The Bittersweet Team

Sakura was pregnant. That wasn't news since everyone could see her sporting her belly bump. She wasn't bothered by being pregnant. She was annoyed by the looks. Everyone looked at her with pity. The poor widowed Uchiha is raising one child soon to be two on her own. It made Sakura want to break something...or someone.

She wasn't a fragile princess ready to fall apart at any second. She was tired of people treating her as such.

"You're scowling." Sakura raised her head to look up at Kakashi who was smiling at her. She hit his arm. Kakashi clutched his arm and stumbled sideways, and Sakura's scowl deepened. She hadn't even hit him that hard. "That's abuse, and I don't have to take it."

Sakura raised her fist and shook it at him. "I'll show you abuse."

"Kakashi, Sakura behave."

The duo turned and looked at Itachi who had Raiden in his arms. He seemed almost exasperated which was to be expected since Itachi had never spent any time with the two of them. Kakashi had taken to irritating her more than usual. She had a feeling that it was because Sasuke wasn't around and he was subconsciously trying to make up for the lack. Kakashi had always taken great pleasure in doing things to annoy Sasuke. Sakura had always been amused…but she was starting to see why Sasuke got so huffy about it.

Sakura pointed at Kakashi. "He started it."

"Hmm, Sakura. Perhaps you should see Tsunade. I'm pretty sure pregnancy shouldn't make your short-term memory so bad. There may be something wrong."

Sakura raised her hand to hit him again, but Itachi caught her hand.

"We're in public," Itachi said firmly.

Simultaneously, Kakashi and Sakura said, "We're Team Seven."

He looked at them as if waiting for them to explain further but their words were explanation enough for the rest of the village. Itachi sighed and started walking further and further in front of them.

They were on their way to the hospital. Raiden had to get his immunizations and Sakura had to see Tsunade for her checkup. She couldn't be two places at once, so Itachi had, of course, volunteered to take Raiden. Kakashi followed along.

Sakura glanced at Itachi curiously. A part of her had expected him to make some overture to her now that everyone presumed Sasuke to be dead. He hadn't. Sakura hadn't been looking forward to that conversation, and she was glad it wasn't happening.

"You're staring."

Sakura blinked before focusing her attention on Kakashi. "I am?"

"Right at Itachi's ass."

"I was not!"

Kakashi laughed, and Sakura could tell that he was gleefully pulling Sakura's leg. "No, you weren't but if you keep looking at him like that people will get the wrong idea."

Sakura ran a hand over her face. "I was thinking about him."

"Oh? What about him?"

"He's just been there."

"You expected him to run?"

Sakura shook her head vigorously. "Nothing like that. I just—I thought that now that Sasuke was gone he'd try…"

"Ah, you thought he was a slimeball."

"That's not exactly what I meant Kakashi."

"Then you're not very coherent. Use your words Sakura." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Everyone is looking at me like I need to move on. They think Sasuke's dead and I should just put myself back out there and look for a 'father for my children.' Some Uchiha are very vocal about it. They even expect me to marry another Uchiha because no non-Uchiha knows anything about how to raise one. I thought Itachi would bring it up. In a way, it seems logical if the whole clan feels like that, but he hasn't said a word."

"Hmm. The Uchiha clan is terrible."

Sakura laughed and nodded. "I didn't realize how much Sasuke protected me from it when he was here. I mean, how did Sasuke turn out so sane?"

Kakashi snorted. "Sasuke? Sane? Those words don't belong in the same sentence." Sakura gave him a dirty look. "Sakura, Itachi cares about you but you know he loved Sasuke too."

"Loves," Sakura corrected, and Kakashi stopped, placed his hands on Sakura's shoulders and squeezed gently.

"He's hurting right now too Sakura and believe it or not I think he respects you. He wouldn't do something like that—right now."

Sakura's lips twitched. "Are you say you only have so much faith in him?"

Kakashi shrugged, and his head turned and drifted off into the distance. On the little bit of face visible Sakura could suddenly see so much that she didn't understand.

"When a man loves a woman," Sakura, under normal circumstances, would have groaned but something held her back. Kakashi…had a secret. That wasn't something unusual. The man was a shinobi, after all. But this was different. If Sakura didn't know any better, she'd say that the Copy Ninja was in love. But that couldn't be right. She knew all of Kakashi's associates, and there was no one he showed any special attention to, except for maybe, Mikoto, and she was just another person that Kakashi lived to harass. "We sometimes do and say things we shouldn't. It doesn't make us right. It makes us human. Itachi wants what's best for you, and he'll give you that until he can't stop from giving himself too." At a later time, Sakura would remember that Kakashi only friendly harasses those that he loves. Everyone else he's just a dick to.

"Sasuke will come home. So this conversation is moot."

"Sakura, you have no idea how much I want that to be true. But if it isn't—and you have to prepare yourself for that possibility—you will have to deal with Itachi." The two fell into a companionable silence as they continue on their journey. Softly, Kakashi continued, "But until then let's go make sure Sasuke junior is alright."

"Do not call him that."

"Little Sasuke, then?"

A threatening aura permeated the air. "I love you. I don't want to have to kill you."

"You'd prefer Little Kakashi?"

The two after that proceeded to create a spectacle that was very typical of Team Seven. Itachi, who was well on his way to Raiden's appointment, did not regret missing it.