Separate Worlds

Katherina

Half an hour and ten sets of sprints later found Kat laying flat on her back, struggling to take in breath after agonizing breath. Thankfully, she had landed on her yoga mat upon collapse. She raised her left arm to rest over her eyes, effectively shielding herself from the sunlight assaulting her retinas. "Time?" She rasped between gulps of air.

"Improved by another second," Itachi called from somewhere to her right. "Well done," he added, causing Kat to blush. Thankfully, between her already exercise-induced flush and her arm being flung over her face, he was sure not to notice. Not that he seemed to be looking, anyway.

She reached out, blindly feeling around for her bottle of water, which should've been around somewhere. After several half-hearted attempts, and still refusing to open her eyes, she decided it just wasn't worth it. Sighing in resignation, she decided just to get it whenever she caught her breath enough to stand.

Having someone as strong as Itachi present was enough to motivate her to do her best. She smiled inwardly at the progress she had made today alone.

She shifted slightly, absentmindedly pulling out blades of grass with her fingers. As she turned her hands over, palms facing upward in a relaxed position, she felt something cold and wet being pressed gently against her fingers. She jumped slightly at the contact, removing the arm covering her eyes to look down at her open hand.

Her water bottle.

She smiled, looking over at Itachi, who was leaning against the tree trunk, facing away from her. He had seemingly not moved since arriving, though she knew better. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Hn." You're welcome.

She sighed, pulling herself upright in order to sip the water properly. "That was excellent," she commented between gulps.

"Do you run everyday, Katherina-san?"

"Usually, unless it can't be helped. Sometimes it's too cold or I have to work late to catch up on a project I've been neglecting at the office," she answered with a laugh. "Or if I'm sick. I don't get sick very often, but a few months ago I was literally bed-ridden with a horrible case of the flu," she informed him, wrinkling her nose at the memory. "The fever and chills had me down for almost a week. I was barely getting out of bed, let alone doing sprints. It was awful."

Something akin to a chuckle came from his general direction. "The illness? Or a week without training?" He asked, finally turning his head to face her.

She smiled, loving how he called it "training". Could it really be considered as such if she was in fact, not training for anything? Running was simply something she did. "Both," she answered. "A life without running isn't something I like to imagine," she shrugged. "I feel invigorated, closer to nature. It brings me a sort of peace."

Itachi nodded. "I get it."

Kat stood, stretching her legs, already dreading the soreness that would plague her later tomorrow. She took another long swig of her water, watching as a small flock of birds flew from her old oak into the distance. There were very few left this time of year. It would be too cold for them soon. Katherina dreaded the coming of winter, though it was right around the corner. As much as she loved to see the snow, it was not pleasant to try to venture out in it to exercise or to try to commute to work or the grocery store in such weather. It was early December, and she supposed she should be gracious that so far the weather had not turned on her. Usually by this time of the year, she would've been forced inside weeks ago due to the frigid temperatures. It wasn't just that she wasn't able to run in the snow, but that she was for all intents and purposes trapped inside her home and going stir crazy without being able to get out and at least walk around or go for a drive. Despite living by herself by choice and avoiding others for the most part, it was being trapped indoors that made her feel truly alone.

"Do you miss training?" She asked curiously. "Shinobi training, I mean. I don't supposed you have any need to work on mundane things such as speed at this point, what with your abilities..."

His eyes met hers in surprise. "Of course I still train to increase my overall speed," he assured her. "Or I did," he amended.

Kat snorted. "Oh yeah? Let me get my car keys and I'll race you." She joked dryly. Itachi merely smirked, for they both knew who the victor would be in such a contest.

She tossed her water bottle back onto the yoga mat, walking past him to the raised tree root in the ground. He watched her move curiously. She looked back down at him.

"I'm going to jog another mile, or so," she told him with a shrug. He nodded, extending to her the hand holding her stopwatch. She shook her head.

"This will be for fun, just to cool down. I'm not worried about the time," she said, bending down to tie her shoe which must've come undone as she was completing her sprints. She grabbed her empty water bottle as an afterthought before standing and beginning a light jog through the grass.

She decided to head for the trail leading to the field where she had found Itachi the previous night, though she hadn't taken this route at that time. The trail looped around much of the wooded area on her property, and it would've taken her quite awhile to locate him had she walked the path instead of cutting through the trees.

She closed her eyes briefly, breathing in the brisk afternoon air. Upon opening them, she saw a shock of black hair moving on the trail to her left. Her eyes widened and she stumbled slightly before getting ahold of herself. He looked down at her in amusement. There were no smiles or laughter, though his eyes twinkled with mirth, and his left brow was slightly raised.

He was dazzling. But not just because of his looks, no. In reality, Kat felt the man's looks had little to do with the reason she became a blundering idiot whenever he was present. Something about the way he carried himself. His morals, his unwavering self-control. Just the aura that seemed to emit from him. Though she had to admit, his beauty certainly didn't hurt. She shook herself mentally, refusing to drool over a man. Though, when it came to this particular man, who could really blame her?

She wondered if she could ever become truly used to his presence. She looked up just in time to see him smirk, almost as if he was privy to her inner monologue, before turning his head. She sighed. Nope. Not likely.

She quickly grew self-conscious of her sedate pace. Surely he was bored. Hell, even she ran faster than this most of the time. But the earlier sprints had taken a lot out of her, and she didn't want to push herself until she literally dropped. She was about to apologize to him until she took a look at his newly adopted expression.

He looked...content. His eyes were closed and a ghost of a smile graced his perfect features. The deep tear troughs marring his face looked infinitely less pronounced at the moment. He looked younger. No...he looked his age.

Though Kat was aware that the man beside her was, in fact, younger than her, she couldn't help but feel as though she were speaking to someone many years older than herself when in his presence. He was the type of person who naturally commanded one's attention and respect. Unintentionally, of course.

They ran on in silence for a few minutes, neither feeling the urge to fill the comfortable silence with meaningless chatter. After awhile, the path veered off to the right, and they were surrounded by trees. Under the canopy of branches, with the sunlight mostly blocked off, the air cooled considerably.

There were still a couple of miles left before the trail ended and the field came into view. Itachi had kept pace with her the entire way, and not once did he seem annoyed at her speed, or lack thereof. She wanted to speed up, so as not to look weak, but if she wanted to have the energy to run back, she figured she'd better not.

Finally, they emerged from the trees into the clearing. Kat let herself gradually slow to a stop. She gave a small smile, sighing deeply in relief. Her expression sobered upon looking up and finding Itachi staring intently at the spot she had originally spotted him lying.

She sighed. It seemed no matter how well they were able to coexist, she should always keep in mind that he simply does not belong here. No matter how much she enjoyed his presence.

She flinched as an invisible pressure seemed to fall over her. She looked up immediately at the familiar sensation. Just as she thought, Itachi had activated his sharingan and was currently glaring around the field, seemingly searching for answers. Her face scrunched up in confusion. How on Earth was she able to sense the shift in the air when he activated his doujutsu?

Itachi dropped to the cold ground and began meditating in the spot that she found him. At least that's what it looked like to her. Feeling like she was intruding, she hurried past him and made her way to the narrow river not far from the clearing. She busied herself with refilling her empty bottle with cool water. She now sat atop a small, rounded boulder that rested in the center of the creek.

As she drank, she didn't worry herself over the water being unsanitary. After all, she had been drinking this water since she was a little girl and no harm had befallen her before today. Besides, her water bottle had a built-in filter to catch all the sediments.

Her eyes flickered back to the man sitting cross-legged at the edge of the clearing. It still puzzled her greatly. The instant he had deactivated his sharingan, she had felt it. Almost like the air pressure had normalized after a thunderstorm. It was palpable.

She had wanted to question him about it, though as soon as she felt the change, he had immediately lowered himself to the ground and stilled his body. She knew he wouldn't want to be disturbed. Perhaps, if left alone to brainstorm, he could shed some light on these mysterious turn of events? She knew he needed to return to his own time, his own world, but...how? She felt that as the one who had found him, it was her responsibility to help him uncover the truth behind his appearance.

As much as she liked having him around, she knew that he was needed elsewhere. The shinobi world was now on the brink of war, and she couldn't even fathom what would happen to the shinobi nations in the near future.

Before, she had comforted herself with the knowledge that Naruto and Shippuden were merely written by a man. She didn't feel as though the creator would disappoint his fans by killing off every character they knew and loved for so many years.

Though now, she was forced to question everything she once thought to be true about the series. She was fairly certain that it was not written anywhere that Uchiha Itachi was to expire in his own world and magically appear here so that he could go on shopping trips with her and get assaulted by fan girls of the modern variety. It just didn't add up.

What a mess.

She sighed, leaning back on her haunches. She looked back to the field to find Itachi was now standing, facing away from her. For a moment, she wondered if he'd had some sort of revelation. Though a second later, he turned and approached the water, raising a questioning brow at her.

She smirked. "I got thirsty," she explained. He nodded silently, watching the water move steadily down the stream. She watched him carefully as she guzzled down the remainder of the water. Much to her surprise, he held out a hand in front of him. She frowned in confusion, looking behind her to see what he could want her to hand him.

He eyed her patiently. "The bottle, Katherina-san. May I borrow it?" Her jaw went slack, and suddenly she couldn't remember how to swallow. Rather than embarrass herself further with what was sure to be an ineloquent response, she settled for tossing the empty bottle into his waiting hands. He approached the creek gracefully, bending down to trap the cool water inside the bottle.

She watched as he replaced the lid and began drinking from the very same bottle she had been moments earlier. She forced her eyes away from him. For God's sake, get it together. You're twenty-four years old! He's drinking from your bottle, not licking your face, she told herself, biting the inside of her cheek for good measure. She looked back to him hesitantly, and instead of ogling him shamelessly, she found herself hard pressed not to laugh.

He seemed to notice her dilemma, as he shot her a questioning glance. She shrugged. "I just realized, it's your favorite color," She teased, biting her lip to keep from smiling. She watched as he immediately stiffened, pulling the bottle away from his mouth immediately to inspect it. Upon seeing the offending color, he rolled his eyes and chucked the bottle back to her with more force than was necessary.

She laughed out loud at his antics, catching the bottle with ease. After all, pink was merely a color. She told him as much in between fits of giggles, which earned her a very Uchiha-like grunt from Itachi.

"I think I got it in this color because every other one was sold out. I would've preferred green, I think," she told him. "Do you have a favorite color, Itachi-san?"

He considered a moment. "No," he answered.

"Aw, come on. I would've guessed red."

He shrugged. "When I was a child, red was my favorite color. I haven't thought about it in over a decade."

She nodded, pulling a small pebble loose from the bottom of her shoe absently. Yes, he had much more pressing things to worry himself over than something as trivial as a favorite color. "So..."

She looked up to find him sitting casually on a particularly thick tree branch that hung fifteen feet above the water. Her eyes widened a fraction. When had he moved?

His eyes, which had been focused somewhere in the distance, came to rest on her in acknowledgement.

"I was wondering...I-well, I seem to be able to feel it when you activate your sharingan," she told him. If this surprised him, he gave no indication. "Earlier, I was looking away from you, but I could sense a shift in the air when you turned it on. Do you know why that could be?"

He stayed silent for awhile, turning his gaze toward the tree line once again. She didn't repeat the question. She knew he was merely choosing his words carefully before answering her. She settled herself onto the rock more comfortably as she awaited his words, drinking from the bottle as she watched a toad as it hopped across the dampened earth several feet away.

She reached down into the cool water, gathering a little into her hands and splashing it across her face. The early December air had a bite to it, especially here, away from the sun, under a canopy of trees. But her face still felt heated from her earlier workout, and the water was refreshing.

She had cupped her hands and begun reaching down for more water when she felt it. The shift in the air coming from above her. Her head shot up immediately to find him sitting in the same spot looking completely calm, as though nothing were happening. She could almost see his chakra moving around him.

It was almost as though he were compressing all his energy into a tight ball at his center and holding it there before releasing it all at once.

Chakra flares, her brain supplied. Her eyes narrowed as she caught his eye.

"How...?"

He nodded to himself. "Hn. Tell me, Katherina-san, are you able to sense when you aren't alone?"

She froze. "That's how I found you," she answered quietly. "I'm sometimes...well, actually almost always able to sense when people are around me. It's almost like a sixth sense that I've had for as long as I could remember. But, when I encountered you that first time...that was like nothing I've ever felt before," she explained. "That niggling feeling I always feel when someone is watching me or when someone is near...well, it was very strong. I could feel you in the distance, and when I concentrated carefully, I could almost pinpoint the exact area you were lying in," she told him, nodding her head in the direction of the field behind him. "I didn't have any trouble finding you at all. It's like my mind knew exactly where you were at even though I couldn't see you or hear you. And the closer I got to you, the more intensely I felt you." Her eyed widened significantly. "Oh my God! Almost like Kari-"

"You are a sensor," he interrupted smoothly.

"A sensor..." She took in the information slowly, silently running through the possibilities in her head. How in the world could she do something like that? She was no more than an ordinary person. She had been surprised to learn that she even had chakra, let alone could sense it.

She was well-aware that she was in no way, shape, or form a kunoichi. Though, perhaps...if she had been born in a different time, in a different world, she could've made an excellent tracker. What did all of this mean?  Was her world filled with people who contained chakra reserves but had no knowledge of how to harness their powers?

If that were true, she could only imagine the possibilities. Crime, chaos, and unimaginable war-devastation were only a few of the scenarios she saw in her mind's eye as she imagined this corrupt world being filled with people who could use ninjutsu. There was far too much deep-rooted hate between nations. Too many differences of opinion. As much as she wished she could live in such a world filled with illusionary techniques and elemental jutsu...she knew it was for the best that her world never learn of such things.

She looked up at him in apprehension. "Tell me something. Everyone you've encountered since arriving here, are they like me? Do they contain chakra reserves that have never been tapped into?"

"Yes." He must've seen the way her expression soured at his answer, or perhaps heard her heartbeat kick up at notch at the knowledge, for he hopped down from his place on the branch to kneel a few feet in front of her little rock. Her eyes met his and there was nothing but fear there.

"Itachi-san. You know little of this world and it's politics." She shook her head, trying to find adequate words to impart to him how catastrophic such dangerous techniques would mean for her world. "But if this world's leaders came upon this information and somehow learned of it's potential...in this day and age...it would mean the end of this world, for sure. Science, in my world, is very much superior to what you're used to. You've seen small examples of our inventions," she told him, recalling his reactions to cell phones and automobiles. She shook her head worriedly. "But you've seen nothing of our warfare methods. Our weapons...if we had access to chakra, it would be like a thousand Madaras...a thousand Orochimarus." Her eyes closed tiredly.

"Katherina," he spoke. Just a single word. Four syllables. She was too startled by the direction of her own thoughts to even begin to notice the lack of honorific attached to her name. She looked up hesitantly, meeting his gaze apprehensively. His eyes were hard, his jaw locked tightly into place.

She imagined that under different circumstances, his expression would instill the fear of God into his enemies. Though, as she looked into those dark eyes of his, all she felt was immense relief. The determination in his gaze told her that he would never let those things happen. She relaxed almost instantly. She gave him a single nod, both of understanding and thanks.

"I've watched for years as my world has become more and more encompassed by hate, greed, and bloodlust. The shinobi world, in particular. As a member of ANBU, and later Akatsuki, I've seen firsthand the corruption that stems from power and authority." He fixed her with a meaningful look. "I would never allow the history of my world to repeat itself here," he assured her. 

She nodded once more, standing on her rock intending to jump across the river to join him on the bank. He extended his hand to her, much to her surprise. She stared at in a moment before reaching out and taking it. As his hand closed around hers, she felt the familiar jolt she had felt the night before when she'd found him just a few yards from where she presently stood.

Though this time, the feeling was much more pronounced. Could this be his chakra she was feeling? She looked down at his hand thoughtfully. She couldn't see his chakra circulating, though she knew it must be. From what she knew of chakra pathways, chakra was continuously circulating throughout the body. How strange it was that she could almost...taste it. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. How bizarre this day was turning out to be.

She was broken from her reverie by the sound of a throat clearing pointedly. It eventually dawned on her that she was still holding onto Itachi's hand. Quite snugly too, she realized with mounting horror. Thankfully, this time, she wasn't daydreaming because her mind was in the gutter. It was because she was musing over his chakra and her newfound ability to sense it.

"Sorry," she grinned sheepishly. "But it's a bit fascinating. I can feel your chakra flowing through the pathways. It's strange, I was never this attuned to it before now, but when I focus its like I can-"

"I was masking it before," he told her quickly, looking down at his hand meaningfully. She realized she was still clutching his hand tightly.

"Oh." She let go, looking away to hide her blush. "Um, shall we go, then?" She asked suddenly, nodding back toward the clearing. She was beginning to grow hungry and was now feeling incredibly thankful that they had bought such a ridiculous amount of groceries that morning. Oh, the possibilities...she thought with a grin, her mouth practically watering.

She looked up to see Itachi was standing nearly fifteen feet in front of her, watching her expectantly. "Are you hungry, Itachi-san?" She asked, not expecting an actual answer. "I'm starving!" She informed him needlessly, jogging to catch up to him. "Pizza sounds amazing, doesn't it?" She asked with an amused grin, knowing by the look on his face the man had no idea what the hell she was talking about.

Itachi merely followed her back into the clearing, where she was guzzling down the last few sips of the water, preparing for the run back to her house. Itachi waited patiently beside her as she drank, looking around the clearing once again. Kat finished the last sip and closed the cap, looking around the large field as well.

"In the spring, this entire field is nothing but flowers," she said thoughtfully, remembering the wonder she felt when she came here as a child. "Over by the water"-she raised her arms to point to the area they had just occupied-"water lilies bloom," she told him, meeting her companion's gaze.

He watched her silently, looking around as if trying to picture the barren field during a different season. "It's breathtaking. My dad used to pack a basket full of all my favorite foods and we would sit out here during the night and wait for the stars to appear." She paused, smiling at the memory. "I always tried to count them," she laughed, beginning to walk back in the direction of the path.

"I also counted the stars as a child," Itachi intoned quietly, falling into place beside of her. Kat looked up to see him staring up into the late-afternoon sky, obviously picturing something very different from what she was seeing. The statement took her by complete surprise. She had thought that his childhood would be painful to speak of. She chose to stay silent, waiting for him to speak again.

"Sasuke would follow me in the evenings when I would train by the river. Sometimes I trained alone, and sometimes with my best friend," he told her as he looked back at the river.

Kat nodded. "Shisui."

He paused, glancing back to her. "Yes," he said, mildly surprised. "Often I would rest by the river after we sparred and wait for the stars to appear, and Sasuke would leap out of his 'hiding spot' in a tree, or behind a bush." He smiled faintly. "It would always please him to think I wasn't aware of his presence. He worked so hard to hide it from me."

Kat smiled, picturing a younger, happier version of Sasuke. The one who idolized his older brother and sought approval from his father above all else. She pictured Itachi humoring his beloved brother into thinking he was masking his presence perfectly. Something Kat was sure the boys' father would never have done.

"After he appeared, I would scold him for being out so late, telling him Okaa-san would be worried when she couldn't find him. He would often grow tired on the walks home, and I would carry him on my back while he pointed out how bright the stars were, and how they formed pictures if you looked at them closely," he said, his voice barely audible. Kat had yet to hear him speak so many words at once. The sound of his deep voice was comforting, melodic almost.

Kat smiled. "My dad always ended up having to carry me home, too. He used to joke that instead of counting sheep, I was better off counting stars to make myself tired," she told him fondly.

"He sounds like a good man," Itachi hedged, glancing at her briefly before looking away. Kat nodded once, staring at the grass under their feet.

"I suppose," she mumbled before breaking out into a jog. She didn't have to look back to see if he was following her. She knew he would. Just like she knew he would understand her reluctance to speak of what had become of her father.

Katherina

Itachi fell into place beside her, effortlessly matching her pace. He noted it was much quicker this time around. Katherina hadn't spoken a word since they began their trek back to her home. She had grown especially quiet after recounting her childhood to him and speaking of her father in the past tense. The forlorn expression of loss was something that always shone on her usually cheerful face at the mention of her parents. It was an expression he was intimately familiar with, as he understood what was behind it better than most.

Itachi assumed that she had lost both her mother and father some years back. Perhaps to an accident, or an illness of some sort.

What he didn't understand, however, was the secondary expression behind the look of loss. The unmistakable look of guilt he had noticed before. He couldn't fathom her reasons for feeling such a way, surely she'd had nothing to do with their deaths. Though they were both now parentless, he and this woman were from very different backgrounds. The circumstances leading up to her parent's deaths must be vastly different from his own situation.

But every time her eyes would cloud over when staring at an old photograph, or speaking about one of her late parents, for him, it was like looking in a mirror. To anyone else, she may simply seem deep in thought, but to him, the remorse in her gaze was clear as day. He didn't understand yet why she felt such guilt, but he would surely find out with time. It wouldn't do to pry. 

Katherina

Kat closed her eyes. She ran.

And as she ran, she forced away all the depressing thoughts that threatened to take over and ruin her otherwise wonderful day. She refused to allow her mood to sour, especially not over something that had happened years before.

She looked up to find Itachi running beside her fluidly, with a grace that made her want to trip him. She would be satisfied with looking half as perfect as he could while moving at this pace. She snorted at the thought. As if. Itachi resembled a lithe cat, silent and powerful. Who could compete with that?

She smiled at the idea of her challenging Itachi at anything. She had been waiting for him to demonstrate his power to her since his arrival, though so far all she'd been able to witness were a few chakra flares and his sharingan. Oh, and his shunshin in her living room, though that had happened so quickly she had barely had time to register it.

She vaguely wondered how fast he was able to move without the aid of his chakra. Surely faster than she could ever dream to be. Though Itachi was not the type to showboat. He would not use his abilities to impress or awe her, so Kat would have to steer him in the right direction. She decided to test her theory.

Taking a deep breath, she increased her pace, momentarily catching Itachi off-guard and leaving him a few strides behind. Before she could look back, he had caught up to her, matching her pace with a raised brow.

She grinned slyly. "Just wanna stretch my legs a little," she lied, hoping he went along with it. He gave her a peculiar look but said nothing as they turned a corner, nearing the edge of the forest and almost back in sight of the house. Kat pushed herself forward, ignoring the slight burn she felt at the increased speed.

Again, Itachi followed quietly, this time not even looking over at her as he matched her stride, clearly having caught on. As they rounded the final loop, Kat burst through the trees with sudden speed, pumping her arms to gain velocity. This was a pretty quick pace as far as ordinary humans were concerned. How much faster could a shinobi run? She hoped he was going to show her. Preferably before she collapsed.

Itachi fell into place beside her, fixing her with an suspicious look. "What are you doing?" He demanded, looking thoroughly at ease despite the speed they were running. Kat deflated a bit. She was going to have to break into a full-blown sprint to even raise his heart rate.

"Humor me!" she shouted, leaving him behind once more. The Uchiha were known for their speed. Though they were also known for their subtlety, or at least Itachi was. How was she going to get him to show her his true speed?

Kat looked up to see her house and the old oak tree at the bottom of the hill in the distance. She pressed on, ignoring her muscles screaming in protest. She looked over to see Itachi studying her with a look of suspicion...and interest. He smirked at her challenge.

"Very well," he mumbled smoothly. He took off then, leaving her behind several strides. Kat smiled and winced at once, both impressed at his speed and disappointed in her own. She stubbornly pushed herself harder, faster, struggling to draw in air as she took her place at this right side. He looked over at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Kat held her ground, refusing to slow her break-neck pace. She smiled at him defiantly before trying yet again to stretch her legs and increase her stride. She succeeded, though barely so. She looked over at Itachi to find he hadn't broken a sweat, which she had expected. She gave a single nod in the direction of the tree as his eyes locked on hers.

He turned his gaze back in front of them before pressing ahead of her with a burst of speed that could only be described as amazing. Without a doubt, the man would put any Olympic runner to shame without even trying. She watched his back closely, detecting no hint of chakra emitting from him. This was his natural speed.

 It was incredible.

She watched as he slowed and stood by the raised root to the left of the old tree's trunk. He stood perfectly still, his chest rising and falling as it normally would. He didn't look any worse for wear than he had this morning. She continued to sprint, as best as she could considering that her legs were rapidly turning to jello, until she came to rest beside of him.

She struggled to normalize her breathing to no avail, tossing her empty water bottle onto the yoga mat in front of them before lowering herself into a sitting position, resting her back against the tree. Today was one of the best workouts she could ever remember doing. She glanced over at Itachi, who had also taken up his usual spot against the tree behind her.

"That was...amazing," she told him needlessly, smiling to herself when he didn't answer. "Exactly how long are you able to hold that pace?" She asked, genuinely curious.

He deliberated for a moment before responding. "Hours. Days, if I tap into my chakra."

She stared at him in awe, and perhaps a bit of envy, before chuckling. "Wow...what it must be like," she mused with a shake of her head. "But wait, you were able to run that way even when you were sick? Your illness was respiratory..."

"Yes, it wasn't pleasant."

Kat marveled. "That is the most..." she broke off, shaking her head. "I wonder how powerful you'd be now, if you tested it. With no illness weighing you down. Not needing to hold back anything." He didn't speak, only shrugged casually. Kat huffed out an incredulous laugh. "Itachi...surely even you must realize how fucking phenomenal that is?"

Itachi stared at her wordlessly for several minutes. "What is it?" She asked finally, feeling her cheeks heat up under his gaze. Maybe she'd went too far in her praise. He shook his head once before speaking.

"I wonder if you understand that I feel the same way when I think of your potential, Katherina-san? You're able to keep a steady pace without the aid of  chakra. How much quicker would you be with it? How much would your endurance increase?" He asked quietly, continuing to watch her.

Kat shook her head. "Even if it's true that everyone in this world has chakra, I still have no idea how to access it. I'm a civilian. I don't live in a world where people are taught from childhood how to understand and hone their powers." She paused, looking away. "I'm ordinary," she finished in a whisper.

Itachi's head inclined slightly, his expression changing to something Kat didn't quite recognize. Though it was fleeting, and before she could place the look, it was gone, replaced once again by the expressionless mask he preferred.

"Close your eyes."

Huh?

She hadn't expected a response to her little speech. She looked at him questioningly. "My eyes?" She parroted. "Why would I-" He silenced her with a look.

Damn Uchiha...Kat thought, though she held her tongue. Her mouth still hung open lamely, she realized, snapping it shut. With one last look toward the would-be clan heir, she did as he commanded, letting her eyes fall shut.

She felt a sharp gust of wind blow back her bangs. Resisting the urge to open her eyes, she pulled herself upright until she was sitting cross-legged on the yoga mat comfortably. Her panting had subsided, and her heart rate had calmed.

"Place your dominant hand on your body, mid-torso," Itachi instructed. Kat flinched at how close he sounded to her. That must've been the sharp breeze that I felt, she realized. She complied silently, moving her right hand from her lap to rest on her midsection.

"You are able to sense my chakra, as well as the dormant energy signatures of the people of your world. If you concentrate closely, you should be able to sense your own. With time, you should be able to manipulate and control it."

Kat sat perfectly still, listening to his voice patterns as he spoke. The sound made her relax a bit, her shoulders slouching slightly as it once more occurred to her just how tired she felt from all the running and lack of food. But if he thought she could somehow learn to tap into her chakra and manipulate it, she was willing to sit still and try.

She listened to the sounds of the birds chirping in the trees around her and focused on her breathing. She'd read that such things helped with meditation. She had tried many different methods of relaxation, none of which were helpful. Kat had simply chalked it up to her not being able to clear her mind thoroughly enough for successful meditation.

She took a deep breath in through her nose and released it slowly, moving her left hand from its resting place to lay it over her heart. She mentally pictured her blood circulating throughout her body, thanks to the organ resting behind her ribs. Shifting her concentration to the hand resting on her abdomen, she pictured bright, blue energy flowing through her body. The area beneath her hand was supposedly the source. If she focused hard enough, she could almost sense it. She could almost feel the warmth of it as it coursed through the chakra pathways in her that, before today, she hadn't known existed.

She sat still for nearly an hour, intent on figuring out if she was capable of sensing and molding the dormant energy inside of her. She felt the wind pick up, causing the fallen leaves to swirl around her still form. Intellectually, she knew it was getting very cold outside. Though, in the state she was in, she felt almost completely unaware of it. What a curious sensation. When Itachi spoke again, she visibly flinched from the sudden interruption.

"Imagine all the energy you have within you. The source is the area behind your right hand," Itachi spoke quietly across from her, though it sounded much louder than it should have to her ears. She took that as a sign that she had been concentrating properly.

She heard him shift, and suddenly she felt his presence behind her. "Hn. Your hair grows to the right," he noted quietly. Kat vaguely wondered what on earth that had to do with anything. Though the longer she sat still and concentrated, the more she knew what he was saying was the truth.

It was there. She could feel it moving through her. Just as surely as her blood was pumping through her veins, her energy was circulating through her chakra pathways. She smiled, trying not to break her concentration despite her glee at having finally sensed her chakra.

"Feel the chakra as it moves. Imagine the energy coiling into a tight ball in a clockwise fashion. Picture it rotating as you shape it."

Kat remained silent, doing as she was told, though inwardly she wondered why it had to be clockwise? She remained silent, assuming it had something to do with his offhanded remark about her hair, as odd as it sounded. It took much more effort than she would have thought to hold it in place once she felt it collecting within her. At least another half an hour must have passed.

A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead as she focused. She could feel the swirls now as the chakra collected into a large spiral shape.

"Good. Now, count to three, and release your hold on it," Itachi instructed, once again causing Kat to jolt from his proximity. She nodded absently, biting down on her lip in concentration.

Gathering her last ounce of mental strength, she compressed even more of the warm energy into the large ball she had collected. With a sudden burst, the chakra erupted from her body at once. Kat opened her eyes just in time to see the air around her tinged a deep blue as her energy exited through her many tenketsu points. Her hair blew around here like she was sitting in the midst of a cyclone. Her chakra had left her in such excess and so quickly that it burned as it did so, and the air shifted around her much as it had when Itachi had flared his own chakra earlier from atop the tree. Kat swooned, feeling as though she was suddenly aware of the earth spinning on it's axis. 

She cracked her eyes open with tremendous effort and gazed up at Itachi in awe, who had stood upon instructing her to release her hold on the pent-up chakra. His eyes widened slightly, but otherwise he looked utterly unaffected. Kat deflated a little at the realization. After all, what was she expecting? For the Uchiha to praise her for her success? Unlikely, seeing as he's probably been able to do the same thing since he was a toddler.

She smiled, pushing away negative thoughts. Nothing was going to take away the elation she felt at finding out that she not only had chakra but could use it!

"That was amazing! I can't believe it! I've never felt such a rush of energy! To think I've had this power in me my entire life and I never would've known had it not been for-".

She paused, seizing his gaze and holding it. "Thank you, Itachi-san..." She finished quietly.

"Katherina-san, you were not supposed to expel the chakra! I simply wanted you to release your hold on it and allow it to reabsorb into the natural flow of your pathways. That was an insane amount of energy you just expended. Are you alright?"

Kat nodded, still completely exultant. She allowed Itachi, who was still looking more worried than she thought strictly necessary, to take her hands and help her to feet. She made to take a step forward only to be overcome by the worst bout of dizziness she had ever experienced. Suddenly, she felt as if she had been awake for days. She pitched forward clumsily, directly into Itachi's arms, much to her humiliation.

Itachi caught and steadied her, and Kat was just lucid enough to sense the shift as he activated his sharingan, no doubt studying her chakra network. Kat groaned quietly, trying to right herself immediately, though Itachi made no move to let go of her just yet.

"Chakra is formed when your physical and spiritual energies blend. Spiritual energy is derived from the mind's consciousness. You are weakened from tapping into an excessive amount of your spiritual energy." He paused, glancing toward the front porch. "I didn’t imagine that you’d be able to gather and release such an immense amount of chakra. It’s no wonder you are close to collapse. You need food and rest," he finished, letting go of her shoulders.

As Kat regained her bearings, Itachi collected the yoga mat and discarded water bottle, rolling up the former neatly before leading the way back into the house. Kat followed silently, musing over the afternoon's discoveries. She walked through the door Itachi held open for her, immediately sinking into her mother's favorite armchair.

"Um, Itachi-san? Is there anything you’d like for dinner?" She called, allowing her eyes to close for the time being. She heard shuffling in the kitchen, she assumed it was Itachi looking for something. A moment later, there was an object being placed into her hands.

She opened her eyes tiredly to see a cup of lemonade between her fingers. She smiled in gratitude, drinking down the contents of the glass quickly. God, it was good. Maybe the best thing she'd ever had. Could she have chakra exhaustion? If so, this was no joke. No wonder he was so spooked. "Thanks," she whispered, curling back up into a boneless ball after sitting the empty glass down on the glass coffee table by her feet.

A moment later, she heard the hallway closet opening and the sound of running water. She assumed Itachi was planning to shower after their earlier run, closing her eyes contentedly. That was good. A moment to rest before she'd need to get back up and figure out what she was to make them for dinner. Such a short time ago, she had felt completely ravenous and could not wait to get some food, any food, into her stomach. Now, all she could think about was sleeping until her next birthday.

A moment later, she squeaked as she felt herself being lifted from the chair almost effortlessly and carried bridal-style into the bathroom.

She barely had time to grasp the fact that her head was resting comfortably against the hardness of his chest before she was jostled again. She opened her eyes as Itachi placed her on the sink vanity, turning to shut off the hot water running to her right.

"What...?" She began confusedly only to be hushed by one of Itachi's infamous deadpan expressions.

"You may not have realized it at the time, but the temperature dropped significantly when the sun set. You were sitting still for nearly two hours. And worse, you were still sweating from the run back from the river. You need to warm up and eat something soon."

She sighed, giving him an exaggerated eye roll. "Aright, alright," she whispered tiredly, pulling herself to her feet with some difficulty. Itachi gave her a nod of approval before excusing himself from the bathroom silently.

As Kat undressed and lowered her tired body into the hot water, she made a mental note to thank Itachi. She was certain that had he not literally picked her up and moved her, she would've slept the night away in her mother's chair, shower or no shower. She was sure she smelled awful. A bath was most definitely necessary, and the water felt amazing on her aching muscles, relaxing her.

She winced as she sunk her hands into the hot water, immediately pulling them to her face for examination. Sure enough, there were angry red welts donning the pale skin on her palms and wrists. Chakra burns, she deduced with a frown. She wondered if a traditional burn salve would be effective in healing burns of this nature.

Shelving the thought for a later time, she sunk further into the tub, submerging her head underneath the bathwater. She quickly washed and rinsed out her hair and began scrubbing the rest of her body with the cherry blossom scented body wash Itachi had chosen earlier. Such a shame she had bought a different, more neutral smelling set of soaps for him today. Teasing him was such fun.

She finished up quickly, splashing water over her skin to remove the excess suds. Though once she was done, she didn't move from her position. Her head was still swimming dangerously, and she simply did not feel like moving just yet. As a matter of fact, it felt nearly impossible. She relented, concluding that a quick rest would do her good.

Yes, that's what she would do, she decided, reaching out to grab the black towel Itachi had placed neatly on the shelf beside the tub. She positioned it behind her head as a makeshift pillow. Just a quick rest, she assured herself. Then I'll get up and make dinner for the two of us, she vowed as her eyes to slip shut, allowing the darkness to overcome her.

Katherina

Kat awoke to the smell of something delicious wafting in through the cracks of the bathroom door. The smell momentarily overtook her senses, coaxing her from her slumber. She blinked tiredly, wondering how much time had elapsed since she had entered the bath. Oddly enough, there seemed to be a scratching noise coming from outside the door. How strange, she mused. She pulled herself upright, shivering a bit at the now lukewarm water.

She sighed. It seemed she had fallen asleep for more than just a few short minutes. She rose from the water, wrapping the towel around her damp hair and shrugging her arms into the long, fluffy bathrobe hanging from the door hook. Tying the robe closed with a knot, she exited the bathroom and made her way down the hallway.

As she entered the kitchen, three things caught her attention. One, the smell was even better from this distance. Two, Itachi was standing over her kitchen counter, arranging food neatly onto two plates. And three, there was a very large, solid black feline sleeping on the floor underneath her table.

Her eyes widened in surprise, and a bit of amusement. "Uh, Itachi-san. Who's this?" She questioned, eyeing the fluffy cat curiously. He tilted his head slightly to acknowledge he had heard her, though he didn't turn around to face her.

"This creature doesn't belong to you?" He asked, his tone soundly slightly surprised, though he kept preparing the food diligently. She snorted at his word choice, kneeling next to said "creature" and stroking behind his ears.

"I've never seen him before today," she told him.

Itachi frowned. "Odd. It was scratching at your front door. When I went to investigate, it ran right inside and into the kitchen as if it belonged here," he informed her. "If it is not your animal, we could just--"

"Oh, but he's adorable, look how fluffy he is!" She cut him off with a squeal, rubbing the cat's midnight belly softly, pulling away quickly as it took a swipe at her fingers. "And feisty," she added with a grin, taking her usual spot at the table. The cat took this as an invitation to position itself on her bare feet, curling up into a contented ball. "Such a big cat! Where did you come from?"

Itachi approached the table, carrying two plates covered in an assortment of foods. As he sat down, he gave the cat a once over before returning to the counter and pouring a cup of tea for each of them. "I suppose he is sufficiently plump," he agreed dryly, causing Kat to burst into a fit of giggles at his little observation.

Itachi eyed her strangely, as if not comprehending why his words would spur such a reaction from her. Kat sobered up upon hearing the deafening growl of her empty stomach fill the room. She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep. I was actually planning to make dinner for the two of us," she started. "I just never expected to feel so drained from the meditating. After all, I was sitting still the entire time."

Itachi shook his head minutely, making a vague gesture at the plate, wordlessly instructing her to feed herself. She picked up a rice ball and dipped it in the ramekin of soy sauce he had provided before taking a generous bite of the food, nearly groaning in contentment.

The Uchiha can cook. Who would’ve thought? Though the larger part of her wasn't surprised. Was there anything he couldn't do?

"That was your first attempt. Though your physical stamina and large chakra container are impressive, they're useless unless you train your mind as well. Your physical and spiritual energies must mix for you to successfully manipulate your chakra. Also, you were not meant to release the energy, as I explained before." He explained as she munched happily, enjoying the perfectly prepared onigiri. 

It was wonderfully reminiscent of her time spent in Japan years prior. It didn't escape her notice that Itachi had omitted the smoked salmon from her rice balls. She knew he had prepared the salmon, as she could distinctly smell the fish. For some reason, the simple fact that he'd remembered her earlier words to him made her eyes sting.

She nodded in understanding. "So, for arguments sake, could I improve my physical stamina not only by training my body, but exercising my mind as well?" She asked, her interest thoroughly piqued.

"Yes and no," he began, eliciting a frown of confusion from Kat as she waited for him to elaborate. "The reason you feel so fatigued after the meditation is because of what you were trying to accomplish. The first time is always the most taxing." He paused. "In truth, I didn't expect you to be able to do it," he said honestly.

That caught Kat's attention. She returned the half-eaten rice ball to the plate, rubbing her hands together painfully before replying. "Why is that? You said I have a fair amount of chakra. Wouldn't it be easier for me to tune into it since there's so much of it?" She questioned.

"Not necessarily. I'm not surprised that you could sense it after learning where and how to locate it. I simply didn't foresee you having the control needed to gather during your first attempt," he explained, biting into his own food. “Let alone release it. At least not that much of it at once.”

Kat nodded, silently pondering his words.

"Did you sustain any burns when you released the chakra?"

Kat winced slightly, holding out her palms for him to inspect. It was worse than she'd originally thought, but not unbearable. Itachi assessed the damage thoughtfully for a moment before reaching out gently and taking one of her hands and gently stroking the burn marks with his index finger. Her eyes widened slightly as he completely encased it between his own much larger hands.

Kat gasped, both at the feel of his hands on hers and at the feel of his softly glowing chakra as it made contact with her burned hand. However, this time the glow was a soft, minty green instead of the electric blue she'd witnessed earlier emanating from him when he had demonstrated a chakra flare.

Several moments later, she felt relief. Her skin no longer felt stretched and tender. Released her hand in favor of taking the other between his hands just as gently as he had the first and repeating the process while Kat watched on in open-mouthed admiration. 

"The answer your question is yes, it is possible to increase one's physical power through meditation," he told her, as if he was not holding her injured hand between his own and using his chakra to heal her. "However, when executing taijutsu attacks, such training would be meaningless. Chakra based attacks are capable of being strengthened by increasing the amount spiritual energy you're able to expend, since both forms of energy are required to mold chakra." He released her hand.

Kat lifted her hands to inspect her palms and, wonder of wonders, they were healed. No, that wasn't right. It was as if they had never been injured in the first place. She hadn't known that he was capable of using iryojutsu, but she supposed it shouldn't surprise her. Surely he had copied many techniques with those beautiful, dangerous eyes of his. 

"Thank you, Itachi," she whispered, moved by the tender gesture.

"You're most welcome, Katherina," he responded, just as softly.

They watched each other for a moment or two, neither making a move to continue eating or speaking. 

Suddenly, Kat raised her teacup to her lips to distract herself. She finished it, and quickly stood to get more, the ball of fur sleeping by her feet mewling in protest at the sudden interruption to his sleep. When she reached the counter, she stopped, glancing at a small pack that hung from the pantry door. It looked like a standard version of the ones all shinobi carried. It must have been hidden beneath his cloak when she found him last night.

At that moment, Itachi approached the counter as well, she assumed to refill his own cup, which he carried with him. She silently filled both cups before returning to her unfinished food. Itachi returned to his usual chair across from her, resuming his meal as well. The moment had passed.

She looked around the small kitchen space and inwardly marveled over how clean everything was despite the meal he had prepared. After Kat finished making a meal, the area was always thoroughly wrecked, sauces and spatulas strewn all about. Such things never bothered her, however. She preferred cleaning up afterwards rather than cleaning as she went. A habit of hers that her mother had openly despised whenever Kat had volunteered to cook.

"I'm a horrible hostess," she laughed. "First take-out, now you're preparing dinner for me while I nap," she chuckled. "Forgive me. You are my guest."

Itachi shook his head in negation. "Not at all. You have helped me greatly. I am in your debt."

"Please. You have no idea how amazing it is just having you around," she began. "You've taught me things about myself I never would've known had you not shown up here," she added quickly, attempting to backtrack before he got spooked and ran for the hills.

For a moment, Itachi looked as if he would respond. Then, out of nowhere, he removed his eyes from hers, his expression becoming even more closed off and stern than it normally was. Kat was at a loss. Did she say something wrong?

But no, he wasn't looking at her. He was looking past her. Dropping her food, she turned to look over her shoulder where his gaze was still fixed unflinchingly. She waited. Silence.

"What's the matter?"

"..."

"Itachi-san?"

"..." His gazed hardened.

"Itachi?!"

Okay, now he was scaring her. What did he know that she didn't? Before she could voice her question, Itachi rose from his chair so quickly he was little more than a blur in her eyes. He appeared in front of her, clutching the bag she had seen earlier, but hadn't questioned him about. She watched him pull a long, shiny object from its confines before pressing the cold metal into her palm wordlessly.

"What is it?" She questioned, examining the kunai being pressed between her fingers. She reasoned someone had to be approaching for him to react so seriously. Though, she couldn't blame him for being paranoid, not after witnessing the inexplicable happenings of the past couple of days.

He shook his head. "Someone is coming. I can hear them. They're moving very quickly in this direction." He paused, contemplating. "They've just turned into  your driveway."

She looked at the man in shock. Her driveway was nearly a mile long. "How are you able to hear that far away?" She asked, turning over the blade in her hand, which was heavier than she would've guessed. She wondered if it was made to especially suit Itachi's preference? He seemed the type to take the quality of his weapons seriously.

"It's a skill that must be honed, though I suspect you will be able to feel the energy signature soon enough," he commented. She was about to question him further when he froze once more, cupping his right hand over his ear silently. She stared in silence, not wanting to drown out whatever it was he was listening for. 

He relaxed suddenly.

Kat watched him quietly, wondering if that particular trick was something she could also learn at some point? He dropped his hands, taking back the kunai he had thrust at her moment before, placing back inside the bag. "It's a civilian. The chakra is too weak to be dangerous," he told her as he placed his pack on the countertop, returning to his chair as if nothing had transpired.

Kat remained standing, unsure. She was, of course, glad to hear the approaching individual was no threat to them. That is unless said person was masking their chakra signature. However, she was certain Itachi would be able to tell if a person was doing such a thing, even without the aid of his sharingan. And if they could use chakra, she highly doubted they would be driving a car. Not exactly stealthy.

But the real question here was clear...

Who would be approaching the house at this time? She glanced down at her watch. It was after nine.

Kat groaned quietly in frustration. This was the second night in a row she was being graced with an unannounced visitor. She had a feeling, however, that this time around she wouldn't be feeling quite as gracious.

So, who did she know who would show up at her door unexpectedly at such an inconvenient time? She could only think of one. Kat hissed in displeasure, looking over at Itachi regretfully. She should've known it would happen sooner or later.

"I apologize for what's about to happen," she murmured, meeting his confused gaze with her irritated one. She hurried past the table where he was seated and up the stairs to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her and approached her closet. If she must to do this, she was certainly not going to do it in a bathrobe.

"Damnit," she growled, pulling a black sweatshirt over her head and slipping on a pair of loose-fitting black pants. She discarded her bathrobe, leaving it lying across her bedspread before hurrying back down the stairs and reclaiming her seat across from her house guest. A very concerned looking house guest, she might add.

"Katherina-san?"

She sighed, meeting his gaze tiredly, beginning to sip her forgotten cup of miso soup from the small square bowl in front of her. Might as well finish my dinner while I wait, she thought bitterly.

"Who is visiting?" He asked slowly, tearing his eyes away from her to watch the front door to her rear. Kat snorted inelegantly, shaking her head.

"To be a visitor, you have to be welcome," she emphasized sourly. She deliberated for a moment. "How far away is he now?" She asked, dreading the answer. She supposed it was too late to make a run for it at this rate, anyway.

Itachi listened for a moment. "He has discarded the vehicle and is now approaching on foot," he answered carefully. "Are you in danger?" 

"Only of losing my mind," she answered, sipping another spoonful of the miso soup Itachi had so kindly prepared for them. "Think I could get that kunai back?" She joked.

Well...mostly joked.

Itachi ignored her failed attempt at humor, instead looking past her and through the living room window. Kat frowned, taking that as a sign that he was drawing closer.

“I don't feel that whomever is approaching would leave behind the vehicle and walk from such a distance unless they were trying to sneak up on you, Katherina-san.” He rose to his feet uneasily, eyes on the back door.

"Maybe you should wait inside," she suggested delicately, beginning to stand and approach the door, Itachi right on her heels. She wasn't very surprised considering how strongly she had reacted just a minute ago. She turned the knob but hesitated to open it. She turned to face him. "Really, I don't want you to have to get mixed up in any of this. It's ridiculous enough, as it is," she told him vaguely.

Itachi fixed her with an unimpressed look, not budging from his position by the door. "He's close," he spoke quietly, eyes flickering to the door behind her, causing Kat to close her eyes forcing her senses outward in an attempt to locate his presence. Whether it was because she was still very unsure of her newfound sensing ability or because this person's chakra signature wasn't nearly as impressive as Itachi's, she wasn't sure, but she was unable to feel it.

Accepting this failure for now, she opened her eyes and locked her gaze with Itachi's. "It's fine, really. Just a minor annoyance," she tried to assure him, and maybe herself a little.

Finally, he nodded, stepping away from the door and walking back into the kitchen. He didn't take a seat, choosing instead to lean against the counter, hands resting dangerously close to his weapon pouch. Kat shot him a nervous smile before exiting through the front door, her new cat companion dashing out the door, quickly jumping off the porch and running into the darkness in the direction of her tire swing.

She couldn’t see anyone just yet, but she knew Itachi wasn't wrong. He was approaching. She followed the cat's example and walked over and sat beneath the old oak tree, silently hoping that this whole thing would be over as quickly and painlessly as possible. Though, she was all too aware of just how horrible her luck could be. She heard the grip of the cat's claws and he climbed the tree at her back and settled himself on a low branch right above her just as she heard a twig snap some feet away, in front of her. 

She raised her head, grudgingly meeting his eyes as he stepped out of the shadows and into the light cast over the grass from her porch light. He didn't move to get any closer to her, and for that she was grateful. His steel gaze penetrated hers, his dull brown eyes full of unspoken accusations. She looked away, already irritated with the direction this was headed.

"Kat," he greeted evenly, though it seemed to take much effort on his part to not reach out and shake her. She trembled at the thought, hoping it wouldn't come to that. At least, if worse came to worst, Itachi was just a scant few yards away, no doubt listening to everything that was transpiring from his spot in the kitchen. She took comfort in the fact that he was clearly reluctant to let her walk into anything by herself. Though if her visitor caught wind of another man sleeping in her house, things would likely go south much quicker than she anticipated.

She met his gaze, trying her hardest to look unaffected, willing her face not to twitch with the annoyance threatening to consume her. "Why are you here, Chase...?" She spoke, her voice barely a whisper. She was too tired for this shit.

"I think we need to talk," he said with a crooked smile, though it didn't touch his eyes. His smiles were always this way. Kat wasn't sure how she had missed it in the beginning. His creepy smiles, his incessant need to touch her whenever near her. Kat sighed in disgust. She sure could pick winners.

"We have nothing to talk about, Chase," she began, repeating the same speech she'd flung at him during past confrontations. "Not anymore."

Take the hint.

"But we do," he insisted, choosing to pretend she hadn't spoken at all, adding fuel to the fire already burning behind Kat's eyes. She forced down the angry retort threatening to bubble past her lips. Losing her temper would surely exacerbate the situation. "You haven't answered any of my phone calls," he accused, losing the creepy grin.

"You're right, I haven't," she allowed, studying her fingernail with avid interest.

"Well, why not?" He questioned, taking a step forward. Kat's eyes shot up to meet his, the silent warning there unmistakable. Though, of course, the jackass chose to ignore it, taking a second step toward her resting place on the ground.

"Because! I have nothing to say to you," she snapped, looking back toward the front porch, embarrassed beyond all measure that this was happening while Itachi was present. If he could hear a car creeping up her driveway from a mile away, he could certainly hear everything they were saying now.

"That's not nice," he reprimanded calmly, thankfully halting his steps toward her for the time being. She really didn’t feel up to shoving him off her if it came to that.

"Sorry."

"You don't sound sorry."

"You're right, I'm not," she spat, exasperated with his childish antics. Why could the man not just come right out and tell her of whatever grievances he had with her this time so she could dismiss them and go on about her night? "What do you want me to say? I didn't answer your calls because we aren't together anymore. We haven't been for months. And it's time you accepted that and moved on," she suggested.

"I really needed to talk to you today," he pressed, unrelenting, as always.

"I was busy," she supplied, rising to her feet, ready to put this sideshow to rest once and for all. Her discomfort at him looming over her was growing.

"Is that really why, Kat?" He asked, voice cold as ice as he took yet another step toward her, prompting her to take a step back in response.

"Yes."

He stepped forward once again, now close enough to touch her. She prayed he wouldn't. "So it has nothing at all to do with your new boyfriend?" He shouted, pronouncing the last word as if it were profanity.

Kat stiffened. "My what?" She demanded. "I'm not seeing anyone, if you must know," she informed him.

"Sure you are! I saw you just today, walking around the mall together. Joking, laughing." He paused, suddenly reaching out to grab her arm. "You shouldn't lie, Kat," he chided mockingly, ignoring her attempts to free her arm from his grasp.

"I wasn't lying. Why were you following me, anyhow? That guy is a friend, not that it's any of your fucking business," she seethed, attempting once again to free herself without resorting to violence. "Let go of me," she warned.

"Didn't look that way to me," Chase continued, ignoring her anger, pulling her closer to him until she could feel his breath fanning her face. She grimaced at the sensation.

"Let go of her," a deep baritone voice filled the air. Kat's head whipped around, immediately relieved beyond all belief. If Chase had pulled her any closer to him, she was planning to permanently disfigure his face. Itachi's gaze locked with hers, his expression the coldest she'd seen it since meeting him.

"Hah!" Chase hooted in triumph, looking from Itachi to Kat. "What were you just saying about not seeing anyone?" He prodded, still neglecting to release her arm. She wasn't the only one who noticed this little detail. She glanced at Itachi who was glaring at the offending hand dangerously. Chase was as oblivious as ever. "If you aren't seeing him, then why is he here in the middle of the night? Where'd you find this freak, anyway?"

"Chase..." she growled, her voice thick with warning. "Listen, this is none of your business. Just go," she ordered, her eyes meeting his. This was getting out of control quickly. She shuddered to think what Itachi would do if Chase kept his grip on her arm much longer. He was in full-blown shinobi mode now. There was no hint of his earlier personality in his gaze. She could feel an ominous chill leaking into the air, coming from Itachi's direction.

Above her, she heard the distinct noise of a cat growling, but she was too distracted by her current set of circumstances to look up and investigate.

Kat hissed in pain as Chase's grasp on her suddenly tightened. She was sure her arm would bruise. "We were having a conversation, and he's interrupting," Chase persisted, much to Kat's dismay. "That's fucking rude, man," he told Itachi. Kat wanted to melt into the ground and never resurface. This was the single most humiliating experience of her life.

"She does not wish to converse with you. Leave." Itachi's words left no room for argument. But if there were ever an individual ignorant enough to challenge a man like Itachi, it was this one.

"I don't think so. I wasn't done," Chase shot back defiantly. "I'll leave here when I'm good and re-AGGHHHH!" Kat nearly screamed in shock as Chase's vice-grip on her arm loosened and he let out a bloodcurdling wail of horror...or pain. Kat wasn't exactly sure which. She jumped back from him immediately, eyes shooting to Itachi's still form.

Sure enough, his sharingan was activated, and he was glaring daggers at the one who dared challenge him. Kat looked back to Chase, who was now jumping up and down screaming about snakes, and other creepy-crawlies, pitifully swatting at the nonexistent pests with both hands.

"Itachi…."

The Uchiha didn't spare her a single glance as he stepped forward, chakra emitting from his body unflinchingly. She watched on as Chase froze in his tracks, all his screaming of reptiles had ceased as he turned on his heel, running back toward the end of her driveway for dear life.

She watched his retreating form with bated breath for a moment before feeling of the smothering chakra seeping out from behind her cease, replaced once again with the familiar aura that was unique to Itachi. She met his gaze to find his sharingan gone, replaced by the beautiful onyx she'd become accustomed to seeing.

"What was he running away from?" She questioned quietly, wondering if he would answer. Or if he was angry at her, even. After all, she had been the one to insist on defusing the situation on her own. And look at the mess she'd made.

"Spiders," he answered curtly. "And very large snakes."

She smirked. "You think you maybe got a bit carried away?" She teased, hoping to somewhat lighten the mood. Itachi let his eyes rest on her for a moment before turning and heading back toward the porch.

"No," he stated coldly.

Kat waited quietly for him to continue. He didn't.

"No?"

"No," he reiterated, his gaze hard. A pause. "Is he a former lover?"

Kat scrunched up her nose, disliking the word "lover" being used to describe her relationship with Chase. "Something like that. It's been over for a long time. He just won’t leave me alone," she explained needlessly.

Itachi's eyes softened slightly. "Does he often follow you?" He asked, taking a seat on the old porch swing to the right of Kat's front door. She sat down beside him a foot or so away, her new feline friend leaping into her lap, standing up on his hind legs so that he could press him cheek to hers. A gesture of solidarity and comfort if Kat ever saw one. She smiled, running her fingers through his soft, curly fur. What had she done to deserve two such loyal companions?

Kat shrugged. "He's occasionally popped up when I'm out somewhere. He'll show up at the same restaurant as me, or run into me while shopping. By 'pure coincidence', he would always claim. But I knew better." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger. "He's never shown up here, though," she said, looking up at Itachi, who was listening intently. "He saw us together today, that must've pushed him into coming here," she guessed, stroking the purring feline who now rested contentedly in her lap.

"Indeed. I saw him when you excused yourself after showing me your phone. He was watching us today." He looked down at her thoughtfully. "He would've hurt you tonight, had I not been here," Itachi spoke seriously. She looked up at him, surprised.

"No...no, he's never harmed me. He's just annoying and a bit stalkerish. He's never gotten violent with me," she assured him. But how true was her statement? Had the man not seized up her arm and refused to release her, even when told to do so repeatedly?

Itachi looked unimpressed with her reasoning, as well. She sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to see that. Honestly, it’s never been that bad before, but you're right. I’m very fortunate you were here."

"Thank you," she whispered, looking over at him cautiously.

Itachi simply stared at her. "Hn," he answered finally.

Kat smiled, rising to her feet, stumbling a bit as she did so.

"You should rest," he suggested.

She nodded, planning to do just that the second she reached her bed. This day has been beyond exhausting, she thought, stifling a yawn as they walked inside and up the stairs toward their respective rooms. She paused outside her own door awkwardly, looking back at Itachi.

"Thanks again...for tonight," she said quietly. "For protecting me, for dinner, for healing me. For everything," she added, opening her door before looking back at him. "Sweet dreams, Itachi-san."

Itachi took a step back in the direction of her old bedroom, giving her a single nod. Satisfied, Kat stepped through the doorway into her own bedroom, the black blob of fur hobbling down the hallway after Itachi. She was about to close the door when she heard it.

A barely audible "Sleep well, Katherina-san."

She looked into the hallway to see that he had already disappeared, leaving her alone in the doorway, smiling to herself before shutting the door.