A/N: Wow. Two chapters in a week. This is what happens when I have time on my hands and can't focus enough to study for Exams. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Also a warning, beginning in this chapter, I will be switching between Sakura's perspective and other perspectives (mainly Itachi's) as I think that it rounds out the story more. Please let me know what you think.

Chapter 4

I was being watched. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled as I faintly registered masked chakras. If they were Akatsuki scouts, then I would be here for a while until the actual members decided what to do about me entering their territory. I headed in the direction of a familiar battlefield before dropping down to the floor of the destroyed cave. I looked around at the degrading puppet parts that littered the cave, taking in the stains of dried poison, and walked over to the trio of puppets that lay crumpled on the ground in an eternal embrace. I didn't feel any remorse at killing Sasori, but I felt sorry for the parent-less child that he once was.

Shaking my head, I shoved those feelings into a box in the back of my mind and looked around for some rocks that would make a decent shelter until the Akatsuki made contact with me. Finding one cluster of rocks along the cave's outer rim that would work, I dropped my bag and settled down. I let my battle with Sasori run through my mind as I looked around the cave. The memory that had the biggest imprint in my mind was when Sasori had stabbed me through the abdomen. I glanced at the spot of the cave where it had happened and I could almost see the ghostly image of it happening before me. My belly twisted in remembered pain and, again, I shook my head to clear it. That single moment had almost cost me my life. If it had not been for Chiyo-sama, I probably would have died that day.

The sound of thunder pulled me out of my thoughts and made me look up at the sky. Steal gray clouds blocked the sun and the trees outside the cave's shattered roof shook with the force of the wind. Lightning crackled across the sky in a blinding flash, paining the world in vivid color for a fraction of a second before disappearing again. I moved further into my temporary shelter and waited as the rain began to fall.

"Isn't that the girl that killed Sasori?" Kisame asked his silent partner.

Itachi nodded and watched the pink haired kunoichi as she sat huddled on the edge of the cave. He kept tabs on his brother and knew who his teammates had once been. The Haruno Sakura before him was not the girl that he had heard of nor was she the girl that he had run across before Sasori was killed. True, she had sparked an interest in him when he had learned that it was she that had killed Sasori, granted not alone, but it seemed as if there was more to her than initially seen. That... curiosity had not lessened but had not been prominent in his thoughts until now. He glanced at Kisame and raised a brow.

"Yes I let the others know," Kisame sighed as he rolled his eyes. "Pain said to standby."

Itachi looked back at the kunoichi and let his sharingan skim over her, registering her chakra levels, and his mind began to decipher her strengths and weaknesses. With Sasori dead, Pain had requested that Orochimaru come back into the fold and Orochimaru had accepted the invitation. That snake wanted his brother's body and Itachi would not stand for any harm to come to Sasuke. He couldn't protect Sasuke before but he would now, just like he always had from the shadows.

"I hope they are not too long," Kisame grumbled as he settled against a tree.

Itachi ignored him and narrowed his eyes as Sakura moved from her shelter and walked towards the middle of the destroyed cave with her pack. She bit her thumb and preformed a summoning jutsu, which was not unusual as he had heard that she had taken after her sensei and signed a contract with slugs. But it was not a slug that appeared. A large ruby red dragon appeared before Sakura, who seemed to be talking to the beast, and curled around her as she laid down next to it. The dragon lifted its wing and covered them from the rain, using its huge body as a shelter.

Kisame stepped forward at the appearance of the beast. "I didn't think dragons existed anymore," he muttered seriously.

Itachi spared him a glance before turning back to look at the dragon. Its long body was not like that of snake's, though it did have a long neck; but was larger with a definite torso before its long tail wrapped around to its neck. He could see clearly the forelegs with their sharp talons and the musculature of powerful hind legs. No dragons had not been present in the world for thousands of years, so long that they had been regulated to myths. The fact that Haruno Sakura could summon one meant she had discovered where the beasts had been hiding. His eyes narrowed again. No Sakura was not who he was lead to believe she was, so either he had been lied to, which he highly doubted, or she had been hiding this all along. What else is she hiding, he wondered as he felt his curiosity to grow. "I'll take watch," he finally told Kisame as he continued to study the dragon. Kisame looked at him curiously but did not comment as he settled at the base of the tree. As he fell asleep, Itachi watched and waited, eager to learn what it was that Haruno Sakura was hiding.

I woke up to Fudo growling in my ear. Sitting up, I stretched and patted his snout. "What is it?" I asked in my thoughts. The dragon's and I had a special bound that did not require us to use actual speech to communicate. We could use our thoughts, impressions, and feelings instead.

"One of them is watching us with an intensity that I do not like," Fudo replied as he continued to growl, the low vibration spreading to the ground and running up my hand on his nose. "Others are quickly approaching as well."

"How many?" I asked as I stretched my senses to their limit, but even my limit was nothing compared to a dragon's. I could only sense two.

"Last night there were two," Fudo stated. "Eight more approach now."

Ten members in total. Jiraiya was correct in his estimate of main member numbers. "Wonderful," I sighed as I stood beneath his wing.

"One of the two from last night has the cursed sharingan."

"Uchiha Itachi," I told him, cursing my luck. "A rouge from Konoha. He killed his entire clan save for Sasuke. I had hoped to avoid him until I had a few members on my side to keep my cover intact."

I felt my shoulder begin to burn and hissed quietly as I grabbed it. "What is it?" Fudo asked as he watched me with one large ruby eye.

"Something that has not bothered me for years," I told him as I pulled my collar down enough to reveal the shadow of a curse mark.

Fudo narrowed his eyes. "When did you get that?"

"A few years ago," I told him as I let my shirt hide the mark again. "It has been a long time, Fudo. During the Chunin exams, Orochimaru intended to give this mark to Sasuke. But somehow while both he and Naruto were out of it, I took half the mark while I was attempting to heal Sasuke."

Fudo nudged me with his snout. "I am sorry, little one. You should have called on us."

I shrugged. "I couldn't risk it besides, I have control of it."

Fudo looked as if he was about to add something but suddenly growled and leapt at something. I had a kunai in my hand the second one appeared at my neck and an arm wrapped around me to pin my arms. So stupid, I thought to myself as Fudo growled and leapt towards me, his prior prey forgotten as I was put in danger. He was quickly surrounded by armed men in black cloaks with red clouds on them. Akatsuki.

"My dear," a familiar voice hummed in my ear. "Do call him off before we hurt such a magnificent creature."

"Allow me to move," I ordered in irritation. Calling off a dragon when its hatchling was in danger was like trying to prevent natural disasters, impossible. Fudo would fight until I was safe.

"Sorry," Orochimaru said as he pressed the kunai closer to my throat. "That is not an option."

Fudo roared as someone got lucky with a well aimed kunai to the chest. He lashed out with his talons and struck a cloaked figure with his claws, throwing the man to the ground. I felt a sympathetic pain lash though me and I bit back a curse at Orochimaru. "Fine," I growled. "A compromise then. Keep the kunai to my throat but let me heal him."

"Fair enough," Orochimaru hummed too closely to my ear for comfort. "Now call him off."

"Fudo!" I called as I eased closer to him, praying he would hear me though his rage. Fudo paused and glanced at me. "Enough," I said calmly.

He stepped forward and lowered his head so that he was staring at me, his eyes full of anger that bordered on hate, and I could feel his hot breath surrounding me. "Why?" he growled in my thoughts. "They attacked first."

"We suspected that they would," I told him aloud as I kept my thoughts calm.

Fudo growled and relented. "I don't like it," he hissed as a few members moved in closer to him.

"Allow me to heal you," I told him, ignoring his last statement. "I'll need you to stand still."

Fudo nodded and lifted his head to allow me to walk under him to his chest. The kunai was deeply embedded so that only the hilt was sticking out. Rich red blood seeped from the edges of the would and I knew that pulling it out would be difficult to do if Fudo moved at all. "I suggest you move back," I told Orochimaru.

"I will not," Orochimaru said pleasantly. "But the others will." With a quick signal, the other members backed off.

I silently hoped that Orochimaru would move slowly so that Fudo may strike him as I gripped the kunai with one hand and placed my other on Fudo's warm scales. I gathered my chakra in my hand on his chest and slowly let it surround the wound before pulling the kunai out, sealing the wound, and jumping out of the way as Fudo let out a roar and swiped across his chest with his talons out of instinct. "I thought you said you would hold still," I joked with Fudo in my thoughts as I tried to distract him from the pain.

Fudo growled but settled and let me finish healing the wound before nudging me with his head in thanks. "Now," Orochimaru said as he tapped the kunai against my throat in a reminder. "If you would heal Itachi-kun." Stiffening, I let Orochimaru lead me to the fallen Akatsuki whom the others had gathered around. Once I entered the ring of members, Orochimaru withdrew the kunai from my throat, very stupidly assuming that because I was surrounded I couldn't get away.

There was an ever widening pool of blood around Itachi from the wound that stretched from his right shoulder to the bottom of his left rib cage. I knelt down next to him and let chakra flow to my fingertips and then into his body to check his vitals. An uneasy attraction struck me as I glanced into his blood red eyes. "This will hurt," I told him as I let my chakra seep into his skin. He didn't move nor flinch but I could see the slight crinkling on the corner of his eyes. The damage was extensive; his ribs were shattered and his right lung was torn open preventing him from breathing. I focused in on stimulating the tissues to regenerate and bind together and patching the bone back into it original form. With the last of the damage healed, I pulled my hands back and helped him up. His eyes burned at me as he stood, the light in his eyes like that of an interrogator that knew he was going to get his way. Blinking I turned as a tall figure stepped forward.

He was taller than me, possibly around Naruto's height, with orange hair and gray ringed eyes. He had six nose piercings, two lip piercings, and multiple ear piercings. "Who are you and what is your purpose?" he asked in a cool voice.

"My name is Haruno Sakura from the Hidden Leaf," I said evenly. "I am looking to join you. If you are interested."

He looked at Itachi. "You know her?" he asked.

Itachi looked at me and nodded. "Anyone else?

Orochimaru smiled evilly. "She was with me until a few days ago," he said with a smirk. "One night she and Sasuke vanished. I don't know what happened to Sasuke. She was probably working for Tsunade."

I glared at him. "I owed her a favor. Nothing more," I lied.

The orange hair man stared at me with an unnerving look. He looked like he was trying to look into my soul and see what I was trying to hide from him. I held his gaze with my own steely one, determined not to show weakness. Finally, he nodded. "You will have to be assessed before we allow you in. You will fight Itachi."

I bit back a curse but nodded. Wonderful, fighting one of the most brilliant shinobi to come from Konoha from the very beginning. Why couldn't they have me fight Orochimaru, I wondered. I'd be more than happy to take him down. Fudo laughed in my mind but retreated to the edge of the cave. I glared at his amusement. The Akatsuki moved to stand warily beside Fudo while Itachi faced me. We watched each other, his face a blank mask that gave nothing away. Then, without notice, he ran towards me with a speed that I could barely match, engaging me in taijutsu. His combinations were flawless and precise and all I could do was block them with stinging knuckles. Then a slight glimmer forced me to flicker our of his reach as he followed through his strike with the kunai. I knew that he would follow me and had a kunai in my hand, ready to block his. Finally, I got an opening and I slipped in and kicked him in the ribs. I felt one crack under the force and I briefly celebrated actually landing a hit on him. Unfortunately, that brief distraction gave him the opportunity to grab my leg and throw me across the cave into the stone wall.

I cursed quietly and pushed myself up. Itachi watched me and though his expression hadn't changed, he somehow portrayed amusement. I smirked and closed my eyes. I could feel the weight of his stare and I tried to ignore the part of me that was happy he took me seriously. Launching myself forward, I opened my eyes and caught the brief flash of astonishment on his face before his eyes narrowed and his tomoe began to spin rapidly. The world was crystal clear and bright, not a single detail was missed as I flickered behind Itachi. I felt Fudo's concern but pushed it aside as I launched a tricky taijutsu combination at Itachi. He dodged and blocked but I could tell that he was using more focus now. I watched his crimson eyes, unafraid of them, and saw a hunger in them begin to form that made a part of me melt. Glaring at him, I pushed more chakra into my strikes and began to push into my ANBU training and skills.

We fought for what could have been hours before a sharp pain in my shoulder caused me to wince and open my guard to Itachi, who took full advantage. With a few well place jabs, he had me off balance and stumbling. With a final roundhouse kick, he launched me through the air where I met the ground heavily. I felt the chakra draining rapidly from my reserves as my body tried to counteract the mark as I tried to push my body up. "Fudo," I called in my thoughts as the world began to fade to black.

Itachi watched as Sakura tried to shove herself up and fell back to the ground. She had more tricks up her sleeve than the initially thought. He watched as her chakra levels dropped rapidly and was curious as to the cause. She was a brilliant fighter. He felt a deep hunger as he took stock of the number of bruises and the cracked rib that she had left on his body. She could keep up with him. He had felt a sharp predatory hunger when she cracked that rib and his curiosity had grown when she charged at him with glowing red eyes.

He watched as the red dragon leapt towards her body and carefully picked her up in his talons. With a nod from Pain, Itachi stepped forward and approached the dragon. "I will lead you to the base," he informed the dragon. The beast looked at him with piercing eyes. Itachi almost felt nervous but he refused to back down from the dragon.

"It will be much faster if you flew with me," the dragon said in a deep rumble that reminded Itachi of a muted roar of a fire.

Itachi nodded and leapt up the dragon's leg to settle at the base of it's neck between its massive shoulder blades and wings. With a powerful leap, the dragon launched them into the air and smoothly glided into the sky; following Itachi's directions as they went.

When my senses returned to me, I registered a dull throbbing on my shoulder and the feeling of near by chakra. My eyes snapped open as I instinctively lashed out to hit the person watching over me. My fist was caught and held in a firm grip as my eyes focused on Itachi setting a book down on a nightstand from where he was sitting next to my bed. "You need to rest," he murmured matter of factually as he let my hand go as I released my chakra.

I watched him warily as I sat up calling for Fudo. "I am sorry," Fudo apologized as his shadow blocked out the light coming in from the window. "I tried to keep him out but I obviously couldn't physically stop him."

"Its fine," I told him in my thoughts. "I am surprised you let me go. He knows?"

Fudo sighed in irritation. "He knows," Fudo confirmed as I glared at Itachi.

Itachi lifted a perfect eyebrow at my glare. "Where am I?" I asked him in irritation.

"The Akatsuki compound," he replied in a monotone that somehow wasn't a monotone. "This will be your room for your probation." I nodded my thanks as he stood. "I shall let the others know that you are awake."

I watched him as he glided across the room, his hair, which I grudging accepted as being beautiful, swaying gracefully as he moved. He paused at the door and glanced back at me, catching my stare. He purposely let his gaze slide down my body and back up, a strange light coming into his eyes as he met my stair again. Finally, without a word, he left the room and closed the door behind him. Shaking my head, I stood and walked over to my pack to get dressed. I shoved my inner to the back of my mind as she was beginning to contemplate exactly why Uchiha Itachi had checked me out. I needed food before considering those thoughts.

Fudo chuckled as he observed my internal debate. "This will be interesting," he stated cryptically in amusement. I looked at him through the window and raised an eyebrow wondering what he meant. His ruby eye sparkled but he remained silent, leaving me to ponder the reason to his statement. Shaking my head, I continued to get dressed. I really needed food at this rate.

A few minutes later, I found everyone in the dining room eating lunch. The buzz of conversation fell silent as I entered and looked for food.

"What happened, Sakura?" Orochimaru asked sarcastically. "Take one too many hits?"

"No," I bit out in irritation. I really needed food to restore my chakra levels before I entertained Orochimaru's taunts with my own cutting remarks.

"Food is through there," Konan said pointing to a doorway across the room." I was glad that Fudo had caught the members' names and was giving me their description as I went.

I nodded my thanks and walked into the kitchen, where plates of rice, fish, and vegetables were laid out on a counter. I quickly made a plate and walked back into the dining room where I sat down in front of Kisame. The conversation picked back up as I began eating and watching. They were discussing their next plans. "Itachi," Pain said quietly but with authority. "You and Sakura will search for a Jinchuuriki as will Orochimaru and Kisame. We will meet back here in a few weeks time to discuss the results. Contact me should you capture one."

Itachi nodded and returned to eating his food rather... artfully. Shaking my head, I quickly finished my food and stood. A few members glanced at me but most were engaged in their conversations. Walking back down the hall, I used Fudo's chakra to guide me outside. Finding the entrance, I opened the door to a large garden. There was a wall off in the distance but other than that, it was incredibly peaceful. Paths crossed the area, weaving between flower beds, cherry trees, and around a huge pond. Fudo was curled up beside a cherry tree in full bloom, the delicate pink blossoms contrasting with his shimmering red scales.

Smiling as I walked over to him, I settled beside him and leaned against his warm side. "What is it?" he asked in my thoughts.

"Nothing," I told him as I gazed out over the pond.

"I can tell when you are lying, Sakura," he laughed.

"What is your point again?" I asked innocently.

"Talk to me," he murmured as he placed his head beside me, the tip of his snout resting against my leg.

"This is going to be a risky mission," I told him as I let my memories slide into his mind. "Running into anyone from the Leaf will be a challenge. Hunting Naruto will be even more difficult."

"You will know what to do when you are faced with the situation," he reminded me. "It seems this mission is to protect your dear ones."

"It is." I gazed at the pond as a petal landed on its surface causing small ripples to disturb the calm water.

After a few minutes of silence, Fudo nudged me. "Go for a swim," he said.

"I can't," I told him. "I highly doubt they would let me. Though it would be nice."

"Go," he laughed. "I will make sure that they do not care."

Shaking my head, I stood and walked towards the door. "I can never win against you can I?" I asked in amusement. Fudo laughed and did not reply. I quickly walked to my room and changed into a swimsuit. Shaking my head, I climbed out of the window and dropped to the ground a few yards from the edge of the pond. A quick scan with chakra showed that no one was around as I dashed across the garden to Fudo's side. "How deep is it?"

"Maybe ten feet deep," Fudo estimated as he peered into the water with narrowed eyes. Smiling I leapt into the warm water and let the water surround me, muting the outside world.

Itachi, Kisame, Zetsu, and Tobi walked down the path in the garden, enjoying the sunset. With a glance around Kisame noticed a few ripples in the pond and steered the group towards the water. "What the.." Kisame started as they rounded a corner in the path and came into full view of the pond.

Tobi jumped ahead of them and squealed. "She's naked!" he exclaimed.

Itachi raised a brow at Tobi's exclamation and walked up to join him with the others as they heard a laugh. He knew that Tobi was probably exaggerating like he always did. He and the others watched as Sakura, dressed in a swimsuit, climbed the dragon's lifted neck and then dived into the water without making a splash. She surfaced with a giggle and froze when she spotted them. The dragon followed her gaze and growled at them.

"We were just wondering what was going on," Kisame said smoothly as he held his hands up to the dragon.

The dragon growled again and tensed. "Fudo, knock it off," Sakura commanded. "I'm getting out anyway."

Hmm, Itachi thought. So the dragon's name was Fudo. He didn't act like any normal summons and Itachi tucked that fact away for later analysis as he watched Sakura pull herself out of the pond. She had a lovely hourglass figure and slim waist. Her long elegant limbs were toned and firm, proving how hard she trained. Her pink hear clung to her skin and shoulders. Itachi bit back his appreciation of her form and studied the secrets that it revealed. She the firm muscles and efficient way she moved bespoke of more training than his sources had let on. He was curious to know what that training was. Regardless, he couldn't help but watch the way her hips swayed as she walked. He wanted to know why she sparked this reaction in him, why she had captured his curiosity. He let a smirk curl his lips as she walked away. He never failed at studying what caught his curiosity, and studying Sakura was beginning to seem like something that was going to be worth the effort.

I dried off in my room with just a little embarrassment for letting my guard down. I really did know better. "I'm so stupid," I muttered to myself.

"I don't like them," Fudo growled, angry at the entire issue. I smiled as he reminded me of Kakashi and Naruto, both of whom were very protective of me despite knowing I could take care of myself.

"And I do?" I asked Fudo as I pulled on my pajamas.

I felt Fudo's glare as I grabbed a kunai and pulled the covers back on the bed. I wasn't going to mention my wonder at seeing Itachi's heated look. "Night," I said to Fudo as I crawled into bed and placed the kunai under my pillow.

He sighed. "Good night, little one," he murmured.

I pushed the thoughts of Itachi's heated look and thoughts of hunting Jinchuuriki to the back of my mind. I would think about them tomorrow.

My instincts kicked in before I was fully conscious. Sensing that someone was too close for comfort. I flung my kunai from under my pillow towards the chakra that I was sensing. I heard the dull thud of the kunai imbedding itself into wood as I actually woke up and looked towards the door. Itachi stood in the doorway, the kunai deeply imbedded in the frame an inch to his right. "So close," Fudo grumbled in my thoughts. "Just one inch and you would have killed him."

"And that would help me how exactly?" I asked sarcastically. I sat up as Itachi retrieved the kunai and approached my bed.

"Fair aim," he said as I took the kunai. "Though next time, don't miss." I glared at him as I stretched.

Itachi watched as the lean muscles in Sakura's body extended and flexed as she stretched. All she wore was a black tank top and shorts and he approved of her choice in color. Her aim with the kunai had been perfectly accurate and it had been his last second dodge that had caused her blade to miss. Had he not had such reflexes, he would have been killed. She reclaimed his attention as she stood and glanced out the window at her dragon. Her eyes glazed over slightly and he could almost see the conversation between them. Yet another secret that she had revealed and he was eager for the next.

"What time is it?" I asked with a yawn. "And why are you here?"

"It is nearing dawn," Itachi replied simply. "I came to wake you so that we may begin our mission early."

I glared at him. I hated mornings, particularly early mornings. Not to mention that back to back ANBU missions didn't allow for sleep and I was running on minimal hours of sleep. "Is walking mandatory or may we fly?"

"It does not matter so long as we achieve the mission," he replied as he leaned against side of the bed with his arms crossed. The gleam in his eye making me feel like prey.

I glared at him again. "I am not prey, Itachi-san," I growled at him. "Do not treat me as such."

His gaze sharpened and he looked almost amused though he hadn't moved a muscle. "Why not?" he baited, his tone smooth and deep.

"Because people who do, quickly find out how wrong they were. Painfully," I hissed at him as I clenched my fists.

His eyes flickered down to my fists before meeting my gaze. His gaze was hot and there was something about it that bothered me that I couldn't put my finger on. "May I speak with you privately?" he asked.

I glanced at Fudo, who nodded and disappeared. Once Fudo was out of hearing range and distracted, I nodded at Itachi. "What do you want?" I asked him as I crossed my arms, kunai still lightly gripped in my hand.

"I will need your sizes to get you a cloak," he said as he glided forward.

I narrowed my eyes at him as he stepped into my personal space. "Take your best guess," I said with a roll of my eyes.

He stopped a hair's breadth from me and I could feel his head seeping into my skin. I looked up at him and gripped the kunai tighter. His eyes held a warmth that I had not seen from many others. There was almost approval deep in his onyx orbs. But it was the fact that he was actually seeing me that made me tense. People only saw me when I was in battle as their opponent and trying to kill them. But even my enemy didn't have that approval that I sensed from him when I didn't back away and met his gaze. He slowly reached up and brushed some of my hair back from my face, holding a strand in between his fingers. I held his gaze as his eyes slowly bled red and his pupil split into three tomoe. I wouldn't let him intimidate me with his eyes nor would I let him treat me like prey.

Itachi watched as she met his challenge and didn't back away. He felt a sharp hunger as she challenged him to treat her as an equal and knew that some of that hunger and approval had leaked into his gaze. She had set the bar high during their fight and he couldn't remember the last time someone actually hit him with enough force to break a rib. She really was accomplished. He let his gaze travel down her body and back up. The slight glimmer of black caught his attention as his gaze rose to meet her's again. Tilting his head, he grabbed her left arm and turned it so that he could see the familiar black spiral on her upper arm. His eyes narrowed. She was ANBU.

He glanced up at her and she met his gaze, a challenge in her eyes. She no doubt knew that he himself had been in ANBU and was challenging what he thought about her being from the same organization. He kept her gaze and slowly let her arm slide from his grip. Yet another surprise from her. His hunger grew and he leaned in slowly, his eyes flickering down to her lips. He smirked as he heard her breath catch but felt more approval as she did not back away from him. He let his lips ghost over hers, a faint caress that hardly had any pressure.

I could barely think as Itachi's lips brushed over mine. His heat was all I could feel and a part of me that I had never known existed wanted more of him. Closing my eyes, I sighed and leaned into his kiss, one of my hands tangling in his hair. The silky strands seeped through my fingers like water as I gripped them and pulled him closer. I heard his sharp inhale as I kissed him in return before my back slammed into the wall.

He pressed into me and held my face between his hands. I shivered as I realized how much control he had over me by literally holding my life in his hands. His tongue traced my lip before he changed his angle and pressed for more. When I didn't open for him, he moved to my throat and pressed searing kissed down to my shoulder, nibbling as he went. I gripped his hair tighter and bared my throat to him with a moan as he focused on the junction between my shoulder and neck.

Finally, he pulled back and his sharingan had darkened from a blood red to a deep maroon from arousal. His eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger that I wanted to snap. He took a slow step back, releasing me in a way that felt like stepping from warm water, and smirked. "I shall return with your cloak," he said smoothly, his voice deep and rough. Without another glance, he turned and walked from the room.

I stared at the door, trying to process what had just happened. I knew enough about Uchiha Itachi to know that he excelled at mind games and I felt like I was in the middle of one such game. What was he playing at though, I wondered to myself. Uchiha Itachi never played just to play the game according to his reports. He played to learn something and he always got his answer. Shaking my head, I began to dress as Fudo returned. With a quick glance into my thoughts, he knew that I had been up to no good and was blocking him. "Figured it out yet?" he asked in amusement.

I turned and glared at him as I pulled my hair into a ponytail. "What are you talking about?" I growled.

I could hear the laughter in his thoughts. "You are not even curious as to that foreign part of yourself?" he baited.

Tilting my head at him, I considered what he was saying. The foreign part of myself... something about me that was new... the part of me that wanted Itachi even though I knew that he could risk my entire mission, I suddenly realized. "What are you suggesting?" I asked of him, knowing that he had caught on to my thoughts.

"It doesn't seem familiar to you at all?" he probed.

"No," I hissed as I glared at him. "Just spit it out."

Fudo laughed and said the one word that I never expected. "Mates," he laughed.

"Mates..." I murmured in confusion. I knew that dragons had mates but surely he couldn't mean... "Holy shit, Uchiha Itachi is my mate?!"

Itachi walked down the hall towards his room with a smirk on his face. She was going to be joy to learn and make his. He already relished how she challenged him as he did her and it was refreshing to have someone stand up to him instead of giving in to his every whim. Opening his door, recalled the way that she had looked after their kiss. Her skin flushed from desire, her lip swollen from his kiss, small marks at the base of her neck. Her shallow breathing as she held his stare as he backed away, realizing his control was not what it should be for him to be engaging her in such a way. He had kissed and slept with many women but none had ever caught his interest like Sakura had.

Shaking his head, he grabbed the stack of clothes that he had gathered for her and turned to glare at the person who dared to enter his room. There was really only one person stupid enough to do so. "Where have you been?" Orochimaru asked pleasantly.

Itachi just glared at the man. Orochimaru wasn't worth his time and should be killed. He had targeted Sasuke, and it was only thanks to Sakura, that Orochimaru didn't have full control of Sasuke. Itachi really needed to thank her properly for that.

"No answer?" Orochimaru cooed. "That is just like you, Itachi-kun. I want you to deliver a message to your partner, if you would."

Itachi stared at Orochimaru. "What would that be?" he asked coolly.

"Tell Sakura that she had better watch her back," Orochimaru smiled as he turned to walk out of the room. "She took something from me and I intend to return the favor."

Itachi glared at the man until he disappeared from his sight. What had it been that she had taken, he wondered as he stared at the door. He thought over everything that had been said about Sakura since she had met them yesterday. Finally, he knew that Sakura had taken Sasuke from Orochimaru. That sharp hunger lit his belly again as he realized that she had single-handedly saved his little brother from Orochimaru. He really need to show his gratitude to her for that and he would enjoy every minute of it.

A knock at my door pulled me from my racing thoughts. I opened the door to reveal the subject of those thoughts on the other side holding a stack of clothing. "Yes?" I asked, trying to portray a calm that I did not feel.

"Here are your clothes and cloak," he said holding the clothes up. Nodding, I took them from him and tried to ignore the sharp gleam in his eyes. "I also have a message."

I looked up at him, momentarily distracted from Fudo's observations. "What is it?" I asked in curiosity.

"Orochimaru said for you to watch your back," He murmured as that gleam grew. "He will exact payment for that which you took from him."

I glared at Itachi. Orochimaru wouldn't know what happened if he decided to take me on. Sasuke had been part of my team, my family, at one point and, though I did not love him in a romantic way, he was still a brother like Naruto was. "It was within my power to bring Sasuke home," I told him. "All I did was gain permission to do so."

Itachi nodded and looked like he wanted to add something but stopped himself when he noticed Fudo move in the window. "Be ready in ten minutes," he ordered. "I will be waiting for you."

Nodding, I closed the door and dressed quickly as my earlier thoughts returned. How was Itachi my mate? Why did I even have a mate? How would I complete my mission now? Glaring at Fudo for his amusement, I grabbed my pack and walked outside. Itachi stood at Fudo's side, waiting patiently for me, his cloak collar covering everything but his eyes. Nodding at him, I climbed onto Fudo's back and waited for Itachi to sit behind me. I bit back a curse as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to his solid body as Fudo stood and prepared to jump into the sky. That unfamiliar part of me relished in Itachi's touch and I studied it closely. It was warm and comforted by his presence but it was not a weak part of me. Surely, Fudo was joking. Uchiha Itachi couldn't be my mate... Could he?

A/N: And that concludes another chapter. Please REVIEW and let me know what you are thinking. I do not have a beta reader and from here on there will be original aspects to the story. Please let me know what you think. Hopefully, I will have the next chapter for you soon.