"It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being." - John Joseph Powell, The Secret of Staying in Love

*One year later*

Sakura just came back home from her sparing with Naruto. She couldn't think about anything but Sasuke. Two days ago, they met him in one of Orochimaru's hideout when he nearly killed Naruto. For the first time in her life she had the courage to attack him, even if Yamato didn't let her. But she was sure that he would have dodged the attack anyway, she was a weakling after all.

The stars were shinning bright. She took the Team 7 photo and sat by the window looking at it. Oh, how happy she was back then. They were all together and her parents were alive. If she could only turn back time, she would try harder to stop him from leaving the village. A single tears rolled down her face, shinning in the moonlight.

"Sasuke-kun..." she thought about what a burden she was, how she begged Naruto to bring him back like a foolish little girl.

She caressed the glass that sheltered the photo from her tears.

Outside, a crow with red eyes was watching her closely through her window. It could see all the emotions written over her face.

Itachi sat in his bed with his eyes closed, observing her through his summoning. He knew that she was crying for his little foolish brother again. He often sent his crow to watch her.

Sakura was walking through the woods alone with her backpack, searching for any clue of the shinobis that were camping outside the village. Nothing too serious, Lady Tsunade sent her to check on them if they need anything.

A black crow with red eyes was watching her from a branch. Every step she took, every move she made. The man behind it felt like a stalker, but he loved to watch this beauty doing such trivial things. Since the first time he laid his eyes on her, he thought that she was the most beautiful thing that ever existed on Earth but he couldn't get to her because of his pride and that stupid vow he made to work like a double agent and a rogue ninja to protect his brother and the village. But looking at her like that, so clueless, so innocent, so beautiful. It made him want to drop everything and just go, kill Danzo and spill the truth. After that, he could make her his. Good thing that he had self control.

Sakura felt a kunai flying right next to her, giving her cheek a small cut and making it bleed. Her eyes widened in fear and her body started to tremble. What if she bumped into Akatsuki? How could she beat a team of two dangerous ninja by herself? She shook the dark thoughts from her head and gathered some strenght in her voice.

"Who's there?" she asked, trying to control her voice and her trembling.

Two men came from the bushes. They wore The Sound Village head protector. Orochimaru's men... She took out a kunai while one of them giggled creepily, sending shivers down her spine. The other one licked his lips with his long snake-like tongue. Sakura felt the disgust mixed with fear. A Chunnin exams deja vu ran through her veins, making her blood freeze.

"Well, well, what is a beautiful girl like you doing here, alone in the forest?" the snake man asked. He wasn't Orochimaru, but they were so alike...

She gulped.

"Nevermind. We'll finish you fast, without pain." he smirked. He charged at her, moving his long neck and his poisoned fangs towards her skin, but she jumped in the air, dodging his attack. She was taken by surprise by the other shinobi with some chakra strigs that wrapped around her tiny body, sqeezing the air out of her lungs. She couldn't breathe. Her body fell on the ground, in front of them.

"Well, that was too easy." the snake man laughed franatically.

Suddenly, thousad of black crows with red eyes surrouded the two men. They looked around surprised and confused as the crows flew around them. They couldn't see anything but black feathers.

"What is this? A genjutsu?" the other man asked scared.

"No...it's... Itachi Uchiha." the snake-like man said, venom dipping from his voice. The sound of crows covered any other sound around them. They got closer and closer. The two men tried some jutsus but neither worked. They couldn't comperhend why. It wasn't a genjutsu, they would have sensed it, but then why couldn't they finish them off?

The crows started eating their flesh, blood spilling everywhere. The sound of their screams could be heard even at the Konoha's gates which were miles away. It was painful to hear or watch but they deserved it. Bloody flesh flew into the air as the crows ate them alive. The ground beneath them was soaked with blood.

Sakura couldn't see them thank's to the black feathers and her blurred vision but she didn't want to. Their screams of agony made her blood freeze. In her imagination, she could see the gore scene.

A single crow landed in front of her. She started to tremble, a single tear rolling down her face.

"Please, no." she begged. The crow watched her confused.

It cut the chakra strigns and freed her. She blinked a few times, trying to gain back her vision. The crow landed on her shoulder, rubbing it's head gently against her cheek. She giggled.

"So you didn't want to attack me. Arigato..." she said. The other crows flew away, leaving behind them a mess of blood, flesh and bones. Sakura felt like she would vomit.

"Sakura-sama, are you alright?" she heard a concerned voice behind her, as the crow flew away. She looked at it, mentally thanking it again. She didn't quite knew what happened, it was strange but she only knew that those crows somehow protected her. She turned to one of the gate's guard smiling.

"Yes. I'm fine!"

Itachi smiled at the memory. If it would be that easy to gain her trust... If she knew the truth, the person who saved her that day, she would probably run like hell.

The crow flew to her window. She looked at it and opened her window to let it in. She was already familiar to it.

It landed on her desk with the small scroll attached to it's leg. In one minute it will be Valentine's Day again since it was almost midnight.

She took the small scroll and opened it, reading the letters written in the same handwritting and black ink. Her eyes scanned carefully the words.

"Dear Sakura,

I hope I didn't scare you back then when my crows protected you. I couldn't stay and watch you being in danger. I usually don't care that much about people and I don't know why I did what I did. But what I know for sure is that since when I saw you sleeping so innocently, you woke something in me that I thought it was long forgotten. A forbidden feeling. I know I may sound like a creep but I wanted to be honest.

Never let anywone put you down ever again when it comes to your apparence or your forehead. It is perfect the way it is and you are beautiful being yourself. Don't have a doubt about it. Someday, someone will cheerish you the way you deserve.

P.S. I think this is your favorite colour?!

x.I."

She saw the seal on the scroll. She made some hand signs. In a puff, on her desk, appeared a beautiful green yukata. It had golden flowers on it. She gasped. It was so beautiful. This stranger knew what kind of gifts she liked. Green was indeed her favorite colour.

She started stripping her usual clothes, remaining only in her black lace lingerie. The crow watched her closely.

Itachi gulped and felt his pants getting tighter. He just hoped that the rest of Akatsuki were asleep and nobody will come into his room. His hand went down and grabbed his bulge, sqeezing it. He watched her through the crow's eyes how she dropped the yukata on the floor and bent down to pick it up. He could perfectly see the curve of her ass in those thongs. Her body was so perfect.

He unzippped his pants, starting to pump his hard manhood with his hand. A moan escaped through his lips, as he threw his head back in pleasure.

"Sakura..." he moaned.

He started pumping faster and faster until he felt a sticky warm liquid on his hand. He tried to calm his breath. Just in time. She turned from the mirror, looking at her new piece of clothing that fit her body perfectly which made her wonder how close he watched her that night. She blushed at the thought.

She went to her desk and started writting on a small scroll. Itachi could see her small cleavage as she bent forward. He gulped.

"Dear stranger,

Arigato for the gift and for protecring me. I don't know how I could ever repay you for your kindness. You did more for me in some days than my old teammate did in years."

She fought back the tears as she remembered him.

"I really like the colour. It's my favorite. And the yukata fits like it was made just for me. I do really hope that one day I'll get the chance to meet you in person.

P.S. I hope we can keep in touch. It's comforting to speak to someone so freely."

She tied the tiny scroll to the crow's leg and let it fly out, back to it's owner.