Touch Of Black II: The Withering Rose

Chapter Five: Between Two Worlds

Maiko was in and out of the Hokage's office within minutes; she reported exactly what she had told Kakashi, was reinstated and then dismissed. She felt bad for lying, but nobody could know that she'd fallen in love with one of the Akatsuki; especially as it was Itachi.

"Itachi..."

As she made her way towards Kakashi's apartment block a great longing ripped her heart; she was still wishing that he would appear. She still missed him, and needed him. But she would soon be with Ai again; her poor innocent brother Ai, who was a baby on her lap, and loved her as no other. He would rescue her from her mind and, even if it were only for a moment, stop her thinking of the Uchiha that had stolen her heart.

She found Kakashi's door and knocked several times. Nobody answered.

"Kakashi?"

She heard a mumbled reply but couldn't quite make it out and, after a few more seconds the door opened and the silver-haired jounin smiled her. "I suppose you want somewhere to stay?"

Maiko nodded as he let her inside and closed the door behind them.

It was then that she saw a familiar mop of red hair, and all of the unhappiness of her past seemed to be swept away when she saw her little brother Ai for the first time in ten years. In seconds he rushed over to her, clinging to her tightly and thanking the Gods that she was alive. It was his sister! Maiko! She was alive and well and he had the proof. Both Emiri's were crying, finally reunited after so many years of wishing and waiting.

"Oh Ai, I've had such sadness," The tears streamed down her cheeks as, for the first time, he was the one comforting her.

"Your alive," He couldn't believe it. "Your really here,"

Over the following week, Ai showed Maiko his plans for the new Emiri compound; and the two of them overlooked it's construction together as they adjusted to life as brother and sister once more. Ai was very happy – so happy that he didn't notice how changed Maiko really was. It hadn't even occurred to him that she had become an altogether different person...he hadn't consciously acknowledged the little things she said that hinted that she was miserable; not until he'd heard a conversation between her and Kakashi.

"You shouldn't get so frustrated Maiko..."

"My abilities have dropped so much! I saw how Hokage-sama looked at me....I'm not worthy of the Jounin title,"

"It was one mission. It happens to everyone,"

"Bu-but everything just goes wrong all at once Kakashi! And I try so hard to fight it. I'm useless. Utterly useless. I'm so scared of failing because once I do, it's fight after fight to get back on my feet again. It could take days, months, years even. I don't know if I have that kind of strength anymore,"

Ai had stood by the door, listening to them talk; it had become to obvious to him then that his sister was scarred. The incident with the Akatsuki had made her over-emotional and far more sensitive than she had once been. Even the slightest mistake could lead to tears.

He heard Kakashi sigh. He knew as well as Ai did that the kunoichi wasn't really upset about something silly like being clumsy during a mission. She just needed an excuse to cry.

"Maiko...the worst is over,"

After that evening he had tried as hard as he could to cheer his elder sister up; but she was still unhappy.

Maiko opened the door of Kakashi's apartment and yawned; stepping inside out of the cold air and throwing her bag to the ground. She'd just returned from a following the unexperienced Genin around the village as they completed various D rank missions. Although this didn't seem like a lot of work; she was happy to do it. Her skills had disintegrated during the 10 years she'd spent in hiding; she was determined to spend her spare time getting strong again. In the meantime she wanted to help others to occupy her mind. It made her feel better to gaze upon the young, smiling faces, rather than the older ones that actually knew what was going on.

She'd been about to drop lazily upon the sofa when she heard Kakashi cough expectantly; looking up Maiko saw that he was walking over to her with one his 'those' smiles on his face.

"You. Me. Training. Now,"

"What?"

"No questions,"

"But I-"

"You keep saying you need to retrain, I'm offering to help,"

Maiko sighed and rolled her eyes; he was right of course. Kakashi was always right.

"Ai will be joining us in half an hour or so," Kakashi added, as the two Jounin left his apartment.

Kakashi was good. TOO good. He probably knew way too many jutsu's in comparison to Maiko's and he didn't hold back. Well, he wasn't exactly trying to kill her but he was still pretty full on. Even the numerous Katon moves that she had picked up when training with him were feeble against Kakashi. She never used to have such a problem against the Copy Nin – certainly he always used to beat her, but she went down fighting and, whilst she wasn't enough to defeat him, she was still hard work. But now she just wasn't as good. Maybe he'd gotten even better?

"It's no use Kakashi, you're wearing me out and I haven't even landed that many blows on you yet,"

"Your doing fine,"

"I'm not and you know it; and your not even going all out; you could kill me right now if you wanted to,"

Kakashi nodded; pulling his headband back over his Sharingan and strolling over to her.

"I told you before, we just need to do some extreme training for a couple weeks and you'll be back up to par,"

He paused.

"I should mention; I've asked Gai to help you out with your Taijutsu,"

Maiko closed her eyes.

"Please tell me you didn't just say that."

"I did,"

"But he has a crazy amount of energy and seems to think that everyone else does too! He'll kill me without even meaning to,"

Kakashi chuckled. "Don't worry about it; doesn't matter now anyway. Ai's here,"

"You know its times like this when I regret us being of the same species,"

Ai approached them sheepishly; fiddling with his Chuunin vest and looking rather annoyed.

"Looks like I'm going on an escort mission with a couple of Genin," He said.

"Isn't that a bit above you by now?" Maiko asked.

"Yeah; but I figure everyone else is busy," Ai shrugged.

The afternoon ensued.

Konoha.

If somebody had asked him just a few years before he would have told them that the idea of his returning to the village was foolish. There was nothing left for him there. As far as the rest of the Akatsuki were concerned he no longer had any feelings for the girl that had been with them all those years ago. Itachi himself questioned why she was ever let into the organization to begin with, she hadn't really contributed and had only caused trouble on his part. Her and that sniveling brother of hers, they'd been nuisances. He was all too happy when the girl had become injured, at least the group had a valid reason to get rid of her. And fast.

Although, as he discovered on his last mission, she didn't return to the village hidden in the leaves as he had presumed she would. She'd disappeared entirely. Perhaps Konoha wanted nothing to do with her; she did consort with known criminals after all.

...

The Uchiha sighed, tugging at the collar of his cloak and staring at the space beside him. Normally Kisame accompanied him everywhere, but this time he wasn't on a mission handed out to him by The Leader. This was a mission that was entirely his own, one that would inevitably lead to finding Maiko. What would happen after that point...he didn't know. On the long journey to Konoha he'd run through many different scenarios. He could kill the Kunoichi. That way the incessant feeling of emptiness that had been bothering him for ten years would disappear along with her. Then he could finally get on with his life; with his plans for his little brother.

But he still hadn't decided. He still wasn't sure. He'd learnt from personal experience that death was not always the answer.

"Maiko,"

He whispered her name into the night air, before setting to work on his disguise. It was a very special jutsu, composed by The Leader himself – it ensured that no Sharingan or Byakugan or any other kind of advanced Kekkai Genkai could see through it. It took up a great deal of chakra, so much so that he began to wonder whether he'd be able to keep it up, or whether she was even worth it.

When Itachi was no longer Itachi, but a plain looking civilian from the Sand, he made his way directly towards the village gates. Nothing would stop him from finding her. Not now.