Ayame awoke on a cot surrounded by stonewalls. Her head hurt has she slowly rose from the bed. She tried to stand but dizziness overwhelmed her and she fell back onto the cot, hitting her head onto the icy wall. Disoriented she just laid there wondering how she always got into these messes. She gritted her teeth has the headache grew worse.

"Drink this, it will help the headache." Kabuto handed her a cup. She looked hesitate at him and pushed the cup away from her. "You should drink it, the headache will only get worse."

"I'll take my chances with the headache," Ayame stared angrily at him while trying to hide back the pain that she felt.
"Fine, but I'll leave it here in case you want it." He set it on a stool next to her cot.

"Why did you do this to me, Kabuto?" Ayame asked.

"I need your help."

"What! Is that all! Then why didn't you just find me and ask me for my help." She got up walking towards Kabuto as he stumbled backwards. "I would have gladly helped you, instead of kidnapping me and…" Ayame slid to the ground as the pain scattered to her temples.

"Drink," Kabuto lifted the cup to her lips. He seemed different today; nicer it was as if he was a different person. Today, he reminded her of the old Kabuto the one who became her first friend. She wanted to trust him but he did deceive her. Then the pain stung in the front of her head and she nodded her head. She gulped down the liquid trying to forget the taste and sure enough the headache lessened.

"See, I told you it would work." Kabuto smiled. She was so confused about him and yet she knew that she could not trust him completely. After all she is his captive and the captors always have something up their sleeves.

"What do you want?"

"Only two things," Kabuto helped her to lean against the wall.

"What are they?"

"I'll tell you later, you're not in the condition –"

"Dam it Kabuto, just fuckin tell me. You kidnap me, who knows how, but you did. You bring me to this place and say you need my help but won't tell me what the fuck is it. Just tell me!" Ayame shouted as she huffed. Whatever he put in the glass at her house it sucked the energy from her, she could not function properly.

"See the drug has not left your system yet, you can not function properly. I'll tell you tomorrow." Kabuto was about to leave but Ayame ran towards him knocking him down. She pinned him to the ground entangling him within her body so that he could not move. "However, if you feel you have the energy to do this I won't object."

"Eww you pervert! I only did this so that I can get some answers."

"You're sweating," He reached for her face but she slapped his hand away.

"I'm going to ask you one more time what do you want?" She could feel chakra following back into her body.

"I see the drug won't last as long as I thought." Kabuto noticed the force she drove into him.

"Stop smirking! I want answers!"

"Fine, I'll tell you if you let go." Kabuto said and she released him.

"Well, I'm waiting." Ayame impatiently tapped her foot.

Kabuto turned his back on her; he could feel the Orochimaru side waking up. "Follow me," He walked out of the room with Ayame following him and led her through a winding maze. With each passing minute her chakra supply returned and she felt the headache dwindle. As they walked Ayame sensed something sinister coming from Kabuto. His back began to hunch slightly and he seemed content on keeping to himself. She knew that she could have fled easily for he was distracted, except this place was confusing and she was not sure if she could find her way out. Besides, he might have some traps and she did not have any of her weapons on her. Although she had Gobi which always gave her an upper hand however she did not like to rely on his power it made her feel weak.

Kabuto stopped and led her into a room filled with flasks and books. Every flask has labels and some sort of liquid in them. A whole wall was filled with bookcases and some were scattered across the floor. "This is my lab. When Orochimaru was defeated I absorbed what was left of him into my body. I wanted to be more powerful and I saw this as a way to acquire that skill. Besides to waste Orochimaru's power is unacceptable. For a while I was able to harness some of his power without consequence. However, each time I tapped into his power he became to grow again. Now he is fused to my body like a leech and I am having a hard time to control him."

He turned around pushing his hair back from his left eye. His left eye now yellow with black slits instead of his normal black color pierced at Ayame. Chills shot up her body as the eye just stared at her. Part of his skin around the eye had peeled off leaving a grayish wrinkly skin around it.

"Scary isn't it," Kabuto walked closer to her and she kept on stepping back.

"Why…What…?" Ayame could not take her eyes off of that eye.

"I told you I wanted more power," He was now up against her body pinning her into the wall. His unnatural eye moved at its own free will scanning her.

"Kabuto… you're scaring me," Ayame's heart quickened and she tried to get further away from him but nothing worked. He quickly closed any gaps between them.

"Good, now will you help me?" He leaned into her head whispering in her ear.

"How can I help, you need a medical ninja and if you can not get him out then I have no idea who can." Ayame rambled.

"No one has enough Chakra, only you or your weakling brother have the chakra needed.

"My brother is not weak!" Ayame regained some backbone.

"Feisty aren't we." He leaned in again, "that's what I love you about you. Now lets have some fun." He grabbed her waist quickly and Ayame was in so much shock that she froze. He never acted like this towards her he was always a gentleman. Why was he being so forceful, was this Orochimaru's personality showing through? Suddenly he let go and threw himself against the wall, grabbing his head.

"Stop it!" He yelled thrashing his head repeatedly against he wall.

"Kabuto," Ayame stepped towards him.

"No stop, Ayame you have to do it now,"

"Do what?"

"The directions are over on the table, I have gathered everything. Now hurry, I can not hold him off any longer." Kabuto pointed to the table filled with flasks and scattered notes. Ayame dashed towards the table running her hands through the papers trying to find what she wanted it.

"Kabuto I can't find it?" Ayame continuously scrambled through the papers.

"Good, now come her my love." Kabuto walked towards her. As Ayame was about to defend herself Kabuto went flying across the room crashing into the bookshelf. A cloaked figure stepped from the doorway with a straw hat that had a bell on the side of it.

"Itachi, what are you doing here?" Ayame turned to face the cloaked figure.

"I came to rescue you, again." Itachi calmly replied.

"Well I don't need your help," Ayame returned to her searching.

"Looks like you do, now come on?" Itachi grabbed her hand and she shook it away from him.

"I need to help Kabuto, he needs me right now."

"I see so things never really change."

"It's not like that, he is losing himself. If you really want to help me than you can help me look for a paper."

"Why should I help? It would be easier to kill him, then problem solved." Itachi said.

"No problem not solved, you can not just solve all your problems by killing people!" Ayame yelled at him. His sharingan eyes glared at her and she knew that she made him mad but she did not care. She had to focus on saving a friend and Itachi would have to deal with it. Besides he is the one that left her alone, she has a reason to say those things to him. Just then she found the paper as Kabuto woke up, his skin began to peel more, reveling more of the grayish skin tone. He lunged at her and before Itachi could react Ayame's body began to transform. She was covered in array of colors as a tail formed behind her. Kabuto hit the chakra build up and bounced off of it.

"Just finish it so we can leave," Itachi yelled as he got between them.

Ayame hurrying gathered all the ingredients and mixed them together. She could hear crashing behind her but dared not to look around. Although she was sure that it was Kabuto who was being thrown around and not Itachi. Why was he here anyways? Didn't he make it clear that they would be enemies; yet here he was protecting her? It did not add up. Well nothing ever adds up with Itachi he's very unpredictable.

"Itachi you're going to have to grab a hold of Kabuto while I pour this down his throat." Ayame yelled and Itachi nodded. Without wasting anytime he moved behind Kabuto pined his arms behind his back. Making eye contact he captured him in his Mangekyou Sharingan giving Ayame the time to pour the liquid down Kabuto's throat. She wasted no time transforming into her three-tailed state and performed the necessary hand seals. Just then Itachi released Kabuto and he screamed loudly. Ayame felt an attachment to Kabuto and could sense Orochimaru's unwillingness to release. However, Orochimaru sense the connection that Ayame had with Kabuto and shot towards her. He left Kabuto body and gained quick momentum towards hers. She quickly reacted by trying to burn his body but the fire did not pierce through his skin. Gobi, then, took over Ayame's body summoning Shinigami (death god).

"Ayame what the hell are you doing?" Itachi screamed at her. Ayame's body turned towards him but Gobi's eyes shone through and Itachi back away. Shinigami then took Orochimaru finishing what the Third Hokage started over three years ago, before disappearing. Ayame dropped as Gobi disappeared from her body and Itachi caught her before her head hit he floor. He picked her up, starting to walk out the room when Kabuto intercepted him.

"Where do you think you're going with her? I will not let you take her to Akatsuki," Kabuto said.

"Neither will I," Itachi stated.

"What, but you're part of Akatsuki, how will you complete your goal without her?" Kabuto inquired.

"None of your business, now get out of my way before I move you." Itachi's eyes returned to their sharingan form. Just then Ayame's hands grasped Itachi's cloak pulling her closer to him. He relaxed his eyes as she stirred awake.

"Itachi, why?" Ayame snuggled closer to him; she enjoyed being held by him.

"If you have to ask… then you don't deserve the answer," Itachi smirked slightly only so Ayame could see it. Ayame smiled at him and cuddled closer burying her head against his chest. Kabuto's eyes widened at the scene, not knowing how to react. He knew that he lost and that he could never compete with Itachi especially since Itachi was stronger than him. Yet he still could not just stand watching this but Ayame seemed happy. She appeared happier than she ever was with him and he wanted her to be happy.

Then Kakashi, Naruto, and Neji broke through the door and Ayame quickly jumped up surprised at the intrusion. She rushed towards Kakashi hugging him and he held her tightly. Naruto then jumped in on the hug fest and Ayame let go of Kakashi and hugged Naruto. Itachi formed his sharingan eyes again as he saw this. Ayame then saw Neji there and ran to hug him.

Stunned by the display of affection Neji hugged her back and placed his head on top of hers. "Thanks for coming, even though you know." Ayame whispered in Neji's ear.

"Always," Neji replied.

Itachi glared at Neji and Ayame. "Bye," he whispered before leaving.

Ayame released from Neji's arms looking around from Itachi but could not find him. "Kakashi where did he go?"

"He left that direction," Kabuto pointed towards the ceiling, "if you hurry I'm sure you can catch him."

"Thanks Kabuto," Ayame kissed Kabuto on the check. "This is not easy for you is it?"

"I'll live, besides we happened a long time ago."

"Kabuto, what that the second thing you wanted. Was it me?" Ayame asked.

"Yes,"

"I'm so sorry Kabuto, I really am." Ayame touched his cheeks lightly.

"Don't be sorry just hurry before I decide to kidnap you again," He smirked.

"Doubt that I don't get tricked twice." Ayame kissed him on the check once more before leaving. "Kakashi I'll meet you at my home. I promise I'll be on my guard."

"Ayame!" Kakashi started to say but she left him, "Geese that girl never listens to me."

Ayame looked for signs of Itachi but could not find any. He left and made sure that no one could follow him. However, she was not just anyone she had Gobi. Ayame called up on Gobi but he refused to come out, even to lend her a little power. That summoning took a lot out of him. 'Well now what do I do?' Ayame thought. She wondered around thinking of places that he might be. Then she touched her necklace one of the few trinkets from her youth hood. Itachi bought it for her as a birthday present and she never took it off. 'Itachi where are you'. She finally stopped a few feet from a pond in the forest and about to go get a drink. When she walked out of the woods she faced Itachi sitting next to the pond.

"Itachi," Ayame spoke. He turned and looked at her before getting up to leave. Ayame threw herself at him grabbing onto his arm. "Don't leave, please. Let's talk this out." He examined her face and sat back down. "Why did you leave like that?"

"Because, there was no use for me anymore."

"Itachi what do you mean?"

"Don't worry I won't turn you in to Akatsuki so there is no need to talk to me. Let's just leave it at this and move on with our lives." Itachi coldly replied to her.

"What? Why did you find someone else?" Ayame sat down and hugged her knees looking away at him.

"No,"

"Then why did you say that?" Ayame touched him slightly and he glared at her. She replayed the scene in her head and found he error of judgment. She was too close with Neji in front of him. He was jealous! She began to chuckle at the fact that the famous Itachi Uchiha was jealous, a very childlike trait.

"What is so funny?" He demanded.

"You are. How can you be jealous at Neji?"

"I'm not jealous." Itachi stated.

"Really, then how come you took off like that after coming to what was it now…oh yeah to rescue me." Ayame said and Itachi looked away. She crawled to his knees and brought his face so that they stared at each other. "Itachi, I love you and only you. There is no reason to get jealous. The only problem we have is that our pasts are convoluted."

"I hate it," Itachi quietly said.

"What do you hate?" Ayame pried into his feelings. She now really understood that the only way to make him talk was to pry.

"This feeling, it's so weak."

"What! Love is weak!"

"No, not that the other word." Itachi could not bring himself to say such a word it was weakness to him. Jealousy is what those who do not have self-confidence feel, how could he an Uchiha feel jealousy.

"Jealousy, how is that weak. I mean it can be a little immature but it shows that you care." Ayame tried to cheer him up.

"Whatever, it still is a weak emotion and I can not be weak. I already let one weakness come in I can not let another." Itachi finally returned his eyes to their natural state, which told Ayame everything that she wanted to hear.

"Itachi…" Ayame trailed off as he pulled her towards him and kissed her. She let go and placed her self against his chest.

"Ayame, I never want to see that again. I hate seeing you in another man's arms. If that means that I have to give up Akatsuki to be with you I will do it, eventually. There are a couple things that I need to do first and I'm sorry for hurting you. I don't want to fight you anymore nor do I want to be the cause of your pain."

"Itachi… why are you saying this. I'm glad that you are but I thought you were so set on Akatsuki and everything it represented."

"No, I just wanted the power. It's part of the curse of this stupid sharingan. I get power hungry each time I use the Mangekyou form."

"I know," Ayame grabbed his shirt.

"I want to be with you, always." Itachi finally released his feelings and he felt lighter. However, there were some things that she did not know and he wanted to keep it that way. Unfortunately life is cruel and he would not be able to keep the secrets forever, eventually he would have to tell her the reason why he killed his clan.