A/N: Hello! New year, new story. Let's get right into it.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

BLOODIED HANDS

January 3, 2016 10:47 PM

…

Her heels clicked desperately against the pavement as she shoved her ringing phone down into her coat pocket. Through her headphones, she listened impatiently at the dial tone, hoping—no, praying—for an answer soon. To her luck, the dial tone cut off with an impromptu click. Sakura called out over the line before the man could speak.

"Itachi?" She spoke urgently, catching the Uchiha off guard.

"No, Shisui. Sakura?"

"Sakura's calling? What's wrong?"

Over the line, Sakura could hear Itachi's distant voice as if he had just entered the office. What she didn't see was Shisui shrugging and waving Itachi over, handing off the phone to him. The raven haired Uchiha brought his phone to his ear, heaving a sigh as he took a seat, turning his attention to Sakura.

"Sakura, what's going on?" His tone searched for an explanation as he knew she wasn't one to call without reason.

"There's someone following me," she whispered into her headset's microphone. She paced hurriedly. Her voice wavered as she continued warily. "I don't know what to do."

Itachi ran his fingers through his hair before tugging at his tie, loosening it greatly as his nerves set in. He threw himself back into his chair momentarily before slamming his elbows down on his desk, bent forward tensely and began to shake his leg impatiently. "Sakura, calm down. Where are you," he asked whilst drumming his fingers from his free hand on the desk.

The line remained silent; Sakura's response never came. But the clicking of her heels which rung out in a quick pace indicated she was still on the line.

"Listen to me; you need to tell me where you are. I can't help you if I don't know."

"Uhh… um… bodai. Megu… ward." Her words intertwined with the late night winter gusts that cut off some syllables through her microphone.

Itachi glanced at the silver watch wrapped around his wrist. It was rather late to be out at this time away from home. "What are you doing over there?"

"I was supposed to meet a friend at…café earlier."

Supposed to?

"They never showed up?" Itachi shot up from his chair and grabbed the blazer hung over it. Keys jingled as they were tossed to Shisui, the only action necessary to know to fetch the car.

"No, she didn't."

As she spoke, both men headed out, Shisui a few steps ahead of Itachi. The latter slid his blazer on as he continued on his cell phone. "Where are you headed now? What buildings are near you? I want you to find some place with more activity if you can."

"It's all residential; I'm walk…alon…ate Dori. By an art gallery, I think? No, yeah, I did. It was umm…"

Itachi inhaled a sharp breath as her general location dawned upon him. "You're near Sasuke's apartment?"

"I don't know, maybe? I don't know, I'm passing an Italian restaurant now. I've been trying to stay near main roads so there are eyes all around, but with how late it is, the streets…mpty, especially with the recent mur-"

"Stop," he cut her off. This was a nightmare enough as it is. "You're walking towards his complex. Is he still following?"

Sakura held out her phone on front of her lowly at an outward angle to see if the figure still tailed. "Yes," she replied curtly.

"Listen to me, before reaching the highway, you're going to see a residential tower called La Tour. There's a side entrance that requires you enter a code in order for it to open since you don't hold the residence's key card for access. It's six numbers long, so remember this."

Itachi gave her the code and issued a few directions on how to reach Sasuke's apartment. Meanwhile on his end, Itachi's and Shisui's footsteps rang out in the parking garage as they made their way to their black undercover patrol vehicle.

Sakura crossed an intersection and then one more, spotting the high-rise to her right. Over her shoulder, she lost sight of the figure that tailed her.

"Itachi, I don't see him anymore. I think he stopped," she murmured. Part of her knew this was wishful thinking, but she truly wanted to believe this was the case.

"'I think' isn't good enough. Listen to me, don't think of stopping. Keep going. When you get into the building, get up to Sasuke's. He isn't there right now, but I'll try and get on hold of him."

As Itachi gave her Sasuke's floor, room, and personal key code, Sakura reached the side entrance. She entered the first code Itachi gave her. The lock clicked loudly as it unlocked, granting her access to the private complex. The door opened and clicked shut while still on the line.

Though the car engine hummed loudly as Shisui drove, Itachi could make out the sounds. "Are you inside the building already?"

"Yes. Just now, I…"

"That's good," he cut her off. "…I'll be there soon."

Sakura hummed gratefully as finally a sense of relief washed over her. "…Yeah, see you. And I'm sorry for earlier."

Upon hanging up, Sakura made her way towards the elevators, riding up to the twenty-ninth floor. She slumped against the wall with her eyes closed as she waited for her floor. With the ding of the elevator, her eyes shot open. She cast her glance to the screen indicating the floor number as the doors slid open, revealing a lone man.

Twenty-four… not yet.

Her eyes then drifted down to the man outside the elevator. He smiled at her familiarly sending a strange sensation through Sakura, and pointed down. Sakura smiled back and moved towards the door to press the 'close' button, seeing that he was waiting for an elevator down.

The next stop was surely the twenty-ninth floor. As the doors opened with another distinguished ding, Sakura shuffled out and read the plaque on the wall for room numbers and general direction.

298 is to… the right. Just like he said.

Sakura walked hurriedly despite the supposed safety she was supposed to feel she secured. Recalling the next set of numbers she was given, she reached for the keypad just as she made it to the door at the very end of the hall.

Caught off guard by the distinct ding of the elevator, Sakura rotated on her heels slowly, entering the first number as a sudden fear filled her, freezing her body in place. Slow, alarming footsteps resounded in Sakura's ears, the terror she felt channeling itself into a violent shudder coursing down her spine as he spoke.

"I'll admit, this was an unexpected turn of events, don't you think?"

A/N: So this is an idea I've teased for well over a year already. Maybe two now? Chapters will be on the shorter side of the spectrum, I reckon no more than 1500 to 2000 words each. Much love, until next time!