As promised, new chapter up! I am so happy I have been able to keep up with my biweekly uploads. Please keep supporting, and let me know what you think! It smashes through that writer's block.

I had one reader ask if I could space things out a bit more, to make it easier to read. Let me know if this works!

Thanks again! Read & Review. Constructive criticism acceptable, but no flames please.

Chapter 6: Stroll on the Town

Slang:
Do the bear: Used for couples doing affectionate things. Like kissing.

It frustrated Sakura that she could not trust her books. Books were a gateway. They offered her freedom as a young, sheltered child and allowed her to experience the world through its pages. She was allowed to sit in on some college classes in the city, but that was only because she had impressed her father with the knowledge she learned from his textbooks. Even then, she was not deemed an official student, and could not participate in the class. Just sit in the back and listen. Books also gave Sakura privacy. A secret kept between her and something that could not gossip. There was no one to judge her interests. The solitude could get lonely, but she had her book club. She could talk with her peers about books they were mutually interested in, although most of the time the discussions turned to other things.

Her new interest complicated that relationship she had trusted for so long. Conflicting material that should be considered ludicrous on top of rough translations were what she was dealing with. Along with no one she could ask. Would the authors be any more credible anyways? Someone out there had to know. She was not the only one dealing with this. There were occultists, paranormal investigators, even professors, but she had no way of knowing who was credible and who was a kook. Sakura thought of the old lady in Romania who had gifted her the necklace. She would know. She was so far away though, and Sakura did not know the first thing about her. No name. No address. No way to contact that strange lady that ended up saving her life.

"Sakura? Are you even listening?" Sakura blinked. Her best friend, Ino Yamanaka, sat across from her with a scowl on her pretty face.

"Careful, that could give you wrinkles." Sakura teased. Ino rolled her eyes. "My mom also says your eyes could get stuck if you roll them too much." She added.

"If they do, it is because I have to deal with such a smartass." Ino replied with a smirk.
Ino was dressed in an elegant cornflower blue dress that accentuated her tiny waist. Her hair was like white gold, and her dress matched her eyes perfectly. Ino was Sakura's oldest and dearest friend; they had been best friends since they were old enough to attend luncheons. The two women perched in the tearoom, a small cove that branched off the dining room. It had large paneling windows that showed the gardens out back. It was one of Sakura's favorite rooms, next to the library. Edmond had already prepared the room when they entered. Scones and biscuits were on the display, and Edmond brought in the teapot, pouring the first cup of tea.

Ino was perfectly poised as she took a sip of her tea and Sakura did her best to imitate. Ino excelled at etiquette; she enjoyed being a socialite and just like Sakura's mother, she was good at it. The main difference between Ino and her mother was that Ino liked Sakura the way she was, while her mother always chastised her to be more interested in 'ladylike' things.

It was perfectly respectable for a lady to value intelligence. Sakura wanted to use hers for something other than typical expectations.

"So, what were you saying before that was so boring that I spaced off?" Sakura prodded. On her plate sat an untouched scone, finger sandwich, and a handful of berries. She popped a berry in her mouth.

"Nothing of importance apparently." Ino said grumpily. "Just asked how things were with Jiraiya and Naruto back. I know it drives your mother crazy sometimes."

"She is too preoccupied dealing with their wild ways to bug me, so it is like a vacation. Jiraiya has left again, but Naruto thankfully stayed behind. He spends too much time away these days and I miss him terribly."

Ino gave her a prodding look. "You do realize Naruto's sweet on you? And you just goad him on, the poor thing." She rose her hand to her chest as she said it.

"What?" Sakura huffed in disbelief. "You are pulling my leg."

"I am not. Do you not see how he dotes on you?"

"I guess…it has never occurred to me." Sakura thought about it. As she did, her eyes widened as if a curtain had lifted. It had never crossed her mind that he thought of her in such a way. Even if adopted, she had only seen him as her cousin. Often, more like a big brother. Now, with the veil lifted, she did see some things that could hint that he had more than platonic feelings.

"Well what do you expect me to do?" Sakura asked earnestly. Ino shrugged, her teacup swinging as she gestured.

"I do not know, do the bear? Get married to the man who you know will take care of you." She suggested.

Sakura was physically taken back by the suggestion. Her nose crinkled. "Ino, I do not see him like that. I do not have those feelings for him."

Ino waved her off and took a delicate sip of her tea. Then she smiled slyly. "You do not have to; you have a man who has money and is obviously willing. Is that not enough?"

Sakura pursed her lips. "You are exasperating, you know that?"

"I am aware." Ino giggled. "Seriously though, you have never thought of Naruto in a sexual way? Not once? He is a handsome man."
An image of Naruto chopping wood shirtless drifted through her mind. She shook it off.

"Of course not. He is my cousin." Sakura stressed.

Ino leaned forward. The corset of her dress was not a low cut, but her breasts were so ample that even Sakura noticed them. Her own chest felt tiny and sad in comparison, although her mother had commented that they were a nice, 'average size'. Sakura had blushed and practically run from embarrassment. "Jiraiya adopted Naruto when he was ten, but you did not meet him until he was twelve and you were eleven, right?"

"Yeah. Uncle Jiraiya was travelling and writing a book I believe. Naruto had recently lost his parents and lived in an orphanage in _. They met when he tried to steal Jiraiya's wallet."

"Twelve is plenty old enough to have a crush on a pretty girl." Ino reasoned. "Maybe he has never thought of you as cousin."

Ino did make sense, but Sakura still felt like pushing back. "But...I...I have never noticed. Would I not have noticed his feelings?"

Ino cocked her head to the side. "That is because you are naïve." She said simply, then grabbed a biscuit off the tray.

"Hey!" Sakura barked, offended. "I will have you know that I have been courted before, and we kissed a handful of times!" Sakura retorted and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Ino giggled. "Oh gosh, I remember Henry! You two were so sweet. Tis a shame he was kind of a prick."

Sakura sighed. Henry had been nice at first. He seemed to like that she was different, at first. Then he had started talking down to her in front of others and treating her differently. Apparently, her interests had just been amusing to him. He had been such a disappointment. Unfortunately, once that had started happening to her, she noticed the small acts between some husband and wives that were similar. It was common, but she did not want that for herself. Ironically, he had broken it off between them because of her 'mouth'. More like because she had a backbone.

There were more attributes than money and status to consider when selecting a husband. She wanted love. Respect. If that made her 'difficult' then so be it. It may have been irritating the way Ino teased her, but there was some truth to it. Sakura did not have much experience flirting, and her excursion with Henry had worsened her confidence in it. Sakura brought this up, and Ino was more than happy to help Sakura learn how to lure men.

"Just give them a little something and they will fall all over you. So many women are much too rigid, so if you give em a little tug they will go down without a fight."

Sakura gasped, not expecting the conversation to get explicit so quickly. "Ino, you scoundrel. You haven't! Have you?" She leaned in, curious.

"Of course not! I said 'give them a little tug'." Ino made a jerking motion with her hand.

"Pft." Sakura held in a laugh. Then bashfully said, "Oh my goodness, so...you have seen one."

Ino fanned herself, obviously enjoying her attention. "Why yes, I have."

Sakura gasped again, so dramatically that Ino broke her pompous act and giggled into her fan.

"Ugh. This subject makes me uncomfortable…but I want to know more." Sakura said.

Ino continued her recount. "They have to be really special of course. I have a duke chasing after me all because I dared to brush my hand against his pants. Well, he was entranced by my beauty first, but my hands had him coming for more."

Sakura could not imagine herself being so bold. 'So much for ladylike' her mind snorted. She had a feeling that what Ino was telling her was…a bit too much. She did not bother to say as much though, and instead said "I'm jealous, you have men eating out of the palm of your hand."

Ino made a jerking motion.

"You're ridiculous." Sakura cackled. Ino wiggled her brow suggestively.

"He's coming to the ball you know." Ino told her proudly. "To see me."

Sakura loudly groaned. She'd forgotten all about the upcoming founder's ball, due for the end of the month. London had their Founder's ball, which was extravagant and what Applegate modeled their's after. She had gone a few times. A smaller scale but still bothersome. "I am not looking forward to it."

"Why not? You always look so beautiful." Ino questioned. They both knew that Sakura did not care much for parties, but Ino still tried to encourage her that they could be enjoyable.

"Because my mom hauls me around like a show pony, that is why."

"Well, if you marry a certain someone then she would have no reason too." Ino teased. She brought her scone to her lips and gave Sakura the side eye. "Or maybe, you are interested in something new?"

"Something new?"

"Your newest neighbor. Count Uchiha."

Sakura snorted. "Not at all."

"Come on. I believe your ignorance of Naruto's feelings, but you cannot tell me that you did not notice such a prepossessing man."

"All the women in Applegate noticed." Sakura deadpanned. "But no one knows what is underneath the superficial. So far, his personality is unattractive."

"You seem to be the only one that thinks so." Ino said curiously. "I have heard he is quite the charmer."

"More like a snake charmer." Sakura muttered.

"Ha! Why are trying so hard to dislike him?" Ino inquired.

'If only I could tell you.' "Can you just trust me on this?"

Ino waved her fingers and sighed. "Fine fine. I have the Duke to entertain anyways. He is no interest to me."

Sakura narrowed her gaze. Ino had a good heart, she knew that. Yet, she knew that Ino could be superficial and attention seeking. Ino liked men chasing her. Even if she had no intention of courtship. She collected them flies. Sakura did not agree with it. It was not right when it happened to women, and she also believed it was not right for it to happen to men. Sakura believed in true connection and love. Perhaps that was 'naïve' of her, but she knew it to be possible.
She could see the flash in Ino's eyes when she had mentioned Sasuke. She fed off powerful men falling all over her, and Sakura had a sneaking suspicion that Ino wanted to add another. Perhaps Sakura should have shown interest in Sasuke. That might have deterred her friend. 'Great. Another thing to worry about.'

Sakura was out in the gardens, trying to quell her turbulent mind, when she saw a carriage pull in front. Shifting on her stone seat, she watched her cousin throw open the carriage door and rush out. Worry filled her, was something wrong? She closed her book and stood, intending to meet him in the foyer. Once she got there, she found him frantically talking to the maid.

"Do you know where Sakura is?" He asked Matilda.

"I am right here Naruto." Sakura said as she walked into the room. Naruto rushed to her. Something was wrong. He was out of breath and excitable. "What is it? What is wrong?"

"Nothing! Tis good news!" He reached out and grabbed her shoulders. "It is Mrs. Wilson; she has been found." He told her.

"What?" She said breathlessly. "Thank goodness."

"Yes. They found her just this morning. I knew her disappearance worried you, so I rushed here to put your mind to rest."

"Thank you." She said and hugged him. It should be enough just to know that Mrs. Wilson was safe, but she had inquiries. Pulling away, she asked "Do…do you know what happened to her?"

"Only from what the other men have told me. A watch salesman found her in the early morning hours as he got into town. She was unconscious and propped against the tree. They say she was so pale that he thought she was dead. Then she made a sharp noise and he rushed to help. She had some scratches, they think from her wandering in the woods, and she is under the weather, but she seems fine. They believe it was a bout of hysteria."

As she listened, she could not help but think about what Ino and her had discussed about him. She was hyperaware of his hands lingering at her waist, where before she would not have given it a second thought. "I am so glad." She stated, stepping back to fully pull away. "So, they did not find anything else wrong with her?" She prodded.

"No." Naruto confirmed. He picked up on her wariness. A lot of people were still recoiling from London's notorious killings, who they had dubbed 'Jack the ripper'. Women especially were fearful that it could happen to them, and Applegate was not from London. "You have no reason to worry Sakura. Even if something had happened to her, I would always protect you."

Naruto looked into her eyes when he said that. Now she saw it how he looked at her. His admiration was not platonic in the slightest. Ino was right.
He misunderstood her questions and worries, naturally. She could not tell him that she thought it might have been a vampire attack, and there was no way to casually ask if, by chance, she had major blood loss without any noticeable wounds. Or ask if there were to pinpricks, the size of teeth, anywhere on her body. It hurt her that she could not confide in the people she held dear, but perhaps distancing herself from Naruto was needed. If Ino was right about Naruto's feelings, then she could be right that Sakura was unknowingly leading him on.
'Just keep adding more things to worry about in the basket. Eventually it will break.'

The day had started out overcast, but by noon some of the clouds had dissipated and they sky became brighter. Really, it was a perfect day for a stroll, and Hinata had invited Sakura to join in an outing in London. Wanting some semblance of normalcy, she accepted.

The Hyuuga household had the highest status out of all the families in Applegate. Rumor had it that they had lineage with the royal family, though Sakura had never bothered to ask her friend if said rumor was true. Frankly, she did not care. Sakura felt kinship with Hinata because they were both chastised for not meeting standards. In many ways, Hinata faced worse scrutiny from her parents. They believed her meek personality to be a weakness. Hinata confided that often her father was cruel in his critiques. She felt thankful that even if she did argue with her parents, they were never cruel to her. Sakura appreciated the kind and quiet demeanor and made it a point to let her friend know, doing her best to be a supportive friend. It was calming, and in such a noisy and overwhelming society, that trait should be deemed valuable.

They stopped in the dress shop. Lady Hyuuga was looking to have a new dress made before the ball at the end of the month. Sakura felt the silky material of a dress displayed in front as Hinata and her mother talked to the seamstress in the back. Both the Hyuuga women wore purple, but Hinata opted for lighter colors while her mother was covered in a color Sakura only assumed to be called prune. Even so, any shade of purple complimented their dark hair and fair skin.

Hinata's mother turned and caught Sakura's eye. She beckoned her forward with only the corner of her mouth tipped up. Sakura obeyed. Her own mother was warmer than Hinata's, but Lady Hyuuga had the same pull with people. Sakura wanted the woman to like her and respect her. She did not know what the Lady of the Hyuuga house thought of her, but she must have liked her enough since Sakura was joining them on an outing.

Lady Hyuuga also beckoned to someone else. Sakura saw a flash of blonde out of the corner of her eye. Ino was there too, of course. All the ladies loved Ino. At least, all the married women did. Many of the single women, herself included, held a degree of jealousy toward her.

"Girls, Hinata needs your help selecting materials for a new dress while I look for my own. Do you mind?" Lady Hyuuga had used a question, but she expected them to do what she asked.

"Of course not." Ino piped up with a smile.

"We would love to." Sakura added, trying to match Ino's pleasantness.

"Good."

Truly, the women did not need to help much, the seamstress knew what she was doing. She knew the colors, style, and materials to put together that would match Hinata perfectly. So the girls chatted as the materials were pulled.

"I am not sure we should be out shopping at this time." Hinata stated worriedly, twisting the fabric on the front of her dress.

"What is there to worry about? Mrs. Wilson has been found. She was not murdered; she just had a bout of hysteria. Poor thing." Ino replied as she lounged.

"Do you really think that was the case?" Sakura inquired. "Many people still believe in hysteria, but modern science denotes such a thing. What if something happened to her, and she hit her head and cannot remember?"

"No. Does that not also seem like a stretch? Chances are she was drunk out of her mind, wandered into the woods and got lost." Ino tilted her head and gave her a look as she said this. Sakura frowned, then glanced at Hinata. She was already fair skinned, but the healthy pink hue in her face had drained. She heard Ino's message. They were trying to ease Hinata, not scare her more.

'Did the other woman who went missing have a bout of hysteria too, then?' She wanted to retort but kept her lips from forming the words. Not everyone found interest in mysteries. Especially when it hit so close to home, and often they had a dark ending. Hinata had a tender heart, and Ino tended to be incurious unless it was scandalous gossip.
"You are right. It is more probable that she just hit her head." Sakura agreed reluctantly.
The seamstress came back, and they talked of frivolous things while Hinata was measured. 'It is better this way.' She reminded herself, looking down at her interlaced hands. Today was her going back in time, enjoying how things used to be before vampires, ghouls, and werewolves had led her to fearful and sinister curiosities.
It had been two weeks since her father had hosted the gentlemen's club. At first, she had been more than happy to avoid Sasuke at all costs. She had filled her room with crosses, marked the doors with sage, and even planted some ornamental garlic flowers. So far, no one in the home showed signs of a clandestine attack.

Bloodcurdling screaming and gaping wounds was not what she kept an eye out for. Any attack from Sasuke would be like it never happened. Blood loss would cause the color of one's skin to go pale, and they would be dizzy. Often she found herself, when peering over her father's shoulder, also looking at his neck. Would it look like bug bites? The only flesh wound would be a bite wound, and the neck was easy access. However, chances are that any evidence would be cleverly hidden and out of sight.

'Like .'

Her fingers flexed at the sudden thought. Realization filled her. Those symptoms sounded like the 'hysteria' that Mrs. Wilson had went through. She had dismissed the theory before because there were no obvious signs, but with a vampire, there would not be.

"Hello, girls. Are we ready to move on?" Lady Hyuuga asked as she reemerged.

"Yes." The younger women said and followed her out of the store.

'So much for normalcy.' Now that her mind was turning, it would not stop. For the rest of the day, Sakura struggled to remain engaged in their outing. Her old life was being left behind after all. She knew this knew found side of her could turn unhealthy. Obsessive. Dangerous. But, the rebel in her relished the sleuthing. She had always enjoyed a challenging riddle, and she had always faced challenges head on. Therefore, the only way to stop these thoughts from flooding her was to follow through. A new, tortuous path lay before her.

She needed to talk to Mrs. Wilson.

Sakura had a renewed vigor, but she could not just leave. She had come in the Hyuuga's carriage and could not leave without them. Leaving early would also be suspicious and rude. Lady Hyuuga might never let Hinata invite Sakura out again. She would finish her outing, then figure out how to get an audience with Mrs. Wilson. With the threat of rain gone, people freely walked the square. Sakura did her best to live in the moment and enjoy the time with her friends.

She was talking to Ino as they walked when a shoulder bumped into hers from a man walking in the opposite direction. She stumbled a bit and heard a clatter. Looking down, she realized that the man had dropped something.

"Terribly sorry, ma'am." The man apologized. He wore a large hat so Sakura could not see his face, but his tone sounded sincere.

"No worries." She replied. "I think you dropped something." She told him and bent down to pick it up. It looked to be an old watch. She held it out to him. His hand curled over hers, cold and calloused, and he took the watch. All she could see on his face was a crooked smile.

"Thank you." He said and tipped his hat to her before turning and continuing his way. Sakura did the same, hurrying to catch up with her group. They had stopped at a stand selling silk and woven scarves and had not noticed she was not there. Sakura sighed. She did not feel like looking at scarves, or jewelry, or headpieces. Perhaps they could stop at the bakery soon. If memory served right, it was just around the corner. She glanced past the tent and down the street. There should be a sign for the bakery, a red one, just down the way. No sign, but she did spot something unsuspecting.

Sasuke Uchiha, walking amongst the crowd.

He blended well, and Sakura was amazed that she had picked him out of the crowd. Her wore all black, and his hat hid his hair, but there was no denying it was him. 'What is he doing in London?' She wondered. Like always, he walked with purposeful, confident strides. She looked to her friends. They were still preoccupied with their shopping, so engrossed that they had not noticed that Sakura had stopped earlier. When she glanced back, he had gotten farther away. It was getting harder to follow him with her eyes.

'Lord, I am getting more foolish by the day.' She took a few hesitant steps away from the stand, then dove into the crowd after him. The decision to follow him was risky, but if she wanted to learn some of his secrets than risks were needed. She cut through people as smoothly as she could. She got to a comfortable distance where she would not lose him, but he would not see her following him. Her hands shook, but not from fear. She did not understand why she felt giddy, but she did. She had so many questions that she doubted he would answer. If she could answer one, even a small one, then she would.

Sasuke continued to walk through the crowd, passing down the street as the crowds started to get smaller. That made her nervous. She needed them for cover. If they walked out of the crowd, Sakura would have to turn back. She had a misstep, and almost ran into a lady with a small bug-eyed dog. The little dog barked when Sakura accidently stepped on his paw.

"Oh! You poor thing, I am so sorry!" She squatted down as she apologized. The older woman that owned the dog laughed and waved it off. "Dutch has been getting stepped on all day, but he keeps weaving between people's legs. He will learn his lesson eventually."

Sakura apologized once more as she righted herself. The woman and her dog continued walking. Sakura scanned the crowd. 'Damnit. I lost him.' She huffed but was not read to give up. Walking the direction he had been going before, she hoped that she would catch sight of him again. A flower vendor tried to get her attention at his stand but there was no time to stop.

"Sorry, I am looking for somebody." She told him offhandedly, without stopping. She hit the edge of the square and stopped. No crowd here. Just a sparse number of people walking or talking. She folded her arms, her pointer finger tapping her bicep in frustration.

After a few moments, she turned around. This had been a waste of time and she needed to get back to her friends. She started to walk back, roughly remembering the way she had come from.

"Ms. Haruno, a young lady such as yourself should not be walking the streets of London alone."

Sakura whipped around, eyes wide. 'That was Sasuke's voice!' But where was he? She looked all directions. Out of all the people, she did not see him. Her eye caught the colorful flowers at the flower stand again, and there Sasuke was, a perfect contrast in black. The sight was striking, and she was surprised that the flowers did not wilt in his presence. He stood facing the stand, admiring the flowers. The vendor was nowhere to be seen.

Daringly, she stepped closer. "I am not alone; my friends are here."

"Then, where are they?" He asked without looking.

"Looking at scarves." She blurted. "But I wanted to go to the bakery." Goodness, why did she sound like a blithering bafoon? Facing down Sasuke made it hard for her to keep it together. He gave her a knowing side eye.

"You risked following me for a reason, so what is it?" He inquired. So, he knew she was following him. Did he know right away? Sakura shifted her weight from one foot to the other. 'Foolish. I knew it was foolish to follow him, but my body kept going anyways.' She had ignored practicality, and for a moment felt like an adventurous detective out of one of her books. However, they never gotten caught following a suspect. Especially one so dangerous.

Being caught, there was no reason to beat around the bush. "Did you attack Mrs. Wilson?" She asked. She did not want it to sound like an accusation.

"Mrs. Wilson?" He reiterated. Giving her his attention, he faced her fully. Just like in the den, it felt like they were in their own little world, even when hordes of people surrounded them. To distance herself from the tension, she looked at the flowers in the stand. It felt less intimidating if she was not constantly staring into his eyes.

"You know who I am talking about. The woman they are saying had a hysteria fit and got lost in the woods." She expanded, crossing her arms. "Were you not the one that called yourself an apex predator?"

He smirked. "It sounds to me like she had a hysteria fit and got lost in the woods."

"Do not patronize me." She responded, flashing her eyes to his before gluing them back to some hydrangeas. She gave in a bit, feeding into his ego. "You are clever enough to cover your tracks."

"A compliment? That is surprising." He retorted. "Tell me, for what reason would attack this woman I have never met?"

"Do you need a reason? Perhaps you were…hungry. Perhaps she was out, alone, and saw your opportunity."

"If I did that, what would be stopping me from snatching you right now?" He said in a devious. A shiver ran up her spine as he stepped closer. Her fingers gripped her arm, but she held still. Sasuke reached over and picked the flower she had been looking at. He caught her eyes, and smelled it.

"My necklace. And I have a feeling that there is something else you want." She responded. What a strange sight, watching a devilishly handsome man smelling a little flower.

"Perhaps." His smirk widened. "Or perhaps like to bide my time."

'What does that mean?' She found herself thinking that the more she talked with him. He must have been teasing her again, playing his little game. "I have told you before, I am not some toy to play with."

"I do not think of you in such a way. In fact, I think of you much like this flower." He said, looking at the flower again.

"Because I am a delicate woman, weak? That is too cliché, is it not?" She retorted, resisting the urge to snort.

"Resiliency and beauty." He replied and held the flower out to her.

She slowly took it from him, give him a questioning look. Sasuke was truly an enigma. He sounded…sincere, when he said that. Unable to resist the urge, she smelled the sweet flower. She desperately wanted to throw it on the ground and stomp on it, or put it on display by sliding it over her ear.

"There is a piece that you are not considering." He said to her.

"And what is that?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"Your assumption that I am the only vampire that resides here." He pointed out.

She knew that other vampires and supernatural creatures existed, but the thought of more being close and her not even knowing, caused her to still. No. She had not considered that their was anything harmful in Applegate, not before Sasuke. London had a red light district, and had experience those serial murders (The paper had called him a 'serial killer'), and yet the notion of vampires being in London had not crossed her mind. Even if it was a vampire attack, that did not mean that it was Sasuke. She had been narrowminded. The timeline of him showing up just before Mrs. Wilson disappeared…would it not be too much of a coincidence?

Sasuke continued. "While you were following me, did you notice that you were being followed as well?"

"What?" She gasped out, then looked over her shoulder. With a surprisingly delicate tough, he reached out to touch her waist, then shifted. Before she could react with protests, Sasuke whispered in her ear. "Look. Just beyond the blacksmith, past the woman with the powder blue petti coat."

She did look. A man was watching them from afar, standing behind an umbrella stand. She could not help but gasp, her hand raising to her lips, when she recognized him. It was the man she had bumped into earlier. The one that had dropped his pocket watch.

"You excel at placing yourself in precarious situations, Sakura." Sasuke said.

"I…I bumped into that man earlier. He dropped his pocket watch, and I gave it back to him."

"That is no ordinary man." Sasuke told her. His arm encircled her waist as he turned to stand next to her. Then he looked at the man, dead on.

The man was physically jolted, his head snapping back. His face was finally revealed. Underneath the hat he had been hiding red eyes. They were wild, and she saw the intent to hurt in them. Upon seeing Sasuke, it changed. His whole face turned twisted but frightful. He cowered away, shoving his way through the crowd. She could only stand there and watch, amazed. Movement on her side pulled her out of it, and she remembered his hand on her waist. It felt heavy, and her heart rate picked up.

Remembering herself, she put distance between them.

If his goal had been to knock her down a peg, then he had succeeded. How could she ever be prepared to defend against this secret world when she had only seen a snippet? She would never sleep comfortably again, and she mourned the loss heavily.

"You proved your point." She sourly admitted. "I must get back to my friends now."

"By yourself? Let me walk with you."

"No, I will be fine." She said adamantly. She would not trade one danger for another, even if what he had done could be conceived as helping. Picking up her skirts, she boldly turned her back on him and left. She let out a breath she did not know she had been holding when she looked back and could no longer see him.
He was proving a point, she surmised. Showing that he was always one step ahead. The other reason was to show how powerful he was. Even to other vampires. That other vampire had run off at the mere sight of him. She was no match for him.

If he was so powerful, then why not kill her and just be done with it? Why bother with a human woman? What other reason kept him here, in her world where he could mess with her until he got bored playing with his food? Perhaps this was just a past time for him, getting into other's heads. It angered her. Arrogance could be a weakness. It provided opportunity, and she would not play into a role for him. She would push back when she could.

Her hand unconsciously clenched, but feeling the stem, she stopped and looked down. She still had the flower he had given her. Was that a ploy too? If so, he was a good actor. She continued walking, holding the flower more delicately. She looked upon its petals again.

Why was her heart still beating so fast? She was safe now.

Sakura found the other women not too far from the scarves' vendor. Either they moved slow, or the dramatic scene Sakura had been apart of had not lasted long. It was hard to believe, with how profounding it was, that it had only lasted a mere 10 minutes.

Hinata turned and spotted her as she approached. "Sakura!" Hinata moved from the stand to her friend. "Where did you go?"

"I wanted to go to the bakery…" She replied absentmindedly. Something was stirring within her that she did not like.

"Sakura?" She heard Hinata say her name again. She shook her head, trying to clear it. She focused on her friend.

"I am sorry, what is it?"

Hinata frowned. Sakura was not being her sharp, witty self. "Where did you get the flower?" She reiterated.

"I bought it." She stated simply, then stared down at it. Why had she chosen to keep it?

Hinata frowned but did not prod. "Okay. Well, let us hurry to catch up. It looks like Ino and my mother are moving on, and the afternoon is almost over. We should be heading back soon."

"Right." Sakura rejoined the group. Lady Hyuuga and Ino talked enough that it did not come off as strange that Sakura was quiet. Hinata might have noticed, she had stroke up small conversation with her here and there. Her empathetic friend was keener that others were led to believe, but Sakura covered well. She explained that she felt tired. Hinata appeared to believe her excuse, and stopped sneaking concerning glances her way.

The carriage ride to town had felt a little stuffy. It was fuller than before, but the ride back did not feel as cramped. Probably because her mind was far, far away.

Chapter 6 doneeeee