The Akatsuki had been given a mission, and they had only recently just arrived at the village. Normally it might have just involved a partnership when dealing with the mission, but this was a little bigger than what they were usually hired for. Not only that, but it would take a lot more work if there was only two of them, and with that amount of work they would need to be careful with it. They had been asked to do something about the village, as it had been causing so much chaos to everything around it, and were continuing to extend their boundaries with no stop in sight. It meant they would need to take down the entire village. Though it wasn't huge, it was still a village, with a large portion of the people being ninjas. The whole point of the mission was to avoid any more chaos occurring in the region, however, and as such they couldn't just charge in. They'd heard plenty of stories about the village, but they'd need true, certain information if they were to carry this out.
Though all of the Akatsuki had been uncertain as to how much of the rumours and stories they'd heard were true, the closer they got to the area and the more they saw that it wasn't all lies. They passed empty burning husks of villages, groups of people in makeshift camps on the side of the path as they headed away from the village to find somewhere more peaceful to live, fearing for their lives. Every now and again they'd even passed by battlefields that were still spattered with blood. Why exactly the village was doing all of this, no one seemed to know. But at this point, most people didn't even care. They were destroying the nearby forest, wiping out villages and massacring any people that came their way, and at an alarming rate. Whatever their reasons may have been, they needed to be stopped, and it was why the Akatsuki were there.
For a village the size of this one, there weren't as many people as they had expected as they came into the outskirts, mostly women going about their daily activities, but with the situation that wasn't exactly surprising considering they killed who they deemed unnecessary. Guards were dotted around the place, but for such a heavily fortified village, there didn't seem to be too many to guard it—though as they continued walking through, they heard numerous voices from the centre of the village, and gathered that that was were most of the guards had gone. All of the ninja and samurai that acted for the village were part of the same clan—the Senso clan. Therefore a meeting was important for numerous reasons. For the moment, however, and the Akatsuki stayed away, as they were easier to pick out with the lack of people, not to mention their numbers and how they were all wearing ninja headbands, and they didn't exactly want to draw too much attention to themselves. The guards left to look over the village eyed them warily though let them be, the women seeming to be a little friendlier, though they, too, made no move to approach them. After all, even with all the violence and destruction the village carried out, they still needed to trade with other places for resources. Allowing people to come in created an income, though it wasn't something the villagers enjoyed having to do, and it wasn't something traders wanted to be involved in either. But if the Akatsuki were going to complete their mission, they were going to have to be careful how they went about it. The village might not have as many ninja as, say, a ninja village, but they were much more willing to attack in the right situation.
That was ever obvious as the clan huddled in the square outside of the leader's building, sorting out everything that had been looted and talking over future plans after having destroyed another village. For the meantime most talked amongst themselves, telling stories of the recent battles and showing any bounty they had received in return. Their leader, Rida, stood behind them all, closest to the main building—his house—and watched over the group, turning to the ninja next to him as he questioned how things had gone, replying with a malicious smirk,
"They went extremely well. We could have had a better battle, of course, but that's their problem, not ours. It's not my fault they're all weak. Still—where is my daughter? Where is Shizuka?"
"You know what she's like, Rida-sama. She doesn't stick around long after a battle—she does her own thing," he replied softly, unsure how Rida would respond, but relaxed a little as Rida smirked once more, brushing the comment aside to state bluntly,
"As long as she's there when I need her, she can do as she pleases."
You watched the meeting go on from the rooftop of the building, making sure you were hidden as you narrowed your eyes at how they rummaged through everything they had stolen, still stained with blood from the battle. Glancing down as you ran it through your mind, memories of the battle flashing up in your head and making you clamp your eyes shut to try and get rid of them, you eventually shook your head, needing to get away. Your father had already said he didn't care what you did unless you were needed, and for the moment, at least, you were glad of that fact, jumping off of the roof and heading towards the forest, not hesitating for a moment as you disappeared into the trees, not about to join them, and unable to watch any longer. Luckily enough your father didn't push for you to hang out with the clan in your spare time, but you weren't exactly proud of hiding in the forest all the time, either. You wanted to be able to do something about their violence—to stop them. To at least turn them to another path. But you knew by now that was never going to happen, walking slowly through the trees as you thought, dragging your fingertips across the trees.
It was the way with your clan—how it had come about, you didn't know, but that was what they lived for—battle. War. And they were proud of it, along with everyone else in the village. Maybe it was the kekkai genkai that your clan possessed—fear release. Maybe it was the power it gave those who could awaken it. Every male was trained when they reached a certain age to be a warrior and fight with the clan, though the women were kept back to remain in the village. In the clan's eyes, it wasn't their place to fight. At times you wished you could be the same, staying in the village to look after the menial tasks, but unfortunately…you were different. You showed talent at the ninja arts, having done so since you were a child. You possessed the final form of the kekkai genkai—something that hadn't been seen for years, let alone in a woman. Not only that, but you had skill with it, too. So they chose to make an exception to the rule and allowed you to become a ninja, but whether it was because you were a woman or just because of the unique abilities you carried, they trained you severely, pushing you to be at the height of your abilities at all times.
It didn't make you like violence. It didn't make you proud of the battle heritage of your clan or your village. If anything, it had the opposite effect—all fighting and violence had given you was pain and isolation from a young age, and you didn't want anyone else to have to deal with it. Still, right from the start you hadn't understood the need for violence that the others showed. You had never been able to come up with a reason as for why you were doing it, merely being forced by your father. When the village was attacked, however, and you knew that you had to be an active presence in helping to keep the peace, rather than just wondering why the violence existed. If you had already been trying to keep the peace, maybe your mother and sisters wouldn't have been killed. Now they had, and you were willing to do whatever it took, though it wasn't exactly easy with the village the way it was—but you did your best.
The Akatsuki had done all the reconnaissance they could do for the day, and had headed into the forest to the nearest hideout. In any other situation, they might have decided to stay at an inn within the village, but with the way the village was, they had gathered it was best to keep their distance for the time being. If they were to succeed in their mission, they would need to gather information first. To gather details on what exactly the situation was here, who and where the leaders were, what plans they might be making, and in return to make their own plans for how they would counter them. As such, they continued on through the trees until they finally reached the hideout, heading inside and making themselves at home.
However, as they had dinner, conversation naturally turned to the mission and the village, and after talking about the clan and the village and what had been happening—what could happen in the future, Itachi stood and said he was going to explore a little around the edges of the village to see if he could spot anything. Everyone shrugged the statement off, knowing what Itachi was like and not about to stop him. Pein didn't mind considering Itachi, if anything, was the most talented at stealth—if anyone could find some extra information, he could. It was only Kisame who paused to watch him as he left, knowing there was more to the situation than everyone else thought, but shook it off and turned back to the others. But Itachi needed to be on his own right now—hearing about a clan focused on battle and attacking those around them, what they might have to do to stop it…it brought back memories, not all of them good. As such, he just needed to get away, even if it was only for a little while, and exploring was a good chance to do so.
He wasn't the only one out at this time of night, however, as after you had had some time to let your thoughts calm and your head clear, you had gone back to your house only to grab something to eat, doing everything you could to avoid everyone in the house, whether servant or your father, before you had returned to the forest. Once again starting to walk through the forest, you quickly decided on a destination: the nearby temple. It had been a long time ago that you had first gone inside for some peace and quiet, and you had been glad of it ever since. Inside rested the spirit of the former protector of the temple. Though you had often considered the possibility it had been your clan who had killed him in the first place, he never told you what had happened. But he wasn't from the village, and ultimately unbiased towards the situation and all that was going on, and without anyone else to talk about it with, he was always the one you went to for advice, or just to have a conversation where you could finally speak your mind. Not that there was much advice he could give you, knowing you wouldn't be able to carry it out, and as you confided that your worries were only growing with how things were turning out, you paused in surprise as he cut you off, replying gently,
"Don't worry, Shizuka. Things may seem bad now, but something is changing. I feel it. Something is coming—something that can help."
In a perfect world you would have wanted a little more information than that, but knowing that it couldn't be, you smirked and thanked him. Even if it was only vague, to know that something would go right helped your worries ease, and thanking him again, you said goodbye, knowing you should probably get back, and left the temple with a lot on your mind. True, he had said something was changing—but what? There were so many possibilities as to what it could be that you couldn't really pinpoint an answer. What could it be if it was to serve as a solution to your problems? It was a question that slowed your pace as you headed back towards the village, barely aware of your surroundings. It meant that at first you didn't notice the presence on the edge of your senses, but the closer you got, the more you felt it, and with his words firmly in your mind, you couldn't just dismiss it and pass on by. You'd never felt this person before, and somehow you got the feeling it was all connected, prompting you to follow your senses as you headed towards the presence. For a few minutes it felt like you were chasing a ghost, feeling that presence but never truly finding it, until a moment later you spotted something up ahead and slowed to a halt, hiding behind a tree and peering round to get a closer look.
Right away and you knew he was special. His footsteps were silent as he continued through the trees, and he blended in with the shadows—to some, he might come across as an intimidating presence. He didn't have the stature of someone who would be considered a threat, but he carried an aura that gave the same effect; still, you knew it wasn't the truth. There was more to him than what appeared on the surface, and as you followed him on his journey, that became ever clearer. He gazed ahead of him into the darkness of the forest, but he wasn't truly concentrating on it, in much the same way you had been, he was thinking. Whatever it was, he had a lot on his mind, and similarly his gaze was soft, almost sad. Wondering what it was that had brought him here and what could be going through his mind, you stayed close behind him, watching him intently. His handsome face carried shadows of pain, and regardless of what happened here, you would never forget him.
However, your interest altered things slightly. Itachi was too into his thoughts to have sensed you, but as you moved to get closer, he finally noticed you there, prompting him to instantly halt, closing his eyes as he called out, quietly but firmly,
"Come out. I know you're there."
Inwardly sighing at how you had gotten too caught up in your chase to remember to keep your guard up, you gave in, glad of a chance to be able to meet him, and stood, walking forward to stand on the top of the rock you had been hiding behind. Itachi wasn't sure how to respond to this. He was on a mission to take down the village, and it was most likely they were from there. If that was the case, it made sense to be defensive, even hostile towards them. But already Itachi could tell that things were different, and it left him torn between options as he finally questioned apathetically,
"Did you really think you could sneak up on me?"
Itachi opened his eyes, ready to turn and face you, only to halt in surprise as he found you were standing directly in front of him, rather than behind as he had first thought. But that fact dissipated from his mind a moment later as he met your gaze, knowing without a doubt you weren't like the rest of the village. With night black hair, you blended in with the darkness around you, but your bright green eyes shone out, regardless of the lack of light. With small features and full lips, you were beautiful in a way that was hard to turn away from. Even so, that wasn't what caught his attention the most. It was the look in your eyes, automatically hitting him dead centre, knowing there was a connection between the two of you and that you could understand each other. Itachi also noted the symbol on your right shoulder, and narrowed his eyes at the idea you were part of the clan, but also, from the looks of the shuriken holster on your right leg, that you were a ninja, too. Knowing only male members of the clan were trained in the ninja arts, Itachi contemplated what made you different, before finally questioning softly,
"Who are you?"
"We both know who the other is," you shot back instantly, now knowing who he was having seen him full on, taken in by the intensity in his eyes and the tone of his voice but trying to shake them off as he responded casually,
"You may know my name, fine. I may know your clan, true. But I don't know your name."
At that you hesitated, suddenly unsure whether to tell Itachi. If he had already known then there wouldn't be any awkwardness, but clearly he didn't, and torn as to what to do, you eventually looked down and replied, almost in a whisper,
"Shizuka Senso."
That name immediately resonating with him, Itachi paused, in silence for a few seconds before he breathed, half confused and half surprised,
"You're the princess."
Turning away at those words, having never used them when referring to yourself, you couldn't bear to look back at him now he understood, almost afraid of what he might think of you, and you did the only thing you could think of—you ran. Itachi wasn't about to just let you leave, however. It was clear you weren't proud of your heritage when you had paused and looked down before saying your name, and your reaction to him stating you were the princess spoke for itself. As such, it didn't take Itachi very long before he followed you, chasing you through the trees and trying not to lose sight of you. Neither of you appeared to be getting anywhere at first, as Itachi couldn't catch up with you, but you couldn't shake him, either. You merely continued to chase each other until you broke through the trees and out of the other side, only to grind to a halt as you reached the edges of the cliff. Frowning down at the valley below, you cursed yourself for not realizing where you were going, but didn't have much time to think on it, as Itachi appeared a second after. Not turning to face him, you remained staring off the cliff, only reacting as he said gently,
"Just wait. I'm not going to hurt you, Shizuka."
Those words caught you out, however, and how softly he said them, prompting you to slowly turn around and face him, saying nothing to begin with and waiting for him to speak, which he did so a moment later as he questioned in bewilderment,
"Don't you like being a princess?"
"Not when my position is to fight and nothing more," you returned bluntly, and fully realizing your opinion and just how similar you were, Itachi walked slowly over to you, the gentle smirk on his face meaning you did nothing to stop him, willing to get into conversation.
You moved into a more comfortable position in order to continue your conversation, and as you talked you got to know each other a little. Though you now knew who the other was, you had both known from the start you weren't defined by your names. Even though he knew you were the so-called 'princess' of the clan, you didn't share the pride in their battle heritage, and even though Itachi was from the Uchiha clan—even though you knew what he'd done—you understood there was more to that story. There was more to his situation than what everyone believed, even if you didn't truly know what it was. But as you sat there talking, it didn't seem to matter for the time being. To begin with you didn't even mention what was going on with the village or what Itachi was there for, merely getting to know one another a little. It was easy to see that the connection you had both suspected was there, and it felt easy to talk to him in a way it wasn't with anyone else.
Though it made sense when you thought about it. You couldn't talk to anyone in the village about the way you felt or what you truly thought—not even the women. Though they weren't allowed to fight, they still had pride in the clan's heritage and everything the village stood for. But it meant that even though you were quiet when going to meetings and listening to what your father had to say, you could never truly be yourself. But with Itachi now, it felt like the opposite. For once you could admit the way you felt about your situation without being worried that you—or someone else—would get punished for it. You felt your need to do something about the way the village was fade as you sat talking with Itachi, your worries dissipating. With him there you felt certain you could do something about it, and just, for once, you wanted to talk without that getting in the way. To be able to let your guard down, even if it was only a little. It meant that even as time passed, you didn't get a chance to fully explain things to Itachi, until eventually you realised what the time was and stood up, apologizing but admitting you had to go.
Itachi shook his head, smirking, understanding your situation and how things must be for you, and admitted he should probably get going as well. Though the Akatsuki didn't exactly care for each other and worry if one of them had gone missing, the fact he wasn't there would come to the attention of some, at least, and he should get back. Not that he had had the time to explain about the Akatsuki, either, and realizing that there was a lot more to talk about, he suggested quietly,
"We both know this isn't over, Shizuka. I'll need to know more from you if we're going to stop what the village is doing. Will you meet with me again?"
Nodding in silent agreement, glad he was willing to help with the village, you responded simply,
"Come back here tomorrow. Sunset. I'll see you then."
With that, you vanished into the trees, heading straight towards your house. But even as you arrived back, even as your father reprimanded you for being gone so long, you simply stood there and nodded, not really listening, before apologizing and going straight to your room. It didn't matter what your father would say to you now. With Itachi's help, you knew you could stop what the clan was doing, and you could speak your mind. It was a realization that helped you sleep better than you had in weeks.
Itachi had watched you go with a smirk, before he, too, started off for the hideout, thinking things over. The Akatsuki would have wondered where he'd been, and if he was going to get information off of you for the mission, he would be passing it on to them. If that was case, however, he would have to come up with an excuse as to where he was getting it from. Plenty of things you had to say wouldn't be the kind of information he could get just by listening in on conversations or poking around a little. But what was he going to say? If he told them who you were, Pein might not be so willing to let him talk to you or be interested in any information you passed on. Being the princess, he might think you were making it all up just to lead them astray, putting them in danger. Itachi knew otherwise, on the other hand, and he knew all the information you'd give him would be true—not to mention he didn't want you to be in danger if Pein thought you were getting in the way. Continuing to think about it as he travelled through the forest, he eventually decided on a solution that would work: telling the truth. Or at least…stretching it a little.
So as he entered the hideout once more, walking down the corridor until he reached the kitchen, going inside to see several Akatsuki members sitting around having something to eat or drink. They all looked round as he came in, asking where he'd been all night, something Pein reiterated as he heard everyone saying Itachi's name and came to talk to him himself. Itachi had said he was going to explore some more, and that hadn't bothered him. But when he'd disappeared for hours, he'd started to get suspicious. As such, he questioned bluntly as to where he'd been, and Itachi responded bluntly,
"To find out some more information for the mission—and I found some."
Narrowing his eyes at that, Itachi told him the little bits of information he'd learned from you—though there wasn't as much as he would have liked considering you both got a little side tracked and just started talking casually. But Pein seemed to accept it, nodding in agreement with what he'd heard, admitting it fit with everything they already knew and overall just generally made sense. There was still the matter of how exactly Itachi had come across it in the first place, however, and questioning him about that, Itachi already knew his story and answered simply,
"A woman told me."
"A woman from the village? Seriously?" Hidan blurted back, and though his response had been louder than most, everyone agreed it seemed like a stupid idea to try and get any information out of a villager. But Itachi brushed it off and continued,
"There's only so much we'll find out otherwise, and an inside source—"
But before Itachi could say anything else, Pein cut in,
"And how exactly do you know you can trust her? That any of what she's saying is true?"
"Because you already said that what she told me is right, so what she said wasn't a lie. Not to mention she has motive to go against them. She has ninja capabilities, but whereas the moment any men reveal talent at the ninja arts they're trained, women are pushed aside and aren't allowed to fight, only to look after the village. They're barely even allowed out of the village, merely existing to take care of the menial tasks needed and provide the next generation of the clan," Itachi responded firmly, and Pein didn't reply for a moment. It was true—if Itachi had told him he'd come across that information in a scroll or from overhearing someone, he would have accepted it as truth. It was already proven right, so whoever this woman was, she hadn't lied. Itachi had pointed out why she would be willing to do it, and having an informant, and inside source, was the best way of getting information in this sort of situation…
"Fine. If you know she can be trusted, then get as much information out of her as possible."
Nodding in agreement, Itachi then turned and headed down the corridor towards his room, knowing he was feeling happier than he probably should be, but being unable to stop at the idea he could talk to you freely.
So you continued meeting up, with you telling Itachi everything you could about your clan, the village, and the situation concerning them both, and Itachi in turn telling you about his mission and the Akatsuki. You had guessed he was here for a mission, but knowing what he'd been hired for, you couldn't really be surprised. After everything your village had down it was inevitable that someone would hire ninjas to do something about it. In between you talked casually, getting to know more about each other and getting closer in the meantime. It was obvious from the start that you were similar, and it was only clearer now, and the more you talked, the more you saw just how much you had in common with Itachi, and the more it spurred you onwards to make sure you stopped what your clan was doing. Itachi took all of the information you supplied him with and passed it on to the Akatsuki, and they in turn made sure no other attacks would be possible, keeping the clan busy within the village itself and making plans to truly stop them once and for all. Neither you nor Itachi quite knew what this plan would involve, and at times you contemplated the idea of what you would do if confronted with the possibility of your father—your clan—dying. Though it made you uncomfortable every time you thought about it, you had come to terms with the fact you'd have to make a decision—and that if it was for the greater good, to make sure no one else would be hurt—you would be willing to kill your father.
Talking with Itachi made you feel better about it, however, as you knew you both wanted peace and what you were willing to sacrifice for it. It was through this topic of conversation that things began to change. Knowing you were similar and had lots in common didn't help, but the concept of wanting peace in a world focused on violence—when you were one of the ones using that violence—was something that connected you in a way you had never imagined you could with another person. Itachi told you his full story, and through it you began to comprehend the man behind it all, and understand just how much he'd been through, taken back at how much he'd sacrificed—how selfless he was. Through all this you felt your feelings begin to change, and as much as you tried to push it away and ignore it, telling yourself you had other things to concentrate on, you knew you didn't see him as a friend anymore—and that was only vice versa for Itachi. No one knew what it was like apart from you. No one understood apart from you, and he didn't want to leave you dealing with this. The only problem was the more he thought about it, and the more he wanted you to come with him. Either way, you both tried to concentrate on the present—what would happen afterwards…you'd deal with it then.
Of course, Itachi had an excuse to give the Akatsuki as to why he was going off and meeting up with you. They were fine with him doing it because they knew it would help with the mission. Your clan didn't even know you were meeting up with him, let alone giving information. True, you hadn't revealed anything or done anything that might let them figure things out, and yes, you barely spent any time around your clan anyway—for you to go off on your own wasn't unusual. But even you couldn't hold back your emotions completely. It didn't show in facial expression or tone of voice, but the way you were acting had differed. So much of what the clan was doing didn't matter to you anymore because you knew you could stop with the Akatsuki's help. You hadn't noticed you'd become more relaxed when dealing with the clan, because you knew it wouldn't go on much longer. And even though you often went off on your own, you were often in your room, or had gone for a walk in the forest. But now you were disappearing entirely, and for hours at a time. All in all, the clan had become suspicious, so the next time you disappeared off, they followed you, watching as you approached Itachi and began to talk. But with what had been happening in the village lately, they weren't about to let you hang around with this stranger, and as a group they moved in, grabbing Itachi before you even had a chance to do anything.
You would have reacted and fought them off, but the mission wasn't completed yet. If you rebelled now, they wouldn't have all the information and the village would immediately start to react. As such, you hung back, telling them to let him go—that you had a reason to be there. Itachi in turn didn't want to attack anyone, knowing what it could mean for the mission, and overall he wasn't interested in killing anyone if he didn't have to. It meant that in the end they'd dragged him off towards the village as their prisoner, and as much as you tried to exert your authority over them, they hadn't listened, leaving you standing alone as they headed off. For a moment you paused, not knowing what to do, but you shook it off. It was too late to try and work around it—there was going to be a confrontation either way, but if this was to turn out successfully, then you needed to get help, prompting you to head towards the Akatsuki hideout. Itachi had told you where it was in case anything ever happened, and so you found it easily, going straight inside and towards the room that had the most people—being the living room. Everyone instantly looked up with a glare, ready to fight you, but before anyone could do a thing you burst out,
"Now is not the time! You know Itachi's had an informant—that was me. But they saw me talking to him—they've taken him to the village as a prisoner."
"Tell us everything," Pein returned forcefully, but shaking your head, you backed up towards the door, replying desperately,
"I can't—I don't have time. I have to go. They'll want to speak with me, and I only had this chance to say anything. I'm sorry."
With that, you disappeared out of the hideout once more to go the village, knowing with that knowledge the Akatsuki would immediately follow in order to find and save Itachi. Within a couple of minutes you reached the village, and heading straight through and up to your house, you went inside and began looking for your father. It didn't take long, however, having gathered he'd be by the prison by now, and as such founding him standing outside, and seeing you immediately stormed over, asking what the hell was going on. You'd already thought of an excuse by this point, so simply stated you'd gone to him to get info on everything that had been happening around the village. Obviously someone was trying to stop them, and so you had been meeting up with him, earning his trust, in order to get the information you wanted—which was now rendered useless now that they had put him in prison, as he wouldn't trust you anymore. Instantly your father went quiet, trying not to look embarrassed, but suggested you go and talk to him to get his trust again and get the information. Accepting the idea, everything playing out like you'd wanted it to, you went over to the cell and went inside, closing the door behind you so no one could hear.
"I'm so sorry," you greeted softly as you walked over to him and sat down beside him on the bed. Shaking his head, grateful you had even come to find him to begin with, he replied just as quietly,
"It's ok, Shizuka. It's not your fault. You couldn't have known they'd follow you."
Pausing for a moment after he said that, all that had happened over the past few days came back to you, your feelings for him surfacing as you looked at him sitting in this cell, and as such you stated firmly,
"I'll do whatever it takes to help you, Itachi—to stop this. I promise. After everything you've done for me," before walking out without another word. Telling your father you'd gotten the information as you walked away from the prison and into the main hall, you said he was part of a group that were trying to take down the village, seeing no point in hiding it anymore. They wouldn't believe anything else. He quickly replied with what you'd been expecting: that they would kill him to make an example, and then take down the rest of the group afterwards while they were recovering from the loss. You merely nodded along with it, knowing the Akatsuki were coming and that together you could get Itachi out of there before it happened—only for your father to add something you hadn't expected: that they weren't going to wait before they killed him. He was going to drag him outside and do it now.
Hiding your shock as best you could, you tried to protest that it was better to wait so the rest of the group would hear he'd been captured first, but your father dismissed it. He didn't care if the group knew about it or not—they'd find out he was dead soon enough. You could only stand and stare in shock as Itachi was now dragged past you once again, being taken outside to the square, clan members already gathering to see him get beheaded. You couldn't let him die—you knew that for certain. But so much was going on. Your father pretty much knew the situation, and was ready to defend the village, his first step being to kill Itachi. But the Akatsuki had heard about it in return. There was no point trying to come up with a plan as to how perfectly to take down the village if Itachi had been captured—they were left with no option but to go ahead and confront the clan anyway. This confrontation had been coming for a while; you had known that. You just hadn't thought it would be this way.
Running to the door, you debated what to do as Itachi was taken to the middle of the square, your father passing another ninja a katana and making it clear what he had to do. The rest of the clan gathered around them, grinning maliciously at what was about to take place. You had to do something, already feeling the Akatsuki's presence at the edge of the village, but not wanting any of them to get hurt because of you. There was your clan, your village and your father to consider as well. Gritting your teeth, you ran through numerous ideas in your head as to what the best course of action would be with the least bloodshed, but in the end you knew there was only one way out of this. As such, as the Akatsuki made their way through the village and arrived at the building, the katana being raised to execute Itachi, you made your move, everyone—including the Akatsuki—widening their eyes in shock as blood splattered across the square…but not Itachi's.
Your father didn't know what to say as you removed the katana from the guy's body, stepping back to let it slump to the ground. Itachi could only stare down at the ground, knowing what was coming and wishing it didn't have to be like this as your father yelled angrily,
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Shizuka?"
Turning to look at him, your face was blank, your eyes angry as you scowled in return, glancing over every member of the clan as you spat back,
"I've lost my patience with you—with all of you. You trained my abilities knowing they were stronger than any of yours, and yet you let me waste them. I'm tired of the walls of the village—I want to test the limits of my power, and I don't want the likes of you holding me back."
Realizing what you were planning, every other clan member immediately turning to you to fight, but you were ready for them, instantly activating your kekkai genkai. Some of them also possessed it too, but not to the level you did—and they certainly didn't have your skill. You didn't like fighting or violence, but you knew your strengths. You knew what you could do—you knew what you had to do. So you didn't hesitate as you lunged forward and took them down, holding back any emotion you might show when doing it. If there had been another way, you would have taken it in an instant. If you had just been able to convince them to act differently from the start…but it was too late. This was your only choice, and you had promised yourself you would stop all this—you had promised yourself you would save Itachi, no matter what it took. All that was left now was going through with that promise, though it was difficult every step of the way.
Once it was over, nothing but dead bodies littering the courtyard, silence took over the village, the Akatsuki having watched everything you did and unable to come up with a response to it. They had known Itachi had an informant, but today was the first time they had met you or truly known who you were. Itachi had conveyed the information you had told him to them all, but he had never said anything about you—what you looked like, what you could do…none of them had imagined you might be this powerful, and it left them at a loss of what to say. But as you stepped forward and released Itachi's bonds, helping him to stand and asking if he was alright, and Pein made his decision, walking over to you. You turned to face him, waiting for him to speak up first, not quite knowing how he would react to all of this information, though you were surprised as he stated simply,
"I would be mistrustful of you for being the princess, but considering all your information was legitimate and you just saved Itachi's life…I see no reason to be suspicious of you. Though I suppose you're not a princess anymore."
Shaking your head slowly, almost sad at the idea, you were glad he wasn't angry at you for lying to him about who you were and everything that had gone on, but it seemed like there was more he had to say, proved when he continued a moment later,
"That being said, you completed the mission for us. Without you, none of this could have happened. I've seen what you can do, Shizuka, and I heard what you said—you want a way to test your abilities. I can give you that. I'm sure Itachi has told you about our organization, and I'm inviting you to join it."
Itachi had to look away at that, knowing where the conversation was going the moment Pein walked up to you and wishing he could do something to get you out of it. But now the offer had been given, there was no going back. You knew this, Itachi having told you already that the Akatsuki didn't take no for an answer, and as such you nodded in acceptance, thanking him quietly as everyone came over to get introduced and ask a few questions. Both you and Itachi were quiet as this all occurred, even as you gathered your things and were taken to the hideout, shown to your room and given a cloak. You didn't speak much throughout the night, eating your dinner with the rest of them before eventually returning to your room, glancing round as you heard the door open, not surprised to see Itachi standing there with a soft look in his eyes. Seeing that, however, after everything that happened today, and you couldn't hold it back anymore, bursting into tears as he came over and gathered you in a hug, sitting you on the bed as he comforted you quietly.
"I know it must have been hard," he breathed at one point, your tears having slowly subsided into sniffles, sitting up properly to look at him. Nodding in acceptance of that idea, you eventually responded softly,
"It was the only way to end it. But…I just…"
"I understand," he whispered in response, but thinking over all he'd planned in life, how he wanted things to go with Sasuke, he couldn't help but feel bad at the idea he was leaving you behind, causing him to add, "And I know—"
But you quickly cut him off, shaking your head, already knowing what he was going to say, and therefore quickly interrupting to protest,
"No—it's ok. I'd rather spend as much time as possible with you, even if it's only for a short while, rather than spend my time trying to forget."
Knowing that statements like that made him hesitate in his choices, Itachi said nothing more, merely leaning forward to press his lips against yours. Automatically you wrapped your arms around his neck, burying one hand in his hair and moaning as he nibbled on your bottom lip, simply opening up and allowing him to explore inside, receiving a groan in return as you entwined your tongue with his. His hands started off on your waist, slowly massaging with his thumbs, before they worked their way underneath your shirt and rose slowly up your abdomen, stroking gently underneath the edge of your bra. Shivering in pleasure, you let one hand trail down to his chest, undoing his cloak as you did so in order to wriggle your hand inside and trace patterns across his skin, feeling him shiver in return. Moving his lips from your own to your neck, he slowly explored round until you gasped, causing him to lick and suck at that spot and making you writhe and moan in pleasure, pulling him back up to your lips as you fully pushed off his cloak, allowing him to do the same with your shirt.
No; you wanted to remember everything.