In His Shadow

by NocturnaMajora

'I don't even know who you are anymore.' she said as the last stand against him, knowing very well he was not the same boy she had left behind when she disappeared from his life. He was a man now, his looks and demeanor were different. Then why did he feel ever so familiar to her? 'You do.' He replied. ' I'm the same person I've always been. And I'll always be there for you.'

13. Burning Embers

Kakashi awoke with the sun beaming in his face and he winced from the sudden light exposure. He slowly opened his grey eyes and yawned lazily, stretching his arms and legs as he listened to the calming sounds of the lush forest of the Lands of Wood, his grey mane brushed by the warm morning breeze. He had fallen asleep on a tree branch, away from his team. The road back to Konoha had been long but pleasant as they traveled from checkpoint to checkpoint in luxurious forests and fertile plains, alongside cold but calm rivers, their calves tickled by lush and thick greenery and colorful flowers. The warm sun of the Land of Woods was often piercing through the thick forests tree line, giving his surroundings an ethereal look and feel to it. Kakashi lowered his mask and drank deeply from his water pouch, quenching his thirst. He then jumped down his branch and packed his bag, readying himself to join Team Ro once again, as he made sure to never sleep, eat or interact with his squad members unless he deemed it absolutely necessary. As he walked back to camp, he took a breath and closed his eyes, appreciating the sweet sounds of the birds chirping and the leaves blowing in the wind. It had been quite some time since he appreciated taking his time to return to the village after a grueling mission. Knowing perfectly well that one of his squad members had been injured on duty, he had to make sure that Miyeko Nagaki wasn't further strained by excessive movements from fast traveling.

Her wound was healing properly, he had examined it himself and made sure the infection hadn't set in. That young woman had sure been a complete surprise to him. Never had he misjudged someone's abilities so utterly. Kakashi had only been curious about her, nothing more. He had not expected Miyeko Nagaki to be able to sense a devastating ambush, to pinpoint the exact location of the enemies, to stop their assault and save Yugao Uzuki, Konoha's best swordswoman from an unbecoming death. Kakashi was very hard to impress, he had always been. But this… this was something he was not used to. Her skills in combat, raw intellect and calm demeanor in dire situations made Kakashi doubt his ever-questioning and distrustful attitude. As he looked at the sight of his three older teammates sleeping around an extinguished fire, he couldn't help but look for his two younger subordinates, who weren't around the fire pit like the rest of them. Instead, Kakashi saw further in the distance the two teens awoke and well, sipping on warm tea, talking to one another in low voices as they sat side by side, their shoulders slightly touching.

Kakashi Hatake frowned curiously. He inspected the scene a little closer, intrigued by his subordinates' behavior. She was the one who mostly talked, the young Uchiha man listening to her with utmost attention, his gaze transfixed on her with a soft expression in his eyes. Kakashi Hatake was at a loss for words. Itachi was so mysterious and secretive, rarely spoke out of term, was very quiet and socially maladapted. He was shy and introverted and could hide his general social discomfort so well he fooled most of his inner circle, family and even his teammates. But to someone like Kakashi Hatake, who couldn't be fooled by anyone or anything, Itachi was an unhappy, exhausted and anxiety stricken young man. He seemed to have been ever since Kakashi had met him two years ago. And yet, the same Itachi Uchiha he was seeing with his own eyes on that warm spring morning, the prodigal son of Fugaku Uchiha and heir to the chieftain of the Uchiha clan, the youngest elite shinobi to ever join ANBU and master of the Sharingan eye was smiling at her.

This dark-haired, green-eyed stranger that Kakashi barely knew anything about made Itachi Uchiha smile the warmest of smiles of all as he listened to the sound of her voice when she spoke sweet nothings in his ears, her body leaning on his. Kakashi Hatake had to blink harder than usual to try to dispel what he thought was dancing illusions happening before his eyes. He chuckled quietly in disbelief as he noticed to the subtlety of the younger Uchiha's reaction to her body closing in on his. Itachi Uchiha, silent and reserved, welcomed her in as if their bodies ever so slightly touching was the most natural thing in the world to them. The intimacy of this act made Kakashi feel like both of them were alone in their own little world, unaware of any outside stimuli, only fueled by the desire to be in each other's presence. But this moment of intimacy wasn't the only anomaly that Kakashi was a witness to. It seemed like her presence had lifted the weight on Itachi Uchiha's shoulders and had made his dark under eyes circles disappear with the sound of her quiet laughter as she recounted stories that Kakashi couldn't hear from where he stood. But he could feel the warmth of their connection as the sun's rays fell upon their faces through the thick foliage of branches above them.

A small tinge of happiness poked at Kakashi's heart, a feeling he now rarely felt in his everyday life. In that specific moment, as he looked at the two of them interacting with such ease and harmony, he now understood why the Third Hokage entrusted her to him and his team for it seemed only she could break through Itachi Uchiha's cold facade and breathe life into him. He blinked as he noticed just how his body shifted towards her, his eyes half-closed as he looked at her, listening to her slow and steady breathing, his hand gently resting next to his thigh, brushing hers. A small smirk appeared on the masked man's face as he slowly and quietly backed away from the scene. He knew the look in the young Uchiha's eyes all too well for he had seen it so many times over the years. It was the look that men had when they found a reason to live again, to hope again. As much as an authoritarian leader he thought he was, Kakashi Hatake knew that breaking that moment of morning bliss between the both of them would be a shame. He silently shrugged and walked away as he decided to go hunt for his breakfast.

...

When Miyeko had woken up on this warm spring morning, Itachi was already up and was making tea. She rose and walked up to him, the sight of her messy long hair making the younger Uchiha smirk at the sight of her dissolved appearance, just like she used to look like when they were kids. 'Good morning.' she had said to him, rubbing her eyes groggily. Itachi looked up again from his crouched position and noticed the rebellious snowy white strand of hair that always seemed to make Miyeko's green eyes stand out.

'Hn.' He replied as he looked away, afraid that she would notice his staring. She crouched next to him to observe the boiling water in the kettle and frowned as she saw the prepackaged herbal tea that Itachi had brought with him. 'Don't tell me you're going to drink that?' she asked, pointing at the atrocity that was the tea ANBU shinobis were provided with for their travels. Itachi shrugged. 'Seems like it.' He replied as he grabbed the packaged herbs in his hands. She quickly grabbed it and shook her head.

'I don't think so. If we're going to drink tea, let's at the very least drink something that doesn't taste like stale dirt.' she said as she reached to her bag, grabbed a small pouch of herbs and tossed the specialty tea bag towards Itachi, who swiftly caught it. 'That is what tea is supposed to be.' She said as she earned a confused look from Itachi. 'Or look like, in any case.' Itachi shyly smiled and prepared them a warm cup of ginseng tea. The aroma was soothing. He soon offered her a cup and she thanked him, returning to her sleeping bag, leaned against the tree trunk she slept next to and grabbed her book out of her travel pack and started reading. She soon felt a presence walking towards her as Itachi sat next to her. A small smile appeared on the corner of her mouth as she noticed Itachi quietly eyeing at her book as she sipped on his warm tea.

'Anything I can help you with today, Itachi?' she asked as she sighed, turning the page, continue her reading. She snickered as he turned the page backward to the previous page she had just finished reading. 'I wasn't finished reading that paragraph.' He stated, looking at her from the corner of his eye with the smallest hint of a curve in on his lips. She chuckled quietly.

'Well, read faster. I want to know what happens next.' she said to him. A few moments later, he turned the page. She frowned as she focused her glance on him, her fingers brushing the lining of her book. 'I see what you're doing, Itachi Uchiha.' she said to him. He ignored the interrogative tone in her voice.

'I have no clue what you're referring to.' He replied innocently as he kept on reading the book she had laid on her thighs. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

'You did the same thing years ago when you finally decided that you wanted to talk to me, back at the Academy. Don't you remember?' she said, her voice quiet like the morning wind. And then she saw a small grin that had momentarily appeared on his face as he pushed his long black locks away from his face.

'As a matter of fact, I do remember. And I'm glad to see that my tactic is working still.' he said, his grin growing wider on his face as she nudged his arm and frowned. 'You're incorrigible, Itachi. If you want to talk to me, just do it. Don't hide behind 'tactics' to mask the fact that you want to engage in a conversation with me.' she said, shaking her head, her voice echoing a groan. He sighed.

'It's a relief to hear you say that. That book really is a bore anyway.' he said, earning himself another nudge on the shoulder as Miyeko as she threw the book in her bag. She then turned her chest towards him and gave him and interrogating look.

'So, what is it that you want to talk about, Itachi? You better come up with something good for having interrupted my very interesting - excuse you - reading session.' she said, clearing her throat and rolling her eyes. Itachi sighed and shrugged.

'Actually, I didn't really have any subjects of conversation picked in advance. I thought you could just tell me about the other book in your bag, the one with the orange cover. What's it about? Maybe we could read that one instead.' he said, genuinely interested in the small book that Miyeko had tossed deliberately at the bottom of her bag before leaving her apartment in Konoha to leave on their mission. After all, Itachi had always been a very well-read individual and books always piqued his interest. Her eyes suddenly became wide with embarrassment as she turned away from him, blushing furiously at Itachi's proposal. She promptly pushed her bag away from them, trying to put as much distance between the revolting book her sensei wrote and Itachi's prying mind.

'No!' she suddenly exclaimed, shaking her head furiously. 'Not a good idea.' she stated, desperately trying to hide her flushed face behind her messy hair. Itachi frowned as he noticed the heat rising to her cheeks. He raised an eyebrow inquisitively. 'Is everything alright? Your cheeks are red.' he stated, raising a hand to test her temperature.

'Just leave it, ok?' she said in a pout as his hand reached for her forehead, his fingers brushing her skin. 'That book is uninteresting and poorly written.' She continued while pushing away his hand. 'I doubt you'd find any interest in this sort of story.' she said, hoping Itachi wouldn't ask any other questions about the damn orange bound book. But he seemed to be enjoying the look of utter embarrassment on her face and pried further.

'How can I be the judge of that when you won't tell me what it is about?' he asked. Miyeko's mind was now rowing in very stormy waters, her body showing visible signs of nervosity as she mumbled her way through a very vague way of describing the story of the adult-rated book that rested at the bottom of her bag to a curious Itachi Uchiha, who was all ears as he looked in her eyes, awaiting her answer.

'You see, the story of this book is, um - it's not very intricate, believe me - it's the story of two people finding a common interest in, um, a-a shared activity that they both enjoy doing together at various occasions in various settings.' She managed to say, stuttering. 'Really, if you thought the other book was a bore, you'd be amazed at how dull the story of this one is. I've never read such ordinary, mundane content. A complete waste of time.' she said, her cheeks growing redder and hot. Itachi frowned and placed his palm on her forehead again.

'You're definitely showing signs of fever, Miyeko. I'll have a look at your wound. We have to make sure the infection has not set in.' he said, gently moving his hand from the skin of her face to the skin of her upper arm as he managed undone her bandage. Miyeko could hear the thumping of her heart against her ribcage, her skin prickling at his touch. She examined his face closer, his dark eyes looking at the purple tint of her skin, his soft locks of hair tickling her skin. Miyeko blushed from the feeling of his touch, a touch that sent pleasant shivers down her spine. Her breathing was getting labored as Itachi's fingers brushed her sore skin, examining the healing bruise made by the assassin's blade that had cut her. She tried to quiet her racing thoughts as a feeling of warmth and anticipation had taken over her lower half, making her suddenly much more sensitive to his touch. The wound was still swollen and the mix of pain and sudden pleasure she felt from his touch made her wince. His fingers brushed down the length of her arm, inspecting the entire area. Waves of electric currents ran under her skin as she felt his light, fluttery touches. Her lips slowly parted as she swallowed the moan that almost escaped her lips. Her disturbed internal discourse was short-circuited by the rush of emotions her hormones pushed into her veins as Itachi continued his ministrations, seemingly unaware of the effect the slightest touch of his fingers created inside of her as he ran the tips of his digits across her skin.

Miyeko was so taken aback that such an ordinary act as someone changing her bandage could raise such a reaction from her body that she let out a small whimper as she exhaled sharply. She was lying to herself, she thought. It wasn't the act itself that seemed to have suddenly aroused her. It was his touch. It was him that caused such an uproar inside of her. She could feel the warmth ticklish sensation the brushing of his fingers had caused down her lower half. She couldn't ignore the feeling of sudden yearning for more of him, the need for his proximity to her body. It was the first time in her life that Miyeko felt she wasn't in complete control of her body and her thoughts and that she could connect the warmth she was experiencing in her body to someone very specific. It was frightening, she thought… But so exhilarating. Like a rush of ice-cold water running down on her hot skin, soothing the burn.

And then she felt it. She had felt this sensation of rising heat of arousal in her body for quite some time. She had learned about how to relieve herself of these intrusive and overpowering tingles on her own a while back now but discovered that they never went away. It could only calm down when she reached down her garments to find and appease the source of this burning heat herself. At that time, she didn't know what fantasizing was about and until this very moment, the person living in her arousal dreams didn't have a face to him. There was only a need for pleasure. But this time, it was even more poignant and relentless as the only thing she could associate this feeling of pleasure with was with Itachi's Uchiha's face, with his hands, with his scent, with all of him. This is what her mind, her body, her spirit had longed for all along. Him. Itachi had always been a soothing presence to her as a child, her best friend… Now that she was a young woman, the image of Itachi Uchiha became a source of arousal for her. As much as Miyeko liked to think she could resist the idea of him being her source of imagery for her sexual fantasies, she would eventually succumb to this idea and never be able to look at him again without feeling ashamed. As he bandaged her wound again with a fresh cloth, Miyeko was melting under his simple touches. She was embarrassed at her body's reaction and at the fact that she wasn't strong enough to control herself. He then removed his hands from her arm and smiled warmly to her, trying to find her evasive gaze.

'No sign of infection.' he concluded as he looked at Miyeko's face. Her eyes met his and he saw something he had never seen before in her emerald green irises. He swallowed hard and blinked, thinking he had imagined the tortured look on Miyeko's face. No, he thought to himself, he wasn't imagining any of this. This look of hers still inhabited her eyes. He realized at that moment that this was the look of her wanting something more from him, craving for something... He had seen this look once or twice before with people around him, but it never was directed at him. Itachi froze for a mere second, understanding the depth of the moment that was happening between the two of them as it occurred to him that Miyeko Nagaki was waiting for him to bridge the gap between them.

He then felt the warmth emanating from her body and his own responded in him moving in closer to her. The red tint on her cheeks suddenly brought him back to the unrelenting dreams he was having about her ever since he had heard of her return to the village. His own breathing became labored as he felt her leg touch his, the skin of her arm brushing his. She was so close now he could smell the delicate scent of the soap she used the night prior to wash herself with. His mind was confused as to why she suddenly looked at him that way with that strange light in her eyes. But as people always said, Itachi Uchiha was a curious child and the sweetness of honey in her eyes as she devoured him with her emerald irises certainly piqued his curiosity.

He was being drawn in, his chest now pressing against her collarbone as he leaned in closer to her, never breaking eye contact with her. He could see a fire burning in her eyes, an all-consuming fire that made his heart beat faster as his gaze slowly shifted down to her plump pink lips. Her scent, her parted lips, her long hair brushing his arm skin ensnared his senses to the point where the only thing Itachi Uchiha could hear or feel was the sound of his own heartbeat through his chest… and hers. His mouth was so close to hers now he could feel her warm breath on his cheeks. With eyes half-closed, she pressed her leg closer against him, needing his warmth.

'Itachi, what are we-' she started to say in a whisper, but she couldn't finish her sentence.

'I don't know...' he replied as the tip of his upper lip ever slightly brushed against her lower lip, barely making contact. She could almost taste it. She could almost taste his kiss, his lips. The anticipation of his lips on hers made her squirm against him. As she was about to push her lips onto his, a jolt of anxiety ran through her, a weight falling deep into her stomach. Her body froze for a split second as she opened her eyes, realizing that her sensory abilities had been triggered. She felt footsteps coming towards their location. She recognized the energy signature of Kakashi Hatake as he was mere yards away from them and she gasped, pushing Itachi away with both hands, away from her. He silently gasped as his back hit the ground, giving Miyeko a confused look. But her reaction was soon understood by Itachi as he saw the silver-haired squad captain come out of the woods with a net full of freshly caught fish hanging from his shoulder. He threw the net onto Tenzo's face, the slapping of the fishtails on his face waking him from his deep slumber. When he realized what the source of the sudden sliminess was that sat on his face, Tenzo screamed, alerting Yugao and Yoji, rising them from their slumber.

'Good morning, you lot.' said the squad captain, visibly enjoying the surprise on the faces of his subordinates, particularly savoring the disgust on Tenzo's face as he threw the fishnet away from him, glaring at his superior. 'What the hell was that for?' he exclaimed. Kakashi chuckled under his mask.

'I brought you breakfast. You ought to show a little more appreciation to your squad captain who is so diligently taking care of your basic needs, Tenzo.' he said, a clear smirk being drawn behind his face mask. Yoji chuckled.

'All I can say is that the fish looks fresher than your face this morning, old friend.' he said to Tenzo, who was now boiling inside, wearing a distinct exasperated frown on his face. Yugao groaned and hid under her sleeping bag, trying to get a couple more minutes of sleep before Kakashi would reprimand her. Kakashi rekindled the campfire and looked to his left to find Miyeko Nagaki and Itachi Uchiha packing their things in silence.

The heavy silence, the slight traces of blush on Miyeko's face and the seemingly disappointed expression on his younger Uchiha subordinate's face only confirmed Kakashi's initial gut feeling about the connection between the two teens he had witnessed earlier this morning. He frowned and sighed. Kakashi Hatake had been squad captain for several years now and was used to close camaraderie from his subordinates, he never opposed personal friendships between his teammates serving under him as long as it happened outside of their mission's context. But seeing the look in Itachi's eye as he looked at her fold her sleeping bag, a look of yearning for her to look back to him, to share his gaze as if that was the only thing in the world he'd ever wanted, Kakashi Hatake had to do something about it. Even apart, it seemed their bodies were connected, attracted to one another. It was something that made Kakashi feel very uncomfortable as if he was being a witness to their need for each other's unrelenting presence. A shinobi's emotions should be suppressed, thought Kakashi. During missions, a shinobi's heart must be closed to perform the task at hand and exercise duty.

This non-verbal volatile exchange of emotional flutter was what Kakashi had feared would happen from the morning he was made aware of their connection, the day of their attack on the Prajna Group. They were exceptional shinobis, but whatever it was that they shared was dangerous. For the safety of his team, for the success of his future missions and for Itachi Uchiha's own sake in this cruel ninja world, Kakashi would have to meddle in affairs he usually preferred to steer clear of. Before they knew, Team Ro finished packing and Kakashi extinguished the fire that kept them warm, assembled his team for the last leg of the trip home and moved to their last checkpoint, the Village Hidden in the Leaf.

...

Team Ro crossed the village's gates around midday and Kakashi gestured to them had finally stopped walking. Kakashi Hatake turned around to face his exhausted team. He could read the fatigue on most of his colleagues' faces, especially on Miyeko Nagaki, who had successfully completed her first mission in three years. He could see the visible sweat on her brow, the dirt stuck to her porcelain skin and the small undereye bags she sported from the sudden lack of sleep she experienced as part of Kakashi's Team Ro. But as she looked at Kakashi Hatake from the back of the group, Kakashi saw a spark of pride in her eyes, something that made her emerald-colored eyes gleam under the sunlight. Because of her, this mission had been a success. Who knows what could have happened if she hadn't been there in time to stop the Prajna Group's ambush in time, thought Kakashi. And the rest of his team had been so efficient in their respective positions as well. Kakashi took a deep breath and sighed. He felt a sudden rush of generosity overcome his body, something he usually didn't act upon very often but grinned under his mask nonetheless.

'Well, it looks like we've made it back in one piece. More of less.' he said as he looked at Miyeko, who frowned at him annoyingly. 'I don't do this often, but as soon as you have been officially relieved of your duties and equipment for this mission at Headquarters, I will grant the whole team a three-day vacation to thank you for your efforts in successfully completing this mission in record time.' Yugao sighed in relief and squeals of happiness while Yoji chuckled, already planning to drink his fair share during his holidays.

'Take this time off to enjoy the weather, do a little shopping, maybe even go sightseeing or visit Konoha's tourist attractions. But most importantly, don't contact me.' He continued, the monotony in his voice replaced with annoyance. 'I need some time off of you guys as well. That means no lunch dates, no invitation to a drinking contest at a local bar and especially no surprise visits at my house to drag me to the red light district for some 'pure unadulterated fun'. Is that clear, Tenzo?' asked Kakashi. Tenzo scratched the back of his, nervously laughing.

'It only happened once, captain.' he said with a silly grin on his face. Kakashi sighed, exasperated.

'Yeah, because he beat the living shit out of you for it, Tenzo. If I remember correctly, you had to eat with a straw for an entire week after that um, unfortunate mistake of yours. Too bad your teeth aren't made of wood.' snickered Yoji, earning himself a punch on the shoulder from an embarrassed Tenzo. Yugao sighed.

'I cannot wait to not be in your presence for three whole days. Seriously, you guys are the reason I have more and more fine lines every time I look at myself in the mirror. How do I even manage to stay beautiful when I'm always surrounded by you idiots?' Yoji shrugged.

'Pff, beautiful… I don't know what you're talking about. As a matter of fact, I'll go ask Hayate. I think he knows more about this matter than we do, don't you think so Tenzo?' he said. Yugao's complexion got redder as she chased after her two snickering acolytes, swinging her sword at them with the palpable intention of killing them. Kakashi sighed as the three of them disappeared into a white cloud of smoke, their laughter and screams echoing in a far distance.

'They'll drive me insane.' muttered Kakashi as he rubbed his temples, totally spent by his last interaction with his squad members. Itachi had stayed silent this whole time, his eyes focused on Miyeko as she kept her glance away from him from not wanting their squad leader to be suspicious of them. Miyeko was about to step away when she turned around and smiled at her squad captain. 'Anything you'd like me to do before I take my leave, captain?' she asked politely. Kakashi sighed again and shook his head.

'Technically, you're not an official member of Team Ro and not ANBU, so I can't ask anything of you. I would still recommend that you visit the hospital to get your wound properly taken care of. Thank you for your service. I guess you were not a total disappointment.' He said to her as she raised an eyebrow at him while she crossed her arms, a smirk drawn on her face.

'That's nice of you to say, captain. I'll try to not disappoint you more often in the future. Until next time, Kakashi.' she said. Her gaze then fell on Itachi Uchiha, who had remained calm and quiet by her side. She slowly put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a warm smile, her soft black hair flowing in the wind. To Itachi, it wasn't the sun that warmed the ground and the skies, that gave life to everything that surrounded him. It was her smile. And her touch. A flutter of butterflies danced in his stomach as she removed her hand from his shoulder, walking away from the two young clansmen. Itachi looked at her unblinkingly as she walked away, her long legs giving her strong body motion and her long braided hair brushing the dirty clothing on her back. She turned around opened her mouth to speak to him but he was too engulfed in the image of her porcelain skin bathing in the sunlight to even find a natural timing to reply to her.

'See you later, Itachi.' she sweetly said as she disappeared into the village, out of sight. Itachi's heartbeat returned to normal as he exhaled deeply, his long black bangs brushing his skin with the midday wind. He politely nodded to his squad captain and was about to take a step in the direction of Headquarters when a strong hand gripped his arm and stopped him in his tracks. He turned around to face Kakashi Hatake again but this time, the look in the older Jonin's eyes was vastly more serious, heavy with what Itachi felt like was a reproach.

'We need to talk, Itachi.' was all Kakashi Hatake said before Itachi pulled his arm away from the older shinobi's grip with a grunt.

'I feel like whenever we have a chance to talk it's always because I have to lecture you. I'm sorry if it doesn't seem fair, Itachi. Really, I wish it wasn't like this.' Kakashi said as Itachi stayed silent.

'What is it that you want to lecture me about, captain? I'm sure you noticed that I ate and slept during the mission this time around. What could be wrong now?' he asked, visibly irritated with his squad leader preventing him to benefit from his release. Kakashi sighed, not really knowing where to start. He was as uncomfortable in this situation as the young Uchiha man standing before him.

'Look, kid. I never thought I would be lecturing you of all people on how to conduct yourself in a professional setting. I'm not going to dance around the issue. Your relationship with this girl… what's going on between you and her? What is she to you?' he asked, his voice low and serious. Kakashi had expected Itachi Uchiha's response to be cold and blunt like he usually responded to all his questions. But the young Uchiha man had remained calm, his voice neutral and serene. Kakashi could discern the faint light of happiness in his dark irises but Itachi regained his cold exterior and looked into his fellow comrade's grey eyes with such intensity that it made Kakashi swallow with unease.

'She's a friend. An honorary member of my clan. She's my-'

'She's a distraction. She will only cause you trouble and grief. She's not what you need right now.' Kakashi replied calmly, placing a strong hand on Itachi's shoulder. Kakashi was about to remove his hand from the young man's shoulder, but Itachi gripped Kakashi's arm, roughly tightening his grip on it, his fingernails slowly digging into Kakashi's flesh.

Kakashi inhaled sharply at the pain caused by his dominant hand slowly being crushed under the pressure created by the violence in Itachi's grip as his grey eye met with a pair of hostile looking crimson eyes. Kakashi Hatake wasn't afraid of a lot of things in life. He had been trained for years on controlling his emotions in face of his deepest fears. And yet the deadly look into Itachi Uchiha's eyes as he displayed his three tomoe Sharingan made him shiver. Itachi Uchiha of the Hidden Leaf Village was still young, but it was a known fact that his enemies rarely survived. Kakashi Hatake was the best person to know just how lethal Itachi Uchiha was. He had seen him kill feudal lords, assassins, terrorists with his bare hands and wits. He rarely demonstrated any emotion while doing so. He was the perfect weapon, the perfect obedient killing machine. But this time… This timewas different. There was no neutrality, no calmness, no composure found in the Uchiha's crimson irises. Only anger. The resentful scowl on the young Uchiha's face sharply awoke Kakashi's survival senses as he raised his left hand to push back the forehead protector that covered his face's left side to reveal the same colored eye as Itachi. Sharingan met Sharingan. Kakashi knew that without his trump card, his sole Sharingan eye, he would not stand a chance against the young Uchiha prodigy. As he readied himself for an impending strike from the young man before him, Kakashi felt Itachi's energy flare down as the adolescent released his grip from his now swollen hand, releasing the older shinobi from his deadly grip. Kakashi exhaled sharply and painfully, not losing focus on the silhouette of Itachi facing him, his Sharingan looking straight into his, showing Kakashi Hatake exactly how inferior his own Sharingan was to his. And Kakashi shuddered at his next words.

'She is exactly what I need right now. You would do well to remember it, captain.' he said with venom in his voice as he slowly walked away from his squad captain. Kakashi quickly regained his wits, his mind clearing. His heart was pounding in his chest. His hands were sweaty. For the first time in years, Kakashi Hatake of the Sharingan, the Copycat Ninja, Hero of the Third Ninja War, had been frightened. Frightened by the power of a rightful heir to the Sharingan. Frightened by his sudden display of a violent intent but more importantly, frightened of this young man's pure rage as he saw through Itachi's eyes the pain caused by the thought of him losing his newfound hope, his light, his only solace in this ugly world. Kakashi Hatake felt wretched, cursed for even trying to dissuade his young subordinate to end his friendship with the Nagaki clan survivor, but he was responsible for more lives than his own now. As a leader, he had to make a choice. And so he did.

'She can't be with us on ANBU missions anymore, Itachi. I can't take the risk of you losing focus on your objectives. Your mind is elsewhere when you're with her. And it is even when you're not with her. You'll be the death of your teammates if this goes on. Duty must come first Itachi, you told me so yourself. The life of shinobi is not for everyone. It is hard to push away the things we love the most. It is hard to make our minds think that this is the right choice we're making for ourselves. You'll lead your own squad soon. And hopefully, you'll make the right decision and end this before someone under your leadership gets killed because of your actions.' he said as he saw the Uchiha youth walking away in the direction of Headquarters. And then, to Kakashi's surprise, Itachi turned around and chuckled arrogantly.

'Not everyone kills their comrades or lets them die because of their pride and selfishness. Not everyone is like you, Kakashi.' he said to his squad captain, walking towards the village as he disappeared into the busy streets of Konoha, leaving Kakashi Hatake alone at the village's gates. He had seen for the first time the years of pain and loneliness that had tortured Itachi. He felt his rawness of his deep hurt and his fears. Kakashi knew that from this point on, Itachi Uchiha was a changed man and that he would not hesitate to destroy anyone who would come between him and his light. The wind brushed his thick silver mane as he sighed deeply, replaced his forehead protector over his face and disappeared in a cloud of smoke as if he had never been there in the first place.

...

Miyeko had gone to the market to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. She had missed the taste of fresh food in the last week as the only sustenance she was provided with was food pills and dry rations. With heavy bags in hand, she slowly made her way back to her apartment, enjoying the sound of children playing ball in the street. Sometimes, she couldn't believe that destiny had brought her back to the Konoha, her home after all these years of exile. The rustling of the green spring leaves and the birds chirping echoed in her ears as she crossed the street, her apartment in sight. As she walked towards the street where she lived, she saw a tall, dark silhouette leaning against a nearby oak tree. She smiled as she recognized the young man's face. Itachi Uchiha approached her and smiled at her as the sun began to set behind them.

'Need a hand with those?' he asked, pointing to her heavy grocery bags. She shrugged and nodded.

'I could use some help, yes.' she said. He quickly grabbed the larger bag and they began to walk again. Miyeko brushed her shoulder against his as they made their way to her home. He reciprocated by not pushing her away, welcoming her gentle touch. He took a second to admire the intricate braid she was sporting, her hair in long and delicate tresses as it fell down her lower back. He could only envision her delicate fingers running sweet-smelling oils in her hair as she weaved those long tresses, softly tying the end of the braid with a black ribbon. How he wanted to untie her braid in turn and run his own fingers in those long black locks, inhaling the sweet perfume of hers. He tried to stop himself from experiencing those daydreams but in vain. He was overpowered by his own mind, by his desires. She interrupted his thoughts with the skin of her arm slowly brushing his.

'So what did our fearless leader want with you? I sensed he kept you for longer than he did with us before releasing you.' she asked. Itachi Uchiha looked at the sky and sighed, not wanting to reveal the nature of his last encounter with his squad leader for fear it would upset her.

'A routine mission assessment. Nothing you should be worrying about.' he said to her, his voice low and silky. She raised an eyebrow.

'Me, worry about you?' she started with a giggle. 'Don't flatter yourself, Itachi Uchiha. I was just curious.' she said, looking away, a faint blush drawn on her cheeks. As they reached her apartment, she turned to him and smiled. 'This is me.' she said, pointing at the small unit on the second floor of an apartment complex. He then snatched the second grocery bag out of her hand, earning a confused frown from her.

'What are you doing? I'm perfectly capable of bringing my groceries to my place by myself. You don't have to do that for me. I'll be fine.' she said, her smile turning into a pout as he removed the bags out of her reach. He chuckled and gave her a small smile.

'I know for a fact that you completely ignored Kakashi's advice and didn't go to the hospital to treat your injured arm so you are going to let me carry those bags upstairs for you. Overexertion should not be underestimated, Miyeko. I don't want you to hurt yourself.' he said, but she crossed her arms, resolved. She tried to grab the grocery bags from him, but he jumped out of her way, slightly annoying her.

'Stop it. Give me back my damn grocery bags right now, Itachi. I can do this alone.' she said. He sighed and looked at her deeply, his black irises meeting her green ones.

'I know you can do this on your own, Miyeko. But you're not on your alone anymore. You have me now. You can count on me. I know your injury is still painful. You can lie, but your body cannot. I see you wince every time you move your shoulder. Now, lead me to your home or I will have to carry you on my back as well, publicly shaming you for all eternity.' he said. The boastful look he gave her melted her attitude away. She sighed, exasperated.

'Fine. You win. Gods, you're so annoying.' she said, her jaw clenched. As they reached the second level of the apartment complex, she walked towards her door and stopped in front of the last door down the hall.

'Do you consider the key to my door too heavy for me to lift, Itachi? Want to open my door for me too?' she asked, jabbing at him with her witty sarcasm. He chuckled a distinct 'hn' in response as she unlocked her door. He patiently waited for her outside, leaning against her front door frame, a mysterious look in his eyes. She quickly dropped the bags in her genkan and turned around to face him again, his dark orbs meeting her green ones. The warmth in his expression was palpable. It made her blush, sending pleasant shivers down her spine.

'Thank you for helping me out, Itachi. I appreciate it. I hope my place wasn't too far of a trip for you to make. The Uchiha compound is at the other end of the village after all…' she said, suddenly conscious of the distance that separated their houses, hoping he didn't mind the long walk back. But Itachi Uchiha always had the perfect answer for everything that she had to say, she thought.

'I don't mind the walk. I had other errands to run in the neighborhood. Also, there was something I had to ask you.' he started, piquing Miyeko's curiosity. He scratched the back of his head nervously, leaning his body towards hers.

'Would you terribly mind coming to my place tomorrow night for dinner? My mother chewed me out earlier for not telling her about your return to the village and now Sasuke just won't stop asking about you. Please, for my sake, accept my invitation. I might never hear the end of this.' he said, a smirk growing on his face, the sunset colors from the orange skies brightening his face. Miyeko giggled. How could she ever refuse him?

'I'd be delighted to see your family again, Itachi. I quite missed them.' she said. She could feel his body closing in on her again, his strong shoulders brushing hers.

'And they quite missed you.' he replied echoing her words, his long bangs now slightly brushing Miyeko's forehead. She could feel the warmth of his body caressing her skin through her clothes. She knew the next thing she said would probably make him uncomfortable, but she had to know.

'And… did you miss me?' she asked, her voice as quiet as a whisper. She suddenly felt a rush of anxiety run through her body, nervous at his stunned expression. He had remained stoic, his eyes riveted on her. She was transfixed at the expression in his dark gaze. There were so many things she had wished to say to him, but she was muted by her sudden fear that he didn't feel the same about her as she did him. After all, how could he? She had caused him so much hurt and yet he had been nothing but gentle and kind towards her. That night, when he took her in his arms and asked her to come back to him, to come back in his life… Did she imagine it? It still felt surreal to her, this sudden act of affection of his… Could he have really meant it? This happened during a mission, she reminded herself. As teammates, they had to be professional and in good terms to be able to communicate properly for the success of the mission. That was probably the reason why he wanted to rekindle their friendship in the first place, she reminded herself.

As she looked at the floor and regretting her words, Itachi then poked her forehead, earning a confused gasp from the Nagaki survivor. She blinked, stunned. She had no clue what had just happened. She then felt her world spin as her whole body move. He pulled her forward towards him, her chest suddenly crashing against his, their hips connecting. She gasped as Itachi reached for her waist and firmly held her in place against him, inhaling the sweet smell of her perfume as he moved his face over hers, delicately rubbing Miyeko's top lip with his own. Miyeko's heart was beating so fast in her chest that she could feel it beat in her ears. She then felt his lips move in a small signature smirk of his.

'More than you could ever know.' Was all he replied to her in a whisper before placing his lips on hers hungrily, taking the kiss they almost shared in the forest of the Lands of Wood for himself. Immobilized by shock, Miyeko let Itachi's lips caress hers, his hand slowly moving to find the delicate skin of her throat. Her fears left her body as she kissed him back, her lips demanding more of him as she ran her fingers through his hair, moving her hands down to his shoulders, bringing him even closer to her. All these years of solitude, all this pain that they had felt vanished with the soft sensation of their lips connecting, their bodies responding to this new desire of being close to one another. There were so many words left unsaid between them. With a kiss, she had revealed to Itachi all the emotions that she kept inside for all these years. This desire for his touch was now taking over her like an all-consuming inextinguishable fire.

Itachi grunted sensually and gently pushed her back on the doorframe, steadying her as she opened her lips to taste him. He licked her lower lip, his tongue begging for entrance. She was out of breath but she needed so much more from him, so much more. He could feel her need for more intimacy and slowly swirled his tongue around hers, creating a fire only he could ignite inside of her. She felt her knees weakening and her lower half burning with desire, wanting to bridge the gap that remained between their bodies. But he held her steady against the wall, his hand against her throat, denying her nonverbal request to gain control. Miyeko welcomed his dominance with a loud moan. He pressed his hips against hers, the heat of their lower bodies burning like hot coals. Her whole body was trembling in anticipation as she felt his tongue caress hers, twirl around in her mouth, massaging hers. She moaned again, inviting him to claim more of her. Even though she felt his strong hand pressed against her delicate neck, she could feel the tenderness in his kiss. As hungry for passion as he was, he remained gentle with her, just as he had always been.

When he broke the kiss, Miyeko noticed the sultry, hungry look in his eyes, a look she wished would never leave his black orbs. He pressed his forehead against hers, his hands slowly moving down the length of her arms, caressing her skin. The warmth of his breath and the caress of his nose on hers sent goosebumps running on the surface of her skin and he smiled when he noticed the tiny bumps of pleasure under his fingers. Miyeko felt he craved more, but he had stopped himself, nonetheless. Her hands were still firmly planted on his chest as she explored his pectorals with her digits over his shirt. He had grown so much, she thought to herself as she examined him closer. Itachi Uchiha had left his childish looks in the past and had become a man right under her nose. The attraction she felt towards him wasn't a simple fluke, she thought. He was what she had always craved for, what she had longed for ever since she could remember. Her younger self would never have been able to express what she felt but now that she was a woman, it all made sense to her. This was destiny. She had always wanted him close to her as he wanted her close to him. Now that she had him, she wouldn't ever let go. He slowly placed his lips over her ears, his silky deep voice purring in her ear.

'I'll see you tomorrow.' he said as he removed his body from hers and walked away, leaving Miyeko panting, stunned and bothered against her front door frame. She could feel her body sliding down the length of the wall as she found herself sitting in her genkan, flushed with this sudden rush of pleasure that Itachi provided her. She ran her fingers over her lips, where he had kissed her moments ago. They were still warm from his touch. She closed her eyes, trying to taste his lips in her mind again, desperately wanting to relive this moment as she let her thoughts overcome her. She sighed and giggled. She felt like a thousand pounds had been lifted from her shoulders, her heart as light as a feather. She rose up, closed the door behind her and dreamily walked towards her bathroom, a soft pink glow covering the skin of her cheeks. She had completely forgotten about her grocery bags and their content as they lay on the ground. Miyeko had drawn herself a warm bath. She slowly slipped herself into the warm water in silence and let her hands roam down below to alleviate the tingles flaring on her nether skin and deep within her. This time around, all she could envision in her aroused stupor was the look of yearning in Itachi Uchiha's eyes.

Unsuspectingly, Miyeko Nagaki had failed to notice that an ANBU agent had infiltrated her home earlier that day and had left an urgent summons for her from Danzo Shimura of Root on her kitchen table.