Chapter 7:

First Encounter

"I am curious to see how he has grown. I wonder if his hatred is enough to defeat me?" Itachi said giving out a small laugh as he wondered how strong his brother was. That is if he grew in power and hatred, remembering how easily he defeated Sasuke when they first met three years ago in Konoha.

"I don't think anyone could be as powerful as you Itachi. Well unless it's me," Kisame said laughing.

"True," Itachi said.

They had left the hideout and were about two-hundred feet away when Itachi spotted Sasuke with three other people.

"It looks like he got himself a new group." Itachi said to Kisame.

Deidara had taken Kaira with him on his one bird.

"We'll watch from above and if need be. We'll come and help."

"Very well." Itachi paused then said to Deidara while looking at Kaira, "protect her. I don't want her anywhere near us unless she can hold her own against any of them."

"Understood," Deidara said as he placed his hand on Kaira's shoulder. "Let's go Kaira."

"Right," she paused then said looking at both Itachi and Kisame. "Becareful."

"Don't worry about us," Itachi said looking at her.

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"I see two poeple ahead of us." Suigetsu said seeing the two figures in black cloaks with red clouds. "But I don't recognize them."

Sasuke looked and almost immediately recognized Itachi.

"One is my brother. And the other guy is his partner. His name is Kisame," Sasuke said remembering seeing him with Itachi when they went to Konoha to go after Naruto the first time.

"Kisame? The name sounds familiar." Suigetsu paused then said, "ah! Now I remember. He's one of the Seven Lengedary Swordsmen." He placed his hand on the end of the sword he had taken from Zabuza's grave. "I can handle him with Zabuza's sword."

"It should be easy for us to handle them. It's us four against those two." Karin said.

"We are at their base. Just because we only see those two doesn't mean the other members aren't around." Sasuke said in a warning tone to everyone.

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Deidara and Kaira had watched what was going on down on the ground from his bird he summoned.

"What are you thinking about Kaira?" He asked looking at her.

"I'm thinking about who I could stand up against from that other group. I see one female. So maybe I could face off against her and manage my own without being in the way of anyone." Kaira said looking at Deidara. "There's no way I caould be able to fight against any of the other guys. Especially Itachi's brother."

"Itachi can take care of his brother easily. Even if he has the Mangekyo Sharingan." Deidara said smiling at Kaira.

"True. Itachi is the more skilled one of the two." Kaira said smiling at Deidara.

"I had lost to him in a battle and that was how I had joined this organization." Deidara paused then said laughing, "he's one guy I don't want to mess with when he has a goal to accomplish."

"Why is that?" Kaira asked as she watched the battle.

"Why is what?" Deidara asked looking at her.

"Why does it seem like almost everyone in this group didn't join of their own free will? Why does it seem like they were forced to join?" Kaira paused then said as she watched the battle, "Itachi was threatened with the lives of his family. I lost mine. And you had lost to Itachi."

"I don't know." Deidara said looking at Kaira and thought she was a kind person and didn't need to be with them. They were murderers while she wasn't. He almost wished he was born in Konoha.

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"Is that your brother Sasuke-kun?" Karin asked looking at Sasuke.

"He is. What of it?" Sasuke asked looking at her.

"Nothing really. Just curious. Because of how similar you look."

"If your girlfriend is hitting on me. Tell her to stop. Her voice is sickening." Itachi said annoyed. And he also knew Kaira was also watching somewhere with Deidara.

"She won't be doing that for long. When she meets the newest member," Kisame said laughing.

"What new member?" Sasuke asked looking at Itachi.

"Me," Kaira said appearing out of nowhere with Deidara.

"You look familiar to me. Who are you?" Sasuke asked looking at her.

"I could care less if you don't remember who I am Sasuke." Kaira paused then said as she drew her father's sword out and pointed it towards Karin. "But I won't have this hussy trying to sweet talk her way to my partners."

Itachi looked towards Kaira and grinned at how she reacted to Karin. No one noticed because his cloak had covered his mouth.

"I told you so," Kisame said laughing.

"She doesn't look like much of a fighter," Karin said laughing.

Kaira had clsoed her eyes as she placed her father's sword back in it's sheath.

Before Karin knew it. She was flying through the air from getting punched under her chin.

"Now I remember where I had seen her from." Sasuke paused then said looking at Itachi and grinned. "She had trained with you alot when you had entered the ANBU squad. And now she's part of this group. She just seems like a dog fallowing you whereever you go. It's a shame she's fighting for a murderer. She should have just stayed in the village and not leave. Then she wouldn't look like a bitch."

Kisame and Deidara looked towards Sasuke in anger at hearing him call Kaira a dog. They were about to move towards him. But stopped as they saw Itachi's hands curled into fists.

"Is that all you have to say brother? Because I really don't care what you say about the new member." Itachi said pulling his sword out.

Sasuke had taken his out as well.

At that moment. Deidara had attached one of his bombs to Juugo and was about to detonate it. And Kisame had attacked Suigetsu with his sword.

The fighting had seemed to go on for hours even thought it had lasted for about twenty minutes.

Karin was down on the ground with blood running out of her mouth. She looked back towards Kaira and pulled out a few shurikens and kunais. She had thrown the weapons towards her.

Kaira had pulled her father's sword out and had blocked every single weapon attack that was headed her way.

"Damn bitch!" Karin said as she wiped blood off of her lips from getting punched earlier.

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Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura stopped a few feet away and watched the scene of what was going on.

"There's Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said seeing Sasuke fighting against Itachi.

"And there's Kaira," Naruto said watching her fight against the one girl who was with Sasuke when they saw him in the village.

"They look like they're holding their own."

"I'm just glad Sasuke isn't attacking her. That's what I was worried about the most." Naruto said to Sakura and Kakashi.

Before they knew it. The battle had ended with Sasuke leaving after losing to Itachi. The others had left with him.

Naruto watched Kaira run up towards Itachi and looked at him with concern in her eyes. "He really does care about her," he said seeing Itachi's kind expression.

Sakura and Kakashi looked towards Itachi and Kaira as they shared a small embrace.

Kaira stooped as she sensed they were being watched. "I'll be back." She said leaving them.

"Where is she going?" Deidara asked.

"Let her be. She'll be just fine." Itachi said walking with the others towards the hideout.

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"What are you guys doing here?" Kaira asked as she appeared behind Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi.

"We were worried about you." Naruto paused then said, "Sasuke had come to our village to pass through to get to Itachi. And we knew you were with him."

"I see." She paused then said, "I'm fine now. You don't have to worry about me."

"Kaira! Wait!" Naruto paused then asked with a sad expression. "What happened with your parents? Did Itachi really kill them?"

"No," Kaira paused then said as she looked towards them with tears in her eyes. "The Leader did. He had given me a test to see if I was capapble of joining the group. Itachi and Kisame had gone to do what the note had read for my mission. I was supposed to help them. They had allowed him to do it. But before they died. My Father made Itachi promise to protect me from the Leader," she said wiping her eyes.

"Kaira," Naruto said walking towards her.

"I'm sorry but I must go before he becomes suspicious." She said leaving where Naruto and the others were.

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Itachi was in Kaira's room when she had retunred.

"Kaira who were you talking to?" He asked walking up to her as she closed her door to her room.

"Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura had follwed Sasuke here. Because they were worried he would attack me." Kaira said as she locked her door.

Itachi smiled as he heard her door lock. The only person who could unlock the door from the other side would be the Leader.

"I was surprised at how fast you had attacked that female member from my brother's new group." Itachi paused then asked leaning towards her, "we're you getting jealous. Not that you needed to if you were. You will always be the only woman I care for." Itachi said claiming Kaira's lips in a passionate kiss.

Kaira felt her body lean towards him as he embraced her.

Itachi picked her up and laid her down on her bed. He looked down at her and smiled knowing neither of them needed to speak the words for what was about to happen between them.