Chapter Six

Regret

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor do I own Eric Benet's 'While you were here'.

ItaSaku

Through this veil of tears I can see what was supposed to be

"What are you doing Itachi?" She sat down on the ground next to him looking up at him with her vibrant virid eyes.

"Why are you here?"

A smile graced her lips as she replied. "To be with you."

"I'd rather do without your presence."

The tinkling melody of her laughter greeted him.

"You don't mean that. Come on. Let's go get some lunch you work too hard."

"No, Sakura. Just go away."

Her eyes dimmed and her shoulders drooped a little. "…if that's what you really want." She said hesitating hoping that he would change his mind but he said nothing. Sakura walked away. He ignored the quiet sound of her sniffles. He paid no attention to her pain.

Now it's all so clear love from you was so real, so true, genuine, stronger than time

"When are you going to be back?" She looked at him sadly.

"When I'm done."

Sakura paused. "Okay, well I made you a little lunch. I know how dreary food can be on missions sometimes…"

Itachi paused and looked down at the offering. He let out an irritated grunt and took the small package out of her hands.

She beamed and stretched on her toes to place a light kiss on his cheek.

"Be safe. I love you."

He didn't reply but instead walked out and left her alone.

Wipe your tears away, Kiss you every morning

She lay on her bed crying uncontrollably. He walked into their bedroom and stared at her shaking shoulders and her red face.

"Why are you crying?"

She raised her head valiantly trying to stop the tears she knew he hated seeing.

"It's nothing really. I--"

"If it's nothing then stop that ridiculous crying. Grow up."

"Rrright. I'm sorry. I'll just go wash my face." He watched as she stood up and headed to the bathroom. Not for the first time he wondered why he ever got involved with her.

Hear every word you have to say

"Why do you treat me this way? Why did you even marry me if you didn't want me around?"

"Apparently, I'm not the genius everyone thinks I am."

Not for the first time tears blurred her vision.

Are all the things I should have done while you were here

"Itachi are you too busy to train with me right now?"

"Go ask Sasuke. I have no time to deal with someone of your mediocre ability."

"I am the apprentice of the Hokage."

"I know. You'd think you'd be better."

And now the foolish boy has grown into this man I'm sorry you've never known.

"I'm done Itachi. I'm not going to beg and plead with you to show me a little affection. To treat me with common curtsey and respect. One day you're going to realize how much you need me and by then it'll be too late. I will have let go and moved on. You're going to remember this day when you're in this house all alone. And I won't say I told you so because all you'll have to do is look at me and you'll know. You'll know you messed up a good thing with a good woman. You'll know that in the end all you are is an ass."

To which he had no reply.

I'm not afraid to love cause every beat of my heart echoes all

"Itachi! Itachi! You'll never believe it. I'm pre--"

"If I'll never believe then why are you bothering to tell me?"

"Itachi it was just a figure of speech."

Itachi merely raised a brow at her.

"You know what? Never mind. You'll figure it out." Sakura turned and walked away from him. He followed her with his eyes until she was out his sight. For once wondering what it was she actually wanted to say.

Those memories from way back when and the man I should have been

A daughter. They had a daughter. A little girl with dark hair and emerald eyes. Even he had to admit silently to himself she was gorgeous.

"What should we name her?" Sakura said looking down at the small infant in her arms.

"It doesn't matter. It's just a girl."

Sakura tilted her head and looked at him. "Maybe she is but I have a feeling that this little girl is going to melt that cold heart of yours and she's going to show you love. She'll show you what it truly means. So I'll name her Ai."

Itachi said nothing to her pronouncement. In fact, he headed out the room expecting to hear her call him back but he heard nothing. Not a word from her which was unusual. He was beginning to think that he didn't matter to her anymore.

He began to wonder if that was as good of a thing that he once thought.

Wipe your tears away, Kiss you every morning

"I have a mission."

"A mission? Who's going to take care of Ai?"

"Well, Itachi you are her father."

"Someone else will go in your stead."

"No. They will not. Tsunade shishou specifically requested me for this task. I will obey my Hokage's orders. Not you or anyone else can interfere with that."

"Sakura--"

"I'm leaving Itachi."

He grabbed the beautiful child out of her arms and left the room without another word.

Hear every word you have to say

"Sakura." He murmured pulling her into his arms. She smiled at him teasingly.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Itachi shook his head out of his daydream.

"Yes, Ai?"

"Why did Mommy die?"

Itachi froze. "Ai--"

"Did she not want to be with us anymore?"

A lump formed in the Uchiha's throat and he turned briefly away from his daughter in order to compose himself.

Are all the things I should have done while you were here

"Itachi let's take Ai to the park. She's old enough for us to push her in the swing now."

"Let me wrap this up Sakura and then we'll go."

Sakura pouted prettily.

"Come on Itachi. It'll be here when you get back. You work too much."

He leaned back in his chair and smiled at her.

"Okay, Sakura. Let's go."

A shrill scream tore him from his daydream. He stood up and immediately headed to Ai's bedroom.

"Daddy!" Ai jumped out of her bed and threw herself into her father's arms. He looked down at her tear streaked face. He took his thumb and brushed her tears away.

"Ai, it can't be as bad as all that."

"There are missing-nin under my bed."

"Missing-nins? They must not know that Itachi Uchiha the deadliest shinobi resides here with his fearsome daughter. How dare they take residence here?"

Ai giggled at her father's disgusted tone.

Faded dreams of you and me and of our little family

"Daddy! At school today I heard them say I was a child progeny."

"You mean prodigy. And how did you hear that?"

"Um." Ai said shiftly guiltily.

"Ai, where you spying again?"

"A shinobi must gather all forms of information." Ai said solemnly.

Sakura's laugher at his daughter's statement's echoed in his ears.

"Did you hear that Itachi? She sounds just like you. All stiff and formal."

"Perhaps but it was your devilish mind that she inherited that pushed her to do it."

Sakura's laughter echoed once more.

Itachi shook his head.

"Ai, no more spying unless you're ordered to by your Hokage."

"Yes, Daddy." Ai said sadly.

Gone forever my God in heaven

"Shoot! I'm late."

Ai's feet dashed towards the door.

"Ai!" Itachi called out sternly. Ai froze at her father's tone. "What have I told you? You never, ever leave like that. You never know if we'll see each other again--"

"Daddy, I didn't think--"

"That's right you didn't think. You're leaving on a mission and it's possible that you may never come back--"

"Dad…I'm not Mom. It's just a B-rank mission. I'll be okay." Ai walked forward towards her father and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I love you Daddy." Itachi's arms engulfed his daughter tightly.

"You were too hard on her."

"Hn." He replied.

Before the gift of clarity we pay the price of misery why please tell me why

"Daddy don't you think it's time that you remarried? Mom wouldn't have wanted you to remain alone."

"Did I ever tell you why you were named Ai?"

Ai looked at her father puzzled. "No."

"Your mother named you Ai because it means love. She said that she had a feeling one day you would show me what it really means to love. I never treated her the way I should have. I never got the opportunity. I loved her but never enough. I didn't really appreciate her until she was gone."

"Dad--"

"Listen to me Ai. I will never let another woman into Sakura's place. She can't be replaced. Not here." He said pointing to his head. "Or here." He said pointing to his heart.

Her mommy's gone away but in her eyes I see you more each day

"Look at how she's grown Sakura."

"She's beautiful."

"She's smart."

"True but her beauty is what will draw the attention of the young men." Itachi growled. "You'd better not scare away her potential suitors Itachi."

"If they're scared of me they're not worthy of her."

"Itachi…"

"Daddy this is Jiro Lee."

"IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET A NINJA AS GREAT AS YOU UCHIHA-SAMA!"

Itachi stood and stared at his daughter's…companion. He was a bit more original that his father. His spandex was orange not green.

"I HAVE COME HERE TODAY TO FORMALLY ASK YOUR PERMISSION TO DATE YOUR WONDERFUL BLOSSOM OF YOUTH!"

"Okay Itachi, just this once, scare him away. For the love of God scare him away!"

Itachi smirked.

How can I repay all the love unreturned from so long ago…now I know

"ANBU?"

"Yes, Dad I'm taking the exams."

"Are you sure that's what you want to do?"

"I want to follow in your footsteps Dad."

"You shouldn't want to be like me."

"Why not? You're the greatest man I've ever known."

I'll wipe her tears away, Kiss her every morning

"Itachi."

Itachi turned and looked at his brother who had come to join him at the memorial stone.

"Sasuke."

"It's the anniversary of her death." Itachi just nodded. "I never told you but before she died she had a message she wanted me to give you."

Itachi turned and faced his brother his face hard and cold. "Why did you never tell me?"

"Because she told me to wait until you weren't such an ass."

If he hadn't been trained not to show any emotion he would have flinched.

"She wanted you to know that despite everything--you know, you being a jerk--that she loved you. She loved you with her dying breath."

Itachi stood there for a moment then he turned and walked away so no one would see the single tear that fell down his face.

Hear every word she has to say, do all the things that you would do if you were here

"Daddy, I need to talk to you."

Itachi frowned at the seriousness of her tone.

"What is it?"

"Sit down."

"Ai--"

"Daddy, please just sit."

"Sit down Itachi. Just listen to her."

Ai reached out and took her father's hand. "Daddy, I'm getting married."

Itachi had to force himself not to snatch his hand out of hers. She looked up at him expectantly, her hand unconsciously squeezing his tighter.

Itachi took a deep breath and said, "Congratulations. Who is he?"

Brighten her rainy day, Catch her when she's falling

Tears streaked her cheeks. It was her wedding day. Itachi couldn't help but think that she shouldn't be crying. Not today of all days.

"Why the tears Ai?" He stepped toward his beloved daughter and brushed the tears off her face.

"I don't want to leave you alone Daddy. Not with just silence and memories in that old house."

"Ai, I'll be fine. This is a happy day. I'm happy for you. I'll be fine on my own. You don't have to worry about taking care of me."

"But--"

"Ai." He said sternly.

"Okay, Daddy."

He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Be happy. I love you Ai."

Say I love you each and every day

Sakura dropped the glass of milk that was in her hand not pausing to watch as the glass shattered.

The anguished cry made her rush as fast as her pregnant body would take her back to her bedroom. The sight of her husband drenched in sweat sitting up in bed greeted her.

"Itachi are you okay?"

He reached out his hand and she walked over and took it. He yanked her close and wrapped his arms around her.

"Sakura, I--"

Itachi buried his face in his neck breathing her in. He fought valiantly to keep his body from shaking.

"I--"

Sakura sighed. He must have had some dream. She had never seen him this way before.

"It's okay. Whatever it is doesn't matter anymore."

"No, it does matter. Sakura, I just want you to know that--" He broke off and Sakura realized what he was trying to say.

I'm sorry.

I love you.

"Shh. I know. I love you too, Itachi."

Do all the things that you would do if you were here….

A/N: I wanted to leave this as a nice, sad story but the fact that I couldn't stop crying when I wrote this eliminated that. If you didn't understand most of this story was a dream. Parts were not. Itachi still treated her like crap. She was still pregnant but she never died. His dream showed him the error of his ways. That's it. I hope you liked.