Hierarchical Complexity: Part Deux

by IceHaze2

Part two of the chronicles of Usagi and Itachi and how their different lifestyles affect their uneasy relationship.

1. IX Formal

Disclaimer: I don't own either Sailor Moon or Naruto. Just this story.
Warnings: Little language

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Chapter 11: Formal

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His words didn't affect her too much in the beginning. She naively held on to the idea that, within a necessary amount of time, he would arrange a mutual agreement with his father. In turn, his father would relent to the situation, allow her the freedom to associate with Itachi and all would be well again. They could go back to the way things were and no one would interfere with their friendship again.

Days passed by without so much as a note from Itachi, and she became a little concerned. But perhaps he was simply preoccupied with work. After all, his Anbu duties were picking up again. The bright long sunny days, however, soon grew shorter. And the once lush greenery had now transformed into vivid colors of pink, yellow and red—still, no sign of Itachi. She heard rumors from Naruto's ramblings about Sasuke mentioning that his brother had gone off on missions regarding foreign lands and so she thought nothing of his lack of presence in her household. But when he didn't come see her after those long missions, when there were no notes to greet her every time she returned from her duties, and when her messages to him remained unanswered, she began to worry. It wasn't until one fateful stroll in the village on a windy afternoon that she accepted the irrevocability of the situation. She saw those familiar eyes and trademark face gliding casually down the quiet path in the park—hands in his pocket and a giddy Rei clinging onto an arm. But when she smiled and waved at the oncoming pair, his face remained expressionless and fixated forward. The two continued their stroll without any acknowledgment to her friendly gesture. And then she was certain that it was all over.

Usagi sighed loudly as she sat at her dining table. Her cheek was now cold from resting on the wood so she rolled her head over to the other side. The little yellow bird popped out, signaling noon. She hadn't even realized how quick the hours had passed by since she first sat down for breakfast. The cold porridge and half-finished assignment lay dormant as she continued to relish in the cool breeze from the open window nearby.

Her meeting would take place sometime in the afternoon; her sensei always gathered them together for a briefing before they took off on any lengthy meeting. The scroll on her table was a series of instructions. It was part of her sensei's regime, to have them redo the schematics of their mission. It was done to ensure that everything was evaluated correctly and to ensure that the entire team was on par with the execution of the assignment. In this case, the scroll outlined the layout of the hideout they would have to enter. And she mentally recounted the materials she would need for this assignment considering it was going to take a few weeks to reach the place they needed to infiltrate. It was an espionage mission, like all the others. Team Haruka was among the fastest team and a master of stealth. Whenever the village needed a team to go in and out without being spotted, her sensei was among the first to be elected for the position. But even as she counted the number of senbon in her bag, even as she went over which medicine capsules to take along, even as she tried in vain to recite every corridor and exit on personal command, she still could not focus on the preparations. The notes became a forgotten blur as she sighed and dropped her head once more on the table; a pen rolled somewhere off the table as a result.

It just couldn't be helped. Her mind was fixated on things so very far from her mission.

"I wonder what he's doing right now."

Aside from the missions that began, she wondered what he did to occupy his time. Was he bored? Was he eating properly? Did he get enough sleep? Were people allowing him the time he needed to unwind and enjoy his leisure reading? It was quite possible that the workload was such that he didn't have time to worry about such trivial things. Unlike Itachi, she had the freedom to feel boredom on occasions. She supposed it would have been in right mind to pick up a healthy and beneficial hobby, but at the moment, dallying about on her desk seemed to be a more appropriate pastime. It was when she was like this that her mind drifted on and off to the boy. And she wondered if Itachi was secretly thinking about her as well—if he missed her as much. But that couldn't be the case. She had not left that much of an impact in his life, not enough to warrant such emotions.

She sighed for the umpteenth time and smiled at the tickling hairs that blew in the breeze. The assignment remained untouched and after a small yawn, she assured herself that she would only rest her eyes. It was purely to ease her mood and reset her mind. One eye closed, the other followed; soft snores soon resounded in her room. Mumbles escaped her every now and then as she recounted the duties for the day. Finish reciting materials, write up the procedures, reproduce the layout of the establishment, gather weapons and medicine—it was the mantra she repeated incoherently. And the entire idea of preparation would have completely been abandoned had it not been for the soft knocks on the door.

With her trance broken, she groggily walked over to the door and smiled at the face behind the peephole. Since the incident occurred, the woman had not let off on her visits. One day, it was a bag of cookies, the next was a homeowner's magazine on gardening and another visit was a request for company to the market for her daily package of meat. Usagi knew that it was all well-intentioned. She simply wanted to make sure her mind was preoccupied with light thoughts and that she didn't spend the whole time moping about the house. And in all honesty, Usagi welcomed the visits. She was glad that if nothing else, at least one relationship remained the same.

"Mikoto-san, how are you today?"

"Oh, I'm just fine. I was visiting a friend of mine earlier today and thought I'd stop by on my way from home. I found a sale in one of the confectionery stands as I was walking and thought to myself 'I wonder if Usagi would love some treats as well?' And well, here I am. Do you mind if I visit for a bit?"

"Not at all. I'm not due for my group meeting until later anyway. I'll start up some hot cocoa if you would like some."

"That sounds wonderful. We need some time to catch up as well."

"But you're lucky you caught me today. I'm heading off to a mission later this afternoon."

"Oh? Will you be gone awhile?"

"Yes, a few weeks actually. It's quite a ways away."

"You'll be camping out with your team relatively soon. But I tell you what, when you come back, we can have a special meal together. Think of it as a girl's night to commemorate your safe return. What do you say?"

"Sounds good to me."

When the whistling sound of the steaming water became progressively louder, Usagi tiptoed over to the stove to adjust the heating. Burnt cocoa was never a pleasant treat.

"How has it been for you, Mikoto-san? Busy?"

"Oh, you know, same old routine. Nothing really changes too drastically in my life. But with Sasuke starting more missions outside the village, my sewing projects have doubled. That boy, he has a new hole every time he comes home."

"Mikoto-san, I'm sure with all the dangerous missions going on, the last thing going through his mind is maintaining his wardrobe in pristine condition."

"Yes, I suppose. Perhaps I need to invest in special gear for him. If his clothes are a testament to the perils he faces, I worry about the boy. Maybe some chain mail will come in handy."

She giggled as the chocolate concoction was slowly poured into two ceramic cups. The idea of a raven haired boy clad in heavy ancient armor popped into her head, and it warranted a much needed giggle out of her. "I'm not sure if Sasuke will be too pleased with that."

"I think it will look good on him. And it definitely comes in handy."

Smiling softly at the thought, she carefully tested the temperature of the heated water.

"Don't forget about practicality. How will Sasuke be able to move if he has all that armor on? His speed is one of his greatest assets. You can't jeopardize that."

"Practicality? Don't get so serious Usagi. You sound just like It—" her eyes quickly skipped over to the girl's tightened grasp on the handle of her kettle. They dropped soon after. "Well, everyone has been poking fun at me for my antics lately. I'd hate to think you're on the same wavelength as them. Don't tell me you're deserting me as well."

"No, not at all."

Mikoto's hands gently grazed Usagi's as the small teacup was handed over. And as she watched the young girl pour in her hot water over the fragrant powdery concoction, she noticed some oddities. Her hair held a slightly less shine than usual, her face had lost a little more of the youthful chubbiness it usually possessed, and on occasion her left hand would rub over her eyelids in an attempt to soothe some irritation out. It was difficult to discern whether the reason behind these changes was a result of increased workload or something else altogether.

"Here you go."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. But aside from your son's wardrobe, is there anything new with you?"

"Not particularly. It's been quite idle recently. Well, actually that's not entirely true. Recently, Sasuke has been spending some time away from the house."

Usagi giggled into her cup. "Oh and will you insisting on certain affairs because of this disappearance?"

"I can see where this is going."

A hand found its way to her chin as she mocked the looks of detectives she had seen before in the police station. "Hmm, this sounds serious, Mikoto-san. Do you think that Sasuke is becoming a social deviant? Spending his nights hiding behind corridors waiting for unsuspecting women to pass by so he can collect them for his harem? Or maybe he joined that gang from the catacombs of Iwagakure? No wait! Don't answer that. After all it's possible that Sasuke is…" she held the last part for suspense and smiled when Mikoto rolled her eyes at what inevitably would leave her lips. And so with double effect to her humor, she grabbed a nearby pencil and pointed it straight towards the woman in front. "Having an affair! And not just any affair, for this one is a tale of forbidden lust. For he, Uchiha Sasuke is in love with a maiden from far across the seas who has come to see him on this ill-fated day. But alas, not all is bright for the two, as there are forces behind these star-crossed lovers who will stop at nothing to see them apart!"

Mikoto sipped her cocoa casually with an unhidden smile.

"And what manga was that this time, my dear?"

"Hey now! That one was actually a novel this time!"

"This time?"

"Um, uh, yeah. Well anyway, tell me which is it?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, which is right? Is Sasuke going off to join the yakuza or is he currently having an affair with some princess from a faraway castle?"

"Must you tease me? I will have you know that there is merit this time."

"This time?"

Usagi was mildly surprised at the uncharacteristic behavior Mikoto was displaying when a quick flick of the tongue found its way out of her mouth.

"Such a horrible child. Well, I guess I will just be feasting on these treats myself."

"No, wait! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

"It's too late!" She grabbed one of the sweets and held it just above her mouth. One open eye glanced over at the girl who waited in suspense. And one look at those clear blue eyes had her immediately smile in defeat. There was just an innocence about them that made her spoil the girl rotten. "Fine, apology accepted."

Usagi slowly chewed on the sweets, completely unfazed by Mikoto's surprised looks.

"So Mikoto-san, what did you mean by merit?"

"Huh?"

"You said there was merit this time. What did you mean by that?"

"Oh just that I have good reason to believe that Sasuke is indeed with a female at times."

"You mean Sakura, right?"

"Bingo."

"Well Naruto also said they have been practicing a lot together. But I did manage to sneak by unnoticed only to see Sasuke sitting at the dango shop."

"That's strange. My son hates sweets so why…"

Usagi's smiled widened.

"Ah ha."

"I didn't see her, but I suspect she was with him."

"Well I'm glad he's finally taking the initiative."

"Same here."

"And what about yo—" she immediately stilled her tongue.

Usagi smiled sadly at the woman. "No, no men in my life."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Men must be crazy not to be knocking down your door. You're young, beautiful and smart."

She chuckled at the last remark. "Yeah, well, I guess they don't think so."

"Is it because you still think of my son?" She immediately halted the speech when soft slurps became hard swallows. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up…"

"No, it's okay." She scratched her neck nervously when Mikoto looked away toward the windows.

"As I was saying, I just think maybe you should really put yourself out there."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that somewhere out there is a man who really would love you for who you are. And maybe he's just waiting to meet you. You should really advertise your single status a lot more."

"Mikoto-san, I'm not a product out on the market."

"But that's exactly how dating works sweetie. You can't berate yourself for not being in a relationship when men don't even know you're available."

"It's okay, Mikoto-san. I'm not in any type of hurry at the moment."

"Yes. I imagine so. What with your work and all."

"Yeah…"

"The work load piles on really quickly. Even with Itachi…uh, I mean…"

"It's okay."

"Sorry, again. It's just that with Rei…" Mikoto beat her head mentally for the third time that day. Why was her tongue such a twisted mess at the moment? "Sorry. I just can't seem to get my wits about me."

"Don't worry, Mikoto-san. I'm fine."

"Yes, well…"

It wasn't exactly a spoken rule but discussions of her son were a taboo during their conversations. She had a suspicion that Mikoto was simply too afraid to stir up delicate wounds. And as the one-sided talk dragged on for minutes, it was all she could do but twirl her spoon in the tiny porcelain cup and watch the small marshmallows spin in a clockwise manner.

"Usagi?"

"Yes?"

"Sweetheart, I'm…I'm sorry things didn't quite work out for you two."

It was quite ironic. This was the first time in ages that Mikoto had fallen mute before an audience. And it was the perfect time to explain to her that her reason for hurting was not quite what the woman had envisioned—that the relationship between her and Itachi was purely platonic, that perhaps since it wasn't as escalated as everyone would like to believe, that it would be in everyone's best interest to just put it to rest and move on. But the truth was that the rift between them was indeed quite painful for her to bear. And if Itachi had made his own decision to exclude her from his life, then chasing him was fruitless. If things were meant to stay this way for the rest of her life, then explanations to events that would now be deemed irrelevant wouldn't be worth the extra breath. She was exhausted, exhausted emotionally by it all. And thus she responded with a meek "It's okay."

"No, sweetheart. It's not okay! I just don't understand why he thinks this is the correct course of action. If you were hurt by the situation, how does pushing you away solve anything?"

"Because he's worried about hurting me more."

"What kind of logic is that? Avoidance doesn't make the problem go away. It only prolongs it. You two are going to cross paths again someday. And then what is exactly accomplished? You'll be back to square one."

"I know, but there's not much I can do about it."

"What do you mean? You can go up there and demand to speak with him."

"But I've tried having contact with him, and he flat out ignores me."

"Well, perhaps it's because of his duties. With his Anbu assignments back, it is a little hectic at the moment. Give it some time."

The absurdity of the comment had already caught up to them both. Leaves had fallen and a cool brisk breeze had begun to cling to the village on a nightly basis. Warm weathered yukata now hung in closets; the soft feeling of a wooly cravat wrapped tightly around necks also commonplace. It would not be long before the start of the new year would grace them and the many stands of soba noodles filled with laughing families.

"It could be anything. He could be unsure how to approach you. He could be planning out a way to fix everything. He could even be talking to those girls just as we speak. Or…"

"Or he could simply not care."

"Don't be so callous. You mean a lot to him; I'm sure."

"I didn't mean that to come out bad. I just meant that maybe he has more important things on his mind. I mean, when you really think about it I haven't known him that long. So what could I possibly mean to him compared to everyone else who I'm sure he's known much longer? Like Rei-chan."

"Love doesn't take time into consideration. You mean something to him."

Her head sunk to the table in defeat. "Whatever. It's pretty pointless now. It is what it is. We should just let him be. Let him figure things out for himself."

"And what about you?"

Usagi shrugged. "I have other friends as well. And it would be wrong of me to put too much emphasis on Itachi when the others have and are there for me now. It's just at the moment…well, I just need some time to get used to the idea."

"This seems so unlike you. I would expect you to be knocking down our doors first thing in the morning to demand answers."

"I've tried reaching out to him. I really have. I don't know what else to do."

"I don't like any of this. I don't like it one bit. I just can't…why…"

"It's pretty straightforward—why he did what he did. I mean, he did say it was because it wasn't working out."

"It's hurting you though. The neglect and the loss."

"I'm fine."

"You miss him."

It started when some powder from the chocolate got loose and into her face. She rubbed it off with slight irritation to her eyes. But when Mikoto spoke those words and she realized that she was, in fact, not okay and that Itachi was always on her mind when she stopped to think, she couldn't stop the tears from falling. Even as Mikoto moved quickly to hold her, she continued to rub her eyes to suppress the inevitable crying.

"Oh, Usagi. Come here, sweetie."

Mikoto squeezed her harder as she rubbed her back in attempt to soothe her sorrow. She sniffled and wiped her face once to brush aside her tears as well. When the crying had subsided, she pushed Usagi away gently. Her glassy eyes had adopted a tint of red. With one hand she brushed aside strands of hair that clung to her tears while using her other hand to rub at her tear stained cheeks.

"Now you listen to me, Usagi. I know things are not the best right now. And what I'm about to tell you will sound like the same old advice any friend would tell you, but you need to hear it from me. I promise, things will get better. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not even within the next months, but they will." She smiled reassuringly and gave her hands a good squeeze when Usagi's eyes drifted away. "They will."

"How?"

"Have some confidence in my idiot son. It may take him a long time, but he will come around. Itachi is not one to run away from his problems. At least not forever."

"But how do you know? How do you know he'll even care?"

"Because I'm his mother. I know. Besides, if you two are that close, then surely you can lend some loyalty to the boy."

Usagi's eyes glittered. She supposed there should have been some amount of trust allocated to the woman. Age and experience weighted heavily on Mikoto's judgments. Who was she to contradict her claim? Itachi was, of course, her son. She had known him much longer and much more intimately. And Itachi was her friend above all else. Didn't she promise at one point that no matter what, she would always be waiting for him?

"Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good."

But when Usagi's eyes began to gaze in awe with a tilted head, Mikoto chuckled at the perplexed expression.

"Is there something wrong, sweetie?"

Usagi hesitated momentarily, trying to grasp straws as to how to go about asking.

"Why are you still helping me all the time?"

Mikoto's confusion was drowned out by her own slurping sounds.

"I'm not sure I understand the question."

"I thought that's how it works. That after Itachi was gone, you would go too."

"Why would I do that?"

"Well, because Itachi and I are no longer…well, we're no longer on speaking terms. And when that happens the parents aren't either. So why are you still coming to see me?"

Mikoto smiled as she ran a hand through the girl's bangs. "Because I'm your mother too."

Usagi's eyes widened and they glistened with tears once again. She couldn't bring herself to even swallow the lump in her throat. "I…" She froze for the most fleeting of moments, but Mikoto's angelic smile melted Usagi away and because she didn't have the ability to speak, she did the only thing that came to mind.

Mikoto braced herself for the impact of the girl, wrapping her arms tightly as her head rubbed softly against her chest.

"Thank you."

She continued to hold her, allowed the tears to fall freely without shame. And it felt absolutely wonderful. The warmth radiating from the woman was something she had never quite experienced before in her life.

One she hoped she would never have to live again without.

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One meter, pause.

Two meters, side crawl.

And after accidentally grazing his heel over a loose rope, he quickly jumped into the brush at the last minute to dodge the bombardment of kunai. After his eyes scanned the trees surrounding him, he quietly crawled away—knowing that his position would be jeopardized as he was already found out.

"Did you see where he went?"

The girl crawled closer to his bush in response, careful to keep her voice at just a whisper.

"No, we need to find a way to confirm his location. Or we'll be caught up in one of his traps."

"Yeah, good point. So what do we do now?"

"Wait for him to give his location away."

"But how?"

Sakura shielded the rays of the sun away from her eyes before settling still in the brush. "The sun's pretty good. Just wait."

After raising his eyebrow to her reassuring smile, he let his head drop to the dirt below him with a sigh. It was highly unlikely that Sasuke would give away his position. The boy was simply too careful and smart for his own good. He cursed under his breath when the seconds ticked by slowly. When no move was made on Sasuke's part to attack, he knew that they had concealed themselves successfully. The bastard was trying hard to pinpoint their location as well.

He leaned further onto the ground, growing bored from the wait. Had it not been for Sakura's glare, he knew he would have easily caved into his impatience and sprinted out into the clearing, making him an easy target for his teammate. It was when he let out another sigh, however, that a small shine of silver blinded him for just the briefest of seconds. His mouth dropped as his partner smirked.

"I knew it was just a matter of time."

Naruto was now fully alert and quickly readied his legs for a sprint.

"Sixty meters away in that direction. Go!"

He wasted no time in hurrying and barely heard the far off 'tch' of disapproval from Sasuke as his whereabouts had been located. The two dashed for each other and their kunai collided with one another in a loud klank. It was followed up by a quick round of shuriken that had barely nicked away at cloth. Naruto rolled away just in time to miss being pinned to the tree.

"Not bad, dobe!"

"Speak for yourself!" His hands weaved a sign and several clones ran straight for Sasuke.

"Crap." He punched one clone, kicked another, threw more projectiles and dropped to his hands to send a barrage of spinning kicks at the oncoming ones. But with each clone he took down, it seemed another took his place. After having had enough, he quickly let out a large ball of fire in one direction.

Like clockwork, the real Naruto sprung high into the air and lunged straight down for him. Sasuke cursed and shielded his eyes as Naruto took full advantage of the sun's position.

"Here, take this!" Another clone appeared behind Naruto and grabbed his hand for a wind up, launching the real Naruto faster at Sasuke.

With little time to react, Sasuke released another fire jutsu at the ground just before leaping out of the way. Naruto clumsily sputtered, obviously having no time to react to the retaliation. His clones dissipated as the jutsu wielder took in some serious burns.

"Teme…" his breathing was shallow as he held his burnt arm in place.

Sasuke returned the glare with a smirk. "Think ahead next time before rushing in to fight me head on."

A hand wiped away the embers from his face. "Whatever. Don't forget that it's not about defeating me. Unless you have it in your hands, you can't win this training session."

"Tch. I remember."

Naruto sighed softly. He, himself, had already forgotten the stipulations to this training session. It was just that whenever Sasuke was on the same field as him, he couldn't help but become competitive. And so, he momentarily forgot the real terms behind the victory for this training and aimed straight for taking on the boy with pure force. Had his mind caught up with his actions, he would have easily used the clones as a distraction as he moved on to claim victory. But it didn't matter. Two against one was still better than trying to achieve everything on his own.

"I won't lose to you, teme. We will defeat you! Come on, Sakura-chan. Let's defeat teme and win this together!"

"Sakura?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow as only the wind was around to answer Naruto's call.

Sweat began to drip down Naruto's temple as he realized there was no one around to answer him. "Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan? Where did you go? Sakuraaaa-chaaaan!"

Sasuke sighed as Naruto dallied about the field, calling helplessly to his teammate for backup. "Idiot." But before he could take advantage of this new distraction and make a sprint for it, an idea immediately popped into his head. "It can't be!" And just as he predicted, the pink haired girl was at arm's length away from the item.

"Shit!" He swung his kunai in her direction. She dodged it and backed away a considerable distance from the mashibiki spikes that followed.

The three ran up to the middle of the field, making sure to keep some distance away from one another.

"Sakura-chan! How could you just ditch me like that?" He roughly grabbed at the front of his shirt. "Alas, the bitter sting of betrayal."

The other two ignored the orange clad boy's antics.

"Using your comrade as a distraction in order to achieve victory?"

"We all agreed that when we began this session, it was everyone for themselves, a free-for-all."

"I wasn't chastising you; I was commending you. Although it doesn't take much to fool the dobe into anything."

"Shut up! I was just…um, distracted for the moment that's all. I knew Sakura-chan was planning that all along."

"Idiot."

"What did you say?"

The three eyed each other warily. One step became two, feet twitched in anticipation, and it wasn't until Sakura's green eyes darted left that Sasuke made the first sprint towards his desired location.

"That flag's mine!"

"I don't think so!" Naruto concocted more clones, all of which landed right on top of the dark haired boy.

"Get off of me idiot!"

Another pile went right for Sakura and the two fellow comrades struggled to dump off the pressure.

"Oww!"

They watched in annoyance as Naruto made a quick dash toward the red flag waiting on the stone by the tree.

"Haha! Eat my dust, suckers!"

Sakura quickly scanned the area before an idea struck her.

"Oww, how could you?"

Naruto immediately stopped running.

"There's no reason for you to touch me like that!"

The clones now looked nervous.

"I didn't touch you!"

"Yes, you did. I saw it!" exclaimed another clone.

"I saw it too!" came forth the third.

"Idiot! Don't hurt Sakura-chan or I'll kill you!"

"I didn't do anything moro—"

One punch flew at another clone.

"But he's right! If he did we would all kno—"

Another punch was returned two-fold.

The clone returned the favor and within seconds, all clones were now fighting over the honor of their beloved Sakura-chan. With the distraction well played, both Sakura and Sasuke escaped from the pile.

"Stop fighting…all of you!"

A quick kick to the face from the pile of clones and the real Naruto was smashed against the nearby tree.

"It's mine!"

Sakura tried hard to keep up with Sasuke, but he was simply too fast. Several swings later, and kunai went flying in his direction. All of them were easily dodged.

"You'll have to work on your aim, Sakura." But his smirk soon turned into a frown when the girl's eyes glittered with amusement. Before he knew it, a large log flew out from nowhere, swung in his direction and knocked him flat against the ground. He couldn't count the number of stars that lay before him.

"Sorry, Sasuke-kun. Not this time."

Anger was replaced with genuine respect, for he never would have calculated Sakura of all people to physically repress his progress. With a click of his tongue, he ran towards the sprinting girl in an attempt to close the distance. His advances were not entirely his alone, as Naruto also ran alongside him. And when the two finally caught up with the kunoichi of their team, a challenging glare was exchanged between the three of them before more dust was left in their wake. This was no longer a training session. This was war.

"Got it!" But Sakura's finger barely grazed the flag as a stringed shuriken wrapped itself around the cloth and was tugged away.

"Nice try, Sakura." Sasuke smirked when his weapon dragged the flag closer to him. He frowned when several clones intercepted the item.

"No way! This is mine!"

But just as Naruto managed to pull the string centimeters within grasp, a clone was hurled his way and the two figures were once again shoved far off into the field. He growled at Sasuke, having been used again—albeit literally this time.

Sasuke's quick strides soon staggered as a row of mashibiki spikes were lined up in a pattern. He easily dodged them all and launched a fire jutsu at the kunoichi just a breath away from him. She countered with several projectiles flying high above him expelling a large sum of water collected on wood carved into a holding container. It was enough to squelch the fire and create steam. He activated his sharingan amid the foggy atmosphere, eyes reddened by intense heat from the steam. He could hear Sakura coughing a bit as well. And when the smoke finally cleared off, he rushed towards the flag only to have Sakura activate another swinging log. But to their surprise, a blonde-haired boy clutched onto the rope tied to the log. Using the trap as a means to gain speed, he launched his own kunai straight at the flag in attempt to halt Sakura from claiming victory. The moving objects, however, continued on past the field, over both Sakura and Sasuke's heads and landed deep in the nearby river—lost to them forever.

"Damn it Naruto!" she growled.

"Way to go, dobe."

"Uh, that was an accident. I didn't mean to."

The three gathered around the raging river and stared deeply in many directions. When they concluded that the flag was no longer worth pursuing as it had already probably sunk into the deepest part of the river, they collapsed on the nearby shore for some much needed rest.

"That was pretty intense." Sakura rolled onto her back and gazed at the sun. "I didn't think this was going to wear me out so bad.

"You need more training then, to increase your stamin—" A few steps and Sasuke flinched before settling on the small boulder next to him. Obviously he had taken more damage than anticipated. It was also quite possible that a sprained ankle was imminent.

"Hee, you're the one that needs more stamina training, teme. I'm perfectly fine." Naruto towered above them. And though he bore several burns, scratches, bruises and even some mild blood, it was clear to the other two that the boy was ready for another go.

Where that energy came from, they may never know.

"Learn some new jutsu or at least how to dodge right and then come back to me with that confidence."

"At least I can still walk without tripping, you bastard!"

As if on cue, the boy's foot caught on an uneven part of the ground before collapsing head first onto the rocky shore.

"Clumsy and an idiot. Perfect combination."

"Yeah well here I thought the Uchiha could at least get up from a simple Capture the Flag training session. What would your father think knowing his son couldn't even keep up with his teammates for something so simple?"

The comment had shattered his ego and he was completely upright and alert despite the pain in his ankle. "Take-that-back."

"What? You want to fight with me? I'll gladly take you on, teme!"

"I could beat you any day!"

"I've got more stamina than you."

"I have more skills than you do."

"I was trained to even take a direct hit from the Goukakyuu no Jutsu."

"I was trained to dodge even fifty kunai."

"I know the Kage Bunshin!"

"I have an elemental jutsu."

"My weapons are made from high grade metal."

"Mine can be concealed within shadows."

"Yeah well, my clothes are made with one hundred percent cotton!"

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"I don't know."

Naruto blinked twice before watching both Sakura and Sasuke stare at him blankly.

"I don't know."

"Idiot. With comments like those…I can tell you've been hanging around Usagi too much."

"Yeah, well obviously you got your bitch asshole attitude from Itachi!"

The two shot sparks of electricity at each other, but there was a small twinge of an unreadable emotion that caused the two to surrender. They did so reluctantly and settled down on the ground to cool down.

Sakura, confused, looked to and fro as they silently sat facing away into the clouds of the sky. She was so close to breaking the two apart from their oncoming trivial feud, but something peculiar seemed to have dissipated that fight. She was left curious as to what as the boys continued to ignore one another. It wasn't until Naruto spoke that the silence was broken.

"How…how is Itachi?"

"Fine." Sasuke's lips twitched briefly before he firmly held them tight.

Naruto smiled sadly to the unspoken question. "Usagi-nee chan is okay too."

"Hmm."

Sakura glanced back and forth between the two. "Uh, what's going on, you two?"

Both Sasuke and Naruto looked uneasy and reluctant to respond.

"Sakura-chan, it's just that…well. I mean, since Itachi basically broke it off with Usagi-nee chan, well…they haven't been talking is what we mean."

"Are they okay?"

"Usagi-nee chan, I can tell she's a little sad. She doesn't really talk about it much and keeps saying she understands and that it's fine. But I can tell she probably is keeping most of the pain to herself. And Itachi…" He trailed off as he looked at Sasuke who had his back to them both.

"He's busy with business in Anbu."

"But is he okay?"

"My brother is fully capable of handling his job."

"You know what I mean, Sasuke."

It was true that Itachi's missions returned in full throttle. The boy had remained elusive for the last few months as a result. Often times, he would rush into him only to have to leave immediately after. It was rare when he spared a meal with the whole family, even on the days he was present. He often kept to his room. Whether it was as a result from his separation with Usagi or not, he didn't know. The common excuse he gave was work. And though some things remained the same, such has his attempt to always spend time with his younger brother, there was just a beat missing from his step. It was like before all the mess. When Itachi remained a mystery to them all. It couldn't have just been a coincidence. There was something more to this then stress from work. It had to be her. But whenever he did bring up Usagi on the sly, Itachi would either quickly change the subject or excuse himself from the situation. And though his brother said nothing of the matter, it was obvious even to him that there was a hint of pain in his eyes. He didn't know whether it was from hurting the girl or genuinely missing her. It could have been both.

Sakura too waited patiently for his reply. When none came forth, she looked over at Naruto who was still fixated on the crest on Sasuke's back.

"He's quiet."

The two immediately stared at the boy's profile.

"He's a little quiet, sometimes."

"Your brother is usually quiet, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke sighed deeply before responding. "He doesn't like to talk about it."

"I see. Maybe, maybe it's hurting him more than he cares to admit. I don't know much about Itachi, but it seems like he's trying to move along with life. Or rather, he's trying to force the progression. I think it's the only way he can stop thinking about it. It's true, he probably acknowledges Usagi as a friend but I think in the surface, he only wants to think of her as a small part in his life. The truth is, Itachi probably cares about her more than he lets on. So he wants to move on in life to forget. But I doubt he'll truly ever move on from this. She'll always be in the back of his mind."

"Hmm." His eyes danced around the river as he counted the ripples caused by the rocks he threw. It wasn't exactly the most suave distraction, but it was one nonetheless. As he continued to listen to Sakura speak, he accepted her words. Perhaps there was merit to them.

"Hey guys. Do you think there's anything we can do about it?"

"Naruto, these kinds of things are best left alone. If we meddle too much, it will just cause more friction."

"But!"

"I agree with Sakura. The two seem to have made up their mind about the matter."

"You mean Itachi made up his mind about it."

"Hmm, well whatever the case, it's none of our business."

"I think it kind of is."

"Just stay out of this!"

"Well unlike you, I actually care about my friends."

"You meddling in their affairs won't change anything."

"But…"

"Naruto, Sasuke-kun has a point. The root of the problem isn't going to be solved with you trying to get them to talk to each other. Don't you see? The reason they don't want to talk to each other isn't because they can't get along. It's because of the other factors that are putting stress on them."

Naruto fisted his hand at that little tidbit. He knew very well what Sakura meant by factors. The moment he found out that his pseudo sister had been hurt by that group, he rushed immediately to the Uchiha district to return the favor. The truth of the matter was, if it hadn't been for Sasuke coming to his rescue, he probably would have been left in bandages and scrapes as well. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair how a group of people like that could be allowed to get away with treating people so poorly all for petty squabbles. How could the Uchiha clan be entrusted to protect the peace of the village when they couldn't even ensure the peace in their own clan?

"But why would Itachi give in to those girls? I mean, doesn't he have any balls to put them in their place? Doesn't he care about Usagi-nee chan enough to defend her? Why doesn't…"

"Because no one will listen!"

"Eh?"

Even the ripples in the water stilled in response to Sasuke's outburst.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"No one will listen. It doesn't matter how many times Itachi talks to them, they simply won't listen."

"Who won't listen, teme?"

"My dad, those girls, Rei…they'll never listen to either of them."

"Why?"

"Because they don't respect her. It's as simple as that."

"What do you mean?"

"Usagi hasn't earned the respect of any of those clan members. Unless she does, they will never listen to anything either of them has to say. And Usagi hasn't even won the respect of my own father. Why the hell would anyone else give a damn about her if she can't even earn the respect of the clan's patriarch?"

"But that's not fair. They're not even judging her for who she is."

"No. But what she is matters more to them. They don't care if you're a hard worker. They don't care if you're even a strong shinobi. All they care about is your lineage. Nothing else matters."

"That's not right at all! You should talk to your father. Tell him what's he's doing is wrong."

Sasuke let out a derisive chuckle before staring up at the clouds.

"He couldn't care less what I have to say."

"That's not true at all, Sasuke-kun. I'm sure your father cares a lot about you."

"No. He only cares about Itachi. He only ever sees Itachi."

"And so what? You're just gonna sit in the sidelines and watch all this happen? And what about when you get older and want to do your own things? Are you just going to let him rule your life too?"

"Shut up, dobe."

"And what about us, Sasuke? Are you going to push us out of your life too if your father tells you to do it?"

He didn't have the courage to turn around. If he did, he knew he would have caved in to those eyes. This wasn't the first time those thoughts ran through his mind. He had long thought good and hard about what may transpire between the three of them, for reasons other than his father. The only advantage they had at the moment when compared to his brother and Usagi, was that they were bound by a legal contract. They were a team. Had it been the same circumstances, he was sure that the distance would have continued to grow between them until their moments together were nothing more than a fleeting memory.

"And so what if I did?"

There was no struggle when the blonde grabbed a fistful of his shirt and brought him closer to eye level.

"What are you trying to say? That we mean nothing to you?"

"Hmm."

"Will you just be honest for one damn moment, Sasuke!"

"Sasuke-kun?"

His hand reached out and shoved the boy away from him. When he was within sight of his reflection in the river, he pondered about his response. The question wasn't so much as what they meant to him so much as why they meant so much. It wasn't just as individuals; rather, it was as a unit. The bonds he created, even when unshackled, were something he never wanted to relinquish. He was desperate to hang onto them.

"It's nothing to worry about. Besides, my dad doesn't really pay as much attention to me as he does Itachi. I doubt he'll say anything in the end."

It wasn't quite the poetic response they were hoping for, but then again, Sasuke was never one to paint the walls with fanciful scriptures of literary perspicacity. Still, it was something they could latch onto for hope nonetheless.

"Sakura, do you still have that blue flag?"

"Oh, uh, yes."

"Good. We still have time before Kakashi arrives to check on us. Let's give it another go."

The other two smiled. It was Sasuke's best way to save the conversation and the only way he knew to reach out to them. The group set up the flag in a new spot and separated several meters to give the training session another go. And unbeknownst to them, a silver haired man obscured by foliage was sitting peacefully on a nearby branch.

He flipped the page of his cherished pleasure before smiling behind his mask.

---

The weight he bore in his hands was far too overwhelming at the moment. But no matter how hard he tried to dispel the problem, it never seemed to do any good. And he walked slowly behind her as she made a zigzag throughout the entire town, oblivious to the innocent pedestrians moving about the shops. If only she would allot the same vigor, determination and assertiveness to the battlefield; the woman would be a relentless and unstoppable force with whom to contend. And he sighed for the twenty-second time that day when he noticed her body go stiff and immediately make a sharp turn to the left. He hoisted one of the bags in his hand a bit past his wrist as a result—in preparation for what he suspected would be another one of her 'necessary stops.'

"Hey, Itachi-sensei…"

"No."

With a small sigh and a quick turn over her shoulder, she glared at him with tired eyes. "You haven't even heard what I was going to say yet."

"I already know and the answer is no."

"Well then if you're so smart, what do I want?"

"You want to go in there and buy that dress you see in display, but I'm telling you now, drop it."

She stomped angrily and shook his arm carelessly. "But why?" she whined.

"What do you need a dress for anyway? You're a ninja."

"It's not like that's all I do. Come on, what if I have a date with a cute guy someday?"

"I'm sure that relationship will just end in a tragedy—one in handcuffs and the other in a body bag." He chuckled and effectively blocked her hit with one of the shopping bags. "Aside from that, buying this is just not practical."

"Okay, well then what about this? What if I have a mission in which I have to dress up like some feudal princess? Then that would make this dress relevant to my job and practical, correct?"

"You, a princess?"

"What's weird about that?"

"I'm prettier than you."

It was two punches he needed to block this time.

"Stop being an asshole. Come on, it's just going to be for a few minutes."

"In other words, about a few hours. Forget it. We should just move on and start heading back to the village before we arouse suspicion with my clan in regards to my schedule being thrown off kilter." But even after saying that, he took only a few more steps upon sensing her complete immobility. And when he looked back, she continued to gaze at the glass window. Before he was even able to drag her towards his desired direction, she made a move that instantly warranted narrowed eyes.

"Stop that."

She dropped her head ever so slightly and allowed her eyes to glance back at his from dropped eyelids.

"Just look at all this we've already compiled. There's no way we can even carry more…"

Her bottom lip was pulled out into a pout.

"You're carelessly spending all this money on things you don't…"

He scowled at the glistening tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

"And on top of that, our time constraints…"

But when he realized the whining sounds that penetrated his ears did, in fact, not belong to anything remotely of the canine species, he threw his head back and gazed upon the heavens. The inevitable defeat was imminent and he could only reprimand himself on his lack of resolution and self-discipline when it came to her cunning tactics. It was his fault she did not cease her methods; after all, indulging in her childish antics only helped to reinforce the undesirable behavior. Even reminding himself of the long-term damage did nothing to stop him from bowing to every trivial request.

"Make it quick."

"Yay! I will; I promise." After a giddy jump and a quick hug, she rushed to the entrance, turning her head back once more to acknowledge the boy behind her. "Hey Itachi-sensei, why don't you come in too?"

"This is a woman's clothing store."

"Yeah, I know. But you can sit down and give your arms a rest."

"I…"

She skipped away, not giving the boy a moment to respond. "Come on! We have a schedule to keep! Let's go!"

After a quick shake of his head, he did as instructed and followed her in. The jingling of opening doors signaled his entrance to the store, and he offered a small nod of acknowledgment to the welcoming clerks before finding an area by some shoe racks with chairs half occupied. He regarded the exasperated men with mild curiosity as he took a seat on the far corner and sat in silence. Speaking to no one was the only way to retain his dignity. He had never seen so much pink and purple in his life. The place was an entire frilly nightmare. He really just wanted to get in and out, but that wasn't the case as another male leaned forward and smirked at him.

"Your girl dragged you in too, huh?"

He merely raised an eyebrow to the question as the man nodded over to a red head currently engaged in a heated debate with another female shopper.

"She's always like that when there's a bargain hunt around. I swear; it's like she enjoys the hunt more than the actual bargain. Well, hopefully she doesn't blow my wallet again."

Despite his effort to look inconspicuous or at the least, completely uninterested in dialogue, it did not hinder the man's effort to extend the conversation.

"Is your girl that bad?"

"Hmm?"

"Does she drive you as crazy, I mean?"

"Those are some loaded questions."

"Well you are here with a girl, right? Surely you are not shopping for yourself?"

He blinked slowly and turned his attention away once more. "A friend."

"Friend, huh? Just friends?"

"Ah."

The man raised an eyebrow. "For now?"

Itachi patiently turned his head back with a sigh. "Forev…" He paused before finishing his sentence. Why he did so, he may never know. And as he tried in vain to discern the information in his head, he watched the man lean far back in his chair to gaze at the ceiling.

"I remember when I met Naru. It was like they say 'a meeting with that person you haven't met yet.' I feel in some ways it was just meant to be. I think that's how some relationships are, you know?"

"People meet based on a series of circumstances. Purely coincidental."

"Don't be so pessimistic."

"I'm not. That's simply the reality."

"So you and your girl just met by accident. That's it?"

He rolled his eyes at his choice of words, debating against attacking the man's vernacular.

"As a matter of fact, yes. It was purely coincidental."

"Okay, but you don't have to say it so harsh. You sound like you couldn't care less about the people you meet in your life."

"People come and go. It's hard to recount the number I come across."

"Well, I expect such talk from a shinobi. So I'm guessing you didn't fall in love at first sight then? No 'getting to know her better', no 'curiosity about the girl you saw in the market', no 'I want this girl to be a part of my life'?

"No."

"Are you saying you didn't even want to meet her?"

"Meeting her wasn't my choice, no."

"Man, you're such a downer."

The man leaned further back and closed his eyes, and Itachi regarded this as his conclusion for the man did not speak once more during the entire time he waited for Usagi. And true to her word, she returned back to him after only fifteen minutes of hunting.

"They didn't have it in my size."

He took that as his cue and immediately walked toward the glass door, ignoring both the man from before and the girl walking in quick strides to keep up.

"Hey, can we please stop and get something to eat?"

"No. We've already wasted enough time as it is."

"But I'm hungry!"

"You should have thought about that before making this useless stop. Now you'll just have to hold it in until we get home."

"But I can't hold it…"

"Let this be a damning lesson to you."

He stalked off a few steps and grumbled at the small whining noise that escaped her.

"Not this time."

A few more steps and he grimaced at the sound of a body collapsing on the floor.

"What the hell is wrong now?"

"Don't look back, sensei. Go on! Leave without me…"

He hastily slapped away the outreached hand.

"Stop this nonsense."

"Carry me back."

"You're too damn heavy."

"I'm not fat, asshole!"

While balancing his bags, he tried desperately to pull her up. But the girls' heels rooted themselves to the dirt road and dug in to make the feat much too hard to accomplish.

"You're making a scene here."

"Need…food…"

A few women passed by and he bowed in apology as they quickly sped away from the two. Three construction workers also looked on, and he could have sworn he heard one of them utter an 'abusive' along with a few other string of characters.

"Alright, fine, you little brat. Just hurry it up."

Her energy was somehow restored as she ran ahead to the nearest yakitori vendor.

"Oyaji-san! I want six orders with sweet sauce!"

"Right away little lady!"

She scurried across to the next stall and ordered some dessert, moved to the next for takoyaki and continued onward until now he sat with her in a bench entirely covered in an assortment of food.

"Don't worry, sensei. You can share some of my food with me."

He glanced down at the feast before raising an eyebrow at her.

"What? I'm hungry."

"Hmm." Considering all the detours they made, he wasn't about to pass up free food.

"Ne, Itachi-sensei," she managed between slurps and munching, "I've been meaning to ask you…"

"Hmm?"

One final slurp and the noodle was effectively consumed. "Why are we still training?"

"You're still at an unsatisfactory level. At your current state, it would be highly unlikely for you to achieve jounin status."

"Yeah, but, I thought our arrangement was just until my chuunin exams. So how come you're still with me?"

That was a mystery to him as well.

"Well, not that I'm complaining. I was just…well…kind of curious."

He grimaced at her lack of manners when she dove right in for her meat sticks. With much greater eloquence and refinement, he picked up his chopsticks and placed one small piece of soy sauce covered takoyaki in his mouth.

"I have nothing better to do. It helps pass the time. I also find it beneficial for my development."

"What do you mean?"

"You're about the only person aside from some in my clan who can keep up with my speed. It keeps me on my toes."

A smile hid behind the tongue that lapped up the sweet sauce outlining her lips.

"A compliment from you? That makes me happy Itachi-sensei."

A sharp sigh hissed into his water bottle.

"You can stop that, you know?"

"Stop what?"

"Calling me that."

"Huh?"

"I mean, stop calling me sensei. It's unnecessary."

"Okay, but why?"

"Because I'm not your sensei. I've already discussed this with you."

"Then what are you to me, Itachi-sensei?"

There was a small pause after that statement and it had more to do than his simple intake of a beverage and chewing. One more gulp and he watched as the girl patiently anticipated his response. Small puffs of breath escaped him after consuming the hot treat and he watched the clouds gently pass by before diving in for another tasty snack.

"Itachi."

"Huh?"

"I said, Itachi."

"Okay, Itachi-san."

"No, just...Itachi."

"O-oh…okay, Itachi-sa…I-I mean, Itachi."

"Ah. Hurry and finish up. This time, I'm serious. We can't afford any more distractions."

"Okay…Itachi." She smiled and whispered the last bit for good measure.

They continued to eat in silence for the most part. That was until she decided that insight into her current predicament in shoe sizes was a very prominent issue in her life, one that several of her close friends shared. He only listened passively as she babbled on. And as he gazed at the girl shoveling away food in her talkative mouth, as he watched her wave a dignified finger in the air to prove some point, his own words from earlier echoed in his mind. And it was then he realized something he never stopped to think about before, something he never allowed himself to admit.

"Hey, Itachi. Are you still listening to me?"

Meeting you wasn't my choice…

"Itachi?"

Staying with you is…

"Hello in there."

A hand waved over his face and he instantly blinked away the memory, locking it far, far away into the recesses of his mind. When he finally did come to, everything around had suddenly shifted form. Busy food stands settled snuggly beside each other in a bustling business district were now trees lined up in a park. Food once cluttering the table had now transformed into a large bag with several documents inside and papers sprawled about his partner and him. People running in and out of shops were now children playing with their decorated kites. And most importantly, the smiling blonde stuffing her face with as many treats as possible was now a raven-haired girl, eyes fixed with keen perplexity to his languid responses.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes."

"I don't appreciate being lied to."

"I'm not lying."

"Itachi, you're eating your pen."

His mouth opened abruptly, allowing the aforementioned pen to drop clumsily onto the hard surface of the stone bench.

"Sorry."

"This is highly uncharacteristic of you. You're usually so well in tune with your environment and completely alert for one thing. And you never eat writing utensils for another."

"I…I just returned from a fairly lengthy mission. I'm not completely in high spirits."

"Tired?"

"Perhaps."

"Well, the quicker we get through our duties, the sooner we can move on to other things."

"Ah."

She paused at his small nod. Unsure if his tired sigh was a result of exhaustion from his duties to the village or simply her, she quickly sought the right words to help alleviate some of his stress.

"I…"

He lazily addressed her momentary loss of dialogue.

"You can just work on the white binder and turn that in to Tekka when you're done. I'll handle the rest."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. It's not that hard; it simply takes more time. And since there's less yard work to do this season, it will be a lot easier for me to schedule the extra time to finish the work."

"Alright then. If you're sure."

"I am. Now please go get some rest."

"Thank you, Rei."

"Ah."

His retreating form was not something she enjoyed watching. And she secretly wondered if he was just simply anxious to get away from it all, to get away from her. Rei's body collapsed tiredly on the stone bench as soon as he was out of sight.

She really hated being lied to. The man had undergone extensive training from a very early age. Stressful environments and heavy workloads were nothing new or special. On the other hand, the predicament he was currently in was. No one had to tell her. It was obvious why the man was spacing out more than normal. Whenever he was given the opportunity, his mind drifted to the girl—whether he wanted it to or not. And she knew it since the very beginning. That glazed look was becoming quite common when they were together.

Scribbling away some notes she thought about his lack of resistance to leaving. Whenever she presented an opportunity for him to retreat, he spared no hesitation on his part to accept it. Was she simply that detestable?

"I bet if I was her, he would…"

She quickly shook away the thought. There was no them. Not anymore.

After finishing her duties, she walked away tiredly and headed towards her next stop before duties at the station resumed. Entering quietly through the doors of the Yamanaka flower shop, she gave only a small smile of recognition to the young girl at the counter, making it her very mission to ignore anyone else. She was simply there to pick up some flowers for headquarters, and as such, lingering inside the shop longer than necessary was a definite no. But a predator in shadows always instigates an attack, and she grimaced at the familiar voice of another blonde she would have much rather avoided altogether.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing yourself here!"

"At a flower shop?"

"At my flower shop!"

The heated glares they directed at each other were suddenly obstructed by a young girl carrying a handful of potted plants.

"Mina, this belongs to my branch of the family. Plus you never even like to come help. My dad has to bribe you practically every time with money or threaten to tell auntie."

Rei's smirk was not at all charming.

"Rei-san, are you here to pick up your delivery for the Uchiha Police?"

"Yes, actually. I'm rather in a hurry so if you don't mind…"

Ino nodded politely and walked away until only Rei and Minako were left behind. Rei returned her fiery gaze with one of only mild annoyance.

"Why are you glaring at me?"

"You rub me off the wrong way."

"I haven't done anything to you to warrant this behavior."

"Like hell you didn't! What about with what's going on with Itachi and Usagi?"

Her eyes narrowed at the forbidden word and her head turned abruptly, refusing to dignify the question with an answer.

"You're despicable, you know that? They were just fine until you had to butt in!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know very well what I mean."

"No, I do not." She shoved her way past her to gaze at the lilies on the far end of the store, cringing in distaste when the dratted woman refused to grant some amount of personal space.

"You sent those girls after Usagi, didn't you?"

Her hand was no longer caressing the petals delicately. She stood completely up and straightened her back. The atmosphere suddenly became very dark and sharp eyes immediately honed in on the blonde.

"I'm right, aren't I? You sent those girls after Usagi knowing that in the end, Itachi would want to keep her away for her safety." Minako smirked derisively before eying the raven haired girl from toe to eye. "You are some piece of work."

A hand fisted tightly out of sight.

"Can't earn Itachi's affection legitimately so you try to sabotage theirs?"

Teeth clenched tightly together.

"And just when the moment is right, you swoop in like a vulture and take advantage of the situation by claiming Usagi's spot in Itachi's life. You couldn't possibly be any more obvious, you know. I've seen how you are with him when you're together. We all see exactly the kind of person you are."

A desperate attempt was made to simply not eviscerate this woman. Her hand remained glued by her body despite the desperate need to swing, and her face retained its traditional Uchiha expressionless disposition in response to this woman's claim. It wasn't the first time she was accused of orchestrating the entire ordeal. After the incident, she was immediately confronted by Shisui who approached her with regards to the situation. But she wasn't a dunce. It was an indirect accusation to which she calmly denied. Deciding not to press on about the matter, she went about her way, yet the accusations didn't stop there. A few people at work had casually asked her about it, Mikoto brought it up in the conversation and asked if she knew who did it, but the most painful of all was Itachi's cold eyes.

She recalled the moment when he was waiting by her home. Excited for his company, she didn't take into account the icy glare until it was too late. He wasted no time and immediately stalked over to her. Not used to his aggression, she visibly flinched backwards at the oncoming onslaught and accusations. He didn't even give her a chance to defend herself. And it had taken many weeks to get back into his good graces, work being the underlining connection between them. And though his suspicions of her disappeared, his trust in her never fully resurfaced. He remained closed and kept himself at a distance despite the amicable behavior.

"What? I take it by your silence that I hit it dead on?"

One deep breath and her nerves were calmed; one quick blink and her composure returned, and a simple release of her fist had her return a cool glance at the girl.

"I didn't do anything," was her simple whisper of a reply.

Minako was hesitant on her response. She was so certain it had more to do with Ino and her Uncle's arrival rather than the priestess' tired expression.

"Here you go, Rei-san. But the load is a bit heavy. Would you like for me to arrange an extra delivery."

"Yes, and you can charge the excess amount to our account."

Ino nodded until her father placed a hand on her shoulder.

"That won't be necessary. Mina here would be more than happy to help you deliver these vases. Isn't that right Mina?"

"Like hell I will! I'm not helping this woman with crap!"

"Mina! Seriously, you should take some responsibility and help a person in need. Or perhaps you would like for me to share this bit of information with your mother? Along with your current vocabulary? I'm sure she would be happy to know what kind of daughter…"

"No! Not my mama!" Minako immediately jumped in and waved her hands to keep his volume down. She turned her head around as if to reassure herself that the woman was nowhere near them at the moment. Her father was one thing. He was so easy to sweet talk. But she would even take torture under Anko over her mother. Anything but her.

"Good, then it's settled. Rei-san, Mina will help you deliver your vases. And Mina, I don't want to hear about you giving this lady a hard time, or else…"

Minako's retort to this woman hardly being a lady was left in suspense at that last threat. She grumpily accepted.

"Well then, make haste. I haven't the time to waste toting you around."

After a string of curses under her breath, Minako's two sharp fingers carefully traveled from her own eyes, to her Uncle's and back as a silent threat of later retribution.

"What's taking you so long? Walk faster. If that load's too heavy for you, then I can arran—"

Minako's dignified stance returned immediately. "I'm fine. I can carry my own weight around!"

"Tch. Whatever."

Rei paid no mind to Minako as she made slight remarks to activities she would rather indulge in as opposed to being toted around. With a small sigh, she also ignored the blonde as she gained considerable speed in her pace. Unsure as to her goal, she quickened her own pace just slightly, if nothing else, just to bypass her.

Minako glanced sideways in annoyance. With a kick of her heel, she took three longer strides to stand further along on the path.

Rei grumbled and cut her off before she could corner her next to a house.

Minako in turn pouted and grunted as she began a light jog to which the raven-haired woman followed suit.

One final glance at each other and enough was enough. The two began racing down the streets of the Uchiha estate, one not daring to fall behind the other.

"What...are...you...doing?" Rei's words escaped in tired breaths.

"I...won't...lose...to...you!" Minako huffed and puffed. Desperate to juggle her load and maintain a fast jogging pace.

"You're...being...childish..." Rei hugged the boxes closer to her chest and grit her teeth as she went into auto pilot.

"Whatever." Minako hurried and bypassed Rei.

Rei immediately retaliated by quickening her pace to lead again.

"Why do you keep doing that?"

"Why should I fall behind you!?"

"How else am I supposed to show you the damn way?"

Minako came to an abrupt stop as did her comrade who took the opportunity to catch her breath. "Oh yeah..."she nervously giggled as she realized she had no idea how to navigate the streets of Rei's district. "I totally forgot I have no clue where I'm going. Ah ha ha..."

Rei, who by now had regained her composure and breath, straightened her posture and walked past her grumpily. "Weird, all of you. I swear."

Thinking that the petty problems were now behind her, she relaxed her hold on the boxes. The lax mood, however, did not last long. Rei lifted her eyebrow when her acquaintance suddenly had a fixation on the floor. She watched with the most minimal of curiosity as said blonde would go out of her way to avoid dark spots on the floor and step over long patches of cracked concrete.

"Should I even ask what you're doing?"

"My grandpa one time fell in these dark spots when I was little."

"What?"

"Look on the floor. See how some parts are black and others gray?"

"Yes?" she drawled out the word in complete confusion to the repaired concrete pavement.

"My grandpa one time fell in those things. You should be careful too."

She nervously faced away from the girl who at this point was exhibiting behavior even more peculiar than another blonde she had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting.

"Your grandfather probably fell in an uncovered sewage hole."

"Nuh uh! I was three when it happened. So I remember it clearly. Definitely the dark spots."

"Yes, be it beyond me to question a three-year old's memory retention." She glanced sideways and bit her lip in an attempt not to continue the conversation. "Why are you also walking like that?"

"Can't step on a crack or I'll break Mama's back." She lifted her legs in nothing less than an exaggerated move as she carefully dodged areas of the floor.

"Again, what?"

"Haven't you ever heard of that?" Minako sighed when Rei glanced blankly at her. "You Uchiha, I swear you're ignorant to the important things in life. But look. The cracks on the floor have to be avoided. One time, I stepped on it and when I came back home, Mama was lying face down on the couch and talking about how much she was in pain and couldn't even use the bathroom. My grandma then told me it was because I stepped on the cracks on the floor. Ever since then, I never touch them. Got it?"

Rei deadpanned and faced forward, not even bothering to reveal that the cause of her mother's pain was more than likely due to hemorrhoids rather than uneven pavement. Instead, she nodded and continued her way around the corner and near headquarters.

Once inside the building, Minako glanced in every direction at the busy people running about. She flinched when officers would scurry past her and knock her around.

"Sorry Miss!"

She nodded in acceptance and hurried to catch up to Rei, noting in irony that she didn't want to leave her side at the moment.

"Follow me."

"No problems there."

When they reached a small office, they left the boxes of plants on the cluttered office desk.

"I apologize for the mess. We haven't really had the time to clean things up here."

"Nah, it's cool. But is it always like this?"

"No, I try to run a tight shift."

"I meant the running and the yelling."

"Oh, yes. I suppose that is rather normal behavior."

"Ugh! I would totally hate this lifestyle. I can't stand all this office work stuff." Minako stretched and yawned before lazily sitting on the empty chair. "Hey can I take off my shoes?"

"You most certainly may..." Rei groaned when the girl excitedly through both shoes off her.

"Thanks! My feet were killing me."

"...not" she whispered in annoyance as the girl then plopped her bare feet right on the messy table, knocking down several index cards and pens.

"Oops, sorry. I'll get them!" When Minako dove under the desk, she had not anticipated to bump her head on the side and end up spilling her things all over again. "Dammit! It hurts like hell!"

Rei's tired eyes gave weight as the girl continued to make more of a mess than offer any actual help in the office.

"Why don't we just go around and put these plants in their places, hmm?"

"Yeah, sure. I can do that." Minako hurried to pick up the rest of the index cards only to have them fall out of her hands again.

"No no! Just...go...plants. I will take care of this."

"Okay, will do."

It was only after the office was in satisfactory condition that she joined Minako who was surprisingly doing well in executing her job with the plants. Most likely, it was a result of having worked in the Yamanaka flower shop for as long as she did.

"Hey, Rei?"

She blinked away the familiarity of her name rolling off the girl's tongue.

"Yes?"

"What do you do here exactly? Like job wise? Are you like some secretary, supervisor? Are you like the first mate to the captain or something?" When Rei glanced in confusion at her she quickly became nervous and fidgeted with her buttons. "If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"Foremost, 'first mate' is not an official title for any police officer, in case you didn't know."

"Oh."

Rei's fingernails carefully picked through the tape sealing the boxes. After a few unsuccessful attempts, the sound of ripped taped echoed off the walls. It was only after she carefully brought out one plant at a time, did she signal for Minako to help her get the remainder of the plants.

"But if you must know, at the moment, I oversee the chuunin exams."

Minako's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Really? That is so freaking neat! My dad and uncle won't even let me babysit Ino. And she's twelve. It must be a lot of responsibility."

"Yes, it is."

"Like what kinds of things are you in charge of?" When Rei's face was stern, Minako apologized again. "Sorry, just...never mind."

Only after several minutes of plant watering did Rei glance back at her. Despite the uncertainty on why she was about to speak to the girl, there was no stopping once her lips began to move. And she found herself suddenly at ease. Perhaps it was the fact that she was in her own territory or the company she was currently keeping. But the words fell fast off her tongue, faster than she could control.

"Not only are we focusing on the candidates from the Uchiha estate, but we play an impartial role to some of the tests. Naturally, even Uchiha are not aware of what tests they have to face, so don't you worry there." She doused the small plant with a tiny bit of water before moving to the next. "We also are in charge of security. Anbu guards the Hokage, we are in charge of the major posts and what schedule and duties the police will have in implementing guard shifts. With such a high concentration of people, it could be easy for things to happen. Whether it's village infiltration by enemy nations or even as simple as theft while shopkeepers are away, we have to take into account all of these scenarios in order to keep the village safe. That and implementation of the exam are of high priority so naturally we're a bit busy here getting ready for all that..."

Rei's eyes stole a peek at Minako who was genuinely listening to her small conversation. "I'm sorry, I never meant to ramble."

"I can tell you really enjoy what you do," she smiled and pet the small leaf of the plant as if to greet it. "Hey, I'm getting a bit hungry. Is there anywhere I can get some food here?"

"Yes, there is a vending machine right across in that lobby."

"Great, be right back."

Rei watched her leave with complete curiosity. She wondered why she allowed the girl to linger as long as she did, but in all honesty, she genuinely didn't mind her company. Dusting off the next set of shelves, she waited patiently for the girl to return.

Minako wasted no time in food selection, having brought back several cans of soda, candy bars and chips. Munching on a fudge bar was enough to put her stomach at ease and she reveled in the delicious milk chocolate fudge that filled the crispy wafers she was holding. One bite and a string of fudge caramel was the only connection between her lips and the bar.

"Fucking hell, this is amazing!"

After stuffing the remaining pieces of chocolate into her mouth, her ears twitched at the sound of a familiar name coming from a voice very masculine.

"It is a bit weird without her around, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I miss the reading times we had with her."

"Not only that, but don't you think Itachi has been a little weird too?"

"Must have been a bad break up."

Sidling against the wall nearest to the men, she began to eavesdrop in on the trio's conversation.

"You know it's strange how all of this happened so close together."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, first Rei appears. Then she and Itachi hang out. Then Usagi gets jumped by those Uchiha girls, then Itachi breaks up with her. I mean, it just seems a little too coincidental."

"Really? Conspiracies again?"

"Actually, I'm with Keitaro this time. I mean, it's just kind of...well, weird, for a lack of a better word."

"You don't think Rei actually..."

"Probably. She seems like that type..."

Minako was suddenly lost to their conversation as she immediately felt the presence of a raven-haired girl coming to find her, idly leaning against the wall just like her. She knew Rei must have heard the entire conversation. So sure she was about to hear a verbal assault on the trio, she prepared for the worst only to be disappointed when Rei, instead, turned about and walked away. Her steps were not far off.

"Rei...?"

"I just came to see if you got lost."

"No, I just..."

"Then if you're not lost, let's hurry and finish up. We don't have a lot left to do."

"Okay."

It was quiet. Uncomfortably quiet. As Rei made it a point not to start a conversation, she couldn't help but feel the anxiety build with every minute that only the buzzing sound of that damn appliance kept ringing. She tapped her foot, picked at her nails and whistled, anything to drown out the silence.

"Oh! I got you something. Here!"

Rei curiously picked up the small can of soda that rolled her way. She scrunched her eyebrows when the blonde eerily turned her head to her in a very trance like state.

"I love orange soda."

Not knowing how to accept that comment, she simply slurped the orange contents carefully, making a mental note on how painful it fell down her throat.

"Oh and here! Have some chocolate!"

Not having recovered from the coughs of her burned esophagus, Rei didn't have the energy to dodge the plastic wrapped treat as it slapped her face.

"Oops, sorry!"

Rei grimaced seeing the flattened bar.

"I-i-it was in my butt pocket so it got smushed when I..."

Not even bothering to question her choice of words in regards to her garments, Rei simply took the flattened bar and slowly placed tiny pieces in her mouth. The stale pieces, though, were unsettling to her stomach. That, coupled with the burning throat she still harbored led her to a series of coughing fits.

"Dude! I'm totally sorry. You okay?"

She waved a hand to steer any unnecessary help away.

"I'm...fine..." after a few more coughs she visibly shook the awful experience away. It was why she never bothered with those old candy bars. And she made a mental after-note to have someone check the integrity of their products.

"Maybe I should go get..."

"No, please! Just...just don't. I'll be fine."

"Well, if you're sure." She busied away at dusty shelves as her fallen comrade wiped a hand over her face. "You know, what this place needs?"

"What?"

"More color. Like orange or yellow. I like those colors. What about you? What's your favorite color?"

When Rei sighed away, Minako confused it for not having heard the question.

"I said...WHAT IS YOUR FAV—"

"RED! It's red. Just stop yelling, please. It's giving me a headache."

"Red? It's not quite orange but...I like it. It's...flashy...bold."

"Right."

A small lapse of quiet ensued before Minako plopped down on the floor.

"Man, I need more food. Like something with cheese! Do you like cheese?"

"Do I like what?"

"Cheese! You know, like the food?"

"I...I guess it's okay."

"Then what do you like? Soba? Sushi? Pizza?"

"Look, I'm really not in the mood for any of this interrogation. So please, just stop with the random biographical questions."

"Rei?"

"What now?" She groaned as she futilely attempted to regain a good work pace.

"Those guys back there. What they said..."

Rei immediately narrowed her eyes and rubbed the shelf harder than necessary. She made a point to avert her gaze completely from prying eyes.

"Nothing. Just ignore it."

Unsure how to go about the subject, Minako placed her head on the small cabinet. She stared out the windows, watching as people carelessly ran amok, weaving in and out of each other's way in a messy fashion. It was only when the sounds of that dratted electrical appliance began to buzz did she decide to break the ambiance.

"Does everyone...do they all say those things about you?"

"It's none of your concern."

"I know...but I just thought...I guess...what I'm trying to say is, they shouldn't just assume you're that type of person."

Rei swore she heard her whisper how she shouldn't have assumed such a thing either. It was because of that statement that she tilted her head for the second time that afternoon with regards to the young girl before her. And with a raised eyebrow, she quickly scanned her facial expressions for anything sarcastic that would break the mood. When there was a genuine pregnant pause, she lowered her gaze to the wooden patterns on the floor.

"Look, I..."

"Yeah?"

"I-I think that's all for now. I will relieve you of your duties as of this moment. Rest assured I will ensure your uncle that the delivery was successful."

"Oh, well thanks. But what about...?"

Rei took a deep breath and offered a very small bow in response.

"Good-bye, Minako."

Her cheeks grew a small tint of red at the soft caress of her voice. She quickly shook the thought away.

"I still don't like you, by the way."

"I'm still indifferent to you, for that matter."

Minako's smile was almost invisible. "Well, see ya."

Rei watched with mixed feelings as the girl disappeared out of sight and onto the busy streets. She told herself that it was a smirk and most certainly not a smile when the aforementioned blonde almost tripped and screamed for more than likely having inflicted more damage to her mother's spinal column.

"Bye..."

It most certainly was not a smile.

---

The bright windy day was not all reflective of her mood.

Didn't the weather know that if she was feeling gloomy, it shouldn't be clear skies and sunny? No, rain was definitely something she needed today. Or a quick bout of snow, ice and harsh winds. Something dark, something cloudy, something gloomy, something far from the bright beautiful day. Definitely something more...

Usagi's mouth dropped sharply and a small chill ran from her cheeks to her spine and all the way down to her toes. She immediately rose from her lying position and danced back and forth on her toes. The glare she bore was the first greeting she gave her newest company.

"Why...would you do that?"

She visibly shook off the frigid feeling of an ice cold beverage pressed tightly on her cheek. Quick slaps allowed her the chance to regain feeling in her skin.

"I was just wondering if you wanted a drink. It's kind of dry today; my mouth is parched. Figured you were suffering from the same thing. Excuse me for being kind."

Her glare didn't even faze her teammate who casually sat where she once was and sipped his drink bit by bit.

"You're early."

"Haruka-sensei said not to be late."

"That's never stopped you before. Usually, Hotaru has to come drag you out of bed. Or our sensei has to douse you with cold water. It's highly unlike you to show up so early."

"People change."

"Change is good."

Her head dropped immediately, counting the number of fish in the nearby stream. After a moment of silence, she almost forgot he was still there."Yeah, it's great." She collapsed on the grass beside her former boulder. Staring blankly at the blue sky, she began to drown out the world around her once again.

He stopped his drinking to gaze at her near sleeping form. It was strange, but if his eyes weren't deceiving him, he could have sworn the girl was just a tad more skinny and pale. Perhaps allowing her to sleep in the extra sunlight would do her good. He was about to leave her be until another glance at her body allowed him to see something that struck him as rather peculiar and so very unlike her.

"What's up with your hair?"

"Huh? What?" Her eyes opened groggily at his voice.

"You usually keep it in two odango. It's in one ponytail now."

Usagi ran delicate fingers through her golden hair as she observed her own choice of hairstyles. "Oh, I guess I just didn't have the time."

"Time?" He took one huge gulp of his drink before tossing away the can in a nearby bin. "Or energy?"

"What difference does it make?"

His eyes were low as she pulled her knees up to her chin.

"I don't see your notebook. Usually you draw when we have free time. I also noticed you don't down food like you used to. In fact, I can't remember the last time you had a slice of cheesecake."

"I...don't...I don't really have any inspiration for art right now. Or motivation for that matter. So I just haven't bothered with it at all. And, lately, I just...haven't been that hungry either. Plus you guys are always saying I should watch my weight so..."

"That doesn't sound like you at all. I've never seen you, well, not hungry. And not having inspiration never stopped you before. Usually you're at least doodling about things that happened in your day."

"Yeah, I guess. But, I don't know. I just, don't have the energy to do anything."

"Not even eat?"

"Well, I still eat..."

"But not much."

"I eat just fine. There's nothing to worry about."

He blankly observed the rest of her face, not at all happy with her dismissive attitude of her health and well being.

"Your eyes have bags."

"That's because I forgot to put on my foundation. I usually wear make-up."

"No, you usually get more than enough sleep."

Usagi fidgeted nervously as he began to prod more.

"Where is your choker? You usually wear it. For good luck right? Minako gave it to you, didn't she? I've never seen you go on a mission without it."

"I left it at home," she whispered.

"Usagi..."

She looked away, not wanting to see his face.

"...what's really going on?"

"Nothing, I'm okay."

"But..."

"Look, Seijuuro, it's fine. I just...I haven't been feeling well lately is all."

"Do you want to tell Haruka that you need to stay behind? I mean, if you're feeling..."

"No, I'm fine. I won't jeopardize the mission or hold you back if that's what you're worried about."

"It's not. I just..."

"I can handle myself."

"You sure there's nothing wrong?

"I'm sure."

Usagi's heart skipped a beat at his next words.

"Has that Uchiha guy contacted you?"

When her eyes glistened with held tears, he sighed and awkwardly looked away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be so forward, I just...ah, forget it."

The birds began to chirp wildly as they fought the oncoming gust. Sweat fell from her brow, her breathing quickened just slightly and she rested her head on her teammate's boulder, the weight of the world suddenly much too heavy to bear.

"No, he hasn't. Not since..."

"If I had known about...well you know I wouldn't have let them do that."

"I know, Seijuuro."

"I'm surprised he didn't stop them."

"It's fine."

"No. No it isn't."

"I don't care anymore."

"But..."

"STOP, OKAY? JUST STOP!"

He visibly flinched from her outburst.

"I'm tired of everyone asking me if I'm okay! I'm tired of everyone telling me to go talk to him!"

She carefully paced about the training fields and ignored the spectacle she was making for him.

"Everyone thinks that all I do in my life is draw or stuff my face down with crap or go shopping. I mean, so what if I don't eat a lot anymore? And you know, I don't really gain anything from drawing either. And I don't know why I even bother shopping anymore. It's just more crap I have to clean up in my apartment anyway. Do I really need it?"

"Usagi..."

"I feel like I'm just wasting away all my life. Everyone is doing...all these awesome things and what have I accomplished, huh? Nothing! It's no wonder he doesn't like me. I mean, look at me! I'm useless!"

He opened his mouth but opted not to reply.

"No wonder he likes her better. No wonder he doesn't want me near his son. No wonder it was so easy for him to walk away. What am I? What the hell do I even mean?! Why am I here? Why am I still doing any of this?!"

She collapsed once more to the floor.

"I don't...I don't know what I'm doing anymore. Everyday now, I just, sit there. I don't feel like doing anything. I just...I stare at my walls and before long, it's already evening."

She wiped away a few strands of tears.

"I think to myself, what did I do before all of this? How did I pass up the time? And I can't remember at all what it was. I can't. So I just sit there, and think. About where I am, where I'm going. Where everyone else is, where I'm not. And I just...I feel so tired from it all. I'm just so so tired."

Nothing he said could have consoled her, and so he said nothing. Instead, allowed small tears to escape her eyes. And he realized then how completely useless he was to her at the moment.

"Before, he used to come over often. We would play games, eat, talk about life. With him, I always felt I had a sense of direction. Whenever I got lost and didn't know what my next plan was, he was always there to offer advice. It was almost like, we were a team ourselves. Just us." She chuckled a bit thinking of all the times they goofed off. "And whenever I was sad, he would always just pick a fight with me. Like he was...letting me vent. And then afterwards, he would always know just the right thing to say to me. To make me feel better."

She smiled to herself at the moments when he would let his guard drop, even if just a little.

"I remember one time, I got really sick and stayed in bed. He came over and wasn't too thrilled at seeing me slouched over the toilet. I thought he would just leave. But he didn't." She held her mouth to quiet the crazy giggles. "He got my apron and started making me some type of soup. And he remembered. He remembered that I like my cabbage shredded. He remembered that I liked beef more than chicken. He remembered not to make the potatoes too squishy. And I...no one has ever done that for me before. No one ever remembered anything about me. No one stopped to do those things for me. No one brought me little gifts from their trips. No one stopped to ask me on the holidays if I was going to be alone. No asked me how I liked my eggs. No one told me everything was going to be okay. No one helped me train. No one was there to help me work on my math. All my life I was alone. I had to do everything by myself. I mean, I had friends, but they always had their own families. They had something they could call their own. There was never something that I just had. And then he came and...I never wanted him to go away."

She covered her face in shame to the oncoming tears and stifled sobs. Seijuuro looked away and back, completely unprepared for his crying teammate.

"I miss him so much. I miss his voice. I miss his stupid brooding. I miss his asshole attitude. I miss his aloofness. I just...miss him."

Completely exhausted from her outburst, she rolled over on the grass until her chin was tickled by the greenery. Leaves began to fall all about her from the nearby tree. And she paid no mind as tiny bugs once in awhile came to gather on her bun. She ignored the sounds of bees desperately trying to prepare for colder seasons. She ignored the far off cry of busy people running about the market. She ignored the howling wind as it began to pick up more and more. She didn't allow herself to think of any of that.

"I...I know there's nothing I can do to console you, so I won't try."

Her ears twitched at her teammate's voice which was sounding much softer than normal.

"I've...I've always had family. Natsumi, my parents, my uncles, my grandpa. They've been around so I really don't know what it feels like to not have them. Since I was little, I've never really been alone. There was always someone there. Someone to share my time with. I couldn't possibly even begin to think what it feels like to not have them with me. To grow up alone. And I know this doesn't really seem like a big deal for you, but I always thought maybe, well, that our team was a family too."

She propped herself on her elbows, curious to his now suddenly shy demeanor.

"I'm not the best cook so Hotaru might have to make your eggs how you like them. I'm not that good at bored games, but, eh, I'll give them a go. What I'm saying is, if you ever want to just hang out, we're there. Doesn't have to be anything big. You can just come over and relax or whatever. We can train at the dojo too. Until you figure things out. Until you get things back together."

"T-thank you. I mean, I don't..."

"It's up to you. But if you're bored, we don't mind the company."

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind."

"So, then, does this mean you're going to start eating a bit better now? We have a cook at the main branch. I'll tell him to make a strawberry cheesecake for you. Deal is, I'll only give it to you if you eat it all..." he immediately cut off her open mouth, "...in one sitting."

"Uh, sure?"

"Good, and stop crying over that guy. If he's going to make you feel like shit, then just forget about him."

"Seijuuro..."

"Don't cry for people who don't care, Usagi."

"I just, he said..."

"What he says is irrelevant. It's what he does that matters. And I don't care if he claims to be your friend because whether or not he is a friend is not up to him to decide."

"What are you saying I should do?"

"I think you just need to live your life. Whatever that may be. Don't worry about what was and what could have been or what could be. Just...live. As long as you're further along than where you were before, that's progress. That's achievement. We all work at our own pace. But we can't go anywhere if we don't live for the now. If you worry too much about what other people have accomplished, it's only going to make you feel worse. Worry about what Usagi has done. Just think how far you've come along. And the people who truly care about you, will never judge you for things like that, so don't worry about the people that don't care about you. Because at the end of the day, what could they possibly mean to you? How important could they honestly be?"

"Yeah, that's...that's true."

"So, do you think you're going to be okay for this mission? It's not too late to call off sick."

"No, no...getting out of the village and being with you guys. Getting away from this all. It's definitely what I need. And while I can't promise I won't think about Itachi, I will say that I can at least think about you guys too."

"Sounds fair enough." He was attentive to the oncoming duo. "Whoa, sensei alert. Better wipe off that face."

"Right." She hurriedly rubbed her face and faked a yawn as her sensei and Hotaru reached their area.

"Well well, Usagi early for a change? This must be an omen."

"Aww come on Haruka-sensei. You're always telling me I should be on time so, here I am."

"Well I'm glad you're taking your role more seriously."

"Don't worry, sensei, I'll be there to make sure Usagi doesn't fuck this up for everyone."

Knowing it was all in good jest, Usagi merely stuck out a sideways tongue for her comrade.

"All right, let me stop you two before this becomes full on war. Hotaru, join the ranks."

Hotaru did just that and the three were immediately granting their leader all the attention she demanded.

"I'm going to assume you went over the maps and schematics. It's really important. We need to be able to naturally navigate the compound. Considering it's a place we never visited before, I shouldn't have to stress how much at a disadvantage we will all be in. It's important we increase our success rate, even by one percentage. It will make all the difference."

Seijuuro and Usagi looked amused by their teammate's little quirk of raising her hand to ask a question. This wasn't the academy anymore.

"Haruka-sensei, is the scroll really all there is to retrieve?"

"Ah. That is a stolen scroll from our village. At the moment, they can't open it without the right seals. Another reason why you also can't be caught. We don't know what genjutsu capabilities or torture the enemy will resort to; therefore, let's just avoid the situation. We go in and out without being spotted. Seijuuro, I'm counting on you to give us cover going in. I'm going to need you to put a few under your genjutsu. Try to assimilate into their ranks to give us some recon."

"I will."

"Hotaru, I need you as standby with Seijuuro. Genjutsu casting can put him vulnerable to anyone coming from behind. Have your weapons ready to give him the backup he needs for anyone sneaking up."

"Of course."

"And you, Usagi. You have the most important role of all."

"Me, sensei?"

"Ah."

"What is that?"

"Your job is to take the scroll. Once I survey the area and Hotaru and Seijuuro have cleared it for you, you take the scroll and run. Don't look back, don't try to help your teammates. Everyone will be coming after only you once they learn you have the scroll. So don't dally about. Just run. This is important Usagi."

"You really think...I can do it?"

"Ah. You're the fastest one on our team. I trust you completely with this."

"Sensei..."

"And I know how you are. But remember that getting this out of enemy hands is the priority. So you need to focus only on running. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Haruka-sensei."

"Good. Once we're out of the compound, it will be a tag team with you and me to confuse the enemy. The rest of you are to get out of there and rendezvous at the place I designate. Now does everyone understand their role?"

The three gave a very firm nod and bowed in acceptance to their mission.

"With any luck, we'll leave this place unscathed. Now, let's go!"

As she gave her verbal recognition to the command, as she followed her sensei and teammates close by, as she walked past the gates of the village and into lands unknown, Usagi couldn't help the shake of anticipation.

This mission was exactly what she needed to get her mind off the situation at hand. A way to shake away the old. It was moments like these, where her team placed so much trust on her that she recalled why it was worth it at all. Knowing that Haruka-sensei trusted her so much, knowing that at the end of the day, her friends were genuinely there for her was enough. And she couldn't stop the smile on her face as she shed away the weight of everything from before. She remembered Seijuuro's words and her friends. She remembered how in spite of all her pain, they really were there for her. Right from the very beginning. She wondered how she could have ever forgotten them so.

She could see Minako's finger shake in disapproval and smiled at the fond memory of her words of wisdom.

Usagi you shouldn't let that old man get you down. You're better than that. You know what they say "Better a diamond in the straw then a needle in the hay."

She shook her head at Makoto's near attempt at murder.

Psst, Usagi. Minako and I found the perfect place to hide the bodies. Just tell us who were those bitches that ganged up on you.

Her smile grew at Ami's soft face.

Usagi, you know, they say chamomile is great for relieving stress. If you want, I can also get you into the spa for free. Just us two.

The beautiful lush greenery and crystal clear blue waters would soon no longer be there to greet her. But it didn't matter.

Don't worry about what was or could have been...

A small leaf fell and she grasped it in her hand.

We all work at our own pace...

In order for things to change, the old had to shed away for the new.

Just live...

And as she delicately let the small leaf fall, she thought with great excitement how wonderful it would all be.

End Chapter.

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Author's Notes:

Oh my god. I updated! I actually freakin' updated.

I SINCERELY apologize to people who were waiting like two years for this chapter. But it is here. I have been super busy with life but am trying to make a comeback as I have missed my ItaUsa and fanfics.

So hope you guys forgive me. Let me know what you think. And if you are confused about me and why this was posted the way it was, read my bio please.

Thank you all for your support. I really do read your messages and miss you. Keep rooting for me and stay tuned for more updates. Although I probably will no longer update here, feel free to message me. Otherwise, look to my profile for ways to contact me.

~Icehaze