~ Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimotroll - er, Kishimoto.

~ Going Sideways is a fic by the awesome TaikoHawk. This is merely a fanfanfic for enjoyment. This may or may not fit in the original fic's universe, but I will try my best.

Going Waysides/Slideways

1: Boy

Small, childish, but rough, hands opened a neatly wrapped package with restrained excitement. Then, its owner's black brows furrowed.

Kunai.

Keeping an impassive face, the boy stoically bowed his head and murmured his gratitude to the giver. Another present was presented to him.

More kunai.

Additional packages revealed more or less the same things: kunai, shuriken, and sometimes a pack of senbon or two. And all of them say the same message:

You are a ninja of the great Uchiha clan.

Which, with great irritation, Uchiha Itachi already knew. Do they really have to remind that to him every time? Even - especially - on his birthday?

Amidst the sea of his black-haired relatives, Sakura bit back a laugh at the face the disgruntled Uchiha heir was expressing. It may mean certain death for enemies when they encounter this on an S-class nukenin Itachi, but it was cute to see it on his seven-year old face.

Sakura had a sneaking suspicion that, if given the chance, Itachi would hurl all the weapons towards those who gave them to him in the first place. But propriety and politeness obviously won, so he was stuck to brood and bear it.

The fox looked around and saw various subtle reactions from his clansmen. Most of them, particularly Uchiha Fugaku and the elders, obviously mistook their heir's irritation for quiet delight. Only a small number, including his mother, Mikoto, correctly deciphered his frustration.

Sakura hoped that her gift would cheer him up.

"Thank you for inviting me to the celebration, Uchiha-sama," Sakura inclined her furry head to the solemn Uchiha patriarch. Sakura refrained from saying 'gathering' instead of 'celebration'; the birthday celebrant was all but forgotten in the midst of the ensuing clan politics.

Sakura felt a little bit out of place.

"Not at all, Sakura-sensei," Uchiha Fugaku replied, "after all, you are my son's sensei." He nodded his head stiffly, obviously miffed at being forced to make small talk with her, and that he particularly didn't care that he was redundant. "Please take this as a form of gratitude from the Uchiha clan for apprenticing our prodigious heir," he continued, although Sakura knew that he would rather have said heir apprenticed to other shinobi of more 'worthwhile' endeavors. She fought back a scowl.

"Please enjoy yourself." With that, the stubborn man left her to talk with the other guests. Sakura sighed in relief.

She looked around the lavishly decorated room. Uchiha clansmen and women were strewn all over, interspersed with the elite of some of the other clans. Minato was in a corner, trying (Sakura surmised with a small smile) to subtly get away from the other council members while keeping an eye on Naruto. The other children played with Naruto and Sasuke in an adjoining room, the silence seals preventing their laughter from reaching the main room.

Itachi was nowhere to be found.

So Sakura went outside towards the garden, the afternoon sun momentarily blinding her eyes, looking for her student. She found him conversing with another child, his curly hair sticking out in various angles. He was a few years older than Itachi, Sakura deduced. They noticed her presence and faced her.

"Itachi-kun!", Sakura chirped brightly, making her way towards them, "Happy birthday!"

A small smile graced Itachi's face for a moment. "Thank you, Sakura-shisou." Sakura supposed that he has heard that greeting a couple of times throughout the day, but most of them were said in an obligatory manner from his boring, stoic clansmen.

Itachi then gestured to the other child. "This is Shisui," the mentioned boy bowed his head towards her, and Sakura returned the gesture, "he's my best friend and cousin."

"Ah, so this was the friend that Itachi stated would always cover for him," Sakura nodded pleasantly. Shisui grinned at her, but looked at his cousin oddly. Itachi just shrugged in return.

"I still have to give your gift to you," the fox started, earning Itachi's sudden spark of interest, "but I can't give it to you here." She looked at Shisui with a sly grin. "So is it alright if I sneak him out now, until evening?"

Considering her fox-face, her grin might have come across as devious, but Shisui returned it. "Of course, Sakura-sensei", he turned towards his cousin, "but you better tell me all about it when you come back!"

"But Shisui-kun," Sakura called his attention, "please don't tell this to anyone." She winked at them. "This will be our secret."

At that, Itachi brightened a bit.

After a quick mention of thanks to Shisui, he made snuck his way out of the compound, his sensei trailing behind him.

Sakura, glancing at her periphery as she trotted alongside Itachi, amusedly noted that her student was obviously happy to be out of the compound. In his typical aloof demeanor, Itachi was bubbling in childish anticipation, but Sakura was well-versed in Uchiha language to notice this.

Itachi was already solemn when she met him, so Sakura wondered how Itachi was before undergoing the strict training regime imposed by his father. Was he ever like baby Sasuke, cooing happy baby sounds? Sakura gushed.

He would've been sooooooo adorable!

"Shisou," Itachi cut in her daydreams of chibi-Itachi, "where are we going?"

Sakura, deeming that the coast is clear, motioned for Itachi to follow her. She pushed chakra to her paws and jumped on a nearby vending machine, making her way to the nearest rooftop.

When Itachi landed beside her, she smiled at him. "This is my gift to you, Itachi-kun," the fox showed her side to him. "Climb up."

Itachi was taken by surprise that he gaped for a few seconds before his Uchiha bearing kicked in. Sakura was delighted with such minuscule reaction - her plan was going into effect.

Her student eyed her back with a forbidden sense of awe. After meeting her green eyes and getting the idea that she was serious, the seven-year old climbed on the red, furry back of his sensei, fighting the urge to giggle. So he settled for a smile.

"Don't fall off," Sakura warned. She could feel his giddiness radiating, even when his face tried to hide it. That made her delight grow, and she spread some chakra on her back to stick her passenger securely. Itachi noticed and stuck chakra to his lower body and hands.

Satisfied with the preparations, his sensei shook her head and braced herself for the upcoming jump. Itachi took a deep breath.

Sakura faced the nearest rooftop and took off.

Itachi clamped his mouth shut to stop a very un-Uchiha squeal. His traitorous mouth ended up choking on the rushing air.

Sakura, laughed, very amused with her student's attempts at propriety. She bounded over the roofs, taking care not to go into the populous areas, and made her way towards the Hokage mountain.

"Don't worry Itachi!", Sakura called over the wind, "I'll take care off you!"

Itachi felt his sensei adding more chakra to secure him.

"Just let go!"

Idly, the seven-year old mused. They were now in the off-skirts, his sensei taking the long way to the the mountain by traveling in the forest. The setting sun, peeking through the scattered leaves, bathed everything with a warm shade of orange and yellow. The wind whipped his hair, threatening to throw his hair tie off. Underneath his fingers, his sensei's fur rippled with the fascinating dance of citrus light and burgundy shadow.

It was… peaceful.

Itachi's eyes widened at this realization.

There was no clan behind him. No one to force him to act out his duties.

It was just him, his sensei, and the world.

And it was his birthday after all…

Itachi slowly released his sensei's fur from his clammy fingers. Encouraged by his sensei's laughter, he slowly stretched his arms and closed his eyes.

His mother, Shisui, and Sasuke were the only ones he felt at peace with. But even then, most of the time he always had to be wary, always on guard, for his family's safety.

When was the last time he ever felt like this? Free?

"Itachi!"

Itachi snapped his eyes open.

"I'm climbing up the mountain!", Sakura sang beneath him, "Hold on!"

The boy smiled and held on. As Sakura jumped on the nearest outcropping, Itachi, bounced by the sudden increase of height, suspending him mid-air a few inches away from his sensei's back, laughed.

"You should laugh more, Itachi," Sakura told suddenly spoke, after getting a breather. "It fits you."

They were on top of the Yondaime's stone head, quietly reveling on the beauty of the village being submerged with the setting sun.

"There's nothing wrong with it. So don't hold back," Sakura smiled at him. Itachi looked at her. He gathered his thoughts.

"Sakura-sensei, when we first met," Itachi started slowly, "you said that you trusted me," he looked at Sakura, the latter nodding for him to continue. "You said that you felt as if there's something about me that you can trust…"

Sakura tilted her head a bit to the side, wondering where her student is going with this. He continued on.

"I don't know, why shisou…" Itachi cut off, still trying to find the correct words. Sakura found it endearing.

"It may be because of this afternoon, but," Itachi held her emerald gaze, "I trust you."

A bit shocked, Sakura knew Uchiha Itachi doesn't trust anyone easily. Sure, he may have trusted her a bit when they met, more so when they became master and student, but for him to tell her this out loud is momentous, akin to her timeline's Naruto swearing off ramen.

Or her timeline's Itachi himself confessing that he loved her.

Sakura blushed, and promptly brushed those unnecessary thoughts off. But she felt that she could sum up her feelings in one sentence.

Sakura felt honored.

It was a significant realization in their lives, and Sakura felt, that with Itachi securely on her side, saving the future is one step closer.

Itachi bowed deeply. When he rose, he was smiling at her. It was… nice. The disappearing sun made his expression peaceful. She committed it to memory.

"Thank you, Sakura-shisou."

Sakura was happy that she managed to make Itachi happy with her gift, even if it was only for a while.

To forget all obligations, burdens, and expectations as shinobi and clan heir.

To just be a boy. To just be Itachi.

She smiled back.

"You're welcome."

Author's Notes/Ramblings:

~ I recommend listening to "Whenever There is You" by Koop, "Porcelain" by Moby, "Nervous In The Light Of Dawn" by Leigh Nash, "You Stopped Making Sense" by The Radio Dept., "Field Below" by Regina Spektor, and "Blue Skies" by Noah And The Whale while reading this fic.

~ Sakura's specs weren't really elaborated, but from various descriptions in various chapters, I suppose that she has the measurements of a regular red fox. And she has perfect chakra control, so she can carry large, heavy stuff. A seven-year old Itachi should be no sweat! But, for the sake of this fic, let's just say that she's larger than normal...

~ Yes, I'm totally imaginative with title. Bah. Can someone think of a better title then? Can't think which ones better - Waysides or Slideways. Bah.

~ At the part where Sakura tells Itachi-chan to let go, I ended up imagining him literally doing that, with Itachi consequently falling off. Hahaha.

~ Shisui wasn't really fleshed out in the series, and most authors portray him as loud and flirty, but in canon he was mostly silent. I'll try to portray him both ways to balance him, but meh, this is fanfiction! *shrugs*

~ Inner Sakura wasn't mentioned in Going Sideways so far, so I dunno what to do without her or her absence. Huh. I'll need to comb the fic again...

~ Now I will sleep. I dunno why I did this New Year's Day, in the wee hours of the morning... but I will address any wrongness that needs correcting later.

~ I need an editor/idea-giver/beta. As you can see, grammar is not my friend. So if you're interested in helping me, please PM me with links to your works.

Thank you for reading, but please do review!

Happy New Year's Day, guys!

~ Lost-chan