Kairos |An Itachi Uchiha Story|

x.a glorified suicide

"Have you completed your mission?"

"Yes Lord Danzo."

Aiko was on a knee, bowed out of a forced respect that she knew well that she didn't have. She gripped a scroll in her hand, ready for it all to be over and for her to be able to leave.

"You're slipping, Aiko." She wanted to raise an eyebrow but she had forbidden it. "You have never had trouble with these missions and you mask is slipping. Something has changed."

Glad someone else has noticed it, I thought I was losing it.

"What has changed?"

I might have taken on a new personality because of a certain Uchiha and now it's sticking.

"Nothing that would jeopardize our arrangement, Lord Danzo," Aiko assured in a blank tone as she tried to mask her frustration. A crooked old smile came to the man's face before he dismissed her. She stood and handed him the scroll that had the head of the dead lord. He gave her her reward of cash, though she couldn't quite care because she received money when she had turned the body in for its bounty in the Bingo Book.

She's never been so excited to teleport in her life. But when she did get the chance to, she broke out in a fit of coughs inside of the Hokage's office.

Her veins had grown so hot, they were burning her from the inside. But much to her relief, the painful sensations had passed.

She looked up to see the Hokage stare at her with a worried expression. She gave a weak smile and ruffled her hair a bit.

"Yeah... Can we pretend that didn't happen, maybe?" I mean, Danzo didn't threaten me because I wore common clothes in his office... Maybe my luck is pretty good today.

The Hokage sighed at the troublesome girl, though still concerned he agreed not to talk about it.

"How was your trip to Shukuba Town?" She gave a weak and tired smile before standing a bit straighter.

"Actually, I'm here to give Itachi's mission report for him. He's kind of... Off his feet." Hiruzen narrowed his eyes but nodded for her to continue.

"Itachi had gone on his mission to assassinate Lord Mizuki and was ambushed. He was poisoned saving me and so I had returned to Konoha with him to heal him." The Hokage stared at her, well aware there was more to the story but before he could ask, she continued. "I had followed him to northern of the Fire country out of curiosity and he was poisoned because of me." She bowed her head to Hokage apologetically, lying unflinchingly.

"Did something happen that troubled you, child?" Aiko looked up to see the Hokage puffing from his pipe thoughtfully.

"I don't know wh-"

"You are frustrated, Aiko. You know I'll understand anything you would have to say." Aiko felt her cheeks flush but had to grip her other hand to keep her arm from crossing over her chest.

"I-I... I was scared that Itachi was going to die." She admitted quietly. "I couldn't touch him and I was unable to do anything other than simple ninjutsu. I could barely get the poison from him and when I did, I only infected myself." Hiruzen sighed before looking at the girl with his dark eyes, eyeing how her eyes remained on the ground.

"You are upset because you care for Itachi as more than a mission and he seems to dislike you." The Hokage chuckled. "There is nothing wrong with having feelings, Aiko."

The girl flushed before glaring.

"I don't care for that... Butt hole." She grumbled before frowning. "Even if I did and would like to be his friend, Itachi hates me." She said in a simple tone as if it didn't frustrate her.