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The Heart of an Artist Part II

Sasuke

I was standing just outside the entrance to the Sound Village. I stopped for a moment to rest. I was in so much pain. I didn't know it was possible to be in this much pain and live. He didn't stick his hand through my chest like I did to him, but he came pretty damn close. My face was badly bruised from where he punched me. I wouldn't be surprised if I some broken bones in my face. I knew for sure that my arm was broken. And all the blood I had been coughing up told me I had some internal damage. It's a good thing I'm not going back to the village, I thought, Miyako would kill me for all the stupid, reckless things I've done.

This reminded me of something Naruto said when he was trying to convince me to come back, before the actual fight started. He had been telling me about how some of the others had come after me and that they had risked their lives. When it didn't convince me, he pulled out a dirty trick that I'm sure he thought would work. He brought up my sister.

"What about Mimi?" he had asked. "Shikamaru said when Granny Tsunade forbid her from coming after you, it took three Jonin to hold her back and keep her from leaving anyway. And one of them is in the hospital right now. He got burned when she did phoenix flower jutsu. I don't think he would have been burned if he hadn't been trying to hold her, but still. And I heard Granny Tsunade telling one of the Jonin to have ANBU station four people around your house to keep her from sneaking off. She risked serious punishment and injury when she attacked those Jonin, and it was all for you. You mean to tell me that you don't love her anymore or care what happens to her. She's your sister, your twin. You can't do that to her. I won't let you…"

What the dobe didn't realize was that when he brought up my sister he strengthened my resolve even more. I knew that Orochimaru wasn't truly interested in making me stronger. He just wanted the Sharingan. Any Uchiha would do and there were three of us left. I was fairly certain he had gone after Itachi already and failed, which left me and Miyako. All of her speed, stealth, and abilities didn't change the fact that Miyako was soft. She was just too kind and gentle for Orochimaru's world. She still believed Itachi was good and misunderstood, for God's sake. The darkness and evil of the Sound would destroy her. But I was fairly certain that I could get out of that hell alive. I had strength, determination, and hatred she didn't. I was also willing to be consumed by evil to gain the power to kill Itachi and keep her safe. Because I knew losing her was the one thing in this world that would truly destroy me.

With these thoughts of my kind, beautiful, and gentle Miko, I stumbled into the Snake's Lair.

Miyako

I was in the living room staring at a blank page in my journal. I wanted to work on a new short story that had been poking at my brain for the last week but I couldn't find the words. Worry had formed a block in my head. The speakers started blasting "What Have You Done" by Within Temptation and I couldn't take it anymore. I threw my journal across the room as I screamed, "Fuck!"

It wasn't enough. I need to break things. I ran to a small table which held a vase. I picked up the vase and threw it to the floor. I felt better as I watched the crystal brake into millions of pieces. I grabbed another vase and threw it across the room as hard as I could and watched it shatter against the wall. The dark purple roses and white lilies that had been in the vases just moments before now littered the floor.

And I didn't care.

Somehow, it still wasn't enough, so I ran to the kitchen and began to pull glass plates out of the cupboards and throw them to the floor as well. "Fuck!" I screamed again as I collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down my face. I felt the glass cutting open my hands.

"Mimi?"

Akira was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He slowly took in the sight of me crying on the floor, surrounded by glass and my hands and feet covered in blood. "What happened?' he asked.

"He left. That's what fucking happened. He promised he would protect me. How can he do that when he's with Orochimaru? Huh?"

"Oh. Come here, babe," he helped me up and wrapped his arms around me, "It'll be alright. Sasuke could never really leave you. It may not be clear right now, but maybe he thought he was protecting you when he left."

I just nodded. Sasuke leaving was only a small part of what was bothering me. The fact that I had broken the most important promise I ever made was eating me alive. Guilt's a bitch. Last night I had dreamed about the night my clan died and Itachi left. I had been playing piano, like I usually did in the evening at that time. Itachi was standing in the doorway listening to me play. I didn't know what it was, but lately he had felt different, distant. Usually he would ask me why I wasn't training with Sasuke and I would tell him it was because I could already do what Sasuke was trying to learn. He'd say, "Oh, really? Then show me," and he'd pick me up and carry me off to a special place where I'd show him my jutsu. But that night he didn't do it.

Instead he picked me up and carried me to a different place just outside the compound. "Mimi," he said, "I need you to stay right here. No matter what you hear do not leave this spot."

"Okay, Big Brother," I agreed.

"Miyako," he said sternly, "Promise me, no matter what, you will not leave this spot until I come for you."

"I promise, Itachi."

A few minutes after he left I heard the fist scream. It seemed like the screams lasted for hours and hours. Eventually the screaming stopped. I was sure Itachi had been fighting off whatever had attacked and now it was safe, but I still wouldn't move until he came for me. After what felt like several more hours, Itachi suddenly appeared out of the darkness. He was carrying Sasuke in one arm. Sasuke was asleep and had blood dripping down his arm.

"What's wrong with Sasuke?" I asked.

"He got hurt. We need to take him to the hospital. After he's been taken care of, I need to tell you something very important," Itachi explained as he picked me up in his other arm.

"Okay, Big Brother," I replied.

After we had arrived at the hospital and Itachi had handed Sasuke off to a nurse, he carried me outside and sat me on the ground.

"Mimi," he said, "I have to leave you now."

"Why, Big Brother?" I asked, "Did the Hokage give you another mission?"

"Yes, he did. And it's a very important mission. I may not be back for a very long time."

"But—"

"Please listen to me, Miyako," he said, "I need you to take care of Sasuke for me, like Mom would. Mom won't be able to take care of you anymore and Sasuke will need you. I want you to promise me that you'll take care of him. He may be different when he wakes up. He saw some bad things tonight."

"You can count on me," I said proudly. It made me happy that Itachi trusted me with something this important.

"Okay," he said, "I have to go now. I love you, my little Mimi-chan."

He kissed me right in the middle of the forehead, like he always did, and disappeared into the night. That was the last time I had seen him. When he had come to the village a while back, I had been on a mission.

Akira carried me upstairs to the bathroom. He set me on the edge of the bathtub and turned on the water so I could rinse the blood off. He then sat and patiently removed all of the glass shards from my hands and the bottoms of my feet. This was why he was my best friend in the whole world, besides Sasuke. Whether I had had a fight with Sasuke, was missing Itachi, or just wanted to go shopping and check out guys, he was there. And most of all, he believed me when I told him that there had been something more going on the night my clan died. After all the glass was out, he used a small broom and dustpan I kept under the sink to clean up the mess. When he tried the bandage the wounds, I told him I would heal them later. I had recently begun training in the medical arts under Shizune, the Hokage's assistant.

"Alright, Love," he sat down next to me on the bathtub and wrapped his arms around me, "Now, tell me what happened."

As I began to explain the promise I had made to Itachi and how I had broken it, I thought about how lucky I was when Akira and I had been assigned to the same team. I don't think we would be as close as we are now if it hadn't happened.

"I'm sure Itachi would understand," he said, trying to soothe me, "From what you've told me, Sasuke was stubborn even when you two were young. He would have followed his own path whether you tried to stop him or not."

I realized that Akira was right. I bet Itachi was even expecting something like this to happen. I stood up and looked in the mirror. It hit me for the first time in my life how much I looked like Sasuke. The only difference between us was that I looked more feminine and had considerably longer hair. I was going to have to get used to the pang that went through me at the reminder of Sasuke when I looked at my face.

Akira continued, "You'll just have to follow your path and hope that it will lead you back to your brothers someday."