"How was your mission Itachi?" I asked, running up to the newly minted member of the ANBU black ops.
"It wasn't anything too interesting". Itachi stopped to let me catch up with him. His reply was uninteresting, but it was very Itachi-like. I doubled over, my hands gripped my knees, as I huffed trying to catch my breath from running.
After a few deep breaths, I straightened up. Our eyes met and a smile broke out on both our faces. "Oh come on nothing cool happening 'at the center of the village?' " I asked again, poking his cheek.
"You know I can't talk about it." He replied, his cheeks puffing in response to my teasing.
"I know," I replied. Smiling and kissing his cheek.
A dark blush bloomed over his face. I giggled at the biological response. Itachi wasn't one to show emotion and was good at hiding the ones he did have. But no matter how much he tried he could never hide his blush when I kissed his cheek.
"I heard you made jonin and joined the military police." His voice was tight with embarrassed frustration.
I nodded, "Nothing too impressive, unlike the great Itachi Uchiha." I laughed. Suddenly his face twisted in seriousness.
Grinning, I grabbed his hand lacing our fingers together I yanked him down the path leading to the compound. "Let's get home before it gets dark."
We walked in silence. Most of our walks home were silent, neither of us were what you considered big talkers, so quiet was nothing out of the norm between us.
Unexpectedly Itachi stopped, nearly causing me to tip back due to the firm grip. "Have you been attending the meetings?" I froze. My eyes fixating on the brick layout beneath my feet. "I have...."
"What do you think about what they are trying to do?" His question surprised me. Was this a test?
"I hate it. I hate the idea that the clan harbors so much hate for the village". My eyes raised from the slashing lines of the brick path to meet Itachi's stare. "War seems to be inevitable in our world. Something we can't escape no matter how hard we try. There's always something or someone... to tip the balance in favor of war... I just want peace." His eyes dilated.
My heart pounded. 'Should I have kept what I really felt? Would Itachi tell his father that I was against the clan's sentiment?'
Thump... Thump... Thump
And for the first time, since I knew Itachi, the silence became an agonizing dagger of fear.
"You feel the same way...." His voice was soft, barely above a whisper, as if if he spoke a little louder someone would swoop down and steal him away.
"What do you mean?"
"I want a world without fighting... A world without ninjas... A world of peace". His words staggered me. Each word hit me, like a stick striking a gong.
"H-how do you plan on doing that?" I stuttered.
"Become strong and gain more power than anyone else. I will stop this coup and become Hokage so that I will be able to one day bring peace to the entire ninja world." I stared up at my friend. His face filled with a sense of determination that sent a cold shiver down my neck. It was almost terrifying. The hairs on my body stood on ends.
He meant what he said. He meant it with every fiber of his being.
We stood staring into each other's eyes in silence for what seemed like an eternity.
"I want to help..."
"You do?"
I silently nodded. I couldn't pull my gaze from his eyes. I wanted more than anything to make that dream a reality.
∞
"Why am I here?" I asked stepping up beside Itachi at the edge of the cliff.
"Shisui is coming."
"And why is Shisui coming?"
"You'll find out soon."
I reached out for Itachi, gently grasping his arm, "Is this about the coup?"
Without turning his gaze from the edge of the cliff he nodded. I tightened my hand reassuringly. "Do you really think we can stop them?"
"I don't know but we have to try... We can't let it happen." I could see how much this weighed on his heart. We were still only children, but Itachi placed the weight of the world on his shoulder.
Did it weigh more on him cause his father was at the center?
"They have been monitoring the compound." His statement broke my thoughts. He spoke so nonchalantly, but I knew all of this bothered him deeply.
"Do they know what the clan is planning?"
"It doesn't seem like it, but they definitely have their suspicions."
My head tilted back. "And the sentiment in the police force isn't getting any better. People are starting to rally strongly behind the idea of a coup. What are we going to do? It's worse than we thought."
"Are you two lovebirds done?"
My hand quickly retreated from Itachi's arm. Our heads snapped back to the sound of Shisui's voice. A blush crept over both our faces.
"What!?" We said in unison.
"It's okay, I won't tell anyone." He sang with a grin spreading on his face. I turned away from the two boys, frustrated at my own feelings.
My arms crossed over my chest tightly. "Why am I here!" I huffed. Shisui chuckled as he walked over to me.
"Did I hit a nerve?" He smirked.
Turning my back to him I puffed my cheeks. "No!"
"Seems like I did." His hand ran over my cheek pinching me in the process.
I turned sticking my tongue out at him, "Don't worry I am sure Itachi likes you too." My face felt so hot that I thought I would melt.
"Stop teasing her Shisui". Catching a side glance I could see Itachi's face consumed in pink.
"But she's so adorable when she blushes." His face was now inches from mine. His lips pressed against my hot cheeks. "Stop that Shisui." I puffed, desperately trying to push him away.
"Oh come on, give me some love too." He wined pulling me into a hug. "You're suffocating me." My voice gargled in my throat from the force of his hug. Finally, I pulled away from his death grip enough to manage a full breath in my lungs.
"Shiori." The sound of my name pulled my attention back to Itachi.
"So, why am I really here? Other than get teased?"
Shisui's arm dropped over my shoulder using me to prop himself up. His weight fell against my body. 'Damn he is heavy' I thought pushing my weight against him so that we held each other up.
"Remember when I told you that I was going to stop the coup?" He asked, his voice serious again.
"Yea?"
"Shisui and I are trying to find a way to sway the clan from starting a civil war."
I turned to Shisui.
"And how do you plan on doing that? The next meeting is when they decide when the coup will take place. Isn't it too late to try and stop them?" I replied, dragging my gaze between Itachi and Shisui.
"Shisui has a plan."
Looking back at Shisui I waited for his response, but he remained silent. "So what's your plan?"
"Kotoamatsukami...."
"Is that some kind of genjutsu?" I asked curiously.
"It allows me to enter the mind of any individual within field of view, and manipulate them by giving them false experiences, making it seem as if they were doing things of their own free will".
I knew in an instant what he wanted to do with it. "Mangekyo Sharingan?"
"How do you know that?" Shisui asked, genuinely confused at my knowledge of the Sharingan.
"My father told me about a form of the Sharingan that gave its users special abilities unique to the users who obtain them. But Shisui --....."
I could see him ever so subtly shake his head. 'Itachi must not know what it takes to gain this unique Sharingan.'
"---But Shisui to cast something like that on the chief won't be easy." My seamless pivot didn't seem to alert Itachi.
"I won't know until I try." His arm pulled away from my body leaving me cold.
"We have to try anything." His voice was soft. The look on his face was unreadable. His jaw was set in a hard expression that I couldn't quite place. But I could sense one thing.
Determination.
I nodded my head and turned to Itachi, "What will we do?" I asked hopeful that I could be a part of the plan and not just be a hopeless bystander.
"We will meet here on that day, and hopefully Shisui will succeed." I nodded slowly. A million questions running through my head.
'What if this doesn't work?'
I shook my head, 'I can't think like that, I have to believe in them, they were the only hope left to stop the ensuing chaos.'
∞
Today was the day.
Once again we were at the edge of the cliff.
We stood side by side waiting for Shisui's return. "Do you really think he can do it?"
"Have faith."
'He really must be desperate for this to work. I've never heard Itachi talk about faith before.' He was worried about Shisui. My and Itachi's absence from the meeting was bound to drudge up some kind of backlash. Not to mention Itachi's father wasn't someone to mess around with, and to try and cast a genjutsu on him wasn't going to be easy.'
We stood in silence.
A breeze swept over the cliff sending ripples of light shivers up and down my body. I wrapped my arms around myself rubbing my palms against my exposed shoulders. It was just after sunset and the warm summer day was replaced by a cool breezy night. A full moon hung high above us casting shadows in every which direction.
".....Itachi... If this doesn't work what are we going to do?"
I didn't want to ask the question but we had to be practical. We had to weigh other options in case this didn't work.
I could see his body tense, 'He's been thinking about it too'. But he didn't respond to my question. And I wasn't willing to push him any further.
Suddenly a rustling sound came from the other side of the clearing. Shisui stumbled out of the forest bloody and dismembered. "Shisui! What happened!" I ran to him clutching him to my chest. He pushed away from me, "Danzo happened."
'Danzo from the council?'
"He knew that I was trying to use the Kotoamatsukami to stop all of this and he stole my right eye... He plans on protecting the village his way." My hand instinctively went to his face. 'Why would he take Shisui's eye? Does he plan on implanting it in his own eye?'
"Let me wrap you up." I didn't realize it before, but my voice and hands were trembling.
"Don't waste your energy I am on borrowed time." He pulled away from my grip walking over to Itachi. "I am going to give you my left eye before he comes to take it." Shisui raised a hand to his left eye and slowly pushed in, with an unnerving pop his eye slipped into his hand.
"I didn't tell you this before, but the power of the mongekyo sharingan can only be awakened by the trauma suffered from witnessing the death of someone close to you. So I need you to kill me Itachi."
"You can't be serious!" I yelled. "We were supposed to do this together".
Both eyes now bloodied Shisui smiled sticking his hand out to Itachi, "Both of you, protect the village and the Uchiha name."
It was strange but he looked at peace staring death in the face.
'Oh Shisui....' I wanted to reach out to him and stop him from doing anything, but I knew I couldn't, this was just how it had to be.
And I hated it.
Why did someone have to die?
∞
"Massacre?..." My voice trailed off as I stared at Itachi. My body felt limp, my hands dropped to my sides, and my vision blurred. "You have to murder the whole clan? Is that really the only option left?!"
He nodded silently.
"Who?"
"Danzo."
"Do the others know?"
"More than likely."
"They're willing to massacre children?..... Let a child murder his own people?" My head was spinning.
"Itachi. Your mother. Your father. Sasuke. Me." My voice cracked with each name.
"I know but there's nothing else. It's the end of the line." His face was racked with torment. He looked so defeated. I've never seen him look so despondent.
This was a cruel punishment to put a child through. Our eyes met and I could feel him begging me.
'He can't do this alone."
I forced my body to move. Stepping up inches from him I reached up to his face. Both hands cupped his face. My thumbs gingerly rubbed against his cheeks. I could feel him lean into my touch his eyes never leaving mine. "I am going to help you."
His eyes widen in shock. "No! You can't!" His body recoiled from my touch. "I didn't tell you this so you would join me."
I reached for him tugging him into a hug. I buried my face in his chest. "Shisui told both of us to protect the village and the Uchiha name. And if you believe that this is the only way to do it then I am with you till the end. No matter what you say." His tensed body under my touch. "I can't ask that of you."
Tilting my head up to look at him, "You can't do this alone. It's me and you... For now."
A sad smile crossed his face.
"Okay..." He whispered wrapping his arms around me and tucking his head against my shoulder.
'What a cruel world we live in.'
Even though I was going to help carry out this massacre. I knew that once the night was over Itachi would have to end my life too.
But that didn't matter. I was going to do what I had to do.
∞
I slowly made my way through the compound. I slipped into the darkened home. It was late into the night and most, if not all the compound had gone to sleep. I glid seamlessly over the hallway floors sliding open the first door I saw. A man and woman laid out on the floor no doubt deep in sleep.
Standing over their unmoving bodies I leaned down and ran my sai deep into the man's chest making sure to puncture the major artery in his heart. A soft grunt escaped his lips and his wife shifted in her sleep. Slowly pulling out the sai I moved to run the heavy metal against the woman's throat. Suddenly she was awakened by the feeling of a foreign object running against her. Her eyes were wide with fear. "Who are you? What are you doing? Honey!" Looking over at her now-deceased husband she opened her mouth to scream but it was too late. The sai pierced her neck leaving a gaping hole in her jugular. Blood splashed my body, drenching my hair in the thick iron liquid. Her hands flew to her neck trying to hold the wound together, but it was futile. She was going to die.
The fear in her eyes stung, but this was inevitable.
'I am sorry'.
"Mom?" A small voice came from the other side of the door. My heart clenched I turned sliding the door open. The little boy's eyes ran up my body locking eyes with me. "Who are you?" He asked unnervous and unafraid.
My eyes slid shut, activating the Sharingan.
I crouched down opening my eyes, "I am no one important." His head cocked to the side confused. My hand landed on his head. Our eyes met and the genjutsu was cast.
'I am sorry.'
This repeated over and over, house after house, body after body. Killing became muscle memory by now. 'How many has that been now? I can't even remember.' My head hung in shame. I finally came face to face with my front door.
I placed my hand lightly on the door.
The door slid back as I walked into the empty house. After my mother died it was just me and my father. I had no other siblings, so my father spoiled me greatly.
I dreaded this moment, but I told Itachi that I would end my own father's life. I slowly made my way down the hall to his room. "I know you're out there." His voice caught me off guard. I gripped the door sliding it open.
He sat in the middle of the room, legs crossed with an impossible smile on his face.
"Dad..."
"It's okay, I know this wasn't easy. But you have made your decision." My eyes widened.
My father wasn't directly involved with any of the plans involving the coup, but I knew he sympathized with the cause.
"Dad...."
"Sit with me for a moment."
I walked into the room lowering myself to the mat crossing my legs and placing my sais to my right. We sat in silence for a few minutes. My eyes were glued to my feet. I didn't know what to say. What could I say at this moment? My father knew he was going to die but made no effort to resist.
I could hear shuffling but I couldn't raise my eyes to meet his. I was scared that I would cry. His hand tucked under my chin, pulling my gaze up to his.
"You are such a special girl, my dear, a force to be reckoned with."
'How can he smile?'
The smile was familiar somehow... He was content with dying.
"Before I go, I want to leave you with a parting gift." His hand moved from my face to his own. He pressed his fingers into the socket of his eyes pushing forcefully on the fragile body part. And with that same unsettling plopping sound he removed his eyes from his skull.
Reaching out to me with both hands with eyes in tow he smiled again.
"This is for you. Take good care of yourself my darling." I was too shocked to cry. My heart clenched and pounded so intensely I thought I would explode, and for a split second, I wanted to take all of this back.
I didn't want to lose my father.
I reached for his hand, wrapping my fingers around his massive hands, clutching them.
Not a single tear escaped my eyes. 'Did I become so emotionless as to not cry at this moment?' My small hands clutched his tightly.
"It's time... Take my eyes and do as you see fit..."
I didn't want to let go... Cause if I let go I would have to kill him.
'If I never let go I won't have to kill him'.
Still, not a single tear fell.
His palms opened revealing his eyes. Hesitantly I took them from him.
"I love you, my daughter".
And that's when it came. Silent tears slipped down my face. "I love you too Dad."
"Don't worry about me. I'll be rejoining your mother very soon."
Wiping the tears from my face I stood, towering over my father, a sai in each hand. His head leaned down in prostration. In a single swoop, it was done.
'I am sorry.'
The night dragged on.
Soaked in blood.
Emerging from the greenery I stood at the entrance to Naka Shrine. 'This was where we were supposed to meet.' I was drenched in blood, the sais that sat in my hand almost felt glued to my palms.
Blood... Soaked in blood... It was everywhere...
I felt an odd presence behind me. Turning I found a man with a mask with a single hole over the right eye. In the light of the moon, I caught sight of the Sharingan.
"My my it seems like you had your work cut out for you." The voice of the man was deep and ominous.
My eyes blinked a few times trying to make out who it was, but I didn't know this man. "Who are you?" I asked exhausted.
"Itachi didn't tell you about me?"
"No."
I was too tired to probe.
"If you don't want to tell me I couldn't care less."
I turned from him. "It's not wise to turn your back on someone you don't know."
The man towered over me. But I didn't make a move, not a flinch, not an ounce of me was scared of the stranger despite the sheer amount of chakra I could sense from him. "Is that supposed to intimidate me?" I asked turning to face the masked man once again. My eyes met with his, and the mangekyo sharingan activated.
The man took a step back and chuckled darkly. "I like you. Brave, stone-cold, and emotionless. Reminds me a lot of someone else."
I haven't seen myself since the beginning of the night but I felt my eyes hollow. I didn't feel anything. I felt empty. No hate, love, or sadness. I was existing without feeling.
"Leave her alone." Itachi materialized out of nowhere. My eyes shifted to him.
He looked the way I felt.
Empty.
Looking at Itachi my eyes brimmed with tears. 'It's my turn now.' I dropped to my hands and knees, my chin tucked into my neck.
"It's my turn."
"No."
My head shot up. "I am content with dying! I just didn't want you to carry this by yourself!" The words fell in gulps against my shrill voice.
'I was scared but I had to die too.'
I could hear his feet shuffle toward me. A hand tucked under my chin bringing me to face him. "I won't kill you... I can't."
"This is how it has to be. No survivors."
His eyes softened a sad smile on his face. His thumb brushed against my cheek. "I can't". His face lowered to mine, his mouth pressed against my cheek in a soft kiss. His forehead pressed against mine. Softly he mouthed 3 words.
Then it was black.
Next thing I knew I woke up in a gurney in the hospital. A piece of paper clutched in hand.
No one asked me if I was involved, everyone made the assumption that I was left for dead when Itachi killed everyone.
Looking down at my hands I found them wrapped tightly with gauze. "Do you know what happened to my arms?" I asked one of the nurses in my room.
Her eyes looked at me with pity. "You were found with deep gashes in your arms and on your torso."
'Did he do this so it wouldn't look like I was involved?'
That's when I noticed the small piece of paper clutched in my palm. I waited patiently for the nurse to leave the room. And after a few agonizing minutes, she finally left the room. Tentatively I pulled apart the small paper.
"I convinced the Hokage and the others to let you live peacefully in the village along with Sasuke. Forgive me for leaving you".
I couldn't cry. The note hollowed my heart. How could I cry my heart was gone. Itachi was gone.
"That jerk." The words slipped out of my mouth.
The note crumbled in my fist.
"How dare you."
"Shiori?"
Sasuke's voice caught me off guard. The small boy was standing in the doorway, tears streaming down his face, eyes bloodshot. I reached my arms out to him and he came running into my arms holding me for dear life.
"I am sorry Sasuke." I mouthed. Closing my eyes I held him close.
∞
"She would have made an excellent addition to the team. You should have let her come." The masked man spoke, both he and Itachi stood on a cliff that overlooked the village.
"I never wanted her to participate in any of this."
"Oh, but you let her. And now you have abandoned her. What would stop her from hating you too?"
Itachi's eyes clenched shut forcing back tears. He wanted more than anything to continue living in the village. To watch Sasuke grow up and become a strong ninja. To be with Shiori and have a life with her. But he couldn't anymore.
"Nothing is stopping her from hating me." His voice broke slightly.
"I hear dismay in your voice, is letting that girl live going to weaken your resolve? Or should I end her life for you right now?"
"Don't lay a finger on her or Sasuke, and stay away from the village."
The masked man chuckled. "She seems too interesting to kill off now. I'll have to see how she turns out." His dark voice echoed.
"Don't you ever lay a finger on her." His teeth ground against each other.
"Suit yourself."