Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto characters nor the cover image of Itachi! I do own my characters however!

The Anachronism

Chapter VI: The Day She Made Him Promise

The rest of the week moved by more quickly once Monday passed. Itachi and Nadeshiko had gotten in the rhythm of their separate schedules; Itachi spending most of his days at the library or taking walks, and Nadeshiko balancing her academics on Mondays and Wednesday with her clinical days on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and occasionally on Fridays. After what had occurred outside her classroom on Monday, Nadeshiko had tried to be less concerned about the Uchiha for the sake of his independence. However, especially when she left for clinical, she would be lying if she said she wasn't a bit worried she'd come back and he'd be missing.

"What if I'm really late getting back from clinical?" she had blurted Thursday morning as they parted ways. "What if you have to come back here without me? What if you forget how to get back?" Itachi had given her a deadpanned expression in response, so she played it off as if she were kidding. Which she partially was ("You're not that forgetful!" she had joked, earning another blank expression), but she still worried for him.

He's practically a lost puppy! She thought as she received her first patient assignment for the day. If he hadn't somehow landed himself in my apartment, who knows where he would have ended up!

Oddly enough, Itachi had considered the same; although, he couldn't help but wonder if he'd be living a much quieter life instead.

While the question to how he ended up in her apartment still had not been answered, by Friday Nadeshiko's suspicions had all but completely vanished. She no longer considered the possibility of the man harboring ill will and allowed him to go to and from her apartment with a clear conscious, although they often left the apartment together. She found herself growing accustomed to waking up and seeing him reading on her sofa, or sitting at her kitchen table with a glass of water, scribbling away at a piece of paper about who-knows-what. Though she would never outwardly admit it, while she did fear for his safety, she was just as concerned about him disappearing and leaving her alone again.

Not to mention, she was intrigued by the mystery surrounding her new roommate. Where had he come from? What kind of life had he lived prior to a week ago?

But, most importantly, she thought sadly as she watched Itachi carefully from the kitchen table one morning. He was leafing through the pages of one of the many texts he'd borrowed from the library, his expression serious. Why is no one looking for him? Where is his family? His friends? It's not like he's some John Doe; he seems certain of his name.

So why then? That bothered Nadeshiko the most. The idea that somewhere out there, this man had a family, but yet they were not searching for him. She thought of her own family and bit her lip.

No. Even considering the circumstances, they would still search for her if she went missing.

…Right?

In the next room, Itachi noticed Nadeshiko staring at him. However, he quickly realized that she was lost in her own thoughts when she did not react as she normally would to his stoic expression. He wondered momentarily what had gotten into her recently. Though they had only spent a week together, he'd noticed a gradual change in her demeanor since the day he met her. That Friday, she had been gutsy and loud, holding a knife to his chest without a single break in her focus. But now, here she was, completely vulnerable and lost in her own thoughts. If he was still the man he had been not one week ago…

Itachi shook his head.

"Oh!" Itachi looked back up again and watched as Nadeshiko jumped up toward the stovetop, where the scrambled eggs she had been cooking were turning a crispy black. "Shoot, shoot, shoot!"

As the blonde scraped burnt egg into the trash, Itachi commented, "I'm surprised you chose not to go to the dining hall today."

Nadeshiko, although mourning over the wasted breakfast, peered up at Itachi in surprise. "Oh, well… It's Friday. Fridays are usually my free day, so I tend to sleep in a little later and just make my own breakfast. Every couple of weeks I have to go to the hospital for a nighttime clinical practice, but I still consider it my down day." Itachi considered this for a moment, before returning to his text. Nadeshiko continued to look at him for a few moments longer, before redirecting her attention to the pile of burnt eggs on her plate. The sad mess stared back at her and she felt her stomach growl furiously.

For a pregnant pause, all was silent. And then–

"Would you want to go out somewhere with me?"

Black eyes met wide blue ones, eyes that hadn't really realized what the owner's mouth had said until the words were already out. Oh god, Nadeshiko cried internally. He's totally going to think I'm asking him out, like on a date! Quick, gotta think of something else to say! Cheeks flushed, the blonde rushed toward the stoic Uchiha and quickly edited her statement: "I'm hungry! I want to get food right now!"

Well, at least now she sounded like a repugnant toddler. Sigh.

"Go to the dining hall." Shot down!

"I don't want dining hall food!" Nadeshiko pouted, crossing her arms over her chest and holding her ground just on the other side of the coffee table. In front of her, Itachi had looked back down at the open textbook on the table. "Plus, you haven't had a proper meal since you've been here, because you're always so busy reading! You know, you even said it yourself that getting outside and away from researching is good for you."

For a moment, Itachi seriously considered rejecting the idea. It wasn't as if he wasn't hungry or that he disliked the idea; au contraire, the Uchiha had always been quite fond of cafes. That being said, he was still no closer to finding an answer than he was earlier this week, and that realization of being no closer to a solution gnawed at him.

However, just as he was about to reject the little blonde again, a small voice suddenly called out in his head. "Nii-san! Won't you go out and train with me today?" Without realizing it, Itachi's eyes softened.

As he flipped the text closed, Nadeshiko's deep frown grew to a wide smile.

xXxXxXx

The two sat quietly in one of the window seats of a quaint Japanese café called Nayamashii Tea. There were only seven tables total in the little café and, as it was a workday and still early, only one other table was occupied aside from their own. Situated at the back of the main room was a long, L-shaped glass case filled with confectionaries and other treats. A short auburn haired woman in a flowery red and orange kimono flitted around behind the counter, checking on tea kettles and humming to herself.

Nadeshiko sipped at her chamomile tea and pulled her army green jacket tighter around her. When had the autumn air suddenly grown so brisk? On the tram ride out of the university toward the downtown district of Serrai, Nadeshiko had started to regret choosing to wear a dress, even with the protection of tights and a jacket. Then, she'd peered over at Itachi, who was as stoic and unfazed as ever, in a light pair of jeans, dark shirt and black jacket. Even now, as she slowly looked up at him as he eyed the streets outside, he seemed completely unaffected by the cooler weather.

Of course, she'd also learned that most things seemingly unaffected the man. However, that was beside the point.

The young blonde cleared her throat. Itachi eyed the girl; however, she'd already followed his gaze to the street. Couples and families had begun filling the sidewalks, talking excitedly and entering restaurants and cafes for breakfast. She breathed out a sigh.

"I'm sorry," the girl sighed again, eyes drifting toward the cloudy sky. "I promised you that I would help you to find out who you are and where you came from. But I feel like I haven't been able to do much of anything, with all the time I spend in class and at the hospital. I was kind of hoping that maybe between the public transit and coming here, someone would be bound to recognize you, or you recognize someone. I feel like it's really all I can offer you aside from a place to stay, where I don't really have the time to sit and research such as you do. I'm really sorry."

She turned to him, her expression pained and apologetic. For a moment, Itachi felt guilty knowing that what she was searching for and what he was searching for were diametrically different. She was trying to find his life here, while he was trying to find his old life and how he had come to be thrown into this one. His search may eventually prove fruitful. Hers? Well, he thought, returning her sad gaze with a contemplative one. Neither here nor there would she ever have found an answer.

However, although he was painfully aware he was using the woman for her kindness, he could not tell her the truth. There were too many unanswered questions, including why he woke up in her apartment of all places. He was not yet sure what information was pertinent and what was extraneous; until then, he would not be hasty to change the current conditions.

But when that day comes, he had long decided. He would repay her kindness, and leave without a trace so as to no longer burden her.

"…Itachi?" The Uchiha blinked hard for a moment as Nadeshiko looked at him with a cocked head. This world, wherever and whatever it was, was really doing a job on his usual perception and focus. How had he allowed himself to become lost in thought? "I promise you, okay? I'll do whatever I can when I'm not busy, so if there's anything you need help with, feel free to ask! Of course, the more time-consuming excursions will have to be on Fridays and Saturdays."

Without really thinking about it, the Uchiha commented, "Do you have prior engagements on Sundays as well?" He remembered her going through her schedule with him and could not remember any specific events on Sundays. However, her pained twinge at his comment gave him a weird sensation in his stomach and he found himself wishing he had not asked her in the first place. Instead, he found himself thinking back to this morning. When had she become so vulnerable?

Sunday. But why–

"I…have to go somewhere…then…" The blonde chose her words carefully, fumbling her hands in her lap and staring into her chamomile tea as if it held her answer. "Every week. No exceptions."

He remembered back to last Sunday, when she had flown out of the library in such a panicked rush that all the librarians were calling angrily after her. Although he had played it off as nothing, clearly there was something more important behind this excursion than just a simple forgotten task. He continued to eye her; however, her downcast eyes were too focused on her tea and half eaten tsuya for him to get a read on her. It wasn't his business, yet he wondered what sort of obligation could have the girl in such a mood.

Before he could begin analyzing the little woman though, she suddenly perked up and grinned at him. She called, "Oh! I have a great idea! Since we're already out here, we should visit Jozenji Street!"

"Jozenji Street?" The black haired man echoed. She nodded furiously, a smile painting her lips.

If her moods were the weather, the Uchiha wondered if he'd be sick already.

"Yes!" she said, abruptly standing. "It's one of the most popular areas of Serrai! It's the reason why Serrai is also known as Mori no Miyako! It's beautiful!"

The City of Trees? Itachi wondered, staring blankly at the girl's joyous expression. As if she could read his mind, she nodded again.

"It's only a couple blocks down the road!" she exclaimed, sliding out from in front of her chair and walking toward the door. "So let's go!"

Nadeshiko didn't allow Itachi a second to leave his seat before she was already walking away from the café. However, before long, she could sense his steps falling into sync next to hers and she turned to look at him with a smile. While he paid her no mind, the blonde merely laughed to herself and continued on her way, hoping that the sudden proclamation was enough to distract him from his previous question.

Do you have prior engagements on Sundays as well? It was such a simple, innocent question; and yet, it made her heart ache uncontrollably. For a moment, the cheerful face she'd put on faltered. However, once the trees began to come into view, the distraction dragged her back into the present. As they neared the different part of the district, Itachi began to understand what Nadeshiko had meant.

Although it was still busy like the other areas of the city, the street was split clean down the middle with a brick path and two rows of zelkova trees. The leaves were at the peak of changing, decorating the trees and pathway in bright yellows, reds, and oranges. As the two crossed the street to reach the middle path, Itachi couldn't help but be absorbed in its beauty. Despite the cars and buildings around them, he felt at home. They continued walking silently down the path and Itachi breathed in the crisp air and thought about his old home.

Not Akatsuki. But Konohagakure, with his mother, father, and little brother. The nostalgia hit him and he couldn't help but think of the times he and Sasuke had walked the woods together to train. And all of the times he had said, "Next time, Sasuke." All of the time he had wasted. All of the memories he could have made. They were gone; the opportunities were lost now.

But that was why–

Nadeshiko skipped ahead of Itachi and spun around to face him with her arms spread out wide and a grin on her chapped lips. "See? Isn't it beautiful? Of course, a lot of people would say it looks the best in the summer for the Tanabata Festival, but I think it always looks amazing. I just feel so much better when I'm here!"

The girl breathed in deeply and dropped her arms at her side. Itachi had since stopped and watched her from his spot a couple meters away. As the seconds ticked by, the blonde's smile began to soften and she took a step back towards him.

"Let's go to the Pageant of Starlight together this December!" Her cheeks were flushed pink, whether from the cool breeze or from embarrassment, neither could be sure. However, unlike her proclamation that morning, she didn't try to retract it; however, she quickly added, "If by that point you still don't remember much and no one has recognized you, Serrai's Pageant of Starlight is a hugely popular spectacle here; people from across the country and the world come to see it! Maybe someone would recognize you!"

The blonde looked up at the trees wistfully, imaging them covered in thousands upon thousands of lights. She had seen it before, but, this time, she could be seeing it with someone who'd never seen it before. With Itachi.

Her chest fluttered and the blonde suddenly found herself feeling more excited than ever.

"It'll be fun!" Nadeshiko exclaimed, smiling brightly. "Please, let's go together! Promise me!"

And despite himself, despite what his past dictated, Itachi's expression softened again and he promised her, linking his pinky with hers in some unfamiliar civilian contract system. Nadeshiko laughed at his confusion, before pulling her hand back and rushing ahead of him again, her cheeks more aflame than they had been earlier.

–wherever and whatever this world was, and however long he would be stuck here, he would make his time count.

xXxXxXx

Across the street, a bystander watched the interaction with a raised brow, only able to hear a few statements being made but very aware of their expressions and actions. The bystander cocked their head to the side curiously, allowing one last glance at the two under the trees, before turning on a heel and heading back toward the tram in the direction of the university.

Hooray for updates!

Okay! So I'm thinking of doing like a "fun facts" thing about this story down here. I don't really know how many of you actually read this… But I was thinking of maybe writing a little blurb about like, the playlists associated with this story, where I got the inspiration for the story, the setting, and the characters (their names, appearances, etc.) and all that, spoiler free up to whatever point in the story we're at. If you'd like to see that, let me know! As an example…

Fun Fact! Nadeshiko's character design was a mix between a couple of different characters' from anime. At first, I got it from Taiga (Toradora), because I'd always imagined Nadeshiko to be on the young-ish looking side and pretty short. However, in watching other anime, I found that the girl I imagined in my head looked more like Kaori (Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso).

On that note, thank you all again for your continued support and I hope this story is living up to your expectations! And I hope I've done a good job of keeping Itachi in character! I love to hear your feedback and criticism.

Until next update! Please favorite, comment, and follow if you've enjoyed! :)

Also, Benji, this story is the reason I procrastinate my homework! Although, lately my homework has been taking some precedent over the story… Hence the slow updates. Hopefully I'll be able to get my essays and homework done timely so I can focus more on this!