I wanted to add a bit of background information so this is mainly about Hayato's relationships with Itachi, Aiko, and Kiyoko. This idea has been plaguing my mind for a long time so I decided to put it in. I've also thrown in a twist or two to make the story interesting. I hope this chapter is okay.

Past Pain

A dripping wet figure enters his apartment. Hayato shakes his head and droplets of water fly everywhere. 'As if dinner wasn't bad enough, I had to get rained on as well,' he thinks to himself as he observes the living room. It's empty.

He closes the door to find a note stuck to it. The brunette picks it off the wood and reads it as he makes his way to his room to change into dry clothes.

"We went to the library. Itachi wants to see if he can dig up anything to help his case," Hayato reads blankly. Under his breath, he murmurs sarcastically "Right. That's what they're doing."

After he's finished, Hayato throws the paper away and goes back to the living room. Noticing the scroll Itachi wrote on, he picks it up and scans what it written. Placing it back on the table, Hayato sits in silence.

Being alone reminds him of the years after Itachi left, the years of increasing loneliness.

I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house
That don't bother me
I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out
I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok
But that's not what gets me

Hayato listens to the rain hitting the roof. The patter of raindrops echoes through the empty house. It's a constant remainder of all the times he sat alone.

Before he has a chance to think about the past, Hayato grabs a book off the table. Although he prefers to not read, the ANBU member will do anything to prevent the pain of the past.

Unfortunately, the book came from the same pile Itachi had been looking through. The book Hayato's reading is about the Uchiha clan. Realizing this, he wants to put the book down, but something stops him and he continues to read instead.

What hurts the most
Was being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was tryin' to do

After flipping the pages a few times, a picture of the Sharingan greets the brunette's eyes. He freezes at the sight. Slowly, his mind transforms it into the Mangekyou Sharingan and he immediately snaps the book closed.

Hayato always thought he was extremely close to the eldest Uchiha during their youth. Closer than Itachi ever wanted. This thought was proved wrong the day Itachi left the village.

Hayato had heard rumors about the massacre of the Uchiha clan and went to investigate. Blood covered corpses scattered the compound and weapons were everywhere. The sight of his friend's butchered family angered him and he pursued the murderer who was only a few miles outside Konoha when he found him. When he discovered Itachi in a clearing, he was surprised. He can remember their confrontation as if it was yesterday…

Flashback

"You're after the assassin too, huh?" Hayato called seeing his friend a few feet in front of him. Itachi's back is to him as he continues to walk.

Frustrated by Itachi ignoring him, Hayato runs after him. He stands before the Uchiha who stares at him impassively.

"What's wrong with you?! Why won't you talk to me?" Hayato was used to Itachi being silent, but the two had gotten to the point where the Uchiha would always make some remark when Hayato said something.

Itachi remains silent as he activates his Sharingan. The blood red eyes trigger something in Hayato's mind and the teen backs away. They're colder than usual and full of loathing.

"You're the one…" Hayato says quietly with wide eyes.

Hayato's shock leaves him open to attack which is a fatal mistake when battling any Uchiha, especially Itachi. The prodigy fought mercilessly and all Hayato could do was dodge.

It didn't take long until Hayato was lying on the ground, seriously wounded and Itachi was walking away. Seeing his friend turned enemy leaving him, Hayato is filled with rage and struggles to stand.

"I'm not letting you leave…" Hayato calls as he forces himself to rush at Itachi.

He throws a smoke bomb and then shuriken into the smoke. He hears them imbed into trees and knows they missed. Hayato tries to see through the smoke, but he can't make out anything.

A powerful chakra appears behind him and Hayato spins around to defend himself. He makes the mistake of looking into the other's eyes and is met with an unfamiliar sharingan. It's shaped like a kaleidoscope.

Before he can react, Hayato finds himself trapped in a red and black world. An eternity of torture passes and Hayato is finally released. He doesn't know it though. The Tsukuyomi has sent him into unconsciousness where he's plagued by nightmares of what occurred.

End Flashback

Hayato comes out of his thoughts by pain to one of his fingers. His thoughts had disturbed him so much that he had bitten finger by accident.

Releasing a sigh, Hayato picks up a different book. This one involves his old team. A small smile graces his features momentarily before he remembers how upset they were after his encounter with Itachi.

Since the Uchiha hadn't had much practice with the Tsukuyomi and had already used it on Sasuke, Hayato had woken up on his own the next day in the hospital. His sensei and Kiyoko were at his bedside.


It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go
But I'm doin' It
It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone
Still Harder
Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret
But I know if I could do it over
I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart
That I left unspoken

Many people came to visit him during his time in the hospital. It hurt every time he saw their faces. They saw him as a fool for going up against the more powerful Uchiha. They often questioned why he did it and he'd reply that Itachi was his friend and he wouldn't let him leave. While some refused to touch on the topic, most would argue that the so called friend nearly killed him.

That point infected his mind during the remainder of his hospital stay and for years after. Hayato knew that he wasn't Itachi's best friend. He'd often seen him with Uchiha Shisui and knew Itachi saw him as an older brother. Although Hayato wasn't Itachi's best friend, Itachi was Hayato's and his behavior towards him would never be forgotten. Even now, the brunette isn't sure why he remained so loyal to him. He didn't take his position as ANBU captain and he acted so kindly when the sharingan user returned. He's even helping him in the upcoming trial.

The eldest Uchiha had put him through a lot. He inflicted injuries that made it difficult for Hayato to get up in the morning and get dressed. Everything was painful and the pain was a constant reminder of what Itachi had done.

The door to the apartment opens and Hayato looks up from the book about his teammates. The person he was just thinking about has entered with Hana and the Haimaru Triplets close behind.

The ANBU member gives a false smile like he's done so many times before. After Itachi's betrayal and the deaths of Aiko and Kiyoko, he would give the same smile to friends he encountered. He was alone and they felt sorry for him. That smile, no matter how fake it was, seemed to let everyone know he was okay, which was usually a lie.

Hayato had so many regrets. He regrets fighting Itachi instead of using words to convince him because then he might not have suffered so much pain and back-up might have come to his aid. He regrets watching his baby sister walk away to meet her team for her mission, the one she never returned alive from. He wishes he appreciated her more and told her how much he cared about her more often. Now that Aiko's gone, he'll never know how bright her future would've been. And Kiyoko…

What hurts the most
Is being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do

Itachi and Hana sit on the couch beside Hayato as he opens to a page about his and Itachi's deceased teammate. There's a picture of her with her shoulder length brown hair pulled back into a high ponytail. A few strands of hair frame her face which has a broad smile on it.

Kiyoko's smile had always been infectious, just like her personality. It's probably how Hayato acquired the same feature. Whenever he smiled, everyone else seemed to cheer up and feel happy. When he frowns, people recognize something's wrong and their moods become gloomy.

Hayato loved Kiyoko like an older sister. They had a unique relationship and strong bond.

What hurts the most
Is being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do

"So how was your date?" Hana asks. Although he's not paying much attention, Hayato can still catch the discontent in her voice.

"It wasn't the most pleasant experience," Hayato admits quietly. "Dinner was boring and we don't really have anything in common."

Hana and Itachi are surprised that he doesn't deny that he went on a date. They see it as a warning and observe him carefully. After a while, Itachi watches as a satisfied grin comes across Hana's face. Hayato's statement has given her hope that she can still get him and Sorami together.

"If you really think about it, there's no way going on a date to begin with made any sense for multiple reasons," the brunette adds, once again getting the attention of the other two. He laughs lightly as he says "I met her in a tea shop. I don't even like tea and she works there."

His soft chuckle makes Hana's smile increase. "There're other reasons, but the most important one is this…"

The silence that follows Hayato's statement makes even Itachi show his curiosity. He watches as Hayato reaches out for a picture on the table beside him. The brunette stares momentarily at the picture of his little sister before placing it on the book so he can see both Aiko and Kiyoko. Again he stares intently at the photos.

"My strongest bonds with women were with my own sister and Kiyoko. Now that they're gone, those bonds are broken and they can't be replaced. No matter how hard I try, no one will fill that void."

Itachi's expression shows understanding, but also a hint of confusion at where this conversation is going. Meanwhile, Hana grows increasingly worried with each word.

"So what are you saying?" the Inuzuka asks nervously.

Hayato carefully places his picture of Aiko back on the table then closes the book gently before putting in with the other books. He stands and faces Hana.

"Aiko and Kiyoko's deaths have damaged my behavior around women. It's not possible for me to get close to them. I'm saying, what's the point of trying to find someone? No one will ever become as close to me as those I've lost so why waste my time on dates," Hayato explains before walking out of the room.

Not seeing that loving you
That's what I was trying to do

Hayato goes to his room and sits on his bed. He picks up the photo of his old team from his nightstand. Like always, Itachi's expression is impassive even with his teammates' antics. Kiyoko has Hayato in a headlock and Hayato doesn't look pleased. He's clearly struggling and attempting to glare at the grinning girl. Behind the three is their sensei.

Kiyoko acted like a big sister to both Hayato and Itachi. She would often tease them, but she made it clear that she cared for them both. Treating their injuries after training or during a mission even though she wasn't a medic nin was one of the ways she showed how much she cared. Also whenever the two got into fights and their sensei wasn't around, Kiyoko would end up breaking it up.

Hayato laughs and addresses the picture of Kiyoko as if she could hear him. "If only you were here. You'd be surprised that Itachi and I still get into stupid fights. Usually, he has Hana on his side though."

Hayato sees another picture from the corner of his eye. He looks up to discover it's the one with him, Itachi, Sorami, and Hana from their day together. His gaze fixes itself on a specific person with black hair and blue eyes.

"I wish you were here, Kiyoko. Then you could tell me what this feeling is…"

Hana stares at the space where Hayato was previously standing. Her plans are falling apart in front of her very eyes. Seeing her expression, Itachi gently grabs her chin and turns her face towards him. He's known her scheme for a while now and knows what's troubling her.

"He's an idiot," the Uchiha says blankly. "Give him a few days then continue on pushing him towards Sorami as normal. He'll open his eyes eventually."

Hana sighs and turns her face away. She closes her eyes then leans against her companion. "How can you be so sure?"

Itachi smirks and tilts her head to look at him again. "Do you really want to know?"

The Inuzuka gives a nod so the sharingan user replies "After years of denial, we're together. Hayato isn't like us. He'll realize how foolish he's being and figure out his feelings much sooner."

Hana smiles at Itachi's reassurance and gives him a quick kiss on the forehead before lying with her head in his lap. Itachi bends down to capture Hana's lips in a gentle kiss. Hana laughs against his mouth when her dogs start to whimper. She breaks the kiss and sits up. She gives the disappointed Uchiha a peck on the cheek before giving the Haimaru Triplets some attention.

So, what did you think? I wanted to put in some complications which I think I've succeeded in doing in the last two chapters. Oh, the song I used was What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts.