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Cherry Bridge
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Summary Chapter 27
After a brief conversation between the Sand Siblings, it becomes clear that the Five Kage have met and are planning a battle strategy against Madara. Back in the Yumihari Temple, Sasuke waits impatiently as the cats transfer their secret base to the underground sanctuary. As Neko-baa and her cats transport Tamaki, the Elder Cat's granddaughter, said young woman is mysteriously awoken from her coma that Madara had sent her into. Sakura, meanwhile, witnesses the Dance before leaving the Realm of Soma to cross into the Realm of Indra. As she does, she realizes that her guide for Indra's Realm is Uchiha Itachi.
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A/N
You get a cookie, and you get a cookie—everyone gets a cookie! (Yay!)
Enjoy!
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Being of no prestigious Clan, she always assumed herself to be inferior.
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Chapter 28
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They arrived in the village in the Realm of Indra far quicker than Sakura anticipated. Just as the sky began to darken, they reached an immense lake; on the opposite shore, she spotted lights being lit, one by one.
"Um… Itachi-san—"
"You may call me Itachi," he corrected her with a miniscule smile.
"Ah, okay… Itachi, is there anything, um, important I need to know before we meet others?"
The Uchiha pondered her question for a few moments, turning his face skywards. She followed his gaze and gasped in surprise.
The moon, glowing an incredible, luminous white, hung impossibly large among the silvery cloudbanks. It was by far bigger than how it looked down amongst the living. In a moment of thoughtlessness, Sakura tentatively reached up, fully expecting her fingertips to brush the glowing crescent.
A low laugh snapped her back to the ground. She stared in awe as Itachi chuckled, his expression light and carefree.
"To answer your question," he said, "it is important to know that, unlike with your Clan, the Moon is the sole protector of Indra's Realm. There is no Council, but the Moon is gracious enough to hold open court on the night of the new moon."
"Oh." Sakura couldn't think of any intelligent response. Her eyes returned to the enormous sliver of the moon in the sky and inquired:
"So, the night of the open court is coming soon?"
"Precisely."
They continued on, trekking around the lake. Wonder bloomed within her chest as she beheld swarms of glowing, scarlet fish moving under the surface. Absentmindedly, she remarked to her companion:
"In the Realm of Soma, we have a lake there too… The Well, I think."
"All of the three Realms have a lake," Itachi replied, "in fact, it is the very same lake. This is the Well, too."
"What?" Sakura tore her gaze away from the water and stared at him incredulously. "That doesn't make sense," she argued, confused, "How could that possibly work?"
Itachi gave her a single glance that conveyed his amusement at her obvious puzzlement.
"Sakura-san—"
"Call me Sakura."
"Very well. Sakura, the Well has to be present throughout every Realm to connect them. I suppose you could call them portals, if you want to simplify it. Indra has it, Soma has it, and so does Asura. Furthermore, the Well is also present amongst the living world, and, I assume, all realms beyond."
"I never saw the Well when I was in the other world," she murmured, brow creasing.
"Neither did I," the Uchiha admitted, "but it exists. It has to, for there to be balance."
Sakura stared at the serene water, intrigued.
"So, if it's a portal… could we jump in and land in a different place?"
Itachi hesitated, looking troubled. Shooting a warning glance at her, he cautioned:
"That would be unwise."
"Why?"
"For the dead," he said pointedly, not quailing at the description he was giving all the inhabitants of the Realm including himself, "it is possible. It has never been attempted with a living person, though."
Her interest now thoroughly awakened, Sakura shot a furtive look at the lake. It looked so peaceful and utterly ordinary, belying its true nature. With a sigh, she turned away, back to Itachi.
"Anything else I should know?"
His eyes hardened.
"Yes," he responded, his voice becoming clipped, "do not be surprised if the village is different from what you imagine."
"Huh?"
"The Realm of Soma houses a single Clan – the Rokukan." He elaborated, "That is because the third son of the Rikudō Sennin only produced a single lineage after him. The first son, however, founded the Yumihari Clan, which broke into many fragments over time. The Uchiha are only a fraction of Indra's Realm. There is no quarrel among the many Clans here; however… not all look favorably upon the Uchiha. And," here he paused, his face growing even more somber.
"And… not all of them, even some of the Uchiha, have forgiven me for what I have done."
"Itachi…" Sakura swallowed, at loss for words. "I'm so sorry…"
He shook his head lightly and went on:
"No worries, I am not offended. I knew what I had committed that night, and I have paid for it in full. The only reason I mention this, is that some of those who dwell here may not look kindly on an acquaintance of a Clan-killer. I am endangering your mission simply by having lived in the same time as you."
"Oh."
They had almost reached the village at this point, which, as Sakura could see now, was considerably larger than the village in Soma's Realm. By now, the sky was completely black, and almost every window of every house was lit. As she studied the buildings, which were larger and more modern looking than those of the Rokukan, she noticed that the village actually consisted of multiple smaller compounds, with small roads leading between each knot of houses.
"Are those all separate Clans?" she whispered, gesturing. Seeing Itachi's nod, she forged onwards:
"Which one is the Uchiha?"
"This way," he said, gliding silently into the shadows.
As they hurried down a street, a sudden call stopped them in their tracks.
"Oi! Is that you, Itachi?"
Composing himself so as to not look like they had just been caught stealing through the dark like thieves, the Uchiha straightened, simultaneously sweeping Sakura behind him into the shadows, and turned to face their addresser.
"Shisui," he said neutrally, nodding cordially.
"I knew it had to be you!" Shisui grinned cheerfully, and, carelessly crossing the 'do-not-touch-me-for-thou-shalt-die' barrier that Itachi carefully kept cloaked around his person, he tackled the stoic Uchiha in a crushing hug. Releasing his cousin, and ignoring his mildly irritated expression, he continued:
"You should come visit us all more often, man. Your parents kept trying to send me as a messenger boy to go find you."
Sakura peeked around her silent guide, fascinated. Apart from Sasuke, Itachi and – she shuddered – Madara, she hadn't seen any Uchiha in quite a long time. Her memories of the time when the Clan had been present throughout Konoha had long since dimmed and blurred.
Shisui started as a head of pink hair peered around Itachi inquisitively.
"Hey, who's the noob?"
"Shisui!"
"Sorry, I mean: Who're you, noob?"
Sakura blinked and then burst into a fit of giggles. The frown on Itachi's serious face, the lighthearted mischievousness on Shisui's… it reminded her of her two favorite boys far, far away.
"Hajimemashite, Shisui-san," she smiled, her mirth bubbling over, "My name is Sakura." She inclined her head slightly.
"Nice to meet you too, Sakura-san," Shisui replied, showing a certain degree of politeness as he bowed back at her. Returning his gaze to his cousin, he asked:
"So why did I catch you two sneaking around? Did you do something bad?"
"No," Itachi answered curtly. Sakura could see that the extra attention was making the stoic young man antsy. "We must meet with Chang'e as soon as possible."
'Chang'e…' the name struck a chord in her memory. Straining to remember, she asked distractedly:
"Itachi, who's Chang'e?"
"You'll see," was his only reply. He turned and headed into the shadows once again, calling over his shoulder:
"Shisui, if you wish, you can come with us."
"Hell yeah, I do!"
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"Tamaki!" Neko-baa exclaimed, her wrinkled face scrunching up as tears flooded her eyes. The Elder Cat was hugging her granddaughter with all her might, rocking her back and forth as one would rock a child.
Groggily, the young woman blinked at her grandmother, her brain obviously miles behind.
"Baa-sama…" she managed to cough, her voice hoarse with disuse, "What… Where…" Her eyes flickered around the warmly lit room, settling on Sasuke who was hovering in the doorway. Panic suffused her face.
"M-Madara…!" she choked out, hysteria raising her pitch. "Baa-sama! Madara is—"
"—not here," Sasuke cut her off shortly. He was taken aback by the flood of resentment that filled him at being mistaken for Madara.
'I'm nothing like him!' he snarled inwardly in protest, 'I would never…!' Shame burned through him, stopping the thought in its tracks. Itachi's lifeless face peered at him from his memory's eye and he swallowed hard, silencing his internal rant.
"Child, it is Uchiha Sasuke," the Elder Cat told the younger woman, "not that accursed man."
"O-Oh… I… I thought…" Tamaki's voice trembled. Neko-baa hugged her tightly again before releasing her, climbing to her feet as her joints groaned.
"It is a miracle to see you awake again," she rasped, her voice thick with emotion. "It must have been something about the temple that roused you…"
"Temple?" the young woman stared, incomprehensive. Her grandmother nodded and smoothed a wrinkled hand over Tamaki's hair, saying:
"We are in the Yumihari Temple, deep underground. We will be safe here."
Sasuke, for his part, left the two women to their reunion, returning to the couch where Sakura's prone form still laid motionlessly. The main room of the temple bustled with activity. Cats lounged on every surface possible, while others disappeared into the shadowy corners and recesses to explore. To Sasuke's surprise, several cats had arranged themselves around and on her. At first glance, they seemed to be asleep, but flashes of slitted pupils and burning irises hinted at their actual wakefulness. Without words, Sasuke somehow knew that the cats were silently guarding her.
"Thank you," he murmured, just as one of the cats curled itself into a snug ball of fur right on top of her stomach.
"She's special, that one," came Denka's voice from behind him. Turning, Sasuke saw the nin-cat sauntering over, leaping with ease to land on the sofa back. He peered down at Sakura's relaxed face and nodded, as if reaffirming his statement to himself.
"Yes, she's definitely an interesting girl."
"Why?" Sasuke couldn't help asking. His curiosity roused, he, too, stared at the pinkette.
"Well," the cat said, "for one, she's not all here." Twitching his whiskers in amusement, he corrected himself, "I mean, she's not sleeping. Nor is she in coma, as Tamaki was. She's just… gone. But somehow, her flesh lives on. How… fascinating."
"How can you tell?"
With an unmistakably feline air, Denka flicked an ear at him in blatant dismissal.
"Never you mind that," he said with airy superiority in his voice, "We neko can tell. Just take my word for it."
Somewhat irritated at being snubbed by the animal, Sasuke strode around the couch, intent on picking Sakura up. He was itching to explore the temple, just as some of the cats were, but he didn't want to risk something happening while he was away.
A rough purr interrupted his movements.
"You are quite attached to her, yes?" Denka said slyly, his eyes gleaming. Sasuke turned to glare at the feline. He opened his mouth, but words failed to come out. Scowling now in embarrassment, he snapped his mouth shut and busied himself with easing his arms under Sakura's shoulders and knees, slowly scattering cats left and right.
Denka laughed, the sound translating into a coughing mew.
"I see, I see," he continued gleefully, ignoring Sasuke's rapidly darkening expression, "I should have guessed. Ah, but don't you worry, young master, because you know what I can also tell? I can tell that her heart beats for you, too."
Sasuke froze.
"I love you with all my heart!"
"What," he gritted out between clenched teeth, slowly turning, "Did. You. Say?"
But the nin-cat merely winked an eye lazily before leaping off the sofa. He vanished in an instant then, his last words drifting quietly to Sasuke's ears:
"Think about what I said, Sasuke!"
'As if I were able not to,' the Uchiha scoffed inwardly, completely frustrated. His heart was beating a little too hard, his breathing a little too fast… Vexed, he gazed down at the motionless girl in his arms.
Could it be possible? His mind spun, thoughts whirling chaotically. This girl, this young woman – how could she possibly still harbor feelings for him? Ghostly visions of her green eyes, filled with bone-chilling fear, haunted his mind's eye.
Sasuke knew that he was far from innocent. He supposed it was a shinobi's destiny to kill people – but still, how could one justify ending another's life? For him, it had always been clear; his alibi had always been Itachi. Yet, after he had wiped his brother from existence – what had been his excuse then? He had killed on Madara's command, but not because the elder Uchiha had told him to. No, Sasuke knew very well that he had killed simply for the sake of killing at that time. He had stepped across the border of what was barely acceptable and entered the zone of no return.
And yet… Somehow, he had returned. He wasn't sure just how much of himself, his very identity, had survived the scrape with insanity. When all this was over – when he no longer had a duty to fulfill in guarding Sakura – what was he going to do?
A dark thought crossed his mind. Would it even be worth carrying on living with such a fragmented sense of self? If he discovered that recovery from all he suffered was really impossible, would he really want to continue in this broken world?
The warm, living weight in his arms broke his train of thought. His gaze softening almost unnoticeably, he glanced down at the girl in his arms.
"I love you with all my heart!"
If they survived all this, would she still strive for that bond with him? Would he?
"I love you with all my heart!"
Would she accept him, or would he linger on in the darkness alone?
"I love you with all my heart!"
Stricken, he found himself unable to tear his eyes away from her. Was he even capable of returning her feelings in full? Love… he tested the concept in his mind, spinning the word around and around. The notion was almost completely foreign to him…
But, as green eyes and a warm smile flashed across his vision, his heart raced. He felt his resolve return to him, his sense of purpose renewed.
Sasuke was nobody's fool. He was an Uchiha – giving up was unacceptable.
'I will live,' he declared, 'even if I remain alone after all this, I will live.'
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Somehow, while he was lost in his thoughts, he had retraced his steps from the main room all the way to the shore of the underground lake. The slight disorientation resulting from nearly sleep-walking several hundred yards sparked a certain amount of uneasiness within him. In reaction, his grip tightened on Sakura marginally.
It was cold here, he noted. Even though the fire that had awakened the temple had been lit in the main room, the lake maintained its icy stillness. Frowning, Sasuke glanced around.
'Strange,' he thought, 'there are the same lines here as in the rest of the temple. But they're not lighting up.'
And so it was. The glowing veins of light, extending outwards from the fire in the heart of the temple, simply stopped in the proximity of the lake. He could see where they were intended to run – there were vague, dark tracks engraved all over the grotto – but somehow, they stayed cold and noticeably unlit.
As he surveyed the vast surface, he felt his senses bristling. An instinctual disquietude pulled at him, urging him as far away as possible from the disturbingly silent lake. He didn't know how or why, but suddenly, he just knew that there was something wrong with those noiseless waters.
A memory of all the dead bodies below the surface reappeared in his mind. Yes, there was definitely something going on here.
Sasuke hesitated on the shores, unsure. Every instinct pointed towards the lake being dangerous, but it wasn't the first time for him facing perilous circumstances. And with the temple designated as the Elder Cat's new safe haven – not to mention Sakura's body was to be kept inside the structure as well – Sasuke felt obliged to investigate any potential threats.
Grimly, he turned his back on the chill emanating from the lake and set out towards the main room. If he was going to get into any hazardous situations, he didn't Sakura to be caught in the crosshairs.
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As the three of them made their way towards the heart of the village, keeping close to the dark, veiled corners, Sakura noticed more and more differences. While the Rokukan village had been fashioned in a Shinto style, the inhabitants of Indra's Realm had what looked to be public gardens, a library, and even several training grounds at their disposal. But the most activity was centered in a busy, lively-looking square. Stalls had been set up, and quick a number of people were strolling along, laughing and talking.
'It's a night market!' Sakura realized with a jolt. The chatter and commotion of the crowd took her back to the times when she had ambled aimlessly among the night markets of Konoha. An unexpected wave of homesickness overtook her.
'I miss Ino… Naruto… Hinata and Tenten… oh, just everybody…'
Itachi must have caught her longing glance at the market, for he gave her shoulder a gentle pat before saying quietly:
"On your way back, perhaps you can take a closer look." Sakura nodded, and they moved on.
Finally, they reached an impressive structure at the edge of then village, right by the lake. Unlike the Citadel, which had towered into the sky, this building had been constructed into the style of an imperial palace. Wide, sprawling courtyards surrounded by intricately tiered roofs preceded the actual main house itself. If one looked closely, the courtyard was actually composed of three levels, with small sets of stairs leading upwards to the next platform. Guardian lion-dogs, chiseled out of fine red stone, had been set on each level, and Sakura had the uncomfortable feeling of being watched as the trio climbed each tier. To her horror, she thought she actually saw one of the stone guardians blink and then narrow its eyes at her.
"Itachi…"
"Just keep walking."
An enormous carving of a crescent moon, flanked by intricate ginko leaves, hung above the last gateway. As they passed underneath, a gust of cool wind chilled Sakura to the bone. Closing her eyes and shivering, she opened them to receive the shock of a lifetime.
A woman had appeared before them out of nowhere. She didn't need to say anything; one look, and Sakura knew who she was.
"My lady," Itachi greeted her, his quiet voice steady. He bowed before her, as did Shisui. Sakura followed suit, something about the woman's imposing presence making her heart beat faster in a fit of nerves.
Ignoring the two Uchiha, the lady stared directly at Sakura. Her unwavering, imperious eyes, as black as two polished orbs of onyx, seemed to burn a hole into her very soul.
"So, you have arrived," the woman uttered, her voice so smooth it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. Sakura cleared her throat, her mouth dry, and nodded, forcing out:
"Yes… Are you Chang'e?"
The Lady of the Moon – for there was no doubt that she was the one – did not respond. Instead, her authoritative gaze seemed to sharpen.
"Come," she ordered. With a soft shush sound of rustling silk, she turned and glided away. Freed from her piercing stare, Sakura let out a shaky breath and glanced at the other two. They remained rooted to the spot, with Shisui mouthing 'go'. Inwardly steeling herself, the pinkette told herself not to be a sissy and get on with it.
'I have to do this.'
Her mind made up, she scrambled after Chang'e, almost stumbling in her haste. The clashing bang of the gates closing behind her made her heart leap into her throat.
She was alone with the Moon.
Chang'e moved forward down a long, pillared hall. Between the pillars, small alcoves had been carved into the walls, each alcove holding a basin of water. Brightly colored, round pebbles of every kind of stone glinted from beneath the surfaces.
"I have been told that you seek the oath-breaker," Chang'e's voice sliced through the silence. She had turned and seated herself in a large throne placed at the end of the hall. Snapping her eyes back to her, Sakura blinked, rushing to get her bearings back.
"Oh. Oh, yes, I do."
"Hm." The lady drawled, visibly unimpressed. She let her gaze scan over Sakura's form with burning intensity, lingering on the exposed scars on her arms. Likewise, Sakura took that moment to observe the Lady of the Moon.
She appeared to younger than Star Princess in Soma's Realm. Young, and at the height of her power and beauty. Her face, unlined and luminous as a pearl, could have been carved from a block of ice. Every angle, every curve, was flawless. Her hair, as black as the blackest night, spilled over her shoulders and down her back in a single, liquid void. It had been braided close to her head in three strands, of which only the longest one in the center reached her ankles behind her. The other two had been crossed and twisted into each other, forming an intricate, and impressive, arrangement. She wore a glittering net of chains and jewels over the top of her head, a single teardrop hanging down over her forehead and between her eyebrows. The kimono she donned was white and stitched with swirling red designs, the fabric seeming to glow in the dusky light.
"I expected more." Chang'e's cutting remark brought Sakura back to the situation at hand. Upset and coloring slightly in outrage, the pinkette managed to stammer :
"W-What did you say?!"
"I said," the Moon repeated calmly, "I expected more. When I spoke with those of Soma, they did not mention that the one they sent was so… plain."
'Keep calm, keep calm,' Sakura inhaled slowly, focusing on forcing down her automatic burst of anger. Having been taught by Tsunade, possibly one of the most offensive women of her time, she knew that rising to verbal barbs and taunts would only humiliate herself. Remembering how she had once been chastised by Seiki as well for losing her temper, she wrestled herself into cooling down. It worked, and, looking straight into Chang'e's pitch black eyes, she replied:
"Even so, I'm the one they sent in the end. My task is to find Madara and stop him, not impress the guardian of Indra's Realm."
For a moment, the lady did not answer. Abruptly, she leaned back in her seat, a sardonic smirk tugging at the edge of her perfect, red lips.
"Perhaps I have been mistaken," she said smoothly, "Very well, let us return to the more pressing issues." The tiny smirk disappeared as she went on:
"Uchiha Madara died the day he faced the Senju in battle. I oversaw his ascent myself. Yet, as I drew his essence from his lifeless shell, it suddenly slipped from my grasp. I have not been able to locate it since."
Startled at the sudden cooperation, Sakura took a moment to digest the information.
"What about the current Madara?" she inquired, "The one that I ran into several times?"
Chang'e waved her hand dismissively.
"An empty husk," she replied, "I cannot discern what keeps it upright."
"It has multiple minds… All of them stolen from my Clan," Sakura informed her bitterly. At that, the lady's eyes sparked with interest.
"A vacant body fueled by the second minds of the Rokukan," she murmured, "How strange." Gazing upwards, she intoned:
"I have never come across such a phenomenon in all my existence. Deranged and twisted he may be, but Madara certainly possess admirable cleverness."
It disturbed Sakura how intrigued the Lady of the Moon seemed to be, and she hastily added:
"So, where could Madara's consciousness possibly be?"
Once again, those fierce black eyes connected with Sakura's.
"There are too possibilities," Chang'e admitted, face unreadable, "Either his essence dwells in disguise within a Realm – this one or the one of the living, it matters not – or," she paused briefly, "or he has found a way to linger between the Realms, in the void that separates each Realm from the others."
Sakura gaped at her incredulously.
"Have you checked there?" she asked, getting excited, "Haven't you looked?"
"Silence," the lady snapped, mild irritation painting the layers of her voice, "I have searched where it is within my power to search. The void, while not a malevolent creation, is no place for any sane creature to go. The only safe paths through it are the paths of the Well. It pleased the Gods to shape the world thusly."
Reining her back, trying to control herself, Sakura tried again.
"I meant, can you look down the paths of the Well?"
"It is not my Realm," Chang'e responded immediately, "I cannot leave my Realm."
Silence.
"…" Sakura's eyes widened dramatically as her thoughts zeroed in on what was left unspoken. Across from her, Chang'e, too, inhaled sharply.
"Child," she said icily, "Do you mean to imply that Madara has hidden himself within the Well?"
"It's the most plausible guess!" Sakura retorted, matching the lady's razor sharp tone. "Doesn't it make the most sense?"
"If one overlooks the fact that the Well is a constantly shifting pathway," the raven-haired woman said harshly, "It is much like a tornado – whatever enters it is sucked into its ever-moving vortex. Just like a current, it bears any passengers along without exception."
Sakura's face fell in disappointment.
"Well…" she speculated, blindly stabbing at assumptions, "Let's say Madara somehow managed to hide in the Well, forget about the technicalities…" she gazed hopefully at Chang'e and asked:
"Could it be possible for him to hide from you and the rest of the heavens… theoretically?"
Chang'e sat frozen on her throne, her expression carved from stone. For an endless, breathless moment, she seemed to have stopped in time. And then, without warning, she leapt to her feet, her face turning thunderous and wrathful.
"By the Gods," she snarled viciously, "that wretch! If he has damaged the Well in any way…!" Shadows swirled ominously around her form, twisting in black, snake-like patterns over her arms, across her face. Tension crackled in the air as she strode forwards, passing Sakura in a rush of icy, red-hot anger.
Feeling the Moon's fury trail over her skin like a physical brush of electricity, Sakura squeaked in alarm. Chang'e didn't even spare a glance in her direction as she threw open the doors and stormed into the courtyard outside.
"Take Sakura to the village," her voice was terrible, "See to it that she is protected." In the next moment, her form became engulfed in a cloud of darkness, red sparks whipping around her body, and she vanished with the sound of shattering glass.
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"What the hell happened?" Shisui's frantic, confused voice tore Sakura out of her daze. Startled, she looked up to see the Uchiha running towards her. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently, but firmly, demanding:
"Oi, Sakura, snap out of it!"
"Where," she willed her heart to slow down, "Where is Itachi?"
"Ah, him," he struggled to find words, "When the village is active and awake, he prefers staying out of the way. People—"
"—they hate him," Sakura realized, finishing his sentence bleakly. "Right."
"Well, I wouldn't put it that badly, it's just, uh…"
The pinkette shot him a stern glance, cutting him off. As he let his voice trail off, she said instead:
"Shisui… Why did Chang'e lose her temper like that?"
"Don't mind her," the Uchiha assured her, "She has two different sides, just as the moon has. She runs hot or cold, just never in between."
"Is that normal?"
"Dunno. She's always been unpredictable."
Sakura brooded on that information.
'I don't like this,' she thought, troubled. 'This doesn't sound right. Not just Madara, but it goes beyond that! A guardian with two faces, who can't control her anger, and a man who manages to foil the entire heavens…' She shook her head.
'Something's definitely wrong here.'
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A/N
… O.o
Can I tell you guys that this chapter was a bitch to write?
Don't get me wrong, this chapter was amazing to write, but… Wow. I didn't expect it to come out this... dramatically, I don't know…
I originally didn't plan for this chapter to have so much content stuffed into it. I was worried it would be too much. Sasuke's revelation and decision to live again, Itachi, and also the introduction of the Moon… It's a lot of ground to cover. But, somehow, it seems to have come out alright. Please tell me if I lost you along the way; I'll do my best to answer all the questions.
Phew!
Anyways, on a lighter note: OMG Shisui is here! Although he isn't mentioned much in the Manga, I always imagined his and Itachi's friendship to be much like Naruto and Sasuke's. Almost opposites in a way, but somehow still best buddies. Ah, the fuzzies! *squealing*
Shisui: "…"
Itachi: "…"
Shisui: "… Is she alright?
Itachi: "I sincerely doubt it."
EbonyEye: "Aw, stuff it, killjoys. You two are adorable."
Itachi: *sharply* "I am not adorable!"
Shisui: *laughing hysterically* "Ahahaha! Ita-kun kawaii desuuuuuuu—"
Itachi: *knocks Shisui out*
EbonyEye: "O.o Um… Okaaay… Nevermind me…" *inches away nervously before breaking out into a sprint, screaming and flailing*
The body was never found.
…
*coughs* Anyways! Review please, it makes my heart glow like the suuuun!
Ja ne!
EbonyEye
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Rikudō Sennin – Sage of the Six Paths
Hajimemashite – Nice to meet you (I think I've already done this one, but whatever)
Chang'e – the Chinese moon fairy, or lady in the moon
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