I'm sorry this took so long. I haven't started on the third chapter yet and our preliminary exams are on the first week of August. I was supposed to make a fan fiction for Sasuke because it was his birthday yesterday but tough luck because I was busy working on my own book yesterday. I'm going to post my original stories on FictionPress... Once I start being active there.

I don't think I'll be updating in at least two weeks. I can't tell you I've been busy studying this past week but I'm really trying my best to catch up on schoolworks. I'm really sorry.

And just thinking out loud here since I just had a Pirates of the Caribbean marathon the other day... WHY DIDN'T ELIZABETH END UP WITH JACK? I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, THERE'S MORE CHEMISTRY GOING ON BETWEEN THEM THAN IN A CHEMISTRY LABORATORY. Kidding. BUT SHE HAD SOMETHING MORE GOING ONE WITH JACK THAN WILL. I really want to make a fan fiction where the ending is different but I'm not familiar with pirate dialogues and the like. Anyway, just frustrated because I loved Johnny Depp so much in those movies.

Chapter II
A Restless Rest

It was very clear to him that she did not wish to shake his hand without an explanation. And so, respecting her silent decision, he withdrew his hand and passed her by to enter the kitchen which was technically the living room as well if not for the small cabinet he used both as a display for his achievements and a room divider.

"I will brew the both of us some coffee," he said casually as he hung the towel around his neck and reached for the cupboard. "If you wish to change, the bathroom is where it was when I first showed it to you though I suggest you take a shower. The rain was colder than I assumed it would be. It would be better if you did not catch a cold."

Sakura did not seem to hear a word that Itachi spoke. She was too busy in her own little world, staring at nothing in particular as she tried to take it all in. Scared as she was that this man knew something about her, she was curious to find out something about him as well… Like how he knew her.

Her head slowly turned to his direction. Fortunately, he'd given up on the view of her and rummaged in the cupboard.

Taking the chance, she started to her bag and lay it down on the floor. She pulled the zipper open and retrieved a shirt before securing it close once again. It took her at least five minutes before she stepped out of the bathroom with her previous shirt in her hand.

Itachi was now sitting on the couch with a brown mug no doubt filled with coffee. The couch had its back on her and so did he but she could tell that he was not going to bother drinking from his mug until she sat with him by the way he looked at the dark screen of the television.

She sighed, gathering the courage to walk over and leisurely sit beside him as if she'd been here before. She slung the shirt on the armrest and settled beside him, leaving just enough space for another person to sit between them. Sharing a couch was enough. She didn't feel like closing in on him. He was still a stranger after all.

Itachi leaned to the coffee table and took her mug and handed it to her. She accepted it and held it in both hands, thankful for the warmth it radiated. He was right—the rain really was cold.

"Have you figured it out yet?" He asked then finally taking a sip from his mug. It was short. He probably burned his tongue halfway in the sip.

"The baby in the picture," she started, "It's Sasuke, isn't it?"

Itachi smiled and gave her a nod. "It wasn't at all difficult to tell, was it? Some things never change after all," stated the man before sipping once more from his mug, this time, longer. "I assume you're wondering how I know your name and where you come from. Well, your hometown is not at all hard to figure out. Yet, knowing your name must really be bothering you as of now." She nodded, drinking from hers while her eyes shifted to the cabinet once again. "I asked for your name," he answered bluntly. "From a professor in Konoha Academy. He's an old acquaintance of mine—Kakashi." Her head snapped back in his direction. "I called to check in on my little brother and he informed me that he was out with a lovely young lady named Haruno Sakura." His eyes pulled away from hers and landed on her pink locks. "It wasn't at all hard to put two and two together when I saw your hair and heard you speak."

She did not have anything to say to that. Instead, the two of them remained quiet for minutes, letting the rain outside make up for the lack of sound in his apartment. The silence was killing her. Without him talking, there was nothing to distract her from the fact that it was starting to cool down a little in his place. She needed to keep the conversation going for her to ignore the inviting heat from Itachi's body. And it wasn't at all hard for her since he did her a favor and began speaking again.

"How is Sasuke?"

Not sure what he was asking about, she answered, "He's doing fine. His grades are slightly higher than mine and though his conduct is not as good, it could have been worse."

Itachi smiled again, only this time, he was fighting it but failing. "Does he have someone else close to him besides you?"

Now she got what he wanted to know—Sasuke's social life. She drank almost half of her coffee before starting. "He has Naruto, another classmate. They fight every now and then but the reasons are pretty shallow and their fight ends up seeming real petty. Kakashi-sensei is also looking out for him though now, I can understand why. Jiraiya, the school counselor, is keeping a good eye on him… Too…" She trailed off, noticing the subtle pleasant expression on his face. He looked more peaceful than he did earlier and it bothered her so. "What is Sasuke to you, anyway?"

"He's my little brother," he answered briefly before taking a long drink. When he'd emptied his cup, he walked back in the kitchen, obviously not wanting to answer any more questions. Sakura didn't know his relation with Sasuke until today so she probably didn't know the story yet. "When the rain lets up, we'll take you to the bus station and have you sent back home," he said. "I can't let my brother's girlfriend run around in this dump."

She quickly set her mug on the coffee table and stood to protest. "No," she said firmly. "I don't have to go home. Besides, Sasuke knew how dangerous this place was and he let me go. He's not as worried as you think he is," Sakura stated in a matter-of-fact tone."I'll be fine in this city. I'll only be here for three weeks."

"Three weeks is long enough for Hidan to find out I have not killed you as promised and it certainly is enough time for him to hunt you down and kill you himself," he said firmly, his eyes fixated on hers with a warning look. "Do you think your friend, Sasuke, would not worry about you?"

"My boyfriend let me go to this place despite knowing the dangers because he acknowledged my dream," she answered firmly. "And nothing is going to stand in the way of me and my dream to be taught by the best doctor out there!"

Itachi groaned to himself, realizing just how stubborn the woman was. She was insistent on pushing through with whatever reason she was here in the first place and he could do nothing else to change her mind. "If you insist on staying, then might I suggest you stay in this apartment with me? It would be easier for me to keep an eye out for you." She was suddenly taken aback and Itachi credited it as a triumph for himself. "If you do not wish to stay with me, then I will personally escort you back to the gates of Konoha Town."

Was he really trying to scare her away? She would obviously decline his offer. Staying with a stranger was way off for her, he assumed, leaving her no choice but to leave. He was expecting her to pick her bag up and run to the nearest bus station, she could see it clearly in his face. She'd been with him for at least an hour and she could easily pick up his subtle looks. Maybe it was because his subtlety was no different from Sasuke's.

The rain outside sounded like it suddenly turned into a drizzle once more. Faint light shone through the window and Sakura could tell there was only little time for her left to make a decision as the rain was beginning to end. Itachi was already on his way to his room to grab a hoodie. When he came back out with a hoodie slung over his forearm, Sakura had her hands on her luggage and was looking at him.

"I figured you would not want to remain," he said smugly. "Central City is no place for the likes of you after all. And it is also the least I can do for my brother." There was a whole story hanging after that line that he refused to pull up. She knew by the way he turned away from her.

In reality, she really wanted to just leave his place and hope they never ran into each other again. However, his smugness seemed to get rid of that attempt. She was not afraid of him anymore and the arrogant look of triumph on his face made her want to stay all the more. He wasn't a total stranger though she did not know much about him. She found a common ground with him and that was Sasuke.

Besides, staying in this place for three weeks with such a handsome looking guy wasn't so bad.

"I'm staying here," she spoke.

There was amusement in his eyes and surprise as well as she noticed him stiffen for a second. He lowered his forearm and straightened his face. "If that is your decision," Itachi looked to the window and saw that the rain had already come to a stop. "Then you shall stay here for three weeks. Just be warned that I do not intend to let you out of my sight. And I mean it. Are you not afraid?"

"A little," she reluctantly admitted. "But it's normal for anyone in this town, isn't it?"

He agreed with her statement. "Bring your bag in the room," he ordered as he started for the couch, his arm brushing against hers as he passed by.

"Your… room?"

He sat down and looked at her with a neutral expression. "Of course," he said. "It would be rude of me to let the lady sleep on the couch, wouldn't it? And I do not wish for you to think ill of me as well which is why I have given you permission to use my room for the time being. Think of it as a gesture of approval that you are dating my brother. Do not hesitate to use the facilities freely as well." She continued to look at him, unable to register his offers. "I trust you are exhausted from your travel. Why not rest for an hour or two? The air conditioner in the bedroom is already switched on."

Sleep? In his room? In his house? Somehow, she was starting to regret her decision. This man promised out loud that he would kill her after all. What if he did it in her sleep? What if he did something much worse than kill her? It was too late for second thoughts, however. By the time she thought twice about her choice, she'd already dragged her bag in his room and sat on his bed.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Itachi walk to the door and lean against the frame. "Well?"

"I don't think I can sleep here," she quietly said as if talking to herself. "Can't I find another place?"

"If you are worried about anyone killing you in your sleep, I will be on guard. If you wish it, I will sit beside the bed and watch you sleep," he teased though underneath, he wished he could do that as he wondered what this lady would look like in a peaceful slumber. "Besides," he added, noting the reluctance that did not seem to fade from her features. "Attacking someone in their sleep would be a very courageous deed. Anyone who would think of doing it to such a fragile specimen such as yourself would be hurting their own pride."

His little brother had himself quite a catch. Smart, fierce and very much exotic. He couldn't help but begin to wonder if pink was her natural color. But it must have been since her hair was namesake. She wasn't as curvy as the women he'd find in the Sin District where bars were constructed all around. She was petite but had enough curves to find herself a decent man—one who would adore her for such a simple body, extraordinary beauty and an outstanding personality.

"If I leave my gun in the bedside drawer, would it ease you a little?" She answered with a small nod. There were a lot of other things he could do to her without a gun but still it would help a lot. And with that being said, Itachi started for the drawer, pulled out his pistol and carefully placed it in the drawer. "Does the fact that I'm unarmed make you a little relaxed?" She nodded again. "Good. There is another gun under your pillow if it helps. Now take a rest," he looked at her one last time before marching back to the couch.

His gun was now kept near her. And there was another kept another her pillow. How many other guns did he have? For all she knew, he could have had one stuck between the couch cushions but then again, he was Sasuke's older brother. That she could not doubt at all. He was like a carbon copy of Sasuke. Or maybe it was the other way around?

His bed was big enough for two people. The sheets were navy blue. His pillows, which were neatly placed on the far end of the bed, were cased with a white cottony cloth while the half of the bed she was sitting on was covered with a folded sheet that she guessed was his blanket judging by the way its stripes matched the pillowcases and the bedsheets. She pushed herself further on the cushion after taking off her shoes and lain her head on one of the two pillows, her face towards the ceiling. To her surprise, she felt something solid under the cotton of the pillow. She would bet her shirt off of the fact that this was the gun Itachi had been talking about.

She didn't know how she'd be able to sleep while thinking of the pistol her head was resting on so she rolled herself until her cheek was pressed on the other pillow. Her nose lightly touched the pillowcase as she inhaled the very scent of him. His pillow smelled just like the city but his personal scent overwhelmed the scent of sin. The foreign scent reminded her so much of home, Sasuke with a hint of gunpowder. She wasn't sure if it was Itachi's scent or the gun itself.

Little by little, she felt her eyes grow heavy but she couldn't let herself sleep—not with this man around. She supposed she could just keep her eyes open until she felt too sleepy to fight it. And that, she did and in a couple of minutes, she had fallen asleep.

()

The city was dark and the only sources of light that illuminated the deserted streets were poorly lit streetlights that stood high on the sidewalks. It was a hot summer night but the perspiration on Sakura's forehead, neck and whole body was not caused by the temperature. She was afraid and was running for God knows how long already.

A dark man with raven hair tied behind him chased after her with a pistol in his hand. She was running from him, hiding constantly but he managed to find her every time. It's like he knew where she would hide next every time he found her.

Sakura was running out of breath. She began to feel lightheaded but forced herself to think straight and remember why this man was chasing her. Her stamina was running out and fast. She needed to find some place to run to and hide…

And then, before her very eyes, a payphone lit with a bright fluorescent bulb stood only a few meters away from her. Someone fairly familiar stood inside the spacious booth… And it was Uchiha Sasuke.

She screamed his name in both relief and fear as she dashed towards the booth. Sasuke did not open the door immediately but as he set eyes on the man chasing after her, he rushed to let her in and held her in his arms as close as he dared and let her wrap her own arms around him tightly.

The phone rang loudly beside her ear. She ignored it. Ring. She continued to hold on to him. Ring.

Her eyes fluttered open, realizing that it was not just an imaginary phone ringing in her head. Itachi stood beside the bed, holding her ringing phone by her ear in an attempt to wake her up without actually waking her up himself.

"It had been ringing for a few minutes now," he said. "I was planning on ignoring it but I frankly find your ringtone quite annoying. Please grant my request and answer it. Looks like Sasuke wishes to tell you something important. Kindly do me a tiny favor as well and do not tell him that you are currently staying with me."

She quickly snatched the phone away from him and answered excitedly. Itachi left her to talk with Sasuke privately and went back to watching television which she heard from inside his room.

"Hello?"

"Sakura?"

"Hey, Sasuke," she said, knowing that he could probably hear the silly smile over the phone. She propped herself up and folded her legs beneath her petite figure. "It's about time you called."

"Naruto kind of bugged me to do it," he said. It wasn't at all difficult to recognize the irritation in his voice. "Everything alright for you there?"

No. I mean I'm fine but how come you never told me you had an older brother? "Yes," lied Sakura. "Everything's just fine. I'm really having fun." I want some explanation. "And that's the whole truth." You don't deserve to know the truth just yet until I find out about yours.

"Good. I should hang up now," he said and she knew there was no point in saying anything else because whether she said goodbye or not, he was going to hang up on her anyway.

"Okay then."

Next thing she knew, she was lying in bed filled with frustration. Without so much as a decent goodbye from her boyfriend in the past few weeks. She knew they had just started going out and her friends told her that the beginning of the relationship was always going to be the best part of it and in the middle would be the trials and challenges that cause the feelings to fade. Gosh, if this was the beginning, then she certainly didn't want to see the end of their relationship.

She got up from the bed, brushing away the thoughts, and left the room to sit on the same couch as Itachi. No one spoke to each other. Probably because she sensed that Itachi was too focused on the news to even notice that she had placed herself on the other end of the couch. She focused her attention on the television as well.

"Breaking news from the 6th District," the female reporter said from behind a counter. "A young man was found dead in an alleyway right beside city hall. There were no witnesses to describe the scene or point out the murderer. Investigators say that the young man was stabbed in his leg until incapacitated and was then stabbed in the chest. A mark freshly carved on his chest by a knife or a similar item tells the police investigators that this is yet another result of a gang war. The mayor and the rest of the government are planning on tracking down the gang responsible and arrest the members."

The scene suddenly shows a transition from the news lady to the face of a middle-aged man who looked like he was interviewed in the office. "The board members and I are trying to pass this law to ban gangs and arrest those who are involved in such activities. We will no longer have it in this city."

The news lady appears once again. "And in other news—" Itachi turned off the set but continued to watch the pitch black screen of the television. He stared at his own reflection. Soon, he would be arrested for joining the Akatsuki if that law was ever confirmed. He would be arrested for participating in gang wars and in other similar activities… Unless he detached from the group. No, leaving the gang would mean bringing death upon himself. Anyone who leaves the group is also sentenced to death by one of the members. In short, once you join, there is no way out but death.

He sensed a movement from the corner of his eye and for the first time, he saw Sakura in the image reflected by the screen. He turned his head and met her gaze but said nothing.

"Sasuke," she started, her eyes drifting from Itachi's to the floor. "Was he always like that? Even as a child?"

Itachi merely nodded, not needing her to elaborate further on what she was talking about. "No," he said as he shook his head. "He was not always as hostile as he is presently but believe me; I've seen him in worse moods. He has only acquired his hostility after our parents died." He got up and put on his slippers before he crossed the room to enter the bathroom.

Sakura knew he didn't want to talk about Sasuke anymore and it was a foolish thing of her to bring Sasuke up in the first place. But by the way Itachi looked after hearing the news about the passing of the law that involved the gangs, he seemed a bit nervous. Itachi had the exact same look when Sasuke had been accused of picking on Sai a little too much. He was calm but there was panic somewhere in his eyes. When she tried to distract him from the news, the tense built up even more so.

She was sure Itachi wasn't crying his eyes out in the bathroom like she would do if she were in his place. He was probably trying to pull back all the emotions in him and come back out when he thought he was himself again. Exactly like Sasuke would do every recollection. When the conversation would go out of way and go deeper, he would usually resign himself from the group and sulk alone somewhere and come back with the same face he had before the conversation started.

It was easy to read Itachi, she thought. It was most likely because she had enough practice with Sasuke throughout her high school years. And having that advantage, she would seldom get confused around him and the discreet signals and emotions he keeps throwing around.

She really had to stop comparing the two Uchiha's. One day, she was sure to pay for this. She didn't know how but she could see clearly that this would become a problem if she did not stop.

End of Chapter II