahem*:

GaaSakuSaso. The Sand brothers, Gaara and Sasori have had perfect, boring uneventful lives except for the occasional rebellious moments. However, when their parents decide they're old enough to get a bride, they never thought they'd be competing against each other for the same girl - who just so happens to be the daughter of their family's closest friends. The battle of the wills – and love – is on!

Haha, mind you, the preview program only allows 200 characters so it will be shorter. Anyway, I've said what I had to so now to the important part – the story!

*RECAP*

Itachi was tired; it was late and it had been a long time since he had used so much energy at a social gathering although this one was exclusively for him. After thanking everyone over again for the presents, he asked, "Have I missed anyone's present?"

There was a moment of silence before a small, sweet voice beside him spoke out. "Me,"

Sakura said. "I haven't given you mine."

*RECAP*

Itachi turned his head to look at the sweet girl beside him. "Sakura?" He was slightly confused. Wasn't the party her present? She had planned it all and made all the arrangements. Heck, she even had looked up and called his old friends so he would enjoy himself more. Not to mention that she baked him a who-knows how old cake recipe that was among her family's most secret and prized possessions, just for him on his special day. That was more than he could ever ask of his precious girl, so that she had actually gotten him something else was completely outstanding. Shocking, even.

Sakura smiled at his confused face. Although he wasn't one who could be easily read, she knew him and loved him enough to know that he was caught off-guard. She couldn't read his thoughts, she could only guess at this point, but the slight changes in his facial muscles and the way his eyes looked at her where a big clue to his feelings.

"Yes, Itachi, it is what you think," she said, soft and melodic as she chuckled. "My present isn't your party; although I am happy you enjoyed it so much." She reached for her little light-purple purse which was sitting on the coffee table before them besides Itachi's other gifts. Itachi raised an eyebrow. That purse was barely the length of his hand, so whatever Sakura got him was very small.

His eyebrows drew slightly together, his eyes flashing red for a split second. Knowing Sakura like he did, if it was something that small that she kept in her purse instead of her pockets it meant it was either something very fragile or very expensive. Either way, it was important, and he didn't like the idea of her wasting so much money on him. Now, if it was the other way around, that's a different story.

"Relax, Itachi," Sakura giggled, noticing his furrowed brow. "I didn't waste any money on your present." Now Itachi's eyebrows shot up in a questioning look. "I made you your present."

Itachi's mouth hung agape for a moment or two before he closed it shut, but it was too late. As Sakura turned her attention back to her purse to rummage for the gift, the rest of the Akatsuki grinned and smirked at each other. They had been close and strongly connected since pretty much the moment they met, and that friendship had only gotten stronger through the years despite the amount of time they were apart. Unnoticed by Itachi or Sakura, the Akatsuki and the rest of the Uchihas could read Itachi's face like a book at the moment.

He was amazed, to say the least.

Although no-one could read his mind, they all perfectly understood what was going on in the elder Uchiha's head. It didn't matter what the gift was, be it a simple piece of cloth to tie his hair with or a heavily elaborated work of art. He would treasure it and maim whoever so much as looked at it the wrong way.

However, unlike Itachi, they all also knew what Sakura's present was. They were part of it, in a way. Finally, Sakura found the present and pulled it out of her small purse with a cry of triumph.

"Cha! Found it!" She turned and smiled victoriously at Itachi, who was patiently sitting beside her, and she cheerfully dropped her purse back on the table and straightened up on the couch.

"Itachi," she said, her eyes gleaming and Itachi couldn't help but share her excitement. "Happy birthday, my love." She flushed ever so lightly and gently offered Itachi the thick package the shape and length of a large chocolate bar.

Itachi hesitated a second, wanting to make the moment last as long as possible so he could memorize it down to the last detail, before taking the small blue package reverently from the girl's hands.

He studied the wrapping paper for a second before setting it on the table and tugging the little red bow at the top. The wrapping paper slowly, gently opened like a flower in the morning and, to his surprise, sitting before him was a thick white stack of papers stapled together at one end. It was decorated with colorful hand-drawn flowers, hearts, the Uchiha and Haruno family crests, birthday balloons and little party messages like "Wow, you're 19!" and "It's a lovely life" around the borders. In sparkly golden letters, written in exquisite cursive writing which was close enough to be called calligraphy, there were the words,

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ITACHI.

WITH LOTS OF LOVE,

~ SAKURA"

Itachi looked slightly incredulous. He wasn't sure what this present was, although he immediately appreciated it the second the wrap fell off. He could tell a lot of thought, time and effort went into this gift.

"Well, what are you waiting for, yeah?" asked Deidara, barely containing his excitement.

"Open the present, Itachi," mused Sasuke from the other side of the couch. "We are all waiting."

"Really, son," huffed his mother in a slightly melodramatic way. "Don't be so rude by just staring at it."

Itachi just smiled at his friends and family before shrugging with his palms by his shoulders, palms out, in the international way of "I surrender, I get it." He glanced at Sakura, who was just as eager as the others, maybe more so for him to open her gift. Finally, he looked at the present, took a deep breath and reached for it.

Once on his lap, he flipped the cover page and read looked at the next paper. On the top middle, childishly written in lime green was the word "coupon" in a light purple background.

"These are my special coupons," Sakura cut in before he could read anymore. She had scooted closer to him and she leaned over so her chin was just below his shoulder line. "I wasn't sure what to get you, so I thought this would cover it all."

Itachi returned his attention to the coupons and read them, each page being a different coupon. Some pages were copies of one another so he had several coupons for one thing.

COUPONS FOR…

Deidara's clay birds (15)

Sasuke's servitude for a day (5)

~Access to Sasori's weaponry (10)

Kakuzu must pardon a debt (3)

Pein must do favor (5)

Konan's paper bombs (10)

~Training with Kakashi (10)

Kiba's assistance on a mission (3)

Shino's bugs' assistance (3)

Shikamaru's assistance with planning (3)

~Discount in Chouji's food shop (4)

~Training with Neji (4)

~Meditating with Hinata (2)

~Use of Gaara's sand for a day (3)

~Use of Kankuro's puppets (4)

~Taijutsu training with Rock Lee (10)

~ Use Iruka's special training grounds (2)

~ Training with Jiraiya (4)

~2 Free meals at Ichiraku Ramen (10)

~ 30% Book discount at Konoha's main book store (8)

Tsunade must give you any mission you want (4)

~ Free flower bouquet from Yamanaka's Flower Shop (4)

Sasori must make you 1 poison of your choice (3)

Kisame must treat you to your meals for a whole day (5)

Deidara cannot blow up anything you say (3)

Zetsu must care for your garden (5)

Hidan must bow to you if he uses a swear to address you (10)

Tobi must be as quiet as he can for two hours (5)

Needless to say, Itachi was impressed. There were already 157 coupons and, to his biggest surprise of the day, there was a thinner stack of pink and white paper with apple green polka dots hidden behind the larger stack. "Those coupons are just for the others," Sakura said explained pointing at the thicker coupon book. She pointed to the thinner pink one and smiled at Itachi. "These ones are applied for me exclusively."

Itachi eagerly, but respectfully, set aside the thicker coupon book and reached for the one for Sakura. He was deeply touched by all the work Sakura had done to get the other coupons made, plus it explained what she was doing the past five days with so many guys, but honestly he only cared for the pink coupon book.

Upon opening it, the first image he saw was a picture of Sakura practicing her flower arranging at Ino's family flower shop. She was sitting on a white table with light yellow background, and she looked at the flowers calmly with a small, loving smile as she decided where the best place to put the pink rose she held in her hand was in a basket set before her, already filled with daisies, roses, carnations and tulips.

"So you can remember me," Sakura said, her voice a whisper, "when you go on missions. So even when you're in the darkest part of the world, you can have me close to you."

Itachi didn't know what to say. He looked from the picture, to Sakura, and back again. After a brief smile, full of love and wonder, he wrapped his free arm around Sakura and held her to him. "Thank you." He kissed her hair. "How did I ever get so lucky? How did this beautiful, wonderful, talented and considerate girl become mine?"

Sakura smiled and enjoyed the feeling as she cuddled in his embrace, closing her eyes. After a minute she blushed, her eyes snapping open, remembering that they were not alone and that they were being rude. "I-Itachi," she stammered, embarrassed at being caught so lovey-dovey with her boyfriend. "Finish looking at your present."

Itachi chuckled at his blossom's adorable face. He had the strung urge to tease her and tell everyone else to go home (or to sleep in his family's case) so he could hold Sakura again, but he ignored that thought and did as Sakura told. There were coupons for kisses, trips, hugs, home-made meals, massages, and a few that said that she must spend the whole day with him doing whatever he wished, no questions asked, no matter what she was doing or planning on doing unless it was a life-or-death emergency. He smiled. He really liked those.

The last five coupons were "surprises."

"What are these?" he asked.

"It's a surprise, Itachi," Sakura smiled secretively, her eyes twinkling. "You're not supposed to know until you use it. Plus, the surprise isn't the same with every coupon, you know, or else I'd just had made you one of those instead of five."

Itachi's curiosity spiked, and he swore to himself that he would use one of the surprise coupons first. But for now, he simply hugged Sakura again and thanked her, kissing both her cheeks. She blushed, and he found that lovely.

"Alright, time to clean up," said Zetsu, getting up from the opposite couch. He didn't mind seeing Itachi act like that with his girlfriend, but there was a time when a bystander could look and when the bystander had to leave to give the couple privacy. Now was the time for the latter.

"Oh, it's alright boys," Itachi's mother chimed in, smiling complacently. "I'll do it."

"No way, lady," Hidan said, following Zetsu to the kitchen. "This is your house but our party. It's our fudging responsibility to clean up."

The rest of the Akatsuki followed suit, and the Uchihas, save Itachi, left too to help them out.

Meanwhile, Itachi stood up, pulling Sakura with him, and walked slowly around the Uchiha compound, hand in hand. It had been the best night of Itachi's life, but now he simply wanted to enjoy his cherry blossom's company. No words were said; they weren't needed.

"Ah, Sakura," Itachi sighed in wonder, stopping at the front entrance of the house and turning Sakura so they were facing each other. He held her hands beside them as he stared into those beautiful gleaming emerald orbs, so full of love. "Sakura, my Sakura. You're more than just a beautiful flower, my blossom. You are my jewel, my goddess of life. How you ever came to love me will forever remain a mystery."

"It's no mystery, Itachi," replied Sakura, letting go of Itachi's hands to wrap them around his neck to pull his face closer. Itachi obliged, and responded by wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her body closer to his. "I just love you. I don't need a reason to love you. I just do, and I'm living for it." They leaned until their foreheads were touching and they stayed like that for a few seconds.

"I love you, Itachi. I'm yours for as long as you want me."

"Then you better prepare for an eternity with me," Itachi answered her, love and passion heavy in his voice. "Because, believe it or not, I love you too. And I'll never leave you, or push you away. That is my promise to you."

They smiled at each other and leaned in for a kiss. Their hearts were beating rapidly, not because they were about to kiss but because of the words that had been said between them. They were an oath, one that would bind them for eternity.

However, they never got the chance to finish that perfect kiss. Just as their lips were about to touch, the front door was kicked down, or more accurately, smashed open, and among the smoke and debris of what used to be the door, there was a strange silhouette with spiky hair.

"SASUKE-TEME!" It yelled at the top of its lungs. "I'M BACK! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? IS SAKURA-CHAN HERE?"

Sakura's eyes widened even more than they were when she heard that voice. She knew it all too well.

The smoke cleared and, just as she suspected, a blond boy with messy, spiky hair, wide clear blue eyes and three dark lines on each cheek stepped out of the shadows. He was grinning as he scanned the house for the people who he was calling for, but stopped when he saw the stunned couple holding each other just a few feet from him.

His eyes widened to the point where it almost seemed like they were going to pop out his sockets and roll on the floor like a cartoon. "What the? Sakura-chan? What are you doing with the teme's brother?"

"N-Naruto!"