Hello, all! I've decided to try something new, even though I should be working on "Whispers in the Dark" right now, I can't help myself. I just have to try this out. So please R&R, no horrid flames, and if someone likes it I'll post the other chapters I've been working on.

Disclaimers in profile.

Chapter One.

The new Konoha. Lively. The moon was full and it shone brightly on the streets. Citizens laughed and talked and smiled.

In a crowded bar sat a young woman, whose hair was so fair one would think it fake. Next to her was one of the few true friends she'd made since she'd come to this country, a young Shinobi named Nara Shikamaru. His eyes wandered about lazily, landing on the woman for the first time since a previous conversation. "You should take off those ridiculous glasses."

The woman blushed only slightly. "How am I supposed to do my research without them?' she asked.

"Why in a bar?"

"Because the Hokage ordered it."

She was doing research on alcohol in the human body. Tsunade had ordered it suddenly. Honestly the woman thought it was for proof that the Sannin could continue to drink. Her glasses could allow her to see all the functionings of the body with only a flex of her chakra. She'd built them herself years ago.

"So how are things, 'Shik?" she asked. "I just got back from that medic seminar a few hours ago. I came straight here, hoping to find you."

"Yeah, I remember you saying something about it." The male rolled his eyes. "Well, everything is going well as usual in the village. Your man misses you especially."

"Hmm." She felt her skin prickle at the thought of what she would be going home to. "I don't suppose I could just stay at the bar," she joked. "That wouldn't be good. He would probably come looking for me, if he's not already."

"Hn." The gifted Shinobi sat in silence for a moment. "You would tell me if he hurt you, right?"

She tried to hide her wince. "Of course I would, Shikamaru, don't be stupid."

The night was no longer young when the woman began her journey to her home. Her special glasses were in her pocket, beeping occasionally to warn her of their low battery level. But she wasn't worried about that. In fact, she could barely hear the usually annoying noise.

She was a Medical Shinobi from a small island north of the continent. Years ago she had come to this country for research, only to walk into the Third Shinobi World War.

Any normal aspect of life dissipated immediately. The closer Konohagakure came, the more bodies she found.

Sometimes I wonder if they survived, she thought absently. She had done what she could for the bodies then.

In her country she had been known as somewhat of a miracle worker. She could heal any injury and make new organs from nothing. For every body she had encountered during that time, she attempted to save every one of them. But she never would check for a heartbeat. All she did was heal the wounds or the organs.

There had been one body that had intrigued her, though. A body of a warrior, but one who had long given up the battle. He had died of a terrible disease that had spread across his body and destroyed it from the inside. His hair was black and his face was handsome, strange birthmarks on both of his cheeks.

But the most peculiar thing she found on this corpse was that his eyes were missing. They'd been forcefully pulled from their sockets post mortem.

She'd done what she could for the man, and had found that his heart began beating almost immediately after the wounds were healed. But he did not stir beyond that motion.

"I see," she had told him. "Your soul is trapped in what these people call an Edo Tensei. When you awaken, hide yourself so that your body will be able to adjust to this procedure."

And using the last of her chakra, she had given him new eyes before retreating to rest herself.

The woman scoffed. Ever since then the man had followed her, even lived with her. He scared her sometimes, but she did indeed see that he had a good heart despite the insanity that clouded his mind.

Her apartment was dark and silent. She already knew he was there. She kicked off her sandals and removed her green jacket casually, yawning. It was late. She was thankful that she was off work tomorrow.

"Akahana?" a voice called from the bedroom. She rolled her eyes, hurrying to him.

"Hello, Itachi," she replied, standing in the doorway. "I see you made it home."

"You're late." His deep, onyx depths stared at her.

She pulled the glasses from her pocket. "Shikamaru and I were working."

"Hn. Come to me."

She rolled her eyes, wondering once more why she did this to herself. Placing the glasses on her desk, she crawled into the bed with the man, keeping quiet.

His embrace, as always, was warm. His bare skin smooth. Impressive muscles, strong arms. So what was the problem?

"I don't like you hanging out with that Nara boy. Or Kakashi, either," he said.

"Tsunade assigned them to me when I came here. You know this."

"But now you're close to them, Akahana."

"I made friends. It isn't a big deal."

"Hn."

Kakashi had gone with her to the seminar, although he had read that weird perverted book the entire time they were there. That man never took anything seriously.

He gripped her lower jaw a little too tightly, just like he always did. "Sometimes they look at you the wrong way, Akahana," he said in a low voice. "I don't like it when they do that."

She rolled her eyes. "As usual, you overthink everything."

He pressed his lips against her forehead, making her cringe slightly. "I just don't want you wagging your tail for another man."

"I'm not a dog, Itachi."

The hours passed. She watched the sun rise without a wink of sleep. Itachi Uchiha's face was nuzzled into the side of her neck and hairline, so that he could breathe in her scent while he slept.

She looked to the arm that was casually draped over her now bare waist, thinking back to how all of this had even occurred. She would often do this, realizing that no matter what she changed, the result would still be the same.

He'd emerged after the war ended. She'd already become a temporary member of Konohagakure's Shinobi Force. She had saved countless lives and found a friend in the infamous Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake. She was surprised to see the man she'd saved to be alive.

And when his gaze had reached her, his irises changed from scarlet to ebony instantly, and the madness disappeared. Then Akahana saw pain. Sadness. Guilt. Even longing.

And then the man wrapped her into such an embrace that she'd lost all breath in her lungs.

"You saved my life," he'd whispered to her. "You saved my soul. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she had replied. She'd understood how he felt then. She thought that maybe he'd felt grateful to her for bringing him back.

"I'll never leave you again," he had continued then. "You're my angel. My everything. I love you. I love you."

And that began the vicious cycle of the life she now knew. He had stayed by her side ever since. She was hardly ever alone.

He wasn't annoying. No, he was almost perfect. But sometimes he treated her like a pet or a toy. His possessiveness was beyond the point of a normal man. He would whisper horrid things in her ear about sex or about murder when no one looked at them, like how he wished he could slaughter Kakashi alive for touching her shoulder.

But he did have a horrible case of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Tsunade had him evaluated a long time ago, when the village was still under reconstruction. He'd seen many things and killed against his will and he honestly did feel horrible for it. He'd even killed his whole family. No one would be able to get over something like that.

She remembered the first time he snuck into her apartment. She could still feel everything he had done to her on that night. How when she told him to stop, he would coo in her ear that he loved her. He was always gentle and sure to never cause her pain, even when he had taken her own purity away from her. Even now his breaths on her body were so soft she barely felt them.

Akahana wasn't sure why she was letting this go on. This was a one-sided relationship and she went with it anyway. Everyone in the village, with the exception of Kakashi, believed it to be real. Maybe she carried it on because she'd never been loved by another man before. But maybe she had pitied him that badly when he had told her about his life.

But that didn't matter. She quietly slipped out of bed. She had to turn in her paperwork to Tsunade, and then let the hospital know she was available to be on call.

"Where are you going?"

She didn't pause. "I'm going to go see Hokage-sama. So I'll be in the shower."

"Hn." As she turned the knob by the faucet, she saw him appear in the mirror. "I'll start breakfast, if you would like."

"Sure, toast is fine," she replied quietly. She never had an appetite in the morning. But she wanted to get through this sleepless day without any distractions. At least, just for today. "And coffee, please, Itachi," she called.

She barely heard his reply, but she knew he was already making it. He always did.