Memories Of the Past And Present
By: The New Girl Of Lycanthropy
Itachi wandered around the small room that would soon be the battleground for him and his brother's fighting. He was reminiscing, thinking about the times before. Before the hurt, the pain, the suffering...
But none of that mattered right now. The point was that Itachi had prepared for the battle, and was prepared to ultimately lose. His life was nearing to and end. Simple as that. But he wanted to end it happily, or at least as happily as he could.
So he was going through his memories, and trying to find the importance and contentment in each one. He remembered his little brother, naive but bright, trying to beat him during training. He remembered carrying his brother back to the compound, and chuckling at his resilience. He shared this with Sasuke, and both would have time to think- not much time to talk- about their family.
Itachi knew the circumstances behind him murdering his family. They were explainable; the Konoha government indirectly presented him with an ultimatum. And he had certainly chosen. But that didn't make his feelings any less deep on the subject.
Thankfully, some memories were his. Some things he could keep to himself. He thought about the man, Madara, that he spent a great deal of his strength avoiding. Even if Madara had helped him during that horrible massacre, it was that time and that time only. He had cleverly deceived Madara on a few things though; Madara believe him to had massacred everyone. Family, friends, lover. But some of these he was wrong on. One in particular.
His lover, who was the same age as him, had known of his plan. She knew the risks. She knew that her chances of survival were slim, but for her, he had come through. For her.
He heard a distinct sort of mumbling sound, and went to sit down in the throne-like chair. He already knew who it was, but didn't know what the noise was. He listened more intently for a few more minutes, and realized that it was someone upset. Someone crying.
He got up and look towards a dark corner of the room. He saw the person curled up in the corner, long white bangs covering her face that was slumped on her knees. her arms were wrapped around her legs, holding them against her chest. Her hair was boy short in the back, and a deep purple that mixed into the bangs. He remembered that he never liked her hair; she found it ugly and uncooperative. But he found it beautiful, and suited just to his liking. When he was young, he would tease her that fate made it so that her hair was like that just for him.
As he walked over, he remembered his connection his life. It's entirety. He had matured at a young age, like her. They both experienced that trauma of war and hatred. She had become a nomad at a young age, and orphan of the same war, and had drifted into Konoha. Then she met him.
He had never even dreamed, or imagined, that someone would be similar to him. He had fit in enough to survive in Konoha society. But he felt detached, from most people. Inside his family, he could survive- with his mother, and brother, and possibly even his father. He just knew that he could not survive another war. She understood that. She accepted him completely.
They had had so much to talk about. Their families, their lives. Then they had so much to do, once they discovered their maturity. Madara had only know that they were lovers because of the one- and Itachi made sure it was only once- time that he had seen her. The girl had been pregnant.
Another memory. The dual joy and fear of a child, all his own. Sadly, she had miscarried; Itachi could never prove why, but he knew what had caused it. Madara's visit to her. Right before the massacre, the only other person outside of his family that wasn't involved and still knew it was going to happen was her. And Madara made sure to leave his mark of intimidation on those he came in contact with. At least, when he could.
She had been so much more depressed, but had gone with him. She had loved him, and him her. She had followed him to Akatsuki. He had gotten her to safety, away from Madara, and any other Uchiha. Besides him of course. Nevertheless, he had doubted that she would care about him after the atrocity he would commit.
But she had surprised him. She had cared for him, and stayed with him the entire way. And now, he was standing over top of her, watching her cry,
It was odd, that she still didn't notice him. Usually, she would notice someone practically a mile away, and now he was standing right on top of her. And she was still in the fetal position.
"Akima, love. Please, come here..." Itachi opened his arms, and Akima snapped her head up in surprise.
"Ugh...god Itachi." She rubbed her eyes. "You scared me. I was...I was just a little emotional, I was remembering..." She tried to hold in more tears, but she broke forth in fresh sobs.
"Ssshhhh, Akima. Please." Itachi murmured. It was unusual for him to say much at all. But he did with Akima.
"Oh my god...Itachi..." She blubbered this out, uncharacteristically loosing control of her emotions. "Don't l-leave me...oh god..."
Itachi wrapped his arms around her, and lifted her off the ground. And simply held her for as long as he could.
"Itachi, I...I know why y-your doing this, but..." She gasped for breath, and looked up at his face. She looked like she was struggling to say something, but she couldn't. She put her arms around his neck, and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Akima," he said, next to her ear. "I love you."
"Oh, I know." She shuddered violently. "I love you, Itachi."
After a few moments, she managed to compose herself, and broke away from Itachi, holding on only to his hands. She stared at him, trying to commit his face at that moment to memory. Itachi did the same, and with even more determination. Where he was going, he would need her face in his mind to stay sane.
"Itachi..." Akima began. "I understand why, I just...you've been with me forever. And now you're leaving, and..." She gasped. "I won't know what to do."
He leaned towards her face and put his forehead against her so that their noses touched. "I'm leaving you in safe hands, Akima. You know where to go, and who to ask what."
"I know." Akima grinned for the one time in the conversation. "You take such good care of me, Itachi. You protected me then" She stopped to stroke his face. "and your protecting me in the very end. Why were you so good to me?" She wondered aloud, the grin slowly disappearing.
It was his turn to smile, and he returned the stroke of the face. "Because your so beautiful."
She let out a dark chuckle, but wasn't smiling. "It can't possibly be because of my hair, of even my face, Itachi. Don't tease me at a time like this."
"Hmm..." He murmured in agreement. "I wasn't talking about your looks, Akima."
She didn't make any face of emotion, but tightened the grip on one of his hands. "Itachi, there's something I haven't told you. Something that...I need you here for it."
Itachi pulled away from her, and cocked his head at this changed of conversation. Akima opened her mouth and closed it again, trying to get the words out. "Itachi, I'm...I'm pregnant, Itachi."
He stopped. He just stopped short. He looked at her face, but with a feeling she couldn't quite place. His hands came to her face, and held it there. Akima's lips trembled, nervous as to her lover's reaction. After a few moments, his eyelids drooped down and closed, thinking. When he opened them, he had a small smile in place.
"Akima, you always did pick the best time to tell me things." Itachi whispered. Akima chuckled softly, and moved back, out of his grasp.
"Yes, I know..." She mumbled. She glanced at his face, which had a look of confusion painted on it at her backing away. She gave him a look of sorrow, and tears continued to stream down her face. "I know you Itachi. You...y-you won't be here, and I know w-why but..." She slowly wiped her face, but it did no good. "B-but you won't be there. I'll need you there Itachi, and you won't b-be there..."
She started to sob once again, and almost collapsed to the floor had Itachi not caught her. He held her again, and stroked what little hair she had.
"Akima, you know why I have to do this." Her sobs grew a little louder, but nothing noticeable. "You're right. I won't be able to be here. You will go from here in a few minutes, and you will get far away. You will go to where I told you to go, without me, and you won't come back for anything. Konan will show you the way if necessary, and might even stop you. Our child will be raised by you, or at least I hope you will, and you will make sure I would've loved them with all my strength; I will die here."
This statement brought Akima to the breaking point, and she screamed in sorrow at what was to come. Itachi, as he then realized had too begun to cry quietly. He put his hand on her stomach, and could feel the mix of chakra there. He kissed Akima's head as she began to attempted calming down, and continued to hold her.
"Do you know what it is?" He asked this somewhat nonchalantly, but the tone isn't what surprised Akima. It was the question. She gasped at air, and looked at Itachi's face.
"Uumm.." She felt around her stomach, hoping to get an answer. She did. "It's- it's a girl." She sniffled. She began to run over her stomach with soothing chakra, and Itachi did the same.
"What are you going to name her?" he asked in a still quiet tone.
"If it was a boy, I was going to name it after my father. If it was a girl, I was going to name it after your mother." She looked for acceptance, and Itachi was a little taken aback at first. He remembered his mother very well. This made him smile, and calmly replied, "I would like that."
Akima tried to smile back, but found it hard. She brushed her hand over his eyes, and then stroked his hair. "I'll miss you." She whispered. She slowly began to move closer to his face, and he supported the back of her head as the shared one last, small kiss. It was short, but passionate, and transferred any feelings that the other had not known was there between the two of them. After a minute, Akima pulled away, and got up, caressing her stomach. Itachi did the same, but then he felt what he knew was someone nearing. Someone he knew. The person he was here for.
"Go, Akima." he said. She looked at him, once last time, but complied. She hugged him one last time, and then, stepped into the shadows. Itachi patiently walked over to the throne-like chair, and focused on Akima's chakra until he knew it was no longer anywhere near the area. He felt Konan come near to guide Akima, and he knew that his lover and child would be safe.
"I will miss you, too, Akima." he murmured. And as soon as he knew she was safe, his brother walked into the room.
'I love you Akima. Tell Mikoto that I did this for you, and her.' And with that last thought, he looked up at the stone face that had become his brother.