What Once Was

Sorry about this stupid delay. I was intending to write three endings as I like to do but there was no conflict at all in the other two. Let's just say happy endings shouldn't exist.

Disclaimer: I own nothing Naruto related.

Ryusuki slept practically the entire way to the Akatsuki hideout. Which made Kisame feel much better about taking her. Still, as Itachi knew, he wasn't going to let it go easily. Itachi gazed down at the woman asleep in his arms. He was getting her into something bigger than she deserved to be in. She was a criminal now though. Because she was with him, she was a criminal. What had he done? He couldn't have just stayed away from her? He sighed. He knew he couldn't. After all, they had been friends for so long before and now, well now…He didn't know what they were. They were lovers, he knew that much. For someone who was cherished for his knowledge originally, he sure as hell couldn't figure out what he meant to his beloved Ryusuki. As much as he was a killer, he was fairly confident he was in love with this woman. Against all odds and codes he had chosen to follow. Kisame, he knew, could tell. From the hateful glances at the purple haired beauty. It wasn't any kind of jealousy or something like that. It was just pure rage because, unless Itachi was reading him wrong, Kisame believed Ryusuki was pulling Itachi away. Would he truly give up everything for this woman? He truly believed he would now that he thought about it.

It took a long time but finally, Kisame realized they weren't going to make it back tonight and allowed Itachi to rest. It wasn't that Ryusuki was heavy. Mainly that it took a lot of strength out of him, considering he was being tortured just a short while ago. He frowned. That was just a bad memory now and, with Ryusuki, he was sure to make a lot of new ones. He just hoped that the Akatsuki would allow her in. He knew she was stronger than, probably, all of them and she was a criminal now. Why not? He just didn't want to leave the family he had come to know. They were his brothers and blood couldn't make them closer. But Ryusuki was important to him. He laid with Ryusuki, watching her sleep for a time as he thought of what was going to happen. She was a big part of his life now and, for sure, she would stay that way. How much she wanted to be in the Akatsuki, he didn't know but the hope was that she would become a member willingly as to make it easier for them to be together.

It was almost dawn and Ryusuki was watching out for enemies. Namely, her old comrades. This was a horrible situation because while she loved Itachi, they would probably send the people she was closest to after her. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her friends. But she knew she would in order to protect Itachi. It was her fault that he was tortured, her fault that he was hurt, and it was her fault that they were probably being pursued. She sighed, knowing in her gut something bad was going to happen very soon.

Ryusuki caught the katana between her hands, twisting the blade sharply, bending it. She swung a fist, connecting it with an ANBU's face. She jumped around, on both the offensive and defensive. How had so many found them? Where did they all come from? After all, she should have been able to detect their presence a long time ago. Just then, a familiar flash of silver hair leapt in front of her, causing her to block his kunai with her kunai. "Why would you do this to me? I thought we were in love?" he asked sharply, causing her to look away for a brief moment. "You and I were only fooling ourselves." She retorted, frowning at him. Kakashi was a good man and it hurt her to know that she'd have to seriously hurt him in order to save him from harm. It was either kill him or render him unconscious but, until the Konoha ninjas got what they wanted, they weren't going to stop and Kakashi was going to die either way in that case.

Ryusuki sighed, growing tired. She was running out of energy and chakra fast. And she hadn't even started using her Kekkei Genkai yet. But even if she tried, she would be out of luck. It took way too much chakra to control properly. Ryusuki swung her body, connecting her elbow to Kakashi's head and then moving to get closer to Itachi. She glanced behind her, seeing that both Kisame and Itachi had been injured. For her sake. It was all her fault. She was about to turn away when she saw it. A shadow. She closed her eyes and chanted with her mudras. A large black swirling mirror appeared and swallowed her up. She was too weak to use her strongest technique of her bloodline. She stumbled out of the mirror, the blade slicing through her torso where it would have gone through Itachi's back.

Itachi turned as he heard Ryusuki scream in agony. Instead of seeing her, he saw a large black mirror blocking his view. It was Ryusuki's bloodline trait. One of them at least. He heard the thud of a body lower and the Shadow Mirror seemed to disintegrate. As it disappeared, the limp body of Ryusuki was visible on the ground, blood beginning to pool at her midsection, her eyes were closed. Itachi froze in shock and fell to his knees at her feet. Everyone seemed to stop fighting at that moment, even Kisame. His breath became very labored as he moved closer to her. He lifted her off the ground, holding her head close to him as he felt the unfamiliar creeping of tears come to his eyes.

"Please. Please don't do this to me. I'm begging you. Don't leave me alone." he held her head desperately, cradling his love to him. He slowly felt the warmth of the blood seep into his pant legs, his sobs becoming more and more frantic. He clenched his hands a bit in Ryusuki's hair and gritted his teeth together, looking down at the wound. There was so much blood and he couldn't do a thing to stop it. Itachi inhaled with a shudder, finding his breath short as he pulled back to look at her pale face. There were drops of blood all over her cheeks and in her hair. He sniffled quietly and pressed his forehead to Ryusuki's. "Please. Why would you do this?" he begged desperately, not yet ready to accept that she was dead. He began muttering incoherent phrases that would make sense to only him and her, begging for her to come back to him.

Itachi felt all but one of the presences leave, leaving only him and Kisame. He just sat for a few more minutes, letting all of the pain out, here and now. Finally, he set her head down and stood, withdrawing into his Akatsuki coat as he bowed his head, his eyes hidden from sight. Kisame watched as he passed him and then looked at the dead girl. He was sure Itachi would want to bury her. Was he just going to leave her like that? He was answered as the black mirror reappeared and covered her and then disappeared. Such was the fate of a Sukai.

Itachi stayed away from Kisame as they made their way back. She was dead and she wasn't coming back. He could cope, trying to believe that she was still with him. Only, he couldn't feel her anymore. Questions plagued his mind, hurling him into a mindset of unrest. He wondered if she knew what was going to happen in the end. After all, the ninja from Konoha had left after she died even though he and Kisame were S-Class renegade ninjas. She must have known that to sacrifice herself would save him. He brooded beneath his cloak, trying to put this behind him. "Even if you are dead, you gave me everything I have ever wanted in ten minutes." He muttered to himself, thinking of her. He remembered the story of how her parents died. It seemed as though to meet a tragic and bloody end was in the Sukai's bloodline just as much as the Kekkei Genkai was. He sighed and frowned because he didn't want that for her. He took comfort knowing they would have been married if she had lived. She loved him. His beloved one and only. But now that was gone. What once was, was now lost.

Stay tuned! The next Ryusuki tale shall be coming soon! Catch up with her in Remnants of the Past! For you Kakashi lover, you won't be disappointed! Plus, it's longer!

'Til then! - Ichigatsu