Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Who knew... ❯ 14. MOON ON THE WATER ( Chapter 14 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

14. MOON ON THE WATER

Asuka was dragging herself along the street, yawning and cursing silently her father for the wicked idea of late evening training and early morning departure. She wondered if he was a sadist, because she knew that she wasn't the only one to feel a little…dried. Itachi had improved quickly, and she had to follow him using more chakra than her father and Ren had to.

The long haired kunoichi yawned. She hadn't slept that night, at all.

What was all that red in Itachi's mind? And that strange Sharingan eye…she knew what she saw weren't scenes of the boy's past; she had felt strangely scared.

Why was the Uchiha thinking about all that blood? And who was screaming? She had seen corpses, and she could tell that all the dead people she saw were wearing black clothes. But the place, and the faces, yet so familiar…she couldn't remember where she saw the large corridors.

And the shadow of that woman. Who was she? The bloodlust she had felt in that red and black world had seemed to withdrew, and the decision she had sensed had shown signs of weakness.

She had wanted to scream, and tell him to stop with that thoughts, but she knew that would have been useless.

She snapped her fingers and cracked her spine, in a vain attempt to ease that backache, due to the sudden growth of her bones and certainly made worse by the lack of sleep.

She looked at Itachi. He looked as handsome and relaxed as ever. Bah. She was just imagining things, how could Itachi hide something? He was the same Itachi as ever.

And she liked him…Asuka looked away and blushed, meeting Kakashi's gaze.

`Doh. I had to know it…clichÃ©' the girl thought; it was ridiculous, being caught by Kakashi while staring at Itachi.

“Is everything alright, Asuka-chan? You look strange” the white haired Anbu said.

The kunoichi shook her head. “I'm fine, arigato, Kakashi-sempai. I'm just tired, because I didn't sleep well.”

Kakashi came closer to the girl, and circling her shoulders with one of his strong arms whispered in an husky voice “Did you miss me, Asuka-chan? Because I did.”

Asuka's eyes widened, before blushing madly. Thankfully, Shisui chose that very moment to beg for a break.

The girl slunk away from the jounin's firm grip, and glued to her cousin's side, missing the amused expression on Kakashi's face.

The break being refused, the Konoha nins kept on walking.

“Why does life has to be so unfair” Asuka murmured.

“Unfair? Asuka-chan, you have two of the most wanted shinobi of Konoha wooing you…and you call this unfair?” Ren chuckled, keeping the volume of the conversation willingly low.

“Why, Ren, I didn't know you had *that* kind of interest…” the girl mocked him maliciously.

This made her earn a slap on the back of her head. “Baka! I'm as straight as a pencil! And besides you know about my interest in that…friend…of yours.”

“Ah, if only Tomoyo-chan was there! Well, Ren, I said that life is unfair because somehow I always end up between those two…it's like a shoujo manga, you know? the two main characters begin with hostility towards each other, and then there's the evergreen love triangle, and eventually the girl will pick one of the two, making the other suffer and so on.”

“Seemed to me you had already picked one” Ren said.

“…”

“Forgotten all that `I'm in love with Itachi' madness?”

“I wish I had…”

“Eeeeh, Asuka-chan. I wish for you there was a manga telling you `pick the black haired one' or `the white haired man is your twin soul'.”

Asuka sighed.

Shisui came out of nowhere behind them. “What are you two talking about so secretly?” the older Uchiha asked.

“A conspiracy” Asuka replied, seriously.

Shisui seemed to lose his interest in them, and went back to Itachi, who was looking at the Yoshizumi cousins.

“Ne, Asuka-chan” whispered Ren. Asuka looked at him, and he murmured in her ear “You can always rule out the two cool ones, and live happily ever after with Shisui-kun, there”

Asuka just sighed.

* * *

They had arrived in Oto by night, welcomed by the diplomatic corps and the daimyos.

Itachi couldn't help but notice the fake smiles and the fake hospitality surrounding them, and found maintaining his stoic expression a little hard. Man, these people were weak.

They had had a tedious dinner with the daimyos, and apparently the trick of the growth pill had worked, because nobody recognized them as Uchihas, even though their trademark paleness and raven hair. The Yoshizumi instead were immediately recognized, because of their tanned skin, even if the Oto nins didn't suspect that the tall young woman was the teenage heir. The only ones who were having a real hard time were Kakashi-san, who had this unmistakable weird hair of his that was like screaming for attention, and obviously Yoshizumi-taichou.

Asuka had been silent for the rest of the journey, since that last whispered talk with her cousin; too bad Sharingan read lips.

He was rather pleased with what he had understood: Asuka-chan had feelings for him, it seemed.

But still, he was worried about what she might have understood from the pieces of visions she had had the night before, while wandering freely in his mind.

Before dinner, they had settled in the rooms arranged for them; obviously the kunoichi had been given one of her own.

They had bathed, and gotten new clothes (that Ren had personally inspected in search for poisons or such things). They had been given ordinary, black clothes like the ones they wore when they arrived; but Asuka-chan…

Itachi couldn't suppress a gasp when she entered the dining room in a white dress that looked a lot like the one she wore on the festival night, short and sleeveless, leaving her legs and her arms uncovered and her Anbu tattoo exposed. He knew that she was handsome, he knew that white highlighted her tanned skin and dark hair and eyes… yet she was…she was just…different.

That white dress didn't look innocent as the one of the festival night; and she didn't look the girl in blossom she had been wearing that dress. She was a wonderful, mature young woman, with curves of the right size on the right places. Her long, wavy dark brown hair was let down, and her lips had a soft light on them. Itachi wondered if she was wearing lipgloss, or if her lips were really that pretty, and kissable, and…desirable. She was desirable.

And she hadn't went unnoticed.

Kakashi had quickly managed to sit beside her, and was now monopolizing her attention.

Itachi wasn't an idiot. He knew that the white haired jounin's interest on the girl was far from a purely friendly one, and certainly not a detached and uninvolved one.

The boy smirked.

Poor Kakashi. He pitied him, because Itachi already knew that Asuka was already his. And no one else's.

Shisui had been rather hyperactive, and now had fallen soundly asleep on the futon.

Itachi was sitting on the wooden corridor out of the room, basking in the moonlight, and he knew that sleep was not about to come.

Too many thoughts in his mind.

He wore his sandals, and decided to take a walk in the traditional garden, filling his lungs with the perfume of the white flowered gardenia bushes.

`There's the full moon tonight. No clouds, a few stars, everything's peaceful…it's almost too good to be truth. It looks…fake.' Itachi thought silently wandering on the small wooden bridge on the artificial lake that decorated the garden. He took a few moments to fully appreciate the rays of the moon shining on the water surface, and glimmering on the rocks surrounding the lake.

He breathed deeply, enjoying the moment. Itachi was a stoic person, indeed, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the beauty surrounding him. Actually, he was an hedonist, and looked for the beauty, strength and perfection of things.

That's why he needed to follow the way.

Wait, was he reconsidering? No way! His decision was irrevocable, and final.

He sighed. What was that girl doing to him…

His ears tensed.

His hands left the scarlet parapet, and he looked around, to find the source of the sound.

There was a shadow under a tree. Stealthily, the boy moved towards the shadow.

“Full moon sways…gently in the night of one fine day…on my way…looking for a moment with my dear…”

Itachi arched a brow. He knew that voice. And he loved it.

Asuka was leaning on the sakura tree, the white nightgown almost shining under the pale light. Apparently she had her I-pod on, and her eyes were closed, fully focused on the music.

Itachi chose not to reveal his presence.

He was enjoying this rather intimate moment, and he pretty liked the song she was singing. A soft breeze blew, moving lightly his hair, which he waved back with his pale fingers.

“Itachi” she said, still not moving.

“Go on. I liked the song.” He said simply.

Asuka moved to look at him, a light smile gracing her rosy lips. The Uchiha sat in front of her.

“Sing it, Asuka-chan. Please?” he asked.

“I'm not good at singing, Itachi.” She replied shaking her head.

The boy stretched his hand, and poked her forehead. “Sing.”

The young kunoichi sighed. She closed her eyes, and began.

“Full moon sways
Gently in the night of one fine day
On my way
Looking for a moment with my dear”

The girl moved a few bangs from her face, and opened her eyes to look at the young shinobi. His face was expressionless, and it looked as if he was studying her.

“Full moon waves
Slowly on the surface of the lake
You are there
Smiling in my arms for all those years”

Asuka was beginning to like it. She liked singing, and with Itachi so silent and so still, it seemed to her that she was still alone. But it felt better.

“What a fool!
I don't know about tomorrow
What it's like to be

I was sure
'Couldn't let myself to go
Even though I feel
The end”

A strange embarrassment caught her when she examined the expression of the boy. She looked away, and closed her eyes trying to fight back the blush.

Oh my fair...
Floating like a bird that's in her wings
You are there
Smiling in my arms for all those years

What a fool!
I don't know about tomorrow
What it's like to be

I was sure
'Couldn't let myself to go
Even though I feel
The end

Full moon sways
Gently in the night of one fine day
You are there
Smiling in my arms for all those years”

The song was over. She stayed silent and still for a couple of seconds before opening her eyes, and witnessing the unbelievable.

Itachi was…stripping?!?

“Wh…” she was about to ask him what the hell he was doing, but he anticipated her.

“That song spoke about the moon reflecting on the water, right?” he said, taking his shirt off.

Caught in the vision of Itachi's bare grown up chest Asuka didn't find the strength to answer, so she merely nodded.

He stretched his hand to the puzzled and blushing kunoichi, and tried his best to fight back the satisfied smirk that was surfacing.

“Come. Let's bath.”

Asuka didn't really understand what was going on until she felt Itachi pulling her.

He approached her, grabbed the shoulders of her nightgown and was about to pull them down, when Asuka slapped his hand.

“Asuka-chan, I don't think it's a good idea bathing with that dress on.” Itachi commented smirking.

“I….I …” Asuka was at loss for words. She didn't know what to say, because…because…because she didn't know what to do. She had an Itachi in just his black boxers in front of her, asking her to go and bath in a small artificial lake in the middle of the night, in the middle of a *mission*.

Panic.

“I can take my clothes off by myself, you know” she heard herself saying.

She couldn't believe hat she had just said.

And at the moment she realized what she had said, she realized that her nightgown was already falling on the ground, leaving her with her bra and her panties.

Oh god.

And at that moment, the part of her conscience that was still squeaking and screaming and squealing inside of her was completely turned off, and that the part that was singing in victory had decided to just enjoy the moment, and whatever will be will be.

“Light blue? I thought you wore something more sophisticated, Asuka-chan. Red silk, I don't know, something of that kind…” the boy mocked her smirking, and blushing madly she slapped him on the shoulder, making the boy laugh.

Itachi grabbed her hand, and they ran to the lake, running.

They were close, more close than they had ever been, but none of them seemed to mind; in fact, the closeness might have been excused by the breeze, which was pretty cool, and being almost bare didn't surely help.

They ran on the small wooden quay, that led them almost in the middle of the lake, and stopped.

Itachi, still not believing what *he* was doing, immersed his feet in the water of the small lake. He jumped on the water, then he turned, and gestured to the young woman to follow him, still holding her hand.

Asuka touched the water with her toes, unsure. She quickly withdrew her foot, and said “But Itachi, it's cold…”

The boy sighed.

“Come, Asuka-chan. When you get used, it feels much better.” He assured.

Asuka shook her head, shutting up the voices that told her not to do what she was doing, and she went into the water.

It was cold. So damn cold.

Itachi held her, and after a moment of surprise, she let go, and leaned on him.

“Better now?” Itachi asked her softly.

She nodded.

She let go of his grip on her, and immersed fully in the lake's water, swimming.

She enjoyed the feeling of the water on her skin, of the forbidden freedom and the new feelings she was experimenting.

She emerged a few meters away from him, and breathed deeply. She felt happy, she felt truly happy, and she wanted to laugh.

The water covered her up to her shoulders, and she looked at Itachi, smiling.

The boy came closer, and surrounded her with his arms.

Asuka felt her cheeks burn, and she felt that if he had let her go, she would have drowned.

Her hair was wet, unlike his, and cold little drops were falling on her cheeks.

“Sing that again, Asuka-chan” he said looking at the sky.

“Full moon sways
Gently in the night of one fine day
On my way
Looking for a moment with my dear…” she sang, and paused to get some air before starting again.

“Full moon waves…”

Asuka's eyes widened. Itachi had joined her, singing lowly, almost whispering.

“Slowly on the surface of the lake
You are there
Smiling in my arms for all those years…”

The Uchiha looked at her, and leaned his head on hers.

Asuka thought that this leaning like that of his was extremely cute, and sweet, and smiled.

They were so close… Itachi felt dizzy.

He knew that she felt the same, and that was pure bliss for him.

His Asuka-chan.

The two boys were still, in the middle of the lake, completely forgetting the world around them.

Close enough to feel each other's warm breath, Itachi and Asuka were basking in that new feeling.

And it felt good.

Itachi breathed deeply, inhaling her scent. She always smelled like peaches, and he had always loved that perfume, even before falling for her, even before admitting he had fallen for her.

Asuka, her hands resting on his shoulders, moved her right hand, and touched his lips.

Soft, warm.

She bit her lower lip, wishing she could kiss those lips.

The breeze blew, and the girl shivered.

Itachi kissed the finger that was still lingering on his lips, and asked her “Are you cold, Asuka-chan?”

The sound of his voice was strange, in the middle of that silent moment, previously broken only by their breathing.

“A little.” The girl admitted.

“Let's go out, then.” He said, and loosed the embrace.

Asuka was disappointed, but followed him out of the lake.

They shook a little, and Asuka wringed her hair before waving it back.

Itachi grabbed her hand, and they walked silently to the sakura tree, where they had left their clothes.

Even if soaking wet, they dressed up, and walked to the main building, where their rooms were.

Asuka felt like crying; she didn't want that warm embrace to stop. She wanted something more, not something less.

Opening the window of her room, she stopped, and watched Itachi slowly walking towards his.

She had dared enough, that night, hadn't she?

No.

That wasn't enough.

She slid the window back closed, and ran to Itachi.

She stopped halfway.

Then…then? What was she supposed to do now? All her instinct had suggested her to, was to block him, to stop him, to hug him, to hold him close. But she hadn't really thought about what to do next.

Itachi turned, and looked the young woman in her eyes. “Yes, Asuka-chan?” he whispered, almost huskily.

Asuka felt as dizzy as when they were into the water.

Do it. Do it. Do it.

With a quick movement, her lips covered his.

They stayed like that for a second, before Itachi, like a cat who had finally gotten his milk, moaned satisfied and sought to deepen the kiss.

Or at least that was what flashed into her mind, because she was still at least a couple of meters away from him.

She turned back, and waved nonchalantly at him, hoping that he couldn't read through her real intentions. Even if Asuka herself doubted about her real intentions.

“Nothing, just wanted to say goodnight. It's rude to go away like you did, without a word, you know.” she said walking to her window.

Yeah, right, how not.

`Asuka-chan, I'm not an idiot.' Itachi thought.

“Sweet dreams, Asuka-chan” the boy said, before entering his room.

- - -

ta-daaan!! Another chappie! -_- sorry if recently I update like, once a week, but I have too many lessons, too many exams, too much stress -_-

does any of you know the song??? ^_^

Beck is such a cool manga/anime, as good as Naruto, I would say. I say that only because they are of completely different kinds! Naruto still rules in my heart!

ANYWAY!!

Review, please…tell me if you like it, if it sucks, if you would change anything, if Asuka should be more…I don't know, different, things that you'd like to happen…

2SEXY4U I kind of guessed that the kid wasn't *your* kid -_- but I appreciated that you pointed that out, ta-haaa… let me know what you think, uh?

Ciao ciao e grazie!