Hi everyone! You know you all want to kill me for being on hiatus for such a long time. I'm sorry but I've been so busy now that I'm in college. By the way, I'm taking up a major in Journalism. I've failed a subject in the first semester already. I cannot risk failing two more during my remaining 6 semesters. I'm really sorry. You can all throw me in a pool of sharks now.

Here's the third chapter. It's been on my laptop for a long time now. I never had the chance to upload it. Anyway, this part may seem rambly and rushed because I simply made this while I was resting my eyes in the middle of a History report. So, yeah. I offer you a bucketful of apologies with a bunch of cherries on top too.

CHAPTER III
So Similar, So Different

Itachi left her with a cooked meal on the dining table around thirty minutes past 6. He was sure she'd be done eating by now. He could only hope that Sakura had done the dishes too to save him the trouble but he wouldn't mind at all if she didn't.

After he came out of the bathroom with his face freshly washed and free from any sign of emotion, he had gone straight to the kitchen and discovering Sakura with her nose inside the fridge. While he boiled her a bowl of hot soup and toasted the bread, she was on the couch in the living room watching television like he had told her to do in the meantime. Before the meal was fully prepared, Itachi had already changed into another set of clothes.

"Where are you going? Aren't you going to eat?" Sakura asked, noting his attire when she stepped into the kitchen.

With his back on her, he poured the soup into a porcelain bowl. "No," he set the pot on the dead stove and brought the bowl on the dining table. "You will dine alone tonight. I must meet with the leader tonight and he is not a man you would want to keep waiting." He took a step back, admired his work and nodded in approval and signaled for Sakura to sit down. "I have a gun with me," he said, suddenly startling Sakura. "I leave the other one with you. I shall see you when I return, Haruno."

After that, he was off. He headed towards the old warehouse near the city dump on foot. In half an hour, he had reached the location. For a minute, he thought he'd been the first to arrive but the aura of a predator had caught his senses. He smirked faintly, finally recognizing whose atmosphere it was.

He put his hands in his pockets and, without turning around, greeted the pale man who crept stealthily behind him. "I assumed you would not care enough to show up for this meeting, Kisame."

"I could say the same thing about you," even though Itachi did not see his face, he could clearly hear the smirk in his voice. "R'we the first ones, partner?"

Itachi finally spun to meet his fellow gang member's face with an annoyed look. "Yes," he sneered. It still amused the Uchiha how pale this gigantic man was. His skin was so light, it almost seemed blue. He was only a foot and a half taller than Itachi but it was his broad shoulders that made him seem like he was bigger than he should seem. Another factor of this man's intimidating aura was the fact that he had a giant bat slung on his back.

"Really," groaned the larger man. "Leader calls for a meeting at a given time and yet where is the guy? Gets mad when we're late but he's 15 minutes late himself."

Two voices rang from the opposite direction from where Itachi had entered. Both men who arrived early looked at each other, recognizing the bickering of the arriving party. Into the light provided by the street light Itachi and Kisame were standing under, the new arrivals walked, continuing their small dispute.

The blonde man punched the redhead in the arm with a scowl on his face before tying half of his hair up. "All I'm saying is that keep your hands off of my hair and I won't touch your freaky bonnet," the younger said irritably. When he faced the older men, his expression changed into a smug one. "Look who finally decided to show up for once, hm? No plans on running away from leader, Kisame?"

The biggest of the four was itching to reach for his bat and smash it down on the blonde's skull. "Watch it, shorty. I've sent 13 guys in the hospital with this bat and 5 of them made it all the way to hell. You do not want to be the sixth, Deidara."

The offended one remained unaffected by the threat and simply gave a 'hn' at Kisame before facing Itachi and staring at him coldly in the eye.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Deidara disliked Itachi and vice versa. Though it was Itachi who had been assigned to recruit the delinquent, he had never really been fond of the idea nor the man himself. It only took one second to tell that Deidara didn't like him. Neither of the two bothered to hide their hate for one another since it didn't affect the official business of the gang.

The darker man narrowed his eyes on him before averting his attention to the man in the gray bonnet. "It has been quite a while, Sasori," he regarded less coldly than he did Deidara.

"Still as formal as ever," the redhead said indifferently. "So when is leader showing up? I still have a project due tomorrow evening."

A voice echoed from somewhere and all four of them searched for the man with the frighteningly familiar voice.

"I'm glad four of you could make it," he greeted before emerging from behind Kisame. "Hidan was supposed to join us but I had a little errand for him to run but let's get straight to business. Newbie," he pointed to Deidara. "What is the Akatsuki code?"

Deidara's eyes were counting all the piercings on the leaders' face when a finger was pointed in his face. All eyes were on him as he spoke. "Anyone who stands in our way goes to hell without delay."

"Exactly," said the leader. "Itachi, kindly explain to your fellow members what happened."

Itachi cleared his throat as he collected his thoughts. Few seconds later, he spoke. "Hidan nearly killed Taro earlier this day. Unfortunately, a young woman, who I assume is not from this city, managed to apply basic first aid on his wound. Shortly, Tsunade-sama arrived and helped bring Taro to the hospital."

The leader raised his hand—a silent order for Itachi to stop. "Pink hair and fair skin. How many pink hair women have you seen in this city since you first arrived?" The members all looked at each other knowingly. "None. I want all four of you to find that young lady and kill her. Dismissed. Itachi, you stay."

Sasori groaned before turning his heel. The same went for Kisame. Both lived near the border of the city and it took almost an hour for them to get here. Deidara, though only living a few blocks away, also thought it was unfair. The leader could have sent them a text message but that would have been too risky. Telecommunications were thoroughly filtered in the city and they had no choice but to meet in personal.

Itachi watched them leave, knowing that there were two extra pairs of eyes watching him. When he'd turned around, he found a man wearing a mask covering half his face, a lady in a night coat and the leader standing before him.

"She was seen wandering near your area, Itachi," the leader started. "Keep an eye out."

"Understood, Pein." Itachi remained passive and shifted his gaze to the masked man then back to Pein. "Is that all you wish to say, leader?" The pierced man nodded once. "Then I would like to have one moment with him in private."

The man behind the black mask looked to the leader. "Take Konan home and get some rest yourself. Your classes start early tomorrow."

Pein complied, taking the lady's hand in his before walking into the darkness. When they were finally out of earshot, Itachi spoke in a toned voice—one that he'd never let anyone hear.

"How many more lives, Tobi?" He asked. "How many more lives before this gang is disbanded? If we are unable to finish your goal soon, we will all be put under arrest which is what we had been avoiding all these years. The government has had enough of this that you have started and I am hanging on my patience by a thread."

By the crease of Tobi's eye, Itachi could tell that Tobi had a smirk upon his face that he was glad he couldn't see. "Give it a little more time, Itachi-kun," the mocking in his tone almost got to Itachi but he knew better than to let it get the better of him. "Three more lives and that little lady will be the perfect lady to replace the life of your mother. After I found out that she helped Tora, she kind of reminded me of your mother—loving and gentle."

"That girl happens to not be from around here, Tobi," he said straightly. "She is innocent. She is probably still in high school. What does she know of this place?" The masked man looked at Itachi with a hint of interest in his eye.

"You know the bitch?" Tobi asked in a cocky tone.

Itachi bit his tongue, trying to hold back his counter to Tobi's offensive remark about his little brother's girlfriend. "No, I don't. Tobi, for once, could we possibly leave the innocent out of our game?"

"The code," he reminded the long-haired man. "Remember the code. And no, Itachi-kun. I cannot turn a blind eye on the code because it is the sole rule of Akatsuki. I made it to be strong just like how I established our gang."

But of course, Tobi just had to be that hard-headed. Itachi couldn't expect anything less from the founder of the gang of his affiliation.

There were 80 channels and not a decent show for her to watch. With no other choice, she sighed and switched the channels to one where there was a live showing of a reality show centered in cooking. One would never see Sakura slaving over a hot stove for a meal but she was one who would be usually found sitting in front of a table and eating her way through a meal.

After finishing what Itachi had left her on the table, she still was not satisfied. She had an appetite, true. What remains a mystery to her is how she stays so slim after three servings of rice per meal.

Her trail of thought was soon ended when she was startled by her ringtone. With a groan, she got up, went back in Itachi's room and picked up her phone which she left on top of the bedside table. It was Naruto… Again.

"Hello?" She answered as she flopped down on top of the covers of his bed on her back.

"Sakura-chan!" The voice on the other end cheered. "How are things going for you? Everything okay?"

She smiled at his voice. A whole day hasn't passed just yet but she already missed Konoha. "I'm fine, Naruto. Everything's going okay, I guess." Honestly, she didn't know if staying in a house of a man who was supposedly Sasuke's brother was okay in any way. "Hey, Naruto," she sighed. "Can I tell you some—"

"OH MY GOSH!" Sakura had to pull her head away from the phone when Naruto yelled. "Sakura, I just realized; can you bring me ramen before you come back here?" He really was an idiot wasn't he?

She shook her head at the ignorance of the blond as she swung her feet on the side of the bed. She walked back in the living room and sat on the couch comfortably as she listened to Naruto's excitement about tasting city ramen. "It'll be cold by the time I come back," she answered. "Anyway, Naruto… I want to tell you something but you have to promise not to tell Sasuke, okay? Or anyone else, for that matter."

It took a while before Naruto could answer. She almost thought about hanging up on him. "Okay," Naruto agreed. "What is it?"

"You see, the thing is—" She cut herself off with a gasp when she'd heard a key pushed in the front door. Itachi was back. Naruto was asking her what was wrong from the other end. She could hear him, yes, but right now she was too busy thinking of something else to say to her best friend. Before she managed to think of something, Itachi had entered the main area of the apartment. And so, abandoning all hope, she'd spat the very first thing that came to mind. "I have a fever."

Itachi paused for a moment, looking at her with, as usual, a passive expression before he bent on one knee to untie one of his shoes. She watched him as the loose strands that refused to tuck in his ponytail swept across his face. She knew he was tired though it didn't show. It was the same feel she had when she would see Sasuke wasted during gym class.

Without even noticing it, she suddenly found herself drowning in endless pools of ebony. He'd felt her eyes on him and suddenly returned the look. "Is something the matter?" He asked, bringing her head back on Earth.

If it wasn't for his voice, she probably would have forgotten about her friend on the phone. "Sakura-chan, are you okay? What happened? I heard someone else. What's going on?"

"It's nothing," she fake-chuckled. "My head just really hurts a lot. I'm going to call you back, okay? I'm in the pharmacy right now," she continued. "Bye. I'll call you later."

When she'd heard him bid her goodbye, she slipped her phone in the pocket of her jeans and retrieved the remote from the other end of the couch, continuing to surf the channels for the nth time. In peripheral view, she watched as Uchiha Itachi moved to the kitchen. She'd heard the sound of running water and clanking dishes.

"Uhm… I'm sorry about the dishes," she said out loud. "I'll do it next time." She was tempted to bite her fingernails at the moment. This man offered her shelter in his own home and let her sleep on his bed and she didn't at least bother to do the dishes. But then again, she still wasn't sure if staying with him just to prove him wrong about her was such a good idea.

The sound of running water suddenly disappeared and when she'd turned her head, Itachi was already wiping his hands on a small towel, standing beside the cabinet which served as a divider for the living room and the kitchen. "I do not expect you to do anything," he simply said. "I insisted on having you stay here. You are a guest and in my family, we are not supposed to let the guest do anything. We are supposed to serve them."

A guest is not someone you force to stay in your house, she said inwardly. "Funny," she accidentally said out loud, remembering Sasuke. Her eyes darted away from Itachi all of a sudden when she'd realized he'd heard her.

"What is?"

She held her lips together, trying to show that offense was not what she'd intended before she started. "Your brother…" From the corner of her eye, she saw Itachi stop drying his hands. "Whenever he'd let me in his apartment, he'd just tell me to feel at home and if I was hungry, I could take anything from the pantry. It just suddenly popped into mind."

The raven-haired man let his hands drop to his sides for a moment. She looked at him and followed his gaze to a picture frame hung beside the front door. She hadn't noticed that before. And just when she was about to examine it, Itachi somehow broke her attempt by speaking.

"Yes," he muttered under his breath before turning his back for the kitchen. "Humorous, indeed."

There was something in his tone that suggested irony. Or was it sarcasm? Reluctant to ask for the whole story, Sakura stuttered. "W-What do you… Well, what do you mean by—"

"That is another story for yet another day, Sakura," Itachi interrupted. He emerged from the kitchen once more and headed inside the bathroom. Before he shut the door, he'd called on Sakura's attention. "I forgot to remind you that Tsunade sent you a message earlier while you were asleep," he said. "She will be expecting your arrival in the hospital early tomorrow morning. This is merely a suggestion but I think it is best if you go to sleep while it is still early. Goodnight."

Then the door slammed shut.

His suggestion sounded more like an order to Sakura by the way he'd said it.

It was exactly 7am when she entered Tsunade's consultation room and there was no sgn of the veteran medic. She let herself in and sat in front of her desk, removing the baseball cap Itachi lent her and setting it on top of the glass table.

Itachi was still fast asleep when she left her room all dressed up and ready to head for the hospital. Unfortunately, his eyes snapped open at the sound of the front door opening. He suggested she hid her hair to avoid attracting any more attention than she already did. Unable to hesitate, she pulled her hair in a messy pony and wore the cap he handed to her.

What did I get myself into? Thanks to a good night's rest, she finally got a hold of herself. Sakura was frantic about what had happened yesterday. She could not believe she just agreed to live in a stranger's apartment for the next couple days. But then again, he wasn't a total stranger, was he? Here I go again, she thought. I'm so undecided. Maybe I should have just let him accompany me home or—

The door opened and Tsunade stood in the doorway looking haggard and still half-asleep. A younger woman, almost the same built as Sakura, had one arm around Tsunade's waist, hoisting her to her feet.

"I could use a little help," she said with a grunt.

Sakura immediately got to her feet and rushed to help Tsunade make way to her seat. With little difficulty, Sakura pulled Tsunade's shoulders on the back rest of the chair while the woman fixed Tsunade's coat. When she was finally satisfied with her work, she asked Sakura to let go of Tsunade. Both watched as the busty woman's head fell flat on the table.

The woman sighed. "Nothing can make Tsunade-sama look more respectable than she does right now." As if on cue, Tsunade snored a little. The woman faced Sakura who was standing a few feet away from the desk, looking worried about the blonde doctor. "I'm sorry but she's usually like this. She'll be fine though. She just had a strong drink last night is all," she reached out a hand. "I'm Shizune. And you're Haruno Sakura, I believe?"

Sakura gladly moved forward and shook Shizune's hand. "Yes, I am. How did you know my name?"

"I'm actually the one who chose you to be her intern," she replied nicely. "Out of all the forms, I honestly thought you were the one with the most potential. And Tsunade-sama told me so as well last night before she passed out," she chuckled. "Anyway, I'm going to be the one to teach you today since Tsunade-sama… Well, you're smart enough to figure out why I'm going to be teaching you."

Sakura smiled. "I might have an idea why."

Shizune moved behind the table and opened the top drawer, pulling out an envelope. "This is supposed to be her agenda for today but since she's out cold… Shall we head to the cafeteria?" She noticed disappointment somewhere in Sakura's face. "Don't worry. I'll make sure that I won't be teaching all the lectures. Besides, this isn't a lecture. I'm just going to assess you on what you know and what else you need to know so that she will know where to start. Shall we?"

And with a nod, both walked out of the room, leaving Tsunade to sleep alone on her desk.

Uchiha.

How long until classes were dismissed? It was already 2pm and he was still stuck in a make-up class becase he'd missed 11 meetings in one subject… Composition class.

Uchiha.

It wasn't like he wanted to miss this class. It was nothing personal. It was simply business. Akatsuki business. Seriously, because of Akatsuki, he ended up having to take up two more years in his college major.

"Uchiha," his professor called him, sounding annoyed and stern. "Keep focus. You already failed my subject because of your frequent absences. Keep in mind that I am not thrilled to have you in my class for a third time. Understood?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he just let his eyes dart on the window beside him. He didn't care about the class. He knew all he needed to in order to pass the class. It was just his bad attendance that pulled his grades and everyone knew that well.

"I guess that's it for today," the professor said. "I'll see you all on Thursday. Uchiha," he pointed out. "You still haven't passed your composition for this semester. If you don't hand it over within the week, I will have to fail you again. Please don't make me do so."

Again, Itachi did not show any sign of response.

"Dismissed," and the small man was out of the door.

Everyone else was packing and leaving the room, wanting to make the most of their 3-hour break before their next class. Everyone but the man sitting at the far end of the classroom. He took his time packing his bag and left the room long after everyone was gone.

He took the bus home and took a cool shower before starting on his composition.

"We're done for today," Shizune said. "That went a whole lot faster than I thought. Do you want to go grab a snack at a café somewhere or—"

Before she could say anymore, Sakura kindly declined her invite, afraid that someone might take notice of her. "I really should be heading home now. It's almost 5. Maybe some other time?"

After they both agreed on a date, Sakura went back in Tsunade's office, grabbed Itachi's cap and walked back home. It was merely half an hour away if she walked faster than she did but she wanted to memorize the shops she would pass by so she took her time with her steps.

When she passed by a bakery, she couldn't help but be captivated by the smell of the freshly baked loaves of bread. She stepped inside the bakery and eyed the crocodile-shaped loaf of bread in the display behind the counter. There was also one that resembled a totem pole. She wondered how hard it would have been for the bakers to mold and shape the dough.

A man with long blonde flowing hair stepped out of the kitchen, and saw appreciation in the young lady's eyes. He stripped off his working gloves and put away his apron until he was wearing nothing but a washed-out purple top and black sweatpants.

"Hello, miss," he said politely.

Sakura almost jumped out of her skin, surprised that someone had taken notice of her. "Hi," she smiled back at the blonde man. Maybe he was just as old as Taro. "This is something else," she chuckled, pointing at the bread molded as an eagle. "It's really pretty though. It's like an edible piece of art."

The blonde man smirked at her choice of words and made his way over the counter. "Thanks," he said. "I did most of the work in that. It wasn't easy though. Did you need something?"

Ashamed that she came in the shop without any money, she shook her head. "I really didn't mean to buy anything. It's just… The bread smelled so good and I couldn't resist." She looked at him, feeling uncomfortable under the gaze of his blue eyes. "I really should be going no—"

"It's fine," he pulled her wrist and gestured her to sit on one table. "Please, sit down. I'll be right back."

Before Sakura could even protest, he went back into the kitchen and came out with a tray filled with various confections no bigger than a compact mirror. They were all so carefully decorated. He sat across her and set the tray on the table. "Please, taste them. They're some of the bakery's best."

"Won't the owner be furious?"

"Not if he invites you to sit himself," he said with a smug look on his face. But he couldn't possibly own this place. He was just about the same age as her. "Just taste them."

Sakura took the fork on the edge of the tray and tasted the turtle-shaped finger cake. "This is just marvelous," she said with wide-eyes.

"Keep eating," he said. "You're a siren."

"Excuse me?" She asked, pushing her fork through another piece of cake.

He pointed at her cap. "SCC. Siren Central College. You're a siren if you have a cap like that," he pointed out. "You must be pretty rich to get into a music conservatory like that. I have a friend who goes to that school. What instrument do you play?"

"This isn't really mine," she said softly. Her phone vibrated. "Excuse me while I take this." She pulled out her phone and put it on her ear. "Hello?"

"Haruno, where are you?" A familiar voce but not quite familiar enough. "I went to the hospital to pick you up but you weren't there."

Itachi.

"Oh my gosh," she exclaimed a little louder than she should have. "I'm really sorry, Itachi. I'm almost home. I forgot you were supposed to pick me up from work. I'm really sorry."

"Where are you?"

"I'm on my way home," she answered. "I have to go now," she said, seeing that the blonde man was looking at her intently as she spoke. "Bye." She put down her phone and pushed it in her pocket again.

"Might I ask," he started. "Was that, by any chance, Uchiha Itachi?"

She nodded. "Why? Do you know him?"

He shrugged, and leaned back on his chair. "He's an acquaintance. We're not exactly buddy-buddy but we know each other." Could it be… That this man was from the same gang as Taro? Or maybe another gang that Itachi knew of? "I'm sorry about this," he sighed.

"About what?"

"If I'd known earlier that you were Itachi's lady, I wouldn't have done this," he said defensively. "Don't tell him I offered you some sweets or anything. I'd be dead if I was caught flirting with his woman and—"

She stopped him before he could say any more. "I am not Itachi's woman," said Sakura in a very polite manner. "Don't get me wrong. He seems really nice but he—Wait. You were trying to… Flirt with me?" Flattery washed over Sakura. This man was extremely good looking for someone who worked in such a small bakery. "I'm sorry. I appreciate it but I have a boyfriend back home. But I think I'll come by here when I'm bored. And I'll make sure I have money the next time so—"

"You know what," he said. "Just come by whenever you feel like it. Money or not, I'll make sure you have the same smile on your face like the one a while ago when you thought of your boyfriend." He smiled at her. "And I'll be here, waiting."

He was quite a smooth-talker, she had to admit. His accent and way with words had a part of her hooked. He was no Uchiha Sasuke nor Uchiha Itachi but he was really something else.

Wait. Why did she even think about comparing him to Itachi, anyway?

"How about you take some cakes home for you and Itachi?"

"No," she was already on her feet and ready to leave. "You've already given me enough. Besides, I'm positive that Itachi doesn't like sweets."

The baker looked at her, amused at what she said. "Why would you assume that? Itachi loves sweets. Especially chocolates. What made you think he didn't like it."

Because Uchiha Sasuke doesn't like sweets, Sakura thought.

When he handed her a paper bag filled with small cakes, she thanked him and promised him that she would be back soon.

On the way back to the apartment, she stopped in front of a mirror shop and checked herself out. She didn't mind going out looking like she did right now every time she would leave the house. The cap and hidden hair was quite a nice touch to her usual wardrobe.

After fixing her appearance, she crossed the street and turned around the block until Itachi's apartment was in sight. He found his spare key by the window sill like he told her this morning and opened the front door.

Itachi must still be on the way back, she thought. What's with all this mess?

She first headed to the kitchen and placed the paper bag on the table before she returned in the living room where pieces of paper were all over the place. Notes. Musical notes everwhere. She checked one of the papers and found that it had been an original composition by Itachi. It was indicated on the bottom of the page where he had his signature above his printed name.

Siren Central College. A conservatory of music. He was taking up music. But what instrument did he play, exactly? The baker also mentioned her being rich enough to get into a school like SCC. Could it be that—

"I take it Sasuke taught you how to read those notes?" A voice said from behind.

She spun around so quickly, she felt a little dizzy when she laid her eyes on the tall man taking off his shoes by the door. She straightened the paper and set it on the floor again. "No, I don't really know how to read these things well. I mean I know which notes are which but this is—"

"Ah," a reply so brief it reminded her of Sasuke's response when she said she'd been accepted as Tsunade's intern. "What would you like for dinner?"

Sakura shook her head. "I'm still really full," she muttered. "I brought some cakes home, by the way. A really nice man in the bakery gave them to me for free and I think you know him."

"Blonde hair, I assume," he started for the living room and began picking the pieces of paper one by one. Sakura offered to help but he simply asked her to prepare the dishes and place the cakes on a tray.

When he finally finished cleaning up, he followed her and found her sitting quietly on one side of the table. "His bakery makes impressive confections, I must admit. I visit the shop frequently whenever he is not there. I must suggest you taste the blueberry cheesecake." He used the small tong to place the small cake on Sakura's plate. "He does not live there, however. He lives on the other side of the city."

She did not use a fork but instead pinched it between her fingers and ate it whole. "It tastes just as good as it looks," she mused.

He didn't say anymore as he took a bite out of the mini-black forest cake. His expression remained the same as always but Sakura saw a smile somewhere in his passive look.

Uchiha Itachi was like a grown up version of Uchiha Sasuke although… She shouldn't be saying this but no matter how similar they seemed, she knew Itachi had more heart than Sasuke ever will. She felt so guilty just thinking about it. But it just bothered her so much how they were so similar yet so different.

But somehow, something told her she'd enjoy Itachi's company more than she does with Sasuke.

Why, she thought to herself as she stuffed herself with the last cake on the tray. He really does love sweets.