Author's Note: It just got spookier, didn't it?

Citations: Completely Original.

Chapter's song: "Hello" by Evanescence


Chapter 26
Never Say Die

The man turned his gaze to the door that had been kicked in— And there stood Uchiha Itachi with his crimson glower. "He's an Uchiha… Kill him!"

Shisui caught up behind him. "You take those two, I'll get the other three, but you get Akina." He whispered behind Itachi.

"Got it." Itachi nodded. "Where's Benjiro?"

"We heard her scream so he went to get Hamaki-sensei." Shisui reported.

The five ninja charged, Itachi and Shisui staying calm to the coming men. Smack-Smack! Smack-Smack-Smack! Akina heard the beatings, trying to lift her peering green gaze. Seeing Shisui fighting, and then Itachi right in her view, those scared Sharigan eyes full of worry. "He looks stressed— Wait!" She noticed, "Your Sharigan has three tomoe now…"

Itachi met her eyes, squatting low to look past her under breasts to her glimmering green eyes that were losing their glimmer. He looked back to the shackle on her ankle, sweat on his forehead as he frustratingly fiddled with the lock. "She's practically nude… Bastards, if they did anything worse to her, I'll—"

The onyx-eyed masked man helped his one comrade up off the floor, ordering, "He's Shisui of the body flicker! We retreat! We've done what we could."

They all then vanished into the dark night, white petals on the wind. Itachi had unlocked the cuffs on Akina's ankles, and just released the one on her left wrist. "Ita— HACK…" Akina mewed bravely while Itachi played with the lock on the right wrist to try and release her.

She was pinned high up as he stretched up, fiddling with the lock. Her clothes were draping from her revealing much, but only to reveal drying blood against the exposed pale skin.

Once Itachi did the last lock, Akina fell limply forward from the wall, as she fell down into Itachi's hold, his arms wrapped to her waist, her limply holding around his neck. "I've got you." Itachi soothed into Akina's ear, smelling her rose-vanilla hair. He then scooped up her knees to hold her bridal style.

Shisui took out gauze, wrapping her wounds on her limbs, and then packing her wound on her chest and taping it.

Akina was barely conscious, looking up into Itachi's crimson eyes that changed to onyx as he respectfully tried to keep his eyes off the wound Shisui was packing. She tucked her features into his chest. "Hey… I'm a kunoichi, not a damsel."

"I will always protect you." He insisted, feeling a little angry at her.

Those onyx eyes were of no comparison to the evil ones she had faced tonight. Itachi's were gentle and concerned, the ones Akina wished she could keep smiling at, but she slipped into her swoon instead.

Itachi smiled sadly, it reminded him how strong she was. "She'll be all right. She's using one of her lives though…"

"Your jacket…" Itachi broke from his thoughts to say.

"Huh?" Shisui asked.

"Give her your jacket." Itachi suggested.

Shisui furrowed his brows as he took of his Konoha flak jacket, sliding Akina's arm in and then the other as Itachi held her bridal style, finally zipping the jacket, all while explaining, "Revealing cleavage is the least of her worries. We have to get her to my house."

"Your house?" Itachi questioned in anger. "We need to get her to Hamaki-sensei at the hospital."

"I'll explain on the way."


Shisui held open his front door as Itachi carried Akina in his arms into Shisui's home where Benjiro and Hamaki-sensei sat at the table, raising their heads with alarm. Yuasa, Shisui's mother gasping.

"Akina!" Benjiro yelled, coming to her in Itachi's arm, her small body being so limp. "I'll never forgive myself…"

The Uchiha Prince looked down at her peaceful face that looked like a precious angel sleeping, tucked to the fabric of his shirt.

"Seems she's used a life. She's got regenerative abilities, but still, let's get her some medical—"

"Let's get her to the hospital!" Hamaki scolded!

"We can't bring her to the hospital! If more and more people start fearing her…" Benjiro defended. "My clan will seek support from The Village to—"

"They already know…!" Shisui shouted.

"Other's don't know yet, you realize that people will hunt her if they knew of her powers…" Benjiro explained.

"People like Orochimaru and Danzo," Itachi simply explained with a stolid expression, but his revealed worry.

Shisui sighed.

"Fine." Hamaki-sensei breathed out in frustration and got up. "Where will we treat her?"

"Shisui, show Itachi and Hamaki-sensei to your father's study." Yuasa informed. "I'll boil more hot water."

"She'll heal, she just needs rest." Benjiro reassured to everyone.

"I won't allow you to bring her back to your compound." Itachi blankly made known before disappearing into the room.

"No offence, but we can't let the Uchiha get word of this either." Benjiro's brows furrowed as he followed Itachi into the bedroom.

Itachi raised an ugly gaze to the Mochizuki man. "Do you want her to die? I know I don't…" He'd say trying to remain calm, feeling that Akina wasn't breathing— She had slipped into that same coma or death state that she always woke from, but it still broke Itachi's heart to hold her dead body, even if she would revive herself.

Shisui scooted a coffee table filled with books to the side of the room, he then laid down a tatami mat and a futon, once he did, Itachi stepped up to the side, laying her down in the plush white bed.

Benjiro silenced himself to Itachi when he seen the worry and love in Itachi's eyes as he stared at Akina's face. Hamaki-sensei staying quiet as he prepared his medical equipment.

Yuasa came in with a pot of hot water, kneeling down at Akina's side. Itachi stayed at her other side, Shisui stepping out the door into the hall. "Request if you need anything and I'll bring it. For now I guess I'll do the laundry." He shrugged.

"Get her some clean clothes while you're at it." Yuasa ordered. "I have a dress in that load that's in the washer now."

Shisui nodded and headed back into the hall, Benjiro went into the hall with him and then for the door. "Where are you going?"

"See what's going on at my clan…" Benjiro voiced.

"Are you crazy?" Shisui scoffed.

"I'll be back." Benjiro brushed off, and left.

"Itachi," Yuasa's voice addressed as she seen he was listening to Benjiro and Shisui.

"Huh…?" Itachi looked to Yuasa's almond shaped eyes.

"Start explaining." She smirked, as she held Akina's forearm, Hamaki-sensei cleaning it with a cloth, and packing it with antibiotic gel.

"Her clan cut her chakra pathways…" Itachi began to explain.

"She may not be able to use jutsu again…" Hamaki assessed healing her wounds, while Yuasa took sutures with a needle holder in her right hand and grabbing with forceps in her left hand. She repeated this motion to close the wound on Akina's left forearm.

"She has a special ability within her clan known as Black Rose Style… It allows her to die and revive herself. I was informed after she accidently killed Hisoka." Hamaki-sensei explained.

Yuasa eyes widened. "So she is dead?"

"Yes, ma'am." Itachi nodded.

"How long does it take her to revive herself?"

"Twelve hours." Itachi informed. Yuasa moved her seat down to Akina's calves to clean and sew them up. Itachi continued to explain without further question.

"This ability is infamous and feared in her clan." Hamaki continued.

"No excuse to do this to her…" Yuasa sternly rebuked. "Though, historically Uchiha have killed in order to pluck out another Uchiha's eyes."

Itachi eyes widened, he had read about that from a book on his father's bookshelf about the Uchiha Clan's history. He didn't fully understand why this was, but he felt it no time to ask Yuasa. He just stared at Akina's face.

Yuasa lovingly smirked. "Did she unlock your Mangekyo for you?"

"Huh?" Itachi raised his head, shaking it.

"Oh," She nodded. "Because you were pre-aware she's not permanently dead even if she did die."

"I suppose so… I gained the third state of my Sharigan though, when I seen the state she was in."

"Because you have a strong bond with her…" Yuasa smiled.

"She's my best friend…" Itachi sternly stared at Yuasa.

"I thought I was your best friend?" Shisui jeered, as his bare feet brought him to Itachi's side, setting a maroon dress down with the Uchiha crest on it. "Anything else?"

"Bring a hair brush and a hair tie." Yuasa requested. Shisui nodded, getting up again to head back into the rest of the apartment. Hamaki had finished stopping the bleeding, he then went to Itachi's side, him moving to Akina's other arm that had already been sewn up.

"Will these scar?" Itachi asked himself. "How could her own clan do this to her? Is a life so expendable if it is deemed a threat to the clan? Even if that threat is no threat at all. But just a preconceived notion from their own paranoia."

"Itachi…" Yuasa snapped him out of his reflections.

Said boy made eye contact with Yuasa's eyes again. "Yeah?"

"Help me get this vest off her." She explained, unzipping it.

"Okay," Itachi internally gulped, trying to play it cool as he just kept in mind that they had to save Akina, he was assisting in such. Itachi lifted Akina's head, holding it as Yuasa slid one arm out of the vest and then the other, throwing the vest to the side.

"Lay her back down," The mother directed, and Itachi did so, glancing over her scar between her chest. Her boobs had noticeably grown and it made Itachi blush as he looked away. Yuasa noticing.

"You can leave if you're uncomfortable…" Hamaki-sensei suggested.

"You don't need my help?"

"After this wound I'm going to leave, and Yuasa will undress her from her kimonos and put her into the new dress…"

Itachi's face went flush, nodding to show he understood what Hamaki just said, he pushed off his knee and headed for the door. Shisui was coming towards Itachi as he left the room, analyzing Itachi's expression. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Itachi breathed. Itachi went to sit in the kitchen, but— Knock-knock-knock!

"Itachi, get that…" Shisui said from inside the back room.

Itachi made his way to the door, opening it to see Benjiro. "How's she doing?"

"She's almost sewn up, but she's still dead." Itachi informed.

"Right," Benjiro nodded. Itachi stepped to the side as Benjiro came in. Itachi closed the door and headed for the dining table chair to sit.

"Can I see her?"

"Yuasa-san is changing her clothes now." Itachi informed.

"Where's Shisui?" Benjiro disgustingly grinned.

"Relax," Shisui said, stepping into the doorway to lean on its frame. "I just brought my mom a hairbrush."

"Thanks, Shisui." Benjiro smiled.

"You were quick at your clan…" Shisui sobered his expression.

"I entered my home, but Mom just yelled at me crying to get out. I've never seen her so full of rage… She's losing it…" Benjiro informed bitterly.

"Well, you can stay here." Shisui shrugged. "Itachi, you want to stay, too?"

Hamaki-sensei came into the kitchen. "I've done what I can. The rest is up to her. Bring her in if any sign of her worsening." The front door then clicked shut as he left.

Yuasa then stepped into the kitchen, as well.

"Yuasa-san…" Itachi's voice spoke up. "Can I sleep over tonight?"

"Of course, you have before so I understand why you want to tonight. I'll call your mother."

"That's the thing… Don't tell her that Akina is here."

"You can't tell anyone about Akina." Benjiro insisted.

"You're asking a lot of me to lie to the heads of the clan…" Yuasa furrowed her brows sadly.

"They've forbidden me to be friends with anyone outside the Uchiha Clan." Itachi informed.

Yuasa's eyes saddened and she sighed. "Very well." The woman then looked at Benjiro. "Do I need to make a call to your mother, as well?"

Benjiro awkwardly shrugged. "She's aware that I'm here."

Yuasa headed for the phone, the boys all headed into Shisui's room. Shisui sat on his bed, Itachi next to him, and Benjiro slumping over to sit backwards on the desk's chair.

"So what's the plan?" Shisui asked.

Benjiro deeply sighed. "My mother banished me from the clan… It's not safe there for me or Akina."

"Well… Looks like we're bunk-mates for awhile then." Shisui crossed his arms.

"Thanks…" Benjiro sighed. "Itachi… Can I ask something of you, too?"

Itachi earnestly nodded.

"You protected her tonight and I want to know you'll do it again." Benjiro pleaded dead seriously. "Protect Akina. Please."

"Always. You have my word." Itachi gave a curt nod.

"Why wouldn't you be around to protect her yourself?" Shisui spat.

"My father's alive…" Benjiro looked his friend dead in the eye.

Shisui's eyes opened wide. "You said he died…"

"So I was told by my lying mother."

"You're going to track him down?" Shisui questioned.

"Yeah," Benjiro nodded.

"I can't believe your own mother, lying, and banishing you…"

"She's done a lot worst to Akina." Benjiro's brows furrowed.

"…All those training accidents?" Itachi chimed in.

"Yeah… If you consider slapping your niece's face with her nekote an accident, then yeah." Benjiro then stood, Itachi watching him.

"When do you leave?" Shisui asked.

"I'm not going to expect you to put us both up," Benjiro explained. "Just take care of Akina while I'm gone. I'm leaving early tomorrow, I'll come back with my father as soon as possible, and we'll help Akina take back the clan. I'm trusting you both."

"Don't worry." Shisui waved his hand. "She's like a sister to us, too."

"Yeah," Itachi agreed.