A sheering pain in her head forced her to wake up. She touched her head with her hand and felt something sticky. Quickly she pulled her hand away and was able to focus on her bloody hand. Her eyes widened. "Wh-What the?"
She felt around and felt carpeting beneath her. No… this wasn't right; her room had a cold stone floor. Eri started panicking.
"Eri are you alright?" came a concerned voice. Her vision was blurry but all she could make out were his dark eyes and his long dark hair. "Why are you bleeding? Dear god let's get you to the bathroom," he said as he gently helped her up and guided her into a well kept bathroom. He sat her down and started rummaging to clean the wound and get bandaging. "What did you do? Fall out of bed and slice yourself on the nightstand?" he asked.
"I-I donno…" she answered, very confused as to what was happening.
"Close your eyes and let me clean it," he said.
"I-I can do it myself… I've been trained to-" but that was when she could focus on her male companion. Her eyes widened in surprise seeing Itachi Uchiha.
Itachi gave her a weird look. "Eri… you haven't been a medical ninja for years, let alone train," he said dabbing up the blood.
"Huh?" she asked, things did not make any sense. Yesterday she was Madara Uchiha's lover and partner, medical ninja of the Akatsuki and rogue of the leaf village. What the hell was going on? Why was she here with Itachi tending her wound and telling her she wasn't a ninja?
"How hard did you hit your head?" Itachi asked looking at her genuine confusion.
"Hard?" Eri said questionably. Itachi took a deep sigh.
"Are you having trouble remembering anything? Last night? Last week? Last month?" He asked. When he got a blank stare for each question he sighed. "What is the last thing you remember?"
Eri thought. "…Well I was on a mission with Tobi…" she started.
"Who's Tobi?" Itachi replied.
"Tobi, you know, orange mask, short hair, funny guy, kinda cute? Use to be Deidara's partner? Remember?" Eri said sounding as if it was no big deal, maybe Itachi knew that Tobi was Madara, but would he really act like he didn't know who Tobi was?
"Cute and funny…? …Eri is there someone I should know about?" Itachi asked glaring at her slightly as he finished bandaging her wound.
"What are you talking about?"
Itachi sighed and stood up. "Eri… I know neither of us chose each other, I know my father set the whole thing up. But if you are fooling around with someone behind my back I can't help but be a bit insulted, we are married you know, I thought you were an honorable woman who kept her vows…"
"Married? What are you talking about?" Eri said completely bewildered. She glanced down but sure enough there was a marriage band around her ring finger. Why would she be married to Itachi?
"I don't know what you are talking about Eri, Who's Tobi? Who's Deidara? Father pulled you out of ninjutsu years ago so you couldn't possibly have been on a mission recently," he said watching her every move.
"I have no idea what you are talking about Itachi… I-I mean… Why would I be married to you? Your father has been died for years if it was his idea… I-I'm completely confused…" Eri said; nothing made any sense to her right now.
With a deep sigh Itachi shook his head, "You're hallucinating or you really hit something hard when you fell… I'm taking you to a doctor… get dressed."
Eri blushed, and then looked herself over. She was naked… If what Itachi said was true and they were wed, then the reason she was naked had to be…
Oh. Fuck. No.
Eri sat there for a minute trying to figure this out. She sighed getting and looked out of the bathroom at Itachi, her supposed husband. Why wouldn't she remember dating or marrying him? What did he mean that Fugaku set them up and they didn't choose each other? Her father would never put her in an arranged marriage… Not that she knew of anyways. Nothing was making sense…
Itachi looked at her, "Do you need help getting dressed?"
"No, I can do that," Eri replied. Itachi nodded and pointed at some clothes he laid out of her. She looked at them and her heart fell a bit, female civilian's clothes. How she missed her Akatsuki uniform already. She glanced at Itachi who was sitting on the bed and watching her. She said nothing and put the clothes on.
After she was dressed Itachi took her hand and lead her out into the streets of Konoha. Eri said nothing and just looked around having no choice but to trust him. But Itachi had killed his clan and fled the village, now he's walking around like nothing happened? Yet another piece to the puzzle that didn't fit. But at this point Eri had given up on trying to understand what was going on, she decided she'd just trust Itachi and soon things will be revealed.
He walked her to a doctor's office and talked with one of the nurses; she nodded and told them to follow her to the doctor so he could look at Eri's head wound. Eri sat on the table and let the doctor remove her bandages so he could take a look. But as was usual to Sincera clan members who possessed the bloodline ability to heal, the gaping wound from earlier looked like a week old scar, and even then it was beginning to fade. Doctor sighed and looked at Itachi, asking him how deep the wound was, how much of reality she did remember, etc. Itachi answered to the best of his ability, the doctor simply nodded then walked over to him.
"Well she seems to be healing normally for someone of her bloodline, perhaps the shock or something is messing with her memories, I don't know I'm not a psychiatrist nor anyone that would know what was mentally wrong. Just… see if you can try jogging her memories by doing things you two would normally do together, show your family to her and see if she remembers, just try setting a familiarity with her that will bring back her old memories, I can't imagine that this will be permanent. If she's still unresponsive for a few days I can recommend someone," the doctor said. Itachi nodded, thanked the doctor and then took Eri home.
The couple didn't have a lot of time to themselves before a knock came at the door. Leaving Eri at the kitchen table Itachi went to answer it. Eri sighed and looked at the cup of tea Itachi insisted that she should drink, and then she looked up at their guest and nearly dropped it. Fugaku Uchiha followed his son into the kitchen and looked down at Eri as he always had. At first Eri was shocked, but after looking at him for minute things began clicking in her head. If Fugaku was alive, then that means that Itachi never killed his clan. So then… Itachi wasn't a criminal… But that didn't explain why she was married to him…
"How have you two been doing?" Fugaku asked talking more to Itachi then his daughter-in-law.
"Well, we were doing well. But Eri hurt her head this morning and doesn't seem to recall anything," Itachi replied truthfully.
Fugaku sighed and looked at the woman with annoyance. "And I am to guess that she hasn't conceived yet?" he questioned not seeming to care about Eri's well being. Eri's eyes widened. What did he say…?
"I took her to the doctor for her head injury; I didn't have him check that…"
"Then maybe you should have," Fugaku said.
"Father we've been trying, and asking each time you visit doesn't help. Eri and I will have a child when it happens," Itachi replied calmly.
"You've both had your fertility tested and you as a couple are able to have a child. I don't see why it's taking so long Itachi, the only reason I had you marry that woman was so she could bare you heirs to the Uchiha clan," Fugaku stated. That was when Eri put down her cup and left the kitchen.
Eri hid in her bedroom or well her and Itachi's bedroom until she heard Fugaku leave. She sighed and looked down. Everything made sense now, Itachi never killed the Uchiha clan, so Fugaku must have bullied her father into making her marry Itachi. She remembered how the men acted around each other; if Fugaku wanted something from her father he'd get it… Eri's father was a peaceful man that did everything to avoid conflict. Eri was only nineteen, married is one thing, but having a child with Itachi?
She shook her head of these depressing thoughts, the more she figured out the sicker she felt and the more pain that was in her heart. There was the pain of betrayal from her father giving her up to Fugaku, the pain in her heart realizing she was never with the man she thought she loved, the numbness of realizing she was married to a man she didn't love… Itachi had been very kind to her, but she didn't feel anything stronger then the sense of obligation to him, they were married after all…
"Eri?" Itachi called. She looked at him as he walked into the room. "I probably should have tried jogging your memories before Father came over, but you know how he is with us… at least you use to," he sighed.
"Did your father have my father make me marry you?" Eri asked, just to confirm her thoughts.
"Yes… Do you remember anything now?"
"No. I'm just trying to figure things out…"
"I see…" Itachi said sitting next to her. "Well… Father explained everything to both of us when you turned sixteen. Our fathers made a contract saying that you would marry into the Uchiha clan and when you turned sixteen Father would have control over you and choose a husband for you, so that day he chose me… Father… wanted your bloodline mixed with ours, that's why he chose you and that's why he's so insistent on us having a child…" he explained.
"Oh…"
"You don't need to worry Eri; I don't think its right to force my child on you if you don't feel well… You're my wife after all… I should be caring for you when you need me…"
Eri looked at him feeling touched. Maybe it won't be so horrible being married to Itachi…
"Although… the doctor did say we should do things we usually do together… but… you're probably tired…" Itachi said. Eri nodded.
"Yeah…" she replied. This was just too much… She sighed and laid down looking out the window and Itachi lay next to her. Eri slowly turned to him and glanced up at him so he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "Maybe you need rest… Don't worry we'll work on it ok?" he said. Eri only nodded and closed her eyes.
Eri… I'm so sorry…
Eri opened her eyes when she heard his voice, but when she saw her surroundings she sighed unhappily. She had really come to just imagining his voice. It was the next day, the sun was shining through the window and Itachi was already up and out of bed. Eri's thoughts strayed to Madara, now that he was reduced to just a voice. Madara would always sleep in and she would be the first to wake. Again pain stabbed at her heart as it was all a dream.
Grabbing a robe Eri walked out of the room in search of Itachi. They bumped into each other in the hallway; she looked him over and saw that he had his ANBU uniform on.
"I got called for a mission, but I don't want you to be alone in your condition… so I talked with my mother and you'll stay with my parents until I return. Don't worry if you stay out of his way Father should leave you alone," he assured her.
"Oh…" she said looking crestfallen.
"Don't worry, Mother is kind to you remember? She'll help," Itachi said.
"Alright…" Eri sighed.
As promised Itachi took her to his parent's house where Mikoto warmly greeted her daughter in law. After a bit of looking around Eri saw that Fugaku was out of the house and not around to bother her. Seeing Eri relax a little Itachi planted a kiss on her forehead then left her. Watching him leave Eri sighed to herself and wondered what to do until his return. How she hated not going on missions.
Night had fallen and Eri found herself wondering the house unable to sleep. She saw a light on in one of the rooms and thought that someone had simply forgotten to turn it off. She walked over and was about to let herself in, but froze hearing voices on the other side. A step made a creak beneath Eri's foot and all of a sudden the voices stopped. Knowing she could be discovered she quickly turned to make an exit. But not quickly enough as the door opened and revealed the very man she was avoiding.
"Wondering the house again I see… and poking your nose where it shouldn't belong," Fugaku said.
"I-I'm sorry… I-I had forgotten…"
"Save it, I have to speak with you anyways. Now would be the best time I suppose. No Itachi, no Mikoto… no interruptions," he said ushering her in. Eri stepped in as Fugaku closed the door behind her, there was a click of the lock then Fugaku walked back to his desk. "Eri… come here," he ordered. Eri blinked confused, her father-in-law never called her by her name before. So she walked forward watching his every move. "Sasuke…" he said.
"Sasuke?" Eri echoed stopping where she was, but the next then she knew she was down on the floor being pinned by her brother-in-law. His face was dark when she looked at him bewildered. "What's going on here?" she demanded looking at Fugaku who had approached with darkness covering his face.
"If we act quick enough… Even Itachi will believe it's his child, I've grown tired of waiting…"
Eri's eyes widened knowing what he was going to do, "No… No!"
The kunoichi sat up quickly in her bed with her body covered in a cold sweat as she shivered.
"Welcome back to the world of the living Eri," said a familiar voice. Eri held her dizzy head and looked at the owner of the voice.
"Konan-san…?" she asked.
"Yes, you've been unconscious for a couple of days, do you remember what happened?" Konan asked brushing Eri's hand aside to feel her forehead. Eri tried to think.
"What happened?" she repeated.
"You went with Madara-sama on a mission, do you remember that?" Konan asked. Eri took a deep breath and tried to think of the mission.
"… We went to get a scroll that he needed from a temple… He wasn't impatient and didn't feel like teleporting… so we walked… but then some leaf ANBU found us…"
Konan nodded, "Remember anything else?"
"…We fought… but then I saw one sneaking up on Madara and I didn't know if Madara knew about him, so I went to stop them… after that, nothing."
"I figured as much," Konan said then she traced a line on top of some bandages on Eri's head. "He had a poisoned kunai, so we can assume they were looking for you and Madara since it was the same poison that hinders your clan's healing abilities… he got you right there, if that mark was any higher he would have sliced your temple... An unusual place to strike though, how did you attack him?"
"I don't remember, I just remember going after him to stop him from getting Madara… Where is he?" Eri asked, feeling concerned that her lover wasn't there.
"I shooed him out of the room to check on you, he's outside the doorway. He's been refusing to leave your side since he brought you back. I've never seen him so angry, or well you know what I mean," Konan said relating to having not seen Madara's face, so had to rely on his actions and the way he was shaking in rage when he had handed his partner over to the woman ordering her to help. Which should have blown their guise of being just partners, but Konan along with Zetsu knew Eri's and Madara's dirty secret. Everyone else thought Eri was just another pawn to Madara and to Eri Madara was only her leader with neither having feelings towards the other, it was all a guise to protect Eri from anyone thinking if they had control over her life they could extend control over Madara. In reality… a plan like that could work if it was possible to separate her from her lover, unless he made her stay at the base while he completed a mission Eri was rarely out of Madara's sight.
"I see…" Eri replied. Konan showed an almost motherly smile at the other female as she got up.
"Well the poison is gone, but the after effects are still wearing off. So stay in bed for the rest of the day and until you are healing at your normal rate don't do anything that can get your blood pressure up, we don't want your wound reopening. I'll let him come in now," she said and then left Eri's room only pausing to tell Madara that it was ok to see his lover now. He nodded and dismissed her then quickly went into her room and closed the door. Eri looked at him as he took off his mask to reveal a frown. Eri sighed; she was going to be lectured.
"Eri I can't believe you were so reckless," he started.
"Madara I was doing what I could, I wasn't reckless."
Madara sighed, "This is why medical ninja stay back from the fighting Eri, we are lucky Konan knew what she did, and that I could provide her with information on the poison."
"There was an enemy behind you, if I didn't attack him he would have attacked you," Eri pointed out.
"I'd prefer it was me Eri, I'll rather trust myself with you then have to trust you with someone else," Madara argued. "You know you are the only trained medical ninja here and with you in such an important position you have to be more careful."
"So what are you going to start cooping me up in the base again?" Eri countered frowning.
Madara growled a bit but then took a deep breath; he didn't come in here to argue with her.
"…Eri… just please be more careful… for my sake at least," he said in barely a whisper as he sat down on the bed. He wouldn't say that he was scared of losing her, she should know that already. She should know that he loved her and that it hurt him that she was harmed when he could have protected her, but he would never say such things… For some reason just imagining saying that made him feel ridiculous and vulnerable, two things a man in his position should never feel or show.
When he had to look at her for the last couple of days all he felt was anger, anger at the man that hurt her and anger at himself for letting it happen. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice Eri had moved closer to him. His thoughts were silenced when he felt her lips pressed to his in apology for making him worry. He kissed her back and wrapped his arms around her protectively.
Feeling her heart warm to his kiss Eri wrapped her arms around his neck to bring herself closer. They pulled away and just looked at each other. Eri smiled softly and looking at her smile made the edges of Madara's lips curve up into a slight smile of his own. Eri rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat.
Sweet normality…