Author's Note:This is something my brain just sorta vomited. I've been flying without a beta for a while, so if anyone knows a good one -hint hint- anyways, yeah...

Disclaimer:I don't own Naruto. If I did, he wouldn't have died in the first place. And neither would Choji's dad. I mean HONESTLY - ahem - let's get on with this, then.

'Itachi-san...' Salty, sorrowful tears welled up in silver eyes, and slipped down porcelain cheeks. Thick, pale blue tresses draped the mournful face, hid the misery that overcame the body, flooded and drowned the mind. The flood-gates were opened. Standing in the rain, head bowed, getting soaked to the bone, sobbing. Mourning. Mourning what, exactly? Death. Who's death? The death of a friend. The death of a very dear friend turned S-ranked criminal. Nobody else knew, and if they did, they'd be relieved. If they knew who she was mourning, they'd think her mad. Or they'd consider her dangerous, someone not to be trusted. She'd probably die if they knew. The weight of her emotions was almost crushing her. She collapsed onto her knees, in the mud, in the middle of nowhere – and in the rain, no less. She must have been a sight...

If I smile and don't believe

Soon I know I'll wake from this dream.

"Well, he finally did it." She heard someone in the distance, talking in a somewhat bitter tone. What followed was incoherent discussion, and then -

"Wait. I think I see someone up there. Hinata, can you..."

There was some silence, and then a quiet whisper. All of a sudden, she heard the quickened steps of a group of people. What seemed to be... one, two, three, four, five, six, seven... eight people and some kind of animal? She paid no heed. Lethargy took over. Her body was limp, numb, barely managing to hold together a completely shattered soul. She lay on the ground, feeling nothing and yet everything at once, a complete wreck.

Don't try to fix me,

I'm not broken

Hello?

I'm the lie living for you

So you can hide.

"They should know! They all have a right to know!" Danzo was giving her hell about it, as were the Village Elders.

"They can't know about it. Let them see it for what they think it is. The truth isn't-"

"Why not?" Her voice was steadily gaining volume, and she slammed her fist into the desk, hard. "It's not like it's going to affect them now. He's dead. And the other one left over two years ago, so you don't have to worry about him findingout. Besides, he probably already knows. Is it because you're afraid that maybe the truth will disillusion the people? That they'll overthrow you because you lied? Because you chose to cover it up? Because you were responsible for killing the one man who tried hard as he could to bring peace?"

"That's enough, Kohaku!" It was amazing how much gravity could be placed in words spoken so softly. She turned away and walked to the door.

"He did more for this country by becoming an S-ranked criminal than you did feigning innocence. You all are the real criminals," she spat venomously over her shoulder. She closed the door and walked away, eyes stinging, throat dangerously constricted.

Don't cry.

As she walked the empty streets, she began to think. Of what? Of everything.The past, the present, the future... possibilities, her mind was swimming. As she passed the KIA stone, she had an idea. There was one way to do it, and the people would only need to blame her. Everything Itachi had worked for wouldn't be for naught. She smirked as she ran home, getting a piece of paper and her ink and brush, she began to write out the truth, in a letter... She would write it, and carve Itachi's name into the ground at the base of the stone, and place the letter next to it. That way, nobody would know unless they cared to look...

Thus, her efforts would make her conscience happy, yet as useful as engraving a name on wet sand. They would be swept away by the tide.

Hey, Itachi-san.

You know you're a real hero, right? No, probably because you're too humble and secretive to admit it. Being a double agent is a dangerous job, and for you to take it on yourself to "join" the Akatsuki to spy on it from the inside takes a lot of bravery. But it was all for peace. That's what I liked about you. You always believed in something more than yourself. You saw a bigger picture.

Why am I writing this now? Well, I needed to get it off my chest. You were an awesome friend. Even after you left... 'cause you didn't really leave, did you? Nah. You were just on an extended mission of sorts. But I can understand your motives. You were torn, weren't you? Between family and country, and you made a choice. You chose amity, and you chose it at a price. That was always the way you operated, right? The enigmatic, kind person you are, you chose temporary peace for the country at the cost of peace within yourself. That's why I told you that I could never be as great as you. You, at thirteen years of age, were probably more mature than any adult.

I guess that's what happens when you become an adult at four years old, huh? You grew up too early, and now?

But I guess you'll have none of the honor of a hero, because that's how you do things. And maybe it's better for people not to know. Maybe its better that people don't know how the Uchiha clan was plotting a coup d'etat, so the Elders gave you a mission that you could've refused. Eradicate the clan. Commit genocide. Rub out the people that gave you your life. The people that cared for you, and those that you cared for, even the children who are oblivious to what their parents were plotting, and the ones who opposed the conspirators, kill them all. Well, the mission was almost a success, and keeping your brother alive was your little 'screw you,' to them, wasn't it?

One more comment I have to make. Having your brother kill you, that was the ultimate price for your sin, wasn't it? In your opinion? You never told me, so all I have is guesses to work with. But that's my theory. You kept him alive, not only because you couldn't bear to kill him, but also because you loved the time you spent with him, and because if he had ever told you, before you did that, that he hated you, and he really meant it, that you would be devastated. So you told him to hate you. To hate you, and when the time was right, kill you. Because you couldn't bear to know he hates you. Am I right? Probably not. But it's nice to think that I am sometimes. 'Cause you always were. Well... almost always.

I can't ever hope to be as awesome as you (I AM NOT WORTHY...), but I can open everyone's eyes to how you lived. How you chose. How, even in death, you cared about every person in this village, and how the choice you made saved all those people: people who have come to resent the sacrifice you made in order for this village to thrive, people who curse your name, and rejoice knowing that you have come to harm, the ignorant people who didn't know of the Uchiha clan's plot... everyone. We are all in your debt (though most of us don't know it yet).

Love always,

Kohaku

She folded the paper in half, and wrote in elaborate handwriting "To the man that saved us all. We thank you, and miss you sorely."

Bending down, she etched his name into the stone at the very bottom and placed the note down next to the engraving, along with a single crimson red rose.

'Well, we can't let you have all the fun, now... can we? So here's my "screw you" to the Elders. And I can always say you started it.' She smirked at the thought.