"You were born a genius in the Uchiha family. You decided to take your village's side and betrayed your clan by killing all of them. You left your little brother alive out of love and in the sole purpose that by killing you he put an end to his hatred toward everything and everyone. You joined the Akatsuki, and did so many sinful deeds. And finally you let the sickness take over you, and let Sasuke finish you off." the black haired lady finished, pushing her knee length hair behind her ear. "Did I cover everything?"
Itachi looked at the woman questionably, still more than just a little confused by being here mere seconds after his death.
"Pardon me, but is this the place people usually go to after death?" Itachi asked.
"Isn't this place look dead enough to you?" The woman asked with a hint of smirk on her lips.
"Forgive my rudeness. But you don't look like the angle of death to me."
The woman grinned. She obviously liked Itachi's answer.
"Please sit and have a tea." Itachi looked to his right and saw a lanky boy offering him some drinks which appeared to be green tea.
"I'm comfortable standing, and I don't have appetite for tea right now." Itachi nodded his head to the boy as a sign of thanks and continued. "May I require an explanation?"
"Sure." the black haired lady said and leaned more into her sofa, if that was even possible. She was almost lying on the wooden thing.
"I'm a person who grants peoples their wish with a price. A certain person made a wish regarding you. So I got you before you completely being dragged into the next world and brought you here."
"May I ask who that person is?" Itachi asked.
"I don't suppose I can tell you..." The lady let the end of her sentence hang in the air.
Itachi quickly took the hint and said, "unless..."
"Unless you make the right desicion."
Itachi looked at her puzzled.
"Ok, that person wished for you to have another chance in life and have the privilege of choosing which family you want to be born in. Of course as there is a limit to everything, your decision is also limited to only six families." The lady wait few seconds for Itachi to catch on, then she continued. "Shall we begin?"
Itachi just nodded. And watched as a few piece of papers magically appeared in the woman's hand and she just send them an uninterested glance. Itachi had a feeling that she doesn't need those papers at all.
"Ok, the first family is Inuzuka..."
"I don't like dogs." Itachi cut in.
"You haven't heard all of it yet, they're the most loyal clan in whole Konoha. They are dogs after all." The black haired woman chuckled, apparently to an unspoken joke.
"My answer would still be the same."
"Well shall we go to next one?" she didn't wait for Itachi's answer and went on, while dropping the first paper on the floor uncaring of where it landed or the fact that she was making the room messy.
"The next candidate family is Aburame family. If you ask me they are perfect for you, all of them are silent most of the time. Their records of big quarrel are nonexistence."
"Does everyone in the clan have insects walk all over and," Itachi suppressed his shudder, "inside them?"
"Yes. But it might be exciting sometimes." the woman gave Itachi a suggestive grin.
"I will pass Aburame too."
The black haired woman let yet another paper fall from her hand.
"Next clan is Yamanaka clan. Guess what! they work with mind. You can be very successful considering how you worked on your brother's mind." The woman smirked knowingly.
"I already had enough experience with minds." Itachi said and then as an afterthought added. "And, I do not see myself selling flowers."
Lady let go of another paper. "Now this is one interesting clan. What do you say about Hyugas? They're cool and collected and your clan and theirs both use eye techniques. They also abide by rules..."
"They are the same as my clan, if not worst. If I were to choose them, I might as well choose my own clan." Itachi said, his distaste clearly shown in his voice.
"So that's another no." there came the rustling sound of a paper again. "You are running low on options Uchiha. Here we have another which I think suits you well. The Nara clan, well what do you say."
"Aren't you going to say anything about them?" Itachi asked with a hint of amusement in his speech which made the lady smile in return.
"The most important thing about them is, even if they want to betray Konoha no one will know because they're too clever to be found out." The lady smiled another knowing smile.
"I heard one of the cleverest ninja in all Konoha is in Naras. Will I be put in his family?"
"Yes. Some things in fate never change. One of them is the fact that you are a big brother and you will remain a big brother no matter how many times you get born."
Itachi think this option over, a bit more carefully and finally said. "I think I will pass this family too. I do not want to make a new enemy for Konoha out of this clan."
"Itachi, it's not because of you that your family turned out traitor." Itachi saw the woman's frown.
"No." Itachi said with a finishing tone. "Let's continue with the last family."
"As you wish, here we have the one and only Uzumaki family, or maybe I should say Namikaze family. Which, in fact isn't that much of a family with only one member in it.
Tell me Itachi, do you like to be born as an Uzumaki and look after little Naruto, who in many respects needs more caring than your own brother?"
Itachi ponder this for a few minutes. "Will my choice change his destiny in becoming the host?"
"Nothing changes the destiny young man." The lady said in a gruff and serious tone and Itachi felt a chill ran down his spine.
"So my presence will be useless either way?"
"Of course not. You will mean a lot to the little blond. He'll depend on you as a big brother." the long haired lady said. "You know, he might not let it show, but he is indeed very alone. You can give him a happiness which no one ever given him in life."
Itachi looked contemplative for a second. "Before I choose, can you tell me what will become of Sasuke in my absence?"
"As we cannot interfere with a certain things in destiny, another person will be put into your place."
Itachi frowned slightly. "Will he do as I did?"
"Maybe yes, maybe no." she said with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Itachi asked with a pang of dread.
"He might follow in the path you choose to some extent, but there is no guarantee that he do exactly as you did."
"And how will he treat Sasuke?" Itachi said while surprising his growing fear.
"Certainly not the way you treated him."
'So there is a possibility that he kill Sasuke after Uchiha's massacre.' Itachi thought bitterly.
"You are running out of time Uchiha-san." the lady urged Itachi gently.
Itachi remained silent. After what seemed like eternity he finally said, "Will I remember this meeting or the life I already lived once?"
"No, but even if you did I doubt that you change it the second time."
"Then I want to be born as an Uchiha again." Itachi said determinedly.
"You do remember that you had only six options to choose from, don't you?" The lady put her chin in her hand and leaned forward in her big and comfortable looking sofa.
"Being an Uchiha is not an option. It is my destiny. I thought nothing changed the fate." Itachi looked at the lady straight in the eyes.
The woman suddenly burst out laughing.
"My, my, what a clever thing you are." There was a spark in her eyes. "Now tell me young prodigy, do you like to be born some other Uchiha, like, for example Uchiha Shisui?"
"No I want to be born as Sasuke's brother."
The lady smiled warmly up at Itachi. "So be it."
Itachi saw a spiral surrounded his body. And felt himself being dragged away.
"Now will you tell me who made this wish for me?" He asked.
"Of course my dear, you made the right decision after all." she said, stood up and made her way toward Itachi, when she was standing right in front of him, she said. "It was Sasuke."
Itachi looked at her a gaped. He suddenly struggled against the spiral.
"Wait, what was the price? What did he give you for this wish?"
Itachi was fading, only his head was out of the spiral and still in this world. "Please," he begged when he saw the woman's silence.
"He was to let go of his most important treasure in the world." she looked straight at Itachi's wide eyes. "The only thing which kept him in the right path and his anchor of sanity, Naruto."
THE END
RR.
Chii out.