Author's Notes: I didn't get as many reviews as I'd have hoped for, but then again, I made this story just yesterday. I suppose fifty hits in twelve hours isn't too shabby, although I'd like to double that number with this next chapter, if that's possible.

This second chapter may be used as the first for some of you who care nothing of the plotline and merely want some ItaSaku action, although I wouldn't recommend it. Also, I'm aware of who Sasori and Deidara are, but rather or not they shall appear in this little ficlet of mine remains undecided.

Disclaimer: I wish. T.T

Why was it so…cold all of a sudden? Was this what stone began to feel like after a few hours? The flooring was hard, the spaces between the tiles digging into Sakura's backside. Damn it…

Her hands had been bound tightly underneath her, creating a very uncomfortable position to be lying in. The back of one wrist had been bound to the bottom of the other, restricting the blood flow by a great amount as her knuckles dug into said wrist on either side.

She hated being vulnerable like this, not knowing what was going on. All she remembered was the blood raining down, and then that man. Was he connected to Sasuke at all?

When at last she found the strength to open her eyes, she saw that she was indeed locked inside a cell, and a very small one at that. Not only was the ground covered in stone, but also the walls. The room was quite bare, even without windows or lighting. The only thing that remotely interested her or stood out to her at all was the big steel door, barring her escape.

If only she had just a little more chakra, she could get out of here. But for some reason, she felt like something had sucked all of her strength away, like a magnet or a vacuum. But that was impossible…right?

Well, perhaps there was the chance of somebody performing the Chakra Kyuuin no Jutsu, but the pink haired Kunoichi already knew the limit of that attack, and this…this emptiness was something greater. Something stronger.

Her thinking was interrupted by the loud screeching of that certain door opening. Her tired jade eyes darted to the entranceway, spotting someone new.

He was very large, humongous even. Grey-tinged skin, creepy eyes, and…gills? Okay, that was something she didn't see every day. Sakura inwardly shuddered. He carried a small tray of food with him, and looked none too happy about it. His gaze refused to meet Sakura's as he dropped the tray on the floor in front of her.

"How am I supposed to…?" Sakura asked weakly.

The shark man said nothing, but bent down and easily ripped away the ropes that bound Sakura. The pink haired Kunoichi tried to thank him, but his gaze still wouldn't meet hers.

"You look…miffed about something." She said.

He scoffed in angry reply and then turned his large body right out the door again. Sakura shrugged and rubbed her wrists, trying to get the mixture of blood and chakra flowing in them again. They were red and irritated, and stung like hell. But she'd never admit it.

Her jade orbs turned their attention to the food, spotting an apple and some soup, accompanied by a tall glass of liquid. Grape juice? She couldn't tell. A shaking hand reached out to grab the glass, brining it to her mouth as she closed her eyes in anticipation. To her surprise, it tasted fine. Nothing seemed to be wrong with it…but there were poisons out there that could be slipped into an opaque drink.

Sakura shook her head and then reached for the apple. It was golden, that special kind that her family always liked to buy in the summer. She smiled, happy for small miracles, and then took a juicy bite. The apple was rather hard, but it tasted nice all the same.

A little bit of juice trickled from either corner of her mouth, and she wiped it all away with the hem of her borrowed shirt. For the next little while, all she focused on was that apple. Golden, like…Naruto's hair.

Naruto…

The usual hyper blonde had been left to pace around the area when the enemy retreated. He hadn't seen Sakura in a while, and he was pretty sure that Neji and TenTen had also been on the frontline in this mission.

He looked up when he heard footsteps approaching, but kept pacing anyway.

"Naruto," It was Kakashi. Always a good sign, he mused.

"The head count has been completed…" His sempai said uneasily.

"Well?" He asked impatiently.

"Sakura is unaccounted for." Kakashi said, wincing.

"Fuck this!" Naruto cursed, punching the nearest tree. It blew apart into tiny pieces, too many for the human eye to count as they fell. They landed scattered on the ground, and Kakashi suddenly found them very interesting. After all, looking into Naruto's eyes when he was angry was a foolish idea. Not even he, Hatake Kakashi himself, cared to push his luck that far today. He was already physically drained, and inside he was rather pissed off.

"What are we just waiting around for!" Naruto yelled, "Lets go find her already!"

"Genma and I have already looked; the Akatsuki cover their trail too well." Kakashi said firmly.

"So does this mean we're just giving up?"

"No. Never. We will find Sakura, but until then, we need to go and make sure that Tsunade is aware of all of this." Kakashi replied.

Naruto still looked angry, and the silver haired Jounin could tell that his pupil was nearing the point where his special seal would activate—It hadn't done that since before Sasuke left. If Kakashi was one thing, it was observant. The seal's strength worked much like the seal that Sasuke possessed, in the sense that it only remained intact if the vessel's will was strong. Once one gave up hope, the seal would break. Of course, there were also other variables, like personal fatigue and current emotion. Whoever said life was written out in bold letters?

Sakura continued to think about everyone back in Konoha until her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. She may not have even noticed it, had she not been facing the door already.

She hesitated before standing up, only to fall once again. "Uh...C-come in?" She yelled uncertainly.

Her eyes widened when she saw that same man again. She would have claimed he was Sasuke, but she knew better this time.

"…Who…?" She began slowly.

Before she even had time to blink, he was right in front of her.

'His movement…'

"Are you inured?" He asked curiously, after observing her features for a moment. His dark ponytail fell over his shoulder as he turned his head. He didn't really sound like he cared, he only wanted to know. To be in control.

Sakura had been about to answer, until the man's hand shot out and grabbed one of her wrists. She hadn't noticed until she felt the skin on skin contact.

"Let go of me or I'll…I'll uh…I'LL KILL YOU!"

He ignored her and began feeling the tender bits of skin that had been ripped at the time that the rope was applied. The cuts had only grown deeper when Kisame had ripped the binds off earlier. Sakura flinched from his touch, even though it felt nice. His touch was so soft…so gentle. But still, he was a killer; she'd do well to keep that in mind.

She wrenched her arm from his grasp and blew on it in an attempt to ease the searing pain. God, it felt like he broke her arm or something! "Who are you?" She asked coldly.

He didn't answer right away, as he had now grabbed her opposite wrist and was examining it. He, of course, already knew that she was a healer, but maybe Kisame had been a tad bit overly assertive this time. Sakura felt the heat of chakra pushing its way under her skin every time he touched her. She wanted to kill him every time she felt that strange sensation, and silently found herself wondering if normal people felt this way whenever her chakra violated them.

"My name by birth was Uchiha Itachi, but I no longer hold bonds to my family, nor did I ever when they were among the living, Sakura."

Funny…Sakura didn't remember giving her name. But then again, she didn't remember being brought here, either.

"What?" She asked, completely caught off guard.

"My family members are all deceased." Itachi said.

"I'm…sorry." Uchiha…he must be Sasuke's elder. But that meant that he was also the one who had killed them all. Of course. Honestly, didn't killers hold even the slightest remorse these days? "Don't you feel bad about…what you did?" She continued.

"Should I? We are Shinobi, each of us a killer. Knowing the victim does not change the circumstances."

"Prick." She didn't know what to think now, but could somehow feel Itachi smiling—no, smirking. She forgot; Uchiha don't smile.—under his cloak.

"You are a hypocrite, Sakura. Can you honestly tell me that you have never killed an acquaintance in the line of duty?" He said.

Sakura looked down, feeling the slightest tinge of heat possible in her cheeks. Why did she feel so stupid in front of people like him? It was the same with everyone stronger than her: Kakashi, Shizune, Tsunade…even Naruto, sometimes. And that was pretty sad.

Itachi's smirk seemed to grow.

"What? What's wrong with you all of a sudden?" Sakura asked nervously.

The Uchiha prodigy didn't reply, but she knew what he meant just by looking at him. "Why am I here?" She asked quietly.

"Details come later." Sakura decided not to ask what he meant by that.

When he, that…jerk, was finished with her wrists, he looked down at the unfinished tray of food.

"We didn't poison it." He said softly, staring at the soup that remained untouched.

Sakura laughed nervously. "Want some?"

Itachi's Sharingan turned to look at her again and Sakura gazed into them. The kaleidoscope wheel was new to her; she'd never seen a true Mangekyou before, although she knew that her old sensei had acquired it recently. The beauty of the Sharingan was unmatched in her opinion, because she loved that deep, deep shade of red.

Sakura blinked. "Gomen…I…I didn't mean to stare."

Itachi remained expressionless. 'Is he that much like Sasuke?' The pink haired girl wondered. Maybe for now—just for a little while—she'd stay and find out. After all, she didn't even know what they wanted her for yet, right? They probably already knew she was a healer, but hadn't mentioned it yet. Maybe it had slipped someone's mind? No; with an organization that housed a member as intelligent as Uchiha blood lived up to be, their leader must be quite a character.

And surely there were other members…?

(A/N) Blech, still not nearly as long as I'd have liked. Oh well, I promise to make the next couple chapters extra long for you guys. …And for myself, but only since it bothers me that this is the most I can write. The third chapter will probably jump ahead about a month or so, just so you know. And it may take me more than a week to update this time, because my dad doesn't own a computer at his house. Sorrrrry.

Thanks for reading!

-Love from Kad, (who also hopes you'll review for her.) xD