AN: Hey guys! Thank you so much for your comments! It took me a while to write this particular chapter since I had no clue how to begin but finally I figured it out, so there you go ;) I'm looking forward to read your reactions since I love this story so much. I'm feeling like I mislabeled it as Adventure, maybe Hurt would be more appropriate... Anyway, enjoy 3
The flower that blooms between the lands and the heavens.
1.
Kakashi glimpsed outside his window when a dark figure appeared inside his room.
"This is dangerous" he mused, slowly turning to face the young kunoichi. "Had it been anyone else you could be stabbed with the excuse of trespassing, Mirai."
Mirai stared at him, unimpressed. "Had it been anyone else, I would have taken different measures, Kakashi-san."
"Why are you here?" he inquired, carefully monitoring her aura. This girl was always so well composed that he couldn't afford to be careless around her. She had this vibe about her, a feeling that no matter the occasion she was unsafe, a snake under the grass.
Mirai smiled coldly. "I am here to see you, of course" she replied, her voice calm and serene.
"Why?" he shifted his weight, leaning against the wall by the window. She made two steps forward and the light of the moon framed her silhouette, bringing out the color of her big, ghostly eyes.
"I should inform you that this meeting is unofficial" she began. "I want something only you can provide properly" she explained, moving closer to him.
He wore his black tight sleeveless turtleneck, that hid half of his face but not his scarred eye. "I's afraid that I cannot indulge in any kind of favors even to someone like you without my Hokage's permission" he warned her calmly, ignoring her cat-like behavior. He had met too many kunoichi in his career to be fooled by soft spoken words and seductive signs.
She smiled, narrowing her eyes like she was attempting to read his thoughts. "Any kind of favors? What a good boy" she mocked him, "Loyal dogs are the only useful ones after all."
"If you came here to insult me you better leave immediately. You are here unofficially, which leads me to believe that no one knows you came to me. If something happens to you, especially here in Konoha, it could damage our diplomatic relations." He straightened his body again and focused his eyes on her playful gaze. He should admit that she had grown into a beautiful young woman and therefor a very dangerous one. Mirai arched her eyebrow.
"You are barking at the wrong tree, Kakashi-san. I have a mission for you and this is not me asking for a favor. It's me asking for information which I am willing to pay for. Generously." she added, a small smile still on her otherwise arrogant expression.
"What sort of information could you possibly seek with me?" he demanded, frowning. She wouldn't be that stupid to go to him for information on his village, she knew he was dedicated to Konoha. She reached for the back of her pants and he immediately caught her arm, keeping her still. She gazed at his extended hand and then she cleared her throat. He released her cautiously.
"Don't move so suddenly." He warned her.
"I am flattered Kakashi-san, to make you this nervous, I must be considered dangerous."
"I know that you will be in the future, however you are still too young." he hinted, casually leaning back again. She pulled a scroll out of her pocket and handed it to him. He took it reluctantly and examined its seal.
"Open it" she commanded, her eyes becoming distant again as she looked outside his window.
He obeyed her order out of curiosity alone. Inside there was information about several locations on the Rain Village, along with some names of locals and shinobi identities, most of them Anbu and Rogue Ninja.
"What is this?" he demanded, searching for her eyes.
"This is what I want you to investigate. I believe valuable clues are hidden in the Rain about a particular foe of my Clan. I would like to destroy his threat as soon as possible" she explained, absentmindedly.
"Hyuga Ichirou." He confirmed and she nodded. "Why me?"
"Because I want this to be achieved discreetly and you are a sufficient option" she mused while she walked away from him, wondering in his room. He followed her with caution again.
"You must think that you have something valuable to offer me, making such a bold request" he guessed, frowning.
"As a matter of fact I do" she said playfully, swirling around to meet his piercing eyes. "I have information on a very, very dangerous man from your village." She grinned.
'Itachi' Kakashi thought. "So you met with him, after all".
She shook her head. "Let's meet again when you have finished and we can talk about it."
She passed by him and headed towards his door but as soon as she reached for the knob he put his hand on it, stopping her from opening. They both moved fast as she pressed a kunai upon his lower torso without even turning around and he grasped the blade to stop it from stabbing him, his other hand still extended above her shoulder, blocking her exit. Thankfully he wore his combat gloves. She didn't turn to look at him but he saw her shivering.
"I am not finished talking. I could take you to custody right now." He whispered, his tone serious.
"You can take me there but tomorrow morning my family will pick me up. Don't be silly now, Kakashi-san" She replied cockily.
He felt the urge to knock her unconscious right then and there. "You refused to meet with me and discuss in the past. Why would I do as you say now?"
"Because that's what dogs do" she hissed, revolving smoothly inside his grip to be able to stare at his eyes.
"Shut it. I can make you spill it with a thousand different ways before I even consider to follow your directions" He said through his teeth.
"However you already know that there is no way you can get those information. My body and mind are protected and my will is ironclad, Kakashi-san. You would waste your time and chakra, honestly."
He clenched his teeth behind his mask. "Whatever information you have must not be really conclusive for you to risk sharing them. It doesn't worth my time and chakra indeed" he said pushing her away from him and pinning her against the door.
She smiled maliciously. "Fine by me. I should visit his next of kin then."
Kakashi looked at her. "What?"
"Uchiha Sasuke, he lives nearby. I believe he would be more than happy to find out that someone actually can get him near his big brother" Mirai explained, pushing his hands away from her body as she placed her weapon back in her uniform.
Kakashi froze. She was serious. He cursed under his breath. "I'll do it" he finally agreed.
"Good" she nodded, her expression cold and distant again. She tossed him something and while he caught it, she had already left the room.
He opened his palm to find a small, puppy shaped biscuit. He crumbled it in his hand as he imagined the sensation of slipping his kunai through her neck.
2.
Mirai was almost back in Kusagakure when she allowed herself to take a rest at a beautiful clearing in the forest. She sat down in the middle of it, her short black hair becoming one with the grass and the flowers beneath her. She stared at the night sky that was all starry and bright. It was then that her stomach caught up with her emotions as she immediately popped up to vomit somewhere else. When she finished, she wiped her mouth with a wet cloth and tried to catch her breath. He had terrified her again but she managed to appear cool. Hatake Kakashi was still too strong for her, she acted tough but honestly she was terrified of a sneak attack until she crossed the borders.
'Calm down' she said to herself as she got up and walked away from the clearing, deeper into the forest of her homeland.
3.
Itachi had been watching her from afar for an entire day. The Akatsuki would soon begin their missions with target no one else but the tailed beasts and of course his services would be needed. One of them was in Konoha, hidden inside the son of the Fourth Hokage. The boy's name was Uzumaki Naruto and he was at the same age Sasuke was. This could mean that Itachi would have to return at his village soon, this time as an enemy. Wasn't he considered one already? He couldn't afford to have anyone else go there and maybe cause unnecessary harm.
He almost met with one of Konoha's greatest shinobi and his superior in the ANBU forces when he was travelling at Rain Village: Hatake Kakashi. The strange part was that Kakashi-san was interrogating some people back in the Village Hidden in the Rain about a particular Rogue Ninja, Hyuuga Ichirou. Itachi immediately felt that this was Mirai's scheme which meant she had offered him something in exchange and he was certain that this could be dangerous for himself. Had Mirai finally decided to cross him? It wasn't much of a deal of course, she was a great kunoichi but as a human being she was imperfect and thus beautiful.
Itachi knew that whatever information Mirai had to offer wasn't too important but again they could be used against him. He sighed as he saw her exiting the training grounds of her district. Many Hyuuga members passed by her during her walk back to her house, all of them stopped to greet her. He reminisced the days when he would walk around in the Uchiha district and everyone would tell him something nice and hand him sweets. He smiled halfheartedly at his peaceful memory. He wondered if Mirai could understand the corruption of the Clans and the politics that only caused pain and loss but he doubted it. She was a child born and raised in this system; she knew nothing outside of it and would probably die defending it.
Her elder brother, though, was different. He had noticed the sickness in people's minds, their hunger for power and control and had tried to stop it with his own hands ever since. He was, like Itachi, a man that left everything behind and fought everyday to do good against all odds. If only he had met her brother earlier... They could be working together now. Hyuuga Ichirou was misunderstood in many ways, Itachi knew this by now. He also thought that the Hyuuga heir was a selfish brat, having his little rebellion on the shoulders of his little sister but then he also thought that clans could be changed, that old minds could be moved by the younger ones. The sad truth was that what Itachi and Ichirou had been imagining was nothing but a dream. There is no change without sacrifice, there is no peace without war and there is no better future without blood.
Mirai finally made it home and she took off her shoes outside the wooden veranda. She entered the minka quietly. She was home alone. Itachi thought about his long discussion with Ichirou last summer.
"Aren't you going to ask me about her?" he had asked at some point.
"I must say I'm scared to ask!" Ichirou admitted shaking his head with a warm, stressed smile on his face; Itachi thought that his features were too sharp to appear sweet yet he managed it very well.
"Then I will leave you to it." Itachi concluded and turned to leave but the older man stopped him.
"Wait!" he sighed "Tell me. How is she?"
The Uchiha traitor turned and faced the Hyuuga rogue ninja. "She is very strong and talented. She is feared among the other shinobi and she has exceptional genjutsu skills." He answered simply, fully aware that his reply wouldn't cover her brother's question.
"This last comment is very impressive coming from you, Uchiha Itachi! However..." Ichirou hesitated but then he continued, "...what I want to know is...Is she happy? She was a happy kid."
Itachi locked eyes with the man. "I don't think she is interested in happiness." He replied simply, thinking about her strict gaze and her steady voice, so different from her brother's.
Ichirou's features darkened, his emotions were clear. Itachi thought about his little brother. He would be the same as her, wouldn't he?
"I see." The man said finally. "She will find happiness one day. I know her heart better than anyone, even her. She has too much room there to be left alone."
"An empty space is often easy to destroy." Itachi argued.
"Her heart isn't empty. Does she still enjoy walks in the forest and gazing at the sky?" he asked him, a hint of a smile on his handsome face.
Itachi thought about it and nodded, uncertain about Ichirou's point. The other man smiled radiantly.
"When someone fits the world and its beauty in their heart, they can be saved. When you can love the land and the sky, you are bound to them; between the forests and the clouds there is people. Mirai always loved things that were pure, she always protected them. This truth in her heart will someday save her. I honestly believe this, no, I believe in her." He explained, his expression calm and hopeful.
Itachi felt his stomach twist; his words touched him deeply but he couldn't speak. He just nodded again and they parted soon after that.
4.
Mirai left a relief sigh as she sunk in the warm, scented water of her large ofuro tub, her back facing the open sliding panels that had a view on her private garden. It was late evening and everything was quiet. Although she couldn't sense the chakra of her intruder, she felt she wasn't alone. Somehow, no one ever left her at peace.
"You can come out now, I am unarmed." she said casually, rubbing her shoulder with fragrant flower oils.
"I beg to differ." She heard him reply from distance as he removed his shoes outside the room and walked in.
"Itachi. What unlucky wind brings you here?" She demanded, unfazed. She raised her eyes to meet his as he was now in front of her.
He tilted his head a little bit, looking at her face. "I am more concerned about your lack of shyness, bathing naked in front of a man like it's nothing" he scolded her with a strict expression.
"I believe that men from Konoha are generally unimpressed by the female body. Am I wrong?"
"Have many men visited your private bath in such circumstances?"
"You would be surprised."
"Was Hatake Kakashi one of them?"
"Depends who you ask."
"I am asking you." he said, his voice sounded angrier than he intended to.
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you concerned about your safety or are you just jealous?"
He glared at her and she lifted her chin in defiance; Itachi always found this particular move she made both infuriating and sexy.
"You are shameless." he replied finally.
"My body is nothing to be ashamed of; I am not responsible of your thoughts about it." She argued while she captured some water in her palms and brought it upon her hair.
"Should I join you then?" He purposed provokingly.
She looked at him. "You do realize that you will have to have a shower first and undress completely in order to join me in the tub, right?"
"Where is the shower?" He inquired while taking his coat off.
She pointed him the direction with a half smile. He proceeded to the showering area that was concealed from the bath, taking his clothes off and folding them. Mirai waited until she heard the sound of the flowing water to activate her dojutsu. He was honestly naked and preparing to come in the bathtub with her!
She panicked. Did she push him too far? What did he have in mind? Did he think that because of what happened two months ago in the cave, she would...? Did he expect her to...?
She took a deep breath trying to calm herself. Men would always be men and want something more if they could have it but this particular one was more dangerous than the Bingo Book described him to be; he was dangerous to her, as a man. Mirai knew she was physically attracted to him, however, she shouldn't allow herself to fall for his charms. On the other hand...
He came out of the shower and she instantly deactivated her byakugan and pretended to be in deep thought while he came in the room, completely undressed and dripping with water. She looked away as he sunk in the ofuro, pushing the water at the limit of the tub. He chuckled and she looked at his black eyes that appeared to be amused.
"What?" she asked him
"I just didn't know that you were the kind of woman that would look away." He explained, obviously satisfied with her reaction.
She frowned. His hair was loose and she could clearly see most of his chest and neck. He was extremely attractive indeed.
"I was trying to be polite."
"That's a first."
She narrowed her eyes, strictly. "You are pressing your luck, Itachi."
He smiled at her and she smiled back. For a moment they both felt like the two ten-year-old chuunin they were when they first met. He brushed his long ebony hair with his wet fingers to get the water through. She sighed.
"Let's talk about it." She announced.
He raised an eyebrow, wondering.
"You are the one who wants to have conversations all the time, begin." She pressed.
"Talk about what?" he asked her, a bad feeling growing in his stomach.
"About all the pointless things that happen in this space between you and me." Mirai explained annoyed.
It was his turn to sigh and look deeply in her eyes. She remained steady and focused as the only sound in the room was their calm breathing and the water dripping from the edge of her short hair. Her expression became softer. His eyes wondered on her neck and he saw the small pedant made of wood that was floating on the surface of the water.
"Love?" he read the kanji absentmindedly.
Her eyes became larger as she looked to were he was staring. Indeed floating in the space between her and him was...Love. She started to feel dizzy and feverish.
"Love." he repeated firmly this time, looking at her. "You want to discuss it?"
"No." she said, feeling more and more at the verge of having a panic attack. She moved to get out of the tub, out of the room entirely.
He grappled her hand as she stood. Mirai calculated the odds and quickly realized that this battle was lost and had no victor.
'Let me go...' she begged in her thoughts. 'Pull out a knife and try to end me, say you are joking, use me but don't love me.'
He started to pull her in the water again and she fought to find the urge to resist. He looked at her small, elegant body. It was marked with scars; some older and some fresh. He wondered if he had caused any of them. It was as she said: This love between them was pointless. They could never have it and they could never make something out of it. They were born to fight and die, their eyes were the absolute proof of this.
However he did love her, he wanted to find this space in her heart that her brother described, where the forests were filled with flowers and the skies would weep with him. He wanted to fill this space with purity that she loved, with laughter and warmth. He pictured a day when she would wake up next to him and immediately frown at his lack of facade. She would scold him for removing the kunai that she kept below her pillow and he would give her a silly and cheesy excuse, saying that she would always be safe when she slept with him. They would argue about who would make breakfast so he would, because not only women should cook and she was a remarkable kunoichi and a clan leader etc... Then they would probably eat food pills since he was a horrible cook and she would nag him and say he was good for nothing. He would nod and give her a kiss on the forehead.
Itachi tried to remain composed. He had killed this kind of future years ago when he decided to be someone else. The ultimate weapon of the Leaf, a criminal with a cause.
She fell back into the tub by his force, sending water off the edge of the the tub. He put his arms around her small shoulders, hesitantly, feeling her back touching his torso. She held her hands together under the water and he wondered if she would make any signs to attack him soon.
"You are probably right" he said, agreeing with her former statement of not discussing it. He rested his head on her shoulder, listening to her vitals that were now faster. He could smell her particular fragrance that had nothing to do with all the flower scents in the water.
"Then what are you doing?" she inquired, her voice weak.
"I'm being pointless as I always do."
"What does this even mean?" she demanded, now sounding frustrated.
"Love."
"No..." she whispered.
"What's horrifying is that you love me, too." He claimed and she shifted abruptly to look at him as he moved his head back to look back at her. Her eyes were big and angry, her lips a thin line.
His face was serene and painted with soft sorrow. His gaze was velvety and his skin was more pale than usual. He was beauty incarnate. Mirai looked at him, trying to reason with her feelings. How could she love him? She knew nothing about him, they had never spoken about meaningful things. She was incapable of love, she should be. Love never wrote history but she would! She looked at him yet she knew, that whatever it was that they never said to each other, she always heard it with her eyes. She was in love with death.
Nevertheless, she was in love.
"I can't love you." She concluded, staring fiercely into his eyes.
"I can't love you either." He agreed.
"So we forget about it?"
"Absolutely."
He said as they both leaned closer and their lips touched.