Itachi's Promise: Forty-Four

Lifting Sakura up into his arms, Itachi stood on unsteady legs and watched his mother interrogate his little brother. Sasuke glanced over at Itachi and Mikoto copied and called Itachi's name. Itachi walked slowly to his mum and kneeled down, Mikoto hugged both Sasuke and Itachi tightly. Sakura remained in Itachi's arms, press between the three bodies.

"You two have grown," Mikoto sighed.

"Yeah," Itachi agreed.

"Why so shy?" Mikoto asked.

"You were suppose to be dead, all the Uchihas were," Itachi said, looking out at the rests of the Uchihas.

"No, you killed clones," Mikoto answered, Team 7 and the two Uchiha brother froze and looked at their mum.

Mikoto smiled as everyone around her froze, she smiled and rested her hand on Itachi's shoulder.

"You know," Itachi asked ashamed.

"Yes, but I understand and I accept that no matter what you still love me," Mikoto answered, smiling and causing Itachi to smile.

"Time to head home," Kakashi said, standing up and looking around at the Uchihas as they glared at him.

Mikoto stood up and held her hand out for Sasuke and Naruto and then turning back to Itachi to find him already on his feet. Naruto and Sasuke walked side by side as Mikoto directed the Uchiha clan towards the boat, Itachi walked behind with Kakashi. The boat could only take fifty at a time, so it took over four trips for everyone to reach Port City. Once in Port City Mikoto let Team 7 direct the way back to the Leaf Village. As they neared the village, Kakashi pulled Itachi up beside him and created a line with Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi and himself. Sakura still lay passed out in Itachi's arms, as the guardsmen of the Leaf village saw everyone they fell over. Tsunade was called right away and she was there within minutes; Tsunade stood to the side of the gate as the whole Uchiha clan walked through the gates of the village. Itachi and Team 7 stood beside Tsunade, as everyone walked in.

"Itachi, you have some explaining to do," Tsunade said, continuing to watch as Uchihas flooded through the gates.

"Sakura, found them," Itachi said, holding Sakura's body tighter to his chest.

"Itachi, take Sakura to the hospital," Tsunade ordered, Itachi nodded and happily disappeared along with Sasuke and Naruto to escape the mass of Uchihas walking through the gates.

Itachi, Sasuke and Naruto appeared in the hospital, Naruto and Sasuke did all the talking and Itachi stood behind them with Sakura. A hospital bed was quickly wheeled near Itachi and Itachi was instructed to put Sakura on the bed. Gently and ever so carefully Itachi laid Sakura on the bed and followed the nurses as they took her into a private room and began with the tests. Minutes after having the tests done, a nurse sighed with relief and told the two Uchihas and Naruto that she was going to be fine and should wake up within the next few hours.

Itachi and Sasuke pulled up seats either side of the bed and Naruto sat on the end of the bed, where Sakura's feet didn't reach. Itachi glanced across Sakura at Sasuke and Sasuke glanced at Naruto, Naruto looked at both the Uchiha's with confusion and then raised an eyebrow and was about to shout when Sakura smiled and opened her eyes.

"Sakura," Itachi whispered.

"Sakura," Sasuke said.

"Sakura," Naruto yelled.

"Naruto, calm down," Sakura ordered weakly.

"Yes, Sakura," Naruto answered, back to speaking normally.

"Where are we?" Sakura asked.

"Leaf Village, along with the Uchiha clan," Itachi answered, Sakura smiled and reached down having two fingers under Itachi's chin and lifting it up so she could place her lips against his.

Sakura sighed as she pulled away from Itachi; Naruto fell off the bed and Sasuke looked away. The room was silent for a minute, until Sakura reached out to Sasuke and smiled when he took her hand. Sakura reached out to Naruto and smiled again when Naruto took her hand; Sakura brought the two hands together as she had done with Sasuke and Itachi not too long ago.

"Where is Madara?" Sakura asked, not yet releasing Sasuke's and Naruto's hands.

"Don't know, he disappeared," Itachi answered, Sakura looked worried towards Itachi and Itachi stood up and hugged Sakura whispering something in her ear.

Sakura giggled and leant against Itachi, as she released Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke and Naruto turned towards Sakura with a confused look and tilted their heads to the side.

"Friends Forever," Sakura said, yawning and closing her eyes while leaning against Itachi.

After a while Itachi lay Sakura back down in the bed and sat back in his chair, Sasuke and Naruto had gone to get Naruto something to eat and left Itachi to watch over Sakura. Naruto ran back in the room and into the bathroom, while Sasuke strolled back into the room with a smirk.

"Itachi, never ever eat or drink anything from Naruto's apartment," Sasuke suggested, listening to Naruto as he threw his guts up.

"What makes you think I will ever be in Naruto's apartment?" Itachi asked, watching his brother.

"Because Sakura spends loads of time there with Sasuke and I, so when you marry her you will join us," Naruto said, flushing the toilet and stepping from the bathroom.

Sasuke and Itachi both paled, Sasuke glared at Naruto and Itachi smirked.

"Thanks for the idea," Itachi said.

"Now you have put the idea in his head," Sasuke complained.

To Be Continued...Please Comment.