My clothes were blood-soaked and I was severely weakened, barely staying conscious. But I used the healing knowledge I had to stop the bleeding from my shoulder and repair most of the gap.
"We're almost there Yuri-sama," the Dragon King, Kyo, said, letting a trail of fire escape from his huge nostrils. As I lay on the dragon, I hung on to the long, yellow hair that ran all the way down his back as he landed in front of Itachi's lair. With my eyes half-open I saw Itachi approach, his red and black coat billowing in the wind. I guessed I had lost consciousness for a few moments because when I opened my eyes I glimpsed Itachi's face in front of me, looking straight ahead. He was carrying me. I blacked out again and the next time I awoke I found myself in a bed, my shoulder and my right wrist in bandages. I blinked a couple of times to take in my surroundings then sat up. I attempted to stand up, feeling a little dizzy at first as I took a few steps on the hard, cold, stone floor. But I made my way. I felt about me for the package and to my relief it was still in the holder around my waist. I opened the door of the room I was in and walked out into the corridor.
"Itachi-sama." I said, not bothering to knock upon entering the room Itachi was normally in.
"Yuri-chan, you're awake I see. So did you find out anything?" Itachi said after he turned around. He had been talking with Kisame.
"Hai." I nodded.
"Good good. Let's take a walk."
Itachi didn't seem bothered by the fact I didn't knock when I came in and I wasn't particularly bothered that he didn't even ask how I was feeling. That didn't matter because I still remembered the kiss he gave me before…
Surrounding the camouflaged lair, craftily sunk into the ground, was a thick forest where in it hardly any light could penetrate, even on the brightest of days.
"Sasuke learned a new technique. The Chidori. Apparently he learned it from Hatake Kakashi. His fighting skills also seem to have improved since the last time you saw him." I reported, watching the shadows from the shaded canopy above glide over Itachi's figure as we walked through the mysterious forest.
Itachi nodded. "And what is that package you've got?"
'Damn,' I thought. I knew I should have left it somewhere else.
But how did Itachi know I had it?
I took out the package and handed it to him. There was no use in denying it. but I had wanted it for myself.
"You had wanted this for yourself." Itachi said knowingly.
"What? N-No!" What, was he reading my mind or something?
Itachi smiled and handed the package back, "You can have it. I don't need it."
"H-How do you know what it is?"
"Don't worry about such small details." Itachi said, waving off the subject with his hand.
So I didn't worry. It was as simple as that. I trusted Itachi so completely.
"So how are you feeling?" Itachi said after a while.
I was surprised at his open-ness and hesitated, "Um...I-I'm…fine…"
Then he turned to me and cupped my face in his hands and looked into my eyes. This was so unlike him it was unreal. He didn't usually show his feelings. I guessed it was because he didn't have any, and I had admired him for it.
We stood like that for a couple of minutes.
"W-What?" I asked, not seeing the meaning for his sudden impulse. Then as his lips met mine, all other thoughts seemed to melt away.
I was still in a daze after we separated. I was speechless. It was like my brain shutdown.
Usually I knew how to act with him. He was emotionless, merciless, someone to be feared. I knew how to deal with that. But this? I had no idea how to handle this situation. So I took the only option I had and did nothing. Uchiha Itachi was showing another side to himself. A side no one except me knew. I was aware though, that it could be a trap. He could be doing this to get me to do something for him, since he knew how I felt about him. He was ruthless that way.
"I need you to do something for me," he said. I knew it. "You'll do it if you love me."
"You know I'll do anything for you," I replied.
"I need you to go to Konoha and kidnap that nine-tails brat, Uzumaki Naruto. You're your kidnap. Get as much information about him as you can first so you can take your time with this. And whatever you do, don't kill him. We need him alive. "
"Ok sure." I wondered what they needed Uzumaki for but I didn't ask, " What about Sasuke?"
"Don't worry about that. I'll deal with Sasuke-keep an eye on him though. Tell me what else you find out about him."
He knew I'd do anything for him. So why did he kiss me if he didn't want something from really important from me? It was a concept I couldn't understand. However, I didn't voice my opinions.
"When do you want me to leave?"
"This evening. Let's go back. I want to brief you on your story."
So we walked back to the hideout and he told me my story. I had a lot more Justus up my sleeve than the ones I used on my previous mission but Itachi forbade me from using my most deadly. After I captured Naruto, I supposed that would be when Sasuke would move in to kill Itachi. But with another Uchiha around, not being useful, it wouldn't help Akatsuki and their plans.
That night, I had a looked at what was in the package I stole form the Konoha ninjas. But I found nothing except a bunch of raffle tickets. Was this a joke? This was supposed to be valuable! This could be used for nothing except betting. Maybe this was what the Konoha Hokage did in her spare time.
I headed out to the village of Konoha that evening, wearing common clothing and a Mizu (Water) village forehead protector. It took a while to reach the village, but I arrived there by morning.
I reported to Tsunade-sama, the fifth Hokage of Konoha, and explained that I was an exchange student from the Hidden Water Village, Mizu. Tsunade was notified of this a few months earlier. Akatsuki believed in forward planning and blackmailed the Hokage of the Water Village into signing a fake letter of my arrival.
"Oh yes," Tsunade-said, "I've been expecting you. Welcome to Konoha, Mizushima Yuri. I know you will have a lovely time here."
I bowed, "Thank you very much."
Tsunade seemed satisfied and ushered her assistant over, "Show Yuri-san to the Academy."
Her assistant bowed, "Hai, Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade then said to me, "Arrangements have been made for you to stay with a girl in your class named Haruno Sakura. I know you will get on well."
I bowed and thanked her once more then followed her assistant as she took me to the Academy. Once there I was shown the class I was in and was introduced to the class.
As I looked up at the mostly bored-looking faces, I identified Uchiha Sasuke immediately and suppressed a grimace, remembering our fight and the scar I still had. I was placed next to Naruto, who was asleep on his arms folded on the desk. Sasuke was sat on the other side of Naruto. I decided to be a nice exchange student and nudged Naruto gently. His eyes gradually opened.
"Urgh…who are you?" he asked groggily, sitting up, yawning and then stretching.
"Are you Uzumaki Naruto?" I asked.
"Yeah! How did you know?"
I smiled, "I've heard a lot about you."
"Really?" he beamed, "So uh…who are you again?"
"I'm and exchange student from the Water Village."
"Oh. Cool!"
"Oi baka," Sasuke nudged Naruto, "Would you keep it down? No wonder you never learn anything."
"Yeah yeah…" Naruto grumbled.
Naruto didn't say anything for a while, but then whispered to me, "Hey, what's your name?"
He had been sleeping when our teacher, Hatake Kakashi, announced it to the whole class.
"Yuri," I replied, "Mizushima Yuri."
"Welcome to Konoha, Yuri-chan." He said with a smile.