Chapter 21: The Last Uchiha(s)
Shizuka gritted her teeth as blood started pouring from her mouth.
Itachi's sword had struck right through her stomach, but it did not meet Sasuke in the end. Shizuka's hands, covered in dirty blood, clutched onto the blade tightly, preventing it from reaching Sasuke. Her body was all battered up, probably from her last battle. Scratches and bruises were randomly placed all over her body. Red liquid oozed from where the sword had hit her. She was barely standing, only held by what pierced her. Her unstable breathing was all that was heard at that moment. Her soft, black eyes merely started at Itachi, dazed. Itachi's expression did not change, remaining cold and emotionless as always.
"So this was how you planned to end your life?" Itachi asked calmly, plunging the sword even deeper into his sister. Shizuka cursed. She tightened her grip on the blade, more blood escaping from her skin the tighter she held it.
"No wonder our little brother has become more pathetic than ever, neesan."
A small smirk came across Shizuka's face. Strands of black hair covered her face.
"Then our pathetic Sasuke will end your life now."
Itachi's expression froze as he felt something come through him from behind his back. He looked down and saw the tip of a blade go through his chest. Electric blue chakra swam around the blade. He tried to glance behind him but was immediately stopped upon hearing Sasuke's voice:
"CHIDORI NAGASHI!" (AN: I don't remember which one it really was, nagashi or nagasaki? sorry!)
Electricity bolted everywhere throughout Itachi's body. His body vibrated back and forth like a patient going through heart attack. Itachi let go of the hilt of his sword only for his fingers to find itself unable to move again. Itachi's body slowly fell to the ground, his Sharingan slowly disappeared. The last thing his eyes saw was Sasuke's face. His vibrant red eyes, the eyes of the Chougekyou Sharingan, was glossy. And for the first time in nearly 7 years, Itachi saw tears in a Sharingan holder's eyes. He muttered something unaudible but his eyes were getting heavier, his Sharigan turning darker. Then, they closed forever. It was the last he would ever see of Sasuke.
After the sight of Itachi's dead body, the Kusunagi dropped to the ground, a clink heard. Sasuke crouched by his sister, who laid on the ground. He grabbed her shoulder, shaking it. Her felt her body getting colder with each second passing. She was barely breathing. Too much blood was being lost from her body. Her eyes were almost closing. Out of all the things that had to happen today...No, he couldn't believe this was happening again. He didn't want this to happen again. There was so much deja vu in his life. He shook her violently.
"Neesan! Neesan! Get up! GET UP!" He yelled, panicking. Her breathing was still uneven."IF YOU DON'T FUCKING GET UP I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
His teammates had finally gotten through the chakra shield. The immediately circled around Shizuka's nearly limp body. Both Naruto and Sakura sat next to Sasuke, trying their best to hold him back. Kakashi placed a hand over Shizuka's chest, his face suddenly going down and solemn. He looked to Sasuke, and shook his head. Sasuke understood what it said: She wasn't going to make it. He glared at his teacher and turned the other way to Sakura. He looked at her angrily.
"Sakura, heal her. Please, heal her," Sasuke asked her, annoyed. Sakura hesitated. It sounded as if he was threatening her.
When Sakura didn't move, Sasuke got angrier. "SAKURA GODDAMNIT, HEAL HER!"
"Sasuke, a-after all this time...You still consider being a meanie butt to Sakura..." He heard his sister croak. He turned to her, looking down at her soft, kind eyes. She smiled weakly, more blood escaping. "Shame on you...I didn't matchmake you guys for no reason, you know..."
"Neesan, you're going to make it. Stay with me, please neesan, stay with me," Sasuke spoke quickly, getting angrier and displeased the longer she didn't speak. He cursed. "Damnit, I hate you so much! Why did you have to be so stupid?! I hate you!"
Using all her strength, she held up her small hand towards Sasuke. It reached to the top of his head, where she ruffled his messy hair. Then it went down to his cheek, holding it silently. She shook her head, sincerely. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-chan."
Sasuke reached towards Shizuka's hands that was on his cheeks but it slipped before he could even grab onto it. Her arms laid limp alongside her body. Her life had just disappeared right in front of his eyes. It was final. Sasuke had lost her. Forever. Along with the rest of his family. He was the last one left. There was nobody but him. Nobody left to do what Shizuka did for him. He slammed the ground with his fist, barely missing Shizuka's face.
"FUCK, I HATE YOU, NEESAN!" He cried. He held that position for a moment. Then, tears dropped from his eyes, raining to the ground. Sakura placed her arms around him, trying her best to comfort him. Team 7 was in a moment of silence with the exception of Sasuke, who despite being the one to be the most emotionless and best at hiding his feelings, was crying. Kakashi looked at his student, taking in the image of how much Sasuke had grown and changed. Like his two other students, he never imagined Sasuke being at the brink of tears, looking so vulnerable, yet not weak. Naruto kept patting Sasuke on the back, biting his lips to avoid saying something. Sasuke's head was now at the crook of Sakura's nice, tears hitting her skin as they were in a small embrace. Kakashi noticed the still deep wound on Sakura's arms and what had just happened through this day. Kakashi sighed as a thought lingered him throughout that moment:
In the end, it was Shizuka, not Itachi, who caused Sasuke to place himself in such unhappiness.
It had been a week since Team 7 returned back to Konoha with the dead body of Shizuka. Tsunade had ordered an ANBU team to retreive her body for a formal burial. THE ANBU were shocked to see the dead bodies of huge Akatsuki players such as Itachi, Kisame, and most surprisingly, the body of Madara. All of them were sent to the hospital, even though they were in not so bad conditions. Only Sasuke suffered the worse, with a broken kneecap. He was to remain the hospital the longest. It didn't matter to him. Because that whole time from when they arrived home to the hospital, Sasuke had not spoken a word. He was more obedient than ever, finding it much more easier than fighting back with words. He refused to talk with anybody, not even Sakura herself.
Everytime he saw her at the hospital, a small pang of guilt fell inside of him because even after everything they had been through, he failed to keep the promise he made to her. Sasuke was thankful that Sakura understood what he was going through, but knew it didn't give him an excuse to even refuse talking with her. Instead, everytime she visited him, Sasuke resulted to just holding her hand the whole entire time, since that was the only kind of contact Sasuke was willing to make with her. Although she was pleased that he was at least opened in some sort of well, Sasuke could tell through her small smiles that she was not entirely happy about it. She guessed it was his way of dealing with the loss of family, especially Shizuka. After that outburst of tears back in the Akatsuki base, Sakura told herself to expect anything now from him.
One morning while Sakura was sitting by Sasuke's bed, Kakashi had entered the hospital room. He enjoyed the sight of his two students, clearly in love, next to each other. He smiled at them both.
"Ohayou, Sasuke, Sakura," He greeted. "How's the knee going, Sasuke?"
Said boy only nodded. Kakashi sighed at the lack of improvement over the past week. "Sakura, would you mind leaving the room? I have something private to talk to Sasuke about."
"Hai, Kakashi-sensei," replied Sakura. She stood up, gave a quick peck on Sasuke's cheeks, and left saying "Goodbye" to both of them. When Kakashi heard the door close behind him, he stared at Sasuke. He had really changed. It wasn't that Kakashi couldn't read his face anymore, it was more like he didn't know which emotion on Sasuke was more overpowering: Sadness or anger? Regret or guilt? That mix of feelings had turned Sasuke even colder and distant than before and it wasn't working. Especially for Sakura. Kakashi started.
"Shizuka was a good sister to you, Sasuke."
Sasuke did not look up to meet his eyes with his teacher. His eyes twitched at the sound of her name.
"She loved you dearly, Sasuke. That was why she was doing everything she could for you."
Sasuke did not budge. He sat there silently and unmoving. He didn't want to hear this, Kakashi could tell.
"All Shizuka wanted was to keep you happy."
A scoff escaped from Sasuke. "Happy? Not what I heard about that woman." He spat out darkly.
"Sasuke, you shouldn't talk about Shizuka like that-"
"DON'T SAY HER NAME! I HATE HER! SHE'S DONE NOTHING BUT MESS AROUND WITH MY MIND AND PUT ME THROUGH HELL! I HATE HER!" Sasuke yelled that echoed through the whole entire hospital. Sasuke breathed heavily after his loud outburst. Kakashi stood there, as if unsurprised by it. Then, his expressions darkened.
"Sasuke, it's about time you understand what Shizuka truly sacrificed for your sakes."
Kakashi opened the door, speaking to someone outside. Sasuke thought he heard a high-pitch whimper. After a minute of talking, Kakashi came back to his original position, followed by Tsunade, the Hokage herself. But this time, something looked off. In Tsunade's hands was a bundle of blankets. Sasuke looked closer and realized it was a baby. A boy, to be precise. It looked big, probably about 6 months old. Tsunade went to Sasuke's bedside and held it against him.
"What is this?" Sasuke asked, puzzled.
"Sasuke, I think you should hold him," Tsunade ordered. Sasuke nodded and took the baby away from Tsunade's arms. He held it against his chest. The baby was awake. Sasuke held it tightly, though he thought the baby as being incredibly light. It had giant black orbs for eyes. His skin was pale and Sasuke could see stands of jet-black hair growing from his head. This baby looked familiar. He couldn't place it. The baby boy looked at Sasuke curiously. Sasuke found it odd that it wasn't crying yet. The boy held up his chubby hands to Sasuke's face, trying to grab it. He had a toothless smile. And then, Sasuke finally took in the results to his mind. Black eyes. Black hair. Pale skin. It looked just like-
"Who is this baby?" He asked them, not wanting to really know the answer.
Tsunade was the one to reply back.
"That would be your nephew Uchiha Shiro."
And then, Sasuke remembered what Shizuka had said to him.
"Because I got somebody to live for."