The Wish That Brought Me You (Itachi Uchiha x Fem Reader)

Chapter 2: The Pursuit of a Jinchuriki

Itachi attempted to explain to me what a Jinchuriki is before we left the hideout, and I understood bits and pieces, but not the entire picture. I suppose having a bunch of knowledge about this world and its inhabitants doesn't really matter, though, since I will be returning home shortly.

The two of us have been walking through a large wooded area, side by side, in complete silence, for about five hours now. The birds have stopped chirping—nightfall is upon us.

"So, what do you need to capture this guy for?" I ask out of the blue, hoping for a decent response.

"You have no need to know," he retorts.

I pout, frustrated that he won't relay anything to me even after striking our deal back at the cavern.

"Right, I don't need to know... but I would appreciate knowing. I don't want to be left in the dark!"

Itachi sighs.

"You're persistent to a fault," he complains, "Very well. We need the nine-tails Jinchuriki so we can extract the beast from him. That's all I'm telling you."

I smile to myself, glad that he trusts me enough to tell me something, even if it's not the full story. Although, I must admit, my legs are growing achey from walking all this time. And I'm exhausted.

"Itachi, can we stop for a few minutes? I need some water!" I plead.

"Why are you so needy?" He states, "You ask me questions about the mission, then I have to answer you, and now you need a water break."

I frown deeply.

"I'm sorry, Itachi, I really am! But... I haven't done this much cardio since... since... ever!"

Itachi closes his eyes out of annoyance but I notice his face soften as he lets out an almost inaudible laugh.

"I guess it can't be helped if you're that out of shape," he insults, "I'll give you three minutes. There's a river this way."

I practically gag at the thought of drinking river water, but decide it's better than nothing.

I follow Itachi all the way to the nearby stream, and gasp at how clear it is once we arrive. The moonlight reflects off of its surface, making it appear luminescent.

"Beautiful," I remark.

I bend down next to the shoreline and scoop some of the water into my hands. I inhale it without a second thought, and it slides down my throat easily. I look back at Itachi who is simply sitting on a nearby tree stump, looking uninterested.

"Itachi, aren't you going to have some?" I ask.

He shakes his head.

"No, I don't need any. I'm fine."

Refusing to believe his stubborn words, I retrieve more water into my hands and approach him, offering it to him.

"You must be thirsty. Please have some."

He furrows his brows, looking genuinely confused.

"Why do you care so deeply?" He questions.

I smile at him.

"I like you, Itachi. You're a bit cold and closed-off, but I think that you have a good heart deep down. Otherwise, you would have completely rejected the deal we made earlier."

I hold out my water-filled hands to him.

"Dehydration is a very serious thing, so, please..."
Before I can utter another word, Itachi gently swallows the water that had been kept in my hands. As he does, his lips touch my palm and I feel shivers run down my entire body at the physical contact. As soon as he's finished drinking, I snatch my hands away from him—I don't like that strange sensation.