All right, all you critics out there. This fanficiton isn't perfect. Let me make it clear that most of the Akatsuki I only know from my friends talking about them. I know nothing except gender and appearance of Konan.
So my personalities are probably horrendous. And I know it. Please, if you have a complaint, tell me. Although, I cant' say I'll do anything about it because I really like this fanfiction, I'm really proud of it and I don't want to change it. And please be nice. I did try my best.
Yes, I know Tobi doesn't like mushrooms that much. I put that in there because it helps the plot along.
I also know that Itachi is a heartless fiend who murdered his clan, but for him to work out in this he had to have a heart. In this fanficiton, there are a million and one places where I could insert a fight between Luna and Itachi, they are so different. But I can't stand warring lovers. I don't like reading about them, (although I do anyway to find out how they get back together) and I don't like writing about them. So I skated over all the possibly fight scenes, as I'm sure you'll see if you look. Excuse this, please. It's not changing.
I don't own. Itachi, the Akatsuki, pretty much anything in here except thinks hmm I own Tobi's obsession with mushrooms I guess. The plot is mine, although there isn't much of a climax. YET. The first two chapters are PART ONE.
The real climax I'm hoping will be in part two, which will be shorter and not yet alt he way worked out.
Anyway, finally, please read my fanfiction because I worked hard on it.
(Oh yes, and for the purpose of my fanfiction, you cannot apparate without a wand)
-Haku
Kisame had finally done something right.
He Glided swiftly through the streets (running in the cloak just didn't look as cool) of the small town he hadn't bothered to learn the name of, straight to the small tea shop He had wandered away from, leaving behind his partner in crime, Itachi.
"Itachi!" He called, as he entered the nearly deserted shop, "I got it!" He looked eagerly into the bemused eyes of his companion, who pushed aside his chair and stood, ignoring his half finished coffee.
"Are you positive it's the target, and not another Grocer?" Itachi frowned. "We don't want a repeat of last time you went out on your own."
"That wasn't my fault." Kisame whined. "They looked exactly the same!"
"One was bald with thick eyebrows and the other had so much hair you couldn't see his eyes."
Kisame couldn't win this one. "Details, details." He frowned. "I got the right one, ok? Let's go, I'm sick of this town."
Itachi left without tipping the waiter (evil indeed) and Took the lead down the wasteland road that was the long and winding road (e-crucio if you don't get it) Back to the Akatsuki hide out.
Nearly there. Nearly there. Itachi had half a mind to stop, right there, and check if what Kisame had in the bag was really their target. But if it was, there was a chance said target would escape. Albeit not a large one…
Still, none could be taken. The two Cloaked figures ducked into the Hidden entrance of their headquarters, Kisame nearly bouncing with excitement. Itachi wondered if his head was just full of salt water. Knocking an annoying stalactite form the ceiling, He and Kisame wound through the well-worn maze of damp caves until they came to a large, lit cave where the rest of the Akatsuki were stationed.
The Akatsuki lounge.
Tobi and Kakuzu were glued in front of the stolen TV with bad reception, and Deidara was playing chess with Hidan while Konan was in the corner on her striped lounge chair listening to her headphones. Zetsu was reading two books at once (they couldn't decide) and Leader-san wasn't in sight, meaning he was probably in some secret cave plotting revenge for something trivial like wearing stripes with plaid. (Most of the Akatsuki didn't know this hobby of his, but Itachi had his ways.)
As the victorious two stepped into the candle-lit cave, all eyes turned to them. Except Tobi and Kakuzu, who watched the last minute of their program before turning off the TV and then looking over.
"You got her?" Konan took off her headphones.
"I think-" Began Itachi.
"Yes!" Kisame grinned triumphantly. Itachi shook his head and braced himself.
"Good." Deidara stood up. "Let's see, then."
Kisame handed him the lumpy canvas sack, and Deidara untied it. Time seemed to slow down as the knot fell apart, and the Brown canvas fell slowly down around the figure of a wide-eyed, blonde girl, perhaps 17. (In fact she's 18.) Itachi's brain froze, a red alert turned on in his mind. This was not the target. But he didn't care anymore, that didn't matter, all that mattered was the robed girl sitting among the crumpled folds of cloth.
Luna Lovegood looked around. So many strange faces… How many? 5, 6- oh. Relief flooded through her, the terror that had come from being jostled so horribly in the dark bag evaporating as she looked up into familiar eyes. Patterned eyes. Scared eyes.
Scared eyes. He was scared. Why was he scared? Something was wrong. Luna became frightened once more.
"Kisame!" The cloaked figure with the long blonde hair spoke sharply toward her captor. "This is not the target. What were you doing."
"I swear, it's a trick, it is, it is, I know this is the target!" The blue monster spoke, both frightened and inflamed.
"It doesn't look like the target, Kisame." The stranger in an orange mask spoke up.
"#&$ right it doesn't." Another spoke up, this one with hair gelled back like Draco Malfoy had once done his hair. (In the movie, at least.)
"Well," The blonde one sighed, "We'll do away with her, and Then Someone had better go get the actual target before leader-san finds out Kisame messed up again." His hand slipped silently into a bag he had with him. A thrill of horror paralyzed Luna, although she didn't know why.
"No," Itachi said quickly "Wait!" Too quickly.
They all stared at him.
His eyes hardened. "Let me."
The blonde guy stared at him, and pulled his hand back out of his bag. "If you insist," he sighed. And turned to the man in the orange mask. "Come, Tobi, surely we can finish what task Kisame might have failed."
The two of them left.
Then, the scene over, The People grouped around Luna began to fade away, stationing themselves in front of the TV, or else in different chairs all around the Roomy cave she had been brought to.
Someone grabbed her arm. She jumped, turning swiftly to face whoever her opponent may be, her hand plunged inside her robes toward her wand.
It wasn't there. Oh, right. She had set it down and been captured before she could pick it back up again. Which would be why she hadn't burned a hole through the bag, stunned the blue guy and left.
She turned and saw Itachi, his grip on her arm tightening. She smiled. "It-"
"Shut up."
Her smile faltered. She looked up at him. His expression was unreadable. It usually was.
"Come with me." He ordered, pulling her roughly to her feet.
"I don't understand." She said, and he dragged her out of the room.
He looked back at her, out of sight of the glowing cavern, his eyes filled with fear. Luna had never seen him scared before, and it was shocking.
"Luna, you could be killed," he hissed. "You must play along or life will be over. Do you have your wand." He shook her a bit.
"How did you-"
"Do you have it."
"I- no." she looked down. I dropped it."
Itachi swore softly. "Well come with me for now," he said, ignoring her bewildered expression, "and I'll see what I can do about that."
He hurried her, more gently now, along winding passages and corridors until they reached a dully-lit cavern, with a bed in one corner, many nice furniture objects, and personal touches such as one Bob Seger poster (yes I just HAD to do that) and several assorted glass ornaments sitting on a three legged stool in the corner. There was also a picture frame, a lovely picture frame, sitting on a bedstand.
"These are my quarters. Unspoken Akatsuki rule: Another man's room is off limits. It's so we can personalize them, but you should be safe here until I can get your wand."
"How-" Luna stuttered. "I never told you- my wand- how?"
"So I was spying on you." A pink tinge appeared in Itachi's lined face. (Itachi blushed! Itachi blushed!)
"Ah."
There was an awkward silence. Then Itachi said, "Stay here." He got up from the dark purple lounge chair that sat against the cave wall and made to exit through the Cavern doorway.
"Where are you going!" Luna asked, grabbing the cuff of his cloak. He turned, the shadow of a smile lurking in his deep eyes.
"To straighten his up, somehow," he said.
"Who are they?" She whispered. "The ones who wear the same cloak as you, with cruel eyes."
Itachi looked at her forlornly. "You are not the only one who has kept secrets."
She looked up at him, her sense of being lost shining through her clear eyes.
He looked away. "I'll explain later." He pulled his arm away from her grip, and left her standing in the doorway.
She stared after him.
He would explain later. He could come back. He would protect her from harm, the way his eyes promised her.
She had faith in him.
So she sat down on the bed to wait. Her eyes wandered to the picture frame, the beautiful picture frame, and a blush crept down her neck as she realized what it held. It was a picture of her. She was smiling happily out from the gilded frame, laughing a waving at the camera.
It was a wizard photo.
He had been spying. He must have taken that photo. Luna wondered whether to be angry, but found she simply could not. The only thing she could feel was affection for the man who would frame her face and set it so lovingly beside his bed.
So she forgave him, and knew that she would gladly give him any photo if he would take it.
Itachi was in one helluva fix. Somehow he had to make sure she wasn't killed. His Luna. Surely it wouldn't be that hard… she was handy with a wand. He had seen her- fixing the roof, harvesting plants, summoning, flying, transfiguring, magic of all sorts. She was truly amazing.
As long as she didn't kill the whole Akatsuki. If she did that, what would he do with his life? He wasn't exactly the settle down type. But he couldn't see Luna killing anybody.
First task at hand- get the wand.
He walked into the lounge, and sat down next to Kisame, who was getting badly beaten at chess by Kakuzu.
"Got rid of the wench, didja?" Kisame commented, as his pawn was pwned. (Heh)
Itachi gritted his teeth. "Not yet."
"Nnn. 'S unlike you." Kisame said absently, contemplating on whether or not to move his rook.
"I left something in that tea shop." Itachi frowned. "It's… important. I'll be gone the next hour or two."
"Oooh…" Kisame said as his rook was taken because of a bad move. "Okay."
"By the way," Itachi frowned as Kisame pondered his next doomed move. "If you take his bishop, there, and then move back, you can't be taken."
"Oh." Kisame took Kakuzu's bishop. "Thanks, Itachi. You're good at chess."
"I prefer checkers." Itachi said as he left. (Once again, I just HAD to put that in)
It wasn't there. Itachi looked up. He couldn't find Luna's wand anywhere in this godforsaken town. He'd turned up every pebble there was to be found lying on the dusty ground, gone through all the places he'd ever met Luna at, or seen her around. There wasn't one wand lying about, Luna's or otherwise.
His thoughts turned to her. He was afraid for her life, if the members of the Akatsuki found her they'd kill her without a second thought. And she couldn't even raise a shield charm to protect herself. The thought of leaving her alone for much longer was killing him.
Itachi was still gone. He'd been gone for over an hour, and Luna was beginning to get scared. The ominous presence of the many frightening people abiding in the same group of caves was rather intimidating, and Luna didn't feel quite so safe without her wand safely in her grip.
She sank down in a large, cushy chair patterned with a large fan that reminded her of dirigible plums.
"Itachi?"
Every hair on Luna's body stood on end. She leaped silently from the chair, and ducked behind the bed. She searched franticly for something to hit the intruder whose voice she had heard with.
"Itachi, are you back yet? Your show is nearly on, you're usually out at least ten minutes in advance!" Luna watched in horror as the Blue tinted fish man who had captured her stepped into Itachi's room.
"Not here," He muttered to himself. He kept walking. Every step brought him closer to where he might be in view of Luna, Who franticly groped around for something, anything to use as a weapon.
"Hang on," The Witchnapper said slowly, turning his attention toward the side of the bed Luna hid on. "Who's there, then?"
Luna closed her fist around a conveniently placed rock that she had found.
"You can't possibly be that doomed little miss, can you?" an evil smirk in his voice, his footsteps neared Luna. She looked up, and was staring straight into the cold-blooded eyes of her captor.
She leapt into action, her survival instincts that she had so well developed the past three years kicking into motion. Only this time it was different. She was not armed, but neither was the enemy. Unless you counted the giant sword-
"Itachi hasn't yet done away with you, huh?" he sneered. "I guess I can do that for him…" she threw the stone, as hard as she could, straight at his head. It was a good shot, surprising how much strength adrenaline can give you.
Faster than she could blink he had blocked her only weapon with the sword he held above her.
"Why haven't you been locked up, eh?" He chuckled darkly, "You could almost escape like that…" and he swung.
WHAM
Before Luna could even figure out what was happening, Shark man had been knocked to the floor. She looked up for her savior.
And she looked away.
She had never seen such a look on Itachi's face. This was nothing like the warm smiles she loved to see on his face, the only emotion detectable was rage, blinding rage, crashing out even identity.
She watched in amazement as he loomed over her previous threat, who gulped.
"Kisame." His voice dripped with calm threats, which was scarier than Professor Snape after a bad day. "What were you doing?"
"I- she-" Kisame looked desperately at Itachi. "What got into you?"
Itachi kicked Kisame so hard he crashed into the wall. "Don't touch her."
Kisame stared back in amazed fright, seemingly unable to move.
"Get out!"
The sheer force in every syllable would have driven even Voldemort out of the room just then.
Kisame, who was of course no match for Voldemort, ran like his life depended on it. Which, thinking it over, it might have.
Itachi crumpled limply into the chair Luna had abandoned, head in hands. She stood up and walked tentatively over to him.
"Itachi?" she said softly, more for confirmation that his was still Itachi than to ask anything.
He looked up at her, slowly, and his face showed such regret it was painful. "He could have killed you." He whispered hoarsely.
She knelt down next to him. "But he didn't." she took his hand and held it. "He didn't."
He smiled weakly, and squeezed her hand. "I know."
They sat like that for a minute or so, just holding hands and dealing with the moment. ( . )
It was Luna who spoke first. "So what is this place?" she asked. "Who are these people?" she didn't look at him.
Itachi waited a moment, choosing the right words. "Have you ever heard of the Akatsuki?"
"Yes." Luna answered straightaway. "But they don't exist. The Akatsuki is a government cover up for a conspiracy against a species of flea that only resides in demon fur, and - "
"They exist."
Luna suddenly understood. "…Oh." She looked at him. "You… you belong to them, don't you."
He nodded slowly. "I am one of them. Kisame captured you thinking you were a target we've been going after recently."
"What were you going to do, to the target, once you had captured them?"
She looked at him, straight into his eyes. They were one of the things she liked about him; he had the most fascinating eyes.
He stared back, the answer clearly stated in their depths. They would have eventually killed their target.
Luna looked away. Itachi looked down. "I'm sorry."
Luna didn't answer right away. She looked slowly back at him, and he caught her eyes quickly as he could.
She stared at him, conflicts chasing around her head. But it didn't matter. Itachi's eyes drowned them all out.
She noticed, somewhere along there, she had dropped his hand.
She reached out and held it once more. She couldn't let Itachi go, something in her wouldn't quite allow that, no matter the price.
Itachi stood up and sat down again, on the floor, next to her. He brushed a stray hair out of her face and she leaned against him, suddenly tired from the many events of that day.
Kisame didn't stop running until he reached the Akatsuki lounge. He swung himself behind the wall, and slumped to catch his breath.
Every eye in the room was on him.
"What got into you?" Konan asked.
"Itachi's really scary," Kisame gasped, still out of breath from his desperate sprint.
"Aren't we all." Zetsu grinned. Half grinned. The other half of him was still watching TV…
"No," Kisame stood up, still a little freaked. "I mean he was really, really scary." He gulped. "He hadn't killed that girl yet, so I went to kill her for him, I mean, he doesn't care who he kills, and… he got mad."
"Moody jerk."
"No. Really mad. Furious… outraged. I've never seen him like that."
The whole of the Akatsuki stared at him. (Except Deidara and Tobi, who were still gone, Itachi, and Zetsu's left eye.)
"You can't be serious."
"What's gotten into him?"
"Are you sure you didn't just run into an overlarge mole?"
"With long hair?"
"Moles don't have hair."
"Yes they do, you idiot, they're mammals."
"Really? I thought they were like, reptile or something…"
"How can you think a mole is a reptile? How?"
Kisame groaned. "Somebody take this seriously."
"Look, Kisame," Konan frowned at him. "I just don't get what's so urgent. I mean, so what? Itachi got mad. I do that all the time. So do you. It happens when you're evil."
"Yes, but to get so riled up over a girl? You don't think maybe he has some relationship with her?" Kisame said tentatively.
"What, like a girlfriend?" Konan said, and the whole room was silent.
Until everyone cracked up. Even Kisame smiled.
Except half of Zetsu wasn't paying attention.
Eventually everyone filed back to their previous activities, except the left half of Zetsu's show was over, so he sat there complaining loudly that 'no on ever just talked a bit in here.'
Kisame was determined to prove his theory was correct. And this meant spying on Itachi. Which was about as dangerous as… well, there's not many danger metaphors for the Akatsuki. But it was pretty dangerous.
He had two more chances for backup. Tobi and Deidara. When they came back…
Tobi insisted on stopping five times on the way back. He wanted to eat something, he simply had to find out if they had change for a ten here, he was tired, couldn't they rest, couldn't they get something else to eat… how about a souvenir?
It was times like this Deidara missed Sasori.
There were only another 2 or 3 miles back to the caves, and Tobi was busy picking patterned mushrooms. Where did he find these things…
Deidara sighed and stood up from the mossy log he had been sitting on. Tobi looked up, recognizing the signs.
"Ten more minutes."
"No."
"Five."
"No."
"Three."
"No, Tobi."
"Two. One!"
"No."
And Deidara dragged a pleading Tobi (plus the mushrooms he refused to leave behind) On down the trail home.
And eventually they got there.
Grumbling, Deidara watched as Tobi ran off down the spiraling tunnels to stash away his mushrooms, and then headed off to the lounge. He had missed half his program, thanks to Tobi and his stupid fungus.
"Deidara." He looked up.
"Yeah?" it was Kisame. He was leaning against the cave wall outside the rec room, either waiting for Deidara, or trying to 'look cool' again.
"Listen-" Kisame hesitated for a moment. "I have… a theory."
"Go on." Deidara had given up all hope of seeing the last five minutes of his show.
Kisame grinned. "You know the girl, the one I… mistook?"
"What, you want another chance? No way, took care of it."
"No, but remember how Itachi insisted on taking care of her himself?"
"Yeah, it was strange, but then again, this is Itachi we're talking about."
"Well, you don't think maybe she's a little more to him than prey…?"
"What are you getting at?" Deidara narrowed his eyes. (eye?) But he though he already knew.
"Maybe they're friends, or more."
Deidara went over his options fast. Look into this with Kisame, and possibly stumble upon a jackpot while risking humiliation if they were wrong, laugh in Kisame's face and possibly miss a jackpot, or look into it himself and avoid humiliation if Kisame was wrong.
There was really only one option, I'm sure you'll agree.
"Kisame, you're nuts. Itachi went territorial and killed the girl, sure. Goodbye." And Deidara walked past the rec room, down into one of the caves that led to his quarters.
"He hasn't killed her." Kisame called softly after him. "He nearly killed me, when I tried to finish her for him."
Deidara's interest was sparked. He would have to do a little snooping of his own, possibly by the end of the week he'd have a personal slave. Blackmail was a wonderful thing.
Mushrooms are wonderful things. They come in so many different colors, shapes and sizes…
Tobi was mushroom-happy. He lined up all his mushrooms (including some mushrooms he'd collected before today) from smallest to largest, from brightest to dullest, from spotty-est to plainest, until he was bored. He'd move them into his mushroom cave with the rest later.
He headed back to the Akatsuki lounge. Maybe he'd read the rest of that magazine Deidara had lent him…
But he never got to the lounge.
Kisame stopped him.
"Hi Kisame!"
"Hi, Tobi." Kisame looked a little disgruntled. "Listen," he said, waving aside preamble. "Do you think Itachi's been acting weird?"
"He always acts weird!"
"Yeah, but, more so than usual, maybe?"
Tobi thought back. This morning Itachi had- slept really late, snapped at Tobi for taking up half the sofa, and… gone with Kisame to retrieve the target. …
"Nope."
Kisame shook his head. To hell with beating around the bush. "I think he's involved with that girl, the one I, uhm, mistook for the target."
"Involved with her? Like they're partners in crime?"
"Nooo, his partner in crime would be me. I was thinking more just partner."
Tobi stared at Kisame blankly. Or as blankly as you can stare at someone when your face is covered with a mask.
"I think he likes her."
Tobi's face lit up- although it was hard to tell. "Really?"
Kisame breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, someone who would take this seriously. "Yeah. See, the way he reacted when Deidara reached to kill her…"
"I can just wait here."
"Kisame might come back."
"He couldn't. He's going too."
"Yes. But…" Itachi trailed off. He still didn't like the idea of leaving her on her own again.
"I can take care of myself. I did fight you-know-who, and I live to tell the tale."
"You know who?"
"Voldemort."
Itachi looked at her funny, and she grimaced. "Oops. He was the menace of the Wizarding world, a friend of mine finished him off."
Itachi just stared at her. What sort of friends did she have?
"Anyway, I'll be fine." Luna assured him, smiling at him in a way that made it harder to go.
"Okay." He said finally. "But you're to stay hidden." He frowned. "You haven't got means to protect yourself, since I couldn't find you wand after all."
"I'll stay hidden." She promised.
Itachi left. Reluctantly.
Once a week the Akatsuki dropped everything and had a dinner together, because Leader-san thought that if they didn't know each other they wouldn't work well together, and a team that works together well was an advantage. This was his way of making them socialize.
And so Itachi had to go, there was no escaping it. No excuses.
Which left Luna alone, even if none of the Akatsuki could get away.
And it still made Itachi uneasy.
He entered the roomy cave that Leader-san had chosen for a dining room, and took his seat next to Kisame and Hidan. Kisame was eyeing him suspiciously, and Itachi was certain he knew why. He ignored it. Hidan was hiding a carving knife under the table, so leader wouldn't see it, because Leader-san didn't like it when he bled at the table. It annoyed Itachi too, but blood was part of the Akatsuki life. You get used to it.
Luna needed a good place to hide. Behind the bed was right out, chairs and other furniture as well. There was a cave that was somehow installed with plumbing for a bathroom, but that was simply inconvenient. So Luna set off around the cave, exploring options for a good hideout.
There was a roomy cabinet in the back, a small closet cave, and low ceilinged corned that wasn't particularly comfortable, and… that was it.
Luna was in the process of looking about the dark corner, just because it intrigued her. It was dark in the back- Maybe she could hide back there? So she scooted a bit farther. But there wasn't a wall there. Infact, it didn't seem to be a corner at all. It was a small tunnel. So, of course, Luna set off crawling down the dark tunnel. She turned back after a couple yards, and could still clearly see the exit. That was good, it wouldn't be prudent to get lost in here. She turned back around, the light still burning in her eyes.
But it didn't seem to be in her eyes. Infact, wasn't that a faint light up ahead?
So she scurried on ahead to explore it. As she went forward, the light got a little bigger, but not much. There was a very low ceiling, here- Luna ducked her head to see where she was headed, and saw a very roomy cavern with a small hole in the ceiling, supplying a dim light to the entire cavern.
For Luna's purposes, it was perfect.
Well, what did you expect? This is a fanfiction; things can work out as absurdly perfect as I want them to.
Mrsandmanmrsandmanmrsandmanmrsandmanmrsandmanmrsandmanmrsandman
Well,
That was the first chapter. Go on, read the next one. And please, please PLEASE review. You don't have to have an account. You don't have to give your email. Just say what you think. I'm really happy with how this turned out, and I want to know if others think my efforts were worth it.
There are parts in there that I wrote (I just Had to put that there) next to, because they are from Itachi videos on youtube. Naruto randomness episode five or something, and checkers. They are hilarious. But anyway, just thought I should explain that.
Even though Itachi said that the rooms as personal sanctuaries, Kisame came into Itachi's. Well, that's because Kisame had no regard for personal space. So he just comes strolling in. Something Itachi overlooked.
'Itachi blushed! Itachi blushed!' is from an im conversation I had with a friend, plus Luna Ginny Itachi Gaara Haku and other characters that were in that one. Dianna has some of them posted on her account, (Shashuko the paisley maiden) I don't know if she has that one yet.
Anything else you don't understand ask about and I'll include with the second part.
Although I think I covered everything from this chapter. So byeas!