The Uchiha Sister
Chapter 4
When Tukiko arrived at the clan estate entrance, there was not a soul in sight. Tukiko ran inside, hoping to see any sign of their family members but there was no one. Tukiko's heart began to speed up as well as the feeling of dread.
"Hello!? I'm home!" she called through the empty streets. There was still no one and she couldn't even sense anyone's chakra. Tears started to blind her eyes as she dashed towards her home. When she got there, there was no one. She entered the house quietly and yelled "Mother! Father! I'm home! It's Tukiko!"
No one answered her. Tukiko took off her shoes and walked through the house. She poked her head through each of the rooms to find them empty. Each room she went through only brought tears to her eyes. She finally came across her and Sasuke's room. She quietly stepped inside to see that nothing had changed except for the multiple weapons and scrolls scattered around the room. Tears fell as she walked into the closet. She slid it open to see some of her and Sasuke's old clothes but there was one thing at the bottom of the closet that surprised her. There on the floor was the kimono she wore on her birthday on the day she ran away.
Tukiko kneeled down to the floor and picked up the kimono. It was still dirty from where she had collapsed on the ground crying and it was also dusty. She rubbed the soft silk between her fingers. She remembered when she had to put it on for the party and she hated it. But now... She sighed and rubbed her hands against the soft fabric. When doing that, she came across a white edge that felt sharp. Confused, Tukiko held up the kimono to find that there were a pile of letters on the ground. Putting the kimono on the side, she gingerly picked up a letter and opened it to find Sasuke's handwriting. Her eyes widened before she read the letter.
Dear Tukiko,
How are you? I hope that you are doing well. Me? Well, I'm actually not doing well like you might be. You see, today is the day that I finally entered the Academy. I know that both of us wished to enter together and I wished it would happen. Father agreed to come and he did but I felt like he didn't really want to be there. Yesterday, Father said that he would join Aniki on his mission since it was really important. But then Aniki said that he wouldn't go on the mission so that he could go the opening ceremony. You remember that family members of the Academy student are supposed to be there right? Well, Father forgot but when Aniki said that he would go instead, Father insisted that Aniki would go on his mission while he would go. I was so happy at first but then Father told me to become a fine ninja just like Aniki. I know I'm supposed to be happy that he finally acknowledged me but for some reason I wasn't.
Tukiko, ever since you left. I started feeling more and more depressed. After you left, Mother and Father tried to find you but after only three months, they and the rest of our family forgot about you. Aniki and I were probably the only ones who remembered you and wished that you would come home. Mother and Father don't even mention you around the house anymore. Aniki says that they do miss you but we both knew that was a lie. Father never acknowledged you at all and Mother only wanted you to get married. I still can't believe that you were supposed to get married when we turned sixteen. Aniki says that getting married at that age wasn't right but Father doesn't care. We really miss you, Tukiko. Aniki also said that if we wrote letters to you then we could try to convince you to come home but we can't really do that since we don't know where you are right now. So he said that if we wrote letters to you but didn't send them, it would still be like you were here. That's mainly why I'm writing this.
Oh! I have to go now! I wish that you could see how me and Aniki are doing badly without you. We really do miss you.
Love, your twin brother,
Sasuke Uchiha
Tukiko read the letter and felt instantly bad. She had no idea that she was causing so much pain to her brothers. She thought that they would get over it but turns out,they didn't. But she couldn't believe that her parents just gave up on her like that only after a few months. She thought that they would miss her.
Guess not, she thought sadly.
She sighed and put down the letter only to pick up another one.
Dear Tukiko,
Life is starting to get so strange without you here. You know how Father and Aniki used to be so close? Well, lately....They're starting to become so distant. Father is actually teaching me stuff now and won't even mention things about Aniki. I think that's because for some reason, Aniki is starting to act so strange. He says he doesn't have enough time for anything for me anymore ever since he entered ANBU. He won't even tell me things anymore! I wish that you were here. You always had an easier time getting things out of Aniki like that time I asked about why he became a ninja faster than me and he didn't tell me so I asked you to ask him for me. When you asked, he actually told you that he was considered the prodigy and future of the clan. I still wonder why he tells you things and yet not me.
Anyways, I should probably tell you that cousin Shisui committed suicide a few days ago. I don't know why he did that but he did. The Konoha police force did an investigation on the suicide and found Shisui's suicide note. They showed the note to Aniki since he was like a brother to cousin and Aniki seemed sad. But then the police force accused Aniki of something and then Aniki got mad. He beat up the police force easily and started talking so strange. I was actually scared that time. We had never seen Aniki act that way before and it scared me. Then you know what Aniki did? He took out a kunai and threw it at our clan symbol that was on the wall! Then he said,
"I've lost all hope for this pathetic clan. You forget what is important to you because you cling to something small like your clan. True change cannot be made if it is bound laws and limitations, prediction and imagination."
Then Father and the police force got all mad. They even threatened to send him to jail! I didn't know what happened but I shouted for Aniki to stop. He did and kneeled on the ground for our Father to forgive him. Father did but when he went into the house, I was so scared when Aniki glared at Father with his Sharingan activated. Then something weird happened to Aniki's sharingan. It changed into this thing were it looked like a shuriken. I don't think it was normal for a Sharingan to look like that. I'm still confused on why it looks like that and I want to ask Aniki but I can't. He ignores me and acts so cold to me. Like earlier, he passed by me and Father but said nothing to either of us! It gets weirder because Father actually cares about my studies. He asked me how I was doing at the Academy and I told him it was going great since I'm always the best in my class. I was so happy that Father was actually acknowledging me and all. But then I started to get sad when I knew how hard you tried to earn Father's attention but never did. I think because of how Aniki is acting so strange, Father is paying attention to me more. Maybe that's it.
Oh! And guess what, Kiko-chan? Father actually taught me how to use the Katon: Goukakyuu no Justsu! I didn't get it at first but later on I did! And Father and the clan acknowledge me as an adult in the clan because it was a rite of passage! I wish that you could've seen it, Kiko-chan. I was so happy. Father said that he expected that I was his child and am now fit to wear our clan symbol! I was really happy! But then Father said something so unexpected that I started to feel sad. He said that I shouldn't follow in Aniki's footsteps. Then he said that I shouldn't become like you and run away from our clan. I felt sad about not becoming like Aniki then I felt mad that he said that about you. You're my sister! We've been together since birth and I know he's our Father and all but he had no right to say that. I didn't say that out loud though for I thought he would get mad at me. But Kiko-chan, I know that you must have run away because you couldn't follow our parent's plan for your future. If I were you then I would act the exact same way. But Tukiko....I really miss you.
So many things are happening in our clan and I'm so confused. If you were here, you would be saying "Sasu-chan! We have to find out why Aniki is like that and we'll force the truth out of him!" You always were the bravest of us two. I couldn't do that without your help. I wish you could be here so I wouldn't feel so alone.
Love, your twin,
Sasuke Uchiha
Tukiko reread the letter. She was confused by what Sasuke was describing. How was her Aniki acting so strange when he entered ANBU? Sure, he did that stuff but why was acting that way? None of the stuff that Sasuke described was making sense. There had to be a reason why Itachi was acting that way and she wished she could find out. But it was too late now.
Tukiko dropped that letter and moved onto the final one that lay on the floor. She began to read it but noticed that there were spots on the letter. They smudged some of the letters but it was still readable. She wondered if Sasuke was crying when he wrote this. But why? She read the reason why he started to cry.
Dear Tukiko,
So many terrible things have happened lately. Remember how in my last letter, I was saying that Aniki was acting so strange? Well, I know the reason why now. He actually did it, Tukiko. That man murdered our family. He killed everyone. He killed Mother and Father, our aunts, our uncles, Everyone. He was even the one to murder our cousin Shisui! And he was like a brother to him! The reason why Itachi did all of those things was so that he could test his skill with the Mangekyou Sharingan. Only a certain amount of people in our clan have ever reached that level of Sharingan and our former brother did it.
Do you know how you get it? Father told me that there are special conditions to gaining it and now I know them. It's really horrible and he met these conditions to gain it. Do you know you're supposed to do to get it?
You need to kill your closest friend.
That's why he killed Shisui. So that he could gain those eyes. Then with those eyes, he killed our whole family so that he could test his capacity. He only let me live because he wanted to test my capacity. That was why he was so nice to us! So that he could test us! That bastard told me that I wasn't even worth killing! He told me to hate him, curse him, and live my life. I was so scared that he was going to kill me. Then he told me that the day I gain the same eyes as him would I be able to kill him. Before I ended up fainting, Itachi said something to me. He said,
"Also, foolish little brother. If I ever find our dear little sister, I shall kill her as well. Then you will truly be alone."
Tukiko, where are you? I need to know where you are! I don't want you to die but I have a bad feeling that bastard already found you and killed you! If you were to die...I don't know what I'd do if he killed you just like our family. If he killed you in front of me, I would truly feel alone. I'm already feeling alone, Tukiko. No one can understand what I've been through except for you. But you're not even here so I don't know what to do anymore.
Tukiko, if you are alive, I promise that I will find you and protect you from him. I will never let that man touch you or I will kill him. You're too important to me.
And one day when I gain enough power,
I will kill that man.
Your twin brother,
Sasuke Uchiha
By the end of the letter, Tukiko was crying her eyes out. How could their Aniki kill their clan like that? Why did he do it? Why? Now she knew why Sasuke was so skeptical that she was actually Tukiko earlier. He thought that their Aniki had already found her and murdered her.
"Aniki...why?" she whispered. Tears blurred her vision but she felt so mad. "Why did you kill our clan? I know that I didn't exactly like Mother and Father but why did you have to kill them? You-You left Sasuke so alone for five years. How could you?"
"It was because he was a cold hearted murderer."
Tukiko whirled around to the doorway to see Sasuke. He was leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed. There were no emotions on his face. More tears came to Tukiko's eyes. She left her dear twin brother to go through all of this by himself. She started to feel so guilty. She stood to her feet and hugged him. She buried her face into his shirt as Sasuke hesitantly tried to soothe her.
"Sasuke, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry that I left you to deal with all of this by yourself!" She cried, shaking her head. "I should have told you where I was going so that you wouldn't have been so worried about you! B-But I was so upset that I didn't want to tell you! I'm so sorry that you've been alone for five years while I was off having the time of my life traveling the nations! I feel so guilty!"
Sasuke sighed. "It's not your fault. You didn't know about any of this from where you were."
"But I should have stayed! I left you all alone while you had to deal with this! What kind of sister am I?" she sniffled.
Sasuke sat her down on the bed. Tukiko wiped away her tears, still guilty.
"Tukiko, listen to me. It wasn't your fault. And you're the best sister in the world so don't beat yourself down," Sasuke told her.
Tukiko frowned but nodded. Sasuke was right. She lay down on the pillow and stared at the ceiling.
"Sasuke..." she quietly said. "What are we going to do? About me, I mean."
Sasuke turned to his sister. "You're a kunoichi, aren't you?"
Tukiko laughed and rubbed her neck. "Um, sort of. I'm not officially a ninja since I never lived in one place long enough to become one but I know all of the basics and most of our clan techniques."
"Then why don't you become a genin of Konoha?" Sasuke asked.
She tilted her head, thinking. It was true she never did stay in one place at a time to become a ninja so now that she was back home, she could do what she started all those years ago.
"Okay! I'll do it!" Tukiko declared happily. But then she deflated and sighed. "Shoot. I have to tell the Hokage that I'm back. I bet he was freaking out when finding out one of the engaged people for that clan union thingy ran away, huh?"
Sasuke shook his head. "He was quite calm about it actually. But it's true we need to tell him you're back. Once everything's sorted out, we'll ask. We'll do that tomorrow."
Tukiko nodded before yawning. Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle.
"Someone's tired."
Tukiko glared at him and punched his shoulder. "Shut up. You would be too if you traveled for ten miles to get here before dark."
He raised an eyebrow. "You traveled ten miles to get to Konoha?"
She nodded. "Yeah, now I just want to go to bed. That reminds me, Sasu-chan. Where am I going to sleep?"
Sasuke raised his eyebrow further, giving her an Are-you-stupid? look. "You're sleeping with me."
Tukiko gasped and her hand flew to her mouth in mock shock. "Sasuke! Shame on you! I thought our parents taught you better than to be into incest!"
He glared at her and punched her shoulder. "Idiot. I wouldn't do that. I meant that we should sleep in the same bed like when we were little!"
She winced and rubbed her shoulder. "Jeez, Sasu-chan. I was just kidding. I wouldn't mind sleeping next to you, just like old times."
Sasuke smiled. "Yeah..."
So Tukiko took off her cloak and backpack to show that she was wearing a too big shirt and sweatpants. Sasuke gave her a weird look but said nothing. Seeing as how it was already late, the two climbed into bed and they both lay next to each other, side-by-side. Tukiko yawned and closed her eyes while breathing
"Night, Sasu-chan."
Sasuke smiled and closed his eyes as well.
"Night Kiko-chan. Glad to have you home."
Tukiko smiled.
"Glad to be back."
The two fell asleep, happy that they were next to their twin after so long.