A/N: As promised, the next chapter. This one, Shoujo Queen and I thought up while at boring play practice…it was a combination of things that presented themselves, and the ideas just wouldn't stop! So, I simply HAD to write it right away! But, I had to write the connecting chapter first, so…

Disclaimer: Where's the typed up report I wanted on this subject? 10 points off for every day late, you know…

Chapter 10: In the Grass

"How could you NOT know he was evil!"

"Naruto, shut up! I knew!"

"Seriously, Sakura. Then why were you all buddy-buddy with him, huh?"

He made his voice high and squeaky, and mocked, "'Oh, Sakura, do a round up! Oh, Sakura, do a cartwheel! Oh, Sakura, let me throw you around the room! It's so much fun!' What the hell was all that crap that he spewed? And the way you blushed and giggled and DID the baka cartwheels and round ups…How can you say you knew he was evil?"

"Shut up Naruto! I…I…okay, so I didn't really know that he was evil! And, even if I did, I probably suppressed that! I had fun with Itachi! And, for your information," she sniffed, turning away, "he never said any such nonsense about cartwheels."

"You woulda done 'em if he had asked…" Naruto grumbled.

Deciding to fight fire with fire, Sakura shot back, "Oh, and what about little miss Nariesha? Hmmm? Well? 'Oh, Naruto, hold my fans! Oh, Naruto, you're SO strong! Oh, Naruto, I could play in your hair for AGES!' She's in league with Itachi! She MUST be evil as well, but did YOU notice?"

While Naruto grasped about for his missing voice, Sasuke stepped up to the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Sakura, it doesn't matter. We have to drive him off."

"NO!" Kakashi interjected, rather strongly for a man only just awakened from unconsciousness. "It'll jeopardize the mission…"

"THE MISSION?" All three genin members (well, Naruto mouthed it – he still hadn't found his voice) of Team 7 turned to their sensei, who sweat dropped and scratched his head nervously. "Eh…I didn't tell you?"

"No, you didn't BAKA-SENSEI!"

"Language, Sakura! You're talking like a hardened kunoichi…only veterans wear like that, and boys."

Se clenched her fists, and stalked to the window, muttering, "'Baka' is NOT a swear word!"

"So, the mission?" Sasuke intoned, as Naruto was STILL searching for his poor runaway voice. Unless it had been kidnapped… Never mind.

"Right! The mission…yeah. From the Hokage himself. We were supposed to find out everything we could about Itachi, and our secondary objective was to find out about the mysterious kunoichi said to live in Higurashi House. It was only Fate that let us do both while in the comfort of this gorgeous place…" He sighed, and Naruto, who had trapped his voice in the corner and made it swear fealty once again while Kakashi was talking, piped up, "Yeah! And, the ramen is great, too!"

Sakura shot him a look that nearly scared his voice out of it's oath of service again, and returned to staring out the window. "Sensei," she said without turning, "we only did this so that you could apologize to Ayumi for hurting her."

"Oh."

"But, that could prove difficult, as she seems to have vanished."

"Oh!"

"Let's find her!" Naruto enthusiastically yelled, eager to put his voice to the test.

"Yeah!" Kakashi agreed, and stood up from his bed. And promptly collapsed with a groan.

"You aren't ready to get up, sensei. Lie down, we'll take care of this. C'mon, boys."

Sakura imperiously stalked out the door, followed by two meek males.

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"Montu, you can stop that. I will vouch for her."

The tall shinobi halted mid punch, and Ayumi lifted her bruised face to Itachi's.

"I didn't NEED your help. I could have got him on my own, Uchiha."

Itachi sighed dramatically.

"Well, Higurashi, I hope you enjoy your trip to hell, first class. Some other day. For now, you're coming back to the house. And you aren't leaving. Clear?"

She glared at him, but nodded, and brushed past her opponent to head to the estate.

"Next time we meet, I shan't be so gentle," she threw back over her shoulder, and Montu doubled over laughing.

"Oh, my! I shall indeed enjoy our next meeting…hopefully, you'll be less fully clothed…"

Itachi glared at him, and said, "Control yourself," before following Ayumi back to the grounds.

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"So, you think they've found us out?"

"Undoubtedly."

"well, shouldn't e leave, then?"

"No, we'll still follow our objective."

"How?"

"Every heard of lying?"

"Sure. Wrapped up in some guys muscular arms, after a particularly strenuous session of…" she trailed off.

"I don't really care to hear about your sexual exploits. I meant lying, as in not telling the truth?"

"Oh! That!"

"So, how are you going to continue?"

"Oh, I don't know. Same as before, I guess. You?"

"I'm going to break her heart, but arrange it so it seems that one of her precious team mates did it."

"What?"

"I said…"

"I know what you said! BREAK HER HEART?"
"Yes…"

"You unfeeling BASTARD!"

"Unfeeling…How do you figure that?"

"You…you…break her heart? How is that NOT unfeeling! You are a cold, emotionless lump of flesh, Itachi Uchiha!"

"If I was cold and emotionless as you say, would I do this?"

With that, he grabbed her neck, pulled her to him, and kissed her soundly.

"And?" he smirked, breaking free.

"I don't know, I'll have to try it again. I was too surprised to analyze it. Kiss me again."

"Ummm, how about no?"

He got up and began to walk away.

She stared in shock at his retreating back, and turned around to find Naruto standing beside her. Grinning wickedly, she called out, "Itachi! I have something to show you!"

He turned, and she grabbed Naruto and planted her lips firmly on his.

Itachi stared in shock as she broke the lip lock, turned to him, said, "Oh, you're still there?" and grabbed his little brother.

She pulled her lips from Sasuke's and sauntered over to Kakashi.

Itachi growled under his breath.

Nariesha ran her fan down the front of Kakashi's shirt, and said, "You're too old, sorry!"

"I'm not old!" Kakashi's visible eye narrowed in what could have been great anger or even greater relief.

Nariesha waved his protest away with a flick of her dainty wrist. "Of course you are. Why, even your girlfriend thinks so!"

Now, if one looked at Kakashi's eye, one could see that it WAS narrowed in anger.

Nariesha saw, and stated pointedly: "I asked her myself."

She then began to mince off, but Itachi was faster. Growling, he grasped her arm in his hand and pulled her after him.

"Where are we going?" she wondered, struggling to free herself.

He was silent, and kept tugging.

"Hellooo? Earth to Itachi? I asked where we were going!"

"We are going," he gritted, "somewhere we can talk."

"Oh, is that all! Talk!"

He didn't fall for her sarcastic tone, and her only reward for her efforts was a stronger grip on her bicep.

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Ayumi splashed water on her face with her hands.

Kneeling by the basin of water, as, despite her boasts, she was too weak to stand, she plunged the soft cloth into the steaming liquid and ran it over her dirt-covered shoulders, cleansing the already infected cuts.

She groaned softly as the water spilled over her back, caressing her supple skin and kneading life back into the tired muscles. Man, who knew hot water could feel so damn good…

She picked up the cloth again, and scrubbed at the long gashes on her arms, filling them with as much healing chakra as she could spare. Which wasn't much, but it was enough to remove the infection…Why was that amazing water still flowing down her back?

She turned her head to peer over her shoulder, and caught a glimpse of strong hands kneading the tension out of her neck and the said shoulder.

Hands that she recognized all too well.

Leaning into the massage, she whispered his name, and he laughed softly.

His capable hands moved over every muscle, stimulating and relaxing it at the same time. She moaned softly as his fingers trailed gently over her arms.

"Not bad for an old guy, hmmm?"

"Old? If you're old, I'm old, and I am certainly NOT old!"

"You just said old four times in one sentence," he pointed out.

Reaching back to caress his masked chin with her fingertips, she replied, "Mask. Off."

He grinned – she could feel it – and drew the offending material down to expose his face.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he drew her wet body into his dryer one, and whispered, "I'm so sorry…"

She nestled her head into his neck, and replied, "You don't have to be. I understand completely."

He smiled, and kissed the top of her head.

Cocking an eyebrow, she turned her head to face him, and murmured, "Don't waste 'em."

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"Well, I wouldn't have done it if you hadn't been such a baka-ketsu!"

"Like hell! You're such a slut – you would have done it anyway!"

"I AM NOT A SLUT!"

"Nariesha, face it. Your behaviour cannot exactly be called modest."

"Well, Itachi, I wasn't the one who…"

She stopped as she saw the small spark of fire growing at his fingertips.

"Do I honestly have to use this on you?" he queried, his voice even and unconcerned.

She formed a globs of water between her palms, and gestured to his little flame. "No, but if you do, I can easily counter it."

They continued arguing, their elements still held in their hands.

That was how Naruto found them, and, being a strong force for justice (we won't remember all the ramen he conveniently "found" just yet), and also being anxious to try out his newly discovered Kakai Genkai, he yelled out "Ikaesu Gaisen!"

The combatants turned in shock, effectively launching their attacks, and said fire and water balls skidded to a stop, and returned to their owners in a rather hostile fashion.

"DAMN!" Itachi swore, at the same time Nariesha yelled, "CRAP!"

They collided with each other, and fell to the ground with Itachi on top.

They ducked their heads close together as their attacks swished overhead and detonated uselessly against the poor unsuspecting wall.

Satisfied with himself, Naruto puffed out his chest, proclaimed what a superior ninja he was, and left the scene.

Nariesha opened her tightly clenched eyes to see someone's dark orbs gazing at her.

"Am I dead?" she asked.

Said red spheres rolled disturbingly, and a mouth uttered, "Damn it all, Nariesha, even if those attacks HAD hit us, they wouldn't have done any serious damage."

Mouth.

Pretty moth.

All red, and warm, and it was moving.

Moving…

Nariesha shook the thoughts from her head, and concentrated instead on ignoring the voice that droned on, educating her on something to the effect of this-much-chakra-in-this-certain-attack-will-do-this-amount-of-damage.

And, focusing on manoeuvring her lips to touch those of the shinobi on top of her.

He finally stopped talking, and lifted himself off of her.

She stopped him by tugging at his tunic and yanking him back down.

His eyes went wide with surprise, and she grinned wickedly.

At last, the mouth would be HERS!

She reached up and pulled his head down.

A/N: Oh! I wonder what Itachi's gonna do…Heehee! I LOVE leaving cliff-hangers! Only a few chapters left, people – keep those reviews a comin'!

Oh, by the way…I know this could be confusing, so, if you have questions…please feel free to ask them. I reply to all reviews, and, often, Shoujo Queen will message the questioner with MORE info. So, feel free to ask away! .