"Itachi?" I called when I awoke the next morning. "Itachi, where are you?" I felt tears well up in my eyes. I didn't want him to have left again.

I stood up shakily and began walking towards the exit of the forest and in the direction of the hill. I felt my legs pick up the pace. Now I was running to find him. I emerged from the trees and stopped. There he was, sitting on the peak of the little hill, his cloak blowing in the light breeze, the rising sun silhouetting him. I walked up the shallow hill slowly until I was close enough to set my hand on his shoulder.

"You shouldn't yell my name so loud like that," he interrupted me. "If someone were to hear you, we'd be in trouble."

"W-what...?" There was something different about him today. Something was off. "Itachi, what's wrong?"

"...Nothing that concerns you," he responded.

"Oh, but it does concern me. Very much so, actually. Tell me what's going on," his attitude was frustrating me. First we kiss, and now he's shutting me out?

He whipped his head around and stared into my eyes. My heart skipped a beat as I wondered for a moment whether the glare seeing into my soul would be red or black. They were their old onyx colour, and I almost sighed in relief if it weren't for the way he stared at me.

"What happened yesterday was inexcusable on my part, and it would be best if the incident were forgotten." Now my heart jumped. Forget it? What was he saying so suddenly?! "I soon realized it was an irrational choice to make, and the decision has made my life more difficult, no matter how small the issue seems. I've been down this road before, and I didn't particularly like how well it came out."

"Y-you... had kissed a girl... before?" my voice shook as the words were forced from my lips.

He sighed deeply, shutting his eyes as if he were preparing for a long, unhappy speech, "Yes, I did. It was a while ago, when I was twelve. I remember her quite clearly, but my mind can't seem to come up with the name. She was an Uchiha with long, black hair. Though not particularly bright, she pushed her way through the academy and was ready to graduate the year after we got together. She hadn't awoken the Sharingan yet, and even so, we became lovers. That girl was enjoyable to be around, and I'd actually planned to perhaps marry her, but, of course, the massacre of the Uchiha clan made no exceptions, no matter the status."

"You killed her? Your lover?" He nodded his head firmly.

"They were a tainted clan, you must understand..."

Then I recalled his eyes, how murderous they seemed. Were they a danger to the village? Though I didn't doubt Itachi's intelligence, I couldn't imagine him working alone on such a project. Were there times he was hesitant? Did he make it quick and painless for those he loved? Perhaps she...

"...How did she die?" I couldn't stop myself from speaking in time.

He blinked a few times, rather taken aback by the sudden and irrelevant question, "I... stabbed her in the chest... thirty-seven times..."* His head turned back to the sun, which had mostly risen by now.

My expression must have been bad, considering he didn't turn back to face me again. I found my legs wouldn't support me anymore, so I crashed to the floor to a kneeling position, my hair blocking the majority of my view. I wanted to ask why. I wanted to ask how. I wanted to ask how morally corrupted one could be... But I didn't. He seemed ashamed enough as it was.

"...I don't feel like answering your questions, so please don't bother yourself with them."

It felt as if he read my mind. Usually no one comes close to knowing my thoughts. That's the only way I felt safe. I knew my mind could be treated like a sanctuary, a place no one could reach. I didn't mind people misunderstanding my intentions, as long as I knew.

I finally stood up again, the lightheaded feeling disappearing quickly. My hand tugged at his shoulder, and he reluctantly responded, getting up slowly and facing me.

"Do you regret it?" I whispered, knowing he'd understand.

"No. Never. I've always thought things through. Though I didn't really think this one through, I've had enough time to analyze it. I'm truly interested in you. I don't necessarily know what that means yet, but I know it involves wanting you here. I'm not sure whether it was a mistake or not, but I know I would only regret it if I hadn't done what I did."

I understood, surprisingly enough, and tugged at his sleeve, pulling him back to the trees where my belongings were at. As he was about to sit down, I grabbed the collar of his cloak and yanked him back up to face me again. I stared into his eyes wonderingly, pondering 'what if's and 'how come's. In the end, however, I decided to just let it be. Whatever happens will happen. You will always ponder and hope, but you always know what happened was most likely for the better.

"I'm interested in you, too, Itachi. I'm not all too sure what that's intended to mean, either, but I'm willing to wait and see, aren't you?"

He smiled his small smile, and now I knew for sure that everything would be just fine.

Chapter 5 finally, eh? I apologize if it was too philosophical for some, but that was just my mood today.

* If anyone knows where that's from, let me know, and I'll give you virtual cookies in Chapter 6!

I'm balancing three stories right now, and am currently in the process of thinking how to fix another one... (Man, why did Kisame have to come back and ruin my fics?)

It will most likely not be as long of a wait, but we'll see, won't we? ;)

- Alice Rose