Summary: "This is wrong." he breathed into the shell of her ear, barely above a whisper. She smiled, "I know." ItachiXSakura

Rated: M

Pairing: ItachiXSakura

Sakura would never know what lead her to stay in that small, dingy motel located in the shadier part of tea country. Very plausibly, it was the fact that her budget left barely enough money to make it though the month, and anything more luxurious than a cockroach infested, closet-sized room would have completely emptied her wallet. Later in life though, she would often tell herself that fate was what drove her to stay the night in that run down inn.

Sakura stared at the cracked ceiling of her rented room. Normally, this would be an exceedingly uninspiring endeavor, but to one who had lived a life as action filled and exciting as Sakura's, looking at fractured plaster was a welcomed leisure that the pink haired teenager did not often indulge in. Indeed, when the Hokage, her teacher, had told her that she was to take a mandatory month long vacation Sakura had hardly known what to do with herself. Hospital shifts that ranged from ten to twenty-four hours were second nature to her, and in the week she had been gone Sakura had barely been able to relax due to the nagging voice in the back of her mind that was sure she should be healing fractures and removing appendixes instead of eating cheap dango.

As the pinkette thought of that sweet dango that she had eaten earlier that week her stomach growled loudly in protest to the lack of food that day. A granola bar was not at all satisfying as would be a plate full of steaming tempura. A quick calculation told Sakura that her funds were such that a small plate of her favorite dish would be well within her quota. Tearing her gaze from the ceiling Sakura leapt from bed, stretching her arms as far as the tiny room would allow, which was not far at all. Sakura then opened the lone window and jumped to the ground twelve feet below, landing on the balls of her feet with barely a sound.

The roads, like the town they ran through, were unkempt at best. Leaves and muck clogged the gutters and drains leaving the unlucky walkers a very unpleasant, very wet, experience. Ragged children ran from door to door, begging soulfully to a persons face while their friend picked the pockets behind their back. Sakura would much rather be back in her hometown than have to deal with the poverty and depravity of downtown Tea country for an entire month. Sighing at her mentors foolishness, Sakura took one last glance around her, eying the pickpockets carefully, before she began to make her way down the road, avoiding the questionable puddles to the best of her ability.

It was not long before Sakura reached her destination; a functioning, if slightly run down restaurant. The patrons eyed her as she took a seat in the corner closest to the exit. Years of life as a ninja had instilled within her a paranoia of sorts that, even in an innocent restaurant, caused her to be suspicious of her surroundings. Sakura idly browsed the menu in front of her before deciding on a small plate of shrimp tempura. She gave the waitress her order and sat back in her chair, sipping contently on a glass of water.

Mid sip the door creaked open and two figures appeared in the doorway. The first stepped calmly over the threshold, his piercing eyes surveying every corner of the building before making his way to the bar. The second, who was much larger in stature, ducked as he passed through the doorway. He didn't even bother to check his surroundings, either because he was confident enough of his own abilities to take on any foe that may have been there at the time, or because he trusted his companion enough to know that he had already done the scoping. Taking one look at the dangerous duo Sakura decided it was a mixture of the two.

Sakura's tempura arrived at her table and she dutifully shoveled the food into her mouth, but she tasted nothing.

'Had he seen her?'

'Did he even recognize her?'

'If he had, why had he not done anything yet?'

Once her plate was empty Sakura placed a suitable amount of money on the table then quickly made her way towards the exit. Just as her fingertips brushed the door handle an ominous chill ran up the her spine, raising goosebumps all along her body. Sakura turned around to determine the source of her uneasiness. Green eyes met charcoal for a brief second, and in that second Sakura knew that yes, he had seen her, yes, he had very much recognized her, and she was not going to be leaving this unscathed.

Sakura did the only thing she could think of. She pulled the door open and fled, hoping Itachi would not follow.

Thank you for reading the first chapter of my new story. I look forward to hearing your opinions on whether or not it should be continued. I don't withhold chapters for reviews, but if no one tells me they like it I'm going to assume that my efforts are being wasted. This chapter is shorter than the rest are going to be, simply because it was an intro chapter. Please let me know what you think!

Much love,

Isabella