DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ITACHI, KISAME, DEIDARA OR ANYTHING FROM 'NARUTO'! Woe is me! I DO own OOC's though. ^_^
I should have done this like two days ago, but oh well. No use crying over spilled milk, right? :P You guys are no use for ware. ;p
Anywho!! Thanks so much for all the delicious reviews! Even you, Miko! Even though... I can't send you a message or anything. xD YOU SHOULD JOIN AND THEN REVIEW EVERY CHAPTER! XP Just kidding. Or am I? Anywho, thanks again to everyone who read and reviewed! I'd like to urge everyone reading this latest installment to review, even if you normally don't. Reviews are inspiring and help me to get the lead out! :P (aka write faster ;D )
It's getting closer...
So here it is, everyone! FEAST! ^__^
Chapter 14
5 months later
"Look after my little girl, Itachi-san, please. She needs you. She lo-- She lo--" Takao gasped, whether from pain, or what, Itachi didn't know. Seconds later, he died. Takao was laying in his bed in Itachi and Akiko's home, Itachi at his bed side, resting one hand near Takao's. Akiko was already in bed and Itachi had come to check up on Takao-sama before going to bed himself. There, the doctor spoke his last words to his son-in-law. Itachi breathed a sigh of relief that the old man's pain was finally at an end. Itachi recalled his last moments with the doctor as rain came down in sheets from the heavens. The sky was an inky black-blue with large billowing clouds.
Akiko stood beside Itachi in the pouring rain, dressed all in black, crying just as hard as the sky was, both hands balled into fists at her mouth. Every few seconds she would open her eyes to stare at the coffin of her father, the former Clan Patriarch. Raised above the hole Takao was going to be lowered in, were hundreds of flowers left by the Clan. The entire Uzumaki Clan stood behind the two Uchiha's, many of them crying themselves. Sadness consumed the day, and thunder cracked rolled through the clouds. Hesitantly, Itachi raised an arm and settled it around Akiko's shoulders in an attempt to console her.
Alarmed, she made no show of it, only leaned into Itachi, and grasped his black shirt in her fingers, burying her face in his shoulder. It muffled her anguished cries of 'father'. Itachi lowered his head, looking at the ground. His mouth frowned more than usual as the rain slid down his face, giving him the look he was crying, almost.
Akiko cried all the harder when Takao's casket began its decent into the ground. The rain bounced off the shiny wooden casket, making tiny 'tink' sounds with impact. It ran down the sides, dripping onto the ground. Unintentionally, it reminded Itachi of the day he was standing in the rain after he heard that Deidara had killed Sasuke. Kisame was nearby, and said to him that he was sorry to hear about his brother's death. That the rain running down his face made it look like he was crying. Though he made Kisame think that he wasn't, he was. A couple of tears HAD escaped, and ran down his cheeks at the same time.
Sasuke... What is it like-- where you are?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Days, weeks passed after Takao's death. As in accordance with Clan custom, 50 days was required for mourning when the patriarch died. During that month Akiko would sleep in her father's room 3-4 times a week, weeping softly, usually. Sometimes more loudly. Takao's last words to him echoed in his mind, and it would press upon him the urge to do something for her. Often, he would bring her a cup of tea, or a piece of fruit from the pantry. They were the only things he could think of, but they seemed to help her in her grieving process. Though these days he was busy attending to Clan duties as the leader now so it was usually 5 days to a week before he made such a gesture.
When the 50 days of mourning was over, Akiko put back on her normal clothes, took the frown from her face, and faced the world bravely. Akiko knew that no matter how long the grieving period was, she would always miss her father.
Even in her grief, Itachi still remained on his side of the bed, never going to bed with no less on than a pair of shorts. Inwardly, Akiko was ready to put her hands all over Itachi, to feel his powerful muscles, his warm flesh, his sweet-smelling hair. As much as to comfort him as for herself. She thought that the interaction would be good for both of them, but Akiko didn't want to force herself on him. At this stage, those kinds of actions could make him reject her for all time, and that was the last thing she wanted. When he is ready.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Are you sure it is Uchiha Itachi, from the Land of Fire?" A deep, grated voice spoke.
"Yes. I am positive. There IS no mistaking him." A different voice, young and strong. Full of venom.
"Heh. You are confidant. Very well."
"Do you have a plan, Sensei?" Another voice, lower, and nasally.
"Not yet, but soon. Go tell the others to prepare themselves, Kenta. Mugen, tell me everything about Uchiha Itachi you know. Does he have any relations? Any children, or a wife, perhaps?"
Eaten away by bitterness, Mugen harbored an especially strong grudge towards Akiko. He wanted her, more than anything, to regret her decision in not choosing him as her husband. A smile slowly crept over his face, a deadly gleam in his eyes.
"Yes, actually, he does have a wife. Her name is Uchiha Akiko."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
One day, after their 1 year anniversary, Akiko was out picking medicinal plants. As was her usual, she walked around 5 miles from the village in order not to deplete all the good plants in one area. She had just picked a particularly large bunch of peppermint when she saw a glint, or something, from the corner of her eye. Akiko looked up. There it was again, just ahead on the other side of a small clearing, she saw a bright glint, which was probably the sun reflecting off a shiny surface. Curious, she went to investigate.
When she got to the spot where she thought she saw it, there was nothing there.
"That's weird; I thought for sure I saw something. Hm. My mind must be playing tricks on me, haha." She said aloud. Just as she finished speaking, she saw an odd cluster of plants. They were partially hidden by a large root of a tree.
"What a peculiar place for that to grow." She commented, walking over to it.
Behind the tree, which was in front of Akiko, a large shadow moved. Quickly. With purpose. Akiko didn't notice, for this part of the tree grove was nearly completely shadowed. A black shadowed of a face peered out through the lower branches of the tree, watching Akiko. As Akiko bent over to pick up the odd plant, the face went into action.
The bedimmed figure shoved a hood over Akiko's head, putting one arm around her throat. Akiko's scream was stifled, and suddenly everything went black. The shadowy figure had taken a rock and hit Akiko on the back of the head, completely knocking her out. The air in her lungs escaped in a whoosh. She made a thud as she hit the ground, her head smacking against the upraised tree root, blood spraying from her mouth, soaking through the cloth. Some of it smeared onto the root.
The cloaked figure stood over Akiko, looking down at her, brandishing the rock in case she wasn't out. When she didn't move after several moments, the dark form tossed the rock away, and turned towards the side of the tree he had been hiding.
"Heheheheh, too easy." He chuckled, looking back down at Akiko's silent form. Looking towards the space behind the tree again, the attacker raised their voice, "Alright, guys, I got her!"
Three more cloaked figures leap from the darkness to land beside the first. They shared a chuckle over the unconscious form of the girl, then moved her to a secluded location, tying and gagging her.
"Now to set the other trap!" One of the new figures said, taking pleasure in the notion. "Heheheheheh!" They laughed together, and after that set to work.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The sun was already beginning to go down in the distance when Itachi arrived back home from a day of work. The house was abnormally quiet. He looked around the foyer, listening. Nothing. Itachi walked to the hallway entrance, looking around.
"Akiko-san?" He called, walking down the hall and checking in rooms.
The former Akatsuki walked to the kitchen. It was empty. "Akiko-san, where are you?" He called out loudly. No one answered. "Hmm. This is... weird."
Itachi walked all throughout the house, calling to his wife, but she didn't answer. On instinct, he began to feel suspicious that something was going on, but seconds later rejected this line of thought.
Calm down Itachi, there is no reason for you to get upset… yet. We'll just keep looking for her in the house a little more, then check the village. There is NO reason to become suspicious of anything; I'm far away from anyone who would know about my past. He told himself to keep his thoughts under control.
The Uchiha went over the whole house again, checking things carefully, making sure not to miss any details that might be helpful. He picked up one foot and noticed a fine collection of dirt on the bottom. Akiko usually swept the floor a couple hours after lunch time.
"Hmmm." He tapped his chin lightly.
In the kitchen, Itachi surveyed the cabinets and cupboards. The spice rack was awfully low. Ah-ha! That must be it. She went out gathering medicinal plants, probably right after lunch before she could get to the sweeping. But wait… Something wasn't right here. Even if she had left directly after eating, she would have been back by now.
Realization dawned on Itachi. "She must have gotten lost. Or she just sat down for a rest and fell asleep. If she's lost, then I should go and find her." He said to himself, then grabbed his outdoor coat and went back outside.
After asking around the village, he found out the general direction that his wife had taken in her search for herbs and other plants. Carefully studying the area to the entrance of the forest, Itachi was able to pick up her trail. It wandered seemingly hilly-nilly, but it was obviously the way she had to go to pick plants, which don't grow in straight lines. Naturally.
The sun was completely below the horizon by the time Itachi had been searching for an hour and a half, so he took a branch from a tree and used a small fire jutsu to light it. He used this to continue his search for Akiko.
At last, Itachi reached the place where Akiko had walked through the small clearing between the trees. Itachi walked through the clearing, following his wife's' path as closely as he could. When he reached the spot where her trailed end, he looked up the tree, thinking she may have climbed up to sleep in the branches.
"Akiko-san! Are you up there?" He called up the tree, cupping one hand around his mouth.
No answer.
"Akiko-san, it's me, Itachi!" He called again, this time a little louder.
From directly behind Uchiha Itachi a rock the size of a large apple flew with precision and accuracy at the back of Itachi's head. A split second before impact, Itachi spied something red on one of the trees upraised roots.
TA-DAAA! What'dya think?! Suspenseful, neh? :P
If you loved/liked this chapter, review it, please! Review = -HEART-! :D