Sasori waited until he was sure Sakura was in bed and asleep for the night before going to the parking lot. He got down on his hands and knees, slid under her car and searched by feel until he found the GPS device screwed into the frame of her car near the trans. Uchiha were so damn predictable. He unscrewed the device with the leatherman he always had on him and pocketed it. Listening to make sure no one would see him he slid back out from under her car and up the stairs to his apartment.

He laid the device out on his kitchen table and inspected it. Not bad he thought, but not good enough. He took the small device, left his apartment and placed it on the ground near the edge of the building closest to the parking lot and buried it. No doubt there was also a listening device in the vehicle but he would need to be in the car to locate it, he would wait.

Sasori wasn't sure how much she knew about the Uchiha but he was sure she didn't think to check for cameras, voice recorders or GPS monitors in her new car. He didn't mind doing it for her though.

He wondered how her stay in Konoha had gone. She seemed genuinely happy to see him when she had gotten home. He was pleased she liked his painting. Sasori could tell something had happened and it wasn't the car. Speaking of the car, he thought darkly to himself, who did Madara think he was kidding, getting her that car. It wasn't practical, it was far too expensive for a gift from a family member and it was obvious.

The man wasn't known for subtle so it wasn't a surprise to him when he had seen her drive up in it, but it was a sure sign that Madara was trying to visibly stake his claim on the girl. Sasori smirked as he turned his bed down for the night. The man didn't know the girl, his girl very well. She was not impressed with expensive gifts or grand gestures. She respected reality, sincerity and the truth.

Some truths were harder to see than others, which is why he would help her. He would help her to see the truths in herself and in others. Like how he had helped her see the truth in Sasuke, by sending Karin to drug and seduce him. Karin hadn't wanted to do it but blackmail was such a useful tool. Her father owed a large sum of money to his father and when Sasori took over the books he made Karin's dad a very generous offer. His daughter's assistance for a clear bill. She had done a wonderful job. Honestly, it had been too easy.

Sakura was his now and he planned on keeping her.

Sakura almost forgot she had a car the next morning and was out the door and halfway to class on autopilot when she remembered. She shrugged and walked the rest of the way anyway. She really didn't need to drive she thought as she made her way to her first class.

Psych had been interesting, they talked about the different kinds of obsession and how emotion changed the chemicals in your brain. It fed into her interest in poisons and she made a mental note to read more about it later. If she could make a poison or a drug that blocked the mental receptors for pain without using the addictive painkillers on the market, she would be set for life and it would help the world as a whole. She practically skipped to her art class.

She was smiling when she skipped into the studio and over to where Sasori was already engrossed in a new canvas and a new painting.

"You're pleased." He commented without greeting her as usual.

"I am." She smiled at him.

"Why?" He cocked his head at her.

"I just got an idea for a new poison, my lab will be here this week and I can't wait to get started on it." As though she just realized what she had said she started to back peddle. Most people didn't go about thier day thinking of new poisons and even fewer were as excited about the prospect as she clearly was right now.

"I mean um, medicine, for health, er pain I mean, to help people!" She blushed.

Sasori cocked his head to the side again and looked at her. She shifted in her stance, she had already managed to scare him away she knew it. Damn it, she could just smack herself in the face right now.

A slow smile curved his lips and his eyes shone brightly. "I can't wait to see what you come up with."

"Really? It doesn't freak you out?" She was more than a little surprised.

"No." He said without looking at her, concentrating on his canvass.

"Oh, well, good. It's kinda a hobby of mine." She laughed happily and pulled the cover off her own painting setting her brushes up and pulling her pallet from her bag.

"Mine as well." He told her casually.

"You're kidding." She gapped at him open mouthed.

"Not at all, it seems we have more in common than I originally thought." He set his pallet down and pulled her in for a quick kiss. "My flower."

Sakura blushed and smiled turning back to her canvass. Sasori glanced over at her as she busied herself with her paints. She's perfect, he thought and smiled internally as he dipped his brush in his grey and ran it lightly over the mountain he was setting as his background. Perfect.

Sakura took her thinnest brush in hand and dipped it in plain red outlining the armor of one side of warriors on her battlefield, with a stroke of black and grey here and there depth was molded before her eyes, a scrap of white to shine as light reflecting blood mixed with her red. Crimson tears for the general as he looked out across his fallen. A pain in her heart, as she laid down stroke after stroke, tears well in her eyes and she set her brush down.

Sasori turned to her taking her in his arms, "You're enough."

The words slid from his mouth and into her hair. He always knew just what to say. She laughed into his shoulder.

"How do you do that?" She mumbled and backed away wiping the tears from her eyes and smiling at him.

"I know you." He said simply and picked his brush up again.

He did. He hadn't known her long, but he knew, he knew how it felt to lose maybe, to feel and not be able to express or to only express it in one way...he knew.

"Thank you." She said as she picked her own brush back up.

"Don't. It is not needed." He whispered without looking at her.

She nodded her head and continued to add detail to the warriors on both sides of the valley, her strokes confident and precise, like a knife or a blade. Her weapon, outlining thiers', breathing life into the canvass warriors, adding blood to thier veins only to paint it spilling forth. She painted death and destruction, love and perseverance, the light fading from a warriors eyes, the life flaring alive in another, vindication, retribution...life.

Class ended too soon. Sasori had nudged her gently with his shoulder to let her know she had been standing in front of her painting staring at it, brush forgotten in her hand. He took the brush and swooshed it through his thinner wiping the hairs clean and setting it back in her case as she composed herself.

"Are you okay?" He had never asked that before, he had never cared if anyone was okay or not before. The words left his mouth before he had even registered the thought in his brain to ask her.

"Yes." She turned to him and hugged him.

His arms went around her automatically, his head was spinning a bit. He cared about her. The fact hit a place in him he didn't know he still had access to. His heart.

Sasori liked her, was interested in her, desired her, but care for her...he hadn't planned on that. It bothered him.

She was intelligent, beautiful to look at, like a work of art, she kept good conversation when he wanted it, was adorable when he needed it, a good companion, girlfriend but love. The world slipped into his brain and he immediately let her go. She stumbled.

Sasori?" She looked at him confused. Had he pushed her away from him on purpose?

"I can't see you tonight. I have something to do. I'll call you." He picked his things up and left the studio before she could even respond.

What the hell just happened? She stood there in shock, did she do something? Tears welled up in her eyes again and she angrily pushed them away. She shoved her things in her bag and slung it forcefully over her shoulder.

Of course, just when she thought she had found the perfect guy, he leaves her confused, hurt and alone.

Sakura stomped down the stairs and out the front doors to the art building to stop dead in her tracks.

"You psycho son of a bitch!" Sasuke threw a punch that was dodged by Sasori who spun and bent, kicked up and caught the Uchiha in the side sending him backward with the force of the blow.

"Go home Uchiha." Sasori drawled as he went to walk around Sasuke.

Sasuke ran and went to tackle Sasori but was grabbed around the middle by Naruto who Sakura had just noticed.

"Hey teme, stop okay it isn't worth it." Naruto was trying to tackle Sasuke to the ground but instead was being dragged by the enraged Uchiha across the sidewalk.

"Sasuke stop!" Sakura put her bag down and tried to pull him up to his feet but was unable to because Naruto still had him by the waist.

"This is pointless."Sasori didn't even look at her as he walked to his car.

"Sasori?" She called after him but he kept walking ignoring her.

"Damn it Sasuke!" Sakura fumed, "What the hell are you even doing here?"

"I came to pick you up, take you to dinner." He sat back on his heels after Naruto let him go.

"Then I saw that prick walkout smirking at me and well, I got mad." He said staring off into nothing to avoid her eye.

"So you tried to hit him?" She rolled her eyes at him.

"Sorry." He mumbled as he rose to his feet looking at her now, guilt in his eyes.

"He provoked me." He mumbled.

"Oh? How?" She had her hands on her hips and was glaring at him.

"He's alive," Sasuke mumbled almost to low for her to hear but she did because she picked her bag up and huffed.

"Whatever, I'm going home." She started to walk away.

Sasori watched her in his rearview mirror. He saw her look over at him and thier eyes met. He had hurt her, he knew. He could see it in her eyes. He hadn't meant to, he needed to think. He needed to think and he couldn't think straight when he was with her. He started his car and drove away.

Sakura watched him drive away, her steps slowing and tears falling from her eyes.

"Sakura?" Sasuke was by her side taking her hand in his.

She yanked her hand back and continued her short walk home. Sasuke and Naruto were waiting for her by her door when she walked up the steps to her apartment.

"Go home Sasuke, sorry Naruto but I want to be alone tonight okay." She opened and closed her door in thier faces.

Sakura threw her bag down on her kitchen table and shoved her hands in her face sighing. She stumbled over to her couch and fell onto it with a huff. Soft footsteps could be heard above her. Sasori was home. Tears fell from her eyes onto her sofa and she fell asleep.

She woke an hour later to someone sitting on the other end of her couch.

"Sakura," Itachi spoke her name softly, giving her the opportunity to ignore him if she wished.

She didn't move, didn't open her eyes. She pretended to sleep.

Itachi sighed and rose from her couch moving silently to her kitchen where he filled her kettle with water and put it over a burner to heat. He moved quietly around her kitchen preparing a tea tray for them, setting the tray on her coffee table thirty minutes later. He sat down at the end of her couch again.

"I know you're awake, sit up, have some tea." Itachi poured two cup of tea and handed her one as she sat up.

"What happened?" He asked her simply.

"I don't know what I did wrong but Sasori blew me off today. Suddenly, in art class." She told him.

"We had plans for dinner tonight and he canceled out of nowhere. It seems silly but ...there is more to it, it wasn't that he is busy or something came up, I can tell. He doesn't want to see me." She said quietly.

Itachi spoke carefully, "In our line of work...sometimes, we hide. Or maybe something really did come up." He tried to soothe her.

"Hide?"

"It is hard for, people like us to get close to people." He clarified.

Itachi sighed, it was in his best interest to hold back from her but his goodwill told him to be honest with her.

"Maybe he cares about you more than he had anticipated and is now...backing out." Itachi chose his words carefully.

"Oh." Sakura wasn't a fool, she understood what he was saying.

"But." She started to protest.

"Give him time, maybe space." Itachi sighed, he really didn't want to have this conversation with her.

"Why are you here Itachi?" She asked him.

"Sasuke called our mother, told her what happened at your school between him and Akasuna and asked her to come to look in on you. She sent me." He took a sip of his tea and smiled at her slightly.

"Oh." She said taking her cup in her hand sipping.

"Would you have preferred Shisui?" A hint of a smile touched his lips as he looked at her to react.

"No, definitely not." She did smile then and he was satisfied.

"Hn." he smiled at her.

"You really are a very attractive man Itachi, why have I never seen you with a girl?" She blurted out and immediately regretted it.

"I'm sorry." Her face flushed pink.

So adorable, he thought before answering her slowly. "I have someone I care for but she is...not available right now. She was with someone for a few years, so I had waited, but then...when that relationship ended, I thought I should give her time...to get over him." He paused.

"I waited too long, she has already found someone else." He set his cup down and looked out her window.

"How sad, but does she return your feelings? Maybe it isn't too late Itachi, it sounds like you really care about her, to wait so long...it is so romantic, surely she would see that, the devotion. How could a girl resist you." She laughed patting him on the shoulder in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.

He took her hand from his shoulder and held it in his lap with both hands.

"She doesn't know. I don't know how she feels for me, surely we are friends but...I just want her to be happy." He smiled at her and squeezed her hand.

Sakura looked at Itachi, so calm, so serene, so handsome. How could any woman in her right mind not want him, not feel something for him? To hear he has loved someone for so long and never told her because she was with someone else, it made her sad.

"You should tell her. If she doesn't feel anything for you, you can move on to someone more worthy, but if she does, you never know it might make her change her mind. It doesn't sound like the man she is with like they have been together long. I would want to know if it were me." She told him truthfully.

"Would you." He said quietly, it wasn't a question, so she didn't give him an answer.

"Maybe." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

Realization knocked the breath out of her.

"Itachi?" She asked him.

"Yes." He said looking at her.

Sakura didn't know if it was a question, a response or an answer to her unspoken question.

She looked away, she couldn't meet his eyes right now. Her hand was trapped in his, thier knees touched on her couch, she could feel the spot burning her skin where he had kissed her.

Sasori paced back and forth in his apartment. The look she had given him, her eyes, sparkling with tears. Tears for him, hurt because of him, feelings for him. He felt...he felt.

"Shit." He sat on his couch.

He couldn't sit still, he got back up and walked back and forth in front of his window. He had heard her come home, had heard her tell the blonde and the Uchiha to go away, he knew she was alone. Should he go to her, try to explain, talk to her…

Sasori slumped into the chair by the window facing the parking lot. He saw a black truck pull up. He watched as Itachi Uchiha got out of his truck and headed for the stairs to Sakura's apartment. Sasori had never met the man but he knew him by reputation. He was a killer who despised killing. A genius, loyal and unwavering in his beliefs. A respected assassin. Sasori had seen his work first hand but had never come face to face with the man.

He walked silently to his door and opened it quietly, listening. He heard the soft click to her front door. So, Itachi hadn't bothered to knock but had picked her lock instead. Interesting. Sasori shut his front door and sat back down in his chair by the window thinking.

He needed to talk to her. He would wait for the Uchiha to leave then he would go down to see her. He needed to clear the air and explain himself, she deserved that much.

Itachi rose from her couch setting her hand gently in her lap.

"I should go Sakura. I'll tell mom you are better now. Get some sleep. I'll call you in the morning." He kissed her on the cheek and left, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Before she could think to react he was gone. She was more confused now than she had been before he had come to see her. Dman Ino, she is almost always right about men, she should have listened to her.

Sakura pulled her phone out to text her friend.

Text message: From Sakura: You were right about Itachi Pig. I think he just confessed his feelings for me, then left.

Sakura rose to her feet and stretched, her phone dinged.

"That was quick." She mumbled picking her phone back up.

Reply message: From Ino Pig: I sooo fucking hate you girl, it is soooo unfair! Tell me all about it tomorrow. I'm bringing tequila.

Text message: From Sakura: Deal, bring lots of tequila.

Reply message: From Ino Pig: Deal.

Sakura set her phone down and went to her bedroom to change into comfy clothes since she wasn't going out with Sasori tonight. She was in her closet when she heard her door close. She stood still barely breathing in her underwear. She hadn't been expecting anyone. She hadn't been expecting Itachi but he had called her name out to reassure her he was there before she could use her years of martial arts training on him.

She could hear someone in her living room moving slowly. She took a deep calming breath and opened the door to her closet slowly peeking out into her room. A shadow crossed her bed and she burst from her closet throwing a leg out and over a head that ducked to avoid the blow, turned, she ducked the strike her attacker had meant for her head and landed her pressure point to his neck in time to see a flash of red hair.

"Sasori?"

He fell to the right from her pressure point, stumbling as he fought for consciousness. Then he fell back onto her bed unconscious.

"Oh shit." Sakura covered her mouth with her hands.