Unedited. Sorry for the wait. Life got crazy :)

XxX

Sakura's POV

Age: 16

XxX

"He'll be back any minute, Sakura," Kakashi said for the hundredth time that afternoon.

Sakura wasn't paying attention to him. She still paced back and forth in front of Konoha's gates, her eyes flickering between the road in and her watch.

"Do you think we should sedate her?" her blonde friend murmured under his breath to their sensei.

"Shut the fuck up, Naruto," Sakura snapped, turning on him. "You got the same report as I did. You were even more worried than I am right now just this morning!"

"Yeah, until I remembered it was Sasuke," Naruto said, drilling the words through his teeth. "Honestly, he's going to be fine. He for sure made Jonin no matter how injured he got, and he'll walk right down that path any minute and yell at us for worrying about him like always."

Sakura made a shrill sound and turned back to pacing. They didn't get it. Her and Sasuke had left things so bad between them when he left, and she had been agonizing over it over the course of his super secret Jonin test at the Uchiha hideout just outside of the village. On top of that, they had gotten a note that morning from one of the test moderators that Sasuke had been seriously injured, but elected to continue on.

The injuries were not listed, but a medic was recommended to meet him at the gate.

"Sakura," Kakashi said evenly, walking towards her.

She just kept pacing, furiously chewing on her thumb while reciting all of the chakra paths and their respective nerve clusters for healing purposes while simultaneously counting the supplies in the hospital that Sasuke might need if he-

She stopped when a large hand clamped down on her shoulder. She started, looking up at her sensei with wide eyes.

He was still patient as always, and only with her. He knew of her feelings and knew that it was more than Sasuke being injured that caused her to walk a six-foot long canyon in the dirt. He squeezed her shoulder once and let go, but didn't take a step back. "You need to focus. If he is injured, you can heal him, but only if you are also in a good state of mind."

Sakura closed her eyes and nodded. She folded her arms across her chest, as if they could ward off the pain of her heart cracking. "He left when we weren't on good terms."

Kakashi nodded. "I know. He mentioned it."

"What? What did he say?" Sakura's heart began racing. She was so screwed.

"Nothing specific. He asked me to make sure you didn't throw yourself off of a bridge, which seemed odd, but I didn't press the issue."

Oh sweet Kami… "Are you sure that's what he said?" Sakura was nearly shrieking at this point.

Kakashi's eyes flashed to Naruto before returning to her. "His exact words were, 'I fucked up, so make sure Sakura doesn't jump from a bridge or something. I'll fix it when I get back.' Is that the information you needed?"

"Yes, thank you," Sakura responded weakly.

Naruto inched closer, looking more and more concerned by the second. "Sakura, what the hell happened that night? I mean, we were drinking, but-"

"You were drinking?" came the deadly calm voice of their sensei.

"Not important," Sakura rushed out, waving her hands in the air. "It was just the one time, we swear!"

Memories of her fifteenth birthday begged to differ.

Kakashi raised a single brow. "Are you still referring to alcohol, or something else?"

Sakura had never been so red. "A-absolutely not!"

Kakashi didn't seem convinced, but he let it go. He wasn't, however, going to give up on the first issue. "What happened that made Sasuke worried you would toss yourself off a bridge?"

Sakura gulped at his no-nonsense tone. "We… had a misunderstanding." She winced. "I think."

"If you don't know if you had a misunderstanding," Kakashi said dryly, "then that's all the evidence you need."

"What happened, Sakura?" Naruto was in her face now, his expression equal parts worry and rage. "What did he do?"

"Ugh, Sasuke didn't do anything!" Sakura yelled, shoving him back. "I did, okay? It's always my fault, anyway."

"I'm sure whatever happened between the two of you can be resolved," Kakashi said confidently. "You made your sensei a promise that I hope you won't forget."

Sakura closed her eyes. Damn him. "I didn't forget. It was one time, like I said."

"Mhmm." Kakashi was so far from convinced.

"We need to be ready for when he gets here," Sakura said thickly, wiping at her cheeks. "We can discuss whatever happened later, when he's alright. His safety comes first." She eyed the other two standing with her and said, her voice firm, "Don't say anything to him about it. It's between us."

Neither Kakashi nor Naruto said a word, but they dipped their chins ever so slightly. They wouldn't interfere, like they always did.

"Good," Sakura said primly, turning around to face the path. "I don't want to overshadow his success. I know it sucks coming in third to both of us, Naruto, but you have to…"

Sakura trailed off, her voice dying when she saw something crest over the horizon.

"Is that…" Naruto said quietly, taking a step forward.

"I think so," Kakashi murmured, looking relieved.

"Sasuke," Sakura whispered, taking several steps forward and peering into the evening sun. She tried to make out the figure slowly making their way towards Konoha, but they were still too far away. She took several steps. Then, a few more.

Only when the sun glinted off of the stranger's hair and marked it with a blue hue did Sakura break out into a run.

"Sasuke!" She shouted the words out as she ran the rest of the way, her eyes tracking the blood as it fell from the fuzzy looking wound at his throat. She pushed herself faster and faster, her only thought that he was alive, that he had completed the task, that he was a Jonin, and he was here and he was-

Sakura's brain emptied when she noticed Sasuke's eyes widening as she got closer. He stumbled forward in a rush, but was barely walking as it was. He fell to his hands and knees and Sakura could hear him swearing.

She almost grinned. If he was swearing, he was okay. He was okay.

The two ninja's following behind him looked like they wanted to be anywhere but around the injured and stubborn Uchiha, who most likely had refused their offer for help. Sakura ignored them and crashed into Sasuke just as he stood up, his hands down at his side, defenseless.

"Sasuke, where are you injured? We need to get you back to the hospital for a full check up. And what happened to your neck? Is that why we got the letter?" Sakura rushed the words out like kunai flung from her fingers. She couldn't stop inspecting him, healing his superficial injuries to distract herself from the wound at the base of his throat.

He was alive. He wasn't that injured. He was alive.

"Sakura."

"How is your head? Your eyes? Did you overuse them? What if-"

"Sakura," Sasuke said tightly. He wrapped his hands around her upper arms and stopped her ministrations, also effectively pulling her closer in the process. "I'm fine, stop healing me. It looks worse than it is."

"Looks worse than it is?" Sakura demanded, slapping at one of his hands. He winced and Sakura immediately felt horrible. "Shit, I'm so sorry! Well, not for being angry, but you know what I mean." She pushed his hands off of her and stepped in close to inspect the wound at his throat. The skin had been sliced open and peeled back, almost as if he had barely escaped the swing of a sword. It wasn't deep, but it wasn't superficial either. "Sasuke, you'll need stitches."

"If that's all I need, then like I said," Sasuke said tightly. "I'm fine."

Sakura looked up and gulped at what she realized. They were in the same position as the night of her birthday, sharing breaths with heads tilted towards one another.

The only difference was now, Sasuke looked furious, like he was seconds from blasting her away with a Katon no Jutsu. His jaw was clenched and his eyes flickered between charcoal gray and crimson.

She hastily took a step back and closed her eyes, her mind racing. Was he still that upset over what happened at his house during the summer fireworks show? Sakura felt like her chest was being heaved into two.

Sakura bit her lip and turned to go, but Sasuke's hand on her wrist stopped her.

"Sakura, would you please lower your heart rate for a second and look at me?"

"You can't hear it," she snapped, unsure of why she was angry at him. It wasn't his fault. It was hers.

"Just turn around."

"No."

"Sakura," Sasuke growled. "This isn't fucking amusing."

"Well it's a good thing I'm not trying to be funny."

Before she could rip herself from Sasuke's grasp, she was spun around and crushed against him. He trapped one arm and hand between them while his other reached around her midsection to pull her as close as she could get. The sun faded behind the billows of his traveling cloak, with her head trapped between his and his shoulder. His breath was hot against her neck and he breathed in deeply as he squeezed her to him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his hand rising from her back to rest against the back of her head. "We need to talk, but just know that I'm sorry for how I reacted to what you said. I was just… surprised."

Sakura was wide-eyed, with her cheek squished against his chest. "I… I understand."

Sasuke sighed and pulled back. He let his arms drop and so did she. He stared at her for a good while before he eventually said, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Sakura breathed. She bit her lip, desperate to keep the want out of her voice. Oh Kami, how she had missed him. Every second, she was fretful and pacing, wondering if he was alright or on his way back. "You didn't miss much."

"Four months is a long time," Sasuke said quietly. He seemed to be talking about something else entirely.

Sakura knew what it was about. "Not too long," she said softly.

Sasuke slowly nodded. His eyes flashed over her shoulder. "Kakashi and Naruto are waving us over. Do you think you could give me some stitches any time soon?"

"Shit, yeah!" Sakura jumped to his side and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Kami, I'm such an idiot. Let's get you to the hospital!"

"Thanks, Dr. Haruno," Sasuke said jokingly, his voice catching on the end when she accidentally tugged at the skin of her neck.

Sakura desperately tried not to blush, but by the knowing side-eye she received from Sasuke, she knew he saw it. "I'm not a doctor yet, Sasuke, so don't call me that."

"Yes ma'am," Sasuke said, with no trace of respect in his tone. His voice was low and lilting, easy and warm, like he had teased her like this all her life. It made her flush warmer.

"Anyway, how was the exam?" Sakura asked quickly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Naruto and Kakashi were walking towards them and she didn't want them to overhear anything.

"Good," Sasuke groaned, stretching out his good shoulder. "The paper test was easy. The samurai from Iron, not so much. However, they did teach me several things." He looked down and grinned at Sakura's shocked face. "I want to start training more with the sword my father got me last year."

"You'd be really good at it," Sakura said, her words a bit stilted. She was overwhelmed with Sasuke being back and everything seeming so normal yet not, all at the same time.

"Teme!" Naruto shouted, finally reaching them. He scooped Sasuke's other arm up and hoisted it over his shoulders. "You doing alright there, Sasuke?"

"I'm fine," Sasuke said, his eyebrows immediately furrowing. "I don't need your help."

"Oh, but you need Sakura's, huh?"

Sakura's face flamed, while Sasuke said nonchalantly, "She's a med-nin, isn't she?"

"Th-that's right, Naruto," Sakura said. Of course Sasuke wasn't holding her closer for any other reason than him needing her to fix him up. "Go let his mom know he's back and meet us at the hospital, alright?"

"That's a good idea, Naruto," Kakashi said, waiting for the trio at the gates. "Sasuke needs rest and Mikoto has been waiting for news just like we have been."

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, giving Sasuke's shoulder a squeeze. "Congrates, teme. I hate you for beating me to Jounin, but at least Sakura beat you."

Sasuke smirked. "Thanks, but I'm pretty sure the only person I really needed to beat was you."

Naruto grew red. "You know what? You suck!"

"Ah ah, don't want to talk to someone of a higher rank like that, do you?"

"I'm going to kill you, you-"

"Boys!" Sakura shouted, stomping her foot once. The earth shook beneath them enough to rattle them back to their senses. They scowled at one another, but the fighting stopped enough for them to make their way into the village.

XxX

Sasuke's POV

Age: 15

XxX

Watching Sakura become a Jounin before him and the dobe really should have sent Sasuke into a tailspin of jealous rage. Itachi had made Jounin even earlier, Shisui a few years later than Itachi, and now clanless Sakura became another one of the few names mentioned when it came to prodigies being produced from the Hidden Leaf Village. Sasuke was supposed to be the best on their team, the best since his older brother and cousin, so why wasn't he spitting mad and glaring at the ground during Sakura's induction ceremony?

He was too busy being so damn proud of her.

Sasuke sat in the crowd, his Itachi, Shisui, his father, and his mother on one side, and Naruto and Kakashi on the other. The crowd was filled with people Sakura had touched over the years, whether it be just their spirit or in the saving work of her hands. Many of them stared at him at Naruto, but Sasuke's eyes were only on the pink haired ninja mounting the small stage erected in the park she had chosen her ceremony to be in, his sharingan wanting to activate to capture the moment forever.

Sakura wore the traditional dark, navy blue long sleeved shirt and pants, though her sandals were still heeled and her bright, pink hair was unbound to trail down to the middle of her back. Her hita-ate was where it always was, resting like a crown atop her head, and Sasuke thought to himself that she was kind of like a princess, being the apprentice of Princess Tsunade.

As the pinkette strolled across the stage to the Godaime, a small but proud grin on her face as she watched her pupil walk toward her, Naruto leaned over to Sasuke and whispered, "Can you really believe that Sakura beat us both?"

Sasuke could, but he wouldn't give Naruto the satisfaction of a reply. "Watch the ceremony, dobe. Sakura would kill you if she caught you chatting during her big day. Be respectful."

Naruto's eyes widened, but he turned back to face forward without another word.

Tsunade stepped forward as Sakura neared the center and held her hands wide. "Please allow me to introduce our newest addition to the Jounin rank in Konoha's elite shinobi forces– Sakura Haruno!"

Applause sounded, and Sasuke could hear Naruto and Kakashi cheering the loudest, but he heard his mother and Shisui cheering as well. As for himself, Sasuke settled on making eye contact with Sakura and giving her one of his rare, soft smiles.

Congratulations, it said, you earned it.

Sasuke could have been imagining it, but he swore that her grin widened.

After Tsunade said a few words about Sakura's work ethic, her relentless devotion to the village and its people, and her unique gifts and talents, she presented Sakura with her jounin vest. Naruto was nearly in tears at that point, but it was Kakashi that surprised him the most, his sensei getting misty eyed when Sakura finished zipping up the vest.

Cheers erupted again and after Sakura made the Jounin Vow of Service, the ceremony was over. She bounded down the stage toward her people and shrieked, "Hey guys! I did it!"

Naruto snatched her off of the ground and twirled. "I'm so proud of you, Sakura-chan! I hate you a bit for beating me, but at least you beat Sasuke too, right?"

Sasuke hmphed. "Sakura's smarter than both of us. Besides, she had a head start because of the paper tests that go with the jounin exam. It's only natural that she beat us."

Of course, Sakura made that face she made whenever Sasuke gave her a heartfelt compliment– the face that showed just how much it meant to her, but only for a second before it was plastered over with a fake but convincing smile. The smile of a friend hiding something.

"Thank you, Sasuke," she replied softly. Turning to Kakashi, she gave him a real smile and let her give him his probable, 'I'm so proud of you, it's all due to my hard work as your sensei, you're my favorite student' spiel, so it left Sasuke to simply watch his teammate bask in the humorous but true words of their sensei. Kakashi was proud of her, he did put in quite a bit of work for her training after their first tenuous year, and she definitely was his favorite– that he and Naruto were in agreement upon.

She looked so happy, standing there. Sakura's cheeks glowed with a healthy golden sheen in the afternoon sun, and her hands hadn't left the pockets of her jounin vest. It looked good on her too, Sasuke thought, staring at the way it was cut in at her waist. Did all of the jounin vests fit the females like that?

"You are surprisingly happy today, otouto," Itach's voice said, breaking Sasuke from his inner monologue.

He raised a brow and spared his older brother a glance over his shoulder before turning back to face Sakura. "Why wouldn't I be? My teammate is being celebrated for her progress as a kunoichi of the Leaf."

"It is not that." Itachi paused. "You are happy for her."

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed. Why wouldn't he be happy for Sakura's success?

He could feel Itachi's smile in his brother's words. "You remind me of several conversations from your youth today, Sasuke."

With an impatient sigh, Sasuke grumbled, "I'm sure you're going to tell me which."

"The first was when you came home from a training session with Team 7 early on in your formation. You complained very heavily about Sakura's lack of skills, and I scolded you." Itachi paused again, and Sasuke turned his head to find his brother standing next to him, though his eyes were on Sakura. "Do you remember what I said?"

Sasuke could recall the memory immediately. It had been a valuable lesson, as his nii-san's always were. "As her teammate, I am just as responsible for her formation as a ninja as she is for mine. I also needed to look and see what I could learn from her."

"And did you accomplish both things?"

"You know I have," Sasuke said, a hint of irritation leaking into his tone as he turned to face his brother. Sasuke had mastered basic healing techniques the summer before, all because of Sakura's extra help. "Are you trying to be rude by insinuating that you're proud I'm not being a selfish asshole on the most important day of Sakura's career as a kunoichi so far, or is there something else you have to say?"

Itachi smiled. "No, otouto. I'm just thinking about the other conversation from your youth."

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?"

When his brother looked over at him, his eyes twinkled. "That you come to me and tell me when you've fallen in love."

Itachi left him with that, strolling over to congratulate Sakura with his mother and father. Sasuke had to fight within himself to keep his jaw from breaking for how tight he was clenching it. The sight of his mother hugging Sakura, his father smiling warmling down at her, and his brother and cousin laughing and joking with her sent him over the edge.

Turning on his heel, Sasuke escaped, but only for a moment. He had to deal with his internal crisis before someone saw it on his face and ratted him out to one of his family members– or worse: Naruto. Sasuke had to have a moment of peace to settle with his new reality before going back to the celebrations.

Especially since he was in the throes of realizing that he was in love with his pink haired teammate.

Sasuke sat on a chair and held his forehead in his hand while he stared at the grass between his feet. He was in love with Sakura, and it wasn't nearly as earth shattering a thought then as it had been when his brother had not so subtly shoved his unrealized feelings in his face. Of course, Sasuke knew he loved Sakura in the sense that he wanted the best for her, he wanted her to be happy, and he enjoyed being around her, but how different was that from being in love with someone? He felt the same about Kakashi and Naruto, but they were men, so he thought about his relationships with women outside of his mother.

He… didn't really have any, he realized. It had only ever been Sakura.

Sasuke knew that his love for Sakura was different. He realized it when he noticed a red glow across the grass, his sharingan flickering off. Realizing that, in that moment when Itachi had mentioned his asking Sasuke to come to him, flashes of everything he loved about Sakura that had nothing to do with caring about her as a person and a teammate had moved behind his eyes, his sharingan unconsciously activating.

It was the way her nose scrunched when she laughed, and how despite her ability to hold her liquor, she still let herself get drunk enough to be less strict than usual to fit in more with her unruly boys. It was the kindness she had for any innocent creature that needed assistance, whether it be a soul trapped in a vicious cycle of hate, a small bird in need of a patched wing, or a child whose dango had dropped on the street. It was the way she was the fiercest protector of the most solid set of morals he had ever interacted with. It was the way he trusted her with his life and his thoughts, more so than maybe even his brother. It was the way she looked at him like she looked at no one else– like he had hung her own personal moon to light her way in the dark of the night.

It was then that Sasuke realized that was what Sakura was to him. Everytime he felt the curse of the Uchiha rearing its ugly head, it was Sakura's soft, flowing chakra that soothed his rough, fiery edges. She was the calm, glowing crescent moon and soft, flowery breeze that eased him back into a state of calm, collected, and capable. She was a rock he could ground himself to, and he loved her so much for it.

In a surprising turn of events, Sasuke not once thought about Sakura's looks while he sat there. He knew Sakura was considered beautiful since they had met, so it became a fact to him at an early age. It wasn't until just after Sasuke had turned fourteen that he had realized just how beautiful he thought she was, and how much it affected how he saw her fitting into his life.

Now that Sasuke was aware of the depth of his feelings for his teammate, he was unsure of what to do. He wasn't ready to act on anything, that was for sure. He had too much to accomplish at the current time, but for some reason, he was pretty sure Sakura would applaud him for his reasons. They could focus on themselves and their desires later. For now, he needed to focus on his upcoming jounin test. The Uchiha had a specific test for their class that took place outside the village. He'd be kidnapped and forced to evade his family members for weeks on end, but in the end, he would return a Jounin and an adult in the eyes of the Uchiha clan. He would be of marrying age, and only then did he feel like he could start a relationship with Sakura.

Kami, I'm thinking ahead, Sasuke thought to himself, letting out a light huff.

"You alright, Sasuke-kun?"

It was her cheerful yet slightly concerned voice that pulled Sasuke from the depths of his thoughts. Raising his head, he gave Sakura a grim smile and stood, shaking his shoulder out slightly as he unfolded his spine. Being tall was a pain at times, but the affectionate suffix at the end of his name soothed his aches more than he cared to admit.

"Ah. I just had a sudden headache, that's all."

There was an immediate frown and analytical edge to her jade eyes. "Do you need me to look you over real quick? I can zap away the tension super quick!"

Sasuke was tempted to say yes, just so he could feel her warm chakra pouring over him to ease his anxiety, but he didn't want to abuse her gifts like that. "No, it's gone. I just needed a moment."

"Oh," Sakura's smile wavered, like she didn't quite buy his lie, but she didn't push it. "That's good then."

Sasuke sighed at her frown and glanced up, grimacing. He was acting like an idiot. He hadn't even congratulated her yet.

Snatching her by the zipper of her jounin vest, Sasuke tugged Sakura into his chest, his arms wrapping around her in a squeezing hug that had her toes barely scraping the grass. She let out a girlish squeak, and it made Sasuke grin into her pink hair. She had always made the most interesting noises when surprised as genin, and he was happy each time he witnessed that trait unchanged.

"Congratulations, Sakura," he murmured, squeezing her once more before setting her back on her feet. He took a step back, knowing that his ears were a murderous bloody red, and awkwardly shifted on his feet despite his warm eyes. "You deserve it."

Sakura's jade eyes shined with starlight, Sasuke swore it.

"Thank you," she replied, her hands gripping her vest at the bottom. "Do you– are you coming to my parents house to eat cake? Ino made it, but since I know you don't like sweets, I bet my dad has some of the cinnamon hard candies you like so much?"

"Ah," came his easy answer. Kizashi was tolerable enough, even if his fan and fire puns were anything but.

"Great!" Sakura grinned. "Well, everyone's really headed that way. Naruto, Kakashi, Tsunade– the usual suspects! Honestly, they're really just hurrying along for the cake and booze, but I guess we shouldn't expect anything less! Anyway, we should get going so we don't–"

"Sakura," Sasuke said, cutting off her rambling with a hand on her wrist to stop her from walking off.

The pinkette turned, her cheeks a bit flushed. "Yes?"

Sasuke slowly unwound each of his fingers from around the delicate skin of her wrist. Taking a swallowing breath, he reached into his hip pouch and pulled the scroll he had been slowly but surely collecting items for over the last several months. Handing it over to her, Sasuke fought his nerves when he explained what it was.

"It's your gift," he began slowly, the words broken into stiff syllables. "I– I didn't want to give it to you in front of everyone else."

Sakura nodded along, her eyes flicking up to his with unimaginable amounts of understanding. She knew how much Sasuke hated being in crowds, but even more so if he was the center of attention. Getting her something for becoming a jounin would definitely warrant some attention.

Forming the hand signs, Sasuke watched as the scroll Sakura had unrolled became filled with a packed to the brim field medical kit, complete with a section for poisons and antidotes. Sasuke had worked tirelessly to find time to watch Sakura at work and ask her about her day in order to figure out all of the herbs and tools Sakura used on a daily basis. No one knew about his gift but him, and he had been painstakingly careful in ensuring it remained a secret.

"For your promotion," Sasuke said softly, lowering his hands.

Sakura looked wide-eyed at the bounty he had given her, her hair swaying in the breeze, and Sasuke was growing more worried by the second before she finally eased his nerves. "Thank you," she whispered, stowing the scroll away in her own hip pouch. Her eyes looked a bit misty when she turned back around, and he noticed how they tended to shift away from him. She didn't like crying in front of him. "I– I will definitely make great use out of it, Sasuke-kun. It was a wonderfully thoughtful gift."

Sasuke sighed, knowing her words were sincere, but wishing she looked happier. Tugging at her sleeve, he got her attention. When she looked up, a tear fell and slid down her cheek. Sasuke frowned, eyeing it as it dripped onto her shirt. "Why are you crying?"

He sounded disgruntled, and maybe that was why Sakura smiled and chuckled lightly. Taking a step forward, she reached for his hand and squeezed it.

"Happy tears, Sasuke-kun," she whispered, her eyes shining and looking so beautiful, it made his chest hurt.

"Good," he murmured back, unable to do or say anything else.

XxX

Sakura's POV

Age: 13

XxX

It was Sakura's birthday, and after a long week of being on a mission out at a farm a day's walk from the village, all Sakura wanted was a cup of dango and a shower.

Her teammates hadn't mentioned her birthday, but Sakura had gone into the mission convinced that they wouldn't remember. She had started thinking a bit more negatively about the future in order to be happier about surprising outcomes, and while that wasn't the most healthy coping mechanism to being surrounded by emotionless boys, it certainly helped curb her disappointment when they acted like stupid, emotionless boys. Kakashi was an okay sensei when it came to training, but with life and other issues? He was useless. Naruto was far too immature, and Sasuke wasn't exactly interested in her outside of training and missions to keep up with her day to day issues and life.

Her parents were sadly away visiting a sick aunt in Water, so Sakura was alone in celebrating her birthday. It was the first time, and although Sakura was trying desperately not to become emotional about it, it still stung to have the first vestiges of childhood stripped away. Birthdays had always been special in the Haruno household, and although Sakura had told her parents that of course it would be alright if they weren't there to see her return and celebrate her birthday, she still felt terribly lonely.

Walking out of the dango shop with the syrupy treat in her hand, Sakura had a bit more pep in her step as she headed back toward her house. She munched on her snack with a small smile, nodding at people she knew and waving at the younger children still attending the academy. It wasn't too late in the afternoon, so children were still playing in the streets and enjoying the spring sunshine.

Sakura was nearly to her house when she saw someone walking toward her, their eyes on her.

"Sakura-chan," Itachi called, waving to her with a small smile.

"I-Itachi-san," Sakura stuttered, surprised to see her teammate's older brother on this side of the village. The Uchiha district was clear on the other side, and the area that Sakura lived in was a mainly civilian neighborhood. There was no reason for him to be there except for–

"I understand today is your birthday," Itachi said, his voice warm. "Sasuke mentioned it before leaving for your team's mission."

Sakura nearly dropped the dango in her hand.

"O-oh." Blinking rapidly, she tried to formulate a semi-decent response. "I– thank you, Itachi-san. Yes, today is my birthday."

"The youngest of Team 7, right?"

Sakura nodded, feeling rather deflated. Youngest, smallest, weakest, slowest. All of the -ests in the negative belonged to her.

Itachi seemed to regard her for a moment. Then, "I was the youngest ANBU member for a time. There was much doubt in my abilities accredited to my age."

"You are much more talented than I am, Itachi-san," Sakura said, letting out a huff of amused air. She didn't know if it was because he looked so much like Sasuke or because his chakra gave off cool, soothing waves about, but Sakura felt like she could be honest with the older Uchiha son. "I'm afraid I cannot compare my situation to yours when you so obviously had talent beyond your years."

Itachi's smile grew ever so slightly. "Do you not have a mind beyond your years, Sakura-chan?" Her jaw dropped slightly, and he added, "Do you not have nearly perfect chakra control?"

When Sakura did not reply (she was far too shocked by those compliments to do much other than gape at him), Itachi finished off with a bit of advice. "Do not try to best others at their natural talents. Instead, find where yours are and perfect them. Only this way can your comparison's be based in the merit of work, not pure talent."

Sakura closed her eyes and nodded. That was exactly what she had needed to hear. She bowed, gratefully. "Thank you for your wisdom, Itachi-san. I will work more on my own talents and focus less on comparing what I lack in to others who excel."

When she stood tall, she saw that Itachi had produced a small pouch. Eyeing it curiously, Itachi held it out to her. "I understand that some of your teammates forgot about your birthday."

"All of them, actually," she replied, not understanding what was going on. Was… was Itachi giving her a birthday present?

Itachi's lips twitched. "Not all." At her wide-eyed look, his twitching lips finally formed into a small smirk. "Sasuke was out with our mother last week and found something he thought you would like. However, whenever none of your other teammates acknowledged what today was, he felt as if it wouldn't be wise to give it to you in front of them."

Sakura could only blink at him. What he was saying made no sense.

Sasuke…Sasuke didn't pay attention to things like her birthday.

Itachi's smirk became a patient smile. "Here. He would not give it to you, having missed the planned opportunity, so he gave them to me. I knew who the rightful owner should have been, so I am extending them to you in lieu of my brother. I apologize for his cowardice."

Sakura balked. "I– no, Sasuke's not a coward he's just– Naruto and Kakashi-sensei, they're just– he's a bit shy about everything really and– Itachi-san, it's really not a big deal!"

The older Uchiha son took in her words for a moment and nodded. Then, he extended the pouch even further. "Sasuke will do better next year."

"Thank you, Itachi-san," Sakura whispered, accepting the soft, silk pouch like it was priceless. To her, it was.

With a slight nod, Itachi wished her a happy birthday and walked off.

Sakura didn't open the pouch until she was safely behind the confines of her locked bedroom door. She didn't want anyone to see how excited and nervous she was to see what Sasuke saw while out shopping that made him think of her.

Slowly, she undid the drawstring and dumped the contents onto her bedspread.

Metal clicked and clanked as it fell, and what Sakura saw made her gasp and drop the pouch.

On her bed were three, small kunai. Smaller than average, but they looked like they would fit her hands perfectly. The main feature was that Instead of being just the standard dark gray metal, they reflected the softest of pinks in the overhead light of her room.

Sakura picked one up and held it reverently in her hands. It was deadly sharp, perfectly balanced in her grip, and so, so, so stinking cute!

Squealing, Sakura jumped out of her bed and flung the kunai straight at the target across the room. At the bullseye, she squealed again, pumping her fists.

Best. Birthday. Ever.