Itachi is promoted to a captain within the Anbu shortly after his thirteenth birthday. Ito receives an invitation in Mikoto's handwriting to dine with their family to celebrate both of their recent success. Ito finds herself horribly nervous, knowing that it is her first, and likely only, chance to impress Uchiha Fugaku. For once, she considers her appearance with shallow vanity. She has grown into her legs, the makings of a woman starting to peek out behind the hard-earned muscle definition. She dons an exquisite kimono, one she had seen while shopping that reminded her of something Kushina might have worn. It was silk, shining sheets of lilac embroidered with fine silver thread in the shape of lilies. This was the only occasion she had ever had to wear it. Her hair, which she had grown out to a lavish length to symbolize moving on from her past, reached the middle of her spine. Gravity seemed to finally succeed in taming it at that length, the normally uncontrollable ringlets tugged down into soft waves. She normally keeps it in a tight braid, as any reasonable kunoichi would, but today she allows it freedom.

The light, cerulean eyes of her reflection stare back at her, fringed by lashes long and dark. She softly dabs color onto her lips and cheeks, barely thinking about the scar that cuts jagged across her mouth.

(She had many scars now, as did almost everyone here)

The guards begrudgingly escort her to the main house of the Uchiha compound when it comes time, and Itachi is waiting for her on the porch. It takes everything in him not to use his Sharingan as she walks up, tempted to implant this image of her in his mind forever.

"Ito-chan," he manages to murmur, she looks almost shy. "You are truly the most elegant beauty Konoha has to offer,"

The color she put on her cheeks quickly becomes unnecessary, her young heart swooning. He was rarely so forward with his affection. She notices that he, too, has grown into himself. He stands before her a man, the childish curves of his face replaced with the trademark chiseled features of his clan. He retains his mother's beauty throughout the harsh lines; the same silky black hair and dark, mysterious eyes. Muscle carved as if out of stone, she can feel his strength just from the hand on the small of her back, gently guiding her forward.

Little Sasuke is the next to greet her, having grown fairly comfortable with her over the three years of his life. She smiles down at him, his tiny arms wrapped around one of her legs in a hug. She tousles his hair, and Itachi scoops him from the floor with a whoosh. His laughter fills the halls as they approach the dining table, already set with steaming food. Mikoto meets her in a warm embrace, they have also grown close.

(Anyone that can keep Itachi's heart the way she does is welcome in her home)

Uchiha Fugaku stands at her arrival; his face is stern, and he towers at an intimidating height.

Ito musters all the courage she can to smile at him, teeth and all.

(It wasn't what he was expecting at all)

"Lord Uchiha-sama," she says, tone impossibly friendly. "At last, I am able to thank you for the hospitality your clan has always extended to me. Your family is a reflection of your wisdom, kindness, and strength. I am most grateful to be a guest in your home this evening,"

He shakes her hand, unsure of how to accept such a touching compliment.

"Your display at the Chūnin exams was most impressive indeed, the Uchiha are glad to have you as an ally," the man settles on finally.

Itachi smiles widely, something so rare it was noticed by both parents. Fugaku begins to see why his wife had sought to end their heir's betrothal to Izumi, briefly wondering if it really would be so bad to bring fresh blood into the clan. If this young love blossomed into a family of their own, their children would undoubtedly be powerful. And beautiful. And insanely intelligent. A tempting thought, indeed. However, they were still children, with ample time ahead of them to mature. A decision to end a marriage contract that had been signed at the boy's birth was years away still.

The conversation throughout the delicious meal is lighthearted and easy, a luxury for the table of shinobi. It is the first time in a long time that either of the adults had felt so at peace themselves, the love shared between Ito and Itachi infecting the whole room. The two of them stay and clean the dishes, assuring Mikoto it is no trouble.

(They also watch Sasuke for hours, then eventually put him to bed)

(Mikoto glances pointedly at her husband, who gives her the smallest, slightest smile)

Eventually, Ito yawns, and Itachi offers to walk her home. There are no boundaries between the two of them anymore, taking advantage of every opportunity to be wrapped up in each other one way or another. They cannot bear to part at her door, and she ends up dragging him into bed with her. They spend the night sleeping together in the most innocent sense; chatting aimlessly until they fell asleep, his chin resting on her head, her face nuzzled into his chest. He wakes up early enough to sneak back home without ridicule from his parents, but cannot escape her sweet grasp without waking her. He gently pushes her into a sitting-up position, her eyes blinking open sleepily.

Letting his instincts take over, he does something he's been daydreaming about for months. He leans forward, and a bit uncertainly, presses his mouth to hers. Hardly aware of what is happening, she kisses him back as if it is the most natural thing in the world. They break away, looking at each other with unsaid questions in their eyes. He tries it again, with more confidence, and she sighs into his mouth. Melts against him. An intoxicating sensation, he thinks to himself. Then he has to leave, so he eases her back into her bed and urges her to go back to sleep.

She tries, but her heart is pounding entirely too fast to let her rest.

(Her first kiss, shared with who else, but Itachi? Kushina had been the first to guess it would happen)


Time begins to pass at a seemingly-accelerated pace, but Ito knows that logically, it's only that she is much busier than she had been when she was younger. The Hokage's age is more apparent than ever, and he begins to rely on Ito for more than her paper-pushing skills. He grants her the clearance to travel in his stead, his ambassador throughout the Five Great Nations. Now that she is in and out of the village almost as much as Itachi, it becomes nearly impossible for the two of them to meet regularly.

The darkness eats away at him without her steadying light. Tensions within his clan continue to worsen and fester, they see his promotion as an opportunity for a coup d'état. The idea makes him sick. It is true that the Uchiha are being hunted for their eyes, children targeted by dark phantoms, the village useless against the unseen enemy. They had tried to see the move to the outskirts and the self-governance as a blessing in disguise, but it had left them insultingly vulnerable (something the Uchiha famously hated being). However, an Uchiha takeover would lead to civil war in Konoha. Civil war would reveal weakness to be taken advantage of by rival nations. Rival nations getting involved spelled out another world war. He could not stand behind his clan if that was the choice they were making.

He has no free time for his brother, even less for his love. It makes life nearly unbearable, getting only a day or two out of the month to share with them. Shisui tells him one evening before he leaves for Ito's apartment that he has been asked to spy on his friend, the other Uchiha doubting Itachi's dedication to their mission. It hangs over him heavily, despite her presence by his side. She asks him what's wrong, like she always does, but this time he cannot tell her. He cannot say, 'they are right to doubt'.

Her willingness to put her own safety on the line for him persuades him to keep his strife to himself. He cannot allow her to be pulled down to his murky depths; preserving her innocence, along with Sasuke's, is his main priority. He clings to her as long as he is able, stealing kisses from her mouth in between her sentences.

As much as she enjoys the attention, the actions are out-of-place and needy. She can sense a distance growing between them for the first time since the day they met, four years ago now. It makes her feel ill. They don't have nearly enough time together before they are both needed elsewhere.

Ito begins making a name for herself across the land, though it isn't one she is particularly fond of. As she handles any political affairs the Sandaime has concerned himself with, those that come across the girl refer to her as Sougyoko no Konoha, the Sapphire. A reference to her blossoming beauty, which is why she hates it so much. They don't even use the kanji that refers to the gem itself, but rather the birthstone used to make jewelry.

"It's like I'm being called an accessory," she complains to Kakashi over ramen one night, he is as faithful a friend as ever.

"I think it's cute, Sougyoku-san," he teases with poorly-contained glee. "It's better than Fishbone, anyways,"

"Aw, Kaka-chan, I didn't know we used nicknames now,"

(The only time she likes her new title is when it falls from Itachi's lips, as gentle as the first leaves tumbling to the ground in autumn)

She still celebrates Naruto's birthday each year, wondering if Jiraiya will wander into the village like he had that one day. He never does, and she never creates such a fuss over the child again. Kakashi was right, eventually, Naruto would come to the village. The best she could do during the wait was continue to build her strength and prove her worth.

Though she does not personally love the Sandaime, she serves him well. She understands that she is not there to make her own decisions, but carry his to where he can no longer reach. After years in his service, she thinks she has a solid grasp on his ideals. Truthfully, he rarely has advisors represent him so accurately and honestly. She helps Konohagakure bloom, her wisdom going well beyond her years. It is clear to him that someday, when Uchiha Itachi takes over the mantle of Hokage, she will be his right hand. He hopes these years of experience will serve her well later, and he has faith in the hands that will one day carry the village.

The old man is almost tempted to believe in peace, when Uchiha Shisui knocks on his doors with the news of a plot he could hardly fathom.

Only a few months later, Itachi yanks Ito out of bed in a frenzy.

"Please, Shisui is hurt!" He urges, and her brain kicks immediately into gear. She can hardly keep up with the boy he is travelling so quickly, but she pushes herself past the burning in her lungs. They climb the high cliff of the Naka waterfall, where Shisui is bleeding heavily at the top. Itachi forgotten, Ito is by her injured friend's side instantly.

"Kami help me, what happened?" She asks, trembling as she begins to assess the damage. One of his eyes is missing completely, more than one of his vital points damaged fatally, roughly a quarter of his bones broken.

"Oh, Ito-chan, don't you worry yourself with that," he pants, a pained smile on his face. "Don't you try to fix me neither, I told him to let you sleep,"

She bites down on her lip hard enough to draw blood, images of Kushina's battered body tearing through her mind.

"I-I can save you," she mumbles, but all three of them know it is a lie.

"Please don't waste your precious chakra, Ito-chan, really," he assures her, gently pushing her glowing hands away.

"At least let me help with the pain," she begs, despising the feeling of being powerless. Finally, he stops resisting, and she does the best that she can.

"I have never known a heart as kind as yours," he tells her, his breathing becoming easier. Tears slip down her cheeks. "'Tachi, you better promise to look after this girl. And after this,"

She cannot bear to watch as he plucks his remaining eye from his head and hands it to his best friend, a smile on his face. She cannot brreathe, she cannot believe this is happening. Itachi is sobbing. She can see the outline of his shoulders shake as he accepts the gift. Shisui finds the strength to force himself to his feet.

"I left a note so your cover won't be blown. Just do your best, 'Tachi. It'll be enough. You might have to walk a dark path for awhile, full of pain and suffering, and I am sorry I can't be at your side through it all,"

Ito weeps silently, forced to witness another unbelievable tragedy in a moment that was meant to be private. She begs for an understanding of these events, but she is blindsided.

"I know that with the mangekyō, I can leave the rest to you,"

The boy turns and looks to the sky.

"Well, it is time," he gives a sigh of relief, and then tumbles down the waterfall. Ito screams, but Itachi only watches in frozen horror. His eyes flicker crimson, tears of blood and grief leaking from his transformed Sharingan.

Ito holds his crumpled form moments later, wiping his face and stroking his hair.

(Nothing is ever the same again)