Itachi pulled away just enough to look at Hinata's face, which was now smiling through a small stream of tears. It felt as if his heart sighed at the very sight of her. He stroked her cheek with his thumb, wiping a tear away. Despite their current situation, Itachi felt a heavy pressure on his shoulders go lax as he held his angel in his arms. She was alive and safe and he could not be happier. Now he just wanted to go home. Wherever home was, that is. As long as he had Hinata, Itachi didn't care where he was.
"Stop crying, angel. I'm here now." Itachi muttered, giving her a reassuring grin. It seemed to only break the seal more as more tears broke through. Itachi wished he could kiss them all away and carry her out of here but he knew it was only a matter of seconds before Sasuke attacked them.
"I have to finish this. I want you to get out of here." Now that Itachi found her he wanted her somewhere safe.
Hinata shook her head as she dried her face on her sleeve. "I'm not leaving you. If Sasuke's going to fight you then I'm going to help. It's not fair but I can't just stand back and let it happen."
Itachi wanted to protest and say that this was not her fight. It wasn't her fight, really, but Sasuke did use her as bait so she was technically involved. Still, though, Itachi had to look out for her now. Not because she was weak, she was far from it, but because he loved her. He loved her presence and the way she made him feel. Itachi could feel his life changing just by adding her into it; great things were going to happen. If Sasuke didn't kill him first.
Turning toward his brother, Itachi's guard remained up but his eyes had softened. Still, he did not want to fight. Especially his only brother. Sasuke, who was now getting up, did not look any less ready to kill him. Itachi sighed.
"Let's end this, Sasuke. I do not want to fight you." Itachi tried talking his way through once again.
Sasuke spit on the ground, snarling at Itachi with more grimace than he had before. He didn't respond with words this time, only actions.
Instantly the two went at it. It was kunai against katana and the strength difference was not vast. Sasuke was stronger than he was when he was just a teen, but Itachi had years of experience. They both held each other at a breaths distance, their arms shaking with the weight of the force. At last they separated, Itachi hurling shuriken as a distraction so he could appear behind Sasuke and strike him. Sasuke was quick, though, expecting this tactic and creating a clone that took the blow instead. Instantly, Itachi charged for his brother and landed a punch to the side of his head. Before Sasuke hit the wall Itachi kicked him with all the force of a giant, making Sasuke slam into the ground in the blink of an eye. Sasuke lay on the ground, motionless.
"Is he…?" Hinata muttered from the background, watching Sasuke's still body. Itachi watched him also, knowing it wasn't over.
"Get up, Sasuke." Itachi said in a deep voice. He was getting irritated.
"It seems like you really want to kill me now." Sasuke spoke through a stitch in his side.
"I do not want to kill you. But if I do not fight then you will never stop coming after me."
"You're right about that. You deserve every ounce of pain you have coming."
"Have you not done things in your life that you regret, Sasuke? Or are you God's perfect creation?" Itachi was beginning to realize that his little brother was gradually losing his mind. He was not just out for avenging his fallen clan, he was out for blood. The thirst for Itachi's blood was so strong it was beginning to warp Sasuke's mentality. This realization added to the pain Itachi felt for betraying his clan. In trying to save Sasuke's life, Itachi had only made it worse, whereas killing him would have been more merciful. Losing one's mind had neither reality nor knowledge, but was merely fantasy wrapped in hallucination.
"The things I've done I did to get where I am now. To regret that would mean I regret standing here in this very spot. I have nothing left to lose. Everything I had worth losing was taken from me the night you betrayed our family."
"I told you how I regret my actions and I take judgment for them yet you still wish to end my life. I will live with the regret and pain for the rest of my life and try to avenge our clan in my own way. Why you cannot do the same is beyond my understanding."
The wild anger in Sasuke's gaze only proved Itachi right about his mental stability. He was ferociously angry, like an untamable fire that raged on for months, killing everything in its path. It brought a wave of depression to Itachi that his brother let his anger and sorrow destroy him like this. Perhaps walking into a village full of dead family members scarred him worse than Itachi ever expected. Watching him now, he knew Sasuke would only be a threat to himself and everyone he came in contact with. He was seething, practically drooling with rage like an infected animal.
"I can't forgive you. Despite your reasons for killing our clan you ruined my life. I can't breathe while you stand there living while our parents lie in graves!"
Hinata watched as Sasuke did the seal for his fireball jutsu and Itachi, recognizing his motions, did the same. The building was instantly lit from the flames, both fireballs merging in the center and growing larger. They held out for several minutes, neither of them giving in. Whoever emerged as the victor from this battle would walk away with more pain than when they started. She could not lose Itachi, but if he came out of this alive she knew Sasuke wouldn't. Either way somebody was going to die.
Movement out of the corner of Hinata's eyes caused her to turn toward the doorway of the building. Her eyes grew in alarm. She ran toward Itachi and pulled out a kunai, guarding his back. She knew what they were here for but didn't want to take any chances with Itachi's back being turned.
Sensing chakra, Itachi threw three kunai bombs at Sasuke and redirected his jutsu toward the entrance at the two Akatsuki members. They dodged rather easily, the wall taking all the damage.
Itachi grabbed Hinata and created distance between Sasuke and the two Akatsuki. Now Sasuke was on his left and they were on his right. Hinata immediately took up battle position and activated her Byakugan.
"What are you doing here?" Itachi questioned, tension forming on his shoulders.
"We can ask you the same thing." Sasori said as him and Deidara walked closer to the middle of the room.
"This does not concern you." Itachi stated, wanting to both run and protect Hinata.
"I'm afraid it does."
"Sasuke is my brother and this is our fight. Leave now."
"Oh, we're not here for Sasuke," Deidara assured, his tongue licking the rim of the mouth in his hand, "we're here for her." He said, pointing directly at Hinata.
Itachi immediately guarded Hinata from them, pushing her behind him with all the force he could muster without knocking her on her feet.
"What are you talking about?"
"I guess she didn't tell him." Sasori chuckled.
"Tell me what?" Itachi directed toward Hinata, meanwhile keeping his attention on the three threats in front of him.
"Your little princess made a deal with your former family," Sasuke spat, smirking with all the evil of the leader of the Akatsuki. In the back of Itachi's mind, he realized if Sasuke stayed with the Akatsuki, the ninja world would no longer be the same.
"I- I'm sorry, Itachi…I was desperate and I didn't want you to…" Hinata stuttered, nervous with the backlash of her decisions.
"It's okay, angel. You're not going anywhere."
"That's not how this works, Uchiha, you know that. Hand over the girl and you can continue playing with your brother." Deidara sniggered.
"She's not going anywhere." Itachi said, gripping Hinata's arm. Itachi's heart fell in his chest. All he wanted was a simple life outside the Akatsuki. But as soon as he left it seemed to get worse for him. As his struggles went on, it felt like happiness was not in the cards for Itachi. But, he told himself, anything worth fighting for never came easy. And as he looked at Hinata, standing there ready to give her life to defend his, he was sure that Hinata was worth fighting for.