Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

...This was another one of those chapters that I really enjoyed writing... I decided that I needed to lighten the mood a little seeing as the last few chapters were all fighting... Hope you all have as much fun reading this as I had writing it.

Chapter 21

Amaya was in her favorite spot – on the roof, staring at the moon, hanging in the sky, casting its soft, enchanting light over everything below it. The air was cool and everything was silent apart from the occasional sounds of laughing or shouting from below her, usually made by Kisame and Hana-chan.

Probably fighting again, Amaya thought, a small, fleeting smile crossing her face. Fighting, but it's different to the way we fight. She sighed and closed her eyes. When she'd woken up hours ago she'd already been healed, by Hana she suspected, and had gone up to the roof and been there ever since. No matter what she thought about she always seemed to come back round to Itachi.

She had tried to work out how she felt about him. It was a long time ago when he'd used the Mangekyou on her, but she still remembered it as though it had just happened. She could not deny it though. There was definitely something, something other than hate and pain. All the times he'd saved her life: was it for the mission, because they needed her alive? Or did he choose to save her, for a reason of his own?

As she sat, she wondered if he was undergoing a similar internal struggle over her. Had he abandoned all feelings for her? He could have let her escape and yet, she was here with her days numbered, when he could save her. Did he care?

Each time she asked herself the same questions she came back to the same point, those same two words that he had spoken to her, truthfully and sincerely she was sure, as he never lied.

'I'm sorry.'

But was he really? Did he really feel sorry, regretful for what he had done to her? Was he capable of such feelings? He, the infamous Uchiha Itachi who had murdered his whole clan – was it possible that he felt guilty for hurting her?

She sat up straight as a new line of thought presented itself to her. He killed his clan because of me, because they hurt me. But then he went and hurt me himself. He was exactly the same as all of them. That's it, that's why he was sorry for it, because he'd become one of the people he hated. Does he feel that he's no better than they were?

'I'm sorry.'

Even though she understood a little now, or at least thought she did, she still hadn't spoken to him, or even seen him since they both fell unconscious. She'd woken in a separate room from him, thankfully. If she bumped into him she had no idea what to do or say.

Light footsteps on the roof behind her alerted her to Hana's presence. "How are you feeling?" She asked, plopping herself down on the slanted roof, making a guilty face as a loose tile became dislodged, scraped the rest of the way to the edge and made a dull thud as it hit the sand below.

Amaya glanced at her friend, "Fine. Thank you."

Hana knew she meant 'Thank you for healing me.' "It was nothing. Why are you up here, alone?"

"I was thinking…"

"…about Itachi-san?" Hana asked as her friend trailed off quietly. Amaya nodded in reply.

"I think that I…that I…," she was really just trying to admit it to herself and took a deep breath, "Even after everything, I think that somehow I-I love him, Hana-chan."

Smiling, Hana patted her on the back, "Doesn't it feel better to just say it? I think I'm the wrong person though."

Looking startled, Amaya turned to her friend, "What do you mean?"

"Well, really, don't you think you should let him know how you feel? To be honest, I think he might be feeling the same as you. He was up hours before you, but he's barely left his room and seems a little out of it."

"But how am I supposed to say it?"

"The way you do it best!" Hana replied simply, getting to her feet. "By the way, I'm going out, early tomorrow morning. There are a few things I want to do before…you know…Anyway, I should be back on time, so don't worry about me being gone."

Amaya nodded, not thinking to ask what it was that her friend was going to do, and turned her attention back to the moon as she was left alone again.

Hana returned to the kitchen where Deidara and Sasori were sat at the table having their usual debate over true art, Tobi sat beside them listening closely, his head turning from one to the other as they spoke, as though he was watching a tennis match.

Kisame was sat, busying himself with a bottle of sake, not really interested in the conversation, another Akatsuki member - who Hana had discovered had a foul mouth and was called Hidan - sitting beside him, also with a bottle in front of him.

Across from them were Itachi, silent as usual and looking as though he was trying to stare a hole right through the table, caught up inside his own thoughts; next to him was a man who Hana had been sure had his mouth stitched shut until he had spoken to tell her his name was Kakuzu. In one corner the 'plant' was…well, Hana wasn't sure if he was sitting or standing, but he was just there, with his eyes closed, paying no attention to his surroundings.

Kisame and Hidan were getting gradually louder and louder as they became drunker and drunker, until the latter fell off his chair, unable to hold his alcohol as well as his drinking partner. Laughing loudly the shark-man was pointing stupidly at the man on the floor, who was cursing and trying to struggle to his feet but was having difficulty as he was caught up in his cloak. Finally giving up he held out his hand, "Ah, shuddup, stupid shark. Gimme 'nother bottle."

Standing, Kakuzu moved round the table to his partner, pulling him to his feet before he could grab hold of the sake bottle Kisame was dangling above him, just out of reach. "We have a mission tomorrow," was all Kakuzu said, and shepherded the protesting Hidan out of the room, leaving Kisame drinking alone, but still chuckling as he pulled all the remaining sake bottles towards himself.

Suddenly they all fell silent, even Kisame. Itachi was sitting up straight, drawn out of his thoughts. Zetsu had opened his eyes. Sasori and Deidara glanced at each other, and then at Hana who was watching Itachi. Tobi looked around at them all before getting to his feet and beginning to move to the door.

Wakariaenakute nando mo kizutsuketeita
(We didn't understand each other and hurt each other over and over again)

Itachi got to his feet at the same time as Tobi did, and Hana quickly rugby tackled Tobi to the ground, giving Itachi a meaningful look that said, 'I'll keep them here.'

Slowly, step by step he moved outside. He knew that soft voice so well, floating through the now silent air, as clear and beautiful as he remembered, singing the same song as when they'd met.

Sonna toki demo itsumo yasashikute
(Even at those times you were always kind)

Following her voice he moved silently to the roof, drawn to her. She was stood with her back to him, looking out across the sand.

Toozakaru omoide wa itsumademo mabushisugite
(The fading memories are too brilliant as always)
motto soba ni itakatta
(I wanted to be closer by)
mou nido to aenai kedo itsumo soba de sasaetekureta
(We can't meet again but you were always close to hold me up)
anata dake wa kawaranai de ite
(Just you, don't change yourself)

He remembered standing, captured by her voice when they had first met. He had been completely distracted from his mission by that sweet, melodic sound. Even now he could not tear himself away.

Noticing he was there she turned suddenly, going quiet, staring at him.

"Are you really just going to sit here?" Kisame asked Hana, who was now sitting on a nervous, unsure-what-to-do Tobi, watching the door.

She turned to him, a daring smile creeping onto her face, one which he mirrored. Again Sasori and Deidara shared a glance before shrugging slightly. The four of them were on their feet in an instant. After a moment Tobi sat up, scratched his head and scrambled after them. Zetsu closed his eyes again, uninterested.

Swallowing, her eyes fixed to Itachi, Amaya found her voice and began to sing again, with all her heart, her feelings, trying to convey to him how she felt and hoping, hoping that he felt the same.

Mou ichido tsuyoku dakishimete...
(Please hold me tight just once more...)

The last delicate note rang out. Amaya watched him. He said nothing. He didn't move. She closed her eyes and hung her head. Had she been expecting too much?

She jumped at Itachi's light footsteps across the roof but she could not bring herself to look at him. Opening her eyes she found herself staring at his chest. One arm slipped around her back, pulling her against him. His other hand caught her chin, lifting her head.

His dark eyes were even more mysterious in the moonlight, while hers shone, her pale skin seeming to glow with the silvery moonlight. Her dark hair cascaded down her back like silk and he resisted the urge to run his hands through it. She raised a hand and gently brushed a stray strand of his own hair out of his eyes.

They stood, looking into each others eyes for a few seconds before both turning their heads and fixing their gazes upon the spot where four watching shadows had just ducked out of sight on the other side of the roof, where the two slanted sides met.

Hana was trying to stop herself from laughing at the way Itachi and Amaya had turned at exactly the same time - they were just like each other. Her laughter faded as she realised that only four out of five shadows had ducked: the shadow known as Tobi had not.

"What are you doing?!" She hissed, grabbing him and pulling him down. He let out a startled sound as he lost his grip and began to slide down the slanted side of the roof.

Flailing, he caught onto Hana, pulling her with him. Trying to grab on she reached for the closest thing to her, which happened to be Kisame. The shark-man was half way down the roof before he seemed to realize what was happening. Deidara had, by now, noticed that they were all falling and caught Kisame's hand, trying to hold on with chakra, but with three people's weight pulling him down he had no hope. As he also began to slip he tried to latch onto something. The something turned out to be Sasori's foot. With a sigh, not wishing to have his foot pulled off and knowing there was no point in holding on, the puppet-master let go.

As they fell Tobi was shouting to whoever would listen, 'Tobi is a good boy!', while Hana was screaming at him, 'Let the hell go of me!' Kisame was loudly singing, 'Ooo, I'm a flying fish!' and laughing insanely, and Deidara was trying to rapidly make a bird out of clay as he muttered, 'Flying fish? I should try it sometime.' Sasori rolled his eyes, but remained silent.

They landed in a tangled pile. Tobi was flat on his back, muttering apologies and assuring them that he really was a good boy. Hana had landed on top of him, on her back, with Kisame on top of her, facing downwards. Luckily he had managed to stop himself from squashing her completely, an arm on either side of her, holding him up, their faces an inch from each other. That is, until Deidara landed on top of him with a loud 'Un!' earning a grunt from Kisame as his arms gave out. His whole weight was now on top of Hana, who let out a startled cry, but not from the sudden addition of weight. She and Kisame stared wide eyed at each other, their lips pressed together. A strangled moan could just about be heard from Tobi, muffled from behind his mask, as he was squashed even further.

Deidara rolled off Kisame and blinked, looking up Sasori who had been the only one to land perfectly on his feet, in true ninja style.

"Nice landing, Sasori-danna, un." He turned his attention to the other three.

"Get off me, you-you-you giant lump of sushi!" Hana shouted from beneath Kisame, using chakra to throw him from her. Her face was bright red. She rounded on Tobi. "You baka!!!"

Shuffling away from her and getting to his feet quickly Tobi held up his hands in defence, "Tobi is a good boy, Tobi didn't mean to! Don't hurt Tobi! Ahh!!"

Hana launched herself at him like a wild animal, "Come back here!" She shouted as he began to run. Dashing after him she ignored his continued pleas not to hurt him.

Kisame was still sitting where he had landed when she had thrown him off. He had a thoughtful look on his face and his fingers brushed his lips before a drunken grin slid onto his face and he laid back in the sand, roaring with laughter, though he wasn't completely sure why.

Deidara began laughing too, and Sasori chuckled quietly. Soon Hana too was trying to catch her breath between her giggles and calling to Tobi that it was okay, but he was still running out across the sand -

"TOBI IS A GOOD BOYYY!!!"

- causing her to double over with laughter.

The laughter was infectious, and Amaya could not help but join in; and Itachi could not stop himself from gazing at her face as she did so. Her dark hair, pale skin, bright eyes, all made so much more beautiful by the enchanting smile which graced her lips, accompanied by the warm sound of her laughter.

Feeling his eyes on her, she turned her attention back to him. Slowly he leant down to her. Slightly on tip-toes she stretched up to him. His hand cupped her chin, pulling her gently closer. Looking into his eyes Amaya found that it was so easy to get lost in them. Before she did, however, she noticed that her own feelings were reflected back at her. They both smiled as their lips met and pulled one another closer, holding each other tightly.

Amaya's eyes closed.

She wished that moment would last forever.

...Well, you've just gotta love Tobi, eh? That was my attempt at humour / comedy... I think I murdered the 'Tobi is a good boy' joke, but I guess I'm better at writing the serious stuff...

The song was 'Last Song' by Gackt (his voice is amazing; if you've never heard him, you really should). I cut it quite short, because last time I did a song it was too long, so I hope that it's okay this time...The bits in brackets are the translation, obviously...(And yes, the last line of the song is what Amaya shouted as she was falling from Deidara's bird in chapter 7...)

I realised as I was writing this that there're probably only going to be about two or three more chapters after this...I'll try and make them as good as I can though - as Deidara would say, might as well go out with a bang!

Thanks for reading! Ja ne!