Author's Notes: I apologize if this chapter is a little strange. I'm not good at developing secondary characters quickly. I hope you enjoy it anyway. Please excuse any OOCness. Thank you!

Disclaimer: All Naruto characters copyright Kishimoto, only Miya is mine.

CHAPTER 2

It was not as warm a morning as yesterday. Miya awoke around the same time, a blue hue settling around her room, but something felt odd. She lay on her mat a long while. She had no dream that night. And there was nothing out of the ordinary that would keep it from happening: the Naritas had squabbles over expenses fairly often, and Taiki was always trying to win her over.

Miya looked up at her window. The sky was covering over with dark clouds, a strong wind making them roll and swirl around angrily. She moved to the window and looked out, her head arched up to the sky. A few droplets fell on her face, the wind picking up before a curtain of heavy rain fell across the field and beat hard against the roof. She closed the casement quickly, a light flashing and a low rumble following a few seconds after.

She dressed herself and entered the common room. Mrs. Narita was sewing near a window, watching out of it, and Mr. Narita sat muttering as he turned his pipe over in his hands. The lady looked up as she entered and set her task aside.

"Good morning, Miya," Mrs. Narita said. "I hope the storm didn't wake you." Miya shook her head, taking a seat by the table.

"Well, you can be sure no one will be doing hard labor today. I don't think these clouds will clear up for the whole day, now will they honey?" Mr. Narita grunted once, never lifting his gaze to them. He must dread being indoors with no one but women around, Miya thought with a slight smile.

She was very fond of the Naritas, with their simple way of life, full of hard labor and modest living. Still, she didn't feel like she belonged. Her literacy was more advanced than theirs; so much that the leader of the village nearby, who was the most literate man within miles, could only just match her. Her posture made her stand out, being very straight, while most others stood slouched or hunched over.

A few hours had passed, the rain still falling steadily. Mrs. Narita was trying to keep a fire burning, and Mr. Narita had dozed off to sleep. Miya's eyes began to droop as well until there was a sudden rap on the door, startling everyone.

"Who could that be in such terrible weather?" Mrs. Narita asked, a hand over her chest. Mr. Narita grumbled getting up slowly to answer the door.

"Yes," he asked gruffly, the door open just enough for him to peer out. Miya leaned forward, hearing the tone of a male voice but the rain muddled the conversation. Mr. Narita stayed at the door for about three minutes before stepping back and opening the door wider to admit two tall, dark figures. Mrs. Narita jumped up excitedly, anxious for some activity and happy to play hostess to even suspicious visitors. One was very tall with a huge object shaped like a blade strapped to his back. The other wasn't as tall, but something was still intimidating. Their coats were uniform, with red clouds patterned on them, and straw hats obscuring their faces. Miya stared at the strangers, until Mrs. Narita touched her shoulder.

"Go make some tea for our guests," she said with a bright smile. Miya nodded and went to the kitchen side of the room. She placed a kettle over the kitchen fire and reached for two ceramic cups, placing them on a tray.

"You both must be soaked to the bone! Please, take off your coats and dry off near the fire," Mrs. Narita began.

"We are fine," one of the guests said. Miya paused at the voice. It was deep and icy, but it had a familiar sound.

"Oh! Well, please have a seat then," she said. Miya heard them move to the table and settle there. Mrs. Narita called her husband to come to the table as well and she started up very general, polite conversation. A low hiss of the heated water in the kettle pulled Miya's attention away from them and she picked it up before it was too hot. Adding tealeaves to the kettle, she let it brew for a minute or two, and poured it out into each cup on a wooden tray.

The taller stranger turned his head as Miya approached and set the tray down. She picked up one cup, handing it to him, but she jumped slightly as a pair of blue hands with black fingernails reached to take it from her. She looked up at the shaded face curiously, two pairs of small round eyes glowing back at her.

"Miya, don't stare!" Mrs. Narita quietly scolded her. She lowered her head quickly, too embarrassed to notice the attention drawn to her. She shouldn't have gotten upset, Miya thought. I'm sure she's never seen blue hands before either. Miya pondered who he might be as she carried the tray to the other side, and set it down again. Mr. Narita was busy eyeing the tallest man while she picked up the last cup to give to the other. He reached out, taking it from her. His hands weren't as striking as his friend's, but they were very fair and unmarked. She'd never seen hands like that on a grown man before. If I just take a glance, he won't notice, she thought. She looked up.

Miya's eyes froze on the shadowed face. She couldn't pull them away. Two glowing sharingan stared back at her from the shaded face. The world around her blurred and faded. She felt every beat of her heart. His eyes pierced into her much like the eyes in her dream. The memory of it flashed before her then and she couldn't breathe. It was him. It was."Uchiha Itachi."

A light glinted in his eyes when she said that name, but it was gone quickly and his face turned away from her, his gaze cast on the cup of tea that was growing cold. Reality came back into focus for a moment, Mrs. Narita speaking loudly to her and Mr. Narita glaring at both guests, mumbling something about suspicious strangers. Itachi's companion was looking at him, waiting.

"Miya! What's wrong, dear?" cried Mrs. Narita, worry making more wrinkles on her face. "You're terribly pale!" She shook her shoulder gently. Miya looked up at her and felt herself lifted to her feet, drawn away from the table. She heard Mr. Narita's voice the first time since the travelers had arrived.

"I knew I should have listened to my gut and left you out in the rain! Get out of my house! I don't want no kind of fancy mind tricks played on us," he said angrily. Mrs. Narita looked up as they stood without a word and urging Miya to lean against the wall, she walked to the door to open it. Her hospitable mask had fallen away, her distrust of the men obvious. Miya couldn't say anything. She saw the present, but her mind was flooded with images of her dreams, fragments from her past, and the moment that was now gone. Everything she once was had been unlocked from a single glance.

She looked up. The room was dark; the steady beat of rain, gone. A cricket chirped outside, other insects joining its song. Miya listened to them for a few minutes then turned her head to look around. She was in her room now, the door closed and the Naritas probably asleep. A small cup of cold herbal tea sat next to her. She smiled a little, thinking how worried Mrs. Narita must still be. I'll see her first thing in the morning, she thought. But...how long was I here. She sat up slowly, her head throbbing and dizzy. Putting a hand to her forehead, she pulled her knees up and rested her arms on them. A faint crunch of the woven mat flooring made her start.

"You didn't go far enough..."

What's going to happen? You'll have to wait for chapter 3 to find out.

Now it's time to answer reviews:

lonewolf4ever: As you see, Chapter 2 is done. Chapter 3 is in process of being written as I type this. So do stick around.