Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Contentious Heart ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are created by Masashi Kishimoto, but the new plots (meaning the ones you don't recognize!) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

 

Spoilers: The story follows the canon storyline until the part shortly after the Sasuke-Orochimaru battle (approximately chapter 353). After that, I took liberties with the facts.

 

A/N: Hi everyone! I'm glad you liked the battle in the previous chapter. A big thank you shout out to: vampire pandora and yaya32691 for reviewing!!

 

Here's the next bit…

 

 

The Contentious Heart by elle6778 - Chapter 6

 

 

“You're… not… walking… AWAY… FROM HERE!”

 

“Naruto, stop it!” Kakashi snapped harshly.

 

“Don't try to stop me, Kakashi-sensei!”

 

Turning around, Itachi regarded the shaking figure contemplatively. The power of the kyuubi was truly astounding. The red demonic chakra was leaking out of the shinobi in waves. With that power, it would not be easy to capture Naruto. But it had to be done, at whatever cost. Itachi had waited too long to back away now. Not for the sake of Akatsuki's goals, but for his own. He would finally discover the answer to the question that plagued him for the past ten years. The one who was pulling the strings behind the Akatsuki would have to reveal himself once the kyuubi was extracted.

 

However, right now, he needed to keep them from being chased, Itachi thought as a red chakra tail began to form behind the jinchuuriki. As Naruto sped towards him, Itachi focused his chakra to his eyes, ignoring the growing soreness. It was fortunate that Naruto was susceptible to his regular genjutsu, or else he would have to use the Mangekyou, and his eyes would suffer.

 

The boy's steps instantly faltered, and he fell to his knees, clutching his head. The red chakra fluctuated around him erratically before it dissipated completely. At the moment, Naruto should be experiencing the despair of his friends leaving him over and over again, betraying him, shunning him.

 

To Itachi's astonishment, Naruto's hands fell away from him and he stood up shakily. Blazing red eyes met his Sharingan as the chakra cloak returned, together with two chakra tails. Itachi watched with growing disbelief as Naruto took another shaky step towards him. Behind him, the third chakra tail began to take form.

 

“Impossible,” Itachi hissed almost soundlessly.

 

Perhaps he had miscalculated the range, or he had failed to make contact, however ridiculous such an notion might be. Focusing his attention, Itachi once again locked his eyes onto Naruto's unflinching red ones. Knowing that if this did not work, he would have to resort to the Mangekyou, he called forth his reserve of chakra before he launched a full-strength genjutsu on the jinchuuriki.

 

Naruto staggered slightly, and for a moment, Itachi thought that he had succeeded.

 

Much to his consternation, the fourth tail appeared behind Naruto and the jinchuuriki straightened abruptly.

 

Then Naruto streaked forward.

 

Itachi only had a fraction of a second to register the move with his Sharingan before Naruto was upon him. Knowing that he had to react fast, Itachi substituted himself with a bunshin and then swiftly darted away from danger. The bunshin instantly burst into a flock of back crows the moment Naruto slashed his claws downwards.

 

As Naruto spun around to face him, Itachi found Kisame and Sakura appearing by his side. A brief sideway glance showed him a grimacing Kisame, while the kunoichi stared at Naruto anxiously.

 

“High time we left,” the Mist shinobi growled.

 

“Aa.”

 

Itachi kept his attention fixed on Naruto. The fact before him was irrefutable. He could not have made the same mistake twice. Therefore the conclusion he had arrived at was that the Sharingan did not affect the kyuubi-enhanced Naruto. But how was this possible? Unless, of course, one of his suspicions regarding the kyuubi was the truth after all, that the kyuubi was closely linked to the power of the Sharingan.

 

In which case, it would be foolish to remain fighting.

 

The air suddenly crackled, and Itachi's eyes darted sharply towards the red orb in Naruto's right hand. To Itachi's displeasure, it appeared as if the jinchuuriki was compressing the red chakra more and more, making it denser by the second. The force released by such tightly compacted chakra would surely be devastating.

 

This was dangerous.

 

Naruto reared up abruptly and loud snarl pierced the air. Itachi gritted his teeth, intent on reading the jinchuuriki's move, but he found the usually simple task frustratingly difficult with the jinchuuriki's speed. His tired eyes were simply not cooperating.

 

Then he felt, rather than saw the attack coming. The rapid approach of compacted chakra was unmistakable.

 

Itachi streaked to one side, but belatedly, he realized that he had made the wrong move.

 

The red chakra was heading straight for him.

 

Suddenly, Itachi felt himself propelled sideways by an external force. A loud explosion sounded, his vision instantly obscured by the raining debris but Itachi managed to make out blurry forms of pink and blue.

 

Then he heard Kisame mutter, “Crazy kunoichi, jumping in like that.”

 

“That was just my bunshin,” the kunoichi replied breathlessly from the other side. “I wasn't planning to get myself killed.”

 

So, Sakura was the one who had pushed him out of danger's path. How fortunate.

 

As the debris settled, his vision cleared. A long, deep trench was carved in the ground as the result of Naruto's attack. Then his eyes focused on the other two Akatsuki. Kisame and Sakura were crouched beside him, but their gazes were fixed to the Leaf ANBUs. The Mist shinobi's arm appeared to be injured by the blast, but apart from a few shallow cuts, the kunoichi appeared to be uninjured.

 

“Itachi-san, are you alright?” Kisame asked gruffly as he straightened.

 

“Aa.”

 

The one called Sai and their rogue shinobi escort were still unconscious, laying some distance from the main battle area. A grim-looking Copy-Ninja was slowly approaching the furious jinchuuriki from behind. Ignoring the older shinobi, Naruto stalked forward predatorily as the fifth chakra tail emerged.

 

“This is bad. We need to go,” Sakura urged, her voice shaking slightly.

 

He had no doubt that Naruto would not allow them to leave. But now that he was aware of the power he was facing, Itachi steeled his resolve and turned to face the jinchuuriki. If regular genjutsu was insufficient, there was only one other thing he could do. He had been attempting to avoid overstressing his eyes, but it appeared that he had no other option.

 

“Mangekyou Sharingan,” Itachi mouthed when Naruto's eyes met his.

 

Momentary darkness greeted him, and then Itachi found himself inside Naruto's consciousness. The pulsating pressure within was oppressive and vaguely, Itachi wondered how Naruto could stand it. But now that he was in, he might as well seek some answers.

 

Pressing on, Itachi delved further in, seeking only one thing. It did not take long for him to find it.

 

The kyuubi.

 

The demon with blazing red eyes stared down at him through tall bars, his tails swishing menacingly as he struggled to break free from his cage. Turning his gaze further down, Itachi noted Naruto pushing against the bars in an attempt to control the kyuubi, his entire body trembling with the effort.

 

“Get out, Itachi!” Naruto snarled over his shoulder.

 

Itachi ignored the jinchuuriki. “Kyuubi,” he greeted blandly.

The demon stilled, his features taking on a look of recognition. “Ah… those eyes. Another Uchiha,” he mused in a low growl.

 

Pointedly ignoring Naruto, Itachi wondered how much he could glean from the kyuubi. “You know of others?”

 

“Damn it, you bastard! Get out of my head!” Naruto shouted heatedly.

 

A gleam of malice entered the kyuubi's eyes. “I'm familiar with one. Madara. But I've recently met another.”

 

“What's with you and Sasuke barging into my head like this!” Naruto glared at him. “I said get out!”

 

Itachi reined in his surprise. So, Sasuke had managed to do this as well. But how was he able to do it without the Mangekyou? Unless, of course, Sasuke had managed to gain the next level of the Sharingan recently.

 

“When did you meet the other?”

 

The kyuubi chuckled darkly. “I can't tell. Time has no meaning for me. But the Uchiha brat had it easy then, because I was not free to use my powers. My jinchuuriki had not reached this state then. Five tails is a little too much for you to handle, isn't it, Naruto?”

 

Itachi decided that he should lead the kyuubi. “Still, you are susceptible to Mangekyou.”

 

“Ahh… Yes. Unfortunately so,” the kyuubi mused almost as if he was talking to himself. “The Sharingan is fuelled by demonic powers and fostered by fury, but the Mangekyou evolves from human despair. I have no control over it. Has Madara not made this clear to his descendants?”

 

This was more than he had expected to find out, but it somewhat confirmed the contents of the scroll in the Uchiha shrine. What he had not been aware of was the demonic origin of the Sharingan. “What is your relation with Madara?”

 

“Hm… Why are you so interested in Madara?” The kyuubi paused contemplatively. “Do you wish to retrieve his power? The power that the Shodaime extracted from him?”

 

Itachi's eyes widened. It now made sense to him.

 

“Shut up, you fox!” Naruto snarled, his entire body shaking harder with the effort of holding the kyuubi back. “Don't say anymore!”

 

Itachi's eyes narrowed. It appeared that Naruto was beginning to lose control over the situation. But he needed to find out more. If he knew what he was dealing with, he could prepare himself better for the eventual confrontation.

 

“Kyuubi, what is this power you speak of?”

 

“SHUT UP!” Naruto shouted furiously, glaring at the kyuubi. “Or do you want the bastard to use this information to kill us?”

 

The kyuubi cast an assessing look towards his jinchuuriki. “Very well.” Turning back to Itachi, the fox declared stonily, “He's right. I cannot give you this ammunition.”

 

Itachi's lips thinned. It was clear that the kyuubi would say no more, since Naruto planted the idea that the information could be used to harm him. In which case, there was no longer any reason to remain here.

 

“Watch this, Naruto-kun.”

 

With that, Itachi pushed the kyuubi deep into his cell and began to weave the illusion. Naruto's eyes widened in alarm, but caught in the web of the Mangekyou, the jinchuuriki was frozen to the spot, enable to stop it. Their surroundings twisted and a milky moon appeared in the horizon. An image of Sasuke appeared just as tendrils of blood-red chakra wrapped around Naruto, binding him. The sword in Sasuke's hand swept down in an arc, slicing against Naruto, drawing an agonized scream from the jinchuuriki.

 

Then Itachi brought himself back to reality.

 

Even though it felt like longer, the jutsu had only taken Itachi a few seconds, but it was a few seconds too long, for his eyes were now burning in pain. Itachi saw the Copy Ninja rushing towards Naruto, who lay trembling on the ground, the red chakra no longer enveloping his form. Satisfied that Kakashi would not leave this two injured comrades behind to give chase, Itachi straightened spun around towards the other two Akatsuki.

 

“We are leaving,” he announced blandly.

 

Without waiting for an answer, Itachi sped towards the forest. Swiftly, barely skimming the tree branches, he traveled across the forest in the direction of their next stop, occasionally doubling back to leave false trails. It took time, but it was necessary. Konoha would most certainly pursue them once the Copy-Ninja sent a message calling for back-up.

 

When they were finally back on the right track, Itachi's vision blurred badly all of a sudden, causing him to falter. Sharp, piercing pain continued to stab the back of his eyeballs. Stumbling to a halt on a wide branch, he leaned against the trunk to steady himself. Suppressing a groan before it could escape his lips, he pressed his fingers to his lids in an attempt to ease the agony.

 

He felt the branch dip under his feet. Itachi opened his eyes to find the kunoichi standing beside him, her form blurry to his gaze.

 

“What's wrong?” she asked in an uncharacteristically dull voice.

 

Itachi did not reply. He could not. Another stab of pain forced him to clamp his hands over his eyes. Three regular genjutsu and a Mangekyou in one single battle had brought him past his limits, much as he disliked to admit it.

 

Landing on a branch opposite theirs, Kisame growled. “He gets like this every time he uses the Mangekyou.”

 

“Can you continue?” the kunoichi asked.

 

Itachi shook his head once, despising his reduced state.

 

At the sudden touch of fingers around his wrist, Itachi froze. And then he realized that Sakura was trying to pry his hands away from his eyes. Her fingers felt warm against his skin, even though her voice was cold.

 

“Itachi-san. Let me have a look at it.”

 

He opened his eyes slowly, allowing his hands to drop. Sakura was bent close to him. Brows furrowed, the kunoichi reached out her hands towards his eyes. Tensing further in reflex, Itachi jerked back. He did not like anyone to get too close to his eyes.

 

She sounded irritable when she spoke. “You need to relax. I'm just going to check it, alright? Unless you prefer us to continue on without you.”

 

Rather unsettled by her tone, and yet unable to deny that it would be foolish to reject her aid, Itachi finally forced himself to hold still as he closed his eyes. The touch of her fingers against his lids made him clench his fists, but he said nothing, even when a searching chakra invaded his eyes.

 

“Chakra burns,” she announced flatly after a while. “I'll heal the burns, but you need to keep still.”

 

Itachi nodded in assent. It did not appear as if he had any other choice if he wished to continue traveling. Closing his eyes, he soon felt the touch of her fingers again. This time, her chakra was slightly different. He could feel the tingles behind his eyeballs, the gradual easing of the pressure telling him that she had focused on the right place. For a long while, he simply stood there silently, listening to the gentle hum of her healing chakra. The entire experience was oddly calming, even though he was still uneasy with her proximity.

 

Then it was done.

 

He opened his eyes. Their gaze met for a second when she withdrew from him, and Itachi instantly noticed the hint of bitter anguish in those green orbs. Blinded by his own pain not long ago, he had failed to notice it earlier. Did her distress stem from the earlier battle? But before he could say a word, Sakura turned away from them, the rigid line of her shoulder further betraying her tension. Apparently, he was not the only one who had noticed.

 

“What's wrong, kunoichi?” Kisame asked gruffly

 

“Nothing.” Her voice was tight. Her eyes went to Kisame's wound. “Let me heal that.”

 

Kisame shook his head. “It's a shallow flesh wound. I don't need it healed now.”

 

She shrugged. Then without another word, she launched into the space between the trees and darted forward, leaving them to catch up. Now that his eyes were no longer bothering him, Itachi swiftly and steadily advanced forward until he caught up with her. Not pausing in his movements, Itachi glanced sideways. She was tense and from what he could tell, she was far from well.

 

Then he heard it.

 

The sound was quiet, but there was no mistaking it.

 

Curious despite himself, Itachi peered closer. Then his eyes widened when he saw the shiny tracks running down her cheeks. The girl was crying. Somewhat at a loss as to what he should do, Itachi averted his eyes. It was none of his concern if she wished to cry. Subtly, he widened the gap between them.

 

They traveled some distance before he glanced in her direction again. This time, he found Kisame doing the same, and their eyes met over her head. The Mist shinobi was wearing a bewildered look. It was obvious that Kisame was wondering why the kunoichi was still crying silently. Itachi shook his head slightly at Kisame's unspoken question.

 

Maintaining that he should not interfere with whatever that was bothering the kunoichi, Itachi continued moving. One hour later, he saw the setting sun in the distance, telling him that they were coming to the edge of the forest.

 

“That's it. We're stopping,” Kisame suddenly announced.

 

Puzzled, Itachi landed on a branch and immediately turned to face the taller of his partners. “What is the matter, Kisame?”

 

Without answering, the grim Mist shinobi leapt towards the kunoichi, landing on her branch. Deciding to join him, Itachi did the same. The kunoichi did not look pleased at their presence, he noted. Her eyes were red and the wet tracks on her cheek were clearly displayed.

 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Kisame demanded.

 

“Nothing,” she gritted out through clenched teeth as she glared at him.

 

Kisame scowled. “You've been bawling for the last hour.”

 

Sakura bristled as she swiped the back of her hand over her face. “And how is that any of your business?!” she shot back. “Am I holding you back or something?”

 

Gesturing at the branch under their feet, Kisame hissed, “You're the reason we're standing here.”

 

“And who was the one who wanted to stop?” she immediately retorted.

 

Itachi's gaze traveled back and forth between Kisame and Sakura. This was pointless. Kisame should have left the kunoichi to her own devices. After all, she was right in saying that she was not delaying anyone. Her actions were rather odd for a ninja, but Itachi surmised that this was because of the earlier battle. Still, crying seemed a little excessive.

 

“Why are you crying?” Itachi asked quietly.

 

She shot him a glare. “Not you too!”

 

“It is merely a question, kunoichi.”

 

For a moment, she said nothing, but Itachi noted that her hands continued to clench and unclench. When she finally spoke, her voice was tight.

 

“Naruto and Sai are hurt badly. You can't expect me to feel nothing.”

 

“It was necessary for the mission,” Itachi pointed out.

 

She bristled indignantly. “I don't need you to tell me that. I didn't have a problem completing the mission, did I?”

 

He raised a brow. “Thus there is no need for tears.”

 

Her eyes flashed. “Look, those people used to be my friends. I grew up with them. So excuse me if I feel a little bad about us beating them up, alright?!” she snarled.

 

Itachi simply stared at her. It was odd how she seemed to catch him off guard all the time. He had expected her to make excuses, but she had spoken the truth instead, regardless of the fact that they might perceive her emotions as a weakness. She was not ashamed of it. Instead, she embraced her emotions wholeheartedly, a trait which was not normally approved in their profession.

 

But right then, with her green eyes flashing and her cheeks flushed, she looked oddly… compelling.

 

“And don't you DARE say that shinobi does not show their emotions. That is just utterly stupid!” She turned away from them, her slender body heaving up and down. Then she took a deep breath before she hissed, “Now, if you're satisfied, are we ready to go?”

 

Without waiting a reply, she streaked away from them.

 

Somewhat stunned by the entire debacle, Itachi turned to Kisame to find the Mist shinobi scowling thoughtfully.

 

“She's crazy.”

 

“Aa.”

 

 

…***…***…***…

 

 

By the time they arrived at the Akatsuki's stronghold, Sakura had managed to get a grip on herself. A part of her was mortified that she had lost it just like that, but another part of felt that it was justified. How could anyone expect her to be alright after what had just happened? She had left Naruto and Sai in bloody heaps with Kakashi back at the battlefield. The urge to run towards them to heal them had been almost overpowering.

 

At least they were still alive, she thought sadly as she stepped into the building after Itachi and Kisame. Still distraught by the mission, she glanced around disinterestedly, taking in the new location. Unlike the place in Rain Country, this building was done up in a modern construction. The slightly musty smell permeating the air and well as the thin film of dust over the furniture told her that the place hadn't been used for a while. Wordlessly, she followed them as they went up the stairs into a long hallway. Both of them made a beeline for their rooms.

 

Glancing over his shoulder, Kisame said gruffly, “You can take the room opposite mine or Itachi's. They are empty.”

 

Kisame's roughly bandaged arm caught her eyes. Her hatred of the Akatsuki's action against her friends warred against her medic sense. She did not really want to heal the enemy, but she felt compelled to do so anyway. That was what she had felt earlier with Itachi, although there had been no other choice since she needed him to continue traveling. So she had compromised and healed him enough to take the pain away, but nothing more.

 

She sighed inwardly as she studied Kisame's arm again. It occurred to her then that although he was an Akatsuki, Kisame was not actually that bad. In fact, she had been rather surprised earlier when he told them to stop to ask what was wrong with her. It had been disturbingly sweet of him, even though all she felt back then was the anger and the frustration of not being able to help her Konoha friends.

 

“You want me to heal your arm?” she finally offered.

 

Kisame shook his head. “I'm going out to get some food.”

 

“Maybe later then.”

 

The Mist shinobi nodded.

 

Without breaking a step, Itachi added, “We need to lay low for a couple of days. Then we'll move again.”

 

Sakura walked past him to the door opposite his and then pushed it open. The room which greeted her was plain, but serviceable. There was a bed pushed against a wall and a desk was placed next to the wardrobe. The single large window at the end of the room glowed red with the sunset.

 

Shutting the door behind her, she went to the bed and pulled the dust sheet off. A cloud of dust filtered through the air as she dropped the sheet on the floor. Then her Akatsuki cloak and her pack landed on the bed. Sitting down at the edge of the mattress, she swung her pack forward and dug through it until she found what she was looking for.

 

The picture of Team 7.

 

Smiling shakily, she traced a finger over Naruto's and Kakashi's face. It was physically painful to see how happy they were at that time. So painful that she could not bear to allow her gaze to linger, so she shifted to Sasuke.

 

The physical similarities immediately brought Itachi to her mind. And the similarities did not stop at just the physical, but their characters as well. Itachi and Sasuke shared the same aloofness, ruthlessness and single-mindedness when it came to something they coveted.

 

She remembered that time she had seen Sasuke when she was fifteen. Even then, he was emotionless enough to want to try to kill them. Ironically, it was Orochimaru who had stopped him. That incident was the turning point for her. The Sasuke she had fallen in love with was not there anymore. Maybe he had never existed in the first place. Maybe the Sasuke she had loved was simply a figment of her overactive imagination.

 

The last time she had seen Sasuke was almost a year or so after that, shortly before she took her jounin examination. That time, instead of being with Orochimaru, Sasuke was leading Team Hebi. They had gone through the usual pleading with him to return to them, until Naruto had snapped and threatened to drag him back in broken pieces. The fight that had ensued was not pretty. She had fought the girl called Karin, while Kakashi and Sai had taken on Juugo and Suigetsu respectively. Having knocked Karin out, she had then gone towards Sasuke, who had just thrown Naruto a great distance away.

 

And that was when Sasuke had turned to face her. Without a single emotion on his face, he had darted towards her with his advanced Chidori. She had been too shocked to move. The only reason she was alive now was because Kakashi had knocked her out of the way with his bunshin.

 

She did not even know if she would want Sasuke back in Konoha. Her trust in him had been shattered a long time ago. She was not like Naruto, who didn't seem to care if Sasuke left willingly or not, so long as he returned to Konoha, to Team 7.

 

Sakura dropped the framed picture on top of her pack.

 

Team 7 did not exist anymore, and was not likely to anytime in the future, considering what Sasuke was, and now, her as well. If she completed this mission successfully, her status as a missing-nin might change. But that did not remove her S-Class criminal status, considering that she had carried out all those crimes. Her long list of crimes ensured that the rest of the shinobi countries, regardless of whether or not Konoha pardoned her, would hunt her down. She was aware of this from the very first day, but it did not make her feel any better.

 

A couple of loud taps rang out, drawing her out of her contemplations. Sakura immediately sat up, glancing at the door. From the chakra signature, her visitor was likely to be Itachi. What did he want?

 

“Come in.”

 

The door opened to admit the Uchiha. Her eyes scanned down his form briefly, noting that he was clad only in his mesh top and black pants, having removed his cloak. His body had been hidden under his Akatsuki cloak, but now she could see that like most shinobi of his type, he was all lean muscles. Pushing the door shut behind him, he stepped further into the room until he was right in front of her. Her questioning eyes did not leave him as he stood there wordlessly. He appeared to be thinking deeply.

 

Tamping down her impatience, she kept he voice level when she asked, “What is it, Itachi-san?”

 

“We need to discuss the… situation… earlier.”

 

His voice was deceptively soft but there was no mistaking the underlying seriousness of his words. Sakura forced herself not to avert her gaze. “What about it?”

 

“You are aware that we seek the bijuu, hence the jinchuuriki.”

 

She frowned. What was he getting at? “Of course I know. What do you take me for?”

 

“Then you would be able to capture the kyuubi when the time arrives?” he asked meaningfully.

 

A shaky breath left her when she realized where he was going with this. She carefully considered her words before she spoke, lest the Uchiha became suspicious. The best thing to do was to stick with half-truths.

 

“I'm not going to say that it's not going to be difficult for me. I know that Akatsuki has its eye on the bijuu. In spite of that, I did join voluntarily. A mission is a mission, and I will do whatever that is necessary. But as far as I'm concerned, the mission ends when we meet the objective.”

 

Then she hardened her expression. “So if I chose to break down after that, it's my own business and no body else's.”

 

His crimson eyes flickered unreadably. “So you will be able to act regardless of the fact that the kyuubi is your friend?”

 

“Like I said, it's not easy, and I prefer not to be the one to do it. But I'm getting myself used to the idea, alright?” she ground out tightly.

 

“Hm.”

 

She had no idea if he was convinced by her words, but she had said her piece. Her only hope was that her excuses sounded real enough to be believable. This was hard. Much harder than she had ever anticipated. Phase 1 of the mission was a piece of cake compared to this. This whole thing about keeping her guard up while balancing truth and lies was going to drive her into a nervous breakdown one day.

 

Like the mini one she just had earlier.

 

After a while, she realized that Itachi was still standing there. But this time, instead of looking at her, his attention was fixed on to her pack.

 

On the picture of Team 7.

 

Sakura's heart dropped into the pit of her stomach.

 

 

…***…***…***…

 

 

He was surprised, but Itachi kept his expression impassive as he studied the framed picture on the kunoichi's pack. She was standing between Sasuke and the kyuubi jinchuuriki. The Copy-ninja Kakashi stood behind them.

 

The image of his brother reminded Itachi of the last time they had met about a year ago. Sasuke was still driven by the urge to kill him, but although Sasuke was much stronger than before, it had not been enough. The battle had been furious, at least on Sasuke's side. The boy was bent on winning, but Sasuke was the one who had ended up knocked unconscious. He was still not strong enough to carry out what Itachi had in mind, and it was beginning to appear as if Sasuke might not make it in time.

 

Itachi's eyes shifted on the shortest figure in the picture, the smiling pink-haired girl. He could tell that her innocent, cheerful countenance was something of the past, for the kunoichi before him no longer possessed such guilelessness. It was to be expected. She was now a missing-nin, after all.

 

A missing-nin usually has no attachments. But the mere existence of the picture told him that Sakura was still very much attached to her old team. To those she had cried over earlier in the day.

 

This would not do.

 

He turned to her to find her wearing a questioning look. Strangely enough, she did not appear to be discomfited by the fact that he had seen the picture. Perhaps she truly did not understand that such a thing was frowned upon. It was Konoha's influence, no doubt.

 

Even though the organization was fairly relaxed with rules, the Akatsuki, like any shinobi organizations, discouraged emotional attachments. He was one of the longest members of the Akatsuki, having joined when there were only Pein, Konan and Zetsu. And since then, he had gained a certain amount of trust from their supposed leader. And as one of the established members, he was obliged to steer their newest member away from this route. However, such a task was not to his liking, for he was certain that Sakura would not make it easy. In the short time he had known her, he could tell that the kunoichi could be stubborn if she put her mind to it. He would much prefer it if someone else was responsible for this.

 

Deciding to leave the issue for the moment, Itachi invited smoothly. “Come. I will show you the grounds.”

 

Without waiting for her reply, he walked out of the room and continued down the hallway. The almost soundless taps of her footsteps told him that she was right behind him.

 

“How are your eyes doing?” she suddenly asked.

 

He stilled. Slowly, he turned around to face her. “It is better.”

 

She nodded. “Let me know if it is bothering you.”

 

In that case, he would be asking her to completely heal his eyes right there and then, because although it no longer hurt, it bothered him that his vision was less than perfect without the Sharingan. Still, he was reluctant to do so. He did not trust her fully, or anyone else for that matter. He had learnt that early in his life.

 

His father's face immediately flashed across his mind. Then Itachi could only watch as the rest of his memories crashed over him.

 

 

He was six and it was his first day in the Academy. His father stood tall beside him, his countenance betraying nothing as he faced the leader of the Hyuuga clan. Silently, Itachi studied the Hyuuga's profile, noting the pale eyes common to that clan. There was a rumor that the Uchiha clan was distantly related to the Hyuuga clan, but Itachi could detect any similarities.

 

“So this is Uchiha's future leader,” the Hyuuga remarked cordially.

 

“No.”

 

Puzzled, Itachi blinked up at his father. His mother had always said that he was the heir to the Uchiha clan. So why was his father denying it? Had his father decided to bestow the honor upon Sasuke instead?

 

The Hyuuga raised a surprised brow. “Is he not your eldest son, Uchiha-san? Do you not trust him with the Uchiha name?”

 

“He has yet to prove himself. And you know as well as I do that as a shinobi, it would be wise to trust no one.”

 

 

A bitter feeling coursed through Itachi at the memory of his younger self's shock. He had been so naïve then, so trusting. But his father was right. Taking his father's words to heart, Itachi had remained cautious of trusting anyone. Only two people had managed to slip past his defenses since then.

 

And much later on, one of these people had forced him to experience the terrible taste of betrayal and broken trust, together with the despair that followed. It was the despair which had brought forth the next evolution of his Sharingan. The evolution that he had not actively sought, and yet, embraced once he received it. Until today, the memory remained fresh in Itachi's mind.

 

 

The moonlight shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the surface of the Nakano River and the path Itachi was taking. It was a peaceful night, but peace was the last thing Itachi felt. Journeying home from the assassination mission he had completed earlier that day, he could not help but ponder upon his father's harsh words before dawn.

 

Did it really matter if he did not turn up for the clan meeting? What could possibly be so important that he had to be there? And even if it was that important, his father could always inform him of the pertinent facts. His presence was not necessary, especially when he had something more important to do. He could not reject the ANBU mission, after all, considering his role as a captain. And even if he could, he would not do so, for his regard for ANBU missions was higher than his regard for his foolish clan's demands.

 

Besides, his father was the one who had pushed him to join ANBU. And now that he was in, the clan wished to control him. It was an impossible situation. As an ANBU captain, he had the responsibility to carry out his missions without answering to his clan. Still, they insisted on pestering him, attempting to control him. Why were they holding him back for something so trivial like a clan meeting?

 

A quiet, almost imperceptible sound reached him, breaking into his thoughts. Itachi's senses immediately went on the alert. It was the sound of snapping twigs, telling him that he was not alone.

 

The sound came from his left, from the forested area next to the river. With a speed unsurpassed by anyone else he knew, Itachi blurred towards his stalker, his kunai flying ahead of him. A muffled cry sounded when his weapon found its mark just a fraction of a second before Itachi grabbed his stalker in an uncompromising chokehold.

 

Then his eyes widened in recognition. Although he could only see the back of his stalker's head, Itachi knew who it was. In his confusion, Itachi's arm loosened slightly.

 

“Shisui?”

 

“Let go, Itachi!”

 

Itachi released his hold. Shisui staggered a few steps away before spinning around. His expression was dark. To Itachi's surprise, Shisui was wearing the Konoha Military Police uniform. It was then that Itachi realized that he had not spent much time with Shisui ever since he had joined ANBU, and especially after his promotion to caption. They had not met up for a long time, and this was certainly not how Itachi had pictured their meeting.

 

What unsettled him most was the suspicious nature of this encounter. Why was Shisui trailing him?

 

“What's the meaning of this?” Itachi asked warily.

 

Shisui's expression remained unchanged. “What do you mean?”

 

“You were following me,” Itachi pointed out. Shisui's ignorance was obviously an act.

 

“I was in the area.”

 

Itachi's eyes narrowed a fraction. Shisui dared to underestimate him by offering such a weak excuse? Itachi found it difficult to wrap his mind around Shisui's lies, not understanding why Shisui would do such a thing in the first place.

 

Keeping his voice even, Itachi intoned flatly, “You're lying. Your chakra was cloaked. It is still cloaked. So tell me the truth.”

 

Shisui regarded him silently for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was cold. “What does it look like, Itachi? You're the genius, so you should be able to figure it out easily.”

 

The tone of those words was enough to tell Itachi that something was very, very wrong. The Shisui he knew had never spoken to him in such a manner. He needed to know the reason behind his friend's odd behavior. What had changed over such a short time? What could have happened to turn Shisui into a stranger?

 

“Tell me why you're here, Shisui.”

 

Shisui turned away from him. His eyes were fixed to the glassy surface of the river when he said, “You want to know why I'm here?”

 

Itachi tensed at Shisui's tone. “Tell me.”

 

The Sharingan in Shisui's eyes activated when their eyes met.

 

“I'm here to kill you.”

 

…***…***…***…

 

 

A/N: Ack! There's probably too much information in this chapter, though I have to say that most are just made up to suit the storyline. Anyway, I hope you'll review to let me know what you think of this chapter. Thanks!

 

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