Note: So, I've had this on my mind for over a year, but I never managed to write in the right tone. Here it is now, and I hope it's not to disappointing. Also, I'd like to point out that while I admire Itachi, killing his clan was not the right thing. It was a horrible thing to do. Now before all of you start accusing me for bashing Itachi-kun, let me finish. Killing his clan was far from the right thing to do, but it was the only thing he could do.
Sorry, I just had to say it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
The summer sky was red.
As the scarlet sun fell below the black mountains, a gentle breeze caressed the trees that dotted the countryside. The land, a lonesome realm of nature, became quiet; the birds returned to their nests, the squirrels to their dens, and the humans to their homes. A pair of crimson eyes gazed upwards into the waning light.
"Kisame," his weary voice was soft, but his partner heard it none-the-less.
"Hai, Itachi-san, there's an inn not two miles from here." The taller of the two responded politely. He turned and guided Itachi through the underbrush.
To an innocent youth, it would seem that the two men were friends. But Itachi knew that neither of them harbored any sort of affection for the other. They were simply partners in crime. Itachi did not trust Kisame, and he did not expect or hope for Kisame to trust him. They were seasoned shinobi. They could not afford to trust anyone.
Within minutes they arrived at the lonely, run-down inn. The bartender bowed respectfully and did not comment once on their slit hitai-ate. Doubtlessly he had hosted enough shinobi to know that they did not take kindly to intrusions of their privacy. As it was, Itachi had noticed half a dozen Konoha shinobi seated beside them.
"…are utterly hopeless." He heard one of them say, and he wondered if the man knew how loudly he had uttered the phrase. Itachi knew without a doubt that this man was a rookie. True shinobi did not gossip casually without an ulterior motive; they would not have let their guard down as these men had. In the long run, rookies were the first to be disposed of. These men were garbage.
He could see that Kisame knew this, too. The Kiri-nin's sneer was wide, and his derisive snort did nothing to hide his contempt. Suckers. Can't say a bloody word without leaking information. Kisame displayed his emotions openly, but that did not cause him to be weak. He never lost control of himself or surrendered to his emotions. He was an unyielding tempest that mocked and tortured its victims without mercy. He was the wind that howled, the thunder that roared, and the sleet that shrieked. Kisame was a monster.
If Kisame was the storm, then Itachi was the clouds. He was unmovable, unreadable, unpredictable; he was patient. He would hide himself, allowing his prey to fall into a false sense of security and ease. He would play the soft and harmless prey. But when the time was right, he would strike. He would rain upon his victim endlessly. And then, slowly but surely, the piteous fool that had fallen for his ploy would realize that there was nothing to do but die. In the end, no matter how long he had to wait, Itachi would emerge the victor. His victories were not the result of him being the strongest: Itachi was not arrogant, he knew that there were those stronger than he; no, he won simply because he was wise. He knew that precious treasure could come from a garbage bin.
That was why he listened so closely to the conversation of these greenhorns.
"What do you mean, Kimura?" One of them, a blonde, exclaimed. "Didn't all the Uchiha die eight years ago? I never heard anything about a survivor, let alone about the survivor running off with Orochimaru of all people!"
"Daichi, calm down. Yes, most of the Uchiha died back then, but there are still two survivors. One of them is Sharingan no Itachi, and the other is his younger brother, Sasuke." Another, Kimura, stated.
Another chimed in, "Yeah, apparently Itachi killed his entire clan, but he spared his brother for some reason, even though he murdered his own parents. Then he ran off and joined some organization. Last I heard, his little bro up and went with Orochimaru. I don't see why he would do that, though. I mean, I've been told that the snake Sannin was only interested in stealing his body, so why the heck did that Sasuke join him? And why did Itachi kill his entire clan but not kill him?"
An awkward silence followed, and Itachi wondered in amusement what conclusion these rookies would come to. They could assume all they wanted: he knew with confidence that they would not discover the truth.
"It's likely that Sasuke is willing to do anything to avenge his clan." Kimura remarked. "I mean, if my brother murdered my family without explanation, I would probably want to kill him. Only, I don't understand why Itachi spared him. Obviously, he didn't love him all that much, so why did he do it?"
"Does it really matter, Kimura? Anyways, if Sasuke ends up somehow surviving with Orochimaru, he'll probably go on to kill Itachi, right?"
"If he wanted to keep his body, he'd have to kill Orochimaru, too. And that would be a major benefit to Konoha, wouldn't it? Basically, two birds with one stone applies here." Kimura paused. Itachi realized where the conversation was going, and it pleased him greatly. "You know, the Uchiha clan probably isn't that bad. They are a little messed up, but they do benefit the world in some ways, don't they? One of these days, I'm sure we'll hear some incredible news about Uchiha Sasuke killing Orochimaru or something. And once he's also dealt with his brother, he'll return to Konoha. He'll be a hero!"
"Wow, that really makes sense!"
"Yeah, and once he comes back, our village will also gain lots of glory!"
"Well, guys, what are we waiting for? Let's drink! To Uchiha Sasuke!"
"Yes, to Uchiha Sasuke! And may he swiftly deal justice upon villains such as Uchiha Itachi!"
The conversation had gone exactly as he had hoped. The Uchiha clan would again inspire awe and admiration in Konoha, and the other villages would know the might and terror of his clan. And his dear foolish brother, his precious Sasuke, would be the hero.
Uchiha Itachi smiled.
To the bartender who watched wordlessly, it was the mocking smirk of an insane maniac.
To the young waitresses, it was the devilish smile of a mysterious and handsome man.
In the eyes of a drunken robber, it was a wicked grin of anticipation and satisfaction.
Kisame, watching his partner from the corner of his eyes, deemed it one of the rare but genuine smiles that came from Itachi's twisted sense of justice. He would never forget it.
Truly, it was the smile of a suffering man. It was the smile of a man who lived to die. Uchiha Itachi was not a kind man; he was cold and cared for no one but himself.
Above all, Itachi loved his brother.
If there were any grammar mistakes, feel free to point them out! Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment in the review section!
