A/N: Ah, the loveliness of cliffhangers. Despite threatening that if I didn't get reviews, I wouldn't post this next chapter, I have decided to be lenient and not leave you hanging. Because I'm nice. Again, many thanks to my co-authoress Shoujo Queen for her exquisite help! Oh, and the characters might be OOC, as I am not very well informed on them (I've only seen the first 15 or so episodes), and I am putting them in situations that they might not otherwise be in. The most OOC is likely to be Itachi, as I've never seen an episode with him. And, for clarification: For the purpose of the plot, both Kakashi and Ayumi are 28, and the three genins are 13. I know that I'm upping Kakashi's age a bit, but it's the only way to do it, as you'll see in later chapters.
Sorry for the long note! Just had to get all that out…XD
Disclaimer: I own only Kakashi. And Shoujo Queen owns only Itachi. –nod nod- Just don't tell anyone, kay?
Chapter 6: Strange Happenings"If you must fight," she continued, "leave the estate."
Naruto savagely nodded, and called to Itachi.
"I challenge you to come off the grounds and fight me to the death," he quietly seethed.
"NARUTO!" Sakura cried out. "You're going to get yourself killed!
The blond kitsune looked down, and gritted, "I don't care. That baka-ketsu says he loves you, but he doesn't know what love even means. Love is willing to kill for someone, and also willing to die for them. And," he looked up and screamed, "AND I'M WILLING TO DIE FOR YOU!" Everyone except Itachi stared on in shock, as Naruto continued. "So, Uchiha slime, I'm gonna show you what love really means. And even if I die, at least you'll know how to care for Sakura. Maybe even deserve her. Let's go, you red eyed bastard!"
Itachi began resolutely stalking to the border of the estate, and Naruto turned to follow.
"NO!" Sakura yelled, and ran in front of Naruto.
Before he could react, she had put her arms around him and was hugging him fiercely.
"Don't do it! I don't want you to die!" she sobbed into his shoulder. Everyone, now including Itachi, stared in shock once again as Naruto's wide eyes closed, and he gently returned Sakura's embrace.
Sasuke leaned over to his sensei and whispered, "Out of curiosity, and gratitude to Naruto, what happened to me?"
Kakashi shook his silver head. "I wish I knew. Women are so complicated…" They looked in Ayumi's direction, anticipating another death glare for their smart-ass comments, but the kunoichi was looking sadly at the hugging figures.
Sadly?
Sensei and student looked at each other. Women were indeed complicated. Little did they know that she was thinking of another young couple from years ago.
Itachi watched in utter amazement, although he was careful not to let it show on his face. What in deepest hell was going on?
The way Sakura acted around Naruto, and the way she spoke to him made Itachi think that she would have no opposition to Naruto's proposed duel. But, here she was, telling the boy that she didn't want him to die, and sobbing.
Damn, Itachi thought. How could I let this happen? He was going to have to revise his plans somewhat…
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Later that day, Ayumi walked out of the house to see Naruto and Sasuke arguing, Sakura practising her aim with shuriken, and Kakashi under the ancient cherry tree, reading.
Curious as to the subject matter of the slim orange book, she walked over to the silver haired jounin and lifted the novel from his hands; ignoring the small sound of protest he uttered.
She read a few paragraphs, her blush deepening with each word. After less than a minute, she gasped, and gave the offending object back to him.
"Hatake, you pervert! I can't believe anyone would read that, much less YOU!" she exclaimed as she plunked herself down next to him.
"Everyone needs an escape," he shrugged, resuming where he had left off. "And," he added, without looking up, "my name is Kakashi. No one uses my last name – it would make me more comfortable if you didn't, either."
She blinked, and her eyes filled with tears of loss at the memories brought on by his words.
"Ha," she whispered breathlessly, "ta," she sighed, "ke," she groaned as he smothered her with kisses. He grinned into her mouth. "My name is Kakashi," he murmured, tracing the word onto her back with fingers dripping in chakra.
"Everyone calls you that! I thought our relationship was different!" she giggled as she broke from his full lips to trail butterfly kisses down his neck.
Her back arched as his firm muscled arms slid tightly around her torso, and he pressed her small lithe body into his.
Her hands began to trace the muscles on his back, and he gently lifted her chin to plant a kiss on her willing lips. They broke from the kiss, and looked into each other's eyes, and he smirked at her blush.
She gave him a glare, and he laughed at the fake anger on her face. She melted the frown away, and snuggled more closely into him.
He brushed her long hair away from her face, and kissed her forehead. She grasped his chin, and drew his face down until she could kiss him, which she did.
Soundly.
Ever one to take an advantage presented to him, he…
"I'm sorry, I truly am! I didn't mean to make you cry! You can call me Hatake, if you like…"
Ayumi woke from her reverie to see Kakashi's face close to her own, looking quite desperate.
"Oh…no, it…it wasn't you. Really, it wasn't! What you said just made me remember something about someone, and…and…well," she looked at him to see if he would catch on. "It's a sad memory. It truly isn't your fault, Ha- erm…Kakashi."
He looked relieved, and picked his book back up.
Her shoulders slumped slightly at the fact that he hadn't understood what she was trying to say.
Plastering a smile on her face, she tipped Kakashi's book so that she could see the cover. Reading the name, she snorted in amusement, and a bit of disgust.
"Jiraiya? THAT old pervert? I should have guessed! He being your old sensei and all…Stupid old man. Kept trying to get me to model for him."
Kakashi looked up in surprise. "He did? Wait…you knew him?"
She stared at him. "You…you…you…" she shook with frustration. MEN! They were so dense! "You don't remember me?"
He looked at his lap. "You chakra is similar to someone I once knew – actually, it's practically identical. As is your face. That's not surprising, considering she was also a Higurashi. However, you couldn't be her - she died 13 years ago, when the Nine-Tail fox attacked our village." He picked up the book again, intending to loose his pain in its pages as he always did.
Ayumi looked sadly at him, and then raised her hand to his masked face. Time to take the law into her own hands. If he was so certain that she was dead…
"You never used to wear this." She murmured, adjusting it so that it was straight. "Particularly when you…"
She whispered the rest of the statement in his ear, her fingers still hooked onto the edge of the mask. His eye widened, and then curved into a deliriously happy smile. As she continued whispering, he grabbed her wrist and gently tugged it down, effectively removing his mask. With his other hand, he gently cupped her chin and turned her mischievous face to his own. "I'm so glad that you're alive," he murmured as he bent his head and kissed her soundly.
Ayumi giggled into his mouth, sending his senses into blissful overload as he deepened the kiss, smelling her intoxicating scent, tasting her familiar mouth, feeling her still-lithe body, hearing her soft moan…
Sasuke and Naruto stopped their argument to stare outright at their sensei making out with their hostess. Their jaws practically fell off as Kakashi's beloved Icha Icha Paradise book fell out of his hands, unnoticed, to the grass as he manoeuvred his body closer to Ayumi's.
Sakura came over to ask the boys what they were looking at, and they pointed, dumbstruck, to the kissing couple.
Sakura muttered "Dobe!" at them, and smacked them both on their respective heads before stalking off, a dopey smile on her face, to continue her practice.
Itachi came out of the house and stared in utter shock at an embracing couple for the second time that day.
Stupid people.
Making him not only emotional, but also sick to his stomach.
Kakashi and Ayumi were doing some pretty serious kissing over there.
He shivered.
What an awful display.
He turned away to quell his churning stomach, and spotted Sakura using a tree for target practice.
He walked over and tapped her on the shoulder, earning a gasp, a jump, and a shuriken far to close to his eyes for comfort. He gently pushed her hand down as she visibly relaxed. "Oh, it's just you, Uchiha-sama. You scared me!"
He nodded an apology, and gestured to the shuriken-studded tree. "Would you like a more challenging target?" he queried.
She blinked. Another question?
"Ummm…sure! Thanks Uchiha-sama!" He smiled slightly, and stood near the tree. Sakura shook her head to clear her vision as he rapidly threw the throwing stars to her. Had he just smiled? It couldn't be, she assured herself. Not a chance.
After throwing her all her weapons, he positioned himself where her original target had been.
She threw a handful of shuriken at him, using her chakra to make them come at him form all angles, with extra strength.
He leaped effortlessly, and easily dodged them all.
Immediately, she sent another barrage, this time, one chakra-strengthened shuriken at a time. Again, he evaded her attack. She narrowed her eyes, and tried again, this time with her newly learned senbon umbrella jutsu. None of the missiles hit her target, and Itachi wasn't even breathing hard!
She had expected nothing less from him, but it was still frustrating.
Grinning, she surreptitiously made some seals while reaching for her shuriken pouch. She whispered a phrase as she let the throwing stars fly. He skilfully dodged both the original AND the second set of weapons in the shadow of the first!
As she gritted her teeth in frustration, fire-tipped senbon sped toward her from the trees.
Itachi's eye widened infinitesimally, and Sakura gasped.
Naruto heard, and began racing toward her. Itachi began making rapid hand signs – the beginnings of an earth barrier. Kakashi and Ayumi leapt up and rushed toward the small kunoichi.
The world seemed to move in slow motion as Naruto tried desperately to reach Sakura's side.
Words leapt unbidden from his lips, and he whispered "Ikaesu Gaisen," as his eyes flashed purple with the Kakai Genkai of the Higurashi clan, and the senbon reversed direction as Itachi's earth shield sprang from the ground.
Ayumi and Kakashi were running towards the woods, Itachi was defusing his barrier, and Sasuke was helping Sakura up as Naruto stared at the scene.
What the HELL had just happened?
A girl stepped from the woods directly in front of the running shinobi. Her red-and-black clad shoulders were shaking with indignation as she clenched her fingerless-gloved hand into a fist.
Itachi whispered a barely audible word. "Nariesha…"
A/N: Well, so that's done. I've had a bit of trouble with this chapter – had to re-write it several times, so…yeah. If you don't like it, I don't either, but review anyways! –sigh- okay, enough subliminal messaging… Anyways, this is probably the last chapter I'll write for a while, as I am painfully behind in my Andromeda fan fiction, tears of the Sun. It's hard to juggle so many! Therefore, until I am caught up with that one, or until Shoujo Queen intercedes for you, I won't be updating this. Don't lose heart, though – I'll get to it eventually! I've had questions from my sisters, who watch me as I write, as to the definitions of several terms, so I shall define a few here in case any of you have the same inquiry!
Kunoichi (or kunochi – I've seen it spelled both ways): a female ninja
Shinobi: a ninja
Genin: the lowest level of ninja
Chuunin: a higher level of ninja; mid-ranked
Jounin: the highest level of ninja
Dobe: retard
Baka: stupid
Baka-ketsu: asshole
Kakai Genkai: bloodline trait
Shuriken: ninja throwing stars
Senbon (singular – senbo): long throwing needles, often tipped with poison
Hiate: the headband that signifies a ninja's village of origin
Kitsune: fox
Icha Icha Paradise: Heehee! Kakashi's beloved adult novels…okay, they're porn. Translated, it's usually Make Out Paradise, but it's more correct translation is Come Come Paradise.
Ikaesu Gaisen: A made-up bloodline trait of my own. Ikaesu means to return fire, or shoot back; Gaisen means…well, I can't find the translation I wrote down for that one. But it means something similar to Ikaesu. Essentially, I was looking for something like the Backlash Wave from InuYasha – but wanted it a bit more subtle.