Author's note: Thank you so very much for your support! It means so much so I wrote an extra-long chapter for you guys! Sorry if some of you don't like long novels… I'm actually trying to practice putting my thoughts into words so sometimes I ramble/get confused. You are the best! I hope you guys enjoy as I also hope my writing improves.

Tira.

Though she now lived in a cramped apartment with 6 other people, Sakura Haruno did not grow up in the lower class. Kind of hard to believe; her clothes were usually tattered – dirt was always smeared on her face unless she trekked 45 minutes to the outskirts to bathe in the river. She knew how to play the Harp…She knew how to do formal ballroom dancing. But that meant nothing in a place where the power of your fists is worth more than the value of your soul. Her family was "New Money", an upcoming middle class that just cusped on the end of the coattails of the Nobles. Her father was a vibrant man- hardworking and willful. Her mother was the epitome of femininity, graceful and kind. Though through and through, she was a daddy's girl – she loved her mom for how motherly she was. Living in a militarized State of Sound, it made her appreciate how rare a delicate women was as much as she appreciated the women who hold their own in fights with men three times their size.

Sakura never wanted to be a thief. She had always aspired to be a doctor. To be able to beat back death, stare it in the face and spit on its grips…what she would've given to do it while she cried into her parent's shredded remains.

You see, during the revolt of Oto (approximately 10 years ago) – A foreign lord came to power. He whispered promises of power and eternal youth into as many ears as he could. Corrupting the newly flourishing lands, he massacred the entire middle class. He made sure to sow his support from the nobles and to invoke fear into the lower class.

No one was to move anywhere in the social caste system, ever again.

In fact, she was in the same Lord's house about an hour ago.

"Behave yourself, little nymph."

Hauled up bridal style by this God-like stranger, Sakura wasn't sure how to react. She felt his muscles contract smoothly under her robe, his chest giving a content rumble as she instinctively huddled closer to him. Flushing, she berated herself for being swayed by some pretty boy.

'I bet I'm the heaviest thing he has ever carried.'

'Heaviest 100 pounds, yet. Ha!'

'That's kind of stupid, obviously I'm not doing too much damage on him.'

'….. Is he a god?'

'….. Like a prettiness God?'

'God Sakura, that doesn't even make sense.'

'Ha! I said "God Sakura". I'm so punny.'

Having this internal fight with Inner Sakura, she completely missed the entourage of men surround the two. Comically, her facial expressions shift along with her thoughts – the men uncertain if she was cute or crazy.

"You always pick the dimmest crayon in the box, eh Itachi?" Kisame joked, blatantly laughing at the little girl in the Prince's arms, "Are you sure you're not into some weird stuff? Where's the boobs? She looks like a 12 year old boy."

Used to Kisame's teasing, Itachi refrained from answering. Sakura on the other hand, felt her fuse being lit.

"I'm 20 years old thank you very much! At least I don't shine bright like the hope diamond, you... you...YOU BLUE KOOLAID STAIN."

Surprised by the petite pinkette's reaction, the Prince lifted an eyebrow in amusement as Sakura continued to pout into his chest. Her eyes were narrowed and were fiercely glowering at a button.

"Hn."

"You still didn't answer me about the boobs, Pinkie. How are you 20 with nothing developed?"

Feeling her bottom lip pinch up, Sakura snapped her glare from the button to the tall fish-like bluesman-group looking (excuse her French) ass man.

"How are you a fish that is living on land?!"

Laughing, Kisame reached down and ruffled her hair. The silky strands surprised him as his calloused fingers sunk in without a single protest. Quirking one side of his face, Kisame backed away hastily as Itachi glanced at his lingering hand, "I like you lil' lady. You got spunk."

Deciding that she has had enough, Sakura began to push against Itachi's chest. Rocking herself from side to side, her attempts were apparently futile – he merely tightened his hold.

"Look, I am sorry I ran into you! I was...AM… in a huge hurry. So if you may please…"

The raven haired man blankly looked at her.

"Let me go?" She finished her statement as a question, her confidence faltering as his eyes deadpanned into her's.

"No."

The guards were momentarily transported back to Orochimaru's office mere hours before, the flashback held the same tone and finality as the one with the small pink-haired girl did.

"And why not?!"

Instead of answering her, Itachi lowered her to the ground. Feeling accomplished, Sakura merrily believed that she had gotten through to him. As she was about to happily prance away, Itachi's arm snaked around to the small of her back and he began guiding her forward.

Mouth slightly jarred, Sakura gaped at the audacity the man possessed, "Excuse me! I'm not going this way!"

The men had already flanked the Prince, surround the couple in a semi-circle as they continued.

Though normally he wouldn't have answered, Itachi felt indulgent tonight, "And where were you going to go?"

"Well..I..," Sakura sputtered, "I was going home!"

Humming, Itachi moved his hand in comforting circles on Sakura's hip. Rubbing it gently, he slowly but surely felt the girl relax beside him.

"I will take you home then."

Blinking, she wasn't sure if she was punk'd or if he was just curious what a commoner's humble abode was like. During her confusion, she also failed to realize that she was still walking beside him.

"You can't. No nobles allowed," She replied smugly, knowing that the man next to her would probably leave her alone within a few minutes as they began to progress into the inner city.

"Then I guess we will go where Nobles are allowed."

Swiftly turning the group around, Itachi began heading towards the part of town filled with the rich. She knew it because she was just there. Stealing. Thieving. Pilfering.

Digging her heels into the ground, she managed to stop the little group before they got too far away from her side of town.

"And that's where peasants aren't allowed. Sorry! Guess you'll have to harass someone else!"

Ducking underneath Itachi's arm, she sidestepped the guard to her left. Waving a small hand dismissively as she began to run away, Sakura whooped in happiness. Grasping the thin hood, she pulled it over her head – eyeing an escape chute in the near distance.

'Damn Nobles, thinking they own everyone.'

Kisame gaped as the small woman practically ran away like she just found out the Prince had cooties. Usually women threw themselves at him… Women much more beautiful than some little girl whose entire torso was the size of his forearm.

'Hn'.

The blue man's face whipped so fast to Itachi, he felt the whiplash begging to explode from his neck. His eyes widen slightly as he took in the Prince's look of thoughtfulness, a playful smirk dancing along the thin lips. Being the Prince's childhood friend and the head of the Royal Security Unit (Akatsuki), he has decoded all Uchiha 'Hns', 'Nhgs' and 'Hms'. In Itachi language, he was virtually kneeling over in laughter.

"You want us to retrieve her, yeah?" Stepping from behind Itachi, a blonde man tilted his head towards the general direction Sakura took off in. His mechanical eye zooming in and out before focusing clearly on the lithe form in the billowing cloak. "She is only about 2 minutes away…I can grab her under that. It'll be a bang, yeah."

"You can't just say everything is a bang, Deidara," a gruff voice stated, "Stop adding yeah to everything you nitwit."

Sticking his tongue out, the blonde regarded the redheaded man standing beside the Prince with a mocking smile, "Yeah, Yeah, yeah…Bang, yeah. Grab that stick out of your ass, Sasori…yeah. "

"Idiot," Sasori spat, "I bet I can retrieve her quicker than you ever could…yeah."

Deidara narrowed his eyes at the redhead, frowning. As he was about to give a smart retort, he was silenced as Itachi interrupted.

"No, I will do it myself."

Everyone paused, looking over at the man in the middle of the group. Itachi was a deadly man… Many speculated his father sent him to massacre an entire enemy army when he was just about 12 years old. No one really knew, as it was top secret – but from just sparing with him, every member of the Akatsuki knew he could easily take on three of them at once.

Shaking his head, Deidara stepped back into formation. The little girl really dug herself a hole, attracting an Uchiha like that…

Feeling the satin bag slap her thigh as she ran, she only forced herself to go fast as she began to near the escape chute. Her worn boots squeaked in protest, but she paid them no mind as she was practically fingers-length away from safety.

But life never works out for Sakura.

As she was about to grasp the iron bar, a loud roar came from her left side.

"GRAB THE BANDIT!"

Pivoting on her heels, Sakura shoved herself off the wall –throwing herself against the opposite wall, her squeaky boots screamed as she climbed vertically before launching herself onto the escape ladder on the second floor. Clinging for dear life, Inner Sakura began screaming while Outer Sakura began to pull herself up.

'WE ARE GOING TO BE SNAKE FOOD!'

'Shut up! Why can't you just support me?!'

'BECAUSE I WAS THE ONE WHO SAID THIS WAS A STUPID IDEA.'

'Yeah, well how else would I scrounge up enough money to move away from this shithole, hm?'

'WE COULD"VE JUST BEEN HOOKERS!'

'…I can't deal with you right now.'

Hauling herself up, she allowed herself to look down. The brutish guards stood underneath, an archer aiming an arrow straight at her. Gulping Sakura weighed out her options… Surrender and be as good as dead, or run and fix herself up later.

"Look Lad, give us back the jewels and we will spare you with a light punishment!" the largest of the men called to her, "If not, we will find you and hunt you like a dog."

Forcing herself from rolling her eyes, Sakura was about to climb for her life until a soft and sobering voice lightly resounded through the alleyway.

"Stop."

Silently observing the interactions between the guard and his little nymph, Itachi readily concluded the pinkette had landed herself in some trouble. Though he was impressed by her show of athleticism, he was far from amused as he saw her body language become risky.

"Stop."

The guards swerved over, their posture tense as they raised their weapon at the intruder. Regardless of the fact that over a dozen men held arrows and blades a foot away from him, Itachi was hardly fazed. Coolly brushing his dark bangs to the side, his body actually relaxed as he spoke.

"I dismiss you. Leave the bandit to me."

Feeling snuffed, the pig-headed guards leered at Itachi. The leader walked in front of the group, speaking for all the brutish men, "Why don't you just mind your own business, Pretty Boy. We can't give you your little boy toy because he had dared to steal from Lord Orochimaru!"

"You would so offensively speak to the reigning Prince of Fire?"

Snorting, the meaty man only continued to dig himself a hole, "Yeah and I'm the legendary Kisame of the Seven Swordsmen."

"Hehe, I didn't imagine myself to look so small and fat. How did you manage that, Pork Chop?"

Stepping back, the guards could only stare in horror as the Legend of Torture appeared behind the Prince. True to his reputation, his bleak round pupils shined with amusement as his abnormally tall stature towered even over Itachi's lengthy build.

"It's…It's Kisame of the Mist!"

'Prince.'

'Prince'

'Prince.'

The single word kept echoing through Sakura's head.

'THAT IS THE COLD PRODGIAL PRINCE OF KONOHA?!' Inner Sakura screamed at her, frantically running around – bouncing with mortification.

Lightly banging her head against the steel bar she was perched on, Sakura could only stare at Itachi with an open jaw.

Feeling the woman's gaze, Itachi gazed back impassively. His cheek twitched in some semblance of a smile, his dark eyes gave off a small glimmer of impish amusement.

Blushing, Sakura ducked her head. Chastising herself, her fingers reached up to heave the rest of her over the rooftop before a wail interrupted her.

"ITACHI-SAMA, PLEASE FORGIVE US!"

Startled by the loud yelp, Sakura's foot slipped just as her fingernails grazed the top before she felt gravity pulling at her center. For the second time in the night, her trusty hood betrayed her as it slipped off. Watching the normally angelic face contort to one of pure fear, Itachi moved quickly.

Snatching her mid-air, the guards watch in awe as his nearly invisible movements transpired before their very own eyes. Fire, indeed, was formidable.

Cradling Sakura's tiny form to him, Itachi's eyes brighten with male appreciation. Though she did lack in the breast area, the small package laying in his arms just appeal to his masculine side. The petite figure…innocent face…wrapped in a lithe package called to his inner beast.

To protect.

To love.

To claim.

Giving a feral howl, red tomoes spun dangerously.

Feeling the pulsing pressure from the Prince, the Akatsuki surrounded him in a circle. Their watchful eyes calmly regarded the men as they stared at the Fire Heir's transformation.

Snarling, Itachi's canines elongated into fangs. Breathing in Sakura's scent heavily, his last memory was how delightful her pulse felt inside his mouth.

I hope you guys like how this heading! If not, I can write an alternative version. I just have so many thoughts and so many ideas, they just explode in my head and I just type.

~ Tira