Disclaimer: All your Sailor Moon and Naruto are not belong to me.
Warnings: Language, Violence
Author's Notes: And you thought I would go the year without updating. Ha! I showed you! Well, I kind of have to now that the world didn't end. Darn. Anyway, Happy Holidays to everyone! Enjoy this late gift from me. Although you might hate me for it.

Quantification

There was barely a breath of wind in the air as the two figures eyed each other warily under the relentless heat of the summer sun. The rest of the villagers had long abandoned the streets and sought shelter in nearby shops and alleyways. Curious heads carefully peeked from behind boarded windows and fish barrels, watching as the two figures began to pace slowly toward each other. Teeth chattering, fingernails scraping against the old wooden rails, and low whimpering were but a ghostly whisper in the deafening silence. It wasn't until a large hiss and fierce rattling noises shook the very windows of the shop that even cowering had hung itself.

"You've come to the wrong town little girl." He circled her once then twice before whispering softly in her ear. "Why not head home and play with your doll collection?"

She smirked confidently and brushed aside the faint tickling of his tongue.

"I won't leave until I've defeated you. Your reign of terror on this village ends now." She fisted her hands and poised her body for battle before adding an afterthought. "And also, those dolls are for display only."

The blue reptilian creature scoffed the remark away before he spat on the ground and slithered away, making note of the young girl before him as she flicked away a blonde stray hair behind her ear.

"This is a dangerous game, kunoichi. You really think a little girl like you has what it takes to make it in a man's world?"

One step became two and the creature narrowed his eyes at the girl's steady and fearless pace as she continued to inch towards him.

"Very well."

Her hand rested carefully on the edge of her holster, fingers clenching and unclenching in quick snaps as she stared into his hypnotizing gaze. Eyes narrowed in on his long spiky tail as it slithered along the ground like a snake. Her ears twitched noticeably upon the sound of rattling noises. And when a giant whoosh of wind picked up behind her, she immediately rolled away from the impact of his oncoming tail.

The monster's putrid breath became evident as he bared his giant fangs and released successive volleys of flaming orbs.

Left and right she dodged his fireballs until in a moment of agitation, the beast sprung forward and lunged right at her. Upon seeing this offense, her hand reached back to her holster and shot out several rounds of shuriken in a speed unprecedented by any shinobi or kunoichi before her.

The monster growled and hissed as he flinched from each strike of metal that made contact with his body.

"Child's play."

He ducked from the oncoming barrage by striking his tail to the ground in a loud thud to create enough sand and dirt for cover. Once the entire land was covered in a thick layer of dust, he immediately dove right for the ground, leaving behind only an open hole as a clue to his disappearance.

The young woman removed the red bandana from her mouth as the dust dissipated. She glared at the hole and spit a soft 'coward' into the deaf ears of the land. After a moment's hesitation, she closed her eyes and allowed the soft breeze to tickle her ears. Chimes in the distance were being swayed by the wind. Old aluminum cans tied into a clever ornament began to rattle against pots and pans. The smell of oil from a broken lantern wafted in the air, overpowered by the dense smell of sand. She stiffened as she heard the dust pick up and a barely audible sound of quaking earth beneath her feet.

One miniscule movement of her head had the tip of his tail catch only air. She jumped away from what she knew was to be his emerging body. And sure enough, the animal resurfaced in a trembling fury as the very ground was torn apart from his reappearance. The lightning quick movement of his tail dove right for her in a strangle hold. But he growled as she jumped onto his head and out of harm's way. The simple audacity of disrespect towards his existence had him roaring up another storm and he slid along the ground as he shot right for her landing spot. But before he could register her presence, she was now lunging at him in high speed—a silver arrow glittering in the sky.

"You little brat! I won't go down that easily!"

His long tail was tossed forward as a shield, but his slender pupils narrowed when the arrow disappeared and reappeared by his cheek, a tiny trickle of blood falling from a newly engraved cut.

"How did…?"

But he didn't have time to process the fresh cut as another wound appeared on his leg, another on his eye, one more on his tail and a final tackle to the chest left him winded and gasping for breath.

"Why you…damn bitch. I'll get you for that."

Another round of weapons flew by, and he dodged all as his fangs sought her predicted path.

"I've got you now!"

But in one quick stroke, she slashed her way through, and his mouth bled openly as he stared in horror at what he just witnessed.

"M-my fangs! Y-you…"

She sheathed her katana as she turned to face him, content with the befuddled look on his face.

His rage grew and he threw his tail up once more to spiral around his body.

She jumped back from the wind that was picking up and widened her eyes when a vortex of flames engulfed the beast.

"You won't be able to escape this move, kunoichi!"

Not deterred at all by the enormity of the flaming vortex, she sprung up into the air and allowed the vortex's wind to carry her higher. Her body dove right for the opening of the cyclone and met his now stunned eyes.

"It ends now, Tiamat!"

She wound her hands back and flung a fast projectile right for the beast's head. A graceful dodge had her escape the giant explosion that ceased his attack. She watched victoriously as he stumbled backwards before collapsing onto the hot sand.

It was silent at first, but the villagers soon began to poke out from behind the barrels of fish and broken windows. One brave boy walked carefully to the kunoichi with nothing but a small, old wok as his only means of defense.

"Wh-who are you?"

The villagers waited patiently for the stranger to comply, but she said nothing. The last thing they saw was a small smile and a glimmer of yellow before she became the wind and fled in a streak of silver light.

After a soft sigh of content, Usagi carefully flipped the last page before closing the thin book shut. There was momentarily silence once more.

"Then what happened?"

Her eyes widened only minimally at the question. What started out as reading to herself eventually grew into a reading for two of her fellow comrades at the station. But as she lifted her gaze up from the book for the first time in ten minutes, Usagi realized that the entire break room was now filled with men genuinely intrigued with her story.

"Well, we won't know until a few months."

"A few months?" cried out one of the men. "What do you mean by that?"

"This series is only produced when the author has time. You'll have to wait several weeks for the next chapter."

"Wait a minute. You mean to tell us that if we want to know what happens we may even have to wait half the year?!"

"Yeah, that's right."

The men's jaws dropped and Usagi nervously held her manga close to her chest as a poor means of protection.

"But I want to know if Tiamat is really dead!"

"Idiot, the main villain can't die that easily. He's probably faking it until he can make an escape."

Another man smirked at the remark which garnered the attention of the crowd. After a quick adjustment of his eyeglasses, he raised his finger in the air. "Unless of course, Tiamat wasn't the real villain all along. Maybe the real villain is still hiding somewhere. Yes, absolutely. Tiamat…" The others waited in suspense as he paced about the room before revealing his deduction. "…is a pawn!"

Two of the men let their heads drop in defeat.

"There he goes again with conspiracy theories," one whispered.

"Just the other day he was talking about how the new lunch menu schedule at the academy is connected to the assassination attempts of the daimyo."

The man threw his fists onto the table. "There was a link, damn it!"

Another man's raised hand immediately squelched the oncoming fight. "Never mind Tiamat; what about that Endy guy in the story? I mean, do Serenity and him ever get together or what?"

"You moron! There's a fucking dragon rampaging across the land, and you're worried about who gets laid?"

"What? I support the pairing."

Usagi stifled her giggling with a hand as the men continued to argue amongst themselves over plot holes, character roles and overall story priorities. She smiled at the enthusiasm they shared to one of her secret pleasures.

"Hey, Usagi-san, what do we do until then?!"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's such a long time to wait!"

"Yeah, how do we make the time go by faster?"

"Um, well…what do you guys normally do?"

"Work," was the sharp response as Yashiro passed by with a firm look on his face. The officers groaned in protest and reluctantly returned back to work.

Usagi sighed knowing that his raised eyebrow indicated the end of her lunch break as well. After carefully placing her book away in her bag, she walked away from the break room, stopping only when a shadow covered her form.

"Reading to the men? Is this a normal thing you do on break or a recent hobby?"

She smiled at her supervisor as he handed a bag of letters over to her.

"Well I wasn't intending to read out loud, but some people were interested in what I was reading and before I realized what was happening, other people just started to join the fun."

He smiled softly. "Very well, but enough games. Your break is over, so let's get back to work. Did you finish sorting the other mail from earlier?"

"Yeah, I did." She groaned as the heavy bag was dragged on the floor all the way to an area of the building where boxes were aligned along the wall. "But Tekka-san, isn't there something else we could do?"

Tekka carried his own pile of letters as he sorted each one into a designated slot. "Like what?"

"I don't know. Like, can we go patrol or something? I want to go outside."

"Captain wants us to sort through these letters. The guy who normally does it is on sick leave so we have little choice in the matter. You wouldn't want a sick man to fall behind on work now, would you?"

"No," she pouted. Uchiha always had a way to manipulate people by exposing their weak points. And her empathy for others was always well played into their hands.

"Good. Then help me sort these out. The quicker we get them done, the quicker we can move on."

"Fine."

She followed his lead and returned to her sorting duties. After a few hours of silence she deemed to be uncomfortable, her mind picked up an odd melody. She bobbed her head up and down continuously until her feet tapped to follow the rhythm. Ignoring her comrade's questioning looks, she continued her sorting in a more upbeat pace. Before she knew it, she was hopping left and right as letters began to fly into their destinations. And after another minute went by, her hopping and bobbing turned into humming which gradually became whispers and eventually light singing.

"Fighting evil in the dark of night. The silver arrow takes her flight. Quicker than lightning, her skills are a wonder…" Usagi placed a thoughtful finger under her chin as she paused momentarily. "Wonder…wonder. Hey, Tekka-san what rhymes with 'wonder'?"

After a deep sigh, Tekka reluctantly responded. "Blunder."

"Oh yeah, that's good! So like…um…ooh! I know! Protecting the village from plight and blunder. Does that make sense to you at all? Should I change it to something else. Or maybe I should make the rhyme scheme completely A, B? What do you think, Tekka-san?"

"I…look…I understand that when I accepted you under my wing, my lifestyle would be altered somewhat. I have long since accepted that you are a peculiar girl with peculiar quirks that should just not be questioned. And Itachi warned me, himself, that it was simply best to go along with anything you do with nothing but a smile as a reply, but please, explain to me why you are singing."

"It's a theme song, Tekka-san."

His eyebrow rose significantly. "Theme song?"

"Have you ever been to those new performances? They call them musicals. I saw one when I was in Kumogakure. The one I saw was an adaptation of one of my favorite manga: Tasogare Senshi. It was so cool. And there were a lot of amazing songs, so I thought that it would be equally amazing to make my own script someday for it with the main character fighting against something like a big dragon from this week's chapter. So now I'm working on lyrics for some songs."

After an awkward bout of silence, Tekka turned his attention back to the slots in the wall. "You're weird and quite honestly, I don't even know how to respond to that. But Usagi, there are no dragons here. We're just sorting letters."

She nibbled lightly on the paper in defeat. "Yeah, I guess."

Letters continued to be sorted until a figure walked by and the two stood completely straight in response to their captain who proceeded quietly with documents in tow. Their meek offers of greetings were met with a simple nod as he continued on to his destination.

"Hey, Tekka-san…"

"What?"

"I think I found our dragon."

"Our drag…?" An uncharacteristic snort escaped the man. "Usagi…"

"What? I'm just saying…"

His smile was quickly eradicated by a click of his tongue. "Usagi, let's just finish sorting this, okay?"

"Alright, fine."

She carried her small pile of letters around each box, carefully putting away each into the correct slot. But when two people passed by, secretly offering snickers and whispers to each other, she immediately cocked her head sideways and indulged in yet another distraction. When Tekka was no longer giving her any sign of attention, she sneaked around the corner to begin her spying.

"What do you think those two are doing in there?"

"I don't know. But they sure have been spending a lot of time together recently."

That first piece of information immediately garnered her interest. Her attention to her assignment was lost once again to curiosity, and she stilled to listen to the whispers of the men around the corner as they continued to gossip.

"Yeah, I mean, they have been getting pretty cozy together."

"But he's still in a relationship, right? What are you trying to say?"

"Well, it's just curious, don't you think? The two have done assignments together, she comes over to his house for dinner often and according to some people she even stays over. Plus the boss has been pretty adamant in them doing everything as a pair. It's pretty obvious what's going on."

"So you think he's having an affair with her? But that's not right. I mean he's still with…"

The two boys rounded the corner. Usagi made no effort to flee and instead, offered an inquiring look that stilled the conversation.

"Usagi-san!"

"Oh…well…w-we were just, um, talking about y—" his sentenced was silenced by a harsh jab from his partner.

"We were just talking about how glad we are you're here today. There's a lot of work left over from the recent Anbu missions."

"Anbu?"

"Yeah, but Itachi sent most of it to Rei-san so…" the man was thoroughly jabbed again.

"What he means is that, we're lucky there are plenty of people here tending to the workload. We appreciate everything you're doing for us."

"Yeah…sure."

There was just something odd about the men recently. Sneaking around, whispering, occasional glances at her when no one thought she was looking—they were becoming a normal routine in her life. The two before her were no exception, and she sighed before her head fell in defeat. It wasn't in right mind to stir up trouble in a professional environment.

The men exchanged quick glances before one nodded over to the entrance of the building.

"Well, we have to get going. You know, work and all. I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all. And I should get back to work as well, actually." She offered a nervous giggle to ease the boys' tension. They took the bait before waving goodbye.

"Take care, Usagi-san."

She ignored their hasty exit as their conversation replayed in her head. Itachi had begun his Anbu missions; it was the reason why she had seen so little of him. But it was something he never mentioned to her. That matter unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

"Is something wrong?"

Catching wind of her disappearance, Tekka approached the girl only after the conversation had ended. But Usagi simply shook her head at his worried looks.

"No, I'm fine. I was just…thinking that's all."

"Well there's a first time for everything," he smirked before walking off again.

Usagi sighed and rolled her eyes before a soft smile reappeared on her face. She was determined to put the conversation behind. Itachi was busy. It wasn't as if she had to know every detail of his life. He could do other things, and she had duties of her own to fulfill. But a hello or note every once in a while would have been nice. The last few weeks had been filled with mostly team duties and work at headquarters. There was little time for her to catch up with Itachi as he was always going in and out of the building in haste. She shrugged it off at first as nothing too important. He did manage some pleasantries every so often. But as the days dragged on, those exchanges became quick hellos, and she sighed in defeat as she realized the constant stress factors that put a strain on their friendship were always finding ways to keep them apart. Itachi now had other priorities, and a new person to occupy his leisure time as well.

She lazily tossed the letters into the slots until she sighed once again in a direction far off from her. Silent pleas and wishes escaped her lips as she stared at a newly painted door. The drawing she made for him awhile back was no longer taped to it. There was no surprise as to who detached said item. Before she gave up again on the fruitless wish, her ears caught another sound of a door opening abruptly, and she was greeted with the rare sight of Itachi leaving his office. Her heart soared from the excitement and she set the bag of letters down hastily.

"What are you doing now, Usagi?"

"Sorry, Tekka-san but I promise I won't take long. I just want to say a quick hel…"

A soft giggle stopped her from venturing forward. A raven haired girl emerged from his office and shut the door behind her. Usagi frowned at her laughs and even more so at Itachi's smirk. Itachi began exiting the building with his new partner in tow. Usagi's leg made a small movement as she contemplated greeting him nonetheless. But the girl turned back and offered a secret smile before clutching onto his arm and disappearing altogether with him.

She abandoned the notion of following them.

"Usagi?"

"Are they going off on a mission?"

Tekka raised an eyebrow as his eyes sought out the correct direction of her gaze. "Rei-san and Itachi? Well, I heard Itachi is making some preparations for an upcoming mission. And it's about that time Rei-san returned to the Naka shrine for her daily routine."

"So they have been hanging out a lot, huh?" she whispered.

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch that."

She nervously giggled. "Oh no! Nothing at all. I…um…I have to finish sorting these." She rushed back to her job, but the upbeat motions from earlier were now deprived of their bounce and enthusiasm. Even the singing had ceased to be. As she contemplated on the notion more, the moves became rather slow and languid until the speed of her job execution slowed to a crawl.

Tekka watch carefully as she slowed down. He was not used to this side of her. She was always perky and energetic. His own beat fell in time with hers, and he silently communicated to her that she continue on singing that ridiculously peculiar tune from earlier, if nothing else, as a means of distraction from the somber girl's current contemplations.

He sighed once more before setting his bag down. "Itachi isn't like that. I'm sure you know him better than that."

"W-what do you mean?"

"He wouldn't engage in any illicit behavior to hurt you."

Her grip on the letters tightened and she picked up the sorting pace consequently. "Illicit? A-affair? W-what, w-hat are you talking about? I-I don't know what…I mean I was just…"

"Usagi."

She sighed loudly before continuing her job. "Itachi has been pretty busy these last few weeks, huh?"

He decided to offer an answer to her unspoken question. "His Anbu missions have started up again. He's scheduled for another lengthy mission here shortly. It's why he has been going in and out. Surely you knew that." But when Usagi kept her back to him he frowned. "Didn't you?"

"We've only talked a handful of times the last few weeks. Our meetings haven't lasted more than a few minutes at most. I guess he is a busy boy after all. Especially with…"

"It's nothing more than business. Don't listen to the others. And Rei-san is just teasing you with her antics to excite you. Itachi isn't engaging in any type of affair with her."

She smiled sadly. Her feelings weren't quite what Tekka was envisioning. If only he knew the truth. But she supposed that the details of their relationship were no longer relevant to anyone anymore. "Yeah, I know. But that's not the problem. I was just…I just miss hanging out with him. But I guess that's selfish of me, huh? I mean, he has other people in his life, right? Surely they are just as important."

"You're important to him too."

"His family is more important though. I guess captain was right about everything. Itachi would choose the clan right? But, I guess that's the right thing to do. Do you think that maybe…this just isn't going to work out for us in the end?"

Tekka opened his mouth and closed it abruptly as he realized he had no words to offer.

The conversation from Fugaku several weeks ago replayed in her head and she smiled to smooth out the wrinkles of her own self depreciation away. "And she is better than me anyway. Don't you think? I mean she's smart, funny, sophisticated, responsible and confident. She's perfect. I could never hope to be anything like that. She's a much better partner…a much more useful friend even."

His gaze fell away to the bag before him after sneaking one last peek at the crestfallen girl before him. But it was quite possible that she had a point. Even if nothing came of Itachi and Rei's meetings, it didn't necessarily spell out a smooth sail for her recovery with him.

The inevitability of their fate seemed imminent.

"Just focus on your work for now. I'm sure the two of you will find time after his missions have let up."

"Yeah, good point. And the last thing he needs is my whining and complaining to accompany his stress, right?"

"That's right."

She followed through with her tasks without a hitch. Five entire minutes passed by without a stir from the girl. The only sound he heard from her was the shuffling of letters, and he sighed at what he knew currently plagued her mind. Half regretting what he was about to do, Tekka chose his next words carefully.

"Thunder."

"Hmm?" She tilted her head inquisitively towards her partner.

"Thunder also rhymes with wonder."

"Oh yeah…" she looked back at the lettered boxes. "So it does…"

He snuck a glance at the girl as a familiar motion of her head became clearer as the minute dragged on. Usagi's energy picked up as she slid more letters into their appropriate boxes. He heard sounds of tapping on the newly waxed floor as her feet rose and fell in beat. Her head was next in line to keep up with the soft words that escaped her lips.

Tekka smiled slightly as the humming picked up and the girl was back to reciting several lines of lyrics to the epic battle of which she was about to partake.

It wasn't the chattering of cardinals that attributed to her foul mood. A swing of her broom on the nearby tree had the feathered creatures scurry away in fear. It wasn't the newly knocked down statuette lying in front of the garden entrance. A simple rearrangement and quick cleaning took care of that mess. And it most certainly wasn't the scattered foot prints all over her flower beds, or the trounced herbs, or the obnoxiously loud blonde that insisted on swinging upside down by the branches of her favorite plum trees. It most certainly was not any of those things. She could easily let the distractions slide. But ignoring this issue was out of the question as her eyebrow continued to twitch of its own volition. After not being able to take the annoying voice of the boy anymore, she stomped over to the tree with a heavy bamboo broom in hand. She wound up her pitch and struck the tree once more in a quick movement. Only this time, instead of scattering birds, a young blonde boy fell onto a nearby rose bush with a large thud.

"Oww oww oww," he scurried out of the brush and danced from toe to toe to express the pain the thorny patch had dealt on his young fragile body.

"Next time, focus more on your mission instead of fooling around, you little brat!"

"Eh heh, well, I just thought that this place was kind of cool and I could play a little bit." His laughter grew into uneasy whimpers as the woman's feet tapped furiously on the stone pavement. "I'll , um, get back to work."

She narrowed her eyes. "Indeed." Her eyes slid sideways sharply as a nervous instructor approached her.

"I do apologize for his rude behavior. But Naruto can be quite a handful sometimes."

"Hatake Kakashi, I would expect such reckless misconduct from teams with less skilled captains. But not from you. Your reputation is impeccable and you come with high recommendations; therefore I expect nothing but the best from your team. With that said, it goes without saying, that I expect you to keep this boy in line or the report you get from me in regards to your current assignment will not be a pleasant one. Am I understood?"

Kakashi sighed. Either way he thought about it, he was going to get a lecture again. "Ah, understood."

"See to it that you quickly make amends to this situation. That boy needs far more training and discipline."

"Understood."

"Good." She sighed to calm her nerves after walking away to tend to the entrance ways. One more scan of the gardens and she saw with great relief that Kakashi's orders hit their mark as the boy returned, albeit reluctantly, to do his part in weed pulling. She was about to retreat once more until a distant conversation piqued her interest. And to her other end was an escalating situation that had her narrow her eyes considerably.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm not quite sure how to do this properly."

"Here, hang on." Sasuke set aside his utensils momentarily to tend to the girl's request. "You first have to make sure the branches are defined. Once that's done, you work on the greenery and just clip around like this."

Sakura blushed visibly when Sasuke's hands covered her own to guide her around the small tree.

"These are juniper bonsai trees so the foliage is quite prickly. You'll have to be careful not to cut yourself."

"Sasuke-kun, you know a lot about these trees, huh? You're so good at it. But of course there's nothing you're not good at, right?" She leaned purposely more into his body.

Sasuke, in turn, blushed at the proximity. He quickly hid the predicament with a disinterested look as he disengaged her. "My mother has some in our little garden. I learned from her."

"Hey I wonder if she minds showing me a thing or two."

It was the perfect moment to make his segue. Ever since his conversation with his brother, he made it an effort to prove a point to him. Itachi may have been a liar and a coward in regards to his own feelings, but not he. This time he would be the one to surpass Itachi. He would show him his own courage. It was the one thing of which he would not lose to Itachi. And so with a deep swallow, he nervously opened his mouth.

"Actually you can…"

"Hmm?" She continued to prune under his guidance as he looked away from her gaze.

"Well…I mean…I was wondering…well…if you're not busy or something, you could…"

"Yes?" her eyes lit up in hope to the upcoming question. And she nervously bit her lip hoping this wasn't a ruse; this wasn't a misunderstanding. That there was more to this than a simple help of pruning his mother's bonsai collection.

"What I mean to say is that…well…" he swallowed again before continuing. "Do you want to…"

"Oww.."

His eyes widened as soon as the broom came into view. They widened further when its handle was jabbed onto Sakura's forehead.

Sakura rubbed away the pain on her head. She was furious, livid, absolutely enraged. Here was the ever stoic Uchiha Sasuke about to make a proposition, and an intruder had to ruin the moment. She quickly huffed and turned around, ready to lash out at her newest victim. But she coward the moment dark eyes glared at her. "O-oh, hi Rei-san," the girl laughed nervously as she caught herself just in time before a verbal lash out was imminent. "Um, is there a problem?"

Rei glanced around the environment. Naruto was taking care of the west end and Kakashi the south. She frowned realizing why it was the girl decided to stick in the eastern section. "You know, the north end still has an entire area left of weeds."

Sakura's fingers playfully poked each other. "Yeah well, I thought that if I stuck around here, I could help Sasuke-kun finish quicker and then the two of us could…" She didn't get to finish as her body was now being dragged to the other side of the garden.

She shot Sasuke an apologetic look as he returned her exchange with pure confusion.

Rei concealed her lips near the young girl's ears. "Less flirting and more work will get the job done faster. I also suggest you focus more on your ninja training and less on boys if you intend to have a successful career as a kunoichi." Rei lowered her voice considerably to these next words. "And if you're smart, you'll give up on this useless crush you have."

"U-uh what do you mean?"

The nervous look reminded her of another nuisance she had the displeasure of meeting. It tested her patience even more. "You know very well what I mean. That boy is off limits. Honestly, why does every common girl think they can even hope to land an Uchiha?"

Eyes narrowed at the insinuation and insult. "For your information, Sasuke-kun was just about to ask me out before you came along!"

"Oh, please. Spare me the illusion."

"It's true!"

The girl's words were not without merit. She knew very well what could have resulted had her broom not interfered with the conversation. She had seen Sasuke's looks and attitude toward the girl. And it was that tiny little fact that had her inwardly livid. It was an endless cycle.

Rei stopped immediately to look back at the girl who boldly held her gaze. Sakura's feeble attempts at intimidation were nothing, and she made no effort to stir the emotions as she prepared to walk away. But as the glare persisted, so did the image in the backdrop. It was no longer Sakura glaring at her defiantly but a headstrong blonde with blue eyes. And as she glanced back at Sasuke who continued casually with his assignment, it was now Itachi dismissing her away. Why was it that history repeated itself constantly? Whatever the case, it would go nowhere for them. She smiled as she pondered back to how things have progressed for her situation, and she walked away in certainty that Sasuke would also follow his brother's lead.

"Let go of this illusion girl. It will lead you nowhere."

Sakura rubbed her wrist and stuck out her tongue just as the raven-haired woman left her side hastily. "What the hell is her problem?"

Rei stood stoically in the middle of the group as they continued about her garden, directing everyone to the tasks at hand.

"Kakashi, I want the tulips over there by the fountain. Sakura, make sure you water the rose bush on the end. And Naruto, be careful with that crate!"

Naruto growled as he juggled the giant box. "Naruto, quit jumping around. Naruto quit yelling so much. Naruto stop looking at the birds. Naruto take this over there. Naruto carry this heavy box inside. Stupid woman. If she would just get laid more often she wouldn't be such a bitch."

"I heard that, you little brat!"

"Well I said it pretty lou—"

Kakashi's kick on his rear end was enough to shut the boy up.

"Naruto, enough. Let's get these boxes inside."

"Fine, whatever."

With a scowl, Rei ignored the two shinobi as she continued to sweep the entrance of the shrine. Her sweeping eventually landed her to an area where Sasuke was delicately trimming the small bonsai trees.

"Honestly, I have no idea how you tolerate any of this."

Sasuke smirked invisibly before continuing on his duty. "You get used to it."

"This kind of behavior shouldn't be tolerated. I'll make note of that in my report."

"Hmm."

Rei sighed as she watched the boy move onto the next tree in complete silence. "Honestly, you're just like your brother sometimes," was the mumble that escaped her mouth. After a final sweep of the area, she collapsed onto the stone stairs and settled for his back as company. "You know; if you want, I can pull some strings and have you transferred to a more suitable team."

Sasuke's last clip of a twig abruptly stopped. He was pensive momentarily before his hands began to spruce up the loose piece. "I'm fine. It's not a big deal."

"Yes, I suppose. In any case, with what I've heard of your progress, it won't be a problem for long."

His back was no longer her company. "What do you mean?"

"Well from what I heard, your progress as a shinobi is excellent. You are advancing quite rapidly, Sasuke. And if you make it to chuunin in the upcoming exams, it is quite possible that you will be following in your brother's footsteps fairly soon. Which means more opportunities for you to push forward. You might even be able to make it into Anbu within a few years. What do you say about that?"

He caressed the branches tenderly as he thought about the declaration with a smile. For so long now he wanted recognition for his accomplishments, to be told that he was just as good as his brother. And knowing that the village was considering his promotion and that all that was left was to put in his part to move on, caused a smile to form on his features. The sweet moment, however, was broken when a loud blonde continued to moan and groan about his tasks.

"That boy, such a nuisance. And so pathetic; I really doubt he'll make it far, but I guess only time will tell." She frowned when the boy kicked a stone onto the branch only to have it bounce right back to his head. "Much time, in fact. And as for the girl…" Her face fell when the girl continued to steal back glances between her and Sasuke. "I doubt she'll make it far either. They'll probably stick with Kakashi's team for a long time. But that's to be expected. Most teams do manage to stay together most of their life. But you Sasuke, you're special. You'll far exceed them. And when you do, you'll find yourself in a much more desirable position."

She spoke so lowly of his team. And while he did feel that he surpassed them in many ways, he wasn't entirely convinced they were a completely pathetic team. But her reasoning of their capabilities was to be expected for she had the same mindset as most members of her clan, a sense of superiority. And it wasn't so long ago when his way of thinking was much like hers. Sakura was the annoying girl constantly trying to vie for his attention whose uselessness ran to the core while Naruto was the loudmouth whose words were greater than his skill level and power and whose intelligence could be linked to a common rock. To him, he was the prodigy-in-making caged in with the babbling monkeys. But the more his time with them expanded and the more dangers they faced together, the more his view point changed entirely. He recognized his own shortcomings in the process and what exactly the other two had to offer him. Had it not been for Naruto's stamina, he never would have lasted long against the rogue ninja that attacked in their recent mission. And had it not been for Sakura's expertise and knowledge of their capabilities, the two would have been left for dead long before the battle grew serious. And with Kakashi as their team, there was nothing they couldn't do really. It was at those briefest moments of life and death he realized why it was they were all grouped together. Each member had their imperfections but as a team, they were unstoppable. As a team, they were perfect. But it was the last few statements that left his mind blank as he realized an unexpected possibility.

"I take it the sooner you leave the group, the happier you'll be. Am I correct? Don't worry; I'll see what strings I can pull for you. After all, we're kin."

"Do you think I really will leave the team someday?"

"Of course. We're Uchiha. We're above all this, Sasuke. We're destined for great things, as are you. Just look at your brother. Captain of Anbu. Someday, that may very well be your title. Then you can dump the deadweight you're burdened with right now and fulfill your rightful place as an Uchiha heir."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Honestly Sasuke. Do you really think those two will ever become as great as you? I mean just think about where you are now and compare it to them. Can you even fill the gap?"

"But, they could get stronger…"

"…than you? Please. True, ninja grow stronger over time but lineage is what separates the common from the elite. No matter how hard they work, they just can't compete with genius. They'll go off and accomplish things of their own, surely they will. But you, you'll achieve many things—great things. You're in a league they couldn't hope to compete in Sasuke. A world they couldn't hope to acquire despite their best efforts."

A loud groaning noise interrupted the conversation once more. Sasuke watched as Sakura bonked Naruto on the head for sneaking up on her. Their antics and Kakashi's attempts to calm his teammate from a temper tantrum seemed so distant now. It was quite possible that Rei was correct. He would surpass them and eventually, he would have to leave them…for good. And if so, what did that mean for their team, for their friendship?

"And of course, just like your brother, you're to follow the same path we all took. Which means the inevitable continuation of your legacy."

"Legacy? What do you mean?"

"I mean your future children, of course. You'll marry an Uchiha of well breeding and fulfill your destiny as the second child of our patriarch."

"An Uchiha…" he whispered. Was this really the fate that had befallen him? He turned once more to his arguing teammates as Sakura's back faced Naruto's apologetic smiles. She crossed her arms and furiously avoided his gaze.

"Aww come on, Sakura-chan. Don't be that way with me. I'll make it up to you! I'll take you out on a date."

"Forget it, Naruto!"

Rei sighed as she rested her head on her hands. "Just look at those two. Oh well, I suppose in some ways they're quite suited for each other. Don't you think?"

He narrowed his eyes at the statement.

"You know, in an ironic way, they're kind of perfect for each other. I mean just look at the way they interact. There's definitely a bond there. And she sure is pretty open and brash around him. They say when a woman is comfortable with the man she loves, she's not afraid to show her real side."

Perhaps there was some truth to it. But Sakura wasn't like that with him at all. She never acted that way around him. She was always shy, careful, considerate, gentle and soft whenever he was around. With Naruto, she was loud, angry, boisterous, tactless, and rude. He wondered which was the real her? Was the end he received nothing more than a mirage, a compilation of emotions based off of some childhood crush? Was the way she was with Naruto the real Sakura? Why was it that she felt she could fool around and make jokes with Naruto but not with him?

"Hey, watch how you trim those plants, Sasuke."

He loosened his grip on the tool and returned to his slow cutting as he thought about the predicament at hand. Perhaps this was better. Perhaps Naruto was better off for her. Sakura was always honest with him; she loved to share every unique interest she had. He never once returned the favor. Maybe, in the end, it just wasn't in his personality to be open and honest. And if so, it wouldn't be deserving of her kindness to be stuck with a brooding man like him. Naruto was patient with her temper, eager to please and quick to lend an open ear and mouth to her passions. That certainly seemed more of the type of guy an open girl like Sakura deserved. Rei's words may have held merit, for the two did seem like such a perfect match.

He was ready to resign, but when he glanced back and watched Naruto crack jokes at Sakura, the girl laugh and push him away playfully and the two pal around each other, the grip was back and he mercilessly continued to slash away at the plants.

"Slow down, Sasuke! You're going to chop everything into pieces!"

He slowed down again albeit with a controlled fury. Despite his best efforts, there was just no way to suppress the jealousy that engulfed him as he pondered more on the possibilities in the growth of their relationship. His eyes narrowed again as he caught a glimpse of Naruto whispering something which made Sakura laugh. Their proximity was enough to force him to clench his teeth. He angrily grabbed the shears as more thoughts entered his mind about the pair. One push could become one hug. One hug in turn could become one kiss. And it wouldn't be long before the two would engage in more intimate acts as their years carried on to adulthood.

"Will you stop already!?" Rei yanked the weapon away from the frustrated boy. She raised her eyebrow when the boy's sharingan eyes were vacant and distant, his breathing uneven and his cheeks a tint of red. "O…kay, that's enough cutting for you. Why don't you finish off by sweeping inside the—"

A loud crash caused her to flinch and her dark eyes immediately zoomed in at the wide-eyed boy who was pointing a finger at the ravens looming above the roof.

"I didn't break anything! It was Phobos and Deimos! I swear!"

"What?" She stared at him perplexed until Kakashi once again broke the tension.

"Naruto has a habit of naming the animals he comes across. It's a habit he picked up from a friend."

Between Sasuke's erratic behavior, Sakura's incessant need to tiptoe her way back to Sasuke's side, Naruto's continuous failed efforts of work and Kakashi's casual dismissal of it all, Rei was beyond the threshold of showing them exactly what an advanced fire jutsu was.

Kakashi seemed to have caught wind of the upcoming explosion, for he immediately rushed to Naruto with a package in hand.

"Naruto, we have a delivery to make to police headquarters. Why don't you take this satchel and give it to the authorities there?"

"Sure. Anything beats this shitty—" Rei's glare immediately stopped his words. "I mean, I'd love to help." He was sure the sarcasm was well delivered.

After swiping the bag, he made a quick dash down the steps, eager to put the shrine duties behind him. As he descended down the stairs, he lifted his hand to offer an obscene gesture before a rock was shoved his way and made contact with his head. He clumsily fell down the long stone staircase as a result of the impact.

His team watched with mild sympathy with each contact his body made on each stone step. After the final thud, they continued on with the duties at hand. Once the tumbling ceased, he rubbed the back of his head softly. "Stupid bitch." When his body recovered from the fall, he stuck his tongue out once more. "I hope the ravens shit on her head."

The caws and wing fluttering of two ravens at the perching on the torii, however, caused him to gulp in fear, and he immediately sprung to his feet and departed the shrine. When he was completely out of the vicinity, he turned his run into a leisure stroll. There was no sense in speeding up the delivery. The longer he took, the less yard work he had to do. If he was lucky enough, the rest of the group would have the job completed by the time he returned.

"Dad, can I have two scoops?"

"Ask your mother."

Naruto immediately stopped in front of a shop and watched as a small family passed through the door. The ringing sound of a bell alerted the hostess to more guests, and he was greeted with the faint scent of chocolate chip mint right before the doors closed. He ran to the shop and smashed his face on the window as he watched the delicious scoops of ice cream being placed in a wafer bowl for the young girl he saw earlier. A trail of drool began to stain the glass, and he subconsciously allowed his tongue to fall loosely. "Why couldn't we be eating here instead of doing all those crappy assignments?"

"Yeah, no kidding."

Naruto's tongue darted back to his mouth and he immediately turned around in surprise, ready to apologize to the proprietors of the establishment. His hasty apology, however, was left in suspension as he relaxed upon coming into contact with another blonde whose own drool stains rivaled his.

"Usagi-nee chan! What are you doing here?"

"The same thing as you. Contemplating on a quick detour."

"Ha, yeah. Chocolate chip mint is the best. What about you? Which would you pick?"

Usagi lapped up her tongue and left it playfully out to accompany her response. "Why choose? I want it all."

"You can't eat that much ice cream."

"Ha! Challenge accepted. I'll have you know that I currently hold the village record for most ice cream scoops eaten in ten minutes. Even Mitarashi Anko doesn't stand a chance against my sweet tooth!" She threw her head back and boastfully laughed into the afternoon sky.

"Nee-chan, you scare me sometimes."

She flicked his forehead playfully and waited for his recovery.

"So what are you really doing here, Naruto? I thought you were on a mission right now."

"I am. I have a delivery."

"Well then, you should get to it."

"I'm not in any hurry."

"Naruto, you're going to get in trouble again. Kakashi-sensei doesn't like tardiness."

"That's stupid considering he's always late to our meetings. Come to think of it, you're not exactly the most punctual person either, nee-chan."

She stepped back from the low blow. He had her there. "Yeah, well…that's why you should learn from example. The more you are on time, the less likely you are to stir trouble."

"It doesn't matter what I do. They'll always find a way to hate me."

"Naruto…"

"So that's why I'm just going to take my time in getting back."

"But your mission, Naruto…"

"Weed pulling isn't a mission! They just use us as an excuse to get all the crappy jobs done!"

It was another good point. Something she could verify herself from working with the Uchiha Police. "But it has to be done, Naruto. And if you wait too long, it wouldn't be fair to your team now, would it?"

His lips made a distinctive move to the right as he crossed his arms before his chest. "Yeah, whatever."

She smiled at his upcoming surrender. "Good, then why don't you hurry up with your delivery?"

"I still don't see why we have to do all that boring work. Especially for that bitch."

"Naruto," she scolded. "What did I tell you about calling people that?"

"But Rei-san is a bitch!"

"Rei? You wouldn't, by any chance, be referring to Uchiha Rei, would you?"

He nodded and huffed.

"Oh, well. In that case I kind of have to agree with you."

Naruto began to chuckle but was rewarded with a bonk on the head regardless.

"Behave yourself Naruto. And try not to give Kakashi-sensei any kind of trouble. Don't forget that your bad performance reflects the entire team and they'll be punished equally. You don't want to make your teammates angry at you, do you?"

"No, I guess not."

"Good. So where are you headed off to?"

"I'm delivering this satchel to the Uchiha police. To be honest, I think Kakashi-sensei was just trying to get rid of me."

"Don't say that."

"It's true! Sasuke wasn't even as busy as I was. Why didn't he ask him to do it?!" Naruto sighed loudly before resting on a nearby brick bed. "Sometimes, I get the feeling he likes to play favorites. I think Kakashi-sensei prefers Sasuke-teme over me."

He grew curious when instead of a condescending hug or pat on the head, he received soft chuckles as the girl settled peacefully beside him.

"I know exactly how you're feeling."

"No you don't. Haruka-sensei pays more attention to you than anyone in the group."

"Well, she didn't always."

"Really?"

"Yes. She does it now because I've come a long way and the elders have seen my potential. But did you know that when I first started with my team, Haruka-sensei only ever paid attention to Seijuuro? And I thought 'wow, someone's playing favourites'."

"She did?"

"Yeah. I worked so hard to get her attention. And then I learned that the council was putting pressure on Haruka-sensei to get Seijuuro prepped up for the chuunin exams. In the end, I was pretty much left on my own to train."

"I don't get it. Why would they focus so much on one person?"

"Seijuuro is the grandson of the land of fire's daimyo. Naturally, there's pressure for him to succeed. It's all politics really. If the grandson of an elite in the land of fire doesn't succeed, it wouldn't look good for Konoha. It wouldn't look good for the rest of our ninjas and in the end, our missions would suffer because no one will want to hire us. I mean, who would want to hire a bunch of ninjas from a village where the elite's grandson couldn't make the cut? Kakashi-sensei is probably going through a similar situation with your team. But you're lucky, though. He's giving your whole team a lot more time as a unit than I've seen with mine."

"Yeah, I guess. But it's still not fair."

"Politics never are fair. But did you ever stop to think about how frustrated Kakashi-sensei is with it as well? And I bet your antics don't help at all."

"I never thought about that."

"Also, how do you think your other teammate feels?"

Naruto rolled his eyes at the absurdity. "Teme's probably living it up. He's getting training from his family and Kakashi-sensei."

"I was talking about Sakura. Don't you think she feels a little left out? And her parents aren't ninja, so it's not like they're very proficient in the field. Not enough to help her the way she probably needs it anyway."

It was true. He was receiving help from Usagi and her friends and at times he would train with Sasuke or visit the dojo. But what Sakura did in her free time to train was really a mystery to him.

"You know, if you really want to get stronger, why don't you have more sparring matches with your team. I mean, I know you battle Sasuke a lot, but maybe you can invite Sakura for training once in a while too."

"Me…Sakura-chan…training?" Naruto's goofy grin grew wide as he fantasized about what he would rather do alone with the girl given the opportunity.

"Get those perverted thoughts out of your head, you goofball. I meant why don't the three of you have an all-out training fest? You could all benefit from each other. Your stamina could wear Sasuke out. You could learn from Sasuke's jutsu knowledge and the both of you could take some tactician lessons from Sakura. She is the smartest in your team after all."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's true. I guess we could do that."

"Good. Feeling better then?"

"Yeah, but speaking of special training…"

Usagi's eyebrows rose as the boy's elbows began to jab at her stomach and his own eyebrows rose suggestively.

"Nee-chan, you haven't been completely honest with me about your own relationships."

Usagi blushed immediately. "I…uh…don't know what you mean."

"You know. About a certain Uchiha male and how you were caught spending the entire night with him. Hee hee. Getting extra 'training' and then getting extra something on the side. You little devil, you. Nee-chan, after all this time, I never knew you had it in you."

Usagi's mouth dropped considerably.

"So I take it it's true , then?"

"No, it isn't! I have not been doing indecent things with that guy!"

"Did he come over to your house?"

"Yes…"

"Did he spend the night?"

"Yes…"

"Did he sleep on your bed?"

"Yes, but I wasn't on it!"

"That's because you were probably on something else at the moment."

"Naruto! Shut up! It was absolutely nothing."

"Sure…right, nee-chan."

"It wasn't, you brat!"

"They say denial is the clincher."

She huffed and turned her head away abruptly. "Believe what you want."

"Oh trust me. I'll believe it."

Usagi sighed before her eyelids fell in annoyance. "Don't you have a mission you need to do or something?"

"Hey good job, nee-chan! You've skipped three stages and went right for acceptance."

"Now, Naruto."

"Ha ha. Alright then. But don't think you're off the hook yet. I still want to know more about this. Over ramen!"

Usagi shook her head and smiled softly. "Fine."

"And ice cream!"

"All right, you."

"Your treat?"

"Only if I hear from Kakashi-sensei that you've been on good behavior. Now get out of here."

He smiled widely before waving his farewell. "It's a promise then. Don't forget! You're paying."

She sighed at the unspoken promise. It was going to be a hassle for her, and mostly her wallet but she supposed if Naruto needed an incentive to score better points for his team, then it was well worth the investment. Usagi smiled as she watched herself in the boy, an enthusiasm and playful streak that landed her in trouble at times.

When he disappeared completely out of sight, she continued her trek to a remote area in the Uchiha district. Tekka had sent her on a simple delivery mission but the area was becoming much more isolated from the rest of the district. As she traveled further in, the bustling and dynamic atmosphere slowly began to dissipate. There were no people gathered around in the streets yelling at each other to hurry on with their tasks. There were no birds chirping on nearby fixtures. Even the trees were beginning to look scarcely placed. All sounds were suspended save a few scratchy noises and some barely felt vibrations. Her mouth went dry and heart beat picked up a fraction of a second.

She was being followed.

"I know you're out there! Come out!"

The shadow emerged from the alleyway slowly until it stopped a few meters away from her. "An Uchiha?" But Usagi had no time to rejoice in the presence of the new female acquaintance. For just as her clan's bloodline, the girl's aura escalated into unbearable heat. The presence was far from amicable and Usagi's guard rose immediately.

"Your name is Tsukino Usagi, isn't it?"

"Yes. But it's only proper that a stranger introduces first before demanding introductions."

The girl's eyes narrowed. "Don't sound so haughty."

"It's just proper manners."

"Are you suggesting that a high class woman such as myself lacks etiquette?"

"Not at all! I was just…you know what? Never mind, I'll overlook it. I'm in a hurry anyway so…"

"Are you the girl that's been having an affair with Itachi-sama?"

"I'm sorry, but I am scheduled to return back to headquarters promptly. I still have many tasks to complete. If you wouldn't mind, I would prefer to finish this conversation at another time." And in a more public destination, she didn't add.

"Just answer the question, you little brat!"

"Itachi and I are friends. You've been misinformed about the situation. Again, I have to…" Usagi's neutral body language was immediately replaced by a scowl as soon as the girl's eyes traveled from her feet up to her hair and back down to lock gazes with her. The blank look, the click of her tongue and the purse of her lips alerted her to the girl's lack of approval.

"He can do way better than you, I'm sure."

"Excuse me?"

"Either that or you must have been an easy lay."

She closed her eyes to count down and remain calm. The girl was simply provoking a fight.

"How could Itachi-sama stoop so low as to settle for some low class brat all for just one night of pleasure? I expected so much more from him."

"Class isn't everything."

"No, just most."

She tightened her jaw to remain civil. "Well that's a matter of opinion."

"It's a matter of fact. How many bad pedigree orphans do you see hitting it big? Becoming Hokage? Achieving remarkable things? Hell, I'm surprised you made it to chuunin."

"Moving up in rank is proportionate to skill level, not lineage."

"Yes, but rank is all you're going to get. There's many losers that make it to jounin, but that's it. Their rank is their ceiling. There's nothing left for them after that. And they live out their whole lives doing trivial missions or living ordinary lives until they die. And afterwards, we forget them. It's as if they never existed. It's quite pathetic really."

"Everyone has their place in society. Some people cook and clean and others do missions. All tasks are equally important." She mentally took pride at being able to reuse Itachi's own wisdom in a conversation.

"Yes, because we see so many bakers with statues erected of them."

"Your ignorance is showing because you forget that there are people within your own clan that do those 'trivial' things, as you like to call them." She smiled to claim one victory point when the girl scowled at her lost argument.

"Oh what, you think you're better than me? That you have some endless wisdom you like to share?"

"Look, I'm sorry if you feel insulted. But I was just pointing out that…"

"You'll never be good enough."

"What?"

"As a wife. You'll never be good enough. I heard about you and quite frankly, there's not much to tell. You think that a girl like you could measure up as Itachi-sama's wife? You probably wouldn't make the cut for any man. Why would any man want a woman that doesn't even have a family to offer him?"

The words reflected things she heard before from Itachi's own father. Although Itachi's words didn't squelch her anxiety completely, they were enough to rekindle her spirit.

"You say all these things and yet you know nothing about me. Who I am. If I'm so hopeless, if I'm worth nothing, if I'm just some pathetic girl then why is it that I have achieved so much thus far."

"What do you mean?"

"I have no family, no connections as you do. Yet I was accepted as a Konoha kunoichi, achieved chuunin rank, am currently working in the Uchiha police headquarters and have even earned the recognition of Itachi, an Anbu captain. Can you say that you have achieved these things with all your glorious pride in your lineage?"

Although she was not one of intentional malice, Usagi couldn't stop the subtle smirk upon seeing the girl's loathing face. When there was no reaction she turned away for a steady retreat.

"You probably had your own way of accomplishing that. The rest of us actually work hard to achieve our goals. We don't sleep with the captain just to make it to the top."

Usagi's feet firmly ingrained themselves on the stone path.

"But I suppose like mother like daughter."

She clenched her fists. "My mother is not alive to defend herself. I suggest you stop."

"Your mother was a business woman, a foreigner who had a fleeting affair with a merchant. It was quite obvious what she wanted from your fa—"

The girl's lingering words were now accompanied with the crackling sound of her body colliding with the cement wall. She wiped away a stray trail of blood from her face as her glare met with that of a kunoichi, hands glowing a vivid blue.

"I'll say this once more. My parents are not alive to defend themselves. Please show some respect and keep your comments to yourself. I don't want to fight you."

"Then that'll make it easier for me to beat you into a bloody…" but the sounds of footsteps sliding along the path alerted her to a possible threat as she realized that her opponent was no longer standing idly but arranging her feet to take on a more offensive position.

"I said I don't want to fight. I never said I wouldn't."

She smirked in response, waiting patiently for any openings. And when the blonde's leg twitched for the briefest fraction of a moment, she dove right for her.

Usagi dodged the first punch easily. She ran through the maze of houses as the girl began her pursuit.

"You can't run forever!"

Usagi smiled subtly as she glanced back. Within the blink of an eye, the environment before her became a blur as she picked up speed. Kunai were sent flying her way and she dodged left and right in a continuous pattern.

"What the hell?" The girl blinked once as she saw the briefest flicker of motion running side by side. In one second there was one blonde, and then there were two and three. "A clone? That's so academy!" She flung the projectiles at every single one, but there was no smoke clearing the jutsu. She threw more and more to no avail. "What the hell is going on? Why can't I hit the clones?"

Usagi smirked before disappearing altogether.

The girl turned abruptly as Usagi reappeared behind her suddenly and sent her flying with a kick.

Foliage fell from the trees as the girl submerged from where she was defeated.

"This is my warning. Please do not interfere with me or my life. I mean no harm to this clan nor to you. But I won't hesitate to defend myself. Remember that."

Thinking that the girl had accepted her defeat, Usagi tried again to retreat.

"I see now what you did."

She sighed at the inevitable continuation of the battle.

"You increased your speed and kept running side by side to create the illusion of clones. That's why my kunai couldn't hit you."

"Yes."

"Why that?"

"Because it frustrates people when they realize they can't dissipate my fake clones. I knew it would throw you off."

Much to Usagi's surprise, the girl bore a mischievous smile before standing up.

"I won't be falling for this again."

Her eyes closed before opening again and Usagi's stance became readied once again as the severity escalated even further.

"Let's see how well you do against my sharingan."

The girl tried the initial same moves as before but growled when Usagi was once again evasive. Her eyes darted in every direction, analyzing the pattern of her movement. Unlike before, she could clearly see every step her opponent was making. The cloak of speed had been lifted.

"Let's see you dodge this!" The girl's shuriken completely missed their mark. She watched in frustration as the blonde moved left then right and then circled from behind. She threw more to her left, anticipating the move patterns, but the mark was missed considerably. She narrowed her eyes. There was no mistake about her calculations. That move should have hit. Her sharingan's skills were accurate as were her analytical abilities.

She tried again, watching the girl move in her now crawling pace. But the brat moved away in plenty of time. She then went in for close range combat, but every kick, every punch was met with the air. The move didn't hit, but how? It couldn't have been a genjutsu; she would have known.

Her eyes watched as a languid punch came crawling towards her. She sucked in her stomach and backed away, but not before one fist landed its mark. She turned to block the second hit coming for her back but missed it again. She ducked for the third but ended up on her knees and dodging away in retaliation.

"I may not be a good taijutsu fighter, but they say that multiple hits can have just as good an effect on an opponent as one powerful one."

"How is this possible?"

"It's quite simple, Yui."

Both girls turned their attention immediately to the voice. Usagi used her left hand to block the sunlight from her eyes as she raised her head over to the third party sitting lazily atop a stack of crates.

"Misaki-sempai!"

Usagi backed away considerably as Misaki jumped onto the road beside her fallen comrade.

"You girl, you're Tsukino Usagi, correct?"

"Yes," she responded hesitantly.

"I'm Uchiha Misaki."

Usagi stood unsurely before the stern girl. She wasn't quite certain whether it was an invitation to exchange formalities and pleasantries, a request to apologize for the fight, or another warning to stay away from a certain male. But knowing the pattern of the young Uchiha women she had met in the last few weeks, she would bet on the latter.

"I've been watching you these last few weeks. Working in headquarters, that's quite an accomplishment for a woman, even more so for one outside the clan. I assume you are not oblivious to the fact that very few women work in the police force."

"Yeah, well…captain wanted me there to…"

"Believe me, we are all quite aware of the predicament."

"Oh really?" Usagi grimaced when the girl began to circle her and examine her figure.

"Not much waist. You lack refinement. And a little too flat for my taste…"

Usagi took a few steps back before clearing her throat. "I'm sorry, but I'm not into girls."

Misaki turned red before regaining her composure. "I was referring to Itachi-sama's choice in women, you dolt. It's not something of which I approve."

"Oh well, I um…can't help that."

"I'm sure you're probably used to hearing everyone telling you to stay away from Itachi-sama by now, so I'll save you the lecture."

"Good because you're right, I am tired of it."

"Then why don't you just adhere to our requests?"

"Adhere? What's that? Is it like some kind of glue or something?"

"That's adhesive, you dolt."

"Oh, then it's like some kind of scar right?"

Misaki clenched her fists as her comrade tried to calm her temper down. "That's adhesion! Honestly, how could he have chosen someone as stupid as you?"

"Look, I'm not a genius like most Uchiha claim to be okay? I don't know what ad-beer means…"

"Adhere," chimed in Yui.

"Right, adhere. I don't know what 'adhere' means. But who cares? I'm just an ordinary girl trying to make it in the village. Why does that bother you so much?"

"Because Itachi-sama deserves much more than that. So much more."

"Because you think Itachi deserves you, right?"

The two girls stepped back in mild surprise before stiffening their stances.

"And you're jealous because Itachi hangs around with me. I get it. But please, leave us alone. His friendship with me won't interfere with anything. I've told this to Rei-chan, I've told this to the captain, and they've both left me in peace, so obviously the case is settled."

But Misaki took a few steps toward the retreating girl.

"You're right; I am jealous. I don't care what kind of relationship it is. If anyone deserves his attention, it most certainly shouldn't be you. Everyone, every single one of us has known him far longer than you. We've all worked hard to try to gain his attention, Rei-sama included. We help the clan, we do our part, we meet the expectations made for us, we look out for one another and we especially have done our best to please Itachi-sama. And you, what the hell have you done? Who the hell do you think you are? Prancing about him like you hold the rights to monopolize his time. We're all sick of it."

Usagi was suddenly aware of multiple chakra sources in the immediate vicinity. Her eyes scanned the roofs, the un-lightened paths between houses and the courtyard around her. They were only a handful, but she was well aware that the unconcealed contempt in their eyes would turn this battle bloody if she wasn't careful. She glared into Misaki's red eyes and stood still, treating her as she would a dangerous animal sensitive to sudden movement.

"This isn't fair."

"No one said it would be. Now, I ask you again, will you leave Itachi-sama be?"

She took a deep breath to calm her anxiety. Her eyes glanced over to an area behind Misaki before she lifted her finger to point. "I think you need to ask Itachi, himself, what he wants me to do."

Misaki's wide eyes quickly turned to the direction the blonde pointed, fearful of the aforementioned name. "I don't see him…" Her surprised sharingan turned back to the area and just as she calculated, the girl was out of sight.

"She tricked us, Misaki-sempai!"

"After her!"

Usagi's feet kicked into overdrive as she raced through the maze of houses. Two kunai flew by her and she jumped up only to jump back to the streets again. There were two hovering above her on the roofs, keeping up with her projected trail.

"Quick! Cut off her maneuverability before she does her weird wind techniques!"

Her feet skid along the stone pavement as she made a sharp turn right to dodge the makibishi spikes laid out before her. Only after a few meters, did she have to make a sharp turn left to dodge the second set.

"Katon: Housenka no jutsu!"

She dodged the onslaught of mini fireballs and the flying projectiles that never relented.

"Hey! This is close to the residential zone! You can't just throw fire around here!"

But the girls paid no mind as the onslaught continued.

Usagi moved quickly to find an escape but the girls were not giving inch. And of all the times for her clumsiness to take hold, this was not one she would have hoped for. Her footwear caught onto a raised stone on the path and she fell forward just in time for Misaki to spring upon her and pin her down with a hand behind her back.

"I take it from your little escape plan that you have no intention of leaving Itachi-sama."

"I won't let you bully me into making a decision. I'm not afraid of you or your little fanclub girl squad."

Usagi groaned out loud when her head was smashed onto the road while a knee pressed down onto a vital part of her back.

"I'll make sure you leave."

The crowd behind her cheered on for her to do something. But Misaki's smile was soon laced with a red streak when Usagi's head bumped back harshly and bashed into her mouth. She sprung loose soon after.

"Don't let her escape!" Misaki mumbled as she pressed down on her bleeding mouth.

Usagi didn't make it far before one girl grabbed a pigtail, another swiped below her ankles and two more dove in to restrain her.

"Grab her legs! Don't let her run!"

Usagi winced when the two girls held onto her separated legs tightly. She struggled viciously and managed to kick one of them away. She scrambled to her feet again immediately, but a blow to her stomach stopped her dead in her tracks. Another on her head, and she fell face down on the stone path.

"That's for marring my face, girl."

She tried wiggling up to her feet once before falling back onto the ground. In a feeble attempt at protection, she curled into a ball and protected her head as the girls continued their attacks on her.

"Let this be a lesson to you. Stay away from Itachi-sama!"

Usagi's weak glare was directed to their de facto leader. It was all she could do aside from clutching her stomach and enduring the final kick on her neck.

"Fucking brat."

"Misaki-sempai! Somebody's coming!"

"Tch. Girls, hurry up. Let's go before somebody sees us!"

She relished in their absence but found that despite her efforts, she couldn't even reach to her medical pouch for a pill. The sounds of footsteps and a clicking noise she couldn't quite put her finger on approached her within a few minutes. The feet stopped near her face and she gazed into the bright sky in time to see a face obscured by the sun's harsh light. Seconds afterwards, she fell into unconsciousness.

He made no effort to conceal his foul mood. The day was fairly hot, the tasks were tedious and grueling, his loud teammate found the incessant need to replay old folk songs, and Rei's words…her stupid words just wouldn't abandon his mind. It was for these very reasons why when he plopped down on the floor and reached for the already prepared dish of rice and fried shrimp that his brother raised an eyebrow and offered a complementary cup of tea.

"Thanks."

"Must have been quite a day."

"The usual," he shrugged off.

Itachi turned the page of his binder before briefly sparing a glance at the distraught boy before him.

"You seem upset about something."

"I'm fine."

He ignored Itachi's smirk and shake of the head. He was fine. This was nothing that wouldn't pass over. A surface wound like any other needing but a quick touch up. But as the smiles of the girl in question reentered his mind with an orange clad boy smiling right beside her, the brooding returned. And after trying unsuccessfully to suppress the annoyance, he settled for letting the anger pass through his tea in the form of blown bubbles.

"You know mother hates it when you do that."

"She's not here right now."

"She'll be back soon."

"What? Are you going to announce something so petty just to get me in trouble?"

"Calm down. Such fights are beneath me. Now be honest, and tell me what's wrong."

"I already told you. Nothing is wrong."

"The greater portion of my mind which clings to logic and reasoning would beg to differ based on a few expressions on your face and overall body language."

"I'm just tired. It's been a long day."

"So be it."

He rolled his eyes knowing his brother was, once again, unconvinced that his outward grumpy display was only attributed to a long work day. Aside from matters of the opposite gender, he supposed there was nothing Itachi couldn't deduce. The man radiated brilliance. But it wasn't as if there was anyone else who he could relate to with regards to his current predicament. And so with a reluctant swallow, he carefully calculated his next move.

"Suppose I was more than tired."

Itachi raised his pen, his eyebrow soon followed.

"Suppose I had things that…"

"Worry you?"

"Preoccupy me," he amended quickly.

"And let's assume that said things would soon develop into more troubling matters. Should they be things I deal with as they come to pass or things I should try to prevent right away?"

"What kind of trouble are you in, Sasuke?"

"I'm just speaking hypothetically."

"If you are in some kind of danger…"

"It's nothing that detrimental. Just…stuff…"

Itachi smirked as he rested his head on one available hand. Sasuke grimaced at the mocking beat that damn pen was keeping as it constantly hit the surface of the table.

"Alright fine, fuck you. I'm annoyed at something."

"Much better. And what, I ask, is it that annoys you?"

"Well, answer me this first. Do you ever work with your team?"

"Of course. As captain that is my…"

"I meant your other team."

"Other team?"

"You know. The one you started out with as a genin when you graduated from the academy."

"Ah." Itachi's pen made another quick tapping noise as he pondered on the matter. "To be honest, no. After I became captain, my work was at a completely different level. To this day, I can't say that I have returned to work with that team in any other mission. But that's to be expected for my line of work."

"I see."

"Are you concerned the same fate will greet you?"

"No! I was just, well…"

"I choose not to associate with my former teammates. That was a decision I made out of personal preference. What you do later is up to you, Sasuke."

"Okay."

When Itachi returned to work quietly, Sasuke continued to glance about the room nervously. His hold on his chopsticks tightened and tapped continuously on his porcelain bowl. He deduced the action became unbearable as Itachi placed a hand on his to still his movements.

"Sorry."

"There's more to your demeanor. Why are you so upset?"

"Nothing. I just um…Hey, can I ask you something else?"

Itachi smiled tiredly at the futile attempt to change the subject. "Go on."

"You have a lot of responsibility right? I mean with regards to duties."

"Yes."

"How is it that you go about getting it all done?"

"There's no secret to multi-tasking, Sasuke. It's a matter of time management and prioritizing."

"Yeah, but how about the stuff that's not required."

"Such tasks would be?"

"Well like…"

"Yes?"

"Uh…How do you manage to find time to hang out with Usagi?"

Both eyebrows raised in concern at the unusual inquiry. "I don't usually. It just happens naturally."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I don't force the meetings we have. At least not all the time. When I find that I'm available and have nothing better to do, I drop in."

"Oh."

"Why do you ask?"

"I've just been thinking about some things. That's all."

"Such as?"

"Well, for starters, do you think that someday I'll become like you."

"How so?"

"Well like an Anbu shinobi or something like that."

"I'm sure you can achieve whatever goal you set for yourself."

He gulped down more rice before continuing. "Yeah, I guess."

"Are you doubting your abilities as a shinobi?"

"No, nothing like that."

"Then what is it?"

"Just forget about it. I'm just stressed from work. That's all."

"If you insist."

Sasuke's chopsticks continued their incessant tapping on his bowl. He frowned and stopped abruptly upon seeing his brother's blank stare, however.

"You know, it is kind of weird."

"What is?" he asked as another page was flipped.

"That you and Usagi can get along."

Itachi's tired sigh was accompanied by a small smile. "So we're back to this again? You seem quite interested in how I interact with her."

"Well I only say that because…well…I mean, the girl is completely out of your league."

"Define league and explain why any of this should matter to you."

He bit back a reply when his brother finally set down his pen to give him complete attention.

"Surely you aren't just bringing all this up to discuss my relationships outside the clan. Perhaps you could enlighten me as to what it is you hope to accomplish with these questions."

"I'm just making conversation."

He blushed subtly at his brother's derisive smirk. And only when his eyes rested on the tiny bugs sitting outside the window, did Itachi's lips open to an inevitable truth.

"So how did it go with Sakura?"

He choked on the fried shrimp before coughing out the stray pieces from his lungs. "What the hell does she have to do with anything?" One fist made contact on the table to illustrate the point.

"Did you ask her out yet?"

"No." He blushed visibly and turned his head away abruptly. "I got interrupted."

"Ah, I see. At least the attempt was made." His smile grew wider at the red hue on his little brother's face. It was not often Sasuke lost his composure, even behind closed quarters. This was an opportunity that no elder brother could forego. And so with a mischievous glint in his eye that was undoubtedly inherited from his mother, he moved in with full force.

"Have you held her in your arms under the romantic moonlight?"

Sasuke pouted more. "No."

"Do you whisper soft words of empty promises and amicable intentions?"

"Shut up."

"Ah, but surely you two have shared candlelit dinners."

"I'm not listening to you."

"Do you hold hands?"

"Jerk."

"Have you kissed yet?"

"No!"

"Rendered yourself lost in the moment in public places?"

"If I haven't kissed her yet, what makes you think I would have made out with her?!"

"Has she made attempts to ravish you?"

He held hands to his ears. "Shut up, Itachi."

"I'm simply making conversation, Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the mockery.

"It's what you wanted, right?"

There was no response from his brother as he now shut his eyes in an attempt to drown the noise away. Itachi mused at how he could simply leave, but perhaps fried shrimp was simply too irresistible to pass up. With a small shake, he decided to segue into a conclusion.

"Have you told her you love her yet?"

"No, damn it!"

Sasuke froze with wide eyes and a dropped jaw. A twitch of the eye followed soon after. He glanced at first in disbelief at the bowl of half eaten rice as he contemplated on the current predicament. His eyelids narrowed into slits as he raised his gaze to his brother who picked up his own cup of tea for a quick drink, all the while smiling in unhidden mirth.

"I see what you did there."

"Mmm," was the mocking retort he received.

"And have you told Usagi…"

"Ninjas must not attack once the element of surprise is gone."

He sat back down abruptly and shoved a shrimp in his mouth. "I hate you."

"Love you too, little brother."

He would not take the bait again. As an extra effort to retaliate, he began his previous habits of bubble blowing and chopstick tapping. His timing for the day was completely off, however, as his mother seized that precise moment to step into the kitchen.

"Sasuke, sweetheart, you know I hate when you do that."

He immediately stopped at his mother's stern look and settled for the wooden patterns of the kotatsu as a distraction. Just somewhere on the other side of the table sat a smirking older brother. He just fucking knew it.

"Are you two enjoying your meal?"

"Ah, kaa-san," came the echoed replies.

"Well that's good. Sasuke, your father says he has a new holster and satchel for you since your old ones are wearing out."

He made no effort to hide the smile on his face. "Really? He got me a new one?"

"Yes. You can ask him about it whenever he gets home."

The previous agitation left him as eyes genuinely twinkled with happiness at the prospect of his father's gift.

"And as for you, Itachi, your father says not to forget your arrangements for today. He wants you prepared for that mission."

"I haven't."

"Good. And oh, that reminds me. Itachi, how is your girlfriend doing? I haven't seen her at all these past few weeks."

Itachi rolled his eyes before turning the delicate page of his binder. "She's fine, kaa-san. Busy with work."

"That's good to hear. I was beginning to worry. But you know, if you're not too busy with missions, you should invite Usagi over next month. I was thinking that we could have a family outing to the park. The leaves will begin to fall soon and the mid-autumn festival will be here before you know it. It would be nice to enjoy a picnic outside before it gets colder. Would that be feasible?"

"Sure, whatever."

Sasuke watched as his mother turned the knob for the running water. Steam began to spew from the contact it made with the sink. And as soon as she turned her back to tend to her dishes, Sasuke's leg reached underneath to gain his brother's attention.

"What?" Itachi whispered harshly.

"Aren't you going to tell her?" he motioned his head over to their mother.

"Tell her what?"

" About you and Usagi."

"What about us?"

"You know, the truth. About the two of you."

Itachi dismissed the idea passively. "Forget about it."

"You've been waiting for the perfect opportunity. Here it is."

Itachi lazily leaned on his hand as he flipped more pages. "If it had been a few weeks ago, I would have jumped at the opportunity. But the whole village practically knows now. Even if we told the truth, no one would believe it anymore. So that makes the whole attempt to reconcile the situation pretty moot."

"But what will you do now?"

"Just let it phase out on its own, I guess."

He frowned at Itachi's lack of passion towards such an important topic.

"I'll do it, then."

"You'll fail."

"I'll get it out in one go."

"Try it. See what happens."

"Why are you acting so passive about this? It's a serious issue."

"There's nothing serious about discussing things that don't exist. Whatever it is she thinks we have, it should dissipate with time."

"Whatever. Watch me. I'll get it done."

"Then you'll do it without me. I have to go."

Mikoto turned a smile away from the dishes over to her sons. "What on earth are you two whispering about over there? Are you two conspiring against me?"

The two laughed nervously.

"Actually, kaa-san, you'll have to excuse me. I was just about to leave the table. I need to gather some things for my next mission."

"Of course. Sasuke here will keep me company. Ne, Sasuke?"

"A-ah…" was the hesitant response. He glanced over at his brother who tucked the blue binder under his arms."

"Itachi, don't forget to bring home some cabbage before you leave the village."

He waved a farewell after giving a nod of confirmation.

Mikoto smiled before turning back to her dishes. "That boy. Even I can see his mood has changed since his love life became public."

If only she knew that it wasn't changing for the better.

"Ne, kaa-san, do you honestly think that nii-san's behavior is because he's happy?"

"Of course sweetie. Men are usually proud creatures who grant considerable distance to those around them, especially shinobi men. But even your brother can smile around those he truly cares about. Even though he doesn't show it, Usagi makes him happy. Surely you can see that?"

"Yeah but, that's what friends are for, right?"

He tilted his head inquisitively at the smile his mother gave him while she washed her dishes. It was a smile he honestly couldn't decipher.

"It's different with Usagi."

"How so?"

"See for it yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"How your brother's eyes spark when they see her. He could be in a room full of many people. But those eyes of his will always find a way to her. And no matter how much others try to connect, they will always be lost in a world that belongs only to them."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, kaa-san."

She sighed loudly as the squeak of a teacup being washed followed the splash of water and soap. "Sasuke, Sasuke. There are some things you will just have to learn in time, I see."

"Hmm. Whatever."

Mikoto's eyes looked backed momentarily at her sulking son before they retrained their focus on the dishes in the sink. "It's the same kind of look you give Sakura whenever you see her."

It was the second time he choked on a shrimp that day.

Sasuke poked one eye at his mother. "Have you been talking to nii-san again?"

"This isn't something that is unbeknownst to the world, Sasuke. I see how you look at that girl."

"And how's that?"

"Like there's no one else around you. I see her reflection in your eyes. You only see her when she's around."

"Hmm." He evaded the reply by playing with the small grains of rice in his bowl. Carefully with his chopsticks, he took one piece and rearranged it to one side as another was moved to the opposite end. Before he realized it, he formed a tiny petal with the remaining pieces.

"You know, that invitation is reached out to you as well."

"What invitation?"

"If you ever want to bring Sakura over, please don't hesitate. I would like to get to know her better as well."

"What for?"

"Future in-laws should form a strong bond, don't you think?"

"Kaa-san!" He pouted at his mother's giggles.

"I am sincere about the offer, Sasuke. Please, don't be shy. Bring her over. Why, even your brother invites Usagi over occasionally. Although, I am worried as to why I haven't seen the girl in so long. I hope the two aren't quarreling or hitting a rough patch in their relationship."

He had already begun to leave as his mother continued to babble. After collecting his dishes and placing them in the dirty pile in the sink, he briskly trekked across the kitchen. But upon those words escaping his mother's lips, his ears twitched and mouth moved a fraction of a sliver at the cue. This was an opportunity he couldn't pass.

"Are you going out as well?"

"Yes, but I'll be back by dinner. I, well…actually at the moment I'm just going out for a walk. But before that…well…"

"It's not like you to be so flustered. Perhaps your mother has hit it on the mark." She winked and he pouted once more. "Are you having troubles that only your mother can help you with?"

"Troubles?"

"Matters of the heart, weakening nerves that are repressing your ability to tell her how you feel. Or perhaps…a rival at love?"

"Rival?"

Orange immediately entered his mind. And he didn't know what did it. Perhaps it was the resurfacing of ill emotions brought forth by the thought of the two cuddling together under the moonlight with a candlelit dinner as he whispered words of admiration into her ears. Perhaps it was the thought of them walking hand in hand or kissing and making out in public places. Perhaps it was his stupid brother's smirk as it lingered in his mind, or even just the stupid humming of his mother as she remained peacefully ignorant to the world around her. But whatever the reason, he took a deep breath before the verbal onslaught began.

"Look, this all needs to stop right now."

"I was just teasing you, sweetheart."

"No, not that!"

"Then what?"

"This whole Itachi and Usagi thing."

"I don't recall bringing that up at all."

"Well I'm bringing it up and telling you it needs to stop."

"Sasuke, what are you going on about? If you're talking about my comment earlier, then I apologize. I didn't realize the two were really having a problem in their relationship."

"They're not!"

"Oh, well then all is well."

"All is not well, I'm telling you!"

"Then what seems to be the problem?"

"You're the problem!

"I'm the problem?"

"Yes! You're not getting this at all!"

"What in heavens are you speaking of, Sasuke?"

"Usagi and Itachi are not, I repeat, NOT in a relationship. They never were in a relationship and probably never will be in a relationship. There is no affair either. Everything that you've been thinking about them has been nothing more than miscommunication and misinterpretation since the day of the interrogation, and they've been trying to tell you for the last few months, but you won't give them a chance. So I'm telling you now, drop the subject and forget it ever happened because in actuality, it was all a farce. Now do you understand?"

Mikoto frowned before giving her cup one final wipe of her cloth. After quickly drying her hands on her apron, she took Sasuke's hand and settled him back down by the kotatsu. She smiled softly before caressing his face and pulling him into a hug.

"Oh sweetheart, come here."

"Huh?"

"I know that these changes are a bit difficult to absorb and that a lot is happening in just a short amount of time…"

"But…"

She silenced him with one finger to his lips. "But, your brother is still your brother. That is one relationship that will never change, Sasuke. He loves you dearly and will always be there for you."

"I can't…I…what?"

"It's like this. Your brother loves me and his father and you. Just because he has more people to love doesn't mean he loves us all disproportionately…"

"Actually I think he does," he muttered under his breath.

"So now he simply has one more person he's adding to the mix. Usagi and Itachi's relationship won't change anything between the two of you as brothers. She is simply offering him a different kind of love than the rest of us."

"Different?"

"Well sweetheart, there are just some things that a woman can provide for a man that you can't. It's as simple as that."

"Kaa-san, you don't understand. They don't care about each other like that."

"Sasuke, there's no need for you to trample on their feelings like that."

"But they don't! She's just his friend. That's it! They weren't and aren't having sex. They're just friends. That's all this is!"

Sasuke winced when his ear was yanked by his glaring mother.

"Enough is enough. You need to stop this nonsense. If you want to live in denial to the situation at hand, fine. But not believing in this relationship won't change the fact that it does exist. You need to accept that your brother is in a relationship. The sooner you do that, the sooner you can cope with it and move on."

"But…"

"Am I understood, young man?"

His ear was pulled harder and tighter. "Oww! But, kaa-san. It isn't true!"

"Not another word, Sasuke."

"You're not listening! Stop making things complicated! They are not in a relationship! And it's not my fault he doesn't give a crap about any of this anymore to actually put effort to solve the problem."

"Young man, are you belittling your brother's feelings for the girl?"

"No! I'm not saying he doesn't care about her, just not about…"

"Then you admit that he likes her?"

"Yes! Wait…"

Mikoto's clasped hands tilted ever so to the right. "See, that's the way! Once you accept the situation…"

"Stop twisting this around! Are you purposely trying to avoid the truth?"

"What truth?"

"What I've been telling you! Usagi and Itachi are not in a relationship. You have this all wrong!"

"Sasuke, I am not allowing you to spread this heresy around the village. Or are you purposely trying to destroy the relationship those two have worked so hard to maintain?"

"No! I'm just…"

"Good. And if I catch wind that you are spreading these rumours, I will punish you accordingly."

His jaw dropped. "That's bullshit! I can't get punished for being honest!"

Mikoto's eyebrow rose which caused Sasuke to shrink back and scowl in defeat.

"Fine, I don't give a crap anyway. It's his problem."

"Language, Sasuke."

"Whatever." Another yank of his ear caused him to flinch. "Oww oww oww, okay okay. Okay!"

She released his ear abruptly. "No more of this nonsense. When you see your brother, make sure you give him your blessings. Am I understood?"

He sighed before he conceded to his side of the kitchen and rubbed his aching ear. "Whatever, fine."

"Good. Now I'm off to clean the porch. Be a good boy, Sasuke, and make sure you're back by dinnertime."

"Ah."

He watched his mother leave, humming away that accursed melody of hers—her existence replaced by his returning brother who walked casually over to the sink with a glass in hand. Sasuke blinked vacantly at his brother's throat as he gulped down fresh water.

Itachi refilled his glass for another drink and carefully assessed his quiet brother.

"You told her, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"And she didn't believe you, right?"

Sasuke groaned and begrudgingly replied. "No."

"Turned the conversation into another direction?"

"Yes."

"Misconstrued or twisted your words?"

"Ah."

"Threatened you with some form of punishment for uttering some type of personally constructed blasphemy?"

"Yeah."

"And left without giving you a chance to explain more?"

He nodded.

Itachi drank the glass in a few seconds before rinsing out his cup and placing it back. "Sounds about right."

"Nii-san?"

"Hmm?"

"Fuck you."

Sasuke abruptly left the house, ignoring his brother's genuine soft chuckles.

A loud clanking sound immediately stirred her from slumber. With a small groan of agitation, she cuddled more into her blankets and rolled over, murmuring to a nonexistent relative to give her at least another five minutes of sleep. As soon as the metallic noise halted, her frown disappeared and she relaxed into a more calm state of mind, content with returning back to her rest. But fifteen minutes later, the sounds of boiling reached her ears. One twitch became two and her ears had effectively picked up more bubbling sounds. The smell of a delicious broth tickled her nose soon after. She lapped up her tongue to suppress the drool. The overflow of sensations was too much and she found that sleep was no longer a viable option.

Her eyes opened slowly; the old wooden walls were the first giveaway that the place she was in was quite foreign. She acknowledged the old cauldron brewing a stew by the fireplace as the source of the smell and sounds from earlier. After a bout of procrastination, she hoisted herself into a sitting position. But a twinge of pain on her left shoulder and stomach had her bending over in pain.

"Oww."

After clutching onto her stomach, a new predicament was evident. Her entire torso was exposed save for the bandages wrapped tightly. Some deliberation occurred at the recollection of events prior to her current status. She recalled the group of girls and the attack before passing out. Perhaps she was now at her savior's house.

The sound of a door creaked open and she immediately dove back under the covers to feign sleep. The metallic sounds from earlier returned and she poked one eye open to catch a woman stirring the contents of the stew slowly. As the woman walked about, humming to herself, the poked eye closed again and reopened to find her smiling widely at her. She immediately grabbed the blanket and pillow as a form of protection.

"Ah, so you're awake now."

It was an elderly woman, mildly portly. She held her gray hair up in one huge bun and smiled over her right shoulder. Usagi was about to smile back until she examined everything around her. An old fashioned cauldron brewing, several knives splayed about, and the dark atmosphere of the room she was in. She gulped down a nervous yelp.

"U-um…w-where am I exactly?"

"You're in my house, of course."

She gulped again and stared at the boiling cauldron, cursing her traitorous stomach for growling at such an inopportune moment.

"I take it you're hungry then?"

She shook her head fiercely as the woman turned around to stir the contents of her pot.

"But I heard your stomach grumbling." She lifted the spoon to get a taste.

"Well, maybe just a little."

"Then you might want to stick around for the stew to be ready. All we need left is the main course."

Sweat began to fall down her pale skin.

"What are we having?"

"Rabbit stew, of course."

Her pupils shrank and she backed away immediately to the other side of the room.

"Oh my. Are you feeling alright?"

"Please don't eat me! I'm not even that tender, and I have little to no weight on me." She tried grabbing pieces of her skin and exposed her thin limbs. "See? Heh heh, no meat here."

"I'm sorry but…what?"

Like the frightened rabbit she was, she froze on the floor and curled up face down to protect herself, ignoring the sounds of a sliding door and approaching company.

"They were out of rabbit, dear. You'll have to settle for beef."

"Oh thank goodness you've arrived. The little one here is displaying some odd behavior. I think she may be suffering from hallucinations."

Usagi peaked from behind the arm covering her face and immediately sprung up. "Oyaji!" One look at his frown and she dove back under to maintain decency. The embarrassing act was easily forgotten as the old man tossed a large black shirt with an Uchiha crest in her direction.

"Get dressed then follow me."

"Yes, sir."

After a quick change and a nod to the elderly woman continuing her duties, she hesitantly followed the old man—maintaining a respectful distance from him as she did. When he made no effort to converse, she decided to give small talk a try.

"This is a nice place you have here."

And it really was. They walked down a wooden hallway and just beyond the doors to her right was an interior courtyard she occasionally caught glimpses of. The entire house seemed to be constructed like an internal maze and she wondered if that was simply for security purposes. But aside from the technicalities, the house itself was very beautiful and reminiscent of Itachi's home. It must have been an Uchiha trend to construct houses which retained a traditional appeal.

"Ah."

She laughed off his monotone response. His single syllable response was most likely another trend of Uchiha, men in particular.

"Oyaji, where are we going?"

"Mmm."

"Eh heh, uh…what are we doing then?"

"Mmm."

"Okay. Why are we…"

But the old man opened a shoji door with his cane into the courtyard she glimpsed at earlier from a distance.

"Okay…"

She silently followed his lead and sat down on the edge of the raised porch, a considerable distance from him to award him the respect he silently demanded. As she waited for some type of response from the old man, she let her bare feet dangle carelessly off the edge of the porch. As she swung them to and fro, her toes barely tickled the blades of grass from below. She allowed her toes to gently poke at the tiny bugs that crawled around each leaf. As she gazed about the yard, she took notice of the beautiful flowers, none native to the village. They were obviously there courtesy of the Yamanaka flower shop. She smiled at the feelings such wonderful flowers could illicit from within her.

"We Uchiha are not prone to partake in idle conversation. Surely you have picked that up by now."

Her smile grew at his acknowledgment to her previous questions. "Doesn't stop me from trying."

He grunted softly. "And I suppose Fugaku returns the favor?"

She smiled sadly. "No."

"I didn't think he would. We Uchiha men are proud creatures. We keep to ourselves most of the time."

Her head immediately swished to the side. "But that's not true! I mean, Itachi isn't that bad. We talk a lot."

"Oh, do you now?"

"Yes. And don't forget. There's also Shisui."

"Shisui?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't exactly call him proud or anything like that. And he's definitely not shy about talking, to women especially." She curiously looked over at the tiniest curve of his lip.

"No, to that he isn't."

They returned to silence as a single cloud loomed overhead. It was the only relief the two found from the hot sun. She silently begged for afternoon showers. It would do well for the village to cool down a bit. She watched as the old man sat back and allowed the wind to caress his face.

"You've met quite a bit of Uchiha, haven't you?"

"Sure. Itachi, Sasuke, Shisui, Mikoto-san, Fugaku-san, you of course Oyaji, Tekka-san and even Rei-chan."

"Rei-chan?" He gave a soft chuckle. "Don't let her catch you calling her that."

"Aww, she'll grow into it."

"We'll see about that."

The silence returned but didn't last as long for the old woman came with two bowls in hand.

"Sorry to keep you two waiting. Here you go."

They received their items and returned the gratitude simultaneously. Usagi made sure to give an added bow to pay her respects for the intrusion.

"It's no problem at all, sweetie. Enjoy the meal. And oh, as for your clothes…"

"Yes?"

"They are almost done drying. If it's one thing this sun is good for is drying off wet laundry. I'll just give them to you when you are ready to leave."

"Y…yes. Thank you."

"No problem at all. Now, I think those injuries need some tending to. I'll be back with some of my special ointment."

Her gaze lingered even long after the old woman left. Only when she heard the clanking of a spoon hit the bowl did she return back to the meal. One slurp and she was already in a state of euphoria.

"This stew is really good! Obaa-san really outdid herself." She immediately began to shovel more food in her mouth, opening it every now and then to allow more steam to pass through her lips. The lack of etiquette immediately garnered her attention, however, when the old man cleared his throat and delicately continued to eat his meal. She blushed at the rude behavior.

"S-sorry. I just…um…"

He swallowed his portion slowly before breaking her train of thought. "Those are quite some bruises you have on you."

"Bruises?" She quickly glanced down at all exposed skin. Having the short-sleeved shirt on did nothing to conceal the bruises adorning her wrists. Its large size also attributed to the exposed bruises on her neck. She took a sip of the stew, not quite sure how to respond to it. "I fell."

"Quite awkwardly, I might add."

Usagi's eyelids remained low even as the old man's wife came to apply some ointment on her cheek and forehead. She said nothing as new bandages were wrapped carefully around her injured wrists. She made a quick change of the patch on her forehead as well.

"There, that should be good for now. I'll just patch this up and leave you two be. But if you want seconds sweetheart, don't hesitate to ask."

"Mmm," she nodded.

The old man took his own swig of the stew as he stared into his large garden with no focus particularly in mind. "Those girls can be a handful. Spoiled brats are what they are. But I'm impressed; you held your own against them."

Usagi smirked. "Of course. After all, I can keep up pretty well with even Ita—" she froze at her mistake. Damn Uchiha and their deceptive methodologies.

"What will you do about it?"

"I don't know how else to get through everyone's head to leave me alone. The only thing I can do is defend myself."

"You could file a report."

She scoffed at the thought. "Sure, and knowing captain he'll probably just wave away the report like it was some complaint over what foods are in the vending machine."

The old man chuckled softly as he continued to eat. "Well then?"

"I don't know, really."

"Will you tell Itachi?"

"No!"

"Why not?

"He'll just make it a big deal and go after the girls. Then they'll hate me even more. And I'm back to where I started."

"But if there's anyone those girls will listen to, surely it's him."

"No they won't. Just to his face. As soon as his back is turned, they'll start again and just blame it on something else. And me being me…well…I'll just continue to defend myself."

"Why?"

"It's not right to cause trouble. Besides, the reason they'll keep doing those things is because I don't have their respect. There's nothing I can do if I don't have that."

"I see."

"It's okay, Oyaji. I can take those girls any day. I just wish I understood why they hate me."

"You'll have to forgive them. The clan has produced their behavior."

She blew her full mouth when a large sum of stew was too hot to bear. "What do you mean?"

"They hail from lines of conservative parents, each with their own view on how a clan should function. What started off as a means to protect our family's secrets has now become a showcase for pride and arrogance. It's hard to breed out such behavior when it's been handed down to them for generations now."

"That's not fair."

"Such is the fate of clans today."

"Yeah, I get the secrets part. But they don't have to be such snobs. That's their choice. Because Itachi and Shisui aren't like that at all."

"Yes, but that's because they have Mikoto as their mother. Try picturing the girls you just met and how their attitudes would reflect their future children."

Her spoon hit the bowl in a small plop. "Somebody should do something."

His nonchalant shrug was accompanied by a flick of the wrist as he tossed a few scraps of beef into the yard. Usagi watched as a fawn and brindle patterned dog pair came to lavish it up. She smiled as their cute curled tails began to wag in joy to the delicious free meal.

"Look at those two. Not a care in the world. You could give them scraps of the most disgusting food, give them the most menial of jobs and they would still wag their tail."

She giggled. "Dogs are very cute and so laid back. I wish more people were like them."

"Yes."

"Did you get these from the Inuzuka clan?"

"One of them. The other, the fawn, was actually a gift from the daimyo of my time himself. The finest pedigree dog of his breed in the land of fire. He hails from a very prominent bloodline, a testament to his superiority over others of the same kind. The pick of the litter, as they call it."

She leaned lazily on her hands as she watched them frolic about the garden. She smiled as they tackled each other to the dirt. "Yeah, and one of them is always going to be better than the other, right?"

"How so?"

"Well, I mean purebreds are known to be good at what they are bred for. A mutt can't compete with that kind of talent."

"And that's what determines an individual's worth?"

"I guess. I mean, those are the kinds of dogs people mostly want, right?"

"You seem to be under the impression that dogs are only worth what they can accomplish. Or from whom they were bred ."

"What do you mean?"

"Did it ever occur to you that I like Kondo just because he keeps me company and makes me happy? It's true that he may never be able to accomplish the same things that Faron can, but that doesn't limit his worth. Is a turtle so worthless because it cannot spring about the meadow like a deer? Or a rabbit so undesirable for it cannot soar with the falcon?"

She stared up into the afternoon sky, catching the briefest glimpse of a feathered animal.

"And you seem to be forgetting something as well."

"What's that?"

"The breeds that we know today didn't always exist as they are."

"I don't understand."

"Take Faron for instance. His line traces all the way back to a female who was born to a couple of farmers. She had a trait they desired and was since bred to keep that trait inherent in the line. In other words, Faron here came from a dog very similar to Kondo. So, in the end, they're not so much different after all."

She smiled softly as she watched the two continue their sparring match.

"Clans are the same way. No one clan began pure, as they call it. A group of people came together for a common goal and invited others to join them. That line bred more and brought others together and the cycle continued. Although the clans we know today try to keep their lineage rich, it didn't always start out that way. And I think it's that very important fact that most people forget nowadays. That the clans we know today began once upon a time…" His eyes slid to hers. "…from people like you."

Her eyes widened at the proclamation. They settled on the now sleeping duo in the yard.

"You think Faron cares that Kondo isn't pure like him? That he doesn't hail from a prominent clan? That he can't do the same things he does?"

"No."

"Of course not. And he's happy to have him still the same."

She couldn't stop the wide smile that spread on her face.

"I can't say what is to become of you two. Only you both can decide that. But come distance or union just know that when times are their hardest, you two will always have each other to return to. No matter how many times life separates you and for however long, that in the end the two of you will find your way to each other again. What you two share is an unbridled will. Even the smallest candle can burn the brightest light in the dark. Don't ever forget that."

She nodded confidently. "I'll always remember that. Oyaji, thank you."

"Hmm. Well, you should be heading back to headquarters now. I'm sure Fugaku is expecting you as you are late returning as it is."

"I will."

She smiled again even as the old man gathered her empty bowl. She ignored the shoji door and the male voice that followed. The old man had turned his attention to the new company and so she turned hers to the falcon in the sky as it circled once then twice. Oyaji was right. Maybe they would have their problems down the road, and there may come a time when the two would be tested with distance, but in the end, their friendship would prevail. Knowing that perhaps Itachi too held the same tenacity for their friendship was comforting. He had kept this up all along, after all. The two would indeed face many trials but in the end, they would always triumph.

"Again? That's the second time you've come for my weapons this month."

"It can't be helped. I'm going on a dangerous mission. And your katana is better suited for it than mine."

She heard a large clap and knew without looking that the young man was more than likely on his knees, pleading to the old man.

"I suppose you also want to take a gander at my armor?"

Her ears twitched at the familiar chuckles.

"Well, I wasn't going to ask but since you offered."

"Honestly, you're just like your mother." He sighed before resigning to the task.

"Thanks, old man. I knew you'd come through for…me…"

His voice was no longer a mystery and Usagi immediately turned around to gaze at the figure.

"Shisui! What are you doing here?"

"Usagi? I could say the same to you!" He quickly glanced at the oversized black Uchiha shirt before placing mischievous hands over his mouth to conceal the smile. "Oi, Oyaji, you're hitting on them pretty young, aren't you?"

Not a second was spared before a cane found its way behind Shisui's head.

"I'm not you, idiot."

He rubbed the tender spot soothingly, not once letting up on Usagi's attire. "That shirt really suits you, Usagi. Had it been a few sizes shorter, I mean. But hey, I'm not complaining on the view."

Usagi gasped as she realized how much the loose shirt exposed. Remembering the bandages as well, she quickly did her best to push the material flat against her chest. "Pervert."

He smiled playfully before the old woman returned with a pile of clothes in hand.

"Usagi, your clothes are all dry."

"Thank you, obaa-san."

"Come right this way. I'll lead you to a place where you can get changed."

"I think I'll come along too. Just to help you out, of course." But Shisui's attempts to pursue the blonde were immediately thwarted by the old man as he wrapped a tight arm around his neck. "Oyaji! I was joking!"

"One can't be too sure with you."

"Aww, come on. This is Usagi. She's Itachi's girl, after all."

"Hmm."

"And anyway…"

"What is it?"

There was no trace of play left on his face when his gaze settled from the blonde's previous position back to the old man. "That's quite the bandages she has on."

"I hear it's all the rage with the kids these days."

"I noticed some bruises on her as well."

"The girl is clumsy. What can you s—?"

"Oyaji!"

The old man sighed before retreating back to the porch. "It's of no concern to you."

When the old man continued to stand on the porch with his eyes transfixed on birds making songs on the roof, he slowly closed the distance.

"Itachi will want to know."

"So he may."

"He'll demand it. If not from me then from her."

"Then that's for her to decide."

"But, Oyaji!"

"Shisui, if you want the katana, I will want a favor from you in its stead."

He spat at the old man's dismissal of his genuine concern for the girl. "What's that?"

"Take Usagi here back to headquarters. Make sure she arrives in one piece." He spared one glance back. "You can also go through my armor if you so please."

"But…"

"This is what you can do for me. For her."

His eyes closed in resignation. "Ah, I understand."

"Good."

The two ceased further discussion upon hearing the sounds of nearby footsteps.

"She's all cleaned up and changed."

"Good. Girl, Shisui here will escort you to headquarters."

"Oh, okay. Um…Oyaji, thank you again for…"

"Report immediately. I'm sure Fugaku has lost his patience as it is."

"A-ah…" Usagi frowned as the old man had reverted back to his dispassionate self. She was comforted from the thought by a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about the old man. He's always like that."

"Okay…" she winced from the extra pressure of Shisui's weight.

"Are you well?"

"Yes…just…nothing."

"Hmm. Well let's get moving."

There was little distance between the two as they walked down the streets of Konoha.

"Oi, Shisui."

"Mmm?"

"What were you doing back there?"

"Just picking up some stuff from Oyaji."

"You act like you know him. I mean, well, of course you would. As an Uchiha, it's only natural you do. But well…I don't know if many go to his house directly to ask for something. Is that normal? And the way you two talk. It's as if you know each other on a more personal level."

He threw his head back in laughter.

"What?"

"You mean you haven't figured it out?"

"Figured it out? Figured what out?"

"Oyaji, he's my actual grandfather. That house you were in, I grew up there as a kid before my parents moved out."

"Oyaji is your grandfather?! No way!"

"Yes, so it's only natural I visit him from time to time."

"Yeah…"

"But as for you…"

"What about me?"

"Surely you weren't there to discuss his garden."

"Uh well…actually I was just there…on official business. I had to deliver something and ended up staying longer."

"What were you doing in one of my shirts?" He placed a thoughtful hand on his chin. "No, wait. Let me guess. You were trying to become acquainted with my scent, weren't you? Usagi, you sneaky girl."

"No, you pervert!"

"Then what?"

"I well…I spilled some stew on my clothes so obaa-san cleaned them up for me. I wore whatever she gave me in the meantime."

"Ah, I see."

She had already been attuned to his inquisitive nature long ago. That had not disappeared with time. Perhaps it was attributed to his career as a ninja. Whatever the case, she braced herself for the upcoming onslaught she knew she couldn't forestall.

"You know, I do have to say that the Uchiha crest really does suit you. Maybe someday I'll get to see you in one for good."

Trying to shift the argument away from the inevitable transition he was most likely trying to grasp, she playfully hit his shoulder. "Are you making a proposition? Well, I just want you to know that I'm not interested. I know what kind of guy you are."

"I'll have to settle down some day."

"It won't be with me."

He laughed whole heartedly. "Shot down. Alright, I get it. Your taste runs a different affinity anyway. More towards Itachi."

Her lips quirked to the side and she glared lazily at his statement.

"I do hope that's a joke."

"Just do me one favor. When you and Itachi have children…can you please name one Shisui Junior?"

"Idiot! You can only call something junior if it shares the same name with the father."

Shisui immediately feigned a debonair smile. "Why Usagi, are you the one making a proposition now?"

"Idiot." Her glare persisted as he took both hands to his lips.

"Usually it's the man who proposes. But in this case, I have no problem letting a woman come out on top. I find it exhilarating."

"Stop that! People will see and then what will they…" Her words halted and her gaze fell to her exposed wrists as Shisui immediately tugged down her long sleeves.

"Mind explaining these to me?"

"Uh…the latest fashion?"

"Try again."

"To conceal my senbon?"

"Wrong."

She sighed when the goofy playboy look had been stolen from his eyes.

"I just fell, okay?"

"Well you fell…"

"…awkwardly. Yes, I know."

"So let's try this again. Who did it?"

"Did what?"

He completely stepped over her denial. "Was it Fugaku?"

"No one hurt me."

"Tell me, Usagi! This is serious."

"It's nothing. I just got a little hurt. That's all. You don't have to make a big deal about it."

"Usagi, if anyone hurt you, tell me. I'll kick their ass."

"You're not serious!"

"I am. And so will Itachi once he finds out."

"He's not going to find out!"

"How many were there?"

"Not many so don't…" she glared at having once again been caught in an Uchiha trap. "I hate it when you guys do that."

"So it's true."

"Yes."

"You weren't out on any missions, so let me take a wild guess; it was Yui's little girl squad wasn't it?"

Usagi sighed in defeat and reluctantly answered. "Yes, but please don't make a big deal out of it!"

"Tch." He immediately scowled as he checked the surrounding environment for any signs of unwanted girl groups.

"Shisui, promise me you won't tell Itachi."

"I can't do that, Usagi! He has a right to know! Especially if Rei sent them after you."

"But those girls didn't say anything about Rei-chan sending them."

"You can never tell. But don't worry. Itachi and I will straighten out this whole thing."

"No you won't!" She ran in front of him and put her entire weight against his chest.

"Usagi!" he brushed away her hands as they attempted to push him further away from the direction he wanted to take.

"If you tell Itachi, it will only make things worse. The girls will just get more aggressive."

"They'll do that regardless."

"Just please, let me handle this on my own. I'm tired of everyone treating me like I can't handle myself. I promise; I can handle it."

"I still don't like it. And Itachi will find out one way or another."

"Let me handle that when the time comes."

"I'm not satisfied with this, Usagi. But all right; you win. I won't tell Itachi what happened to you."

"Thank you, Shisui."

"Ah. But here you are. Safe and sound at headquarters." He nodded over at the busy entrance. "I kept my end of the bargain to my grandfather. In return, try to stay safe and take it easy. If you ever need an escort, don't be afraid to ask Tekka for one. Just tell him you need the extra help."

"Okay."

"Take care of those wounds as well. I would stay longer but I have a mission coming up."

"Mission?"

"Ah, Itachi and I will be going in on this one actually. It's covert so I can't reveal more to you."

"I didn't realize he was leaving for a mission."

"He didn't tell you?"

She shook her head.

"Well, we'll be back after a few weeks so no worries." He winked playfully at her. "I'll watch over your man."

"Ha ha. Funny."

"But seriously, it's not like Itachi to keep things from you."

"Well, he's been busy. And it's not like he has to share everything with me. But...to be honest we haven't really spent a lot of time together. He's mostly been hanging out with Rei-chan on his down time."

"I see."

"And that's fine. I understand completely."

"Do you?"

"Yes. Especially considering that Rei-chan may one day be his wife."

"And how does that make you feel?"

"I don't know really. I feel happy for him. I do. But a part of me…"

"A part of you what?"

"It kind of feels like the end of something. I don't know. I just have this bad feeling about something."

"Try not to dwell on it. Itachi may be a bit thick-headed sometimes but he's a good friend."

"I know he is. I don't doubt that."

"Good. Then in that case try to cheer up some. I'm sure as soon as he finds some time, he'll come over to your place. You forget that he's a busy boy, you know?"

"That's true. He has a lot on his mind these days. I'm sorry if I sound so selfish."

"Nah. It's fine. But this is where we part Usagi. I'm in a bit of a hurry. I still have a few more preparations to make before we have to leave."

"That's fine; we're already here, anyway."

"Try to cheer up, Usagi."

"I will. Thank you."

He smiled and waved a final farewell just as she too moved across the road. She ignored the stares she received from passing pedestrians as well as the subtle glances the men at headquarters gave her when they thought she wasn't looking.

She waited for the captain's instructions after the light knock on the door.

"Come in."

His face remained stationed to the scroll laid out before him. Occasionally, he reached over to his glass of water for quick hydration before reverting back to his work. Usagi waited patiently for acknowledgment. It came in the form of a tired sigh.

"I assume you have a reason for entering my office."

"O-oh y-yes! I have delivered the parcel as you requested."

"I see."

There was another gap until he responded. Uncomfortable with the silence, she focused on the ticking noises of his clock and regarded several photos on his shelf with mild curiosity. One in particular had him wrap his arms around his two sons. Only the faintest glimpse of a smile bore his face and she wondered if that characteristic was only reserved for his immediate family as she had never once seen that genuine mark on his face before.

"You've been gone for quite some time."

She shook her head to clear away the daydreaming.

"Y-yes, well, I apologize."

"I take it the item was delivered accordingly?"

"Yes, the parcel was delivered without any problems."

"Without problems? Then what deterred you from returning promptly?"

"W-well, the truth is…I got kind of sidetracked. And it's entirely my fault! I will accept whatever punishment you have ready for me!"

She bowed her apology before he had any room to verbally lash at her.

Fugaku's eyes quickly acknowledged the gesture before reverting back to his work. It wasn't as if the girl's disappearance caused a major hindrance to the work schedule. The help she provided was more as a convenience for other workers since she they could forego the trivial tasks completely. But the establishment was a place of order, conduct and punctuality. No one was exempt from the structure their founding fathers created.

His hand stilled its writing when a flash of white cloth caught his attention. Gazing back at her bowing form, he noticed a few oddities he had not given care to upon her first appearance in his office. He narrowed his eyes with greater focus to material wrapped around her wrists and a patch above her left eye. He then followed that path to the small cuts on her jaw. And there must have been a peculiar tint to his stare, for she immediately flustered in response.

"I…I fell, actually." He opened his mouth only to have her interrupt again. "Quite awkwardly," she giggled nervously. When his face was petrified in its current state with no response, her mouth spewed more babble. "But don't worry! After my duties, I will go to the hospital and have a medic check on me. They'll have me fixed up, good as new in no time! So that way I can come back and…"

He cleared his throat in an attempt to cease her incessant talk. "In that case, you are dismissed to tend to your wounds."

"…and so I'll go back to the post to check on my work and….wait what?"

"You're dismissed for the day. Go."

"B-but. What about the rest of work? And Tekka-san? Doesn't he need…?"

"Go," was the firm response.

"U-uh, y-yes sir."

It was before five in the afternoon; the captain never let anyone out that early unless they had prior engagements. But who was she to question a free get-out-of-work pass? One sneak back through the windows to his office had her smile secretly. Maybe, just maybe, it could have been that the boss was actually worried. She shook her head at the silliness. No, he simply found no use for her injured. With greater pace, she hastily made way to find her current superior.

"Tekka-san!"

"Usagi. What's the rush?"

She smiled all the while she attempted to catch her breath.

"Captain is letting me off early today."

"Really?" He stepped back at her current form. "What happened to you? Did you get hit by a rickshaw?"

"Well, I kind of got into an accident during my delivery."

"What kind of accident? Were you attacked? If so, we have to report this!"

"I wasn't attacked. Come on, it was early in the afternoon. Who in their right mind would make an open attack in broad daylight in a busy complex?"

"If not that, then what happened?"

"I just got a bit clumsy that's all."

"Even so, those cuts…"

She smiled widely. "The medics will look at me, so there's no problem. But actually I just came by to let you know that captain gave me the orders to go get myself checked. So that means I probably won't be back at all today."

"Very well. You didn't have that much left on the list, anyway. I'll see to it that it gets done one way or another."

"I'm sorry for leaving you like this."

"Go, tend to your wounds. I'll see you next week."

"Thanks, Tekka-san!"

Without giving another chance for more people to ask repetitive questions about her current state, she ran out the doors and down the streets, one destination in mind. Despite her current wounds, she was elated about her early release. The wounds weren't too bad and so a medic wasn't necessary. And it wasn't as if Fugaku gave her orders to go to the hospital, simply to tend to her wounds. A few ointments, a bath and some rest would clear this up in no time. But more importantly, the opportunity to catch up on her reading was looking much more promising then finishing off the day with duties. With a more upbeat pace, she rushed around the corner and down the familiar neighborhood. So lost in her thoughts and elation, she didn't pay attention to the figure before her until the two were now sprawled on the floor and newly inflicted bruises began to take their toll.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention! I was…"

Usagi paused as the boy rubbed the back of his head with a silent curse. Blue eyes met with a familiar blue shirt and crest. The boy's head rose to meet his assailant and Usagi's mouth dropped in surprise at the familiar lop of black spiky hair.

"Sasuke?!"

"Usagi? Some habits are hard to break, I guess."

"Heh, yeah. Sorry about that. I was just released from work by the captain, so I'm a little eager to get home."

He was more alert now to everything and his eyes quickly looked over the bandages and patch on her body.

"I um…I got into an accident earlier."

"What the hell did you do?"

"Well work was rough and I got a bit clumsy. Next thing I know, I'm a little in shambles."

"Hmm."

"But what's up with you? It's not like you to space out either."

"What do you mean?"

"Any normal day and you would have been able to dodge that no problem."

"Whatever."

"Sasuke?"

He rounded the corner of a picket fence and despite the obvious disinterest for company, she followed suit. What was surprising to her wasn't his lack of attention to a girl walking beside him, but rather, the lack of rude comments in an attempt to shoo said person away. Sasuke was very much like his older brother and refused attention from most people outside the immediate family. Bewildered by his acceptance of her company, she remained glued to his side, keeping in stride with his.

"You're still following me."

"Yes."

"Why are you still following me?"

"I don't know. I thought you were leading me somewhere."

"Did I say I was escorting you somewhere?"

"No."

"Then what gave you the impression that I was?"

"You didn't say to leave you alone."

"And that constituted the desire for your company?"

"Well I…"

"If I didn't tell you I wanted fish, does that mean that I want it?"

"Why do you want a fish?"

"I didn't say I did! I'm just…you know what, forget it."

His steps quickened as did her own pace.

"Why are you so angry today?"

"Because you're pissing me off."

"That's circular logic."

"It's causation. You piss me off; I'm angry."

Usagi smirked before poking out a playful tongue. "I think this is redirected aggression. You're mad at something else and taking it out on me."

"No, you're provoking me. You could have easily not followed me."

"Is it your family?"

Sasuke sighed loudly. "Tch. Isn't your home the other way?"

"I have time to kill," she smiled brightly.

"How my brother gets along with you, I'll never know."

"Why does everyone think that he's the one suffering from this friendship? After all, Itachi can be quite the jerk sometimes."

His eyes widened slightly at the name of his older brother. The way Usagi pouted in recollection of personal accounts with Itachi and the huff of indignation as a result of reminiscing caused his left eyebrow to rise in curiosity.

"Jerk?"

"Well, your brother can be really nice one moment and then a complete pain the next. I really don't get it."

He smirked at his own recollections from earlier in the day when his brother found the need to tease him mercilessly about his affairs outside the clan. "I know that feeling."

Suppressing a blush in front of people never posed a problem for him. It didn't stop the annoyance from the giggles that escaped her.

"I take it you and your brother have a healthy relationship?"

"Define healthy."

"Well, I mean, you two do get along in the end, right? And you spend a lot of time together. Don't you enjoy his company?"

Dodging the question, he scoffed away the tender moments they shared. "He never stops being an asshole when I'm trying to be serious."

"Did you two get into a fight?"

"Whatever."

Usagi smiled at Sasuke's resignation. The boy made no effort to push her away, and so the two continued their slow journey through the streets of Konoha.

"Since you obviously have no intention to leave me alone, then you can answer a few questions I have."

"Yes?"

"In all this time, I never got a chance to talk to you about it. The things between you and my brother actually."

"Oh?"

"For starters, what is my brother to you?"

"He's a friend, of course."

Sasuke's mocking smile caused Usagi to frown.

"What?"

"You're both clueless. But secondly, what will you two do about the problems?"

"What problems?"

He rolled his eyes. "The fact that everyone still thinks you're in a relationship when you're not."

"Oh, that. Well, I agree with Itachi on this. I think it's just something you have to let phase out on its own. No one is really hurt about it…" her eyes subconsciously fell to her wrists and back to the road. She knew Sasuke followed her trail and was grateful when he didn't call her out on the matter. "…and so we should just forget about it until people have moved on and lose focus on us."

"Hmm."

"Are you worried about us?"

"No. Just curious."

"I see."

He occasionally stole glances from her; his main focus remained on the road before him and lingered to the nearby shops. He caught a preview of the display case from the weapons shop and remembered his coveted sword lying in wait for its purchase. He wondered when it was he would be ready for it, ready for the next chapter in his career and even more so, how those changes would affect his life. Whether it was a life as future Anbu or jounin captain, nothing would be the same for him once he took that first pivotal step.

"Your brother is quite the busy guy, huh? His Anbu missions are starting back up really soon."

"I take it you rarely see each other these days."

"On occasions we do."

"Does that bother you?"

"I understand and respect that his life is a bit busier than mine."

"That still doesn't ease the sadness, does it?"

Her head slowly turned to the left to meet his profile. "No, it doesn't."

"Hmm."

"Sasuke, are you having problems with something?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Your brother makes time for you despite how busy he is, doesn't he? I know he mentioned a lot about having sparring matches with you and helping you on your missions."

"Yeah. We're fine."

"So then it's not really a problem with Itachi, huh?"

"Hmm."

"Honestly, interrogating you Uchiha is troublesome."

"Then don't bother."

"I wonder if Rei-chan has this much trouble with Itachi."

His right lip quirked up. "Are you jealous?"

"Huh?"

"About those two spending more time together."

"Of course not! Why would you say that?"

"I think you are."

She turned her head abruptly back forward and mocked his earlier movements. "Whatever."

"Unlike Uchiha, you're pretty easy to read."

"Don't you have your own personal affairs to worry about?"

He didn't mean to react. It was completely involuntary on his part. Someone had taken control of his mind and did it. But regardless of the excuses he gave himself, Usagi smiled wickedly at what he could tell from the reflection of her eyes was a blush.

"You do have your own love problems!"

"I do not!"

"Come on tell me what they are. It's Sakura isn't it? Tell me it's Sakura."

A few curious people stopped only for the briefest second to spare a glance at the outburst.

"Will you shut up!?"

"You shouldn't be so shy about professing your love for the woman of your dreams!"

"You're doing this on purpose…" he whispered roughly.

"If only Sakura knew how much…" Usagi voice was caught in her throat as she was hastily dragged by the collar to a nearby tree, away from spectators.

"Shut up! Do you want the whole damn world to hear us?"

"Sasuke, you should be proud of these feelings. Don't be so embarrassed by it."

"I just don't like unnecessary attention."

"Yeah…" she paced around the Uchiha like a vulture. It was a move he did not appreciate for his feet immediately repositioned themselves into a defensive stance. "So now that we've established what the problem is, let's talk more about the issue. So, what are your problems with Sakura?"

"I'm not having any problems with her. You came to that conclusion on your own."

"Then it all worked out for you two? You're a couple now?"

"I'm not answering."

"She returned the feelings, right?"

"Still not."

"And when's the wedding, anyway?"

He growled in frustration when the stupid questions bombarded him relentlessly. On second thought, it wasn't a mystery to him how she got along with his brotherl. The two were insufferable. "You know what? I don't have time for this crap. I'm going home. And I don't want to see you following m—"

"Don't be afraid to risk it, Sasuke."

His feet remained positioned on the grass as the breeze picked up and tossed the leaves of the tree far away from their presence.

"It's worth the risk. If you really love her, it's worth the risk."

"What risk?" It was a stupid move to make if he wanted the conversation over.

"You're worried it won't work out for you, I think. But I can tell you from what I see that Sakura probably returns the feelings as well. I'm sure you're aware of that too." She placed a hand on each hip and jokingly glared. "Besides, what are you so worried about anyway? I thought Uchiha men were confident and can get any girl they want. I thought there was nothing an Uchiha couldn't do!"

The leaves began falling even more as the breeze picked up.

"Naruto…"

"Hmm?"

"Naruto, likes Sakura too. He's a very close friend of yours. I'm surprised you aren't rooting for him."

"Love isn't about rooting on a side. In the end, you have to think about the feelings of everyone involved. Naturally, someone is always going to get hurt. And as much as I love Naruto, I know how Sakura feels…about you. If you're not going forward with this, I think you're being cowardly, Sasuke. If she settled for anything but you, I don't think she would be happy. And if you settle for anything less, I think you would be unhappy as well. Either way, you two would be dishonest by disregarding the feelings you have."

"Since when are you an expert in this?"

"I'm not. This is just stuff I hear from Minako-chan and Mako-chan all the time."

It was a few minutes of howling wind until all was settled and the air was still. The cardinals from earlier returned to their nests on the nearby branches, and the loud sounds of the hustle and bustle of the town returned in full force. The shuffling sound of grass soon caught up as Sasuke took one step then two.

"Risk, huh?"

"Yeah, you have to decide if it's worth the…"

He waved a taunting finger to and fro at the blonde before him. "Usagi, didn't anyone ever tell you something else about Uchiha men?"

"Eh?"

The smirk on his face was something that eased the tension and made her smile. She had a good feeling that whatever would spew from his mouth was a testament to another famous trait of those damn Uchiha males.

"There are no risks when it comes to our plans. Only procedures and positive results."

She smiled even as he disappeared into the busy crowd. "Good luck, Sasuke."

She stepped over a broken twig before leaving behind the shelter of the small shade the tree had to offer. It was a sunny day, the clouds were returning, she was coming home early from work and it gave her a sense of pride to know that her advice might have actually been heeded by people. None of those feelings, however, prepared her for the man standing outside her living quarters. He was focused on nothing in particular as he leaned heavily outside the complex walls. It had been so long since he sought her out. And with his mission so close at hand, she didn't think he would have the time. As an extra measure to hasten, she ran over to Itachi in glee. But perhaps it would have been better to forego the meeting altogether, for his face was anything but inviting.

"What the hell happened to you?!"

She was surprised when he didn't wait for her to approach him, even more so for the genuine shock on his face upon detailing her current state of attire.

"I just got in a little accident."

"Accident?"

"Yeah, you see when I was…"

"I can already tell anything coming out of your mouth is going to be a farce, so spare me the lie. I know someone did this to you."

She pouted in anger at the betrayal. "It was Shisui, wasn't it? He told you about this. And after he promised he wouldn't tell you!" She halted his speech with a hand. "Look, I know what you're going to say, but I can handle myself. The only reason it was like this was because they all ganged up on me. But seriously, in a one-on-one match, I would have completely beaten that Yui girl."

"Yui?"

"And I don't care if her girl squad keeps coming after me. I won't let them push me around. I'll keep fighting back every day if I have to. We'll show them, right Itachi?" Her gentle fist was met with a frown. "Right?"

"What the hell are you talking about? Yui and her gang attacked you?"

"Yeah Shisui told you…didn't he?"

"Shisui told me to talk to you immediately because you had something important to say."

Usagi blanched at her voluntary outburst. She had lost count how many times Uchiha had fooled her that day.

"And here I see you in bandages…"

She winced from his hold on her wrists.

"And injuries. Usagi, this is serious."

"They're just minor injuries…"

"…that shouldn't have been dealt in the first place. I was worried something like this would happen from the beginning."

"But you had no way of knowing."

"I'm not stupid. I knew what kind of people those girls were. But I was naïve enough to believe that Rei's words would have been enough to keep them away from you."

"You make this sound like it's your fault."

"It is my fault. I should have calculated this. It's because of me that you are the way you are now."

"No it isn't! Quit saying that! You couldn't have possibly…Itachi?" She immediately cut off his exit. "Stop! Where are you going?"

"I'll talk to them."

"But if you do that, they'll just get angrier at me. Honestly, I've been telling everyone that it's best to leave me alone."

"But they'll continue to harass you otherwise."

"Look, if they're going to come after me, they're going to do it one way or another. You talking to them isn't going to change anything."

"Usagi, you can't just…wait, what did you just say?"

"I said that you talking to them isn't going to change anything. It hasn't changed how Rei-chan feels about me or your dad. I don't think it will do any good to those girls either. Simply talking to them isn't going to solve anything, Itachi. They're not willing to listen! That's why there's no point to it."

He took a few steps back, eyes fixated on the tiny pieces of gravel on the road. When Usagi took a few steps forward and kicked the tiny rocks away, he looked up at her inquisitive eyes before glancing up to the afternoon sky. The clouds were beginning to form into the anticipated cool rain later that afternoon. Usagi was right. Usagi was absolutely right. Talking never solved anything for them. It had not worked before, now and would not work for them later. No words they could possibly construct could salvage this.

"Itachi?"

"I don't think this is going to work out."

"I know. That's why we should just leave it alone. Don't worry. Just like I toughened out your dad, I'm sure I can wait out this storm. We just have to be…uh…diligent, ne?"

"No, I mean I don't think this is going to work out. Our arrangement."

"You mean, like me going to headquarters? I don't think that's a problem to any—"

"I meant you and me being together."

She had not meant to gasp that loud but surely she misunderstood him. A mild giggle escaped at first to lessen the tension but when she reopened her eyes, the man before her was not finding anything amusing. Her heart beat faster and her hands shook minimally with anxiety to how quickly the conversation was turning.

"I don't think this is going to work out, Usagi."

"But it's not that ba—"

"Look at you!"

She did. Taking a glimpse at her wounds and sewn up clothes, she supposed it was quite a spectacle for anyone who cared to pay attention.

"I'm sorry it came to this, Usagi. If I just would have…"

"Would have what?"

His lungs contracted for a deep sigh. Instead of prolonging the conversation, he gently pushed her out of his way and turned his back to her.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"I have my mission after all. You go home and get some rest."

"Okay, but can you tell Tekka-san that…"

"Your services won't be needed anymore. Don't report back to headquarters again. In fact, it would be wise if you simply stayed out of the Uchiha district altogether."

"O-oh, okay. Just until you come back from your mission and get everything sorted out, right?"

The shaking returned when his back was accompanied with silence.

"Right, Itachi?"

"Let's just leave things at this."

"What do you mean?"

"Just stay here. Don't come back."

"But Itachi…"

"Stay."

The words that escaped were not a silent plea to a friend, but rather a firm order from a superior to a subordinate. Her training instincts caused her to nod in affirmation to the hidden command.

"But you'll come by and see me sometimes?"

She swallowed hard when he began to walk off.

"I…Itachi?"

"Just stay here. Please."

The genuine desperation in his last word made her yield to his request. He left her with only the breeze as company. The patch on her forehead became loose as a result and was whisked away with the wind. Vacant eyes studied the dull green color patterns of the nearby tree leaves. The birds had long since given up perch on that branch as they flew past the blue roofs of the cluster of buildings. There were distant noises she couldn't quite pinpoint. They all seemed a muddled cry from above the surface. As the air picked up, she felt an involuntary shiver take control. The unsteady beat of her heart was soon followed by the unsteady breathing of her lungs. Eyes flinched from the tiny droplets that fell from the sky. She rubbed the cold moisture off her cheek.

There was nothing she could do to reverse the effects of the upcoming afternoon showers.

End Chapter.

Author's Notes:

So...yeah, how about that holiday spirit everyone?

lalala: Merry Christmas. Although it ended on such a bad term...

Before the onslaught of angry yelling, I have to address a few things. I apologize for the VERY late update but I was busy with several projects. The SasuSaku event in the summer, the campaign trip to the States in the fall for the election and catching up with my work at home and personal life as well. I only recently was able to pick up this story again as I was waiting on my beta. And now I know so many of you will be pretty angry at me for how it left off thinking this to be a major step back from the progress. Keep in mind, though, that the story, aside from specific scenes, is pretty much set. I know how it's going to end and the overall flow of each chapter. I don't want to say how many chapters since I rather keep you in suspense but we are approaching a midway point to the story. Remember, this is a simple story about the psychological journey of two people and their relationship. So don't expect any long-lost princess type of stuff here. Itachi and Usagi seem to be in a rough spot at the moment but many of you should have seen this coming. We'll see how our heroes deal with this new predicament.

Okay, now you can throw the vegetables at me. In fact, if you leave a review after reading this, please name the veggie at the end of your review that you would like to throw at me.

xxx

To answer some questions/reply to comments:

1. Seijuuro will be playing only a minor role but you will see hints of...something later. He and Usagi's other teammates will make an appearance within the next two chapters, I believe.

2. There's no way I could make a story of Usagi without her illegitimate twin. And to answer a previous comment, hahah we will see about Minako and Shisui. Who thinks it would be a funny side pairing?

3. And I think Mikoto is lost for life... :3

4. People keep bringing up romance...believe me, that is going to happen. Also...no, I will refrain from giving that away just yet.

5. I appreciate all reviews and general comments and stuff. If you have something to suggest or whatever please feel free to review it or send me a PM if you are too shy to make it public.

6. Been asked about the rating before. It's to be safe, for FF standards have changed a bit and because of some content later on in the story.

xxx

Chibi's Challenge of the chapter: Internet Meme. Who spotted this in the chapter?

xxx

~Icehaze