Sakura had been sitting down near Itachi for about an hour now, bored out of her mind. She could only swim and explore so much before it grew boring. How was she supposed to last a month in an environment that turned into a sauna the closer she got to Itachi? True fear of Itachi changing his mind and kill her in an instant haunted her. She'd die of heat stroke or anger a dragon before the day was over. Sakura glanced at her wristwatch, let out a heavy sigh, and looked out at the waterfall, the sounds becoming a melody. Green eyes scanned the water sloshing into the pond below as if she were in a trance. The beautiful crystal-clear flow of the water drew the eyes towards it like a bee to a flower. Maybe she could stare at it all day to pass the time. Sakura yawned, stood, and wiped the sweat that was trickling down her forehead. Timid eyes glanced over at the ebony dragon to find herself locked in his piercing stare.

"What is it?" she asked nervously.

"Do you know what chakra is?"

It amazed her that his mouth did not move as he spoke. It was like hearing him speaking in her mind as if his voice was her thoughts. Sakura frowned at the word she'd never heard of before. "Chalk what?"

The dragon's muscular tail whipped out and locked itself around Sakura's body faster than she could process. She squealed in surprise before she Itachi separated them by mere inches. Did she already anger him enough to start her death sentence? She looked up and saw three shapes like black commas within his crimson irises forming a ring. The woman gasped when they spun clockwise in a slow circle.

"You have insufficient chakra," Itachi voice resounded around her, "but it is flowing so you have potential; however, you will most likely fail."

"That's a real positive attitude to have," Sakura said while furrowing her brows. "How do you know I can't do the... chakra whatever thing?"

"What makes you think you can?"

That was a good question. She didn't know what this chakra was but Sakura prided herself on being a good student. She didn't maintain a 4.0 for most of her high school and now college career to have a creature that wasn't supposed to exist tell her she lacked the drive for success. Sakura liked a challenge; she thrived on success and this would be no different. Above all, success meant going home.

"I like having a sense of accomplishment," Sakura responded, her body relaxing in his grip. "Won't know until I try, right?"

Itachi remained silent for a moment, his eyes returning to the solid vermillion color they were before. He placed her down and moved away, silver chains rattling in the dark. "Ensure you have adequate sleep. Your training will begin once you wake up."

Sakura looked around the cave, trying to figure out if he expected her to just sleep in the sand. Adrenaline still pumped through her veins from the scare he gave her and now he expected her to sleep? The unnerving trick of his eyes shocked her into alertness. Sleep would elude her until her heart stopped racing. Sakura jogged over to the far end of the enclosed space where the trees were. Healthy grass formed underneath the partial canopy of the tall trees. The health of them confused her. Without an opening in the cave ceiling, how did they stay alive without rain? A question for Itachi some other time. An optimistic thought of fruit trees crossed her mind; Sakura would check later. A blanket of exhaustion washed over her as she laid down at the base of one of the thick trees.

Maybe I'll wake up and this will all be a dream, Sakura thought. I probably hit my head on a rock or something and knocked myself out. I'll wake up and laugh at how crazy this whole thing is.

Sakura threw an arm over her eyes and closed them, hoping she'd wake to find a better scenario.

Itachi gazed over at the first human he had seen in ninety years. Such a strange girl and borderline irritating. He understood the fear of death caused a person to panic, but her timid spirit vexed him. Why didn't he kill her straight away like with the others who came stumbling into his prison? When her small personality shifted to outspoken, it puzzled him further. Did she not realize her life related to the fragile light of a small candle compared to his power? She harbored courage or idiocy. The way she talked about mastering chakra use brought a sense of curiosity. It was dangerous to place faith in the mortal, but what would it hurt? Itachi did not believe this young woman possessed the talent to undo the curse of a god. Still, it would get Pein's attention. Toleration may prove hard after many decades alone; only time would tell.

The use of chakra and ninja arts had dwindled to nothing as time passed judging from the humans who hiked into his cave. At first, people who came in contact with him used their arts and Kekkei Genkai to fight for their lives. In the last hundred years, no one tried to use it and they did not have unlocked chakra ability. The possibility of gaining unlocked chakra without training existed in rare conditions. Sakura's chakra levels passed the stage of unlocking, a remarkable feat without training.

Itachi laid his head down on his claws. He never noticed hair so abstract or vivid eyes like hers on another person before. Their hue mirrored emeralds; not quite jade but the word green too plain as a description. Men alone traveled into his clutches over the years. Sakura had the misfortune to be the first female in his realm. Did that play a part in why he hesitated to kill her and entertained the ridiculous idea of her freeing him from his bondage? The last woman he saw held responsibility for his chains and dragon appearance, forever cursed with immortality and the odor of charred flesh in his nostrils. This reminder of his predicament brought a realization: a hint of jasmine reached his senses when Sakura invaded his vicinity. Such an intoxicating aroma, something that heightened his awareness and cleared his mind. Within the short time of their encounter, Sakura caused several impossible feats without trying.

The dragon raised his head when he heard her tired groan and witnessed her sit up. Her gaze turned to him and she said, "I can't sleep comfortably when I'm hungry."

"Then feed yourself from the pond," was his simple response. "You will need energy for when you begin your training."

The girl frowned at him. "Do you expect me to catch them with my bare hands?"

Such audacity speaking to him as if they were equals. Itachi might kill her before she strengthened her chakra abilities. However, trying to catch fish without a pole could prove fruitless. It required skill she did not possess. The trees she yelled at him from harbored fruit; however, she needed protein for the intense work needed before sleep. The sugary fruit may do more harm than good. He would let her find those herself as punishment for such a sour attitude. To save himself a headache, Itachi rose to his feet and moved towards the exit. Sakura's eyes widened in astonishment.

"What are you doing?! I thought the chains didn't allow you free movement!"

She scooted back, trying to get out of his range. Sakura's reaction satisfied Itachi; it showed that he still had the fear factor to use over her.

"My chains can restrict my movement when Pein decides it is necessary," he answered, moving past the frightened female.

"Pein?"

Itachi turned his head to look at her when he reached the cave entrance. "The one who cursed me."

Sakura got to her feet and walked up beside him. "So, um... what happened? Did you actually destroy your entire clan?"

"Yes."

A painful twinge pricked her chest at those words. "Even... your parents?"

Itachi brought his tail around and hovered it above the water just to the right of the waterfall. "All of them."

She lowered her head, coral bangs covering her eyes. "How could you do that?" she whispered.

Itachi's tail shot into the water like a spear and when he pulled it out, a nice sized fish wriggled on the tip. He moved it closer and shook the flopping fish onto the warm cave floor. Rock laid on the side of the waterfall instead of sand like in front of the pond. "They needed to die for their insolence."

Sakura couldn't believe her ears. How could anyone say that about their family? They were the ones who loved her the most no matter what she did. They stood by Sakura's side, protected her as she grew. Mother consoled her during the heartbreaks of teenage years. Dad was always there to pick her up when she fell and encouraged her to try again. Sakura didn't know what it meant to have siblings, but she assumed a bond like that proved hard to break.

"You're a monster," she whispered.

Itachi's gaze whipped to look at the pink-haired woman who spoke, those words echoing in his memory.

You're a monster, Itachi!

"I am," he echoed, turning around to face. He tried to force her to shy away with hostile looming towards her. "However, it is not your place to give your opinion on something that does not concern you. Even more so when you remain ignorant to the entire story."

Sakura gazed up at the creature before her and a revelation glared back at him. The fear he desired lingered, but in the intense gaze, she gave defiance. Anger blazed in those deep jade pools. Tears trickled down her cheeks, and he observed her wipe them away with force. She didn't take one step away.

"I'd do anything to have my parents back," she growled. "I can't believe I'm helping someone like you get out of here. You... you deserve it!"

"Perhaps," Itachi answered, leveling his gaze with hers, "but that is irrelevant. You offered to help to save your life from your selfish will to live. If I am a monster why are you willing to set me free?"

Sakura opened her mouth to respond but had none. She wasn't ready to die, so she tried to find a way out of losing her life. What was there to say? She still didn't want to die and unless she did what this dragon wanted, he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. While tossing and turning for that half hour, Sakura realized she should have run for it. Catching her if she made a run for the exit would be like a toddler trying to escape a rabid dog. If he slaughtered his entire family, there was no way her life meant anything. Itachi, noting her sudden silence, moved away, caught two more fish for her, and laid them next to each other. He did not care if what he said hurt her feelings. She did not understand what happened, but she judged him like the many others that caught a smudged version of his life story.

The dragon turned his gaze to his guest. "Eat."

Sakura crinkled her nose. "It's not cooked Itachi. I don't want to risk food poisoning."

The dragon turned to her. "Food poisoning?"

The young woman tried to suppress a chuckle at his innocent question. Her answer concerning bacteria may confuse him further so she broke it down into elementary terms. "It's when you eat something that's not clean and it gives you an upset stomach. Can't you smoke it or something? Aren't you a fire-breathing dragon?"

Itachi remained silent for a moment. Did she think he played the role of a servant? Fresh fish may her sick if her food wasn't cooked, but to ask him to cook it for her? It grated him that she was right again. The only way to prepare it included him. How irritating.

"Move," he instructed.

Sakura obeyed, looking with curious eyes around his body. Itachi inhaled, smoldering heat building in his chest. He emitted soft exhale emitted a small fire. Sakura looked on in wonder. Her living arrangements with a dragon still hadn't set in until now. The radiating heat waves warmed her face further, causing more sweat to roll down her body. She would need a bath from the stickiness of her skin.

Itachi finished cooking and turned to retreat to his nook in the cave wall. Sakura called her thanks after him, but he did not answer. Sakura shrugged her shoulders and sat down in front of the still smoking fish. It diffused an inviting aroma, but with no seasonings, it may have the deliciousness of a shoe. The hungry woman pulled off a piece of flesh like a barbaric caveman after giving her food a moment to cool. She placed the fish up to her lips, warmth still emitting from it, but not hot enough to burn her mouth.

A rich smoky flavor filled her senses, a hint of spice encases in every bite. Her stomach kicked into high gear and she reached to tear off another piece.

"This is pretty good," Sakura murmured while she ate.

"You must also drink," Itachi's powerful voice resounded. "You have lost fluids from being in this cave so replenish yourself."

Sakura finished her meal and moved over to the water's edge. She didn't want to drink gross warm water. Timid fingers reached up and moved through the cascading water. She smiled at the cool feel that inched from her palm to her wrist. Sakura cupped her hands, held them out, letting them fill with water and moving it to her lips, relishing the soothing liquid moving down her parched throat. She didn't realize the intensity of her thirst until she had something to drink.

Itachi turned to watch her gather water and drink. Sakura's mood changed like the direction of the wind. Her dismay about the death of his clan already dissipated. She mentioned she wished her parents were still alive. Sakura must have had a close relationship with them. Genuine hurt and rage crossed her soft features. It differed from those judgmental expressions he received openly and behind his back since the moment he ended his clan. He gazed at her in silence when she stuck her arm in the water and giggled like an amused child. Why did Pein allow this stranger entrance? The one-way invisible barrier at the mouth of the clan repelled those who Pein chose. Each person, although Itachi did not remember all of them, brought divulgement, foreshadowing, or guilt, none Sakura portrayed thus far. Whatever the reasoning, Pein did it for entertainment. He relished in Itachi's continued suffering.

"Itachi?"

The dragon blinked and shifted his tail around his body, waiting for her to speak. He watched with curiosity as the rosette moved over to him and looked up again, bright orbs copying gems in the light.

"I'm sorry for the things I said. You're right, it isn't my place to judge you when I don't have the full story."

The black dragon remained silent, unsure how to respond to her apology. After a few moments, she gave him a weary smile then moved back over to where she had laid down earlier. His gaze remained trained on her as she closed her eyes and heard her breath even out. The outcome from meeting this girl eluded him.