Fading Dreams and Blossoming Faith

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. While this plot is RIGHTFULLY MINE! XD

Reminders: Italics for inner thoughts/past/narration; Inner Sakura's dialogue will be all underlined.

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Chapter 4: Enigmatic Answer

Recap:

'Should I take his advice?' she thought. The advice Sai had given her. She gave another large sigh.

Suddenly, she was thrown forward by a wandering, flying ball that hit her in her back. 'SHOOT, I'm going to fall in the river!' she screamed in her mind.

'Grab ahold to something! I don't want to die yet!'Inner Sakura yelped as well.

End of Recap

She was dampened by the sudden rain. She ran as fast as she could, as she swiftly strove from one street corner to the other, towardher destined location.

"A few corners left..."

Sudden lights flashed at her back. Sudden howls of tracking dogsfollowed.

"Just a little more..."

Sakura closed her eyes, waiting for her hard landing, either directly in the river, or on the rocky ground. She tried to reach for something, as though she could grab something in the air to save her from her fall. She felt a gush of wind beside her that was either warmth or cold, she couldn't tell which. She didn't notice that there were already a pair of hands that grabbed her and enveloped her during her fall. She was too focused on what the sudden impact would feel like.

Thud.

There was a sudden impact on the ground, and some crackling noises due to some twigs that were scattered in the area. Sakura realized that she had already fallen on the ground. She still kept her eyes shut. She felt her body being held by someone, but didn't care to look yet. She tried to calm herself first, knowing that she would burst into anger once she got up, and look for whoever threw that ball at her. She leaned on the person who was with her to stop herself from catching the fools that had put her in this situation. She felt like she belonged in the person's arms. Slowly, she began to calm herself. She smelled a fragrance that reminded her of cherry blossoms.

After a while, hearing the person who saved her groaning and was trying to catch his breath, she startled, and moved back and sat beside him. She opened her eyes and looked closely at her savior. She rubbed her eyes. Her vision was still blurry, but she tried to focus. She suddenly stiffened as soon as she realized that the person in front of her had some similarities with her beloved Sasuke. The man also had the same raven-hair, but darker, and also had onyx eyes.

'Please, let it be my Sasuke,'she pleaded in her thoughts.

She once again tried to focus her vision, while the man in front of her sat back and coughed a couple of times. She felt more embarrassed than ever. 'Am I that heavy?'She felt devastated.

'Told ya' you're heavy! You're heavy as an elephant, you know,' Inner Sakura snickered. 'Look at the poor man you suffocated to the brink of death. Is that how you repay the one who saved us?'Inner Sakura said sarcastically, and burst out into laughter.

'Hmph,'Sakura grumbled, as she pushed Inner Sakura to the back of her mind.

"Are you hurt?" a low and mature voice asked her, the voice of the man that had just saved her.

"Ah, no! Thank you very much!" she said happily, as she bowed in gratefulness. She looked at him intently after bowing. Their eyes locked with one another, her emerald orbs and his onyx eyes reflected each other. 'He really does resemble Sasuke-kun. Their eyes are both dark, full of mysteries and depth, their facial structures are similarly handsome, and the way their hair falls silkily on both sides of their faces down to their jaws makes them look sexy.'Sakura continued assessing the man in front of her as she mentally drooled over him. She was completely mesmerized by the man in front of her that made her remember why she had fallen for her beloved Sasuke.

'Hey, snap out of it!' An imaginary roll of paper smacked Sakura's head. 'He's not our Sasuke!'Inner Sakura told her.

In that instance, Sakura's trance with the man ended as she snapped back into reality. She smiled shyly, thinking that she might have stared at him too long. "Thank you again for saving my life back there." She was about to bow again, but was stopped by the same hands that had saved her as they clasped both of her shoulders.

"That's no longer necessary," he chuckled.

Sakura looked at him, confused, thinking that it was only proper to bow. Her eyes widened as she laid her emerald eyes on him.

'KKYYYAAAAAAAAA! My eyes are burning!'Inner Sakura panicked.

Sakura ferociously blushed at what she saw. The man in front of her, the same man who had just saved her, and the same man who she thought she fit well in his arms… That man had the most outstanding smile she had ever seen. It made her heart thump as loud as it could, as if it would bang out of her chest.

'STOP IT! STOP IT! CLOSE YOUR EYES! STUPID, UGLY SELF,' Inner Sakura demanded. 'You'll be corrupted! The one we love is none other than UCHIHA SASUKE!'

The man's smile only lasted for a second. It returned to a calm, yet serious expression, but for her, it was like an eternity that etched itself in her mind. She snapped back as she received, for the second time, an inner smack with a roll of paper.

"Really, I must thank you."

"My pleasure," he replied.

"My name is Sakura, by the way." She held out her hand to him.

"Itachi." He gripped her hand with his. He stood up, and still didn't let her hand go, and suddenly, he assisted her in standing up. Sakura followed, as he practically brought and lifted her up on her feet again.

"Thank you," she smiled.

As they both stood up, they dusted off the dirt on their clothes. Sakura's eyes would glance over at Itachi from time to time. He was wearing casual clothes, a simple navy blue polo and off-white pants. It fit him perfectly, showing of his masculine body.

Whack!

'You're doing it again!'Inner Sakura interrupted Sakura's train of thought.

'Inner Sakura, I just remembered something…' Sakura made a tense atmosphere. 'You smacked me with your paper, copied Naruto's line (when she was interrupted glancing at Sasuke), and lastly, said the most irritating words that have come from the mouth of the emotionless Sai.'

Inner Sakura suddenly shrank in fear and ran away.

"Um…" Sakura hedged, trying to open up a conversation.

"Hn." He looked at her.

'He also had the same reaction Sasuke does,'Sakura continued assessing. "You see I have this kind of principle…" she muttered. Her heart was running wildly, and she struggled to pick the right words to fight the shyness creeping up in her "…When someone helps you, you must also return that with gratitude," she continued in a fast pace, hoping that he understood what she had just said. She took another breath, but there was still an awkward silence. He was watching her, waiting for what she would say next, while she stared down as blood rushed to her face. She then picked up her courage, and looked at him again "…You can ask me anything! I'll be willing to do it! I mean, anything that, well, I'm capable of doing, that is," she said with great determination.

'DID YOU JUST SAY THAT?' Inner Sakura said angrily. 'What kind of words did you just use? They totally had double meanings, STUPID self!' Inner Sakura felt horrified. 'What if he asked you to BED? And took your virginity! MY GOSH! Didn't we already agree that Sasuke would be the only one to gain access in your chastity? That kind of situation is something that you are capable of doing!'

Sakura felt totally horrified. 'You're right about that! Why didn't I think of it? I have just met him, and we barely even talked!' Sakura felt flustered. 'Inner Sakura! Help me think of something!

'I'm sorry, Saku-chan, but I finally realized that it was time to bid farewell.'Inner Sakura packed her imaginary stuff in her imaginary bag, and pulled out and waved an imaginary handkerchief in her hand.

'HEY! Don't leave me!'Sakura pleaded.

Awkward silence triumphed.

'Inner Sakura, I don't like this kind of silence.'

'I know.'

'I'm feeling chills already. I have a very bad feeling about this.'

'You know, this kind of silence reminds me of something.'Inner Sakura tried to think of what as she scanned SAKURA'S memory book.

'Not helping at the moment.'

'AHA! Just as I thought!' Inner Sakura said happily, flicking her hands.

'What? What did you remember?'

'You know this kind of awkward silence. You've already built up a good resistance to it,'Inner Sakura informed her.

Sakura just frowned. 'Resistance?'

'You know, think of this situation as being with Sasuke. Isn't this silence the same as when you are alone with him?'Inner Sakura said in a sing-song way.

Sakura fell into silence.

'Hate to admit, huh?'Inner Sakura snickered.

Sakura, being flustered about the situation, hadn't realized that Itachi was already so close at her until the moment she felt warmth on her left cheek. His hands were on her. That finally did it. Her blood rushed like a marathoner, and overflowed onto her face. He leaned over her right shoulder, and whispered something in her ear. His warm breath stroked her skin flawlessly.

"Hey Cousin!" someone called. They still didn't move. His hand was still on her cheek, he still leaned over her other side. Itachi looked at the person who called him, and glanced at the man with short, curly, dark black hair. He then removed his hands, and glanced back at Sakura, who just stared blankly.

"I'll be looking forward to your answer," he whispered, and smirked a little. His breath lingered on her ear, her neck, her shoulder. He then went to his cousin, who had a wide grin on his face.

Sakura just stared blankly, not focusing on anything. His words, his warmth, were all over her.

Inner Sakura was also stunned at what had just happened. Her jaw had dropped to an imaginary floor.

To be continued…

Hope you like this chapter! Now that I think about it, we finally understand what kind of person Inner Sakura is, and what kind of life she has inside Sakura's head.

Preview:Between him and her, and her sudden realization.

A/N: ...REVIEW!