Crimson Ties

Chapter 15

Itachi sat down at the table in front of his father. Itachi was going to do anything he could to not marry Izumi. 

  "I am not going to marry her, father. I refuse to be pushed into a marriage that I never agreed to and that you volunteered me for while I was on a mission. It is not going to happen father." Itachi stated, his face blank. 

   His father didn't say a word for quite a few minutes. He just sat there and stared at Itachi. He made no faces and didn't express any confusion or anger. 

  "There is no other option for you, Itachi. No other woman in the clan wishes to marry you due to you never being around. They do not wish to have a husband who is always focusing on missions." Fugaku stated. 

  "I never said I wanted to marry someone within this clan father. I already found someone else I wanted to marry. She is a fellow ninja." Itachi stated. 

  Fugaku sat another few minutes staring at his son. No anger spread across his face or any kind of emotion at all. 

  "I am an adult, father. I do not have to carry out your wishes any longer. I will not for any reason marry Izumi. You can not and will not force me to marry a woman like her." Itachi stated. 

  "If you are to take over for me Itachi, you can not marry outside of this clan. These are the rules that have been implemented since the creation of our clan." Fugaku stated.

  "I do not wish to take over for you anymore. I can care for myself just fine without this family's money. I work for my money and I will continue doing that. Name a new heir for the clan father, because I formally decline your offer as well as formally decline to marry Izumi." Itachi said as he stood up.

  Itachi watched as his father's face contorted with anger. Itachi paid it no mind. He refused to marry someone he didn't want to spend the rest of his life with. 

  "Do not come back to this estate, Itachi. Marry who you wish. We will have nothing further to do with you." Fugaku said before Itachi left the house for good. 

  

  "Have you heard anything further from Itachi, Sakura?" Ino asked as she finished putting on her pajamas. 

  Sakura had invited her friend over to stay the night. It had been a long time since they had done anything like this. 

  "No, I haven't seen him since we were debriefed from our mission. I haven't heard from Sasuke either. He is usually quick to come and tell me his brother's business." Sakura said as she sat down on her couch. 

  Sakura watched as Ino released her hair from her bun. Ino had always been a gorgeous girl, so it baffled Sakura to find that Ino had no boyfriend or even someone she was close to interested in. Ino had the looks that every man would kill to have around their arm. 

  "I am sorry, Sakura. So, him marrying someone else was true?" Ino asked as she sat down beside Sakura. 

  Sakura nodded and focused on her tv. She had wanted to forget everything that had happened with Itachi and move on from it. 

 Sakura was startled when she heard a banging on her door. She didn't remember inviting anyone else over to her home. She stood up and walked towards the door. She looked through the peep hole and saw Itachi standing with a tote bag. 

  Sakura opened the door and stared at Itachi. He was soaked from the rain outside. 

  "Itachi? What happened? Are you okay?" Sakura asked. 

  Ino took it upon herself to leave and give them space. Ino gathered up her belongings and headed for her own home. Neither Sakura or Itachi tried to stop her. 

  Itachi walked inside her apartment and sat his bag down on the floor. 

  "Umm, may I please take a shower and get changed? I really want to talk to you but ... well you know." Itachi said with a soft smile while his clothes dripped on her floor. 

   Sakura nodded her head and waited for Itachi to return. 

   'It is odd that he makes his way to your house with a bag in tow, don't you?'

   'It defintely is. I wonder what he wants to talk about.'

  "I did what you asked me to do Sakura. I declined the marriage and the position. He disowned me and made me leave the estate, but it was worth it Sakura. The only thing in the world I need and want.....is you." Itachi said from the hallway. 

   Sakura whipped her head to turn around and look at him, her eyes as wide as they could go.  

  'He chose me over everyone in his clan? Me? He chose me?'