Dreamcatcher

By Airyo

The Guardian - 6

Itachi knew he was an elite soldier, one of Konoha's finest guardians.

It wasn't due to monstrous strength (that would be Naruto), nor perfect chakra control (that would be Sakura), or even a mastery of the Sharingan that surpassed the limits of human ability (that would be Uchiha Madara...though his foolish brother was a viable candidate). No, Itachi's weapon was logic and cleverness; his shield was wisdom and foresight.

Yet for all his mental capabilities, the Uchiha genius had a hard time discerning just exactly how he'd ended up kissing Hinata.

After a long night, he had slipped to the side door she favored as soon as dawn touched the horizon. She'd been disoriented and feverish, and when she had bashfully, triumphantly informed him of her dream, the wash of relief through his veins had fogged what was left of his senses.

And then he'd drowned in lovely, lavender eyes.

But how had he let himself succumb so easily? Itachi was not the type to do anything on impulse, much less embrace a person so intimately. Was it the lack of sleep? Her connection to genjutsu? A flaw in the Mangekyou that Tsunade couldn't fix? His sanity? Maybe the age-old joke of tripping and falling onto someone's lips had more merit than Itachi had originally allowed it.

None of his excuses, however, assuaged the faint anxiety that he overstepped his bounds. And for all his cleverness and insight, he could not be sure. She'd excused herself so quickly afterwards. Had fled. He'd stood there like a fool, but Itachi knew better than to bother her after subjecting her to such a shock.

He wasn't sure if he had the right to.

Itachi wondered if he might even have another chance. Maybe he was a pervert after all, what with following her around and kissing her so abruptly. Perhaps it wasn't a voluntary affliction, and he was doomed to become another Kakashi or Jiraiya. Maybe Hinata sensed that about him, and that was why she had been wary of him.

It might seem ludicrous to any other person, but Itachi found himself questioning much in his life.

"He's been like that the past few days," he heard Sasuke mutter to his teammates. "Just staring off into space and thinking so hard you can practically see the smoke coming out of his ears." Sakura looked at him in worry while Naruto squinted like he was in pain. Or confused.

Itachi refocused his thoughts and pinned his students with a glare over the barbeque grill on the table. "The purpose of our gathering is not to mock the hardships of our comrades."

"Isn't that what we do everyday?" Naruto asked.

"Stop judging him," Sakura translated helpfully. "Itachi-sensei has been busy, which is why we had trouble putting together a team lunch. He must have a lot to think about."

Her expression turned sly. "Hanabi alerted me to the rather odd lack of fangirls around the Hyuuga estates. Coincidentally, there's been a recent wave of depressed girls checking in for counseling. And they all seem to get rather teary at the mention of Itachi and start blubbering about knights in shining armor protecting their ladies." Sakura sighed sympathetically. "Must be hard work to evade the fangirls and somehow also convince them to not bother you and Hinata."

Sasuke gaped at his brother in awe, dark eyes glittering with hero worship reminiscent of his younger self. "Teach me," he whispered. "Please."

Naruto laughed in the background, barely able to avoid snorting barley tea everywhere. "Bastard only gets them angrier or hornier. You could say that his fangirls are..." His blue eyes lit up even as Sakura caught on and gestured threateningly. "...are like a swarm of angry horn-ettes!" He dodged the medic's swing with a guffaw, only to be silenced by a subsequent kick.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the awful pun and turned back to the elder Uchiha with a calculating look. "So why now? You've never really bothered to make it clear to them - just avoided them like I did."

"It was a satisfactory solution until now."

"You mean until you met Hinata," Sakura clarified not-so-helpfully with a toothy grin. There was something predatory about her gaze that made Itachi nervous.

"That observation does not leave this room," he said stiffly.

"I think that observation has already made it out of the country," Sasuke commented wryly. The corners of Itachi's mouth turned downwards at the thought of anyone else discovering his deeds. He had already been too forward.

"Nonetheless," Itachi reiterated, "it will not be due to any of your actions."

Even as he said it, the Uchiha genius knew it was in vain.

AN: You are guys are so suspicious - so many of you thinking last chapter was a genjutsu. Would I really be so cruel? (innocent, sparkly eyes)