Awe you guys are soo nice... well here's the next chapter...
THANKS TO ALL WHO REVIEWED!!:
crazy fan 35
BlackButterfly-RedRose
itachixrox
Cherr-Hime-Chan
Seriously you guys make me feel loved and I keep writing this story just for you guys!! You are my inspiration to keep going with this. Well here it is Chapter 4 hope you like it!!
Escaping Dawn
Chapter 4:
Sakura didn't want to worry the family by the evidence she found so she kept it secret, though she always kept high alert out for anything peculiar. She thought their safety was more important than proving her innocence, for telling them what she found could result in them making a commotion and force the intruder to show himself earlier than they had planned.
She spent the rest of the day with the twins in her regular attire equipped with her weapons and all. They ventured out to a nearby town that supplied a hardware shop to buy new windows and supplies for making new furniture.
Ahead of them walked Jakio clearly not wanting to talk in her presence or wanting to even be near her. He still expected her to be the culprit and untrustworthy she assumed. But why shouldn't he, she was a ninja, a person trained in the art of deception, and plus the fact that they only met each other hours before.
The entire time they walked, Nuntida babbled on and on about everything there was to speak about, literally. Sakura wasn't paying attention as her mind was pulled to different topics.
Once in a while when Nuntida would look over at her, she responded with a "yeah" or "really?" to satisfy the young woman that she was listening. She fell for the act and continued on with the stories she told.
She couldn't stop thinking about why Akatsuki was there at the house. Was it because she was staying there? Or was it the apparition that haunted her every thought and dream? Either way she didn't know why they were there, and all she could do was protect these civilians from any danger.
They made it to the hardware store and back with all the right supplies, but the entire time Sakura felt like she wasn't really there as her mind on other things.
Walking back with the purchased things slowed them down considerably, except for Sakura of course being a ninja she was used to traveling and training with heavy weights, so she now led.
The twins were having a quiet conversation, most likely about her she assumed, but didn't want to intrude with listening, so she closed off her senses as they talked and let her mind focus on her earlier topics.
She walked without really knowing where she was going, kind of like how she was walking before she came to the Tang house… no not house… mansion, that's what it is.
'Yeah the Tangs have to be rich I mean look at their house, and did you see how they paid for the items!? They paid in cash for 600 dollars worth of stuff!! GOSH.' Her inner mused.
'Really…?'
"Pshhht… yeah you didn't notice? Because I sure did, and I think the entire crowd of girls around the cash register noticed too. he he… Hey ya know Jakio right?'
"No I don't…' Sakura replied sarcastically.
'Haha you're funny' her inner replied sarcastically as well. 'No seriously though… do you like him?'
'Well that depends on if he likes me.' Sakura answered a bit annoyed.
'Oh… well I think he likes you, but he just doesn't show it… besides he is HOTT!!'
She rolled her eyes at her inner. 'Listen he doesn't like me.'
'AH-HA!! But you don't deny that he is HOTT!!' she yelled victoriously.
'Ok ok you caught me, but he isn't hot, he's just cute, but he doesn't like me I'm telling you…'
'Yeah yeah, whatever Miss 'I'm so smart but oblivious,' then how do you explain that he's walking next to you on the left trying to get your attention.' She said waving her hand at her like Nuntida had done to Jakio.
"WHAT!?" Sakura yelled audibly looking to the left.
No one was there.
'Ha ha, I just made you look stupid, he's on your right HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!' her inner laughed hysterically in her head.
Her face twisted into an annoyed expression as she slowly turned her head to the right to face none other than Jakio, who was looking at her weirdly.
He shook his head and looked back at his sister. She most likely gave him a face that if he didn't go through with whatever she told him to, he would be in pain. So he turned to Sakura again and cleared his throat.
He sighed, "Sakura-san…I just want to apologize…"
"No, no, Jakio-san, you had every right to distrust me, you need not to apologize for your behavior." Sakura cut in sincerely.
"But I want to make full amends…"
'What a gentleman…' her inner complemented.
'Shhhh….' Sakura thought while smiling in encouragement to Jakio.
"Sakura I know I didn't much show it, or demonstrate it in anyway, but… um… would you… like…." He sighed. "Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?" he asked more fluidly than before.
She looked down at her feet in thought totally in surprise.
'AHAHAHAHAHAH I KNEW IT, oh my gosh we are so lucky he is FINE!!'
'Shut up I'm thinking'
'HEY!! You better accept, it's not like you're gonna get anything better than him especially after…'
'THAT'S ENOUGH!' Sakura yelled at her inner.
She looked back up to Jakio and smiled huge, "Of course I'll accompany you."
He smiled back truly happy as Nuntida came bounding up to them falling over from being off balanced by the enormous objects she held in her arms. Sakura and Jakio saved her before she could completely hit the ground.
"Ah thank you Jakio, Sakura-san…" she suddenly turned to Sakura, "AHHHH!! Now we have to buy you a dress, or you can just use one of mine if you don't want to make another trip to town… Ahh I can't wait, I can do your hair and make-up. You. Will. Look. Gorgeous!!" she yelled excitedly.
Sakura and Jakio walked ahead smiling; leaving Nuntida as she rambled on with more and more things that she said she would do to Sakura, and how she was the perfect match-maker.
"Jakio-san?"
"Please call me Jakio." He said taking her free hand with his.
She giggled like a school girl with her first crush. "Ok, Jakio."
"Now, what did you want to ask, Sakura?" He let the name slide off his tongue.
"I thought you didn't like me at all, where did this…" she motioned to their intertwined hands and Jakio, "…come from?"
His smile disappeared as he looked down at his feet looking for the best explanation.
"You see…" he looked up at the road ahead of him. "…I had a girlfriend once before, she was beautiful and smart, just like you. We were dating for a long time, and during this I neglected my family only focusing on her. I didn't notice their somber faces and hatred for the girl at all. One day I came home early from work in my furniture shop, and I heard a heated conversation from the sun room between her and my sister. The woman I dated had threatened my sister to keep paying her money otherwise she would kill them. I barged into the room with the katana, and… well…"
"Its alright… you don't have to continue, I understand." Sakura soothed as she rubbed his back with her free hand. "I understand..."
He looked over at her, straight in the eye, "But I trust you and I have a feeling that it is not misplaced this time."
She swallowed, and pulled him into a hug to hide the look in her eyes that told him otherwise.
After she was sure she was in control of her expression, she released the hug, and the rest of the walk was taken in silence.
They arrived back and repaired the sun room. It would take a couple of days to fully restore the furniture though.
They worked the rest of the day in the field under the sun, planting tomato plants, corn, and pea plants. The steady breeze kept the heat from taking its full affect upon them.
It was coming close to dusk and almost time for the dinner she would be sharing with Jakio alone. She smiled in anxiety for such a date with him.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, she went into the woods where he said he had gone to cut wood. She wanted to make sure the date with him was still on, even though she knew it was. She just wanted an excuse to talk to him.
Her mind ran with dreams of kissing him and holding hands walking by the water's edge.
She spotted him in a clearing near a pile of freshly cut wood. She decided to surprise him, so she crept up silently like any ninja could. She extended her hand to touch his back.
She could barely keep her laughter in as she thought of what his face would look like when she surprised him.
"Surprise Jakio!!" she yelled as she grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.
Her smile fell from her face as a shocked one replaced it. As soon as she touched his shoulder he was pulled apart and turned into black crows flying away into the sky.
She took as step back in horror… only he could do this. Spinning around, she went to run but collided with a tree… no… it was soft, but solid… a human. She took a step back staring at the man's chest covered in a cloak of black with red clouds.
She closed her eyes as she lost her breath. Her mouth was ajar as she slowly opened her eyes while angling her head up only to meet his overpowering gaze locked upon her.
She saw flashes of the night he was in the trees reappear before her eyes; no… she had to be imagining him, like all the other times.
She looked into his bloody pits, the demon's eyes ablaze and glowing crimson. They were the definition of hell itself. Looking into them, she could see all the lives he took, and as she looked longer, she saw her own reflection in them… this was it… this wasn't anybody else now, his image is too clear to be imaginary.
His presence consumed her once again, like a thick cloak wrapped too tightly and suffocating her, making her unable to catch her breath. She lifted her chin in desperation to regain her breath, never breaking eye contact with him as she found it impossible to do, but her breaths never came.
A new emotion washed through her, a different one that she ad ever felt before. It felt like it was leaking through a barrier and finally showing it existed.
A new ninja self, strong and fearless was able to break through her emotional state. Instead of cowering in fear under his gaze it took over allowing her to stare at him now with a firm look that was unwavering.
She still couldn't move from shock, but his presence seemed to have less of an effect on her, allowing her to breathe again. Her mouth closed and her face displayed nothing, resembling the apparition's own emotionless one. This emotion was
Something flickered in those deep pools of red, but she didn't have time to figure it out, as she was consumed by darkness as pain flashed through her body. The last thing she remembered was collapsing onto the forest floor.
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
She awoke once again on something soft, but this time no light was there waiting to blind her when she opened her eyes. It was dark, and from the sound of crickets seeping in through the windows, it was night.
'I'm getting real tired of this…' her inner complained.
'You're telling me.'
She opened her eyes and found herself in a room she never saw before. A place in the mansion she was never in perhaps? They did say that she could stay in a different room, a guest room they possessed to be exact.
She strained her eyes trying to see through the darkness that blanketed the walls. Only a slight sliver of light came in from the crescent moon outside her window through semi-transparent curtains.
There was dark wood furniture around the room that included a dresser and two nightstands on either side of the king sized bed.
She was unable to see the detail they most likely possessed from the hand of Jakio.
Ah…Jakio. She almost forgot about him.
'Shimatta… I missed our dinner.' She thought angrily.
'Well… He'll understand... He is a gentleman after all.' Her inner soothed.
'I hope so.' She thought worried.
Her attention was pulled away from her mind and to the light that clicked on outside the door.
"Jakio?" she called trying to sit up, but found it difficult. The strain she put on her body made the back of her head throb in pain, as she collapsed back onto the sofa.
The door opened and revealed the boy she had called out to.
She sighed in relief as she tried to sit up again but to no avail.
"Jakio, I think I must have hurt myself pretty bad, I cant seem to sit up, can you help me?" she asked him sweetly.
He continued to stare at her, to the point where it became unnerving.
"Jakio…? What's wrong de…" she never completed the question before Jakio's appearance faded away leaving the demonic apparition fully dressed in black. His eyes glowed red in the darkness of the room.
"No… this is a dream" she whispered, desperately trying to convince herself.
Abruptly, memories of their encounter in the woods came flying back to her.
She looked around frantically for anything to defend herself with. That's when she noticed it, in the glowing light from the other room, she was not in the Tang's mansion anymore, but in a hotel room from the phone that occupied one of the nightstands and smell of the air depicting air freshener, not that of the mansion's aroma .
She also saw the chakra ropes restraining her from her wrists and feet. They were no doubt stripping her of her chakra supply too.
She collapsed back onto the bed, utterly in shock. Her breath left her chest as it did often these days it seemed. She stared up at the ceiling unwilling to look at the demon in the doorway, knowing that once she made eye contact she would be caught by his spell and unable to look away.
He appeared at her bed side, unheard and incredibly too fast for her to even see. She nearly screamed seeing him appear so quickly at her side.
She shut her eyes tight avoiding eye contact at all costs. He was so close she could smell his aroma of musk and woods. It tickled her nose as she was finally able to inhale.
Although her eyes were closed she could still feel his stare bore into her, watching her soul writher under his gaze.
"Who am I?" he asked in a deep silky tone, though it was all the same icy.
She stayed silent not knowing what to say.
"Say my name." he commanded more sternly.
She opened her eyes hesitantly to make sure it was him, the ghost… the demon of her nightmares. As she stared into his eyes, she knew this was reality, they were face to face now, and there was no escaping it. His face was impassive, but why shouldn't it be? He was a murderer, one used to death surrounding him and people horrified in his presence.
She swallowed finding it hard with her parched throat, her eyes were locked with his unable to look away now, she was trapped; she had to answer.
"You're supposed to be dead…" she was able to force out on her dried tongue in shallow breaths.
His gaze was unwavering as he answered, "I am…"
Her vision began to blur, as her limits were over exceeded, and the effect of depleting chakra took affect over her.
On her lasts breaths before she fell into unconsciousness, she breathed the answered to his question, "…Itachi…. Uchiha…"
Darkness consumed her as glowing, red eyes left her side.
Alright how did you like it? Oh and don't worry about the part where Itachi says "I am" he doesnt actually mean it physically if you catch my drift. And for the whole "what is my name" thing I'll explain that later in the story.
So any Question??
R&R PLEASE-SERIOUSLY IT HELPS ME WRITE FASTER... CRITICISM IS WELCOME TOO!!