This is the 3rd chapter.
THE DREAM AND THE NIGHTMARE
Their meetings became more and more constricted after the summer festival. Itachi had his missions while she had her procedures in the hospital. But at least he could squeeze in a few moments to pass by when he comes home from his missions at the hospital and wave at her; at the usual time of 5 o' clock, she hangs around the entrance door of the hospital to catch him pass by whenever she hears the news that he already finished his mission.
One late afternoon she was lingered for a bit on the usual rendezvous place: the tree where they would usually meet and walk home together. She tore up a couple of rose petals and threw the pieces at the stream below, thinking. It had been awhile since she went to this spot. She had grown so accustomed to Itachi's presence that she really felt oddly lonely now.
She sighed. Then someone slipped their hands over her eyes but quickly released it; it caught her by surprise. She turned around and saw Itachi's smiling face.
"Konnichi wa." He greeted.
"Itachi!" she said in a surprise. "It's been awhile."
"Yeah," he answered. "I missed you." Her lips curled sweetly.
"I missed you too." She answered; she did not even think about that, it just came out of her lips.
They watched the skies turned blood red as the sun was retreating in the horizon. They did not talk much, but rather enjoyed one another's presence; they do not know when will be the next time they'd be seeing each other again. There, at the railings, they sat contemplating on each other's silence.
"By the way," He said after a moment of silence. "I have something for you." He pulled out a diary out of his bag and gave it to her. "Open it."
She took the diary and opened it; there were three pressed roses in there. "Thank you."
"I don't get to see you that much anymore and I've been thinking that you don't talk that much at the hospital…and I always see that you're not in the company of friends…so I thought that, everything you want to say you can put that in there…" he said.
"You're very thoughtful." She closed the notebook. "By the way, the clan has an important meeting tonight. And I think your ottosan wants you there the most."
Itachi became stoic for a moment; a shadow seemed to have flickered in his face but he regained his relaxed demeanor almost immediately.
"My ottosan is always like that: he always puts my missions over everything. It's choking me really." He said looking towards at the horizon.
She looked at him thoughtfully. His voice sounds so strained and tired.
"Just because I'm a genius doesn't mean I'm still thirteen years old." He continued abysmally. "But I know there will never be a peaceful life for me; I'm a shinobi. But I just want a peaceful home…that's all."
She noticed that he looked troubled as he said it. She unexpectedly felt an aura from him that made her very uneasy; it seemed like there was a dark omen about it.
"You have plans I don't know of." She said softly, still looking at him. He remained silent; his eyebrows contracted silently but he smiled, then he hooped off the railings. "Where are you going?" she said, caught in surprise. He offered his hand, helping her hop off the railing. She landed on her feet and tried to read his face.
"I have something to do tonight…" he said smiling and turning to leave. "Don't tell anyone, okay?"
"Erm…well…alright." She answered. They bid each other goodbye; as she did so, a shadow of fear lingered.
On the night of the meeting, Itachi did not come; it did not surprise her; she already knew about it and kept it quiet. But the next day, word was going about the clan about Itachi. She could not believe it.
She searched for him that day, wanting to get the truth directly in order to defend him. She passed by the small wharf and saw Sasuke alone, practicing the basic fire ninjutsu that was the signature of the Uchiha clan. She thought it was rather unusual; she heard that there were no missions for Itachi that day, and she did not know why he wasn't with his little brother. She walked on, not wanting to disturb the thriving little boy, doing his best.
She found him at last at the roof of an abandoned building. Itachi had his back on her; it seems like he knew that she would look for him.
"Was that true?" was the first thing she said, panting a bit. He remained silent. "Itachi…" she reached and tried to touch his arm. To her surprise, he brushed her off.
"I'm busy…I'm sorry but I can't talk to you today." He said in a rather abrasive manner, trying to hide his face.
"What's happening to you?" she said worriedly "You don't attend clan meetings anymore, during your free time I don't see you anymore with Sasuke. This isn't like you at all."
"You don't need to know. I believe my missions don't concern you." He answered indifferently. This wasn't the Itachi she had known. She did not want to seek an argument with him; she was never good at it in the first place and most of all she and Itachi never argued.
"Itachi…if you don't want to tell me what's bothering you…its okay…"she said slowly. "But if you're ready to tell me, I won't tell anyone—" she looked at him pleadingly; she so badly want to help him for she knew something was greatly bothering him—"—if you want to leave me…I won't stop you…but I just want to know that you never did anything to Shisui onii-chan…I mean, he was like your aniki right?"
Itachi remained silent, his face hidden from view. She lingered for a while, hoping that he would break the silence and open up to her. But he didn't; she could still feel his unusual cold demeanor. She turned to leave.
"You can leave me you know…I'm not forcing you to stay with me." she said sadly; even as she said it, her heart was squeezed with the fear of his departure; in herself she deeply knew that she did not want him to leave her. "If you don't like my company anymore…you can leave…" She stepped on the ledge, preparing to leave him.
"I'll remember you though," she said sadly, and with that she left with a swift movement.
Two weeks passed and they haven't spoken to each other. She did not mind Itachi's shunning of her but she so badly wanted to see him again, still wanting to hear his voice again. Though she knew that there was something bothering Itachi, she was too afraid to press the matter with him.
As she attended more of the clan meetings she realized that it had only one objective. She became afraid. She realized that if this went on…if this were to continue, it wouldn't bode well not only to the village but to the Land of Fire as well.
"Coup d'état?" she thought to herself sitting amongst her clansmen in one meeting.
She sprinted through the village, looking for Itachi. She so badly wanted to talk to someone who would answer back and soothe the monstrous worry inside of her. She leapt from rooftop to rooftop, searching for him. He wasn't in the village. She decided to continue her search near the forest. She ran straight out of the entrance gates and into the forest, hoping that she could find Itachi. To her relief, she found him emerging from the shadow of the trees, apparently alone.
"Itachi!' she exclaimed approaching him. "I have something to—" she stopped abruptly as she saw his visage.
He certainly looked troubled but settled at the same time; it was as if he was weighing something so grave, both with serious consequences.
"Itachi…" she said, reaching out and touching his arm gently.
"You know now." Was all he said, looking at her gravely. "I know it won't be long until you realize why my ottosan held those clan meetings for."
She bit her lip. "Was that the reason why you became an ANBU captain?"
He did not answer her, instead he flushed; but isn't when one flushes doesn't that mean a 'yes'?
They were apparently alone in the forest. She wanted to know everything.
"Tell me everything….I swear I won't tell anyone." She pressed desperately.
Itachi bowed his head, and then took her hand and led her to a canopy of trees. He looked around still ensuring that there were completely alone. Evidently, he was satisfied of their privacy.
"I have a mission…" he started.
"What is it?" she asked, though she could already guess what it is. He told her.
She did not cry. She simply looked so sad and distraught.
"Why does this have to happen?" she whispered out. "So it was really you who killed Shisui onii-chan?" Again, he did not answer, instead, he looked away. Her knees became weak but she remained standing.
"We already know that there was already a problem with the leadership of Konoha the moment it was founded and because of that, the person bore a grudge in this village. I think you know him. If our clan would proceed with the planned coup, a Fourth Shinobi War would take place. That's what he wants." Itachi continued gravely.
"Who is that?" she asked weakly. Again, Itachi told her. Her eyes widened in horror and surprise.
"Impossible…" she whispered slowly. "I thought…he's dead…no one can live that long…"
"Even among the Uchiha, he has the strongest chakra…I could say that's how he manage to live that long…and apart from that, his grudge on Konoha kept him alive…to seek revenge. And because of him, I got a new type of Sharingan." He explained. "But I made a deal with him; he can help me complete my mission, so long as he won't touch the rest of the village."
She was relieved to hear that the rest of the villagers wouldn't be involved with their clan's massacre. Now that she knew what had bothered Itachi so much, she wanted to help him…even if it was a bit dire. An idea came to her and her eyes lit up. Itachi saw it and read her mind.
"Hokage-sama already had done what he could." He said hopelessly before she could say anything. "Uchiha is persistent with the rebellion. He reached out a truce…but our clan refused."
They were both silent. Itachi walked passed her. She stood on her spot, too shocked to move.
"You know…tomorrow will be our anniversary…"she said absentmindedly, but there was a hint of sweetness there.
Even at the eve of the situation, Itachi smiled. "I almost forgot." He absentmindedly took her hand and walked back towards the village. They walked together in silence. It was already night time. It was like the nights so many months ago where they would walk home together where it was only the two of them. They were still holding hands; she felt like she was walking down the only road that Itachi ever walked: abound by duty because of his love for the village. But she was happy walking alongside with him.
"I just noticed that your perfume is hakubaiko." He said a moment later.
"You have a sharp nose."
"Not really. It's because when I would smell it I always see you. Besides, it's only you who have that kind of fragrance."
She smiled. And once again, apart from what she found out earlier, she had a queer sense of sorrow. One question, however, occurred to her:
"What about Sasuke-chan? You're not going to…" her voice sounded painful. He remained silent. But his silence emitted a very distraught aura.
"I have to…" he answered, trying to sound serious, but he could not hide the despair in his voice. She remained silent.
"Itachi…you're afraid."
He was afraid; there was no doubt about that. But he laughed lightly.
"I shall be much more afraid tomorrow evening…."
She felt herself frozen by the sense of something irreparable. She knew she could never bear the thought of the event that have to take place tomorrow night. It did not bother her that she would be killed too, what bothered her was Itachi's state.
"Tomorrow is our anniversary …it will be a year…also…tomorrow will be the night of my mission." Itachi said. "I wish all of these were just a bad dream."
She stayed silent; that was also she was wishing for. She gripped Itachi's hand tighter.
"Tomorrow night—you know…do not come." He said seriously.
"I shall not leave you," she replied.
"I'll look like as if I'm killing them out of hatred. I'll look like as if I'm a mass murderer, killing off my clansmen for petty reasons. It's going to be like that. Do not come to see that."
"I shall not leave you," she repeated. "I'd rather be killed by you. It feels much better seeing you for the last time before you would kill me than be killed by Danzo's ANBUs."
But he was still worried. "I would prefer it that way. It would be wrong for you to come. He would kill you instead."
"Then get to me first. I'd love to see you, one last time."
Itachi was so surprised at her reaction: she neither cried nor went hysterical at the fact that she would be killed tomorrow by someone whom she had known as her lover. She was so calm; all that mattered to her was seeing him again. He was a little discouraged, but he made one more effort, not wanting to discuss what would happen tomorrow night:
"You know, it would be very nice if I could have gotten something for you for our anniversary. I'm sorry that I couldn't think of something." He said in a lightly cheery voice.
"It's alright, I don't mind if you couldn't get me anything." She said, smiling. "The time we spent together is the only thing that ever mattered to me."
Itachi smiled. She always understands; she never complained or whined.
"I've been thinking about what Sasuke asked you months ago…" he recalled. "You know, during the summer festival…what would you say if I asked you to marry me?"
"Do you have to ask?" she smiled. "'Yes' is the answer. I just remembered the way Sasuke-chan said it, he seems like he wants it to happen."
"He got worried that when I would move out; I won't get to see him. It made him worry so much." He said laughing. "I told him that we'd just be living next door."
They both laughed. At that time, he realized that it's been awhile since they laughed like this; it was like a spring of fresh water in the middle of an arid desert: it refreshed Itachi's mind.
Itachi gripped her hand tighter. It seemed ironic that tomorrow night, the same hands would kill her; the same person would die by his hands now stands here, laughing with him.
They had arrived at her house. They released each others' hands. She stepped in front of the front door and turned to face him.
"Well…good night." She said smiling.
"Good night." He answered. But they did not move, instead they stared at each other sadly for a long time.
Without thinking, she stepped forward and kissed his forehead. He was surprised but allowed it all the same. Without another word she looked at him thoughtfully and smiled. He smiled back. With that, she went inside her home.
Itachi absentmindedly touched his forehead as he walked home.
Tonight, it seemed like a dream. Tomorrow night, however, would really be a nightmare.
A/N:After one week of thinking this one up, it's finally done! XD. I was deciding to end this with the 3rd chapter but now I decided to make the 4thXD. Wish me luck! Please review! XD
