The wedding had been a decided success. Hinata-sama had been married without incident, though the Uchiha elders were scowling heavily amongst themselves. Smug though he may be, Hyuuga Hiashi was at least wise enough to keep his distance tonight. He did however pitch his voice louder the first time he called Naruto "son" so Itachi and Shisui, who were not far away, might hear him. Neither man particularly cared; they'd agreed when the engagement was first announced that the match would not change Konoha politics. If Hiashi-sama thought he could control his daughter, he was in for a surprise; she'd proven her grit when she refused to leave the shinobi life behind.

Yes, the wedding had indeed been successful, Itachi mused, and all he wanted to do now was to retire for the night.

She had looked beautiful today. Her light green kimono had complemented her eyes tremendously well, and the simple twist she'd put her hair up in—he swore his heart had stopped. Sheer will power alone had kept his mind focused on the conversation around him when she walked into the room.

How was it one woman, five years his junior, could make him feel so vulnerable? She'd always had that affect on him, for seven years now, in fact. But a year ago, he'd at least had better control over his wayward emotions—then again, a year ago she hadn't saved his life, hadn't defied all expectations yet again, hadn't reaffirmed everything he loved about her.

So here he was: thirty years old, a clan leader, and one of the most powerful shinobi in the world, and no prospective wife in sight because the only woman he wanted was far, far out of his reach.

This fact haunted his mother, even his father to a certain extent, for years. It was one thing, believing your son to be absolutely disinterested in the female sex—or either sex, at that—but it was wholly unacceptable in her mind that not only was Itachi interested, but he had also found a woman. Singular. Specific.

And he refused to act.

A little known fact about Uchiha Itachi was that despite his genius on the battlefield, the man was completely hopeless when it came to anything about love. He was a little too serious for most girls' liking; the one time someone who interested him had gathered the courage to ask him out, he had inadvertently rejected her because he had too much work. (Sasuke and Shisui had teased him relentlessly for that blunder.)

He tried correcting his err by inviting the girl to a spar. She read him correctly in assuming it was a date, but her interpretation of what a spar-date entailed was very different from his. She showed up to the date in a crop top, short-shorts, and sexy, black stiletto heels, but rather than jump her like she had anticipated, Itachi merely fell back into a crouch and sent a fireball roaring her way. Itachi ended up carrying her to the hospital five minutes into the date for a twisted ankle and third degree burns from when she tripped on her heels. And he didn't even carry her bridal style… After that, well, she refused to talk to him ever again. (And his brother and cousin just about died of laughter.)

For what seemed like the thousandth time, his eyes flickered to that infamous tuft of pink hair from across the room. She appeared to be in deep conversation with his brother. He noted her pink cheeks and the furrow in her brow. Unconsciously, his own mouth mashed together in a frown. She looked upset and… sad.

Presently, an elder claimed his attention, and Itachi answered politely. By the time he looked back to her table, Sakura was gone. His brother, however, was still seated. Their eyes met for a brief second, and then, Sasuke raised a glass of sake and toasted his brother with a mischievous smirk. Dark eyes immediately narrowed. What was his otouto planning?

Sasuke's eyes flickered to something else momentarily. Itachi, following his gaze, felt his heart stop for the second time that night: Sakura was pushing her way through the dancing couples towards him, eyes sparking with indignation and annoyance.

Itachi had never seen anything so beautiful.

She was too far away to hear, but he could read the muttered litany spewing from her lips. He frowned slightly when he caught the words "bastard," "masochist," and "idiot."

Before he could process anything, she was in front of him, and he briefly wondered why this woman was always standing over him. He opened his mouth to greet her when she leaned over, grabbed the back of his head, and smashed their lips together.

The term "kissing" couldn't quite describe what this was. It was more like having a tongue shoved down your throat, and Itachi, shocked by the suddenness of the gesture, was suddenly confronted by the not-so-unpleasant sight of Haruno Sakura's eyes squeezed shut in complete concentration.

When she pulled back—all too soon for his (and her) taste—he could only stare back in catatonic shock.

"We need to talk," she growled and dragged him out of the room, impervious to the suddenly frozen and silent room.

By the time Itachi had gathered his wits, they were in the adjacent garden. Once they were far enough that the light spilling from the party could not reach, Sakura abruptly stopped and spun around to face him. Itachi noted with approval that she'd made sure the moonlight was to her back, illuminating none of her features and all of his. Neither spoke for a moment as (Itachi could only assume) she studied him critically.

"You love me," she finally stated.

"Yes." Because as surprised as he was that she knew, he had never denied his feelings.

She started at his easy admission, obviously having expected him to put up more of a fight. Her arms came up to cross over her chest. "How long?" she asked.

"From the very moment you commanded me to yield seven years ago," he admitted, eyes never leaving hers.

Again, he'd succeeded in surprising her, if the tightened grip on her forearm were any indication. She took longer to process this time. It irked him slightly that he couldn't see her face. She was incredibly expressive, a trait he'd come to appreciate during their spars. It had betrayed her intent more than once.

"Why—why didn't you ever say anything?" she finally asked, voice strained.

"I was under the impression you hated me," he replied dryly.

In the semi-darkness, he could only guess that when she looked away, she was embarrassed. "I did," she admitted quietly.

"Then I do not understand why it should matter to you," he concluded smoothly, turning to leave.

A small hand caught his wrist, forcing him to halt. "I did, but I don't anymore," Sakura said firmly. With the moonlight behind her, she had an almost ethereal presence, and Itachi prayed that she wouldn't notice the way his heart had picked up speed.

But of course, she had. Her eyes widened as she lowered her attention to his trapped hand. Tentatively, her other hand uncurled each of his fingers, all the while silently noting how his heart jumped in leaps and bounds.

"I haven't for about a year," she admitted quietly. And then she flipped their entwined hands over, and now Itachi could feel her own erratic heartbeat. Mesmerized, Itachi could not pull away as he felt the fluttering pulse beneath his fingers. Heart unwilling to let him hope, just yet, he turned his gaze back to her face.

"Sakura-san—"

"Sakura," she corrected.

"Sakura," he repeated slowly. "Sakura, you cannot possibly be implying what I think."

"Why not?" she demanded.

"We have had no contact in the past seven years."

"That didn't seem to stop you," she countered.

"My feelings are rooted in our spars. You have just admitted that your feelings have only recently changed," he replied easily, his face passive and unreadable. Sakura ground her teeth in annoyance.

"You were under my care in the hospital a year ago. That's hardly no con—"

"On the contrary," Itachi interrupted, causing Sakura to release a cry of outrage. "I was hooked up to a breathing machine and could barely speak. There was no opportunity to interact."

Sakura pouted mulishly. The heat of her glare more than made up for his inability to see it. "You held my hand, after the operation," she accused. "You—you grabbed my hand while I was checking your vitals, and you wouldn't let go."

"I was drugged up on painkillers," he said dismissively. "I could have been reaching for a glass of water for all I know." And then, before she could find a counter argument, Itachi continued flatly, "Forget your feelings, Sakura. Such a match will never work."

It felt like she'd been stabbed by Sasori's blade all over again. Her heart picked up into overdrive, and she struggled to keep her breathing even. "What?"

"Given our lack of interaction outside of the hospital incident, I conclude that your amorous feelings are a result of nursing syndrome," Itachi stated calmly, to Sakura's growing outrage. She bristled more and more as he continued, "With enough time, they will fade. Nor do I believe we share sufficient similarities that your feelings could ever reach the point of love. You are five years my junior, and you have demonstrated many times that you are not impressed by me."

"When did I ever demonstrate that?" Sakura spluttered, furious.

"You walked away," he said quietly, and for a brief moment, sorrow flashed across his face. Fleeting and raw, it made itself known in his eyes and his mouth and stopped up her throat with guilt.

And then the moment passed. His eyes returned to their normal impassivity, and he added, "Even if all that were somehow surmounted, a union would never be approved. You are best friend and teammate to the future Hokage, while I am the head of the most powerful clan. The other council members will surely block it."

Having listed his objections, Itachi turned to leave. He managed one step before Sakura had snapped out of her emotional turmoil and rushed in front of him, blocking his exit. In the moonlight, her expression was fierce and determined, eyes shining with defiance.

"Bullshit!" she hissed, anger surging through her stronger than ever. Evidently, Itachi thought wryly, she had obviously not been paying attention to his last point. "I know you prefer long distance attacks because you're a pacifist and whenever possible, you like to end battles quickly. I know you think that genjutsu is the most destructive of jutsus because of the psychological damage it inflicts. And even though you're a pacifist, you use genjutsu to ensure when you fight an opponent, it will be the last time you fight him. I know that when you train, it's never a question of working yourself blindly to the point of exhaustion, but rather improving your weaknesses. I know you prefer your left hand over your right despite the fact that you write with your right. I know you love tea, cabbage, and dango because whenever you're home from missions, there never seems to be any of those three in Sasuke's house. I know that when you have free time, you spend most of it in the library reading or studying. I also know that your favorite topics of study are philosophy, politics, and poetry. And your three great loves in order of importance are Sasuke, Konoha, and the clan." She paused for breath before muttering as an afterthought, "I started avoiding fights whenever Sasuke was around. You always performed better when he was watching.

"And yes, I walked away, but I was eighteen! Back then, you-you were this measuring stick, a way of determining how far along I'd come. I was so focused on proving you wrong about me that I didn't even think about you… this way. It was only after… in the hospital and when I started looking back with more maturity that I realized…" she looked away, embarrassed and suddenly shy while Itachi watched curiously. "You make me want to be better. Intentionally or not, you push me beyond my limits, and I have never and will never meet another person like that. And I'm not"— she stared down at her hands, which had begun to ring themselves in her nervousness—"I'm not going to give that up. Screw whoever gets in the way. Screw the clans, screw the council, screw—"

Itachi stopped her before she committed high treason, or at the very least, insulted everyone in power. He grabbed her forearm and pulled, stopping her mouth with a soft kiss. It wasn't perfect; he'd never kissed anyone before and was therefore understandably shy about it. But Sakura responded almost immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him even closer.

"DID I MISS IT? HAVE THEY KISSED YET?"

The pair broke apart at the intrusive, but familiar sound of Uzumaki Naruto's voice. Glancing over, both were stunned to see the entire wedding reception staring back at them with rapt attention. Naruto appeared to be in the process of handing out popcorn. Immediately two fists shot out to conk him on his head.

"NARUTO OF ALL THE TIMES TO RUIN A MOMENT, YOU CHOOSE THIS ONE?" Tsunade roared at the same time as—

"UZUMAKI NARUTO, HOW DARE YOU INTERFERE WITH MY SON'S HAPPINESS!"

"Kaa-san…" Itachi murmured. He was distinctly uncomfortable, realizing that his family and co-workers had probably witnessed the entire confession. It was entirely unprofessional and embarrassing. Beside him, Sakura began to shake with concealed laughter before it bubbled over and she threw her head against his shoulder and laughed aloud. And then she kissed him again, this time to the cheers of everyone.

Later that night, after what seemed like everyone had congratulated the new couple, Sasuke strolled up to them, smug smirk in place. But his eyes were happy, if not a little mischievous.

"I deserve a metal for this," he said by way of greeting.

"Probably," Sakura agreed.

"You two are idiots."

"So we've been told."

"Seriously, I had to deal with this for seven years. Seven years of constipated silences and sexual tension every time I walked into a room with the both of you. Do you know how frustrating that is?"

"Yeah, yeah, you've made your point already," she grumbled.

"You even asked me to move in with you, you nincompoop. What kind of person asks the brother of her crush to move in with her?" Itachi's grip on her waist tightened marginally. "Two of the smartest people in Konoha, and yet when it comes to love, you're both blind."

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled, finally silencing him. "Thank you."

His responding smile was genuine as he opened his arms. She ran into them happily, hugging him fiercely. "It was the sexual tension," he said over her shoulder. "You guys haven't been in a room with yourselves—oomph!" Sakura had squeezed just a little tighter, knocking the wind out of him momentarily.

"What a great friend," she sighed, innocently as she released him, ignoring his pained expression.

"She's dangerous," Sasuke warned Itachi once he'd caught his breath.

"Of course," Itachi replied, eyes never straying from the woman next to him. "That's why I fell in love with her."

Lost again as they were in their own romantic world, Sasuke took his cue to slip away, coming to sit next to his mother. She reached out and stroked his hair affectionately (and was probably the only woman who could get away with it and live. Secretly, Sasuke loved the feeling, but no one need know that). "They look happy, don't they?" she mused out loud.

"Hn."

"All wrapped up in their own world… I expect we'll have grand children by next year," she predicted happily.

"Maybe a little more than that," Fugaku commented on her other side. "They'll want to get acquainted with each other first."

Mikoto let out a tinkling laugh. "True. In the meantime, Sasuke-kun, when's the last time you've been on a date?"

Sasuke slumped in his chair, hands covering his face as he released an exasperated groan.

"Now, now, Sasuke-kun, sitting improperly in your chair isn't very attractive to ladies."

-End-

Thus marks the end of Challenge Accepted. I know it's been a long time since I've updated... Almost a year, if I remember correctly. I hope it was worth the wait! Thank you to everyone who has liked, favorited, and followed this story! You guys kept me going through all the mental roadblocks, and I can honestly say that this wouldn't have been written without your requests to finish it.

Author's Notes:

I'll keep these short. I apologize for the long wait. This second half proved a greater challenge than I initially anticipated because I couldn't figure out how to get to the ending I wanted. My original arc was so outlandishly out of character for Itachi that I couldn't go through with it, knowing how terribly I'd misrepresented his character.

I know I ended it rather abruptly, and without due explanations, (I might go back and rewrite parts) but the whole middle section where Itachi is questioning her is meant as a test. He's trying to gauge how much she loves him, and if it's genuine. (Like the story points out, he's not very good at this whole romance thing.) And she's never able to resist one of his little challenges.

Moment I'm sort of proud of: when he switches the lighting. When he turns to go and she stops him, they reverse positions. i.e. she now has the moonlight illuminating her features, making it easier for him to read her. Clever man.

I'd like to think that in another world, Sasuke is a huge dork, but that's just me.

Please, please review! They make my day. :)

Until next time!

~dydshark