This chapter is dedicated to Acid_Lilac! Happy reading! :3
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saya pov:
I wrung the excess water out of my spare shirt rather vigorously and dabbed the slight sweat off Itachi san's face and neck and shoulders. I had taken off his blood stained and torn shirt so I could heal him. Under normal circumstances, I'm sure I would have been rather flustered seeing him shirtless. However, the whole time I attended to him as he lay unconscious in front of me, I had my jaw tightly clenched and my brows deeply furrowed. I wasn't exactly angry, but I was peeved.
"Oi kid, are you seriously going to ignore me? I asked you a question and I'm expecting you to answer." Kisame san said.
I could feel his gaze boring holes through my head but I hadn't even glanced at him, let alone answered his question. He had asked me about my so called Blue Flame Release jutsu as well as my katana – having seen its transformation that had apparently increased not just my reiatsu and physical strenght but also my chakra. From the way Kisame san put it, my chakra hadn't increased enough to make them wary about my skills as a shinobi but it was a noticeable change nonetheless.
Even as he questioned me sternly now, I completely ignored him.
"It's not going to do you any good to ignore me, you know? I'll just force you to talk." Kisame san threatened again.
However, our one sided conversation was cut short when Itachi san twitched. He groaned softly and opened his eyes, finally regaining consciousness after almost two hours. He blinked several times while taking in his surroundings before sitting up. He turned and took a glance at his back where he had been wounded. However, now there was nothing besides a slight scar on his skin.
"You okay, Itachi san? You were in pretty bad shape. It's a good thing we have a skilled healer on our team though." Kisame san said while grinning and now ignoring me.
"Yes, I'm fine. Did you report to Leader sama as to what happened? We have to leave soon to meet up with Deidara and Tobi for another attempt at finding the sanbi." Itachi san said simply making me grind my teeth in growing annoyance.
"Yeah, I told Leader sama that we had a run in with the Raikage and the hachibi jinchuriki but we had to retreat. I didn't tell his it was because you stepped in unnecessary to protect our new member though. Anyway, do we leave right away to find the sanbi?" Kisame san asked curiously.
"We've wasted enough time already. Leader sama doesn't like it when we cause delays so it would be best if we take our leave immediately."
"You should be resting for a while, Itachi san." I interrupted, my voice slightly rude.
Both of them looked at me when I spoke. Itachi san looked mildly curious while Kisame san was frowning.
"You're not the one in charge here, kid. Unlike you who has things easy because you're an unofficial member, we have important missions to be completing. So instead of poking your nose into our matters unnecessarily, why don't you answer the questions I asked you before?" Kisame san said, still frowning.
"I'll be the one deciding if I want to answer your questions or not. And I know I'm not in charge. I'm just suggesting that Itachi san rests a bit to recuperate from the blood loss from his wound." I narrowed my eyes and spoke rather sharply.
"I have no need to rest. Since my wound is healed, we should set out on our next mission." Itachi san said.
"Speaking of which, what is our next mission, Itachi san?" Kisame san asked while leaning forward a bit.
They began to discuss details of the mission, where we were supposed to go, who we were supposed to meet and what we were supposed to steal. I was slowly losing my cool as I was ignored, as my suggestion was ignored and these two went ahead with talking about what to do next as if Itachi san getting injured had never happened.
"Ahh....this next mission seems to be quite a hassle, Itachi san. It would have been better if we could just set out to find the sanbi first. Whatever the case, if we want to get this mission done quickly, we can't stay here to rest. Will you be able to handle travelling in this condition, Itachi san?" Kisame san asked though I couldn't quite hear much concern in the tone of his voice.
"I can manage. Besides, I can rest when we stop somewhere for the night if really required."
Having had enough of their nonchalance in this matter, I snapped and threw the bamboo bottle in my hands to the side harshly in annoyance. That was more than enough to make the two of them look at me. I, however, was close to glaring at Itachi san. I could almost see the lightning that crackled from my eyes to his and the tension in the air only increased when he narrowed his eyes at me.
"Are you crazy?" I asked, my voice low.
"Kid, what are you...?"
"Are you bloody insane?!" My voice came out louder this time.
"Oi kid!" Kisame san sounded threatening now but I didn't give a damn.
"What is wrong with you?! Jumping in the middle of a fight like that?!" I yelled furiously. "You could have got yourself killed! What were you thinking coming to help me when you were fighting against the Raikage?! All three of us knew that he and the jinchuriki are really strong and tough opponents and that we can't lower our guard around them for even a moment! How could you turn your back on the Raikage and leave yourself open to attacks to help me?! I may be given the rank of a chunin but I know that you can tell that I'm a jounin level shinobi! I could have handled those shinobi! I didn't need your help!"
Despite how I was yelling at him, Itachi san was watching me calmly. It only made my frustration increase. I was so worried about him when he got hurt and a look of excruciating pain and shock passed over his face in the midst of the battle. I was alarmed to see the blood oozing out of the wound on his back, I almost went blank in the shock of seeing him nearly collapse against me and....I was terrified of losing him.
I knew that I would never express my feelings for him and I could never hope to be with him. But I still wanted to protect him! As long as I was with him, I didn't want to see him in pain, I didn't want him to get caught up in anything dangerous even though he was an Akatsuki member and facing dangers was unavoidable. I loved him, I cared for him, I yearned for him and there was no way I could tolerate anything that threatened his life.
And seeing that he himself was the reason for his life being threatened, there's no way I could let this pass so easily!
"How could you be so reckless?! You're from the Akatsuki, for crying out loud! You're supposed to be selfish and think about your safety first! You're supposed to ensure your survival first, not mine or Kisame san's! you're supposed to leave us to fend for ourselves! The wound given to you by the Raikage was really big and deep! You were losing so much blood and if it wasn't for me butting into the stupid meaningless fight that you were having, you wouldn't have survived!" I scolded even more harshly than before.
"It wasn't a meaningless fight, kid. You should be careful about what you say to...."
"Shut up! I'm not talking to you so stay out of this!" I glared at Kisame san before looking back at Itachi san. "What would you have done if I wasn't a healer, huh?! What if I wasn't even with you during this mission?! Of course, you got hurt trying to help me but you still let your guard down and that was a really stupid move! You were in such bad shape – you couldn't even stay conscious, let alone move to get out of harm's way and find a place to recuperate! And I can't believe you still pushed to fight the Raikage and the jinchuriki in that tattered state! Don't you even care about what happens to you?! How could you....?!"
I stopped yelling, realizing that I had just been venting out my frustration nonstop and the two people sitting in front of me were watching me almost indifferently. Itachi san did have a sort of gentleness in his eyes but other than that, he seemed absolutely unaffected by what I saw saying to him. I was breathing heavily and my eyes stung as I realized that I was just making a fool out of myself by saying things that these people probably found unnecessary and amusing.
I took a deep breath and looked away, blinking several times to make sure that the tears that had gathered in my eyes didn't spill over. I huffed out a bitter laugh at myself and this situation. Shaking my head, I stood up and walked to the tree at the base of which the bamboo bottle had landed when I had thrown it. I picked it up and turned away from the two of them.
"I'm going to get some more water." I said curtly and walked off beyond the trees.
I made it to the river in a few moments and I stopped to stand at the bank. I stared at my reflection in the water silently – I looked frustrated, hurt and relieved. I was frustrated because of their indifference, I was hurt because they were so casual about the importance of their lives and I was relieved because Itachi san was alright. Although, my frustration and hurt seemed to overpower the feeling of relief.
I clenched my free fist and I threw the bamboo bottle into the water angrily causing my reflection to blur out in ripples. I looked up ahead at the trees on the other side of the river. The sound of the river flowing calmed me a little and I slumped my shoulders. I closed my eyes and sighed deeply with a shake of my head.
What am I doing? What on earth am I doing right now?
I got kidnapped by the Akatsuki and joined the organization willingly, not because I was afraid of them or couldn't fight them and escape but for my own benefit. But instead of focusing on personal goals, let alone trying to help the people of this world fight injustice and be safe, I was totally going off the path I was supposed to follow. Of course, I believed that helping Itachi san wasn't a wrong decision because he was actually a good person. He just had a really complicated past and was suffering for something that he wasn't entirely responsible for but....why was I getting attached to him more than necessary?
I can't believe that I had completely settled in with Itachi san and Kisame san. I enjoyed both of their company and I was getting dragged off my path more and more because I wasn't able to control my feelings towards Itachi san that kept growing with every passing moment. I had clearly told myself, for obvious reasons, that I couldn't allow myself to get closer to him. If this continued, if my feelings started to get out of hand, I would have to leave these two and find alternate sources of information to answer my questions.
I know my thoughts didn't make sense. My resolution was to protect everyone innocent and yet, there were instances where I would forget that because of someone I held closer to my heart. For one person or for a group of people I cared for more than everyone and everything else, I would put them as first priority. It was my family and friends back in my world and now Itachi san. The desire to protect them, to be there as moral support and to give them everything they desired even if it wasn't a logical decision, was overwhelming.
And in this case, I had ended up fighting against the Raikage, the jinchuriki and the Kumogakura shinobi – who all fell in the 'to-be-protected-innocent-people' list – just to save Itachi san from danger.
All the things that I was experiencing with Itachi san were very different from the way they felt with the other people I considered most important to me. The feeling of longing, the intense desire of protectiveness that bubbled in the pit of my stomach and the emotional attachment I felt for him – emotions that I hadn't experienced with anyone else in this world despite how long I had lived in Konoha – only proved more that the feelings I had for him were most definitely much more than friendship.
My thoughts were interrupted when I sensed a chakra behind approaching me. I was joined by none other than Itachi san himself a few moments later as he stepped out of the trees behind me. I opened my eyes and bent to pick up the bottle. I filled it up with water and turned to face Itachi san with a stoic expression.
He had put on his shirt but it was dusty and I'm sure it was still torn and blood stained on the back. He could have used one of his scrolls to summon an extra pair of clothes but it looked like he was in too much of a hurry to leave for the next mission even to do a two seconds summoning and wear better clothes. Since discussions with Kisame san was done too, we had no reason to stay here any longer.
Besides, we also had to schedule another meeting with Deidara and Tobi so we could track down the sanbi with my sensory abilities. Honestly speaking, I wasn't really interested in helping with that mission. I hadn't done it last time either – I had merely misled everyone to a relatively strong chakra and we had ended up not getting the slightest clue on the sanbi.
But this time, I doubt Tobi was going to go easy on me.
"Sorry about the way I reacted earlier. Please forget what I said." I said halfheartedly to Itachi san.
I wasn't really in a mood to talk to anyone, especially Itachi san. I needed some time alone to clear up my thoughts and put up a barrier around myself to make sure I didn't get carried away again. It was not only troublesome but also seemed to cause me heartache off late.
I gave Itachi san a chaste bow with my head and proceeded to walk around him to get back to our so called camp. However, I was stopped when Itachi san took a firm grip on my wrist. Before I could twist my hand out of his grip, I was yanked towards him harshly. He let go of my wrist and brought his arms around me, one resting on my lower back and the other holding the base of my neck firmly.
Bending to my height and closing his eyes, he pressed our lips up against each other in a kiss. I froze and dropped the bamboo bottle to the ground in shock. My eyes went so wide that they hurt around the edges. It wasn't until I felt soft and desperate caresses from Itachi san's lips that I blinked and snapped back to my senses.
[a/n: Isn't that such an amazing pic?! *w* What a kiss!!!! Kyaaaaaahhhh!! >3< my kokoro goes doki doki every time I see this picture! *floated off to la la land*]
Much against the voice that was screaming in my head to push Itachi san away, my body relaxed into his embrace and his affectionate gesture. My eyes got half lidded and all the emotions I had been suppressing inside of me just broke free. I couldn't stop myself from wrapping my arms around him, placing them on his back and holding his shirt in my fists as I parted my lips, closed my eyes completely and responded longingly.
My response only caused Itachi san to pull me closer against himself. His hand that had been holding my neck and head firmly dropped to rest around my upper back so he could embrace me fully. I tilted my head and parted my lips to deepen the kiss a bit and pour out the feelings I had for him. He responded just as passionately, parting his lips and occasionally nibbling my bottom lip.
After what felt like hours, we pulled away from each other and looked into each other's eyes. Both of us were slightly out of breath. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I realized what I had just done and I averted my eyes while letting go of his shirt. I brought my hands to his chest and tried to push away from him but he didn't let me go. Instead, he pulled my closer and into a warm embrace.
"Don't struggle....please." I heard him whisper next to my ear.
He tightened his arms around me and hunched over a bit so he could rest his chin on my shoulder. My face was pressed up against his shoulder and I was tense. I didn't know how to react now. My heart was racing in hope and fright because I had mixed feelings about accepting what was happening.
"I can't stop this anymore." He spoke again softly, painfully. "I can't resist any longer. I need you, Saya."
My heart skipped a beat at his words. He....needed me? Did his words mean that he had the same feelings for me as I had for him?
"I-Itachi san, what d-do you....?"
"I love you."
This time, my eyes went wide and I stopped breathing. The weight of his confession was so much that I could barely stand. Itachi san sunk to the ground with me but he didn't let go. Instead, he placed a hand on the back of my head making the embrace so tender.
I closed my eyes and broke out into a smile. I was so happy. I was so content. Itachi san said he loved me – what more could I ask for? For the first time in my life, I had felt a connection so deep with someone besides family and friends. I knew that Itachi san was one person I should never let go of because if I did, I would regret it for the rest of my life.
It didn't matter if we were from different worlds. It didn't matter if we were different in personality, in powers and in the way we had lived our lives. All that mattered was the present and the honest feelings we had for each other. All that mattered was being honest at heart and wanting to protect the people around us. While Itachi san had done so from the shadows and suffered by himself, I had done so openly while having people to depend on and share my feelings with.
But now, Itachi san and I had found completeness in each other. That's all we needed for this affection to blossom into something that would, hopefully, last forever.
Itachi san pulled away after a few moments. I still had my hands on his chest and he had his arms around me. Our gazes met and I could see vivid emotions swirling in the black depth of his eyes. He looked so pained – just like he usually did – but there was a hint of hope and an abundance of gentleness.
Itachi san lifted one hand to cup my cheek. My smile widened as he ran his thumb over my cheek tenderly. I averted my eyes after a few minutes though and my expression fell to one of apology.
"I'm sorry, Itachi san." I mumbled, feeling a prickly lump in my throat.
I felt the grip he had around my body falter and his hand on my cheek jerked. He tensed as well, probably expecting negative feedback from me.
"I'm sorry because....there's something that I'm hiding from you and everybody else I know. It's really complicated and I'm afraid of what will happen when it's exposed. I still can't tell anyone about it but....when my secret can no longer be kept, when the time comes for me to confess the truth about myself....will you still have the same feelings towards me that you have for me now?"
I met his gaze again, hopeful that he would understand my situation. I received my answer when he gave a barely visible smile – a smile so beautiful that it made my heart skip a beat.
"I will. Despite my past, despite how many people I've killed and all the bad things I have done while being a member of the Akatsuki, you listened when I told you about my past, about my truth. You didn't judge me and instead showered me with comfort and care. I know that everyone has secrets to keep for reasons they cannot talk about. And respect that." He said understandingly.
The weight on my chest was lifted and I felt like I could breathe normally again. I broke out into a relived smile and lifted my hand to place it on his that was still on my cheek. I glanced at his lips, wanting to feel a kiss wholeheartedly this time with no hesitation or regrets.
I leaned up and Itachi san met me half way. We closed our eyes and shared a short but loving kiss. When we pulled away, we both were as content as we could possibly be.
"We should get back to Kisame san....before he gets suspicious." I said with a soft chuckle.
Itachi san nodded and he helped me up as he stood. I picked up the bamboo bottle that I had dropped and we walked back to where Kisame san was at a comfortable pace. When we reached the clearing, Kisame san looked at us with a frown.
"Took you two long enough to talk." He muttered annoyed.
"I'm sorry, Kisame san." I said with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for being rude to you earlier. I shouldn't have ignored you or snapped at you like that. As for your questions, I can't answer them now. I know I'm not supposed to avoid them but I hope you will cut me some slack and spare me from your questioning for the time being. You will get answers when the time is right."
"That's still not very convincing." He said while standing up. "I assume you've told Itachi san what needs to be known though so I'll let you off the hook this time. So? What do we do now?"
"Itachi san, maybe you should rest for a while before we go out on any other mission. I did heal you but you've lost quite a bit of blood." I said while looking at him.
"No, I'm fine. We should continue on our next mission. And Saya, it's fine if you just call me by my name from now on." He said.
I gave him a nod and chuckled softly at the confused look we were receiving from Kisame san. I shook my head and took the liberty to hold onto Itachi's arm.
"You're going to have to get used to seeing us close from now on, Kisame san."
"Ah....it's no wonder I was finding both of your behaviors strange since the past few days. I'm envious of you, Itachi san. You got lucky even though you're a murderer and a member of the Akatsuki." He grinned teasingly.
I, however, faltered at the way he mentioned Itachi. I could tell that Itachi too didn't seem comfortable when Kisame san called him a murderer. After all, what he did in the past wasn't because he wanted to do it. The wound in his heart was deep and I don't think he needed anyone – friend or foe – to rub salt on those wounds. And it was in times like these that I would take the responsibility to protect him.
"That's enough talking about us. I don't want to make this a big deal, Kisame san. Let's head out then, shall we?" I said with a smile and let go of Itachi's arm.
"Alright, whatever you say." Kisame san shrugged with a chuckle.
We waited for Itachi to put on his cloak and ninja pouch. When he was ready, we jumped to the trees and set off to our next destination.
Just as we were jumping through the trees, I stepped closer to Itachi and took a hold of his hand in mine while entwining our fingers. He looked at me and I smiled when he too held my hand in a firm yet gentle grip.
"I didn't respond to you properly that time." I said, making sure that Kisame san didn't hear. "I'm really glad that I met you and got the chance to be with you like this. I don't know how things will turn out in the future but I don't regret what happened now. I love you, Itachi."
"Thank you, Saya." He said simply.
With another smile, I looked ahead ready to take on everything that the future held for us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
*dancing in euphoria* They kissed! Itachi and Saya KISSED!! WOOHOO!!! THIGS ARE FINALLY LOOKING UP FOR THEM!!!!
Ahem....excuse my fangirling there. XD
Anyway, isn't it great that Itachi and Saya have finally confessed their feelings for each other after holding back for so long? And it's just great that Itachi finally has someone who loves him for him and knows him for who he is. He took the first step, confessing with a kiss that I'm guessing melted all of your hearts ;)
Let's all hope that they don't have obstacles to hinder expressing their love for each other! Itachi needs Saya to heal his heart after all.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Vote!
COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT!!!
:D