Chapter five - Getting a 'nii-san'.

Crying.

That's the only thing that ten year old Uchiha Itachi could focus on right now. He had come to this particular training ground so he could escape his cousin Shisui. That didn't work since his cousin is going to find him in the next five to fifteen minutes.

Sighing, he approached the crying voice. He really didn't have anything better to do. He couldn't focus on training with someone crying like that. And the voice was really heart-breaking. And being the soft hearted pacifist that he is, he just had to make the person feel better.

The sound was coming from the clearing next to this one. When he arrived he found a pink-haired little girl on the ground hugging her knees and crying her heart out. At first he thought that she was hurt, but a brief look-over proved his suspicions wrong.

What could have a little girl crying so hard? She looked to be about Sasuke's age. He approached her and was surprised when she shot up and looked at him with bright red-rimmed emerald stunning eyes, with excitement. The first word that his mind came up with was 'colorful'. Pink hair, green eyes and her face seemed to radiate a whole rainbow of colors when she was excited.

'He's cute. Maybe even cuter than Neji-kun.' Said Inner as she held up two mental dolls, one of Neji and the other of Itachi, and compared them to see who was cuter. She dropped the Itachi doll and started hugging the Neji doll. 'Naah. Neji-kun is much cuter.'

'Neejiii!' Sakura wailed mentally.

He apparently wasn't who she was expecting, so she deflated and started crying harder

He put his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. She lifted her head to look at him, while bringing a fisted hand to rub at her eyes.

"What's your name, little one?"

"Haruno Sakura. *sniff*"

"Ah, Sakura-san. I'm Uchiha Itachi."

Silence.

Then *sniff* *sniff* *shaky intake of breath signaling another round of crying*

But Itachi cut her off before she could start.

"Why are you crying, Sakura-san? And what are you doing out here alone?"

"I'm waiting for Neji-kun. So we could train," *sniff* *sniff*, "But he's late, and he's never late!" *sniff* "He said that Hyuugas are never late!" *sniff*

He was surprised at hearing that she was waiting for the new Hyuuga heir. The announcement was shocking to everyone, even the kid himself when it was announced at his birthday a few months ago. He didn't attend, because he was away on a mission, being Chunin and all. But his mother had told him about it.

"Well, Sakura-san, how old is Neji-san?"

"He's six. Why?"

Itachi smiled gently at her. She was so innocent that it stirred something in his heart.

"Today is the first day of the academy, and I bet that Neji-san is attending."

"But why didn't he tell me?"

But Itachi's mind was somewhere else.

"Sakura-san."

"Hmm?"

"Why do you keep your bangs down?"

She looked at him with eyes filled with horror. Now he was going to make fun of her too. She's been crying and now it's going to get worse.

'Oh, no you don't! Cute or not I'm going to pummel him if he says anything about our lovely forehead!' Said Inner as she started punching a tied up Itachi doll.

'And you! You're such a crybaby Outer!'

Her eyes filled with salty liquid and she lowered them as she answered him, "Because my forehead is too big."

She said it in such a broken voice that it had Itachi's heart break for her.

He reached to his wrist and undid the red scarf that he always ties on his wrist. She was startled when she felt Itachi raise her bangs and tie a red cloth to hold her bangs up, with a bow at the top.

"You shouldn't hide your forehead, Sakura-san. That way it is more noticeable. If you hide something people are going to tease you about it, but if you show them that it doesn't bother you, they won't tease you about it. Unless it does bother you?"

She casted her eyes downwards. That was as much of an answer as if she yelled it in his face. He hooked his finger under her chin and lifted it. That's when he noticed the necklace. 'So she is promised to the Hyuuga clan. They made a good choice.' He thought.

Looking back at her beautiful eyes, that were more visible without her bangs, he said, "You know, Sakura-san, a big forehead indicates a big mind."

'Awww, I'm so sorry Ita-chan! I didn't mean it.' Said Inner as she hugged the Itachi doll.

'You're hopeless.' Said Sakura with her eyes narrowed to slits.

Ignoring her Inner asked, 'Hey, Outer. What did Neji-kun say about a person that makes you feel better?'

She contemplated this for a few seconds and then smiled brightly at him when she decided that he was saying the truth. "Thank you, nii-san."

"Nii-san?"

"Mmhmm. Neji-kun always makes Hinata-chan and Hanabi-chan feel better. He says that it's what a Nii-san does. So your my Nii-san. Right?" She asked with a tilt of her head.

He nodded with a slight smile. She was so innocent that he wanted to protect it with everything he has. She will have a great Will of Fire someday, and he was positive of that.

He couldn't help but think that the girl seemed too shy, but he somehow sensed that she has a whole other personality after she gets over her shyness. He would ...

"Hey baby cousin! Thought you could hide from Shisui the great! Well, think again cousin! Because... Hey, who's the pretty lady?"

Aaah, Shisui. His cousin was the weirdest Uchiha alive. He is the only Uchiha that knows how to have fun. The only Uchiha to smile, laugh, be loud and inviting. Maybe his cousin could get Sakura out of her shell.

"Shisui, this is Sakura."

...

ShitShitShitShit!

Sakura's going to kill him! She had slept at the dinner table (chair) last night (again) and Neji had told him that he would start attending the academy today and that he wasn't going to be able to be there for their morning practice.

He was so groggy this morning because of another sleepover in the living room (a.k.a : Mebuki kicked him out - again - and he was forced to sleep on the couch - again -) that he forgot to tell Sakura.

He picked up his pace when he imagined that his little girl was crying her little heart out. That's why he was so surprised when he neared and heard his angels loud laughter.

Shisui was flickering from one place to another in the clearing and Sakura was jumping excitedly at how 'cool' that was. Itachi just looked on amused. His cousin had managed to get her from a sobbing mess to a laughing happy child. But what had him content was that she was holding his hand, just like Sasuke did. He always wanted a little sister.

He felt another presence at the edge of the field, but ignored it since there was no hostility in the persons chakra. In fact it seemed soft. So he guessed it was a relative of the young girl.

"Teach me! Teach me!"

Shisui stopped abruptly and stared at her. Then his expression turned sheepish. "I can't do that, Sakura-chan. I don't think you are ready for this jutsu. You're still too young."

She pouted, then stubbornly stated, "Yes I am! I'm perfectly capable of learning it! Right, Tou-san?" Sakura asked as she turned to her fathers direction.

Kizashi stepped out from behind the tree he was using as a shield. He could never hide from her. He opened his arms for Sakura to come to him. She did not disappoint and ran at him. He picked her up with practiced ease and said, "I think you should try showing her, Shisui-san. You will be pleasantly surprised." Said Kizashi with a kind smile.

Shisui and Itachi just stared at him.

"Oh, I apologize. I'm Haruno Kizashi, Sakura's father."

Itachi, being the polite heir that he is, said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kizashi-san. I'm Uchiha Itachi, and this is my cousin Uchiha Shisui."

Before any of them could continue, Shisui snatched Sakura away and said, "You two could finish chitchating, meanwhile, I will be teaching my new student how to body-flicker!"

"Yaaaay! Wait! Tou-san, why did you come here?"

"Ah, well, pumpkin. Neji told me to tell you that he starts attending the academy today and that he wouldn't be able to come today. Ehe ehe."

"WHAT!? AND YOU TELL ME THIS NOW?!"

"Ehehe, sorry, kiddo. I was a bit grumpy this morning, you know? And it just slipped my mind." He said while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

He began to take small steps backwards when she sent him a murderous glare over Shisui's shoulder.

"Now, now. We don't want you exhausting yourself before you start training, do we?"

"Nope! Lets start!" It was amazing how she switched moods.

Kizashi and Itachi each sat at the base of their respective trees, making small talk and commenting on Sakura's training. Itachi and Shisui were both pleasantly surprised when Sakura got the hang of the normal substitution jutsu so quick.

And that's how Neji found them when he entered the clearing. Shisui was explaining to Sakura that the body flicker technique is similar to the substitution jutsu, but you remove the hand seals, there is no smoke and you substitute with dust.

Sakura was so focused that she didn't notice when Neji came. So he cleared his throat to get her attention. She turned her head at him and smiled the brightest smile Itachi has ever seen.

"Neji-kun!"

And she ran to him, hugged him and started talking a mile a minute.

"Sakura." Neji cut her off.

"Yes?"

"I like your hair better this way."

She blushed and stammered out, "W-well, I-itachi-nii-san d-did it." Then she smiled shyly at him.

He raised an eyebrow at his future girlfriend calling an Uchiha 'Nii-san'. And of course Sakura just understood what he meant by the facial expression and told him the exact reason that she told Itachi and began dragging him.

He smiled at her as she led him to where Shisui had moved beside his cousin.

Then the shy and innocent demeanor evaporated.

"Neeeejiii."

The warning under tone and the lack of suffix had him straightening and listening closely to what she had to say. If he didn't, she would smack him upside the head, and he would like his head intact, thankyouverymuch.

"I know that the Uchiha clan and Hyuuga clan are rivals, but you will be nice to Shisui-sensei and Itachi-nii-san, right?

She batted her eyelashes at him.

Shisui was wiping a tear from his eye at being called 'sensei'.

He sighed in exasperation

"Hello, Itachi-san, Shisui-san. Nice to meet you."

Shisui made a comment about Neji being 'whipped' and got an elbow in his ribs courtesy of Itachi for his rudeness.

Kizashi smiled as the kids interacted with each other, and made plans to train with each other. He felt pride swell in his chest at what his daughter had just accomplished. Even the Hokage had tried, and failed, to put Hyuuga and Uchiha in the same room and even he couldn't bring them to stay civil towards one another. And he smiled at the plans of training while Neji was busy at the academy.

'Maybe this generation will make a difference. I should keep an eye on them to make sure they stay friends till the grow up.'

...

A/N: I received some complaints about them being engaged so early. You guys, they're not actually engaged, it's just a tradition in the Hyuuga clan to claim a woman as his. It's like a promise that they will date in the future. And the marriage proposal part was just Kizashi being melodramatic.

And come on Sakura Hatsu, you totally predicted this chapter. *pouts*

Anyways, hope you enjoy.

Take care,

Zee :)