Sorry for the years I haven't updated. I'm nearly finished with college. A recent bout with bipolar as unleashed my creativity again. This chapter isn't much, just a lot of foreshadowing. I actually wrote it a while ago, but I only now decided it was okay to release. Hope it's up to standards. I will try to release more, but in my current condition I can't promise anything. Please enjoy and R&R.

Release

Biting her lip hesitantly, Hinata raised a delicately curled fist and knocked on the door. The sound rang out lazily into the early afternoon sun. A pair of startled birds squawked loudly in a nearby tree, protective of their nest. A breeze rolled through, lifting the ends of her long hair. Her hand shook.

She knocked again with more force. This time there was no rhythm. The rustle of trees shuffling in the wind was the only reply. Maybe he's still asleep... Her knees shook as another possibility crept into her mind.

Once more, she knocked on the door. Panic pulsed in her, making her hazy. Focusing and trying to pierce a fog of confusion, she listened carefully. The inside of the apartment was mute in seclusion. Letting her quaking hands fall to her side, she leaned to peer through the nearest window. Familiar disarray met her.

Terror washed through her. "N-naruto?" She called into the abode. Silence stood sentry. But, we were supposed to... Oh no! I knew it was too good to be true! Hinata wheeled around, clasping her hands around her mouth to subdue an audible sob. As she moved to run, her foot slipped on the mat in front of the door.

She met the wooden porch with her shoulder as the doormat skidded away. The crash of her fall broke through the calm afternoon and the birds in the tree flew off. Feeling tears well in her eyes, Hinata pulled herself to her knees. I need to replace the mat... I can't let him know I was here. Another sob rose up her chest and she choked it back. Her bleary eyes scanned the porch.

And then she froze. A piece of folded paper, now slightly crumpled, had been under the mat. So... She picked it up, half afraid of what it might be. This is why it slipped? Nervously, she opened it. Naruto's wild scrawl stared back.

Hinata-

We got called on an emergency mission. Sorry about ramen this afternoon. How about when I get back?

She held the note gingerly, reading again. Sighing to herself, she let it fall into her lap. The birds from the tree were arguing loudly overhead in the blue sky. Wiping away a stray tear, she started to laugh.

Aster leaned towards Itachi and they started to chatter in front of him and just out of ear shot. Desperate, Sasuke tried to focus and guess what they were saying. A persistent itch on his neck shattered his attention. Kakashi's quiet steps echoed in his skull. His ex-sensei's scrutiny was excruciating. Dammit...

And then blissful distraction caught him. There was a sudden movement ahead and his mind honed in on it without effort. He watched with complete concentration as Sakura approached Naruto and tapped him on the shoulder. Smiles flashed between them and Sasuke wished he had kept his attention to Kakashi's overbearing suspicion.

"Naruto," Sakura's voice was gentle, careful. He turned, flashing her grin that she warily returned. Sighing they trudged in silence for a moment. Slowly her smile faded and dropped from her lips.

"Ne, Sakura... Something wrong?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice. "Oh, um." Her pause settled between them. "Naruto... I have to tell you something."

"And?" He raised a friendly eyebrow to her hesitation. "What do you have to tell me?"

Sakura shifted uncomfortably. "You were right."

He laughed and clapped his hands. "Of course I was!" And then his smile turned to confusion. "By the way, what was I right about?"

A glare wiped the humor from his face. Sakura turned her stony gaze to the path ahead. "You were right... about Sasuke. And how I feel about him."

"Oh." He exhaled the sound. "Then... I'm sorry Sakura-chan. I hope... the best, whatever that may be." The weight of a perilous journey lay like an unwanted mantle over their shoulders.

Falling to one knee, Pein bowed his head. "My apologies." His voice was steady despite the rage of the masked man before him.

"This is a time for foresight, not rash action," He did not need to yell to be frightening. "The orders you issued were rash..."

Wetting his lips, Pein replied slowly. "Then please... share with me your foresight..."

The Akatsuki cloak whipped around the other man as he paced the stone room. "We will wait for the opportune moment. There is something I want from Itachi before we dispose of him." He came to a halt with his back to Pein, facing a large, ornate hanging scroll of the Uchiha crest. "Do not share their whereabouts with the rest of Akatsuki... You will now have a chance to redeem yourself. Check on Itachi... and his wife."

Looking up, Pein made his confusion clear upon his face.

"Itachi promised us Sasuke in replacement for Kisame... I intend to make sure I get mine."

Soft green light caressed Orochimaru's ivory skin as he stood in front of the stasis tube.

"The ever invincible Uchiha Itachi... You refuse my offers, and then take the vessel that is mine." He spoke haughtily to the figure floating inside. "Now Konoha thinks they will have me in your name..." Circling the liquid-filled chamber, he continued, "It is such a shame for you to be tied to such a weak character. It makes this far too easy." The empty lab echoed his words. "I hope you enjoy the message and prize I am leaving for you."

He came to stop in front of the man suspended before him. The scar on the youth's chest reached up from the neck of his shirt, and his silver hair haloed around him. Raising an open hand, he looked over the glass once more. Smiling to himself, he bashed the tube. Glass shattered with the force, leaks sprung from all sides. He stepped back, content.

The stasis tube burst and the man inside awoke, eyes white in shock. Unable to fight, he fell to the floor in a cascade of brittle, glittering shards. The lime light flickered as the contraption faltered. Bursts of color danced on his eyelids as he choked on the foul water he'd been kept in. Rolling onto shaking knees and elbows, a fit of nausea and then vomit tearing free of his stomach brought him down again. Glass bit into his cheeks and torso and cold water splashed into his nose and over his knees.

"You can thank your sister for this." The hiss of Orochimaru's voice rang in his ears, as did his footsteps.

Pain exploded in his ribs and he cried out. Still fighting blindness, he saw white toes curled in black sandals before Orochimaru kicked his head. Then there was nothing but darkness.

From his vantage point, Pein could see and hear them without exertion. How oblivious he is... Pity twisted in his chest. It is best that he will not see this coming. Standing on his tree branch, he made to leave and report.

Wind whistled by his ear as he dodged an attack. He looked through the thicket to see Itachi. "I'm rather glad you are not as clueless as you appear..." Pein gave nothing away in his tone.

Itachi activated his sharingan. "What do you want?"

Turning slowly, the Akatsuki noted Kakashi to his left, Sasuke to his right, Naruto above him, Sakura below him, and Aster behind him. His gaze came to rest on the redhead. "Still out and about...?"

"What do you care?" Her voice was loud and abrupt to mask her escalating fear.

Gesturing upward, "Jinjuuriki are not Akatsuki's only concern..." Glancing back, he met Itachi's fully activated kekkai genkai with his own. "Right, Itachi-san?"

Both men tensed, and then there was an explosive sound in the leaves as Aster leapt at Pein. In Itachi's slow motion of the sharingan, he saw the other regard her mildly, and then step aside to avoid her fist. Before anyone else could move, Pein had embraced her. Itachi's blood boiled as he watched Aster tremble in his grip. And then before he could realize what he was doing, he was rushing towards them.

Releasing her, Pein stepped back and made to use a teleportation technique. Wild with adrenaline, Aster snarled and grabbed at him. The entire sequence was over in less than a second. Itachi landed on the tree branch as the pair disappeared at the rest of the group stared in shock.

A heavy silence held them as Itachi stared at the spot Aster had been in moments before.

"Find them-" He was surprisingly steady. "We have to find them...!"

Wind bit into Sasuke's bare shoulders. I'm alone... The thought was astounding. Kakashi had been hounding him, Sakura was always staring, Naruto's ignorance was a perverted kind of attention, Itachi and Aster seemed to be forever aware of him. Aster... The unfurling smoke as she was whisked away played on the back of his eyelids again. His stomach clenched. This disaster is the only reason I have this privilege... Sasuke stalked forward.

Naruto scanned the trees in front of him once more. Where is she? Where is she? He kept the mantra going, trying to warm the urgent chill in his chest. "Jinjuuriki are not Akatsuki's only concern..." The image of Gaara's limp body flashed across his vision. He quickened his step, shaking his head in an effort to clear it. Where is she? Where is she?

Moving quickly, Sakura kept her senses open to any sign of nearby chakra. No matter what she's done, Aster doesn't deserve this... Pity welled in her as she saw Itachi's flushed face. He loves her... This must be killing him.

Kakashi moved slowly, eyes alert for a trap. "Right, Itachi-san?" It stood out to him that Pein suddenly shifted his target away from Naruto. And inexplicably to the wife and confidant of a 'former' Akatsuki member... There is more to this than we are seeing.

The added weight of another body jerked Pein from his intended route. Only a fraction of the distance away he had desired, he and his cargo tumbled to the ground. Aster cried out as she rolled away. They stood in unison.

"You won't get away so easily!" And then she was rushing him again.

Angered, he caught her by the braid and threw her. Her body thudded against the grass and she rolled to her knees slowly.

"I see that you are quite the loose cannon..." He grimaced as she pulled herself up again. "Do yourself a favor and stay where you are. I have no desire to procure you at this stage."

"Go to hell!" Sebon flew at him. Aster made to move in again, expecting him to have dodged the attack. And then shock paralyzed her. Each one had hit its mark.

Sighing, the Akatsuki looked over his body. Wordlessly, he raised his arms and took a step forward, the needles in his joints released a sickening crack as they broke.

"W-what are you?!" Not waiting for an answer she made to run.

Faster than she could see, he moved to block her path. "Attacking me was a mistake."

Lifting one spiked arm, he moved to strike her. And then she was tumbling, rigid arms encircled her and they evaded the blow.

Sasuke knelt beside her, and pulled a radio from his shirt collar. "I found her. 4 km south west of our original location-" His transmission was cut off as Aster threw him to the ground and drew a kunai. There was clash above him and she rolled away. Pulling himself up, Sasuke was in time to see Pein stomp on her chest.

Aster's cry was strangled as she gasped for air.

"Do not presume to be able to challenge God, child."

Sasuke's sword sang as he whipped it from its sheath. His strike was swift. Before Pein could fully avoid it, he took off the Akatsuki's left pinky finger. The digit rolled to the ground without blood.

Now the rest of the group began to appear. Naruto was coming up from behind with Sakura close by. Kakashi and Itachi were running in from the left and right.

Pein sighed, looking over them lazily. "That is enough for now." With unnerving speed, he took a knee beside Aster's curled form. "Next time we meet... It will be best if you do not fight back." And then he was gone.

Aster opened her eyes to Itachi's face. His knees and arm were warm and solid against her back. Her chest ached and her breath rattled.

"Is she okay?"

Rolling her head to one side delicately, she saw Sakura sitting in front of them. "She is a little banged up, but otherwise alright."

An ache began in the base of her skull now. "Did the bastard get away?"

Itachi's sigh rumbled against her shoulder. "Yes... But we will worry about that another day."

The ache became a thrumming throb through her entire head. Even her teeth began to hurt. "My head... it hurts so much..."

"It looks like..." Sakura hesitated. "It looks like he threw you face-first by your hair..."

She groaned. "That's because he did..."

"We need to return to Konoha immediately." Kakashi's voice came to her now.

Naruto's wail of indignation followed. "But what about the mission? What about Orochimaru?"

"That will have to wait..." Aster sat up to see Sasuke holding a pinky finger with a black piercing through its center. "Pein seems to be our more immediate concern."

Sakura pointed at the severed digit as the group peered at it. "That finger you got, Sasuke, should tell us a lot about Pein."

For the first time since they'd set out, he grinned.

The white door made a soft whoosh as it swung shut. Sakura froze, surprised to see Sasuke standing in the hallway with her.

"S-sasuke-kun..." She kicked herself mentally as she heard her voice.

"Did you find out what it was?" His eyes were locked on hers, making her feel as though he'd grabbed her by the shoulders.

Sakura shook her head. "It's flesh... But we still don't know why there is a piercing through the entire finger, or why there is no blood."

He frowned, turned away, and began to pace the hallway.

"Sasuke, may I ask you something?"

His gaze settled on her. "You just did." Her mouth dropped open and she stuttered, suddenly flustered. Sighing, he grimaced. "What is it?"

Gathering herself, she contained a glare and took in his posture carefully. "Why are you suddenly so obsessed with this?"

Now he looked incredulous, and then he glared openly at her. "He attacked Aster. I want to know how to kill him."

Holding herself carefully, she approached him. "Aster attacked him... And Pein is still after Naruto. We don't know what his business is with her, but it is clearly secondary."

Finally he broke their staring contest and gave her his back. "This conversation is over. Find out what the hell it is that I chopped off that guy."

"Sasuke- wait!" To her shock, he stopped. "I don't understand... What is going on? What happened to you and Naruto? And Aster... I don't understand... And what about your brother?"

He flinched. "Don't talk about Itachi that way. Things between Naruto and myself are none of your business. As for Aster, I already told you all there is to say." And then he was off.

There was a general murmur from the throngs of people going about their errands just feet behind Hinata's back. Occasionally a shout from a merchant or rowdy child pierced through the thin curtain separating Ichiraku from the street. The bar seat was firm under her, its fabric stiff. She stared at the counter between her elbows, purposefully keeping her eyes from the chef hard at work in front of her. Nervously, she clenched her hands. Where is he?

"Hinata-cha-an!" the curtain flapped loudly as Naruto ducked into the shop. She smiled at him reservedly and he grinned back before flopping onto the seat next to her. "Sorry I'm late- How's it going?"

"I'm w-well..." She winced as he appeared immediately distracted. "A-and... And you?"

The blonde frowned thoughtfully and then shook his head. "Good enough, I guess."

Their eyes met. That's an opening... I should ask him something... I should... Hinata's mouth went dry.

"So what do you want to eat?" His attention moved to the chef. "Oi! Over here, please!"

The chef was a larger man, and he sauntered over, beaming. "Eh, Naruto! Good to see you! The usual?" Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "And for the little lady?" He added, winking.

Hinata blushed, caught off guard. "J-just," she drew in her breath carefully. "Just the shouyu ramen, please."

"Coming right up!" He thundered as he walked off.

Suddenly alone in the river of human activity around them and silent in the slosh of sounds, she turned to the blonde boy. He was staring, blue eyes wide and clear.

"You… have a beautiful voice."

The blush on her cheeks became crimson and burned. Carefully, she answered, "Thank you."

"If you don't mind… I'd like to just hear you talk." His gaze was steady, unashamed of his request and intent on his desire.

"A-bout what?" Clearing her throat, she tried again. "What would you like me to say?"

Naruto appeared confused for a moment, considering her question. "Anything. Whatever you want to say."

She frowned. "Okay…" Her fingers began to tremble; she clasped her hands on the table in front of her to still them. What do I tell him? That I waited all day for this, fretting over it? That I thought this would only happen in dreams? That I love him? Feeling her swollen tongue like cotton, she sipped her water and squirmed under Naruto's stare. Or do I talk about my day? Tell him I did nothing but mope about until this… ? What is this anyway? Could it be considered…? No! It couldn't! Oh, my God-!

"Hinata-chan, are you okay?" The blush was gone from her face, as was all other color.

"I-I'm f-fine!"

"How about…" He touched her shoulder gently, and her panic met his eyes, "How about you just tell me a story. Make something up." The smile he gave her was a lifeline.

"Okay…" She sighed. I can do that… Right? "Um… Once upon a time, there was a cat and a fish-"

"What'd they look like?!"

The interruption startled her. "They… Well, the cat was sleek, with black hair that shined silver and red in the setting sun." The conspiratorial words from her mouth surprised her, and her audience of one appeared spellbound. Heady with newfound power, she continued on. "And the fish was a beautiful golden koi. There was no other like this fish.

"One day, while the cat was roaming the woods, it came upon a crawling river. The river was a solid, glittering blue, so the cat climbed into a sturdy tree that reached over the river's edge, in order to get a better view. As it watched, the cat caught sight of something below the surface that shined even brighter.

"The unknown object continued downstream for some moments, until suddenly its progress stopped and it began to thrash wildly. Confused and intrigued, the cat watched.

"Abruptly, there much splashing and several human men rushed into the water. A net rose from beneath the glimmering water, and the gold creature that it had captured came up for air, gasping and thrashing. This is when the cat first saw the koi fish. Instantly, the cat fell in love with the fish's beauty. As the men dragged the net in, the cat dashed across the tree branch and leapt onto the opposite bank.

"Wild with rage at the men's crime against the fish, the cat yowled ferociously, scaring the humans off. Then the cat began to claw at the net, destroying it. The suffocating fish writhed and wriggled out with the help of the cat, and immediately dragged itself back to the water.

"The cat rushed to the river, anxious over the beautiful fish.

'Are you hurt? Did the humans hurt you?!' The cat cried into the river, watching for the fish.

"The fish came up to meet the cat's eyes. 'No, thanks to you, I am safe. How can I ever repay you?'

"Now that the fish was closer, the cat became further enthralled. The cat's eyes followed the smooth, glistening skin of the koi. 'Please… I will release you of any debt to me, if you grant me one request.'

'What is your request, lovely and kind cat?'

'Please… May I touch you?'

"The fish screamed. 'Touch me?! With those vicious claws that shredded the net?!'"

Naruto slammed his fist on the bar top, unsettling the man next to him. "What the hell is that fish's problem? The cat saved her life!"

"No, no Naruto! It's not like that," Hinata sighed. "The cat has sharp claws, and although the cat saved the fish, the fish is frightened of those sharp claws!"

He grumbled. "I guess that makes sense…"

"So," she resumed, "Suddenly wild with fear, the fish swam away, leaving the poor cat to pine after it.

"Every day the cat went down to the river, waiting and hoping to see the fish again. And every day, the river's beauty seemed to fade a little in comparison to the fish. Unknown to the cat, the fish also came to the same spot, hidden in lillies and watched it. They did this each day for a year.

"Finally, the anniversary of that fateful day came round. Both stayed later than usual. As the sun set, the sleek cat began to shine red. The shine became brighter and redder as the sun sank farther into the horizon. Seeing this, the fish began to panic, believing the cat to be aflame. Scared, the fish burst out of the lillies, crying out to the cat.

'Jump into the river! You are on fire,' the fish yelled. 'Save yourself!'

"The cat stepped towards the water and into the shade, breathless at how the beauty of the fish exceeded his memories. It was in this moment that the fish realized the cat was not in danger. There was a minute where they sat, looking over and enjoying the sight of each other.

'I am safe fish. As I've always made sure we both were.'

'Yes, I see that.' The fish replied.

"They continued to stare, feeling at one with another.

'Please, Fish," The act pleaded softly. 'My request still stands…'

'You are sharp, and covered in fire. I don't think I should acquiesce.'

'I beg you… I have never wanted anything as I want this.'

"Suspicious, but captivated, the fish sighed. 'Alright. But only once, and very soft and quickly.'

"Slowly, the cat reached out a single paw. Closer and closer it inched. Just before the cat's paw met the fish's scales, the fish panicked and thrashed. Surprised, the cat's claws flew out and it jumped back. There was a wild splashing, and suddenly the water was on fire. The cat rushed back to the bank's edge.

'Fish! Fish! What has happened?!'

"The fish screamed. 'You've clawed me! You've clawed me and now I shall die!'

'No! I shall save you!' The fish's blood spread through the water like a sheet billowing in a breeze, darkening before it reached out.

"Crazed with fear, the cat reached for the fish. But the dying fish thrashed more. The more the fish thrashed, the more the claws in the cat's paws shredded its delicate flesh.

'Please! Don't go!' The cat howled with misery. 'I love you! Please, stay!'

"The fish rolled onto the bank, its last breath leaving its body as it met eyes with the cat. 'Oh cat, I love you too- How I wish I could stay! What an unfortunate turn of events has befallen us!'

"The fish died in the bloody paws of the stricken cat. As the fish passed on, it took the heart of the cat. The cat lay down next to the fish and entered peacefully into the next world too."

Naruto stared in horror. "W-what… what kind of story was that?!"

"I-it," She blanched. "It was one my mother told me!"

The ramen arrived, and the chef wisely chose to move on quickly. Both shinobi stared at their bowls.

"I'm sorry if it wasn't what you expected."

The boy snorted. "Unexpected would be an understatement." He took a bite of his food. "Still, I supposed it is a lesson…" Rapidly he became bitter. "Some things just don't belong together do they?"

The meaning of his words pressed on Hinata's chest and she chewed her lip. Denials of his conclusion rolled over her tongue, but the ultimate uselessness of them led her to bite them back. In silence, they ate.

A soft touch arranged her hair over the pillow. Aster breathed gently, relaxing and savoring the tickling pull of each stand of hair he smoothed out. It was spread out like fire, and Itachi stared, his expression unreadable as he concentrated.

"Are you awake?" His question was like a velvet blanket.

Sighing heavily, she turned onto her back slowly, destroying his careful arrangement. "Yes."

"How is your body?"

Aster grimaced and rolled stiffly to her side, giving him her back. "It's fine."

"I can see by the way you move that it still hurts." He ran his knuckles down her back.

"Stop it!" She smacked his hand away, and the warmth from his healing chakra faded quickly. "I told you not to!"

Itachi frowned. "You won't bend me to your will like this." Her profile was sharp in the bright sunlight from the window as she gathered the sheets to her chest. "I'm not taking you on any more missions. And I will not leave you to be vulnerable and heal slowly."

Her heart clenched painfully and beat against her chest, as if for escape. "I'm going back out there- whether you approve or not," the words were steady and monotone. "The pain I feel now is a lesson. I should not be so foolish."

"Yes, don't be foolish. Stop this." He stood, throwing what he had left of the covers onto the bed. She stared at his body. His back was tense, each muscle was outlined and his boxers hung low.

Watching him, "Everyone gets injured sooner or later. And my injuries are infinitesimally less than they should be." Glaring, she raised her voice, "It's not like I had a brush with death-!"
"And that's why you're staying!" He whipped around to face her, his eyes dark with some dangerous emotion she couldn't at first name. Then he appeared to crack and give way under his own weight. "I can't protect you in the heat of battle… You need to stay here."

There was an echo through the room as she slapped him. Itachi froze, shocked. "You…" Now on her knees at the edge of the bed, Aster cradled his face in her hands, "You are not out there to protect me. I am not out there chasing glory or adventure like a child. We are out there to defeat Akatsuki and to protect innocent people." It was now that she realized the darkness in his eyes; fear. "I know the risks I take. Don't worry on my behalf."

He scowled at her. "How can you ask that of me?"

She pressed her lips to his, tasting his thick, sweet breath.

Pursing his lips, Sasuke pulled his head from his hands to peer up through the trees. The sun was just falling from its peak as he sat on the stone bench. His chest was tight. He blinked and a still of Aster mid-air, Pein's hand grasping her full braid, flashed across his eyelids. A shiver ran up his spine; he sank deeper into his thoughts.

The scuff of shoes brought him to suddenly. Their eyes locked and both boys became tense. Naruto held his stare, clenching his fists.

"I already spoke with Sakura." The Uchiha told him as he tore his gaze away. "She knows nothing." The bitterness in his voice wasn't lost on Naruto.

The blonde sniffed. "Well, maybe I can help her find something."

Laughing harshly, Sasuke stood to leave. "Yeah. Right. You'll find something that she hasn't."

"Shut up! This isn't some game or contest! These people are killers and I'll do anything I can do to help!"

Suddenly the Uchiha was in front of him, sharingan alight. "There isn't anything you can do-"

Naruto's fist flew towards Sasuke's face and he caught it. In response, he threw a punch as well, only to be met with the same result. Both boys stood, locked in position, glaring at each other.

Naruto stared into Sasuke's sharingan. It no longer looked like fire in his eyes like it had when they were younger. Instead he saw blood. His stomach turned and the touch of the Uchiha's skin felt like fire.

He pulled back, breaking the face off. There was another long moment as they watched each other. Sasuke held himself taut, ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

"You shouldn't have come back." Naruto's words caught him off guard.

Mouth suddenly dry, he stared, the fight shocked out of him. "I thought you wanted me back." The sentence was half mocking, and half questioning.

"I wanted a lot of things," he turned away, towards the hospital. "But you aren't one of them." With that, he dashed off.

The door of the examiner's room hit the wall with a bang, making Sakura jump to wakefulness as the door was flung open. Naruto stood in the entrance, red faced and panting.

"A-are you okay?" She asked, shocked.

"I'm fine!" His fingers clenched the wooden frame. "Let me see that finger!"

Sakura rose to try to lead him to a chair. He's shaking. Rethinking things, she stopped in front of him. "I can't just hand classified evidence over to you. You don't have clearance. And even if you did, you don't have any medical background. What would you do with that finger?"

"I'd get answers! That's what I'd do!"

"Naruto- calm down! You're acting crazy!" She made to grab him by the shoulders, but he ducked past her.

"No- it's everyone else who is acting crazy!" He shouted, scanning the room frantically as though the finger would appear in front of him.

Sakura opened her mouth to reason with him, but he cut her off.

"What was Sasuke thinking?" Naruto yelled, his voice cracking. "How could he do that?" His volume lowered with his disbelief. "How could he join Akatsuki? I thought he was my friend."

Her heart skipped a beat. She had wanted to forget the drape of the cloak over his shoulders and the way the collar framed his face. She had been trying to look past the garb they had discovered their team mate wearing. She wanted to tell herself Sasuke had returned with bare shoulders.

"Maybe… I think…" His eyes locked on hers, pleading for words that would rectify the situation. "Things must be more complicated than we realize." The excuse rolled lamely off her tongue.

Naruto's eyes lit up. "That's it…!"

"Huh?" He barreled past her as abruptly as he'd entered.

Sticky eyes opening slowly, Aster turned her head towards the light streaming through the windows as she reclined on the couch in the bare living room. Her body was stiff and sore still. Sighing deeply, she pulled herself upright. A moment of vertigo held her and she gripped the cushions. Her mouth was dry and she rubbed her eyes, trying to clear them. The muscles in her legs and arms pulled as her spine ached in protest. Determinedly and with measure, she stood.

Each step towards the kitchen was laborious, and she wondered how long she'd been out. Warm boards pressed against her toes as she stood in a patch of sunlight and took a glass from the cabinet. She filled it in the sink slowly, letting the cold seep through the cup and brush her hands. Taking a long sip, she gripped the sink for support. The cup clinked softly as she set it down and she came eye to eye with her ghostly reflection in the afternoon lit window.

"Well, you look like shit," she frowned at her double and stretched her arms. "Why don't you get some fresh air?"

Making an effort to move energetically, she left to the back porch. Her eyes didn't take notice of the small fountain, the careful path, or the green foliage. Stepping into the grass, Aster knelt and scooped some of powdery dirt into her palm, feeling it and letting fall back into the planter.

"You're thirsty too, huh?" She shook her head and gave the gray, nutrition-less soil a cursory glance. "There are just some things I can't trust Itachi with."

Catching his breath, Naruto skidded to a halt in front of the door. After a moment, he paused, feeling for chakra inside the house. He found nothing, to his surprise. Maybe the backyard? He walked to the side gate and knocked.

"Hello?! Anybody home?" He called, already fiddling for the lock.

The door opened and Aster met him, holding a watering can. "Naruto?"

Grinning, "Yep. How are you Aster?"

She eyed him warily. "I am fine, considering. Not to be rude, but is there a reason you came by? Itachi and Sasuke are both out."

His flinch and sigh of relief didn't escape her. "Good, actually. I, um, wanted to ask you some stuff… from last time…"

"Okay." The honesty visibly relaxed her and she motioned for him to come through the door. "Follow me." She sat on the porch and patted a spot next to her.

He stayed standing, pausing to catch her eyes and then hold them. "I have to know just one thing. I have a lot of questions, but only one of them really needs to be answered."

"You want to know why he joined Akatsuki?"

"H-how did you know?"

She gestured for him once more and this time he obeyed. "It was one of the first things I asked Itachi when I saw him with the cloak."

The thought had never occurred to him. He assumed Itachi to be a criminal, and Akatsuki was an organization of criminals. The affiliation was almost expected. But Aster had never seen Itachi the way he had, and now that he was beginning to know the man, he was troubled by the idea.

Pursing her lips and delicately folding her arms, she continued, "I know why my brother joined. He needed the money and thought he could provide protection for me through the organization. Things became problematic when they required him to murder me as initiation. By then, it was too late to refuse, and when he tried to fake my death, Akatsuki saw only a liability. Now he is dead."

"That's horrible." Naruto shivered.

"Sasuke joined in a similar manner. He was recruited to replace the man I killed and keep Akatsuki from taking revenge for my actions out on Itachi. Akatsuki hoped to use him to reign in Itachi. Sasuke's presence in the organization was also a distraction to keep them from hunting me. Do you understand?"

He nodded.

"Sasuke was not initiated officially into Akatsuki when you came across us. We were still trying to gain their trust, hide my presence, and quell the fall-out from the disaster at Orochimaru's hideout."

"So," Naruto breathed heavily, "Sasuke didn't join intending to hunt me for my bijuu."

Aster smiled sadly. "No, of course not. Itachi had offered to take responsibility for him in the face of Akatsuki, and he took Kisame's spot in the roster. The irony of Itachi's assignment struck us later, but there was no time to elaborate upon it. We had to stay alive before we could do anything against them."

Flashing Aster a large grin, Naruto leaned over and swept her into a hug. "Thank you for telling me this!"

She groaned as her joints protested the embrace. "You were silly to think Sasuke would have joined in order to harm you or anyone else."

"Hey," he pulled back. "Why did Itachi join?" Patiently he waited for her answer, expecting something altruistic and benign.

She clasped her hands and toyed with the ring on her finger. Both their gazes fell upon the thin silver loop that linked her to the Uchiha man until death. "I don't know."

"Huh?" His face snapped back to hers. Sorrow tightened her features.

"He hasn't told me. There is still much that we haven't been ready to share with one another."

"But-" Naruto stared at the ring again. "You guys are married… You agreed to spend the rest of your lives together! What do you mean?"

Her smile chased the shadows from her face. "Then we have plenty of time to discuss those things, don't we? I want to know why he chose that path. I want to know many, many things, just like you. But some answers are more important than others. I know he loves me, and I love him. I know he is a good man, despite whatever has happened and whatever choices he has made in the past. The other answers are just not as important."

Narrowing his eyes, he noted how she used his previous words against him. "You're a smart woman. I like you."

She laughed loudly. "You're an honest boy, Naruto. I like you too."

Please R&R! It's been a while since I touched this plot line. I would appreciate questions and comments about plot holes. All of it will get tied up, but I can't remember well since there are so many.