Kurosaki sipped her hot tea carefully. "Good tea Lady Kurosaki"? "Of course it always is here. Why do you insist on calling me Lady"? "You are the lady I serve so of course". "Also my friend". "Yes" she agreed sipping her on tea. Kurosaki couldn't help thinking of the past. Gambling had been the habit that kept her mind off of it. She couldn't wait to get back in the shops even though Aki forbid it if she could.
Life was different for her than how it had begun. As a child Kurosaki missed her parents tremendously. She was found outside the battle field by Konoha shinobi. One had been Fugaku Uchiha. One ninja had suggested killing her but Fugaku decided against it. Instead taking her back to the village. The third Hokage wanted to find her a home rather than put her in an orphanage. That's where the Amino family came in. They wanted a daughter but had been unable to produce one. So she was adopted into their family.
Soon after her adoptive mother became pregnant with a child. A baby daughter named Minoki. Kurosaki figured there was no place anymore. She had run away with tears in her eyes. She went far from home. In a place she wasn't familiar with. She had no idea where shew was. It was there she first met him. Her life would change further as a result. If things could have been different…..
Flashback
Tears streamed down the little girls face. She had no parents anymore once again. They wouldn't want her now that they had a biological daughter of their own. She looked down at the cliff she had come upon. If she were to jump down there and not catch her fall she would likely die. No one would know if she did. No one was watching. Would they find her body if she did? She wouldn't have to care if she was already gone. Would it be painful or quick? Was it like closing your eyes? It was as easy as falling.
She stepped off and closed her eyes. It should be scary but it wasn't. In mere minutes it would be over. But for now she could feel the air blowing against her. Hitting through her loose clothes. It was freedom she felt. For just a second she had made a choice of her own will. Something caught her hand and she was maneuvered safely on the ground. She was shocked to see she had been saved. Still too broken to feel angry.
The boy was around her age. He looked at her with curious Onyx eyes. His hair black and blowing in the wind as hers was. "What were you doing"? He asked her. Somehow it seemed he already knew. "Nothing I fell". "You jumped because you were trying to die" he said bluntly. "Yeah because it would all be over. I don't know the meaning of this life I'm living" Tears streamed down her face as the pain returned.
She didn't know why she told the stranger these things. Itachi had looked as though he saw something in her. The truth was, he had seen in her the same in him. They had both grown up to fast. Even as young as they were, their minds were much more mature, to adult, compared to normal children. "You're like me" he said slowly. "What's wrong"? She shouldn't tell him her mind screamed to her. Yet she wanted that. Wanted to tell someone something rather than leave it inside for too long.
Not when someone here wanted to listen. "My parents died and I was adopted. Now that they have a daughter of their own they won't want me anymore. It was the whole reason they got me. Now I will have nowhere to go". "That's not true" he had said to her. "They got you so they have to love you". "Not like her". "Not every comrade in the leaf is related by blood. But were all supposed to be family and protect each other. That's how it should be. Not anyway else". She looked at him wordlessly.
"But the wars keep happening. People keep dying. They keep hurting and abandoning each other what's the point"? "I suppose precious people are". She looked at him in even more wonder. You have a little sister right? I have a little brother. He is very important to me. Your sister is to you isn't she"? "Yeah" Kurosaki sniffed. "Good then she will need you. To be there for her. So you can't give up yet".
End of Flashback
"What are you thinking about"? Aki asked curiously. "Nothing just the past. And Gito as well". "Gito will hopefully never find us. Will be here to protect you if he does". "Gito has his ways of finding anyone he wants. We all should be careful. He's very powerful already. He knows powerful people. That can only lead to trouble". "Probably" she sighed.
"I just wish he would leave me alone. I can't risk falling into his trap again. I hadn't known then what he could do. It's one thing to be actively involved in petty crimes. It's another to be involved in the type of things he has been". Kurosaki studied Aki for a moment. She was her best friend since they were children. Neither had gotten normal ninja training past genin. They hadn't even had to pass an exercise. It had seemed fine then. Now however they could use those skills to battle Gito and his men.
Kurosaki would need more ninja training. If she could only find someone to teach her. Defending against Gito was a different story altogether. She would need much more to survive. For now all she knew to do was keep moving. She hated the kekkei genkai. It was why he wanted her. Of course he referred to it as special ability. She also referred to it this way since she hated it. It was the many in her clan, parents included were killed. It was why he wanted her. She didn't even know how to use her ability at all.
What use could she really be to him? She didn't even understand it herself. Apparently Gito thought she did. Didn't matter because he would never find her. She'd run to the ends of the earth to get away from him. She'd never work for filth such as him. No matter what he offered to give her. She didn't know a lot of things. But she did know who he really was. He was as evil as those who murdered her clan. Maybe much much worse. She shivered involuntarily as Aki had apparently been talking to her about something. She tried to focus on Aki and let her other thoughts leave her mind. That was very difficult.
XXX
Itachi hadn't remembered Kurosaki having a gambling habit when he last saw her. Someone he asked had casually mentioned she loved it. Once he figured it out he went to every casino he could think of. It was there he found a man who saw her. She'd even told him where she was going next. It took him about a day's journey to get there. She may already be gone once he got there. But with any luck she would still be there or he could find where she was going next.
"I have such an ominous feeling" Kurosaki mused. "I'm sure it's nothing milady" one of her guards offered. It was true she had a lot of anxiety lately and was overly cautious. That didn't mean she was overreacting. It didn't even seem to be about Gito. Something was bothering her. It didn't feel like him but her senses were no better than the average person. Hence why she should have been treated like a normal ninja. That wasn't the point right now either way. "I am going to hit the gambling shop" she announced.
"Aki go back to the motel and relax. I know you're tired. Guys il be fine at the gambling shop. You do whatever you want to do. Rest or look around whatever you want". "You're sure"? "Yes I will be fine. It's a gambling shop. I will be just fine". She was surprised they had agreed. She really wanted to gamble and get her mind off things. There was something else though. If she were proved right something would happen. She wanted to be by herself to see if it would. Yet she wanted to be in a public safer place.
She was a contradiction even to herself. There was a casino not too far from the motel. Seemed safe enough but she couldn't shake the feeling. In fact she played for about an hour and even won some money. She could go back to the motel but she didn't feel like resting. Aki could sleep for hours. She could find and hang out with her guards but they took the job seriously. Sometimes she really liked her private time. She decided to check the place out herself. She dressed in a simple purple dress and hills
She figured it would help her blend in here. No one needed to know she was a ninja or from a rich family. The day was as bright and beautiful as any other day. She looked around quickly thinking she was being watched. There were plenty of people out in the streets. None appeared to be looking her way. Whatever everything was fine. She was perfectly safe in the day light. Still she certainly couldn't be too careful.