You're My Keeper

“Good morning, Itachi-sama!” Lady Emi squealed as she threw herself onto him, Itachi pushed her back gently, trying not to hurt her feelings and yet wanting to hold her as far away as he could.

“Lady Emi, we need to get going. We don’t want to be late,” Itachi spoke in his deep voice. “Please go inside your carriage so we can leave...”

Imari looked around the area before they left, there was something that was beginning to bother her, and she just didn’t know what. But her thoughts were quickly interrupted when Itachi announced that they were heading off. Her eyes couldn’t stop from shifting back to her captain, there had been something bothering him yesterday and now she was beginning to feel something inside of her, almost as if it were a warning.

“What was in the woods?” Imari finally asked after minutes of silent walking. Her eyes, not ripping apart from the rode ahead. Itachi didn’t brother to glance at her either, brushing it off he told her he had no clue on what she was talking about.

“I know there is something wrong…” Imari said with a glare, “Someone had been following us yesterday and today, they’re presence is no longer here, what happened?”

“Kaito-san, pay attention to the map, I suppose that the road has changed since it was made,” Itachi said, ignoring her, like he always did.

“Why were you so eager to get the wood for the fire? There is something your not telling me captain!” Imari continued on, “I felt a presence, that’s why I couldn’t go to sleep, there was someone watching..!”

“Imari!-” Itachi’s voice rose in a sharp tone, “Look out!”

Imari’s eyes glanced to where he was looking at, suddenly she felt it. The pain of four kunai thrusting themselves inside her arm, peeling the skin off of her as it ripped inside her flesh. Shutting her eyes tight, she bit her tongue, trying her best to surpass the pain.

“Protect Lady Emi!” She shouted before her body hit the snowy ground. Itachi was quick on his feet and was able to reach the young girl before she was taken by rouge ninja.

“Ah!!” Lady Emi screamed as her men fell dead on the icy rode. Itachi held her in his arms as he signaled for Najako and his partner to come out.

“-Itachi!” Imari yelled as she quickly pulled the last kunai out of her bleeding flesh and pulled Lady Emi out of his arms, Itachi was then instantly taken down by a group of foreign shinobi.

“Itachi-sama!” Lady Emi screamed in fear as she watched the young ninja struggle to fight the men off. Imari pulled her down to the ground, and stood up in front of her, in a protecting stance.

“Where are they, Uchiha?” Imari shouted as she watched her captain battle his way out of a ball of strong shinobi. The carriage that once held the young lady became inflamed by Itachi as he finally revealed his weapon, the Sharigan.

“Kaito! - Behind you!” He shouted as he dashed over to her, and protected the two young girls with his fist and kunai.

“Kaito, is it?” asked a voice as he appeared from above them, standing on a tree. The snow that fell from the sky failed to ease Imari’s heart as she watched in horror at the man who held the bloody heads of Najako-san and Yari-san.

“AAHH!!” Lady Emi screamed as tears gushed out her eyes, she trembled in fear as her shaking hands tried to cover eyes.

“What did you do?” Imari managed to ask as she began to feel her knees quiver.

“I killed them. And now they’re dead.” The man laughed, “And so will you!”

Latching himself towards her, Imari was unable to move quick enough to dodge his attack, but luckily Itachi was there to shield her.

“Captain!” Imari screamed in terror as her teammates’ heads rolled onto the pure white snow that was now covered in crimson red.

Itachi held his stance, his blood like eyes burning into the enemy, but was quickly thrown onto the air. And that was when Imari realized that this man had been the presence she had been feeling. Itachi laid feet away from the two girls as he struggled to get back up.

“Who are you?” Imari questioned boldly as she gulped down her trembles. The man wore a mask over his face, concealing his features but there was no doubt about it, he was an Uchiha, the holes that shaped his eyes were just like Itachi’s only the design of his pupil was different.

“Don’t look into his eyes!” Itachi shouted to her, but it was already too late, upon examining him; Imari was lost in a trace of some kind. Her body fell on the cold icy ground as she experienced a burning sensation that ate away at her body.

“Ngh..!! AHHHH!!!” She screamed as she felt every tiny piece of her flesh decay into ash. Her limbs tearing themselves off her body and her bones squeezing themselves into blood. Itachi quickly rushed towards her and held her in his arms, wrapping himself onto her.

“Kaito, Imari. Konaha’s Black Butterfly? What a joke…” The man spoke with a slight chuckle, “Uchiha Itachi, have you thought about what I said to you yet?”

“Release her from her pain..!” Itachi shouted as he watched her squirm and cry for the first time, “Release her now!!”

“Stop it! Stop it! Make it stop!” Lady Emi begged as she clutched her head and swung herself left and right in a frenzy.

“Very well, I will grant you more time.” The man spoke as he brought up his fingers and released the Genjustsu that was placed on Imari. But before he disappeared, he warned Itachi for the last time, “But I’ll be back and I will receive an answer…”