Oblivion. The indescribable feeling or sensation of not knowing something important; or in this case, something deathly; the state of being clueless and unaware. This definitely applied to the Uchihas on that fateful day. Uchiha Itachi oneshot.
The State of Oblivion
The usual, strong scent of his mother's cooking flooded his room and he could make out the low voice of his father discussing the morning paper with her. A cheery, casual laugh flowed from his mother's mouth, causing him to smile slightly as he rolled onto his side on the warm tatami. From the thin walls of the traditional Japanese house, he could hear his little brother humming a lively tune, which seemed vaguely ironic in contrast to the bickering birds in the front garden.
The perpetual chirping of the birds caused him to groan and sit up from his futon. It was still early morning, and he had wanted to sleep in a little more as he had no missions until the evening. Thus, the entire day until the evening was left to his devices, and a marginal flash of relief was evident before his forthcoming emotions made mince of the latter.
Itachi rose from the tatami and grimaced as he caught sight of his alarm clock, which was positioned on a solitary bed-side table.
6:45am.
12 hours.
He closed his eyes tightly and gripped his stomach, to relieve the sudden pain in his abdomen, and then leaned against the wall and sunk down to the tatami floor, exhaling deeply. He noticed that his hands were shaking slightly and frowned in disapproval. He had let such weakness take over; such weakness was deemed pathetic in the ANBU Black Ops, considering the very fact that he was the captain, and such weakness was definitely unacceptable during his deadly S-rank mission this evening.
It was not a good sign.
O=O=O=O
"Hey, onii-san! Teach me a new shuriken jutsu today, ok?" grinned Sasuke cheerfully, whilst devouring his rice hungrily and not giving a damn whether he was going to choke on a neatly disguised fishbone.
Itachi smiled, "Alright." Then, he added with an amused glint in his onyx orbs, "… and Sasuke, don't talk with your mouth full." Itachi chuckled softly and a smirk tugged at his lips when he saw his brother turn beet red in embarrassment, who then pouted. Itachi turned back to his breakfast with the smirk suppressed, silently chewed on his grilled fish, and was just about to rise from the kotatsu when he was spoken to by his mother.
"Itachi, are you in a rush, today?" his mother questioned, with an anxious expression as she made herself comfortable beside her husband, "You seem a bit…"
Itachi shook his head slightly and replied, "No, I'm not, and I'm fine…mother." Before he could have stopped himself, he felt the strain on the last word of his sentence. He felt her gaze on him as he rose from the table and made his way towards the sink; her gaze like a drill boring into the earth.
But his mother was always like that – always concerned about him and Sasuke, and she always seemed to know if anything was wrong. He had to hand it to her for being so attentive, as he rarely lost his composure, and was rational most of the time – one of the few rules that were absolutely essential during battle in ANBU, and in combat in general.
However, this time was different.
And being the observant mother she was, she knew that.
O=O=O=O
Itachi glanced at the large clock that was positioned against the high walls of the clan's police station where his father worked as the authoritative chief commander.
10:45am.
8 hours.
He hardened his gaze at the clock, before turning away and walking back towards his house where his mother said that she would have a 'surprise' in store for him. Itachi observed his surroundings carefully whilst he paced. A group of Genin were situated outside a front porch discussing their next activity enthusiastically, with their parents, Itachi assumed, looking on. He could not help but smile marginally at the children's' eagerness and passion – their faces glowed with glee and determination, their hands clenched in excitement and readiness, and with their parents observing them with an amused twinkle evident in their eyes.
To his left, Itachi witnessed a young couple cradling their newborn child lovingly. He recognised them.
"The ones at the hospital last week…while I was there to deliver a message," he recollected, faintly pleased that his memory had served him for the better. He had remembered the joy and the happiness apparent on the couple's faces when the baby was delivered successfully, as Itachi walked past their room only a few moments later.
A baby.
A new life.
A new generation.
As the teenager strode into the front porch of his house, he could not help but allow a dark belief consume his thoughts, momentarily blocking his senses. He attempted to erase the thought by shutting his eyes tightly and rubbing his temples. It helped, but only for a moment.
"Mother, what did you need me for?"
"Ah Itachi, you're back!" exclaimed Mikoto cheerfully, grabbing her son by the arm and leading him further into the house, "Mother wants to show you something."
Itachi only smiled at her and nodded in response as he followed her into the house with curiosity.
A baby.
A new life.
A new generation.
…
Vulnerable.
An easy target.
O=O=O=O
"This is…"
"We knew for a long time that you have always wanted one, Itachi," beamed Mikoto, "So here you are, sweetheart."
Itachi stared at the katana that he held in his hands and was immediately engrossed in the reflections it was making under the sun's rays, which had greedily intruded from the open window. The designs at the hilt of the sword were mesmerizing red and green swirls.
Red – the colour of fresh blood; green – the colour of peace.
Peace.
What irony…he thought bitterly, gazing at the swirls. Before leaving the room, his mother gave him a gentle, affectionate squeeze on his shoulder, and he whispered his gratitude once again. However, his father was still there, staring at him coldly and disapprovingly. Itachi remembered that his father hadn't said a single word since coming into the room with Mikoto. He had also observed his mother's strained, and worried glance towards his father, whilst she was handing him the gift, almost as if giving her son a present was a crime right there.
"Itachi, it was your mother that wanted to buy you that," he began roughly, boring his gaze into Itachi, "Because of your rebellious behaviour recently concerning the death of Uchiha Shisui, I strongly disapproved, and probably not only I, but the whole clan would have disapproved too. Giving you such a lethal weapon…who knows what you're capable of."
Itachi stared back at his father evenly, his gaze was unreadable, beckoning him to continue.
"But…I hope…" Fugaku gulped hesitantly, his expressions and body language making it obvious that he was choosing his words wisely, as to not arouse additional tautness between father and son, "That with such a gift from your mother…and I…I hope that you will come back to us, son."
Itachi tightened his grip on the sword, and a feeling of guilt washed over him.
"Yes, father," he replied softly whilst bowing, with his bangs hiding the bitter look in his eyes.
And with that, Fugaku gave a small, hesitant nod, and left the room silently like how he came in the first place.
Itachi turned back to the katana.
Just holding the katana gave him a sense of supremacy; a sense of victory; a sense of mortal deadliness. He remembered his father's words loud and clear, however there was one particular line that caught his attention the most. The one line that would have made him smirk, if not for the stiff atmosphere at the time and the situation he was in now.
"Giving you such a lethal weapon…who knows what you're capable of."
He smiled sadly.
Yes…who knows what I'm capable of, father.
O=O=O=O
"Itachi, buy me that one!" whined Sasuke loudly, whilst stopping outside a traditional Japanese café, "You said I could buy anything as long as it's dango, and you know I hate sweet food, but if I had to choose, I want that one!"
Itachi sighed and followed his little brother inside the café, with some people staring at them, namely Sasuke the attention-seeker. Looks like Sasuke's caught everyone's attention again…he thought assiduously. Itachi nodded slightly in recognition at some familiar faces before turning back to his brother with a raised eyebrow and chided jokingly, "Not if you whine like that, Sasuke."
Sasuke pouted and then ran back towards his brother, nearly catching him off-guard as he grabbed Itachi's hand and pulled him towards the counter playfully. Itachi had no choice but to follow. Sasuke was always hard to deal with when it came to buying the things he wanted.
"Oh, who do we have here, little Sasuke?" grinned the café owner, "What would you like Sasuke? I didn't know you liked dango."
"Hmph, well onii-san that he would only buy me dango today…so now, he's going to buy me…that one," grinned back Sasuke cheekily, whilst pointing at the most expensive dango on sale, "That one please, mister!"
"Haha, I see what you did there! Ok, then!" the man beamed amiably when his gaze turned to Itachi, who smiled in return. They had known the café owner for a long time, and they were one of the few people that still greeted Itachi like a respected member of the clan. Many others however, were always gossiping and labelled him as a traitor, as well as a potential threat to the Uchiha clan who would sooner or later turn on them. Sometimes – being the level-headed shinobi he was, so this was generally just a one time point of thought – he really thought they were insolent little bastards that should just mind their own business.
Itachi exhaled deeply, and quickly dismissed the thoughts, as Sasuke's whining grew louder. He slipped a hand into the pockets of his training trousers and took out the exact money for the dango, much to his little brother's delight. After a few minutes, a loud 'Thank you' was heard, and the brothers chose a table at the back of the café that was right next to a window that was letting in a cool, tranquil breeze, which, according to Sasuke, was the ideal of the ideal spot to eat.
"Want one?" Sasuke asked teasingly, poking a dango in front of his brother's face. Itachi shook his head wordlessly which resulted in Sasuke pestering continuously at him to eat one.
Itachi finally gave in to his brother's complaints and whining, took a dango from the plate and popped it into his mouth. He propped his right arm onto the table and rested his head on the palm of his right hand, as he bit into the Japanese dumpling. Itachi closed his eyes as a cool breeze hit them, feeling his long ponytail being blown backwards.
He opened one eye to glance at Sasuke, who was resting his head on the table quietly. The ANBU captain turned back to the window and smiled inwardly.
He allowed the breeze to consume him as he closed his eyes once again.
This was the last time.
O=O=O=O
1:45am.
5 hours.
Itachi stopped at the gates of Konogakure's cemetery, and felt the cool metal of the gate bars, whilst staring solemnly at the many gravestones of the shinobi of the village. After gently pushing the towering gate open, he stepped inside and walked in the direction of a particular gravestone, stepping softly so to not disturb the peace of the dead.
Itachi stopped. He gripped the small paper bag in his left hand tightly before crouching on one knee and gazed at the grave mutely. Itachi opened the bag, took out a tiny jar of rock candies and set it in front of the gravestone with a satisfactory thud.
Uchiha Shisui.
The lollies were Shisui's favourite, so he had brought them along, since it was pretty much the last time he would visit his best friend's grave. He closed his onyx orbs and bowed his head in respect for his fellow comrade.
It was around a month since he had 'passed away', and the pain of losing his best friend had been immense, however he had those emotions skilfully supressed and locked within. He had not cried nor showed any signs of sadness or grief since knowing about his death, and due to that, some members of the clan had immediately leapt at the idea of Itachi being the perpetrator. Before, amidst of all the suspicion of him being the culprit, it was thought that suicide was the most likely cause of death when the Konoha Military Police Force found a suicide note left for Itachi, but he knew otherwise.
As Shisui was hailed as a prodigy and genius like himself, he was respected and his contributions to the clan were extremely influential. And that was the very reason why, a gravestone was built for him in the village's graveyard, despite the strange disappearance of his corpse.
"Today's the day, Shisui," he murmured softly, feeling the cool surface of the gravestone against the palm of his hand. He then turned to gaze up at the sky, and for a split second, an expression of intense despair passed his facial expressions, before it was replaced with an emotionless mien.
"5 hours, Shisui…in 5 hours' time, the famed Uchiha clan…this clan…" Itachi's soft tone drifted off, and the hard gaze in his eyes softened. The wind howled through the silent graveyard, sending leaves and debris spiralling into the atmosphere, and leaving a sensation of emptiness and insecurity. The birds ceased their constant chirping and flew away into the distance, and animals crawled back into their shelters to take cover from the strong wind.
The only warmth Itachi felt was the feeling that somewhere…somewhere in the graveyard, his best friend's spirit was watching over him.
O=O=O=O
"Madara, I need to talk to you."
The sound of heavy footsteps was heard as a man with a plastic, oval mask stepped from the shadows. The man's mask was patterned with swirls, and faded streaks of sunlight danced off his long, ragged hair. He gave a nod and leaned against a tree in the forest, beckoning the teenager before him to continue.
"Madara, I trust you remember the plan?"
The man's voice was thick through his mask as he spoke smoothly, "Hn, of course, Itachi. Your plan benefits me, so there is no motive for me to pull out."
Itachi nodded curtly.
"Some of the forbidden documents and scrolls that you require are with me, as it will cause suspicions for you to carry them whilst you are coming to rendezvous," Madara went on, "We will meet here in exactly 2 hours from now."
"I should be the one telling you that, not the other way round, Madara," Itachi replied coldly, turning his back on him. After taking a few steps to go in the direction he came from, he abruptly stopped. The latter turned his head to face the masked man with an intense glare with his Sharingan. His face was devoid of emotion, and his words were laced with mercilessness as he spoke.
"If you decide to lay a hand on Uchiha Sasuke…you will have me to answer to…Madara."
O=O=O=O
Cink.
Cink Cink Cink Cink Cink Cink.
The sounds of multiple kunai hitting and rebounding against each other resonated throughout the forest, before a simultaneous and final thud was heard as it pierced wood. Itachi gracefully landed, before he turned and inspected each of his targets for the kunai.
Bullseye.
Without a word, he leapt onto the trees to retrieve his kunai before beginning the second part of his training and heard the crows caw across the evening sky; an indication as the day neared its end.
Usually, Itachi would be out doing other things at this time during the early hours of the evening, however he needed to take his mind off certain matters, so in the end he decided that training would be the best option.
After placing all the kunai back into his small pack, he readied himself and closed his eyes.
Sharingan!
He then weaved hand seals so swiftly that it was almost a blur to the naked eye; even one's Sharingan, which allowed the user to identify the hand seals that another performed, could not follow its course.
Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!
A large fireball emerged from Itachi's mouth, with the fireball's intensity and size annihilating great areas of vegetation. As it grew larger, birds were seen desperately flying away as the flames engulfed their nests. Small flames of red, orange and yellow danced around the base of trees, with the flames reaching out to lick the helpless branches which were within their grasp. The atmosphere heated up drastically, and the air turned a deathly red as Itachi continued his jutsu.
Red.
Red; the tears of blood.
The price of power.
The price of self-sacrifice.
O=O=O=O
5:45pm.
1 hour.
Itachi stiffened and turned tersely to eye the door in his room when the sounds of soft footsteps were audible along the dark hallway of the eerily quiet Uchiha household. He hid his sleek katana back into his draws, and placed the shuriken and kunai that were scattered on his desk back into a pouch. He exhaled sharply and frowned slightly. Who is it at this time…I thought I made it clear that I was extremely busy 17 minutes ago…he thought, somewhat annoyed.
However, when he activated his Sharingan and scanned the charka network that was in the hallway, he relaxed and the tension melted away. Itachi smiled in slight disbelief and reproach at his nervousness.
It was only a cat.
He then went back to preparing for his S-rank mission, which was in an hour's time. Itachi grabbed the pouch of weapons and attached it to his waist, after he put on his ANBU gear, and then proceeded to tie his Konoha forehead protector across his forehead sedately, after fingering the engraved Konohagakure's symbol on the cool metal plate. Eventually, he slid open his draws once again, and retrieved his sleek, black katana that he had received from his parents this morning.
Pain and anguish started to fill his orbs, before he used his strength to suppress the overwhelming emotions inside, thus turning his eyes cold and indifferent once again. He wordlessly took the katana and slid it into a sheath behind his back, before he walked silently towards the window and leapt out of it.
He stole a last glance at his room, and his house, before disappearing to rendezvous with the notorious Uchiha Madara.
And as he left, he could still hear the loud rustle of his father's newspapers, he could smell the delicious scent of his mother's cooking, and he could feel the omnipresent presence of his little brother, Sasuke.
He shut his eyes and let the breeze slice through his hair as he leapt from the trees, overlooking the famed Uchiha clan.
…
I'm sorry..Sasuke.
O=O=O=O
6:45pm
"Are you ready, Itachi?" Madara drawled, with his eyes fixated on the clock of the Konoha Military Police Force whilst standing on an electric power line pole coolly.
Itachi stared grimly, yet calmly at his clan, as he drew out his katana. The sheen from the blade was reflected by the uncanny moonlight in the dark, evening sky, hence enhancing the deadliness of the katana. The swirls of red and green on the hilt danced as they caught the silky rays of moonlight.
"It is time…Madara."
A cool, yet spine-chilling breeze hit them, before Madara's words signalled the instigation of their mission.
"Yes…rest assured…tonight will be a night to remember…"
O=O=O=O
A/N: A sincere thank you to all dear readers; please don't forget to leave me some feedback.
-TUGB