For the next few days Mitsuki didn't see Itachi once. She knocked on his house every day, and every day Mikoto apologized to her for what had happened, telling her that her elder had gone out without saying where he was going.

She desperately searched for him everywhere, taking the risk of using her wolf form inside Konoha, but he seemed to have taken care to erase all traces behind him...

Aruna, who already couldn't stand Kakashi before, remained just as angry at Itachi. He found it unacceptable that the boy would turn his back on his friend at a time like this, and he had brought it up to Fugaku who could only apologize for his son, looking bothered by this turn in his behavior. But Mitsuki knew that there was something else, that it wasn't her injury that made him pull away from her. She was suffocating under a horrible premonition, even waking up screaming at night.

One morning, she was summoned to the Hokage's house, something that had not happened since she was kicked out of the Shinobi. She went there, curious and anxious at the same time. But after all, what could they possibly take away from her now? She arrived in front of the office, and was disappointed not to find Kakashi there. He too had disappeared since the accident, and these sudden abandonments only tore at her heart. She knocked softly on the door, and entered when she was allowed. The Hokage was alone, much to the relief of the young she-wolf who couldn't bear another meeting with the council and Danzo.

"Oh, hello Mitsuki. Please, come in. I heard what happened to you, how do you feel?" the Sandaime inquired.

The girl put her hand to her pelvis, where her scar was still sensitive, before answering:

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Good... I would like to ask you something... A mission to be more precise. Oh, nothing extravagant, as you can imagine... But I'd like to use your skills as a wolf and as a doctor to find rare plants needed to make certain medicines, to help your fellow doctors refill their treatments." Hiruzen told her.

Mitsuki arched an eyebrow in surprise. Although this mission was nothing out of the ordinary, it was usually assigned to Genin, so it was against the rules she had been given, especially since she had to go outside the village to do it.

"I understand your surprise, but the council has agreed to let you go out for a while. You'll be going with Kakashi, he'll keep you safe during the mission, and his dogs could be a great help in your search," the Hokage said.

Mitsuki couldn't help but find it suspicious, but she agreed without question. An outdoor, low-ranking ninja mission with a jonin like Kakashi? She greeted the old man politely, before leaving to prepare for her mission.

"What are you going to do with all this gear, Princess?" Aruna asked her curiously.

"The Hokage asked me to go and get some plants to make some treatments..." the girl explained briefly.

"Ah? I thought you weren't allowed outside of Konoha, but good! You'll be able to see something other than that damn hospital. Are you going as a team?" he asked, concerned.

"Uh...yeah, I have a partner," she nodded, looking away.

Her shifty look did not escape the Sensei's notice.

"Who?" he insisted, knowing in advance that he wouldn't like the answer.

"Kakashi..." Mitsuki murmured, lowering her head.

Aruna's teeth clenched. He took a deep breath, before stating:

"Orders are orders, aren't they?"

Mitsuki nodded, relieved that he wasn't making a big deal out of it, but he couldn't help but add:

"If he lays a single hand on you, or even looks at you, I'll kill him. Don't forget to remind him before you leave."

Mitsuki sighed before hugging her brother.

"Come back to me soon, my Princess. I'm glad you can do something different for once, but I can't stand the thought of you being away from me," Aruna whispered in her ear before kissing the top of her head.

Mitsuki smiled at him before walking out. Kakashi was waiting for her at the exit of the Uchiha district, not even trying to get in given the recent events. He looked away as he saw the she-wolf approaching, and began to walk forward without a word.

"Are we back to that again, Kakashi-kun? Very well, I'm ready to do it again as many times as it takes: Hello, Kakashi," she greeted him before following suit.

The ANBU couldn't hold back a smile any longer.

"Good morning, Miss Hata," he teased her, remembering their early exchanges.

She turned to stick her tongue out at him, and they set off towards the destination designated by the Hokage.

On the way, they didn't exchange a word. Mitsuki's heart clenched in her chest as they drove further away from the village. She was sure something was wrong. She glanced at Kakashi who was walking headlong in front of her. Why had they suddenly sent her away? It had been almost three years since she was allowed to... And why with an ANBU, even if she liked him, he was still special forces, strange for a simple pickup... Perhaps it was to avoid another Orochimaru episode? Even so...

"Is something wrong?" worried Kakashi, as she stopped without even realizing it.

She fixed her red pupils in his. Something was wrong, she was sure of it now.

"No... let's move on. We're not too far away," she replied, before turning into her wolf form so she could use her scent.

He took his turn, and when they finally reached the area of their objective, he summoned Pakkun.

"Hi Pakkun! You're going to be happy, we're going with Mitsuki on a mission today. Can you help her find this plant?" he asked as he made her sniff a dried plant.

Pakkun looked around, before turning back to Kakashi.

"And... Mitsuki is here?" he asked.

Kakashi pointed to the black she-wolf a little further away.

"Kakashi... I can assure you that this wolf is not Mitsuki," Pakkun informed him.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. He sent a kunai at the wolf, which disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

A clone.

"Shit!" he exclaimed, looking in all directions.

"What's going on? She can't be far away," Pakkun reassured him, sniffing around.

"She mustn't go back to Konoha. Not yet... I had to make sure she stayed away until tomorrow..." Kakashi informed him as he sped back towards the village.

"And why would you keep her away when she's forbidden to leave Konoha?" Pakkun didn't understand.

"I don't know any better. The Sandaime told me that it was confidential, and that I should only make sure that nothing happens to her... I never thought she would escape, I could tell something was bothering her, she must have cloned herself without me noticing when she transformed... I didn't think she could fool me after three years without practicing Jutsu. What an idiot..." Kakashi worried, speeding up a little more.

But he knew that the she-wolf was much faster in her animal form, and the look Pakkun gave him confirmed his fears: she was heading straight for Konoha.

Before the gates of the village, Mitsuki stopped her run. She could smell blood, lots of it. She followed the trail, realizing with anguish that it led her straight to the Uchiha district. She reverted to her human form, before dashing through its streets.

There was no doubt about it, a massacre had taken place here. The lifeless bodies of many residents lay on the ground and in front of the houses. Kunai and shuriken adorned the walls of the houses, marking the fighting that had taken place a short time before.

An oppressive silence had fallen over the entire neighborhood, far from the usual bustle. Mitsuki's blood ran cold, and she dashed through the corpses to her house. Inwardly she prayed with all her might that Aruna was alright, finding no signs of struggle nearby.

"Aruna?" she called in a quavering voice as she walked through the door.

Nausea overcame her as the smell of blood reached her again. She walked feverishly through the house until she reached her room, where the smell was strongest. She raised a trembling hand to the door handle and opened it with a dull creak. Her blood ran cold as she saw a body lying half on her bed.

"ARUNA! Big Brother!" she screamed as she threw herself at him.

She gently pushed him back, so that she could see his face. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw a sparkle in the Sensei's eyes, then a faint smile on his lips.

"Princess..." he murmured with difficulty.

"Aruna! Don't say anything, I'll...I'll heal you." she ordered him, conjuring up green chakra at the end of her hands, before beginning to search for the source of his injuries.

The Sensei gently grabbed the she-wolf's hands and placed them near his heart, letting her know that there was nothing she could do to save it.

"Princess... I'm glad I got to look at you... one last time..." he muttered before coughing, his lungs soaking up blood.

"Aruna, please don't leave me..." sobbed Mitsuki, shaking.

"Shh...please...don't ruin your pretty face with those tears... I'm not worth it. I've been happy you know... We've been through so much together... I'm so proud of the young woman you're becoming," he tried to console her.

He stroked her cheeks with his bloody fingertips and she accentuated the gesture by resting her head against his hand.

"You must keep on being strong, my beautiful, sweet little Princess... One day the sun will rise again for you ... Stay strong for me, for all of us... And... one last thing... Don't blame him... He had no choice... But I'm sure you... already knew that." Aruna continued, his voice growing weaker.

Mitsuki nodded. She let out another tear and Aruna tried to wipe it away, but his strength was failing his.

"I... I love you my little sister..." he said with a last breath.

"Aruna... Please..." Mitsuki sobbed again as the weight of the body of the man who had taken her in slumped completely against her.

She repeated his name, trying in vain to shake him again and again, but he was gone. The man who had believed in her, who had given her a home, a family, when she had been so alone until then, was gone forever. She stifled a cry on the man's cooling chest, and stayed like that for a few minutes, crying.

Eventually she pulled herself together as best she could, thinking of only one thing: Itachi. She was almost certain, and the Sensei's words had convinced her, he was the reason all those people died. His change in demeanor, his tension, his rejection of her, it was all clear, he had been trying to keep her away from what he was going to do to the clan.

She reverted to her wolf form, he had obviously thought to mask her scent, but he hadn't thought that he would stink of Uchiha blood across Konoha. He wasn't far away, she hurried to run after him, and it was only a few meters from the gates of Konoha that she saw him. She ran as fast as her paws could carry her and threw herself at his back, reverting to her human form before wrapping her arms around the Uchiha's waist. He stopped dead in his tracks, startled, but immediately pulled himself together.

"What are you doing here? You should be far from here." he asked coldly.

"So you're the one who had me sent on this mission...? I had a feeling something was wrong..." Mitsuki replied, ignoring the boy's icy tone.

"I had to keep you out of this... You had no business being involved, you're not a Uchiha." the boy clarified, still unmoved.

"Take me with you," Mitsuki breathed to him as she laid her head on the back of the ebony haired boy.

She felt the raven's muscles twitch under her hands.

"Have you gone mad? Would you blindly follow a murderer? The murderer of the last person you considered family?" he scolded her.

"I know you didn't have a choice, I knew it the moment I walked through the doors of the neighbourhood... And Aruna confirmed it to me. They have no limits..." countered Mitsuki firmly.

"Mitsuki, I don't know what you think you know, but the only reason I killed my entire clan was so I could measure my strength," the brown-haired man told her evenly.

"I don't believe you." Mitsuki replied firmly, tightening her grip.

Itachi shrugged, as if he didn't care.

"Itachi. This isn't you. They had your clan slaughtered just like they had mine in the past... They... They stole your life, Itachi, just like they stole Shisui's. But I'm here. I told you, I've always told you, I'll always be there for you, I'll stand by you no matter where life takes you, and I'll give everything I have to help you fulfill your goals, even if they change. Again, Itachi, I promise you that," Mitsuki insisted, not giving him a chance to stop her.

A tear she couldn't see rolled down the Uchiha's cheek.

"I almost killed you... you too..." he murmured, clinging to that last resort.

"It was an accident...and I came between you two all by myself, I'm the only one at fault." she assured him.

"I deprived you..." Itachi persisted.

"It didn't matter, not to me. Giving life to a child who would share the same blood as mine would only condemn him to live the life I was forced to live." Mitsuki interrupted firmly.

"I can't give you the life you deserve. I'm only pushing you deeper into pain and sadness every day. You deserve so much better, Mitsuki." Itachi continued bitterly.

This time Mitsuki sighed.

"You've already given me a good life these past few years. You've made me happy, so happy. I wish things were different, but in every scheme I can think of, you're the one I want to be around," Mitsuki assured in a soft voice.

"You're so stubborn..." Itachi noted, lowering his arms.

Without her realizing it, he grabbed one of her hands to bring her to face him, before abruptly pressing his lips against the she-wolf's in a desperate kiss. She froze for a moment, surprised, before running her hands up the back of the Uchiha's neck, deepening the kiss she had been longing for.

Itachi's hands went around the brunette's back, gripping her as if she could evaporate at any moment. A salty taste crept between their mouths as Itachi let his tears escape his closed eyes, mingling with the even more abundant tears of the young Hata.

He tasted the she-wolf again and again, unable to get enough of her soft lips. He could not bring himself to keep his feelings bottled up any longer, to force her away from him. He was crazy about her, and every assault he launched with his mouth, every caress he gave her in the arch of her back revealed what he had been hiding from her for so long. As soon as they pulled away from each other, they were drawn back in, kissing more and more eagerly, not wanting the moment to end.

Breathlessly, Itachi managed to pull himself away from those tempting lips. He rested his burning forehead against the she-wolf's for a moment, calmly catching his breath. He then looked at her for a moment, sadly wiping away the traces of blood that stained her face, guessing that they belonged to Aruna, and given the fingerprints, he also guessed that she must have witnessed his last moments. He then gently grabbed her hands, which were also covered in the glowing liquid.

"How can you still come back to me after all I've done?" he whispered, playing gently with the she-wolf's fingers.

"I know you... You put the interests of Konoha ahead of everything else... And I imagine you did everything you could to avoid this... I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone..." she replied.

"I prefer it that way... I could never have brought you into this..." he defended himself.

Mitsuki smiled nervously at him.

"Mitsuki, I'm going to leave," he reminded her.

She gave him a downcast look, before repeating:

"I'm coming with you! I have nothing left here... I only have you left!"

Itachi sighed tenderly before kissing her forehead.

"I wish... Believe me... But for now you're safer here than anywhere else... The Hokage promised me to look after you, nothing will happen to you as long as he's here. And...I have a favor to ask of you... Sasuke... He's still alive... Please... Take care of him... But don't ever tell him what you know about my motives... Don't tell anyone. To protect the honor and name of the Uchiha... He must hate me, thinking only of his revenge, to become stronger, until our paths cross again. But please, promise me you'll never reveal to him that I didn't do this for my own sake..." Itachi pleaded, running a finger under the she-wolf's chin.

"I'd like to promise you, but I can't accept that you're leaving me here... Itachi, I don't care about Konoha, I don't care about my safety, and I don't care about anything you do to keep me from following you..." she snarled.

"I know that..." Itachi murmured, before pulling her to him to kiss her tenderly once more.

He then pulled back a few millimeters, blowing softly:

"Thank you... for everything... I love you, Mitsuki."

And suddenly, the she-wolf's vision blurred. She felt herself collapse, but the boy caught her in time, carrying her unconscious in his arms to under their cherry tree. He looked at her sadly one last time, and disappeared from Konoha for good.