From the Author: Well, it's been a blast writing this... and the first time I've ever received so many favorites and hits in a story without a single review. Really weird. In any case, I do hope that you have enjoyed the Stranger's Meeting and will finally review to tell me what you all think of the story.
Reviews are a necessity at this point, since I have decided to do an overhaul to my writing style. I will not write long stories anymore, since I rarely have the time to do it. Instead, I am specializing into three-shot short novels, so the content needs to be direct and good... hence the need for heavy reviewer-ship.
But that is enough of the overbearing attitudes from me for the time-being... here's the final chapter of the Stranger's Meeting.
Their Separation
Something seemed terribly off that day. There was no explaining it; the Sun was at its most splendid in the summer and the flora were in full bloom, blessing the Earth with a multitude of colors. But even if everyone else, the Konoha civilians and most other ninjas were enjoying the peace, Uchiha Itachi simply could not rid himself of the deep sense of dread that continued to build in his chest.
Privately, his mother, Uchiha Mikoto had offered the explanation that he had gotten very attached to Signum and simply felt the pain of losing such a close companion so soon. At her son's look of incredulity, Mikoto had chuckled merrily, and also mentioned that she would miss the Belkan Knight; it was nice to have the extra pair of hands for the house chores.
Yagami Signum had proven to be most skilled not merely in fighting, but in housekeeping and cooking.
Uchiha Fugaku had been rather hostile towards Signum because she outright refused to consider dating some Uchiha Clan members, a point to which one Uchiha Shisui quickly pointed out that the only suitable candidate for the Knight was Itachi and that both parties were frankly, not interested in deepening their relationship.
Over the past week as Signum, working in tandem with the Mid-Childan refugees, plotted out a course for her homeland of Belka, to which their leader, Artemis, had promised to assist by providing some of the magical energy needed to send Signum on her way.
The two opposing sides also proved to be a potent combination when they had stopped to pull their resources together. With the Belkan knowledge pertaining to magic amplification, and the Mid-Childan affinity for long distance accuracy and orienteering, the work, which might have taken each individual party months to calculate, had been finished in the short time-span of three days.
And just like that, Yagami Signum was going to leave for her battlefield once more. She was going to leave today.
Suddenly, Uchiha Itachi felt a pang of worry. What if he never saw her again? If she died in her war, alone and terribly. Itachi began to wonder; was there truth in his mother's word?
It certainly felt like it. After a mere time span of a little over two months, one foreigner had so easily slipped past all of his emotional barriers and wormed her way into his heart, taking a spot as one of the few whom he cherished dearly.
"It is not like you to space out, Itachi" Came a light, clearly feminine voice that was at the same time, very stern, "You'll die at this rate."
Itachi bit back a curse and ducked as Signum's flaming sword, the Laevantein, shaved off a sizable lock of his hair. His fan girls probably were probably going to be pleased at the prospect of getting that bunch of hair, and angry at Signum for 'disfiguring' their idol.
The young ANBU Captain had very nearly forgotten that he was having a final duel with the Belkan Knight at his own request, before she left. He half wished he could kick himself in the ass. Signum was one of the elite in Belka and giving less than full attention was the fastest way to commit suicide.
Swish- CLANG!
Signum took a minute step back at Itachi's forceful counter- a Kunai reinforced with a liberal amount of Chakra to stop it from breaking.
No holds barred and no quarter. That was what I requested... Itachi had another impulse to smack himself. He was far too distracted to actually fight to his fullest capacity, not when the subject in question was the person he was fighting.
But again, the bond that they shared proved its strength once again. It was as though both party's could read each other like a book.
The Belkan Knight eased up in her strikes, shocking Itachi and the surrounding spectators greatly, especially the Midchildans. It would practically have been the first time they ever saw a Belkan showing some compassion in a battle.
"Panzer Hindernis"
More than one Ninja reared back in surprise and a small amount of apprehension when a crystal lattice version of the Mid-Childan Area Barrier solidified right before their very eyes.
Snorting in amusement, Captain Artemis of the Mid-Childan Refugees- who still insisted on remaining faceless with her hood- waved a hand in a dismissive manner at the tense ninja, "The Belkan just wants a private moment with her boyfriend. Besides, there's no point in trying to break the Tank Barrier anyway. It can stop most armor piercing magic rounds and is completely impervious to all but the strongest telepathic communications abilities."
Inside the gleaming magical construct, Itachi's eyes were honed on his counterpart's lighter colored ones. What is so important for me to hear in private? He wondered, half afraid even, that he was about to hear a confession which he knew he deeply desired deep in his heart and had half a mind to admit to on his own.
"I know you have been given a terrible order Itachi." Signum spoke in a shockingly gentle and- was that melancholic?- tone.
That was something Itachi had most certainly expected, and the chagrin was written as clear as day all over his features, "How-"
Signum laughed softly, calming the distressed Ninja if only by a tiny fraction, "We are alike in many ways; we have both been forced into the thickest of battles at very young ages... we've lost many companions... but there is a darkness in you that even I cannot fathom... even with... our bond"
Itachi knew very well what Signum meant. They were like kindred spirits in a perverse sense, and he was indeed suffering greatly for his village by betraying his family's trust. But his loyalties could not let him falter, not after he had come so far. "So what of it?" Itachi's eyes hardened instantly, even though his posture remained lax. He knew instinctively that he would not have the guts to kill her.
Slowly. Deliberately. The Belkan Knight reached down the front of her robes.
Outside the glittering shield, the bystanders were cursing; they could not see what either party was talking about, as the magical construct distorted their lip movements. But no one could ever miss the Belkan's body movements.
"Oh... is it a Belkan wedding band she's gonna give the tyke?" Artemis drawled, ever the teaser.
Uchiha Fugaku, who was standing within earshot held in a vociferous retort, but silently kept hope. If the Belkan entered the fold of the Uchiha, they would become the undeniable power of Konoha.
Itachi reined in his screaming instinct to jump away as Signum's hand began a slow and purposeful withdrawal from her own vest. The Knight pressed forward towards him, her eyes focused solely on his own.
From Signum's vest, a gleaming piece of metal, dangling of a fine gold chain, was produced. The metal, triangular in its shape and bearing the hallmark symbols of Belkan magic runes, bore a single, tiny pink gem in its core.
The soft aura that the jewel seemed to radiate was mesmerizing. Itachi could almost feel all of his worries evaporate.
A calloused hand grasped his left and guided it towards the gem, startling Itachi out of his daze. With a jolt, he realized that Signum was now standing right in front of him, and was holding out the pendant to him.
"No, I can't take that." Itachi blurted, trying to pull his own hand back.
Signum tightened her grip, and spoke so quietly, it sounded like a draft, "I know you need this more than I. Take it."
Dumbly, Itachi allowed the Belkan Knight to place the pendant in his left hand. Clutching it reverently, Itachi voiced out his burning question, "What is this?"
"My mother's pendant." Signum's small smile wavered a bit, "The crystal was constructed magically, and is supposed to be lucky."
Itachi's arm came up again in protest to having received such a gift, but Signum stopped him once more by closing his fingers round the jewelery piece. "Shouldn't you keep this? For a safe trip home?" Itachi questioned, although at the back of his mind, the other question he wanted to ask was So it can guide you here again with luck.
"The transport routes between our continents are already known now. Luck has no place in this issue any longer..." Signum's head drooped for a moment.
Itachi wondered if her was dreaming but was that a blush on her face?
One moment, Signum had her head bowed in front of him, the next, she was in his face, those deep sea green eyes at their closest to his own since they had met. "Besides, you truly need more luck than me."
Itachi's breath caught in his throat, at this range, he could distinctly smell the different scents of foreign flora that lingered on her person even after being away from her home country for two months. The freshness and light qualities of the smells making him slightly light headed, Itachi finally let his mental barriers down for a moment, "Be well."
The Ninja enjoyed seeing that he had been able to turn the tables on the woman, as surprise flitted across her features. "I will, if you will too, Itachi." Signum's expression became more somber, "And if I could have a say in this... I beg of you to spare your mother and brother from this battle in your heart."
With a small sigh, Itachi had to respect the level of intuition that Signum had, and replied softly, his lips brazenly moving forward to brush hers in a feather-like kiss, "You always were a sharp one... you have my word... I'd never forgive myself if they came to any harm."
Taking a small step back and showing an even more pronounced blush, Signum muttered in a manner most unlike herself, "Thank you."
Waving her hand, the gleaming Belkan Tank Barrier slowly dissipated.
Before anyone outside the shield could properly hear the inside conversations though, Itachi had one final word with Signum, "I should be thanking you Signum."
"Well, do we get invitations to the wedding? Who's Best man? Can I be the bridesmaid?" Artemis swept past the shiny remnants of the shield, "But take my advice you two... a good romance ain't just about one kiss... HECK! You can't even call that a kiss! You two need kids!"
It really was a pity that no one had a camera to record the incident. The historical records printed by the Konoha Archives were rather uninformative.
The flaming blush on both Itachi's and Signum's faces would have been quite a sight for any person who knew them but were not present at this particular... incident.
"HEY WATCH IT!" Artemis had to duck as Signum, in absolutely uncharacteristic anger, tried to slap her with the broad side of Laevantein, "I was only joking! Cool it!"
The Mid-Childan Captain heaved a sigh of relief, and glared at her guffawing subordinates as Signum's swing came to a stop just a millimeter shy of her face, Goodness knows... my husband would have a heart attack if he found out I got injured for a prank.
"May I inquire as to what you and Miss Yagami were speaking of inside that... construct, Itachi" Uchiha Fugaku spoke in a commanding tone, that left no room for debate as to what his intent was. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.
Itachi squared his shoulders and exhaled a small breath. He needed to focus, and think of a suitable excuse to throw his father off. But what could I say- And Itachi had an answer, but he was praying with all his might that Signum would not try to do the same to him as she tried with Artemis.
"It was merely a kiss, father." Itachi droned as blandly as he could, trying his best not to sound excited or nervous at all, "Signum has promised to try and visit again in the foreseeable future."
Artemis gave a small yelp of surprise rather than pain as Signum's sword arm jerked spasmodically for an instant and the blunt face of Laevantein swatted at her face twice.
Danzo could not have picked a worse moment to barge in on the conversation, "I see no reason for the Knight to have to express her emotions to you from within a magical construct. Please elaborate Itachi."
To the old war hawk's left, the Hokage and his personal guards remained silent, watching the proceedings with keen interest. It would be rather beneficial to future Kohona-Belkan relations if they knew some Belkan relationship rituals or etiquette rules.
Itachi was close to sweating. His mind was fogged by his recent conversation with Yagami Signum and he had struggled a great deal to come up with the previous excuse. He was not willing to let them- anyone other than the Hokage- from knowing that he now possessed a magic artifact. If Danzo or his father caught wind of that, they would hound him to no end.
"I have given him a traditional Belkan Seal." Signum mumbled, her face growing redder than anyone could have imagined, "It is a symbol of trust and friendship. Uchiha Itachi has proven his strength and integrity, hence he will be treated as one of our kinsmen. An equal."
Artemis had to let out a sharp whistle, "Wow, I didn't see that coming." Turning to face Itachi, the Mid-Childan Captain spoke seriously, "You're gonna have to take good care of that Seal kid. Those things are valuable. Most ain't magical, but the money the Seal's are worth loads... heck! Those trinkets could buy entire mountains!"
"As the Captain has said." Signum swiveled around her spot, returning the Laevantein to its sealed form as she did so, "This Seal is one of my family's, and holds great prestige and value even amongst Belkans. Do not attempt to take this from him."
One stupid council member present had to shoot back a retort, "And what if we don't?"
The warm summer air temperatures plummeted so fast, some ninja were surprised that the forests did not freeze instantaneously. Signum directed a fierce glare at the foolish councilman; one not unlike the stare she had treated Itachi to when she first had a conversation with him.
"Then you would be striking out at a fellow Belkan, and a fair number of us would be more than willing to come to his aid." Signum's eyes narrowed into sea-green slits.
No further questions were asked.
From his relatively ignored position, the Hokage finally coughed lightly to catch the small crowd's attention. "I will remind all citizens of Konoha that I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, as the Hokage, am the only person who can speak for the village. For now, I would like for all of you to remain silent."
Checking for a moment to ensure his orders were being obeyed, Sarutobi Hiruzen began his own little speech, "Yagami Signum of the Belkan Empire, I understand that this has been a rather eventful stay for you, albeit a rather relaxed one."
The Mid-Childan refugees snickered in the background, but were silenced by their commander's glare.
"We also know of your nation's plight, and I wish for you to convey my condolences to your King; not merely because of your losses, but because we are unable to help in terms of military might." The Third Hokage paused to take a puff from his pipe, "And as for you, the people of Konoha pray for your safe passage home, and for safety on the battlefield.
A faint shimmering Mid-Childan magic circle began to weave a pattern in the grass patch behind the Belkan Commander.
"Well, we've finished the last touches of the transport runes." Artemis nodded to the quartet of Mid-Childan mages who had set up the spell, "It's time to go."
"Farewell Yagami Signum." The Third Hokage would have liked to let out a melancholic smile; he had rather enjoyed the young lady's presence. His position as a fearsome and respected leader however, only allowed him to give the simplest and most solemn of nods.
Signum nodded cordially in return, her earlier embarrassment completely forgotten, "I bid you all farewell as well. May we meet in better circumstances in the future."
Turning stiffly and militarily, Signum made her way towards the glimmering Mid-Childan rune.
Itachi's heart leaped into his throat and he was instantly filled with anxiety and indecision. Despite Signum's assurances, he knew that she could very well die in her bloody war. It was then that the black haired ANBU Captain could no longer deny himself the truth, as he saw his first ever interest- since he still did not want to label her as a love interest- take her last steps towards the thing that would whisk her away.
Without thinking. Without having to bother with calculations or consideration for recriminations, Itachi hurled himself at Signum, and grabbed her right arm.
Even as a thoroughly shocked Signum turned around and an equally spell-bound crowd watched with more than a few mouths agape for the world to see, Itachi used his remaining free hand to expertly trap the Knight into a hug.
And then, his kissed her.
It was nothing like the close shave they shared in the Tank Barrier. This kiss was heated. It was passionate, but innocent. One possibly final intimate moment between two warriors who finally acknowledged that they had a bond that stretched beyond a mere psychological connection. They both also understood that if they let go of this one chance, they might never see one again.
"Damn... I wish I'd brought my bleeping camera in from Mid-Childa!" Artemis cursed loudly, "This is like the BEST GOSSIP MATERIAL EVER!"
Neither the ANBU Captain nor the Belkan Commander paid heed to the raving Mid-Childan Captain as they broke apart after five seconds. Signum's breath was coming out in ragged gasps, her hands, visibly trembling and grasping so tightly onto Itachi's arms that he nearly lost blood circulation.
The pot calling the kettle black Itachi chided himself, taking note of his own trembling right arm and his barely suppressed state of hyperventilation. He had never expected himself to be capable of such an action. Hazily, he realized that his father would be having words with him later.
"I don't want to lose you, Itachi" Signum murmured, tiny droplets of tears forming slowly in her tear-ducts, "Please stay safe!"
Hesitantly, Itachi raised his left hand- the one wrapped around Signum's waist- and laid it on her miraculously soft and silken pink hair, "I swear on my life to live, but you need to promise me the same."
Signum choked slightly through the tears and the laughter, "That's a rather worthless oath... I can't even kill you if you fail... I promise to stay alive... no matter the difficulty, no matter how bleak the day... I will live."
Itachi let out a smile, his hand stroking her hair absent-mindedly, "Then I'll promise the same as you... Aishiteru, Signum."
Signum frowned slightly in puzzlement, her head shifting slightly backwards to look Itachi straight in the eye, "What does that mean?"
"That's a secret... an added incentive for you to live." Itachi broke the hug and took the smallest of steps back, "You can only find out when you return."
Chuckling slightly, and hastily wiping away the tears, Signum replied, "Ich liebe dich. That's the phrase you will learn when I return."
Artemis made a noise of confusion, "Huh? But I can tell him what that means right now!"
The nasty glare sent by the Ninja and the Knight were more than enough to get Artemis to reconsider, "Er... then again... you two need more incentives to survive to get together... so yeah... I'll keep my mouth shut."
"No matter how long it takes... I'll return" Signum whispered, bringing Itachi's left ear to her mouth, "Wait for me."
As the trembling ceased, Signum relinquished her grip on Itachi and resumed her march into the Mid-Childan Transport Rune. Numbly, Itachi gave his own reply, his arms dropping limply to his sides, "I will."
Reaching the center of the rune, Signum turned back to face Itachi with the brightest and most innocent smile he had ever seen from her to date. The runes began to spin and glow with an intensity that crept ever closer to blinding.
"Don't forget to set up a shield as you land!" Our transport spell isn't accurate enough!" Artemis hollered to Signum, an arm raised to shield her hidden eyes, "You could be dropped into a battlefield!"
Itachi was not sure if Signum heard or acknowledged Artemis' advice, but in the coming days, he would always remember her radiant smile... and the promise they made to meet once more.
There was a brilliant and warm flash of light, and when the glow of the magic died down, Yagami Signum, Wolkenritter Commander of the Belkan Empire and valued companion of Uchiha Itachi had disappeared.
"Well, it's been fun..." Artemis turned on her heels and started making her way towards the exits of Konoha, "Don't forget to take good care of this place men."
"Huh? W-wait!" Shouted Councilwoman Homura, "Aren't you supposed to stay?"
Artemis threw a lackadaisical wave with her right hand to signal a goodbye, "I will, you just won't know I'm there..."
The Mid-Childan Captain paused for a moment, "I've been living on this continent years before most infiltration teams ever came in. I took a number of jobs for my old country and left sometimes, but I've been here alright... I've been here."
"Then you should at least reveal your identity to the ninja corps to prevent any misunderstandings." Danzou cut in sharply.
The sharp and cutting laughter that came from Artemis grated on more than one persons' ears, "Sure, I'll tell the Hokage, but I ain't gonna tell anyone else. Besides, your men won't even be able to land one hit on me if they accidentally identified me as an enemy!"
"Why you!" One Pig-masked ANBU obviously took great offense to that statement and tried to charge the Mid-Childan Captain. His fist only encountered space as Artemis faded from view in a transport rune, laughing mockingly all the way.
Thus, with such a simple and mundane act of magic, the strangers' meeting was brought to a close...
An Ending of Sorts
Weeks later, in the sweltering peak of the summer, Uchiha Itachi was finally given the order to commit the one act he dreaded the most; murdering his family for attempting a coup. True to his word to Signum though, he had spared his mother, Uchiha Mikoto and his brother, Uchiha Sasuke from the cold grasp of Death. Itachi's reputation was shredded on that fateful night and he was forced to take up a newer, even more painful mask.
Uchiha Itachi, by order of Sarutobi Hiruzen and under the guidance of Jiraiya of Konoha's Legendary Three Ninja, took up the mantle of being an Akatsuki member. An internationally wanted criminal and associate to a madman named Uchiha Madara who lusted for world domination.
But in the following years, as Itachi's new persona gained more recognition, one aspect of him was always unmistakable; the glittering Belkan Pendant that he always wore zealously around his neck.
As for Yagami Signum, she landed safely enough back in the outskirts of a Belkan regional capital known as Festung. Captain Artemis' words also had proven helpful, as Signum had been fired upon by trigger happy Belkan guards who had mistaken her for a Mid-Childan sneak attack.
Welcomed back into the nation with great pomp and circumstance, Signum soon realized she had left a relative utopia in the Elemental Nations for a seemingly inescapable hell in Al-Hazard.
The King and Queen had been mysteriously assassinated, although the magic signatures left on the corpses were unmistakably Mid-Childan. At that point in time- three weeks before Signum's return- the Royal Council and the people of Belka finally lost all patience or will to exercise restraint. All out war had been declared. Every Combat Cyborg, Cradle Warship and Wolkenritter had been deployed to the front lines.
Signum tried to protest, but without a mandate from the people, she lost her case. The Wolkenritter Commander was given a new platoon of colleagues and orders to retake Schienen-Stadt, a fortress-city a hundred kilometers shy of the Belkan border and crucial to the Belkan Army's efforts to retake their nation.
Fulfilling her oath to her lords- albeit grudgingly- Signum and her tiny force of twenty-four crack troopers took the city in a day, when the entire Belkan war machine had been stalled for a week by Mid-Childan mage platoons from the elite Harlaown Division. The Wolkenritter was celebrated and further promoted to the rank of Wolkenritter Second-In-Command, following her predecessor's downfall at the hands of Admiral Gil Graham's 48th fleet; yet another of Mid-Childa's 'legendary and elite units'.
But Signum knew better: That her rapid rise, though merited through her skill and cunning, was meant to shackle her to the whims of the Royal Court that had become the De-Facto leaders of Belka. Her siblings too had not been spared, serving as mere insurance to keep Signum in line.
Yagami Hayate was later made the new Crown Princess of Belka, and the one who would become Queen, after she had been chosen as the next master of the Book of Darkness that had been kept by the previous Queen. Signum could only watch in silence and sorrow as the Nobility slowly forced Hayate to follow their whims. Signum knew; her nation was fast turning into the very entity that they had tried to destroy.
Yagami Vita and Shamal were also promoted into the ranks of the Wolkenritter, and placed directly in the platoons assigned to missions handed out solely by the Nobility. Signum's hands were effectively tied and shackled behind her back.
Signum knew that she would not win in a head on fight with the bureaucracy. Rebellion was the least effective solution after all. Hence, Signum was forced to be content with doing her best to influence her men into starting to take prisoners-of-war instead of simply murdering unarmed Mid-Childans who had surrendered.
The following years, would be long and harsh, that much was certain to Signum. But every time she leaped into the battlefield with her trademarked Laevantein awash with purple fire, the conspicuous lack of weight around her neck continued to remind her of her short, unforgettable time in the Elemental Nations...
Out in the wilderness, swathed in a cloak embossed with red clouds, Uchiha Itachi looked out in the direction of Al-Hazard from his perch in the trees. I once met a dying soldier of a foreign land... a warrior as lost as I was... Itachi's lips curled upwards, eliciting a puzzled grunt from his partner.
Looking out into the Mid-Childan border with an army of men behind her, Yagami Signum craned her neck around to look back on the Elemental Nations across the ocean, But I found a connection in that person...even though we were strangers... Signum's own lips tugged upwards. She could just feel it in her bones that Itachi was mirroring her thoughts, and that thought seemed to give her added strength.
Pausing to stare into the distance but for a fraction of a second, both turned their heads back towards their respective goals and moved forward towards their new destinies, Ah... we were strangers then... but we parted as comrades, friends, lovers...
Wait for me...
Fin.
From the Author: To those who love this story... it is going to turn into an arc based series of one, two or three-shots.
Next up; A Traitor's Loyalty ( a.k.a. Itachi's Trials)/ A Knight's Dishonor (a.k.a. Signum's Trials)
In any case... have a HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!