Alright here's chapter 12. I know it's short but I'm short on time and a whole lot of stuff happens here compared to it's length. By the way make sure to read the end author's note.

I don't own Naruto.

Enjoy.

Katerina's nineteenth birthday was approaching, and it wasn't something she looked forward to. The last birthday that had passed she'd spent with Michi, and this year it was just another reminder of how long it had been. She missed Saria and Michi both. She looked at the black cat by her feel and her son in her arms. "At least I still have you guys." She said setting her head against the tree she was under.

"What about me?" A voice asked her. She looked over and met Itachi's eyes.

"You too," She said. "I was foolish to ever think I didn't have you."

"You weren't foolish." He knelt down beside her and pushed some hair behind her ear. "You had every right to believe you'd lost me. I tried to push you away."

"Even so I should have known you better than that." Katerina looked away from him. "I shouldn't have kept Kitai from you."

Itachi didn't respond but Kuroki meowed. "You knew the whole time didn't you?" Katerina asked her furry companion. He simply purred and pushed he way between Katerina and Itachi settling content.

Madara watched the two lovers from a window in the hideout eyes narrowed in anger. He did not like how close the two had become since they mended their bond. If this continued he feared she would sway his plans, and if that happened everything would fail. However, Itachi had yet to tell her his true intentions. 'There may still be a chance to prevent this.' He thought walking away from the window.

Two figures sat in their bedroom with the curtains closed and the door locked. Written plans and diagrams scattered around them. Two smaller furry figures sat in a corner staring at the two with tilted heads. "We know he came from the south right? That means their hideout has to be out that way." One figure stated.

"They could have easily moved locations by now." The other argued.

Their partner's fist clenched. "Damn it Yasashi we can't keep arguing about this. Even if they did move locations if we find their former hideout we might be able to track him down. Then Konoha can take the organization down and we can get him back."

"Yujin Katerina wouldn't want us trying to take revenge and you know it!" Yasashi told his brother. "I know I agreed at first but that was two years ago when I was still naïve and believed she could be alive. That the only reason I was ever going to help was so we could find her."

"You think I didn't want her to be alive? That was my initial plan too you know that." Yujin said looking down and dropping the paper he was holding.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself Yujin. She wasn't meant to be with anyone else." Yasashi told his brother quietly.

"I just wish I could have told her before all this happened." Yujin said. "Katerina was always so happy around him and I didn't want to mess things up."

"Let it go Yujin. Let this go, she wouldn't forgive you for this. I don't know how far your feelings went but I don't think they…"

"I loved her Yasashi!" Yujin snapped and Yasashi froze wide eyed. "The day she started the academy I knew she was different. That's why I wanted to save her even when you said you weren't going to help me. You did in the end but I know it was just so I wouldn't be mad." Yujin sighed. "I never meant to grow feeling for her, it just happened."

"Yujin…" Yasashi said sadly. "Come on let's put these away. We have to be at the ANBU headquarters in less than an hour."

The twins hid their papers in a box hidden under their floor boards and after saying goodbye to their dogs and parents headed out to the headquarters. They passed by the old compound on the way and saw her house on the edge. Both were silent the rest of the day. Yujin wondering what could have been, Yasashi wondering how he had missed his brother's feelings, and both were trying to decide if they really wanted to follow the same path of revenge Sasuke was on. They knew the answer whether they admitted it or not.

Katerina was sitting in the room she shared with Konan when a random fit of coughing came over her. When it passed she gripped her chest as an odd pain shot through it. "Katerina are you okay?" Konan asked her.

"I think so." She said. "I've been having these coughing spasms lately, but that was the first time I had any pain."

"Do you want me to see if I can tell what's wrong?"

Katerina hesitated but then nodded. "It would probably be a good thing to know." She said and Konan laid her down running medical chakra over her chest. She stopped over her heart and lungs and looked at Katerina in shock. "Katerina, you told me Itachi gave you blood when you were younger correct?"

Katerina sat up. "Yes…why?"

"Katerina, I don't know if he's told you, but Itachi has a rare disease that's slowly killing his organs and…it looks like you might have it too." Konan finished quietly. "Your lungs and heart are weakening."

"What?! Konan, please…you can't be serious!" Katerina said desperately.

"I'm sorry Katerina, but I'm not lying. I've been working to find a cure. I'll find it for both of you." Konan told her trying to calm her.

"Let me help." Katerina said.

"I don't…"

"I'm a medical ninja Konan. I've been hiding it but when I was in ANBU I was my teams medic nin." Katerina said. "I want to help."

Konan sighed. "Very well, I don't see how I can stop you all things considered. However if you do this you can't keep your ability a secret any longer."

"I don't care. If it means life or death I'll give up anything to find this cure." Katerina said determined. Then she remember something her brother used to tell her and recited it in first person in her thoughts. 'I'm an Uchiha, strong and powerful. My class doesn't matter for someday I could top them all. I'm a fighter I will not die easily.' With that in mind she followed Konan to her medic room to start looking over her notes. 'Itachi…I can save us both.'

Well there it is. I'm not going to be able to update next weekend because I'm going to the anime convention ACen. If by some odd chance you may live near it or be going to it you should send me a PM and we could meet up. :)

Anyways, I have a couple humorous one-shots that my friend and I came up with that I'll go ahead and type up then post from my iPod while I'm at the convention. Probably one on Friday and one Saturday. They will be posted in a new story that will be titled The Humorous Encounters of the Akatsuki. It's going to become a one-shot series for the stupidity my friend and I share. xD

Leave a review it keeps me happy. :D

See ya.