Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto

Dedication: Sara, because she's the best thing since sliced bread!

A single chilling rain drop plinked lightly on the tip of Itachi’s nose. “Hn,” he blinked. “Kisame?” he looked at the Mist-nin.

“Yeah?” Kisame looked at Itachi.

“Why don’t you go on ahead? I have to take care of something,” Itachi muttered.

“Before you face your brother?” Kisame asked. A rueful smile crept onto Itachi’s lips.

“Rather before I die,” a swirl of leaves engulfed the Uchiha.

***

The streets of Konoha were heavy with a chilling miasma and a bone numbing shadows. Hana walked down these foreboding streets, head held high, her loyal dogs at her side. “Hana,” a soft voice called out to her. The woman thought nothing of it after hearing her name spoken by the wind, her heart trying to convince her that he had returned at last. She had gotten good at ignoring such fantasies. “Hana,” this time the voice wasn’t the wind. The wolf-woman drew a kunai and expertly tossed it in the direction of the voice. She heard metal clattering upon stone and a presence that wasn’t a dog was at her back. “Hana,” he whispered, his hand covering her mouth. “Don’t scream,” he breathed into her ear, tickling the skin and tiny hairs. “Just listen. I want to see you; one last time,” he paused. “I’ll find you, so don’t worry,” another pause. “Tonight, at the same place I said goodbye all those years ago,” he removed his hand. Hana spun around but nobody was there.

Hana threw open the window to her room that night, admiring the star-studded night sky, the encounter nearly forgotten. “Lovely night, no?” a voice asked. Hana jumped looking at the Uchiha, sitting in the tree near her window.

“Go away Itachi,” Hana looked away.

“I told you, I want to see you one last time,” he muttered.

“Well, I don’t want to see you, so there,” she turned away from him.

“Would it help to say I’m sorry?” he asked; a slight plea in his voice.

“Sorry won’t fix eight years of suffering,” Hana muttered, eyes down cast, walking away from the window. Itachi calmly slipped in.

“Then what will?” he asked.

“Why do you want to fix what you did to me?” Hana asked, tears rolling silently down her cheeks. Itachi cupped her cheek, wiping a tear away from her face.

“Because,” he whispered, “I’m still in love with you.”

Hana blinked at him. “Itachi,” she took a step towards him.

“I came here because I’m going to die soon. I want to tell you my feelings one last time, before I die and…” Itachi looked away, unable to finish his thought, but Hana knew.

“Go now Itachi before,” Hana gulped, “before I scream.”

“No,” he pressed his forehead against hers; she could feel the cool metal of his headband.

“Itachi don’t make this harder for us, just go,” Hana placed her hands and tried to gently push him away, but he had thwarted her plans for escape, holding her hands to his body. “Itachi please I—” he silenced her with a passionate kiss. Hana moaned softly, her knees growing weak. Itachi was a forbidden fruit, and every time she tasted this forbidden fruit, she craved more. His tongue battled for dominance with hers as her arms snaked up to curl around his neck. Nimble fingers coaxed his dark hair free of the ribbon that held it prisoner.

Hana moaned before pulling away suddenly. “I can’t,” she took a few steps back from him. “Go Itachi, just go, before someone finds you,” she muttered.

“Hana, this is the last time you’ll see me, the very last time,” he pointed out. “Sasuke is closing in, and this time I will let him kill me,” Itachi took a few steps towards her. “Will you be happy with the what if for the rest of your life?” Itachi asked. Hana looked at her feet.

“Please, just go,” Hana hugged herself.

“Hana, don’t you get it? This is it! This is the last time you’ll see me!” he grabbed her arms giving her a little shake. Hana looked at him. “I love you,” he whispered brokenly. Hana didn’t reply and Itachi sighed sadly. “I’ll be taking my leave,” he let her go and hung his head, heading towards the window. He placed one foot on the windowsill.

“Wait,” Hana called out softly. Itachi turned to look at her.

“Hana?” Itachi hopped down, walked up to her and cupped her cheek.

“Don’t go Itachi,” she hugged him. He drank in her scent, before kissing away her tears.

Moonlight drifted through the open window along with the melody of the nightingales and the harmony of crickets and cicadas. Hana sighed, happy with the warmth of her beloved besides her. “Itachi,” she whispered softly, rolling over to face him. He smiled, the moon’s silver light washing out his already pale skin, and darkening his already black orbs. He traced her face lightly with a fingertip, a happy little smile on his face. “I love you,” Hana whispered, kissing him. He pulled away to look at her.

“Aren’t you glad I stayed?” he teased. Hana laughed, tracing a scar on his chest.

“Yes, I’m glad,” Hana sighed.

“Our last night together is such a beautiful one,” Itachi nuzzled her cheek, kissing her tender spots his chapped lips, his arms slipping around her naked waist. Hana watched the Uchiha slowly drift to sleep, eyelids slipping close over his obsidian orbs as sleep over came him.

When Hana woke up the next morning, Itachi was gone. It almost seemed like he wasn’t even there, but his scent, like freshly cut grass or the air after a spring rain storm, lingered on the sheets. Han felt tears prick her eyes as Kiba called out to her, saying he was going with Naruto to look for Sasuke.

When Kiba returned, bearing the grim news that Itachi’s prophesy of his own doom to be true, Hana broke down and sobbed, tearfully informing her brother of Itachi’s unborn child that she carried.

***

Irony loves to strike at all the wrong moments. A cold rainy October night, gave birth to a baby girl, and Uchiha Sasuke walk through the door. Sakura and Hana stared at the Uchiha while Kiba and Akamaru walked out into the rain. “What the hell are you doing here?” Tsume angrily demanded. Sasuke shrugged.

“I asked that one kid, Sai, where Sakura was and he said she was here,” Sasuke shrugged.

“And why did you want to see me anyways?” Sakura demanded.

“You were the last person to see me leave. I thought it would be fitting you’d be the first person to know that I returned,” Sasuke shrugged. Sakura walked up to Sasuke, a furious almost hateful glint in her jade eyes.

“Then greet your niece, who, thanks to you, will never know her father! She’s an innocent child robbed of her father because of your…pigheaded arrogant avenger bullshit!” Sakura hissed before marching out the door. Sasuke blinked, slowly walking up to Hana. He squatted before the young mother, ignoring the growls of the dogs.

“So, Itachi left an heir,” Sasuke muttered, lighting tracing the baby’s chubby little cheek. “What’s her name?” Sasuke looked at Hana.

“Shiba,” Hana muttered.

“Hn,” Sasuke looked at the infant before standing up. “Hopefully she’ll grow strong like her mother,” Sasuke turned to follow the Haruno girl, “because her father’s clan is cursed,” Sasuke warned and left.

Hmm…yeah. I was really into dark depressing stuff and I was into ItaHana and yeah…so this came out. I have another one. It’s even sadder than this one. Blah!

I don’t really have anything to say here. I really don’t other than the fact that Sara is the best thing since sliced bread! I fucking love you girl! You rock my face off! And Stitch does too! Both are the best thing since sliced bread! Yay! Sliced bread!

R’n’R

DJ