Author's Notes: Whee! People actually like the story, I'm so happy. Well anyways, it took me awhile (well, not really) to write chapter two because I had a sudden case of writers block. Anyways, here's chapter two. Many thanks to my muse, Katherine. She has helped me tons with this story!

She had to ask.

"Tsunade-shishou, I need a favor to ask you."

She had to take the risk.

Tsunade looked up. "What favor, do you speak of?"

Sakura clenched her left hand into a fist, while the other was placed on Tsunade's desk. Her eyes, were no longer illuminated with happyness, or sadness. But with determination, and a spic of anger. Tsunade could read her apprentice, and was ready to hear whatever she needed to ask for. "Tsunade-shishou.."

"Hmm?" the suspense was killing her. She had more papers to file, but hated the work so decided this could make a perfect excuse for not giving them in on time. "I don't have all day, or all night, Sakura. I still have to finish these by tomorrow. Unless, you want to file them for me?"

She shook her head. "It's, not that. Tsunade-shishou I want you to..let.."

There's no turning back, it was now or never!

She summoned all of her courage. "Please, let me speak with Uchiha Itachi".

"A Beautiful Mind"

Chapter two: First Meeting

With those words, the Godaime was utterly stunned. Tsunade looked at her apprentice with the strangest look on her face. She stood up from her chair and walked towards her apprentice. Unsure, exactly why Sakura wanted to speak with the elder Uchiha but curious to find out. "Why?" she crossed her arms underneath her chest, and kept those eyes on her.

"I have my reasons.."

'But I don't know why I'm so strongly supporting them...'

"I see..." Tsunade faced her apprentice, and placed her arm on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Sakura, but your request has been denied."

"B-But Tsunade-Shishou!"

"No buts about it, Sakura. You know exactly what kind of man Uchiha Itachi is. Even knowing that, do you still want to risk your own life speaking to him?"

"But Tsunade-Shishou, please allow me to speak with him. I promise, it'll only be for a couple of minutes!"

"No". Tsunade bluntly said, as she returned back to her seat. "Even with the many wounds on his body, I doubt those wounds won't stop him from killing off anyone who would cross his path." 'I'm surprised he didn't even fight back against the ANBU squad that I sent to capture him. That brat, he's hiding something. I'm sure he wouldn't allow himself to be captured, and especially so easily by only one squad of ANBU members..' "I'm sorry, but you cannot speak with him."

Sakura didn't know what to do. Continue to pester Tsunade to see if through arrogance she'd finally allow her to see him, or just ignore the whole idea and go home. She stood there, clenching her fists as those emerald eyes soon found themselves staring at her master's brown ones. "Tsunade-Shishou..." She wasn't going to beg, but was going to be determined.

Tsunade could tell that her apprentice's eyes soon turned from a pleading to a determined one. 'Just like earlier, when she first asked..'

'No matter how I get the chance to speak with him, I have to! This might be my only chance. Who knows what will happen to him?' "Tsunade-Shishou, please allow me to speak with Uchiha Itachi. I beg of you!"

Tsunade just had it up to here. It seemed that her apprentice was being stubborn, and it was time to show her who was the one in charge. "Sakura!". Her tone was so harsh, it made Sakura flinch a bit before looking back at her master. "This is a dangerous S-ranked criminal we're talking about..." She sighed, folding her hands on-top of her desk. "I could have tried to send electricity through his nervous system, but I'm afraid that he would have easily figured out its secret just like that four-eyed brat of Orochimaru's.."

As far as she had to test Tsunade's patience, she wasn't going to give up just yet. "I beg of you, please!" her hands would un-clench themselves, as she began to fidget with the edge of her shirt. "It's really important, and it'll only be for a couple of minutes! I'll make sure to be careful, please Tsunade-Shishou!"

Tsunade sighed, and closed her eyes to think this through. Sakura would be safe if she came down with her, or escorted her with one of the elite jounins...

She was forever curious as to why exactly Sakura wanted to speak with Uchiha Itachi in the first place. 'Why was she so keen on seeing him, anyways?'

"Fine, I'll allow you to go speak with him, but briefly. I'll accompany you down to where he's held, and I'll keep my eye on you from a distance, just in-case he decides to do anything suspicious."

Sakura nodded, she felt like jumping inside knowing that she got her chance but refrained from doing so. "Thank you, Tsunade-Shishou.."

Tsunade stood up, and led her apprentice towards a hallway. The wall, Sakura noticed, was framed with the pictures of the Hokages. The first, the second, the third, the fourth, and Tsunade's picture right along side them. Tsunade approached the wall, and removed the second's frame. Behind the frame was a key-hole and Tsunade began to fiddle with her pockets until she finally found the key. Once the key was placed inside the lock, the wall would shift and create a passageway.

"This is where we keep any S-rank criminals that we happen to stumble upon. Most of them were already executed years ago. The others are still at large.." Tsunade remarked as they proceeded. Sakura could tell that this passageway was created years ago, probably when the First Hokage had founded and established Konoha village. The walls were covered with spider webs, while the floor was dirty and full of soot. There were candles lit up placed on the walls, and many doors. Most of the doors had "x"s placed upon them.

Sakura assumed that meant that the person who once inhabited that room was already dead. It didn't take Tsunade and Sakura that long to reach a door that looked new. Infront of door, were paper seals, to keep anyone from intruding except for those who could remove them. Tsunade quickly removed all the paper seals, and then looked at her apprentice.

"I don't even know why you want to speak with him, but just be careful.."

Sakura nodded. "Don't worry Tsunade-Shishou, I'll make sure to make it quick."

Tsunade nodded. "I have faith in you, Sakura. Just be careful, alright? If anything happens, I'll sense his chakra and I should be able to help you."

Sakura nodded once more. "Thank you, Tsunade-Shishou" she remarked.

Tsunade took no time placing her hand on the doorknob, and opening the door.

It was pitch-black, except for the small rays of light that came from a small, barred window. Sakura gulped, and entered slowly. With each step she took, she felt herself become frightened. Here she was, a Jounin, going to speak with an S-ranked criminal. 'What was I thinking!' but she couldn't back down now, she was so close...

It didn't take her long to finally see the figure of that who was known as Uchiha Itachi. The closer she got, the closer she could see him. He looked almost half-dead. His arms were chained against the wall, and his head was bowed low. She could notice a few scars and bruises on his body, most likely from the confrontation he had with the ANBU squad, leading to his capture.

She was startled when his head suddenly rose, those dark onyx eyes glancing at her bright, emerald ones. He was intrigued that he had a visitor, especially this girl whom he had never seen before. He was expecting no visitors, besides either the Godaime telling him his sentence, or some jounins to torture information out of him. "Who is there?" his voice was low, almost like a whisper, but calm at the same time.

Sakura stepped back a bit, her heart beating faster than it was earlier. "Ha-Haruno, Sa-Sakura.." she paused for a few seconds to catch her breath, and then continued. "I am..on the same team cell as your..brother.."

"I see..." was all he replied, until he continued a minute later. "Are you here to seek revenge on behalf of my foolish little brother?" she couldn't tell whether he smirked or not, but Sakura wasn't about to let her guard down.

"I'm not seeking revenge. I'm only here to ask you a question, and a favor."

He didn't respond, but only looked at her.

She didn't know whether to take this as a good sign, or a bad one. Either way, there was no turning back now. "Uchiha Itachi.." she started. She clenched her fists, "S-ranked criminal. The man who single-handedly killed his entire clan only leaving behind his only brother, Uchiha Sasuke. Later abandoned Konoha, marking himself as a missing-nin. Joined the terrorist group, Akatsuki and "

"There's no need to repeat what is already known.." he interrupted. He continued to glance at her, "Tell me, Sakura-chan, what do you seek from me before I lose my patience?"

As much as she wanted to speak, she couldn't. She froze at that very spot, almost intimidated by how Itachi could threaten her, but keep such a 'cool' expression on his face. It took her awhile before she could respond back. She gulped, forming a bulb shape on her throat as the sweat began to drip from her temple, down towards her chin. "Why.." she began, "Why did you keep Sasuke-kun alive?"

Sakura had to admit that she was always curious as to why Itachi even kept Sasuke alive. Itachi had many chances to kill his brother, but never did. Of course, she always accepted the fact that mental torture, was worse than death. She never felt such a feeling, but wouldn't want to experience it.

It took a while for him to respond back. During the whole time there was silence between them, Itachi kept his head turned the other way, as if he was pondering the same question in that mind of his. He finally faced her, and for the first time during their 'conversation', Itachi smirked. "My foolish little brother...Sasuke, he isn't even worth killing. He's weak and pathetic. Even after I told him to hate and detest me, he still is weak."

She moved a bit closer in a defensive manner. "I'm sure, that there's another reason why you would keep your only brother a"

"There is no reason" he remarked, interrupting her once again.

She never believed her heart could beat as fast it did right then and there. Her body began to quiver, as she froze. It was as if the moment she first placed her eyes on him, she was caught in his 'illussion'.

A couple of minutes later, he broke the silence that loomed over them. "You intrigue me, Sakura-chan."

She looked at him, and tried to calm herself down a bit.

"You came all this way to ask a question that you already knew the answer to. Besides that..." he took a couple of seconds to examine her figure. She was shaking, sweating and her heart was undoubtely beating faster than it usually did. "You are afraid of me.."

'Why...Why can't I move? I keep trying to move, but I can't! I keep trying to speak, but the words won't come out..'

So this was the man known as Uchiha Itachi...

"Don't worry..."

She looked at him, almost as if those words were foreign for a man of his calibur.

"In my current state, I can't even lay a finger on you.." he moved his wrists a bit. "I can tell in your eyes, that your soul is in agony.."

She blinked. 'In agony...'

And it was all because of one man, Uchiha Sasuke.

Even after all these years, her heart still yearned for him. She would always think of the day Sasuke would say those three words. Those three words alone, coming from him, would make her the happiest woman alive.

That day never came...

It never would come...

And It was all because of this man, Uchiha Itachi.

A tear would escape from her eyes, before Itachi spoke once more. "A beautiful kunoichi such as yourself shouldn't be so sad.."

She looked at him, once more as if his words were foreign. 'Beautiful...?'

She couldn't take it anymore. She hated how he seem to be toying with her emotions. "What do you know!" she gasped for breath, before continuing this time, her voice was louder. "Do you even know of the sadness and agony that you placed your only brother in!"

Itachi did not respond for awhile. Silence loomed over the two once more. She sniffled a bit, removing traces of tears that were left on her cheeks.

"It seems..." he began, breaking the silence once more. "that you care a lot about my little brother."

She glanced at him, wiping the last tears away with her fist.

"Tell me, do you love him?"

Now it seemed like he truly was trying to get to her head. She didn't respond back, and just stood there. Hopefully he would change the subject before he forced the answer out of her. She didn't know why she hesitated. Perhaps out of fear? or was it something else that made her stop?

"You have already asked the question, now what is the favor?"

Once again, Sakura found herself taking longer that she actually should before responding back. "If you ever escape, please leave Sasuke-kun alone.."

He smirked. "What makes you think I'll even have a chance to see my little brother again? can't you see, that I'm chained against the wall, and my sentence will probably be given to me in a couple of days?"

"I know that you can escape, an S-ranked criminal can't be hold down for so long.."

He was pleased, but showed no emotion. It was as if she was urging him to escape, for what reason? he did not know. "You think so? my reputation exceades me."

"Will you?"

"On one condition..."

She waited. She hoped it wasn't something vile or, even worse.

"Only if you came to visit me.."

For some reason, a few tints of rogue found themselves on Sakura's cheeks. He wasn't serious, was he?

Woah, this was a pretty long chapter! (Well, I thought so..). There was more to this chapter, actually. But I didn't want to make it, longer than it already was. I'm terribly sorry if Itachi's extremely OOC, I tried my best. (I even watched the episodes he showed up in over and over, to try and get his character a bit..) So, there's chapter 2. Chapter 3 should hopefully be up by next week.