Now, when I first heard the theme song for Ayakashi, by Chitose Hajime, I burst into tears because of how MAJESTIC it was. :'D I mean, I don't listen to Japanese songs with lyrics all the time, but this blew me away that it gave me more inspiration for this story that I HAD to include its English lyrics at some point.

Chapter title (and song title) translation: "memento of spring".

Chapter Two

Haru No Katami

The success of Nanboku's play had never felt so good. All the trouble was worth it, despite one minor issue. Although Tenten was getting the best care she could get, and she would be back to normal. Except she was given a new part in a television series that had been on for awhile.

She was so tired when she went home with her father. Since Naruto was still going to school and had a new apartment with his girlfriend, she willingly chose to stay with Minato just to take care of him - until she found a husband, too. He hadn't actually done well since Kushina died years ago, but he was still a good father. Someone had to make sure he was all right. Things would have been much worse if she hadn't taken the part of mother, though not replacing Kushina.

They were all going to relax after the hard work that paid off. That left Grandpa Jiraiya to get back to work on his newest love play which would stage when he would go out of town next time. Even at his age, he enjoyed the adventure and showed no signs of slowing down.

She was at the family house one weekend, both of them home Saturday, and it was that day the doorbell rang when she was preparing lunch for the both of them - nothing but grilled fish, onigiri and ramen! - and Minato burst out into laughter that it made her frown. What could be so funny that her father had to laugh? She turned off the stove so the fish didn't burn and lowered the burner with the noodles to a soft shimmer before leaving the traditional kitchen and finding him in the foyer beneath the warm chandelier - and what he had in his arms shocked her. "Dad, who sent those?! Did you buy them?" Hanaru exclaimed. If you bought them for me, then thank you! A reward for the play's success and my efforts like everyone else!

Minato chuckled and shook his head, giving them to her, which told her they were indeed for her. "No, but the one who did was really clever and has to be lucky. Lavender and blue roses - great mix!"

Indeed, they were beautiful: the delicate lavender ones which, in western tongue, were an expression of the earlier flushes of love - a sensation of being enchanted at first sight. But the lushly hued ones made all the difference especially with the note that was written on the card, leaving out the obvious meaning of the pastels:

Blue roses are rare and unknown in origin, but they are surreal and revered as something - or someone - which is impossible to reach. But NOTHING is impossible.

Someone thought to send her blue roses because they were exotic and mysterious, but not impossible as far as they were concerned. As if they were telling her that regardless of those facts, she was as extraordinary as these flowers were.

But wait: these flowers also meant that you should always proceed with caution. Caution against what? Oh, what does it matter? Hanaru shook her head. There was just so much more positivity, as well, surrounding these magnificent roses, especially when there were new possibilities awaiting you in life, the excitement on the rise - that was the mystery right there! And this person had sent them to tell her just that in this way.

Was she floating up to the clouds? This feeling -?!

What made the greatest difference was the signature: Itachi Uchiha.

The man whom she crushed on since a younger age had sent her a bouquet of sapphire blue and lavender roses, taking her by surprise altogether. Why had he decided he'd do such a thing?! The look from her father as well as the blushing of his skin didn't help either. How could she have reacted the way she did and not notice that her secret love had sent her a bouquet with a clear message? This was honestly too good to be true.

"Dad," Hanaru said, getting herself together and looking him in the eyes, keeping the flowers - all of which gave off a scent combination of tea and spice - close to herself, "I gave him no reason to send me such a present. What do you think?"

He chuckled and took them from her to gently lay down on the rounded table in the middle of the foyer, which had a scenic vase from the Edo period. "I can think of one thing only. I've known that boy as long as I've known my own children. Although that Sasuke has grown into a bit of a handful now, Itachi is a fine one. I saw the way you looked at him - but have you noticed how he looked at you?"

Hanaru couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her own father noticed all these years and she was too embarrassed to talk to him about it since fathers were very protective of their daughters - like Samon had known what kind of man Iemon was - and yet here Minato was with telling her Itachi had really noticed her more than she thought.

~o~

He and his brother shared a flat, safely away from their father's hand. Their mother said her boys could come back anytime they wanted, and it wasn't like Fugaku would complain anymore. Itachi was up that Saturday morning, enjoying his tea, when he received the notice on his mobile that the delivery had reached its destination which was none other than the Uzumaki house.

If only he could see her reaction - but what worried him was what her father would say. He didn't worry easily, but Minato was his employer. Though he considered talking to the man about...courting his daughter in the future. As far as the Uchiha were concerned today, it was respectable to not treat the lady like a prize to be fought over.

So he thought of one way that meant giving it all away because it had been long enough that he kept these stirrings to himself. This was his way of giving away the hint: combining the blue rose of mystery and the enchanting lavender. The big question was whether or not it would work, and if not, what else could he do?

It was on that day he paid a visit personally to the flower shop for the order to deliver when he could have done it over the phone - when Ino was working there, which was her job when she wasn't acting on stage, and it was also her mother's store - that he was shocked to see a familiar face he hadn't seen in years since college had begun. Half of him was glad he had done just that, because it made him happy that SHE had come back, but for how long?

"Oh, Itachi! It's been a long time!" the woman said, her dark eyes bright and sparkling. The warm chocolate hair that framed her now oval-shaped face - a slimmer contrast to the roundness of childhood - was behind her ears to show off tasteful black Tahitian pearls. He let his eyes roam over her body, which had more curves than he would have seen when they were younger; he saw her like this for the first time since they were teenagers. The black top with three-quarter sleeves showed the outlines of a slim waist and a sweet bust that wasn't like Hanaru's - not to be perverted, but observing - and from the waist down was a skirt blossoming with brilliant purple bouquets. Itachi didn't think he'd finally notice how breathtaking she was when he thought he'd seen it all. "I just got home yesterday," Izumi said, going up to him and giving him a one-armed hug, because of the arrangement she carried in one arm, and he happily returned it because she was his oldest friend. She'd gone off to pursue a music career; it kept her on the road much of the time than here in Konoha.

"I see you've done well, indeed," he said. "Songs written for colleagues and having just completed your first solo album. Your mother must be proud of you as I am."

She laughed - sweet as the spring themes of her music. "She is. In fact, I'm going to stay with her while I am on break. I'm going to take the time off the road and settle for writing music here at home. I also thought I'd bring this home." She held up the basket, which was painted white like the classic picket fences of the countryside, and it was filled with white roses which glowed like the moonlight as well as lavender alstroemerias. Nothing but something soft and sweet for the season.

"I'm going to have my gig here, too, before I really settle down," Izumi said happily, "and I'm really excited. Can I persuade you to come and see?"

It was late spring at the present, and her album covered the seasons of the year as well as the significance of life in every single one. He would love to catch up with her by seeing her performance, but - "When are you booked?"

She chuckled. "In two months. That gives plenty of time to get you ready, right?"

Indeed it was. A summer concert - how bad would that be? Depending on what day that was, he wanted to ask Hanaru to go with him. That also meant he could tell her his feelings that night. What better timing?

It brought him to the present when he was interrupted from his musings by a clear of the throat. "Good morning, big brother. Is there something wrong with your tea," Sasuke asked, coming to stand close behind him, "or is there something distracting you?"

He grunted and smiled up at his younger sibling. "Nothing at all. And a good morning to you, too, little brother."

The younger Uchiha helped himself to a rice ball that was in the refrigerator. "So, what were you smiling about?" he asked after the swallow of a bite.

"Nothing really. I made the delivery to a certain someone and am happy they must have received it. That's all." It wasn't that he didn't trust Sasuke, but because this involved a woman - and Naruto's older sister, nonetheless - he felt like a schoolboy again.

"Oh...let me guess: it's a woman. That doesn't surprise me, nor is it my business," Sasuke grumbled, rolling his eyes. "And whatever you do with her, I don't want to know."

Based on the way he said that, it was simply because they were brothers and therefore such details were better left unspoken, but that wasn't all: Itachi had no idea why it bothered Sasuke to hear them from his older brother since he had a girlfriend himself. "Whatever do you do with Sakura when my back is turned?" he retorted with a smirk. They were both grown men, so it didn't bother him in the slightest if he and Sakura went ahead before marriage - though if they used protection in order to avoid unplanned pregnancy, he was proud - but it turned out to be the opposite.

"Sex before marriage is out of the question for me."

Chuckling, Itachi picked up his mug and took a sip of his tea just at the same time as his cell rang, and he was surprised to see HER name. He swiped the bottom to answer. "Why, what a surprise, Hanaru." His back had turned to Sasuke, unseeing the slight scowl on his face.

There was a pause before she said why she was calling him: "Um...thank you for the roses, Itachi. They're really beautiful. But...why did you send them to begin with? I don't remember giving a reason."

Her innocence stirred him within his core. She gave him only these reasons: she was never going to leave his psyche, nor could he pretend she deserved better, but most importantly...not only was she beautiful and mesmerizing, but she was exactly the kind of woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

~o~

When she decided to call Itachi, she only planned on telling him thank you for the flowers which were now in a fresh bamboo vase on her bedroom window - NOT to hear him say not only was she deserving of the roses, but because he had known her a long time but wished to start seeing her outside work. "Only if you are willing," he'd added, and she answered in a heartbeat. Then he wasted no time asking her something that had to only exist in a dream.

"In a couple months, an old friend of mine who has returned to Konoha will be having a gig, so I was considering obtaining a couple tickets - if you wish to go with me."

When Hanaru told her father this, he simply gave that goofy grin and told her that she was a grown woman and didn't have to ask his permission. Would Itachi try something funny? She had no idea, but she was prepared for anything in case. He never gazed at her any longer than she'd seen him - counting that night of the premiere when she looked at him while standing with her father and brother, at the man who shared the glory with her and the others. The beautiful, cultured man who was every girl's dream. And he had to suddenly ask her on what might be the first real date they had.

Mom used to say to just go with the flow and let what happens happen. It might not go well the first time, but everyone has beginner's luck.

Somehow Hanaru didn't want that to happen with her and Itachi. At the back of her self-awareness was the belief he was the one for her all along, without bordering on obsession.

She decided her little black dress from the premiere was perfect, along with the ruby and diamond flowers in her ears, and she slid on the ring that had been from Grandma Tsunade years ago: the rosy gold band was engraved with a serene mantra script.

When she slipped on the fierce black leather band holding the watch face which was rimmed with crystals, the mother-of-pearl face displayed the time which was fifteen minutes to when Itachi would come and pick her up.

It was hard to believe that it had been two months that went by. She and Itachi before now hadn't gone on a real dinner date, but it was all worth the wait.

His eyes shone alight when they laid on her. "I remember that dress," he husked, his grip tightening on the wheel of his black luxury which he still had even after high school. "And that was when my breath was taken away, Hanaru. I decided from that moment that..." The light bulb of hope swelled inside her as she waited for him to finish that sentence, but sadly, he never did, and he hastily started the engine to take them out of the neighborhood and for the park where the summer concert was taking place.

The singer was an attractive brunette in a sparkling black jumpsuit with a plunging neckline, and her voice was that of an angel - or something more divine her overwhelmed brain couldn't think of. This woman was an old friend of Itachi's from childhood who had just come back, and a small part of her got a little suspicious if he didn't tell her before he had a girlfriend - or girlfriends - before her. As long as I can remember, no one ever said he dated anyone, but girls fawned over him.

The color of falling blossom fills the sky

which lingers with end of my selfish love

Eventually, after everything has passed away

I will think of nobody but you

Speaking of love which many believed was one and only, nothing could tear it apart - but in the end, nothing lasted forever. You only had to live and make the best of everything.

Once upon a time during spring,

We kissed for the first time

Underneath the evening twilight

Enveloped within an illusion of fragrance

I thought of nobody but you

Itachi was close next to her, and that was when she heard the inhale of his nose, finally noticing that he was close enough to catch a whiff of her perfume, which was ever her favorite and the only one she would ever wear in her life. "Mmm," she heard him say, and it sent the shivers up her spine and throughout other parts of her body. "It's very fresh, just like you are."

Water and flowers, fresh? I guess it really is.

If they were somewhere else, would they have had the thrills like right now, in rain like in all those movies and novels? She didn't want to expect too much, but she couldn't help but wonder. She was having such a wonderful time here with him - and his friend is so wonderful, I really gotta talk to her after all this! - enjoying sweets and delicacies, barbeque and so on, and much of their friends and cast were also attending. She saw her brother and Hinata from afar, hanging off each other without effort, having been lifelong dearest friends and thus blossomed because it was only natural.

Now that made Hanaru look into the eyes of the man whom she had the pleasure of the company with, unaware that the singer was watching them as she absorbed in delivering the message.

We found each other in our sadness

and in the pouring rain we held one another

Before I can no longer breathe or see

I will think of nobody but you

Oh, what happened afterwards: she put both her hands on his face and brought it down for a hell of a kiss she wanted all her life. He returned it with vigor, surprisingly not delving his tongue in to fight with hers. Unashamed that people could be watching - especially her brother, still protective at their age of her more than she was over him - she wrapped her arms around his neck and his arms around her hips. Her mind kept going over and over this was too good to be true...except it WAS.

This fleeting memento of spring

is the most beautiful thing I have

and I want to leave it here, just for you

just for you

Hanaru was so enveloped in Itachi's spell that she didn't actually notice how sad the singer was when she saw their embrace. She was so wrapped up in this spellbinding moment that nothing else mattered except one thought as well as her man's soft, powerful lips.

If all these years hadn't been enough, this crush of hers might as well have blossomed into real romantic love she would never regret admitting to herself.

She had never been so lost with anyone before - or anything, for that matter. Itachi was the only one to do that to her. Just like the singer said: this fleeting memento of spring is the most beautiful thing I have, and I want to leave it here...just for you.

But he wasn't going to flee. No way and no how. She was going to do everything in her power to keep him, without being selfish and ungiving.

~o~

It was all thanks to Izumi's influence via her song and Hanaru's simple, enchanting presence that compelled the kiss they shared. Oh, my...

His lungs were constricting when he broke off the kiss and looked at her face. Under the lights, he could see the faint but obvious flush to her cheeks. The summer night was mild compared to during the day when it was in the high eighties. But that heat is not compared to THIS. This woman who smelled of water and flowers, bore the power to tap light into darkness, and held him in her embrace amidst the lyrics of his friend on the stage.

He really had Izumi to thank for both her blessed performance and the effect it had on him and this woman in his embrace.

"Oh, God," Hanaru uttered, putting a finger to her lips and feeling how swelled they were when the suffocating but smoldering kiss ended. He felt his own the same way, amazed at how powerful it was like some described it would be.

Applause roared into the air when Izumi was done singing. Now he and Hanaru could give their attention and wave at her, giving her the support she deserved. She really looked lovely herself tonight - and how funny it was that she and his date were both in black! "I've really become a fan of hers officially tonight," his castmate and newest beloved breathed, pushing her hair over her shoulder. "Itachi...thank you for bringing me here. She really did a number on all of us..."

But when she looked directly into his eyes, they spoke another story altogether, because Izumi wasn't the only cause of what they had just done. He closed his own and then bowed forward to give her another - before they were interrupted.

"Oops, I'm sorry for interrupting."

Laughing, Itachi looked her way. "That's all right. Izumi, this is Hanaru. And Hanaru, Izumi is an old friend of mine from childhood."

By the looks of it, they were going to get along just fine, and that made him happy.

At the end of the night, when he was driving her back home after an exciting evening, he gave her the gift that he knew was going to make her feel like the treasure she was, more valuable than any precious gem she would have. It was a gift within a gift: a palm-sized, fan-shaped scallop shell painted marble pink and rimmed with gold, sparkling with clear crystals. Inside housed a necklace which looked just like its container; it rested just above her heart like the shape of the name only upside down. Her face was composed, but her eyes were shining as if she was trying not to cry. "This is the...happiest night of my life," she croaked out, making him lean in closer and breathe back.

"As it is for me."

Izumi singing "Haru No Katami" - I had something better to say for that, but then I lost it. XD I mean, how can you know what to say for something as beautiful as that? The song is perfecto for Yotsuya Kaidan in the anime. Even for those who are numb to tragedy like that, since they have to be used to stuff like that.

I have a friend (not my ex or even Blue Kitsune) who is numb, as I said, because he grew used to watching tragedy in every form. Not to be cold, but it's all true.

Itachi and Hanaru's relationship, since I've done them for two years now and with countless fics, is really not required with so much effort or too much drama to delve into since they'd withstood enough time as it was. They are meant to be whether others object or not. :')

Review please.