Damn Cold Night

Summary: Anguished by Sasuke's continued betrayal, Sakura runs away from Konohagakure only to meet up with Uchiha Itachi who takes her in for the night. Will she be seduced by her untamable desires? Itachi/Sakura, Lemon


Why won't Sasuke just come back to the village? Why?

Sakura buried her face in her hands, trembling as the snow falling from the sky merged with her pink hair. Even after everything that had happened, Sasuke refused to return and that both sickened and distressed her, making her stomach and heart coil painfully.

Confusion beckoned her towards insanity and Sakura knew that it wasn't going to be long before she lost her mind to the oblivion of her soul. Slowly, she forced herself onto her feet, walking away from the bench she was formerly sitting on, allowing the snow to build up.

Sasuke…don't you even care anymore?

Despair riled her, taunting her endlessly as she passed by Naruto on the snow-stained streets later that day. She didn't look at him; she couldn't. If only she had only managed to stop Sasuke, to subdue him even once then they wouldn't have to endure the crippling pain destroying them from the inside out. It wasn't fair to Naruto; he always put all of his efforts into pleasing her, though she wished that he wouldn't, mind miserably returning to Sasuke.

Sasuke…do you know what you've done to us?

The Yamanaka flower shop was closed when Sakura drifted by, the snow piling around her feet as she stopped, peering into the store. As she stood, stiffening in the cold, the pink-haired kunoichi suddenly noticed Ino gazing sadly out the window, a wilted rose limping flaccidly between her hands. Sakura gasped when the blonde tilted her head in her direction, and quickly took a step backwards; spinning around to retreat to the bench she already visited.

But instead of sitting down this time, Sakura didn't stop and walked by, leaving the snow to pile on the lonely seat.

Where was she going?

Quickening her lengthy strides, Sakura exited the security of the village through the open gates, which led to a dangerous world devoid of protection. Though she was well aware of that fact, it didn't stop her and she continued walking. If someone found her that was okay; maybe they would take her away and defile her with sin until she no longer cared about Sasuke.

She didn't want to care about Sasuke.

Tears blended with the snow to run down her cheeks as Sakura realized that she no longer cared about Sasuke the way she did before; now, she wanted nothing to do with him. But her mind was easily altered as a snow-covered bridge came into view, reminding her of their mission to the Land of Waves, breaking her heart into slivers of fragmented memories.

The snow continued to plummet from the sky as she sorrowfully approached the bridge, coming to a halt and standing in the ankle-deep snow.

Perhaps she would freeze, maybe it would numb her feelings too; she hoped so anyway.

After all, it was a damn, cold night.

As her eyes were beginning to close with fatigue, the sound of jingling bells diverted her attention and she whipped around to find a man donning a crimson-clouded cloak dithering behind her, alone. She immediately knew that he was a member of the Akatsuki organization, and a shiver coursed down her spine, hand darting to her thigh where her holster was strapped to her leg, muscles quivering beneath her tightening skin.

"What do you want?" Sakura demanded shrilly, wiping at her eyes.

The figure stiffened, calmly murmuring in a deep timbre, "Not to fight."

Squinting her eyes, Sakura peered unbelievingly at the man, barely able to make out a pair of obsidian orbs gazing composedly at her from beneath the bamboo hat. She flinched when the man's black eyes closed then flashed open to reveal a pair of stunning Sharingan eyes, scarlet luster glowing hypnotically. Sakura identified him immediately; Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's homicidal older brother. She backed up uneasily, prepared to flee, but was too late.

She had been ensnared in his genjutsu from the moment they made eye contact.

The man's voice had a placating tone. "Haruno Sakura, you are coming with me."

Before Sakura could object, the genjutsu gained control over her mind and she was rendered unconscious.


Sakura awoke to find herself in a warm bed, a fire crackling close beside her.

Choking back a hard lump that had risen from her throat to her stomach, Sakura cautiously observed her surroundings as she sat up; it appeared although she was in a log cabin, the diminutive living space barely able to fit the bed, let alone the desk and chair beside it. Her heartbeat quickened. Where was she? She swallowed hard, tensing.

Where was Itachi?

The door opposite the bed clicked open and Sakura's emerald orbs skittishly darted over to see the famed Uchiha executioner calmly stroll in, draping his Akatsuki cloak on a hanger, his hat atop that. He glanced over to the pink-haired kunoichi collapsing beneath the weight of his stare, her eyes averted to avoid being trapped in any more of his illusions.

Itachi conversationally broke the silence. "You're awake."

Sakura squirmed, hesitating. "Y-yes."

The Uchiha nodded and shut the door he had entered through, quietly latching it shut and making Sakura's blood bubble with anticipation and fear. What was he going to do to her? Was he going to kill her? Countless, horrifying possibilities screamed through her mind until she was terrified of the approaching Akatsuki ninja, whose composure frightened her even more.

"T-tell me," Sakura managed, voice hoarse. "W-what are you going to do to me?"

When Itachi chuckled, Sakura felt fear spark through her, shaking her body until she was trembling uncontrollably in the midst of the powerful murderer. She tried to swallow as he sat down beside her on the bed, touching her colorless cheeks and gently caressing them.

"I don't plan on doing anything to you," Itachi candidly admitted.

"I…I don't believe you!" Sakura stuttered, voice quaking as Itachi stood back up.

Shrugging, the toneless Uchiha replied, "You don't have to." He strolled over to the desk and pulled up a chair, withdrawing a map and pen from the drawers. Sakura watched him with a fixed gaze, eyes wide and unmoving as he circled certain places and wrote tiny notes beside them. She wondered what he was doing, but didn't dare ask.

Since it seemed he had no intent to kill her immediately, Sakura slumped into the bed, head resting against the pillow as she continued to watch him with steady eyes, vanishing beneath the covers. She inhaled deeply, nostrils consuming the slightly smoky scent of the fire as she wiggled beneath the blankets, trying to get comfortable. Itachi paid her no attention.

What does he want with me? Does he even remember that I'm here?

Sakura vacillated, biting her lip.

He reminds me of Sasuke…

Staring at the black-haired man, Sakura could not deny how much Sasuke resembled him, although there was a subtle difference between the two; Itachi possessed a calmer, gentler demeanor and he was softer-spoken. Sasuke on the other hand, was callous, cold and spoke sharply; when she thought about it, Sakura preferred Itachi. She sighed inwardly, rolling onto her side indecisively.

But something mysterious about both of them managed to attract and repel her.

As she continued thinking, her mind fell prey to her dreams in which she found herself fantasizing over the Uchiha within her reach, hardly an arm's length away if she twisted onto her other side. It was odd, but in her dreams, she could feel him touching her in places that she formerly wished Sasuke to, could taste his hungry kiss as they lay together on the bed in her imagination, their warm bodies merging as they kissed by the heat of the fire.

She awoke with a jolt, ending the fantasies immediately.

How could she be thinking of such things?

Sakura guardedly tossed her gaze over her shoulder to reassure that Itachi was still where he had been before, and was satisfied into reassurance when she heard the scratching of the pencil against the paper. She was being foolish, allowing all of her anxiety to overwhelm her into passionate visions and hopes bordered with feverish trepidation that threatened to override what little sanity she still owned.

The pink-haired girl cringed in fear, however, when Itachi spoke her name.

"Sakura?"

Silent, she didn't dare respond as the scraping of his chair made chills course up her spine, causing her to wonder what he had in store for her. Her stomach lurched up her throat, begging to be released when Itachi extinguished the illumination he was working under and the light flickered out. Sakura gasped into the pillow when she was swallowed in darkness.

Sakura shivered, mind drowned in fright.

Now what is he doing?

Dragging her lipid body towards the edge of the bed, Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, both thrilled and afraid by the overpowering presence of the man somewhere in the room with her. The hair on the back of her neck suddenly prickled, a cold sweat disappearing beneath her collar as Itachi nonchalantly slid into the bed beside her, tugging the blankets over his body.

Sakura couldn't breathe.

What's going on? Oh, God…what is he doing?

"You're still awake?" Itachi sounded bothered by this, shifting around.

Sakura could feel the mattress dipping where he was, the bed springs whining in response to his movements. The kunoichi felt her heart drumming furiously against her ribcage and she forced herself to remain silent as his hips slid against her rear, inciting a spark of lust deep within the chambers of her yearning heart. That feeling only intensified as his arms slipped around her waist, embracing her back close against his chest.

All of Sakura's thoughts and fears were erased, replaced with blankness.

Itachi wrapped his legs around Sakura's, resting his chin on her drawn up shoulders and whispering, "Calm down, Sakura." His breath tickled her neck and she shivered, entire body shuddering from her core all the way up her spine; how could she possibly be calm?

Or rather, how could she be allowing this to happen?

Erotic desires whelmed up within her stomach as his hands pressed against her stomach, climbing towards her chest. Part of her wanted him to stop, wanted to escape, but an even larger part of her wanted him to keep going, wanted her little fantasies to be real. Even if it was just that once, it was good enough for her.

Her hands clamped onto his as they arrived at the zipper of her shirt, fingers closing around it and slowly drawing it down. Sakura could hear the elongated zip, tensing until she was rigid against Itachi, his legs constricting tighter around hers. Her breath hitched when his warm, moist lips pressed tenderly against the back of her neck. Her senses prickled.

"Mmm, Sakura," he murmured against her soft skin. "Tell me, are you afraid of me?"

Stomach churning, Sakura questioned whether or not she was; perspiration was running down her neck, blood pulsing raging adrenalin rapidly through her veins as she struggled to breathe within the realms of the smothering atmosphere, regarding Itachi's inquisition carefully.

"No," she whispered after a long pause. "I'm not afraid."

"You aren't?" he sounded slightly amused and aroused by her reply.

Nodding into the sheets, Sakura's quivering hands sought the edge of the blanket, clamping her fists tightly around it as Itachi licked the back of her neck. Sweat accumulated and dripped down her face, falling off to the side as her senses prickled again. Itachi's tongue retreated into his mouth, lips smothering her neck again and trailing kisses to her earlobe where he began nibbling at that sensitive spot, making Sakura's limbs dance amid shudders.

It felt so pleasurable yet so forbidden; surely doing this was a sin.

The kunoichi's breath hitched, eyesight dizzying.

An irresistible sin.

Sakura could feel Itachi kissing her cheek fervidly as if he were trying to get something out, trying to relay a message to her. His hands sought her shoulders to drag her unzipped shirt down, successfully doing so as he pulled it off and sent it somewhere into the dark abyss, hands swiftly returning to her stomach, slipping beneath her chain mail tank.

Conceding to his palpable strategy, Sakura lifted her arms as the Uchiha lifted the tank above her head from behind, casting it out of the bed. Sakura shuddered as cold air played up her spine, waiting for Itachi's hands to return as he removed his shirt as well. She gulped.

This wasn't too wrong, was it?

Her conscience slipped into a void when his strong arms wrapped back around her, muscles flexing as he pulled her bare back against his chest, legs remaining entwined in hers. The pink-haired kunoichi restrained a gasp as Itachi's fingers tugged at her meddlesome bra, pleading without words that she remove it. Reluctantly, Sakura reached behind herself, unhooking the clasps; the rest Itachi did, quickly pulling it off her.

Sakura's cheeks flushed.

A sense of nakedness compelled her to shiver as her breasts were released from their confinement, nipples perking up. She swallowed her coiling anxieties as Itachi's hands seized her breasts, squeezing them lightly and making her feel rather lightheaded as she rolled onto her opposite side to face him, eyes glimmering with need.

Itachi kissed her forehead lovingly as if they had been lovers for an eternity and drew his fingers down between her cleavage, looking at her perky breasts in the all-consuming vortex of darkness. He could just barely see the rounded curve of her petite breasts as she shifted around to lie on her back, pink nipples rising into the air as Itachi straddled her prone figure, eyeing her carefully.

He could feel Sakura's gaze locked on him, watching, and waiting.

Starting his lips at her jaw, Itachi nibbled around her chin, nipping lightly with his teeth. The little detonations exploding within her stomach made Sakura inhale sharp intakes of breath, breathing grower shallower as Itachi nibbled down her neck, licking part of the way to taste the sweet, womanly flavor at the hollow of her throat. As he neared her breasts, however, Sakura's heartbeat began to race faster, insides quivering with anticipation.

The Uchiha took his sweet time, teeth grazing her hard collar bones, tongue licking down the path his fingers treaded earlier. His hand glided underneath her to meet his opposite hand on the other side of her waist as his knees sank between hers, the sheets ascending and descending as he moved around to position his lips above her chest.

Sakura was breathless in her eager anticipation.

Itachi licked the tip of one of her nipples, sensations shooting throughout Sakura as he teased her, pushing the tightening peak around to make Sakura writhe helplessly beneath him, strands of hair plastered to her face. He managed a small smile at her position, opening his mouth to take her nipple in, trapping it in his hot, wet cavern.

"I-Itachi!" Sakura gasped his name between breathless pants as he began to suck.

Pleasurable tingles rendered Sakura helpless as Itachi drove dizzying circles around her mind's eye. He began kneading her other breast to excite Sakura even more as her skirt and leggings disappeared with his liberated hand. She arched her back, head sliding back as he sucked harder, making her feel like she had never felt before. He soon switched breasts, her wet nipple shuddering when abandoned by his mouth, but not forgotten as one of his hands began to fondle her breast roughly while his tepid, damp cavern worked the other.

In his pleasuring grasp, she was vulnerable, slinging her arms around his neck in utter defeat.

His sucking and suckling tickled, although it felt oh-so wonderful; she never wanted him to stop as she removed the ponytail from his hair to bury her hands in his silky ebony locks, lips opening to release squeaks and moans as Itachi continued working his magic.

Never before had Sakura felt as 'special' as she did now.

When Itachi stopped suckling, however, Sakura whimpered in protest, but was reduced to long moans again as his hands gripped her thighs roughly, causing her to throw her head back, labored breath fleeing her torn lips. She wanted him to touch her; she wanted him to touch her everywhere. Her eyes weakly flickered up to his face, noticing that he too was panting, sweat accumulating on his face and chest, dripping off and disappearing into the sheets.

His hair fell down his shoulders in black waves, muscles quivering beneath his tight skin as his onyx jewels glimmered with traces of fatigue. His lips, slightly parted in a pant, were tender and gentle, appearing so as Sakura stared yearningly at him, unspoken desires claiming her innocence and obliterating it to make way for her sexual cravings.

Uchiha Itachi was the most attractive man she had ever seen, seducing her purity effortlessly.

And he was the one that she wanted to give her virginity away to.

"Sakura?"

She shivered amid consternation, able to hear the yearning lowering his tone to a murmur, a sound that she had to strive to hear. His voice drew her closer, nudity becoming intangible for a moment as both the remaining bits of her clothing and his disappeared. A dull ache throbbed near her womanhood and she could feel her desires for Itachi affecting her entire body.

Sakura wanted him so badly.

"Itachi!" Her pink hair dampened with sweat fell back as she reached up to him. "Take me!"

The Uchiha's gaze wavered over to her and he snuck his hands behind her back, positioning himself directly above her as his length went rigid. Sakura could not help but to peek at it, shaking hands reaching out to stroke it tenderly. When Itachi groaned lightly, she caressed it a little harder, sounds emitted from the back of his throat brushing against her ears as she lifted her upper body up, breasts touching his chest lightly before she sank back down.

Slowly, Sakura allowed her back to make contact with the mattress before sliding down to where Itachi's firm member was clamped between her hands. She replaced her fondling fingers with her small, damp mouth and it made Itachi shiver, wondering how it would feel to be ensnared within her vagina as she began to suck, struggling to keep as much of him in her mouth as possible without choking.

Itachi had an interesting taste; it was sweet, yet salty and bitter.

Sakura perceived that he was enjoying the pleasures as she heard him moaning, although she was suddenly alarmed as a hot liquid abruptly sprayed into her mouth. Her eyes snapped open, cum rushing down her throat and burning the inside of her mouth, causing her to choke due to the unexpected arrival. She swallowed, barely able to breathe as she licked over his rigid tip, erasing the remaining cum before sliding back up to him, eyelashes wavering.

Itachi immediately embraced her nude body, the contact of their skin tantalizing.

"Sakura," Itachi whispered her name with a soft firmness, "you're amazing."

Blinking back her astonishment at the unprecedented compliment, Sakura urged him with small whimpers to continue and Itachi chuckled lightly, unable to deny her request. His arousal still stood at full-attention, ready and waiting. He overlapped Sakura, her legs spreading open beneath him as he squeezed his narrow hips between them, cock longing to be inside her. He slowly began guiding himself in.

Flinching at the intrusion, Sakura was discomforted when Itachi's aching length penetrated her wet folds and held back a pained cry when he started thrusting into her. She was comforted, however, when he whispered her name softly in that hushed tone, the pain-pleasure morphing into a heavenly state of pure, elated bliss.

"Itachi! Itachi!"

"Nnn…ohh…ahhh…Sakura…"

"F-faster! Faster Itachi! Please!"

"Sakura…Sakura…Sakura…"

Both of them partook in a long moan as Itachi expelled within Sakura, driving her past her limits as her insides clamped tightly around him, refusing to release him. They were both reduced to groans as the Uchiha slowly pulled out of the defiled Haruno, sliding through her and continue making her quiver. When he was unsheathed, Itachi collapsed on his side.

Sakura weakly turned over, panting for breath.

"I-Itachi!"

"Shh…come here, Sakura…"

Heaving her limp, trembling body towards Itachi, Sakura found a place for herself within his arms, cuddling against his chest and closing her eyes. He rested his nose in her hair, holding her securely and moving his lips against her scalp in a kiss. Sakura nestled in closer, absorbing his warmth through herself and kissing his warm neck.

She had inevitably fallen in love with him.


"Sakura! Explain to me where you were last night!" Tsunade demanded as Sakura timidly entered her office. "I had people out searching for you all night last night!"

"I-," Sakura stammered, remembering Itachi, "-I went for a walk."

The Fifth Hokage raised her slender blond brows, accusing Sakura of lying with her calculating gaze. They were interrupted, however, when Naruto's vulgar mentor, Jiraiya, burst into the room, his expression in disarray as he glanced from Tsunade to Sakura, struggling to calm himself. Tsunade arched an irritated eyebrow at his intrusion.

Lip curling into a scowl, Tsunade demanded, "And what gives you the right to infringe upon my sanctuary where you troublesome twits aren't supposed to trespass without a word of warning beforehand? You'd better thank the lord that I'm not over there right now."

Tsunade glowered ruthlessly from her desk, cracking her knuckles threateningly.

Disregarding her threat with a wave of his hand, Jiraiya muttered, "Never mind that; I have some important news for you, Sakura and Naruto; you have to summon him at once; it's in regards to Uchiha Sasuke." Nodding listlessly, Tsunade shouted for someone to fetch Naruto, while Sakura stood, frozen in place, wondering what news Jiraiya brought.

Sasuke… She knitted her eyebrows together, confused. …why don't I care?

The number one hyperactive knuckleheaded ninja materialized in the room a moment later, demanding between wheezes that Jiraiya tell him what news he brought on Sasuke. Sakura listened serenely as Jiraiya stated that the young Uchiha heir had killed Orochimaru and was on the move. Naruto was excited but Sakura remained obscured in silence.

Shockingly, she couldn't have cared less.

However, she joined the squad that was formed to go on yet another retrieval mission anyhow, consisting of herself, Naruto, Kakashi, Sai, Yamato, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Akamaru, and Kakashi's ninja hounds. When they went after Sasuke, she was apathetic.

Itachi…Itachi…Itachi… Sakura mused. I miss you so much…


The first day into their mission, there was a massive explosion resulting in such a large chakra uproar that Kakashi deemed it to belong to the ex-Iwagakure bomber, Deidara. Sakura worried that Itachi might be near, but swallowed her anxiety, knowing that he possessed enough potency to protect himself in any sort of lethal situation.

Even Sasuke wouldn't be able to take him down, Sakura boldly reassured herself. He's fine.


The following day, however, they faced members of the Akatsuki.

A man wearing an orange, swirled mask along with the trademark Akatsuki robes approached them, and as they tried to attack him, strived to subdue him, they could not. He would move rapidly to avoid their strikes and even if they did by some chance latch onto him, they would pass through his body as if he were a ghost.

When he landed on one of the trees, however, another member appeared from the branch.

"Well?" the masked man questioned to the emerging Akatsuki member secured within a Venus flytrap, Zetsu.

"It's over," Zetsu hissed.

Chilled to the core, Sakura wondered what on earth he meant as the pair conversed and she could not help but wonder if Itachi was going to show up. She wanted to see him so badly, her entire body longed for his touch and she could feel a dull ache prodding at her; how she missed him and wanted to see him again; she wanted to ask the Akatsuki members where he was, but simply waited to see what the plant-man had to say, curious.

"Sasuke won!" Zetsu declared, green eyes glinting as he looked up. "Uchiha Itachi has died."

Sakura's heart stopped.

Itachi? D-dead? No! No it can't be!

"Whoa! No way!" the other Akatsuki member exclaimed, soothing Sakura for a moment, before he coldly stated, "just kidding, it's as I expected."

Rooted to her spot, jade eyes ripped open and unbelieving, Sakura refused to comprehend what she was hearing; she couldn't. Zetsu murmured something about Sasuke being in bad shape, but she didn't care; at that point, she couldn't have cared less if the young Uchiha was dead. Her eyes clouded with tears at the thought of Itachi being gone, refusing to believe.

When the two Akatsuki members disappeared, Kakashi, Kiba, and Hinata traced the faint clue to Sasuke's whereabouts predictably where Itachi was. Sakura ran with terror reflected in her eyes, terror her comrades mistook was for Sasuke, but she'd be damned if it was.

Itachi! Itachi! Itachi! You can't be dead, you absolutely can't!


Her spirit was swallowed by a vortex of sorrow when they arrived at the empty cemetery.

Sakura was rendered speechless.

He's…gone…

Tears prodded at her eyes as she remembered that night with Itachi, heart wanting nothing more than to tear itself to shreds so that she couldn't feel the heartache burning deep within the agonizing realms of her chest. She sniffled, arm rubbing against her eyes and she flinched when Naruto placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," Naruto murmured sadly, "we'll find Sasuke."

Collapsing to her knees underneath the weight of Naruto's hand, Sakura was reduced to a sobbing wreck. It felt like she was breaking, like something more dear to her than life itself was being wrenched from her and causing the rest of her to crumble. That something was Itachi. Her wails racked her body, hands quivering against her reddened eyes.

"I don't plan on doing anything to you."

His voice echoed throughout her mind, eradicating her thoughts.

"Tell me, are you afraid of me?"

She sobbed harder.

"Sakura…you're amazing."

Her soul split into a thousand tiny splinters.

All she could think about was that damn cold night.


Author's Note: That's it. I hope you enjoyed it enough to review—thanks for reading!

-Aiko of the Akatsuki