It was a cold winter day in the Land of Fire... I had just crossed the border from the Land of Wind, on my way to the Hidden Leaf Village. I had heard from my cousin Hinata that they were going to be throwing a huge christmas party and I was invited, seeing as i was the representative of the Hidden Sand Village and our Kazekage, Lord Gaara. As I walked, I found myself humming a tune. "its beautiful here..." I thought to myself as I smilied. Soon, i came to the gates of the Leaf Village. I was greeted by my cousin Hinata Hyuuga. "Its been a while... How are you, Jade...?" She asked, giving me a hug. I hugged her back and said: " It has been a while, Hinata. I'm great, thanks for asking. How are you and Naruto?" I asked, watching her blush tomato red. "W-we're great... H-he asked me to go with him to the tree lighting ceremony tonight..." She replied, stuttering. "That's great Hina-chan! I hope I can find a guy like Naruto someday..." I said softly, praying she didn't hear me. She gently placed her hand on my shoulder. "Jade, don't worry." She smiled. "You'll find the perfect guy someday..." I smiled sadly. "I hope so Hina-chan... I hope so..." Then I walked to my house. I lived near the outskirts of the village when I visited. I unlocked the door and stepped inside. The house was pitch black and all the furniture was in its proper place. all, that is, except for the picture I had sitting on my nightstand. It was a picture of Itachi Uchiha and myself on the day he became an ANBU. He was smiling... and his eyes held a joyful spark... "What ever happened to always and forever...?" I asked myself, holding the picture close as I stared out at the moon.
It was on a night like this one when Itachi had told me about the 3rd Hokage's plan to have the whole Uchiha Clan murdered... "Jade... I want you to promise me you won't hate me for what i'm going to do..." He said, pulling me close to him, and embracing me. "I... Want you to promise me... you'll wait for me. And when I do come back for you, and I give you my word I WILL come back for you, i want you to come with me, and never look back!" As the tears fell from his face I nodded and said: "Yakusoku shimasu...(Of course) Itachi-kun." That was almost 11 years ago... I had grown a lot since then... "You would be proud of me Itachi..." I whispered to the picture softly. my quiet sobs melting into the darkness of the night.
Later that night, I was up on my roof stargazing. Having dried my tears, I decided to cheer myself up by looking at the stars...
No matter how hard I tried, I could not get him off my mind. All the old memories came flooding back anew... "Itachi... I want to see you again... I need to know you haven't forgotten about me... I need you Itachi..." I sobbed, the tears falling from my pale cheeks in rivers once again.
Suddenly, in front of me, a crow landed. "I-Itachi-kun..." I said softly, my vision blurred by my tears. I felt the gentle touch of someone wiping my tears away, and when I looked up, my eyes met with his deep crimson-colored orbs. "I gave you my word I would come back for you, and I never go back on my word." Itachi said, sweeping me up in his warm embrace. I hugged him back. "How did you find me...? After all these years...?" I asked him. "I never stopped looking..." Itachi replied, a small smile on his face. "It has been WAY too long since I saw that smile..." I softly mumbled to myself, a Naruto-like grin on my face as well. Itachi sat down beside me and ran his hand through my long blonde hair. I took this chance to look him over. He had grown a lot taller. And, I could tell he was over-using his Mangekyo Sharingan. He wore a black cloak with red clouds on it. The symbols of the Akatsuki... "Itachi... When did you join the Akatsuki...?" I asked him. He looked at me seriously and replied: "I was given two missions the day before I went rouge... The third Hokage had heard that the elders of the Uchiha clan were planing to stage a rebellion and overthrow all the Kage... as captain of the ANBU, I was given only the hardest missions and was tasked with protecting the Hokage, so he gave me direct orders to kill everyone... Even my mother and father..." I looked over at Itachi and noticed he was crying. I gently took his hand in mine. "The second part of that mission was that after I killed everyone, I was to leave the village and join up with an organization you now know as the Akatsuki... I became an S-rank missing ninja that day... Every shinobi in the Land of Fire was taught to know and fear me for what I had done and what I was capable of doing... Every one hated me... Everyone except you..." Itachi took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I never told the third Hokage that I loved you... I knew that if I told anyone, they would treat you like they treat me... You deserved better and yet you still chose me... why...?" He asked me, locking his crimson orbs with my pale blue ones. "I love you for the person you were, not the person the Hokage ordered you to become... The kind, sweet, and gentle shinobi I grew up with... Not the monster everyone thinks you are... I love you for you, Itachi. I always will." I replied, gently kissing his cheek. "You remember the promise you made to me the day before I left?" Itachi asked me. "Yes, I will leave and never look back!" I exclaimed, as we both stood up and left the village behind.