A/N
This fanfiction may contain spoilers pertaining to the events up to Naruto manga chapter 402.
Disclaimer
All characters mentioned in this fanfiction belong to Kishimoto Masashi.
Konoha's Itachi
Inuzuka Hana was a meticulous person. She remembered details, scents, faces and names. Some impressions eluded her over time, but memories of those she treasured weren't easily disregarded.
Especially not those of him.
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Itachi had always struck Hana as a compassionate person.
On Kiba's very first day of school she'd told him to wait for her at the entrance of the Academy, and she'd left him there while she spoke to one of his instructors. He hadn't been there when she returned, and she'd started to get a little worried.
She'd sharpened her senses and tried to trace his scent, but she'd picked up a gush of varying scents of students who'd rushed off to spend what was left of the day after finally getting dismissed. There were noises and loud laughter all around, but the one presence she was desperate to pick up didn't register on her radar. She'd been a frantic bundle of nerves, rushing madly around the Academy, reproaching herself for not bringing him in with her, and knowing she'd never forgive herself if any harm befell Kiba.
Itachi had approached her, his little brother beside him, when she was nearly in tears. Without asking, he'd known at once why she was distressed. His hand left his brother's, and he'd placed both hands on her shoulder as a form of assurance. She'd hardly dared to meet his eyes; she was too ashamed to let him catch her, a Chuunin, newly-promoted but nonetheless Chuunin, this close to tears over something so silly.
"Hana," he'd asserted, and the authority in his voice forced her to raise her head to meet his eyes in shame.
"Wait for me here," he told her simply.
He'd crouched and exchanged a few words with his brother, then risen and headed in the general direction of the Academy backyard, leaving the little Uchiha by her side.
"Nee-chan, it's gonna be okay!" soothed the kid by her side, awkwardly smiling up at her.
"Nii-san says so!" he declared cheerily, as if nothing could possibly go wrong with his big brother around.
Despite herself, Hana smiled down at him.
Within minutes, Itachi reappeared with a very forlorn Kiba and Akamaru in tow.
"I'm very sorry, Ane-chan," bowed Kiba remorsefully.
At the sight of him she'd broken down and given her errant little brother an enormous bear hug, holding him tightly and sobbing in relief, into his shirt. She had no idea what had passed between Itachi and Kiba, but Kiba had never again wilfully disobeyed her.
With a smile and a wave, Itachi had reclaimed his brother's hand, and quietly led him away.
She watched him pat his brother's head and smile fondly at him, as the young boy eagerly shared the day's events with his older brother.
Itachi had never once brought up that shameful incident.
She'd been ever grateful.
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Even prodigies slipped up every now and then.
Once, she'd found a fatigued Itachi waiting patiently for her at the reception area of the Veterinary Clinic. She'd studied him disapprovingly, taken his hand, and carefully led him into the consultation room she'd just vacated.
The moment the door closed, her eyes bore into him.
"You're not due to be discharged for a few days, Itachi!" she'd chided, and, catching a whiff of blood, had ordered him in her capacity as a medical ninja to let her treat him.
He'd doggedly refused, until she'd threatened to hand him back into the loving care of the nurses.
He'd engaged her in a battle of gazes, and she'd huffily tried to break out of it, knowing she'd never won one of those against him.
Itachi then gave her a weak grin, much to her surprise.
"Better you than them," he decided, before tamely climbing onto the treatment table, raising his shirt just above his stomach so she could attend to his injuries.
While she unbound his stained bandages, he'd pointedly refused to meet her eyes. A first for Itachi. This confirmed her suspicions that he'd come with every intention of being treated. He had, after all, waited till her lunch break to appear. The challenge he'd thrown away; his declaration; they'd been his way of appeasing his pride, and there really wasn't reason to fault him for that.
"There, there. That's a good boy," soothed Hana in the tone she used on her furry patients, laughing when she saw him cringe and shoot her a warning glance.
She smiled as she tenderly dabbed at his wounds. He'd exerted himself, causing the wound to reopen, and she'd used chakra to close it up to minimize risk of infection. When she applied a stinging lotion, he'd flinched subtly, but showed no further hint of discomfort.
.
"What brought you out?" she'd queried.
"A promise," said Itachi, cryptic as always.
At once Hana knew Sasuke had been the recipient of that promise. She'd have done the same for Kiba, unwilling to disappoint the one person whom she'd rather die for than see hurt. It was a basic responsibility as an older sibling; an unspoken pact that stemmed from love.
When she tried to pull the bandage taut around him, he'd backed away uncertainly, avoiding her eyes again.
She'd reached around his waist, drawing him closer, and wound the bandage securely over his injury before he could protest.
Taping the gauze firmly in place, she took the hand he'd held his shirt up with in hers, squeezing it softly in assurance.
"Now Sasuke won't find out," she'd assured.
"Thank you," he'd nodded appreciatively.
She'd then playfully shoved a bottle of lotion into his hands.
"Get well soon, Itachi!"
He'd been a good patient. Besides recuperating speedily, to her knowledge, he'd never since allowed enemy hands to graze him.
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Sometimes, Itachi could be a nag.
He took training sessions very seriously, so much so she'd be forced to act on his advice at once. If she didn't, he'd make her regret leaving herself open within the training session. It was always painful.
"One life, Hana. One wrong move and it's gone," frowned Itachi, as he held a kunai to her throat; her head wedged firmly between his arm and his neck.
She'd been breathing hard, having worn herself out by using more chakra than normally necessary to evade Itachi's swift attacks. She felt his heartbeat against her back, and took in his scent. She hadn't even managed to make him break into a sweat; he still smelt like freshly laundered clothes, and she could pick up strong hints of the subtle scent of wood. Training in the forest did that to one's scent, but Hana could almost confirm that it was Itachi's habit of leaning against and suspending himself from trees that had allowed the scent of bark to linger.
Angling his arm, but not relaxing his grip, he forced her to look at him.
"Don't always trust your senses," he repeated his earlier warning, as she stared into those crimson eyes defiantly.
The pressure left her throat, and he'd turned to walk off.
A hand on his shoulder held him to the spot. This movement earned Hana a pointed glance from Itachi. Without conscious thought, she found her palms resting against his cheeks, directing his gaze upon hers.
Hana stared.
She noticed how the Sharingan pupils sat snugly within his shapely eyes; how the three distinct tomoe angled themselves, seemingly triangularly and yet easily joined to form a perfect circle. It was a magnificent combination of art at its finest, shapes blending in remarkably to mock the senses. Mysterious and mesmerizing; impossible to completely fathom.
She couldn't get enough of it.
Itachi indulged her for a moment, meeting and holding her gaze. When he pulled out of her reach, she realised just how impudent she'd been.
The Sharingan was retracted, and in its place Itachi wore annoyance and amusement. He was trying to look menacing, she supposed, and this look would probably intimidate any other shinobi. Hana, however, had never been one to get spooked by a mere gaze, intense as his could be. Still, she had to acknowledge the imminent threat Itachi's eyes posed; she'd yet to gain immunity from wanting to stare into them whenever he was within proximity, Sharingan or not.
She considered apologizing, but that train of thought was disrupted before she could act on it.
"If you see things you shouldn't be seeing within the day..." smirked Itachi, "... you'll know it's one of the consequences of letting your guard down."
Something in his tone told her that Itachi probably hadn't used genjutsu on her when she'd so willingly let her eyes meet his highly-developed Sharingan, but with him it was hard to know for sure. After all, the Uchiha prodigy didn't usually let an opportunity to remind her not to let her guard down go to waste.
As he approached, his shoulders brushed hers and she heard his calm voice whisper, "Don't always trust your senses."
For some reason, it sent a shiver down her spine.
That day, when she found herself continuously recalling the intensity of Itachi's gaze, she'd thought nothing of it.
On later reflection, she'd realised she was probably the only shinobi who had gazed into those eyes and been allowed to live to remember that.
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Uchiha Itachi didn't require assistance.
But on one occasion, he'd lowered his pride to ask anyway.
"Can you promise me something, Hana?" he'd began tentatively.
She blinked, curious but surprised nonetheless, very much hoping she could finally do something for Itachi, yet certain that if Itachi himself couldn't handle it, she'd be unlikely to be able to.
Hana waited.
He'd met her eyes, looked away, hesitated, and eventually breathed out.
"Treat Sasuke as you would your little brother."
She'd started, relieved yet alarmed at the same time, as he raised his eyes.
By that point, Hana had grown enough on Sasuke to be more than willing to walk him home when she picked Kiba and Akamaru up from the Academy. Sometimes, when she could spare the time, she brought Sasuke and Kiba homemade onigiri to snack on on the way home. Though she'd probably not openly acknowledge it, she supposed Sasuke was already like a little brother to her.
Why would Itachi make such a strange request? She was sure he knew she was fond of the boy, and that she'd been watching out for Sasuke as she did for Kiba. Itachi hadn't even needed to ask; Hana thought he knew as much. Itachi himself had done the same and more for Kiba, so she'd thought they shared the older sibling protectiveness for their younger brothers, and it hurt that he'd felt it necessary to bind her by obligation to a responsibility that she'd taken upon herself in the first place.
Hana frowned, and she prepared to question him about this strange request.
"Please, Hana. Your word," he'd begged.
And for some reason, Hana couldn't hurt him by asking, because Itachi had done it for Sasuke. Anything for a younger sibling was perfectly justifiable.
"You and Sasuke have my word, Itachi. You had it the moment we became friends."
His shoulders relaxed visibly, as he sighed, relieved.
Hana wouldn't entrust Kiba to just anybody, and especially not unless she foresaw that she was going to be incapable of taking care of Kiba herself in the near future…
"I have a request too, Itachi," added Hana, by then convinced he must've had a reason for making his strange request.
With raised eyebrows, he studied her expression carefully.
"Promise you'll watch your back and take extreme caution on all missions," appealed Hana, though what she truly wished she could've asked was for him to return from every mission unharmed, back to Konoha, to her side.
They both knew, like any decent shinobi, that failure and success, like life and death, were unknown factors that every mission-going individual faced. There was no telling when, or if a shinobi would fall. She couldn't expect Itachi to put his welfare above the mission; that violated a key prideful principle of Konoha. They were shinobi, weapons of Konoha; their loyalty was to their village; their lives for Konoha.
"I give you my word, Hana," assured Itachi solemnly.
"And I expect the same of you," he finished, with an air of finality.
Be safe.
Itachi had kept to his end of the deal, down to his last breath.
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Keeping to himself came easy for Itachi.
Maybe that was why he'd chosen to maintain distance in his relationships.
Itachi couldn't be considered awkward in social settings; he was well brought up with excellent manners to boot. Aloofness wouldn't be an apt word to describe him either; although he seemed to prefer keeping to himself, Itachi wouldn't turn down casual invitations of meals or friendly spars unless he was occupied with other matters.
He'd also been the initiator of every training session he'd had with Hana.
She knew of his talents, and that trying to secure sparring sessions with him was incredibly difficult because of the frequency of his ANBU missions and his obligations to his clan. It was also why she'd never approached Itachi to train. She knew he hardly had time for himself, and besides, he was out of her league to seek out. Yet, he sought her out each time, at the expense of time he could probably better spend.
All he'd expected in return was that she take every session seriously and put in her best effort.
Missions, particularly ANBU missions, were top secret, but with Itachi's decreasing appearance within Konoha, it was easy to infer that his success rate was either perfect, or close enough to make the Hokage entrust him with even more of those high-ranked missions.
Eventually even brief training sessions became scarce, and soon ceased, but he still found time to catch up with her just to make sure she was doing well.
Between them, it'd never been about competition or obligation. Company alone was enough. Hana appreciated that, and she fondly remembered every second of it.
Itachi was probably the closest friend Hana had ever had. The one person she'd trust with her life, and with her precious person.
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He'd always carried himself well.
"Hana," asked Itachi one day after training.
"If you ever had to choose between your clan and your village, where would your loyalties lie?"
He'd scanned her face desperately, and watched her, searching for an answer he seemed to need badly. She hadn't understood why he'd asked, but she didn't want to disappoint him, so she'd considered it carefully.
It was an agonizing thought; one she hoped she'd never have to actually act on.
"I don't know, Itachi; I'd give my life up for one or the other," she'd responded honestly.
"But if it comes down to that, I'd hope I'd do what I think is right, even if it means betraying myself," she'd concluded with finality, tears lingering in her eyes as she considered the disbelief and hatred that Kiba, would have for her if she ever let her loyalty waver.
Hana lowered her head, ashamed that she'd even considered such a thing.
"I thought so," said Itachi quietly, and as Hana looked up, she saw agony and uncertainty reflected in his eyes.
Her heart ached for him, as she watched him turn away from her. He bowed his head, and she watched pain and grief overcome him. She couldn't bear seeing his tears.
Hana leaned over and took him into her arms, guiding his back against her instead of the tree he'd been using as support. She held him close, cradling his head, as misery shook his body. Her tears joined his, and she'd asked herself how heavy the burdens Itachi had had to carry all his life were.
It'd been the first and last time she'd seen Itachi in such a fragile state.
There wasn't much she could've done for him, but Hana hoped she'd done all she could.
Even through the toughest trials, he conducted himself well.
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Itachi rarely spoke much, but then neither did many other shinobi she knew.
He sought her out the moment she'd returned from a mission one day, leading her out of sight and earshot of the Chuunin on guard duty and other passersby. She wondered what couldn't wait till she was done reporting to the Hokage.
"That promise you made… Does it still stand?" he'd quietly asked, and though his face remained impassive, even calm, she'd picked up on the urgency in his voice.
"Of course, Itachi. I haven't forgotten," she assured with a grin.
"Kiba and Sasuke are both my little brothers." she declared, wondering why he'd suddenly seen fit to remind her of it.
She hoped he'd not been sent on one of those horrendous suicide missions, but knew that if he had, he'd need this assurance badly.
"You're not… ?"
"I'll keep my word," cut in Itachi, and she knew he couldn't divulge anything more without compromising on the confidentiality of his mission.
Hana nodded blankly, fully aware that it might well be her last time seeing Itachi. She hastily turned away, not wanting him to be pained when he sensed her fear and reluctance to let him go. As she hurried past him, he'd reached out and caught her wrist, pulling her back towards him.
"Please be safe," was his plea.
No longer able to hold herself back, she wept softly, delicately looking him in the eye, unashamed to let him know just how much she'd be missing him in his absence. His face was unreadable, but the kind gaze he wore reminded her again just how much he'd done for Konoha. He couldn't possibly have been sent on a mission he wouldn't come back from; their village needed him! It felt like the Konoha she so loved had turned against its own, and she hated the thought of it.
"Forgive me, Hana," he whispered, as he thumbed her tears away.
She pulled Itachi into a deep embrace, holding him tightly as she thought of all the unspoken things she'd very much have liked to said but never found the courage to.
You have beautiful eyes; an elusive, genuine gaze; eyes that look into the heart.
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Emotions she'd never let him see which she suspected he already knew of, but which she ought to have affirmed when she could.
I love it when it's just us.
.
He wouldn't know just how much she appreciated him.
You've always been there for me, Itachi.
My heart aches at the thought of you leaving.
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He knew her secrets, he'd shared her woes, and now he would probably never know.
It wouldn't matter either, now that it'd come to this.
Sorry Itachi. I took our time together for granted.
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She let her tears flow, and they trickled off his attire.
It'll never be the same without you.
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When she broke out into sobs, Itachi held her too, giving her the assurance and forgiveness she'd been silently begging for.
I wish you didn't have to go.
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She had been selfish, keeping him for herself all this while. She was being selfish, clinging on to him, knowing it'd make it harder for him to go. She longed to be selfish and not let go, ever.
But he'd made his choice. She'd respect it.
I have no right to hold on to you. I'm not going to ask for the impossible. And I know you'll keep to your word.
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Hana pulled back slightly, pressing her forehead against Itachi's. He didn't protest, and merely let her have her way.
I want you to know.
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Looking up, she raised herself on tiptoe, undid his hitai-ate and brought her lips against Itachi's even forehead.
I love you. Always have.
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His eyes widened, a phenomenon to even Hana herself, but a placid smile soon made its way onto his face, and he'd closed his eyelids, content to not need to react for once.
He drew her in this time, and when she wrapped her arms around him again, she took in his scent, his uniqueness, knowing it'd probably be her last chance to do so. As she did, she felt his lips lightly brush her forehead for a few lingering seconds.
It was a moment paused in time, but more than enough for them both, when they released each other.
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"Uchiha Itachi, I'm proud of you," affirmed Hana, re-securing Itachi's hitai-ate with sturdy knots.
He'd pointedly avoided her gaze, and softly murmured, "I don't deserve it."
She'd passed it off as humility on his part, and civilly asked that they exchanged hair ties, just so she'd have something of his to remember him by. He'd been astounded, but recovered shortly after seeing her loosen her brown hair, reaching into a pocket for one of his spares instead.
She'd insisted that she wanted the one he'd been wearing, and as a final favour, he'd reticently loosened his own hair and traded his red hair tie for her white.
When their newly exchanged ties were in place, his right hand brushed her left cheek.
"Thank you for everything, Hana," came his heartfelt gratitude, as he finally met her eyes, noting that his red hair tie complemented her clan tattoos so well they could probably have been presented as a set.
"No. Thank you, Itachi," she'd persisted, making him smile to himself at her assertiveness.
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"Farewell, Hana."
"All the best, Itachi."
Nothing more needed to be said.
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He'd always preferred maintaining a low profile.
Somehow, things never seemed to go his way.
From his birth, much had been expected of him. Uchiha Itachi had met, even surpassed those expectations, and Konoha had itself a prodigy.
People spoke of his achievements in awe and respect renewed for the kekkei genkai clans of Konoha. If anything, Itachi shied away from his own reputation.
He'd never seemed to like interacting very much. Based on what she'd seen each time he was recognized along the way, adults approached with compliments and teenagers bypassed without daring to stop, shooting him undisguised awestruck looks.
She supposed being in the limelight was a tiresome affair; one she'd have chosen to opt out of too, given the choice.
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"Sandaime-sama, is it true… About the Uchiha… ?" she'd burst into the Hokage office demanding the moment she'd caught wind of it.
"Yes, Hana, I'm afraid it is."
"Not the whole clan, no. Not the whole clan. He wouldn't," she'd practically yelled.
"No, not the whole clan. One was left standing," Sandaime had replied gently.
"Sasuke…" she'd breathed, "Sasuke."
"Yes, Hana, Sasuke's alive."
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"What brought you out?"
"A promise."
"Can you promise me something, Hana?"
"Treat Sasuke as you would your little brother."
"Please, Hana. Your word."
"That promise you made… Does it still stand?"
The teardrops fell. For Sasuke. For his loss. For the fallen Uchiha.
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"If you ever had to choose between your clan and your village, where would your loyalties lie?"
"I thought so."
"I don't deserve it."
It didn't make sense.
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"Sandaime-sama, did Itachi ever defy Konoha's orders?" Hana managed, between sobs.
The Hokage had shifted uneasily, looking more weary than she'd ever seen him, and his wrinkled face had studied her in commiseration. She read regret in his features, as he sighed.
"Not once, Hana. Not once," he repeated.
"Please grant me one more answer," pleaded Hana.
"Do you think badly of Itachi, Hokage-sama?" Was he acting on your orders?
"No, I very much regret losing him," he replied with a heavy sigh. I wish he didn't have to.
Hana understood better now; not completely, but enough.
.
The tears continued. For Sasuke. For Konoha's loss.
But most of all, they fell for Itachi.
I trust you, Itachi. I was proud of you. I still am.
.
When he'd left, nothing much had changed. Hushed whispers continued. Awe remained. The Uchiha reputation was hardly even besmirched.
At once, he'd become the talk of the town. Uchiha Itachi, prodigy, legend, model shinobi. He'd shaken Konoha's very hinges, fallen from the good graces of many, occassionally mentioned with trepidation and some awe in passing whispers, sometimes begrudged by those who'd placed high hopes on him.
Yet nobody could disregard his accomplishments.
Not even the Uchiha got everything they wanted. Itachi was an exemplary example.
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Itachi had always been a natural victor; nothing could hold him back.
Or so they thought.
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"Hana, would you watch Sasuke for me?"
"When I'm not around, would you check on him every now and then?"
"I owe him. If I hadn't been born, he'd probably have grown up happier."
"I let him get hurt."
"I'm not fit to be called his nii-san."
"I let him down again."
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Hana knew better.
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Hana never seemed to get into a foul mood. She was the mother figure who never grew weary; the comforter who didn't seem to need comfort herself.
On some days, when Hana chose to reflect, or so many assumed, she could be seen twirling a red hair tie, wearing a serene smile. Occasionally, a melancholic expression would appear, but once she tucked the hair tie snugly back into one of her inner pockets, and carefully zipped it up, she'd soon regain her buoyant air.
Every now and then she'd hear his name in passing, and she'd yearn for his company, knowing it was no longer possible.
Please be well, Itachi.
In the rarest moments, the observant few would probably spot a red hair tie holding Hana's long brown hair together. Even the most perspective, however, hadn't been able to note that she'd wear it on at least three days of the year – his birthday, the day he'd left, and the day their little brother had left.
I love you. Still do.
She'd never forgotten. She was sure he hadn't either.
Notes
Onigiri - Japanese rice balls
hitai-ate - forehead protector
A/N
This form and approach are different from that which I usually adopt. Constructive criticism and feedback in the form of reviews would therefore be extremely appreciated. Anonymous reviews are welcome too.
Please pardon any botched formatting; refer to my profile page for details.
I hadn't imagined this would take me so long to finish, or take so much out of me, though I must admit I took considerably long breaks, saw to matters unrelated to fanfiction, sought motivation, and conducted research regarding another possible, related fanfiction involving two mentioned characters. This time, I daren't promise anything, because I'm not sure if or whether I'll be able to go through with it within the near future. 'I'll try' is the best I can offer right now.
I'd attempted starting this fanfiction differently, but when I realised that'd make me digress yet again, I decided to leave that and get this idea on track before the limited time I have for leisure runs out. Whether or not it will eventually be completed depends; I intend to prioritise the earlier mentioned perspective over this.
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Special Thanks
To darling NGT-chan, whose sturdy grasp of the Japanese language has helped me out in many a tricky situation when examining the context in which various terms are used, and which proved particularly helpful when I was researching the other fanfiction I had in mind.
To KukiRew, Windesque, Lydia-hime, AngelRain61 and NGT-chan for reviewing multiple fanficts which include but which have not been limited to 'Konoha's Will of Fire', 'Ino's Smile', 'Seeing Eye to Eye' and 'Back to Back'.
To Dragon Jadefire, hypheniated and vicious-fluffy-bunny-llama for reviewing 'Seeing Eye to Eye'.
To ArAshiMitArAshi and EmoPrincess21 for reviewing 'Ino's Smile'.
To tosakuai for reviewing three chapters of 'Beyond the Shadows'.
All of you have helped motivate me in the completion of this fanfiction with your support and encouragement; thank you!