Where are the bodies?" Itachi asked to the girl.

"Below here. I manipulated the ground a bit and managed to bury them below us without destroying the hut, for various reason. Granpa is still inside though, i manipulated the air a bit so the smell wouldn't leak out. But i don't recommend coming in though, even i wouldn't," the girl answered with a calm heartless voice, as if she wasn't bothered by it at all. It was unnerving, coming from a supposedly innocent girl.

Itachi and Kisame glanced at each other.

"Our order was to stop any disturbance to the construction and additionally, to uncover the mystery for our report's sake," said Itachi to both Kisame and the girl as he moved his glance towards the girl.

As Kisame tried to figure out the meaning behind his partner's word, Itachi continued.

"You know what we are capable of, and hearing what I've said earlier, you should have known your own options as well."

Itachi walked towards the girl. His Sharingan swirled and changed pattern.

"I can give you a painless death, if that is what you want."

Kisame, for once, couldn't understand his partner's action. It's as if he was hinting and giving her some other option beside death, when they could have just finished her by then. However, he had always believed and respected his partner's decision as well. Kisame had never intended to change that.

Itachi had to admit that he was taking pity on the girl. She reminded him of his brother, Sasuke. They would have been of the same age, or at least the girl looked as if she was the same age as Sasuke. His brother was also brimming with innocence. He was like a clean slate which can be affected by anything. The girl in front of him, he thought, was an example of how scary an innocence could be. For once, he wondered if what he did would lead Sasuke to the wrong direction instead. As he mentally denied what he had just thought of, he cut the thread that had been tying the girl up. The girl fell with a thump. She kept looking down, not saying a word.

"So..?" Itachi demanded.

"..Hey.. can I ask you guys a question? Especially to you, red-eyed brother.."

Itachi slightly tilted his head, wondering what the question would be.

The girl stood up slowly and tapped the dust off her hakama. Kisame kept his samehada near the girl's neck, just in case she decided to start attacking again.

"… At the moment when i killed those evil guy, granpa was terrified. He looked at me as if i wasn't human. He called me monster, he locked me up and tried to starve me out."

As she paused for a while, the girl looked up, glancing at the face of the two man in front of him.

"Those other people as well.. As I buried them, they looked at me in terror, calling me demon, calling me monster.."

"I know i was different, i know i have power. But don't shinobi have power too? And people are different from each other anyway.. Was it because i have a different kind of power than you guys? But I don't think that's why, i don't even think they noticed that. So why am I a monster? Why am I a demon? Why are they human? Why are they Shinobi? Why am I.. not human?"

Silence filled the air as she finished her questions. The girls shifted her eyes away from the two man in front of him as she looked up towards the crescent moon. A sighed escaped her lips, and she closed her eyes for a while. As she slowly opening her eyes, she looked straight towards Itachi's glowing red eyes. She walked slowly towards him, without Kisame's blade ever leaving her neck. The girl began questioning again.

"Hey… why are you guys not scared of me? Even as I told you what I've done, how could you guys be so calm? Why are you guys different from the others? Can it be, you guys know what i am supposed to be?"

The girl stopped just right in front of Itachi. Itachi didn't move a muscle, wondering about what her intentions were, for he sensed no hostility. The girl looked up, straight towards Itachi's eyes. Her expression cold and unreadable.

"Especially you, brother. As I told you about me, you looked as if you already knew that i was different. I didn't saw any sign of surprise, and you looked more like reassured if anything. Why was it? Was it because of your special eyes? What did you see with those eyes? And then, what else can you see with it..? What do I look like to you?"

"Can you tell me, what am I?"

As she asked, Itachi could see his face reflected on the girl's eyes. Her expression was still cold and unreadable. Was that the expression of curiosity, despair, sadness, or just pure, cruel innocence? Itachi asked himself.

As he saw his own reflection on her eyes, Itachi felt like he was being asked the same question about him. He was reminded of the days when he were a double spy of both his clan and Konoha. He didn't know which spy he was, until the end of things. Being in Akatsuki didn't change his situation. As he was supposed to be spying for Konoha from inside, he actually helped the group with their deed. He was supposed to prevent any more chaos, but as he played his role, he did the opposite. Sometimes, Itachi wondered, what he really was. As he was wondering, Itachi came to realize, that the girl in front of him was the same as he was. They were both struggling with questions regarding their identity, their role. They both lived a life of lie. Well, it wasn't exactly the same, for the source of the questions was different fundamentally. His came from his choice, and hers from her innocence. However, Itachi could feel a connection running between them. The indescribable feeling created a chaos inside of him, throwing him off guard.

As he struggled alone in his own thought, the girl kept looking closely at Itachi's conflicted eyes. Noticing the change in his emotion from his eye's movement, the girl smiled a bit, for she found the change in him unexpected, and amusing.

Kisame's voice broke the short silence as he spoke with a slight smirk on his face.

"Nah, you don't have to worry about it that much, kid. People usually don't like people they couldn't understand, that's what I learned. I, for once, was also called a beast."

The girl squinted her eyes and pouted as she spoke back to Kisame, "Well, doh, you DO look like a fish, shark-chan! While I looked just like a normal little girl!"

"Shark-chan!?" Kisame glared at her in disbelieve.

"That's what you get for keep calling me a kid!" replied the girl as she put out her tongue, mocking kisame.

"Ugh, I can't take this anymore, isn't this enough time? Itachi-san? What are we waiting for?" said Kisame, desperately.

"Oh right, I still have to choose!" the girl responded with a seemingly fake sign of surprise. She brought her finger to her lips, and snapped her fingers to create a sound. "Fine then, I've decided!" the girl shouted cheerfully, taking the two by surprise.

She jumped back a little on the created opening, getting away from Kisame's samehada. She took a light step and turned around, as if she was dancing. As she turned back to face the two man, she put her hands up and shouted.

"I've decided that I should follow you two!"

Silence resonated in the air.

"HUUUUUUUH?" Kisame looked confused as he reflexively shouted in surprise as a respond to her earlier statement.

"You guys go all the way around the world right? They say shinobis are! Besides, me leaving this place would mean there would be no more problem here, so your problems are solved! Don't worry, I won't bother you guys on your mission! Instead i'll help you guys, be it as decoy, or as backup, anything you guys can think of!"

"…I'm thinking of killing you right here and now.." Kisame said grudgingly.

The girl ignored Kisame's word and kept speaking cheerfully, "I can finally stop pretending, and since you guys already know what and how i really am, i don't even need to hide anything at all! Now that seems interesting!"

"…Listen kid, you think you'll be helping, but instead you would be a big problem.. We are not regular ninja you know.. We are Akatsuki, criminals! Wait, why am I even reasoning right now? Itachi-san, what are we waiting for, really?"

The girl looked even more excited than before, as she replied, "Akatsuki? Now that's a nice name, it even sound similiar to mine, the one that granpa gave me. Is this what they call fate?"

"This girl is insane!" Kisame shouted to his partner in disbelieve. His partner's face, was also, surprisingly, showing off slight signs of surprise. That was clearly not the answer that he was expecting.

Ignoring the two guys, the girl continued, "..And i've already done bad things, so what am I to say anything about you guys. Besides you guys have been the most understanding person i met, I feel like you two are not bad guys at all! In fact, I find you guys amusing, and I think I've come to like you guys!"

"…Hey, listen, you, kid.." Kisame protested, just to be ignored, again.

"Besides, going with you guys might help me find out who and what am I! Aren't you curious too? Not you, simple minded shark-chan," she added.

Kisame was about to protest again when suddenly he saw Itachi twitched. To her response, Itachi reflexively created a slight movement of surprise and hesitation. He has been found out, the girl was able to read him, Itachi thought to himself.

Still putting on disbelieved face, Kisame spoke to his partner.

"Don't tell me, you intended to bring her to Akatsuki?"

Silence floated in the air. Itachi didn't answer. He was still conflicted. His meeting with the girl stirred up too many things inside him. The innocence, the struggle, it was as if he was forced to stand in front of a mirror and question himself again and again.

"True, i think leader would be intrigued about this, and this would also make the explaining easier to be done. Do you think this is the best answer, Itachi-san?"

"…Do as you like.." Itachi turned around and walked back towards the path where they came from. As Itachi left the field, Kisame sighed and followed behind him without a word.

"Right, I haven't even introduced myself!" the girl shouted to the pair, who was already turning away and leaving the place. "My name's Mitsuki! Granpa said it's a wordplay water and moon! Nice to get to know you guys! Oh, and let me fetch up some proper clothes first! I'll catch up to ya soon!"

As the girl rushed behind the hut, Kisame spoke to his partner.

"My, that was totally uncalled for. I know you've always hated unnecessary fight, but wasn't that too soft, even for you? You don't even seem like your usual self."

"Not my usual self, huh?" Itachi asked himself. His head felt like it was spinning around with so many thoughts swirling inside him. He didn't know if his decision was right or wrong, or if it was the best, or the worse. Was his decision really too soft? He didn't know. It had been long since he last dwelt in his past memories, for he had tried to avoid it, focusing on his long term goal instead. It was never his intention to let her throw him off guard. That encounter with her brought back too many question, too many memories. Maybe he really wasn't acting like his usual self, he thought to himself.

As they were entering the forest, Itachi could hear a light cheerful footstep following them from behind.

—-

Author's note:

Illustration by , comission type BW art head shot, can be seen on my tumbler devilelfoflagendia

Oh right, i promised about her character design sheet… that will also be available there

I really enjoyed writing this part! Has anyone liked her yet? She got dark, yet innocent spirit, and her mind is still childish it is often nonsensical and insane :3 I like torturing Kisame with her hahahahaha…

Yep, haven't proofread this yet, i'm so tired +_+