"Itachi," The young Uchiha froze momentarily when the source of the voice became clear to him. He turned towards the older man, who for an instant seemed to observe his lack of composure. Itachi was quick to rectify this. In any case, it was not wise to show a single, miniscule hint of doubt when around Madara.
"I certainly hope you've been doing fine," At this point Itachi's eyebrow rose lightly; that was obvious sarcasm coming from Madara. Upon seeing Itachi's darkening glare, the older Uchiha revealed a small bottle he was keeping in his pouch. He threw it at his student, who caught it neatly with one hand.
"That should—how can I put this politely—increase your lifespan somewhat," Madara informed rather casually, as if he dealt with deadly diseases daily. "And you may give these to Shizuma." Itachi caught another bottle. In this case, the pills were for her irregular coughing of blood. Though any medical ninja would conclude Haemoptysis, seeing as there are no signs of internal damage, it has everything to do with her bloodline limit. And unless her demon, Banteki, were to be extracted from her body, the coughing of blood will remain.
Itachi turned to leave, but Madara was much quicker at causing him to stop. The single red eye narrowed towards Itachi who stared back from the corner of his own. "And another thing, where is my young subordinate?"
Although Itachi hadn't been planning on conversing with Madara at all, it seemed he had no choice in this situation. "Training." He lied.
"I see... you better be taking good care of her." There was no mistaking that this was an unspoken warning.
"Why do you put so much value in her?" Itachi inquired, not sure whether his curiosity was good or bad.
"She has many useful techniques and abilities most shinobi know nothing about,"
"So how did you find out?" Perhaps he shouldn't have asked this, because now Madara was becoming agitated.
"When I was your age, I knew a Ginchishio, she was an interesting specimen." The older Uchiha remembered the face of Ginchishio Hazuri well, like a vivid portrait in his mind. She had long, curly black hair. Half of it was pulled back in a straight, almost unnoticeable ponytail. Her eyes were lighter than Shizuma's, but green nonetheless. If you put the few differences aside, you could conclude they strikingly resemble eachother. But Hazuri's personality had been much different from Shizuma's. Thus, where Shizuma has a mild personality, Hazuri had a fiery one. But they both shared the main factor in their nature of being easily provoked.
Itachi knew at that very moment; Madara compared Shizuma to the woman he'd obviously lost long ago. She was of the same clan after all, but he was not particularly happy with this new chunk of information.
"Hn, you should know better than to favour her because she reminds you of the past, the past which you lost." Itachi stated, feeling no regret for his bold choice of words towards the older man, supposed to be his inferior. The younger Uchiha whirled around, taking a small step forward after securing both medicine bottles in his pouch.
"And you should know better than to fuck with death," The man behind the orange smirked wickedly.
"You are not one to talk, Madara." A fact it was. Uchiha Madara was the closest thing to immortality, and even Itachi secretly knew it was about time for the ancient to meet his end.
Madara lifted his only visible eye towards the sky, fascinated by the warm colours that were smudged together so smoothly. His gaze descended back to the ground, even though he already knew his student was gone.
"Intervening with my intentions is not a wise thing to do, Itachi. Then again, perhaps your motives are far different than mine. But I'll find that out later. For now, you can have your fun." He said the words calmly, but the menace in his voice could've sent a shiver down the spine of any living being.
At that time, Shizuma strolled out of the bathroom wearing a rather simple, short white robe. Her left hand went to cover her mouth as she yawned, her other guided her down the stairs via the railing. She then wandered towards the kitchen, very lazily at that too. She didn't really care, neither Kisame, Deidara, or Kirameki and Akaike were around. She was basically alone in the entire house. She poured herself a mug with cold, fresh water.
Turning with the mug in her hand, she brought it to her lips as she walked back into the living room. She let out a small gasp of dismay as she literally walked up against a solid mass that wasn't supposed to be in her way. The mug was forced to collide with her face, the water shot down the wrong pipe in her throat, and the rest of the water ran down her jaw. Coughing loudly, she jolted backwards and let the mug fall to the ground.
She lifted her now watery eyes up to glare at whatever stood in her way. But it wasn't who she'd expected. Hot colour flamed in her cheeks.
"W-what are you doing here?" Shizuma swiped the water from her face and lowered her hands. Itachi stared at her for a long, painful moment. Then, as if deliberately trying to fuel her embarrassment, he chuckled. Her first reaction was astonishment. Seeing Itachi amused wasn't something that occurred every day. But then she figured that it was because of her. She pressed her teeth together and glared at him, her anger fuelled.
"What's so funny?"
He raised his hand, withdrew only four of his fingers within his palm and used his index finger to trace a circle on her face. At first she didn't get it; was he just trying to piss her off even more? No, he wasn't, she realized the mug that was pressed against her face a few minutes ago must've left a visible, temporary red circle on her face. Wanting to hide the new flush of heat that rushed to her cheeks, she looked down at the ground where she'd dropped her mug. She noticed something peculiar. There was a bottle—most likely medicines—lying next to it. She lowered enough for her hand to reach it and picked it up, examining the pills through the transparent plastic. They were not hers.
"Itachi..." The tone in her voice changed, became concerned. He took note of this, realizing the bottle he'd accidentally dropped hadn't been hers. He cursed his bitter luck as he tried to snatch it from her grasp, but to no avail, she was swifter.
Once again she was standing, her body in the shadow of his, close, so that she could feel his body heat. The air vibrated with his power. His fingers were wrapped loosely, like a bracelet, around her wrist, giving her no opportunity to escape. But he was holding onto the wrong arm.
A slow hiss of air was her only warning. The movement was intensely painful, taking her breath away. Her eyes locked with his. Involuntarily Shizuma struggled, tried to get away. His eyes, as black as night, burned at her.
"What do you need these for?"
"It is none of your concern,"
"Then I'll keep the bottle until you tell me."
"That's a pity..." his smile turned sinister "because I have yours right here." He held up the other bottle to prove his point.
"Screw you," she leaned into him purposely, aware that there was hardly any difference between their height "I don't need mine yet."
"You have no chance of fighting with me, and holding onto my wrist is not going to work either." He told her, completely unrepentant. He knew she'd twisted her hand in his grasp enough to take a hold of his wrist as well.
She was terrified, of course, but strangely calm. "Oh, you could easily kill me, indeed. But I can promise you, I'll come to haunt you... unless you tell me."
"Stubborn and just won't learn." He observed dryly as he lifted her up just enough to swing her into the living room, assuming she would be tossed into something. Much to his dismay, she held onto his wrist and landed on her feet with ease. Even her robe remained intact.
Itachi wasn't planning on telling her anything she didn't need to know. But then again, at this rate he wasn't going to shake her off. Of course he did know one little trick to win this once and for all.
She forced herself to hold that black gaze. Fire. Ice. He had the most frightening eyes she had ever encountered.
"Have it your way," Just the low velvet touch of his voice sent heat curling through her body. It was sinful and unfair to have such a voice.
For a moment that seemed longer to him than to her, he stared at her. He found her intriguing, mysterious even. He trapped the emerald green of her eyes in the intensity of his hot gaze. He knew exactly how to force her to let her guard down, and with his black stare still holding hers, he slowly lowered his head after releasing his hold on her.
She nearly cried out at the rush of liquid heat racing through her body at his touch. His mouth explored every inch of hers, caressing, demanding, gentle, and dominant, a sweet stroking along her small incisors, a stark male possession. Her eyes were wide, eyelids began dropping, at that very moment he activated his Sharingan.
His mouth left hers to pull back and snatch the bottle from her now numb hand. Her body, too, went numb. He merely pushed her backwards only to have her land on the sofa. Without further thinking he placed her medicine on the table and turned to leave.
"You've got an interesting way of letting me have it my way. I could get used to it." Shizuma's voice made him stop dead in his tracks, his breath leaving his mouth for a short amount of time.
"That's impossible, I locked—" He was cut off.
"You locked eyes, yes, but you released my hand which allowed me to dispel the trance you were going to use to put me to sleep."
"More importantly, why did you?" He hated to admit he underestimated her. Or perhaps he hated to face that he didn't exactly sweep her off her feet enough to force her guard down.
"I won't ask you about the medication, I just need you to stay here for now," she didn't bother to wait until he would repeat his question, so she continued, "I'm being watched. If you had left me here, unconscious, that would've given her the perfect opportunity to attack. You can not underestimate her, for it was Orochimaru himself who freed her. But I don't know whether she will take me to him or kill me where I stand. Both is bad enough, but being killed in my sleep isn't something I particularly wish for."
He gave a quick nod. He could sense the honesty in her tone and her eyes didn't betray any lies either.
"I requested my medication from Madara, so I know you finished whatever it was you had to do. And assuming you don't have anything better to do right now, I was hoping you could do me this one favour." A small smile tugged at her lips as she turned to the window, gazing outside into the dark.
She lifted her face then, to lock her eyes with his. To judge his reaction. Itachi hesitated, then inclined his head.
She rose from her position, fixing her robe a bit to keep it decent. "And exactly how long do you want me to stay? An hour?" he prompted, raising his eyebrow at her as she stopped in her tracks after reaching the threshold that led to the hall.
"Until tomorrow morning."
"And you honestly expect me to agree with that?" His black eyes drifted possessively over her face. Devoured her.
"Oh let me see, it's at least two days travelling until you get back to the Akatsuki. So for this night, it's either outside in the cold or inside here on a nice, warm bed." She had a solid point. He sighed softly, trying to mask his fatique. But she'd already noticed how weary he was when he didn't simply take back his medication with force.
"And, another thing, Itachi," she stopped half-way after turning around the corner towards the stairway. "Do not kiss a girl solely for the purpose of distracting her." She made it a soft accusation. He could practically feel her victorious smirk. A tremor ran through his body.
"I'll keep that in mind next time you try to defy me." He could barely manage to get the words past the strange lump blocking his throat. But he could manage to keep his voice steady and completely stoic.
Several hours later, Shizuma raked a trembling hand through the long strands of her unbound, silky hair. She felt completely drained. She paced restlessly across the room to the kitchen and poured herself another cup of tea. Itachi filled this house with his presence. It was difficult to keep from staring at him. She watched him move through the house. He glided silently, almost as if he was aware of her staring at him. She padded into the bedroom to lean her hip against the doorway, just watching him as she sipped her tea. It warmed her insides and helped to stop her shivering. She'd taken off her robe and dressed herself in a long, black nightgown. His eyes met hers across the room.
The rain pounded on the roof now. The wind slammed into the windows, whistling loudly as if in warning. Shizuma raised the cup to her lips and drank, her eyes still locked with his.
"You can have this room if you want. Since Kirameki and Akaike are away on one of their little missions, they took the time to lock their rooms to keep me out of them." She murmured scornfully. Much to Itachi's surprise, however, she passed him by and stopped at the window.
"And you blame them?" He averted his eyes from her sharp glance at him.
"I suppose not." She answered calmly. He heard her open a window, and he immediately tilted his head in her direction, watching her create an animal out of dark red liquid. It became a solid red mass infused with her chakra, and on a closer look he could determine what kind of animal—a cougar, perhaps?—that she sent leaping out of the window. A chill touched her nape. Almost instantly after it touched the ground another solid form emerged.
"Her and I have one thing in common; the ability to create solid forms out of liquid. But only the liquid we control."
"Yours is a blood-like substance," he observed the silver-like lion attacking Shizuma's creation "hers is crystallized." Now he sounded innocent.
She laughed softly. "Do I have naive stamped on my forehead?"
"Amongst other things." He added dryly. She looked offended and guilty simultaneously. For the first time his sensuous mouth softened, curved into a grin. The effect on her was shattering. It wasn't right for a male to look that intimidating yet attractive at the same time. He should be banned from all female company.
He discarded his cloak, walking off momentarily to leave Shizuma alone at what she was doing. Toying with Ritsuko. She knew the female outside would not come near, not with Itachi around.
"I must be getting somewhere after all." Her tone was lazy, teasing, a little bit husky.
"You will be getting out of this room within a few seconds," He made it a soft threat.
Shizuma inhaled deeply, taking in the clear night air. She'd forgotten one minor thing; her own medication. Her heartbeat increased, began beating in a greater amplitude, sending iron-tasting liquid up her throat. She coughed instinctively, releasing her technique and slamming the window shut.
Itachi heard her loud coughing, and with a frustrated sigh went to retrieve her medication. He returned with a glass of water and an oval pill. She was still sitting on the ground, her right hand clutching her chest as if trying to ease the pain she was feeling. Her other hand caught the blood from her mouth.
Upon handing her the glass and medicine, she flashed him a sheepish smile, deliberately trying to avoid his accusing gaze. She staggered as she tried to stand up and lean against the wall, but her hand was caught by Itachi's who set her straight. She yanked her hand away as if he had burned her, he merely raised an eyebrow at this estranged reaction.
Her chin lifted, eyebrows drawing together in concentration. "My hand is smudged with blood," He wasn't sure whether it was an excuse or not. He disregarded it anyway. Her fingers twisted together, and her breath seemed caught in her lungs. "You are free to kick me out of the room now." She added. She sat up reluctantly, hating to have to prove her point but knowing she must thwart his resolve.
"I would, but kicking out half-dead women doesn't look good on my reputation." He hadn't moved much, other than moving to the bed and lowering himself there. He merely watched her with amused eyes. He gave the mental equivalent of absolute derision.
"Oh, I'm not half-dead, and it would look worse if I were pregnant—now that would be a great reputation!" She corrected, savage mocking laced her voice. He met her gaze after she placed the emptied glass on the windowsill next to her.
"If that were so, I would have to kill the man who caused it," he said it decisively after crossing his arms and letting his body fall back on the soft surface of the bed.
Shizuma started to laugh, but as his serious tone registered, her smile faded. He was not teasing her. He was being as honest as he could be. Itachi didn't know whether he was insane or not. "Hm, why?" she inquired softly.
"You would become worthless, and I do not want to be the one to tell Madara this." Well, indeed, that would be one reason.
"Worthless?" She went very still for a moment. But it wasn't long before she took a few steps forward towards him. "It's a good thing I'm not, not to mention I would devote my life to making yours a living hell, and... and..." She hesitated, blushing wildly. She was not going to admit to him that she'd never done anything with a man before.
"Making mine a living hell? You wouldn't need to bother anymore," he said so bluntly, so subtly. At once she felt stark emptiness. Her heart beat hard, pounding in near terror. Normally she wouldn't have understood this remark, but now she felt the hidden meaning.
Itachi opened his eyes, turned his head to look at her. Her heart ached for him. He was painfully aware of her instant change of demeanour.
"You can move. Now get out." It was a demand. There was a threat in his voice, subtle but still there, and she caught the echo of his censored thought. He lost the indulgence often present when he conversed with her. All at once he was a being of enormous power, arrogant and commanding. She understood the terrible dread, but simply shook her head in protest. He looked away from her for a moment and as always, it was impossible to read his expression. His black eyes flickered.
"Spare me the sofa." It was a mumble, as if to emphasize her submission to him she directed her gaze towards the wall idly.
"I will be gone when you wake." His upper body rose to take hold of her waist. She felt the jolt of sensual awareness right down to her toes. Instinctively she looked at his eyes, something she shouldn't have done had she preferred herself awake. His Sharingan was ablaze, and this time captured her. Her eyes became dull as her body wilted forward. Itachi caught her, placing her next to him—the bed was big enough for two people—so that there was at least a small gap in between them.
"You're getting too close," he murmured it aloud under his breath, as if to himself. He was brushing away a few rebellious strands of her black hair that cascaded to frame her face. He caressed her silky hair.
He was surveying his surroundings now, a peculiar glow in his black eyes. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling, listening to the clattering of the rain on the window before falling asleep himself to the soothing sound.
Hastily she crossed the bare plank floor—rugs were luxuries Kirameki and Akaike did allow themselves downstairs, although she could argue about the plain gray colour—to the wardrobe and pulled it open. She wasted no time contemplating the scanty contents; only her usual attire and another plain shinobi outfit were present. She wasn't going to bother getting her favourite attire screwed up today, so she went with the plain black baggy pants that were tucked in her zori, and a gray shirt resembling Itachi's, apart from the difference in size.
Upon being reminded, she gazed over her shoulder at the sleeping man. Then, she pulled her nightgown over her head and began dressing herself with the darker outfit.
Crossing back to the small mirror that hung from the wall, she picked up her brush and began to restore her hair to some sort of order. Her hair was being more impossible than usual this morning; she supposed it somehow sensed that she was in a hurry. But at last she had it secured in one long braid, which she braided as casually as she always did. She was peering into the somewhat wavery mirror. Without her masses of hair to veil them, the jutting angle of her cheekbones and the clean, rounded lines of her forehead and jaw were plainly visible. The silky blackness of her slanting brows and thick lashes added a touch of the exotic to her candid green eyes; her small, straight nose and curved lips still retained the innocent sweetness of childhood. Only her more perceptible tall legs, glossy black of her hair—a vivid contrast to her milky-white skin—hinted that she might not retain the image of a child at all. She picked up her forehead protector, which she could not wrap around her waist now, and wrapped it around her forehead—where it was supposed to be. Dismissing her reflection with a shrug to turn towards the sleeping Uchiha, Shizuma remembered with a smug how he had told her he would be gone when she woke.
It was a shame for him that she awoke early, and he, being the light sleeper, had not heard her. But for a very short moment she wondered if he would notice if she sank her teeth into his skin. She immediately waved these thoughts aside. Of course he would.
But then again, it was her bloodline limit, she had a valid reason to, didn't she?
'Bad Shizuma. Bad thoughts, very bad thoughts!' She told herself, it was like a mental chant to keep herself from doing utterly stupid things.
She twirled on her heels, heading towards the bathroom, seeking sanity of some kind. She found a toothbrush, and reluctantly began brushing her teeth as she tried to force her mind as blank as possible.
"Yo, Shizuma!" Convulsively she swallowed, realized with dawning horror that the voice was definitely not Itachi's, and ran out of the bathroom with the toothbrush still present in her mouth.
Her lively eyes met weary black ones. On her right, the doorknob twisted. Without hesitation she ran towards the opening door and pounced the blond male who immediately fell to the ground, utterly bewildered.
"You don't have to be this happy to see me, un..." He was tired, and she couldn't blame him, it was six in the morning.
She wanted to speak, but found it rather hard as she still had the toothbrush in her mouth. She spit it out so that it landed on the ground. "I thought— Perhaps—" She swallowed hard. "You needed a good adrenaline rush?"
"You succeeded. Kisame overdid it, and I seriously want to fucking sleep right now," he forced the girl on top of him to be turned over in a rush, ending up beneath him. Overpowered, Shizuma lay defenceless, staring up into the blue eye and shivering visibly as the blond hair trickled over her cheek.
"Just how tired are you?" She writhed, her glum stare directed at Deidara who smirked victoriously when he realized he'd immobilized her, not to mention took away her opportunity to try and squirm away from his hold. There was a stench lingering around him, a stench of alcohol. It all dawned down on her at that exact moment; Deidara had to temporarily work with Kisame, and Kisame was rather fond of Sake. The conclusion was, Deidara was utterly drunk.
"You'd be surprised, un," His mouth found her pulse, felt it jump under the velvet rasp of his tongue. His lips moved to her chin, the corner of her lips. "Your eyes are familiar."
"Yes, I get that a lot, you drunk idiot. Now get off me." She tried her best to sound severe, but the man above her with the husky voice was throwing off her concentration. His grin was self-mocking, his blue eye amused.
But the weight on top of her that was threatening to crush her dissipated, and a loud thud caught her ears. She blinked, staring up at the raven-haired man who was clutching his head, the dark locks of his unbound hair cascading down to his chest.
She then turned her head to the blond who lay motionless on the ground after being slammed into the wall. Sitting up and proceeding to rise to her feet. A smile lightened her expression. "He's going to wake up with one hell of a headache," she observed bluntly, turning her gaze back at Itachi. His somewhat pained expression caused her small smile to vanish. "Did you by any chance overuse your Sharingan?" she prompted.
He removed his hand, his black eyes glaring at her. He didn't answer her, in stead, he turned back into the bedroom. She followed him quietly until he stopped. She hesitated for a moment, but then finally lifted her arm to reach for his forehead. He wasn't wearing his forehead protector, naturally, but the heat radiating from him could only mean one thing. He, unfortunately for her, took hold of her hand before it could even come close to his face.
His expression was so stern, so intimidating that Shizuma burst out laughing. "My first encounter with you made my skin crawl. Now, months later, I've gotten used to this." She told him, implying his iron grip on her wrist. But as if realizing that she was only going to make it harder on him if he didn't give in this time, he released her, his arm falling at his side languidly.
Her cold hand touched his much warmer skin, temporarily taking away the burning intensity that blurred his vision. It felt soothing.
"You have a high fever," she informed casually, pulling her hand back. He frowned—he rarely got sick—and turned his dark gaze towards her.
"It will fade."
"Stubborn man—actually, doesn't Konoha have hot springs?" she inquired, blinking curiously. By the mischievous expression on her face he could tell that he'd better leave now. "I think that would do you some good."
And she made him stop in his tracks by appearing in front of him. "I don't need to go there," he said plainly, pushing his unbound hair behind his ear, only his bangs remaining in front of his face. He stepped away from her and proceeded towards the door.
"Oh, but I would love to. I don't think I've ever gone to the hot springs—I'll just have to ask Deidara to come with me then," That innocent remark made him stop dead in his tracks at the threshold, staring at the blond man who was still lying unconscious at the opposite end. His eyebrow twitched.
Who in his right mind taught her how to manipulate?
He took a soundless gasp for oxygen. "Do as you wish, just don't get caught." He turned into the hall towards the stairs. She followed him silently with a small smile on her face.
Itachi stopped at the upper end of the stairs, taking hold of his head again in an attempt block out the pain beating at his skull.
"Speaking of getting caught, I'm probably not allowed to tell Madara you were here, right?" Her words were so low, barely discernible even to his acute hearing, that he wasn't certain he had heard her correctly. Perhaps his mind was simply playing tricks on him. She had him right where she wanted. He knew better than her that Madara has an obvious weak spot for this manipulative Ginchishio because she reminded him of one of her ancestors which Madara had known—robably more than just known, he considered, regardless—and that could end up coming to haunt him.
"...You're implying something, aren't you?"
"Maybe," She crossed her arms after pushing at the heavy fall of her loose bangs.
He instantly and prudently held up a hand in surrender. His headache was keeping him from thinking straight and being able to actually argue with her. "I brought this upon myself by agreeing to being your caretaker," He knew he sounded belligerent, but he had every reason to. Her hot temper surged forth. If he was standing on the edge of the pier in all of his elegance, she would have shoved him right off the edge into the water.
"See it from the bright side, I never had anything to say in the matter." She whispered sweetly.
"That is not a bright side. That just emphasizes the fact that I will not get rid of you unless you simply die."
Her eyebrows shot up, fury gathering in her green eyes. "Just—no, fuck you." Her chin went up defiantly. He paid no heed to it as he descended the stairs. She followed him nevertheless.
"Please do try; that would give me a valid reason to kill you." Itachi wasn't actually appeasing her, descretion being the better part of valor. He pressed his hands together, altering his appearance with the Henge. Her indrawn breath was audible. She rolled her eyes upon seeing the man with the medium long sandy-coloured hair.
"So does this mean you are coming along, then?" she inquired shortly after. He opened the door with an indignant snort, waiting for the black-haired female to follow him.
"You don't give me much of a choice," he said after closing the door behind her. The trace of amusement in his voice irritated her, as if he were merely humouring her. His graceful elegance failing to conceal the rippling strength of his muscles and the power emanating from his body. He looked totally confident, relaxed, completely fearless. Her expression became less hard as she glanced at him and flashed a small smile in his direction.
"How else do I persuade an S-ranked criminal?" she paused, ascending to land on a tree branch, sprinting further from that point.
He easily caught up with her, simply because she was not trying to hurry. "You've managed flawlessly up until now. And you may take in consideration that you will need to alter your appearance."
"I personally think I have a calming influence, plus I don't think I'd be easily recognized,"
"You look about as reassuring as a Bengal tiger." He shot back rather bluntly. In a sense, he was right, her appearance did contradict her. Long ebony hair usually braided intricately—although today she had been rather indolent—dark green eyes flashing dangerously, she was the striking image of a female predator. She'd never thought of it that way, and it brought a sense of victory to her.
But almost instantly she regarded him. "Oh, and you look like a bunny rabbit," she scoffed.
They reached Konoha shortly after. Although Shizuma was indeed stubborn about her refusal to alter her appearance, she was proved to be right after all. Nobody actually recognized her, and she was lucky enough not to come across someone like, say, Tategami—the ANBU she met when she was under the alias of Arashi.
The both of them strode silently, stopping at the infamous walls where the hot springs were centred behind.
"I'll see you back here in a few long minutes." She said, ready to walk inside. He caught her arm, however.
"Do you honestly believe I will let you stay in there alone?"
"We're not married." She sniped back.
The soft rumbling in Itachi's throat increased; his fingers tightened possessively, nearly crushing bones and tendon in Shizuma's upper arm. His blood surged and pounded. Little jackhammers began to beat at his skull.
"You may not have been recognized, but there are several dangerous individuals after your bloodline limit, and I can't risk leaving you unprotected in such an open place." He chided softly. "And unlike you, I do not care for these trivial matters." That was a clear reprimand. But indeed, she wasn't particularly fond of sharing an intimidate place with him. To her, that was just utterly embarrassing.
"I can fend for myself, thank you very much." She objected. He merely raised one of his currently light coloured eyebrows.
"So I noticed," he answered dryly, obviously referring to Deidara's actions earlier today.
"It's not like he was attempting to kill me." She said waspishly.
Shizuma was quick to disappear in a hall where she could undress herself. She hadn't been at the hot springs since her Chuunin exams. Her memories were blurry, but she clearly remembered barely passing the Forest of Death, but losing in a one on one fight to, ironically enough, Kirameki—her team member. But in the end, only Akaike made it to the semi-finals where she lost as well. But luckily, they did pass as Chuunins.
Shizuma placed her hand on the flat surface of one of the heated rocks, holding her towel in place with her other hand, and hopped over the rocks, landing in the scalding hot water. Her body slowly adjusted to the warmth, making way for relaxation. She closed her eyes, placing both her elbows on the edge of a rock so that she could calmly enjoy the heat of the steam.
She could sense Itachi, but he was soundless. Only the rippling of the water reached her like a small fluttering warning. She lazily opened one eye, but opened both in shock right after detecting him. His obsidian eyes taunted her, along with those dark locks of hair that hung loosely over his bare chest and back.
She fought back the heat coursing up to her head. However, she could just as well blame her furious blushing on the steam emitting from the water. "Have you gone mental?"
His eyes flashed crimson for an instant, but turned into black gems even before she could look away. "Hn."
There was a growing restlessness in her that she had never experienced. A wild, untamed spirit that seemed to be spreading, demanding more from her, demanding things she had no knowledge of. She quivered—how she'd managed this in scalding hot water was beyond her—and clutched her towel closer to herself.
Itachi took note of her reactions. He smirked lightly; only the semblance of a smile was to be detected in his devilish glare.
"Feeling any better?" She finally dared to ask. Deliberately, Itachi stretched, a slow, languid movement designed to reacquaint himself with his muscles, with his strength. His body was still a little sluggish, but it was alive again, and his headache appeared to have faded.
That movement answered her question, and also fuelled her embarrassment. She quickly looked away, lifting her arms from their place and crossing them over her chest.
"Good," it was her only response. He couldn't help but keep his gaze fixated on her.
"Tense?" Her green eyes glinted at him again. She expected him to be teasing her, but his face remained an impassive mask.
"Not at all." She said it confidently, meeting his gaze with neither consciousness nor guile.
"Unless, of course..." He began, but was cut off.
"Don't you dare say it—don't even think about it!"
Shrouded in shadows, he studied her, then said, "Think what?"
She doubted she'd misjudged him. But she deliberately glared at him, refusing to give in.
He found her reticence disconcerting. Disorienting.
As he tended to keep silent, having long ago discovered the advantage that conferred, she was not the type of individual to be following orders from someone like Madara. But then again, neither was he. That is one of those things they have in common.
She was so fragile, so vulnerable. Shizuma could brave the wildest river or highest mountain. She had the strength to handle any crisis, but not her own emotions. This competent dark-haired female was terrified of her feelings for him. But inwardly he wondered if she truly had a good reason to.
How he had even known of her inner turmoil was because she wasn't very efficient at concealing it from him. She was clutching her towel for dear life, and the red that was once her pale skin looked too much like a blush than something she acquired from this heat. But, even though he wouldn't admit it, she looked rather funny. He hadn't seen her this flustered before.
Itachi actually felt the curious melting in the region of his heart, the surge of heat that rushed through his bloodstream. As easily as he could've taken advantage of the situation, just as easily he could banish his emotions. For now.
Itachi sensed a familiar presence. "I'll return tomorrow and bring you back, so make no mistakes." It was a warning, nothing less. The tone was devoid of any feeling whatsoever.
She stared at him as his henge re-appeared. She gave a curt nod.
Certain she would be fine for now, he rose from the water. He'd been particularly grateful for the girl's concern. Although she annoyed him just as much, her concern for his wellbeing was something he hadn't experienced in a long time, and without her, probably never would again. In the end, he could endure her presence far better than he had expected. It chilled him to his very core, but at the same time, heated him.
Shizuma opened her mouth to speak, but the realization came too late. One moment he was there, the next he vanished. She merely stared at the empty spot, wondering why he deemed it appropriate to leave at this very moment.
Her silent wondering was soon to be dispelled by a certain water-user who jumped in the water next to her.
"I thought we agreed that you would stay at the mansion while I was away on a mission..." Shizuma sensed the malicious intend in Kirameki's voice, and she immediately tried to jump out of the water. But, much to her dismay, she was facing a water-user. She cursed Itachi for being smart enough to leave.
"Really? There's nothing wrong with me being here, right?" Shizuma tried to still the silver-haired girl's rage. Kirameki pursed her lips, frowning.
"I warned you, Shizuma," A dragon made of scalding hot water rose, looking down at the dark-haired female. Shizuma swallowed instinctively, drawing a good breath.
"Fuck." She just had to have a water-user as her team member.
Akaike just watched as her older friends fought each other, in a hot spring no less. She preferred to keep herself out of it, as always.
"Kirameki! I am going to chop every string of hair from your head, you bloody bitch!"
"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try after I pump dozens of litres water through every organ you have!"
"Go die!"
"Get laid!"
Yes, it was just like the good old days.
"Shizuma, watch what the hell you're aiming at!" scorned Kirameki after Shizuma's kunai dug through another tree. Shizuma is wind-natured, Kirameki is obviously water-natured, and Akaike has the earth-nature.
"Maybe you should watch where you're standing!"
"Fuck you. If you hit me, I'll tell the new Hokage you're dating Uchiha Itachi."
Shizuma blinked. "New Hokage? Oh, you mean Tsunade! And like hell you would,"
"Want to bet?"
Another one of Shizuma's kunai was thrown at a falling leaf, nailing it to a tree. "Last time we had this conversation, I beat every technique you had. Second of all, you'd be lying. I'm not dating anyone."
"I repeat: fuck you. You only won because you had Itachi at your side. Isn't that a bit ironic?" Taunting little water-user. Shizuma had to restrain herself mentally from lashing out physically.
"I would've won anyway. And yes, irony is a cold-hearted bitch. What else is new?"
This time it was Kirameki's kunai that hit another leaf before Shizuma's could. Their eyes met instantly, the challenge was made. But in stead of attacking eachother, Akaike stood in the middle, smiling gently at both. Her wisps of purple dyed bangs flicked gently as the wind picked up. The sun stood low, its orange glow betraying the evening time.
"Meki, you've already used up too much energy on our mission. Shizu, you're most likely still going to need yours." Akaike told the competitive girls.
The silver-haired girl pushed a hand through her unbound locks, crossing her arms defiantly. Shizuma responded with a curt nod, sending one last glare into Kirameki's direction before averting her eyes.
But both of the long-haired girls knew their past did not deny their friendship.
It was Sennyo Kirameki who sprinted through the forest of death, feeling victorious in her ability to proceed through the challenges so easily, as if she had done it a dozen times over. She had successfully slowed down others who started out ahead of her, and also left her team members to follow her lead.
But she wasn't the most graceful, nor fastest of her team. And her arrogance often promised her a clumsy accident to turn her luck around. And now was no different. She forgot to take notice of the slippery mud she had stepped upon, had taken her balance for granted, and was forced backwards as her feet glided forward. She fell on her back, her long silver locks drenched in the unattractive brown substance. As she tried to sit up, a shadow cast over her. Curiosity, and a tinge of fear setting in, she looked up only to meet the warm green eyes of Ginchishio Shizuma.
"Need a hand, water princess?" The dark-haired girl smiled brightly. Kirameki, who was still frozen with astonishment, slowly took Shizuma's offering hand. She was hauled back up, but avoided Shizuma's warm gaze.
"Why would you help me?" Kirameki inquired softly.
"We're in the same team, right?" Shizuma told her firmly, despite the questioning reference.
The water-user's bright sapphire eyes were almost violet-coloured due to the radiant orange glow of the setting sun.
"You bet we are!" They both chuckled at her sudden positive outburst.
Akaike twisted her hands tightly together. "Are we going to fight?"
"We are. Raizo trained us with all his might to accomplish this."
"We need to kill Ritsuko," she admitted. "But I still don't understand why she would attack you first, Shizu."
"Because you can't think of any reason why anyone would attack me?"
She nodded. "I suppose once Konoha becomes aware of my cooperation with the Akatsuki, the troubles would come flying at me at any given time. If someone wants to harm me-"
"Kill you."
She acknowledged the brutal truth with a nod, even as a cold shiver went through her. "They would still have to put up one hell of a fight!"
Kirameki opened her mouth to speak, but immediately froze when a pair of shuriken flew past Shizuma who barely dodged them in time.
"When I said the troubles would come flying at me at any given time, I didn't mean that literally!" She scorned out loud, not caring for whoever it was that assaulted her so bluntly.
The solid form of Uchiha Itachi shimmered into view. He stood before Shizuma, without his cloak, smirking down at the girl before him who appeared petrified on the spot because of his sudden appearance.
"Well done, love." He said it without rancour, his voice a blend of mesmerizing sorcery and affection. Had Shizuma been surprised by his appearance, then the way he just referred to her made her turn into a statue.
"How the mighty have fallen." Kirameki mumbled to Akaike, mocking Shizuma who didn't even have the strength to turn her head and glare. She kept her gaze fixated on the Uchiha, completely enticed.
"Itachi, what in the name of—" Shizuma's senses alerted her to his nearness—too late. She was too late to stop him from pressing close, from laying his hand on her chest. From leaning into her, reaching up and drawing her face to his.
Too late to stop her body from reacting, to stop herself from raising her head, meeting his lips, taking what he offered. She tried—for one instant fought against his spell. But he'd captured her; despite all her logical arguments, there was too much of her that simply wanted him.
The two girls stood solemnly, just observing what was happening right in front of them, and feeling a cold shiver running down their spines. Indeed, they also felt a small sting of jealousy, for it was their friend who was being kissed by someone quite as handsome as Uchiha Itachi. But on the other hand, neither of them would want the murderer as their caretaker, the slayer of the Uchiha clan, one of the most dangerous S-ranked criminals, to be capturing their lips.
But one moment they had been observing in awe, the next their jaws went slack when the sharp, silver tip of Shizuma's katana protruded from the flesh of Itachi's shoulder, having penetrated him. The sound of steel ripping through flesh was horrifying, it could almost make someone with sensitive ears wish to turn deaf.
Immediately creating distance, the raven-haired man stepped back clutching his bleeding shoulder. "How dare you," his mouth lifted into a snarl. Shizuma smiled.
"Itachi would not praise me for something as simple as dodging a pair of shuriken. And he would never call me 'love' either. In other words, your disguise technique failed, Ritsuko."
The image of the Uchiha vanished, leaving only a light brown-haired woman with conniving, slashing silver eyes. Her malicious glare pinned Shizuma in her place, but did not wipe the smug from her expression. It was an expression of both the utmost rapture and euphoria.
The bleeding woman created a layer of solid crystal over her wound to stop the blood from oozing out in thick rivulets.
Suddenly, Shizuma grimaced and brought her hand up to her face to trace her lips with her index finger. "You kissed me. Bloody hell, I'm going to need bleach to scrub my lips after this,"
"How is that so strange? I saw you and the Uchiha kissing the other night." Ritsuko retaliated.
Shizuma stopped wiping her lips and turned to the woman with widened eyes. She obviously did not like the accusation. "You couldn't have seen that!"
"I have been locked up for most of my life, yet I am very aware of those things called windows. What is your excuse, young one?" The older female was savagely mocking Shizuma. Why was it that the majority of people liked to mock her? Did she have gullible stamped on her forehead? She was almost tempted to check this as she cursed inwardly.
"You are so dead." Shizuma snapped, taking a fighting stance. "Akaike, Kirameki, spread out!" The two girls ignored the accusation and both responded with a curt nod, signalling their comprehension of the situation and how they were going to work together in defeating Ritsuko.
Fog rolled in, became thick, blinding. Kirameki's technique. Next was Akaike's turn to begin her weaving of the almost invisible strands of razor sharps strings, dripping with the unnoticeable liquid which was her bloodline limit's advantage. She could merge anything with her poison.
Lastly, Shizuma pressed her hands together, focused, and created two solid creatures. She shaped them in the way she wished. Like stiletto blades, claws extended, then retracted until they needed them. She'd created two dark red leopards, infused with her chakra.
The leopards were always quick, agile, cunning, and extremely dangerous. Often the hunter of a leopard became the prey. Of all the cat species, they were the most intelligent. Leopards used their long, sharp canines to grab, hold, puncture and tear. Their razor-sharp claws could slice through flesh like a knife. Though clever and bold, incredibly intelligent, they had quick mood swings that made them highly unpredictable. Still, their minds were always working, always meeting a challenge. This is why Shizuma preferred to create feline creatures in stead of canine ones, due to their lack of agility and lethal stalking.
She closed her eyes, feeling secure now that she was surrounded by Akaike's strings, and channelled her chakra through her creations to enable herself to navigate through them. Now she, too, could wait and watch, remain completely motionless and silent or creep without detection through forest or meadow, stalking, belly to ground, inch by inch, with incredible muscle control. When the creature pounced, it did so with incredible swiftness, like they were meant to. Shizuma sent the other one to survey the surroundings from high branches, or assuring a surprise attack from above.
The leopard that pounced Ritsuko failed. It was a mere clone of the designated target. But they recovered quickly, Shizuma's chakra allowing them to move like real live leopards. They moved as a unit, exploring the terrain.
Kirameki's massive water technique rose, crashing down until it was no longer visible in the white mass, but clearly audible. Ritsuko had been driven into a corner.
"Vines of Ascension!" The three shouted in unison, the large vines erupting from below the earth, entrapping Ritsuko in a chamber of spiked, poison-filled vines.
Of course, the older woman with the ability to create solid forms out of liquid just like Shizuma used her ability. Large silver spikes broke through the confinement, ripping the vines apart.
"You're going to have to try harder than that, kids." She smirked, dashing off to create distance, failing to notice Akaike's special strings. She was barely able to detect them, and made a movement just in time to avoid losing her entire arm after colliding with the strings. In stead, four fingers fell to the ground. The woman's scream tore from her throat, clawed at the ears of the three girls.
In her rage after experiencing this new sensation, Ritsuko obliterated a single leopard that tried to pounce on her. However, the other one remained. It sank low into the bushes, its glowing yellow eyes fixated on the woman who hadn't noticed it yet.
Shizuma kept her solid leopard controlled with her chakra, navigating herself smoothly through the thick fog.
Kirameki dashed in for the kill. She was skilled at taijutsu, and would love nothing more than to demonstrate it. Her strong leg reached Ritsuko's hip, knocking her over until she fell to the ground ruthlessly. However, the woman took hold of Kirameki's arm, jerking her away and throwing her aside with such force that Kirameki landed several feet further.
The next thing Shizuma could perceive was something she was accustomed to. Waterfalls, the magnificence of frothy, foaming water cascading hundreds of feet. Kirameki was a magnificent water-user, as it was her clan's expertise to control water. She'd gathered all her chakra to create such a strong wall of water, trapping Ritsuko without a doubt. But even as she did so, the Hirota prodigy allowed her body to become liquid, merging with the water.
"Cease your water techniques, Kirameki." Shizuma emerged from the fog. Her green eyes flashed at Ritsuki in pure challenge.
The third to emerge was Akaike with her dark blond hair flicking around her face vigorously when the wind rose at its peek.
"One of you has little to no chakra left. The other is prone to techniques that only prove lethal after certain amount of time has passed. And you, Shizuma, are the only threat left for me to eliminate."
Ritsuko was right. Kirameki's chakra had been used drastically for the techniques she had used earlier when she already had only half of her chakra left. And Akaike was skilled at poisoning her victims, or luring them into traps she set up herself.
The black-haired female raised her katana from its scabbard once again, raising it with both hands, aiming it for Ritsuko.
"Kirameki, switch her mind with Akaike's." It was an order, not a question. Kirameki, with little chakra left, did as she was told. The moment Shizuma's strategy had been initiated, she charged forward, her katana ready to strike. But Ritsuko knew better. The woman in Akaike's body quickly moved in front of her original body now taken over by the poison-user thanks to the Sennyo clan's secret technique. The tip of Shizuma's blade managed to stop before coming close to touching skin.
"Now, Akaike."
Akaike now in Ritsuko's body moved instantly, snatching the necklace from her own body's neck. It contained a purple liquid, a poison she created herself, that would slowly but effectively paralyze the muscles in someone's body. There was no remedy for this, seeing as the poison literally eats away at the tendon and flesh as if it were acid.
She opened the bottle that had been wrapped around her neck with laces, and immediately brought the liquid to her lips and drained it dry. Kirameki then reversed her technique to place their minds back in their own bodies.
Ritsuko's hand went up to her throat, rubbing it, slowly beginning to tear at it with her lengthened nails. Then she screamed in agony, in defeat. She had been tricked by a bunch of teenage kunoichi.
"She is distracted for now. Kirameki, Akaike, this is where you two leave. Go back to your mansion, I will finish this woman off." Shizuma injected as much contempt into her tone as she could muster.
"But, Shizu!" Akaike normally was never one to dispute. But she was feeling concerned for the safety of her friend.
"I will visit you two every once in a while. I promise. Just promise you'll keep my little secret," Shizuma's brilliant green eyes scanned over the two girls who responded with a solemn nod of their head.
"Thank you, Shizuma, and rest assured; your secret is safe with us." Kirameki sounded more honest than she'd ever sounded in her life. The two left their former team member, knowing that her strength exceeded their own, and knowing they had done a great job at helping her.
Indeed, Kirameki's water techniques had wounded the woman, and Akaike's poison was slowly tearing her down from the inside.
A sudden cold draft touched Shizuma's face. The evening air was crisp, clean, leaves were rustling in rhythm to the strong winds. Ritsuko's figure shimmered into view, crystallized at first, then solified. The sudden collision was Shizuma's fist blocking Ritsuko's with raw force. A tremor ran through both of their body, mainly Ritsuko's since her strength was decreasing rapidly. She had a sneer on her face that told Shizuma that she'd better get away now, and fast.
The older woman took hold of Shizuma's left arm, and in a split second she used her rock-smashing force to twist the Radius and Ulna bones and fracturing them. Shizuma's mind became a haze, a dark void, a sudden whirling tornado. The pain was excruciating, almost unbearable, far too unrealistic.
But she didn't show it, she didn't scream, didn't shout, didn't even cring.
"You are the one with the sacred blood, but even you have weaknesses. It's a shame I know of them. You should thank lord Orochimaru for that later, if you do manage to survive." Ritsuko's voice was raspy, clogged with hatred, with menace. Her slashing silver eyes were glowing eerily, which Shizuma would admit was intimidating, had she not been too busy blocking out the immense pain beating into her.
Ritsuko released her hold on the teenager. She meticulously scanned her body, trying to seek the bones she would love to fracture right now. Oh how she loved picking out her opponent's weaknesses. She turned her attention to Shizuma's right arm—she was right-handed—and smiled, her head tilting sideward in a rather strange gesture that made her look intrigued and wicked at the same time.
But Ritsuko had only one hand left to use correctly. Her fingers had been chopped off. "Let's start with your Carpal bones, then we work our way to the Metacarpal bones, and end with your Phalanges which will be chopped off at both sides."
'I won't die by her hands,'
'You will not die.'
'With this pain, I won't be able to move as fast as I used to,' She didn't know why she was conversing with the demon in her mind. But she felt as though she was going to need his powers. Tap into his strength.
'If you die, then I die. Therefore, you must live. I will ensure this.'
Shizuma stepped away to avoid the hand trying to snatch her right arm. "There is one miscalculation on your behalf," She took a great intake of oxygen, preparing to let herself use the strength inside of her that she was so desperate to use at this moment. "I still have one last resort." With that said, a knot fisted in her stomach. Her vivid green eyes turned to ultramarine slits, the dark hair cascading down her back became unblemished white. With a low growl, Ritsuko used her only functional hand to use her ninjutsu.
Shizuma dashed backwards, became a blur to everything around her. The ground shook, cracked open, and rocks flew around her, just barely missing her due to the immense speed the possession allowed her to use.
"I will kill you, Ginchishio Shizuma, I will snap every bone in that pitiful body of yours!" Ritsuko was behind her, held her thick braid in a strong grip, and managed to lift Shizuma off her feet and slam her sides into the nearest tree. The blood welled up unexpectedly and she had no choice but to cough it all out before it choked her.
"That's right," Ritsuko's hot breath fanned against her neck, making her want to gag. A terrible sense of failure assailed her. "Cough up that blood of yours."
She let out her breath slowly, carefully, centering herself for the attack. Shizuma crouched lower on the balls of her feet, her mind clear and calm as Ritsuko neared her. Her eyes were fixed on Shizuma, her fingers clenching and unclenching as she shuffled forward. Shizuma didn't dare allow her to get her hands on her a second time. Her world narrowed to the woman approaching her, her mind clear, as she knew it would have to be.
She waited until the female was nearly on top of her before she moved. She used her speed, whirling in a spin, generating power as her leg lashed out, the edge of her foot catching the feminine ghoul's kneecap in an explosion of violence. She sprang away, out of reach of those clawed hands. Ritsuko howled loudly, spittle spraying into the air, a thick line of blood oozing from the side of her mouth. Those silver eyes remained dead and fixed on her as Ritsuko's leg buckled with an audible crack. Unbelievably, she lurched toward Shizuma, dragging her useless leg but coming at her steadily.
Shizuma knew Ritsuko's kneecap was broken, yet she continued toward her relentlessly. She angled sideways, circling to the woman's left in an attempt to slide past her. She stood her ground, shaking her arms to keep them loose. The feminine ghoul swiped at her with her long arm, her huge, hamlike fist which was enhanced by solid crystal missing her face as she ducked and slammed her foot into Ritsuko's chest, then straight up beneath her chin. She cursed, her body jerking under the assault, but it only rocked backward, jolted for a moment. Shizuma saw her chance. Her only chance. Her ultramarine orbs were only focused on one thing. Killing this woman.
The leopard she'd sent out earlier descended from a branch, pounced on Ritsuko, and penetrated her neck with its sharp canines. The woman stood motionless, feigning the acceptance of defeat. And for a single moment, Shizuma believed she'd won, her hair turning back to its dark colour and her eyes their usual dark green again. She wiped at the blood trailing down her chin with her still useable hand. The other one hung at her side, wrenched, the bruises obvious and some of the fractured points poking at her flesh.
It was a lesson in sheer frustration. No matter how many times she managed to score a kick or hit, the woman refused to go down. Ritsuko groaned, but her eyes were always the same, flat and empty and fixed on her. It was like a relentless machine that never stopped. Shizuma was too late at trying to avoid the solid crystal spike that was launched for her chest. It penetrated, sent her stepping backwards due to the impact, and caught her nailed to a tree. Oh, the irony.
"I'm taking you down with me." Ritsuko's voice was officially that of a dying woman. The poison spreading through her body was doing its work, and the teeth that punctured her neck was cutting off both her circulation and flow of oxygen.
In front of Shizuma, the silver eyes faded to a soft hazel, and the long brown hair danced through the air before the woman fell limp to the ground, face down, her hair spreading around her like a halo.
The woman who had murdered her own brother, and Shizuma, Kirameki, and Akaike's sensei, Raizo, was dead.
With a faint smile, Shizuma let the leopard disperse into red petals, and felt relief wash over her as the crystallized spike that had punctured her chest through her ribcage disappeared as well.
She, too, fell to the ground on her knees, staring up at the dark sky that held only a tiny piece of light.
"Itachi..." She breathed his name. She didn't know why, she wasn't in any position to wonder, but she needed him. With her final thought of that man, and a soft breeze tugging at her motionless body still managing to stay still on its knees, she fell like a wilting tree. The ground felt surprisingly soft, she could grasp the soft fluttering grass around her fingers. With comfort in mind, she slipped over the edge of consciousness, and was pulled into darkness, no longer able to feel the pain that would be there for a good amount of time.

The ancient Uchiha walked soundlessly through the grim halls, stopping only to knock silently on a door. Upon not being granted a response, he opened it, and gazed inside. It was empty, only a mere window was cracked open to ensure some fresh air.
Uchiha Madara was about to demand that Itachi immediately brings back his subordinate. But his student was already gone. With a f