Translating the Name: I guess you would call that a cliff hanger but it all depends, I mean, everyone knows what happens now! :0! GASP! The big confrontation! What is left for her and Sasuke? And Itachi? How does he fit into the mix? What about Kimimaro? Will he go back to Orochimaru? You'll see! And the only hint is the fact that I love Kimimaro so you'l obviously see more of him.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I own his merchandise. :)

"Kyuubi"

'Kyuubi Thoughts'

"Dark and Light Kirei"

"Dark Kirei" (DK)

"Light Kirei" (LK)

Chapter 13: Love?

She laid down on her back, staring up at the night sky. She was tired from training and she was happy that she had a break. She closed her eyes, wondering what the next day would bring.

"Ano koro no chiisana boku ga miageru sora ha hontou ni hiro okatta

Back when I was little, I looked up at the sky, the sky was so vast

suki na hito wo kono te de mamoreru to omotteita honki de

I truly thought that I could protect, my loved ones with these hands, seriously..."

She sung to keep her mind at ease of her worries of the chuunin exams. She smiled, feeling a familiar presence. She sat up and wrapped her arms around her legs after she drew them to herself.

"Shino..." She whispered. The song echoing into her thoughts. She opened her eyes and tilted her head to the left and there he stood, staring down at her, his shades on despite the dark sky. "You should be resting..."

"You need a friend." He stated casually. He sat down beside her, cross legged and she closed her eyes, sighing in content. She continued where she left off.

"doushite seiga nobinai sore ga kuyashikatta
Why am I not growing I was frustated by that

wagamama oomada kawaii to kanjiga ishite itanda zutto
I realised I was selfish All the way
akirameru koto nante omoi ukabanakatta tadamae wo muiteta
I faced the surfation of thoughts of giving up
demo
but

dekinai koto bakari de hayaku jiyuu ni naritakute
There are so many things I can't do I want to become free quickly

ikura te wo nobashitatte todoku hazu no nai
No matter how I stretch my hand I cannot reach

ookina ookina sora
The big big sky
demo boku wa nannimo utagau koto mo naku
But I don't have anything to doubt
kirei na mirai wo shinjiteta
I believed in the beautiful feature

kuyashii koto ga aru to korae kirenakatta

There may be frustrating things But I won't give up
ookina ookina namida
Big big tears
demo ano toki no boku no me wa naniyori kagayaiteita to omou
But at that time, my eyes shined brighter than anything, I thought

are kara zuibun sei mo nobite
From then I grew quite a bit
yo no naka no koto sukoshi wakatte
I understood more of the times
issho kenmei ga kakko warukute
Doing my best may be uncool
sameta furishite aruiteita yo
I walked around acting cold.

demo
but

Chuuto hanpa na boku ni wa nani hitotsu dekinakatta
But the I that gave up halfway Couldn't do anything.

itsukara ga boku wa kirameku ashita wo shinjite de koto sae wasurete
From when did I forget about believing in a glittering tomorrow
jibun wa mamoru tameni takusan no taisetsuna mono wo kizutsuketeta
To protect myself, I hurt many important things

haru ga tooku maue no sora no mukou ni
Spring is far, towards the sky overhead
naniga aru ga shiritakute
I want to know what's there
otona ni nattara kanarazu ikundayotte yakusoku shitanda
"When I become an adult, I must go", I promised.

ikura te wo nobashitatte todoku hazu no nai
No matter how I stretch my hand I cannot reach
ookina ookina sora
The big big sky
demo boku wa nannimo utagau koto mo naku
But I don't have anything to doubt
kirei na mirai wo shinjiteta
I believed in the beautiful feature
kuyashii koto ga aru to korae kirenakatta
There may be frustrating things But I won't give up
ookina ookina namida
Big big tears


demo ano toki no boku no me wa naniyori kagayaiteita to omou
But at that time, my eyes shined brighter than anything, I thought

ano koro no chiisana boku ga miageru sora wa hontou ni hiro ookatta
When the tiny me from back then looked up The sky was really wide and big
suki na hito wo kono te de mamoreru to omoutteita
The person I like, with this hand I thought I would be able to protect
honki de
seriously

A comfortable silence filled the air as silent tears fell down her face. Shino silently slipped his hand in hers and she squeezed in thanks. Shino had found out about everything. He knew about her relationship with Itachi, he knew about the growing tension between Sasuke, Ichiro and Kirei herself. It made him sad to think that she had to suffer so much with the people she cared about the most. He just wanted his friend to be happy.

"Thank you Shino-kun." She rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes still closed and she drifted off to sleep. After a few moments of silence, a figure crept out from the darkness, staring down at Kirei. The figure bent down and picked her up, his pasty skin, black spots, tattered coat. Shino did not fight when he took her, bowing his head in his direction before taking off. This wasn't the first time Yami took to watching Kirei.

END FLASHBACK.

His back was turned to her, they were near an edge of a cliff. Two statues on opposing sides, the sound of rushing water echoing in both their ears yet Kirei was not paying attention to any of that. Kirei had her eyes glued to his back, where the Uchiha crest stood out on the inky black shirt. She was at a loss for words, for things to say, but she did know what she didn't want to do, and that was fight Sasuke.

She took a step forward, hoping that her words would try and make him change his mind. Sasuke was her best friend and still is, and he promised to never leave her, he promised he wouldn't hurt her and yet here he stood, staring out at the scenery and all she could see was his back. A part of her was angry at Sasuke but the majority of her believed that he was going through some sort of phase and that it would be all over.

"Sasuke?" She tested, noticing how he didn't move to her call. Her heart swelled in her throat. "Sasuke let's go back to Konoha."

Still nothing. What was he thinking? No, she already invaded too many people's mind. She was going to let Sasuke speak. Hopefully he'll do it soon. Her dream flashed before her eyes and she bit her lip. There was no way she was going to let that happen.

"Do you know what they call this place?" Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice and she visibly relaxed.

"No."

"The Valley of the End. Ironic isn't it?" He chuckled quietly at his joke and Kirei frowned.

"You promised that you would never leave me, that you wouldn't hurt me and look where we are. Do I really mean nothing to you? Nothing at all?"

"You mean everything to me." Kirei froze at his words, "But power means even more."

"There are other ways you know. You don't have to go to that bastard. Stay in Konoha, someone there will train you, just don't go to him! He doesn't even want you, he wants your body! You're not ready to leave me and you're not ready to fight off Orochimaru if he were to try and take you."

"I will. I will be able to handle myself; I always have and always will. I will go to him, and I will become stronger, strong enough to kill him."

Kirei was starting to panic. She couldn't live with herself, or with Itachi if Sasuke went to that demon. She would kill her self, and leave LK and DK to take over. She would be a zombie and she will fulfill her duty and leave Itachi because she broke her promise to him which was to keep Sasuke safe.

"Sasuke please! Stay with me! I beg of you! I will not break my promise, I will not jeopardize our relationship because of my broken promise! I also made that promise for a reason, to make sure you're safe! I care for you, you're my best friend and I don't want you to go." Her eeys were watering and she tried to pull them back. "Itachi would never forgive me if i let anything happen to you! Please just come back, come back with me!" They freely rolled down her cheeks and her resolve was crumbling. She would not lose anyone again.

Sasuke turned around, his heart did not ache like it used to do when he saw her crying, his heart throbbed with anger at the words that had just came out of her mouth.

"Itachi?" Her eyes widened in complete and utter horror. "You...and...Itachi?" Kirei couldn't respond, her mind was cloudy with doubt and fear. "You mean to say that you and my brother, the one who killed my family have been in a relationship?" Sasuke stared at her in disgust and Kirei cowered in fear. He took a step closer, studying her, every aspect of her. She reached out to touch him, and he violently swatted her hand away.

"Sasuke try to understand!" She felt awful, nearly forgetting that Sasuke would never approve of her relationship.

"Explain it to me. Explain it to me, explain why." He seemed calm but Kirei knew better, he was so angry, he would explode.

"That's irrelevant! The point is that I was supposed to protect you and here you are, trying to run off!"

"You betrayed me." He stated it so coldly.

"So did you!"

"Not to this extent. You claim to be my best friend yet you are involved with my tormentor, my brother."

"The sooner you understand that he is none of those things, the sooner you and I could go back to being friends!" He snarled, and leaned back for a punch. She took it full force, stumbling backwards. She laid there, on ehr side, staring up at the Uchiha.

"Get up." He commanded angrily. She struggled to do so, the emotional trauma too much. He appeared in front of her and hit her in the stomach. She doubled over and he kicked her. She tumbled across the cliff and rolled right off, plunging into the water.

She swam up, tired, upset. She didn't want to fight him at all. He probably hated her. She stood up on the water and looked up at Sasuke as he jumped down.

"In order for me to obtain the same eyes as Itachi, I must murder my best friend." He dashed across the water and kicked her in the stomach. She skidded backwords. "Fight back."

"No." She mumbled. She deserved all this for breaking her promise to Itachi. Sasuke growled and hit her again. She did not go down this time but she did clutch her stomach in pain. Sasuke was frustrated, he wanted her to fight back. He wanted her to decide his fate. If she won, he would go back with her and if she didn't, he would kill Itachi for even thinking about trying to brain wash his friend for thinking he did no wrong. But the anger kept resurfacing, and he wasn't sure if he was fighting her for the right reason. All eh could feel was the betrayal resting on his heart.

Kirei knew that she should at least fight back but she didn't have it in her. What would Itachi say if he saw her? He would probably kick Sasuke's ass for hitting her, but at the same time it's her job to protect both of them. How could she protect Sasuke from himself? She made up her mind, she was going to fight back and try her best to keep Sasuke here long enough for Itachi to come and explain to him why he did what he did.

Sasuke rushed her again and aimed a kick to her temple. She caught his leg and sent a chakra palm right to his chest. He went flying and he hit the cliff, rocks flying everywhere. He got up, glaring at Kirei.

"I will fight to keep you here. Unlike some people, I keep my promises." She ran toward him, fading in and out of sight, Sasuke realized that she was too fast for his sharingan. She landed a kick to his back and he flew towards the sky. She followed up with a punch and he went plummeting to the ground.

Kirei's head was a mess. It wasn't really her fighting, more like DK taking over so Kirei could recover emotionally. In her mind, LK watched Kirei rock back and forth, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on her shoulders. Just when things were going so well, just when everything was looking up, Sasuke had to be so selfish in his goals. LK didn't mind Sasuke, she knew where he was coming from but DK hated him with a burning passion. Kirei's sobbed echoed and LK sighed, looking back out at the fight. DK certainly would not hold back from this.

Sasuke stood up on the water, looking up at Kirei who stood proudly on a ledge on the cliff. His anger rose at the mere sight of her, the thought of her ever speaking with his brother. If she cared for him so much why would she even think about talking to him? Or having this relationship with him? What kind of relationship? The anger rose to a new high, and he could feel teh surge of power from his cursed seal. Black markings spread across his body, covering his skin.

DK was in her conscious, and was staring passively at the transforming Sasuke. She could care less, she was a shit load stronger than him, he was human and she was not. Simple. Watching his anger surround him while staring up at her did not settle well with her and she jumped down, landing on the water.

Neither moved, both preoccupied with the next move. Sasuke knew that she would beat him in taijutsu, she knew every pressure point in the human body and his sharingan can't even keep up with her speed. When it came down to ninjutsu, he wasn't too sure, but it was worth a shot.

He hastily created the seals for his favoured technique and took a deep breath,

"Grand Fireball Technique!" He called out. With his red eyes, he saw her making a move for her to counter attack and he waited for the right moment to dodge.

DK easily twirled around, the water rising in a tornado and shielding her from the flames. It turned to vapour and she slammed her foot on the surface, a large wave came up and she sent it towards Sasuke. She read his mind, she knew that he knew what she was going to do. It seemed when it came to ninjutsu, she would still have to use her speed. She watched as the water wave attack was easily dodged by Sasuke despite it being hidden by the vapour.

DK summoned shadow clones to surround Sasuke and they each began a barrage of wind blade attacks. Sasuke started dodging, hoping that a missed blade would cause the one on the other side to explode to and he was shocked to see the blades disappear right before hitting the clones. His eyes widened in surprise and it was the moment of distraction she needed to send them charging in, each holding a glistening Soul Calibur. Two clones shot their SC blade at him and Sasuke flew into the air and dodged. A gust of wind passed him and he felt perfectly fine, expecting the rushing wind would harm him. As he descended to the water, her shadow clones dispersed and he landed on both feet. He smirked as he watched her standing coolly.

"It seems you're running low on skill and chakra." She pointed out. He noticed that she did not at all seemed phased and that's when it hit him like a tonne of bricks. He collapsed on his knees and coughed blood. He looked up at her and she tilted her head to the side.

"Sasuke-san, it seems you have underestimated me again." He clutched his stomach. "My speed is god like, I used the remained of my clones to cut you up." His eyes widened and he felt his wounds split open. He screamed and sunk lower into the water being dyed red. There were deep cuts on his back and stomach, and cuts running up and down his arms and legs. He was bleeding and losing energy and he glared back at her.

"I am not trying to kill you, I am simply trying to persuade you to come back and if I can't I will maim you and take you back by force." He stared at her in wonder. "I do advise you that I will not go easy, I will use what ever knowledge I have and bring you down. So far, I have avoided any vital points to prove that point that I do not wish your death despite you wanting mine."

Sasuke took a deep breath and charged up the curse seal again. His skin turned grey, his hair grew, changing into a greyish colour. He had weird negative coloured eyes and a mark on his nose. What alarmed her the most was the leathery hand like wings that emerged from his back. She stared in curiosity.

--

Kirei's mouth remained open at the sight before her. She gibbered to herself and looked on in horror at the monster he became. She let out a sob,

"It is not your fault Kirei. This is what happens when one follows his or her desire." LK tired to reason. Kirei shook, unable to accept the change.

--

"Interesting..." She spoke. Sasuke rose from his perch on the water and flew into the air.

"I will not play any games any longer. I will defeat you and I will carry on with my plan and when that it is done, I will find you."

"You can't possibly believe that Kirei will wait for someone like you. You tried to kill her. You beat her. You cause her more pain than anyone I know. If you leave her now, there is no going back."

Sasuke glared, knowing that she was right yet believed that he could change everything, even her mind. DK sighed and began to pull and draw on her powers. Tendrils of black latched onto her and created an aura around her. She closed her eyes and let her wings emerge from her back. The black feathers glistened in the sun, and she flapped them once to test them. Sasuke stared in awe,

"You are not the only one with secrets." She remained on the water, a black puddle beneath her feet. Sasuke glared in anger and charged toward her. DK was prepared, her dark glow already creating a shadow like hand that enveloped him. Sasuke blocked by covering himself with his hand like leathery wings yet it pushed him back. Soon, it spread over his cocoon defence and slammed him against a foot of one of the statues. She flew up and flapped her wings, letting her black shadow hand recede into her aura and continued staring down at the rubble and dust. Suddenly, the debris flew outward; DK effortlessly dodged the many that reached to her.

Sasuke looked up at her, the light shinning down on the dark aura and wings that surrounded her. He wanted to know how she attained that strength. It dawned on him now that he knew almost nothing about Kirei.

"Sasuke...It pains Kirei to see you like this..." DK knew he would not catch on to what she implied. Instead, he smirked, confidently.

"It hurts me to even have to think about you and Itachi." And the anger sparked back. He zoomed towards her placing a well aimed punch to the face. She went flying, and hit her delicate figure against the statue. She did not have time to recover for he followed up with a kick sending her to the opposite end. He zoomed right back to her yet DK was prepared and kneed him in the stomach. He doubled over and she sent a well deserved punch to his face. The power being displayed alerted everyone in its radius as they continued their mindless brawl.

DK was beyond angry. He beat Kirei when she could not fight, he broke the promises that she cherished the most and continued on his rampage of disrespect towards Kirei and foolishness when it came to Itachi. It annoyed her that she couldn't kill him but she would try her best to force him to see to reason.

Sasuke was flaming angry, the thought of her and Itachi waving heavily on his mind. He cared a great deal for her, he wanted her to be happy and he hated seeing her cry but she needed to understand that he needed to do this, to avenge his clan and force her to understand that Itachi was no good, that he brain washed her or something. He wanted her to understand that Itachi placed him in great pain and would not bat an eyelash to do the same to her.

They were both wearing down, staring at each other in the sky.

"Let's end this," Sasuke began charging his chidori. It started off blue, but then turned to a metallic grey. DK could feel her pull on Kirei wavering and gave it to LK.

LK stared at Sasuke, knowing fully well that Kirei herself would not be able to continue the fight and that DK was tired, and would probably kill Sasuke, she needed to step in. Sasuke wondered why the aura and wings changed from black, to grey then to perfect white. She looked like an angel but he stood by his decision. If she did not want to let him go for a while, he would not go down without a fight.

She formed a rasengan, it glowing white, and she charged up all her strength. Both she and Sasuke leaped into the air at the same time, neither of them yelling or crying out, the only sound that was heard was the sound of their overwhelming power.

"Chidori!

"Rasengan!"

LK aimed to counter his attack but her energy was not a harmful one causing her arm to twist out of control and mark his forehead protector. Sasuke on the other hand lodged his arm in her chest, only realizing his mistake when a scream erupted from her lips. There was a blinding light as both auras collided and they were both shot out from the sky.

*.*.*

Sasuke sat up, back to his regular form, he winced, it hurt for him to move and breathe. He stared down at his hands, blood drying on his fingertips. He did not let his emotions portray during his shock and anguish. He could not believe what he had almost done. He had almost let his anger blind him into killing his best friend. He wasn't supposed to become like Itachi, he was supposed to be his own person. He looked up, seeing her hair blanketing the earth floor. Her orange jump suit was tattered, her white shirt underneath coated in blood. She seemed to be so peaceful and he clutched his temple in anger.

He felt a presence, someone was approaching, he was in no mood to fight nor was he going to leave her alone like this. From the foliage emerged a man with long black hair and cold onyx eyes. He was adorned in a black cloak with red clouds. Anger and fear consumed Sasuke as he watched Itachi walk over to Kirei with absolute calm.

Sasuke was too tired and weak from his battle with Kirei to get up and kill him. He watched him crouch down before her and stare impassively at her condition.

"Don't... Touch... Her..." He threatened. Itachi ignored him and traced his fingers along her jaw line. He removed her tattered orange clothing and tattered white shirt. Kirei lay there, her chest bound by linen. Sasuke was to angry, too consumed with guilt to blush and averted his gaze, the guilt creeping up in his stomach. Itachi took out more bandages and wrapped her chest up. He then used some medical techniques to recover the blood and the flesh that was missing. While he was at work, Sasuke's fist clenched.

So it was true then. He and Kirei were together. He glared, for how long? How long was he being lead on? Deceived? Betrayed?

Kimimaro emerged from the forest, gazing at the scene before him. He walked over to the Uchiha, his eyes only glancing at Itachi when he was beside Sasuke, it was then he noticed Kirei, lying their seemingly lifeless.

"Sasuke-sama, we must hurry to Rice country." He explained. Sasuke could only stare at Itachi delicately take care of the damage he caused.

"Pleasure to see you again Kimimaro, I trust Orochimaru still has not changed." Itachi commented. Kimiaro looked toward him,

"No... What brings a man such as yourself to help a girl like that?" He asked in honest curiosity. He remembered him being ruthless and she being an angel in disguise. Itachi carried on expressionless.

"She is a good person." He simply stated. Kimimaro nodded,

"She has taught me many things, which was why I spared the life of her friends." He turned back to Sasuke, "Sasuke-sama, I will carry you on my back."

Kimimaro bent down and placed the Uchiha on his back. He adjusted him. Itachi was finished with Kirei and carried her bridal style. He looked over at Kimimaro and nodded his head and then stared at his brothers eyes.

"If you harm her again, I will not hesitate to harm you in kind. She was trying to fulfill a promise she made to me, to protect you yet your arrogance and childishness has almost lead to her demise."

He turned and walked away, Kimimaro did not move until Itachi was out of the clear.

*.*.*

"I think that is the most I have ever heard you say." Kakashi replied in somewhat amusement. The Uchiha had explained what had happened. Itachi handed him Kirei, knowing she would be in good hands.

"Yes..."

"What do I tell her when she wakes up?"

"That I am with her."

*.*.*

Her eyes fluttered, she was greeted with the warm hue of the setting sun. She sat up, her body stiff and cast her gaze across the room. There was nothing out of the ordinary, the same old scenery except for a brunette sitting nervously at the foot of her bed, staring out of the window. Kirei coughed, wondering what Satsuki would be doing here. She seemed solemn, yet pleased at the sight of Kirei. Kirei felt a bit groggy for sleeping so long and knew that with the help of LK and DK she would feel better in a matter of seconds.

Kirei grinned at the sight of her cousin, or what she felt was more like her sister. She was happy to see a familiar face when she woke up even if she really wanted to see Itachi and figure out what happened and why he came late, if he came at all. She hoped no one from Konoha sensed him...

"Kirei..." Her voice was wavering and Kirei tried to conceal her disappointment at her negativity. She blinked, not really up to having a serious discussion concerning what happened yet the curiosity got the best of her.

"Hello Sastsu-chan,"

"You feeling better?"

"Yes..."

The silence killed her. What was taking her friend so much to say? She bit her lip nervously. Satsuki never had a problem speaking to her so this was weird. Kirei studied how tired her friend looked.

"Your shift at the hospital?" She asked.

"Fine, me and Otou-san have the same shifts now so we come home and work together." She spoke fondly. Kirei grinned in delight. Himitsu was doing a great job as her father. She sensed a presence approaching and she grinned. He opened the door and walked in, his eyes hidden by his glasses and Kirei felt calmed.

"Shino-kun!" She chirped quietly. Shino looked on at her and she knew he was just as happy to see her as she was him. He sat beside Satsuki and noticed her sorrow and he began to rub her back. Kirei raised an eyebrow and both young teens blushed. Finally they got together... She thought to herself.

"Shino, where is everyone?" Kirei asked hesitantly.

"Kiba was discharged from the hospital today, Lee and Gaara are recovering nicely and should be able to leave soon."

"Lee and Gaara?"

"When you chased after Sasuke Kimimaro was giving Lee a hard time until Gaara came and they both beat him down but not without them leaving with a few bruises." She bit her lip, it was her fault for healing him anyway but she couldn't let him die just like that...

"Sasuke? What of Sasuke?" She asked desperately.

"Sasuke did not return. Neji and Chouji are recovering wonderfully and should be able to leave in the next week. Shikamaru is fine and is wondering around feeling guilty."

"How long was I here for?"

"One week."

"You're doctor is dad and Ichiro and I are your other helpers." Satsuki let one tear slip.

"What's wrong? What's going on?"

"The villagers are blaming you for what happened hence why they had to be your doctors."

She reached for her choker that Ichiro had given her and realized it was gone. She looked down at herself and she was wearing simple black and white shinobi pants and shirt.

"Everything of yours was confiscated and placed in the Hokage's vault for evidence."

"Evidence? Evidence of what?"

"Of treason." That voice wasn't Shino's or Satsuki. She turned around, and staring at her from the corner of the room was DK'S and LK's brother. He seemed happy, amused and excited at the situation and it irked her to no end. How could he waltz in here happy at her misfortune? It was probably his fault. She stared cautiously at him and noticed that Satsuki didn't look nervous nor did Shino. That must mean that he had spoken to Shino and Satsuki before. When? "It seems Itachi-san was discovered."

Kirei's mouth opened and closed.

"It was a good thing you woke because your trial is in three days or they would have just executed you."

She fainted.

*.*.*

Kirei wore Satsuki's hospital scrubs as she exited the infrastructure. She was upset, her head was held down. Her usual blue eyes were dull, her usual happy blonde hair hung limply on her shoulders. She walked down her street where her house was, wondering what the council would tell her, wondering what would happen with herself and her family. She couldn't imagine leaving the village, she would die for them for each villager and she could not bring herself to leave at all. She would fight to stay in the village, she would fight to protect her country. She unlocked the door and entered her house, the door quietly closing behind her.

When she woke up in the hospital, they explained that they would have went to trial even if she wasn't awake and without being able to defend herself, would sentence her to death. When did Itachi get found out? When he went to follow her? She hoped he was okay, she hoped that he was not dead. Now, she had no Uchiha's, just herself and her ever growing pain in her chest.

She trudged into the living room, glancing up and nearly fainted when she saw a tall figure standing, his back facing her. He had raven hair that was tied in a low ponytail and a heavy black cloak. She blinked, he seemed familiar. Her heart easily brightened and she took a happy step forward,

"'Tachi-kun!" She called greatfully. He turned his head and the corners of his mouth turned upwards and she walked over toward him. He fully turned to greet her, his smile evident and she happily ended up in his arms. He pulled on her tightly and she rested her head on his chest, breathing in his scent, trying to engrave his presence in case she would be executed, in case she would never see him again. "Itachi-kun..." She spoke sadly and he rested a hand on her head.

"Kirei, relax... calm down..." She sighed again. "We'll be fine."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry about Sasuke! I can understand if you don't want me anymore!" She fought back the tears.

"Kirei, it's okay, I saw what happened, it's not your fault." He rubbed her back and she visibly relaxed. "You remember your friend? Sai?"

"Yes, what about him?"

"It seems I was right in not trusting him, he was the one who betrayed you to ROOT."

"Root?"

"An ANBU division created for the purpose of war."

"He... He betrayed me?" She asked quietly. Itachi kissed the top of her head.

"Under a jutsu, it was not entirely his fault." Kirei relaxed. They remained in silence, relishing in one another's touch.

"What should I do?"

"Stay with me..."

"Should I go back to my home village?"

"Stay with me..."

"Or should I go Wave country?"

"Stay with me..."

"Or should I just let them kill me?"

He pinched her ass, she jumped and blushed, looking shocked at Itachi and his action.

"Itachi!"

"You weren't listening. Stay with me."

"That's if I don't die."

Itachi bent down and planted a deep, dominant and passionate kiss on her lips. Kirei melted, enjoying every second of it.

"No harm will come to you while I am here."

And she believed him.