Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

A/N: Gomen! Please forgive me!

Count on Me

Tenten stared in sheer disbelief at her pink haired friend with wide eyes that clearly showed her surprise. Beside her, sat Neji, his face neutral, but his eyes dyed with curiosity as he stared at both the elder Uchiha and Haruno. A small since of appreciation came out of him for the Uchiha. The story was indeed long they were sitting at that café for hours on end, listening intently to Sakura's tale, and what a good tale it was, filled with so much love and despaired, pain and pleasure, and every other emotion you could conjure up. They, in their years of living, have never heard such a thing as that, and they made it evident that they were a little staggered from hearing it.

"So let me get this straight…" Tenten finally spoke "that time you said you got drunk and fell asleep at the casino's bathroom was a lie."

Sakura nodded. "And, in truth, you were over Itachi's suite." Sakura nodded again, her face growing redder from hearing it come from Tenten's mouth. "So…it was the same thing with the old woman too, wasn't it?"

Another nod.

"And that time you left for some fresh air…" Neji bellowed, catching everyone's attention "You weren't going for fresh air. You went to go see him, just as I suspected."

Sakura flushed suddenly then looked away. So he did know. "Yes. I'm sorry I lied to you guys. I was just afraid that you would think differently of me."

"That's not why and you know it." Tenten blamed, her eyes low and lethal again. "You're not that type of person, Sakura. What you didn't want to happen was one of us telling Sasuke about your little get together with his brother. You could care less about what we would have done or even thought of you after we found out. Now isn't that right?"

Sakura stared, her teal-green eyes watered over and her face slowly fading to its natural color. She was caught off guard, true, but she couldn't deny what Tenten said. It was true. Somewhere deep down in her she knew that what she said was true. She had completely forgotten that aside from Neji, Tenten was also a good person reader. That's partially why Neji was so found of her in the first place. She looked away momentarily then back at Tenten and Neji. Neither one of them looked the least bit faze anymore. They were more worried about her answer. "Yes." She finally cooed, meeting their eyes for the first time in a long time. "Yes that is true, and if you don't mind, I would like to keep it that way, please."

"Sakura you have to tell him sometime. We are going back to Japan with the boys you know."

"I know. I will tell him…just not now. Please, Tenten you have to understand."

Tenten glared, allowing her eyes to drift to Itachi's tired figure. He had his head leaning on his hands to where his eyes were facing the wooden table. His shoulders were slumped over in a deep curve and his hair, undone because if Sakura's stalling, was draped around them and nearly touching the table. The only thing that told her that he was still listening was his sudden shifts to relax from the strain put on his shoulders. "Fine." Tenten growled, tapping Neji on his shoulder softly, signaling him to get up. The sudden shift from the table made Itachi look up, his black eyes looking red as he stared at them sleepily. "I'm doing this for your own good, Sakura, 'cause honestly, I don't approve of Little Uchiha."

A loud cackle was heard from behind them and Tenten looked up this time to see Konan laughing beside Hidan, Deidara and Kisame from her way of describing Saskue. Her face stayed hard though, she just looked a little more appreciative of the group now. "Plus." She said as she and Neji walked off. "I trust you'll be safer with him than the other, especially after what he did to you last night."

Konan stood, flapping her hands through the air as she mouthed the words "Thank you" towards the bun-haired girl. This time, Tenten couldn't help but smile at her actions. She started to walk off again when she suddenly stopped and whirled around on her heels. She took two long strides towards Itachi, grabbed him by the collar and pulled his face towards hers till they were mere inches apart.

Surprise was the first thing that showed in his eyes, but it later faded to irritation. "If anything happens to her" Tenten began, her brown eyes growing darker with every word that leaked out her mouth "Then I will personally make sure that the rest of your life is a living hell. Got that Uchiha?"

Behind her, Neji stood, his arms crossed over his chest confidently. Konan and the others stood just behind him each one in a rather protective mood as they watched the girl slowly let go of Itachi. "I trust that you understand." She cooed.

Itachi nodded, his eyes glowing a deep red still from anger. Tenten hen looked away, her head held high as she walked past the group. "I'm telling the others about this, they all want to know what' going on and where you were, but I'll tell them to tell Sasuke that you went to that old woman's house…stay safe, Sakura." And with that she left, Neji followed closely behind her for a while till she stopped to hold his hand as they crossed the street to a parked taxi cab.

"Well…" Kisame began, a snarky smile spreading across his still blue face "that was interesting."

The others looked at him then each threw balled up napkins at his face. "It was your fault we were caught, Kisame." Konan blamed as she pulled his spiky hair till his face was no longer smiling. "We could have done perfectly well without those two finding out."

"Speaking of those two…" Deidara suddenly cooed. "What was up with that panda chick? Did you see the way she grabbed Itachi. It was like she wasn't scared of him at all."

"Hn. That is rare. The Hyuuga didn't look like he was going to budge to stop her either. They both seemed to have confidence in the fact that Itachi wasn't going to do anything."

"That's just how Tenten is" Sakura interrupted as she stood from her seat "headstrong and bold as ever. She has always been like that. Believe it or not, but Neji kind of leveled her out. She used to be worse than that"

"I like her." Konan smiled. "She reminds me of me."

Sakura laughed. "I figured you'd say that."

Konan laughed back as she walked on behind the rest of the retreating group. Behind her, Itachi kept a slow pace till he reached Sakura. She held out her hand delicately for him to take it, which he did, then smiled, rubbing his back with her spare hand. "She meant no harm, Itachi." She reassured. "That's just how she is. All she wants is for me to be safe. You can do that, can't you?"

He looked at her, his eyes seeming to stare off into another world, then nodded. "I can."

"Then wipe that frown off your face. Tenten's a nice girl and she only has good intentions. The same goes for Neji."

He smiled a small smile that only she's ever seen before then pulled her closer. "Yeah, I'll do that."

"So what did she say?" Naruto asked. Neji didn't answer him. He was too busy looking at him and Hinata. Naruto was shirtless and she had on his shirt. Naruto, who was oblivious to this, kept asking much to his displeasure. Neji had to clamp his fist together in order to prevent himself from striking him. "Oi, Neji! Are you listening to me? I said what did she say?"

"Naruto move." He growled.

The blond backed away, getting the threatening signal but not understanding why he was so mad towards him. Neji on the other hand kept glaring at him. His eyes seemed poisonous almost the more he thought back on what could have happened between the two of them. He was about to say something about it when Tenten's soft hands touched his shoulder smoothly, calming him down gradually. "Naruto, where's Ino and Sai."

"They're on their way now. Shikamaru is sleep and Temari's in there with him watching TV. They were waiting for you guys. You know it took you forever to get back, right?"

"Yes we know. It was a long story. Can you go upstairs and get them. Hinata, can you call and see where Ino and Sai are right now and tell them to hurry and meet in our room."

"Okay." Naruto yelled as he ran off towards the elevator. Hinata nodded then pulled out her phone an dialed the number. There was a long silence after that, a silence that Neji used to glare at his younger cousin once again.

"N-nani, Neji-nii-san?"

"We'll talk later." He demanded, looking away as she stuttered to try and regain herself in order to talk to Ino.

"Yes they are back. Yes…We will be in Neji and Tenten's room…Okay, bye Ino."

"Let's go." Tenten ordered as she walked ahead of the two bickering Hyuuga's.

Sasuke sat, huffing and puffing from running after what he thought was his brother in a taxi cab, on a nearby pillar. He moved some of his hair out of his face roughly before looking around again for some sign of Itachi. When it was evident that he was getting nowhere, he got up and walked into a near by café. The people there looked his way, one girl in particular did. She smiled at him then walked closer, twisting her nonexistent hips here and there.

"Hello. How may I help you?" She cooed as she watched him sit down.

"Just some water." He frowned at the menu then looked up, his dark eyes turning rd from the glint of the sun. "And maybe one of those chocolate pie slices too."

"Is that all?"

"Yes." He replied, thinking that response was rather stupid.

"Okay doll. Be right back."

He visibly shook from the woman's attempt at flirting then looked around as other, male employee's were resetting tables that looked to have been clumped together in one big group. Another, female was talking to a second female worker that was grabbing cups from one of the tables. He suspected that they were talking about them and smirked. He sent a slow nod towards them with a sincere smile and they did just as he thought they would. They giggled and waved back in that girly finger wave way. He laughed more to himself than to any other person and sat back in his chair. He found himself suddenly missing the way he was freely able to do that before Sakura came and pinned him down.

…Sakura. I wonder where she is? He sighed, tilting his head back on the booth chair till he could see the other side of the café in an upside down world. I wonder if she's still mad. It wasn't like it was my entire fault really. Besides, it's not like I hurt the girl or anything. I just pushed her. She missed the chairs. He suddenly lifted his head, an angered face showing instead of a tired one. And that Tenten. If she looks at me in that way again I'll make sure she thinks twice about it before doing such an idiotic thing…then again…no…I'm pretty sure I can take on Neji.

"Here you go, doll." The waitress said while she handed the up and plate to him.

"Thank you." He cooed, taking the cup of water first.

I still don't know why they all got mad at me. I'm the one that's having a situation here. My brother, the murderer that got lucky, is out there as we speak. I had to take revenge then and there, and Sakura was in the way: She was siding for him, as if she knew him! Sasuke sighed then took another sip of his water. That was when he noticed the waitress was still standing above him. He looked up, the sun shining off of his dark eyes making them red once again.

"Eh? Were you talking to me?"

"Yes I was." The woman smiled, knocking her hip to the side. "I was just asking you what your name was."

"Sasuke." He replied then looked back at his pie.

"Sasskay? That's cute. What are you, Chinese?"

"Japanese. Can I eat now?"

"Geez. Not only do you look like him, you act like him too."She whined, crossing her arms over her chest.

Sasuke stopped mid drink at this comment then looked her way. His eyes were dangerously red as he stared at her with a dubious gaze. "What did you just say? I look like whom?"

"This one dude with long hair that came by not too long ago with-"

"Where did they go?"

"On couple went that way." She said, pointing towards the horizon. "I think the other's went-"

"Never mind the groups. Where did the one who looked like me go?"

"The opposite way, towards the casinos I believe, but I'm not-"

"Keep the change." Sasuke said as he dashed away from her and out the door, heading in the direction the waitress directed. His passion was restored. He wanted to find Itachi now more than ever. The waitress and the other workers were just staring after him.

"Geez, Tammy. You chase off ever hot boy we ever got here today." One of the female workers griped.

"You're ugly. When will you get that through your thick scull." A male worker laughed.

"Whatever. He was just looking for someone. It has nothing to do with e and my looks."

"You call those looks?" The other male worker barked.

"Shut up!" Tammy yelled as she swung her dirty rag at his head, missing gravely. "I am not ugly!"

"She did what?" Ino yelped. Her head was on Sai's shoulder previously, but after hearing what her best friend did with her boyfriend's brother their first night in Vegas, she found no reason to keep it down as if what was said wasn't said.

"Ino, hush, this is partially your fault for leaving her alone like that. She was a beginner at gamboling and you left her there. Anything could have happened to her. Something maybe worse than what has already happened."

Ino silenced herself, looking away from Tenten and her harsh words, but noticing her own mistakes nonetheless. Sai rubbed her back in attempts to comfort her before he refocused back on the topic at hand. "What else?" he asked.

"She's been continually lying to us in fear that one of us, Naruto, would tell Sasuke about it and ruin her relationship with him."

"But isn't sleeping with your boyfriend's brother already messing things up as is? She can't just blame us if something like that got out."

"Yeah, Naruto that was before you guys showed up. That was when it was still an accident and not on propose."

"It's gotten to that point?" Hinata asked.

"Yes, the second time and the other times after that"

"How many times did she sleep with the guy?" Temari and Ino asked.

"The first time was on the first day the girls got here in Vegas." Neji began to explain. "After that was when she left Tenten on the bus. She was going back to get her money but he spent it all and was forced to pay her back. That was the first time she slept with him sober. After that, Saskue took her out and apparently it was a bad date. She left after they returned. That was when she came back saying that she was at the park. The last time was the day after Sasuke pushed her, today. So all in all that makes 4."

"Four times!" Naruto gawked.

"But didn't Sasuke and Sakura…you know." Hinata lisped.

"Yes." Tenten answered. "She told us about that as well. She said she wasn't all too pleased, and she felt more guilt towards Itachi than him."

"A soft laughter echoed form the back of the room." Tenten looked at the source, Temari and Sai.

"The little twerp wasn't good enough, pretty much." She cooed, making Tenten laugh. "So what else. We want to know everything."

Sakura lay comfortably on his bare chest, idly tracing a pattern on his skin with a soft smile forming. Itachi held her in his arms while she did so. He was staring up at the ceiling, playing with a strand of her pink hair between his fingers. Everything was perfect to him. Nothing could stop him from feeling this bliss. Nothing could change his mind: that he loved Sakura Haruno, his brothers ex.

"I love you, Itachi." She cooed as she looked up, her teal-green eyes tainted with so much passion that he wasn't sure he was looking into her eyes and not the ocean or something like that. For a moment he just stared before he allowed a smooth smile, wider than the usual ones, to form on his face as he realized what she said.

"I love you too, Sakura."

She smiled then buried her head into his chest. A perfect ending to a not-so-perfect day, both could care less. He was happy. She was happy, and they were together. Nothing could ruin his mood.

Once again, please forgive me. Keep in mind that this was not the only story with the supper late update. I hope you enjoyed it though. Check out my profile for more info or if you just want to know why my updates were so late.

Ja Na!

Song:

Bruno Mars-Count on Me