Loving Sakura, slowly but surely, was killing him. It was beautiful, in every moment them managed to share, but it was too much. When he had at first objected to involving himself with another person, he had been considering only that person. Itachi never thought the effects on him would be so catastrophic. The problem was, he did love her, no matter how many times he had inwardly warned himself on the matter.

The main complication was not how they had to remain utterly secretive, nor how they had to sneak away from their duties to be together. It was because he could see himself living his entire life with her, and being happy about it. Most would see nothing wrong with this, would consider him lucky for finding such a woman. There was a problem though. The living problem.

He had vowed years before that his entire life would not mean anything to anyone but Sasuke. Sasuke was going to kill him, and then he would be gone. He had never told Sakura his plan to let Sasuke have his precious revenge, but he was almost certain that she knew.

Sakura was a very happy sort of person, despite the difficulties she had faced, and it war rare when she let something truly get her down. Sometimes though, when she thought he was not looking, he could see a troubled, almost hurt expression on her face. I never needed to be said, and based on how well she knew his character, she could assume what he intended to do.

Itachi was not the sort of man to say pointless things, and she had learned this fact early on in their affair. For him to urge Sasuke to kill him one day; it was indication enough to know that was what he aimed for. Yet, they said nothing of his impending death to one another, both having rather think of more pleasant things. Still, it was slowly creeping up on him, and Sakura dreaded the thought that they would never be more than what they were.

It was his guilt, and she knew how much it ate away at him. Itachi felt guilty for killing his family, for leaving Sasuke behind to suffer in loneliness, for joining a criminal organization and committing crimes for their purposes, and even for loving her. Itachi never told her as much, but she knew very well how tortured her lover really was. Though he had an uncanny gift with masking his emotions, he could not hide everything, least of all from her.

It was the times when he thought she was already asleep, their shamelessly naked bodies curled together, that he showed his pain to her. Sakura was well aware of the fact he suffered from insomnia, even though he never told her about it. She was afraid to bring it up with him, because she was sure that he was punishing himself. It was not her place to butt in, and he would never want that. When he wanted her help though, she would be there for him.

He would kiss the bare skin of her shoulder, slowly breathing in her unmistakable scent. It was a gentle gesture, and he would sigh to himself. Sometimes, it was no more than that, that small, sad sigh. Occasionally though, he would apologize to her for what they were doing, thinking she was deep in slumber. Sakura never accepted his soft, guilty apologies, because she did not regret what they were doing. She refused to give up on him, and pretended she never heard him.

They would continue meeting for quite some time, none of their acquaintances ever suspecting that they were involved with each other. Jiraiya knew, naturally, as he was the one to set them up, and Kisame had a feeling that Itachi was involved with someone, though who, he had no idea.

Sakura had, so they could meet more often, begged Jiraiya to let her take up his job in meeting with the Uchiha. He had agreed with her without too much persuasion required. Jiraiya knew what they were doing, and he often teased Sakura for it, making her friends curious. It never came out though, and Kakashi never came to question why his innocent student could be found with a certain Sharingan wielding criminal in excerpts of Icha Icha, so she hoped that meant she was safe.

She had no idea what she could even do if the secret did come out into the open. So many people would be infuriated with her. Naruto, who did not know that Itachi had no real intention in getting the Kyuubi from him, would feel so betrayed. If news of it ever reached Sasuke's ears, she would be downright dead. He would kill her, and she had no doubt of that.

There were other people who would be hurt with her choice to love Uchiha Itachi, of course. Lee had yet to give up on winning her hand, Ino was her best friend, and believed in sharing everything with one another, and Tsunade was her shishou, but the hokage over that. She would expect her loyal apprentice to turn in the nefarious man without a second thought. Kakashi too, would be hurt by her choosing him over them, though he would never show as much.

Sakura risked this though, because considering how things with her secret lover were going, their relationship would end, still buried under their noses, when Itachi gave up his life for the sake of his younger brother. She refused to think too much on this though, her heart so full of love for him to care.

The journey she made every two weeks was short, and as she did twice monthly, Sakura checked into an out-of-the-way hotel. Sakura smiled to herself upon walking up the stairs to the second floor, already sensing his familiar chakra. Itachi always got there before she did, since they were closer to Ame then they were to Konoha.

He was sitting calmly at the table in the hotel room, sipping a cup of tea when she walked in. Itachi set down the cup, steadily getting to his feet, then walking to meet her where she stood. Sakura closed the door behind her, smiling brightly to him, just as she did whenever they met. He returned it with an awkward, small smile of his own, his lips curved upwards unevenly.

Sakura practically jumped up at him, crushing her lips to his, and her arms wrapping around his neck and her hands untying his silky, long hair. Itachi was not surprised by this, in fact, he would have been more shocked if she had not pounced on him in desperation. She hated been separate for such a long period of time, and he knew it. He sadly wondered what she would do if she knew this could very easily be the last time they saw each other. Then again, there was always that chance when they met.

Itachi shifted his arms around her, lifting her slender body up to his level. His cloak already abandoned before she had even entered the room, Sakura subtly searched his muscular body for any sort of injury. Itachi knew what she was doing, and was already used to it. He may have been an S-class criminal, but he was far from immortal. The first thing a missing-nin always learned was that there was always someone stronger than them out there.

Once he assumed she was satisfied with her search, Itachi let his lips wander the soft skin of her neck, tracing them along her jawline, nibbling on her ear, and sucking at her pulse insistently. He loved the feel of how her pulse would jump with everything he did, and even if his tongue was not lapping at the spot, he could easily hear it pounding in her chest.

She gasped softly at his persistence, not objecting to it for a moment. It was unusual for him to do this before they got business over with, but change was welcomed. He observed with dark, hazed eyes as a healthy, dark blush painted across her cheeks. It would be unsurprising if she realized he was putting off their mission duties for later, but he did not particularly care.

Itachi did not want to think about what he had to tell her, because she would have been hurt by the news. He was going to have to tell her eventually, but not until it was absolutely necessary. Until then, he was perfectly content with what he was doing. He needed her, to make love to her without a care in the world, to feel utterly free for the last time in his short, lonely life.

There was so many things he wanted to do right then, though it was not entirely possible to do so. He wanted to tear ever piece of clothing she had off and take her in desperation. God, he wanted to make her scream in pleasure, so maybe she would remember what it felt like to truly make love. He wanted her to think of him when he was gone, to be reminded of him when some other, nameless man became her lover.

At the same time, he wanted to cry. Everything he loved was not his anymore, and he was beginning to fear that it had never belonged to him to begin with. He loved Sakura, but that did not matter enough to change anything. He loved his life, now that he had Sakura in it, but it was something that had always been timed. Itachi should have been happy that he had even gotten the chance to know what it was like to be with a woman.

He wished he could be angry with Sasuke, but that was not fair. It was his own fault this was happening to him. Sasuke did not force him to massacre their clan, even if it had been partially for his sake, nor did Sasuke push him to love Sakura; that was all him. He was paying for his crimes, and in the end, Sakura was going to suffer for his mistakes right alongside him. That was what he regretted more than anything.

Urgently, Itachi started to lead her to the futons, blindly throwing them on the ground, then pressing her body into them. She must have sensed that something was amiss, not that he was doing a good job of hiding that fact. Sakura squirmed beneath his larger body, putting a hand against his chest to stop him. He paused, panting, looking down at her in confusion.

Her features contorted in bewilderment and concern. He had never acted this way around her before, so he supposed he should have expected this sort of reaction out of her. "Itachi, what is going on? What is wrong?" She asked softly, catching her breath.

His expression turned blank, but this was not enough for her to give up. Itachi should have known that she would be able to notice when something was off, especially when he had not hidden it at all. "There is nothing wrong." He insisted, dipping down again to capture her lips. Sakura tilted her face away, and his mouth made contact with the fair skin of her cheek instead.

"That was a lie if I ever heard one." She replied smartly. He sighed, that same, small sigh he made when she should have been sleeping, but was not. Sakura was too damn perceptive for her own good. He did not reply to this, instead searching for her lips again. He was upset, and understandably so. He needed to feel that warm safety shared with another person when all defenses were dropped, but Sakura was not allowing him to get away with it.

She sat up, pushing him off entirely with a small, dainty hand. She did not move away from him completely though, she raised a hand to his cheek carefully, holding his attention. "Tell me what happened, Itachi." Sakura whispered cautiously. He could see it scared her to see him so distressed, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Itachi could only relent. "Sasuke has killed Orochimaru." He finally murmured, his glance falling to his lap, unable to meet hers. She did not seem to understand what this really meant.

"That is great! He can finally come home, and-

"He has no intention of returning to Konoha, Sakura." He quietly interrupted her. She frowned at this, and he silently watched as she thought over this. She was slow though, and did not appear to come to any conclusion that was close to the truth. Itachi decided to help her along. "He is forming a team of his own, consisting of otonin." He added.

Reality struck. He looked in her eyes, comprehension dawning. This was their last time together.

She was a smart woman, and he knew it. He never had to tell her that he was allowing Sasuke to get his petty revenge, it was just something unsaid but understood. Tears welled, then when she could hold them back no longer, they trickled down her cheeks, leaving little tracks of red in their wake.

Just seeing her cry made him want to do the same. He held it back though, gently pressing her back down into a laying position, sadly dropping his mouth down to hers. This time, she allowed it, kissing him back just as frantically. They wanted it to last forever, their soft touches and sweet kisses, but life was not so kind. Karma had come around and it was time for him to repay his debts.

Never moving his lips from her, Itachi unzipped her vest, then untied her bound breasts. She did not stop crying, but reached up to tug his netted shirt over his head anyway. It was difficult to do this, with how her hands shook, but she managed. Slowly, kisses soft and mournful, the clothes were taken from their bodies, until there was nothing between them at all.

Itachi stared down at her naked form, almost hesitant to do anything. He wanted to drink in how she looked then, unashamed and needy. Hopefully, these brief memories would be enough to last him the eternity he would spend alone in hell. He was not too concerned about going to hell, it was what he deserved, and he had been suffering his own living hell since he massacred his clan. Sakura had been a short, blissful break from that.

She stared right back up at him, almost as if she were waiting for him to speak. He had nothing to say though, and neither did she. His hands scored her body, molding her pliable skin with expertise, and listening to the soft sounds she made in response.

He had not wanted it to be like this the last time they joined each other. It should have been special, something worth remembering. He could not smile down at her though, and she would not try to console him with one of her own. She was too distressed herself. Itachi made do with listening to her groan and sob, not even opening his eyes to look at her. He felt sick with despair.

Yet, he went forward. Large hands with long, slender fingers slowly inched down her legs, stopping at her knees. Without any hesitation, he wrenched her legs apart, appraising her when the spicy scent of her arousal hit his nose. Liquids already dripped down the inside of her thighs, her core quivering in anticipation.

Kissing the falling tears from her face, he lowered himself closer to her opening. Not being particularly gentle about it, he glided in, grunting at the sensation of her warmth surrounding him, and the tightness of her walls nearly pulling him in farther. He retraced himself though, then thrusting himself back in. Her pleased groan sounded throughout the entire room.

He would rather listen to that beautiful sound of her voice than anything else. It pained him to think this was the last time he would ever be so close to her. He had never been all that good with people, but that connection formed when making love to Sakura was more wonderful than anything. He was completely vulnerable to her, but he was perfectly fine. Itachi liked how open she made him feel, and he knew Sakura felt the same.

Her tears were eventually forgotten as they both succumbed to their lust. He was satisfied with the fact that she was no longer crying, and with her urgings, quickened his pace. He grunted softly to himself when he heard her sweet voice cry his name in ecstasy. Her nails dug deeper into the muscles of his back every time their hips collided.

Itachi listened silently as her voice became more shrill with every thrust. She was nearing her limit, and if he knew himself, he also knew that he would reach his as soon as she had. Suddenly, her back arched into him, her breasts pressing flat into the sweaty skin of his hard chest. Sakura screamed in exhilaration for one last time.

Her walls closed in around him entirely, convulsing around his thick length more tightly than he could stand for. Itachi let out a near-silent gasp in reaction to her milking him, his hot, sticky seed spewing into her, filling her cavern to the brim. Knowing he was too heavy for her, though desperately needing to collapse, Itachi slid himself out, then flopped bonelessly next to her.

Her breathing was heavy, her body covered with sweat and making it glisten. Lazily sated after the strenuous lovemaking, he wrapped two strong arms around her torso, pulling her closer to him. Sakura held him back, her breathing calming itself, and she reached up to mindlessly play with his black hair.

The silence lasted for what could have been hours, not that either could tell. Sakura was the first to speak, breaking the comfortable, satisfied quiet that had settled itself over them. Her words shocked him, though if this was the last time that they were together as lovers, then he supposed it should not have.

"Itachi, make love to me again." Her voice murmured. It had not been a request, but a demand. And Itachi knew it.

"I know." He whispered back, rolling back over her slender form to begin a second round.

Itachi sighed, looking up from the woman curled up next to him, deep asleep, to see the sky beginning to lighten. They had not spoken much to one another the entire night, most of it being said through actions. Now it was early morning, and they would soon part. He had not spent any of their last night together sleeping, not that Sakura had. She had only been asleep for an hour or two, and she would undoubtedly sleep for another entirely. He could not blame her; he had throughly exhausted his little lover.

He was not quite sure why he had done it, perhaps to burn her into his memory permanently, but he looked at her with his Sharingan. He blinked in disbelief with what he saw, a new wave of guilt washing over him. There were a few times during their relationship that they had disregarded thought of protection, and so it was natural that this occurred. Still, the thought was unbearable.

She was pregnant.

Itachi could tell that it had not been the night previous, though they had not used contraception then either. No, it was at least a month old, based on the amount of chakra cultivated there. How on earth could he have allowed this to happen?

Her heart was going to break when she discovered it for herself, because she already knew that he would not be there to help her raise their developing child. He wanted to watch that child, his child, form completely, to see it grow and be born, to hold her hand as she went into labor, and to help it become an adult one day. It was not possible though, and he was aware of that. Sasuke was already coming after him.

The idea of her laying on a hospital bed alone, giving birth to their child in an empty room nearly killed him. She was going to hate him for what she was going to endure because of him. He would never blame her if she did. What would their child think when he never had a father around to teach him? When he discovered why he had no father?

Much to Itachi's surprise, he felt moisture accumulate in his sharingan eyes. He was unable to stop the tears from falling, and could only hope Sakura did not wake up at the sound of him breaking down. He had done very well through the night, not even wanting to cry once after making love to her, or even when she initially fell asleep. Now, however, he had no control over himself.

"I am sorry, Sakura... so, so sorry. You never deserved something like this." He whispered, his voice shaking with distress. He could not believe this was happening. His last question; what was he going to do about this?

He observed her peaceful expression, considering the consequences if he told her. If she knew, he had no doubt she would ask him to give up his plan, which was not possible. Itachi did not want to see her in such pain, at least for as long as it was avoidable. No matter what happened, this situation was going to bring her only misery and bittersweet happiness.

He was uncertain if he was going to be able to deny her if she asked him to even postpone with his plan. With how unstable he was then, there was no telling what he could do. He was half tempted to leave then, while she was still asleep. Sakura had the uncanny gift of being able to tell when he was lying to her. It would be hard to hide something like this from her.

Itachi carefully unwrapped the arms he had around her body, then shifted under the blankets. Being sure to not wake her, he stood from the futon, then snuck to the bathroom. He needed to get this out of his system before she got up, and preferably in privacy.

That morning had been the last time he had seen Sakura, Itachi mused to himself. He had, thankfully, been able to compose himself before she woke, and she still had no idea. Two weeks had passed since then, and Itachi was certain Sakura would have approached him if she knew about the pregnancy by then. She had not though, meaning she was still blissfully ignorant.

Itachi shifted on the throne silently, sighing, and then wondering where she was then. He hoped that she was safe, wherever she was. Knowing Sakura, he had no doubt she would hunt down his younger brother when he had succeeded in killing him. A small smirk crossed his face, despite the dire situation he found himself in. Sasuke was certainly in for a big surprise, when he found his most avid fan had completely changed her opinion of him.

The smirk dropped a second later, at the soft sound of footsteps walking down the long, stone corridor connected to the throne room he sat in. Sasuke had finally arrived.

Switching on his Sharingan, Itachi crossed his legs lazily, then watched as his younger brother walked wordlessly into the chamber. Their gazes met; Sasuke full of murder intent, while his remained impassive.

"Tell me, Otouto, what do you see with your Sharingan?"

The End

AN: Well, I have finally updated this. I was not too inspired to do so, after getting only two reviews for the last. Making nine in total. Very depressing indeed. Hint, hint. GIVE ME A REVIEW!

This is finished... and in case you were curious, I named this story after the song Smother Me, by The Used. I would recommend it to anyone. It actually is really sappy. ^^