When we finally got to Shisui's, he told Angel and I to share his bed. Angel was so excited to have a sleepover, she nearly gave me whiplash after I had grabbed my bag from behind the couch and she pulled me with her to the room. I heard Shisui chuckling on our way down the hall. Probably because I looked like I was going to be sick.

The next morning Angel was practically on top of me. I struggled to shimmy myself out from under her and tiptoed to the bag to find nothing inside. Panic began to set in and I ran from the room. When I got down the hall and into the living room, I was met with two sets of glaring eyes.

"Good morning...Itachi-sama, Shisui-sama..." I felt a sheepish expression appear across my face.

"What is this?" Shisui held up the copy scroll.

My eyes narrowed and my expression slowly fell. "An unfinished scroll..."

"Written in the same language as the Tenshi scroll?"

I felt my teeth grit. "It's useless, anyway."

My eyes scanned to Itachi who was eyeing me cooly. "Why did you create a copy scroll?"

My arms crossed. "To study...in case one of you took the original." My eyes flashed back to Shisui. "Why did you go through my bag?"

"You were being unusually protective of it yesterday...after taking your time to return from meeting with the Hokage." Shisui explained with a smirk.

I didn't think this was funny. Not at all. His smirk caused my blood to boil. With a deep breath I turned on my heel to go retrieve my bag. When I returned I stepped a few feet before Shisui. He eyed me curiously as I held my hand out. "You removed my other belongings as well...I want them back."

His amusement became more relevant and he motioned to the dining table. "Everything else is there."

My eyes narrowed a little more before I went to place everything back where it belonged. I didn't bother to look at the two who watched as I then walked to the door and slipped on my ninja sandals.

"Where are you going this early?" Shisui asked curiously.

"To train... and I'll advise the two of you to stay away from me until after I've met with my peers..." My voice was calm and level but I couldn't deny the fury building inside. I made my way out of the house, thankfully without being interrupted or stopped. I didn't want to snap at either of them, so removing myself from the situation is best.

...

Shisui stood there for a moment before blinking away his confusion. He turned to Itachi, who was still gazing at the door. "I've never seen her like that, even as one."

"She's trying to contain the dark chakra..."

"What happens if she can't?"

Itachi peered over at Shisui from the loveseat. "They didn't read that far..."

Shisui rubbed the back of his head in thought. "Was taking the copy scroll a mistake?" They had no idea what was going on with Shikara or how it was going to come out if she couldn't keep her cool any longer. For all they knew she had no intention to use the dark chakra, so preventing her from studying on how to deal with it could end up being worse. "Maybe you should go to her..."

Itachi smirked. "You think that because she's my wife that she won't snap at me?" This was amusing in many ways. One being that in the past, Shisui used to be the one he would send when Shikara was angry. Shisui was good at calming her and bringing a smile to her face. These days he's really good at pissing her off. It amused Itachi further because Shisui was now trying to get him to deal with her in a state that seemed dangerous for even the strongest of shinobi. Itachi isn't afraid of her...but immediately going after her when she gave a warning such as that one seemed unwise. "She needs time to cool off, first."

A soft yawn came from the hallway before a very groggy Angel shuffled in, rubbing her eyes. "Where's Shikara...?" She looked to Shisui, then Itachi and tilted her head.

"She went to train." Itachi replied.

Angel's eyes settled on the copy scroll in Shisui's hand. "What's that?"

"You didn't know about this?" Shisui asked, a little surprised.

Angel's eyebrows creased in confusion. "No...so I'll ask again...what is it?"

Shisui glanced to Itachi before looking to Angel again. "It's a scroll copied from the Tenshi scroll."

"Did Shikara have that?" Angel blinked in surprise.

"Yes..."

Her expression became worried. "Is she upset? Is that why she's not here?" Her eyes went to Itachi for answers.

"She told us to stay away from her for now." Itachi gently responded.

Angel's eyes narrowed at Shisui. "You do realize that none of the jutsus were complete without our chakra, right?" She appeared to become annoyed.

"Right..."

She crossed her arms much like Shikara had before. "So why bother taking it?" Angel was fully awake now, staring Shisui down.

Shisui looked to the copy scroll in deep thought. Why did he bother taking it? Maybe he was being a little over protective...he couldn't help it.

Angel sighed before looking from one Uchiha to the other. "You're unbelievable..." She turned away from them before disappearing down the hall again. The sound of the bedroom door closing behind her bounced off the walls.

Itachi looked to Shisui with a flat expression. "I'm not sure why I've been put on their list with you. I didn't do anything."

A hand covered Shisui's face. "Ahhh, man..."

...

It was nearly time to meet with my subordinates. I was out all day preparing and had every intention to meet with Angel. We were to study the scroll after her visit to the hospital but I found myself still fuming about the copy being taken. I really couldn't bring myself to show up at Shisui's, not without struggling to keep my cool while the boys hovered around us. Just the thought clouded my mind with anger.

Shaking my head and taking a deep breath, I calmed myself and quickly changed into my ANBU attire. I placed the new wolf-like mask over my face and took some extra time to meditate and clear my mind. This ANBU outfit is slightly different from the norm. It's all black, including the armored vest. The Hokage also ordered to have the ANBU tattoo symbol to be black as well. Centered in the swirls is a dot, almost making it look like a watchful iris. I had to admit, I liked it.

The meetup spot is just ahead. There was still another hour or so before the others would show and I had a few more preparations to make before they came. I have every intention to make my final decision tonight. The team I would build would be the best in the land, no doubt.

After the final preparations were set I found a good spot to wait. Arms crossed, leaning against a tree, I bowed my head to meditate again and keep the nerves I had calm. They needed a leader who wouldn't bat an eye at introductions...or anything for that matter.

After a few moments I heard a rustling of leaves and slowly opened my eyes. There before me stood seven ANBU, lined up, side by side. They knelt, peering up at me.

"Captain." A deep voice came from one near center. He had a large body structure, most likely the one I chose from the Akimichi clan.

I gave a slight nod. Now...where is the eighth...? There was a sudden change in the air to my left and my body moved to dodge an attack. I twisted, kunai in hand and brought it to the throat of my attacker. There he is... "You dare to attack your captain...?" My voice sounded dark and cruel. No sense in being gentle. They all needed to know I meant business.

"Just testing to see that you are in fact...the captain."

Could this one be from last night's encounter...? "Take your place with the others." I commanded. I knew all these here would assess my authority and this one especially seemed to want to push his bounds.

"As you wish..." I inched my kunai away from his neck and he leaped into the air, landing alongside his peers, still standing and crossed his arms. The others seemed to observe his disrespectful demeanor as they all remained knelt.

I wouldn't allow them to believe that I was phased by this. "You all may stand at ease...for now." They did and looked to me expectantly. "All of you here have experience as ANBU. I don't plan to exploit on skills you have, however...how many of you have experience infiltrating neighboring countries?"

They all seemed to peer around without response.

"I see."

"Are we expected to infiltrate other countries?" A soft, womanly voice inquired.

"Yes." I put the kunai away before looking to each one. "We are to infiltrate, assassinate, and/or improve relations with other lands at the Hokage's command."

There seemed to be a heavy air of curiosity. Most of the ANBU of the Leaf operated solely in the Land of Fire these days. It wasn't common for them to branch out beyond the border. To the eight before me, what I said was rather odd.

"Now that none of us have claimed to operate outside the Land of Fire...how do you plan to assess us?" The one who attacked me before asked with a bored tone.

"Simple." I slightly shifted to rest weight on my right foot. "Each one of you will face another in a friendly spar and show me your skills. If I deem you necessary, you pass." My arms crossed. I already knew their skills, however I couldn't tell most of who was who with their uniforms on. Once that was out of the way, the fun part would begin. "Each of you will pick your own opponent when I point to you, then in that order you will take turns showing what you're capable of." My eyes scanned over to the 'problem child'. "Understood?" All but that one gave a slight nod of understanding. "Good. Let's begin."

It didn't take long for the sparring to conclude, along with my assessment. I knew who each person was and who I would dismiss. My eyes settled upon the eight as they took their places again.

I pointed to six. "All of you I point to, step forward." They did as instructed. "You will be contacted to meet again. You're dismissed." They bowed before taking their leave.

"What about us?" One of the remaining two asked.

"I'll have you meet with the Hokage, come morning." They would probably be met with a ninja who specialized with a memory loss jutsu. "Dismissed." The two that I had dismissed permanently were the only ones who had triggered the silent traps that I set around the area. The problem child nearly had, too but unfortunately realized in time to avoid it and instead took a nasty blow from the Akimichi. At least that was satisfactory to witness.

I walked over to the sight where I had religiously placed flowers for my fallen friend in the past. Kneeling down, I set a hand near the spot and murmured. "Your brother is a dick...Nakia..."

"So it really is you...the one who was teamed with my younger brother."

My head slightly turned to see the same blue-haired man who grabbed Angel last night. "Your brother was a good shinobi..."

"Not good enough, apparently."

His words caused a sting in my heart. How could he say something like that? I stood and faced him. "I dismissed you. Why are you still here?"

He stepped forward so that he was just a few feet away. "Why did you choose me?"

My arms crossed again. "Because your skills are necessary for my squad."

"Not because you have a lifelong regret for letting my brother die in your stead?"

I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing any form of discomfort. "I would have traded places with Nakia if I could."

His eyes narrowed. "And what about any of us? Are you actually capable of leading a squad? You've operated on your own, outside the village this whole time...Angel of Death..."

I felt a smirk cross my lips beneath he mask but my voice never changed from being flat. "The Hokage seems to think so."

"We will see about that." He turned away. "I'll be keeping my eyes on you."

"Katsuo Adachi..." I called as he was getting ready to leave. His head turned slightly in my direction. "I'll be keeping my eyes on you as well..."

"Heh. We'll see if you can." He replied with a light chuckle. His form disappeared into the night as he walked away.

That's just great. Another man watching my every move. A sigh left me before I decided to head back into the village. Planning for the next meeting with the Shadow Ops needed to be done after visiting with the Hokage. She needed to know my decisions and then we could discuss how to proceed from there. Then after...I needed to be there for Angel and Shisui's union. She would be disappointed if I didn't show.

After my brief meeting with the Hokage, I quickly changed out of the ANBU outfit and into a simple silk kimono, violet in color. As fast as I could, I made my way towards the shrine and caught sight of Angel with Shisui walking arm in arm before disappearing inside.

A deep, smooth voice shifted through the air. "Am I allowed to be in your presence now?"

With a small smile spreading across my lips, most of the frustration before melted away. I slowly turned to Itachi. He's wearing a navy blue kimono and I couldn't help but to marvel at how handsome he is. This would never change.

I shyly held my hands behind my back. "It's an honor to have you in my presence, Itachi-sama." A light blush spread over my face as I gazed into his eyes.

Itachi gently reached around and took my hand and with the other lightly touched my cheek with his fingertips. "The honor is mine." His soft smile calmed the remaining nerves I had. He gently kissed my forehead before gazing down at me. "Shall we go witness you being married off to another man?"

A soft laugh left my lips. "Yes, let's go." I took his arm into both of mine and we walked together the rest of the way to the shrine.

Angel looked gorgeous in her decorated white kimono. It was embroidered in golden lace and her hair was down, curled to perfection. Shisui wore a black kimono, embroidered with gold as well. He looks so dashing, I had to bow my head quickly to hide a slight blush that had appeared. Their attention was brought to Itachi and I as we approached.

"You made it!" Angel happily made her way over and took my hands. "Are you okay?" She asked in a hushed voice.

I smiled to her. "Yes. You look beautiful, Angel."

"Thank you." Her cheeks flushed a light pink. "I'm glad you're here."

My head tilted slightly. "I wouldn't miss it." I gave her a light hug before looking to Shisui. He had in his eyes a glint of sadness. I released Angel and stepped to him. Keep it together...

"Shikara..."

Before he could say anything more I beamed the best smile I could. "I'm really happy for you two. Tonight is all about your union with Angel and I'm honored to witness this moment...thank you." I bowed my head.

To my surprise he lifted my chin and gazed into my eyes with a tenderness that put me off guard. "After tonight I will set things right."

I blinked in confusion and my eyebrows slightly creased. What does he mean?

His hand dropped and he turned to Angel, giving her a gentle smile. "Are you ready, love?"

Her curious expression became soft and she nodded to him before taking his arm. The priest was waiting for them at the front and they walked together to join him.

Their ceremony was much like Itachi and I's but it seemed that Angel and Shisui had slightly different vows. Angel promised to always love and cherish him and that she would always be loyal until the day she died. When it came to Shisui, he had this genuine smile upon his lips as he gazed into Angel's eyes.

"I vow to protect, love and always remain loyal to you, all of you."

I could have sworn his eyes flashed in my direction. The breath caught in my throat as they kissed to solidify the union. Itachi was gazing at me now. I kept a calm expression before taking in a slow breath and released it in a way that was natural. I vowed to be his and only his and Shisui seemed to be trying to break that promise, though he had no knowledge of it. At least I didn't think he did. I wouldn't allow it, I've broken promises before and had no intention to shatter another. I turned my head to Itachi and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"I'm yours and only yours, Itachi-sama." I whispered to him soothingly.

His arm wrapped around my waist and he closed his eyes with a smile. "As long as you are as you are, you're mine, forever." He quietly replied.

The ceremony was complete. Angel and Shisui joined us and we left the shrine together. We would go separate ways once we reached the Uchiha residence.

"This is it." Shisui said with a happy sigh. "Are you two sure you don't want to stay and celebrate for a while?"

Itachi peered down at me. "I have something to show my girl."

I tilted my head and blinked in confusion. "Oh?"

Itachi smiled lightly and gave a nod. "It's a surprise."

"We'll leave you to it." Angel winked. She obviously knew more about what Itachi was speaking of, then she and Shisui said their farewells before walking in the direction of their home. I peered up at Itachi curiously as he reached into his kimono pocket and pulled out a blindfold.

"Is that necessary?"

"Do you trust me?" He replied with amusement.

I gave a quick nod. Of course I trust him. "Yes."

"Turn around." He commanded, twirling a finger. I smirked and did as he instructed, closing my eyes as the soft fabric slid over my eyes and tightened around my head. I felt Itachi gently take my hand. "Let me guide you. It's not far."

When I gave a nod he pulled me with him. I was slightly worried because we were heading inside of the Uchiha residence. What could be here that he wished to surprise me with? He helped me up a couple of steps, then I heard a door slide open. I paused for a moment before he coaxed me inside a building. We took a few steps in before I felt him untying the cloth.

"Ready?"

Am I?

"Yes." My voice sounded soft and unsure. The blindfold was removed and my eyes fluttered open. This place had been a house which was abandoned since before I left the village the first time. It seems that Itachi found some spare time to clean it up.

"Angel helped me make it suitable to stay, if that's what you would like."

I glanced from him to the large house around us. It was left behind by an old couple who had passed with no successors to leave it to. Not that they would have had it long, anyway. It's very traditional and Angel clearly made it a point to place live plants and flowers all over, giving it a lively feeling.

My eyes met Itachi's. "I like it very much," my eyebrows creased in worry. "Are you okay with being here is the question?"

A small smile appeared on his lips. "It's the only house aside from Shisui's that hadn't been painted in blood." He pulled me into his arms. "It's a step towards facing my past so that I can make a future with my wife."

I rested my head on his chest. "Thank you, Itachi-sama."

He gently picked me up and walked us to the back of the house where we found a large bedroom. He laid me down on the bed and joined me. "We can explore more tomorrow. The house is large, so there's plenty of space for you to move about. For tonight, I'd like to spend time as husband and wife."

I felt my face flush red. I don't think I'd ever get used to the idea that we really are married. It was still strange. The truth is, I'm grateful to spend this time with him. I needed to take my mind off of what could be transpiring down the road from us. "I'm all yours."