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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters, just those of my own design.
Chapter 13
The kunoichi's golden eyes opened after a long slumber. She recalled that they had arrived at the hotel they were currently holed up in before ten o'clock where she promptly fell asleep; this led to her surprise as she discovered, thanks to a small clock on the bedside table that it was four in the afternoon.
The second surprise of her, now, evening was that she had to look across the body of a certain Uchiha to see the clock. Turning her head, her eyes met the charcoal orbs of Itachi's. He smiled softly down at her and stroked her hair slowly.
"Hello," she whispered softly.
Itachi chuckled a bit, "Hi."
She tried to rise, but the man's arm tightened around her, keeping her in place and reminding her of their night in the Land of Earth hotel.
"Might I ask why you are lying here when I remember going to bed alone?" She questioned, eyeing him curiously.
He smiled, "You looked cold," Kikyuu laughed before Itachi continued, "And you began having a nightmare."
Her laughter was quelled at this thought, "I don't remember a nightmare."
Itachi nodded slightly, "That's good. I had hoped as much."
She finally garnered the Uchiha's permission to sit up and she stretched as she inquired:
"Has Pein contacted us yet?"
"No," he replied with a head shake.
Kikyuu shrugged as she moved about the room to organize her belongings, "Oh well. Has the jinchuriki stirred?"
Once again, Itachi shook his head, "No. I inspected that seal tag; impressive."
The kunoichi smirked before shrugging while leaning against a dresser, "Just be thankful I could leave the village with a nice set of ANBU supplies. Speaking of which, where are yours?"
Itachi stood and began positioning his own items as he responded:
"The ANBU issue packs in my time were not as 'fancy' as they were in your time."
She nodded, conceding the argument to him before moving to the window and peeking out of the curtains. The street below them was bustling as people moved about setting of stands and draping decorations between buildings and on windows. She saw as a small number of citizens were already flowing into the street and towards the city square to begin their celebration.
"Itachi," Kikyuu stated, her eyes remaining focused on the street below.
"Hm?" He muttered as he looked up.
She turned, her eyes lit with excitement, "What's going on outside?"
The man chuckled and moved beside her, looking out as well, "They are preparing for some sort of festival. I believe the peach blossoms are flowering."
She merely nodded before gazing out the window. Itachi noticed this and chuckled softly before asking:
"If my memory serves me properly, I believe I promised to take you to a festival when we were younger. Am I correct?"
Kikyuu's head snapped quickly to look at him. The corners of her mouth were curling into a smile that was growing wider as the seconds passed; her eyes were filled to the brim with joy.
"Itachi, do you mean that?" She asked as her hand tightened on the curtain she was clutching.
The man smiled and nodded, "Yes. Get dressed if you want to arrive right when the festivities begin."
She contained a squeal as she hugged him before dashing into the bathroom. This sight amazed Itachi for in this moment he saw the young girl he remembered leaving behind; not the one that had been hardened by his staged betrayal and years of ANBU assassination missions. He always prized her happiness and joy at the world around her for it made him believe that he would have been much the same if he had had his freedom; but the duties to his clan and his village robbed him of that. His bitterness, however, had been erased by his sole duty to his younger brother now and he found some small measure of happiness returning as he spent more time with Kikyuu.
Feeling that he should dress as well, he closed the curtains before changing into a cleaner pair of black pants with a black shirt as well. He left his armored mesh on beneath this. He used a small henge jutsu to disguise his so easily recognized face and kept his hair in its traditional style. It wasn't much, but it was something. He heard the bathroom door open behind him and he turned and smiled.
Kikyuu had chosen simplicity and function over beauty, much like him; however, she still looked stunning, nothing could rob her of that in Itachi's mind. Her kimono was black with a deep red trim with a matching red obi. She placed her long snowy hair into a high bun with two red chopsticks crossed in it. Itachi activated his sharingan, which he kept down around her, and discovered that the designs on the hair accessories were actually explosive seals.
He released the sharingan and smirked, "Coming with weapons, I see?"
She smirked, "Going disguised, I see?"
"Touché," he replied before moving past her and opening the door for her, "You look wonderful, by the way," he whispered, while dropping the sharingan.
Kikyuu blushed lightly, "You clean up nicely too."
He smiled at her as she exited the room. While he locked up, he blinked as he heard her pounding furiously on the door across the hall, Kisame's room.
"Where's the fire?" The shark man exclaimed as he jerked the door open and stared down at the girl.
Her attire and Itachi's surprised him as he blinked curiously before smirking:
"Going on a date, lovebirds?" He grinned as Itachi scowled at Kikyuu.
"I hate that you told him," the Uchiha grumbled.
Kikyuu shrugged before stating, "We're going to the festival. Watch the jinchuriki. Would you like us to bring you something back?"
Kisame pondered this for a moment, leaning against the doorframe, before grinning cheekily:
"Sure. Some dumplings and something with shrimp or crab, but I have a feeling you two will forget. I'll order room service just in case."
The kunoichi smiled, "We'll remember. Dumplings and shark-fin soup coming your way."
The pair headed down the hallway chuckling as Kisame growled at them before slamming the door. They walked down the stairwell from the second floor and into the lobby, arm in arm. The clerk behind the register, an elderly man, smiled at them and nodded knowingly, causing Kikyuu to blush slightly.
As they neared the door, Kikyuu broke away and quickly moved outside and down the front steps of the porch of the building. Looking left and right quickly before studying the festivities occurring down the street ahead of them at the village center, she sighed happily.
"Oh Itachi, I just can't wait t-"
She stated this as she turned but gasped as she saw Itachi leaning against a column, his body shaking with coughs and blood beginning to seep through his fingers. Dashing up the steps, she made him sit down and lean against the pillar before dashing inside, her eyes filled with panic.
"Please, please sir! I need help! My friend, he's very ill. Do you know of any place that would be open that could help him?" She asked frantically.
The man, alarmed by the rapid change nodded and pointed out the door, "Down two blocks then take a left. Second shop entrance on your right is an Apothecary. An elderly woman named Kashikoi Ganjou owns it. She never closes for anything. She is the best healer here; better than the doctors."
Kikyuu nodded quickly and thanked him before quickly retrieving Itachi and helping him to the shop.
The door was unlocked and a small set of chimes hung above the door sounded as they entered. Blood flecked her kimono and Itachi's shirt, although the black hid its presence very well. The shop was dimly lit and a small layer of dust seemed to coat several unused objects.
"Hello?" Kikyuu called out as Itachi began to cough again, his jutsu had broken when he coughed as they exited the hotel and his features very distinguishable.
She only prayed no one saw them on their journey.
Small thumping noises were heard approaching the front of the shop and Kikyuu breathed a sigh of relief as the old woman the hotel proprietor mentioned came into focus. She was very old, with grey hair pulled back into a bun and wrinkles collecting on the corners of her eyes that were framed by silver glasses. She was dressed in a dark blue kimono and walking with a cane.
"Yes, dearie?" She asked as she positioned herself behind the counter.
"The owner of the White Lotus Hotel told me to come here. My friend, he's very sick. He's coughing up blood and I don't know what to do," she replied, her voice beginning to waver.
The old woman's eyes widened before motioning them to follow her to a back room which Kikyuu quickly complied to, feeling Itachi drifting in and out of consciousness.
They entered a room with a single bed that Itachi was laid upon. Kikyuu moved to sit in a chair in the corner before the old woman stated:
"You need to wait outside."
Kikyuu began to protest before another round of heavy coughs erupted from Itachi, spewing blood onto his clothes and partially on the sheets. She quickly complied after this show and took to pacing the halls.
The clock, which read 5:12 when they arrived, now read 8:34. For nearly three and a half hours, Itachi was being examined and healed by the old woman. Kikyuu felt the chakra spikes that signaled healing attempts and began to grow worried, wondering what could possibly be occurring behind the closed door.
She had tried to distract herself after a few minutes of pacing by inspecting each detail and item in the shop carefully before exploring backrooms and using a bathroom she found to clean her face and try and calm her racing heart. After these failed attempts at distractions, she took to pacing once again before finally sitting outside the door.
However, said door opened and Kikyuu lifted her head and jumped up. The woman closed it behind her and motioned for Kikyuu to follow her back to the shop's entryway.
"Dearie, there is no easy way to say this," Kashikoi stated before sighing.
"Is he…dead?" Kikyuu asked.
The woman shook her head, "No, but he is dying. To be perfectly honest with you, I have no idea what this is. It behaves like an array of diseases, but there aren't enough specific symptoms to pinpoint the cause. Besides, the illness has progressed so far that any treatment would just prolong the inevitable."
The kunoichi stood before the short woman, stunned before looking towards the room that held Itachi, "Does he know? How long does he have? And would these help any?" She produced the seal tag ANBU scroll with the healing seals inside from her concealed kunai pouch.
"He passed out after thirty minutes. My best estimate would be three weeks, at the most," she replied as she eased herself into a nearby chair, taking the scroll and examining it, "I believe not... From my little knowledge of seals, these are written for injuries, not illness. If the situation requires a desperate measure, it could be worth a shot, but be careful. It may make him too weak to fight any longer if it fails."
Kikyuu quickly looked back at the woman, the volume of information circling her mind, "No... they...Three…three weeks? No, he can't. There is something that he has to do; that he has to live for. If these won't work, I need medicines. Please… please." She returned the scroll to her hidden pouch.
"You love him… don't you?" The woman asked.
The kunoichi blushed, "Yes, I do, Ganjou-san."
She smiled and began to move about the shop, collecting jars here and there and placing them in a basket, "I had the same look in my eyes when I was with my husband. I can't deny you this. How long does he need to live?"
Kikyuu sighed, "I'm not too sure. I would say at least three months."
The woman blinked and looked at her, "You don't want to keep him alive because you're with child?"
"What?" The kunoichi blinked, "Kami no. I'm not pregnant. He has a mission to complete; a mission he started years ago that he must see through until the end."
"Ahh, my mistake then. I apologize for making that assumption," Kashikoi replied before continuing about her work.
Kikyuu shook her head, "It's okay. I understand your question, considering...," she looked towards the door, "Can I sit with him?"
The woman nodded, "Of course, I need some time to write up a medicinal schedule for these pills."
The golden-eyed girl nodded before entering the room. The room was light by two candles on the small table next to bed. Itachi's breathing was deep and even, a sign that whatever healing the woman did actually did some good. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be asleep. Kikyuu quietly pulled up the chair and sat next to him, taking his hand and squeezing it gently.
"Oh, Itachi," Kikyuu whispered.
"Yes?" He replied weakly as he opened his eyes and met hers.
She smiled, "Hey there. That was quiet a scare you gave me."
The Uchiha chuckled, "I'm sorry. I should've told you sooner that I've been showing signs of being ill. I didn't want to worry you if it wasn't too serious."
"Well," she began, "coughing up blood is very serious."
"Yes, I realize that," he replied as he coughed slightly without producing blood to their relief.
"So, what did the old woman say?" He asked.
Biting the inside of her cheek slightly, she replied, "She preparing some medicine for you that'll make things all right."
"All right… but not better," Itachi replied, "I'm dying, aren't I?"
Kikyuu sighed, "I didn't want to tell you. She said the medicine can prolong things, which is what you need to make it to your battle with Sasuke. We're getting three months worth with hopefully a way to get more if we need it."
Itachi nodded before sighing, "It seems that we can't win, no matter what."
"Yes, yes it does," Kikyuu replied sadly as she brushed some hair from his forehead.
He closed his eyes at the gesture before opening them again, "Kikyuu, what day is it?"
"The twenty-fourth, why?" She replied.
He pointed to his kunai pouch on the foot of the bed, "Hand that to me, please."
She nodded and gave it to him, "And you criticized me for being prepared."
Itachi just smiled at her before producing a square two-inch by two-inch black box from the pouch, "Happy Birthday," he whispered.
Kikyuu blinked before smiling happily and taking the box from him, "You remembered…"
"Of course, I've had that for years, waiting for the right moment to give it to you. Better now than never," he replied while smiling.
The kunoichi brushed some tears forming in her eyes away before opening the box and smiling. Inside was a small, oval, silver locket with a ruby in the center and beneath it were several small diamonds that formed the shape of the Uchiha crest.
"It was my mother's. She gave it to me before the betrothal announcement. She told me to give it to someone I truly loved; she meant you," Itachi stated as he placed his hand on her forearm.
Kikyuu blushed as she removed it from the box, seeing that the chain was long enough for the locket to rest inside her clothes, concealing it from dangerous eyes, "Thank you; thank you very much, Itachi."
As she slipped it around her neck, Itachi stated, "Open it."
She complied before smiling softly as tears began forming as, on each half of the locket, a single word was written so the message read:
Together. Forever.
"In another life, we would have been," Itachi whispered, "And I hope that the afterlife will give us that chance."
Kikyuu shut the locket again before lying next to Itachi and wrapping her arms tightly around him. Tears flowed slowly from her eyes before she looked up at him and stated:
"I love you, Itachi."
The Uchiha smiled softly at her, "I love you too, Kikyuu."
They kissed a kissed filled with longing for a lifetime together and sadness at the tragedy of their lives. It was interrupted when the healer returned with a slew of medicines in a small cloth bag. Kikyuu blushed while the Uchiha remained calm as the woman stated:
"I truly am sorry about your circumstance. Now, there is a scroll in here that contains the medicine schedule for him; begin in the morning and try to get plenty of rest, don't try to strain yourself."
Itachi nodded and Kikyuu stood, taking the medicine from her before paying more than enough for her services.
"So," Kashikoi began as she noticed Kikyuu's necklace then looking at the man on the bed, "You are Itachi Uchiha."
Both of them immediately stiffened at this but relaxed when she added, "Don't worry. Even if I chose to report this, who would believe an old woman?"
Itachi nodded, "We greatly appreciate your discretion."
The old woman smiled softly in reply, "You're very welcome. You can stay here if you like or return to your hotel."
Kikyuu looked at Itachi, "How do you feel?"
The Uchiha slowly sat up, "I feel like I can make it back to the hotel if that's what you're asking."
The kunoichi nodded and helped him stand before tucking the locket beneath the folds of the kimono. She gave Kashikoi an additional sum of money in thanks for her silence and they slipped back to the hotel unnoticed.
Kikyuu quietly placed the room service tray outside their room, having ordered food when they returned. It was well past midnight and Itachi slept heavily after they had made love gently. She, however, was restless. Her mind kept drifting to the news concerning his unknown illness. The grief over the circumstances was barely contained inside her and she knew if she were able to talk to someone, it would help.
Hearing faint noises from Kisame's room, she knocked on the door and was surprised when he answered.
"I don't see my dumplings," he mumbled.
"I'm sorry," she replied, "Any word from Pein?"
Kisame shook his head, "No; not yet. I suspect we'll hear something tomorrow though."
Kikyuu nodded and didn't move from her position. Kisame sighed, "Yes?"
"Can I come in? I need to tell you something serious about Itachi," she replied.
The shark man blinked before stepping aside to hear her news.