Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!

That's how the first week passed for Sakura. Late nights at Seven where she dutifully did her 'performances' for her customers. Surprisingly, some of them were even loyal and would seek her out night after night. God only knows what kind of things they dreamt of when Sakura knocked them out. She didn't see Shinoda Kenichi at all for the first week, which caused an acute panic to begin stirring in her stomach. When the moon faded in the sky and the sun was beginning to peek from the horizon, Sakura went home. Sometimes, she sought Itachi out beforehand and they travelled back to their hotel together. Sometimes, he was nowhere to be found and those days Sakura would note that a sweet floral perfume would accompany him. Those days, Sakura knew, he spent time with his lover there.

Then, at the hotel, they occasionally would make small talk. But most of the time they talked about the mission – the only thing they really had in common. They contemplated their next moves and updated each other – pathetic updates at that. Their small talk happened over a small dinner of some sort and was followed by their retirement to their separate moons.

But, perhaps every other day, Sakura rose early – at around eight or nine in the morning, which was way too early for a night worker like her. A small sound in the kitchen, not obnoxiously loud, but significant enough to rouse any decent shinobi from their slumber. And then she would stumble from her bedroom and find Itachi, like on their second night, warily sitting on the couch. In these moments they never exchanged a word. Itachi would watch her with his onyx eyes as a form of acknowledgement and Sakura would approach him to send a gentle pulse of chakra to his temples.

Like the second night, he would tip forward, forehead brushing against hers. Like the second night, she would rearrange him into a comfortable position on the couch and cloak him with the same blanket.

This time was different.

Sakura reached towards him, her fingers splayed on either side of his head, already glowing with green chakra. But before she could brush his temples, he snagged her wrist in his hand.

"Itachi-san?'

He peered at her, scrutinizing and critical. He must have seen the prominent eye bags she had, the ones she concealed every night. "Are you having trouble sleeping, Sakura-san?" he asked, lowering the hand that had her wrist onto his lap.

"Sometimes. But it's only because I'm worried."

Itachi tilted his head, urging her to continue. Coincidentally, he had forgotten he was still grasping Sakura's hand, so it remained where it was, basking in his delicious body heat.

"What if we don't find her? She could be in another brothel for all we know – he could have sold her!" She was fretting, fretting about the unpredictability of the mission. There were too many unknown variables for her to sort through. "Not to mention she could be wearing a different face every day, how the fuck are we supposed to know what she looks like at this point?"

Itachi, on the other hand was unconcerned, but that didn't mean he was neglecting his duties. Instead, he was currently preoccupied with repeatedly running his thumb over the pulse point in her wrist. His soothing touch sending shivers throughout her body. He looked absolutely engrossed with the smooth texture of her skin – it seemed that he hadn't heard a single word she said.

"Itachi-san?"

He let go of her wrist abruptly, pink tingeing his cheeks and he glanced away from her. "Ah, sorry. We should get some sleep before we discuss anything else, Sakura-san. Don't worry." Not a request, an order.

Strangely enough, that day, neither of them slept.

888

He didn't seek out his lover that night, instead he sought out his fiancée and found her form exiting a velvet enclosed glass room. Itachi slipped a hand through hers and pulled her away to the shadows. This time, both of them were careful not to inhale too much of the intoxicating smoke.

"What is it?" Sakura asked, honestly a bit curious. Itachi never seemed like the type to share his findings with such enthusiasm.

"There's a place I think you'd like to see," he briefly explained, guiding her with an arm on the small of her back through the dark, dancing masses. "I think you'd like the atmosphere there."

He knew Sakura missed his sarcasm.

Inwardly, he was eagerly anticipating her reaction. It was a place he was sure she hadn't stepped foot in, especially since she spent the majority of her time in the thumping 'heart' of Seven with its blaring music and strobing lights.

They came to a secluded section of the club. Like the others, it was a large glass room, except this one had dark reflective panes of glass that prevented them from looking within. A completely concealed area. What debauchery could it contain that was so unfit to be on display in a club like Seven - that specialized in overindulgence?

Itachi smirked when Sakura's eyes widened and alighted with burning curiosity.

"What is this place?"

"Here, let me show you." He pulled her inside, passing by the velvet curtains that obscured the entrance.

888

They entered a world dyed in red. The opaque walls were cloaked in drapes of crimson satin. The various furnishings which decorated the room were various shades of that bloody color. Normally, red was indicative of violence and bloodshed and there was certainly an undertone of violent tendencies – with the chains, whips, flogs and what not.

Itachi was the one who entered first, his face remaining impassive as the depraved scenery before him unfolded. Although Itachi's back obscured most of Sakura's field of vision as she came up behind him, a sharp intake of breath sounded from her.

From the corner of the room, a woman was spread eagle and chained to a wooden post. Angry red markings crisscrossed over her naked front. A darkly clothed man stood near her swung a long trailing whip on the floor lazily. Then, he suddenly raised his brandishing arm and brought the whip flying across her navel.

Sakura flinched as she watched in rapt attention.

The woman scream. Except it fizzled out into – a moan?

Sakura was bewildered. The man raised his hand again to prepare for another strike.

"Itachi-san! We have to stop him – "

"Wait," Itachi commanded, a hand on her arm to prevent her from dashing over to the bound woman and no doubt making a troublesome scene.

She watched the pair from afar in horror. The man had stopped his lashes and seemed to be conversing with the woman.

"Please! Please – I – No –" The woman seemed to be desperately begging, pleading for the torture to end.

Sakura was seconds away from stopping the poor woman's abuse. That was until the man landed another blow. This time, across the woman's breast. Except this one was softer, not making the harsh crack as it flew through the air. It was a feather-light touch against the woman's body. This time, the woman moaned – audibly. And Sakura heard – clearly.

Confused, she turned to her fiancé, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Where the fuck did you bring me Itachi?"

He smiled good-naturedly. It seemed the only times a non-awkward smile came from him was when it was at her expense. And he was definitely enjoying her doe-eyed expression as she tried to grasp the conflicting imagery she was receiving. Pain and pleasure, intermingled so intimately, she couldn't even tell the difference between the two.

"This, Sakura –" He dropped the usual honorifics as he bent down to whisper mirthfully into her ear. "Is the world of BSDM. Or sadism and masochism, if you will."

"And you thought I would enjoy this?" she hissed back, finally deciding to wrench his hand off her arm. "Are you mad?"

"Yes, I did think you would enjoy this," he said with a strong air of self-assurance. Once again – he seemed to have a bad habit of doing so – Itachi grasped her hand and led her deeper in the chamber.

They passed dozens and dozens of people, all in various states of undress – from the completely nude to the completely clothed. It seemed here, that the very possession of clothing was a statement of power. Sakura noted that it was usually the bare that were in states of submission, while the master – or dominant, she would later learn – was fully clothed. It only made Sakura tug her thin cardigan around her shoulders tighter. They were also in various positions. Positions of subservience and dominance, sexual positions – even positions that were only meant for furniture. She recalled a poor man bent over, contorting his body to resemble that of a leg rest, allowing a woman to use his back as so.

And it was loud. The air was filled with a cacophony of sounds that grated on Sakura's ears and sent chills up her spine intermittently. Piercing, pained shrieks were punctuated with lusty, breathy moans and low grunts. The vocal sounds were spread amidst the tinkling of metal chains, rustling of silk bonds, and the slapping of leather against flesh. And, every once in a while, a terror-inducing wail would carry through the room – the sound of a man or woman orgasming as they screeched their lover's name.

"Itachi!" Sakura snarled, grabbing his arm and pulling him to a full stop. She was completely unnerved, uncomfortable and utterly removed from her comfort zone. He better have a good explanation for why they were there – and it better not have been: because he wanted to make her feel that distressed. "You better tell me, right now, why the hell you brought me here, because I swear to god – I am about to –"

Abruptly, he grabbed her shoulders and swivelled her to face away from him, her back pressing against his warm front.

"The fuck?"

"Look," he said, leaning over her shoulder to point at something in the distance. Or someone.

Shinoda Kenichi. Possibly the most elusive man in the world.

Genuine surprise lit up her green eyes as she asked him, "How did you know he would be here?"

Itachi had a mischievous glint in his eyes, but otherwise did not say anything. He urged her forward with a warm hand against her back and a gentle push in Shinoda Kenichi's general direction. "Here's your chance. Go, I'll be back. I have somewhere to be first."

Sakura watched his receding back briefly before he disappeared amongst the crowds of people. Absently, she wondered if he would return smelling of the sickeningly sweet perfume. She felt oddly confused. Was she supposed to be jealous? Was she supposed to care? Digging a bit deeper, she found that she did mind the undisguised fact that Itachi had a lover. But, she did not even hold any deep attachment or affection for him, she had no right to hold any possessiveness over him. Gritting her teeth, Sakura shook her thoughts from the dangerous direction they were heading and slinked over to where Shinoda Kenichi was, careful to remain obscured by the shadows.

The man was hovering over someone. A diminutive figure that was fully unclothed and laying vulnerably on top of a marble slab. Kenichi, himself, was partially unclothed, with a bare chest and pants that were opened at the crotch. His two arms were braced on either side of the petite figure, a woman, and he was thrusting forward in a rhythmic pattern. Low grunts of pleasure came rumbling from deep within his chest, mixing with the woman's soft pants.

Sakura adjusted her angle, trying to get a better look at the woman, wishing she could use Itachi's convenient sharingan.

The woman had flaming hair, fanned out in a circle around her face. She had glowing olive-toned skin, a straight sloped nose, dark eyes framed with even darker lashes. Vague recognition hit Sakura and she shifted more in the shadows, reaching for a different perspective. Rei. The woman matched the small Polaroid picture Sakura had been given perfectly, not a single change in her appearance.

Sakura had finally found Rei, the kidnapped politician's daughter. Her lips curled upward wickedly. She was almost finished the mission now. Briefly noting the lack of a purple bracelet on Rei's wrist and her unblemished skin, Sakura retreated from the shadows, excitement humming through her veins as she sought out Itachi.

She found him alright. Pressed up against a curvaceous woman who was squished against the curtained wall and his larger frame. Sakura couldn't see her face, but saw she had luscious blond locks, an ample bosom and elegant fingers, which were twisted and tangled in Itachi's hair. At least they were both still fully clothed. The same couldn't be said of the other occupants of the room.

The blond let out a breathy moan, "Itachi – ".

Another small wave of recognition washed over her, but Sakura turned away from the obviously intimate moment before she could clearly place it. A light floral perfume drifted over to her. Itachi's lover of course. In a moment of childishness and irritation, Sakura rolled her eyes. How unprofessional was he being?

She fled.

What she didn't notice was Itachi's slightly turning face, observing her flight from the corner of his eye.

888

She had been wandering around the aptly dubbed 'Pandora's Room', for well over an hour. The space was immense and packed to the brim with people – it made locating Rei particularly difficult. Sakura had long ago concluded that Rei must have worked exclusively for Pandora's Room; perhaps that was why she lacked the enslaving purple bracelet and why Sakura had been unable to find her elsewhere in Seven. It seemed like a horrible fate for someone unwilling. Although she could not deny the plentiful moans, gasps – shrieks – of pleasure that seemed to echo throughout the room. A horrible fate for some, but a tempting fantasy for another.

Sakura had been leaning against a draped wall, the quality fabric providing a decent cushion for her back and gave her protection from the cold-to-the-touch glass. Nobody had bothered her for the last while or so and she was satisfied with watching the proceedings of the room, scanning the people as they passed her, searching for a head of fire.

There. A halo of crimson hair bobbed past her field of vision and Sakura immediately sprang into action. She surged through the masses of people, cursing her short stature which created difficulties for her in following the redhead. Where was Rei going? Sakura wondered as she struggled through. It seemed as if Rei was in a hurry to get somewhere, moving with a single-minded purpose, not even noticing the obvious pinkette trailing her.

When they reached a lull in the crowd, Sakura found her opportunity. "Rei!" she called out, causing a few curious heads to turn her way. Fortunately, they quickly dismissed her when they deemed her unworthy of their notice. "Rei!"

The redhead stopped mid-step, her foot raised in the air unable to complete the motion. The foot came down with a jerk, as if she was startled. The woman glanced around frantically, hair whipping around her face. It gave Sakura a chance to catch up with her.

"Kagawa Rei?" Sakura asked, hopeful.

Acknowledgement flickered over the woman's face, before she schooled her expression to one that resembled blankness.

"How did you find me?" Rei questioned, already suspicious. She backed away from Sakura, unwittingly cornering herself against a wall.

Sakura held up two spread hands in a friendly gesture. "I'm not here to hurt you. But your father – oh, he will be so glad to know you are safe and alive."

Rei's features twisted and in that span of a moment she resembled a child, one that was lonely, lost and desperately in want of her parents. Her eyebrows drew together, lines creasing her forehead and a frown gracing her lips. "My father sent you?"

"Yes," Sakura said soothingly, stepping slowly towards the girl, so as to not threaten her. Rei seemed inches from tears. "I'm here to get you out."

"Get me out?" Rei repeated dumbly, still in shock.

"I can get you out tonight. I just need you to name a place and time and – "

"No," the redhead interrupted, shaking her head with vigour. "Not tonight. He comes for me every night. I won't be able to get away."

"It doesn't matter; I'll take care of him." Him being Shinoda Kenichi.

"No! He brings guards. There'll be too many for you to take on while you're trying to protect me and kill him. Give me a week. I can give you an opening. Maybe I can loosen him up a bit, so his guard is down. A week, that's all I ask."

Sakura hesitated. A week was a long time; too much could happen in that span of time. Rei could be killed, Sakura could be found out and a whole host of other possibilities. Still, she met the determined look in Rei's eyes and noted her seemingly unharmed emotional and psychological state.

"A week." Sakura conceded, inclining her head slightly.

"A week until what?" Another voice interjected their conversation. Except this one was deep and masculine. Sakura recognized it immediately, a chill snaking down her spine.

"Shinoda-san." Both girls trilled, giving identical polite bows in the direction of the approaching man.

"A week until what?" he repeated, this time his tone was more forceful.

Fuck. Maybe she'd have to kill him now and then make a run for it with Rei. Luckily, it was Rei who chimed in, saving her ass. "A week until the seven year anniversary of Seven, Shinoda-san. We are looking forward to your celebrations."

Kenichi bared his teeth in what Sakura supposed was a smile. He roughly pulled Rei to him, a possessive touch in his hold. He spun her around so that her back faced Sakura and planted a clearly dominating kiss onto Rei's mouth. "Don't you have somewhere to be Rei?" he murmured, all the while caressing her cheek.

"Oh – yes, Shinoda-san. I'll go – right away," she bit out, clearly flustered from the man's attentions. Breaking from his grasp, she gave another small bow before scurrying back into the crowd. Leaving Sakura and Kenichi alone.

She considered breaking his neck then and there, but decided against it. Instead, she smoothed her features, allowing a submissive expression to take over them, willing the vindictive glare to ease from her eyes.

"Ah, Mineko-san, I've been searching for you. How was your first week of work been treating you?" Kenichi asked, all the while make advances into Sakura's personal space. He backed her against the wall, his towering build covering her exits.

She stammered, "It went very well, Shinoda-san. Everyone has been very friendly to me."

Lifting a strand of her pink hair to rub between his fingers, he asked, "I'm usually the first one to have a taste of all of my employees, but work has gotten away with me recently…"

Sakura swallowed, trying to flatten herself against the wall.

"I wonder if the color is natural," he trailed off, but not before dragging his eyes up and down her form appraisingly. He paused slightly at the space between her thighs. "Well, if you're not busy right now, you can come with me – "

"Sorry, I was under the impression that I had the girl for the entire night." A hard voice cutting in and a warm hand grasped Sakura's upper arm, retrieving her from between her place between the wall and Kenichi. It was Itachi.

"I went away for a bathroom break, but if I had known she was in such high demand, I wouldn't have left her," Itachi explained in a light teasing manner, clearly fabricated in Sakura's opinion. Although to complete the act, he wrapped his entire arm around her midsection, hauling her body to him completely. A cloying floral fragrance drifted from him, tickling her nose. "Perhaps you can have her another day?"

Kenichi immediately backed off, a bogus grin on his face. No way was he happy his potential conquest of the night had been stolen. "Of course, our customers' needs are very important."

"Oh? You are the owner of this club? You must be Shinoda-san." Itachi offered a polite handshake forward, his grip on Sakura as tight as ever.

"Ah, yes, yes, it's true. And you must be?"

A sliver of hesitation. "Itachi-san." A name that held some infamy in the shinobi world would have little significance in Kenichi's main domain.

The two shook hands.

"I hope you enjoy your night with Mineko-san." A lecherous glance meant for Sakura.

"Hm."

"Don't let her slip through your fingers."

888

The plan made Itachi nervous, although he didn't verbally voice his concerns to Sakura. It had too many holes, too many undefined variables, and too much unpredictability. The basic structure of the plan was simple enough. Two main objectives: kill Shinoda Kenichi and retrieve Kagawa Rei. Easy enough, right? Wrong, since the entire plan mainly depended on Rei's ability to lull Kenichi into a falsified sense of security. Only then could Sakura finish the job. But Rei was not a shinobi, born and raised and bathed in bloodlust and strategic thinking. She lacked the skills necessary to carry out such a task without making at least one mistake. That was, she was severely underqualified for her role. Not that Sakura saw things in the same light.

"Did Rei tell you what her distraction was going to be?" Itachi asked Sakura, both of them reclining on the hotel couch.

"No, I barely have a chance to see her. She's always in Pandora's Room and I definitely don't want another encounter with Shinoda until I can kill him."

"We need a back-up plan."

"It'll be alright." She turned her torso to face him fully. "You need to relax. We can play things by ear. We'll be fine."

He tried not to let the frustration show on his face, but couldn't stop himself from wrinkling his nose – something Sakura easily caught onto.

She leaned forward and gave him a light shove against his shoulder, barely nudging his body. He didn't give much of a reaction, already acclimated to her playful tendencies. Something he was beginning to secretly enjoy.

"Lighten up Itachi," she said, already dropping the honorifics a while ago. "I've done this with Team Seven too many times to count."

Something to be rectified immediately, Itachi thought dryly, although he was not all that surprised. "I don't trust Rei."

"I know you don't. You don't trust anything that doesn't have 'Uchiha' in its name." She was teasing him, a grin on her face.

Itachi sniffed disdainfully. "That's not true."

"Right." She smirked, knowing him all too well.

A comfortable silence lapsed between them. One of many in the past two weeks they had shared on this mission together. Sakura basked in the afternoon sunlight streaming through the window, enjoying his quiet companionship. Her back was arched, conforming to the cylindrical nature of the couch's arm. He took the time, while she had her eyes blissfully closed, to admire the glinting, lustrous strands of her pink hair. It was strange that he no longer found the color as offending as before.

"I'm going to miss Kabu," she said suddenly, straightening up. Her lips tipped downwards and she looked to be in a thoughtful mood.

"Why?" Itachi ventured a question.

"It's so beautiful here. It's a different kind of beauty from Konoha. Konoha is all nature – trees, water, mountains. But Kabu… Its beauty made from the hands of humans. Us. Isn't that amazing?" She had a far off look in her eyes, thinking about the blinking night lights and the astounding architecture of the buildings.

He supposed she was right about Kabu. An entire world created based on the ingenuity of people – it was quite impressive indeed. But, he wondered if her reluctance to return to Konoha was translating into a vigorous admiration for Kabukicho. Itachi gave his head a nervous scratch before running his fingers through the locks, smoothing out any tangles. "Did you – ah, did you want to explore Kabu more before we leave in a couple of days?"

A bright smile was all he needed for an answer.

They were in the shopping district of Kabu, delighting in the cooking aromas that rose into the sky from the various food vendors. The vendors and their owners lined the streets, hollering at all those who passed by. Delicious, never-seen-before delicacies, they all promised. Itachi could tell Sakura was tempted to try all of them. That was until a particular vendor caught her eye.

It was a small vendor compared to the others, only consisting of a single circular rack on top of a mobile slab of wood. Jewels dangled from the rack, catching the light and sparkling attractively. The owner was an old woman, a shrewd look on her face as she watched Sakura approach with Itachi following.

Sakura tilted her head, left and right, marvelling at the different precious stones.

The old woman stood up from her rickety stool and ambled over. She pointed at a necklace with a dangling jade charm. "For good luck and wisdom," she said.

A dark amethyst adorning a bracelet. "For spiritual protection."

"For money and healing." She tapped a pair of topaz earrings.

A strange kind of understanding washed over the woman the longer she observed Itachi and Sakura. She nodded, finally coming to an epiphany. The woman shuffled to the back of the rack and retrieved a small white stone that came in the form of a charm. "For fertility." She offered it to Sakura knowingly.

The two shinobi both blushed the same shade of red, if that was possible. Sakura backed away from the woman, laughing nervously and shaking her head expressively. "Oh no, you have the wrong impression – "

"It will help with conceiving a healthy baby," the woman stated, not quite grasping the situation. She thrust the offending earrings towards Sakura again.

While Itachi clearly grasped the situation, he was at a lost on how to deal with the awkward moment. Instead he watched Sakura's retreating back as she ran off to another vendor. A tap on his chest brought his attentions back to the stumpy woman.

"I have one for male fertility, if that's what you're looking for."

"Ah, no – we aren't –" He paused, thoroughly at a loss. "We aren't trying for children right now."

"Oh." A disappointed expression passed over her face.

"But I'll take the jade necklace," Itachi said, as a way to make it up to the old woman.

888

A small flare of chakra was all the warning she got before a pair of warm hands settled around her shoulders. He tucked wayward strands of rose locks over a shoulder before looping the necklace around and clasping it. She looked down when she felt a cold heavy weight press down on her collarbone. A single jade stone dangled from a thin leather strand. Simple, but impressive in its own way. Sakura tilted her head upwards catching his onyx eyes.

"For good luck and wisdom." Itachi repeated the old woman's words. Enjoying the feel of her hair, he rearranged the locks back to the way they were before.

She narrowed her eyes and gave small huff. She knew how gullible Itachi could be when it came to social interactions. Inwardly grinning, she decided to play with him. "Are you saying I need wisdom? Are you questioning my intelligence?" Her tone was demanding and her posture became angry.

Itachi frowned, "Ah, no – I didn't mean it like that, Sakura." He fumbled through his words and took a precautionary step away from Sakura.

What an odd man. Ah, but she wasn't done with him yet.

"I hope you don't think my love can be bought with just some jewellery," she said in a semi-serious tone, hands on her hips that were thrust to one side. But knowing Itachi, he would only have seen the seriousness of it.

He was flustered, although no color rose in his cheeks like before, his posture tensed – a tell-tale sign. "No – my cousin, he recommended I give gifts for a good relationship." Itachi was incredibly embarrassed and shy as he said those words, which only gave Sakura more pause.

Typically, Itachi was a calm and collected man, a level-headed thinker on all missions. Smooth with the ladies if his popularity at the club was any indication – especially with a certain blonde haired woman. But, when it came to relationships, even just a simple friendship, it seemed Itachi fell apart at the seams. He stammered, hesitated, even sometimes blushed and Sakura savoured those moments that reminded her of his imperfect humanity.

Sakura laughed, finding amusement at his expense. Suddenly, she looped an arm around Itachi, tugging him towards a delicious smelling food vendor. "It'll take more than some gifts to win me over. But, you know I'm only teasing you Itachi. It's very nice, thank you."

It was a common occurrence now. The way she threaded her fingers through his and began to tow him away. It came naturally to her, just as it did to him. It was so much easier and quicker to physically lead someone to another place than to properly articulate their destination. And sometimes, like now, Sakura wanted the destination to be a surprised.

She pulled him further down the street, to another food vendor that had a sweet caramel scent pervading the air around it. "A dango stick please," she ordered, handing over the proper coins to the man behind the counter.

It wasn't long before the man handed over a long skewer sporting three balls, each colored differently. She handed it over to Itachi, who looked bewildered by the entire exchange.

"Did you buy me dango because my mom told you to?" Itachi asked, seeming as if he was grasping at an explanation for the unexpected action.

"Don't be ridiculous. Sasuke once told me you love dango." She smiled, urging him to take a bite.

He did, closing his eyes and seemingly savoring the taste. "Thank you Sakura."

"Besides –" She leaned onto her tippy toes, stretching so that her mouth could become level with his. Predictably, he stilled, the dango stick mere inches from his mouth. "Maybe I just wanted a taste too." Sakura took a small bite, before flashing him a wink and a brilliant smirk, and waltzing away.

888

Sakura was going to be the death of him. Too confusing, unpredictable, spontaneous – but, it was a breath of fresh air for him. He watched her retreating form, a bounce in her step, illuminated hair swaying back and forth across her back. They had become friends, that much was obvious. Over the course of the mission, he had become accustomed to her presence – and enjoyed it. Her light soothing touches at night came back to him. He gave a small smile, one that was not caught by her eyes and Itachi was struck by a sense of serenity. A marriage with Sakura? There could be worse things in the world.

But the reminder of the arrange marriage brought back other feelings. Ones Itachi would have rather suppressed. Fears and a deep-seated sense of guilt, one that could not be chased away. As Sakura's form began to blend in with the moving crowd, becoming indistinguishable, Itachi felt a flash of something indiscernible. In that single moment he glimpsed her fading back, it was as if she was running away – from him, their marriage, her duty. He darted forward.

"Sakura!" Itachi seized a hold of her arm, spinning her around to face him.

A crease appeared between her brows and she gave his hand around her wrist an experimental tug. "Itachi?"

"The mission will be over soon, will you be travelling back to Konoha with me?"

Understanding crossed over her face and her eyes narrowed at him. It only served to demonstrate how incredibly delicate their trust in each other was at that point.

"What a silly question. There's no rush – why are you asking me this?" Immediately, she was on the defensive. Sakura yanked her wrist away from him, a growl of some sort breaking free of her throat.

Surely, she wouldn't be dumb enough to try running. Would she risk a life of a missing-nin for her so-called freedom? Either way, she was trapped. She didn't fool him one bit.

"Where are you going? You have obligations in Konoha." Itachi reached for her again – both of them confrontational.

"I know. Can you fucking stop doubting me?" She spun away from him, continuing on the same direction she was before. "Look, can we just worry about one thing at a time? We'll deal with this when we get there."

"You won't try to run?" He was walking side-by-side with her.

"No."

He never pegged Sakura as a liar.

888

Late in the night, Itachi snuck from the hotel rooming, seeking refuge under a large blossoming tree. Sakura had went to bed long ago, allowing Itachi the privacy to contact a confidante back in Konoha. Briefly flashing through several seals, a strong wind blew through the clearing, rustling the dangling leaves on the tree as the jutsu activated. The flickering form of his cousin and best friend appeared in the space in front of Itachi.

His cousin sported closely cropped locks of that signature dark Uchiha color and large onyx eyes. Although, different from the majority of the Uchiha clan, they were open, friendly and approachable. Approachable, an apt description for the man. Uchiha Shisui was gregarious to say the least, and Itachi's most trustworthy friend. Partners in crime, they were.

"Shisui," Itachi greeted, faint affection coloring his tone.

"Ah, Itachi! What brings you here? Or, what brings me to you?" Shisui darted forward to give his cousin a brotherly slap on the back, forgetting that he was only an apparition and cleanly phasing through Itachi's body.

"Shisui," Itachi repeated, this time a bit sharper.

"Itachi means business today," Shisui responded in a jesting manner. Nevertheless, he straightened himself in front of Itachi and crossed his arms together. "Did you call me for more women advice? 'Cause let me tell you, women just love it when you stick - "

Itachi raised an eyebrow, but otherwise made no other movements.

His cousin sighed. "Alright, what is it Itachi?"

"I think Sakura is planning on running after the mission is over."

"What? That's impossible, she's the Godaime's apprentice. There's no way Tsunade-sama would let her do that."

"She was being too evasive and defensive when I asked her earlier. She's up to something. I need you to get here as soon as possible."

"You think a person Sakura has never met before can convince her to come back to Konoha?"

"No." Itachi ran a hand through his hair agitatedly, a maneuver Shisui had become rather accustomed to. "Bring Naruto and Sasuke, they can talk sense into her. She's too – emotional." And I don't know how to deal with it, was the unspoken part of his sentence. Not that Uchiha Itachi would ever admit such a thing.

"Alright, we'll leave right away. Is there anything –"

"Itachi?" Another voice cut in. Soft and timid, it belonged to a pink haired girl. She approached him from behind warily, a single hand rubbing her sleepy eyes. "Are you speaking to someone?"

Shisui had long flickered out of existence.

"No." Itachi's reply was clipped.

In her exhausted haze, Sakura didn't suspect a single thing. She dropped her hand from her face and peered at him, innocently. "Can you not sleep?"

He didn't answer her, instead, gently guiding her back into their hotel room and settling her onto the bed.

"I swear I heard voices." She was becoming more insistent.

"It must be dreams. Go to sleep, we have a busy day tomorrow." He pushed the covers over her form, taking care to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Did you need me you help you to sleep?" She mumbled, her words becoming incoherent again.

Itachi wondered what exactly alerted Sakura to Shisui's presence, considering her rather confused demeanor. Perhaps it was a sixth sense of hers? Ah – that would be ridiculous.

Her breaths evened out and she was lost to the world.

A/N: At this point, they're just trying to establish a friendship of some sort, albeit it is an unconventional one. Also, Sakura really just loves to tease Itachi, since his reactions (or lack of) are really humorous to her. Besides, it's not as if he gives those reactions to just anyone. Itachi is also a naturally a very suspicious person, he is just learning to trust Sakura and doesn't believe everything that comes out of her mouth. But we'll see.

By the way, Pandora's room has hints of lust and wrath mingled together. It is my main representation of wrath though.