**At Akatsuki Headquarters**
**Members:** Yahiko, Konan, Nagato, Sasori, Kakuzu, Kisame, Hidan, Itachi, Deidara
The mountains loomed sharply against the dusk. Barely visible etchings on stone were tucked in the shadows of a ridge. There were no guards, no traps—just an open doorway cut into the mountain, like a secret never meant to be found.
The air inside was warm.
Illuminated by low lanterns and the occasional flicker of chakra light, the Akatsuki base did not resemble a lair of terrorists. It felt more like a strange, domestic afterlife, a stillness that was not quite peace. The quiet felt hard-earned, yet everything felt lifeless, and everyone appeared busy with their tasks. Sasori fiddled with his puppets, Hidan and Kakuzu sparred, and Kisame sharpened his large sword. Others were nowhere to be found.
Then, a bell rang. Everyone stopped what they were doing and gathered around a stone table that resembled a dining table set for breakfast.
It was ironic that those who caused distress across the nations were enjoying lunch together like friends and family.
The table was circular, not for decoration but to symbolise equality; everyone present was equal—no ranks, no status, and not even power. Each person had their own identity, goals, and ideology. Those gathered here were more than just representatives of the authorities they served; they were individuals in their own right.
All the male members sat quietly at the table while the only two female members emerged from the kitchen with a simple breakfast: steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and a few side dishes like pickled vegetables. As breakfast was served, everyone ate in silence, with just enough small talk to make onlookers see them not as strangers, but as a small family.
After breakfast, everyone returned to their work except for Yahiko, Konan, and Itachi. Konan and Itachi were in the kitchen, gathering the plates.
Suddenly, Yahiko stopped in front of them.
"Itachi, I have a mission for you." His voice lacked its usual commanding tone; it was dry and held a hint of concern, suggesting that his words were more a request than an order. Itachi sensed that something was different. He glanced first at Yahiko and then at Konan, both of whom were looking down and avoiding eye contact.
"What is the mission?" Itachi asked, breaking the silence.
"You have to return to Konoha," Yahiko replied, finally meeting Itachi's red eyes.
At his words, she froze for a moment. Konoha was her home—no, it was the place where she had lived and where she was meant to live. It was where her clan resided and where her memories were formed. It was the place where her brother, Shisui, and her past experiences were intertwined.
"Itachi?" A loud voice broke her from her thoughts.
When she looked up, she saw Konan and Yahiko gazing at her with pity in their eyes.
"Sorry, what is the mission?" Itachi asked, trying to regain her composure.
"Itachi, if you don't—" Konan began, her voice filled with concern, but Itachi cut her off. "No, I want to accept the mission," Itachi said, now looking at Yahiko.
"So, what is the mission?" Yahiko sighed. "Recently, all nations have been on high alert. We need to gather information about the jinchūriki, and Konoha is the most suitable place for a distraction. To proceed, you have to submit yourself, and it will take around five to six days for us to gather information and retrieve you."
Hearing this, Itachi took a deep breath and said, "Time to go."
"Tomorrow morning."
**At Night**
Itachi lay on her bed, unable to sleep—not because she was going to Konoha, but because of the recurring nightmare. In it, she sat on the floor with her knees drawn up, arms crossed over them, and her head resting on her arms. Darkness surrounded her, filled with the loud voices of her family, friends, and villagers asking her why she did it—why, why, why.
But tonight, there was something different. A light figure approached her. Itachi couldn't see who it was, but she could feel the aura emanating from him—peaceful and soothing, almost comforting, causing the darkness around her to begin to disperse. Finally, the figure stopped in front of her, extending a hand as if asking her to come with him. She hesitated for a moment before taking his hand, reassured by his presence that it was safe and she would be secure with him. Now she was staring at the light figure, reaching for his hand.
"Beep beep beep." She woke up to the sound of her alarm.
The familiar noise disrupted her thoughts. She looked at her hands for a moment, then brought them to her face, gazing at the ceiling. For the first time, she woke up from her alarm and not from her nightmare.
Taking a moment to collect herself, she took a deep breath, preparing for the day's mission. Without saying anything to anyone, she packed a small bag for her journey and set off. It took her about four days to reach a small village near Konoha. After resting for a bit, she went to an inn, rented a room, and slept—not to recover from her journey, but in hopes of meeting him in her dreams.
This time, there was no darkness around her, just the same figure before her, looking at her with softness in his eyes. She gazed back at him, trying to recognise him through his dark grey eyes.
The next morning, she woke up and took a moment to ponder her dream and the person within it. His presence was unlike anything she had felt before, and she never wanted to leave it.
Leaving the inn, she continued her journey through dark forests, finally approaching the familiar gates she had left long ago. Two guards stood at the entrance.
"State your name and your purpose," one guard said, looking at her.
"Itachi Uchiha. I am here to yield," she replied, removing her disguise and raising her hands in surrender.
The streets of Konoha whispered with unease. The village still bore the scars of recent conflict—cracked rooftops, debris lining the alleys, and scorch marks seared into the Hokage Monument. Yet, despite the damage, a hum of resilience filled the air. Konoha had endured. It always did.
Kakashi had just been in his modest, single-room apartment, where a desk, shelves, and a trunk filled with various decorations and books surrounded him. As he stared at the photos of his past and present teams—Minato-sensei, Rin, and Obito next to Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke—one photo drew his attention.
His love… His Kōha… His Ita…
Kakashi reached for the picture of her, but hesitated just a few inches from touching it. Then, he left his apartment.
Stepping into the village, Kakashi walked steadily, his hands tucked into his pockets, the weight of his summons pressing on his mind. The Hokage Tower loomed ahead, its shadow stretching across the remnants of the shattered city.
Tsunade.
Her return, along with Jiraiya, had brought a quiet balance to the chaos that followed the death of the Third Hokage. For the first time, something in Kakashi's chest felt settled.
He climbed the steps to the Hokage Tower, his movements unhurried and deliberate. The guards at the entrance barely glanced at him before stepping aside, their postures stiff and tense. Inside the building, the atmosphere was heavier than usual, weighed down by an unspoken tension.
Voices murmured beyond—low, clipped, and argumentative. He recognised Jiraiya's voice, rough but amused, and Tsunade's sharp and unyielding tone.
The room fell silent the moment Kakashi entered. For a brief second, his gaze swept across the gathered faces, assessing the tension in the air. Tsunade exhaled and gestured toward the empty chair at the far end of the table. "Sit."
Kakashi complied, sliding into the seat. Despite the palpable tension surrounding him, his posture remained relaxed.
Jiraiya was the first to break the silence. "Glad you could join us, Kakashi." His voice was casual, but his eyes told a different story.
Kakashi tilted his head slightly. "Well, I try not to disturb old friends." The humour in his tone was dry and brittle, an attempt to cut through the suffocating atmosphere. However, it didn't land as he had hoped.
Tsunade shifted in her seat. "This is not a matter for jokes, Hatake." Exhaling, she continued evenly, "Uchiha Itachi has surrendered."
This news was more unexpected than shocking to Kakashi; he had never imagined that Uchiha Itachi would choose to surrender.
Kakashi finally broke his silence. "What can I do for you?"
"You will be assigned as her warden," Tsunade replied. "Further orders will come later."
The words settled in his mind without reaction. He stood from his chair and bowed to Tsunade before walking towards the door, thoughts swirling in his head. Suddenly, a voice stopped him, breaking his concentration.
"Kakashi, I know you have a history with her, but don't forget she is an S-rank rogue shinobi. She killed her own clan—"
"Tsunade-sama, if you think I am unsuitable for this role, then please appoint someone else. You know that I'm not good at this," Kakashi interrupted, looking away.
Tsunade sighed, studying Kakashi for a moment. It wasn't that she thought he was incapable; she understood that dealing with torture and interrogation would bring back painful memories from his past, triggering his trauma. He still saw the subjects of such investigations as human. She remembered a time when he nearly attacked an entire Anbu squad for attempting to sexually assault a female prisoner scheduled for execution the next morning.
However, she had no other option. Only Kakashi could handle both her and the challenges presented by the Sharingan. She also knew that Itachi had been part of Kakashi's Anbu squad and that Kakashi still cared deeply for them. After losing many of his loved ones, his team had become his pack.
"No, Kakashi, you are suitable for this job. Go with an Anbu. They will take you to the interrogation cell. Just remember, she is an S-ranked rogue shinobi."
Now you are dismissed," Tsunade concluded with a huff.
"But I remember that the S-ranked is also a woman," Kakashi replied before shutting the door and walking away.
Tsunade sighed again and turned to Jiraiya. "What do you think about this?" she asked.
Without looking at her, he replied, "I don't know. It could either go as we want, or it could change Konoha and the entire shinobi world." Tsunade wasn't satisfied with his answer, but she returned to her work.
Kakashi followed the ANBU member to the interrogation cell. It seemed specifically designed for her—small yet guarded by ten ANBU members. His mind, however, wandered to the past.
He recalled a girl of ten, assigned to his team—Uchiha Itachi, a prodigy among prodigies. She had been smart, sharp, and frighteningly capable, the most talented kunoichi he had ever encountered at that age. There had never been hesitation in her movements, nor doubt in her tactics. Even back then, he had respected and cared for her.
Uchiha Itachi was a prodigy among prodigies. She had been intelligent, sharp, and frighteningly capable—the most talented kunoichi he had ever encountered at that age. There was never any hesitation in her movements or any doubt in her tactics. Even back then, he had loved and respected her.
She had been assigned as an ANBU team leader at just thirteen, but soon after, she slaughtered her entire clan and became a rogue shinobi. Now, she was a prisoner under his watch. Isn't it interesting?
What could have motivated her? What drove her to wipe out the Uchiha and turn her blade against her own people?
Theories had circulated for years about her. Some claimed she was power-hungry, while others whispered that she had gone mad. A few suggested she had been manipulated by an outside force.
But in the end, none of that mattered.
Kakashi stopped in front of the cell door, his hands trembling as they hovered over it. He didn't know why he was feeling this way, but he took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
"Uchiha Itachi."
As he looked at her, she still resembled the girl he had known when she joined his team, smiling up at him. She didn't seem like the woman sitting quietly before him now—one who had committed many atrocities. Kakashi moved forward and took a seat in front of her, but she still didn't say anything or even look at him.
"Long time no see, Itachi," Kakashi said, finally breaking the silence between them. His voice was soft and smooth, though he wasn't sure why.
Upon hearing his voice, she looked at him, and their eyes met. He focused on her red eyes, which he had seen long ago, while she gazed into his dark grey eyes—eyes she not only remembered from the past but also recognised from her dreams.
They were looking at each other, not breaking eye contact. The silence between them needed to be broken.
**Knock, knock, knock.**
Suddenly, hearing a knock on the door, Itachi broke eye contact and looked down, while Kakashi continued to gaze at her. Why? He didn't know.
"Come in," Kakashi said without looking toward the door. An Anbu member entered the room, silently handed him a file, and then exited. The silence lingered afterwards.
Itachi remained looking down, and Kakashi focused on the report from Tsunade, as well as from the so-called superior intelligence and council members. Kakashi thought this with sarcasm. But as he finished reading the report, something within him rejected it. He questioned them, asking, "Why? Why?"
Still keeping his emotions in check, he took a deep breath and said, "You will remain here under strict surveillance. Your chakra will be surgically suppressed on a routine basis. You will also be assigned missions—missions that no shinobi would accept. You are a tool now. Nothing more."
Upon hearing the word "tool," Kakashi felt a wave of disturbance and disgust. He wondered if the council intended to use her as a weapon again. The missions were merely named missions; in reality, they were designed to torture her and instil shame for her past actions. Kakashi kept his thoughts hidden, but Itachi noticed his unease. Perhaps it was Itachi's ability to read people—or maybe it was just something about Kakashi himself.
**Itachi's POV** (in her mind)
From the start, when she was taken to the cell by Anbu members, she thought of many things:
What will they do to her?
Will they kill her on sight?
Or will it be a public execution?
No, they can't kill her now; otherwise, her mission will be over.
A sudden sound pulled her back to the real world.
"Uchiha Itachi."
Without looking at the person who had entered the room, she recognised his voice and chakra signature. But why was it him she had to meet first? She had even prepared herself to meet her brother, Sasuke. But why him?
Her captain, her senpai, Kakashi.
It felt as though she didn't have the right to see him or even look at him, though she understood why, even if she didn't want to admit it.
"Long time no see, Itachi," Kakashi said, his voice smooth and comforting—not the tone typically used for prisoners or criminals.
She finally looked at him, meeting his dark grey eyes, which were not filled with the hatred she'd seen in others but instead reflected the same warmth she had experienced in her dreams of her angel.
Breaking the silence, an Anbu member arrived, handed Kakashi a file, and then left. Itachi looked down, sensing that something was off with Kakashi as he continued to read the file.
"You will remain here under strict surveillance. Your chakra will be surgically suppressed on a routine basis, and you will be assigned missions—ones that no shinobi would accept. You are a tool now. Nothing more," Kakashi said.
And now, she understood why.
**Kakashi POV**
"You are a tool now. Nothing more."
There was no reaction—no shift in expression, no flicker of defiance or sorrow. Just a small nod. Something about her bothered him. She was too calm. Too accepting.
"Why did you surrender? What are your real intentions? What do you want? What are you thinking?"
There were so many questions he wanted to ask her, some for his report and some for his heart, but he couldn't.
"ARE YOU DOING WELL? ARE YOU HAPPY? DO YOU MISS YOUR BROTHER? DO YOU MISS ME?"
Some answers he knew, some he wanted to know, some he understood but couldn't accept, and some he couldn't get answers to. Seeing that she had no intention of replying to him, he clenched his fist and asked.
**Itachi POV**
Hearing all his questions, she didn't reply because she didn't have to. Remembering her mission to become a distraction for them and others, she knew it was working. The news of her surrender had already sent tremors through Konoha and its affairs with other nations.
"HOW ARE YOU?"
As he asked his next question, Itachi finally emerged from her thoughts and looked at him. However, he was looking down, his body shaking and betraying his words. Unable to respond to his question, she glanced down at her own hands, which were also trembling. The silence lingered between them.
Caught off guard by his question and with no time to think or recover, he asked another.
"DO YOU NOT WANT TO TALK TO ME?"
This time, his voice was filled with emotions he was trying to control as their conversation began. She wanted to say something—a line, a small reply, or even just a word—but nothing came out. It wasn't because of his question; instead, a memory flooded her mind of the two of them sitting together.
Breaking the silence, Kakashi stood up from his seat and walked toward the door. "Your first assignment will be given to you after some time. Now, rest; Sasuke is not in the village right now," he said before leaving the room.
Once she was alone, she brought her hands to her face and took a deep breath to calm the emotions that had surfaced after being with Kakashi and hearing his questions. She left her seat, entered a small room, and lay down on the mattress provided for her, closing her eyes in hopes of seeing her angel in her dreams.
**Her Dream**
It was the same dream she had in the inn, but this time, the figure was looking directly at her. Itachi couldn't see his face, but she could tell that he was smiling and happy to see her. She felt joy in return, smiling back at him as she looked into his dark grey eyes.
(She also noticed it, but ignored it for now—his eyes and aura, which were similar to Kakashi's.)
**Back to Kakashi**
Kakashi exited the cell and closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath to calm himself and glanced up at the sky. It was late evening, and night was approaching. He informed the ANBU guards about the night shifts and sent one of them to Tsunade to update her on the meeting and the start of the missions assigned to Itachi, which would begin the following day.
Kakashi didn't want to meet Tsunade right now; all he wanted was some time alone, and he knew the perfect place for it. The Forest of Death is infamous for its name due to the presence of giant poisonous insects and man-eating beasts, but he knew one thing: "The deeper you go, the quieter the fear becomes, and the louder the beauty sings."
After walking for ten minutes, Kakashi arrived at his favourite spot, a place he always visited when he needed peace and time to himself. He lay down under a tree near a small lake, surrounded by tranquillity—no external sounds, no duties, no missions, simply being himself.
He thought about his meeting with Itachi, how he let his emotions control him, how he was unable to look at her properly, and how he longed to hear her voice and see her smile. Kakashi, who was known for his cold, serious, and aloof demeanour, acted like a teenager in love in front of her. He hated this feeling.
He closed his eyes, trying to forget about the meeting and his encounter with her. However, all that came to mind were his past experiences—not the haunting memories, but the brief moments he shared with his father, Obito, Rin, Minato-sensei, and Kushina-san. Those memories were enough to bring a smile to his face. He had already forgiven his father for leaving him after Obito's death. To Kakashi, his father was a hero, not a disgrace.
As he thought about them and about her, Kakashi fell asleep—not into a nightmare, but into a dreamless night, feeling as if someone were near him, watching over him with love and softness in (red) eyes.
"Love never truly dies—it lingers in the silence, waiting for courage to call its name again."
---
**In the Morning**
Kakashi woke up not to a nightmare, but to the sound of birds chirping and sunlight streaming onto his face. He blinked a few times before heading back to his apartment for a shower. After a simple breakfast, Kakashi made his way to the cell, contemplating the missions ahead and the task assigned to him by the Hokage. He reminded himself that there was no time for personal feelings or emotions—only his duty to the Hokage and the village, and the need to fulfil their expectations of him.
After accepting the guard's greeting, he discussed the previous night to ensure everything was normal. He opened the door, looked at Itachi, and said...
---
**Itachi's POV**
I woke up to the loud voice of a guard. Looking at my hands, I reflected on how my day would unfold, filled with mixed emotions. However, I was happy to have seen my angel in my dreams. His presence makes me feel safe. I washed my face and returned to my room, taking a seat to wait for him.
After some time, the gate opened, and then he said...
---
**No One's POV**
"You'll undergo the chakra suppression procedure. It'll be weekly. Routine," Kakashi said, his voice low and flat.
She nodded and stood without being told. Chains clinked softly at her wrists, and without another word, they walked.
The walk through the underground corridors was silent. Kakashi didn't speak, and Itachi didn't need to. The only sounds were their footsteps echoing against cold stone and the faint rattle of her restraints.
When they reached the medical wing, two shinobi in pale coats were already waiting, sterile gloves snapped tight to their wrists, with sealing tools laid out in a neat line. The air smelled of alcohol and burning chakra residue.
The senior medic glanced up, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Well, well. Uchiha." He picked up one of the suppression instruments, thin, sharp, and glowing faintly blue. "You'll scream. But don't expect me to show mercy."
Kakashi remained silent near the door, arms crossed, his eye sharp but unreadable. Itachi looked at the medic calmly, unbothered. She didn't flinch. She didn't blink. Not even when the chakra blade sliced through skin and seal alike.
The sealing blade glowed bright blue as it was pressed against her skin. Thin lines of chakra-suppressing ink burned into her flesh just below her collarbone, spiderwebbing out like cracks in glass. The medic worked with clinical indifference—fast, practised, brutal. It hurt.
Kakashi felt the pain; it was as if he and Itachi had switched places. Then, her body went limp. Unconscious.
"She'll be unconscious for about two hours," he said. "After that, she won't be able to light a match, let alone use a jutsu."
Kakashi gave a short nod. He gently picked her up in a bridal style, surprising everyone in the room with his unexpected actions. Although they were taken aback, no one dared to question him, especially when they saw the emptiness in his eyes. He carefully laid her unconscious body on a bed and then took a nearby seat, his gaze fixed on her. After some time...
**ITACHI POV**
During the procedure, the pain coursed through my body like fire, as if someone had used Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu on me. It hurt like hell. I tried to endure it without showing my suffering.
I glanced at Kakashi; he was looking at me with an expression of shared pain, although he couldn't reveal it. His eyes seemed empty, yet they conveyed the truth of my suffering. Slowly, my pain began to fade, but I couldn't understand why. That was the last thought that crossed my mind before I lost consciousness.
When I woke up, I noticed Kakashi's presence; he was still watching me with those lifeless eyes. I stood up, and he offered me some water. I hesitated for a moment, but then he took a sip and handed it to me again. I accepted it and drank.
After that, we returned to the cell. He told me to change, then left. As I examined the clothes, I found a small first aid kit and recognised it as belonging to Rin, Kakashi's teammate. I decided not to use it, but I kept it.
After I changed, I heard a knock on the door. Kakashi entered, carrying two food trays. He handed one to me, and I opened it. The food was simple but sufficient to keep me alive. I noticed the spilt soup, but I chose not to mention it, aware of my place in this situation.
Just before I took a bite, Kakashi took my tray and handed me his own. I looked at him in surprise, but he merely began eating my food and left the soup untouched. I didn't understand why he was doing this—was it out of kindness or a sense of duty?
Then, noticing I hadn't touched his food, he gave a small smile and turned away, allowing me to eat. After a moment, I started on his meal, and it was delicious. A small smile crept onto my face—my first smile since coming here.
I still don't know why he did that. Was it because I was on his team, or was there something more to it?
After finishing their meal, they sat in comfortable silence. It was a peaceful moment, not at all suffocating.
"Come for your first assignment," Kakashi said, his voice flat and dry.
They exited the chamber together, but this time there was no ANBU guard, no shinobi, and no civilians—just the two of them walking in silence. After a while, they reached a deserted area, grim and lifeless, resembling a battlefield. The bodies of Konoha ninja and enemy combatants lay scattered across the ground, and blood was everywhere. Yet, Kakashi and Itachi remained unbothered; they had both witnessed far worse, with Itachi having seen horrors that surpassed even Kakashi's experiences.
"Clear the area. Collect the bodies and any scrolls or weapons," he commanded. Itachi nodded and began her work. She hoisted the bodies over her shoulder and placed them together, checking their pockets as she went.
This was not merely a task; it felt less like a mission and more like pure humiliation for her. Itachi Uchiha, once an ANBU captain and the feared prodigy heiress of the Uchiha clan, had been reduced to this.
After completing her work, she glanced at Kakashi, waiting for his next command without uttering a word. He remained silent as well, simply signalling her to follow him. They then arrived at the ANBU training facility.
The ANBU training facility was quiet. Dust filtered through the morning light that slanted in from the high windows. Target boards lined the walls, splintered, scorched, and cracked. Several traps were still half-disarmed from last week's drills. A net was tangled near the ceiling, and shuriken were embedded in wooden columns.
Itachi was assigned to reset it all. It was more of a punishment than a task—tedious, repetitive, and physical. Just the kind of assignment a suppressed shinobi could handle. No chakra. Just labour.
Kakashi pulled a chair near the corner, let his shoulders relax, and finally opened a copy of "Icha Icha Tactics." She worked in silence, picking up kunai, resetting wires, adjusting boards, and stepping through pressure plates with mechanical precision. There was no wasted motion; no noise.
But after ten minutes… he hadn't turned a single page. His eye kept lifting, just watching her in silence.
Then—click.
A pressure plate.
He knew the sound before he even turned his head. His body moved before thought did. The book dropped, and the chair tipped.
He flew across the room, his arm locking around her waist, pulling her down and sideways, taking the full impact of the explosive tag. After the smoke cleared, he looked at her, and her eyes were filled with a mix of horror and surprise. Kakashi considered the reasons for her reaction and then followed her gaze to see his left shoulder covered in fresh blood from the impact. Ignoring his pain, he stepped back without a word, turning away.
"Do your work properly," he said, his voice flat. Just before he started walking away, he felt a gentle tap on his right shoulder. Turning to her, he noticed she was looking down, her hand extended toward him, holding the first aid kit he had given her the day before. After looking at her for a moment, he sighed, took the kit, and walked back to his seat.
"You have another mission after this."
The second facility was colder. Kakashi stepped inside first, the concrete walls painted with faded warnings and ANBU crests. The air smelled faintly of disinfectant, steel, and old blood.
A group of masked recruits waited by the walls—fresh-faced and tense. They were the kind who still mistook loyalty for invincibility. Their instructor stood at the centre. He turned as Kakashi entered and nodded once. Kakashi sat back, arms crossed. Whispers rippled below the breath.
"She's just a girl..."
"A beautiful one."
"How can someone like that be a criminal?"
The instructor stepped forward, his voice brisk and formal. "Lesson begins now. This is your subject: Itachi Uchiha." Bird, crocodile, lion, and snail stepped forward. Four boys came forward with their marks in a line in sequence, as per their codes.
"This is your target: Itachi Uchiha."
One of the younger recruits—cocky and smirking—stepped forward. "Hah. Hunting Itachi Uchiha should be fun."
"You have five minutes. Then they come after you." Itachi gave the faintest nod.
Fifteen minutes later, the rustling of brush. A triumphant voice: "Got her!" Kakashi's eyes snapped toward the sound. The same cocky recruit emerged from the trees, dragging her by her hair, one fist knotting cruelly in the strands.
Her hands were behind her back, wrists bound again. She didn't fight. Didn't even raise her head. The student smirked, chest puffed.
"I've captured Itachi Uchiha," he announced.
Kakashi's fists curled—hard. The other three were also smirking. There were cuts on her body, and her clothes were torn. Their mission was to find her and bring her back, but they had done much more.
Such a beauty under my hand… and her hair, the cocky recruit sniffed her hair and said, "My-my, let's see what she is hiding there." His hand began moving on her lower body.
Kakashi felt cold rage burn through him, letting darkness consume him. Kakashi didn't speak. He moved.
"Ah—ah—" In the blink of an eye, his hand seized the cocky boy by the throat, lifting him off the ground. The instructor stepped forward to intervene, but the overpowering bloodlust radiating from him brought the others to their knees, their killing intent freezing them in place.
He should have stopped. He should have reported it. He should have followed protocol.
But the moment he saw her—torn shirt, bare back, tears silently sliding down her face—everything changed. It was a sign of surrender, and in that moment, he couldn't control himself. He acted without thinking, not as her warden, not as an ANBU, but as a man. A man in love.
Then he dropped the boy to the ground, and he and the other three fled. Kakashi didn't watch them go; his gaze had already shifted.
She was crouched low, her arms wrapped tightly across her chest, hands clenched around what was left of her torn clothing. It was as if she were clinging to her dignity with bloodied fingers. She didn't look at him. She didn't speak. That silence felt worse than anything she could have said.
Kakashi's stomach dropped.
He stepped forward slowly and quietly, removing his flak jacket and kneeling beside her. Without touching her or uttering a word, he draped the jacket over her shoulders. It felt heavy and protective.
Kakashi took another step closer and opened his arms to her. Gently, he lifted her into a bridal carry and exited the building. Little did he know, there was something about him that only Itachi and the instructor noticed.
**KAKASHI POV**
I took her in my arms and left without looking back. After we arrived at her place, I gently lay her down on the bed and took a seat nearby, waiting for her to wake up.
After some time, when she opened her eyes, I gave her some new clothes and stepped out of the room. I wanted to give her privacy, but I also needed to think about my actions and the consequences they would have at the Hokage's office. For now, I didn't care; all I knew was that I was in love.
I found myself wandering to the canteen, where I ordered jasmine tea and dango, then returned to her room. As I looked at her, I noticed she had changed into the new clothes and was sitting on her bed. I placed the tea and dango beside her.
I reached out my hand toward her, but she flinched. To reassure her, I conjured a tiny green light on my finger and used it to treat her wounds. After that, she didn't drink or eat; she just lay on the bed. I left the room and started walking toward my apartment, but something compelled me to turn back and enter her cell again.
I sat down against the wall, watching her sleeping figure. I took out a kunai and pressed it hard into my hand, feeling blood start to flow. I didn't know what I was doing; I just sighed and fell asleep.
She was afraid of being loved, but he was brave enough to love her anyway.
**ITACHI POV**
When he returned, he brought tea and dango with him, but he set them aside. As I looked at them, I felt hands reaching toward me, and I flinched. When I looked up, it was Kakashi. He had seen me, and his hand was glowing green with medical ninjutsu as he treated my wounds.
After some time, I found myself unable to sleep due to nightmares and the ghosts that began to haunt me. Then, the door to my room opened silently. I didn't look at it because I already knew who had entered, but I still wondered why he was here.
I closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep. I didn't know why, but his presence felt safe and familiar. Suddenly, all my nightmares and ghosts vanished, and I fell into a deep sleep. It was a dreamless night because I could feel my angel nearby.
**AT THE HOKAGE OFFICE**
The instructor presented today's report to Tsunade, detailing Kakashi's actions. Tsunade sighed and glanced at Jiraiya, but remained silent.
"From reading the report and hearing what you said, all I can conclude is that Kakashi did nothing wrong," Jiraiya stated.
"But you know how Kakashi is; his behaviour was unusual, and she is an S-rank criminal," Tsunade replied, then turned to the instructor. "Did you notice anything else?"
The instructor hesitated for a moment before saying, "When Kakashi attacked that boy, his bloodlust knocked me off my feet. However, I did notice one thing—his body was slightly white."
"What...?" Tsunade began, but Jiraiya cut her off.
"You are dismissed," he said to the instructor. Once the instructor left, Tsunade turned to Jiraiya and asked, "You know something about Kakashi's glowing body, don't you?"
Jiraiya took a deep breath. "So it's really happening. But why now?"
"What is happening? Tell me, Jiraiya!" Tsunade urged.
"It's the Hatake clan's kekkei genkai," Jiraiya revealed.