Serve and Protect : Itachi Uchiha

Chapter 13

Itachi had come to two conclusions about Reina. One, people were drawn to her like moths to the flame; she had to ability to make people smile just by standing in the vicinity. Perhaps it was the gold of her eyes that attracted people to her, like ants to spilled honey. She made him smile. Something he thought he had forgotten how to do a long time ago.

Two, Reina was ridiculously competitive

“I swear to God, Ibiki, if you blow this I will make your life a living hell!” Reina hissed from the sidelines. Itachi blinked in surprise and stared at the usually cheary kunoichi. Kakashi was right. She was terrifying when she put her mind to it.

“I'm…trying.” Ibiki managed to utter, his face the epitome of concentration. The unusually large shinobi was contorted in a peculiar manner, another body woven in and out of his.

“Well try harder, you're the head of the torture and interrogation force. You should be able to handle a little bit of pain.” Reina replied. Itachi sipped his drink in response.

The shinobi were playing team twister. Two teams and plenty of profanities. Each person could tag their teammate in when the position became too much. As shinobi they were no strangers to pain and turmoil. But this was another level of Yomi all together.

“Cramp!” Iruka cried, yet he did not yield his position. “Itachi, give me your hand.” Iruka stuttered, his sweaty palm waving in the air urgently. Itachi swallowed his whisky, almost choking in the process. He tapped in, relieving Iruka of his tension. Reina watched intently, scanning the dark haired male for weaknesses.

She spotted her opening.

“Ibiki, tag me in.”

“But I can do this, I can take Uchiha.” Ibiki replied gruffly.

“Tag. Me. In.” Reina took a step forward. Ibiki sighed and slapped her hand. Itachi peered over Ibiki's shoulder as the older man shuffled his way off the twister mat. Reina took his place, gracefully sliding into position above Itachi.

“Are you having a good birthday?” Reina murmured as she maneuvered herself above Itachi. It was the opposite of their position from the other morning, she now partially straddling him.

“Yes, thank you.” Itachi replied, he kept his words short and sweet. He knew what she was doing, using her womanly charm against him. Under normal circumstances he would be impervious to her. But the longer he spent with Reina the more he noticed himself changing.

And he didn't care in the slightest.

“Don't let her distract you, Uchiha!” Anko lay on her stomach, a glass sloshing about her hand. She was like a referee in the wild wrestling Reina had seen the kids in the academy impersonate. “Ignore her, with her fluttery lashes and cute little freckles.”

“I'm not trying to distract anyone.” Reina chirped, casting a smile at Anko, who returned the smile with a scoff.

“Butter wouldn't melt…” Anko muttered in between swigs.

Itachi concentrated on not falling down; Anko would likely kill him for a second time if he failed. Yet as the smell of peppermint overcame him, he felt his body unwind and slacken against his will. She had such a peculiar effect on him. With Reina curved above him, her hair cascaded over him, the mahogany wisps accentuating the smell of peppermint.

“You know,” Reina began, leaning in so her lips brushed over his ear. “we need to stop meeting like this.” she whispered lowly, motioning to their precarious position. Itachi swallowed, feeling his cheeks flush as the memory of her bare flesh on his bombarded his senses.