You, a naruto fanfic

A\N: Just something random I was thinking about one day, I'm not really sure... Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor you.

You didn't want to admit it, but these nightly visits with him were what kept you up in the middle of the night. You anticipated that earthly smell of his. The slight scent of rain underneath it. It gave you chills, even after all this time.

"Back again, I see." You spoke even before you had caught a glimpse of him in your peripheral.

You knew he was there. Every night he would be, like clockwork.

You felt his arms wrap around you from behind and your shoulders immediately relaxed upon contact. His build was strong against you, his arms like weights holding you against him. The both of you knew it wasn't necessary though. You weren't going anywhere.

Itachi made a noise in the back of his throat before he dropped his chin on your shoulder, heaving a deep sigh that showed just how exhausted he truly was. It was to be expected, of course. Itachi was always known for overworking himself, even when he didn't have to. He was a perfectionist that way.

You smiled and reached up with both hands to rub at his arms holding you to him. The tension you'd previously felt from him was slowly slipping away and before you knew it, he was like putty in your hands.

"I missed you." He murmured quietly, his breath hot on your neck.

He didn't need to say it. You knew how he felt.

Your smile faltered for a brief moment before you wiggled around in his arms to face him. With reluctance, he allowed you to and quickly, you were face to face with the eldest Uchiha; the love of your life.

You wish you could say it was the same man you had initially fallen for but, looking at him now compared to how you've previously viewed him, life seemed to have been drained straight from his veins. You frowned. Reaching up, you cupped his face and with nimble fingers, traced the exhaustion lines from the bridge of his nose downward.

"Itachi,"

Having closed his eyes at the contact of your warm touch, he slowly reopened them to look into your worried ones.

"I know what you're going to say." He responded tiredly.

You did have a habit of repeating it often.

You leaned closer. "Then why do you insist on pushing yourself? Do you simply enjoy worrying me that much?"

This time, it was his turn to frown. Your heart tugged at the sight.

"That is the farthest thing from my mind," He argued. "But you can only imagine what it's like out there."

Of course you had tried to get him to walk away from it all, begged him even, but Itachi was nothing if not committed to his atonement. He was set in his ways and even you, the light of his entire existence, was nothing more than a shadow in the grand scheme of things; even if he didn't say it aloud.

You wanted to scold him. To lecture him more. Shake him, if that was what it took. But ultimately, Itachi was not bound by any law but his own. He came and went like the wind. And trying to deter him from a mission was impossible, if not outrageous in its own right.

"I wish you'd rethink this, Itachi." You sighed, closing your eyes as if to block out the migraine rearing its ugly head.

Itachi had closed the gap between the both of you and gently pressed his forehead against yours. His breath was on your face now and you felt your heart hammer in your chest, for one too many reasons. His arms had entangled you, preventing you from any escape if you had even imagined one. Not like you would. You could never run from this man. Even if you did, he would always find you. Itachi Uchiha was persistant, after all.

"You know I cannot." He reminded, though he didn't have to. You knew. Of course, you knew.

"Stupid," You muttered. You didn't mean it.

"I know," He replied, leaning forward to softly brush his lips against yours.

The contact was brief, but loving. You wanted more. You always did. However-

You pulled away, putting a hand to his chest when he chased after you. Tonight was going to be the night. It has to be.

"Please don't," He murmured quietly, his dark eyes on full display of every emotion he normally kept hidden away. "Not tonight..."

It was like this every night he came back to you.

Not tonight.

Some other time.

It can wait.

Please.

It couldn't be any other night. Not anymore.

You reached up and took his face back into your hands, smiling softly. "I love you, Itachi," You began, eyes shining in the dim light. "And it's because I love you, that I have to do this."

Itachi's lips parted to speak, but you brushed your thumb against them to keep the words at bay. He wouldn't change your mind. Not this time.

"You have to stop this foolish charade. Take off that stupid mask, I can see how exhaustive it is." She scolded. "Get out of this darkness you repeatedly find yourself in and go home. Tell your brother the truth. Remind him that you're still that older brother who loves him more than life itself. You're a Leaf Shinobi, Itachi. Stubbornly loyal to the very end. Konohagakure is your home, your birthright. And Akatsuki is nothing against the Will of Fire."

They'd been over this numerous times before. Itachi wouldn't have been concerned if it was just another lecture by you except, it wasn't just another lecture. Your firm tone and the distance you were steadily putting between the both of you was enough to shatter his world. He knew what this meant.

You were leaving.

"Please," You were sure you were the only one who had ever heard Itachi beg before. He'd never stoop to such levels of pleading to anyone else but you. And that's how you knew you were close to breaking him. And though it ripped you apart from the inside, you didn't let that deter you from your goal.

He whispered your name, the sound catching between the both of you with fervor. He repeated it over and over again, like a mantra. And pulled you close to him, crushing you to his chest as if the mere thought of loosening his grip would send you away. He spoke of all of his affection for you, his adoration of the woman in his grasp lighting up every word he said. He needed you to know. Felt like you never would understand just how much he loved you, how much he needed you.

But, you knew. He never had to say it aloud. You've always known. And though he swore he'd never find someone else that could even come close to the radiance you've bestowed upon his life, you assured him he was wrong.

He wasn't sure how long he'd sat there with you wrapped in his arms, pleading his case to remain by your side, eventually his grip started to slacken. He couldn't hold onto you forever, he knew, as much as he wished he could.

"You're so strong, my love," Your smile was fading and a lot faster than he imagined it would in this moment. "I know you'll be okay. You can do this."

He tried to hold onto you for another moment longer. He was sure his grip hadn't loosened in the slightest. But right before his very eyes, you slipped through his grasp and in bubbles of brilliant golden lights, you were gone.

2 years later.

He couldn't say how long he'd stood in front of your grave. It was like his feet were rooted to the spot and his mind had completely shut down. He was sure he had gotten their early this morning, but before he knew it, the sun had slowly started to set on the day. He sighed, glancing down at the envelope in his left hand once more.

It was from you. You had written it months before you had died. It was like you knew your time was coming and you were preparing for it; perhaps already having accepted it with each word you wrote. He found himself rereading it at least every other day. When thoughts of you became too much and he wanted to just hear something from you, anything at all. Each letter of every word was written so gracefully and precise, like you took your time crafting such beauty that it must have taken you the entire day, or multiple ones to complete.

He could just picture you sitting at your desk, a blanket around your shoulders to keep the draft out, looming over a sheet of paper with your pen hovering over the page to write your deepest thoughts imaginable. And oh, were they deep.

Itachi caught himself crying every time he picked up the letter, even after all this time. Each word he read in your soft voice that he swore he could hear being whispered in his ear. Each time was almost too much to bear, that he often had to take breaks in between each paragraph.

But, you had been correct.

He had made it through. When he had finally gotten over the initial grief of their final goodbye, Itachi had set out to do what you wanted for him. The situation with the Akatsuki was difficult, of course; still is, but he got out. He found his little brother and told him the truth about the massacre and what he was ordered to do that night. Aside from the rough start back to Konoha with Sasuke, the amount of apologies and the list of ways he had to make up for his absence and abuse to his brother, they both found their way back to their home.

It wasn't perfect, of course. He didn't expect it to be. There was a lot of shade being thrown his way, and by the village he had given his freedom for; However, he knew it was going to be a work in progress if he were to ever have a fresh start in his village again. There was a lot of steps to be taken. So many, in fact, that there were occasions where Itachi didn't believe that he could be redeemed in their eyes. He knew their opinion didn't matter but, what you had planned for him after your death, seemed like it was all being put to waste when he stepped foot back in the Land of Fire.

At first, anyway.

It had taken quite a bit of time he wasn't sure he had left but, he had made somewhat of a life back home again. Both him and his brother had decided to fix up the Uchiha estate, opening up and renting out the vacant houses to the public. It hadn't gone over well in the beginning, as everyone was still aware of the grisly murders that had taken place, but with some help from Sasuke's close friends and classmates from the Academy, the houses were soon being filled one by one.

The village had begun to accept the Uchiha brothers back into their lives, as part of their community, and before long, even walking outside was enough to warrant a friendly conversation from a neighbor or passerby.

As it stood, life in Konohagakure was starting to become familiar once again.

"And to think, it all started with your faith in me." Itachi whispered down at your headstone, smiling with gentle eyes.

I miss you, my love. Each and every day. And though it isn't just as you said, I'm trying to make it work. If not for me, then for you.

He stood there for a few minutes longer. Allowing the gentle breeze to give him air he hadn't realized he'd been withholding. Blinking what was left of his tears, Itachi exhaled shakily before straightening his back and turning... almost colliding into another.

"A-Ah, sorry!" The short female jumped back and bowed her head low. "I didn't mean to interrupt, I just-"

Itachi blinked slowly, only half listening to her ramble out her apologies. From his vantage point, all he saw was a small woman with pink hair and a deep red kimono with white flowers seemingly floating down it. He hadn't heard her approach, far too absorbed in his own thoughts to have been paying attention. A careless move on his part, he surmised.

"There's no need to apologize," He cut in, figuring if he didn't stop her now, she'd go on all night. "I should have been watching where I was going."

Quickly, the pinkette straightened her spine and looked up. Emerald orbs caught obsidian. She looked awfully familiar and though the pink hair should have been a dead giveaway, it was only when she looked at him did he suddenly recognize her. She was his brother's teammate. But, what was her name again...

"I really am sorry. I was just paying my respects when I saw you standing here... You looked really deep in thought, I didn't want to disturb you but..." She suddenly glanced away, her cheeks flaring to a sight he hadn't seen in a long time. It was quite endearing.

"...Let's just say, I was standing there watching you for longer than I care to admit." She finished quietly, her tone barely above a whisper and he was sure he had heard her wrong.

While it should have unnerved him despite having the village watch your every move for even longer, he was sure she had only kept watch over him because she was worried something was wrong. No one typically spent an entire day in a cemetery. Ironically enough, he always felt calmer after paying his respects.

He smiled gently.

"Thank you..." He squinted at her slightly, trying to put a name to her face but she easily offered it to him. She had a feeling he wouldn't have remembered her anyway; what with her endless shifts at the hospital and being sent out on missions left and right, she wasn't around as often as she would have liked.

"Sakura." She smiled in return, holding her hand out for him to take.

The second he did, the warmth that enveloped him nearly shook him to the core. An earlier memory of you reminding him that happiness would soon wrap him in its embrace was enough to force the air out of him and yet, his breath to hitch in his throat, like someone was wrapping their hand around it.

"Itachi," He spoke slowly, clearly, as if he were saying it for the first time and he wanted it to be perfect.

Her smile was bright, radiant. Something he hadn't seen in a very long time and he felt himself relax at the sight. He didn't know what it was, what initially drew him to ask her out for tea, but as he escorted the both of them out of the cemetery, he found himself feeling just that much lighter with every step.

A single butterfly flapped its golden wings overhead, seemingly in perfect harmony to the outside world before gracefully flying off where the sun met the hills.