And here's a new chapter, actually the first, for this story. Hope I portrayed the characters well. Thank you everyone for the kind reviews and thank you anonymous reviewers RedThreadOfFate and angel897. Unto the story!

1.

After four years

It was past ten in the evening when a young girl with long rosy hair tied into a knot at her back came out of a small building that looked like a factory. The walls were wet with the rain and the roof looked like a great red mouth that was falling to the ground.

She looked back at the building, hugging her satchel full of books and papers. Night school was very hard for her. She had to work as a maid at the Uchiha residence, mainly cleaning the rooms and helping in the kitchen up to the late hours of the afternoon. By that time she was sufficiently tired to want to go to bed, but she had to exert herself and go to night school because she treasured her education.

In class, she tried to pay attention at everything and take notes, even though exhaustion always threatened to take over her mind and body.

She had to stay awake for as long as possible. Although she was not the brightest student in the class, she was doing fairly well. Her mediocrity served as means of motivation. She thought that if she worked harder, she might some day become a teacher and give up her current position.

This was her biggest aspiration and it was the dream with which she went to bed at night.

Only on her way back to the Uchiha house, did she allow herself to let go of the dream for a while and lose herself in her own thoughts as she walked mechanically towards her home.

Now that she was sixteen, Sakura's grandmother Satoko had decided that she was capable now of serving Lord and Lady Uchiha themselves.

Of course, she would see how she managed under her supervision, but she had faith that her granddaughter would not shame her. She could see Sakura was bright and good natured. She did not know anything about Sakura's wishes for her future but, had she been aware, she would have forbidden it without another word. The highest position she ever envisioned for Sakura was that of high servant of Lady Uchiha, position which she herself occupied.

Sakura rarely confided in her with anything else besides her daily duties.

She knew Satoko was a cold, severe woman that would punish her for her thoughts.

That is why she only ever confided in Ino Yamanaka, her close friend who served at the Hyuuga household.

Sakura often encouraged Ino to come to night school with her, work hard and become something better, but Ino would always shake her head dismissively at this, saying she was meant to work with her hands and not with her mind.

They often went together for walks on Sundays after they cleaned the temples. They would gossip about the Uchihas and the Hyuugas while they rested on the banks of the Matsugae Lake. Ino sometimes jumped in and swam across the calm waters to the other bank, but Sakura was too afraid to dive in.

Sakura looked up at the dark veil that was the sky. The moon was struggling with all her might to pierce through the walls of clouds.

As she passed the same lake on her way home, she smiled at the memory of her and Ino lying there in the sun.

She looked at the calm, marble surface of the lake and she noticed two shadows shaping themselves across the blue waters.

Her gaze was arrested by two people walking through the shaded gardens on the other bank. It was a man and a woman.

She heard their clear voices. She recognized her master, Itachi Uchiha and the woman, Kurenai Yuhi. She wrinkled her nose against her wish when she saw the lady's beautiful, porcelain face reflected in the lake.

Kurenai was a very capricious woman. Her family was in trade and maintained good relations with the Uchihas. Her father cherished the hope that some day, Uchiha-san would allow his daughter to marry his eldest son. But Kurenai seemed to ignore these wishes. While Itachi had always liked her and had found her to be most suited for him, she had enjoyed playing with him, refusing him, then accepting him, even leaving him for other men only to come back afterwards claiming she had just been jesting. She could afford to do this, because she possessed a fearsome beauty that intimidated everyone around her. She had a charming character when she wanted to and managed to please everyone and get under anyone's skin.

Itachi was struggling not to break with her, struggling not to get caught in her torturous web, but Kurenai was sure he never would, because he needed her too much and when he didn't see her for a week he grew upset.

Sakura, though only a small maid, had observed all this and harboured only respite towards the crafty woman, because she respected master Itachi more than anyone else and always looked up to him.

Her undeterred admiration was blemished by this one woman that was proving to be a weakness for Itachi.

She wanted Itachi to be the perfect, poised and disciplined man he had always been and not be bothered by a vixen that did not treasure those qualities.

There was nothing she could do about it, though. If Itachi was in love with Kurenai, there was nothing to prevent it. His happiness mattered more than her petty opinions and she was much too afraid of him to ever mention it.

But seeing them walk through the gardens tonight made her sigh tiredly.

Kurenai was wearing her usual evasive smile and Itachi was harbouring a small smile at the corner of his lip, a smile that always appeared for her. The twitch was invisible to anyone else.

Sakura waited for them to pass but they stopped under an old cedar and shared a kiss.

She stared at them, a large frown slowly creasing her pale, soft face. She couldn't imagine what it was like to kiss him. Naruto Uzumaki had tried to kiss her at a village dance but she had pushed him into a cart of fruits. He had not tried it again.

Sakura felt that every minute was an hour as she stared at their reflection in the lake. A water lily was breaking the reflection in two. It looked as if Itachi was kissing a shadow.

The following day, Sakura was told by Satoko that they would have to start preparing for the Cherry Blossom Festival. They would start one month in advance. She would have to help in the gardens to trim the cherry trees. She would also have to help assemble the pink and red ribbons that would hang from the trees. And then she would help preparing the back garden for a small festivity.

There was a lot of hard work but Satoko promised her that since she was older, this year she would be allowed to hold Lady Uchiha's dress hem during the ceremony. That meant she would be able to watch as well.

She always loved the festivities for the Cherry Blossom Festival, because she shared its name and its colour.

She had a strange bond with the flowers. She felt that in early summer, they would blossom just for her.

That is why she was more than happy to spend as much time in the gardens as she could. Along with numerous other servants, she was given a pair of shears and other utensils to trim the trees.

She had been taught by her grandmother how to do it perfectly. To her, it was an actual art. An art that did not allow imperfections. An art that demanded her full attention.

Unfortunately, she could no dedicate herself entirely to this goal, because she had other duties to fulfill as well.

Sasuke Uchiha was facing difficulties with the final exams at school and Sakura was doing her best to help him.

They would sit in his room and she would explain geometry and literature to him. And he in turn would help her with chemistry, physics and history.

The youngest Uchiha always seemed to need her assistance because he had gotten used to treating her like a close sister, but Itachi Uchiha never. He did not require anyone's help. And he barely allowed any servant to enter his room.

His parents respected his wishes. He was a very private man. He did not talk much to the servants, with the exception of his personal butler, Shikamaru. He was a very sharp, intelligent and resourceful man who was the only one that provided Itachi with the company he needed and the only one Itachi could converse with seriously.

'This house has too many stupid and useless inhabitants,' he would tell Shikamaru, smiling bitterly. 'A great waste of money. And most of them are insufferable.'

'I agree, but I think your parents could not possibly live without them, Itachi-sama,' Shikamaru would reply politely. 'Force of habit, I'm afraid.'

'Indeed. When I will have my own house, it will be empty and clear. I will be able to think. I cannot think in this house. I can barely do so in my room.'

Shikamaru always made sure his master was never disturbed.

But that did not mean that Shikamaru himself did not like the company of the servants. He often talked to most of them and engaged in their discussions. He despised Satoko and considered her a shrewd and narrow-minded hag. He did not see her granddaughter with good eyes either. She appeared to be a sincere and innocent creature, but Shikamaru suspected she was all travesty and that she was actually very astute. He perceived her in this manner mostly because she attended night school. To him, women of her position who tried to educate themselves only did so with a clear purpose in mind, not simply for the sake of it.

He would much rather she was more submissive, like the other maids. He couldn't touch her, however. Not with old Satoko watching him closely. He confessed to himself that he wouldn't have minded having her, but he couldn't do anything while the hag was still lurking around the corners.

He hoped that one day she would perhaps retire, move away or even die and then life in this house would be simpler for him and he would have the greatest influence. Even over her granddaughter.

That evening, Sakura couldn't sleep in her bed. She had worked hard all day but she hadn't had enough time for her cherry trees. She had neglected them. Now she couldn't rest knowing she hadn't seen them.

She felt they would dry up and wilt without her there.

So she carefully snuck out of her crammed little storage room, put on a grey kimono and took her utensils with her.

Everyone in the house was sound asleep or at least in their rooms so she was in no danger of being scolded.

The weather had changed drastically over night and it was very warm outside. She feared this would harm the flowers.

She reached the gardens and stopped for a moment to take in their beauty. The smell was intoxicating. She had to close her eyes in order not to sway. The grass was filled with white, translucent shadows from the small, pink buds that were closed tightly around the grazing leaves.

There was not even a breeze outside, so the shadows remained still and brightened her green eyes.

Sakura proceeded with her work. By her third cherry tree, she was gasping for air. It was far too hot for her kimono.

She brought a bucket full of cold water by her side and a sponge. She sank the sponge and pressed it to her hot skin. She also released the cordon of the kimono by two inches, not fearing exposure because she always wore a white petticoat underneath.

Feeling invigorated, she continued with her work.

The moon was now in her full glory, undeterred by any clouds. She walked sumptuously across the garden and cascaded her cold light over every living thing.

The silver rays touched the cold surface of a tall window.

Itachi was sitting at his desk. His eyes were dark and tired. But he could not go to sleep. The heat was unbearable. Instead, he simply sat at his desk, trying to write his thoughts in his diary.

The ink felt moist on the parchments. It smelt of blood.

The deep, blue colour reminded him of Kurenai's dress. But the smell of the blood reminded him of her mesmerizing eyes.

Together, they made him sick, they made him want to tear his eyes out.

Together, the blue and the red were eating his heart away, making him loathe Kurenai. He couldn't afford this weakness in his bones, he couldn't afford this poisonous elixir corrupting his thoughts.

He had been indifferent to women for a long time. Kurenai had made him stray from that path. He knew women were a distraction and a danger in the way of his higher goals, especially the kind of devilish, sweet snake that Kurenai was. She was a woman of paper, only a vision that disappeared when light was swallowed by darkness. She faded quickly into a blurred and painful image that seared his mind pungently. And perhaps that is why he treasured her. Itachi was secretly an aesthete and he reveled in the powers of beauty. He could not look away.

Perhaps that is why, once again, he did not look away when he approached the window.

There, right below his window, a small girl was pruning the cherry trees.

He stared at her confused. Why would she engage in this task at this hour? Why would she waste her sleep for them?

She seemed to be a servant.

He took his binoculars. She was. He recognized her. It was the same long, pink hair. It was Sakura.

Her hair was once again tied at her back, but many dark strands had escaped the knot and were falling down her exposed shoulders. Her kimono had fallen slightly down her back, revealing the strips of a petticoat.

The pink hairs glided down her collarbone towards her chest, tangling into soft, luminous curls.

She was biting her red lips in concentration. But instead of becoming redder and redder, the lips were turning a pale shade of pink that resembled the white buds, making her entire face look like precious ivory.

Her hands were coarse and rough, but they were so small that from afar they looked almost delicate.

He could trace the line of her body underneath the heavy kimono that was slowly falling down her shoulders. Her long, slender legs were hidden by the tall grass, but he could see their trace on the ground. Her small waist was emphasized by the way she had tightened her cordon, so that it seemed she was smaller than she actually was.

As she breathed out tiredly, her chest rose and fell into a dissonant rhythm that clashed with the calmness and palour of her gentle face.

Beads of sweat were trailing down her skin. He was transfixed by the way she took the sponge in her hands and pressed it to her neck, the cold drops mingling with the hot ones from her skin and falling carelessly inside her petticoat.

She brought the sponge to her forehead, then to her lips and they glistened for a moment before she bit into them again, with more determination, almost making them bleed.

Her eyes fluttered with sleep, but she continued her work, nevertheless.

Her body moved in a mechanic way, as if she had done this so many times before, but at the same time, her movements seemed entirely new, as if she was dancing for the first time.

Itachi had seen Sakura in the garden before. She had seen her play there with Sasuke, or work as she was doing now, or simply contemplate the beautiful cherry trees. But they had all been different Sakuras. It was as if a new girl was living in her body. Or maybe he had never really looked at her before. He had never stared deeply. It was because she was a child.

How old was she now? She was still a child.

A child that the moon light had shaped into a woman, but it was only a vague illusion.

He allowed himself to move away from the window.

Sakura continued her movements without pause. She never felt she was being watched.

A week later, Itachi came home one afternoon from the University, holding a large packet full of books. As he walked up the stairs to his room, upon reaching the second floor he saw Sakura leaving his brother's room with a large tray in her hands.

Since that night in the garden, he had not seen her at all.

She was wearing a dirty blue kimono that made her look rather sickly. The colour did not work at all with her eyes or her hair. It made her seem fragile and puny.

He stared at her for some moments.

Kurenai looked very different in blue. She looked like an Oriental princess that had absolute power over all.

Sakura looked like a dying bride in it. He felt he could look through her clothes and see her blue heart.

But no, that was only his heart.

He was glad that the beautiful vision of her in the garden had vanished.

When he passed her, she bowed obsequiously. The smile she had been wearing quickly faded.

He noticed she was staring at the books he was holding. Her eyelashes moved fast to hide her indiscretion.

But he caught the movement of her eyes and remained in thought.

Later that evening, he called Satoko in his private study.

'Yes, master, you called me? Do you need my assistance?'

'Sit down, Satoko. I wish to speak to you about your granddaughter.'

Satoko's eyes narrowed slightly, trying to guess what she had or had not done. She felt slightly nervous.

'I sincerely hope she has not bothered you, Itachi-sama.'

'On the contrary, she has not bothered to serve me at all,' he said coldly. 'He always tends to my brother, but never to me.'

His voice sounded harsh and resilient. He knew very well what he was saying was absurd. He had never called for Sakura in his life. He refused the presence of any servant in his personal rooms. He barely allowed Shikamaru to enter. But it didn't matter that his complaint was not founded, he was the master and everyone listened to him. If he hadn't called Sakura, it was her fault.

He did not feel anger. He felt a certain satisfaction.

He knew that Sakura would get in trouble for this. Maybe even get a good beating.

And he smiled at that. She had dared to look at his books. She had dared to look at him with different eyes and she had purposely stayed out late in the garden that night.

She deserved some form of reprimand for trying to seem what she was not, for trying to be anything but a child.

'My lord, I do not understand,' Satoko spoke carefully. 'I have instructed Sakura to attend to you without hesitation. She has then not followed your orders?'

'She has not. She avoids me when she can and she seems not to want to attend to me at all. She does, however, have time to prune the cherry trees. It is all she ever does, all day long.'

Satoko's eyes widened with anger. Sakura was never supposed to shame her or make her look bad in this household. She was always supposed to listen to her and be the example of propriety! Itachi's words confused her greatly. They blinded her and told her that Sakura must be in the wrong.

'I see, my lord. I am very disappointed to hear this. I thought I had taught her well. I shall see that she does not continue this impudent behaviour.'

'See that you do, see that you give her a lesson. Keep her away from the gardens for a while. I would like to have my tea early this evening. Instruct her accordingly,' he said stiffly.

'Of course, Itachi-sama, I will take care of her, you can depend on me,' she said bowing ceremoniously.

'Leave now.'

She obeyed and left him alone. He walked to the windows and looked at the gardens, smiling.

Sakura struggled with the large tray as she climbed up the stairs. Her eyes were slightly soaked with tears. Satoko had yelled at her and beaten her with her thick, leather belt. She had called her a disgrace, an ungrateful child. And she had told her she would have no supper that evening.

Sakura had received harder beatings in her life, but that is when she had actually done something improper. Now, she had no idea what she had done. She was like a confused child, looking for support. But she had to brave it out. She was now sixteen. She couldn't afford to sob in her pillow anymore or wish away all the bad things. She had to face her problems in a mature manner.

A part of her was very surprised, almost baffled. Itachi-sama had never actually demanded anything from her. Apart from his usual harsh words when he ordered her to leave his brother's room or go to her business, he had never wanted anything from her.

She thought she was the least likely to enter his personal chambers, because Itachi seemed to genuinely think nothing of her.

And she was quite terrified of him. If it weren't for her admiration, she might have despised him.

Before she could ponder a while longer on the incredible event of being asked to serve tea to Itachi, she had already reached his quarters.

She breathed in, willing herself to knock. She was wearing a white kimono with small black flowers on it Satoko had told her to put on.

After a minute, Shikamaru abruptly opened the door. He stared at her, raising one eyebrow before nodding his head and letting her in.

This sudden change in his master's routine made him feel quite uneasy. He guessed his master was either trying to punish her or maybe have a bit of fun with her. Either way, it was slightly uncharacteristic of Itachi to do so.

He opened another sliding door for her and let her in the antechamber.

'He will call you in when he is ready,' he told her pointing at his study. With that, Shikamaru disappeared out of the room.

She looked around for him but he was gone. She sighed. She would have wanted him to be there. Everything felt very new. As if she was working in a different house.

She had lived there for years but she had never seen these rooms.

Sakura glanced at the furniture and the paintings on the wall with a hungry look. She took everything in and settled to stare at the small fireplace.

Standing alone here when Itachi was a wall away was very unnerving. She wanted to put the tray down and hug herself.

After what felt like hours, the clear sound of his voice pierced the silence.

'You may come in.'

She walked towards the door and pushed it open with one hand.

The study was an exact replica of his father's study, the same hard, black wooden desk, the large and beautifully decorated library that adorned the walls, even a copy of the portrait of his ancestor, Madara Uchiha, glaring imposingly at every newcomer.

The floor was barren of any carpet. Her small feet made a frightened, empty sound as she walked into the room.

Itachi was sitting at his desk, his lean figure hovering over some papers. His hand was in his hair, ruffling it unconsciously. She remarked how serious and aggravated he looked. The bitter look on his face made him more handsome. Sadness had always heightened Itachi's rough beauty.

There was a small, green glass table in a corner. She decided that she should put the tray there.

'Did I tell you to put it there?' his voice almost made her jump.

She turned around and bowed.

'No, my Lord, forgive me.'

He looked at her for the first time. He frowned. She was wearing a white kimono. He could clearly see her legs moving restless underneath it.

She went over to his desk and arranged the saucers and the samovar there.

Her small, feeble hands worked hastily as she avoided touching his papers.

She had to move a large pen out of the way, but she was too afraid to touch it. She looked at Itachi tentatively.

He stared back questioningly.

Her fingers approached the pen. She paused before taking it.

'Give it to me,' he suddenly said. She dropped it into his large hand.

'Would you like biscuits or tarts, my Lord?' she asked.

'Both.'

Everything went smoothly after that. Once again, a few strands of her pink hair were falling on her large, white forehead, shadowing her eyes and making her eyelashes look like butterflies.

'Pull that hair out of your face,' he said.

She looked up scared and did as told.

At length, she was done and ready to leave. But Itachi had other plans in mind.

'Sit.'

This sudden order took her by surprise.

She turned around with the large tray and looked at the small chair next to his desk.

'I…'

'I told you to sit.'

She complied and went to the small chair. She placed herself in it, holding the tray in her lap.

'Do you know why I called you this evening?' he asked slowly.

She shook her head, watching him carefully. He took out a cigarette and lit it carelessly.

The smoke quickly pervaded the room. It reached her kimono and her hair.

She coughed inaudibly.

'Have you cried today?' he asked, staring at her eyes.

She quickly wiped them, checking if they were wet.

'No, my Lord.'

'Don't lie to me.'

She looked down.

'Well, yes…'

'And why is that?'

'I felt sad,' she replied simply, clasping her fingers together over the tray.

This simple answer took Itachi by surprise. His mouth opened slightly. His sympathy for her started to nudge in the deep recess of his mind, but it died quickly when Sakura started clasping and unclasping her fingers.

'You felt sad?'

'Yes. I…can't work in the garden anymore.'

Itachi shrugged his shoulders pleased.

'Only that? It can't be only that. What else is there?'

'Well, it's nothing…my grandmother is upset with me.'

Sakura felt very embarrassing saying all of this, because a part of her knew he was to blame, if only indirectly.

'Satoko? Why would she be?'

She stared at him blankly.

'Because I was not doing my duty well. Towards you, my Lord.'

'Yes, that is true. She had reason to be upset. You have been ignoring me.'

Sakura's brows furrowed. She opened her mouth and closed it again.

The notion was absurd. But for the sake of it she nodded helplessly.

'Why have you done that?'

'I…I don't know,' she answered. In truth, she did not know what he meant by all this. Blood was coming to her head faster than usual and she felt dizzy.

'I told Satoko about it and I suppose she was not very pleased,' he said rising from his chair.

He walked towards her. He stopped when he was behind her.

'I told her to punish you accordingly for your insolence.'

She jumped in shock at the words and a pair of strands fell from her knot once again.

'I hope she has done so. One can only learn through pain,' he said, his hand reaching to touch the strands. 'I also told her not to allow you in the garden for some time.'

Sakura started trembling slightly. A part of her was feeling enraged.

'But…my Lord…why?' she asked, barely containing her frustration.

'Because you have been ignoring me,' he said roughly and suddenly grabbed the strands and tore them away.

She yelped in sudden pain.

He had done it so swiftly, so delicately, that from afar it might have looked like a forced caress.

'There now. You won't have to pull your hair out of your face anymore.'

She was not going to cry. She merely sighed softly.

He smiled pleased and savoured the feeling of having torn away the beauty of those locks. Now the forehead and the collarbone were empty and cold. He could smell the fear and anger on her skin freely.

The pink strands had fallen at his feet. They were barely visible now.

'T-thank you,' she uttered after a long minute.

Itachi winced, as if stung by a pair of sharp teeth. He stared at her in bewilderment.

'What was that?'

'I said thank you, my Lord. They were encumbering me.'

Itachi glanced at the firm line of her shoulder and waited for her to move. But she remained still as stone.

He admired her tenacity even though it was short-lived.

She suddenly rose, holding the tray.

'Would the master want anything else?' she said, hiding her eyes.

'No…you may leave now,' he told her coldly, a hint of resentment in his voice.

She bowed again and walked to the door.

Itachi watched her leave and settled in his chair once more. His mind was still arrested by the few strands that were still on the floor.

The same noxious scent, a scent he had forgotten a long time ago suddenly resurfaced. Plum flowers.

A horrid, perverse feeling crept into his heart and made him nauseous. He wanted Sakura to suffer.

He shook his head and looked at his papers.

He did not know where this was coming from. His heart and mind had been entirely devoid of her a week ago.

She had stolen that night from him.

And his actions had been a chain of irreversible and unconscious blows.

For the first time in his life, he wanted to harm someone.

Just like Kurenai hurt him and toyed with him, just like she lifted him and sank him in his own misery, he would do the same to her, to Sakura.