Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

Author's notes: Well, sorry for the long wait. Here's the interlude. The next main chapter will soon follow. I hope you guys will like this.

Replies to reviews:

baka-m3-l33t – Thanks. Well, here's a short update. I'm still typing the next chapter but I've already finished writing it down.

Isarandel – Thanks.

Pyro Dragon 117 – I've finally updated. I'm sorry to hear that you're discontinuing your fic. Saw that it was assassinated on the ffanbu livejournal community. But I think that if you edit and improve your story development, spelling and grammar, you wouldn't have much problems with flamers. Hmm... Yeah. Kisame's about to make Renji happy... at least for a while.

Yami no Tenshi – Really? You are? Itachi has a couple of scars on his face in my story. Renji made those scars because he hated being Itachi's shadow.

ghostninja85 – Yeah, I know that it was sort of weak and easy of Sasuke. But... sigh Anyway, saw chapters 233 and 234. Stupid Sasuke. He left. Oh dang.

kitsune-lilith – Thanks. I'm trying to make the chapters longer. I promise to make the next chapters reach up to 10 pages at least.

yumi-sama – Chapter eight is going to focus a lot on all the pairings.

Asari Anzai – She did? It is? I'm glad you like it. Hmm... Actually, I'm aiming to be a guidance councilor/shrink in the future.

Interlude: Memories of Blood 3

"Hold still!"

"It's hurts!"

"Don't be such a baby."

"I'm not! It really hurts!"

The scenario was that similar to a doctor applying the required medicine on a patient's wound except that the man currently applying the medicine was sitting on top of the patient.

"Kakashi, get off me!"

"Hold on a minute. I'm almost done," Kakashi said as the boy beneath him squirmed.

"Hurry up!"

The jounin 'tsked' and covered the wound with fresh bandages and declared, "There. All done."

"Thank god!"

Kakashi sighed. "I can't believe that they discharged you when you aren't fully healed yet."

"It comes with the family. Can't have the clan prodigy lying in bed now, can we? It would be bad for the clan's image," the prodigy muttered darkly.

"So... how's you get it – the wound?"

"I pushed Shisui-san out of the way. If I hadn't, he would've been dead by now." Yes but he still called you a monster anyway.

"It's going to scar you know."

"I know. And it doesn't really matter." The genius sighed as he got up and pulled on his shirt, grimacing at the pain in his lower back. "I should get gong. Father would most likely scold me later."

"Itachi?"

"Hmm?"

"If you ever need anything, you know I'm here right?"

Itachi smiled. "Aa." He bowed slightly. "Thank you for your help." Then he walked to the door.

"Oh yeah... Itachi?"

"What?"

"You scream like a girl."

"..." There was a resounding whack.

"ARGH!"

"Usuratonkachi," the prodigy huffed as he went out.

-----

"We're very disappointed about your performance," Itachi's father said.

The prodigy merely sat there and numbly listened to the people berating him for getting injured, occasionally nodding and replying, "Hai" and "I know."

"You could've been killed!" one of the women screeched.

But Itachi knew that nearly getting killed wasn't the point. They really didn't care whether he lived or died. He was just going to be one less monster to worry about had he truly died. The clan's only concern right now was that their reputation as Uchihas would be marred if the prodigy could not live up to the villagers' expectations. He was really tired of this life. He was nothing but a mere puppet even to his own father. He could not even make his own decisions without the clan pressuring him. There were so many things that he regretted because of their interference in his life.

-----

Renji sat in a dark corner of his room listening to the elders bicker amongst themselves. It was the same topic as usual. It was always about Itachi, his younger twin. It was all so unfair.

"Shisui? What are you doing here?"

The older Uchiha twin's ears perked up. Shisui was here? The man was the only one who stayed around him who actually noticed him and spoke to him like an equal. He considered the young man as a friend of sorts if he was allowed to have friends that is. Very few people knew he still existed. Shisui-san was one of them.

-----

A few months later, Itachi left, moving into Kakashi-san's apartment. The clan would be in an uproar if they knew. The elders came to him and ordered him to keep this a secret. All he had to do was to pretend to be Itachi at least for a while. Renji sighed as he walked towards Nakano River. He was supposed to meet Shisui-san there. Above the sound of the flowing river, he could hear voices.

"Shisui, how are you handling it? Talking to that monster must take a lot of effort for you not to retch."

"Renji? Heh. I don't understand why we have to keep him alive."

Renji's eyes widened at the cold statement, hurt and betrayal mirroring in those dark orbs.

"One monster is enough. We don't need another one."

"Why don't you have a little bit of fun with him first before getting rid of him? You could always say that it was in self-defense. He is a demon after all. They'll buy your story. It's not like anyone would miss him."

Both men laughed. Renji clenched his fists. Monster, am I? I'll show you a monster, you bastard. Shisui's companion left not long after and the younger Uchiha walked out of his hiding spot. Shisui turned to look at him.

"Ah... Renji! What took you so long? I was beginning to think you've forgotten."

Renji's lips curled into a cruel smile. The older Uchiha took a step back, a look of confusion and fear on his face. The younger Uchiha's eyes were a scarlet color of the Sharingan, the three tomoe spinning.

"Of course not, Shisui-san. You know I wouldn't forget you."

Shisui took another step back.

"Shisui-san... Did you know how much I trust you?"

"I... I..." Shisui stammered as he continued to step back, his feet going into the shallow portion of the river.

"But I never thought that you of all people would call me a monster..."

"Renji, let me explain..." Shisui said, his hands in front of him as if to ward the boy off.

"I hate you for it." The three tomoe of the younger Uchiha's eyes stopped spinning and merged together.

"Wait! I'm sorry! I'll make it up to you! I'll do anything!" The other Uchiha was babbling now, desperate to get away from the boy's frightening eyes.

"Anything?"

"Yes!"

The boy looked thoughtful for a moment before giving Shisui a chilling grin. "I want you to die."

-----

Renji threw a small rumpled sheet of paper over the body and sighed. It had been easy to use his Sharingan to persuade Shisui to drown himself. Copying the older Uchiha's handwriting was a synch as well. He didn't have to use his own hands to kill the man. His eyes had been more than enough. Well, there's no use in getting my hands dirty now. Later, maybe, when I kill them all.

"Monster!"

"Demon!"

"You should never have been born!"

"One monster is enough. We don't need another one."

They want a monster? I'll give them a monster. Renji laughed, leaving the floating corpse of Uchiha Shisui to be found by the others the next day.

Interlude END

Author's notes: Hmm... That's it for the mean time. I'll upload the next chapter spanning to a few hours after this one to Sunday. But rest assured that I'll have it up within the weekend.;;;

Please review!

Started: September 24, 2004

Ended: September 27, 2004