Pein smiled. "Oh? Your little brother gave that to you? Must have hurt…"
"If it ever got to my body, it might have," Itachi said with a shrug. "I broke his arm in three places before he even got close."
Pein laughed. "Good, you'll entertain me."
He vanished.
Itachi's eyes tracked him around to his blind side to put in a strong kick that Itachi barely avoided. He turned, plunging the Chidori into Pein's shoulder. Pein disappeared again, and Itachi saw as he slowed down that he had hit the man's arm. The force of the blow had been re-directed at the last second to only burn Pein's left arm, but it was still bleeding profusely. Itachi smirked.
"Well, if this is the way it's going down, you're not going to like it much," he said smugly. Pein smiled again.
"If this is the full extent of the Sharingan's power, I'm rather disappointed, Itachi."
Itachi smiled in return.
"You're not the only one that can make clones, Pein."
"What?"
The Itachi in front of him blew up, and Pein gave a shout of surprise and jumped back. He grit his teeth and tried to see through the smoke; clever bastard. There was a smoke bomb in there as well!
A strong kick to the back made Pein cough and wheeze from the smoke, and he hurled a kunai in the direction of the attack. There was another one coming already, though: Pein's kunai sailed right through the smoke to strike the wall, and Itachi's fist hit Pein again, this time in the side of the face.
Pein bolted in a random direction, hoping for a way out of the smoke. As soon as the smoke began to thin, however, Itachi kicked him back into the mess, and Pein sighed. This was going to go on for a while, unless…
Pein formed several clones and sent them all out in different directions. He ran out himself, using the clones to confuse Itachi. If the Uchiha was using clones as well, this would force him to either let him have enough time to get out or come himself. Pein could see the smoke lightening; any minute now…
Itachi kicked him back.
Pein could hear his clones vanishing and smiled. So, Itachi was using clones of his own…well, time to end that!
OOOOOOOOO
Itachi knew Pein wasn't just attacking anymore; the leader of the Akatsuki was attacking to gain information. He wanted to know how Itachi was attacking and with what, and where. Well, Itachi could confuse him…
Itachi created another shadow clone, but only one this time. He directed the clone into the smoke and blew it up, trying to hide his true location.
Great. Just in time for the explosion of kunai, shuriken, and other sharp, pointy projectiles.
Sighing, Itachi dodged each of the attacks, redirecting some and completely avoiding others. The weapons fell to the ground around him, and Itachi's Sharingan began to spin, anticipating the next attack.
Very good…he used the weapons to distract me for long enough to get out of the smoke. It wasn't an attack at all.
Itachi pulled out a kunai and two shuriken, each linked by a length of trap wire. His Sharingan was blazing now; Itachi was getting excited. He flung the kunai at Pein, knowing it would miss. Pein dodged easily, and the kunai thudded into the wall behind him. Itachi held one end of the wire in his teeth, and the other shuriken whizzed forward, looping around Pein and coming back to Itachi. Itachi pulled the wire tight, switched out the shuriken in his mouth and hurled the last one. It tangled in Pein's legs and came back to Itachi again. Itachi stuck both shuriken in the floor and held the last in his teeth, forming the signs for a fire jutsu.
"Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"
The flames raced down the trap wire, lapping eagerly at their newest consumption. Pein glared at Itachi-
And snapped the trap wire.
Itachi halted the fire jutsu, sighing and forming the next jutsu. "Well, Orochimaru seemed fairly scared when he saw this," Itachi said, forming the last sign. "Let's see if the same holds true for you."
The world began to swirl and warp, and Pein grit his teeth, trying genjutsu dispels. But it was too late: Itachi already had him pinned down by massive nails, and was moving after him with a katana. Pein glanced around; no, the world wasn't black and white yet. But if it turned…
Itachi's Sharingan began to spin.
Pein sighed and the world turned to black and white, opposite its normal shade. The sky was blood red, and Pein found himself still nailed down.
"Scary," Kisame commented lightly as the bloodcurdling scream filled the room. Kakashi seemed frightened as much as Pein was, curling into a ball and making himself as small as possible. Kisame laughed, but Kakashi wasn't sure why. He couldn't find anything particularly funny about this situation!
"God, I should make popcorn."
Kakashi sighed. It wasn't funny, it really wasn't!
"Well, so much for never losing a battle. That looked too easy…"
Itachi released Pein after the full three days and slumped against the wall, exhausted from Tsukiyomi. Kisame knew he wasn't that tired, but that he was probably trying to regain energy as quickly as possible. Kakashi sat up eagerly.
Itachi looked up again, this time without the Sharingan. "Well, that was too easy…"
Kakashi slipped into Itachi's lap, curling up contentedly. Itachi smiled and gently stroked his hair, calming the jounin as he did so.
Pein's partner burst through the door and immediately panicked.
"Oh my God, holy crap, what happened?! He's never lost a battle, how is he lying on the floor unconscious?! What happened? Is Kakashi alright? Itachi what happened? Someone answer me, Goddammit!!"
Itachi sighed. "Quiet, you'll scare him all over again," he snapped. "I caught Leader-sama in a normal genjutsu and then pulled him into Tsukiyomi. Who ever knew Leader-sama was such a sucker for genjutsus?"
Pein's partner sighed. "Whatever. Is Kakashi alright?"
Itachi nodded. "He's fine; see for yourself."
The woman crouched down next to Kakashi and gently lifted his face, checking him for injury. She finally released him and nodded. "He's okay."
Itachi sighed, but pulled Kakashi back, further into his lap. The jounin buried his face in the hollow of Itachi's shoulder; his favorite spot. Itachi smiled and held him close; he had fought so hard for this, and he wasn't about to let Kakashi go now.
Kakashi relaxed a bit, and Itachi had to smile. He was so cute…
"Itachi, what did you do to Pein?"
Itachi shrugged. "I told you: took the sucker for a ride in Tsukiyomi."
The blue-haired woman sighed and picked up Pein like he weighed next to nothing. Itachi's eyes widened. Bet she's single...
"I'll get him out of here…you take care of Kakashi. The poor thing's probably about to pass out from fright…"
Itachi nodded, and the Sharingan returned to his eyes. He couldn't see well without it, and if he didn't have to conserve chakra anymore he may as well be able to see.
A small whimper from below him drew Itachi's attention back to Kakashi.
"What's the matter?" Itachi murmured, gently running his hands through Kakashi's hair. "You okay? Kakashi…love?"
Kakashi didn't answer; he simply buried himself further in Itachi's arms. Sighing, Itachi tipped Kakashi's face up to his own.
Kakashi was asleep.
Itachi almost laughed. Kakashi was adorable either way; you would never know he was asleep from the way he slept. He looked like he was awake, only with his eyes closed. He still reacted to touch, and even voice, and Itachi had never really known when Kakashi was asleep and when he wasn't. Not even when they were in ANBU together, sometimes for weeks on end. Kakashi could lock his joints so he could sleep sitting up. Once, Itachi had even seen him sleep standing up.
"Kakashi…wake up…"
Kakashi whined in protest and shifted in Itachi's lap.
"Come on, I know you're awake now," Itachi said, gently lifting Kakashi's body. "Up."
Kakashi whined again, but slowly lifted himself up off Itachi's lap. Itachi smiled and stood up.
"Good boy. Alright, come on…"
Itachi took Kakashi into his arms and kissed him, reassuring the jounin that he was there. He slipped out the door as quietly as he could, ignoring Kisame's inquiries as to where he was going. Kakashi needed to be far away from Kisame for a while; so that was where Itachi was taking him. Far away.
Itachi guided Kakashi through a maze of corridors, hallways, and tunnels, all leading in different directions and confusing Kakashi no end. But Itachi seemed to know where he was going, so Kakashi followed him and trusted him.
Finally, Itachi opened a door and pushed Kakashi ahead of him. Kakashi slipped forward, silent as a shadow, and took in the scene around him.
The rocks in front of them extended into the water; a jetty. Soft, gentle waves lapped at fine, white sand. A light breeze was blowing around, and as Itachi closed the door behind him, he pulled Kakashi around the rocks and onto the sandy shore. Itachi stopped at the water's edge and pulled off his shoes and cloak, leaving them on one of the higher rocks. He walked down to the water, beckoning Kakashi after him. Kakashi followed eagerly, and the two settled in the sand with their feet in the water. The sun was setting over the horizon, painting the sky a deep red-orange with pink and blue bled throughout. Itachi put his arm around Kakashi, and the jounin leaned on his shoulder.
This time, This place
Misused, Mistakes
Too long, Too late
Who was I to make you wait
Just one chance
Just one breath
Just in case there's just one left
'Cause you know,
you know, you know
Itachi had been waiting for this one moment in time; he had wanted this since he and Kakashi had first met. He had gone after Kakashi because he loved him; not because he knew too much about the Akatsuki, not because he was a threat. No, he went after Kakashi because he missed him. And since Kakashi had been here, he had had nothing but bad experiences.
Itachi wanted to change that.
That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore
As Kakashi's weight settled on his shoulder, Itachi smiled and pulled him closer. The waves broke gently on the shore, and the sand was yielding to their shifts of weight and movements.
"Itachi-sama?"
"Hai?"
"…what will happen to me…?"
Itachi sighed. "You don't have to worry about that, because I'll be here for you…no matter what happens. Okay?"
"…Hai."
Itachi smiled and leaned forward. Kakashi didn't move at all; Itachi's other hand slipped behind his head and held him gently as he kissed him. It was different than any other kiss Kakashi had ever had; even from Itachi. This was just…different.
So far away
Been far away for far too long
So far away
Been far away for far too long
But you know, you know, you know
"I love you…you know that, right?"
Kakashi nodded, and Itachi smiled and kissed him again. Kakashi melted into Itachi's arms; he may as well savor this moment, as long as it lasted.
I wanted
I wanted you to stay
'Cause I needed
I need to hear you say
That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I forgive you
For being away for far too long
So keep breathing
'Cause I'm not leaving
Hold on to me and, never let me go
"I'll never let anything happen to you…that's a promise."
Kakashi shook his head. "All I ask…is that you love me. I don't want to be hurt again…especially not by you. Just love me, and keep me safe. Don't let me go…"
Itachi smiled. "I'd never hurt you," he whispered, kissing Kakashi again. "You know that."
Kakashi nodded. "I-I know…Itachi-sama-"
Itachi shook his head. "I know. Just enjoy it."
Kakashi shrugged. If Itachi wasn't concerned, than neither was he.
As they kissed one last time, Kakashi found himself not only trusting Itachi, but loving him in return.
A/N: Song-Far Away, Nickelback. It's perfect for these two, ne? Review, please!!