Understand Me

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. I only own the story and the made up characters. Thank you.

Summary: What if you learned that your soul had lived a previous life? What would you do? Sakura had a dream of a scene vaguely familar yet distant. Her parents killer comes after her and she's running. Who can help her? Maybe Itachi Uchiha? Summary sucks. Read story, it's good.

Note:

This used to be a Gakuen Alice fic but it didn't work out so I changed it to a ItaSaku fic. Hope you like it.

Chapter 2


Everything went silent the moment those words left his mouth. Sakura's hand froze where they were and she gave him a dumb look. Did I hear him correctly? Itachi didn't give her a reassuring smile but she can see the smug look in that stoic face, which just pissed her off even more. Without thinking straight she slammed he fist on the table. The surface cracked.

"Don't you be messing with me, Uchiha Itachi! I'm not that small little girl that used to chase after Sasuke without a second thought." Instantly the entire restaurant went silent. She looked around and glared. Her mood isn't getting any better. Now she really feels like she's acting like Sasuke. Her glare sent the rest of the restaurant back to what they were doing.

"Haruno Sakura, I assure you that this is no fluke. We intend to help you." Itachi didn't lose his patience yet. She's a vital point to this mission. Patience is needed. Of course, this phrase ran through his head more than a thousand times to get registered.

"… I ain't convinced." She placed her chopsticks down after she finished her meal then stood. "Thank you for the meal but I have an entire village to hide from." And she began to walk.

"We can provide protection and a hiding area for you." Itachi spoke in a normal voice but was sure she heard. Sakura stopped her footsteps. The calculations ran through her head. All the possibilities flew through as well. Her choices were limited. If she went by herself she can run for about several years but she'll gradually slow down and get caught. However if she went with Akatsuki she would most likely last more than several years before getting found and branded an S-class criminal. Besides, Akatsuki were a group of elite ninjas. If she played her cards right she can get some info on them. That way when she decides to return to Konoha she has something to offer for her life.

An emotionless chuckle left her lips. Her choices were really limited. A cold smile spread and she turned back around.

"Ok, you've got yourself a deal. I'll come with you and in return I want protection and shelter." Itachi stood from his seat and placed money on the table before slipping an arm around her shoulders.

"Keep close Sakura. We're going to get out of this town." He spoke with a hint of happiness? She stared at him. Once again her ears must be deceiving her. Then she looked at his hand.

"What does that have to do with you placing your arm on my shoulders?" she dared. Itachi chuckled.

"People in this town don't know Akatsuki but there are several people who know you." Was all he offered, Sakura smirked but walked none the less.

"In other words, the Hokage has sent out a search party and they could possibly be in this town looking for me. If I don't want suspicion drawn to me I should pretend to be a couple with you." The words sounded strange yet familiar to her. She actually didn't mind playing couple with Uchiha Itachi… What was the world coming to?

"Hn," That earned him a chuckle and a teasing look from the kunoichi.

"How very Sasuke of you," she whispered to him. Itachi grumbled in annoyance. He obviously didn't like to be bundled up with Sasuke. A smirk hid itself on Sakura's face as she gripped onto Itachi's shirt and smiled sweetly up at him.

"I'll give you a little insight on Sasuke, Itachi, dear," she herself flinched and felt a cold chill run through her for saying that word. I'll never say it again after this stupid charade. Itachi grumbled once more but showed not discomfort for how she phrased her sentence. "Your little brother is doing quite great. In fact, he's getting chummy with a certain blond." The smirk was apparent now that she got a reaction. Instantly Itachi snapped his head down and gave her a small curious glare.

"That's right, dear, he and the blond…" Sakura was having fun with this.

"Are you messing with me, honey?" Itachi gripped her shoulders. Her eyes widened visibly at the word "honey". Unable to help herself she stopped walking and clutched his shirt tightly and laughed out loud. Itachi stopped with her and raised an eyebrow at her sudden display of laughter. Several other people looked as they walked past but other than that no one was too interested in the couple.

"I-I can't be-believe you-you just s-said that!" she stumbled across her words as the laughter took control. Itachi loosened his grip and slipped his arm around her waist. Without warning he dragged her closer to him, so close people could mistake them for kissing on the streets with Itachi's cloak's collar blocking half of their face and all. Instantly her laughing ceased and she glared.

"I warn you here and now, Haruno Sakura," his whisper was harsh, "I'm not a very patient person." Her glare didn't do any good. Instead she settled for the weird feeling of not being intimidated by the infamous Uchiha Itachi. It was like she wasn't scared of him at all. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered why she was able to laugh and act as if she was really a couple with Itachi. It was quite a strange feeling but the feeling of safety and security when the man is clearly threatening her is more alien.

Am I going mental? She wondered vaguely before placing her hands on his shoulders and a small smile appeared on her face. It was obvious she's beginning to enjoy this game she calls "push Itachi's buttons and see if he'll explode like a normal person".

"Are you threatening me now, Itachi? Cause I was under the impression that lovers don't threaten each other." Itachi grip tightened on her waist but none the less he let her go. She smiled up at him and smoothed his cloak for imaginary dust. He grunted and slid his arm around her shoulders and they resumed walking. As they walked past a certain shop a voice stopped them

"My, what a loving couple, care for a small fortune?" the voice was greasy and groggy, like a clacking old witch. They turned to see a small figure hunched over a counted in the shop and wore a small hoodie that did his face and figure no justice. The figure pointed a long boney finger their way and it glowed with a bright yellow light. The two became alarmed.

"Don't be alarmed, I will not harm you. This finger merely allows me to look into your future." At the mention of future Sakura's eyes narrowed and she produced a sigh. This guy was obviously looking for customers and resorted to acting. "I see many things in your future. There are ups and downs. You will face the hardships of family and friends. People will oppose to your relationship and you, young lady, will force to choose." This almost sent Sakura laughing. This man was busted, Itachi and Sakura isn't even a real couple. They were just pretending to be one. There was no relationship and there never will be. But feeling happy and silly suddenly she played along. Detaching herself from Itachi who reached out to grab her but she evaded his grab and turned back to him with a smile.

"We're playing a couple. Couples love to play these things." She whispered and walked into the shop with a smile. She stood in front of the man and looked at him. The man looked back. She heard soft footsteps as Itachi followed her in and stood behind her. He glared at the small man.

"Really, what do I have to choose between?" she asked. The sarcasm was too great to be hidden. The small man chuckled and then cackled softly before raising his finger and pressed it gently against Sakura's hand. She retracted her hand but he grabbed it. Instantly Itachi's hand was on his wrist and threatening.

"Don't worry, I am only checking into her future." He spoke with calmness, too much calmness for a normal villager looking for money. However Itachi took his hands off the man and the man's finger glowed. The glow subsided and he released her only to jump off the counter and head around the shop looking for something. Soon he came back with a small doll hanging from a chain. The doll was obviously porcelain. But she never saw such a small porcelain doll. It looked like a key chain. He handed it over to her. She looked at it closely. It was obviously a female doll. It was dressed in a white sun dress with flowing white hair and eyes that were closed. Over all there was no color to the doll.

"What is this supposed to be?" Sakura asked the small man who miraculously jumped back onto the counter. "What about that choice I was supposed to make in the future?" Sakura was getting curious now. Itachi sighed.

"We don't have much time," he spoke up. She swatted at him.

"Oh hush, I'm curious about it." The small man looked up at her with wide eyes.

"Oh no, my dear, don't be curious. Be wise and truthful. I can't tell you of the choice you'll have to make. That is for you to find out. However I can give you this charm. It is a charm of the soul." He gestured at the colorless doll. Sakura raised it up and gave him the "this?" look. He nodded. "That doll is colorless for the soul has not awakened. The time to choose the ultimate choice is not here. When the time comes the doll shall lead the way." He waved his hand across the doll that Sakura held.

"Ummm…." She looked at Itachi then back at the doll. Should I refuse the doll? Or should I buy it? She thought. The small man laughed.

"The doll and the reading are free. Seeing you are my first customer in a long time." He ushered them towards the doll as if they're going to insist on paying. "On your way you two go. I wish you the best of luck." With that he returned to his post at the counter and paid them no attention. Not sure what to do she tucked the doll away in a safe place and wrapped an arm around Itachi's arm. She pulled him ahead.

"Come on." She simply said. Itachi followed her towards the other side of the village. They walked for an hour more before the village's exit appeared. They were eager to leave but kept their steady pace. Once they made it out of the gates they broke into the trees and jumped from branch to branch. No longer were they attached to the hip. The distance was obvious between them and neither spoke a single word.

For how long they have been running she didn't know. But what she knew was that Itachi was keeping his pace at hers. He was slowing down for her. That was strange since according to her analysis of him in Konoha, he's a ruthless and uncaring man. There was no one who could move that stone heart. Was their information wrong or was this man just too good at acting?

Soon Itachi came to a stop and jumped down from the tree he was standing on. Following his lead, she landed in the middle of the forest. There was nothing there. She looked around. Then she raised an eyebrow. She looked forward, then behind her, then forward again. A really strained smile appeared.

"What kind of illusion is that?" she asked as she observed the forest. The paths in front of her and behind her were similar. The trees weren't lined up with the same pattern but she recognized the markings on the trees even though they have been shuffled around. It was obviously the same path.

"An illusion to keep intruders out," Itachi whispered "kai" and the scenery in front of them swirled and changed. A cave popped up with a gate covering it. Sakura jumped back un-ninja-like. Itachi snickered.

"Glad I humor you." She shot back. Itachi opened the gate and led her inside. It was dark and their footsteps echoed against the cave's floor. "I can't believe the Akatsuki lives in a cave…" she kicked a small rock and watched it bounce its way across the cave floor. Then it made a weird noise, as if it landed on marble…

"What?" she questioned then looked on stunned. Staring back at her was a giant glamorous house attached to the cave. The floor was made of marble and there was a long staircase leading upward. "I stand corrected." She whispered.

"This way, Haruno," Itachi grabbed her arm and tugged her up the stairs. He opened a door and stepped inside. An annoying yellow blob attacked Itachi.

"Itachi-san! You're back, un!" an equally annoying voice shouted in his ear. He pushed the man away and glared.

"Deidara, meet Haruno Sakura," He gestured at Sakura. "Haruno Sakura; Deidara." Deidara looked at Sakura and Sakura looked at Deidara. Is he related to Ino? She wondered.

"She's not that pink haired brat." Deidara stated plainly. Her eyes shot wide open and she stomped on his foot.

"I ain't a pink haired brat!" she screamed at him then smirked. "I didn't think Deidara was a girl. I always thought you were a man… guess I stand correct again." That got him going. She knew full well he was a guy. He grabbed her still blue hair and tugged. At the last minute she released the genjutsu and her hair slipped away from his grasp as it shortens back to her shoulder length pink hair. He gasped.

"She is that pink haired brat!" Deidara shouted as he backed up in dramatic effect. Her eye twitched and a vein threatened to pop somewhere.

"Shut up. Enough, Deidara." Itachi moved in between them. Deidara huffed but sat down at the couch none the less. Taking this time to look around Sakura noticed they were in a living room. There was a TV. And several couches with a large coffee table in the middle of the couches. On the coffee table were three cups of coffee indicating there were others in the room. Deidara picked up the yellow one and sipped his coffee. Itachi sat down farther away from the man and patted the seat next to him.

"Haruno, sit." He spoke the words as of a command. She crossed her arms.

"I thought we were through with playing lovers." She stood her grounds. Itachi glared at her. Deidara looked from him to her.

"You guys played lovers?" his eyes went wide. "Why?" he asked obviously intrigued. Itachi turned to him with the glare.

"She trudged into a village full of Konoha ninjas and I had to get her out of there. Lovers seemed like a reasonable cover." He answered. Deidara nodded his head.

"True, true, no one from Konoha would have dared guess Haruno Sakura with Uchiha Itachi." Deidara sipped his coffee again. Itachi turned back to Sakura.

"Sit." He ordered again. Testing his patience she sat down at the couch next to hers, which happened to be the farthest away from him. He glared deeply at her. "Haruno!" his voice raised an octave.

"You said, sit." She pointed out. He sighed. Then she remembered exactly why she was here. "Ok, now that we're here can you tell me why does Akatsuki want to help me?" Deidara placed his cup of coffee down and looked at Itachi.

"You didn't tell her?" he asked.

"…"

"I thought you would have told her by now."

"Tell me what?"

"That the man hunting you is the man we're currently after."

"Why are you after him?" she asked.

"There's only one reason why Akatsuki hunts after someone… well two actually." Deidara counted on his fingers. Sakura arched her eyebrow. This man's IQ has a serious problem I think. Itachi cleared his throat and looked at her in the eye. His gaze was so intense she shivered slightly. If she didn't know better she would have thought he was seducing her into something.

"I'm sure you remember me telling you of the name, Aloysius." She once again flinched but nodded. "And like I said, even though you don't recognize the name you still flinch. It's because that's the name of the man who's hunting you."

"What?" She had to grip onto the sofa to keep from flinging forward. This was the very first information she has had about that man for years. And she can't believe it's coming from Uchiha Itachi. She took a deep breath and cleared her thoughts before starting again. "Ok… what does that have to do with anything? Why do I flinch at the name?" She asked.

"It's because-!"

"You don't need to know that yet." Itachi interrupted Deidara's speech. The blond man frowned at him but a glare silenced the rest of his words. Sakura gave Itachi the "oh yeah?" look but let it go. She had to play her cards right if she wants more information.

"Fine then, I'll leave that alone for now. However I want to know how come you guys know his name when Konoha can't even get a single scrape on this guy." Itachi chuckled at her comment.

"Obviously, you think lowly of Akatsuki." Itachi leaned his head on his arm that's perched up on the sofa.

"Yes, yes I do." She stated bluntly.

"You're quite blunt." Deidara smiled at her. She turned to him.

"And you're annoying." The man shrunk back into his coffee and remained silent.

"Akatsuki is not a lowly organization that spends its days sitting around a table and plotting world domination." Itachi smirked. Her face blushed. How did he know I've been picturing them like that? "We are a full blown organization that takes on missions and information like a real village is. The only difference is we don't follow by moral rules. Instead we use better resources."

"Right, interrogation in your term means torture, starvation, restlessness, and should I go on or am I getting the idea?" Sakura smiled a smug smile. Itachi gripped the sofa restraining from killing her. She was a vital point and the last strand.

"Yes, you're getting the idea but that is not the issue."

"It is not."

"The issue is Aloysius." Sakura flinched again.

"I really wish you'd stop saying that name." she answered back. Itachi glared at her.

"We need to capture him and you are the strand that connects us to him." Sakura widened her eyes.

"You!" she stood up and pointed a finger at Itachi. I was tricked! I should have known better then to trust Akatsuki! "You tricked me into it! You said you'll give me protection and shelter! Instead what you really wanted was bait!" Itachi didn't say anything. Deidara has been long gone with his coffee cup. "I should have known better then to trust you! Well tough luck! I ain't helping you! I won't ever do it!" Sakura rambled on in a loud voice.

The door to the living room slammed open and a blue shark man stepped in with a large sword. He looked around and opened his mouth to reveal sharp teeth.

"What's all the noise?" he asked lazily. Itachi looked at him bored. "Who's this pink haired brat?" he asked as he walked up and placed his hand on her head. She pushed it away and turned to glare at him. Kisame!

"Kisame; Haruno Sakura." Itachi began. "Haruno Sakura; Kisame." Kisame nodded his head and walked around before settling himself into the middle sofa.

"What was the little girl shouting about?" he asked. Itachi didn't say a thing. Instead Sakura stomped her foot and turned back around.

"The little girl was just about to leave!" she shouted.

"You can't go anywhere." Itachi spoke.

"What? Why? I know the way out! You showed it to me yourself!" Kisame began to laugh.

"You are free to venture near the exit but I can assure Akatsuki is not keen to letting visitors walk in and out as they please." Kisame spoke. Sakura clenched her teeth.

"In other words, stay or get killed," she rephrased it.

"Bingo, girly." Kisame laughed. With a huff and a side way glance she sat back down on the sofa.

"Fine, whatever." She spoke. With that settled Itachi stood up and walked to the door. He looked at Sakura who was still sitting down.

"Follow me."

"I'm not your lap dog." Sakura leaned back to look at him. "You may have successfully threatened me to stay but I won't follow you around like a mindless whipped dog." Kisame laughed at her statement she turned to him. He leaned back and gave her a crazed look.

"I suggest you follow him around like a mindless whipped dog. Akatsukis base isn't one of those family houses. We are not bound by rules in here. We do as we like. And some aren't… keen to having you here." Kisame explained. Sakura bit the inside of her bottom lip before getting up and following Itachi out the living room and down a series of hallways. They travelled up two more flights of stairs before stopping at a door. She looked next to the door to find another stair case.

"…" Itachi opened the door. She turned to him.

"I swear, if I didn't know any better I would assume you guys live in a really tall mountain." She commented as she walked in behind him. She looked around. There was a table, a king sized bed, a large bathroom, a walk in closet, and a carpeted floor. Other than those things there was nothing. The room was bare.

"We do." Itachi spoke back. She stopped in her tracks. Turning robotically she stared in disbelief at Itachi.

"Really… huh." She had no words to say for the first time since she met him. Then she watched as Itachi walked to the closet, discarded his cloak onto the foot of the closet and grabbed a pair of black shirt and pants.

"What are we doing in your room?" she asked. Itachi didn't turn to her instead he walked to the bathroom and turned on the light.

"You will stay in here for your stay."

"With you?"

"Yes."

"Great, wonderful. I'm feeling excited already." She exaggerated sarcastically. Itachi snorted before shutting the door and turning the shower on. She sighed and looked around before settling herself on the chair by the desk. She sat on it backwards and placed her head on the back of the chair. Her eyes closed as she listened to the sounds of the water running and slippery noises Itachi's feet are making. Slowly she slipped into a much needed slumber. When was it that I slept? I can't remember…

"NO!" she screamed and all went black as her body lifted itself up and she charged at the man. The man turned to her surprised. With all her might she slammed her body against the man and knocked him over. He dropped the young man's hair and he too fell to the floor. Her sense returned and she picked herself up from the man gingerly and crawled her way to the young man.

"Are you ok?" she asked. The young man coughed and sat up.

"I'm fine." He took a look at the man sprawled on the floor. Lucky for them, he seemed to have knocked his head on a stone and was out cold. Blood oozed slowly out of his head. "It looks like he's fainted. That wound would most likely kill him." He stated. However she knew better. That wound would do nothing to him. He was immortal. Within a matter of hours he would sprung back up and be at it again. She stood up and grabbed the man by the arm.

"Please, we have to get out of here! He's not what you think! He'll be up in a couple hours! We have to get as far away as possible!" she shouted and pulled on his arm. Instantly the young man was up and they were running down the hill. The sounds of rustling grass and the pressure of the air filled her senses. She heard various things from the heaving breathing that came from her and the young man to the animals that scrambled out of their way. Faintly she heard the neigh of a horse. They came to a path and tied to a tree near the path was a horse. The young man released her hand and went to untie the horse. He tugged it over to her.

"Please, get on. We'll go faster by horse." He showed her where to put her foot and told her how to lift herself up. As she did so, he wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her up along the horse making it easier and faster for her to get on. Once she was settled he flung himself on and grabbed the rein.

"Hah!" he gave it a whip and the horse was going. She grabbed onto the wide neck of the horse gently and smiled a small frightened smile.

"I haven't ridden a horse for a long time, I even forgot how it feels to ride one!" she shouted over the loud gallops of the horse. She turned to get a good look at the man. His hair was flowing against the wind and his eyes were red but she could swear she saw black in there. His complexion definitely wasn't healthy but she was sure he was in perfect health. He looked at her and smiled the sweetest smile.

"Is there something on my face?" he asked. She laughed and shook her head.

"No, I just wanted to get a good look that's all. My savior must have a permanent spot in my mind." She looked forward and smiled a big broad smile.

"Oh?" he asked.

"Yes, I insist. It has always been my policy to remember anyone who does good deeds." She looked at the passing trees. "And you, my savior, have made it to the top of the list."

"Aww, you shouldn't have! Saving you was a requirement! I couldn't leave a young princess like you trapped in a time barrier!" he shouted back. She laughed and looked forward. The feeling of happiness for a long time settled in. Then she looked at the horse's neck.

"I'm not a princess, just so you know!" she shouted.

"Really? Cause your manners are beyond that of a princess." He said.

"How flattering." She gave a coy smile. "I really am not. I'm a peasant's daughter. My father and mother were sick from a terminal disease and in a state of desperation I sold myself to that man."

"What!" the young man looked shock.

"Yeah, I prayed day and night for someone willing to help lowly peasants like us. Suddenly that man appeared and offered me a deal. He said that if I sold myself to him then he'll cure my parents' illness. At first I thought he was just some rich doctor looking for an assistant or a concubine so I said yes. However that wasn't the case. He did heal my parents' illness but he turned out to be something entirely different." Her voice became quiet.

"Then he sealed you in that!" The young man finished for her.

"Right." She answered back.

"Well that guy was a bastard but hey, it's over now." He smiled at her. She looked forward and saw what looked like a town. The man smiled once again.

"This is good, we're reaching town. We can hide in there for a while. We need to change your clothes and appearance. He'll recognize you if you're clad in that out dated clothing." She looked down at herself. Then she looked at him. The styles were definitely different.

"Right." She whispered again. They trotted into town and found a stable tree to tie the horse to. Then they walked into the market place. The young man grabbed her hand.

"There are a lot of people who like to kidnap fragile women like you. So stay close and never let go of my hand." He reassures her; his intentions are pure. They walked past several shops until they came to the one shop that looks creepy and gloomy.

"Don't worry, I know the owner of this place. He'll be happy to help." The young man trotted inside and waved happily to a small figure hunched onto the counter.

"I'm back, owner!" he shouted. The figure turned and looked at him before scowling. "Hey! Come on! Look! I need your help." The young man leaned against the counter next to where the owner was hunched over.

"What did you do this time, Damir?" She looked at Damir.

"Your name's Damir?" she asked him. He looked at her stunned then smiled.

"Oh right! During all the excitement I forgot to introduce myself." He stuck out a hand. "That's right, the name's Damir! And this is owner! He has a name but he doesn't like telling people." He leaned in close to whisper in her ear. "I think its cause it's a really girly name!"

"I heard that." Owner spat at him. "And? Who's this lovely lady?" he purred.

"This is… errr…"

"Morana, my name's Morana."

"Death?" Damir gulped. "What kind of name is that?" Morana shrugged.

"I don't know, my parents named me. They said it was the first thing that popped into their heads." Damir shrugged it off before turning back to Owner.

"I need to get Morana here changed into new clothes and her appearance needs to be altered."

"Use the back room. I'm assuming you're on the run?"

"Yeah." Damir dragged her down the stairs into a basement and past a door. This isn't a back room… this is the basement…She thought to herself. Inside there were carts full of clothing hanging on them. Damir searched through them and then passed her a dress with boots.

"Here, dress in these, there's a changing room in the back." She nodded and headed to change. She took a look at the dress. It was green with a long ribbon circling the waist area and ending with a bow at the back. The top wasn't low cut but there was a slightly transparent part right above where the chest area is supposed to be. The dress reached down to her ankles. Definitely different from my time's style. She pulled it on and fastened the laces on her boots before coming out of the changing room. Damir whistled.

"I knew it would look good on you." He smoothed talked.

"Thank you." Morana blushed. "Thank you for doing so much for me…"

Sakura stirred slightly as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Without warning it shook her violently. With a strangled cry she jumped up from the chair and glared with her hazed vision. Standing in front of her was a tall dark haired man. For a while she thought she was still dreaming. Then her vision cleared and it revealed the tall dark haired man to be Itachi.

"What?" she was more than confused.

"I said, if you want to sleep then sleep on the bed. Not the chair." Itachi repeated his words. He didn't sound as strained and mad as he was before. She eyed the bed.

"Where you going to sleep?" she asked.

"It's a king sized bed, Haruno." He stated before flopping down and grabbed a book that wasn't in the room before.

"Uhhh… I can just sleep on the floor." She offered.

"HARUNO." Itachi's voice rose. Frightened for her life she scrambled onto the bed and lay down under the covers. Itachi turned to her and his expression softened. Not really thinking he opened the book he was reading and patted her head before placing his hand on his lap. Did… Did he just pat my head? What is going on! Her face flushed. Why the hell am I blushing? She asked herself. Then the dream crashed back into her. Images flickered past and she stole a glance at Itachi. Her breath hitched. The more she looked at him the more he looked like that Damir guy from her dream. What is wrong with you Haruno Sakura! You are most definitely not dreaming about Uchiha Itachi! She shouted at herself.

However as she took another look she couldn't help but see the resemblance. The long dark rich hair, the crimson yet black eyes and the unhealthy complexion; it was all there. His gaze was stoned but she can still see the eyes Damir had in her dreams on him. It would fit. The only thing that didn't fit would be the wonderful smile Damir had. Slowly she wondered what he would look like with a smile like that. Would he be striking? Or would he be ugly? That was one question she was never going to find the answer to. If there was one thing Itachi made clear, that would be he doesn't smile, ever.

"You're not sleeping, Haruno." Itachi stated. She snapped out of her daydream.

"I'm not tired anymore. How long have I been sleeping?" she asked.

"Seven hours."

"It takes you seven hours to shower?" she asked as she noticed the sweet scent of soap and the fact that he was only clad in a pair of black pants. He gave her a calculating look.

"No. I did several other things before waking you." He answered back.

"I see…" then she fingered her hair. It was greasy and hard. The evidence of not showering for days. "Can I…"

"Do as you wish, Haruno. The bath is open." He stopped her. Instantly she was up and went for the bathroom only to be stopped by Itachi getting off the bed and hurrying to the closet. "Haruno, wait." He spoke.

"Hai?" she asked.

"Wear these. Seeing as you didn't bring any clothing, I'll lend you these." He threw her a similar pair of clothing of his. She nodded. "I have taken the liberty to order new clothes for you too. They'll arrive in two days." That got her suspicious. Uchiha Itachi ordering clothes for me…

"Why are you so nice?" she asked.

"What?" that caught him off guard.

"I mean.. Uchiha Itachi! The ultimate traitor of Konoha. Killed his entire clan in a night and fled during the same night. You're classified as a stone hearted S class criminal. Why are you being so nice and going so far as to order new clothing for me? Aren't I just bait?" she asked. Itachi sat down on the bed and laughed.

"There are reasons why I do the things I do." He answered. She frowned and leaned against the bathroom doorway.

"And I'm asking for the reason." She retorted.

"… I will tell you when the time is right. All you need to do is trust me on the things I do for and to you." He say.

"Trust you? You do know that's like a farfetched fantasy right? An S class criminal is telling the bait to trust him… ~farfetched fantasy~…" she sung the last part in a silly way.

"Fantasy?" Itachi smirked. "You do know the meaning of fantasy right?" She flushed. Shit! "Like I said, trust me… after all it's a fantasy, it can't be that hard. Now can it?" he was playing her. She flushed a deep red before rushing into the bathroom and shutting the door. In a hurry she turned on the lights and ran the hot water. She stripped and stepped in. All the while her face got redder and redder.

Did he just flirt with me! What is the world coming to!

She rinsed the dirt and sweat off her skin with extra hard rubs. The water by her feet turned brown and she looked down in disgust. Once her skin was back to being shiny and clean she grabbed the shampoo and squeezed out a large amount before latching it onto her head. Not wasting any more time with greasy hair she ran her finger nails over her scalp and watched as the water by her feet showed the oil she was washing out. She felt as she rinse her hair how it was returning to its previous silky healthy state. Once she was done shampooing she applied the conditioner and noticed how it coated her skin like a second skin once she was washing it out of her hair.

When she was done and happy about how clean she was she turned off the shower and stepped out to find a giant white fluffy towel was perched onto the counter top. Her face looked horrified. She turned to the door to find it unlocked. I forgot to lock the door! She thought in horror. Quickly she scanned the large bathroom for any sign of the man. To her relief he didn't stay. Reassured she grabbed the giant fluffy towel and pressed it against her body. It felt so nice and soft. She hummed a soft tune as she wrapped it against her body and used a fire jutsu to blow dry her hair.

Sakura stared back at herself in the mirror. There was nothing different about herself. Bored with her own reflection (that's a first) she turned to the background. The bathroom was quite large. The toilet was about a foot away from the sink where she was standing. The sink even has a large counter top that covers one wall with a giant mirror behind it. The shower itself was humongous. Too bad he doesn't have a bath tub… Well… I guess Uchiha Itachi doesn't take baths. She giggled softly at that thought.

Pulling on the last piece of garment Sakura opened the door and stepped outside. She placed the towel on the hook on the door and looked around. Itachi was on the bed asleep. He lied above the covers with one leg arched up and his right arm on his stomach. His expression was peaceful. Unable to help herself she tiptoed up to him and knelt down next to his face. A small smile appeared on her face. He didn't notice me… he must be tired… Then it dawned on her. He probably wasn't able to relax much. It made her feel slightly happy that he trusts her enough to sleep so peacefully.

She watched as his chest lifted up and down in sync with his breathing. His peaceful expression stayed peaceful even after she lifted herself up slightly to look at his face closely. She lowered herself back down and rested her head against his bedside on her arms. A small smile played at her lips as she wondered what he's dreaming and if it was a good one. She hopes it's a good one. For some reason she doesn't like the idea of a bad dream for Itachi. She's getting the feeling that even Uchiha Itachi deserves peace once in a while and if it means he can get it when she's around then she'll stick around a little longer. Suddenly the feeling of having to stay here for a long time is no longer a bother in fact she wishes that he won't let her go and she'll have to stay forever. That's a foolish dream, Sakura. Itachi will get rid of you when all this is over… until then… I'll give him as many peaceful nights as possible.

Ghosting a finger along his cheek bone she giggled softly before getting up. She travelled to the other side and flipped the blanket over onto his body trying to cover him up. To her surprise there's another sheet of blanket under the first one. Such convenience. Without a second thought she checked him over to make sure he was covered before slipping into the second blanket and turned onto her side to look at him.

"Sweet dreams, Itachi." She whispered before closing her eyes and falling back into a deep slumber.


A/N: Thank you for reading Understand Me's chapter 2! I'll upload as soon as I got chapter 3 settled.

See you all soon! ^_^