Hitomi returned from the first two parts of the Chunnin exam victorious. She discarded her mentor and allowed Itachi to train her for the fight the next month. Itachi's own chunnin exam had been easy for him and even though he knew Hitomi had a good chance at passing he knew that there were a few entering the exam that could defeat her.

Itachi lay in his bed, letting his mind wander. He had just been accepted into the AMBU squad, but that was to be expected. Hitomi's exams would be the next morning… it would be the perfect time to get Shisui on his own. No… no… he couldn't do that. He wasn't an evil person. Evil… evil was relative right? Everything was so relative. He felt true desperation with each mission, as if they were holding him back; he was capable of so much more. He had so much untapped potential, why was everyone so intent on holding him back? He was in AMBU and they still sent him on C and B-Rank missions! They were so easy it was infuriating. He was ready for more. He had requested more. His Father refused, the Hokage refused. Too young they said! He would show them. He would show them age meant no difference. He was so ready for A-rank, even S-rank! Why were they holding him back? Itachi could scream, he could kill them for their stupidity.

"You're angry." Hitomi was crouched on his window sill. Itachi hadn't even herd her.

"No."

"You can't lie to me Itachi." She stepped though the window. "I know you're angry."

"Fine, I'm angry." She sat next to him on the bed.

"Why?"

"No reason."

"Liar." Itachi glared at her, Hitomi returned the glare with a cool sapphire stare. Itachi sighed, he couldn't intimidate her either.

"I'm so frustrated, I could scream." He clenched his fists. "They're all holding me back! I hate them all. I could kill them. I could. I could kill them if I wanted too."

"Now you're letting your anger talk for you. You're no killer Itachi."

"How do you know?"

"I know." She took his hand, Itachi avoided her eyes. He wouldn't let her use that blue stare to know the truth. He cared for her to much; he didn't want her to know that he could do evil to prove how powerful he really was. He didn't want her to hate him. "Itachi, you're hurting me." Itachi had been gripping her hand, he didn't hear her. He would show them, the fools, he was ready, he was strong, they shouldn't doubt him and his power. "Itachi! Stop! You're hurting me!" Itachi awoke from his anger, he pushed it deep down to a place where even Hitomi couldn't see, and let go of her hand. He looked up and smiled at her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." Hitomi's scared face pained him, but she wiped it clean and smiled, massaging her hand.

"No problem."

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I couldn't sleep. I wanted to go swimming, do you want to come?"

"At three in the morning?"

"Why not?" She shrugged and smiled at him, "Are you afraid of the dark?"

"No." Itachi scoffed.

"Then come with me." Itachi sighed again

"Fine." He grabbed his swimming shorts and followed her out the window; they walked quietly as possible to the far end of the lake behind the Uchiha compound. There Hitomi took off her grey training tunic and black shorts, leaving her in a swimsuit and bandaged lower arms and legs. Itachi changed in the bushes and jumped into the lake after her. They raced from one end to the other several times, enjoying the water. "You should be saving your energy."

"You're only saying that because I beat you."

"You only beat me because I let you win." Hitomi frowned,

"Liar."

"I'm not." Itachi was lying; he was a terrible swimmer without using chakra.

"I guess you're right either way."

"I'm always right."

"Are not."

"Are too." Hitomi retaliated by splashing him, Itachi splashed back, resulting in a splashing war. They found themselves suddenly close. Hitomi let herself sink into the water, Itachi followed her, and they stared at each other under water, only the pale moon beams for light. Hitomi blew bubbles and Itachi chuckled and then gagged, he had forgotten where his mouth and nose were. Gasping he swam up, clutching his nose and mouth. "It burns!"

"Baka!" Hitomi giggled, Itachi blushed. They were uncomfortably close now. She looked up into his eyes. Itachi felt his embarrassment disappear; there was something in the way she looked at him that made him feel completely at ease. She was fingering her necklace, thinking. "I think I'm falling in love with you, Itachi."

"I think I might be falling in love with you too." Hitomi's eyes sparkled. "I'm sorry." The sparkles stopped.

"For what?"

"The first night we met, in the ally, you said your heart was broken." This had actually been weighing on Itachi since that night, but he had held it in until that moment. "It's my fault. I could have fought against the marriage, I could have—"

"That wasn't your fault. You never broke my heart, Itachi. My father broke my heart. My whole family broke my heart." A shadow passed though her face. "That's over now. You fixed my broken heart."

"I did?" Hitomi smiled and hugged him, Itachi didn't know how to react at first, but then he returned it. Hitomi sighed happily.

"Yes."