There he found Natsume attending Ryumi with a spoon of soup. But Ryumi was quietly facing the window as if in a trance, her eyes weak and teary and her lips and cheeks pallid and pale. As Itachi approached Ryumi, Natsume stood up and got out of the room. Itachi knelt over Ryumi and held her hands; they were now face to face, "Ryumi, eat onegai" Itachi pleaded, his eyes were very sincere and like drops of rain Ryumi felt tears dripped down her cheeks, it was Itachi's, "Onegai Ryumi-san stop this" "It's a lie? Right, With Mikami? It was all just a bad dream, all the things she said, she' not really dead right? You didn't kill anyone right?" Ryumi said her eyes blank and tearing as well. "It's true… everything is" Itachi said, there was a look of hopelessness in her eyes. "Do you know how I felt to watch them die right before my eyes?" Ryumi asked recalling what had happened, it took a while before Itachi replied… "Yes, I know how it felt"
"Then, we are just the same?…"
With this Ryumi forced her dead weight arms to embrace Itachi. Itachi held her as she cried, "I killed her…" Ryumi cried, "Just like what I did to everyone" "It's not your fault, move on Ryumi" Itachi said. "Were you able to move on? Why did you do it?" Ryumi asked. "I'll tell you why.. I did it" Itachi said, as he loosened his embrace and sat beside Ryumi, "But you'll have to eat" Itachi said, and then Naruto busted the door open, outside were the chuunins, "Ryumi-sama, if you wont eat, then all of us wont eat" Naruto said quite desperate. "Right" everyone chorused as they sat on the floor. Ryumi just looked by the window again as everyone watched her.
After a while Naruto's stomach began to growl so loud that everyone felt hungry. "I'm hungry, I haven't eaten lunch and then this" Naruto thought. "Giving up?" Tsunade asked, "No!" Naruto replied, "I'm not going to eat unless Ryumi does" Naruto said, "Right everyone?" He asked but he saw everyone looking so tired and hungry. Seeing this Itachi held out a spoon of soup, which was taken by Ryumi instantly. "Thank goodness" Shizune thought. "Alright" Naruto said. Aya then ran to Ryumi crying, Ryumi embraced her little sister. "Now can we eat?" Chouji asked face pallid. "You owe us our lunch" Naruto said, "Stupid, you're noisy" Sasuke said, "Right" Itachi said. Just go to the restaurant and hand them this" Itachi said as he handed Naruto a stab.
With that everyone left leaving Itachi and Ryumi. "That Itachi, he sure is something" Chiaka said, "Good work" Tsunade thought. "He may even be the best guardian there is" Kurenai said, "He did very well, he still has his heart" Gai said, "this is good, love conquers all!" Jiraiya said jotting down some notes. "Oh boy" Asuma and Kakashi sighed.
"Will you tell me now?" Ryumi asked as she ate. "mangekyou sharingan, a special type of sharingan, it gives the person remarkable powers but in exchange for this power, special requirements are to be given, and that's to kill your closest friend. And that night I committed the crime, you were the first I can think of, you were my closest friend but I couldn't kill you… I just couldn't that's why I tried to hate you, tried to get away… I was saving you from myself.. And others did this before me. This was the reason why the Uchiha clan became smaller through the years, relatives die or disappear mysteriously so I did this and acquired mangekyou sharingan, I killed Shisu instead. I looked up to him as a brother and then I killed the whole clan leaving my brother and me the sole carrier of the bloodline because I wanted to start a new clan. A new Uchiha clan wherein the secret of mangekyou, will forever be kept. Wherein no one will die because of power, mangekyou will forever be lost together with the souls of whom I have killed, it is a long term goal but still, the guilt, no mater how much I wash my hands the smell and the stain of blood wont come off I will forever carry this, Sasuke, at least all that I was able to make him feel was anger, I don't want him to feel the way I do, it is better that he is mad with me rather than to feel the same guilt I am feeling, this much worst than revenge, lost or whatever,"
"I understand" Ryumi said as she looked at her hands, "My hands are just like yours" Itachi looked at her, and outside was Sasuke listening to what Itachi had said. For moment he understood everything. "Why are you here?" Ryumi asked, "Have you ever thought of it?" Itachi felt Sasuke's presence. "I… want to be forgiven" Itachi answered, "By whom?" Ryumi smiled, "By the people I love" Itachi replied, "Itachi, you cant be forgiven if you cant forgive yourself" Ryumi said, "I… I am trying to forgive myself too", "Have you forgiven me?" Itachi asked as he looked at Ryumi. Ryumi squeezed Itachi's cheeks "Your apology wasn't necessary, we're cool" She playfully said, "I'm glad" Itachi replied, "Hey, it feels lighter" he said
"I wanna get up now" Ryumi said, "You're still sick" Itachi said as he held Ryumi's forehead, then Ryumi held Itachi's hand on her forehead. "I'll be fine". "Hey, akatsuki right? What is it about?" Ryumi asked hesitantly, it took a while before Itachi could answer he too has been thinking, "What now? With me and akatsuki?" He thought. "It's ok if you're not ready yet" Ryumi said as she got off the bed, "Just tell me if its ok, I can wait" she said as she sat on the wheel chair. Itachi smiled "you don't need that" he said as he approached Ryumi, "I just want a ride" Ryumi protested as she held the wheels of he wheelchair. Itachi held the handle as he pushed the wheelchair, "Where do you wanna go?" he asked, "Anywhere but here" Ryumi answered.
On their way out nurses and other patients greeted them. "Itachi-kun" Ryumi said, "Why?" Itachi replied as he peered down at Ryumi, "I'm still hungry" Ryumi answered, "very well, let's go to the restaurant then" Itachi answered. When the got there they saw everyone eating, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Tenten, Rocklee, Neji, Hinata, Shino, Kiba Asuma, Kakashi, Rin, Natsume, Kurenai, and Aya. When they saw Itachi and Ryumi, Aya immediately ran to hug her, "Onesan!" she cried as she embraced her sister, "Looks like someone got hungry after a food strike huh?" Asuma said, "Well it was hard work you know". Ryumi replied as she smiled at Aya, "I am not drunk!" Natsume said as she drank the sake in the bottle. "More!" She demanded, the table was large enough to accommodate everyone. "What's wrong with you guys?" Kakashi was reading his novel book and Asuma was drinking sake with Kurenai, Rin and Natsume. Ryumi asked as she looked at the children. "Food…" Naruto muttered, "We've been here for ages" Kiba followed, "still, no food" Chouji cried. "Oh geez" Shikamaru sneered though his stomach was rumbling as well. "This is too much diet for me" Ino sighed as she crossed her legs. Ryumi laughed, "This is my fault" She said, "we better do something right Itachi?" Ryumi asked, "We?" Itachi replied, "Yeah WE!" Ryumi said, "Why WE? Why not YOU?" Itachi said, "Oh c'mon" she said as she got off the wheel chair and pulled Itachi to the kitchen.
"Okay, start cooking!" Ryumi said cheerfully, "huh?" Itachi asked, "I want those things your mom used to cook!", "Why me?" Itachi asked. "Because I said so" Ryumi pouted, "Please?" she followed. Itachi washed his hands, "fine" he muttered as I sat on the table watching him prepare.
Ryumi's thoughts
It reminded me of our good old days, when we were young. We were teenagers; we would just hang around and have fun teasing, wrestling, throwing things at each other. He was my best friend. We are often said as a couple, but we would just laugh about it and think how impossible that would be because we… we are more than that… I think…
I don't know why but, its not a crush, I love him, during missions, he wouldn't let me do something that can hurt me, often times when we are going to have ANBU missions, we would leave Rin and Shien and do missions on our own (back then Rin was going out with Kakashi) and Shien was late all the time so we didn't bother waiting for him, well I did Itachi didn't. There was his one time when Itachi and me played a prank on everyone, making them think that we are a couple, how we laughed at them. Some were shocked others were like, "We know"… but ever since that incident Itachi started acting like a real boyfriend material. You know, fetching me. Walking me home, hanging out. Making sure I was okay. It was weird at first but then somehow we got used to it, we never got a chance to tell to everyone that it all started as a joke.
"What are you thinking?" Itachi asked as he disturbed Ryumi's daydreaming. "Daydreaming again?" He followed. "No…" Ryumi answered, "I was merely…err thinking of something" She answered. "Right" Itachi replied as he began to stir what he was cooking. "Hey, Itachi." Ryumi said as she played with her necklace. "What?" Itachi answered, "You remember that time when we tried to take off Kakashi-kuns mask?" "Yes, why?" Itachi answered, "nothing, I just remembered" came the reply of Ryumi as she slid off the table and stood by the window. "How about the time when we tried to cheat on the test by using sharingan against Anko?" Ryumi said, "Yes and you were the one who tried to cheat not me" Itachi replied smiling slightly. "Well you still used the sharingan it means you cheated as well" Ryumi pouted, "Well, at least you passed" Itachi replied. "Yeah I did" Ryumi said as she smiled. Then suddenly…
That awkward silence again. "If only I could turn back time" Ryumi said to herself which Itachi heard, Hearing this, Itachi stood behind Ryumi and rested his head on her neck, "You cant turn back time, but we can make up for the times we've lost" Itachi said, Ryumi was speechless as Itachi held her, this was the feeling of being protected, of being loved, like you've been suddenly covered by a thick blanket in the cold.
It was a moment when, "IM HUNGRY!" Naruto bursted the door open and immediately Itachi and Ryumi separated, Naruto was thinking of what he just saw, "Did I saw something that was not supposed to be seen?" he asked, Itachi was really pissed as he began cooking again. "Iie there was nothing goin on really you go ahead it is nearly finished" Ryumi said blushing really hard. "Right" Naruto said as he went back. Both Itachi and Ryumi sighed. "Itachi that egg is pretty beat up" Ryumi said as Itachi came to realize that the egg was pretty beat up. "Let me help you with that" Ryumi said as she pushed Itachi, Itachi pushed her as well then soon they began to play around…just like before…
Well dinner was fun, everyone listened to stories told by both Tsunade and Jiraiya about their childhood days, even foolish things they do that even Orochimaru took part in. it was such a shame that Orochimaru became…different. Those good old times…everyone shared their own that night was so lively everyone laughing even Itachi smiled and forced himself not to laugh. "If only I could turn back time" Ryumi thought.
Nicky Mail:
This was my favorite chapter ever! I am so good! I totally found a way to clear off Itachi's sentence! He is not a villain anymore! (Claps) woohoo I have mastered the art of reasoning. Maybe I should become lawyer, no matter how convicted my client may be I can could get him out of the case. I like it yeah….(daydream) It's still a shame Orochimaru became bisexual.. I mean different, well you know bad.. lol it would really be nice if he could be good again, maybe I should make another OC wherein Orochimaru will have to help out…What do you think?