A year flew by quicker than Mei expected. Sasuke was completely immersed in his training with Orochimaru. To her surprise the old snake kept to his promise and taught Sasuke new techniques. The young Uchiha's strength was growing by the day, but it was never enough. There were times when Mei did not see him for days; he was completely absorbed by his goal of revenge. Orochimaru tried to lure her into making a deal with him, but Mei refused. Instead she concentrated on exploring new healing techniques and studying her grandmother's book of herbs and healing potions. Grandmother, she missed her dearly. She passed away the same year Itachi massacred the Uchiha clan, leaving her all alone in the world. Mei cringed every time her thoughts travelled to the events of that year. It was the worse year of her life. Her beloved grandmother, her only family died and Itachi…the man she fell in love with, disappeared from her life. Mei looked at Sasuke, who was silently eating his breakfast. She felt a pleasant warmth spread in her chest. Mei smiled lightly at him. Sasuke was the only one she had left. They only had each other. Everyone else was gone.

"You are staring, Mei," Sasuke said as he looked back at her. The girl blinked coming out of her daze.

She cleared her throat and took a sip from her cup. "Sorry,"

"What are you going to do today?" Sasuke asked running his fingers through his raven coloured hair. It was hard to believe that he already turned fifteen. Over the past year he matured a lot. His face and body developed and were no longer the ones of a child. She could see his muscles through the material of his shirt. Every time he moved, she could his muscles tense. Although Mei was one year older than him, Sasuke was already much taller than her and she knew that his body was still growing. She had to admit, Sasuke was becoming a very handsome man. Sakura would have died if she saw him.

"I was going to go over some ninjutsu techniques with Kabuto. He said that he found a new method of healing deep wounds caused by chakra penetration," she replied. "How about you?"

"Nothing for today," he responded bluntly. "Orochimaru is leaving the hideout today. He will be away for some time."

Mei looked surprised. "Really? Where to?"

Sasuke could see the relief on her face. Even after a year of living in the hideout, she could not get used to Orochimaru. Mei tried to stay away from him as much as she could. On the other hand, she instantly clicked with Kabuto. At first Sasuke did not pay attention to their relationship, however as time went by, he could not help but notice how close they became. He did not like it.

"He did not say." Sasuke responded. They were silent for some time until Sasuke finally spoke again.

"Let's take a stroll through the woods today," he said. "I have something to give you."

Mei looked at him curiously. "Sure."

/

The mission was simpler than he expected. The scroll guards were weak, and it took less than five minutes to dispose of them. Itachi caressed the scroll under his cloak. Leader-sama made it perfectly clear that the scroll was of a great importance to them, then why was it so poorly guarded. Itachi glanced at Kisame, who was running closely next to him. The blue man grinned like a madman, looking ahead. The hype of the recent kill was still running through his veins. Itachi signalled for him to stop.

"What is it?" Kisame asked hoarsely.

Itachi took out the scroll and handed it to his partner. "Take it to the hideout," he said. "And inform the leader that I will be away for some days."

Kisame sent him a perverted grin, which Itachi ignored. "A little lady friend waiting for you?" he asked. Itachi did not reply. He glanced at Kisame one last time and disappeared.

/

"You have a talent for this," Kabuto smiled as he pushed the glasses up on his nose. "I don't think I have met anyone who grasps medical ninjitsu as fast as you do."

"Thank you," Mei smiled putting away the tubes and flasks they have used to make medicine. They have managed to get a lot done and she felt accomplished for the day. "I just have a great teacher," she said when someone cleared their throat.

Mei looked around. Sasuke was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed on his chest. His dark eyes stared at them not blinking once. "Are you done?" he questioned.

"Yes, just finishing up. I need a couple more minutes," Mei replied.

"It's okay, go on, I will finish," Kabuto gently patted her shoulder.

"Are you sure? Because I feel bad leaving you to clean up,"

"He said he will do it. Come on, let us go." Sasuke grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the room and then out of the hideout.

"Sasuke, what's the rush?" Mei pulled her hand away from him and rubbed her wrist. "We have plenty of time." Sasuke ignored her words and continued making his way to the depth of the forest. Mei followed closely behind wondering what has gotten into him. The girl took a deep breath, enjoying the freshness. They reached the lake and sat down on the grass. The ripples on the water triggered a memory she kept trying to bury away. Two years ago, she was in a terribly similar situation with Itachi. She remembered every detail of that day. The way they watched the ripples on the water, they talked and laughed, his warm fingers on her face, his lips touching her own. Mei swallowed hard trying to block those memories before she would cry. She never spoke to Sasuke about Itachi. She was unsure if he knew that there was something going on between them before the incident. Mei sighed and looked at her friend from the corner of her eyes. The wind blew through Sasuke's hair, pushing it out of his face. Her heart clenched at his resemblance to his older brother.

Sasuke caught her stare.

He sat closer and took her hand. He brought his face closer to hers. "Close your eyes," he said. His fingers were cold and felt pleasant on her warm hand. Mei raised her eyebrows with a smile but did as she was asked. Something cold landed into her hand. When she opened her eyes and glanced at the object of her hand, she felt confused. She picked up the chain, allowing the pendant to drop down the chain and sway in the air. The light reflected on the shiny metal. Mei brought it closer to her face and gasped. She looked at Sasuke, who was watching her intently.

"Sasuke…this is…why?" she asked nodding at the pendant with the Uchiha Clan symbol. The craftsmanship on the pendant was exceptional, yet Sasuke's gesture and intentions were unclear.

Sasuke silently sat there forming a response in his mind. "This is a promise, Mei," he finally said.

"A promise?"

"You are the only one I have left. This is my promise to you. After everything is over and taken care of, we can start anew…as a family."

Mei's blood ran cold at the mention of "everything". She knew exactly what Sasuke meant, but she still could not process it. The thought of Sasuke and Itachi in a life-and-death battle numbed her limbs. She clenched the pendant in her slender fingers and forced out a smile.

"Thank you." She whispered. "This means a lot to me. You are my only family, Sasuke,"

Sasuke took the pendant from her hand and leaned forward attempting to put it on Mei. She turned around and lifted her hair, giving Sasuke full access to her neck. Sasuke hesitated for a moment. His eyes scanned the back of her head and her tilted neck. He felt his hand reach out to touch her flesh, but he resisted. Cold metal cooled her skin as Sasuke finally put the pendant on her. Mei let her hair drop and faced her friend. She touched the pendant with her fingertips.

She looked back at the lake. Sasuke continued watching the girl. There was doubt in his mind. He was unsure if she understood correct the proposal, that he made to her. He decided not to dwell on it. She accepted the Uchiha Clan pendant and to him it was equivalent to an agreement.

/

Itachi skilfully hid his presence as he watched the two people from his past. Over the past two years he got accustomed to watching them. He always watched them from afar fulfilling his curiosity, but that day was different. Itachi could not understand what triggered his irritation. Was it the closeness of Sasuke and Mei? Was it the Uchiha Clan pendant that he gave her? Was it that she accepted it so eagerly and gladly? Thoughts raced through his mind, but he could not concentrate on any. Itachi's body tensed as he watched them lay down on the grass next to each other. After the massacre of his clan, he left with no hesitation. It was never his intention to interact with them until the time was right. It was never his intention to interact with her at all, and yet… heat flushed through his body when he saw Sasuke reach out to her neck with a particular intention.

Itachi's breathing became heavy and noisy as his nostrils started flaring. His lips curled into a bitter smile. Was he that easily replaced? He had no right to question her actions. He had no right to accuse her after he told her to forget him. He had no rights in relation to her at all, but he could not control his irritation. Itachi took a deep breath. His body shuddered and a wave of cough rushed out of him. His body bent on an instinct. Blood splattered out of his mouth and onto his hand. His eyes closed automatically as he continued coughing. Itachi tried to take a breath but the coughing fit would not let him. He fell on his knees. The soil was hammered under his nails as his tensed fingers clawed the ground.

The barrier around him blocked the sounds. When he finally managed to take a deep breath and relax his chest, Sasuke was no longer with Mei. She sat closer to the lake, still looking at the water. The wind played in her long hair. Itachi wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. He scanned the area for sign of Sasuke or other intruders, but it was peaceful. Itachi wrapped the Akatsuki cloak around him and moved forward.

/

Mei played with the pendant reflexively; the fluttering feeling in her chest would not leave. She felt nervous. She had a premonition that something was going to happen. She took a deep breath trying to calm down, but it did not work. Mei sighed and slowly stood up. She stretched, enjoying the pleasant feeling of her muscles lengthen. She glanced at the lake one last time and turned around. Her body froze in shock. Her hands fell at her sides as she took one step back. Her face turned pale and limbs got cold. She looked at the tall figure in front of her feeling as if she was being wrapped into an invisible cocoon.

"Long time, no see, Mei."