I've finally finished this chapter. Now i'll get to work on the next chapter. Enjoy

Disclaimer: (sniffles) I won't say it again. If you just have to have one see the prologue

Ch. 6: A Change of Mind

Nanami wasn't happy. She hated being bed ridden and no one would let her get up. Her chakra and body still hadn't fully recovered from using the seal on Sasuke while he was in full curse seal mode. She had been out for a two days and had just woken up that morning and they were already torturing her. The girl grumbled darkly about the things she would do to certain friends just as soon as they let her get up. She looked down at the scroll she was studying. Kimiko had decided that since she couldn't leave her bed she should catch up on her studies. Nanami had spent the last six years concentrated on her fighting skills so she neglected her medical studies. Kimiko decided now was a good time to remedy that. Nanami couldn't argue with her.

The door to her room opened and Nanami looked over at it. Sasuke walked in and shut the door behind him. She watched him carefully. The medic didn't thing that he would stoop to attacking her when she was injured but there was always a chance. If there was ever a good time for him to try to escape, now would be it. He sat down next to the bed and looked into her eyes. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Nanami couldn't take it for very long.

"Did you want something, Sasuke?" she asked carefully.

"Why are you trying so hard to change my mind? I heard about the seal. If I manage to break it you'll die."

She looked him dead in the eyes. He was listening now. She could see it. Letting hope begin to form, she answered him, "There are a lot of reasons but the most important one is that I didn't want you to become Itachi. He gave up everything for god knows what and we were the ones left to suffer for his choice. He didn't stop to consider our feeling or if he did he didn't care. I didn't want you to one day look into a mirror and see your brother staring back at you."

Sasuke seemed to actually consider what she said much to Nanami's amazement. She was tempted to check him for a fever but was afraid that would ruin everything. His dark eyes looked at the mirror on her dresser across the room. He just stared at his reflection for a moment. The young medic was tempted to ask what he saw but again she didn't want to make him angry. Sasuke was listening now and she didn't want him to quit. It seemed like hours had past until his dark eyes focused back on her. After a moment he stood up and walked out of the room. Nanami wondered what that was all about but shrugged it off.

A week later she was standing in a clearing that she used to meet Itachi in. The two had spent hours there. He listened to her talk and occasionally talking himself though there was never much of that. He would help her train here. This was the place where she received her first kiss from him. She had avoided this place since the day he had left. It was too painful to stand here and remember all the lies that were her happy memories.

"I used to come here with Itachi before that night."

Sasuke walked out of the trees and looked around, "Why are you here?"

"I don't know. I went for a walk and this was where I ended up. I love and hate this place. Everything he did here with me was a lie. He never really cared but I had been happy with him."

Sasuke watched her for a moment. She hadn't turned to face him. She was looking at the waterfall with a bittersweet smile. Her storm cloud eyes held both pain and happiness. He had almost done this to those who cared about him. He had almost put that look in Sakura's and Naruto's eyes. Could he live with himself if he did put that bittersweet smile on their face?

"I think I need to reconsider my decision."

She tilted her head, "Which one?"

"To join Orochimaru. I still want to avenge my clan."

"Can I ask what brought this on?"

He looked at his reflection in the water, "I don't know. I just looked in the mirror and realized that I saw Itachi's eyes on my face. They had nothing but hatred in them and that made me think."

She smiled, "So you had an epiphany."

Sasuke just nodded to that. He looked her in the eyes again, "I want to know what will happen now. Even though I agree that I can't join Orochimaru I still have to get stronger. I still want to avenge my clan."

She grinned, "Oh, that's and easy problem to solve. I'll train you myself."

He nodded, "Alright."

Nanami was thrilled. Apparently there was some truth to the phrase 'beat some sense into someone'. If she hadn't known that all she had to do to make Sasuke think about his choice was fight him then she would have done it along time ago. She smiled, "I'm glad that you've changed your mind."

He looked back at her, "Oddly enough, so am I."

His training started the next day. By the end of the day Sasuke decided that she was a slave driver. Between her and Kakashi his whole body felt as if he'd been hit with a ton of bricks. When he grumbled about it Nanami had laughed and told him that it was only the beginning. He had said something like 'lucky me' and got back up.

It was a few weeks later when Shikamaru arrived and told them that Gaara's student had been kidnapped. Suna had asked for their help. Nanami had refused to go. She told Shikamaru to take Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura. He nodded and the four genin left. Nanami worried about it but she knew that they had to do this. All three of them had to see what they were capable of without the help of the jonin. So Nanami sat at home and twiddled her thumbs while waiting nervously for the battle to end. The group arrived at the Tsukino compound. They were battered and bruised but they were all alright. Naruto was the most damaged as usual. Nanami treated them all and they were given a place to stay on the compound.

That night she was sitting across from Kakashi and they were discussing what to do now. Naruto would be leaving the next day with Jiraiya to train and there was no telling how long they would be gone. They also needed to start Sasuke's training. Nanami had a few ideas where that was concerned.

"I think we'll travel around for a while."

Kakashi looked over at her, "What kind of training do you have in mind?"

"I'm going to have him fight people with different fighting styles. That way he can adapt quickly and he will improve his own style while he's at it."

The copy ninja nodded, "That is very true. I'll have to stay here so you'll have to take care of him."

"I know. I think he's finally made a turn for the better," she said with a smile. "He won't become Itachi now. Now I have to keep my end of the bargain. I will help Sasuke become stronger so that he can avenge his clan."

"Are you okay with that?" he asked.

She blinked, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"To avenge his clan he'll have to kill Itachi. Are you sure you're fine with that?"

Nanami looked up at the stars, "I have to be, Kakashi. I don't think I could survive if I was still in love with him. He betrayed everyone including me and murdered the people who were my second family. So yes I'll be fine with it because I have no choice but to be."

Kakashi watched her then looked up at the stars, "For your sake I hope you're right."

In a window above them Sasuke also looked up. She was going to train him to kill the man she had once loved. Was it really that easy for her? The look in her eyes when she stood in that clearing flashed through his head and he knew it wasn't. She would help him but not because she wanted to. Nanami helped him to prevent history from repeating itself. She didn't want anyone else to have to be like her. The medic didn't want his friends to have to pretend that they hated him when they didn't. She didn't want them to have to hunt for his life when they still cared about him. If preventing this meant teaching him how to kill Itachi then so be it. Sasuke looked at the stars.

The all were at Konoha two days later. The group said good bye to the sand sibling and Matsuri. Naruto and Jiraiya left a few hours later. Nanami, Kakashi, and Sakura were sitting at the Ichiraku Ramen Shop. Nanami was telling Sakura that Tsunade would be taking over her training though she was more than welcome to go to the Tsukino compound if she wanted to. Nanami would be leaving the next day with Sasuke to begin his training. She had no idea how long they would be gone so they each packed one bag with what they would need for an extended trip.

The next morning Nanami and Sasuke headed out. The two of them waved good bye to their friends and disappeared down the road. Sakura stood there watching until they were out of sight. She was going to miss the two of them. Nanami and her practical mind loaded with advice for all sorts of problems. Sasuke with his quiet strength and odd way of caring for those around him. A determined look came into her emerald eyes. She would have to get stronger too. After all, she couldn't let Naruto and Sasuke do all the work. She had promised to do all she could to help Sasuke and she had meant it. Sakura would make sure that he didn't regret staying no matter what it took. She would prove to him that he didn't need Orochimaru because he had his team...Team 7.

"So they've left the village?" a man with crimson eyes asked his partner.

"It would seem so. They left this morning. From what I gather she wants to train the boy to fight several different styles," the shark faced man replied.

Crimson eyes focused on the rising sun. So Sasuke was going to train with the one person who could make the boy strong enough to kill him. How ironic that the woman training him was the same one that had once said she loved him. He wondered if she still had any feelings for him. Probably not. She would be a fool to and Nanami was anything but a fool. If only... No he couldn't think about that. He had made his choice and there was no going back. He had given up any chance he had for that life.

Itachi turned and started walking away from the village he had grown up in. It took all his will power to keep from looking back. Kisame walked right behind him wondering how long Itachi would fool himself. The shark man knew he had to do something or, when the time came, his partner would let Sasuke kill him. He only had until the girl finished training Sasuke to come up with a way to save Itachi from himself. He made a mental note to keep an eye of them while they trained.

--A few months later--

CRASH!! Birds scattered at the sound of someone being thrown through branches. A boy with dark hair and eyes pushed himself up with a great deal of effort. His body was screaming at him to stay down. Why in the hell was he continuing to torture himself by getting back up when he could stay down and rest? He got up anyway and gasped for breath as he faced his opponent. She was facing him with her hands on her hips. Her gray eyes held a question. His answer was to attack again.

They had been doing this for several hours now and she had barely broken a sweat. On the other hand he was barely managing to breath properly and his body was aching more that it ever had. He wanted to hit her for that alone. She could at least make it look like she was having a hard time. As far as he could tell she was barely trying and he was still getting his ass kicked. It didn't take long for him to get tossed onto his ass again. CRASH!! He forced himself to get back up with a groan while she stood there with an amused look on her face. That made him want to hit her even more. How could she just stand there laughing at him while beating the crap out of him? It just wasn't right. So he stood up and ran at her again. She merely dodged and kicked him which sent him flying again.

"I think we should quit for a few hours. Your attacks are starting to get sluggish and wild. That means you need a break, Sasuke," she stated while he forced himself back up.

His dark eyes narrowed. He didn't want to admit it but she was right. He needed to rest for a little while. So he sat back down on the ground and grumbled, "I suppose you're right."

She smiled, "Of course I am."

"Not very modest are you, Nanami?" he commented sarcastically.

She pretended to think about it for a moment, "Not really, no."

Nanami sat down next to him. She pulled some sandwiches out of her bag and the two of them ate in relative silence. Sasuke looked at his trainer. She was looking around them with some interest. His eyes darted around but he didn't see what she found so interesting. He looked back at her, "What's so interesting?"

"Hmm? Oh I was just looking at the forest."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"It doesn't have any purpose," he replied with a little confusion.

She shook her head at him, "Sasuke, not everything you do has to have a purpose. You could just look at the forest to enjoy the peace or beauty of the world around you."

The Uchiha considered this then looked at the forest again. This time he took his time to see everything going on around him. There was a doe with her young one getting water a few yard away. A family of rabbits played in a flower bed. The wind was dancing through the trees making music that sounded better than anything human made. Sunlight streamed through the leaves forming breathtaking patterns of light everywhere. His dark eyes turned back to Nanami.

"I guess you're right."

"I'll say it again. Of course I am."

He smirked and finished off his sandwich. Sasuke stood and looked around them, "Where are we going anyway?"

"To Kirigakure. A few of the jonin there owe me so I can ask them to train with us. The purpose of this is to improve your skills and how quickly you adapt to other fighting styles. So I will have you train with as many different people as possible."

"Makes sense. How far away are we?"

"We should be there tomorrow. That is if you're still able to walk after our sparing matches," she replied with a smirk of her own.

His eyes narrowed, "Of course I can still walk."

"Then let's get going."

They did make it to Kirigakure the next morning. Several of the jonin were more than happy to welcome Nanami. It didn't take Sasuke long to figure out that she had saved a lot of them on more than one occasion. They also agreed to help her train Sasuke to repay the debt they owed her. Sasuke let out a sigh. He could tell that he was going to become very familiar with the dirt over the next few years. That knowledge was enough to make him want to turn around and run off. He stood his ground though. This is what he had to do to get stronger. He would take every punch and kick thrown at him. Sasuke stood across from one of the water shinobi on their training field. Both of them were in a fighting stance. When Nanami gave the signal the two fighters charged. About two minutes later Sasuke was sent flying. He rubbed at his jaw. Yup. He would take every punch to get stronger but that didn't mean he had to like it.

That's it. I hope you liked it. Now I'm going to ask you guys for your opinion. Would you like to see more of their training during the three years or should I skip to their return to Konoha?