Chapter 26:

"I really owe you one, Raxiel! Big time, I do!" Naruto said. They had just made it to the gates of their old town and were about to go their separate ways.

Raxiel smiled. "Yes, Naruto, you do. And I know exactly how you can. Meet me at my hotel room around seven, and you and I are going to go over something I've been needing for a while."

"You've been needing something?"

"Yes, I need your help with a map. Since you know your way around, I could use your help on how to get to a specific place."

Naruto smiled. "You got it! See you tonight!" and with that, Naruto quickly took off running.

Raxiel sighed…

She knew she was forgetting something very important…

She wasn't sure what, but she knew that tonight something was going to happen tonight…

XxXxXxXxXxXx

As Raxiel began to unpack certain necessities, she was trying to think of what other things she would need to buy before her adventure to Suna began. "I only have a little money left, but from doing that mission, I should get just enough to buy a few more items."

She turned to look at her clock.

Six o'clock…

"Just enough time to get a shower before he comes," she thought, looking at herself in the mirror and seeing how gross she was.

Just as she was about to grab her new set of clothes she had picked out, something caught her attention.

Windowsill…

Red…

"Itachi! Aw, crud! I knew I forgot something!" She sprinted into the shower, grabbing whatever clothes she could get.

The map was going to have to wait…

XxXxXxXxXxXx

…Crunch… crunch… crunch…

Raxiel was trying to finish the rest of her apple so she could toss it away before she came across Red Eyes.

Luckily, she had spared enough time to write a quick note to Naruto, telling him they'd have to meet tomorrow sometime.

…Crunch… crunch… crunch…

Finally done with it, Raxiel tossed the apple's core into the tall bushes and wiped the sweat off her forehead. It was going to be a hot, mosquito-eating night, and what Raxiel scrambled to put on during her rush was not fit for it. It was the same attire she had worn that time when he had taken her out to dinner…

Showing too much…

Raxiel tried to laugh off the ridiculous scene of her with the wardrobe on walking in a hot forest, but somehow she knew she should be nervous…

Soon, the spring was visible. Raxiel looked around to see if Red Eyes was there yet, but she didn't see him. "Good! That gives me time to think about what I'm going to say," she thought. Soon, she took a seat on one of the large stones and began to concentrate on her lines.

After a few, short minutes, she finally sensed his presence. She called out to him. "You're late."

"Not as late as you are finding me."

Raxiel looked up, and she saw him. He was hanging from his feet on a branch upside down, hanging at least thirty feet up in the air.

Raxiel's eyes widened. He had been above her the whole time…

Soon, her temper was tested. "Really? And why couldn't you have come down here sooner so we could have gotten this meeting over quicker?"

"You needed time to think about what you were going to say, didn't you?"

Raxiel choked, as there was nothing for her to say.

Gracefully, Itachi glided down next to her; his tall, lean figure stood next to her petite, curvy, yet fit figure.

Suddenly, Red Eyes spoke. "I see my friend Amaya gave you the message."

"Yes, she did. I heard from her that you were flirting with her, and she didn't like it. You like to hurt people, don't you? You hit them hard on the mental spot?"

"I simply get the job done. What's the matter? Something wrong with that?"

"Oh, no. I just wonder what goes on in our head while you're doing such malicious things," she said calmly.

"Perhaps you'd like to get a taste of it," he hissed.

"What? You'd do that to me?" She started to laugh.

Itachi started to get irritated. "What?" he snapped.

"I really don't understand you, Itachi. First, you save my life – more than once, to be exact; - next you stalk me. And now, you're getting every chance you can to see me. I have to ask, why? Why pick someone like myself and not kill it? Don't you know that usually 'weaklings' like myself get in the way of 'superiors'?"

"Perhaps you're not as weak as you think, kunoichi. I saved you because you remind me of someone."

"You said you'd never seen anyone like me!" Raxiel snapped too quickly.

"You forget… I said that to Amaya." Red Eyes smirked.

Raxiel choked…

Silence…

Itachi leaned over her and whispered in her ear. "I win."

"Curse you!" she whispered back into his ear. Itachi could feel her breath, and he knew that was what she wanted. He leaned in closer. "We are all cursed. Cursed from the day we're born. Do you know why?"

Raxiel remained silent, her eyes looking straight ahead at the huge tree on the other side of the spring. Itachi made sure to get his body in front of her eyes. Quietly, he spoke again.

"Sin…"

He noticed he had caught Raxiel's attention with his last word. She smirked. "Well, what do you know? You're right about that," she said as genially as possible.

"So then why do you act as if there is no sin in your life? When I look at you, all I can see is purity. Why so?" he asked curiously.

"Hmm… I've got a few things you don't have."

"I want them. I want you."

"Wrong!" Raxiel shouted, liking how he wasn't trying to take over the whole conversation…

Yet…

Raxiel continued. "What you want is either one of two things or both: you either have lust, or you either have a need for light."

Itachi leaned in closer; his lips were brushed along hers. They were both trapped in the second game, which was a staring contest.

"What if it's both?"

"Then I can't help you."

Itachi grew angry. "Why?"

"Because…" Raxiel sighed. She did not want this meeting to become a therapy. Quickly, she changed the subject. "Look, I'm here only because you made it a threat. What do you want?"

Noticing the sudden change in topic, his smirk resided back into an emotionless gaze "Surely, you already know."

"How should I know?" Raxiel asked irritated by how close he still stood next to her.

Raxiel felt a hand clutch her throat gently. "I've already said it," Red Eyes said softly. Raxiel opened her mouth in panic for air. Itachi saw the moment and got closer to her. "I want you."

Raxiel's eyes widened. Soon she saw his tongue appear in front of her and knew what was coming.

"Me and my big mouth…"

His tongue entered ferociously, memorizing every corner of her mouth, dancing wildly in her. Raxiel tried to withdraw, but with her throat being clutched, all she could do was wait for it to be over.

Soon, Itachi let go for more breath. That's when Raxiel stepped back, her hand wiping off her lips.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" she asked angrily.

Itachi smirked. "That's just what I was going to ask you. Something is wrong with you. You're too pure. I want to take some of it away from you. I want some of it."

Raxiel's eyes widened. "There's no such thing as too pure -!"

"As there is no such thing as too evil!" he snapped back.

"Shut up! I don't want to se you again! I came here; therefore my part of the threat is off."

Red Eyes did something she would never forget…

He closed his eyes…

Mumbling something…

"You're what I've been looking for. My leader said he had sensed something too pure here, and I have found it. You're to come with me, unless you want to die."

Raxiel's eyes widened, noticing the sudden change in topic. "You're joking, right?"

Foolishness…

Itachi looked up at her, eyes blood red…

The most horrifying thing she had ever seen…

Then his eyes put a spell on her eyes…

Raxiel began to feel very light-headed…

Before she knew it, she was asleep.