Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters, unless otherwise stated. In this case, I only own Kimi and her village.
Author's Note: Interesting theories, everyone, but you'll have to keep reading to see how right or wrong you are. (dramatic music) You get a bit more Shisui in this chapter. Yay! And don't worry too much, Kimi's not totally gone yet. There's always a loophole somewhere, and if there isn't . . . then I guess you just have to break the rules. haha Well, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!
XII
For the next few weeks, wherever Itachi went, so did Shisui. At first, Itachi resented the young man's constant presence at his side, but he soon became accustomed to having him around. Itachi did not open up as much to Shisui as he had to Kimi, but the two became closer than he ever was with anyone else other than the golden-haired enigma. He began to look up to the older Uchiha, not because of his abilities, but because Shisui seemed to understand.
Shisui did not force the Uchiha expectations on Itachi. He seemed perfectly content with allowing Itachi to do whatever he wanted to – train however he wanted to – as long as Kimi was not involved. He did not demand perfection out of the genin; he only provided encouragement and support, making Itachi feel a bit more comfortable.
Still, though, Itachi could not forget the real reason Shisui accompanied him everywhere. There was no way he could forget that.
"So, how're you going to train today, Itachi?" Shisui asked him as they moved through the trees toward one of the training grounds. Itachi said nothing, and the other man pressed on. "Are you going to be deflecting kunai again? I'm impressed you can do that so well already." He laughed. "I'm still having trouble with it."
Itachi stared straight ahead as he walked. He could not bring himself to tell Shisui that it was Kimi that suggested that training first. His sensei had not even mentioned it before then. It was only when Itachi started using that skill that Hiashi Hyuga taught it to the other boys. But, would Shisui believe him? What would he think?
Shisui halted suddenly, tilting his head to one side. Itachi stopped and looked back at him. "What is it, Shisui?"
The older Uchiha's eyebrows furrowed. "Do you hear that?"
Itachi listened. After a moment, he noticed two very distinct things. One – there were no birds singing, which was odd during this time of year. Two – someone was playing a flute nearby. Itachi's heart skipped a beat. Could it be Kimi?
I'll still play for you. Whether or not you listen is up to you.
Shisui turns toward the source of the music. "Come on, Itachi. Let's check it out."
The older shinobi had barely taken two steps before Itachi stated, "No."
Turning back to him, Shisui lifted his eyebrows. "What? Why not?" Itachi merely stared at him. Shrugging, Shisui vanished into the trees.
Itachi did not move, watching the place where his companion had vanished from sight. He listened to the music floating in the still air. It was soft and gentle – a lullaby of sorts. After a moment, he recognized the tune – oh, what was it called? By the Light of the Moon.
He was able to listen for a few moments more before Shisui returned, looking somewhat confused and impressed. "You knew it was her," the older boy stated. "That's why you wouldn't go with me."
Itachi turned away and started walking in a different direction. "Let's find somewhere else to train."
Shisui glanced back in Kimi's direction before shrugging and following Itachi. "I must say, Itachi. I'm impressed. You're actually following your father's orders. You could've just played dumb and caught a glimpse of her just now, but you kept your distance."
"Yeah? So?" What business of Shisui's was it if Itachi chose to follow his father's orders or not? What did he care? It was not as if he would be affected by any of this. It was none of his business! He should just –
Itachi caught himself as he felt his fists tightening. What was he thinking? Of course it was Shisui's business. They were both Uchiha. What affected any one of the clan affected all of the clan. That was part of what made them a clan.
His frustration and anger ebbed and flowed like the tide, but Itachi effectively kept it off of his face. What did Shisui know? He was just looking out for the good of the clan. It was none of their business, though, who he chose to like – to be with! The future of the clan depended on the stability of its family ties; they could not safely let in an outsider.
The training went by in a blur of actions and emotions, the former shown openly and the later kept bottled inside. As the pair headed home, confusion circled in Itachi's head. Why was he so angry – flustered? He had never felt this way before. It unsettled him.
Itachi moved through dinner in silence, pondering the changes he could feel moving through his head – his chest. What were they? What did they mean?
He lay awake in the dark of the night, unable to silence his running thoughts in order to sleep. Grunting in annoyance, he rolled over and stared out his window at the high moon shining silver into his room. He blinked several times at the light-reflecting orb before sitting up straight in his bed.
By the Light of the Moon. That was the song Kimi had been playing. For some reason, that seemed incredibly important now. Her words echoed back into the front of his mind from his memory. I'll still play for you. Whether or not you listen is up to you.
Itachi could not tear his eyes off of the moon hovering in the sky. Could there be some importance to the song she had been playing – a lullaby woven in broad daylight? It seemed somehow out of place – wrong – yet so important and significant.
Before he knew what he was doing, Itachi threw back the covers and jumped out of bed, changing quickly into day clothes and slipping silently out of the sleeping house. He made it out of the complex without incident. No one detected his movements. No one stirred from their slumber. He was a shadow moving within shadows.
Itachi slowed as he neared what he had come to think of as "their meadow" – his usual meeting place with Kimi. Doubt crept into his mind. What if he was overanalyzing everything again? What if the song she had been playing meant nothing? His chest tightened. The small field would be empty – devoid of anything familiar and comforting. He had made a mistake.
However, as Itachi stepped from the trees, a slim figure, moonlight shining silver from her hair, turned and smiled at him. "You came," Kimi stated, pleasure and joy layering her voice.
Itachi slowly approached her, cautious, as if she were a dream that would vanish if he moved to quickly – a bird easily startled into flight. She smiled and laughed, the sound soothing the ache that had grown in Itachi's chest.
"You look scared for some reason." Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "You aren't afraid of the dark, are you, Mr. Big Bad Shinobi?"
Itachi found himself smiling by the time he reached her. "Not at all. You?"
Kimi returned his grin. "Only when I'm alone." She stated this almost flippantly, as if it was a trivial fact – as if it never happened.
She was holding the wooden flute in her hands. Itachi glanced down at it. "By the Light of the Moon," he whispered. "Good thing I've heard it before."
"I thought you didn't have time for music."
Itachi shrugged one shoulder.
Giggling, Kimi lifted her head to gaze up at the star-filled sky. "Was it your father?" she asked suddenly. "Was he the reason you said you couldn't see me anymore?"
Feeling a slight bubble of anger in his chest, Itachi nodded. "Yeah."
Kimi did not seem fazed by this fact. "It's because I'm not a shinobi. I'm not worthy to be your friend."
Itachi's eyes narrowed. "I don't think so."
"But he does."
"I don't care what he thinks," Itachi snapped suddenly, startling both of them.
Kimi lowered her head to look at him with a soft smile. "Still, he's your father. You should mind him, Itachi."
"You want me to stay away from you?" Itachi asked incredulously.
The girl shook her head. "Not at all, but in the long run, it might be best."
"How do you figure that?" Itachi did not like how she was being suddenly so serious. He did not like it one bit. What brought this on?
"I'm going to be leaving eventually, Itachi. You and I both know that. I don't want you to be hurt when I do." She reached out to touch his arm.
Though Itachi usually shied away from such contact, he allowed it, peering into her eyes. "I don't care. I don't want to stay away. I actually don't think I could if I even wanted to."
Kimi stared at him, her smile slowly widening again. "I think," she said carefully, "that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."
"It's true," Itachi mumbled, puzzling over that fact. It was true, he realized, and this puzzled him all the more. "I'm going to be taking the Chuunin Exams soon," he blurted out suddenly. "Will you at least be here for them?"
She nodded. "Of course. I don't have any plans to leave before year's end. I'll be here."
"Good."
Author's Note 2: I don't know if there's an actual song entitled By the Light of the Moon, but there is a book called such by Dean Koontz. I like the book (and the title) and I figured the phrase would make a good title for a little lullaby. Something like "Dewdrops" by Kajiura Yuki played with a wood flute instead of a violin.