Love And War (Itachi x OC)

The Weight of Love

"It's so annoying!" Lily growled being late again to the training.

It's wasn't even surprised. Lily had always been chronically late and a master of making excuses to avoid all of the responsibilities that came with being a Shinobi. But that kind of irresponsibility was expected from her. Itachi has learned to live with and work around her erratic behavior, so it was no surprise that she was late again. Still, he had to ask her, since they were training partners, and as the team leader, he had a responsibility to ensure that she was on time and ready to train. "What happened this time?"

Lily sat on the ground with her arms crossed, staring at Itachi with a glare of frustration on her face. "I and Kurama got in a fight again. I tried sneaking out to connect with him but some other Anbu dragged me back here."

"I see." Itachi nodded in comprehension, his stoic expression betraying no hint of surprise or frustration at Lily's latest outburst of irresponsibility. He had come to expect such erratic behavior from her. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but feel concerned for her. Was her connection with Kurama really so important that she had to sneak out to meet him, even though it jeopardized her training duties?

With a slight nod, Itachi stood up from his seat and walked toward Lily, crouching down next to her. He looked at her with a piercing stare, his facial expressions revealing no hint of emotion as he spoke in a calm, yet serious tone.

"You're a jinchuriki, your connection to Kurama is important... So how about I'll give you a pass this one time, and instead of training you show me how you connect with Kurama so if anything happens on mission I would know how to protect you."

Lily felt a rush of adrenaline course through her veins as Itachi spoke. Finally! Someone was willing to listen and take her desires seriously.

"Yes, yes, absolutely! I would love to show you how I connect to Kurama. It's kinda like..." she waved her hand vaguely, struggling to find the right words. "Like a bond, or a link. It's like... We can feel when the other is in pain or joy."

Lily puts a hand on her shoulder feeling the seal on her back. "I feel his loneliness and he feels when I'm in danger."

Itachi considered her response, his eyes narrowing as he contemplated the possibilities. It was a known fact that jinchuriki needed to enter a state of meditation to connect with their Bijuu. However, her admission that she needed to remain on guard during this state intrigued him. As a brilliant shinobi, he couldn't help but wonder how she managed to defend herself in such a vulnerable condition.

"How exactly do you defend yourself while meditating?" The focus on her defense techniques reflects his analytical mind and concern for her safety.

Lily smirked, amused and impressed by how quickly Itachi caught on to her secret. As a Jinchuriki, she was accustomed to hearing doubts and disbelief from other shinobi. But Itachi's intelligence and understanding was on a different level.

"You catch on quickly." Lily joked lightly. "But yes, while I meditate I do have to stay on guard. How it works for me is that I feel chakra around me. And when I feel some unfamiliar chakra getting closer I know someone is getting closer to me and I have to wake up."

"Understood." Itachi nodded in acknowledgment, and his expression remained stoic and composed. There was no sign of judgment or doubt, merely a keen sense of understanding.

"I would like to try one thing. I'll stay here while you meditate and see what we can achieve while I guard you." A subtle note of curiosity crept into his voice as he suggested this experiment. "Just let's agree on signal that would mean you have to wake up."