AN: I'm BAAAAAAAAACK... :) man it literally has been about 2 years since i've updated ANYTHING. So i won't be surprised if alll of my fans have moved on. It;s to be expected since i neglected my stories for so long. Well, even if it may not show, i really did work hard on this. some of the lines are directly from the anime and everything, so i did have to do some research and some refamiliarizing with some story points. I hope anyone who still is following my stuff enjoys it :)
Chapter Four: The Breaking Point
Three men from the Uchiha police force were standing outside of Naomi's house when she came walking up. The accusatory sounds of their voices had made her pause and take cover in order to listen in. With a few hand signals, Naomi disappeared into the shadows. She was the best shadow handler in the village- even better than the members of the Nara clan who were notorious for shadow handling. Where some ninja could meld with inanimate objects, Naomi could travel completely undetectable through shadows.
Through the mid-day shadows, Naomi made her way forward to the front of the house- towards the sounds of the accusing voices. The police were talking to Itachi and the conversation was not going well at all. Itachi's best friend, Shisui, had been found in the river with a suicide note pinned down with a rock nearby. They weren't coming out and saying it but it was obvious that they suspected Itachi.
Naomi came around the corner, still concealed in the shadows, as the ninja were exiting the house. She recognized all three- Yashiro, Tekka, and Inabi. They'd each been some of the easiest going shinobi that were part of the Uchiha police force. The fact that they could be taking up such serious tones meant that they truly believed that Itachi was involved.
"By the way, we have our own connections into the Black ops. If you try and sweep this investigation under the rug, we're going to know about it," Inabi threatened.
Naomi could feel Itachi's already simmering energy burst into a fiery explosion before he had even responded. Without even turning to face him, she knew the terrifying face he would be wearing, capped off with a perfect set of sharingan. Naomi tensed, ready to step in if necessary.
"Why don't you just come out and say it? You think I had a hand in this don't you?" Itachi's voice was dangerous. Anyone else would have faltered at his tone.
"Yeah, that's right," Tekka growled matter-of-factly, "little punk."
"Listen Itachi, if I find that you betrayed this clan, I want you to know, you'll pay for your wrongs!" Yashiro assured him threateningly.
Before Naomi could react, Itachi shot forward and in a matter of seconds Inabi, Tekka and Yashiro were disarmed and knocked to the ground. The moment the three hit the ground, Naomi heard one pair of footsteps rushing from behind her. The steps belonged to her father, running up, still in full uniform, returning from the clan meeting.
"Like I said before, appearances and preconceptions aren't going to tell you anything. For instance, you've made the mistake of assuming I am a patient man," Itachi began, kneeling in the dirt with his head down. "The clan, the clan. You overestimate your own abilities with no idea of the depth of my own. And look at you now, groveling in the dirt."
The three police groaned as they all lay sprawled on the ground.
"Obsessed with the organization, obsessed with the clan, obsessed with our lineage. The worthless compulsion that limits our capabilities, leading us to fear what you don't understand."
Itachi stood, a kunai slipping silently into his hand before he launches it at the Uchiha emblem painted on the wall opposite him.
"I've had enough, there's no hope left for this pathetic clan," Itachi all but whispered. To everybody else he sounded angry. To Naomi, his words were underlined with sorrow. That didn't stop her mouth from dropping open at his words.
Just a couple years ago, Itachi would have done anything to achieve the height of respect and authority that their father held. Fugaku Uchiha had been Itachi's role model. To hear him say that he had no hope left for the clan was like a kunai to Naomi's heart. It was further proof that she was losing her big brother.
"ITACHI!" Their father exclaimed at the scene in front of him. Itachi's gaze shot dangerously to his father.
A clicking noise came from Naomi's side, inside the house. She shifted her focus to the click, finding Sasuke watching everything that was happening. He's probably been there the whole time. She thought to herself.
Inabi, Yashiro and Tekka rose from the ground, appearing quickly at Fugaku's sides.
"Sir, your son was neither at the clan meeting nor the ANBU mission assignment today. During these hours, Shisui was found dead in the river- a supposed suicide. When we came to speak with Itachi, he attacked all three of us. We request a warrant for his arrest," Yashiro said, bowing in respect.
Naomi watched as her father's eyes went flat, and the creases in his face turned sad. He turned to face his eldest son, looking him up and down. There was no mistaking the disengaged change Itachi had taken on. Her father had to see it, even if she identified it better.
"That won't be necessary. I'm sure he was only taking a down day. His numerous responsibilities make him a busy man and I'm sure are tiring," Fugaku finally decided.
The men's eyes flashed with anger, but they nodded. "We apologize for the disturbance," they said grudgingly. And then they were gone. Naomi's father then turned his full attention to his son. She remained in the shadows, willing Sasuke to stay put as well.
"Where were you?" Was all her father asked.
"None of your business," Itachi muttered. The red in his eyes had yet to fade, indicating he was still on high alert.
"I can't keep standing up for you if you continue with this mysterious behavior."
"I never asked you to defend me," Itachi growled.
"You need to start acting like the leader you're meant to be. You are the heir to the clan, Itachi."
Itachi snapped again. Within the next second, he was in his father's face.
Before he could do anything, Naomi rushed out of the shadows.
"Itachi!" Naomi yelled, "Stop! Sasuke!" She pointed to their brother hiding behind the door. Itachi's sharingan flashed towards the door and then to his sister. Slowly the red began to fade back to black as the sharingan disappeared. He stepped back away from their father; still, anger lived in his eyes.
Without a word, he shook his head at his sister, and then was gone. Sasuke ran out as if to stop him from leaving, but Naomi caught him by the shoulders before he could make it far.
"No Sasuke. Leave him be." Naomi's voice was sad as she restrained her brother. He didn't give much of a fight, but she knew how much he wanted to go after their brother.
"Naomi," Her father was ordering her, "Take Sasuke inside. You are not to leave until your mission calls you to in the morning."
"Yes sir," Naomi nodded to her father and led Sasuke inside. She didn't let go of his shoulders until she had led him to her room and had closed them inside.
Naomi slumped onto her bed, her face falling in defeat. Sasuke followed her to where she sat and stood in front of her.
"Big sister, what's going on?" He asked. Naomi looked up to face her little brother. His dark eyes were wide with innocence. There was no mistaking the fact that he had not caught onto the rest of Itachi's changes. All he had seen was his outburst to the three shinobi outside of their house and the almost attack on their father.
"Itachi's just going through a rough time right now Sasuke."
That was obviously not all that was going on. Something horrible was going on with her brother. She didn't know what it could possibly be, but she knew she had to try and find out before he did something insane. Already, she didn't know whether she believed that he didn't kill Shisui. What would possess him to kill his best friend made no sense to her, but she had no choice but to keep in mind that he very well may have been responsible.
Sasuke's face dropped into a pout. "I miss how much time he used to spend with me." He was trying not to sniffle.
Reaching out, Naomi pulled her younger brother into a hug, rubbing his back.
"I know Sasuke. I miss him too." Bitterness underlined her words, but it took her by surprise how much she did miss him.
Naomi let Sasuke cuddle up with her until he fell asleep. Then, carefully, she lifted him and carried him to his own room. It surprised her how heavy he'd become. She guessed it had been awhile since she'd carried him like this. He either didn't want her to when she was home because he was trying to prove that he was grown up, or she wasn't home. It was amazing how often she really wasn't home. No wonder he'd become so attached to Itachi.
After she put him down and tucked him in, she leaned down and kissed his forehead. Sasuke finally looked his eight years when he was asleep. He didn't have to pretend he was older or tougher. He was just Sasuke when he was asleep.
Silent as a shadow Naomi slipped out of his room and concealed herself within the shadows of the home, sneaking down the hall to the front entrance. Her parents were asleep already, so it would have been easy enough to get past them without her shadow Jutsu with all the practice Itachi and she had gotten over the years.
As soon as she'd cleared the front gates Naomi went up in smoke, appearing again in the arena Itachi and she had trained in as kids. He was there, underneath the Sakura tree. Naomi smiled briefly at the fact that she could still count on finding him in the arena, but that was wiped away as she took in the rest of the scene. A bag was open at his feet with weapons and gear scattered all around it. He was packing. And, by the looks of the things he intended to take, leaving the village.
She hadn't left the shadows yet, so she came right up on him. Leaning against the trunk of the tree, Naomi allowed herself to be detectable again.
Itachi gave out a sigh the moment her familiar chakra became acknowledgeable again.
"Naomi." There was no growl, just the simple statement of her name.
"Where're you planning on going?" his sister asked, relieved at the possibility of a civilized conversation.
A long silence stretched between them like the huge chasm that had separated them over the past few months. The tree's leaves didn't rustle. The birds all slept in a dead quiet. There was no moon in the sky, allowing little light to see his face.
"I don't know yet. Away from here though," he finally replied.
"Why?" His words to the police earlier today rang in Naomi's ears as she asked this. I've had enough, there's no hope left for this pathetic clan.
"You wouldn't understand Naomi," he said. He said it in the same way that he used to give her orders on missions that would keep her out of harm's way.
"Try me," Naomi argued stubbornly.
She could see his obsidian eyes move to look at her. Had it been lighter out she may have a hint of remorse, but there, in the dark of night, all she saw was the cold emptiness that had taken over her brother's features. He placed the last kunai into his pack and rose, slinging the bag over his shoulder. His stance relaxed, as if he knew that Naomi would not attack him.
When he spoke again, his words were calm and even. There was no aggression as there had been for so long before.
"Maybe I'll tell you when we meet again."
Naomi was confused. How long was he planning on leaving for? What about Sasuke? He was going to need them to help him through the academy.
"When will that be?" she finally asked.
Running a hand through his shaggy black hair, Itachi turned his back to his sister. He glanced back at her briefly, and she could see red. It wasn't the normal sharingan though. There was something different about the jutsu in his eyes. Despite this change, his look was hard again. Rage radiated off of him and his icy gaze seemed to freeze her blood. "Farewell sister, and may this tree be our secret keeper."
Normally these words would have been a comfort, but there was no compassion in his tone as the words left his mouth. And, they made no sense to her in that moment in time. When they were children, they would sit under the tree and talk about everything under the sun. They'd had a special pact that if they wanted something to stay between them, they always spoke it under the tree. In this way, the tree had kept all of their secrets. Did he want her to stay quiet about him leaving?
Before she could form another question he was gone. Not a puff of smoke rose; her brother had simply vanished. He couldn't have used her shadow jutsu, because she melded into the shadows, she didn't simply disappear at first. Itachi had vanished into thin air in the same way that the brother she had once known had vanished into the stranger she had just witnessed leaving.
"Goodbye…brother…" the last word fell out as an almost silent whisper.
A single tear fell from her violet eyes before she disappeared into smoke, arriving back home just to await the dawn that would whisk her away from the village again.
AN2: So this goodbye scene was not quite as climatic as i had first imagined, but in recent decisions on my storyline, this fit better. So i hope you liked it and i DO promise another chapter sometime in february. Maybe even two of them next month. they;re written, it;s just a matter of typing them.
You see that box down there, you know you want to review ;))
