A/N: Ok. I'm sorry for not putting the author's note at the beginning of the last chapter. It was two in the morning, and I was very tired. Well, let's see. Content warnings? Um, not this chapter (my stuff is lemon-free). Thank you guys for the reviews. To steve, thanks. I am going to warn you that from here on out, there's going to be some serious OUT OF CHARACTER-NESS, especially on the part of Itachi. Review, please. I need to know how it's going.
Legal stuffiness: Now, let's not pretend that I own Naruto. That would just be silly. But, Risa is mine, and so is the story.
And now, on with the show!
Last time…
Thinking aloud after she was gone, he said, "I slept in the same bed with a girl, and she was naked in front of me on purpose. What the hell is going on?" He looked at the picture of Sakura on the wall. "Can you explain this to me? Or maybe you're making little pushes from where you are?" The picture didn't answer him. He looked over at the clock. "I don't have to be anywhere until eight thirty. I'm going back to sleep. Maybe when I wake up, I won't have any trouble walking."
Chapter 3: Gentle Pushes
Kakashi opened his eyes. "Ugh. Hangover." He sat up, sheets falling from his bare torso. A hand reached over, taking hold of his shoulder and pulling him back down. His eyes widened. When he looked down, he saw a very naked Yuuhi Kurenai. She was half-asleep. What the hell happened? Wait. That's a stupid question. Shit. I've been drooling over her for years, then something finally happens, and I can't remember? Shit. Double shit. He lay back down, holding his aching head.
Lying on his side, he watched her. She was beautiful. He cursed himself for drinking all that sake. Her eyes opened. "Ohayo." Her voice was low. She smiled at him, and touched his face. His bare face. Of course, his mask…
"Ohayo, Kurenai." His voice was nervous.
She laughed. "You blacked out, didn't you?"
Kakashi leaned on his hand. "Yup. Can't remember a damned thing."
Laughing again, she leaned over and kissed him. "That's too bad." Now he was curious.
"What's too bad?" She clamped her lips shut, and refused to say anything. "Hey. No fair." He could tell she was holding back a smile. "Come on, tell me!" He reached over and grabbed at her, and after some wrestling, was lying on top of her.
Her lips curled into a smile, and she raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
"Making sure I don't forget again." He leaned down to her, and she met his lips halfway.
"Open up, Naruto!" Ino yelled. "You better open the door, or I'll break it down!" She was still banging on the door, and had been for nearly ten minutes. She heard the locks being disengaged from within, and stopped her pounding. The door opened to reveal Naruto, still bleary from sleep. She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Well?" She asked, and he waved his hand lazily for her to come in.
"Whaddaya want, Ino?" He yawned. Ino looked at him, her eyes narrowing.
"You were supposed to be at work three hours ago. Your genin team is now helping Iruka to train the first years. What were you doing?" She eyed him for a moment. "You look like hell, baka."
"You really know how to make a guy feel good about himself, don't you, Ino?" Naruto rolled his eyes. "Sit down. I have to make myself some tea. Can't talk until I have some caffeine." He padded to the kitchen. He suddenly realized that he was still only wearing his pajama pants. He snorted. Worse things had happened already that morning, and he was completely unconcerned by Ino seeing him shirtless. As he took the tea canister down, he had a thought. "You want tea?"
Ino's voice drifted into the kitchen. "Sure. Not too strong, ok?"
"Gotcha." He was beginning to move a little more quickly now, and his eyes were adjusting to the light. In a few minutes, he was toting a tray with two cups on it. He set it down on the small table near the couch. "There you go, Ino." He sat down as she took her cup, and threw his legs over the arm of the couch. "Sorry I didn't make it into work, Ino. I was…having problems last night."
"How so?" Her head cocked to one side, and that malevolent Ino-grin came over her face.
"Well, I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking of how Risa-chan was still staying in her apartment, and that window still isn't fixed. It's the middle of January, and I didn't want her to get sick. While I was debating going over to her apartment, I cleaned up." Ino looked around. She was a bit shocked, actually. His apartment had never been so clean, that she could remember. "So after I finished doing that, I went over to her apartment to see if she would come to stay with me until her window got fixed."
"When was this?"
"About three in the morning."
"Baka! You woke her up?"
"Nope. She was on her way out of the door when I got there. Said she couldn't sleep, and that she was going to go for a walk. She asked if I wanted to come, and I put the question to her while we were walking." He said this as matter-of-factly as he could, since he was still reeling from the events of the morning.
"On her way out the door, huh?" Ino grinned. "On her way to see you, more likely." He shook his head, but she kept pushing. "Where did she sleep, tell me that?"
"In my bed."
"And you? Where did you sleep?"
"On the couch at first, and then she came out and got me." Naruto thought that he could catch where this was going.
"You slept with her?"
"Uh, no! I slept in the same bed as her but I didn't sleep with her! You've got a dirty mind, Ino." He crossed his arms over his chest, and frowned.
Snorting, Ino said, "It takes one to know one. So when do I get to meet this cheeky woman?"
"Tonight, if you like. I figure it would be best if she met my friends, so that they don't think I'm nuts." He brightened. "Do you think we could have one of your famous on-the-fly parties? You're really good at setting those up, Ino." He flashed her his most winning smile, and proved that it worked on more women than just Risa.
Ino giggled. "Sure. I'll get to all of the people at the Academy. Why don't you go and talk to the clans?" He nodded. She jumped up, happy to be able to do something. "Oh, and Naruto, you may want to put some more clothes on." She took one last look at him, giggled again, and walked out of his apartment. Women are very strange. Naruto thought this as he stood and walked to the bathroom. The entire time he was in the shower, he tried not to think of anything. When he did, he just kept thinking of Sakura, and Risa, and how much the one resembled the other, and what if Sakura was trying to make him happy from wherever she was…
Sasuke panted, huddled in the corner. His brother had been using the Mangekyo Sharingan on him in small increments for the past day, and he felt as if he were about to die. Or go insane. Or was he already insane? Take your pick, it didn't matter at this point. All that mattered was that his brother had been making him relive Sakura's death over and over and over again for the past day, each time in more gruesome detail. He supposed that it was to make him feel guilt, or remorse. It produced neither. It only made him want to kill Itachi all the more.
"Sasuke, why don't you just say it?" Itachi stared impassively down at him. "You're weak. You've always been weak. But soon, your weakness won't matter any more. Just like all the others, you'll be dead." Itachi crouched before him, his Akatsuki coat touching the floor. Sasuke looked at his once-beloved brother. What had he turned into? What had either of them turned into? It suddenly hit him. He was a monster, just like Itachi.
From the bottom of his throat, he felt a scream building. His hands tore at his hair, face contorting. After nearly a full minute of looking at his brother and thinking of all that Itachi had done, compared with the things he had done, that scream ripped through the air, echoing through the empty cells surrounding his. Itachi smiled.
"Finally you understand, little brother. Your weakness has made you long for power. Why do you seek it? To kill me? I'm afraid that will be impossible, now. I suggest that you make peace with yourself. I'll be back tomorrow." With that, the elder Uchiha turned to leave.
"Itachi?"
"Yes?"
"Did you love our parents?"
"Hai. But I was too much like you back then. I realize my mistakes now. What I did then was unforgivable. I killed, but I also drove you to kill. You are the product of my arrogance. I live now to correct my mistakes. Perhaps one day, long from now, I will be allowed peace. But peace will not come for you." The guard then unlocked the door. Itachi stepped out of it, and left.
Word spread quickly about the get-together at Naruto's apartment, and no one turned it down. Ino was happy. It would be not only a chance for she and the rest of Naruto's friends to meet this woman he seemed so nuts over, but also a celebration of a life that was now over. Funerals were far too sad. She had known Sakura for a very long time, and she was sure that the pink-haired woman would not want them to be crying. She had died a shinobi's death. Though she thought this, it still made her sad that she had not been on speaking terms with Sakura. She had missed her for a long time, but even after Sasuke had gone away, they stayed away from one another...
These were the thoughts she had as she waited on the bridge for Naruto. She watched her reflection in the water. Her hair was long once again, and her ears had a few more earrings in them, but overall, she looked much as she had back when she and Sakura fought over Sasuke. She sighed. Hearing footsteps, she turned, thinking to find Naruto. Instead, she saw a man in an Akatsuki coat. Her eyes widened, and her hand shot over to her pouch.
The man held up his hands. "Gomen. I am not going to attack you. I was only walking past, and I saw that you looked sad. Out of curiosity, I decided to come and ask you why you looked that way." His eyes were red, and he had dark hair. He must be Uchiha Itachi. Her hand moved away from her shiruken, but she did not relax.
"I was thinking of a friend of mine who died recently. She was killed, oddly enough, by your brother." Ino's voice became raspy toward the end, and she gripped the railing. I'm not going to let him see me cry. I won't! She heard him walk closer to her as she stared down at the water. When he was no more than three feet away, he stopped.
When she turned to look at him, he had undone the top two buttons of his coat, and his arm was resting on the third. "My condolences. I also would like to apologize for her death. I am the reason that my brother became what he is today." Ino's shock showed on her face. The last thing she had expected out of a man who slaughtered an entire clan was to hear an apology. The thing was, it sounded as if he meant what he said.
She suddenly felt rude. Turning fully toward him, she bowed formally. "Hajimemashite. I am Yamanaka Ino. I apologize for my rudeness before."
Itachi started. Her apology was sincere. Bowing in return, he said, "Hajimemashite. I am called Uchiha Itachi, and there is no apology necessary. I admit that I can't be the best person to find randomly walking around." His mouth twitched into a slight smile.
Just then, she heard Naruto's voice. "Oi! Ino!" He ran toward them. When he saw Itachi, he stiffened. "Itachi."
"Naruto." Itachi's voice still held the same implacable calm. He turned to Ino. "Excuse me, Ino-san. I must be going. The Hokage wishes me to continue my work tomorrow, and I need to rest. I beg your pardon." He bowed formally.
Ino bowed, not saying anything. The elder Uchiha walked away, and Naruto's questioning look was waved off. "Don't worry about him. He's fine. Everyone is coming. I think we should make this a party more about Sakura than anything else. You got any food? Couji's coming."
Naruto snorted and suddenly looked dazed. "I guess it's a good thing I just got paid, huh?"
Ino slung her arm around his neck as they walked in the direction of the grocery store. "Don't worry, baka. I'll help out." He smiled weakly. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing. Everything. Everyone is coming. I need to tell Risa-chan. She'll be back around six. I told everyone seven so that I would have time to tell her. What time did you tell people?"
"Seven thirty. But you know Iruka. He'll want to show up early. Kakashi will be late as usual."
"Ack! Don't say his name! You wouldn't believe what I saw when I was over asking him about the party…" He explained that he had been ushered into Kakashi's apartment to find Kurenai-sensei in Kakashi's bathrobe.
"No!" Ino wailed. "That's hilarious! Well, I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. He's been nuts over her for the past four years. I guess that all it takes is a little sake?" They both laughed at that.
Neji sat with Hinata in the garden. She was looking up at the sky. Should he tell her about his talk with Hiashi-sama? He bit his lip. No. He could wait. It was enough sitting here with her, watching the shadows the tree cast as they moved over her face. The cedars were fragrant, and Neji breathed in their scent. He looked up at the sky as well, watching the wind blow the clouds past. They were wispy today, a sure sign of snow in the near future.
"Anou, onih-san?"
"Yes?"
"Naruto-kun came by this morning. He has invited you and I to a party at his apartment, and I got the impression that it was in honor of Sakura-chan." He looked over at her, at her eyes. They were wide, and in them he saw a mixture of emotions. "Onih-san, I know that you don't like parties, but I thought it might be nice if you would come with me."
He didn't even have to think about it. "Hai, Hinata-sama." It didn't matter where they were. So long as he was with her, he was happy.
Itachi looked back at the two figures on the bridge. Ino-san was Naruto's friend…he felt a twinge of jealousy, and then wondered where it had come from. She had had such a sad smile. She had been wary of him, but not truly frightened. Then, she had formally introduced herself to him, as if he were just a normal person. No one had ever done that before. Even his father had never treated him normally. The smile returned to Itachi's face as he turned and continued up the street. It had been long since he had a friend. Would he ever be allowed to have one again?
Slowly, he made his way back up to the inn he was staying at. The people on the street gave him wide berth. He felt like a leper. Itachi sighed inwardly. He had had enough of being kept at arms length. It was how his whole life had been.
A/N: Well, in this chapter, I used a word that some people may not have come across before. Hajimemashite means, basically, "How do you do?" It's something said at a first meeting.
PLEASE PRESS THE LITTLE PURPLE BUTTON AND REVIEW. THIS IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, SO LET ME KNOW WHAT'S GOING WELL AND WHAT'S NOT. FLAMES WILL BE DULY NOTED, AND SERVED AS SNACKS TO NARUTO AND AKAMARU.