A/N: Edits 10/25/17.
- Chapter Fourteen -
It had been weeks since the botched mission at River, nearing the start of Spring.
I ducked behind a tree just as Shin's fire jutsu swept the area. It's gotten stronger, I mulled while heat licked at my skin. My shoulder throbbed in pain at the fire's proximity, the skin already tinged red from a series of mild burns from earlier.
My hair stuck uncomfortably to the back of my neck from sweat and my muscles ached, but they were singing from exertion rather than pain. I ignored it all in favor of continuing our spar.
I flickered under his extended arm before he finished his jutsu and struck it—once, twice—before he leapt away to put distance between us. I leaned forward and sped after him, staying hot on his heels. I briefly considered how our roles had reversed—once, months ago, I was the one running from him.
"Stop running," I huffed lightly while ducking under his leg.
He scoffed, but there was a tiny grin pulling at his lips—he also considered the irony. He was aware of how quickly I could end our fights now. All I needed was one or two openings.
As the trend with all of our past spars, we weren't pulling any punches. We always went until one of us wasn't able to continue, pushing each other to our limits, stopping just before we seriously hurt each other.
"Alright, alright," Yūgao cut in from the side once it became obvious we were reaching that point. "I think that's enough for you two today."
My fingers stopped inches from jabbing into the space between Shin's shoulder and neck. I paused in a precarious handstand, balancing myself with a hand on his other shoulder. He glanced up and shot me a wry look, brushing strands of my hair from his forehead. "Are you a ninja or a gymnast?"
"That would've immobilized your other arm." I tapped his shoulder, then tipped my legs forward and righted myself in front of him. "And sealed my win. Flexibility has its own merits."
"I suppose." His gaze hovered over the burns on my arm, then he extended his hand in Konoha's traditional seal of reconciliation. I met him halfway.
"You two really don't know the meaning of moderation, do you?" Yūgao muttered, coming to stand beside us with a hand on her hip. "While I admire your dedication to progress, maybe take it a little easier on each other?"
Shin raised an eyebrow. "This coming from the teacher who put us through the wringer last week?"
"She's only saying it because the medics at the hospital are spreading rumors about her," I whispered to him from behind one hand. "The amount of visits we have… they've been wondering about her training habits."
Yūgao pouted and the action made her look younger, reminding me that she wasn't all that much older than us. "Since when did the two of you start ganging up on me?"
Shin and I shared a quick look at her question, grinning to each other. I hid another snort behind my hand when both of us conveniently kept quiet.
He rolled his neck and after a beat, moved to post-spar stretches. I joined him, minding my injuries, while Yūgao came over and inspected my shoulder.
"Honestly, I'm starting to consider sending the two of you for medic training based on how many injuries you inflict on each other," she muttered, prodding lightly at my arm. "This isn't serious but I'd recommend getting it healed."
I noticed the design on her skin. "So you are in ANBU."
"Neither of you seem that surprised."
"We had our suspicions," Shin said, coming to stand by us. "You'd get this far-off look in your eye and let our mistakes slide more often before disappearing for days on end. Then you'd come back without an explanation, so... " He shrugged. "We kind of figured."
"Then allow me to tell you this time that I'm going to be away for the next two weeks," she finished with a light tap on my arm. "The eastern border has gotten a bit tense recently, what with recent events, and the Hokage's been sending out more sensor-nin to monitor activity in those sectors."
I couldn't remember Kirigakure ever being so aggressive towards Konoha in the original timeline. Skirmishes, sabotages, actively trying to undermine our alliances—it felt like something important was happening, but I wasn't able to put the pieces together.
The feeling of not knowing what to expect made my skin crawl. "Have things gotten that bad?"
"No, no," she reassured with a wave of her hand. "It's no worse than what we go through with Kumo. In any case, I'm sure my absence won't hinder your progress."
"We'll keep busy," Shin said, and sensing that training was over for the day, moved to leave the field. I went to join him but was stopped by Yūgao's hand coming to rest on my arm.
I stared up at her questioningly. "Is something wrong?"
She merely responded with a smile. "No, I just wanted to talk with you for a moment."
"Ah…" Well that was out of routine. I motioned to Shin that I would catch up with him later, seeing him hesitate at the edge of the field.
Yūgao watched him leave. "Do you remember when I said that I had been assigned to the two of you?"
"Yes, on our graduation."
"Do you know why?"
I shrugged half-heartedly. "Hokage's orders to watch two potentially troubling graduates?"
She scoffed and amusement twinkled in her eyes. "That was part of it, yes. But the skillset you two had matched mine. Mainly, I was ordered to cultivate your sensor abilities." She paused and admitted almost sheepishly, "It was also a test for me."
I blinked and turned to face her fully. "A test for you?"
"Being able to lead a team is a requirement for any promotion. I was recommended to lead an ANBU team—which I was really excited for—at least until someone decided it would be better to give me a genin team first…" she trailed off and I watched curiously as she crossed her arms and huffed. She was always composed around us, and while she did get playful with us every now and then, her personal life was never mentioned to us. This was the first time.
"But I don't regret getting the opportunity to teach the two of you," she continued with a smile after seeing me raise an eyebrow. "In any case, though, this isn't what I wanted to talk to you about. How are your sensory skills coming along? I know Shisui gave you a few pointers." She gave me a knowing look and I ducked my head sheepishly.
Shisui's confidence in my ability to practice sensor-nin training without harming myself had been incentive enough for me to actually try and attempt without supervision. The concept of what he suggested was surprisingly similar to what I used to do when I had been younger—messing around with directing chakra to my ears—but I was careful to direct extremely minimal amounts at a time.
"It's been going well," I admitted, absently kicking a pebble with my foot. I still couldn't find the point of the conversation and was eager to get home to shower. After a visit to the hospital, I amended.
Yūgao hummed. "If you need advice on how to minimize the risks of augmenting, feel free to come to me."
"I will." I fiddled with the edges of my jacket and waited for her to dismiss me. When she didn't after a lengthy pause, I glanced up to find her watching me with a frown. "...Sensei?"
"I've been thinking about the River mission lately," she said slowly. "I hadn't given much thought to the dead team we found, given everything else that was going on, but I've been thinking over what happened." She frowned. "How did you find them?"
I froze and my eyes snapped to hers. She watched me curiously, hand still resting on her hip, and waited for me to answer. I trusted her, but not enough to reveal what I could do. The fewer amount of people who knew, the better.
But I could be vague. "I sensed them."
"Sensed them...? I don't remember sensing anything when you took point and brought us to them."
"You know that I sense through hearing." At her nod, I continued, "The team we found, they were… they sounded like static to me. It was out of place in the forest, so I thought we should investigate."
"That's… interesting," Yūgao mulled, tilting her head and still watching me curiously. "Static from dead bodies? Maybe your ability stretches further than we originally expected."
We? Who was 'we'? The comment set off alarms in my head, but I kept quiet and let her draw her own conclusions. There was no way she could guess at what else I could do.
The conversation trailed back into safer territory after that and she dismissed me after several more minutes. I chewed nervously on my bottom lip on the way to the hospital, realizing that I needed to be more careful in the future. I hadn't even realized my mistake until now. It was so easy to slip up.
And I need to start keeping track of all these lies…
.
Like most high-ranking active ninja, Itachi had been kept immensely busy over the past weeks. I barely saw him or Shisui within the village and even though I was reassured that we were still friends, I missed being around him.
So when I found him standing in the middle of our team's training ground one morning, I didn't bother hiding my surprise. "Hi," I greeted, suppressing a yawn and brushing off the final traces of sleep. "It's been a while."
He seemed entirely put together despite it being barely six in the morning. I idly wondered if he had even slept. The dark circles under his eyes suggested that he hadn't, but if he was tired, he didn't show it. "Good morning," he said.
I motioned at his uniform. "Congratulations on the promotion, by the way. I wasn't able to tell you before, what with everything going on. You must be one of their youngest operatives. I didn't realize you were so eager to advance through the ranks, though."
He shot me an annoyed look as if I should have already known the reason behind his promotion. "Personal glory is not why I applied. I requested the chance to advance and was granted the opportunity."
Now that was definitely off. Itachi never asked for promotions. They were forced upon him despite his wishes, so for him to actively seek advancement was out of character.
"Then why?" I asked.
"I wanted to find the truth."
To my knowledge, Itachi's acceptance into ANBU marked the moment of his discovery of the coup and sparked his suspicions of Danzo. But given the acceleration and difference in events, I was hesitant to make such assumptions.
"And did you?"
"I found more than I hoped to," he said, staring down at the ground. His shoulders were slumped. "The moment I expressed interest in ANBU, I immediately received a recommendation from Danzo."
"People keep tabs on your progress." I noted the distinct lack of an honorific but didn't comment. "It's not that unusual for people with potential to receive recommendations."
He ignored my quip. "You warned me of him."
"You didn't believe me."
"And if I did now?"
I scrutinized him. He seemed different from when we last spoke—more focused, as if he now had a clear goal in mind and every action he made was calculated to that point.
It hit me that he now exuded the image of him that I had held in my mind. He looked serious about what he was saying, that he really did believe in my warning now, but more than that, he seemed sharper—as though the veil of innocence had been pulled back from his eyes and nothing but rationality was left in its place.
I wasn't sure how to feel about it, but it explained why he stood in front of me now, why he looked years older, and why he suddenly resembled the Itachi I knew of the future. I was familiar with how Shin looked when his walls went up, with how he acted and how he held himself. It was why the atmosphere around Itachi was so familiar now.
He was distancing himself.
"I'd guess that you stumbled upon something that made you reconsider," I concluded quietly, peering at him. "What happened?"
"As the one who provided my recommendation, Danzo oversaw my integration into ANBU. My first mission was…" He trailed off, then shook his head. "What he had me do is irrelevant now. But his tactics were questionable."
"You mean underhanded," I muttered, shifting my weight and absently looking over his uniform. There were a few scuffs on the vest, but beyond that, no marks whatsoever. "Based on your tone and hesitation, I'm assuming whatever he had you do left a poor taste in your mouth."
Itachi nodded solemnly, but was evidently unwilling to delve into any further details about the mission. It was clear that whatever Danzo had him do had also made him aware of what the man was capable of.
Out of part curiosity and part dread, I asked, "Did Danzo have something to do with the Kiri nin before?"
"Yes. I was still doubtful after my first mission for him, even the second, but this is the third time I've questioned his methods. The orders we received to deviate from our original mission came from him."
"Shisui said the new orders led you to find solid proof of Kiri's involvement and solidify Konoha's alliance with Suna."
"Perhaps so, but our original orders were to keep watch over that sector for suspicious activity. You should not have had to deal with the team you did, nor should the other genin team have died."
I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on. It was way too early to be dealing with this. My distaste towards Danzo grew and although I really shouldn't have continued my line of questioning, I did so anyway. "Was Danzo aware of the potential trade-off?"
"I suspect so." He looked as though he had more to say, and I prompted him to continue with an expectant look despite my rising bitterness. "He's also given me a mission that I do not personally agree with."
"Which is?"
"...I can't say."
I sighed at that, but a niggling feeling told me that Danzo's request likely had something to do with what was going on in Itachi's clan.
Despite the irritation I felt at being discarded like a pawn in a larger gambit, I also felt the inexplicable urge to apologize to Itachi. His accelerated promotion was obviously due to the conversation we had. He had already been young when all of this happened to him in the standard timeline, but due to my interference, he was now dealing with it at an even younger age.
Itachi was a lot of things—endlessly patient, incredibly gifted, insightful to a frightening degree—but he was also human and had limits just like everyone else. It took a lot to rattle him, but whatever Danzo had been ordering him to do the past few months was apparently just enough to push him to that point.
"I'm sorry," I offered with sincerity, trying to gauge if he was actually okay. "I'm sorry for whatever it is Danzo had you do and what you're going through. I can't promise any helpful advice but… I'm always around if you just need someone to listen."
He seemed to appreciate the gesture and his gaze softened. "You warned me of him and the past few months have revealed those facets of his nature to me." He then shook his head as though to clear the thoughts. "Regardless, the reason I've sought you out—we spoke at length last time. What else do you know?"
"That's a rather vague question, don't you think?" I said dryly, but accepted his topic change with ease. "I know a lot… about baking, about anatomy, the layout of the stars—"
That earned me an exasperated look. "Miho."
"Sorry," I apologized with a smile. "But please be more specific."
Itachi sighed tiredly at that, though the tension in his shoulders seemed to ease away at my quip. The mood around us lightened and I made a mental note that dry humor seemed to be a way of calming him down.
"I'm guessing you want to talk about Nobu again?" I ventured, dropping the sarcasm.
"Along those lines. Though perhaps elsewhere?"
"Mm. We could go to my house again. My mom should be opening the store by now." And it wasn't like I had anything special planned for the day anyway. Shin was busy with something else. I stretched until my back popped and took a deep breath. My nose itched and despite my best efforts to suppress it, I sneezed.
Once.
Twice.
By the third sneeze my eyes were watering and I was about ready to cut my nose off. It was a tragedy that I had been cursed with allergies in this life as well.
Amusement flashed in Itachi's eyes at the indignant look on my face. "Are you alright?"
"Peachy," I muttered, rubbing my nose and sniffling. I groaned when I saw his lips twitch into a smile. "Just because you don't have seasonal allergies doesn't mean you get to laugh at those that do, you know."
His face smoothed out but I could tell he was still amused. "My apologies. Would you prefer we stop by a pharmacy to pick up some medicine first?"
"I swear all of you Uchiha are secretly comedians." I shook my head. "Let's go before I sneeze on you next."
He was gone so fast that I couldn't help but laugh.
.
.
.
"What do you mean, the case has been dropped?"
Itachi and I shared a look when a tense atmosphere descended on us as we walked into the bakery.
"No one was able to find anything and it's been nearly a year. The clan has been stretched thin lately," Mikoto explained. She sounded regretful and the strain in her voice suggested she was stressed. "There are other cases which have taken priority—"
My mom placed a box on the counter with more force than necessary. It echoed in the room. "But to find nothing? I thought the Police Corps to be more capable."
"They are. You know they are," Mikoto said sternly, defensiveness leaking into her tone. "But there haven't been any similar instances and it happened during the Chuunin Exams…"
"So you're telling me they're writing it off that a foreign nin was responsible and leaving it at that."
"No, there was simply no conclusive evidence."
My mom sighed, clearly agitated, but tempered her frustration when she saw us.
"Nanami-san. Mother," Itachi greeted her with a curious look. "I didn't expect you here."
"I could say the same," Mikoto said with a strained smile, turning to face us. She also looked different from when I last saw her. The age lines marring face seemed more pronounced. "I thought you were busy training today."
If I didn't know better, I would have said Itachi fidgeted at her question. "Ah…"
"I told Itachi I was having trouble with a project," I said after sensing his hesitation. "I've been struggling with a piece of it and he offered to help."
It wasn't exactly a lie. I was struggling in trying to bring down Danzo.
"I'm sure you'll both solve it in no time, then," Mikoto praised fondly, coming to rest a hand on his head. "I do need to get going, though. Fugaku needed me for something. Haruka," she looked at my mother with regret, "I'm sorry to bring you the bad news. And Itachi, don't be late tonight."
His shoulders dropped slightly. "I won't."
Mikoto ruffled his hair gently, and with one more apologetic look directed at my mother, was out the door.
I watched her back thoughtfully. My case was dropped? That was both good and bad news: good because it meant the entire thing with Nobu had blown over; bad because if Mikoto's countenance was anything to go by, it suggested the Uchiha clan was starting to move.
My attention slid to my mom. She seemed more disheveled and distracted than usual. She absently ran a hand through her hair and down her face, then realized she still had some flour on her hands, and sighed in annoyance as she cleaned it off.
She was never so preoccupied.
"Is everything okay?" I asked quietly, watching her move about the store.
"Yes. It will be." She swept a hand across the counter and cleaned up the area with effort than necessary, almost as if she was forcing a distraction on herself. I watched her movements for a second longer, then led Itachi into our home.
.
.
.
Despite the tension downstairs, I couldn't help but hide a small smile to myself as I prepared two cups of tea. It was nice to have my friend back.
Itachi caught my good mood and raised an eyebrow in question, but I merely shook my head.
"It feels like it's been forever since we've actually spoken," I said, setting the steaming cups of tea down on the table and easing into one of the chairs. "How've you been? How's Sasuke?"
"Enjoying the academy. He's been getting top marks, although he's a bit impatient to graduate."
"I'm sure he's keeping the teachers on their toes."
Itachi hummed in agreement, the shadow of a smile on his face. It lingered for a moment before his expression smoothed out and he looked at me seriously over the rim of his cup. "Last we spoke, you told me you had the ability to see and speak to ghosts. Are you still capable of doing so?"
"Yeah, I can still see them. I've been reluctant to really experiment with my ability, though."
Disappointment flashed across his face. "So you haven't spoken to any since then."
I gingerly took a sip and my tongue tingled. It was still hot, so I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he also took a sip without even flinching. "Each ghost I've come across thus far has turned hostile the moment they realize I can see them."
He blinked. "They attack you?"
"Well... no. Not exactly." I didn't mention the ghost that tried to drown me by the river. That particular encounter seemed different to me and the ghost there didn't strike me as fully human, for whatever reason.
"But no one else sees them," I continued after a brief pause. "Or hears them. Everyone else goes by without realizing that they even exist, right? So when they see the opportunity to communicate with the living through me, I'm guessing they turn desperate. And impatient." Given that he already knew about my ability and had kept it a secret, I felt no need to censor myself and spoke freely about my theories.
"So they try to speak to you without considering what the process actually entails."
"Right," I confirmed with a nod. "Their impatience is why I've been reluctant to test it out. The only time I understood a ghost was during my encounter with Nobu and you already know how that went."
"You haven't spoken to him since?"
I shook my head and rested my chin in my palm. "I got rid of him the night he attacked me."
He sighed and stared at the wisps of steam rising from his tea.
"Why are you asking me about this now?" I absently swirled the spoon in my cup, watching him out of the corner of my eye. I could guess at the answer to my question—he had discovered his clan's plans for a coup and was looking for a way to avoid it. I had planted the seed of suspicion towards Danzo's role as an instigator and Itachi was acting on it.
He scrutinized me, his brows furrowing as a debate went through his head. I could practically see his mind churning back and forth through some internal cost-benefit analysis.
I hoped that he trusted me as much as I did him. I wanted him to tell me. If the two of us could work together, then perhaps we'd be able to get something done. Itachi actually had standing within his clan—he could influence matters from the inside.
"I confided in you and trusted you with my secret," I said. "Please trust that I can keep your secret, too."
"This one holds a bit more weight than yours." He sounded reproachful, as if I wasn't aware of the seriousness of the situation. "The consequences of it getting out are more severe."
"A secret is a secret," I said, shrugging. "Big or small. You have my word that I'll keep it, no matter what it is. I don't have a lot of friends, but those that I do have mean a lot to me. I'm not going to betray you."
His eyes widened slightly at my words and I wondered why they seemed to have such an effect on him. He searched my face—for what, I wasn't sure—but seemed to have found an answer to whatever question persisted in his mind.
I waited patiently for him to come to a decision and held my breath in anticipation. Whether he told me or not would be a milestone in our friendship, would determine if he held the same amount of trust in me that I did in him.
He held my gaze then slowly said, "My clan is considering a coup against the village."
Warmth filled me, blossoming in my chest. It wasn't the words themselves that made me happy—there was nothing to be happy about in that sentence—but it was the fact that he had willingly spoken them aloud to me.
He trusted me.
I exhaled and relaxed my grip on my cup. The ceramic felt warm against my fingers. "That's… Not at all surprising, honestly."
Shock and suspicion flashed through his eyes at my lack of a reaction.
"Don't look so suspicious," I murmured with a sad smile, staring down into my tea. "You once said I was more capable than I looked. Between Nobu's warning, an Uchiha teammate who complains on how your clan is being treated and the impression I got from when I last visited the Uchiha district… It's not difficult to guess where all of this is going."
"Have you spoken to anyone else about this?"
I shot him a wry look at his defensiveness. "Who would I tell? The Hokage? You know my stance on approaching him."
He inspected my face a moment longer and after finding no signs of deceit, relaxed. "It's not the right course of action even if it's justified," he said quietly with a frown. "The consequences would be too severe. For both sides."
"I'm in agreement with you there… which is why I'd like to help you avoid such an outcome."
"Why?"
"You're my friend," I said simply, raising an eyebrow as if to say why are you even asking? "So are Shin and Shisui. If things go south…" I didn't have to elaborate on what could happen.
He sighed and I saw him grip his cup a little tighter. "Thank you. I've tried to dissuade my father from his current course as well as various members of the clan but it's been difficult. They're resolute."
"Have you told your father about Danzo's theft of Nobu's Sharingan?"
"No. Given the aggressive and resentful atmosphere looming over the clan, I fear that information would serve more as incitement than anything else."
I blinked in surprise. I hadn't thought of the knowledge possibly inciting the Uchiha. I thought the only outcome of them knowing that particular piece of evidence would be the redirection of their ire towards Danzo, but given the severe laws around bloodline theft and the current atmosphere… it could push the clan over the edge.
I was suddenly very thankful that he had the foresight to spot the potential danger. I hadn't even considered such an outcome. "What about the Hokage? I know you wanted to approach him before. Have you told him the truth of Nobu's death?"
He was much more hesitant to answer this time and his hesitation spoke volumes of how much consideration he must have given to our previous conversation. "No," he finally said, cautiously, as if the word suddenly felt foreign on his tongue. "I wanted to, at first. I nearly did. But if he was aware of Danzo's crimes and did nothing and the rest of the Uchiha happened to find out, then—"
"—Then the clan would feel even more betrayed," I picked up on his line of thought, voice going quiet with dread. "Because betrayal from Danzo is one thing but betrayal from the Hokage—"
"—Would be seen as another betrayal from the village as a whole."
We stared at each other and suddenly my previous plan of redirecting the Uchiha's ire towards Danzo seemed pathetic and flimsy. Instead of handing them a reason to cease their rebellion, I could have easily handed them even more of a reason to do so.
Danzo was on the council and the council was responsible for major policy decisions around the village. They could also be seen as guilty, if only by association.
I ran a hand down my face and tried not to let frustration cloud my ability to think. It felt like I was back to square one even though I hadn't actually done anything. What use would speaking to Danzo's victims be if revealing his actions would only incite the Uchiha anyway?
But we weren't at a dead-end yet.
"There's been this one ghost that I've yet to approach," I admitted after a prolonged silence. "I could try speaking with them. Maybe they'll be able to offer some insight."
Itachi studied me. "You said before that your ability was harmful to you."
"It is, but they've yet to attack me and I'm almost certain that they know I can see them. Perhaps they'll be different."
"And if they're not?"
I shrugged then gave him another strained smile. "Then I'll probably end up in the hospital again. But the risk is worth it."
I didn't want the Uchiha massacre to happen and I didn't want Shin or Shisui to die. I didn't want Itachi to hold the terrible burden of murdering his own clan for the sake of the village, to ruin his life for the sake of the village. He deserved better.
And if I had to risk myself in order to accomplish that, then… well, I would. They were my friends and my desire to save them won over my habit of defaulting to self-preservation.
.
.
.
An hour later found Itachi and me standing in front of Kikyō Temple. It was huge and traditional, made of polished red oak wood and neatly slanted rooftops, situated right beside Kikyō Castle. The colorful, blossoming trees on either side of it made it look perfect for a painting.
All of my instincts were telling me to turn around and head back home despite the welcoming scenery.
"Are you alright?" Itachi asked beside me, picking up on my unease.
"Yeah, yeah." My hands jittered by my sides until I settled for shoving them in my pockets. "I know I said I'd do this, but now that we're standing here?" I blew out a breath and brushed my bangs aside. "I'm nervous."
"You don't have to do this."
I smiled thinly. "Thanks… but let's go before I lose my nerve."
Itachi followed me in silence as I navigated through the building, cutting across hallways and following the sound of rising static. Even though he would be unable to see or speak with the ghost, his presence was comforting and I was thankful he had offered to accompany me.
The place was empty, but the eerie stillness of the building had nothing to do with the time of day or lack of occupants.
I came to a stop in front of a smaller entryway, far from the entrance, and hesitated when I saw the ghost from before sitting serenely by a windowsill. She was dressed in lavish, sweeping gold silks, looking more like a princess than a priestess.
I nearly turned tail and ran when her attention settled on us, but managed to keep my feet planted. Itachi hovered at my back, evidently aware that I had found the ghost, but remained quiet.
The ghost tilted her head and I noticed small bell ornaments in her red hair, styled in swooping, elegant swirls. They swayed with her movement, chiming softly among the static and after a long, terse silence, she nodded her head in greeting.
"I apologize for the rudeness, but please don't speak yet," I said quickly when I saw her open her mouth. "I'm not fully sure of how to communicate with you without harming you or myself in the process." My voice was steady despite my heart threatening to burst out of my chest.
Her gaze slid to Itachi behind me.
"He can't see you," I added softly at her unspoken question. "Only me."
She stared at him for a moment longer then gestured to the spot beside her as if inviting me to sit. With some effort, I managed to ignore the temptation of flaring my chakra to get rid of her. I introduced myself and Itachi, who he hesitated before bowing. I figured he must have felt slightly silly at bowing towards thin air.
"We were hoping to speak with you about certain things happening within the village," I said. "And see if you had any advice to give us... but I need to figure out how to do so first."
She seemed pleasant enough, evidently patient and willing to wait for me to make the first move, but the sheer wrongness which came from her presence was putting me on edge. I hated how her proximity made my skin crawl and how the space around her seemed to warp unnaturally.
But I came here with a goal and Itachi was standing still as a statue beside me, waiting for something to happen, so I got to work. "Could you please say one word?"
"Ḣ̸̗ĕ̶̹l̸̛̞l̶̨̎o̸̖̓.̵̨̇"
I winced at the distortion. I knew that my interaction with Nobu had been two-fold, but I wasn't sure which was required for me to understand the words that ghosts spoke.
"Any words from you right now sound distorted to me. Do you know the two energies which make up chakra? Spiritual and physical energy?"
She gave me a dry look as if I had just asked a ridiculously silly question, and for some reason I felt the urge to duck my head in embarrassment. I wasn't sure if she had been a civilian or a shinobi during her life, but thankfully, she nodded in accordance.
That made things a lot easier.
"The last ghost I was able to understand shared some of his spiritual energy with me," I explained. "But at the same time, he also drained my physical energy to the point where I nearly died. Is it possible for you to share your energy without leeching mine?"
She considered me before holding out her hand, palm open, and keeping it in front of her. I raised my eyebrows in surprise when I realized she was giving me the choice to trust her. I hesitated for the briefest of moments, then steadily met her gaze and gingerly put my hand in hers.
Foreign energy pooled in my hand and crept up my arm, but rather than hurting, it reminded me of a limb falling asleep. Wisps of memories lingered at the edges of my mind and swirled across my vision like a mirage. They were not invasive or penetrating as Nobu's had been, and I didn't get the same feeling of death reaching for me that I did with him.
I saw flashes of Konoha and felt a sense of hope. The images flitting through my mind were much more fitting of the name 'Village Hidden in the Leaves,' where buildings were sparse and forest enveloped it from all sides.
I caught a whiff of mint and the lightest sensation of hair brushing against my cheek. There was a warmth at my back and a sense of comforting laziness spreading through my bones. A man's face floated in my vision, leaning towards me, but before I make out who it was, the ghost leaned back and her hand slipped out of mine.
"C̸̪͊a̷̝̿n̴͉̐ ̴̗̇y̷̪̏o̷̜̽u̶͙͌ ̵̣͆ù̸̬n̷̦̓ḑ̵̑ḙ̶͑r̸̛͔s̷̺̐t̷̹̓a̴̬͝n̴̗͆d̴̦̕ ̸̩͂m̶̉͜ê̶ͅ ̸͕̀n̵͔̽õ̶̺w̵̘͗?̵̥̽"
My stomach dropped when I was still unable to make out the full sentence. I could guess at the general gist of what she had just said, though, so I shook my head mutely and held my cold hand to my chest.
Sharing spiritual energy only gave me her memories. It apparently wasn't the bridge necessary for active, two-sided communication, which meant that the other option was what I needed in order to understand her: I had to be dying. Or in the process of dying.
My face scrunched up. What kind of ability is this? I wondered with irritation, even when the requirement arguably made a certain amount of sense. It seemed morbidly fitting that I had to be close to death in order to understand the dead.
The benefits which came from being able to speak to ghosts was undeniable—the secrets they potentially held could be invaluable. It's just the trade-off to acquire those secrets seemed to be far too steep and far too risky.
And yet…
Any ability worth using always comes with a cost, Shisui had told me, and although he had been referring to the abilities of an augmented sensor-nin, I couldn't help but feel that the words applied to this too.
From the glimpses of her memories, I concluded that this ghost had been present at Konoha's founding. Given how long ago that was, I also concluded that she was both an old soul and likely very aware of what was going on in the village.
I inhaled shakily and glanced at Itachi over my shoulder. His Sharingan was active, spinning lazily, and fixed on my hand. His eyes were wide as if he couldn't understand what he was seeing.
"Itachi." His attention snapped to me and he frowned at the determined look on my face. "If you see my chakra flow get sluggish, can you get me away from here?"
"Yes, but why?"
"Because I think I finally figured out my ability and it's kind of dangerous."
He looked as though he wanted to warn me against doing whatever it was that I was about to do, eyes flickering between my hand and my face, but seemed to trust in my judgment and nodded slowly.
I turned back to the ghost. She watched our interaction with the same guarded look, but there was a hint of curiosity in her gaze. The way she held herself had me thinking that she was potentially royalty, so I remained aware of my manners.
"Thank you for being so patient. But it appears that my ability only seems to work when you leech energy off of me, so…"
Itachi stepped forward and rested his on my shoulder, stopping me from what I was about to do. He stared at the spot by the windowsill where the ghost sat and although I knew for a fact that he couldn't see her, it felt like he could by the way his gaze remained fixed on where she was. "If this is truly as dangerous to you as you say, be certain that it is worth it before you try."
I opened my mouth to reassure him but he continued before I could get a word out. "Are you aware of what is currently going on between the Uchiha clan and the village?" he asked, directing the question at the ghost.
She seemed amused at his boldness.
"She says yes," I relayed with a raised eyebrow, seeing her nod. It was definitely smart to determine that she would actually help us before I used my ability.
"Do you have any information that could defuse the situation?"
Another nod and she seemed more alert this time, as though she was suddenly more interested in communicating with us. "Yes again."
Itachi's gaze sharpened and his grip tightened on my shoulder. "Is your information something that we will be capable of acting on?"
"Yes," I repeated excitedly when she nodded a third time. I extended my hand and this time Itachi let me, but the ghost shook her head and retracted hers. The bell ornaments in her hair chimed at the movement and her silks rustled as she stood.
I watched her movement curiously, eyes trailing after her as she walked to the door. It became obvious what she wanted us to do when she stopped at the entryway and directed a pointed look over her shoulder.
"I think she wants us to follow her," I said to Itachi. "Let's see what she has to show us?"
.
.
.
We stood at the edges of a civilian neighborhood, on top of a tall building which overlooked the Uchiha compound from afar. I waited patiently for something to happen, my gaze sweeping across the village laid out in front of us. She had led us here for a reason. So we waited.
And waited.
And… nothing happened. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
"What are we supposed to be seeing?" Itachi asked dubiously.
The ghost delicately tapped her wrist as if to signify time, then gathered her silks and sat down.
"I think we need to wait?" I informed him, watching the ghost for confirmation. She offered a reassuring smile and at that, I plopped down some distance to her left, facing the direction of the Uchiha compound.
Itachi joined me after a beat. "How long do we have to wait for?"
The ghost shrugged at the question, so I sighed and made myself comfortable. "She doesn't know. Hopefully not too long?"
He hummed and we sat on the roof for a better part of twenty minutes. I couldn't even begin to guess at what the ghost wanted us to see, but I was willing to wait as long as it took for the evidence to reveal itself. I closed my eyes and rolled my neck.
"Boo," A voice whispered inches from my ear, just as I had started to settle down.
My heart shot up to my throat and I jumped in surprise, whirling around from sheer reflex with a fist aimed at whoever was behind me. A hand neatly but firmly caught my wrist, and I found myself staring into Shisui's cheeky grin.
He was inches from my face.
"Wow," he drawled with a raised eyebrow. "First time I've been able to get a chakra flare out of you. What's got you so jumpy?"
Oh for the love of—
"Shisui," Itachi greeted serenely from the side as if nothing had just happened. "I thought you were away until the end of the week."
"Should've been." Shisui's breath fanned against the back of my hand. "Would you believe the mission went smoother than anyone expected?"
"Surprising. I thought there would be more resistance in that particular sector given recent reports."
"Yeah, well." Shisui gave a one shoulder shrug and released my wrist, then straightened from his crouch to give me some space. "Turns out my name alone is becoming enough to avoid conflict. No one wanted to cross the border we set up." He spoke as if talking about the weather; I couldn't detect any smugness in his voice whatsoever. Did he not take pride in making a name for himself?
"They'll probably send you out again soon," I muttered and rubbed my wrist. "But I'm glad you got home safely."
"It's good to be back," he said and flicked my forehead, then chuckled as I swatted at his hand. "Looks like you still need awareness training, though." He seemed both amused and disappointed at the prospect.
"You just teleported behind me with speed rivaling the Fourth Hokage."
"And?"
"And you expect me to react in time?"
"Itachi saw me coming," he pointed out lightly. "Right, Itachi?"
Itachi made a noncommittal noise, neither denying the statement nor confirming it. He seemed content to let us banter on our own, his gaze still fixed on the Uchiha district in the distance. I wondered if he did it just to avoid getting dragged into the pointless squabbles Shisui and I usually had.
Shisui smiled cheekily at his best friend's lack of response, apparently coming to some conclusion that I wasn't able to understand. "In any case," he said cheerily, "That makes it 9-5. Better catch up if you don't want me to win."
The tally was from our little game: how many times he had gotten the jump on me versus the amount of times I was able to sense him coming. The score was exactly what you'd expect it to be, but I was doing an admirable job of keeping up.
I caught the ghost looking at the three of us with a strange mixture of fondness, sadness, and amusement. She was far away enough that my chakra flare hadn't hurt her, but I was suddenly very aware of the fact that she was still here. And so was Shisui. And he didn't know about my ability yet.
But as long as she didn't try speaking, then there would be no trouble. She hadn't spoken since I revealed the danger it posed, and it only further reinforced her peaceful nature. She wasn't like the other ghosts at all.
Shisui sat down on my right, stretching his legs out and also making himself comfortable. "This seems like a weird place to hang out. What are you two doing?"
"Enjoying the view, clearly," I deadpanned, the words rolling off my tongue with ease.
Itachi snorted softly.
Shisui gave me a flat look, but after Itachi and I refused to elaborate, he shrugged and dropped the subject as if he wasn't particularly worried about it. He palmed at his eye in a way that had me thinking he was also victim to seasonal allergies, but then I caught him hiss in a breath and saw his hand flinch away from his face.
"Are you okay?"
"Just overused my eyes a bit this time around." He waved off my concern with ease, but there was a hint of irritation in his voice as though he found the limit annoying. "I'll be fine."
I frowned. I knew extended use of the Sharingan had negative side effects. "Do you keep your Sharingan on all the time?"
"Just when I'm outside of the village. I'll be fine," he repeated, sounding slightly miffed that I didn't drop the subject. "It's just a minor headache."
But from the way his shoulders were hunched and the way the bottom of his eye continued to twitch, I guessed that it was bothering him more than he let on. It was definitely more than 'a minor headache.'
"You should get it checked just in case," I said. "Maybe see a medic-nin."
He raised an eyebrow at my pushiness.
"I'm just suggesting that you be cautious," I repeated defensively. "Better safe than sorry. It'd be a shame if you went blind or something."
Something gleamed across his face at my offhanded remark and he seemed to assess me for a second, but then he tapped at the corner of his eye and his Sharingan flickered on. "I'm pretty sure my eyesight is still better than yours."
I swatted at him. "Your headache is going to get worse. Turn that off."
"But I heard you think it's pretty."
Oh, I'm going to kill Shin.
I whirled on him with a glower, but anything I was about to say was cut off when I found him sitting closer to me than expected.
Apparently the Sharingan didn't turn the iris into a single, solid color. There were dashes of a darker red flaring around his pupils, just barely touching the tomoe surrounding them. My earlier and embarrassing statement was still valid: the Sharingan was pretty, and it was no wonder that the eyes were considered hypnotic. The pinwheels only added to the effect.
(Unlike the Byakugan, which I simply found to be unnerving and not attractive in the slightest.)
Then I realized that I had been slowly leaning in towards him, falling victim to the very same hypnotic quality that I was just considering—staring into his eyes like a scene straight out of a cheesy romance novel—and sat backwards so quickly that it was a wonder I didn't fall over.
His lips twitched and a mischievous gleam sparked in his eyes as his Sharingan flickered off. I shot him a flat look, just daring him to comment. He wisely kept silent, save for the short, amused snort that escaped his mouth.
"T̸͚͉̎̌́̆͜ͅh̴͉̫̮̣̓͂̕͘e̶̢̟̰͎͒͋̌͛r̶̨̯͕̠̐͊̽͠e̷͈̙̰̲̊͐̕͠."
Itachi stiffened at the same time the ghost spoke. She pointed urgently in the direction of the Uchiha compound and I whirled around, squinting to make out what she was trying to show us. It was too far away for me to really see anything, but when I listened carefully I was able to hear the faint sounds of… chains clanking together? What a weird chakra signature, I thought. It wasn't necessarily an unpleasant sound, but it was unsettling all the same.
Itachi was able to discern whatever it was with his Sharingan, and I heard his breath catch at what he was seeing.
"Itachi?"
He cut off my question by swinging his arm across my shoulders and nearly knocking me over. Suddenly we were in an alleyway, a good distance from where we had just been. I blinked when I realized he had just used the Body Flicker technique on the both of us.
When I turned to face him to ask why he had done that, I found his hands shaking and his eyes wide. I was instantly wary, never having seen him so rattled before.
Shisui silently appeared next to us a heartbeat later, all but materializing out of thin air and solidifying his moniker of Shunshin no Shisui, looking every bit the stern ANBU agent with his uniform. We both eyed Itachi cautiously.
"What did you see?" I asked slowly, stepping back and giving him some space.
Shisui watched him with a worried frown. "You've seen that man in the mask before, haven't you?"
Itachi nodded and swallowed thickly. "He's the one who killed Tenma," he answered softly, his voice regaining its usual steadiness. "Two years ago."
"Tenma?" Shisui repeated in confusion, then blinked as understanding dawned on him. "The one from your genin team?"
"Yes. Miho, you need to ask why she wanted us to see that. Why is he here? How is he here?" But when he turned to face me in the midst of asking his questions, he found me rooted to the spot with blatant shock written all over my face.
I'm an idiot was the first thought that crossed my mind. I know exactly who that is was the second, and I can't believe I forgot about him was the third.
I was so unbelievably focused on the threat right in front of me, so wrapped up in bringing down Danzo, on stopping him from instigating the Uchiha into a coup that I completely forgot about the real threat in the background.
The man in the mask? I would've bet my left leg that it was Obito.
Obito was the original instigator in this mess and his existence had completely slipped my mind.
But the ghost somehow knew. The fact that she brought us to a spot where we could specifically see him appear in the Uchiha compound solidified my assumptions that she was both an old soul, very much aware of what was going on, and also aware of his involvement.
And clearly trying to pass the message along.
"Ask who?" Shisui asked slowly, lost in the interaction between the two of us.
Itachi's voice was sharp when he picked up on my unease. "Have you seen him before?"
"No, but..." I stuttered under the intensity of his gaze and Shisui's expectant look.
I felt like I was thrown unceremoniously under a spotlight, with both of them seemingly impatient for answers. The female ghost slid into the alleyway with us and stood off to the side, waiting patiently for me to approach her, but racking up my anxiety all the same. I kept glancing nervously between Shisui, who grew increasingly confused at the situation, and her, who extended her hand with a purposeful look.
But Shisui...
Itachi finally caught on to the cause of my hesitation and his expression thawed. "You can trust him."
"Trust me with what?" Shisui scowled, apparently growing irritated at being left in the dark. "What are you two on about?"
Itachi trusted Shisui and I believed in his judgment. I was also fairly confident that Shisui wouldn't use knowledge of my ability against me, so I revealed it to him with little fanfare. "I can see ghosts."
He blinked slowly, evidently taking a moment to process my words. "You can do what?"
"Exactly what I just said." I easily slid past him and stood in front of the ghost. I figured that I already knew what she wanted to tell us, but I was still going to hear her out.
Pinpricks shot up my arm and a familiar woolen haze settled over my brain. The feeling was much more sluggish, not nearly as threatening as I remembered, but the familiar cold hands of death accompanied her now.
"Ḭ̷̛̮̞̦̎́͝ w̴̦̖̥̝̍̃̐͘ill be brief," she said and thankfully, I immediately understood the words past the distortion. "The man in that mask is Uchiha Obito. His name is not yet relevant, but reveal his existence to Konoha's Council and the Uchiha clan's leadership. Tell them there is a third party in their conflict. There is more happening here than they realize."
"What the hell?" Shisui whispered in horror behind me. His reaction was similar to Itachi's, though he was much more vocal with his unease. "What's wrong with her arm?"
There was a sound of sandals scuffing behind me. "Don't touch her, Shisui."
"But look at... is that chakra?"
"Don't touch her."
"She's—"
I focused my attention back on the ghost in front of me, ignoring the two arguing behind me. I could feel my eyes starting to glaze over and blinked rapidly. "Wouldn't that spur the conflict? He's still an Uc—"
"Do not reveal his affiliation to the clan," she cut me off sharply and I flinched. "I fear it will only exacerbate the Council's fear of the Sharingan. The only way to avoid civil war is by giving both sides a common enemy to unite over. You will need to reveal his identity, yes, but not yet. The situation isn't right."
"I can't just go up and say everything, though."
She shook her head. "You can. Hiruzen is naturally suspicious, but unlike Danzo, he will not harm you." She spoke their names freely as though she was familiar with them. "And there is plenty of evidence to be found. Tell him to inspect Konoha's barriers, then afterwards have him check the death records of—"
Anything she said was cut off by someone forcefully yanking me backwards. I yelped in surprise, stumbled and nearly fell over, but arms caught me and the last thing I saw before blacking out were three spinning tomoe.
.
.
.
A hand tapped at my cheek and a shot of warmth spread through my arm. Even in my half-conscious state, I recognized it as someone funneling their chakra into me. My fingers twitched.
"She's coming to."
There was a sigh. "I think the genjutsu was unnecessary…"
"You saw what was going on with her arm. And she didn't respond to us at all."
My eyes cracked open and once my vision cleared, I found Shisui and Itachi both hovering over me. I gasped and instantly tried to sit up, only to have Shisui force me back down with both hands on my shoulders. "Whoa, easy. Don't get up so quickly."
I shut my eyes tightly at the sudden feeling of vertigo and clutched at his arm.
"Just breathe for a few moments. Give your body a minute to..." he trailed off as if unsure what advice to give. "Well, reorient itself, I guess. You should be fine. I think."
I did as he asked and simply rested on my back, conscious of my breathing and heartbeat. Pebbles dug into my back and there was the sound of rushing water nearby. I turned my head and saw a cliff and waterfall a couple of dozen feet from us. Some part of my brain must have recognized it because I felt an inexplicable tug of anxiety pull at my gut.
I shut my eyes tightly and focused on breathing.
Once the initial panic subsided, I realized that I didn't feel half as bad as I had after the encounter with Nobu. That had me hoping that my ability would have some semblance of use to me in the future rather than being a constant looming threat. "Thanks, Itachi," I mumbled and looked up at him from my spot on the ground. He must have pulled me away in time.
He blinked as if he didn't expect the gratitude. "Actually, it was Shisui who pulled you back. I was going to give you more time."
Shisui? My gaze slid to him.
He gave me an indiscernible stare and I fought off the urge to shrink. "What exactly," he started, deceptively calm, "were you trying to accomplish in the alley?"
"I was trying to speak with a ghost?" I winced at the uncertainty in my tone, then cleared my throat and tried again. "A ghost wanted us to see that man. We asked if she had any information on preventing the coup and she led us to him."
Shisui inhaled sharply and I saw him shoot a pointed look at Itachi. I knew what the unspoken question was.
"I trust her," Itachi said as if his answer was truly that simple. He didn't elaborate and didn't have to, because those three words alone spoke volumes. I felt a bit of warmth blossom in my chest.
Shisui must have realized the significance as well, because his gaze immediately settled on me. I didn't like the sudden, calculating look on his face—it was so unlike his friendly, teasing persona. "If you're certain," he said slowly. "But talking to a ghost? That's a bit..."
I'm not your enemy, I wanted to say at the sudden distrust etched on his face. But words alone wouldn't convince him of that—like Itachi, it was a conclusion he would have to come to himself.
I sighed and sat up. Shisui let me this time, giving me space, but continued to assess me with far too intelligent eyes. The three of us were still seated on the ground a fair distance from the cliff, facing each other.
"I have a bloodline limit. Or... something like it," I said vaguely. "Anyway, the ghost had quite a bit of information. She said that man has been trying to fan the conflict by popping in and disappearing within the Uchiha district. She said to tell the Hokage to check Konoha's barriers for evidence. He's…" I hesitated. "That man is also responsible for the Kyuubi attack years ago."
She hadn't said that, but they would never know and that bit of information was important. Obito wasn't just anyone. He was largely responsible for what was happening.
After the initial, expected reaction of shock, I saw interest spark in Itachi's eyes as he leaned forward attentively. "She's correct. The unauthorized entries would be recorded in the barrier seals. If this is true and he is an instigator, it could ease some of the suspicion on our clan. As for that second claim, if that's true then—"
Shisui shook his head and stopped Itachi. "Miho's interesting ability aside,"—I shot him a flat look at his tone—"Itachi, we're out of time to do any sort of investigation on either claims. The clan is meeting tonight and I need to report to the Hokage beforehand."
"We've been looking for an opportunity," Itachi reminded him mildly. "Even if proven untrue, this at the very least may buy us more time."
"Or it may be a waste of time."
I watched the exchange between them quietly. They continued back and forth for several more moments, arguing their options until Itachi sighed, clearly frustrated.
Shisui stood up and dusted his pants off, giving Itachi a tired look. "I know I must sound stubborn to you right now, but it's only because I think sticking to our original plan would be safer. The claims could all be true, but they could also not be true and we simply don't have the time to find out."
I latched on to the opportunity immediately. "What's the original plan?"
"Shisui plans to use his Sharingan to avert the coup," Itachi answered when Shisui kept silent.
An annoyed look passed over Shisui's face, then clear exasperation. "Tell her all my secrets, why don't you?" he mumbled without any heat, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Without going into detail," —he directed a pointed look at Itachi— "I plan on persuading Fugaku-sama into thinking about peace if he indeed calls for a coup tonight."
"Do you plan on persuading the rest of the clan into thinking about peace, too?"
Shisui's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at my sudden question. "If necessary."
"And the village? Will you persuade them as well?"
"This conflict has gone on as long as it has because both sides refuse to take the first step toward change. If the Uchiha clan changes, then so will the village. I'm sure of it. So, yes—I'll persuade them as well. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get there."
A silence descended on us while I observed him. He really didn't believe any other options were open to him.
His Mangekyo Sharingan wouldn't fail—or so he believed. He didn't know I was aware of the Kotoamatsukami and it was unbelievably annoying being forced to talk around it, but revealing information that I logically had no way of knowing about would undoubtedly shatter Itachi's budding trust in me. That was the last thing I wanted.
I hazarded a glance and found him watching our exchange silently. He looked as tired as Shisui sounded. This entire situation has taken much more out of them than I originally thought, I realized with a frown. I had only recently started to really worry about the coup, but the two of them had been stressing over it for months—perhaps even years in Shisui's case.
I knew without a doubt that proposing the Kotoamatsukami would only get him killed, but I couldn't outright say that without arousing suspicion.
So I didn't.
But just as I had with Shin, I was once again relying on lies to get my way. They were lies of omission this time around, but they were lies all the same. I knew better, but...
I shook my head and pushed the thoughts out of my mind in the same way that I dealt with all my problems: by obsessively justifying what I was doing. I was trying to save Shisui's life, yet even as I convinced myself that the ends justified the means here, I felt the irritating sense of doubt settle and take root in the back of my brain.
"I'm sure whatever your Sharingan is capable of doing is powerful or you wouldn't be considering it," I said, "But unless you can erase collective history with it—which, if you can, by the way, will only prove my following point more—I don't think your plan will work."
Shisui's smile was humorless. "Your lack of faith in me hurts."
"It's not a matter of faith," I said flatly. "You're not blind, Shisui. Everything that has happened—more importantly, everything that has the potential of happening—that's already in everyone's memory. You must understand that people can sometimes be willfully blind, or you wouldn't be so good at manipulating them."
All semblance of passivity vanished from his face and a sharp glint entered his eye. It was the first time I had ever referred to him directly by his first name, and he was now watching me as one carefully watched a potential threat. Itachi continued to remain silent, but I could tell his full attention had shifted to me as well.
"What if the village doesn't change?" I asked quietly, ignoring Shisui's growing suspicion and his change in posture. If the distrust was subtle before, it was clearly evident now. "The Hokage wants peace, that's undeniable, but what will you do if the rest of the council continues to suspect your clan? What if they suspect you?"
"They have no reason to suspect me."
"Won't they?"
The sound of rushing water near us sounded abnormally loud in the silence that followed.
Itachi met my eyes. He caught on to what I was leading up to and must have realized his words held more weight with Shisui than mine would. "Bringing our original plan to the council admits to them the lengths of which you'll go to to avoid civil war," he said slowly.
Shisui frowned and I caught a hint of surprise flash across his face. He hadn't expected Itachi to jump in. "I thought we were going to do whatever it took."
"Yes, as we should, but Danzo is on the council. What conclusions do you think he'll come to when you reveal to him that you'll resort to using the Mangekyo on your own clan? You've worked under him longer than I have—you know how he operates."
Shisui went silent at that, evidently realizing that the two of us were trying to direct him to a conclusion we already shared. His face was blank as he glanced between us, but I could finally see something churning behind his eyes. "You think he will suspect me."
Itachi's face was grim. "I would not have considered it before, but I've come to realize over the past few months that he often sees threats where there are none."
"It's unlike you to doubt so much," Shisui noted quietly, peering at his friend. "Which makes me wonder if you're aware of something I'm not."
I saw Itachi's hesitation and decided to speak up. We were making progress here. "Danzo stole Uchiha Nobu's Sharingan, and before you ask, Nobu himself told me this after his death. Through my ability to see him."
The shock was evident. "Nobu? The case from months ago? That's—" Shisui took a deep breath as if to find his patience. When he looked back at Itachi, there was a gleam of hurt in his eyes. "You've been keeping a lot from me, it seems. And you believe her about this?"
"I asked him to keep this and my ability secret," I cut in to redirect the accusation. "Don't blame him."
A thin smile crossed Itachi's face at my attempt to defend him. "I'm sorry for not telling you, Shisui. But I do believe her, hence why I'm asking you to reconsider our plan."
"Unbelievable," Shisui muttered, running a hand messily through his hair. He remained quiet, pacing and clearly going through an internal debate. After a tense silence, he dragged his hand down his face and sighed. "Since you seem so sure of this... Fine," he decided. "I won't bring up my Sharingan to the council. But we still need a plan and the Hokage is going to want to hear something."
Itachi relaxed and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "The man in the mask. Tell the Hokage—and Fugaku-san," I directed to Itachi, "that you saw him within the compound. Tell them to inspect Konoha's barriers. There should be abnormalities."
"And the ghost's claim that this man is responsible for unleashing the Kyuubi?" Shisui asked coolly, staring at me without blinking. "Did the ghost tell you who he is? Who she is?"
"No, she didn't say." I didn't clarify which question that was an answer to and I knew he caught it, but I went on before he could comment. "The council will wonder how we found out that bit of information about the Kyuubi and I'd rather my ability remain between the three of us. The truth behind Nobu's death, too. At least for now."
He immediately changed gears. "Does the Hokage know about your bloodline?"
"No."
He knew I knew about bloodline laws and his face clearly showed what he thought about me not following them. I wanted to speak more about the reasons behind my silence, but something told me that I wouldn't get nearly as much traction on my excuses with him as I did with Itachi.
Itachi must have still agreed with Shisui on this particular issue as well, because he didn't come to my aid at all this time.
I wasn't used to this side of Shisui—he wasn't giving me any lenience. The dynamic between us had undoubtedly shifted over the course of this conversation and I was painfully aware of it. The coldness behind his eyes also seemed strangely fitting, as though this was his default look and everything else was a mask he donned as the situation required.
He was also much better at controlling a conversation than I was and it felt like he was letting me know about it. It was as though he was trying to show me that he was just as capable of swaying Itachi to his side as I was. I'm not your enemy, I wanted to say again, but bit my tongue.
"I do plan on telling him," I said slowly, trying to determine how to turn the conversation in my favor. "I'll tell him eventually, but talking to the dead is an opportunity not everyone will appreciate me having. I trust the two of you, but I don't know who else the Hokage will tell."
"It's his right to know as the Hokage. Who he tells is his choice."
No, it's not. I made a frustrated noise but couldn't come up with any further arguments that he would accept. Compromise was the next option. "Let's see where revealing the information about the barrier will get us first, please? If things still remain tense we can reveal the rest and I'll come forward with my ability."
He saw my change in tactics and raised an eyebrow. I tried not to squirm under his gaze.
"Shisui," Itachi finally spoke, sounding mildly amused. "That's enough. We have enough to work with for the time being. Her ability can be revealed later, as she just agreed."
He eased off of me at that, but still gave me a pointed look. "Alright. But you're going to tell him. Or I will."
"Deal." It was the best outcome I could hope for. Clearly I'd have to brush up on my debate skills before trying to get into future arguments with him.
"It'd be best to go report to the Hokage now," Itachi said. There was a spark of determination in his eyes that hadn't been there this morning. "The most recent breach happened just earlier and the evidence will be easier to find."
.
.
.
It wasn't until later as I was on my way home that it finally hit me on how much had actually happened that morning, all in the span of what seemed to only be a few hours.
Itachi had convinced Shisui out of using his Sharingan, which meant Shisui wouldn't be attacked by Danzo. The threat of Danzo finding out about my own ability still loomed over my head, but I took pleasure in the fact that I had finally made a difference.
The council was also about to find out about Obito and while his name wouldn't be revealed, I knew the sudden attention would thwart whatever it was he was attempting to accomplish under the veil of obscurity. It wasn't a magical solution to the political tension in the village but the ghost was right—bringing the two sides together against a common enemy could work.
It's also progress in the right direction, I added solemnly, weaving in between people on the way home. But I couldn't even begin to guess at how Obito was going to react.
.
A/N: Everyone's ages as of this chapter are: Miho is 9 (birthday Feb 16th), Itachi is 10 (birthday June 9th), Shin is 11 (birthday Dec 12), and Shisui is 13 (birthday Oct 19).