EVERYONE GET THE TISSUES READY! I made myself cry as I wrote this so you have been forewarned! And before anyone asks, I don't know if you caught onto my foreshadowing or helpful hints yet, but for those of you who haven't, I am NOT ending the story tragically with Itachi's death! We haven't even gotten to the war or Edo Tensei yet! (hint hint, guess who's a pivotal character in that arc?) ;) Well anyway, try to enjoy this chapter, and don't cry too much!


Ari

Several months passed after the Shukaku was taken. The Sand and Leaf were both shaken to the point where the Akatsuki had to lay low to avoid any great uproar. When they did strike, however, they gobbled up the Tailed Beasts like it was nothing, and everything came and went in one foul swoop.

And the months in between were long and dreadful.

Itachi's condition started spiraling out of control. He wanted nothing more than to sleep the day away and could hardly stand for more than ten minutes. When he did sleep, however, he would awake in the middle of the night hacking up blood. There was no way he could go out on missions anymore, but we were lucky to have Kisame because he gladly took every mission on alone with a smile. I would help him out with the more covert ones that wouldn't get the Leaf too angry with me in Ita's place, just to make Kisame's life easier, but I hated leaving Itachi all alone. He had gotten so weak, his arms would shake when he tried to even lift up Hana. His prescription barely eased the symptoms of his failing heart anymore, and he gave up on following it and would down at least twelve pills a day just to even function. He fought to hang on to his life, and he was miserable and exhausted. As much as I didn't want to lose him, it pained me to see him suffering.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked him one day. He was sitting in bed, his head and back propped up by several pillows. We had sat Hana down and explained to her what was happening to her dad just days before. She cried for hours and I still wasn't sure she understood everything, but she handled the news remarkably well, much better than I could have ever dreamed of handling it myself, even if I had been sat down like she was. Hana swiftly took on the role of playing nurse, making a game out of Itachi's approaching death. She wanted to play with him until his last breath, and that's just what Hana did, and I think Ita was forever grateful for the joy she brought to the room.

I had just put Hana down for a nap when Ita started another coughing fit. They were growing more and more frequent, and each one seemed to leave him that much more deteriorated. He sat back afterwards, infuriated with himself. He then reached over to the night stand and pulled five pills out of the bottle, swallowing all of them without water.

"Doing what?" he asked, confused by my question.

I grimaced and looked away, "Itachi, why do you keep forcing yourself to stay alive like this? You've lived far past what your heart can handle, and now your entire body is falling apart on you. I'm glad I still have you with me, but Ita…don't suffer just for my sake! You've fought long enough, if you want to go then…I understand."

Itachi looked me in the eye for a long time before he leaned his head back and smiled, "Ari, take my hand."

I swallowed hard, doing as he asked. Should I really have said that? Was this going to be it? Did I need to get Hana in here?

"Ari, I'm not doing this just for you," he said, "or Hana…if I wasn't so selfish, I would have left this world already and put you both out of your misery. There is just one last thing I have to do…one last person I have to meet with before I go."

My heart fell and I let out a heavy sigh. The room began to spin as I breathed, "Ita…please tell me you aren't talking about Sasuke…he'll come back to the village. Naruto will find him."

"Ari, do you honestly believe that?" Itachi laughed out sadly, "Naruto has a gift for changing people, for lighting their lives, he's just like Hana in that sense. But…I don't know if anyone could persuade Sasuke. At least not until I die at his hands."

"Oh…Ita…" I moaned, my chest tightening, "You can't be serious…"

"It's just one last fight," he said, "I knew that when I left the village I would have to die at Sasuke's hands. If there was anything I could do for him as his brother, I could at least make him stronger, give him a reason to train, awaken his Mongekyo, and be his spare set of eyes when his wear out."

"Then how much longer…?" I asked, "how much longer do I have you for?"

"I can't say," Ita sighed. I pulled him into a hug and held him close as he rested his head on my chest, "I will let you know before I leave. I will tell Hana goodbye and make sure you both are alright."

"Alright," I heaved, fighting back tears, "you gotta do what you gotta do. I'll help you as best as I can."

"You've done plenty already," Itachi sighed. He pulled away from me and then lied down on his back, looking up at the ceiling. I lied on my side, resting my head in my propped up hand as I stroked his face. "Why have you stuck with me for so long?" he asked suddenly, "surely you and Hana would be happier without me the way I am now. I'm a nuisance…"

"Uh-uh," I shook my head, "don't start that." Ita had been going through this depressed funk ever since he stopped going on missions. He started questioning his worth and would practically beg for me to leave him to die. He saw himself only as a nuisance, a waste of my time, what he didn't understand, however, was that this was the only way I could see myself spending the time we had left together: at his side, aiding him in whatever way I could. "Remember the wedding vows?"

"Ari, I—"

"Remember what they say?"

Ita sighed heavily, blinking away tears, "Yes…"

"In sickness and in health," I told him, holding his hand tightly.

"Until death do us part," he finished. We said those two phrases of the vows whenever either one of us started to grow weary.

"After death will we part," I assured him, kissing him gently.

Shortly after that, the Akatsuki made its next move.


Before she had been captured, I took some time off and traveled to the Village Hidden in the Clouds to visit a woman by the name of Yugito Nii. I had snooped around some files and discovered that she was the sister of Toshio Nii, Hana's father, and was the most recent jinchuuriki of my Aunt Matatabi.

I snuck up on her quietly, she roamed around the training grounds of the Cloud Village at night. She had long dirty-blonde hair, just like Hana, and she was fast and light on her feet. I tried to get close to her, watching her train, but even with my chakra masked, she could still sense my presence.

She spun around and threw a kunai in my direction, which I had easily dodged.

"I know you're there!" she called out in a stern voice, "show yourself."

I leapt out of my cover in the trees and stepped into the light so she could see me. It was cold in the Cloud Village, and I wore my cloak with the hood over my head to stay warm. She struggled to see my face in the dim lighting, so I tilted my head up a little bit and asked, "are you Yugito? Sister of Toshio and Jinchuuriki of the Two-Tails?"

Yugito grimaced and lowered her stance, "If you know that, you must be an enemy who is here to capture me and rip the beast which dwells inside of me out. Well, you can't have her, and I will kill you."

"I'm not an enemy, but a friend," I said, lifting the hood off my head. I wore my leaf headband around my neck that night and left my hair down, not anticipating a fight. I figured that way, Yugito could see the Leaf Symbol best and Matababi would recognize me from within her jinchuuriki.

Yugito narrowed her eyes, "a friend? Listen, Leaf, our villages may be on civil terms right now, but you can't just come waltzing in here like you own the place. What is your purpose?"

I smiled and reached into my weapons pouch to pull out my camera. I had taken several pictures of Hana since she came home with us. I held it out for Yugito to take and said, "your brother…he was the jinchuuriki before you, wasn't he?"

Yugito stared down at the camera, hesitant to take it and she frowned, "yes…I don't know why, but he grew quite fond of Matatabi. I still don't understand where that came from, when he freed her, I knew he had shortened his life by several years, everyone would be out to kill him. But I loved my brother, and Matatabi was kind to him, and I did everything I could to keep them safe."

"Do you know that they conceived a child together?" I asked.

Yugito's eyes widened and she lowered her stance again, "I helped deliver the child, you fool. But other shinobi were coming after us and when they discovered that I was with the Tailed Beast and her child, my orders were to seal the Bijuu away and destroy the child. I did just that."

"You didn't kill the girl though," I noted, "why is that?"

Yugito drew a kunai, anticipating a fight, "Listen, I left the girl at the borders of the Rain Village. Matatabi asked me to find some half-breed from your village who had agreed to raise the child but I was out of time and the Cloud was watching me like a hawk. I left her in an orphanage, but she's probably dead by now. How do you know all of this? Why did you come for me?"

"Because, Yugito," I said, taking a step toward her. I placed the camera in her hands and smiled at her, "I am that half-breed. I just came to thank you for saving Hana's life, and I wanted both you and Aunt Tabi to know that hers and your brother's little girl is safe."

Yugito eyed me, confused, but turned the camera on and shuffled through photos of Hana, Itachi, and I. "She's…beautiful…how did you find her?"

I shrugged, "some would say by chance, I say it was a fateful encounter."

Yugito handed the camera back to me and smiled, "so you're Ariala Drake, the Demon of the Leaf? You're not at all what I thought you'd be."

I laughed and said, "I get that a lot. Though between you and me, the name's Ariala Uzumaki. You can call me Ari for short."

"Alright, Ari," Yugito said, "well, we appreciate you coming to tell us the news. Thank you."

"No," I said, "thank you."

And with that, I returned to Konoha. It wasn't long after that when Yugito and Aunt Tabi were captured by the zombie twins, Hidan and Kakuzu who then killed Asuma Sarutobi shortly after. Asuma's team, who were apart of Naruto and Sakura's graduating class were traumatized by their sensei's death. And Kurenai…she was newly pregnant with their child. I often went over to Kurenai's to help out with chores or whatever; I could sympathize with what she was going through. After all, pretty soon we would both be widowed.

Asuma's death even outraged Itachi. Hidan and Kakuzu's orders were to bring back the Two-Tails and nothing more, but they passed by one of the Holy Temples in the Land of Fire and saw a monk with a high bounty for his head in the black market. With money on Kakuzu's mind and the simple joy of killing on Hidan's, the two wiped out the entire temple. Outraged as the monk taken was one of Asuma's best friends, he and his team were dispatched to put an end to the two Akatsuki members. However, with a high bounty on his head as well, the mission cost Asuma his life.

Just days after his death, I found myself being blown back by one of Kakuzu's attacks. I slammed against a dead tree, pain shooting up and down my body from the blow. I hastily stood on my feet. These two alone were overwhelming Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Kakashi, and I, and they were up against Ino-Shika-Cho, the Copy Ninja, and the Demon of the Leaf!

Any normal person would have been killed. In fact, we had killed Kakuzu twice already…but he had five hearts. And Hidan, thanks to some form of voodoo or whatever mixed in with his belief of Jashin, was immortal all together.

"Hmph," Kakuzu said, walking up to me, "I can see why Itachi has spoken so highly of you…you pack quite a punch for someone so small."

I looked over at the other four, Shikamaru was struggling with Hidan who was trapped in a Shadow Possession jutsu while Ino and Choji were helping Kakashi pull some of Kakuzu's threads out of his chest. Kakuzu had attempted to take Kakashi's heart when he took out the first one, but I leapt in at the last minute, using my twin swords to extend a concentration of chakra out of the blades in the form of one of my light whips, which struck Kakuzu in the chest and incinerating his second heart. I had really pissed him off with that move, and now he was out to chop me into pieces.

"But you're an annoying little brat," Kakuzu then spat, "acting so tough and thinking you can take on the likes of me. I'll kill you for your arrogance."

I grimaced, staring up at Kakuzu. No, I wasn't going to die. Not today. I still had Itachi at home, and I would not die before he did, and I could not leave Hana all alone by herself. I promised her I wouldn't let her be all alone in the world.

"No! Kakuzu!" Hidan started whining, trying to wriggle his way out of the shadow possession, "I want to take Ari out! Imagine what a great sacrifice she would make for Jashin! He would praise me for bringing him the half-demon child of the Fox!"

I shot Hidan a nasty glare, avoiding the confused gazes Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji were all giving me. ANBU and the higher ups of the village plus Naruto knew about me, but no one else of Konoha did. But of course, thanks to Kisame's big fat mouth, all of Akatsuki knew what I was! I also wondered if anyone else besides Pein and Konan knew about Hana. A chill ran up my spine as I watched Hidan. That freak obviously had a loose screw in his head. These guys were dangerous, probably the most dangerous members of Akatsuki. I could see why Itachi wanted to see them taken out, and I could also see why he panicked when I said I would help Team 10 avenge Asuma.

"That's suicide!" he snapped at me when I told him.

"Why?" I asked, "I get that they're immortal, but Ita, I'm part Tailed Beast. And I won't be going alone, we have a plan."

"This mission will probably be one of the most dangerous ones you will ever go on, Ari," Kisame warned, "though I will say, if anyone can take the zombie twins out it'd be you…I honestly wouldn't mind to see them go."

"I wouldn't just mind it if they went," Ita said in a low voice with his arms crossed, "they need to be taken out. The sooner the better. Those two are time bombs just waiting to go off."

"I can see why…" I mumbled to myself, replaying the memory in my head.

I managed to hold my own against Kakuzu while the other four took on Hidan for a little while, but it would only be a matter of time before one or all of us would be killed. To our sheer dumb luck, Naruto, Sakura, Sai, and Yamato were sent in as our backup and arrived just in time. Naruto had a new move he was itching to try out, and by the way Kakashi and Yamato had been talking about Naruto's training, this move sounded like something I needed to see. Shikamaru devised a plan and managed to separate Hidan from Kakuzu, but Shikamaru was taking Hidan on alone. Just minutes after they had separated from us, Kakuzu dropped to the ground, dead. Just one more heart left…

In the distance, we heard a series of explosions around where Shikamaru was. I hoped that was him taking Hidan out. Naruto took Kakuzu's distraction to create a Rasengan. I was surprised, however, when the Rasengan began to change shape, spinning around faster and faster, looking like a shuriken as a high-pitched buzzing noise began to emit from the spinning mass of chakra in Naruto's hand.

We got Kakuzu held down long enough and Naruto charged screaming, "Wind Element: Rasenshuriken!" as he struck Kakuzu with it. It made a loud noise as it beat Kakuzu, the attack's effects lasting even after Naruto released the Rasenshuriken. Kakuzu fell to the ground and died shortly later. Not long after that, Shikamaru rejoined us, Hidan defeated.

It was a relief to have those two out of the picture, but right as soon as we returned to Konoha to deliver our reports and send those off to the hospital who needed medical attention, reports started flying in about how the Three-tails, was captured. And when I returned home, my face paled when I saw Itachi up and moving, dressing in his Akatsuki cloak.

"Daddy's going on a mission, Mommy! That means he's getting better, right?" Hana informed me as I carried her around in my arms.

"Ita…what's going on?" I asked, preparing myself for the news.

"With the Three Tails captured, Kisame has been deployed to fill his quota, the Four-Tails. We were both asked to report to the rendezvous point in order to do the sealing," Itachi explained, "don't worry, I'll be back soon."

I let out a deep sigh and pulled Itachi into a hug, "just be careful. And don't overdo it."

"I won't," he said softly.

"Have no fear, Ari, I'll take good care of Itachi!" Kisame joked.

"Thanks, Jaws, I'm holding you to that," I said, smiling. Kisame grimaced, still unable to shake any of mine or Hana's nicknames for him. As I waved goodbye, I felt my whole body tensing.

I hoped I would see them again…

I took Hana back to Konoha the next day, and that was when the scariest news was delivered to me: Sasuke had killed Orochimaru and he was on the hunt for Itachi.

Ita and Kisame didn't come home at the time they had promised, as the Five- Six- and Seven-Tails were all captured and brought in at around the same time, immediately after the Four-Tails was sealed. The village grew uneasy, more guards were posted and Tsunade began asking me to reenlist in ANBU. It didn't take much for me to agree to that, but I did so only on the conditions that I could stay with Team Kakashi and work undercover like Yamato was doing. She figured that was a good idea.

Why? Because with two jinchuuriki left, Naruto would be next. I grew more and more anxious by the day. Why wasn't Itachi home yet? Surely he would be deployed to capture Naruto, how would he handle that situation? Would he blow his cover? Was he even still alive?

I returned to that house and began to wait for Kisame and Itachi. I sat at the kitchen counter, waiting, looking out the window. They had to be home soon…I had to see them again…Itachi had promised me that he would tell me when he was leaving for good! Then, on one rainy day, I saw two forms approaching the front door. Hana was upstairs taking a nap, so I ran to the door alone and opened it, shouting, "Oh thank goodness you're—!"

I froze.

It wasn't Itachi and Kisame.

"Jiraiya? Kakashi? What are you two doing here?" I asked, stunned. Kakashi looked about as confused as I did, but Jiraiya's face was grim as he stepped inside.

"May we have a word?" he asked.

My face paled. Oh…oh no…

I had gotten too used to the thought of Ita dying on me before we had our proper goodbyes. So used to the idea, that when Jiraiya stepped inside, the only other person besides myself, the elders, and Kisame who knew Itachi's secret, I was fully prepared for him to tell me that he found Ita's body lying on the side of the road. And when he didn't, I nearly broke down crying.

"As you know, Sasuke defeated Orochimaru," Jiraiya began, "and he's looking for Itachi."

"Yeah," I said, taking a shaky breath.

"Well, I've also received some disturbing news from my sources that seven of the nine Tailed Beasts have been captured. They also have told me that…the Akatsuki is coming after Naruto next," Jiraiya explained.

I took a deep breath. So Ita was still alive…he went to see Jiraiya before he came home and warned him that he had been given the orders. That's how Itachi was going to play this.

"I also discovered," Jiraiya added, "where the Akatsuki's leader is hiding: in the Village Hidden in the Rain."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. Itachi actually told Jiraiya where Pein was? I grimaced, he probably figured Jiraiya would tell the Leaf of this news and Tsunade would dispatch teams of shinobi to infiltrate the Rain Village and take Pein down before Ita had to fulfill his orders. Smart move, Ita! I sighed in relief, expecting that to be all the news, but then Jiraiya dashed all my hopes.

"There is one other thing," Jiraiya said, "Kakashi?"

Kakashi leaned forward, looking me in the eyes and explained, "I'm sure you know the Leaf has been getting uneasy with all the news about the Akatsuki, lately, especially now that they are going to make their move to go after Naruto. And also with Sasuke going after Itachi…well, Naruto came up with an idea that Tsunade, Jiraiya, and I all think could work. This is an incredibly difficult mission, and there is no guarantee that it will work, but should we succeed, we could find a way to bring Akatsuki down for good and even get Sasuke back."

"What is it?" I asked. This certainly sounded interesting.

"We're going to capture and detain Itachi Uchiha," Kakashi explained.

My stomach dropped. Detain…? But…that wouldn't…

"Uh…oh…" I muttered, suddenly growing sick to my stomach.

"Ari, you can see this is why I wanted Kakashi to talk to you," Jiraiya said, "I'm sorry for the sudden news, but you fought alongside Itachi for many years, no one knows him better than you. That's why I think he should know."

Kakashi was expecting me to spill all of Ita's weaknesses and come up with the best strategies to capture him, but instead, I breathed, "Kakashi, I'm afraid I think Ita will be dead before you can find him. He plans to fight Sasuke and die at his hands."

Kakashi's eyes widened, "W-what do you mean by that?"

I eyed Jiraiya uncomfortably, but the Sanin urged me to continue and said, "Tell him everything, Ari. And Kakashi, what you're about to find out is top-secret information. There are only five people in the world who know this, and this secret is intended to die with us."

"Just what is this secret?" Kakashi asked, narrowing his eyes. He shot me a glare and asked, "does this have to do with Haru?"

"His name's not actually Haru," I admitted. I then went upstairs and grabbed the scrapbook from my bed. I had been working on it earlier that day, updating it with pictures taken as recently as last week. I filled it mostly of photos with Hana, playing with Itachi, playing nurse with Itachi, painting, sitting on my lap, reading with me…the most recent photo I placed in there made me want to cry every time I saw it. It was eerily similar to the photo of Ita and Sasuke that started the conversation which brought the thought of little Hana to light. Hana had been playing nurse with Ita all day, and when I went looking for her to put her down for a nap, I found her in our room, lying on Itachi's chest, both of them asleep. I cried as I took that picture.

I brought the scrapbook downstairs to show to Kakashi. There really wasn't any other way to explain this to him. I flipped open to the page of photos from the mission at Utsukuma Inn. I set it down in front of Kakashi, pointing at a picture of Ita and I sitting on the bed of the honeymoon suite as I showed off my brand new engagement ring. We were so happy in that photo…and I hadn't realized how withered away Ita was until I saw that photo of him, healthy and strong, despite the fact that he was dying even then.

"His name is Itachi Uchiha," I said in a hardened voice. Kakashi's eyes widened in shock as he flipped through the scrapbook, looking at the photos which had been taking over the past few years. "And to make things clear," I explained, "Jiraiya really only has one source that he gets his information on Akatsuki from."

"But he destroyed his clan!" Kakashi exclaimed, "he destroyed the Uchiha so why would you-? Why would he-?"

"Because they were his orders," I said in a low voice, "the Uchiha were planning a coup. They were beyond reasoning and the Third Hokage was left with no choice but to order the annihilation of the Uchiha. Ita accepted it as his mission and he later joined the Akatsuki, fearing that they were a threat to the Leaf, and has kept Jiraiya updated on their movements ever since."

Kakashi trembled, looking through the scrapbook again, "So Tsunade knows?"

"The truth about Itachi Uchiha was a secret that Itachi himself has wished would die with him," Jiraiya stepped in, "Ari wasn't even supposed to know, but she found out in her own way three years ago when Itachi returned to the Leaf Village. No one has uttered a word about the truth, and no one will. However, I think it's important that you know about this, Kakashi, because there is a good chance that you will not be able to detain Itachi. He has his sights set on one final battle with Sasuke and he will not let anyone intervene with that. He'll probably die before you can find him."

"A final battle?" Kakashi asked, looking up at me, "but Ari, you're his wife, why does he want to fight Sasuke? Why does he want to die?"

"It's not that he wants to die," I explained through gritted teeth. I then flipped the pages of the scrapbook, showing Kakashi both a recent picture and compared it to a photo from Utsukuma Inn, "you can tell he's gotten sicker in just three years alone. His heart is failing and the only thing that could have saved him was a procedure only Tsunade and Shizune know how to do. When he accepted that he was dying, he resolved to fight Sasuke one last time, so that he could die by Sasuke's hands and his little brother would be freed of his need for revenge. That's Itachi's final wish."

At that, Kakashi stood, looking from me to the scrapbook, "Ari, there is still time. If we find Itachi then—"

"There is no time!" I barked back. I crossed my arms, holding myself tightly to keep from crying, "Itachi's body has long since given out on him. The only thing that's keeping him alive is a dangerous amount of heart medications. Even if you found him, he would be dead within the hour that you took him into custody. The time when he would have been strong enough to survive the valve replacement was three years ago, so even if Tsunade found out the truth and agreed to help him, Ita would just die on the operating table."

Kakashi looked away from me, distraught by the news, "Ari…are you going to see him again?" he asked, "before he dies at least?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. He was supposed to come home three days ago, but new jinchuuriki keep coming in and I don't know how much longer he has."

Kakashi then grasped hold of my shoulders, "then you're coming on this mission with me."

"What?" I asked in disbelief, "Kakashi, you can't be serious!"

"I have a feeling that we'll find him," Kakashi said, "and if not, we'll find Sasuke in pursuit of him. If anything, we can bring Sasuke back and you can at least say goodbye to Itachi."

"Kakashi," I glared at him, "there will be other people with us, how are we going to pull that off?"

"I'll help you out when we get to that point," Kakashi said, "are you with me?"

I looked from Kakashi to Jiraiya and back in disbelief, but sighing, I had a feeling they would drag me on this mission anyway, "alright…just let me get a babysitter lined up for Hana. When will we leave?"

"In three days. I have to finalize a few things with Tsunade before we go."

"Okay…guess I'll see you then," I said, heaving a heavy sigh. Dammit…what if Itachi came back after I had left?

As Kakashi stepped out the door, Jiraiya turned back to me and said, "he'll be home later on today. I asked him to hang back a bit while we talked to you, so you can wipe that worried look off your face."

I glanced up at Jiraiya in shock, relief washing over me, "thank you, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya's expression became grim suddenly when he said, "Enjoy the next couple of days with him."

As the door closed, I slunk to the ground, leaning my back against the wall. I had a feeling I knew what Jiraiya meant. Preparing myself for what would probably be our last moments together, I went upstairs to Hana's room and just watched as she slept. Tears began to fall from my eyes. Never again would the three of us be able to lie in bed together reading books or singing songs. Never again would we all get to play together in the backyard. Never again would I be able to sleep next to Itachi, lost in a love-filled genjutsu created to make up for the fact that we would never be able to truly devote ourselves to one another in the ultimate act of love. And never again would I be able to dream of the perfect family dinner.

As I drifted into a nightmarish day dream, I felt a pair of arms reach up and pull me into them. I squealed as they spun me around. I turned behind me to find Itachi, beautiful as ever, smiling at me with sad eyes.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he apologized, "is everything going okay?"

I nodded and said, "I was paid a visit from Jiraiya and Kakashi."

Itachi's smile fell and his gaze drifted over to Hana, snuggled up in her bed. He then sighed heavily and said, "so I take it Jiraiya told you everything?"

I bit my lip as I managed to say, "so this is it?"

"I'm afraid so," Itachi sighed. "I won't leave to meet Sasuke until you do, so we still have a couple of days."

"I see…" I said, heartbroken, "well…go spend some time with Hana first. She needs to say goodbye to her daddy."

Grimacing, Ita nodded, "right."

He walked over and sat on Hana's bed, kissing her lightly. I watched as Hana's eyes fluttered open to find her Daddy smiling down on her. She smiled brightly and outstretched her little arms for Ita to pick her up.

"Daddy!" she cheered sleepily, "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, sweetheart," he said, grunting as he lifted her into his arms. He spun her around gently as Hana hugged him tightly. She looked up at Ita, smiling and began telling him all about what he had missed while he was gone. She was elated to see that Itachi was feeling well enough to play with her outside, and they ran out to climb trees and play hide-and-go-seek.

I watched them from the window as Hana ran around and Itachi chased her, spinning her around in his arms. Hana would squeal periodically, causing Itachi to break out into a belly laugh that I hadn't heard in a long time. It was the perfect family picture, and I was delighted to see the two smiling. But knowing what was about to come, I fell to my knees and started crying.

When we put Hana to bed that night, she had the biggest smile on her face, "that was so much fun, Daddy! I'm so happy you're getting well again! Will we get to do that again tomorrow?"

"Well," Itachi began in a soft voice. He smiled sadly and poked her forehead, "we can play like that again tomorrow, but I'm not really getting better. I'm actually getting worse."

"Wh-what?" Hana's face fell, "but you were able to play with me today…"

"Sweetie," I began, my voice breaking, "you know Daddy's been sick for a very long time…and he's gotten too sick. After tomorrow he has to go on one last mission."

Hana frowned and her eyes began to tear up, "how long will you be gone?"

Trying his hardest to hold back the tears, Itachi pulled Hana in to his arms and choked out, "I'm going to be gone for a very long time. I don't think I'll be coming back."

"But Daddy!" Hana cried, "why won't you come back? Don't you like living with us? Don't you like Mommy and me?"

"Of course I do, sweetie," Itachi whimpered, forcing a smile, "I love you two more than anything in the world. But I told you already that one day I will go to sleep and then never wake up, and this will happen on my last mission. I don't want to leave you, Hana, I really don't, but I'm going on this mission to protect you. Bad people are after you and your mom's family. They'll even be going after Uncle Naruto and your Grandpa pretty soon, so I have to go."

"No!" Hana sobbed, burying her chest into Ita's chest, "Daddy, you promised you'd stay with me! You promised you and Mommy wouldn't let me be alone again!"

At this point, Itachi was shaking, he was crying so hard. I covered my mouth and looked away, unable to control my sobs. Itachi gathered himself back together enough so he could tell Hana, "but I will never leave you alone, my little flower! After I die, you'll have a guardian angel looking out for you. You won't be able to see me, but I will always be at your side, taking care of you. I'll hold you in my arms and sing you to sleep, just as I always do. You may not see me, but you will feel my embrace and you will hear my voice. I will always be there for you, Hana, even when I am gone."

"I love you Daddy!" Hana choked out as she sobbed. Itachi held her tightly and then brought me into his arms and the three of us cried together. Though both days the three of us had left together were filled with love and laughter, each night was exactly the same. Hana was a little more stoic when we tucked her into bed on that second night. As soon as Itachi knelt down to kiss her, she started whimpering. Itachi then picked her back up and set her on his lap. I wrapped my arms around her and placed my hand on Ita's chest and tried my hardest not to cry.

"I will always be here," he promised us, "everything will be okay."

"Daddy?" Hana asked in a sad voice," can you sing to me…just one more time?"

Wiping his eyes, Itachi began to sing You Raise Me Up, just as Hana loved, "When I am down, and oh my soul so weary, when troubles come and my heart burdened be; then I am still and wait here in the silence until you come and sit a while with me."

I picked up the chorus, whimpering as I sang, "you raise me up so I can stand on mountains. You raise me up to walk on stormy seas…" Hana then joined in and sang with me, "I am strong when I am on your shoulders. You raise me up to more than I can be."

We sang that song together at least four times before Hana had finally drifted off to sleep. We were midway through the last round when her eyes finally closed. Ita and I kept singing as he gently placed her under the covers, kissing her cheek. He then leaned into her ear and whispered, "I will always be here, my little wild flower."

We walked back to our room in silence both nights. The first night, we lied down on our sides facing each other, both of us trembling as we looked into each other's eyes and held hands. The second, and last night, however, as Itachi closed the door and pulled me into a hug, shaking he asked, "Ari…just once more…just one more time I would like to be with you…so please, can we have just one last genjutsu?"

"No," I said coldly. I looked up at him, fighting tears and said, "You're so close to death, it doesn't matter anymore. As far as you can go, I want you to give to me tonight. If you start having too much trouble, we'll use the genjutsu, but tonight, just this one time…I want the real thing."

"Ari…" Ita mumbled. It wasn't long before he planted his lips on mine and pulled my clothes off. Soon, we were intertwined in each other's bodies. At one point, Ita started another coughing fit, but he swallowed several pills. "I'm not giving up now," he whispered as he swallowed them. He then began to kiss my collar bone, his lips traveling down my chest. I relaxed in his arms, letting him do whatever he pleased. And then, and finally then, he leaned forward, kissing me gently when it happened.

There was sharp pain at first as I winced, but I allowed a tear to escape my eye as I realized what was happening. This was far better than any genjutsu could have reproduced. It didn't last long, however, as Itachi exhausted himself. He pulled out, trembling, and rested his head on my chest as he panted.

"Ita…" I breathed out, pulling his head closer to me as I stroked his hair.

"I'm sorry…" he panted, "this is…my limit…"

"It's more than enough," I said, "thank you."

He then looked up, resting his chin on me as he activated his sharingan, "could we…continue?"

I nodded and smiled as we drifted off to sleep, spending the rest of the night in our last and final genjutsu.

The next morning, I helped Hana pack her overnight bag. She would stay the weekend at Kurenai's while I was away. I then walked downstairs and Itachi and I made a big breakfast which drew Kisame out of his living quarters, bringing him to the table. It was just like any other morning.

Only it was our last one like this.

Hana harassed her Kisame with her nicknames as usual, "Uncle Dory, guess what?"

"What?" Kisame asked, cringing at the nickname.

"I'm going to get a goldfish and name it after you!"

"Oh? Do your parents know about this?"

"Well, I haven't asked them yet, but one of these days I will. Though I heard goldfish don't live to long so I'll get a hundred! I'll name the first one your real name, Kisame, just to be nice. But after that I'm going to name my next goldfish Fishy, then Nemo, then Gill, then Bubbles, then Marlin, then Jaws, then…a bunch of other names I can't think of, and then the last one will be Dory! Because that's my favorite name for you!"

"How…cute…" Kisame grimaced, forcing a smile.

Ita spat out a laugh, "Kisame, you've been reduced to a kid's pet!"

"Shut up…" Kisame spat back.

"Oh, lighten up, Jaws! We're only poking fun at you because you're a part of the family!" I said, patting Kisame on the back.

"Glad to hear," Kisame chuckled, "say, are you ever going to call me by my real name?"

I shook my head, "not until I see it on your tombstone."

"Oh really? I bet you'll call me Kisame at least once in my lifetime!" he grinned.

"You wanna bet?" I asked slyly.

"Let's shake on it," Kisame said, "if you address me as Kisame at least once, you owe me $50. But if I die in battle or something, and you're still going around calling me Jaws on my deathbed then…you can decide what you want from my stuff."

"Alright, deal!" I said, and we shook hands.

After a fairly cheerful breakfast, we all stepped out of the house. I looked up at it and sighed heavily. The next time I would set foot in there would probably clear all my stuff out of it and get rid of any unimportant things of Itachi's. I fought back an incredible wave of sorrow that struck me in that moment.

Sensing our spirits dropping, Kisame began to walk away, "I'll leave you three alone for now."

Hana clutched Tim-Tim tightly as she held my hand. She shook, terrified of not seeing her Dad again. Itachi knelt down and held his hand out, "I've got something for you."

Hana eyed Ita curiously and opened her hand as Itachi placed a silver flower-shaped locket in her hand. Hana and I both stared at it with wide eyes. I had no idea where he found that locket, but it was absolutely beautiful.

"Itachi…" I breathed out as I knelt down to see the locket better.

Itachi then said, "open it up."

Hana pulled the locket open and her jaw dropped. On the right side of the locket was a carefully cut-out picture of Itachi, Hana, and me from the first day we brought her home. On the left side was a poem. As I read the poem, I realized it was the same poem that had been inside the box that Ita's and my necklaces came from.

It Is You I Dream Of

A flower grows from beneath a blanket

Of fine and purest white

It reaches toward the sun for warmth,

For heat and for the light

My love for you grows stronger still,

Despite the surrounding cold

My heart is yours, bartered gone

For yours has it been sold

Its petals shine from morning dew

Its stem grows stiff and strong

It stands strong through the freezing cold

It stands the winter long

I long for you, for your soft touch

I miss the way you smile

The longer that we stay apart

The longer every mile

The flower stretches through the snow

It reaches toward the sun

And now without you the color is gone

The flower's petals, dun

But as we talk, and as we learn

The flower comes back to life

The snow now melts and goes away

As you take away my strife

Spring is here and growth abounds

As you and I are one

We are together, we are in love

The snow for now is done

I see the future, in dreams I have

Of our life, long and true

I see the times where all I need

Are comforting words from you

I see the times when winter comes

As winter tends to do

But we still love, and we still live

And I do still love you

And so we live, with children ours

And a life of much to see

With love we live, to live we love

Happy together are we

I see the flower, older now,

But still strong with fresh new leaves

I see it growing, tall and strong

Reaching to the eaves

We are now old, as years have passed

But old together are we

And strong our love still today

As strong as it can be

Tears welled in my eyes as I read the poem again. How long had it been since I gave him that necklace? The poem was just something that had come in the box by chance, but now as I read it, I realized just how important that poem must have been for Ita when he left me on that fateful night. That poem represented our love, it even had an analogy to our little flower in it.

Hana looked up at Itachi as she finished reading the poem and gave him a big hug, trying hard not to cry.

"Hana," Itachi said, "be a good girl for your mother, okay?"

"Okay…" she whimpered.

"Remember to do your homework, and listen to what Mommy tells you. As you train to become a ninja, don't let anything get you down. Everyone learns at their own pace, so don't let someone try to tell you that you're not good enough for whatever reason. And most of all, just be yourself. You're a sweet, beautiful girl, and I will always love you. I will always be here. If ever you get lonely, either think of the song I sing to your or read this poem, and I will be at your side either singing or reading with you. Do you understand?" Itachi asked, his voice shakey.

"Yeah," Hana nodded her head. She then managed a smile and held out her arms for Itachi to pick her up. He did and she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and said, "I love you Daddy. And you're the best Daddy in the whole wide world!"

"I love you too, Hana," Itachi said, "you're my sweet sweet Wild Flower. I love you so much."

He then set Hana down and turned to face me. He pulled out a picture frame and handed it to me, "I got this for you too…I hope there is a day that you can move on and forget about me, but until then, I just thought you could have this in case you ever get lonely."

I took the picture frame. It was the same photo of the three of us with the same poem in Hana's locket printed on the side of the picture.

Itachi smiled and said, "I would have gotten you a locket too but we already have matching necklaces."

"Thank you," I said, "and Ita, I hate to tell you but it's impossible to forget about your one true love."

Ita smiled sadly and said, "I was afraid you would say that." We then shared a long and tight embrace followed by a passionate kiss. I picked Hana up and set her in one of Itachi's arms and I held his other hand as we made our way to just outside Konoha. There was no one at the side gate, so we said our final goodbyes there. The three of us held each other for a long moment before I took Hana in my arms and I began to walk away. As I stepped into the village, I turned back to face Itachi. He smiled sadly and waved to me as he began to back away. Hana and I waved back and blew him a kiss. Sighing heavily, Itachi turned to leave.

And that was that.

Needing to stay focused on my own mission, I dropped Hana off at Kurenai's before I left to meet up with Kakashi. As I set her down, Hana began to cry.

"Mommy, don't leave too!" she cried, rubbing her eyes. I looked up at Kurenai, completely baffled as to how I would get her sudden bout of separation anxiety to go away.

Kurenai smiled sadly and she said, "Kakashi told me everything. No one else knows though, he just passed on the info for Hana's sake since I was taking care of her this weekend."

"Oh," I said, a knot forming in my stomach.

Kurenai then sighed and said, "I am so sorry, Ari…I had no idea…"

"It's alright," I said, forcing a smile, "we're both going through the same thing right now anyway. You don't need to worry about me."

"Well, if there is anything I can do," she said, "just let me know."

"Thank you," I said, then turned my attention to my crying little girl. "Hey, sweetie, it's okay. I'll just be gone for a little while. I'll be back."

Hana looked up at me, snot coming out of her nose, "B-but…Daddy's gone forever…you can't leave me too! I don't want to be all alone!"

"Hana," I said gently, "you are not all alone. You get to play with Kurenai this weekend and I will be back in a couple of days. I promise. And remember what Daddy told you before he left?"

Hana sniffled, "he said that he'd always be with me…even though I can't see him?"

I nodded my head, "exactly. You won't be alone. Daddy will come in after Kurenai tucks you in and he will kiss you good night. You will already be asleep when that happens and you probably won't notice him, but I know your father and he never ever goes to be until he kisses the prettiest flower in the world goodnight." I lowered my voice as I said the last part, trying to imitate Itachi as I poked her forehead like he did. Hana giggled and covered her forehead, a small smile creeping back.

I then kissed Hana and pulled out her new locket. I hooked it around her neck and it sat on her shoulders. It was big on her now, but when she got older, it would fit on her like my necklace did. After that moment, Hana never took her locket off again.


Itachi

Sasuke had indeed gotten stronger. Had it not been for the Susanoo, Sasuke's last attack would have done him in. But thanks to his trump card, Itachi could do one last thing. He stood on his feet, his limbs on fire as every muscle in his body begged him to stop moving and just give up already.

Sasuke stared at Itachi in horror and made a few feeble attempts to stop Itachi, but nothing worked.

"My eyes…my…" Itachi mumbled, but he couldn't get his words to come out. His entire body was failing. Dammit…Sasuke, you need to take your brother's eyes…!

Suddenly, Itachi felt his chest tighten and convulse as his heart finally started giving out, unable to pump any more blood to his body. Itachi fell to his knees, it felt as if he was being shot in the chest repeatedly. He vomited up a large amount of blood and his sight started to go. He couldn't stop…he was so close…!

Sasuke eventually backed up into a corner, with nowhere to go. His knees began to tremble as he stared at Itachi with wide eyes. The sight of his terrified little brother made Itachi frown slightly.

"Just one last time…" he thought to himself, "I wish I could hear you call me Big Brother…"

He laughed to himself, knowing that would never happen as images of little Sasuke flashed in his mind. Even if only as an obstacle for him to climb over, Itachi would always be there for his little brother. Nothing would ever change that.

The little boy's face slowly turned into a little girl's. He could see Ari and Hana standing before him, holding their arms out to him as they smiled.

"Ari…Hana…" Itachi whispered. They would be alright. He would protect them forever. Itachi then looked up at his beloved little brother as memories of Sasuke and their family in Konoha flashed through his mind. How many times had Itachi poked Sasuke on the forehead and said, "Sorry, maybe some other time"?

But there would be no other time after this. Itachi smiled as he lifted his hand. No, there wouldn't need to be another time, he had done his job. Sasuke could move on after this. Ari and Hana could live the rest of their lives in peace without worrying about him. His hand shook as it tapped Sasuke's forehead. Sasuke's eyes widened as Itachi whispered, "Sorry Sasuke…but this is it…"


Ari

We had been fighting this sad excuse for an Akatsuki for far too long. I was losing my patience with this freak, but every time I tried to break away from the group and run off, he would catch up to me.

But then a green venus-fly-trap looking thing came up from out of the tree he was standing in and opened up to reveal the creep who was known as Zetsu.

"Itachi is down," the black half said, "Sasuke is the victor."

My heart stopped in my chest as I looked up at the masked man and Zetsu. All the color drained from my face and the world began to spin. I knew that I would never see him again…but to hear that he was actually dead…

"Ari," Kakashi said in a low voice, "go. I'll distract them."

Without wasting a second I took off running, sprinting past the two Akatsuki.

"Ari! Wait!" Naruto called out for me, but I ignored him. Behind me, I could hear the masked man turn his attention to the rest of my team.

"Let her go for now," the masked man said, his voice changing suddenly. Itachi had warned me that the masked man was really Madara Uchiha, but when I looked into his sharingan behind the mask for a brief moment during that fight, I couldn't help but feel that something was off with Madara. I didn't know who that was behind the mask, but it wasn't the man who sent me to the flaming pits of hell.

I ran in the direction of the Uchiha hideout which wasn't far from here. I ran as fast as I could, taking on speeds that only the Fourth Hokage, Minato Sensei, could reach with his teleportation jutsu. As I ran, I entered a clearing where I saw Kisame and some white-haired boy fighting. I brushed passed them, my eyes fixed forward. I glanced back long enough to make eye contact with Kisame, who's wild grin fell as he realized what had just happened.

I didn't bother to stop, I had to find Itachi! When I reached the rubble that was left over from the fierce battle, I stopped in my tracks. Both Sasuke and Itachi were lying on the ground next to each other, out cold.

"No…" I whimpered. I ran over to Sasuke first, afraid to examine Ita. I did a light medical jutsu on Sasuke to stabilize him. He was badly beaten, but he would be okay. I then gulped hard, turning to face my dead lover. "Ita…?" I croaked. I pulled him into my arms, his head rested on my chest. Crying, I brushed the hair out of his face. His eyes were closed and I could still feel him breathing. "Itachi, please wake up!" I whimpered.

As if he heard me, he opened his eyes weakly and looked up at me in a daze. I couldn't stop crying as I held him, my hand clasped around his. He said nothing, and I couldn't stop crying long enough to tell him that I loved him.

But then I heard his voice say to me through our telepathic bond, *Please stop crying…everything will be okay. I'm in no pain. I can protect you now.*

*Ita…I…I love you so much!*

*I know…I love you too. And remember, I will never leave your side.*

*You better not, Ponytail!*

*Hehe…have I ever mentioned how much I love your nicknames for people?*

I paused and eyed him suspiciously through the tears. He gave me a weak smile and continued, *It's adorable…in fact, I think the first time I heard you call me Ita was when I fell in love with you.*

*We were four…*

*So? It might not have been love then, but when I heard your sweet little voice shouting at me and saying, 'Ita'! I was hooked, you never left my thoughts.*

*Oh, shut up…just shut that silver tongue of yours up, please! This flattery is too much…*

*I…I think I'm going…* Ita thought suddenly, his voice getting quieter and quieter. I could feel his body running cold and his breathing shallow. His heart had stopped beating several minutes before; I assumed he was having a heart attack.

Pursing my lips to keep from crying to loudly I thought to him, *then let us part with this…* I pulled Ita's head close to mine and we shared a long kiss. Ita closed his eyes and allowed a tear to escape as his grip on my hand slowly loosened before it fell to the ground. I could hear his last thoughts slowly get quieter and quieter as his soul left his body and he died in my arms, his lips on mine.


Itachi

He began to lose his balance and his head fell into the wall before his knees buckled and he collapsed on to his back, the darkness swallowing him. He thought he had died, but he awoke momentarily to find Ari holding him in her arms, crying. He tried to calm her, tried to tell her that he loved her, but his body wouldn't move. He realized Ari's hand was on his so he sent her his thoughts. Ari froze, listening to him, and she tried to force a smile through her tears as she gently kissed his lips. Itachi closed his eyes, and he could feel himself being freed from his body before everything turned white.

*Ari,* he thought as he passed, *I love you more than anything else in this world…I will be there for you always…*