Chapter 3 – The Hunt

Ah, she was a practical girl, it seemed. Preferring comfortable clothing to heels and pretty dresses.

Upon hearing that she was attempting to hunt, Uchiha Mikoto had waited outside the rooms she shared with her husband, greeting Sakura with a polite smile and welcoming her into the maze that was her closet, secretly glad that she had guessed correctly in assuming she wished to change. Telling her to choose anything that caught her eye, Mikoto waited patiently on the other side of the door, enquiring about her taste in clothing while Sakura explored the closet.

Apparently, she did enjoy dressing up (complete with doing her hair and makeup), though only when the occasion called for it and, she'd added quietly, like the thought alone embarrassed her greatly, she felt as though she was capable of wearing a plastic bag now and somehow managing to pull it off. No makeup, no fancy hairstyle and no accessories needed. Just her. To that, Mikoto had smiled, catching a glimpse of her own reflection and not for the first time admiring her appearance while informing Sakura there was a reason for that. Their beauty attracted their prey, luring them in.

It was then that Sakura confided in her, the sounds of her removing her clothing informing Mikoto she had possibly found an outfit of her liking. She told the older woman that she'd never felt such a way before - beautiful, or confident in her appearance. Growing up, she had always felt rather inadequate in the looks department. Her skin had never been the smoothest and her curves hadn't started to fill out until she hit sixteen and by that time, school was almost over, meaning she couldn't show them off to those who had picked on her, often calling her flat-chested. To make matters worse (although Mikoto didn't see the issue), Sakura had a large forehead. Okay, sure, she added flippantly, huffing, she had sort of grown into it, but that was mostly because of the way she styled her hair.

While muttering about bullies, unknowingly causing Mikoto's focus to snap entirely on that sentence, a rare protectiveness filling her entire being, Sakura left the closet dressed in thick black leggings, accompanied by a long-line, stone coloured jersey sweatshirt that fell to mid-thigh and off one shoulder. Having found her way to the shoe section, she'd paired the outfit with dark grey military boots. Mikoto bit back her smile at the sight of the outfit - it was one she'd never worn before, proven by the awkward way Sakura held onto the price tags after removing them, smiling shyly, guilt written over her features. She'd purchased it for a camping trip that never happened for one reason or another, placing it to the back of her 'maybe one day' section.

"My body feels so light," Sakura murmured.

Was the change in her voice still concerning her? Mikoto wondered as she watched the emotions that openly played out on her pretty features, those green eyes full of wonder.

"But there's so much power," she added thoughtfully, clenching her fists, watching them with fascination.

It seemed Sakura had done all she could to pull her hair up into a ponytail and Mikoto pitied the girl greatly, as it'd pained her cutting through the lusciously long locks of pink hair. Oh, it had been a mess when Itachi first brought her to their home and she'd done all she could to save the length, washing it many times and lathering it in deep conditioning treatments, but the matts weren't for moving. Even with the hair being as matted as it was, it'd reached Sakura's waist and Mikoto was aware of how long it took for hair to grow to such length. Now, it just about reached her shoulders. She suited it, of course, but it would be an uneasy changed for her. No matter how much she had styled it, adding many layers to prevent it from being a boring, blunt cut, it would take a while for her to get used to it.

Startling green eyes peered up at her when Mikoto accepted the tags, intent on binning them. "Thank you for sharing your–"

"There's no need to thank me, Sakura-chan," Mikoto told her softly. "Until we are able to buy you belongings of your own, feel free to share mine."

Itachi had already warned her that going into town would be difficult for her right now. Not only because she had friends and family who lived there and would recognise her in an instant, but also because of her thirst. It was why her clan chose to live in a clearing in the middle of a forest. In highly populated areas, it would be harder to keep their thirst under control. More so her youngest son than the rest of them.

After she replied with a nod and grateful smile, Mikoto gestured for the girl to follow her, leading Sakura through the house, not failing to notice the wide, stunned eyes taking everything in. She supposed their home was on the inconspicuous side, she allowed, though her pride soared whenever Sakura complimented her designs.

Once they reached Itachi, who was waiting patiently outside, Mikoto smiled down at Sakura. "Shisui will be returning tonight and he sounds rather excited to meet you, Sakura-chan."

"To meet me?" she asked dubiously. "Why?"

Would she already know of Shisui? Mikoto believed it to be safe to assume that yes, she knew of him. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that her son had shared his memories with her, wishing to show her the truth behind his words. After all, hearing that vampires existed, never mind becoming one, seemed impossible. She would want physical evidence - they all would.

"He is quite excitable," Itachi told her.

"That would be an understatement." Mikoto chuckled, watching with warm eyes as Sakura made her way over to Itachi, standing quietly by his side and looking up at him with wide, stunning eyes. Was the girl even aware of how she was staring at Itachi? There was admiration in her eyes as well as awe. It filled her with hope. "Be careful, Sakura-chan. Itachi, make sure you steer clear of the path."

The path? Sakura frowned before her eyes widened a fraction. The path! It was where hikers would meet up before beginning their journey through the forest. At the moment, they were pretty deep into the forest, but what if they stumbled across someone? No. Sakura trusted Itachi not to let her harm a person. She may not have known him long, but from his memories, she had been able to tell that he didn't relish the thought of harming innocent people, either. Hell, he was taking her out to hunt animals when he usually hunted criminals.

With a nod from Itachi to his mother, they set off. It was with a steady pace that they walked into the trees and it seemed that Itachi was giving her some time to get used to everything. She was glad for that, because Sakura couldn't help but look around with large eyes. Previously, as a human, she had enjoyed hiking with her friends, had always enjoyed the outdoors, but now it seemed so much more beautiful. Now, Sakura could see everything in very fine details. A drop of water running down a flower petal, each blade of grass beneath her feet, the leaves above her…

"It's so pretty," Sakura murmured.

Sakura was unaware of Itachi's eyes on her face as she listened to the sounds of wildlife. Somewhere in the distance she could hear water flowing gently down a stream and knew in an instant what lake it was. It was one she and her friends had once camped at and it startled her how much sharper her hearing was now. The lake had to be at least two miles north from where she was right now. Hearing that far shouldn't even be possible.

"Does the lake run by here?"

He paused for a moment, listening to the sounds around him before nodding. "Yes. Not too far from us and about a quarter of a mile away."

She was honestly so grateful to hear that. If Sakura could hear everything within two miles, it would have driven her insane. So many different sounds, different conversations…

As Itachi guided her towards the lake, Sakura realised that it was more of a stream that led to the lake and it looked as though it went on for miles. The area surrounding it was stunning, though. There were different varieties of flowers, their colours bursting with vibrancy and beauty. The sun shone stubbornly through the leaves in the trees, forcing its brightness into the small clearing and onto the flowers that were eagerly soaking up every bit of light and heat. Sakura was certain she could sit there all day and simply marvel at everything. It was breathtaking.

"When I was younger," Sakura said suddenly to Itachi, "me and my friend, Ino, would pick flowers together and make bouquets. She told me that one day, I would blossom into a beautiful flower."

The look in her eyes, the pained look that flitted across her features, had Itachi watching her closely. "What happened to her?"

Sakura glanced down at the flowers. "There was an accident one day at her house. She and a few friends she had met while clubbing were drinking and things got out of hand. For Ino, it was her average weekend. You see, she enjoyed going out and getting drunk, meeting new people. But… that day…" There was a pause as she clenched her fists tightly. "One of her 'friends' started a fire and trapped them all inside. Sixteen people were inside and not a single one of them made it out alive. None of them were able to be identified in any way other than their dental records." Her chest constricted painfully as her vision blurred. "Ino was like a sister to me. She helped me through so much."

"How long ago was the fire?"

"Seven months ago, now," Sakura whispered before wiping under her eyes, forcing herself to push aside her pain. Remembering how her best friend had died, in such a horrific way, was always painful. Instead, she preferred to think about all the times they had spent together. "Anyway! Aren't we supposed to be hunting?"

If he noticed her smile was no longer genuine, he didn't mention it.

"Focus on your surroundings," he told her after a moment and when she did so, he continued, "What do you hear?"

"Birds. The wind…" Eyebrows knitting together ever so slightly, she looked up at him. "Footsteps?"

Itachi nodded once. "How many?"

Focusing a little harder, Sakura waited for a couple of minutes. "Sixteen."

"Four," he corrected patiently. "Each animal has four legs, which is most likely why you thought the number was higher."

If she was still human, Sakura was certain she would have blushed at her mistake. Her guess had been so far off. In school, it was no secret that she had been a bookworm, had been one of the smartest kids there as well as kind of a teacher's pet.

"How far away?"

As Itachi's voice drifted to her, knocking her out of her embarrassed thoughts, she looked around. "I'd say about… a mile south from us."

He gave her a small smile and nodded once.

And then he started to run and Sakura found it difficult to keep up, but at the same time, it was exhilarating. The speed she could travel at was… She didn't even know how to describe it. Despite moving so fast through the forest, it felt like everything was in slow motion. Like earlier, Sakura could see and hear everything, so she didn't have to worry about crashing into trees or tripping over roots.

In front of her, Itachi was as graceful as ever. The power in his movements that had previously been displayed was back once again and with each stride, it only increased. His hair that was pulled back in a loose and low ponytail was billowing behind him, seeming like a wave of darkness. Each of his movements held a purpose and for a moment, Sakura's breath caught. When she had seen him for the first time (the night she had been attacked), she had believed he was an angel. The second time, he was beautiful. And now? It was like Itachi was a God. She didn't mean that in a "he's so much better than everyone else" kind of way. It was the feelings he radiated, the peace that was surrounding him. It was how beautiful he was, yet powerful and so very deadly at the same time.

She hoped that she looked as graceful as he did.

They were there in no time and as Sakura caught up to Itachi, it was like her body was a shadow of his as she suddenly began to move like a predator. She was silent, moving through the trees without making a sound. As he jumped up to a branch, Sakura did the same and crouched down beside Itachi, watching as a hungry gaze flickered through his eyes, a look that marked him as the dangerous predator he was. It was thrilling to see such a look, if Sakura was honest and she wondered, as Itachi locked gazes with her, if she held the same look in her eyes.

The sound of heartbeats, of blood rushing through bodies, had her head snapping to the right, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the four animals. It seemed to be a pack of some sort. A wolf pack. They were all roughly around the same size and colour, though it was obvious who the leader was. He was the meaner looking dog, the largest one. Half of his ear was missing and there was a scar running down his face. The leader of the pack was pacing around and Sakura could literally hear his blood pumping through his body.

A wild look unknowingly entered her eyes as she readjusted her position, her right leg positioning itself on the edge of the branch.

And then she was vaulting off the branch, tackling the large dog to the ground. There was growling and barking, though Sakura was certain that she was the one who was growling. It sounded too feminine to belong to the wolf that was now beneath her, who was struggling to escape her grasp. She broke its neck so that it wouldn't feel much pain and it was in a so very primal way that she moved forward with unseeable speed, that she sunk her teeth into his neck. In fact, it felt like a natural instinct.

Behind her, Sakura could hear Itachi taking down another member of the wolf pack, though she was much too focused on her own meal to look over at him. Her eyes closed. It was strange. Not too long ago, she was certain that she would have thrown up if she drank blood, but now? Now it tasted like the best thing she had ever had. She knew that human blood would be even better, but she could settle for animal blood. After all, she had always eaten meat before being changed, so what difference did it make, now? The only difference was that, instead of being dead and cooked when it was served to her, she instead caught her meal and ate it, drank it, raw.

Once done with the leader of the pack, Sakura stood up straight and shot over to the next. It seemed to be in shock as she snapped its neck and fed herself.

By the time she stood up once again, Itachi had long since finished off his two. There was no sign on him to show what he had just done, not a single speck of blood, not even a hair from the dogs on his clothing. There wasn't even any blood around his mouth or a hair on his head out of place. Itachi stepped towards her and raised his hand, making Sakura's breath catch in her throat as his thumb wiped the corners of her mouth gently, cleaning the blood away from her lips.

"Do you want more?"

More of the touching? Well, to be honest, she wouldn't exactly hate it.

Wait.

He meant more blood.

"I'm fine for now," Sakura told him quietly, missing his touch as Itachi dropped his hand and took a step back, surveying the area around them.

And then suddenly, the bodies of the lifeless wolves were piled up and burning. It seemed Itachi had been holding back while he was running with her, because Sakura had barely even seen him move or set them on fire.

"Never leave any evidence behind," Itachi warned her. "It would tell others of our kind that we are here and not all of them are friendly."

Of course, she already knew that having met Sasuke earlier. Instead of saying that, however, she nodded once in understanding.

It was strange how quickly the fire burned out once the bodies were nothing but ashes and once they were, Itachi made sure to get rid of every single bit of evidence.

"Can we go and sit by the lake for a while?" Sakura asked him as they made their way back. They weren't running like before. They were taking their time. "I like it there. It's relaxing."

"Of course," he replied, giving her a small smile.

And so they did. They sat together near the lake for what only seemed like minutes, but it was actually hours. Because of how much Itachi had shared with her about his illness and getting used to being a vampire, she told him about her life. How, before the attack, she had been a doctor-in-training at the hospital. Bragging just a little bit, Sakura told him about how she was able to help out at the hospital due to how skilled the head doctor had found her.

It saddened Sakura that she would no longer be able to continue with her job. It would be way too risky what with all the blood and gore at the hospital.

When the sun began to set, Itachi told her to follow him as he hopped from branch to branch, going higher and higher into the trees until they broke through the leaves. For what felt like the millionth time that day, Sakura was left speechless. From their position, they could see the tops of many, many, many trees that stretched out for miles, but that wasn't what caused her breath to catch, that caused a smile to brighten her face. It was the setting sun. It was the many different colours in the sky. Oranges, reds, yellows… There were so many shades of colours.

"Itachi-san." Itachi looked over to her, surprised momentarily at the smile she sent to him. "Thank you for saving me."

They returned not long after the sun had finally set. Not much had been said after Sakura had thanked Itachi. They were simply content with sitting silently in each other's presence.

"It seems Shisui has arrived," Itachi murmured to her as they walked up the steps leading to the front door.

Indeed he had. There was talking in what Sakura guessed as the living room, but since she had not yet had a full tour of the house, she wasn't too sure. For all she knew, it could have been a study. It seemed to be a conversation between Mikoto and Shisui, although Sakura could feel the presence of Sasuke and Fugaku not too far from them. It made her slightly unsure of entering the living room as they stepped into Itachi's home. Was Sasuke still angry with her?

A hand was gently placed on her shoulder and Sakura remembered that Itachi could feel everything she could. Since the others had heard their arrival and would no doubt hear them if they spoke now, Itachi was telling her, without words, that she would be fine. Sasuke wouldn't try to harm her even if he was still angry.

The door opened just as Itachi dropped his hand back to his side, revealing Mikoto. "It seems you finally decided to come home," she teased softly, stepping to the side so that they could enter the room. "It took you quite a while. There weren't any problems, were there?"

Sakura noticed how both Fugaku and Sasuke were suddenly watching her with hard eyes, waiting to hear if she had failed and Sasuke's earlier words drifted through her mind. "We all know that she won't last a month if she can't even bring herself to hunt". Apparently he wasn't the only one who thought that if the look in Fugaku's eyes meant anything. He was watching both her and Itachi closely.

"No," Itachi told her truthfully though his eyes never left Fugaku's and Sasuke's as they turned to look at him. It was almost as though he was daring them to say something. "We were merely sitting by the lake and enjoying the sunset."

"It's beautiful there." Mikoto sighed with a smile. "In the spring, it is even more breathtaking."

"So," a new voice called out as he walked into the room once again, "where is the girl who managed to–"

His voice cut off as his dark eyes widened, locking onto Sakura's apple green eyes.

"You…" he breathed.

Sakura frowned and looked up at Itachi, who seemed just as confused though he hid it well. It was only because of their bond that she could feel his confusion.

Just as Sakura turned back to face Shisui, her eyes widened as he was suddenly right there. Even Mikoto was surprised by the movement. Itachi narrowed his eyes a fraction as Shisui reached up and gently grabbed her chin, turning her head this way and that to see the different angles.

"Haruno Sakura." Shisui's voice was stronger now, though there was a certain edge to it. "You went missing over a week ago around eleven at night. You were supposed to be working a shift at the hospital but you never turned up. There were no trails, no leads. It was as though you vanished. Even I could not pick anything up."

"Then you were not looking in the right place," Itachi told him as Sakura took an uncertain step back, her eyes wide as she moved closer to him.

Shisui narrowed his eyes but he dismissed his comment. "There are a lot of people searching for you, Haruno-san."

"T-There are?" she whispered.

He nodded once, his expression grim as he glanced up at his cousin. "You should have told me that the girl you changed was Haruno Sakura. I could have fabricated a lead to make it look as though she had died. Her parents believe that she is travelling with friends for some reason."

Everyone looked down at Sakura. "I… I always told them that one day, I want to travel the world." Her voice was still no louder than a whisper as she spoke, but when she continued, it was louder. "I've always wanted to go to different countries and help out at their hospitals, to learn about different cultures." Looking up at Shisui, she frowned. "But I don't understand why they would think I'm travelling since I don't exactly have the funds to do so. That's the reason why I had taken the midnight shift at the hospital. I was saving up."

"I don't know why they think that, either," Shisui told her honestly. "Your mother simply told me that perhaps you had gone travelling."

Her mother. They hadn't ever been that close, to be honest. Sakura was more of a daddy's girl. There were moments when she would open up to her mother, but they were rare to happen. No, they argued more than they actually spoke. "My mother and I never really saw eye-to-eye," she told him, her frown deepening. "We argued a lot about all sorts of different things."

"And your father?" Mikoto asked gently.

"He always spoiled me," Sakura spoke softly as she looked down at the ground, the pleasant memories warming her. "Whenever he could, he would buy me nice dresses or take me out for the day. However, the moment I told him about wanting to travel, he chipped in. Every month he would place about a third of his pay cheque into my savings account." She bit the inside of her lip harshly. Just thinking about never seeing him again was causing her intense pain and Sakura knew that she would definitely miss him more than anything. "It's safe to say that I was a 'daddy's girl'." She gave a small, forced smile before growing serious. "He would never believe that I've simply gone travelling as my father knows that he is the first person I would tell before leaving."

It was Sasuke who spoke next. "Does your mother hate you?"

"Sasuke," Mikoto chided, her eyes widening with shock.

"Excuse me?"

Ignoring his mother, Sasuke instead focused on Sakura. "You said so yourself that you never got on with her. What if she had planned your attack and paid the men to–"

"Stop talking about revenge," Sakura yelled angrily, her fists clenching tightly by her sides. "I don't know what the hell happened to you to make you so obsessed with it, but stop thinking that everything leads to revenge. We never got on, but my mother still loves me. I'm her daughter. What sort of mother would kill their own child? What sort of mother would pay men to beat and rape their own daughter?" Her upper lip curled as Sakura snarled at Sasuke, as her previous murderous anger started to swell. "If you're only going to try and mess with my head, to make me like you, then please just… stop!"

Silence.

There was a flash in Sasuke's eyes, one that told her he was enjoying the challenge of somebody finally standing up to him. No doubt the others simply ignored his anger or spoke to him gently. If the shock on Mikoto's face was anything to go by, she had obviously never yelled at him the way Sakura just had. Hell, even Fugaku looked shocked.

And then, he was smirking at her. "Perhaps having you around will finally make things more entertaining."

With that said, Sasuke seemed to completely relax.

Sakura had never felt so confused before. A couple of hours ago, it had taken Itachi more or less threatening him to make Sasuke back down, but just now, all she'd had to do was use words. She stared at him for a few moments as Sasuke leaned against the wall and shoved his hands into his pockets. How could he ask questions like that, get screamed at, and then act as though nothing had even happened? Was he mentally unstable? Was he merely bored? Or could Sasuke switch his emotions on and off?

"Okay…" Shisui said slowly, seeming just as unsure and confused as Sakura. "I can try and create a false–"

"No," Sakura interrupted him. "I'll… go and see him. My mom will be at work tonight so my dad should be alone."

Fugaku narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure that that is a wise decision? I am certain that you are much different than how you used to be."

She nodded. "I am. But I can't just let them go on living like this, wondering what happened to me. I can't do that to them."

"They would never be at peace," Mikoto agreed and the slight twitch of her hands, as though they were about to be raised to her chest, told Sakura that she knew what that pain was like. Maybe not exactly what it was like, since both of her children were still (somewhat) alive. No, her oldest son, her first child, had been sentenced to death the moment the doctor diagnosed him. That kind of pain had to be unbearable for a mother. All they ever wanted was to see their children grow old and live happy lives.

But then again, Itachi and Sasuke were never going to grow old. They were forever stuck in their twenty-one and sixteen year old bodies. It kind of startled Sakura when she discovered that Sasuke was no older than sixteen. Well, he had been sixteen when he was changed. She still wasn't sure on how long the Uchiha clan had been vampires for because it was obvious Itachi wasn't all that comfortable telling her. Centuries. All Sakura knew was that they had been vampires for a couple of centuries. And now, she would be stuck in her eighteen year old body. She couldn't complain, really. If there was any age to freeze and live at forever, she would have chosen eighteen. Or perhaps twenty-five. There was just something about that number that she liked.

"I can go at midnight," Sakura said carefully and her hesitance made it obvious she was scared of harming her father. "But… Itachi-san…" Biting her lip for a second, she glanced up at him. "Please would you come with me? I don't want to accidentally hurt him if I can't stay in control."

It would haunt her for the rest of her unnatural life.

"Of course."

Her eyes closed for a second as she let out a slow exhale, almost like a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"Pack a couple of bags of your belongings," Shisui ordered her and gave Sakura a serious look. "Take all of your bank cards, anything that is of importance to you and whatever else you can think of. It will be more believable that way, especially if you're as close to your father as you say you are. If he knows there are certain items that hold sentimental value to you, then he will know that you would never leave them behind." He paused for a moment and during that pause, he turned his dark gaze onto Itachi. "Be as quick as you possibly can and if he needs a reason why, tell him that you will otherwise miss your flight. I will contact an airport close by and ask for their next flight to wherever. Itachi, it is important that you do not say what your name is. I am in charge of this case and Kizashi-san knows my surname."

Sakura frowned up at him. "If it's important to stay hidden, why are you working for the police force?"

Shisui's serious look melted away to a smirk. "Have you ever heard of me before today?" Slowly, Sakura shook her head. "That is why. I don't do anything that will attract attention. I simply turn up, do my job, save people, and then return home. It beats sitting around all day and watching paint dry." Seeing her look around at the rest of them, Shisui continued, "My uncle also works in the police force. Sasuke… trains. Itachi is like a detective of sorts and Mikoto designs."

"What do you design?" Sakura asked.

"Anything," answered Mikoto. "It ranges from clothing to homes to whatever I set my mind to. Once you return, I will show you my work."

She smiled brightly. That actually sounded pretty great right about now. And normal.

She and Itachi waited for a while until it turned around eleven. Once it had, he showed her to his car, they got in, and drove straight to her home. It should have been a three hour drive, but because of Itachi's reflexes and the fact that there was hardly anyone out tonight, they made it in one and a half.

Just like Sakura had thought, her mother was not in. Her parents only had one car that they shared and if they needed it at the same time, they took turns. For example, one time when they had both needed it, her mother took the car while her father rode the bus. The next time, they swapped around. Sakura had been hoping to use the car for herself, to drive to work and back, but it was almost always being used. Her father worked in the morning through to the afternoon and sometimes, her mother's shifts varied from afternoon shifts to night ones.

All lights were off in the home except for the living room and as they both climbed out of the car and made their way towards her old home, a figure could be made out in the room through the thin, net curtains. It was her father. He was seated on the old navy sofa with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, staring down at something on the coffee table. Due to their angle, even with their advanced eyesight, they couldn't tell what it was.

Already she could hear her father's heartbeat. She could hear the blood pumping through his veins. She could hear each and every breath he took, heard how it was shaking ever so slightly as he released it.

Human blood.

It smelled delicious.

"Can you handle it?"

Sakura looked up at Itachi, willing herself to ignore the temptation of her father's blood. But it was like it was calling to her. "Stop me if I try to hurt him, Itachi-san."

He nodded once.

And then she was knocking.

Kizashi's movements sounded sluggish to them both, like it was taking him a lot of effort to simply get off the sofa. It inwardly had Sakura frowning. While on his days off (if he wasn't spoiling her), her father enjoyed lounging around on the sofa and watching television, but this seemed different. His feet were dragging along the floor, his footsteps heavy and, for just a moment, he stumbled.

Itachi discreetly sniffed the air just as her father was about to open the door. "He is drunk."

Drunk? But her father never drank alcohol. He always told her that it was poison to your body. How much stress had her disappearance put on her father? Sakura was dreading the moment he opened the door.

"This could work," Itachi murmured quietly as Kizashi messed with the locks, muttering a 'one second'. "If your father is drunk–"

"He'll still take notice. Believe me."

The door swung open and for a moment, there was silence. Kizashi looked as though he had seen a ghost as he stared at Sakura, his eyes wide and his features pale. As for her, Sakura was certain that her own eyes were wider than usual and had she still been human, she knew the colour would have drained from her face, too.

Her father looked rough. His usually neatly trimmed beard was a mess, there were dark circles under his eyes and he looked so much older than what he was. At least ten years older, in fact. And the wrinkles that had slowly been appearing looked as though they were etched into his face. It certainly took her mind off sinking her teeth into his neck, but not entirely.

"Dad."

"S-Sakura? Is that really you?"

Suddenly, there were tears in his eyes as he moved forward, as he pulled her to him tightly and told her how happy he was that she was safe, that she was okay and that she was home. Sakura felt like her dead heart was breaking as she held her breath and hugged him just as tightly. His scent was overpowering, however it seemed luck was on her side since the smell of alcohol was just as powerful. Enough so that it almost made her dizzy. It wasn't a pleasant smell. She had never liked alcohol.

"It's me," she whispered once they had parted and she took a safe step back. Itachi placed a hand on her shoulder, but whether it was out of comfort or as a restraint, she wasn't sure. "Oh, I nearly forgot," Sakura exclaimed with only half of her happiness genuine when she noticed her father's eyes narrowing. "This is my friend–"

"Dai."

"Dai-kun," Sakura repeated after him and as she looked up at Itachi, she was startled to find his sharingan activated and his hair so much shorter. However, as he moved forward to shake Kizashi's hand, she saw that he had simply tucked his ponytail into the back of his jacket. It made sense, really. He had to keep his identity a secret, especially since he was involved in the police department. "Remember him, Dad? I told you about him not too long ago."

Kizashi wasn't aware of the fact that Sakura was lying, that she was using his alcohol-dazed mind to her advantage as much as possible. "You did?"

Sakura rolled her eyes, feigning playfulness. "Don't tell me you forgot. I told you like, three months ago that we would be going away for a week."

"B-But…" Kizashi frowned in confusion, looking between them both. "But your shift at the hospital…"

She bit her lip, appearing guilty. "Yeah… I kind of forgot to warn them that I wouldn't be turning up for a week. I was just so excited for the short vacation that it slipped my mind. You know how hard it is at the hospital. The work kept piling up on me and in the end, all I could think about was getting away for a while. I'm sure I've told you all this before." He nodded slowly and unsurely. "Well, Dai-kun is the friend I told you about, Dad."

"I have been planning to travel the world for a while," Itachi lied smoothly when Kizashi looked up at him. "Only, I heard that travelling alone can be very lonely and for women, it could be extremely dangerous. Some countries aren't as… kind or friendly as our own." Through the bond, Sakura felt his spike of anger no matter how small it was. But then again, considering what had happened to her in their own country… "Sakura and I have been friends for a while now and I have grown very fond of her. The thought of her going out there by herself, where anything could happen, unnerves me."

The older-looking man was silent for a few moments and during that pause, he gestured for the two to follow him. The silence was tense and uneasy as they entered her old home, as they followed Kizashi over to the living room. Sakura swallowed hard, her throat burning viciously. Being outside was somewhat bearable, but now, she was stuck in her old home where not only the scent of her father lingered pretty much everywhere, but the scent of her mother did, too. There was another scent that was quite strong, though it wasn't fresh and it took Sakura a while to notice it as her own. Well, her human scent, anyway. She was certain it was different now. Itachi's eyes seemed to flash with an unnamed emotion as he picked up on her previous scent, but he otherwise remained blank.

"You should have warned us, Sakura," Kizashi scolded her as they came to a stop. However, as he turned around and saw his daughter for the first time, his eyes were once again wide. At the door, due to his mistake of not switching on the porch lights, it had been quite dark. The only reason he knew it was Sakura was because he would never mistake those apple green eyes or her hair. Now… Now that he could truly see her… "What happened to you?"

Looking up at Itachi (who, for some strange reason, no longer had the pronounced tear troughs going down his cheeks and there was a strange brown tint to his much shorter hair), Sakura bit her lip and glanced back at her father, appearing guilty once again.

"I never told you about this, Dad." She sighed. "But I have spoken to Mom about it before, back when… during all of that trouble at school." Her father's face suddenly became blank. He knew where this was going. "It was an experimental procedure and even though it's only been a week, the results have already started to show."

He ran a hand through his greying hair as he shot Sakura an annoyed glare. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop messing with your looks, Sakura? You were fine the way you were."

"I wasn't happy!"

Itachi could only blink in surprise.

"And just how did you pay for the cosmetic surgery?" Kizashi demanded, his eyes darting up to meet Itachi's. "Did this guy pay for it? Because I sure as hell know that you don't have the money for stuff like that."

"Dad–"

"Did you?"

The Uchiha paused for a moment, but no doubt knowing it would be best to stick to her lie for it was the only way to explain her startling change in appearance without telling the truth, he said, "Yes."

Kizashi's upper lip curled with anger as his fists clenched. "What did you give him in return, Sakura?" When he was met by silence, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "What did you give him?"

"Nothing!" She had never seen her father so angry with her before. Yes, there were times growing up where he would be stern with her, but not once had he yelled at her like this. It had to be the alcohol and the stress that had been building up the past week. "I'm not a whore, Dad, and it makes me feel sick that you're even thinking like that. Dai-kun may have paid, but I promised him that I would pay every last bit of the money back."

This was not going how she had planned. Sakura had planned to tell her father they would be leaving, pack her things, tell him goodbye and go. She never expected this anger out of him. She never expected him to scream at her.

By now, Kizashi was red in the face. "You have been acting differently ever since Ino–"

She couldn't help it.

She slapped him across the face, his head snapping to the side and his cheek immediately turning a purple-red colour, but Sakura was too angry to notice how much strength she had put into the slap. The only thing she could take notice of was Itachi pulling her back. "Don't go bringing up Ino's death to me," she screamed at him and despite the tears filling her eyes, they would not fall. "You know how hard that hit me. How could you even think to say something like that?"

Kizashi turned back to her, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock, horror and pain. "Sakura, I'm sorry. I didn't…" He ran a shaking hand through his hair. "Your mother and I have been so worried about you. We tried to tell ourselves that you were just travelling, that you would be coming back to us soon, but… With what happened to Ino… Oh, we were so worried!"

Guilt wrapped itself around her tightly and suddenly, her hand felt like it was burning from when she had struck him. "I-I am," she whispered, not even daring to look him in the eye. "My flight leaves tonight. Dai-kun and I are travelling the world together."

"Sakura–"

"I'm eighteen now, so you can't stop me, Dad. This is my dream and has been ever since I was a child. You know that. I promise that I will call you every week to tell you how I'm doing o-or send you postcards."

The guilt only increased as tears filled her father's eyes. However, he seemed to respect her wishes as he looked up at Itachi with a serious glare. "Look after my daughter, Dai."

"I will."

He'd been able to sense that saying goodbye to her father had been difficult. No, it had been heart-breaking for her. He had cried, practically begging her to contact him at least once a week or, if possible, as many times as she could a week. Kizashi told her that he was going to miss his little girl. Who else could he spoil now? Mebuki didn't enjoy being pampered or coddled like a baby.

The drive back to the Uchiha home was silent and when they returned, every member of the clan seemed to pick up on her mental exhaustion, so didn't ask any questions as Itachi took her straight up to the room Mikoto had fixed up for her. Due to her uneasiness of Sasuke, she would be staying in the room across from his.

"Do vampires sleep?"

"Yes," he replied without missing a beat.

If they didn't, there would be great psychological problems due to lack of sleep. That was what made vampires so frightening. Ignoring their beauty and unnatural strength and the fact they drank blood, they looked and acted like humans, making it close to impossible to tell them apart. Humans could be working with vampires and they would never know how close they were to death unless the vampire told them what he really was.

Sakura bit her lip. "Will you stay with me?"

Itachi watched her carefully, watched how she kept her eyes on the ground instead of meeting his. It was because of their bond that he realised she was scared of sleeping alone. All of this was new to her. She was in a house filled with vampires and would never be seeing her real family or friends ever again. Honestly, Itachi couldn't even blame her for asking.

Instead of replying, he gently took her hand and guided her over to the bed, the pair of them laying on top of the covers. It felt strange holding another being in his arms. Due to his illness, nobody had dared to touch him other than those in his clan and afterwards, Itachi had never trusted himself in touching a human. What if he hurt them? What if he killed them because of his thirst? Yes, there were other vampires out there, but Itachi couldn't trust them, either.

Sakura fell asleep almost instantly in his arms, her small hands tangled in his shirt as though keeping him there with her. Even in sleep, her eyebrows were knitting together and her face was filled with pain and sadness.

And not for the first time since he had changed her, Itachi realised just how selfish he was.

A/N - I'm trying my best not to make them seem like the vampires in Twilight! There's no sparkly business going on, they sleep and Sakura is the only one who willingly drinks animal blood. It's easier for her because she's never tasted human blood before. Itachi only drinks animal blood when taking her out on a hunt. I know it seems like Twilight, but I actually got that idea from Supernatural... Also, the sleeping thing will be explained in the next chapter. I think the scariest kinds of vampires are the ones who blend in with humans. You'd never know just how much danger you're in until it's too late!

I think the short hiatus did me some good, because I've just got my results back for my online-screening exams (you get the results much sooner than the paper exams) and I got an A* in finance, and three marks off full marks in maths. Apparently I got the highest scores out of all those who took the exam! I was so shocked at that, because in school, I was awful at maths and originally got an E in the exam. Quite, really, proud myself, so I had to share the news! ;-)

Edited: 30/08/2016

*Edited note: Wow, my writing tutor would throttle me (and rightfully so) if he saw all these exclamation marks.