A/N: Hello dear readers! Thank you so much for your patience with me, especially since I've left you with a mean cliffhanger last time!

Special thanks to my Beta KatieBees that helps me carefully edit each and every chapter, and to KitsMits who keeps my ideas grounded and is my dear plot discussion partner! You're both great!

This chapter will start earning the story's M status. Sensitive subjects will be mentioned here, thought nothing too explicit. Still, you've been warned.


Come, dear child, come and let me tell you about what we hold most dear. Life is scarce in the desert, and we must help our own to survive. It's not the destiny of the person that matters, but the fate of the community, for without each other we will perish, blown in the wind by the desolate winds. Protect those you have near, and in turn, they will protect you. Provide for them, and they shall too provide for you. Only then will we thrive.

-Teachings of a deep desert village Elder-


-A test of loyalty-

Previously on Pain and Hope:

The rat stopped; his snout twitched as it took in the different scens. A pause, followed by a deep inhale. "This way," he said, dashing away a moment later.

Ahead of him, running at a speed that would have typically impressed him, Itachi carefully watched the white fur of the summon-rat. His muscles reacted immediately as the animal stopped. His heartbeat roared in his ears, eyes widening in fright.

There she was.

"IZUMI!"

-O-

Time stopped for Itachi. His eyes widened, pupils contracting as a wave of cold sweat washed over his body. His legs moved, pushing him forward even as he struggled to come to terms with what he saw.

Izumi was laying face down on the stream's bank, clothes soaked, hair fanning in the shallow water like a chocolate cascade. Itachi shouted, yet he wasn't sure what. His hands gripped her narrow shoulders, desperately pulling her out of the water.

Cold, she was too cold.

His muscles trembled with restraint as the water soaking her long hair dripped on his clothes. All sound stopped, his ears roaring with the erratic beating of his heart and shallow breaths. He pulled her closer, desperately holding her body and hoping that some of his warmth would transfer into her rigid, cold muscles. Come on, wake up, wake up! His hand beat rhythmically on her back, hoping that she will spit the water she undoubtedly swallowed.

There was no reaction.

"Itachi…"

He jumped, startled by the gentle voice above him. A hand landed softly on his shoulder, making him tense.

He gripped Izimi's still form tighter.

"Itachi…" said Shisui once more, hoping to get a reaction. He wanted to say more but stopped. His cousin was looking up at him, crimson eyes filled with silent tears and a lost look that tore Shisui apart. His pain… it was something he couldn't bear to see. He kneeled next to Itachi, arms reaching toward the unmoving form of Izumi. She was cold to the touch, muscles stiff, her skin ashen, limp hair dripping water over the younger boy. Her face was hidden.

Kaito's steps resonated behind them. "She's dead."

His calm voice was like a thunder strike in Itachi's ears. Sizzling anger zapped through his system, making his jaw clench and chakra flare menacingly.

She's dead. Repeated Itachi. Dead, dead, deaddeaddead… the words jumbled in his mind, losing all meaning, revealing the truth of the situation. Dejection crashed upon him in a cold wave. The finality of that thought washed the rage away, leaving him empty. His arms relaxed, finally allowing Shisui to hold her cold body. Long brown hair trailed over his legs, and suddenly he felt like he wanted to see her face. She had always smiled, every time he saw her. She smiled even when others teased her or when she failed in class.

As his hand reached to brush the hair from her face, Itachi marveled at how little he knew of Izumi, how short time he'd spent with her, and yet how vividly he remembered those times. He'd saved her from the wreckage of her house when the Demon Fox attacked and held her hand when she learned of her father's death. She had cried her heart out, and her eyes bled red with the power of the Sharingan. He had seen her struggle in the academy, and then smile proudly as she succeeded.

Warm fingers brushed away the long, thick strands. He wanted to see her face… one last time. What he saw… neither he nor Shisui were prepared for it.

With her face revealed, the horror of what happened crashed upon them. Instead of large, beautiful eyes, two gaping holes stared at them, empty and unseeing. They had been gouged out with surgical precision, leaving sunken eyeholes behind. Her once pretty face was streaked with scratches, her usually smiling lips parted in a horrifying scream.

Itachi stared in horror, his jaw clenched tightly. He couldn't breathe, his throat muscles constricting at the image before him, nerves firing signals in his brain that he couldn't possibly obey. Anger was turning into blind rage and hatred for whoever did this to her.

How could this happen?

How could something like this happen to her in Konoha, on her way to the academy?

What — what was Konoha doing?

He gasped once more, air finally entering his lungs as thoughts fired into his mind. How… how could Konoha let this happen? She was a child, a child of the village and they didn't protect her!

Why, whywhy?

"Don't," said Shisui. Itachi looked at him, Sharingan blazing. There was a cold, certainty in Shisui's eyes that spoke of experience. That single word, that command embodied a hundred feelings. Don't give in to your anger — his voice seemed to say. Don't let hatred cloud your judgment — his eyes begged.

But how could he just walk away? How could he stand and move along as if nothing was amiss? How could he, when there she was, her life and eyes brutally stolen from her right under Konoha's nose?

Shisui's stare pierced through him as he covered Izumi's face with a cloth. Endure, his eyes said. Itachi bit his tongue until blood pooled in his mouth, all to quell the cacophony of anger inside him. The coppery tang was bitter with his disappointment, tainted by his inability to act. Like a dog on a leash, he felt powerless to act.

A culprit. There had to be someone who was to blame for this. And he… he had to find them. This was the least he could do for her.

Suddenly, his thoughts quieted as his mind fixated on this one goal. He stood, his eyes averted from Izumi's prone form, his movements stiff. Chakra raced through his system in a barely leashed torrent, making his kekkei genkai shine with power.

"Kaito-san," he said in a toneless voice. "Can you find the culprit?"

Kaito's electric blue eyes narrowed. "No. Whoever did this was careful enough to cover their tracks. This… this needs to be reported to the Hokage."

A muscle ticked in Itachi's jaw, fingers twitching as he resisted the urge to ball his fists. He could feel the noose of injustice tightening around his throat like barbed wire.

Yet it was Shisui that spoke, his voice eerily calm. "Every second we waste with formalities will be used by the one who did this to escape."

"And charging in without knowing what we're dealing with is a genin mistake," countered Kaito. "This is personal, I understand, but rushing into things won't help anyone. It's a delicate situation. First, we speak to the Hokage."

This time Itachi's fists did clench. "What of Izumi? We have to take her to her mother; she has the right to know."

Kaito's voice cut through them. "No. Not yet." There was a sudden rise in hostile intent, but Kaito didn't seem phased by it.

Shisui carefully laid Izumi's body on the floor and stood to his full height. "I understand that the village is worried about the consequence this death will have on the connection between the Uchiha and them, but —"

"It's not my place or mission to speculate why Hokage-sama chose to make things such." The tall jounin regarded them through unblinking eyes. "Nor is it yours, Shisui-san. You both are shinobi of Konoha, a tool in your leader's hands! And what your Hokage tells you to do is law — no, it's above the law! So we will take young Izumi's body and bring it to be examined so we can find the fucker that did this to her. We will do that and nothing more until Hokage-sama orders otherwise! Understood?"

Itachi and Shisui nodded, each with their own degree of restraint.

-O-

In a dark room located in one of the many underground facilities that Konoha possessed, two men shared a cup of tea. The room was spacious and long, making it look almost like a corridor with a large wooden table at its end. The walls filled with tall cabinets, and wide tables with scrolls, diagrams and various jars of substances. There were microscopes on some, and detailed drawings on others. A skeleton, whether artificial or otherwise, leaned next to a cabinet, surrounded by what looked like X-rays of bones and numerous pieces of paper pinned to a board. Another side of the room had diagrams of various organs, including an amazingly drawing of the human eye and the multiple effects of specific chakra stimuli would have on it.

There was organized chaos in the room as each piece seemed to have a predestined place, yet no one but the owner would know which it was. In contrast to the mess on the work tables, one wooden table at the end of the room was bare. A traditional tea set sat upon it, perfectly centered between the two occupants. And on one side of the table, as if it had been set down as an afterthought, was a jar.

"I thought we had an understanding, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru reached for his teacup, before sipping thoughtfully. His poison-yellow eyes closed in delight as the hot liquid traveled past his lips. He took his time, enjoying the feeling of knowing the other man's patience was wearing thin. There was nothing Shimura Danzo hated more than waiting for an answer. After counting ten seconds in his head, Orochimaru slowly set the cup down and looked his once mentor and commander in the eye. "As you know, there is an associated risk when it comes to research. Bold moves must be made for the advancement of science."

Orochimaru watched Danzo regard him with barely restrained annoyance. Age and the war hadn't been kind to the old councelor. The Second War had taken his right eye, while the Third War had cost him his right arm. Now his borrowed eye surely burned with accumulated chakra and the limb that he had fashioned for him was bound to start itching and erupting into boils if left unattended.

"You acted against orders." said Danzo sternly.

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, but the impudent smile he sported remained on his lips. "Dealing with rules is simply not my style. I see something I want, and I take it."

"As with that young student of yours?"

The smile grew wider as an abnormally long tongue caressed his lips. "Ah, dear Anko-chan. That was a thoroughly enjoyable experiment… alas, it failed." He sighed theatrically, his hand lifting to support his chin as thoughts of Anko's small body and eager nature shifted through his head.

Danzo lifted his teacup and took small sips before carefully setting it back on the table. "I don't care what you do in your free time, but such practices are forbidden in the village, especially with one's student. And you even had the gall to mark the girl!" His lone eye drifted to the ostentatious jar on the table. "And now this?"

"Anko was declared dead months ago, plus she won't remember a thing. There's nothing to worry about. By the way, where are you keeping her? I'd just love to see my cute little student again," said Orochimaru as he casually took another sip of tea. "As for this," his eyes slid to the jar, admiring the crimson shade of the Sharingan. "I assure you it was for scientific purposes. There are no traces of other activities on the girl. No one will know it was me."

Danzo's right hand suddenly slammed the table, his voice rising to a menacing tone. "Mitarashi Anko won't remember anything because I took care of it! If it weren't for me you would have been imprisoned or executed by now. And now this, when I have specifically instructed you to be more careful! Why did you pick this girl when there were a hundred other Uchihas out on missions which could easily be declared MIA?"

Orochimaru paused, his eyes widening almost innocently at Danzo's temper. It was rare for the ROOT leader to show his volatile true self. Control and discipline were vital components of who he was, up to the point where no one really knew the man's real self anymore. I must be in trouble, he thought, and that brought the smile back on his lips. He leaned back in his chair until the front legs left the ground, balancing with the tip of his toe, a smile strertching his lips. "Hmm… what can I say? I really liked the look in her eyes."

"You are becoming a liability," countered the old Root leader.

A pale hand with long fingers grabbed the jar, bringing it closer to Orochimaru's serpentine eyes. "I thought you would praise my proactive attitude." He caressed the glass, fascinated by the slight bobbing of the eyeballs in the sterile liquid. "The girl's Sharingan was strong, you could easily add it to your collection."

Danzo clicked his tongue in annoyance. "It's irrelevant. The Uchiha were ready to rebel against the village last time this happened. Killing a child of theirs with an active Sharingan will rekindle the flame once more; that cannot happen."

Orochimaru set the jar down and gave the man before him a long look. "Since when do you care about the Uchiha?" The smile was gone from his lips. Something was different, he could sense it. He'd pulled these type of shenanigans many times before, always under the guise of research and with something to offer from his experiments. It had been enough to keep Danzo satisfied and willing to cover the tracks he was too disinterested to care for. Yet now, something was different. Danzo's following words cemented his guess.

"This is why you are a liability, Orochimaru. You are short-sighted with anything that is not an experiment. I live to serve Konoha and its prosperity. Having the Uchiha start a civil war would destabilize the village and make us prime targets for foreign takeover. This cannot be allowed to happen."

"Orochamaru's eyes narrowed at the threat he detected in those words. "Be careful, Danzo. We wouldn't want a misunderstanding." He warned then shrugged. "Besides, the deed is done. Simply give them a scapegoat like last time."

Danzo met his smile with a stony expression. "Not this time." Orochimaru's eyes widened at the words. "This time I need to pull the problem out from the root."

"You wouldn't dare, Danzo." He never would have thought that betrayal would ever take him by surprise. Still, could this be one of the many ploys the old man played to try and keep him in check? His tone turned shocked, although his eyes were narrowed. "After everything, I've done for you?"

The man before him was unmoved by the display. "It is done," Danzo said. In the end, it was just business.

With a snap of his fingers, a masked woman materialized from the shadows and released the jutsu that concealed over twenty Root agents – she was likely a member of the Nara clan. They surrounded the Sannin in a heartbeat, their weapons at the ready. Danzo calmly stood from his chair, brushing off inexistent dust particles off his coat.

Orochimaru experimentally twitched his fingers and realized to his utter annoyance that the bitch caught him in her jutsu.

"You bastard," he hissed through clenched teeth. He tried to take a step toward Danzo, but the collective clink of weapons made him pause. Even he couldn't takke all of them at once. At least not easily. His eyes narrowed, thoughts churning in his head.

That bastard, he will pay! The thought gave him the balance he needed, turning the sting of betrayal in the caress of opportunity. "You'll regret this, Danzo," he said to the retreating figure. There was no longer anger in his voice. It was smooth once more, rich with the knowledge of a secret. "You'll soon see just how much you need me."

"I doubt that. A dispatch unit is probably on the way. Your moments are numbered, Orochimaru."

As soon as the Root leader stepped out, two more shadow users pinned Orochimaru in place with their jutsu.

-O-

An oppressive silence reigned in the Hokage's office. Three shinobi stood before their leader, their faces set in somber expressions, eyes glued to the large storage scroll on the ground before them. They did not move, did not blink, each drowned in their own thoughts. Finally, the Hokage broke the silence.

"Kaito-san, open it."

The jounin nodded, unrolling the scroll and revealing a complicated script surrounding a single symbol: corpseItachi watched with dull eyes as the man knelt, his fingers touching the edge of the sealing script. Corpse… was that all that she had been reduced to? A nameless body to be inspected, gawked at and pitied?

In the fraction of a second it took Kaito to activate the storage seal, Itachi's eyes traveled to their leader. Did he have any pity for her, for them? Were they even human in his eyes, or simply… tools? A puff of smoke appeared, shielding the old man's form from his eyes. Itachi didn't look down. He knew what that scroll contained, after all, he was the one to lay her body on it. He was more interested in the Hokage's reaction. What would his face tell him? What glint will he see in the depths of those eyes?

The smoke from the scroll receeded and Itachi could once more see the carefully controlled expression on their leaders' face. His emotions were expertly concealed. "Just as I thought…"

What? What does he mean? Question's fired through his head, his thoughts turning into a cacophony of 'how' and 'what'. Shisui placed a hand on his shoulder, his eyes warning him to keep the thoughts to himself.

By their side, Kaito observed their interaction. "Have there been any leads, Hokage-sama?"

The Hokage sighed gravely, motioning for them to cover up the girl. "Four months ago, a chuunin went missing while on a mission. It was a simple escort, so she and another chuunin were sent to take care of it. Her team mater was found dead, and the girl was nowhere to be found. She was declared MIA soon after. She was an orphan, her only caregiver being her mentor, Orochimaru."

Shisui's eyes widened. He'd seen that girl, knew her! She was two or three years younger than him and always hung around the Sannin when he was in Konoha.

"Two days ago she was found wandering outside the village gates. She had no memory of who she was or where she had been, only that Konoha was her home."

"What happened to her?" asked Itachi, eyes fixed upon the Hokage's face.

It was Kaito who answered. "Mitarashi Anko was taken to T&I for observation. We had to make sure that she wasn't being used as a planted spy or weapon by another village. Loss of memory is a symptom of being brainwashed – there have been such cases during the war."

"Was she?" asked Shisui.

Kaito shook his head. "We don't know. She would not speak, so we brought Inoichi-san in. As soon as he started looking in her head, the girl blacked out. She's been in a coma ever since –"

"Until now."

All three turned to their leader in surprise. There was a barely leashed pain in his eyes that startled Itachi. "What does she have to say?" Itachi asked, fascinated by the twitch in the other man's jaw and the shadow that fell over his eyes.

The Hokage looked at Kaito, his eyes communicating what his lips could not. Kaito knew a silent signal when he saw one. His mission had ended, and the rest did not concern him anymore. With a nod he turned to leave, a frown twisting his lips.

As soon as the large door closed, the Hokage turned toward the window overlooking Konoha. He took a long drag of his pipe. "Anko is awake and seems to have regained all her memories. She is… traumatized. We hope she will recover, but there is no guarantee."

"Hokage-sama, who did this to Anko and… what does this have to do with Izumi's death?" asked Shisui.

"At first we assumed the enemy did it. Such means are often used to break captured kunoichi. She disappeared during the mission, so it was a natural conclusion. When Anko woke up though, she told us everything. She spoke of hideous experiments and unspeakable acts performed…" the Hokage paused, his voice failing him. "… performed by Orochimaru."

Time froze. The two Uchiha boys did not dare breathe in the ensuing silence. Orochimaru, one of the three legenrady Sannin and a former student of the Hokage himself was well known throughout Konoha. He was a strange fellow, but a Konoha shinobi nonetheless. To think… to think he could do such things, and hurt his own student in such a way… it made them shudder with revulsion.

"Under Inoichi's guidance, we came to find out the truth about many illegal operations, experiments, kidnappings and multiple instances of using forbidden jutsus both on himself and on those he experimented on. We also found out about the other missing Uchiha members."

Shisui's eyes were wide, his thoughts racing. It was Orochimaru? Then how is it that it was solved by the Root division? And – "

"It doesn't matter." Itachi was as stiff as a board, his knuckles white and trembling. His eyes pinned the Hokage, wavering between red and black; between anger at the man before him and the deeply ingrained respect he had for him. "Where is he?"

The Hokage sighed, his whole face filled with dejection. "Itachi, I understand your pain, but you cannot do anything against Orochimaru. A platoon of ANBU is headed toward his lab as we speak, ready to apprehend or eliminate him."

"Hokage-sama," began Shisui in a deceptively calm voice. "With all due respect, this issue concerns the Uchiha clan as much as it concerns the rest of Konoha. Both Itachi and I are well aware of the tension between village and clan. We agree that the village comes first and that there cannot be one without the other; I believe this is why we were placed on this mission, why we were tested and watched. You wanted to know where we stand, to know whether we would report to the clan and shake the little trust they now have in Konoha, or do our duty. We've done our part, we know the stakes. But we cannot sit idly by and let others handle Orochimaru. Izumi was a part of the family, and he made her suffer, took her eyes! This will not be easily overlooked. If we as Uchiha don't pay him back, then the clan will surely take it as an insult, and all our work was for naught."

"You are very perceptive, Shisui-san. Indeed, I fear that the trust between the Uchiha and Konoha is hanging by a thread. We all know that inner turmoil is the last thing a hidden village needs. We are a well-oiled machine, and once that machine stops working, we are all in peril."

Shisui nodded. "The Uchiha will stand with Konoha, as they have done from the very beginning. But they must get something in return."

"And that something would be?"

Shrewd dark eyes were fixed upon the Hokage's sunken brown ones with the intensity of a small sun. "Orochimaru's head would be a start," said Shisui, his voice blank.

Itachi watched the exchange with trepidation in his heart and adrenaline coursing through this limbs. A sheen of cold sweat coated his brow, yet he dared not look away from the two. Shisui's words were bold, more so than he would ever allow himself to say, but most of all they were dangerous. Still, Itachi could do nothing but agree with his cousin. That was the way the Uchiha were raised, how they were. An eye for an eye. No debt was left unpaid, and all wrongdoings were to be immediately and swiftly righted. Hate was a known disease in the family, and one knew that it could not be allowed to spread. The earlier unraveling of the case had barely placated everyone, and that was only because there really wasn't any other option. Yet now, with revenge clear as daylight and within their grasp… there was no other choice. They all deserved this; Izumi, Taro, and Uko-san, Muro, Asami, Saburo, and Takeshi-san… this was for them.

"I see there is little choice in this," said the Hokage. "Itachi, do you feel the same?"

His eyes rose to look at the tired face of their leader. "Yes, sir."

"An ANBU team is already in sight at the lab hidden beneath the old weapons factory." There was a hidden feeling in the Hokage's eyes, but it was gone before any of the boys could see what it was. "Disperse."

"Yes, sir!"

-O-

Kakashi took a deep breath, stilling the nervousness he felt. His hand gripped the tanto on his back for the fifth time, making sure that everything was ready. Stay calm, it's just another mission. He touched the transmitter and spoke decisively. "Approach the target using formation C. Do not underestimate him, or our numbers will mean nothing. Move out!"

A chorus of "Yes, sir!" echoed in his ear. Kakashi immediately flashed to the main entrance, his left eye opening to reveal his implanted Sharingan. He could take no chances with this one.

The door opened with no resistance, and his eyes met only shadows. The silhouettes of large cupboards stretched like towers over a haunted town. The room, both long and tall, seemed empty. Kakashi took a tentative step, the sound of his rubber soles terribly loud to his ears. Behind him he could hear the rest of the squad cautiously entering, hiding in the shadows. His eyes narrowed, as his brain adjusted to the double vision of the lone Sharingan. Chakra appeared before him, fluctuating in subtle colors. The Snake was there.

At Kakashi's signal, the first line of attack strode forward, their steps silent in the dark. One step, two, three… pause. Swords were drawn and in a fraction of a second Kakashi saw a bright flash of sickeningly yellow chakra, followed by a wet splash. His muscles tensed. A wave of killing intent more intense than anything he'd ever felt before flooded the room, freezing everyone's movements for one crucial moment.

In the blink of an eye, all hell broke loose as countless snakes rushed toward them from the darkness. Blood spattered the walls in crimson arcs as the bodies of the first attack line hit the floor.

-O-

Blood roared in his veins as they rushed through Konoha. His cousin's speed wasn't something he couldn't hope to reach, yet Itachi pushed himself further, the adrenaline of the moment bringing his muscles to their limit.

"We're almost there, get ready."

Itachi nodded, his optical pathways flooding with chakra. His eyes turned crimson just as the metal door to the underground facility came into view. He was ready. He will make him pay; he will bring justice to Izumi, to the Uchiha, to Konoha!

A wave of killing intent washed over them, cutting their momentum and filling their hearts with unbridled terror. Itachi couldn't move, his muscles paralyzed as fear like he'd never felt before plunged deep in his soul. A primal instinct inside him took over, fighting to dominate his prior determination. By his side Shisui was also frozen, his eyes wide.

Run, flee… live. The instinct turned to desire, and the desire morphed into a thought that encompassed his entire being. This chakra, this power… it was inhumane. Strength… his strength, their strength… their pride and all the years of being told that they were special, that they were something better than the rest… it all evaporated under the heat of that aura. Beads of sweat gathered on his forehead. His lungs burned, begging for air, but he didn't trust his body to properly breathe. His entire being wanted nothing more than to leave, yet his mind wished to fight, to do something! His muscles tensed as he regained control, holding back his animal instinct to flee.

Next to him, Shsui steeped forward, drawing his tanto.

And then, he came. From the darkness of the room before them, he stepped out like a king walking toward his throne. His steps were as smooth as silk, his aura deadlier than venom. The parchment white of his skin was stained red, his serpentine eyes shining with bloodlust. He was a monster in his element, walking toward them like a god of death. And they were… mere offerings in his path.

Breathing was no longer an option for Itachi. His brain shot different commands that morphed into a cacophony of impulses, locking his muscles in place.

The man – no – the creature before them stopped, thin lips stretching in a grotesque smile. It was hungry, vicious.

A thousand deaths flashed before Itachi's eyes; a thousand ways to die at the hands of this creature if he as much as breathed out of turn. His head hurt, his heart beating so loudly there was nothing else to be heard. The entirety of his universe narrowed to the man before him and the choking energy he emanated.

Behind him, trailing like a dead-weight was the bloodied body of an ANBU, his grey locks firmly held in the Sannin's grip.

"What a surprise, what a delight!" he said with barely contained glee. "To have such promising cases placed before me… " The muscles in his arm flexed, raising the limp body to dangle before them. "You three… it would be a pity to kill you all now." His fingers unclenched, and the man in his grasp fell, hitting the ground with a painful 'thud'.

With that, Orochimaru walked between the paralyzed Uchiha, chakra oozing behind him like a poisonous trail of violence and death.

A moment later he was gone, and Itachi felt like he could finally breathe again. His legs gave out, knees banging on the hard ground beneath him. Sweat poured down his temples as he stared with wide eyes in the room before him. Shame crawled over his body like slime, entering his pores and whispering taunts in his ear. Useless. They were useless, unable to move, too petrified to even breathe properly.

By his side, Shisui cursed, urging for a chase, anything to clear the vile feeling of being utterly hopeless when the man in front of them moaned in pain. That's when Itachi gave him a closer look. He was wounded, badly.

Again, Shisui cursed, rushing to the ANBU and removing the cracked dog-like mask from his face. "Kakashi-san," he said once he saw the other man's half-closed lone Sharingan. "What happened?"

The bloodied man blinked, eyes rolling in the back of his head as he fought to keep conscious. "We stood no chance… a whole platoon… he killed them all." The words fell from his lips in a whisper before he fainted.

"We need to bring him to the hospital," said Shisui as he bent over to pick up the other man.

Itachi didn't hear his cousin. His eyes were glued to the darkroom before him. The stench of blood and guts spilled through the door, reminding him that he was alive solely due to that man's fancy. The pride of the Uchiha, the prodigy of his generation… it meant nothing. He could do nothing but tremble, and the only reason he still lived was due to a monster's whim. At Shisui's insistence, he finally rose. He had failed… for the second time in his life, he failed, and it hurt more than he dared to admit.

-O-

The news of Izumi's death shook the entire Academy. How did it happen? Why did the teachers refuse to talk about it? No one seemed to know, and although everyone was shocked, three days later, the world seemed to return to normal. And yet, not for all.

Yahizui chewed on her fingernail as she tried to calculate the best moment to jump the fence. She was trembling with curiosity. On the other side, members of the Uchiha clan gathered for a private funeral. From her vantage point, all she could see were tens of dark-haired heads dressed in funeral garb. She looked down, making sure that she had the proper attire. All dark and modest; even her bright hair had been tucked under a dark headscarf. She was confident that if she jumped the fence and kept to the back of the procession, no one would even notice her.

Right!

She took a deep breath, flexed her legs and jumped, as silent as a cat. She was in!

"What are you doing here?"

Yahizui froze. How did he know she wanted to sneak in? She turned around and came face to face with Itachi's tired figure. She took a moment to look at him; tey hadn't seen eye to eye in a long time. He was a bit taller now, but not by much, and his hands and forearms had gathered new scratches and scars. Yet his face showed the biggest change. He looked like he hadn't had a good night's sleep in days, dark circles rimming his eyes as stress lines started showing on his cheeks. "Hey, I just wanted to –"

"Leave."

Yahizui's eyes widened. There was something in his posture, in his expression… something that told her he was different. "What? Why?"

"This doesn't concern you, just leave," he said once again, this time with more force.

His words pierced her. The way he looked at her, the way he talked to her… it felt like they weren't friends anymore. The realization made her arms tremble and her eyes sting. "Izumi was just as much my classmate as she was part of this clan! She –"

"No, she wasn't," Itachi cut her off. "You never spoke of her, never liked interacting with her. You're here to see more, to satisfy your curiosity. So leave." His eyes were narrowed, shoulders tense. There was no hesitation in his voice, nothing that showed her he didn't mean his words. "You have nothing to see here."

His words hurt, his attitude and the way he pushed her away miffed. "What is wrong with you?" she said, her voice wavering. They'd been friends, hadn't they? Why was he acting like that? "This is the first time I see you in ages, and I can't even tell who you are anymore! Is it so wrong of me to want to say my goodbyes to a classmate? No, we weren't friends, but people don't just drop dead from one day to another!" She felt the need to justify herself, to show that she wasn't here simply out of selfish reasons. "All I wanted was —"

"All you wanted was to see what happened. Here it is: people do drop dead from one day to another… every day. If you can't face that, quit trying to be a ninja."

Yahizui gasped. "When did you become an ass like the rest of them?" Her pulse was roaring in her veins. How dare he? How dare he act like that, talk like that? It was as if the person before her was someone else, an impostor wearing Itachi's skin and speaking in his voice. Or maybe… maybe the arrogance and pride so specific to his clan had finally rubbed off on him and pulled out his true colors in the light of day. It didn't matter what the reason was… it hurt. She swiftly turned away, hoping he wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. "Fine, I'll leave," she said in a low voice. "I don't need friends like you anyway."

The moment she left, Itachi returned to the small crowd of clan members, taking his place by Shisui's side. He could feel his cousin's eyes on him, could hear the questions he wanted to fire his way.

"It's better this was," he said after a moment of silence. "Yahizui will always be in danger if she remains close to me."

"Itachi…" said Shisui with worry in his voice. "What are you planning to do?"

"I'm going to join ANBU and…" He stopped, not knowing precisely what he will do. In the end, a whole platoon of ANBU was useless against the Snake Sannin. Hatake Kakashi was in the hospital for who knew how long and more than fifteen specially trained men and women were dead, butchered like cattle.

So, what could he do? Join and train? Join and hunt Orochimaru down? Join and… what? "…and I will stop him." This was all he could say.

At first, Itachi thought his dark thoughts were due to the well-known tendency of his clan to want revenge no matter the cost. It was only after the second sleepless night that he realized it was something more than that. He wanted justice; for their humiliation, for the Uchiha who had been killed, but also for the ANBU who had given up their lives in trying to stop him, and for Anko and all other victims that suffered because of him. Revenge was a selfish thing that left a bitter taste in his mouth. Justice was pure and fair. It was what he was meant to do, it was the right thing.

Shisui gave him a long look. "Alienating yourself from everyone is not the way, cousin."

Itachi looked at the people before him. They were all silent, yet there was little no to sadness on their faces. Besides the weeping figure of Shiori and the gentle consolations of her mother, all were silent and stone-faced. He looked up at the stiff figure of his cousin with his messy hair and the new dark circles that betrayed his own sleepless nights. "I'll have you, won't I?"

At that Shisui smiled. "Don't get a cheeky kid, and don't hurt the few friends you do have with your poorly guided self-sacrifice."

Itachi ignored him. He had done the right thing, he was sure of it. Yahizui was a civilian, and having her be close to the Uchiha would only cause her trouble. In the long run… it was better this way. For him to be a real tool, a true soldier of Konoha, he would have to distance himself from the rest. The hunt for Orochimaru will put him in death-defying situations, and if it ever happened that something came back to haunt him, Itachi wanted to make sure that they wouldn't find anything they could hurt.

He was sure this was the right thing… but the glimpse of her tear-filled eyes as she turned away already haunted him.

It wasn't until night fell and sleep evaded him once more that Itachi finally gave into his stupid, soft heart and left his room.


A/N: Phew! That was a rollercoaster of emotions there! I apologize to those of you that hoped Izumi will live… she was never meant to live. This is also serving as a warning to you guys: people will die in this story.

What will Itachi do now?

Ok, now onto another thing I want to address. Some of you might wonder why Itachi is so/seems so weak. Well, as I said in my previous note (last chapter), my premise for his development is that he wasn't always the all-wise, OP God he became as an adult. He's still an inexperienced kid that makes mistakes, is relatively driven by feelings and his family's tendency to seek vengeance and still has a lot to learn. His super cool attitude comes with age.

As for Yahizui, well she's the best benchmark against him. They're the same age, yet she's much less mature, sees things differently and her problems are ridiculous compared to him. But the thing is, she's the normal one (for her age) and he's the abnormal one here.

Remember, your reviews are the thing that fuels me!

Cheers!