A/N: Thank you everyone for your continued support. Be sure to read "Illusions of Serenity" and "Emulation of Empathy".

Vigil of Sorrows

Chapter 6

"The Start of a Journey"

…..

The Leader was silent for several moments. Sakura tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for him to speak; the silence seemed to drag on. 'Well, I certainly didn't come this far to just wait.' The restless shinobi finally stomped her foot on the ground and rose out of her seat. "Look, I don't care if you're this powerful leader or whatever, but it's rude to keep people waiting. Where the hell are we?"

"Sakura-san, I don't rec-" the bastard began, but he was cut off by a chuckle from the Leader.

"Don't fret over it, Itachi. What else might one expect from our dear Sakura?"

Sakura's eyes widened. 'What the hell?' Who was this strange person? "Who are you and how do you know my name?" she demanded.

The Leader simply released another chuckle, which sent a chill down Sakura's spine, and calmly walked over to his throne, sitting leisurely upon it. "Would you care for a drink? Some wine perhaps? I do find it much more appealing to discuss such important matters over a delightful beverage," he paused to look at the two of them, "do you not agree?"

'Wine? Oh, I would never consider that as appealing.'

"I might agree, in some circumstances. However, I respectfully decline the offer at this time."

'Are you kidding? Well, I'm not refusing after he did.'

The Uchiha then added, "and I'm afraid it would be inappropriate for my companion to indulge the offer as well. If I am not mistaken, her current age does not allow for it."

Sakura glared at him. Was he still trying to teach her a lesson? She huffed angrily and crossed her arms.

"Oh? Well then, it seem I will be drinking alone tonight," the Leader stated. He paused before standing, "If you'll excuse me just a moment, I am going to help myself to a goblet."

He proceeded to amble back the way he had come in, the strange, looming presence disappearing as he did. Sakura quickly sighed, a weight lifting off her, but then she turned to the Uchiha, glaring. "Look at that, you bastard. Now he might not tell us anything and it's your fault."

"You believe he will withhold the information because I refused his offer? Were you planning to accept?"

His question caught her off guard. Yes, she was planning to accept. However, it was only because he had declined, but she wasn't going to tell him that. "I-I thought it would be rude not to, but you obviously don't care."

"Perhaps I should not have spoken for you, though I admit that I was trying to word my reply in the most polite way I could manage. I feared you might say something to offend the situation. I did not consider the fact that you might accept the offer, not only because of your age but also due to the fact that we would find ourselves in an unfamiliar situation catered by a person we do not know. It would be unwise to accept any beverage he offered, do you not agree?"

Sakura gasped, "You mean like poison? I never considered that." Why was he so observant? It made her look foolish.

"No? Well, then I suppose it's fortunate you find yourself accompanying someone who considers these things?" he said.

"Well, I…I," Sakura replied, her mind fumbling over a reply. He was right…again. And once again, it made her angry. "I never said I was accompanying you."

The Uchiha replied calmly, "I assumed it to be an unspoken agreement."

Sakura scoffed and crossed her arms, turning her head away from him. "Well, you assumed wrong…again."

"I apologize for offending you then, Sakura-san."

The shinobi glared icily at him. "You and your apology can go to hell. That's where you both belong."

He only nodded in reply to her statement. Sakura smirked contentedly. 'He's uncomfortable. Good.'

After a short silence, the Uchiha answered, "I will remember to withhold my apologies in the future, then."

"And don't you forget it because I sure won't."

Another silence ensued. Sakura was happy with her victory, but it was quiet. Too quiet. She didn't like it at all. The shinobi glanced worriedly at the Uchiha, his gaze, she noticed, no longer on her. 'Damn. Stupid Sakura. I was foolish to believe I could get away with something like that. This strange silence speaks for itself.' "What are you plotting now?"

"Nothing, I assure you. I already said that I would not harm you."

"Well, I'll believe you, for now, but that doesn't mean I trust you." He could turn on her at any moment and she didn't want to risk that chance being presented to him.

He nodded, "Nor should you. I have not given you cause to trust me. However, for the time being, you can consider the truth of my intentions."

Sakura released a heavy sigh. What was with this criminal? True, he hadn't given her a reason to trust him but not a reason not to either, unless she counted everything he'd done before they were trapped here. She would just have to trust in her own instincts for now. "Fine, whatever."

"Now then!" a loud voice called from their left, "shall we begin?"

Sakura raised a brow at the Leader as he reclaimed his spot on the throne. 'Why did he enter the opposite way he'd left?' The pinkette shook the question out of her mind. It wasn't important and had nothing to do with her mission.

"You both know about the land's division and the curses placed upon the inhabitants, correct?"

Sakura's face flushed. "No," she replied quietly, "I've heard about the two lands though."

"But not the curse?" The Leader asked.

She shook her head slowly. 'This is stupid. What is he talking about? What curse? And why am I the one who looks like an idiot?'

"I will explain it to her later if you would prefer."

"Of course you know!"

The Uchiha looked at her, "…Yes, well, once again, I am a great prodigy after all."

"That doesn't mean you already knew about all this. Who's your informant?"

He tilted his head slightly, "A man I came across in the neighboring village. How is you have come here without know about this?"

Sakura opened her mouth to counter his accusation, but a chuckle from The Leader caused her to close it again and look back at him. "It's no matter, Itachi, I will enlighten the girl." He looked to Sakura," There are two curses. One, the curse of death which was inflicted over the land you came from, Kanashimi. The other is the curse of madness, cast upon the land Itachi ventured, Yokusei. I reside here, in the neutral area, protected by my divine will. You are the ones who will help lift this curse."

'Curse of death, huh? I guess that explains all the misfortunes in Kanashimi. This other land, Yokusei, has the curse…of madness. Itachi was in a land…of madness?' Sakura attempted to bite back the laugh but was unable to contain it. She started laughing uncontrollably, her sides beginning to ache. The pinkette heard the Uchiha say something, but was unable to hear it over the sound of her own laughter.

She felt a sudden pressure on her shoulder. "Sakura-san."

Her laughter immediately subsided and she gawked up at him. He removed his hand from her shoulder, but her expression remained unchanged. 'What was that? Did he really just touch me? Well I never.' Sakura hardened her emerald gaze. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Why were you laughing?"

Sakura grinned slightly. "I asked you first."

"You did not hear when I addressed you and so I resorted to a more direct means of acquiring your attention. Your turn."

'Shit. I'm going to look like an idiot.' Sakura breathed in slowly then released it, replying softly, "because you were in the land of madness."

"Ah," he replied. "You found the fact that I was mingling with such company an amusing occurrence?"

Sakura giggled quietly before stating, "Yep. It's funny. It's really funny."

The Uchiha didn't reply. He turned his attention back to the Leader who said, "to answer your question, Itachi, I was not necessarily expecting your arrival nor did I foresee you seeking me out. However, now that I am within your presence, I find everything delightfully playing into the hands of fate."

'What question was he answering? Oh, why do I care? What are the hands of fate? Who is this weirdo?'

"Fate? Can you please explain how it is we both arrived here? Surely you must know that we are from elsewhere," the Uchiha replied.

"Oh, and here we arrive at last to the climax of our discussion. I know all too well where you are from, and why you have entered my domain. I also possess the means by which you may return, though I am afraid I am unwilling to offer you this reward freely," The Leader stated.

Sakura focused her gaze on him. What did he mean by that? Why couldn't he just let them go home? She couldn't care less about her so-called companion, but she had a mission that required her immediate return. Naruto needed her help to save the Kazekage and afterwards, Sasuke-kun.

"What is it you would like me to do?"

'What? Is he seriously considering this? Doesn't he understand? Whatever, I need to get home and I refuse to be pushed around by this cryptic bastard.'

"It requires you both. It cannot be accomplished while you continue to travel separately. Together, you must overcome two trials, one in each realm. The nature of these trials will present themselves to you and once you have conquered them you may return to me and I will send you back to your land. Simple as that, though I will not offer you any further information than that. I want you to discern the rest for yourselves."

Sakura chuckled angrily. "Are you kidding me?! First off, why do we have to do these trials for you anyway? And also, how can we trust a person who won't even show us his face?"

The Leader looked to her, "I do not believe you are necessarily in a position to be so demanding, Miss Haruno."

What was this feeling? His presence had drastically changed to one that was colder, darker. He had a menacing aura about his person and it frightened her. Haruno Sakura was afraid of this man. "Okay," she muttered.

The man then looked to Itachi, not waiting for her response, "I will tell you however, the journey is every bit as important as the outcome. You will know what the trials are when you are faced with them. The people will know."

Sakura noticed her companion shake his head. "Though I appreciate the advice, can you not offer us anything that would explain the nature of our predicament?"

"In time," The Leader replied before standing, "you are not ready for that yet. You will complete these tasks or you will never return to your land. That is your only option. It does not matter which land you choose to aid first, so long as you dedicate your services to both. Remember, only together will you accomplish my request. There is no other way."

'Why does it seem like that last part was directed at me?' Sakura needed to think carefully about this. He was giving them a chance to return to their own land, to their home and she wouldn't pass that up for anything. However, doing these necessary tasks required her to travel with Uchiha Itachi for who know how long. They would have to work together to complete both tasks, but could she really work with that murderer? Could her emotions handle being around that bastard for that long? It would involve a great deal of restraint on her part but if this was the only way then she would do it. No matter what she had to do, she would return home.

"I accept," she heard her future companion respond.

Sakura sighed. 'This is going to be hell, but…' "I do, too," she said, a new-found determination building inside her.

The Leader's mood lightened and he clapped his hands together. "Excellent! Then I will meet you back here when you are done. Farewell, and safe travels!" He then spun around and hastily disappeared into the dark shadows of the room.

That same feeling of relief Sakura had felt before returned, only this time it would stay because he was really gone, for now. She shivered at the thought of confronting that man again, but luckily that wouldn't be for a while.

"Shall we go then?" the Uchiha asked, indicating the door leading out to the boisterous city.

A small smile spread across the young shinobi's face as she nodded, "Hell yeah!"

He motioned for her to take the lead, which caused her to glance at him suspiciously a moment before ultimately accepting the offer. Sakura walked to the large double doors and clasped her hand around the brass knob. 'Is this the start of a journey, perhaps? Hah! How stupid.' She nodded inwardly and pushed the doors open, a cool breeze blowing greeting her face as she stepped in the darkened city. She immediately stopped, frowning, "it's night already?"

"It was night when we arrived," he stated, looking to her.

"Oh," Sakura replied, mentally slapping herself for forgetting such a thing. She looked ahead of her at their dark surroundings. The stars were still twinkling brightly, causing the smile to return to her face as she revisited that happy memory. It was still dark, though. She lifted her hand to her face and could only discern a faint outline of it. "Well, it's dark and I can barely see my own hand. I know it doesn't make much of a difference to you, but I need to see where I'm going."

The Uchiha paused, like he was waiting for something, before replying, "Alright…would you like to acquire some sort of torch?"

Sakura sighed in frustration. Honestly, she felt like hitting him for his ignorance, but instead restrained herself. "No, you moron!"

He blinked, "I have to say, that is certainly the first time I have ever been called that. I don't believe your vague statement has any reflection whatsoever on my intelligence."

"Well, if you keep acting like this then you'll be called that a lot more, I assure you."

He sighed. "Sakura-san, what is it exactly that you are trying to say?"

Sakura lifted an inquisitive brow. "Are you serious? Are you actually unable to process what I just said? I can't believe what people consider prodigies these days."

"I am perfectly serious. I am unable to process the statement you gave as it lacks any true revelation to your actual meaning. Also…you do remember that you were the one who referred to me as being a prodigy in the first place. Therefore, the obvious admonishment of your last declaration t is directed solely to yourself."

Sakura glared at him again. "You're insufferable!" she yelled, turning on her heel and angrily beginning her descent of the long staircase.

She heard her companion's light footsteps behind her. 'He didn't even care.' The shinobi slightly turned her head, her glare intensifying as she locked her emerald gaze on him. She kept her eyes on him as she continued her descent. However, as she placed her next foot in front of her, instead of it landing on the next step, it dropped and she fell forward. The girl managed to catch herself, one knee taking the full force of the impact. She had luckily only missed the last step, thus resulting in the absence of any severe injuries.

'Shit. How did I miss that last step? Oh, that's right. It's because it's so dark out here. That's what I was trying to tell him earlier but he refused to listen. It's his fault I fell and now I've been injured. Terrific.'

Sakura lifted her gaze off the ground and was met by Uchiha Itachi's extended hand. Her eyes widened slightly. 'Is he really trying to help me? He probably feels guilty and is trying to make up for his ignorance.' Sakura smiled smugly and placed her small hand in his warm one.

He waited a moment before pulling her to her feet when she proceeded to force her hand out of his grip and walk past him, exaggerating her limp. "You see what happened? That's because I couldn't see?"

He followed behind her and softly replied, "I believe that it was actually because you were preoccupied with glaring at me and not paying attention to where you were walking."

'Is he trying to blame this on me?' Sakura scoffed and lifted her chin slightly. "Either way, you still had something to do with it."

"Yes, I suppose that might be true," he sighed.

Sakura laughed lightly to herself. She had proven herself right…again. "Well, now I definitely can't travel tonight. I think we need to stop somewhere until morning."

"I suppose that's a wise tactic, Sakura-san. Let's stop at that one nearest the entrance," he finally said.

"A wise tactic, huh? Hmm, I like the sound of that." Sakura grinned proudly and continued limping in the direction of said establishment.

When they arrived at their destination, the Uchiha opened the door and stepped aside.

'Is he still trying to make up for earlier? Well, isn't that nice of him?' "Hmm!" Sakura slowly walked toward the door, shooting him a smirk as she past and mumbling, "You're still a bastard." She stepped over the threshold and was greeted by the welcoming light and warmth of the inn.

In front of them stood a large desk and a woman motioning them over. "Welcome travelers!"

Her partner slowly made his way over to her, Sakura following closely behind. "How much for a pair of rooms for the night?" he inquired.

"Only five gold pieces. Best prices you'll find in this city," the woman answered with a smile.

The Uchiha pulled out a small satchel and handed her the specified amount before placing it back in his pocket.

'Where did he get gold pieces? I'll just ask him later.'

The woman inspected the money before replying, "Very good." She signaled for them to follow her. "Second floor. The rooms are nice and cozy. A complimentary breakfast will be served in that small cafeteria to your right at approximately 7:00 a.m."

'7:00 a.m.? I always have to wake up that early. Can't I have a break for once? Geez, maybe I'll just go without breakfast,' Sakura thought as she ascended the stairs behind the innkeeper.

"Sakura-san," the Uchiha began, looking back at her, "I will knock on your door 15 minutes before 7:00 so as to get everything prepared before we get something to eat."

Sakura groaned, "Why do we have to wake up so early?"

"We need to set out as soon as possible. We don't have any time to waste."

"Fine, but you're not going to wake me up. I'll already be awake. In fact, I'm going to get up at 6:00. You're not the only one who can get up early," she replied.

"Either way. I will be knocking on your door at 6:45. I never implied that you would not be awake. It might be foolish, however to forego those 45 minutes of sleep should you decide to wake up at 6:00."

"Are you calling me foolish, Uchiha? That settles it. At 6:30, I'm going to knock on your door," Sakura responded smugly.

"Not necessarily, Haruno," he replied, "Though yes, I would consider that potential decision to be so. Whether or not you indulge that choice is up to you. As for coming to my door at 6:30, I'm afraid I will not be awake at that time."

Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "Do you think I care about your beauty sleep? I'm going to knock on that door and you better wake up."

"Beauty sleep? Are you calling me beautiful? I'm flattered, Sakura-san. Once again, that is the first time anyone has said as much."

Sakura smirked. "Well, it certainly won't be the last. I will personally make sure of that."

"What? What exactly do you mean by that?" he asked.

Her cheeks suddenly burned a deep shade of pink as she realized what she'd just said. "Uh…I mean…" she trailed off, too embarrassed to finish her sentence. 'What was that, Sakura?'

"No matter."

"Well," the woman leading them said before stopping and turning to them. "Here are your rooms, take whichever you would like." She then offered them each a key.

"Thank you," the Uchiha nodded, taking one of the keys.

The lady nodded before extending the other toward Sakura, "there you are, dear."

Sakura kindly forced a small smile before accepting the key and examining it. 'She said it was a choice, but apparently not. Geez, he's selfish. He doesn't even consider others.'

"Good night," the woman muttered and walked back down the hallway.

"Well then Sakura-san. Let's just agree to meet in the cafeteria tomorrow at 7:00."

"Sure. I don't feel like waking you up anyway."

He nodded before turning to unlock his door, "good night then."

"Wait," Sakura commanded before quickly venturing over to him.

"Yes?"

She lowered her eyes to the key in his hand then directed it back to his.

"Is there something you needed, Sakura-san?"

"Well, I see your moronic ways have not changed."

"Pardon?" he asked, lowering his hand from the door handle.

"You heard me. Now step aside," she replied.

"May I ask what has prompted this command?"

"No. Just do as I say."

After a moment, the Uchiha stepped back. Sakura nodded her approval before strutting toward her own room. "Just stay right there," she ordered. She unlocked the door and walked inside. Glancing about the room briefly, the shinobi immediately spotted what she had been searching for. She casually strolled toward the bed and plopped onto it. "It's bouncy. Nice room. Okay, time to test the other one," she mused before exiting back into the hallway.

"Will you kindly explain what you're doing?" the Uchiha asked.

Sakura noticed he hadn't moved and nodded again. "Your obedience pleases me."

He took a step closer to her. "On the contrary, for I really only wish to see how this little game of yours will play out."

"It's not a game," Sakura replied before stepping past him toward the other door.

"Do you need the key?"

Sakura clasped the door knob and turned to him. "I thought you already unlocked it."

"No," he shook his head, "as someone requested I should step away from the endeavor."

The shinobi sighed before she held her hand out to him, "give it to me."

"I don't typically respond to orders conveyed in such an unbecoming manner." He then stepped toward her and motioned for her to move, "I will, however, unlock it for you."

"It's about time. I was losing my patience," she said, removing her hand from the knob and leaning against the doorframe.

The Uchiha unlocked the door and stepped back, returning his gaze to her. "There you are, Sakura-san."

"Thank you," Sakura said before entering the room. She went through the same process as she had in the other room, but smirked as she tested the bed's bounciness. "This bed is much softer. You can have that other room, Itachi."

"Why did you not say in the first place that you were merely trying to determine which room you preferred?"

Sakura crossed her arms and locked her gaze with his. "Because I didn't feel like it."

He sighed, "Sakura-san, in the future I ask that you convey yourself clearly and communicate your actions thoroughly. As we are now traveling as a team, this is highly important."

Sakura laughed to herself. "Okay fine. I'll be sure to communicate this thoroughly." She leapt off the bed and stood in front of him. "Please…leave."

"Since you asked so kindly, I will oblige." He turned before looking back at her, "good night, once again. Remember 7:00."

He then looked away and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Take your own advice and remember it yourself because I'll be awake," she called after him. She heard no reply and grinned. Sakura then made her way back to the comfy mattress and lied down on her stomach. Maybe now she could finally get some sleep.

There was a knock on her door and she shot up, annoyance engulfing her. She could guess who it was and decided not to open the door. "What do you want?"

"You have my key, Sakura-san," she heard him say from the other side.

Sakura looked down and noticed she still had the key in her hand. "You forgot it," she laughed.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Will you please return it to me?"

Sakura glanced again at the object in her hand then back at the door. "No."

After a short silence, he spoke again, noticeably softer, "Sakura-san, I still have your key, so if you will not offer me mine I will have no choice but to enter and take it myself."

Sakura stared at the door, horror-stricken. "You have my key?! "

"Aa, you forgot it," he replied.

"Give it back!" she yelled, running toward the door, stopping in front of it.

"Open the door and I will," he said calmly.

Sakura groaned. 'I guess I have no choice, but if I do what he says he might think he can boss me around…or even blackmail me like he's doing now. What can I do?' A sudden idea popped into her head and she decided to go with it. "I'm not going to open the door…but I'll give you your key back if you give me mine."

"Sakura-san…" he sighed. "Either you pass me mine under the door or I open the door and take it anyway. The choice is yours."

Sakura contemplated her choices for a moment when she got another idea. She walked away from the door and slid open the window. "It's a nice breeze out tonight. I'm sure your key will enjoy it, but there's no reason to go there, is there?"

"If you're planning to drop it outside, I will easily find and retrieve it," he explained, "though I believe this entire situation to be unnecessary. I still hold your key and if you would like it returned then I ask that conduct yourself civilly."

"How will you find it if I do throw it out the window? It's dark and it's not like you can actually see anyway," she countered.

"The street is made of stone, so it will be hidden in any way, and there are lamps to illuminate the walls surrounding the establishment. I can see the glint of metal, despite my impaired vision."

'So it's true. He really is going blind.' As much as Sakura was tempted to just drop the key and make him search for it, she didn't want to anger him or anything. 'Who knows how unreasonable he'd be then.' She sighed and crossed the room to the door, which she opened. "Here's your stupid key, Uchiha."

"Thank you," he replied as he took it from her. She then watched him take her own out of his pocket and extend it toward her. "And here is yours, Sakura-san."

She snatched it from him and retreated back into the safety of the room, slamming the door behind in his face.

"And for the third time, good night," the Uchiha added.

Sakura slammed the key onto the table beside her bed. Why did he always have to make her so angry? How could anyone be so insufferable? He took everything so seriously.

She thought back to how she ended up stuck with the worst traveling companion in the world. It was only a week ago, if she recalled correctly, that she woke up in that small clearing with Uchiha Itachi standing there and she accused him of trying to kill her. She thought he was the one responsible for her ending up here, but this was obviously not the case anymore. They were both trapped in this place until those stupid tasks were completed. "I guess I'll have to put up with him for now since that's our only way out. It's still unfair. "

The pinkette yawned. She was too tired to think about all of this. The girl fell onto her bed, sleepily kicking off her shoes and crawling under the welcoming covers. "Was it really necessary to say good night three times? Once is enough for me," she mused, burying her face into the fluffy pillow. 'But I didn't say it at all, did I?'

Her expression saddened slightly as she thought about her friends. They were risking their lives while she was comfortably staying at an inn. What would they say if they saw her now? Naruto would probably tell her try her best so she could hurry up and get back. Kakashi-sensei would smile and tell her she didn't have a choice. But Sasuke, he would be the most affected because she was willingly traveling with his brother. The brother he swore vengeance on and hated. "I'm sorry about this, but like Kakashi-sensei said, I don't have a choice. This is the only way. Don't hate me for it, please."

Sakura sighed and decided to just go to sleep and worry about this after a good night's rest. She would be fully energized by tomorrow and ready to face the problems then.

"Good night, Naruto. Good night, Kakashi-sensei. Good luck, you two. Save Gaara from those Akatsuki bastards. Good night, Sasuke-kun. I hope you're safe wherever you are. Did you know that if you think of a person before you fall asleep, you'll end up dreaming about them? It's nice, isn't it, Sasuke-kun? Goodnight…" Her eyelids had grown heavy by this time and she happily allowed them to close, sleep overpowering her consciousness. "…Itachi."

…..

Haruno Sakura was suddenly awoken by a sudden pain in her right knee. The pinkette shot up abruptly only to be irritably caught in the folds of the blanket. She cursed under her breath and aggressively untangled covers before stumbling toward the small bathroom.

The kunoichi lifted herself onto the counter and inspected her wound. She couldn't believe she had forgotten to take care of it the night before. "It's nothing too bad. All it needs is a quick healing." Sakura stretched the injured knee and placed her hands above it, trying to summon chakra to her palms. When it didn't work she was shocked for a moment when she suddenly remembered one of the drastic changes between this land and her own. "No chakra. Oh, why didn't I think to ask The Leader about this when I had the chance? You never think, Sakura."

Sakura sighed and re-examined the injury. "I can bandage it up myself. Tsunade-sama taught me a few things about manual first-aid in case I was low on chakra." She rummaged through the drawers until she found something resembling gauze. She shrugged, "I suppose this could work."

She skillfully set to work cleaning the dried blood off and rinsing the wound, which she then wrapped the supposed bandage over. She inspected her work and nodded. "That's good enough for now."

As she made her way back into her room, she noticed the window was still open from last night and she proceeded to close it. Light was beginning to shine over the long spire and Sakura gasped. "What time is it? Never mind, I'll just go down there right now." She hastily pulled her shoes on before running out of the room in the direction of the cafeteria.

Upon arrival, Sakura stopped to catch her breath and gazed about the room. There were several strangely placed tables throughout and the only occupants of said furniture appeared to be limited to older people.

Sakura straightened her composure and strutted into the room, smiling proudly. "Hah! Looks like I managed to beat him here after all," she said to no one in particular. 'Now, where's an empty place to sit?'

She heard that familiar voice behind her as the smile vanished. "Good morning, Sakura-san. I trust you slept well?"

Sakura dropped her head in defeat and stalked over to his table. "How did you win?"

"I was not aware we were competing."

"You should try to be more aware from now on then," she replied, sitting in the seat across from him.

The Uchiha nodded, "thank you, I will work on it."

A waiter approached their table then, a smile upon his face. "Ready now, sir?"

Her companion nodded again, "yes. I believe so."

The man looked at Sakura, "do you know what you would like, miss?"

"I don't know what you have here," she quickly responded.

"Of course, how neglectful of me. We have many wonderful things. Anything you like, I'm sure we could make. Customer request, you know," he winked at her, "as far as beverages, we have tea, coffee, water or juice."

"Anything I want, huh? Hmm, I like that. Okay then I'll have an order of Shiratama Anmitsu."

She could barely hear it, but the waiter chuckled, "of course, miss. That is an excellent choice. What would you like to drink?"

"Coffee. Just bring it out with the fixings separate. I always have to prepare it myself," Sakura replied.

The man bowed then looked to the Uchiha, "and for you, sir?"

A smug grin appeared on Sakura's face. 'Well, he's a gentleman. He took my order first.'

He was silent a moment before responding, "I will have coffee as well, same with the fixings on the side. As far as the meal, just a bowl of rice and some honey syrup will do."

"I will prepare those right away," the waiter replied, "and the coffee I will serve in a kettle for you to enjoy refills if you like."

Itachi nodded, "very good. Thank you."

"Not at all." The man then swiftly turned and headed toward the kitchen.

"I can enjoy as many refills as I want? And I don't even have to save enough to fill that stupid huge mug of hers," Sakura mused thoughtfully.

"Who mug is huge and stupid?" the Uchiha asked.

"What?" Sakura turned her attention to him.

"What were you speaking of just now?"

"Oh, that was about my mom. She insists on drinking a lot of coffee, even though she obviously doesn't need it. I personally think she might be more pleasant if she didn't drink it all," Sakura stated matter-of-factly.

"Your mother, huh?" he asked, "Do you live with both your parents then?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, but my mom can be really hard to live with sometimes. Actually, most of the time. She doesn't like my friends and nags me all the time. At least my dad is reasonable." As she mentioned the naggings of her mother, she recalled what Sasuke said to her the day they became teammates.

"Where's Naruto?" Sasuke looked at her over his shoulder.

"Changing the subject again? Forget about Naruto. All he does is pick fights with you. It's probably because he's had such an irregular childhood. Oh yeah, you know how he doesn't have parents, right? He's always doing selfish things. My parents would scold at me if I do such things. If you're alone, your parents wouldn't get mad at you. That's why he's so selfish."

"The solitude…"

A heavy breeze blew through the trees, the leaves dancing around their small forms.

"What?" Sakura asked confused.

"You can't even compare it to the level where your parents get mad at you."

"What's the matter?"

"You're annoying," Sasuke said coldly before walking off.

The Uchiha pulled her from her recollection. "It seems helpful to have at least one parent whom you can relate with, I'm sure it makes it easier to deal with your mother that way."

Sakura nodded, her mind still focused on the memory. Was she doing the same thing she did that day? "Am I still annoying, Sasuke-kun," she asked aloud, forgetting that Itachi was still sitting there.

"Sakura-san." She heard the Uchiha's voice again and met his gaze. It was like déjà vu. Would both Uchihas say the same thing? "I'm sure with your personality you are able to keep your mother in line, and your father is no doubt there to support you. Besides, its people like that who can offer you the unique opportunity to laugh at their foolishness, rather than concede to their desire to instill anger."

That wasn't what she had expected. "My father does support me. And I don't believe a word she says about my friends. She's especially cruel to Naruto."

"I see. She probably just doesn't understand. Were you never indifferent towards him?"

"No, she doesn't understand and…" Sakura dropped her gaze guiltily, "I was really mean to Naruto before. It was actually because of what Sasuke-kun said to me that made me realize it."

The Uchiha nodded, "well, there really isn't any use dwelling on the past. You've obviously set things right with him now. That's all that matters. All one can do is atone for their wrongdoings in whatever way they see fit."

A small smile appeared on Sakura's lips as she nodded. "Thank you, Itachi."

Was she really having a civil conversation with Uchiha Itachi? He actually wasn't as bad as she originally thought and he was surprisinly easy to talk to. She couldn't remember the las time she had talked about this so openly, if at all. Maybe what Nobu told her before was true. She hadn't really thought about it much until now.

"So, you saved me? Why would you do that for a complete stranger?"

A small smile formed on the man's lips. "It wouldn't matter to us whether you were a stranger, a friend or a wanted criminal. We live by the code that all lives are important and to never judge a person by outward appearances. That means we never jump to conclusions about people we've just met. You need to have to have a civilized conversation with that person before you can find out who they really are beneath everything. First impressions are usually wrong, don't you agree?"

Itachi was a stranger to her before. She hadn't actually met him before that encounter in the forest. All she knew was what she had read.

"No need for that, Sakura-san," he replied with a nod.

A silence ensued until the waiter returned with the coffee. "Here we are, nice and hot," he informed them, placing a mug in front of each of them and a bowl with cream and sugar. "Your food will be ready soon." The man then turned and left the room once again.

The sweet aroma of the coffee enticed Sakura to lean closer to the kettle and extend her hand out to grab it. However, her hand made contact with it just as Itachi's did. He looked at her a moment before removing his hand with a nod.

Sakura smirked and nodded, satisfied with her victory. "Hmm, that's right." She then proceeded to fill her mug to the brim with the black liquid. She mixed in a spoonful of sugar and raised the cup to her lips, the smirk still present. As she tilted the cup, the coffee flowed over the top and spilled. The burning liquid ran from her chin down her shirt.

Sakura fought the desire to cry out in pain, but refused to do so in such a crowded area. Her eyes stung from the sensation and she attempted to distract herself from the agonizing feeling. She glanced at Itachi, noticing a small smile on his face. 'Does he think this is funny?'

"Are you alright?" Itachi inquired.

She shook her head. "Do I look alright?!"

Itachi sighed and reached for the cup in her hand. "Why don't you see if they might have some ice, you can ask the lady at the front."

Sakura frowned before hesitantly rising from the table. "Fine."

She was about to walk away when Itachi stood and motioned to her seat. "You know what, I'll do it. I'll be right back."

Sakura shrugged and resumed sitting. Itachi looked at her a moment before walking toward the front.

As soon as he was out of sight, she noticed the waiter appear with their food. "Did you like the coffee?"

The kunoichi resisted the urge to glare at him and instead rolled her eyes. "Like you said, nice…and hot."

The waiter nodded before smiling and setting a plate in front of her. "Here you are, miss. What you ordered."

Sakura nodded gratefully at the man as Itachi returned to his seat. He placed several cubes of ice on the table before motioning to one of the napkins. "I would suggest wrapping them in that before applying. Otherwise the sensation would be all but pleasant."

The waiter proceeded to place Itachi's plate on the table before leaving again.

"I am a medical shinobi, you know," Sakura laughed before grabbing a napkin and wrapping the ice in it. She dabbed at her neck lightly with it, where her burns hurt the most.

"Are you really?" Itachi asked, "I suppose now would be an appropriate time to ask you of your other abilities. It aids in the formulation of a suitable strategy, should we encounter any hostile confrontations on our journey."

"But chakra doesn't work here. It wouldn't make much of a difference," Sakura replied.

He shrugged, "we can still implement Taijutsu techniques, those don't require chakra. I still have a handful of shurikens in my possession as well as a dagger."

Sakura chuckled at the mention of him having a dagger. "If you mentioned that before I would've accused you of trying to kill me."

"Oh?" Itachi replied, "I seem to recall you having done that anyway."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I meant again, but whatever. My top skill has always been chakra control, but that's not going to help here. I stocked up on shurikens and kunai before leaving Konoha and I haven't used any of them."

Itachi nodded, "that's good. It will certainly help. Are you not at all adapt at Taijutsu then?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not really. I used it briefly during my Preliminary Match of the Chuunin Exams, but it ended up being a draw."

"That's fine," he replied, "just the basics then? I suppose we can work with that. Perhaps I can help you train sometime while we're here."

Sakura eyed him curiously. She wondered what kind of a teacher he was. Would he be somewhat off-hand like Kakashi-sensei or hardcore like Tsunade? She watched him prepare his coffee, adding cream and more sugar than she did. "Do you have some kind of sweet tooth?"

Itachi nodded, "yes, I suppose you could say that. I have a certain fondness toward sweet things in general."

The pinkette giggled. "That's ironic since Sasuke-kun doesn't like them at all."

"No…he never did. Not even when he was younger," Itachi replied.

"What kid doesn't like sweets? What did you do for his birthday? Make mud pies?"

"I always thought it was strange. As for his birthdays…our mother," Itachi began, "our mother would cook him something he liked and the rest of us would eat whatever dessert she decided to make. It really wasn't a conventional 'birthday', per say."

Sakura smiled at the image of a young Sasuke eating something made especially for him while the others ate cake. "What about your birthday?"

Itachi sighed before replying, "Sort of the same. Most of the time we celebrated our birthdays together as they both fall within the same time."

Sakura nodded lightly. It was nice hearing about the happy times of the past. When they first entered the Academy, Sasuke-kun used to smile. It was around that time that her crush on him started.

"Sakura-san, what are your birthdays like?"

She broke from her current train of thought and stared questioningly at Itachi. "Huh?"

He shook his head, "never mind. I was just making conversation."

"Oh," she replied. She remembered how they started their current conversation and asked, "How's your coffee?"

Itachi nodded, "it's fine. I generally prefer tea but this coffee is rather good."

"You prefer tea over coffee?"

He nodded again, "very much so. I think it's too strong. I prefer the smooth taste tea offers."

Sakura shrugged slightly, "I guess I'll accept that answer. Herbal teas?"

"Mostly, though I do prefer some spiced brews."

"I love spiced teas! Which flavor is your absolute favorite?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Ah, that would have to be jasmine then. Definitely," Itachi replied.

Sakura nodded. "Jasmine's good. It's a beautiful flower. There is this hill near my house and they grow all over in the spring. It's like snow during springtime!"

She watched him smile again, "it is a beautiful flower. I do remember that about Konoha. We only had a single tree near my house, the one from which your name is derived…" she noticed he trailed off before looking at her, "you want to hear something rather ironic?"

Sakura leaned forward excitedly. "What is it?"

He paused a moment then replied, "well, as you had not yet offered me your name upon our first greeting, I decided to simply refer to you as something. The color of your hair reminded me of those Sakura flowers by my house and so I nicknamed you after them. So you see, when you revealed your name to me I was more than a little astonished by it."

Sakura lightly blushed. "That is ironic. You nicknamed me after a tree."

Itachi shook his head, "not after the tree, necessarily, off the flowers that grow on the tree."

"That's why my parents named me Sakura. I was born in March and had hair the color of Sakura blossoms. It was probably my dad's idea," Sakura explained.

"It is a rather unique color. Makes sense though, seems very fitting that they would name you that."

"Excuse us," a voice suddenly said to them. Sakura turned her head to the direction of the voice. It was the woman from the lobby. "Breakfast is almost over and we will be closing the cafeteria soon."

Itachi looked out the window, "alright, thank you. I lost track of the hour." He glanced at Sakura, "are you ready to go?"

'Why did he look out the window?' Sakura nodded and hastily shoved her untouched food into her mouth, washing it down with her now chilled coffee.

Itachi rose from his chair and grabbed a bag she hadn't noticed before. She placed her fork on the plate and moved to stand beside him. The woman walked up to them and Itachi proceeded to hand his key to her. He then extended his hand toward Sakura.

Sakura got the hint and pulled her key out of her pocket. "I could still throw mine out the window," she joked, holding it in front of his face.

She watched him shake his head, holding back the urge to laugh again, and grab the key from her before handing it to the woman. "Thank you, once again for the stay."

"No, no thanks. We enjoyed having you. Be sure to stop by again next time you're passing through!"

Itachi nodded then indicated for Sakura to walk in front again. She nodded, "okay, as long as we don't have to go down any stairs."

"Right," he nodded. "How's your knee by the way?"

Sakura patted her knee with a grin. "It's fine. I forgot to clean it last night so it hurt this morning, but I took care of it."

"How neglectful of you, medic-nin," Itachi stated.

She mock-frowned, "that's only because a certain someone felt the need to say good night three times."

Itachi shook his head before opening the door and stepping to the side. A cool breeze rushed in as the door opened and cooled the burns on her torso. "I think it's best if we don't discuss last night."

"Agreed," Sakura nodded, walking through the open doorway. She didn't want to think about how childish she had acted or why she dreamed of him.