15A/N: After such amazing support for The Darker Side of Love, I decided to write another multi-chapter fic. I want to give half-credit to my Beta, Agrestebug, for this chapter because she helped me write it. I am new to creative writing and am trying to learn how to write using different writing styles and use more descriptive language. She has been awesome throughout this process.
Please note that inspiration for this fic came from Clandestine by SilverStarShine94. If you are looking for a deliciously creepy Ita/Saku one-shot then I highly recommend reading Clandestine.
The update schedule will be the same for The Darker Side of Love, expect a new chapter on a weekly/biweekly basis. If something changes, I will let you know.
So, without further ado here is another dark romance for you: The Pendant. Please, enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto. Everything in the Naruto Universe belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. No money is being made from this fic.
Chapter One
Pinpricks of awareness slithered along her flesh, the cool sensation like a serpent crawling across her skin, leaving behind a trail of freshly raised goosebumps. It wasn't so much the feeling as it was the sensation of being watched, and knowing it was true - Sakura was being followed. She let out a hesitant, shaky breath. There was no clear reading on any suspicious chakra signatures, so that left out pinpointing the most important questions. The who, where, and why…. Maybe they were questions better left unanswered.
Hot bile burned as it surged upward, filling her mouth with its bitter, acrid taste. Her stomach churned harshly into tightly woven knots, resting uneasily as a nauseous wave rolled violently in the pit of her stomach. The rapid uneven beat of her heart thumped the ominous sound of a drum, vibrating noisily in her ears against the eerie silence of the night. A cold sheen of sweat broke out, pooling in glistening drops along pebbled hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up, and the lingering sense of unease had her on high alert.
Nothing was out of place. She was alone, with only the company of the engulfing darkness that waited to swallow her whole into its never-ending black abyss. Being alone with her finely tuned senses as assurance that everything was alright, should have and would normally have been appeasing enough to calm the relentless stream of restless nerves. A shinobi's sense of taste, touch, sound, and smell was strong, stronger than any civilian and danger were typically easy to spot.
Something deeper told her otherwise.
Nothing within her vicinity was amiss, but the metallic almost coppery taste of fear clung thickly like molasses in the back of her throat. Alarm bells, archaic and old as evolution itself - ran deep within her blood, ringing loudly. An instinctual warning to not let her guard down.
Something was off. She was sure of it, even if she couldn't see it. Despite other chakra signature being found, [and] the night was far too still. The only sounds that could be heard were the occasional rustle of deadened autumn leaves, tumbling past with every occasional gust of cool wind. Still, Sakura could practically feel a pair of bodiless eyes burning intensely into her rapidly retreating back. Being left open and exposed made her uncomfortably vulnerable, almost naked, despite the layers of clothing that she wore to keep out the frigid cold of the approaching winter.
Hating the highly disconcerting notion that she was in fact not alone, Sakura continued walking, her footsteps quickening their pace across the deserted dirt covered street. An icy set of claws impatiently tore at her heart, beating rapidly inside her ribcage. Casting a hurried glance over her shoulder and seeing nothing was not reassuring, not at all. The high trill of a crow's call screeched from somewhere in the distance, causing her to jump skittishly in the air before breaking out into an all-out sprint. Perhaps, it was foolish to be so jumpy. What kind of kunoichi was she? Running at the call of a bird. Quickly passing all the shops that lined the road that was closed for the evening, she noted that their blank store windows glittered like diamonds against the glow of dimly lit street lamps, but did nothing to offer solace to her already frayed nerves.
The light that shined outside her apartment complex, normally a bright beacon of safety, left her shielding herself away from its warming glow. Her own apartment wasn't even safe, not anymore. Not since the 'gift' that was resting on the inside of her coat. Dread of returning home alone with no one to be at her side twisted sharply at her heartstrings.
For a moment, the thought of going to Ino's for the night seemed like a good idea, until she remembered that the kunoichi was away on a mission with Shikamaru and Choji. Sasuke was out of the question, her raven-haired teammate would rather swallow a lemon whole than play babysitter and she would not be welcomed uninvited onto the Uchiha compound anyway.
Naruto was entertaining Hinata for the night so his place was out. Left with no other alternative, Sakura forced herself to move, climbing up the stairs two at a time until she reached her door on the third floor. The cool metal of the doorknob dented from the pressure of her fingers wrapped too tightly around it that would remain there for years to come. Letting herself in, Sakura instantly flicked on a light switch, basking in the false sense of security it provided across the length of her living room. Slipping off her sandals she set them beside the door before locking it and setting an array of traps. It wouldn't keep out the likes of Orochimaru or someone on a similar power scale, but it would protect against most threats that sought to break in. In the relative safety of her home, Sakura leaned against the door and let out a shaky breath. Her hand instantly found its way to the new gift that had unexpectedly found itself in her possession. A pendant made from ruby and diamond rested delicately against her collarbone. It hummed against her fingers lightly brushed against it sending out a pulsating warmth that only alarmed her further and reignited her panic.
Day prior, the sound of swishing of fabric had awoken her. Years of training as a kunoichi had made her a relatively light sleeper, and at first, she thought it was Kakashi-sensi. That man blatantly refused to go to the hospital, choosing instead to wake her up at all sorts of ungodly hours of the night in need of a quick healing. If it wasn't him, it was occasionally some other familiar face. But, at that moment, it wasn't.
Instead, a pair of demonically glowing red eyes stood out against the backdrop of her darkened room, curiously gazing down at her in some sort of demented glee. She had moved to turn on the lamp on her nightstand to get a better look at who had woken her up when the gleaming red eyes had simply…vanished, leaving behind nothing more than the faint scent of smoke and ash along with something purely masculine that she couldn't accurately describe. Fear had frozen her in place as her eyes roamed frantically, searching with a detailed eye around her bedroom for any intruder or any sign that they were still lingering. She moved to lay back down when something new had caught her attention, a weight against her neck that was not there when she fell asleep hours before.
Through the sliver of light that peaked through her blinds, Sakura had seen a glitter of something shining against the base of her throat. She completely sat up, allowing the plum comforter to fall around her waist as she examined her news accessory with a tiredly keen eye. This definitely wasn't there before.
The necklace appeared to be expensive, something she would have had to make a conscious effort to save up for on her current salary but didn't remember making such an outrageous purchase. As a matter of fact, she wouldn't. It was impractical as a medic to wear such frivolous jewelry that would get broken or otherwise damaged by oftentimes incoherent or combative patients. Ino, on the other hand, favored such things and perhaps left it here at her apartment by accident. Why, then, would I be wearing it?
Slender fingers held the pendant, green eyes reluctantly appreciating its beauty. It looked to be centuries old, and that only proved to confuse her further. The chain was a simple set of vines, created so that were woven around each other in a tangle of white gold. Hanging from it, in the center, was a pendant with two halves, one of a ruby and one of diamond, with the ruby being on top. The way the two stones sat atop one another looked like a familiar shape but her brain was too tired to process anything further. The clasp around her neck felt warm to the touch as she attempted to unhook it and put it on the nightstand beside her bed.
It wouldn't budge. Harder, she yanked, pulling the chain in hopes of breaking it. Nothing happened, save for the slight sting of a miniature bolt of electric shock that brushed along her fingertips as if in warning. Letting out an annoyed huff, she frantically tried again, the panic seeping through her movements as she tugged and pulled. Nothing happened.
Tears of frustration began to fall. Normal methods were not working and with one last-ditch effort, Sakura manipulated a small iota of chakra into her fingers. She wrapped them around the clasp with such force that the pressure alone should have caused the metal to bend. With one final harsh tug, Sakura used her monstrous strength and yanked as hard as she could.
Her fingers burned white-hot and she instantly let go, hissing in pain while rubbing the unblemished skin of her hand. Maybe one of the boys could help, or perhaps TenTen, the weapons specialist most likely had something on hand that was incredibly sharp. Maybe a saw would do the trick.
Pulling the blankets back up to her chin to shield herself from the intruder's prying eyes, Sakura laid back down on the bed, her eyes scouring the shadows that danced on the walls. The eerie red glow hadn't returned but something told her that their presence was not truly gone. On instinct, she rolled over, pulling the shiny metal kunai from under her mattress. She grasped the handle so tightly as she pulled it up to her chest that her knuckles turned white. Even as tired as she was, sleep would not find her so easily anymore tonight.
xXx
It was days later and the necklace was still there, unmoving from its new location. To make the situation worse no one could see it. Sasuke and Naruto thought she had gone insane when she asked them to take off something they couldn't see, so she hadn't even bothered to check with TenTen about removing the blasted thing.
That is, until Sasuke made the comment that made her blood run cold. He'd looked perplexed as he said it, not understanding why she was in such a state of distress until it dawned on him, "...most noble clans have marriage traditions involving jewelry, even one's that can only be seen by the wearer and their fiance," his face marred into a slightly more prominent scowl, "My own clan has a tradition similar to that actually, but why would you have one," he mused mostly to himself, his eyes drawn to her seemingly empty neck before catching her eyes, "You aren't engaged...are you?"
Of course, she wasn't. Sasuke's statement from earlier that day hovered in her mind. Too wound up to care, a trail of clothing followed her into the bathroom. She would worry about the mess later.
Sakura turned on the shower to a scalding temperature, irrationally hoping to melt it off. Hot water stung, nipping painfully at newly reddened skin. Like the time before, another pulse of an electric shock from the necklace flared warningly, as if announcing its displeasure at her intent. It didn't hurt, more like the minute second of being shocked by static. But the intent behind the gesture unknowingly caused her vision to blur and tears to form, running down already wet cheeks, mingling with the hot water. Body shaking, quivering from the onslaught of emotions caused another pulse, this one a warm wave of heat that washed over her as if in a way of comfort.
"Dammit!" she cursed punching the wall and leaving a small fist-sized crater into the ugly eggshell tile. This wasn't something she wanted, if what Sasuke said was true. The water ran cold and she stepped out, emotionally spent from the last few days. Her bed enticingly called out to her, tugging one of Naruto's old shirts over her head, Sakura ungracefully plopped down onto the messy heap of blankets. Rolling onto her stomach, she made herself comfortable before falling into a fitful slumber.
Sakura….
The sound of her name was nothing but a soft whisper that blended into the silence of the dark room. Twitching, she rolled over dragging the blankets over her head, too tired to care about anything other than seeing the back of her eyelids. After a few minutes of annoying discomfort, she turned again, pushing the blankets away from her, feeling like her skin was suddenly on fire.
Sakura...
Phantom fingers traced over her soft skin like butterfly kisses, skillfully soothing instead of alarming as he trailed down her arm. He paused at her hand, a single pale finger caressing her bare ring finger. He trailed back up her arm in the same gentle motion with the back of his fingers, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. He found himself matching her secret smile, running his hand carefully through her soft, pink tresses. Her hair had grown out slightly since the last time he saw it, only enhancing the natural beauty that she was. And she was meant to be his. She didn't realize it yet, but she would soon enough.
He touched the pendant, the image of the Uchiha Crest around her neck heightening his already strong desire. The need to finally claim her as his own clawed ruthlessly at his chest, impatience rolling off his chakra in tendrils of barely concealable waves. Soon. He promised himself. Very soon.
Carefully, Itachi knelt down, his nose inches away from her shoulder. He took a large gulp of air, drinking in her scent as it infiltrated his nose, sending a pleasant shockwave to rocket down to his toes. Lilies and honeysuckle, and something that only she possessed, he knew he would easily become addicted to the scent as it lured him in. Unable to stop his actions, he bared his teeth and nipped lightly on the spot he just sniffed, forcibly reminding himself to not break the skin. She tasted as good as she smelled. With difficulty he pulled himself away, pointedly ignoring the ache of desire that throbbed anew as his blood boiled with a heat that he was desperate to release.
His blossom shifted, turning towards him in her sleep. His breath caught, as the ridiculous amount of blankets still cocooning her body slipped away, exposing her long creamy legs. The fact that she was unaware of her appeal made his longing all that stronger and harder to ignore.
His hands shook as he balled them into fists and backed away from her bed, lest he lose all semblance of control that he was already barely able to manage. With a firm set of his jaw, Itachi used a teleportation jutsu to get back to the Uchiha compound and into his room.
He freed his long hair from the confines of the hair tie, allowing black strands to spill past his shoulders. Laying down on his bed, his mind began to wander, his eyes closing heavily as he tried to still the wild beating of his heart. Sleep would not come again so easily tonight. To say that he wanted her would be an understatement. He needed her like koi needed water. It was simply impossible to live without that basic necessity. What had started out as a simple observation, more so to keep an eye on his foolish little brother, had sent him spiraling into the deep depths of obsession. She was so unlike any woman from his clan that his father insisted on parading under his nose.
Sakura was real.
He had watched her grow from a whiny little girl with a silly childhood crush on his brother, to a woman worthy of the title Uchiha Matriarch. She was kind and compassionate. He had seen her spend hours over her scheduled shift to help new struggling medics, or coddle a child who had fallen and scraped their knee. Yet, in the same instance, she could punch her blond friend with a force no one in her generation could match, even the nine-tails, for being a clueless idiot that resulted from the blond putting his foot in his mouth. She was delicate but not weak.
She would be a matriarch to be reckoned with, who could handle any upstart Uchiha who would dare to defy her. And no doubt she would be a fierce mother for their children. He was Itachi Uchiha, he expected the best, and as it was his time to marry, no one else would do.
She alone had the true essence of what he craved; flaws and opinions, and a natural beauty that reflected who she was inside and out. In a word, for him, she was nothing short of pure perfection.
