The old doors slowly creaked opened to reveal a hallway leading to slightly older style, completely furnished, living room. The house in itself was normal, aside from its hidden location. It was very spacious, despite the fact that it was only one story. The rooms were meticulously clean because I've only felt the need to get furniture alone, and no more than that. There is nothing else to clutter the otherwise empty house.

FLASHBACK

I sighed in content after finishing a rigorous workout. Everything is back to normal at last. I was finally able to complete a training that I normally went through. I was actually improving in my strength. I was moving at a faster pace than I had thought possible. It was as though that poison had finally made my body as fast as my brain. I wasn't completely sure whether to love it or hate it.

I definitely hated the man who gave it to me. There was no escaping that. If he ever showed his face around here again I will not hesitate to kill him! He tried to kill me! He tried to kill Sasuke! That little weasel of a man doesn't deserve to live in this world!

I took a deep breath and slowly unclenched my fists. My nails had started to dent into my skin again. I looked down at my hands, remembering placing them into Itachi's. I had helped him so willingly. I had fallen for it, and neglected every sign of betrayal that he had shown because I loved him. I thought that he loved me as well, and therefore would never deceive me in such a way. I was stupid.

I could feel people staring at me as I walked down the street. They all stared at me. Some of them whispered. "Look it's her," I heard one say. "Stay away! She'll betray us just like he did." Every day I would hear it, and choose to ignore it. Today I would be given no choice.

"Hey," I heard a man call in a drunk voice. "The Murderer's lover, over here!"

I turned to the man, knowing he was talking to me. "I'm sorry sir," I began. "You must be mistaken. I could not love someone who murders mercilessly."

"Well then I got news for you doll face," he said. "Your boyfriend killed his clan mer-ce-less-ly," he said, struggling with his words.

"He is not my boyfriend," I responded, in the most emotionless voice I could manage.

"Are you going to betray us too!" a woman's voice called from behind me. I turned around to find a crowd watching my conversation with the drunken man.

"No," I said, pleadingly. "I could never. I love this village."

"Yeah, that's what he said!" another man argued.

"He didn't mean it though! I do!" I protested.

"Yeah, are you going to sit there and tell us that you didn't know what he was about to do? You're his partner, you had to know!" The voices were coming from everywhere.

"No, I didn't! He tried to kill me! Why would he do that if I knew?"

"You're just like him!"

"No!" I yelled, breaking free from the crowd. All I remember was running. I let my feet guide me to wherever they thought they had to go.

It surprised me that my body thought that the place I needed to go was here. This was the place that Itachi had promised me. The evil man who had tried to kill me! Why had I come here for comfort, when I wanted to get away from him?

END FLASHBACK

That alone was strange, but the stranger thing was that I was comforted here. Every time I came to this place I always left more resolved and happier. Now that I think about the reason I have come up with an acceptable explanation; not every moment with Itachi was complete misery when I was a kid. I actually loved being around him, and what he did won't ever change the fact that I always felt comforted by his presence, that is, before he had become a homicidal maniac.

This house, along with every other place that we shared, had come to represent the Itachi that I knew as a kid, the much kinder side of him. All of our happy memories were amplified in this house. I had promised myself that here, I would never reflect on the bad, because this was my place of peace and happiness. I could see him and I holding hands, or playing tackle tag when we were younger. I still knew that Itachi was evil, but I didn't think about those moments here. Not all of my memories of Itachi were bad.

Not all of Itachi is bad. The thought that entered my head didn't sound like my own. No, all of Itachi had to be bad. There is no going back from what he has done. Itachi is bad!

I let myself fall down onto the couch without a second thought. My mind was locked too far in the past to give my surroundings much conscious thoughts. I was slowly playing through my painful recovery in my mind. It didn't take long for me to recover, but it was the most painful thing I had ever experienced in my life. The harder I worked, the more it burned. Ironically, the only thing that got me through that time, was him.

Every time that I closed my eyes his image floated inside my head, the sight of him holding the katana; the look on his face as he slaughtered my parents. The cold stare that pained me so, mockingly eased the pain of the burning. His picture was the one thing I could concentrate on when the burning was at full force.

CREAK

My eyes flew opened, immediately targeting the location of the intruding noise. A sandy brown tabby cat sat outside my window, watching me with a curious expression. Its tail twitched back and forth in an almost hypnotic rhythmic pattern. Slowly the animal stood up, pacing on the windowsill impatiently. The hair on its back started to stand on edge as I watched it move. Gradually the cats pacing became more frantic. Its behavior reminded me of a civilian who is slowly stumbling upon the realization that they are trapped. Suddenly it stopped its frantic pacing; its eyes met mine again. It sat down exactly where it had been before its strange frenzy.

This cat seemed strangely familiar to me. I think that I'd seen it somewhere in the village. Had it followed me here? Cautiously, I stood up and walked towards the window. I stopped in front of it and just stared down at the cat. It stared back at me, unblinking. Nothing seemed to be moving, except for the constant twitching of the cat's tail.

Twitch…Twitch…Twitch…

Slowly, without taking my eyes off of the cat, I unlocked the window and slid it opened. The cat slowly stood up and jumped inside, as though it knew exactly where it wanted to go. It headed to the hall and turned right, towards the bedrooms.

I stared at the doorway, completely confused. What was wrong with this cat? With the way it was acting, it's almost like the cat is… human. Was it a jutsu? If it was that would mean that the 'cat' was going back to its maker. It would explain why it looked trapped, it couldn't get in, couldn't get to the one who controls it or whatever it wanted.

As quietly as I possibly could I began to follow the cat. The bedroom door was opened only enough for a cat to walk through. I stared at it, contemplating what to do next. I closed my eyes, listening carefully to the sounds in the next room. There was the soft sound of someone breathing. I opened the door slowly, prepared to fight.