Summary: With an innate soft heart, she aided an adversary. He was cynical, believing "The end justify the means." How can she reply back that what he believed don't justify her means? ItachiHinata
Disclaimer: If I own Naruto… probably, I won't be writing a fic.
Chapter I: The perception of a fallen oneDarkness succumbed the hollow firmament with an eerie resonance of flustered wings as the man went through deeper in the verdant foliage, which incessantly giggled as the breeze played with them. The moon shone more appealing than the brightest of sun, emitting a mild, gentle yet vivid radiance to lead. His knees were getting weak thus he clung from trunk to trunk momentarily and dragged his almost limp body. He had a little of bruises, mainly on his arms though not visible because of the cloak reaching from his chin down to his feet. The red cloud prints were supplemented and adorned as well with his painstaking crimson blood leaking from the deep cut he recently received. He clutched it underneath his right rib firmly just to stop its progress. To make it more difficult, he had lost an immense chakra to haste his movements.
"If you had not dare done your rough scheme, you should've lived for more years and…" He spoke of his treacherous subordinate with scorn and contempt, and then panted as he continued his rough steps towards the nearby waterfall his ears perceived. "Tasted a fast… painless death."
Flashback
The insipid-face man stopped the progress of their group's subject- the jinchuuruku from Konoha. The kid was tougher, better from before, and it was undeniable that he had a hard time to get a hold of him. On the other hand, his superior was roughly consuming his chakra along with the intense 'Mangekyo sharingan', which any jounin couldn't handle even for a short span of time. However, that silver-haired man wasn't an ordinary shinobi; he was a difficult opponent to handle with. He could've been a major asset if he joined the Akatsuki.
He was standing on a branch of the tree, observing, and was planning to do his next move towards his opponent until Jiraiya jumped and charged at him with a ball of chakra on his right hand in a swift pace. "Rasenggan!" He was caught in surprise. Lucky for him, he was fast as well and eluded the attack as he shifted his weight on his left foot and would eventually leapt a short distance however... As a foot almost touched the surface, he felt a presence behind.
The massive tree acquired an immense gaping hole and soon ruptured. As soon as the tree plummeted on the ground, he twisted to evade the sudden attack and to jump, but to no avail. His subordinate granted him a sudden assault of his precious Samihade. "Tch!" He was intervened. "What the!" In complain, he muttered. Holding onto another branch, his left eye was impulsively closed and he was almost to fall back, losing his balance. There was a slice from his right rib reaching his side. Another pattern presented on his cloak. His crimson blood.
His former opponent was appalled while the latter laughed out loud like a maniac. "Hahaha! Finally! This is what I wanted in the first place!" He dashed to finish off his head.
"What the?" The bruised lad witnessed this kind of face-to-face betrayal ship and was more confused. "They were partners, aren't they?" Sweat glided on his temple.
He patted the wound. Blood adhered on his index finger. The color was the same as his forbidden eyes. Memories winding up. Blood. Ah, he felt alive with a surging pain he felt on his abdomen. Expressionless, he slid through the finger on his lips. Metallic. "Well in the first place, you're born with an odd face that I desire to cut through and see what is on the insides." Swirling the three spots on his bloodshot eyes, dancing and forming into a new sculpt. A shuriken. And he would use Mangekyo Sharingan nevertheless. The taste had provoked him to imply a tortured soul until the very end, until his very breath. "But I guess… I had seen much… much more." A devilish smirk he imparted to haunt him along his journey to the gates of hell.
But whatever the recent happening, it was an advantage for the nins of Konoha.
End of flashback
"Anyway, you have no importance with me…" More lucid the gushing sound he heard as if it was enticing to come to her closer and find her nevertheless. Even the breeze altered and had been boisterous to vex his disfavored situation. "But oh well, the vultures will have." He ridiculed in a voice tinged with an ironic sympathy. Thereafter, the wind hissed icily as if he was reproached by karma to speak about the man like that as if they had never shared a "bit" of relationship, a superior-inferior relationship in particular; hence, his brows twitched, muscles had tensed up, from the likely sting even it set for seconds. The slow heavy pace he still continued without any choice, passing through the flooding bushes and rid it with the other hand, and in consequence, received scratches from the riled twigs; his pale face unexceptionable.
In a matter of minutes, he finally reached the falls then slumped underneath the nearest tree that he even clung earlier for support; head bended downwards and the straw hat fell as well in accordance. He was resting and still would-be unnoticed behind the bushes, which were still more or less near the fall.
He was wasted, drained and all he needed was to rest. A long rest. In addition, it would be better if blood would prevent from deliberately streaming out from his open wound. Wishful it would clot sooner or later. "To settle a score." For a short span of time, that man just proved he was worth something to be fairly entertained by the Akatsuki, he considered as he looked at his calloused hand with fresh blood, more or less to dry. With that thought he polished, inclined his head upwards without haste but unhurried.
Chaste crystal water leapt from the short hill blissfully and her rhythm was abstractly done. With the help of the gleaming moon, it glazed the trace of constant leaps of droplets as it dashed the surface and bounced back in a turn of showering diamonds sparkling glamorously and luxuriously, and be more than pleased in gathering them and splash it in the face in a surreal predilection of owning such wealth. A reflection it was to the sky akin to a mirror, and like the earth and the heavens met in one horizon. It was a wonder. A wonder how it was impeccably cleanse, otherwise pure, as if whoever witnessed it would be cleansed as well. The ambience was none other than soothing for such a broken soul and tranquil for an isolated and desolated man. Relaxing the feeling it was, and he felt better compared before. This place was almost close to heaven, he must've deemed.
He looked at his hand. The convicted blood fled from him, gaining its freeway and through the surface that mingled with dirt. He was leaving more traces. Too bad for him.
Out of nowhere, there was an upsurge as if a massive thing hit the surface of the glassy stream. Aah… His sense was getting inefficient and it was really pathetic to think if he could still escape the wrath of the nins of Konoha. Except if there was a miracle. "Hn." It was out of his character to believe such things that man chose and ought to think about underlying by a reverie without basis to certain facts. However, this time, it had changed… for a delusional man like him. Blame the lost of blood. No, blame the motherfucker who did it.
His vision was of blur though he was trying to focus. As the sparkled droplets flew and caught their momentum in a freefall, it fell in a trajectory and outlined a big sphere and on that certain space there was a thing… something was in there. He was beginning to think that his eyes might be tricking him though he was just meters away. With eager eyes, he looked very well, still trying to focus with his condition, and then, there he alleged "that something" was a "someone" at the completion of the light rainfall.
'A woman.' He assumed after the silhouette formed, deciphered by the moon that passed as well its radiance over the woman as her white complexion adorned with bright. Her short hair glistened as black as midnight sky and framed her face, her eyes were still close. He closed his eyes as well; his face was expressionless as he endured his poor state.
Did she descend from heaven to earth? It was as if the water followed and bowed in humble respect as if they worshipped her and soon found their calmness beneath her. The breeze glided again with fallen leaves on the way it traverse and for seconds, abandoned them over the stream. Her feet touched the surface like she was as light as the leaves.
Her eyes were tinted with the lightest touch of purple that it which gave an impression of naïveté, innocence. She wore a black skirt reaching her mid thigh, which was covered with a white binding fabric over it, and a fitted sleeveless shirt with a fishnet material (common for ninja outfits) that bared approximately half of her chest. She leaned a right foot forward, half step, and glided both of her hands through the air gracefully like her arms were creating its own dance.
For the next moment as he opened his eyes, he felt dizzy though his head leaned over the wood. Have the world revolved all around him? Maybe, this was what they call vertigo.
There was a rustle behind the bushes three feet away from his restless location. He felt only a little presence so he alleged that it was some sort of rabbit. And so, he was correct. It jumped towards the stream to drink and the actions it did was alarming for the lady.
"Who's there?" She had abruptly stopped and stood straight, concentrating and feeling the presence of danger. Her two teammates were sleeping, she assured as she left the tent, so there was no way that they easily got here. Anyhow, she calmed herself and took a deep breath. "Byakugan!" She whispered through the moist air. Varicose veins popped along her previously mild eyes, altering to a deadly spectacle.
Her eyes dangerously scanned the wide vicinity. North, south, west, the result was nothing yet the east… there was a cute rabbit with white furs like cotton that popped out from the bushes. 'That's it!' She was laid-back, however, there was a figure two feet away from the rabbit and thirteen feet away from her. The figure was probably a man with long hair in a black cloak who was clutching firmly underneath his right rib and there was… blood. She blinked. Blood. The next time she opened her eyes, it returned to its normal state.
Oh, that sight was pitiable nonetheless. A lone man with an open wound that made him restless. She was sympathetic. Lifting her foot and then the other, she walked slowly yet surely on the water. She was a medic-in-training under the Hokage's apprentice and love of his love-of-her-life, Haruno Sakura. There was a newly laid order amongst the three-team-members or any group in a mission to have at least one medic to offer assistance. She was one of those newly trainees under the certain decree. Her teammate, Kiba and Shino, had instigated her to do so. On the other hand, she would still pursue being a jounin while enjoying being a soon-to-be medic.
Solace caused contemplation. He finally regained his normal breathing though his head felt badly.
Everything was winding up again. Death was a fitful return for betrayal. 'Atrocity.' That word was he, in the sense of every people. He referred to the word itself. What did he felt? The feeling he had was nothing for… no one. None at all. Had sadness suppressed him? They had suppressed him. Sadness might be the sole feeling he was capable of. Whatever it was, this would be not his end until his little brother had executed the last line. His free hand touched a stone on the ground. This would help.
The bushes flooding his miserable sight drought out as she rifted it down. "What happened?" Her voice was not at all little but meek as she asked, tinted with anxiety. Such a poor state she saw. She knelt down in front of him and asked him again, "What happened?" There was no reaction. He did not open an eye nor uttered a word nor shook his head sideways in response of disappointment. His black tresses concealed his inexpressive façade.
She instead just concentrated her chakra and didn't bother to ask him for more. Yes, she was confused of what had happened to him but she was initiated by her soft heart to help the weak because she was weak herself. It was not about the position, being a princess of their clan nor a nin of her beloved country nor a successful medic; she wanted to prove herself to the world, of what she could really do and foremost, to help, not because she wanted to be recognized or to be gratified, it was because she was happy when she was of help. Maybe, it was something innate to her personality or maybe, it was a passion.
As she touched his firm hand, he opened his eyes, void eyes. "Don't worry. I'll mend your open wound." She gave out a sincere smile to assure him that she came to help. She placed aside his weak arm then opened his cloak to examine his wound. "Gomenasai but I need a close examination." She said. There was still no reaction and performed it.
Maybe, it would be better if he would hit it in her temple for an immense impact, he was intending while the subject was unaware. Anyway, he would make it fast though. But before he performed it, he declared, "I'm a missing nin" with an empty impression.
Until, his impassive eyes encountered hers. He attained something, something unlikely he couldn't describe because this thing he never felt before. "You need enough rest to completely recover." Was she deaf? Or decided to be deaf? The innocence she emitted, penetrated in his being whilst the blue chakra recuperated his grazed skin, preventing more lost of blood.
She finished successfully in closing the wound before she answered. She recognized him as one in the first place. But…. Wasn't a medic's duty was to aid? "Tell me, what's the purpose of knowledge if she can't employ it?"
"Aiding an adversary… you're committing treason to your country."
"To help is a crime?" Eyes probing. Then she picked something from her pocket. A cloth. "I don't believe that." With that, she smiled. When did he last admire such a smile? She stroked the clean cloth to wipe off the dirt formed in his still expressionless face.
"It never slipped in my mind that an angel will lay an eye on me." He said in a melancholic tune as if he wasn't an upright to be in front of her presence. He couldn't make himself to thrust this being and the stone fell from his hand, producing a thud sound as it hit the ground.
Authoress Notes:
Oh. Itachi is quite OOC, no doubt about it cos I really don't have a big background about him and I just feel like to partner him with Hinata cos my sis keeps bugging me of how so great Itachi is. And oh yeah, I'm really limited with Hinata's profile. Anyway, more Hinata fics coming… I'll wave the flag "We love Hinata! I hate SUCKur… A?" Damn it! I feel nauseous…