Hello lovelies! Thank you for the wonderful reviews I'd received for the last chapter!

So far I had received requests for:

ItaSaku,
SasoSaku,
ShikaSaku
HidaSaku
and a surprising request for ShisoxUmi.

(No particular order)

I will try my best to include those pairings, and I'm still open for more suggestions.

Now, I had recently been informed about the 'Tobi situation' and I have to say, it messed up my plan for this story a bit. I was planning to make Tobi reveal himself as Madara, and whatnot, but now, knowing that Tobi and Madara were two separate people, I have to think of a new plan.

But do not worry, I think fast! ;P

WARNING!
This chapter will focus on the relationship Sakura has with Itachi. It's a tad angsty, but all the angst will be explained soon. Ignore Sakura's rambling if you see any – in my story, she will be a deadly criminal, good friend, and nostalgic pacifist. It doesn't make sense right now, but I promise you, it should by the end of the next few chapters!

ENJOY!

We had separated. Happy tears and promises to stay in touch accompanied our departure, as we each went our separate ways. In a rare show of emotion, I ran over and hugged Kaimei-sensei. He was my real sensei and will forever have that special place in my heart, even if this whole thing had been an off-the-record mission. I didn't care about father's orders anymore. I didn't care that emotions made you weak. Those three people were the closest I had ever gotten to having a family. A real family; a family that cares for you, cries with you, and protects you, but not in the way that made you feel sheltered.

They were my precious people. The sad thing was, I was probably never going to see them again. The life of a criminal didn't really have much space left for a social-life.

I remember the last few seconds before we parted ways. Shiso, Umi and I stood together, their arms draped over my shoulders and mine over theirs'.

"Team 101 forever, right guys?" Shiso asked quietly.

I nodded, smiling slightly. "Forever," I said.

"And always." Umi finished.

Shiso smiled brilliantly, his hazel eyes flickering in the misty darkness of a typical afternoon in Amegakure. "Good. Because as annoying as you both might be, you are my teammates, my comrades, and my best friends."

I couldn't help it. Using their temporary distraction, I pulled them into a three-way bear hug.

"Thank you, Umi, Shiso. For everything…"

I snapped back to reality. I would miss them both dearly, I knew it. But I also knew that I had to let them go. It would be dangerous for them to stay connected with me, considering the dangerous mission I've been assigned to.

If you love something, let it free.

If it comes back, it was meant to be.

I don't know where I read that, but I never realised just how true its meaning was.

I sighed as I noticed where my feet had led me to. It was time to put the events of the past two months behind me. The feeling of not having to fear every second of my life was pleasant, but I knew it could not last. I was a criminal, whether I liked it or not. I had killed dozens, maybe hundreds in a space of seven years. I was not to be trusted.

But was it too much to ask for, to just feel accepted? Just once?

I, like Itachi, was born into a world of war. He was just a child when the Third Shinobi War took place.
My upbringing was similar. Because I was born in Ame, I was constantly exposed to war. Blood, gore and death had haunted my nightmares since I was an infant. That's what made Itachi and I similar; we both had experienced war at a very young age, and it shaped us both into pacifists.

I wanted peace between the Shinobi Nations, but I knew that it was just a dream. There can never truly be peace. Not as long as there is still suffering.

So, gazing up at the tallest of the skyscrapers, also known as Pein's or God's Tower, I finally understood the last thing that connected me to Itachi:

We were both perfect actors.

Forced into pretending to be who we were not, avoiding manslaughter as much as possible, carrying a burden that no one could help us with.

Itachi had to kill his own family, lie to his own brother, mess with his mind. Scarring the boy mentally, turning him into a revenge-centred killing machine.

My burden was the same. I had to kill the one who gave me life. My own father. My own blood. And all of those unfortunate souls who stood in my way.

I shook my head. Why did it have to be us? Itachi had already suffered too much, he shouldn't have to go through this as well! I didn't care what happened to me. I could very well die tomorrow as long as Itachi got his justice.

Then I realised something. My heart skipped a beat. Itachi was the only person I could relate to – he understood me without the need for words. When I was younger, I thought we were soulmates, and I managed to convince myself that IF I loved Itachi in a way that wasn't even close to the platonic relationship I have with him now, loved him as a mate, then maybe, my young, inexperienced mind had convinced me, maybe we wouldn't have to suffer. Maybe we could rely on each other to get through the hard mission that had been assigned to us.

But I had realised, that, while I still loved Itachi, we could never be truly together. Our similarities were striking, but it was our differences that made us who we were. While we were both pacifists, Itachi always had that sacrificial streak that I lacked before I had met Hinata. I never understood before why he had made his little brother hate him. It was always a mystery to me.

Now I finally knew the truth. I put two and two together.

Everytime we talked, Itachi always told me that he wanted to fight with Sasuke, wanted to make their last battle memorable. But he never answered when I asked him what he planned to do after the battle.
Now I knew why.

He didn't want an 'after', didn't plan to have a 'future'.

He wanted Sasuke to kill him.

With that in mind, I bolted straight for the tower, hell-bent on talking him out of it, or beating some sense into him.

And reporting to Pein about the mission?

To hell with Pein. Itachi always had, still does and always will come first.

Once at the top, I slammed my hand onto the chakra-enforced door that only opened to specific chakras, so that no one who wasn't a member of the organization could enter. I composed myself and once the door opened I ran in, and came face-to-face with Konan.

"Sakura!" she exclaimed, shocked to see me after two months away.

"Mother." I acknowledged her, inwardly cringing at the iciness of my voice. I never intended to be angry at her, but I thought that if she hadn't encouraged Pein like she did, then maybe I wouldn't have ended up in my current predicament.

I decided to get straight to the point. "Where's Itachi-sensei?" I tried to ignore the tiny prick of guilt when I saw her face drop. She probably expected me to run into her arms and hug her, telling her how much I had missed her. Or cry because I didn't pass the Exams, I thought as I saw her stare at my chuunin vest.

"So you passed?" she questioned.

I tried not to feel to annoyed or upset when I detected the obvious surprise in her voice.

"Yes." I stated, "But that's unimportant right now. I need to find Itachi-sensei. Do you know where he is?" I inquired once again, growing impatient.

I saw her eyes harden. "Itachi was sent away for a mission. He shouldn't be back for another two days."

I cursed and turned in the direction of father's office. Just as I was about to leave, I stopped, and added without turning around, almost as an afterthought, "You know, Mother, sometimes I wonder if it would hurt you to atleast pretend that you are proud of me."

Then I walked off.

I raised my hand to knock on the door that led to Pein's office, but then I heard a voice from inside. A voice that definitely didn't belong to my father.

"So, the girl had returned." A deep voice said.

"Yes, I sensed her chakra when she entered the village." Father replied.

"She is still oblivious as to what you're really aiming for. But remember, Pein," the unknown man paused, "If she becomes even the slightest, tiniest obstacle in my plan, I will dispose of her. And you'll let me."

I stood in silence, my heart hammering so hard I was afraid it would burst out of my chest.

"Yes. I'll let you… Madara-sama…"

I froze. In that moment, the last amount of love for father vanished, never to return. He didn't care. It should've been obvious, expected, but it still hurt when he admitted it.

I was tempted to just run off and ignore Pein completely, but I still had a mission report to hand in.

Think, Sakura; What would Itachi do?

That had become my way out of troublesome situations. I trusted Itachi's incredible intellect, as well as his ability to get out of any nasty or unwanted situations.
And it was because of this, that I realised what I should do.

Compose yourself, and pretend you didn't hear a word. Act oblivious.

And so I raised a hand and knocked on the door twice. The sound of scurrying and a quick boast of chakra signalled that whoever had been in the room had used a teleportation technique.

"Come in."

I did.

I was surprised when I entered the office, but I masked it well. No longer did the office feel like a cosy, cool room to spend my time in when I wasn't training or on a mission.

It felt strangely… sinister. Or maybe the office hadn't changed at all, but it seemed like it had because my view of Father had changed.

How could I have been so blind?

All this time, he'd never congratulated me after mastering a particularly strong jutsu, never once showed gratitude after I healed his men, never even hugged me. He was like walking ice – the perfect example of a Destroyer.

And as I realised that, I felt strangely… relieved. I no longer had to worry if I was pleasing her father or not. I finally understood why he never praised me – he just never really cared. After all, why should he? I was just a meaningless tool.

"You have returned." It was more of a statement than anything else.

"Yes I have, father. The mission was a success."

"Do not expect any felicitations. It is expected of a ninja to complete their assignment."

"I do not expect any, father. I have completed my mission – gathered information on the Kyuubi host and the Uchiha, befriended the Konohagakure ninja and gained allies. My mission is over." I replied.

"Your mission is failed." Pein hissed. I raised a brow and frowned inwardly. I failed? How? My question was answered when he spoke again. "Your mission was to gather information and allies. Not friends," he spat the word like a curse. "Bonds make you weak. I would've thought my daughter was more skilled than that." He finished, his cruel words having only little effect on me.

"Being skilled isn't all that's it's made out to be. When you're strong, you become arrogant and withdrawn. Even if what you sought after was your dream. I refuse to become arrogant. You fill up that spot perfectly by yourself." And with that said, I threw him the mission scroll and stalked out of the room.

This was not the Pein I once knew.

Two days later: No one's P.O.V

It had been two days since Sakura walked out on her father, and he hadn't called her in since. At first, it was pleasant to be reunited with Deidara, Hidan, Sasori and others, but while Itachi wasn't there it wasn't the same.

Thinking of Itachi, he should've been back by now. Sakura thought,

The rosette then threw yet another kunai at the target mat, hitting the middle. Although it was the middle of the night, Sakura couldn't sleep. Her worry for Itachi and the neverending guilt she felt every time she thought of her 'assignment' successfully diminished any and all chances she had for getting a good night's sleep.

So she did what she always did – went outside to train.

It was something around two o'clock when a figure appeared by the trees. They watched as the pink-haired girl went through hand-sign after hand-sign, a clone of her standing tall before her, its' eyes glazed over, and a small trickle of blood coming out of its' mouth.

Genjutsu. The figure thought. She's practicing genjutsu on her clone.

Itachi stared at Sakura for a while longer, watched as her tired face became illuminated by the moonlight, and then, just as he stepped forward to reveal himself, both, the pinkette and her clone disappeared.

The raven-haired teen looked around the clearing cautiously, silently calculating where she could've gone.

A musical laugh echoed through the night, and he turned to seek the source of the voice.

She was there, a silent form from the shadows, half her face illuminated by the glow of the moonlight, the other lost to darkness. The black cloak hanging off of her only added to the illusion of her emerging from nothing. A small trickle of blood oozed gently down the corner of her mouth, but she paid it no heed, a smirk playing on her lips instead as she looked him in the eye.

"It's been a while, Itachi-sensei." She greeted him, and though her greeting was curt, he could see the hidden mirth and happiness that shone in those emerald pools.

All that happiness at the mere sight of him.

But then, he watched as the mirth steadily vanished from her eyes, only to be replaced by anger, pain and confusion as she gazed at him.

"I know of your plan." She whispered. "I know of your plan and I beg you to forget about it. Just... please, find another way. If not for his sake… then for mine."

Itachi regarded her thoughtfully, wordlessly urging her to elaborate. She did, but not in the way he would've liked.

"Do not let Sasuke kill you." She pleaded quietely.

Ah, so she knows…

"It's out of the question, Sakura. I have to do it. You wouldn't understand." He replied.

Her confusion evaporated, and suddenly it was just pain and anger. "How do you know? Maybe I would! Do you not realise what you'll achieve by dying? You'll ruin not only Sasuke, but me too!" she yelled. "If you wish to keep your plan regardless of what I just said, then I might just as well go to Pein right now and inform him of our plan and my strength." She whispered the last part, tears shining in her eyes.

Itachi froze. "You cannot. If he finds out about your true strength he will send you away! He'll destroy you!"

"Then let him destroy me!"

Everything stopped for a moment. Itachi stood there, shocked and surprised, as he stared into the deep emerald pools that were currently glaring at him.

It was like staring at himself.

Emerald eyes blazed with fiery determination that bore down into his soul, ready to prove that she would bare this pain as a ninja, because she is a ninja, and she had always been a ninja.

They stood there for a long time, gazing at each other, before she gave in.

Sakura ran over to him and proceeded to hug him fiercely around the waist, burying her face in his chest.

"I apologize, Sakura. But that is my path and as much as I would like to, I can't turn away from it."

The rosette sighed. "That is fine, I understand now. Just please, whatever you do… don't leave me behind."

Itachi smiled as he buried his face in her sweet-smelling hair. "I promise."

There goes your ItaSaku, Toyroys and Niixxy.

Hope you liked it!

Please let me know what you think in your REVIEW!

~Ja ne!