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First
Sasuke asked him how to communicate with a pink-haired girl. Itachi was delighted; he had worried his brother might struggle to socialize, but Sasuke had managed to make a friend—and a girl, no less. He taught Sasuke how to be a true gentleman: polite, gentle, and always wise in his friendships.
Perhaps Sasuke didn't listen this time. When Itachi went to pick him up at the Academy, Sasuke and the little pink-haired girl were in the middle of an argument. Standing before them, he heard the words, "You're annoying," escape his brother's mouth. The girl looked down, on the verge of tears.
"Sasuke, you should be gentler with your friend." The pink-haired girl looked up at him. Their eyes met for the first time, but something was strange. Itachi stared at his trembling pinky finger, where a transparent red thread appeared. He followed the strand to its end, and it led straight to the pink-haired girl.
He stiffened. He knew the time would come when he would discover his soulmate, but he never expected it to be this soon. Itachi glanced at the girl, who was still looking at Sasuke and him nervously; it seemed she was not yet aware of the red thread binding them together.
Second
For the first time, Sasuke finally brought his Genin teammates to the Uchiha main house. That day, Itachi was told that Sasuke's teammates would be having lunch at their home. His mother hoped he could find time to eat with them despite his busy schedule as a Jounin and ANBU member. Itachi agreed.
When he opened the door, their gazes met—emerald meeting charcoal-dark eyes. This was the second time he had looked directly at his soulmate. Itachi glanced at the thread on his pinky, which was shimmering as if delighted to finally be near its other half.
"Hey, Sasuke’s big brother! Finally, we meet. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and this is Sakura-chan—my girlfriend. We’re Sasuke’s teammates." Naruto spoke with a wide grin, while Sakura hissed in annoyance at the blonde boy behind him. Truthfully, Itachi felt a pang of irritation when Naruto claimed his soulmate as a girlfriend, but his stoic face masked it all.
The girl’s gaze finally settled on Itachi. She offered a polite ojigi bow and a formal greeting, "Uchiha-san, it’s a pleasure to meet you." Unconsciously, Itachi activated his Sharingan to record the moment—the first time Sakura smiled at him. "Haruno-san, please just call me Itachi. Naruto-kun as well. It’s a pleasure to finally meet my brother's friends."
Lunch went smoothly and they all enjoyed it. Even with the quiet Uchiha atmosphere, Naruto, Mikoto, and Sakura dominated the conversation.
Third
Itachi realized that since then, he rarely encountered his brother's team. This began a year ago when Naruto went on a journey with Jiraiya to become stronger, and Sasuke asked his father, Itachi, and Kakashi to train him. Lastly, there was his soulmate—Sakura, his cherry blossom. While her friends sought power for battle, Sakura Haruno took a different path. Besides becoming stronger, she dedicated herself as a medical ninja under the tutelage of the Senju Princess, the current Godaime.
Sakura was now apprenticing under Tsunade to protect those precious to her. He learned this reason from her directly when they accidentally crossed paths after her training with the Fifth Hokage.
Itachi was returning from a Jounin mission; since the ANBU had no assignments, he was tasked with village security. He saw Sakura walking slowly, slightly limping. He approached the pink-haired girl.
"Sakura-san," he greeted her. Sakura looked up, startled by his presence. "Itachi-san, a mission?" she asked politely.
"Something like that. Are you alright?"
Sakura looked at herself and gave a small, amused smile. "It would be a lie to say my body is fine. You know, Itachi-san, Tsunade-sama trains me so hard I end up like this. But I’m happy; at least I’m getting a bit stronger now." Sakura smiled brightly but then winced, realizing she had been quite forward by talking to him for so long.
"I'm sorry, Itachi-san, I’ve talked too much." She was nervous, her face showing her embarrassment. Itachi gave a faint smile. "I don't mind listening to stories about your training. The walk home is better with company, isn't it?" Sakura’s eyes sparkled as she beamed. "If it’s not a bother to you."
And so, they walked together for the first time, with Sakura talking at length about her training. Itachi listened intently, responding occasionally. Unbeknownst to them both, the red thread began to glow more radiantly.
Fourth
Itachi's ANBU team received a medic to complete their squad for a mission to Suna. Itachi knew it was Sakura. The mission was to escort Sakura and uncover the cause of an outbreak in Suna that had claimed many lives.
"Taichou, I found something. I think this case is related to the rogue ninja who visited Suna a week ago. Gaara told me there was an incident where the ninja committed suicide and his body turned into smoke. There are infections in the lungs of every patient I’ve treated."
"Hn, alright. Blossom, continue handling the patients. We will investigate this further. You are expected not to enter combat unless it is absolutely urgent. We and your friend, the Kazekage, will handle things if that happens. I'm leaving."
Sakura frowned at the cold, detached tone of her ANBU captain. This wasn't her first mission with Itachi, and she sensed something was wrong, but she chose to ignore it and focused on healing the patients in the hospital.
That night, she finally rested her body after hours of treating and creating an antidote. Sakura lay on her side facing the wall. She tensed when she felt someone's chakra behind her, but immediately relaxed upon recognizing who it was—her lover.
"Tachi, something was wrong with you today. What is it?" Sakura didn't turn around. She felt Itachi climb onto the bed and pull her into a tight back-hug, kissing the top of her head. "I was just bothered by how close you seemed with the Suna leader." Hearing this, Sakura giggled, placing her hand over Itachi’s hand on her stomach. "I'm sorry. You're cute when you're jealous, Tachi. But I need to clarify that Gaara is just a friend. Besides, he already has someone precious to him—that female Jinchuriki, you surely know who."
Itachi sighed at his lover's words. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I got carried away. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again. Now, let’s sleep."
"Hm, oyasumi, Itachi." Itachi kissed her head before replying, "Oyasumi, Sakura." The red thread connecting them vibrated gently with a soft glow.
Sakura had realized the existence of the thread at the age of twenty, exactly one year into her relationship with Itachi.
At that time, Sakura noticed something strange about her pinky. She caught a glimpse of a transparent thread tied to it. She stiffened; fear was the only thing in her mind.
She couldn't help but visit her lover. When they were together, Sakura's eyes widened as she saw the end of the red thread led to him—Uchiha Itachi.
"Tachi, you won't believe what I see." Sakura lifted her hand toward her lover. Itachi tilted his head, "What is it, Sakura?"
"I-I see it. This thread, the red thread. And it's on your pinky too." Itachi chuckled. "I know." Sakura gaped, unable to believe her lover had never mentioned this before.
"Since when?" the pink-haired girl asked. Itachi smirked as he gazed at her. "Since we first met, over a decade ago." Sakura was left speechless.
Fifth
The celebration for the new Hokage had never been this grand. Itachi wore the white cloak gallantly as he looked out over the people of Konoha. Yes, he was the Sixth Hokage, succeeding Lady Tsunade. His insight, wisdom, and devotion had made him the strongest shinobi of the era, one who could protect everyone and the village of Konoha.
After giving his speech, he walked toward his family—his small family with his soulmate. His wife was pregnant with their second child, while their first child was in the arms of Fugaku, the grandfather. They were all proud of Itachi's achievement.
"Congratulations, Papa! You're the Hokage now!" Mio Uchiha, a little girl with long black hair and dark green eyes, looked at her father cheerfully. She was finally picked up by him, and Itachi leaned toward his wife, Sakura, to kiss her forehead, right on her Byakugou seal. They were living happily now, and he would strive to keep his family and village prosperous, safe, and protected.
"Congratulations, Anata."
"Thank you, Tsuma."
The red thread between them radiated a different glow this time, layered with a golden hue. It was beautiful. This was not the end, but the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Itachi couldn't guarantee they would always be happy, but he would do everything in his power to ensure their happiness continued.
Owari