Fair warning, this chapter is a little (lotta) bit sad, especially if you're a sensitive soul like me. D:

Hana knelt down in front of her sister, who was dressed in all white. She held her hands and chewed the inside of her cheek trying to find the words. "It is going to hurt, a lot. You will wake up with a new power-"

"The power like yours and the others?" The girl's eyes were filled with eagerness. The look was like daggers into Hana's soul.

Hana swallowed and nodded slowly. "Yes, like ours. I wish this didn't have to happen yet, but-"

"Papa said it's a good thing, nee-san. I don't know why you're so worried. Sure, it'll hurt, but now I'll be strong."

The last bite on her cheek caused blood to flow into her mouth. "You're already so strong, Harumi. Do you want me there?" Hana couldn't decide if she wanted to be there or not. The thought of seeing her sister tortured made her sick, but she wanted to be there because she had no one when it was her, everyone had participated.

"Of course!" And so it was decided, she was going.

"You said you wouldn't let anything happen to her!" Hana's fist landed on the Hokage's desk. She was furious and distraught, protecting her sister from darkness was part of deal. Torture seemed pretty damn dark.

"I said I would do everything in my power. Interfering with a sacred clan ritual is outside of my power, Hana." Sarutobi's face was level, he wasn't trying to be cold, but in comparison to the heat radiating off the Sutero, the room needed balance.

"It's not a ritual! It is a torture session! Stop it! Call it whatever you need to, but stop it." The tears welled up in Hana's eyes as she leaned into the desk, huffing. She wouldn't let them fall, she was a shinobi after all.

Sarutobi sighed, empathizing with the woman seething in front of him. "My hands are tied, Hana."

"They always seem to be whenever I need something," she snarled as she stalked out the door.

"You don't have to join. Hell, I don't want to be there," Hana sighed. Hana hadn't been herself for nearly two weeks. She was irritable and angry. She resembled a rabid animal most of the day.

Shisui placed a gentle hand on her arm. "I need to be there. I'm a member of this clan to. I am your husband. If you go, I go." She sighed and if she hadn't be so distraught, she might have even thanked him. The support would be welcome. Their marriage may be one of obligation, but Shisui was a wonderful husband.

They were one of the last people to enter the ritual chamber. The lights were low and a small girl stood at the center of the room. Hana made sure to keep them backed up against the wall as far away from the action as possible. Shisui observed the room carefully. There were no chairs and torches were the only light and they surrounded the center of the room. A small circle was etched into the flooring. A rack with weapons was toward the left, just beyong of the circle of torches. Harumi was escorted into the room by her father and the purple-haired crowd cheered as she entered. She was beaming. As she stood in the etched circle, Hiroto made a few hand symbols, seeming it seal her within the circle.

"Tonight we have come to observe the igniting of Sutero Harumi. It is my honor to escort her into her destiny. Please, elders, you may begin." Hiroto bowed and took a position just outside of the torched circle. The room grew silent as an older gentle man took a kunai and sliced her arm. Then, it seemed to be a free for all. They took turns but the blows were constant.

At first, Harumi seemed calm and collected. But as the onslaught continued, she began screeching. Hana's grip on Shisui's forearm tightened as he began losing circulation. Hana could contain herself through the screams and the begging until she heard it. "Nee-san, please!" Her heart broke and the pieces sat in her stomach. The pleading for her didn't end. Harumi pleaded over and over and there was nothing she could do. She didn't dare interrupt. So, she did the one thing she knew would make it stop, she fled.

Shisui went to follow Hana, flickering in front of her. He had never seen her like this. He snatched her wrists and stared her in the eyes. "Hana, stop. Where are you-" Hana twisted her arms and kicked him in the ribs before leaving in the direction of the forest.

Shisui immediately found himself perched in Itachi's window. He was the only other person he knew well enough who could help Hana with her clan problems. Itachi, who had been laying peacefully in his bed reading, glanced over. "It's late, Shisui. What do you-" Itachi finally made eye contact and saw the look in the man's eyes. They were desperate and pleading. "What do you need," Itachi asked, sitting up and beginning to put on his sandals.

Shisui sighed, explaining how Hana's kekkei genkei was activated and how her sister had been part of the ritual this evening. "She won't let me help her. You might be able to."

Itachi had already pushed passed Shisui before he could finish his sentence. He knew exactly where to find her, he had seem her nearly this upset before and it wasn't pretty.

By the time she was done with it the training ground was stained red. Every kunai and shuriken she owned was embedded in a target. Even her senbon found themselves deep in a tree. She hands had finally stopped bleeding ten minutes ago. She lay in the middle of the scene she made and cried. No, not cried. Sobbed. Choking, hard pathetic sobs. Harumi didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to be a part of this godawful clan. She didn't deserve to have this ritual happen to her. She didn't deserve to have a pathetic sister who couldn't protect her.

The sobs came to an abrupt halt as she heard a rustling in the leaves not concurrent with the breeze. She sat up, elbows on her knees. She turned her head away at the sight of Itachi. "Tell Shisui to leave me alone. I know he sent you."

"I sent myself upon hearing what had happened. I didn't even let the man finish his sentence." Itachi explained, walking closer to her. He eyed the blood-stained field. His teammate had made quick work of destroying everything around her.

"Go away." Itachi stopped about three paces away from her and sat down in a spot less filled with blood. "I said go away," she snarled.

He rubbed the bridge of nose. He truly was not capable of doing this. He wanted to help, he really did but finding the words to console her were ones he couldn't find. "If you talk to me, maybe I can understand."

A fiery glare met his eyes. Her face was bloody and tear stained and her breathing was heavy. She looked like she was a wild animal. "Have you ever seen you brother, your precious baby brother you love so much, tortured in front of your eyes, Itachi?" The way she said it sent a shiver down his spine. Images of someone hurting Sasuke flashed into his mind and his blood boiled. He stared at her blankly, attempting to allow her to continue. "Well, Itachi, I did. I saw my baby sister. My nine year old baby sister beaten and tortured in front of me by clan? And do you know what I did? Nothing. I did nothing. So no, you can't understand and no I do not want to speak to you. I want to sulk in fucking peace."

Itachi stayed seated, standing his ground. The look in her eyes was familiar, he had seen it before in his own. She hated herself and her clan. She hated her clan for making it happen and herself for allowing it. "My clan has never physically tortured, Sasuke, but they have mentally." Itachi stared into the distance only noticing Hana slightly perk up in his peripheral vision. "He's spent his entire life in being berated for being an average Uchiha. They have called him into meetings and demanded he live an identical life to me and when he didn't they berated him more and told him to surpass me. This started when he was five. The council would have us spar once a week and I would win. Sasuke is a talented shinobi, but for he thinks he is below average and is so full of hatred for himself because of it. He's often bitter and short-tempered because of it. I watched my clan council mentally destroy my bother. So you're right, I don't fully understand. But I can try."

Hana sighed and put her head in her hands, tears falling again. The tears turned into sobs and all she could muster in response was, "This sucks." Itachi nodded slowly at his confidant. Shisui was his best friend, but he didn't understand some things like Hana did. Not only was Hana also an heir to an influential clan, but she had a little sibling as well. She just understood somethings he would complain about, and he was happy to finally be able to reciprocate.

As the tears took an intermission, Hana propped her chin onto her stands, gazing at the trees. "She asked for me to help her, and not only did I not help… I left. How can she forgive me?"

"There's a high chance she won't remember most of the event due to trauma," Itachi stated bluntly. He wasn't sure how comforting the fact was, but at least it was honest.

"I guess I barely remember the details of mine," Hana sighed, barely moving. A few moments passed before she spoke again. "She'll probably be unconscious for a few days." Honestly, Hana wasn't sure why she kept talking. She wanted to be alone, but something about telling Itachi anything that popped into her head made the vast knotting in her stomach begin to slowly untangle. "The medics are clan hospital staff and treat onsite. We simply couldn't have the hospital asking questions," Hana scoffed.

"Are you going to continue this when you're the clan head?"

The knots in her stomach tightened this time. "I mean the council will never allow me to discontinue it. They'd assassinate me before then the rat bastards." Hana would of course, never suggest the ritual upon anyone, but when the council made up their mind…it was made. She had learned that the hard way.

"I'm sorry, Itachi," Hana hung her head, aware of how hostile she had been. The man was just trying to help.

Itachi shrugged, still not looking at her. "Don't apologize to me. I would be the same way." Hana glanced back at Itachi as he stared out into the trees as well, the man was wise way beyond his years. "Shisui is extremely concerned about you," he noted for her.

Hana groaned, she had not only been rude, but she had physically hurt the man in her tirade. "He's someone I should be apologizing to. I'm an awful wife."

"You were never prepared to be one. Shisui cares about you Hana, he wants to help," Itachi sighed as he finally stood up. "You don't have to do everything alone. More of us care than you think."

"Thank you," Hana sighed with nod as Itachi left the training grounds. She'd go home at some point tonight.

Itachi approached his home after taking the long way. He had never seen Hana this distraught and it had shaken him a little. The woman was hostile and rude on most occasions, but she wasn't violent and hateful. Tonight, he had seen true hatred in her eyes and if he hadn't talked her down, he was worried. She had been out for blood, even if it was her own. As Itachi came closer to his doorway he saw a familiar face. "Sasuke," he mused.

"What are you doing out in the middle of the night?" Sasuke demanded, hand on his hip and eyebrow up.

If Itachi didn't know any better, he'd be sure his little brother was trying to scold him. Amusing. "I enjoy evening walks," he smirked, trying to brush off and maybe even irritate his brother a little. He made the best faces when frustrated.

The scowl that came upon Sasuke's face made Itachi's smirk greater. Success. "I saw Shisui go to your window and you left faster than I have ever seen you. What is going on?"

"You didn't follow me?" Itachi asked, amused and attempting to make it so Sasuke stalked off in irritation.

"Why can't you ever just answer a question, nii-san?" Itachi simply stared at Sasuke for an extra moment, eliciting another groan. "Yes, I followed you. I couldn't hear what you two were saying, but she was upset. And there was blood everywhere."

"She was training," Itachi sighed, referencing the blood.

"One hell of a training," Sasuke scoffed.

Itachi almost rolled his eyes, his brother was a smart boy. "Her kekkei genkei involves her blood. I'm sure Harumi has told you."

"Yeah, she has her 'igniting' tonight. She told me last week, but goddamit Itachi. Answer me."

"Ah, you just answered your own question. You already know what's going on tonight," Itachi responded.

Sasuke rubbed his nose. "I'm sure a celebration would not lead to what I saw tonight. Hana looked like she was going to kill someone."

Itachi couldn't help but chuckle. "She almost did try to kill me. But, Sasuke, what makes you think it's celebration? The igniting ceremony is certainly not a pleasant one. I suggest you go check on Harumi in a week or so she will need it." Itachi walked toward and past Sasuke patting him on the should.

Sasuke spun around, eyebrows furrowed with concern. "What happened to Harumi? Why in a week?"

Without facing him Itachi sighed. "She will be unconscious for quite a while. They torture them until near death. Our clan isn't the only one with darkness in it." Itachi slid the door shut behind him leaving a shocked and furious Sasuke in the hall.

A/N: Sorry this chapter so sad! I hope you enjoyed it despite it being a depressing chapter. Reviews are always appreciated :D Thank you for reading!