The highway was quiet, a rambling stretch of endless cement and asphalt that soaked up the afternoon rays of the sun. Itachi adjusted his sunglasses on the bridge of his nose with a sigh and gripped the steering wheel in his hands. The warm leather squeaked beneath his palms, the stitching behind the wheel was a stark contrast to the softness of the stretched leather. It grounded him, made him focus on the new car smell pushing out of the vents, and the sleek tablet center that promised luxury and connection with every mile he drove. Or so the pamphlet had said.

Mile after mile passed through the hills and valleys between Konoha to the small resort town on the southern coast of the Land of Fire. Why his brother picked such an ostentatious and risky location, Itachi wasn't sure. He had thought everyone knew there had been an uptick of murders in that area, not to mention the petty theft that was always present. Sasuke would be lucky to return home with his wallet intact—the wallet currently in Itachi's passenger seat.

Sasuke had forgotten it on the kitchen counter when Itachi had stopped by to pick up his plants. By the time he had loaded the plants into his car, Sasuke had called, begging him to bring the wallet to the resort he and his friends had planned to stay at for the week. It wasn't far, only six hours out of his way. Three hours in, his fuel gauge read a quarter of a tank, and he began to look for a gas station.

On the side of the highway, directly off an unkempt side road was a gas station that had seen better days. Half of the billboard advertising its location was missing, frayed on the edges, and torn in places. If it weren't for the three cars parked near the gas pumps, Itachi would have thought it abandoned all together. Moldering wood held the building together, including the windows boarded with bits of white tape along the cracks. The door was once made of glass, now boarded with plywood. Just as he was about to turn and try his luck looking for another gas station, the low fuel light came on.

There was a small red coupe parked on the side of the building with its hood up. He could feel a ghost of a smile cross his face as he watched the owner curse at the vehicle with hood up and a lug wrench in her hand that was almost half her size. He knew her, once. Years ago, she had gone through the same biology undergraduate program as Sasuke. When Sasuke left to join Orochimaru's research internship, she had gone to medical school somewhere. He thought. The details had been fuzzy since that day two years ago.

Her pink hair lifted in the rare breeze and she wiped a hand across her sweaty forehead, squinting at him as he pulled up to the pump. She glanced at the lug wrench in her hand, her cheeks turned red when she threw it into the open driver's side window, only for it to go straight through the open passenger window. The smile returned, this time he ducked his head to hide it as he opened his car door.

Heat surrounded him as soon as he left the cool of his air-conditioned car, the humidity was almost unbearable and aggravated his lungs with the small walk that it took to the inside of the gas station. When he returned from paying for his gas, he stopped at Sakura's car and looked at the engine. She raised an inquiring eyebrow with the lug wrench now firmly back in her hand.

"Itachi, right?" she asked, twirling the metal pole back and forth in her fingers.

"Yes. You have a coolant leak. It's causing your engine to overheat and smoke."

Sakura put her hands on her hips and leaned over the fender to look at the engine. As if on cue, a puff of smoke billowed from the engine block. Itachi quickly shoved her backward with an arm around her waist as more smoke erupted, turning from grey to black.

"That can't be good at all," Sakura muttered under her breath. "Serves me right."

"There's a town nearby. I suspect it will have an auto parts store."

"And you know how to fix…" She waved her hand over the smoke, scattering it into the air. "...all of this?"

He quietly pulled his key remote out of his pocket. "I had a good friend who rebuilt them."

"Fancy rich boy like you knows how to fix cars?"

Itachi raised his eyebrow at her and tilted his head toward the sleek black car.

Sakura sighed. "Sorry, that was ungrateful. Thanks for the rescue."

"Apology accepted."

Itachi walked over to his car and opened the passenger door for her. It was amusing to watch her cock her head to the side as though she were a curious bird observing a strange creature in its domain. Folding the sides of her skirt against her thighs, she sat down and set her purse on the floorboard. He handed her the top of the seatbelt, then quietly closed the door, still amused at her bewildered expression.

As promised, the town was close by, no more than ten minutes away from the rickety gas station. Though, the town was just as decrepit as the gas station had been. Poverty was rife in every overgrown, weed-ridden yard, and he was acutely aware of the fact that his car cost more than an entire block of houses here. He had seen worse, but it was difficult to see it in the country he called home.

A group of young men loitered in front of a shop, crowding the broken-down cement, causing passersby to move to the road to pass them. They stared as he drove to the auto parts chain store two buildings down. The back of Itachi's neck prickled as they watched him park. Sakura had already begun to open the passenger door, he leaned over and quickly shut it again. Yanking the keys out of the ignition, he unlocked the gun safe at his feet. He could feel the cold of the metal press against the side of his sock after he strapped it against ankle even as he slipped his pant leg back into place. It was a deadly insurance he was far too familiar with. Had he been by himself, perhaps he would have taken the chance of…

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked, interrupting his thoughts. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the strap of her purse dug into her skin, leaving a stark band of red that contrasted with the tied ribbon of her sundress.

"Being hard to kill. Stay here."

Itachi quickly opened and closed his door, forcing himself to walk casually around the car to the passenger side. He opened the door and held out his hand to help Sakura out of the car. His arm around her waist, they walked into the store.

"Being hard to kill?" Sakura hissed. "Where the hell do you think we are? Iwa?"

She pushed him to the side and walked up the counter with a confused look back at him. "Do you have any coolant?"

The shopkeeper blinked, then looked between the two of them and pointed behind Sakura at the blue jugs near the front of the store. No doubt he was hoping she would continue to spend money until something worked, or until she gave up altogether and went to the mechanic next door.

"That won't solve the leak," Itachi said quietly. "You need a new coolant hose to start with."

There was a shout from the street outside the window. By the time Itachi looked up, his car was already driving down the street fast enough to practically break the sound barrier.

"So. You going to shoot them or what?" Sakura asked with a raised brow.

His mouth dropped open and he continued to watch his car shrink into the distance. Minutes ticked by slowly as he stared out the window even though the car was no longer visible. He had been so focused on the possibility of bodily harm he had forgotten to lock the doors. Sakura pressed against his mid back and held up her phone.

"I'm not getting any reception, you?"

Itachi shook his head. "It was in the car."

She walked back to the shop counter, her steps almost echoed on the linoleum tiles. He felt like an idiot. These people didn't want to hurt Sakura, or himself for that matter, they wanted to strip his car for parts.

"Excuse me, do you have a phone I can borrow, please?"

Itachi felt rooted to the spot. Of all the things to happen on a short drive.

"Sorry miss, the phone lines in town have been down for a few days now. Some kid took out the telephone pole."

Sakura sighed and thanked the man then walked back to Itachi.

"What do you want to do now? It's not like we're going to get cab service all the way out here. And the phone lines are down."

"If you folks need a place to stay, there's a motel about a mile down the road."

Itachi glanced back at the weathered man. Mid-sixties, balding, with an earnest expression that begged to be trusted. Once again, he had been too harsh, even in his own thoughts. "Thank you."

Sakura shrugged and pulled open the door before he could reach it. The small bell behind it jingled mockingly as it shut behind them.

Sweat was dripping down Sakura's back by the time they reached the motel at the edge of the small town. Her hair clung to her neck and forehead, and she felt as though she would melt at any second. The strappy sandals she had put on that morning for her beach resort vacation were no match for the dusty streets of this town.

"After you," Itachi said softly, holding the door for her.

"Thanks," she mumbled and shuffled in. The smell of tuna fish was thick in the swampy air, but at least it was a cool swamp inside as though the owners had the same air conditioning unit from the days of Hashirama.

To say it had thrown her for a loop when she saw him pull up to that shoddy gas station was the understatement of the century. The Itachi she had known was always reserved, posh, and well-kempt. So who was this man in sunglasses, a black t-shirt and jeans, who kept a nine-millimeter pistol in his car?

"I'm sorry, sir, we only have one room available. The rest are under renovation." The receptionist smacked at the gum in her mouth and blew out a bubble. Her eyes wandered down Itachi's form, very clearly undressing him with her eyes even as Sakura stood next to him.

Itachi shifted his feet, the only sign of discomfort Sakura needed to see from him to stand in front and take the room key.

"Thanks." Sakura gave her a saccharine sweet smile then nudged Itachi's chest with her elbow. "Let's go, Itachi."

She was careful to walk behind him, blocking what view she could from the woman. Tonight he was her hero, not hers. By the time they were halfway down the hall to the room, she was having second thoughts. It was entirely possible she was out of line, that the woman didn't mean to look at him like that, that it was curiosity. Sakura had half a mind to apologize by the time they reached their room, but thought better of it.

Besides, it wasn't like Itachi had caught on to that slight bit of possessiveness. He never caught on to anything. Even a drunken kiss shared on New Years Eve hadn't cottoned him onto the fact that she wanted to date him. Of course, he had left shortly after that for over two years.

"Of course," Itachi mumbled under his breath as they walked into the room.

She barely restrained the mirrored sentiment…of course…there was one bed.

One dusty, moth-eaten coverlet, on the single bed in the room. At least there were two pillows. Gods knew when the pillow cases had last been changed, but it was something. Itachi opened the thick curtains and a cloud of dust shook into the air causing him to cough. The air conditioner gave a threatening rattle, as though it too objected to the dust.

Through the dusty window the sun set in the hills past the highway illuminated the sky in oranges and reds that spread out as far as the eye could see, and sent shadows into the valley below. Sakura pushed the button on the ancient T.V. and waited for it to turn on with nothing but silence for her efforts. Itachi reached behind the dresser and pulled up a frayed cord some unfortunate mouse had taken a liking to and eaten.

"Well that's that then." Sakura plopped her purse on the bed and pulled out a worn novel, a hairbrush, and a granola bar. "Supplies are looking a bit thin. Oh, they do have a pizza place. A single pizza place. But they deliver. Shit no phone. Maybe I can walk there."

Itachi was quiet and sat down in the chair, looking at his hands.

Sakura opened the granola bar and split it in half, handing Itachi the bigger half. "I'm sorry about your car, by the way. You'll feel better if you eat. You can also borrow my book, if you want. I have some downloaded on my phone."

"We shouldn't walk after dark with no way to contact the police. Especially with an obviously high crime rate. Thank you, Sakura."

"I should be thanking you. Without you, I would have still been stuck at that gas station. My hero."

Itachi huffed lightly and took the book from Sakura. A jolt went through Sakura when their fingers brushed against the worn paper cover. Their eyes met, just as quickly they both averted theirs. They sat in companionable silence, every so often she would lift her eyes to watch Itachi stretch. She took a small joy in seeing the surprise flit across his face, and the barest red of his cheeks when he finally reached the part that determined the genre of the book. And still, he didn't stop.

"Is something amusing?" He glanced up over the top of the book to meet her eyes.

"No, nothing at all." The tops of her cheeks heated, and Sakura could feel the blush spread down her neck.

"I will walk down to the police department tomorrow morning."

"I still don't have any cell reception."

"Even if you did, it wouldn't matter. Their landlines are likely not working to take the report."

"Well, I could at least call Sasuke."

"I suppose."

Sakura got up, stretched, then went to the other side of the bed. "I'm kind of tired. It's been a long day. My car broke down, yours was stolen."

Itachi tilted his head and watched as she pulled down the covers. "Leave the other pillow at the end of the bed, please. You can have the bed."

"You can't seriously be thinking about sleeping on the floor. It's filthy. I don't mind sharing the bed."

Her heart thudded in her chest when his eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

"Don't be so noble. It's not a big deal. I've shared a bed with Naruto and Sasuke a few too many nights to count."

He was quiet, but the deepened wrinkle on his forehead spoke for him. Sakura waved her arms frantically in front of her.

"Not like that. Just we drank too much sometimes, and passed out in a pile together. Nothing like that. I swear."

Itachi looked back out the window then gave a slight nod.

The night passed quietly, Sakura rolled over and hit the bunched up sheet between them. Itachi was moaning in his sleep, kicking out from beneath the covers.

"Itachi," she whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Itachi."

He awoke with a start, looking around the room feverishly before his gaze finally focused on her. Sakura moved her palm along the light stubble on his cheek, and ran her thumb along his cheekbone. It was intimate, far too intimate, and Sakura snatched her hand back as though she had burned herself with the affection.

"It's just me. Sakura."

Itachi took a deep breath and nodded. He leaned back against the headboard with a blank stare into the night.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"What was your dream about?"

"My friend."

Sakura played with the creases of the sheets between her index finger and thumb. "What was his name?"

"Shisui. You've met, I believe."

She nodded, rubbing her hand on the back of her head. "Yeah, I think so. The flirt, right?"

He huffed in response and closed his eyes. "Yes."

"Doesn't sound like a good dream." Picking up her phone, she held it high to check for a reception signal, sighing when it was still unavailable. "Too bad you can't call him. That always helps after a bad dream. Call the person you saw things happen to. I do that with Naruto and Kakashi a lot. Sometimes Sasuke, though, not as much now."

She realized she was prattling, though didn't mind filling the blank spaces of the room with noise. The tension he had woken up with was slowly fading from his shoulders. When she tried to raise her phone again to check for bars, he placed his hand on her wrist and lowered her arm.

"I can't call him."

"Of course you can, as soon as I get a signal."

"He's dead."

Silence hung in the air, a heavy, weighty thing that suffocated them. It stilled their motions, and destroyed the small headway she had made. Itachi pulled the covers back over his shoulders and rolled onto his side. The urge to reach out and hold him was almost unbearable as she watched the tension leach into his back and suck out the small amount of life that had been there.

Saying 'I'm sorry for your loss,' didn't seem adequate, even to the best of her recollections of Shisui. They had been inseparable throughout their school days and beyond. She had heard a rumor that they had commissioned into the military together. They went to war against Iwa together in some sort of special unit. Or so Sasuke had said. One time, Sasuke had mentioned that Itachi had never really come home, that part of him was left there in the barren cliffs and rocky surfaces of Iwa. Though, they were drunk when he said it, and firmly denied it the next day.

Sakura mirrored Itachi's action and rolled over onto her opposite side, facing the window. Earlier that evening he had insisted on taking the spot near the door. At the time, it seemed sweet, gentlemanly, but now, in this new light, was reflective of a deeply rooted paranoia. She wondered if he was subconsciously protecting her for Sasuke's sake instead of her own by taking the spot near the room's entry point. Though perhaps the loss has been so profound that it was something he would spare his brother from no matter what.

What a sad way to live, Sakura decided, closing her eyes and letting sleep take her.