I managed to finally do the next couple chapters of "Allure of Darkness" (a vamp!Itachi/OC fic) and high time I did. XD In time for the Month of Spooks, none other!

Oh, by the way, note I finally changed from Naruto to Naruko in terms of the pairing with Itachi in the filter. I didn't give in to pressure, but I hope people still understand that Naru in here IS short for Naruto since she was born a girl.

Something horrible has also happened recently. My father threatened to finally leave me and Grandma, because of his issues, despite me being at home to make sure he and her are taken care of, and I have never been so sick and scared. I can't help but wonder what is going to happen to us now and the future...

Hope the wait was worth it. :D

Chapter Six

Swept by the Northern Winds

"Well, we are just going to head out and keep tabs if anymore of Danzo's lapdogs are on the move here, and we will handle them," Kisame promised as they flew over the village, and Itachi was prepared to make the jump as soon as their ride lowered a little. "I wish you luck, Great Leader!"

That title he didn't feel was necessary, but he humored his shark comrade by letting him call that occasionally. "Un, you got it from me, too," Deidara agreed. "I heard the North Wind Festival is taking place, so hope you enjoy it!"

"Perhaps I will," Itachi answered. If I have the chance. We have enough time, but can't be wasted too much.

Naru must have indulged the previous night; if she had, she earned it. The poor girl had been a filthy-looking animal, no offense, so he looked forward to seeing her as soon as he set foot. Whatever well treatment she got must have been a pleasant change after the harsh conditions. He was considering asking if he could join her in that, if only for a little while. As the saying went: too much seriousness drove you off the cliff of insanity. He had enough of that in his lifetime.

When he landed, he settled on his new appearance through the use of a henge, like Tsunade-sama used to keep her youthful appearance: he settled on keeping his body build but with a face slightly rounded, the lines beneath his eyes vanished, and his eyes from black to green, finished with his hair shortening to the shoulders and dark brown like his father Fugaku. He needed a new name, too: Tashi from the borders of the Land of Wind. He was a wanderer who lost his family and was simply passing through - and that he'd met Naru on the way before he came here. That was his planned story if anyone would ask him questions.

That wasn't all: he sent a crow out to intercept any of the Sand Siblings it could reach that wasn't in the Kazekage Tower. To let them know he was out here in the desert and waiting to be allowed in. Even explained what his "story" would be - and what he would look like rather than the way they knew him, so they wouldn't miss him.

No sensory ninja here, or doujutsu users, so he slipped in undetected.

So here he was now, walking the streets of the village, sand blowing into his face, but he had it covered as he walked through the sparse crowds. Just like the Hidden Mist Village, Sand was populated less compared to the other villages as was its suffering economy that really was trying to grow again. It was a shame.

He saw a sweets shop along the way, but it appeared to be limited in contrast to Konoha. He had no time to stop, so he hurried ahead for the Kazekage Tower, where the guards identified him as the "visitor awaited for by Kazekage-sama". He went inside, lowering the cloth from his mouth and face, going upstairs and reaching the second to topmost in time to see the group exiting the conference room - which bore the statues of the current Kazekage and the others who came before him, including his father - and there SHE was, smiling and laughing to whatever Temari was telling her, which sent Kankuro halfway doubled, and even Gaara managing a slight smile.

That light, snowy dress graced her exquisite body, her hair shining like the sun, and her skin devoid of any smudges. There didn't appear to be any weapons on her body - unless she hid them somewhere very well. Although he caught nothing, without his eyes activated. She's not relying on any attacks. Foolish woman.

But when he looked upon her, he damned his foolish little brother for his actions.

"Oh, there you are!" Temari said when she saw him. "You're just in time you...handsome man." He smirked to one corner of his mouth at her flattery attempt. Although Naru looked at him with furrowed brows. "Naru, this is you know who."

Her eyes widened and lit up with recognition. "Doesn't even LOOK like him - except it kinda does," she mumbled, scratching the back of her neck as she noticed certain recognizable features. Then she grinned broadly, a shine reflecting off those teeth. "It's good to see you back, Ta...?" She halted, having forgotten what his name was as long as he was here - and looking like that.

"It is Tashi," he answered, standing before her and looking her down. Her eyes were still bulging as she took in his new appearance, obviously needing to get used to this. He chuckled. "Don't overexert yourself by my new appearance, Naru."

"Well, how do you want me to think of it?" she asked, sounding out of breath. "You're so -"

Kankuro interrupted her with a strangled snigger. "Don't go and say it to his face!" he told her, slapping a hand over her mouth to keep her from blurting it out. His younger brother, though amused, cleared his throat.

"Well, let's take all of this in my office. Tashi -" To ensure no other Shinobi are listening, but his walls are thick enough to not be soundproofed. "- because we all have important matters to discuss, then get to the celebration which will happen in a couple hours."

So walk they did, and that was when Itachi found himself close enough to smell apples off of Naru. It was sweet and innocent...and utterly tempting.

"So, Itachi and Naru," Gaara said once they were safely within his office, "the Council has sympathized to an extent and agreed that you will be granted the assistance you require, given the instability of the military force of Konoha. Division means force is weakened, although we could be attacked full-front, caught off-guard...but then again we might not, because once I would have been used as a weapon. This time is different, because Naru, you are going in there on your own and with us behind you. And I mean ALL of us," he finished with a glance towards Itachi.

Which means the Akatsuki will be backup. All fine by me...but I won't be with Kisame and Deidara. I'll go in disguised as I am at the present. I'll be reclaiming my village.

"I'll be leading you all into battle against that bastard once and for all!" Naru declared, flashing that grin of hers that knew how to brighten the mood of all those she met - well, most, or half. "We're gonna set this right together and save our friends!" Even if there could be people she knew were dead, but she had no idea who exactly. She deserved to know who was with the Hokage and who was against him - and then the worst saved for last.

Itachi now had his turn, shifting from his henge back into his true form. "The Yamanaka are surely against the Hokage, as are the Nara and Akimichi clans. You know about the Hyuuga being pro. Aburame are also against. It seems the majority of the important families are against him, except he has been using extreme ways to keep them from publicly rebelling against him. For instance, two of your friends have been taken prisoner and will remain there for three weeks unless we can make it sooner than that."

The horror was plain on her face. "Wh-who are they?" she demanded in a harsh whisper, and when he said their names, she erupted into an enraged frenzy that shook the walls and could have brought them down on all of them.

"NOT SAI AND INO!"

~o~

Sai - who risked his own skin to let her get away - had been arrested upon discovery, along with Ino; they refused to sell her out because they believed in her. Just great; they're gonna die because of me.

Perhaps they will, but there is still time. Meanwhile, live in the present and not fear too much.

Hot hatred surged through her. She would not let that happen to them, because before the three weeks were up, she, the boys and all of Suna were going to assault the Hidden Leaf and capture the Hokage once and for all. She was going to enjoy his head served on a platter. He was going down in history as the worst leader in Konoha history, and people would agree with that, except the fools who obeyed him - but it had to be done out of fear and desperation, while others were bred like that.

Just like Sai and Captain Yamato.

Itachi said Yamato was doing well, that he was working on both sides; she didn't see the darkness in his eyes, clouded and gloomy, because she looked down at the ground as she processed her thoughts. She had no idea what he was thinking when he said that.

She found herself near the greenhouse, which was surrounded by lush greenery and some flowers; this place had memories which were mostly dear to Sakura when they came here - the time Gaara was abducted by the Akatsuki. But she wasn't alone when she decided she needed a stroll to try and calm down, to silently send a prayer that Ino and Sai would be all right. Itachi was with her, back to his disguise which she thought was very cute - though she admitted she preferred him the way he was.

And she'd just admitted to finding the clan murderer and one of the most notorious criminals in Konoha's history a handsome man.

Kurama was sniggering at her thoughts. Shut up, you stupid fox.

"Being in surroundings like these clears your mind," Itachi noted as they sat in a collection of shrubs, the glass house ahead and glimmering like the only crystal it was in this harsh environment. "This appears to be the only paradise spot in this land. Known for having its own climate to help these plants, to make rare herbs for antidotes - just what we all need, but if the other nations had access, it would mean immediate depletion."

"Yeah," Naru agreed, leaning back and letting the hot wind move her hair in the other direction, no strands getting in her face yet.

She told him about the story where Kankuro was poisoned and was saved by Sakura and Granny Chiyo, when he tried rescuing his brother from Sasori, and it was both her friend and that bastard's grandmother who countered the effects of the poison. That old woman who was one to label people like US, to be there when that monster was sealed into him before he was born...

It was also then that she spotted a certain plant that she'd never seen before. The roots and stumps were so thick they could have gotten too much water and still looked so good! The flowers were rosy, but they couldn't be real roses. What was it? It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen! In awe, Naru stood up and rushed over to it, smelling it very faintly but liking it. "Itachi, do you know what this is?"

"Sabakunobara."

Desert rose.

"As I understand it, it's commonly a houseplant and used for bonsai planting. It's rare and appreciated for its flowers." He reached out and gently touched a flower below without laying his fingers on its petals. "They grow for years."

"I didn't think you'd know all about flowers," she said, laughing.

"I don't know everything," he deadpanned. "I only know flora because of its usefulness, most of the time. Hardly do I appreciate anything anymore. Did you know that the sap of this plant could also be isolated into a toxic compound and used as poison to coat weapons?"

She scoffed; he really didn't find much of anything funny, did he? "You really don't know how to think of anything other than in a technical way, do you?" she asked with some frustration.

He regarded her coolly. "You think I wish to? There was no space ever in my life for such things. If I could even go back and change anything, I would. There is never a choice, like you say yourself," he said, turning his face away from her which pissed her off. She didn't want to get into a fight, but he was making this harder than it had to be.

"Itachi Uchiha...what are you saying exactly for yourself, now that it's just us here?" Itachi looked back at her now.

"I'll tell you as soon as we have a more private setting than this one. You never know who could be listening in."

Naru let loose a smirk; bingo, they would finally get somewhere. And meanwhile, she was going to finish enjoying the sights with him. As well, she would secretly congratulate Sai and Ino despite their circumstances.

~o~

"You'd better have something to make up for wasting my time."

The man spoke coldly from his position, leaning against one of the pillars atop the Hokage Tower. He came on a giant hawk summons at the most late hour possible. If anyone besides his Root knew, there would be more cause to uproar. "I assure you, your time will be worth the trouble," Danzo promised him.

The young man was striking amid the moonlight; had things gone his way, he would have had him in his ranks and using his appearance to lure the targets into a false sense of security, if he wasn't so rebellious and uncontrolled unlike his brother. The white garment was opened wide enough to show the entire front of his body, chiseled and fine. The belt was purple rope - a symbol of Otogakure from its leader to the followers. "What do you have that could be of interest to me? Unless it has to do with my brother, then leave me out of it."

"Your brother, of course - that's why you are in charge of the village which was founded by the one you promised yourself to...and in the end you betrayed him. But his methods weren't to your liking, or do I stand corrected?"

Sasuke Uchiha snorted, his wild hair glinting with his eyes - both black as midnight. "Orochimaru disgusted me, and as I understood from his notes, you helped him get what he wanted sometimes, but I don't see why I should bother with the likes of you," he answered.

This brat really knew nothing of what his brother did for him, for this village, so of course Danzo would have no respect for him in return. You have others sacrifice themselves for yourself only. "Would you bother if I proposition that this involves both Itachi -"

"Don't you DARE say his name," Sasuke snarled, narrowing his eyes and curling his lip. The collar of his tunic rustled to show the black trio of tomoe which flared with fire that threatened to spread into real flames throughout his body.

"- and Naru Uzumaki?" Danzo finished.

That alone stopped him in his tracks. His face visibly showed calm surprise, and the spark hit within the Hokage that he had him for certain. "What about her?"

Danzo went on to speak of the girl he heard had been one of Sasuke Uchiha's female teammates under Kakashi Hatake: she was locked away, of course, for protesting his warrant on the rogue Uchiha's head as well as removing Tsunade, and this information made the youth's glare deepen. "All the more reason I shouldn't waste myself with the likes of you, if you were the one who branded me."

You would hate me even more if you knew what really happened - but Itachi has no intentions of allowing you to find out.

"Remember it was YOU who broke the Shinobi code and abandoned us all for your own pursuits - including those who saw you a trusted comrade. I could lift it if you do this for me just as I will let you have your precious revenge against your brother. He is leader of the Akatsuki now, as you must have heard, and he has issued the capture of the Jinchuuriki. Their present whereabouts are unknown, so I will commission you to seek them out. They likely crossed the western borders where they have passed the Land of Rivers, and you know where it could possibly be by now?"

Sasuke's eyes shone with piqued interest both at the proposal as well as a likely idea indeed.

~o~

She found out it was difficult to have these kinds of festivals during the night, fireworks especially, when there were unbearable winds. That was why it was best during the day. There were bursts of smoke that smelled sweetly like flowers into the sky, stands in the streets that sold delicious foods and trivial things like clothing and jewelry - but a limited selection, unfortunately. Well, they can only work with what they have until they have a real solution.

Naru was here at the latter with Itachi. Who would have thought she would end up here? She'd never been into these things, and that raw crystal from Granny Tsunade which had once been her grandfather's was destroyed when she blew up into Eight-Tails. That thing was special only because of the memory of her betting that she would be Hokage one day regardless of that cynical old bat. That cynical old bat who lost everything and had the necklace left.

She hadn't known what it was like to TRULY lose someone close until Sasuke left and Pervy Sage, Hinata and others were killed.

"I miss that guy, now that I think about it," she said to Itachi as they walked side by side to look at the sights. "I didn't like jewelry, but I did agree because of the monetary value it had, and because I wanted to prove the old lady wrong."

He chuckled. "You and money, eh? Well, you were only a child at the time, not yet understanding the three prohibitions - something not all Shinobi abide by, especially the young generation who hadn't seen the harsh wartimes," he said. She laughed.

Since spending this much time with him, short as it was...somehow it felt like forever. She found herself hating him less and less, looking into his eyes and saw something more sad than angry and hateful. They were cold, yes, but they didn't seem to belong to a murderer. What did that mean? Did that mean he didn't really kill the clan, that he was just framed for it and turned up at the wrong time? Pretended to be the monster his brother saw that night?

It all made sense, though it was nothing more than a theory. However, if it was true, why did Itachi have to be the way he was...?

"Do you like these events?" Naru asked him.

"They're not terrible. Although I regret having limited time for leisure activities. When everyone was alive -" He avoided saying his clan's name as well as his brother's. "- we would go to these events because it was requirement, most of the time."

In other words: the Uchiha were elite and respected so much that they had no choice of their own, was that it? Somehow she realized how hard it was to live up to a family name based on appearances, performance and everything else. Sasuke must have known what that was like, and if that was the case, she felt a little more sorry for him.

"But now I get to enjoy it anytime, if I'm not any more blessed with the luxury than I used to be. You understand why."

Naru numbly nodded, all the while looking at some of the jewels that were on display. Some were made of bluish stones the color of the skies and the sea. There was one that had three opalescent stones fringed with bursts of pearls; it was nice, but it felt a little heavy and looked too much. This she tried on despite liking how it looked.

But then Itachi found something just for her, and it took her breath away.

This looked like it would be a couple inches from her throat. All around were shimmering, natural white pearls each spaced with antique brass. It felt so much lighter than the other, but heavy enough to let her know of its presence.

The nice old lady who sold it said it spoke of a woman who was radiant as she was untamed.

Itachi's fingers clasped it around her throat, his fingers strangely soft while she expected his palms to be calloused from all these years. The sensation the digits gave her skin as they brushed over her made her nearly jump out of it.

Kurama could have enjoyed this, but thankfully he had to be sleeping, which she was thankful for.

~o~

Night fell, and the festivities took their place within the Kazekage's walls, being among the Sand Siblings, their guests, and there was sake served, though he had no intention of consuming too much.

He couldn't take his eyes off the innocent but enchanting gems around Naru's column of a throat, then down to the subtle curves above the fabric of her dress. After he placed the necklace around her, his fingers felt her soft skin despite years of hardship, of survival, and it was here he allowed himself that small pleasure. When the deed was done, she noted he really did seem to care about things on a personal level besides technicality.

He answered with no words, but a one-sided smile.

Temari's voice was that of a divine being when she sang the traditional song of her people from its very founding.

A lord upon carven throne

In many halls of stone

With golden roof and floor

And runes of power upon the door

The light of sun and star and moon

In fragile lamps of paper hewn

Undimmed by cloud or shade of night

There shone for ever fair and bright

"That was some song," Naru said, face flushed from having a couple. But she walked straight with his help and Temari's. "'Mari, that was a hell of a peformance!" There was no mistaking the mispronunciation and misspelling in one, which made them both laugh. A slightly tipsy Naru Uzumaki was not something you saw every day.

Temari spoke to him quietly. "Itachi, I never thought you'd be capable of laughing."

"You'd be surprised."

The hour wasn't that late, so the night was still young. He was asked to stay in their shared room, as long as he didn't try anything to take advantage of her. "I assure you," he told her, "I'm incapable of such vile, base acts."

"Just making sure," she said with a twinkle of the eyes.

Naru was deposited on the bed, where she was left there to rest for a good few hours until the midnight hour struck, and that was when the alcohol left her system. Temari went to bed by this time, and so Itachi chose to stay by the foot of the Jinchuuriki's bed, having watched her the entire time. She was sweet and pure in her sleep. It was a different kind of protectiveness as he guarded her like he used to when he came home to look at sleeping Sasuke as a child.

"You're here, Itachi," Naru murmured, rubbing her eyes.

He nodded. "Simply keeping watch on you because your friend asked me to," he answered, coming to sit closer only because she asked him to. You still have some sake in your system.

"Thanks for watching me, I guess. I don't remember anyone doing that for me," Naru said as she continued to watch him, blinking hazily until her vision was cleared. He was showing his real face as long as the skies were dark and there was no one but the two of them, speaking quietly so not to wake Temari who was not that far away.

She slid closer to him while still laying down. "Is this a good time then?" she asked. "It's just us now, I don't care how late it is, and you can talk to me now so we have it off our chests once and for all."

Sighing, Itachi gave in because he owed her, but she had to know how much more dire it was. It would make her hate Danzo all the more, but what about Lord Third who had been her guardian in childhood yet let all the pain and suffering happen to her?

There was one way he could shorten it for her, without causing her pain. He could talk to her, but it would take all the more hours of the night. "Naru, you're going to have your very foundation shaken when you see this," he warned her, taking her hand into both of his. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed in anticipation, possibly worried she would regret this.

His eyes bled red, sucking her into their world of tragic memories.

The Suna theme song was inspired by "Song of Durin" by Eurielle (though the lyrics were written by J.R.R Tolkien himself! :D) for The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. :'D Take a listen on YouTube and see how epic and majestic it is. I never change lyrics or create my own song.

Japanese songs generally don't rhyme whether in their own language or the English translation.

Adenium obesum is the plant Naru sees (also known as desert rose, so the Japanese name Sabakunobara). Used as a houseplant in temperate climate for bonsai primarily and have thick caudices (the stems, but the term is also used to mean a rootstock and particularly a basal stem structure from which new growth arises). The sap of a certain kind of adenium contains toxic elements used as arrow poison in Africa for hunting.

The necklace Itachi buys Hanaru is inspired by the "Sherwood Set" from Stauer (a magical jewelry website I often use for my stories). :3

When Naru mispronounces "performance" (spelling shown), me writing the mistake was indeed intentional. XD

And here you have it: Itachi shows Naru his past with his eyes, just like he did to Sasuke in their final moments as the Edo Tensei is released. Let's see what happens, and review in the meantime! :D