Chapter 1

She felt a small pinch in the palm of her hand. She regarded it as simply her nails biting into the fleshy skin of her hand and turned back to the real problem she was facing.

"Look, I still don't think you should go to that party," she said into her phone.

"Relax, Sakura," said a male voice on the other end of line, sounding slightly annoyed. "I'll be fine-it's just a party."

"But, Sora-"Sakura faltered. She sighed. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Jeez, Sakura, what's one party?" Sora said.

"I just have a bad feeling, that's all."

"I'll be fine," Sora repeated. "Trust me."

Sakura sighed again. "All right. Be careful, okay, Sora?"

"No problem. I'll talk to ya later, 'kay?"

"'Kay."

"Bye, Cher," Sora said, using the English translation for Sakura's name. Cherry blossom, only minimized to Cher.

"Bye," Sakura whispered, but the line had already disconnected. She closed her eyes and slowly shut her phone. She touched the silver bells dangling from her bracelet, and sighed.

Itachi, the stranger in the night. He looked vaguely familiar, like a friend she knew…

* * *

"A friend you know?" the man said.

"Yes, I'm very fond of him," Sakura said. "He gave me this bracelet, though I have nothing to put on it."

Abruptly, the man said, "Do you like bells?"

"Yes," Sakura said, startled.

The man took her hand, pressing a smooth, cold object into her hand. "Take this; I have many more."

Sakura closed her fingers around the small metal. "What is your name? Who are you?"

"Itachi," the man whispered. And then he was gone, leaving empty air and the faint sound of musical bells.

* * *

Sakura opened her eyes and ran a pale hand through her long pink hair, coiling and uncoiling a lock of it around a slender finger absently.

The vision had come to her again. A slight flash in front of her. Horns, lights, screams. Then nothing, empty blackness that she was somehow aware of. But what of that light at the end? The small twinkle of what seemed like a diamond?

Sakura rolled over on her bed and stared at the pale pink paint of the wall, willing it to form the answers. Lost in her thoughts, her mind barely registered her cell phone vibrating by her head. She opened it.

HEY SAKURA. I'M GOIN OUT 4 PIZZA.

She smiled at the text before entering a quick response.

IF YOU WANT 2 INVITE ME, JUST ASK, SASUKE.

There was a slight hesitation before the phone buzzed again.

THERES GONNA BE ONIONS.

I'LL PICK THEM OFF.

ITS ONION CRUST.

I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T LIKE ONIONS.

Again it took a moment for him to text back.

THERES SOME1 I KNO WHO WANTS TO SEE U.

REALLY?

YUP. HE SAYS HES MET U B4.

AM I TALKING 2 HIM?

NO. Y?

NVM. SRRY.

SO CAN U COME OR WAT?

YEA, I GUESS.

SEE YA.

K.

Sakura placed the phone back on her night stand and sighed. This would be the second strange person she would be meeting. Anyone who got Sasuke to text her had to be strange.

Who knows, maybe this time she'd get a ring.