DAY 2

Mariko and Itachi traveled relentlessly for the remainder of the night and well into the next morning before they caught sight of the town.

When they finally stopped at the edge of the city, Mariko saw that it was modern and full of life. Behind its modest walls, the people were shuffling past one another, hurriedly striving to get to their various destinations, looking like a messy trail of ants.

Mariko put her hands on her knees, struggling to control her panting, her sides burning. She had kept her word and managed to keep up with her chaperone of sorts, but her heart was near exploding and her bones felt like they were made of rubber as they struggled to keep her upright.

She looked up at Itachi standing next to her and saw that he barely appeared winded. He was standing with his hands in his pockets, a bored expression on his face as he took in the city scene. She blushed; embarrassed that she was putting up such a spectacle when he was so composed.

Standing to her full height, she adjusted her clothing, wiped the shiny sweat from her forehead, and strode into the town with oversized steps and with her head held high, pretending that she wasn't drowning on air and not bothering to look to see if Itachi was following. She was determined to appear independent. She could ask for directions to the hospital if he decided not to follow after her.

The bustling crowds made it hard for Mariko to make her way through. Standing at a shocking four feet and nine inches, she was shorter than most, and she couldn't really tell where she was headed.

She tried to think snake like thoughts as she attempted to slither in between the pedestrians. Panic pressed into her throat when she couldn't see through all the backs and shoulders of all of the passer-byers. The rumble of talking and scraping shoes on cement made her ears ring. A man nearby waved to someone he knew and laughed so loud she nearly jumped out of her skin.

She felt a hand on her shoulder.

Whipping around with wide wild animal eyes, she saw a man with a stocky build looking down at her with a smile that was anything but kind. He gripped her too tight, fingers digging into her skin and she smelled alcohol on his breath.

"Isn't it a little dangerous for such a pretty little girl like you to be..."he belched. "...walking around alone at such a busy time?" He purred at her in a poor excuse for flirting, his words slurred. The odor of his breath made her head swim.

"Isn't it a little early to be completely wasted?" She said roughly jerking out from underneath his grasp, her lips creeping up in a nasty glare. She wiped the spot where his fingers had been and hoped a trace of his stench wouldn't stay on her clothes.

He laughed. "Come on, don't be like that." He reached for her again. She ducked under his arm, clenched her fist, and sent it flying into the man's abdomen.

He doubled over and let out a bellow of a groan. As she got ready to send a knee into his face when someone grabbed her waist and spun her around, quickly dragging her away.

"What do you think you're doing?" She ripped her hand away from Itachi. "I had him taken care of! I didn't need to be rescued."

"I didn't want you drawing attention to yourself. You were making a scene." The words came out in an impatient sigh.

"I was making a scene!?"

He stepped behind her and pressed a hand to the small of her back, guiding her and losing themselves in the crowd before the man could recover. She squirmed at his touch but let him continue to guide her, secretly grateful for the help.

"Beating a lonely drunk to a pulp isn't exactly a grand accomplishment. Just take a break from being so uptight until we make it to the hospital." He muttered, craning his neck as he looked around.

"Uptight..." She grumbled, rolling her eyes.

The doctor's office was nearly empty so she didn't have to wait very long. The middle-aged kindly doctor searched her head to foot, stuck her with large and small needles and wrote on some technical looking charts and still couldn't place what her ailment was. He didn't even have an idea. They took some final tests and told her to wait a few days to get the results and to come back if it starts to spread. Mariko resisted the urge to trash the place in her frustration, her desperation for answers making her a stranger in her own actions.

She walked down to the bottom floor, defeated, trudging down the stairs with a tired, sluggish gait, watching her feet slap the off white, slightly stained steps.

Itachi was waiting for her on the bottom floor, looking out of place but just as under excited as ever in one of the worn out waiting room chairs.

It had taken the rest of the day to run tests and now it was deep into the night. A few couples and rowdy teenagers were now the only ones hanging around or walking down the streets. Groups all enjoyed each other's company and the rest of summer without a care. Laughter and warmth was so thick in the atmosphere that you could reach out and feel it with your fingers.

They ignored the happiness surrounding them. The glumness of a day wasted had created a giant depressing bubble around Itachi and Mariko. They didn't question its presence.

After walking another few paces, a warm restaurant beckoned them with decadent smells, light pinging of silver and china, and a lull of quiet chatter.

Mariko and Itachi's stomachs both growled noisily in unison as they stared at the establishment.

Their eyes darted towards each other and Itachi looked at her with a small playful smirk, a pleasant flicker in his eyes. Mariko's cheeks turned pink and she shoved her bangs out of her face as she looked away.

"So...I guess we should eat huh?"

"That might be the best idea you've had so far." He said, and then he playfully nudged her with his elbow. "It might be the only good idea you've had."

Afraid she would laugh if she said anything, Mariko just snorted in mock aggravation.

As they walked in, Mariko realized that she couldn't even remember the last time she had eaten. Literally.

She put a hand over her already gaunt tummy and felt herself withering away the longer they waited on their food to be prepared.

She had ordered korokke, her favorite. Her eyes automatically sought it out or found something similar whenever she decided to eat out, which was more often than not.

When the waitress brought their order to their table, her mouth watered at the smell of the fried food.

After she carefully savored the taste and texture of the first bite she proceeded to inhale the next couple dozen bites before she saw Itachi eyeing her.

"What?" She said tartly with both cheeks inelegantly stuffed.

He raised his dark eyebrows, pressed his mouth into a line, and shook his head. "Nothing." And resumed to politely poke at his plate.

She felt judged. She widened her eyes slightly to emphasize her seriousness. "Hey. I'm starving and I love food." She shoved a few more pieces in. "especially fried food."

They ate the rest of their meal in silence. Each one was silently enjoying his or her own food and losing themselves in their own thoughts.

Their tired and obviously overworked server dropped off the check with a mumbled, half hearted invitation to come again.

"I can pay for mine." Mariko started digging in her pockets as Itachi got up from his seat.

"No need. Fukiyo gave us plenty money." He held out an envelope full of cash discretely before he walked away.

Mariko sat there with her mouth opened and speechless. Why would she give them money? Was she really that nice of a person?

She tried to talk herself down as she downed the rest of her water glass. She was a hermit. Did she even use money? She probably just had it sitting around gathering dust with all of her other old person stuff.

Mariko quickly gave up trying to rationalize it any other way than it being a straight up act of kindness and sighed, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She was so rude to Fukiyo, and she had given her nothing but compassion. An unorthodox, unwanted type of compassion, but compassion.

Someone bumped into the table, shaking the whole thing violently. Rolled up papers flew about in the air, scattering everywhere. Mariko blinked rapidly, stunned.

A dirty looking kid leapt up from the floor and frantically dusted off his clothes. "Oh! I'm sorry ma'am." The boy said. "I was in a hurry to get back to work." His voice reminded Mariko of squeaking shoes on a freshly mopped tile floor.

The little boy started picking up the papers. His grubby fingers clutched the documents too tightly, crinkling them.

Mariko bent down to help him, her knees yelling at her in exhaustion, protesting crankily.

She picked up a couple of papers and stored them under her arms before she spotted one unrolled under her seat. Her eyes darted across it quickly and realized that it was a map. She froze for a moment before unrolling one of the papers she was holding, unashamed of her snooping. All of these were detailed maps of the entire land of fire.

An idea struck her. She looked over her shoulder. Itachi was nowhere in sight. A small smile crept up on her face as she mulled over her scheme. She could go home. She didn't need anyone's help. She could find her way home on her own and get some real help, as opposed to following some missing-nin on a bizarre wild goose chase that he could only assumed he orchestrated for a sick kick.

"Um...Do you sell these" She asked the kid as they gathered his maps, trying to appear nonchalant.

The child flashed Mariko his shockingly gapped teeth in an enthused grin. "Yeah lady!" He picked up the last of the maps and zipped them in his tube shaped bag. "If you follow me I'll take you to my booth! We have all kinds of maps and atlases there."

Still smiling to herself and her own cleverness, she followed him out of the restaurant without a second thought.

The streets were near deserted now; the only sound a lone cricket that could be heard under a bench as they passed by, calling to his brethren in the outside forest.

With the moon being a no show, the street lamps periodically staggered along the roadway were left uninterrupted in their glow and bathed the concrete and dirt below in orange light.

The boy was chattering the whole way only pausing when he tripped over his own feet. He relentlessly talked about his family, friends, and hobbies. Mariko wasn't really listening but threw in an oh really? Or a wow that's cool to keep from appearing completely heartless.

The farther away they got, the more she kept looking over her shoulder; each time expecting to see Itachi behind her with that horrid sharingan boring into her.

"Here, lady!" The little boy had run ahead and was now pointing down an alley.

Mariko walked briskly over and looked down his arm to the direction he was pointing. It was pitch black. The walkway seemed to swallow all light that dared cross its path.

"Come on!" The little boy said with an enthusiastic giggle before sprinting down the alleyway.

"Wait!" She called out. She took a step into the back street and she froze. Something was off. She chewed on a loose hang nail, hesitating for a moment.

Swallowing, she slowly started making her way down the path. The darkness enveloped her.

The hairs on her skin began to stick up like a wild mongrel's hackles. Every step she took became more and more uncertain.

She let out a breath in relief when the boy came into her line of vision. "To be honest I thought you had abandoned me." She said with a smile. "I gotta say kid; this doesn't look like the...safest place. Who exactly do you work for?"

The boy paused before grabbing her hand and looking up at her sweetly. "Here, I'll show you." He began to lead her. "It's not much farther. Don't feel bad. I used to be afraid of the dark too!"

"Stop."

Another intense wave of shocking cold ran up Mariko's spine. The child and her both spun around. Itachi stood at the entrance to the alleyway, his sharingan bright red and threatening.

"Oh, why don't you just butt out?" The child snarled. Mariko looked down at him, shocked by the sudden change of tone and just the sheer wickedness of it. He gripped Mariko's hand tighter, his dirty fingernails scraping into her skin.

"She said she wants to go home, and I can help, unlike YOU." He pointed an accusing finger at him before looking back up at her.

"Who are you going to trust? Me or murderers like him?" He glared at Itachi.

Mariko's mouth opened then shut again in confusion. Her brow furrowed. "Wait, you don't even know him. How do you know he-"

In a split second the child changed gears again and became frantic, clawing up her arms, leaving fleshy pink trails. "Please!" He yanked her down by her arm roughly. "He slaughtered children like me!" Mariko winced as his nails tore her skin. She instinctively tried to pull out of his manic pulling. A panicked shriek threatened to project from her throat.

"Let go of her." Itachi commanded in calm authority. As he did, thousands of crows came out of his opened palm. They flew out at break neck speed and started flocking towards the child, attacking him with a flurry of furious pecks.

The boy released her and wrenched back screaming at the top of his lungs. The sound assaulted Mariko's ear drums like a firecracker. The boy futilely slapped at the glossy black birds that only seemed to grow in numbers.

Mariko's stomach clenched and she felt like upheaving the food she had crammed into her system. "No!" She shrieked reaching with both hands for the boy, frantic to help him. "Stop it, Itachi! He's just a kid! You're hurting him!"

"Don't touch it!" Itachi yelled, his normally composed voice cracking just the tiniest bit.

Her marked hand had almost reached through the crows when a low gurgling sound erupted from amidst them.

"What..." She drew back, her eyes widened in confusion; her fear throttling the air from her throat. The birds were dissolving and a large black form was bubbling where the boy was. It was a mass of chaos; a distorted smile here, a grotesquely plump hand there, all revolving and changing over this bubbly tar. The boy was devolving and becoming something else entirely.

"Mariko!" Itachi called to her. "Move!"

She barely heard him over the buzzing in her ears. She felt herself sink to her knees, rocks and dirt scraping her skin. She looked up in a frozen state of horror at the figure looming over her. Her brain tried to process what she was seeing.

The figure was...darkness. It wasn't just black; it was complete and utter absence of light itself. Malicious. The darkness formed itself into a vague form of a behemoth. It had grotesquely long arms and legs; the rest was just a big dark mass of space with what seemed to be covered all over with flowing, tattered, transparent pieces of dark cloth. The only thing which seemed to be truly solidified was the massive bird skull that covered what would be the figures head.

This was the embodiment of evil.

This was a demon.

Mariko opened her mouth in a silent scream. She cowered lower, willing herself to merge into the earth below. She kept trying to force sound from her windpipe* to no avail, a vein straining in her throat. The heels of her hands pressed into her skull.

The figure bent closer to her face, the tip of the beak nearly touching her chin.

"Fire style...fireball jutsu..."

A giant sphere of flames suddenly flew past her, singeing her pants.

Her eyes darted towards Itachi, the source of light. When she looked back the demon was gone. An echo of laughter the only evidence of what had just occurred before that too faded to nothing.

She couldn't move. She could barely breathe. She sat there in the dark alleyway shaken to her very soul. Tears poured down her cheeks.

Itachi was in front of her in an instant. "Get. Up." He snarled between his teeth. When she didn't move fast enough, he grabbed her under the arm and hoisted her to her feet, then proceeded to half drag her out of the ally roughly. She didn't protest. She could only feel the relief from the absence of that thing.

She couldn't quite get a lungful of air. She sucked in one sweet breath at a time, her throat raw from straining.

When they were once again under the safety of the street lamps, he propelled her out of his grasp. Mariko stumbled for a few steps before catching herself on a bench on the opposite side of the road, away from the alley.

Itachi stomped up to her, and motioned behind him with a jerk of his arm. "Care to explain what that was?" He asked, fuming.

Mariko hands gripped the edge of the wooden back of the seat. She tripped over her words. Her tongue and stomach tied in knots. "I-I don't know. I just..."

"Just what?" Itachi clenched and unclenched his fists. Veins popped out on the tops of his hands. "You were going to give up before you even started. Are you wanting to let that thing take over you?" he jerked a thumb behind him. "Do you want to let that thing kill you from the inside out?" He pointed to her hand forcefully. "And don't look at me like that. I know you were listening at the door back at Fukiyo's. You know what I'm talking about."

Mariko dug her heels into the dirt, her courage starting to simmer back to the surface. Finally he was acting like he should be. Good. She was sick of his kind façade. Still feeling the burn from his iron grip on her elbow, she rubbed it discreetly before clearing her throat. "I wasn't going to give up. I just...I just couldn't move. I don't know."

He stepped close and put his hands on her shoulders. She flinched away in fear and he softened his touch, but kept a firm grip. "You could die, Mariko. You have to get ahold of your emotions!" He tilted his head down to her level and looked at her through his eyebrows.

She flung his arms off and shoved him away, barely causing him to move an inch. "Why do you care?" she spread her arms wide. "Why are you even doing this?" Her voice betrayed her emotion. She was so confused. She didn't understand why this was happening. What bothered her even more is she could not, no matter how much she mulled it over, figure out why he was hanging around.

"Because I couldn't have just abandoned you."

He answered so quickly and without any hesitation and it enraged her. It didn't make any sense.

She laughed without humor, "Yes you could have. But you didn't." She pointed a still shaking finger. "And I intend to find out what your real motive is."

Both still cross with each other they made their way through the town until they finally stumbled out upon a hotel.

Mariko wanted to sigh from relief. But she made a promise to herself to remain silent for the remainder of the night, as if Itachi knowing she was pissed would change anything.

The inside was warm and inviting; traditional but very tidy and clean looking. An old lady, who looked like one of those stern great aunts who made everyone go to bed at five p.m., waved them over enthusiastically.

Just assuming that they wanted a room she started writing in a big book. "We've been so busy lately!" The old woman at the counter said. "What with all the festivals in the surrounding villages, so many passing through we've barely had any room, but I have something left." She passed a key across the counter and itachi placed his palm over it with a muted thud

. "I'm sorry I don't have a bigger room for such a young lovely couple." She smiled sincerely with wrinkled lips.

Itachi pretended to be interested at something on the ceiling then turned toward Mariko with a lazy shrug. "It's better than sleeping on the ground, and it might be awhile before we are able to sleep comfortably again."

She bristled, jerked her chin up, and took a couple steps away from him.

Itachi sighed wearily. "You see, we are not a couple, ma'am." He slipped his hands into his jacket pockets. "You don't have any other rooms?"

"Oh. No I'm afraid not." The old woman straightened her back. "I hope you two aren't prudish, and if you are, you best get over it or go buy a couple of tents."

It was well after midnight when Itachi awoke to quiet screams of terror but he wasn't alarmed. Once again he crawled out of his bedding, his body objecting. He carefully stepped around the fragile room separating apparatus that Mariko had set up. It was just a sheet held up by a few heavy items and shelves that had already been in the room.

Itachi walked over to Mariko, who was thrashing about wildly in her sleep, her arms making shuddering movements, legs tense as if about to run straight off her bed. This was the third time tonight. No doubt the demon tormented her in her dreams.

"Mariko..." He muttered. She didn't wake up.

He knelt next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder and shook it gently. "Mariko."

Her eyes flew open wildly, her chest heaved with panicked breaths.

Sighing in exasperation, he squeezed her shoulder. "The nightmares can't hurt you. You're going to wake the whole building with all that-"

He was cut off by her mouth on his. Mariko kissed him hungrily and desperately. Both of her hands gripped the back of his head and neck. Her fingers wove themselves into the tangles of his hair.

Itachi was drawn into kiss instantly. He didn't pause, he wasn't wary. He let his guard down and kissed her back.

They kissed as if they had kissed a thousand times in a thousand different lives.

She was awaking sensations in him that he had long since forgotten and put away for good. His heart was close to bursting. Placing both hands on either side of her head, he parted her lips with his, kissing her deeper. The taste of her sent a tremor down his back.

He slid one hand down the curve of her spine and pulled her closer to him.

Mariko abruptly slowed her kissing, let go of his neck, and when Itachi pulled back he was shocked to see her sleeping once more, wearing a blank face of peace.

He leaned back and rested on his knees, his heart still racing. "What just happened here?" He asked no one, wiping her saliva off his mouth.

Guilt and fire hot humiliation crept into his throat. He felt his entire face turn red. She was asleep the entire time, wasn't she? Why had she done that? Why had she done that?

Straightening up, he started pacing, too worked up to sit down and way too worked up to go back to sleep.

He hadn't been imagining all those feelings. He thought that he had been helping her to relieve himself of some of the guilt that plagued him. It was deeper than that. And it was more than just carnal attraction.

He was startled when his thoughts went back to Izumi. Furious that he was being assaulted with memories of her, he tried to suppress them, but they pushed through his defenses anyways.

They both had once cared deeply about each other, but he knew that he could have never really loved her no matter what their parents and friends had expected from him. She loved him though; there was no denying that...until he killed her like a common enemy.

Izumi had been confused for just a moment before he unleashed his tsukuyomi. He did it without hesitating. He had made it as painless as possible for her.

He didn't even do that for his own parents.

He let out a shuddering breath and finally returned to his side of the room, collapsing on his mat roughly. He put a hand on his head, forcing himself not to think about that day. He mentally switched subjects.

Long ago, for what seems like decades, he told himself that he would never fall in love. He wouldn't allow it. He wouldn't even get close to anything near love. He would never risk polluting another soul by joining it with his own. And he was determined to keep it that way.

He observed the trees swaying out the window as the first rays of morning broke through the darkness.

Why had he kissed her back?