sigh sorry this took so long guys. I was without internet for days. To make along story short I am in Paris right now. It was the trip from hell getting here though. Our flight was delayed 8 hours! I didn't leave the states until 4:15 am. So we didn't get here until rreeaaallly late, the 6 hour time different and all. then I had to wait until yesterday to get internet. So yeah..once again I'm sorry. Anyway here it is, chapter 7. Not my favorite chapter but it's building things up now. Hope you like it.


Chapter 7

The moment he let go of her, Itachi bolted for the door. He couldn't believe everything that had just happened. His small, newly forming world, was crumbling around him. And the sad part was he was the entire reason for it.

The sky was still dark and littered with stars. Despite the extensive nightmare he had just had, only an hour had gone by. It was like he was reliving the night, which was fine, except it was going even worse than before.

As he sat, drenched in sweat, his face showing his shock, he noticed something move from the corner of his eye. He looked up and storming in, still apparently very upset, was the young boy who had started this mess.

They made eye contact for a moment, just staring at each other with sheer hatred. Shouta obviously was not going to accept him and quite frankly Itachi was alright with it.

"Shouta, where have you been?" Itachi finally asked, taking his mind as far away from what had just happened as possible.

"It's none of your business. I'm going to bed." Shouta said rather shortly.

Itachi wasn't going to argue with the boy. At this point he just didn't have it in him. Instead he just stood up and decided to go face the horrors he had just inflicted on himself.

"Going to take advantage of my sister some more?" Shouta asked snidely.

Itachi placed one hand on the sliding door to the girl's room and looked back at Shouta over his shoulder. He didn't say anything, just glared angrily at him. There were so many things he wanted to tell him but with his head still reeling he simply could not find the words.

"Can't even argue the point, can you? Are you afraid I'm right? Come on say something!" Shouta said rather mockingly.

Itachi turned once again to face the frustrated boy. Slowly he raised his hand and waved him over.

Cocking one eyebrow, Shouta hesitantly made his way over to Itachi, not knowing what this man was going to do to him.

As he got closer, Itachi raised his arm higher and with two fingers poked the young boy in the forehead. "Forgive me Shouta…" he started.

Shouta flinched as Itachi's fingers hit his forehead. He rubbed that spot then looked up at him totally dumbfounded.

"Maybe some other time." Itachi finished with a lackadaisical smile, then turned around and headed back into the bedroom.

Shouta couldn't find the words to say. It was not at all what he was expecting to happen. He just stood and watched as the man walked away from him as if nothing had even happened.

The lump of blankets that was laying on the bed stirred with the sound of the door sliding open. Itachi wasn't sure what to do or say, but he knew he had to do something, say something, to make things right again.

"Itachi-san." Yori said half groggy half concerned.

"Yori, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I shouldn't have. The last thing I wanted was to hurt you. I'm so so sorry…"

"Shh, it's ok." Yori finally stopped him while she sat up from her bed. "I startled you. You were having a nightmare and I shouldn't have scared you like that."

"No, it's not ok." Itachi told her as he stood completely still in the door way. "But I'll make it up to you, I promise. For now go back to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

With those final words Itachi turned and left the room, not letting Yori even attempt to respond. He didn't want to hear her say it was her fault. He didn't want her to show just how much she cared for him. He needed this guilt. Or perhaps it was another sort of guilt he wanted.

The next morning Itachi awoke once again to the sun beating down on him. He hadn't slept at all that night and was completely exhausted. The already dark lines underneath his eyes were shadowed, his eyes drooping, and his body sore from exhaustion. But he wasn't going to give into it. He knew it was his own doing.

As he slid open the door the tremendously bright sun blinded him momentarily. With the limited vision he had, he saw three figures in the yard obviously busy preparing for their trip.

One figure was obviously female, with long hair and a graceful walk. She cheerfully loaded boxes of something on a large cart. He was glad to see that Yori was alright after what he had done to her.

The second figure was slightly taller and definitely male. But by the way he moved Itachi knew immediately that it was Shouta.

The third figure, however, seemed familiar but unidentifiable to Itachi. From what he could see it was a man who was a bit taller than Shouta with spikey hair.

Itachi walked down the steps and into the yard, where the figures came more into focus.

"Itachi-san." Yori said smiling then ran over to him. "I didn't want to wake you. I know you didn't sleep much last night."

"That's fine." Itachi said, examining her up and down.

Usually Yori wore elegant yet practical things. Skirts and blouses were her normal gear. And they were totally appropriate for the weather. But today she had something different on.

Like usual she wore a long skirt, but her shirt was definitely out of the ordinary. It was a long sleeved shirt that buttoned all the way up with an exceptionally high collar. Immediately after seeing this Itachi knew exactly why she was wearing it.

"Yori." He said concerned. Without any more words he reached out and pulled her collar down. There, tainting the beautiful skin on her neck, was a black and blue hand shaped bruise.

Yori pushed his hand away and smiled. "It's ok. Don't worry about it. Accidents happen right?"

It was very apparent that she was hiding how much pain she was really in. Even the way she spoke was off. Her fluid voice had a raspiness to it, and she didn't talk as loud as she normally would.

"You must be Itachi." The third figure spoke and walked towards him, breaking them from that somber moment..

"Oh yeah. Itachi-san, this is Kakashi-san. My father hired him to help us out with our medicine run since he couldn't make it." Yori said as giddy as ever.

Itachi looked the man up and down. Right away he knew where he recognized him from.

"You're the shinobi from yesterday. We saw you standing against the wall." Itachi stated flatly.

Kakashi looked at him a little surprised and then laughed nervously. "Right right. I was waiting for the rest of the team and catching up on my book."

Itachi raised an eyebrow at the man's strange antics. Yesterday he looked at him as if they knew each other, and today he was acting as if they had never met before.

Yori placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder and smiled up at him. "I'll let you two talk. I'm going to go finish loading up."

As Yori bounded away the fun expression on Kakashi's face faded into nothingness.

"You know me somehow don't you?" Itachi asked bluntly, which he would later learn to regret.

"Yes. I do." Kakashi answered just as short.

"How?"

"You can stop this now. You've been found and nothing can change what has to be done." Kakashi reached back into his pouch and slowly pulled something out.

Itachi watched the man's hand for a moment, seeing exactly what he was doing. His eyes widened as he saw the glint of a kunai in the sun.

"Then I take it we're not friends." Itachi stated almost disappointed.

"No. We're not.

Itachi closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He finally found someone who knew him, who could explain his dreams, who could maybe help him find his family, and they were enemies.

"I don't want to cause any problems in front of these people, Itachi, so let's not make a scene here." Kakashi said, sliding the kunai back into his pouch.

"I don't even know who you are. Why would I make a scene?" Itachi asked shooting his eyes back open.

The simple gesture of opening his eyes made Kakashi jump. It was as if he was so cautious, so afraid of Itachi that any movement he made him go on the defensive.

Itachi simply ignored the man's strange reaction and walked past him, towards Yori and Shouta. He had all day to figure this out. And he planned to get Kakashi alone to ask if a few questions, even if they were enemies.