Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto.
Kagome – 5; Itachi – 9; Miroku – 7; Haku – 7; Sango – 6; Kaeda – 52
Cookies to the following reviewers for (partly) guessing the reason behind Itachi's strange behavior in the last chapter: Mistress Yume, Sasukeandkagomefan, KibaSin, Miyukiyama, -Kage Kami -, PheonixCharmer116, Alana, RaukoArisha, and ShadowFox-Nightmare.
Dangerous Encounters
4/1/07 – 4/12/07
Please…stop.
Pain shot through her body as the blade bit into her flesh; however, she stubbornly refused to loosen her tight grip around him. She knew that if she let go of him then, she would loose him forever…
…and faced with the prospect of loosing him, she would rather choose death.
"Itachi!" she cried, fisting her hands tightly in his cloak. "Please, stop this!" Bitter tears trailed down her cheeks as she clung desperately to him. Please don't do this to me. Digging her fingers into the fabric of his cloak, she quietly murmured, "I love you."
Please…remember me.
Distantly in the background, she could hear Miroku and Haku screaming for to run. However, their warnings fell largely on deaf ears.
How could they ask her to run – to leave Itachi – when he was in this state? How could they expect her to leave – to abandon him again when she just found him? How could they ask her to run and turn her back to the one person who had always been there for her? How could they ask her to do any of those things when they didn't understand anything?
How could they ask her to leave him when they didn't know how much she…?
Kagome's eyes visibly widened when the katana suddenly slipped from Itachi's fingers and clattered to the ground. Confused, she made a move to step back so she could properly see his face; however, before she could even take a step away from him, a pair of strong arms suddenly wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her back into his embrace.
Closing her eyes, Kagome immediately began to relax as she listened to the steady beat of his heart. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist when he unconsciously tightened his grip around her. "Itachi-san…"
"Sh," Itachi murmured, resting his chin atop her head.
Smiling, she softly whispered, "I missed you."
Miroku stood awkwardly beside Haku as he watched the scene unfold with wide, disbelieving eyes. If he didn't know better, he would almost venture to say that the scene looked sweet. That is, if anything could ever be considered even remotely sweet when the subject was connected to Itachi.
The word 'sweet' and Itachi just did not belong in the same sentence.
Over the year, Miroku had learned to associate Itachi with words like blood, death, hatred, and cruelty. So, the possibility that the older boy had the capability to care for someone (other than himself) came at a complete surprise.
Well, maybe not a complete surprise; but it was enough to make his eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets when he saw the tender expression on his face when he held Kagome in his arms. In that moment, Itachi seemed almost…gentle.
Almost being the key word.
Noticing a flicker of movement from the peripheral corner of his vision, Miroku quickly grabbed the other boy by his forearm and pulled him back. "Leave them alone." he wisely advised as he retracted his hand. "If you agitate Itachi-sama, he'll kill you without hesitation."
Haku's eyes visibly widened as he cast a worried glance towards Kagome.
Smiling, Miroku softly assured, "Don't worry, Kagome-chan will be safe with Itachi-sama. He won't hurt her."
Haku exhaled in relief. Casting the boy beside him a thankful glance, he slowly turned his attention back to Kagome. He immediately noticed the content smile on face as she clung to the older boy.
She looked genuinely happy.
"Kagome," Itachi softly murmured as he brushed his fingers through her hair. "Let me see your wound."
"It's nothing," Kagome protested, plastering on a bright smile. "It doesn't even hurt anymore!" You don't have to worry about me. "It hurts a lot more when Taiko-sama hits me for…" Realizing her mistake, Kagome promptly slapped her hand over her mouth and lowered her eyes.
Itachi's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What happened?"
Sniffling slightly, Kagome immediately began to explain everything that had happened since she was kidnapped in the forest. Knowing that it would be futile to lie to Itachi, who would find out the truth sooner or later, she told him exactly what he wanted to know – everything.
Finishing her story, she finally lifted her eyes and cried, "Please save Sango-chan and Kaeda-san!"
Noting the expressionless look on Itachi's face, Kagome immediately lowered her eyes again. Staring intently at the ground, she mentally berated herself. I'm so stupid! Why did I ask him to do something dumb like that? Itachi doesn't even know who Sango-chan and Kaeda-san are! Of course he wouldn't care about them! Now he probably thinks I'm…
"Stay here with Miroku."
Kagome blinked.
"I'll be back in two hours."
Kagome's eyes widened as understanding finally clicked. Smiling, she softly whispered, "Arigato, Itachi-san."
Please be safe…
Miroku massaged his temple as he dispassionately watched Kagome pace back and forth down the (bloody) empty streets. Sighing, he gently coaxed, "Please try to relax, Kagome-chan. I am positive that Itachi-sama is more than capable of protecting himself." It's the others that I'm worried about…
"Why couldn't I go with him?" Kagome pouted, blowing up her cheeks.
Miroku slapped his face. Why did his life have to be so difficult? Taking in a deep breath, he mentally repeated, I have to stay calm – I have to be patient. "Kagome-chan," he smiled, trying his best to be patient, "We've been through this twice already. Didn't we already establish the fact that Itachi-sama left you here for your own safety?"
Kagome frowned. "But he took Haku-kun with him!"
"That's probably because Itachi-sama couldn't care less about what happened to him." Miroku muttered under his breath.
"Hm? What did you say?" Kagome asked, blinking in confusion.
"Nothing," Miroku answered as he absently massaged the back of his neck. You probably wouldn't believe me anyway. Noticing that Kagome looked dissatisfied with his answer, he explained, "Itachi-sama probably took Haku with him because Haku knows the area around here the best."
"Oh," Kagome answered, closing her mouth.
A moment of blissful silence passed.
"So," she quietly ventured, "when are they coming back?"
Miroku groaned as he dropped his face into his hands.
"This is the place." Haku gestured, tilting his head towards the daimyo's mansion. Casting the older boy a sideways glance, he cautiously asked, "Are you really going to go in there by yourself? There are guards stationed throughout…"
Haku immediately quieted when the two men guarding the front gate suddenly keeled over and fell face-first into the ground, where the dirt was instantly dyed a dark-red. Turning wide eyes towards Itachi, he silently acknowledged the older boy's authority by lowering his head.
"Wait out here." Itachi commanded tonelessly; his eyes bereft of emotion.
"Hai, Itachi-sama," Haku answered, taking a step back. He watched mutely as Itachi jumped over the gates and easily navigated his way into the mansion as simply as if he had lived there his entire life.
Silently, he wondered if that was what it meant to be a shinobi.
His blood sang with the need for power – the desire to kill. He could feel his grip on reality slipping again as the thrill of the hunt overtook his senses. His eyes glazed with bloodlust as his katana mercilessly tore through another body…
Please, stop this!
His eyes widened as his grip around his katana loosened.
I love you.
Itachi's eyes cleared as his blood calmed.
I missed you.
Narrowing his eyes distastefully, Itachi mentally chided himself for loosing control. He couldn't afford to make mistakes like that again. It was simply unacceptable for someone like him to be controlled by emotions…
Tightening his grip around his blood-stained katana, he mentally resolved to never let that happen again. It would be simply unacceptable if he accidentally hurt Kagome if he lost control. Plus, if he was really going to kill someone, he would rather enjoy the act with his full senses in tact.
Pushing his thoughts aside, Itachi quietly proceeded down the hall in search for the man named Taiko. He swore that he would kill the fool in the most agonizing manner for raising his hand against Kagome. It was simply unforgivable. No one touched her. He would make sure of that…
Itachi paused as he finally reached the last room – the daimyo's bedchambers. His eyes glinted dangerously as he effortlessly kicked the doors down.
The occupants in the room immediately yelped as the daimyo screamed for his guards. However, he immediately quieted when he realized his assassinator was only a child. Guffawing, the daimyo sneered, "Who are you, boy?"
Fool! Red immediately seeped into his eyes, forming the infamous sharingan. "Don't underestimate me." Raising his katana, which was dripping with a thick layer of blood, he tauntingly slid it back into its sheath.
"Guards!" shouted a pompous-looking, middle-aged man who was standing behind the safety of daimyo. "Guards!" he repeated, sensing the imminent danger that was oozing off of Itachi's dark aura.
"It's futile," Itachi intoned emotionlessly as his attention shifted from them to the two women chained to the east wall. They were undoubtedly the young girl and the old woman that Kagome had mentioned.
They were bruised and bloodied.
Itachi's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. Would Kagome have been in the same situation if she hadn't escaped? Unexplainably, he felt his blood freeze when he considered the possibility that he would have found Kagome in a similar state – if not worse – if she hadn't found him first.
Turning his face away from the two prisoners, he slowly turned his attention back to the two men. "Taiko, I presume." he stated tonelessly as he looked directly at the man standing behind the daimyo.
A look of pure fear flashed across the man's face as he regarded the young boy with something akin to apprehension. It seemed wrong that such a young, pretty face should belong to a ruthless assassin. But, then again, he was still only just a child, right? What could he possibly do? Mustering his courage behind a façade of false bravado, he angrily roared, "How dare you barge in here! Who are you, and what do you want?"
Itachi's eyes glinted with bemusement. Taking a step towards the cowering duo, he icily answered, "Uchiha Itachi."
And I'm here for your lives…
Sango's eyes widened as she stared at the older boy with a mixture of surprise, horror, and admiration. So, Kagome-chan wasn't lying? Itachi-san really…exists? Am I dreaming? Blinking, Sango quickly snapped herself back to reality. Now was not the time to be daydreaming. She could probably ask questions later.
"Tsukiyoumi-sama!" shouted Kaeda, sounding oddly horrified. "Please do not kill them! If you shed their blood, you will activate the Moon Deity's curse! If that happens, you will lose control of your senses and turn into a mindless murderer!"
Itachi paused for a brief moment before he ruthlessly sliced the daimyo's head clean off his shoulders. Turning slightly to face Kaeda, he coldly murmured, "I will not be controlled by anything. The curse is nothing to me."
Kaeda looked like she wanted to protest; however, she wisely kept silent when she realized that it was probably a lot safer to just simply agree with whatever the Moon Deity claimed. After all, the Moon Deity wasn't called the God of Death without reason. Sighing in resignation, she reverently bowed and answered, "Hai, Tsukiyoumi-sama."
Itachi's eyebrow arched slightly. This was the second time that old lady had referred to him as 'Tsukiyoumi.' Once he disposed of the fool (Taiko), he resolved to get some answers from the old woman. She seemed to know something that may explain his condition. Although he claimed that the 'curse' did not bother him; it did. He hated losing control – especially over his own body.
Turning his head towards Taiko, Itachi coldly regarded him with frigid, sharingan eyes. A cruel smirk tugged at the edge of his lips as his hand slowly moved to grasp the hilt of his katana.
The fool was going to learn first-hand the full consequences of what it meant to cross his path.
No one touched Kagome.
"Miroku, what's that?" Kagome asked apprehensively, pointing her finger at something in the distance. "It's all black!"
Sighing, Miroku slowly turned to face whatever had caught Kagome's interest. Ever since Itachi had left two hours ago, Kagome had fired question after question at him nonstop. She asked just about everything that could possibly be asked in regard to Itachi. She wanted to know if he had been well, if he had been eating properly, and if he had been sleeping enough.
Didn't she get tired of hearing the same answers over and over again?
"Miroku," Kagome whined, tugging impatiently at the sleeve of his clothes. "Why's the black cloud moving?"
Miroku's forehead creased with confusion as he squinted to get a better look. On a closer look, he immediately identified the ominous, moving black cloud as smoke. But why would there be so much smoke in the air? As soon as the question presented itself in his mind, he reached the conclusion. The only possibility was…
"Sango-chan!" shouted Kagome.
Miroku blinked. What?
"Kagome-chan!" a feminine voice shouted back.
"You're okay!" Kagome smile, running to meet her friend. However, before she could reach her friend, she suddenly spotted Itachi a little farther behind. Grinning, she promptly raced past her friend and latched onto Itachi's arm.
Worried for her friend's safety, Sango immediately shouted, "Wait, Kagome-chan! It's dangerous! Don't go near…" She trailed off when Itachi unexpectedly returned her friend's gesture of affection by allowing her to climb onto his back.
Sango's mouth dropped open. W-What?
"Surprised?" Miroku asked, turning his gaze towards the odd duo. "From your reaction, I'm guessing that you've probably already witnessed Itachi-sama's ruthlessness first-hand."
"Ruthless indeed." agreed Kaeda, moving to stand beside Sango.
Sango frowned. "He's beyond ruthless! He killed him without remorse! Although Taiko was evil, he didn't deserve to be killed like that! He was burned to death! He was screaming and begging for mercy, but he," Sango sniffled, pointing an accusing finger at Itachi, "He simply watched!"
"Hm," Miroku mused aloud. "That would explain the smoke. Did he burn down the whole mansion?"
Sango's face twisted in horror. "H-How could you ask that when he burned a man alive?!"
Miroku shot her a sympathizing glance. "Look, if you're going to come with us, I strongly advise you to get use to it. Itachi-sama is naturally cruel and ruthless. He's not going to stop killing people just because you don't like it. Also, please be careful about what you say. If you irritate Itachi-sama, he won't hesitate to kill you…and I really don't want to see him hurt such a pretty girl like you."
Sango flushed in embarrassment. "But why would you follow such a monster?"
"Please do not say that about Itachi-sama." Haku interjected, frowning slightly. "Kagome-chan cares deeply for him…and he isn't as bad as you may think."
Miroku blinked. Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, he quietly asked, "When did you become an Itachi-sama fan?"
Haku smiled. "I'm an orphan – unwanted by others. However, despite that, Itachi-sama agreed to take me as an apprentice."
"A-Apprentice…?" Miroku sputtered jealously. Why?
"Still, it doesn't change the fact that he's a cruel, heartless killer!" Sango argued, stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest.
"Yet, he seems to have a soft spot for Amaterasu-sama." Kaeda smiled, looking fondly at the little girl who was riding on Itachi's back.
Amaterasu-sama…? Shaking his head, Miroku softly added, "But Haku's right. Traveling with Itachi-sama really isn't as bad as you may think. Although he's ruthless towards his enemies, he is not (always) completely heartless. If you are loyal to him, he will protect you."
"But…" Sango feebly protested.
"Although, if worst comes to worst, I think you can always try to persuade Kagome-chan to convince Itachi-sama to show some mercy." Miroku mused aloud, smiling pleasantly.
"I'm glad that Tsukiyoumi-sama and Amaterasu-sama share such a wonderful relationship." Kaeda smiled. It'll definitely make everything easier. "For a long time, my people have always feared that Tsukiyoumi-sama and Amaterasu-sama would always be bitter enemies because of their past histories."
"Kaeda-san," Haku politely interrupted. "Can you please explain what you're talking about?"
"Of course," Kaeda answered, fully prepared to repeat the legend behind Amaterasu and Tsukiyoumi. However, she was immediately interrupted before she could even utter the first word.
"We're leaving." Itachi ordered as he subconsciously shifted Kagome into a more comfortable position on his back.
Everyone immediately made a move to follow Itachi. However, Sango stubbornly stayed back. She wasn't about to trust someone who killed without hesitation. Who's to say he wouldn't kill her?
"Come on, Sango-chan!" Kagome called, twisting her head back so she could see her friend. "Let's go! We're going to have so much fun together, right Itachi-san?" she smiled, giggling innocently as she tightened her arms around Itachi's neck. "We'll be together forever!"
Sango wasn't sure who Kagome was talking to when she made her last statement; however, she knew that she wasn't quite ready to leave her best friend yet. In a sense, she was her only family…
Catching up with the others, Sango arrived just in time to hear Kaeda begin her story. Although she had already heard the story (with Kagome), she listened to it anyway. Maybe it'll make more sense the second time.
Kaeda smiled contently as she retold the story from beginning to end. "In the end, both Amaterasu's descendents and Tsukiyoumi's descendents were cursed. For mating with a human (Hiyatshi), Amaterasu's descendents – the Hyuuga Clan – was cursed to live in discord, forever torn between the Main and Branch Family. Then, a thousand year later, Tsukiyoumi mated one of his half-sister's descendents (Hikari); thus, creating the greatest scandal in history. As a result, both Amaterasu and Tsukiyoumi were taken back to heaven – forbidden to ever walk the earth again.
"Yet, their prophecy lives on. A day will come when Amaterasu and Tsukiyoumi will be reconciled through their descendents, who will bring glory and honor back to the Water Country. Those descendants are you, Kagome-sama – Itachi-sama. This is also the reason why you two bear their power…and their curse. For Kagome-sama, she inherited Amaterasu's gift of healing. Yet, she is cursed with eternal submission to Tsukiyoumi-sama. She is not, by any means, a puppet; however, neither can she actively work against Tsukiyoumi-sama's wishes."
Noticing the worried look on Kaeda's face, Kagome innocently asked, "What's wrong with that? I don't mind." Itachi would never hurt me. She smiled cheerfully as she softly whispered into Itachi's ear, "Ne, Itachi-san?"
Kaeda sighed with relief. The relationship the two shared was simply…amazing. Smiling softly, she continued, "On the other hand, Itachi-sama inherited Tsukiyoumi's incredible skills and powers…and bloodlust. When Itachi-sama sheds someone's blood, he activates Tsukiyoumi's curse, which will eventually cause him to spiral into madness. Once the curse is activated, it will become impossible to stop Itachi-sama because he'll lose control of all his senses – including the ability to feel pain. The only way counteract the curse is to keep Kagome-sama close to Itachi-sama because Kagome-sama carries Amaterasu-sama's healing blood in her veins."
Itachi's eyes hardened.
Sensing Itachi's discomfort, Kagome softly whispered in his ear, "I'll never leave you Itachi-san. I promise." Then, out loud, she asked, "Isn't there any other way?"
Grimacing slightly, Kaeda murmured, "To lessen the effects of the curse (when Kagome-sama is not around), Itachi-sama should stop using the Crimson Blade because, according to legend, the katana was Tsukiyoumi's personal weapon. In that sense, the katana was partly responsible for the curse because it was the key to unlocking Itachi-sama's dormant power, which (as you can see) comes hand in hand with the curse.
"However, if you are looking for a permanent solution to the curse, then you'll have to wait until Amaterasu-sama and Tsukiyoumi-sama are old enough to be joined in the ultimate union. At that time, both curses will cancel out." However…I think you're both a little too young for that right now.
"What's the ultimate union?" Kagome asked curiously.
Kaeda coughed.
An awkward silence followed.
A light bulb went off. "Oh!" Miroku exclaimed, grinning widely. "It's when a man and a woman – a husband and a wife – decide to…"
"Enough!" Kaeda frowned. "Where did a seven-year-old child like you learn about things like this…?"
"What are you talking about?" Kagome and Sango asked innocently.
"It's a wonderful process that creates babies…" Miroku began, but he was immediately silenced by a dark look from Itachi.
"Oh!" Kagome nodded. "Itachi-san needs to have a baby!"
Miroku coughed.
Sango bit her lips.
Haku politely turned his head away.
Itachi frowned.
Kaeda sweated. Why was she even having this discussion with a five-year-old? Sighing, she gently placated, "We'll talk about this when you're older, Amaterasu-sama. For now, as long as you stay near Tsukiyoumi-sama, the curse will remain dormant."
Kagome frowned. Everyone was looking weird. Was it something she said?
"Kagome-chan," Sango whispered quietly, glancing wearily at Itachi. "Boys don't get babies."
Oh. Kagome smiled. "That's okay. I'll give Itachi-san a baby!"
Kaeda choked.
Itachi nearly stumbled. Nearly.
Grinning, Miroku sidled alongside Sango. "Ne, Sango-chan, do you want to give me a baby?" he asked, trying to make the question sound as innocent as possible.
Sango frowned suspiciously. What was he up to? However, she couldn't see how giving Miroku a baby could be a bad thing, so…Sighing, she reluctantly answered, "All right. I don't see why not."
Kaeda's face turned an interesting shade of red. Children these days…
The rest of the journey continued in silence. No one brought up the topic again. However, Miroku wryly noticed that Itachi was walking a little faster than usual. Yet, no one dared to ask him to slow down because the only one who could ask him to slow down (without the threat of death) probably didn't even realize how fast they were going because she was riding on his back!
Life was unfair.
"Itachi-san," Kagome yawned, rubbing her eyes with her knuckles. "I'm kind of hungry." As if to emphasize her point, her stomach suddenly growled.
Itachi nodded. "It's getting dark. We'll set up camp in a bit."
Miroku nearly shrieked in joy. Thank you, Kagome-chan! From beside him, he could hear the others sigh with relief too. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who was beginning to tire. However, the possibility of food and rest immediately rejuvenated the odd, rag-tag group, giving them the necessary strength to continue onwards.
"Itachi-sama, what's wrong?" Haku asked curiously when Itachi suddenly stopped moving. The other's immediately tensed when Itachi's hands instinctively moved to rest on the hilt of his katana.
A moment passed…
Then a young, but oddly handsome boy suddenly dashed out of the bushes. As he passed them, he tossed them a brief glance; however, he quickly turned his attention back to the road again as he quickly made his way towards Kirigakure – the Village Hidden in the Mist.
"Wow," Kagome whispered as she imprinted the boy's distinctive features (white hair and grey eyes) in her memory. "He's pretty. Don't you think so, Itachi-san?" she asked cutely as she twisted around in hopes of catching another glance of the boy.
"Hn," Itachi answered, looking slightly disgruntled.
Author's Notes: Whew, I'm finally done with this chapter. :) Sorry for the long wait. Actually, it was done on Thursday, but the site wouldn't let me upload. Anyway, once again, thank you for your support. Without you guys, I wouldn't be writing this story. As a token of my appreciation, here's a preview of the next chapter.
Next Chapter: Snake in the Mist
Orochimaru makes his first debut! How will Itachi fare against this legendary sannin when he sets his eyes on his body? Orochimaru agrees to 'take care' of Kagome once he controls Itachi's body, but how is Itachi going to respond to a comment like that?
"Ew," Miroku gagged, scrunching his nose. "He's a perverted, old man."
"Gee, you think?" Sango replied as she pulled Kagome behind her in hopes of hiding her from the snake sannin's wandering eyes.
"Just in case you don't know," Miroku added, turning a meaningful glare at Orochimaru. "I don't approve of you courting Kagome-chan."