It is now official, I cannot write a one-shot to save my life. Well, this is supposed to be a one-shot songfic inspired by "Dance with the Devil" by Breaking Benjamin. Let me know if you think it is a one-shot, or an idea deserving of a multi-chapter story.
This is set in post-time skip Narutoverse. The Rookie Nine are all fifteen. Team Gai is sixteen, and Hana and Itachi are twenty. This story is while Naruto is returning to Konoha, before the arc where Gaara is kidnapped.
I'm exploring a different side of Hana in this story. She is a less-experienced ninja who has spent most of her time as a vet. She hasn't killed anyone yet and is more idealistic and naive than I typically picture her.
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san. "Dance with the Devil" belongs to Breaking Benjamin.
Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight.
Don't you dare look at him in the eye,
As we dance with the devil tonight?
Hana scanned the crowds surrounding her, sniffing the air for any smell of danger. It was exceptionally hard to do so what with all the smells of food and cloying perfumes muddling the air, but Hana had a job to do and she didn't intend to let anything stop her. This was her first mission in a long time. Actually, her first mission since she was assigned to watch over Akamaru after he had been poisoned. That had been three years ago, far too long for an Inuzuka to be trapped in Konoha. Hana loved her job as a veterinarian and being able to be with her family, but no canine is always content to remain with the pack. There comes a time when they long to venture out on their own.
This was Hana's chance. She and some jounin whose name she could not recall had been assigned to guard the daimyo of the Fire Country during this Western-style ball he was throwing. The man was paranoid and that was why Tsunade had sent two of her less-talented jounin to do the job. Still, if Hana succeeded, there was a chance that Tsunade would assign her some harder missions in the future. Her only protest was that the daimyo had insisted that her dogs remain outside. She shifted slightly, cloth rustling as she did so, and wrinkled her nose in distaste. Well, two complaints then. The daimyo had also insisted that she wear a blasted Western-style gown with a bell skirt which made fighting impossible. She was forced to rely on her nose and…what was his name anyway?...to protect her.
Oh look, there he went now, dancing with some woman and totally ignoring the man they had been hired to protect. It was going to be up to her to keep this mission from failure. She brushed her long brown hair back out of her face, again scanning the whirling dancers. Hana sniffed at the air, then went still. There was a scent in the crowd she recognized, though she had not smelled it in years upon years. However, it was a distinctive scent—that of the lightning-charged air before a storm—one that she could never forget. The smell grew closer, so that she could distinguish the metallic scent of blood which mingled with his scent. Her eyes dropped to the ground, watching as a pair of polished boots came to a halt before her.
'Don't look him in the eye,' she told herself.
"Care to dance, Hana?" Uchiha Itachi's smooth voice purred in her ear.
Without waiting for her to respond, he took her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor. Her hand was enveloped in his large, calloused one, as his other hand came to rest on her waist. As they moved to the lilting music, Hana's eyes rose slightly, looking over Itachi's shoulder for a sign of her partner. She caught his eye, but the blasted man only gave her a thumb's up and moved off with his own companion. Hana gritted her teeth. Yep, it was up to her to salvage a mission which had suddenly gone horribly wrong.
.oOo.oOo.
Itachi could not seem to help the tiny smirk which curled his mouth as he looked down at Hana's bent head. He remembered her as a little spitfire who easily matched his stoic nature with her own passion. Even now, he could tell that she was not afraid of him, merely annoyed at the situation. Amused, he tugged her a little closer to him, watching the way her head jerked as though she longed to look him in the eye and give him a piece of her mind.
He turned his head, noticing that Deidara was motioning to him. The blonde had been assigned to accompany him on this mission as he was considerably less conspicuous than Itachi's usual partner, the shark-like Kisame. Deidara raised an eyebrow, clearly concerned that the dark-haired man was jeopardizing their mission. Itachi shook his head slightly. He knew how to handle Hana. She was no threat to them. Speaking of which, he returned his attention to her as she shifted in his arms.
"What are you doing here, Uchiha?" she growled.
"What happened to Ita-kun, Hana-chan?" he responded lowly, taking the opportunity to lower his head closer to hers.
When they were children, she had had the biggest crush on him. He wondered if, despite all that had happened in the years since then, she still liked him. Her head lifted, furious brown eyes glaring at his chin. However, the tiny blush which colored her cheeks gave her away. He smiled triumphantly at this bit of knowledge. Deidara had no need to worry. Itachi had Hana well in hand and her partner was far too stupid to threaten their mission.
"You're an S-class missing-nin, Uchiha. You can't expect to pick up right where we left off," she growled.
His calloused fingers caressed her hand as he spoke in her ear, "Why not…Hana-chan?"
She jerked away from him, ignoring the disgruntled looks from the couples around them. Her lithe frame shook with anger as she fought the urge to look him in the eye. Itachi found himself less amused by her stubbornness this time. He caught Deidara's eye and the blonde went to work. He focused his attention back on Hana, watching from the corner of his eyes as two tiny birds fluttered from where his partner stood.
"What are you planning, Itachi?" Hana repeated stubbornly.
Faster than her eyes could track, the missing-nin moved behind her. His arms went around her in what would appear to be a gentle embrace, but in fact did an excellent job of pinning her arms to her sides. His chin rested on her shoulder and his breath caressed her ear.
"This," he whispered.
Deidara's birds expanded in a puff of smoke. The people in the ballroom stopped to stare, some uttering exclamations of delight at this new 'surprise' from the daimyo. Hana's eyes widened in shock as her sense of smell detected the explosive capability of these works of art.
"Watch-!" she started to cry, struggling in Itachi's embrace.
For a reason beyond himself, the Uchiha found himself taking her with him as he vanished in a puff of smoke. They appeared a safe distance from the ballroom. Hana pulled herself away from Itachi, but had only taken a few steps when the building went up in a burst of fire. The Inuzuka froze in shock for only a moment, tears blurring her eyes. She whirled toward Itachi, pulling a kunai from its place within her voluminous skirts. He intercepted it and easily disarmed her in her stunned state, pulling her back against him. She pounded a fist against his chest in helpless rage. Forgetting herself, Hana looked up into crimson eyes which showed no remorse.
"All those innocent people…" she whispered.
"It was necessary," he responded blankly.
Hana exploded into motion, again fighting to free herself. Itachi caught the fists she aimed at his face, restraining her with a gentleness that was quite unlike him.
"You…you devil, you murdered them!" she screamed, "What did they do to you?"
Itachi transferred her wrists to one hand, using his other to lift her chin. He met her gaze with calm eyes, a sharp contrast to the furious tears which spilled from her brown orbs.
"They were in the way, Hana. A shinobi does what he must to accomplish his mission. You know that. You would have done the same in my place," he said.
She shook her head, long hair falling into her face. Something in Itachi's heart, which he denied even existed, twisted at the sight of the hatred she now held for him. He lowered his head next to hers.
"I should have left you there, Hana-chan," he said softly, before pulling back.
His eyes shifted into the Mangekyou form of the Sharingan, catching her unawares. She collapsed limply into his arms just as Deidara arrived. The blonde eyed the young woman before returning his attention to his temporary partner.
"What is she to you?" he asked curiously.
Itachi laid her down on the ground, brushing the hair back out of her face. In the distance, he could hear the frantic barking of her trio of canines as they searched the ruins for their mistress. He straightened, not looking at Deidara.
"She means nothing to me," he answered, turning and heading back in the direction of the Akatsuki base.
"Nothing, yeah," Deidara grunted disbelievingly.
He crouched to study the young woman's rather plain features, taking note of the leaf symbol woven into her gown. Someone from Itachi's home village then. An old friend maybe? He stood, eager to return to being partnered with Sasori. The Uchiha was far too complex and confusing for him to ever hope to understand.
"I don't know whether you are lucky or unfortunate to have caught Itachi-san's eye, yeah," he muttered to the unconscious woman, turning and following after his fellow missing-nin.
Time would tell, he guessed.