Wow this is prolly the most i've written in one setting! (as you people who have read my other stories know). I've hit a writer's block on A Joke? so I'll get back to that one later. In the meantime, enjoy.

Gaara: (whispers) Rose doesn't own Naruto!

Back For My Coat

Rei didn't know when it had started. Maybe when he had spoken kindly to her, the first person to do so in a long time. Or maybe it was when she realized that she would be treated well, and she wouldn't be forced into anything. Perhaps it had started the day he had bought her.

Whatever the cause, Rei knew she was in love with her master, Uchiha Itachi. She knew that he didn't care for her in the same way, and she was all right with that. She knew that there were many people out to get him, and that was why they had to live in a cave, separated from the rest of the world, and she didn't care. There had been many instances where things had gotten so dangerous, he had offered her her freedom, so that she could escape from the assassins out to get Itachi. But she had refused, and stuck with him.

Their cave was secluded in a forest, deep in a country no member of the Akatsuki had been to. There were seals of chakra all over the walls, so that no one could find them. Even Kisame, who had been closest to Itachi, had no idea where they were. And so long as Itachi was alive, supporting those seals, Rei and Itachi were safe.

Or so they had thought.

Itachi, for Rei's safety, for a long time had been the only one to exit the cave to get food and whatnot. When he had been gone, Rei had heard noises in the forest, movements and voices of humans. She knew that the chakra seals would protect them, but she was still nervous. When she reported to Itachi, he granted her the permission to leave the cave to do the shopping.

Rei leaving the cave was no better. Many people followed her with their eyes, only to look away quickly when she noticed them looking. When she returned home, she could tell Itachi had heard the voices as well, though he didn't say it. He was tense and jumpy.

One night, Itachi announced he would be leaving for a few days. Rei tensed as she asked him why.

"I have no choice. I have important business that must be taken care of."

He didn't say it, but Rei knew it had something to do with the voices outside the cave. Rei pretened to aquiesce, but tears were forming in her eyes. At the last moment before Itachi exited the cave, Rei jumped up and dashed towards him. She caught him in a hug from behind and cried into the back of his Akatsuki coat.

At first Itachi stiffened, but then relaxed. He loved his former slave girl, very much so, and he was glad she felt the same. Slowly, he pried Rei off, but just enough that he could turn around, and envelop her in a forward-hug. This only made Rei cry harder.

"I don't know if I'll see you again," she sobbed.

Itachi stroked her hair. Funny how tender he'd become since buying Rei.

"I'll be back," he said softly, "You'll see."

Rei tightened her hold.

Itachi smiled against her hair.

"Five days, tops," he promised, "And…" he removed his coat and handed it to Rei, saying, "I'll be back for this." He pulled her close to him one last time, and kissed her forehead. Then he was gone.

While she waited for Itachi's return, Rei occupied in every way she could indoors. It began to rain by the second day. By day three Rei had run out of things to do. She curled up inside Itachi's coat, and cried herself to sleep. She alternated between sleeping, eating small meals, and staring for all of day four and five.

On the fifth night, Rei had a terrible dream. She was running to meet Itachi, only when he turned around he had blood all over his face, and a person who looked like both Kisame and Sasuke was pulling a blade out of him. Then Itachi fell on her feet.

"NO!" Rei screamed, and woke up. She spent the entire sixth and seventh days pacing the cave.

The rain didn't show any signs of letting up.

Every night Rei curled up in Itachi's coat to sleep. It smelled like him, and was warm, so when she did she felt as if he were with her.

On the tenth day since Itachi had left, he returned.

Rei was mashing some herb into a pulp when she heard a twig snap outside her cave through the rain. She ran out of the cave wearing Itachi's coat, only to catch Itachi himself in her arms. His face had numerous bruises and scratches all over it, but it was still her handsome Itachi. When he opened his mouth to speak, blood came out instead.

She smiled slightly through her tears.

"Shh," she cooed to him, "You're home now."

"R-rei." Itachi choked out, "They…are coming…here…Must…run…"

Rei placed a finger to his lips, to which he planted a kiss.

"Rei," he said again, struggling, "Before…die…I…love…y-"

"Itachi?" Rei cried, "Itachi-kun!!"

Itachi smiled.

Without hardly knowing what she did, Rei bent low, and, in the rain, kissed her Uchiha Itachi.

With the last of his strength, he caressed her hair. Then Rei felt him stop responding to her kiss, and his hand dropped to the sodden ground.

Uchiha Itachi was dead.

Rei screamed.

Sasuke heard the scream from far away, and flew towards the sound. He knew that he had found his brother's hideout. Kabuto followed him. They found a cave, and in front of it, two figures wrapped in a single Akatsuki coat. One they recognized as Itachi, and he was dead. The other was a beautiful girl with dark hair and a leather collar, the mark of a slave. She appeared to be asleep on top of Itachi.

Sasuke knew it would not be good to let her live, because Itahi knew many secrets about Orochimaru's dealings that the Akatsuki didn't like. He couldn't take the risk that he had told something to his slave girl. He took out a kunai, and as he went to stab her, he heard the twang of a tripwire.

Oops, he thought.

As Rei felt the burn of the paper bomb on her stomach, she smiled. Maybe Itachi hadn't managed to defeat his enemies, but she, Rei, had at least taken out some of them.

Then the forest, along with Sasuke, Kabuto, Itachi, and Rei exploded into blinding light.