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Chapter 19

Amaya was quite surprising herself with the way her body was moving, ignoring the shouts from her brain to stop being such an idiot. She knew that she probably wouldn't win against Itachi, and yet she couldn't stop. In fact she rather thought she was winning.

She was glad that the kunai was stuck to the bottom of her foot as she had planned. Her foot didn't come into contact with his body, but the kunai found its mark in his stomach. Her foot continued to move, heading in the direction of his chin as she leant back with hands stretched out reaching for the sand behind her, as she planned to do a back flip away from him.

Itachi, however, still had a hold on her other ankle. It was his turn to lean back and her foot missed his face. At the same time he pulled her towards him and drew a kunai of his own.

Her ears caught the sound of the weapon being drawn, despite it being so expertly quiet. She knew which hand he was holding the kunai in and she quickly drew one of her own. She could hear the rustle of his cloak as his arm moved and, judging his movements from the sounds, she moved her own kunai to block. To her relief and surprise there was the chink of metal on metal.

Eyes which she hadn't realised she had closed flew open as he let go of her ankle and moved to the side. She was still moving from the momentum of his pull. Twisting in the air she landed lightly on her feet and stood up straight, watching him warily a few meters away.

Well, that was…interesting…

She met his blood red gaze for a moment before closing her eyes again.

Sharingan. Genjutsu. Mangekyou. Tsukuyomi.

Funny how things come rushing back to you, isn't it?

A smile flickered across her lips, you could say that. Wait, you again? Who are you? I don't-

You will, in time. Perhaps it would be better if you did not. But you will.

The smile changed to a frown, but she could hear Itachi's light footsteps moving towards her. She was still holding the kunai in her hand, but this time she did not want the kunai itself. She untied the ribbon which was tied through the hole. It was like the one in her hair, long and wide. She hadn't given it much thought before, but hair ribbons were generally much narrower. She brought it up to her head and tied it around her eyes, like a blind fold.

If I can't see him, he can't catch me with his illusions.

Still not completely sure what she was doing, or how she was doing it, she got into a defensive stance and felt as though this was the purpose for the ribbons in the first place.

"You never really used to use it for your hair anyway."

"What's she doing? He'll kill her!" Naruto shouted from where the Konoha team were still stood.

"No. I don't know how much she's remembered, but she knows what she's doing," Hana and Kisame were stood watching the fight, Kisame seeming to enjoy it, while Hana's face was unreadable. "She knows about the Sharingan and how he can catch her in his illusions, even if she doesn't make eye contact with him."

"So she blindfolded herself," Sakura finished, "but how will she fight like that?"

"Every ninja has their special abilities," Kisame answered, "Some work with illusions, others like your self, Kunoichi, work with healing. Midget here is creative and unpredictable with her tactics…"

"Amaya-chan works with sound. She can hear the smallest sounds for miles with just the tiniest bit of chakra. She could hear your heartbeat if you were a day away. To fight she doesn't need her eyes; as long as she can hear his movements she can fight just as well as if she could see, better in fact."

"It's the ultimate way to beat the Sharingan," Sasuke said, grudging awe tingeing his voice.

Hana nodded, but it was Kisame who answered.

"She's never won though. They've always drawn, except once."

The Konoha nins all drew their eyes away from the battle for a moment to look at the Shark-man questioningly.

"They've fought before?" Neji asked.

"Many times," Hana replied, "Quiet now or all she'll be able to hear is us talking."

They all nodded in understanding and swung their attention back to the Amaya and Itachi. None of them thought to ask about the 'once' that they had not drawn, and she had not won.

Itachi stopped a few paces away. As she couldn't see, Amaya missed the strange expression that flashed across his face – a small smile mixed with surprise but also annoyance, as making her come with him had suddenly become much more difficult. He also had a strange feeling of…worry? Dread, perhaps was too strong a word, but he found himself hoping that she had not remembered the last time they had fought.

"We do not have to do this, Itachi. Just let me go home. My memories are coming back and I feel as though I'm on the edge of remembering what it was that I really wanted to forget. Just let me go."

"I cannot do that, Amaya."

"Then I guess I'll have to fight you."

"You never won."

"Neither did you," she replied and flickered out of his view. His eyes widened momentarily as he turned just in time to block her kunai.

Somewhere inside of him he felt relief. She didn't remember.

As they fought he thought of how she made him feel something each time they spoke, or fought. He didn't feel much about anything, but she made him smile and laugh. She made him worry, of all things. And she made him hope and feel relieved. She made him regret. It dawned on him that he also felt guilty. The infamous Uchiha Itachi who had murdered his whole family and made his little brother's life hell regretted none of it and yet he regretted that last fight. He had learnt that day that she could also make him angry.

"What are you thinking about?" Amaya asked calmly as she stood beside where he was lying on the ground. She was surprised that he had not dodged that hit, but he was not concentrating.

Without a word he was back on his feet and meeting her hit for hit. As her fist came at him he caught her arm and pushed her to the ground, falling on top of her and pinning her down. She wriggled and tried to bring her knee up but his weight was pressed against her and she could not get a decent hit.

"Stop, Amaya."

"I've decided. I don't want to go with you. I have a bad feeling about it. I want to remember what it was we had, but I have that sickly feeling again whenever something bad happens. I am not coming with you, Itachi," and she tried to pull her hand free but he held her tightly.

His cheek brushed hers as he leant towards her to whisper quietly, "Stop, Amaya. You cannot win and you will not get away. I do not want to have to force you to come."

"Force me? Aren't you doing that already?" She asked from above him as she tossed a kunai in her hand.

In an instant he was on his feet, anger flaring at being tricked. She let the clone disappear as he came at her faster than before. Or was she just slowing down? It had been a year or so since she had last fought like this and her body would take a while to get used to it again. Ignoring the tiredness entering her limbs she continued, but she could feel it in the way he moved that he knew. He wasn't hitting her so hard and half the time he didn't bother to dodge her as she did him no harm anyway.

Determination drove her on. I will not give up. I won't let him win.

His fist hit her in the stomach before she could move out of the way. With a cry she fell backwards. She tried to scramble to her feet but she only got to her knees before he had a hold on one of her wrists again. He pulled her to her feet. She wondered what he was doing until she felt cold metal against her temple. With one swift movement he left a light scratch against her skin, down to her cheek, severing the ribbon at the same time.

She started up at him, wide-eyed. Sharingan eyes seemed to bore into her. "Give up, Amaya."

"I can't. I can't let you take me away. I know somewhere inside me that I can't let you do whatever it is you're planning. I don't know what it is, but I can't just stand here and go without a fight!"

Her eyes widened further as his narrowed with anger. Suddenly fear shot through her, running through her veins and making her legs go weak. Her mouth went dry. Her heart felt as though it was trying to beat its way out of her chest. Her breath caught in her throat.

He blinked, staring blankly at the suddenly terror painted on her pretty features. The blood had drained form her face making her pale. He let go of her as a strangled cry finally escaped from her throat.

She took a step back from him and crumbled to the ground, holding her head in her hands.

Sharingan. Genjutsu. Mangekyou. Tsukuyomi.

She hadn't given much thought to what the four words meant other than he couldn't catch her if she couldn't see. Now though, they all held more meaning.

Sharingan, the Uchiha bloodline; Genjutsu, illusions and Itachi's speciality; Mangekyou, the next, more powerful and more dangerous stage to the Sharingan.

And Tsukuyomi.

Red moon, the whole world, all black white and red…Tsukuyomi…memories lived over and over…torture…pain so real just like the time it actually happened.

Tsukuyomi, the world that he controls, so real and inescapable.

She stared at the sand, not seeing it. She didn't see anything except the memories that flashed before her eyes until the movement of him taking a step towards her made her start.

Looking up at him with blue eyes full of fear she suddenly found the ability to move again and shuffled backwards. She scrambled to her feet and tried to run. As he caught her and turned her to face him she barely managed to stifle the scream that tried to tear itself from her throat.

Then she gasped and fell silent. He pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her tightly, holding her close. After a moment he spoke, so quietly she could barely hear it, but it made her heart slow and she buried her face in his cloak as she shook and a small sob escaped her lips.

"I'm sorry."

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