"Lady Tsunade?"
Tsunade looked up at Shizune, happy to avoid the large stack of papers at her desk. "Hm?"
"Have you sent the spy?"
Tsunade nodded. "Yes, he left this morning. Based on what Naruto and Jiraiya have told me, I thought it was safe to have him assume the position of the six-tailed Jinchuriki. From our information, I understand they are already in pursuit of the fifth."
Shizune nodded. "That's right. But…"
Tsunade blinked. "But what?"
Shizune looked sheepish. "Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura have already left."
"Left?!" Tsunade stood. "For what?!"
"As I recall," said Shizune. "You sent them on a mission."
Tsunade let out a breath.
"But…"
A vein throbbed in Tsunade's temple. "What?!"
"Well…Naruto knows, generally, where the Akatsuki were. He might…go looking for them."
"Grrr…NARUTO!"
"Naruto?"
Itachi nodded shortly. "He's the Jinchuriki for the Kyuubi spirit. Naruto Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf Village."
As she and Itachi ran, jumping the tree branches, Takara cast a side glance at him. His face showed no expression.
As usual, she thought. I honestly don't know why I would think—
She saw something flicker in his eyes for the barest moment. Before she could decipher it, a force knocked into her, throwing her into the trunk of a tree. Blinking, she realized it was Itachi! She glared.
"What the hell, Itachi, get off me!"
He didn't say anything, staring stonily at space.
"For God sake's, Itachi, move or I will smack you, so help me—"
She froze.
"You feel it, too?" Itachi whispered.
She gave the smallest of nods. Before she could do anything else, the space where she had been standing moments before exploded. She saw it over his shoulder—the entire branch was gone now, incinerated. She saw something in her peripheral vision—
Clang!
Itachi knocked the incoming shuriken from the air with his kunai. Takara, frowning, put away her own weapons. As she slipped the senbon back into her holster, she said with annoyance, "Itachi, seriously, I don't need protecting. Get off."
Again, there was that flicker of something, some emotion in his eyes that she couldn't quite catch. He stood abruptly.
"Fine."
Takara's jaw went slack with disbelief. Was Itachi acting…offended?
No, she thought firmly. No, he's not. You're not interpreting things right.
Takara stood, tempted to brush herself off. Instead, she tensed her muscles, ready for attack. Nothing happened. She couldn't feel any enemy presence. She blinked.
"Itachi…?"
"I know," replied the man shortly. "They left."
Takara scowled. "Well that is really no fun. I was hoping for a HOLY SHIT!"
She jumped out of the way as the tree suddenly toppled over. She stood straighter a little ways off. The leaves swirled around her in a tornado, whipping her hair in her face. She turned in a circle, finding she couldn't see Itachi. The leaves turned to razor-sharp spikes, scattering. They landed in her hair, on her skin, cutting her and ripping her clothes.
Genjutsu? she thought. DAMN IT!
"Cowards!" she yelled. "Only freaking cowards use genjutsu!"
Suddenly, a shadow rose in front of her. The shadow wavered, formed a person. Then they multiplied. Soon she was surrounded by hundred of those shadows. They stepped toward her, and she kicked the closest one. Her leg was sucked into its middle, and there it stayed. She tried to yank her leg back, but it was stuck. They swallowed her in their suffocating darkness until all she could do was scream.
Then she had no breath left to scream. She was bleeding, and these things were pressing on her, smothering her. She tried to focus on inhaling, but she couldn't, she couldn't. All of a sudden, she could. She opened her eyes. She was on her knees, Itachi standing in front of her, his hand on her shoulder. She realized he'd pumped chakra into her to break the genjutsu.
"Did you see who it was?" he asked.
She shook her head, swallowing and trembling. Her head snapped to the side, and her cheek stung. He'd slapped her. Her mouth dropped and she turned to glare at him.
"Asshole!" she accused.
"Get a hold of yourself, we have to get moving."
She scowled. "Itachi, you loser, we're under attack and you're running away?"
"They're gone."
Takara blinked in surprise.
"Whoever it was, that genjutsu was a timed-release genjutsu," Itachi continued. "They used it to distract us so they could get away. They obviously don't want to challenge us outright. They are probably going to attempt another attack in a few days or so. We should be on our guard."
"You're still a jerk," she muttered, standing shakily. "I totally did not deserve that slap."
Itachi grabbed her wrists, slamming her back into the tree. He glared at her, his face a sudden mask of anger as he leaned in close.
"You really annoy me," he said. "Stop talking so much."
"Out of my face."
"You don't get it, do you? I can't stand you at all. I would really love to kill you right now."
She scowled back at him. "Well too freaking bad. You are stuck with me, Itachi Uchiha, whether we like it or not. Get used to it."
"Who would care if I killed you?" he growled menacingly.
"Fine! You know what, fine!" she snapped. "Go ahead! Kill me, Itachi! Go ahead and kill me, you freaking anal hole! What the freaking hell is stopping you?"
For a brief second, something in her eyes glowed brightly to life. She could see a spark in his eyes as well. Then the small ember of emotion snuffed out like a weak candle flame. Itachi shoved her roughly to the ground.
"Let's go."
For once, Takara didn't say anything. She stood slowly and followed him in silence. They'd barely traveled for a few hours, however, before Itachi became irritated again.
"Why are you so quiet?" he asked.
She glared at his back. "What the hell? Do you want me to stop talking or don't you? Make up your damn mind, Itachi."
That's the Takara I know, he thought. She's fine.
It was then that he realized something. He'd been worried. Worried. He had been worried that she was silent because she was mad at him. Irritated at himself, he scowled.
"Oh, no," she grumbled, sensing his emotion. "You are so not allowed to be angry at me. I was doing what you told me, like a good little girl, and now you're pissed. I think you might have serious emotional issues—oof!"
Itachi shoved her, once again, into a tree. He pinned her arms on either side of her head, watching with almost pleasure as her eyes shot fire.
"Goddamnit," she hissed. "What is wrong with you?"
His eyes swirled. She thrashed.
"Itachi, no—"
"Mommy!" A smiling, seven year old girl with dark green hair and sea foam eyes runs into the arms of a gentle mother.
The mother laughs. "You're always so rambunctious, Takara. When are you going to settle down?"
Takara laughs back. A boy who looks like her comes up to them. He grins widely, his eyes sparkling. He is great. Takara loves her brother very, very much.
The scene changes quickly. Itachi could see everything Takara was about to suffer.
Her brother's mangled remains lie on the floor. Takara is frozen in fear and disgust. She wants to throw up. She can't. The stench, the stench is horrible.
Her mother is horrified. "How could you? He was your brother!"
Takara wants to tell her the truth. But her mouth won't move with the words repeating in her head.
I didn't do it, Mommy. It wasn't me. I didn't kill Hisoka. I wouldn't, I didn't, it wasn't me.
"Monster! That's what you are! A monster!"
Her mother approaches slowly. A weapons glints dangerously in the moonlight. Suddenly, her mother is falling, falling. Her eyes are glazed, her throat is slit, she is dead. She falls to the floor by Takara's beloved brother. Tears rush to her eyes. Blood. Takara is coated in it. She is paralyzed, she cannot move. She can barely turn her head in time before she throws up.
Then Itachi was done. He took a good look at her now, fourteen years older. He still had her arms pinned. She was looking down, and she was trembling, just as she had during that genjutsu. It took him a moment to realize she was crying. He wanted to feel triumphant. He had broken her. He had gotten her to fear him.
But he didn't feel that. He felt as though there was a knife in his chest from watching her cry, and knowing that he was the one who had caused it twisted the knife.
"You aren't fair, Itachi Uchiha," she whispered. "That wasn't fair."
He put his forehead against hers. She looked up after a few moments, and he closed the two-inch gap instantly. Their mouths overlapped. He felt her start to resist and tried harder. He kissed her fiercer. She gave in for a moment, letting the flavor of the kiss wash over her.
He tasted sweet. She liked his taste, and she liked his scent. It couldn't be described. It was Itachi. She didn't want to like it at all.
His hands slid up her wrists. He locked their hands together, intertwining their fingers.
Then she wrenched her arm away from his grasp and punched him solidly in the jaw.
"You, you…" She shook her head, bewildered. He made no move to get away from her, even though she had punched him in hopes of getting him off. He was still close, far too close. "Itachi, what…?"
She couldn't form full sentences. Her face felt hot. Takara hated herself for being this affected by his kiss. Itachi was just as surprised at himself.
What was I thinking? he asked himself. Was I thinking at all? Why did I do that? Why do I still want to do it again?
His hand reached up to gently stroke her cheek. She flinched slightly and his heart panged painfully. Yes, his heart. He no longer wanted her to fear him. He wanted to be the first one she ran to, the one she always talked to, the one she gave herself to…
His lips formed her name. She stared at him in shock. Itachi was acting so gentle with her now.
She shook her head. His hand dropped from her face.
"I don't understand you," she said.
"I was about to say the same thing," the man before her muttered. Then he leaned in to once again cover her lips with his own.
She stiffened immediately. He ran his fingers gently through her hair until she relaxed against him. She let him kiss her unresponsive lips. But she still didn't kiss him back.
"We aren't interrupting anything I hope," came a sudden voice.
Itachi broke away from Takara, who sucked in her breath. He scowled at the blonde facing him.
"What is it, Deidara?"
Deidara chuckled. "Testy, aren't we, hmm?"
Itachi's hand, invisible to the Akatsuki member, was clamped protectively around Takara's waist. He didn't notice, but she did, and she was trying desperately not to blush.
Kisame appeared by the blonde's side. "Hey, Itachi. Boss sent us out. Apparently, the sixth Jinchuriki is in the same town as the fifth. Funny, huh?" After seeing Itachi's glare and his current position—standing protectively over Takara—Kisame raised his eyebrow.
"Um, Deidara, maybe we should go…"
Deidara smirked. "Takara, come on. We'll all go. We're going to the same place anyway."
Takara opened her mouth. Don't look at Itachi, that'll look suspicious.
"Okay." She disappeared from Itachi's side, reappearing by Deidara. Itachi closed his eyes to try and calm down. "Come on…Itachi."
I hate her, he thought, and I want to kiss her again.
A/N: Okay! How was it? This chapter took me freaking FOREVER to finish. how'd you like the little interaction there, hmm?? oo Itachi's mad at Deidara. Yikes! keep on reading!
