Eyes fluttered open slowly as they gaze at the ceiling. Suddenly the woman rose and looked around only to see that she was in a white room. Then, memories of a tragic day that took place went through her mind and she found herself yelling at the top of her lungs. She didn't care where she was or that someone will hear her, the pain in her heart was too big. Instinctively she put her hands at her abdomen only to find it flat, she moved her gaze down and rose the shirt to see that she had a scar over her belly.
"My babies!!" she yelled again and started to cry. She punched the matress harder and harder only to feel that the bed won't last long. "I hate you!!" she yelled again. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate YOU!!" she cried. Then a sound made itself heard and the door suddenly opened only to reveal a dark-haired man about her age with black eyes. Even if he entered the room she didn't stop crying. The man went quickly beside her and with the tip of his fingers he touched the pressure spots on her body making her to go numb and fell on her back.
"Calm yourself, you just woke up from coma." he said and the red-haired woman stopped yelling.
"Coma?" she asked with a trembling voice. "For how long?". The dark-haired man sighed and eyed her.
"Three years" he said. "I found you when I was crossing by Amegakure with my teammates, the village was burning and I searched it for any survivors." he said and made a pause. "You were the only one. Actually you were more dead than allive. I was about to quit my search then I saw you crawling outside from the church. When the four of us arrived next to you, you passed out."
Naruki thought about the things what happened that day, the guests, the wedding, Ichiro, the vows, the ten men breaking the ceremony, the slaughter, the torture and her supposed death. Tears started to fall down her cheeks at the remembrance, what reason she had now to live if her children were dead?
"Unfortunately, you lost the pregnancy because of the poison." he said. Naruki eyed him with teary eyes.
"How come I didn't die because of it?" she asked.
"I used my chakra to destroy the poison atoms which were flowing through your body." he responded. "What's your name? You seem odly familiar." the man said. Naruki turned her gaze away, if she would tell him her name, he would surely know that she was the assasin which was listed in the Bingo Book. And that he will try to gather the bounty put on her head. But why should she care? She lost the reason to live, now there was nothing that would keep her allive."
"Naruki." she said not mentioning her last name and turned to him. She expected him to wide his eyes open at the mention of her name but he didn't he just made a smirk. "Yours?"
"Sasuke." the man responded. She stared at him curiously, something told her that he was familiar also, his facial figures made him to look a bit like... 'No!' she said to herself and shook her head tossing that thought away. Sasuke rose an eyebrow at her.
"You know me?" he asked.
"No, it's just you remembered me of someone. But nevermind." she added quickly when Sasuke opened his mouth to ask something about that someone. "Where are we?" she asked trying to change the subject.
"In my house at the border between Rain and Fire Country, he said.
"We aren't in a village?" she asked confused. Sasuke turned his gaze away at her question.
"No." he said and got up on his feet. "You should sleep." he turned to the door. Naruki watched him approaching it and raising his hand towards the doorknob.
"Wait. I-I wanted to ask you if you kn-know me." she said quickly. Sasuke stopped right there and turned his gaze at her.
"Yes." Naruki eyed her eyes open at his words. It struck her, he was now going to report that he had in his house a S-rank criminal so he could gather the bounty. Seeing that tears threatened to fall from her eyes he opened the door and when he was about to close it he took a final glance at her. "You're like me." he said and closed the door.
Naruki stared at the door, what did he mean that she was like him? Why wasn't he in a village? And why did she had a strange feeling around him? Thoughts like these crossed her mind continously and she didn't realise that her eyes closed and soon her breath turned to a hard one meaning that she fell asleep.
Outside the room, Sasuke gazed at the door of his bedroom where the red-haired woman was staying. Sensing that the chakra flow reduced, he realised that she fell asleep. He took a deep sigh and took a sit on the couch still gazing at it.
"Oi Sasuke, we have been keeping her for three years now, when are we going to diss her off? You know that she won't wake up." a voice said. Sasuke turned his head towards the kitchen door where a white-haired man stood.
"She woke up a few moments ago, Suigetsu." he said while eyeing him.
"She did?" a female voice sounded this time and a red-head appeared at the door also.
"Yes, Karin." he said in a bored tone.
"What are we going to do with her now?" Suigetsu asked.
"For now, nothing. We shall think about that when she recovers." he said and turned his gaze at the door. "I'm sure she'll be good if she will join us." he said. His two teammates didn't say anything and decided to leave their leader alone so they went back to the kitchen. 'Her eyes... she helds something powerful in them. And also, her eyes are like mine, they want revenge. She doesn't show it but she wants it. She wants it very much.' he thought for himself and his eyes faded to red with three tomoes. 'Like me.'
It was a sunny day in the month of March, the birds were chirping and the smell of flowers filled the air of the forest. But the 15-year girl who was running without a stop through the leaves of the trees didn't have time to think about it.
"This can't be happening, I'm going to be late! I'm never late, why now?" she yelled and her words echoed in the forest. "He's going to kill me." she said and concentrated her chakra in her feet to skip faster on the branches of the trees.
After a few more jumps, she could see a structure ahead and a smirk crossed her lips.
"There's the estate, I'm finally there." she said between her pantings and concentrated a bigger amount of chakra in her feet for a final jump. As she did that, she landed exactly in front of the door. "Made it" she smiled and was about to open it. Right when her hand was about to touch the doorknob, the door swung open in front of her.
"You're late, Naruki!" the man said and Naruki rolled over her eyes.
"It's not my fault that the misson took place in Suna." she said crossing her arms. "By the way, why are you at the base, Itachi? she said raising an eyebrow at him.
"Waiting for people like you to get back from a simple mission that should have ended weeks ago." he said.
"But Sasori-san told me to stay two weeks more to gather information about Ichibi." she said pouting.
"Naruki, you just joined Akatsuki, the only orders you listen are the ones which come from leader."
"But Sasori-san said-"
"No, you can't blame him for your mistakes. He is a member of Akatsuki since a much longer time than you. If you would tell leader, he would believe Sasori instead of you." he said.
Naruki sent him a glare, why wouldn't he be on her side for once in his life? Even though she wouldn't forgive him for what he did when he had been sent by leader to make her to join Akatsuki, she still wanted him to accept her.
Because of his Mangekyou Sharingan, she almost took her own life with her katana. The illusion which he made, it appeared for her that she won the test and that she held the katana at his neck but in the real world she was holding at her neck. If it wasn't for Deidara to shout "Kai" then she would have commited suicide.
"Now don't just stay there pouting like a little girl, come inside and suffer the consequences like a big one." he said in a mocking tone. Naruki sent him a death glare which didn't affected very much Itachi and passed beside him to enter the house.
"I hate you." she said in a low voice and glanced over her shoulder at him as he closed the door. When he turned to her, he gave her an unusual smirk, not common for him and stared at her with dark grey eyes.
"Me too, Naruki. Me too." he said and Naruki stared at him confused.
Blue eyes opened slightly as the sun lightened up the room. Naruki rose from the bed and looked around the small room, memories of her dream, no, flashback traced her mind instantly. 'Even now, I can't forget about him.' she said to herself and took a deep sigh. She rose her head and looked around the room, she saw that it was big enough and that it had oak furniture. She turned her head towards the window and gasped. She saw there a katana, she stared at it better and remembered that it was the katana that Naruki gave Itachi for his birthday five years ago, including the ones which she spent in coma.
"Um... Itachi?" Naruki said blushing as she knocked at his bedroom door. She glanced at the long wrapped package in her hands as she waited for a response. She knocked a few more times but still nothing. She took a deep sigh and turned around to leave the door. Then, suddenly, a sound made itself heard and Naruki turned to the door again as it opened a little. She looked at it confused then made a step towards it. She held the package in her left hand and with the right one opened the door wider so she could enter through it.
When she made a step in the room, she was already amased by how big it was. Her room was nothing compared with it. She looked around and saw that the walls were black and a king-size bed was next to the wall in front of her. She put her hands on her hips and frowned.
"That's not fair. Why does he have a king-size bed?"
"Because I bought it." a voice said from behind her and Naruki yelped. She jumped forward and landed on the bed. She rose her head as she heard a chuckle coming from the door.
"At least you could have told me that you were here." she said and tried to get off of the bed.
"I opened the door, wasn't that enough?" he said.
"No, that-" she stopped as she looked at him. She wide her eyes open at the image of Itachi half-naked with a towel around his waist and water dripping from his elbow height hair. Naruki stared at his bare chest, she could see the six pack of pecs in all their greatness and the water dripping down on his skin.
Itachi chuckled at her face expression and waved a hand in front of her making her to come back at her senses. When she realised what she was doing she blushed.
"So... what's with this unexpected surprise of you coming here?" he asked drying his hair with a towel. Naruki, still blushing got up on her feet and made a few steps towards him. She bowed and rose the wrapped package with her two hands. Itachi eyed her curiously and put the towel on his shoulder.
"Happy birthday, Itachi." she said and Itachi took the package in his hands. She straightened and smiled at his surprised face. He moved the package from one hand to another frowning at it. "Open it" she said still smiling, "It's not a c1, I swear." she said giggling remembering what she did a few years ago with one of Deidara's clay bombs. Itachi took a deep sigh, apparently he was thinking about that accident too and decided to open the package.
His hands unwrapped slowly the package only to reveal a katana in a black shining sheath. He eyed her smiling face again and drew the katana from it. He measured it with his eyes. The weight, the handle, the length were exactly the ones he always asked for. He stared at it and saw that the hilt had a kanji on it.
"It's the kanji for Eternity." she said blushing. "I made the sheath and the kanji myself." she said proudly and moved her gaze from him still blushing. She heard the sound of the katana being sheathed but not even a word came from him. She took a deep sigh and turned to the door not looking at him. When she was about to open the door she felt something tickling her ear.
"Thank you." she heard him whispering at her ear, his hot breath made her to shiver and his hand brushed against hers.
"You-you're welcome." she said and stayed a few moments in the same spot with him breathing at her back.
"You smell nice, like jasmine." he said after a pause and Naruki shivered again. "I like jasmine." he whispered. Within a blink of an eye, Naruki rose her hand quickly and opened the door fast.
"I have an important mission. I have to go, sorry." she said and left the room running. Itachi stared at her back as she ran, then he looked down at his hand who was holding the katana and smirked.
"I also want a jasmine to be forever mine." he said then closed the door.
She shook her head to remove the flashback from her head and turned to look at the katana again.
"Since the day I gave this to him he never left it behind." she said and stared at the sheathless weapon. The kanji for Eternity could be seen clearly from the spot where she sat. "I put the kanji there to tell you that my love for you will last forever, for an eternity." she said and sighed. A few moments passed and she clenched her fists. "And now this is only a lie. My love for you doesn't exist anymore. Only hate!" she said and punched the matress. She rose her head and stared at the katana again. "I will kill all ten of you!" she yelled "I will make you pay for everything!" she said and threw the cover off of her. When she was about to put her feet down the door opened and a figure entered it.
"Sasuke told me to bring you some food since you're awake." Karin said in a bored tone. When she saw that Naruki was at the edge of bed she rose her eyebrow. "Where you going somewhere?" she asked.
"I want to go outside." Naruki said. Karin sighed and went towards the cupboard which was next to the bed and put the tray with food on it.
"Sorry, but no can do. Sasuke specified clearly that you must stay in bed until you recover." she said. Naruki sent her a death glare.
"I'm well enough and I can go." she insisted. Karin rolled over her eyes and took a sit at the edge of bed as well.
"Ok. Try to make a step." she said. Naruki gazed at her then decided to make a step. She got up on her feet and when she was about to make a step she fell on her back.
"Wh-What's wrong with my legs?" she yelled and massaged her legs only to see that her legs didn't even sense her hands.
"Because you were in coma for three years, you didn't use your legs to walk so they became numb and you can't use them for a period." she said like it was obvious. Naruki frowned at her.
"For how long?
"Days, weeks, months, who knows." she said and got up. "Eat, you have to recover." she said and went straight towards the door. Naruki gazed at the food, her stomach growled with hunger just looking at it.
"Thank you, but why are you helping me? she asked, her blue eyes locked on the red-haired girl in front of her.
"Because Sasuke ordered me to do that." she said and left the room closing the door behind her. Naruki stared at it for a while then her stomach growled so she took the tray in her lap. She saw that it contained some rice balls, chicken, tea and doodles. She rose a rice ball and bit on it chewing it a bit faster and smiling at the taste. It was good.
Karin rolled over her eyes as she closed the door.'Now that I'm not the only female around Sasuke I won't be able to make him mine.' she sighed. 'That stupid paralyzed. Sasuke ordering me to be nice with her and give her food. Since when Sasuke cares for other girls?' she thought for herself and leaned against the door. 'He gave her even his room. When she wasn't here I wasn't even allowed to come near it. And now she appears and sleeps in his bed.' she frowned.
"Oi, Karin, thinking again about Sasuke?" Suigetsu smirked and Karin could see his shark like teeth.
"No, you baka." she said and straightened. "What are you doing here anyway? Didn't Sasuke sent you to gather some information about Itachi?"
"Yeah, he did, but it was a fake source, nothing good came from it. The same old stuff, he slaughtered the Uchiha clan, S-rank criminal, member of Akatsuki, destroying Amegakure etc. etc. the things everbody knows." he said and sighed. "What about the paralyzed? She was there when Amegakure had been destroyed. Maybe she knows something about them." he suggested.
"Neah, I don't think she knows anything about them. She was getting married that day when they slaughtered the ones which were at the ceremony."
"That must have been one hell of a wedding." he said. "By the way, where's Juugo?"
"With Sasuke, they went to Amegakure."
"But there are only ashes there." he said.
"He believes that he can find something there." She sighed. 'Damn it, why does he always have to leave without me?'
"Right... I'm going to Konoha for some supplies. Need anything?" he asked with a smirk.
"No." she said and waved at him to go right then. He rolled over his eyes and left the house. Karin took one more look at the door then left the room.
Naruki finally finished eating and thanked Kami for such a good meal. She put the tray on the cupboard and thoughts crossed her mind again. She could only think about that day when happiness was taken away from her forever. It was also her fault that the great village Amegakure disappeared, not even one single villager survived the massacre, only her. She turned to the side that faced the window. Why is she still allive? Why didn't she died like the rest of them? What made her different from the rest of the villagers?
She shook her head in anger. Of course she was different from all of them. She was an assasin for goodness sake. She killed many targets for money and for power. The reason why Akatsuki was known that much was because of her brutal killing. She had a special way to kill persons, when the ANBU cops would find a man killed that way they knew exactly that she did it. 'I just wanted a peaceful life. But I guess that when you're an assasin you can't receive something like that' she thought and a tear ran down her cheek. 'But the children had nothing to do with my way of living. They were innocent. And I...am the reason why they died.' she said to herself.
A knock came from the door and Naruki wiped the tears from her eyes quickly.
"Enter." she said and the door opened only to reveal Sasuke. She watched him as he entered and took a sit at her feet. "Is something wrong?" she asked supressing a sob. There was a moment of silence until he turned his head towards hers and his eyes locked on hers.
"I want to ask you something." he said in a serious tone. Naruki watched him confused.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Seeing that you are the only survivor of the Amegakure massacre and that you lived when they attacked you at the church, I wanted to ask you this question. Do you know anything about the location of the Akatsuki organisation or about any member from it?" he asked eyeing her. Naruki frowned, his question didn't sounded like a demand to tell him where the base was. She thought that he knew that she had been part of that organisation. But apparently he didn't know the truth, he was asking for information since she was the only survivor of their attack and that he thought that maybe in their attack they slipped some things about them. But most of all, why was he interested in Akatsuki?
"I'm sorry, I don't know anything about them, I only know that they are criminals and that they want the Jinchuuriki." she lied. Sasuke watched her for any trace of that lie but Naruki knew very well to hide it. She had to lie him, it was best for him if he wouldn't know about them or he would get killed instantly. Right now, the only one who can stop them is her. She can kill them because she knows all their weaknesses, and also it was her duty to do that. They were all her mentors and is a rule that the pupil must defeat his master.
"Ok, sorry for bothering you." he said and turned towards the door.
"Why do you want to find about their location? she asked. He stopped and turned to her.
"Not their location, his." he said. "One certain man of them killed all the persons I loved and that were close to me." he said and eyed her. Naruki stared at him with eyes wide open, so he was an avenger.
"Do you know him?" she asked.
"I know him all too well." he said and left the room.
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