Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Only Love ❯ Itachi's Almost Confession ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

I arrived in a flash of flames in the Hokage's office. I didn't look around me, but I was aware that all the ninjas in the village where there. I could smell Kakashi's scent, soap and his own manly musk. It hit me and I could feel the tears coming but my face stayed impassive. I crossed my arms and stayed away from the other ninjas. The Hokage gave me one glance that told me he knew what had happend. I returned his steady gaze until he shook his head and addresed the entire room.

"Since all of us are here now, I can continue with what I was saying earlier. A nine-tailed fox demon is coming to Kohana. This demon is very powerful and it's going to take all we have to stop it. The genin and chunin ninjas will escort the publice to the outskirts of the village and protect them with their lives. The rest of us will prepare for battle. Lives will be lost, but by their sacrifice we can save the whole village."

He stood up and looked around. The younger ninjas were afraid. They hid it but it radiated off them and contaminated everyone in the room. They were unsure of themselves, and the Hokage saw this in an instant. He walked over to the nearest chounin, a tall boy with wide hazel eyes and pupils so dialated in fear that you couldn't see the color. He put his hand on the boys shoulder and those petrified eyes looked on him in surpraise. The Hokage smiled at him and then looked at all the fear-filled eyes looking right back.
"Fear stops you in your tracks, but self-confidence propels you forward. Remember that on the battle field. Now go, and good luck to you all."
"Yes sir!" We all said in usion, saluting him. Then they started to go out the door, taking what many of them thought would be their last glimpse of the Hokage and his office. I caught a glimpse of Kakashi as I made my own way for the door, but before I could chase after him the Hokage said, "Aria, could I have a word please?"
I cast a fleeting glance at the back of Kakashi as he dissapeared, then walked over to the Hokage's desk. He was standing with his back to me and his hands clampsed behind his back. He didn't say anything, and neither did I. I could tell he had a lot to say to me.
Finally he turned around and said with a grim chukle,"I'm surpraised you can still stand. You must have drank at least a pint of sake last night."
I said with an equally grim smile, "I've built up a tolerance to it. It takes a lot to give me a hangover."
A short pause followed this in which the Hokage looked out the window at the ninja's ushering the paniked people out of the village. A sad look came into his eyes, and once again he looked older then he really was. "Aria...."
"Stop. I don't need to listen to another sex talk from the Hokage. Can I go now?"
His face was full of anger when he said, "No, you can not go. Now sit down."
His tone was so forceful that I didn't reply, but sat my butt down as fast as I could.
He rubbed his temples for a moment, like he was getting a headache. And when he continued to speak he sounded tired and a little bit sad. "Aria, Kakashi didn't mean to hurt you. He paniked and he didn't know what to do. Both of you are so young, and this time in your lives are very confusing and hard. He felt awful after it happend. He showed up on my door step freaking out and he didn't get a wink of sleep last night. Please," he put his hands on the arms of my chair and looked at me pleadingly,"please just talk to him."
Damn these tears! I quikly looked away from the Hokage's blue eyes and stared at my lap.
"I want to. But, I don't think I can." I whispered. My vision blured and several tears escaped my eyes and fell onto my black-clad legs. My shoulders began to shake from the effort of holding my sobs back, but when the Hokage wrapped his arms around me I gave up and practicly howled into his shoulder.
"You can always talk to him, you guys have a bond I've never seen before," he murmered into my hair as I clinched his robes in my hands. "Never doubt the freindship you two have. Okay?"
I nodded my head the best I could since it was currently buried in the nape of his neck and he gave me a brief fatherly squeeze before stepping away. I wiped my eyes on my arm and used my chakra to make the red puffiness dissapear. I looked at him at him and he gave me an encourageing smile.
"Okay, you can leave now. I've kept you here too long," he added, looking out the window uneasily.
"I..." my voice broke so I cleared my throat and tried again,"I don't know how to thank you. You've done so much for both Kakashi and me. You've.....you've been like a father to us."
A radient smile lite up his face and his eyes looked a little watery, but that could have just been a trick of the light. "Just don't get killed, alright?" was all he said.
I smiled back at him and stood up. "Got it."
I waved my hand cheerily at him while I walked out the door. But when I closed the door, I graoned and leaned against it. Covering my eyes with my hands I thought, Great, just great. I can walk into an incredibly dangerous battle without batting an eye, but talking to my best friend terrifies me! My mind is messed up big time!

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The sun was shining, the sky was an incredible shade of blue, and a perfect spring-like breeze was blowing. But no one noticed or even cared about the peacful weather. People were running around, not screaming really but their voices were loud and shrill from fear. The ninja's were trying as hard as they could to keep the villagers calm, but they were just as scared.Some of the older, more dignified clans were helping the genins out.

I saw my friend, Uchiha Itachi, helping a group of genins escort the entire west side of the village. I vanished from in front of the Hokage's building and reappeared next to him. He didn't even give me a sidelong glance. He must have known I was coming.

"Itachi." I greeted him.

"Nanade."

"Ok, we got everything under control now, Itachi-sama," one of the genins said."Thanks for your help."

Itachi gave them a small nod then walked off down the street. I had to do the whole dissapearing-reappearing thing to catch up with him.

"You know, you have got to be the rudest person I know." I said to him good naturedly.

"I have...things to do," he said.

"Whatever. Look, have you seen.."

"No. I have not seen Kakashi-san." He had stopped walking.

I gave him a hard, calcucating look. "How do you do that? You always seem to know what people are going to do or say. No one likes a show off, you know."

"A ninja never reveals his secrets," he said simply.

You must be wondering about the relationship Itachi and I had. I said we were freinds, and we were. But then why were we talking to each other like this? Itachi doesn't like emotion and he can't handle it very well. But he has shown his freindship for me several times. When I went on my first S-rank mission, Itachi was the squad leader. I made a huge mistake and blew our cover. To save the other's on the team I did the only thing I could, I used myself as I decoy. It worked, too. I managed to make the enemy think I was the only ninja and my teamates were safe. But I kept berating myself about the huge mistake I made and I lost my concentration. The enemy caught up with me, and I would have died if Itachi hadn't been there. He saved my life. Later I asked him why he did it, and he actually blushed. He wouldn't look me in the eye and his entire body told me he was embarased. He said it was because no one had ever treated him like I did. Like he was a person who didn't have to keep reaching for the next level of power. He said all his family does is tell him to aim higher, because thats the only way he'll ever get anywhere in life. Since that mission, I've tried to include him in as many things as I could, but over the years he has changed. That attitude of his family's has rubbed off on him. But he's one of my clsest friends, and I'm really the only friend he has.

"He really messed up this time, didn't he?"

I looked at Itachi in surpraise. I had been busy remembering the past, and had forgotton he was there.

"Yeah, he did," I answered softly.

Then he did something I will remember for the rest of my life. He grabbed my arm and pulled me between two houses where no one could see us. He looked into my eyes then, so softly that i thought I had imagened it, he brushed his lips against mine. My body went riged in shock, but he didn't notice as he leaned his forehead against my own.

"He should treat you like you deserve to be treated, Aria. I'm sorry he hurts you so much," he whispered. "I...I know you care for him, and I know that you would die for him, but I have to tell you..."

I pulled away from him. "Itachi, stop. I do care for him, but I care just as much for you. You guys mean the world to me. Don't think for a moment that he's more important to me. Now come on, we got a village to save!"

He was hurt at first, but he quikly hid all his feelings with his normal blank look. He nodded, then followed me out of the alley and to the woods surrounding the village.

Kakashi will just have to wait. I thought.