Theories of a Dead Man

"Becoming a Monster"

Silence was never so dense as the tension between two people speaking of unmentionable secrets. Above me stood Konoha's Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. The darkness of his shadow shrouded my kneeling form beneath the blue moonlight. The space between was so thick that it must have obstructed the airflow to my brain, causing me think that all of this would be possible.

"Itachi, you have a choice in this. Either you can take this responsibility onto yourself, or another ANBU operative can take your place." Our aged Hokage bowed his head slightly, obviously troubled by his own remarks. "You have enough on your plate as it is. The decision is entirely yours entirely."

Compared to the other crucial matters currently consuming my life, this latest mission mattered little. The Akatsuki would not want me to have lingering ties to Konoha. It was my job to gain information on a particular family. They were not considered a clan, their numbers were whittled to a mere six. A father, mother, four sons and a daughter. Their daughter was thirteen, graduating in a few months with the rest of her class. It would be difficult to convince the older brothers to talk, so she was my best bet. Teenaged girls were easy to manipulate. It would take a few months of observation to decide the right way to approach this mission. Timing was everything to women.

All I knew of this girl was that she was born into the Kyusho family bloodline, she is a thirteen-year-old chuunin. The Kyusho had never been a danger to Konoha before, so it came as a shock when I was asked to hunt down and kill these people without mercy. Throughout the wars, many extended members of the Kyusho family lost their lives protecting the Village, leaving only one direct blood relative, Gouken Kyusho. Gouken was a championed commander and wartime councilor for the Hokages, he was well respected within Konoha and was seen as a model citizen who moved from serving his Village as a shinobi to retiring with respect in his advanced years. To kill this man's sons was not something I wanted to do. Ruining his life was an unfortunate side effect of the constant state of unease within Konoha. When it came down to the happiness of one versus the safety of many, that one malignant cancer cell was isolated, removed or destroyed. Even now, I had no idea what they did or why they deserved this kind of betrayal by the village they'd given their lives for; but it wasn't my right to know. Regardless of the logic, I had to do what would save a larger number of people.

The Kyusho had only seven living relatives. From the small bit of available information on their abilities, I learned that they have a kekkei genkai. There was no written description of what their blood trait comprised of, but it was rumored to be something malevolent. It was thought that they could end countless lives without a passing glance. So as a precaution, the commander's sons needed to be exterminated. All of them. Which is where this kunoichi's role came into play.

It would be arrogant to assume that any female would change her life at my request. Yet, in the same breath, it would be ignorant to undermine my capability as a shinobi. Every second of my life was a behavioral study of those around me. Without my knowledge, or consent, every infinitesimal detail of every second was filed into organized subdivisions deep within the gyri of my brain. Little pieces of paper written in permanent ink indicated where I could reach each each thought and observation for utilization in plans or strategy.

From the time we are born we are indoctrinated with this concept that knowledge was important above all; it kept people safe and alive. But I defy this concept. Adversely, knowledge could also cause suffering and death for the ones you love.

Studying your enemy will ultimately allow you to destroy them. Yet conversely, it could force you to understand their view of reality. To understand a monster is to become one.

Which is exactly why this mission had been a difficulty for me to overcome. It was one thing to eliminate your target's family, another entirely to kill your own. I'd be throwing myself into the proverbial snake pit by committing myself to this for the remainder of my short life.

One option was for me to watch on the sidelines as my beloved village was thrown into civil war by an Uchiha coup d'etat. Other nations would seize the moment of weakness to invade, throwing the world into another Great Shinobi War. I'd already survived one, I did not need to see another. Countless lives would be inevitably lost as my clan rebelled in an attempt to overthrow Konoha and the Hokage.

Or, I could go through with the mission at hand and delve into a darkness deeper than the sky as my family's blood flooded the streets by the end of my own blade. This choice would give me the opportunity to save one life. The only life that mattered, that of my younger brother, Sasuke.

If he survived the slaughter, he would have to live under the false belief that his older brother was a cold-blooded murderer. This knowledge would cause his suffering and my eventual death. Further displaying the fickle nature of knowledge and reality. Whatever one chooses to believe is what encompasses their reality. Through Sasuke's eyes I would become a lifelong opponent. I'd become the obstacle for him to overcome throughout his entire life. He'd hate me, scorn me, and wish death upon me, but he would become strong, he would stay safe. My innocent little brother was destined to become an avenger; someone who needed to kill an opponent to soothe the gaping wound in his heart. Somehow, this was exactly what I wanted.

A world in which I had to kill my seven-year-old brother was inconceivable and unacceptable.

After weeks of heart tearing deliberation, my decision was finalized. By choosing to end my own clan, I was making countless choices all in one breath. As Akatsuki, I would obtain intel on the organization. Dropping signals from time to time so the Third could better protect and prepare Konoha civilians and ninja alike. This decision also comprised another, lesser, yet also unforgivable mission.

Manipulating a someone to speak freely about her family just so that I could ultimately kill her siblings was deplorable. Especially when she would just have to die in the end anyway.

Few deaths were a tragedy, many were a mere statistic.

Reality is a vacillating creature that gives you many choices. Whether you dig your grave in truths or lies is entirely left to the individual.

Once my time with the Akatsuki began, I'd work on the second segment of Sarutobi's arrangement.

No one knew his name. No one knew his face. They only knew that he needed to die to save the village that would soon ostracize me for the actions I was forced to take on my own clan.

Hey ya'll this is my first fanfic, reviews please!