I was so bummed to be too busy with moving to draw more for Halloween so I'm making up for lost time--- only to get an eye infection so I had to squint through blurry painful eyes to finish this painting π One day I'll catch a break...
The forest behind our new house is full of heathers, and it made me think of a broom made of heathers instead of twigs! And then my imagination ran off and now I want to paint a broom sellers with a shop full of crazy brooms made out of unusually materials. Birch tree broom, mushroom broom, mossy broom, etc
What should I call this lil guy? Froat? Caog? Frat? Fat??? π
The full hours long art videos, along with HD images and PSD files will be DMed on Dec 5th
Summary: The world War has met its end and Itachi has returned to his village. He questions whether he should set down his roots here when he meets a stranger. Or rather, a stranger is forced upon him by fate.
Warnings: PURE SMUT. Minors DNI
Word Count: Throat infection has a way of just sucking the life out of everything.
MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)
The smell of incense filled the whole house, along with the aroma of wet grass coming from outside, blown by a strong wind.
The constant dripping of water droplets from the ceiling on the singing bowls creates satisfying music for the ears.
And the aroma coming off the skin of your lover adds to the high you are experiencing.
Itachi has picked you up as if you weigh nothing to him. While his one arm is holding your waist in place, the other rests underneath your thigh- close to your ass- pressing and messaging the plumpness as if its second nature for his fingers to do so.
He walks through the hallway towards his bedroom, all the while planting sweet pecks on your neck and jaw.
Your heart is racing, and your lungs are fighting to take in as much air as they can while your fingers are fighting the urge to explore the exposed chest underneath that wet shirt.
Suddenly, you feel the coldness of a door behind you as Itachi stops and gently presses you against it before drawing your eyes to his.
"Are you sure?" his voice nothing more than a whisper. "We can stop if you are not sure."
You take in a lungful, wanting to dive into his dark eyes. "I'm sure-" you nod, wrapping your arms tighter around his neck- "I'll tell if we need to stop. But right now...I'm sure."
Itachi nods back. You can feel his hand leaving your thigh before you hear the turning of the knob.
He enters the room with you still wrapped around him and closes the door before carefully putting you on his bed.
You first notice the touch of nice bedsheets under your hands. The second thing is the little smear of darkness that enters Itachi's eyes as he unbottons the wet shirt and pants and throws them on the floor, standing before you with only his black boxers on.
The bulge is noticeable from where you are sitting, half-supported by your arms.
Your eyes are stuck on the perfect human specimen standing in front of you while your fingers rush to open your jeans and push them down your legs. Struggling a little with your shirt before throwing it away on the floor, you breathe and run your hand through your ruffled-up hair before folding your legs, keens digging into the mattress, thighs wide and one hand anchoring you as the other moves to hold the hem of his boxers.
But Itachi's hand stops yours. He ends up taking your hand in his, kissing your knuckles.
He is on his knees, guiding your fingers with his to move back to the bed. "Lie down," he asks as graciously as he can.
You obey, letting your back meet the mattress with a soft thud.
Hot fingers run across the edge of your blue boxers before pulling them down. You raise your hips to make it easier, feeling the cool wind rushing through Itachi's window, giving you goosebumps between the curls of the little bush down there.
"I-it's a forest down there." You try to lighten the mood, but the shiver in your voice gives away the layer of nervousness you hide underneath.
Itachi can feel you close your legs to hide the 'forest'. His fingers dig into your inner thigh, forcing you to stop and open wide instead.
"Glad that I'm an experienced ranger," he announces before planting a kiss on the inside of your leg.
Sparks light up where his lips meet your skin. Your thigh shivers under his brush; you feel your toes curl up at his touch.
You think for a moment the tingles are beyond what your mind can comprehend, that is, till you feel his tongue take a swipe right where the wetness begins.
All air has gone out of your lungs as you are trying not to close your thighs and squeeze his head between them. Your hands grasp for the bedsheet when his tongue goes for another swipe, this time going deeper.
Itachi is immaculate with his moves, letting his finger move your folds to find your clit and let his lips latch onto it in ravenous hunger.
The sensations are terrific, making you squirm audibly till you are arching your back. Itachi has to ground with one hand on your abdomen while his tongue and his lips play with your clit without a break.
Sometimes he swirls, other times he flicks, trying to finds which pace brings a moan out of you, which side of your clit makes you shiver, and then he repeats the motion for your pleasure without fail.
Β It does not take long for him to build you up. You feel the edge rise in your vagina, the man's relentless ministrations not letting you off it till you feel the orgasm spill off the edge with a gutteral moan escaping you. Your legs shiver violently and he is still going on, getting every last bit of your pleasure in his mouth.
Even in the cool breeze, you sweat when he comes up from between your legs. His mouth glistens in the dim candlelight as he leans over you and kisses you, asking if you are okay.
All you can do is nod. And be a little daring.
Your hand strokes his bulge over his boxers. He does not move them away this time. And you go a little further, letting your hand slip inside and move your fingers along his girth.
You watch as he stops breathing for a moment, the hick in his breath as your fingers stroke up and down before going down further and squeezing his balls in your.
He is putty in your hands at this point, letting out a low moan at every teasing touch.
Turns out, the great Itachi Uchiha has a threshold too, because the moment you slip your hands out and he is left wanting more, he does not waste a second to throw away his boxers and let his cock free.
Lifting you by your love handles like you weigh nothing to him, he pushes you back on the bed and steps on the mattress, his knees digging on either side of your thigh as he opens your legs and plants them over his thighs, letting them drape around his defined waist.
No matter how hungry he is, he is patient when entering you with his length, looking at you for any sign of discomfort.
He fills you up, bottoms out and takes a second before starting a slow pace to make you get used to him.
Just as he increases the pace a little, he hovers over you, bringing your legs on his shoulders, making you feel stars at new angles.
Your insides are still sensitive from the first rush, so it does take much time for your walls to close in on his length, letting him know you are close.
And so he increases the pace, rutting into you as guttural moans start to build up in his throat.
Itachi never looks away. His eyes are latched on to yours as you feel him swell inside you, the rutting turning into squelches of reaching the edge.
Both of you ride through the animalistic wave of orgasm, your legs shivering once again, this time on his shoulders while his legs try their best to stay steady till he has filled you up with his seed. And just as his cum overflows out of your walls, he topples over you, drenched in the sex-laden sweat.
.
Itachi is particular about the aftercare as well.
He tells you not to move as he brings a warm wet towel and cleans you up, all the while leaving kisses on parts of your body he finds under his touch.
Within no time, both of you are under fresh covers, you being the little spoon, your head resting on his arm as he rests his face in your hair.
The rain has stopped outside, but the breeze is colder than ever. The silence of the village, both inside and outside Uchiha walls, is healing.
"Just so you know-" your fingers make little hearts on Itachi's bicep while your mind wonders if it's a good time to talk- "this was...not just a one-time thing."
'That came out wrong,' you whisper to yourself. "I mean, I have more than just...lustful feelings for you?"
"Good," he whispers in your ear. He is already drifting into sleep. "Because tomorrow morning, I declare to the world that I...too have more than just lustful feelings for you."
Summary: The world War has met its end and Itachi has returned to his village. He questions whether he should set down his roots here when he meets a stranger. Or rather, a stranger is forced upon him by fate.
Warnings: intruder alert
Word Count: I cried in my car late at night yesterday because nothing is going good. I have not had a good night's sleep in a while, I do not like my work environment no matter how much I try, I do not get time to write, and I am tired all the time. I am legit waiting for a miracle right now. I'm not even dating anyone to consider marrying and leaving all this work sht behind. Good heavens my ADHD brain was not made to work like this.
MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)
Beyond the walls of the village lays a vast field. It grows many herbs and medicines for the village, giving them a surplus supply every year to use and supply to other villages. And in return, Konoha takes care of it through every season.
This winter, the flower buds are coming up earlier than usual and you have volunteered to cover up the shrubs before the winter storm visits the grounds.
Carefully working your way from outside the grounds towards the centre, you tie a knot around the insulating fabric and pat the shrub gently. Your windbreaker has done a great job of stopping the cold from hitting you as it increases with every passing second.
Giving out a huge sigh, you look at the setting sun with contentment before watching the orange hues of the bidding sun reflect off the fabrics all around the ground.Β
You are taking in all of this scenic beauty little by little. That is, until you are down on your knees, pulling out your hair with both hands and screaming into the ground with multiple shades of embarrassment.
"Why?!! Why did he have to see?!!"
Desperate groans come out of your throat as your head is still looking at the ground, never wanting to get up.
Somewhere in the distance, a crow caws as if mocking you.
There is a chill in the air. The winter breeze is colder than anticipated this time of the year. The sun is taking one last peak at the valley before it goes for its long cold slumber.
π π π π π
Far out at the edge of the field that meets the mountains, four strangers hiding their faces under different masks look at your figure in confusion.
"Is that the empath?" the shortest of the group wonders out loud.
"That's the intel," the one standing at the front of the group confirms. He signals the rest and within seconds, they disappear from their position.
You are rubbing your face with your hands, bending over towards the soil- wanting to bury your mortification in the ground- when you hear the rustle of the fabric covering the shrubs.
Looking up, you watch as four men clad in black with masks on surround you from all directions.
"Empath," the tallest one steps forward and addresses you. You notice how he is built up like a brick and can easily take you down if you decide to run. "You can either come with us quietly, or we can take you by force."
Silence takes over for three seconds before your back hits the ground with a thump and frustrated groans come out from you, growing louder every second. The men, of course, are taken aback a little.
"No...nooooo!" you cry out in low groans before curling up into a fetal position and pulling the hoodie of the windbreaker over your head.
The shortest of the group points his hand at you in confusion. The leader gestures him to grab you. And so he steps forward to bend down and grab your head by the hoodie.
You let out a short involuntary cry by the pull of your hair under that windbreaker and instinctively grab the intruder's shoulder.
The three remaining intruders watch as their teammate is bent on one knee, seemingly frozen in one position. A second passes. Then two. Then three.
Then one of them finally notices. "Her eyes..."
There is a hint of glow in your eyes. Like embers but golden, burning slow but burning for sure.
You are not moving as well. Your stare is blank, looking into the infinite sky that is slowly turning dark.
When one of the two intruders starts to step towards their teammate, the leader stops them.
"Taro-" he questions his frozen comrade- "are you okay?"
A scream pierces the flatlands and reverberates by the mountains.
Taro's screams.
The intruders do not wait for their leader as they grab their teammate and pull him away from you. Your golden gaze vanishes and you turn to look at the leader.
"He is just a child."
"Oka-san! Oka-san!" the small one wails, his grip tight on his shoulder, looking like he was trying to subdue pain.
"What happened?!" his teammates are worried, trying to get him out of whatever genjutsu they think you have put him under.
The little one pauses in between his wails to look up at his leader. "Why did you kill my oka-san?"
The cold air brings the scent of rain and thunder inside it.
"What the heck are you saying, Taro?" one of the intruders tries to smack him out of the delusions.
"She was only asking you to spare my life!" Taro shouts and the other two men watch as their leader takes a step back.
The leader takes out his katana and unsheathes it with fury. You can feel the rage in his dark gaze as he mumbles 'monster' under his breath and readies himself to strike you.
π π π π π
It takes a few seconds to register. The pain. The tightness.
The weight of the grip on the wrist.
Then the black nails are registered.
"It's considered unwise to bother a lady. More so when she is alone."
Itachi's voice reverberates in your core.
You bring your knees close to your chest, still sitting on the ground, not wanting to be a part of this any more than you have already been.
The two men help Taro get up and step away from the infamous Itachi Uchiha.
"These three are children," you hear your voice declare it.
The three young ones can see a low red intensity shoot from the former Akatsuki's eyes in their direction.
Even in the darkness, Itachi can see with clarity the innocence and hurt in their eyes.
"Y/N-san," the Uchiha casually tilts his head in your direction, "are you hurt?"
You grab the strings of your hoodie and yank them, making the opening of the hood close over your face to hide it. "No," you say in a questioning tone, never getting up to face the man.
A deep sigh leaves from his chest.
"I think Kakashi-sensei is hurt by the fact that there is someone besides him in Konoha village stealing all last-minute cool entries now."
You undo your hoodie to watch Naruto squatting behind you, eating berries like a spectator.
"I am not," a familiar voice echoes from behind a tree in the distance.
π π π π π
"Stay here for now. It's safer here than at your place. I'll get the Anbu to scour for any more intruders."
Kakashi does not wait for your answer. He simply gives Itachi a knowing look before disappearing into the night.
You can feel your ears heating up despite the gush of cold wind sending jitters in your legs.
You are back at the familiar gate of the Uchiha residence. But you are not facing it yet.
Itachi stands behind you patiently, waiting for you to come inside.
You take in a long breath and the vibrations of shivers in your throat can be heard by the man behind you.
"It's safer inside," Itachi finally speaks. His low voice sends cooling shivers down your agitated body.
You turn around to question what exactly you need to be kept safe from only to feel a relentless downpour come from the skies, drenching your clothes within seconds.
You step inside the gate.
His left hand comes to support your right arm, gently placing his fingers and palm underneath your elbow. "Be careful. The soil is loose here."
Your inner voice huffs. It cannot be that loose-
Your thoughts never finish because one foot is already slipping ahead and your arms are grabbing Itachi as if your life depends on it.
"I'm okay," you announce, trying to get a good grip on the ground before walking towards the house.
Itachi never leaves your arm, calmly aiding you towards dry grounds.
π π π π π
The inside of Uchiha residence is a spacious space built on the old architectural designs of the period of first hokage but the structure has been updated to accommodate the latest convenient technology of a modern Konoha home. The insides are filled with the scent of Jasmine; that scent takes you back to the night you were so bold to let your thoughts run wild.
To be fair, it was that cursed stone that amplified my thoughts and let others know what I was thinking.
You wince and wash away the embarrassment of a memory from your mind while lighting up the candles down the hallway.
The thunderstorm has disrupted the electric lines, causing a blacking in half of Konoha.
Fortunately, Itachi has been showered with everyday supplied by the local village mothers ever since he has come home.
You have been given room to breathe and organise your thoughts while you light up the candles. Itachi has gone to his room to look for a change of clothes for you.
It would have been better to just have gone home but the storm does not seem to show any signs of stopping soon. Not to mention that one stray thought of putting your family in danger that you are trying to burn away time and again.
You are in the kitchen-cum-dining hall, lighting the last candle to light up all four corners of the room and placing it on the sconces made for the very purpose.
A sound catches your ears, forcing you to look down and finding out your wet jacket has created a little wet pool in the middle of the room.
Cursing yourself, you unzip your heaviest piece of clothing and walk towards the door that opens to the courtyard.
Laying the jacket on the floor you rush inside before the winds can lash your stupidity for stepping outside of the warmth of the house.
Shutting the door, you turn and come face to face with Itachi.
He is holding a t-shirt, a jacket and a pair of sweatpants while you are holding your gaze to not go beneath his face and accidentally catch a glimpse of his wet black shirt gripping onto his toned body as if its life depended on it.
What you don't notice is the urge Itachi's gaze is fighting as well, to not stray towards the undeniable outline of your bra underneath the black cuddle t-shirt that has turned sheer, thanks to the rain.
Itachi places the dry clothes on the table. "You can wear this. Use my room. It's the last door right down the corridor," he insists while pointing towards the direction he came from.
You nod at him while crossing your arms around your chest, but you do not move.
His room.
.
He can see it again. That look in your eyes. That gaze, when you are looking into infinity, thinking about something. He discovered the pattern the same night he saw your unfiltered thoughts in the Bamboo village.
He watches as your fingers scratch something on your neck, your lips part to let out a hot breath before biting them down- as if suppressing something. And when that is not enough, your thumb bears the brunt of your teeth.
He has barely inhaled the air carrying your scent when a flash of a thought- he has been refraining from thinking- passes through his mind.
.
Stop, you hear your inner voice whisper.
Right. You straighten your back and let your thumb out of the grip of your teeth.
"Is it that bad?"
"Hmm?" Itachi's coarse voice catches you off guard.
"Is it that dreadful to think a man like me could spend hours calculating reasons to find your company?"
Silence.
Your mind is blank. The world has paused just to hear the rain outside...and to hear Itachi breathe.
"Is it that terrible to have found an irrational fixation to live for another person's peace?"
Lightning strikes somewhere in the sky outside, lighting up Itachi's frame.
The sound of thunder follows, making you jump where you stand.
"Itachi-san..."
"Is it too sinful to think about me close to you?"
You feel your heart take a jump off a cliff.
You do not know what to say.
Itachi takes a step towards you. "Is it too awkward to imagine my skin against yours?"
You take a step back only to find your butt bumping into the dining table.
"I-" your voice shivers. You do not have any excuse for the act you have just been caught in.
"Is it too wishful-" Itachi comes to a stop right in front of you, looking down and leaning in closer the more you lean back- "to think you might want to give me a chance to turn your imagination into reality?"
Your eyes widen, and your mind wonders if you heard that right.
"Is it too ambitious-"Β
Itachi takes your hand and lets your palm rest on his cheek, and your eyes glow again like little golden embers. Your mind watches the cinematic view of his point of view- of you- since the day he met you. The way he sees you glow, how everyone else is blurred when he is focused on you, how his eyes watch your smile reach your eyes, how his gaze is calculating the proximity between you and him, how he studies your skin, how he is careful when he touches you, how he has dreamt of kissing you.
"-to someone who has burned his world for the better...now wants to burn the world for worse...for you?"
Even in the bare lighting, his eyes are stuck on yours. His fingers linger on the back of your hand which cups his face. His chest rises and falls with a yearning.
Without giving it another thought, you bring yourself forward to plant a kiss on his lips.
It catches Itachi Uchicha, off guard. He blinks for a moment, gathering what just happened. The shock in his eyes takes exactly one second to collect his thoughts before his other hand snakes around your waist to rest on your lower back and pull you close.
His lips do not just pull you close but deepen the kiss into your lips. An urgency erodes on them as his tongue tries to taste them, making you shiver in your core.
It is only when you are out of breath do you both pull apart for air.
"So-" you try to talk between gasps, holding on tight to Itachi's shirt to make sure it is all real- "is it okay to assume that you...that you have...feelings for me too?"
Itachi's breath pauses before he breaks into a chuckle so bright that he closes his eyes.Β
He effortlessly lifts you and makes you wrap your legs around his waist.
"How about I show it to you?"
Summary: The world War has met its end and Itachi has returned to his village. He questions whether he should set down his roots here when he meets a stranger. Or rather, a stranger is forced upon him by fate.
Warnings: embarrassment
Word Count: I deleted Hinge. Turns out I am too lazy to talk to boys and set up a date to hang out with them. Guess I'll be single for a good time. Also I have some unknown allergy that won't stop making me cough. Fanfic Gods! If you can see this, make this go away! We need to complete so many works!
MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)
"Are you still mad about failing to complete your mission?"
The children play in the temple grounds, cackling under the morning sun with clear skies and a day that feels lighter than usual. It feels so mostly because their parents are not after them, hissing them back inside their homes. Instead, the men are out gathered by the local tavern, drinking their homemade wine, while the women are collected under the community tree playing cards while smoking pipes.
The bamboo village feels like a welcoming place today.
Fukaboshi sits on the top of the stairs which is the entrance to the sacred ground. He is looking at Toge, who sits next to him, lost in some thought while he continuously flips a coin in between his fingers.
Fukaboshi is patient, looking at his student with nothing but adoration.
Toge finally tsks, throwing his coin down the edge of the hillside.
"It's not your fault, Toge."
Toge closes his eyes with an internal wince. "Tell that to my conscience," he grumbles before getting up and walking down the hill towards the village.
Fukaboshi sighs, lowering his head, knowing his internal dialogue is no different than his student's.
A crow sits atop a nearby tree, watching the events unfold before taking flight towards the next hill, gliding down the roof of one of the cottages where the Konoha citizens stayed the night.
With one smooth transformation, the little creature morphs into a human, entering the room through a window.
The room, unlike last night, is empty.
The bed, where Itachi had left you last night, has been made, the duvet neatly folded and placed at the end of the bed, the pillow fluffed up and the sheet crinkle-free.
Itachi stands there for a long minute, revisiting the chapters he memorised last night, all of them comprising of every tiny feature of your face.
But as much as he flutters through the pages in his mind, the images do not seem enough.Β
He walks out of the room and through the hall towards the other rooms; only to be met by Nami and Naruto midway.
Both are carrying their bags, ready to set out. While Nami is nibbling on a tiny piece of sugarcane, Naruto has his face stuffed.
βWhereβs Y/N?β
Naruto tries talking through his full mouth but Nami shuts him up with a smack of her hand to his stomach.
βSheβs already left. With Kakashi.β No hint of emotion passes through her features. But her brows morph into confusion when she witnesses Itachi go blank. No emotions surface behind those dark eyes. Just a neutral blink before his head finally gives in and does a 45-degree tilt, akin to a puppy wondering about this new situation.
βI didnβt see them-β
Nami takes in a lungful. βKakashi took her out of the village under the radar. Sheβ¦did not want any more attention. They will reach the inn in about two hours. We are travelling with you so you better keep us safe, Uchicha-san. Thatβs a threat.β
Nami nods and signals Naruto to walk out with her.
Itachi does not follow them. Instead, he stands looking into infinity with brows that are too uncomfortable to be furrowed for such a long time.
Why did she travel back with Kakashi, Itachiβs brain is already calculating multiple scenarios to justify such an act where his chest does not squeeze with such pain.
Why am I not travelling back with her?
A crow caws somewhere outside to fill in the silence of this cosy guest house that is suddenly empty.
A day passes.
Then two.
Then three.
Everyone has returned home. Itachi has joined Kakashi at the Hokageβs office to submit the mission report and enlighten her about their sensitive information being leaked by opponent villages.
She is not here, he finds his internal voice declaring the fact out loud to this existence.
βItachi, of course, was quick to respond to any threats,β Kakashiβs voice breaks his subconscious monologue of reasoning your absence; never wondering why Nami and Naruto were not there.
Tsunade hums.
βWe need to do something about the rock village before they get on my nerves," the Hokage fumes slowly behind her desk.
"The Anbu are already on it."
"And who else do you think knows about our-" Tsunade inhales, rolls her eyes a little and waves her red nails generically in the air- "empath, for the lack of a better word."
"The information was sold to five villages-" Itachi does not wait for a pause- "Mist, Sand, Bamboo, Wood and Seashell."
"Seashell doesn't sound-"
Tsunade pauses her quip with Kakashi's little wave of hand. "They feed their enemies to eight-foot giant crabs." She does not say it but her face tells she sounds impressed.
"I thought Sand Village was a friend."
"They are," Itachi adds, "Gara was the one who forewarned us about the leak."
The colours of realisation bring a positive glow to the Hokage's face. "That's why you two knew what was going on this entire time. I like that kid."
She taps her nails on the table in a rhythmic tone. "Are the other villages a threat?"
"We have prepared infiltration teams to visit these villages and bring us any intel we can get that might pose a threat." Kakashi leans on the window sill with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Tell them to execute the infiltration at the earliest."
Kakashi looks up at the Hokage, blinking for a second. "Oh, they are already out. In about three hours, they'll be entering the respective villages."
Tsunade narrows her eyes at the former Anbu.
"I knew I would get your permission for the mission," Kakashi shrugs.
Itachi clears his throat to bring attention to him before Tsunade can eat Kakashi's ears out. "If that's all..."
Without another word, Itachi opens the window and disappears into thin air.
"What is wrong with him?" the Hokage points at the open window with a mix of offence and worry.
Kakashi throws his head back in defeat, his palms trying to soothe the pain caused by the burden of carrying the team on his shoulders for the last few days. "Ugh. Let's discuss this after I've had a nap. And we will need at least three bottles of sake."
Tsunade guffaws, slapping the table with excitement.
"Meet me at Ichigo's restaurant at eight," she declares before swivelling her chair towards the window. Within a second, her excitement morphs into a sour affair. "And don't you two dare use my window as a gateway after this! You delinquent little shits!"
Itachi's crows scour the Konoha skies looking into every street, under every tree, all koi ponds, and riverside.
It is one of the crows soaring over the local marketplace that signals the former Akatsuki member before disappearing. And Itachi does not waste time, walking faster than usual in that direction.
His body automatically halts when he sees you in the crowd.
You are sitting on the stairs of the open shops where different types of nuts delivered from outside the village are being sold. Your arms are wrapped around a black cat with the most beautiful fur. Children are gathered around you in awe of the little furry creature; their curious minds asking you all sorts of questions.
Itachi's permanence comes to a standstill. All his senses seem to revolve around you. His eyes can see the Β y/e/c glow of your iris, his nose can smell the coconut oil rubbed on your skin. His ears can hear the croak in your voice that still heals from the adventure. He wants to stay still and bask in your presence but this uneasy feeling in his heart wants him to step towards you.
Like the pull of a string, your head instinctively rises in the direction Itachi stands. You watch him inhale the guilt of being found out- of brazenly watching you from a distance.
And just as he sees you...he can see you.
A flash passes inside his mind for barely a second. Your shoulders are bare, your face marred with dirt, your hair a mess. Your eyes are red with tears. And just as it comes, the fash vanishes.
And with it, you vanish too. The black cat with the beautiful fur is left on the steps for the children as you are nowhere to be seen.
More days pass when you βmissβ each other; on the streets, at the Hokageβs office, in the village mart, and once right outside the Uchiha home.
Itachi knows something is out of the ordinary. But not only with you.Β
He has not been feeling his usual self. His heightened senses seem to go into overdrive and shut down quicker than they should. His fast brain dissociates every ten minutes. His body is restless, unable to find peace at night, forget about getting an ounce of sleep. He sulks on the village rooftops unable to make sense of the hyperactivity that is frying his brain before he finds himself in the gym behind the administrative building with limited access.
Like any other night, he walks into the gym from the backdoor at two in the dead of the night, finding two other men walking out of the locker room to begin their workout.
βWho is that?β He hears one of them whisper, instinctively rolling his eyes internally and turning around to let the fresh Anbu meat have a good look at the infamous Itachi Uchiha.
Much to his surprise, they are not looking at him. Instead, their attention is taken by another presence in the gym.
Itachi changes into his workout clothes- a black t-shirt with grey joggers- and walks out of the locker room.
From how the two men have their eyes away from their equipment, he can calculate it is someone new and quite possibly a woman.
Turning the corner, his eyes involuntarily fall on the figure before returning to the treadmill- his original destination.
It takes him a fraction of a second to register the figure doing crunches, using the rods holding the dumbbells as a pivot for her feet.
Itβs the woman.
Itachi has a clear view of you from his treadmill- with your back to him. You, on the other hand, are unaware of him.
Your face is flushed, and sweat runs down your neck and back. All the rebellious strands of your hair mark the sides of your face and neck.
The sweat stains on your oversized t-shirt and gym shorts show how long you have been working out.
You finally stop and take a breather.
He increases the speed of his treadmill. Itachi can see the Anbu boys tapping each other to bring their attention in your direction.
You use the hem of your shirt to wipe the sweat from your face, exposing your abdomen.
Itachi feels guilty for letting his eyes linger for a second longer at the lines of abs forming on your front. Yet a part of him fumes when he can hear the boys snicker at an inside joke before walking in your direction.
The blonde one takes the lead. "Konnichiwa! My friend and I were wondering if you would like to work out with us."
You bow a little, sending a little twist inside Itachi's gut. "Thank you for the offer. I am good."
But the boys are quick to pester you again.
"We think you are really beautiful and we would like to take you out for a meal after the workout."
You ignore them and walk towards the bench.
Even when you try to ignore it, you can hear them giggle and snicker behind your back.
Tune them out, your inner voice tells you. Tune them out, tune them out tune them o-
Your focus has been completely devoured by the boys who have turned a blind eye to respecting your personal space; and in doing so, you have picked up a ten-kilo dumbbell for your workout.
Lying down on your back, you stretch your arms over your head to pick the dumbbell to start your set.
"How about we help-"
Fuck! I should have brought my earphones!!!
You have put all the focus inside your arms to raise that damn weight and take it over your head- and while doing so, you realise you can no longer hear the snickers of the boys.
Your arms do pick the weight, but your brain gives the warning signal a bit late that the weight is beyond your muscles' threshold.
A small cry for help comes out of your lungs but never makes it to the finale. you are half scared that the dumbbell might fall on the ground with a resounding boom. But that never happens.
Instead, you feel the heaviness being taken away from your palms by a shadow behind your head.
You raise your head back to find the dumbbell resting in the veiny hands of the man you have been avoiding this whole time.
Itachi Uchiha.
He is holding that dumbbell as if it weighs nothing. His shirt is covered in sweat and the strands of his hair not in the ponytail are out having the gall to stick to his exposed neck.
His eyes are stuck on you, watching you with confusion and...was that concern?
Don't be fooled. It might be murderous brooding too. We don't have enough experience to really tell, do we? you inner voice was thundering all over the metaphoric walls.
Your heart rate is going up, more than it already has from the exercises. You take the support of your arm to get up, quickly reverting your gaze. But the screaming pain inside your arm brings out a wince from you instead.
"Don't move," he commands in the Uchiha voice you have grown familiar with, "you have sprained your muscle."
You do not dare to look him in the eye. "I'll spray some-"
The former assassin, it seems, never waits for your words.
Before you have finished your sentence, the gym's first aid box is seen being put down next to you on the bench.
You can feel your lungs take a justified pause as Itachi gets down on his knee in front of you, making himself busy with the contents of the box.
"I'll do it-" you give out a little squeak but the man ignores it, shaking the spray bottle in his hand.
Without hesitating, he opens his free hand. "Arm."
You, on the other hand, want to shrink and disappear into the bench, never to be seen again.
"Y/N," he calls you out from whatever hell you are making in your mind for yourself. It bothers you even more that his voice is as sweet as it has been whenever you have interacted with him before. "Give me your arm."
You do not want to move. Instead, you have started singing Naruto's favourite ramen song inside your head.
Sparks fly inside your body when you feel the touch of Itachi's fingers trying to find their way under yours. And they do- having invaded the space between your fingers and the coarse leather of the bench.
His usually pale fingers are red- mostly from the workout- and they are cautiously making their way to your wrist, rotating it to expose the other side upwards.
"Does it hurt?"
Your gaze is fixated on his arms. The veins are popping under that pale, mole-kissed skin.
There is a certain edge of satisfaction trailing the veins from his wrist up the bicep. People should be paying to see this, your inner voice sighs, never once averting her gaze from the sculpted beauty.
You have reached the hem of Itachi's sleeves when you realise he has asked you a question.
"Hm?"
"I guess not."
Itachi's face is flushed.
How hard has he been working out?
For a second, you think you see a smirk build upon his lips. But the moment you blink, it is gone; making you ponder if you were seeing things.
Itachi's fingers go further up, resting right in the middle of your lower arm.
His thumb puts a little pressure on the muscle underneath.
There is a slight hint of pain. He can tell the way your brows furrow quickly and let go of the stress when he lifts his thumb from your skin.
Itachi wonders how your skin has the right amount of suppleness and smoothness. And then he wonders why he is wondering about your skin.
His fingers move further up. One hand lets your upper arm rest in itself. The other hand takes the liberty to feel the muscle.
And that is when you let out a pain-ridden shriek before clasping your mouth.
"It hurts," your broken voice reassures him.
Itachi grounds your upper arm within his hold. You can feel his hand's intention of not letting go.
"Face the other way," he instructs.
You have heard him but the words have not yet registered in your head. And Itachi can tell from the blank look your eyes give him.
Your eyes. The former assassin cannot get used to these eyes that look at him with zero micron of hesitation; no ounce of fear or mistrust. Zero thoughts behind those pupils and the intention to follow whatever he will say. A part of him wonders if your eyes do this for anyone else. And then that part makes his chest squeeze with mild annoyance.
He raises his free hand and lets his fingers rest on your jaw, pushing your face in the direction away from your arm.
The gesture surprises you, making your stomach do a summersault internally.
You can hear the clicking of the shaking pain relief bottle before feeling the cooling spray over your skin.
The affected part is then meticulously covered with a crepe bandage.
"Do not use this arm for at least forty-eight hours if you cannot get an appointment with Sakura before that," Itachi clears, checking the bandage one last time.
"Thanks," you admit, about to get up.
"It's natural," Itachi declares softly, not moving.
Confused, you look down at your arm to wonder what is natural about it.
"To have...thoughts that seem dark. And...filled with lust."
Itachi finally looks at you and you can feel a cold wave pass down your spine, reverberating through every cell in its way.
"It's simple biology," he continues, averting his gaze. "The only difference was that someone in your vicinity had the potential to see your thoughts. There is nothing to be embarrassed about."
Oh, are you sure?!! Your inner voice shouts before pointing out at your racing heartbeat and flushed skin.
Your breaths are starting to feel shallow. Itachi can sense the uneasiness.
You get up with a jolt. "I should go." Even the whispered words of you come out shaking.
"You can look inside my mind," Itachi announces before you can step away from him, "to even out the..." He does not finish the sentence.
Look inside the mind of Itachi Uchiha. How many people have lost their lives to get the answer to this question? And here he was, offering it to you on a silver platter.
"I should-" you bump into the bench behind you with the step you take back, scaring yourself for a second- "go."
You dash out the door, leaving the man still on his knees. He sits there, experiencing you leaving the same redolence that he smelled off you in that cottage in the bamboo village.
A smile builds up on his lips and no matter what he does, he cannot seem to make it stop.
Summary: The world War has met its end and Itachi has returned to his village. He questions whether he should set down his roots here when he meets a stranger. Or rather, a stranger is forced upon him by fate.
Warnings: mention of gruesome act of horror
Word Count: I downloaded Hinge to start talking to people and hopefully eventually end up going on a date. Still on the talking stage. Baby steps.
MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)
The forest behind the temple is silent.
There is nothing but the crackling of sticks in the bonfire lit in the barren space in this forest that echoes in the night- the only well-lit corner in the entire village where the chief and other familiar faces are gathered.
No one speaks. No one dares to. Everyone feels the heaviness of the thoughts in the air.
Izo sits in one corner by the stairs leading up to the temple, brooding while sharpening his blades. Fukaboshi has made himself busy by drawing intricate lines and writing incantations with chalk; all within a four-meter radius of the bonfire.
The temple chief who married the Konoha couple is there too, humming something as he sits facing the fire, lost in some meditative trance.
The Chief sits at the foot of the stairs, looking at his watch periodically before looking around for someone.
"They are messing with us," Izo mumbles, never pausing his hands that are busy with his blade.
The chief does not acknowledge it with an answer.
Izo glances towards the old man once, mocking a laugh and resuming with his weapon.
"Did we make you wait too long?"
Kakashi's soft yet rooted voice greets the Bamboo villagers from the darkness.
"No! No-" the chief hastily gets up to welcome the man, directing him to the bonfire- "not at all! We were preparing the grounds for the...um...you know."
The chief turns around and sees Kakashi standing at the edge of the forest, having not moved an inch
"Sato-osa," Kakashi addresses the Chief politely, "before my people enter these holy grounds, I need reassurance from you that this setting is in no way going to put them in harm's way."
Kakashi takes a step forward, enough to put half his face in the light. He pulls his headband from over his eyes, bringing it to his forehead and resuming crossing his arms over his chest.
"Because if my people are harmed in any form, I might have to make amends for it somehow."
The chill in the air is unmistakable as a glow emanates in Kakashi's eye, his figure still shrouded in darkness.
Fukaboshi side-eyes Kakashi, while Izo handles his blade in defence formation. The priest has stopped humming but has not opened his eyes.
"The assassins from my villages have been sent to the northern border to patrol. Mothers and children are already asleep. The only form of defence I have is on these grounds. Do what you will with that information."
The only sound that proceeds the Chief's declaration is the crackling of the fire and a sneaky breeze flowing at the edge of the hill.
Kakashi tilts his head towards his back- but barely by a centimetre.
Soon, shadows are taking figures behind him.
.
Naruto is the first to enter the clearing- with his hands behind his head. Then follows Nami. Behind her, you step into the light, your heartbeat having a terrifying but steadfast drumbeat.
And even though you cannot hear him, you know he is behind you, silent but solid and standing his ground; watching your back.
"So, how will we proceed?" Nami asks what everyone wants to know, never leaving your side.
"We-" Chief stressing a little too much on the word- "will all be sitting around the bonfire like a group of disciplined little children while the...Empath does what she does best."
He bows slightly in your direction, making you uncomfortable.
Your gaze immediately falls on Kakashi as an indication for help. Kakashi- who is unsurprisingly calm-raises his palm a little as a sign of staying still.
The Chief sits down outside the circle, giving no further instructions.
Everyone stares at each other blankly- save for the Konoha leader. "He wants us to sit down," Kakashi declares with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking his place to your left.
Nami sits down opposite Kakashi, to your right.
Naruto shrugs and takes his place right next to the chief- horrifying the other elders but earning a snicker from Nami and you.
Watching his politically carefree but personally concerned demeanour puts you at ease.
You are wondering what to do with your self- wanting to turn around and sit as well- only to come face to face with Itachi.
The former assassin takes his time to sit down and you start humming the Konoha lullaby to stop any stray thoughts from entering your mind. A moment later you realise you have stepped inside the circle to maintain a respectable distance between you two.
"Thirty-two years ago-" the Chief seemingly has started narrating some sensitive lore. Fukaboshi and Izo have already sat around the circle.
"- there was a terrible snowstorm in the winter months, and our hunters had to go out to search for food as the rations were running low and our village had never seen such drastic weather before."
"During one such hunt, one of our men mistook the gleaming eye of a little tiger cub for an elk on the hills and shot an arrow through it. It was only when the little one cried for help men realised they had killed a defenceless child. You see, Kakashi-san, we do not hurt younglings for we believe their spirits protect our lands. But ever since that day, a curse looms over our village; the curse of taking an innocent life. The men in our villages have been disappearing without a trace. The children cry endlessly on moonless nights, nearly starving themselves to sickness. And once a fortnight, we hear a low yowl through the forests that give the villagers undigestable nightmares."
Nami is watching you closely, watching how your emotions change with every word. Within no time your hand is reaching for your chest, making her wonder if the tightness is towards the life taken or the lives cursed.
She also does not miss how Itachi is sitting there with his eyes closed and crows are circling the temple grounds with a similar red glow in their eyes like the Uchiha.
"Our high priest has made us aware of a strong feral presence lingering in the woods. We have tried hundreds of methods to get rid of the spirit but the danger still crawls through our village; growing stronger by the day. But we have failed every time. We had lost hope of ever recovering from this calamity."
The chief pauses for an effect. "That was till we found out about the existence of an empath in the Konoha village. Which reminds me-" he tilts a bit in Kakshi's direction- "be weary of the underground faction of the rock village. They are selling your sensitive information for a price."
Kakashi slowly nods.
"So-" Chief smacks his thighs and straightens his back- "we hope you would help bring peace to our humble village, Y/N-san. We are begging you now to help the children of my village breathe in peace for the rest of their lives."
Wow. No pressure, you wonder, taking in a lungful of air.
"I don't...I've never-" you do not know how to proceed, being at a loss for words and looking at your people for help.
Y/N...
A familiar voice echoes inside you, making you jump a little.
Breathe. Itachi's voice is soft, reverberating inside you. How is he doing that?
You whip your head in his direction. He still has his eyes closed, back straight, arms crossed over his chest.
You do what you are told.
Forget this village. Forget the children. Erase their suffering from your imagination.
You breathe in the cold air and let go of those thoughts, leaving your mind blank.
Think of that creature. The one who was attacked. The one who died in these mountains.
You close your eyes and let your mind wander in the mountains, through the forest, riding the gentle breeze sweeping the stillness in between the trees.
You do not know if these scenes are being made up in your head or if this is truly the forest taking shape inside your mind, but there is a glow at the end of all the darkness, calling for you.
You want to slow down and be cautious in approaching that strange light, but your subconscious does not seem to halt, crashing headfirst into the infinite blaze.
On the temple grounds, the audience sitting in the circle sees your normally slouched trembling figure come to a stop. Your usual shuddering breath goes still. Your eyes open with irises burning a slow smoking shade of gold.
The bamboo villagers are the first to let out voices of surprise and horror. Nami's first instinct is to get up, but Kakashi raises his arm to stop her from making any moves. Naruto sits there awestruck. "Awesome!" he lets out a small whisper with starry eyes.
The temple priest gets up and walks over to come face-to-face with you. He gets down on his knees and bows as low as possible.
"Oh, great spirit of the forest! Listen to our plea!" He shouts at the top of his lungs, flailing his arms as a grand gesture. "Free us from our misery. Tell us what you want and leave us be!"
Your figure seems to tower over the priest, looking down on him with null emotions before raising your head to look right towards the path leading down the forest.
"Misery," you announce with an amplitude so low that the audience has to lean in to listen to you. Your eyes seem to stare into the infinity of the forest with a wave of sadness washing over your face. "You do not know misery."
A strong gust of wind blows from the forest into the clearing, bringing a low morbid growl that echoes around the bonfire.
Everyone- save for Itachi and Kakashi- is looking around for the source of that voice.
Nothing can be seen.
But a heavy presence can be felt coming out of the forest.
The forest wind threatens the bonfire to the verge of being blown out.
"You do not know misery like he did," you continue, a single tear falling from your eyes while your right hand raises itself to point at a void.
A void that- to the horror of the bamboo residents- turns into a twister that is a dark cloud, growing stronger by the minute.
The priest quickly leaves his grandeur and crawls away from the angry cloud that seems to scream at him.
The chief is slowly standing up in confusion- the years abruptly showing on his face amongst those wrinkles, for he had seen too much in his lifetime but never something this otherworldly.
For the first time, Kakashi moves. He turns his head to Izo, observing the local man show signs of horror for the first time since they met.
Izo is seen nearly falling back on the ground but his arms support him, his eyes stuck on the darkness. And just as Kakashi calculates, the darkness is reaching for him.
In this chaos, Nami nearly forgets about you. But when her attention comes back to you, she can see you reaching for that darkness.
"Y/N-"
"You tried to save her," you shout at the dark whirlwind, the tears not stopping. "You tried to save her!"
Kakashi gets up, readying himself to jump in and save you from harm. Naruto copies him, trusting his mentor's instincts.
You take a step towards the twisting darkness.
Kakashi dashes towards you. So does Naruto.
Itachi's figure blocks them.
And you have already stepped inside it.
And just as you do, the dark cloud bursts open, sending a shockwave through the temple grounds, forcing everyone to fall at least five feet back. The Konoha ninjas have been shielded by Itachi's copies, saving them from being thrown away.
.
Stillness comes back.
And slowly Itachi's copies morph into crows and fly away.
One by one gazes fall upon you and then on the eight-foot-tall spirit of a tiger glowing a blazing hue of gold, all the while touching its head with yours.
"You tried to save her but they killed you too," you whisper between sobs.
You stroke the spirit's chin. His purr reverberates throughout the clearing, his head wanting to melt into your touch.
"You were such a brave boy! Yes, you were!!" You softly coo at the being, smiling in between the sniffles.
"Tried to save who?" The chief's voice shivers.
Suddenly the tall leader of the village feels frail and small in front of the ethereal being. His eyes are still trying to adjust to the sight but his body seems to have already given up on comprehending this reality.
You wipe away your tears but never remove your hand from the tiger's face.
Turning towards the chief, you force him to follow your gaze behind you.
And out emerges another spirit.
A human spirit. A young woman with the softest features and innocent eyes.
"Mitsuri!" Fukaboshi gasps, taking a step back. It does not take him long to tear up.
"He was killed when he was trying to save her," you state, stroking the tiger's neck before pointing towards the stairs of the temple, "from them."
The priest and Izo freeze, the shock replaced by rage at your audacity to point your finger at them.
"HOW DARE-"Β
"Should I show them?" your mere whisper shuts Izo off. Your grit-spilling stare does not waver. Your eyes still glow. Your anger is purposefully spilling over the bring with those hot tears. "Should I show them what you did to her?"
The priest dashes for the stairs. Izo's anger shatters and out comes the panic. He too starts to retreat for the steps to the temple building.
Unfortunately for both of them, they freeze and fall to the ground, their eyes looking at the infinite void in multiple spectrums of terror.
"Do what you want with them," Itachi's voice comes from the top of the stairs, "our work here is done."
No words are exchanged. The impact of the night is heavy.
But Nami and Naruto are only concerned for your safety.
You look at the spirit for one last time before letting go of his touch.
The glow in your eyes vanishes. As does the spirits.
So does the adrenaline rush in your body.
Your legs go weak, collapsing the first chance they get. But you do not fall. Itachi is already picking you up in his arms, securing you close to his chest.
Naruto, Kakashi and Nami watch as Itachi takes your limp figure and vanishes into the darkness.
"He is coming back to pick us up, right?" Naruto asks Kakashi with a genuine curiosity.
Nami opens her mouth to say something but stops to exhale and flexes the frustration in her jaw instead. "Just so you know, Kakashi-senpai, had it been any other day, I would have eaten his head off for-"
"I know-" Kakashi does not let her complete her thoughts, sighing and looking up with tired eyes- "I know."
Itachi has come back to the room.
Ignoring the mess he made in the room earlier that night, he carefully transfers you to the bed from his arms.
You shiver as your body takes in the coldness of the bed.
The man brings up the duvet, carefully tucking you in. He then touches your cheek with the back of his hand, checking if the night was too much for your system.
Your body feels a bit cold.
He does not move. Why?
The answer is incorrigibly clear.
Trusting his gut, he lays down next to you, over the duvet to hear your snores turn loud all the while wondering how this cowering ball of sunshine was ready to mentally torture two men twice her size.
He is in awe. And his lips are not able to prevent a smile.
Summary: The world War has met its end and Itachi has returned to his village. He questions whether he should set down his roots here when he meets a stranger. Or rather, a stranger is forced upon him by fate.
Warnings: horny babygirls
Word Count: Your girls got horny writing this. I can't remember the last time I gushed like this. ALso Every fanfic reader/writers nightmare in one chapter
MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)
"What the hell is this?"
You whisper to yourself, standing alone in the dressing room with the most intricate Sakura painting on the paper walls, lit up by the lanterns kept in two corners.
The night robe you have been given has too much flare. The fabric of the red night dress is soft to the touch and breathable. But the robe that comes over it has practically been doused in fur not letting any cold air pass through.
But the reason behind your cussing has less to do with that warm robe than with the fact that your underwear is nowhere to be seen.
The night dress does run down to your knees but the thought of not being in your panties and having to sleep in the enemy territory for the night makes you uncomfortable.
Not to mention the constant dreadful feeling of being watched by Toge from some corner of this village.
With one stretched sigh, you leave the dressing room. The bedroom awaits you with a bed decorated with the local pink rose petals and towel swans.
A little thread inside you snaps on inhaling the overpowering smell of the roses and incense. You stomp to the corner of the bed, take the white bedsheet, pull out all four corners to wrap the roses inside them and throw them outside the huge window overlooking the village before closing it shut.
Just once you want to take an easy breath on this mission. Just once. And that too seems hard to get.
Especially with him around, your inner voice whispers.
You do not want your thoughts to go that way, but this little devil inside you smirks and struts towards some extraordinarily shady corners in your mind.
Quiet, you tell your inner voice, he makes me feel safe, shushing it as if it has spoken something outrageous.
Safe enough for you to imagine yourself all over his skin. She whispers the last few words with a stressed honey-filled whisper of a moan.
And with that, that image of his naked torso in the hot springs flashes in front of your eyes. Your teeth involuntarily biting down on your lips to get a hold of the reality before those outrageously defined thoughts go too far.
The sliding of your bedroom door jolts you awake from your fantasy world and makes you turn around to see the familiar tall figure bow down a little to enter the room without hitting his head on the door frame.
"I brought blankets," Itachi declares with the heavy elk fur blankets looking like they weigh nothing to the man.
Itachi is wearing a black fur robe which appears to be his night gown. His chest is bare and so are his ankles. His hair is loose and wet from a fresh wash and you are starting to regret having dark back alleys in your mind.
The room now starts to feel small in his presence; a presence which feels positively heavy.
Keeping the blankets on the bed, he moves his hand to run back those wet strands away from his face.
"I feel like we should ask the village Chief to hold their...uh...ritual...ceremony...what all they call it...today-tonight. Right now." Your staggered voice is not helping your case as your eyes run up from his elbows to his arms, drawing some sketchy scenes inside your head.
"Do not push yourself, Y/N-san. You need to rest."
It's not your fault.
It's not your fault.
A voice keeps repeating that inside your head.
It's the way he says your name.
You do not realise when your body is flushed, sweat droplets form at your temples and the back of your neck.
Itachi pauses momentarily beside the bed while you blink blankly at him. He looks at you for a second before moving again.
"Let me check for any traps in the room."
You nod and press yourself close to the window and out of his way.
As he takes careful feline steps along the length of the room, your eyes focus on his fingers brushing against the oakwood dresser kept by the wall, your throat takes an unpreventable gulp.
The source of light in this room is the oil lamps burning in the corners to give this room a pinkish hue, thanks to the Sakura theme. The only light brighter than that is the golden hues of the bonfire lit on the temple grounds across the hill.
He touches the wall to discover anything unusual, his steps bringing him closer to you. His dominant hand wraps itself around the jug of alcohol to raise it closer to his face and your eyes cannot help but follow the nimble pale fingers morphing into an abstract art of popping veins down the wrist.
His lips touch the jug, taking in a sip that glides down his throat. The soft golden fiery hues lighting up his features just enough in the dark are not helping your conscience in her dark alley. At all.
His brows furrow momentarily, making you wonder if something is wrong with the drink. And the next second he is choking on it, his hand nearly slipping the jug and a decent bit of that alcohol spilling on his robe.
"Itachi-san! Are you okay?" You quickly grab the hand towels on the dresser behind you and dash towards him; that is what you think you do till his hand rises to make you pause right where you have been standing.
Itachi coughs a bit before clearing his throat. His back straightens up and he nods. "I'm fine. The drink is...well, I've tasted better."
Of course, you have.
You still stand in your spot, but your hand stretches to hand him a towel. He takes it to wipe his mouth before his wet robe takes up his attention. A huge sigh leaves his lungs.
"Pardon me," he declares in a low hum as his fingers undo the knot on his robe and his shoulders flex themselves to let the fabric glide off his back.
Your breath is caught in your throat till you realise he is wearing white trousers underneath.
Itachi folds the fabric when something catches his eye.
Watching him step away from you and towards the bed sinks your heart. He stops at the edge of the bed and gets on his knees. Itachi wastes no time being on all fours and crawling just a few inches underneath the space, looking for something.
On the other hand, you are glaring at his other arm that acts as his anchor, his robe between his fingers; the fingers gripping the fabric till he has found what he is looking for.
And when he comes back to sit on his knees, you exhale a little, grabbing onto the window sill as your legs cross over each other and you try your best to look away from the pink-shaded abs teasing you from the distance.
His hand has brought out a red cloth from underneath the bed. The cloth shines with a silken finish in his hands as he twists the fabric in one hand, wrapping it up neatly.
"Don't touch this," he announces, tucking the fabric in his trouser's back pocket.
"Yes, sir," you whisper without realising. And immediately regretting it.
Itachi must have not heard it, for he gets up and walks past you to the other side of the room, leaving you to ravel in his natural redolence.
The lone table at the other end of the room is graced by his hands on either side, curious if it can be pulled away from the wall.
His arms are flexing, and so are the muscles on his back as he tries to pull the table towards him, his hips feeling the tethered force of the measle piece of furniture, forcing a low grunt to escape.
Your left hand is clawing its nails into the window frame while your right thumb is being bit under your teeth with all your might.
Get out of that alley, you are panting at your conscience.
Please. Please. Please!
The table is torn from the wall and thrown into the paper wall covering the dressing room. The remaining wood in the indents of the wall reveals two black bricks.
The former assassin quickly picks one in each hand and turns to walk towards you. "Open the window," he commands in a low tone.
You religiously move your hands to open the latches. Even before you are done pushing the window frames out, you feel his arms come over from behind you and throw out the bricks from either side.
You turn around, calculating the proximity between you and his chest.
While he is busy frowning out the window at what was possibly an attempt to poison you two, your eyes go up to land on his jaw, studying the skin, the texture, the turns; a little too well.
The sound of splintering wood brings you out of the trance.
Itachi's bare hands have broken the frame of the window behind you and instead of tending to the wound where a splinter has gashed through the skin of his hand, he is looking at you with the intensity of a thousand suns. Only this time you are concentrating on his wound.
"You're hurt-"
"I need to go," Itachi declares, taking the ripped frame with him and walking out of the door, leaving you confused.
Lustful and confused.
"You go in. I'll survey the surroundings here," Kakashi announces, disappearing into the night before Itachi can say anything about being handed the elk fur blankets.
You are the only person present in the wing at this moment and he has his senses on high alert. Higher than usual.
I do not trust the men here, he justifies in his internal monologue, pausing his quiet steps outside the door as he is flashed with memories of his bare chest in the hot springs.
His mind has paused all the calculations now. It is purely curious now.
And with that intention, he enters the room, declaring his presence.
Keeping the blankets on the bed, he moves his wet hair away from his face to appear a little decent in front of you.
"I feel like we should ask the village Chief to hold their...uh...ritual...ceremony...what all they call it...today-tonight. Right now."Β
He can hear you. Loud and clear.
But his mind is showing him his exposed arm pressing onto a thigh.
He pauses.
Must be some third-grade trickery by the village assassins, he thinks to himself. "Do not push yourself, Y/N-san. You need to rest."
It's not your fault, he can hear the words being whispered somewhere.
It's not your fault, they are echoing. With a voice too familiar to him these days.
It's the way he says your name. It's you. It's your voice.
And accompanied by your voice are flashes of sweat droplets running down from your temples, travelling your jaw to hurry down your neck.
Itachi pauses, questioning how you are doing that. You are not, he answers the question himself and looks at you for a second to grasp any traces of Gen Jutsu around you.
"Let me check for any traps in the room," he announces before moving to the nearest wall.
When he brushes his fingers against the oakwood dresser, the flash comes again.
This time, not as hazy as before. His fingers seem to be running over a bare abdomen, creating ripples of goosebumps. This time he can feel the skin under his fingertips and a familiar aroma in his nostrils.
He moves his hand away from the table to the wall, investigating for anything out of the ordinary; that is, apart from the twisted psych attacks- if one can call them that.
He can hear your heart beat faster as the distance between you closes. He pauses at the table between you two, reaching for the jug of alcohol kept on the table. The flashes come again when he raises the jug to his mouth.
This time, his hand is gripping a neck, bringing it closer to him. He can smell that aroma again, this time the touch is heated and the neck is flushed. And his lips- which were reaching for the alcohol mere seconds ago- are kissing yours.
When the kiss has deepened to the point of you moaning and his tongue wanting to taste your mouth, he realises the twisted reality, surprising himself into choking on the drink and spilling some onto his robe.
He hears you worry, making him raise his hand to stop you from coming any closer.
"I'm fine," he coughs, apologising for his ungentlemanly behaviour. He takes the towel you offer, not able to get that image out of his mind.
Itachi's instincts are riled up, his mind working ten steps ahead, ready to test the waters all the while making sure he does not cross any lines.
He begs your pardon as he gets out of the wet robe.
There is that aroma again. Your scent. Covering him all over.
If it's the scent then there has to be-
His thoughts trail off as he finally finds what he is looking for.
He walks to the side of the bed and gets on his knees, to reach for the red fabric resting under the bed space. The talisman.
Just when he grabs it, flashes of him gripping the silk sheets on the bed run through his mind. But that is not all. He can see his naked back clear as day, even that moles, and he can see you laying between him and the sheets looking up at him with a want.
He is panting for breaths, and so are you. He can feel the drops of sweat run down his chest while he is devouring the view of your breasts glistening.
Even as he comes back to sit on his knees, he can feel his hand run the length of your thighs, with your legs wrapped around his waist.
The flash disappears, but the sensations remain in his mind.
He seems to know what is going on but does not say.
His hands work on folding the fabric and keeping it somewhere away from you.
"Don't touch this," he declares as he puts the fabric in his pocket.
"Yes sir," he can hear the microscopic stagger of your heated exhale in that whisper and the fog of that flash bring the sensation of a hand run over his butt.
His mind curses.
He does not remember the last time he cursed like this. Or that last time he felt so...filthy.
But rip it in the bud, he grows internally to himself before getting up and walking to the last place that seemed suspicious- the table lodged into the wall on the other side of the room.
He grabs the edges on either side to move it away from the wall, wanting the flashes to stop.
To stop or else...
The frustration shows externally when a grunt escapes him at the failed pull.
And so it comes again.
This time you are on the table, your legs wrapped around his waist and your nails digging into his back. His flawless butt is exposed to the room as it jiggles with him sloppily rutting into you with the familiar grunts, bringing periodic coarse moans out of you.
Please. He hears your voice. And he can see your face. He can see your body moving every time he pushes into you. Your eyes are tearing up. Your mouth is open wide at the edge of pleasure.
Please, you beg again, this time urgently. Itachi feels his pace rush as if his body is running on your commands.
Please! That moan of yours is turning into a growl as your head falls back at the peak of your climax.
And before he can reach his, the table is torn away from the wall to be thrown away, bringing him back to his reality.
And there they are, resting in the nook hidden in the wall- black brick-shaped gemstones.
They are still hot when Itachi grabs them and orders you to open the window.
Just as your hands have pushed the panes away, he throws the stones out, down the hill.
He only breathes once he has heard them crash into pieces against the rocks underneath, resting one hand on the window frame.
But they come again. This time with the touch of your fingers on his jaw, lazily running down his neck before he feels your teeth dig into his skin right where his jaw meets his neck.
He snaps.
At least that is what he thinks he did.
It is the window frame that has been snapped instead.
And all he can do is look at you; your eyes with no unadulterated intentions behind them as they worry about the blood that is not yours.
"I need to go." He knows if he stays a second longer, he might do something there will be no coming back from.
Rushing out the door bare-chested, he is already running into Kakashi in the corridor. For the first time in his life, Itachi seems the situation- that heavily involves him- requires an explanation.Β
"There's-"
"Geisha's Opals inside? From the smell I could guess there were two stones." Kakashi seems to have figured it out. "I waking the chief up to prepare the ritual."
Itachi nods. He wants to say something more but all he can do is inhale a lungful.
"She doesn't realise her thoughts are more graphic than the latest volume of my favourite Icha Icha Paradise novels," Kakashi exhales, visibly tired.
"You could see them-"
"The burned Opals along with a rose incense are powerful aphrodisiacs," Kakashi explains with his hands as if he was having a casual conversation with his colleague, "combine that with her empath skills, she created an atomic flash of...well..." he gestures vaguely at everything and then at Itachi.
"Dress up, let's just get this over with," Kakashi admits before disappearing into the night again, leaving Itachi to make peace with the fact that the Konoha village's Silver Fang saw everything.
Every. Single. Flash.
Summary: The world War has met its end and Itachi has returned to his village. He questions whether he should set down his roots here when he meets a stranger. Or rather, a stranger is forced upon him by fate.
Warnings: perverts
Word Count: I want to go on a date with someone. But the thought of having a conversation with a stranger horrifies me.
MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)
"Onsen! Onsen! Onsen! On~sen!!!"
Naruto cannot hold in his excitement. He is all over the place. And the place is not small either. The quarters prepared for him and Kakashi overlook the zen garden in this lone property sitting on the hillside, right next to the temple.
There are four quarters in total. And Kakashi has already scanned all four for any more foul play.
Foul play, the phrase sounds almost comedic, given the recent events.
The view of the dusky sky as the sun slowly bids farewell behind the mountains brings a stillness to the chaos that has been today. Kakashi takes a peaceful moment to appreciate it, while also wondering if his comrades were cursed or blessed.
If they are cursed, they have been cursed in a rather beautiful way, he wonders.
And just as another second passes, Kakashi suddenly feels the uncomfortable silence that has filled the room.
His head whips around to find the menace he is carrying with him.
Naruto is sitting on the porch outside, lost in a thought that reflects quite the discomfort on his face.
"What's wrong?" Kakashi is genuinely curious.
"Just wondering what Y/N must be going through," Naruto mumbles. "She was attacked for being a bit different than others and now her attackers just forced her into an accidental marriage. She barely got to catch her breath. Not to mention her having a nightmare last night."
Kakashi raises his brow at the boy.
"And...what were you doing in the night outside?"
"Looking for food?" Naruto says it like it is an obvious thing to do.
Kakashi comes and sits next to him, taking in one deep breath. "Well, we can only hope she is okay. And if she's not, we are all here for her. And as far as accidental marriages go-" Kakashi runs his hand through his hair- "I am glad she is with Itachi right now."
Naruto nods in agreement.
The mentor and mentee look at the dipping sun for a few more minutes.
"I would have punched Toge if he had succeeded in his plans to marry Y/N," Naruto declares softly.
Kakashi's eyes narrow as his mask hides a smile. He pats Naruto on his back in affirmation. "You can have an hour in the onsen, as a treat."
Nami too is looking at the setting sun from her bedroom while unpacking your clothes even though it does not bring her any peace.
A knock on the door makes her turn away from the scenic view to curse under her breath and grab the closest of her kunai in attack mode.
"I come in peace," Kozuki announces, her hands raised to prove her words.
"You will leave in pieces," Nami announces, not ready to take another word from Bamboo Village residents.
"I swear to the Gods, Nami. I had no idea Toge was planning a quick wedding with your friend," Kozuki presses, taking a cautious step towards her.
Nami raises her kunai to point at the woman. "Your people tortured her in her sleep last night-" she takes a step forward, emanating a toxic amount of rage- "sent assassins to kidnap and or kill her, and when that was not enough, your shit excuse of a ninja thought the best course of action would be to get married to her and claim her as his property."
Kozuki can suddenly feel the pressure of Nami's wrath on herself. The usually composed woman is suddenly finding it hard to look into Nami's eyes and justify the actions of her village.
"I'm sorry, Nami. It was all planned by Fukaboshi sensei and-"
"I. Do not. Care," Nami whispers as she now stands close to her, raising the little hairs on Kozuki's back. "If I find any more of your senseis planning something for my friend that would hurt her in any way, I swear on your Gods, Kozuki, I will start from Fukaboshi's house and then burn my way to the other end of your village, with or without the people in it. I will make sure this land is turned to ashes by the next sunrise."
Kozuki furrows her brows in shades of anger. She parts her lips to say something. But Nami is already pressing the tip of her Kunai on the woman's chest. "If you think this is an empty threat...or if you think I cannot do such a thing...try me."
Silence.
Nami leaves the room.
Kozuki stands there; still as she can be. For a couple of seconds before her mind regains the grip on the moment and her body begins to shudder in fear.
Time as a concept has lost its hold on you. You do not remember how you got to the hot springs. Nor do you recall what the ladies said when they greeted you, saw the string on your wrist and guided you to the onsen at the farthest end. It never registers inside your mind the dimly lit area- away from the usual onsen sections- that is wider than your normal spring, decorated with flowers and coloured ribbons.
All your body seems to do is dump your clothes in the nearest closet, throw the towel in one corner of the bathing area and then walk into the hot waters to find a comfortable corner where you can let a few tears out. The huge mirror on the opposite wall- where you can see your naked figure crying in the hot waters- makes it a bit worse.
A few minutes pass and the tears ultimately stop even though the heaviness in your chest doesn't.
Wiping away the residue of your sadness from your face, you blink to bring yourself back to reality, looking around you and wondering where Nami is.
Why am I alone here?
As if to answer your question, there is a knock on the sturdy wooden partition of the onsen. "Y/N?" a familiar voice calls for you.
Itachi's voice.
The heaviness in your chest suddenly seems to swirl.
"Yes?"
"I'm coming in," he simply announces.
Your jaw drops in horror. And so does your body; deep inside the water till it is just your face that is visible over the surface.
In between the rising vapours that have developed the perfect index of a mist around you, you see him enter in a blue t-shirt and shorts that seem too big for him.
"The...uh...ladies won't let me go to the men's...onsen," he declares softly. He does not look in your direction and instead looks down at his feet and then up at the starry sky.
"Oh-" you suddenly seem to recall something from your zoned-out walk to the bath- "they did not let me go to the women's side either. Because of the s-"
"Strings. Yes," Itachi adds, raising his wrist to show you his golden beads studded thread still secure in her wrist.
Itachi stands there, shuffling his towel in his hand while shifting his weight between his legs. And you simply watch his figure, wondering how this man was once the most dangerous ninja in the entire world.
"Do you..." you trail off, looking around before coming back to look at your saviour. "Is it safe to talk in here?"
Itachi looks around for a moment before his fingers summon a sound shield around the area.
"I'll head back then," he announces, confusing you a little.
"No, don't go!" you nearly shout, regretting not setting the right weight of desperation in your voice. "I mean-I didn't mean to...you should stay. Please stay. I'd rather have you here than..."
Images of Toge standing next to you at the temple cross your mind, making your spine shudder even inside the hot water.
Itachi can sense the uneasiness as he finally looks into your eyes. And he knows that emotion is not for him.
Putting the towel down on the wooden bench by the wall, he removes his shirt.
A soft 'oh' leaves your lips as you watch the muscles on his back move.
Your first instinct is to turn around and give him some privacy to undress. Your second instinct is to smack your insides for thinking of how you want to run your hands on those muscles.
Your third instinct is to push your dark urges under the water as they scream for you to turn around and take a peak at the man in his naked glory.
Your ears catch the gentle sploosh of water and your skin feels the gentle wave rushing towards your end, telling you he is in the same vicinity as you now.
"Is something behind the rock?" Itachi asks before his lungs let out a breath of relief.
You shake your head. It's just Itachi, Y/N. Be an adult about this. He is also stuck in a situation with you. Nothing wrong with two adults in hot o-
You turn around. And forget to breathe.
Itachi has taken the support of the rock on the left corner of the hot pool. The lanterns are reflecting their warm hues from his face down right to where his happy trail meets the water.
Itachi Uchiha's clothes need to do justice to his sculpted body. His arms are toned, his biceps flexing as his elbows grace the rock beneath him. His chest and abs are shaped to human perfection. He has dropped his head back; his hair tied in a loose ponytail, his eyes closed, lost in the relief of the healing hot waters.
Even with such a breathtaking view, you feel those soft lights not doing justice to the physical embodiment of the man in front of you. For a moment there, tiny stings of a simmering foreign emotion press inside your chest as your gaze is stuck on the yellow and orange lights of the lanterns having abundant opportunity of touching his skin and bouncing away.
You do not realise how long you have been shamelessly staring at him; many times you have run your hands along his jaw before teasing his lips with your fingertips. You do not remember when you started wondering what his neck would feel like under your touch, as your fingers moved on his body inside your mind, grazing the tiny hairs in the middle of his chest, teasing them before reaching over his hard-built core. Your heat builds up between your legs when those mental images of your fingers travelling down, are slowly making their way past the belly button, reaching the happy trail and daring to walk further below the surface of the water.
"Stop," Itachi's voice growls as his head whips in your direction and his eyes glow a murderous ember of red.
You are frozen where you sit, not moving a muscle while your fogged-up mind is racing to come up with an explanation. But before can say something, a scream can be heard from the other side of the wooden partition that separates your section from the men's.
"Aaaah! My eyes! My eyes!!!" a man can be heard screaming from the other side while a few other men can be heard panicking and calling for first aid.
You have turned around by now, trying to figure out what happened when beyond the rocks you see a hole made in the wooden walls.
But how did he...
The mirror on the wall.
You turn back to look at the wall for the mirror but it is no longer there. Rather, your body jerks back as it watches Itachi walk in your direction- till he is within four feet of you- before he swings the mirror in his hand towards the other side like a professional putter and stands there until he hears the crash and screams at the other end.
You have not closed your mouth throughout the whole act, but you are thankful for the fact that he is wearing black underpants- which are doing a marvellous job of sticking to his skin- as stands in front of you, taking in a lungful of breath to ease back into his usual form while you sit there watching him in awe.
A few seconds pass before Itachi kneels where he stands and shifts to the rock next to you.
"Are you alright?" he asks.
"...we could have just closed the hole," you declare.
Itachi nods in agreement, pursing his lips. He pulls on his hair tie, undoing his ponytail before taking a dunk inside the water, wetting his hair, and coming back up.
"They could have just opened another one." He finally adds, resting his arms on his knees.
He's not wrong.
You can no longer hear voices from the other section of the bath. The silence is comforting this time, bringing a bit of ease inside your chest.
"How are you doing?" you finally speak, bringing your knees close to your chest beneath the water.
Itachi blinks at the question.
"I'm sure getting married was not in your mission itinerary. Are you doing okay?"
You can see the split second of the crease pass through his brow while he runs his hands through his hair to push it all back. "Nothing much has happened for me to not be okay."
You chuckle, rubbing your hands on your face to stop this sudden burst of grinning spreading over it. "That's good to hear," you whisper more for yourself than for him.
A Few Minutes Earlier
"If they can try to get Toge to treacherously marry Y/N, I won't put it past them to try something foul again." Kakashi declares, taking a clean towel from the pile in front of him.
"They sent her away to the last section because of the beads on her wrist," Itachi adds, as he puts on the blue t-shirt provided by the onsen workers in the changing room. "The elders had already planned to separate her from the rest of us that way."
"All the more reason for you to stay next to her." Kakashi gently wraps his kunai, covered in a summoning jutsu paper, in between a piece of cloth before tucking it inside the pile of his clothes.
That is not much of a job for Itachi.
He has surveyed the halls of the onsen house. there are no hidden traps in this place. Just a plain old bathhouse where the far end unit is reserved for married couples.
He is polite with his intrusion, and glad that you do not push him away in such a vulnerable position.
He has already noticed the peephole in the wall behind you but does not say anything about it as you are already neck-deep in the water and someone would have to be foolish enough to try and take a peak at him.
He chuckles internally when you turn around to bare your back at him while he undresses. His basic skill set tells how she should not be looking away from her enemy, to which his mind wonders if she trusts him enough to do so.
Itachi's gaze has already studied the two moles on your back when he finally steps into the water.
He makes sure you are not facing that peephole for long when he calls for you, indirectly making you turn around while his body likes the feeling of hot water over his skin, undoing all his tensed muscles in his legs and back.
Even when he has covered the area with a soundproof shield, even when he has closed his eyes, his sensations are at an all-time high under his Sharingan. He can hear the sounds of men in the bath on the other end of the wall, snickering and scheming next to the peephole, wondering what 'beauty' they will see today.
But that is not what stills Itachi.
It is the sensation he feels over his face under his Sharingan. It is the familiar small warm hands wandering along the line of his jaw that he can feel inside his mind.
Itachi does not move. And surprisingly, neither does his mind.
No more calculations are happening in his head when he feels the fingers drop from his jaw to his neck, feeling the curve on his Adam's apple to the little dip down.
He can smell you on him. Your redolence is seemingly bringing a positive rush inside his brain, while the sensation of your fingers grows substantially, slowly crawling down the middle of his chest. Lazily reading his abdomen, the fingers do not seem to stop, aiming right for the treasure trail.
He has underestimated the power of an empath.
And gradually, Itachi realises the boldness of those fingers is not the only thing growing.
"Look at those breasts! Hohoho! We have won the lottery today!" the whispers from the other end of the bath resonate in Itachi's ears.
Before the pervert at the other end can make sense, red eyes bore right into his, burning them with black fire.
Itachi is trying to make sense of the unsettling rage building inside him when his body grabs the mirror, walks back into the water and throws it to the other end, aiming for the pervert.
The scream and cries from the other end seem to satiate his fury somewhat, bringing him back to you.
He sits next to you this time, trying to balance the remains of his sudden uproar inside him. Your presence does dilute it. But the concern in your eyes seems to create another whirlpool inside him, forcing him to take one much-needed dip inside the water.
Coming back up, the fire seems to subside a bit. More so when he sees you watch him with a curious intent.
Gradually, his heart feels at ease when you smile, more so when you giggle.
"Y/N!!" Nami's voice calls out from somewhere outside the walls.
Itachi watches you sit up before looking at him. "I should go," you state before rubbing an itch at the back of your neck, "do you mind...?"
Itachi drops his head down, closing his eyes before turning a bit away from you.
You get up and rush to the floor to grab a towel and wrap it around you.
What you do not realise is the slight blush rushing on Itachi's cheeks as his mind can see your figure clear as day despite taking every precaution. Every fold, every dip, every mole, all those pretty stretch marks as you walk out of the water and those beads in your wrist brush past your curves.
"See you at dinner, Itachi-san." You bow before leaving the bath.
Itachi finally opens his eyes, his hands locked in one another, arms still resting on his knees, his gaze watching the entrance from where you just left.
He sits there for five minutes- maybe more, his fingers playing with the beads- still looking at the doorway, seemingly lost in a thought. His breaths are steady, his eyes are relaxed.
There are no noises inside his head. Just the resonating image of you grinning at him with unadulterated kindness reflecting in your eyes.
In one collective motion, he gets up and runs his fingers through his hair and the soundproof shield drops down with a whispered pop.
"I have pretended to not notice you for her sake," Itachi announces to the wind.
There is a split-second sound of one of the roof tiles shifting before the air goes back to the soothing sound of trickling water.
"But if I ever get a whiff of you or anyone in collusion with you intending to harm her-" Itachi barely tilts his head in the direction of the 'loose' roof tile and holds the pause- "this village will know first-hand what Uchiha Itachi is capable of."
Summary: The world War has met its end and Itachi has returned to his village. He questions whether he should set down his roots here when he meets a stranger. Or rather, a stranger is forced upon him by fate.
Warnings: old men and their rituals
Word Count: @justiceiswater your comment is the reason I got myself to write this chapter quickly.
MASTERLIST in bio, darlings. Tags are open (check bio)
When one thinks about a Bamboo Village, one imagines bamboo being a part of every household in that village. But what we are looking at, or rather, walking through- does not do justice to the name.
The entrance of the village is the endless lush bamboo trees with the freshest tone of green; grown up as if to infinity, but never preventing the sunrays from bouncing through the sturdy mesh throughout this little forest.
The filtered sun rays are welcomed by your sun-starved skin, bringing a much-needed calmness to your mind as your lips curve into a smile and your eyes close to face the direction of the filtering sun.
Itachi is watching the worry wash away from your face slowly but surely. That little guarded emotion in his chest seems to have eased up a little on seeing you smile at the scenic entrance and the warming sun. And in place of that guarded emotion, another hue of something heavier- but positive- seems to take place.
His mind is curious as to what is this new feeling in his chest. But his eyes are stuck on you. Those dark pupils are somewhat lighter in today's sun.
"Welcome to the Bamboo Village! Our humble home," the Chief announces from above his ride and Naruto is the first one to gasp in bewilderment.
Where the bamboos end starts an entire village at the edge of a hill made structures entirely out of bamboos- bridges, houses, furniture, you name it. And at the top of the hill sits a lone structure etched in stone- a temple.
The village is lively with the happy cries of children and surprisingly melodious calls of merchants and hawkers in the marketplace.
"There's the hot springs!" Naruto points to the farther edge of the village where the caravan can see steam rising by the end of the hill crafted into smoother edges.
Before Naruto can break into a dash for it, Kakashi grabs him by the collar.
Chief chuckles at the agitated yellow-haired ninja. "You can soak in the hot springs all want. But before that, I would like you to meet our village elders. At the temple. Come. They have been around for about hundred years now-" he continues to talk while directing his ox towards the road that leads to the temple, and the rest follow- "so it is safe to say there is no one wiser than them in our homeland. And they will be able to explain our problem better than us. And then hopefully, Kakashi, you will be able to help us."
Kakashi smiles under his mask. "As long as my comrades are safe, we are willing to help in any way we can."
He does not look behind him but he- along with the rest of the members- can sense the heat of guilt rising in Fukaboshi and Izo's cheeks.
Itachi can make out that they do not want to be here but they cannot say no to the chief's orders after the massive blow he has given to their egos. It does make our village's assassin happy internally.
The road finally ends up to a huge staircase, where the animals are left and the caravan climbs on foot, leading to a courtyard which overlooks the mountains and hills surrounding them and a clean breath of air gently plays around the temple in the centre of it all.
Everyone stands at the steps of the temple door.
The Chief takes a step to the door to bow in respect, a signal for the two elders chanting hymns inside the temple to get up and be greeted by the guests waiting outside.
Fukaboshi and Izo are standing at either end of the group while Kakashi is humble enough to wait at the back and let the young ones be the first to receive the blessings. But that does to stop the Konoha's silver blade from having his eyes and ears out for any movement out of the ordinary. Even though Kozuki seems to have joined him at the back with a suppressed smile that does not seem suspicious at all.
Itachi, on the other hand, seems to have an itch because suddenly, you are standing in the very front with Toge taking the place next to you. Naruto standing on your other side and Nami is standing behind Toge, trying to get a good look at the two bowls being picked up by the temple monks with purple and golden beads in one hand.
"Wait-" Nami sounds confused- "Kakashi that is a-"
"Do not speak unless you are spoken to," Toge tuts from the front, cutting out whatever it is that Nami is about to speak.
"But-"
Izo shushes Nami, for which the latter takes full offence.
One monk takes the string of purple beads in one hand and the other takes a string of golden ones.
Both of them start to sing a deep-throated hymn as they step down the stairs.
Itachi furrows his brows at the shade of fear setting in Nami's eyes.
The monks have stepped down and are now standing in front of the group. The elder of the two dips his fingers in the copper bowl in his hand and takes them out to sprinkle it over you and Toge.
"What's wrong?" Itachi whispers, leaning towards Nami.
And suddenly as if a thought strikes her as his voice collides with her thoughts, she grabs the back of Toge's jacket and pulls him back, while at the same time using her other free hand to push Itachi forward in Toge's position instead.
"WHAT THE-" Toge is hushed by the second monk.
While he is trying to make sense of what just happened, the monk takes your left hand and ties the string of purple beads on your wrist. Next, he takes Itachi's right hand and ties the golden beads on his wrist. The bowl is used again to sprinkle the contents on both of you, with the hymn still going.
"Can I have one too?" Naruto whispers in the direction of the monks, grinning with all of his teeth.
Kakashi can see from the back the flustered and confused expression of the chief, who seems to want to stop the monks but isn't allowed to do so for fear of stopping something sacred.
Unlike him, Fukaboshi and Izo are facepalming themselves discreetly before the former- who is also standing closer to Toge- whispers through his teeth, "You had one job."
The elder monk takes the string-wrapped wrists of both of you and puts your hand in Itachi's, chanting something known only to the elders.
You stand there with no thoughts behind your eyes, only following what the monks do. Itachi is trying to calculate the base of this ritual.
The second monk dips his finger in his bowl and out comes the index painted red, which lands on your palm to draw one single symbol. And with that, the chanting comes to an end.
Toge is breathing furiously, his face red with anger as he glares at Nami with the intent of murder.
You curiously look into your palm to make sense of the symbol.
The monks bow to the chief and the caravan.
"Shinzo-san, these are our guests!" the Chief explains, exasperated.
Suddenly a chuckle bursts out of Kozuki that slowly turns into a cackle.
Kakashi tilts his head in confusion. "Did we do something wrong?"
You and Itachi look at each other with a blank gaze, neither of moving your hands away.
A single crow continuously croaks at the edge of the temple roof, as if he too is laughing at something.
"What's so funny, Kozuki?" Naruto shouts, "And why won't the monk-sama give me these beads?" he tries to grab one in the second monk's belt. His hand is thwapped away with a smack on his wrist at the speed of lightning, the elder never breaking from that peaceful glow on his face.
"Izo!" the chief shouts in anger, "is this your doing as well??!" The old man seems to be at his wit's end.
Kozuki is clapping and laughing like a seal by now until her stomach hurts and she moves in front of the group to finally look at your disoriented figure waiting for answers.
"Congratulations!" She exclaims with pure joy, her voice reverberating through the temple, "Uchiha Itachi and Y/L/N Y/N, by the powers vested in these old monks by our Gods, you are now officially married!!"
