The Crow & The Butterfly

The "Date"

[Name] was sitting on her bed, cradling her knees to her chest. She was surprised, shock, but it wasn't the brief history lesson she received from the Hokage. [Name] rubbed her forehead, the place where Itachi kissed her. 

'What am I thinking? Do I like him? Or does he like me?' [Name] thought. She shook her head. "We're just co-workers, partners. I'm not getting attached to anyone, and I'm especially not falling in love with someone." she scolded herself.

[Name] collapsed on her bed and rolled around. This was why she hated herself. Since what had happened to the Cho clan, the remaining members created this loss of trust, and they tended to isolate themselves from other clans. She couldn't help it. [Name] had to protect her brother from them, and this was her duty since that terrible day.

[Name] closed her eyes, but only saw that unfortunate event in the past. A tear rolled down her face. Wiping it away, [Name] confirmed that she had to be stubborn to protect Karasu from them.

But, somewhere inside her, she wanted to be with someone. Someone who could protect her and Karasu. Someone who they could call "family."

She blew out the candle and tried to fall asleep. 'Why must so many conflicting feelings emerge now?'

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Itachi was standing in the middle of the shower. The water slowly trickled through his long hair and down his back. He was trying to remember what had happened back there when they were watching the Hokage and [Name]'s younger brother.

"I think they'll be fine... Let's go back. It's getting dark, and we'll have to be up early to tail them..." [Name] had said hurriedly and suddenly. Itachi was hugging her, but he couldn't place what made [Name] like this.

"Damn it..." he hissed. He shut off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. Itachi grabbed another, smaller towel to dry his hair. As he opened the bathroom door, somebody was thrown across the hall.

"What the-"

Tobi crawled towards Itachi. "Itachi-san!!! Deidara-senpai's trying to kill me!" he cried. There was another small explosion at the end of the hall, and a totally pissed-off Deidara appeared out from the puffs of smoke and wall debris.

"What is the meaning of this, Deidara? It's late at night, and a couple of people are trying to sleep." Itachi demanded, looking very upset at the chaos.

"Sorry, Itachi-san, but this little pest was trying to ruin my masterpiece! He's so... ARGH!" Deidara punched the wall, sending small crumbles flying.

"Stop breaking the walls, or you're going to repair them tomorrow. Anyways, Tobi, what were you doing that upset Deidara?"

Tobi pushed his two index fingers together and tried to act innocent. "I-uh... I was just trying to be helpful by braiding Deidara-senpai's bangs back, so he could see. He always lets Sasori-senpai do that."

Deidara flushed in embarrasment and anger. "I do NOT! Sasori doesn't do that, and I don't allow it."