A/N: I'm going to start writing these notes at the beginning of every chapter, just to keep contact with you guys. :D I'll also be putting a key up for Japanese words I use.

Hey guys, thanks to all of you who read the first chapter when it came out and stuck around long enough for this second chapter to be published! I've had such a crazy past couple of months, I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to get this out. More than half of this chapter is a flashback, which was a pain in the ass to write. Plus, this writing is rushed and half-assed; not my best.

Kami = Japanese God

Obaa-chan = grandmother

Hitai-ate = forehead protector

Baka = idiot

Gomen nasai = I'm very sorry!

XxXxX

A warm smile reached Atsuko's lips when she awoke. The morning sun was creeping through the curtains of her room, creating a blanket of warm light over her room. She stretched her arms out above her head and yawned while sliding her legs out from under the cover and onto the floor. She looked in the mirror on her wall that ran parallel with her bed. A black tank top hugged her slim body, and her lower half was clad in grey short-shorts. Her long hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, with a few strands falling loose around her shoulders. She sighed; she looked the same as always. As she stood up, she stole a glance at her digital clock. Her eyes almost popped out of her head when she saw the time.

Damn it! Forgive me, Midori. It's unlike me to oversleep, she thought to herself as she instantly scrambled to get herself dressed and decent-looking. She had told her sister to meet her at Ichiraku Ramen at noon. The clock read 11:50. Atsuko inwardly groaned as she hastily wriggled out of the clothes she had slept in and flailed around looking for fresh clothes. She settled for a pair of dark purple and bright pink Capri pants and a matching baggy, off-the-shoulder shirt that revealed her midriff. They must've been clothes Midori left in her room, but she didn't care. Her little sister wouldn't make a fuss, and she was late. Plus, they actually looked kind of good on her.

Oh, for Kami's sake! She couldn't seriously be thinking about her appearance right now. It was common for a seventeen-year-old girl to do so, though. She grabbed her brush and pulled her hair out of her ponytail, wrapping the hair elastic around her wrist. The brunette then booked it out of her room and down the hall, running the brush through her silky hair. Thank Kami I took a shower last night, or I'd really be late.

"I'm leaving, Obaa-chan!" she called out as she slid her feet into black sandals, acknowledging the fact that she had no time for her hitai-ate or the traditional ninja sandals that crept over her ankles. Stifling a groan, she ran out the door, continuing to brush her long hair. When it was finally smooth and tangle-free, Atsuko was halfway to Ichiraku. She slowed her pace to a walk and then pulled her hair back into its usual low ponytail. There was no use exhausting herself and showing up to Ichiraku huffing and puffing. Midori would only scoff at her elder sister and laugh at her for being late.

Just as predicted, when Atsuko arrived at Ichiraku Ramen, the first thing Midori said was, "You're late, baka." Atsuko laughed and stepped behind the curtains of the ramen bar. There was one other person there; a boy younger than Midori clad in an orange and blue jumpsuit with the traditional ninja shoes. He had blonde hair that stood up every which way and his hitai-ate was around his forehead, the traditional way to wear it. He was sitting one stool away from the far right corner, slurping ramen obnoxiously. Everything about him screamed Genin.

"Gomen nasai, Midori. I slept in." Midori narrowed her eyes and gave her older sister a skeptical look. Atsuko shrugged and sat down two chairs away from the other customer. Midori sat on Atsuko's left, leaving the brunette to observe the Genin.

"Hey, Atsuko! Long time no see, what's up?" the shopkeeper greeted her with a smile. Atsuko grinned back at him and elbowed Midori. "Hi, Teuchi-san! My sister here didn't get to have much fun yesterday, so I figured I'd treat her to the best ramen around to make up for it!" Teuchi smiled and placed two bowls of hot ramen in front of the girls. Midori seemed surprised while Atsuko just thanked him and snapped her chopsticks in two. Manners went a long way, and a few ego-boosting compliments here and there paid off well. Atsuko's charming flattery always seemed to reward her with free food, new friendships, and the occasional simple friendly smile.

"It's a new special, the squirt over there likes it, but I wanted other customers to try it too. It's free the first bowl," Teuchi said, gesturing to the bowls of ramen he placed in front of the sisters. A small smile curved Midori's lips as she and Atsuko thanked him and began to eat their meals happily. Atsuko's heart warmed; she loved seeing her sister smile.

The blonde boy turned and looked at Atsuko and Midori, and suddenly grinned wider than Atsuko had when she greeted Teuchi. Sensing his gaze, and his smile, Atsuko turned to face him and raised an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?" she inquired.

"My name's Uzumaki Naruto! I'm gonna be the number-one Leaf ninja and become Hokage!" he replied eccentrically.

"Uh, that's great, Naruto. Is there a reason you're staring at my sister and I so creepily?" Midori asked, a slightly annoyed tone hanging in her words. Atsuko elbowed her sister's ribs and muttered, "be nicer, Midori. That kid's probably just lonely or bored."

"Teuchi-san seems to like you guys, so I figured I'd make a new friend or two! I don't have that many…" The blonde seemed oblivious to Midori's annoyance, but his face fell when he mentioned his lack of friends. Atsuko, feeling sorry for the boy, patted the seat next to her.

"I'm going to be telling my little sister a story about my childhood, if you would like to listen," she smiled. Naruto instantly lit up again and didn't hesitate to sit next to the older Yobidasu. Winking at her little sister, Atsuko turned to take another bite of ramen.

"How old are you, Naruto-san?" Midori asked, trying to be polite, as Atsuko had subtly requested.

"I'm thirteen years old! What about you guys? And um, what are your names?" Midori giggled and pointed to her older sister.

"Her name's Yobidasu Atsuko, and my name's Yobidasu Midori. She's seventeen now, and I'm fifteen."

"Nice to meet ya, Midori, Atsuko!" The two sisters nodded. "Say, Atsuko-chan, what's the story about?" he asked after they had all finished their first bowls.

"Since you're his age, you know Uchiha Sasuke, right?" Atsuko replied. Naruto seemed to get angry at the mention of the young Uchiha.

"Yeah, he's a part of Team 7 with me…" The blonde's fists clenched. "He graduated with the highest grades in the class, and I graduated dead last… He always makes fun of me and acts like he's so much better-"

"So you two don't get along?" Midori cut him off, feeling a little uncomfortable listening to a kid she just met rant. Atsuko was silent, taking in Naruto's resentment for Sasuke. A bittersweet feeling washed over her; she had felt the exact same way about Itachi when they were that age. Although, Atsuko and Itachi had managed to become very close friends, while it seemed Naruto and Sasuke's relationship was quite strained.

"Naruto-san, the story is about Sasuke-chan and his older brother, Itachi-kun, when they were kids. It's more about Itachi-kun than Sasuke-chan, and it's more of a story that my little sister would like to hear, but Sasuke-chan does make an appearance," she explained warmly, hoping to calm the kid down a little bit. Sasuke was a completely different person when he was a child, compared to his current personality. Naruto's quarrel with him couldn't have extended too far back into their childhood. He giggled a little when he heard the honorific Atsuko referred to Sasuke with.

"Is it embarrassing?" he asked, his mood changing drastically once again. Kami, this kid was bipolar. Midori could almost see the giant anime sweat-drop sliding down the back of Atsuko's head.

"Somewhat. Sasuke-chan was quite the child before the incident," Atsuko chuckled softly.

"The incident?" Midori's eyes narrowed and Atsuko shook her head. The Uchiha Clan massacre wasn't something the sisters were comfortable talking about, especially Atsuko. She was directly involved in it in ways that she would rather not repeat. It was awful for Midori as well; a member of the Uchiha Clan had been her childhood best friend.

"You know what I'm talking about, I'm sure you do," Atsuko mumbled. Just like her mother, the Uchiha massacre was something Atsuko chose to forget. She intentionally blocked that particular memory out so she wouldn't have to feel pain every time she thought about it. Why was she such a masochist? Bounce back, like this kid does, she thought to herself. A nervous laugh left her lips and she inwardly took a deep breath.

"Itachi-kun and I used to be really close friends," she started to explain. Midori was already captivated by Atsuko's words, as usual. Naruto, however, wanted to hear more about Sasuke, and interrupted the brunette ANBU.

"What about Sasuke?" he asked loudly.

"Naruto, we may not look it but Atsuko and I are actually members of ANBU, and we're both team leaders when not paired together. I suggest you don't interrupt again, or your death will not cloud my mind with guilt!" retorted an infuriated Midori. Atsuko sighed at her sister's childishness, but she agreed. She hated being interrupted and would like to just tell her story and be done with it. There were no doubts that the brunette was going to disappear later, and leave Midori and their grandmother, Kaori, to dine alone that night.

"Anyway, because we were close friends, Itachi-kun and I would often be seen together when we were both free. We would almost always train together, and Itachi's family would have me over for dinner some nights. It was one of those nights where my story begins…"

XxXxX

"Obaa-chan, I'm going to Uchiha Itachi's for dinner tonight!" called a thirteen-year-old Atsuko as she rushed out the door, not bothering to listen to her grandmother's response. Her whole body was almost quivering with excitement. She was going to Uchiha Itachi's house for dinner, and his father had invited her. Stuck up, mean, strict Uchiha Fugaku invited her to dinner. There was no way she was going to pass the offer up. Even though Atsuko had been there many times before, it was always either Itachi or Mikoto inviting her there.

Itachi was standing out on the road, waiting to walk her to his house when she rushed out the door. She was going so fast, she was oblivious to her surroundings and ran headfirst into the child prodigy. Laughing nervously, she took a step back and smiled up at her best friend.

"Gomen nasai, Itachi-kun. I'm just excited to eat with you guys!" The Uchiha male chuckled softly, turning around and starting to walk towards his family's compound. Blushing, Atsuko became serious and ran up to walk next to Itachi.

"It's all right, Atsuko. I don't see why you're so excited though. It's not like you haven't been over before, and you know all the members of my family…"

"Yes, but your father-"

"My father isn't all too pleasant."

"Your father is very well respected among us ninja. Not all of us can be ANBU captains at such a young age, like you." Atsuko knew Itachi and his father didn't get along, but Uchiha Fugaku was an excellent shinobi and a good man to have on one's side. Atsuko knew she shouldn't have snapped like that at him, but Itachi didn't realize how good he had it with his father.

"So in other words, my high rank means I don't have to kiss ass, and your low rank requires you to?" Itachi was smirking at this point, leaving Atsuko to think about her words. He was right, once again. The only reason she was so happy about being around the Uchiha Clan leader was that with he being such a high rank in the shinobi world, favoring Atsuko meant possible promotions in the future. Itachi was well aware of this fact, and liked to tease his friend about it all the time.

"You know what?" she said, an annoyed tone obvious in her voice.

"What?" he asked, holding back laughter.

"I'm an excellent Chunin, on my way to becoming a Jounin, when most of the kids my age are just getting out of the academy. I'm still strong for my age, and one day, I swear I will catch up to you!" She had a huge cheesy grin plastered on her face, and her eyes beamed brightly. Itachi smiled inwardly to himself as he turned to look at the girl. Despite her outburst, she looked happy. She wasn't really hurt by his joking words, but she was serious about surpassing him one day. She always was.

How naïve… he thought to himself before continuing on his way, a glowing kunoichi by his side. "You're so arrogant, Atsuko…"

At dinner, Atsuko was seated next to an eight-year-old Sasuke, while Itachi sat opposite her. Sasuke looked up to the kunoichi as much as he did his brother. It surprised her, above anything else, to know that an Uchiha, even a young one such as Sasuke, would respect her as much as one would respect Itachi. Perhaps it was because she always treated him kindly, and whenever he needed a companion in the past she was there.

"Atsuko-chan, when are you applying to become a Jounin?" Uchiha Mikoto asked. Atsuko smiled softly when she heard those words. Ever since her mother's death, Atsuko had felt alone, with no one to talk to. Mikoto had taken the place of a part-time mother for the young girl, and Atsuko looked up to her as such. Mikoto always showed interest in Atsuko's activities, plans, achievements, and personal life, sometimes even more so than her own mother had.

"Next month, I think. Itachi-kun's gonna teach me a new technique that'll be sure to make me a Jounin!" A warm smile reached Mikoto's lips, and Fugaku glanced towards his son, as if to question his actions. "I don't know if I'm ready though…" she murmured sheepishly, serious about her doubt in herself. Her stamina was low, and her knowledge of jutsu did not extend very far. She also lacked fair taijutsu skills. Her great use of weapons had gotten her as far as she was today, but she didn't believe that she had the potential to become a Jounin yet.

"I think you're more than ready, Atsuko." The brunette, along with Itachi and Mikoto, looked up in shock at the head of the Uchiha Clan. A pink tint reached her cheeks, so she quickly ducked her head down. She was used to people complimenting her, but Itachi's father had never praised her, not even subtly.

"Thank you, Fugaku-sama," she murmured respectfully, trying hard to contain her delight at the blatant compliment.

The rest of the night went nicely, and Atsuko left happy. The moon was full that night, and the stars shined so bright, one would think they were trying to express something. The trees along the path Atsuko walked didn't seem menacing, like they normally did at night. She had a wonderful time, and nothing could bring down her good mood. Everything seemed nice. Itachi walked her home, as always, but when they got halfway there, he stopped abruptly. Atsuko was humming quietly to herself as she moved, eyes closed and senses weakened, so she almost didn't notice that her friend was no longer walking beside her. When she did, she turned around and shot him a questioning glance.

"What's wrong, 'Tachi?" her voice revealed her fatigue and the young Uchiha hesitated to respond. He wanted to show her something, but if she was too tired he didn't want to sacrifice some of her sleep. The brunette kunoichi noticed something was up, so she took a step towards him and softly said, "Don't worry about me; if there's something you need to get off your chest I'm here."

"It's nothing like that." He smirked softly, the curve of his lips barely noticeable. Of course, Atsuko was more concerned about him than herself. For once, he decided he would let her care. He inhaled softly before he continued, "There's something I've been meaning to show you, and with it being really nice out tonight and all…" He trailed off, something he never really did. He was acting strange, Atsuko noted.

"Well, lead the way," she replied, smiling at him. He nodded and turned to his left, where a hidden pathway through the woods should be. Sure enough, in the light of the full moon he could make out the open area in the undergrowth where the pathway started. Only Itachi and Shisui knew of this place, as they had accidentally discovered it one day when walking home from Atsuko's house.

Itachi walked towards the path, and held up some branches for Atsuko to pass through. She smiled gratefully at him, and followed the path into the woods. She paused and looked behind her after a few paces, to let Itachi catch up. She wouldn't admit it, but the forest scared her, especially at night. She wasn't waiting for him out of common courtesy; she was waiting for him selfishly. She knew he was stronger and much more brave than she was, so she depended on him to protect her. The young Uchiha seemed to be aware of this, and in an attempt to comfort her, slipped his hand into hers when he reached her side.

For the third time that night, Atsuko blushed. Thankful for the darkness, no matter how intimidating it may be, she entwined her small fingers with Itachi's and felt her cheeks heat up even more. As he led her along the way, she found herself thinking. They held hands all the time, it wasn't something new to her, but yet, it felt completely unknown to Atsuko. This feeling that she got wasn't normal. Her pulse was hot on her neck, ringing in her ears. Butterflies flew around in her stomach. And of course, her cheeks were still tinted red.

What is this feeling? She asked herself as she stole a glance at the onyx-eyed boy next to her. He was staring ahead with a look of determination in his eyes, as if getting to this place, wherever it may be, was the sole most important thing he would ever do. Little did Atsuko know, in Itachi's mind, at this time, it was. He knew what was to come soon, and he needed to be with her as much as possible the next couple weeks. He needed to know she was going to be okay, after what he was planning. And he needed her to know he loved her. He would tell her all of this later, but right now all he needed to do was get to the place he was headed. And so he did, leading Atsuko by her hand, thankful for the darkness that was concealing his slight blush. How embarrassing.

"Woah, 'Tachi-kun! This is so cool!" exclaimed a delighted Atsuko as the pair stopped in front of a lake. It was the average size one would expect of a lake, but it seemed so much bigger in the night. The moon cast its luminous beams down on the still water, causing it to shine softly. Trees surrounded them, with only a few feet between the shore and the forest. The shore itself was also a short distance before the water lapped at the sand. An island, no bigger than Atsuko's house, was within swimming distance from the beach.

Itachi chuckled and smiled at her, noticing her eyes were glued to the moonlit water. "It's beautiful, huh?" he asked. She smiled back and nodded. A grin was still plastered on her face when she looked out to the water. Truth was, it was a lot more than beautiful. In her eyes, it was the most gorgeous thing she had ever seen. It was prettier than the vast open sky that always covered Konoha. As she stared out, a thought crossed her mind. She turned to her male companion to voice it, but when she was about to open her mouth, Itachi leaned in and kissed her. And with wide eyes, Atsuko kissed him back.

"Nii-san likes Atsuko-chan!" the couple pulled apart quickly and stared at the youngest Uchiha child, who had just blundered out of the bushes. The girl's cheeks turned bright scarlet, and Itachi just sighed at his little brother.

"Sasuke, shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked, turning to face the 8-year-old fully with a stern face. Sasuke looked down at his little feet and replied, "I wanted to follow you guys…"

"Does Mom know you're out?"

"…"

The elder Uchiha opened his mouth to scold his brother, but before he could, Atsuko murmured, "wait." Recovering from her embarrassment, she stepped towards Itachi and placed her hand on his upper arm. When he looked at her, puzzled, she shook her head and nodded towards Sasuke, who was still staring at his feet with a sad look in his eyes. Once again, Itachi sighed. The girl at his side smiled warmly at him, and nudged him towards Sasuke.

"I can go the rest of the way by myself, once we get out of the forest," she said as a hint for Itachi to take Sasuke home. When Itachi sent her a questioning glance, as if to ask if something was wrong, she smiled in response. He took it as an, "everything's alright," so he placed his hand on his little brother's shoulder and guided him home.

As she watched the boys walk, Atsuko brought her hand to her lips. She could still feel Itachi's pressed to them, and her cheeks warmed up at the thought. Suppressing a giggle of delight, the brunette kunoichi followed the Uchiha brothers back to the road, and then walked herself home.

XxXxX

"Wow, I can't believe Sasuke totally ruined the moment!" exclaimed a laughing Naruto. Midori was chuckling lightly to herself, while Atsuko still seemed to be off in another world, reminiscing on her past. She was still void of dark emotions, as this was just another thing that would've brought her pain, but she couldn't help but feel a twinge of cheerfulness. Itachi and Sasuke brought her happiness; even when her mother died and she couldn't feel anything but sorrow. They also filled the emptiness when they were around, much like Midori did.

Naruto and Midori had just stopped laughing when Atsuko sensed someone's presence. She turned to look at the people that had just walked under the curtains of the bar, noticing them before the other two. A silver-haired man that she recognized as Kakashi Hatake stood before her, looking at Naruto. She knew him from the ANBU, she realized. She had gone on a mission with him once, before he quit and became a regular Jounin again. The other person, standing next to him, was Sasuke.

"Hey, Naruto, come train with Sasuke and I," said the ex-ANBU. The blonde instantly started complaining, and it was almost comical, except Sasuke was just glaring at him, with sharp eyes colder than ice. They were unnerving to Atsuko, and a glance at her sister told her that she wasn't the only one put off by it. The two hadn't really been around Sasuke too much since the incident, but they could still read him. That hatred in his eyes wasn't directed towards Naruto… no, it was directed towards someone else, someone much more significant.

Itachi… what have you done?