Chapter One - Do Not Be Afraid
Watch out, Pink-eye! Akuma snapped in frustration. Her cold chakra cut sharply through Tenshi's system and set fire to the shinobi at Itachi's back. He whipped around and stabbed the enemy through the throat. Akuma shifted her chakra to work against Tenshi's current opponents.
Once they were cut down, the two went about collecting and sealing away the heads for the bounties. Itachi stopped in front of Tenshi and nodded. "Thank you, Akuma," he murmured.
Whatever, Dracula.
Tenshi beamed. "She says you're welcome!"
What? No I fucking don't.
"And she says you did an amazing job today!"
Seriously, shut the fuck up. What's wrong with you? Just— You know what, just collect the bounties. I'm so done.
Itachi raised an eyebrow. "You seem unusually nice today, Akuma. How . . . amusing." With that said, he turned and started walking North towards the closest bounty office.
Say that to my face, you bastard! I'll rip that ponytail right off, just watch me.
You don't have a face, Akuma.
Hey, now, you don't have to be so rude about it.
Tenshi just giggled and skipped to keep up with Itachi. She hooked her arm through his. "Look at what a good job we did today! Plus, the world now has seven fewer human traffickers and it's better for it."
He sighed and gently extracted himself from her grip. "I will never understand you or your ethical alignments."
"So you've said. And I've told you before that I don't have the luxury of choosing." She stubbornly took his arm again. "You chose to do this; I didn't."
He studied her for a moment and nodded. "I know. And if you had one?"
"Had one what?"
"A choice. What would you do if you had a choice?"
"I . . . ." Tenshi frowned. "I don't know. I don't want to be alone. I mean, I know that with Akuma, I'm never really alone, but it's not the same as someone physical." She shrugged. "I think I'd leave if I had a choice, but only if I wasn't going to be alone."
"Hmm."
She tilted her head to the side. "Why so curious, Itachi-kun? Normally you just like to listen to me talk."
"Sasuke graduates this month."
"Oh?" She blinked and relaxed a grip on him a bit. "And?"
"You know the truth. Don't ask me that question."
"Right. So, you're worried about him."
And he's right to be. Baby Uchiha's life is about to go to hell.
Tenshi stopped, blinking. Itachi paused a couple steps ahead and looked back. "What is it?"
"Akuma. One second." She frowned. What do you mean?
Just sayin' that his life is basically doomed now.
Something must have showed on her face, because Itachi stepped forward with his brow creased in concern. "What's she saying?"
"Um . . . . Nothing good. Just that, well." Tenshi hesitated. "Sasuke's life is about to, quote, 'go to hell.'"
His expression drew thin. "What does that mean? How— No, what does that mean?"
He's screwed, Pink-eye. Your baby brother is screwed.
Tenshi passed the message along, translating it into something a bit nicer. Itachi's fists clenched. "How does she know that?" he mumbled. "She always knows things that there's no way she should know."
"I've asked. She's never explained. But . . . well, she hasn't been wrong yet, has she?"
His jaw tightened and he glanced to the side. "No," he practically forced out. "She hasn't."
Tenshi gently drew her hand back from him and considered him for a long moment. "What are you going to do about it?"
"I . . . I don't know."
Don't think you can complain about him getting hurt if you aren't gonna do a damn thing to stop it. Man the hell up.
Tenshi hesitated. "Akuma seems to think you should do something. And . . . she hasn't been wrong yet." She shrugged. "You asked me about my choice. Well, this is yours."
His gaze snapped to her and his sharingan was melting into a pattern she'd only seen once before. Tenshi smiled. "We turn these heads in and we'll have money to get away. And between us, we're skilled enough to avoid anyone Nagato sends after us."
"We?"
Her smiled turned into a grin. "If I go with you now, I wouldn't exactly be alone, would I?"
"Tenshi and Itachi missed check-in and bounty drop-off."
Pein frowned, tapping his fingers against the table. "They've never missed before."
"Maybe something went wrong." The way Konan twisted her lip piercing was the only sign of anxiety. "Maybe we should send someone to check up on them."
"No. Not yet. We'll give them until the next check in a day from now. Perhaps they've just fallen behind. Hidan and Kakazu did the same just recently."
"But Hidan and Kakazu are not Tenshi and Itachi."
"Of that I'm well aware. Two days. And then we'll send Sasori and Deidara to make sure they're alive."
She tensed at his choice of words but managed a nod. "Of course," she murmured. "Whatever you say."
This is a bad idea. This is a bad idea. This is a bad idea. Oh my god, we're so fucked. You've fucked us. We're doomed. Screwed. It's all over.
Tenshi stared at the Village walls in the distance. "I don't think it's that bad."
Itachi glanced at her and his brow furrowed. She shot him a smile. "Akuma," she said simply.
"Ah." He nodded and stepped back. "I'll be here."
"Great! Let's do this!" She started forward. Something snatched at her arm, pulling her to a stop. She looked back to find Itachi holding her wrist tightly. Tenshi frowned. "What is it?"
His sharingan scanned her face and she held her breath, counting the heartbeats in the time it took him to speak. "Thank you," he managed. "And be careful."
Tenshi blinked. And then she beamed. "Of course! And take care of yourself too. I shouldn't be gone too long, but I don't want to come back to find you've been skipping your meds."
A weak smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. "I wouldn't dream of it."
With that said, she delicately extracted herself from his hold and headed off. It was another mile at least to the Village and she felt the absence of another physical presence like an itch on her skin that she couldn't quite scratch.
Shut up. You still have me.
Aw, don't think for a second that I don't appreciate you, Aku-chan.
Call me that again and I'll find a way to barbecue your insides.
You're so sweet. Here's to hoping we don't die.