A/N: Skip until the next horizontal line after this note for scene separation if you feel uncomfortable reading a sex scene. I'm trying my best to show the inner conflict between love and hate, doubt and trust. I did my best to word it nicely, but it is still explicit in context - a rape scene. This is where rating matters. You've been warned.

Chapter 37 - Courage to Grow Up

It was late at night. There was a little light in the bedroom. The dimness was kept as though for the convenience of secrecy. Yuna could hear a quiet whistling sound within reach. When she looked down, she found an infant sleeping in her arms. In this strange room, this baby was the only thing that seemed familiar. That was odd. She had never met him before.

The boy's breathing was quickening. He started to push away, pushing away the monster in his dream. Yuna hummed a doleful lullaby in her sweetest voice as she rocked him gently. With a forced smile, she was mumbling something, but she could not hear herself. Somehow it was all natural. She felt it was normal for her to look after this baby. When the child woke up from his nightmare, Yuna met a pair of dark green orbs that reflected her own. She brought up a smile, and his tiny hands reached out and called out to her. He smiled back. His nightmare was forgotten the moment he found comfort in her smile.

When the baby fell back to sleep, Yuna put him in a wooden crib carefully. Her tears were dropping against her will. She continued to hold that rigid, pitiful curve by her lips, holding onto a smile at all costs. She didn't want the baby to see her looking sad. She didn't want him to feel it. She wanted him to be happy. She wanted him to be safe. Be strong. Quickly, the boy was entering a deep sleep. He sucked his thumb and curled into a comforting embrace in his slumber.

Yuna walked away. She sat in front of the vanity desk. She took a piece of tissue into her hand to dry her tears. When she looked up to the mirror, then she remembered. She was dreaming. She was not herself. She was, but she was not. She was her older self. This is a dream. She had to keep reminding herself to stay level-headed. Taking another piece of tissue, she cleared her nose under her breath, afraid to alert the baby in his sleep. She tossed the used, scrubbed paper wipes into the bin.

Yuna looked into the mirror again and there she found herself. Helpless. She wasn't sure what was happening. Time felt as though it was fluctuating. Her mind was drifting. She didn't feel like herself anymore. She was becoming what she was seeing through these more experienced eyes. It was baffling, incongruous to tell her dream and reality apart.

Her hands were shaking. Wrapping around her neck for self-comfort, the initial confusion was replaced by a pending distress. It kept building up within her. When she looked up again, she saw a man. She knew that face. The ageing had left marks on him as much as time had on her. He grew up to be a fine-looking man. Unlike his younger self, he wore no cheerfulness in his stern features. His red gaze stared straight into the mirror from behind. He was looking at her through the reflecting surface, seemingly thinking about the troubles on his mind. He didn't move. He was waiting for her. For that, he couldn't have changed too much. Yuna did, however, recognise the unease within him. His meticulous and mysterious character matured, and he became cold. He wore no expression, but she understood him. She saw it.

Itachi might stand tall, but he was feeling hopeless behind the mask he wore. Vulnerable. He had no one to give him the help he needed; there was no one who could truly give him salvation. He chose to hide all that under his cruel, blazing gaze with an aloof attitude that was forged by misfortunate.

"Can you do it?" Itachi asked in a quiet voice, sounding weak and frail. Not calm. He may appear to be calm, but he was far from calm. He knew what he was asking.

He was asking for a miracle.

"To apply fission on another? On a baby?" Yuna asked rhetorically and feebly.

Yuna could make a fission of herself using the inborn ability that was passed down to each generation of Asuka descendants. As far as she knew, no one had succeeded in the last few centuries for the caster to use the technique on another being, so it would be even more impossible to have it applied on an infant with a barely developed chakra pathway.

"Do you think I haven't tried everything?" Yuna asked with a miffed undertone.

"What is required to make it work?" Itachi asked, walking closer.

"A bijū worth of chakra," Yuna muttered in a gasp, looking away from the mirror, away from him.

Yuna knew he was walking towards her. He stopped right behind her. Putting his hands on her shoulders, Itachi was trying to show her as much support as he could. They only had each other in this, and they must go on until the prophesied boys who were left behind would grow up in time.

"That's no use," Itachi concluded with a deep sigh.

"There's no way out, is there?" Yuna asked herself, moaning at the injustice that came with the baby's birth. Her tears were falling again. "I-I just want him to live. What is so difficult about that? Why can't Hikaru live his life like a normal child? What did he do to deserve any of... this?"

"Neither of us were ever normal." Itachi thought back to their childhood. He wondered for a moment before chuckling sourly. "What is normal?"

"Living."

Not for a second did doubt enter her mind when Yuna gave the response.

Itachi was stunned by her simple answer. At that moment, he made another life-changing decision.

"I'm n-not a-asking too much, am-am I? I on-only ask for his survival. That's n-not a lot, i-is…?" Yuna couldn't even stutter. She could feel his arms wrapping around her wrist protectively. His touch made her shiver in anticipation. She swivelled her head to the side and he initiated a light kiss on the lips.

Yuna turned to face him. In a slow motion, Itachi bent toward her. She closed her eyes as he caressed her mouth with his own. He drew her in with a raspy groan. With a fierce hold, he cupped her head in his palm, pulled her close, and deepened the kiss. His fingers twined in her loosely tied blue hair, and he was getting more and more possessive touching her.

Yuna was shocked when they broke out for air. Itachi was planning something, and something she certainly would come to regret. She forcefully pushed him away, but he only gripped her arms and hoisted her up to stand against the nearest wall. He looked straight at her.

There was no regret.

"Make love to me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I know what you're going to do."

"What am I going to do?"

"You're going to sacrifice yourself to save Hikaru."

Yuna shook her head. She was reacting to his every touch despite her trying not to. She was feeling things that she didn't mean to feel. Her body was responding to every little thing her mind didn't want it to. She was frightened and started to tremble involuntarily.

"The decision is on me. I am more than willing to do my part."

What Itachi was doing reminded her of what happened the night when it all began. But this was different. This time round, they knew exactly what was coming next. She would choose her family over the world's salvation; he would pay the price to keep their child and her safe, and saving the world.

They were in no position to be selfish. Both Itachi and Yuna were in their own way. He would gladly be the sacrifice for a better world because then his beloved ones could have a future. She would rather have him stay by her side till the very end. The world's end.

She felt betrayed. She was betrayed by her body. She was betrayed by his promises.

She was betrayed by him. Him… the man she trusted with her life, the man she gave her everything to –

The man she loved with all her heart.

And he betrayed her.

"How selfish are you, Itachi?"

"How am I selfish?"

"Just… no."

Before Yuna could resist any further, she was paralysed, trapped in a genjutsu. She didn't have a chance to break away from his hold. She couldn't concentrate enough to make a hand sign. She couldn't even attempt to dispel the delusional senses he cast on her that were messing with her judgement. She didn't know when it happened, but he had untied the single knot at her waist. She was no longer wearing that semitransparent piece of base kimono. She was naked. That puce-coloured nightgown was left on the vanity chair and she was carried to the bed in his arms.

Itachi flickered his tongue on her earlobe. His fingers became restless over her body. With his hot breath exhaling by her ear, the tingling sensation was confusing his demand for loving.

He was making love to her because he loved her. She did not want him to touch her because she loved him. He did not care for her protest because he would do anything to love her. She did not want him to choose death as his resolution because she loved him.

Even if she was only part of it, she didn't want it.

She wanted him to live, because she loved him.

"You promised you will not die on me," Yuna begged. She could only hope he would change his mind.

"I won't," Itachi stopped and answered. "I'll make sure you won't be there."

Yuna was using the tiniest power of resistance that was left in her to keep her legs closed, but he shoved his hand between her thighs and spread them open.

"What difference is there between what you are doing and what he tried to do to me?" Yuna asked as she bit her lip. Her bitter tears dropped for one last time. She knew her body was in his control. She had lost. She had lost a battle between mind and body. Her tears would not change his mind. She wished he would come to his senses and stop forcing on her.

She felt horrible. To him, she was just the mother of his son. She was being used like a tool – no, her body was the tool. A tool to express his anger, a tool to take out his frustration, and a tool to satisfy his need.

She should know better that wasn't all, yet she couldn't help but to feel that way. He was forcing himself on her. She was a helpless woman. An object of his possession. The respect he once had for her was no more. He only knew he loved her. He would do anything that he thought was the best for her.

Itachi nipped his way down and his mouth zeroed in by her mound, taking her in, and he bit her upon hearing the ash-haired man's name. Resentment washed over Itachi for a brief moment.

"Don't compare us!" Itachi groaned.

He continued as he moved to her collarbone, and he buried his head into to the nape of her neck. Her scattering blue hair intertwined with the fringe of his long, black hair. She failed to pull away from him. Every kiss from then on, he bit lightly into her flesh. He didn't care. He was physically expressing his frustration of their situation on her body.

"I have made these decisions because I love you. I am happy to die for you. For Hikaru, for Sasuke, for Hitomi, for Konoha. For you! I always have, and I always will."

Although he was giving her so much pain, it was sweet.

Illicitly sweet.

"Don't you know, Yuna?"

"I know."

With his every touch, the two clashing emotions tormented her soul. His touch was most loving, and she was giving into the fire that burned on lust. Itachi was pleasuring her all over before he would take her hard and penetrate her senseless.

He was indefinitely gentle.

"Itachi… don't…" Yuna withered. Surrendered. Pleasure was like a current of electricity running through her body. Her senses were eroding in his physical love, but she was hurt. She was very hurt. He abused her trust. It stabbed her in the core. Her lips parted in horror and he took advantage of the gesture. He pushed her chin up, took her mouth, and forced another kiss on her. The taste of his saliva was honey to the body and poison to the mind. "Stop… please…"

He was indefinitely brutal.

She could only lay there and do nothing. She could speak in between her hiccups and stuttering. He wouldn't listen. He wouldn't stop. She was trapped in his genjutsu. He was taking her against her will.

Because he loved her.

And she knew it.

It must be around half past four or so in the early morning, Itachi thought. Grabbing tightly onto his duvet cover to fight the chill, he woke up to birds morning chit chat. The sky was still dark. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see the ceiling above. He heard the noise of wings flapping and clapping. That's odd. Itachi could swear he saw it was shiny for a moment. He took his hand out of the duvet to give his eyes a rub. The coldness caught onto his skin as the birds flew away. His eyelids dropped close again, but he couldn't get back to sleep. Something was unusual in the atmosphere, he concluded. There was this chill. Yesterday was hot and it was unnatural that the living room had become cold overnight.

After a good minute, Itachi decided to get up. His eyes were half-closed as he was finding it difficult to have them wide opened. For the sake of the others in the room too, he must find out why it had suddenly become this cold… and his bed set just had to be so warm and inviting!

He managed to get out. When he was searching for the source of this abnormal coldness, he folded his arms and was holding the edges of his t-shirt. He walked to where the two toddlers were sleeping. Sasuke sneezed, coughed and wiped his nose with his hand. He was fast asleep. Naruto had his duvet cover kicked open. They didn't wake up. Itachi quickly tugged them warm before going back to his futon. He took his own duvet out and covered it over the two toddlers. With the extra layer, Naruto and Sasuke stopped shivering.

When Itachi walked to check if his little cousin was warm enough, he found Toshiro's futon was strangely stuffed. Itachi uncovered the top of the duvet to see. He found the extra duvets which were rolled up and used to make a dividing line in the pillow fight on Toshiro. The little guy had his head out of the bed set, looking like a bloated dummy with a disproportional body. No wonder Toshiro was sleeping far too happily with a smile on his face. He was warm while others were not. He noticed about the coldness. He didn't say a thing. He must have gotten himself sorted and off he went back to bed.

Itachi kneeled right before his sleeping cousin. He couldn't believe how selfish Toshiro was. He just knew Toshiro was awake and only pretended to be sleeping by now. The unnatural head movement to subtly turn to the wall gave him away. Toshiro was trying to avoid confrontation with Itachi. He just knew his older cousin was going to tell him off for not saying a word about his discovery.

"Cosy, are you?" Itachi asked. His teeth were chattering as he sniffed his nose. The coldness was starting to really get to Itachi.

Itachi-niisan sounds pissed off, Toshiro thought. The lack of sleep maybe. Or the cold. Toshiro reluctantly turned back to face Itachi.

"What are you doing, niisan?" Toshiro asked. He thought he had done his bit for being respectful. His eyes were closed. At least he was facing Itachi when they talked.

"When did this room become freezing cold?" Itachi got right to the point without beating the bushes. He was worried they would get hypothermia at this rate. With his eyes opening up, Itachi saw what were those shiny gleams all around were. Tiny ice particles covered the walls like death welcoming wallpapers. The room was so cold that the water vapour in the atmosphere was crystallising.

"How do I know?" Toshiro blurted out weakly, making a blameless face. When he had got out bed to layer up his duvet cover, it had not been as cold as it was then. Still, Toshiro was well prepared. He was warm. He had also infused a layer of his chakra on top to block out the cold.

Itachi stared at Toshiro with a single eyebrow lifted, and asked in a mildly grudging voice. "You know you need to keep warm and you didn't check what's making it so cold, smarty pants?"

"It's not like I don't know," Toshiro defended his case.

It was a few years back and Toshiro was quite young when it had happened, but he remembered how he was nearly killed by accident in their first meeting. He had been scared of her for a long time before gradually warming up to her personality. "To attempt is to greet death before my time. I am smarter than that." Toshiro knew the value of life. Too expensive to be played around with.

"How?"

Itachi did not understand.

Toshiro activated his Sharingan and stared past Itachi. At the other side of the room, Yuna slept away from the boys. An ice dome was forming around where she was sleeping. She whimpered quietly. They couldn't make out what she was saying.

"It's really no mystery. Who in the whole of Konoha has the ability to freeze?" Toshiro was getting impatient with his genius of a cousin at how could he be so dumb sometimes. "And she is right there."

Before Toshiro finished speaking, Itachi was making his way to Yuna. Itachi understood what Toshiro meant. Yuna could get very defensive. She must be in a horrible nightmare and she couldn't get out. It might be a piece of her memory, or it might be a foreseeing dream. Either way, he should not peek into what she was seeing. It did not end well last time. He had to wipe away his own memory as well hers.

"Do you mind to share some duvets with the boys?" Itachi asked nicely as he prepared to defrost the living room.

Itachi put his hands on the tatami floor and melted the ice all around the living room. Only the ice dome remained. Toshiro got out. As quickly as possible, he donated his duvets before running back to his own futon. He could feel the room slowly warming up.

The moment Itachi tried to lift his hands, he felt numb. He began with moving his fingers in small motions, his hands then his arms entirely. The spasm spread through his arms. He gave his hands a rub to warm up. Itachi reached out to the crystal hemisphere. He used a significant portion of his chakra reserve. He didn't expect it to be this taxing.

He could feel the cold in the ice getting stronger, resisting all outer influence. Yuna was feeling numb. Her ice had always been hard to melt, but it was never this cold. He felt numb too, and not just physically. The coldness was travelling to his heart. The closer he got to her, the stronger he could feel her feelings through the heartlessness feeding on the ice. She was hurt. She couldn't help herself but to get defensive, and she wasn't aware what she was doing in her sleep.

She was scared.

Itachi turned his head to check on the other three. He saw two extra layers covering up the two toddlers. With his Sharingan activated, Itachi could see Toshiro's chakra protecting the little brothers. There was still a chill lingering in the air. It was not going to go away unless she woke up and consciously control her own doing. Itachi found Toshiro back in his futon with his eyes closed, ready to enter sleep again.

"Thanks, Toshiro."

"Don't worrrrrrrrry 'bout iiiit. Make sure Yuna-neeesan w-won't overreact." Toshiro turned his side to face the wall again. "Ta-takes lot outta you. Dun th-ink you can dowit again." Toshiro was surprised and slightly alert because he knew Itachi was stronger than Yuna. He was too sleepy to think. Toshiro fell asleep shortly after he slurred through what he was saying. The surrounding was getting back to room temperature progressively.

Ignorance is bliss.

Just like little Toshiro, he didn't need to know why Yuna was doing that. She wasn't able to control herself. He didn't need to know Itachi was fatigued after melting the ice. There was no point to worry his little cousin; Toshiro should get some sleep. He deserved it especially after taking good care of Naruto and Sasuke.

Itachi was about to shake Yuna's shoulders to wake her up. He stopped. He suddenly found himself pondering those words that had been written on his hands two years ago. He couldn't remember what he saw, but he knew the severity of those words. He had recognised it must be his own handwriting in his palm, had it memorised, and rubbed away the ink. It had been written on his hand on the night he had spent crying in the hospital. He remembered his skin had been dry and stinging around the tear traces. He couldn't have been crying because Yuna was in danger. She was safe after the Water's retreat. She had been taken through to the casualty department and had the seal stabilised after. It must have been what he saw in her dream, and he could not remember a thing about the dream he saw. It wasn't just any dream. So he gathered, it must have been one hell of a nightmare. It was likely to be a foreseeing dream, and that was what scared him the most.

Itachi was very tempted to see what she dreamed about and caused her subconscious to react violently. He decided not to. He had learned his lesson.

Putting his hand on her bare arm just below the sleeve of her loose t-shirt, Itachi shook her. Yuna sprung up to sitting. Her eyes were stock-still as if someone was coming to stab her. What she saw, no one else saw. Her eyes was becoming watery. She looked as though she was in pain. She was sweating. Her natural body was below average, but she was getting too cold to be a living human being.

Yuna clasped around her abdominal area. Her eyelids pulled down and tears fell with the drawing motion. Then she was quivering in her own embrace, and all Itachi heard was her stifled sobs.

"Do you need anything? A hot water bottle?" Itachi asked.

It seemed Yuna didn't realise his hand was on her arm until she flung away from his hold.

"Don't touch me," Yuna spoke in her weakest voice, sounding as though she was begging him. She looked up to meet his gaze. She faced back down the moment their eyes met. Yuna was holding onto the bedsheet tightly like a shield. He could see her face all flushing bright red and her tears just wouldn't stop. "Please."

Itachi took his hands off at once.

It was only a brief moment, but he saw it. He saw fear in her eyes. She feared him.

What was the point of living?

For Kakashi, life was overfilled with rules and responsibilities and regret. He had decided. Before the day he would officially become an adult and have no excuse to be irresponsible, he wanted to let it all loose for a day.

His last chance. Final sprint!

Just for one day, he wanted to free himself from being a respectable shinobi, a responsible big brother, and good lord… Did he mention anything about him being the legal guardian for their country's jinchūriki?

Of course he didn't! He couldn't say a word. It's a double S-rank secret! Those who knew must keep it a secret, too.

The general issue of prevalence and age classification did not apply to shinobi. Anyone who gained genin rank would be entitled to all rights of an adult in the face of law. Basically, Kakashi had been living an adult's life since five. Finally, for one day, although only one day, he could let go of everything and be a brat. Enjoy himself without a single care about the consequences. He swore to himself. Just for one day. One day only.

And he bombed it on his twentieth birthday party.

What did he do?

The barbecue dinner was only a warm-up before heading down to the club after some time midnight. That was when he would become a wolf, all out for the hunt. The motto was YOLO. No prey, no return.

Before all that, the close friend circle had pre-drink in the house. They were all high on alcohol from the start. They weren't drunk; just… a bit tipsy. Kakashi was extremely chatty, unusually outgoing and strangely nosy just about anything. Kakashi was very out of character.

Definitely the alcohol's doing!

There were over a hundred in the party. Kakashi invited everyone around his age group he knew. The vast majority wasn't close friends with him, which meant he normally wouldn't talk to them beyond greeting. It was another rivalry match against Gai. Yuna could eye roll to that mainly because she was the one who did the cleaning up in the Namikaze mansion before heading to the barbecue in the Great Forest. Kakashi thought they would make too big a fuss in Yakiniku Q. He had preordered in the shop and had food all prepared for the party there while the party was somewhere far from disturbing other citizens of Konoha.

Kakashi went to let loose, but he knew he had a limit. He set himself some goals.

Objective number 1: eat his gut out.

Forget about indigestion the next day. That wasn't his concern.

Objective number 2: drink his heart out.

The booze would get him talking. He was in desperate need of a hearty talk session with his closest friends.

Objective number 3: get laid.

Self-explanatory.

"I've never been to a party this big. I didn't know your big brother was funny," Yuriko laughed.

"Is he now?" Yuna asked in a sceptical voice.

"His friends and he are fun people," Hana said, looking the co-host of the party. Yuna could only smile at the innocent girl.

Oh, my brother surely knows how to have fun, Yuna thought.

"Don't you mean crazy, Hana-chan?" Yugao chucked in.

The four girls laughed. They continued their girl talk.

"Marshmallows?"

"Yes please!"

"Big deal! The night is young. I can take it," Kakashi shouted to his crowd. He held a half-emptied bottle of cider by the bottleneck. He downed the rest of the liquid in one-shot. "More like I'm still young. Still nineteen. Oh yeah!"

He would be twenty when he wake up the next morning. He remembered the purpose of this celebration – a farewell to irresponsibility. It was also a double celebration to mark his sister's departure for her training. Yuna invited her friends to the barbecue and they had their own group. Although Yuna was the one who invited Team 5, Izumo and Kotetsu had integrated with Kakashi's bunch. They were boys, after all.

Kakashi wouldn't say it. He knew he would miss having Yuna at home. He would miss how she would keep the house in order and cook his meals. There were many times she was nice enough to do his laundry as well. Not that he would miss it much, but it would be weird for him to find a voice nagging him about this and that missing in the house. They had really become a family, Naruto, Yuna and him. They lived and relied on each other's support.

"Hatake, you wuss! C'mon! That's two gulps, not one!" Shisui winced at the birthday boy. "I bet Itachi can do better."

Itachi had yet to touch a drop of alcohol. Hearing his own name, he looked up for a moment. Quickly he faced back to grill the skewer of marshmallows in hand, sitting beside the two little brothers, going back to his thoughts. Naruto and Sasuke weren't very interested in grilling marshmallows. Naruto had enough stuffed into his mouth, then he threw a handful into the fire. Sasuke liked the smell of burnt sweetness; he didn't like the taste of it much. He followed the blond toddler, hurling the white and pink fluffy sweets into the flames. Yugao caught the mischievous punks. She did a few magic tricks to divert their attention from wasting her precious marshmallows.

It was game time when Shizune arrived at the party. Tsunade was in a casino, gambling happily, so Shizune had time to attend the party. Shizune was very excited when she had received the personal invitation from Pakku. She felt special that Kakashi had remembered her. Kakashi felt that he must invite Shizune. She would be looking after Yuna during her training with Tsunade, after all. He also invited her because the last time they had seen each other was around when Orochimaru defected. That was when Tsunade had last come to the village and taken Shizune off to accompany her everywhere she went. It would be nice to see an old friend.

The game was the classic Truth or Dare. People tended to go for either truth or 'penalty drink'. They were the ones who were sane enough to not take on a dare. Toshiro was the first one who got the bottle head. He chose dare mostly because he wasn't afraid of anything... and he was too young to know the terror of dares. Since he was very young and a first-timer, they went easy on him. He was asked to pick his nose and show his booger to everyone. It wasn't that funny. It wasn't that embarrassing. It was tiny. Toshiro had good hygiene and cleaned his nose often.

Anko couldn't stand how boring these people were. She was second to go for dare when the bottle got to her. She was prepared, but she didn't know how far these people took their dares. The thing was... they were shinobi. What hadn't they seen? If it wasn't anything dangerous or extremely embarrassing, then that was no dare.

"Yell how you fancy your old sensei and say how his experiment is part of his charms. Right outside the gate."

Yuna jumped out of her little world when she heard the dare Anko was given, and the young woman agreed without delay.

"Sure thing! You think I won't?"

Yuna was saying how mean the dare was and they should not put salt on her injury. Anko laughed at it cynically. She insisted she could take it. If not, the whole night was too bland and no fun.

"I love Orochimaru! His experiment is fucking sexy!"

Anko did her dare. She ran back to the nearest village gate and shouted it loud and clear. She was known to be a bit of a nutcase. It didn't matter to her too much, but everyone knew she hated her ex-mentor with an unhealthy passion. On the other hand, what was said could have held a little truth in it... deep down... very deep down... despite how much Anko would deny it... and that was one problematic statement... but that was what made it so exciting, cringe-worthy and absolutely mental!

The t-h-r-i-l-l was what they were after.

According to Aoba's latest update, Anko was taken into custody for an emergency meeting right after her declaration. She was having a chat over tea with the Hokage at five after ten in the evening. That was Yuna's real worry. Shisui had to send his messenger owl to clarify the situation with Uncle Hiruzen that they were only playing Truth or Dare at Kakashi's birthday party. Hiruzen sent back a one-liner message through Shisui's summon. It was short.

I am not impressed.

Hiruzen got his message across. He expected these youngsters to go overboard. When he gave Kakashi permission to have a few days off duty around his birthday, he did warn the ANBU captain to take his party outside of the village. It was already outside. Anko didn't actually enter Konoha. She was outside the gate.

So, after that, no one went for the dare option. It didn't take long before it turned into a game of Truth or Drink.

Kakashi chose punishment over truth nine out of ten times. He tried to cheat his way out. Shisui wouldn't let him get away. It didn't matter even when he was the B-Day boy.

"Technically, we shouldn't be drinking," Asuma interrupted. He took another cigarette out of his pocket. It was his second fag of the night.

"Technically, you shouldn't be smoking." Hayate coughed and faced away from Asuma. "It's bad for your health and the peopl–"

"My father smokes," Asuma cut the persuasion campaign off with a simple fact. No one would attempt to stop their Hokage from smoking. He walked away from Hayate. Asuma didn't like to mention his father much in conversation. He wanted to get out of his giant shadow. It didn't change the fact he was the Hokage's son.

At the side, Kakashi took the extra penalty for the fun of it just because Shisui insisted he wasn't drinking properly. Kakashi knew he needed to be a lot tipsier to let loose. He was still too conscious.

How did he know? Because he was choosing to drink than to talk truthfully. He couldn't open up yet. The bottle head was now pointing at Itachi.

"It's you, Itachi. Are you in?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes. Sorry. I was grilling marshmallows. What is it?" Itachi dumbfounded.

"Your turn. Truth or dare or drink?" Guy gave a thumbs up.

"Truth." Itachi figured that would go well. He didn't like lying. He had nothing to hide. Or so he thought...

Before Kakashi was going to ask something, Shisui held out his hand with a meaningful smile. Kakashi smiled back. Shisui was up to something good. He took out a photograph from his pocket and told Toshiro to take out his sketchbook. Toshiro nodded his head enthusiastically as he opened up to a particular page, standing next to Shisui.

"Describe what you see in the photo I'm holding and what you see in Number two's drawing. Explain what was happening according to the pictures."

The marshmallows melted and dropped into the fire ring. Itachi fixed his gaze solely on the two images, holding onto his now-empty skewer with a small gap in his mouth. The spectators were curious what was so shocking and had Itachi freeze on the spot. They took a look at the images.

The loud, comical gasp from everyone brought Itachi back to the party.

"I told you what happened this morning and you have to bring it up now," Itachi spoke calmly, his eyebrows drew loathingly to tell another story. Pointing at the pictures, Itachi looked more annoyed than angry. He couldn't believe his cousins. They were truly unbelievable.

Toshiro was there! He's a witness. He should know the truth and not take part in fabricating disinformation and spreading rumours.

As though it was on cue, Yuna gave a little yawn and covered her mouth to excuse her rudeness. She wasn't really listening. She was just there and waiting for Naruto to have enough to eat to go and get some sleep before leaving Konoha tomorrow. She was really tired. With all that noise and attention in their direction, she knew Itachi was overreacting about something, just that she had no clue what it was about. Itachi got angry that he looked like he was about to lose it right then. Indeed, Shisui was a master stirrer.

"Busy making out last night?" Shisui clicked his fingers in front of the girl. "Was he good, Yuna?"

From the photo, the girl in the pictures looked as though she wasn't wearing anything with her bare shoulder showing at the top of the duvet. It was the angle! From the picture, the boy was hugging the girl from behind. He had his head buried into her scattered hair.

Shisui was totally bending truth with the misleading pictures in hand. People took his words. They believed the fabrication.

"You both are too young! You shouldn't have!" Kurenai said. She was eyeing Yuna concernedly. Yuna wasn't looking back.

Tenzō forced a smile. He wasn't the type to speak, but he couldn't help himself to not make a comment at a time like this. "That advice came a bit too late."

"They hugged and slept together," Hana said, describing the pictures. "Yuna and Uchiha-san are very good friends."

From the eyes of a normal nine-year-old, she didn't see anything wrong.

"'They are more than very good friends.' That's what they're getting at." Toshiro realised how different he saw things compared to another child his age. He was shocked as he made a brief comparison to the Inuzuka girl.

Since Kakashi and Yuna's friend group had many overlaps, she didn't invite many people. At first, Toshiro was surprised to find his classmate at the party. Yuna then told him how they met. Hana had helped her once when a swan was wounded during her training on combination techniques. The two girls befriended each other. That was also when Toshiro found out that his classmate was a talented veterinary medic-to-be.

"I don't think that is what happened," Yuriko said to herself. She took another look at the two pictures and then at the pair.

"That's youthful. Do your parents know?" A toothy grin appeared on the self-proclaimed Green Beast.

"Are you crazy, Guy? Of course not! If I had done it as young as him and my father knew about it, I would be grounded for the rest of my life." Asuma reckoned he needed one more cigarette to help him let the shock sink in. "Itachi is a lot more sensible than that."

"Yeah, but your father is the Hokage."

"So is hers."

The sternness became even sterner on Raidō's face. He didn't find the information the slightest amusing like the others. He was concerned. He thought about how his late Hokage would have reacted.

"Well, I guess the good, well, not exactly good news, is that Yondaime is no longer with us."

"Absolutely." Iwashi let out irregular chuckles before he was caught by a hiccup. He was tipsy, but he had enough brain to tell what would have happened. He had grown to know Minato well during the days when he had served under the man. "Itachi would be dead the instant Yondaime learn about it."

"Members of the Uchiha clan tend to be..." Yugao said with a distasteful tone in her voice. She was giving out a careful look as she spoke.

"Hey! What are you trying to say?" Shisui lifted a single eyebrow to that comment. It was directed at him.

"No, I did not sleep with her."

The pictures said otherwise.

"I mean I did, but the definition of 'sleeping' changes in this context."

Another gasp came from the audience as Itachi failed to explain himself.

"Ohmigod!"

When Yuna screamed, Itachi shut up. She wanted to scream some more. Yet all that came out was a pitiful puff of air. She couldn't even blush. It was just too much.

Without Shisui telling him the truth, Kakashi suspected it must have been something to do with Yuna's false awakening condition. She might have had a nightmare. She might be doing something crazy subconsciously and uncontrollably. It was self-defence in her dreaming state. It had happened before. It was one of the most crucial reasons Yuna must learn to control her abilities. There was no one in Konoha who could teach her. Not anymore.

"That's spooning," Kakashi said, giving them the dirty eye. "Care to explain what you were doing with my lit' sis?"

"What I meant by sleeping is that I did not engage in any sexual activity with her," Itachi continued with his explanation from before.

"Hugging intimately counts," Kakashi said.

"Nah – it looks like there were more actions than hugging." Shisui walked up to the boy in question and stared into his eyes playfully.

"No."

Itachi didn't know what else to say than to stress on the 'no'. He only knew one thing for sure: the more he spoke, the more they would dig on him. His face took on a look of refusal to accept this imaginary truth people were choosing to believe. A gossip based on pure fabrication.

"I froze the entire living room by accident. He was trying to help," Yuna spoke finally. She knew Itachi wasn't good at explaining himself when these things happen to them. Indeed, the more he spoke, the more he would cause misunderstanding.

Her explanation brought more questions to people's mind. As long as Kakashi and Shisui would come to a stop, the others would follow.

"You will be fine with the training." Shizune looked around. Her comment helped to scrub off the fake incrimination and left the matter on a clean note. "Tsunade-sama and I will help you with it."

If the others had asked any more questions, they would be crossing S-class secrets. Kakashi rounded it up nicely and moved on.

"That didn't count. We'll do your Truth again," Kakashi said.

Itachi sighed. He felt as though he had been punished already. He changed his mind. Now that he knew the exact direction these people would egg him – well, them – he would choose Drink over Truth. That was to save himself from embarrassment. He didn't want to confront any question he would rather not answer. Because he wasn't sure either.

"Can I change it to drink?"

Shisui handed him a bottle. Itachi drank it all in one-go. The lads cheered on.

"Thank you, Shizune-nee." Yuna looked at Shizune with an uneasy smile. She meant to thank her for defending her dignity.

"I guess they have a habit of taking their jokes too far," Shizune giggled with a shake of her head.

"They do."

Shizune took a bite at the newly grilled chicken wing. There was too much food for her to finish alone. "Want any, girls?" she offered. "The boys can grill some if they want any."

"No, thanks. We had plenty," Yugao said.

"Yuna didn't eat much," Hana said.

"I just don't feel like eating." Yuna looked away from the food. She wanted to eat, but she wasn't hungry. It was more that she felt bloated. She didn't have the appetite.

"Are you on a diet?" Yuriko asked.

"Yeah."

"That is not healthy at your age."

The boys went back to their game of Truth or Drink. When it was Asuma's turn at spinning the bottle, he controlled the spin discreetly with his command of wind. It landed on Shisui. Asuma was trying to get back at Shisui for messing around with the two minors. He felt sorry for them. He didn't do that to Kakashi because he was the B-Day boy. He would have if it were any other day.

One more bottle wouldn't do much to Shisui, but Asuma's kind-hearted action only caused more trouble.

"What a brilliant idea!" Shisui cracked open two bottles by hitting the cover lids expertly. He grinned. "You know I won't leave until I get what I want."

"Oh, bummer. I gave you the perfect idea, smart-ass." Asuma sulked a little. "Sorry, Itachi. Sorry, Yuna."

Wind users were rare in the Land of Fire. Unfortunately, Shisui happened to be one.

"Thank you for your assessment," Shisui made a gesture to cheer, directing at Asuma. He downed the bottle like nothing. Then he spun the bottle. It landed on Yuna.

"Are you playing?"

"I thought I was."

"Truth or dare or drink?"

Yuna didn't want to choose any of them, knowing he would trick her anyhow. It was a trap. She could drink, but it wouldn't do any good to her menstrual cycle. Eating ice-cream yesterday did enough damage. She would not risk it. Truth or dare... They were out of the question.

She didn't answer. The pause suspended the game. They kept waiting for her.

Shisui had never seen Yuna drink before. According to Kakashi, the little girl was a beast at drinking. Eventually, Yuna took the bottle from Shisui's hand. She was about to drink it despite the reluctance practically printed on her pout. Itachi caught her hand and took the drink from her.

"Can I drink it on her behalf?"

"Sure!"

Even better! Shisui thought. His gut feeling told him his cousin was probably light-weighted, especially when it was his first time drinking, and at his age. Sooner or later, everything would come out.

"You can drink more than me. Why aren't you drinking?" Kakashi asked. He didn't understand. As he recalled, a six-year-old Yuna could drink more than him and Shizune add together. Yuna used to drink with Jiraiya and Tsunade. That said something!

"I'm not feeling very well."

"You didn't eat anything. That's why you're not feeling well."

"I ate, Kakashi-nii. I ate some grilled vegetables and pork chop."

"Half of a tiny pork chop. That isn't enough. Listen to me, Yuna. Eat something. "

"It's too late now. If I eat, I'll get fat."

It was heading to midnight in a quarter of an hour.

"No, you're not fat," Itachi mumbled quietly, staring at the campfire. His head was getting dizzy by the second. Maybe he was tired. He was starting to see things.

"What do you know?" Yuna turned to face him. She crossed her arms and made an eye roll.

"I think I know since my arms were around your waist last night."

Exactly what Shisui was going for. Itachi was now speaking anything that came to his mind. It was the alcohol! The Uchiha heir had long learned what to say and what not to say in front of him to avoid the teasing.

People stopped their chatter again. They all focused their attention at the talk between Itachi and Yuna. They might get the answer they hoped for with the unanswered mystery behind those two pictures.

"Take it slow, you two." Kakashi cut in. He walked between Itachi and Yuna. "How old are you, again?"

Shisui opened his gob and laughed madly. But silently. Kakashi was getting a little tense. He was genuinely worried this time. Shisui would be too if that was what happened between them.

Teasing was one thing; doing it was another.

They all knew Itachi was telling the truth. The absolute truth.

Yuna shot him a look of desperation. She blushed and held her breath. Shisui caught that. He had to make sure, too. It was starting to sound really suspicious. As for Yuna, she just wanted Itachi to shut up.

Immediately.

"There are things other than that. You could have..." Shisui asked.

"Do I look the type to do it halfway?" Itachi retorted. He threw his arms up in the air, and gave his cousin a taunt look.

Itachi was drunk.

Shizune seemed to have figured out with all the signs she had been seeing. She could imagine how embarrassed Yuna would be if everyone found out. Itachi was not in his right mind. Yes, everything he said was the truth, but an embarrassing truth. Shizune tapped Kakashi's shoulder a little, attempting to stop the big brother's interrogation. Kakashi continued.

"Depends on what you mean by 'halfway'."

"Honestly, we didn't. It couldn't have happened. If it did, she might be pregnant, and she isn't. Nothing happened. We hugged because she needed a hug. She was scared and ice cold. We slept. Literally. That's it." Itachi gave one long explanation. He sounded extremely annoyed. He didn't even try to hide it.

Yes, he was very drunk.

The explanation did not make perfect sense, either. It gave a few hints. Itachi was not thinking straight.

"What do you mean when you said 'she might be pregnant'?" Kakashi asked again.

All the girls understood. The guys were still confused. The girls were praying Itachi would come to his senses in time and stop talking. They pitied Yuna. They could just imagine how embarrassing it would be if they were Yuna.

Alas. Itachi didn't.

"She is on her period."

People had their eyes on Itachi as though to ask him how exactly did he find out.

"I bought her pads."

"Oh."

That muted Kakashi.

Kakashi could feel his face burning. He was so glad he had his mask up, hiding the redness across his cheeks. He felt sorry. Yuna wouldn't forgive him on this one. He only asked out of concern. It seemed he wasn't very considerate of her feelings while all he did was worry about nothing. His little sister was just growing up.

Yuna's shoulders were shaking. She was facing the ground. Kakashi thought he had made his sister so upset that she was about to break down in tears. When he heard her calm, chilling voice, he felt better. At least she was only angry.

She was furious.

"Uchiha Itachi."

"Yes?"

"What did you promise me?"

"Sorry."

Stumbling forward, Itachi couldn't see what was on the ground. Yuna held out her arm to him before he was about to trip over a root of a massive tree. Toshiro immediately took the two toddlers in his arms and walked in front.

Itachi started to laugh crazily. He whipped his head back to face the crowd and shouted.

"I'M OKAY!"

HE IS NOT OKAY. That was what everyone thought.

Itachi was now chuckling as he flung himself onto the nearest thing for support. He needed help to walk. He knew that much.

Yuna stopped on her track. She stood unmoving. With the slightest head movement, she sent cold stare by her shoulder where her all too drunk best friend clinging on her.

Taking his arm across her shoulder, Yuna pulled his ear to lead him home. She didn't say a word and he winced.

"OUCH!" Itachi yelled. Another bizarre reaction from Itachi tonight. "Wat wus da for?"

"You are never going to get drunk again. Do you copy that?"

"Why you sound like daddy?"

"Really?" Yuna glared hard, Itachi looked confused, Toshiro was standing with the two toddlers waiting on the side for the big siblings to continue walking. "Do I have to smack some sense into you?"

"Please don't hurt me, Yuna-chan."

Yuna… chan?

Itachi was a complete nutcase when he's drunk! Yuna swore to never let him drink again.

When they finally arrived home, Toshiro helped Sasuke to get changed before putting him to bed. Naruto passed out sleeping on the way. Toshiro had some difficulties to change a kicking Naruto. It took Toshiro a while before he changed out of his smelly clothes from the party and headed to the toilet for brushing his teeth. After all that time, he found his cousin still puking over the toilet while his head was held by his best friend who was very cross with him.

Toshiro ignored them and washed up in the basin.

"Stop being this nice to me," Itachi said, laughing madly.

"Oh, I will. Don't worry. As soon as you sober up," Yuna deadpanned.

It must be the alcohol.

"I am serious," Itachi spoke in a complete different voice, sounding very depressed all of a sudden. He puked some more.

Yuna made a disgusted face, trying to look away. "Really? I'm serious, too."

"Why don't you listen to you me for once?" Itachi pleaded, starting to speak normally.

He's getting sober.

"I am listening."

I mean you need to stop giving me ideas, Itachi struggled to get those words out of his mouth. He spewed up liquid and some missed the toilet bowl, landed on his top. He kept coughing as he felt a burning sensation on his throat. Immediately, he felt a hand stroking his back gently to soothe his rapid breathing. When he turned to face Yuna, any sign of anger and annoyance vanished. Itachi found comfort and warmth in her emerald green gaze. They were not stone cold and full of judgement as he expected. It only made him feel more guilty, more unworthy of her worry and care for him. When Itachi stopped vomiting, Yuna took a clean towel in her hand and wiped his face for him.

Itachi came to a sudden revelation. He took her hand and stopped Yuna from helping him. He found Yuna did not take her eyes off him once, focusing on looking after him, cleaning him up. Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he looked awful. He was experiencing this headache, but he was thinking fine.

Toshiro knocked on the open toilet door yawning and handed her a clean t-shirt he found in Itachi's wardrobe. He appeared to have walked off and neither of them realised.

"Thanks for helping, Toshiro." Yuna smiled weakly. Toshiro smiled back, shaking his head before giving Itachi a funny look. He walked away with a meaningful chuckle.

"Night! Don't stay up too late," Toshiro joked.

"It's not funny," Yuna said, back to being irritated.

"Anyway," Itachi took his change of clothes in his hand, "I'm okay now. I'll get changed by myself. Thanks."

Yuna washed her hands thoroughly and a quick wash of her face before heading to the wooden platform outside the living room to get some fresh air. Facing the garden, she stared into the starry sky. The more she thought about it, she only found the situation hilarious. She couldn't find herself angry with Itachi for that long. More importantly, he was a lot more embarrassing than she was embarrassed by him. She kept looking up, enjoying the beauty of the night. The night was dark and the stars were bright, the last time she looked up the night sky in Konoha for a few years to come.

Itachi walked out with the hot tea he made. He sat down besides her, poured her a cup, and they both sat in silence. Itachi stole glances of Yuna smiling to the sky, seemingly had forgiven his humiliating outburst. He faced down brushing and drank his tea quietly. He felt the desperate need to apologise but did not know where to begin. Yuna broke the silence with a light chuckle. She could tell Itachi wanted to speak and held back because he didn't know when he should.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Yuna pointed at the sky and took a sip of the tea.

"Hn." Itachi didn't know what to reply. He knew she was trying to start a conversation since he wasn't making the first move.

"Are you still drunk?" Yuna teased.

Itachi waited. His thoughts were fine, but his head still hurt.

"Maybe."

It took him a minute to answer.

They both laughed at each other. Itachi laughed at her pathetic attempt to start a conversation because she had never ever started a conversation about the sky. Yuna laughed at his delayed reaction because he was pathetically slow to answer a question, and the answer wasn't even a definite 'yes' or 'no'.

The clock seemed to stand still as they sat in another wave of comfortable silence. Yuna was dozing off to sleep in all her tiredness. Tomorrow would be a long day ahead. As she fell asleep, she rested her head on his shoulder, saying "idiot" and giggling to herself.

"Yuna."

Itachi tested. She didn't reply, but he knew she wasn't completely asleep yet although she closed her eyes. She was listening to him.

"Thank you."

"Just… don't get drunk again… please."

"I mean everything."

Yuna stayed in silence, but she was still listening. She didn't understand what he meant. She was too tired to ask.

"Can you promise me three things?"

Yuna hummed as adjusted her head to make it more comfy. She agreed, Itachi understood.

He chuckled a little when he lowered his arm more to let her head rest better on his shoulder.

"Hope that's not about the next time you get drunk," Yuna said in her sleepy voice.

"You will," Itachi replied with a smirk. Yuna didn't see him, but she could hear his smirk.

"I won't."

"You say that."

"Don't measure it."

Silence returned. Yuna waited for him to speak. Itachi began his three requests after gathering his courage.

"One, don't love me. I'm not the man you think I am. I don't even know what man I am."

Truly, Itachi feared his future self.

"Two, don't forgive me. I am not worth forgiven for what I have done."

For wiping her memory without telling her and the pain he would put her through if they were to share a future together.

"Three, don't make me fall in love with you. I won't be able to pull myself away."

At least he knew that much about himself.

"Still drunk? You're such a light-weight that is an embarrasement!" Yuna mumbled cheekily.

"What do you think?"

"Stop answering my question with another question, baka."

Yuna punched his arm with a feeble fist on one hand and the other arm linked onto his.

"Then hear me out for real."

"I am listening."

Yuna was ignoring him, failing to dismiss her giggles to his drunkenness. He was still talking rubbish with alcohol right up his brain. She thought he was joking around, so she mimicked his speaking pattern to mess around with him.

"So, one, you're not a man and what is wrong to love a good friend? Unless you don't like me. You better tell me now."

Itachi was still a boy.

"Two, is there something you should tell me? Should I be suspicious of you?"

Yuna paused to change to a playful voice after she questioned him with a sinister tone.

"Three, what did I do?"

"You've always treated me differently from other people," Itachi stated.

A fact he recently recognised while it had been obvious to everyone all along.

"'Cause we grew up together and we're probably closer than most siblings," Yuna laughed it off.

Another long pause. This time, Yuna had fallen asleep. Itachi carefully wrapped his arms around her, afraid to wake her, whispering his reasons by her ear.

"But we aren't siblings. You act cold, but deep down, you are a considerate, gentle, loving girl. I know you, Yuna." He knew he wouldn't be able to see her for the next few years. He treasured the little time they had left together to stare at her sleepy face. "And you're beautiful."

Itachi felt like the biggest hypocrite in the world. He knew he would not be able to admit it to himself if he didn't drink, let alone to tell her how he felt about her, more than a best friend. For this fleeting moment, he was remembering things he wished he never would. The memory seal he put on himself was not effective when he was under the alcohol's influence. He was now thinking about Yuna's foreseeing dream of their shared misfortune.

He hated himself.

"I think I love you."

He sobbed quietly, holding her tight in his arms with a bitter smile. She slept soundly in his embrace, feeling safe and content.