Itachi 6

Shisui 10

Sakura 11

Their ages in the beginning, but they will get older as the chapter progresses. Finally figured out how to write a one-shot. I swear I intended this to be a one-shot.

I can't write another in-progress work. I won't do that to you guys.

That being said, I am working on Fever. It's just that my muse is thinking up scenes that don't fit so I have to think of scenes to lead into those scenes which means a longer story and more time.

I've always loved same age/age swap stories between Kakashi and Sakura and I wondered how the dynamics between Itachi and Sakura could change if she was around Shisui's age with many things staying the same. More fluff!

Itachi had just landed after his shuriken exercise when he felt someone approach the small clearing.

The figure dropped down from a tree near the edge, smiling good naturedly. Though Itachi had never met her, he knew of her. She was wearing a red vest and shorts and had distinctive pink hair that reached the middle of her back.

His cousin approached the newcomer in a relaxed manner.

"This is where you've been hiding out, eh Shisui. I assumed you were just fooling around."

"You know I only have eyes for you, Sakura-chan." Shisui said, in a tone that Itachi had never heard before. It was teasing and light.

"Shut it. You're going to give him the wrong impression," she snapped.

Sakura body flickered past Shisui until she stood just a few feet away from him.

"Hi, I'm Haruno Sakura, Shisui's teammate." She took a step towards him, still smiling and held out her hand. "I've heard a lot about you." He wondered if she had a split personality because her tone while talking to him was drastically different from when she was addressing his cousin.

Itachi took her hand, appreciating that she didn't talk down to him because of his height or age. She was just a bit taller than his cousin but Shisui was hitting his growth spurt.

"You're Tsunade-sama's apprentice." Sakura nodded. She had been about to say something when he unintentionally cut her off. "Are you Shisui-san's girlfriend?" Her head whipped towards the older boy with what Itachi could only assume was a glare.

"I wouldn't date Shisui if he were the last man in Konoha." Sakura remarked, with a bit of a bite.

"Sakura-chan~" Shisui body flickered right next to them and took Sakura's hand from Itachi's placing it over his chest. "That hurts me right here."

Her other hand came up to smack his cousin in the back of the head with an open palm.

Shisui merely chuckled and rubbed at the spot and let go of her hand. Itachi suspected she had used some of the strength Tsunade was known for.

"I'm afraid Sakura's too good for me, Itachi." Shisui feigned hurt.

Sakura scoffed but had a smile as she explained, "Your older cousin is a bit of a flirt," she said, ignoring the shushing coming from said shinobi. "I don't have the time nor the patience for flirts."

Itachi could tell the barb held no malice but he wondered just what Shisui had done to make her think so little of him. "I don't think there's another Academy student capable of doing what you can, Itachi-kun." His ears perked up at the mention of his name. "I wouldn't be surprised if they let you graduate early." When he didn't respond, she started to grow distressed, "ah, is it okay if I call you Itachi-kun?"

He nodded and gave her a sound of affirmation. Her smile returned, brightening up her green eyes.

"I'm a year older than Shisui here, although I might seem five years more mature."

"Why are you here, Sakura?" Shisui asked, wanting to cease the continued jokes at his expense.

"I just wanted to see what you were up to this morning. The second part of the exams are coming up and I was worried you might be pushing yourself too hard."

"Sakura-chan, you do care!" She just sighed and shook her head, in amused exasperation.

It seemed Shisui was acting foolishly for her sake and it was clear the two cared for one another. Itachi assumed Sakura was referring to the chunin exams. He remembered hearing Shisui's team had made it past the first stage. There was one more group stage and then the individual stages left.

"Shisui-san was just showing me a few things," Itachi said, not wanting to get his cousin into any trouble with his teammate.

"Why don't you show Itachi what you can do." At Shisui's suggestion, Sakura smirked and gave Itachi a wink before stepping up to the plate.

The two Uchiha boys took a few steps back to give her space. The pinkette calmly took out fingerless gloves and put them on, giving each one a firm tug to make sure they stayed in place.

Sakura lept into the air and Itachi assumed she would also be using projectiles to hit the targets he had set up. However, she surprised him by coming straight down with a cry and bringing her leg through the thickest tree trunk.

His eyes widened just a bit, not expecting that her petite body held that much raw strength. She truly was a second Tsunade in terms of physical poweress.

Sakura had trained under the legendary sannin for two years and had arrived to Konoha towards the end of the war. Sakura had saved the lives of dozens of people in just a few months and quickly became highly regarded, well known, and well loved.

It was rumored Tsunade had developed a phobia of blood after the Second Shinobi World War. However, as another war was drawing closer, Hiruzen had personally asked Tsunade for the favor of training a single medic. Out of a hundred possible candidates, Haruno Sakura had been chosen by Tsunade herself. Sakura had been a recent Academy graduate with above average intelligence and genjutsu abilities but middling ninjutsu and taijutsu skills. However, her chakra control had been second to none even as a genin.

In the middle of the clearing, she punched the earth, causing cracks and a rumble beneath their feet. Trees around them toppled as their foundations gave way. Chunks of dirt and grass came up as tree roots were exposed.

One hit from her could definitely kill a man.

"We can't expect anything less from the apprentice of a sannin, could we?" Shisui bumped his shoulder with his and Itachi nodded in silent agreement.

"You haven't seen anything yet," she quipped as she hopped over a sharp protrusion of earth. "Say, Itachi-kun, Shisui and I will be training tomorrow. You should join us."

Shisui smiled at him, prompting Itachi to nod once again.

"I'm guessing you chose the forest because you don't want anyone to know you're playing hooky." She remarked jokingly. It was clear they needed a new place now.

"I'm not." At Sakura's quizzical expression, Itachi elaborated. "I have a shadow clone at the Academy."

Sakura's lips turned upwards minutely and she brought her hand up to ruffle his hair affectionately. "As expected, you're an exceptional shinobi even at such a young age. I'm envious."

Itachi nearly glared at her for touching him so familiarly but when she withdrew her hand and tapped the middle of his forehead with a chakra laden pointer finger, Itachi remembered that making her mad was probably ill advised. "Don't grow up too fast though." She spoke quietly, and Itachi wondered if she too disliked all the fighting.

Sakura dusted her hands off, then removed her gloves. "Well, I'll see the two of you tomorrow."

"See ya, Sakura."

"Nice to finally meet you, Itachi-kun." With that, she sauntered off, leaving the two Uchiha boys in the middle of a demolished forest.

Itachi's first impression of her was that she was warm and friendly, but also dangerous.

They trained together a few times a month after their initial meeting until Shisui and Sakura had been promoted to jonin, bypassing the rank of chunin completely. They became a two man squad and took missions together frequently. At the end of his first year in the Academy a few months later, Itachi graduated and had been placed on a genin team.

His father had boasted to everyone he met that his eldest son was the youngest post-war graduate. It drew the attention of the clan elders as well as the ire of his fellow classmates.

Shisui had congratulated him with a meal. Sakura had ruffled his hair again expressing her own congratulatory remarks and offering to buy him some dango after training. Itachi hadn't seen much of sakura lately as she'd been going on missions with Shisui and taking part time shifts at the hospital during busy times. The three still made time to train together occasionally but Itachi saw less and less of Sakura.

They had been seated across from each other, a cup of tea in their hands when Sakura said the words she truly wanted to say to him.

"Itachi-kun." He looked at her from his plate of dango. "Don't grow up too fast." Itachi had known Sakura shouldered a great deal of weight.

When Itachi discovered Shisui had awakened his mangekyou sharingan, he had been told that a year after Sakura left for her training, the other member of their team had died during the war.

When Sakura returned home, she had come back to buried friends and dying comrades. Itachi wished he could take some of that weight from her.

She reached over, took a stick of dango from the middle of the table and popped one in her mouth. She sighed as she chewed happily and the sweet treat .

She had been kind to him, showed her expressions so openly but held a deep pain. Itachi wondered if that was the outcome of all shinobi.

After he returned from his first lengthy mission outside of Konoha, Itachi sought Sakura to let her know he had returned. When he finally found her, it was to see her sitting at the bar in Ichiraku with someone other than his cousin.

His stomach flipped when he realized it was a chunin he'd seen once or twice around Konoha. A Hyuuga around Shisui and Sakura's age from one of the branch families.

If Shisui asked, Itachi wouldn't have been able to answer why he grabbed a stool and purposefully placed it between the couple, squeezing his way between them. Itachi had just been keeping a random chunin from getting too friendly with their Sakura.

The male voice trailed off at being interrupted while a welcoming smile bloomed across her features. She asked if he was hungry after his big mission and ordered him a bowl, the chunin to Itachi's right all but forgotten as she asked about his mission and looked him over for injuries.

Although his mother had already made him something to eat, Itachi accepted the food with gratitude. He stole her attention as he told her about his team and their mission. Her green eyes were alight with amusement and interest as Itachi was being particularly loose-lipped.

When they were finished, it was clear the chunin was attempting to dismiss Itachi and get Sakura to join him for desert.

Luckily, Itachi knew exactly what to say to get him out of the way for now.

"Sakura-san," he began, gaining her attention once again from the other boy. "I'm overdue for my annual check up."

She laughed softly, the sound was melodious and soothing. "Sorry, Mori-kun. Duty calls." The Hyuuga sent a hard glare Itachi's way when Sakura wasn't looking. Itachi merely blinked at him. Did the Hyuuga not know that Sakura was too good for him?

When the chunin left, Sakura ruffled his hair and poked the middle of his forehead with a chakra infused pointer finger. He rubbed the spot with a frown, wondering why she had done that.

"That wasn't very nice Itachi-kun." She scolded as she led him towards the hospital.

"I don't know what you mean, Sakura-san." He said cooly.

"That wasn't a date or anything."

"I didn't think it was."

"I can date, you know."

"I never said you couldn't."

Sakura's laugh caused a small smile to form on his lips. She seemed happier recently and that made Itachi happy.

"You weren't interrupting anything."

"I wasn't trying to."

"I'm not dating your cousin!" Her cry of outrage just made him laugh softly. People in the street shot curious glances at the annoyed kunoichi causing her cheeks to flush in embarrassment.

He wanted the days to go by just like this. Peaceful and calm with Sasuke, Shisui, and Sakura.

A year later, after he had fully awakened and mastered his sharingan, Itachi saw Sakura after every prolonged usage of his kekkei genkai. Her gentle hands and warmth never failed to make Itachi feel better.

Itachi wondered when he would be able to call her sister.

If he wanted any hope for that, Shisui needed to get his act together.

When he first introduced her to Sasuke, Itachi expected her to coo and gush over the four year old as most women did.

The two brothers had been walking to a nearby park hand in hand when Itachi noticed Sakura sitting on a wood bench reading from a small novel.

As the pair approached, Sakura looked up from her book and waved at them.

"Hello Sakura-san." He began, "this is Sasuke, my younger brother."

"My name is Haruno Sakura, it's nice to meet you Sasuke-kun." Sasuke's eyes looked too big for his face as he stared at Sakura's yin seal. Self conscious, she touched her forehead, wondering if there had been something stuck there.

"Hello, Sakura-san." Sasuke's voice was small but sure as he minded his manners without being told.

"You're such a nice older brother Itachi-kun." He had heard the same praises from a number of other people but for some reason, Sakura's approval was oddly uplifting. "Are you going to the park?" At Sasuke's exuberant nod, Sakura covered her lips with the back of her fingers as her shoulders shook slightly with mirth. Her shoulder length coral colored hair appeared almost shear in the sunlight. Her jade eyes sparkled.

Pretty.

"Please, don't let me keep you." Sakura said kindly.

Sasuke began tugging at his hand but Itachi held firm for just a second before smiling down at his eager brother and continuing their walk to the park.

"Bye Sasuke-kun!" His brother turned around at the sound of his name and waved.

After a few more steps, Sasuke looked up at him. "Nii-san. Is she your friend?" Itachi nodded. "She's pretty." He couldn't hold the grin back as Sasuke voiced what Itachi had been thinking just a few moments ago.

Sakura wasn't the type to gush. Afterall, he had been 6 when he met her and she never expressed any condescension. Though she used appropriate honorifics and teased, she never spoke to him as though he were a toddler.

At age 11, Itachi passed the ANBU qualification exam. The Hokage had reassured him that ANBU would be good for him even though Itachi had been one of the youngest members in the organization's history.

When Itachi entered the training compound, he didn't know exactly what to expect.

The ten new ANBU recruits were made to stand in the middle of a large arena and await instructions.

After a tense few minutes, eleven people arrived. Itachi recognized a few other faces but Shisui was suspiciously absent even though Sakura was there. They were wearing their uniforms but held their masks at their side or around their head with their faces uncovered.

One shinobi had a cloth mask over his nose and mouth and had the ANBU mask over one eye, making him easily recognizable.

The new group stopped in front of the recruits and they each introduced themselves in varying degrees of warmth.

Hatake Kakashi introduced himself last and it was assumed his next words would direct everyone to what would happen next.

"Yo." After a prolonged silence, an exasperated sigh drew everyone's attention towards Sakura who had been standing next to the silver haired man.

"What Kakashi-senpai means is we'll be pairing up buddy system style and showing you the basics including new protocols. Two weeks and you'll be set loose. Until then, respect your senpai and accept the assistance with humility."

Someone Itachi didn't know tapped the clipboard they were holding and began reading off names in pairs. Kakashi and Sakura seemed close. While everyone was listening for their names, the two were engaged in a hushed conversation. Sakura was growing more animated as it went on.

Too close.

When his name was called along with Sakura's however, she stilled and looked straight at him with an encouraging smile.

After all the names were called, there was another prolonged silence. "Well, this is it."

Sakura threw the man another glare. "What Kakashi-senpai means is welcome to ANBU, you've all worked hard to get here and we're all here for the same purpose. So let's get along."

"Maa Sakura-chan, if you keep finishing my sentences, they're going to think we're dating." It sounded like something Shisui would say but instead of her usual dismissal, Sakura's cheeks pinkened.

She recovered quickly enough that those who didn't know her wouldn't get suspicious.

"I wouldn't have to finish your sentences if you just said what you were supposed to say!" Sakura muttered something Itachi couldn't hear and her lips barely moved, making it impossible to read her lips.

Itachi narrowed his eyes.

Hatake Kakashi was dangerous.

Sakura was too well liked and too friendly and Shisui should be cautious.

When they were finally able to talk, Sakura explained that Shisui had been sent on a mission but had asked her to show Itachi the ropes.

She took the time to introduce him to most of the other operatives, taking care to be professional so that others wouldn't view him as just a child.

Itachi appreciated that those in ANBU accepted he was skilled enough be there despite his age.

When they were alone, Sakura ruffled his hair as she always did. "I'm proud of you Itachi-kun."

"Thank you Sakura-san." Her smile grew as she poked his forehead, this time without any chakra.

"We're the same rank now. You can call me senpai."

Itachi nodded then dutifully replied, "yes, Sakura-senpai."

"I guess that means I shouldn't mess up your hair anymore." Sakura sighed wistfully as she threaded her fingers through his ponytail a few times.

Itachi didn't know how to tell her that he didn't mind or that he was used to it. He had been opposed to the touchy show of affection in the beginning but eventually he had accepted it as something reserved for Sakura. She had been such a steady presence in his life, he considered her akin to family.

The first time Itachi had been sent on a mission with Sakura, he had been anxious. There was a sense of dread, as though something would go wrong. However, Shisui and Kakashi rounded out the team which gave him some familiarity and comfort. Sakura could handle herself and there were three very talented sharingan users to watch her back.

The mission had been a success although Kakashi had strained his sharingan. On their way back to Konoha, Sakura had taken it upon herself to heal his eye as she would have for Shisui or Itachi.

He watched as Sakura knelt in front of Kakashi's crossed legs. Her small hands came up and took off the ANBU mask covering Kakashi's bleeding eye. When she leaned forward to get a better look, Itachi spared a glance towards Shisui who was making a fire and setting up camp. Shisui didn't appear at all fazed that Sakura was also blushing faintly or that their Sakura was quietly reprimanding Kakashi as her hands glowed.

Itachi frowned.

When it was time to set up the perimeter, Itachi volunteered to go with Shisui. Although that meant leaving Sakura with Kakashi, he knew that the former would be cooking and the latter would be reading.

When they were a good distance away, Itachi spoke. "Shisui-san, aren't you concerned about Sakura-senpai and Kakashi-senpai?"

The way Shisui looked at him made Itachi wonder if he had read the situation incorrectly.

"Itachi, I know I tease Sakura but I only think of her as a friend. I'm protective of her as her teammate and Kakashi-senpai is a good man."

"Hn." The earlier dread returned and Itachi didn't know why Shisui's words hadn't lifted a burden he had placed on himself. Sakura was still their Sakura even if Shisui had no romantic feelings towards her. It just meant it would be more difficult to keep prospective suitors away.

When Itachi and Shisui returned to the camp it was to grilled fish and freshly procured water. After dinner, Sakura patted the ground in front of her and called Itachi over. He sat down obediently and allowed her access to his eyes.

She worked quietly and Itachi watched her face carefully but found a lack of response except a soft smile as she worked. When he looked away from her, he caught Kakashi's lone eye for a second before it closed and crinkled.

Itachi wondered how he could convey to others that Sakura was off limits.

When Itachi turned 14, Sakura was shocked at how quickly he'd grown taller than her. At first, Itachi had just been her best friend's younger cousin. But as time went on, Sakura began to see Itachi as her younger brother. It seemed like only yesterday that she'd regarded him as a child forced to mature too soon.

Now his age was catching up to his maturity. The only blessing was that he didn't pick up Shisui's bad habits.

Forced to grow up or die during a time of war, Sakura never got to enjoy her childhood. Sometimes she was saddened by that fact. But mostly, Sakura was sad that the war hadn't made things better for the children of Konoha in the short term. While the children didn't experience the war first hand, they had still felt the effects.

It was only recently that there was more emphasis on the quality of shinobi rather than sheer quantity. There was less pressure on Academy students to quickly grasp fundamentals and a more patient approach. It meant that children could be children for a little longer.

Itachi was also proving to be a more than capable ANBU member. She felt a bit of pride from that but was also disappointed she had run out of things to teach him so quickly. He truly was a prodigy.

Sakura watched him being groomed as a team leader and realized Itachi had surpassed her. As expected from the Uchiha heir and an exceptionally talented shinobi.

She had considered taking a break from ANBU to focus on improving the hospital and training medic nin. But if that meant leaving Shisui and Itachi in ANBU to their own devices, Sakura figured a few more years wouldn't hurt. Afterall, she had to make sure her boys were safe.

The first time Itachi realized his feelings for Sakura ran deeper than he had previously thought had been when she was MIA.

Sakura had gone on a three man mission with Kakashi and Genma. That fact alone had Itachi feeling uncomfortable even though Shisui had not minded. Itachi was also at a time in his life when his hormones were running rampant so it had been simple to dismiss the feeling.

He was just being overprotective because Sakura had a crush and Genma was a womanizer.

However, when an unconscious Kakashi returned on a seriously injured Genma's back, everyone had been dispatched to locate Sakura.

The team had been separated by a group of missing nin before a massive explosion had gone off. Kakashi had figured it out just moments before and had made an attempt to get to Sakura. Unfortunately, the bomb detonated and he had been thrown back and knocked unconscious.

An hour later, Kakashi had awakened, brushed off all medics, and summoned his ninken to aid them in locating Sakura even though there had been many from the Inuzuka clan already helping.

Eventually the dogs were able to locate her scent and a team of ANBU were led to a small campsite.

Sakura had been missing for five hours. For every minute that ticked by, Itachi grew more concerned and more reckless.

The guards had been easily incapacitated and although the sensors on the team could not locate Sakura, there was one other shinobi. The Hyuuga on the team had said the shinobi was sitting quietly, waiting for them in the main tent.

Kakashi had gone on ahead when it was clear Sakura wasn't at their present location. Itachi resisted the urge to join the older shinobi and told himself extracting the information from the lone shinobi was the fastest way to their missing comrade.

Knowing it could be a trap, he ordered the others to stay back while he and Shisui went in.

The blond haired man was smirking when they entered.

"Where is she?" Itachi's patience was already thinned but the casual arrogance the missing Oto-nin exuded heightened his aggravation.

"Heh. The way they were frantically looking for each other, I assumed they were an item." Itachi's glare hardened and his shoulders stiffened just slightly but it had been enough.

"Oh, did you not know your girl had wandering eyes?" He could feel Shisui's eyes but ignored it. "Ah, unrequited. I suppose she's pretty enough."

"It was almost comically easy for me to assume Hatake's appearance and lead her away once I said the code phrase. Then it was just a matter of feigning injury." There was no need to ask questions when the man seemed intent on providing information.

"I've had people watching them. They were quite close." Itachi's jaw clenched as he gritted his teeth. "When I tried to make a move, she pushed me away. But by then, it was too late." There was a wry laugh and then, "if she had had the conviction to punch me with her monstrous strength, she wouldn't be dying right now. A slut like her wouldn't be very becoming as an Uchiha anyway so I did you a favor."

His sharingan shifted into the mangekyou. Tsukuyomi was too kind for this man but Itachi could think of a few ways to make it hurt. He didn't need to hear any more. Sakura was still alive which meant all they needed now was a location.

"Itachi." Shisui warned, as he picked up the now unconscious man.

"He had information. I got it out of him." The teen spoke as he turned to exit the tent.

"We have interrogators for that."

"My way was faster." Itachi barely spared a glance at his cousin.

"Itachi, I know you're worried. I'm worried too, but this isn't like you." It was a prodding statement, wanting to know if the missing nin had been right. Itachi knew that Shisui had never even suspected that Itachi could have romantic feelings for Sakura. Not only had Itachi known her since he was an Academy student but he had spent most of his years believing she was meant for Shisui.

"It's Sakura-senpai." With that simple explanation Itachi left Shisui to check back with the squad. They had a location and they would be leaving as soon as possible.

Twenty minutes later, they found her in a cave with a high level genjutsu that had already been easily dispelled by Kakashi just minutes prior to their arrival.

There had been other traps and five s-class missing nin but Konoha suffered no casualties although Kakashi had been almost dangerously low on chakra by the end.

They found Sakura deeper in the caves. She had been tossed haphazardly on the ground with chakra inhibitors. The yin seal on her forehead was gone and she was unconscious but still breathing.

The chakra inhibitors had been easy enough to get off and she was placed in the hands of the medics.

A few tense minutes later, the medics informed the team that Sakura would have to be rushed to the hospital as soon as possible to extract the poison in her system.

Itachi's stomach dropped. As one of the fastest shinobi in Konoha, Itachi carried her and went on ahead.

As Itachi blurred past the trees, he noticed Sakura's breathing grew labored. Her already fair complexion grew increasingly pale and she began to sweat. Already moving as quickly as he could and unable to go any faster, Itachi prayed and begged her to hang on because he couldn't imagine a Konoha without her. A tiny voice of doubt told him he should have sent Shisui but Itachi couldn't stomach the thought of being separated from Sakura while her life was in danger.

He stayed by her bed until she awakened half a day later. The first hour had been the most dangerous but she had pulled through and he had chosen to wait.

His relief when she opened her brilliant green eyes was almost palpable.

Sakura turned her head towards him and greeted him with a weak smile. He stood from his seat immediately and reached for her hand.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Itachi-kun." Her voice was soft and her lips had been dry but the knowledge she was alive and awake made him want to weep.

He loved her.

There was no other way to explain the emotion.

"Is Kakashi and Genma okay?" Itachi nodded, gripping her hand tightly, wishing he could give her some of his strength. She sighed a breath of relief then closed her eyes again in exhaustion.

Don't leave me.

When Itachi was 17, he decided enough was enough. Because listening to Shisui badger him about this and watching Sakura go doe-eyed every time Kakashi appeared was killing him. The only reprieve Itachi got was the knowledge that Kakashi had left ANBU at the Hokage's behest and was now a genin sensei. It meant Sakura wouldn't go on missions with the jounin any time soon.

They had simply been enjoying the spring breeze sitting across from each other, relaxing under the shade of a large tree. Her knee length skirt had forced her to fold her legs under her for modesty's sake while Itachi was sitting with crossed legs, holding open a book he hadn't been reading.

"Senpai, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," she said as she closed her notepad, set aside her pen, and gave him her undivided attention.

"Why do you like Kakashi-senpai?" His question caught her unaware and she sputtered adorably as her cheeks reddened.

"I didn't realize it was that obvious, but then again, you're sharper than anyone I know." Sakura tucked her hair behind her ear and her eyes grew unfocused as she thought of the man and listed a few of the reasons. "I guess I don't really know how to explain. He's always been there for me, I'm comfortable around him. He always appears when I need him and we get along well, he's charming, a great shino-"

"Isn't that just admiration?" She looked at him a bit surprised at being interrupted but smiled softly.

"It's hard to explain a feeling, Itachi. But I'm happy when I'm near him." The flush stayed high on her cheeks.

"Do you not feel happy in my presence?" He asked the question thinking it would be a red flag for her but she remained purposefully ignorant towards his feelings. The tightness in his chest grew at how little thought she spared him.

"Of course I do! It-it's just different. I'm sure there's a girl that makes you feel different."

"I only have you."

"I'm sure there will be a girl in the future." Sakura said with a reassuring smile, misinterpreting his words.

"No." His vehemence and serious expression was something she hadn't seen before. She paused, finally seeming to recognize what he was saying.

Good.

"Sakura-senpai, I only have you."

There was an uncomfortable pause. "Itachi," she began quietly, searching for words to say to him.

"You never look at me senpai." His words were veiled but it didn't take a genius to decipher what he meant. I'm there for you, I've always been there for you. You're comfortable around me, happy in my presence. Look at me the way you look at him.

Look at me the way I look at you. Don't look at anyone else.

"Itachi," Sakura said with affection. She brought her hand up and Itachi wished it was to hold his face. But when she passed his cheek, he knew what she was doing. His speed caught her by surprise and he gripped her wrist tightly, keeping her hand suspended in the air. His hold was nearly painful but a part of him wanted to hurt her so that she would feel even a fraction of the pain he felt.

She'd been trying to ruffle his hair.

She didn't see him as a man. When she looked at him, Sakura only saw Shisui's younger cousin.

She didn't understand him at all.

Sakura attempted to take her hand back but he held firm, following the jerky movement of her arm to lean into her.

He wished he could just hold her. Keep her within his arms, away from everyone until he was all she saw.

He rested his forehead against her shoulder, breathing her in and taking note of her racing pulse. He didn't want to scare her. He didn't want to ruin their friendship.

But he couldn't stop himself either. He couldn't just watch while she only had eyes for another.

"I-Itachi?" Her voice wavered, and he hid behind the curtain of her pink locks, adding to her trepidation.

"Please," he said, stilling her even further with the emotion he placed into that small word. He could feel her pulse jump.

Itachi turned his head to whisper into her ear, "I only look at you, senpai." He sensed she had been about to move away so he brought his other hand to the back of her neck, possessively keeping her in place and making the position of their bodies more intimate. "Why can't you look at me?"

Itachi soaked up her heat and committed the feel of her body to memory. When he drew back, he saw that she was blushing profusely.

"I-I'm sorry, Itachi. I didn't know." Sakura looked away from him, unable to hold his gaze. But even when she was rejecting him, he thought she was beautiful.

"You know now." She bit her bottom lip, worrying it between her teeth in her nervousness. "I won't wait forever, senpai." A lie to prevent her from feeling burdened by his feelings. "So choose me quickly."

And I'll never let you go.

Itachi body flickered away.

I was going to make a notice me senpai joke but didn't because I felt like it detracted from the flow but it was there. Itachi just wants to scream 'notice me Sakura-senpai.'

I absolutely loved writing the last scene and it was so incredibly vivid in my mind.

I swear I know what a one-shot is...I just can't seem to write them. I wrote the last section and thought, Sakura needs to stew a bit on this. This is a good chapter break. Damn it, this is a two-shot isn't it. Then I proceeded to expel a defeated sigh.

Second chapter pretty much finished and being edited. Coming soon and it's a doozy.