A/N: I apologize for mistakes in advance.

Carnal

By Tsuki Hoshino

Every clarification breeds new questions
-Arthur Bloch

'We were just herded like cattle…' Sakura thought once more, completely astonished and well aware that she was gaping like a fish out of water. In what universe did something like that actually happen?

'In what universe do people drink blood? And eyes turn red?' Her subconscious scolded. 'Your universe, so get fucking used to It.'

Standing there awkwardly, Sakura looked around as if asking for confirmation in what she had just witnessed only to receive none. The cashier on the other hand was watching the situation and making her own conclusions which if she had been privy to Sakura would have vehemently denied.

'Alright so things are a little weird…no reason to panic we're in a public place so it should be safe!' She chided. "You…just what are you up too?" she really worried for Ino's safety and wondered how the other girl could be so foolish. 'Whatever happened to stranger danger?'

He had the nerve to come off looking oddly innocent as he ignored her inquiry. "Something the matter?" Itachi asked, arching a brow. "You're looking rather pale."

Furthering herself from him micro inch by inch didn't seem to be working because the further she moved he followed and then doubled his steps coming much closer than he had been before until their chests were nearly touching. His close proximity had her stomach flopping. 'In fear!' Sakura made sure to distinctly label the feeling as such.

Itachi's long fingers caressed the shiny plastic of the hospital name tag pinned to the breast pocket of her scrubs. "You work in the hospital down the street...interesting." Itachi remarked to himself, as he studied her face. "You are rather young to be a doctor…" She couldn't be very far into her twenties.

"…" Sakura swallowed heavily, eyes avoiding him as she took in the situation. 'Oh way to go; now he knows where you work, why don't you just invite him back to your place for dinner. Hell, why not just offer your neck up right this second!' She howled to herself feeling the urge to stomp her feet.

She chose not to comment any more than necessary on his remarks about the hospital. He knew where she worked, but not what department. Things weren't all that bad…

Steeling herself, Sakura straightened her back and brushed away his fingers from where they had been lingering. "You do realize there is something called personal space, right?" She quipped all the while pushing away her distress. Remaining calm was always key in situation's with predators, they could smell it and she absolutely was not going to let him get the best of her. "And age has nothing to do with skill." She stated in short order; the hand that was not defensively holding onto her drink perched on her hip.

"Hnn."

Her eyes turned to thin slivers at his grunted response.

"Secondly, I know what you just did so don't try anything else funny Uchiha-san. If something happens to Ino don't think you'll get away with it, and Stop. Stalking. Me. " Sakura demanded punctuating each word with the jabbing of a finger into his chest condemningly a she bowed her back away from him. For someone who seemed of Japanese ancestry he was uncommonly tall especially given that she was only a few inches over five feet.

The whole situation was horribly unfair in her opinion.

All too aware of the odd feeling that had washed over her the night before upon looking into his eyes had her staring stubbornly at his lips…which turned out to be a bad idea because she ended up admiring them more then she should have and as a result noting how deep his voice was when it flowed through them.

"Let me assure you, your friend will be perfectly fine…Shisui will take good care of her." It wasn't a lie or an overstatement. Shisui may have been an incorrigible flirt but he was also incredibly kindhearted for one of their nature, perhaps more so than even himself. "As for stalking you…I wasn't aware that I was."

The awkward position had her wincing when it strained the bruise lining her side.

Seeing the pained flinch span her face Itachi pulled away and placed a hand on the small of her back gently. "Come sit." He stated, guiding her through the room.

The absolutely pitiful look Sakura sent towards the cashier seemed to be brushed aside and by the dreamy expression the worker was making, Sakura had the disturbing feeling that she was completely misunderstanding the situation.

'How lucky,' The cashier thought with a melancholic sigh, dropping her chin into her hand. 'That guys so gentlemanly, look he's even pulling her chair out for her!' Not to mention how handsome he was. Some girls had all the luck! 'Especially one as odd as her...' The worker mused, turning lazy eyes towards the next patron.

The spot that Sakura's friend had picked out was easy to find and rather opportune considering it was at the very back of the café. The table was pressed against the wall with a window right above it. The sunlight filtering in from it hardly bordered anything he considered to be uncomfortable but it made the area rather warm. "Sit." Itachi directed, nodding his head towards the chair as he pulled it out.

Scowling at him Sakura hesitated to concede to his request. 'More like an order.' She groused, but upon realizing that her mulish behavior was doing her no favors she gave a sigh and took the seat. "Alright, what do you want?" This time she took the risk of looking him in the eyes.

"Just your company." Came the amicable response as he sloughed his coat off and dropped it into the chair opposite of her.

Sakura was well aware she was looking at him with thinly veiled mistrust. "How can you not be worried I won't run off screaming about last night?"

"You haven't gone to the police yet and if you did who would believe you?" Itachi pointed out softly, glancing at her through thick, black lashes as he grasped her face with care. "It's a rather fantastical story don't you think? Given everything you've seen…or think you saw." He remarked, brushing the hair out of her face.

"…" She honestly couldn't refute his statement. Going to the police was more complicated than it should have been for a number of reasons. With how unethical the current department was there was hardly a chance anything would be done and if she went to Naruto or any of her other personal connections within the department it could cause trouble for them.

The situation was honestly like navigating a mine field, especially when one added on the fact that he was what she was assuming to be a vampire. If she waltzed into a police station and pitched that story no matter who it was they probably wouldn't take her seriously.

Realizing that he had alluded to something out of the ordinary she grasped onto the comment. "And what exactly do you think I saw?" Sakura wondered, studying his face intently only to find nothing.

He had one hell of a poker face and it left her scowling in displeasure, which for some reason seemed to amused him because he made a quick, quiet noise that sounded a like a short laugh. 'Unreadable bastard…' She thought, taping her fingers against her thigh in agitation.

The feeling of his fingers brushing over her face and along her hair line caused her stomach to flutter. "It seems to have healed nicely."

The blush that crawled over bridge of her nose and high cheek bones was not lost on him. "Your ears are turning pink." He said it in such a factual way, it was more like he was discussing the weather rather than intimately brushing his thumb over the petite shell of her ear.

"Hey!" Sakura snapped jerking her face away even as it turned a darker shade. "What did I say about personal space?" She seethed, eyes flashing up at him dangerously. Her hands fisted the cloth of her scrub pants in her determination not to cause too big of a scene. She'd never been one to put up well with overly forward men and she'd been handling herself exceptionally well so far but if he kept going probable supernatural being or not she was going to punch him.

Or try to.

Although he could Sensing her rising ire he couldn't resist prodding her just a bit more.

"I believe I recall you asking if I had heard about it." The direct statement frazzled her nerves even further because she knew he was simply choosing to ignore the meaning of her words for his own gain. "Which I have. But I also seem to recollect you kissing me the other night."

Gaping at him openly with complete horror Sakura shook her head wildly as she turned the bright red color of the tomatoes his brother favored so well. "I did not!" She exclaimed voice turning pitchy, abandoning all sense of discreetness.

Her sharp cry was garnering quite a bit of attention from everyone else, but they were of little consequence to the fetching sight before him.

"Oh? Have you forgotten? I suppose your head was hit rather hard then…" Itachi pressed a thumb to her bottom lip as his sly eyes caught hers. "Perhaps I should refresh your memory?" The acceleration of her pulse sent a warm thrill through him.

"Uhm…No…that's really unnecessary." Sakura's breathe paused when she saw the way his eyelashes hung heavily over his eyes. Even in the depths of his black eyes, no matter how dark they were, and they were indeed very dark, she could see something sweltering peering back at her. Her suddenly nervous tongue swiped over her lips but she made no move to look away from his eyes.

As a doctor, Sakura could testify that in reality there was no such thing as a person with black eyes. The color in fact did not exist; it simply looked that way because the color- generally brown was very, very dark.

Apparently she, and by extension the world was wrong. Differentiating the pupil of his eye from the iris was next to impossible and she couldn't help was stare in awe even as she felt the brush of his nose against hers as his lips pressed against her jaw before sliding up to the corner of her mouth.

"I think it went something like that." Itachi murmured warm breath ghosting over her flesh when he spoke while lingering close to her for a moment. "You don't seem convinced…perhaps you need another reminder?" He began to lean forward again only to be hindered by the press of her fingers against his lips.

"Unnecessary!" Sakura cried, her eyes which had nearly shuttered shut during his little expedition snapped open wide.

"You…" Sakura started at a loss for words all the while ignoring the way the feeling of his lips clung to her skin like a brand even after he had pulled away. "You've got some nerve!" Sakura hissed, slamming the palms of her hands on the table when at last the shock fled her system.

The distinctly smug aura he was exuding infuriated her. Scowling she whipped her head away to gaze out the window. 'I still don't remember that happening.' She mused pursing her lips. 'Maybe I shouldn't have gone to sleep with a concussion…'

The look of relief that sprawled over her face when he finally stopped hovering over her and took a seat was charming, he nearly laughed when her shoulder slumped and the sigh gusted out of her lips like someone who had just been told that they weren't going to die anytime soon.

'I suppose I should disarm her…' Itachi mused, reaching across the table to grasp her wrist. "You have questions, don't you?" He remarked, turning the delicate limb over to view the underside of it. "And I have a proposition for you…"His fingers traced the pale blue veins that showed through her milky skin, the pressure barely there in ghost like charm.

The sudden caressing left her mouth dry and had her heart thrumming nervously once more. She was sure he could feel it through the limb he was currently studying intently.

'This is just ridiculous!' Sakura thought biting her bottom lip anxiously. "Proposition huh?" she asked more to herself.

It was true that he wasn't exactly holding her hostage and that if she wanted to she could stand up and walk away, but Sakura got the feeling that if she even bothered trying he'd either do the same thing he had last night with his weird eyes, or he'd just follow her and she figured that it just wasn't worth the effort.

So sitting rather awkwardly across from her darkly clothed companion, Sakura couldn't help but dart her eyes out the window repeatedly wondering if maybe she should at least take the risk of making a break for it.

"You seem rather...Distracted." Itachi intoned, gazing at her with knowing eyes.

"Just wondering why you don't…you know… sparkle." Sakura mumbled, glancing at him with a challenge in her eyes. She was digging for information.

A thinly veiled look of annoyance crossed his face, as he replied. "Twilight jokes? Immature." The books had caused more trouble than he could count, between propagating falsities and all the disillusioned young women in the world it churned out. He couldn't count the times now that when his teeth sunk into the neck of a woman she suddenly thought they'd go ridding of into the sunset as his skin sparkled.

Needless to say that it hadn't happened yet and wouldn't. The sun was an annoyance that he could tolerate more and more as the years passed, but he still took to wearing sunscreen excluding the particularly overcast days of the year.

"It was pretty bad." Sakura admitted with a cringe. She'd been forced to sit through the movie with Ino, and the dubbed voices had nearly caused her to fall on the floor laughing. The book hadn't been much better. It was so over the top dramatic, and the main character so ungodly pathetic she hadn't gotten though the first book let alone the second. "Did you read it?"

The movie Fright Night had been much more entertaining.

"Regrettably." Shisui had read it first, and he had complained incessantly for Itachi to do so as well. Curiosity was something even Itachi couldn't avoid try as he might and he had instantly regretted reading it afterwards. It had been good for a laugh at first, but when it grew to become popular it simply became tedious.

The fact that she seemed so resistant to his presence only served to further the thoughts he was developing. He was used to woman following his every move and falling down at his feet without any provocation and to be honest it could be more of a hindrance then an asset at times. The innate intelligence that he possessed could and was said to be a blessing and was often looked at with envy but what many failed to realize was that it like everything else also came with its own set of difficulties.

For one, once he got an idea it was very difficult to dissuade him from following through with it.

The anxious expression she cast him prompted him to give her what he considered to be words of comfort. "I told you before. Don't be foolish." He chided gently, refusing to pull his hand away. "I won't bite…" He seemed to find enjoyment in uttering those three words, because she could see the twitch ticking at the corner of his lips.

"Much." Sakura amended for him under her breath, but he heard it nonetheless.

"You don't trust me." It was a simple fact that spilled from his lips, and they both knew it. Perhaps a part of him was dismayed and it showed too easily in his eyes.

Or maybe he wanted her to see it and if that were the case his ploy worked perfectly because remorse took hold of her, flooding her too soft heart. "Sorry," Sakura murmured fidgeting for a moment as her mouth opened and then shut several times before she could find the words she wanted to say. "Last night…was weird." She stated quietly, dropping her eyes down to study the table.

The sharp smell of fear that had clouded her scent since she caught sight of him was finally beginning to soften.

"It's understandable." Itachi seemed soothed by her words, the contralto of his voice calming what little that remained of her ire as though he were pouring water over the last vestiges of a fire. The chinks in her stubborn armor were slowly peeling back to reveal glimpses of the many other facets of her personality.

"So…will you answer my questions then?" Sakura wondered daring a glance at his face, her own eyes wrought with curiosity. It was the affliction of many a creature, always wanting to know more, always wanting to go further and she was not immune to it.

"With a condition." He stipulated, slowly retracting her hand.

"And pray tell, what exactly is the condition?" Sakura wondered looking at him skeptically as she finally set about picking up her sandwich and unwrapping it. The hunger pains that attacked her stomach had finally battered her down.

"You answer whatever questions I have, and I will return the favor."

"In other words, quid pro quo…isn't that a little too Silence of the Lambs?" Sakura remarked more so to herself as she set about propping her chin into her hand. Although the more she thought about it the easier she could see the man adjacent from her as a Hannibal Lector like figure.

"The book or the film?" Itachi asked noting the way her Japanese accent hardly slurred any of the L's into R's, and her knowledge of the film gave him the indication she'd spend quite a bit of time practicing, or had lived outside of Japan for a time.

"Does that question count? Because I expect an answer to my own question first." Sakura threw back, the right corner of her lips curling into something vaguely mischievous until she saw the heated look he was giving her.

He's more than pleased by the fire she's displayed both the night before and today. The way she went from one extreme to the other reminded him of a flickering flame that came back all the stronger for its faltering. This time his smirk stayed in place as he gave the woman infront of him his full attention.

Sakura was smart enough to know something had changed in their situation and she could not name what it was but she knew it was her own fault and for the life of her she couldn't figure out what she'd done to cause it.

'What did I just do…?' Sakura pondered to herself, eyes widening as the feeling of being more confused than before filled her. With nervous hands she busied herself with another bite of her sandwich, looking at him with wide eyes. The sunlight filtering in through the window looked odd on him, as though he was simply out of place sitting there across from her.

"What was your question?" He mused, knowing all too well what the first one would be. He relented nevertheless because there was nothing for him to lose in this little game. He could only gain.

The green of her eyes suddenly became predatory like a house-cat who finally caught sight of the canary its owner had let loose. "What are you?"

It would be so easy to twist her words, but he doesn't. "You've already identified me." Itachi said, gazing at her levelly as though the words that followed held no magnitude. "But if what you're seeking is confirmation then- yes. I am what you call a vampire." Or rather something similar to it.

"Oh," Sakura stated simply. "Okay then." Her eyes blinked at him owlishly, as though she had not been expecting his answer. She was silent for a short moment, nibbling on the edge of her sandwich as she stared out the window. 'Still…the sun is out…' She thought dazed by the conflicting information.

With dark amusement, she acknowledged that her earlier thoughts on him being rather like Hannibal were completely founded considering he ate people.

"Both." Sakura answered the question he had posed after recovering herself. She had surely suspected what he was, but she had held the view with an honest grain of salt still hoping that perhaps she'd been completely out of her mind at that point in time and she was going stark raving mad.
It was at first a relief to know otherwise.

"I read the book and saw the movie. It's a classic." Sakura said, ignoring the faintness creeping on her in favor of taking a sip of her caffeinated drink.

"Did you spend much time out of Japan?"

The question startled her like the first few moments of a shower when the water came out too cold and there was nowhere to turn away from it. There was no way for him to have known she hadn't lived on the island nation her whole life.

"What makes you think that I did?" She asked, feeling her defenses rise.

"You spoke English quite well." Itachi pointed out, gesturing to her with the lazy sway of his hand. "Also you're knowledge on a western book and movie. It's not a hard assumption to make." If one knew what they were looking for.

"…I spent a few years in the United States." Sakura admitted, lowering her gaze to study the table top, fingers plucking at the plastic tab of her coffee cup. The four that she had spent there had not been favorable and she didn't care to revisit them at this time.

Her actions told him to go no further into the subject for the moment but the story that lingered behind her words and actions called out for him to uncover. He'd always been rather nosy a child. It came with the curiosity that drove his acumen. 'Or perhaps it's the other way around…' Itachi pondered not for the first time. Sometimes it felt as though his Intelligence brought him more trouble than what it solved.

"The girl from last night…" Sakura began, her gaze turning solemn. "What happened to her?" She hoped that the next of kin would at least be able to find out what happened to her, she deserved that much.

Once more the weight of her ineptness threatened to choke her, and she tightened her grip on the coffee cup, hands suddenly feeling cold.

As a doctor, she had long ago accepted that she couldn't save everyone, but it never stopped her from trying and it never stopped her from aching when she failed.

"Two bodies were found in Sumida River this morning." Itachi commented, studying the reaction the crumb of information he freely gave provoked "It was on the news, the police have promised to look into it."

"I'm sure they will." Sakura spat the words, staring out the window once more. It wasn't him that she was upset with, but the situation in general it was unfair and there was nothing that could be done about it. "Even if they did give a damn it wouldn't do anything. No one's ever going to know what that guy did, and even if they did the majority of them wouldn't care." the righteous anger she felt seemed to wane.

Itachi tilted his head, eyes softening as he took in her forlorn expression "You're very compassionate." He noted, wondering if she knew how dangerous such a trait could be, particularly in such a hardened city. 'Although I suppose not much of her is fit for this place.' That much was unmistakable.

"Compassion doesn't get one very far." Sakura disparaged, propping her cheek against her fist with a sigh." You saw for yourself…I was nearly killed the other night because I decided to stick my nose in something dangerous, and in the end nothing good came of it."

"Was I not compassionate when I saved you?" He rebuked with the smooth wave of his hand, the slant of his eyes sharper than before. 'I would say that something good came of it…' One who had lived as long as him learned not to dwell on what could not be changed. It was regretful that he'd arrived too late for the other girl to be saved, but such was life.

If he dwelled over every life he'd been unable to save he wouldn't be capable of functioning on any level. Living as his kind did was difficult when one was too tenderhearted, a lesson he in his youth had learned fairly quickly. Starving himself had done neither him nor anyone else any good, so he'd learned what sort of people, or rather garbage to target and he learned to take what he could without killing.

All things he had Shisui to thank for.

It was unfortunate that the rest of his family was not so kindly, but he did his best to make up for their arrogance when coming across situations much like he had the night before. It was a pity he hadn't come across them sooner but he couldn't

Sakura on the other hand was alive, with a beating heart that was made to bleed all too easily. That in itself was both a blessing and curse that he wasn't above using to his advantage if it suited him, because despite what differences he may have with his family, he also shared unfortunate similarities with them.

Feeling properly chastised, Sakura lowered her eyes. "Ah, no…" She sighed once more. "I should be more grateful, shouldn't I…?" To be honest, looking back on her behavior towards him she felt rather ashamed. He'd saved her and in her own ignorance and fear she'd treated him badly.

That was not how her parents had raised her; it was not how she wanted to behave either. So she apologized. "I'm very sorry, please forgive me…it was very kind of you to save me," Sakura mumbled bowing her head low only to have it tilted up when Itachi reached across the table and grasped her chin. "T-thank you?" She sputtered, cutting off from her tangent.

"Personally…I prefer your thank you from the night before." Itachi purred, eyes skimming across her lips. "But this one…is acceptable."

Face flushed, Sakura jerked her head away. His constant insistence on touching her and getting into her personal bubble made her uncomfortable and irritable. There were very few men in her life who she allowed to be so personable with her and a grateful as she was to him, Itachi was a stranger.

With his good looks, preternatural background and…

'Dare I say it…' Sakura groused, shooting the man sitting across from her a sour look.

Intriguing personality…he was prime playboy material, which sent warning bells off in her more than his apparent vampirism did. Then there was the way he seemed completely unconcerned with revealing his nature to her. Something was fishy about the whole thing.

"I believe it's my turn to ask a question now." Sakura declared, crossing her arms. "Earlier today, I had a run in with a crow…The funny thing about it was that as I was leaving it called your name. So what was that all about?" She asked, fixing him with what she hope was an intimidating gaze.

"Crow…" Itachi looked surprised for a split second, before the look was tempered and washed away. "Yatagarasu." He was a man who did not believe in coincidences, and the fact that his little friend, he hesitated to call the bird a pet, because he was so much more than that- had run into Sakura and called his name was fascinating.

"It didn't have three legs." Sakura disagreed, brows furrowing. 'What does a mythological crow have to do with anything.'

"It's what I named him." Itachi corrected, looking thoughtful. "I had been wondering where he'd gone off too." He hadn't shown up to steal bits of his breakfast yesterday nor that morning which was an odd occurrence in itself. The bird was never far from him nor was the murder far from the crow.

They'd been suspiciously absent the last few days however.

Feeling amused that he had given the bird such an auspicious name, Sakura snorted and offered her own explanation. "It seemed like his wing was damaged." Sakura explained, careful not to mention how close the bird had been to her home. "Still…why would he say your name to me?" It had scared her more than she would like to admit, considering she had never known crows were capable of human speech to begin with.

"He probably knew that we had met." Although she had clearly taken a shower the night before, some marks could not be washed away by soap and water. A flash of something black caught his eye through the window and he nodded discreetly.

"…I can tell you where I last saw him if you're worried." Sakura offered hesitantly, the bird had been in an alley way a little down the street so there was no harm done as far as she was concerned.

Although he was more than sure that Yatagarasu could care for himself and would return when ready, he was curious about the bird's little encounter. "That would be most helpful." Itachi continued to think the implications of everything over.

"Do you have any paper?" Sakura wondered, looking around as she unclipped a pen from her breast pocket. "For the address..." She explained at his questioning look.

"It's unnecessary." Itachi refrained from looking too amused. "I'll remember it easily."

"Uh-huh…" Sakura stated, slightly dubious and well aware that her lack of belief showed plainly. Street addresses in the city were notoriously complicated but she rattled the number and block off without much more distress, throwing in a description of the surrounding shops for good measure.

Not for the first time she acknowledged how weird her current situation was, and all the questions that plagued her. There were a million and one things that she could ask, but at the moment she was feeling a little to overwhelmed to even bother.

The weirdness of it all was finally setting in on her and she really just wanted to go and sit on her nice couch at home and process everything. 'Except I have wor-' Her eyes grew in size as realization settled over her, a quick glance at her watch told her everything she needed to know. "Oh shit!" Sakura shrieked, standing abruptly as she frantically gathered the trash from the table. "I have to get back to work, where the hell's Ino?"

"They walked by a few moments ago." Itachi intoned his voice nonchalant as he stood. "On their way to the hospital themselves from what I could gather." He clarified when aimed with her incredulous look.

"w-why didn't you say something?!" Sakura howled, stomping her foot as she picked up the tray and walked away to throw it out. 'That guy….' She thought in frustration. She really just didn't know what to make of him. Rushing through the doors she was once again accosted by the cold air and bit back a violent shiver. "Damn it Ino…" That woman was going to get an earful.

"Sakura."

She should have balked at the lack suffix but given the oddity of the day so far it hardly seemed to matter; still she found herself turning swiftly to glance at Itachi, who was holding out his coat expectantly.

"Take it. I'll walk you back." It was a statement, followed by him placing the coat over her shoulders, hands lingering there for a moment before sliding down and off her arms.

Even through the layers of her clothing and his, she swore she could feel the warmth of his skin. "That's really not necessary..." Although she was grateful for the shield against the cold, she didn't need to be shadowed in the middle of the afternoon. Not only that but his actions were garnering all sorts of unwanted attention.

At that thought Sakura glared at the nosey women peering out through the café's window like a bunch of carp, wide eyed and gape mouthed. 'If Ino were here she'd throw a fit at how difficult I'm being…' She thought with a sigh.

For that matter, why was she being so difficult? So far, he'd been rather kind- maybe a little touchy and entirely enigmatic but given some of the people that she knew that wasn't such a big deal the more she thought about it.

Between Naruto and his boisterous, optimistic, knuckle-headed nature, Kakashi's creepy giggling while he read porn and flaked off combined with Sai's complete social retardation...If she had to pick the most normal of her close social relations it would be Ino or maybe Yamato, except for his obsession with bonsai trees. On second thought, Itachi fit right in with the sort of people she seemed to attract.

'He makes me nervous.' Sakura admitted to herself. For more reasons than one.

He was the representation that the monster under the bed was real, and if he existed what else could?

That question would haunt her until she found some answers, and she didn't even want to think about the other reasons.

Deciding to relent out of pure weariness, Sakura accepted the coat and therefore his presence as she made her way down the street towards the hospital. "So…The sun?" She asked, glancing up to her companion only to find him placing on a pair a sunglasses.

"Hn...As you can see we don't spontaneously combust." Itachi stated, straightening one of his cuffs as he spoke before glancing up at the brightly colored orb hanging in the sky. "Unless of course one is exceptionally weak or young. I saw the sun for the first time when I was four. " it had been an unprecedented occurrence and terrified his mother when she saw her first born sun standing out in the middle of the courtyard on a cloudless summer day.

Of course there was also the third most distasteful option; A degenerate who had not taken the change very well.

"Four?" Sakura murmured, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Four years after you were changed you mean."

"No." Itachi corrected. "Some of us, like Shisui and myself are born and others are made." He explained. "And for the record, garlic is not effective." The smirk he gave her brought red to her cheeks. 'Now Sakura…aren't you wondering by now why I'm being so forthcoming?' He knew she had to be, he could see it blazing in her eyes.

"Oh." Well that was awfully embarrassing. "Interesting…" Sakura admitted quietly, tapping a finger to her lip. If all that were true she wondered if there was a difference between a so called vampire's genes compared to a regular human's. It could make for interesting research. The question that had been nagging at her for some time now popped out of her mouth without prompting. "What exactly are you getting at by being so…Informative?"

She was not convinced that he had no ulterior motives of his own at hand. It didn't make any sense for him to go around giving off information like he had- not without expecting something in return. 'Not only that but I don't think it's exactly normal for his kind to go around announcing their presence like he did last night.' If that were the case they wouldn't be referred to as myths, or urban legends.

"Excellent question..." Itachi trailed off his eyes obscured by the sunglasses gracing his face as he came to a stop in front of the hospital's automated doors a few steps ahead of her. They didn't open, as if they could not recognize his existence. "But, I'm afraid that you've run out of credit."

'Weird.' Sakura mused, wondering if the doors had glitched momentarily. "Credit?"

"Correct. To explain further you've asked quite a few questions, eight- nine If we want to count the last one. Currently I've asked two." Itachi elaborated holding up the appropriate amount of fingers to illustrate his fact. "Until the playing field has been leveled, no more answers will come from me."

"You were counting?" Was what came to mind first. "Now wait, that sounds suspiciously like..." He was going to be showing up again which she wasn't sure how to feel about that little tidbit at all.

"Your friend made it back safe and sound, just as I said." The words distracted her briefly, preventing her from going any further into her tirade at the moment as he began motioning towards the frantically waving woman who was sporting a new pair of dark plum scrubs. Shisui was suspiciously missing.

Sighing at his change of subject, Sakura shrugged off the coat and held it out to him. Ino was already getting the wrong idea just like everyone else. "Thanks for everything, I appreciate it." She honestly did, even if she had been a little freaked out at first.

'Still freaked out.' She admitted. 'Just not as much as before.' It was honestly just a lot to take in, realizing that the world wasn't exactly as she'd pictured it before.

"Keep it for now." Itachi suggested, stepping away. "As a replacement for last night's incident…and Sakura, I trust that you'll apply a doctors confidentiality over all that we've discussed so far." It was not a request.

"For now?" Sakura latched onto his words nervously watching the way his eyes seemed to gleam.

"Aa." Then he poked her in the forehead gently, turning away "Till next time Sa-Ku-Ra." Itachi purred, glancing at her from over his shoulder as he raised a hand lazily in farewell. "I'll do the asking next time we meet." his words hung heavily in the air as he disappeared into throng of people rushing along the sidewalks in mad scrambles to reach their own destinations.

The tone of his voice and context of his words had halted her brain functioning for a moment and by the time she'd gathered her "Hey wait! It's Haruno to...you." he was already out of sight.

'Oh boy.' Sakura thought, turning slowly to face Ino's hungry gaze. 'I'm not sure what worries me more at the moment, Ino or seeing that guy again...'

Probably Ino judging by the unrelenting gaze the blonde was staring at her with. Still, she had her own questions that needed to be answered so she set forth, pulling the blonde into the elevator with her as she went. "Ino...nothing strange happened while you were with that guy, right?" Sakura asked getting down to business as soon as the doors dinged shut.

Arching a brow, the blonde answered easily. "Unless you think a guy actually having a taste in fashion then nope." she studied the shorter girl briefly. "Since when did you get so paranoid?" Sakura had always been the trusting one out of the two of them, often needing her to come to the rescue. It was off for her to be so suspicious.

"Its not paranoia!" Sakura defended quickly. "Its just...oh well its nothing actually." She mumbled at last. What could she say without coming off crazy or possibly getting killed? not to mention Itachi had distinctly hinted for her to keep her mouth shut.

"Soo...get a date?" Ino asked with a quick catcall as she stroked the material of Sakura's newly gained coat. "This looks custom made...and expensive." she said, grinning. "How chivalrous."

Purposefully ignoring her longtime friends delving into her nonexistent love life Sakura shrugged. "Chivalrous? Maybe..." or maybe just manipulative, or a mix of both.

"I would like to say I can't believe you let that hottie go without hooking up with him, but that would be a lie." Ino said with a mournful sigh. "Sakura, Sakura, Sakura...what am I gonna do with you?"

"Spare me a lecture?" The rosette asked hopefully.

"Nice try." Ino snorted, slinging an arm over her shoulder. "Soo, while I was with Shisui-san I got a call from Kiba, next weekend at AgeHa everyone is meeting up."

"I didn't get a call from Naruto..." Sakura frowned, reaching into her pocket only to find that it was off.

"You are notoriously bad when it comes to phones." Ino sighed shaking her head once more. "So again, this weekend I'll come over and we'll get ready and go together."

To be honest, clubs like AgeHa weren't really here scene. They were loud, obnoxious and filled with creeps who hit on girls who had to much to drink and more often then not fights broke out and a huge mess usually ended up occurring and she really did not want to be there when it did. On the other hand she was aware of how difficult it was to get everyone gathered in one place for a night. It happened maybe once every few months so not going wasn't an option. "Alright." Sakura sighed, watching as the doors opened slowly before stepping out on her floor quickly.

"Wait!" Ino cried, keeping the door from closing. "So how did things with that guy go?"

Rolling her eyes, Sakura glanced back briefly. "Well, I'm not dead, so pretty damn good."

It wasn't really a joke but Ino seemed to think it was because she snorted and allowed the elevator to close without another word.

It was by the end of her shift that Sakura finally decided a trip to the library was most definitely called for.

Thank you everyone for your support so far. I really appreciate it!

Ugh. Itachi just took shiz over and decided to do whatever he wanted. The good news is that this chapter is mostly Itasaku interaction in which Itachi gives her little crumbs to make her hunger for the whole cake.

The bad news is that it was probably boring. The next one is sure to be more…interesting.

I wonder what Shisui and Ino talked about…Well, I guess that's something we'll have to hear about later, ne?

Be sure to review it feeds me, and if you don't love and feed me I'll die and starve.

That's abuse you know. Don't abuse authors, all they want to do is be loved and love you in return.