Author's Note:
Hello wonderful readers!
SORA IS GETTING HER FIRST MISSION! Warning—it's a long chapter, sorry… Before I knew it, this chapter was over 4,000 words. My bad…
If you like that this chapter was from Itachi's perspective, let me know! I'm thinking of doing more and maybe from other characters viewpoints like Kisame. Thanks for reading! If you like it, please leave comments or favorite this fic. The love keeps me going and makes me smile.
Side note, my head-cannon for Itachi is that he FUCKS. Sorry, not sorry.
Stay safe out there!
Since Kisame and I were assigned to retrieve her, Sora had proved to be rather troublesome.
Not in the sense that she did anything wrong, of course. In fact, it was because of how remarkable I found her to be that that made her so.
I enjoyed her company more than most. Like me, she was wise far beyond her years. However, unlike me, she was full of life.
She was kind, but equipped with a fierce intelligence and a wickedly sharp tongue.
She reminded me of my mother.
But the thing that astounded me the most was despite being subjected to the worst parts of humanity, her spirit remained unbroken. Sora was a light in the darkness.
In the bouts of insomnia that still plagued my tainted soul, I found myself replaying the events that led to her capture—how harmless and naïve Sora seemed.
After tracking her chakra signature, I spotted her wedged into a tight, rocky cavern. It was a rather sad attempt at hiding.
I thought how sad it was that Kisame and I were sent on such a trivial mission. She hardly appeared to be a threat, let alone a powerful weapon. But I knew better than to underestimate someone based on their outward appearance.
"11 o'clock. She's crawling into a cavern on the other side of the boulder," I muttered quietly to Kisame as we settled on a wide branch overlooking the pale rock formation nestled amongst the trees.
We leapt off and landed without a sound. I let out a sigh before striding over to the little cavity where her dark purple chakra subtly flickered from within.
A thunderous rumbling drove me to scrutinize the stone inlet, my eyes widened and fear gripped me at the jagged crack now snaking its way up the stone. The tunnel was collapsing—with our target inside.
I sprinted to the opening of the cavern and snatched her thin wrist, trying to pull her out of the small opening before the roaring torrent of earth come crashing down
With a thundering crash, a massive plume of dust swallowed the world whole. Hacking a ragged cough at the thick dirt coating my throat.
As the cloud began to settle and restored some visibility, I noticed a dust covered woman was unmoving in my arm as she lay on me. Her lack of movement lead me to assume a falling rock had knocked her unconscious.
This was a good time to check for any wounds. She needed to be brought back alive, after all.
I shifted, taking me time to sit upright and examine her injuries without exacerbating them. I encircled her with my arms to readjust, unwittingly feeling the supple curves of her hips and waist, reinforcing rather painfully just how shapely her figure was.
For the first time in a very long time, I was struggling to remain objective. She was our target and was supposed to make it back to the base alive. I needed to ensure that happened.
I forced myself to concentrate and scanned her for injuries. Her disheveled, tattered clothes exposed an immense amount of beautiful, pale skin, decorated with an abundance of scars.
They were a testament to how this woman was indeed the same formidable opponent I'd read about in the mission report. I brushed a strand of light blonde hair from her face to examine it further.
I was surprised how even coated in dust, she was stunning. Her dainty nose and thickly lashed, round eyes softened her regal cheekbones and jawline. The freckles sprinkled over her cheeks and nose were still evident from under the dirt and dust.
Her subtly parted, full lips were coated with dirt and a hint of blood. Knowing she should be waking up soon, I thought it proper to clean her up some.
"Will you bring me some water please, Kisame?" I called out to my partner just a ways off.
He nodded and grabbed his canteen and a small rag from under his cloak; he drenched the rag and handed it to me. I started removing the layer of earth and blood from her striking face as gently as I possible.
An odd sensation of damp warmth seeped through the sleeve of my cloak on my left arm—the arm that cradled her head. An anxious pit lurched in my stomach. The wetness seeping through my cloak was blood.
I immediately lifted her head up gently to examine the back. I spotted a large, deep laceration that oozed dark crimson and stained her near white, blonde hair. I cursed under my breath...
This was bad. I was right, a rock had come down on the base of her skull and knocked her unconscious.
It was also dangerously close to the main chakra pathway that ran the length of her spine. I located the base of a tree only a few feet away and cautiously moved over to lean against it. I pressed the rag against the back of her skull and noticed it was quickly soaked with her dark scarlet blood.
I hollered for Kisame again, "Bring me as many rags and gauze as you can." I rested her motionless figure against my chest and attempted to elevate her head.
Kisame shot me a puzzled glance, brow lifted, "Uh… okay? Itachi-san, what's going on?"
I heaved a sigh, "She has a head wound and is bleeding profusely. Hurry up and bring me the rags or she will bleed out," Kisame snapped out of his slight daze and searched his pockets. He handed me a thick wad of bandages and one small cloth rag. "We need more."
I endeavored learning basic medical ninjutsu but doing it incorrectly could have dire consequences in this situation. That was not an option, any attempt would inevitably do more harm than good. Her brows knit together in pain while I quickly swapped out another blood-stained rag and increased the pressure slightly over the deep, gushing injury.
Kisame supplied me with bandages as I carried on replacing them when they were spent and checked frequently to see if the bleeding was slowing.
After an extensive period of time evidenced by a small mountain of bloody gauze and rags, the bleeding finally stopped. I cleaned the base of her skull with antiseptic before wrapping bandages snuggly around her head.
"Who knew such a little thing could bleed so much and live?" Kisame marveled, scanning the pile of blood-soaked gauze, dumbfounded.
"Hm," I hummed in agreement. Wetting a rage, I tried to wipe away the dirt and blood that shroud her delicate face.
She stirred and let out a couple small moans as I dabbed the damp rag to remove the impurities. The act miraculously brought about an unexpected sense of nostalgia.
The way I had her wrapped in my arms reminded me of how I used to hold Sasuke. How I swaddled him the same way when he was little when Okasan and Otousan were out or busy…
I shook my head to ground myself, I needed to focus. Missions were no place for futile emotions.
Kisame made his way over to me. I transferred the unconscious woman to him while an irksome shred of emptiness lulled through me. I hadn't noticed the warmth that radiated from her body into mine until it disappeared.
What indecent thoughts she was probing. True, I may not have been intimate with a woman in a quite some time, but she was not my lover. Nor should I regard her in such a manner; it was improper.
She was our mission objective. A hostage—a tool for the Akatsuki. Besides, I didn't deserve companionship. I was a dying man who only brings pain and suffering to those I care for.
It was a doomed voyage, and it always would be. I promptly stood up, brushing some of the remaining dust from my cloak as we headed for our encampment and pushed away my superfluous thoughts.
Kisame lay the still immobile woman down onto a bed roll near the fire. I wanted to make sure her breathing stayed regular, so I leaned my back against a tree adjacent to the kunoichi. I watched her chest rise and fall subtly in tandem with her breaths.
I expected she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon with the amount of head trauma she had experienced. I was tired. I propped my elbow on my knee and inhaled deeply, releasing it and allowing my head to fall back against the rough bark.
Kisame had collected firewood and was staring down at the injured woman on the bed roll. His brows furrowed, "You sure this is who Pain-sama wanted, Itachi-san?" His tone was doubtful, "She looks so… fragile."
I lifted my head from the tree to glance at him, "She may appear that way. But tell me Kisame, how many enemies have we fought who appeared even more innocent than her?"
"I guess you're right. But she didn't have to pull such a stupid fucking move…" He said as he turned from me and grumpily marched off, "I'm going to catch some fish to put in the onigiri."
"Make sure you don't eat all of them on the way back." I hollered after him with a grin. His movement halted as he glowered over his shoulder at me in annoyance, then resumed walking. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself at his irritation.
Looking back on it, I was still shocked I'd paid so much attention to her. I'd been chased and ogled over by women for years. But, I'd never been particularly interested in being around them to any extent. I shamefully caved once or twice to the intense lust I felt as a young man. I was still human, after all.
Unlike the others, I genuinely enjoyed spending time with Sora. There was something about her that set her well above the rest, I just was unable to place it and it drew me to her. I liked her for her quick wit and intelligence.
Her beauty was a bonus.
My mind came to as I sensed Kisame's chakra outside my door followed by a loud knock, "Rise and shine sleeping beauty—Pain-sama wants to see you, me, and Sora. I'll meet you in five minutes." His chakra signature receded from the doorway.
So, the time has come for her to prove herself useful.
I inhaled deeply, got dressed, and headed out to alert Sora. I knocked on her door which was next to mine and heard an irritated groan from inside the room. She was always slightly crabby in the mornings, and I knew that the alcohol she had consumed the night before would only make it worse.
When there was no response, I pounded a bit harder, "Sora, Pain-sama has summoned us—wake up and get ready to meet in the conference room."
Another more audible groan ensued followed by Sora's sleep ridden but ever pleasant voice, "Ugh, okay—give me five minutes." I walked in the direction of the conference room to subsequently wait for her and Kisame.
I folded my arms over my chest as I waited at the end of the hallway and leaned back against the cool marble corridor. Kisame appeared a moment later, yawned and stood beside me, smirking deviously.
I felt Sora's familiar chakra coming down the hall when a small moan caught my attention. She seemed tired, yawning and stretching her dainty arms behind her back.
I chose to stare upwards at the ceiling to halt my inappropriate thoughts as she approached.
Kisame broke the silence per usual, "Well good morning kiddo, how are you?"
From her chakra signature, I could tell she was already apprehensive. She hid it well as her voice was surprisingly composed, "Tired—ready to get this meeting over with," She heaved a breath and continued, "How are you both?"
"Fine." I said quickly, keeping my gaze fixated upwards.
"I'm the exact same as you. Groggy and ready to get our assignment—are you nervous?" Kisame asked with a tilt of his head.
Sora nodded and nervously brushed a strand of light blonde hair behind her ear, "Kinda. I'm a little, um—out of shape for going on missions at the moment…"
Training would be a simple and useful solution to prepare her more.
I spoke soothingly as I tried to calm her, "If you would like, I will take you out to train after the meeting. Just be respectful and everything will be fine—let's go, Pain-sama can be quite impatient."
Kisame pulled open the large wooden door as I trailed Sora into the sterile, concrete meeting hall. I took a seat beside her as Pain commenced speaking, "Sora, the time has come for you to prove your worth and loyalty to this organization. The purpose of the Akatsuki is to seek peace rid the world of war through influence and force, if need be. To accomplish this, we require all nine jinchuriki hosts of the tailed beasts to complete our mission.
"There is a man from Yugakure who has information on the location of the jinchuriki of the five-tails. Sora, you will be aided by Kisame and Itachi in procuring that information as discreetly as possible. Your target, Oyashiro En, enjoys visiting and betting on fighters at the Coliseum. He particularly enjoys collecting special Kekkai Genkai, like the ones you possess. I trust you remember how to get there, yes?" Pain said plainly.
She has been there before?
I peered over at Sora seated beside me. She clenched her hands together so tightly in her lap that her knuckles were white. She stared back unwaveringly at Pain and spoke calmly, "Yes. I remember…"
Kisame and I made brief eye contact before both settling our gaze back on Sora, "When you participated there before, your patron was Orochimaru, correct?" Pain spoke emotionlessly as usual.
Her eyes fell shut as her chakra flared at the mention of his name. She swallowed hard before staring back at Pain emotionlessly and nodded once solemnly.
That must be who is tormenting her in her dreams...
My heart ached for her. I couldn't imagine what horrendous experiments and torment she had endured while in his captivity.
Pain continued formally, "Since you have already competed there, it will be no issue for you to be entered as a combatant with the Akatsuki as your patron. We are well known and respected within the criminal underground—you will use your Kekkai Genkai during a match to attract En's attention.
"Sora, so far, you have not caused problems in your time here. I am giving you the opportunity to prove your worth—but if you fail to complete this mission, your time here will come to an end. Understood?" He said coldly. Sora nodded once, a hint of fear clouding her jade eyes.
Konan set a black and red Akatsuki cloak down on the metallic table and slid it over to Sora. She examined the cloak with an ambiguous look. Konan's monotonous voice echoed through the chamber, "Should anything go awry, you will assume your role as the team's medic—so please prepare accordingly. You all leave in two days' time. Report back once you have the information," With that, Pain rose from his chair and exited as Konan trailed behind him.
Kisame spoke immediately after Pain and Konan had taken their leave, "When were you planning on telling us that you were a combatant at The Coliseum?"
Her nails dug into her hands. "I had no intention of bringing it up—ever. I choose to block out that portion of my life, Kisame…" I glowered at Kisame for pushing her on the subject. I knew he was pressing her on an issue with a great deal of brutal trauma.
I tried to be as gentle in my tone as possible while speaking, "Let's go train—the fresh air will be good for us both." I offered her my hand as I stood. She smiled up at me innocently with dimpled cheeks and dazzling, light jade eyes. She nervously slipped her much softer, petite hand tenderly into mine. I nearly let a smirk slip at how erratic her chakra became from the simple contact. It was evident that she found me attractive and loved watching her attempt to resist the notion. It made me love to fluster her all the more.
She'd always been astonishingly sensitive to my touch; I secretly relished it. It triggered carnal thoughts I hadn't cared to wonder about before. Like how sensitive she would be to my touch... elsewhere. I selfishly loved how much I flustered her.
Even my presence shook her and made her flush the most attractive shade of red. She maintained a composed demeanor and presence with others. It seemed that I was the only person who affected her in such a manner. It took strength to not stare as she used my hand gently to rise out of her seat.
The minute she was on her feet, she dropped my hand and almost sprinted out of the room and down. It delighted me to see how chaste she acted around me compared to the rest of the members. I caught up with her just a ways down the corridor and observed her halt abruptly.
She has no idea where she's going, does she?
She was utterly lost. It made me snicker to myself, "This way." Her chakra spiked with a vengeance while she whipped around and glared at me. An exquisite dusky pink blush spread over her cheeks and contrasted her pale skin.
Sora exhaled loudly and pinched her nose with her dainty fingers. She begrudgingly strode over to me, "Will you lead the way… please?" She muttered with disdain and refused to meet my gaze. I couldn't restrain the smug smile that crept onto my lips while I turned and sauntered down the hallway that led outside.
We made our way silently out of the stagnant compound and into the clearing we used as a training ground. I reached into my cloak to offer her a few shuriken and gazed down at her. She was divine as she stood and took in the afternoon sun; her bright blonde hair flowed with the warm breeze while she inhaled the summer air deeply. I watched her lids flutter open as she took notice of the shuriken that I held in my hand. She reached out cautiously and grazed my fingers subtly.
I spoke plainly, "Hit the bullseye on the targets to the left and right of those trees." I pointed to the small targets hanging from two large evergreens on the opposite side of the clearing. I studied Sora as she nodded once and placed the shuriken between each of her dainty fingers—on both hands.
She shut her eyes, took a calming breath, and kept her eyes closed while she whipped her arms across one another, propelling the shuriken outwards quickly. They smacked into the targets with piercing cracks, deeply embedded in the wood. I observed one shuriken sat perfectly in each bullseye and was encircled by the other four.
Good. She throws shuriken almost as well as I do.
Sora glanced over at me as I folded my arms over my chest. I knew she expected me to be more impressed, but I knew she was capable of far more than the mere child's play of throwing shuriken.
"Tough crowd—give me a kunai," She said confidently while sauntering over to where I stood.
I uncrossed my arms to reach in my cloak to summon a kunai and extended it out to her. An enthusiastic expression flashed over the endless pools she called eyes while snatching the kunai from my hand.
"Thank you," she stepped away while twirling and switching her grip on the kunai dexterously before taking another cleansing breath.
Not a moment later, the weapon was hurdling towards a sizeable evergreen between the trees that held the two targets. It tore violently through the tree subsequently leaving an immense hole clean through the center of the trunk. And did an equal amount of destruction to the five trees behind it.
I squinted to see the kunai had come to a stop stuck in bark up to the hilt of another tree quite an extensive distance away.
A reverberating groan ensued while the punctured evergreens swayed then splintered and collapsed. My eyes widened at the sheer destruction she inflicted with just one kunai.
… how did she do that?
"Ah, that's more like it." She said in a pleased tone and cracked her neck to one side.
I was impressed, but desired to not stoke her ego too much by saying as much, "How did you get that kind of power and range from a single kunai?"
"A good magician never reveals their secrets—it's no fun. But, if you're lucky, I may tell you eventually," She grinned mischievously.
Cheeky girl.
I rolled my eyes while fighting back the small smile that threatened to emerge. Sora suddenly closed her eyes again and extended her arms outwards. She had them pointed at a sizeable boulder about 20 feet away.
Her brow furrowed in concentration while her petite fingers curled inwards. The boulder began to lift off the ground and into the air; Sora was lifting the boulder with her chakra.
My happiness morphed to concern as scarlet blood trickled down from her nose. She immediately brought up a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. The glint of a shimmering, red tear caught my attention as it ran down her pale cheek.
There is no possible way that can be normal.
In an instant, I was beside her with my Sharingan activated. I brushed her hair to one side, causing her to shudder faintly as I brought my palm to rest gently against the back of Sora's neck.
I pushed away the superfluous thoughts of how impossibly smooth her skin was and honed in on the chakra pathway running through her spinal cord.
She'd either overexerted herself or gathered her chakra incorrectly, "Your pathway is clear—but, you cannot be careless about how you use or gather your chakra. Otherwise, this will continue to happen…"
"It's just a bit of a nosebleed, Itachi," She gave a gentle pat on my hand resting over her neck. "I'm okay—really."
Even the bleeding from my Mangekyo Sharingan is due to excess of pressure from the massive amount chakra required to harness it. She is most certainly not okay...
I moved my hand from the nape of her neck and wiped away the bloody tear that had spilled out of the corner of her left eye gently with my thumb. I watched her eyes widen as her breath hitched in her throat. I
displayed my now bloody thumb to her before I spoke, "Don't try and tell me this is normal, Sora." I mumbled with more concern in my voice than I would've liked.
She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "I know it looks bad... But this used to happen a lot when I first was training. I infuse my chakra by manipulating matter related to each of the five chakra natures. Larger objects require more chakra and concentration. That boulder was pushing it…" Her voice tapered off as her gaze fell to the sizable rock off in the distance.
Woah, she really is a weapon.
She wiped away the remaining blood from her cheek with her black shirt, exposing her fit stomach. I'd noticed the plethora of scars that adorned her pale skin once before.
The proof of her fighting experience, but more importantly, her strength of will. I couldn't help but think which of the marks were a result of her torture and which ones were from battle. I wondered about why a talented medic such as herself would choose to not erase them.
And how many scars does she have that aren't visible?
"… Promise me you will be more careful?" I implored while staring fervently into her sea-green irises. She flushed and dropped her gaze to the ground. She was silent. "Sora…" I insisted, hoping to incite a response.
She heaved a sigh, "I don't make promises that I know I can't keep—but," She refocused her gaze on me, her cheeks dimpling as wide smile spread over her full, rosy lips. "I will promise to do my best." She exuded a sincerity that was almost palpable.
What a perfect answer.
Her words prompted a rare, truly genuine smile to creep over my normally composed countenance. I momentarily shut my eyes and relished in the sensation of my heat swelling from her statement.
I poked her forehead with my forefinger and index finger the same way I had done to Sasuke since he was an infant. She quizzically lifted a brow at me as her face scrunched together. She puffed out her flushed cheeks and rubbed her forehead.
"Let's go inside. It will be dark soon." I murmured and turned to head back to the compound. I heard Sora's light-footed steps behind me and then a faint tap on my left shoulder. I peered over my shoulder to regard her, but she wasn't there. She started giggling heartily. I gazed down to my right side and blinked lazily, stunned. It prompted her to giggle even more vigorously; she nudged my side with her elbow.
I could no longer hold back my happiness. I smiled in a way I hadn't in a long time and elbowed her gently back. I didn't want to be falling in love… but some part of me did.
I selfishly wondered if Sora would be capable of healing me or giving me just a little more time. I could ensure Sasuke was strong enough to take on the world as the last Uchiha and I would get to spend the rest of my short life with the most amazing woman I'd ever encountered.
No. You cannot burden her with that heartache.