Finally, let's hope he's floating around here somewhere, Misaki thought, glancing past Akira in hopes the mysterious dark-haired man was nearby. Much to her dismay, she saw nothing. She even fabricated a reason for her visit, but if that dark-haired hottie wasn't around, all would be for nothing.
Come on! Misaki impatiently tapped her foot as she turned her attention back to Akira. Under normal circumstances, Misaki wouldn't be caught dead on Akira's property, but she'd bear with it if she could get a better look at this guy.
Where is he?
"Misaki?" Akira blinked several times to ensure she wasn't seeing things. What's she doing here? Akira wondered. Misaki never just visited her—there had to be a catch.
Harumi Misaki was an especially thin girl with pixie cut brown hair and icy blue eyes. She wore a whirlpool hitiate on her right thigh, but the pink trim on her clothes, heavy makeup and tiny blossom in her hair made her look like an extremely girly one.
"What brings you here?" Akira didn't bother faking a smile. For the first time in three years, Harumi Misaki stood at her doorway. Last time she had been here, the two of them were partnered for a rather disastrous mission.
"I haven't seen you in a while, so I figured I'd drop by."
"Uh-huh. What do you want from me?"
A mock expression of hurt flickered across her rival's features. "Why ever would you assume such a thing?"
Harumi Misaki, age eighteen, had been her rival for as long as she could remember. Akira suspected it had to do with Kaede-sensei rejecting Misaki's request to train as her pupil upon leaving the ninja academy, but then again she had also agreed to train Kaname and Eri. Additionally, since then, Misaki had become an accomplished sensor and scout for the village under someone else's instruction.
"Doesn't take much thought," Akira said flatly. "What do you want?" Gripping the doorway with both hands, Akira made sure to keep her stance firm as she stared down her unexpected visitor, wanting to be prepared if Misaki suddenly decided to push her aside and barge in. But, nothing of the sort happened.
"I was just wondering if you felt like training. I mean, it's been ages since we've done anything like that—"
"I've already done my training for the day. Besides, I have homework."
"Oh, really? Are you sure? Both of us could probably use the extra practice." Akira fought the urge to look back when she noticed Misaki craning her neck, as if she were trying to get a better look inside her house.
Please don't let Itachi be standing behind me, Akira pleaded, her body temperature rising with the tension. As if it wasn't already bad enough her friends knew about him. She didn't need Misaki, who she didn't trust, adding onto that! She didn't sense his chakra presence. Then again, he had a way with sneaking up on people. For all she knew, he could be standing right behind her.
Akira let out a heartfelt sigh before replying, "I'm fine by myself. And are you feeling okay? Last I checked, you hating training."
Misaki's eyes narrowed. At least she got a rise out of her. Maybe she could find out her real motive for coming all the way down here, while she was at it.
"Alone?" the brunette echoed. "Last I checked you had a new training partner."
What? She didn't mean Itachi, did she? How could she know about him? Maybe she was just talking about Kaname and Eri. Akira hadn't trained with them in weeks.
"If you mean Kaname and Eri, that's a given. They're my my teammates," Akira replied, fighting to keep her tone calm.
That's right, Akira, just act innocent. She'll have no reason to press further if you don't look guilty. Akira could only hope she was over thinking the situation. Nonetheless, Misaki's eyes remained narrowed.
"Oh really? I'd certainly remember it if I had a training partner like that. You know: tall, long dark hair, black eyes... Male…" She enunciated the last part. "Sound familiar?"
"Doesn't ring a bell," Akira lied.
"Really?" Misaki raised an eyebrow, blue eyes glinting smugly. "Then who's that?"
Misaki pointed a finger toward the wall. Apprehensively, Akira turned to follow her gaze. Her fears were confirmed. Itachi was standing right behind them.
Dammit!
"So," Misaki smirked, "care to revise that statement?"
Speechless, the Hyuuga girl turned back to Itachi. Figures, he looked so calm. Hadn't she already gone through this with Kaname and Eri?
So this is who has been following us, Itachi thought as he examined the girly-looking kunoichi.
When Akira had gone to answer the door, Itachi sensed a familiar chakra presence. He recognized it as the same person who had discreetly watched Akira and him train earlier. Naturally, he'd been curious who their stalker was, so he'd followed Akira. As suspected, it was another of Akira's associates.
Her chakra is weaker than Akira's. No surprise there, but Itachi never appreciated people who followed him. He was, after all, a very careful person.
"Itachi," Akira fumed, "what the hell do you think you're doing?"
But, if this encounter ended badly, it would not bode well for him later that evening.
"Itachi?" Misaki repeated the name to herself. "Your name is Itachi?"
An odd name, but she could look past that. Coming here had certainly been worth it. She hadn't gotten a view like this at the training grounds.
He had a lean figure and smooth ivory skin. His eyes were the deepest shade of black she'd ever seen, and his equally dark hair was fashioned into a ponytail that ran in silky strands down the length of his back.
Misaki momentarily frowned at the stress lines running beneath his eyes. She'd missed that from a distance, but although odd, it somehow fit. It didn't ruin his boyish good looks at all.
"What are you staring at?" his velvety baritone shattered the overlapping silence. Misaki couldn't help but blush. Not just his looks, but he had a sexy voice, too?
How did Akira score with someone of his caliber? Misaki wondered, her speech failing her. His gaze was hypnotizing. She couldn't seem to look away.
"Another one of your friends?" Itachi guessed.
"You think so?" Akira's expression clearly begged to differ. "More of an acquaintance, really."
Misaki frowned. "Is that any way to talk about someone you've known for eight years, Akira?" she shot back.
"What brings you here?" Itachi asked, seeming completely oblivious to the tension.
"I just wanted to ask Akira if she would train with me. She refused." Misaki pouted innocently, making the Hyuuga girl roll her eyes in annoyance. "But I wouldn't be opposed to it if you'd like to train with me, Itachi."
Her flirtatious antics went unnoticed by the Uchiha, or maybe even ignored. "If you wanted to train with her so badly, why didn't you do so yesterday?"
"What?" Akira looked confused. Misaki froze.
"I didn't have time to come out here and ask," Misaki replied sweetly, smiling in an attempt to conceal her apprehension.
"You saw her yesterday."
"Itachi, what are you talking about?" Akira questioned, clearly lost.
"She's been trailing us for the past two days," Itachi explained, turning his attention back to the Hyuuga girl. "You didn't notice?"
Akira laughed nervously.
How did he find out? I hid my chakra. Misaki stood there, momentarily wide-eyed. This guy was unbelievable. In addition to good looks and a sexy voice, he had ridiculously good chakra sensing skills?
"You must be mistaking me for someone else. I was nowhere near the training grounds yesterday," she said smoothly.
"Every chakra presence is unique, and I recognize yours from the other day," Itachi countered. "Why were you following us?"
Color quickly lit up Misaki's cheeks. She couldn't deny it now. Embarrassed, she turned away from the duo staring at her.
"I wanted to see who your boyfriend was," she admitted, still blushing. "I overheard Kaname and Eri talking about it."
Akira will pay for embarrassing me like this! Misaki thought angrily, examining the floorboards to avoid eye contact. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so humiliated.
A pregnant pause filled the air. Confused, Misaki glanced back up at the assumed "couple." Akira looked like she'd just tasted something bitter, and Itachi looked… well, quite unhappy.
"You think we're a couple?" Akira sounded disgusted. "What the hell gave you that idea?"
"Well, you two are living together, aren't you?"
"Yes, but…" she trailed off. "Call it a minor setback."
Setback? Misaki looked questioningly at the Hyuuga girl.
"I would never date him." Keeping her eyes on her rival, Akira jerked her head in Itachi's direction. "You've got it all wrong."
"Hn." The Uchiha grunted in agreement. Not quite as expressive, but it got the point across.
Okay—guy living with Akira turns out to be single. She blinked. Hard to believe, but she wasn't complaining. Stealing another glance at the man she'd come to see, Misaki's lips twisted into a devilish grin. Even so, she wasn't about to let this go.
"Itachi, I'll take care of this. Please go back into the dining room." The Uchiha disappeared before either kunoichi could bat an eyelash.
"He's good-looking," Misaki remarked, her icy blue eyes glaring into Akira's lavender ones. "Would you mind explaining why a guy who's not romantically affiliated with you lives here?"
"None of your business, Misaki. Just know we're not a couple." Akira gripped the door, wanting nothing more than to slam it in Misaki's face. The sensor leaned a hand against the doorway, ready to prevent that from happening.
"Be careful. Someone else might steal him from you."
"You want him?" Akira laughed dryly. "You can have him. He's a pain in the ass to babysit. Just trust me when I say he's not interested."
"We'll see about that," Misaki seethed. "Thank you for your time," she said through gritted teeth. "Now I really must be going."
"Bye!" The door was violently slammed shut. Misaki's face contorted into an expression of immense pain—she hadn't removed her fingers in time.
Clutching her throbbing left hand, the kunoichi growled to herself. This means war.
"Finally," Akira sighed in relief once Misaki's chakra presence disappeared. Exhausted and still hungry, Akira collapsed into a sitting position at the table where Itachi had already resumed eating. With energy anew, she seized her chopsticks.
"Itadikimasu!"
Akira knew she'd be hearing more from Misaki, but, at the moment, she wanted to enjoy her afternoon meal. Unfortunately, less than a minute later, something interrupted her again.
Knock knock!
You're kidding me. Akira prayed she was just hearing things. She heaped another scoop of rice into her bowl and, seconds from shoveling an especially large bite into her mouth, the same sound echoed through the area.
Knock knock!
No use denying it. There was another person at her door.
"Of all the…" she trailed off, stopping herself before she could fall into a cursing fit. Why did this always happen when she wanted to do something? "Who could this be?" Akira muttered, annoyed that not once, but twice, she'd been kept from eating lunch. Once again, there was only one presence and it didn't feel like Kaname or Eri.
Last I checked I didn't have any more rivals.
The door slid open and two orange-colored orbs met her lavender ones.
"Hey, Akira!"
In front of her stood a teenage boy a few centimeters taller than her. Short locks of dark brown hair blew in the light breeze as tangerine eyes sparkled at her with a boyish glint. A whirlpool hitaite gleamed on his forehead, and his clothes consisted of a pair of knee-length brown shorts and a short sleeved yellow shirt with matching brown sleeve designs, giving him an outdoor look. He wasn't unattractive, but Akira did not look happy to see Uzumori Saito, the son of a weapons shop owner.
"Saito?" Akira tried to keep her tone from betraying her frustration. Any other time she wouldn't mind, but today was not her day.
"What are you doing here?"
"Just thought I'd drop by and visit you." He grinned, genuine and pure. Akira had to admit he was a nice break from Misaki, but, although she didn't mind him personally, there were a few things this guy did not understand, no matter how many times she said them.
Saito was also a rather persistent suitor of hers. Given, he didn't possess the same malicious hostility that Misaki did, but he could still be quite annoying. He was nice, but rather clueless at times.
"You okay, Akira?"
"Sorry," she apologized, her brain desperately trying to fabricate an excuse to make him leave. Come to think of it, she felt a tad woozy at the moment. Low blood sugar, perhaps?
"Anyway," he continued, "I was wondering—"
"You want me to train with you?" she cut off, patience gone.
"Yeah." He blinked a few times. "How'd you know?"
"Lucky guess." Just what she needed. How was she supposed to get out of this and still be polite?
"Well, um, would you?"
"I already trained today. I'm actually eating lunch right now."
"Really?" His eyes lit up. "Can I join you? I can get my own food or just sit with you, if you like."
"I… uh... just finished," she lied. "You know, you're supposed to wait at least forty-five minutes after you eat and all that."
"Yeah… I guess…" Saito trailed off, nervously scratching the back of his head. "Tomorrow then?"
"I've got training with Kaede-sensei." Tomorrow was Sunday, but he didn't need to know that.
"Oh… I guess I should come back at a better time!" Undiscouraged, he flashed her another smile. It made her feel slightly guilty for sending him away like this.
"Yeah. See ya."
The door shut and Akira once again found herself stumbling back to the dining room. But, on the way, her low blood sugar from earlier came back to bite her. One second she was walking, and the next she was about to fall face first into the floorboards.
A strong hand grabbed her arm in time to steady her. The dazed Hyuuga looked up to see Itachi's emotionless gaze.
"Itachi?" Her mind snapped back to attention. "What are you—?"
"You almost fainted," he stated simply, for once, being a gentleman and escorting her back to the dining room. "You should be more careful."
"Thanks," she muttered, turning slightly red. At least this time he'd done something useful while sneaking up on her. She breathed a sigh of relief at her next thought.
And at least this time Saito hadn't discovered him, too. Knowing that idiot, he would definitely jump to conclusions.
"Dammit!" Misaki swore, kicking over a nearby trashcan. Damn Akira, and damn however she'd managed to get Itachi to live with her! Misaki was now a fair distance away from the Hyuuga girl's house. After her encounter, she wandered into town and currently occupied an otherwise vacant alleyway.
A scowl contorted the kunoichi's features. She just didn't get it. How had Akira ended up with such a hot guy out of the blue? And before her no less! It didn't make any sense that they were living together, but not literally "together." Did Akira actually expect her to believe that?
"Misaki?" A familiar voice called her name, interrupting her tantrum. Uzumori Saito stood a few yards away.
"Saito? What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing." He took a few steps forward and immediately noticed the kicked-over trashcan. "What's got you so aggravated?"
"Akira," Misaki replied, still scowling.
"What'd she do?"
Her scowl turned into a look of complete and utter rage. "I want to know how she managed to get a guy living with her! Especially one that's really good at sensing chakra!"
"Whoa, whoa, wait. Akira's got a guy living with her?" Saito blinked in confusion. "Like a boyfriend?!"
Misaki folded her arms across her chest. "She denies it, but I don't believe her."
"Akira has a boyfriend?" Saito ignored everything beyond her previous sentence. He looked devastated. "How?"
"It's just not fair!" she fumed, ignoring him. "He's way above her level in so many ways! Something just doesn't seem right!"
"What's he look like?" Saito inquired glumly.
Misaki's icy eyes immediately changed from burning anger to pining teenage girl. "Well, he's tall, muscular, and has the smoothest pale skin I've ever seen! I swear it could be porcelain!" Misaki rambled, but cleared her throat upon noticing Saito's expression. "He's got long dark hair tied back in a ponytail, and his eyes are black. Like two perfectly cut onyxes!"
"So basically he's your dream guy?" Saito summarized. "Tall, dark and handsome?"
"Pretty much." She let out another sigh. "He's handsome, but he doesn't talk much."
"Completely your type, then?" Misaki's eyes narrowed further at this remark. Saito shrugged. "I wish I knew what Akira was thinking… living witha guy, I mean."
"Hm," Misaki mused, the gears in her mind turning. "Hey, Saito, you like Akira, right?"
"Eh?!" Saito's cheeks burned red despite his dejected mood. "W-what gave you that idea?"
"Oh please, do you actually think it's ever been a secret? Even Kaede figured it out." Misaki frowned. "Just answer 'yes' or 'no.'"
"Y-yes…"
While Saito turned a few shades darker, Misaki fell into a contemplative silence.
"Well, one way or another, we're after the same thing," she finally said, making him raise an eyebrow interest. "Neither of us want Akira and Itachi living together."
"Do you have a plan?" Saito shot her a dubious look. He wanted to mope some more.
Misaki brushed a finger across her chin in a thinking pose. Would it actually work?
"Oi, Itachi!" Akira called. "Could you come over here?"
Itachi paused his reading, but didn't immediately put away the book. Even in the study, he could hear her yelling from the kitchen. Knowing it was useless to yell back, Itachi marked his page and stood to answer her in person. "What do you need?" Itachi asked, his face blank. The Hyuuga girl turned around to face him.
"My friends will be here any minute!" Akira said, scrambling about in an attempt to finish cleaning up from breakfast.
"What do you need help with then?"
"Help me put these away!" She thrust a stack dishes into his arms before picking up another stack herself. Opening one of the cabinets above the sink, she began filing the dishware back into their proper places.
"Well, don't just stand there, help me!" she snapped. Reluctantly, Itachi obeyed.
Kisame would be laughing at me if he could see this. Itachi thought, mentally sighing. Who would have thought that he, the Uchiha prodigy and S ranked missing nin of Konohagakure, would be reduced to helping with women's work?
"There!" Akira grinned as she slammed the cabinet shut. "All clean."
Itachi half-smiled at her joy from something so foolishly simple. One thing he did like about Akira was how little it took to make her smile. The Uchiha stopped himself there when he heard someone knock. "Coming!" Akira called, disappearing from his sight to answer the door.
Why had he just used the work "like" and "Akira" in the same sentence?
"Hello, Akira."
Akira froze, eyes wide, as she recognized her visitor.
"Misaki?"
What's she doing back here? I thought I told her off yesterday! Akira thought, frowning. As long as it doesn't involve Itachi, may as well see what she wants. She forced her lips into a mildly-pleasant smile. "What do you want?"
"Just wondering, but are you and Itachi free this weekend?"
The Hyuuga girl blinked in confusion. "This weekend?"
That's odd—why she would deliberately ask for Itachi AND me? Akira mused. "Yeah. What of it?"
"Saito and I were planning an outing to, you know, get to know each other better," Misaki explained. "You remember that lake a mile or two from here, right?"
"So you want to go swimming. Why invite me, can't you and Saito just go by yourselves?"
"Well…" the brunette trailed off just as Akira felt two more chakra presences enter the area. Misaki turned to see Kaname and Eri standing behind her. "Speak of the devil." She greeted the two with a smile that looked more devious than it did friendly.
"Misaki, what are you doing here?" Kaname inquired, repeating Akira's initial question.
"Just dropping by," she replied. "And what do you know! This saves me the trouble."
No one moved as they waited for her to continue.
"Are you two were free this weekend? Saito and I were wondering if you'd like to go swimming with Akira, Itachi, and us!"
"Oi, I never said yes!" Akira interjected.
"It may be a good idea, though." All eyes turned to Eri.
"You think so, Eri?" Kaname blinked in confusion. "Really?"
"Why?" Akira questioned.
"It's still warm out, and it could be a good time to get to know each other better," Eri explained, ignoring her teammates' stares. "Besides, none of us know Uchiha-san very well—"
"My thoughts exactly!" Misaki interrupted before she could completely finish. "So, what do you two say?"
"I'm in, too, I guess." Kaname still looked confused.
Akira let out a hefty sigh. "Fine, if you two are going, then I'll find a way to drag Itachi with me."
"Good then!" Misaki exclaimed, laughing shrilly. Her scheming grin had returned. "Besides, it would be awkward with only one guy along! Anyway, what do you say we meet at noon this Saturday at the lake? I'll even bring lunch! You three don't have any other plans then, do you?"
"No," Kaname said dejectedly.
"See you then!"
Just as quickly as she'd come, Misaki left.
All eyes turned back to Eri.
"Okay, what are you scheming?" Kaname demanded, her arms folded across her chest.
Akira frowned and nodded in agreement.
"Like I said, it'd be a great time to get to know each other better," she answered.
"And?"
"It's obvious Misaki wants something, right? What better way to find out what it is than to beat her at her own game?"
"Oh, I already know what she wants," Akira stated. "She's after Itachi. I knew that the second she laid eyes on him."
"You don't think he'd go after a girl like that, would you?" Kaname asked, clearly concerned.
"Please, he barely even talks! They don't match up in the slightest," Akira assured, waving her hand for emphasis.
If he even likes girls, she mentally added.
"If you say so," Eri said hesitantly.
"What a day," Akira muttered, collapsing onto her living room couch with a resounding thump. Their study session was finally done, and, between the three of them, they'd managed to get a ton of work done. Her friends were gone already, but she still had one more task to attend to: how was she supposed to tell Itachi about this Saturday?
"You do realize I already told you it's rude to talk about people behind their backs?"
"What the—" Akira yelped as she whipped around to see Itachi standing right behind the couch she was sitting on. His deep black gaze bore into hers, looking emotionless, as usual.
"Do you feel the need to scare me every time you walk into a room?!"
"A matter of opinion, I suppose." Akira didn't like the look on his face at all. "You should be more alert."
"Well, you should stop doing that!" she snapped, but immediately quieted. She sighed. "What do you want?"
His lips twisted wryly. "I heard my name mentioned in your conversation earlier."
"I take it you heard then?"
"Hn."
"It was Eri's idea."
"I know."
"You don't have to swim with us if you don't want to."
"I'd appreciate that."
What's with him? Akira wondered. Itachi was never this passive with her. Was this his way of being difficult? The Hyuuga girl rolled her eyes. Well, she may as well ask.
"Are you angry that I included you without asking?" There, she'd said it!
"No."
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not."
"Really?"
Okay, maybe that last part was a bit cheesy, she thought, grimacing. Why was she even bothering to ask again?
"Hn.
She twitched. Would it kill him to say yes?!
Sure enough, Saturday arrived sooner than expected, but, much to his displeasure, Itachi still didn't have an antidote for the poison. He hadn't put up much of a fight because he'd hoped to have a cure by then. Unfortunately, other work occupied much of Akira's time, and the poison was turning out to be more complicated than either of them expected.
Akira's eyebrows knitted together thoughtfully. "Itachi," he resisted the urge to twitch when she called his name, "which bathing suit do you think I should choose?"
At the moment, the two of them were in her room. She'd asked him for help with something, and, without thinking, he'd consented. He should have known to take off running the moment she begun rummaging through her dresser.
His gaze darted to the Hyuuga girl, who held a bathing suit in either hand. Her left hand gripped a black one piece with thin shoulder straps and a wide section of the back missing, and in her was right a modest pink tankini with a gap around the stomach and slightly thicker straps.
"Well?" she demanded.
"Neither." He may as well be honest. They simply weren't her color.
"Hm…" Akira thoughtfully returned to her dresser. She pulled out a different bathing suit. "How about this one?"
This option was a light blue bikini that reminded Itachi of a clear turquoise sky. It bore the perfect shade to bring out the lavender in her eyes, but, at the same time, was light enough to match her blonde hair. Itachi tried not to imagine her wearing it.
"Hn." If she chose it, good for her; if not, he didn't care.
"Well, at least that wasn't a 'no.'" She turned the garment around to examine it again. "I think I'll go with it!" she declared, tossing the pink and black bathing suits back into her dresser.
"For not wanting to meet up with your friend, you're certainly taking this seriously," Itachi remarked.
Akira frowned at him. "One," she began, "Misaki is not my friend. And two, just because I don't want to be there, doesn't mean I can't still look nice. I'm at least looking forward to the swimming part."
Whatever. He wasn't about to question her further. "I'll be going now," he stated smoothly.
"Okay," she nodded, not taking her eyes away from the blue bathing suit. "Thanks for your help."
I shall never understand women. Itachi thought, quickly making his way to the exit and shutting the door behind him. Akira was easy to read, but he had to admit her thought patterns were unpredictable. When Itachi was younger, Shisui always used to tell him it was "a girl thing." But, to this day, the opposite sex still confused him.
Akira came out of her room again ten minutes later. Why it took so long to put on such a skimpy outfit, he had no idea. Itachi noted the white long-sleeved jacket over her shoulders, most likely to remain descent. He thanked what little luck he had for her decision.
"Are you sure you don't want to go swimming?" she inquired. He also noticed a brightly-colored bag slung over the kunoichi's shoulder, most likely containing a towel and other necessities for the day.
Itachi averted his gaze and directed his attention to one of the undecorated walls. Even with the jacket, Akira still had a considerable amount of skin showing. "Hn. You already mentioned it would not be good for my injury."
"Oh." Her expression fell. "I guess I did."
Akira met up with Kaname and Eri halfway, and, while the three of them chatted idly, Itachi trailed reluctantly behind them.
I cannot believe I agreed to this. Itachi thought, peering behind them every once in a while to check for stalkers. One could never be too careful, especially after what that Misaki girl tried to pull.
"Finally here!" Kaname exclaimed.
"Took long enough," Akira muttered. Eri smiled sweetly like she always did. Ignoring the trio, the Uchiha's coal-colored orbs moved to survey the scenery before them.
The water looked surprisingly clean. Not quite see-through clean, but relatively free of trash and algae. The scenery surrounding the water wasn't too shabby either. Healthy-looking trees with luscious green leaves surrounded the area, and the scattered bits of grass and plants radiated with the same emerald sheen. It was hard to believe these colors would soon be changing for autumn.
To add to the fun, the sky was a glaring blue, similar to Akira's bathing suit. Not a single cloud marred its smooth surface, promising good weather.
So peaceful. There were even chirping birds in the background.
"What should we do while we wait for Misaki?" Kaname's voice broke the Uchiha from his thoughts. Then again, with these three (and soon to be five) around, so much for peaceful.
"You mean we can't just swim without her?" Akira frowned.
"She made us promise that we'd wait for her and Saito," Eri reminded softly. "Remember?"
"And Saito?" Akira's jaw dropped. She palmed her forehead. "Really?"
Kaname looked at her friend sympathetically. "You forgot?"
"Yeah," she admitted. "I think my mind purposefully repressed it."
"We may as well make the best of it," Eri chimed, trying to be encouraging.
The three kunoichi sat on the soft grass and resumed their conversation from earlier, seeming to forget Itachi's presence while said Uchiha did his best to fade off into the scenery. They waited and waited, and, thirty minutes later, two distant figures neared them. Chakra analysis proved them to be Saito and Misaki.
"Hello! Sorry for being late!" Misaki's said shrilly as she waved to them. Saito trudged behind her, encumbered with a heavy picnic basket.
"What took you so long?!" Kaname demanded.
"Lunch took longer than anticipated," Misaki explained, motioning to Saito, who still struggled with his burden. "Six people is a lot to prepare for."
"Saito, I think you can put that down now," Eri said softly.
The basket plunked loudly to the ground as he obeyed her, spreading a small cloud of dust. Tinges of red lined Saito's cheeks, indicating exertion.
"Sure you made enough?" Kaname remarked sarcastically.
"Yes, thank you," Misaki retorted, frowning. Her gaze moved to Itachi. He resisted the urge to disperse into a mass of crows. "I see Akira managed to bring you along as well." The kunoichi advanced toward him, offering a friendly smile.
"I'm Harumi Misaki," she began. "I don't believe we were ever properly introduced, Itachi."
"Hn." Like Akira, her face told him she disliked when he said that.
"Anyway, let's not just stand around. We arranged this outing for a reason, right?" Akira interrupted. Saito eagerly nodded in agreement. As Itachi suspected, the dark-haired mock of a shinobi appeared to harbor romantic feelings for the Hyuuga girl.
Itachi secretly pitied the man. He had no idea what he was trying to get himself into.
Either way, Saito seemed to enjoy the sight of Akira in a bikini. She and her friends had already stripped off their over shirts to reveal their bathing suits. But, unlike the trio, Misaki hadn't even bothered to bring a jacket.
The brunette's outfit was the same shade of pink as the tankini Akira had pulled from her dresser earlier, but there was a considerable amount of cloth, well, missing. She clearly intended to show as much skin as possible.
The strapless material covering the kunoichi's chest consisted of a single strip of cloth sewn to look twisted in the center. It looked incredibly tight, but, at the same time, Itachi wondered how she intended to move without the entire thing sliding off. The bottom piece of her suit had a high thigh cut and a low dip in the back with two decorative ties adorning either of her hips, drawing additional attention to the area.
Saito casually slipped off his shirt while the four kunoichi made a beeline for the water, clearly racing each other.
Kaname's bathing suit was a bit less revealing. Her top piece was a green ruffled halter that stopped several inches above her belly button and tied in the back. The bottom piece was the same leafy green color as her top and remained otherwise undecorated.
And then there was Eri. Her simple red one piece showed off her legs and revealed half her back and a bit of her chest area. The red color was a bit darker than his sharingan, complementing her brown eyes and dark hair.
Itachi wondered how much thought these girls had put into their clothing choices. From what he'd seen with Akira, they'd probably thought unnecessarily long and hard about it.
So this is Uchiha Itachi, Saito thought, scrutinizing the dark-haired man.
As much as he hated to admit it, Misaki's description of the guy was accurate. Itachi killed him in the looks department, although, he was beyond "quiet." He hadn't introduced himself to anyone yet. Misaki had tried, but Itachi had ignored her completely. In the least, he didn't seem like a perv, which set Saito's mind at ease for Akira's immediate safety, but something still bothered him about the guy.
His chakra seemed fairly normal, but he could always be cloaking it. If he could sense chakra half as well as Misaki described, perhaps he could hide it just as well. In short, Itachi's presence unnerved him.
What is Akira thinking living with a guy like him? Saito had asked himself this question countless times since Misaki's revelation the other day. What did this guy have that he didn't?
Without realizing it, during his assessment, Saito's gaze had locked with the Uchiha's. The contact alone sent chills down the shinobi's spine.
So cold. He hadn't even talked to him yet, and Saito already didn't want to go near him.
He shook his head, trying to ignore the feeling. No, I have to, for Akira's sake! He needed to protect her. What better way to express his love? Besides, if all went well, Misaki could use a hand, too.
On that thought, Saito took off to join the girls in the water, not once looking back.
"Hey, Akira, slow down!" Kaname called.
Akira ignored her and kept running toward the deep end of the lake. Smirking, she skillfully jumped off the edge, her hands streamlined in front of her for a graceful dive as she slipped into the water. Swimming a bitter deeper, Akira waited until she saw the murky forms of her friends and finally her rival before resurfacing.
The water's warmer than I thought it'd be. Akira breathed in the fresh air deeply after she resurfaced. Her wet braided hair clung to her back as she tread water, patiently waiting for everyone to do the same.
She noticed Saito had joined them. Drifting a bit farther back, Akira put as much space between them as possible.
"Is Itachi not coming?" Kaname inquired. The Hyuuga girl stole a glance at the Uchiha back on shore. By the looks of it, Itachi had found a nice shady cluster of trees to relax under. He sat there, one leg over the other as he leaned against the trunk of one of them, his eyes closed and an eerily peaceful expression on his face.
"Maybe one of us should go get him," Misaki suggested, smiling coyly.
"No, that's—okay…" Her words hadn't reached the sensor. Misaki was already swimming full speed toward the nearest edge of the lake.
"This should be interesting," Akira muttered, leisurely swimming after the kunoichi and leaving a confused suitor and perplexed pair of friends behind her.
"Hey!" Itachi irritably opened one eye to see an unpleasant view of someone's cleavage. Judging by the bathing suit, it was Misaki.
Just when I finally managed to get some peace and quiet.
"Hn?"
"Why aren't you out swimming?" she inquired, and Itachi averted his gaze when she planted her hands on her hips, trying to make him look at her.
"It wouldn't be the best idea for me," he said simply.
"Why?"
"I have no need to tell you." Closing both eyes again, Itachi paid her no mind. When it came to females, if he ignored them, they tended to get angry and occasionally cry, but, eventually, they left him alone. This girl was no exception.
"Well, I—!"
"Misaki!"
The pair turned to see Akira running toward them. "Are you deaf or something? I called your name at least three times!" the Hyuuga girl snapped.
"Well, sorry, if I was trying to get your boyfriend to join us!" Misaki retorted.
"For the last time, he is not my boyfriend!"
By now, Saito, Eri, and Kaname joined them, curious as to what was going on.
"You honestly think any of us believe that?" Misaki fumed. "He lives with you!"
"He. Is. Not. My. Boyfriend!" Akira repeated, enunciating every syllable. "Besides, 'any of us' being you and Saito! And how did he find out about Itachi, anyway? You told him didn't you?"
Well…" she trailed off, sounding hurt. "You never told me not to!"
"You honestly think I believe it would have done any good? Please, Misaki, I know you better than that."
"Shouldn't we do something?" Saito whispered to his fellow spectators.
Eri shook her head. "I don't think there's anything we can do," she whispered back.
Why are they fighting over me? Itachi wondered.
Kaname stood back to enjoy the show.
"Then what is he, Akira?" Misaki demanded. "If he's not your boyfriend, yet you're living together, what the hell are you to each other?"
A suffocating silence filled the air.
"Well…"
Itachi waited mutely, interested to hear what she would say.
"I'm only saying this once," she declared, glancing at her rival first, and then at Saito, "so listen up." Akira paused for effect. "I," she began, "have absolutely no idea what Itachi is doing here, and, to be honest, I don't care. The reason he is living with me is because when I met him two weeks ago, he was injured and needed help, which I kindly provided!"
She shoved a finger in the Uchiha's direction before continuing. "He is only staying with me until he finishes healing, and, afterwards, I could care less what he does. The reason he is not swimming today is because it would not be beneficial for his health."
Akira exhaled deeply, indicating she was finished. "Any questions?"
No one moved.
"Well…" Misaki looked shell-shocked. "That definitely explains things."
"So, you're—" Saito's expression lit up with sparks of hope. Had he not known Akira the way he did, Itachi would be tempted to root for the guy.
"Yeah," she cut off, not looking happy about it. In Saito's eyes, she wasn't "off limits," anymore.
Itachi let out a sigh. Albeit untactful, her explanation had covered the basics. He suddenly froze, a chill running through his blood. Wait, that chakra…
"Anyway—" Akira began.
"Akira," Itachi interrupted in the calmest tone he could muster.
A flash of silver caught the Uchiha's eye. He had to act now!
Jumping to his feet, Itachi activated his sharingan and threw himself at Akira.
His body collided with the Hyuuga girl just in time, bringing them to the ground. Unfortunately, the person standing behind them wasn't so lucky. Itachi had instantly recognized the flash of silver as a kunai, and that chakra… well, he almost didn't believe it himself.
A shinobi headband gleamed in the sunlight as their attacker revealed himself. The insignia: Amegakure. This ninja was part of the rogue team that had been chasing him and Kisame.
"Just testing your reflexes," their attacker said, probably grinning behind that mask of his. Itachi knew the man's words were directed at him, but the phrase was general enough that nobody else realized it.
A matching black mask and hood concealed the shiobi's face and hair, similar to what Kakuzu wore. His clothes looked un-kept and dirty, indicating he'd worn the same thing for quite some time. His rest of his outfit was also black without a trace of skin showing, save for the area around his eyes. Not the smartest choice, given the bright day, but, considering the situation, he probably didn't have anything else.
Blood dripped from a kunai clutched in his palm while blue eyes glinted menacingly, looking wide enough to pop out of his skull. The blood was neither Itachi nor Akira's.
Kaname lay on the ground at his feet, both hands clutching her chest. When she brought them away, both palms were sticky with blood.
Bit more of a fun chapter this time around. Hope you enjoyed~