Info:

Name: Ai means love
Age: 19
Personality: She is smart and caring but she hates to show her kindness at times. She is ofter by herself and likes to train by herself. She gets a quick temper quickly.

WITH YOU, A PART OF ME ALWAYS STAYS PURE

"Why…."

"Did you say something?"

"N-no…. Just thinking…." Lifting herself up, she slowly turned her back to him, Uchiha Sasuke. Brother of the man she was in love with. Was, Because she has forgotten him. Right? Wrong.

She didn't even know why she love him that much. After what he did, after what he said, she should have hated him. But no, that stupid heart of hers didn't even listen to her.

He said he pity her. How could he say such things? Damn him! He took her to his home. He protected her from that father of hers. Oh-so-father. He would beat the crap out of her everyday, punish her, leave her starving. One day, Itachi finally learned that. He always wondered why she was so skinny, or why she had so much bruises. He learned that and made her daddy pay for what has he done. He saved his bestfriend from the darkness she was about to fall in.

They got along pretty well.

They were bestfriends.

They were staying in the same house.

His parents have seen her as their daughter.

But then what? He left her, taking good memories, taking precious people, taking her trust along with himself. He left her to struggle with one single sentence: "I pity you". He said. "I was your friend because only I pity you." How dare him?!

"Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"I have a mission tonight." He didn't respond. They just continued walking. She was still living at the Uchiha compound, with Sasuke of course. She couldn't leave the little kid by himself. She treated him like her otouto, her brother. He sometimes even called her onee-chan when he was little. All they had was each other.

When they reached to the compound, with a silent nod to Sasuke, she directly went to her room to pack her bag. She took a shower, got ready for her last mission as an ANBU member, as the captain. Yes, she was the captain of them. But she got tired of it. She didn't like the job, so she quitted. That was her last mission.

Being tired of the job was a huge lie. A lie only covers her feelings.

After losing her bestfriend Mai on a dangerous S-ranked mission, she had blamed herself, couldn't take losing her friends one by one. So she quitted. By the request of the fifth Hokage, she accepted one last mission.

Her last mission was a simple one: there were some strangers walking through the Konoha streets. She had to identify their identities. They –four or five people- may be dangerous and may be from Sound, that's why she was sent.

She searched the village, the streets, parks but couldn't find anything. There was only one place left: Gates. She skipped towards them, while muttering about the oh-so,difficult mission. Hokage-hime said it might turn into a dangerous one but only danger she met was a cat trying to sit on her lap while she was in the park.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw a raven-haired head. Was that Sasuke walking towards the gates? With a bag on his back? No, it couldn't be! She ran like crazy to catch him. She tried to yell his name, but it seemed like her throat was as dry as a desert. When he sensed her, she jumped on a tree, not knowing what to do.

"Where….. are you……. going, Sasuke?" She finally managed to say with a thin voice. He almost couldn't hear her.

"Ai…." She landed right behind him, before taking off her mask.

"Why are you leaving your village….. your friends…… me?"

"You already know why." He said not moving an inch.

"No!" She cried silently. "I don't know anything! Why can't you forget everything about your past? Why are you suffering yourself like this?" He tensed at her words slightly.

"I have to." He replied coldly, before turning to face her. "I have to go. I have to gain power. I have to suffer for the power I need, for the power to kill him."

"What about me? I left ANBU, to decrase the pain I have. I hardly bear this village. What will I do….. all alone……in that village…." She finally let her tears drop. Clenching her fists, cursing at how weak she was, she cried in front of the raven.

"Then leave. Just like me." He wiped her tears softly, before turning towards the gates. "If you can't endure this pain, leave everything behind. Get rid of your past. Start a new life." He slowy walked away from her. Taking one last glance over his shoulder, he hoped he gave the right advice.

--

"You let him go? You are an ANBU! Most importantly, a part of this village! How could you…." The fifth Hokage hissed. Ai didn't respond, she just stayed there, trying to ignore her shouting. Tsunade held her fists clenched, slamed them at her desk, looking at her pretty mad. "Leave." She spat.

Ai left the room without saying anything else, or bowing. How could that old hag yell at her, humilate her in front of that pink-haired girl? She also ignored her gaze on her. She had other things to deal with. Before Sakura had a chance to yell at her, or attack her, she ran out of the building, to the compound. 'I have to get out of this place' She thought trying not to cry, bur failing miserably.

--

A lonely kunoichi was sitting on a big rock by herself, obviously thinking. She thought about what has she done or if she did the right thing by leaving. Did she do the right thing by listening Sasuke? She didn't know yet. Time would show everthing.

She hopped off from the rock, sighing deeply. She was able to stop her crying, but sometimes, she couldn't help but letting soft sobs escape her slightly trembling lips. Eyes all puffy, she continued her travelling. She had her hair cut and dyed to raven black. Her shining brown hair has gone. What a wrong choice about the colour, if you think of a certain someone.

--

Two men entered to a little village, trying not to took so much attention. Their black cloaks were floating slightly as they walked. The shorter one was hoping to end the little mission they were assigned to, quickly. It was unlike him, trying to finish it as soon as possible, not caring about if he did it well or not.

That village they were wondering around seemed really small. They found a bar quickly and took a chair. Their mission was only gathering information, nothing more. They waited for the man they were searching for a moment. Then a man with a bad clothing and drunk breath sat down next to them.

Meanwhile, a young girl passing the bar suddenly took the attention of the shorter black cloaked. While listening to the man, he followed her with his red orbs. She seemed pretty familiar, but who? Then, it came to him. But that can't be true! What was she doing in that pathetic village?

--

"Kisame. Get rid of him." Itachi ordered to the shark-like man. He turned to leave his partner with the scared drunk man.

"Where are you going?"

He didn't respond at first. But before getting out of the sight, "I have some personal business. Don't wait for me." He said coldly.

He knew he saw her. Even if she had dyed her hair or had her hair cut, he would recognize her everywhere. He went to the direction she took off an hour ago. When he came to some little cottage-like houses, he saw her again. Ai. His Ai.

"Hey Mai," a young woman called her, "Can you do that delicious cookies of yours? I really like them you know."

"Ok." She replied politely, before turning back to her home. She has lost weight, he could see it from her smaller face and eyes, which had black circles around them. She must have been crying or not sleeping well. Or both. But what was she doing here? Has she left Konoha? And why was that annoying cookie monster woman calling her Mai? The questions he couldn't answer was spinning in his head like crazy. There was only one way to find out.

--

Pouring the flour with one hand slowly, she kneaded the dough with her other hand. Wiping the sweat off of her brow, she smeared some flour to her nose, didn't even realizing. She seemed deep in thought, her hands making cookies, her mind wandering around in a different place. Obviously stuck in memories.

She lifted her head up from her work when she heard some noises from her room. She stopped what she was doing and cleaned her hands, before going to check if everything was all right. She sighed when she saw her window open. 'I don't remember I left the window open. But anyway, I forget lots of things in these days' She closed it and went back to kitchen, only to find a certain person she was running from, hiding from. She gasped. There stood, Uchiha Itachi.

She thought about the possibilities of him not noticing who was her and decided to play the act she was on for a long time.

"E-excuse m-me, s-sir. Can I a-ask w-what are y-you doing in m-my home?" She fake stuttered, hoping he wouldn't understand, absolutely underestimating his intelligence. Maybe he was only there for a mission and decided to stay at a place. Maybe he was out of money and entered to the place he first saw. Maybe…

While she was thinking about the not-so-sensable possibilities, he got closer to her, standing right infront of her. She couldn't help but look in his eyes, even though she knew it was the most nonsense thing to do at that moment.

"Why are you here Mai? Or- should I say Ai?" She gulped, finally being able to escape from his bending look. 'Damn! He didn't fall for it'

"What…… are you talking about?" She continued to pretend but that was just getting on his nerves.

"Stop it!" He grabbed her arms. "I know who you are!" He said coldly, yet with calmness in his voice. "Whay are you here?" She slipped out of his grasp and backed away a bit.

"Why do you care? It's none of your business Itachi!"

"Oh, so you remembered everything all of a sudden?" He smirked slightly before taking a breath and trying to find the right words. "Ai….. I promised to protect you remember? You are my business."

"Oh really? Then where were you these past years? Don't even try to tell crap like you were always with me or watching me all the time! Because I won't believe any of it. And why are you here? That's my home!"

Your, our home was Konoha. He didn't respond. He just watched her, waited her anger to fade away. But that never happened.

"Get out! How dare you sneak into my house and stand infront of me, asking questions? How dare you….." She yelled more, tears in her eyes.

He didn't push it anymore, instead of that, he walked towards her couch, sitting on it. They stood like that for a moment. She was crying and sobbing quietly. He wanted to hold her right now like he used to do when she was sad, but he knew perfectly she wouldn't let him, she would die instead. He knew he hurt her, and left her. He wanted to make it up to her, but he also knew it was impossible, Because of, well, himself. His name. His sins. His regrets.

"I don't pity you." He said out of blue. She shot her eyes open with shock.

"N-nani?" What?

"I lied to you. I don't pity you." She stood there, stunned. Sliding down the wall slowly, she sat there silently, still crying uncontrolably.

"Why?" was the only word she managed to choke out.

"I didn't want you to follow me." He said simply, trying to get comfortable on the couch. They didn't talk for a couple of minutes. Then Ai stood up, seem tired of sitting on the cold floor, and sat down on the couch as far as Itachi. He turned to her slightly, eyeing her carefully, he realized she has changed so much, after he left. She seemed more mature, more feminine and…….. more sad. She seemed like she gotten old pretty fast in these years. She seemed cold, uncaring, which was unlike her. Then he realized her ANBU tattoo. She was wearing a sleeveless shirt and the tattoo was revealing itself clearly.

"You were an ANBU?" He asked blankly.

"I was the captain, before quitting."

"Why?"

"I rather not to talk about it." She turned her head from him, trying to hold back the tears trying to come out. He took that as a chance and slided towards her slowly. When he was sitting right next to her, she realized that and leaned back to the arm of the couch.

"Stay away! What do you want more? You already took my happiness, my life. You already made me hate you. you still want more?" Tears started to pour down her cheeks before she could stop them. This time, he didn't only watch, he slowly and gently took her in his arms. While rolling her back and forth, he stroked her hair. She didn't deny anymore, she couldn't, she had no more energy to resist.

"Now tell me," he whispered softly," Why are you here, by all yourself?" He was stroking her hair softly, murmuring soft words to comfort her, to encourage her to tell him, tell him what she has gone through.

"I-I….. left the….. village…. there were no more bonds….. between me….. and that….. village…….. I had nobody…… and I hated…… that place…. People knew me…… and they pitied me…. for what happened…… I am alone here, too…. But at least…… nobody knows me here." She slowly pulled herself back from his embrace. "It reminded me you, Itachi. I couldn't stand it anymore. I was losing precious people to me there. It started with my mother, than you, Mai and Sasuke following close behind." She stood up and walked to the window. She was no longer sobbing, or crying. "I thought nobody would find me here." She inhaled deeply. He stood up also and walked to her. He stood close behind her, putting one of his hands around her shoulder, while the other was playing with a strand of black hair. He examined the colour carefully. She saw that and smiled.

"Black just isn't my colour, is it?" He laughed a little. Then suddenly she became serious. "Why are you here Itachi?"

He didn't respond at first. While playing with her soft hair, "A mission." He mumbled. "Then I saw you." She leaned against him slightly. "First, I thought it was a play of destiny to me, but when I saw your eyes, I was sure it was you. You ran away from me, because you recognized also."

"When will you leave…. again?" She half asked half whispered.

"I have an hour or two." She pouted." But I can stay more." He paused a bit, unsure of what to say. "Does it means you forgive me?"

"I'm not sure. Does it?" She said playfully, smiling sweetly.

"That's my girl." He turned her around." Always forgiving." She smiled at this. He then lifted his hand to dust the forgotten flour on her nose with his fingertips. His fingers softly slided down to her lips, then her chin. She reacted by closing her eyes and leaning into him more. His other hand slipped around her waist. With a sudden movement, Itachi pulled Ai close, capturing her lips with a soft kiss. She snapped her eyes open, caught off guardless. He would always trace his fingers on her face or hair, but it never ended like this. Kissing him was completely suprising, completely new. She has always loved him, since she moved in to his house. She fell in love with him but couldn't build up the courage to tell. When she did, he had already left. She thought he always saw her as a friend. He was her bestfriend. Only friends. She didn't want to ruin their friendship, always afraid of that. But look who is kissing her now.

They parted slowly, their lips still brushing each other. He put his forehead on hers, looking in her eyes, inhaling her sweet scent and slowly rubbing her back up and down.

"I…." He started, but couldn't bring the rest. This love thing just wasn't for him, wasn't his thing. Instead of talking his heart out, he hugged her tightly, putting her head on his heart, so he could listen its beats. How fast it was. She got it and hugged him back.

"I love you, too." She said reading his mind. He smiled slightly, that rare smile only she was able to see. "I…." She started this time, but couldn't finish also.

"Neither would I." He said. "I would never guess I'll be softened. A man who wiped out all his clan. A man shows no mercy. A man with a cold heart." She softly pecked his lips, as if trying to make him stop.

"Itachi…."

"I would never guess you would love me back one day, as I do. I'm evil, outcast, a criminal, a killer…." He looked in her eyes. "….yet a part of me stays good. With you, a part of me stays pure. That was always like that. And always will be. Even with what I do, who I kill, my pure part will be with you, stay with you." He let her go. "Because I can't take you with me…."

"Itachi…." She looked at him with begging eyes.

"No, Ai, if someone finds about you... They will use you against me. You are my only weakness."

"You know I'm strong. Even if I am not as good as you, you know I'm good enough. I can handle everything……"

"But I can't handle losing you……… Ai…….. I……" He hugged her tightly, like never wanting to let go. "…….love you……." He whispered, she almost couldn't hear him. He kissed her again, with passion this time. With her, he wasn't that Itachi everyone knew. He was becoming a different person. That cold-hearted, bloody-handed, dark-souled man was disappearing and a different person was appearing instead.

That night, they fell asleep inhaling each other's scent, embracing each other tightly. She knew he will be gone when she woke up. She hugged him, this different person laying next to her. The real Itachi she knew from years before. Her own Itachi. Only her.

--

"…..Ai….." He was leaning against her door frame all bloody.

"ITACHI!!" She screamed before carrying him inside and laying him on the couch. "What happened?" He smirked.

"Sasuke has gotten pretty strong." Was all he could manage to say before passing out.

She healed him, hid from everyone who was looking for him. She might be no longer shinobi, but that doesn't mean she has forgotten everything she knew.

After a week of struggling, she got rid of all of them. Itachi was still unconscious. She could do nothing more but waiting.

She was watching him while he was still asleep. She was laying next to him on her bed, gently stroking his hair, his face, his hand without realizing. Has it been a year? Or two maybe? She couldn't remember. All she could remember was that day, the day he finally found her and confessed his feelings to her. After that, they secretly met, once in a week or two. They hung out with each other like they used to do, trained together or did stuff like kissing. He even bought her a silver chain with an angel pendant, to remind himself the pureness she shine around herself.

Slowy opening his eyes, Itachi finally regained consciousness, after a long time. He smiled to the thin figure sleeping on his bandaged chest. He woke her up by kissing her lips soft and long.

"Itachi!!" She yelled throwing her arms around him and burying her face to his neck. "I thought I lost you!!"

"I wouldn't go without saying goodbye to you baby." He smirked.

" 'Tachiiiii!' " She yelled again. They both laughed. "So, it's all over? Everyone thinks you're…… dead?"

He sighed and sat up a bit. "I don't know. Time will show us. But until then, I'm staying with you." He smiled.

"YAY!" She screamed this time, before kissing his lips lovingly. He kissed her back with such passion and love, but he had to stop her because she was leaning on his wounds.

"Ow…."

"Sorry!!" She said quickly while pulling back. "My kiss hurt you!" She pouted like a five year-old.

"Your kiss never hurts me baby. Only your hands grasping my heart. But they all stayed at out past. Now it's time for our pure future. Reveal my pureness again Ai, my love. Until the eternity." She blushed at his words. "And also, I like you on top of me." He smirked.

"Itachi!!" She punched his arm playfully, blushing thousand shades of red. Slowly and carefully, she laid her head on his chest. He put an arm around her waist, making her more comfortable.

"Our future….." She murmured to his chest. He smiled.

"Only ours….."