Staring up, I see the great white fluff of clouds moving slowly across the blue expanse. It was at times like this, I wish I could fly. I've always wondered what its like to touch the clouds, although it's constantly destroyed when I tell someone. For some odd reason, they all feel the need to tell me that the clouds are simply water vapor and it would just feel like fog.

Stupid people who read books.

"Chiharu." A voice said.

I was too busy staring up at the clouds to notice my friend come up near me. Right now, all I saw was a giant black blob blocking out the sun from my eyes. The hair made me think it was Itachi.

"Itachi-kun."

"What are you doing?" He continued to stare down at me. It was rather unsettling to have someone just stare at you while you're lying on the ground.

"Now that you're here, practicing jutsus!" I replied, cheerfully.

"You mean to tell me that whenever I'm not here, you don't practice at all?" He asked, raising one eyebrow.

Sometimes I wonder how I can befriend such people sometimes. They always assume the worst possible assumptions.

"Why, of course not!" I said waving my hand for an added effect.

I wasn't going to start telling him that I'm really lazy unless someone was there to motivate me. If I did, well, he would be here all the time pushing me until I was near ready to be sent to the hospital. I wouldn't like that, not in the least bit. I already disliked hospitals with their over cheerful nurses.

"Get up." He said.

Obediently, I sighed and slowly got to my feet. Sometimes, Itachi-kun could be so cold.

"Show me your progress on that jutsu you were telling me about," He told me.

It was just like old times, or rather like when I first met Itachi. I was practicing this jutsu and couldn't get it right until he helped me. I remembered how he was pointing out everything I did wrong, but also some of the things that I was doing correctly, like the handsigns. It always tends to be the amount of chakra that I have to put in for the jutsu to work that I mess up.

Let's just say, I was never a studious student when it came to controlling my chakra. How I achieved a jounin level at a young age before being corrected was beyond me.

After what seemed like ten hours of practice, I collapsed onto the grass. I was beyond tired, I was halfway buried into the ground. If Itachi had continued, I would be lying in my coffin.

"Why do you always push me so hard?" I asked while trying to catch my breath.

"In case your skills are not enough." He simply replied.

He could be so vague or secretive sometimes. He must be preparing me for what he thinks is the apocalypse if he thinks I'm going to need to be this skilled.

"Fine, but you have to treat me for ramen since I'm in too much pain to cook." I retorted.

If Itachi was going to push me so hard, I was going to get my revenge by attacking his wallet. My plan would've worked really well if it weren't for the fact that Itachi happens to be filthy rich. Now, I'm starting to have theories that Itachi simply pushes me until I'm exhausted so that I don't come up with any other ways to enact my revenge.

Itachi eventually led me to the Ichiraku Ramen stand, but not after an hour of walking that would normally take twenty minutes.

"What's taking you so long?" he asked, while being a good ten paces in front of me.

"Oh, I don't know. I just love walking this slow even though my stomach tends to say otherwise. I'm just preparing myself for future missions in case there is a lack of food available and I still have to continue." I sarcastically said.

If I didn't know better, I would have said that I heard a chuckle. It was about time too. Itachi needed some laughter in his life.

We finally arrived, and let's just say I ate until I was sick.

"Sorry, Itachi! I forgot that I had a stomach with limits..." As lame as the excuse was, it was true.

Itachi simply shook his head as if in disbelief and helped walk me home. When he was about to turn away to leave, I told him that I had a mission tomorrow, but I didn't know how long it would last.

He simply nodded his head in understanding and bid me good-bye.

He was definitely the odd one out of a bunch, especially with his sense of humor.

The following morning, my alarm clock woke me up at an hour that should never even exist. I almost threw a kunai at it since it was so annoying.

I took a shower and readied my equipment and put on my clothes. I fell while trying to put on my shoes. Maybe it was an omen of what was to come? I sure hope not.

I checked the mirror to make sure I had everything. I was wearing a short black skirt with leggings underneath and the standard nnja sandals. On top, I wore a black sleeveless shirt, but with attached kimono sleeves. Lastly, I grabbed my jounin vest off of the table and put it on.

I was about to leave, when I realized I was having a really blonde moment. I almost forgot my weapons and supplies pouch.

Sometimes I wonder if I was a blonde in my past life or even a stupid chicken. It would explain much about me.

I arrived at the village gates and saw my squad and captain. I knew everyone by name except the captain, since he was ANBU.

The mission was supposed to be a difficult mission which was why we had one ANBU member and the rest jounin. We were to steal a scroll and bring it back to Konoha. I was assigned to it since I specialized in stealth jutsus.

After making sure we had everything, we readied ourselves and started out to the destination. No one spoke. It must be the captain's strict way. Maybe this was all a test to see if we were really capable jounin or not.

After what seemed like an endless silence, we reached the building. There were guards everywhere, so we sketched a plan. I was to stay outside and place the guards asleep and to make sure no one else got in or got out. There would be a clone of the ANBU to stay outside with me while the real captain went in with the rest of the squad. If any problems arose, they would quickly leave and re-plan.

By the time they were inside, everyone within a two mile radius was asleep. My chakra was already half-gone. I got a nagging feeling that I used too much chakra again. So far, no problems arose and my team was out in the clear.

As we were leaving, I thought this was too easy. Much to my luck, enemy nnja had come back to headquarters to find everyone asleep and were now chasing us. Great.

They quickly caught up to us, and surrounded us. Even better.

We formed a square formation back to back and readied ourselves. The enemy ninja slowly came upon us as we tried to fight back. I'm not sure exactly what happened. Everything was moving too fast. All I knew was that I had to survive and that I was loosing too much chakra. No one could help since they had their own enemies to deal with.

I had to just hold my ground a little bit longer before someone would come help. I kept on believing in that, but soon I was panting and the enemy ninja just kept coming. By now, my sleeping jutsu would've ended. Crap.

An enemy ninja came up behind me and started to take a slash at me with his katana. I blocked it with my kunai and started to jump away to attack, but I didn't get far. My chakra was too depleted to carry me further. The enemy ninja caught up and attacked. I tried to block it, but he was too strong. The kunai was flung out of my hands and the katana slice my face where my eyes were.

It was really painful, more painful than the time a kunai had been stabbed into my leg. I quickly shut my eyes and tried to run away with since I couldn't see and I needed to adapt to the environment.

I couldn't run. This time, the enemy shinobi came and slashed my back. Pain just pulsated through me continuously. I had fallen to the ground and by then, I was exhausted and in so much pain. I just wanted it to stop.

Everything around me was quiet. It seemed peaceful, and so, my eyes closed shut.

________________________________________________________________________

I woke up several times, but I quickly fell back asleep once I heard the constant thrumming of a heart beat.

I eventually woke up healed, or at least partially healed. I couldn't see. All I saw was an empty, desolate darkness that seemed to have no boundaries. It felt as if I were floating in space with nothing and no one there. It was a feeling that I hope that I wouldn't have to feel for long.

Once I had calmed down a bit, I started to feel my surroundings. The squishy floor indicated it was a mattress and the recline indicated a hospital bed. Should've expected that.

I noticed a weight beside my leg and I slowly reached out with one hand to feel it. I first poked it, and it felt like hair. So long as I don't poke someone's eyes out, I'll be okay. Next, I felt how long the hair was. It seemed to be tied in a ponytail and a little bit oily. I guess this stranger has been here for a long time or needs to take shower.

I started to think of who I knew that had a ponytail, and only Itachi came to mind. Why would Itachi be here? How did he know that I was in the hospital?

I started to reach out some more, but there was just air. It was odd. Just a moment ago, there was a living, breathing person there, yet they just disappeared without my noticing. To make sure I wasn't being delusional, I reached out once more. However, this time, a hand grabbed mine and gently tugged me into his chest. Now, I most definitely knew that this stranger was a boy. Maybe it really was Itachi.

"You're awake! How are you feeling, Chiharu?" A deep voice asked.

"Despite my lack of abillity to see, I feel great. Although, I would feel even better if I knew who I was talking to," I sarcastically said.

It might be my imagining, but I thought I heard chuckling.

"Can you... see?" The complete stranger asked.

"Am I supposed to?" I asked.

Now, I was starting to worry. Why would he ask if I could see? I just thought, I had bandages around my eyes.

"I was hoping you would say yes. You do know that you are wearing bandages right?" He asked me.

"Uh, no, not really. You still didn't answer my implied question. A blind person can't really tell the nature of someone's name simply by knowing the person's hair length." I commented.

"It's Itachi. Now, don't move. I'm going to remove the bandages." He warned.

I became stiff as a board as I felt his skilled hands untie the knot on the side of my head. I felt the cloth of the bandages become looser and looser, but still, all I saw was darkness. There was no light shining from the windows, or the white walls of a hospital room. Just darkness.

I felt a tear escape my eye as I tried to control myself.

"Itachi. I'm blind." I whispered softly.

I was on the verge of sobbing, and I knew that this time, I wouldn't be able to hold it in.

"Chiharu-chan, please don't cry." Itachi tried comforting me, but to no avail.

Even though he was comforting me, it simply made things worse. The tears poured out of my eyes as I was quickly pulled into a hug and just sobbed. Itachi would continuously pat my back as if to help me steady my breathing. I tried to control it, but I just had to let it out. I don't know how long we were stuck in that position. The tears would just never end.

As more sad thoughts entered my mind, the longer I would cry. In that time period, I realized that I would probably never see again. I won't see what Itachi would look like all grown up, or colors of the animals, or the faces of people I could have met. I may not even be allowed to continue my life as a shinobi. The life that I was training and preparing myself for all of my life.

It was as if the support beams of my whole life suddenly vanished, and everything would fall on top of me. I would have to start anew.