With a big thanks to Amaterasu for making suggestions and helping me overcome my very first writer's block. Man it took long to get this just right. Please read Amaterasu's stories Beauty is the Beast, Dimensional Love (both Naruto fanfics) and Blindside (Bleach)
K. Enjoy!

*******

She walked up to Itachi who was standing at the riverbank, looking out over the water. Itachi didn't look at her, but acknowledged her presence. "Resa." She nodded in reply and stared in the same direction as he. "How are you doing?" he asked after a moment.

Resa sighed. "I miss him."

"Yeah," Itachi answered, "me too... Do they... have any lead as to who did it?"

Resa shook her head. "No. Nothing yet. My mother locked herself in her room and won't come out. My father is checking for news every day."

"I'm sorry," Itachi mumbled, "I know how close you were with your brother."

"You too Itachi. You were like a brother to him."

"As he to me."

Resa paused and sighed before softly asking her question. "Then why did you do it?"

Itachi slowly turned to her. "You think I killed Shisui?"

"I saw you. I was there."

Itachi stared at her for a long time. Had she really seen him? Or was she just bluffing? She wasn't supposed to have been there. No one should have been there. "Were you now?" he asked, "then why have you not turned me in?"

Resa turned to face him. "I wanted to speak with you myself. I want to know why. I think I have a right to know."

"You must have been imagining things," he said, "I was not there. I did not kill him."

"You've never lied to me before," she said softly, but with obvious anger, "don't start now. I know what I saw. I want to know why. I won't turn you in. That won't bring my brother back. Just tell me why."

And that was the one thing he could not do. Not even to her. "Resa," he said, "you should really drop this conversation. If you don't you'll regret it."

"Are you threatening me?" she asked calmly.

"I'm merely saying you should be more careful with your words. If you are that sure that I killed your brother you are a fool to confront me alone without telling anyone of your suspicions."

He tried to make his voice sound cold, but he failed. As if it hadn't been hard enough to face Shisui, now his little sister came to him looking for answers. Answers he could not give her. No matter how badly he wanted to confide in someone. Of all his fellow clan members, she would be the one to understand. She had always known him better than he knew himself. They had grown up together. She had always followed him and Shisui around wherever they went, begging them to teach her how to throw kunai.

Her parents hadn't wanted her to become a ninja, but Shisui had pleaded for her and in the end they had given in. Itachi would never forget her smile when she first started at the Academy, now so many years ago. She had become quite good. She would be up for promotion soon and become a Jounin. At least, that was how it was supposed to go. But she would never get that promotion. She wouldn't live long enough to enjoy it.

Resa gave him a sad smile. "I hear your words," she said, "but your eyes say something else." She stared out over the water again. "What are you doing here, Itachi?" she asked, "at the place where Shisui's body was found?"

"Perhaps I'm trying to wipe out any traces that could lead the police to me."

"You'd be too late for that," Resa stated calmly, "and you already did."

"What do you want from me, Resa?"

This conversation was taking too long. She had seen him. He hadn't noticed she was there, but she had always been able to hide herself well. If the elders found out, they would order her immediate death. He couldn't do that. He couldn't kill her. Killing Shisui had been hard enough. It had torn him in two, but it had been necessary. Not her. But he didn't have a choice. His mission included her. Was it better for her to just kill her now or should he wait for the final act?
His hands trembled. This wasn't fair.

He flinched when her hand touched his cheek and she turned his head towards her. His reaction was instinctively. His Sharingan turned and locked on her.
Resa gasped when she saw his strange Sharingan. "Mangekyo..." she whispered. Her hand dropped to the side and she stared at him.

"So you know," Itachi said surprised.

"I told you I was there. I followed Shisui when he snuck out of the house. It was not like him to do something like that. He hadn't been himself for days. I was concerned." She sighed. "I had to see for myself."

"So now you know," Itachi stated. His eyes returned to normal.

"No," Resa answered, "I don't. Why Shisui? What's going on with you? Why won't you tell me? We used to talk about everything."

'But I can't trust you anymore," Itachi thought sadly, 'I don't want to believe that you're in on this. But I can't take that risk. I can't risk being exposed. You may be innocent, but your parents are not. They might have sent you here to gather information, even without you knowing.' He remained silent.

"Itachi," Resa whispered.

Itachi closed his eyes in pain. "I can't do this," he whispered.

Her eyes were so sad. So full of concern. Even now, she was still concerned about him, a murderer.
"Shisui would have done anything for you," she said, "anything to protect Konoha. You two are so alike." She gave a sad smile. "I could help you. Whatever it is... just tell me."

"You're better off not knowing," Itachi said, "some things are meant to be carried alone."

"No one can be strong all the time," Resa told him, "not even you. And what are friends for if not for sharing the burden?"

He wished it was possible. He sighed. "Do you ever wish... you were born into a different clan?" he asked.

Resa eyed him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone always expects things of me," Itachi said, "because I carry the Uchiha name. Even my own family wants me to rise above everyone else. I'm sick of it."

Resa cast a sad smile in his direction. "You of all people should know it's not about belonging to a clan," she told him, "you are your own person. As long as you have faith in yourself and stand behind your decisions, nothing else matters. At the end of the day, it's not your clan that carries out your missions for you. You need to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and still respect yourself."

Itachi looked at her surprised. "How did you become so wise?"

"You told me that once," she answered softly, "when I just finished the Academy."

He had told her that. He was surprised she remembered. It was a long time ago. He smiled at the memories from back then. The time when he didn't have the responsibilities he had now. When it was still just him and Shisui. And Resa tailing them. A sadness clouded his eyes. If only things could have been different. 'Shisui....'  What was he supposed to do?

"If there's any way you can protect her....."

He didn't know how.

"Nii-san, wait up!" Four year old Resa called after them. Itachi glanced at his friend amused. Shisui tried to hide a smile, but failed miserably. Still he managed to keep the laugh from his voice when he answered her.

"Sa-chan, we need to train. You know mom and dad don't like it when you come along."

Resa caught up with them and looked at her older brother with a stubborn face. She pouted at him. "I don't care. I wanna be a ninja like you and Itachi-kun."

Itachi's eyes glinted with mischief. Resa had always been a little rebel. "Why not?" he asked.

Resa turned her attention to him now. "Really Itachi-kun? You will teach me?"

He glanced at Shisui who shrugged and smirked. 
"Okay," Itachi said and held out a kunai dagger for her to take. "Careful Sa-chan. This isn't a toy. You can hurt yourself."

Resa huffed at him and narrowed her eyes annoyed. "I know that. I'm not a little girl."

Shisui stifled a laugh, earning a glare from his sister.

"I'm not! I'm only three years younger than you!"

"Oh yes," Shisui said amused, "very grown up."

She stuck out her tongue and Shisui raised an eyebrow. "You should not have done that," he threatened her and took a step in her direction.

Resa squealed and hid behind Itachi, laughing so hard she could barely stay on her feet. Itachi smirked and wondered if he would become so close with his little baby brother too when he would be older. "Careful Resa," he told her, "you're still holding a dagger."

Resa flinched and looked at him guiltily. "Sorry Itachi-kun."

He cast her a smile. "It's alright. Come, I'll show you how to throw it and then Shisui and I really have to go, okay?"

"Okay," Resa smiled.

Itachi sighed and closed his eyes. She might have grown up, but that mischievous glint had never left her eyes, even now while they were clouded with grief, he could still see a trace of it.

Resa looked at him with sad eyes. "I'm not sure what hurts more," she said, "the fact that you killed him or that you don't care enough to tell me the truth."

"I care," Itachi whispered. His hand moved on its own to wipe away the tear that lingered in the corner of her eye and refused to fall.

"But you still won't tell me."

Itachi took a deep breath. "You know I would give my life for Shisui."

Resa gritted her teeth. "But you killed him instead."

"He trusted me with his life."

Resa stared at him not understanding. Didn't that contradict what he had said just now? She eyed him carefully. What was it he was telling her? He was telling her something. She slowly nodded.

"How much do you trust me?" he asked.

Resa hesitated. She used to trust him. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. What could she say? Did she trust him?

Her sad eyes triggered a sad smile from Itachi. "You should go now," he said.

"Not before you tell me what you mean."

"Resa...." His voice sounded tired. He felt tired. If she stayed here any longer, he wasn't sure what he would do. If someone saw them together it could all be over. If a member of the clan saw them, they could think they were conspiring. If Danzou would happen to spot them, or one of his spies, she would suffer for it. Danzou would have her killed without a second thought. He couldn't let that happen. He closed his eyes again.

"If there's any way you can protect her....."

How did he get himself in this mess?

"You are the prodigy of this clan, Itachi. You will rise above us all. You are the pipeline between the clan and the village. You do understand that don't you?"

Itachi's hands turned to fists. Resa noticed his sudden mood change and eyed it concerned. It was obvious he was struggling with something. Something he couldn't talk about. Not even with her. She wondered if he had told Shisui. Was that why her brother was dead now? She let out a shaky sigh.
She thought about his earlier words, about everything he had ever told her. About the rumors surrounding her brother's death. She did know Itachi. She had known him all her life. And nothing could ever have made him kill her brother. Except for treason. And her brother would never betray Konoha. That left only two options.

One. It had been someone impersonating Itachi. But she was so accustomed to him that she would have noticed if it wasn't really Itachi. That left option two.

"He let you kill him, didn't he?"

Itachi's head snapped up. He turned to her and stared. She knew? Or had she guessed it? She had always been a clever one. He knew she saw the truth in his eyes and he cursed himself. He knew better than to betray his true emotions. He was ANBU leader after all. He would have to kill her now. She had left him no other choice. If she voiced her suspicion to anyone, anyone at all, it would all be over.

He watched as his own hand folded around her throat. She didn't move. She just stared at him with the saddest eyes. And he couldn't do it. The muscles in his hand tensed as they were fighting back. It should be easy. He was a shinobi. He had killed before. His best friend had died by these hands. But they could not take the life of his best friend's sister.

"If there's any way you can protect her....."

How could he ignore a dying wish? He told himself that was the only reason, but he knew it was a lie. He didn't want to kill her. She meant too much to him. And if he would have to kill her too, so soon after Shisui, he knew he'd go insane. There was only so much he could handle.

"You know we would not ask this of you if there was any other way, but we have tried everything else. The only option left is to prevent the rebellion to start. The only way to do that is to wipe out the entire clan. We can't allow even one of them to survive. There will be retaliation. You understand what this means, don't you?"

He understood all too well. And he had already pressed the matter by pleading with the Hokage to keep Sasuke safe. He couldn't pull that off twice.

Itachi let out a tired sigh and leaned his forehead against Resa's. He felt her warm breath on his face and swallowed. Her sigh was trembling lightly from fear. Had she actually believed he would harm her? Then again, for a moment he hadn't been sure himself.

"Itachi-kun...," Resa whispered.

"You need to leave the village," he cut her off. He could feel her stiffen for a second. Slowly she moved her head upwards to look him in the eye. She searched his face, but he didn't clarify his comment.

"Why?" was her obvious question.

He couldn't tell her, so he settled for a partial truth. "You'll die if you stay here."

"What... do you mean? Why would I die?"

"I can't tell you."

"If there's any way...."

There was only one way. She had to disappear. And it would have to look like she had died.
"Trust me?" he whispered.

She eyed him for a long time. "Then tell me the truth. Tell me I was right. He asked you to do it. I know he did. Tell me why."

He averted his eyes, so she wouldn't see the guilt that filled them. "If I tell you, I'll have to kill you."

Normally a comment like that would have made her laugh. She didn't laugh this time. She could hear the seriousness in his voice. This was no time for jokes. She swallowed the lump in her throat.
Resa slowly nodded, though she was still confused.

"One more thing," Itachi said. His Mangekyo turned faster than she could comprehend and she slumped into his arms unconscious. "I'm sorry," Itachi whispered.

***

"Yuki, wait up," a voice called out. Said woman stopped and turned around. A sad smile was on her face. But all her smiles were sad. The entire village was used to that by now.

Just like she had gotten used to her name. 'Yuki' or 'snow'. That was where they had found her three years ago. Just outside the village in a pile of snow. Unconscious, but seemingly uninjured. At least physically. Her mental state was a different story.

She didn't have a past. All her memories were gone. Where she had come from, what had happened to her, her age. Even her name. It was all gone.

In the beginning it had made her fly into a panic every time someone talked to her. The doctor had said her memory might return in due time, but so far that hadn't happened yet. She had given up hope. They had asked around in neighboring villages, but no one seemed to recognize her or have any indication as to where she might be from. And as it seemed. No one had been looking for her either.

"Hello," Yuki smiled as the young man had caught up to her, "you didn't have to run all the way."

Jomei smiled at her. "I know, but I saw you walking here all by yourself and I thought I could walk you home."

"I'm perfectly fine on my own, Jomei-san."

"You know you don't have to be formal with me, Yuki. Are we not friends?"

"And we live in the same house. I know. It was very kind of your family to take me in," she nodded, perfectly aware that he would like to be more than 'just friends'.

It wasn't that he was not handsome. He had quite a few admirers. She just didn't feel about him in that way. And there was always a part of her that had the feeling there had been someone else once. Someone she could almost.... "Ah," she clutched her head as a sudden pain wave made its way through her skull.

"Yuki!" Jomei gasped and steadied her.

"It is nothing," Yuki assured him, "just a headache. I am fine."

"You are not fine," Jomei said and steered her towards a bench at the side of the road where he sat her down. "You haven't had any headaches in a while."

"Really it's nothing," Yuki said and she carefully pulled her hand out of Jomei's grip. It was true that she'd had frequent headaches when she had first arrived in this village. It seemed that they came at the most unexpected times.
It would come when looking at certain people for too long, when she would hear certain sounds. Sometimes it came when she would simply stare at the falling leaves at the season's change. In the very beginning, the color red had made her nervous. She wasn't sure what it meant. Several doctors had examined her, but no one had found anything wrong with her. After months of the same, the headaches had slowly lessened and she had started to feel at home in this new village.

Until recently.

These past few days she had this strange feeling of being watched. The feeling of a presence she couldn't quite place, but that was strangely familiar.

She had always been sensitive to her surroundings. And she had remarkable reflexes. Once, a roof tile had broken loose and threatened to hit a child that was playing in the streets below. Yuki had run up to the child and pulled it out of harms way before it could be hurt.

Another time, when Jomei had tried to sneak up on her to surprise her, she had sensed his presence and spun around to hit him, holding back at the last moment when she recognized him.

This was different though.

And the headaches had started again. Yuki wasn't sure, but a theory had made its way into her mind that the headaches were triggered whenever she tried to access her memories. She hadn't said anything to anyone though. There was no way she could be sure. It had happened again just now, when Jomei had spoken to her in that certain way that always made her feel guilty. Though he was polite enough, he had made it clear that he liked her, but she didn't return his feelings.

A dull throbbing in her skull made her gasp again.

"Yuki, please speak to me," Jomei said with genuine concern in his voice.

"I think I need to lay down," Yuki spoke, "I'll be fine. I promise. I'm just tired." She wanted him to drop the subject.

Jomei nodded and helped her up. "Alright. I'll walk you home. But if there's something you need, just tell me okay?" He gave her a loving smile which she didn't answer. She wished he would just leave her be and pursuit some other girl.

As he walked beside her and kept up a light conversation, Yuki felt it again. But when she turned her head to look over here shoulder, nothing was there. And the feeling was gone.

"Yuki?" Jomei questioned confused.

"Hmm?" she turned back to him, only now noticing that she had stopped walking. "Sorry. I was... my mind wandered of. Let's go back home, okay?"

***

She had sensed him. There was no doubt about it. He had seen her converse with the young man beside her who obviously had an interest in her. She had stopped walking and looked back over her shoulder. How she had been able to feel his presence was a mystery to him. Of course she had always been an excellent shinobi, it seemed that deep inside that instinct was still there, even though he had taken every precaution he could think of. He had even lowered his chakra when coming here. He knew he shouldn't have come, but when his mission had brought him close to the village, he hadn't been able to resist. He had to see her, if only for a moment. He had to know she was doing alright. That she was happy. Maybe he had to convince himself that he had done the right thing. He wasn't sure. He sighed as he thought back on their last moment together. Now three years ago.

"Where are we?" Resa muttered. She still felt a little dizzy from the Mangekyo he had used on her.

"A nameless village in the land of Rivers," Itachi said softly as he kept an arm around her waist to hold her upright, "somewhere safe."

"And I wasn't safe in Konoha?"

A small smirk formed around Itachi's lips. "You don't give up easily, do you?"

"That's because you don't tell me anything," she countered accusing.

Itachi sighed. "You would hate me if you knew the truth."

"I would never hate you, Itachi. I know you. I know you have a good reason, even if you're not telling me what that reason is."

"So you trust me then?" he asked quietly.

"Shisui trusted you."

"That's not what I asked."

Resa stared at him for a moment. "You ask a lot of me."

Itachi shook his head. "No, I don't. If you trust me, then you won't need a reason. If you think you know me as well as you say you do, then you already know everything you need to know."

Resa cast her eyes down and stared at the soft snow underneath her feet. It was true. Trust was supposed to be unconditional. He could have easily killed her. But he hadn't.
She stared at the village down the hill and then turned back to Itachi. "Will I ever see you again?"
She turned a deep red. That was not what she had wanted to say, but it had escaped her lips before she could do anything about it.

Itachi eyed her sadly. "I'm sorry Sa-chan," he said, using her childhood nickname, "I don't think that's possible."

The nickname sent a shiver down her spine. She looked down again, embarrassed this time. "Oh," she whispered, "okay. I... understand."

Itachi took her chin and lifted her face to meet his gaze. "No, you don't," he said softly, "but it's not your fault... I'm... sorry." He leaned in and claimed her lips. He felt Resa's initial shock over his action, but it didn't take her long to kiss him back. For a moment he pulled her tighter against him and then he released her. "Goodbye," he whispered in her ear and his Mangekyo turned once again.

Had he done the right thing? He had kept his promise toward Shisui. No one knew she was still alive. Sasuke wouldn't go look for her when the time had come. Everything would go as planned. All he had to do was make sure Madara wouldn't find out the truth. The last thing he needed was for Resa to become a pawn in this political game. She could live a happy and peaceful life here in this village. That was enough for him. At least that was what he told himself as he ignored the slight pang of jealousy as he saw her with that man.

'At least she's alive,'  he told himself and vanished before his partner Kisame would realize he was missing, knowing he would come back.

***

Yuki sighed and turned her face to the sky to let the wind play with her hair. She found herself alone again. Jomei had gone to work and truth to be told, she was happy for some quiet. Jomei was a nice guy, but she wished he wouldn't press her like he did.

A sound behind her made her turn around, but no one was there. Still, there was this feeling that someone was... just like before.

"Who's there?" she demanded with more confidence than she actually had. It kept silent. "I know you are there," she called out.

Behind the trees, a figure silently cursed himself. She had sensed him. He had made sure this time to keep his chakra hidden and she had still been able to notice his presence. But he had to know. It had been over three years and he had paid attention to every rumor that might involve him or Konoha. Now it seemed it was finally time. Sasuke had finished the Academy and was now under the tutorship of Hatake Kakashi. It wouldn't take long before he would set out to find him. And before all that, he had to make sure she would not get involved. He had to know if her memories were buried deep enough. He stepped away from the shadows.

Yuki gasped when a young man suddenly appeared in front of her. It shouldn't have surprised her, she had felt someone looking at her. Still, part of her had hoped it was just imagination. He was roughly the same age as her. Maybe a bit older. He was handsome. And something in the back of her mind begged for attention.

"Hello," he said.

"Hi," she managed to get out.

He smiled at her. "Are you alone today? I don't see your boyfriend anywhere."

"Jomei isn't my boyfriend. He's my... brother." The word tasted strange in her mouth and they rang with something that was true, but not quite. She frowned. She always referred to Jomei as her brother, so why did it sound strange to her now? "Gah," she gasped and grabbed for her head again as a flash of pain made its way through.

"Are you okay?" he eyed her concerned.

"I'm fine," she said, "just a headache, "I get those sometimes."

"Really? How come?"

She looked at him for a while before answering, debating if she should tell him, this stranger, her story.
She decided against it. "I don't know." She was fairly sure he did not believe her. He cocked his head and watched her as if he was recalling something. Then she realized something. Something he had asked earlier.

"Are you alone today?"

"Where you watching me before?" she asked, "you asked if I was alone today. So you must have seen me before."

A slow smile appeared on his face. "Would that bother you?" She stared at him dumbfounded for a moment. "Don't worry," he continued, his face void of all emotion now, "I mean you no harm."

"Who are you?" she asked, though she had the strangest feeling that she should know.

"You don't know?" he asked.

"Should I?" A flutter of hope sprang in her heart. Maybe she would finally get the answers she had been looking for. Was it her imagination or did something like sadness cross his eyes for a moment?

"No," he said, "you shouldn't."

Though to Yuki it sounded like he had meant something else. She eyed him a little better now. The long dark hair, the red and black cloak. A metal frame on his forehead, almost hidden from view by his hair. Her eyes were fixed on it and he seemed to notice because he took a step back.

"I might be a criminal," he said.

Yuki sighed sadly. "I might be one too."

This answer seemed to surprise him. "Why would you say that?"

Yuki shrugged, but held a carefree smile. "I don't really know where I'm from, so it might be true."

He kept silent for a moment. "That must be hard for you."

"Sometimes..."she admitted, "but these people have been good to me."

"So, you're happy here then?"

She had to think about that. "I suppose," she said, "though, it would be nice to know if I have any family out there. I try not to think about it too much. Life's too short for small regrets. We have to make the best of it."

"Everyone has regrets," he said.

"I suppose," she answered and wondered why he looked so sad saying that. An image flashed through her head. She had stood like this before. With someone else. Long ago. At least.... She eyed him again and for the second time had the strangest feeling of knowing him. She frowned. It wasn't her to just talk to strangers like this. What had made her do so now?

"What are you thinking?" he asked her softly.

She looked up and gave him a sad smile. "I was thinking how I was taught not to talk to strangers."

That earned her a smile. "And? Are you always ignoring good advice?"

She let out a small chuckle. "Yes."

"I should go then," he said with a hint of amusement in his smile, "before your brother shows up and sees me talking to you. I like my limbs where they are."

"He wouldn't hurt you. He'd glare and threaten, but Shisui wouldn't hurt you for talking to me." She had spoken without thinking, but as soon as she realized what she had said, a frown decorated her face and she stared at her companion confused. "I..."

He too stared at her. His eyes were large with shock and that did not go by unnoticed, but before she saw the chance to speak, he beat her to it. "I should go." And he vanished.

***

Yuki stared at the flames in the fire place. Her mind was still on the encounter with the stranger two days ago. On the mentioning of that name, he had suddenly become a different person. There was something about that name... "Shisui," she whispered, just to taste the name again. Only this time it was just a word without meaning. She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. When the door burst open she jumped and turned around.

"Yuki?" Jomei called.

"I'm here. What's wrong?"

Jomei sighed in relief and sat down next to her. "Just glad you're home. I just heard in the market place that criminals have been spotted in the area. Ninja that have abandoned their village or something. Can you believe it? Ninja are supposed to protect villages like ours. At least, that's what they do in other countries. Imagine what they could do when they become rogues." He shuddered at the thought. "And I knew you were out on your own today, so I was concerned about you."

"I might be a criminal."

"That's... really thoughtful of you," Yuki said, "but as you can see I'm fine. You don't need to watch out for me."

"But I want to. I care about you."

Yuki sighed. "I don't like you in that way, Jomei," she whispered.

It was silent for a while. "I know you don't," he finally said, just as soft. He looked at her with something close to regret. "Must have been someone really special that you're still thinking about him."

Yuki sighed and stared into the fire. "I wish I knew," she whispered.

***

"Where have you been off to?" Kisame asked when Itachi walked through the door, "you've been spending a lot of time on your own lately. Find someone special did you?" He winked suggestively.

Itachi ignored him and sat down at the fire. Just his luck that Pain had picked this country and this specific town for his new base. He had to be more careful. If Madara caught scent of his visits to the village, he might find out Resa. There was no telling in what he would do.

He sighed. He shouldn't have talked to her, but he had been surprised she had sensed him at all. He might have suppressed her memories, it seemed that her ninja abilities were not so easily subjected. But she had always been the perceptive one.

A slow smile crept over his face. He heard Kisame chuckle and quickly changed his expression to an emotional mask again.

"What's her name?"  the shark man asked amused.

Itachi sent him an icy glare that always shut his partner up and then left the room.

***

"I feel kind of sad for Jomei," Rin said to her while shifting her grocery bag to her other shoulder, "He's been trying to get your attention ever since they found you on the plains."

Yuki sighed. The subject had been breeched too many times. Rin had been a good friend to her these past years, but she didn't always know when to drop a topic. "I just don't like him that way. Would you rather have me lie to him?"

"No of course not, but you could give it a try..." She continued talking, but Yuki had already lost interest. Her eyes were focused on a group of villagers that had gathered around the town's announcement board. Curiously she made her way over.

"... and if you don't then in the end you'll... Hey where are you going?" Rin asked confused and followed her to the crowd.

They were staring at the Wanted posters that hung on the board and were silently conversing. Jomei had spoken the truth. There really were criminals around.

Yuki stared at the drawings, but only one face stood out.

"I might be a criminal."

Only he wasn't. He couldn't be.

"And they say the one of 'em killed 'is entire family. There was only one survivor. Some kid that 'appened to be away at the time."

"Such horror."

Yuki barely paid attention to their words. She stared at the posters in trance. Something about that nagged at her mind. "Maybe they asked him to," she muttered, but some of the women heard her.

"Yuki-chan, how can you say such a horrible thing? You make it sound like they deserved it."

Yuki turned her head and stared at them confused. "What? What did I say?"

But they looked at her in shock. Even Rin stared at her as if she came from another planet. "What?" she asked again.

"Maybe we should go home," Rin said quietly.

Yuki let her friend pull her with her. She glanced back at the women who had started whispering amongst themselves.

"Why did you say that?" Rin asked when they were some distance away.

"I don't even know what I said," Yuki protested.

"You justified that criminal's actions. You suggested his family brought it upon themselves to be murdered. That they asked for it."

"Why would I suggest something like that?" Yuki asked in shock.

"You tell me," Rin muttered and she walked away.

Yuki sighed and turned her head towards the sky. When she looked, Rin was gone. Yuki sighed and walked in the other direction and out of the gate. Her thoughts were one big jumble.

"And they say the one of 'em killed 'is entire family. There was only one survivor. Some kid that 'appened to be away at the time."

"Do you ever wish... you were born into a different clan?"

"Ngh!" Yuki grabbed for her head as pain flashed through her brain. 'What's going on? It's like my head is exploding.' And it had been happening more often ever since meeting that stranger. 'Who are you?'  The ground came closer by the second.

***

Her eyes fluttered open and she was aware of the fact that she was not alone. Red and black came within view. "Shisui?" she muttered as she recognized the stranger.

His brow creased and he sat back, allowing her to sit up. "Why do you keep saying that name?" he asked.

"Does it not belong to you?" she pried. There was a slight pause on his behalf.

"No," he said curtly. He was still frowning.

"Then why do you react so strongly when I mention that name?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Right," Yuki muttered.

He scoffed.

"Shisui," Yuki said, earning a glare from him. "Shisui," she said again, just to taunt him. "Shisui. Shisui. Shisui. Shi..."

"Stop it!" he hissed. The collected expression he'd been carrying faltered for a moment.

"Then tell me the truth," she said, "you know that name. And you know what connection it has to me. You have to tell me."

"If I tell you, I'll have to kill you," he stated calmly.

"I don't care," she told him, "at least I'd die knowing."

"You're better off not knowing."

She'd had this conversation before. With someone. Long ago. Why couldn't she remember? "Where are we?" she suddenly asked. Last she remembered was leaving the village.

"In a cave. Not far from the village."

"You brought me here?"

"You passed out and it's raining."

Yuki looked to her right and noticed he was right. A curtain of water lashed against the cave's entrance and she shivered lightly.

"Are you cold?" he asked. Did she imagine the concern in his voice? He threw another twig on the low burning fire.

"Where did you get the fire wood?" she asked confused, "it's raining outside."

An amused smile played on his lips, barely visible, but he didn't answer her. "You haven't answered the question."

She shrugged. "You haven't answered any of mine."

"What if I tell you it's not safe for you to know the truth?" he asked her quietly.

Yuki grew an annoyed expression. "I think I can determine that for myself. I'm not a little girl."

He chuckled at that.

"I'm not!" she insisted.

"I know you're not," he said softly. He sighed. "You don't know how much you remind me of him." And then his mask was back in place and he became distant again.

"Don't do that," she whispered. He turned to her questioningly. "Don't hide behind that wall of yours," she clarified.

He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Who do I remind you off?" she asked almost inaudible. But she already knew the answer. "Shisui." She let out a sigh. "Do you know I have no memory of my past?" she asked.

"Yes," he nodded, "you told me."

"But do you know what it's like? Not knowing where I'm from, who I am. If someone loved me. No one came looking for me for as far as we know.  Don't even know how I got here. They just found me outside the village. I think I'd rather know something that would put me in danger, than not knowing anything at all."

He took a deep breath. "Do you know about ninja code, little Yuki?" She shook her head in denial. "Sometimes we are assigned missions that we aren't allowed to talk about. Even if it kills us. Or those close to us. We take those secrets to our grave."

"Is that why you abandoned your village?"

He turned his head in her direction. His expression was unreadable. "Why are you not afraid of me?" he asked, "I am a wanted criminal. I've committed murder. And you sit here so casually. Are you not concerned about what I might do to you?"

"It must be a hard life," Yuki said, "being a  ninja."

"I don't regret what I did." His voice held a cold tone, but she saw the pain in his eyes.

She decided not to argue with him though. "I'm still not afraid of you," she said, "if you wanted to hurt me, you would have already done so."

Itachi closed his eyes again. She was still as stubborn as she had been when she still had her memory. And he still loved her. Her presence alone calmed him and dulled the memories he wished to be rid off. He would never forget the look in Sasuke's eyes when he found out his brother had killed his clan. He didn't ever want to see that look in Resa's eyes. But he had to tell her something. Her memories seemed to be slowly returning and he didn't have much time. The sickness that raged his body made him weaker by the day and he had to prepare for Sasuke's arrival. It could be any day now. He had been keeping tabs on his little brother as well as on Resa. Pretty soon he would be seeking revenge. And then all of this would be over. The guilt he carried and the pain. All of it would be over. 'I'm sorry Shisui. I did what I could, but your sister is just too stubborn. And she knew you too well. And me too.' He sighed.

"Tell me the truth. Tell me I was right. He asked you to do it."

"You were right," he whispered to himself. 'But I can't ever tell you that.'

"Hm?" Yuki asked.

"You are right," he said again, "I'm not going to hurt you. But you should forget ever seeing me."

"I won't tell anyone. No one will come after you."

He smirked, but it was a sad smirk. "Protecting a criminal, are you?"

"I told you. I might be one too."

"You're not," he said.

"How would you know?"

"I know. Because I know you." He owed her at least that much. She didn't respond to that. She even almost forgot to breathe as if she were afraid he would stop talking if she moved. "I promised your brother I would protect you," he continued.

"I have a brother?" she asked hoarsely. Tears trimmed her eyes.

"Protecting you was his highest priority," Itachi continued, "and his dying wish."

She looked at him in a daze. His dying wish? That would mean this man had been there when he died. Did it mean...

"He was my best friend," she heard him say and then she understood.

"Shisui." He stiffened almost invisible, but it confirmed her suspicions. "How did he die?" she asked almost inaudible.

"I told you. Ninja take their secrets to the grave."

"He was my brother. I think I have a right to know."

He should have known better. Of course she wouldn't let it go until she had it figured out. 'We're back were we started three years ago. We've come full circle.' "I should never have told you that," he said.

"I can keep secrets too. Please tell me."

Itachi closed his eyes momentarily. He had already said too much. The very first word he spoke to her had been too much. He couldn't risk her memories to return. It would bring her in danger and knowing Resa, she would go look for answers in the wrong place. Konoha.
There was only one thing he could do. He had to make sure her memories would be buried so deep they would never resurface. He hated doing that to her. He had already caused her so much pain. 'But I'm doing this to save you.' "Please forgive me," he whispered.

"Hm?" she questioned, but he didn't answer her.

Instead he turned to face her and opened his eyes. His Mangekyo staring straight into her eyes. But instead of suppressing her memories, it seemed to have the opposite effect. As soon as her gaze connected with his eyes, a flood of images flashed through her mind and he saw the memories return one by one. He could not stop it.

Resa running after a younger version of himself.

Resa and Shisui on the day he graduated from the Academy.

Resa holding her first kunai dagger.

Shisui and himself at the river, the day Shisui asked him to take his life. But it was strange. It was like he was watching the two of them from a distance. Hidden in the grass.
'She was really there...'  He couldn't suppress a gasp. What had she heard? And that pulled him to another memory. One of his own.

"Nii-san! You... How could you..." A trembling Sasuke stood in front of him. Disbelieve in his eyes as he saw the bodies of their parents on the floor.

Resa graduating from the Academy. Her hitai-ate proudly in her hands.

"Do you ever wish... you were born into a different clan?"

"You are the prodigy of this clan, Itachi. You will rise above us all. You are the pipeline between the clan and the village. You do understand that don't you?"

"You know we would not ask this of you if there was any other way, but we have tried everything else. The only option left is to prevent the rebellion to start. The only way to do that is to wipe out the entire clan. We can't allow even one of them to survive. There will be retaliation. You understand what this means, don't you?"

"No Itachi, you must go through with this mission. Let me help you..."

"You need to leave the village."

"If there is any way you can protect her..."

"Do you ever wish... you were born into a different clan?"

"Why did you do it?"

"Do you ever wish..."

"Resa..."

"Resa," Itachi breathed and broke off his jutsu with great difficulty.

Resa slid to the ground on her knees and panted heavily. She leaned on her hands and tears were streaming down her face.

"Resa," he said again.

"Huuuh," Resa panted, almost choking on tears.

"Now you know why I did not want to tell you. You can hate me all you want, that's fine, I deserve it, but if they ever find out you know the truth, they will come after you and do what I could not."

Resa looked up at him, her lip trembling. "Hate you?" she said hoarsely, "hate? How could they ask you that? How could you say yes?"

"They were going to destroy the village. They wanted to overthrow Konoha. So many innocent people would have died."

"And Shisui helped you. He knew. And he..."

"He found out about my mission. I was so careful, but he knew me too well. He confronted me. He..." Itachi turned his gaze away. It had been a long time since he had last thought about that fateful day, but the pain had not diminished.

"I was right all along, wasn't I?" Resa asked, "he did ask you to kill him. Because he didn't want the rebellion any more than you did. But he couldn't live an outlaw life."

"He couldn't leave you behind. He swore to me you knew nothing of the rebellion. That you were innocent. He asked me to find a way to keep you safe."

Resa's sobs became heavier.

"I'm sorry," Itachi muttered.

"You brought me here," Resa now remembered, "you erased my memories and left me here in this village."

"It was the only way to keep you safe. I staged your death and left you here. In a village that had no ties to the ninja world."

"Couldn't you have brought Shisui here as well?" Resa asked, but she already knew the answer so Itachi kept silent. "They say in the village that there was one survivor," Resa asked, her eyes downcast, "it isn't me, is it?"

"No," Itachi said softly.

"Sasuke?" she guessed.

"He can never find out," Itachi said, "he will seek revenge against me. And that is fine. Let it be done."

"But if he knew..."

"No," Itachi said, "I'm ill, Resa. I was already ill when I left. I'm getting weaker. And before you say anything, there is no medical jutsu that can save me. Let him have his revenge and return a hero and break the cycle of hate."

It was silent for a long time.

"So this is goodbye then," Resa broke the silence. There was a painful twist on her heart and a lump in her throat.

Itachi smiled at her sadly. "It was already goodbye three years ago when I left you here. I didn't know your senses were still so high. If I had known you would notice me I wouldn't have come."

"Then why did you?" Resa asked.

"I had to make sure you were alright. That I made the right decision."

"You kept your promise to Shisui," Resa said.

"That's not why I came. I care about you Resa. I had to know that you were safe. Not because I promised Shisui, but because I wanted you to be safe.

Resa took a deep breath. "And now you're leaving," she said in a small voice. Itachi nodded. Resa let out a shaky breath. She didn't want him to leave. Not now that she had her memory back. Not now that she remembered that she loved him. But she understood. He was a wanted criminal. The would come after him. And she couldn't go with him, because he would break is promise. "Then you know what you must do," she said.

Itachi stared at her. "I'm not going to kill you, Resa," he said.

"That wasn't what I was talking about," Resa said, "I mean... you erased my memories before. You'll have to do it again now that I know the truth."

"I thought you hated not remembering your past."

"I do. But some things are meant to be carried alone. Right?" He had told her that on the night they parted. Now she knew what he meant. "This will be my burden. The only way to keep your secrets."

Itachi looked at her for a long time, but she was right. It was the only way. He nodded. "Alright. But I'll do a better job this time."

"I trust you," she said seriously.

He cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes. His Mangekyo slowly turned. And one by one the memories slipped away from her mind.

Gone was her memory of the council's decision. Her talk with him on the riverside after Shisui's death. How he had brought her here to the Land of Rivers. Away went the times he had visited her in the village when she was still Yuki.
He left her childhood memories intact this time. She could have those. Trust worked both ways. When he came to the Uchiha massacre he paused. Instead of wiping it out, he decided to alter it, making her have escaped the event and run to a far away village. One by one the memories fled her mind until he came by today and this cave.

"Wait," Resa said softly.

He paused. "What is it?" he asked softly.

"Let me keep this one a bit longer." She drowsily leaned her head against his shoulder.

Itachi sighed and locked an arm around her waist. "Alright," he said.

When she woke up she was alone. A vague tingling on her lips and tear stains on her cheeks. 'What am I doing here?' she thought confused. And then it came back to her. 'That's right. I had a fight with Rin. I should go back to the village, before they get worried.' Slowly she stood up and brushed off her clothes. She took one last lance around the cave, a thoughtful frown on her face. She had the strangest feeling of leaving something behind.

It was already dark outside and she hurried back to the village. Several people were out on the street calling her name. No, not her name. She frowned.

Rin was the first to notice her. "Yuki," she said, "there you are. Where have you been? We were all so worried! I'm so sorry I got angry at you."

"It's alright," Resa answered still a bit confused. Yuki, they called her. It fitted in a strange way and was foreign to her at the same time.

"No, it's not alright."

"Yes, it is," she answered her friend, "I should be the one saying sorry. I wasn't being myself." 'Or perhaps I was...'  

"Yuki-chan," another voice joined them. Resa turned and found Jomei at her side. His face was filled with worry. He gave her an awkward hug. "I was so worried."

Resa hesitantly answered his hug. She may not have feelings for him, but he was still her friend. "Thank you," said, "and it's Resa." Both her friends stared at her not comprehending. "My name," Resa clarified, "it's Resa."

"You remember?!" Jomei gasped.

Resa nodded. "Yeah." Her gaze slid off to the message board with the wanted poster and her eyes rested on a young and handsome face." She frowned slightly.

"Do you remember more?" Rin asked her expectantly.

Resa kept silent for a long time. Did she? Yes. There was a lot more. Her eyes were still focused on the poster. "No," she said, "nothing."

Rin and Jomei looked at her with sympathy. "Hey," Jomei said, "at least it's a start. The rest will follow. You'll see."

Resa nodded absentminded. "Yeah." She took a deep breath. "You know what? Why don't you two go on ahead? I want to clear my mind for a bit. I won't be long. I promise."

"Are you sure?" Rin asked concerned.

Resa nodded. "Yeah. Just a few minutes."

Rin nodded slowly and pulled Jomei with her.

Resa smiled to comfort them, knowing they were afraid she would run off again, but she really just wanted to be alone.

When she was sure they were out of sight, she turned to the posters again and she read the name under the face that had drawn her attention. Memories of her flight from Konoha flashed through her mind and she shivered. She had barely made it out. Everyone was gone. She was the last of her clan. And this man was responsible for that. Still she couldn't find the hate in her heart that she expected. Instead there was only sorrow and a feeling she couldn't quite understand. A feeling of being incomplete. She sighed. 'Uchiha Itachi... why can't  hate you? You took everything from me. So why do I feel so sad?'

A strong wind blew across the road and threw her hair in her face. A leaf caressed her cheek before falling to the ground and Resa closed her eyes.

"Goodbye," a soft voice whispered.

And a tear slowly made it's way down Resa's cheek.

"I love you."