Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto

Thanks for the reviews (only three though? Where did everyone go?). I do try and update as much as I can but I have my exams coming up soon, so there's alot of revision and homework and all that, meaning i'm quite busy right now, so they will be a little slow in coming.

Now that i've got all my story line lied out and underway i'm going to start focusing on the whole 'romance' part of this story alot more, so yay!...It took me alot more chapters to get to this point that I had planned... I hope no one's bored...

Anyway, this is a nice long one to keep you going for a while...


Chapter 9

Amaya stared at the feet which had come into view in front of her. The sandals were blue, and the wearer's skin was blue, but their toenails were painted purple. She could see the bottom of a cloak: black, with red clouds.

She continued to stare blankly, none of these pieces of information registering with her mind.

Why is this happening? Why is everyone after us?

"Damn snake. He was just buying time to get out of range," said a rough voice, which was familiar, but she didn't bother trying to put a name or a face to it; right now even that seemed impossible.

"Where's the annoying little midget?" He received no answer and waved a hand in front of her face, "Hey, are you listening to me?"

Amaya continued to stare at the ground before her. She couldn't move but she wanted to run after Hana. She felt helpless. Another tear slid silently down her cheek. She didn't even make and attempt to wipe it away.

I couldn't do anything… What if she's…? The snake could be anywhere now… How will I get her back? Will I see her again?

She saved me… Pushed me out of the way and got hit herself… If I'd been quicker…If I hadn't got injured then she wouldn't have had to…

Now someone was crouching in front of her. It was someone else who was wearing the same red and black cloak, and sandals, but their skin was pale. They were saying something, but she was caught inside her own mind and it only sounded like a faint buzz in the background.

She was struggling to think straight. The pain in her shoulder was almost enough to make her faint and she could feel the hot sticky blood running down her arm, and seeping into her clothes. She felt weak and dizzy - it took a lot of effort just to keep her eyes open.

Will I die? Will Hana?

"Amaya."

Her head shot up to meet scarlet eyes and she was pulled from her thoughts by his deep voice. Neither of them had ever called her by her name before.

"Uchiha-san," she said slowly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Where is Hana-san?" He asked. A sad look settled on her face before she looked away, another tear sneaking its way down her cheek to drip off her chin and onto the ground.

"A big snake…and a man…took Hana-chan…went that way," and she gestured weakly with her uninjured arm.

Itachi looked up at Kisame who nodded and dashed off in the direction indicated. Amaya watched him, wishing she could run after her friend too.

Turning back to the girl before him Itachi noted how pale she was, and how much blood was on the ground and already soaked into her clothes. He would have to move quickly.

"You need to remove your top, so I can bandage your wound," he said. Her gaze moved back to him and she gave a slight nod, tugging it over her head. She struggled with only one arm, and winced in pain with each small movement, but finally got it off.

She was in a stupor, doing it without thinking. She didn't even blush or care that she was sat half in her underwear in front of him. All she was thinking about was Hana. Besides, he didn't seem the type who was interested in women, anyway.

Itachi took off his cloak and held it out to her. At first she stared at it and then looked up at him. After a moment he sighed lightly and wrapped it around her, leaving her injured shoulder bare. She seemed to understand then, and pulled it around her a little tighter, glad for the protection it gave against the cold wind and the rain.

"Arigatou," she murmured.

Amaya watched him as he pulled some bandages from somewhere. Her eyes examined his face, seeing him without his cloak for the first time since meeting him. The thought that he was good looking floated though her mind. His eyes were his best feature, though.

"This will hurt," he said as he began to wrap the bandages around her. She gasped and winced, clenching her teeth together and squeezing her eyes shut. Then she surprised him as she gave a small, dry laugh.

He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"It wouldn't hurt…to be a little gentler…sometimes."

Truth be told, the comment startled him a bit. She was asking him to be gentle?

"I'm not the gentle type," he replied.

"Really?" Amaya's brain seemed to have started working again, and she wanted to talk to someone, anyone, to take her mind off Hana and the pain. He probably wasn't the best choice to have a conversation with, but it was better than nothing.

Itachi pulled the bandage tight as he tied it off, causing Amaya to cry out in pain again. Her head hung forwards so she ended up resting her forehead on his chest, breathing through gritted teeth until the pain receded a little.

Looking down at her, the few more tear which fell to the ground did not escape his notice.

"Sumanai." He froze, surprised for the second time in as many minutes. Why did he apologize? He couldn't remember the last time he had been sorry for anything, so why would he feel the need to be sorry to this weak little girl?

Amaya looked up at him, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

"It's okay." Her hand moved to touch the bandages lightly, "Arigatou." And then she gave him a small smile, "I guess there aren't many people who have ever heard you say sumanai, so arigatou for that too."

He was as unused to hearing 'arigatou', as much as he was to saying 'sumanai', and so he had no reply for her. Instead he simply nodded and said:

"There is nothing more I can do for you here," and with that he slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her up so he could catch her under the knees.

"Gentle, be gentle!" She hissed through her teeth. She grabbed onto him as pain shot through her shoulder from the movement. She was grateful that he was going to carry her in a better way than over his shoulder, but he could have given warning, or something.

She sighed. He wasn't gentle. That was just the way he was, and she doubted that she was going to be the one to change it. She supposed she'd get used to it after a while, along with his emotionless eyes.

Again she found her self wondering how it was possible for someone to hold all their emotions back so completely and how it was he came to be like that in the first place.

Maybe he just doesn't feel? Would he answer if I asked?

"Uchiha-san, do you…feel anything?" She waited for his answer.

"Emotions make people weak."

"I guess they can, sometimes…But do you simply not feel at all, or do you just hide everything away?" There was no way that someone could feel nothing, ever.

He didn't reply. Amaya wished she could get some idea of what he was thinking from his face, but he showed nothing.

"Doesn't anything ever make you feel like smiling, or laughing, or shouting, or something?"

"No."

Amaya watched his face for a moment longer before closing her eyes.

Emotions make us human, alive. If he doesn't feel, what is he?

She felt as though she could sleep for a week and could already feel herself drifting off in his warm arms. Before she did though, she said one more thing which made Itachi glance down at her, mildly surprised for the third time that day.

"Don't you ever want to?"


When Hana woke she was lying on a cold, hard floor. Her head was pounding and she ached all over but she pushed herself up and onto her feet, standing in a defensive position and took in the room around her, relaxing when she found that she was alone.

It was dark, except for the light creeping in through the crack under the door. The cell was empty and only three paces wide at most, all the walls made of solid stone. The large, heavy door was wooden and seemed to be tightly locked.

Pressing her ear to it she could hear nothing at first but then the sound of soft footsteps coming towards her echoed down the stone corridor on the other side. Quickly she formed a set of hand seals and stepped back, waiting.

There was a click of the lock opening before the door was pushed open. A man stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the flickering light from behind.

"Come," was all he said.

"Why? Who are you? What do you want?" Hana asked, backing away instead of moving forwards.

"If you come then you'll find out."

Staring at him warily with narrowed eyes Hana made no move towards him.

"You can either walk on your own or I will drag you," the man said, starting to grow impatient.

"Fine," she replied, reluctantly following him out of the cell and down the long, shadowy corridor.

What's with these people and dark places?

In the poor light she could just about make out that the man's hair was silver and when he glanced over his shoulder at her she saw that behind his glasses his eyes were dark.

They came to a pair of large doors, which the man pushed open. The room beyond seemed to be the same – dark, lit by torches and candles. With another glare at him, Hana stepped past him into the room.

Shutting the door behind her he pushed her forwards to stand in the centre of the room. There was another man sat in a throne-like chair. His hair was long and dark, his skin had a purple tinge to it, but it was his eyes that caught her attention. Yellow slits, like a snakes, glinted evilly at her. There was also someone stood beside him, but they were hidden by the shadows and she couldn't make them out.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Hana asked again.

"You don't recognise me? Surely it hasn't been that long," the man replied. A smirk slid across his face, "I don't care for your little games, so how about you stop pretending now and save yourself the trouble later."

She looked at him blankly, feigning ignorance, "No, I don't recognise you. If I did, I wouldn't have asked."

"Very well, let me jog your memory. I am Orochimaru. Ring a bell, Moudoku Hana-san?"

She blinked in surprise before her eyes narrowed angrily.

"How did you-?"

"You were out for a while, you know, and sadly your jutsu doesn't work when you're unconscious" he answered, cutting her off, "but you're here to answer questions, not ask them. Firstly I'm curious how you disappear for a year and then suddenly reappear in the hands of none other than Akatsuki."

She was silent for a while before replying grudgingly.

"I made a mistake."


Her heart was pounding in her chest; her legs were screaming for her to stop; her breath was short and ragged; her eyes were wide with fear.

The buildings whipped past in a blur, the wind tearing at her clothes. Rain fell heavily, soaking her to the skin and mingling with the tears on her cheeks. The shouts of those chasing her rang in her ears.

She glanced over her shoulder – they were catching up. Her feet slid on the mud and she fell, trying desperately to scramble back up. But she was too slow. Someone grabbed and handful of hair, pulling her back onto her feet. They began to drag her, crying and screaming.

Familiar faces looked down on her as she passed by. People she had grown up around, who had helped her and been kind to her; the same people now ignored her pleas for help.

When they stopped the man leant down to her and she gasped in shock.

"Otousan? Nande?"

"This is your punishment, Amaya."

"My punishment? Nande? I don't understand!" She cried.

Her father looked down at her, his eyes cold and full of hatred. Looking past him to the crowds of people she spotted another face.

"Okaasan, onegai!" She shouted.

Her mother looked away tearfully, unable to meet her child's eye. Amaya begged for her mother to save her, to take her safely into her arms and tell her everything was okay. But she didn't.

"Amaya-chan, just close your eyes and listen. You won't feel a thing. Just listen to my voice. I'll sing your favourite song, ne?" Her mother said quietly, with a sad smile.

Nodding fearfully she did as she was told. The sound of her mother's soft voice calmed her. A hand on her shoulder pushed her backwards. The wind whipped through her long hair and rippled through her clothes as she began to fall.

Her attention was drawn from her mothers soothing song at the sound of someone screaming her name.

"Amaya-chan!"

Amaya smiled, eyes still closed, Hana-chan, arigatou, for everything.

Her eyes flew open as there was another cry, her smile disappearing.

"Amaya!"

She woke with a start. She was breathing heavily as through she really had been running, sweat beading on her forehead, her heart pounding in her chest. She'd never had that dream before but had the feeling that it meant something – especially since it had included her parents. She hardly remembered them.

As her breathing slowed the pain in her shoulder made itself known to her once again. She could feel the bandages tightly wrapped around her, but more securely than Itachi had first done it. She assumed it had been redone.

She didn't remember much after passing out in his arms, just bits and pieces here and there as she slipped in and out of consciousness: running through trees; Itachi kicking doors open; being lied down; voices; a flash of blonde hair and blue eyes; a glimpse of fiery red hair and brown eyes.

Well, the blonde one must have been Deidara-san, but who was the other person?

Pushing herself up into a sitting position she glanced at the tray on the bedside table. It was strange. She'd been so hungry before but now, looking at all that food on the tray she didn't feel like eating at all.

"Eat."

Turning she found Itachi sitting in a chair by a large window, with his feet propped up on another. As usual he looked completely relaxed, eyes closed and showing no sign of moving any time soon.

Sighing softly she began to munch her way slowly through the food. As she did so she couldn't help but notice how the sky had cleared, allowing the sun to shine through the window and onto his jet black hair framing his handsome face. She hadn't realised before but his hair was much longer than she had thought. She wondered if it was a soft as it looked.

"If I remember correctly, you don't like being stared at. Neither do I," he said, eyes opening slowly as he turned to look at her.

"Gomen," she replied, looking away quickly.

Now he's staring at me.

"Do you often have nightmares?" He asked.

That was the last thing she had expected him to say and looked back at him in surprise. She didn't reply though. She was too caught in his deep, black eyes.


Oh, I wonder what she'll make of that...

Especially for -Asa-Hoshi- no big cliffy today...And because I couldn't think of something to put in at this point in the story...

Planning on more Deidara and some Sasori in the next chapter.

By the way, Hana's full name 'Moudoku Hana' means 'Deadly Poisonous Flower'... But only if you write it the Japanese way round.

Review please...If I get lots I might just happen to find the time to update sooner -hint hint-...Oh and I re-did the summary... Have a read if you want...