Your Lies | Itachi Uchiha x Reader

Chapter 6

POV – Y/n:

I woke up in my sister's arms, unsure of where I was. Her worried face was the first thing I saw.

"She's awake!" Mei said with relief. "Y/n, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Just a bit sore." I rubbed my back and slowly sat up.

A few feet away, I saw Hangetsu healing Ao. Mei had bruises on her shoulder, and while Chojuro seemed alright, he wasn't unscathed.

"Where did they go?" I asked, stretching and looking around for the Akatsuki.

"They left after weakening us pretty badly," Mei answered.

"They took damage too. I think they were at their limit," Chojuro added.

"Did they learn anything about the six-tails?" I asked. Mei sighed. Everyone seemed tense after my question.

"Yes. They know the six-tails jinchūriki has gone rogue. There's no telling when they might find him. If he were still in the village, we could protect him," Mei said, pressing her hand to her forehead. Her stress was visible.

I considered asking her why they hadn't tried to abduct me—but then realized she likely didn't know I was one of their new targets.

I stood and ran toward Han.

"Y/n, you're still weak! Don't run around!" Mei called after me.

I knelt next to Han. "Han... thank you for saving me earlier," I said, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"Hey, I'm trying to heal Ao here," he muttered, clearly flustered.

"Are you blushing?" I teased.

"Maybe I am..." he replied, leaning in closer. Our faces were only inches apart. I blushed at his boldness.

"Um... I don't mean to ruin the moment, but I think you've forgotten I'm still here," Ao said. I hadn't realized he was conscious.

I blushed deeper, this time from embarrassment. Han and I immediately backed away.

"Sorry, Ao. I didn't know you were awake."

"It's fine. We all get carried away sometimes... especially when you're in love."

"Oh, no. You've got it wrong. We're not in love. It's just playful teasing," I insisted.

"Is it though?" Han asked softly, eyes still focused on Ao's wound.

I hesitated. "I don't know... We can talk about that later. Ao, could you cover your ears for a second? I need to ask Han something."

"Okay, I won't listen." He placed his hands over his ears.

"Han, what Itachi said earlier... please don't tell my sister," I whispered.

"Why?" His tone shifted. He looked... off—less bright than usual. "She'd get even more strict if she found out the Akatsuki wanted to abduct me. I'd never get to leave the village again."

He paused. "Alright. I'll keep it a secret."

I exhaled with relief. "Thank yo—"

Han grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes. "But you have to promise we'll talk about our feelings soon. You always delay it. Every time I bring it up, you shut it down."

"Okay. I promise... one day."

A faint smile broke on his face.

"Can I open my ears now?" Ao asked. I'd completely forgotten he was there.

I nodded.

A raindrop splashed on my shoulder. I looked up as the sky released a downpour. Rain blanketed the ground, turning dirt to mud.

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POV – Narrator:

Nearby, Itachi and Kisame walked through the forest outside the Hidden Mist. The rain fell heavier where they were than in the village.

"Well, that mission was a bust," Kisame complained, soaked. "No six-tails jinchūriki, and we didn't even capture the big bounty practically handed to us."

"At least we confirmed that the jinchūriki abandoned the village," Itachi replied. "And we'll likely cross paths with Y/n again."

"You're unusually interested," Kisame noted.

"I've never met an ice user. Her abilities fascinate me," Itachi said, brushing wet hair from his face.

"You sound like Orochimaru—" Kisame paused, then remembered something. "Oh, yeah. What are we gonna do about our robes? We left them in the village. We're stuck in these Anbu uniforms."

"We can't go back now. We'll have new ones made," Itachi said simply.