It's only been days after Sasuke-nii and I had started going to the academy. As my twin stayed after to train, as he usually does, I made my way back to the Uchiha compound.
I walked slower than I usually do, noticing new things in familiar places. One of the Yamanaka families had started a flower shop, the Hyuga compound had its very own training field, the things you see when you pay attention.
I'm engulfed in a shadow as I look to a building on my right. The Konoha police force. Itachi-nii told me and my twin it was founded by our clan, that's why it has the Uchiha symbol within the blue design.
I approach the Uchiha clan entrance and hear nothing but the quiet wind. The sun had begun to set. How long was I walking? I entered my clan neighborhood, nothing moved. I continued walking until I turned past the corner to see bodies littered on the floor, and blood painted on the walls. Kunai and shuriken implanted on the walls, and my family.
I shut my eyes hard and pressed my hands to them. What was this? I dropped to my knees. What happened? Tears filled my eyes. Who could've done this?
I snapped to a realization and got up to me feet. Mother, Father! I sprinted to my home and rushed inside, not even bothering to take off my sandals. I raced to every room only to find nothing. I heard a mumbling in the other room and sprinted towards the noise. I slammed open the door only to see my brother, my big brother, with a bloody katana in hand, my parents' fresh dead bodies, and tears over flowing from his eyes.
"Ayame, I'm so sorry." As I heard these words escape my brother's mouth, a force on my shoulder knocked me out.
I woke up to find myself on the back of Itachi-nii who was jumping on the branches around us. Was it a dream? Please just be a dream. My brother looked at me to see that I am awake. He smiled, a warm, heart-filled, brotherly smile. It would've been enough to confirm that what had happened was indeed just a dream, if it wasn't for the stained blood I saw on my eldest brother's anbu uniform.
"Itachi-nii?" I asked in a quivering voice. "W-what happened?" He landed on the ground and lifted me off his back.
"Ayame," he started, ruffling my bangs, "I'm so sorry." The edges of his eyes began to tear up.
I had a worried face on as I hugged my brother. My loving brother. My oldest brother. "You killed them, didn't you?" I looked up to him with wanted disbelief.
"I'm so sorry." He uttered as he hugged me back.
"It's ok, Big brother." I began to cry. "I'm sure you had reason. I won't question you."
"Oh Ayame," he held me closer, "why did things have to turn out like this?" After a few more minutes, he picked me back up and continued the path from before.
We approached a village, a small one. We headed toward a large dojo-looking building. Itachi set me down next to him as he activated his sharringan. He put on an emotionless, cold face as he met with the figures within the cave.
One, with orange hair and multiple piercings.
A very pale man with long black hair.
A tall blue man with shark-like features.
And a hunchback man with an exceedingly strange hairdo.
The orange-haired one looked at Itachi-nii, then to me. Brother nodded and stepped behind me and hit me swiftly on the neck. I was knocked out once again. Which brings me to where I am now.
I pull myself to consciousness to find myself on a cold hard floor. The walls are made of pipes and the floor is concrete. I feel paralyzed, or perhaps I'm too weak to move. The sound of rain fills my ears, and then broken by a new voice.
"Should we keep her?" A female voice asks.
"As of now, she doesn't seem to be much use," a deep masculine voice says, "but keep her, train her, she will be a very efficient pawn, just be patient."
"Of course, Madara-sama." A third voice says, also very masculine.
My body twitches and I moan in the sudden pain. It's like that uncomfortable feeling where your leg is asleep, only for me it's my entire body. I begin to see the fuzzy figures that were conversing about me earlier. I blink a few times to clear my vision a bit, only to see that one of the figures is gone.
I sit up and stretch that "sleeping leg" feeling away. I see a blue headed woman and the orange headed man from before.
"Ayame," the orange headed man says, which I recognize as the second masculine voice, "From here on out, you shall address me as Sama, or Master. "
"O-ok." I stutter. "If I may ask, Master, what do intend to do with me?"
"I intend to train you into a powerful weapon for the Akatsuki."
"A-Akatsuki?"
"As of now, Ayame, you don't need to know that information," the blue haired one says
"And, what should I address you as, M-Ma'am?"
"That works just fine."
"We'll start your training tomorrow, as of now, Zetsu shall bring you to your brother." As he says that, a black, white, and green creature emerges from the wall.
"You summoned me Pain- sama?" His eyes scroll over to me. "Oh, is this the new one's sister? They look so much alike."
"Zetsu, I have summoned you to escort her to her brother." He starts. "After that, I want you to come back here to discuss something."
"Yes, Pain-sama." Zetsu says as he makes his way towards me. "What a tedious job," a deeper voice mutters, which startles me, but I shrug it off. He grabs my arm and I feel like I'm sinking. I look down to find that I really am sinking! I begin to panic and squirm. "Stop moving!" the deeper voice growls. I flinch and freeze at the sound of the scary voice.
"Yes, Mr. Zetsu!" I say quickly. My entire body melts into the ground and suddenly I see myself as separated particles traveling quickly through the matter around us. I shut my eyes tight; the feeling of each and every atom in your body traveling light speed is not exactly a comfortable one.
Once the strange sensation ends I open my eyes to see myself materialize as I grow out of the ground.
"Oi, Itachi, I brought some cargo," Zetsu chuckles. He pulls me over and I see the empty face of my brother. And the pale-faced man from much earlier. I make my way to my brother's side, hiding behind him and grabbing his clothes. "A cute little girl, I must say." He leaves, melting into the ground like before.
"Ayame, what did they tell you?" Itachi-nii says as he bends down to my height.
"They said that they're gonna train me, or something." Itachi nods and faces the pale one. I notice that his Sharingan had been activated the whole time. The pale one smiles and backs off a little.
"Ayame," Itachi-nii mutters, "I want you to stay away from him."
"Ok, but, who is he?" I whisper, clinging harder to my brother's anbu clothing.
"He's my new partner, Orochimaru," he says. I nod and look up to my brother. His attention is focused on the snake-like man a distance away. I tug on his uniform and he looks down to me.
"Hey, can I ask you a question?" I ask as he kneels down to my height. He nods, motioning me to continue. "What happened to Sasuke-nii?"