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Disclaimer: If I didn't own it in the last three chapters, chances are I don't own it still : P

Author's note: Thanks again for the reviews, you guys are awesome! I've narrowed the pairings down to one of the following (and no sorry I don't think I'll be able to do a three person pairing):

Kagome/Neji

Kagome/Naruto

Kagome/Itachi (this one will be a bit weird considering their family relations…but I've gotten quite a few votes for this pairing so if you have any serious problems with this pairing let me know in a review)

*Important* I will be diverging from the Canon storyline quite a bit.

*Well again thanks for the reviews onwards with the story!

Chapter 4

85...43 black…42 white. The handsome young man mused, his eyes seemingly staring straight up and unfocused on the ceiling. 85 tiles on the ceiling, 43 black, 42 white. Though his mind was focused on this quite pointless task he was still very much involved in his surroundings. He had finely tuned this ability long ago while being made to undergo the agony of a family meal. He had been forced to ignore the useless chatter around him, while somehow keeping himself entertained. Of course no one had been aware of his lack of attention, well that was not true, there had been one, one who always knew what he was thinking. It was amusing in all actuality, that a young girl could do without trying, what countless others have nearly driven themselves mad trying to do…understand the mind of Itachi Uchiha. It was clearly not impossible-improbable, but not impossible. Many had concluded that he was simply arrogant, others merely introverted, and yet still others claimed that what he lacked in instinctual social knowledge he more than made up for in learned intellect…however Itachi was all and yet neither of these things, if anything at all he'd refer to himself as complex. Yes, quite complex. From childhood it seemed that he was born with something not quite right in his biological makeup, something that prevented or at the least encouraged him from forming close connections with those around him, before the birth of his siblings almost 8 years prior, the closest relationship with another human being he had formed was with his cousin, Shisui, who Itachi had cared for more than anyone else. Itachi smirked, that is until Shishui's unfortunate suicide. Tipping his head forward Itachi glanced over the occupants of the room, and finding nothing of interest he tipped his back once more and gazed up at the tiles.

85...43 black…42 white….8 chipped.

His mind wondered once more to rest upon thoughts of his younger siblings, but mostly just his younger sister. The only one in which he had ever shown any true affection. His little pearl. Sometimes he wondered if it was a mistake on the god's part to allow such an innocent beautiful girl be born into a clan with such a dark and bloody past. Subconsciously his fist tightened on his knee. She was so unassuming so ignorant of the true nature of her people, of the deception, of the death. Itachi had known for a while now, just what secrets the clan elders had been keeping hidden.

"I'll have to think about it," Itachi heard himself say, in answer to the roughly barked command from one of the arrogant occupants of the small space. Normally he would have been less then pleased by the tone the man had used but at that point he could not bring himself to care, it was time for him to make a decision, time was running out and preparations had to be made, but first he had to come to a decision, and soon.

"Okay so follow me through the seals one more time and then quickly build your chakra in your chest and expel it through your mouth," Itachi commanded, going through the necessary hand motions once more and performing the Katon Jutsu for his siblings.

Kagome frowned, her eyes following her brother through the motions. Sasuke glared hard at his brother struggling to encode and store the information into his long-term memory.

"Now you try it," Itachi said nodding.

Kagome closed her eyes visualizing and copying the hand signals, she could feel her familiar chakra gathering in her chest and then opened her mouth and blew with all her might. "Katon Jutsu!" She yelled as a stream of fire erupted through the hole she had formed with her fingers. Panting she looked up at her older brother, warmth filling her as she saw the pride in his eyes.

"Great Kagome now Sasuke look at how Kagome pulls the chakra into her chest and forcefully expels it," Itachi commanded, watching as the younger boy glared into the distance seemingly determined to force the katon to appear through sheer determination. Itachi looked up at the cloudless blue sky for the hundreth time that day from his position atop a tree in the forests behind their estate. He was supposed to be training his team, but he had taken the day off to instead train his younger siblings, he knew that his mother thought him to be away or she'd never allow this interaction, Itachi smirked, it seemed his poor mother did not trust him.

"Ita!" Kagome cheered, and Itachi peered down at the young girl calmly as she executed the jutsu once more. Inwardly Itachi was surprised, it had only taken the girl half an hour to master a move that had taken him atleast a few hours, if not slightly more than that.

"Hn well try to condense your chakra now, it is too unfocused," He told her lazily, and was rewarded with a bright smile and a warm twinkle in her beautiful blue eyes.

"Ano Ita, will you be at our birthday tomorrow?" Kagome asked over her shoulder, peering up into her older brother's face from her position on his lap. Itachi did not reply, for he didn't need to. He watched as slowly the radiant smile left her face and she nodded and looked away. "That's okay Ita, you are too busy to come to silly things like birthday parties," she said trying to hide how she was truly feeling by giggling. Itachi heard through her words, and he frowned guiltily. He gazed at the small form of his younger brother, who had fallen asleep at his side, and back to the young girl seated on his lap.

"I'll try to make it, but even if im not, that doesn't mean I have forgotten about either you or Sasuke," Itachi spoke, he was at ease when he was with his sister, and found himself being more verbose than usual. Kagome smiled and leant back into her older brothers arms. She raised her hand to cover up a yawn and nodded. "That's great Ita, I couldn't forget about you either," she told him.

Itachi smiled as she drifted off to sleep. He swept his hands through her silky black hair and then kissed her forehead gently. "Sleep well my little pearl." He said quietly and then turned his gaze back up at the quickly darkening sky, his thoughts haunted with what was to come.

*I know I promised longer chapters but I just couldn't end this chapter any other way! But to make it up to you I will try to finish the next chapter as soon as possible, the story picks up in the next chapter. :)

Pairings that are out:

Kagome/Sasuke (sorry but with the direction this story is going, it won't be easy to do this pairing…maybe a little one sided love? But eventually Sasuke will probably be with Sakura).

Kagome/Kakashi

Kagome/Kiba

Kagome/Shino

Kagome/Shikamaru

Kagome/Gaara (I actually really like this pairing but it will be too far-fetched for this pairing to appear in my story…again I might include a little infatuation on both sides, but it depends on the final votes on who Gaara will be paired with).