Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto, nor the Elder Scrolls (Shivering Isles), on which my illusory world is primarily inspired.
A/N: This is a collaboration fic, in which I approach the story from Itachi's POV and Lehrain tells it from Sakura's. Hers can be found under the title: "Vigil of Sorrows." In addition, Slytherstein has uploaded another part to the fic told from Sasuke's POV. Hers can be found under the title: "Emulation of Apathy". It tells the experience of the younger Uchiha during his years of training with Orochimaru. All three fics will eventually meet and to experience the full intended effect of each story, you will have to read all three ;)
Illusions of Serenity
Chapter I
"Recognition"
...
The pale hues of sunrise gradually faded to reveal the pleasant shade of morning azure, the sun rising steadily upon the eastern horizon. Countless birds filled the atmosphere with early song, their trills and chirps wafting with the wind as its cool caress danced though the blades of dewed grass. The sound of soft footsteps disturbed the dormant silence as two figures leisurely walked through the expanse of field, one wearing a fixated grin and the other passively gazing at the line of trees in the distance.
Neither spoke, as they merely continued forward, the task at hand as always entirely daunting. The extraction of a Jinchuuriki, after all, always proved to be a rather strenuous endeavor. They had received word from their leader only hours prior, who informed them to return to the proximity of their current hideout so as to aid in the removal of the Kazekage's tailed beast.
The smaller of the two men, the Sharingan wielder and Konoha missing-nin Uchiha Itachi, narrowed his eyes subtly as he contemplated the assignment. He had never personally met the leader of Suna, but he knew that he was quite young and that he, like all the Jinchuuriki, must have lived a difficult life. To surpass that and become one of the greatest and most prominent ninjas in the world was a marvelous feat and Itachi could not help but admire the boy for his accomplishments. Now however, he would be forced to aid in his gruesome destruction.
It was certainly not the first time in his life that he felt hesitant and questioned if he was really doing the right thing. Since joining Akatsuki he had been ordered to kill countless, and often innocent people. He constantly had to remind himself that it was the lesser of two evils and that he was aiding in the prevention of a potentially greater tragedy. However, it never made the murdering any easier and it always inflicted a lasting guilt, one that never diminished or became easier to carry.
He felt a familiar and acute pain within his chest, coursing through his veins like a lethal poison. His illness was growing worse and he knew that he only had a limited amount of time to confront his younger brother and suffer the consequences of his past actions. His eyesight was steadily declining as well, the darkness overtaking more and more of his vision every day. Through his eyes, the morning appeared blurred and the many colors mingled together, representing an almost abstract impersonation of the scenes before him.
He tried to recall what it had been like to see everything clearly and with perfect definition. However, the images his mind conjured had become hazed over time, the accuracy entirely inadequate to the reality he remembered. He accepted his punishment though, for the sin he had committed could never truly be reconciled by anything short of his own demise; a demise which Sasuke had every right to carry out.
Not a single day went by in which he did not contemplate what he had done and envision the faces of betrayal his kinsman had shown before being struck down by his hand. Dreams of crimson gore and darkness infiltrated his mind by night and the anguish and confusion his younger brother portrayed plagued his soul without reprieve. Even in all of that, however, he was still somehow able to tightly grasp at the reason for it all. He had prevented a catastrophe, had prevented the fall of an innumerable number of civilians.
Many children could now anticipate a bright future and their parents would be able to watch them grow without the strife war inflicted. He had aided in offering them that and this reality afforded him the slightest bit of happiness. Sasuke would be alright, once his revenge was complete. The hatred would die with him, and the past would remain forever a secret. He had been extremely concerned when word first reached him of his brother's defection from Konoha in order to join Orochimaru. He knew exactly why the snake-like villain sought Sasuke, the Sharingan always having been his greatest envy.
It would make his little brother stronger though and, as long as he did not commit any unforgiveable acts against his village then he would be able to return safely. He would just keep an eye on the situation and make sure Orochimaru did not attempt anything against him. There was still time he knew, until the man could transfer to another body, having already missed his first chance a little over two years ago.
With an inaudible sigh, he looked to the sky and at the blue and yellow distorting together. Shapes of white scattered across in indiscernible sweeps as the brightness of the day greatly dimmed within his vision. He wondered if he really would end up going completely blind before it was all over. Having his Sharingan activated helped him see even a little more precisely, but the aches it instilled within his head were a negative side effect of the technique's constant use.
"Itachi?"
The sudden sound of his partner's voice prompted his gaze to shift to the left in silent acknowledgment.
Kisame observed the younger man's face a moment before his smile slightly grew, "I asked if you wanted to stop and get something to eat. We're coming up on a small village."
When had he asked that? Itachi prided himself on the keenness of his four remaining senses. However, he also reasoned that it was entirely probable that Kisame had not asked at all. The man often found amusement in jesting with him.
"I don't know if that's a wise idea," Itachi closed his eyes with another sigh. "Won't Leader be expecting our arrival? He's not always the most patient person."
Kisame turned and looked ahead, grin still in place. "We're somewhat closer to our destination than some of the others. We can afford to spend a half hour or so at a café. Besides, it will be another three entire days until we are able to eat again."
Itachi opened his eyes and looked to Kisame before shrugging slightly, "I suppose I don't really care either way. We can stop if you want."
They walked for a few more minutes before arriving at the town, the small gate opened widely beside a little sign stating: 'All visitors warmly welcomed.'
Kisame did not seem to notice it but Itachi smirked ever so slightly in response to the written greeting. He was entirely certain that the all visitors was entirely subjective and that they, should these people determine the identity of he hand his partner, would not be included in that welcome.
"What a pleasant place," Kisame remarked with underlying sarcasm.
Itachi said nothing, simply gazed about at the many civilians, who all glanced at them warily and with ill-concealed confusion. They looked like simple people, all busying about fulfilling various early tasks. He almost smiled as he observed them but refrained, not wanting to explain such a reaction to his partner.
Arriving at a quaint looking teashop, Kisame grinned as he took a table near the back, Itachi following and sliding into the seat across from him. The scent of various herbs and spices filled the air and only a few other occupants resided in the room. He assumed it was still a bit too early for most to venture out just yet.
Lifting the menu he squinted slightly and scanned the items, propping an elbow on the table and resting the side of his face against his hand. The cuisine was rather sparse and basic but he wasn't all that particular when it came to food.
Kisame, however, grimaced slightly. "Not very diverse here, are they?"
"Mhm. I suppose," Itachi replied without looking up.
They waited in silence a moment until one of the attendants walked over, a middle aged man of a rather positive countenance. He smiled warmly at the pair, "traveling are we? It's not often we have visitors in this humble place."
Kisame did not look up, merely grinned, while Itachi simply awarded the man a shift of his eyes. He seemed slightly startled at the scarlet color but apparently chose to keep any remark on the matter to himself.
He cleared his throat, "what can I get for you?"
Kisame continued to withhold his attention, though answered in his typical mirthful voice. "A bowl of rice and some black coffee."
The attendant quickly nodded before reluctantly returning his gaze to Itachi, who reverted his eyes to the menu. He did not realty enjoy the idea of scaring the man. "I will have some of the sweet rice dumplings and a cup of jasmine tea."
The man hastily made his way to the kitchen to prepare their requests while Kisame smirked in amusement. "Quite a character isn't he? I think you made him nervous."
Itachi set the menu down, head still resting against his palm and gaze lowered to the table. "Yes, probably so."
He could feel Kisame observing him and inwardly fought his scrutiny. The man was very perceptive, one of the many traits he had picked up on over the years they had traveled together. For the most part, he found he did not mind his partner's company, as having him along beside him had become routine and natural. He neither pried nor passed judgment on some of his more conservative actions, especially those that revealed his apparent inadvertence to needlessly kill. However, he still found that it made him somewhat uncomfortable to be the object of inspection.
"Not looking forward to this extraction either?"
Itachi finally lifted his eyes in response to Kisame then, though his features remained impassive. "Not particularly."
Kisame shrugged, "hardly surprising. Not sure if any of us would aid in the process if given a choice."
"True," Itachi replied offhandedly, though inwardly fortifying his defenses against the discernment of his thoughts.
Their attendant returned then before carefully setting the order in front of them, his eyes downcast and avoiding Itachi's gaze. He bowed politely before once again leaving, the relief practically radiating off him to be out of their presence.
Kisame lifted the coffee to his lips and took a long sip before delving into his rice. Itachi brought a hand around his cup of tea, the warmth soothing and seeping into his skin. He stared at the hot liquid as his reflection greeted him from within the expanse of fair emerald. It was not often that he paused to observe his own appearance and, upon doing so he noticed how much the past few years had worn upon his features. Rather than a young man of 21, he looked to be in his late twenties at best.
The lines inflicted by stress had deepened and become more prominent, affording his complexion an overall aura of weariness. His skin had slightly paled, though not considerably as he spent most of his time traveling in the sun, and his face had considerably narrowed. Tearing his attention away, he lifted the cup and took a sip of the smooth beverage, the taste both pleasant and agreeable.
He closed his eyes a moment as he savored the tea before setting it down and lifting a dumpling to his mouth, taking a small bite and allowing the sweet syrup to entice his senses. It was simple things like enjoying a satisfying meal that brought him even the faintest semblance of comfort. He suddenly noticed Kisame staring at him however, with a familiar expression of hilarity. Raising a single brow, he mutely questioned his partner as to the prompting of such a look.
"By all means, Itachi, take your time. Weren't you the one who was concerned about stopping in the first place?"
Itachi looked down and saw that Kisame had already finished both his rice and coffee, not a single bit of either one remaining. However, he withheld a remark on that account. "I believe I stated that I did not mind either way. I hardly think that qualifies as concern."
Kisame merely grinned in response, before pushing his bowl and cup aside. Itachi returned his attention to his own food and spent the next several minutes finishing it in welcomed silence. He was tempted to ask for another serving of tea but thought better of it. Pain would not appreciate waiting for them and, despite his partner's assurance that all would be well, he doubted their leader was foolish enough to believe that they had gone straight to their destination, especially considering he and Kisame's history with stopping at teashops.
"Ready then?" Kisame asked as he rose and placed a sum of money on the table.
Itachi looked to the currency before adding to the amount and rising from his seat.
"Kakuzu doesn't like when you leave tips like that. You know how closely he monitors our spending."
Sighing, Itachi subtly shrugged as he stepped out into the morning air, "I don't really care. Not leaving one implies a certain degree of the unbecoming."
"That's just your small town upbringing speaking now," Kisame smirked as he fell into step beside his partner.
Itachi closed his eyes, "why must we have this conversation every single time?"
"Because you're very insistent on this sort of thing," Kisame replied. "I don't understand it."
The Uchiha smirked slightly, "no, I suppose you wouldn't. Customs are very different for each country."
"That they are," Kisame agreed.
The pair walked on in silence as they continued to journey across the field and finally into the expanse of forestry ahead. The shade provided from the foliage above aided the comfort of their progression as the afternoon sun rose higher in the sky. The leaves crackled beneath their feet and the wisps of wind swept through the branches surrounding them.
Itachi predicted they would reach their destination within the hour, as they had already crossed Suna's border. All they had to do was arrive close enough to provide their hologram technique enough power to extract the Jinchuuriki in a reasonable amount of time. At one point he heard Kisame briefly remark that he was considerably bored and that his sword, Samehada, was eager for some excitement. As usual, the Uchiha merely nodded in response to the statement, withholding any words of affirmation.
Quite honestly, there were hardly times in which he actually felt any form of boredom or, for that matter, any particular longing for excitement. For all it was worth, the endeavors in which his partner found entertainment were ones in which he would prefer not to take any part in. He personally wanted to forego the abstraction of the Kazekage's demon for as long as he could manage.
The dread of the action at hand was suppressed yet potent, as was the case with each demon they had sealed thus far. During the process, every victim would appear to be in immense agony, a suffering that would last for the entirety of 72 hours. This latest one would be the youngest of them all and Itachi felt an aversion to this session even more than the others. He's about the same age as Sasuke…
As he thought on his little brother, he felt the return of the pang of anxiety. What if the darkness had corrupted him too deeply? He was not exactly in preferable company and his influential nature would be susceptible to embrace the views of Orochimaru. Would it be too late to save him from that? Itachi lowered his gaze and reasoned that there really wasn't anything to be done about it. He had to remain patient and try his hardest to end things properly with his brother.
It would not be much longer until that fateful day…
"This looks good to me, how about you Itachi?"
The Uchiha lifted his eyes to see Kisame pointing to a small area visible through a clearing of trees. It was an overhang of rock, the precipice only a few miles from the hideout. The higher altitude of the location would serve their purpose nicely. He nodded in response to his partner before following him out of the forest and stepping onto the stone as he observed the expanse of river and foliage below.
The breeze was invigoratingly cool and intense and he closed his eyes as it danced through the dark strands of his hair and within the long robe of his Akatsuki uniform. He mentally began to prepare himself for the upcoming task and carefully steeled his resolve against the horrific scene awaiting him.
"You ready to report in?" Kisame asked from behind him.
Itachi turned slowly before nodding and making his way over to a spot at his left. "Yes, let's get started."
They both sat then and folded their hands together before closing their eyes and focusing their chakra into splitting a part of themselves into hologram form. Itachi pictured the destination and released all other thoughts before casting that portion of himself into the envisioned location. He experienced a slight jolt as a part of his mind was transported, its awareness stabilized and immediately relaying images of a dark cave.
Looking about the room, Itachi noticed with faint amusement that Deidara and Sasori had not arrived yet, though everyone else was already present and looking considerably impatient. Nodding to Pain, who promptly returned the gesture, the Uchiha resigned himself to simply await the duo in silence. He felt Kisame's presence enter a moment later and heard him chuckle deeply as he seemed to arrive at the same realization he had.
"How was your journey?" Pain asked the pair out of courtesy, obviously opting not to allow for silence.
Kisame grinned, "It involved the usual pleasantries, of course."
Itachi glanced at their Leader to gauge a reaction but found none. Perhaps he really had grown used to he and Kisame's detours. After all, he must have suspected they had stopped, otherwise he would not have even endeavored such a question. Such formalities were not often found within these circumstances.
"No interferences?" Pain asked then, looking to Itachi.
"None whatsoever," The Uchiha answered promptly, his eyes catching the white and black Rinnegan of his leader.
Pain seemed satisfied with the response as he looked to the dungeon entrance, a slight expression of annoyance overtaking his features. Itachi found it slightly surprising that Sasori had not yet arrived, considering his extreme aversion to making others wait. It was not until several minutes later that he felt the familiar chakra signatures of him and his partner and heard their approach from beyond the walls of the cave. The sealed door was opened and sunlight streamed through the darkness. Water lapped from outside at the disturbance and the silhouettes of the duo as well as a giant bird became visible.
The clay bird flew in and was followed by both Sasori and Deidara. Pain stood with his back to them in silence before turning and narrowing his eyes slightly.
"You're late. Prepare yourselves, now."
"The Jinchuuriki was stronger than I thought," Deidara defended himself immediately.
It was then that Itachi noticed the Kazekage wrapped securely in the clutches of the bird's tail. He looked very young, as he had imagined. His faint chakra emissions felt warm and vibrant, implicit of a soul at peace and stability. He closed his eyes as he breathed in slowly, before reminding himself over and over that he was doing all of this for the best.
The cave entrance closed with a loud bang and all light was abruptly extinguished. The Uchiha returned his gaze to the gathering below as they set the boy down and the bird disappeared. The Kage looked as if he had put up a hell of a fight, the defense of his village mist likely being of the upmost importance. He had never seen a leader so young and reasoned that the boy was considerably strong to have achieved such a title so early.
Pain walked forward before beginning to execute several hand seals over the comatose body. He then knelt and slammed his palm onto the earth below; a loud rumbling following that shook the entire room before a large statue rose from the ground, its form grotesque and formidable.
"Assemble," Pain ordered and Itachi and the others immediately teleported onto their spots upon the outstretched fingers of the sculpture. Deidara and Sasori leapt and joined them, eager expressions on their faces.
"Now, let's begin," Pain stated as he gazed up at the gathered members of Akatsuki before advancing to his spot as well. He lifted his hands and the statue opened its mouth in compliance. "This is going to take us three days and three nights. Everyone be careful with the body. I also want Zetsu to keep watch on the area outside. Use your longest range."
"I know," the plant-shaped creature responded.
"Three days?" Itachi heard Kisame announce then. He remembered his partner having expressed his concerns with conducting the extraction in so little time. "Shouldn't we give it more time since Orochimaru is no longer here?"
"If that's how you feel," Pain replied before lifting his hand once more. "Then start working on it already."
Itachi lifted his hands and formed the necessary signal before closing his eyes. "That's right."
"Fair enough," Kisame responded then.
"Let's do it," Deidara stated.
Itachi then saw a brightness form from behind the lids of his eyes as everyone's seals began to activate. He also heard a haunting breath of air emitted from the mouth of the stone formation before he heard Pain announce the name of the forbidden technique. This was followed by the roars of several dragons as they descended to the boy below, their chakra hungry and lusting for the consumption of the Kage's. The Uchiha listened as they crashed to the ground, overtaking and beginning to feed on the Jinchuuriki.
Itachi focused his energy and began to empower the creature with his own chakra, gently guiding the process and patiently awaiting its completion. He dared not open his eyes to look upon the young face whose life was being slowly drained from him. He thought of Sasuke and he thought of Konoha, desperately clutching at these important entities he would give everything for.
He inwardly cringed however, when the boy released a gagged outcry as the parasitic chakra began to forcibly remove the tailed beast from his body. Focusing his concentration, he tried to deaf his ears to the sound, instead listening to the rushing wind and billowing of leaves in his actual, physical location. The process was strenuous and tiresome, his body already beginning to feel the effects of the taxing process.
The day passed slowly and continued through the night, all were silent during the long hours, already having experienced once what Pain would say if anyone dared to complain to him about the procedure. The morning arrived presently and the lethargy of all involved could be felt about the room. Itachi shifted his feet slightly and softly exhaled, careful not to allow himself to falter.
Several hours later though, he finally opened his eyes and looked to Zetsu as the man turned suddenly to gaze at the entrance, "there are enemies closing in on the base."
"Enemies?" Deidara asked, startled.
So, Itachi thought, he and Sasori were tracked.
"And they seem to be fairly powerful," Zetsu continued. "One of them is called Maito Gai."
Konoha…Itachi thought then as his eyes subtly lowered to his hands. He felt the weight of the protector on his forehead and the sudden dread of Akatsuki having to face the intruders. He remembered Gai from when he had paid a visit to Konoha three years ago. The man was both eccentric and exceptionally tactical, as he had proven upon figuring out a suitable way to avoid his eyes.
"Who's that?" Pain asked then, eyes locked on Itachi.
Itachi lifted his gaze to meet his Leader's, "A skilled Konoha jounin who uses taijutsu. Don't take him lightly."
"That wild animal again, eh?" Kisame replied from beside him. "We'll use that technique."
Ah yes, Itachi thought then. The body replacement technique. He was somewhat grateful to his partner for suggesting that they handle the situation. With that technique they would not be able to use their full powers, therefore offering the Konoha infiltrators a slim chance of survival.
"All right, then let me go," Hidan stated, looking to Pain. "I've had a hell of a time finding my Jinchuuriki and it's starting to piss me off."
Itachi looked to the crazed masochist, his eyes narrowing slightly. Anyone would be preferable to him, as even a Jounin level would be no match for the immortal.
"No, I'll go," Kisame countered firmly. "I've got a bit of a score to settle with him."
Itachi recalled his partner going up against Gai with a small smirk of satisfaction.
"That's fine," Pain replied. "The technique suits you better anyway, considering you have the greatest amount of chakra in Akatsuki, Kisame."
"Indeed," Kisame replied, sounding pleased with the offered praise.
"Even so," Pain continued. "I'll need about thirty percent of your chakra."
Hidan scoffed at not being chosen to go and Kisame grinned. "My, my, Looks like I can finally get even with him for kicking me."
Upon these words, Itachi felt a slight disruption in Kisame's chakra from beside him and again closed his eyes, resigned not to dwell on the ensuing fight between his partner and Konoha. He knew that the man had already transferred into one of the substitute bodies that Akatsuki used for its own purposes and then discarded without a second thought. These bodies would take on their likeness and abilities without detection of fraud, thus making them the perfect supplement to any members actually having to face off an enemy while in the process of extracting a Jinchuuriki.
"There are more coming," Zetsu exclaimed a moment later.
How many are there? Itachi wondered to himself, again anxious for his village shinobi. Who would Pain send this time?
"It's been a bit crazier this time around, Deidara," Pain stated condescendingly as he looked to the blonde.
"Well," Deidara cringed in reply. "This Jinchuuriki was stronger than the other two."
"I tried to tell you," Sasori stated in displeasure. "Your techniques aren't good for stealth missions."
How very true, Itachi thought in amusement as he looked to Sasori. He held a mild respect for the older man, as he was something of a legend. Despite his disturbing fascination with puppet collecting, he was not generally cruel natured or spiteful.
"Heh," Deidara countered to his partner. "Call me crazy, but I remember your traps being pretty excessive, too, Master, mhm."
"What did you say!?" Sasori replied, temper obviously rising.
"Shut up, the both of you!" Pain stated, seemingly unimpressed with either of them. "Just focus on the technique. Who else is going?"
"Can I go this time?" Hidan tried again.
"It's more Konoha shinobi," Zetsu clarified once more.
Itachi quickly turned his head to look at Pain, wondering what his Leader's decision would be. He caught his eyes and saw a slight narrowing in reply as the man seemed to contemplate his options.
"It's decided then," Pain replied to Itachi, undoubtedly observing the silent request conveyed by the Uchiha.
Itachi nodded subtly before a slight flickering resulted in his holographic image, as he undetectably replaced it with a clone. He could have simply used the replacement technique on one of the bodies as Kisame had done but he had a suspicion that Uzumaki Naruto was among the intruders. He found he wanted to witness the growth of the nine-tailed Jinchuuriki for himself, after seeing how much Sasuke meant to the boy. He had begun to develop a plan to involve Naruto in one of his strategies intended for the protection of Konoha following his departure.
Kisame was occupied and so did not notice that he was now sitting beside a mere copy of his partner, who swiftly ran from the area in pursuit of the Konoha intruders he was beginning to detect. With a slight smirk he realized that Uzumaki Naruto was indeed among the party ahead, as well as an old ANBU acquaintance, HItake Kakashi.
He stopped and stood in the path, directly cutting the intruders off from the area behind him. Another second ensued before he saw them, a group of four, running frantically toward him. They did not seem to notice his presence at first but, as Kakashi looked up and allowed his eyes to widen, he held out his arms, stopping and bringing everyone to an immediate halt behind him.
Itachi observed the gathered members curiously, finding the arrangement to be somewhat strange. Kakashi and Naruto stood at the front (he noticed in amusement that the boy still preferred to wear his infamous orange jump suit), to their right was a young girl with rose hued hair who appeared to have just come out of the academy, and to the left was an elderly woman who looked as if she would simply collapse at any moment, though her chakra signature was surprisingly strong.
He watched Naruto grimace at the sight of him, eyes filled with sudden determination. He knew what he had done to Sasuke, that much was certain. All were silent as the air filled with a suppressed and potent foreboding. No one dared make a move or motion to initiate an attack, which Itachi found rather endearing.
However, he then noticed that the young girl was gazing at him with an immense look of concern, her confusion evident. "Who's that?"
Kakashi did not answer her, merely narrowed his visible eye slowly. "Already, huh?"
The elderly woman did the same as her brows furrowed in agitation. "Those eyes…"
Naruto bared his teeth and crouched, body appearing to prepare itself for combat. "You…"
Everyone tensed as the wind swept past, agitating the dust and disturbing the fall of Itachi's robes as he eyed them each carefully, scarlet stare intense and intently analyzing.
"Uchiha Itachi," Naruto finally stated.
Itachi's eyes subtly shifted to the girl as she audibly exhaled in response to the revelation of his identity. She appeared stunned at first, with eyes wide and mouth parted. However, that look was slowly replaced with one of recognition and detest, her brows furrowing and her teeth gritting resolutely.
So, she knows of me too? I suppose it's not surprising. Perhaps she is another of Sasuke's friends?
He prepared himself to face them all, already beginning to form a strategy that would allow for their survival while still upholding his obligation to Akatsuki. He would have to stall and weaken them enough to require rest before continuing past him, making it just a little too late for the rescue of the Kazekage. I'm sorry, little Jinchuuriki, he thought to himself as he pictured the young Kage. I simply cannot allow them to reach you in time.
