Stoic Love

Chapter 10

Hinote's P.O.V.

"Umm.. Right then!...Maybe? Oh man..." I sighed looking down at the scroll spread out in front of me. It was around nine at night and the witching hour would soon befall us. I stared blankly at the scroll. How was I supposed to learn this in mere hours? I was nowhere near that level of a ninja!

Sweat gathered at my brows as I snuck a glace over my left shoulder. Leader-Sama stood near, while Kisame worriedly hovered near Itachi's bedridden body. Deidara sat awkwardly in the corner, not really minding that Itachi was dying. I knew Sasori-Danna was in here as well. Leader had sent Kakuzu and Hidan away on a mission, just so the rest of us could operate effectively. Konan was in the other room, unable to see Itachi in such a sickly state. Kisame suddenly looked up from Itachi-san and locked eyes with me. Never before had I seen the laid-back man look so scared, so tense in my whole being here. I tore away and looked back down at the scroll trying to erase his look.

"Hinote, hurry up!" He urged loudly. "Itachi's life is on the line! Can't you learn the Jutsu any faster?" He ended up yelling. I was under a lot of stress, so I couldn't help but screech back at him.

"I'm sorry!" I screamed in return. "I'm sorry I'm not like Itami-Senpai! I'm not some super amazing ninja who can master Jutsu in minutes! I'm Hinote! I am a reject!" I shrieked. I guess some part of me knew he was as stressed as me. Knew he was scared beyond belief. But I was pushed to my limit. The situation fell on me like a ton of steel. I crumbled from the pressure. I did the first thing that came to mind. I ran. I shoved past Leader-Sama and Danna, out the door and into the forest.

I focused on running until my lungs burned and my legs screamed. Until the tears dried and the pain was dulled. I stopped then, and fell to my knees, panting wildly. Suddenly though, a thought hit me.

How stupid could I be? I just ran, for who knows how long, away from the one person who need my help the most. Without me, Itachi will die.

"I'm such an idiot... Stupid, stupid, stupid..." I growled struggling to get to my feet. I began to run, but only moments later I tripped, losing any grace I managed to have in my blinded sorrow. I quickly crushed my eyes closed, and held out my arms hoping to soften my sure impact with the cruel earth. But it never came. Instead, hard, wooden arms pulled me up into a hard, wooden chest. I was face-to-face with Sasori-Danna as he let out a sigh of relief.

"D-danna?" I choked out in surprise.

"Hinote, I'm so glad I found you." He spoke going back from where he arrived from. "We have around three hours left until the witching hour.

"Okay, but I can move on my own." I mumbled struggling to escape from his grasp. I was glad for the darkness for once in my life, because it hid the bright blush on my face from how close I was to him.

"Not really. You need to save your energy so you can perform the Jutsu on Itachi." Danna replied, I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Right..." I looked down into my lap fiddling with my fingers. I doubted we would be able to make it back in time, and even if we did, I don't think I would be able to perform the Jutsu.

"Hey," Danna spoke, catching my attention. "Don't blame yourself." I shook my head and then lied it on his wooden chest, hearing the slight thump of his human heart. I closed my eyes seemingly for a moment, but when Sasori-Danna woke me I could see Itachi, still bedridden. Behind me and Danna lie the table and scroll. Kisame was on the side of Itachi closer to Danna and I. He continuously apologized for his earlier actions. I smiled and nodded back. Deidara sat in the same corner as before, silently conversing with Leader-Sama.

"What time is it?" I yawned.

"2:50." Leader-Sama answered.

"Right!" I whispered. I turned to the table and picked up the scroll to study it. Taking a closer look at it, it didn't seem all too difficult. But my clan's Jutsus are deceitful; my people are cruel and evil beings...

"Hinote, its almost time." Itami-Sempei's poke as she walked in

"Senpai!" I grinned upon seeing her, I had never doubted that when she left us, even though I was crying and screaming about it, I never doubed Senpai would die. Shaking myself from my thoughts I looked around for a clock. Finding it, I saw it was 2:55. In the morning.

"Here goes nothing." I gulped. "Sasori-Danna, you have the potion?" I asked turning to him.

"Yeah." He nodded. "I'll give it to him." He walked over to the sickly Uchiha and slowly spilled the dark liquid into his mouth. I took a deep breath and began the hand signs.

"Purification Jutsu: Cleansing Aura!" I watch biting my lip as Itachi's body shook. Had I messed up? Maybe not! It seemed as though it was working, but just as the witching hour fell upon us, Itachi stopped moving completely. You could no longer see his chest move up and down in small labored breathes.

"No, this can't happen...!" I cried as I dashed over to his side. Kisame had backed away when Itachi began to shake. I placed my head on his chest, listening for any sign of life. Nothing stirred.

"I'm so sorry guys," I said without lifting my head. "Itachi is dead." I closed my eyes as I felt the prick of tears threaten me again. Trying to hide them now was pointless, but I still attempted to muster some sort of pride. I didn't sob, or cry out loud. All I knew was that something felt different inside of me. I felt as if something empty inside of me had been filled.

"Hinote, why are you glowing hm...?" Deidara's voice carried from the corner.

"I'm what?" I shouted and shot up opening my blurry eyes, A golden glow surrounded not only me, but Itachi as well.

"Hinote, is that the Jutsu?" Leader-Sama asked.

"I really have no idea... Bet I guess that's our best bet..." The glow consumed the room in a heavenly light, blinding all but me. I then had an odd feeling. One that logic said was too good to be true. But I forgot reason and followed instinct, placing both palms over Itachi's chest. The bright light faded to darkness as a single cough rang throughout my head.

Itami's P.O.V.

I was blinded by the light that produced from Hinote, even though I wore my usual sunglasses. Before I could react the light died. Itachi sat straight up and coughed up the purple substance. Hinote fell back as I rushed to her side. She hit the ground with a thud as I reached her side.

"Hinote!" I barked suddenly, not understanding why I felt a strange feeling well in my chest. It felt as if someone had reached in and grabbed my stomach, tightly clutching it and not relenting. Ignoring the strange sensation, I gingerly placed her head on my lap as everyone crowded around Hinote and the now very much alive Hinote.

"Is she okay?" Itachi asked looking down at his savior, purple substance dribbling from the corner of his mouth like purple blood.

"She should be fine, her breathing is just quick." I diagnosed, looking Hinote over. Suddenly, her eyes opened and in a moment, the change was gone. However I still saw it.

Her once blue and green eyes had changed; they now seemed to ripple like flames. And while she had been using, her eyes most likely had turned orange and yellow, the same colors as her hair.

"Senpai? What happened to me?" moaned Hinote, snapping from the daze she had been placed in. Before I could answer, she jumped up and hugged Itachi with energy that she must have pulled from thin air.

"Weasel! Your okay!" She cried. He smiled and awkwardly hugged her back.

"Hinote." I spoke lowly so that only we two could hear. Hearing me, she giggled and let go of him. I once again whispered in her ear, "I think you unlocked your Kekkei-Genkai.

"Wow really? I unlocked it!?" She gasped, catching the attention of everyone in the room. With no point in hiding it now, I decided to explain.

"You fainted after you starting glowing." I informed her. I had seen it happen before in my time in her village. When children of her clan go through tough situations with high levels of emotion, they unlock them. Hinote had a very good childhood, from what I can tell, so I guess she never really needed it.

"That's great and all, but it still doesn't explain how she saved Itachi." Pein pointed out.

"Oh, that's easy Leader-Sama!" She chirped. "My Kekkei-Genkai is the phoenix!" She grinned. Although from some of the looks of those in the room, I could tell further elaboration was needed.

"It has been said her clan has extraordinary healing powers and they have great stamina. The phoenix represents flames and rebirth, when a phoenix dies it bursts into ashes where it is reborn from the very same ashes." I explained.

Pein nodded, and Hinote spoke. "Well what now Senpai?"

"I need to talk with you Hinote." I decided, getting a grip on her arm and leading her from Itachi's room and into the one we shared.

"No way! Senpai wants to have girl-time?" Hinote announced shocked as I closed the door behind us and locked it.

"Its about that man- the one I saved you from." As soon as the words left my mouth she turned stone cold.

"What about him Senpai?" She asked with uncertainty lacing her voice. I knew she was going to try and lie to me.

"He said something about you, that your destines are intertwined." I stated calmly, my eyes narrowing behind my glasses when she started looking everywhere but my face.

"Oh, don't worry about him Senpai, he's crazy." She laughed turning to face the wall. I narrowed my eyes further and began to recite what he announced before he ran off.

"Born from fire, withered by blood, the phoenix and the leviathan shall meet with fate." She turned to face me, paling considerably."What does it mean?" I growled. She sighed in defeat.

"Well, the man who told you, his name is Nix. He's the child of the head of the Ribaiasan Clan, which is represented by the leviathan. And as you know, I am the child of the head of the Fenikkusu clan, who are represented by the phoenix. I really have no idea what it means though Senpai, what everyone has figured is just that it involves Nix and I! Honest!" She cried out in frustration.

"I don't think it's just you two alone..." I muttered. There were four parts to the prophecy, from what I could gather. Hinote, that man, Nix was his name, another person or thing, and then what they had to do which was meet with fate.

"What Senpai?"

"I think we should begin training you with your Kekkei-Genkai." I decided on the spot.

"In the morning?" She pleaded, giving me what she had once called 'Puppy dog eyes'.

"Its morning right now, Hinote." I reminded her as I looked out the window to see the sky turning pink in the distance.

"But Senpai! I'm hungry, and tired, and-" I cut her off from her complaining.

"Just get some rest Hinote." Hinote grinned and gleefully shed her cloak. She jumped into her bed, not discarding her tank top and pants for her night clothes.

"Okay Senpai!" She yawned while cuddling into her covers. I made to leave the room, however Hinote's tired voice reached me.

"Senpai…. I worried about you, you know when you were left behind…. how'd you make it? That, wasn't something that should have been…. possible." I stayed in the doorway, thinking of a response.

"Do not worry about it, Hinote. Your village will not bother us any longer, and I will not die while you need me to protect you. I promised I would be there for you if you're ever in trouble, I do not take light of my promises." I said sternly before I walked out of the room. I made my way to the training room so I could meditate in peace. I was not going to sleep; I had too much on my mind. Things that weighed heavily.

When I arrived there, Sasori stood on the far side staring aimlessly at the wall. He jumped and turned to face me when he heard the door thump close. His face went from a frustrated look, to a blank expression. I could tell that form that ep

"Itami." He greeted me with a nod. "I was hoping to meet you here." I raised a brow as my only response. "I need to talk to you about Hinote."

"What about her?" I questioned straight forward, "She's fine, alive and well, I would know. There is nothing about her that is wrong."

"It's not about that, it's just..." He seemed to be struggling with his words, something that was very uncommon with Sasori. he always carefully planned what he would say, and his words were always clear and straight forward.

"IthinkIloveHinote." He spoke fast, just as Hinote did when she professed her love of him to me. I felt warm though. It was odd. A feeling in the pit of my stomach that was inexplicable, this feeling was much different than the grip on my stomach from before.

"Why tell me?" I questioned. I felt a smile threaten to tug my face and slight confusion spread through me. Why was I trying to smile? I never smile, never. I haven't smiled in years.

"I don't know, really." He chuckled. "Guess I was just looking for your approval, it's like going to a woman's father to ask for her hand." He answered with a small grin. I blinked.

"You think I'm like… her father?" I asked, trying to figure how that would work in anyway.

"No, not like that, I mean that you're like her guardian, and that you would react in a similar way, like how you ripped Hidan apart when he cut her hair. You'd kill me if I hurt her." Sasori explained. I nodded.

"That is true, I would feed your human heart to my summonings while it is still beating." I decided. Sasori, although trying to look emotionless, I could see that the image was not appealing.

"I do not mind, Sasori that you wish to court Hinote, but I will not be stopped if you hurt her, emotionally or physically. You would die."

"Thank you, Itami-san." he nodded at me, his dull, dead brown eyes not able to show his gratitude. Suddenly, as I looked over his puppet body I had a sudden thought.

"I just have one thought though, Sasori." Sasori looked at me, his smile fading to his usual impassive look.

"What is it?" he inquired.

"Your heart is that of a human, but your body is that of a puppet. With that body, you would not feel Hinote in any way, and Hinote would feel only cold wood." I stated. Sasori sighed and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"I've been thinking, I am trying to find a way to reverse this… to get back into a human body… however it would be a difficult task, a great medic would be needed. Even so, the body may not accept my heart and I would die, it's risky." Sasori muttered.

"When you do the transplant, call on me, I can help the odds of the situation so that it would work and the body would not reject your heart." I ordered. Sasori blinked.

"How would you do that?" he asked. I moved over to the side of the training room and sat down.

"I am not going to divulge my secrets to anyone, not even Hinote knows the full extent of what I can do," I informed him as I moved into meditation position, "But do understand that what I can do, is not ordinary. I am the only living being in this world that can do it, for even in my dead clan, the DNA sequence necessary for this phenomenon to happen is rare. Only once a century, was someone who was born from someone without the correct DNA born with it."

"And what is it?" Sasori pushed.

"Go and research what you need, Sasori, Hinote may not wait for long." With my final words, Sasori left the room. As I watched him leave, the odd feeling in me grew stronger as I watched Sasori leave with a look of determination set on his face. I shook it off though and began to meditate.

Feelings.

Pathetic. I do not have them. I am a monster, a machine made to kill. I have no feelings. No remorse, no anger, no happiness, no excitement, nothing.

I do not even have love.

AN

I added the ending so I have somewhere to start my chapter.

I can't wait until Shidonii gets a computer again, can't wait. Life would be much easier. Much.

I have chapters to write for other stories so my update is going to be…. next weekend? Maybe.