"There is no love like the love for a brother. There is no love like the love from a brother."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Minxie's POV
My jaw dropped. I didn't understand any of this. How the hell did Scarlett find me? And why, of all people, would Scarlett come to look for me? All she'd been doing since she met me was trying to ruin my life, yet here she was, trying to help me.
"What're you doing here?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at Scarlett.
Scarlett shook her head. "I'm saving your ass, duh," She said easily, disappearing.
Karin looked like she was having a panic attack. I'm sure the fact that Scarlett looked just like me made her feel uncomfortable. She whipped her head from side to side, desperately searching for any signs of Suigetsu and Jugo.
"Looking for these?" Scarlett inquired, appearing in front of us once again. This time, however, she wasn't alone. She was holding Suigetsu under one of her arms and Jugo under the other, both boys knocked out. She smirked at Karin. "Really, I'm disappointed. Rumor has it Sasuke had gathered a cell of accomplished shinobi. These two? Complete pushovers."
Karin was just as shocked as I was. I knew Scarlett was strong, but to be able to lift up Jugo and Suigetsu at the same time... That was just insane.
Scarlett tossed Suigetsu and Jugo carelessly in front of us, letting the pile on top of one another. "Two down," She said with a smirk, looking at Karin. "One to go."
Karin was about to escape when Scarlett appeared behind her, hitting one of Karin's pressure points. The redhead was out like a light, landing on top of the unconscious Suigetsu and Jugo.
"There." Scarlett dusted herself off. "Now that that's taken care of... What's up?"
"What the hell is your problem!?" I exclaimed. "Why are you even here?"
"Well," She said, sounding offended. "That's the thanks I get for saving you? Remind me not to do it again."
I sighed. "Thank you," I said sincerely. "Now, please explain to me why you're here!"
"A number of reasons," She answered, putting her hands on her hips. "But it's about time to get you back to Konoha."
"So now you've noticed that I was gone?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.
"Oh... About that... See, I was sort of pretending to be you for the past few weeks," She said easily, and my jaw dropped.
"You did what!?" I shouted.
"Why else did you think no one looked for you? It's just too easy being you," She said, smirking at me. "Of course, your dear sensei got suspicious of me and told your brother, who, sadly, isn't as dumb as he looks. Ryuu saw through me in seconds, unfortunately."
"Why would you do that?" I asked. "Don't you know that we're connected? I could've gotten hurt while I was out here, which means you'd be screwed, too!"
"I saw an opportunity, and I took it," She said easily. "I never let a good chance pass me by. You'd do the same, if you knew what was good for you." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Now, enough small talk. It's a long way off to the Leaf Village, and I really don't want to spend all of it hearing you talk."
I sighed deeply. And here begins another completely annoying journey.
Oh, great.
Third Person's POV
A look of realization washed over Sasuke. "You're supposed to be dead."
"Unfortunately for you, I'm not," Ryuu said, smirking. "You see, my full name is Ryuu Takeda... And I think it's about time you and I had a little chat."
"Did Minxie... Does she-"
"Does she know that I'm here? Of course not," Ryuu interrupted. "If she did, she'd be rushing over here, wanting to prevent all of this from going down the way it should."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He hated to be interrupted. "And just how do you expect all of this to go down?"
"It's a simple scene, really," Ryuu said. "I'm going to ask a few questions, and you're going to answer them truthfully. After I'm satisfied with your answers, we'll get down to the interesting part, which consists of me kicking your sorry ass."
"I have a different solution," Sasuke said, and he shot forward with blinding speed, his katana ready to slash at Ryuu.
The clatter of metal rang through the air, and Ryuu smirked, expertly blocking Sasuke's katana with his own.
"Impatient, aren't we?" Ryuu asked. "So unlike your brother. He'd never be in a situation like this." He forced his katana down, making Sasuke kneel on the ground. "Of course, your brother would never break a girl's heart like you did, now would he?"
Sasuke growled, pushing up his katana angrily, making Ryuu take a few steps back.
The green-eyed teen smirked again. "And you're temperamental, too. The complete opposite of Itachi. It's a wonder Minxie fell for you." He twirled his katana. "Although I guess that doesn't really matter, considering you broke her heart."
Sasuke said nothing. His onyx eyes narrowed at Ryuu.
"Tell me, Sasuke. What was the whole point? What really happened that night that you left the village? I've heard so many versions of it that I'm just plain confused," Ryuu continued. "They all do seem to end in the same way, though. A very simple, very tragic ending: You broke Minxie's heart."
"What I've done is none of your concern," Sasuke said simply.
"It is when it involves my sister," Ryuu shot back. "You hurt her. And I can guarantee you, I don't take things like that lightly."
"I remember having a conversation like that with Naruto," Sasuke said, standing up. "If I recall correctly, he ended up half dead."
"Ah, yes, Naruto," Ryuu said. "But I can assure you, this time, it's different." In seconds, he was across the field, holding Sasuke by the throat against a tree. "See, unlike Naruto... I'm stronger than you. And if you continue with that attitude of yours... I might slip up and kill you."
Suddenly, Sasuke's eyes weren't onyx anymore. They were blazing red with Sharingan.
Ryuu chuckled. "Ah... The Sharingan... I'm shaking, really," He taunted. "What do you expect to do with that? Kill me? I'm not afraid of your eyes, nor am I afraid of you."
"And what makes you so sure of that?" Sasuke inquired.
"Because you're not the only with unholy gifts," Ryuu said, activating his Heart's Eye.
Sasuke's blood red Sharingan eyes narrowed. "What was your purpose for coming here? You claim that my wanting revenge is terrible... Yet you're displaying it perfectly."
"It isn't so much for revenge as it is for...Curiosity," Ryuu decided. "Tightening loose ends... Things like that. Besides... You're well on the path of evil. It won't be long before you're announced an official Missing Nin. I'd be doing everyone a favor by getting rid of you." He paused. "But... I'm not here for everyone. I'm here for Minxie. I'm going to make sure that she never falls for you again."
"So you're going to decide her feelings for her, then?" Sasuke inquired. "For a brother who claims to love her so much, I don't see it. You're as selfish as I am."
"You toyed with my sister's feelings. You made her heart your playground," Ryuu said, glaring at the Uchiha. "Now, I'm going to make sure that you never do that again. I won't let you hurt her ever again."
"And just how are you planning on doing that?" Sasuke asked.
"Easy," Ryuu said, "By killing you, right where you stand."
"Is that a challenge?" Sasuke inquired.
"No," Ryuu said easily, "It's a guarantee." He was ready to shove his katana through Sasuke's heart when, suddenly, his whole body was in pain.
He took a few steps back, hunching over on the ground. "You ran your lightning nature through your body... The Chidori, huh?"
Sasuke didn't reply. He made hand signs and said, "Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!"
A large fireball was hurled straight towards Ryuu. When Sasuke looked, however, the spot where Ryuu had once been was empty.
Suddenly, a voice from behind Sasuke said, "Is that all you've got?" The Uchiha's eyes widened, but before he could react, Ryuu made his hand signs, "Water Style: Crashing Waves!"
Ryuu summoned a series huge waves, and the water crashed down onto Sasuke. When the water subsided, Sasuke was huffing on the ground, his Sharingan eyes evaluating Ryuu.
"My Chidori hit you," Sasuke stated. "You should've been paralyzed."
"I know you're a lightning type," Ryuu said. "I ran wind chakra through my body, in case you tried something."
It took Sasuke only a few seconds to recover. He charged again, this time throwing a weapons barrage. Ryuu dodged them all easily, and the metal objects clattered to the ground.
The two emerged into combat, dodging blows from one another. Their physical strength was evenly matched, so instead, they began a jutsu battle.
"Ice Style: Icicle Barrage!" Ryuu shouted, making his hand signs. Water from his previous jutsu began floating up and froze, turning into icicles.
The icicles flew at Sasuke, but the Uchiha quickly melted them away with his fire jutsu. He grabbed his katana, coursing Chidori through it and extending the blade a good five feet.
Ryuu jumped back, trying not to get sliced with the long blade. He aimed a wind jutsu at the blade, and it weakened, returning to its normal size.
Again, Ryuu aimed icicles at Sasuke. The Uchiha burnt them quickly, but this time, it created a fog.
Sasuke focused his Sharingan, and he realized that Ryuu was now perched on top of a tree branch, smirking.
"Kaboom," Ryuu said, making a single hand sign.
The air around Sasuke rumpled, turning a deep purple. The purple exploded into pink, one right after the other. One was right in front of Sasuke, and before he could escape it, he was thrown across the clearing.
Purple smoke arose into the air, shielding the Uchiha from view. Ryuu focused his Heart's Eye, searching for Sasuke. However, the form he saw didn't look like Sasuke.
This form was a monster. It had wing-like arms emerging from its back, protecting the owner from the explosion.
When the monster's head rose, Ryuu realized that the monster was indeed Sasuke, just in another form.
"Ah. The curse mark," Ryuu noted. "Orochimaru... He always was a deranged man."
Sasuke stood up slowly, returning to his normal, human self.
"I think it's about time we finish this," Ryuu decided.
Sasuke apparently agreed, and they both shouted, "Summoning Jutsu!"
Minxie's POV
"Wait. Stop," I said, halting my movements.
Scarlett turned, raising a fine eyebrow at me. "What?"
"Explosions. They're coming from that direction," I said, looking back over to the clearing I had been rescued from. "Metal clattering. It sounds like a battle."
She shrugged. "And?"
"Where's Ryuu?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Does it look like Ryuu tells me anything?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips. "How should I know?"
"Because I know my brother, and I know that he wouldn't let you come alone to save me," I stated. "He doesn't trust you. Where is he?"
She sighed. "He's just... Taking care of something."
"Taking care of what?" I pressed.
"Why do you care?" She inquired.
"Because he's my brother, Scarlett!" I exclaimed.
"Now, we both know that's not the real reason," She said. "You only care about what's going on because you know that Sasuke is in that direction."
My heart almost stopped. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Then maybe I should remind you," She said, stepping forward. "Kiss me, Sasuke. Kiss me." She mimicked my voice perfectly, considering it was her voice as well. "It's pathetic, really. You're pathetic. I can't imagine how Gaara's going to feel."
I swallowed. "Where's Ryuu?"
"You know, Naruto asked me out when I was in the village," She said. "Well, he asked you out, I guess. I got the message since I was pretending to be you. But even I can tell... He loves you. Yet here you are... Kissing his best friend."
"This is none of your business," I snapped, glaring at her.
"You're only saying that because you know I'm right," She said, smirking. "It's okay to love more than one person, Minxie. Heaven knows I've done it a hundred times."
I shook my head. "I can't deal with this right now. Tell me where Ryuu is!"
"Fine," She snapped. "He's at the clearing, and if things go as planned... He's going to kill Sasuke."
Third Person's POV
Ryuu and Sasuke were well into there battle, now. Sasuke had summoned Orochimaru's giant snake, Manda. Ryuu had summoned his largest dragon, Entei.
Ryuu's clothes were seared by the fire Sasuke had aimed at him, while Sasuke's clothes had frost on them from Ryuu's icicles.
"Orochimaru's pet, huh?" Entei murmured, his black scales shining in the light from the sky. "It's a wonder the boy is able to control him."
"He's an Uchiha," Ryuu said.
Entei shook his large head. "An Uchiha? Don't tell me... Itachi's brother?"
"Precisely," Ryuu answered.
Entei sighed. "You always were quite the troublemaker." He sighed again. "You're lucky I like you, kid."
"What is this?" Manda hissed. "What're you doing on my head, boy?" He spotted Entei and hissed again. "Entei! What're you doing here, you insolent fool!?"
"Nice to see you again, too, Manda," Entei said, grinning with his sharp teeth. "But this boy on my back is my new master. I will fight alongside him, and I will win, just like I did before."
Manda hissed. "You, boy! You may fight with me! Anything to give this fool the beating he deserves!"
Manda lurched forward, ready to take a bite out of Entei. The dragon dodged easily, taking to the sky.
Entei fended off Manda's reckless strikes until, finally, he saw an opening. The dragon flew downward, chomping down on Manda's back.
Sasuke struggled to stay on Manda's head as the snake hissed, squirming. But Entei's hold was too strong.
Manda finally got free of Entei, but the dragon wasted no time in attacking again. He spat out fire, combining it with the pure black embers of Ryuu's own fire.
Sasuke sent out his own fire jutsu, canceling out Ryuu's attack. But that was just what Ryuu wanted. The fire from both jutsus sent smoke up into the air, the perfect cover for a covert attack.
Entei whipped out his tail, taunting Manda. The snake hissed and tried to take a bite out of him, just as Ryuu sent a strong surge of winds at its mouth.
Manda's gums started bleeding, getting the snake even angrier. His tail lashed out, encircling Entei and making Ryuu struggle to stay standing up.
Sasuke took advantage of this, extending out his Chidori-enhanced katana a good five feet. The sword cut both Entei and Ryuu, causing them both to bleed.
Ryuu ignored the stinging pain from his bleeding arm, making hand signs quickly. "Earth Style: Shaking Ground Jutsu!"
The ground under Manda began to shake, and the snake released Entei. The dragon flew up overhead quickly, watching as Manda struggled to slither away from the cracking ground.
"It's about time we finish this, together," Entei said. "We'll combine our jutsus. Our specialty."
Ryuu nodded in agreement, making his hand signs and manipulating his water change in chakra nature. Entei activated his own wind one.
"Water Style..." Ryuu muttered.
"Wind Style..." Entei murmured.
"... Giant Dragon Vortex!" They both finished loudly. A huge wave of water was summoned, wind encircling it. It formed into a dragon before it began to spin, a mix of water and wind steadily transforming into ice.
The huge vortex crashed down onto Sasuke and Manda, and they both grunted. Sasuke was knocked off of Manda's back, and the snake was flipped over a few times before he landed on his back.
He glared at Entei. "I will beat you, one day..." And then the snake disappeared into a puff of smoke.
Smoke covered the scene, and Ryuu focused his Heart's Eyes to find Sasuke. He spotted a lump on the ground, realizing that it was the fallen Uchiha.
"Thank you, Entei," Ryuu said sincerely. "I've got it from here."
"You know that Itachi's never going to let you hear the end of this, don't you?" Entei asked, fixing his crimson eyes on the teenager who stood on top of his head.
"I know," Ryuu said. "I guess I just don't care. At least, not when it comes to Minxie."
"Family first, as usual," Entei stated. "Take care of yourself, kid. And, please, don't kill anyone."
Ryuu smirked. "I'll try." Entei shook his head with a grin before disappearing into a puff of smoke.
Ryuu landed safely on the ground, and he approached Sasuke's fallen form cautiously. The smoke dispersed, revealing Sasuke in his curse mark form once again.
Sasuke stood up slowly, using his enhanced speed to strike at Ryuu. The brown-haired teen dodged at the last second, pulling out his own katana.
Both boys were panting, their chakras almost exhausted. After exchanging a few more strikes with their katanas, it was clear that the end would come soon.
Neither of them had much more fight left in them. They both faced each other, breathing heavily as they kneeled on either side of the clearing.
"So you're exhausted too, huh?" Ryuu asked, his voice dry.
Sasuke didn't need to respond. His panting told Ryuu that he was right.
Ryuu stood up slowly, and Sasuke did as well. Ryuu bolted over to Sasuke, katana in hand. The Uchiha blocked the strike weakly, but Ryuu swung his arm and knocked the sword out of Sasuke's hand.
Sasuke growled, kicking Ryuu's katana away as well. Ryuu's eyes narrowed, and he punched Sasuke directly in the face.
The Uchiha's face turned, and he fell back. Ryuu was about to punch him again, but Sasuke kicked him in the chest.
Ryuu staggered backward, falling down directly next to his katana. He coughed up blood, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He grabbed his katana from the dirt, getting up.
Sasuke crawled over to grab his katana, standing up off of the floor slowly and carefully. He ignored the blood that trickled out of his nose and mouth, paying no mind to the fact that the ground was being soaked by the crimson liquid.
Both boys began to fight with their katanas, but once again, they knocked the weapon out of the other's hand. They panted again, ignoring the pleas of their bodies to stop straining themselves.
Ryuu sent a clean hit to Sasuke's jaw, but that didn't stop the Uchiha from punching him in the gut. Ryuu doubled over in pain, and Sasuke got ready to kick him. However, Ryuu was ready. He grabbed the Uchiha's leg and flipped him over before he could kick.
Sasuke groaned, but he forced himself to get up off of the ground once more. Ryuu did the same, although he knew his stomach was bruising.
They ran at each other, ready to punch, but they blocked one another's fists. Each boy was pushed back, and they glared at each other.
Roaring, they charged at each other, ready to exchange final blows.
One thing was certain: this would be the last punch that determined the battle's ending.
Minxie's POV
I had no idea what to say at that point. "What... What!?"
Scarlett sighed. "You heard me. Ryuu is fighting Sasuke. He's the second presence that sensory bimbo sensed."
"But... But I thought he came here to rescue me!" I exclaimed.
"He sent me to rescue you and get you away from there, while he went to fight Sasuke," She explained. "I think he was going to hurt Sasuke for hurting you."
"They're going to kill each other!" I said. "This can't be happening!"
"Well, wake up, princess, because it is," She said. "Ryuu honestly doesn't care that he dies, so long as Sasuke comes with him. You just don't get it. Ryuu puts you before everything and anyone, including himself."
"No... No," I said, shaking my head. "I'm not going to let them die. No one is going to hurt anyone." I turned around and began to step towards the camp site.
"And what are you going to do? Cry? Scream for them to stop?" She asked. "You're wasting your time. You're useless without your chakra. You'll just get hurt."
"Do you think I care about that?" I asked. "I don't care if I get hurt. If that's what it takes to get them to stop, then that's what I'll do! I can't just stay here and do nothing! I have to at least try."
"Why?" She asked. "Why are you risking yourself for them?"
"Because I love them," I said. "Because... I can't lose anyone else." She stood silent, so I turned around again.
"Wait," She called.
I didn't turn around. "You can't stop me. I'll go no matter what you say."
"I know that, idiot. But don't you think you'd be much more effective if you had your chakra back?"
I spun around. "That was you?"
She smirked. "Yep. We were training, and I needed your chakra. I'll transfer it back to you, along with all of the experience I picked up while training."
"How?" I asked.
"Just shut up and let me do my job," She ordered, and although I scowled at her, I did as I was told.
She stepped in front of me, and her eyes began to glow. I felt my own eyes glow, and at the same time, our eyes sparked.
They returned to normal in seconds, and I blinked.
"There," Scarlett said. "You have your chakra back. Now, you can go and save your brother and your boyfriend."
"He's not my boyfriend, but thanks," I said sincerely.
"Whatever," She shrugged. "Just go. And try not to die."
"I won't," I smirked, and with that, I took off at ninja speed back to the clearing.
I just hope they haven't done anything too stupid...
Third Person's POV
Ryuu and Sasuke were just about to exchange final blows, when suddenly, they froze. And they hadn't stopped themselves. Something, or rather, someone, had stopped him. And this person was someone they both knew very well.
Ryuu and Sasuke looked up to see Itachi Uchiha grasping both of their arms, keeping them away from each other. The man was silent as he stared ahead, his Sharingan eyes blazing red.
"Itachi-sensei," Ryuu greeted, smirking as blood trickled down his lip. "Come to join the party?"
Itachi's red eyes shifted to his pupil slowly. "What're you doing, Ryuu?"
"I was just about to kill your brother, a task that you are now so nicely keeping me from completing," Ryuu stated flatly.
"I thought I told you to stay out of trouble," Itachi said disapprovingly.
"And you honestly thought I'd listen?" Ryuu inquired, smirking.
Itachi sighed, dropping the arms of both teens. "I'm disappointed in you, Ryuu. I've taught you better," He said. "You're wasting your time and talent with this."
"I'm not your problem," Ryuu snapped. "You don't need to scold me. It's not like I'm your brother."
"No, you're not," Itachi agreed. "But you are my pupil, and you will listen to me. And right now, I'm telling you that we're leaving." He grabbed Ryuu's arm, ready to help him up.
"Why are you doing this?" Ryuu asked incredulously. "Why are you protecting him?"
"... This isn't your fight," Itachi stated simply. "You're not one for revenge. Let it go."
"No, you don't get it," Ryuu refused. "He hurt Minxie. I'm not going to just let him get away with hurting her as if-"
"Enough, Ryuu," Itachi interrupted. "You've proven your strength in this battle. Now, we're leaving." He didn't take one look at his younger brother as he helped Ryuu up, although Sasuke was glaring at him with pure hatred.
Sasuke knew he was supposed to kill Itachi when he saw him. But in his current state, the younger Uchiha would be useless in battle. He needed to recover from fighting Ryuu.
Itachi placed Ryuu's arm around his shoulders, his face blank and emotionless. He disappeared from the scene with Ryuu at his side.
~*~
Ryuu didn't speak as Itachi placed him on the ground against a tree trunk. He knew speaking would just make his sensei even more disappointed in him.
Ryuu felt even worse when he felt a familiar chakra heading towards them. Itachi knew who it was as well as his pupil did.
"Are you going to tell her... Or shall I?" Itachi inquired calmly.
"She probably already knows," Ryuu muttered. "And she's probably heading over here to punch me in the face. She's going to hate me."
"You know full well that Minxie isn't capable of hating you," Itachi stated.
Ryuu leaned his head back. "Let's hope not."
Minxie's POV
Now, I've had a lot of 'OMG' moments in my lifetime. But, surely, the most 'OMG' of all 'OMG' moments that I've had is the one in which I saw Ryuu leaning against a tree trunk, looking half-dead.
I ran over to him, my jaw dropping and worry coursing through me when I saw his condition. His arm was sliced and bleeding. His clothes were seared by a flame, and his face was exhausted. A part of his shirt was cut, exposing his bruising stomach.
"Oh my God!" I exclaimed, kneeling next to him. "What the hell happened to you!?"
Ryuu coughed up blood, a ghost of a smirk on his face. "Worried?"
"Hell yeah!" I said, grabbing my water bottle and pouring it on my hands. "God, Ryuu, what did you do!?"
"He got stupid, that's what he did," a voice said, and my eyes widened when Itachi appeared in front of us.
"Itachi?" I asked, tilting my head. "Not that I'm not happy to see you... But why are you here?"
"I just finished breaking up Ryuu and Sasuke's fight," He answered. "They were just about to kill each other."
"Why?" I asked, turning to Ryuu. "Why would you do that?"
"Because he hurt you," Ryuu said, coughing up blood again. "I couldn't forgive him for what he did to you."
"But look at what he did to you!" I exclaimed. I shook my head, manipulating my chakra so the water formed and glowed around my hands.
"Sasuke's condition wasn't any better," Itachi spoke from behind me. "Your brother did quite a number on him."
My jaw dropped. "What is wrong with you, Ryuu!? You could've killed him! He could've killed you!"
"He hurt you," Ryuu stated dryly.
"That doesn't mean that he needs to die!" I said. "Sasuke is my issue. Not yours. Look at yourself, Ryuu!" I pressed my hands against his chest, beginning to heal him. "There's a limit to what I can heal! How could you do something so reckless!?"
"Because you're my sister," He muttered. "And because I love you."
I sighed, looking away. "I love you, too, Ryuu... Which is exactly why I can't believe this happened! This is why I didn't tell you about Sasuke! I could trust you, but not your brotherly instincts."
"You ought to listen to your sister, Ryuu," Itachi said. "I asked you to stay out of trouble. You disobeyed me. I understand you did it for your sister... But you could've died today. I'm disappointed in you."
"And so am I," I agreed sternly. "You can't just go insane whenever I get hurt. I can't you have you getting hurt for me."
"So you don't hate me, then?" He inquired.
"I don't think I ever can," I answered.
"Then... You're not mad?"
"Oh, of course I am. I'm pissed, actually," I corrected. "But since you're hurt and all... It can wait until we head back home."
He sighed, but he was too tired to argue, so he just leaned back against the tree trunk and shut his eyes. I continued healing him until he fell asleep.
I waited until I knew that Ryuu was fully asleep to ask Itachi, "Where's Sasuke?"
"He's on the ground in the clearing. The group he gathered is about to find him," Itachi answered.
"Is he okay?" I inquired. "Is he hurt? Is he alive?"
"For hating him, you sure are concerned about his well-being," He mused.
I blushed, looking back at Ryuu. "My brother fought him. If anything happens to Sasuke... I can't help but feel responsible."
"We both know that's not the real reason, Minxie," He stated.
"Then what, pray tell, is the real reason, Itachi?" I asked.
"That you're still in love with him," He said, and I let out a shaky breath.
"... I kissed him," I whispered quietly. "Well, he kissed me... But I asked him to. And now... I don't know what to do." I opened my eyes to look at Ryuu's sleeping form. "Ryuu's going to hate me if he finds out."
"You can't feel guilty for what you feel, Minxie," Itachi reasoned. "Ryuu'll just have to deal with it. Things happen that we cannot change. You shouldn't regret what you did."
"You're only saying that because you secretly want Sasuke and I to be together," I said flatly, crossing my arms over my chest.
Itachi chuckled. "Maybe. But I do mean it. Sasuke needs you. You're his anchor; he just hasn't realized it yet. You'll find that he needs you a lot more than you believe."
"Why do you say that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The future is unpredictable," He said. "Loss is inevitable. Certain things need to be done, no matter who gets hurt or what happens because of them. That's life."
"Itachi... What're you talking about?" I inquired.
"Nothing," He decided, smiling, something he only did when he was with me. "I just need you to stay strong, no matter what happens."
"I have you," I said. "I'll always be strong."
"Even without me," He said. "I need you to be strong by yourself."
"Itachi... Are you leaving or something?" I asked, suspicious.
He didn't reply. Instead, he looked at Ryuu. "Look after him, Minxie. He's almost as reckless as you are."
I smiled a bit, knowing it was true. "I will."
"Good," He said. "Well, I'd better get going."
"Do you have to?" I asked, frowning.
"I can't be with you forever, Minxie," He said. "You know that."
"I know, but it's just... I miss you," I said sadly. "Ryuu and I still need you."
"Both of you can take care of yourselves. If I've taught you anything, it's that you're both stronger than you believe."
"You've taught us everything, Itachi-sensei. You know that."
He smiled. "Being your sensei was the best decision I ever made. I'm glad to have been your teacher."
"I'm glad to have been your student," I assured.
He nodded. "It's time for me to go. Remember what I told you. Tell Ryuu I hope he recovers quickly. Be nice to him... But I wouldn't mind a bit of yelling."
I laughed. "As you wish, sensei."
He chuckled again before disappearing.
I was left alone for a few minutes before Scarlett decided to make an appearance.
"Would you look at that," Scarlett said, smirking as she surveyed Ryuu. "It's Sleeping Hottie and my dull little Doppelganger."
I rolled my eyes, summoning one of my leopards quickly. "Just help me get him on the leopard's back. We're going home."
"Ugh, back to Konoha? That place is so boring," Scarlett whined. "Absolutely no one dies there! There's no excitement at all! It's all peace and happiness... It makes me want to puke."
"You don't need to come along, you know," I said. "We'd all be very happy without you."
"Well, then," She said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Someone's in a bad mood."
"My brother and ex-boyfriend just tried to kill each other," I said flatly. "Wouldn't you be in a bad mood?"
"I suppose so," She shrugged. "You know, if I cared."
"Right," I muttered, sighing. She helped me lift Ryuu onto the leopard's back. "Quit looking at him like that."
"What?" She asked innocently.
"I mean, stop eye-sexing my brother while he's sleeping," I said, scowling at her. "That's disturbing, especially since I'm here."
"I can't help it," She said. "Your brother's hot."
"So?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's not every day I meet someone as hot as I am," She said, shrugging. "Well, as hot as we are."
"Why are you so full of yourself?" I inquired, getting on the leopard's back.
"Have you looked at me?" She shot back, following my example. "We're too gorgeous for our own good."
"Right..." I sighed. I looked at the leopard. "Take us back to Konoha, please." It nodded, taking off through the woods.
"So... How was it?" Scarlett asked.
"How was what?" I said, raising an eyebrow.
She rolled her eyes. "Kissing Sasuke, duh."
I looked forward. "It was fine."
"Oh, please. Sasuke's hot. Kissing him had to be way more than just fine," She said flatly. She stood quiet for a few seconds. "Oh, wait, I get it. You don't anyone to find out about that kiss."
I didn't reply.
"Can't say I blame you," She said. "Imagine how pissed your friends would be if they found out you made out with a rougue ninja!"
"Scarlett?"
"What?"
"Shut up."