Itachi watched his little brother come out of one of the best private high school money could pay for, waving goodbye to his fellow classmates. Sasuke scanned the area for him and big smile appeared on his face when they made eye contact and the younger Uchiha rushed over.

"Hey, Itachi!" his younger brother greeted him in Italian. They hadn't seen each other for four months.

"Hello, how was class?" he asked back in the same language as he ruffled the shorter boy's hair.

"Good, everyone's preparing for graduation so no one's doing much of anything else."

"Mmm," Itachi nodded as they made their way across the street, "what do you want to do now?"

"Let's stop by a café?" Sasuke asked and his older brother nodded, "you're getting really good at speaking Italian."

"It's an easy language to pick up," Itachi replied.

"Everything's easy for you."

"Sometimes."

"Have you heard from mother or father?"

"Mother is currently stuck in some legislative problem with the stock market and father is in Japan trying to smooth over some diplomatic issues."

"How are they?"

Itachi raised his eyebrow at his brother, "fine, I suppose."

Sasuke sighed as they entered into a small corner café, and took a seat outside under a small white lace umbrella.

They looked over the menus in silence, and after ordering, Itachi inquired on Sasuke's disappointed face.

"I just hate it sometimes…the way mother and father are…the way you are."

Itachi placed his elbows on the table and cradled his head between his hands as he waited for his younger sibling to elaborate.

"I mean, does anyone in our family understand love?"

"Is this about your homosexuality? I told you, mother and father will be fine over it."

"This isn't about Naruto and I," his cheeks glowed momentarily over the mention of his lover, "this is about how…emotionless everyone is. I mean, I love it here in Italy. It's like one huge happy family. The girls cry when they're upset, the boys laugh when their happy. I mean, it doesn't have to be Italy. Last Christmas when I was with Naruto's family…it was just completely perfect. There was no proper etiquette to follow, no rules to obey, and no one to impress."

"I do not see the point," Itachi stated.

"Of course you don't….Do you think mother and father love each other?"

"They are married."

"That's not the point. It's all wrong, Itachi. It's all wrong for you too. When was the last time you got frustrated? When was the last time you had something precious to cherish?" Sasuke spoke so quickly that his words fumbled over each other. Itachi could tell this topic had injured his younger brother in some way.

"You're precious," Itachi decided to tease rather than address the issue.

Sasuke laughed under his breath as he shook his head from side to side. A waiter brought them tea with fruit tarts and three scoops of gelato for them to split. "I love you, Itachi. But I don't think you have a clue what it means to love…I don't think most people on the planet have a clue."

"Alright, I'll give. What do you think love is?" The older male asked as he hooked his finger into the tea cup and sipped its hot liquid.

"Love is…insanity. I mean, I can't stand Naruto…at all. He's an idiot, and he's immature, and he does everything wrong. But everything is so right when we're together. I don't think the idiot even realizes it but things aren't as good without him. Brother, have you ever had someone that makes your tea taste better, your sweets sweeter, you're life go righter? It's amazing."

"Then I look forward to meet your Naruto, you RSVP'd to mother's thanksgiving invitation, right?"

"Yeah…isn't it great…RSVP for thanksgiving with the family and business associates…"

"I don't understand your gloominess over the matter."

"One day, you'll understand. When you end up holding your lover in your arms and everything in the world stops making sense but somehow you'll feel complete. You'll understand me and hate RSVP'ing for family events too."

"Aren't you acting almighty and wise," Itachi chuckled as he forked a piece of his fruit tart off.

"In love and emotions – I think I know more than anyone else in our family and it just pisses me of that…our family is so…anal."

"My opinion on the matter is that you're looking too deeply. You're poetizing life…and it's not all that splendid. War is going to be breaking out soon…everyone's on the edge; there are murderers and psychopaths around every corner. Love will not save you from those people."

"Maybe, maybe not…but when I die, at least I know that there is someone out there whose life will fall apart without me."

.

…

.

Itachi woke up to a blob of faded green/pink hair on his chest. It took him a moment to recall the night before and another moment to remember his dream of a distant memory…when he, himself, was barely in his twenties, and his younger brother was about to graduate high school.

Having the dream felt like a bad omen.

Being comfortable with her draped across his chest felt like sin.

Getting away from the situation felt like death.

It was all wrong.

Then suddenly enough, she stirred, and slowly lifted her head from his chest – he closed his eyes to feign sleep for a reason he couldn't understand. It was cowardly and he knew it.

"Shit," she hissed as she retreated to her side of the bed.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit," she continued her onslaught of repetitive curses.

Itachi wasn't sure what tone he detected in her voice – surprise? Regret? Shame?

Just as quickly as she left his chest, a feeling overcame Itachi – a desire to tug her back, to hug her and tell her everything would be okay. It was insanity. It was wrong. He did not like her. He was just in desperate need for bodily contact. That was all.

This was a battle. It was war since she had signed those lease papers.

He wanted the apartment to himself, he needed his space. He liked being alone.

Then why did alone feel so cold?

.

…

.

Sakura sat with the sheets barely covering her body as she kept stealing glances at Itachi. Why did she feel like her world was crashing down on her?

They weren't supposed to have sex.

She wasn't supposed to enjoying have sex with him.

And she definitely wasn't supposed to want to have more sex with him AGAIN.

"Idiot," she muttered to herself while face palming her forehead over and over. She wished she would have had a hangover at least…to do something like that sober was just shameful.

It was a game they were playing, a very very dangerous game and she was getting attached. Too attached, too close…too much….too….it was too excessive in everything. She hated him but wanted to kiss him. She couldn't stand him but wanted to caress his face. She thought he was the worst man on the planet but she wanted to stay by his side for just a little bit longer.

"Shit….so stupid," she hissed again.

She was a medical doctor; she was one of the best in her professions. She did not need herself falling over some psycho lawyer. Everything bad that Itachi had done to her – the sex wasn't amazing enough to make up for it.

No, she reassured herself.

The sex was bad.

She didn't enjoy his kiss.

He wasn't any good for her.

She continued to chant those beliefs silently, but somehow they didn't reach where they needed to go and as she stole another glance at him…she knew she was doomed when she wanted to cuddle back into his warmth. She hadn't been in a relationship in 8 years, and her closest male friend was gay. The last time she had sex…she shuddered at the memory.

Stop it!

The jackass that spiced her tea, that threw her undergarments all over the city, that made her hair an ugly green…that man who picked her up from work…who made her feel safe…who got rid of the stalker who made her uncomfortable…whose kisses tasted like sweet rum…that man whose touches felt like electric sparks shooting all over her body…

That devil.

That bastard.

It was bad, it was wrong…it was everything but sane. She brought her knees closer to her chest. What was she going to do?

How could she continue living with someone she was supposed to want to kick out when she didn't want him to leave at all?

Itachi's body shifted and Sakura glanced over.

Ivy green met coal black.

She gulped, he glared.

He was not her perfect man. She shouldn't fall for him. She was going to tell him that he won. She knew better.

He won and she was going to move out. Go far away.

She still had her German passport, she was sure they would let her go and work on the AIDs HIV virus. She didn't mind breaking her contract with Konoha, just so long as she could save her heart from breaking because of Itachi.

She opened her mouth to tell him.

You won, congrats, I'm moving out.

She searched his face for any hint that he might ask her to stay. Of course, there was none. He wanted her gone. He wasn't an idiot. He wasn't falling for her.

"So, I've decided that –," before she could make her declaration of defeat, her beeper went off with the emergency ring.

"Fuck," she cursed as she got up – naked and nothing covering her body. She didn't care that Itachi's eyes were still on her. She didn't see how he admired every single one of her curves, and how his eyes stayed trained on her face trying to determine her emotions. She missed the hint of care in his eyes because she wasn't looking for it.

She was looking for her scrubs.

"What have you decided?" He asked as she found two matching pieces in purple and began putting them on over her naked form.

"I've decided –," once again the hospital ring of her beeper went off. She bent over and picked it up and looked at the message, "oh my god. There was a thirty-five car-pileup on the Konoha express way."

Itachi remained expressionless. What the hell had she decided on?

"Oh, god this is terrible," she continued as she snatched her bag and rushed out.

Just like that.

She was gone.

And hadn't told him what the hell she decided on.

Itachi felt so confused and annoyed and frustrated…and just blatantly pissed off. Not at Sakura…no…at life. Because it wasn't making sense anymore.

Where was logic?

Where was reason?

Where the fuck was his sanity hiding?

The yearning for Sakura and her body should be illegal, his aggravated mind deduced. He was being an idiot.

He needed to get away.

Far away.

Let her have the apartment for a week…a month…a year…he needed to get his mind together, then he'd know what to do.

How to handle her.

How to get rid of her.

How to return his life back to normalcy.

.

…

.

Sakura dashed across the emergency room, she had just finished her third surgery of the day, and still patients who required immediate attention were being brought in. She had to change her scrubs for the fourth time, because the others were drenched in blood.

"Claire," she greeted the fatigued nurse who nodded solemnly.

"He just came in, federal I.D, I think he was shot," she handed her the man's chart and she looked it over. She flipped to the next page and increased her pace to catch up with the man's moving cart.

"Crap," Sakura breathed out, "We need to get the bullet out immediately!" Sakura yelled as her team of doctors rolled the man, whose skin looked sickly blue, through the double doors straight into surgery.

She gave the chart back to Claire and rushed after her new patient.

.

…

.

After nearly thirty hours of nonstop work, Sakura contemplated going down to her lab and shooting up her insomnia concoction. But dismissed the thought, she had another hour before she was dismissed and she had eaten a can of nutella – which provided her enough calories and sugar to last the week. The crisis situation was over. Everyone who was brought in was either stabilized or dead.

She walked into the room of another patient; the one was a bullet wound. He was stirring into consciousness when she picked up his chart to make a progress report.

"Good afternoon," she greeted him as she clicked her pen against the board and began to write down what the machines in front of her dictated about his condition.

"What? Where?" the man began in a deep growling voice as his small eyes darted left and right.

"There was an accident on the Konoha freeway, on the outskirts of town. You were brought in here with a bullet wound. Relax. You're safe," Sakura stated as she was about to sign off on him.

"What!" the man screamed, as he shot up – all his vitals went through the roof in panic.

"Calm down! Calm down!" Sakura screamed dropping the clipboard to the floor as she tried to restrain him. He was nearly three times her height and weight.

"No! Itachi! Where's Itachi?" He shouted – his razor sharp teeth terrifying the doctor.

"What? Itachi? Oh my god, your teeth– his old partner right?" Sakura asked as he glared at her viciously.

"You have to tell him to get out of the country…please. Now. Now," Kisame said in an inhuman panic.

"I'll call him right now," Sakura reassured, "please, lay down, you're going to reopen your wounds."

"You have to do it before it's too late," Kisame said following her directions. The pain was shooting up his spine but he was doing his best to ignore him. He had made a personal promise to Itachi years ago, he couldn't break it.

"I will, please – lay the hell down before I knock you unconscious," Sakura reassured him as she picked his the clipboard up off the floor and rushed out to make a phone call at the nurses' station.

The most cold, wicked, horrifyingly chilling voice spoke from behind her when she picked up the phone, "Too late."

And to Sakura…everything went black.

A/N: Dum...Dum...Dum!

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