Warning: There is just a little bit of SasuNaru at the beginning of this, so if that disturbs you, sorry. There is absolutely nothing graphic about it, seeing as how I don't like to write that kind of stuff, so the most intimate kind of stuff you should expect to see in here is some kissing and a few slightly suggestive implications during a fight. I hope this'll be a fun read for you! Enjoy.

Okay, a friend of mine showed me this song just for fun yesterday because he said it reminded him of me (I slapped the stuffing out of him afterward), and it immediately made me think of a request I'd gotten a while back to make an Itachi X Sakura AU story. So, this is in honor of my idiot friend who is now a part of the pavement (this is what I get for being the only girl in a group of guys, they're always joking about loving me). Thanks Danny! Note: Not his real name.

Song: Hot Mess by Cobra Starship, and a second inspiration: Die For You by Red.

The main pairing in here is ItaSaku, but there is a little squeeze of SasuNaru at the beginning... Had to folks, just had to. I think Itachi is a little OOC in this, but it's all explained by the ending, and it's funny, so I think it's justified craziness. By the way, Itachi and Sasuke are British... I don't know why, nor does it have any major importance to the story, I just love the idea of Itachi with a British accent! The rest of 'em just have normal, American accents I suppose. Use your imagination!

Disclaimer: I don't own this song or this anime, so I had to twist everything up in a totally cute, yet unrealistic, story just to satisfy my fantasies. Original, right?

"Hey, who's that hot guy at the gate?"

"I don't know. Do you think he's single? I've always liked the bad boy type."

Sakura felt her pulse throb near her temple at all of the whispering around her. She wouldn't be surprised if she suddenly started melting from the heat radiating from the angry blush that was painting her cheeks. Why washe here? The leather of her gloves squeaked when she clenched her hands into tight fists, one around her text book and the other the strap of her book bag. She adjusted the heavy tote on her shoulder, pulled her pink hair out from underneath the strap and tried to force her way through the swarm of college girls surrounding her neighbor.

"Get out of my way!" Sakura felt her blush begin to creep down the pale skin of her neck as she made her way through the crowd. "What was he thinking? I told him not to follow me, and what does the idiot do? Shows up at the end of the day and waits at the front gate!"

"Sakura!" Pink hair flew about her shoulders as she turned her head to look at the young man that had called her name. "Sakura, do you know what's going on here? It's like a full-scale riot."

"Your boyfriend's older brother is what happened, Naruto. The idiot is waiting at the gate." The blonde's boyish grin lessened by a few teeth and Sakura noticed the pink tint that had risen to his tan face.

"He's not my boyfriend," Naruto said while pouting impishly. Sakura's emerald eyes rolled in a full circle before focusing back on the crowd in front of her. She blew a lock of thick pink hair from in front of her eyes and frowned, lines breaking the smooth surface of her wide forehead.

"My brother caused this? What'd he do exactly, wreck a helicopter in the street?" Sasuke sneaked his hand into the blonde's, smirking when the slightly shorter boy jerked at least five feet away from him in surprise. Sakura shook her head at the horrified expression on Naruto's face and settled her weight on her left leg, resting her heavy books in the dip of her waist.

"I just need to get out of here without him seeing me. Ever since he moved in next door last month he's been trying to talk to me, and it's been really hard keeping him away from me. He waited on my porch last night until one in the morning!"

"Why does he want to talk to you?" Naruto rubbed at the back of his neck, and shoved his hands in the pocket on his orange pull-over when Sasuke tried to hold his hand again.

Sakura turned around to shove the platinum blonde girl that had just elbowed her in the head into the steadily thinning crowd behind her. "How should I know? I'm just trying to stay away from him. Your brother is such a stalker Sasuke."

"He's just creepy like that. Itachi's always been a freak." Sasuke slung his arm around Naruto and tightened his grip on the blonde's shoulder when the shorter man tried to squirm away. "Whatever he wants, he's not going to leave you alone until he gets it. He's relentless."

Sakura sighed in exasperation, her breath fogging up the cold air in front of her. "I think I get that by now. Listen, can you guys get me out of here without him seeing me?" She willed tears to her eyes and pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth, her hands laced together delicately under her chin. Sasuke lowered his hand to wrap around Naruto's waist, and almost laughed when the blonde nearly jumped out of his skin.

"No problem," Sasuke said as a sinfully sexy smirk pulled his lips upward. "Just be ready to run." Sakura gathered her things and smiled in thanks to the two young men before running off to the side of the crowd. Naruto tried to take a step away from the raven-haired man before he felt strong fingers close around his collar and tug him backwards. "Where do you think you're going? We have to help your precious Sakura, don't we?" His lips brushed against Naruto's ear, and Sasuke felt him jerk forward, tightening his grip just as the blonde tried to run for it.

They tumbled to the ground, Naruto immediately trying to squirm away from his captor. Somewhere from inside the mass of people they heard a feminine voice yell, "Fight!" and the blonde was the first to realize that the voice had been Sakura's. Naruto's naturally mischievous-looking smirk slipped across his face, his blonde eyebrows lowering over his azure eyes.

He leaned in to the lanky boy that was straddling him and whispered in his ear, Sasuke's black hair tickling his cheek, "Follow my lead." Naruto felt Sasuke shiver when he gripped the front of his blue jacket and flipped them so that their positions were reversed.

"Why should I?" Naruto slammed Sasuke down onto the ground with a slightly too forceful push, only a little guilty when he heard the skinnier man groan in pain. The blonde scooted down until he was sitting on Sasuke's stomach, feeling a rush of power course through him when an entirely different kind of groan escaped Sasuke's lips.

"Because I said so!" The blonde slipped his hands onto Sasuke's shoulders and pushed his head into the dirt, dark eyes flashing dangerously at the man sitting on him.

"And that's enough reason for me to do what you say?" Sasuke gripped onto Naruto's biceps, pale fingers curling tightly around the developed muscle; he inwardly melted when the blonde flexed unknowingly. "You idiot!" He pushed Naruto downwards, smirking when he saw the realization flicker in the muscular blonde's blue eyes.

"What do you think you're doing?" It came out in a harsh whisper aimed at the smirking raven.

"Drawing a crowd," Sasuke said with a wink before glancing at the girls that had focused on the 'fight' between Konoha University's most promising music major and athlete. Naruto slapped the man under him harder than he'd intended to at the cheeky comment, and stumbled backwards and onto his feet when Sasuke growled angrily and tackled him before he could get away.

Naruto hit the ground and immediately spit out a decent amount of dust before attempting to shove the tall man off of him. Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist, a bit too low for the blonde's comfort and bit the tan man's neck until he tasted blood. Naruto sucked in a shaky breath and elbowed Sasuke off of him, wiping the blood and saliva from his neck. He saw a flash of pink jump over the fence behind Sasuke and land running on the other side, and knew that their job was complete.

A tan arm slid over Sasuke's chest and pinned him to the ground. "She got away. We can end this." Naruto's voice was deep and breathy from exertion, and Sasuke felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, a blush lighting up the pale skin of his cheeks. "Hey, you okay man?" Naruto hovered over the raven, concern in his blue eyes as he let Sasuke sit up.

"Sasuke? What do you think you're do-" Itachi froze at the head of the crowd when he finally pushed his way through to the fight that had started just when he'd spotted his target. "Oh, so this is the blonde beauty you like?"

"Mhm..." Sasuke pushed Naruto down with his hands and bit the struggling blonde's lower lip. He heard the snap of a camera and pulled away from the forced kiss, his head snapping up to look at his snickering brother as the elder Uchiha approached the two of them.

Naruto scrambled away from Sasuke and wiped at his lips furiously with the palm of his hand, spitting off to the side. Sasuke rolled his eyes and brushed himself off as he stood. "What's your game Itachi?"

Black eyes locked on his own ebony ones, and Sasuke fought the urge to tear his gaze from the intense stare of his brother. "I just want to have a word with Miss Haruno, that's all. Now, I really must go and find her. Oh, and this is payback for helping her get away from me, little brother." Itachi held his iPhone up, a clear photo of Sasuke kissing Naruto on the screen.

Sasuke flipped his mussed hair from his eyes and smirked over his shoulder at his brother. "Send it to me later, I want to have a picture of us for my home screen anyway." The dark-haired man dragged Naruto to his feet and kept his arm around the struggling blonde's waist in a vice-like grip. "You like her don't you." It wasn't a question.

Itachi huffed and turned on his heel, the shocked crowd of young women parting to let him through. "It's none of your business, little brother. Good luck with your boyfriend."

"I'm not his-"

"Thanks Itachi." Sasuke turned to all of the people staring at the blonde that was still trying to escape from his grasp. "Would you stop it already?" Naruto froze at the direct slap that had hit his backside, immediately ceasing his struggling. The raven gripped Naruto's hand tightly, which was much warmer than his own, and pulled him away from the dwindling mob of girls.

"S-so..." Naruto tried to pull his hand from Sasuke's, but flinched at the angry glare from the taller man and just gave up on trying to escape. "At least Sakura got away."

"The point wasn't for her to get away, it was for her to sneak away unseen. We kind of failed in that aspect seeing as Itachi is sprinting down the sidewalk after her." Sasuke pointed down the street once the two had finally made it out of the gate, and then rubbed his face tiredly with his free hand. "Haruno owes us big time." There was a slight awkward silence before Sasuke felt a tug on his hand and had to tighten his grip at the blonde's last-stitch attempt to get away. "My back hurts now too."

"Sorry," Naruto grumbled as he followed Sasuke down the street towards their usual coffee shop. He interlaced his fingers with the more delicate ones of the man that wouldn't relinquish his hand, not noticing the genuine smile that lit up Sasuke's face. "I just hope she'll be okay. You're brother's kinda forceful."

"Runs in the family."

"Don't I know it."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Her lungs were burning and her legs were shaking under her with every step she took, but she picked up her pace when she heard shouting coming from behind her. How had he caught her so quickly?

"Haruno! Wait, please. I just want to talk!" Sakura skid around another corner and straight onto an empty street. She checked her watch then searched for a decent hiding place. Itachi's voice grew louder behind her, and she cursed under her breath.

"Why does he have to be the athletic one in their family? Why not Sasuke? Argh!" Sakura sprinted for the nearest store and wrenched the door open, falling into the building in an ungraceful heap. She crawled over to the window and peeked over the sill, watching as Itachi froze in the middle of the sidewalk outside the shop for a moment, looking around frantically. He sucked in a deep breath, his heartbeat racing, and tore the rubber band from his loose hair and fixed it back into the waist length ponytail it had fallen from.

His dark eyes were downcast and Sakura felt her heart skip a beat at the devastated expression that had grabbed hold of his handsome features. She blushed and ducked down underneath the windowsill, her eyes closing as she took a few deep breaths to calm her ragged breathing.

"M-ma'am... Um... W-we're c-closed." Sakura looked up at the petite young woman in front of her when she spoke in a tiny squeak of a voice.

"Please just let me stay here until that man outside leaves. Please!" She pointed above her head to the window, and the short woman turned her pale blue eyes on the large window, peeking nervously around the label that was stuck on the glass. "No! No, don't look." Sakura tugged the woman to the ground beside her and peeked over the sill again anxiously, swearing to herself when she realized that Itachi still hadn't left.

"W-why would you h-hide from s-someone t-that looks like t-that?" The pink-haired girl glanced back to the older woman beside her, who was staring at the Uchiha that was looking through the window of an empty building across the street. "H-he's gorgeous."

Sakura slumped down dejectedly and ran her gloved hands over her red face. That much was true about him at least, he was quite the looker. She heard him swear loudly from across the street, and she sighed into her hands. He was such a mess though!

Itachi kicked the mailbox near him and swore again, stomping his heavy boot back down onto the ground. He clenched his cold hands into fists again before digging for the cell phone in his leather coat pocket when it vibrated.

Gig's in an hour Uchiha. Where are you? We can't go on without our lead guitarist. ~Kisame

Itachi growled in the back of his throat and checked his watch. He grunted and texted back a quick reply before jamming the phone back into his pocket and looking around him once more, becoming desperate. "Where the heck is she?" He kicked the mailbox again and took off down the street and out of Sakura's sight.

The pinkette breathed a sigh of relief and turned her green eyes on the shy woman next to her. "Thank you so much miss. I owe you one. My name's Sakura Haruno, so if you ever need anything, you can find me at the university here in town."

"I-I'm Hinata... H-Hinata H-Hyuga... N-no problem Ms. H-Haruno." Hinata smiled gently as she walked alongside the younger woman back to the entrance of the book store and held the door open for her guest. "I-I hope y-you two w-work e-everything out." Sakura waved over her shoulder to the kind woman, smiling in spite of herself as she cautiously made her way out into the evening air. She took a few tentative steps down the sidewalk, and relaxed once she'd made it to the end of the street.

"I definitely have to buy something there next time." She froze with a squeak of surprise when she felt the large and heavy hand gripped tightly onto her shoulder.

"Found you Haruno." Sakura swallowed past the tight lump in her throat and tried to run, but only got a couple of steps before strong, masculine arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back into the chest of the tall man behind her. "Why are you trying to run? I said I just want to talk," Itachi breathed out, his chin lowered to the top of her head.

"Let me go Itachi!" She elbowed him in the ribs and squirmed in his tight hold.

"That hurts you know. I am still human, except in the bedroom. I'm more animal than-" Sakura tugged on his long hair, pulling a few strands out in her tight fist.

"Just shut up, would you, and let me go. In case you haven't noticed, I don't like you."

"Please..." Sakura froze in surprise at the sadness in his voice and lowered her arms to her sides just as he let go of her. "Please just listen to me."

"F-fine." The pinkette took a couple of steps away and turned to face the tall Uchiha, brushing off her blue pea coat. "You've got one minute, so start talking. But if you spout any of that perverted crap you're always going on about, I'm leaving." Itachi nodded, his long hair swaying like a whip behind him.

"My band is performing tonight and I want to invite you as my date." He dug a ticket out of his pocket and held it out in front of him with noticeably shaking hands. Sakura let out a breath in surprise, the air fogging up in front of her, and blushed brightly, tugging the knit scarf around her neck up to cover her face. "I've been trying to ask you for weeks, but you always ran away or avoided me."

"Because you're weird!" Sakura's face was a shade of pink that she was sure clashed with her hair as she snatched the ticket from his hand a bit too forcefully. Itachi smiled, and she wondered if he'd even heard her insult him.

"There's still an hour until the show, but I need to be there soon to warm up. I'd be honored if you'd accompany me."

"Yeah right, why should I?"

"Because maybe afterwards you and I could-"

"That's it, I'm leaving!" Sakura turned on her heel and took a few steps before she felt Itachi's hand close around hers. She wrenched her hand from his and stormed down the street, growing even angrier when she realized that he was following her. "What do you think you're doing Itachi?"

"Following you." Itachi put his hands into the pockets of his black jeans to keep them from shaking in the frigid air. Sakura was pretty sure that steam was coming from her ears, but she did her best to ignore the man behind her and continued walking.

"I'm not going to your stupid thing tonight, so just leave me alone or I'll call the police." Itachi grunted in understanding, but to her dismay, just continued to follow a few steps behind her, even when they'd turned onto the busier main street. "Itachi, go away." Sakura turned around and poked him in the chest fiercely with each word to add emphasis.

"But I want to seduce you, and I can't do that if I'm not near you," He said with a hint of a whine to his deep voice. Sakura exhaled in a huff of air and pulled him off to the side of the street by his wrist.

"Will you please stop joking around with me already? It's really starting to irritate me. I. Hate. You. Why can't you just understand that and leave me alone." Itachi smiled and closed his eyes.

"How can I leave if you're holding my hand, Haruno?" She dropped his hand and pushed him away from her.

"Don't you have a gig to get to, Uchiha?" Itachi nodded once, and Sakura blushed at how he hung on every word that came out of her mouth. "Then get going and leave me alone!" His face fell, his eyes hardening over.

"I'm not going unless you go with me." Sakura's emerald eyes widened until she feared her contacts would fall out.

"Don't be an idiot Itachi! You're Akatsuki's guitarist, they can't perform without you." Itachi's lips parted, and Sakura had to force herself to keep his gaze.

"I never told you what I play, Sa-ku-ra." He breathed her name out, a sexy smirk pulling at his lips, but she shoved him away when he tried to take her hand.

"I can hear you practicing at all times of the night while I'm trying to study, idiot. If I didn't know what you played by now, I'd have to be even more stupid than you." The pink-haired young girl pushed her way back into the crowd, Itachi following closely on her heels.

She hurried down the street and turned left, heading for home as quickly as she could. Once she was out of the mass of shoppers and pedestrians, she sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her, ignoring the handsome man that chased after her.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"I'm not leaving until you agree to go with me Sakura." Itachi sat down on the welcome mat and crossed his arms across his chest, a slight crinkle of his nose the only indication that he was upset she'd shut the door on him.

"Go away Itachi." Sakura dropped her bag beside the table in her foyer and pulled her short hair back into a ponytail before tugging her coat from her shoulders. "Your band needs you."

"Thank you for realizing that, now if you'd just come with me, I'd be able to go-"

"Not in your life." Sakura hung the coat up in the small storage closet and tugged on a loose thread on the bottom of her sweater. She pulled the ticket from her pocket and stared at the slightly crinkled paper, glancing back at the door and the person that had grown strangely silent on the other side of it. "He's been trying to give this to me for a month now, and all I do is run away and slam the door on his face." A blush wormed its' way to the pale skin of her cheeks and she clamped her gloved hands to them to try and fight it back.

"Because maybe afterwards you and I could-"

She slapped herself across the face and even went so far as to pinch the skin on her arm to get rid of the thoughts that were racing through her head faster than her heart in her chest. "He's a weirdo, a pervert! He's sitting on my porch after I threatened to call the cops on him. He can never say anything without turning it into something-"

"My band is performing tonight and I want to invite you as my date."

Sakura growled deep in her throat and punched the wall nearest to her. "Why me? Why can't the hot foreign guitarist stalk someone that actually wants him to?! If only he'd shut that mouth of his, he'd be perfect."

"I'm not going unless you go with me."

The leather couch cushion squeaked as she sat down, burying her face in her hands. "He's so sweet, but... What is my problem with him?"

"Sakura!" Her head whipped around when Itachi's voice came from the front door.

"What?!" Sakura gripped onto the arm of the couch so tightly that she heard the cloth tear at the stitches. "What do you want?"

"I just want to know why you don't like me so much. If you really do hate me, I'll leave." Tears prickled in her eyes at the hurt in his voice, and she had to swallow a few times before her throat was clear enough to not sound like she was being strangled.

"It's... It's not you, so much... Itachi. I just, I don't know."

"Well... Alright, I guess. Can I at least have a hug before I 'go away' like you've wanted since I went to pick you up." Sakura smiled and wiped at her eyes, hurrying over the few steps to her front door and undoing the latch.

"Just one," She said once she'd cracked the door open an inch or so. Itachi nodded, got to his feet, and brushed the seat of his pants off.

Sakura stepped into his arms and wrapped her own around his trim waist, surprised by the strength he had for a professional musician. "Thank you." His lips brushed the top of her head in a kiss, and she felt a small shiver make its' way up her spine, but she was unsure whether it was from the cold breeze that was caressing her skin or from the delicious smell of Itachi's cologne.

"Gotcha Princess." Sakura didn't even have time to process what had happened before the blood was rushing to her head and her fists were pounding on Itachi's back.

"Put me down! Now, Itachi!" She hit him even harder, but he just shut her door after grabbing her coat from the closet and throwing it over her back.

"I gave you the choice of going or not, and you said no, so I'll just have to get you there my way."

Sakura's hair fell from its' ponytail when Itachi skipped effortlessly down the porch steps, the pink-haired girl kicking and screaming as he made his way down the empty sidewalk at a fast pace. "Itachi, please! I'm wearing a skirt. Put me down, I'll walk!"

"Oh don't worry, no one besides me can see anything." Sakura tugged on his long hair. "I'm not sure I trust you to not run away, so I'll carry you halfway and let you walk the rest. And I'll hold this," He put his hand on her upper thigh and held her jean skirt down by the hem, "down so you don't feel embarrassed."

"You're an idiot." Her face was the same color as her hair, and she was glad that he couldn't see it.

"I know." He adjusted her on his shoulder and walked just a little bit slower.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Itachi! Finally, where the heck were you, yeah? We go on in less than 20-Who's that?"

Sakura squirmed uncomfortably and tried to wriggle away from Itachi, only to have him nearly drop her. "Can you put me down now, Uchiha?"

"You tried to run away last time I did that. Can I trust you this time?" Sakura sighed, but agreed nonetheless and was soon standing on her feet, swaying slightly as the blood rushed from her head.

"Hi! I'm Deidara, Akatsuki's lead singer, yeah. Are you Itachi's girlfriend?"

"Of course not! I've been kidnapped and brought here against my will." Sakura smoothed out the wrinkles on her skirt and huffed loudly, running her fingers through her hair to get rid of the tangles. "But it's nice to meet you Deidara." She shook the blonde's hand, smiling at the contrast between the innocent look of his baby blue eyes and almost feminine looking hairstyle to the punk clothing he was wearing; he pulled it off somehow.

"Hope ya enjoy the show against your will, un!" Deidara toddled off, occasionally screaming over the noise of the backstage clamor in a language Sakura didn't understand.

"He was nice," Sakura said, trying to pull her hand from Itachi's as he led her to the dressing rooms to meet the rest of the band.

"Yeah. We're all just glad his court case was dropped last month so he could be here tonight." She inconspicuously rubbed the hand she'd shaken with the blonde's on the front of her skirt.

"That's... Good news." Itachi nodded with a grunt before opening the door on the left of the hall that had 'Akatsuki' written on a fancy plaque hanging beside it.

"Finally, kiddo. I thought you weren't coming. I was fixin' to send Hidan from security to find you." The largest man Sakura had ever seen walked over to them once Itachi had shut the door behind her, and she could've sworn she felt the earth shake with every step he took. "This your girl, kid? She's a cutie. Name's Kisame Hoshigake, I'm the band's manager." His smile was friendly, even if his teeth were filed to points; she was just glad he hadn't offered to shake her hand.

"S-Sakura. Sakura H-Haruno, sir."

"No need to be shy girly." Kisame clapped her on the back hard enough to knock the air from her lungs before doing the same to Itachi and hurrying off to yell at a couple of stage hands that were messing around. She noticed that they looked like they'd wet themselves.

"He's-He's huge!" Sakura stared dumbly after the giant, blue-haired man, blinking occasionally.

"You get used to it." Itachi put his hands on her shoulders and smiled when she wrenched away from him. "Anyways, you know Deidara sings, I play lead guitar, that there," He pointed to a young man that looked even younger than her, "Is our bassist, Sasori. He's the oldest in the group at 30, but he's still the best at what he does." The little red-head snored loudly and turned over in his sleep.

"Performance is a little wooden though." Sakura turned to look where the deep voice had come from, surprised to see a tall man with piercings covering most of his face hovering beside her. "Pein. Drummer." He wandered over to the sofa where Sasori was napping and dumped whatever he'd been drinking into the plant next to him, chuckling quietly when a man with green hair started yelling at him.

"He's a bit strange... Oh, the pale guy with the oddly colored hair is our keyboardist, Zetsu. He's kind of bipolar, so I'd avoid him if you can." Itachi rubbed at the back of his neck.

"So wait, Sasori's the oldest? He looks like a teenager."

"He's got a baby face, which makes him popular with our younger fans. He's five years older than me though."

"You're 25? I'd never have pegged you as being that old." She ignored the smile that appeared on his face.

Deidara rushed over in a huff of excitement and took Sakura's hands in his, dragging her away without a word. Itachi sighed and pulled his jacket from his shoulders, heading over to the chair marked Uchiha after he lost sight of her. He nearly jumped when a delicate hand rested on his shoulder, settling back into his seat when he realized that it was Pein's girlfriend, Konan.

"Doesn't it bother you that you're chasing a girl that just turned 18 a few months ago?" Konan dusted a bit of powder onto Itachi's cheeks to try and cover up the permanent dark circles under his eyes, frowning when it had no effect whatsoever.

"I waited until she was 18, didn't I? She's legal." She smiled while Itachi searched for a blonde and pink head in the crowd of people off to the side of the room.

"You really like her, don't you."

"Does it matter?" Itachi ducked his head, avoiding her gaze by playing with his phone.

"Maybe if you'd cut the perverted crap, she'd actually like talking to you." Konan wandered over to Pein and sat down next to him, trying to stop the fight that was slowly escalating between her orange-haired boyfriend and the plant-loving man he'd angered.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sakura took her front row seat just as the stage lit up in colorful lights that blazed over the crowd in beautiful patterns. A voice that she immediately loved filled the room, and when the singer reached the chorus, the lights focused on the blonde she'd grown to like over the past half hour, his blue eyes shining brilliantly as he sang his heart out.

(Unity-Shinedown)

So have you ever been caught in a sea of despair?
And your moment of truth
Is the day that you say "I'm not scared"

Put your hands in the air
If you hear me out there
I've been looking for you day and night
Shine a light in the dark
Let me see where you are
'Cause I'm not gonna leave you behind

If I told you that you're not alone
And I show you this is where you belong
Put your hands in the air
One more time

His voice was incredible, and Sakura soon found herself on her feet along with the screaming fans all around her. The group had the most incredible image, and even if she couldn't hear them playing like the professionals that they were, she'd have bought their merchandise anyways. The stage was a mass of shifting colors that changed with the beat of the drum, the rhythmic beat that had her heart pounding in a flurry.

I've seen a million miles
Met a million faces
Took all I knew
To reach all these places
And I'd do it again
If it brings me back to you

So have you ever been caught in a sea of despair?
And your moment of truth
Is the day that you say "I'm not scared"

Put your hands in the air
If you hear me out there
I've been looking for you day and night
Shine a light in the dark
Let me see where you are
'Cause I'm not gonna leave you behind

If I told you that you're not alone
And I show you this is where you belong
Put your hands in the air
One more time

Sakura shuddered when Deidara hit a note she knew wasn't even in her own range of voice, a much lower and gravelly voice she recognized as Itachi's joining in flawlessly at key points in the song. The sound of an electric guitar wailed in her ears a little too loudly, but she didn't even pay the pain any attention, her eyes locked on Itachi's fingers as they moved at a pace she couldn't believe possible over the strings of the guitar. The song came to an end, and she screamed and clapped, adding her own sound to the roar of the crowd as the next musical masterpiece began.

It started beautifully, and to Sakura's surprise, Itachi handed off his guitar to a stage hand in exchange for a violin that he plugged into the amp. The crowd behind her screamed so loudly that she felt her ears ringing afterwards. 'Must be a fan favorite.'

(Love's To Blame-For King and Country)

Time and time
You've thought through it all
How we loved and loved
And how we fought each other,
Pushing one another to be somebody else

And time and time
I wrestled my thoughts
Uncertain if the end was right or wrong,
And whether we should be together
Or with somebody else

That last memory,
She had water in her eyes
She cried stay with me
And asked how can this be love if you're leaving me?
But darling, love's to blame

The delicacy of the song amazed her, and she felt her heart swell as the song built, the sound of the violin and falsetto bringing tears to her eyes at the beautiful harmony. She wiped at her cheeks as the tears raced downwards from her eyes.

It makes me ache
That we had to break
That even though I knew we had it so well
We're strangers in different places though we live a mile apart

My best friend's gone,
My world has been torn
We'll never share a name
Never be one
But I will always remember the years we spent in love

I still think of you
I pray that you are safe
I'm still missing you
But it has to be this way cause I'm not right for you
And that's why love's to blame

And I can't see you right now
Cause I just can't fake it
Come be near you right now
Cause I know you're no longer mine
And I can't see you right now
Cause I just can't take it
Come be near you right now
Cause I know you're no longer mine
And I can't see you
No I can't see you
I just can't see you right now

Deidara's voice dropped considerably, and his range surprised Sakura yet again as the next number started, the lights overhead changing to deeper colors that matched the song's mood and tone.

(Undone-FFH)

Open up wide, swallow down deep
No spoon full of sugar could make it sweet
The cancer inside stealing my sleep
Night after night it keeps haunting me
The secrets I keep
Are tearing me up inside
I try to hide and then I wonder why

Why I'm still running when I know there's no escaping

Come undone, surrender is stronger
I don't need to be the hero tonight
We all want love we all want honor
Nobody wants to pay the asking price

Fall on my knees, fall on my pride
I'm tripping over all the times I've lied
I'm asking please, but I can see in your eyes
You don't need tears for alibis
It's true what they say
Love must be blind
It's why You're still standing by this sinner's side

You're still by my side when all the things I've done have left you bleeding

They repeated the chorus one last time, and she just knew that it had been her favorite song they'd performed so far. The drum beat picked up again as they started the final song for the set, and the pink-haired girl felt even her hands shake when Deidara stepped back from the mic and let Itachi take his place. "What the-"

(Break The Spell-Daughtry)

Like a moth into a flame,
I'm hypnotized,
And like a stone,
I'm paralyzed cause I can't look away,

You found your way under my skin,
And I'm tryin' not to love you,
But I hate the way I keep on givin'

Into you, like I always do,
No matter how I try,
Or maybe could it be,
That you're the part of me,
That's keeping me alive?

How am I supposed to break this spell you got me under,
I'm so addicted to the pain,
Got your poison running through my veins,

The way you pull me in,
The way you chew me up,
The way you spit me out,
I keep coming back, I can't get enough,
I can't go without you,

She knew she probably looked like a complete idiot with her mouth hanging open in shock and her eyes as wide as a deer caught in headlights, but she couldn't tear her eyes from the sight of Itachi shredding his fingers across his black and red guitar, the tendons in his neck strained tightly as he sang flawlessly. His voice was so deep and had a grit to it that Deidara's didn't that made her stomach roll and flutter.

I could fight you 'til the end,
But I will lose you if I win,
So I guess I'll just keep on givin'

Into you, like I always do,
No matter how I try,
Or maybe could it be,
That you're the part of me,
That's keeping me alive?

How am I supposed to break this spell you got me under,
I'm so addicted to the pain,
Got your poison running through my veins,

The way you pull me in,
The way you chew me up,
The way you spit me out,
I keep coming back, I can't get enough,
I can't go without you,

This feeling is far from sober,
Its beauty buried deep inside,
You're the only one who gets me high,
And I know it's far from over,

As you can see you're the part of me,
That's keeping me alive

Sakura felt tears pour out of her eyes, and she didn't bother to wipe them away as his own met hers briefly, lingering only for a moment longer than necessary. The lights flew over her head, bathing her in hues of blue and purple. His eyes were searching the crowd up until the song hit a part she'd heard him playing just a few nights before from her room, and he closed his eyes, the intensity of his performance skyrocketing to new heights. She somehow knew that, even though he hadn't written the song, he was singing it for her anyways.

The band played through another round of songs, and Sakura jumped and clapped along with the fans around her, but she was lost in thought, her eyes locked firmly on Itachi, who'd stepped back to let Deidara take his place again.

'Why don't I like him?' A picture of Sasuke flashed in her mind, and suddenly, everything became clear; unquestionable. 'It's because he turned me down...'

~Flashback~

"I like you." Sakura's voice came out rushed and higher than she'd wanted, but she felt a rush of pride once she finally told the boy she'd liked for years of her feelings. Sasuke took a step back, fiddling with the strap of his backpack and watching the front gate of the school, his eyes scanning the crowd. It was awkwardly silent for a few minutes before he finally tore his eyes from the mob of students and looked back at the blushing girl in front of him.

"I... Sorry." She swore she heard a crack when his reply finally spilled from his lips, and her chest suddenly felt broken. "There's someone else."

"I'm sure I could be just as good as she is. Don't I have a chance?"

"Oi! Sasuke!" A blonde boy that Sakura didn't recognize darted from the crowd and over to their direction. A faint tinge of pink dusted across the pale skin of Sasuke's handsome face, and Sakura glanced between the ruggedly handsome blonde and the elegant-looking dark-haired man she'd just confessed to.

A small smile quirked the edges of her lips upward, as she turned back to face the Uchiha. "I guess I don't really have what he has, now do I?"

"W-wait, what're you t-talking about? I don't like that idiot."

"Come on man, that's harsh. We wouldn't be best friends if you didn't at least like me." The blonde slung his arm around Sasuke's shoulders and pressed his nose against the paler boys' cheek, a grin so wide that it looked almost painful lighting up his face. Sakura saw Sasuke flush, his knees trembling ever-so-slightly, and she suddenly understood the situation perfectly. "Who's this, Sasuke?"

"Sakura. I'm a new friend of Sasuke's." She shook the hand of the muscular high school sophomore, his hand at least twice the size of her own despite them being the same age.

"Naruto, nice to meetcha. Want to come hang with us? We always go get a drink at the coffee place down the street from Konoha University after school."

"I'd love that." Sakura smiled as the blonde took off across the courtyard, dragging his backpack behind him.

"I'm, uh, really sorry, again." Sasuke put his hand on the short girl's shoulder, but Sakura just brushed him off with a smile.

"You know, I'd be willing to help you get him if you'd like."

"But- I just.. And you..."

"Yeah, but I think I'm swearing off Uchiha's, you guys are weird." She smiled humorously, the heaviness in her chest lightening when a handsome half-smile lit up his expression, before taking off after the laughing blonde, dragging the poor young Uchiha behind her.

~End Flashback~

Sakura showed her backstage pass to the foul-mouthed security guard she recognized as Hidan and hurried down the hall to where she'd met the band members earlier. She bumped into a few of the stage hands, pushing most of them out of the way when she spotted Kisame's head over the rest of the crowd. A few of the people cleared, and she immediately pushed her way through, a strong hand helping her through when she'd nearly fallen down.

"Are you alright Sakura?" Blue eyes met emerald, and a boyishly crooked smile twitched across Deidara's lips as he helped her gain her balance. "This crowd's nuts, yeah. Biggest audience we've ever performed for."

"Thanks, Deidara." Sakura smiled at the man before running straight for Itachi once she'd spotted him. "Itachi!"

The raven's face lit up when he saw the flash of pink running for him, and he saluted her playfully, half expecting her to punch him. He was knocked off of his feet, nearly dragging Pein down with him, when Sakura tackled him, her arms around his waist like a vice. The two of them skid several feet along the floor, and it took Itachi a moment to sit up, rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the ground. Surprisingly strong hands gripped the collar of his grey shirt and pulled him upwards.

He blinked owlishly when full lips pressed firmly against his own, suddenly feeling a little dizzy when all of the blood rushed to his face. His blush had raced down his neck and to his ears by the time Sakura released him and stood. She offered him her hand, frowning when he fanned it away and fell back down to the ground instead, his arm thrown over his eyes and a stupid grin peeking out from under the edge of his sleeve. Sakura crossed her arms across her chest, fully aware that there was an entire crowd of people staring at her at that moment. "We need to have a word Uchiha."

"Why don't I have a girl, un?"

"You're gay, Dei."

"Oh right."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Can I carry you again?" Sakura glared at the tall man that was walking down the sidewalk next to her, her green eyes glowing like a cat's in the dark. Itachi chuckled before saying, "Guess that's a no then."

"You're just taking me straight home Uchiha, got that?"

"Can I go with you?" She glared again, and he held his hands up in mock surrender.

"You know, I finally figured out why I hate you." Itachi hummed quietly from beside her, and she knew she had his attention. "It's because your brother gave me a false preconception about Uchiha's."

"So you thought we were all gay?"

"No, I thought you were all trouble." She peeked out of the corner of her eye to the hand that was next to her own, and fought down the sudden desire to hold it like she had earlier against her will. "I was right, of course, but you're a different trouble than he is. I understand that now."

"I see." Itachi put his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and slowed his pace just a little bit to match the shorter strides of the girl beside him. "What kind of trouble am I exactly?"

"Well, you're a perverted stalker that I'm convinced follows me around just because I tell you not to." His dark eyes lit up with amusement and she hit his bicep. "But you're also the kind of trouble I've been trying so hard to stay away from because it's the kind I've always been looking for." She pulled his hand from his back pocket by a gentle tug on his wrist and slid her smaller palm into his own. "You just had to kidnap me for me to realize that I couldn't run from you forever, I guess."

"Uchiha's are persistent. It runs in the family, you know." She smiled up at the man beside her and tightened her hold on his hand just a little bit before nodding.

"Don't I know it."

"So, after this do you want to go-"

"Don't push it." Sakura pinched his arm.

"-get a coffee or something, is what I was going to say. Unless you'd rather I ask for the other thing instead." Itachi leaned down in front of her and brought his face close to hers, his breath hot against her lips.

"Do you get perverted when you're nervous or something?" Sakura stuck her tongue out at him, but snatched it back into her mouth when he moved to bite it.

"You finally figured it out, huh?" Itachi removed his hand from hers and slid it around her waist, smiling when she jumped out of habit, and continued ambling down the empty side street. "It's always been a really bad response of mine with girls. Ruined most of my relationships in fact. I'm no good with women." He ran a hand over his face tiredly and nearly jumped out of his skin when a small hand slipped into the pocket she'd pulled his own from and rested there comfortably while they walked.

"Considering you literally kidnapped me when I turned you down, I'd have to agree with that with no protest whatsoever."

"Jerk," He mumbled, jumping again when the hand in his back pocket squeezed in retaliation. "Right, sorry."

"I'd love a coffee though. I know about a great place that isn't far from my school if you'd be willing to walk that far." She checked her watch, surprised that it was only around ten o'clock. Sakura felt his hand tighten on her waist and she shivered at the unfamiliar, yet pleasant touch.

"I've gone this far for you already, a few miles more isn't anything." It was quiet for a few minutes as they passed underneath the bright street lights and the occasional closed shop that caught their interest.

"Itachi, how much do you like me?" Sakura suddenly felt the same nervousness she had back in high school when she'd confessed to this man's younger brother. He looked down at her just as the reached their destination and pulled her a little closer to him once they'd entered the bright 24-hour coffee shop.

"An unquestionable amount." His eyes were gentle and bright, and Sakura couldn't help but feel lighthearted despite the catcalls of Naruto, Sasuke, and a few of her classmates in the background when Itachi's lips pressed against her own for the second time that night; she'd be able to kill them later.

. . . . . . . . . . .

End.

1. Alright, I hope you all enjoyed this. It was just something fun and cute to write.

2. So, Itachi liked Sakura but had serious problems conveying this to her, and Sakura secretly liked him a bit too, but was afraid to let him near her because of her past Uchiha experiences and because she also didn't like how he acted around her whenever he'd get nervous. Big conundrum! But all is well at the end.

3. If you have any kind of pairing or even a song you'd like for me to turn into a fic for you, just let me know. I hope that you like this short little ItaSaku story. It was more fun to write than I'd expected! Their characters were so different from what I was used to when portraying them. How often do we see an Itachi that isn't the perfect womanizer or the Sakura that doesn't openly admit to loving a guy that is good looking and shows a bit of interest in her. It was a cute struggle, I think. Very fun!

R & R, Love AMB11!