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Satchimo flapped his little wings furiously as he sensed the discomfort of his mistress, the bluebird hopping up and down on top of a low hanging branch and chirruping as loudly as he could.
Hermione, barely aware of her manic familiar, could only chew her bottom lip in anxiety as she watched the scene unfolding in front of her.
"Sasuke", she managed eventually. "If you're here, then Kakashi must b…"
The young Uchiha cut her off. "He's a little busy, Hermione-sama", he told her, never taking his eyes off the man stood beside her, with what she couldn't help noticing was a hand on her arm that could be interpreted as either protective or possessive.
The look of malevolence Sasuke was directing towards his older brother was of greater significance at this moment in time, however.
Hermione glanced toward Itachi, who was meeting the eyes of his sibling with a very curious expression she'd never seen before. "What do you mean, busy?" she asked.
"Busy with my murdering bastard of a brother's weirdo friend", Sasuke spat, Hermione noting an obvious shiver, the boy in this unexpected position doing his best to shake it off. She conceded that Kisame did have that effect on people, her own interactions with the shark ninja kept to a minimum in favour of his more stable partner.
"So why, little brother, are you not off helping him?" Itachi asked. The question, to the three of them stood in the small clearing, was rhetorical, each person understanding Sasuke's reaction to the sight of his family's betrayer. It was clearly less of a query than a tactic, designed to leave Sasuke in two minds, questioning his loyalty to his sensei, not to mention his sanity in the face of overwhelmingly low odds of success should he actually attempt to attack.
The sound of far away battle, somewhat muffled due to the screeches of Satchimo, reinforced Itachi's point but to his credit, Sasuke didn't flinch. "The last time I looked Kakashi was doing fine", he told Itachi, his tone now low and controlled, the genin clearly trying to keep calm. "I'm sure he'd be grateful for your concern."
Hermione was at a loss for what to do, the face off between the brothers, one of whom was staring with quite justifiable hate at the other, who to complicate things she'd just had the best sex of her life with. A few days earlier she'd have leapt to the defence of the younger of the two, in spite of his bad attitude towards her, but now, having spent a little time with Itachi, she really couldn't marry up the man who had murdered his entire clan with the actually quite shy and thoughtful lover she'd encountered minutes ago.
Sasuke, the impact of his decision to confront his brother beginning to lessen and finding himself with choices to make, narrowed his eyes as he shifted his glare from Itachi's eyes and down to his side, where his hand was now squeezing Hermione's arm. The fact she was probably looking extremely guilty and conscious of her proximity to him didn't help. "Hermione-sama… What are you doing with him?" he managed.
Hermione sighed and tried to remove her arm from Itachi's grasp, freeing it at the second attempt after she reinforced the first with a sharp stamp on the elder Uchiha's toes. The look which passed between them spoke volumes as he took the blow, her eyes threatening him with more if he didn't keep his mouth shut.
"That, Sasuke, is private", she told him sternly, the stare she gave him daring him to press the matter. "You should probably be more concerned with why the Hokage saw fit to boot me out of your precious village, although", and this was added with venom. "You no doubt had a hand in that."
"I-I am sorry for that", Sasuke stammered, his early composure quickly retreating in the face of the verbal attack from the person who he'd hoped would be an ally in the moments it had taken him to leap from his lofty perch and confront his brother. "I was… angry."
Hermione pressed her advantage. "Just because you were angry with me does not give you the right to try and dictate my life. The whole world does not revolve around Uchiha Sasuke."
"I know", he answered, although his eyes were flickering back and forth between her and Itachi, the latter now looking on thoughtfully as he watched the flame in Sasuke's eyes rapidly going out and being replaced by embarrassment as she showed him up in front of the subject of his hatred.
"So, what now, Sasuke?" she asked him, putting the ball firmly back in his court and standing with her arms folded across her chest.
The boy opposite simply glowered, almost lost in his own indecision, his anger at his brother very much still evident but his desire for self preservation and his chagrin holding sway.
"He still isn't ready", she heard Itachi say sadly, but when she looked at him, then back to Sasuke, it was as if neither had noticed the words coming out of his mouth.
If indeed they had, she thought to herself, before running her finger absentmindedly over her lips and wondering… what if?
The look of shock on Itachi's face confirmed her suspicions as she focused for a second, then transmitted her thoughts straight to him, the question, "Ready for what?" bypassing his ears entirely and going directly into his brain.
The closing of his mind and subsequent push she felt in return was a clear enough answer, although her delight at this new ability overrode her annoyance that he hadn't responded to her probing. That, she could put down to surprise and a natural reaction. Turning to face Itachi, she flashed him a triumphant look, which he duly ignored, his face back to its customary inscrutability after the momentary blip.
"Ready to face me", he answered aloud, the unexpected comment causing Sasuke to look up and into the eyes of his elder brother in confusion, which was all the encouragement Itachi needed to activate his Tsukuyomi.
~oOo~
"Face me, you Konoha coward!" roared Kisame, stood in the open with all the brazen confidence of a man who knew he had his opponent on the run.
Kakashi wasn't about to do anything of the sort, the behemoth facing him easily a match for his skills one on one and feeling very sensible hiding in the trees. What he needed was a plan, and fast. Having backtracked toward Sasuke and wishing that he'd kept his protégé closer to hand, he was surprised to find no trace of the young genin. When he'd ordered him to keep watch, he'd assumed the boy would have the good sense to stay within range, not disappear off somewhere. Cursing the impudence of his charge, he sat back on his haunches and grinned. What Kisame lacked wasn't strength, it was subtlety, something Kakashi had in abundance, at least as far as combat was concerned. He wished he could say the same about his skill with women.
Purposefully stepping on a loose twig and breaking it loudly, he left a replacement in the shadows of the tree in which he was sheltering, ready for the inevitable approach of the sword wielding maniac he was attempting to fool. It didn't take long for the undergrowth to part and Kisame's legs, broader than the trunks of the saplings which lay broken and shredded in his wake, crash through. As the shadow of his clone danced away from the determined ninja, Kakashi made his escape, leaving a set of smoke bombs in his wake to further disorient him.
The path he and Kisame had taken into the forest had taken him a good distance away from where he'd initially met the missing-nin. He counted on that distance to utilise his extra speed, every second the clone bought him giving him an advantage when it came to the expected fight against Itachi and the rescue of Hermione. Kakashi knew that he, especially in this slightly battered state after the skirmish with Kisame, would have to be fast and lethal against the Uchiha, otherwise the skilled exile would have too much for him. He couldn't rely on Sasuke, although that had been the reason he'd left him behind in the first place, knowing that the discovery of his brother would only make the bitter boy a hindrance. Only Hermione presented him with the unknown. What would she do when he arrived and how would she be able to help him extract her from the clutches of the mass murdering psychopath?
His thoughts were halted by the familiar voice of a certain bird, who was no longer anxiously tweeting but instead emitting a series of loud squeaks, his voice shrill and urgent. Kakashi took care in his approach, peering through the branches and down into the clearing he'd heard the noises coming from, ensuring that this time it would be him with the element of surprise and not the Akatsuki ninja.
What he saw, he hadn't expected in any scenario he might have dreamed up. It was bad enough that Sasuke was laid on the ground, twitching in a crumpled heap, but seeing Itachi's hands wrapped around Hermione's waist, their faces pressed together in what appeared to be a very mutually enjoyed kiss…. Now that beggared belief.
"Hermione…" he uttered under his breath, the face under the mask stricken and confused.
~oOo~
When she'd seen Itachi put Sasuke under the effects of his torture jutsu, Hermione had acted impulsively, aiming to distract him from his target in the most effective way she could think of. Knowing that it would be hopeless to try and attack Itachi in hand to hand combat and certainly not wanting to involve herself in a situation involving any sharp objects, that left her only two options. The first was to try and enter his mind and prevent the attack, which was dangerous considering his focus on his brother. She didn't know what sort of fireworks her presence in a two way jutsu would create and now wasn't the time to be experimenting. The second was certainly unconventional, but then nobody had ever accused Hermione Granger of being dull and ordinary. Not since school in any case!
The connection between Itachi and Sasuke already made, she knew that simply stepping in between them would have no effect, so she quickly moved in close to the elder brother and so as not to provoke a bad reaction, gently brushed her fingers against the outside of his left hand. Finding her presence unnoticed, at least for now, she took his other hand in hers and slowly pulled him in close, pressing her breasts into his chest and then placing his limp hands under her tunic and around her waist. Finding her skin under his hands, what remained of Itachi in his own body began to stir and she found his fingers taking a hold of her, resting loosely on her hips. The embrace secure, Hermione raised her own hands to the nape of Itachi's neck and pulled him in close, resting his face softly against the join of her neck and shoulder and playing with the tied strands of his long hair before it joined his ponytail, trying to stimulate the sensitive skin at the back of his neck.
The grip on her waist now becoming more secure as she did her work, Hermione was satisfied to note that the grip around her midriff wasn't the only thing which was becoming firmer, although the swiftly manifesting hardness pressing into the muscles of her lower stomach forced her to maintain her own concentration, Hermione keen to ensure that she didn't bring Itachi out of the spell too quickly and cause any damage to the hopeless genin in his mental grasp.
"Itachi-san", she whispered in his ear, before nibbling at his lobe and trailing her tongue around the underside, bringing forth a shiver. Good. She rubbed the skin of her cheek against the stubble of his and blew gently on the wet skin she'd left behind under his ear, only exacerbating the sensation of coldness against the heat of her face.
Hermione gasped as the effect of her attention had its first significant impact, Itachi's hands lowering to her bottom and gripping hard, lifting and pulling her into him. Their groins now rubbing together as Hermione desperately stood on the tips of her toes, she began to wonder if Itachi was back in full control of his senses or not. Pursing her lips and trying to bring her head backwards from a grasp which was becoming more and more amorous, she saw Itachi's eyes shift to meet hers with a twinkle in them. Before she could do anything else, his lips were on hers and she couldn't help but melt into his arms, the feeling of his mouth and body against hers distracting her in the same way she'd intended to do to him.
"Mmmmfffthmmffggrrr… Sasuke?" she asked him, her concern for the boy still at the forefront of her mind and trying to extract Itachi's tongue from her mouth.
"Oh don't worry about him, he'll be okay in a few days."
Hermione groaned as Itachi lifted one of her thighs up and slid one hand dangerously close to where she was increasingly wanting him to head. "No, I mean, why? What did you mean by 'not ready'?"
Itachi kissed her hard in an effort to shut her up, but Hermione was having none of it, avoiding him and narrowing her eyes in annoyance. He sighed. "Look. I can't tell you anything because its personal and between us, ok?"
It wasn't ok, but she could wait to find out. It wasn't as if Sasuke was going anywhere. Although, as she enjoyed Itachi's exploring hands on her a little too much, this time for real, she wondered why Satchimo was now twittering from the other side of the clearing and why she suddenly felt like she was being watched.
The familiar voice coming from the trees drawled mockingly. "It isn't enough to murder your entire clan, Itachi? I hope you're happy now you've finished the job."
Hermione extracted herself from Itachi, who was quickly doing the same, switching to his normal state of alertness in an instant. The speed at which he regained his composure infuriated Hermione, who was far too busy rearranging her clothes to look cool.
"Hatake Kakashi, always a pleasure", Itachi addressed the figure in the shadows.
Kakashi…" Hermione began, but he cut her off.
"We need to have a conversation, Hermione-san, but first I have to deal with this scum."
Itachi's voice came through loud and clear into her mind. "Hermione-san, I have no more power. What we experienced has left me completely drained. If I engage Kakashi, he will most likely kill me. Do you trust me?"
She wondered how the Uchiha was managing it, whether the connection they'd made earlier enabled them to share thoughts, or whether it was simply a gift they both possessed and only the use of the seal had awakened it in her. That concern was secondary to the one she now faced, however, as she saw Kakashi's pose turn from tense and angry into battle ready and cold.
"I trust you", she sent back telepathically. "However, in return for that trust I need you to give me yours, completely", she informed him, pausing for emphasis. "Do you want to live?"
She saw the smirk cross his features and a look of longing sneak through his eyes as they flickered towards Sasuke. There was way more to this guy than she'd first figured. Fine.
"Kakashi, Itachi-san", she started, stepping forward towards the tree line the Konoha ninja had now emerged from. "If you fight now I will never cross paths with either of you again."
Kakashi didn't flinch. "Looks like you hadn't planned on seeing me again, in any case."
She couldn't exactly complain about that interpretation but ploughed on regardless. "Look, there's more to this than meets the eye. Will you let me explain somewhere away from here, before Itachi's bloodthirsty partner shows up and takes you apart?"
Kakashi, to his great irritation, was taking her threat very seriously. Itachi alone was bad enough, but both Akatsuki, with a prone Sasuke and a woman with divided loyalties? Too much. "Very well", he muttered between gritted teeth, before pointing to Itachi with a kunai. "What about him?"
Hermione gave Kakashi a warm and grateful look, a look she noticed Itachi viewed with some interest, then walked to his side, conscious that there might not be a lot of time to get this resolved.
Itachi was silent for a moment, then bowed his head. "Until next time then, Hermione-san", he told her with a stare that spoke volumes, then turned to Kakashi. "I will respect Hermione's wishes on this occasion. You may leave and I will not follow. At least not immediately", he told him with a sneer, before leaping into the trees with a final glance toward Hermione, leaving her in the uncomfortable presence of her former paramour, Sasuke already mounted on his powerful shoulders and ready to leave.
"Looks like you have a lot of explaining to do", Kakashi finally said, his voice strained and his back to her, before sprinting off ahead.
Hermione waited for a second before following him, her face turned back to where Itachi had departed and a set of feelings hitting her which she didn't have the time to deal with. She tried to find his subconscious signature but failed. "You were right. Itachi-san", she said quietly. "Easy choices elude us sometimes."
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