Hmm... I am getting my inspiration back! It's all thanks to: I must admit: SP1CYSTR4WB3RRY! I must thank her... she reviewed all 19 chapters in one go! Clap! You must clap! And yes, she also got the 200threviewer award!

Thanks to Darth, who despite her busy schedule, has made time to Beta my hopeless stories.

Clap for her too! sounds of applause* Anywho, enjoy! Oh, new fic, SasuHina: In Which.

Cured

Itachi's kunai met with the creature's sharp nails, creating a loud clash. He narrowed his eyes, his Sharingan activated, as he monitored the creature's movements. They were unlike anything that he had ever seen before: strange, shrivelled up beings, with no distinguishable features. Even with his worsening eyesight, he could see their ugly wrinkled faces with perfect clarity. Their beady black eyes stared at the obscure nothingness in front of them; if Hinata had not told him of their blindness, he could've been fooled by their sharp gazes.

He glanced back at Hinata who was still sitting down with sweat dripping down her forehead and matting her hair. The mist was slowly, but surely dilapidating from her strenuous efforts. However, he could not afford to be distracted, so he focused on the inhumane enemy in front of him.

It was he who had the disadvantage: he was not allowed to use his element, fire. Or anything that could chance the destruction of their reason for coming here, whatever it was. It was nearly impossible to cast genjutsu on an unseeing being without using his Mangekyo. No. For this battle, he'd have to rely on his taijutsu.

A cough caused his body to shudder painfully, momentarily distracting him from his battle. Damn his health. Shaking his head, he barely dodged the monstrosity that lunged at his back, sending it down the ravine with a kick to its head. At least, he thought it was his head.

Swiftly turning he plunged a shuriken through another one of the things. They were slowly getting weaker, much to his relief. Another creature swiped at his feet, making Itachi stomp through its chest, crushing its heart. On the other hand, maybe not.

It was like a twisted test of endurance, one that he had not experienced in a long time. The battle went on for hours - slowly getting easier as the time passed. Finally, at one point he found himself in the middle of a bloody battlefield filled with various black carcasses scattered all around. There were no more creatures left, as the ones left had crumbled to dust the moment that Hinata had transferred all the water outside the Valley.

He eyed Hinata, who looked pale and shaky. He had not exerted himself like that in a very long time. "Maybe we can exchange energy again?" Hinata asked, tiredness seeping into her features.

Itachi didn't even have to really think about it before he grabbed her hand, injecting her with his own fiery chakra. As he felt her cool, calm and soothing chakra encircle his being he couldn't help but let out a silent sigh of relief and pleasure. His brain became cloudy as their chakra mixed and linked together, creating a burning heat flowing throughout his body. His eyes drooped, letting the enrapturing feeling take control of him.

He was unsure of how long it lasted, but by the time it finished, he was buzzing with static energy. Standing up, he observed Hinata as she stared at the scene before him. To her credit, she let no emotion show on any part of her face - except her eyes. Her mirrored, white eyes betrayed her, flashing a sign of disgust that disappeared as soon as it appeared. But... he couldn't be too sure, as her face was too blurry for him to really tell.

They began their descent into the valley, effortlessly avoiding the sharp rocks and gruesome corpses. The moment they stepped on solid, flat ground, Itachi looked at Hinata. She had her Byakugan activated, and was scanning the clearing for... something…an herb, was it?

That was when he saw a little patch of green nestled between the cracks of the rocks. Hinata moved to get some, collecting a handful. She had a strange expression on her face; one that he could not place. It was queer that she even had an expression on her face to begin with. He lost himself in thought, and let his guard down, as he often did when he was around Hinata.

He honestly shouldn't have been surprised when he found himself paralysed the next moment, but he was. Hinata had pressed the main pressure point in his central nervous system; something that only she could undue. "What...?" he asked, a bewildered look on his face.

Hinata didn't answer, her face darkening. Itachi could only deduce on thing: she had attacked, and trapped him. He had let his guard down. When had he gotten so foolish? When had he decided that he could trust Hinata, as this instance clearly showed that he couldn't? A thousand different curses raced through his head. But, more importantly, "Why?"

Yet, Hinata still did not answer. Instead, she sat in front of him, the plant clasped firmly in her hands. While he was not an idiot when it came to plants and their poisons, this particular weed escaped him. It was the first time he had ever seen it in his life. What kind of poison was it? Would it kill him slowly, painfully? Was it designed to make him suffer?

And still, the paralysis lasted. If he really wished to, Itachi would have probably been able to undue it. And if it weren't for the fact that he'd have to engage in a battle with Hinata afterwards, that was what he would have done. But he was highly aware of the fact that even with Hinata's betrayal, he could not bring himself to harm her. Because, even though Hinata was powerful, Itachi exceeded even her strength.

Love was a horrible thing, he decided. Was this what his parents felt? To watch someone they love slaughter them, showing them no mercy? It was certainly a horrible feeling. And what made it worse that Itachi could not fight back. Not against her. Too late, he realized, these feelings would not disappear.

He mentally apologized to Sasuke. He would not have his moment of glory, now that his older brother had betrayed him, giving his life over to a girl that had nothing to do with the Uchiha. Sasuke... who would probably be glad to hear of his death. A cynical smile stretched lazily across his lips while he eyed Hinata warily as she was transforming the plant into its liquid form.

Standing up, Hinata began striding toward her still paralysed partner. She had captured the substance in a glass bottle, but had not closed it. As her face neared his, her eyes narrowed in concentration. She beckoned a couple of drops of water that floated towards his eyes.

He had imagined his death many times, in many different ways. Suffice to say; not once had he ever imagined that he would die like this: stranded, helpless as the girl he loved poisoned him with eye drops. The irony of the situation did not escape him. Instead, he braced himself for the pain that would follow when the liquid entered his eyes.

He silently murmured his farewells to Sasuke; words that he would never hear. He waited for the burning he was sure would come. Unexpectedly, he was surprised, yet again. Instead of a burning sensation, the drops created a distinct cooling feeling against his sore eyes. His vision even cleared slightly.

Admittedly, it was a nice way to die and he had to commend Hinata for that. Opening his eyes to face her, he waited for... something. It was then he saw Hinata's hands were swirling with chakra, and he couldn't help but be slightly... confused.

If the eye drops were toxic, why were her hands still encased in deadly chakra? The chakra moved closer, also aimed towards his eyes. Was she going to destroy his eyes before aiming her traitorous hands towards his heart? He waited for his sight to be severed, rebelliously closing his eyes. That didn't seem to deter her as he felt her buzzing chakra moving closer towards his brain.

He waited for something to happen when her chakra connected with his body, but strangely, nothing did. And he didn't know what to think, beginning to form more questions than answers. If that... herb was poisonous, why did she have to kill him with it? Couldn't she have killed him with something more common? Why did they have to trek a week's worth of distance to locate a rare poison, when poison was available, pretty much everywhere?

The more he kept thinking about it, the more unsettled he became. Maybe that herb had something to do with his blood limit? Maybe she was interested in the Sharingan, wanting to have it for herself? That would explain why she was targeting his eyes. Yet, even that was not completely logical: if so, why hadn't she extracted the eyes already? Why was she fiddling with his brain?

He felt a migraine coming on. Beside what was she doing in the first place? All he knew was that he felt lighter the longer she did it. It was one of the rare instances when he decided to stop thinking, knowing that it wouldn't help, nor would he achieve any answers. He opened his eyes, seeing her face... with perfect clarity…the hell?

She then brought him to position so he was lying flat on the ground. Her hands were still covered in chakra, and were settled just over his heart. Oh, so now she decided to deliver the finishing blow, he thought sarcastically. He saw a drop of perspiration slide down her nose, landing on his person. Why was she sweating? Killing shouldn't be too hard... at least not heard enough for her to sweat.

It was then he was assaulted by his daily cough. He watched as Hinata's eyebrows knitted while her hands ceased their glow. She reached for a pocket in his chest, where he usually kept the pills. Taking one out, her trembling fingers (why where they trembling?) opened his mouth and she placed the pill on his tongue. As he swallowed it, he noticed she was... close. Her hair was intertwining with his, and for some weird reason, she was straddling him. But this was no time to be distracted by her near presence... how did she know about those pills? Did that mean she knew of his disease?

He did not know how that mattered, at this point... as it appeared that she was about to kill him. But still, it unnerved him. He thought he hid his ill health well enough. However, it appeared as though he... hadn't.

After feeding him the pill, her hands - once again - glowed with chakra. She hovered them above his heart, and he closed his eyes, waiting for death to come. He should probably fight against it, he reckoned. But what was the point? Besides, he couldn't fight against Hinata. It was one thing he absolutely refused to do. Stupid emotions.

Her chakra connected with his chest, and yet again, he waited for blackness…anything. But - and he really shouldn't have been shocked - nothing happened. Instead, his lungs felt lighter. They grew lighter the longer her chakra stayed on his being.

He didn't know how long they stayed like that (Hinata straddling him, her chakra on his chest) but by the end of it, he felt as if he could finally breathe again. Freely. Deeply. And as he did breathe, his lungs felt weightless, unrestricted. He had no urge to cough. It was like... he was cured.

His eyes widened. He was stunned. He had put the puzzle pieces together, albeit slowly, he must admit, and had discovered a strangely beautiful and mind blowing image. Hinata... she had healed him. And she had not paralysed him to harm him, but rather to keep him still. She held his life in his hands, and chose to keep it. Him. His murderous, disgusting self. And suddenly, he felt guilty for ever doubting her, although those feelings were irrational since his doubt was perfectly justified.

Hinata smiled lightly at him while a satisfied gleam lurked in her eyes. She moved off him (he would never admit it, but he missed her warmth) and removed the paralysis. He barely managed to catch her as she slumped, passing out from sheer exhaustion.

He took the moment to just stare at her. Untamed admiration and love swirled in the depths of his eyes - and he could finally acknowledge the fact that he was in love with her. Her eyes were closed; long thick lashes curled up against pale skin. Her raven hair glittered in the thick sunlight, letting out a slight indigo undertone. He picked her up bridal style, feeling stronger and healthier than he had in years, and carried her up the steep slope, intending to find a nice cave to rest in.

There were caves aplenty; what with this being a valley surrounded by dry, hard cliffs. He picked the nearest one, setting her down on the ground gently. His hand brushed against her forehead, checking for fever, and he was relieved to find that her temperature was normal. He wearily started a fire; after all, the sun was starting to set and the earth was starting to cool from the desert environment.

Taking that moment to think, he stared into the dancing flames. He felt filthy. Confirming his feelings... while that left him with a clear mind, it also left him feeling revoltingly vile. She was the age of his brother, far too young for the likes of him. And yet... that thought left a bitter taste in his mouth; his subconscious mind already referring to her as something his. His consciousness vastly differed with the alternative, that was for sure.

Besides, it was never meant to work. Even with his renewed health, he was still doomed to die at his brother's hands. There were many lives that had to be avenged. He had to help his brother achieve his peace of mind, and he could not let a girl, or anything, for that matter, deter him from his goal. Never mind the fact that he had already forsaken his ultimate goal for her and her safety.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, besides Hinata, staring at the fire, deep in thought. He stood guard until Hinata started to blearily wake up, a soft yawn overcoming her mouth. She was fully woken up in a matter of seconds; alert, and taking in her new surroundings, checking for impending danger. Itachi felt a tinge of sadness at such a reaction, and chastised himself thoroughly. Of course, they were ninjas.

And a part of him couldn't help but wondering on the alternative. What if they weren't ninjas, but normal civilians? What if he didn't have to always be involved in murder, death, and blood? What if he didn't have to deal with this constant guilt, conceived in the name of peace? But he shook the thoughts out of his head, knowing that what-ifs would be useless, and only depress him further.

"Good morning," he murmured, his dazed eyes taking in and absorbing Hinata's features, that had been blurry the day before. "An explanation is in order, Hinata." His voice was sharp with purpose.

Hinata had many questions that she needed to answer. And this time, Itachi would not mind his own business, because like it or not, he was involved the moment that she had healed him. Hinata grew quiet, her face growing blank. "I understand, Itachi."

"When? How? Why?" Itachi knew that she would understand the questions that he didn't bother explaining. His face was expressionless; as if it was carved and cemented, in stone.

"Reasons." He swore Hinata said that just to spite him. But as a hint of a smile shadowed her lips, he found it to be an ill-timed, and highly inappropriate attempt to lighten up the heavy atmosphere. "Since I first saw you with my Byakugan." That answered his first two questions.

"Because I wanted to." Hinata's answer was vague, as always. It frustrated him, but he was careful not to let that frustration slip through. He would be able to get nothing more from Hinata; that he understood. Not today - not now. Instead, he rose, extinguishing the already dimmed fire in one fell swoop. He held out his hand to Hinata; she took it, standing up beside him.

Before they exited the cave, Itachi spoke. "Thank you." It was a quiet murmur, one that could easily be muffled by the deafening silence that rang in her ears. She nodded her head, showing that she had, in fact, heard his words. No further words were exchanged; they chose to add onto the heavy muteness, which grew more and more palpable.

Itachi turned to leave, but Hinata's steady hand stopped him. "I have to return the water to mist." Itachi bit himself back from asking why. It was obvious, and he was disappointed that he even had to think about it.

The plants were not used to the harsh sunlight, and they were already beginning to wilt. Hinata was going to restore their original environment, so they could continue to survive. Those plants could prove to be... useful... in the future. Because, even though she had healed him now, it was not so obvious whether his good health would last, and whether regular treatments were necessary. So, just in case, she was going to preserve the plants.

He spread himself next to Hinata, who was sat on the bank of the river that she had created the day before. It was not often that he found time to relax; besides, they were going to be travelling non-stop later. It was best to rest now, and save up his energy for later. He turned to his side, soaking up the sunlight, the rustling of the water music to his ears.

He had not felt so... free... in an incredibly long time. This new-found freedom was not meant to last, as the images of his dead mother and father haunted him. Of course, there was a reason for his sorrow and unhappiness. His guilt. Could he not even enjoy an afternoon without these atrocious images haunting him?

When Sasuke's fear ridden face flashed in his mind, his question was answered. No, he could not. He didn't deserve the peace of this afternoon; it was logical, for a murderer that killed his own family. A pang of loneliness struck his chest. He opened his eyes, bleakly staring at the grainy, sharp cliff side below. If he were to jump, would this world be a better place? Then again, it was predetermined that it was Sasuke who would kill him...

He felt something soothing enclose around his hand. His eyes ventured to see Hinata's hand around his, her eyes distant. "Whatever you are thinking, stop it. One would not think, but you have an incredibly low self-esteem, Itachi." Then she squeezed his hand, reminding him that he was not alone, and that she was with him. And for the first time since he had been very young (what... seven?) he smiled a very wholesome and pure smile. He was not alone.

His healer, was here, right next to him. In a similar position to his. He could... trust her. She had proven herself worthy of her trust. The first one ever, that he could whole heartedly trust. And maybe it was just him, but he felt his heart grow one size larger, as if it would burst.

He contentedly eyed her as she concentrated moving the steam back where it belonged, resting peacefully. Peace: it was such a wondrous word. But he fell back to his stoic demeanour as he was reminded of an impending job...

"You do know that we have a mission to complete?"

"Well, no." He ignored the sarcasm. Even with the job, he was quite happy... and cured.

Okay. Slightly weird ending, and kind of short chapter. Meh. It was kind of descriptive, and I kind of only managed to get through one scene. Sadface.

Not much to say. Reward for the 300threviewer. Their relationship is developing, fact. And Itachi is feeling more and more like a pedo.

Review, and thank you all reviewers,

Sincerely,

Aurora-chan!