To Never Love Again
Written by Brown Eyed Girl17
Beta'd and typed by Love the Omni
We disclaim Naruto. D:
Thanks for reading once again. I'm slowly getting all the chapters typed. You people need to review. D:
A bit of Sasori/Deidara in this chapter. Cause I begged for it. ;O But there's really nothing that young minds can't read.
Chapter One: Going Back
To say he was depressed was an understatement. Slowly the rest of the Akatsuki watched Uchiha Itachi's life fall apart since the moment Aburame Zai was struck down by him and his younger brother Sasuke. Itachi lost the one person he'd ever fallen in love with. Since then Itachi had become colder and more distant to the rest of the world, including the other Akatsuki members. When Deidara voiced his concerns about Itachi to Kisame the fish brushed him off. So now he was forced to complain to his lover about it all.
"I say we drag her back here kicking and screaming... yeah," Deidara growled spitefully.
"Deidara-kun." Sasori began fiddling with one of his puppets. "Don't worry. If what you told me is true then she'll come to him in her own time," Sasori absently commented.
"But Sasori no Danna! They're stubborn... yeah," Deidara insisted.
"I don't want to talk about them." Sasori said in a deep voice. "Right now I want you," Sasori told his partner. The blonde smirked and pressed his lips against the puppets. Sasori's hand pulled Deidara closer and deepened the kiss by shoving his tongue into the shinobi's mouth.
Sasori took the time for his tongue to explore every crevice of Deidara's mouth, stroking his teeth and gums, burying his tongue into Deidara's own. Deidara teased the puppet shinobi in return, pulling his mouth and tongue away until they were barely pressed against his. He began tracing light circles around his flesh and Sasori became frustrated with him. Sasori pushed Deidara against the wall and pushed his mouth firmly against the blonde's.
Finally they parted for air but Deidara was already grinning like a fool. He absolutely loved Sasori's possessiveness towards him. Things proceeded to heat up until they went to their bedroom to do things.
Meanwhile, a certain Uchiha genius sulked in his room, moping about the noticeable absence of Hitomi and it only got worse with each passing second. When December 22nd came and went he became even more unhappy. December 22nd was the day Uchiha Hitomi turned eighteen and it barely registered in his mind that he was now thirty-eight and closing in on forty. Itachi figured he was ready to commit to Hitomi in any way possible but, from the rumors, Hitomi left Konoha and wasn't coming back. Or so he thought...
* * * * *
Konoha
Uzumaki Ryuho stared in disbelief at his wife. Rekki was eight months pregnant with their first child and, here she was, still working! Oh, Ryuho was furious.
"Ryu-kun, I'm going insane! Plus Sakura-san said mild exercises was fine," Rekki repeated for the thousandth time. Ryuho really needed to relax a bit. After all, she thought warily, she was the one carrying an Uzumaki-Hyuga-Ishizaki kid. Not a simple task.
Ryuho may have just been worried but Rekki was slightly irritated that she was a freakin' balloon! Of course, she wanted to have the baby but she overlooked the whole nine months of pregnancy thing. She was tickled pink because she was carrying Ryuho's and her baby: a child with Ishizaki and Hyuga blood flowing through its tiny body.
A knock at the door startled the thoughtful couple. Rekki moved to answer but Ryuho practically leaped to the door so she wouldn't. Ryuho groaned when he saw Uchiha Inabi. The eight year old was hell-bent to be better than Hitomi, which bothered Ryuho and Rekki as if history were repeating itself.
"Yeah Inabi?" Ryuho asked, opening the door.
"The Rokudaime wants to see both of you," Inabi spat. Ryuho nodded and sent Inabi away. Inabi had been with Ryuho's baby sister Minako who was seven years old. Thus why the Rokudaime sent Inabi: pure convenience.
Ryuho and Rekki set off to the Hokage Tower at a slow pace. Ryuho was extra careful with Rekki as a precaution to protect his baby and wife.
When they reached the Rokudaime's office Inabi and Minako were playing a game on the floor that seemed to have been going on for a while.
"We're here, father," Ryuho announced. Naruto looked up at his son and daughter-in-law and smiled in greeting.
"Onii-san!" Mikoto cried, happily running to Ryuho. "I miss you!" Minako told her older brother.
"Minako," he chuckled, picking her up.
"Minako, Inabi, can I have a moment alone with Ryuho and Rekki?" Naruto requested. The two youngsters fled into the hallway, Minako giving Rekki a hug on the way out.
"I missed you too, Rekki," Minako told her. When they were gone Naruto began.
"Uchiha Hitomi returned to Konoha last night. A boy whom she met named Kachiku Haru followed her," Naruto told the two. Ryuho's jaw dropped. Hitomi came home. She was just in time too.
"Hitomi's here!" Rekki was happy. A friend. She finally got her friend back and, better yet, her returned friend was wonderfully female. Ryuho chuckled, guessing his wife's thoughts.
"Where is she?" Ryuho asked.
"We put her in the prison with her new friend. We were waiting for one of you two to perhaps sponsor her until she's off probation," Naruto informed them with a hint of pleading in his voice.
"Of course we will!" Rekki was ecstatic with the thought of having another girl to talk to, one she could Ryuho-bash with.
"Alright. I've sent Neji to go ahead and bring her here." Naruto got up and opened a door to reveal Uchiha Hitomi with Neji standing behind her.
"Hi Ryuho," she waved. "Hey Rekki. Oh damn, you look fairly pregnant," she teased. Neji sighed. Even in cuffs and chains the Uchiha had time to joke.
"So how was your 'little vacation'?" Ryuho asked.
"Eh, I worked at a coffee shop in Tokyo and went to Kuran Academy: nothing too extraordinary," Hitomi said. "Can I get these chains off? Please and thank you," Hitomi asked the Hokage nicely.
"I can't do that, Hitomi. You're considered a traitor to this village," Naruto answered.
"Really?" Hitomi pondered in confusion. "I left the village and everyone knew where I was - in Tokyo going to school. I had a job to pay for it all as well. So how am I a traitor?" Hitomi smirked. Some things never change.
"Please don't do this, Hitomi. You're on probation. The moment you screw up: you're out and back to prison for you. Ryuho and Rekki have agreed to be your sponsors and babysit you," Naruto told the kunoichi.
"Okay but let Haru out of jail. He has no part in this. He's just my co-worker," she informed them. "Anyways, I willingly left Tokyo to see you and you have to be all serious." She sighed for dramatic effect. "Such a pity."
Neji had to stave off his laughter, keeping his face indifferent.
"Alright, drop the chains," Naruto sighed. Hitomi wiggled a bit and the chains and cuffs pooled to the floor.
"Never have someone's sensei chain them. He did, after all, teach me how to do my escape acts," Hitomi said, smirking the Uchiha know-it-all smirk. Ryuho outright laughed.
"Good to have you home Hitomi." Ryuho hugged his former teammate.
"Off," Hitomi ordered. "I am anti human contact," she announced, thinking of Itachi. If he were here, would she forgive him? She didn't know the answer herself.
Ryuho backed away from her, giving her space. Hitomi had changed. She was older, a bit more mature, and she seemed distant: a soon-to-be Itachi attitude. It was slightly uncomfortable to realize she wasn't the insane Hitomi she was before. She was now strictly emo.
* * * * *
Akatsuki
Itachi was sharpening a kunai when word reached his ear. Uchiha Hitomi had returned to Konoha but with a new friend of hers in tow.
A male friend.
Itachi didn't want to admit it but he was jealous of the bastard. In his mind, only he should be with Hitomi. Her ring had remained on his left ring finger like a wedding band.
"Itachi, are you going after her... yeah?" Deidara asked.
"I don't know yet. I want to know more about this Haru guy," Itachi announced. "Sasori, I leave it to you." Sasori, Kisame, Deidara and Itachi were all in Itachi's office to talk to him about his plan of action.
"I understand, Itachi-san," Sasori said. He left the room, dragging Deidara with him to get some "quality time" in with him before his mission. During spying missions Sasori was usually sent alone.
"What will you do after that?" Kisame wondered.
"Depends. I'll either kill him and take back Hitomi or just take her," Itachi answered coldly.
"Let's hope you don't have to kill him. She hates you enough as it is," Kisame reminded him. Itachi winced at the harsh reminder of that incident.
"Enough about that," Itachi snapped. "I wish to forget that ever happened. I want to go back to before when she wasn't fighting to hate me," Itachi admitted.
"How do you know these are her feelings?" Kisame inquired.
"Because that's how I feel too," Itachi murmured. "I love her. I want to wake up with her beside me, to have her stand by my side forever." Kisame was shocked. Itachi rarely told anyone about his feelings even before the kunoichi came to the Akatsuki. It was a major breakthrough.
"Itachi, aren't you rushing things? It's been eighteen months since you've seen her!" Kisame protested. Itachi threw the shark a glare.
"No. I know I can't ever be the same in her eyes but I'll be damned if I don't try." Kisame sighed. Itachi had lost all ability to reason. Love had intoxicated the Uchiha. Kisame shook his head.
"We'll get to work," Kisame said as he left.
* * * * *
Konoha
Hitomi had to admit: being home was a good thing. Her family had changed a bit. Fugaku was a year old now and his cute pink hair stuck out amongst the Uchiha kids, excluding the pink-headed Mikoto and Ayame.
Ayame and Inabi were eight and weren't as inseparable as before but still close. Ayame was training her hardest to be a great kunoichi while Inabi simply excelled as Hitomi did.
Mikoto finally made jounin and was happy to stay as one. "Mi-chan" had no intention of trying for ANBU.
Obito, being Obito the ANBU Captain, had stayed the same. Although his hair had grown long enough for his bangs to hang in front of his eyes all the time.
Her parents, more surprisingly, were trying to work things out. Though they still didn't love one another they were trying to do what Obito called "respecting each other". Hitomi had to laugh.
The Uzumakis hadn't changed other than Rekki's pregnancy. Ryuho was still an idiot like Naruto and Hinata was... well... still pissy old Hinata.
What broke her heart was Aburame Kyo and Inuzuka Sara who were still mourning their brother Zai. Shino never said a word to her, didn't even cast her a glance. She supposed she deserved it. If she hadn't have fallen in love with Itachi Zai would still be here and Haru would stop annoying Mikoto so much.
"Come on, Mikoto. One date!" Haru begged. The pink-haired kunoichi refused, her sharingan activating.
"No, thank you, Haru-san," Mikoto snapped.
"Mi-chan," Hitomi called. "Come on, you have to take me to the Hokage!" Hitomi whined. Mikoto looked at her younger sister.
"Ask Obito to." Hitomi dreaded the thought of asking her older brother. He was scary!
"Mi-chan," she groaned. "Come onnn," she pleaded like a child. Mikoto caved and took Hitomi and Haru, who tagged along, to the Hokage at Ichiraku Ramen.
Naruto was with Sasuke, Kakashi and Neji. Fore a flash Hitomi had a scary thought that the three additions to the meeting were there to kill her for the Hokage.
"Um, Hokage-sama? Da, Kakashi-sempai, Neji-sensei, what's going on?" Hitomi asked.
"It's been a week since you've come home and we had Kakashi go to Kuran Academy and the Rave Coffee Shop and Book Store. They said you were a great student and employee. So we've decided to let you off probation. Welcome home," the Rokudaime announced. The words of freedom rang in her ears. Hitomi was beyond happy.
"Now to Haru," Sasuke said darkly. "You can apply for citizenship here or go home."
Haru thought about it for a moment before answering, "I'll apply for citizenship if you don't mind." Sasuke had quite an unhappy look on his dark face. Sasuke didn't like Haru staying in his house, flirting with his daughters and every other woman in Konoha. He was worse than Jiraiya when it came to women.
"Alright, Haru. Go to the Hokage Tower and Shizune will get the paperwork for you," Naruto told the boy. Haru nodded enthusiastically. With that Hitomi, by herself, took Haru to the Hokage's tower to get his paperwork to fill out.
Neither noticed the shadow that followed them. Sasori's puppet followed them through the town. Watching, waiting for any indication that Haru and Hitomi's relationship was more than friendly. He watched their every move. Haru seemed to be flirting while Hitomi ignored him. Sasori made note of this.
They reached the tower and Sasori disappeared. Too many ANBU hung around there.
Hitomi led Haru to Shizune in the fire room. "Shizune-san, Haru would like to apply for citizenship," Hitomi told her. Shizune gathered the necessary papers and handed them over to Hitomi.
"Here you go," Shizune smiled. Hitomi and Haru sat down and began to fill out the paperwork.
"Name?" Hitomi asked.
"Kachiku Haru," he answered.
"Age?"
"Twenty-three."
"Sex?"
"Yes please!"
"Haru, you ass!" Hitomi yelled as she smacked him.
"Alright, I'll be good," Haru assured her. "I'm all male baby," he continued to whisper in her ear, "and I'm all yours." Hitomi violently shoved him away, making him tumble backwards out of his chair.
"Moving on. Previous jobs?"
"Ah, Rave."
"That it?" she asked. Haru nodded. She wrote out 'Rave Coffee Shop and Book Store'.
"Schools?"
"A public school for elementary, middle and high school. Now I'm at Tokyo U."
"Reasons why you've moved here?"
"My soon-to-be girlfriend lives here," he told her.
"Haru, don't," Hitomi sighed.
"Hitomi, why won't you at least try to be with me?" He waved his arms about wildly.
"You look too much like him!" she cried, tears leaking out of her onyx eyes. Haru froze. Hitomi had never cried before. It simply wasn't in her character to cry. "I'm sorry." Hitomi got up and left the room to cry in private. Haru felt like an ass: he made Hitomi cry. He finished filling out the paperwork alone, giving Hitomi time to calm down.
Hitomi walked out of the tower sobbing. Her heart felt so broken beyond repair. She missed Zai more than anything. Zai was her best friend and teammate and Hitomi would never get over it. She didn't blame her father or Itachi anymore. She blamed herself.
Itachi came for her while her father was exacting his revenge but none-the-less it was her fault. Hitomi wished that she'd never made that promise to Itachi, that she left things at that one last goodbye kiss.
Mourning Zai was hard for her. She never wanted to get over it or move on. Hitomi was stuck in the past, somewhere between graduating at the academy and Zai's death.
People were giving her sympathetic looks and spiteful glares. Hitomi ignored them. Right now she wanted to go into the training grounds and sob uncontrollably. She never would have thought someone was planning a kidnapping.
Walking as deep into the forest as she felt comfortable, she dropped to her knees and let out the tears she'd tried not to cry for over a year. Her wails of pain were stopped by a twig snapping. She hiccuped and looked around her, wiping her red, puffy eyes.
She activated her Sharingan rapidly. Her eyes began to burn, the feeling intensifying the longer she used her kekkai genkai. She shut it off, her vision blurry. She could make out some shapes and colors but that was about it. Was this the result of ignoring her shinobi abilities? A flash of red came into her field of vision.
"Rekki?" she hesitantly asked. It couldn't be Rekki. She was knocked up and about ready to pop anytime by the looks of things. Ryuho would never let her come out this far. So who was this?
"I'm not the Ishizaki. Guess again," said the red-topped blob. Hitomi didn't recognize the voice and her ears were buzzing. She did the only thing she could think of: she ran. She ran through the woods back towards Konoha. She could sense the unfamiliar chakra chasing after her.
'Please, somebody help me!' she silently begged. She was at the edge of the forest when the unknown chakra source grabbed her. She screamed as loud as she could, trying to obtain the attention of anyone who would help her.
He put his hand over her mouth. "Silence, kunoichi," he growled into her ear. Tears fell from her eyes anew as she panicked.
"Hey, let go of her!" the voice of the Rokudaime ordered.
"Marto-aa, melp!" was her muffled cry.
"Hang on, we'll save you," was the strong voice of her father.
"Meft mof!" she tried to tell her captor.
"I would fight you, Sasuke-san but Itachi-san wants this little kunoichi at the Akatsuki as soon as possible," the voice answered.
Hitomi went rigid in his arms. 'No!' she thought. At the mention of Itachi her body wanted to go, her heart wanted to go but her mind tried to gain control of the other two to try to stay put.
"That bastard can't have her!" Sasuke spat.
"Aww, Sasori, Itachi-san's going to be disappointed... yeah," a new voice drawled.
"Un!" Hitomi gasped, her sobs coming out as grunts. That was Deidara and Sasori! They were Akatsuki!
"Deidara-kun, I thought I told you to stay," Sasori growled.
"Come on, Danna. Let's just take her back... yeah," Deidara suggested. She felt her captor, Sasori, throw her into a familiar pair of arms.
"Deidara-san?" she asked, hoping that this wasn't the blonde criminal.
"Yes, kunoichi... yeah," Deidara answered, whispering in her ear. She froze. 'No!' She wanted to stay.
"Deidara-kun, take the kunoichi. I'll get rid of them," she heard the red blob say.
"No! Da, I-I can't see!" she told him. Sasuke panicked. The Mangekyo Sharingan never gave her any trouble before.
"Let her go!" Sasuke ordered, pulling out a kunai and throwing it at Deidara.
"As I've said, Uchiha-san," Sasori teased. "Itachi-san wants Hitomi so you'll have to deal.
"That damn pedophile isn't coming anywhere near her!" Sasuke attacked. Sasori dodged and sent his puppet to attack Sasuke and Naruto.
"Kage Shuriken no Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted, throwing the oversized shuriken at the puppeteer.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu——Art of the Doppelganger!" Naruto cried as another orange-clad Hokage appeared behind the real one. It started spinning chakra in his palm. "Rasengan!" Naruto ran foreword and made splinters of Sasori's puppet.
"Chidori!" Sasuke called, heading for Sasori himself. "Die!" Sasori chuckled and moved to stand in front of Hitomi, a kunai to her throat.
"I suggest you stop or she dies," Sasori threatened. He pressed the kunai against her flesh harder and a thin line of blood appeared.
"Stop!" Sasuke said. He may not have been a great father or husband but he did love his children unconditionally.
"Smart move. I don't want you to come after her at all or we'll kill her... yeah," Deidara threatened. Sasuke bowed his head in defeat. In a way, Itachi was right. Bonds made you weak. Naruto continued to glare at the two Akatsuki members.
"Don't worry, Hitomi. We'll save you," Sasuke told his daughter. He never knew if she heard him or not because then the Akatsuki took off with his half-blinded daughter.