Saturday night arrived very quickly. Mitsuki and Itachi were getting ready on their own, as best they could for each other's eyes. Aruna and Mikoto were getting a little too involved for their liking, as if they had been waiting to see them together all this time.

Mikoto was brushing her boy's hair, making him grumble softly, feeling that he was no longer a child and could take care of it himself. He was wearing a sober traditional clan outfit, making him look very elegant, and at the same time not very comfortable, being more used to loose and casual clothes.

On her side, Mitsuki was wearing a long black kimono, embroidered with cherry blossoms, chosen expressly by Aruna, who was enjoying to pamper her protégée. The fabrics were soft and seemed to float with each of her movements. He was styling her hair too, not being able to stop himself from teasing her about her date.

The clock was ticking, and Mitsuki felt her stomach knot. It was ridiculous, they had been spending time together for years, why should this time be any different? She paced around the living room, under the amused eye of Aruna who had put on an elegant Japanese outfit.

When there was a knock on the door, the young wolf froze, her heart pounding in her chest. Aruna smiled confidently at her, and went to open the door for Itachi, who was accompanied by Mikoto, also dressed in a beautiful kimono.

"Good evening!" he greeted them, "You look delicious in that outfit Mikoto!"

Itachi's mother giggled before returning the compliment.

"Well, we'll leave you youngsters to it! Itachi, take good care of my Princess, don't forget I'm watching you!" warned Aruna as she grabbed Mikoto's arm, in front of a stunned Mitsuki.

"But wait... Mikoto-san is your date?!" she exclaimed.

"Exactly! Fugaku is on call tonight, and it would have been a shame to miss such a beautiful evening! So we'll go with friends" Mikoto confirmed, amused.

Aruna gave her a devilish look, the kind that means he had planned everything for the girl to go out with Itachi that night. She stuck her tongue out at him as he disappeared into the street.She walked slowly up the staircase, and then she was stunned by her own date. He himself looked away, blushing softly, but it didn't take long before he finally observed Mitsuki from every angle.

"You look... beautiful" they complimented each other simultaneously, before laughing out loud.

Itachi held his arm out to his friend, who gladly grabbed it. They walked in shy silence along the streets, simply lit by lanterns.

"Do you want to eat something? There are a lot of stalls down the road" Itachi offered her, hoping to lighten the mood.

Mitsuki agreed with a smile, and they looked around the stalls before finally opting for some caramelized skewers. The shyness was slowly fading away as the discussions were going well again between them, finding their natural enthusiasm in each other's presence.They walked along the aisles of cherry trees, admiring the blossoming trees and the petals fluttering through a sky lit by a beautiful full moon. They kept each other company for a while, savoring this moment away from the hustle and bustle of their lives.

Under a tree, Itachi grabbed a flower, which he delicately hooked into his partner's hair, making her blush with pleasure. Seeing her radiate with happiness filled him with joy, and it is with butterflies in their stomachs that they continued to explore the embellished streets of Konoha.

"So, young man! Wouldn't you like to try your luck to spoil your pretty lady?" a man holding a shuriken throwing stand hailed him.

Mitsuki laughed softly, momentarily letting go of Itachi's arm as he accepted the challenge, already rolling up the sleeves of his top. He concentrated for a moment, and with a precise gesture, hit all the targets that were in front of him.

A woman nearby burst out laughing at the discomfited look on the owner's face.

"Hey, idiot! What were you thinking challenging Itachi Uchiha? Everyone knows that he is a master of throwing weapons! That boy would lead you straight to ruin, if he wasn't as nice as he is talented!" she scoffed.

The man squinted slightly, before slapping his forehead.

"What an idiot! I didn't recognize you without your headband! Well, young lady, you're very lucky to be this boy's one-night stand! Many girls would kill to have your place! Well, in a manner of speaking, of course! Well, you've won, what would the lady like among these prizes?" the man asked.

Itachi chose a delicate silver chain with a cherry blossom pendant for her, as if to remind her every day he would be away from her of the evening they had enjoyed together.It was moreover perfectly matched with her outfit and made her more beautiful in his eyes.They walked further into the streets of Konoha, under the laughter of couples and families who, just like them, were having a good time.

A lively music attracted their ears, and they finally discovered a large square where the crowd was dancing with lively or soft tunes. Mitsuki's eyes sparkled at the joviality.

Further on, they saw Aruna swaying roughly in front of Mikoto who was laughing so hard that she was bending over and holding her stomach to avoid hurting herself. The sound of laughter that escaped from the mouth of the young she-wolf took the breath of her rider. She breathed happiness, and didn't seem to care about anything anymore. But before savoring this success, taken in a burst of affection, Itachi slipped his hand in that of his friend before leading her on the track. She looked at him, surprised, while following him shyly.

"I don't know how to dance..." she whispered, embarrassed.

The boy addressed a warm smile to her before putting his free hand on her hip.

"I'll guide you," he assured her before gently starting some movements, in order to make her gain confidence.

Mitsuki swallowed with difficulty, looking towards her feet in the fear to crush those of the beautiful brown. This one laughed softly, before drawing his face delicately towards hers.

"Look at me, and relax, it will come by itself. See it ... as a practice!" he said, obviously amused.

Mitsuki winced in frustration at what she thought was a mocking look, but he cut her off by placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

He made her twirl right after, the dress of the beautiful one seeming to float in the air, before placing her back to him, a hand on her belly, and the face wedged in her neck. A sigh escaped from the mouth of the she-wolf, well in spite of it. The breath of the brown on his skin fleshed out it of thousand shivers, whereas it continued a soft movement of balance.

He would have wanted that this moment lasts for the eternity. He felt so well against her, her soft skin, her flowery odor, the caress of her hair on his face, her light jolts every time he brushed her and her fine hand tenderly deposited on his, as if she tried vainly to cover it.

He couldn't lie to himself anymore, he couldn't hide anymore, he loved everything about her, and he only wanted to let her body marry his again and again, to hear her laugh, to dry her tears when he couldn't prevent them from falling, to take care of her happiness and simply to love her with all his being.

Itachi smiled into the she-wolf's hair. For once he wasn't thinking about Konoha, not about the clan, not about his missions or the fragile peace that the country maintained. No, he was far away from all that, and he was finally thinking about himself. Of himself, and of what the future could be with the one for whom his heart had been beating all these years. Perhaps they would have children? Would they be worthy heirs to the Sharingan, or would they hold the Hata instead? Would they have their mother's beautiful scarlet eyes, which he loved to gaze into? Or perhaps the discreet smile of their father? Either way, he was sure they would have a great future, if the great power each of them held was any indication.
Itachi laughed, under Mitsuki's questioning look. He had gone so far, did she even love him back? He'd better just live in the moment already.

"Did I do something weird?" worried Mitsuki, looking into the Uchiha's red eyes.

"No, you're perfect. I just feel good, with you." he whispered in her ear, making her flush.

As she looked away, she met the eyes of Aruna, then Mikoto, both sitting at the edge of the ring, watching them without restraint, a glint of emotion in their eyes. Mitsuki rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at her older brother, who was making a heart with his hands. Without warning, Mitsuki pushed her rider back to their families, hoping he wouldn't see her brother's embarrassing gestures. What an idiot!

The music changed to something more rhythmic. Itachi reluctantly broke away from his partner, before going back into a more appropriate choreography. Mitsuki laughed out loud as he twirled her around.

"Where did you learn to dance like that?" she wondered, breathless as she followed him as best she could.

"My mother ... She wanted to make sure I was a good date for you tonight. She wanted us to have a good evening. Believe me, I'm glad I have the Sharingans so I can record everything she wanted to teach me!" Itachi explained.

"It's a success, anyway!" Mitsuki reassured him with a wiggle.

"You're doing very well too, for someone who says she doesn't know how to dance!" Itachi returned, a little teasing, but sincerely impressed.

They danced a few more dances, improving their coordination, and getting more and more looks around them. Even when they were carefree, their complementarity made the most experienced dancers jealous. The music became softer, more intimate, and as Mitsuki caught her breath, Itachi, insatiable, put his hands on his friend's hips. She didn't ask for more, wrapping her arms around the boy's neck and putting her head on his chest.

She followed the Uchiha's slow movements, eyes closed, listening to his heart through his chest. It was so soothing, so reassuring, that she wished she could stay there all her life. An aura of well-being enveloped her, as she let herself go between the boy's arms, who tenderly ran his hands over the she-wolf's back.

As the music came to an end, she looked up at Itachi's face. This one didn't let her out of his sight. One of his hands went up to Mitsuki's cheek, caressing the corner of her chin with his fingertips, before stopping near her lips.

Mitsuki felt the boy's heart speed up under her hands on his chest. His face was so close that she could feel his breath sliding over hers. She was drowning in his onyx eyes, as if paralyzed by one of his Genjutsu. But she knew it wasn't that. She parted her lips slightly, searching for the air she was beginning to miss, when Itachi's gaze darkened abruptly.

"Would you give me a little dance too, Itachi-kun?" demanded Izumi, who had just tugged on her arm, forcing her to release her hold on the little she-wolf.

"Izumi..." growled Itachi, not hiding his annoyance.

"Oh sorry... I didn't mean to disturb you..." apologized Izumi, genuinely embarrassed.

"I... I'm sorry, it's true that I've been keeping you busy so far... It's okay, Itachi, I...I need to sit down for a bit anyway." Mitsuki stammered uncomfortably as she pulled away from the Uchiha the instant Izumi broke their bubble.

"You see Itachi-kun. She agrees! Come on, come dance with me!" exclaimed Izumi, pulling the boy by the arm and dragging him a little further away.

Itachi glanced sadly at Mitsuki, but she had already turned around, head down, and was heading out of the ring. He sighed as he tried to keep a reasonable distance from Izumi, thinking that if he gave her this damn dance, she would leave him alone afterwards.

Mitsuki was about to leave the dance floor, when an arm quickly caught her, pulling her back. Shisui suddenly faced her, a big smile lighting up her face.

"No way you're going to stand on the sidelines while Don Juan gets snatched up by the harpy!" declaimed Shisui, almost forcibly pulling her back onto the dance floor.

Mitsuki burst out laughing, before giving her a mischievous look. She accepted willingly, doing crazy choreographies with her friend who didn't give her any respite. However, she couldn't help but cast envious glances towards the Uchiha of her heart, still struggling with Izumi.

"Are you planning to tell him someday?" asked Shisui, instantly regaining the girl's attention.

"Excuse me?" didn't understand Mitsuki.

"Oh, don't play innocent with me. You're completely and irrevocably crazy about him. And it's not just today!" Shisui pierced her, determined to play matchmaker.

Mitsuki's mouth opened and closed like a fish's, as she looked for something to say back, but nothing came. It turned scarlet, causing Shisui to laugh.

"Come on, don't make that face! I must admit that I would love to find someone who looks at me the way you do! I'm glad Itachi won the heart of a girl as... wonderful as you are. But hey, if you keep looking at him from afar, he won't be free soon..." he pointed with his chin at the Itachi/Izumi duo, who were strutting lasciviously in front of the elder Fugaku, knowing full well that Itachi didn't feel anything more than a little friendship for the half-Uchiha.

Mitsuki gently tapped Shisui's shoulder, before sadly admitting:

"If he doesn't share this feeling with me, I might lose my dearest friend..."

"Damn, you are both among the most talented beings I've ever met, but you're both equally shortsighted!" grated Shisui without Mitsuki seeming to understand.

They were interrupted as a hand landed on the she-wolf's shoulder. Shisui sighed, and Mitsuki turned her hopeful gaze to the one who had just called out to her.

"Kakashi..." she said in a breath, surprised and slightly disappointed at the same time.

"Good evening, Mitsuki... I... Would you mind if I have this dance? I'd like to talk to you..." the gray-haired ANBU asked, uncomfortable.

Mitsuki was surprised at the request, especially since he was in his shinobi outfit, his unmistakable mask covering his face, but eventually apologized to Shisui, who reluctantly left her.

Kakashi awkwardly put a hand on her waist, and then held her a little too tightly against him. She gasped in surprise, but he was already whispering in her ear, pretending to dance gently with her:

"I did not want to disturb you while you seem to spend a good evening ... But I wanted to warn you ... I'm sorry, Mitsuki, believe me, but it seems that when you dance, or maybe even just hear this music, a new aura emanates from you... She seemed to be gaining power with Itachi... It was present with Shisui, and now it envelops me too. It's not unpleasant, don't worry, quite the contrary. It is warm and... soft... Unfortunately, it doesn't go unnoticed, and there are currently a dozen ANBU on the lookout all around the place, just waiting for a wrong step to intervene... I come to ask you, for your own good... Either to master this aura if you are able to, or to stop the dance, especially with Itachi... I wish I could do otherwise, but I wouldn't want you to have bad memories of this beautiful evening of festivities..."

Mitsuki shifted her face to look the ANBU in the eyes. She thought it was a bad joke, but he seemed sincere, and really worried about her. She smiled sadly at him, as she felt that famous aura disappear, which she hadn't perceived before, too absorbed by the bubble of well-being that had formed between her and Itachi. The Hata legacy was taking more and more space... She finally stepped away from Kakashi, before disappearing without a word into the night.

"What did you do to her?" asked Itachi nervously, as he had managed to break away from Izumi after seeing the ANBU hogging his friend.

"Calm down. I was only protecting her. You saw it too, didn't you?" Kakashi asked him in an even voice. 

Itachi nodded and winced. Of course he felt what Mitsuki was feeling... But she seemed so happy that he didn't want to interrupt this bubble of happiness when it was in no way dangerous.

He sighed before disappearing in pursuit of his friend. He had no doubt about where she was going, and it was indeed under the cherry tree on the hill that he found her.

"Itachi..." Mitsuki murmured, surprised that he had reached her so quickly.

"You didn't think I was going to let you finish this evening alone, did you? I would have made a lousy date, and I can't even imagine what my mother would have done to me afterwards..." Itachi laughed, trying to make her forget the incident Kakashi had pointed out.

"Sorry for leaving without telling you... apologized the beautiful brunette.

- Do not worry, I crossed Kakashi...

- So ... You know?

- Yes, Mitsuki-chan, I didn't need him to know. It was...nice. I didn't think it would arouse the special forces, I would have intervened otherwise... I beg your pardon...

- Are you apologizing because I am unable to control my own body?

- No, because I selfishly let things happen ... You seemed happy, and ... I felt so good, with you ... I didn't want to interrupt that moment for such a trivial reason.

- I understand that... But I should also have been wary... The music... I didn't know that I could still react to it.

- Let's leave it aside for tonight. I intend to keep my role. May I have another dance, Mitsuki Hata?

- Are... are you sure? Mitsuki stammered, torn between wanting to snuggle up to Itachi again and fearing she would be overwhelmed by her emotions again.

- Of course I'm sure. We're far from the party and its music, and we'll be more vigilant now, let's enjoy it a little more, won't we?" he reassured her by holding out his hand.

She seized it delicately before resting her head quite against the heart of the boy. He applied himself to make it turn gently, before bringing back it each time closer to him. The smile shyly returned to Mitsuki's face, as she never left the Uchiha's gentle face.

Someone passing by might think they were crazy, twirling around in a silence that only a few hooting sounds could disturb, but they were so good together that nothing else could have stopped them this time. Nothing else, except the explosion of a huge firework suddenly lighting up the sky.

They stopped dead in their tracks as a second blast disturbed the clear sky of Konoha. Itachi sat down on the ground cross-legged, inviting his beloved to sit between his legs. He slid his hands against the she-wolf's belly, and she gently covered them with her own, in a caress that sent a shiver down the boy's spine.

The sky lit up with many colors, but Itachi was absorbed in another sight: Mitsuki's scarlet eyes were transfixed by the explosions, each hue reverberating beautifully in her dazzled pupils. He surprised himself by sliding his lips over the fresh skin of the she-wolf's neck, before placing a barely perceptible kiss on it. The light pressure that Mitsuki's hands exerted on his confirmed to him that she had felt it well. His cheeks had become nicely tinted, and he ended up putting his chin against her shoulder to enjoy the fire with her.

When the darkness returned to the sky, they stayed like that for a few moments, in a light silence, not wishing either of them to end this moment.

However, Itachi felt a chill run down his friend's pale skin, and he had to make up his mind. The night was still cool this time of year, and it was time to go home. The same observation must have crossed the mind of the beautiful one, because she also started to move, with a certain regret. He helped her to get up, before doing the same, and accompanied her in front of her house, an arm around her body to protect her from the cold.

Arrived in front of the porch, they faced each other for a moment, each one of them seemed to want to prolong the moment one last time. Mitsuki finally took the first step, slipping on the tip of her feet to the boy's cheek, before placing a soft kiss on it.

"Thank you for the evening, Itachi-kun," she said, turning pink, before hurrying back into the house.

Itachi stood still, surprised, a smug smile on his lips. A pat on the back woke him up from his torpor, and it's a smiling Aruna who teased him:

"So, sister-stealer? Did you finally bring my Princess back to me? I thought you would never let her go again.

He burst out laughing before walking out the door. Oh yes, he would have wanted to keep her, he would have wanted to tell her everything he had on his heart, to confess all these feelings that tormented him for so long. And again, he had been too weak, afraid to break the friendship they shared together. But this kiss that she had slipped him without him expecting it ... She was driving him crazy, did she even realize it?