Miji: it's time for another interview before I continue with the chapter 11. This time, please welcome, the clay master himself, Deidara!

Deidara: (waves) hello fans, yeah!!!!

Miji: (--)lll so, Deidara-kun, after you've read my story, what can you comment?

Deidara: I LOVE my part, yeah! Am I not just the greatest, yeah?! Those two can't move without me saying what and where, yeah. They're totally dependent on me, yeah. lol

Miji: (--)llll yes, I see. So they are… (turned to the speaker phone beside her) Itachi-san, what can you say about Deidara-kun's comment?

Itachi: (on the phone) … he's lying…

Deidara: I'm not, yeah!

Kouri: (shouting from the background) Deidara-kun!!!!! I miss you so much! I still have those clay earrings you gave me!

Deidara: I have a whole set made for you back at the hideout, yeah. I just finished it earlier today, yeah!

Kouri: you're the best, Deidara-kun!!!

Deidara: I know, yeah. Hear that, Itachi, yeah? Even Kouri agrees, yeah.

Itachi: … shut up…

Note: Hijutsu - Hijutsu techniques are special techniques limited to those who either came from a clan or is the only person that can perform it. Bloodline limits are considered Hijutsu techniques.

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Chapter 11

They arrived at the hideout just as the sun was setting.

Itachi gently shrugged his shoulders to get Kouri's attention. When she didn't respond, he called her name. He was met with silence.

"She's asleep, yeah," Deidara said from behind Itachi.

"Oh," Itachi replied.

"She must've been really, really tired, yeah," the clay master surmised.

"She didn't do anything save hold on to Itachi's back," Kisame voiced out.

"She's a princess, you dope, yeah," Deidara threw back in Kouri's defense.

"What does that have to do with anything?!"

"It has everything to do with everything, yeah!"

"You're getting redundant."

"Stop changing the subject, yeah."

"I am merely stating the obvious."

Kouri stirred. Itachi glared at the two. "Shut up, you two or she'll wake up."

"I'm just telling this shark that Kouri is a princess therefore she's delicate, yeah."

"Not all princesses are delicate," Kisame said.

"Kouri is, yeah."

"Is not!"

"Is too, yeah!"

Itachi sweat dropped.

"I am not delicate."

The two stopped arguing at the sound of Kouri's voice.

"But you are delicate, hime, yeah. You fell asleep on Itachi's back, yeah."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "So?"

"So it means you're tired, yeah."

"I'm not tired. I'm merely bored."

"Lazy if you ask me," Kisame said offhandedly.

Kouri glared at Kisame. "I'm not lazy. It's just that you all run so fast-"

"Ah! Weak."

"That's it!" she said, sliding off Itachi's back and glaring at Kisame menacingly. "We're gonna have shark's fin for dinner."

"Bring it on."

Kouri was about to jump on Kisame but Itachi caught the back of her kimono. "Onna, yamero."

"He started it!" she defended.

Itachi just stared at Kouri who looked about to cry. He bent down and said in a loud whisper to her ear, "Don't bring yourself so low."

Kouri started to smile.

"I heard that," butted in the enraged Kisame. "Who's side are you on anyway, Itachi?"

Itachi's mouth quirked a bit. "For this argument? Hers."

Kouri's eyes sparkled. She took it as a sign that he'll teach her ninja skills.

Kisame scowled and retreated to his room.

"I see you all made it back here early."

Kouri jumped at the unfamiliar voice and looked around, searching for its source.

"It was an easy mission, Leader," Itachi spoke to the direction of the shadows. Kouri followed his gaze and saw someone wearing the same cloak as the others but his face was shrouded, covered, with shadows.

The Akatsuki leader nodded and looked intently at Kouri.

She felt uncomfortable under such close scrutiny and shifted uneasily. "Komban wa," she greeted him, flinching at the tremor in her voice. So this is Itachi's leader. He doesn't look that mean. Maybe it's the shadows.

The leader nodded yet again. "I hope my members haven't inconvenienced you, Kouri-hime."

She furiously shook her head. "Oh, no, sir. They have been more than kind. It is I who have inconvenienced them. I'm terribly sorry for barging in like this. You see, I don't know anyone here before I met Itachi-kun and the others. Come to think of it, I don't even know how I came to be here. I'm Hime Kouri, by the way. Hime is my surname, not a title. I'm clearly not a princess, so please don't call me one. In fact, if it's ok with you, I would like to stay here for a while. Until I find my own accommodations, that is. I know how to cook," she explained in a rush, half from fear of the leader and the other half, from being thrown out.

Silence followed her explanation. She had managed to leave everyone in the room speechlessly gaping at her. The leader managed to recover first.

"You're very welcome to stay for as long as you want. You don't really have to work here because each members have their missions to see to. But if you really insist, feel free to cook or clean or whatever it is that women do," he said. "Itachi, show her to her room."

Itachi bowed and held out a hand for her. "This way."

Kouri felt so giddy with happiness that she thanked the leader in three different languages. Itachi shook his head and led the chattering Kouri to her room.

"Your leader is a very kind man, Itachi-kun," she said, following Itachi to a room.

"I told you to call me Itachi-sama," he said monotonously.

She sat on the bed and shrugged his corrections away. "Anyway, what would you like for dinner, Itachi-kun?"

"Itachi-SAMA," he said, stressing the title. "It doesn't matter what you cook."

She twirled the ends of her hair around her finger. "Where's the kitchen?"

"Somewhere at the back of the cave. It's rarely used since everybody's busy with missions."

"Then let's go use it," she said, standing up.

"Aren't you going to clean up or change clothes?"

She shook her head. "This is my only clothing, as you very well know."

"There as some shirts and shorts in the closet."

"Oh. I'll change then."

He nodded and went out the room.

Kouri locked the door and opened the closet. Shirts hung from their hangers. All of which were identical to the netted shirt Itachi wore inside his cloak and entirely too big for her. Frowning, she attacked the folded garments at the bottom of the closet. After rummaging for a while, she finally found something that she thought would fit her. It was a dark blue shirt with a drawing of some sort of a fan at the back. She fitted it and found out it's a bit loose and long so she folded and tied the ends above her waist, just below her bosom. Taking out her own skirt, she slipped into it. She had mended it during their travel and it looked almost as good as new. Gazing at herself in the mirror, she smiled and braided her hair. It's nice to have a roof over my head again, she thought, though it be earth.

Satisfied, she donned her clogs and opened the door. When she met Itachi's gaze, she thought she saw something flicker in its scarlet depths.

"Well?" she asked.

He shrugged his answer and turned towards the direction of the kitchen.

"Tobi, what are you doing here?" Itachi asked a spiral-faced man who was bending over something in the kitchen table.

"Tobi is preparing dinner, Itachi-san," he replied. "Because Tobi is-"

"A good boy," Itachi finished dully. "We know."

Tobi put the sliced carrots- that's what he was so busy about, cutting up carrots- into a pan with boiling water.

Kouri approached Tobi. "So, what's for dinner?"

"Sweet and sour fish," he replied with a smile. "Hello, I'm Tobi. It's nice to meet Itachi's girlfriend. He's got good taste. Right, Itachi-san?"

Itachi rolled his eyes. "She is not my girlfriend."

"You didn't tell me you have a girlfriend, Itachi-kun," she said at the same time.

"And she's calling you Itachi-KUN. This is so sweet," Tobi gushed as he finished preparing dinner.

Itachi sighed. "Tobi, listen up. This is Kouri. Hime Kouri. She is not my girlfriend. Kouri, this is Tobi."

"Nice to meet you, Kouri-hime," Tobi said enthusiastically shaking Kouri's hand. "I know Itachi-san's just kidding. You, obviously, are his girlfriend."

Kouri blushed slightly at Tobi's words. "You're wrong, Tobi. There's nothing going on between me and Itachi-kun."

"Sure," Tobi countered in an I-don't-believe-you tone.

She pouted and took out some plates and utensils. Walking to the dining table, she set the eating utensils. Tobi's innocent remarks unsettled her. There is absolutely noting, nothing, between her and Itachi, right? No matter what had happened between the the day before. Even if there is, it would still be impossible. Itachi's a ninja with numerous dangerous missions. And she's just a person with a doubtful, hazy past. He doesn't need her in his life. She'll just complicate it and a ninja's life is complicated enough.

"Wow. Mom's preparing dinner," Kisame said sarcastically, taking a seat. "Good eve, mom."

Kouri narrowed her eyes and grabbed a towel and placed it on Kisame's neck like a bib. "Good evening to you too, Chibi-kun," she replied sweetly. "Would you like me to feed you?"

Kisame grinned his shark teeth. "Yes, mom." He'll have her enslaved by the end of the week.

I'll have you yet, piranha-face. Taking a spoonful of food, she shoved it roughly into Kisame's mouth. "Would you like some more, Chibi-kun?" she asked in a honeyed tone, holding up another overflowing spoonful of food.

Kisame choked on the food and shook his head furiously. "No," he sputtered. "No more."

Kouri grinned as she sat down between Itachi and Deidara. "Glad we agree."

"I told you not to anger the princess, yeah," Deidara said as he attacked his food.

Kisame scowled. "Whatever."

Soon after dinner, Kouri managed to convince everyone that she'll be fine washing the dishes. Deidara was the very last one to leave.

"Hime, you really don't have to do this, yeah. You're a princess, yeah."

Kouri smiled at the clay master. "Deidara-san, I said, I am fine, yeah. Now, you may go out and go about your missions, yeah."

"I don't have missions, yeah. It's late at night, yeah. And please stop mimicking my expression, yeah."

"It's very addicting, yeah. You, yourself should know, yeah," she replied and started gathering the dishes.

"I am still not going, yeah," he said stubbornly, helping Kouri with the dishes.

"You're really stubborn, Deidara-san," Kouri said with a sigh. "This is an order, go now!"

Deidara straightened and nodded reluctantly. "Yes, hime, yeah," he said and went out.

Kouri smiled and shook her head as she washed the dishes. When she was done, she straightened the kitchen and went out to the receiving room. Everyone had retired for the night and she was the only one still awake. Deciding she needed a breath of fresh air, Kouri stepped outside the cave. The stars were out and twinkling in the heavens that night. Sitting on a rock, she identified the different constellations.

"Orion, Virgo, Libra, Great Dipper, Little Dipper- hello, north star!- Leo…"

She was so immersed on the constellations that she jumped when a drop of water fell on her nose. She smiled. The water felt very familiar and comforting. She touched a finger to the drop and it instantly solidified. Taking a closer look at it, she drew an imaginary chain around it and blinked in surprise when crystals formed from the mist in the air in the exact place where she passed her finger until she had a necklace dangling at the edge of her finger.

"Nice necklace."

Kouri jumped at the voice and turned to find Itachi standing only a few inches behind her. "Don't you ever make a slight noise when you move?" she asked, trying to calm her thundering heartbeat.

"If I make the slightest noise, I'd be dead by now," he replied tonelessly.

"Was your work that dangerous?"

"Not was. Is."

"Oh."

"How'd you make that necklace anyway?" he asked, changing the topic.

"I… don't know. I just… did," she answered, handing the necklace to Itachi.

He flinched slightly at the coldness of the necklace. It didn't just look to be made of ice, it is ice. "Kouri."

She looked at him. "Hai?"

"We better get inside now, else you'll catch cold."

Kouri smiled up at him. "You think so?"

He fingered the necklace and put it around Kouri's neck. "Yes," he said, letting his fingers linger a bit on her soft satiny skin. He was surprised when she met him out of his room wearing the traditional Uchiha clothing. His traditional Uchiha clothing. Up until now, he had avoided looking at those clothes, intent on leaving his past behind. After all, they were all weaklings, too worried about morality to take full advantage of their hijutsu.

"Itachi-kun?"

He looked down at Kouri. "Hm?"

"Will you teach me ninja tricks?"

"No."

"Why not?"

He leaned down and touched his forehead to hers. "Because, hime, you're going to be very busy."

Kouri blinked. "Busy?" she asked, blushing lightly at Itachi's tone of voice. Unbidden, the memory of what happened the day before assaulted her and she looked down, avoiding Itachi's gaze.

"Yes," he replied, leaning down and licking her earlobe.

Kouri trembled. "I… I don't think we should be doing this."

"I think we should," he countered, putting his arms around her.

She blushed as she felt him against her. Itachi smirked as he scooped her into his arms and carried her back to his room.

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A/N: guys, sorry about the hanging ending┘ thanks for supporting my ff.

Zash: Why did you hang it?!

A/N: because… no, I'd better not ruin my apology with an explanation. One by one. Thanks to Suko-chan, Hibiki-chan, Aeris Leonheart, and LittleAngel22493.