A.N: Sorry it took so long. I had to rewrite the whole second half to speed things up a bit cuz as you can see it's already chapter 18 and only mid October in the time line. Once this next exam is over however I'm going to jump to mid-December just to let everyone know ahead of time. Anyways read and review!

Chapter Eighteen: Conversation With The Crows

With Itachi's help we recorded and practiced two new jutsu both having to do with the air that came from my skin. The ability to fly however still was out of my grasp.

I slumped down on the grass and watched Itachi work on his swordsmanship. We were in a secluded area so no others had yet disturbed us during our training; even so I had still been afraid I'd land on someone if I were to fall in my massive form. My gaze went to Itachi, who was slicing the air with his full sized katana. It was a beautiful sword and he held it like it was an extension of his arm. I'd like to sword fight some day, I'd been saving up the money my parents mailed me once and a while so I could buy some new weapons, perhaps I'd get a short sword and maybe Itachi would teach me if I asked.

My gaze fell as my legs and arms throbbed with pain. The transformation took a lot of chakra and afterwards my muscles would suffer. My mind was also slipping too as I tried to remember what I had had for breakfast…was it Pop-tarts or had it been Cocoa Pebbles? I couldn't remember at all as if I had done nothing between the point of getting up and the point of beginning my morning training. It was rather strange and very frightening.

"Itachi," I said looking up my brow knotted together.

"Hn?" he grunted still swinging his sword in perfect concentration.

"What did I eat this morning?" I asked and he stopped and looked at me.

"Mini Pancakes," he said his face not twitching as he spoke.

"Oh?" I gaped and he just nodded before twisting around and cutting down an unseen foe. I leaned back till my spine rested on the cool grass and I was gazing up at the clouds. They were mostly plump happy clouds that drifted by lazily with a few quicker wispy clouds higher above the plump ones. "Hey Itachi…" I said my chest knotting up to what I was about to say. He replied with a 'huh?' sound and I went on with my question. "Were you…sad when you killed your friend? Did you feel guilty?"

There was a pause but Itachi didn't skip more then a second of thought. "Yes, for about a moment," he said and I closed my eyes.

"I don't think I could do that," I said.

"I know you couldn't," he said "you love to much. You think to much about the well being of others before your own."

"Only for my love ones," I said trying to defend myself.

"Exactly," he said as I heard the sword swish through the air. "You think to fondly of other people who you think care for you, but I have learned you must only think about your own well being and to make you self stronger. Or maybe one day you'll find yourself be surprised as a loved one you once trusted is thrusting a blade into your back." He said making me open my eyes and gasp. He was staring down at me with the sword's point inches from my face and his eyes swirling red making my head fuzzy as I looking into his cold fishlike eyes, the gaze of death.

"Get that sword out of my face Itachi," I said trying to stop myself from stuttering. My voice quivered but only slightly and I hoped Itachi hadn't noticed even though I knew he had. He must have, I sure he could even hear the sound of my heart thumping at the rate it was going at this second.

His face twitched just slightly as if having an inner battle of weather to run me through or not. Lucky for me the side of him that would rather tolerate me alive rather then deal with getting rid of my body won the fight and he sheathed his katana. But for a few seconds longer he stared down at me until his blood eyes dried and became lovely charcoal again. That was the only moment when I let myself relax.

Then the slowly lowered himself and sat down next to me on the grass. I was breathing quickly still and my heart felt like it was going to burst from the stress but it still felt nice to have his presents with me for some reason even if he could have killed me moments before. I could have defended myself if he had tried to kill me with the kunai that was easy in reach of my right hand but I wouldn't have bothered try. I cared too much for Itachi to bring myself to kill him, he was completely right about me. Compared to him I am weak as a mouse mentally and I probably still couldn't hold my own for long in a physical fight with him.

"Your to nice Jen-chan," he said using my Akatsuki pet name. I kind of liked the way he said it, it made me feel warm, kind of like when Deidara said the pet name. "But for some reason I don't hate that about you. It makes you nothing like me and I like that."

"You just pointed a sword at me," I said crossly sitting up so I could look at him. There was the smallest smile on his soft lips but the rest of his face was obscured by his choppy bangs.

"I was trying to make a point," he said making me giggle. He turned his head to look at me quizzically.

"Make your point," I smiled at him. He just tilted his head thoughtfully. "Itachi?"

"More questions?" he asked.

"Just one," I said and he nodded. "Would you teach me how to sword fight?"

"Anything you want to learn I'll try to teach you Jen-Chan."

The First Years of the Towers had all taken their exams and out of the ten noobs who had made it into the Towers only five remained. The others had all been mind washed and sent home thinking they had just finished a normal day of school and by the time I got back to campus the whole First Year class had nearly been cut in half. Except of course for the five Tower students and me.

So now it was my turn. It was the day before the Akatsuki pre-test and this morning Pein was to assign partners. We all waited in the meeting room the only sound being a bell if someone were to move slightly. This being mostly because of me because everyone else didn't even seem to be breathing.

Suddenly Pein appeared being uncharacteristically late. He never wore the Akatsuki hat so his carrot hair was the first thing I noticed as it usually is, then I saw that in his hand was a paper.

"You've all been training for your exam right?" he said but there was no reply, it was a rhetorical question. "Good well I have the list of partners here and I expect you all to train with your partner till this time tomorrow when the test will begin." He stated looking over the ten of us. "Right then," he muttered looking down at the paper. "Itachi and Kakuzu, Zetsu and Sasori, Deidara and Tobi, Kisame and Konan, Hidan and Jenny."

My name sounds just very wrong when grouped with everyone else's I thought before my mind could possess something very important that was said. Wait a second, I'm being paired with Hidan! I looked around careful not to move my head and saw Hidan on the far side of the room.

"Alright your all dismissed," Pein said with a slight smirk before vanishing.

"Damn I'm partnered with Tobi un?" Deidara groaned looking up at the ceiling.

"Meet you in the training fields Zetsu," Sasori said "don't make me wait." Then Sasori vanished and Zetsu shrugged melting into the floor.

Kakuzu took a look at Itachi before shrugging and heading down stairs fallowed by my sempai.

"Come on Sempai we should go too," Tobi said and Deidara grunted fallowing the masked ninja down the stairs.

Konan made a small worldwide of paper making her and Kisame vanish. I looked over at Hidan who was the last person in the room. He smiled taking off his hat and looked over at me.

"You good at fighting?" he asked and I shrugged.

"Itachi is my superior so I should be asking you that question," I said with a cocky smirk.

"We'll see," he said leaning on his scythe. "Shall we go then?"

"Yes, we will," I said with a smile. He tilted his head slightly before taking the pendent that rested on his color bone in hand and kissing it.

"Okay let's go," he said and we walked down the stairs.