A/N: PLEASE READ! This is AU Non-Massacre and different from what I've read from several of the ItaSaku fanfics. Bare with me as I wanted to add some of my own kicks into this story. I wanted a more 'stronger' Sakura, not that she isn't strong but because she's in the same team as a Jinchuuriki and an Uchiha prodigy, she's stuck between two powerful people making her weak even though she's the apprentice of Tsunade. So I added my own version of Sakura even though she is still a medicnin, just more powerful and put her use into battlefield than in the hospital (though she will be staying there from time to time in my story because it's her job as a medicnin).

Itachi and Sakura are OOC, but so are some others but I'll try to make them as normal as possible while they aren't.

Pair: Obviously, Itachi and Sakura

Summary: It was unexpected really. Not just for the two of them but for everyone as well. No one was actually wrong when they guessed the pink haired kunoichi was attracted to an Uchiha, they just didn't know who but had assumed that it would be her teammate. After all, it was an obvious choice.

Disclaimer: It isn't me, if it was then it would be horrible since I ship so many people together hehe. The only thing I own is my plot!

It was only an infatuation, or at least that was supposed to be the case. She never meant for it to go so deep. He never knew how deep it went. Neither of them did. No one knew the secret she held deep inside herself for him. They had always assumed it was directed towards someone else. Though he knew and had an idea, he was so sure it would've been over in the years they had not met. However, that wasn't the case.

The first time she saw him was when she first joined the academy, she saw him from far away - well technically not far away. It was very early in the morning and she had idiotically tripped while running to her first day in the academy, wanting to be one of first one there. He had happened to be there, plainly looking at her for what had seemed like a long time until deeply sighing and finally helping her get up and heal her scraped knee.

"Are you okay?" His soft smooth quite low tone had captured her instantaneously. She was only five then when her infatuation with him began. She met him later with his younger brother who was the younger version of him. They were in the same class and he was a year older than her, just like everyone who was older than her.

The next time they had met was months later when she was just coming back from an overworked practice with her kunai aim and bumped into him on the road to her place, she saw blood all over his clothing. She was frightened at the sight but oddly curious as well and she had calmed down when she saw that it was only him. She had never seen so much blood before, especially on a person, not to mention dirt. What if he got an infection from all the dirt and blood infusing with each other? He had just gotten home from the Chunin Exam in Iwagakure, it had begun two months ago and ended this early morning.

Their eyes locked onto each other for a long while before he moved away from her, only to be stopped by her childish voice.

"Um! Your brother is doing very well in class! I've been watching over him for you!" He slightly turned to look at her, she blushed in return as she looked down, "although... Not that he needs any looking after. He really is great afterall. I-! I'm sorry for being rude!" She exclaims. He gave her his full attention at her statement. Her pink hair attracting his attention even more so.

"I uh... Here," she reaches behind her back pocket and out came a cherry blossom handkerchief as her short arms reached out to him, "this is for you, to wipe away all that blood and dirt. You just... Got back from the other village, right?" He stares at the handkerchief, debating if he should actually take the cloth from a child. He accepted it after processing some thought.

"Thank you." He mutters, his voice as soft and smooth as ever. Her blush deepens and looks up only to see that he had vanished from her sight. She had not yet said those words in return to him, her blush deepening more at her bold words towards him. Shaking her head furiously, she ran back down the road home, unaware of the figure watching her in the shadows. He wanted to make sure she was safe home, that was the least he could do for his childish brother's classmate. He vaguely wondered why a child like her was doing out so late at night but shrugged it off and went home. He had just turned ten and she had unknowingly given him a present.

Afterwards, she had not seen him much due to his many missions to become an ANBU since only he himself from his team graduated the Chunin Exam. It was rumored that even though he graduated the academy in one year time, his mother did not allow him to take the Chunin Exam and become an ANBU until he was at least of age and knew more about the world first instead of being thrown into it. His mother tried hard for him to have a childhood that she didn't even enroll him until he was of age. He was six when he entered and seven when he graduated the academy only to pass the Chunin Exam and officially become an ANBU member in another one years time, he was only ten when he accomplished both. She knew because her instructor always talked highly of him in class.

She was always in awe with him, so young and already seen so much for a young soul, she thought. She couldn't comprehend how much he had seen but she knew it wasn't anything good.

That was when she vowed she would practice hard, and she meant really hard, to become one of the most powerful shinobi in Konaha and make everyone proud of her and her achievement. Thus, she practiced hard to reach higher than ever, she studied hard, reading and learning, practicing and practicing over and over, that was all she ever did in her free time that wasn't spent in school. Sometimes she managed to drag her blonde male best friend with her to practice until she tired out her entire body beyond the point of exhaustion for her own good. She hardly recalled a time she felt a body carrying her home because she had overdone herself and collapsed in the training field.

When she was ten, she and along with the rest of her classmates graduated the academy, making it the first group in history to have graduated all together in an early age, normally students graduated when they were twelve years old, not ten and only a handful of student were able to graduate, not every single students. That was when she met him again, alone in the training field where she had collapsed once, standing on the monument staring at nothing.

"Um! I don't know if you heard but, I graduated today! Not just me but your brother too! And so did everyone! Even Naruto graduated!" She squeaked. He looked down at her, vaguely remembering who the child was. But he remembered right away, her rare long pink hair made her stand out from anyone, even more so compared to the Hokage's wife's bright red hair was in no comparison to the child in front of her. It had been years since they had seen each other, five years to be exact. He had heard stories of her though, through his young foolish brother who always complained about fan girls, apparently she was not one of them. She always smiled brightly at him but she never once had smothered him like the other girls did. She always kept her distance and knew her boundaries it seemed. She was often bullied because how close she was to his brother and to the Kyuubi as well. Though, his foolish brother had commented that the only reason they had become quite close was because she kept her distance and was not touchy, it is also because now, they were going to be in the same team, including the Kyuubi. Team 7.

It was then that he noticed how long she had been staring at him, in awe to be exact. It was also then that they both noticed how much each other had changed. He was taller and his hair longer. His manliness is starting to show if not already. She too was taller than before, her femininity side was starting to show, her pink hair was reached the bottom of her back, tapping lightly on her butt. She had kept care of it and it was beautiful.

"I'm in the same team as your brother and Naruto! I was surprised that I was grouped up with those two." She smiled brightly at him, so bright she showed her bright white teeth at him that made him tense.

"Congratulation." He tells her, it was the least he can say and he knew it had satisfied her greatly when he saw her shoulders relax.

"My name is Sakura. Haruno Sakura. It has always been a pleasure to meet you!" She bowed at him, it was out of nowhere thus slightly surprising him. He couldn't help but let his guard down at the child. He didn't know that she was going to become someone so important in his life in the future.

Two years had passed and he heard that she was the only one from Team 7 who passed the Chunin Exam, the team disbanded and went their separate ways, his foolish brother was taken under their sensei's wings and the Kyuubi was now under one of the legendary Sannin, he was famous for being perverted. Rumors was that the cherry rosette was also taken under the only female Sannin who had a bad temper but tremendous strength and was an alcoholic and they left the village. They returned four years later, two years after the Kyuubi and his brother who came back and finally passed the Chunin Exam together. The female Sannin was to become the next Hokage but nothing was ever announced since the current Hokage is still well and alive.

The rosette rose to become a Jounin along with her teammates, from what his foolish brother told him, she had vowed to wait for them and to continue to become Jounins together and regroup as Team 7 and that's what they did. Little did they know that she had already become an ANBU member without her teammates knowing within the years they weren't together, the ANBU symbol was neatly tattooed on her back between her shoulder blades. She was twelve when she became a Chunin and fourteen when she took place as an ANBU member. Her once lovely bright emerald eyes had been replaced with cold stoic faded jade eyes whenever she was on any ANBU missions, she knew her job well and knew what not to do. Her once happy cheerful attitude had been replaced with a calm demeanor. She only showed her cheerfulness personality towards her two teammates. Because to them, she was still their innocent cherry blossom who had yet to bloom. How utterly foolish they were and how cruel she was to illusion them that she was still behind them when she had not only surpassed them but is at their side as well. He knew, she wished to continue to protect them just like how they do the same to her.

The rosette who stood in front of him now became a medicnin the moment the Sannin took her under her wings. Not only did the rosette use her power to heal her allies and to also poison her enemies, to her call it could either be painful or painless with just a touch. She was indeed a deadly weapon, a great invaluable asset to Konaha.

"Itachi." His perfect deep smooth voice tells her. Her eyes latched onto his and smiled, a rare smile he saw now. She knew what he meant when he mentioned his name.

"Isn't it a bit too late for names Uchiha-san?" She looked up in the clear sky and sighed, her shoulders relaxed. They ignored all the blood and gore surrounding them, the corpses of Kiri members did not affect them.

"Call me Itachi." His voice hinted demand but she knew otherwise. He was welcoming and she knew.

"Hm..." She lowered her head and looked straight at him, he can see the violet diamond on the center perfectly of her forehead. "We'll see." Is all she says. And they both took it was a challenge that sparked within their eyes as their smiles broadened. Placing both their untouched masks to cover their face, they left back to Konaha.

It was only an infatuation, or at least that was supposed to be the case. No one knew the secret she held deep inside for him. Everyone had always assumed it was directed towards someone else. Oh how wrong they were...

A/N Pt. 2: I'm taking Summer Courses in college to get ahead and am working part-time at the same time. So bare with me as I will be slow in uploading chapters!

Did you guys like the chapter so far? Please review and feel free to add any of your suggestions and advice!