𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐘𝐎𝐔.

Chapter XXV - Mother

"I'm sorry, what?"

He opened his mouth, expecting words to come out, but they didn't. Instead, he looked like a goldfish. Sakura tightened the blanket around her shivering frame, her brows knitting together, she was intrigued. How was she like his mother? What was his mother like?

He just continued to act like a fish out of water.

"..sasuke, how am I like your mother?"

He leaned down, pinching the bridge of his nose. He cursed himself mentally for starting a conversation wherein he would have to talk too much, and probably reveal a lot of information that he didn't want to reveal to her.

Sakura tilted her head, trying to see his face while also trying to show him that she was genuinely confused, not just trying to tick him off.

Minutes passed, and Sakura was about to ask him again, when a knock came at the door. Sasuke took the chance to get up before Sakura could even register the sound, an exasperated sound escaping from her lips as he unlocked it.

She pouted.

The dark-haired male opened the door, only to see eyes that much resembled his own, and a warm smile that he had only ever seen on his brother, who for some odd reason, was standing outside of his dorm room at 3:30pm on a Sunday.

He blinked.

"..Itachi?"

"Hello, Sasuke."

Sakura was already up and out of Sasuke's blanket, trying her best to get out of the main room before she'd have to have more human interaction than she'd like. As if she was on some sort of stealth mission, Sakura slid along the wall and made her way to her door. She was halfway through opening it, when she heard her name.

"..my roommate, Sakura."

"..ah, I see."

Sasuke swung the door open all the way, allowing Itachi inside. The older Uchiha slipped his shoes off before taking a seat, as if he had come here before and distinguished his own spot. Sasuke, on the other hand, stopped Sakura at her door and coaxed her into staying.

How he did so, we will not speak of.

The pinkette plopped right back down into the couch, wrapping the dark blanket around her body with a huff. She curled into the corner of the couch, blinking as she heard her name again.

"..ura, how long have you been here?"

Sakura glanced at the older Uchiha, who was staring at her as if she was the most marvelous thing in the world. She couldn't understand why, but decided to ignore it, as she would much rather get this conversation done and over with. She didn't want to deal with another Uchiha.

She smiled as politely as she could, given the circumstances, and responded.

- - - - -

"Just a few weeks."

Itachi had only spoken to Sasuke the other night, and had noticed some sort of change in his attitude. It was subtle, yes, but as the older brother, he felt it was his job to know. He, first of all, wanted to meet the girl Sasuke was all-too-suddenly tolerating, and second of all, he wanted to see if they interacted just as well as the eldest Uchiha heir had assumed.

They did.

Itachi figured something had happened, and it must have been something really important if Sasuke was treating a female with such sincerity, and although Itachi wanted to find out what it was, he knew his little brother would tell him eventually.

The pinkette - now that Itachi really thought about it - resembled that of a cherry blossom. It made sense, as her name was the synonym of the word. She was bright and full of life-- and her smile only accentuated that.

Itachi listened to the two teenagers conversing, and although most of it was simple bickering, it was nice to see Sasuke acting like his old self.

Sakura's brows knitted as she glared at Sasuke, who rolled his eyes in return. She muttered something about him being 'inconsiderate', before returning her attention to Itachi, who blinked when she asked him a rather suspicious question.

"Hey, Itachi-san, how am I like your mother?"

The elder Uchiha smiled, resisting the urge to laugh as the pinkette completely ignored Sasuke's piercing gaze, giving Itachi an innocent look that seemed to tick his little brother off even more.

"So, Sasuke has seen the resemblance, as well?

Sakura blinked, her eyebrows knitting together a little bit, before she nodded enthusiastically. Itachi glanced at his little brother, whose eyes were closed as he heaved a long, exaggerated sigh. Itachi decided to answer, in the same, unbothered tone.

"..Our mother is kind, warm-hearted, and stubborn. She shares the same smile with you, actually." Itachi saw his brother's head tilt ever so slightly, as if he hadn't ever thought of that before.

She is loving, relentless, and beautiful."

The pinkette's face flushed ever so slightly, almost unnoticeably, but he caught it.

"She never gives up, and hates it when people worry too much about her, and she is strong."

Sakura breathed a small laugh, staring at her lap as if it was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. Itachi smiled, recognizing another thing, but decided not to state it, as it might fluster her even more.

He glanced at Sasuke, and gave him a wink.

She's also the only person our father would ever argue with.

- - - - -

Sasuke leaned back into the couch, glaring at Itachi with the most scrutinizing gaze that he could muster up. In return, the older Uchiha shrugged.

"She asked me a question."

Sasuke chuckled dryly, rolling his eyes as he leaned forward, interlocking his fingers. He narrowed his eyes at Itachi, who again, shrugged. Sasuke found it funny the way Itachi had answered, but then realized that Sakura might think that what Itachi had said was what Sasuke was thinking, and Sasuke really did not want her to believe that. It would most likely mess up the 'friendship' that they had.

"Why are you here, Itachi? Don't get me wrong, I love you, big brother, but you've never dropped in without warning."

Itachi chuckled.

"Is it wrong for me to want to see who has changed you overnight?"

Sasuke stared, unblinking, before he rolled his eyes again. Itachi wouldn't have been surprised if his eyes got stuck like that, and to be very honest, he would have laughed, but this didn't seem like such a time for doing so.

"I can tell, Sasuke. It may be only the smallest bit, but you're not as ignorant. Every time I've called, you've never responded to my how are you's with a how are you, big brother? And since when have you ever told me you loved me, other than when you were little?"

Sasuke stared again, unblinking.

Sakura's door opened, and out she stepped dressed in jeans and a warm-looking jacket. Her hair was down and slightly curled, and Sasuke could tell she was wearing a little make-up to hide the flush that was still on her cheeks.

"Sakura, where are you going?"

She glanced over; "My fever's gone down, and I'm supposed to meet Hinata for a study date."

"How far down?"

"..ninety-nine. I'm fine, I swear. If anything happens I'll be right back."

She slipped on her sneakers and acknowledged Itachi with a small head-bow, before tugging on a small hat and stepping out the door.

"Bye!"

Itachi looked back at Sasuke, with a mischievous smirk on his face;

"And since when do you care?"

- - - - -

weasel-chan has made his entrance, we should all welcome him!