MEANWHILE…

Itachi opened Sakura's door and found her asleep on the bed. He still saw traces of her tears on her face and she looked like she had just lost her family or a loved one.

He came to her and touched her lightly on the face. He dried the last of her tears. Then he walked to a cabinet in the room. He checked to see if she had looked into it, but she hasn't. Itachi soon got out of the room after checking it.

A little later, Sakura woke up. 'Huh?' she thought, 'I thought this room and everything was just a dream… Yet, I'm still here. I guess everything is real.' Sakura got up quietly so that Itachi might think she's asleep still. She went to the cabinet she had just noticed and checked what was in it.

There, she saw Akatsuki capes hanged and ninja shoes on the bottom of the cabinet. "Huh? What is all this for?" Sakura said quietly. "Do they really think they can make me wear these?"

'Hmm. They look pretty soft. I think you might as well try on one. And maybe you could cut it and make it look like the top of our dress. But the bottom will be longer and loose.' Inner Sakura said.

Sakura was so curios that she knew she had to try on one. She grabbed one quietly and put it in front of her when she stepped in front of the mirror on the door of the cabinet. 'Hm… It looks pretty neat on me… but you're right. I need to cut off some of it.'

Sakura looked around noisily for a pair of scissors and sewing materials in the room. She didn't care if Itachi or whoever he is with heard her or not. Finally, she found two kunais sticking to a wall; some yarn from a sock she found under her bed; and needles stuck between two floor boards.

Then Sakura started sewing and cutting the Akatsuki cape. Meanwhile, Itachi had heard of all the noise in Sakura's room. He was a little puzzled when the noise stopped. He waited a few moments for sounds. When he didn't hear anymore, he looked into a secret hole and peeked. He saw Sakura facing the wall, her back to him, sitting on the bed and she was doing something he couldn't see.

He tried to shift his view but he still can't see. He knew the Sharingan will not work because he was almost out of chakra from the transportation technique he used so that they will both get there before Sakura had recovered again so he didn't bother using it. He waited. And waited and waited until Sakura stood up from the bed.

Sakura was finally finished. She looked at the fine handiwork in front of her at the mirror. 'Hm… It looks pretty fitting…' Inner Sakura said from inside Sakura's brain.

'I think it's pretty good. Let me try it on first.' Sakura told her inner self inside her mind. She took off her dress and put the one she just made then she looked into the mirror. 'Hm… it's pretty fitting on me.'

'You look great! Good job!' Inner Sakura said, 'But do you get the feeling that we're being watched?'

Sakura suddenly went alert. She tried to act normal while sensing someone around. Then she sensed Itachi's chakra. 'This is bad. Had he been watching me all along?'

'Even when you were putting that one? Impossible!'

'Well, it is possible. But how come I didn't sense his presence? That pervert!' Sakura thought as she pretended to check herself out in the mirror. She turned sideways and around while thinking how she never sensed him.

'Hm… he could have been keeping his chakra flow very low all this time… Or he may be out of chakra, too…'

Meanwhile, Itachi was just busy peeking into the hole when he saw something wrong. He saw Sakura's movement patterns change and become slower. 'Could she have already sensed my presence?'

Sakura walked to the door slowly, still having the newly sewn dress on. She reached for the doorknob and turned it. To her surprise, Itachi still didn't move. She had sensed that he was as what he was ever since she had sensed him. 'Hmp. He's smart. He knows that if he moves, I might be able to sense his presence.' Sakura thought.

Sakura turned the doorknob and found it unlocked. She slowly opened it and quickly attacked Itachi. But Itachi was too fast for her. He dodged it. Sakura only had to attack once because she wasn't in the mood. Itachi, on the other hand, was ready for anything Sakura might suddenly do. "Hmp, nice dress…" Itachi said testily.

Sakura suddenly remembered that she was still wearing her own hand-made dress. Then she felt like blood was rushing to her face. She was blushing! 'No, no, no, I shouldn't blush! He'd think that I was taking that for a compliment!' Sakura told herself. 'But why am I blushing!? Hell!!!'

Sakura just stood there, blushing. She saw a smirk from the corner of Itachi's mouth. He ran to a door just behind him and disappeared behind it. 'Does he really think I'm gonna fall for that trap?' Sakura thought.

Sakura waited for a while. When nothing happened, she punched the wall and got in through it than using the door she thought was filled with traps—which wasn't! She saw a dark blue sky, a lake sparkling lake and green grass all around. "You really shouldn't have wrecked that wall. The door wasn't really filled with traps, you know."

Itachi was just behind her, leaning on the wall. Sakura didn't turn around but she had already sensed him while pretending to be awed at the sight. "What do you really want from me?! Why didn't you just kill me back there?" Sakura asked irritatedly.

"Actually, I need you to be my bait for the coming of your Jinchuuriki friend. I didn't kill you because I thought you could be useful… but I never thought you'd be this troublesome." Itachi explained calmly while Sakura was listening closely but breathing fast and furiously. "Haruno, you are a rare little flower but you might as well be… killed."

Sakura gasped. 'Does he really mean it?'

'Thanks a lot to your big mouth.' Inner Sakura said sarcastically. Sakura was trying to prepare herself for a fight she might regret and never forget. 'A fight with Itachi, Sasuke's brother…'

Without warning, Itachi had ran towards Sakura and tried to punch her. But Sakura had already dodged that. Sakura kicked his stomach but he blocked it immediately. A few minutes later, both of them were tired from punching, kicking, dodging, blocking, and jumping away. Soon, they were both panting. With both of them in fighting positions, Itachi suddenly asked, "Are you really my brother's colleague?"

Sakura stiffened for a moment. Sakura answered, "Yeah, why?"

Itachi walked two steps towards her and grinned. "So…" he said, "Are you going out with him?"

Sakura didn't think that he'd ask her that. She didn't answer him, she just stood there. "What do you care? Are you just concerned for him…" She asked, "Or do you know who he is engaged to?"

Sakura saw Itachi get a little surprised at her last words. She didn't even know where those came from, she just said them. Sakura immediately clapped her hand on her mouth and gulped when Itachi walked towards her with shadowed eyes. "How did you know that I know who Sasuke's to-be wife is?" He said. "How?!"

He was walking dangerously towards her now. Sakura moved backwards as he advanced on her. Sakura soon was leaning on the wall. She was getting mad at herself for saying that. 'What should I do know?' she thought, 'this guy looks dangerous…'

Itachi was leaning on one hand on the wall and Sakura just in front of him. "HOW?!" he repeated angrily. 'Who is this girl? How come she knows that Sasuke is engaged to someone when I'm the only one who knows of this? Well… counting the 3rd Hokage and a councilor of Konoha, that's three people.' Itachi thought in his mind without showing Sakura a slightest flinch. 'I don't think they are close to this girl to tell her of this information. I gotta get some control of myself…'

Itachi put his hand back on his side and walked away. When he was just about to reach the doorknob, Sakura stuttered, "I don't know about this. It just… came out of me. So don't think I—"

"There's no need for you to explain further. Or to tell me of what I should and should not think…" Itachi interrupted. "I am not thinking of anything about you right now." He finished. He opened the door and went out.

Sakura slid down on the floor to her knees. 'What have I done? Looks like he's really, really mad… I'm gonna die.' Sakura thought bitterly. 'He's gonna kill me.'

Sakura stood up weakly and quietly and walked to the bed. She laid down there for what seemed like hours, thinking of what she had just said and why that triggered Itachi's anger. She tried not to think of what he'll do to her when she sleeps, or when she has her back to him, or worse. And soon, she had dozed off quietly.

On the other room, Itachi was leaning on the door of his bedroom. 'What just happened to me?' he thought, 'Was that me just now? The girl did say it just came out of her… but that can't just happen! What was she thinking?'

Itachi stood up after a long while and walked to the drawer. He opened the uppermost and took out a silver necklace. He opened the oval-shaped locket and looked inside it. There was a small picture of him and Sasuke and their parents inside it. He stared at it for a while then he shook his head as if shaking a thought away then hid it again.

As he was locking the drawer again, someone behind him said, "You really should have thrown that away when you still can. But now, it seems that you can't stop looking at that every night, Itachi." Itachi looked back at the door where Kisame was standing, his sword on his shoulder and held by his right hand.

"So, did you get the girl?" Kisame said casually as he walked to chair at the corner of the room near the door. Itachi nodded then locked the drawer and hid the key. "I'm going away again. I'm going to get the scroll from the Kazekage. I just came here to repack." And Kisame went out to his room.

Sakura opened her eyes next morning, although she didn't move another muscle. She recalled what had happened last night. 'Did he just do that to make me scared of him? What will I do now?' She thought calmly. Sakura stayed there, frozen, until someone came knocking on her door.

"Hey, you're oversleeping! Open up!" said someone's voice Sakura didn't know. "Hey! You better get up now! There's someone looking for you outside!"

At these words, Sakura instantly got up. She looked around for her own clothes but they were gone. So she had no choice but to wear the Akatsuki dress she made. She opened the door and almost hit Kisame. "Hey!" he said. "You're the girl!?"

"Yeah! So what?" Sakura shot at him. "Where is this person who was looking for me?" Although Sakura had thought that this might be just a trap, she figured that she was 90% sure that this wasn't. Yet, she didn't know who this was, all she knows was that someone was really looking for her. She didn't know why, but she didn't really care if this guy was a friend or foe.

"He's outside, waiting for you." Kisame said impatiently, "You might wanna bring an umbrella with you." Kisame said before disappearing in to his room.

'I wonder who it is.' Sakura thought while she looked around for an umbrella stand. When she found one, she looked in it for a good umbrella. While she looked for one, she had never noticed that the rain seemed to be so strong because she could hear heavy rain dropping down from above. She opened the 4th one to see a better umbrella than the rest then proceeded outside.

Sakura can't see clearly because of the heavy downpour. Soon after, she had seen a dark figure by the only tree available in sight. Her eyes soon adjusted to the darkness of the night made darker by the thick clouds above. She noticed that this person had tied hair and a big cloak. She walked a little closer to the tree and the man without an umbrella. When she was about 3 feet close, she recognized the man—it was Itachi!

Her faith that she would be rescued faded. 'Of course. Why would they let you escape anyway if you—I mean, WE are gonna be a load of help to them in bringing Naruto here, genius?!' Inner Sakura said sarcastically from inside.

Sakura moved closer but cautiously to Itachi. But as she moved closer and closer, she heard heavy breathing through the beginning-to-thin-out rain. Itachi was leaning on the tree with one hand. He was breathing so heavily that anyone would think that he just came from a battle.

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked hesitantly in a small voice. She put her free hand on his shoulder. She could feel that he was shaking. "Itachi? Are you okay?"

She lifted her wet hand on his shoulder to his forehead. It was hot. "You got a fever!" she gasped. "Hey, C'mon, let's get you in. You're burning with a fever…" Sakura put his arm around her neck and tried to lift him. But he was too heavy, and it seemed as if he didn't want to go inside for he was contradicting her.

"No…" Itachi muttered in the rain. "What do you mean?! If we don't go in, how the hell are you gonna get better and how the hell am I gonna be able to cure you properly?!" Sakura said. "We have to get you in!? Or we'll never get anywhere!"

Sakura was desperate. Itachi smirked as Sakura lifted him with great difficulty. 'Does she really care about me?' he thought. 'Great. I suddenly had a plan.' Sakura suddenly felt him going a little lighter. "Huh?"

They stood up together. Sakura looked up at him. Itachi replaced his smirk with a face that clearly says that he was in pain. "Geez. You were late." He told Sakura quietly as they made their way back under the umbrella.

"I was wondering if it was a trap, you know." Sakura told him simply. "Why were you waiting for me under the rain, anyway?"

"I wanted to ask you something…" Itachi said. Sakura stopped and said, "What is it that you wanted to ask?" She didn't look at Itachi, only on the wet ground.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?" Itachi said quietly and simply. He expected Sakura to be surprised and shocked. But she did not—she only stood there, supporting him. She stood as still as a statue with her hair covering her eyes leaving a mask of shadow on her eyes.

"I'll think about it…" Sakura said as she started directing him again back to the house. Both of them didn't say anything for the rest of the night except 'goodnight' when Sakura went to her own room and Itachi went to his.

Sakura changed her clothes while thinking of what people would think and say if she were to say 'yes' to Itachi. She thought of every possible negative and positive thing that can happen to them if they were to be together. She thought of what may happen if Naruto and Sasuke think if they came and found out about their relationship.

'Sasuke would leave me…' she thought bitterly. 'Think what future you'd have if you'd say 'yes'.' Inner Sakura said. 'What future can I have if I did say 'yes'… and what would he do to me if I said 'no'…' Sakura thought. "This is confusing!" Sakura said then she went to sleep.

MEANWHILE…

All the other assigned teams were camping out at night, all except for Team 7. Naruto and Sasuke were both leading the way while Kakashi was just following behind, reading Icha Icha Chaos. "Kakashi-sensei, please get serious." Naruto said to him. Then he muttered to Sasuke, "Does he always have to reread that book? I didn't think it was interesting anyway. Huh? Sasuke?"

But Sasuke wasn't listening. 'Itachi… when I find you, I'm gonna kill you! And if you hurt Sakura in anyway, you'll see…' he was thinking. 'Sakura, please be alright…' After a few moments of thinking, Sasuke sped up. Naruto followed and Kakashi came after him.

MEANWHILE…

Sakura opened her eyes and it was already morning. She sat up, after a few seconds, she remembered about what had happened the night before. "He wanted me to be…" she muttered. Then she shook her head to put that thought aside. "What am I going to say? What about 'Sorry about last night, can I think about it in one week?'…or do I just ignore him and pretend nothing happened? Or maybe I wait till he mentions it…"

She came out after thinking for a while… actually, she wouldn't even call it thinking—she'd rather call it a moment of confusion. "Mornin'…" Kisame said as she passed by with a look of pain and confusion and irritation in her face.

"Mornin'…" Sakura muttered back. "Had a good sleep? Because Itachi isn't." Kisame said. He took a sip from his mug full of warm coffee. He looked at Sakura and he saw her frozen. She was halfway to reaching the cabinet and her other hand holding a toothbrush with toothpaste on it, ready to reach her mouth. He could sense sudden tense emitting from her.

Then she slowly turned around and faced him with a totally shocked face. "W-what do you mean?" she stuttered slowly with intense tense. "Heh, I mean he's been having a fever since last night and he keeps muttering your name in his sleep." He looked at where Sakura was standing but found nothing but space.

Itachi was coughing and sniffing all night. It was only on morning that he finally got to sleep. He was dozing off in his bed when he heard his door slam open. "Itachi-kun!" said a familiar voice that sounded kind but worried. He felt her come to her bed and feel his forehead.

"Itachi-kun! You do have a fever… and it's really high!" Sakura said. "What have you been doing all night anyway? Did you sleep or not at all?" Sakura walked around the room. "I'll be back right away. Stay here and keep yourself warm." And she disappeared out the door.

Itachi did as he was told. He took his blanket and wrapped it around himself tightly. 'What's with this feeling? It's not the fever I'm having…' Itachi thought. "I wonder what it is…"