DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, SASUKE, OR ANYTHING ELSE FROM 'NARUTO'. ONLY THE OC'S. ;)
Thank you so much to everyone who read my last chapter and commented! Cookies for everyone! *dishes out cookies* YIPEEE!
*cough*
I found my thesaurus/spellchecker electronic device! YAY! Now I have something to check my spelling when I can't use Word! SWEET! :D
O_O
*cough*
Anywho...
This chapter is longer than the last. YAY! ^_^
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! (which is quite a bit, let me tell ya) =D
Part 8
The days passed at a moderate rate after Itachi decided to stay to at least repay his debt. The missing-nin made himself useful in all manner of ways. Takao-sama and Akiko-san both wanted him to start out slow so he wouldn't strain himself unduly. First, he helped out in the kitchen, helping Akiko prepare meals when she needed an extra hand, cleaning up spills, cleaning dishes, moping and sweeping floors, and various other house work that didn't require a lot of effort.
During his kitchen duty, Akiko would talk to him, trying to get him to open up to her, relax around her. After a few days, Itachi found himself talking back to her, making it, finally, a two-way conversation. If she inquired about something he felt was too personal, or painful, to discuss, he said nothing for a while till she learned not to ask him such questions. The rest of the time they would talk of innocent things, nothing too revealing, but Akiko felt as if she were growing closer to Itachi, like she was getting to know him just a little. Her feelings for the older man deepened, and had it not been for his weeping at night, she would have thought she was making progress with her vow. Alas, he spoke not of the past; neither did he bring it up in any way. Akiko resolved not to give up on him. Surely he was not a lost cause.
When Itachi finally started conversing with Akiko he didn't realize that his sorrow and thoughts of his brother slowly receded to the back of his mind. The grief over Sasuke's death seemed to slumber like a hibernating bear during their conversations, only waking up at night when Itachi was alone in the dark, with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. Itachi found it impossible to think of anything else with the darkness surrounding him, reminding him of being nearly blind not that long ago. Before he could fall asleep, his ability to see clearly always made him think of Sasuke more, and his emotions would take a nose dive. He just couldn't stop himself; stop the tears. He didn't want to. How could he? After years of trying to secure Sasuke's hate for him to revenge their family and kill him, making him a hero in the eyes of Konoha... His love for his younger brother was the paramount aspect of his personality. These nightly thoughts of Sasuke shoved nearly all his thoughts of Akiko out.
But speaking with Akiko, whom he had learned was 16, all this time had stirred up unknown, or perhaps just buried, emotions inside Itachi. He could sense that she wanted to know him personally, and that she was trustworthy. But years of keeping everything locked up inside prevented him from speaking what was in his heart... what was always on his mind. There was also the fact that she wouldn't understand how he felt, all the horrible acts he had committed, or all the things he had gone through only to get to this point..... If anyone in this clan ever found out what he had done, there was no doubt that they would banish him. And probably warn all nearby villages of him.
It just occurred to Itachi that it had become important to him. Important to him to stay in this place, in the Clan of the Uzumakis. He hadn't even realized it till just now, but it was true. When did it happen? He didn't know the answer to that. Itachi had another startling revelation: He had a friend. Two, if he counted Takao-sama. Akiko and Takao were his first real friends since he had killed his own best friend so many years ago. The descendant of Madara Uchiha didn't know when they had become his friends. He could barely remember what it felt like back then, but now... Now it was good, pleasant. He couldn't think how to describe it, but it was definitely a positive to staying here.
After a couple of weeks of house work when it seemed Itachi could handle it well, they moved him outdoors. Feeding the koi in the pond and in the fountain, cleaning out the pond, keeping the yard trimmed, chopping wood, building and painting fences and other things of that nature. Itachi worked tirelessly, from the time he woke up, till the evening meal, putting his back into every task. It was during his outdoors work that the shinobi began to feel disturbed.
The child Takeshi seemed to adore Itachi. The young Uzumaki made a habit of watching Itachi work daily, often doing things around the Uchiha man meant to impress him. Sometimes he would ask Itachi if he would play with him, but before Itachi could reply, one of the other adults he was working with, or around, would tell Takeshi to leave Itachi alone so he could work.
It wasn't the boy's physical features that reminded him of Sasuke as much, it was his manner. How he acted around Itachi. At times the similarities were so disturbing that Itachi would slip up, and accidentally hurt himself, drop something, or someone else around him. It got to the point that when Takeshi came around for more than a few minutes, Itachi would take a break, and wait for Takeshi to leave. Itachi's time spent with Akiko had dulled the pain in his heart over time, but with the boy constantly reminding of his own little brother... what he was missing out on made the pain come roaring back to life, and he just couldn't stand it. When it started to get so bad that Itachi thought he might weep, he asked Takao-sama to keep the boy away from where he was working. Told him that he was a distraction, which wasn't too far from the truth. It made him feel bad to ask it, but he just couldn't stand the constant reminder of the past.
Over the passage of time, it seemed to Takao and his daughter, Akiko, that Itachi wasn't even sick. The Uchiha seemed so fit and strong that they wondered if they had just imagined that he had ever been sick in the first place. After a time of pondering this, Takao came to the conclusion that the disease was a slow killer and Itachi just had a strong immune system, as well as a strong will to live. On second thought, how could a man so eaten up with disease on the inside suddenly become 100% better? Itachi seemed to have made a full recovery when he had those eyes transplanted. Then it occurred to him.
Could it be? Could it be that those EYES cured him? They were rather odd looking eyes. I suppose it could be possible... No matter. He has his health, and that's the most important thing.
----
Finally, after a couple of months, Takao moved Itachi to the big projects of construction.
It was while Itachi was working on building a house for someone that Akiko came to talk to him. He was sitting on some boards that were hammered together to two beams at opposite ends.
Itachi paused in his work when he saw a pink haired figure making their way toward him. Briefly Itachi thought how beautiful she would look in the sunset.
"Itachi-kun? Are you alright?" A voice asked.
Itachi looked around, realizing the voice came from below. He looked down to see Akiko, concern plain on her face.
"Why do you ask?"
"You just had the strangest look on your face a minute ago. I've never seen you make that face before and I thought maybe you were getting sicker."
"Oh, no, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something. What's on your mind, Akiko-san?" He asked her, trying to distract the young woman from asking what he was thinking about.
"I was talking to father... He said that you weren't going to stay... ? Is it true, Itachi-kun? Is it true you're going to leave as soon as you've paid us back?" Akiko sounded hurt, incredulous even, disbelief reflecting in her eyes.
It hurt Itachi to see that Akiko was wounded by his indecision to stay. "Let's talk about this in private." Itachi said to her before leaping down. "Let's walk, shall we?"
"Okay, that's a good idea." Akiko said as she led the way.
She started toward the west, heading for a small cluster of trees. When they were more than half way there Akiko decided it was a good time start talking.
"I must know, Itachi-kun. Are you really going to leave us?" Her eyes reflected how much she was worrying about this.
Itachi looked down at the young woman who had become his first real friend in years. He didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't want to lie to her either.
"I never intended to stay here forever, Akiko-san. I've been a drifter since I was your age. I just wouldn't feel right staying here till I die."
If I can even die now.
They finally reached the tiny grove of trees, and Itachi hesitantly placed a hand on Akiko's shoulder to try and console her. He removed it when he saw her blush.
"But.... this is your home now, isn't it? It wouldn't be right for you to leave, knowing you could die any day, with no lo-- with no one who cares about you to bury you! Don't we mean anything to you, Itachi-kun?" Akiko pleaded with him, bravely staring back into the eyes that looked like they could kill.
Itachi sighed, closing his eyes momentarily. "It's not that, Akiko-san. Of course you mean something to me. You and your father are the first real friends I've had since... Well, for a long time now. But--"
"But what?! Are we not good enough for you, or something?? Is THAT it?!" Akiko interrupted him, practically shouting. Diminutive tears had formed in the corner of her eyes.
"No! No, that isn't it. Would you calm down, please? This isn't easy for me, either." He asked her, lowering his voice to a whisper while keeping an even tone.
Akiko closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out in a whoosh. "Sorry. I don't know what came over me. Can you at least tell me why?" She asked him, also lowering her voice to a whisper. The sixteen year old stared up into Itachi's eyes, love clearly showing in them. Akiko had grown closer to Itachi in the few months that had passed since he'd been here. Closer to him than she'd realized.
"I.... I don't know if I can." He whispered back, images of Sasuke and Takeshi flashing through his mind. A portion of the pain he felt when he looked at Takeshi and was reminded of Sasuke crept into his voice.
Several minutes ticked by in silence, neither Akiko nor Itachi looking at each other, each with their own thoughts. After what felt like a small eternity, Akiko worked up the courage to say something.
"I hear you crying at night. Does it have to do with your family? Is it because you miss them?" Sadness haunted her voice now like a ghost. Akiko could feel herself resigning to the notion of no more Itachi; to the thought of him leaving them forever; of leaving her.
Itachi felt as if he had been slammed against a brick wall. She heard him cry himself to sleep?! His jaw went slack and his eyes widened. He didn't know what to say, he couldn't think. It felt like someone had ripped a page from his diary and posted it on a bulletin board. Though he knew she couldn't help it if she heard him cry, he still felt violated somehow.
By looking at his face Akiko could tell she had touched on something very personal and sensitive to Itachi. The long haired Uchiha looked extremely distraught. She wondered if she was wrong in bringing it up, but she had to know why he insisted on walking out of their life to die alone. Wasn't it obvious how much she cared about him? Loved him, even?
Her thoughts were interrupted by Itachi speaking.
"You weren't meant to hear me." His voice was so low his words were almost swept away by a gust of wind.
Itachi's face portrayed a deep seeded pain known only to him, causing Akiko to instantly regret ever mentioning that she'd heard. Feelings of remorse wash over her as a blush crept over her face.
What did I do…..?
"I'm sorry." Akiko barely managed to squeeze passed her air ways before abruptly turning around and walking back towards her house.
Itachi watched her go before returning to work. He tried not to think about what had just happened. It was all too confusing. Why did the girl concern herself so much with him? Itachi groaned inwardly and rubbed his forehead with his index finger and thumb.
I've repressed my emotions for so long that I've forgotten what a lot of them feel like.
So, how did you like this chapter? Comment and rate, please! :D You know how I simply love comments. They make me squee. ;p Yeah, I know, I'm a total kid. xD At heart, though. :P
Note to fans/readers: Be prepared for some drastic changes! Thiiings are gonna happen! Because boy do I have plans for you. xD *evil cackle*
