I'd recently listened to "Dreaming of You" (a hit from the late Latin superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez) and it became somewhat basis as well as chapter title. :')

Chapter Three

Dreaming of You

She dreamed of Itachi, right after the funeral, and it was maybe the best coping mechanism she had for herself besides her job and the universe that she helped flow through her students and her son who was still too young to understand this stuff.

That was what happened that very same night as soon as she laid down. Ren was asleep in his room, unless he would knock again after having a nightmare. And that was why there seemed to be perfect timing after all of this...

To keep a long story short: at some point in the night, she would see his face and knew she wasn't imagining it, but she was deep in sleep. It's all a dream...but it feels like he IS here. It was dark, but she saw him - and she felt his every touch on her body, his whispering of her name and promise he would always be with her and their son. Then came the feeling of his warm breath on her skin and the brush of long, silky hair out of its tie caressing her softer than his hands that followed: on her breasts beneath her shirt, her stomach, and thighs when her shorts rode up at the actions.

Always wearing the crystal to bed and having not gotten choked or lost it by now, the small, raw rock pulsed with the sensations that came with his caresses as well as the throbbing heat that he sparked below her waist, which he'd always been a master at. The sweet pink and passionate red within the jewel formed into one intense emotion, overlapping the calming blue, burning into her flesh and blood. My man...

Even from beyond the grave, he could still do this to her.

The people of Japan believed in reincarnation even today, but there were also those who were too skeptical like those of the western world. Ever since the early twentieth century's dawning. Maybe someday she and Itachi would meet again in another life, with no memories of their previous one - which was the present.

When she opened her eyes in the morning, she was greeted with lingering tingles in her nether regions which was post-orgasmic at its finest. Sighing with satisfaction, Hanaru was ready to start the day despite her body pleading to remain in bed a little longer. But today was Saturday, and it was also when she and Ren were going to meet with Sakura, Sarada and Hinata.

First came one of her morning rituals that never had to be broken even if she were young, fit and healthy enough, and that was to put on her sweatshirt and pants for her early morning jog.

"Be sure to finish your breakfast before I get back," she told Ren as he sat down at the table for the food she'd made him before she would take off. He nodded without a fight; he was still a good boy to listen to her when he felt like it. "Okay, love you." Smiling, Hanaru knelt down and kissed the top of his head.

Now he looked up at her and returned the smile, repeating the words which made her happy.

It was a really nice morning, too early to be hot, and it was humid enough to make some of her hair sprayed hair in its sleek tie a little loose. Her lungs took in the easy breathing of oxygen, her limbs burned with the calories, and her skin broke out into sweat, but when she got back, a quick shower would be in order while Ren enjoyed his games and maybe the television. He was also a big boy to answer the phone if Aunt Sakura or Aunt Hinata tried to call.

And don't let the Kuchisake-onna get you.

She'd said that before of the woman with the carved mouth, hidden by the surgical mask in these days, but Konoha wasn't known for being affected by that kind of person unlike other places in Japan. Nevertheless, her son had to know about her "existence", and so had Boruto and Sarada.

But then something very frightening and surreal happened then and there. She was turning around the block's corner and coming to a side walkway that bordered one of the miniature forests in town. There was someone standing outside the forestry, but when she looked at their face by accident, she froze in every body part at once and halted her run, losing her balance and falling right onto the grass on that little raised level. At least it's not the street or the sidewalk itself.

Before falling, she saw the person's face and had no idea if it was a dream or a nightmare - or if it was real. Too many or's even though she said it only twice to herself.

Now she looked up again and saw HIM clearly, frozen in her crumbled spot.

The skin was gray and peeling in some places, otherwise in perfect shape. Though the eyes were inhumanly black, centered with white dots, and the long, gray-black hair was loose about the shoulders instead of tied. He was clad in a ratty old, red-brown shroud.

She burst, getting up on adrenaline - the crystal was pulsing hotly - and made a mad dash for him, yelling his name.

"ITACHI!"

But he said nothing, not even gave a blink of expression. Just stepped back with rigid grace and turned to disappear into the woods, and when Hanaru finally caught up to him, he was gone.

~o~

This new one was sure to go, since he hadn't been able to find - once again - out what was causing this malady, and he sure as hell wouldn't tell these peope a bullshit lie like "rain fever" or even "swamp fever", much less the "plague from the heavens" just so these simple people would be satisfied. They had no idea what more could be out there, though Manami insisted that it wouldn't be a good idea to engage any of them...especially the brother of this latest man in his care, when he visited the home shared with his brother.

Jurou Matsuda was his name. He had all the symptoms of Itachi and the others who followed: slow motion in movements, tiredness, even pale complexion with shadows beneath the eyes and the decrease in appetite. His elder brother by one year, Toshio, demanded that he be saved unlike the others before him, but how could Kabuto know if he and his fellow villagers didn't want him to cut the body open or take samples to have labs investigate for him?

That was why he asked his guardian to come as soon as possible, if this one didn't make it through. After twelve deaths so far in this place - thirteen if you counted his best friend - he couldn't afford another one.

There was also the matter of his sister. She hadn't been back home to her husband lately, choosing to stay with him for a while, which had been since last week. It was then that he noticed how her right hand was bandaged, and when he inquired about it, she assured him it was just an accidental cut, though part of him was suspicious about it.

"Hideo had nothing to do with it," Manami said defensively, which was like her nowadays. He dropped it altogether - and would later regret it.

When the day was over after another checkup as well as a shouting fit from Toshio, he could use a heavy drink as well as another evening with Manami who seemed happy in his company after all the time of being married to a man who dragged her across the country...but he also noticed how exhausted she was, but she seemed to be energetic as ever and unwilling to even take a vacation despite his insistence.

~o~

She chose to not say anything of what she saw, no matter how much she wanted to. The girls could believe her, or not, but she didn't want to be told she was still grieving - after all, it had been barely a year - and that would piss her off so much that she would want to punch someone. She took many martial arts just for that, especially on men two to three times her size.

Aside from what she thought she saw, it was a normal day, so to speak. Sakura was going through the second fitting of her wedding dress, but the date was yet to be set, and there was her daughter going to school very soon.

You heard right: Sakura and Sasuke were going to get married eventually, though knowing Itachi wouldn't be there was still heavy in the air, if slowly turning mild. After five years and a daughter, they were going to tie the knot. It also seemed like a good idea to get life together and move forward. And at least have something of him to play a part on that day.

Sarada was going to be the flower girl, wear a miniature version of her mother's gown. She seemed genuinely excited; what added was that Hanaru did the best she could to spoil that girl as often as she could, but not like her husband used to. There was also her son to consider.

Sakura today was too busy smiling and talking about how enthusiastic she was, but nothing overtly done like the time she announced she and Sasuke were dating. And things got a little more brighter when the bride ended up in her dress, the curtain drawn back to show billowing but sleek ivory which bared neck and shoulders, and when she turned around, the back had a sheer, daring corset.

"Oh, Mommy!" Sarada jumped out of her chair and ran up to hug her mother who returned the embrace. "You're pretty!"

Hinata clapped her hands together, sniffling and holding back tears. "Indeed," she breathed, then swallowed as if threatened again with nausea, but she should be done when first trimester was over. She and Naruto were expecting their second child, and that meant Hanaru was going to be an aunt a third time - if you could count Sarada on her husband's side.

Unfortunately, Kabuto hadn't been here to share the wonderful news, or when Sasuke dropped down on one knee to present the mother of his child with a hell of a ring that took long enough, but was worth the wait. It wasn't every day you'd have black metal on that finger for the rest of your life; she saw the trio of stones verdant just like her irises, as fingers wove through short, raven hair of the little girl who was sputtering incoherent words.

"Aunt Sakura." Ren had picked up the box that had her accessories, and there really wasn't a lot: a delicate crown of mossy greenery and glowing rosettes, a belt which was a ribbon of pearls and crystals in a floral Art Deco pattern, and earrings of silk white blossoms that would cascade from her ears.

There she looked, and just wait till Sasuke saw her, think that they should have done this earlier. Say to himself that was the woman he loved.

Now she and Ren were on their way back home, before the sun was setting. She planned to order from the sushi place just for them, but before that could happen, she saw the strange car in their driveyway as soon as she brought them up the street. Then she saw the man sitting patiently on the porch of the house's entrance. A face she hadn't seen in a long time, but she was also glad - but wondered what brought him here since Itachi's funeral.

"Mum, it's Mr. Orochimaru!" Ren said, unbuckling himself and getting out of the car as soon as she cut off the engine. He was out in a flash and ran up to the man whom he liked very much despite not seeing him a lot anymore. Smiling lightly, Hanaru followed her son.

"It's been a while," she said to the man who had been an old boyfriend of her grandmother before she married her grandfather. Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru were kind of like how her brother, Sasuke and Sakura were like as a trio during younger school years: tight despite differences. Though she had met him a few times in teenage life; later, after her grandparents' deaths, Orochimaru was around more often if not replacing his old friends. He was also there when she married Itachi, but the last time she saw him was the memorial service previously mentioned.

What was more: he was Kabuto and Manami's adoptive father. Never married after her grandmother, never had children, yet he took two orphans under his wing.

Pale, features angular and narrowed like a snake; his face was framed by loose midnight hair and set with eyes golden as tiger's eye. "Yes, it has, dear Hanaru." He took the boy into a brief embrace. "I apologize for not calling ahead of time, but a surprise might be nicer - unless I caught you both at the wrong time?"

Indeed, it was a surprise. But he might have come at a good one. "Oh, no, not at all." She walked up the porch and fished out her keys from her bag, turning the lock and opening the door. "I was planning to order from the sushi place, but you're here now, so you want to join us?" she offered.

He smiled, standing up and stretching himself; he must have been sitting there for a good while before she and Ren arrived. "I would be honored. That is partly the reason I came: I am on holiday for the first time in many weeks, so now was a perfect timing." But then his face fell slightly, telling her that there was something more serious. Her blood chilled. "It's Kabuto."

~o~

Orochimaru was just like his beloved Tsunade, rest her soul and Jiraiya's, in the sense that he was one of the most renowned physicians in Konoha, having served during the last two wars on the battlefield with her, while their friend was out there and nearly getting himself killed only to come back intact.

Why he and Hanaru's grandmother didn't work out: he basically let work, which had always been his life, overtake his personal life that he didn't notice she wanted some changes for THEM. As a result, he lost her to his best friend.

He watched them marry and have Minato, then watched Minato wed and have two children. They had happiness and joy, he was a part of it all, but by the time he realized that he lost Tsunade, all sense of his own personal joy slipped away - along with any hopes of having what they all did. Being there to watch the children grow up besides continuing to work alongside her at the hospital in peace times softened his internal pain, but never eradicated completely.

Then came two young children who lost their parents during the last war, both of whom were currently in Otogakure - a small village refusing to accept modern technology and way of life. Much less medicinal miracles. It made him wonder how on earth Kabuto could manage while he was there. His "son" - it felt like a surreal, sweet melting to call him his own - was battling a mysterious illness that resulted in thirteen dead so far.

It wasn't anything that was on the books, but Kabuto was obscure in the letter he composed. Another unfortunate matter of communication. Hanaru and her friends hardly heard from him these days.

Eight months had gone by since the loss of Itachi. Orochimaru admired the young man in more ways than one, but then he died strangely - Kabuto never really confided him in all the details despite their history and having trained under him while he was still an intern and med student at Konoha General. Then both Kabuto and his only and first real friend besides his younger sister went off to Ame to aid against the civil war, having not needed his help anymore. Not that he minded, but sometimes he felt he was missing out on something.

Now he got the letter which said details like this: Young working men strangely dying off, one a month, and there is no physical attribute to the causes. Need your help, Dad.

And that wasn't all: Manami could use seeing Hanaru again if possible. That was a concern just as much; did she finally manage to leave that husband of hers? Hideo Hashimoto wasn't precisely a choice he would have approved of despite his status, given his own experiences with that kind. Oh, well, Orochimaru would find out as soon as he was in Oto, which was north of Konoha.

Hanaru was lovely as ever, and her son had become a bigger boy since last time. He got so much of his father in his features, but he had his mother's eyes. Although what concerned him, his mother and especially their friends was how he dealt with his father's death. He was doing well in school, but the social circle was something else. Perhaps an outing from home could do him good for a change.

Orochimaru had a few more months left before he officially retired, and then he would have more free time to relax. He could use it to see Itachi's widow more often. Like right now, and a nice meal cooked by someone else - although she didn't feel like being at the stove and ordering from outdoors. This was his chance to tell her - while the boy was playing games at the television - and show the note from Kabuto.

A sparkle came over her eyes at the mention of him, and musing that Manami must miss her terribly. "I haven't seen or heard from her in ages," she said sadly. "But if we go, I'd have to get someone to substitute for my classes until I get back."

Ren had ears like a cat. He paused his game and whirled around to yell across the threshold. "Mum, we should go see Uncle Kabuto and Aunt Manami!" he said, his face alight and unlike the gloomy youth he looked like a long while ago. Orochimaru felt his face split into a smile, turning back to the mother herself and seeing the minor struggle on her face, but the answer was as he anticipated.

They were all going to Oto Village.

Kuchisake-onna AKA "Slit-Mouthed Woman" - a malevolent figure appearing in Japanese ghost stories, possibly dating back to the Edo period. As a living serial killer, she approaches her victims with seemingly innocuous questions before killing them, usually with a pair of scissors. (cited Wiki) In the old days, she was said to have her mouth covered by a cloth, a fan or a scarf. Modern stories say she walks around with a surgical mask. (cold sweat and tears) Those poor children are aware but sometimes get taken! These Japanese legends are truly terrifying but fascinating.