Hey y'all. Yep, I used y'all. So I've been in Taiwan for almost all of July and I had a blast teaching kids English and meeting all sort of new friends (in which some are from NorCal and influenced my SoCal speech). But, I'm back and ready to do some writing! :D So leave a review and enjoy!

Second Movement, Part Four

"Alright, let's all take a break for an hour. Then we'll be on our way into Konoha," Toroki said, spreading his father's instructions to the latter half of the caravan. He quickly looked over the entire group again for the presence of a certain lady with gold as hair. As he guessed, she had disappeared before he could get near her again.

Mayuri slipped away from the group silently, her trunk of instruments and belongings were in the care of her old friend, Joiji. She plans to enter into to Konoha herself, now that the terrain was safe for a lonely traveler.

She slowly let herself slide down a muddy hill, away from Naoko nagging, and to the place she loved most around Konoha. Soon, she was perfectly alone only with trees and birds as her companions. The change of scenery was nice. Instead of the usual busy spring season, she's not surrounded with luscious vibrant greenery in the early summer day. The humid heat didn't dampen her spirits as she finally came into a small clearing ordained by a trickling stream.

She sat down on the green grass and stretched her tired legs. She leaned back and looked up at the little patch of sky between the tree branches. "Ah," she sighed and closed her eyes for a little nap.

Meanwhile, as the caravan packed up from their resting post and headed through the gates of Konoha, a dark shadow flew by so fast no one had the eyes to see him. He traveled through tree branches with his blue friend, weakened by his previous battle. Itachi came to a stop and Kisame followed suit.

"What's wrong?" Kisame asked, his shark fangs showing.

Itachi didn't answer him immediately as he tried to dispel a headache that threatened to attack his wellbeing. His eyes shifted back to their natural black pupils. "Nothing," he finally said. "Go on ahead. I'll catch up later."

Kisame shrugged at his partner's unnatural behavior. "Whatever suits you," he said and went on his way, not turning back.

Once he knew Kisame was too far to follow him, Itachi turned and headed for the woods. His previous engagement had brought him to his homeland. The sight of the land pained him with nostalgia like none other. He had come with a hidden agenda, masking it with his mission to capture the Nine Tailed Beast. Meeting his younger brother Sasuke was pure chance and crossing blades with him became inevitable.

Lying to his beloved brother and beating him to a pulp again just brought heartbreak to his pacifist heart and his splitting headache didn't help at all.

He headed deeper into the forest looking for a specific area he and Sasuke used to train together. Soon his sickly body couldn't travel at its usual speed and he decided it was better to enjoy the walk. As he walked step by step toward his destination his body drooped with the heaviness of years and years of deception. He closed his eyes, thinking that his past would haunt his thoughts, but instead he thought of the beautiful girl he had met only two months ago.

Though he never learned now to enjoy music, the melody of her kokyu sang through his head as if he were a maestro; note for note, beat for beat. He wanted to tap into her world again, that peaceful realm he never knew before. If only he could meet her again and indulge in her ever flowing fountain of serenity, but he knew in his mind that would never come true. He was tainted and she was far too pure.

As he neared the place of his childhood he sensed someone there. Could it be an ambush? No, that was impossible No one knew of this place and no one could have followed him here. Still, he advanced with caution.

Mayuri had just woken up from her nap and went to the tricking water to wash the dirt and leaves out of her hair. She draped a shawl over her head as a shield against the cool wind so she would catch a cold. She walked back to her little campsite and pulled out a few things to eat, completely unaware of a dark and dangerous rogue ninja who stood above her in the trees.

Itachi glanced down at the person by the roots of the tree. From observing their actions the person doesn't seem to be very dangerous, but in this world first impressions can be extremely deceiving. He pulled out a shuriken from the folds of his garment where he keeps them hidden and just as the person stood up he jumped down. He didn't know why there was an impulse to the see the person's face. He would have preferred to kill the person off before they even knew what hit them, but this time it seemed as if the Heavens willed his hands and feet to do so.

With his blade high and ready to strike he faced the woman, her head covered with a piece of cloth, no doubt to hide her identity. His sudden descent scared her and Mayuri back away, her shawl falling to the ground beneath them and his blade stopped in mid strike.

Once Mayuri had seen the face she had wished to see for the past two months, all her fears faded away in an instant. A warm sunny smile crept upon her face and she couldn't help laughing at the sight of him.

Quickly, Itachi hid the knife back into which ever fold he summoned it from and took a moment to absorb her beauty hoping that it'll set his world right again, and it did. He disciplined himself from running his fingers through her golden hair reminding himself that his hands were in no way clean.

"Itachi!" she rejoiced and promptly grabbed a hand of his with both of hers, since he had a tendency to run away in their past meetings.

She was just as at a loss of words as he was. Mayuri ransacked her brain for some sort of way to start friendly conversation with no avail. She had gone over the situation thousands of times and picked the precise words she would say, but nothing came to her head except for an inundation of light fluffy feelings that instantly turned into an electric pulse going down her spine as his gaze remained affixed on her amethyst eyes.

Shyly, Mayuri looked away and distracted herself with whatever grass or weed that grew on the ground two feet away. Itachi, feeling awkward for the first time in his life, dropped his free hand to his side and indulged in the sensation that buzzed gently at his other wrist where Mayuri's small hands held him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked; his voice husky with an unfamiliarity that made him feel suddenly diffident of himself. Normally he would detest the feeling of being out of control, but at the sight of a smile spreading across Mayuri's face, he had almost forgotten how to breathe.

From the wrist she still held, Mayuri led him closer to the river and had him sit close to the trickling water.

"My caravan settled into Konoha this afternoon," she said. "I don't like the hustle and bustle of entering a city. I usually leave the group and head off to somewhere where I can be alone," she continued, sitting down next to him and took out a needle and thread from her emergency kit and started to mend a rip at his sleeve.

Timidly, Mayuri peeked up into eyes as deep as black holes. A shiver struck her spine and quickly spread through her body like an electric wave. Weren't his eyes the color of blood before? Intrigued but more stunned by this new mystery, Mayuri's hands stopped their task as the shivers made their way to her finger tips. Shocked, she dropped the needle on her lap and she picked it up clumsily, trying hard to regain her composure.

Her reactions were as obvious to Itachi as the day was different from night and he pulled his hand away from her the moment she finished her mending.

Itachi shifted awkwardly away from her and said, "You shouldn't be alone out in the woods. It's dangerous."

His initiation for conversation drove the doubts in her head away. With a smile as brilliant as blooming poppies Mayuri spoke with a soft tone, "I don't think I'm in much danger now that you're here."

"You're wrong," he contradicted sharply, his aching body tired from battle. He suddenly felt dizzy and supported himself with a heavy arm keeping him from collapsing. Stifling a painful moan, Itachi looked through the layers of his hair at Mayuri who looked terribly worried.

She knelt over him in a slight arch and placed a calm hand on his large shoulder. Gently, she urged him to lean against a tall sturdy tree and reached for her kokyu.

"Sit and don't move," she commanded him with a voice as soft as thunder on a mid summer's day, only a low rumble, mild and peaceful. "Relax," she continued. "I'll play for you. Just close your eyes and relax. Do your best."

It was hard, Itachi would admit. Sitting with his back against the tree, every muscle in his body tensed until sweet, sweet music rang through the air. Finally, he closed his tired eyes, bloodshot with wear and nightmarish nights. When he next woke up she was still sitting there, cleaning off her instrument with care, locks of gold floating in the breeze like pure magic.

He had thought it was a dream and instinctively reached out and let the toss of gold hair tangle around his fingers. When she turned, he believed he was even deeper in his dream. She reached up towards his forehead and removed a warm wet cloth he hadn't noticed until now. She replaced the wet cloth with her soft porcelain hand and he had to force his coming blush with his chakra, something he never thought he would need to do.

"You had a fever," she said, "It's gone now."

Mayuri unfolded the damp cloth and laid it out on the grass to dry. She placed her kokyu back into its case behind her, handling it as if it were a national treasure.

"How are you feeling?" Mayuri asked, turning back to him. She took his outstretched hand and gently massaged the rigid muscles of his palm.

He didn't answer her. There wasn't one word that could describe what he felt at that moment. He was glad she didn't require an answer. It was a rhetorical question, he assumed.

She turned around again, and his heart jumped ready to pounce on her if she showed any signs of running away from him. But she just walked over to her pack and took out a packed lunch and returned to his side.

Set placed the box wrapped in a smooth cloth on her lap and started to untie a series of knots relinquishing the food inside. "I prepared some food for myself; I can't guarantee it's enough for the both of us. It was originally prepared for last the whole day for me, but we can share." She opened the box and grabbed the pair of chopsticks hiding in a side compartment. "I promise it's not poisoned. Try some," she urged him, holding up a bit of food to his mouth.

If he were with any other person in the world, Itachi would have thought her gesture was much too familiar, but this was Mayuri. With every passing second he wished she would move closer to him, that she would be even more familiar with him, that she would touch his skin and send blooming sensations throughout his body. He hated it, but it was irresistible and bittersweet.

He leaned in and took the food with his mouth ravenously, his dark eyes never leaving Mayuri's flawless face. He saw her blush as he ate. She drew the wooden eating utensils back and attempted to hide her cheery face from him with her hair, but he didn't miss a detail of her movements.

She bit down gently on the tips of the chopsticks, a habit most people would address as rude and tell her stop immediately, but he found it just another side of her attractiveness. One look on the outside and one would think she was perfect, which she was, he would argue for. Take a second look and you would see her true childish charm. At that moment, he cursed any man that took his second look that his eyes would rot in their sockets. She was his.

"So, what have you been up to?" she asked, the corner of her mouth angled up curiously. "Unless you don't want to talk about it, I know ninjas don't like to talk about personal things."

She looked away, downcast at her own revelation that she might not be able to learn much about him at all.

"I met my younger brother today," he said. He wanted her to know. He wanted her to understand him.

Seeing her eyes perk up in their interesting way, like marbles being flicked into the air, he continued to say, "But the story isn't at all interesting."

"Continue anyways," she pressed. "I'll do my best to listen."

Itachi looked wearily. It had been a long time since he thought about the event that occurred five years ago during the day. For all he wanted was to keep that dark and evil hidden away to die with him. He reminded himself it was monster, a killer who murdered his own family in cold blood. She would not be with him.

The thought of ever being apart from Mayuri stung like a thousand snake bites, but it was necessary for her safety. If she were known to have associated with him she would end up in all kinds of trouble with his enemies and she was far too attached to him now. Perhaps, he thought. Perhaps his crimes would scare her away, and he can be left alone to wallow in his dank fate.

"My younger brother, he hates me," he said, slowly and cautiously. He kept his eyes off of Mayuri so he would see her reaction when he told her the truth.

"Why is that?" she asked quietly, in almost an inaudible whisper.

Itachi hesitated. "Have you heard of the Uchiha Massacre?" he asked, almost just as quiet as her.

"No," Mayuri answered, but she knew the word 'massacre' cannot mean anything good.

"Five years ago, I was thirteen, and though young, people called me a prodigy. I was assigned a very difficult task from the current Hokage," he stalled his words. "I played the part of a double agent. I was the perfect ninja for the job. I infiltrated my target perfectly and relayed intel to the Hokage."

"Who did you infiltrate?" Mayuri kept her voice low and subtle. The small hairs on the back of her neck stood on their ends. The air became still and all she could hear were their heartbeats pounding louder and louder.

"I did my job perfectly," he continued, ignoring her question. "It was all for the protection of my younger brother, Sasuke, who means more to me than the entire world. I tried to convince myself nothing would happen, but I knew it would all end in disaster."

"Who did you infiltrate?" she asked again, a sudden urge leapt from the words.

"My mission was to infiltrate my clan, the Uchiha, who were rumored to start a coup-d'état against the governing powers of the Hokage. My father was the head of this coup. They planned to overthrow the Hokage because of a bitter rivalry between the Uchiha and Senju clan, of the 1st and 2nd Hokage. The 3rd Hokage attempted many times to negotiate, but it was no use. I knew the coup-d'état would only lead to a ninja war, in which millions will lose their lives."

"So you did what you had to do," she whispered, her breath escaped her.

Itachi peeked over at Mayuri. He knew he had frightened her; there was no point in stopping now. They were beyond the point of no return.

"I needed power. A power only the people of my clan possessed. You've seen it before, my red eyes, the Sharingan. There are more powerful forms of it only to be obtained when certain conditions were fulfilled. By killing my best friend, I obtained the eyes and the powers. And at the dead of night I single handedly slaughtered my entire clan, all except for my little brother," he said with a rippling voice at the end, like a narrator telling the climax of a mystery. "Now I live the life of a fugitive and rogue ninja, wanted by every shinobi alive."

He looked up at her. "Are you afraid of me now?"

Mayuri looked up, her eyes watery from forced back tears. She looked into unfathomable black of his pupils. She reached out and placed her palm on his chest feeling the steady beating of his heart.

Instinctively, he wrapped his calloused hand on top of hers, her warmth conveying a forgiveness he never expected.

"Did it hurt?" she asked, quietly. "When you had to murder your family, did it hurt?"

He was at a loss of words.

Through the layers of his clothing, Mayuri could feel the beating of his heart hasten as he tightened the grip on her hand.

"Yes," he answered taking her hand up to his cheek. "It hurt like hell."

"You have to know that you did what you had to do. It wasn't your fault all of this happened." Mayuri cupped her other hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes bleak with sorrow and guilt. "Though other people may think you have a malicious heart, I believe you are innocent and true. All you ever wanted to do was protect and you have given up more than anyone else would ever sacrifice. You are a hero. Please, believe that. Please, see the man I see."

Itachi closed his eyes. It was such a relief that she didn't run away from him. He finally relaxed and placed his hand at the back of her neck, pushing the silky strands of gold and letting it cascade in a glorious tumble.

They were so close, their foreheads touching. There were an infinite amount of things he needed to do, Itachi reminded himself, but at that time he simply wanted this moment of last forever. All he needed to do was reach out, only an inch, and he would have kissed her, but he disciplined himself. It was too fast, too early. Though she had forgiven him, he hadn't forgiven himself.

He had to break apart from her, his control waning.

"It's almost twilight," he said softly, his breath warm and sweet. "You need to get into the village before they close the gates."

"Don't leave me," she said in a gasped breath.

"I won't," he assured her, whispering in her ear. "Not yet. I'll take you to where you need to go. Gather your things."

She obeyed his soft command and packed up her scanty things neatly. Ready to go, Itachi took her kokyu, understanding it was precious to her and promised it would be safer in his hands, and picked her up in his arms.

"Hold on," Itachi said.

"What?" was all Mayuri could muster before Itachi leapt fifty feet into the air leaving the canopy of trees behind them and traveled at a pace close to the speed of light. Within seconds Itachi landed gently on the balcony of the tavern room she usually leased when she traveled to Konoha.

He delivered the instrument back into her hands.

"Thank you," she said, her hair wind tossed, but still looked wonderfully elegant in its own natural way. "Will I see you again soon?"

That was a hard question to answer, Itachi thought. He reached up and plucked a few black strands of hair from his head and murmured some sort of chant and his hair transformed into a small black crow. He placed the small bird on her shoulders were it perched proudly.

"Keep it with you. It's created from my chakra and will be a reliable method to relay messages back and forth."

Intrigued by her new pet, Mayuri pet the bird's small head with her index finger, its black feathers tickled her. "Will I see you again soon?" she repeated.

Itachi couldn't help himself anymore and ran his hand through her hair, dragging his fingernails gently across her scalp. "Trust me; there is nothing in this world that would keep me from seeing you again. In all due time," he promised running the knuckles of his fingers down her cheek.

"I trust you," she said almost with a whisper and he disappeared from her balcony like a fresh breath of air. Mayuri's cheeks wouldn't stop burning where he had gently touched her. A pang of loneliness struck her; she had started to miss him already. Is there something wrong with me, she wondered as she stared off into the sunset that glowed red like his eyes.