Story: The Keeper.
Series: Naruto.
Summary:
Due to a malfunctioned summoning scroll, Sakura finds herself sent into back in a time where Sasuke is still innocent. As she tries to undue her mistake, her reason for returning grows less every day she spends in a life where everything was simple.
Chapter name: Fate's hands.
Word count: 684
The small gathering of people, Itachi had promised was a blatant lie or at least a huge miscalculation. It was all the clan heads plus all their family. To make matters worse, Itachi was nowhere in sight, and she was anything but a social butterfly. A few men had approached Sakura for a dance, but she feared for their feet and politely declined. Not one for small talk, Sakura stepped outside the Uchiha compound to admire the gardens. In particular, the pond, where tiny koi fish swam gracefully in fluid motions. Speaking out loud in frustration, "If only, I coud dance as good as these little guys swim."
"So I take it dancing, is not your thing?" Sakura looked up to see Itachi looking at her with amusement filled eyes. The jerk, he was probably perfect at everything, Sakura though moodily.
Putting on a smile, she laughed lightly at the thought of her dance skills, and replied, "Nope, not really. Though if we were swimming I could show these little fishies a thing or two."
"So I take it, another date is in order? A midnight swim, perhaps?"
Sakura blushed at the idea, it sounded way too romantic to her. But she couldn't think of an excuse to get out of it quick enough, and settled for simply nodding.
Grinning at his small victory, Itachi flopped down next to her and leaned his head against the grass to look up at the night sky. Sakura followed suit and pointed up to a cloud, "That one looks like Raman."
Itachi looked at her with a slightly surprised look in his eyes and replied, "I can see that one, I suppose if I close one of my eyes. Then that one there is like dango."
They played this game for a minutes before Sakura breathed happily, "Sometimes, I wish life was really like this. Just living from one daydream to the next."
"You make it sound like life is all wrong ends."
"No, just a lot of them."
"Well, there must be some things that you like in life?"
"Obviously there is some. Like raindrops, colors, rainbows, trees, water, books, knowledge, my friends, my Shisshou, my family, and loads of other stuff. It's just that I can't seem to be able to do anything to protect the things that I really love."
Itachi choose that moment to scoot even closer to her, absentmindedly intertwining his fingers with hers, speaking in a clear monotone, he replied, "You know, I often feel like that too, but then I remember that this life is full of ups and downs, you can't help falling in and out of love with life."
Sakura tried to steady her breath which had teetered uncertainly at his words, "Then was this fate? For me to fall in love with.." She paused briefly casting Itachi a nervous side-glance before continuing, "With this Konoha? I feel like I belong here which is quite silly, I almost feel like I don't want to go back…"
"Is that really such a bad thing? Why not just stay here in Konoha? I'm sure your stuff can be easily retrieved from your old home."
Sakura shifted her eyes to his honest face, and almost felt bad for deceiving him, he deserved the truth, but Sakura wasn't ready to give it quite yet. Instead she replied, "I have a large share of friends back home, but what do I have here? A few good memories, I have years full of those at my own home."
Itachi grabbed her shoulders firmly, surprising Sakura, and forced her to look into his eyes, his fingers resting gently on her chin, he spoke the words that sent Sakura's mind reeling, "You have me, should you want it." He leaned in closer to her face, and fearing she was about to get kissed by the infamous Uchiha, Sakura pushed hard against his chest with her legendary strength, except he didn't budge. Not one bit. And so just like the fate that had brought her to the past, Sakura was fated to kiss the legendary Itachi Uchiha.