I.
"I'll be all right Itachi don't stress it gives you wrinkles." Lily said to her fiancé. "I just worry about you." He said leaning his head against hers. "I know you do ,but no one will hurt me while you're gone." She reassured. "But what if..." he was silenced by her lips over his. "There is always what if Itachi it doesn't mean it will happen." She said and he smiled. "Go on before Pein sends Kisame after you again." Lily said stepping back. "Lily I..." Lily ran over and gave him a chaste kiss. "Shh I'll see you again next time you come through me amour." Itachi left her in the field outside her house. "Be safe Lily....." He whispered heading toward the base. A few days later Pein brought up Oto in the weekly meeting. "It seems Oto's elders are fighting about a young woman seen in the market giving jam to her friend's grandmother to sell. At least that is what Zetsu saw." "I saw it clearly the woman had turquoise eyes and hazelnut hair. The people of Oto seem to have a mutual hatred toward her." He said. "Why do they hate her anyway?" Kisame asked. "It seems she is different from other people Kisame. She's half cat to put it bluntly and she can apparently remove the curse mark. The people hate her for causing the young shinobi pain even though she saved them from Orochimaru's clutches." Zetsu replied. "Damn idiots hating on her when she f***ing helped the marked kids." Hiden said. "Odd indeed that they hate her for helping." Sasori mused. "Maybe it's because she's half cat Danna hm." Deidara said. Itachi was quiet trying not to fidget while Lily was discussed. "What do you think Itachi?" Pein said. "Hn" he replied hiding his nervousness. "Hn does not answer my question Itachi." Pein snapped. "Perhaps they just hate cats." He offered. "Oto had plenty of cats that need to be caught Itachi. Cats are overly abundant in the village it's annoying." Zetsu said. "Why does she matter?" Itachi said coldly. "True she is not important though her talents are interesting." Pein relented. "Hn" Itachi said more afraid for her than ever. Itachi was a nervous wreck by the time they were dismissed. "Hey you all right "Tachi?" Kisame asked seeing his partner's paled complexion. "I'm fine Kisame." He snapped. "Jeez excuse me for caring." Kisame huffed annoyed. "I'm tired that's all." Itachi relented feeling bad for snapping at Kisame. "Okay I guess." The shark man said shrugging. Itachi went into their room. "I'm going to take a shower Kisame." He said going into his sound proof closet. "Fine then just save some warm water for me." Kisame said pulling off his cloak. "I don't take long showers." Itachi replied closing the door to change. "Whatever you say 'Tachi." Kisame said when Itachi came out of the closet in his robe pyjamas in hand. 10 minutes later Itachi came out in his pyjamas. "See?" he said to his partner. "Yeah... yeah I know" Kisame grunted going into the bathroom. Itachi meanwhile lay on his bed tired and worried. He fell into a fitful sleep before Kisame came out of the bathroom. By the time his partner emerged he was having a horrible nightmare. : Nightmare: Itachi stood chained to the wall in Lily's house. Madara and Inferno stood watching the scene with sadistic glee. Lily was awakened by the sounds of metal clinking and flames crackling on wood. She ventured into the parlour and was met by an angry mob of vengeful Oto citizens. They had armed themselves with pitchforks, torches and various ninja weapons. "What are you doing here?" she asked puzzled. "You broke our agreement Lily therefore you must be punished painfully. "No" Itachi cried struggling against the restraints. "Die Neko scum!" "Ah!" Lily ran into the bedroom and tried vainly to hold the door closed. The mob burst into the room and began to lash her viscously. Itachi strained to stop them but the restraints wouldn't budge. "Stop it hurts!" Lily sobbed. "Lily!" Itachi cried. "Itachi!" a voice shouted. "No please stop..." Lily whispered weakly covered in blood. "Itachi!!" the voice shouted again. "I... am... not... your... enemy...." Lily gasped. "ITACHI!!" the dream world shook violently. "WAKE UP ITACHI!!" the voice screamed. "LILY!" Itachi cried as his girlfriend died by Oto's hand. "ITACHI!!" the voice screamed again. : Nightmare end:
Itachi was thrashing violently as Kisame tried to wake him up; his eyes bled as the Sharingan tried to override the nightmare. Kisame had emerged from the shower to find his 20-year-old partner thrashing about wildly clearly having a nightmare. He had immediately rushed to his side and shook him harshly by the shoulders telling him to wake up. "WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" he cried shaking Itachi by the shoulders again.
Meanwhile with Team Hebi (snake):
"Hey Sasuke you feeling better y_____?" Suigitsu froze upon seeing his friend and leader tangled in the sheets clearly having a nightmare. "Oh s**t!" he ran over and shook Sasuke by his left shoulder (because the curse mark caused his right shoulder to throb painfully whenever someone touched it). "Wake up Sasuke!" he cried knowing Karin would be pissed off if she found Sasuke like this. (Karin distastes Suigitsu with passion and blames him for the bad things that happen to Sasuke even when it isn't his fault). Sasuke's eyes were bleeding like someone was poking them with a needle. "Come one Sasuke wake up already! What's going on in that head of yours? You're not a heavy sleeper!" Suigitsu cried vainly trying to wake his friend. Karin and Jugo picked that moment to join him in the hotel room. "What is going on fish boy?" Karin demanded. "I found him like this Karin he won't wake up!" Suigitsu said shaking their leader again. "Sasuke wake up dang it!" he said again.
Back in the Akatsuki base Kisame continued to shake Itachi roughly hoping he would wake up. "Itachi!" at that moment Itachi snapped awake his eyes wild. He struggled against Kisame tangling himself in the sheets further. "Itachi! Calm down!" Kisame said trying to hold his partner still. "Kisame...?" Itachi said weakly looking up his partner with glassy eyes. "Yea jeez you had me scared there for a moment. I thought I wouldn't be able to wake you up." Kisame said. "Your eyes are bleeding by the way." He said handing Itachi his handkerchief. "...Hn..." Itachi said taking the cloth. "That bad huh?" Kisame said letting Itachi have his space. Itachi was silent and Kisame knew it had to do with Lily his neko fiancé; he knew about them being engaged because he spoke bird and asked a bird that lived near the field where Itachi went on his month off. "He's with Lily his neko fiancé, but it's a secret so shh." The sparrow had replied. "Itachi you all right now?" Kisame asked his partner. "Better now Kisame, thank you for waking me up." Itachi said lying down again. "Goodnight Itachi, sleep well." Kisame said knowing Itachi was trying to hide his frightened tears. "Goodnight... Kisame." Itachi said his voice breaking as the tears began to fall. Poor Itachi is a nervous wreck because of the conversation earlier this evening; now the nightmare's upset him even more... he has no energy left to keep his emotions in check. Kisame thought as Itachi began to sob quietly on his bed. "She'll be all right Itachi..." Kisame whispered.
Back to team Hebi (snake)
Sasuke sat up suddenly startling Suigitsu horribly. "Sasuke you all right man?" He asked. "I had a very weird nightmare about Oto, a cat woman, humanoid things and my brother; no I'm not all right." Sasuke said tearing up. "Do you want to be alone?" Jugo asked. "Not really no, but I don't want to keep you up." Sasuke replied. "I'll stay with you." Jugo said kindly. "Okay big guy if you say so." Suigitsu said standing up. "Goodnight leader" Karin said. They left the two alone and Sasuke wiped his eyes. "Okay what the hell is going on with me?" Sasuke said looking uneasy. "I believe you are sharing minds with Itachi; it's common between siblings." Jugo replied. "So my brother is crying right now?" Sasuke asked. "Yes and you are feeling his sadness." Jugo confirmed. "Great so now he is tormenting me again..." Sasuke groaned flopping onto the pillow annoyed. "Goodnight Sasuke..." Jugo said. "Night Jugo dream of Kimimarro." Sasuke replied as Jugo left him alone. Itachi why can't you just stay out of my head damn it! Sasuke thought straightening the quilt. -Weeping- why do you hate me Sasuke? I didn't mean it that way... Sasuke jolted in alarm. What the hell??? He thought weirded out. Now you hate me and want to kill me...it's my fault that you went to the pedophile...-sob- I couldn't stop him from hurting you... Sasuke mentally gaped at the voice "No way... I'm so scared to try this but..." Itachi is that you weeping? He asked. -Silence- Sasuke growled frustrated. God damn it!!! Sasuke fell asleep again this time dreaming his own dream.
Akatsuki Base 09:30
Kisame yawned and went to see if Itachi was up yet after the emotional meltdown the previous evening. "Itachi you awake yet?" He said looking at the lump in the covers. "I'm awake Kisame." Itachi said quietly from under his blanket. "I brought you some tea and eggs." Kisame said. "Thanks Kisame" Itachi said sitting up and taking the tray from Kisame. "Hey you all right?" Kisame asked carefully. "Not really Kisame..." Itachi said weakly. "I'm sure the demons are just being evil." Kisame said. "It seemed too real for that..." Itachi said taking a sip of tea. "You think Sasuke is all right?" Kisame asked. "I can hope he's all right, but..." Itachi began to shake. "Itachi do you want to be alone?" Kisame asked taking the tray from his partner. "I want to find Sasuke and hug him tight." Itachi replied tears falling down his cheeks. "Erm I'll ask Leader if we can look for him." Kisame said leaving with the tray to find Pein. "Sasuke..." Itachi began to sob uncontrollably the pain in his heart becoming overbearing. Kisame meanwhile found Pein and received permission to look for Sasuke. "Itachi we can go look for him." Kisame said upon entering the room. Itachi looked up and smiled weakly obviously relieved. "Let's go find us an angry emo avenger." Kisame grinned strapping Sahmahada to his back. "Yes, let's find my brother." Itachi agreed wiping his eyes as they set out.
Sasuke meanwhile was trying to figure out why Itachi did not answer him last night when he'd clearly heard his brother crying. Suigitsu walked over to his boss and waved his hand in front of his face. "Hello earth to Uchiha, come in Sasuke!" Said teen jolted out of his meditating state and growled annoyed that he was disturbed. "What is so damn important?!" Suigitsu gulped and said, "Your brother was spotted near the border of this country with Kisame an hour ago." Sasuke smiled sinisterly and said, "Good, I can ask him why he was crying last night and why I was having his dream. Then I'll kill him." Sasuke was so busy imagining Itachi's death that he failed to see his sibling walking up the road towards him. "Itachi will suffer like I did, maybe that cat woman is useful after all. I will make sure Itachi knows my pain if it kills me." Sasuke stated. "So thanks for telling me your weak spot aniki." CLANG! Sasuke turned in time to see the very object of his hatred run off into the village crying. Kisame shook his head, "Must you be so blunt kid?" "Blunt?" Sasuke questioned. "Yes, blunt kid, we came here so Itachi could hug you or something." Kisame replied. "He wants to hug me?!" Sasuke asked dumbfounded. "Or something." Kisame said and Sasuke gaped.
Itachi ran through the village paying no heed to the scenery around him nor the people. "Hey watch it!" A man shouted after Itachi shoved him aside roughly. "Gomen" he said before hurrying off again.