Author's Note: I loved writing this. I hope you enjoy! And if you can, please review! It helps motivate me, and if I'm motivated you better believe you'll get a bonus chapter! Happy Labor Day! ;)

Citations: Naruto Shippuden Episode #453 (Beginning and Ending), Naruto Shippuden Episode #454

Chapter's Song: "Through Shooting Stars" by A Million in Vermillion


Chapter 19
Playgrounds At Midnight

Knock-knock. "Knock-knock…" A familiar breathy and dignified voice mewed outside his window.

Itachi took his blanket off of him, and got up, sliding his window to see Akina kneeling outside his window on his rooftop. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough…" Her eyes and voice showed sympathy.

"You've gotten really good at cloaking your chakra…" He acknowledged.

"I don't want you in trouble with your parents…" Akina confessed in her whisper.

"Then why are you here?" To anyone else, it would be viewed as rude for him to say such a thing, but Akina was persistent.

"You know why I'm here." Her sympathetic voice continued. "I'm so sorry."

"Y-You heard already…?" She could hear his voice was ragged.

"I don't know to give my condolences or congratulate you…"

"Lost life is more important than new power." He was stern.

"Because the whole purpose of new power is to protect life?" Her dignified voice shook his heart in how well she understood him.

Itachi blushed, and as he regained his composure, he swallowed. "I wasn't strong enough. No comrade will die in front of me again."

She sadly stared at him for a moment. "I know what you're feeling all too well." Akina wanted to say it out loud, but all she could manage was to step into his room, remaining there a moment and then a step forward, closer to him— Her arms wrapped around his neck and brought his face into the crook of her shoulder.

Itachi was surprised and stiff in her arms, her frame against his, but as he lingered in the crook of her shoulder, he cuddled his face into her hair, the relaxing scent of rose and vanilla made him hug her back, wrapping his arms to her waist.

"It's going to be okay…" She reassured, her voice felt like it echoed and vibrated through his skin, into his muscles, and every fiber of his being. Akina's fingers held firmly on his neck, and Itachi tried to stifle the tears, but they began streaming down his face.

Akina slid her hands to his shoulders to push him back, bringing his wet face into view. "I'm here for you. We're best friends."

"Friends…" At that moment, Itachi knew that Akina making him blush was attached to something more in his heart then just friendship or a childish infatuation. Shisui was his friend. Tenma was his friend. Even Shinko was his friend. Akina… Yes, she was his best friend, but she was something more. "I want to kiss her."

He imagined it in his mind's eye right in this moment as she smiled her comforting smile right in front of his face, he could easily, and swiftly crash his lips to hers to claim her as something more then just a friend.

"Your eyes are so red…" She stared, swimming in the pools of his red iris's looking at his black pupil, and the two tomoe that sat across from each other at a straight angle.

"Huh?" He broke from his thoughts.

"Your Sharigan." She slightly bobbed her head, still staring.

"Oh," He looked at her to view her from a battle perspective. "Her chakra amount… It really is massive."

"They're definitely intimidating. What can you see?" She thought out loud.

"You have massive amounts of chakra." He knew not to lie to her.

"Hm," She smiled, and poked him in the forehead softly. "So don't get cocky."

"I won't." He turned off his Sharigan, Akina staring at his onyx eyes. "…What?"

"Those are your eyes…" She smiled. "A dark pool filled with nothing but love for this village, your clan, your family."

"My best friend." He insisted seriously.

"Well, I'm part of the village." She rolled her eyes, playfully.

"And you have eyes like the leaves of this Leaf Village… No… Like emeralds from the mountains." He seriously complimented.

"Are they filled with love?" She blushed, asking.

"You coming here tonight proves your empathy…" The romantic tension between them was unbearable, Itachi either had to confess or abort. "Have you ever frozen in fear?"

Akina was mildly surprised by the change of topic, but caught on and nodded to answer his question. "Yeah…"

"You saved Hisoka, and he then jumped in front of you." Itachi explained. "How do you overcome it?"

"You… You just move. Your fear of losing them overrides your fear of dying." Akina sadly shrugged, depression overtaking her countenance.

Itachi nodded.

"I better get going…" She continued to whisper, as she sidestepped to the window.

"I'll walk with you." He offered, stepping to the side to insist his offer.

"If your mother—"

"I'll meet you at my front door."

Akina hesitated, but she couldn't say no to him. She nodded, smiling. "Okay." Akina climbed out the window and Itachi closed it.

Then leaving his room, grabbing his headband off his dresser, walking down the hall as he put it on, walking into the kitchen to see his mother washing dishes, she turned at the sound of his footsteps. "Itachi dear?"

"I'm… Is it okay if I take a little walk outside?"

"If that's what you feel you need?" Her brows went upwards with sadness, nodding to allow him to.

"Thanks. I won't be long. Just a little air." He informed as he left for the foyer. He got his shoes on, and shot out the door, looking around to see if Akina was there, he seen her down at the corner of his street and jogged to her.

"Mommy approved?" Akina teased.

Itachi pouted.

"Don't worry, you're blessed to have her. The idea of being able to do whatever you want without permission is fun at first, but it gets old when you're lonely."

Itachi was sad, and nodded. "The pain must be so much worse for you? I lost a friend, an annoying friend; you've lost your mother, your father, and an admired teammate. You've concealed it so well."

"Hm?" Akina's brows rose, and then settled. "Well… Self-pity is a depressing cycle to fall into…" She then walked away. "C'mon. Playgrounds are not very far."

"Playgrounds?" Itachi asked, following.


The two came up on the playground within the Uchiha Compound. Akina sat on the swing, backing up to get a good swinging motion going. Itachi just sat down on the swing next to her, looking up at the stars lazily.

After a few moments of swinging, Akina slowed down, to come to a stop to just sit in her swing next to Itachi's swing. He glanced at her looking at him. "Sometimes I feel she's reading my mind…"

She looked up at the stars. "That's Gemini…" She pointed out, connecting from star to star. "It's our zodiac sign. If you believe in astrology."

"Do you?" Itachi asked.

Akina shrugged. "Not entirely… But it's interesting. Pretty to look at."

"Yeah," Itachi agreed, staring at her. "Akina?"

"Yes, Itachi?" She asked, and then looked to her side, sensing an aura. "Shisui."

"Wow," Shisui appeared in an instant, leaning a hand on his hip. "You sensed me teleporting."

"Well, your turn to comfort Itachi then." She stood, pushing off the swing.

"Yeah, I heard…"

"Don't hesitate to come find me if Shisui sucks at being comforting." Akina grinned at Itachi to get him to give a small snicker.

"Hey…" Shisui groaned playfully as Akina passed him by.

"See you." Akina waved, disappearing in Indigo petals.

Shisui approached, his hands in his pockets as he stood above Itachi sitting on the swing. "You doing okay?"

Itachi held eye contact with Shisui only for a moment, looking down at his feet as he pushed his heels just a little to create a light swinging rhythm. "Hanging in there…"

"I know the feeling, when I lost Kenji."

"Yeah…" Itachi nodded. "How do you overcome freezing in fear?"

"You just tell yourself to…"

"That's what I did, but it wasn't enough. Akina told me, 'You just move. Your fear of losing them overrides your fear of dying'…"

"She's poetic like that." Shisui dismissed, sitting down on the swing next to Itachi.

"Fear of losing them overrides the fear of dying… That's in a battle situation, so for a confession of the heart… Fear of losing her to another guy has to override the fear of being rejected, but that could ruin our friendship…" Itachi sighed.

"After you give your report, if it's not too soon… Could you help me out?" Shisui asked.

"Help you, Shisui?" Itachi looked at him with question.

"Yeah," Shisui nodded with a smile. "Could you? It's a mission. Take your mind off things."

"Sure. I want to get right back to training." Itachi sternly informed as he looked up at the stars.

"Good. I'll be by your place early in the morning." Shisui confirmed.


Itachi sat on his porch in the full moonlight, overlooking the backyard, Sasuke ran through, hugging Itachi's side. "Will you play with me?"

Itachi nodded.

And Sasuke continued darting off down the porch. Itachi watched him with joy. Itachi undid his forehead protector at the back of his head, turned it over in his hands and stared at the Konoha symbol.

"I'm a ninja of Konoha…" He replayed in his mind. "Uchiha Itachi of Konohagakure."

Sasuke soon, brought an armful of different toys, an old stuffed dinosaur, blocks, wooden shuriken, real kunai, scrolls, and then a pair of white cat ears on a headband. "Nii-san! What is it?" Sasuke asked loudly as he bended the headband outwards and inwards.

"This is… From that time…" Itachi thought out loud looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke looked lovingly on the cat ears, making Itachi smile at the joy Sasuke's innocence brought him. He then looked back up at the moon.

"Life is born, and life dies… But life is saved again. Wait… When I saved him back then, I didn't think too deeply about it." Itachi looked into his palm, recalling the mission in Sora-ku. "A clan grows… A village is born… And bonds are made… If that's what friends are…We were friends, no doubt about it." Itachi curled his fingers into his palm to make a fist, Sasuke watching him, now wearing the white cat ears. Sasuke could tell his older brother was deep in thought. "We formed a bond. That's why that happened. We had a bond… That's why he… died."

Itachi recalled Tenma's death, hearing his voice say, "I swear I'll make it up to you for this!" Tearsformed in the corners of Itachi's eyes, looking at Sasuke beside him. "I didn't understand back then. What real pain was…"

Itachi thought about the war, and wrapped his arm around Sasuke to pull him into his lap to hug his little brother's shoulders, Sasuke questionably looking up at Itachi's face, but Sasuke hugged Itachi's side. "The pain of losing a life. I felt it for the first time after losing it. No, I was made to realize it..." Sasuke snuggled his face into his brother as Itachi held his head. "The feeling of not wanting to lose something precious."

Sasuke looked up. "Nii-san! Your eyes!"

With tears in the corners of his crimson eyes, he looked at Sasuke, holding his cheek as Sasuke looked up in admiration. "Will the day come when you'll possess these eyes, too?"

Itachi raised his free hand to hold beneath his right eye. "The day when you come to know what sadness is?"


Itachi walked down his porch in the early morning, passing behind his father's back down in the yard as he fed his Koi Fish. "Are you leaving already?" Fugaku asked, glancing back.

Itachi stopped. "Yes."

"I see…" Fugaku smiled at his son's resilience, but became serious as he looked back down at his Koi Fish. "You awakened your Sharigan at age eight. I supposed the Village wants to observe your abilities. This just shows how much power and influence the Sharigan holds. I want you to be aware of that."

Itachi listened looking forward as he stood at Fugaku's back. Itachi clenched his fist in his anger.

"It brings joy to the clan when one of its own excels. Of course, I'm very proud of you, too." Fugaku continued as he fed his Koi Fish.

Itachi replayed Tenma's death in his mind. "He died… Father…"

"But, do not rest on your laurels just because you have the Sharigan now. In order to sharpen the power in your eyes, you must continue to be diligent. Well, I don't need to lecture you. You are my son, after all." Fugaku looked at the Uchiha crest on Itachi's back with pride.

"My friend died…" Itachi gritted his teeth, turning his face to his right, away from his father. "But, Father is…"

Itachi turned changing his anger into a smile. "Yes, Father." Itachi nodded. "I will continue to be diligent."

"Good." Fugaku nodded with a smile.

"I'll be on my way now." Itachi's eyes still saddened, he turned away to continue down the porch.

As Itachi put on his shoes, sitting in the entryway. "Nii-san!" Sasuke cheerfully called out, standing behind Itachi, nudging at his shoulders. "You said you'd play with me today!"

Itachi looked over his shoulder as he stood to face Sasuke. "That's right, I did, didn't I?"

Sasuke's face just lit up with excitement.

"But I have a mission. Forgive me, Sasuke. Next time."

Sasuke had disappointment sweep his face. Itachi poked him in the forehead with two fingers at the sight.

"Sorry about that, Sasuke-kun." Shisui said, leaning in the doorway that had quietly been opened. He held up his hand in an apologetic greeting. "I'm going to borrow your big brother for a little bit."

Sasuke just pouted, filling his cheeks.


"Why did you lie? Sasuke resents me now." Shisui asked to Itachi's back as they stood on a tree branch, Itachi reaching for a scroll within the notch of the tree.

"I know that was wrong of me… But Sasuke's a smart kid. I think he'll understand." Itachi said as he struggled to reach for the scroll, smiling as he grabbed hold, and backed out to look to Shisui.

"First, have one Genin accompany you, and secure scroll in question." Shisui said, with his arms crossed. "Even if my training exercise required a Genin, it really didn't have to be you." He said as he then opened the tie of the scroll with his teeth.

"Don't say that now!" Itachi complained. "Even if it's not a real mission, none other than Shisui the Jonin requested me. I'm not lying when I say it's a mission, right?"

Shisui rolled the scroll back up and put it in his backpack. "Well, you're half right. Let's go." Shisui took off with a jump up to a higher off branch. "You're good at fooling yourself, Itachi. You can't even grasp your true feelings. You didn't want to stay at home. Simple as that."

Itachi tilted his head in annoyance, thinking, "He's too honest. Now he's wishing he would have asked Akina instead."

Itachi took off to catch up to Shisui dashing through the tree branches. "What are the details of the training exercise?"

Shisui held up three fingers. "There are three parts." Shisui swung on a vine. "The first part is to find traces left by a fugitive, and then to track him."

Itachi followed suit and grabbed a vine, as well. Hacking any debris in his way. A snake lunged at Shisui. HISS! Itachi cut its head off and then again at its throat. "Pretty good!" Shisui affirmed.

Itachi smiled in pride.


Fish on sticks cooked in the campfire, Shisui snapped another branch for the fire to keep burning.

"The textbook said campfires are prohibited." Itachi informed as Shisui brushed his hands off. They sat on rocks across from each other, the fire between them. "So does this mean there's another reason behind doing this?"

"Just eat." Shisui took a fish on a stick from the fire and handed it to Itachi. A gentle smile and surprise graced Itachi's face as he took the fish. "You're exceptional, Itachi."

Itachi grudgingly looked away in frustration. "I'm still inexperienced. Earlier, if I had more skills…"

"Heh, that's true." Shisui scoffed, watching his fish cook a little more.

"Don't laugh!" Itachi chewed, looking back at Shisui.

Shisui raised his fish out of the fire, meeting Itachi's eyes. "Sorry, sorry… It just makes me happy."

"Happy?" Itachi narrowed his eyes, annoyed.

"Huh? No!" Shisui explained. "Just listen… I thought that there was really nothing I could teach you, but..."

"You taught me a lot today." Itachi informed.

"Yeah… And that's what made me happy." Shisui smiled, then taking a bite of the fish.

"So…" Itachi began to say.

"Hmm?" Shisui asked with his mouth full.

"What about this campfire?" Itachi finished asking.

"Oh…" Shisui looked into the fire. "It's nice to share a meal with someone you feel at ease with." Itachi listened with mild surprise of how Shisui felt about their friendship. "Enjoying a hot meal helps cheer you up." Itachi smiled at Shisui's words, looking at the fish he held. "Eat it while it's hot."

Itachi then held the branch with both hands and took a big bite out of the fish. He swallowed roughly. "Yeah… It's warm and tasty!"

"Told you so!" Shisui smiled happily, bragging.

Itachi took another bite, retreating to his thoughts. "But… If I'm really exceptional… He wouldn't have died." He thought of Tenma's dead body. "I'm still so inexperienced." He said out loud, leaning his elbows on his knees. "So why would someone like me… I…"

Shisui was sad seeing Itachi's sad resolve. "Hmm?"

"Awakened the Sharigan…" Itachi informed.

"I see…" Shisui breathed, poking the sticks in the fire with a stick he held. "Is that why… You lied?"

"Lied?" Itachi uncertainly asked. "You said the same thing at the start of practice."

"You're good at fooling yourself." Shisui smiled, poking the fire. "That's why you can't grasp your true feelings."

"Huh?" Itachi asked.

"You didn't want to stay at home, right?" Shisui didn't even look at Itachi as he asked it. "That's the look you had on your face."

Itachi was shocked by that assessment. All of the moments leading up to Tenma's death flashing through his mind, his anger towards his father's disregard of Tenma's life. Itachi collected his composure, staring into the fire. "That might be true…"

He raised his eyes to look at Shisui. "Shisui picked up on how I felt from the very beginning…"

Shisui raised his eyes to meet Itachi's, smiling, "I'll be happy to listen any time you want to talk."


On the other side of the Forrest of Death, Benjiro and Akina sat in a cave, Benjiro poking the fire. "It's got to get very hot for those sweet potatoes…"

"So the first part was to find traces left by a fugitive, and then to track him, and now encamp at night…"

"It's to train me for leading a team as a Jonin. Benjiro is on the same mission with Itachi."

"That's good… Shisui will get his mind off Tenma."

"Is he taking it hard…?" Benjiro asked.

"Itachi is hard on himself and feels his lack of skills is reason for not being able to help Tenma."

"Do you see how he's wrong?"

"I feel bad for him blaming himself." Akina admitted, knowing that feeling of putting fault on herself for Hisoka's death.

All of a sudden a whistle was heard.

Benjiro furrowed his brows. "This training practice has been called off…" Benjiro informed, pulling the potatoes with a mitted hand and throwing a bucket of water on the fire.

"So we failed…?" Akina asked.

"Itachi and Shisui are our teammates, so we didn't fail. We report back… But we can eat first, I'm sure." Benjiro winked.

Akina smiling as she shook her head.


Benjiro and Akina approached three Jonin. "Ah, Benjiro… Shisui has already left with his Genin."

"Did he complete the mission?"

"There was an infiltration of Anbu business during this training session so we've called it off for now. I'd like to talk to you and Shisui more about it tomorrow."

"An infiltration…?" Benjiro's eyes widened.

"Is Itachi and Shisui okay?" Akina held her fist to her chest in her panic.

"Yeah," The Jonin with big eyes and a bandana headband nodded. "The boy just suffered a sprained ankle."

"Oh…" Akina was relieved.

"Let's catch up with them."


Shisui laughed as he carried Itachi on his back through the village.

"It's not funny!" Itachi pouted, puffing out his cheek in annoyance.

"I'm sorry!" Shisui glanced back. "I'm just happy. You're really like a kid brother to me."

Itachi lifted his head with joy to hear that. He admired Shisui as an older brother.

"So being able to take you under my wing like this makes me happy." Shisui explained further.

Itachi smiled, shifting his eyes away.

"I want you to think of me as your older brother and depend on me for anything." Shisui glanced at him.

"Mm." Itachi agreed, smiling. "Shisui…"

"Hmm?"

"About the Anbu…"

"Oh…" Shisui thought out loud. "Did I make the right decision? I won't say yes. I don't even know if there is such a thing as justice in the Shinobi World."

"But that's…!" Itachi tried to collect his thoughts.

"We fight believing in our own justice." Shisui explained. "But if the enemy is doing the same thing, who's right?"

Itachi tiredly and sadly stared at Shisui from behind as he was being carried. "You realized that during today's exercise, didn't you? There's more than one side to an issue. You must consider things from various viewpoints."

"Various… Viewpoints?" Itachi asked slowly.

Shisui glanced back to Itachi. "You must be tired from using your Sharigan. Go ahead and sleep." Shisui smiled gently. "But there's one thing that's certain… I will never, ever betray you."

As Itachi rested his eyes and head on Shisui's shoulder, passing out into slumber.

"Hey, Shisui!" Benjiro called out, Shisui stopping and turning to see the Mochizuki catching up with him.

"Is he hurt?" Akina did hand signs for white petals to form around Itachi's ankle.

"Just that ankle, and he's exhausted from overusing his Sharigan…" Shisui smirked as he tilted his head down in a gesture towards Itachi's right ankle.

"He doesn't really want to go home…" Shisui informed. "You guys feel like camping?"


Itachi woke up to fire embers, leaning up to see Akina, and the gazebo by the lake. "You feeling better?" Her sweet voice asked.

"Uh…" Itachi looked to Shisui.

"I told you, nothing better than sharing a hot meal with friends."

"We're a third and fourth wheel, Shisui." Benjiro groaned playfully.

"Ben Nii-san!" Akina scolded.

Itachi just lied back, looking up at the stars. "Akina-chan…"

"Huh?" She exclaimed.

"Where's Gemini again?"

She got up and walked over to Itachi, lying down next to him on the grassy hill. Shisui and Benjiro looked up to where she pointed. "There."

Itachi stared at the constellations. "You weren't hurt?"

"No," Akina breathed. "We had no encounters."

"That's good."

"I'm relieved you're okay…" She breathed hesitantly.

"Okay…" Itachi contemplated, remembering Shisui's words from their encounter. "A nameless individual who maintains peace from the shadows… Peace is not maintained by the blade, but by civil compromise, by sacrifice, by empathy, by being strong enough to project respect…"

Akina blushed. "…That's the kind of Hokage you'll be?"

"Yes." He nodded, promising it into the starry night.