Author's Note: Sorry about procrastinating!!! Heehee, I've been working on some stuff that I'm no telling :D Evil aren't I? Well, evil would be like Orochimaru, um… Naraku… Yeah, people like them! Enjoy the chapter!

The Forgotten and Blind

Chapter 4 – The Assistant

It had been many long miserably months for Itachi. His eyes were now a dull gray instead of a fiery and deep onyx. His legs were numb, not like that he could feel them anyway. He sighed, "I can finally leave this white prison?"

The silver haired doctor smiled, "Yes, and Mrs. Uchiha is going to take you to your new office at the Uchiha Company Tower! Congratulations Itachi-san." As soon as he congratulated the weasel, Itachi heard the door squeak open and could hear his mother's heels click against the hard tiled floor of the hospital room. After his sense of seeing disappeared, his sense of hearing grew and could nearly recognize any noise.

"Itachi dear, are you ready to leave?" Mikoto asked her son. "Oh that's right, you still have on that hospital gown… Well, thankfully I usually carry around an extra suit just in case your father spills his tea like that one time at the tea house—"

"Ahem…" Itachi purposefully cleared his throat. "You're getting off topic again okaa-san." He heard his mother shuffled and heard a bag rub against each other. "Here, can you change by yourself?"

Itachi nodded, he remembered how the doctor wanted him to learn to be independent. His ears twitched as the door squeaked closed as the doctor and his mother walked outside to chat and give him some privacy. His fingers danced around the thin white blanket before feeling a smooth fabric. Quickly putting on the top, he fixed his tie, and sighed as he poked his legs. Usually, the pants were the hardest to put on, but considering he was quite flexible, he easily slipped on the pants.

"Are you ready?" Mikoto walked in with a wheelchair. "Wonderful, let's get going!" The nurses helped Itachi into the chair as they rolled out of the white Hell.

The Office

The office had a nice aroma and he felt that it was very neat, considering Mikoto could easily push the wheelchair around. A couple of tall plants in two corners brushed his cheek, and his could feel his polished wooden desk in front of him. "Itachi sweetie, I know it's hard for you to rely on someone, but I feel it would be much more easier for you if you had an…" she gulped, knowing how much Itachi hated trusting people other than his friends, or Sakura. "Assistant."

"Okaa-san—" he was about to protest though the door slammed open.

"Du-freaking-ude, Itachi?" the voice was familiar.

He sighed, "Kisame… Nice to see you…"

He heard the blonde haired sculptist snickered, "I never though I'd see the day the great almighty Uchiha Itachi sit in a wheelchair."

He heard Pein's voice, "Hey, remember that time Hidan over done his rituals and ended up in the emergency room? So, don't go teasing Itachi about it."

Hidan rolled his eyes, "Whatever."

"Is everyone here?" Itachi narrowed his eyes, not really believing his office was that big.

"Everyone from the Akatsuki, yes." Konan, the blue haired woman smirked. Akatsuki was their little group they would always hang out with. They had a rule to meet up at least one every week and just hang out.

By that time, Mikoto already left the crowded room. Sasori spoke, "As your mother was saying, she hired an assistant for you."

He raised an eyebrow, "Oh? She interviewed him or her?"

Zetsu replied, "Well, we interviewed her…" the assistant was a girl. "And, out of most of them, she was the best."

He nodded and asked questions, "Which college did she graduate?"

"She graduated from a University in America and has a PHD." Kakuzu muttered.

"She's from a pretty well-known family." Deidara added.

"She's nice!" Tobi jumped up and down randomly in the entire room.

"She was actually a surgeon in America, but was forced to quite because her family disapproved of a female operating." Pein noted.

"She's kind of quiet… Well, really quiet." Konan smiled. "Say hello to… Kaguya Karasu."

The door squeaked open and everyone in the Akatsuki smiled a nervous looking shoulder-length black hair girl with flaming scarlet eyes. "He-Hello…" she whispered.

Itachi narrowed his eyes, "Kaguya… Isn't your brother Kimimaro?"

She nodded, "Mhm… I operated on him just last month because of some tumors in his respiratory system…" Konan nudged the girl to speak more. "Um, I'm very sorry about your condition Mr. Uchiha!"

The Uchiha prodigy nodded satisfied with her duty, "Fine… You can start the job by calling my little brother for me." She immediately nodded and flipped out her business cell phone. "(408) 888-0176." He said the number as he heard the clicking and she pressed speaker for him to speak to Sasuke. "Thank you." By that time, Pein already rushed everyone out of the room. The phone rang and rang for several minutes before someone picked up. "Sasuke?"

The little brother sighed miserably, 'I cannot believe he actually jumped out of the car. That idiot…' "Itachi! How are you doing? I heard you have been released from the hospital just today. I'm so very sorry about your vision and paralyzed condition…" he smirked, mentioning his state just to bother him. "By the way, how did you call?"

"My assistant." He answered.

"Oh?" Sasuke's voice raised a pitch. "Who is he or she?"

"She's Kaguya Karasu." He answered.

"Isn't she that chick who had to retire from becoming a female surgeon because her pathetic clan forced her to?" Sasuke asked, not knowing she was there.

Karasu flinched and grew stiff. Itachi could feel her aura lowering in shame, "Yes…" he shrugged the situation off. 'It's her problem, not mine.' He thought to himself. "Why don't you come over for a while?"

Sasuke glared at his Blackberry phone and sighed silently, "Sorry bro, I can't make it. I have um… a date."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Who with?"

The little brother rolled his eyes, obviously frustrated that Itachi was being a little nosy, "I have a date with Ino!"

"Isn't she dating Shikamaru?" he asked.

"Um, she broke up with him recently, you know… Argument." Sasuke lied.

"Oh… How unfortunate… Well, why don't I join you?" Itachi really wanted to meet his brother again. He hasn't seen him after the accident.

Sasuke glared at the phone, "It's a date. Unless…" he smirked, just to break his older brother's heart some more, "You have a date, then it could be a double date."

There was a long pregnant silence throughout the rest of the two minutes on the cell phone, "Very well."

Both Karasu and Sasuke were flabbergasted at Itachi's answer, "Bu-But Mr. Uchiha! Who could—"

"Karasu." Itachi responded. "We are only going as if it was a meeting, you are only my assistant."

The girl rolled her eyes, 'As if I want to be with an emotionless jerk like him…' "Yes sir." She strained the 'sir' part to make her point. She sighed after a minute of silence, 'I can't blame him for being such a jerk though… his fiancé passed away recently.'

Just as Sasuke sighed out loud he muttered through the phone, "Very well… Meet us at the Le Cheri Fleur (I don't know French, I just used a translation thingy =] It translates to The Beloved Flower restaurant) at 7:45 pm sharp. I have reservations made."

As soon as Itachi hung up, Sasuke immediately called the long blonde haired girl's cell phone number, "Ino."

The background noises were loud and sounded like a party, "SASUKE?" she shouted.

He flinched in disgust, "Yes, I know you're going out with Nara, but could be please have just one date with my brother and his assistant tonight?"

The noise in the background slowly faded away, he knew that she didn't like what he was saying and moved to a quieter place, "Sasuke, I used to have a childhood crush on you, but you harshly rejected me. What makes me want to go out with you, even for one lousy night when I can cuddle up with Shika-kun?"

The younger brother rolled his eyes and seethed, "Please? Just one night… I'll donate half a thousand to your designers' industry every three months." He sighed.

Ino's voice brightened, "Fine… Where and what time?"

Sasuke smirked, "7:45 pm sharp at Le Cheri Fleur. Dress nicely, and remember that my brother and his assistant will be there." Ino gave a 'uh-huh' before hanging up, knowing how much Sakura loved Itachi and headed back inside the club.

Sakura smiled at Ino and dragged her onto the dance floor once again, "Who was that?"

The blonde shook her head, meaning she didn't want to talk about it, but the two immediately screamed with the rest of the crowd as the DJ played the famous song Hot n' Cold. (A/N: Haha, sorry, I went to a school dance on Fri. 13th called One Unlucky Night and they played that song)

7:40 PM

Karasu sighed in despair, "Kimimaro-oniisan isn't going to like this…" she loved her older brother very much, and promised to stay by his side until he got better. Instead, she sent a replacement nurse as a substitute.

"…" Itachi stayed silent while Karasu pushed his wheelchair up to a man dressed in a grass green suit.

"We have a reservation under the name Uchiha or Yamanaka…?" she used both surnames just in case.

The man immediately heard the famous surname Uchiha and smiled, "Of course! Right this way, the best seats in the house." Karasu carefully rolled the wheelchair around the silk-covered tables and carefully not to trip over her simple black dress that cut off at her knees. "Sasuke-san and the lovely Ms. Yamanaka has been waiting for a couple of minutes, and they already ordered for you lovely couple."

Karasu gulped, hoping Itachi didn't hear that and shook her head, whispering to the waiter, "Oh no, I'm his assistant, he's paralyzed and blind." The man nodded, shaking his head back and forth sorrowfully.

Though, Itachi already heard the words and gave a huff of disapproval. "Kaguya-san, seat me next to Sasuke."

Sasuke smirked and greeted his brother. "I've ordered your favorite." Itachi nodded, trying to smile, but sadly failed. "Itadakimasu."

Karasu smiled at Ino, and she smiled back. The red-eyed girl took a glance at Itachi's meal and immediately scallops, 'Oh! That little bastard Sasuke! He knows that Itachi's allergic to scallops.' She immediately switched her salad and his scampi pasta with his before he could pick up his fork. She sighed in relief, seeing the older Uchiha enjoying it.

Sasuke immediately looked up and glared. Ino nudged Sasuke's ribs roughly and saw that Karasu didn't really like the pasta and offered to switch, "Here, I don't really like the Gratin Dauphinois." They both switched and enjoyed their meals.

"So Sasuke… How long have you been dating Ino?" Ino nearly chocked on a penne noodle right when Itachi asked.

"This is our first date." Sasuke kicked Ino and glared. "Only a friendly date."

"I see." Itachi nodded and tried reaching for a glass of water with the help of Karasu. "Kaguya-san, you've been rather quiet this evening."

"I'm sorry… I feel it isn't my place to speak." She muttered.

Sasuke smirked and already paid for the bill, "Of course, being an assistant to Itachi must be rough."

"Not really…" she thought for a moment and whispered to Itachi, "May I please send you home? I'm worried about my brother."

Itachi nodded, "Very well. I'm sorry, but I'm getting a bit tired. Kaguya-san, send me home." She immediately nodded with a small smile and waved Ino a good bye. Just as soon as she saw Sasuke's back turned, she threw him a nasty look and held up a very unladylike gesture (the middle finger).

Kaguya's Mansion

As soon as she dropped Itachi off, she rushed towards her home, and as soon as she opened the door, the substitute nurse cried in sorrow, "Kaguya-sama! I'm so sorry… There was a large tumor underneath his trachea and I immediately alerted the ambulance…"

Karasu's heart beat stopped for a moment and continued in a fast pace, "How is his condition?!" she felt tears in her eyes.

The nurse started stammering and stuttering, "Th-The do-doctors tri-tried everything… The-They didn't fi-find the tu-tumor until they decided to use th-the ultr-ultrasound. By-By then, it was t-too late… I'm extremely sorry…"

Author's Note: Sorry this was up so late, I had a little problem on Thursday (friend issue) and a big dance on Friday 13th that ended rather late… So, hope you review! Amount of Reviews before next chapter: 10

---Karasu

PS: Amaya, your OC is gonna appear in the next chapter~