The Young Flames
(Naruto Shippuden Movie 6 OST Track 20 - Conflict)
"Big brother!"
The bright grinning face of the little boy flashed in his mind, accompanied by the gentle expression of his mother. Life had been so peaceful back then, when the only things that mattered were his studies. From the very moment his sibling was be born, Itachi's life had changed forever. No longer would his room remain silent with the scratching of his pencil, but little footfalls and occasional giggles from the baby. Years had come and passed, and later on that young toddler had grown into an excellent academy student, always padding after his footsteps.
"Play with me!" Sasuke chirped, yanking at the ten-year old's sleeve. Itachi blinked and looked down with a clueless face.
"No, no, not today. Your big brother has homework." The gentle coo of his mother made the young boy edge away with a pout. Puffing up his cheeks, the younger Uchiha began to wave the tiny dinosaur figurine in the air.
"Mommy! Play with me!"
"I have to cook dinner dear."
Immediately, the excited energy ceased within the child. Itachi blinked again and switched between the homework on the table and Sasuke. "I can do my homework later. I just remembered, I want to finish a game."
Their mother sighed. "Don't take long."
The pinwheel pattern began to fade as the mist blanketed more and more of his consciousness, senses going duller and duller until it was hard to distinguish between his own body and the world around him. His body swayed back and forth, the shine of his eyes beginning to go dreary.
Is this how I'm going to die? Itachi thought to himself, no longer focused on pushing back the clouds that rolled in.
I knew it. "We're too late." Sasori muttered, keeping a wary eye on the withering snake. His hand rested on the now open room door.
A long shadow cast over the dark area, a large white serpent resting in a curled position within the room. Already, the living scales had begun to die as a mass of brown took over their colour and crumbled away. The other Akatsuki had already gathered within the room, Konan's face falling at the claim.
Kisame raised his sword over the sleeping giant with a frown. "What are you talking about? Samehada can still sense his chakra, he's alive."
"You don't get it. Orochimaru doesn't kill who he swallows." Sasori grunted in annoyance. "In order to steal their body, it has to remain alive. The process has already begun. That form is dying."
"Then we'll take Itachi out before it ends." The shark continued. "I don't care if his blood is poisonous. Itachi's my first good partner in a long time."
The crying wails of a baby after birth rang inside his head, a sound so loud and sharp it sliced through the mist like a blade. Itachi fell into confusion for a moment, wondering why he felt so disturbed by the sound. Why was a baby crying? Who was crying? It felt like his being was floating in a liquid, weightless, limbs numb against the ocean current. There was nothing, nothing but the piercing wail. Like sitting in an empty room with the alarm clock ringing, and yet he had no idea where it was nor why he had to wake up.
It was annoying, but he couldn't sleep with it on. It wasn't something he could ignore, no matter how much his muscles ached.
"It's your new brother! His name is Sasuke."
Itachi pressed both arms to the edge of the bed and hopped a little, hoping to get a good look at the families newest addition. A wrinkled baby lay cradled in his mother's arms, wrapped in a soft blanket. Slowly, his brother was inched closer to the young boy, giving the Uchiha a good look at the newborn.
It was strange, that feeling he got. He stared at Sasuke for a moment, then hesitantly reached out with his hand to touch it. Due to the head being closest, his fingers brushed against the baby's forehead and caused the child to break into a wail. At the reaction, Itachi recoiled his hand and looked up at his mother with concern.
Mikoto cooed and rocked the baby, giving a tired look at her first-born. "Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong."
Sasuke cried louder, eventually causing Itachi to cover his ears. "He's so noisy."
"That's how all babies cry." His mother chuckled and kept on rocking the young baby boy until it fell silent. "Take care of your little brother, okay Itachi?"
That's right. I had a mother, and a father, and brother too. Itachi pondered the thought as curiosity took over and he began to dig deeper. Who was he? What kind of person had he been? He wanted to sleep, but the crying never ceased. It pierced his mind, causing a shiver to run down his back. Slowly, the memories resurfaced, each one popping up like submerged toys in a tub. From his very first memory, to the massacre, to his very last. The images and scenes played like a movie and ran by like a speeding train. Even as his body sunk into the deep dark abyss, one of his more recent memories sparked a jolt in his nerves.
The raven sat there, wide-eyed. Had he just heard that from a kid? A child much younger than himself? No, they weren't kids, not little ones as he said. He pondered the idea, the idea of death causing something to sink in his chest. "If I'm going to die...I want it to be for my family."
The bomber looked at him strangely for moment. "But they're all dead, you killed them." He turned and fiddled with some more clay, rather happy that his hands were too sleepy to do anything with it. "Hmm...I guess if I want to die..."
His face contorted into a puzzled look, mind coming to a blank. "I don't know how I want to die."
To Itachi Uchiha, his family had always been the most important. The clan had always been important, but not the way his father saw it. In death, it felt like he was sitting in a theater, watching the show play out on the big screen. Marionettes to the gods of the stage, the puppeteer who ruled over the characters of the performance. As it seemed, Itachi Uchiha was a very important character, a villain as it seemed.
They were so life-like though, the puppeteers must have been talented. Like a fire was lit within each actor, everyone playing a role in his memories, like characters in a movie.
A fire.
That little boy, that small child he considered family. He was still alive, still out there while he rested in this empty pool of water. Once Itachi Uchiha was gone, Sasuke Uchiha would remain alone forever.
Alone for the rest of eternity?
No.
A sudden energy coursed through his body as Itachi's eyes fluttered open, his body jerking to awake. Something still pushed at his limbs though, keeping them locked in place. Water splashed about as the raven struggled with clenched teeth. With another blink, the world had changed. Engulfed in the flesh, mounds of the same strange earth encased bodies within. Itachi was trapped, and even if he he regained his consciousness, he knew the mist would come back.
He would die if he stayed here.
Keeping the image of his brother framed in his mind, Itachi slowly closed his lids and focused. A different pattern swirled into his pupils, a dangerous red glint showing once he opened them again. It took the last of effort but the thirteen-year old stared stiffly at the floor. His last resort.
"Amaterasu!"
Suddenly, the great serpent jolted awake and uncurled from its spot. Everyone in the room came to attention as Orochimaru cried out in agony, his long white body crashed into the walls and swiped Sasori aside like a bug. Konan swiftly caught the other in a bed of sheets as she watched the snake thrash about the room in pain. Nearby, Kisame easily caught each blow, letting his sword take the brunt of the attack each time but just barely escaping being swept aside like the puppeteer.
Everyone emerged from the room and observed the wall collapse against the weight of the giant snake. In single burst, a rush of black flames flitted to the surface of the snake's body, burning fiercely away at Orochimaru's stomach. The Akatsuki watched warily, keeping a good distance from the inferno.
With one last cry, a form was regurgitated from the snake's mouth as Orochimaru's normal body slithered out and winded down the hall. Sasori's eyes followed his former partner and moved briefly to pursue him.
"Wait!"
Konan stared at the massive serpent's limp body. The burned wound opened up to reveal many more white snakes coated in a red blood like guts. Each snake hissed out in pain as their scales and flesh were roasted away into a fine ash. A clear hole finally appeared from the mass of smaller reptiles and a leg emerged, dressed in the Akatsuki uniform.
Immediately, Konan acted, "He's still alive! Extract Itachi before the flames get to him!"
Itachi's eyes finally opened, face squished within the fleshy moistness of Orochimaru's stomach. Immediately, he recoiled at the smell and scrunched up his nose. Regardless, this was a good sign. He had broken out of the mental plane and was back in reality, his sharingan made it clear. Hissing sounds were the first thing he heard as well as the crackle of flesh as it burned against the fire. Black flames did not glow like normal fire, so even as the stomach seemed dark and black, he could tell as the heat rushed against his face that he was dangerously close.
Voices came next, a giant glaring blade punctured the stomach and tore it open. The stomach rocked and rolled over, quickly dropping Itachi onto the cold hard floor with a dull wet thud.
Sasori attempted to check on their fellow member's condition but Itachi wasted no time to rest. He stumbled into a stand and shoved away any help that the others might have offered. The raven cupped a hand over his eye as it bled due to the stress.
"I can't..." Itachi breathed heavily and darted down the hall after Orochimaru.
From the outside, Itachi emerged first at the ravine before all others, standing on the ledge of what was left of this hall. The other Akatsuki followed after and stopped briefly as they caught a glimpse of a splash in the water.
"Damn." Sasori cursed.
"It's okay." Itachi gasped and coughed, "I used Amaterasu...the fire cannot be put out unless Orochimaru is burnt to ash. At full strength, it will burn for seven days and seven nights. It's over." A silence came over every member while the young raven caught his breath. He leaned against the wall and pressed his throbbing forehead to the cold surface. But I'm inexperienced...they will burn for a few minutes at best...
"I see, so that's what happened." Pein made an dismissive nod.
Everyone stood at the clearing near Sasori's hill, the bright moon just edging towards the west of the sky. The night was beginning to wane, and recent destruction of the land had left the forest in an eery silence. Not even the crickets chirped freely, completely void of any fauna. Even the village had ceased all noise, either the citizens were asleep or too scared out of their wits to make even a murmur.
As per usual, Deidara was required to step back from meeting like these, though still able to spectate as he stood just ten feet away from Konan. Itachi was allowed to sit down due to his condition, a bandage wrapped over his left eye while he held onto his headband. Kisame and Sasori also had taken some damage, though Sasori looked far more beat up in terms of ragged clothing and scrapes than the shark had. The blond felt slightly concerned, what had happened to his danna to sustain what would be considered injuries on any normal human? He'd seen the fight, the redhead rarely took a hit. How long had Sasori been like that?
Said puppeteer furrowed his eyebrows at his leader expectantly. "That's the whole story then. So, is my name cleared?"
Pein stood for a moment, then turned a sharp eye at his underling. The puppeteer frowned at the gaze, sensing a tension rise.
"Regardless, you openly refused orders and threatened your leader in the process. It's grounds for punishment."
The other Akatsuki backed up and made way for Pein to pass through. The ringed-eye man approached the puppeteer menacingly. Sasori clenched his teeth and stepped back but continued to stand his ground. He was in no condition and no place to fight back, but even then, he had no wish to die today either.
Deidara blinked and began to jog forward only to have Konan's hand press quickly to his chest. The little boy glanced up, demanding an explanation only to find a faltering steely expression on the woman's face.
Shing
A single gleaming black rod slipped out from Pein's sleeve and raised itself slowly to point at Sasori's chest and directly at his heart. Immediately, the redhead halted all movement as if he were being preyed on. In an instant, the pike could shoot out and strike him down right then and there, and running away wouldn't result in anything but a more brutal death. Surrounded by Akatsuki like himself, he had not a doubt Pein would not hesitate to treat him the very same way they had treated Orochimaru.
"This is ridiculous. I followed your orders!" Sasori stiffly managed out and kept a trained eye on the sharpened pike. "I helped get Itachi back and fight Orochimaru!"
Itachi blinked and glanced at the other members hastily. None of them seemed to be the slightest bit concerned for their fellow member, either watching in morbid amusement or observing their leader closely to make sure they didn't caught up in the crossfire. The only one who seemed unsettled by all of this was Deidara, who stood next to Konan with a panicked expression.
For a moment, a pang of pity struck Itachi as he watched the scene. Of course, what did he expect. For whatever moment he thought he might have gotten used to this organization, there was no escape from the reality. As it seems, Deidara had been just as duped as he was, only far deeper into the fantasy of a safe haven.
"It doesn't matter. This is the only way to atone."
Konan blinked as her arm was shoved aside harshly. Sasori watched in horror as his subordinate darted in front of him and held both arms out protectively. Deidara's face twisted in in a desperate manner, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead as it remained only a two or so feet away from the dangerous point of the rod.
Pein's gaze fell to the little child and his frown deepened. "You too?"
The other members observed the scene quite unlike any they've ever seen before. A subordinate had the nerve to come up and defend their master in the face of Amegakure's god? What kind of foolish act was that? With no plan, and definitely far below the rain ninja in skill. What did the clay artist hope to do?
"What are you doing? Brat?" Sasori hissed.
Deidara ignored his master's comment and stood firmly in front of him, locking a weak glare towards his leader. His legs trembled, body shivering in absolute fear in front of the Akatsuki founder. Regardless, he remained and gulped. "I don't know what danna did, but I'll take his punishment!"
If even possible, the already silent Akatsuki fell deeper into the gloom, all eyes falling on the reckless blond. Konan's mask broke and her face fell, tempted to step in and do something. Pein didn't falter, then spoke warningly. "Sasori's punishment is death. Do you want to die?"
The corners of Deidara's mouth curled into a forced smile. "You know, I didn't know how I wanted to die, but now, I know I want to die for my master. Itachi asked me how far I would go for Sasori no danna. This is as far as I go. Yeah, this is it."
Tobi watched from afar, eyes lidded. So this was the boy that the little seven-year old had become? He didn't know whether to think it was pathetic or noble. Nearby, his plant companion was practically at the edge of his seat, not a single comment coming by.
"You brat! Get out of here!" Sasori sliced his hand through the air for emphasis, only to find his words fell on deaf ears.
His arms fell and swung limply as the boy's face fell flat. He wasn't prepared for it, and the situation seemingly came out of nowhere, but this was as far as he'd go. This is the sacrifice he'd make. It was finally time to return the favour. Whether or not he had been prepared at all was trivial.
You're just rambling nonsense now! The puppeteer swiftly scooped up the boy in his arms and tried to put him aside only to find picking the tiny bomber up like trying to pick up an enraged cat. The boy began to squirm out of his grasp fiercely and demanded to be put down.
Pein stayed aloof from the two, continuing to hold the rod dangerously in their direction. Konan's anxiety had not escaped him, but he could not ignore whatever treason any of his members committed. Sasori was due to die, and Deidara was coming close. He was no softy by any means.
"I am moved by your loyalty."
The duo paused and stared at the ginger. A quiet gasp and murmur fell over the other members who quickly ceased their momentary chat to listen in.
"Make no mistake, your act is noble, I acknowledge that."
Deidara felt the death grip around his body loosen. A sweeping breeze moved over the grassy hill, and flitted at everyone's cloaks. Even the puppeteer was coloured shocked, having nothing to say but wait for their leader's next words. His hammering heart began to finally slow, the sharpened rod no longer seemed so scary. In the grass, Itachi made a sigh of relief and closed his eyes while the other members looked on in curiosity. The scene however only served to make Konan tense up more, barely comforted at all by those words.
Sasori remained wide-eyed and collapsed to his knees in a slump. Eyes directed towards the floor, he slowly gazed up at his subordinate, who kept his own locked with their leader. Brown irises stayed trained on the young blond. It had been so long since he'd felt so helpless, so useless. His body was still able to fight, but it was a lost battle from the very beginning. Now, everything was going to be okay. He should have known things would turn out right.
They were supposed to after all. Like how every good story ends. Like every single story his parents had ever read to him before bed.
It's going to be a happy ending.
"You will both die."
Konan's eyes widened and she clenched her fists as the rod rose into the air.
A piercing wail echoed through the streets, its high pitch contrasted against the heavy thud of the rain. She could feel the cold droplets trickle down her nose and drip down to the watery pool below. A dear friend stood further down the backstreet, his form taking on the body of a person who no longer strode about the earth in honesty.
Blood splattered against the alley wall with two Amegakure uniform bodies slumped at their base. A little girl no older than ten had nothing else to do but cry out, a piercing wail escaping her gaped mouth. A teddy bear slung against her leg, one torn arm still grasped in the orphaned child's hand.
"She's still young. Do you have to?" She spoke quietly and averted her gaze. The question was not an odd one. Nagato had answered her before.
"Hanzo is dead. These shinobi were loyal to him and refused to serve us after his fall. Everyone in relation, even family must die. Someday, this child may rise against us in her parent's name. We cannot let her live."
A streak of lightening crossed the sky and the world briefly lit up in a darkened shadow of light and dark contrast. The child pushed her voice even further and cried out to the sky above, clothes slightly stained in the blood of her own. Pein stepped forward and raised the pike over the girl's head and Konan closed her eyes and attempted to drone out all sound.
KRSH
Even since those times, since the massacre had stopped and nation was filtered until nothing put a pure race of loyal followers remained. Pein had not softened the slightest bit. The scene would repeat itself, and again, nothing could be done about it. Konan felt it eventually easier to let it go and allow the children of those families to die all around her. Her soul had hardened and her face slowly lost all emotion.
To watch as their signature puppeteer resume his hold tightly onto the young former Iwagakure child and the boy only able to do nothing but close his eyes. The pike would swing down with its mighty force and strike them both to the ground until their bodies lost all movement.
Blood would be shed again.
A pained cry rang out.
Pein stood above the duo, hand extended away from them as the long rod struck the ground in the bushes elsewhere. Screwed eyes remained shut for a moment before Deidara finally had the courage to open them. Both ninja blinked for a couple of moments as they found that neither of them had been impaled.
Instead, a strangled gasp came from the nearby bushes. Pein dropped his arm and spoke. "Bonds like that will kill you both someday. It is foolish trust like that that ends up killing more lives than it was meant to save. Even when one dies, we must move on by breaking those ties we held in our hearts. You have survived today, but whether you survive tomorrow is simply the decision of god."
Pein stood for a moment, then turned to the forest in the distance. Along with him, the other members followed in suite except for Deidara, who continued to snuggle closer into his danna's cloak, tears creeping up in his eyes.
"I do not appreciate eavesdropping."
The brush rustled and a figure slowly staggered into the open. Kabuto stood and held an arm around his side. Blood seeped through his clothes and dripped down his pants, indicating that the rod had struck his side but barely impaled him. He kept his position hunched over, beaten and bloody from his encounter with Kisame.
Kabuto smirked. Oh, I'm in for it now...
A/N: I'm not sure if I added too many of anything in this chapter. I may rewrite but for now, this is staying as it is. I'll try to work things out in the next chap. One more thing! Thank you for TWO-HUNDRED REVIEWS! This is not only amazing but I got 200 right on my Birthday!(Sept 25) What are the odds? This the best coincidence I've ever had in a while!
Thanks for reading! Nice to meet ya! Please review if you'd like!