Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
A/N: Hey guys, welcome back! I can't believe it's has been six months since my last update…! ^^ I'm finally back, and so happy to be back! To reward all your patience, this latest chapter will be the lengthiest so far. Enjoy!
Chapter Sixteen
Sunrise109
The rays of sunlight that filtered through the late midday sky and warmed their skin and clothes, did nothing to lighten the sombre atmosphere.
Konan's ominous words were still ringing in the long indigo-haired shinobi's ears, the afterimage of the origami angel's lifeless stare never leaving her.
"Pain has ordered you to take care of one of our must lucrative client's matters..."
They both moved as one, the former Uchiha heir and the Hyuuga heiress, as they ducked inside the intricate maze that was the Akatsuki base. Who knew how many levels it truly harboured, and what lay hidden behind thinly veiled recesses?
Silence filled the air, as Hinata followed Itachi's lead, his movements curt and filled with the experience of one who had been navigating these age-old surroundings his entire life—when in reality it, couldn't have been more than seven years since he joined the Akatsuki—until they finally arrived at their team's meeting room.
"You as a trio will need to split up: one to watch over the client from the shadows, another to keep his enemies distracted, and the third person will blow up the bridge leading to the clients' stolen goods: explosives."
The open-plan room, coupled with chandeliers, was cast in a strange kaleidoscope of multi-coloured streams of sunlight, due to the intense midday sun which freely filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows to the east and west of the room.
"No failure or slip up will be tolerated. You three have three days to complete this mission. Understood?"
The last of Konan's words finally left her system, and Hinata prepared herself to put on the mask of a strong female ninja. Never again would she show weakness in front of anyone, much less her new teammates, Itachi and Kisame, who were now in her immediate vicinity.
"Well, if it isn't the Hyuuga princess and, wait for it... her prince charming, 'Tachi-san? In bright shining armour?"
"Kisame," Itachi greeted curtly, although it sounded more like a passive warning than anything else.
"Kisame-san," Hinata greeted her teammate, bowing her head down towards him respectfully.
"Nice to see you both here. I was beginning to think you might be dead, Itachi, but that was wishful thinking, on my part. I guess my dream of being the most handsome and skilled ninja out of all the Akatsuki has already died." He joked, his shark-like teeth revealing a charming smile. "Been away for a while, hm? And Hyuuga girl, you can vouch for me right, my cooking is the best, isn't it?"
The surprising question caught Hinata off guard for a moment. Itachi's eyebrow raised itself inquisitively, his curiosity at the activities between his two teammates whilst he had been away dealing with Danzo, getting the better of him.
"As the saying goes, one can never get tired of eating fried teriyaki fish, just as much as a fish can't get tired of seawater?"
Hinata blurted out the first thing that came into her mind, which was just that, and she sure didn't regret it, let's just say, for want of a better way of describing her teammates' hilarious reactions.
Kisame immediately erupted in bellows of laugher, so much so that Hinata feared he'd get stitches from the violence of his shuddering. He had to place both his palms on the smooth glass surface of the table in front of him to steady himself. "You're good, Hinata, I like you!"
Itachi coughed quietly in the background, which Hinata could sense signified that he was struggling to contain his own laughter.
Maybe she would try to joke with then more often.
Hinata watched the display in mild amusement.
Even though the two males were both killers and all three had been partnered together by chance, Itachi, Kisame and lastly, Hinata, had already doubtless formed a strong bond of comradery in such a short space of time, and it was quite a heart-warming sight to behold.
Maybe this is what it felt like to have authentic teammates again. It had been a while since Hinata last entered that nostalgic part of her memories from her adolescent years; the short, successive bouts of joyful and juvenile-filled antics with her former teammates Kiba and Shino had quickly been overshadowed by her recruitment into Danzo's covert foundation, where a death-trap like regime of erasing any sentiment of boding or comradery between his operatives took hold.
It was only by chance that her and Usagi had hit it off with a secret friendship, but even that could've easily been tested, if she had ever openly expressed a desire to betray Danzo in front of Usagi, rather than unbending allegiance… and Hinata truly had no idea how Usagi would've reacted, if it had ever come to that.
The shiny marble flooring squeaked slightly as Kisame straightened, the sudden movement causing his Samehada blade to drag frighteningly against the smooth surface, and a new gleam of excitement was now sparkling in his beady eyes.
Itachi uncrossed his arms at the same time, and a silent exchange seemed to occur between all three, as they realised that they were all there for a serious reason and it was now time to commence their operations.
The weight of the strategising for their upcoming mission, of course, fell on the Uchiha's sole shoulders. He was the de facto leader of the trio.
After a heartbeat, Itachi began speaking calmly, the smoothness of his tone taking off some of the tension that had been bubbling inside of Hinata without her even realising it. "Our client wants us to sabotage his rivals and we must assist him in this enterprise. I want Hinata to guard the client at all times. As for you, Kisame, I want you to focus on destroying the bridge leading to his stolen explosives. As the client is our most valuable asset, I will also be staying as close to the client as possible without him knowing, whilst keeping an eye on his enemies. I will be in a good position to intercept any assailants who may be tracking him from a distance. Is this understood?"
"Yes," Hinata responded immediately, meeting the path of his chrome gaze which rested upon her momentarily.
"Ha," Kisame began, holding up a letter which had materialised out of nowhere—presumably from underneath the folds of his cloak whilst no one else had been looking.
Well, whilst Hinata and Itachi had been too busy looking at each other, for some reason… And it was no wonder that they had earned themselves nicknames such as "princess" and "prince charming" from the Hoshigaki. Clearly, it should have bothered the Uchiha and the Hyuuga that they were reminiscent of a couple in their teammate's eyes, but such an notion had never crossed their minds in any serious kind of way.
Kisame's discourse continued.
"It seems our rather wealthy client has some hefty requirements of us all. You're both gonna love this…" He began.
~.~
The client wanted to get to know them first, his hired bodyguards and executioners of his dubious plans, well before the mission commenced.
Pain had already signed it off as a welcomed part of their mission, and as the client was willing to pay them good money to meet and dine with him in person at the residence he owned, they went along with it.
Not that Pain would've tolerated any dissent, anyways.
In no time, they found themselves in the midst of the Hidden Grass village.
The trio wore disguises tailored to their client's interesting preferences.
They appeared more like civilians now, who hailed from wealthy clans. Neutral colours were chosen for their undergarments and a white cloak to top it off Plus, bright headcloths were tied around their foreheads—where a shinobi forehead protector would've usually been—adorning the symbols of their respective civilian clans.
It was now sunset, and the late afternoon sun was beginning to disappear behind the towering hills in the distance.
The friction between their sandals and the uneven, dusty footpaths leading them through the near-deserted village, began to cede away into a smoother granite surface, which unknowingly signified their approach into the wealthier parts of the small Hidden village.
With only a few stragglers here and there, who merely kept their distance from the strangers in their midst, paying them no attention, the trio were able to proceed to their destination with little to no incident, and thankfully without being recognised.
It was no wonder that Pain regularly accepted assignments from these parts. Whether they were Akatsuki or not, no one cared about them, as most had too many troubles of their own to deal with.
It was a very sad fact indeed.
Neither Itachi, Kisame nor Hinata had spoken to each other since they had set off for the Grass village two hours ago.
It was now Itachi's turn to break the silence, which was a rarity.
"We're here." He stated softly.
In front of them stood a towering elaborate home, large enough to house dozens of guests, and it logically had a much more suitable name…
"This place is an okiya!" Kisame gasped, comically looking more like an amused teenager than an adult.
"Maiko…" Hinata uttered, noticing the many graceful geisha who slipped in and out of sight, on their way to fulfil their duties.
Itachi's calm face, in its usual unreadable mask, gave away none of his thoughts about this place—an okiya—being their client's abode and where the noble wanted them to meet him.
No other shinobi were in sight. It seemed like a place where during the week, many covert and secretive business deals were executed.
But for now, they were Lord Shiguma's guests, and had arrived just in time to dine with him as scheduled, that evening.
"Let's go."
~.~
Two hours later…
Their dinner with their client, Lord Shiguma, went surprisingly well and smoothly.
They had been served by several maiko, who had shown them to their rooms beforehand.
Their operations commenced soon after dinner with their client had ended, once the final mouthful of food had been eaten, and the last sip of drink had been taken. Bidding both the client and Hinata farewell, Itachi and Kisame's tall silhouettes exited the lavish dining hall, on their way to fulfil their own parts of the mission, leaving Hinata with the task of guarding their client at all times, as earlier agreed.
Lord Shiguma was a handsome young noble, no more than a decade older than her. He had a kind smile that surely warmed the hearts of all the geisha in his residence and anyone naive enough to fall prey to his double-edged charm.
"Hanako," He said, calling her by her designated alias, for the duration of the mission.
"Yes, Lord Shiguma," Hinata replied, her face composed in a calm, unreadable expression. She was dressed in a neutral-coloured kimono, with simple patterns, her hair tied back in two simple buns. She had changed as soon as she arrived and had been led by the geisha into her bedchambers—where her cloths were already laid neatly on top of her bed, prepared carefully for her prior to her arrival.
Assimilation into the new environment would be easier this way, and no one would suspect her true role. It was doubtless that none of the other geisha knew that she was not actually there to become one of them, but had merely taken up the disguise of a geisha in order to better protect their master.
"My newest maiko, and perhaps most skilled," He gushed, his dreamy eyes belying his deep knowledge about her competence in protecting him, and that of her companions.
"Shall I escort you to your room now, Shiguma-sama?" Hinata offered as professionally and indifferently as possible.
"Of course," Shiguma replied, yawning. "It's certainly time for bed."
In response, Hinata activated Byakugan and fell in line behind the noble as he excitedly led her to his sleeping quarters, through extensive corridors lavished in wealth and splendour, such as paintings rimmed in elaborate gold frames and incense sticks of the highest and most premium quality permeating the air.
Any potential nearby or faraway threats would not be fortunate enough to escape detection by her visual prowess.
"It's a lovely day isn't it, hm, Hanako?" Shiguma asked, turning his face so that it met the final rays of the evening sunset, pouring through his tall glass windows. A beautiful butterfly with violet and orange wings fluttered past fleetingly as it was swept up by the wind.
"Yes, Shiguma-sama," Hinata replied, softly and absentmindedly.
Even as the noble's smooth voice continued to drone on in the background, talking about unimportant topics, Hinata pretended to be listening while in reality her thoughts had turned elsewhere; to her teammates.
It was no doubt that Kisame was already well into his operation of destroying the Taiyou Bridge. And Itachi…
"… You're a Hyuuga, aren't you?"
Hinata was abruptly pulled out of her stupor, and stopped alongside Shiguma, who was now stationary in front of a door which could only lead to his room; there was an inscription of his name written on it in gold print, the characters all handwritten in neat and tidy script.
"Yes. I imagine you were not expecting to be guarded by a Hyuuga and a member of the Akatsuki, Lord Shiguma?" Hinata asked, curiously.
"Hanako," Shiguma said slowly, leaning backwards so he could get a better view of her face. He produced a lilac rose from the flower vase resting on the tabletop behind him, and gently tucked it behind her right ear, sending shivers running down her spine in surprise at his unpredictable action.
"None of that matters. Just like your namesake, you are delicate and pretty. You would be well suited here with me, and my other geisha of course, in a welcoming place like this. Would you be open to discussing my terms, after you complete your mission?"
After a heartbeat he continued, clearly deliberating on whether or not to mention this.
"I could do with having another maiko in my residence, and one who could perpetually protect me in the event of any trouble in the unforeseeable future." He said hopefully. Then narrowing his eyes, he stated, "The Byakugan is a very valuable kekkei genkai."
Hinata sighed. Thankfully, he hadn't cared to question the motivation behind the heiress of the Hyuuga clan defecting from the Hidden Leaf village in order to serve the most notorious criminal organisation in existence. Maybe this was something that he, in his own greedy world, assumed went without saying—that blood ties should be betrayed in the pursuit of power and wealth—that was just a given.
Hinata carefully unfurled the rose from behind her ear and returned it to Lord Shiguma.
"With all due respect, Lord, I came here to fulfil my mission with my teammates, and nothing more. In three days' time, I will be gone. I will not return unless I am enlisted here again. I hope you can understand my position and accept my apologies at having to decline your kind offer." Hinata replied, in accordance with tatemae customs. She pretended to look regretful as well. In accordance with honne, a part of her felt relieved that she had said it.
"Sleep on it," Shiguma whispered, accepting the rose back, and as he retrieved it, crushing it in his palm, revealing his displeasure at the rejection.
He turned on his heel and disappeared behind his large door leading to his bedchambers, leaving Hinata to position herself directly in front of his door, her back to it and facing out onto the hallway, on the lookout for any signs of danger.
It was an interesting proposition that Lord Shiguma had offered her, and it had made her heart feel like it had been pulled in a way she had never experienced before and could not really explain.
But in reality, how could she truly be tempted to agree to a future of being a geisha for the rest of her life, in unfair competition with the other numerous maiko, vying for the heart of one simple nobleman, who engaged in illicit activities in the shadows, in hunger for the pursuit of power, supposedly, and willing to pay the Akatsuki to help him do his bidding?
No, that didn't seem like a reasonable outcome, and not one that Hinata would be willing to exchange even for her current situation.
How could she leave Itachi behind, or even Kisame, who now relied upon her as the third member of their three-man unit, once this mission was complete?
The only appealing thing about this deal was the sense of peace at being somewhere fairly hidden, where no one knew of her or her infamy, or cared to know. She could pass her years in relative secrecy.
But Danzo would find her here eventually. And what of the consequences behind her forbidden Koryoku jutsu? Would she really be able to navigate all these eventualities on her own?
And more importantly, would Pain honestly let go so easily of his newest and most sought-after asset, a wielder of the Byakugan, in his prized arsenal of lethal shinobi?
It felt like only a few minutes had passed, but in reality, four hours had elapsed.
Lost in her many troubling thoughts, Hinata hadn't noticed the rapid passage of time, which waited for no one, except those held in the underbelly of the bittersweet Tsukuyomi.
Nor had she realised when he materialised in front of her, almost like a dream, at the exact moment that she had been thinking about his unmatched visual prowess.
Itachi's dark hair was tied back in a ponytail that began at the nape of his neck and fell down neatly behind his back. A katana blade was strapped elegantly between his shoulder blades, reminiscent of his younger years as an Anbu Captain.
He was clad in a formal yukata, a traditional black and white gown for men, so as to blend into his new environment as a guest of this pretentious noble in his grand okiya.
Itachi's footsteps were as silent as a panther's, his lean form toned through years of training and combat. His prodigy and genius were unmatched.
"Hinata," He greeted monotonously.
"Uchiha-san," Hinata responded, recovering from her shock at his sudden, and unannounced, appearance.
She assumed Itachi must've used his Sharingan in order to evade detection by her Byakugan. His illusions had such remarkable potency that they were easily able to affect anyone he targeted, even at long-range.
Hinata decided not to question it. Perhaps he didn't want her to know where he was at any given moment (unless it was his express will), in case she became compromised somehow, and her captors wanted to pinpoint his location. His element of surprise would make freeing her that much easier.
"Our perimeter is secure. I have taken care of Lord Shiguma's foes, who were on their way to this okiya and the Taiyou Bridge a few hours ago, which Kisame is destroying right as we speak. They are the victims of Tsukuyomi."
There was no chance of them waking up anytime soon, and even if they were fortunate enough to wake up by some stroke of luck, they would most likely not be battle ready for a long time.
"May I borrow a few moments of your time?" Itachi asked, out of the blue.
Confusion filled the heiress' opalescent gaze. Hinata quickly nodded her assent, but some hesitation surrounding her Captain's strange request remained, which she vocalised.
"With all due respect, Itachi-san, I must guard our client at all times. Wouldn't me leaving him behind be a violation of our assignment?"
"I can see that you have been rather diligent in keeping guard of him. The risk level is now close to zero. Your concern about not letting Pain down is reassuring," Itachi began, a knowing look surfacing on his beautiful features.
"I will take care of that," He continued, and in a blur of hand seals, and a poof of smoke later, a Shadow Clone materialised in the spitting image of Hinata, with Sharingan eyes, no less.
The loud snores issuing from Lord Shiguma's bedchambers didn't lull for one moment, the noble's deep sleep undisturbed by the activities of the two shinobi directly outside his grand door, unbeknownst to him.
"My clone will act as your stand-in, whilst we go to a private place I know of."
It was now twilight, and the moon hung high in the night sky, casting their surroundings in an ethereal glow. The open-plan design of the corridors and floor to ceiling windows meant that they could clearly see everything outside, including the pristine koi fish garden, with low bridges, the wooden engawa veranda and the winding, playful paths that little children would likely enjoy running across in the spring, if children ever visited here.
They stealthily made their way through the narrow corridors of the okiya, in which it was clear that all the maiko had now retired for the night, as not a soul was in sight. Thankfully, Hinata's feet were solely clad in two-toed tabi socks, rather than the tall wooden sandals commonly used by geisha apprentices.
Soon they reached a room on the top floor, which was relatively large and resembled that of a training room for civilians.
The smooth wooden floor tiles didn't make so much as a squeak, as they both slid inside, Hinata first, followed by Itachi.
The Uchiha heir's crimson gaze glowed in the dim moonlight, whilst Hinata also had her Byakugan activated, the veins of her bloodline limit protruding against her temples.
"…"
None of them spoke, just temporarily enjoying the still silence. An owl hooted from the trees outside, quite a distance away, however their trained shinobi ears could detect the sounds of wildlife up to half a mile away.
"I brought you here so that we could train," Itachi stated calmly.
Train?
"This is a secure and private place. We'll stick to taijutsu for now, as this is the quietest form of combat we can practice."
"Yes, Captain," Hinata responded. "Would I be foolish to assume that this training relates to our mission, seeing as it is going smoothly so far?"
"That is correct," Itachi said, smirking at her quick-thinking. "It is rather because of Danzo."
Hinata's heart skipped a beat at the mention of that all-too familiar name, but she allowed none of the surprise to show itself on her countenance.
"I agree. We should be ready for a surprise ambush from him at any moment," Hinata started, lowering her gaze. "Seeing as you removed his stolen eye, and that he now knows I betrayed him in favour of joining the Akatsuki's ranks. But why now? Do you have any new intel that he will strike soon?"
"Nothing," Itachi stated slowly, crossing his arms, toned muscles hidden behind the sleeves of his attire. "There has been no change. Which is why I am concerned. Usually, it is when one least expects it, that you can assume the enemy will strike. I can't shake off that feeling." Itachi stated.
And he would know this, given how suddenly and unannounced the Uchiha massacre had occurred.
Hinata's brow furrowed, disturbed. "What of Kisame? Does he know about all of this?"
Itachi shook his head.
"And I don't plan on telling him. But, no doubt, if Danzo were to strike, Kisame will fight with us, if he happens to be around. The Hoshigaki is not one to back down from a fight, and the first rule of the Akatsuki Code of Conduct is to protect your partner, or partners, in our case..."
"Ah," Hinata said, relaxing slightly, knowing they would not be alone. This was a small reassurance.
"… Unless your partner betrays the organisation, in which case it is your sacred duty to hunt them down and end them. Even if you have fought side-by-side with each other for your entire career."
The brutality of that final statement chilled her to the bone. The Akatsuki and Root foundation were not dissimilar in that aspect, although, the Akatsuki had a way of being more ominous in its ruthless practises.
Placing his katana against one of the walls, Itachi straightened and got into a 'Ready' stance, his right foot placed forwards and knee slightly bent, right fist outstretched, and left fist back, also clenched.
Hinata did not know what it was, but it felt like a burst of excitement had started coursing through her veins, and was picking up speed, as she beheld Itachi preparing himself for their spar.
They hadn't fought each other since Danzo had sent her to take him down by means of Koryoku.
Now that she had spent some time under his tutelage, training almost like his protégé, to become a fully-fledged member of the Akatsuki, she really hoped he would notice an improvement in her fighting capabilities, compared to when they fought each other for the first time, over six months ago.
The Art of the unique Hyuuga clan fluid fighting style came back naturally to her. Her body easily flowed into the 'Ready' stance, left palm outstretched, both knees bent slightly and other arm held back in a fist.
Itachi moved first, propelling himself forwards and aiming a carefully contracted knee, which he released in a roundhouse kick aimed at her side.
Hinata easily dodged it, and countered with a jab aimed at his chest.
Itachi saw through—or likely predicted—her counter, and moved backwards, putting distance between them, making himself outside the range of her deadly fists.
"Good," He stated, before pushing off from the ground and charging at her once again.
This time, they met strike for strike, Hinata's palms and body moving as rapidly and fluidly as a tide.
Their arms and fists, a blur of movement, seeking to land a strike but being blocked by the other, did not give either of them the upper hand.
Whether Itachi was holding back, or Hinata had truly improved, it was hard to tell, especially in a spar that did not involve charka.
"Breathe," Itachi stated, moving back abruptly and putting some distance between them.
"Ah," Hinata said, exhaling as instructed, and wondering how she hadn't noticed she wasn't breathing.
The corners of the Uchiha heir's lips rose in a smile.
"It is very important that you remember to breathe. Your strikes will be more powerful that way. Granted, if you had been using any chakra this whole time, I likely would have all my chakra points blocked." He chuckled.
Hinata's translucent eyes lit up at his praise, before shrugging.
"We all know the battle would've been over the moment it started, if you were allowed to use your Mangekyou Sharingan."
Itachi's left eyebrow raised slowly, and Hinata's gaze locked with his unabashedly, even after what she just stated. She trusted he would not use genjutsu on her now.
Small beads of sweat were glistening along his exposed collarbone, from the folds of his traditional cloths.
Sweat had also beaded up on Hinata's brow. She was dressed in her neutral-coloured kimono, dark blue with white dragon patterns, and slits along either thigh to ensure ease of movement, thankfully.
At least Lord Shiguma had not put appearance over practicality, when it came to his bodyguards.
Itachi moved closer, as though pulled by an unseen force, and swallowing up the small distance that had been between them, he rested his palm gently against her neck, a favourite spot of his to caress, drinking in the sight of her neck leaning into his hand comfortably.
"Are you comfortable?" He asked her, wanting her express consent to touch her this time.
"Yes," Hinata whispered, shyly meeting his onyx gaze, which carefully observed every contour of her face, as best as he could in the shadows of the room, the dim moonlight their only source of illumination. With her express consent, he allowed his thumb to gently graze the front part of her collarbone, which he stroked tenderly.
"Hyuuga, I can't stop thinking about you," He admitted slowly, his usually monotonous tone oddly tainted with desire. Not a lustful desire, certainly not the desire to possess her… but rather, a nobler desire…
"I want to protect you."
Hinata exhaled sharply, surprised at Itachi's sudden forwardness, but admittedly, she felt exactly the same way about him, for some reason.
Hinata carefully placed her palm against his chest, covering his heart, and allowed her cheek to rest against his collarbone, breaking their eye contact.
"I cannot stop thinking about you either, Itachi-san. And I can't help but feel like there is something you aren't telling me… about your past, about… your clan's massacre."
She felt his heart skip a beat momentarily; the change was imperceptible, but with her palm pressed against his heart, and his breath just against her ear, it was no challenge at all for her to notice.
Pity filled Hinata's opalescent eyes, and she lifted up her head to meet his steady chrome gaze once again.
Without thinking about what she was doing, her fingers trailed along the tear-trough on his left cheek.
Hinata leaned forwards, and boldly and carefully pressed her lips against his heart, the material of his yukata a safe barrier between her mouth and his skin.
"I want to heal you, Itachi." She spoke softly, her pure desire permeating the air around them, after the bold action of kissing him.
It was a strong force, indeed, this emotion that was emanating between the two. What was it called?
For the first time in his life, Itachi felt speechless.
All his carefully maintained defences were down, utterly flattened, for her, no—because of her.
Itachi saw no reason to keep the truth away from her any longer. Sooner or later, she would find out.
Their paths were intricately linked, at least for now, and hopefully, into the foreseeable future too.
"If you want to know the truth about me, my Hinata, I shall not prevent you from attaining to it any longer." He stated.
He carefully retuned that earlier shy kiss of hers to his heart, by capturing her lips with his, smoothly and delicately, savouring the tender moment, for they knew not how long this tranquillity would last.
Yes, he desired to protect her. His one true desire.
He had destroyed his clan, and his brother, in favour of protecting the Leaf village.
It was now time to build a new future, where not just the privileged would be kept safe, but everyone, including his precious treasure.
Hyuuga Hinata.
They finally broke apart, their lips tingling from the sensation.
Translucent eyes met chrome black.
It was now time for her to hear the truth.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
A/N: What are your thoughts?!
Ahh, I really am still in shock that it's been six months since my last update… I am so excited know if you guys are still reading this…! ^^
And yes, some long awaited romance between Hinata and Itachi… they kissed! *hides* 3
A special thanks goes to: fanofthisfiction, I-Love-Trunks1, christinamoondust, Itachi's Queen, Vanadya, AliasTesin, Kiats10, sanity-straw and KagomeMarie for your thoughtful reviews to the previous chapter, I really appreciate it, and I hope you enjoyed this update!
I love you all and wish you a beautiful day! :D
Best wishes,
Sunrise109