[Name] was sitting on her bed, cradling her knees to her chest. She was surprised, shock, but it wasn't the brief history lesson she received from the Hokage. [Name] rubbed her forehead, the place where Itachi kissed her. 

'What am I thinking? Do I like him? Or does he like me?' [Name] thought. She shook her head. "We're just co-workers, partners. I'm not getting attached to anyone, and I'm especially not falling in love with someone." she scolded herself.

[Name] collapsed on her bed and rolled around. This was why she hated herself. Since what had happened to the Cho clan, the remaining members created this loss of trust, and they tended to isolate themselves from other clans. She couldn't help it. [Name] had to protect her brother from them, and this was her duty since that terrible day.

[Name] closed her eyes, but only saw that unfortunate event in the past. A tear rolled down her face. Wiping it away, [Name] confirmed that she had to be stubborn to protect Karasu from them.

But, somewhere inside her, she wanted to be with someone. Someone who could protect her and Karasu. Someone who they could call "family."

She blew out the candle and tried to fall asleep. 'Why must so many conflicting feelings emerge now?'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Itachi was standing in the middle of the shower. The water slowly trickled through his long hair and down his back. He was trying to remember what had happened back there when they were watching the Hokage and [Name]'s younger brother.

"I think they'll be fine... Let's go back. It's getting dark, and we'll have to be up early to tail them..." [Name] had said hurriedly and suddenly. Itachi was hugging her, but he couldn't place what made [Name] like this.

"Damn it..." he hissed. He shut off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. Itachi grabbed another, smaller towel to dry his hair. As he opened the bathroom door, somebody was thrown across the hall.

"What the-"

Tobi crawled towards Itachi. "Itachi-san!!! Deidara-senpai's trying to kill me!" he cried. There was another small explosion at the end of the hall, and a totally pissed-off Deidara appeared out from the puffs of smoke and wall debris.

"What is the meaning of this, Deidara? It's late at night, and a couple of people are trying to sleep." Itachi demanded, looking very upset at the chaos.

"Sorry, Itachi-san, but this little pest was trying to ruin my masterpiece! He's so... ARGH!" Deidara punched the wall, sending small crumbles flying.

"Stop breaking the walls, or you're going to repair them tomorrow. Anyways, Tobi, what were you doing that upset Deidara?"

Tobi pushed his two index fingers together and tried to act innocent. "I-uh... I was just trying to be helpful by braiding Deidara-senpai's bangs back, so he could see. He always lets Sasori-senpai do that."

Deidara flushed in embarrasment and anger. "I do NOT! Sasori doesn't do that, and I don't allow it."

Itachi sighed. "Why do you two fight over stupid things? Okay, tomorrow's task includes repairing the hallway walls, and Tobi and Deidara are going to work TOGETHER until it's done. If you cause more stupid problems, you'll receive a punishment from Hidan. Understood?" He glared in both of their eyes.

Deidara nodded. "Yes."

"But, but! I don't wanna, but I'll do it...." Tobi whined. 

"Good. Now go to bed."

Once Itachi was laying on his bed, he suddenly recalled what might of made [Name] hesitant and nervous. He had placed a kiss on her forehead out of nowhere, and she probably was frightened by it.

"Now I'm the stupid one... But, I have a plan..." Itachi mumbled to himself before he dozed off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Name] was already outside of the Akatsuki HQ, waiting for Itachi to finish dressing. "I don't see his problem. It's just casual clothes. We're not going on a date or anything..." she said to herself. The front door creaked open.

"Hello there. Ready for another day of stalking?" Itachi joked.

[Name] raised one eyebrow. "Don't say it like that. You make it sound creepy. Anyways, what's today's goal?"

Itachi pulled out something from behind his back. "Err... Why do we need flowers?" [Name] asked.

The young man took a step closer to [Name]. "Well, let's make it seem like a date today. And, don't most dates start with flowers?"

[Name] blushed and took the flowers. "Thanks, but why a date? We could look like an elderly couple. Probably be easier."

Itachi shook his head. "I like this better. Besides, Karasu already suspects you're here, so we have to act casual, but without him noticing." Itachi winked at [Name].

They both strolled into town. Itachi looked at [Name]. "Let's hold hands, 'kay?" [Name] blushed and used the flowers to hide her face. 

"W-why? This is sooo sudden, Itachi. Like, really sudden." she mumbled. Itachi reluctantly held her hand. 

"To make it realistic. It's okay. We'll only hold hands." Itachi smiled at [Name].

As they made there way towards the middle of Konaha, Itachi spotted Shisui escorting Karasu and Ronome. "Let's go this way. Shisui knows of our mission and will steer them clear of our path if he spots us. However, we'll be able to see them."

[Name] nodded and followed Itachi down the same path. Shisui was talking and joking with Karasu and Ronome, but Karasu wasn't laughing much. "Why the long face, Kara-kun? You feel off to be back home?"

Karasu shook his head. "I thought I saw my onii-chan yesterday, but I'm not sure. I do have a feeling that she's here, though. And, then what the Hokage told us. I'm so confused..." Shisui squeezed Karasu's shoulder gently.

"That's okay. At least your history isn't as bad as the Uchiha's." Shisui joked. Ronome placed his arms on Karasu's shoulder, too.

"Dude, it's fine. Now I know that we're bonded by an infinite red thread of fate! We were MADE to be friends!" Ronome smiled and Karasu. Karasu blushed slightly and smiled back.

"Yeah. I guess..."

Shisui pointed at a small garden. "That's new. Let's go explore. Looks like a bonsai garden." The three boys went to the zen garden.

"Wow... Shisui's good at picking date sights, huh, [Name]?" Itachi laughed. [Name] pinched Itachi's finger.

"Shisui's gonna pay. You better make this worth my time, Itachi." she said stubbornly. She pulled Itachi closer to her just in case Karasu would see her. Itachi smiled kindly at [Name]'s innocent act and patted her head.

As they were following Shisui, Ronome, and Karasu, Karasu accidentally dropped something. "Wait. I dropped my notebook." When he bent down to grab it, he saw a glimpse of his older sister. "Huh? Onii-cha-"

But, before Karasu could approach [Name], Itachi swiftly pulled [Name] to his chest and placed a kiss on her lips, blocking [Name]'s face from Karasu's view. Ronome and Shisui approached Karasu.

"Dude, Karasu, you carry that everywhere? C'mon, let's keep going." Ronome grabbed Karasu's hand. Shisui noticed Itachi's hair right away.

"Yeah, they're just a bunch of lovebirds. This IS a new place." Shisui ran to catch up to his two underlings.

[Name] was extremely red, and her face was really hot. Itachi still hadn't let her go. 'What is he DOING!?' [Name] shrieked in her head. 'I can't believe it! He said we'd only hold hands!' She tried to pull away, but...

Itachi didn't want to...

.:End - The "Date":.

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