Weapons (Itachi romance)

Chapter Nine

-Itachi's POV-

It took a while, but eventually, Kaoru's breathing slowed, and she was asleep. I smirked a little; she was a very... curious woman. Always worrying about Naruto. It was almost as if she didn't give a damn about anyone, not even herself, as long as her little brother was okay.

I could mildly relate to that. Sasuke was the most important thing in the world to me. But, there was one other person that I cared for most...

I wonder if it meant anything to her? Of course, I could see how nervous she was, if her speeding heart and bright red face told me anything. But I highly doubted she could hold anything of affection for me.

"I'm gonna go... I've got stuff to do." I was pulled out of my reverie by Naruto as he stood straight, and sent me a glance. He was so alike to his sister.

"Okay. I'm going to stay here a while longer. I think Sasuke's home if you want to go and see him?" I suggested, and, much to my relief, Naruto grinned.

"'kay, I'll go see Sasuke! Bye, Itachi! Oh, and if nee-chan wakes up..." he paused, and I nodded, a small smile on my lips.

"Don't worry, I'll come and get you." with that, he grinned broadly and dashed off, no doubt to go and pester people with my little brother.

I just sat down in the uncomfortable leather chair at the side of her bed, set for a long wait.

---

"Grruhh..." I heard a groan, and Kaoru shifted in her bed. She had been quite restless to start with, but once that sour-faced nurse gave her the antibiotics she was out like a log on sleeping drugs. She seemed to still be groggy, as she sat up and rubbed her eye with her knuckle, actually looking kind of adorable.

But then, she started to giggle. I just blinked at her as she burst into an all out fit of unexplained laughter, and then abruotly stopped, and looked at me. Her face crinkled up, and she looked ready to burst into tears.

"Itachi... there's an orange leprechaun above your head, and he's trying to get me!!" she cried, backing away in her bed. I just stared at her... what the heck was wrong with her all of a sudden?

Then, as Kaoru started mumbling about llama-eating socks fighting spacemen in her treehouse, I realised.

The poison must have had some sort of hallucinogen in it, that was making her act this way. I just had to sit back and let the craziness take it's course.

"Itachiii!!! Stop the leprechaun, he's mad at me!!" Kaoru suddenly cried, somehow managing to struggle out of her bed and clinging to me like a small child. I blinked, then patted her head.

"It's okay, Kaoru-chan. I won't let him get you." I cooed softly, seeing no point in telling her that what she was seeing wasn't real. And anyway, this woman does the puppy eyes almost as well as Sasuke, so how could I resist?

"Re... really..?" she sniffled, gazing up at me with big, teary eyes. I nodded, smiling comfortingly, and she smiled back, hugging me.

"So come on, get back in your bed, Kaoru-chan. You're too ill to get up." I said, helping her back onto the mattress and then tucking the covers over her carefully. She still felt extremely hot to me, but she was shivering, and the nurse had said she needed to sweat it out. So she had to keep warm.

"No! Go away, Kyou!"

I blinked, and looked back to Kaoru. She was staring at a patch of emptiness on the other side of her bed, a frown on her face.

"Kyou?" I asked, and she frowned at me.

"Yes! Can't you see him? He's right there!" she pointed, and looked back at this 'Kyou'. I sighed and sat back down in my chair. It was just another hallucination.