Just A Glimpse (ItaIno Fanfiction)

Chapter 3 ~ Goodbye, my angel.

Days had passed since Itachi and Ino last seen each other. The older Uchiha had been busy with missions while Ino was busy along with Sasuke in the academy. Despite being with Sasuke daily, Ino felt restless. She was missing another older Uchiha. It even seemed like her infatuation for Sasuke had dulled. She would even question herself if she was developing a crush on Itachi at times.

She would blush and wave it off. She was too young to ever look at her that way anyway. He seemed to only treat her as another sibling. Yet Ino would daydream of the both of them ending up together when she grew older. He would wait for her and when she was old enough, he would start noticing her differently.

Ino would grin dreamily until she pulled herself out of her daydream. After having these daydreams occur far to often, the child finally confirmed her developing crush for the teenage Uchiha.

Itachi, on the other hand, deprived himself of the sight of her. He had a mission drawing close, one he could not be bothered with the light she brought to him. He could not stomach how while she was pure, he was so tainted. He did not like who he had become under the pressure of being a shinobi. However, it could not be changed, not for the sake of the village. The consequences of him failing could cause the fall of his beloved village, and she would fall with it. It had to be done.

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The sky was covered with a veil of seemingly eternal darkness with only a few stars and the full moon as a source of illumination.

It was midnight so the little Yamanaka heiress was asleep in her room, the horrors that unfolded that night unknown to her.

Softly, her window creaked as it opened. Light from the moon bathed the room and a silhouette invaded the light. The stranger took soft steps to approach the girl who was deep in her slumber. She laid on her side, small arms around one of her pillow, hair of platinum gold over the pillowed she laid upon with an innocent, tranquil expression gracing her soft features. He felt his breath hitch as she took in the sight of the light featured angel, falling onto his knees gently as he reached out to caress her hair, marveling at its softness. He wondered how her hair would be if she grew it longer.

Ino felt warmth envelope her, a hand lovingly caressing her cheek causing her dream to fade into oblivion. Her eyes fluttered open, and it took a while for her vision to clear. Pale, skin and dark-featured, cold eyes yet a warm aura greeted her senses. Her eyes brightened. "Itachi-kun.." she murmured, blinking as she wondered if she was dreaming. Yet it felt to real and in her dreams, she was never this sensitive with emotions. He felt him, he was holding back but his grief and sadness was too powerful. Her eyes watered as she understood what was behind his dark eyes. She feared what he would tell her.

Pushing herself to sit up on her bad, she crinkled her noise at metallic scent that reached her nose. To her horror, the man infront of her was covered in blood. Worry rushed over her.

"A-are you hurt? There's so much blood, oh god!" she panicked, drawing herself close to the man, a pale hand reaching out.

He caught her wrist, giving her a soft smile that made the girl's heart skip a beat. Itachi rarely, if not never, smiled. Ino felt herself blush despite the circumstance. He was so handsome and the knowledge that his rare smile was reserved for her made her freeze in amazement.

She only watched as he shook his head, and when he looked into her eyes, hers widened. His defences were down.

Still, nothing was betrayed in his expression but his eyes.. oh those onyx eyes.. it reflected his every emotion and as she stared at him, all of it rushed over to her in a myriad of auras. They were heavy, and her mind and heart felt as it was being pushed away with the current of a waterfall.

Sorrow. Regret. Love. Pain. Grief. Anger.

All emotions were so intense, exploding from a bottled up source buried deep within his consciousness.

Yamanaka Ino was, by no means, a crybaby. She was tough, mature despite the few years she had lived. She knew pain, felt it through others. Nonetheless, she was not and can never be as strong as Uchiha Itachi.

Tears clouded her vision and before she knew it, she was crying. Heavy sobs filling the silence of her room.

Ino felt so empty, so lonely. Her heart hurt so much, a pain she could not comprehend. She had no idea that her heart was breaking for him.

Feeling his arms pull her in, she succumbed to his warm embrace. Her hands gripped onto his bloody shirt, muffled her sobs on his shoulders as he soothed her with whispered words. It's okay. I'll be fine, Ino.

Never had she needed his words to understand him yet now, she needed it like she needed air. She needed to know he was fine, needed assurance that his pain was not clawing at his heart like it was doing to hers.

"It hurts."

A pang of guilt hit Itachi at her tears and her words. It was not his intentions to reveal himself but that look in her eyes, it was as if he was looking into his soul.. urging him to let go. For selfish reasons, he allowed himself to let go because he wanted it. He wanted to share his pain, since she so willingly embraced everything. He wanted her to understand more about him, for the relief it brought him. His hands caressed her soft blonde locks as she gradually calmed down.

"Thank you.." she murmured, voice raspy from her breakdown. "For sharing with me, Ita-kun.."

Her voice calmed him like the soft breeze at dusk. Having her in his arms pleased him yet he forced himself to pull away. He had to tell her, tell her that he was leaving.

Ino whimpered at the loss of his warmth yet did not protest. When her eyes met his, she remembered the blood that stained his entire clothing. From how he moved and his aura, she knew it wasn't his. From the serious and grim expression on his face, she knew something was off.

"What happened? Is it a mission? What's wrong!?" she questioned, thankful her parents' room was far from hers so they could not hear her.

He reached out to wipe the tears that had stained her cheeks before he spoke.

"I'm leaving, Ino. I wanted to say goodbye."

She was smart enough to know he had not meant that for short-term. "No. Why?"

She never questioned him before but this was a different matter.

The Uchiha watched as tears filled her eyes yet again.

"You'll understand." his face held a gentle expression as he caressed her cheek. He took a glance at her face, imprinting that image of her in his mind.

He then stood up, walking towards the window.

Ino immediately got off her bed, running to him and holding on to his hand, before wrapping her arms around his waist. He paused before turning to face the trembling angel as she peered up the tall teenager with her brilliant hues.

"Don't leave, please."

He turned, crouching down to place a soft kiss upon her lips, leaving her stunned.

And maybe it was her sorrow but that night, Yamanaka Ino heard his thoughts in her mind. His deep, smooth voice in her consciousness, murmuring words that never left her mind even as she grew.

Goodbye, my angel.

A lone tear slid down the male's cheek, unknown to the little girl that was left to stare at his back tearfully before he faded into the night.