Shades of Grey

Chapter 30

Itachi retreated to his room and started to bandage his shoulder. He could not figure out exactly how he had ended up here. There was no doubt that he was the more skilled shinobi. His whole life he had accepted nothing from himself but perfection. The girl had even left herself wide open, but it was if something had stilled his hand.

That was not true he knew that he had stilled it on his own. He had been completely unable, no unwilling, to do her harm. Perhaps it was from watching her grow due to the random checks he had frequently made on his brother and then later to keep tabs on his jinchuriki.

Itachi recalled the time that he had shown up after he heard the news that Orochimaru had marked his brother. The girl had lost her long hair. It was through the villagers that he heard she had cut it in battle with her own hand while outclassed and outnumbered to save her team. The girl was brave.

Later while checking to see how far his jinchuriki had grown he had spied her again. He had heard the rumors that she was under the tutelage of Tsunade herself. Itachi had witnessed her walking through the street bruised, bloodied, and smiling. The girl had determination.

She had managed to do what no other Konoha nin had done and brought down an Akatsuki against all odds. His ravens had shown him the scene that transpired after he had left her team. She had healed them and encouraged them, even with tears in her eyes. The girl had heart.

When Itachi had allowed her to heal him and her chakra had touched the very core of him, he knew all his observations had been true. He felt all those things and so much more. She was after all this time in the life that they had chosen somehow pure. Itachi would admit he was hesitant to harm that. Things were oh so complex. For now, all that he could do is think on all these discoveries.