Chapter 10

Keiko sat up in her hospital bed, determined to not stay there all day. That morning had been eventful to say the least. Kakashi had helped her to the infirmary and when she had explained the situation to the medic Keiko was promptly scolded for not coming to them straight away. She sighed, Keiko hated hospitals. Hospitals were a place of healing, though she couldn't ignore the vague sense of death that seemed to linger around every corner.

Hopping out of her bed she shook her head. It was just her own experiences that made her feel that way. Keiko didn't want to linger on those feelings or else the rest of her day would be ruined. She had already spent far too much of her day in bed and wanted to go find Naruto. They had not talked for several days and she was curious to know how he had been doing in his classes.

She sighed again in disappointment at the time. It was almost five in the afternoon, the day was basically over. On her way out of the hospital she was met with some protest by the medical staff but she insisted she would be fine because of their help. They reluctantly let her leave with strict instructions to get plenty of rest to restore her chakra. As usual she gave them a warm smile and a nod as she left, thanking them for their help before exiting.

Keiko had paused for a moment to soak in the sun and the fresh air when someone called her name. She turned to see Iruka waving at her, offering a smile. Keiko returned the gesture and he came to a stop a few feet away from her. There was a stiff silence as the two seemed to avoid eye contact with one another, both having things to say but not sure how to say it.

"Hey-"

"So-"

Iruka laughed awkwardly and scratched his nose while Keiko smiled to hide her unease. "Go ahead, I'm all ears." He told her truthfully.

Keiko turned her eyes down toward the ground, a little ashamed of her actions over the last several weeks. "I just wanted to apologize for how I've been treating you lately. I know you have a lot to sort out in regards to Naruto. Don't get me wrong, your actions upset me greatly for how they affect Naruto, but I can't help but feel guilty for refusing to help your situation." She paused, "I guess, what I'm trying to say is I let my emotions get the better of me. I should have been there for you as well as Naruto."

Iruka smiled warmly and shook his head. "You were right, you know?" She looked up at him curiously. "What you said before, that I just need to get to know Naruto. You were right. I feel so stupid for not seeing it before, how great of a kid he is." Iruka remembered his conversation with Naruto and smiled, "He really does have the Will of Fire inside him. Maybe he really can be Hokage one day."

She couldn't help herself and in her excitement she gave him an excited hug, "I knew you'd come around!" She said with a laugh.

Iruka was surprised by the gesture and couldn't help a light shade of pink dusting his cheeks. His eyes were wide and his heart was beating erratically in his chest, he desperately hoped she couldn't hear it. He laughed and scratched the back of his head as she let go of him. "Yeah, I'm sorry for the way I have been acting too." He paused and blinked, "Oh, that's right, I got this from Shikamaru as well." He held up her bag.

"Thank you, I knew he would keep an eye on it for me." Shikamaru was one of her favorite students. She knew his grades were bad but she knew he was far brighter than he let on. He would come to the library to work on a project that he had no actual intention of working on. During those times Keiko would talk to him about the subject and it was obvious he already knew the material. He was very intellectual and had his head in the clouds. If he wasn't so lazy she was certain that Shikamaru would be one of the top students in the academy. Keiko grabbed her bag from Iruka, slinging it over her shoulders, "How did you know I was here anyway?"

"Oh, Kakashi stopped by to tell me. Said you had a previous injury but not to worry."

She turned and began to walk with him down the street. "Yeah, wasn't anything too serious, some guy got lucky is all."

The two continued like that, catching up about what the other had missed out on during their lost time. She shared some facts about the few missions she had been a part of and Iruka shared with her the progress of some of the students. Keiko expressed some pride at the mention of Sasuke who was top of the class. It wasn't surprising though, he had the help of both her and Itachi. He was something Itachi and her talked about as they knew they were both mentors for him. Keiko saw no need to hide anything from Itachi. He was simple and straightforward with her and she didn't pry into the strained family dynamic that the Uchiha Clan seemed to have. Keiko had realized shortly after the two of them had started to train together that her time with him was an escape. They would often take breaks between their matches to talk, or sit under the stars talking about life if they styed out late enough.

Keiko waved good by to Iruka and went on her way home in hopes of seeing Naruto there waiting for her. Sometimes she thought that his apartment got lonely without him. He had told her that when she would leave for a mission he would stay in his own place for a few days then stay at her place when he thought she would be back. It was sweet to know he really did miss her.

Sure enough when she returned home she was tackled in a hug by the blond boy who excitedly told her about the adventure of a day he had. She could only sit on the couch as Naruto very animated and lively ran around the room, telling her every detail and acting it all out. At the end of it all he threw himself onto the couch with a big grin, his head in her lap, "Yeah, I think Iruka Sensei might actually acknowledge me now!"

Keiko laughed and ruffled his hair, "I'm sure he will." She paused, her smile faltering as she played over one particular detail. "Naruto, what was the name of the Jutsu you used again? The one you used to try and distract the three?"

"Oh, you mean my sexy jutsu?" He hoped up onto the coffee table and made the hand sign, "That's right, you've never seen-" a large cloud of smoke appeared as he transformed, "-this." Naruto had turned into a tall voluptuous blond woman who leaned forward, blowing Keiko a kiss.

Keiko couldn't move.

Couldn't think.

Couldn't breathe.

Naruto ended the jutsu and laughed at the shocked expression on her face, "That had more of an affect on you than those three! Don't tell me you like girls, K-"

He didn't get any further before Keiko abruptly stood, face a bright shade of red. "Naruto! What kind of a jutsu is that?! Where on earth did you learn that?!" Her arms reached out and gripped his shoulders, shaking him, "Why do you even know what a mature woman looks like in the nude?!" Naruto was beginning to feel a little dizzy from the constant shaking and Keiko let him go, turning to pace around the apartment as she continued her ranting. "You're too young to be a pervert! Iruka tells me you can't preform a simple transformation and yet you can do that flawlessly!"

Naruto sat on the floor in front of the coffee table and shrunk back as much as he could. Great. He thought that she would be proud of him for doing a jutsu. Naruto decided to tune her out and ignore her the best he could. He decided that from then on he would never use that jutsu while Keiko was around.

"Naruto, are you listening to me?!"

He jumped, "Y-yes!"

Several Months Later

Keiko fell back onto the ground, panting heavily. She flipped back onto her feet after a moment, just in time to avoid being hit by Itachi as they continued. Itachi had actually sought her out to train, it surprised her. She would usually head out to train when it got a little later in the day and he would find her. Keiko had to wonder what was on his mind. While the two of them trained together nearly every week for almost a year she could not read him any better than she could the day they met. What she knew of Itachi was what he had volunteered to her willingly.

The two of them moved around the training ground quickly, clashing against one another again and again until Itachi got behind her and effortlessly kicked her in the back, sending her to the ground. She flipped on her free hand and landed in a crouched position. Itachi was gone. Like many times before she could feel the cold steel against her neck and she smiled. It was like this many times before. Even still, she could not win against him. Itachi was in a whole other league, all his own. She had grown to trust and respect him like an old friend.

"Still sloppy." He told her putting away his weapon.

Keiko laughed lightly, putting away her own weapon before sitting against a tree comfortably in the shade. She reached over into her bag and removed a small box that she opened to reveal rice balls. Itachi sat near to her and the two ate in a comfortable silence. Keiko had noticed he looked more troubled than usual. Itachi had been under a lot of stress lately and she had often wondered if being an Anbu Captain could be getting to him. Instead of asking him anything job related she decided a different direction to lighten the mood.

"So, Itachi..." he looked at her as she continued. The mischievous smile growing on her lips, "Who's Izumi?"

The young man caught himself before he choked on his rice ball. "She's a member of my clan," he said simply.

Keiko grinned, "Ohhh, I think there's a little more to it than that. I see the way she looks at you." Itachi gave her a side glance and Keiko thought he looked a lot like his little brother in that moment. They had the same annoyed expression. She leaned back, sighing in thought, a finger on her chin as she looked up. "You two were really eyeing each other up over that lunch you two had."

"Keiko." Itachi said in an almost horrified whisper. How did she even know about that? He couldn't believe he was getting flustered over this. While his face didn't show it, his heart rate had increased and he could feel a little heat try to rise into his cheeks. There were very few people that could make him like this. He just had let Keiko grow close to him, he should have known better.

She laughed and waved a hand at him dismissively, "Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing. She's very cute though." She gave the Uchiha a playful wink before taking another bite.

Keiko let the silence fall over them once again seeing the look in Itachi's eyes. While she couldn't so much as guess why, he looked almost conflicted. She knew better though than to ask. Either he would tell her, or he would not.

"Keiko." Itachi said slowly. She looked to him, listening. "What do you think of this village?"

She blinked. "Kind of a loaded question, don't you think?" She leaned her head back and looked up into the sky, this time in deep thought. How to answer... After a few moments she smiled, reminiscing about her time in the village. "It's home." She began. "I still cherish the land of my birth. The Land of Iron shaped me, but I have so much more to thank the Leaf Village for." Her eyes closed, thinking of Asuma, Kurenai, Guy, Iruka, Naruto and everyone else she had met and now cherished. "It didn't start that way, but now I couldn't imagine it any other way. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay the people here." She looked to him and smiled, "I would gladly lay down my own life to protect my home. I hope that answers your question."

Itachi nodded silently while Keiko had to wonder what had brought on such a question. She as surprised when Itachi stood and looked down at her, his eyes piercing, "Keiko, if something happens, please look after Sasuke."

Unlike Itachi who was able to stop himself from choking, Keiko had to cough. She held up a hand after dislodging the morsel, "Wait, what are you talking about?"

He closed his eyes, "Promise me."

Keiko stood, dusting herself off, "I mean, of course, but why this so suddenly?" Sasuke was her student, more so than others at the academy. Like Naruto she would take time to train him, give him tips and just be there for him. There were many times she wanted to get the two to work together so they could have a group training session but the two really did dislike one another. He showed so much potential and she knew he would be comparable to a chunin well before others in his class. It wouldn't be long before he could generally watch out for himself, not to mention he had his clan to watch out for him. "Sasuke has you to look after him. Not to mention there's your father who, if I remember right, was almost made Hokage. Is something going one, Itachi?"

He didn't answer her. Instead, he gave her a soft and genuine smile that sent her reeling. Something really was going on, but what? "I have to go, good bye."

"Itachi!" She called out before the young man disappeared.

After that Keiko did her best to shrug off the strange encounter and returned to her daily activities. She wasn't sure what Itachi was going through but she could not help but think of the look he gave her. It was like he was saying thank you and good bye, forever.

It would be fine.

Everything would be fine.

It was a chant that replayed over and over in her head. She couldn't shake the feeling all day, even when she had ran into Iruka and Naruto who were on their way to Ichiraku ramen. Iruka had given her a weird look but nothing more. She found herself wishing she would have ran into Kakashi. Him and Itachi had worked together before Itachi became a Captain, maybe he would have some insight into Itachi's behavior.

Later that night Keiko lay in bed starring at the ceiling, the feeling in her stomach making it impossible to sleep. Keiko finally threw her hands up in frustration and got dressed. Fine, if she couldn't sleep she might as well do something productive. There was one thing that she knew could keep her distracted, at least for a little bit. She was going to organize books.

She made her way to the academy and that night more so than others was dark in more than just the literal sense. She felt like she was being watched. The tingle that ran down her spin made her walk faster to the academy. Faster and faster until she was running. Keiko finally made it to the academy, entering the library through the window. "Maybe I should have stayed in bed." She laughed nervously to herself.

With the uneasy feeling of being watched now dissipating she refocused her energy to her work. Who knew, maybe this would allow her to get off early the next day!

Keiko wasn't sure how long she was going through book returns when she suddenly became aware of a familiar voice. She looked up from her work and stepped closer to the window and down toward the academy training yard. Sure enough, there was Sasuke throwing shuriken and Kunai trying to perfect the technique further. She turned behind her to look at the time, a quarter past ten.

Realizing the time she quickly went down to the training area, "Sasuke, what are you still doing here?"

The boy turned, "Keiko Sensei." He wasn't expecting anyone to be there and from the look on her face she felt the same way.

She smiled, "Do you know how late it is?"

Sasuke shifted his weight and tightened his grip on the kunai, "Yeah, I'm just trying to get this right."

"I'll help you with it tomorrow, how about that? Now, go home. It's far too late for you to be out and about. What would your mother say?" She watched as Sasuke pouted and went to go gather his things.

He turned toward her and pointed, "Promise?"

Keiko couldn't help but be reminded of Itachi in that moment. She smiled, "Of course."

She watched the boy leave and she was left alone with her thoughts. Why would Itachi ask for her to take care of Sasuke. Itachi had to be aware of something she was not. There was no way that Sasuke would ever need her to look out for him because there were already so many people who loved the boy.

Time passed and she wasn't sure how long she stood in that training yard before she looked out over in the direction of the Uchiha compound, "Maybe, I should check on him..." She thought of everything going on and couldn't help but feel worried for the two young Uchiha.

Keiko quickly took off down the street toward the Uchiha compound. She would just drop by quick to check on them, nothing else to it. Then, maybe she would finally be able to get some sleep. As she made her way into the compound she was floored to see the usual guards dead on the ground. She knelt next to them, finger on their pulse but she felt nothing.

Her blood ran cold when she looked up and saw several more bodies strung about. Slowly she stood, eyes wide as she tried to ignore the frantic beating of her heart in her chest. Keiko couldn't believe what she was seeing! Her fists tightened and her resolve to find the two Uchiha strengthened. Keiko forced herself to stay calm as she moved quickly through the compound. The bodies were very fresh so she knew that the killer was still around somewhere. She only prayed that she could find Itachi and Sasuke before the culprit did.

Everything seemed to stop and her blood turned to ice in her veins when she heard a scream.

"Saskue," she gasped.

Swiftly moving in the direction of the boys scream she pulled out a kunai, cursing the fact she didn't have her swords on her. It didn't take long to get there. She stood on one of the buildings roofs and she spotted them. For the briefest moment she was happy to see his face, to see he was alright.

That feeling was short-lived. Itachi stood, clad in his Anbu attire. Blood splattered all over him form head to toe, the blade that she had battled against glistening in the moonlight from the countless Uchiha around them.

Keiko and Itachi locked eyes. His sharingan void of emotion while her blue eyes were impossibly wide.

She finally looked away from him when she heard groaning from Sasuke who lay on the ground. Keiko moved to his side instantly, assessing the boy for injuries. He was alive.

There was no time for celebration. The familiar feeling of cold steel pressed against her neck and a voice that was so familiar yet foreign spoke to her. "You were not supposed to be here."

"What have you done, Itachi?" She snapped at him in a horrified whisper. Suddenly, everything seemed to come crashing down on her all at once and she could not stop the stream of tears that left her eyes. She could not deny what Itachi had done, the proof was right in front of her. There was no way she could process everything in that moment but she knew one thing was for certain, she had to protect Sasuke.

Fueled with her desire to protect the boy in front of her she used her kunai to push the blade at her neck away. Taking a page from Guy's book she swept at his feet with her leg but he easily dodged it. While the kunai was not the same material as her swords, she flooded her chakra into it, only needing more concentration to keep its form. Keiko then began attacking him with a vigor she had never felt before. "Why?!" She screamed as she moved against him, all her attacks missing or being blocked. "Why ask me to watch over Sasuke when you were going to kill him?! He loves you and you're taking everything from him!" She continued her assault on him, too stricken with grief to notice the unshed tears in his eyes.

Finally, the two of them stood, blades straining against one another. Keiko was panting, eyes wide as she looked ahead, eyes unfocused. She knew she wasn't going to win this. She bit her lip hard enough for it to bleed, "Tell me." She demanded, "Was it all a lie? Was any of it real?!"

Itachi closed his eyes before reopening them and Keiko could feel a fatigue like no other consume her. She stumbled back, trying her best to remain standing as her world began to fade. Before she fell back into unconsciousness, she thought she saw him mouth the words,

"I'm sorry."

Quick update this time!

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Posted - 6/7/2021