It was in the early evening of the next day that Sasuke could be seen walking in a handsome kimono up the dirt road. The sakura trees were lit with bright lights that turned night into day as he strolled along. In the distance he could hear the sounds of the festival in full swing and smelt the cooking fires of the yakitori stands. Although he wasn't much for being around people, the tempting memory of such juicy meat upon his lips made his mouth water in envy. It was enough to make him wish he was there.

Sasuke kicked a tiny pebble as he continued upon the dirt road away from the festivities. Turning his head to the side, he could tell that a familiar someone was about to catch up with him.

"Oi!!! Sasuke!!!" called Naruto from behind. "Matte!!!"

Sasuke stopped and turned to see Naruto running up the road to him in what looked like a borrowed kimono. The sleeves were too big and the waist area slightly bulged as he held up the hem so that he wouldn't trip. As Naruto smiled in full happiness and waved to his newly reclaimed friend, Sasuke could not help but give a tiny smile.

"Are you ready?" asked Naruto as he caught his breath.

"Ready for what?"

"Giving Sakura away, of course! I know Itachi's your brother, but Sakura's like our sister! She's saved our asses how many times! We can't let just anyone walk away with her!"

Sasuke paused for a moment to take in what Naruto had just said. It was true that Itachi was his brother and that there was no better shinobi to protect her and their child, but Sakura was with Naruto and him through thick and thin on their missions. Indeed, deserving her would require the approval of their convened counsel in that very moment.

"Well, what do you think?" asked Sasuke.

Naruto stopped panting and stood up straight.

"Although I don't like how it happened," Naruto whispered. "I do not think that there is a better person on this earth who can love and protect Sakura and Yuki the way Itachi could. He's proven his worth."

Sasuke smiled. "My thoughts exactly."

Naruto and Sasuke turned silently up the road and began to walk side by side. As they stared at the sakura that fluttered in the breeze, the sweet serenity of being in Konoha at this time of year was something to be truly cherished. The branches that swayed to and fro sent the sakura petals down in light pink storms, and the feel of it beneath their feet made soft fluffs as they marched on.

"How is Yuki doing? I haven't seen him in a while," said Sasuke as he continued to stare at the branches above.

"He's fat," answered Naruto as he spread his arms out to imitate the chubbiness of the little baby. "He's eats more than I do, I think, and his arms look like dango on a stick!"

Sasuke smiled at the thought of a dango-baby. He had been on so many missions since their return that he had only seen Yuki once since he had escorted him to Konoha.

"His eyes are green," said Naruto, stopping. "I don't know if you know that, but they are."

Naruto watched as Sasuke stopped a few feet ahead of him. Though Naruto knew that they both had feelings for Sakura, he felt that whatever surprise was in store of Sasuke, he'd rather bring it out now so that any hurt feelings would not show on his face while they were in front of her. After all, today was supposed to be every woman's most joyous day, especially for Sakura.

After a brief moment with his back to Naruto, Sasuke once again began to walk ahead. When Naruto felt it was okay, he proceeded to catch up to him so that they were once again side by side.

"Ah! There's the marker!" smiled Naruto when he spotted a plastic sakura that was placed at the bottom of a tree trunk. Running up to it, he turned off the road and into the forest as he looked around for the next marker.

Sasuke followed behind Naruto who excitedly ran about looking for marker after marker. When they had gotten at least a half mile into the forest, Naruto paused when he heard the familiar sounds of friendly voices.

"Hah! There they are!" shouted Naruto to Sasuke as he took off towards the sounds of merriment. Through the trees, they could make out different colored kimonos as they walked about.

Everyone from their year including Gai's team had shown up, and Ojiisan, Takeru, and Yuki travelled far to be there. Though Itachi's presence in Konoha was a secret, it was hard to hide something like this from the people you've known all your lives. It was just too bad that Kisame and Deidara couldn't make it due to Akatsuki's watchful eyes.

"Naruto!" waved Tsunade as she held Yuki in her arms. "You just made it in time! I was about to send ANBU to collect you!"

"Ahahaha! Gomen! Gomen!" Naruto grinned as he came in for a closer look at Yuki. "Hello Yuki-chan! Did you miss your Uncle Naruto?"

Tsunade smiled as she watched Naruto squeeze his pinky into Yuki's tiny fist. Giving a little wiggle, Naruto brightened when he felt Yuki's strong little hand tighten around his finger.

"Hahaha! Easy, Yuki-chan! You're more like your mother than you know!" he laughed.

Sasuke walked up behind Naruto and came in to get a good look at his nephew. The sight of the sleepy baby was relaxing to anyone who looked upon him, and as Sasuke watched him yawn with his tiny mouth, he stopped breathing for a moment when Yuki opened his little eyes to reveal what Naruto had told him of.

Yuki's eyes were a sharp green just like his mother's. Though he looked very much like Itachi, the piercing green of his eyes were a surprise to anyone that saw them. If someone were to be looking for an Uchiha, they certainly wouldn't have guessed that it would be him. No one that Sasuke ever knew from his family had anything else other than brown eyes.

Sasuke looked up to Tsunade in alarm.

"Do you think he's inherited the Sharingan?" he asked.

"You know, I was wondering about that myself. If he's got his mother's green eyes, then I would not be surprised if he didn't have the Sharingan. Still, from what the history of the Uchiha clan tells me, the Sharingan is a dominating gene in both the males and females. Truly a unique characteristic."

Sasuke nodded to signal his understanding. Looking around, he could see that the small area that Sakura had chosen was the perfect spot for a tiny banquet with two rows of tables and pillows laid out for every guest. The dishes were perfectly aligned, and the beautiful array of sakura-shaped sushi platters sat waiting to have their lids removed for revelation of their beautiful arrangement. In contrast to the pink sakura trees above them sat vases of white lillies and angel's breath that dotted the table to soften the bright colors surrounding them. It was a low budget wedding, but it was absolutely perfect in its arrangement that no one could tell.

At the end of the setting was a tiny shrine that sat in the middle of the sakura forest. Walking towards it to take a closer look, Sasuke pondered at the wooden house that seemed to have stood there for so long. He had never seen it before as he had never walked this way, but he knew in his heart that he'd return to visit it as he could feel the good energy that emanated from its tiny housing.

"Excuse me, Uchiha-san, we are about to begin."

Turning around, Sasuke found that the priest had appeared. His purple robe and black hat was stunning as Sasuke noticed that a lot of effort went into keeping it clean. With a hand gesturing to the shrine, Sasuke nodded in thanks and stepped towards the right. As the crowd behind him fell silent, he turned to see that at the end of the tables stood Itachi in a formal black kimono with his hair pulled back into a ponytail. Unlike traditional Japanese weddings, he had chosen to forgo the black hat.

Sasuke looked on from the front and noticed that the relaxed posture Itachi always wore was replaced by one of humble pride. Though Sasuke knew that Itachi had never enjoyed being in the spotlight, his discomfort at the situation was hidden well. However, it wasn't until Itachi turned to his left that his face softened when Sakura came out from the trees.

A gasp fell over the crowd as Sakura's white kimono appeared in the midst of the pink and gray hues surrounding her. Her hair was pulled into an elegant bun and tucked under the traditional bridal hat that most women wore for their wedding. As her green eyes stood out like emeralds in the sea of white, nobody else but Sakura could see that Itachi was staring into her eyes with a look that said nothing else existed in that moment except her. Bashfully smiling, Sakura made a tiny noise in response.

The whispers slowly hushed as Itachi put out an arm for Sakura to hold. As her tiny hand looped under his, the gentleness of her touch made Itachi's heart jump in nervousness as he escorted her down the center of the tables towards the shrine. The eyes that Sakura felt upon her was unlike anything she had experienced before. Peeking sideways at the audience, everyone seemed a blur in her nervous vision, but her eyes locked onto Naruto's blue ones as he stared at her with pride.

Smiling to Naruto as she passed, Sakura watched him nod in full approval as he looked on with a smile. She could tell that he wasn't breathing as she suddenly felt his invisible arms unravel themselves from around her to set her free. Sakura's mouth opened slightly as she too stopped breathing in realization of the moment. Tearing as she said her silent goodbye, he had finally let go.

I love you, Naruto.

Once Sakura had regained her composure, she looked towards the front to find Sasuke's strong physique waiting for them. As they stepped closer to the smiling priest, she watched Sasuke's face in a manner that told him that she longed for his approval. However, desperation set in Sakura's heart as the shrine became closer and Sasuke's expression remained unchanged. Though he knew what it was that she wanted, his nonchalant ways got the best of him even in this obviously important moment when she needed something else from him.

As Sakura and Itachi stopped before the priest, her eyes were down and to the right as he began to speak words that her conciousness wouldn't allow her to hear. No one else noticed this except for Sakura herself.

"Stop...." she whispered.

The priest looked at her in bewilderment. Keeping her eyes towards the ground, she felt Itachi reach down and take both of her hands in his.

"You don't have to marry me, Sakura," he said. "If this is not what you want, I completely under..."

"...It's not that. There's something I need to settle before I do this. I just need a moment."

Squeezing Itachi's hands in reassurance, Sakura looked over to Naruto and nodded for him to follow her.

"Hmm?" Naruto shook his head in confusion. When he saw her let go of Itachi's hands, pick up her trail, and walk over to grab Sasuke's wrist to drag him into the trees behind the shrine, Naruto hastily moved through the confusion to follow.

"Don't panic everyone!" he announced as he rushed past the stunned crowd. "Everything's fine!"

Naruto tried not to look at Itachi as he sped past him and the priest. Making his way around the shrine, he chased after the white and navy blue figures ahead of him.

"Matte!" he whisper-shouted to them as they kept walking a straight line ahead. "Matte!!!"

Sakura kept walking until she was sure no one back at the shrine could hear them. Stopping dead in her tracks, she turned around to face Sasuke and waited for Naruto to catch up. When he had finally tripped towards them gasping, she looked Sasuke dead in the eye and began to speak in a solid voice.

"I am not going to marry Itachi without both of your blessings. I don't care if it never comes, I won't do it if you don't."

"Sakura-chan! Of course we approve! Otherwise, we wouldn't have let you do it!" Naruto quipped.

"I want to hear it from him," Sakura demanded as she stared into Sasuke's eyes. "I want to know it's okay."

"Sasuke-teme! If you make Sakura cry on her wedding day, I'm going to beat the shit out of you!"

Sasuke ignored Naruto and kept looking Sakura in the eyes. Seeing that she was dead set on what she said, in all seriousness, he took a deep breath and did something he had never done before.

Picking up both of Sakura's hands, he lifted them to the level of his heart and spoke with complete honesty.

"I would be honored to have you as my sister-in-law. Itachi is a good man, and he would protect you with his dying breath. Both Naruto and I approve of him as your husband, and we would kill the man who contests your right to him. I'm.... I'm sorry I didn't make you feel as if you had my approval."

Sakura leaned forward and hugged Sasuke. She had finally gotten what she wanted out of him. When she felt his arms around her squeezing back, only then did she let go.

"Sakura wanted Sasuke to give the marriage his approval!" Sai announced with a scroll and brush in his hand. "Sasuke gave it!"

"Alright!" shouted Ino as she pumped a fist into the air. "Score!"

"Do you always bring parchment and ink to weddings?" asked Kakashi to Sai.

"This was my first one, so I wasn't sure what to bring."

"Shhh!" hushed Shizune. "Everyone! They're coming back!"

The crowd pushed themselves back into their places just before Team 7 appeared from behind the shrine. As Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke came back into view, their brows furrowed in suspicion as everyone was smiling at them. When Sakura separated from them to go back and take her place at Itachi's side, she looked at him in curiosity as he smiled with a hint of a smirk.

"Are we ready to proceed," the priest asked.

Sakura nodded.

"Ok, then let's begin."

The ceremony went smoothly as the trees swayed in the evening breeze. It seemed that there was something crystal in the air that was too precious to be broken, as barely a person fidgeted as they waited until the priest had given his final blessing. When it was all over, Itachi turned to his new bride with a beaming smile that he felt would never fade. Suddenly moving forward, he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her into the air, her jovial laugh echoing through the trees as her hat fell to the floor.

Letting her back down, he hugged her into his arms and whispered, "You're mine."

"I'm forever yours," she responded as her eyes teared.

When the two had finally parted, Sakura and Itachi found that outside of their tiny bubble lay a roar of applause and cheers from their friends and family. Bowing to them all in thanks, Sakura and Itachi went to take their seats at the head table as the sake began to poor.

"Oh! The sake is here!" Tsunade shouted aloud. "Sasuke! Come claim your nephew!"

As Tsunade turned and handed Yuki over to Sasuke she kept her eyes on the glistening bottles that were being passed around. Stunned by the sudden dumping of Yuki, Sasuke quickly readjusted his grip so that he wouldn't drop him before looking up to see everyone rushing to grab their spots.

"Sasuke! Over here!" shouted Naruto, two seats from Itachi's side. Sasuke could see that the pillow next to Itachi lay vacant for him.

Walking over to his seat, Sasuke gently sat down as Yuki fidgeted from the sudden lack of rocking. As he watched Yuki begin to stir, he held his breath as he waited for what he knew was coming.

The tiny eyes of Yuki peeked open as he was disturbed from his slumber. Bouncing him lightly, Sasuke tried to lull Yuki back to sleep, but it was then that something caught his eye.

"What the...." Sasuke whispered as he leaned in to get a closer look at the baby in his arms. Steadying his bouncing, he waited until Yuki had opened his eyes again.

Sasuke's face turned into an expression of surprise when he saw what he thought he saw. Tiny red eyes with two black swirls inside of them were peeking back at him. Grabbing at his brother's sleeve, Sasuke looked up at Itachi who smiled and gave a wink. Looking over to Sakura, she too was smiling at him. They had known for a while, but had never said anything.

"Shhh, it's a secret," whispered Itachi.

Sasuke chuckled in disbelief and looked back down to smile at the tiny Yuki in his arms. He could tell that this kid was special.

*** Well, that's the end! I thank you all for staying with the stories for so long. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please leave a review so that I know what you're thinking! I get good comments from many people, but I always wonder if the rest of you aren't saying anything because you don't like what I'm writing. Constructive criticism is always welcome to anyone who wishes to get better. So please, write a review!!!

If you are wondering, as I have had some questions before, I already started writing a Kakashi/Sakura love story that I will put out soon! I didn't expect this ItaSaku to become a trilogy, so I can't guarantee that the next story I put out won't be ridiculously long. Either way, I am happy that you stayed with me during this journey. I hope that I can give you more in the future.

ARIGATOU-GOZAIMASHITA!!!!! *bows*

~ Iloveneji44 ;)

p.s. - I love you! ^_^