Chapter 12
A pouch of golden sand gently moved to the rocking of a breeze in front of Kakashi's door.
"Perfect!" Yani said, seeing if the pouch was aesthetically pleasing. It was. She skittered across the lake, almost as if she were a skipping stone, and bounded to her own meadow, singing a nonsense song. "Oh, Starfish!" she sang. "What are you doing on the ground? Shouldn't you be deep in the turquoise sea?" She was usually happy on the days she knew Itachi was going to visit. He told her stories, true to his promise, every time he saw her. "Swirling with the fishes on the sand." He kept the nightmares away. "Oh, Starfish! You should not be here, dying in my hand. "She heard a familiar whistle. "Itachi!" She tackled him, but her slight weight only shook his lean frame and did nothing to knock him to the ground, which was her purpose.
Usually, he responded with a comment on her height and her lack of ability to knock him over. Today, he said nothing. Even though a twinge of uneasiness shook her, she pretended not to notice and pulled him over to a gigantic tree growing on the outskirts of the clearing.
"So you know how you said I could never make a tree out of the apple seed you gave me?" She gestured triumphantly in the direction of the massive branches reaching towards the sky. "Well, hah!" Rifling through his pockets, she continued to talk. "I did grow it, so I win! I hope you brought the chocolate you bet me." When Itachi did not answer, she looked up. "Itachi? What's wrong?" The emotions that flickered across his face – sadness, desperation, pity, and… something else – made Yani take a step back, coming in contact with the rough bark of the tree. The quiet ninja reached into his pocket and pulled out a container.
The words tumbled out before she could stop them.
"Please don't rape me!" At this, sadness and that 'something else' emotion grew on Itachi's face. He brushed away the tears of fear that were trailing down her face. And with the same gentle motion he took out the chocolate from the container and held it to her lips.
"Ahhh…" he finally said and Yani compied him, opening her mouth. Even when she felt the chocolate laced with a chemical, she did not stop chewing. "Don't worry," he said, wiping more tears that slid from her pink, frightened eyes, "it's a truth drug. It'll wear off in a few minutes. I just needed to know something. "He waited until she finished the chocolate. "Yani, have you fallen in love with me?" When she didn't answer, he pulled her body against his and tilted up her head so that their mouths were centimeters from each other. "Yani." His voice because quiet, almost a murmur. "Have you fallen in love with me?"
Slowly, she nodded. After a few seconds, Itachi pulled her into a gentle hug.
"I see," he stated simply, holding her quaking frame to him. He ran one hand through her hair until she gradually stopped shaking.
The whisper was soft and sweet, directed to the top of her head.
"Please don't love me anymore."
And with that, Itachi Uchiha disappeared.