Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form

Chapter 5: Integration

"Sakura-chan! Over here!" Jade eyes scanned the crowds for a familiar blonde teammate who had called out her name, his arms flailing above his head to catch her attention. Due to her position as Tsunade's apprentice, she had spent the majority of the funeral proceedings alongside Shizune and Tsunade, and had been unable to join her friends. But now that was over; the crowds still loomed at the graves, but many huddled in small groups around particular gravestones or simply under some trees to enjoy the shade it provided as they talked amongst themselves.

At Sakura's earliest convenience, she bid goodbye to Shizune and Tsunade (the latter stating something about needing a drink) and went off in search of her family.

-Of which she found no thanks to Naruto, who was standing alongside the Uchiha and Haruno, and some of their fellow Rookie 12.

She smiled and made her way over -at least, she had tried. But upon finding herself alone even if just for the brief walk towards her family, she found herself immediately surrounded.

Konoha shinobi and villagers alike, it would seem, had more than enough to say to her.

-Praise, thanks, confessions of admiration and even questions. Particular among them, confirmation on whether it was true that Uchiha Itachi had indeed saved her life during the battle against Madara. She supposed it wasn't particularly unusual for them to want answers directly from her, especially since she had been conveniently absent from the public eye since she had arrived to Konoha in the arms of Sasuke, and that Itachi had supposedly given his life for that of hers -an act, which if true, would help to prove Itachi's innocence. She was sure that in the coming days it would be known as well that she had been the one to convince Tsunade to harbor the then-fugitive Itachi (and not to mention Kisame) in her home. An act that would show Sakura's support for the man -rightfully so too, since said man had saved her.

"Arigatou, mina," she spoke calmly, attempting to silence them all at once -her words were enough. "And if hearing it from Tsunade herself wasn't enough, then I will reiterate if it will give you all a sense of ease. Itachi-san did save me in the war. But please; do not take my word to be the only sign of his innocence; you should learn this on your own. If you will excuse me, my family is waiting for me." she bowed then, politely excusing herself from the crowd and once more beginning her small walk towards her family.

Even if the crowds had much more they wanted to say and ask, they bowed and cleared a path and allowed her to walk towards her family.

"-So, Itachi-san. Sasuke tells us you've finally taken residence at the Haruno household." she could hear TenTen striking up a conversation with the former fugitive as she joined her friends and family alike.

"Ah" Itachi spoke rigidly. "Sakura-san has graciously opened her doors to my family and I." he tried to maintain some semblance of a normal conversation but what the hell? He had expected more of a resistance from the villagers when it came to approaching him. Was it perhaps because these were Sasuke's friends that they were being more open to conversation?

"Of course she has; you probably don't remember this, but Mikoto-sama practically raised us alongside Sasuke-kun." Himawari interjected. He was mildly surprised to hear this, if only because he didn't understand how this arrangement had even come up. "She's like our other mother." she laughed innocently.

"Well, it was never a dull moment, I can say that. Especially not after Naruto entered our lives." Mikoto laughed. Truth be told, although she would probably never openly state it, taking in the Haruno bunch -and subsequently Naruto, had been a blessing. In many ways, it had saved Sasuke from living as an outcast and allowing resentment and hatred to fill his heart. In other ways, it had saved her too, by keeping her distracted. She could hardly ever hear the talks of the villagers over the rambunctious screaming of Himawari, and the constant bickering between Daichi and Sayuri, and the incessant laughing of the young Sakura, or even the light-hearted teasing of Marika from Hiroto. It deafened the pity of the villagers, and deafened the pain in her hollow heart. The day the Haruno entered her lives, she stopped living in the shadows as an Uchiha widow, and began living her life as a mother, perhaps one of the most worthwhile and fulfilling things she'd ever done. She had lost a son, (temporarily, for future Sakura had given her much hope that she would get him back) and had gained a family shortly after. No longer did she have to worry about the internal pressures of the Uchiha Clan and the external pressures of keeping the peace between Konoha and Uchiha alike. It had been her saving grace, after all.

If the Coup had been the downfall of the Uchiha, the raising of the Haruno kids had been her rebirth, and her atonement for the sins of her clan.

Now, although she would not panic anyone, more than ever she was excited for the expansion of her family. Oh Kami she couldn't wait for grandchildren! And given her adoption of the Haruno bunch, she had many grandchildren she could expect in the foreseeable future! At the gleeful thought she couldn't help the glance she shot towards Shisui and Marika, both standing alongside each other amongst the group. They had been almost inseparable outside of their duties, and even now lacked a formality between the two that could only make Mikoto giggle. Ahh, young love!

"Unfortunately," Sasuke's remark in response to Mikoto's comment roused her from her thoughts, which had only began the bickering between Sasuke and Naruto.

"Oh I can just absolutely feel the love in this group." Shisui remarked with a grin, putting his arm around both Naruto and Sasuke. "Does this truly feel like the time to bicker about your childhood grievances?" Despite the chastising undertone, the grin never left his features. "To think our most esteemed heroes still bicker like children."

Naruto pouted and Sasuke grimaced, as they turned to look away from each other; Naruto finding interest instead on the appearance of Sakura, who finally made her presence known with a snort -apparently she found Shisui's remark amusing too.

"That'll never stop, heroes or not." Was Sakura's greeting as she joined her group of friends. Most of them acknowledged her with a cursory glance, a small smile, or a wave. "But do try to behave at a funeral proceeding. You'll make it seem like Mikoto didn't raise us right." she reprimanded -the three of them, in fact. Because Mikoto was as much her and Naruto's mother as she was Sasuke's.

"Oh don't you worry about that." Mikoto giggled. "Not even Tsunade herself could straighten out these two boys." This only made Naruto and Sasuke pout in embarrassment, but they said no more in fear of inciting any more ridicule from the group. Leave it to their closest friends and family to belittle them. They did know they saved the Shinobi World, right?

"More importantly," Ino spoke out with a glint in her eyes that made Sakura nervous (it meant bad news for whoever she was directing it to). Luckily, her head swiveled away from Sakura, and rather to her elder sister. "You two seem rather close, Marika. Did you already call dibs on Shisui-san?" Leave it to her to be on to them so quickly -she swore Ino-pig truly did have a pig's nose when it came to love.

The mere statement made Marika choke on her saliva. "D-Don't be r-ridiculous, Ino." She stammered out, vehemently shaking her hands and head in innocence, not liking the multiple pairs of eyes now on her.

"Mo, don't be mean Marika." Shisui feigned hurt. "This is also not really the appropriate time to discuss such matters but if you must know Marika and I are in fact together." He didn't even hesitate to grab Marika's hand and bring it up to his lips for a chaste kiss, despite Marika trying to desperately pull away from him. Before the war she couldn't even get a clear response from the man, and now he was attached to her like glue! Could this man get any weirder?

"Oh, you sure move fast Marika," Ino snickered, elbowing Marika in the rib, "but I guess this does merit congratulations." Because of course she knew it would not take long for Shisui to become one of the most sought after bachelors in all of Konoha. But now all the viable females could kiss this chance goodbye -the door was closed before it even opened.

"Mo, don't put the blame on Marika, Shisui's always had a tendency of pursuing things with swift confidence." Mikoto laughed lightly. "I have no confusion in regards to who's moving fast." Truly, it was simply in their Uchiha blood. When an Uchiha loved, they loved -and no thing, person, or place could stop an Uchiha from the object of their affections. Shisui was no exception.

Banter continued from there, and it had allowed Itachi to casually observe the interactions between the Uchiha, Haruno, and the rest of Sasuke's teammates. How was it that Shisui could easily slip into conversation like this, never mind the fact that he'd been here less than a week and he was already courting someone -let alone a Haruno. Then again, he was sure there was a hidden past he simply could not remember that explained the proximity between the two. In between conversations, Shisui had mentioned that he had known Marika for many years -he understood it to mean even after the massacre of course, because he could also remember Marika from his childhood, but Shisui hardly had any interactions with her then (of course, seeing as Fugaku had been trying to potentially create an arranged marriage between the two).

As he thought this, suddenly he felt a tug on the fabric of his shirt, and he looked down to see Saki curiously looking up at him. He had met her for the first time since his resurrection a few days prior. She had been quiet, although he didn't take her to be shy. She seemed... apprehensive? As if cautious, in fear that she would say or do something that would make him uncomfortable. But her mere face triggered within him feelings of pride and love and -Kami she looked just like a child version of his mother. She was cuter than Sasuke had ever been! How was that even possible? It shouldn't be -but it was.

For a moment he had become completely absorbed in just the image of her, that he completely forgot about anything else around them. "Yes, Saki?"

"Does it make you nervous being here?" she asked curiously.

She had been observing him, he noted. She may look like his mother but her temperament was much like his father. "Alert." he corrected her after a few moments of considering her words -to what degree would it be appropriate for him to be honest? At what point should he refrain from telling her the truth? Would she know if he lied? Would it hurt her feelings? Would she feel pushed aside? All these questions rushed through his mind and Itachi could not recall a time he had ever felt so unsure about talking to someone before. "They once considered me an enemy. They may attribute their deaths at the hands of Akatsuki as my doing, among other things." Itachi expressed. "Shisui is different. He died a hero. He doesn't have Konoha blood on his hands." Itachi died a scourge, words that lingered in his mind but he did not vocalize.

"But it wasn't, was it? Tsunade-sama said it herself. You were in Akatsuki to protect us. I'm sure you never laid a finger on a fellow Konoha shinobi, did you?"

It took him several seconds to answer this. "...I don't know," Because truth be told, he couldn't be so sure. He loved this nation dearly; would do anything for it. He had killed his family for it. Could he say that he would not kill other Konoha shinobi if it meant keeping his alias in Akatsuki secret for the long-term benefit of Konoha? "I'd like to think so..." he could only respond, his thoughts trailing off.

Saki had clearly sensed his uneasiness, and realized she had made a mistake. 'Stupid Saki, of course this'll only make him worry,' she quickly reprimanded herself. She had been thinking heavily about how best to interact with her elder brother. How much could she say, ask, and do, that would not cross a boundary and make him feel uncomfortable? What things would upset him? What things would trigger feelings of uneasiness? What was the best way she could get close to her nii-san? Ironically, Itachi's thoughts varied very minimally from her own. Tucking these thoughts away, she quickly smiled brightly back up at him, trying to recuperate. "You risked your life to save Sakura-neesama; I know you wouldn't have done that if you didn't care about us or Konoha."

Which pegged a very curious thought to him: why had he thrown his life away for the teammate of his younger brother? The only logical conclusion he could think of was that he knew she was the key to winning the war -even now he had heard bits and pieces between his mother and Sasuke, that of a prophecy foretold and fulfilled by the pink-haired kunoichi. And even from within the confines of his hospital bed (mainly from the retelling of the war Shisui and Sasuke had censored and dramatized for Saki's enjoyment), he heard of of "thousands upon thousands of cherry blossom trees," all at the command of "Sakura-oneesama" which had healed everyone within the confines of the war. Ultimately, he understood that his sacrifice had saved the one person who single-handedly swayed the war in their favor and literally saved thousands, so clearly he had done so with purpose.

Surely, that had to be it.

After the funeral proceedings had finished and the crowds had died down and admitted defeat to the fact that they would not be able to isolate their heroes, it had been decided that the Rookie 9 would part ways for the time being. As such, the Haruno and Uchiha, with the added companionship of Naruto and Kakashi, returned home together, where Mikoto would be making brunch for them, seeing as most of them had skipped out on breakfast.

Itachi found that his anxiety had greatly decreased the moment the crowds had dispersed and it was just the Uchiha and the Haruno. At least within this group of people, he didn't feel like all eyes were on him, prying, questioning, analyzing...

He was free to sink into the background, for the most part, and just enjoy being around the presence of his family. Saki didn't seem to want to talk much after, although she had contentedly settled atop Naruto's shoulders as he tried to taunt Sasuke for being a "cooler older brother". She kept peering over at him from the corner of her eyes every so often, which he continued to pretend he didn't see so as to save her the embarrassment of being caught.

His steps were slightly slower than the rest of the group, which had left him towards the back, with only Mikoto and Kakashi trailing further behind him, but he was okay with this, for it allowed him time to simply observe his companions. Sakura, who had been standing alongside Naruto, laughing at the antics of said blonde, allowed her eyes to roam past Naruto, where she noticed Itachi walking on his own. She slowed her steps down until she had fallen into pace with Itachi, who welcomed her presence with a small nod her way.

"I see you've noticed Saki sneaking glances at you." she began with a small, amused smile.

"Ah," he acknowledged, "I take it she's nervous to be around me." he surmised -it would, of course, make sense.

"Saki's very curious about you." Sakura corrected.

"At least she's not afraid."

"Of course she's not. You may not believe it but you're her hero." No thanks to Sakura, of course, although she would not disclose this information, but she had made it abundantly clear to Mikoto how important it was not just for Sasuke, but for Saki as well to understand that their brother was nothing if not a saint. Although Sasuke had never been explicitly told, he had been warned to think for himself, and above all else, to not allow his thoughts of Itachi to extend past him and onto his sister. When the time came, they would sit down and talk to her about their elder brother. "She knew about what you had done in the past... knew you were a missing-nin... but she never once let that taint her thoughts of you. Given the way that Mikoto had raised us, she refused to believe that there wasn't a good reason for your actions.

'There's no way you would raise a terrible person, Okaa-san.' she had stated many years ago. Saki was cute and innocent like that, but more than that she was insightful -thoughtful, and critical. She understood that no matter what had happened, the few times that the topic of her elder brother had come up, Mikoto had not once spoken ill of him, even when others had. And when ignorant and uncouth civilians had the gall to make some comment or another about the 'stain on the Uchiha name,' Mikoto had been very fierce and quick to shut down the comments. She defended her older brother with such a loyalty only a mother could have for her son. And how? How could Mikoto possibly defend her eldest son, if it was a well-known fact that he had done exactly what the civilians said he did? Well, it just simply meant that there was more to the story than what others lead on.

"That's a surprisingly astute stance for her to take." Itachi seemed nearly amazed by the maturity of his younger sister. If he didn't know any better (of which he really didn't) he'd be likened to say she was much like he was at her age.

"You're an enigma to her. She just wants to learn more about you but she's afraid to make you uncomfortable." Sakura confessed to him -of course, Saki had snuck into her room in the middle of the night to tell her as such, asking for advice on talking points or things she could do to help her get closer to her aniki (she had assumed that Sakura would know best, of course).

Itachi smiled a little as he stared at the back of his younger sister, who was now talking to Sasuke about who knows what atop Naruto's shoulders still. His sister was quite impressive, truly. He was almost in awe.

And Kami, she was just so cute.

Lunch had begun with a lot of banter, as it normally did. From alongside her, Himawari could not help but notice that Sakura was unusually quiet since the funeral this morning. She could have chalked it up to Sakura being tired, but she knew it was something else. "Is something the matter, Sakura-chan?" she voiced her thoughts out-loud. "You're quieter than usual."

"Yeah, everything is fine," Sakura rejected, "I was just thinking about something... actually, before I forget, there is something I have to announce, and I guess now is as good a time as any" Sakura began, rallying the attention from all the occupants of the table. It took a few seconds for the banter to quiet down, but as it did, suddenly all pairs of eyes were on her.

So..." She began hesitantly, "Tsunade has informed me that she wishes to announce my taking up the Haruno Clan Leader role soon. She thinks it will help to put myself in a position of power to help keep Danzo at bay, among other reasons." she concluded with a small sigh. Silence stretched on for several seconds, as they all though about what this meant for her Sakura.

"You don't seem very excited about this news, Sakura-hime," Hiroto observed.

"Well, no, not really... It's kind of a big deal. I've been so used to living in the background that I'm not quite sure how to adapt to this new role." Sakura spoke with a shrug. "I know it's always been the intended goal for me to eventually take up a leadership role officially, but I'm not entirely certain that now would be the best time. I'm still very young." Sakura explained.

"Well, what will this entail, as far as actually crowning you, so to speak? And how will this shift your responsibilities as they are now?" Shisui voiced out-loud. He could see why Sakura was stressed and disinterested in the topic. What with everything going on, Sakura probably wanted nothing more than some normalcy in her life. Being dubbed Haruno Clan Leader was probably the furthest thing from that. He didn't quite understand what that would mean for her, but he did know what it meant for most others. Once one took up a leadership role in their clans, especially one so renowned and respected as the Haruno Clan, they ceased their traditional shinobi lifestyle and duties. What this meant for Sakura was simple: no more missions, no more hospital, no more freedom. Given, the fact that she didn't have a clan of elders to account for and follow, maybe it wouldn't be nearly as stringent for her. But what was certain, above all else, was one thing: once assuming the responsibility, her biggest mission and goal would be to ascertain the future of the Haruno Clan.

-And that... well, maybe that was too big a thought for Sakura to handle right now.

"I honestly don't know. I've left this up for Tsunade to organize. I can't be bothered with the formalities." Sakura frowned. She was a woman of action -paperwork was no longer her forte.

"Nonsense, Sakura." Marika hushed her with a frown. "Yes, I understand this is to boost morale and give the village a reason to celebrate. But that does not take away from the fact that this is a big deal -not just to them. To us." Marika frowned. She understood that her sister had a lot on her plate right now, and that protecting Itachi was at the top of her priorities, but she was not taking this situation as seriously as it should be taken -and it was up to her to make her realize it.

Hiroto and Marika had sacrificed the better part of their innocence and childhood to prepare for Sakura's eventual ascendance into her rightful role. Himawari, Daichi, and Sayuri had risked well over a year of their lives running away from Orochimaru as fugitives until Sakura was able to travel to that timeline and bring them back to Konoha. "You are tired, over-worked, and obviously not thinking about this as much as you should. But this is a big deal. Okaa-sama has entrusted the future of our clan to you; it is an honor greater than anything any of us will ever achieve to be able to take on that role." Marika reasoned out. "You've had too much on your plate. Now that Itachi's identity has been revealed and the ordeal with Danzo sorted, you have nothing more to worry about for now. You need to give yourself time to really think this through. If you truly do not feel ready to take on the title, we will of course respect and support your decision." Marika reasoned out.

"Well, what's the big deal, in any case? Would the title itself necessarily change anything for Sakura? The way I see it, this is really just a title for bragging rights." Naruto butted it, shrugging his shoulders. "Many of our friends are heirs to their clans. The only reason they haven't taken on the title is because their parents are still assuming the responsibilities respectively. You have your clan of elders right here, Sakura-chan." Naruto pointed to the likes of Hiroto and Marika.

"You already wield much power and influence." Mikoto agreed with Naruto, "I think this is only to substantiate and reinforce your power to the outside world. Everyone in Konoha already knows and revers you." Sakura furled her eyebrows, but did not have the energy to argue with neither Naruto nor Mikoto -and perhaps there was truth in their words. Maybe this title change was simply to substantiate her power, and basically validate all the power and responsibilities that Sakura had been given, and will continue to be given. "Let us not forget that in the past few months you've done some... legally ambiguous things that can land you in some hot water, Sakura." Mikoto reasoned out.

Obviously, things such as harboring two fugitives, helping Hoshigaki Kisame escape imprisonment, having trysts and making deals with previously hostile Akatsuki members, threatening Konoha heads...

"Having this title will come with its perks and benefits, among them waiving you of the responsibility of answering for some of this crimes." Mikoto explained.

Truth be told, Sakura hadn't really thought about it in that way. Had that been Tsunade's true motives in the long run? If so, why hadn't she just told Sakura as such?

"Mikoto really has a point here," Hiroto acknowledged. "There is much that still needs to be done, and only one chakra-depleted Sakura to do it. If we are constantly worrying about who your actions may offend, this will impede our progress."

What with her knowledge of her lineage, Sakura now understood that perhaps only she, Marika, and possibly Konan had the ability to do anything about Nagato -and ability aside, only she had the true skillset. And what of Itachi's memories, and of the extended alliances between all the Shinobi Nations, and of Kisame and-

"Sakura, you're doing that thing again," Mikoto laughed slightly, cutting off Sakura's trance. Sakura did not notice it until she said so, but she had begun to tap her fingers on the table uncontrollably -a habit she had picked up over the years.

But Mikoto and Hiroto were right. There was still much to be done -and having to constantly look over her shoulder and answer to higher-ups such as Danzo would only impede her progress. "I guess you guys are right." she finally conceded.

Marika smiled. "Just take some time to relax after this, Sakura. Given some rest and time to relax, I think you'll feel a lot more optimistic about what's to come."

And so it had been.

My God she was tired; so incredibly exhausted, she could sleep for days on end -a luxury she had not been given since her return to the village, whether it be because she was busy hiding Itachi, or because she, alongside Sasuke and Naruto, were being revered as heroes. She didn't dare to believe Tsunade and Kakashi initially, but they had been right -the amount of praise, love letters, and confessions of admiration that had awaited Sakura outside of the hospital had been insurmountable -perhaps more than even Sasuke and Naruto. Luckily for her, Marika, Himawari, Ino, and Mikoto had done much to handle this for her.

But she was finally home -Itachi was no longer in any imminent threat, so she could rest at ease there, and being away from him left her heart with some much needed distance: because it hurt infinitely more being looked at as a stranger rather than an enemy, her aching heart decided. As such, the moment she had found herself free from lunch, she had dismissed herself to her room for some much needed rest and relaxation, as Marika had suggested.

After lunch, Naruto, Sasuke, and Saki had taken it upon themselves to show Itachi and Shisui around town, which had left Mikoto to prepare dinner, and had given Sakura some much needed alone time. Decidedly, she had come to her room and and thrown herself onto the floorboards directly outside of her shoji door, content in laying upside down simply staring at the scenery of the cherry blossoms. Her head lay practically hanging off the elevated floorboards, her arms sprawled unceremoniously from her body, her legs differing minimally.

And in the comfort of her solitude, even if she had come to keep distance, her mind could not help but revert to Shisui, to Danzo, to Nagato, to everything that had occurred in these past few days -and then of course back to Itachi. Is this how things would be from now on? How her relationship with Itachi would have to be? Would there ever really be a chance to pick up where they had left off?

A bitter frown settled upon Sakura's features. Of course Itachi had to be amnesic -she didn't have the luxury of luck.

But until he got his memories back (if he ever did), she supposed there wasn't anything she could do about it. She would have to deal with her lack of luck and just pray to the Kami's that things for once worked in her favor.

-If only she had had the strength to revive Itachi with the Rinnegan; perhaps none of this would have happened. She could have laughed at her own misfortune. Even with the added help of the Kamis', by the end of the war she had been too weak; had not had enough strength to revive him. Hell, she had not even had the strength to walk towards him.

'But at least he's alive, Sakura.' she reprimanded herself sourly. She'd take him alive and amnesic over dead any day. She was asking for too much. Could she not just be grateful that he was alive? That he had been reunited with Sasuke-kun, and Saki-chan, and Mikoto? That he was now free of his crimes and would no longer have to worry about being executed for his past?

Selfish

She was being selfish, and it wasn't fair. It was not the job of her Kami to give her a happily-ever-after, as much as she wanted it. No -she had known for a long time now that her affections for Itachi, and his to her, were more than likely doomed to fail. She knew this. So why was she acting like it was the first she heard of it? Perhaps knowing it and having to actually face the reality were two different things.

"Sakura-chan."

Her small rest had been interrupted by a voice, and Sakura allowed a small grunt to escape her tired lips, giving the person on the other side of the shoji door to her room passage. In came Marika, looking as bubbly as ever as her eyes searched for Sakura inside her room. "I'm out here, nee-chan," Sakura called out, waving a hand to attract Marika's attention. Marika followed the voice towards the back, where her eyes fell on the unruly sight of Sakura, laying with her back against the floorboards, her head dangling off, staring at the scenery of their backyard upside down.

"How are you fairing?" Marika spoke, amused at the sight of Sakura. She approached her sister and took up residence alongside her, although she chose to simply sit alongside her sprawled sister.

"Fine." Sakura hid her true feelings away, even if Marika knew better and had given her a pointed look accordingly. "What brings you here?" she instead changed the subject. "You didn't want to go with Shisui and them to give them a tour of the city?"

"Nah, he's seen more than enough of me this past week. He'll be fine without me for a few hours." Marika rolled her eyes. Kami, if she had known Shisui would be this clingy immediately after the war she would have changed up her tactics.

"Really? Could've fooled me." Sakura snickered, taunting her sister. As much as she feigned annoyance at Shisui's antics, Sakura knew Marika absolutely loved all the attention she was receiving from him. "So what'd you come here for?"

"What? I can't just come hang out with my baby sister without wanting something?" Marika furled her eyebrows, insulted at Sakura's insinuation.

"I don't know, as of late you've been too busy canoodling with Shisui -Kami knows you have a lot of time to catch up on." she teased her sister once more. Before Marika could protest, she changed the subject (Kami knew she would never hear the end of it otherwise). "I kid I promise. I just figured you were here to scold me for some reason or another; everyone has as of late." Sakura half joked.

"People wouldn't be scolding you if you were taking care of yourself." Marika retorted with a scowl. "But no, I'm not here to scold you -simply talk."

"About?" Sakura raised a curious eyebrow, but her fixated gaze did not move from the interested sight of a bird perched upon one of the trees in their backyard.

Marika hesitated for a few seconds, her eyes turning from Sakura to the scenery before them; she swayed her legs like a child as she spoke. "Shisui came to me yesterday pretty upset about your decision to be left out of Itachi's life." she spoke casually -trying to defuse the irritation that Sakura was bound to have at her comment.

"And you're here to talk me out of it?" Sakura presumed.

"Iie, not at all." Marika shook her head. "You're an adult now, Sakura-chan. Whether we see eye to eye or not, we have to respect your decisions. And that's what I told Shisui to do." she added for clarification. "I'm simply here to talk and make sure you're okay. Even though it's your decision, I know it doesn't make it any easier for you to cope with."

"Ahh..." Sakura thanked her, having honestly not expected a reasonable and... respectful response. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that Marika truly was the person that knew her best. "...Sasuke thinks I'm sabotaging my relationship with Itachi." she could hardly help the roll of her eyes or the frown that crept its way to her mouth. Pffft. What would Sasuke-kun even know? He's never even held a crush before!

"Do you think you are?" Marika asked her instead.

"I don't think there is any relationship to sabotage." Sakura tried to shrug from her position, countering Marika's question. "We weren't even dating, Marika-nee; we weren't official, we had never made any plans..." Quite frankly, Sakura didn't know where she was going with it. The extent of their relationship could be summed up in the kiss that they shared (and of course, the CPR kiss in the past, but did that even count?). "But I can't just tell Itachi we had feelings for each other... not as things are now... not when he doesn't want to remember his past. Not when there's a chance he may not be able to remember to begin with..." And if that's the way he wanted things, then so be it.

"Let's get one thing straight though, Sakura. No plans had been made because Itachi had already decided he would not live past this war. If he had known how things would have turned out, don't you think he would have taken some action? Made some move...? Planned something?" This was a fact that Sakura was completely deciding to ignore, and that wasn't okay. Sakura had to take accountability for her decisions and be forthcoming about the whole picture, not just the bits and pieces that fit her narrative. "As much as I don't agree with it, this was also Shisui's way of thinking... something about "not wanting to start something he couldn't see through to the end," or whatever." Marika rolled her eyes at the sheer idiocy, a snort escaping her lips. Clearly, she and Sakura thought differently than the Uchiha knuckleheads. "Shisui didn't want to dive in too deep and set up this expectations from me, when he felt that it would be improbable, to see it through to the end. I don't know Itachi-san well, but I don't doubt that he he held this same sentiment. And in fact, given this disease Itachi had before, it would have been impossible in his case to survive the war... so wouldn't it have been selfish for him to fool you into a false sense of security and bait you into thinking that you guys would continue this romance after the war?"

Sakura could not help but remain quiet as Marika spoke, particularly because she couldn't find fault in her logic. As such, Marika decidedly continued. "Don't you think it would be quite easy for Itachi-san to decide to remain amnesic if all he knows is that he murdered his family, defected from his village, and committed several hundreds of atrocious acts for the past decade? If you didn't even allow him to consider the notion of a loved one he would be forgetting?"

"Maybe. But I won't be the one to tell him that." Sakura responded quickly.

"But you've also expressly forbade anyone else from doing so, Sakura. Be reasonable." Marika frowned.

"I didn't forbid them from telling him -just to leave my name out of it." Sakura reasoned.

"And don't you think Itachi's reasonable follow up question to being told he loved somebody in the past would be who?" Marika looked at her with an I'm-not-buying-it look.

"..."

"..."

"I thought you said you didn't come here to change my mind?" the scowl had returned on Sakura's features.

"I didn't," Marika reiterated, "I am simply laying the facts out in the open. It's not my fault your decisions are inconsistent with logic." Marika shrugged smugly. However, shortly after she allowed a long, drawn out sigh to escape her lips. "Regardless of all the shit I'm giving you Sakura, I can't say out of good conscious that I wouldn't be tempted to do the same were I in your shoes." As she spoke, she looked up towards the deep cherry blossom trees. "I guess love hardly ever is logical, is it?" she mused. Because as much as she hated what it meant for Sakura, she absolutely understood Sakura's desire to spare Itachi from the heartache that was his life. If Shisui would be better of not remembering anything about his past, and she simply happened to be a casualty in the crossfire, she was certain she wouldn't hesitate either.

"No, no it's not." Sakura agreed, and for a long time neither of them spoke, simply staring at the cherry blossom trees and enjoying the way the wind swayed their branches.

"...Eventually, Itachi will remember... probably." Sakura eventually stated, staring up at the clouds, knowing that his amnesia was bound to be a temporary side-effect of his rebirth. "But it would be selfish of me to force onto him the anguish of his past simply to indulge my feelings. He has a lot he's going through right now; a lot he needs to adjust to. I'm sure it is easier to face the village right now, ultimately not knowing the extent of his actions." Although she supposed it would simply leave things up to his imagination -was that truly any better?

"Perhaps," Marika acknowledged that there could be truth in Sakura's words. "Adversely, I'm sure that despite having Sasuke, Shisui, Mikoto and Saki by his side, he feels alone. They're his family, but he's been without them for well over a decade. Amnesia aside, they are almost complete strangers. At least with you there was some semblance of knowing and understanding. There must have been, in any case, for everything to have turned out the way it had."

-For him to have risked everything for her sake, she would not clarify.

Sakura knew there was probably truth in Marika's words. In a sea of strangers, there would be no one she would prefer over Itachi to comfort her. It was... strange, to say the least. That Itachi was by far the last person that she had expected to feel a strong connection to. Most of her memories of him (nice ones, anyway) were of a distant past. And after the Uchiha Massacre there was nothing -hell, even before the Uchiha Massacre there had been a rift between them. It had been over ten years since she had had contact with him, and even in this timeline it was few and far in between, and never particularly amicable interactions. Why was this connection she felt with him so strong?

For a long time, Sakura did not respond. "I guess I'm just afraid." she concluded.

Afraid that Itachi would resent her for forcing his past onto him. Afraid that Itachi would find out who she was, and still prefer a clean slate. Afraid that he would not value her in the same way that she valued him.

But this was something that Marika already knew, and as such she didn't respond, merely bringing her lips to the top of Sakura's head. "Everything will work itself out, Sakura. I promise."

"Yeah, yeah." Sakura hummed out dismissively. "There's no point in worrying over something that will fix itself, in any case." She knew truthfully she was saying this mostly to herself, though.

"Hai... and moving onto other matters... in regards to the news from lunch... your ascension," Marika began.

"Marika-nee, honestly I don't even know where to begin with that." she frowned. Just the thought of it made a headache she had been suppressing surface.

"Hai, I know." Marika laughed. "Are you just scared to assume the title? It's not like your responsibilities will change all too much, if we're being honest." Marika reasoned out. No, in fact, Marika had an inkling of a suspicion that this was deeper than that.

"I don't know... it just feels too real..." Sakura thoughts trailed on. She took a deep breath to steady the emotions that were threatening to spill forth, but she knew she had to speak her mind -if no one else, Marika would understand. "That was Okaa-san title, you know..." the mere mention of their mom made Sakura's voice crack, and instinctively Marika reached out to hold Sakura's hand comfortingly. "Whether she's been here or not, she's always been the Clan Head... and to imply that I must take over the title... It's like confirming that she's really gone... and then it's like saying that I'm ready to be her, you know? To achieve everything she did. To act as she did. Can I truly be as great as our Okaa-san?" there was pain in Sakura's words. Truth be told, she hadn't really had a proper time to mourn the death of her family. It had been easier to just be numb. In this timeline, she grew up with family; but this Sakura? She grew up alone. She had allowed to pain of her loss to to scar over, but never to really heal. And bringing up Ayame once more was a sore spot for Sakura. Did one ever truly move past the death of their mother? Sakura didn't think so -one just learned to accept life. But that didn't make her death any easier to swallow. Not truly.

"Sakura, being Clan Head does not make you infallible. It does not mean you can't make mistakes. It does not mean you must act as she did and be who she was. You are Sakura. Nothing you do will change that. But you must see that this passing on of the torch, so to speak, will be good for us. It'll be good for you." As she spoke, Sakura finally turned away from the scenery and settled her face upon the lap of her sister, which Marika accepted whole-heartedly, her hands combing Sakura's hair away from her face. "We live in reverence of our ancestors. Taking up this title does not mean erasing Ayame Haruno from history."

"I know..." Sakura agreed, allowing the tears to slowly slide down her cheeks. "But that's all that's left of her..."

"You're wrong. We are what's left of her Sakura." Marika affirmed confidently. "Okaa-san never cared about her title. She cared about her family. Taking this title up is child's play compared to everything else you've already done for our clan. Her legacy is this clan." Marika was not blind to the emotions that Sakura must be feeling. She was all too aware of the fact that the Sakura before her was not the same child that they had returned to Konoha for. She was seasoned in a way her baby sister never was. She had lived the majority of her life without knowledge of her family. This Sakura only found out about their survival what, two, three years ago, tops? This was a mental block she was sure would not be easy for Sakura to get around. At least Marika had always had the comfort in knowing that her baby sister was alive -Sakura didn't have that luxury for the better part of her life.

Sakura didn't speak for a long time. She knew Marika to be right; in fact, there wasn't much Marika wasn't right about most of the time. She, like Itachi, had been forced to grow up fast; to survive against all odds. Perhaps she held a greater appreciation for life than Sakura could ever understand. But Kami, Marika had such a way with words. She had always been able to calm her from her escalating thoughts. "You're right... and I will be able to do it... It is just an overwhelming thought at the moment." Sakura agreed.

"Hai, I know, and I completely understand... Which is why I came here to suggest that you let me handle its organization with Tsunade in your stead. That way you have time to really think about the things that matter. Let me take up what little responsibility I can lift from your shoulders, onegai."

The sudden suggestion made Sakura look up towards her sister with a nearly pleading expression. "Are you sure?"

"Of course." Marika smiled tenderly at her sister. "Okaa-sama told me all about the proceedings for when you would eventually take over as Clan Leader," Marika admitted honestly. "I feel like it's my responsibility to do it as Okaa-sama would have seen it through." Keeping up with tradition was hard as it was; it was all Marika could do to grasp onto the little they did know. "You should rest; I'll organize everything with Tsunade and the Daimyo, and I'll have Himawari, Konan, and Sayuri help me with the preparations. All you should think about is how great of an opportunity this will be for you to prove to the world the strength of Ayame Haruno's bloodline."

"Arigatou." Sakura felt like a huge weight was just lifted off her shoulders. "I know you'll do it justice." Sakura smiled earnestly. Would her Okaa-sama be proud of her? Of them? Of the way Sakura had rewrote history and saved their clan?

"Hai, I'll speak to Tsunade-sama and let her know I'll be handling these matters when I get the chance. For now, rest Sakura. Better days are before us, I promise."

Sakura smiled, for the first time in a long time, hopeful of what the future would bring.

End of Chapter

Hi guys! Hope everyone is well. I know it's been literal years since you've all last heard from me. Just want to say I'm here, and I'm trying to be a little more present. Hope you guys don't hate me for my hiatus.

I am still working on revisions for Sakura's New Past, but I don't want to give myself a timeline or deadline for when it will all be completed. Please be patient with me.

That aside, I just want to say that I hope everyone has been okay during these past couple crazy years.

Lots of love, and I hope I will be able to bring you all some joy and happiness with my work.