Blossoms Encounter Roses

Chapter 3

- Dreams and Nightmares

'Warm. It's so warm and cozy. And soft.. am I dreaming?' Sakura opened her eyes only to be welcomed by bright light streaming through the window. She sat upright in her bed, closing her eyes once again and taking in the calm, quiet, and peaceful morning. It was only disturbed by the noisy annoying ringing sound that only her alarm was capable of.

"9 o' clock already?!" She hurriedly ripped the sheets off and began skimming through her closet, finding her signature red vest, black short tights, and tan skirt. Undressing in a rush, she nearly tripped over her clothes as she pulled her pajama pants off.

"Agh! Tsunade's gonna kill me for being late again!" Grabbing a slice of toast smeared with a spoonful of strawberry jelly, Sakura bolted out the door. As she sprinted towards the hospital, something stopped her in her path. Almost immediately, Sakura recognized that dim blonde-orange hair with his signature orange and black jumpsuit. It was Naruto, which Sakura gratefully exhaled a sigh. It felt like she hasn't seen him in forever. Reaching out her arms in a friendly manner, Sakura jumped towards him, enveloping him in a bear-hug.

Before she knew what was happening, a piercing shock of pain went through her back, leaving her to yelp an agonizing scream.

"W-what..?!" Her best friend, glared at her menacingly as if she were an enemy. Tilting her head back, she could see blood. Her blood. It flowed freely from her back, engulfing the black blade of the kunai.

"Naruto.. What.." She became weaker and weaker because of the immense blood loss caused by the sharp kunai embedded inside her back. She was dizzy, confused, and most of all, scared to death. 'What..? What's going on? Why is this happening?' Before she fell to unconsciousness, she distinctly remembered him confronting her even closer and whispered inside her ear.

"Because you're a traitor, Sakura."

Her eyes snapped open immediately and she could feel cold sweat surrounding her body. There she lay, in the stone cell, enveloped inside a warm, comforting cloth. Wrapping it even tighter around her, she looked around for any sign of blood or discarded kunais. Exhaling her held breath, she relaxed her tense posture and leaned back onto something soft and warm, which happened to be just the opposite of the normal cold hard stone wall. Hastily looking beside her, she saw Itachi, casually leaning against the wall in sitting position with his eyes closed, taking deep breaths as he slept. 'What? I don't remember-'

She had thought that last night was all a dream, though. When she pleaded that he stay with her, she didn't actually expect him to stay here the whole night. It's not like she didn't want him here, but considering his normal personality, it was unlike him to be seen embracing someone. She had to thank him for staying with her though.. it made her feel secure and safe throughout the night. When she had first awoken, she barely noticed that the position that they were both in, but when she did, it made her feel ashamed as her face gradually turned into a bright red.

She had her head lodged firmly between his shoulders and collarbone, and her hands were cuddling him, with one spread over his chest, while the other tucked into the cloak. Thinking about it just makes her face heat up, and she could feel the blood rushing to her head. Though, as ashamed as she was, she took notice of Itachi's muscular arm that hung loosely around her shoulders, which kept her from escaping from his grasp. 'Not that I'd want to..' Inner-Sakura commented, which then Sakura comically slapped her for saying unnecessary things.

Taking a closer look at her captor while she had the chance, Sakura carefully tilted her head upwards, as not to wake the sleeping beauty. He really was gorgeous. She supposed it was because of his Uchiha blood in him that made him so handsome with his overgrown onyx locks that hung loosely, almost covering his long sooty eyelashes. As he deeply inhaled and exhaled, Sakura took notice of his smoothly toned muscles that he usually hid underneath his cloak that she now wore. Slightly jealous of her captor's beauty, Sakura then took notice of the situation she was in. She was still enveloped inside his warmth, not having moved an inch from their former position.

Slowly lifting his limp arm, she crawled out of his embrace and returned to where her discarded clothes lay. She padded them lightly, feeling if they were still damp from the brief wash she gave them. They seemed dry enough after having been put where the sunlight easily reached. Looking back over at the sleeping Itachi, she then started to unbutton the surprisingly warm and soft cloak. Before dropping the cloak completely to the floor, she hurriedly slipped on her black tights and skirt.

Whilst having trouble with the zipper to her vest for a second, she heard a voice clearly displaying that he was awake. 'But I was so sure that he was asleep-'

"You are quite bold, kunoichi." Her face turned to a bright red furiously glowing as she slowly turned around to face him. She saw the edges of his lips curve upwards into a slight smirk as he pointed that dark purple fingernail at her. Questioningly, Sakura just stares at him until he explains his actions.

"I believe that you have forgotten something." Looking down at herself, Sakura immediately took notice of the fact that she faced him with her zipper hanging loosely near the bottom of the vest. Instantaneously right after, you could clearly hear a zip! sound as Sakura's face turned into an even deeper shade of red. Breaking the awkward silence, Itachi slowly stood up, carefully taking his time, and abruptly left the room. The old, wooden door shut with a simple click. Sakura stared agape at his blunt take-off.

Itachi casually ambled through the dark corridors only lit by the small flames eating away at the stake which were placed at even gaps between each one. He paused and turned swiftly into a dark room which he lit easily with a simple blow of his own flare. Placing the candle on the edge of the table, he gathered some vegetables and meats from some nearby cupboards. He then pulled out a giant pot and filled it with cold water that flowed freely from the faucet that came from his personal supply. Placing it on a metal stand, he then heat up the wood embers underneath it with another small breath of his katon. As the water gradually became steamy above the crackling flames, Itachi busily chopped the vegetables and carefully sliced the chicken into smaller chunks. Noticeably, the water began to boil soon after, and he scraped them into the pot. Occasionally, he added some mysterious seasoning from one of the hidden cupboards in the corner.

As soon as it was done, he swiftly blew the dying flames out and carried the pot to the table. From there, he poured exact amounts into two bowls. Added a wooden spoon in each one, and then placed one onto the tray, ready to be carried out.

Depositing the tray in one hand, he opened the door and disappeared into the dark, winding hallways.

It had been around fifteen minutes that Sakura sighed and plopped down onto the Akatsuki cloak with a conspicuous frown on her face. It didn't seem like Itachi was going to return from wherever he ran off to in such a rush. At least this gave her time to think more clearly about the recent events that had occurred.

Nothing made sense. Taking the most important parts out and placing them together, it really made no sense. First, Itachi captured her, appearing out of nowhere. He hasn't even given a hint to what he might possibly have in plan. Second, he's been keeping her captive for probably.. a week? She lost count after 4, sadly. Still, there hasn't been anything that gave way to why he has her imprisoned. There hasn't been any advantages he has for keeping her, she's actually been a burden to him. Like when he was forced to fight that other shinobi to save her life. It was because of her. Oh, that's right. He saved her life. That must mean that she is needed alive. There's three. Four, she faintly remembered that the shinobi had said something about her being a replacement when she was wearing the Akatsuki cloak. What did that mean exactly? Even Sakura, throughout all her extensive knowledge, she kept on pondering on what that could imply. She determined that it would have to mean that one of the Akatsuki had either quit themselves or been discarded in some way that they would have to find a replacement. 'But who?' It would seem to be that Itachi is still part of the Akatsuki, but with all this upcoming information.. she isn't so sure anymore. 'He has to be! This cloak that you're sitting on clearly signifies his allegiance to that horrible group.' Having doubt in Inner-Sakura, she sat with her brows furrowed deep in thought.

Knock. Knock. Ceasing her train of thoughts as the door to her confinement opened, Itachi seemed like he had peeked his head through the doorway before entering. Carrying the all-too-familiar tray of food, he walked in silently, taking note of his prisoner sitting on his cloak. She saw him eyeing her temporary cushion at the moment, and quickly jumped off while patting all the loose dirt off of it before handing it to him. Surprisingly, he refused her offer with the swipe of one hand.

"I do not require it, as the nights can become cold here." He gently set the tray down once again on the stone floor. Astonished at his indirect kindness, she accepted his cloak gratefully as she hugged it closer to her chest.

"Thank you.." His lips curved upward for only a fraction of a second before returning to his expressionless façade.

Suddenly smelling the aroma of something delicious, Sakura looked in front of her feet to find a bowl of not unknown contents. She could clearly recognize it as chicken noodle soup; just without the noodles. Collapsing onto her knees, Sakura grasped the bowl into her hands and took a closer inspection to try and spot anything suspicious, as this was out of the ordinary for Itachi to bring over.

"Did you make this..?" were the first words to escape out of her mouth as she took another whiff of the familiar scent.

"I decided to take matters into my own hands when the instant soups and noodles appeared to be tasteless." 'Woah, what? Did he just say instant noodles?'

"Y-you mean that all the other meals were-"

"Artificial? Yes." and she had thought that he made those bland soups. Now looking at his actual creation, Sakura stared amazed at the steamy concoction held within her hands. Lightly grasping the wooden spoon between her fingers, she gently blew away the steam visibly floating up through the chilling cold air. One sip of the soup caused Sakura's eyes to widen a bit as she noted Itachi's amazing cooking skills. 'He really can do everything..'

"This is good." she admitted as a faint blush reached its way up to her cheeks. Sipping it delightfully, Sakura savored every mouthful as if she didn't know when he would ever make something with his own hands again. Seeing her enjoying his homemade soup, Itachi turned around and walked out of the room, shutting the door so quietly that she barely heard him leave.

Standing outside of the door as he briefly paused there for a moment, Itachi felt his hard cold steel exterior being broken bit by bit from the inside out. It was probably only because she simply reminded him of his little brother, he reminded himself. He quickly regained his cold composure and strode with each step echoing throughout the eerily dim corridors.

Finally, he reached his personal room which happened to be under disguise as just another stone wall, exactly alike the others. Slipping his elongated fingers into one of the many cracks in between the bricks, he swiftly slid open the heavy sliding door. The room inside was already dimly lit by a slowly melting candle that sat on the edge of his neatly organized desk. It was a rather long and spacious room, but short height-wise, as it was hidden underground. Perfect for his height, though. On each side of the walls stood bookshelves that stood until the tops touched the ceiling. Amazingly, they were filled to the brim with scrolls, books, papers, and anything of the sorts, organized down to the last slip of paper. Every single bookshelf was polished and dust-free, even in this underground chamber.

Itachi strolled over to his eerie desk that sat conspicuously in the middle of the room, facing towards the concealed sliding door. He sat down abruptly and let a loud sigh escape. Combing his hand through that silky soft raven hair, Itachi started intently at the single document that lay in the center of his long, dark ebony desk.

Uchiha Itachi,

You are hereby disowned from the Akatsuki.

Years of serving the Akatsuki has caused us to believe in your deception. We have recorded proof of your deceit to this organization. Any and all classified information that is transferred to the public on the organization's whereabouts will lead us to suspect you. You and any others who have knowledge of information regarding certain topics will be hunted down and killed on sight.

If the proof that we have acquired is a fraud, you are welcome to prove your faithfulness.

Until then,

Farewell.

Sincerely,

The Akatsuki

After the word Akatsuki, there lay a scarlet puddle of dried wax representing the symbol signifying the organization's blood red clouds engraved on each cloak. Below the words printed in bold, were some obvious scriptures written by hand. They differed from a sharp dark blue pen to a dull gray pencil. It even had some words written in a thick green marker.

In the sharp blue pen, it said:

Wow. I can't believe that this is happening. I mean, I always knew that you were mysterious and I always suspected you of something, but I didn't think that it went this far. Too bad I never really got the chance to surpass you and your stupid perfectness. Since you're not coming back probably, I'll admit it. You've always ticked me off for just existing, but maybe that was because I was a.. little jealous. You being perfect at everything you do made me mad. Though, I'm not ashamed of my own skills. Of course I still believe that explosives are much more beautiful and capture the real sense of art. Anyways, I guess this is an indirect type of goodbye. Not like I'd attend your farewell party anyway.

D.

Next came the fat, dull pencil:

This is a surprise. I certainly didn't expect this outta you. All of us have done a bunch of crimes before, but I still can't believe that they'd kick you out for something like this. It's gonna be lonely out here, now that you're gone. Even though you really didn't talk to me much.. It was fun. I'm gonna miss you kid. Hope you make something useful of your life other than your lifelong plan of having your brother kill you. I might as well tell you now since I probably won't ever see you again. Personally, I think that is the most stupid way to plan your death. No, it's stupid to even be planning your death this early in life. Oh well, do what you want. Just a heads up, there's a lot more to life than just awaiting your death.

K.

Lastly, came the thick green marker. Fat, green splotches were found surrounding the simple sentence.

ITACHI, I'M GOING TO MISS YOU SO MUCH ! !

T

Once again, Itachi read that same document, everyday ever since he had received it. That fateful day, no one had accompanied him as he walked away from the headquarters with his cloak blowing in the wind. He supposed that Pein hadn't notified the other members of his demotion from the organization, as they acted just as normal. It was until a few days later that he had received this unforgettable letter through animal summons. They had found his location faster than he had perceived. This letter was received sometime around early June. It is near the end of October now. Amazing how time passes by so quickly, Itachi contemplated.

After being kicked out of the Akatsuki, Itachi then began accepting high classed jobs perfect for skills of his caliber. Quickly, he made enough to support himself for some time. During the period of when he was dismissed, he was constantly deep in thought with a wrinkle between his brows. This had not gone according to plan. Stress kept on building over him deepening the already distinct creases on either side of his nose.

Hopefully, Madara had not planned anything against Konoha during his time of absence. The second he was out of the picture, Itachi knew that the reincarnated Uchiha would arrange a way to obtain Sasuke. Although he isn't physically inside the Akatsuki headquarters, Itachi was still keeping a close watch over it. So far, no moves have been made that could be crucial in the capturing of Sasuke. A sigh of relief left him as he sank slightly deeper into his chair. It worried him slightly though. Maybe his investigations were incorrect. Maybe Madara had already done what he had been planning for years. Maybe Sasuke was already in his hands. Eyes narrowed and brows furrowed, Itachi tried to keep his mind off of that certain topic, but it was nearly impossible.

He glanced at the clock that hung loosely from a nearby bookshelf and decided that it was time. He grabbed a thick dark blue vest that hung on one of the hooks that was embedded into the wall. After searching for a few seconds, he pulled out a pair of pitch black gloves from one of the drawers inside his desk. Putting his attire on, he left the room and made sure to slide the disguised door into place, leaving his shinobi headband with a reminiscent slash through his village symbol atop his dark ebony desk, lit with a single candle.

Dazedly lifting her suddenly heavy eyelids, Sakura found herself lying on the dirt floor with her pink hair in visible tangles. Elevating herself up off the ground, she saw droplets of crimson drip into the large dark puddle beneath her feet. Staggering and trying to keep her feet stable through the waves of dizziness, Sakura bent her arm in an awkward position so she could hold the section in which she was stabbed in to try and stop the bleeding, even a minuscule amount. She attempted to gather the faint pulse of chakra to her hands but failed for some reason. 'It's like.. it's.. blocked. How could it be blocked?' Sweat streamed down her face as she concentrated harder, figuring that she wasn't focusing enough. A few moments passed as she stared into her empty palm soaked in her own blood. Nothing. How could this be? I know I'm capable of sending chakra throughout my limbs, I'm actually famous for it. Discarding her futile attempt, she limped towards a dark alley where it would be safer than being in plain sight.

She slid down the brick wall, leaving large smears of blood wherever she touched. The blood was still flowing and she was losing more and more of it. She could feel herself growing colder and colder. At this point, if she didn't get help soon, she would fall into unconsciousness and probably die from blood loss. 'At least I wouldn't feel it..' Now, reduced to loud panting and gasping, she looked hastily around to find anyone who could help her. After a few minutes of searching, she spotted the familiar whip of pale blonde tied in a tight ponytail and the matching purple top and skirt. Hurriedly, Sakura called out her name sounding more desperate than ever.

"Ino..!" In a flick of a moment, she turned her long ponytail around and looked around to see who had called her name. Once again, Sakura mustered up all the strength that she had left to yelp her name.

"Ino, I'm.. over.. here...help.." Losing her range of focus, Sakura stayed conscious for a little longer only to see her best friend grimace in repulsion as she edged closer to the desperate, beat up girl.

"Disgusting. I can't believe you came back."

Her eyes flew open, cold sweat obvious on her pale white face. Her breath came out as a raspy pant as she stayed curled up in a ball against the cold hard wall. She hugged herself tighter as she looked around the room hastily. Spying the bland, dim stone room surrounding her, she slowed her breaths slightly. When she had calmed down a bit, she took notice of things that weren't where she left them when she had fallen asleep. The empty bowl and tray that had been left in the middle of the room was gone. 'Itachi must have taken it while I was asleep.' That one wasn't hard to figure out. When she was suddenly awaken by the incident in her nightmare, she had distinctly remembered that she had left the Akatsuki cloak scattered somewhere in the corner of the room. Now it was on top of her, wrapped warmly around her cold body. 'But.. Why would Itachi care?'

It was comforting to know that there was someone here and she wasn't alone. She hated that feeling. Alone. An outcast. It reminded her of the days when she played by herself on the playgrounds. When she covered her forehead. When she was constantly bullied. It reminded her of how weak she really was on the inside. No matter how much she trains her body, she's still weak. No matter how much she may seem like an enthusiastic, happy girl on the outside, she's still the same timid, shy girl that she always has been. Her life was a lie. It's all a lie. I'm just hiding behind a mask. A mask that's slowly cracking into pieces.

Itachi calmly walked out of the building engulfed in his own flames. Screams for help could be heard, but it was located in such a rural region that no one was there to assist them. Now looking back at his committed crime of killing somewhat innocent people, Itachi continued his even pace towards the pristine cottage of which his next job lay.

Eyes wide open, Sakura decided that she would do her best not to fall asleep. She didn't want to go through another one of her nightmares. Soaked in my own blood. The dagger that dripped crimson embedded in my back. The strangling feeling of being abandoned. To be kicked to the side. Outcast. Alone.

"Stop!" screaming, she shut her eyes and blocked her ears, curling into a ball. She held that position for a few moments until she felt a pair of warm hands gently come down onto her shoulders.

Looking up through her shining emerald eyes, she saw Itachi stare intently at her disheveled self. She probably looked like a hopeless mess to him, with her tangled hair and dirt that covered her rosy cheeks. She could feel the tears a moment away from flooding out. She didn't think that she would become so emotionally shattered from just being away from Konoha for this little time. She's been on missions for far more longer periods of times than this, and everything had been just fine. Why is she suddenly breaking down? Why is she having all these nightmares?

He turned his head downward towards his feet as he seemed to be fumbling with something inside his pocket. Moments later, he pulled out something warm and fluffy. She knew this, because he had pressed it to her face and began wiping away the thin layer of dirt that had taken refuge on her face. Surprised at his sudden gesture, Sakura sat on the floor without seemingly wanting to move a muscle. He had wiped her face to try to match the same cleanliness she had when she had first emerged out of those springs, though it really wasn't nearly as flawless as it had been.

"You are welcome to use this if I am not able to escort you to the restroom." He offered her to take the black damp towel, and she took it gladly.

"I'm.. sorry, and thank you." He quirked one eyebrow up, showing a somewhat nonplussed expression.

"..For my sudden outbreaks, sometimes I just don't know what I'm saying or doing and I just react without-" a hand shot up in front of her, causing her to stop in the middle of her sentence.

"It is quite alright." A slight smile reached her bright pink cheeks that almost matched the shade of her hair as she pulled her head towards the ground. She shivered as she gathered the comforting cloak around her tighter. 'It must be night already. I can't go to sleep. No. I mustn't.' Remembering her nightmares, she was afraid of going to sleep. She was afraid of dying by the hands of her childhood friends. It scared her to the point where she rocked back and forth trying to remind herself that this wasn't reality. It was horrifying. Her former light pink cheeks suddenly turned pale and her eyes widened. Staring into space, Sakura could already feel the cold chilling blade of the kunai slice into her back. 'No, no no no no,'

"No!" Once again, she covered her ears and shut her eyes so tightly that they were bound to create wrinkles in the future. Scared to go back to her past. Scared to be harmed by her loved ones. Even she considered herself weak. She could barely feel the hot tears flow out of her reddened eyes as she pressed her palms to cover her face. She could feel herself whimpering, yet, she couldn't do anything to stop it now. As much as she tried to control herself, she already felt the dam that kept her feelings in check crash to the ground. Though, it wasn't clear to even her to why she was crying.

'Maybe it was because of the nightmares that kept on appearing every time I fall asleep. Maybe it was because of that day I had watched a heartless murder.' She didn't know. Maybe she didn't want to know. All she wanted was to hang onto someone. All she wanted was for someone to care. All she wanted was to feel important in someone else's life. Even for a moment, that was probably all that she ever wanted but didn't deserve.

Itachi watched her dismissively as she cried, drowning herself in tears. Without comprehending his actions, he put a firm hand on her back, possibly to calm her down. He didn't know why he did it. Was he perchance feeling empathy for this girl? She looked up at him with her now reddish eyes, clashing with her normal, clear emerald ones. Before he knew it, he found himself beside her once again, head pressed against his shoulder breathing in deep sighs between sniffles. He didn't find it to be uncomfortable, surprisingly. When he was still a member of the Akatsuki, he distinctly remembered himself rejecting all displays of affection towards him. Even if he was simply an onlooker passing by an especially doting couple, he could feel a slight shiver run down his back.

This however, was different, he told himself. It was only because Sakura had merely reminded him of the days when Sasuke looked up to him. Seeing her in such a distraught state had certainly activated something inside of him that still cared for his younger brother. He silently awaited the moment when her cries softened and she fell into a deep sleep. By that time, it was already in the dead of midnight, but the contractor had not stated that it mattered what time the job was completed. Slowly escaping her limp body and gently lay her down on the ground with the cloak covering as much as it could, he contemplated how calm she looked in comparison to how fatigued she was hours ago. Though, he could still spot the faint dark circles beneath her eyes which worried him ever so slightly. He left the room and headed in the direction of his own.

"Ino.. why..?" Sakura pleaded to her best friend as she lay in the dark alley beside towering walls bleeding to death. Her head was lying flat against the ground because of her lack of strength to support herself. Before her eyes gave up on her, she saw Ino walking towards her and lift her leg up as if she were kicking away a pest. Closing her eyes, Sakura awaited the excruciating pain that she would feel when her foot landed squarely with her head. It never came. The only thing that came was bright yellow light seeping through her droopy eyelids. As consciousness slipped back into her, she opened her eyes a fraction of an inch. Everything was blurry before her eyes, but she could distinctly feel herself as if she was floating because she couldn't feel the ground. It was a bit bumpy, though. 'Strange..' Before clearing her eyes, she heard a voice, "I assume that you are awake."

Looking up through blurry vision, she saw her savior. Through the blinding sunlight, she couldn't see his face clearly, but she noted his long onyx colored flowing hair that rested atop his broad shoulders. He leaned his head closer to hers and whispered, "Are you alright?"

'Strange.. Why do those words seem so.. familiar?'

Finally. Chapter 3 is finished. Man, sometimes High School can hit you in the face. Like a brick. Made out of homework. I don't even know what I'm blabbering about anymore. Anyways, hopefully this chapter cleared some questions and created new ones. I know, I'm totally twisting the story plot now, and I completely didn't expect it myself when I wrote this. Random thoughts just come to me while I write. It's also because there are so many amazing Itachi & Sakura Fanfics out there that I decided to change the story a bit. c; Hopefully this keeps you interested. I promise that the REAL action starts next chapter. The reason why he's keeping her captive should be cleared up in the upcoming chapter also. I'm probably also sticking an OC or two in there, so you might see unfamiliar names. Review/alert/favorite/whatever to get my attention. It keeps me inspired to keep on writing. :D You're also welcome to guess what might happen through reviews. I'm interested in hearing what my readers have in mind for these two. hehe.