Et In Arcadia Ego
The blood is the first thing I smell. Thick and sticky, it clings to my lips even as I try desperately to clear it with a few, harsh spitting motions. It is only overshadowed by the beauty of the landscape that surrounds me, I have landed by pure co-incidence at the bottom of a hill which trails off to a rather precariously placed cliff edge. Beyond this though, a deep cavern of a landscape, carved out deeply as though a particularly large human has shovelled out a large swell of earth and built it up around the edges in a collection of mountainous spires.
The pain is surprisingly slow to come, it only appears as I shift a shoulder and my stomach muscles twitch and begin to throbthrobthrob with the beat of my heart. Stomach wounds, my mind supplies with the airy recollection that comes with delirium, are notoriously slow to bleed and slow to kill. To put it positively, slow to die.
The thought is small, a flash of silver amidst the throbbing in my stomach, but it is enough. My hand, small and pale and shaking oh-so slightly slams to the floor and I use the momentum of it to force myself up. With every beat of my heart, the wound slicks the skin around it with blood. A slow trickle that sends a shiver through me.
The trek was slow, despite the remote location of the small hut I called home, every move sent a shudder of pain through me. It was only one of my black eyes that was clear enough to notice the flash of Konoha green. I clutched weakly onto one of the trees that hid my home and drew my sword discreetly.
"Relax Uchiha Hitomi. I'm not going to hurt you." The voice was lazy, this in a shinobi was dangerous. It meant that they were confident enough that you didn't need to be alert. I tucked away my sword and continued to step slowly towards the thin wood of my little shack.
"What do you want Sharingan no Kakashi?" I was proud of the simple fact that I had kept any trace of a wobble from my voice. I cast my eyes around once, taking in the small tree covered clearing that shielded the glaring sun from view.
"I need you to come with me." The infamous Sharingan user was relaxed, hands in pockets and famous eye hidden behind the black cloth of his hitae-ate.
I nudged the door open with my shoulder, ignoring the sharp twinge that shot through her abdomen. "What for?" I cast my eyes around the places, picking out the small first aid box hidden underneath a small mountain of books that swamped the small desk where I spent most of my time when not out working.
Tugging the small box from under the pile, I flipped open the latches and pulled up my top in quick succession. Dried blood tore at the quick motion and it was all I could do to hold back my cries as I pressed a thick wad of gauze to the wound and wrapped a bandage around my stomach.
Hatake Kakashi was leaning against the door, eyes flickering lazily over my stomach and then up to meet the redredred that I knew my eyes had gone. Surprise was plain upon his face of all of a heartbeat before he was replaced with the hard look of a threatened shinobi. He lifted his hitae-ate cautiously but made no attempt to move from his casual lean against the door.
"2 days ago, Uchiha Itachi has murdered all 113 members of the Uchiha clan. Save for his 6 year old brother, Uchiha Sasuke. They are now the only two Uchiha left in the continent except for you. Uchiha Sasuke needs your guidance." Hatake's eyes were unreadable, a firm void of black and red amidst the sudden wobble that shook my entire world.
It was only when I felt my lips wobble that I realised that I was crying. "M-mother is..?" The words twisted within my throat, coming out hoarse and terribly pained.
"I'm sorry."
The journey to Konoha was a short one. Hidden as I was admist the thick, unrelenting forest where I'd chosen to live I wasn't actually all that far from Konoha. Hatake was a silent companion, offering no words of comfort but nor did he leave my side. Even in the small hours when all was silent but for the crickets, he remained at my side. I was as thankful for this silent companionship as I was for his lack of comfort.
The guards at the gate, two particularly bored looking Chuunin who straightened as someone crossed the borders, watched with uncommonly sharp eyes as I entered my name within the register that all entrants had to sign. The name Uchiha stopped them short and they looked with new interest as the dark colours of hair and eyes in relation to the pale of my skin. The dark eyes were Uchiha traits that carried throughout all of the clan, undeniable proof of her heritage within their depths.
Confusion followed the understanding and I enjoyed the feeling of walking away with them still clueless, Hatake chuckling softly into his mask. "Nobody knows of your existence yet, not even Itachi knew. Hokage-sama only found out through aid of the Uchiha birth records."
"Little Sasuke doesn't know?" I offered softly, thinking of the faceless boy who was related to her, however distantly. I wondered what he would be like, before the massacre had he been loud and boisterous or had he always been a quiet child.
"… No. He hasn't woken up yet. Uchiha Itachi put him under a genjutsu that appears to be relaying information. It is, as far as the Yamanaka could tell, something to do with the Sharingan. It's part of the reason we called." Hatake offered with an abashed look on his face. He led the way to the Hokage's office, uncaring glances in front of him speaking of long familiarity with the route.
"Mangekyo." I offered softly, lowering my voice as a small group of laughing children sped by screeching to one another about a game called Ninja. "I could try to wake him up, if your hokage allows it."
Hatake nodded firmly as he pushed his way through the crowded corridors of the office. It was spiralling building and a receptionist waved an uncaring hand from beneath a small mountain of paperwork as Hatake sped by.
"Do what you like, Kakashi. You always do." The words made Hatake laugh softly again and he knocked twice on the unassuming wood of the Hokage's office.
"Come." The voice, though aged, was as strong as my own and I felt my shoulders slide back as we entered. Instantly the sharp eyes of the Sandaime pierced my form and I could practically feel him assessing my capabilities as I stepped in front of the small wooden desk. "You're trained."
Surprised, my answer came out without conscious thought. "Yes, despite my families lack of acknowledgement I have still trained in the ninja arts."
"Hmm. You know how to remove the jutsu on Sasuke?"
"Yes, or at least I know how to try. The specific power is unknown to me but my Sharingan is rather unique and I may be able to unlock the jutsu with its power." I offered, my nerves making me babble.
"Go then, attempt to wake him. I will decide your fate depending on your results."
Hatake led me to the sprawling hospital that was one of the most advanced in the world, made so by the techniques of Hashirama Senju and Tsunade Senju. The first floor was for general injuries, civilian injuries that were looked after by the long suffering medic trainees and a single senior medic. The higher the floor, the more severe the patient. Floor 6 of 7 was Sasuke's floor, the long term ward where a number of Konoha's most injured spent their days.
Uchiha Sasuke's room was number 355 in the long stay ward. Hatake mused aloud that, despite the rest of the hospital not having an official numbering system, each floor had around 50 rooms and residents had complained of not knowing what to put on their assorted forms in terms of address.
I found myself falling silent as I entered the room, the small dark haired boy laying on the large bed was clearly an Uchiha, even when unconscious. My Sharingan activated and my field of vision suddenly tripled, everything speeding into hyper focus. I neared the bed and lightly peeled back an eyelid. The world shattered and faded into a deep red abyss.
"You… Who are you?" The voice came from a young Uchiha, his eyes crying blood with an ANBU uniform enshrouding his features.
"Uchiha Hitomi. Last female Uchiha, apparently." I offered sharply, teeth flashing as a grin split my face. "Uchiha Itachi I presume."
"An Uchiha." Black eyes remained unmoved and a beat passed before… "I see, I would advise you to watch your back Lady Uchiha. It is unlucky that our time as run out. I would have liked to discuss this some more."
"Always do." The world shattered into shards, froze and abruptly started again completely different. "I broke the genjutsu but I don't know if he'll wake. It's up to him more than anything." The sharp toothed grin on my face seemed to take Hatake by surprise, unused to seeing such a smile on what seemed to be a typically Uchiha face.
"Are you… okay?" Hatake offered quietly.
"Yeah. I just forgot what fun it was annoying the stuff clan types." I giggled to myself breathily. The laughter abruptly fell to silence as another pair of black eyes fluttered open. Uchiha Sasuke was the picture of PTSD, blank expression and worrying silence.
It was only the slight movement from me that had him looking up, his face drained of blood and a soft "Mother..?" shattered my heart into a million pieces.
I softened visibly and slowly edged my way forwards ignoring my twinging stomach with practised ease. "No sweetie, I'm not your mother. My names Uchiha Hitomi, I was off village when it happened. I freed you from the Genjutsu you were under."
"Where is mother?" Uchiha Sasuke asked so softly, I could hear the soft rustle of Hatake shifting uncomfortably.
"I'm sorry sweetie, everyone is dead." This, it seemed, was too much for Sasuke. For he broke down into sobs that quickly turned to screaming wails. It was all I could do to throw my arms around his shoulders and very gently hold his fragile spirit in my arms.
I didn't even know the child but I didn't need to know him to comfort him. I stayed.
Authors Note:
I'm publishing a thing. IDK. It wouldn't go away. So I wrote the thing. IDK.
Sidenote, title is Latin and implies that no matter how shit it is, or how good it is... we all end up in the same place regardless.
Bit morbid but I liked it.
This is the rough version, will edit later.